Ria screeched. She pounced at Cydonia with every ounce of strength she had, her wings manipulating the air around her as swiftly as they could. Blood leaked from her hoof, and as she was about to make contact with Cydonia, she screamed furiously, sounding as if millions of voices were rushing out of her body, fighing to get out, swarming. "You... little-" Oh, look! There goes the swear train!
Capriccio fearfully glanced over her shoulder. "But I don't know this place! Where would I go?" She looked back at Tyro and followed his eyes to his paw, watching it disintegrate in shock for a few seconds. "You- You're-" Fair Capriccio stuttered. She blinked twice before replacing her Flugelhorn in an oddly calm fashion. "We're all going to die," she whispered before galloping down the nearest corridor.
Looks like it's all or nothing Shadow thought to herself. "Blaze Gear" With a small explosion of flames Cyanside shot off towards the scattered books, moving insanely fast, allowing for her to just barely avoid the deadly bullets. Cyanside stood facing Cydonia, a roaring blaze of flames engulfing the black Pegasus. She knew that if this continued too long she would burn out and die. But if she could just stop Cydonia for a few minutes, perhaps one of her companions could stop her. "There's something I've been wondering since I got here Cydonia. What happens to a pony if their book is destroyed? Do you think they live now that they no longer have their future's being written down? I think not. Now, as I'm sure you're well aware, right at this moment this room contains every book of every creatures life, including yours. I'm a mare on fire with nothing to lose, and I'd rather see this world burn than to have it ruled for eternity by some psychotic deranged mad-mare like you. Now bring them BACK!!!"
Cydonia flicks the pages of the book backwards and forwards. For some reason, it wasn't detailing the conversation they were currently having while she'd been skim-reading. Instead, it was a conversation about what to wear with what dress being discussed over lunch. She snaps the book shut. With the speed it took to flash the fake guard with a glare, the book must have easily doubled it as it clangs loudly against Cobra's helmet. "Fool! Give me her real book." She hisses. "And you." Her focus is back on Cyanside. "Have possible genocide on your hooves if you wish. I don't know what it'll do but if I can alter lives with them, I wouldn't dare touch them if I were you." Tyro's tails had almost entirely gone along with one of his ears. Ria was in a similar state. The wind blows hard on them both, erasing them both at an accelerated rate. Tyro sits and stares into the ceiling. He'd tried to do his best to serve Equestria. Sure, it had been to atone for his actions originally but he was now Luna's right hoof fox. He'd worked hard and made sure that things would continue to move forwards. He had to help that all this would continue once he finally departed. Tyro and Ria vanish altogether. Their bodies fall down towards the ground, sharply and suddenly while having their former selves scattered over the floor. As lasting as a snowflake, as silent as a feather, Tyro and Ria vanish. They disappear without a trace.
Fair Capriccio dashed her way through the endless halls of books, desperately searching for any signs of a way out. Her breaths became heavy and labored as her previous adrenaline lowered. Slowing to a stop, she leaned on the bookcase next to her and peered down the hallway she came from. She could not see nor hear signs of the struggle or it's outcome; the only noises were the silent scratching of the books and her own troubled breaths. My kingdom for a map of this forsaken place, she thought with exasperation. Remembering that she was in a library, she pulled a book off the shelf next to her. The Doctor it read. She felt guilty about even thinking about peeking in one somepony's life, and she had no idea who this "Doctor" was, so she quickly replaced it in its hole on the shelf. Thinking of her own book, she decided she should call it as Cydonia had mentioned. Better she had it with her than not know where it is. "Book? Here book." She said to the empty hallways. Capriccio shut her mouth for a few seconds. No noises apart from the gentle scratching was heard. I must be going mad, she thought sullenly. Calling a book like a dog? Really?
"I said, BRING THEM BACK!!!" Shadow, shot forwards toward's Cydonia, the flames from her wings arced outwards, pointing towards the alicorn like spears. As the spears of flame shot off towards Cydonia, Shadow shot back quickly, swinging an arc of fire above Cydonia with her wings as she did it, before quickly letting herself drop to the floor and roll the flames off. Damnit, if only I could stay in Blaze Gear for longer. Shadow thought to herself, but upon seeing the raging inferno speeding towards the alicorn she quickly changed her mind. Actually...this might be enough to turn the tables...
"OBJECTION,(steel takes off his helmet) if you want this book so badly go get it". steel threw the book in the air with his magic and kicked it into the fallen book pile. Sure a few early pages and a lot of dust flew off it but he thought it didn't matter he then looked at cydonia "do you're worst mother bucker".
Cydonia cuts the bullets just before the fire was close. She raises her horn to create a shield to fend off the fiery spears. The bubble materialises just in time to make sure one spear impacts the dome, shaking it with the force. The second one smashes its way through, striking Cydonia in the chest-plate. The intricate clockwork that sat in it took most of the force, pushing the Alicorn back. "Objection!" Breathing heavily, she see's the guard remove his helmet. "If you want this book so badly go get it". Steel calls out and threw the book in the air with his magic and kicked it into the fallen book pile. He then looks towards Cydonia with a cocky grin. "Do you're worst mother bucker!" Cydonia looks towards the dust ploom rising up and rushes for the book. She spots it amongst the pile, the name 'Cyanside' printed into the hard cover. Her magic flings it through the air and through the doorway leading to the machine that her guards were now removing the last two books from. One of the guards was struggling with a book with 'Fair Capriccio' on the spine. It seemed to jerk his head around while he held it in his mouth like a rope was attached. Despite the books effort, it was still carried to the machine and loaded under it's mechanism. The machine activates as Cydonia's book lands and slides into the room. Tiny little arms with tiny quill tips start to undo the words in the books of Fair Capriccio and Steel Law. "Not long now..." Cydonia said, a grin creasing her face.
Faster, faster! Fair's breaths were hoarse and painful for her now, but there was no way she could stop running. The corridors twisted in every direction. She looked up and felt a wave of nausea hit her square in the chest. "C'mon... Fair! You survived... Sombra's attack... you can-" Fair had to stop her inspirational speech to herself when she tripped over her own hooves and hit the ground with as much force as a clumsy pony had. Her eyes jiggled a bit as she leaned up against a nearby bookshelf and brought herself up. Looking down, she watched one of her teeth actually fall and clatter upon the floor. Horsefeathers! That's not good... She held a hoof to her mouth and sucked on it for a moment, trying to pull her mind off the pain from the empty slot in her mouth. When she removed her hoof, everything looked as it had before. Shouldn't I be bleeding?... she thought with confusion. She looked down where to tooth had landed... except that it was gone. Huh? Why was it gone? Where did it go? She looked around the floor, suspecting that it had rolled somewhere under her. She took a look at her belly to spot a sandlike substance leaking from her tail. She lifted her head and grabbed her tail to inspect it. Was there something in her tail? Upon closer inspection, she saw little bits of her tail were actually... disappearing. Fair Capriccio dropped her tail in shock and fell upon the bookcase. "It's over."
"My Mane, My tail they're disappearing". he stood in shock before getting his head back in the game. "well if im going to end up like rifter, I better go with a honourable death". he charged at one of the guards loading fair caprico's book machine he tackled him to the ground just as his front hooves started to disappear.
"Damnit, they're still fading, I still can't save them" Shadow began crying, teeth clenched in anger against the alicorn that had done this. "I can't use blaze gear anymore, a single second more that I spend on fire could kill me...but I've still got to keep fighting...for them." Shadow charged towards Cydonia, feeling slow and sluggish, and flung her right hoof towards the grinning face of the evil alicorn.
The guard kicks at Steel, pushing the disappearing pony off himself and rolling back onto his hooves. He drops into a low stance, waiting for Steel to try to attack. The gun swings round in a slow arc, catching Cyanside across the side. The barrels swat her to the side. The burned and flustered Cydonia turns away from the mare, looking around at the remaining bookshelves that were standing. The black, curved mane was a frazzled mess at this point. Stray hairs from the stress and excess heat ruin the otherwise perfect mane. "A book. I need a book. Any book will..." There was one on the floor by her hoof that she kicked while walking. Her magic snags it, lifting it into the air. Bloodspater covered the name on the front but it really didn't matter. She carries it towards the door. "I would lie there and wait if I were you." Cydonia said.
"No..." Shadow tried to stand, but the moment she tried to lift herself up, exhaustion overcame her body and she feel back to the ground. "It can't end like this. Every pony was dead...she hadn't been able to save them." 'You did all that you could Shadow.' Cyanside's voice spoke to Shadow in the sanctity of their mind. 'But it wasn't enough, they're all gone, I couldn't save them...I was useless...' Shadow broke down crying, all hope given up. 'Please don't cry Shadow...' The blackness on Shadow's coat seemed to seep out, reverting back to Cyanside. 'Even in death we will have each other.' As the door closed and her book was placed in the machine, Cyanside's body began to slip away, dissappearing like the others had. Cyanside enveloped Shadow in a sort of final mental embrace before she faded away. 'Thank you for everything Shadow' She whispered, as the last piece of herself drifted away...
Before his horn disappeared he let a final blast of magic he liked to call The final Jury and said a few words under his breath "the court is ADJOURNED". . A ring of blue magic launched from it spreading throughout the library before Steel ceased to exist and with him gone so did the spell
Capriccio's crystalline figure dissolves in front of her eyes. Like burning paper, the grey line of dust wipes over her body. It's plain to see that the same malicious gangrene was chewing away at Steel Law as well. Both hadn't long to stay in this world as the remnants of what was left of them all wafts away over the books, insignificant and melting away. The magical ring sweeps over the floor, carrying the grey dust just a little further before slipping into the ground unnoticed. As lasting as a snowflake, as silent as a feather, Steel and Fair vanish. They disappear without a trace. The howling wind swirls and tugs at Cyanside's mane, attacking her form like a plague. The barrage sweeps the sand that she was becoming far across the library. Her ears, her nose, her hooves, her tail: they all were swept up in the small storm making a great deal of effort to erase her from that spot. As lasting as a snowflake, as silent as a feather, Cyanside vanishes. They disappear without a trace. Cydonia re-emerges into the room just as the little writing heads of the machine cease their fevered scribbling. She looks around, apprehensive. Convinced the coast was clear, she calls out to those around her: "Excellent! That will have given us a few days! I want the Royal Vault found within the next hour or I'll put you through this machine as well!"
Cyanside awoke with a start, breathing heavily. "What?...was that all a dream...Cydonia...the library...everything?" She held up her hooves in front of her, and hit herself. "Ow...Well, at least I'm still alive...either that or the afterlife is just as painful as regular life." Cyanside glanced up from the bed which she lay. "Hang on a second...I don't have a house...where the heck am i?"
"Whoa there!" squealed Ria, attempting to start flying. What? She could fly, right? Why couldn't she fly? She looked at her hoof. Only, it wasn't a hoof. It was a orange paw. "Eek!" she screamed. She turned around and checked her tail. Three of them, actually.
"...And this jackhole rushes me with a spoon. A FREAKIN SPOON!" Steel Law slammed his hoof on the table as everypony else at the table laughed hysterically with him. He took a swig of his cider cup and said "No no, wait, there's more! So- So I'm DYING laughing, right? I walk up to him and..." Steel Law blinked at the ponies around him. They stared at him eagerly, awaiting the next part of his entrancing tale. "I... I..." He dropped the cup back on the table and stared around him. Where the hell- Fair Capriccio thought with a start. "Well? What did you do?" The largest pony in front of him raised an eyebrow. Fair Capriccio looked into his eyes, seeing the toughness that resided within them. "I- I think I'm going to be sick. Excuse me, gentlemen." Steel Law took off towards where he thought the bathrooms were, heading into the Mare's restroom. He locked himself in a stall and examined his body. What the heck happened to me...?
