In a matter of almost 10 minutes, the group drove towards Sugar Cafe, which was sadly closed. But still, the important thing was that they had a place to lie low for a while. They all took a breather and rest. Although, Frostbite wanted to keep an eye out; wanting to be sure if the Titan Demon wasn’t nearby. There’s no point in feeling safe if they aren’t too sure they are out of the lion’s den yet.
“Is it out there?” Lighting asked out of curiosity and concern.
“Nope, it’s quiet out there. It must be somewhere on the other side of the city,” Frostbite replied while not moving his eyes away from the glass window.
"Let's hope so.” Rarity responded.
As they all stood or sat quietly in the abandoned restaurant, they all jump to their feet when they heard the bell on the door ring while it was opened. However, they were relieved to see that it was Sunset, Halo, Flash, and Eternal. After they entered, they closed the door behind them. Sunset, Halo, and Flash walked up to the others, while Eternal looked out the window to see if anything nearby had heard the bell rang.
But for one of the group, Principal Celestia, she looked shocked when her eyes met with Eternal Flames, almost filling to the brim with tears. "E...Eternal? Is… Is that you?"
Eternal looks around, then later point to himself. "You mean me?" he asks in confusion. Principal Celestia quickly runs over and wraps her arms around him, confusing him even more. Nearly everyone in the building looked both shocked and confused themselves, like how does she know Eternal. But for Sunset, Flash, and Halo, they knew all too well that since Principal Celestia has a pony counterpart and her son has the same name and possibly appearance as her real son.
"I've been so worried about you! I've looked everywhere for you! I thought I had lost you for good when your… your father drove you away!" Celestia wept. At that moment, Eternal understood perfectly what was going on.
"I… I'm sorry, but… whether I look like him or not… I'm… not the son you're looking for. I'm his pony counterpart." he said with regret, which made Celestia pull away, looking even more heartbroken. "I don't mean to upset, but I'm not the Eternal Flames you're looking for. But that doesn't mean I won't do everything in my power to help you find him."
But his words of assurance only brought disappointment to Celestia as she turns away from him and walks over to one of the table seats and sat down. Chrysalis, feeling saddened to see her in such a state, approaches the principal and sat down beside her while holding her hand and embracing her to give her comfort.
"Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut and let her have a moment of clarity," he said, feeling a little regretful.
“Sometimes things happen, man. And we can’t do anything to undo them. We can only try and do better,” Halo responded to his statement.
"I guess you're right," he says, looking down, still.
“Did you guys have any luck with finding that gem you're looking for?" Blazing Waters asked.
"Yup, we got it right here," Sunset said, showing the others the gem, but only for a short time before putting it away.
"Ooh, shiny!" Pinkie said.
"It's shiny because it's brimming with some kind of pure magic. Eternal even touched it with his magic and he felt weakened because of it. And since he was near it for quite some time, his demonic powers are weaker as well," Flash said.
"That doesn't sound good?" Israel said.
"Yes, it does. At least now he--" Rainbow almost finished her sentence, but got deadly glares from the girls. "I… nevermind."
"What was that about?" Halo asked.
"Rainbow Dash refuses to accept that Eternal might not be the Titan Demon! She's just too stubborn to drop the damn subject and it's getting on our nerves! At least during the start of this whole search," Twilight said.
"Seriously? Didn't I already say that Eternal was with me the whole time? What's gonna take to get it through her thick skull?" Sunset asked.
"Hey! I'm trying to be cautious, okay?" Rainbow defended herself.
"And how, exactly, are you being cautious? We're listening, Rainbow Dash," Sunset said, folding her arms, frowning.
"Look, for all I know, I… I don't like having to say this, but… you might just be covering his tracks, allowing him to probably come after us. Or maybe his inner demon is going out of control and he doesn't even know it himself! Call me paranoid if you want, but I don't buy that he's innocent in all this!" Rainbow admitted.
"Rainbow… I swear you're so pig-headed and close-minded! He was with me and I have Princess Luna as my witness!" Sunset argued back.
"Are you sure?" Rainbow asked, squinting her eyes.
"For the 100th damn time, YES!" Sunset yelled.
"ALRIGHT! ENOUGH!!!" Eternal shouted, his eyes turning demonic red for a second before turning sapphire blue after panting heavily out of frustration.
"Changing the subject, I'm assuming you're the prince that Sunset's dating?" Adagio asked, smirking slyly at the young Rambo.
"My title's not important right now, but yes. Who are you, exactly?" Eternal asked, backing away a bit.
“Adagio Dazzle, but you can call me Dagi if you like,” She replied.
“But I thought you hated being called that?” Sonata asked.
“Shut it, Sonata!” Adagio responded, aggressively. "Anyways, may I ask what your name is? Or if you'd like, I can call you Rambo."
"That… won't be necessary. My name's Eternal Flames," he introduced himself.
Before Adagio could reply again, Sunset gets up into her face with a calm face. “And I’m Sunset Shimmer… So back off.” She stated before her calm expression turned to a death stare.
"Don't tell me he's your… your…" Adagio strained to say.
"My boyfriend? Yes! So stay away from him, he's mine!" Sunset said, protecting her lover.
'Damn, why is it always the good-looking ones that are taken?' Adagio thought to herself.
"If we're done talking about relationships, what are we supposed to do now?" Copper asked.
"First things first, we have to find the rest of the Demon Crystals. Rainbow Dash, remember the ones we found already? Where'd you hide them?"
Rainbow Dash looked outside the window for anyone who might be listening in on them. As far as she was concerned, they were alone. She gestured for everyone to come closer and then… "I've hidden them at the school in my locker. They should be safe over there for now." Rainbow Dash whispered.
“You hid them at the school?! What if that Titan Demon finds them there? That monster would destroy the whole place!” Celestia exclaimed.
“I don’t think the Titan Demon wouldn’t find them there,” Sunset stated. “Canterlot High has been exposed to Equestrian magic several times. Perhaps now there is so much positive magic that surrounds the place, it should keep the demon crystals hidden and prevent their negative energy from ever being detected.” She explained.
"Hey, that's right! Twilight, try using that Demon Crystal Detector you made!" Pinkie said.
"Ok, I will,” Twilight replied as she pulls out the device and does a quick scan reading to see if it can pick up on the crystals’ signatures and so far… There was no trace of them on the radar. Especially anywhere in the area where CHS is. The demon crystals were undetected. "Sunset was right! The positive energy is blocking the Demon Crystals' signal!"
"I guess Rainbow does know what she's doing… given the circumstances," Eternal admitted.
"What's that supposed to mean, traitor?!" Rainbow asked, glaring at Eternal.
"No! Uh-uh, no fighin', an' no finger pointin'. Ya ain't got proof that he's a traitor, so shove it up yer ego, Rainbow!" Applejack intervened.
"Wow… seems like everyone's out to get--" Halo stopped when he realized something. "Wait… uh, everyone?" he said, getting all eyes on him. "If we keep arguing and going at each other's throats, then wouldn't that mean that Titan Demon'll find us by sensing our negative emotions?"
Right away, everyone fell silent in realization and backed off from each other. "I hadn't thought of that up until now," Rainbow said.
"It does make sense, though. Demons have a unique ability to feed off of negative emotions and can even smell them; depression, anger, hate, despair, etc, one whiff from any of those and we're just one big target," Israel said.
"How do you know for sure?" Flash asked, getting worried.
"I watch a lot of haunted shows and movies, I know what to expect. The real trick is finding out when to expect the danger to arise," Israel clarified.
“Bullshit, you had your eyes closed during some parts of those movies.” Frostbite commented.
"At first, but I kept watching them over and over until I was used to the jumpscares. So watch who you call a liar, or should I bring up that time you got so scared you pissed your pants?" Israel asked, squinting his eyes.
"Boys, stop! Did you forget already? If you fight now, you'll lead that demon back to us!" Fluttershy warned, worried for everyone.
"Sorry, but you know how I get when someone calls me on "bullshit." Israel squints his eyes at Frostbite, who now wants to sock him in the face right now.
"Enough! No more fighting. We should focus on resting up before we move out. You guys are exhausted from running away from that monster, so there's no point in going out there on low energy." Eternal said.
"And how are you not tired?" Rainbow asks.
"Demons probably have longer stamina than your ordinary mortals. But back to the subject at hand, once we've recharged, we'll send a few of us on a recon mission to search for the other Demon Crystals."
"I've got the fastest speed, so I'll go on recon," Rainbow said.
"You wouldn't even know where to start looking. Twilight, can your detector pick up on where the other demon crystals are?" Heat asks.
"Sorry, Heat. But the crystals are too far away for me to pick up on them," Twilight replied, shaking her head left and right.
"Damn it! Then how are we gonna find them?" Rainbow asked, frustrated.
"Let me help. I can pinpoint where they're located," Eternal said. "I still have some demonic blood in me, so it won't be hard for me to detect their dark energy."
“Well yes, but you also possess demon magic,” Chrysalis responded abruptly. “If you can detect the last remaining crystals, the Titan Demon would detect you as well.
"What? Damn, then it looks like I'm gonna have to go in alone. I'll move to a farther distance from here and use my powers to detect the crystals. That way that-- wait… how do you know about what the Titan Demon can do?" he asks, suspiciously before realizing who she was. "Wait for a second… how the hell did you escape your stone imprisonment?"
Chrysalis then felt anxious and became instantly silent. She now realized that this boy in the room had also come from Equestria and he was the Princess’s child. The former Changeling Queen was worried that she had been found out.
Eternal wanted to go off on her, but couldn't risk it, so he just got in front of her with his strong death glare. "We'll discuss this later. And don't you dare try to hurt anyone, or else the next time we meet, there will… be… consequences," as he said "consequences, his eyes turned from sapphire blue to deep scarlet red for a split second.
Chrysalis felt very anxious until the Celestia next to her got up and stood up to Eternal; staring at him with a cold stare.
“I know you aren't my Eternal; however, I will not tolerate you speaking to her like that. So leave her be,” she stated.
"As you wish," he backs off. "I won't sweat the details… for now."
“Eternal, would you give it a rest? We don’t have time to cause trouble amongst ourselves.” Israel responded.
"I get it. I'm heading out now. You guys stay safe." he replied before leaving the building and bolting off, away from the Sugar Cafe.
"What was that all about?" Flash asked.
"Beats me," Halo said.
After Eternal had gotten just far enough away from the Sugar Cafe, he looked around to see if there were any people within his line of sight. Luckily, the place was quiet and no signs of life could be detected. Relieved, he closed his eyes and centered in on the location of where the remaining Demon Crystals were; while making his presence known to the Titan Demon as well.
It was faint, but he managed to pinpoint their location. Taking a huge gamble, he headed up North to grab the goods. Unbeknownst to him, Sombra was watching him from afar. "Light Ray… we've got a problem; that demonic prince has your location. He's coming for the Demon Crystals right now," he says telepathically.
"That's fine. I already have a plan set in motion," Light says calmly, telepathically.
It took some time, but Eternal managed to arrive at the location. Just from looking at the abandoned warehouse, he knew there was gonna be trouble. But there's no turning back now. He approaches the front door and opens it up. Inside, he notices a faint, purple glow in one of the shadowy areas.
"That's gotta be it," he says to himself. He approaches the glowing light cautiously, keeping his guard up in case it's a trap. As he's within arm’s reach, he goes to grab the crystal, feeling its power seep into his body, but remaining in control… until something grabs a hold of his hand.
"You dare to take my treasure?!" Light Ray growled, appearing out of the shadows, but keeping his face hidden under his hood. Eternal tried to pull away, but Light proved he's got a strong grip and refused to let go. The struggle between these two caused the energy from the crystal to fuel both of their powers. But ultimately, in a desperate attempt to overpower this mysterious foe, Eternal absorbed most of the demonic energy and unleashed a powerful shock wave that sent Light Ray flying backward.
And out of his hooded robe, the other Demon Crystal rolled out. Eternal grabbed it quickly and stared down at his "beaten" foe, panting heavily, having transformed into his demon form. "You don't comprehend the dangers of these crystals, you fool!" he scolded.
Now having what he came here for and filled with stronger demonic energy, he leaps up above and breaks through the ceiling, and lands on the roof. He roars so loud, it echoes throughout the nearly deserted city, then leaps from rooftop to rooftop back to his friends until…
"Wait… no! Stop!" he tells himself before his demonic energy subsided and crashed back down to the ground, hitting against a street lamp and knocking it down. He grunts in pain a little as he gets up, rubbing his head. "Damn it, that hurt. Stupid me, I almost gave away my position."
Back with the group, everyone kept waiting patiently for their friend to return, while also letting their tired bodies rest. "Hey, I just realized… if Eternal does bring back the remaining crystals, won't that mean he's gonna lure that monster towards us?" Fluttershy pointed out, worried.
"Sadly yes, but we don't have any other choice. Either we bring all the crystals here, or we attract that monster with our negative energy and not be able to bring back Inferno." Twilight says, trying not to be scared.
"Hey, if Eternal's getting the crystals, won't that also mean his demon powers will be recharged?" Rarity asked.
“And even if we get the crystals, that leaves us with another thing to deal with…. How are we gonna use these to bring back Inferno if his body is back in Equestria?” Halo asked. “That means we have to get back there to do the ritual?”
“Well, the rest of the crystals are back at CHS and so is the portal to Equestria. That solves both our problems.” Sunset replied.
“But that means we have to get from here to the school,” Israel responded.
"I can get them. I know I already said it, but I've got the super speed and I know the combination to my locker. I'll head over there right now if you want." Rainbow said.
"Okay. Just keep an eye out for that Titan Demon," Sunset replies.
"No sweat. I'll leave him eating my dust if he crosses paths with me." Rainbow replies, being cocky as ever. She activates her geode and zooms out of the Sugar Cafe and off to CHS.
“But how are we gonna do the ritual if Inferno’s corpse is in another world, that’s still in question?” Frostbite stated.
“Hey, Sunset. Do ya still have that journal, the one ya used to contact Princess Twilight?” Applejack asked. “Can ya informed them that we have all the crystals and ask them to bring his body here?” She suggested.
"Sure, I can do that." Sunset replies. She reaches into her bag and pulls out the journal and a pen and starts writing to Princess Twilight.
"Dear Princess Twilight
My friends and I have gathered all 5 Demon Crystals and the Moon Gem. We're just about ready to start the ritual of bringing back Inferno Blaze, but we need to know how we can start it since his body is still in Equestria. And be sure to tell Starlight of the good news, she deserves to know more than anyone else.
Your friend,
Sunset Shimmer."
Soon after writing the message, Sunset, and everyone standing beside her, waited patiently for a reply. They all waited in silence for what felt like a few minutes.
“Are we sure she got the message?” Blazing asked.
"Trust me, partner. Twilight got the message, it'll just take some time fer Twilight to reply," Applejack nodded.
And sure enough, within a minute, Sunset's journal starts glowing and Twilight's writing appears on one of the blank pages.
"Dear Sunset
I've received your message about the crystals and gem you found. I even told Starlight the good news about the discovery. While we can't dig up Inferno's coffin, due to it being against Equestrian laws, it won't be necessary. According to what I learned from Discord, he said that the gem and crystals will magically transport his body to your location as well as his spirit. But he also told me to warn you that only those with demonic blood can handle all 5 Demon Crystals and the Moon Gem. So be careful when you start the ritual. Starlight will be joining you soon, where are you?"
After reading the response Princess Twilight gave, Sunset turns around and informs everyone. “Princess Twilight wants to know where we are and she’ll inform Starlight about the ritual,” Sunset stated.
"That's reassuring. Starlight deserves to know about this," Twilight said. "But what about the ritual itself?"
"She… she said the ritual can only be performed by those who have demonic blood inside them. That means Eternal is our best bet,”
“But he also has to use the Moon Gem with the demon crystals, and we've seen how much damage it did to him.” Flash pointed out.
"Who knows Flash. Maybe the Demon Crystals will balance his power back." Applejack said.
"She's right. There's no telling what'll happen until we see for ourselves." Pinkie Pie agreed.
"Well, here's to hoping. I still can't believe we're bringing back Inferno! Starlight will be so happy to see him again!" Rarity said.
"All of us will. I just feel so awful when we lost him in the war," Fluttershy added.
"We all do. Now, all we have to do is wait for Eternal to show up with the goods," Israel said.
And after Israel had said that, Eternal entered through the cafe door, breathing and huffing heavily as if he had just run a marathon.
"Whoa, what happened to you?" Blazing asked in surprise.
"Don’t… gasp… Ask!” the demon-blooded young man replied.
"Dude, you booked it, you'd better rest up until Rainbow…" Halo said before Rainbow shows up with the rest of the Demon Crystals. "...shows up."
"Okay, so now that we got all the crystals and the Moon Gem, where are we gonna have the ritual?" Heat asked.
“Well the portal to Equestria is at the school, and it's the only way Starlight can go through to get here. Which means we’ll have to do the ritual at the school.” Sunset stated. After she said that, Rainbow immediately groaned in annoyance.
“Are… You… Kidding me?! I was just there!” She responded.
"I know you're frustrated, Dash, but it's also the only place that can shield our presence from the enemy," Sunset said.
"Do we have to go back? We don't exactly have the best track record at your high school," Sonata said.
"No one said you're re-enrolling back into CHS, we're just hiding there for the ritual and until it's safe to be out in the streets," Celestia explained.
“We, I do have to agree with... Uh, Sonata there. I mean are we sure the school is the best choice of hiding?” Chrysalis added with an anxious tone in her voice. And it's not about the Titan Demon.
"Chrysalis, I have full confidence in these girls, I've seen how well they've dealt with evil magic in the past. If the school is safe enough to shield our presence, then I trust their judgments completely," Celestia assures Chrysalis.
"If it means that monster won't sniff us out, it's fine by me," Aria said.
"I agree. I've got far too much planned to just die out here at the hands… or claws of an ugly monster," Adagio added.
"Then it's settled, the ritual will be held at Canterlot High," Celestia said.
With their dispute settled, the group prepares themselves and heads out of the cafe, and head off to their new safehouse at the school.
Meanwhile in Equestria…
"They found all of them?!?!?! Really?!" Starlight asked in shock and disbelief.
"Yes, Starlight, they did it. They're just waiting on you to arrive. We know how much Inferno meant to you, so they're gonna let you witness his rebirth with your own eyes," Princess Twilight said.
When hearing the news of Sunset and her friend's success in finding the demon crystals and the Moon Gem was something that adds her heart pounding faster and her spirits had risen. She couldn't bear to live out the rest of her life without Inferno, and now hearing that they can bring him back was a miracle indeed. So much so, that she leaped out and hugged Twilight tightly and cried tears of joy.
"There, there, Starlight." Twilight said, comforting her friend.
"I've been waiting for this day to happen for so long, I couldn't stop thinking about him no matter how hard I tried!" She sobbed, keeping Twilight wrapped in her hooves tightly. While she did, Heat entered the room and witnessed the whole.
"Easy there, Starlight. You're gonna hug all the air out of her. What's going on here?" Heat asked.
"Sunset… and the others… found all the Crystal's and the gem. Inferno… is… coming back!" Twilight struggled through the hug.
Realizing what she's doing, Starlight immediately breaks the hug while looking embarrassed. “Heh heh, sorry Twilight.” she apologized.
"It's okay," Twilight said. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "Come on, I'll open up the portal for you so you can jump to the other side."
Starlight nodded and smiled in agreement as she and Twilight trotted towards the castle library where the mirror is kept. Once they arrive, Twilight flips the switch and activates the portal to the human world. Starlight takes a few steps towards the portal, then stops in front of it to take one look at her friends.
"Go on, Starlight… he's waiting for you. Tell him we said "hi," Twilight nodded.
Starlight nodded back, then faced forward as she leapt through the portal.
Within seconds, she arrives on the other side, in front of Canterlot High. Crashing down on the concrete payment from that leap she made earlier. Luckily, she didn't get any bruising or scratches from the fall.
Just then, thunder rumbled in the sky, dark clouds blocked out the sun. She looks around, but stays close to the statue, trying to find the girls.
She finds them turning the corner on one of the streets and heading her way. Starlight gasped and approached the girls. "Is it really true? Am I really gonna see Inferno again?!" She asked.
"You don't have to worry… Inferno is coming home. Just follow us into the school and we'll help get this done." Sunset said, putting a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
Starlight teared up with joy as she embraced Sunset while feeling so much hope and happiness coming back to her heart.
"Sunset, you have no idea how grateful I am to you for doing this," Starlight said. Her eyes are still swelling up with tears in her eyes.
"I know, Starlight. We're all looking forward to seeing him again. And because you care so much, we want you to be the first person he sees when he's resurrected," Sunset said.
“Thank you. Thank you all.” Starlight said to everyone before her eyes laid upon Chrysalis. When she did, soon Starlight felt surprised and alerted. “What’s she doing here!?” She asked.
"I asked myself the same thing when I saw her here," Eternal said. "But look, so far, she hasn't caused any trouble here… yet. So until then, she's taking shelter with us until we've stopped the Titan Demon."
Chrysalis felt more uneasy and anxious. First, the princess’ son is here, now Starlight Glimmer; this was not her day. She now was more terrified of her past being exposed. She was now happy again and those two had to show up and try and take it from her.
"Well… fine, but I am not taking my eyes off of her for one whole second," Starlight said sternly. Putting that little incident aside, Starlight follows the entire group inside of the school, which Celestia had the keys to unlock the building. Chrysalis stayed close to the said woman for the whole time; with her fears making her more clingy to the school principal.
"In here, we'll use the gymnasium to perform the ritual," Sunset said. The others follow her inside the gym where Eternal lays the Demon Crystals down on the floor and the Moon Gem is put down by the others for Eternal's safety.
“Sooo…. How is the ritual performed again?” Pinkie asked out of confusion.
"Discord told me to tell Eternal that in order to perform the ritual, the Demon Crystals have to be spread out in a perfect circle and the Moon Gem placed in the center. Then… Eternal needs to be standing in the middle of the circle and generate his magic aura through all 6 artifacts. Then he has to repeat the phrase… Surge et renasci semper ut e novo incipere three times and say Inferno's full name." Starlight said.
"Wow, that's… a lot to take in," Heat commented in surprise.
"If that's what I gotta do, then I'll do it," Eternal said.
"Wait! What if he gets hurt during the ritual and we end up losing him, too?" Heat asked anxiously.
"Something tells me he's too stubborn to let that happen," Aria pointed out.
"But… but…" Heat tried to object.
"No buts, we're bringing him back," Eternal said before aligning the crystals around the Moon Gem in a perfect circle. The demonic prince stands in the center while everyone watches in anticipation. The pressure is really building. "You'll be home soon, my brother," he utters to himself.
Focusing all his energy, he generates his demon aura around all 6 artifacts and soon, his entire body levitates in the air, his eyes shooting out bright red magic.
"Surge et renasci semper ut e novo incipere. Surge et renasci semper ut e novo incipere. Surge et renasci semper ut e novo incipere. Inferno Blaze!!!" Eternal proclaimed in a demonic tone before letting out a loud roar before engulfing the entire area in a bright purple light.
Everyone shielded their eyes as the light intensified more and grew brighter until it engulfed the entire school. After a few seconds, a large ball of white light formed in the circle and then began to manifest into the shape of a humanoid being. Then soon it reshapes itself into an identical look of their deceased friend. Soon the white glow began to darken and change into a purple color then dark smoke began to manifest around them. Then soon the glow disappeared and revealed Inferno’s body hovering above the circle. But he looked… different.
His once golden-orange skin was now a dark greyish-violet color. His blood-red hair was now a violet color. His body was covered in dark silver armor and his eyes were as black as night with glowing purple iris. Dark greyish-violet wings sprouted from his back.
"I…Inferno? Is… Is that you?" Starlight asked, reaching out to him as she approached him. But as she was about to touch him, Inferno fell to the ground in an instant, which caused a loud thud as he collided with the ground.
"Inferno!" Starlight exclaimed, worried. She approached him and checked up on him. "Please tell me you're okay!"
Eternal, after having to cough a bit of blood after performing the ritual, witnessed his unconscious friend lying on the ground. "No! Please tell me I didn't mess up!" He strained as he rushed over towards Starlight and Inferno. He kneels down next to her and looks over Inferno who has not shown any life. “Inferno?” he said quietly.
After he said that, the former assassin’s eyes shot wide open and instantly he got up on his feet; while extending his arm up and grabbing Eternal by the neck, and lifting him a foot off the ground. Everyone was now shocked and alerted.
"In...ferno… what… are you doing?" Eternal choked. "It's… me…!" The former assassin stared into Eternal’s eyes and he had a confused expression on his face.
“Who… Are… You?” he asked with his voice sounding a bit dark and unnatural. He then releases Eternal and then looks towards the others. “Who… Am I?” he said to himself.
"You're Inferno Blaze! How could you not remember your own name?" Starlight asked in concern.
Inferno looked even more confused. And then he looked over towards her with confusion and vagueness in his eyes. “I… I… Don't remember. I can’t… Remember… Anything.” he started as he began to have a mental breakdown from his struggle to remember anything. He let out an inhuman growl and snarled as he gripped his head and began to pace and jerk his body in every direction. The growls he made were unlike anything they all heard before.
“I can’t remember! I can’t remember! I can’t remember! I can’t remember!” he muttered repeatedly. Starlight does her best to try and calm him down while everyone else is processing what they were seeing.
"It's no use, guys. He doesn't know who he is, he's got amnesia," Sunset said.
"So… does that mean we… we failed?" Pinkie asked, worried.
"No, your ritual was a success," another female voice echoed, startling everyone. They turn around and see the deities Harmony and Death standing behind them. “However… We did not expect this to happen.” she started with a worried and fearful tone as she stared in Inferno’s direction.
"What do you mean? Do you know what's happened to our friend?" Fluttershy asked.
“I'm afraid so, young one.” Death replied with a fearful tone as well. “Your friend… Has now become… A wraith.” he answered.
"A wraith? What's that?" Sunset asked. "I've never heard of a wraith before."
"Neither have I," Eternal replied.
“That's because we cosmic beings deemed it that way.” Harmony stated. “A wraith is a powerful being that all of existence has never seen before. Beings that possess pure immortality; no universal being, laws of reality, laws of physics, or even fate itself has no command over them. Legends even state that a wraith can destroy a universe with a blink of an eye and can match 9 cosmic beings of universal powers at just its weakest state or base form.” she explained.
"What?! That's absurd! How could such a being exist?" Eternal asked in shock.
"More importantly, how come Inferno was turned into a wraith when Eternal brought him back to life?" Rainbow asked.
“We are unsure. Wraiths have always been a mystery to us cosmic gods. We even ensured that there was no possibility for a wraith to be summoned. The last time one was summoned, not even the combined power of me, Harmony, my fellow Horsemen, Discord and his sister Eris, Galaxia, and King Cosmos; could wear it down. Our only option was to banish it far beyond the boundaries of the multiverse; beyond existence.” Death explained.
"Sounds like this wraith was dangerous. Sorry, you had to go through all that. But in regards to Inferno, is there any way we can change him back to his normal self?" Principal Celestia asked.
“No,” Harmony replied. “As I said before, reality and fate have no command over wraiths. And their immortality is endless…. it cannot be removed. If it was possible, we would have done it with the last wraith that was summoned.” She stated.
"Darn! Well… guess there's nothing more we can do. Damn it!" Eternal exclaimed, slamming his fists into the ground, causing an earthquake. Everyone except Harmony, Death, and Inferno, felt the powerful force of the earthquake.
“There is good news… Inferno’s memories are dormant in his mind; Therefore, they aren’t gone. In time, they will return to him.” Harmony assured them.
“So that means he’ll be himself again?” Starlight asked.
Yes… However, there’s something you all must know.” The goddess exclaimed to them. “Every memory that is returned to him; he’ll be forced to relive it in his thoughts and feel the emotions in those memories; such as happiness, joy, pain, despair, anger, depression, grief, love, and… betrayal.” She stated, even stared at Eternal’s direction when she said the last part. “Which means you must be cautious of every memory that returns to him.” She warned.
"Just my luck. But I'll suck it up and pay the price. I know I messed up," Eternal said, looking down.
"Obviously," Rainbow uttered silently to herself, hoping no one will hear her.
"Young lady, what do you hope to gain from egging on Eternal's supposed "crime" without concrete proof?" Death asked, who along with Harmony, heard her statement.
"Seriously, Dash? This again? What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you so dead-set on making a villain out of Eternal so badly?!" Twilight asked in frustration.
"I'm not even gonna bother to convince this stubborn little--" Eternal said, about to walk out when another rumbling noise startles everyone. "What the?"
"Oh no, please tell me it's not what Ah think it is," Applejack said, worried.
“How did it even find us!?” Fluttershy asked in fear.
Starlight was confused as to what they are all saying. “Who are you all talking about?” she asked.
"Starlight, go hide somewhere… Now!" Sunset urged.
“Why? What's going on?” Starlight asked again.
“There’s no time to explain! Just take Inferno and hide somewhere!” Twilight responded.
"Uh… okay?" Starlight did as she was told and grabbed Inferno by the arm, taking him out of the gym and off to a safe place. 10 seconds later… a hole is made in the wall and the Titan Demon emerges. Its eyes lock on the group and roars.
Rainbow looked at the demon in shock, then at Eternal, who then looked over at her with his demonic glare.
"Fine, it's not you!" Rainbow admits.
"Screw you, Rainbow Dash!" Eternal snapped before he's grabbed by the demon and thrown outside into the football field hard.
"No use running now, LET'S LIGHT HIM UP, LADIES!!!" Pinkie exclaimed. The girls then activate their geodes, ready for battle… or at least, most of them. Rainbow, on the other hand, remains un-ponified.
"Wha… why didn't it work?!" Rainbow asked in shock.
"Rainbow, what's wrong?" Sunset asked.
"My geode isn't working! I can't pony up!" Rainbow said, frustrated. The Titan Demon rushed towards her and for the first time since the rollercoaster ride, she felt a twinge of fear as her executor was about to flatten her. Just then, Sunset intervened by firing a magic blast at her. Which did not stagger the beast, but did get its attention.
"Girls! Spread out!" Sunset commanded. The girls do so and spread out throughout the area and coordinate their attacks. The guys, on the other hand, leave the building and try to find shelter away from their monstrous nightmare.
The Titan Demon shoots a fireball at one of the girls, but they dodge. Pinkie Pie retaliates by tossing explosive powdered sugar at the beast. It doesn't faze it, but it does anger it to the point where it breathes fire at Pinkie.
Luckily, Rarity used her diamonds to shield her sugar friend. Applejack goes in and lands a hard punch to the monster's rib cage, knocking it onto its knee, then follows up with a chopping right punch. It almost falls, but picks itself up and swats Applejack away from it, socking the air out of her. She hits the wall hard and falls to the ground, grunting in pain.
The demon is about to come at her, but Twilight holds it in place with her telekinetic powers, then slams it all over the place. Then Sunset blasts the monster with her magic, but none of her attacks seem to be damaging it. The demon has only gotten extremely angry, it roars immensely loud and breaks free of Twilight's magic. It goes after her and she tries to run for it, but the monster slams its fists down on her and Sunset before knocking them out of its way, seriously injuring them. The Titan Demon roars furiously in anger as it stomps towards the two injured girls and raises its arms in the air for a fatal blow. But it doesn't get the chance when out of nowhere, Eternal, in his demonic form, slammed into the Titan Demon and both of them plowed through several walls of the building until they exited and tumbled outside of the school. Eternal lets out a demonic roar, wrestling the Titan Demon with all his might.
Amidst the skirmish, Eternal knocks the beast back a few feet with a powerfully enhanced kick, then stares it down from where he now stands, growling. The beast gets up and stares down at Eternal back, growling.
As Eternal faces off with the Titan Demon, Starlight and Inferno come out of hiding as the former assassin rushes over to check on the girls.
“Sweet Celestia! Are you all alright?!” she asked in worry and shock.
“We’re… *coughing* Fine, Starlight,” Sunset replied right before she grunted in pain.
“You all don’t look fine! You could have all died.” Starlight protested as she helped Sunset onto her feet.
As Starlight was tending to the girls, Inferno watches them from afar, still confused and unsure of the situation. But as he was staring at all seven of the Rainbooms, he began to... Experience some flashbacks. Soon memories flowed back into his mind, and they all revolved around the 7 girls in front of him; including Starlight. Yes, that's her name. He remembers it. He remembers all their names; Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. He remembers them now. He remembers the moments he had with them, the laughs, the joy, the fun; they were his friends… They are his friends. But with those memories, seeing the injured state and pain they are in… It upset him. It angered him. It made him crave for the blood of the one that did this to them. His hands tighten into fists and his eyes glow even more purple.
And before Starlight or any of the girls could notice him, Inferno’s newly wings sprouted open, and in a quick flash; he took off the ground, smashed through the room, and exited the gym. His exit alerts Starlight and others, with the former becoming worried about where he is heading.
Meanwhile, Eternal and the Titan Demon were still clashing outside. Punches and slashes keep flying, landing, and being blocked, Eternal can barely keep up. He gave all his might and power in his attacks; however, the ritual he performed to bring Inferno back left him in a vulnerable state. Eventually, the beast overpowers him and pounds him to the ground over… and over… and over again. Luckily, due to his demon inheritance, he was able to take the heavy blows for a while until he started to feel the blows.
"Can't… let it… end like this!" Eternal strained to say. The beast roars and is about to launch his final attack.
But soon, a miracle was presented to Eternal when out of nowhere, Inferno drops from the skies and slams onto the ground next to the two, causing a small crater and big cracks in the surface of the school courtyard. His presence gets the Titan-Demon’s attention and then it steps away from Eternal and faces this opportunity to kill in front of it.
After landing, Inferno gets up onto his feet, glaring directly at the culprit who dared to harm his friends. Then later, his whole body is coated with a purple aura and his hair begins spiking upward; just like the Super Saiyans in DBZ... Only real and more pissed off.
“You… Hurt my friends. You’ve made me angry.” the assassin turned wraith growled. “You will not like me when I'm angry,” he informs the beast in front of him.
The beast roared back at him as if to establish dominance over its foe. Not happy with the answer he’s given, Inferno runs towards and leaps at the Titan Demon, bringing his fist upward from an uppercut and socking the beast in the chin; sending it flying 30 feet into the air and landing 100 feet away from the wraith.
Eternal, who laid where he is, was shocked and surprised by what his old pal just did. "Nice punch," he grunted as he picked himself up.
The Titan Demon barely regained its footing and then turns to Inferno and then roared its loudest roar ever. The assassin turned wraith became even more pissed, so much so he retaliated with his roar. His roar was heard loudly in the area; the girls inside the building were immediately terrified from hearing it and were unsure where it came from. Eternal was shocked by what came from the very person he considered his brother; that roar was something that was not natural or known in the universe. But to the Titan Demon, it was a response to his challenge… and accepted.
In a clear instant, both supernatural beings charge towards one another, with the gap between them shrinking more and more. The two reared back their fists as they close in the distance and before you know it, the two met at the middle, and their fists collided with one another, causing massive shockwaves that were felt across the entire planet, and better yet; across the entire universe.
Everyone in Canterlot City, felt the shocks the most as they try to balance themselves as the earth shook beneath them. The school itself almost began to collapse on itself, forcing everyone inside to exit the building before they get crushed.
After their collision, the beast tries to slam Inferno to the ground with its freehand, but surprisingly, Inferno was fast to catch it and hold it in place. The two were locked in combat bound as they continue to exert an excessive force that the ground beneath them began to crack and give way. As they two were struggling to overpower the other, a glow of purple light began to flicker in Inferno’s mouth; it grew brighter and brighter until the wraith opens his mouth, and soon a massive powerful purple flame exerted from his maw and collided with the Titan Demon’s abdomen and sent it flying towards a nearby building.
It crashes right through the wall, tumbling into the ground with debris scattered all over it. The monster gets up, but its little tussle with the resurrected wraith is starting to take its toll on its body. Its breathing is heavy and fast, brimming with anger, but losing energy fast.
Inferno, with his anger increasing at a fast rate, took off into the air with his new wings, hovering where he was. The purple aura that surrounded his body intensified as he lets out a battle cry. When he did, he generates a barrage of aura spheres that sped towards the Titan Demon.
The aura spheres all showered heavily on the monster, knocking it back down on its knees, weakening it more. But in its last-ditch effort, it leaps up in the air towards Inferno and at point-blank range, it shoots out a stream of blue fire out of its mouth and into Inferno's face. The flames were big enough to spread out throughout a small neighborhood and hot enough to melt an entire building.
After it finishes its attack, it lands on the ground and looks up at Inferno, hoping that it finished him off. But as the smoke cleared, it relieved Inferno… unscathed from the attack. And mockingly, he just brushed against his shoulders, as if he’s brushing off a bit of dust off. He stares down at the beast with a blank expression as his hands began to glow purple.
“My turn.” He said as he brings both his hands downward and fires a massive beam of destructive magic, speeding towards the Titan Demon and engulfing it in a massive explosion of light from where it stood. The demonic beast, despite its flaming appearance, felt its entire body burning and tried to stop the pain. But eventually, the monster stumbles into the ground and eventually stops moving.
Then as it's laying down, its body is engulfed in a black mass before the most dissolved and reveals who this demon is. The familiar long, red hair, snow-white skin, and the birthmarks under his eyes that look like scars… no doubt he's a familiar face.
And who was there to witness it all? None other than Principal Celestia. She followed the two brawlers to where they were and was wracked with shock and disbelief. The demon that terrorized everyone…
"E...Eternal Flames!" Celestia says, feeling her tears swell up. Yes, the Titan Demon… was her son. Her actual son. The one who had been missing for weeks. She bolted over to her son and checked his pulse and heartbeat.
She starts sobbing to herself… upon hearing a steady heartbeat. She holds her unconscious son in her arms, rocking him side to side. Later, the others show up and are completely blown away to see Celestia holding Eternal. They look back to see the one still standing but bruised up, then to the unconscious one.
"Mom? I...Is that… my brother?" Heat asked, slowly approaching his mom. She looks at Heat and nods. Now Heat is in tears upon finding out his brother was back and home with his family. He runs to his mom and hugs her, along with his unconscious brother.
As the reunited family was having their moment, Inferno landed about 10 feet from them and oversaw the three with confusion and curiosity. As this was going on, the girls made it outside and they were shocked to see the aftermath of Inferno and the Titan Demon’s clash. They then approach the wraith who merely stood where he was.
"Whoa… talk about a war zone. We barely survived that freakish monster terrorizing the city, but you went and clobbered him like it was nothing!" Rainbow said in shock, but her Principal didn't quite share her enthusiasm all that well.
"WATCH YOUR TONGUE!!! THAT'S MY SON YOU'RE CALLING A MONSTER!" Celestia shouted in a rage, shutting Rainbow up… this time, she's not gonna step out of line and… is probably going to have nightmares for weeks.
Inferno, who was unfazed by Celestia’s shouting, turned to face the girls and one by one, he said their names. “Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash…. My friends.” He said.
The girls were surprised that he remembered their names. And soon they were relieved by the fact that a section of his memories returned to him.
"He remembers us! He remembers us!" Starlight exclaimed and ran over to give him a hug. Inferno warmly embraced her in return.
"I… still can't believe it… the demon… was my human counterpart… no… he wasn't any demon… just a victim of foul play… and manipulation," Eternal said, looking down at his arm, which is now flowing with his old demonic aura, recharged. "Why did we have to become victims?"
As Eternal’s demonic aura spiked, Inferno starts to feel this slight hunger in his stomach which confused him and so he shrugged it off.
"It's not your fault, Eternal. You weren't the one who drove him away," Sunset reassured, patting him gently.
As everyone was processing on the situation, Chrysalis sees Celestia and Heat crying happily that their lost family member was found. While she never said anything, she felt a great warmth in her heart, which was pounding fast.
If this is how a family really acts, then maybe it's time she tries to do right by being a part of theirs.
However, a loud booming noise from close by startles everyone and ruins the moment for them. The entire group sees a trail of black crystals coming their way and on top of one of them is a hooded man. He jumps off the crystal and lands in front of them. Immediately everyone, except Inferno, was on the defense and alerted of what is about to happen.
"How touching. The family is all together. It brings tears to my eyes," the man says, mocking them.
"Who are you?" Celestia snarled. "Were you the one who hurt my son?!" But the man just laughed as if it was a joke.
"Please, even if I wanted to, his rage and anger just made him a lost cause. But… he did make a good distraction for me to recover… these," the hooded man then shows off the Demon Crystals and the Moon Gem from inside his cloak.
"The crystals!!!" Twilight gasps.
"Give those back, you savage!" Rarity called out.
"Apologies my dear, but these crystals belong to someone who can truly use them at their maximum potential." The man says before turning to Inferno and smirking more sinisterly. "Well, would you at that. Looks like someone's not only been brought back to life… but also gained a major power boost."
Inferno was confused as to what he said and replied back; “Do I know you?” He asked.
"No, but I…" the man paused before removing his hood, revealing his face. "...certainly know you, Inferno Blaze."
Of course, no one knew who he is until Eternal and Starlight immediately recognized him from Equestria’s past.
“Sombra,” Starlight exclaimed.
“Ding ding! We have a winner,” The corrupted king replied.
"You! You're supposed to be dead! How did you come back?!" Eternal demanded, his eyes becoming demonic red.
"Allow me to explain. My generous leader willingly exchanged half of his lifespan to resurrect me. Why he resurrected me, well… I'm sure my partner can fill you in on this matter. Right… Chrysalis?" Sombra said, putting the big spotlight on the former changeling queen.
Celestia looks over to the guilty party, a little bit confused, but mostly shocked. "Chrysalis… what's going on? Do you… know this madman?" She asks.
Chrysalis, now even more anxious and scared to even say anything, for she knew that if she did, it might break Tia’s heart. But she was in a position which she cannot escape this time. She has no choice… but to confess.
"I… I do. I was… imprisoned in Equestria for trying to overthrow the entire land of Equestria and… now, I was freed from my prison by my… my leader. He offered me something I couldn't refuse… power beyond my wildest dreams, but only if Sombra and I got the crystals. But then… you happened and…" before she could finish her side of the story,
"It interfered with our plan. But luckily for you… the leader gave me the green light to reward you, since you kept that woman and these nuisances out of the way. After all… a deal… is a deal," Sombra grinned as he harnessed the demonic energy from the crystals and powered himself and Chrysalis up by 200%. Both parties levitate high in the air and both felt their strengths returning to them.
At the end of it, a huge purple light blanketed the area for a brief moment. Soon as the light dimmed, Sombra and Chrysalis were both boosted up with newfound powers. Chrysalis had changed into her Evil Queen form while Sombra had a black and red enhanced suit of armor fit for an evil king.
Sombra gave an evil chuckle, then took off and left Chrysalis… who wasn't liking this one bit. Neither was Celestia.
"I… I can't believe you," Celestia said, glaring at Chrysalis, tears in her eyes.
"Celestia, please, I… I know I let you down, but I…" Chrysalis tried to explain.
"Let me down?! You lied to me! You played with my feelings, broke my heart and worst of all… you not only jeopardized my kids, but allowed your partner to USE MY SON FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH GAIN!!! Just stay away from me! And stay away from my family, you… YOU MONSTER!!!" Celestia yelled, tears leaking out of her like little waterfalls, hugging her sons.
Chrysalis, now heartbroken; not from what Celestia said; but from how she had broken Tia’s heart. Before she could shed tears, she used her new changeling wings and hovered into the air and flew away from the area.
"What do we do now? We've got some more baddies to deal with," Pinkie said, feeling worried.
"Simple… you guys are gonna find somewhere to recover. I've got some business to take care of," Eternal said, cracking his knuckles.
"What?! You're crazy! You can't take them on by yourself! You barely survived a beating from your human counterpart! What makes you think you can take on two supercharged bad guys?" Flash asked.
"I have to agree, you're not exactly strong enough to take on this army on your own," Adagio pointed out.
"And on top of that, those two just got juiced from those demon crystals, I say we leave it up to the OP fallen angel dude here, since he kicked ass earlier," Aria pointed out. Inferno looked over to her direction, still confused of the situation.
"No! This is something I have to do! The girls here are injured and Inferno still doesn't know who the real enemies are! Plus, I have my old strength back."
“It's still not enough!” Sunset rebutted.
As everyone was in a heated debate, Inferno starts thinking after hearing the word “enemy”; and soon more memories came flowing back in his mind. But when they did, he began to feel these emotions he can’t explain as he sees these horrifying creatures and this strange looking person with ram horns on his head and another he sees… is… Eternal? But why would he have negative memories of him.
"Maybe not, but I still have to try! I let everyone down once, I'm not gonna let them down again!"
But before Eternal could say more, Inferno let out an inhuman scream like he’s in pain and started gripping on the side of his head as his eyes glow purple once again.
Sunset and Eternal looked over and ran towards their friend. "Inferno, what's the matter, are you feeling hurt?" She asked.
"What's the matter, Inferno?" He asked, putting a hand on his back.
Everyone began to worry for their friend as he was screaming in pain. Then after some parts of his memory came back, the pain went away and he breathed heavily… and he looks towards Eternal with suspicion. “I remember… what my enemies are… I remember… Grogar.” He growled when saying that name. “And… I saw you two...” He points to both Eternal and Heat. “With him… Why?”
Eternal felt like his heart was gonna explode, but he told him the truth. "Listen, I know I sided with Grogar, but he's ancient history now, I left him after you guys saved my life.”
“But… I don’t know why I get angry when I say or hear his name. I can’t remember why I have this hate towards him.” Inferno asked.
"It's…“
“Don’t say it.” Starlight stated to Eternal, strictly. “This is not the right time.”
"Uh… right. Uh… Inferno, that's for you to find out on your own. As for me… I still have a promise to keep. I have a city that needs saving. You guys did your part… now it's my turn," Eternal said.
"You're… seriously gonna take them on all by yourself?" Sunset asked.
"Sunset… I know you don't want me to, but listen… I won't be able to live with myself if the girl I love gets more hurt in the crossfire. Or worse… killed. You and the others like family to me. It's time I repaid my debt to society. Besides… with you in my life… I already have all the power I need." Eternal said.
He strokes her hair as he finishes spilling his guts out to her. She pulls him in for a warm hug and he returns it right away.
"I don't like this plan. But… if that's the case… then promise me you won't die on me, okay?" She asked, looking into his eyes and vice versa.
"I promise," he nods. Little does he know, this risky mission could wound up being his undoing if he's not careful.