Beneath the Surface

Griff grins and looks at Divine, Ruby, Ician, Storm and Quimia. He then turns back to cast a pain-killing spell on Eclipse. "Good timing, guys." He says.

"Thank you... sir." Eclipse gasps. "I... pride myself on... my sense of timing."

"YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Theria screams as another blast rocks the catacombs, bringing the upper floors crashing down. She lowers her horn and encompasses Griff and Eclipse with a powerful web of paralysing lightning, putting them at the centre of the blast radius.

Griff teleports to the other end of the room, dodging the blast again. "Nyet." he says, hoping Eclipse could dodge it aswell.

"Heh..." Eclipse lies still in the blast. "Sorry, sir... That hit really took it out of me." He sighs as the lightning passes through him. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

Theria turns to Griff, snarling. "YOUR TURN, WHELP!" She reproduces her magical blade, running at Griff and taking a preemptive slice at his torso, bringing the slash up into a parrying stance as it passes the full arc.

"Why yell that it's 'my turn' when it's actually yours? Get your facts straight, 'whelp'." Griff says as he effectively dodges the slice by sliding to the side and slashing at Theria's side.

Theria parries his blow and steps aside. Having lost the will for banter, she teleports behind Griff and drives her sword towards his torso, screaming in rage.

One final shudder vibrates out through the cavern, and with the force of an earthquake the ground shakes as the catacombs collapse fully. A hundred or so changelings stand outside, charging forward to reinforce their troops fighting the Equestrian Army.

In the meantime, the changelings at the front begin to return fire. The Equestrian shields are raised as missile after magic missile flies at the Army. Both sides trade blows, neither gaining a significant advantage yet.

((Have to go now, I'm afraid. Might be back soon, but no promises. It may be for the best, though; we're approaching the climax, and I'd rather everyone be online for it. Sorry.))

Griff dodges Theria again and throws his sword at her, hopefully stabbing her neck. He slightly loses control over his legs as the ground shakes, but quickly regains it.

((that's okay))

Theria teleports to the side of the blade and launches another web of paralysing lightning at Griff, her glowing pink eyes shining ever brighter.

Griff dodges the paralyzing lightning again, picks up a sword from the ground and slices at Theria again. "Will you stop trying to hit me with your god damn spells already?!"

"WHY?" Theria dodges to the side and parries Griff's blow, directing another blast of magic at him. "I'VE GOT LOTS TO SPARE. I MAY AS WELL USE THEM."

"You're more annoying than a mare I once went out with!" Griff says, dodging yet another magic blast. "AND UGLIER!" he adds, sliding across the floor behind Theria, striking her from behind.

The blow glances off her burning exoskeleton, leaving not much more than a small gash. "PLEASE. DID YOU TRULY THINK YOU COULD HURT ME? LIKE THIS? IN FACT, I OUGHT TO THANK YOU. YOU JUST REMINDED ME THAT I AM ON FIRE." Her horn glows brightly, and the puddles of water accumulated from the previous melted ice beams splash over her, extinguishing the flames.

"NOW WHERE WAS I. OH RIGHT." She swings her sword at Griff's neck, this time not even bothering with a spell.

Griff blocks the blow and jumps back. He picks up a large rock with levitation spell and throws it directly at Theria's head while sliding to her side again, slicing at her side. "WILL. YOU. SHUT. UP. AND. DIE!?!?" Griff yells as he begins striking her.

Theria looks up and shatters the rock with a blast of arcane energy, then turns back to Griff, blocking his blows but never once trying to retaliate. "NO."

In the meantime, the two armies continue to pick away at each other, the remaining knights in the front row of the Equestrian army absorbing the changelings' beams of energy, while the arrows continue to bounce harmlessly off the steadily weakening changeling shields.

((This is about as far as it goes, I'm afraid. I think my very next post has to be the 'climactic moment' post. So... yeah.))

((very well.))

Divine staggered to her hooves proper, Ruby alongside her. Resting against each other, they advanced towards Theria.

Paladin had once told him that love powered his magic. That with it, the power of his spells increased to levels never before attainable.

Love had deserted Ician. He no longer knew what it meant.

But he did know hate. Hate, anger... sorrow. They were his friends now. They stayed by his side, tormenting him, destroying him from the inside out.

He'd been afraid of this from the beginning. That his attachment would be the death of him. But he had stubbornly refused to admit it.

Now here he was, lying on the ground, a victim of his own stupidity. He wanted to wallow. But the same emotions that were killing him were telling him to stand back up and fight.

I can't, though, can I? I'm... too weak.

The anger lent him strength.

But... I can't kill her! I... love her...

The hate lent him resolve.

I'm... so confused...

And the sorrow lent him peace.

He felt his magic surge to his horn. He stood up slowly, staggering, but he eventually managed to draw himself up to his full height. He unsheathed all four of his swords and hobbled towards the distracted Theria, a cold fire burning in his eyes.

He didn't get far before adrenaline galvanised him into full speed. He charged at Theria, swords flashing, and when he was upon her he shouted:

"I. HATE. YOU!"

---

Theria heard the shout, just before she turned and took a sword to the chest. She stumbled backwards, her wound burning. But it couldn't hold a candle to how much it hurt to see Ician, his eyes a void of fury, driving that very sword further in.

A memory flashed through her mind. A time to shoulder duty's weight...

The pink glow in her eyes flickered faintly, as if realising that it no longer had a place where it was, and faded to nothingness, leaving the weakened blue of her normal eyes.

"Love has forsaken me." Ician growled. "And now it has forsaken you, too."

Theria looked up into his eyes, and she knew that he was right.

In a panic, she fired a lance of energy at Ician, knocking him away. Her horn lit up with the charging of a teleportation spell, but just as suddenly as it had come the glow died out. "Oh no..."

Divine stomped up to Theria, slapping her across the face. "You imbasilic bitch. What did you think would happen?" She shook her head sadly, Ruby supporting her. "But... You don't deserve to die... T'would not be just." She sighed.

Griff stops attacking momentarily, stepping back and watching the final moments of Theria.

Theria falls to the ground. "You..." She lifts her own hoof and tries to slap her back, but stumbles and misses. "Changelings! To m-"

kaboom

The impact of a mortar shell, this time only a scant twenty metres away, shook the ground like an earthquake as it descended from above and smashed through the remaining ranks of the changeling army. A hail of arrows and offensive spells finished them off.

Theria stares, then blinks. Her eyes twitch.

Ician, still swaying on his hooves, canters unsteadily forward. He says, in a slurred voice, "Okay... what shall we do with you?"

Griff walks up close, his sword still drawn. "I can finish her off for you if you can't do it..." He says, grinning.

"Wait." Ician orders. "What do you all suggest?"

Theria looks up at him, her horn sparking intermittently.

"Look after her. What else?" Ruby asked as she nuzzled Divine. "And we have to remind you how to love Ician~"

Ician nods, his fatigue swirling through his mind and clouding it. "Lieu- Eclipse... are you alright?"

Eclipse looks up from his slumped position on the floor. "Yes, sir."

"Can you go and... tell the rest of the army to rope us back up or something. And alert Miss Sky Cog that our mission is complete, and she may come to the encampment with all due haste."

"Yes, sir." Eclipse gives him a weak salute and takes to the sky, his wings flapping unsteadily as he hovers to the mouth of the cavern.

Ician turns to Griff. "Suggestions?"

Griff thinks "...It's up to you, commander. I won't make any choices for you."