The Paradise circled the airspace above Chozo, maintaining a low cruising speed as the group looked down at the dark grey clouds that churned and thundered below them. Marble Pie shook her head, whispered something to Limestone Pie, then trotted off towards the other side of the ship. Limestone huffed and walked over to Pinkie Pie. The captain looked to the approaching mare with questioning eyes. Limestone didn’t let her wait long. “There’s no way we can get lower from here. As soon as we do, those winds will take this ship and smash it against the mountains. Not that we’ll see them coming, anyway.”
Pinkie Pie frowned and turned back to the controls. “I figured as much. We’re going to have to land outside this storm system and hoof it, then.” She twisted the wheel, taking the Paradise out of its holding pattern and heading south. It only took a few minutes to travel past the turmoil and into clear skies, though the distance was considerable once the ship landed and the group began the trek back. A few monsters attacked them, making Trixie ecstatic for the extra practice it gave the magic users.
Once they reached their destination, amidst the perpetually falling rain, the group found an open bar to take refuge from the downpour. Even after a year, the ponies in Chozo hadn’t changed, boozing and partying as though the near end of the world had never happened. Drinks flowed freely, rawkus laughter filled the room, games of chance were played, and Discord danced on a makeshift stage set up at the end of the room.
The Returners quickly left, deciding that a little rain never hurt nopony.
“Okay, where to?” Trixie asked, directing her gaze towards Derpy.
The pegasus grinned and pointed a hoof to the sky. “We go up!”
“Applejack, you deal with her. You seem to have better luck.”
Applejack nodded, patting Derpy on the back. “Yes, but most of us here can’t fly. We need a way for the rest of us to get up to the mountains.”
“Oh… um,” Derpy hummed as she looked down, her muzzle scrunched up in thought. “Well, I… ah… never had to worry about that.”
“Could you perhaps fly around a bit and see if you can spot a way up?”
“Sure thing!” Derpy spread her wings and crouched to take off—
“What are you all doing in such a dangerous place?”
—and plowed into the pavement as the unknown voice startled her.
All eyes turned to the newcomer, who stepped out of the shadows of the alley they stood next to. He was a grey-coated earth pony stallion with a purple mane done up in a braid that hung down the side of his head. Dressed in brown and white cloths, a red scarf, a red and gold beret atop his head, and wearing a set of dark purple spectacles over his eyes, he swept his gaze over the group. “My, you are all an eclectic bunch. But my question still stands.”
After helping Derpy back to her hooves, Applejack regarded the newcomer. “Well, not to sound rude, but it’s not really any of your business.”
“Oh, pardon me,” the stallion said, bowing. “I’ll leave you all be and let you find the entrance to Mt. Chozo on your own.” He turned to leave.
Sunset stepped in front of him before he could exit through the alley. “Okay, what’s your deal?”
The stallion gave a blank look. “I beg your pardon?”
She jabbed him in the chest with a hoof. “Nopony just waltzes out of the dark like that and just so happens to know what it is we’re trying to do. From the looks of you, you’re some type of peddler or merchant wanting to sell us something. My memories may be all foggy, but I wasn’t born yesterday.”
The stallion gave a dramatic sigh. “You’ve found me out.” His mouth formed a smile and he reached into his clothes, pulling out a jar of clear liquid. “I just so happen to be a curio shopkeeper with an exotic collection of doodads for any adventuring type. This here is your key to getting to the mountains.”
Sunset eyed the jar dubiously. “What is it?”
“Rust remover.”
Sunset kept staring.
“I see I need to elaborate.” The curio shopkeeper cleared his throat. “The entrance to Mt. Chozo rarely gets used due to the dragon and griffons that live up there. So the door isn’t kept very well. Doesn’t help that the constant rain here rusts things over something terrible. You’ll be needing this if you want the door to open. Only one thousand gil!”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Who says we can’t just bust it down?”
The curio shopkeeper blinked. “Well, I suppose you could.” The ponies began to walk off. “Wait! You don’t know where it is!”
“It’s a door that’s rusted over that should be next to the mountain,” Trixie said over her shoulder, never breaking her stride. “Shouldn’t be hard to miss.”
The curio shopkeeper sputtered, trying to form words, but the jingle of gil near his hooves snapped him out of it. He looked down to see a modest sized bag, the chocobo that set it there following the others.
“From one merchant to another,” Stardust said as he walked off.
Quickly snatching up the bag, the curio shopkeeper stuffed it and his rust remover into his clothes. It didn’t take him long to decide where to spend his money as he did an about turn and entered into the nearby bar.
.o.O.o.
The door was easy to find.
While plenty of the buildings in Chozo where in a constant state of decay due to the weather and negligence of its citizenry, even a blind pony could have found the right door by touch alone. The door, which Derpy happily pointed out after a brief flyby of the closest cliffs, was covered in red flecks of metal that had fallen off from the iron hinges holding it to the sides of the rock face. A solid buck from Applejack knocked the entrance down, revealing a tunnel of roughly cut stone. Before the group could move in, Trixie cleared her throat. “Be mindful that we’re stepping into griffon and dragon territory. Let’s try to keep a low profile, find Shining Armor, and get out of here.”
“Aw, the griffons aren’t so bad,” Derpy said, taking the lead through the tunnel. “As long as you’ve got gil handy, they tend to leave you alone.”
“Great, meat eaters and extortionists,” Trixie drawled as she filed in with the others.
The tunnel didn’t last long and soon the Returners exited into a large cavern. Much of the cave was comprised of tall rock spires that rose out of a pit too dark and deep to see the bottom. Poorly maintained paths led to rope bridges which looked so frayed that anypony stepping on them may well take their last step. Dozens of holes in the walls let in wind and rain, washing away any dirt deposits and making the stone ground shiny and slick. One misstep and a pony would slip into the black expanse of the pit.
“Okay, how are we supposed to get by all that?” Sunset Shimmer asked, already inching back towards the tunnel.
“What? It doesn’t look that bad to me.” Derpy hopped and took flight, poking her head through one of the holes that led outside.
Ignoring Derpy, Trixie turned to Big Macintosh. “You think you could fix up those bridges? Sunset and Trixie can levitate anything out that you need.”
Big Macintosh stepped carefully up to the first bridge, mindful of each step he took. He looked it over for a minute, grimacing as the full extent of the damage time had done to the bridge was in sharp relief. “Nope.”
“Ponyfeathers,” Trixie said. She looked up at Derpy, who hadn’t moved from her spot. Trixie’s eyebrows creased as she could just make out the sounds of a conversation. “Hey! Who are you talking to?” An answer came swiftly, as Derpy moved to the side and a grey blur shot down and grabbed Trixie in a crushing embrace.
“Oh my gosh, you have the cutest little horn! Your coat is as blue as the sky and your hair is so silky smooth!”
The others stared, too stunned to help Trixie escape from the confines of an excitable female griffon even as she was smothered further.
“Tell me your name. Tell me if you can use magic. Tell me everything!”
Taking a chance, Pinkie Pie prodded the griffon in the shoulder. “Hey, I’m all for a tight hug, but she’s starting to look a little bluer than normal.”
The griffon blinked and looked down, noticing how Trixie’s face puffed out from her lungs being compressed through her nose. “Oops! Sorry.” The griffon released her hold and Trixie took the biggest gasp of air in her entire life. With Pinkie’s interruption, the griffon took notice of the rest of the group, raising her talons and squealing. “So many cute ponies!” She reached for the nearest one, Applejack, but a light hoof to the beak stopped her.
“Look, no offense, but I like to get to know a feller before getting physical with them, okay?”
Derpy touched down next to the griffon, laying a hoof on her shoulder and pulling her back a few steps. “Easy there, Gabby. Not so grabby. We pop if you squeeze too hard, remember?”
Gabby nodded, though her gaze flicked from one pony to the next as though unsure who she should pounce next.
Satisfied that the griffon would stay put, Derpy said, “This is Gabby. She’s the one that I give Cheerilee’s letters to. I’m not allowed to go any further so she helps finish the job.”
“Hi!” Gabby said, waving a talon in greeting.
The response from the Returners was more subdued, many giving a half-hearted wave. Stardust hid in the tunnel, poking his head out and then darting back whenever Gabby began looking his way. Trixie, having regained her breath and original coloring, gave the griffon a sullen glare. “Trixie doesn’t know which is worse. Griffons trying to kill us or griffons being friendly. Seems to hurt either way.”
Gabby had the good grace to blush and look away. “Um, sorry. It’s just that until recently, I’ve never met ponies before. It’s all very exciting!”
Trixie rolled her eyes. “Swell. But that does bring up why we’re here. We’re looking for one of ours that we heard might be in these mountains. His name is Shallow Harbor—”
“Shining Armor,” Applejack corrected.
“Whatever.”
Gabby perked back up, smiling as wide as her beak allowed her to. “Oh, I know him! In fact, I’m supposed to take you to him.”
Derpy’s ears perked up. “Really? I’ve never been past this point.”
“Yep! You’ve been given special permission to go all the way up. C’mon!” She launched herself into the air, disappearing through one of the openings to the outside.
A minute later she came back, a sheepish look on her face as she rubbed the back of her head with a talon. “Oops. Forgot that most of you can’t fly.”
“How good of you to notice,” Sunset said dryly.
“But that’s okay! My master already thought of that.” Gabby reached into a brown bag strapped to her side and pulled out a small grey pellet. Before anyone could ask what it did, she threw it to the ground, shattering it. A tremendous gust of wind rushed out and engulfed the entire party. Screams of shock and alarm were drowned out as the mighty wind picked them up, forming a miniature tornado of whirling bodies. The tornado lifted off the ground and headed for a larger opening as though it had a will of its own. Soon, the tornado ascended the mountain with its live cargo, Gabby following behind, humming a tune.
.o.O.o.
Minutes later, the tornado touched down and dissipated, releasing the Returners from its gusty grip. However, many were in no condition to move as the ride left them dizzy and nauseous, content to stay put until the world around them stopped spinning. Gabby landed next to them, all goodwill and cheer. “How was it, huh? That looked like fun!”
A collective groan was her only answer.
Gabby’s face drooped. “Oh, guess you guys need a little more practice flying like that.”
“Trixie wouldn’t call it flying,” Trixie said, holding back a heave. “More like… controlled falling.”
“At least you made it! Just wait right here and I’ll get your friend.” With that, Gabby took off in a flurry of feathers.
After some time to recover, the ponies and chocobo took stock of their surroundings. The tornado had plopped them down in the middle of a settlement. Huts of straw and twigs surrounded them on all sides, many having been built next to trees for extra support and perches. Griffons of all ages had gathered around to witness the spectacle of so many ponies visiting their home. None approached or made any aggressive movements, through Stardust made sure to stay in the center of the group, squatting down as low as he could go.
Pinkie Pie smiled and waved. “Hello! Nice to finally meet you all!” Derpy grinned and followed suit, the two ponies drawing odd stares and grumblings from the griffons.
Applejack nudged Trixie in the side. “You’ve got more experience with them than I do. Should we be worried?”
“Doubtful,” Trixie said, looking bored. “Most of the nastier ones left with Gilda. Unless they came back, Trixie doesn’t think they’ll cause trouble for us. As for their master though…” She trailed off, muttering something about a deal.
A few minutes later, just at it looked like Pinkie and Derpy may try their luck with mingling with the locals, Gabby returned, touching down next to them. Following at a gallop, a familiar white stallion wedged his way past the flock of griffons and rushed up to the Returners.
“You’re all okay!” Shining Armor exclaimed, his muzzle stamped with a wide grin. “I’m so glad to see you all!” His eyes roved over to Trixie. “Even you.”
Trixie smirked. “Of course! What pony wouldn’t be delighted to bask in the Great and Powerful Trixie’s presence!”
Shining Armor gave an amused snort and turned to Applejack. “How did you all find me?”
“A tip-off from Cheerilee,” Applejack said, returning Shining Armor’s smile. “Seems you two have become pen pals or something.”
A blush spread over the stallion’s pale coat. “Um, yeah, I kinda came across their village but wasn’t allowed in. That’s when I ran into Derpy and we set up a mail network in this area. She was able to pass along my letters and Cheerilee just kinda hopped in.”
“Well, it was mighty nice of ya. How’d you end up here?”
“Training, mostly. The griffons saw me practicing magic and said I was welcome to use their mountain. I think I’ve got a good handle on it now.”
Applejack nodded. “Good ta hear. Is Spotter with ya?”
Instantly, Shining Armor’s jolly demeanor vanished. He looked away and sighed. “I haven’t seen him this past year.”
Applejack’s ears flattened and she lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”
Shining Armor looked to the group. “Have any of you?”
A sad shake of heads was the response.
“Horseapples,” Shining Armor said, stomping the ground.
Firming her features, Applejack said, “He’s a tough kid. I’m sure he’s somewhere out there. We just need to find him. Though with his magic, he might find us first.”
“I hope you’re right. This world has gone crazy—er.”
Applejack nodded, a sly grin forming. “Well, I suppose you would be up for another rodeo? There’s a new varmint that needs takin’ out and we’re gathering everyone up that’s willing to help.”
“You’re talking about Discord, right?” A round of nods followed. Shining Armor returned Applejack’s grin. “I’ve been preparing myself all year. Let’s do it.”
A heavy sigh alerted the group that they had an audience. “Aw,” Gabby said, eyes downcast. “You’re all going to leave already? You just got here.”
Shining Armor nodded sadly. “I’m sorry, Gabby, but if half the things I’ve heard about Discord are true, he needs to be taken care of. Plus, I have to leave to find my son. He’s not getting any closer with me being here.”
Gabby made to speak again but Trixie beat her to it. “Great, it’s settled. Get your stuff Armor, and we’ll get out of here before—”
A large shadow fell over the gathered creatures. A strong gust of wind blew through the area, rattling the cottages and threatening to tear off the roofing. The griffons quickly parted to allow more space for a giant grey pterodon to touch down.
“—he shows up… Ponyfeathers.”
All the griffons immediately bowed as the Storm Dragon settled down, his slitted eyes falling on the ponies before him. “We meet again,” he said, his voice as low as building thunder. “And not under the circumstances that I had expected. You have failed your end of the deal. Gilda still lives.”
“Not for a lack of trying!” Trixie quickly countered. She forced her words out against a suddenly dry mouth. “And once Discord is gone that should do her in too!”
The Returners tore their gaze off of the Storm Dragon to give Trixie odd looks.
“You can’t kill a single griffon and yet claim you can defeat a being such as Discord?” The Storm Dragon hissed, making his griffons shake from their prostrated positions. “I find your boasts… inadequate.”
“Just give us more time and you’ll s—”
“Silence! I’ve had enough. The only way you live another day is to prove to me now that you have the strength to carry out my task. Have at thee!” With that, the Storm Dragon swept a wing, sending a strong wind towards the party. Ponies and chocobo alike scrambled to get out of the way, the gust flattening the grass and toppling over a nearby cottage. He made to sweep his other wing but a grey griffon flew in front of his face, distracting him.
“Master, please stop!” Gabby cried, her close proximity covering up the Returners below.
The Storm Dragon snorted, the resulting pressure blowing Gabby towards the ground, landing in a heap. She gave a pained groan as the Storm Dragon turned to the rest of his subjects. “All of you, stand down. I will not tolerate any further interference.” The griffons nodded their heads as one and vacated the area, two griffons grabbing hold of Gabby and dragging her groggy form away. With the griffons properly dealt with, the Storm Dragon returned his attention back to the ponies.
The Returners were not idle during the exchange. Weapons drawn and magic ready to cast, they spread out, forming a half ring around the dragon. Stardust made to make a hasty retreat but a mote of pink magic snagged a leg and dragged him back. “Not this time, buster,” Trixie said and plopped the chocobo down next to her. “You’ve got magic and you’re going to use it if you want out of here alive.”
Stardust looked up at Trixie, his eyes manic. “But I don’t have any attack magic! I’m a sitting chick!”
“What about those spells that speed us up and slow others down?”
“... Oh. Right. I really gotta start doing that before a fight breaks out.”
“No kidding.” Trixie quickly surveyed the situation. The Storm Dragon finished his warning to his griffons and was now ready to unleash. “Cast it on me first, then do it to the others.”
“But—”
“Now!”
The desperate panic in Trixie’s voice betrayed her calm and cool exterior. More out of shock than from the order, Stardust waved a wing in Trixie’s direction, the tick-tock of a speeding clock sounding over her. Wasting no time, Trixie darted forward, her form a blur. She raised her sword to the sky, seconds before the Storm Dragon opened his mouth to spew hurricane magnitude winds. The winds, intended to cast aside the Returners like paper, instead flowed towards Save the Queen. The Storm Dragon twisted around, his slitted eyes creased in confusion, only to receive a giant hunk of ice to the lower jaw. He screeched in shock and pain, the force of the blow staggering him backwards.
“Hithim! Hithim! Hithim! Hithim! Hithim!” Trixie repeated frantically, slicing away at the dragon’s talons. Her hits managed to pierce through the thick and heavy scales, chipping off pieces with every strike. She continued her attacks, lopping more off in the hopes of reaching the tender bits below.
Galvanized by her actions, the others let loose, throwing magic and weaponry at the Storm Dragon. Stardust rushed from one pony to another, casting haste and doing his best not to stand in front of the action. Applejack, charging with added speed, leapt up and shot an aurabolt point blank into the dragon’s chest, leaving a scorch mark. She dropped down and began pummeling the other talon.
The Storm Dragon roared, flapping his wings and sending bone crushing force down on his assailants. “Annoying pests! Die!”
A pink dome formed over the Returners, displacing the tremendous winds away from them entirely. The Storm Dragon lifted a battered talon and brought it down on the dome, stomping it repeatedly. Shining Armor smirked and inverted the dome into a bowl, pushing up with all his might. At the same time, Trixie and Applejack finally managed to break through the Storm Dragon’s scales, drawing blood for the first time. The two forces combined toppled the dragon over on his back.
“Go for the head!” Trixie commanded. She hopped up onto the Storm Dragon’s stomach, holding her sword out and aiming for an eye.
That eye snapped to her, pinning her with a look of malice that faltered her step. The distraction cost her as the Storm Dragon folded his wings in, trapping her to his body. With a heave of his tail and an application of wind, the Storm Dragon righted itself back upright. “Such insolence. I am going to enjoy devouring each one of you.” He lifted Trixie's struggling form to his mouth, saliva dripping from his teeth.
“Oh no, you don’t!” From above, Derpy dove down hooves first, slamming into the side of his head.
The impact barely tilted his head. The Storm Dragon smirked. “Was that supposed to do something, little pony?”
“Nope. This is.” With that, she snapped her wings out, tendrils of lighting snaking out. The bolts arched and struck the Storm Dragon from his head to his wings. The dragon roared again, genuine agony lancing down his side. His wings spasmed, releasing Trixie who briefly fell before being caught by Sunset’s magic and set gently down.
Derpy stopped her attack, took a breath, and readied to unleash more magic. The Storm Dragon rolled to the side, knocking Derpy away. He came to a stop, using his wings to prop himself up. He snarled and snapped, rage radiating from him like a physical force. “Intolerable worms! You think your puny magic will be enough to defeat me?! I will not suffer the indignity of being brought low by ponies!”
Trixie sniffed in contempt. “Yeah, Trixie’s heard that before, and from something way bigger than you.” She tilted her head towards Sunset, specifically the Ultima Weapon held in her magic.
A low rumble emanated from the Storm Dragon, winds coiling around him. “You expect me to believe that you peons killed a living machine of destruction? Preposterous.”
Pinkie Pie bounced in front of him and placed her forehooves on her hips. “Hey, I wasn’t there to see it but I definitely believe it. Together, we can accomplish anything, even beating that meanie Discord. So why don’tcha calm down and we can discuss this like civilized beings and find a way to stop him. Okay?”
The Storm Dragon responded by stepping on her.
His eyes widened as Pinkie’s voice came from next to his ear. “You’re going to make us do this the hard way, aren'tcha?”
Hissing, the Storm Dragon slapped the spot with a wing, but no satisfying splatter of pony came from it. Gathering power, he spread his wings, ready to unleash more winds, but a pink splotch on the tip of his snout held him back. “Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance.” Pinkie Pie huffed, then backflipped off of him, revealing the sight of an old man floating in the air and holding a staff crackling with electricity.
So stunned was the Storm Dragon at seeing Ramuh the esper in over a thousand years that he failed to dodge the rain of lightning until it was too late.
.o.O.o.
The Returners watched as storm clouds gathered above the Storm Dragon’s head and unleashed their built up power. The dragon of chaos gave an ear splitting roar as his form was bombarded with magical bolts. Once the heavens spent their wrath, the clouds dissipated and the form of Ramuh faded away in a burst of tiny yellow motes. The Storm Dragon gave one last gasp and then collapsed to the ground, his body smoking.
Derpy followed suit, falling onto her back and huffing from the exertion of summoning the esper. Stardust was at her side in an instant, an ether ready in his wing. The others cautiously crept forward, weapons ready for more mayhem. As they drew closer, they could see the Storm Dragon’s chest rise and fall as he breathed. Trixie lifted her sword, once again aiming for the eye.
“No!”
Gabby touched down in front of them, waving her claws to ward them off. “Please, no more! It’s over!”
“Seriously?” Trixie said, her sword still at the ready. “You want this thing alive? It tried to eat me!”
“I’m sorry! But please, leave before he wakes back up.”
Shining Armor came forward, a curious expression on his muzzle. “Gabby, if he’s gone, that means you and the other griffons don’t have to stay stuck up here. You can see the rest of the world and meet all the ponies you ever wanted.”
Tears streaked down Gabby’s face as she shook her head. “You don’t understand. He’s protected us for so long. Yeah, it’s a little boring up here but we don’t have to worry about anything hurting us. He’s… he’s our master and it’s all we’ve ever known.” Gabby made to say more, but the words stuck in her throat. She instead stood firm even as her body shook.
Sighing, Shining Armor motioned for Trixie to lower her weapon. “Okay, we’ll go. But if he attacks us again we have to defend ourselves. There’s too much for me still to do.” He sheathed his sword and made to leave.
A talon on his shoulder stopped him. He turned and pulled back a bit as a long beige package was shoved in his face. Gabby held it up to him, her eyes a mixture of happiness and sadness. “Take this. I want to give you something to remember us by.”
Trixie blinked. “Where did she get that—” A sharp elbow to the side from Pinkie Pie shushed her.
Shining Armor looked to the package, then back to Gabby. She gave an encouraging nod. With a delicate magical touch, he undid the tie on the package, letting the paper fall away to reveal a blue and black katana sheath. Tilting his head, Shining Armor grabbed hold of the hilt sticking out its end and pulled. The resulting katana blade shimmered as a stray beam of sunlight struck it, casting a dazzling array of colors. A low wind kicked up and swirled around the sword, ruffling the wings and mane of the griffon and pony.
“This is Sky Render,” Gabby said, awe and reverence in her voice. “It’s been passed down from before even the Storm Dragon. It’s said that the one who wields it can cleave the heavens and rule the sky.”
Swallowing, Shining Armor carefully gave it a few swings. It was perfectly balanced and sung with each pass. The very air around it parted. Reverently, he placed it back in its sheath and strapped it to his back. He bowed low. “Thanks, Gabby. I… I don’t think… I have words—”
“Yes, I understand!” Gabby said, some of her earlier trepidation returning. Behind her, the Storm Dragon began to stir, the winds around them feeling heavier. “Go, before it’s too late!” She shoved the stallion and shooed him away.
“Right, we’re out of here.” He looked up to the sky, narrowing his eyes. With one swift motion, he withdrew Sky Render and slashed upwards. A tremendous force of air shot forwards, cleaving the thick clouds above, revealing the Paradise hovering beyond.
Pinkie Pie whooped and thrust a hoof to the sky. “Nice thinking, girls!”
With clear passage, the airship lowered down and soon the Returners were scrambling aboard. A wave of hooves from the ponies later and then the Paradise lifted away. It wasn’t long before it became a speck in the sky, leaving behind a partially demolished mountainside.
The clouds surrounding the mountain reformed, closing up the hole Shining Armor’s weapon opened. With a huff, the Storm Dragon picked himself up, gritting his mouth to refrain from groaning against his aches and pains. “Well done. Discord was right; they have grown stronger. And it appears that sword is a good fit for him.”
Gabby nodded vigorously, regaining some of her cheer. “Yes, I’m so glad he’ll be able to put it to good use.” She clasped her talons together, looking up at her master. “So, what now?”
“The same thing we’ve done for the past one thousand years. We wait.” The Storm Dragon gazed upwards were the airship had last been seen. “However, I believe our wait will soon be over. You live in interesting times, Gabby. My master is about to return.”