Songs of Innocence

Chapter 70: Through The Fire And Flames

After what felt like no time at all, it was Nightmare Night.

As our three pony protagonists walked out of Sun's house, she couldn't help but notice Cozy's slow movement. It was as if she wanted to leave as slowly as possible. Sun tried to reach out to her with a simple, "You good?" 

Cozy rubbed her shoulder with discomfort, and mumbled a response. "Well... I... kinda wish that you were with us. Nopony likes me, and no offence, Death Drive, but you're not exactly a regular pony either. I think that ponies are more willing to trust me and her because we're around you, Sun. But..." she replied, trailing off.

Sun gave her a casual, but sympathetic look. "Don't worry about it. If they don't like you or Death Drive, just, like, ignore them. Don't let it ruin your night, man." she reassured. 

Cozy nodded with agreement that obviously wasn't very genuine. Sun suddenly leaned in close to her, and added, "I'll be right with you after I do my thing. I promise. Okay?" Cozy looked into her eyes, and nodded. "It won't be that bad. Trust me." Sun added, before beginning to trot away while Cozy sheepishly trotted into the town.

Death Drive sighed, "We might as well try to take her advice. C'mon, Cozy. Let's go."

Later, near the Castle of the Two Sisters in the Everfree Forest

"Alright, you got the stuff?" Sun asked Zecora. 

The robed zebra nodded, and took an ebony lotus from her bag. 

"Good." Sun smirked with excitement as she levitated a series of colorful gemstones (generously given to her by Maud) onto a stone pillar covered with runic markings suggesting it had been placed there by some ancient peoples long ago. Zecora carefully placed the lotus onto the center of the sigil-decorated pillar, and the moonlight shined onto it, as if it was focusing onto the lotus. 

"Are you sure about this? I do not doubt your ability, but if we are uncareful, we can quickly be taught life's fragility." Zecora warned.

"We're gonna be fine." Sun brushed off her warning with a shrug. 

"Because of Luna's presence strengthening the effects of the moon, tonight is the only night we can perform this feat. Now, shall we let us and this monster meet?" Zecora asked, gesturing to the lotus. Sun merely nodded, and levitated a scroll onto the ground which Zecora then read aloud. "Zonrensg amiran lrasd g chariot c ialprg, el c ors, od atraah ge g quansb, Kassogtha!"

A chill went down Sun's spine as Zecora finished the chant, and the black lotus seemed to melt into the pillar along with the gemstones. The pillar itself seemed to enlarge in size, growing and melting itself into a massive, charcoal, almost vaguely octopoid shape, nearly as giant as the Castle of the Two Sisters. The runes on it transformed into eye slits, which opened to reveal its numerous golden, glowing eyes. The amount of them were hard to count, but the amount of tentacles that sprouted from its form was infinitely more impossible to guess the number of. It could have been fifty, hundreds, thousands... Either way, the two were frozen in place, in horrified wonder at the utterly delightful unearthliness the creature radiated.

A single mouth, adorned with rows upon rows of teeth, each and every one sharper than a shark, formed on its center, below its eyes. It reeled back, and in a manner almost suggesting it was in pain, it slowly unleashed a roar that echoed its hellish sound across the land, sounding like the cry of leviathan. 

["Sovereigns of Souls" from Bayonetta 3]

"Th-there it is... Kassogtha..." Sun gulped, "I thought it would be way smaller." She tried her best to hide her terror, burying it under her confidence, even though she knew that she would have to entirely feign it as she stared into the eyes of this... horror. It stretched the limits of the equine mind to understand. Zecora couldn't tear her eyes away from it, as if she was enraptured by its twisted, almost ancient beauty. "All I need to-- All I-I need to do is c-capture it." Sun thought. She took two steps towards it, but it felt like she was right next to it as its tentacles flailed and writhed. A black aura surrounded her horn, and she closed her eyes to focus.