Fate

watch?v=l4uhfIV6s8c

It had been two days relative to Amelio. Her eyes were tired, sunken, and struggling to remain open. Sure she'd meditated, but she hadn't rested at all. Her entire being was throbbing like a heart, or an overclocked brain. Everything pulsing around her, horn feeling like something separate from her, and her legs trembling and limp, barely holding her up, almost asleep as they buckled under her. Her tail hung laxly between her legs, not having nearly the energy nor the excitement to swing.

Amelio was depressed.

She had no vitality left in her. Just dragging herself along.

The filly had paced around the castle grounds contained within the dream bubble many times over, never leaving, just sluggishly pulling herself along as she waited for her dear brother to come back, to come to her and tell her everything was okay. That Breiker had been taken care of and everyone had been saved. That her past and future weren't going to cease. That things weren't going to be broken away into tiny pieces and dumped into nothingness to be erased.

Yet there was nothing. Fear was nowhere to be found. He hadn't been sleeping, Luna's bewitchment couldn't latch onto him and pull him into the dream bubbles, as if her spell had never existed at all.

Amelio's ears flopped against her skull, her lips tugging downward like gravity was too hard to fight against, her forehead smooth but brows leaning outward like they were trying to melt off her face. There was nothing she could do. She'd cried out Fear's name like a wolf howling to the moon, solemn and sorrowful, with a heavy heart that she just wanted to rip out of her chest – as if she still had one. She might not've had a physical body anymore – a living one – but nonetheless she felt the simulacrum sensations of having one anyway. Amelio knew that eventually she would forget what it was like to have a body unless others reminded her, but for now her mind could give her all of that.

In the courtyard Amelio reflected back on Saway's restless rituals and Luna's mourning. Nyx's despair. They had lost, everything was gone.

Still, something pressed against Amelio's brain, an imprint from long ago, a dream she'd had. She knew there were entities out there that could... maybe interfere. Maybe if she called desperately upon them they'd come to her? Maybe if she prayed hard enough they'd reveal themselves. After all, how could they stand watching their existence crumble around them and become irrelevant? Amelio still remembered what Neur's presence felt like, and she was sure that her connection to him had remained. She reached out fiercely, her only hope left. "Neur. I don't know if this is hopeless, or if you can hear me. If you can see me and feel me and... maybe hold me in my time of need. But I need you. I need everything you are, I need you to do... something. Anything." With closed eyes she kept repeating Neur's name, becoming more desolate with each utterance, tears flowing past the cracks of her eyes. In her time of defeat she saw no need to continue the facade of speaking properly, losing even that bit of herself to oblivion.

It wasn't Neur that responded to her though. "The little filly is certainly very determined to reach us."

Amelio whipped around with wide eyes, staggering backwards and falling onto her rump as she looked at what appeared behind her. It was a black, ceaselessly shifting biomass made of gaseous void that had no clear definition to it, seeming to smear everywhere as if it couldn't be contained, except for one cyclops eye peering intently at her – or was it through her? That eye, with its gorgeous spectral iris didn't seem to need to look directly at her, and it didn't seem to care enough to do so, because it already knew everything it needed to know. It was almost... dismissive. Amelio could sense something enormous within that eye, something normally insincere and mysterious, as if you could never officially determine its desires, or what it held important, if anything. "Who... are you?"

"You know, I've played a lot of games ever since I first came into being. With other entities. Never before have I lost to anyone. I've seen threats to existence come and go but nothing has ever compared to that mare Linebreiker." The eye closed, and suddenly Amelio felt like everything was way too far away, that nothing mattered as long as she wasn't in its gaze. It opened a moment later, sparkling with a hint of amusement at seeing the filly back up away from it. "Why don't you take a guess as to who I am?"

Amelio summoned every ounce of remaining strength within her, her throat undulating as she swallowed hard, jaw tensing up, eyes sharpening. She walked in place a couple times, adjusting her positioning, and cocking her head to the side in curiosity, trying to solve the mystery. "Well, I only have one guess. You like to play games, you want me to guess, and I have only heard of one creature that fits that description. You do not seem like the kind of entity that would..." she narrowed her eyes, twisting her head to the side, looking at the entity with just her eyes. "Make me do something without a fighting chance. So." Amelio stated succinctly. "You must be Fate."

watch?v=Os5Ch0GZVvQ

A grumbling guffaw escaped the biomass, which shifted and squirmed, little ripples appearing over its surface from the vibrations. "Hahaha, you are a very perceptive filly. You know Fear, as much as I appreciate his various services to me, would never figure it out right away." Fate paused. "Maybe."

Amelio stammered. "Y-you underestimate my brother."

"Oh I know," Fate acceded, "he's surprised me on a few occasions, which is saying something." The entity glanced to the side, his singular eye squinting. The formless entity rumbled, a new voice coming from it. "That kid Fear makes... literally the worst decisions. For instance, I dunno, swallowin' Fate into his stomach instead of just livin' the high life, datin' my sister.." It was stuttery and masculine. Belonging to a stallion for sure. Suddenly images flashed across Amelio's awareness of his brother righting a terrible wrong, partly his own fault, by killing a nearly magic-less stallion trying to make his own master timeline, by tricking him and creating a paradox with the help of Fate and a friend. Only... as the vision concluded, Amelio realized her brother had given his own life to do it. She watched him in seconds, as he struggled to cope with his loss of innocence, die from a corroding timeline, joined in death by a stallion whose most defining feature was his huge eyebrows.

"What was that? Who was that?"

Fate snickered. "One of my record keepers. He recalls the timelines that have failed, yet still hold importance. After all, it's such a shame to watch something be completely erased is it not?" The voice was insincere, as if it couldn't be trusted, and Amelio couldn't sense his intent either. If anything it sounded more like... Fate was trying to goad her into agreeing with the sentiment, whether or not he truly believed it himself.

"Well, I certainly think so. That is why my brother tried to kill Linebreiker. A half sibling of ours."

"Oh I know – I know all about her. She's been a thorn in Minuette's and my side for... well, not that long. But you get the idea." His tone was smarmy and condescending. Amelio didn't let it get to her.

"Minuette?"

"Oh, yes. There are many entities, we all play games together!" All of a sudden his voice sounded like a foal as the formless blob bobbed up and down, then did a little somersault in excitement. "I make free will a possibility, as much as can be conceived anyway, by maintaining alternate paths, none being definite. But there's a... system to it. Usually." Fate peered to the side, conspiratorially. "Neur maintains connections. Geometer gave birth to shapes, starting with creatures like the Dirge."

Amelio, listening intently, recalled Fear telling her about the Dirge within the exoverse.

"And Minuette oversees the Seer's Eye, making sure new alterations can be born, and that it isn't abused."

Amelio's brow creased, and a hoof came up to push against her forehead. "You are all crazy, you know that? None of you should even exist. We should be alone."

"Come now, even I know you don't mean that and I don't pay attention to everything going on around me – who possibly could?"

The filly hesitated. "Why are you here?"

Fate chortled, all sorts of voices, voices from all timelines ringing out at once. As if Fate had memorized the little creatures that amused him so much. "Well, your brother certainly took on a new mantle when he swallowed a part of me into him."

"Oh? And what did my brother come up with?" Amelio fluttered her eyelashes, a hoof against her chest, tilting her head to the side.

"Oh, you'd probably expect it. It was incredibly punny. Fateshatter. As if he'd somehow been expecting it."

Amelio laughed despite the situation she was in. It felt good for her imaginary diaphragm to spasm like that. She shook her head sullenly. "Yes, that is like my brother. I think we all like puns."

"You could become Ameliofate you know." Suddenly Amelio got the sensation that Fate was looking at a hoof innocently, as if manicuring himself.

Amelio sighed. "You must be kidding. Why would I do that?"

"It should be clear as day!" Fate was obviously bemused. "Your brother needs your help."

"And why are you choosing to help? You do not seem like the type."

Fate considered Amelio for a long time. "Let's just say I dislike Linebreiker as much as you do, and to give you a little hint as to what actually makes me tick, I operate in a field of what is essential and... things you don't want to comprehend. There's no such thing as good and evil with me. But Linebreiker has gone far past what I can allow and become what you would call sin incarnate." Fate shrugged, or at least that's how Amelio interpreted it. "Normally I wouldn't interfere directly, just let things take their course. After all, your brother lost fair and square! But, you called out to me, and I can tell you're willing to do everything to have a hoof in this story. So? I'm going to give you the opportunity to make a change."

Amelio was reluctant. "And what can I do to help him?" She was truly at a loss. She didn't even know what happened to him.

"Both you and your brother," Fate allowed, "have a spell intrinsic to your very natures. A spell that is in your DNA, within your destiny. It is your namesakes. Fear has used his many times in those moments of need, and it's always taken a destructive or protective form. As far as my relative linearity is concerned, this will be the first time you've used yours, Ameliorate Reverie."

Amelio glanced off to the side uncertainly. "And how am I supposed to do that? It sounds dangerous, like a last resort. I know Fear has used his before. Back when he was undergoing his trials set by Princess Luna, he used a spell she was not familiar with."

Fate's eye formed a smile. "Well, normally it takes an unnatural influx of emotion, or in your case, peace. But in order to span the distance we're discussing, I'm going to need to be part of you, inside your soul aiding you."

The filly thought on it, truly contemplating the idea. "It sounds dangerous. Is there something you are not telling me?"

"Perceptive as ever. When I enter you there will be taint of me leftover. After all I can not cleanly separate myself once I've attached myself to you. Partly because you do not have a body to reset what I have done, you will forever have a part of Ameliofate within your soul. You will be able to see more than you ever wanted, and experience more than you ever needed to. Your morality will shift, and you will become something new. Your heart cannot survive, it cannot stay the same after being merged with me."

Amelio sighed. "I thought as much." She held her head in a hoof, shaking it softly from side to side, trying to come to terms with what Fate was saying. Not only had she given up her destiny for their father, but now she was giving up an integral part of who she was in order to save her brother, and, essentially, all of existence.

"If it means anything to you," which it obviously did, "you will at least be able to last for much longer. My interference will heal the damage to your destiny. Not completely, but enough to bring you back to what you used to be, sort of."

Amelio smiled at that. It was a tentative smile, a little reluctant. She nodded once. "Fine, let us do this."

"Oh, and one more thing. I have something I want you to tell your brother. After all, he's going to be traumatized after all this, and constantly doubting himself if he isn't told."

watch?v=_8tYXFTA0ws

Fear was surrounded by a nebula, twisting, twirling orbs of energy shooting out of a Seer's Eye levitating in front of him at eye level, the spheres revolving around him like strobe lights cascading around him in orbits. Everything gyrated and shook like earthquake tremors. Fear's tail and mane hung in the air, laying weightless in zero g as air pressure shunted up from underneath him, the sheer power pumping through him. Tumultuous wisps of multi-colored energy lashed out at everything, whipping across existence and slashing into the skyscrapers and streets made out of consciousness, dragging through them and erupting out, carving a path into everything, destroying the placeholder world Breiker had generated.

The orbs jumped into Fear's body, incessantly. One after another, more and more rushing into him like a vigorous deluge of spirit.

It had been an eternity exposed to the cyclic nature of peace and fury constantly sweeping through him like a unicycle wheel, spinning spinning spinning, tumbling through him and never ceasing. But now, that was all done. All gone. Fear was remembering everything. It started with his sister, the pony connected so intimately to him, the pony he'd done so many things with, and like a wild chain of synapses the connections just kept coming, memories reigniting within his mind as time was mended, past and future repairing, and even more than that, bits and pieces of those selves that were beyond him connecting for the barest of moments.

Breiker was effectively terrified, holding a foreleg over her eyes trying to shield herself from the glorious light show being performed in front of her, her tail hiding between her legs. "What the fuck is going on!?"

As everything died off, Fear's persona returning to normal except for his white-washed eyes, caught in a reverie, the colt latched onto one primary memory wafting out of the Seer's Eye like it were a tangible substance that he could drink from. Fear grabbed the cordless pendant within his telekinesis. His eyes flared and everything became clear. His vision darted from the cowering Sim, slinking Faith, and awed Gentler. Fear shoved a hoof out against the pendant, the field of white telekinesis surrounding both, melting into his hoof and lancing outward like a whip, becoming a much longer limb.

Fear cracked it, then whipped it forward before Breiker could react, not having expected any of it, everything too new to her. There was a look of wonder in the mare's eyes like she was experiencing something divine.

The limb lashed around Breiker's barrel, squeezing into her like a garrote wire and tearing apart her flesh. It was a milky white, gently shimmering like a sun's plasma surface, with aqua blue threads streaking through it from the power of the pendant.

Fear yanked backwards, tightening his hold on Breiker's stomach.

Breiker, before she could comprehend what was happening, gasped, her jaw falling open and tongue blepping out, eyes going wide as her stomach was forced to upchuck everything she'd eaten.

Only, what she'd eaten wasn't actually food. The most recent ingestions were the orbs of silvery light she'd taken from his family. Fear lunged forward as they dropped toward the ground. With deft movements, recognizing the presences in each orb, Fear's hindlegs became a flurry as he spun around and kicked each section of time into their respective hosts.

The chrono energy pulsed as it seared through the air, plunging into the chests of each paralyzed figure, sinking into them and causing their bodies to light up with a soft silver glow, radiating outward from them as healing occurred, everything falling into place. Memories flooding back, shackled emotions returning.

Sim was the first to gasp out, falling to the ground.

Then Faith.

And afterwards Gentler.

Breiker shouted out as she finally tore the whip off of her body. "No! You can't do this! This is impossible! You shouldn't be able to summon any of this!" She built up power in her hooves and fired them at Fear, spiraling around and exploding against the ground, gaseous energy expelling and eroding everything it touched like a flesh eating bacteria with an organic sizzle.

Fear was already far away, sweeping up his sword and saddlebags, getting them propped up on him as Breiker prepared for another fight. "Get your asses into gear everyone!" The colt shouted, knowing everything wasn't done yet. His eyes slowly returned to normal, his hope reconciled. He wouldn't be giving in again, even if someone died, even if everything was taken away, he would not be killed again, not in any way. Fear sprinted toward Breiker who was getting ready to fight the quarter hybrid.

Gentler shouted out, slamming a fist against the ground, the greave clacking against the asphalt. "It doesn't matter if we win!" They were still completely torn. "Everything we love is just going to be taken from us! Abyssinia is going to be vaporized!"

Fear screamed as he dodged an orb of energy, and then another, dancing through the streets to get to the mare that had caused all this. "It doesn't matter what's going to happen in the future! What matters is now! What matters is how much we cherish what we make!" Fear jumped up, creating stairs out of hoof-sized telekinetic pads.

Breiker shot out more wads of energy at Fear, trying to hit him.

Fear saw every one of them coming, jumping to the side and catching himself, pushing him around in the air with telekinesis, showing a mastery of it he'd only acquired by training his ass off. "And even if it did matter, you bet your life I'm never going to let it go down that way! We're going to find a way to stop all of it, to save everyone!" Fear leaped at Breiker, swinging his sword around.

Breiker leaned backwards, and during his overreach fired a ball of energy at him.

Sim was there to help though, using his magic to yank Fear down.

"Because I'm a hero just like Mega Mare!" Fear shouted with more determination than he'd ever felt before in his life, bringing the sword back around and arcing it upwards to cut through Breiker vertically.

Breiker soared upwards, barely dodging the tip of the blade, generating magic in her hooves.

A quiet 'vrr' sounded in the background. All Faith could think was Fear is here! Everything's gonna be fine!

Sim carried Fear in his telekinesis, giving a surface for him to fight on as the colt continued to hold the Seer's Eye with sticky hooves.

Gentler finally broke out of his panic, shivers traveling up his spine, goosebumps forming on his skin.

"Because we're winners! We don't give up!" Fear continued as he dodged one ball of energy, leaping back.

Gentler snapped to attention, his vision bolting to Breiker, a scowl set in his face. He ran for one of the skyscrapers, generating magnetism in his greaves and running up the steel girders with the powerful force.

Fear's eyes widened as he saw another ball of energy surging toward him, he hopped to the side, barely bypassing it, his fur getting singed. Fear didn't hesitate another second. "And we're a family and family doesn't give up on each other!" The colt saw his death shooting toward him a moment later, the third ball of energy searing toward him.

Gentler jumped off the skyscraper, launching himself off of it by polarizing the magnetic spell, flying through the air like a gauss bullet. A nullifying spell stirred in one of his gauntlets. The Abyssinian punched through the deadly ball of energy and continuing right past.

Fear brought the sword to bare, avoiding the traumatic thoughts of having died by his family's hoof, it wasn't time to think of that right now.

For Breiker, it was too late.

The colt slashed horizontally, intending to slice right through Breiker's abdomen.

Breiker backed up, using her fourth hoof, a hind hoof, to build up energy in order to obliterate the colt right in front of her.

Faith unleashed the shot built up in her weapon. The arrow of energy cut through the air, hitting Breiker right up her ass, exploding on contact and blowing away her hindlegs and lower body.

Breiker screamed, her face screwing up, eyes squeezing shut. She tried to float backwards, trying to get away.

Something sparked deep inside of Fear, seeing his family fighting to protect him, fighting for a common goal, and feeling the deep, desperate desires of his sister in the back of his mind. A war cry left Fear's mouth as emotions unraveled deep inside his mind, pumping into his thaumic gland at a dangerous level.

Fear's horn lit up, power filtering from the Seer's eye and into his head.

The colt lined it up at a retreating Breiker.

And fired. "You're not getting away! And you're never coming back!"

A rainbow hued bullet, constantly shifting in color, fired from Fear's horn, hitting Breiker in the back of the skull and exploding on impact.

It was like a synapse going off, prismatic colors exploding outward and shredding apart Breiker's body, a little bit of time spilled into it erasing her soul.

Moments later, there was a second explosion as Fear was levitated toward the ground by Sim. This explosion was new, all the pieces of past and future that Breiker had eaten expelling outward and scouring through the void, off to find their hosts and return them from whence they came. Hopefully.

watch?v=v4a8V4nFgtg