"W'ynlppa yln N'ymymme!!!" a sarosian shouted, clanging a pair of whalebone bludgeons together after fending off a few unlucky Frostknifers. Hovering just below the main battle, she ushered two other nightblood warriors closer as they regrouped to form a flanking formation. "L'ywynmya syllpa my'wysll syln H'Luun!"
The accompanying warriors echoed as one:
"Sylymym H'Luun!"
"Sylymym H'Luun!!!"
Aiming her blades skyward, the head sarosian lead the charge. The three velvety figures ascended rapidly... just as a flicker of lightning outlined a serrated shadow approaching them from the west.
The head sarosian looked to her left. The thunderclouds shifted; a silver shape came rapidly into focus. Then the sarosian saw nothing, for her eyes had been removed.
SCHIIINK! A pair of talons dug halfway into her skull, twisted, and snapped her neck at a grotesque angle.
The other two warriors scarcely had a chance to react. Whalebone blades swung in the air...
...and reflected off a pair of cold charcoal eyes. With the grace of melting ice, Seraphimus rolled over the corpse in her grasp and flung the body's full weight into the two wingmates.
One dodged swiftly, flying above the bloody fray with a twirl of his velvety figure. He looked down in a voiceless stupor.
The other was not so lucky. He fumbled backwards in midair, suddenly encumbered with the weight of his fallen comrade. Snarling with undeniable fury, he stabbed his blade at Seraphimus' feathery skull.
Seraphimus easily deflected the blade so that—instead—it sliced the jugular of the still-twitching corpse pressed between them. Blood spouted in a stream, dousing the sarosian's face and blinding him. Seraphimus breathlessly took advantage of the moment by kicking the bleeding body away and then descending upon the second warrior like a ravenous harpy. She dug her rear talons deep into his chest, piercing both his lungs simultaneously. The sarosian's body twitched, skewered by her merciless attack.
The third shrieked loudly, unsheathing a dagger and sailing down to avenge his fallen comrades.
Still with claws embedded in the second's chest, Seraphimus glared straight up. A blood-drenched glare flickered between them, and then—with a sickening pop sound—she ripped herself free of the second midnighter and flew straight up to meet the third's charge. She slammed into him—elbow first—uppercutting the confused warrior's chin. Her other talon caught his dagger just as he dropped it. One twirl, and the blade ended up hilt-deep in his neck—disabling him but leaving his nervous system electrified enough to feel the pain of what came next.
Carried by the momentum of her upwards glide, Seraphimus perched on the square of the sarosian's backside, reached out to her sides, grabbed two separate handfuls of leather and—riiiiiip—rendered the warrior completely wingless. His mangled torso plunged towards the waters below, leaving a misty cloud of blood in the thunderous air, serenaded by a final scream.
At last, Seraphimus breathed. Her eyes traced the heavens and—out of all the chaos and confusion—she singled out a single strand of prismatic color. Exhaling... fuming... she dropped the dismembered wings and rocketed up towards the heart of the fray.
"Rrrrgh!" Keris pummeled a sarosian in the face and tossed the body onto a nearby cloud bed where two Frostknifers lay, bruised and barely conscious. Heaving, the Commander spun about to face another pair of combatants.
But before he could even attempt to break up the fight—
FWOOOOSH!
—a silver streak soared up behind him.
"... ... ..." Keris' headcrest drooped. "...oh Goddess."
Beak clattering, he spun about and faced straight up through the heart of the battle. At last, he saw Rainbow Dash...
...and the body that was hurtling straight for Rainbow Dash.
"Commander...?" Starstorm asked from somewhere beyond the immediate battle.
"Talon!" Keris hollered, flapping his wings desperately as he ascended. "Form up—!"
"She's coming, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy wept. Screamed. She clutched at her skull as Pinkie and Rarity struggled to steady her. "She's coming straight for us—!"
"We have to retreat!" Twilight Sparkle shouted. "Fall back! This battle's gone on long enough!"
"Reinforcements will arrive at any moment!" Rarity insisted.
"Rainbow...?" Ariel nervously stammered, hovering closer.
"I'm thinking... I'm thinking..." Rainbow fidgeted in midair as the glinting silver shape grew closer.
"What's to think?!" Applejack hollered.
"AJ—"
"Dag nabbit!" Frowing, Applejack pointed downward. "The moment she gets here, there's only one dang thang that'll stop her from endin' you! From endin' everythang!"
Rainbow chewed on her bottom lip.
A copper smell lit the air...
...and a mutilated set of nostrils tasted it.
Enix spun around, eyeslits peering through the heat of battle.
"Rrnnngh!" another nightblood warrior finished punching a pegasus hard in the skull. Sensing her superior's alertness, she spun about. Her own nostrils flared. "W'ynlppa yln N'ymym... that scent in the air..."
"Fresh as foaling," Enix purred. "Cold as coral."
"Blood..." The hair on the back of the other warrior's neck bristled. "Blood of our brothers and sisters!" Schiiing! Unsheathing a scimitar, she lunged forward—
"No!" Enix held her back with a hoof outstretched. Together, the two peered down at the figure in question.
Like a banshee, the griffon in question ripped and tore her way through the fight. Sarosians scattered left and right, several clutching bleeding limbs and mangled wings.
"What... in H'Luun's name... is that...?" the subordinate stammered.
Enix stared. Pierced fangs shone in the twilight. "A challenge." Schhh-iiiiii-iing! Two whalebone axes kissed the air. "Protect the W'ynlppa yln H'luun!"
"Ywm, W'ynlppa yln N'ymym."
"Rrrrrrrrrrrrr—" With a surly growl, Enix spiraled violently through the fight.
"Rainbow!" Ariel squeaked, glancing aside with a feverish expression. "Call it!"
Rainbow's jaw clenched hard. Her blood boiled with each heart-pounding second that the figure approached.
"Rainbow—!" Twilight sputtered.
"I need..." Rainbow grimaced. "There's..." She grimaced harder. "...no other choice—"
"Wowie-wowie-wowie!" Pinkie Pie clutched her ghostly mane as it billowed in an invisible wind. She clenched her eyes shut and curled up into a mauve ball. "It's the big one—!"
"Good heavens!" Rarity gasped, for within the next second—
Swooooooosh! Enix's figure flew in from the side and tackled Seraphimus' body before she was within talon range. A sky-piercing shriek announced the engagement.
Ariel, Rainbow Dash, and several other figures looked in mid-battle to see...
...the two tangled warriors sailing off and piercing a tall column of dark storm clouds flanking the fight.
Keris' feathery head nearly spun off his neck from tracing the movement of Seraphimus and Enix.
In the following breath, the pair disappeared entirely from the Talon's view, obscured by mist and thunder.
"Mrmmmmf!" Hissing, Seraphimus reached a talon out and caught a claw-ful of cloud. "Rrrrr—Raaaugh!" Anchoring herself, she flung Enix completely off.
Enix flipped multiple times, made contact with the neck of a vertical wall of cloud, and flung one of her dual axes straight back at the griffon. "Eee-eee-eee!"
Seraphimus waited... waited... and flung her talon up at the last second. CLANK! She miraculously made contact with the blade's hilt, sending it sailing skyward. The weapon disappeared in a blinding crack of lightning.
As the strobe cleared, both warriors were left facing each other in the claustrophobic pocket of thunderclouds.
Seraphimus panted.
Enix panted.
A roll of thunder.
And then—
"You are bathed in the blood of my siblings," Enix said. Not taking her eyes off Seraphimus, she casually reached out and caught her axe as it fell back down. "I shall remember that when I carve out your heart."
"Seventh Tribe... forsaken bastards of the Seven Seas." Seraphimus' eyes narrowed. "Filth can only be defecated; never avenged."
"You shall not claim the Blood of Luna." Enix's eyeslits narrowed. "I have pledged my life."
Seraphimus' beak tightened. "Then you have pledged nothing."
"Hrmmmm..." Enix smiled... then slowly... icily sliced a fresh scar across her own chest with the tip of one axe. Moments later, her fangs were flashing in the stormlights. "Hressssssssh!" She charged Seraphimus at full speed.
And Seraphimus waited.
Pinkie Pie's ears drooped. Her teeth chattered as she spun away from the lower stormcloud to gaze at her friends and anchor.
Rarity gulped. "There's... there's no way she can survive that fight..." She rubbed her fetlocks together. "...is there?"
Applejack tilted her hat back, exhaling. "She sure thinks she can."
"Rainbow?" Ariel leaned in. "What now?"
Rainbow hovered in a sudden stupor. Snapping out of it, she turned from the battle and faced her friends. "Fluttershy? What do your senses tell you? Is Enix handling it?"
"Rainbow..."
"Be honest with us—"
"Rainbow, it's... it's something else," Fluttershy murmured, calming slightly.
"What?"
Sniffling, the ghostly pegasus pointed down.
"...?" Rainbow spun about. She looked through the fight and saw four winged figures on an intercept course.
"The Talon..." Twilight Sparkle murmured. Her ears perked up. "...Keris!"
"And there are reinforcements," Fluttershy added in a nervous voice. "Another squadron—the first guardians who fell." She gulped. "It's nearly twice as much as our friends are battling now."
"And they're on their way up!" Rarity exclaimed. "I can feel the metal of their blades!"
"Rainbowwwww..." Ariel leaned in. "Please. Talk to me. What's the score?"
Rainbow's eyes were locked on the Talon below. She raised her voice to be heard above the clattering and clanging of blades. "Ariel, you have to trust me..."
"Commander!" Raptr sputtered. "Seraphimus! She just—"
"I saw." Keris nodded without looking aside. "Eyes front."
"Huh?"
"I see," Windburst said, expert eyes locked on the prismatic target. "Orders?"
"We've got to bridge the gap!" Starstorm said. "Once and for all!"
"Agreed. Do not change course!" Keris hollered, accelerating swiftly through the battling bodies. "No matter what!"
"Full feather!" Windburst shouted.
"And once we make contact..." Keris sneered, squinting into the misty winds. "...get her out of the fight!"
"Fire up a flare," Rainbow Dash said, hovering out into the open. "Order a retreat to the east."
"Huh?" Ariel followed Rainbow's line of sight. At last, she saw what the mare saw. "Oh gosh—"
"Ariel!" Rainbow snapped.
Ariel ripped her eyes off the Talon.
"This is your time to shine." Rainbow squinted. "I need you to form the retreat! Let Wildcard take up the rear!"
"But—"
"Then fire another flare to signal a detachment to reach the final platform!" Rainbow said. "Bard's about to split up Chandler's forces! Once that happens, we need to get a drop on them! The drop! Do you understand?"
"I do! But... but what about you—"
"I will be fine! I promise!" Rainbow hollered—then suddenly grunted as she was attacked by a random Frostknifer. She easily fought off the warrior, taking the moment to sneer at Ariel once again: "This had to come to pass! It's the only way to seal the deal!"
"What deal?!"
"Have faith!" Rainbow sputtered. "Faith in Keris!"
Ariel fidgeted in mid-air.
"Friggin' go, you sexy melon fudge!" Rainbow—alone—grunted as more and more Frostknifers singled her out. She spun in a frenzied circle, fighting them off one by one.
Ariel frowned... shook... then spun about completely. She flew up to join a group of sarosians still armed with runic cannons.
"She's alone!" Raptr shouted, pointing. "You see?!"
"She's outnumbered!" Starstorm exclaimed.
"No..." Keris grunted against the friction of the stormy winds. "...she's singling herself out."
"We've got a good bearing on her now!" Windburst grunted.
"Yes..." Keris hissed. "...just as she wants us to."
"Commander...?" Starstorm stammered.
"Do not slow down!" Keris shouted, piercing the heart of the fight as bodies zipped past them faster and faster. "We must make this look good for Chandler's side! Give the soldiers faith! Prolong the battle!"
"To what end—?!" Raptr began, but didn't finish. Two sarosians collided with the rookie in mid-air. Breathless, the Talon member flew sideways, struggling to fight them off.
"Raptr—!" Starstorm made to veer after him.
"Stay on point, Sergeant!" Keris grunted.
"Rrrnngh!" she grunted, twirling to avoid a group of bat ponies lunging at them.
Runic charges exploded above and behind them. Lightning forked as thunder broiled.
Velvety bodies doubled in the Talon's peripheral.
Panting, Windburst yelled aside: "Commander! They'll form a front to blockade us—!"
"Right!" Keris nodded. "Go! Do it!"
Windburst broke formation. Summoning a war cry from deep within his lungs, he barreled sideways and plowed mercilessly into the advancing nightblood flock. The group was thrown into chaos as Keris and Starstorm soared past them.
"Commander..." Starstorm trembled, her wing muscles growing weak.
"Just a little further..." Keris droned.
Starstorm squinted into the winds. "Only the two of us—?"
"We're going to intercept her," Keris said with his final breath. He braced his upper body muscles. "Only because she's going to let us."
Starstorm nodded in silence. Together, the two remaining members of the Talon threaded their way through the last remaining meters of the battle.
Rainbow Dash kicked one soldier, punched another, and deflected the spear-stab of a third.
She yanked the spear from his grasp, uppercutted the Frostknifer, and spun about...
...to see Pinkie Pie's twitching face. "Brace yourself, Dashie—"
A wall of talons and feathers shot through her and connected with Rainbow.
Rainbow's body was prepared. The spear in her grasp was not. The weapon flew into splinters as Keris and Starstorm impacted her figure.
With a combined grunt, Starstorm and Keris expertly twisted their wings. Their upwards arc curved about, and soon they were plummeting with Rainbow Dash in tow. The combined push threw the whole group downwards, sailing murderously past bruised soldiers and gasping sarosians. Twilight and the rest of the ghostly mares yelped, forced to flail after them by a lavender force field.
"Haaaaaaaaaaugh!" Enix came sailing down at Seraphimus with both axes swinging.
"Hrttt!" Seraphimus crossed her forelimbs, blocking the hilts of both weapons and holding Enix back.
Lightning flickered around them...
...just in time to illuminate the flesh of three bodies piercing that very pocket of stormclouds from above.
Seraphimus' charcoal eyes twitched. Feverishly, she looked all around for a trailing streak of rainbow color that had briefly crossed her vision.
Enix capitalized on the moment, twisting her grip of the axes. "Hssssssssh!"
Sliiiink! Seraphimus' shoulder suffered a deep gash.
"Aaaaaugh!" Seraphimus' pupils shrank. The whites of her eyes brimmed with lightning. "You want blood?!?" With a focused grunt, she uncrossed her arms, knocking back Enix's grip of her axe-hilts. In the shriek that followed, she threw her body forward, mounting Enix's chest and biting a beak-full of ear. Without hesitation, she tightened her neck muscles and twisted.
When Enix next screamed, she could only half-hear it. Dropping both axes, she hugged her savage assailant just as tightly and dug her fangs deep into Seraphimus' right arm. Bloodily, the two wrestled and pinballed off the insides of the stormcloud.
While down below...
...Keris, Starstorm, and Rainbow Dash continued their plunge.
Their bodies formed a single comet of feathers and fuzz as they approached sea level.
The sight was not lost to Chandler's Armada.
"Defense Minister!" a crew pony hollered, pointing northwest from where they cruised.
Chandler wrenched his eyes off the distant Stardust to the east. He caught sight of the three figures in their mutual dive. His jaw dropped. "Verlaxion's sleet, Commander, you've done it..."
Eyes wide, multiple members of the Central Guard watched as the Talon and Rainbow plunged towards the line of rocks.
At the culmination of their fall, they sailed straight into the decrepit shell of a shipwreck...
SMASSSSH!
...and collapsed deep inside the ancient wooden structure.
"Ooomf!" Starstorm sprawled across a rocky bed.
"Grnngh!" Keris went sliding to a stop against the remnants of a battered mast.
"Httt!" Rainbow was the only one to land with a modicum of grace. She backflipped and slid to a stop, surrounded by a smattering of loose splinters. Wheezing, she struck a fighting pose, leaning up on rear hooves. "Look! I told them to go easy on you guys! I mean it—!"
"Rainbow..." Keris wheezed, struggling to stand up.
Starstorm squirmed atop the rocky platform.
Rainbow sputtered into the hazy shadows of the hollow wreck while runic explosions thundered outside. "But it's a friggin' bloodbath! And... and then Seraphimus comes soaring in all panties and vinegar and—"
"At ease!" Keris hollered, glaring.
"...!!!" Rainbow Dash plopped down on all fours, standing at attention.
Starstorm looked up, dazed and breathless.
Keris stood, took a calming breath, and spoke: "Now... we haven't much time."
Rainbow gulped. "No. We haven't."
"Please..." Keris motioned with his talon. "Give us the short version."
Rainbow looked at her marefriends. Then—trembling—she looked back at Keris. And nodded.
"Make it super short," Starstorm wheezed... then collapsed again. Thwump.
After all his suspicion earlier, he now sees them together and isn't even suspicious in the slightest.
Being angry makes you smarter, folks.
...Holy crap, "Wall of death" indeed.
Seraphimus is not fucking around right now. I really worry for Enix being able to live and fend her off, as skilled as she is. That gryphon is on the warpath.
If there's some good news right now, at least Keris has finally made contact with Rainbow again.
Ouch.
Seraphimus is a one griffon blender, holy shit.
This trio of chapters was amazing. I'm always twitchy after reading a good combat scene.
Atta mare, most stylish way to land after an impact.
Rainbow Dash always fights in style.
-Companions are abound, frozen spectres hound. Utaan.
pewpewpewpew
I fear for Enix... but I fear more for the plan. This isn't looking good...
Forty-five crunches, ):(. Knock 'em out!
Eeeeeee!
I've been waiting for this all day!
Is it bad that I keep expecting Roark to appear out of nowhere (since the Grand Choke isn't there anymore) with her goblin armada?
I have a feeling that this is not Enix's last stand. I think Rainbow and Keris will get her out of this alive somehow. Though I could just be being optimistic.
Well, shit.
With every chapter posted I get more and more tense and more and more tempted to just go read the damn ending. ):( you magnificent bastard you.
Well then. I can't remember the last time the writing was so brutal. And yet. I refuse to give up. Realistically, Seraphimus was never going to go live a normal life after this, any more than Rainbow is. But a sacrifice or surrender is still a possibility. If Chrysalis can be redeemed, so can Seraphimus.
8164403 If we've learned anything from Shell, once Rainbow messes with their family, they go truly insane. And Rainbow thawed out her family before a cure could be found.
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Wouldn't that be a Deus Ex Machina, the Tarkin with the Noble Jury and Roarke and the gobs all show up to save the day.
But no, we have this ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny. Holding the line. Waiting for the
choppagondola, and so on.Blood for Luna! Blood for the Dark One!
I'm pretty sure Enix is going down. There's no way she can take on Seraphimus, but she might just weaken her enough for Rainbow and co to deal with.
All things considered the situation was proceeding pretty well, and mostly without blood, until Seraphimus showed up to cock everything up. But then we pretty much knew she was going to do that in one form or another. At least Bleak's Plummet seems to be realtively safe, for the moment.
Now all Dash has to do is in ten seconds flat explain to Keris what the situation is, get his help in kicking Serphaimus' insane ass into either unconciousness, quasi-sanity, or... the unfortunate final alternative if nothing else works.
Still keeping fingers crossed for most on both sides to survive this. Casaulties have been pretty low so far, so Dash is doing a lot better than she's done in situations like this before. Keep at it Dash, you can do this!
So, we haven't seen the Windigoes in a while, yes?
Good
8164304 It's too much, how about just 15?
I didn't realize how much I missed this until it came back.
I'm going to buy you a cat.
Well, I have a funny feeling that either Sera or Enix are going to die. I don't think they will both make it out of this
Ahhh how I missed the wondeful fight scenes and banter during them
Hope this upcoming plan is a good one
Time to gear up for a real fight?
Oh, its far too late for that, youre already dead.
The best Enix can hope to do, to save Bleaks Plummet from becoming its name, is Death Strike Seraphimus with a lightly crippling blow.
The worst Dash can aim for, is Sky Drop Seraphimus into Chandler, using Rain Nuke.
Ok, maybe taking bets on Dash having to ride the Outside of the Gondola because of being the only one its door would open for, then being caught up in one on one or similar so teh Gondola starts, then she has to follow it over the edge. Enemy Mine?
If Griffons can walk on clouds, can they be immovably pinned between two slabs of the heaviest dense stuff?
Dash is trying to get them to turn round, because if she ends up having to destroy the ships, then they all die at the end of the world?
Either Seraphimus is gonna die or both her and Enix are fish food...
I don't think I'm liking these odds at the moment...
Alright, we got an air/water battle taking place between an enraged religious army vs local magic bats and the equine A-team, and it's at the edge of the world...
Epic shit right here, love your work as always mate
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WHAT?! DID SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING?! I CAN'T HEAR YOU GUYS! HUH, MY EAR? DON'T WORRY TIS A FLESH WOUND!
Losing part of the key features that makes a batpony cute and cuddly; I'm now half as cute and cuddly as I use to be...
but I will gladly take the sacrifice for my cuddly bat kin!
If Bat blood is to be spilled it will be mine! I may die, but I will delay, stall, and impede Seraphimus and soften her up for the Blood of Luna!
Vylm W'ynlppa yln H'luun!
PS: Cat/bird blood taste like shit. 2/10 Would not drink again.
I can't help but wonder how many more scars it will take before Seraphimus truly becomes as broken as Shell. Or something worse.
By now, she's past some point of no return, surely. I mean she's been brutal before, but this is getting downright monstrous. Now it's just a matter of how much further she'll go.
(Also, little late to the party here, but it's so awesome to see this story has picked up again! And we're right back into the intense action just a chapter or two later!
Glad to see the break hadn't dulled your skill or style, IC. Keep it up!)
I am the night,
A tyrant of the shade,
I am the spite,
I am the pain repaid.
I do believe Seraphimus is underestimating greatly just how good the Silver Vigil will have to be at dying. Enix will have more purpose in death than her opponent ever had in life.
IC is making me hate Seraph by having her kill cute fuzzy batpones in horrible ways.
8165419 To be fair, you were pretty disfigured anyway.
And now the war shall intensify...
Holy Throne...
Holy hell.
Enix isn't going to survive this, is she?
GOD DAMMIT YES YES YES WE ARE BACK AND WITH ALL!
So happy to read this again, and with such a big re-start!
Also, sorry to say it, but I think that killing sephar is the only way of finishing this.
And it doesn't seem too promising for enix, which would be a shame At least the rest of the bat-ponies are safe.
Well... that's a thing. And this is a thing. With chapters. Who'dve thunk it.
Enix... Please survive.
I was casually rereading the east horse series when suddenly a happenstance of new posts appeared. Never before have I fist pumped so hard.
Three cheers for the return of our premier colon of the imploding variety!
yas!
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Catbird blood tastes like cat poop - confirmed.
this chapter+Metallica=The best thing ever
I doubt it but I really hope Enix can make it out of this alive.
8164758 GAH! You're right!
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/17/2a/32/172a326dc7bf54daa958debfaf1370de.jpg
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But the ears are probably the last part of me that are still fluffy and cuddly! Losing one is significant!
PLEASE
Come on Keris. Come ON
shit shit shit things are getting insane
I ship(wreck) it.
What a dogfight.
Well, catbirb/horsebirb/horsebat fight, but really, what a mouthful.
Seraph's bloodlust levels rising...
8164257 Never underestimate the power of showing someone exactly what they want to see.
I just love all the suspense between the battle. I really feel the urgency. I'm fairly certain I've missed a couple details here and there just because I've been trying to speed through all the chapters as fast as humanly possible.
Sera is NOT fucking around. Okay, it seems that we are in crunch node now. Everything HAS to go according to plan, otherwise many will die. I just hope Enix can fend off Sera for long enough . . .
Enix! Please no