Chapter 52: Erased, Repeat

Redpen and Solar struggled down the hallway while using each other's wing as leverage. The hallway in the castle was destroyed and servants, as well as guards, were treating the wounded. Redpen glanced at the crumbling walls and broken windows. Looking out them they spotted the mountain area where smoke ascended to the air. He glanced at Solar who was looking out the other window shocked.

"Sucks to be in the ER." Redpen said.

Solar looks at him and nods his head. "Yeah. But that seems like it was pointless. Look at us; beat the hell up and unable to properly fight back. I think it was bad idea to fight that Dexilus guy, and for that orange mare, what was her name? Applejack?" Solar asked.

"Yeah, I think that was her name. She took hits like it was nothing." Redpen said shivering by the thought of the mare's tough resistance towards Solar's attacks.

"Note to self, let's not meet them again." Solar said getting an agreeing nod from the other alicorn. The two stopped and looked at through separate windows. Their eyes narrowed as their horns glowed. "H-how did he break through the shield?" He muttered.

"Nero." Redpen muttered as the two separated from each other and went back to back staring down at their separate hallways. "Everypony, quickly! You must all evacuate the-" He was suddenly cut off when a large explosion up ahead was heard along with the sounds of screaming ponies. A second explosion, on Solar's side, was also spotted.

Solar and Redpen gasped when large vortexes of darkness, one made of fire, and the other that was purely darkness, swallowed up and destroyed the ponies in its path. The two looked to the opposite side of their direction and jumped through the window separating them. Redpen opened his wings and glided to the ground as Solar opened his and did the same too.

"It's good to see you again..." The two looked up spotting the swirling dark colors of fire a few feet away from them. Soon, the ponies controlling their rightful vortex emerged from the darkness and landed on the ground causing it to vanish.

"Redpen, Solar." March and Nero both spoke in unison.

Redpen's wings flared open as he prepared himself to fight. Nero chuckled softly before cracking his neck. "It's been a while now...Redpen." He said sitting down.

"This time, it will be the last we ever meet. It's a death match now, Solar." March said, smirking at him. His body was engulfed by shadows as he sunk into the ground. Solar's body sparked, preparing to defend himself from any attack March planned to dish out.

"Show me, what you got, Redpen!" Nero yelled, quickly morphing into his phoenix form, towering over the alicorn.

"I...I will take you down once and for all! Alexi!?" Redpen yelled stomping his hooves into the grass as white fire engulfed his body.

Solar felt Redpen's energy along with another pony's energy. He opened his wings started to flap them, but once he gained air, he flinched in pain. "Damn it, I forgot that I'm not in any condition to fly." He muttered. "I need to get distance." He said looking around.

"Think fast!" March yelled bursting out the ground in the form of a dark smoke dragon. Solar gasped and moved to the side dodging it but when it passed by him, it knocked him off balance. Solar flapped his wings harder, regaining his balance in the air and continued to fly straight. He looked back and gasped as March's dragon form started chasing him. "WHERE ARE YOU FLYING TO NOW, SOLAR?!" March yelled, firing a large dark beam. The alicorn moved to the right, dodging it, but he had to moved up after dodging another. "SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!"

"You're insane!" He muttered angrily before turning towards him. "Take this!" He yelled shooting thunderbolts at him. They were ineffective causing the alicorn to snarl his teeth before flying away. 'I have to think this one out. I'm in no condition to fight in the air and my attacks are pointless when he's in that form. Where can I fight him that would make my odds seem reasonable?' Solar thought as he glanced left and right. Looking back, March was getting closer. He gritted his teeth and looked straight ahead. 'Hmm? Wait, there! That can work!' He thought after spotting a large mountain. "Let's go into the volcano." He muttered flying into the entrance of the volcano.

"Hiding there won't work!" March yelled, flying in it too. They flew over the lava that bubbled and popped. Solar moved left and right dodging hanging rocks that were emerging from the lava, March went through them remaining unfazed. Solar and March eventually were in the center of the volcano where a large, circular stone platform was standing outside of a large pool of lava.

The two flew down before landing on the large stone surface. Solar and the large dragon glared at each other while staying on their opposite sides. The dragon deformed and March stepped on the ground laughing. Wings sprouted out of his back as his horn extended from his forehead.

"I'm guessing this is where you want to die? Fine, I'll be kind enough to oblige." He said running towards him. Solar smirks and swished his tail to the right, launching electric beams straight at him. March moved to the right side, dodging them before dashing forward in a haze of dark aura and hoofing Solar's right cheek. It knocked him to the side and nearly off the ledge.

"Time to die." March yelled, stomping his hooves on the ground launching a wave of darkness at him. Solar struggled to get up, but was knocked off the platform by the wave. He quickly grabbed the ledge, holding it tightly. He grabbed the ledge with his other hoof and pulled himself up to the surface. He saw March's wings channeling dark energy. He started to cast more thunderbolts at March, but this time they worked. Solar nearly stumbled off the edge when the place started to shake. He looked over the edge and saw the lava rising. Looking back at March, an idea popped in his head. He started running towards him.

March grunted, backing away before stumbling to the ground stunned. He struggled to get up only to get knocked onto the ground with Solar on top of him. Solar grabbed a lock of his fur and lifted him partly up before slamming his right hoof into his face a few times before landing a blow that completed the combo. He backed away as March got up, gritting his teeth in pain from the blows he received.

"You stand when you should just fall down and die!" March yelled before his tail morphed into a large spike-ball. He twirled around, swinging the massive tail and knocking Solar back. Solar landed on his back with a painful grunt and gasped spotting the tail coming down at him. He rolled right, dodging its crushing blow that shattered part of the ground and allowed lava to surface there.

'That's right, use that tail to break apart the floor.' Solar thought, running towards him before leaping into the air and coming down swinging his right hoof into the zebra's right cheek. But March didn't budge from his spot; instead, he smirked and grabbed the alicorn's right foreleg and flipped him over him, slamming his back on the ground. He grabbed his shoulders and tossed him in the air before his tail wrapped tightly around him. Solar yelled painfully as the constriction tightened.

"I've awaited this, Solar. I thought you'd be a challenge, but I guess I was wrong. You were born to lose and die by me." March said before slamming him to the ground. Solar coughed out blood before yelling out in pain. "There is no you! There is only me!" He yelled before slamming him around, cracking the rocky surface apart. Some lava began seeping through the cracks. March slammed him on the ground one more time before tossing him to the side. The tail formed back to its original form as March's wings turned into large tendrils of darkness. Solar struggled to get up before falling to the ground again.

He looked up spotting March launching a dark wave at him. He got up and leaped to right, dodging the incoming wave. He got up and ran towards him before sliding on the ground. He launched a lightning bolt at March who moved to side dodging it, but he was too slow to react when Solar got up and quickly twirled around before upper-cutting his chin with his right hoof.

March flew back before using his dark wings to keep him in the air. He was soon tackled and slammed hard to the ground causing him to cough out blood. His head was punched a few times before having it slammed on the hard rock. When Solar swung his right hoof again, it was grabbed by March who quickly flipped him over was on top of him.

"Not so quick now!" He yelled, grabbing a lock of his mane with his left hoof and using his right hoof to hit him in the muzzle and the right cheek. He grabbed his horn and flapped his wings, going up before letting go and morphing his tail to the large spike ball and hitting him into the ground. Solar coughed out blood before rolling to the right, dodging another tail attack. He growled and leaped onto another part of the platform when the one he was previously was on got swallowed up by the lava. Solar leaped onto another section of the platform as March's tail slammed on that one as well, destroying it.

"Damn it, I need him on the ground." He muttered looking left and right. He was on the last part of the rocky platform. If that one would have been destroyed, he might be swallowed up by the lava. His wings were in no condition to fly anymore. The only thing he had to rely on was his hooves. March landed on the ground and shifted to his earth pony form.

"I'm surprised. You brought me here in the middle of a volcano where everything around us is being swallowed up by the earth." March said looking around. "What made you pick such a place to die?" He asked looking back at his former friend.

"I had to get you away from the castle, so nopony would be harmed." He answered.

"Hmph..." March chuckled lightly before cracking his neck. "Seems like you to do that." He said sitting down. He held out his hooves and grinned widely. "But it was a bad idea anyway. Nero is going to torch the entire place in an inferno." He said as darkness started forming around the ends of his hooves. "Grand Cross." He muttered. The lava started shifting as the platform they were on began to shake. Rocks from the ceiling fell down and splashed into the melting pool.

"W-what are you doing?!" Solar yelled, looking at him.

"You'll soon see." March answered.

Celestia and Nightmare Moon stopped just outside of the planet's atmosphere. They looked at each other just before looking back. The planets were shifting around the planet. They looked up and down before spotting another planet on the other side. The two sister's horns glowed bright as they prepared themselves for the worse. Beams from each planet connected to one another before rotating around in opposite directions.

"This move...Grand Cross...how? Who could have mastered such a powerful spell?!" Celestia wondered as Nightmare Moon and her cast a shell around them. "What' going on down there?" She muttered looking back down at the planet.

The clouds started to gather around the top of the volcano as lightning was spotted spreading across the sky. Solar backed away shocked but stopped when his back leg nearly slipped off the edge. March grinned before clapping his hooves together. Solar's eyes widen as his body was laced with pain. The entire area shattered, the lava began to move around violently. The sound wave and destructive force of gravity crushing its victim left a large crater behind where the mountain used to be. Solar was severely injured while being stuck under debris. March walked towards him while the sky darkened soon started to rain.

"This is it; this is where you'll die." March said as he formed into a unicorn with his horn already glowing dark.

Solar felt the ground suddenly shake as he looked around, shocked, as March became confused. Lava started bursting out from the grounds below, shocking the two. Suddenly, lava blasted up from beneath March, hitting him in the stomach causing him to fly back. He yelled in pain from the burn mark on his stomach that carved through his fur.

Solar struggled to get out and attempted to lift up the debris with his magic, but sadly it wasn't possible. March gasped, seeing a large wave of lava over his head come down on to him. He yelled before being swallowed up from the burning liquid-like fire. Solar gasped when the ground he stood on snapped and tilted backwards causing the debris to fall off allowing him freedom. But his backlegs were fractured so he struggled to crawl up. Looking back, he gasped as he saw a rising pool of lava coming up at great speeds.

He grabbed onto the edge and forced himself up as the thing flipped upside-down before getting hit by the blast of lava that knocked him high into the air. Solar yelled as the thing fell all the way down, landing in a pool of lava that filled the entire crater of the volcano. He gasped looking left and right surprised, that he managed to stay alive that long. "He's gone." He muttered looking out at the burning sea. He sat down and sighed, but his relaxation was soon over when March came bursting out of the lava bed and onto the rocky platform. His body was sizzling smoke as his dark, armored coat was breaking to pieces.

"I'm going to kill you, Solar." He growled, glaring at him with piercing red eyes laced in pain. When his armor was gone, so was part of his skin. "I'm the zombie you never wanted to fight. The one hung by the whores of the moon and sun, the last of the Black Parade!" He yelled holding his head, before he started to laugh.

"March? What happened to you?" Solar asked shocked before backing away.

"March is dead; he's been dead for one-hundred years!" He yelled before dashing towards him and ramming the edge of his horn deep into Solar. He aimed for his chest, but Solar managed to move to the side only to get stabbed in the left shoulder. He was then slung back.

Solar crashed down hard on his back, grunting painfully. He turned to the side and struggled getting up with the only working leg he had left. But everything was soon interrupted when he was impaled on that side by March's horn. March pulled his horn out and flipped the alicorn over him. He got on top of him and starting hoofing him left and right angrily.

"Do you want to know what happened to Silver? He died! Maple's next, as well as Eulogy. Don't you see!? We're supposed to die!" He yelled as his blows caused Solar to spit out blood. Holding his head tightly, March slammed his head to the ground before getting off of him as he was left dazed. "I thought you'd realize it by the end, but I guess you hadn't. Once Azazel and Samuel dish it out, the sky will open and death will bask on this fuckin' planet." He said angrily.

Solar shook his head, returning back to full consciousness before glaring at March. "Then why? Why would help these cults fight to death?" He asked confused.

"So, I can finally be put to rest. So I can finally see this world burn for the waste of shit it always was. Look at it this way, Solar; no more suffering, hatred, lies, and fears. We will all be dead." He said looking at him calmly before giving him an angry, scowled look. "When we're all dead we no longer need to worry about those pitiful, crap feelings anymore."

"But not everypony wants to die!" Solar yelled struggling to get up only to collapse in pain since his forelegs were in no condition to keep him balanced.

"And not everypony wants to live!" He growled.

"I will not allow such things to occur, March! I will stop you and I will kill you." He said through his snarling teeth. March only chuckled in amusement, finding Solar's act comedic.

"No, you won't." He said as his tail formed into a large spike, similar to the one he used to destroy the platform they were on. When it lifted high up into the air, Solar shut his eyes, aware that there was no way he could avoid the devastating attack about to be brought upon him. "Sink to the darkness, you're dead." He said swinging the tail down.

'THUM-THUMP!'

March froze as his eyes widen. His tail reverted back to its original form as he fell back clutching his chest, coughing violently. "W-what? How?!" He muttered painfully.

'The plans have changed, March. I decided to...twist the chords.' Insane was heard chuckling in his head.

"You...you piece of shit. What do you mean, 'twist the chords'?" He asked looking around frantically.

'It appears you're not needed anymore. You played your part well pawn, but it appears the king has no use for you. It was kind of you to use your Grand Cross. Such a move has powerful side-effects towards the user it could leave them vulnerable through the mental state. Now that you left yourself open, I get to snuff out your life without anypony knowing.' Insane said before laughing madly.

"You piece of shit. I'm not done, I need to kill him!" March yelled, glaring at Solar who looked at him frightened and confused.

'Heh, I'm not holding you back from doing that, but instead I'm holding back your lifespan. You better hurry before it is too late. Your life is running out and soon it will go away like a flock of birds heading south, and away from the winter.' Insane said.

March struggled to stand up as his glare narrowed angrily at Solar. Solar closes his eyes and begins channeling the rest of his magic to his horn. Both of the stallions' horns glowed as they prepared themselves to launch their final magic attack. Both ponies launched bright balls of magic that came crashing into one another. They held their ground trying to overpower the other. March started to slide back, nearly off the edge but he stomped his hooves into the rock and kept his hold. Solar opened his wings as he struggled, pushing forward while flapping them for leverage. The stalemate lasted until the pulse in March's chest was felt again. He lost his hold and was hit back by the ball of magic and his own. He cried out in pain before falling into the lava. Solar's horn stopped glowing as he fell flat to the ground trying to regain his breath. Looking up ahead, he could see March emerging out of the lava, grabbing the ledge.

He pulled himself up and stumbled on his flanks. Solar gritted his teeth before opening his wings wide and forcing himself forward into a quick dash. March struggled to block the incoming attack, but was too late. He was too weak to stop Solar impaling his horn straight into his chest, stabbing his heart. The zebra's eyes widen before going dull as Solar pulled out the horn and fell onto his back. Blood started to spray in the air as March coughed out blood and fell into the lava. As he was slowly submerging, he closes his eyes and says, "See you in hell." He was gone into the depths, finally dead. Solar sighed in relief before looking up at the raining sky.

"Same to you, March." He said before closing his eyes, allowing sleep to take over.

Meanwhile, while Solar and March were fighting

Redpen stared up at the black phoenix whose flames shifted from the color black to blue. He was ready to finish this fight once and for all with his former friend. He opened his wings and ran towards the large bird. Nero flew back before stopping midair and firing large blue fireballs. Redpen started to sway left and right, dodging the destructive spheres that left behind frozen fire in the devastated dirt. Nero squawked loud before firing a large breath of blue fire at him.

Redpen leaped to the air, going over the burning breath before landing on the ground and launching upwards towards the phoenix. He span forward before bucking his hind legs at the beak causing it to crash to the ground on its back. He then flew down and slammed his hooves deep into its stomach. But he was cut off guard when it blasted its cold breath into him knocking him back.

'You're getting sloppy, monkey.' Alexi laughed as Redpen regained his footing, sliding back against the dirt. Redpen gasped and leaped to the side landing on the ground after dodging a massive ice-fire breath. He looked back at the Phoenix getting up from the ground before flapping its large wings, pulling up into the air.

"Alexi, this sin state I remember you mentioning back in the E.R. Can it help me take him down?" He asked as he watched Nero preparing to fire another massive breath of ice-fire.

'Can't believe you were actually paying attention. Alright, listen and don't daze off. The 'Sin' state is when a contractor goes into a whole new level of power that their body never succeeded to master. If you were, say, a unicorn who uses fire magic, you'll also be able to manipulate lightning in the Sin state. But during the Sinning process, a price will have to be paid. The user or contractor will suffer painful side-effects and sometimes they might be fatal. Depending on the length the contractor is in the form, the more powerful the backfire would get. So, be careful, monkey, or you're going to either combust or just simply lose your mind and body at the same time.' Alexi said.

Redpen nodded his head and opened his wings. "Alright, then put me in Sin state." He said causing Alexi to groan in frustration.

'Are you kidding, monkey? That's just suicide. You are in no condition to fight anypony at all, let alone be in that form as well. The side-effects will kill you.' Alexi said.

"I'll survive, trust me. I can do this, Alexi." He said.

Alexi was silent, thinking if Redpen was prepared for the trouble the Sin state was going to give him. Giving up and sighing, the demon chuckled humorously. 'Alright, I'll bite you damn monkey. But fair as it is, I did warn you. It's not my fault if the state kills you.'

"Don't worry, Alexi. I won't hold it against you." Redpen said closing his eyes. Nero finished charging up his attack and gave an ear-piercing squawk causing Redpen to grit his teeth but remain his ground in pain. "NOW, ALEXI!" He shouted when Nero fired his large breath of ice-fire at the alicorn. Tribal tattoos formed around the pony's body as his eyes' pupils shaped into 'A's with large dilates forming in the center. His horn glowed dark as white fire formed in front of him, blocking the attack. The iced-hellfire pushed hard against the shield, but it was soon repelled when Redpen flew out of it and headed straight into the blue phoenix's stomach.

Nero felt the air knocked out of him before he was bucked back. He returned back to his normal state before flipping back and landing on hooves. He growled, leaping back from a crushing blow Redpen unleashed when his right hoof was doused with holy-fire. Redpen dashed towards him, swinging each hoof while the other touched the ground, attempting to land blows on Nero.

"Quick, aren't you?" Nero said before ducking a blow and turning to the side bucking his hindlegs. But Redpen swirled to the right, dodging his attack and performed a haymaker on the stallion's right cheek knocking him through the castle walls and onto the other side. Nero smirked before gasping when Redpen came bursting out of the dust cloud that formed from the destroyed wall. The alicorn landed a burning, holy blow with his right hoof dead center in the Infernomancer's left cheek. The power of the blow blew him back, destroying the ground as his body carved through it. Redpen landed on the ground and huffed out fire before huffing back.

Redpen blew out a large, white, holy-fire ball straight at Nero who got up and looked at the incoming ball shocked. Nero held out his hooves and tried to push it back, but the ball was too strong.

"Damn it! That prick got really strong!" He growled. "But it isn't going to work!" He yelled, charging up his energy while also pushing back the giant ball of fire.

"You're done." Redpen smirked as he huffed back again and blew out another large fire ball. Nero's eyes widen as he yells louder pushing forward hitting the incoming ball. Redpen gasped when the two fireballs were tossed aside from in separate directions. "How?"

"You aren't putting much force into those attacks, heh." Nero said getting on his legs, preparing to launch himself at Redpen. "If you didn't hold back, I would of been severely injured or worse." He said.

Redpen flinched at the point Nero founded out that he's resisting the urge to use all the power he has left. He couldn't if it risked his life. Getting into a defensive position, he opened his wings preparing to fly. Nero chuckled before leaping forward in a fiery dash. Redpen blocked a surprise attack. Time moved fast for the two as Nero launched multiple attacks while Redpen blocked and dodged them. Soon, the attacks were turned around andthey switched stances. Blocking and dodging, swing after swing. The two soon pullback their right foreleg before swinging it at each other only to have them collide into each other, blowing them back. They regained their footing and slid back, dragging dust with them. Nero and Redpen smirked before launching at each other swinging their hooves. Fire sparked out their punches every time their hoofs hit.

"Let's make this a life to remember!" Nero yelled swinging his right hoof again as Redpen yelled swinging his right hoof as well. There blows collided against each other's cheek causing a loud shockwave attached with dark and white fire to spread across the field they were on. Fire burned brightly on the mazes walls as a few torched away the flags attached to the poles. Redpen and Nero backed away stunned before they swung their left hooves swung at each other hitting against their cheeks causing another burning shockwave to burst out around them. The two stumbled onto each other before backing away and swinging their right hooves. The blow hit their stomachs, knocking the air right out of them.

The two fell onto their backs coughing out blood. "You're a damn asshole." Redpen said.

"And you are to." Nero said growling under his painful breath.

A sudden explosion was heard in the distance, coming from the mountains. The two smirked in unison.

"They're enjoying their time." Nero said.

"I agree, they are." Redpen said.

"Well, let's finish this." Nero said.

"Let's." Redpen said.

The two struggle to get up before staring each other down. They stood there huffing before narrowing their eyes and taking a step forward, swinging their right hooves at each other. Blood splattered on the dirt as some flew in the air. Nero's eyes slowly narrowed while Redpen's did too. Both of them gritted their teeth before releasing an impressed smirk. Nero fell on his back with a large burnt circle in the center of his chest, sizzling with steam. Redpen fell on his back to, as a large circle was in the center of his stomach also sizzling with steam. Both their eyes closed as they became unconscious.

Celestia and Nightmare Moon landed on the grounded spotting the down fighters. "Sister." Celestia said trotting to the two.

"How'd could these two have caused this much destruction?" Nightmare Moon asked, looking at Celestia shocked.

"I wish I knew, but we have no time to wonder. It seems like Canterlot is going to be safe for a while, all we need to do is get the citizens deeper into the crystal caves. I want you to go to Mt. Icepick and retrieve Solar Eclipse. He is an alicorn, okay?"

"Alright, I will go now." She said flapping her wings and flying off. Celestia glanced at the two stallions before sighing frustrated. Her horn glowed, lifting the two up and started to walk towards the hole in the castle's wall.

"I better take them to safety." Celestia said.

"That would be unnecessary." Celestia stopped when she heard Raijin's voice. Turning around quickly, she glares angrily at the griffin.

"They are wanted for the destruction of the griffin kingdom and the murder of our king." The griffin said sitting down on top of a rock. "Give me those two, and I will be on my way."

"You know I can't do that. Don't you see the current situation we are in?" Celestia asked sternly.

"I do, but the orders still stand, princess. You don't want the entire kingdom of Talos to go after your country and skin all of your citizens." He said narrowing his eyes while also grabbing the handle of his blade. "We don't want a war, do we, Celestia?" He asked.

Celestia gritted her teeth before backing down. "Where are you taking them?" She asked.

"That is classified information. I'm not granted permission by the prince to tell you anything. All you have to do is hand over those two." He said.

Celestia frowned, knowing this was the wisest decision. She could not afford another war, even if the problem was not started by her. She put the two down and looked at the griffin. "Are they the only ones your prince wants?" She asked.

Raijin didn't answer when he picked up Redpen and Nero, lifting them over his shoulders. He turned around and opened his wings. "The prince also wanted your knight, Mat, as well as the insane swordspony you kept under leash, Kukoo. We're only taking them because of the superiors." He said looking back at her.

"Superiors? What do they want with them?" Celestia asked shocked.

"The prince and I don't know. We wish to only obey them and not question their laws if we want to still exist." Raijin said.

"I know...but why are they sitting on their flanks while their lands are getting burnt to a crisp by these cults?!" She asked.

"I don't know, maybe because they're aware something is going to stop this war, or...they're using something else to increase the destruction. The answers to their ways are mysterious and sometimes not the best choice of words. But one thing is for sure, they want what you have and they will take it. Goodbye, Celestia." Raijin said calmly before flying away. Celestia watched as the griffin flew away with Redpen and Nero. She stomped her right hoof on the ground angrily before turning back to the castle walls.

"Make it back fast...Magic." She muttered.

To Be Continued

(Mlp is own by Hasbro and the previous songs in lyrics are own by their respectful owners. The characters in short belong to their respectful owners as well. Thank you for reading! ^^)