"So where are we going to reclaim Volcan's spirit? "Zeon asked looking at the princesses.
"Your journey will start at the Everfree forest, there follow the river up to the largest mountain. At the bottom of the mountain there will be large boulder with a giant dragon's claw marks on it. Use your magic to light all four claws, in doing so should open the pathway into the mountain." Princess Celestia says as Zeon and the mane 6 depart on their journey.
Once the group arrived back in Ponyville, they immediately headed to the edge of Everfree, standing on the dirt path that lead into the forest. Building up the strength, the group made their way into the dense trees, their ears perked up for the sound of the river, soon coming across a narrow river, flowing fast and hard, ready to pull any unsuspecting victim into its raging waters.
"I trust this is the river Celestia mention, or is there another river in this forest?" Zeon asked looking up the river where the water was flowing down from.
"Eyup, this is the river. It's the only one that flows through the forest over in these parts." Applejack answered, holding onto her hat as she looked over the edge and into the river.
"Then our destination is up the river, and by the looks of it, we got quite some walking to do." Twilight said looking up raging stream to the mountain range that barely broke through the top of the trees, the group starting their long trek.
After three hours, they had walked 15 miles up the river and soon they come into view of the largest mountain there was, where the very tip couldn't be seen through the thick clouds that surrounded a good portion of its tip and base.
"This must be the largest mountain princess Celestia talked about. Seems big enough to contain a large creature in it." Twilight said as she examined the mountain up and down.
"And that there must be the entrance." Applejack pointed to the large boulder that had a giant dragon claw-print imbedded in it.
"Well let's waste no more time and get into that mountain and retrieve Volcan's spirit…..hopefully." Zeon said hoping that he'd be able to wield Volcan like Princess Celestia said.
As they examined the giant dragon claw marks, they all began to think of how exactly they were supposed to light the claws.
"Maybe we should light them like a Birthday cake" Pinkie Pie said going up to first claw mark and lights it with a match she pulled out of her mane.
As Pinkie pie lit the match up she touched it to the claw which in turn caught the claw on fire.
"1 down 3 to go." Pinkie said as she suddenly noticed the flame go out. "Hey" she exclaimed as she tries to relight it only to have it go out, repeating the process over and over till she ran out of matches.
"Uh Pinkie, maybe they aren't supposed to be light up by fire, Sugarcube." Applejack said getting Pinkie Pie down commending the pink party pony for her effort.
"Well then how are we supposed to "light" it then Darling?" Rarity asked.
"Maybe we are supposed to light them like we would a Hearths Warming Eve decoration." Twilight said walking up to the giant claw mark and examined some.
"Ok and how do you propose we do that?" Zeon asked walking over to Twilight making her blush some and making the claws all glow the same color blue as his fur.
"I think we just found out how." Rainbow Dash said flying up to Zeon patting him on the shoulder.
"And how do you suppose I do that, Rainbow Dash?" Zeon asked her looking a bit confused. "I know I'm an Alicorn and all but I don't think my magic is THAT strong enough to light all 4 claws. Hell, I still have some troubles doing simple levitation spells."
"Try focusing your magic into just your horn and touch it to the middle of the marking." Fluttershy commented, in her usually soft timid voice.
"Ok, its worth a shot." Zeon said sighing as he walked in front of the giant claw mark and started to focus his magic on it making his horn glow blue.
Once enough magic was focused on, he touched the tip of his horn onto the giant claw marks, his horn began to glow brighter and brighter as the marking started to illuminate, and before long, the entire claw mark was glowing blue and the claws were lit with blue flames. After the claws were lit, the entire rock the giant claw mark was on began to move and before long, levitating in the air before landing back softly to the ground, allowing a safe passage into the mountain.
"Alright everypony, let's get moving." Twilight said walking into the passage lighting the way with her horn.
"B-b-but it so dark in there, what if there's scary creatures in there." Flutter shy said once seeing just how dark the cave got, shaking as she sat on her flank.
"Don't worry Fluttershy the only creature that's in there should only be Volcan, and he's one creature that will stop at nothing to keep you safe." Zeon reassuring Fluttershy before pushing on into the cave, illuminating his horn as a source of light and built in flashlight.
"Plus, you'll be surrounded by your best friends that will help you. Just think of all the other scary stuff we've dealt with. You didn't show any fear when you talked to that big scary dragon that was napping in that mountain by Ponyville." Pinkie Pie said popping by Fluttershy's side and nudging her side.
"Well, I guess it can't be that bad then." Fluttershy said taking in a deep breath and rejoins the others with Pinkie Pie right behind her.
As everypony walked through the large cave, Twilight couldn't help but look at Zeon walking next to her. Over the past few months that Zeon had been with them, Twilight had started to grow somewhat of a crush for the alicorn, and when he came over to her library from time to time, Twilight couldn't help but feel herself get flustered and hot when her gaze came across him.
"Twilight." Zeon said looking at her.
"Yes Zeon?" Twilight responded feeling her heart beat increasing some.
"You might wanna stop before you fall off the edge." Zeon said, his hoof extended out, holding her by the tail.
"What do you mean?" Twilight said blushing not realizing that her front hooves were no longer on solid ground as she walked in place.
She soon breaks out of her day dream realizing the situation she had literally walked into and began to try and balance herself back up before she fell into the darkness below her. Luckily for her Zeon had a firm hold of her tail and was pulling her back and keeping her from falling.
"Eh Heh Heh Thanks." Twilight said feeling embarrassed that she almost just got herself seriously hurt.
"Oh, it was nothing. Just try and keep your eyes forward next time." Zeon joked as he walked by them. "I'm going to go and see if I can find a bridge or something to get us across to the other side." Zeon said walking off to find a way across, leaving the girls alone.
"Uh, you ok there, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked walking up to her and placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder feeling concerned.
"Yeah, I'm ok, I've never felt better." Twilight said putting on a fake smile trying to hide her blush, sweat, and embarrassment.
"Yah sure about that, yah sure are sweating a lot and we can practically see that blush glowing on your cheeks. Plus the fact that yah keep looking towards the way Zeon went… and yah aren't paying attention." Applejack sighed heavily as Twilight stared off.
"Well darling, if I wasn't mistaken, our Twilight is...." "Sick, no no no she's uh tired, uh crazy, wait wait wait she's getting a new book, she's got a…uh… nope, I'm out guess." Rarity says nudging Applejack's shoulder before Pinkie Pie came in beside them and began to guessing.
"Uh… not exactly Pinkie darling. Twilight is showing the sigh of old fashion school filly pash." Rarity says looking at Pinkie.
"Ooooooohhhhhhh…............ I'm not following you." Pinkie said looking confused at Rarity.
"Well, just look her. She's swooning, blushing mad, constantly giggling. She is showing the sure signs of having a crush on a certain blue Alicorn." Rarity pointed out to Pinkie Pie.
"Princess Luna?" Pinkie Pie asks.
"What!? NO, Princess Luna is neither here and is a dark shade of blue like the night sky. I'm talking about Zeon, Twilight has a crush on Zeon. Twilight is in love with Zeon." Rarity states out.
"But isn't Zeon already have feelings for one of the princesses?" Rainbow Dash asks fly above them.
"I think so, but do you think Twilight knows that." Fluttershy said looking at a love struck Twilight.
"Yeah, Ah don't think so either, Ah also have never seen her act like this neither." Applejack said.
"The only time I've seen Twilight act like…. Eh…this before was whenever we came across a new library." Rarity added as they all stared at Twilight.
Over with Zeon, he was in the process of building a bridge out of vines, wood and rocks.
"Uuuggghhh, this is a lot harder without fingers. Even using my magic is making it difficult." Zeon growled trying to finish tying up the last piece of wood and rock together. "Nnngggghhhhh it's times like these I wish I knew a transformation spell, or better yet a spell that gave me fingers at least."
After 10 minutes of messing with the vine ropes used as the railings, Zeon rolled up the newly constructed bridge and brought with him back to the others.
"Well girls, it took me a while to make it but I managed to make us a bridge for us to cross." Zeon announced laying the bridge out and tying the stabilizing ropes to some rock pillars. "This will help us get across." Zeon said as he walked across the bridge as everyone else followed behind.
Soon after walking for a few more minutes, they soon came across a large cavern entrance that looked big enough to fit a monster sized creature in it.
"This must be the place where Volcan's spirit resides." Twilight says looking at the large entrance.
"Last one in is a stale cupcake!" Pinkie Pie shouts as she quickly bounces towards the entrance before she was stopped in mid bounce by a magic field and forced backwards. "Ouchie. What's the big idea?"
"That's strange, it seems that a barrier has been put up, no doubt as a way of keeping unwanted guests who managed to find a way in out." Twilight says as she pokes at the force field blocking the way in.
"Well then, I guess this is where the truth comes out, to see if I have that Kaiju wielding blood in me." Zeon states as he walks up to the entrance taking in a deep breath.
Zeon began to slowly walk into the entrance, clenching his eyes shut, praying that the force field wouldn't activate and send him flying backwards, denying him access to Volcan's spirit but after walking a couple feet past the entrance, he opens one eye and sees that the barrier had let him pass by safely, revealing that he really had Kaiju wielding blood with in him.
"Well this is where we separate. You girls head back out of the mountain, if there's one thing I know about giant Kaijus inside mountains like this, it's that when they come out, they bring a good chunk of the mountain down and his cave WILL cave in." Zeon informs them as he gets ready to venture a head.
"Ok, now you be careful now." Applejack said as she led everyone out.
"Don't worry, I will." Zeon assured Applejack.
"Wait Zeon!" Twilight said trotting over to the entrance stopping before the barrier forced onto her flank.
"Yeah? Something you need?" Zeon asked turning around to face Twilight.
"Yes, there's something I want to tell you." She said as her heart began to beat faster, legs feeling shaky, and her head feeling lighter than usual.
"And what might that be?" Zeon asked as he walked over to the unicorn who was looking like an old fashion shy school girl.
"Well I wanted to tell you…umm uh… that uh…I umm… that I love… love… love it if you returned back safely." Twilight quickly said unable to bring herself to confess her feelings and how she felt about him.
"Oh…. Uh ok, I'll make sure that I come back safe and sound." Zeon said finding it a bit odd how it took her a while to say that but then started to wonder if she meaning to say something else.
Failing to tell Zeon of her feelings for him, she reunited with the others who stopped and waited for her, having also heard her failed attempts but were choosing not to say anything to her. As Twilight walked by the others, she held her head slightly tilted downward in a way to hide her embarrassment and deep blush from the others.
"Ok, I may not be an expert in this kind of situation, but I think Twilight has more than a school filly crush on Zeon there." Applejack exclaimed looking at Rarity.
"I'm starting to think that the school filly crush was an understatement." Rarity admitted looking back at Applejack.
Meanwhile, 300 miles away from the mountain, a large ship could be seen high in the sky flying around in the clouds, and deep within the ship's cockpit, a white furred unicorn, with a spiked, black mane and tail with grey highlights, a cutie mark with 4 slash marks with a dragons eye over them, and three scars on his left eye that went from forehead, across his eye to his lower jaw, laid curled up un a large throne like seat in the shape of a dragon skull, fast asleep as the room he was in was dark and slightly smokey.
"King Slasher? I bring an urgent report to you." A Pegasus soldier said walking into the room where the unicorn slept, slowly starring from his slumber.
"Who dares to wake me?" The unicorn asked in annoyance, his voice robotic as his vocal cords were damaged sometime ago. his fiery orange eyes slowly opening to look at the Pegasus soldier with a dagger piercing gaze.
"Apologies for disturbing you, your highness, but one of our Kaiju transporters has just landed." The soldier said bowing.
"WHAT?! Impossible. Every single one of our Kaiju transporter hasn't been touched for centuries since the Great Kaiju War and when our "beloved" King Midnight fell to his utter demise." Slasher said in a venomous tone.
Well, having to go see how a random Kaiju transporter had just arrived, Slasher got up from his throne chair and walked past the soldier standing a little over 3ft taller than the average pony did. Meanwhile on the large lading strip on the top of the ship all the soldiers, which consisted of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, were all standing holding/levitating their weapons, pointed at the ship. Slasher soon came storming out onto the run way, which caught the attention of a Pegasus general.
"Ah, King Slasher, I'm surprised you showed up here." The general exclaimed walking beside the unicorn.
"Don't act so surprised, general, I demand to know why the hell there is a Kaiju transporter here when ALL of our transporters should be in the hanger." Slasher growled as he glared at the ship.
"We are giving our best efforts to get the pilot to exit the ship but any orders given goes unresponsive ." The general informed looking at the transporter as the other soldier created a pathway to the transporter.
"Well apparently your "efforts" are worthless." Slasher lashed out at the general as he approached the ship's entrance door and began to pound on it "Alright whoever you are, you have till the count of three to exit the ship or we WILL open fire on you" Slasher informed backing away from the ship, "1…..2….." Slasher began counting before the ship's door began slowly opening up. as it did, a ton of dark red smoke spewed out as a large dark silhouette walked into view.
"If you dare fire at me, it WILL be the last thing you ever do..... Slasher." The pony said, his menacing voice sending both shock and fear into the soldiers they had ever felt in centuries. Even into Slasher himself.
"What…No… I-I-it cannot be?! Midnight!" Slasher stuttered seeing his old master standing right in front of him.
"That is "KING" Midnight to you. Yes, I have returned, Slasher. And I see you didn't waste any time taking over my throne and my armies." King Midnight said as he walked off the ship and approached Slasher. "But sadly for you, your days of ruling are over now that I, the rightful ruler of The Kaijan army and all the Kaijus that are in it, have returned. It is time for you to step down and return to your rightful place as my second-in-command, less I force you to step down."
"*Groan* That won't be necessary, my liege." Slasher reluctantly surrendered, feeling angered that he had just lost 2000 years worth of ruling back to his old master and had been returned back to his role as second-in-command. "Soldiers of the Kaijan Army, I, Slasher, here by relinquish my title as king back to our returning lord and master, King Midnight." Slasher announces as everypony there began to cheer, yelling and chanting "Long live King Midnight" out of fear if they didn't.
Well, while everyone cheered, a blood red pegasus mare with rose colored mane and tail with violet purple bolt highlights and a cutie mark with a pair of sharp wing (similar to that of the ones on the Alicorn amulet) with flames and lightning bolts coming out from behind them, came walking out, her outfit color being black compared to the other soldier's outfits being a dark grey, signifying her higher ranking, as she approached Midnight and Slasher.
"King Midnight, my liege, I am glad to hear of your return." The mare said walking up to him and immediately bowing.
"Admiral Blazewings. I have indeed returned, for no force in this world can hold me, try as they might." Midnights says looking at the mare.
"Well, seeing it that you have been imprisoned for a little over 2000 years, I think it be better if you saw every recorded Equestrian news that our computers have." Blazing says as King Midnight walks past her to go and see all the recorded data.
After King Midnight had walked out of view, Blazewings walked over to a very angered Slasher.
"I see you're very upset of Midnight's return." She said standing beside Slasher looking up to his gaze.
"You think. I had everything until HE returned, all high and mighty, demanding his place back as ruler." Slasher says looking down at the mare as they walk back into the ship.
"Why don't you just challenge Midnight, challenge him for the role of king." Blazewings says pointing to Slasher.
"I would if I had a chance against him and his powers. I don't want another incident like last time, I already suffer enough with what he had done to my vocal cords, forcing me to replace them with artificial robotic cords. I don't wanna know what will happen if I challenge him for the role as king. For all I care he could rip my vocal cords out and silence me for good." Slasher said as his ears pinned down as his head lowered down, knowing the fact he was weaker thank King Midnight.
After seeing him admit his inability to stand against King Midnight, Blazewings hovered up to his head and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, you'll eventually find a way to out strength Midnight. And besides, you'll always be the true king in my books." she says comforting the unicorn.
"You really think so?" Slasher would chuckle as he puts his hooves around the pegasus and held her in front of him.
"Oh I know so, King Slasher." Blazewings said as she leaned her head in close to his as they got ready to share a kiss, but before their lips could connect, sensory alarm on the ship began to go off, blaring deep low horns, out, making the monitor screens flash red.
"What's going on?" King Midnight asked walking into the cockpit.
"One of our sensors have picked up 7 pony life signals emanating from the same mountain that Volcan had last been seen around before disappearing completely." Blazewings said as she rushed over to the main monitor and pulled up the mountains image where it showed 7 red dots on it flashing inside the mountain, 6 of which were heading towards the bottom of the mountain while the 7th dot was showing heading towards the center of the mountain.
"What are the chances King Sunbeam and Queen Night Star are actively looking for the beast responsible for my defeat." King Midnight said watching the 7th red dot approach the center.
"Actually, my liege. King Sunbeam and Queen Night Star have stepped down from the throne and gave the roll of rulers of Equestria to their daughters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna some years later." Slasher corrected.
"Oh? So we have new rulers now do we? Well no matter. Send down Kelbeam and Golza down and have them bring down that mountain. That pony must not be able to revive or reawaken Volcan at any cost. I will not stand to have that monster stand in my way again" King Midnight ordered, stamp his right hoof onto the ground.
"At once, your highness." The two soldiers say bowing their head before running off and activating two of their Kaiju transporter ships, beaming in Kelbeam and Golza into their systems and taking off, making their way towards the mountain.