Note:
Sorry for the wait! But I'm sure it is well worth it. This is the first mega mega chapter I've ever done. This is easily by far the largest chapter I've ever written, so far. This chapter is around 22k words. I thought I'd make such a large chapter as a special treat ;)
Anyway, enjoy the chapter, it's a big, big, big chapter :3
"Oh... here they come..." Sabre sees that coming out the cave is a tsunami of Demon Steves. All of them are wearing gold armour.
"It's time."
The battle had just begun.
Changelings and pegasuses as well as Cadence come in from above on top of the Demon Steves. The rest that are on the ground charges forward, unicorns firing a systematically-fast barrage of magical beams and steve archers firing a thunderstorm of arrows while the yaks, Professor Red's tanks, earth ponies and spear-wielding steves charge into the front lines.
(Sabre's POV)
"Right, Dash, you ready?"
"Yeah," She replied.
Rainbow Dash's powerful wings began flapping and lifting the pair of us into the air with the other pegasi and the changelings, while I get ready with the supercharged redstone staff. She extends our both her forehooves and strikes a large chunk of demons with lightning, thanks to the abilities of the armour Professor Red gave her.
Everyone on the ground are also moving forward, the yaks and Professor's tanks being at the front. The demons began being pushed back, no losses yet. The demons in gold armour began to retreat... odd. More Demon Steves start coming out, this time in armour that appears to look like... copper?
Dash aims one of her forehooves and strikes lightning... but I see that the copper armour protects them from being damaged. I tried to strike the demons with lightning from my staff, but that did nothing.
"That copper armour is protecting them! We'll have to wait for those on the ground to do their thing," I said to Rainbow Dash. The armour must act like the rods that attract lightning.
(Colle's POV)
"Get away- You-"
I ran to Goggles' tank and start striking them demons with lightning. That does nothing to them- The copper armour must be protecting them. They're still climbing on top of it- Oh no this isn't good.
Lightning doesn't work, so I switch to fireballs. I finally see some of them monsters to fall. Okay that's good.
"Gotta fire some more- I got this- Gah, there we go..." I managed to clear the tank of all the demons that were climbing on top of it.
BOOM!
Wow- Ouch- That's loud- Ah my ears. But it- It just blew a hole in the demon's ranks. That's all that matters.
"Colle!" I see Goggles climb out of the hatch on top of the turret. He drops me a few stacks of... What- Okay... he still clearly craves for salmon.
"Them salmons will obliterate any demon you see. But use them wisely, or you'll have an existential crisis fall over you in the river," He said to me.
Okay- clearly whatever he said to me... Okay, whatever made him insane... has been affecting him... this whole time? I wanna do something about that- No way do these salmons work, right?
"Colle! To your left!"
"Ah!" A Demon Steve lunges for me, but I jump off the tank out of harm's way. Luckily Goggles spotted him, because I didn't.
This demon is in much darker armour. I strike it with fireballs, and even fireballs don't work now. Great. I leap back to avoid their second attack. They now start to weild a sword that appears to be made of the same material. Nothing I can do about it, I have to get away- Unless...
"Stay back!" I threw one of the salmons at it. Sure enough, it imploded into smoke. No way- I refuse to accept what I saw was true- but I ain't complaining, a good riddance.
(No longer in Colle's POV)
The first wave of Demon Steves have been defeated. Professor Red tries driving his tank into the cave, but it's too big to fit. The yaks including Rutherford and some Yellow Steves try mining at the sides of cave.
Meanwhile, everybody else pushes down into the cave. At the front are the 7 chromatic leaders as well as Twilight, Rainbow Dash hovering with Sabre mounted on her, Starlight, Trixie, Cadence, as well as Thorax and Pharynx both hovering.
"We gotta keep on pushing!" Twilight yelled out, so she could be heard, and she is definitely heard.
"Sabre, Rainbow, follow me," Pharynx urged, flying ahead.
"Be careful!" Thorax shouted over to his brother, but is ignored.
"Alright Dash, follow Pharynx. If he gets in trouble, we gotta be there to back him up," Sabre ordered. Rainbow Dash flies after Pharynx to catch up with him, going into the dark cave.
(Rainbow Dash's POV)
"What in the name of Origin is he thinking!?" Sabre is like Pharynx, as in, he doesn't back down easily just like him. But at least Sabre is cautious, unlike Pharynx.
"That's Pharynx for you," I reply back to him.
"Uh... What are those things- WOAH!" I see a few fireballs coming towards me, and one even hit me- Huh, Professor's armour is strong. Definitely caught me off guard though.
There's Demon Steves riding on this white creature white tentacles. They're like big floating marshmallows.
"Ghasts!?" It seems Sabre knows at least a bit about them. He uses that redstone staff thingy, striking down these 'ghasts' with that lightning. I use my armour's abilities, pointing one of my forehooves at a ghast, then clenching that foreleg to summon lightning. It destroys both the ghast and the Demon Steve riding it. Professor Red definitely knows what he's doing when it comes to weapons, that's for sure.
There's one more of these ghasts. Something then destroys it, I don't know what did. But hey, I ain't complaining.
(No longer in Rainbow Dash's POV)
After the smoke cleared when the ghast got destroyed, Pharynx emerges, hovering.
"Glad you two came to help. Got a little carried away," Pharynx lightly chuckled.
"Yeah- look, I know you wanna fight and all, but we can't go rushing in- It's dangerous. You could've got hurt... destroyed even," Sabre sternly responded.
"Hey guys- huh, looks like you cleared these airborne demons," Genesis Steve hovers over to Sabre, Rainbow Dash and Pharynx.
"Yeah- and hey Genesis, where's Time and Elemental?" Sabre questioned. He hasn't seen Time Steve or Elemental Steve yet.
"They're currently trying to go round getting these dragons- which I hope are good dragons, as well as these... hippogriffs- They're trying to get more involved... But we won't know who's actually gonna actually up," Genesis Steve answered.
"Yeah, I was wondering where they were. We'd easily wipe the floor of these Demon Steves with Time and Elemental," Said Pharynx.
"How's everybody else holding up?" Rainbow Dash asked Genesis Steve.
"They've advanced to the stone staircase. Starlight and Trixie are guarding some Orange Steves that are repairing it, so others can get down," Genesis Steve replied, his voice sounding full of good spirit.
"But we've already lost a lot of steves and creatures," Genesis Steve's voice changes to a low, demoralized murmur. There's no words to be said about this.
"Less chatting, more helping," Sabre broke the awkward, but depressing silence.
Starlight, Trixie and 4 Orange Steves are nearly at the bottom of a spiral stone staircase, where in the middle at the bottom is a hot pool of water that's releasing steam.
"Nerdy, stand there and test it's safe for us to stand on," One of the Orange Steves demanded.
"Yes, Carpenter and Miner," Nerdy Orange Steve nodded. He stands on a 3 by 3 area of cobblestone and jumps on it.
"It's secure," Said Nerdy Orange Steve. The 2 unicorns and 4 Orange Steves are now at the bottom.
"Trixie, go and tell the rest to come down," Carpenter Orange Steve demanded. The blue unicorn trots back up the stone staircase.
"Looks like we're clear. Should we go and push deeper into the cave so the others have more room down here?" The 4th Orange Steve suggested.
"No we shouldn't, Friendly. There's only five of us, and if we lose Starlight here, we're stuffed," Miner Orange Steve countermanded.
"We should, actually, otherwise we'll all be crowded with the others when they come to the bottom of the staircase. Then the demons will jump on us at close quarters," Nerdy Orange Steve defended Friendly Orange Steve's suggestion.
"Nerdy does have a point... And if things do get out of control, I can get us out," Starlight steps over to Friendly Orange Steve's side as did Nerdy Orange Steve as well.
"You three sure? If more- Especially the netherite Demon Steves-if they show up, we're screwed," Said Carpenter Orange Steve. Eventually, everybody unanimously agreed.
"You four, stay behind me," Starlight takes charge of the group, walking deeper into the cave. Her horn glows bright blue, lighting up an area of 20 blocks. Nerdy, Carpenter, Miner and Friendly Orange Steve began following the light pink unicorn.
The cave is mostly grey and black, with some coal ore dotted here and there. On the right-side walls of the cave are 2 magma block patches, with molten magma flowing out of. In between the patches of magma is a violet purple amethyst crystal, roughly the size of 4 steves. The lighting the magma provides reflect off the shiny tips of the crystal, illuminating a small area around it.
Ahead is another amethyst crystal, but is slightly smaller. Less light is reaching it, reflecting less light.
"This cave has an odd feeling to it. I don't like it," Friendly Orange Steve shuddered.
"There's a dark ball blocking some entrance," Said Starlight, coming to a stop, the 4 Orange Steves doing the same. The ground below them is made of blackstone materials. Ahead is a would-be open gate made of blackstone, but blocking their way is a ball made of crying and regular obsidian.
"I feel some odd presence coming off that-" The purple colouring on the crying obsidian changes to a gold colour and blinds Starlight. The unicorn screams and gets away from the obsidian ball as quickly as she could. Once away, she regains her vision.
"Who's whispering!?" Starlight quivered, tensing up, looking in all directions.
"Starlight, what's wrong!? I heard you scream!" Trixie has come back down to where the other unicorn and 4 steves are.
"Don't go near that ball- I'm hearing random whispers and it's... creepy!" Starlight for some reason is panicking for no apparent reason. Trixie takes her hat off with her left forehoof and uses her magic to get out a brown paper bag. Starlight snatches the bag and breathes in and out of it.
"You four, go get Twilight and her friends!" Trixie demanded. Nerdy, Carpenter, Miner and Friendly Orange Steve ran back up the stone spiral stairs.
Trixie takes a look at the obsidian ball, but keeps a distance of 5 blocks from it. Even from a safe distance, Trixie feels uneasy. She too steps back. She may be Great and Powerful, but she knows full well that unknown objects shouldn't be tampered with.
"Hey, what's the hold up?" Pinkie Pie comes over with the rest of the mane 6 and Sabre. Rainbow Dash is hovering, with Sabre still mounted on her back.
"This obsidian ball has made Starlight go cookoo as she's apparently hearing whispers," Trixie bluntly puts it.
"Uh... does that obsidian look familiar, or is it just me?" Twilight asked, looking at each one of her friends.
"I swear I seen something like this before," Sabre thought to himself.
"Definitely seems familiar- I can't quite put my tongue on it though," Pinkie Pie replied.
"I don't like this..." Fluttershy shuddered. This is all to unsettling for her. Rarity trots over to the yellow pegasus and helps her be more at ease.
"Chaotic, Unbreakable, Repulsive, Strength, Energy, Return, Enchanter and Reject," Said Applejack.
"Why are you telling us the name of these eight apples- That in itself is confusing enough- but why right now- Wait! Wait wait wait!" Sabre exclaimed.
"What is it Sabre? You have an idea?" Twilight questioned.
"Sabre always whips up an idea and even if it has a zero point one chance of success it still works," Pinkie Pie commented.
"Is that stuff there connected- Applejack, step closer to that obsidian there- don't get too close- I don't know- Just step towards it," Sabre thinks he's onto something. Applejack gets within a distance of 6 blocks from the obsidian ball.
"Chaotic Unbreakable Repulsive Strength Energy Return Enchanter and Reject! Chaotic Unbreakable Repulsive Strength Energy Return Enchanter and Reject!" The obsidian ball has to be connected to what Applejack is experiencing.
"What's going on?" Light Steve questioned. He is with Colle, 3 of his elites and Shining Armour.
"Shining, where's Flash? Why is he not with you?" Twilight asked. She's used to seeing Flash Sentry by Shining Armour. Not seeing him with her brother worries her.
"Don't worry Twilight, your crush is helping at clearing the left over demons," Shining Armour jokingly teased. Fluttershy keeps quiet while everypony else giggles, while Twilight frowns.
"Flashlight finally canon, confirmed!? SHIP! SHIP SHIP SHIP!" Pinkie Pie cheerfully exclaimed.
"No I don't have a crush on him!" Twilight protested while blushing.
"I also ship Colle with Alex," Said Pinkie Pie.
"Wait- how do you know about Alex!?" Colle exclaimed.
"How- how does Pinkie know about Alex? This doesn't make any sense!" Colle questioned himself.
"Why are we suddenly talking about shipping?" Fluttershy questioned.
"We're going off track. In all seriousness, Flash is helping the others above at mopping up any demons we may of missed out," Light Steve buts in, de-esculating the situation with his formality.
"Not gonna lie, you do care about Flash an awful lot though, Twilight," Light Steve added.
"He's- he's just a good pony," Twilight said sheepishly.
"It's because Flashlight is finally canon-"
"Pinkie, I think you should cut it a little bit. I think would be in your greatest interest," Light Steve strongly suggested to Pinkie Pie.
"Sir, can we take our helmets off? I'm sweating so much I feel like it's raining warm water inside!" One of the elite Colourless Guards moaned.
"For now, yes, but once we figure out this obsidian ball situation, put them back on," Light Steve agreed. The 3 elites took their helmets off, revealing a Red Steve, an Orange Steve and a Yellow Steve.
"Dash, let me get off for a sec- I wanna speak to them," Sabre requested. Rainbow Dash lowers herself until all 4 of her hooves are touching the ground, Sabre jumping off shortly after. While everybody else tries to figure out the situation with the obsidian ball, Sabre jumps ran to the 3 elites.
"Happy Orange Steve! Yellow Steve with the leather chestplate! I thought the Daleks took control of you two- Are you two okay!?" Sabre exclaimed, putting one arm around each of these 2 guards, hugging them tight in absolute relief. He then let's go.
"Oh hello, Red Steve- sorry if you felt a little left out," Sabre apologized.
"No need to say sorry. By the way, I'm Weaponsmith Red Steve," Said the Red Steve.
"Where was I- I thought you two were gonners!" Sabre exclaimed, facing back to Happy Orange Steve and Yellow Steve with the leather chestplate.
"Yeah, when they shot us back at that castle and toom control of us... I thought we were destroyed for good. But then..."
"But then- what!?" Sabre interrupted Happy Orange Steve.
"Shirt story, Calmness said any death he deems 'unlinear' he will override Origin and give you another chance. He considered what happened earlier with them weaponized trashcans was... unlinear. We're all good now, no need to worrg," Happy Orange Steve summed it all up.
"Why are we talking about Calmness all of a sudden- we're going off track. Let's go and see how the others are dealing with that obsidian ball, let's go come on," Sabre brings everybody back on the important matter at hand.
"Back on topic- This obsidian ball, it does look familiar... It reminds me of these obsidian balls I found in this... Diamond Steve stronghold- I think the First Enemy is causing all of this drama. That's the only logical answer I can come up with to all of this," Colle theorized. To the former Red Elite, the ball made of crying and regular obsidian that's blocking them off from going further into the cave do look like the same as this particular obsidian ball blocking their way.
"I think the First Enemy placed this ball here, because the blackstone gate is broken or something," Colle added.
"Well we know it's this First Enemy guy- But who actually is... the First Enemy?" Light Steve questioned.
"We should first focus on how to deal with this obsidian ball. After everything is dealt with and we all calmed down, we can work out who the First Enemy truly is," Colle suggested. Everybody agreed.
"Hey, has a solution to this obsidian ball been figured out yet?" Sabre and the 3 elites regroup with Light Steve, Colle, the mane 6, Starlight, Trixie and Shining Armour.
"Nope," Light Steve replied.
"Hmm... Wait! I uh- I could try and use the salmon Goggles gave me," Colle slowly suggested, getting a stack of salmon ready in his right hand. He knows that nobody is going to take this seriously.
"Now... here me out-" Nobody hears Colle out.
"I swear to dear Origin, if that works..." Light Steve muttered.
"Throwing dead salmon at something hard as obsidian? You think that will solve the problem? You got to be having a laugh. Not even I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, can do anything," Trixie has a load of doubts that salmon, dead fish, will destroy the obsidian ball, surely not.
"Well, you know good ol' Professor... he could probably turn a single grain of rice into a doomsday weapon if he wanted to," Pinkie Pie commented.
"I know it's a very dumb idea everybody, but it's our only idea," Sabre sighed, planting his face onto the palm of his right hand.
"I can't believe we're about to try this..." Sabre muttered.
"The idea is so dumb it may actually work," Shining Armour sighed in disappoint while amazed at how dumb the idea sounds.
"Well, here goes nothing," Colle gets ready to throw the stack of salmon in his right hand.
"I seriously can't believe we're entertaining that this has any chance of working," Said Rainbow Dash, forcing out a sarcastic yawn.
"Three, two, one- and go!" Colle throws a single salmon at the obsidian and destroys a single block. Colle continues throwing salmon at the obsidian ball, destroying bigger chunks off it.
Colle is now halfway done, and lightning began to strike on the obsidian ball, then the rest of it disappears. Everybody looks at each other in complete disappointment. Professor Red's salmon again solves a big problem like nothing.
"I'm both disappointed and amazed," Said Light Steve, then sighs.
"I really hate the fact that actually worked," Said Trixie.
"Me too," Shining Armour deeply breathes in and out, also disappointed and amazed at the same time.
"At this rate, I strongly believe Professor Red would solo the world below. Just have him do everything," Pinkie Pie commented.
"What just happened? I kinda just... dozed off," Starlight asked, shaking her head, gathering her senses back.
"Basically, the obsidian ball affected you in some way, others came down, Pinkie started talking about ships, and Colle destroys the obsidian ball with salmon," Trixie answered.
"That's actually a very good short summary," Sabre commented.
"Wait- Pinkie was going on about ships again?" Starlight questioned while rolling her eyes. Everybody nodded.
"But Flashlight is a great ship! There's also Bulkshy, which is very underrated. Fluttercord is way too overrated," Pinkie Pie added. Fluttershy uses her mane to hide the bright pink blushing on her cheeks.
"Another great ship is Soarindash-" Pinkie Pie immediately stops talking as she notices Rainbow Dash pointing her left forehoof at her.
"Don't make me use my armour on you-"
"Dash! No- Woah woah woah woah woah, everyone relax!" Sabre got between the pegasus and earth pony. Rainbow Dash puts down her extended hoof.
"I don't know why, or how we started this conversation in the first place. We've got way more problems at hand and hoof. If we want to still talk about this and rip each other to shreds, at least wait until the battle is over- Jeez," Sabre sighed.
"Did I really just witness salmon do that!?" Another voice is heard, Dark Steve's voice. Sabre looks and sees Dark Steve approaching to him.
"Oh yeah- the salmon thing? Yeah, that was pretty disappointing man," Sabre nodded to Dark Steve.
"Tell me about it," Said Dark Steve.
"Now where were we- ah yes. Now, the obsidian ball is cleared. Let's keep moving, come on," Sabre said as he mounts back onto Rainbow Dash.
"Guards! Helmets back on!" Light Steve ordered, looking at Weaponsmith Red Steve, Happy Orange Steve and Yellow Steve with the leather chestplate. The 3 Colourless Guard elites obeyed their boss' command.
"W- these whispers- What's going on!?" Starlight appears to be creeped out.
"Whispers? Okay, it is definitely... him," Pinkie Pie thought to herself.
"Everybody, me and Dash as well as Light, Dark, Colle, Shining and the elites will go forward. Fluttershy, I want you to take Starlight to the surface to check if the obsidian ball has any lasting effects. Everybody else, get everybody upstairs to come down here," Sabre instructed. Everybody goes off to do their assigned tasks.
(Colle's POV)
"I've been here before, not too long ago- in my perspective of time at least. Do you want me to lead us all?"
"Yeah sure, and if you know this place, that's probably a good idea too," Sabre agrees with me. I step in front and take lead. Out of those with us, I know this place best.
"Up ahead are some colourful crystals that give off light, from what I remember- be careful though. Diamond Steve ghosts could be flourishing since... Well, since the Obsidian Steves used to keep them in check, but they're extinct," I just remembered about that, and luckily I did. I still don't even know what they can do as ghosts.
"Glad we didn't bring Fluttershy with us then. She is a bit scared of ghosts," Rainbow Dash brings up.
"Yeah, she does seem to be on the timid side of the spectrum on things," I nodded.
"She doesn't talk a lot, but she is very polite and friendly," Sabre replied back to me. I do agree, she does like to try and help whenever possible from what I seen.
"Yeah."
"DEMONS!" Another voice cried out. I look around, and the voice wasn't any of ours. The voice was pretty deep.
"Protect the leader!" Another deep voice yelled, also none of ours.
"Who is that- I say we should go and help them!" I see Dark Steve immediately charging in.
"Wait! It could be a trap!" I chase after Dark. For all we know this could be a trap! Everyone chases after Dark as well. If it is a trap, Dark could be in for some nasty business.
"Okay, that's the last one!" Said a third different voice, also having a deep accent. There seems to be three of these people. I don't know why this one in particular sounds familiar.
"Woah- who are you guys?" I hear Dark question someone. We all are where he is, in the area the crystals are. I forgot how lit up this place is with all the different coloured crystals all on the floor, the sides, the ceiling- Everywhere in this part of the cave are these crystals.
"Well, I think I know where Rarity will be after the battle," I hear Light comment. I assume Rarity likes shiny things- If so I can see why she might. But that's not important. What's important is...
"Anyway back on topic- Dark, who are these-" I look at who Dark is questioning. I step back. I'm in complete shock now- No way! I thought these guys were gone!
(No longer in Colle's POV)
"I thought you guys went extinct after Void attacked you guys!" Colle exclaimed. There is a pair of obsidian-looking figures with magma eyes. They're wearing obsidian armour with magma patches in the middle. They're armed with a large obsidian battle axe, holding them in their right hands.
"Wait- did you place that obsidian there!? If so, you affected one of our friends!" Sabre yelled at the 2 obsidian figures.
"No, we did not," Said the obsidian figure standing on the left.
"Who are you guys exactly?" Rainbow Dash questioned.
"We're Obsidian Steves," Another Obsidian Steve introduced themselves, stepping forward from behind, then getting between the 2 other Obsidian Steves. This Obsidian Steve is wearing a broken and chipped gold crown. They are also in poor shape as they have chips all over their body.
"Colle? Is that you?" The chipped Obsidian Steve looks at the Red Steve.
"Are you- are you the leader- Are you the same leader who threw me that trident!?" Colle questioned the badly chipped Obsidian Steve in disbelief.
"I can't be him, right? It can't be... He was destroyed..." Colle questioned himself in his mind.
"Yes, I am," The chipped Obsidian Steve calmly nodded. He is the same Obsidian Leader Colle knew before.
"How did you survive- I thought you fell after the bridge got blown up between us- I thought you were destroyed!" Colle exclaimed. This is a lot of information to take in.
"After the demons pushed me off the edge and I fell with them, I landed on the rock at the bottom while the demons fell into the lava and back to the world below. I sustained a lot of damages, nevertheless, I survived, but unable to move. When Void attacked the citadel a while later, I was there waiting for my fate, but he left before finding me. These two Obsidian Steves here survived the attack and were finding survivors... And that's where I was finally found. They filled in some of the chips, but not all of them, but enough for me to be able to walk again. Us three went into hiding for generations along with a few other survivors. But we don't feel comfortable to reveal our new location yet," The Obsidian Leader calmly explained.
"We only heard about you guys from the history books. It's nice to see at least one ancient steve civilization is still around," Said Shining Armour, having a light smile.
"Anyway, the one to my left is Hardy, the one to my right is Brute. I am the leader," The Obsidian Leader introduced himself and the 2 other Obsidian Steves.
"Well, you guys do look tough. You three been through quite the stuff it seems, and yet you still survive," Sabre is impressed at the durability of these steves that are new to him.
"Yeah- I once struck one of them with lightning and did nothing. They are strong... but when the leader fell, it was a pretty big drop. I thought he died at that moment- Well, it's good to see you guys survived," Colle nodded.
"Oh wow," Dark Steve nervously chuckled.
"We're made of Obsidian. We'll always survive, as we always have done. From the Last War, the Daleks, the demons, and Void. We'll always survive whatever's thrown at us," Brute Obsidian Steve chuckled light-heartedly.
"So, are you guys the reason there aren't any demons in this whole area of the cave right now? You fought them all off?" Light Steve questioned.
"Yes, the other demons are crawling and swarming everywhere around the old citadel. We can't destroy them all alone. We don't want to risk anything as we can't recreate more of us. So, we're making do with just the three of us," Hardy Obsidian Steve stated.
"You aren't alone now, we've got a whole army of not just steves, but other creatures with very unique abilities. They're all fighting this new demon resurgence together. You don't have to fight this alone now, there's more allies now fighting this. You have us and many others here now to back you up," Colle pats the Obsidian Leader on the back.
"Thanks, Colle, glad that we aren't alone now," The Obsidian Leader nodded.
"We should get moving now. With more help, we should be able to push them back further... maybe that's being a bit optimistic," Brute Obsidian Steve suggested. Everybody nodded and head deeper into the cave, where they meet another group of Demon Steves. Their screeching cries and gnarling groans echo off the floor, walls and ceiling of the cave. This group of demons are small, which Sabre then uses his staff to obliterate them in one clean swoop. The group advances further, to where the remains of the old Obsidian Citadel lays.
(Surface)
Fluttershy and Starlight are outside the cave, at the snowy surface. There is a few 8 by 4 dark wooden stands dotted around nearby, occupied by Green Steves. The pegasus and unicorn heads to the nearest one.
"Hey! I remember both of you! We both reformed Madness together... With everybody else," The Green Steve yelled out, happy to see Fluttershy and Starlight are doing good.
"Who are you again?" Starlight asked the Green Steve.
"I'm the one who's good friends with Sabre. I'm also the one that the pink ond likes to call 'Therapist Green Steve', it's me," The Green Steve replied. It is Therapist Green Steve. The unicorn and pegasus nodded.
"So, what is the issues? Injuries I assume?" Therapist Green Steve asked.
"I got close by some kind of obsidian, and now I'm hearing whispers... And it's crepping me out..." Starlight explained, speaking in a stiff uneasy tone.
"I think you hit your head. Let me have a look," Therapist Green Steve walks away from his stand and to Starlight, putting his right hand on the unicorns forehead, feeling for any bumps she might have.
"Hmm, no bumps or anything. It might be stress-related," Therapist Green Steve stated.
"What are these whispers saying?" Therapist Green Steve then asked.
"A glorious reign of great ambitions return- I don't know what this means," Starlight replied.
"Okay, that's rather concerning... I suggest we figure this out after later. I gotta help those with physical injuries," Said Therapist Green Steve. The 2 ponies nodded.
(Underground)
"Well, here we are," The Obsidian leader points ahead as he, his 2 Obsidian Steve guards, Sabre, Rainbow Dash, Light Steve, Dark Steve, Colle, Shining and the elites exit the cave tunnel they were in. Ahead is a big open area clouded with thick, humid, vision-limiting pink mist. They are by a tattered path made of badly eroded blackstone bricks. The path inclines upwards slightly, and at the edge of the paths are broken lamp stands. Ahead in the cloudy mist are shadows, most likely shadows of Demon Steves as well as shadows of floating cube-shaped creatures with tentacles. Everybody backs off and retreats back into the cave tunnel before they're discovered.
"We can't do this. The tunnel is too narrow for everybody to fit through. The demons will bottle everybody up if we dare to step an inch," Said Light Steve.
Lightning strikes ahead of them, and after the lightning dies down, Time Steve appears.
"Right, we gathered almost no one. We haven't convinced any hippogriphs, and as for dragons... we only got Ember and Garble on board. We'll have to make do with just them two I'm afraid," Time Steve reported.
"Okay that's cool... But Light over here just brought up a good point. The tunnels are too narrow for everybody to charge in. The Demon Steves will repel every attack with that many numbers on their side. We'll lose a lot of lives if we attempt an attack," Colle pointed out, sharing his concerns.
"Elemental and Genesis are at the surface sorting that issue. You'll see in a moment," Time Steve reassured.
"If you're sure about this, I'll take your word," Colle nodded.
"They see us!" The Obsidian Leader yelled. A wave of 100 Demon Steves charge towards the group's position, all of the 100 demons wearing the netherite armour. Colle puts a stack of salmon Goggles earlier gave him in his right hand and began throwing them. He destroys 10 of them , but he remembers Goggles' warning to not waste them.
"We have to retreat! Those netherite demons are too strong!" The Brute Obsidian Steve declared. The group retreats into the cave tunnels, while being pursued by a wave of near-invincible netherite-armoured Demon Steves.
(Surface)
Elemental Steve and Genesis Steve together are pummelling the ground, where the citadel is deep below ground. Elemental Steve is splitting the ground into 2, while Genesis Steve is growing trees sideways in the steve-made ravine to make it bigger. They're both down at the bottom of their ravine, where it's mostly deepslate. They are both 150 blocks below the surface.
"How deep is this Obsidian Citadel!?" Elemental Steve moaned.
"Pretty deep, but we should be nearly there," Genesis Steve replied while slowing down, his stamina anchored by tiredness.
"I'm so tired- you'll have to try do the rest on your own." Genesis Steve is still partially recovering from Void Steve, an event that happened a day ago for him, but actually occurred generations ago for the timeline.
"Nah man, I'm going to have a lunch break," Elemental Steve creates a 2 by 2 stone brick hottub of lava, getting in it while throwing pufferfish vertically into the air and eating them whole as they came back down.
"You can't just take BREAKS in a LITERAL WARZONE!" Genesis Steve yelled.
"You two together can destroy large chunks of earth- I must say, I'm impressed," Said a female voice.
The 2 steves turn around. It's a cyan light blue bipedal dragon with 3 dark blue spikes in her head as well as a white horn on each side. She is wearing a brown-coloured steel armour with gold scale-like plating on the belly and shoulders. They also have some armour protecting the tip of the tail. In her right hand, she is holding a dark-crystal rod holding a red orb on the end, a scepter.
"I take it that you're this... Ember?" Genesis Steve inquired.
"Yes," The cyan light blue dragon nodded.
"Hey there Ember," Elemental Steve politely spoke.
"Hello, Elemental," Ember nodded.
"You two know each other?" Genesis Steve questioned the steve and the dragon.
"Yeah, I sometimes chill with the dragons in the lava at their place," Elemental Steve commented.
"What are the chances that the blocks at the bottom here are the last few before we're there-" Genesis Steve is interrupted as Ember punches her left fist into the ground, cracking a 10 by 10 block area of deepslate. With the bottom end of the scepter, Ember taps the cracked ground hard, making the 10 by 10 area crumble and fall apart. Elemental Steve had to quickly fly up.
"HEY! You destroyed my hottub doing that! Say sorry now!" Elemental Steve shouted at Ember. The steve is now in a very disgruntled mood and most certainly isn't impressed.
"Well, if you were resting somewhere else... Maybe it wouldn't of got destroyed," Ember spoke back while lightly frowning.
"Looks like we've did it everybody," Said Genesis Steve. Below, they can see the tattered ruins of the Obsidian Citadel and a massive crowd of Demon Steves, a lot of them wearing netherite armour.
"Now we just gotta make this hole in the ground bigger and make stairs for the rest to come down," Genesis Steve stated.
"What is THAT abomination of a dragon!?" Ember shrieked, pointing a claw on her right hand at a rapidly approaching dragon that's completely encased in netherite armour. It is followed by Demon Steves riding ghasts.
"Oh no no no- UP UP UP! It's the Last Inferno!" Genesis Steve screamed as he, Elemental Steve and Ember rush up to the surface, flying as fast as they can, back to the surface. The fully encased netherite-armoured Last Inferno crashes through the whole, making it a 30 by 30 hole with the sheer force of wind it's flying at.
"What are these whispers saying?" Fluttershy inquired Starlight.
"I- It's something about a reign of greatness- I don't know what it is- this voice just won't go away!" A stress-filled Starlight shouted. Fluttershy flinches and sheepishly steps back.
"I- I'm just trying to understand so I can help you..."
"I'm sorry I shouted at you. It's just-" Starlight is interrupted as Fluttershy's 2 forehooves go around her. Starlight quietens down.
"It's okay," Fluttershy gently spoke. She then lets go of Starlight.
A loud screeching roar is heard from above as well as punch-sounding flapping, followed by a series of fireballs raining down to the ground.
"Green!" Fluttershy gasped in shock, seeing the fireballs hitting the wooden help stand Therapist Green Steve is at. She as well as Starlight trots over to his stand as quickly as they can, but they're too late. The stand collapses on top of Therapist Green Steve. The wooden stand is now in pieces, and from the gaps in the stand, smoke puffs out of them. The perpetrator, a fully netherite-armoured Last Inferno, flies off into the distance.
"GREEN!" Fluttershy screamed, tears leaking out of her eyes as well as Starlight's.
"H- how will we tell Sabre? He's so close to him..." Starlight stuttered in a murmur.
"HEY YOU!" Fluttershy hovers up as she sees the Last Inferno turning back around.
"Yeah I'm talking to you mister- EEP!"
The Last Inferno breathes out a wave of fireballs at Fluttershy, which she just about dodges. She then feels a very hot hand latch onto her right rear hoof, yanking her down and slamming her to the ground, landing on her back.
"OUCH!"
With her laying on her back on the snowy ground, she sees a netherite sword touching her throat. While dreading to look, she looks up and sees she's surrounded by Demon Steves.
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Fluttershy screams so loud that the Demon Steves crouch, dropping their swords to cover both of their eyes with their hands.
When Fluttershy stops screaming, the Demon Steves pick up their netherite and screeches back. The yellow pegasus curls into a ball, whimpering while closing her eyes, ready to accept that she is a dead pony.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Not just 1 voices, but 2 voices shouts. The Demon Steves surrounding the yellow pegasus slowly turns to a dark crystal-looking stone. The now motionless crystal-looking stone demons around her shatter as a beam with a blue hue of magic shine and illuminate. There's another blue hue of magic, but isn't a beam, but bright blue sparks.
"Starlight! Tempest!" Fluttershy cried. The hornless dark violet unicorn, Tempest, lends her left forehoof, which Fluttershy grabs and gets pulled back up.
"It's turning back around!" Starlight exclaimed. The Last Inferno starts shooting fireballs at the 3 ponies, but a big floating ball of ice stops it in it's tracks.
"Are you three alright?" Elemental Steve asked while summoning more floating ice balls, pushing back the Last Inferno.
"You just saved our lives," Tempest nodded.
"I can't hold it off for long!" Elemental Steve yelled as he sees the ice he's summoning began to shatter. But then a big flying red dragon smashes into the fully netherite-armoured dragon. This red dragon is slightly smaller, but the sudden impact scares the Last Inferno off, for now.
"I'm gonna call for backup!" Elemental Steve flies off.
Several groaning and moaning are heard coming from the sky, catching the attention of the 3 ponies and dragon. There's 10 ghasts with closed eyes as well as having dangling tentacles. They let out a horrid screech, opening their teary red eyes and their mouths, shooting a single fireball each before closing their eyes and mouths. The 3 ponies and dragon dodge the 10 fireballs, but as the fireballs exploded, 5 Demon Steves spawn for each fireball.
Garble roars deafeningly loud as he got infront of Fluttershy, Starlight and Tempest. With a swipe of his hands, Garble knocks 8 Demon Steves into the air, and as they fell back down, they die and puff out smoke. Garble charges into the swarm, thrashing himself about, trampling on 15 Demon Steves and flinging another 7, all 22 puffing up in smoke once destroyed.
The ghasts above open their eyes and mouths again while screeching. Starlight with her magic manages to shoot down one of the ghasts, but the other 9 shot their fireballs, closing their eyes and mouths again.
Ember flies in and deflects 2 fireballs back into 2 ghasts, destroying a further 2 ghasts. But 7 fireballs hit the ground, but this time they summon in 5 Demon Steves each.
Tempest gets out a green orb-looking object with dark outer layers out of her lime turquoise pouch on her right side with her left forehoof. She throws the orb at the demons, catching 5 Demon Steves with it and turning them into that dark crystal-looking stone. Starlight shoots several beams into a further 23 Demon Steves, destroying them. Garble continues trampling over any Demon Steves he can.
Ember swoops down and destroys another Demon Steve before flying back up. The blue dragon flies into 3 ghasts, with the lethal end of her scepter infront. She pierces through them, destroying those 3 ghasts. The other 4 ghasts screech as they shoot a fireball each. Ember drops in and deflects a fireball and hits a ghast, destroying it. The 3 other fireballs hit the ground and summon in 4 Demon Steves, as well as 2 Demon Steves riding Zoglins.
The Demon Steve forces on the ground overwhelms Fluttershy, Starlight, Tempest and Garble, forcing Ember to swoop down to try and help them. But the numbers are too great.
"Garble!?" Ember called out, now suddenly unable to see where Garble is.
A massive amount of lightning began being summoned around them, blinding and deafening everybody temporarily. Once it all died down, the ghasts, Demon Steves and Zoglins that were attacking, had vanished.
Fluttershy, Starlight, Tempest and Ember turn around and sees Elemental Steve, with a glowing figure wearing a light blue shirt, darker blue trousers and grey shoes. This figure has no facial features other than illuminating blue eyes and brown hair.
"Origin- I- thank you. You- you saved us!"
"This... this involves me. I cannot hold myself back any longer. I had to intervene. But I can't keep doing this, or it'll provoke... Him- Them, should I correct myself. Only at specific moments can I intervene without escalating things with... them," Origin Steve explained as he replies back to the yellow pegasus.
"Whoever it is you are referring to, either way you've done a great deal of good," Tempest commented, looking at Origin Steve.
"Thank you, you saved us- but where's Garble?" Ember questioned. While Garble had a big mouth for words, he was still a dragon, one of her dragons.
"I regret to inform you, Ember, that Garble... He had fallen in battle," Origin Steve grudgingly replied.
"Ember..." Fluttershy notices Ember urging not to cry.
"I must not cry, I must not cry..." A few droplets of water leak out and drip down Ember's cheeks from her eyes.
"Ember, it's okay to cry," Starlight quietly spoke. This is sudden shock to Ember.
"I'll make sure that this isn't in vain..." Ember muttered.
"None of this will be in vain," Origin Steve softly spoke, lowering his glowing body smoothly onto the ground below.
"Things will be tough, dark days will be ahead. You will feel anger, sadness and regret. If you don't give up, everything, will pay out in the end."
"Could you like... help us directly? You like- You decked the floor with them!" Starlight begged for Origin Steve to help.
"I would, but if I were to help... he and his new goat friend will step into this battle directly. Trust me, if they step in, you will lose a lot more allies, and friends. I must not directly intervene for all of you to avoid that fate," Origin Steve sincerely replied.
"So what you're saying is, if you directly help us, whoever those guys are that released the Demon Steves will come and make this battle overall worse?" Tempest inquired for more clarity.
"That is correct, Tempest. Otherwise, I would directly help," Origin Steve nodded.
"Do not doubt yourselves, you're all uniquely strong. You all have the the will, the endurance, to win this battle. It is deep inside you within your core, within your mind. I have confidence you will win this battle, even without my help..." Origin Steve's encouraging and motivating speech got quieter and more echoey as he slowly de-manifests himself and goes away.
Elemental Steve flies back to the bottom of the ravine he and Genesis Steve made. Genesis Steve had created a 3 block wide staircase made out of jungle planks, from the top all the way to the bottom of the ravine. The 2 steves are back there, by the 30 by 30 hole that Ember made.
"We gotta create a staircase down to there," Genesis Steve instructed Elemental Steve.
"You focus on creating the staircase, I'll clear some of these demons," Elemental Steve responded back. Genesis Steve nodded, striking lightning and creating a staircase made of logs, planks, grass, dirt and leaves of all types. The pillar in the middle is 3 blocks thick and the stairs are a massive 5 blocks wide.
Elemental Steve hovers down into where the ruins of the Obsidian citadel lay. Most structures have collapsed except for the walls, and the only structure, the citadel building itself, lays in serious unsafe disrepair. Elemental Steve is where the gate into the citdael's grounds would've been.
"Back to the pits you go, demons!" Elemental Steve strikes lightning onto the Demon Steves below him. A few patches of demons get destroyed and puff up in smoke. Then from the lava, 5 ghasts float out of them. They screech as they open their eyes and mouths as they shot a fireball each before closing their eyes and mouths again.
Elemental Steve shields himself by creating a ball of ice around him. The fireballs hit the ice, shattering it all. Elemental Steve shoots a wave of fireballs at the 5 ghasts, destroying them.
"Hang on, I've got you brother!" Time Steve flies over to him. They have their backs facing each other, striking lightning down upon the Demon Steves below them.
"Where are the others!?" Elemental Steve yelled, so his brother hears him amongst the deafening lightning.
"Netherite demons had ward them off. They're safe now, don't worry," Time Steve reassured.
"Incase we don't see each other after this... I'm glad you've given me a second chance, Time," Elemental Steve wept, wiping his eyes with his right hand.
"Don't worry, we're brothers. I'm glad to call you my brother," Time Steve glimpses at Elemental Steve and nods in reassurance.
The 2 descendants of Galaxy Steve stop summoning lightning. They look below and there's so many Demon Steves still, it looks as if they destroyed none at all.
"Hey guys, I made the staircase thing. Hopefully we can now push on these demons real soon," Genesis Steve hovers over to Time Steve and Elemental Steve. Behind them there's a spiral staircase made of planks, logs, dirt and leaves. At the bottom of it, the staircase is made of stone. The bottom of the staircase is in the middle of the citadel grounds, near the path that leads to the building of the citadel itself.
"There's so many of them us two barely made a dent in their numbers," Elemental Steve stated.
"We can't push through that cave tunnel. It's too narrow for everybody to come in at once," Time Steve pointed out.
"Elemental, patch up some of the lava with dirt and I can grow some trees," Genesis Steve ordered. Elemental Steve nods as he makes a huge 40 by 40 patch of dirt rise out of the lava on each side of the bridge, and near the cave tunnel entrance in the far distance, barely visible through the thick pink mist. Genesis Steve strikes lightning on the massive mini fields of dirt, creating several rows of trees, leaving no dirt block not underneath leaves.
Lightning strikes at the cave tunnel entrance, then Dream Steve appears. He summons more lightning, on top of the trees, covering over all the leaves with a massive, flat slate of packed ice. He then hovers up and flies over to Time Steve, Elemental Steve and Genesis Steve.
"Wow, Discord really has made it so I can ignore domain rules- so this is what it's like underground? Huh, interesting," Dream Steve looks around at the hallow, pink mist-filled dark cave.
"Yeah, Discord... um, he isn't the type to play by the 'rules'," Time Steve responded.
"Everybody can stand on the iced-over trees," Genesis Steve explained his intention.
"Oooooooh... I get you now- Good thinking," Time Steve nodded.
"Me and Dream will go after those netherite demons," Genesis Steve said as he and Dream Steve flies over to the cave tunnel far away from the ruined citadel.
"They're still on us!" Shining Armour screamed. Sabre, Rainbow Dash, Light Steve, Dark Steve, Colle, Shining Armour and Light Steve's 3 elites are fleeing as fast as they can back to the gate area, where Colle destroyed the blocking obsidian ball. Sabre and Rainbow Dash are still airborne, and have been using their redstone abilities against them, to no avail, but they've debunked a major myth.
"The demons in netherite aren't invincible! If we concentrate our abilities on a single one, we can destroy it!" Sabre proclaimed.
"Well it's good to know, but we need a lot more backup first!" Colle yelled back. Once everybody is back by the gate, where they were earlier, Shining Armour rips a chunk of rock from the side of the cave with his magic and blocks the entrance. Everybody pauses, stops running, catching a breather.
"Well now what?" Light Steve questioned, looking at his friends one by one. All shook their head, not knowing what to do.
"Please stand by, you morons," Said a robotic voice. Assistant Steve suddenly teleports to where the group is.
"Assistant Steve!? You're not meant to be here!" Sabre exclaimed.
"I know, but please stand by," Assistant Steve responded as he holds a silver-coloured whisk-looking object in his right hand, then aims it at the rock blocking the gate.
"Since the Dalek encounter, while under their control for a brief moment, I was able to gather information. As a result, I was able to reverse-engineer a gunstick, a Dalek's primary weapon. While not as effective as a real Dalek gunstick, it still gets the job done," Assistant Steve explained. The gunstick glows and fires a beam at the rock, obliterating it. Assistant Steve walks forward into the netherite-armoured demons, swarming around him. The robot uses the gunstick to shoot multiple of these Demon Steves, destroying them in one hit.
"We gotta help him, come on guys!" Colle began throwing Goggle's salmon at the netherite-armoured demons. With the salmon and reverse-engineered gunstick, Colle and Assistant Steve destroys the whole wave of these seemingly invincible demons.
"I heard this cave needed to be cleared, so I came with my salmon- Assistant! I told you to not come here," Professor Red came over, then gets annoyed at seeing his robot disobeying his orders.
"If it weren't for me, these morons would not be here right now," Assistant Steve argued back. Professor Red steps back in shock. This is the first time his invention, his little boy, disobeyed orders from his creator.
"Goggle's, who's this-"
"I am Assistant Steve," The robot interrupts Colle.
"Well hi, my name's Colle-"
"Colle, a former Red Elite, otherwise better known as, the collector?" Assistant Steve questioned.
"Wow uh, Goggles, you made a mech with a built-in brain sort of, and put your memories in it?" Colle is impressed at how advanced this mech is.
"Calling me, a mech with a built-in brain, is insulting. Don't ever describe me like that again, you moron," Assistant Steve responded instead of Professor Red.
"Assistant seems kinda rude, not gonna lie," Colle thought to himself.
"Did you take offense, Assistant Steve? I thought you said you don't have- Are you showing emotion?" Sabre teasingly said to the robot.
"Shut it," Assistant Steve replied in a deep voice, getting out an iron sword and putting it in his right hand before quickly putting it away.
"On far more. important matters... Professor, the weapon is ready. It works very effectively. Be careful, as it's still a prototype," Assistant Steve hands Professor Red the gunstick.
"Everybody, we're ready to push on!" Twilight comes back, with Cadence, Thorax and Pharynx.
"Wait- where's the others?" Sabre questioned.
"We've got others by that stone staircase made by Genesis and Elemental. They made a hole in the roof above the citadel, and others will be coming on from there. The chromatic leaders have relocated and are now guarding that front," Pharynx explained.
"Demon Steves have suddenly started spawning at the surface as well as a dragon. Some of the steves and ponies are also up there dealing with them. I don't know if we'll be able to do this," Thorax added on top, murmuring.
"I fought in the first Demon Steve war. We are going to do this. We are going to push them back, or those who lost their lives in that war will have been all for nothing," Colle sternly responded to the changeling.
"So have I, and we must not lose this," Said Professor Red, standing by Colle.
"Guys," Genesis Steve yelled out. He's now here, with Dream Steve too.
"There's now a layer of ice on each side of the bridge, so we can now push on these demons," Dream Steve stated.
M, the Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet and Indigo Leader are on the newly made staircase made by Genesis Steve.
"Orange, Yellow, get to building a platform! There's these recent airborne demons and we gotta help the pegasi and changeling stop the airborne demons from destroying the staircase!" M began barking out orders. The Orange and Yellow Leader began summoning lightning, creating a 10 by 10 cobblestone platform, hanging onto the ceiling by chains in each 4 corners. There's a wooden fence at the edges so they don't fall off.
"If we get in a bad situation, I'll open a gateway to the middleworld!" The Indigo Leader loudly shouted. Behind them, the 7 leaders see steves, ponies and changelings charging down the staircase.
"Where are the yaks?" The Blue Leader scratches his head.
"They're still trying to make the spaces in the caves wide enough to help Professor's wonder weapons down into the citadel area," The Orange Leader explained.
"Do any of you have plans after this battle?" The Yellow Leader asked the 6 other chromatic leaders.
"Me and the Violet Steves are going to hold a massive therapy convention in our kingdom. The return of the demons have shocked everyone we know. I believe it's important we give help to those that need it," The Violet Leader replied and explained.
Suddenly, a large chunk of rocks from the ceiling 60 blocks away falls down. The fully netherite-armoured Last Inferno comes down through the newly made hole and turns to face the cobblestone platform, then shoots fireballs at the chains. It rocks, and dust falls down from where the chains are anchored. The dragon the flies towards the cobblestone platform, roaring with fury, glaring with anger, charging with ferocity.
"The netherite dragon is coming towards us!" The Blue Leader screamed, spotting the Last Inferno flying towards him and the other leaders.
"Lend me all your energy! Trust me!" The Indigo Leader screamed. The 6 other leaders took a leap of faith and lends a lot of their energy to the Indigo Leader, which created lightning. So much energy is being lended to the Indigo Leader that the lightning is leaving behind small rainbow particles.
There's a rainbow aura flowing around the Indigo Leader. The Last Inferno is flying closer, getting faster on approach, preparing to rock the cobblestone platform and unattach it from the hanging chains. The dragon fires a furious wave of fireballs, all into the Indigo Leader.
Using all his energy, the Indigo Leader summons lightning on the netherite-armoured dragon, teleporting it to the surface. After doing so, the Indigo Leader collapses and lays down on the cobblestone platform, and any remaining energy went back to the respective leaders. The 6 others look at the Indigo Leader, who's badly injured, and has many injuries all over him.
"Indigo, are you in there?" The Violet Leader asked, getting on his knees. The Indigo Leader looks up at the other 6 leaders standing around him.
"I did it... I stopped it from attacking the staircase..." The Indigo Leader coughed out.
"Are you okay- you stopped it destroying everybody coming down the stairs!" M cheered for the Indigo Leader.
"Yeah I know... make it all worth it in the end..." The Indigo Leader drops his head back down.
"Indigo, I have you, hang in there," The Green Leader softly spome, putting his right hand on the Indigo Leader's forehead. Lightning strikes between them, and the Indigo Leader is slowly stabilizing.
"You good man?" The Violet Leader asked. The Indigo Leader nods weakly. That encounter was a very close call.
(The surface)
Colle and Trixie relocate to the snowy surface, by Twilight's request. With them is Starlight, and there's also a force of 10 Colourless Guards and 4 Royal Guards, 3 of them being unicorn stallions. The other is a sandy pale orange pegasus, Flash Sentry. They are currently trying to deal with the dragon that has every inch of it protected with netherite.
The steves are using their bows, shooting a volley of arrows at the dragom. The unicorns are attacking it with their magic. Flash Sentry is in the air trying to go in for melee attacks on the dragon with his spear. All their attacks are to no avail.
"Oh, who are you? You were preparing everybody earlier, right?" Colle asked, looking at a unicorn mare. This otuer unicorn is a dark violet colour, and is missing it's horn. They have a pink scar where her right eye is. She's wearing a black cloak and has a lime turquoise pouch on her right side.
"You shall call me Tempest."
"Well Tempest, good to see you're on my side. My name's Colle," The collector nodded while continuing firing arrows at the dragon in the air with his bow.
"We're not making a single dent into the dragon!" Flash Sentry yelled to those bellow. He doesn't even see a scratch in the armour.
"It doesn't matter, we gotta keep the Last Inferno from going back down into the citadel! If it gets back there, we'll lose a lot more lives! We've just gotta keep it focused on us and we should be fine!" Colle yelled back.
"Lure that beast towards me! I have an idea!" Tempest yelled to Flash Sentry. The pegasus stops his melee attacks and encourages the Last Inferno to give chase. The dragon shoots fireballs, but the comparatively small pegasus weaves and dodges the incoming attacks. Tempest gets out a green orb-looking object with dark outer layers from her pouch with her left forehoof.
"Focus..." Tempest's eyelids closes slightly, focusing her line of sight on the Last Inferno. When the Last Inferno got close, Tempest throws the orb. The orb shatters upon making contact with the Last Inferno's netherite armour, doing nothing.
"Well that didn't work..." Tempest muttered to herself.
"Ahhhhh!" Flash Sentry screamed as the Last Inferno does a 360 and whacks the pegasus with it's tail, knocking him out of the air and down to the ground, away from the rest of the group.
Flash Sentry's left wing is broken and his legs are dislocated. He looks above and sees the Last Inferno hovering above him, moving in for the kill.
"Hang in there, I've got you!" Colle jumps infront of Flash Sentry.
(Colle's POV)
"Go away you... Big- ugly dragon!"
I throw salmon at the Last Inferno- woah that did something! It cracked it's... It's whole armour. This immediately scares the dragon off. That's good, because that'll buy us some time. I look back to the pegasus creature behind me, he doesn't look like he's doing too well.
"Who are you... are you okay? You don't seem... too good," I crouch to closer inspect the pegasus' injuries. Ooooooh, yeah, wouldn't wanna be in his situation, that's for sure. Broken wings, legs in awkward positions- Yeah, not nice.
"I am- Flash Sentry..." The pegasus whimpered, he sounds really weak. He is definitely in pain, you can tell by his voice.
"My name's Colle- Oh yeah- oooh, you got hit hard. Stay where you are- Oh no!" I see a dark sword miss me, I jump out the way from it. It's another Demon Steve.
"Agh- Take that demon! I'm taking no more of it- None of this... none of this..." I strike the demon with lightning, clearing him easily.
"Don't worry Flash, I'll cover you. You just stay there, and everything will be okay. I'm not letting lives get taken so easily, not again," My duty right now is to keep this pegasus safe, keeping Flash Sentry safe, until backup arrives.
There's 3 groups of 20 Demon Steves spawning in 30 blocks away. Oh no, this isn't good. They're going to overwhelm us at this rate.
"Stay back! No more- just stay back!" I shoot some fireballs, blowing up 4 Demon Steves, but it's not enough. But I then remembers something...
"The Judge's Hammer..." I forgot I still had it on me. It may drain a lot of energy, but I'll have to drain energy if I'm to keep the demons back.
"Stay back! Just go away- Agh! It drains so much energy..." I obliterate one group with the hammer, and that's the main thing.
A blue beam destroys another group. A very light faint beam destroys the last group of demons.
"Thanks Starlight and Trixie- Thanks for the assist!"
(No longer in Colle's POV)
"Starlight, help me keep these demons back! Trixie, get Flash Sentry out of here!" Colle yelled. Trixie uses her magic and levitates Flash Sentry.
Meanwhile, 6 more groups of 10 Demon Steves and another Demon Steve riding a Zoglin spawn in. Colle and Starlight focuses the demons riding the Zoglins.
"Where's Tempest!?" Colle panics, and is growing more tired as well as Starlight. Colle is using more of the bow while Starlight's attacks are getting weaker. The numbers are overwhelming their endurance.
"She's dealing with demons back where we were!" Starlight yelled back, also panicking. The Demon Steves just keeps on spawning back in.
Lightning strikes, and after it dies down, Assistant Steve appears while holding an iron sword in his right hand. He also teleported 4 redstone mechs. The 5 robots charge in. The redstone mechs flings multiple Demon Steves into the air, killing any in one hit. Assistant Steve is leaping all over the place while swinging his iron sword into multiple Demon Steves, also killing any demon he hits in one shot. They easily wipe the floor with the demons.
"Thanks guys- I assume Goggles sent you here," Said Colle, then sighs with relief as did Starlight.
"Professor Red, has sent me to the surface, yes," Assistant Steve nodded.
"The Last Inferno's coming back AROUND!" Starlight screamed, pushing Colle out of the way. The Last Inferno dives into the ground, creating a massive hole.
"Where is it going- Oh no no no!" Colle gasped, immediately recognizing that the Last Inferno has lost interest of those on the surface.
(Cave tunnel entrance)
Fluttershy and Ember have regrouped with the main group that's coming from the cave tunnel. At the front is all of the mane 6, which Sabre is mounted on Rainbow Dash, who's hovering. Next to the pegasus is Ember, who's also hovering, as well as Time Steve, Elemental Steve, Genesis Steve, Dream Steve. Light Steve and Shining Armour are also at the front. Thorax and Pharynx are also at the front. Cadence is also at the front. Rutherford is also there at the front. The Obsidian Leader is also at the front, with Hardy and Brute Obsidian Steve.
Behind them is a big army of Colourless Guards, Royal Guards, regular steves, ponies, changelings and yaks. They can only all be where they are thanks to the platform Elemental Steve, Genesis Steve and Dream Steve made to make more room. Demon Steves from the other end charges forward along the blackstone path, wielding swords, hungry for death and destruction.
"CHAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGEEEEEE!" Light Steve screamed, hoisting his spear high up, then points ahead and charges with Shining Armour. Everybody roars as they charge in.
(Light Steve's POV)
I lead the charge of what will be the greatest battle in history. I claim first blood as my spear pierces the first demon. Let the battle begin!
"I got your back!" Shining Armour blasts a Demon Steve with magic. Luckily he was there as that demon was behind me, otherwise it would've had me.
"Thanks!"
Sabre and Rainbow Dash fly well ahead of everybody else to get some lightning strikes behind the demon ranks.
These... these Obsidian Steves we found that are still about, they then rush ahead of us. Even the one that's badly chipped, they're taking hits as if they're nothing, while they trample over multiple of these Demon Steves. There have been tales where a single Obsidian Steve held of an entire wave before the first Demon Steve War kicked off. The Obsidian Steves are not to be messed with.
The first wave is cleared and we continue forward. Shining Armour is by my side, charging forward with me.
"Those Obsidian Steves at the front are demolishing these demons!" Shining yells to me.
"Yeah, and I'm glad to have them on our side!"
"Light! Shining! Me and Dash are gonna go infront and try to soften the demons ahead! I see a lot of them in the citadel even from here!" Sabre yells to us from above. He and Dash fly off ahead into the distance.
(Sabre's POV)
I see a monolithic-sized citadel ahead in the pink mist. The bridge between everybody else and the citadel is split in half. Even though this area is completely ruined, I can imagine this citadel was once a powerful symbolic structure long ago. Colle was around during that time before the Doctor saved him and brought him to our time- Alright Sabre, focus on the task at hand.
"Alright Dash, listen up. We need to circle the whole citadel so we can see what we're dealing with. These demons have been able to shoot fireballs, and we've got to be careful," I instruct Rainbow Dash.
"Yeah, gotcha- I must say, it's been awesome working with you Sabre!" I can see the smug smile on her face. I do agree, us two make a pretty good combo with the gear Professor gave us.
"Yeah we do- we're approaching the citadel- Circle it."
Rainbow Dash turns very sharply to avoid crashing into the citadel. It took me time to get used to these fast speeds and sudden sharp turns. Rainbow Dash, she certainly doesn't fly gently- ah ha, ha ha ha. We began circling the citadel... oh... that's a lot of Demon Steves...
"Oh my..." Rainbow Dash gasps.
"Oh my... oh my indeed..." The whole place is crawling with Demon Steves. Even with all of us here, the Demon Steves far outnumber our combined armies. We fly around to the other side, which is also crawling, sprawling, swarming, flooding with Demon Steves. I can't see this netherite ball we got to destroy either. It must be deep in the actual citadel itself.
I notice something wrong! The Demon Steves, they're crawling from the lava and up onto the bridge!
"Dash! The Obsidian Steves! Light! Shining! They're about to be surrounded!"
(Rainbow Dash's POV)
"Dash! The Obsidian Steves! Light! Shining! They're about to be surrounded!"
Oh my gosh! Sabre's right! They're walking into a deathtrap!
"Sabre, you better hold on tight!" I yell to him. I feel his arms around my neck and his hands under my throat. Without warning, I immediately break the sound barrier. Within seconds, we're back where we were and I sharply stop.
"YOU FIVE! DEMON STEVES ARE COMING RIGHT YOUR WAY!" I scream at them- Oh no! The Demon Steves have them surrounded. I aim my left forehoof to the left, and my right forehoof to the right. I clench both my legs and strike lightning down on huge ranks of Demon Steves, but- It's not enough! Oh no!
"Dash! More ghasts!" Sabre yelled. More of these white, floating screechy cubes show up. Suddenly, Ember pierces through some of them with her scepter, flying straight through them.
"I'm here to help!" She yelled to us.
"Thanks Ember!" Sabre yelled back out to her.
"Don't worry, we've got you! Go and help those five below!" Genesis Steve strikes more of the ghasts down with his own fireballs. Other pegasi and as well as changelings- Twilight and Cadence too- I also see them going for the ghasts, in the distance. It looks like they're going after the ghasts.
"It seems everybody on the surface is keeping that Last Inferno creature distracted. It hasn't showed up since Indigo sent it up there to the surface. As long as Genesis and Ember keeps the ghasts at bay too, we can go in and help Light, Shining and the Obsidian Steves- We gotta help them, I see them struggling- We need to get closer to give stronger support," Sabre points his left hand out at them. No matter what they're doing to fight back, the Demon Steves are just getting closer to them from all sides and angles.
I fly closer until we're close by them. I gotta be careful, otherwise the Demon Steves will grab us. If that happens, that will lead to very bad news for us.
(No longer in Rainbow Dash's POV)
"Hang on! We're coming!" Sabre yelled to Light Steve, the Obsidian Leader, Hardy Obsidian Steve, Brute Obsidian Steve and Shining Armour. The 5 are surrounded by Demon Steves, but with Sabre and Rainbow Dash using their gear, they summon a blinding-bright barrage of lightning, demolish the demons encircling the 4 steves and single unicorn.
"Thanks! I thought we were gonners!" Light Steve exclaimed.
"Dash, bring me down. We have no choice. They need my backup," Sabre requested. Rainbow Dash lands down onto the bridge. Sabre hops off, and the pegasus hovers back up.
"Demons are ahead!" The Obsidian Leader yelled. Another, much bigger wave of Demon Steves spawn in just a few blocks away. In shock, Sabre, Light Steve, the Obsidian Steves and Shining Armour steps back.
"Woah woah woah- This is bad! This is really really bad!" Sabre exclaimed, using his staff's lightning capabilities, striking down multiple Demon Steves. From above, Rainbow Dash using her armour, strikes lightning onto the demons. Light Steve summons fireballs and Shining Armour fire beams of purple magic. Even then, they are barely making any dent in the numbers.
Out of nowhere, a fast-moving green slimey slob came crashing into the Demon Steves. The slimey slobby creature is wearing a red bow tie and blue top hat. The Demon Steves gets stuck as the slime gets all over the bridge. The slimey slobby creature began flinging Demon Steves left, right and centre.
"Discord must've sent in the smooze! It is demolishing them!" Rainbow Dash cheered on for the smooze.
Suddenly, a whole is made in the roof, deepslate blocks from the roof flying everywhere. The Last Inferno comes back down to the cave area from the surface. It shoots fireballs at the smooze. The explosions from the fireballs didn't do much, but the fire it left behind evaporates the smooze. The dragon then turns it's attention towards it's next target.
"DASH! LOOK OUT-" Shining Armour screamed, pointing at the dragon as it flies straight towards Rainbow Dash. But it's too late to react.
"AGGGGHHHH!" The Last Inferno caught the light blue pegasus off guard and flies into her left side. The dragon flies into the roof of the cave, heading back up to the surface.
Rainbow Dash is falling. The Last Inferno's surprise ram clipped her left wing. The light blue pegasus plummets for the boiling lava. Very conveniently, she is caught by a pale blue pegasus stallion, with dark blue mane and tail. They are hovering still, away from the action going on.
"Thanks Soarin!"
"I weren't gonna let you fall- No way!" Soarin exclaimed, faintly smiling.
"Well, I guess both of our nicknames will be 'clipper' now, ah ha, ha," Rainbow Dash weakly smiles back, weakly laughing, shifting her focus off of the grip-crushing-like pain in her left wing.
"Rainbow- Are you okay!? I saw you get hit badly!" Twilight exclaimed. She has been focusing on the ghasts before spotting the Last Inferno came and rammed into the pegasus.
"That dragon did my left wing in! It's clipped! Luckily the armour saved me from worse injuries..." Rainbow Dash groaned as the pain in her broken left wing gets worse.
"Rainbow, you have to leave now-"
"Just because my left wing's clipped doesn't mean I can't help on the ground," Rainbow Dash sternly interrupted Twilight.
"Are you mad!? You're hurt! You have to get out of here!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Tis but a scratch," Rainbow Dash replied.
"Okay... but if it gets too painful, will you promise me you'll get out of here?" Twilight grudgingly comes to a compromise.
"Pinkie promise," Rainbow Dash smiled.
(Surface)
Colle, Starlight and Tempest regroup together. They can't do anything about the Last Inferno as it's back underground. They, the force of 10 Colourless Guards and the 3 Royal Guard unicorns wait.
"Flash is being taken care of by some Green Steves," Trixie came back to regroup as well.
"That's good, hopefully the Green Steves can help Flash be in a better shape than he currently is," Colle nodded.
"I feel the ground underneath us shaking," Tempest stated.
"Me too," Starlight added.
"We should move- It's shaking more!" Trixie exclaimed.
"Oh no- don't just stand HERE! RUN!" Colle screamed, running from where he is. He knows whatever's coming from underground, it isn't good and gets himself out the way.
PWLACSHCSH!
A loud burst of blocks fly outward from the ground. The shockwave knocks Colle over, and everything went black.
"Agh..."
Colle looks around him as the dark blurry vision slowly corrects itself. Starlight, Trixie and Tempest have also been knocked over. The Colourless and Royal Guards that were with them aren't anywhere to be seen.
"W- what happened?" Colle stammered, getting up, limping badly that it makes him crouch. His vision got clearer. Starlight, Trixie and Tempest are still knocked out. Where they were originally standing, there's a massive hole. Around the edges of the whole is a lot of fire and magma blocks.
"It- the Last Inferno- it got the guards... woah- Agh..." Colle went to stand up straight and loses his balance and wobbles. He flails his arms about, regaining his balance.
His vision is still slightly impaired. He doesn't know how long he's been out unconscious. But he hears fireball explosions and magical blasts above him.
"Agh- what's... what's going on?" Colle looks up and sees a massive dark grey flying object and a much smaller purple flying object circling each other. Colle's vision then got clearer and is back to normal.
The Last Inferno and Twilight are fighting. Massive, bright purple beams of magic from Twilight hits the dragon. Despite the netherite armour being cracked, the magic isn't doing anything. The Last Inferno is shooting fireballs, but they kept missing.
"Twilight- Hang on! Let me try and help- Gah!" Colle tries to provide Twilight support by striking lightning on the Last Inferno.
"The armour is stopping my magic! I can't do anything!" Twilight yelled.
"Hang on, let me throw some salmon!" Colle throws more of Goggle's salmon. It cracks the netherite armour on the Last Inferno further. But Colle runs out of the salmon.
"I'm out of salmon- What do we do!?"
Starlight regains consciousness and with her magic, she could peel off little pieces of the cracked netherite armour.
"Twilight! Pull off the pieces of it's armour! The armour is now too weak to stop magic completely!" Starlight yelled out to the alicorn. They both began doing pulling pieces of the badly cracked netherite armour with their magic.
"How long were we out for?" Tempest regains consciousness as well as Trixie.
"I don't know- Help Twilight and Starlight pull off the netherite pieces," Colle instructed.
"I... I... can't really use telekinesis all too well," Tempest pointed out.
"Oh, not to worry- It's the horn, I'm guessing? Sorry if that was... a bit too personal bringing that up," Colle responded.
"No offence taken," Tempest replied back, nodding.
"We've pulled off all it's armour!" Twilight yelled out. The red demon-form of the Last Inferno is now completely exposed.
"I need a clear shot!" Tempest yelled while reaching into her pouch with her left forehoof.
Twilight holds the Last Inferno's forelegs with her magic. Starlight holds the left rear leg and Trixie holds the right rear leg with their magic. All 4 legs have a magical aura around them. Colle meanwhile is shooting fireballs at the dragon's head.
"Tempest, have you got a clear shot?" Colle asked.
"Hurry with whatever you have!" Trixie screamed. The Last Inferno then frees it's right rear leg from Trixie's magical aura. The dragon began to thrash around more uncontrollably.
"Tempest! Skewer the winged beast! Now!" Colle yelled.
Tempest is holding a green orb-looking object with dark outer layers in her left forehoof. Once confident with her aim, she throws it at the Last Inferno's head. The dragon slowly turns into a dark crystal-looking stone material. The Last Inferno then plummets to the ground, shattering into several pieces once it hit the ground.
"Woah- Nice one Tempest, that did a world of good," Colle complimented. Twilight hovers down back to the snowy ground, where Colle, Starlight, Trixie and Tempest are.
"While you're here Twilight... how's things down in the citadel holding up?" Colle asked.
"Even with Time, Elemental, Genesis, Dream and Professor's amazing inventions, we're struggling. We've lost so many already, I don't know if we can do this..." Twilight's voice got quieter with each word. They 4 ponies and single steve have a moment of silence for a few seconds, for those who already fallen.
"We have no option but push on. The best defence is the best offence. If we stay on the defence, they'll overwhelm us if they just keep spawning back," Said Tempest.
"We should probably get moving. I don't know how quickly the demons can bring back the Last Inferno- Either way, we shouldn't sit around. Hey, at least the demons have stopped spawning on the surface," Colle stated. Everybody nods in agreement.
(Underground)
Fluttershy had just rescued an Indigo Steve and a Violet Steve that almost got surrounded by Demon Steves on the path leading up to the gap between the side they're on and the citadel. At the bottom of the gap is a pool of lava.
The yellow pegasus has her forehooves securely holding the Violet Steve's body while the Indigo Steve is on her back, his arms wrapped around the pegasus securely, as she flies him and the other steve out of danger.
"Thank you!" The Violet Steve cried.
"Everything's going to be okay," Fluttershy softly whispered. She hovers to the cave entrance and lowers herself towards the ground until she's a few feet from it. She let's go of the Violet Steve, who lands on his feet. The Indigo Steve lets go and jumps off.
"Thank you again!" The Indigo Steve exclaimed. Fluttershy nods and flies off again.
(Fluttershy's POV)
This is really horrible! I can only save so many! Those poor steves had to see their friend get surrounded, a Red Steve... It was horrible seeing nothing but their sinking hand amidst the horrid horde of demons. But I can't dwell on that, I have to continue doing what I'm doing. I'm rescuing those who would otherwise be killed.
I've not been that much of a fighter, but I want to do my contribution. I wanted to back out of this, but my friends are here and I want to be by their side.
"HELP!" I hear somebody scream out, interrupting my thoughts. I must get to them!
I fly in that direction as quick as I could. It's a Colourless Guard reaching out for gelp.
"I'm coming!" I must get to them! I fly faster and faster...
"AAAGGGGGHHHHH!" They scream before disappearing... and smoke puffs into the air before dissipating into nothing. I pause midair, this is getting too much...
"I- I was too late... no..." I failed to help them in time... This is too horrible! I don't know if I can handle any more seeing all of this!
I suddenly see a boulder fly past me. I flinch and dart out of the way. Luckily it missed me.
"Fluttershy! That ghast thing was about to attack you!" I look below and see Rarity on the path, where everybody else is fighting the Demon Steves. I have no time to say thank you to her, I have to continue doing what I'm doing. I may not save everybody, but it doesn't mean I should leave those to die when they can be saved. However horrible seeing many deaths, I know that those deaths won't be in vain.
(Rarity's POV)
Fluttershy didn't notice that ghast creature. Luckily I got that repulsive ugly thing before it got her.
I'm really proud of Fluttershy's courage in all of this. No time to show appreciation now. There's only time to show disdainful hatred towards these abdominal Demon Steves!
"Thanks for the boulder Elemental!"
"No problem. I'm really tired from making that hole in the roof. This is the best I can do for now," He replied. I can imagine. I barely see the shadow of the staircase in the cloudy pink mist, as well as that huge hole in the roof, even with help. I can only imagine how much power would've been needed to rip that much ground and terrain. Yet, Elemental can still summon these hefty stone boulders.
"Rarity! Watch out!" I see Time Steve above me, striking lightning to the right side of where I'm standing. I look right and see a large group of Demon Steves incinerated before me.
"Thank you darling!" Time just saved my life.
"Did you Demon Steves order some CUPCAKES!?" I see Pinkie to my left, standing on her rear hooves and holding a cupcake in her forehooves- I see where this is going.
(No longer in Rarity's POV)
""Did you Demon Steves order some CUPCAKES!?" Pinkie Pie is standing on her rear hooves and holding a pink cupcake with green icing in her forehooves.
"Here they come- YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA!" The pink earth pony throws a seemingly endless supply of cupcakes at a group of 20 Demon Steves charing towards her.
"Do your hooves have the enchantment of infinity!?" A nearby Colourless Guard archer exclaimed while shooting arrows at the Demon Steves ahead.
"Maybe," Pinkie Pie grinned. The barrage of cupcakes from the pink earth pony hits the 20 Demon Steve's faces, blinding them with icing with bits of splattered cupcakes stuck to it. Now blinded, the demons began blindly attacking, unknowingly attacking their own.
"Friendly fire will not be tolerated!" Pinkie Pie screamed, getting out her part cannon out of thin air. With the cannon, she fires an ignited TNT block at the group of Demon Steves. It explodes and blows up all the demons.
"Skip one and two- Step three, rain fire!" Pinkie Pie fires another ignited TNT block at another group of Demon Steves. It explodes and it blows up, those demons too, except for one. The last one is kicked off the path and down into the lava by Applejack.
"T'at demon ain't been havin' his appawls!"
Thorax and Pharynx along with other changelings as well as Ember, and the whole team of Wonderbolts are dealing with the ghasts that's raining down fireballs from above by flying into them at high speeds. The ghasts are currently causing the most casualties, but are very fragile themselves.
"Whenever we deal with one of these ghasts dies, another one takes it's place! They are so hard to deal with!" Thorax exclaimed.
"More like annoying to deal with!" Pharynx changes his form and becomes a massive hornet in frustration. He uses the stinger to pierce and destroy a ghast in a single hit.
"Pharynx! Behind you!" Thorax shouted.as he hovers down. A ghast screeches, it's eyes and mouth open. It shoots a fireball, then closes it's eyes and mouth. Pharynx changes back into his normal form and hovers down. Both changelings dodge the fireball.
"I got you two!" Ember shouted as she flies into the ghast with her scepter, destroying the white blocky creature.
"Thanks Ember," Thorax nodded.
"How many more of these things are left to deal with?" Pharynx moaned.
"Not many, we're currently winning against them. The last ones are being dealt with right now," Ember answered.
"Finally! Now, if any more of them things that reappear, we can easily destroy them. They won't be as difficul- I mean annoying to deal with," Pharynx smiled.
"It looks like those that are on the ground are winning also! They're doing it- They done it!" Thorax cheered as the last demon on the ground has been vanquished from the overworld. Everybody has won the first phase of the battle.
"That was difficult!" Thorax exclaimed.
"If you thought that was difficult, we still have the citidel itself to take," Pharynx chuckled.
"That's going to be a bloodbath," Ember stated.
"Bloodbath or not, I'm ready to give my life for the cause of our hive," Pharynx responded.
"Everycreature, Pharynx," Thorax corrected.
"Well, we should gather the little rest we can. The next part is going to be difficult," Ember suggested. The 2 changelings nod in agreement.
(Some hours later)
"Hey, Colle," The Obsidian Leader prods the Red Steve with his right hand. Colle turns around to look at him.
"Hey, what's up, Obsidian Leader?" Colle asked. They are both standing at the edge where the bridge they remember used to be. On the opposite side is the old terribly run-down citadel.
"I'm fine... I'm just standing here. I remember you were standing there all those generations ago, when I threw that trident across. It's ironic, because last time, we were fighting to defend the citadel, and now we're the ones attacking it," The Obsidian Leader points with his right hand at a path on the other side of the gap. He and Colle both look at where he threw the trident.
"Yeah, I remember that day too. I thought you were destroyed after they pushed you off- I would prefer it if we... y'know, change the subject. I'm glad that... well, I'm glad it turned out you survived, that's all," Colle requested. The Obsidian Leader nodded to the Red Steve, then looks back at the citadel.
"One day, I wish we could bring this place back from the dead, return it to it's former glory. Once, so many of us Obsidian Steves lived here. But now... it's just a ghost town," The Obsidian Leader daydreams back to the good days of the citadel before the bad things came it's way, the Daleks, the Demon Steves, and then the final nail in the coffin, Void Steve.
"Yeah, I would like to see that too. Maybe once you guys come out of your isolation fully, maybe you could work on that," Colle suggested. The Obsidian Leader nodded.
"Hey you two, what's up?" Sabre asked, walking up to Colle and the Obsidian Leader.
"Oh, hi Sabre... we were just reflecting, on things," Colle replied.
"Oh, you two are reflecting on the citadel? It must've once been a great significant landmark. You two were around when it was still in use I imagine," Said Sabre, gazing his eyes at the goliath-sized structure.
"Yeah it really really was, it's sad the citadel got abandoned and left in this bad state," Colle nodded.
"Hopefully with the ghasts under control, taking the citadel will be easier. That ground battle felt quick, but a lot of blood was already spilt. Taking the citadel itself... I dread at how many more we'll lose. We've lost so many already... I'm not worried about myself, but I'm worried for my friends," Sabre shuddered.
"Yeah... but at least the Last Inferno is dealt with. The demons shouldn't be able to bring that back for at least a little while," Colle stated.
"Good, because that thing caught Rainbow Dash off guard, and it clipped one of her wings. Time Steve is too tired to reverse her wing's state back, as he's been helping out a lot too. So right now, Rainbow Dash is currently left with a broken wing," Sabre responded.
"Oh, that's not good. From what I know, she's the fastest pegasus we have. With her out of commission, that could spell bad news for us," Said Colle.
"While she isn't able to fly at the moment... she is still pretty determined to help on the ground," Sabre pointed out.
"Well, I applaud this Rainbow Dash for her bravery and resilience," The Obsidian Leader nodded.
Then, coming over to the edge are 4 Orange Steves. They look at Sabre, they know him.
"Sabre! It's been ages since we've last talked!" One of the Orange Steves exclaimed.
"Friendly Orange Steve... is that you? Yeah, it's been quite some time, yean," Sabre stuttered while nodding.
"What about me?" One of the other Orange Steves asked Sabre.
"Miner- Yeah, I remember you two, so how's it been going?" Sabre asked.
"Us four have a job to do. But we definitely should organize something afterwards," Said the third Orange Steve.
"Nerdy? Wow I almost forgot you guys- Yeah we should definitely organize something afterwards," Sabre nodded in agreement.
Nerdy, Carpenter, Miner and Friendly Orange Steve began summoning lightning, creating a 3 by 3 space of cobblestone each, a 4 platforms connected with one another into a single platform. They step onto the cobblestone they created and redo what they did again, summoning lightning and making the combined platform longer. They repeat this until they are on the other side. The 4 Orange Steves then jump down onto the path on the other side.
"I'm taking it that they're building stairs? It does look like the platform on the other side is at a downward incline compared to where we are," Sabre assumed.
"Uh... where are they?" Colle stuttered. He expected that the 4 Orange Steves would be done with the staircase immediately and back over the bridge.
"I don't think they're coming back!" The Obsidian Leader yelled. Coming onto the bridge isn't Nerdy, Carpenter, Miner and Friendly Orange Steve. It's a massive horde of Demon Steves.
"No! No..." Sabre cried. He just seen 3 Orange Steves he used to talk to long ago, and now they're gone. But there's no time to mourn.
"Oh no oh no!" Colle gets out his bow and puts it in his right hand. He immediately starts shooting arrows into the approaching Demon Steves. He destroys one, then shoots another arrow, destroying another demon. Sabre uses his redstone staff, striking down 10 demons down all at once.
"Hang on! I'm here to help!" Rainbow Dash trots to and steps onto the bridge.
"My left wing may be broken, but I can still kick demon butt!" Rainbow Dash aims her left forehoof at the Demon Steves, clenching her leg and releases a fury of lightning bolts, obliterating the whole wave of demons.
"Thanks Dash- how are you coping with your wing?" Sabre asked. The light blue pegasus in supercharged redstone armour turns around to face him.
"My left wing hurts, but I can manage," Rainbow Dash replied. While her right wing his fine, her left wing is twisted and broken.
"You sure you're managing? It... It feels painful for me just by looking at it," Said Colle.
"I could try and find Time Steve. He can reverse it's state back in time- I can try and go find him," Colle offered.
"He's at the cave we all come out of. If he's able to come over, that'll be sweet- Agh..." Rainbow Dash winced more, her lift wing noticeably twitching.
"Alright, I'll get him as quick as I can," Colle replied, and then walks off.
"Oh, out of the way everybody," Said the Obsidian Leader, getting out of the way as did Sabre and Rainbow Dash. He sees all 6 of the red-dyed iron tanks driving in single file. The cannons attached to the dome turrets of each tank is the length of 8 fully grown stallions. It has thick red-dyed rubber tracks and 8 big stainless-steel wheels.
Professor Red's tank, the one with 'SCIENCE' on each side, is at the front. The salmon-craving Red Steve himself is peaking out of the hatch on top of the turret. In the other 5 tanks, a Colourless Guard are peaking their heads out of the hatch of their tanks. Following behind the tanks is Rutherford and 15 other yaks.
"Looks like the yaks were able to make a path in the caves for the tanks could get through," Sabre thought to himself. The tanks and yaks gets over to the other side.
Lightning strikes near Sabre, the Obsidian Leader and Rainbow Dash. Once the lightning slowly died down, Time Steve and Colle appears.
"Hey Rainbow Dash, and- Oof, yeah, that looks pretty bad," Time Steve walks to Rainbow Dash's left side, inspecting her left wing.
"Everybody else, stand back," Time Steve demanded. Sabre, Colle and the Obsidian Leader takes a few steps back. Time Steve summons lightning on Rainbow Dash. Once the lightning died away, the left wing is back to normal.
"How do you feel?" Time Steve asked Rainbow Dash. The light blue pegasus pegasus hovers up and grins.
"Much better, thanks Time," Rainbow Dash replied, the smug grin of happiness on her face grows even bigger.
"Now, you go enjoy being in the air," Time Steve nodded. Rainbow Dash then hovers down and lands on the path on her 4 hooves.
"Sabre, hop on," She said. Sabre mounts back onto Rainbow Dash, who then hovers back up.
"Good luck, you two stay safe," Said Time Steve. Sabre and Rainbow Dash nodded. The light blue pegasus then flies off, into the citadel area.
"Drive them demons back!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she came over and darts onto the bridge while pushing her party cannon.
"See how things have changed, my friends!? It is now their land, their people, their blood!"
Professor Red went back into the safety of his tank and closes the hatches. Inside the tank is a small 4 (x) by 2 (y) by 4 (z) interior. The interior itself is made of undyed, regular dull-looking iron blocks. At the front, on the left and right is a switched-on redstone lamp. There is a black steering wheel on the left-side redstone lamp. Above the wheel is an item frame with an arrow in it, pointing up.
A block away from the wheel is an oak wooden chair with red cushioning. Sitting in the chair is a Red Steve. On the left side to that Red Steve is a red-dyed stone button. To the right of the chair is a lever on the floor. At the back of the small interior is a ladder, leading out of the hatch, where Professor Red is standing.
"Physicist, start driving right, but keep going forward," Professor Red instructed.
"We are now on the citadel grounds. We have drove past where the gate used to be," Professor Red added.
"Doing so right now Professor," Physicist Red Steve responded.
"I'm popping my head out of the tank again," Said Professor Red.
(Physicist Red Steve's POV)
I am reliant on Professor's vision of outside. This... tank, as he calls it, is a beautiful machine. But everything has flaws, and the biggest flaw of this machine is that you can't see what's outside if you're the driver yourself. But the pros of this marvellous piece of Red Kingdom tech far outweighs the cons.
"Steer slightly to the left," My scientist mentor instructs me. I steer the wheel to the left. Again, I don't know where I am driving, but I trust my mentor. He may have an unhealthy salmon obsession, but he for sure knows what he's doing.
"Straigten the wheel, wait a few seconds and turn left again," The next instruction for me is given. I follow that instruction, and I straighten the wheel.
One...
Two...
Three...
I count to three, and I begin to steer left again.
"Straighten the wheel and keep going straight," My next instruction is given. I straighten the wheel again.
"Stop the tank!" He yelled. I pull the lever to my right slightly until the gearstick is in the middle. I feel the tank not slowing down- It just breaks immediately, it rocks me forward slightly.
"Turn the turret to the left!" Professor yells to me. I take my left hand off the wheel and tilt the tip of the arrow in the item frame to the left. I hear the turret make a loud humming noise as it's turning, then stops.
"Fire in the hole!" Professor shouts in that gleeful excited tone of his. I press the red button to my left.
BOOM!
The cannon this tank has is so powerful. I even feel the recoil shake the tank. Luckily the interior has tech that cancels most noises coming from outside. We would've probably gone deaf otherwise.
BOOM! BOOM!
The other tanks must be firing too. I also feel the ground shaking. I see Professor Red coming back down into the safe interior and closing the hatch.
"Why is the ground shaking?"
"The yaks are jumping up and down in trying to make the demons lose balance and fall over," He replied. That makes better sense.
"After this battle, we should add vision equipment to our tanks," I suggest, because I think that will help the driver understand slightly what's going on.
"I would do so... but with Hearth's Warming in a week, Twilight and I have been working on a present for somepony called Tempest. I kept this just between me and Twilight, just incase anybody decides to spoil the surprise. It's almost ready, it just needs a bit more tweaking," He explains. I wonder what this present is that he's working on.
I then feel the ground stop shaking. I assume these yaks have stopped jumping.
(No longer in Physicist Red Steve's POV)
Light Steve, Colle and the Obsidian Leader ran across the cobblestone bridge. Following them are steves, earth ponies and unicorns. Flying roughly 20 blocks above those on the ground are the pegasuses and changelings, as well as Time Steve, Elemental Steve, Genesis Steve and Ember, flying with the pegasuses and changelings, attacking the Demon Steves from above.
"Where's Shining? Isn't he meant to be with you?" Colle asked.
"Out of nowhere he got hit by Dread's infection. Twilight and Cadence are with Dream working on the issue," Light Steve explained.
"Oh that's pretty bad, but we've got to focus on the work that's cut out for us," Colle nodded. The 3 steves are across the bridge. They run through where the entrance is, which is destroyed beyond recognition.
Light Steve, Colle and the Obsidian Leader are in the castle grounds. The eroded path is made of obsidian and blackstone bricks. The path goes to the right, then bends around to the left. Further ahead to the left is the citadel building itself, which a lot of Demon Steves are flooding out of the entrance. Lightning strikes, flying fireballs and beams of magic are everywhere.
"I assume the netherite ball is need to destroy is in there?" Light Steve guessed, pointing at the main citadel building, the most intact part of the overall citadel.
"Yeah, and once we do, the Doctor and Doctor Whooves can close off the world below's connection to the overworld with their TARDISes. Then hopefully the Demon Steves will be shut away for good this time. No more lives will have to be thrown away, and we can finally live in a true era of peace," Colle nodded.
"Light, I need you to go and clear the Demon Steves off the walls up there," Colle instructed, pointing his right hand at the paths on the destroyed gate and obsidian walls. The only way up to get on top of the walls is a pile of obsidian and blackstone rubble. On the walls are filled with Demon Steves.
"Okay, got it," Light Steve nodded.
"Me and the Obsidian Leader are gonna help the tanks and the yaks," Colle stated.
"Sorry, I was caught up dealing with some stragglers with Hardy and Brute," Dark Steve apoligized, regrouping with Light Steve and Colle, as well as Brute Obsidian Steve and Hardy Obsidian Steve.
"Dark, Hardy and Brute, can you guys help Light Steve clear the demons that are on the walls? Me and Obsidian Leader are going to be heading for the main building ahead," Colle requested.
"Yeah sure, we'll do that," Dark Steve nodded.
"Alright, we'll see you guys. Stay safe everybody," Said Colle. Light Steve, Dark Steve, Hardy Obsidian Steve and Brute Obsidian Steve walks to the obsidian-based rubble and began climbing up. Light Steve began summoning lightning while Dark Steve shoots fireballs at the Demon Steves now pouring down. With their obsidian swords, Hardy Obsidian Steve and Brute Obsidian Steve slays any of the demons Light Steve or Dark Steve missed.
Meanwhile, Colle and the Obsidian Leader runs off to help Professor Red's 6 tanks and the yaks, as well as the steves, unicorns, earth ponies on the ground, with the pegasuses and changelings as well as Time Steve, Elemental Steve, Genesis Steve and Ember provides support in the air. It is a massive mess, as steves, ponies, changelings, yaks as well as Demon Steves are being destroyed everywhere. Magical beams illuminating the whole area, fireballs setting everything on fire, and lightning strikes electrocuting and burning their victims.
Colle strikes lightning on the Demon Steves that are surrounding the tanks while the Obsidian Leader charges into the demons being struck, slaughtering them with his big, trustworthy and powerful obsidian battleaxe. It is complete chaos, as deaths on both sides are occurring all around.
"Obsidian Leader! There's a clear way into the citadel! We need to get inside and find the netherite ball!" Colle yelled over to the Obsidian Leader.
"I see it!" The Obsidian Leader yelled back. Amidst the fighting, there's a clear path into the citadel. The Red Steve and Obsidian Steve uses this opportunity to dart across, b-lining for the citadel's entrance.
Sabre and Rainbow Dash regroups with the rest of the mane 6, at the entrance of the citadel grounds. Starlight and Trixie are with them.
"Is Shining okay? Is he okay?" Sabre sincerely asked, concerned for Shining Armour. He had heard what happened to the unicorn.
"Not really... Dread Steve showed Shining Armour his worst fear... Cadence breaking up, taking Flurry away from him, then losing everything he worked for as a Royal Guard- Cadence had to leave with Shining coming with her. It really badly got to him... what I saw... it was horrible..." Twilight shuddered. Even not being affected directly, it still affects Twilight, because her brother is now very badly hurt physiologically.
"Yeah. You don't think much about it... until you go through it yourself. Dread showed me my worst fear and that was scary, I was so scared. I was scared of the past repeating... because of everything that followed- I just hope he gets better," Sabre responded, sympathizing with Shining Armour's situation. He has been through his worst fear. So has Derpy, his closest pony friend. He understands the ramifications of going through something so traumatizing.
"Of course you lot would show up!" A growing, tall orange cloud of smoke manifests, creating multiple blue sparks. Emerging from the smoke is a demonic-looking satyr-like creature, holding a staff with a blue gem-like obect at the top of it.
"The power of friendship is strong against tyranny. You have lost, Storm King!" Twilight declared. Everypony discontently frowns in hatred of the Storm King.
"I will not lose. For as long as I follow the Second One, I will always return. I am immortal, I am... inevitable," The Storm King confidently replied back with an evil, frowning grin.
"Let's see about that!" A voice shouted above the Storm King. Lightning rain down on him, removing his demon form. The Storm King is in his original form before he was defeated at Canterlot.
"You think that will stop me?" The Storm King laughed as he looks up. His staff began to glow an electrifying bright shade of light blue. With his staff, he swats the steve that's above him clean out or the air as if he was a fly. Rainbow Dash flies up and catches the steve, then slowly brings him to the ground with everybody else.
"Starlight and Trixie, help Sabre get Time Steve out of here!" Rainbow Dash barked out. The steve that the light blue pegasus saved from falling was Time Steve.
Sabre, Starlight and Trixie helps an exhausted, battered Time Steve escape. They rush onto the cobblestone bridge and heads to the cave tunnel entrance on the opposite side.
"So you want to make this personal? I have my staff, in my hands! Last time, you stole my staff from me. This time, it's within my possession, and there's nothing you can do about it, mwaha ha ha ha ha!"
Then from on top of the gate, Dark Steve gets on top of the battlements on top of the destroyed gate and glares at the staff. He fireballs hit the Storm King's right hand, burning it. He drops his staff and it falls off the path, down into the lava, shattering upon impact when making contact with the sizzling hot, molten liquid.
"NO!" The Storm King screamed, steam bursting out his ears, his eyes glowing purple, his hands glowing gold. He turns around and leaps on top of the gate, screaming and roaring.
"Uh oh!" Dark Steve exclaimed. The Storm King glares at him and raises his left arm, clenching his left hand. Dark Steve jumps off the battlements as the Storm King slams his left fist down, breaking apart some the obsidian wall where his hand slammed down.
"Stay back!" Light Steve screamed while summoning fireballs at the rapidly approaching Storm King. But the fireballs do nothing and makes the stayr-like creature even angrier. Hardy Obsidian Steve and Brute Obsidian Steve didn't dare to get close to the enraged creature.
A rope with a hoop in it latches around his neck. Light Steve sees down at the bottom on the right side of the destroyed gate, the mane 6 are pulling the rope with their mouth's.
"Light! Obsidians! Just run! We'll keep him distracted!" Rarity shouted from below. Light Steve, Hardy Obsidian Steve and Brute Obsidian Steve joins up with Dark Steve, and they make a run for it.
"Let go of me this instance! Don't enrage me further or I will punish all of you severely!" The enraged, berserk Storm King demanded.
"Skill issue! Cope harder!" Pinkie Pie shouted back at the Storm King, who then turns his attention to the mane 6.
"I think we've made him mad..." Fluttershy gulped, quivering and whimpering, dropping the rope.
"You don't say- I think you noticed that way too late!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. The rest drops the rope.
"Heh defo been havin' appawls!" Applejack shouted.
"With the powers of the almighty Second One, I'll confiscate your lives!" The Storm King jumps down from the walls, lunging for the mane 6. Twilight teleports herself and her 5 closest friends out of the way, onto the walls, where the Storm King was originally standing.
"This will be the last cat and mouse game you'll ever play!" The Storm King screamed, seething with anger, boiling with rage.
The 7 chromatic leaders manage to join Colle and the Obsidian Leader at the throne room in the Obsidian citadel. Parts of the walls are missing, parts of the roof are also missing. There's also motionless, plain detail-less obsidian figures laying around. The 2 staircases on either side outside the throne room are blocked off by rubble. Meanwhile, the deafening loud, vicious fighting rages on from outside.
"Glad we've got more help- Look for any hidden rooms. The Demon Steves could've made this netherite ball anywhere. Once we find it and destroy it, the Doctor and Doctor Whooves can come in and we win the battle," Colle instructed.
The Indigo and Violet Leader began looking in the hallway area between the entrance and the throne room. The Green and Blue Leader began looking on the right side of the throne. The Orange and Yellow Leader began looking on the left side of the throne. M, Colle and the Obsidian Leader began looking behind the throne.
"There's a ladder guys!" M yelled. Behind the throne is a ladder.
"Was this here before, Obsidian Leader?" Colle asked.
"No. Even though it has been generations, I remember there was no ladder here," The Obsidian Leader replied. The rest of the leaders gather around the throne.
"Obsidian fella, it's best if you go down first. If there's any demons down there at the bottom waiting, you're gonna be able to deflect the most hits," M suggested. The Obsidian Leader nodded as he starts to climb down the ladder. Following him down is Colle, M, the Yellow Leader, the Indigo Leader, the Orange Leader, the Blue Leader, the Violet Leader and the Green Leader.
(Minutes later)
They finally reach the bottom of the ladder. They are now in a massive 100 (x) by 30 (y) by 100 (z) room made entirely of detail-lacking netherite. The floor and is made of orange glass, with lava below it, giving the whole room an unsettling ominous orange glow to it. Dangling from the ceiling on chains in the middle of the room is a large, non-blocky smooth ball of netherite. Beneath the near vicinity of the ball, there is no glass.
"It looks like we found the ball," Said the Orange Leader.
"We need to be quick about this. The demons could come flooding down here in a moment," The Yellow Leader stated.
"Uh... about that! THEY'RE HERE!" The Violet Leader shrieked. Demon Steves in netherite armour began coming down the ladder.
"I'll start spleefing them! You eight, destroy that netherite ball! I'll hold them off for as long as I can!" Colle yelled, facing the Demon Steves coming down the ladder.
The leaders rush to the netherite ball in the room. The chromatic leaders began summoning lightning, while the Obsidian Leader got out an obsidian pickaxe, putting it in his right hand and hacks away at the netherite ball in the middle of the room.
"You all just- Stay back!" Colle summons a wave of fireballs at the glass blocks below the netherite-armoured Demon Steves that have come down. Some fell into the lava below and became trapped, while some create a path of magma blocks over the gaps.
"Oh no oh no oh no- This is bad- Woah woah woah woah woah!" Colle began walking back, summoning fireballs as quickly as he can at the glass, breaking it.
"How much longer guys until the netherite ball is destroyed!? I can't keep going for much- Agh- longer!" Colle is feeling massive strain as he breaks his limits. He's shooting so many fireballs, he feels the strain's ripping burn sensation all over his body and is breaking a lot of sweat.
"We've nearly got it!" The Indigo Leader declared to Colle.
"A few more cracks and we should do it!" The Green Leader also declared to Colle.
"Keep going Colle! We're nearly done breaking it!" The Blue Leader cheers on.
As Colle is about to give up, he hears way more and way louder lightning strikes. He stops shooting fireballs.
"We did it!" M cheered.
"AGH! That was tiring..." Colle began crouching. The Obsidian Leader rushes over to Colle and starts slaying the Demon Steves. Their netherite armour is a lot weaker because of the netherite ball being destroyed.
"Uh... guys... why is the lava slowly rising?" The Blue Leader notices the lava below the glass began to rise up and the whole room began to take. The 8 chromatic steves try teleporting together while taking the Obsidian Leader with them, but that doesn't work.
"Oh no oh no- WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! THE PLACE IS GONNA EXPLODE!" The Violet Leader screamed, being the first one to dart for the ladder. Colle, M, the Orange, Green, Obsidian and Blue Leader almost immediately follows suit.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
As they began climbing, they hear 2 different gut-wrenching screams. It is the screams of the Yellow Leader and the Indigo Leader. Colle dreads while turning his head round.
"No!" Colle screamed while climbing up. He sees the lava had risen out of the gaps in the glass floor, and that the Yellow Leader and the Indigo Leader got caught. They're burning and melting to death.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
The lava began rising even higher. It had caught up with the Blue Leader. He burns very quickly to a crisp. Everybody began climbing even quicker, screaming in panic.
Colle, M, the Orange, Green, Violet and the Obsidian Leader reaches the top of the ladder. They are given no moment to cry even as the whole citadel began shaking.
"RUN- RABBIT RUN RABBIT RUN RUN RUN!" The Violet Leader is screaming for his dear life. They rush for the exit. Lava spews out of the hole where the ladder was. Colle, M, the Orange and Obsidian Leader gets out just in time as then...
BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!
The whole building ceased to exist. Little drops of lava spits out in all directions, but not in a lethal amount.
"My old citadel..." The Obsidian Leader stuttered in shock. Just like that, the whole building ceased to exist. It had also caught the attention of everybody that's still fighting the Demon Steves.
"I'm very sure we've lost a lot more than a citadel..." Colle murmured in a low and sad tone.
"We... we didn't all make it out- No, no no no..." Colle began to cry. Out of the 9 steves including himself, 5 of them just lost their lives.
Meanwhile, on the surface...
Sabre, Time Steve, Starlight and Trixie are at the snowy surface, outside of the cave, away from where all the battling is taking place. Trixie began using her great and powerful magic and starts healing Time Steve with it.
"Sabre... I need to tell you something..." Starlight stuttered. Sabre already knows by the unicorn's tone, it can't be good.
"What happened Starlight, what's wrong?" Sabre questioned.
"When we were dealing with the dragon on the surface... it got one of your closest friends..." Starlight grudgingly brought up. But Sabre deserves to know. It is his close friend.
"No... no no- who!?" Sabre is already beginning to cry, even without knowing who it is. He holds all his friends close to him.
"It was the Green Steve... the one who lived away from the different kingdoms..." Starlight quietly replied in a murmur. Hearing this news, Sabre's crying became an outburst almost. He got on his knees and puts his arms around Starlight. Starlight closes her eyes as she puts her head above Sabre's and her left forehoof around Sabre. Sabre buries his face into Starlight's neck, his tears beginning to soak out of his blindfold and soaking the unicorn's fur.
"Stay here for as long as you need..." Starlight soothingly and gently whispered.
"Hey uh- what's up? I weren't paying attention," Time Steve asked. Trixie's magic had now fully healed him. Sabre replies, but the crying makes his words unintelligible.
"Green is gone, Therapist Green..." Starlight murmured to Time Steve.
"Oh..."
Meanwhile, underground...
Colle, M, the Orange and Obsidian Leader have a few moments to register and accept what happened, had happened. But those moments get interrupted as he hears a loud, deafening dragon roar, the last thing anybody wanted to hear. Mourning moments are over immediately.
The Last Inferno is back, and despite it not having any of it's netherite armour, it's already wreaking havoc from above. It rams into multiple of the pegasuses and changelings, breaking many of their bones. Multiple pegasuses and changelings are flung out of the air several blocks from where they were and fell down into the lava below.
Ahead, the Storm King is standing above the gate on his feet while tightly holding and squeezing half of the main 6 in one hand, and the other half in the other hand. Everybody on the ground began to get exhausted, and more steves, unicorns, earth ponies and even yaks began falling to Demon Steves. Even 5 of Professor Red's tanks are burned out, with smoke coming out of the hatches on the turrets.
Professor Red and Physicist Red Steve are standing on top of their tank. They're surrounded by Demon Steves, and aren't able to teleport as they're trying to fight them off. At this moment, it looked like the Demon Steves were about to turn this fight around back into their favour, and all hope seemed lost.
Vworp! Vworp vworp vworp vworp!
Vworp! Vworp vworp vworp vworp!
Above the citadel, 2 hovering spinning identical tall blue boxes manifests. On both tall boxes, each side has 2 doors with opaque windows. Above the doors is a sign saying 'Police Public Call Box'. On the roof of both boxes is a small lamp-like object in the middle shining and flashing very bright.
"The TARDISes! Doctor! Doctor Whooves!" Colle exclaimed. This reinstalls hope into him, and lots of it. The netherite ball that was affecting the Time Lord's and Time Pony's TARDIS' shielding is no more.
The TARDIS on the left began flying around inside of the cave several times at incomprehensible speeds, gaining momentum. Then it smashes straight through the Last Inferno, making the dragon instantly shine and disintegrate before poofing into smoke. That TARDIS then flies all over the citadel grounds, instantly destroying any Demon Steves that are hit by it. All of those that were fighting the Demon Steves, they look up at the tall spinning blue boxes in the air flying all over the place.
The other TARDIS on the right flies into the Storm King, making him drop and release the mane 6 from his hands. The Storm King is knocked back and he loses his balance. That TARDIS also flies around the cave at incomprehensible speeds, then dives straight into the Storm King, and he simply was no more.
The Demon Steves are absolutely annihilated by the 2 TARDISes. Both of the blue spinning flying boxes dives down into the lava below, entering the world below. Then very shortly after, they fly out and then lands infront of the entrance to the citadel grounds.
Colle, M, the Orange Leader, the Obsidian Leader and the mane 6 come over to the parked TARDISes. Dream Steve also comes over. On both of them, 2 doors open. The Doctor walks out of the TARDIS on the left. Doctor Whooves walks out of the TARDIS on the right. Both of them are stretching their limbs.
"That was- that was crazy! You demolished them!" Colle exclaimed.
"All sorted, Storm King is gone, and the world below is sealed off, and the demons are trapped," Doctor Whooves proudly said, having a smug grin grow on his face.
"Finally, it's over... the Demon Steves, they're finally all good... for good..." Colle sat down, breathes in and out deeply. No more will have to suffer, no more will have to lose their lives.
"I wouldn't rest easy right away," The Doctor said to Colle.
"Why not?" Colle questioned, getting back up on his feet.
"Dread Steve is the last one to deal with," Doctor Whooves answered.
"Oh, right... I understand. I wonder where he has been," Colle nodded.
"He's in his tomb, the tomb in the Diamond Steve stronghold," The Doctor states Dread Steve's location.
"What a coward... While we were fighting, he's just been sat there corrupting... Oh that little- I can't wait to ring his neck," Dream Steve muttered.
"So, do we all start making our way over to his tomb?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, we probably should. We must destroy him. He'll spawn back in the world below. He'll never, ever return, ever again," Colle furiously nodded.
"Both of you, Doctors, if things get messy, we need your TARDISes on standby, ready to get us out of there," Colle instructed.
"Beaten you to it, they're already on standby," The Doctor responded.
"Obsidian Leader, take us to the gate," Dream Steve ordered.
"The path to the gate has been eroded to the point that it's too dangerous for non Obsidian Steves to walk across," The Obsidian Leader stated.
"So the path is like... sharp, sharp as knives?" Rainbow Dash inquired.
"Basically, yeah, and we had to replace the gate and change the frame, so nobody else other than Obsidian Steves, could access it," The Obsidian Leader nodded and clarified further details.
"I'll teleport us to the front of the gate as... well, Dream, you haven't been down here- Wait, how are you down here again? I thought this wasn't your domain," Colle asked.
"Discord used his chaos magic, and it made me be able to ignore the domain rules," Dream Steve replied.
"Oh, the guy that looks like multiple animals meshed into one?" Colle further inquired. Dream Steve noded.
"Wait!" Time Steve silently teleports in. He brings Starlight, Trixie and Flash Sentry.
"I see you've been healed up pretty quickly, Flash Sentry," Colle notices Flash Sentry doesn't look beaten up anymore.
"Time did... timestate reversal- It's confusing, but I'm thankful," Flash Sentry nodded.
"Wait... where is Sabre?" Rainbow Dash inquired.
"Elemental has gone with him and are now at Derpy's house. Some stuff happened, I'll get into that later. But right now, we've gotta take Dread Steve down," Time Steve replied.
"Flash, this might be too dangerous for you. We're going to confront and take on Dread Steve. I think you should go back, it's over, you've done your job here," Colle suggested.
"This means Twilight is going, and it's my duty to keep the ruler of Equestria safe," Flash Sentry firmly stated.
"Thanks Flash, that's so sweet of you," Twilight nodded, lightly smiling and slightly blushing.
"It is my duty, Twilight. Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around, and desert you," Flash Sentry smiled back.
"The ship fuel is strong with this one..." Pinkie Pie thought to herself.
"Well uh, in that case, everyone, gather around me. Time to teleport to the gate and take Dread Steve down," Colle spoke in a low-tone voice, deeply concerned about how this will go, as Dread Steve is now part demon. But he knows they all have to go now and take him down.
Note:
I hope you, reader, have enjoyed this chapter :)
Rip to a lot of characters :(
It took me almost a month of writing to make this chapter. I am exhausted, but it was worth it. It's also been roughly a year since I first started writing and making plots. So, I wanted to do something special and write such a big chapter to celebrate that, if you get what I mean.
I've enjoyed writing this chapter. I might take a break, but I've been enjoying writing fanfics so much, I don't want to stop, but I know I must take a break. I apologize for leaving this on a little cliffhanger. But when I'm back, I'll be ready again :)