MLP FiM x Fairy Tail: Wizards in Equestria

by SonnL

Chapter 7 (2/2): Prelude to All-Out War

As Dread Lord lost consciousness after interfering in the battle between Aura Light and Scarlet Night, he thought that was the end of him.

After losing consciousness, there was complete darkness and he could not feel anything. He thought he was crossing over to the other side, but eventually, he began hearing his own heartbeat and began feeling his limbs again.

“Am I… not dead yet?”

He slowly opened his eyes and woke up to a perplexing sight. He was in a red pod and there was not a single wound on his body. Though greatly confused, he remained calm. The pod opened on its own, releasing him. Dread Lord then found himself in a gigantic chamber containing hundreds of pods like the one he was just in. In these pods were his fellow dark unicorns, including the other nine Red Moon Generals. One by one, they awoke and were released from their pods. They did a head count and determined that a total of 842 dark unicorns were present.

As they explored their new surroundings, they discovered that they were in a dark fortress belonging to Scarlet Night, a fortress that Aura Light had no idea existed. The fortress was hidden from the outside world by concealment magic generated by some dark magic stones placed around the fortress. They came across Scarlet Night’s chamber, where they found her body inside a red cocoon. Thanks to a mystical clock in the fortress that also displayed the date and year, the dark unicorns discovered that 4000 years had passed. They had no idea how they ended up in this point in time, and Dread Lord wondered if the spell that Scarlet Night used before he lost consciousness had anything to do with it.

When they first saw the world outside the fortress, it was night time and they were completely baffled when they saw that the moon had a strange image resembling a unicorn’s head on it. The next morning, their first order of business was gathering information such as history and current structure of the world they woke up in.

The dark unicorns explored Equestria while keeping their presence concealed and avoided contact with the citizens. As a precaution, they used magic to remove their scent so any creature with a keen sense of smell could not trace them back to the fortress. As they gathered information, they could not find any historical records of the land they came from. Starquestria and everything connected to it had apparently faded away into obscurity. No pony alive in the current era would know about the battle between Scarlet Night and Aura Light or what happened to Starquestria after the great war ended.

---

After learning all they could about Equestria, all ten Red Moon Generals had a meeting together.

“We couldn’t find any information pertaining to 4000 years ago, but considering Scarlet Night’s current state, I think it’s safe to assume that she had failed.” Darkspark spoke.

“This is no longer the world we’re familiar with. It’s a shame that Starquestria and the great war have been forgotten.” Blade Dancer added.

“I still can’t believe how different the present world is from the one we left behind. It’s been so peaceful during the reign of this Princess Celestia.” War Spirit said.

“So the foals of this era get to live their lives without knowing the horrors of war. I’m truly envious.” Roaring Blaze commented while thinking about the hell he was forced to endure before meeting Scarlet Night.

“I could not help but think about Aura Light.” Thunder Blast began. “If Scarlet Night is here, is there a chance that Aura could be somewhere in this world as well?”

“It is a possibility that we cannot completely rule out, despite how unlikely it is.” Dread Lord replied.

“What should we do, Dread Lord?” Sapphire Butterfly asked. “As the Upper 1, you will have to lead us in Scarlet Night’s place.”

“You know what we must do. This land… and this world… all belong to Scarlet Night. As her loyal servants, we’re going to bring her back and finish what we started all those years ago.” Dread Lord declared.

The other dark unicorns agreed, but Dread Lord noticed something off about Shadow Mayhem.

“You got something on your mind, Shadow Mayhem?” Dread Lord asked the Upper 5.

“This… may come as a surprise to all of you.” Shadow Mayhem began. “But I have no desire to take part in conquering Equestria, and I wish to leave the Order of Scarlet Night.”

This indeed came as huge surprise to the other Red Moon Generals. Their eyes widened and their jaws dropped in response.

“You want to leave the Order of Scarlet Night?! Have you lost your senses?!” Blade Dancer shouted.

“Actually, I feel better than ever. The anger that had been plaguing me for so many years is no longer there.” Shadow Mayhem explained.

“But your anger did not go away after you got your revenge! Why now?!” Roaring Blaze asked.

“I don’t know and honestly, I don’t care.”

“All those battles together, and you’re throwing it all away?!” Thunder Blast angrily questioned.

“I fought to get rid of my rage, and now it’s gone. I no longer have a purpose here.” Shadow Mayhem calmly said without showing fear of any possible repercussions.

“How long have you known Scarlet Night?! How can you just turn your back on her?!” War Spirit berated.

“Enough!” Dread Lord intervened. “Shadow Mayhem, if that’s how you really feel, then we won’t stop you from leaving.”

The other generals were completely shocked by this.

“However,” Dread Lord continued. “There are a few things I want you to remember. First, you will not tell a soul about us under any circumstances. Also, if you become our enemy, you will not be shown any mercy.”

“Dread Lord, you’re not really going to let him leave, are you?” Cloth Demoness expressed her objection.

Dread Lord ignored her. “Shadow Mayhem, do you understand what I just said?”

“I do.” Shadow Mayhem answered. “This is farewell then.”

Shadow Mayhem was surprised that Dread Lord was willing to let him go. He was expecting the Upper 1 to kill him or at least take away his rank. While they did grow up together, he knew full well about Dread Lord’s devotion to Scarlet Night, so he honestly did not think Dread Lord would be so lenient. Rather than dwelling on it, Shadow Mayhem took his leave.

As he departed, Shadow Mayhem left his cloak and mask behind, not planning on wearing them again. For the first time since the day he lost his family, he felt liberated. No longer driven by rage, he went on to live a quiet life, away from the Order of Scarlet Night, away from everything. Hours after leaving the fortress, he stopped by at a lake. As he was gazing at his own reflection, he used magic to make himself appear as an ordinary unicorn and hid away the scar on his face.

Back in the fortress, the dark unicorns began using its resources to build an army of monsters. Red Rage began his own personal project, the construction of the Doom Cruiser. Placed on each dark unicorn and monster is a disintegration curse that would activate when they’re defeated or captured by an enemy. The dark unicorns vowed that they would not leave any trace of themselves behind if they face defeat. No prisons, no trials, just a warrior’s death. The monsters were not given a choice as they were engineered to follow orders.

---

As the dark unicorns bided their time, they observed Equestria in the meantime as they planned and prepared.

Thanks to a book about predictions and prophecies, the dark unicorns read about Nightmare Moon’s upcoming return. This event occurred around eight months after the dark unicorns awakened in this new world.

The Red Moon Generals used spy bugs to observe the Summer Sun Celebration. From a crystal screen, the generals watched how the events played out. They witnessed the Mane 6’s triumph over Nightmare Moon, and they were not impressed.

“That… was anticlimactic.” Blade Dancer flatly commented right after seeing how Nightmare Moon was defeated.

“Seriously?! That’s it?! No destructive magic flying around! No blood, sweat, or tears! Just one big rainbow?!” Roaring Blaze exclaimed.

“If you ask me, Nightmare Moon’s attempts to hinder these mares were laughable. If it were us, we could have just finished them off in no time flat.” War Spirit scoffed.

After the defeat of Nightmare Moon and the return of Princess Luna, the dark unicorns continued with their observation of Equestria. Since the Summer Sun Celebration, they kept an eye on Twilight Sparkle and her five friends.

When Discord returned, the dark unicorns were actually worried because of his ability to warp reality, and they were greatly relieved when he was imprisoned in stone again. After that, they researched ways to counter the Lord of Chaos in case he would be free again.

Prior to Shining Armor and Cadance’s wedding, the Order of Scarlet Night caught wind that a threat was made against Canterlot thanks to their spies. Sapphire Butterfly chose to go to Canterlot to see the next series of events up close. She kept herself hidden during the changelings’ attack on Equestria’s capital. The Upper 2 returned to the fortress soon after Chrysalis’ plan was foiled, and the generals had another meeting to discuss the recent event.

“So Sapphire Butterfly, what are your thoughts?” Dread Lord inquired.

“The changeling attack said it all. Canterlot’s military is abysmal. Even the unicorns in the royal guard are ineffective. Honestly, I’ve seen star unicorn warriors who were far more competent than those amateurs.” Sapphire Butterfly commented.

“To be fair, they’re not living in an age of war like we did, so it’s no wonder they were so… inept.” Roaring Blaze added. “But then again, how could they expect to defend Equestria if they’re so weak?”

“As for Princess Celestia herself, she was subdued by Chrysalis after a short scuffle just because the latter got strength from feeding on the love from a single stallion. It was pathetic.” Sapphire continued. “Canterlot was just lucky because Chrysalis let her guard down and celebrated her victory prematurely.”

“So why can’t we just make our move?” Cloth Demoness questioned. “If Princess Celestia is so weak to lose to a mere bug, then we should have no problem destroying her.”

“I agree with Cloth Demoness.” Thunder Blast joined in. “The changeling queen is beneath our level, even if she fed on the love from every pony in Canterlot, so Princess Celestia is no threat to us. I’m sure Princess Luna is just as weak as well. I bet defeating both of them is a task that Darkspark can accomplish by herself.”

“No matter how strong or weak the enemy, we will not start a war half-cocked. It’s always best to be thoroughly prepared. Thus, we stick to the plan. We won’t reveal ourselves until we finished building our forces and the construction of the Doom Cruiser is completed. In the meantime, we will continue to observe Equestria as usual. It might encounter more threats besides Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Chrysalis.” Dread Lord stated.

One of the dark ravens arrived to give Dread Lord a report.

“I just received word that the changelings are still at large. I’m curious to see what Chrysalis will do next, assuming she hasn’t given up on taking over Equestria.”

The dark unicorns proceeded to watch the events that came after the wedding, such as: the return of the Crystal Empire, the reform of Discord, Twilight becoming an alicorn, Twilight going to the alternate world to retrieve her crown from Sunset Shimmer, the ordeal with Tirek, and the birth of the Castle of Friendship. After seeing the Mane 6’s first meeting with Starlight Glimmer, Darkspark got an idea on how to make ponies miserable.

---

While the dark unicorns were plotting and building their forces in secret, Shadow Mayhem wandered aimlessly around Equestria, planning to enjoy his quiet life in this land as much as possible before the Order of Scarlet Night declare war. While roaming the wilds, he survived on whatever edible plants and berries he could find. Thanks to his power, he never had to worry about predatory creatures. He occasionally stayed at a village or a town and did honest work to earn money. As a wanderer, he did not stay in one place for too long. He managed to avoid Tirek when he was stealing magic from ponies throughout Equestria.

A few days after Tirek’s defeat at the hooves of the Mane 6, he arrived at a remote village. He was completely exhausted from traveling a long distance on hoof and he collapsed right after his arrival. Soon, he was discovered by a certain earth pony mare and her parents (also earth ponies). They took him back to their home and gave him food, and Shadow Mayhem emptied his plate in a few moments.

After finishing his meal, Shadow Mayhem graciously bowed to the family.

“Thank you for your kindness.” Shadow Mayhem expressed his gratitude. “Let me help you out as payback. I’ll do any chore or task you ask. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, or grocery shopping. You name it.”

“Oh, don’t you worry. You don’t owe us anything.” The mother said kindly.

“I am Bright Flower and these are my parents.” The mare introduced herself and her family. “What’s your name?”

“M-my name?” Shadow Mayhem thought carefully for a moment. “It’s… Soni. Yes! My name is Soni!”

After hearing that he had no home, Bright Flower and her parents took him in. Using the name that he abandoned a long time ago, Shadow Mayhem helped the family out at their farm, where they grew various vegetables.

When he was asked about his past, he quickly made up a brief story that his parents died in an accident when he was young and he grew up in an orphanage. He avoided thinking too hard about his past, not wanting to risk his rage returning.

He spent around a year with Bright Flower and her parents. During his time with the family, he felt like he shouldn’t stay with them. He thought about leaving many times, but could not bring himself to do so. That was because he was feeling something he had not felt in a long time, happiness. And he did not want to let go of it. Bright Flower also developed romantic feelings for him.

One day, the village was having a festival and Bright Flower took the opportunity to spend the day alone with him. The two played games and ate various foods together.

While watching the fireworks together that night, Bright Flower decided to pop the question.

“Soni… I have something… really important to tell you.”

“What is it?” Shadow Mayhem asked curiously.

“You see, Soni… You have a special place in my heart. I… want us to spend the rest of our lives together. I want to start a family with you. Will you… marry me and make me the happiest mare in Equestria?”

He took a moment to process what Bright Flower just said to him before giving his answer.

“I’m sorry… but for reasons I can’t explain… I cannot reciprocate your feelings.” Shadow Mayhem rejected Bright Flower’s marriage proposal. “Also, you should not fall in love with me.”

“What…? But why?” Bright Flower felt dejected.

“It’s not you. It’s me. It’s just… I’m not deserving of love.”

“But that’s not true!” Bright Flower objected. “I love you because you’re nice and you worked hard for me and my parents.”

“I’m really sorry.” Shadow Mayhem apologized again. “I can’t tell you why I can’t marry you. I just can’t.”

Seeing that he had something weighing on his mind, Bright Flower relented. “It’s okay. I won’t force you to talk about it, but know that I’ll always be here for you.”

Shadow Mayhem felt guilty for making Bright Flower sad. Deep down, he was overjoyed when she asked him to marry her, but he could never forget all the lives he took in an effort to quell his rage. Even though it all happened over 4000 years ago, time doesn’t absolve him of his sins, and Bright Flower should not have a murderer like him for a husband. Shadow Mayhem could not tell her the truth about his past and Dread Lord expressly forbade him from telling anypony about the Order of Scarlet Night. He also had a lingering fear that his rage would resurface, but he hoped that staying with Bright Flower would prevent that from happening. However, fate had other plans.

One day after the royal Crystalling in the Crystal Empire…

Shadow Mayhem was out in the village market, helping Bright Flower and her father sell vegetables. A unicorn mare approached their stall.

“Hey there.” Shadow Mayhem greeted the unicorn, but then his eyes widened in shock.

“I see you’re doing well.” The unicorn said to him.

“Sapphire Butterfly?!”

The unicorn nodded. Even though she disguised herself as a normal unicorn, Shadow Mayhem still recognized her and he knew that she didn’t come for a casual visit.

“Soni, do you know her?” Bright Flower asked.

“I… need to speak with her alone for a moment.” Shadow Mayhem answered with a serious tone.

Sapphire Butterfly and Shadow Mayhem went outside the village to talk in private. Sapphire placed a sound-proof barrier around them so nopony could eavesdrop, especially Bright Flower, who was watching from afar.

“Why have you come here? Are you going to try to persuade me to return?” Shadow Mayhem questioned. “You better not be thinking of threatening Bright Flower and her parents. They have been kind to me.”

“Relax. I’m not here to hurt anypony. I just want to show you something… interesting.” Sapphire then gave Shadow Mayhem a newspaper.

He saw the article about Flurry Heart’s birth.

“What is this? Is this some sick joke?!” Shadow Mayhem raised his voice.

“It’s no joke. A princess has been born an alicorn.”

“Why…? Why are you showing me this?!”

“You would have found out eventually. Sorry for taking your time. I’ll be leaving now.”

Sapphire Butterfly took her leave as Shadow Mayhem furiously tore the newspaper to shreds.

At that moment, his tranquility had been shattered. The agonizing feeling that he hoped would never return had resurfaced. The scar that he hid away started burning, and Premium Shine, the one pony he wanted to forget about, kept appearing in his mind as if she was mocking him.

Shadow Mayhem returned to his room in Bright Flower’s house instead of going back to the village market. As he sat on his bed, his body twitched as it was consumed by the flames of hatred. The existence of a princess that has everything, even alicorn status, given to her on a silver platter the moment she was born is something that Shadow Mayhem cannot accept.

Later that evening, Bright Flower went to his room to check on him.

“Soni, what’s wrong?” Bright Flower was deeply concerned for him.

“Go away. Leave me.” Shadow Mayhem answered harshly.

“Was it something that unicorn said? What was on that newspaper?”

“I SAID LEAVE ME!!!” He snapped.

Bright Flower was frightened by his outburst.

“Sorry…” Shadow Mayhem regained control of himself. “I… need to be left alone right now.”

He remained in his room and he did not join the family for dinner that night. The next morning, Bright Flower went to his room again.

“Soni… I’m coming in.”

Bright Flower entered his room, but he was not there.

“Soni, where are you?”

She searched the house, her family’s farm, and the whole village, but she could not find him. He had already left and he did not leave any note behind.

Shadow Mayhem severed all ties with Bright Flower and removed his disguise. He wanted to go to the Crystal Empire and kill the alicorn infant, but he knew that Dread Lord would not allow him to do so. Even though he could easily assassinate Flurry Heart without being seen, it would still cause a huge uproar, and Dread Lord would not want any dark unicorn causing a major incident until the Order of Scarlet Night is ready to begin their war. Thus, he returned to Scarlet Night’s fortress.

---

Having returned to being the vengeful dark unicorn consumed by rage, Shadow Mayhem rejoined the Order of Scarlet Night.

“Good to have you back, comrade.” Dread Lord greeted Shadow Mayhem as he gave the Upper 5 back his cloak and mask.

“I can’t believe that it took the birth of an alicorn for you to rejoin us.” Roaring Blaze teased. That made Shadow Mayhem glared daggers at him.

“The Red Moon Generals are now whole again.” Sapphire Butterfly smiled.

However, War Spirit was not as welcoming.

“You abandoned your duties and you think you can just waltz back here and pretend it didn’t happen! It’s unacceptable!” War Spirit spoke to Shadow Mayhem in a furious tone. “I challenge you to a duel and if I win, I’m taking your rank!”

Normally, infighting is strictly forbidden in the Order of Scarlet Night. However, if there is any dissatisfaction between the members of the Red Moon Generals, a general may invoke the right to challenge another general of a higher rank to change their position in the hierarchy.

Shadow Mayhem accepted War Spirit’s challenge. The two fought with Shadow Mayhem emerging as the victor. Therefore, there was no change in the hierarchy and War Spirit begrudgingly accepted Shadow Mayhem back into the Order of Scarlet Night. Since this was only a dispute between Red Moon Generals, the disintegration curse did not apply in this case.

In the days that followed, Shadow Mayhem obsessively spied on Flurry Heart. Seeing her living the happy pampered life made him sick to his stomach. The one thing Flurry Heart did that really infuriated him was wasting away mash peas. When he was a colt, his parents had to work hard to make sure he was fed and living in poverty made him have a deep appreciation for food. Flurry Heart, on the other hoof, never had to worry about hunger and seeing her waste food without a care in the world made his blood boil. Each time she made a mess with the mash peas, Shadow Mayhem wished that he could punish her by shoving them down her throat. The Upper 5 swore that when the time comes, he would make the alicorn-born princess know true suffering.

---

The Order of Scarlet Night observed more events including Chrysalis’ second failed attempt to take over Equestria, the return of the Pillars and the Pony of Shadows, and the Storm King’s invasion. During the event in which Cozy Glow was stealing Equestria’s magic, Scarlet Night’s fortress and the dark unicorns remained unaffected. The Red Moon Generals rolled their eyes at Cozy Glow’s scheme because taking away Equestria’s magic would only come back to bite her when the Order of Scarlet Night begin their war. Later, the dark unicorns witnessed the events orchestrated by Discord, who was posing as Grogar at the time. They were deeply disappointed that Discord did not take any measures to ensure that the villains he assembled do not scheme behind his back.

Nearly one year after Twilight Sparkle was crowned ruler of Equestria, the construction of the Doom Cruiser was completed and the Order of Scarlet Night had created the desired number of monsters. The Red Moon Generals decided to make their first appearance during Twilight’s anniversary party at Ponyville. To ensure that Discord would never interfere in their war, they sealed him in the chaos dimension on the day before the party.

A few hours before Twilight arrived at Ponyville for her anniversary party…

“At last, we will reveal ourselves to Equestria. At last, we will bring hell to this land.” Red Rage was tingling with anticipation.

“The ponies of this era, the dragons, the yaks, the changelings, the griffons, the hippogriffs, and the kirins. None of them are prepared for what we have in store for them. We can crush them all, hundreds of times over. This war will make their last battle against Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow look like child’s play.” Thunder Blast was eager to get the war started.

“Too bad this war is going to be a bore.” Roaring Blaze said flatly.

“I almost feel bad that we’re going to take away the smiles from all the foals, almost.” Darkspark grinned.

“I have one question. What if Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends don’t survive the monster attack right after our introduction?” Sapphire Butterfly asked Dread Lord.

“If they don’t survive, then we won’t have to waste a single ounce of our energy on them, simple as that.” Dread Lord answered. “Either way, Equestria won’t be the same again once we’re done.”

“Don’t forget your promise, Dread Lord. Flurry Heart’s life is mine to destroy.” Shadow Mayhem said sternly.

Little did the dark unicorns know at the time, Aura Light had already sensed their plot from the ethereal plane.

---

Back in the present, Aura Light finished telling her story to the Mane 7 and Fairy Tail.

“My first big regret was having to go to war with my sister. I’ve always wondered… if I had been more careful, could I have prevented Scarlet Night from going down the path of destruction before it occurred? My second regret was being unable to end it all 4000 years ago. If I had not wavered, my sister would not have the chance to use the spell that sent her servants to this time. Because of my moment of weakness, many Equestrians have suffered and I’m deeply sorry for all those who lost loved ones. Fairy Tail, I sincerely apologize for dragging you all into this. If I could stop the Order of Scarlet Night myself, I would. But… there’s not much I can do after I lost my physical form.”

It took some time for all the listeners to process everything they heard. Cana, Mirajane, Elfman, Lisanna, Cadance, and Shining Armor also heard the story even though they’re not at the guild hall.

“Honestly, I can’t say I blame you for hesitating. Fighting your own family could never have been easy.” Gray said as he thought about the time he fought his father during Fairy Tail’s battle against the dark guild, Tartaros.

“It’s as you said before, you cannot predict everything.” Lucy chimed in. “We cannot change the past, but we can still fight for the future. We already accepted your request to ensure Scarlet Night’s downfall, and when we accepted a mission, we’re going to see it through to its end.”

“Gee, hearing this story made me think about how small and trivial my sad past was in comparison.” Starlight felt guilty for having a negative worldview on cutie marks just because Sunburst left her during their childhood.

Applejack had mixed feelings. A part of her wanted to blame Aura for everything that had happened. If the Order of Scarlet Night never came to the present, Equestria would not face a horrible war, and every creature would continue living their lives in peace. Applejack would be spending her days growing and harvesting apples with her family as usual, and Granny Smith would get to live happily until her life ends naturally instead of her life getting taken from her in a violent manner. However, Applejack thought about what Aura went through so she remained silent.

Bright Flower, who had just recently arrived at the guild hall, was heartbroken to hear that the stallion she loved was a dark unicorn that took part in mass murder.

“Well, this has been enlightening.” Twilight began. “But we have an important matter to focus on. We need to come up with a plan to find Flurry Heart.”

Just before anyone started brainstorming, the alarm on the Magic Radar started blaring, prompting Warren to check it.

“There’s a dark unicorn sitting just outside of Ponyville!” Warren exclaimed. “And it has a high magic power signature! It could be a Red Moon General!”

The Mane 7 and the wizards quickly went outside to confront the dark unicorn in question. Waiting for them was the Upper 1.

“Hello there.” Dread Lord spoke.

“You’re going to pay for what you did to Gildarts!” Natsu leaped towards the general with a fire-imbued fist.

“Natsu, wait!” Gray shouted.

Dread Lord simply launched Natsu back with a magic blast.

“Jeez Natsu, can you not rush into a fight without thinking first!?” Gray berated.

Aura then appeared before Dread Lord. “It’s been a long time, Pale Star.”

“Aura Light, so this is your current state.” Dread Lord remarked on Aura’s current spiritual form. “How pitiful. Long ago, you were Scarlet Night’s equal in terms of power. Now, you have fallen so low that you need outsiders to fight your battle.”

“Are you so bold to come here all by yourself?” Aura asked.

“I’m not actually here for a fight. I’m here to deliver this.” Dread Lord then tossed a piece of folded parchment.

Erza picked up the parchment and unfolded it.

“What is this?” Erza inquired.

“That is a map to our fortress.” Dread Lord answered.

All those present were taken by surprise.

“You’re giving us the location of your fortress?! Why would you do that?!” Erza exclaimed.

“Because we, the Order of Scarlet Night, now invite the Council of Friendship and Fairy Tail to face us in our element.”

Everyone was then rendered speechless by Dread Lord’s invitation.

“And how do we know this map is genuine and not some trick?” Erza further questioned.

“Aura Light can confirm it for you. The concealment spell that kept our fortress hidden has been lifted. I’m sure she can sense Scarlet Night.”

“Dread Lord!” Twilight spoke up. “Is Flurry Heart at the fortress!? Is she still alive!?”

“Yes, she is at the fortress and she is still alive. Shadow Mayhem is not done with her. To make sure she doesn’t die just yet, he healed her. And then he tortured her again, rinse and repeat.” The Upper 1 explained nonchalantly. He was also anticipating the reactions of all those listening and he was not disappointed as he saw expressions of horror, anger, and disgust.

On one hoof, Twilight was relieved that there is still hope to save Flurry Heart. But on the other hoof, she was disgusted to hear that Shadow Mayhem was only keeping her alive just to prolong her suffering.

“I cannot guarantee how long Shadow Mayhem intends to keep Flurry Heart alive. If you want her returned, breathing and in one piece, then you know what you must do. If you choose not to accept our invitation, I’m sure Shadow Mayhem will eventually return the little princess to the Crystal Empire. Piece… by… piece.”

Having said enough, Dread Lord teleported away.

“Aura, is what Dread Lord said was true? Can you sense Scarlet Night?” Carla asked.

“Yes, I can sense her. And I sense no deception from Dread Lord. Scarlet Night hasn’t awakened yet, but it is imminent.”

“That would explain why the dark unicorns chose not to hide their fortress anymore.” Panther Lily said.

Natsu tried to take a peek at the map, but Erza pulled it away from him.

“Natsu, don’t even think about charging in there all by yourself.” Erza said sternly. “We’re going to attack the fortress together, understand?”

“Okay, fine.” Natsu pouted.

“This is our chance. We can finally take the fight to the dark unicorns!” Twilight pointed out.

“True, but they’re expecting us. No doubt there will be an army waiting for us and I’m certain every dark unicorn, including the remaining Red Moon Generals, will be there as well.” Erza commented.

“It’s going to be one hell of a fight.” Gajeel chimed in. “And we’ll definitely have to get past the generals before we can reach Scarlet Night.”

“This could be it, the battle that will determine the fate of Equestria once and for all.” Starlight added.

“Oooooh, looks like we’re getting to the point in the story where every last major antagonist gets taken down one by one, and it all leads to… THE ULTIMATE BATTLE AGAINST THE FINAL ENEMY!!!!” Pinkie shouted out.

“There’s something I need to inform you all. I sense ten Red Moon Generals. It appears that the four lower generals that were defeated have been replaced.” Aura explained.

“Are you kidding me?! The number of Red Moon Generals has gone back to ten?!” Rainbow Dash screeched.

“This changes nothing. Our goal stays the same. We will defeat all the Red Moon Generals and Scarlet Night.” Erza declared.

“Then it’s settled. WE WILL ATTACK SCARLET NIGHT’S FORTRESS TONIGHT!!!!” Twilight bellowed with her Canterlot voice.

“Let’s do it!” Gray replied.

“This is what I’ve been looking forward to.” Gajeel said with an eager expression.

“This war has to end tonight.” Natsu said with a fierce look as he struck a fist into the palm of his other hand.