She emerged from the group of terrified ponies. The Carousel Boutique sat in front of her.

“Don’t do this,” a little voice in the back of her head begged gently.

She unleashed her magic, focusing on a point she imagined somewhere inside the Carousel Boutique.

The entire building imploded.

The colourful roof, the walls, even the sign out front simply burst into splinters, tearing themselves apart as they were pulled inward by her spell. The sound of tearing wood was deafening, and sawdust filled the air around the boutique. Nihilus watched, if anything feeling even more energetic after the expenditure of power.

Nihilus heard her pegasus plaything give an incoherent scream that was suddenly cut short. She suppressed the urge to laugh.

Using the destructive magic and terrifying the townsponies had been exhilarating, and Nihilus was nowhere near finished. She tapped the immense well of power again, this time throwing herself through space. The air around her sizzled and cracked, and she reappeared once again atop the balcony outside the town hall.

“Pay attention!” she barked.