Providing lists of important leaders and some of the staging grounds, Everblight's faction has managed to not only won several skirmishes but have even manage to free some of the griffins.
Hearing babbling behind her, Twilight smile as Bright Dusk reach for her. "You have a nice nap sweetie," seeing the filly clap her hands with a smile, Twilight hugs Bright Dusk softly, "that's good." Feeling some of her mane getting grabbed, Twilight ease it out of Dawn Star's grip when the filly pulls on it, "Now, now if you're hungry use your words."
A few minutes after breastfeeding and changing the two infants, Twilight place the pair in a stroller while using her magic to bring over a folder. Stepping out of the library, she waves back at a couple on the other side of the road.
Heading in the direction of Rarity's Boutique, she meets with Fluttershy and Applejack as they walk down the road, "Hey girls, how are you doing?"
"Jus' fine Sugercube," hugging the alicorn, the farm mare looks down at the pair of infants, "and how our favorite little fillies?"
"Impatient when they're hungry," as the pegasus and earth pony laugh, Twilight smiles at the pair of yawning fillies. Walking to the door, she beams at her other friends and Gilda, "Good to see everypony."
"You said that you have something important to show me," crossing her arms across her chest, the lone griffin in the building frowns as Twilight pulls out the folder.
Flipping the folder open, Twilight clears her throat, "First off, the princesses and Queen Faust thanks you for providing information of the various staging areas and people of importance." Ignoring the preening griffin, she turns to the next page, "Unfortunately, none of the scientists back in Canterlot have been able to find a way to cure the blight."
"WHAT?!" as Gilda screech out, the pair of infants sniffle quietly, "I CAN'T BE STUCK LIKE THIS! I CAN'T!'"
As a sad expression cross over her face, Fluttershy wraps her arms around the blighted griffin's neck, "Don't worry Gilda, we'll help you adjust." Feeling the griffin grip her tightly, the pale pegasus nuzzle into her side as she cries.
Lifting her beaked head up, Gilda notice the pair of fillies holding their arms out for her before she lifts them into a hug, "T-Thanks, you can continue Twilight."
"Right then," looking back to her folder, she shake her head before nodding, "the dragons can possibly unblight you but they're currently to busy trying to fight each other." "Everblight has promise to assist in this once the war is over, although he believes you won't want to," seeing the griffin frown, the alicorn scratches the back of her head.
Minutes pass by before Gilda sighs in annoyance, "Why does he think that I would want to remain like this?" Seeing Twilight hold out a piece of paper, Gilda reads the form before looking up, "What are a group of ponies doing dissecting a creature?"
"Hey just cause we were made to be herbivores, doesn't mean we have to stay like that," even though she says it as a jest, Rainbow notice Gilda shuffling nervously.
Feeling a pat on her shoulder, the griffin locks eyes with Pinkie Pie, "Hey, you don't have to worry. We aren't offended by your words."
As the griffin's shoulder ease, Twilight gaze at the list, "Common traits of blighted sentients are increase strength, durability, speed, lifespan, intelligence and size." "You're also," coughing slightly, a faint blush cross over Twilight's face at the next part, "extremely coordinated and *ahem* fertile."
Seeing the other five mares blush, Gilda shrugs her shoulders while tickling Dawn Star's belly, "Why do you blush at such a thing, there's nothing to be embarrass about."
As the griffin thinks about what she's been told, Rarity looks at Twilight, "If this was all darling, then why did you ask for us all to be here?" seeing her shift nervously, the fashionista rolls her eyes playfully, "What do you need?"
"Well...you see, I'm kind of heading to where Everblight's faction is housing their eggs," seeing them gape in surprise, Twilight holds herself a little taller before frowning a little, "however-"
"You can't go with the girls because of how dangerous it would be," seeing her nod, Rarity and Pinkie Pie nod at each other before the pair grin at Twilight, "just leave it to us!"
"Yup, Aunty Pinkie and Aunty Rarity will make sure they're well taken care of," the pair push the young mother towards the door, Pinkie Pie holding a suitcase full of the alicorn's clothing.
Rolling her eyes in disbelief, Twilight looks over to Fluttershy's direction, "Fluttershy, could you and Gilda make sure to check on my daughters?"
"Um, certainly Twilight," blinking in surprise, Fluttershy barely notice as Gilda catches a pair of keys that are thrown by Twilight, "is there anything we should know about?"
As the pair of ponies try to push her through the door, she turns back with barely concealed amusement, "There's a list of what they will eat in the kitchen. Okay girls, behave your Aunties."
As the pair take Twilight to the train station, Rainbow Dash looks with a puzzle face, "Was that truly necessary?" Seeing the two fillies nod their heads, the others can't help but laugh as a pair of infants sold out their mother.
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After a two day train ride, Twilight and the group of researchers exit onto the dragons' territory. The group of ponies and griffins, with the sparse changeling or minotaur, look around as thousands of dragons move around the various mounds. Hearing a loud roar, the group watch as Blighterghast lands with a resounding thrash, "Welcome to the home of the Equis Draconian Army." As the dragon says this, several thousand diamond dogs rush out.
The diamond dogs show obvious signs of blight, scales decorate their arms and legs and their tails are more reptilian. As the canines move over to the mounds, Twilight notice a few of the eggs glowing. Before any of the group can mention such, Ember begins to hum deeply. Slowly, other dragons and dragonspawns echoes the hum as more and more of the eggs glow. One of the griffins had pulled out a video camera when the glowing had begun and record as one by one the eggs shifts in awareness.
The sound of loud crackling can be heard before the first egg breaks open. The hatchling that stumbles from the egg, cover in fluids and broken eggshells, is cyan with brown spines run down its body. Opening its red eyes for the first time, the hatchling gaze up as Everblight leans his massive head to the newly hatch.
Watching as the elder and the younger sniff each other, every being watch as the hatchling climbs onto the dragon's back, "This is my daughter." As though drawn from his voice, more of the eggs begin to shift and glow before cracking open. As the hatching continues, Twilight pays close attention to the freshly hatched dragons.
The smallest of them easily reach eight feet in height and twelve in length. While some may look different, the most common attribute seem to be one head with one pair of wings and a single tail. Some dragons would have a club on the end of the tail, others a curved blade with only three having nothing on the tail. As the newly hatch stumble around on uneasy legs, Twilight looks over as the diamond dogs would edge dangerously close to the families. To her and the researchers' surprise, they aren't growled at but instead are welcome.
As the diamond dogs clean of the gunk, Twilight and the others jot down notes, 'This is most fascinating.' "I wonder how the girls are doing?" looking to the sky, she begins to think of Ponyville.
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Meanwhile, back in Ponyville, the sound of crying can be heard as Rarity rocks Bright Dusk with frayed hair, "Oh Dusky, don't worry. Mama will be back soon...I hope." Looking up, she locks eyes with a wide eyed Pinkie Pie as the earth pony walks down, "Pinkie dear, are you-"
"So much poop," placing Dawn Star back in the crib, Pinkie gaze at the wall, "she so small, how can she have so much..."
Looking at a frowning pair of fillies, Rarity laughs nervously until Fluttershy walks in with Applejack and Gilda, "Um Fluttershy, could you be a dear and-"
With an amused expression, the pegasus grabs a sniffling Dawn Star with a soft smile, "There, there, no more tears little one."
"Yeah, Mama will be back soon enough," taking Bright Dusk from Rarity, Gilda pokes the filly's belly as the infants look up at her.
"Eeyup," nodding her head, Applejack smiles at the two which makes them smile back, "she'll hav' stories of dragons and other stuff." Once the two fillies are place in the crib, Applejack smirk at her fellow earth pony, "Aye thought yer coul handle 'em."
"Hey, those two are out to get me," as the six girls focus on each other, none notice as the twins high five each other, "I tells ya, they doing this on purpose!"
As they turn back to the pair of fillies, five of the six aw at their innocent face while Pinkie pouts with her arms cross under her breast. As the sextuplets heads towards the kitchen, the heterochromia opens their twin bonds, 'Sho we ma em cry s'mo?'
'No,' smiling at her younger sister, Bright Dusk giggles alongside Dawn Star, 'we alrea do wa Mama sai to do.' As the six older beings walk back in, the twins smile at them with as much innocence as they can manage.
It was super effective.
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Shaking her head, Twilight looks up just in time to see Spike waving her over. Walking over, she smile at Amber and their sixteen hatchlings before looking up at Spike, "They look so lovely."
"I know, they get that from their mother," nuzzling into his mate's side, Spike notice Twilight's shifting from side to side, "you want to ask something."
"Well...I was wondering why the diamond dogs were cleaning off the hatchlings," looking up at Spike, Twilight is surprised when Amber answers her question instead.
"It's all part for Operation Star Drake," shrugging her shoulders, Amber purrs as Spike brush her side with the flat of his arm blades, "the oil they will produce for the first three years is going to be used."
"The First use will be for the starships for ponies and the other races," speaking up himself, he smiles as Twilight jots down some notes, "the other use is to help crops grow on the other worlds."
"Does anypony know what planet we'll be sent to?" looking curiously at the pair, she watch as the pair simply said classified. Nodding her head with a sigh, Twilight turns around only to notice as Everblight motions for her to accompany him. Moving through the sea of limbs and diamond dogs, she stops in front of the old dragon, "Is there something you want to speak about?"
"Yes...Twilight Sparkle, I need to tell you something that I hope will never see the light of day," seeing her open her mouth, he holds out a hand, "no, it must be said...you will also be told everything about the Star Drake program."
"Why me?"
"You are the most trust worthy one here," closing his wings, he close his eyes before sending images directly into Twilight's mind. As her face twist in rage, then disbelief before finally settling in sadness, Everblight sighs deeply, "You know what this will mean?"
A silence blanket over the pair before Twilight looks up to the dragon with a sad face, "Isn't there another way?"
"If any being can find one," placing a talon tip on her shoulder, he smile sadly at the mare,"than perhaps you can."
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As Twilight steps back onto Ponyville, she smile briefly at her friends, "Hey everypony, I hope they weren't a hassle."
"Nah Sugercube," ignoring the glare of Pinkie Pie and Rarity, Applejack lets Twilight grabs the stroller with a smile, "they're jus a tad bit cranky tha' yer weren't here."
"Well I back and I plan to bee here for a while," waving them goodbye, Twilight walks back to their tree house. As soon as she close the door, Twilight smirk mischievously at the twins, "So...did you enjoy making them sweat." Seeing the twins giggle madly, she laugh herself before she and many others across Equestria look up as the sound of sirens cut through the sky.
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Lord Tirek sneer at the collection of reindeer and gemsbok that use to guard the pass. Looking behind himself, he points at Appleloosa with disdain, "Wipe them out."
At first a single row of undead begin to march to the town. Then slowly, more and more reanimated corpses surge forward until a wave of undead ponies, griffins, dragonspawns and other avalanche towards the town. As the ponies turn their rifles, crossbow and bows towards the hoard of undead and the bison prepare to charge, a feeling of despair descends onto them as thirty metal constructs erupts from behind the charging undead.
Even after eons have passed, every being tense before they hear the roar of the cryxian warmachines. Knowing that they will probably die, the warriors prepare to fight.
The Deathjacks are here. The reaping has begun.