Back at the former Canterlot Castle, in the dungeon, two Nightwalkers opened the lock and walked into the cell. "COME ON, GET UP, YOU STUPID PONY!"
The prisoner inside happened to be Shining Armor, who was weakly lifting his head with small blood leaking out from his mouth. "Where's my wife?!"
"I said get up! Our master wish to speak to you now." The Nightwalker Guard hissed, dragging the nearly unconscious stallion out.
"I am not going anywhere once you tell me where my wife is!" Shining Armor yelled.
"I said, Come on!" The Nightwalker Guard kicked him in the back, forcing him out of the dungeon.
"If you hurt my wife, I will kill all of you and your whole race." Shining Armor muttered.
One of the Nightwalker Guards placed its sharp claw on his cheek. "Shut up! If you keep on talking like that, you'll won't be able to live to see your wife's execution."
"Nightwalker Scum!" Shining Armor shouted weakly.
The Guards scowled, but remained silent as they made their way to the main room. Shining Armor was lounging to the throne room of Lord Bloodfang, a satisfied smirk on his face as he sat in his skeleton throne.
"Ah, yes. Shining Armor is it. Captain of Princess Celestia's Royal Guards." Bloodfang said mockingly.
Shining Armor glared angrily at him. "Let me guess. You've failed to track down my sister, so now you're going to try to get information from me, huh?"
Bloodfang chuckled at the stallion's foolish bravery. "Did you really think you can win this? Your forces have fallen. Your kingdom is now my domain. There is no more reason to fight. Just tell me about your sister is heading and I will let you serve me as a slave for eternity."
"You'll have to kill me," Shining Armor hissed at him.
Bloodfang laughed. "Such bravery, I'll might and will. But first, you must tell me where Twilight Sparkle is."
"Where is my wife?" Shining Armor demanded.
"Wife? You mean Princess Cadance. She'll be fine, for now. She failed to accept my offer earlier. So now, she is being sentenced to death on the day before the eclipse passes." Bloodfang threatened.
"No!" Shining Armor shouted.
"But if you tell me where your sister is going. I can make new arrangements for your wife. Such as letting her live." Bloodfang smiled.
"And if I do tell….. What will become of my sister?" Shining Armor snorted angrily.
Bloodfang chuckled and whispered to Shining Armor. "I'll kill your sister without any pain. I promise."
Shining Armor gasped in horror, but grew furious at the same time. "YOU MONSTROUS, MURDERING DEMON! I WILL NEVER TALK! NEVER!"
Bloodfang responded with a sign. "So be it. See to it that Shining Armor is scheduled for execution with his wife, along with the rest of the pathetic ponies." He ordered his guards.
"Yes, my lord." The Nightwalker Guards laughed.
Bloodfang grabbed Shining Armor's face. "Then, I guess I'll have to slaughter your little baby sister slowly and painfully. But don't worry, if you really miss her that much, I'll send you her head as a present, just to remember her by before you die!"
Shining Armor growled angrily. "YOU WILL NEVER WIN! THE GUARDIAN WILL KNOW ABOUT THIS! THEY'LL COME AND WHEN THEY DO, THEY WILL DEFEAT YOU, JUST LIKE THEY DID LAST TIME!"
Bloodfang laughed manically. "I beg to differ, Shining Armor. Because, this time is different. The Guardian will never know about us, they will never know we're here. By the time they finally figured us out, it will be too late."
Twilight quickly opened her eyes from waking up from a horrible nightmare; it was almost like she was dreaming about her brother. She started to sweat and took a deep breath, until she noticed that she found herself lying down on an old raged couch. She got up and looked around the mysterious room, trying to see where she was or how she got here. Then she looked across the room, she saw her friends sitting next to a fireplace, keeping themselves warm. The whole place was quiet and dark, until a certain rhino came up next to her.
"Aw, you're awake." Said the voice next to her.
Surprised, Twilight stood up to see the hooded rhino stand up in front of her. The rhino looked to be around in her mid-ages, wearing a brown hood with written African ritual symbols and pearls wrapped around her horn and hooves.
Twilight tried to stand up from the couch, but felt a pain ache in her body. She lied back down with her face showing a sad expressing. Tears trickle down her face like rivers over everything that has happened.
The mysterious rhino realized Twilight's anguish. "I'm going to, uh, get you something to drink." The rhino walked away leaving Twilight alone with her friends.
"Where are we?" Twilight asked softly.
"We are at Makara's place." Applejack replied.
"Who?" Twilight confused.
Rainbow Dash scoffed. "If you read the book, you should've known."
Twilight still didn't understand what they meant. "I don't get it? What are you girls talking about?"
Rarity signed and decided to explain it to the confused unicorn. "Makara was Prince Eclipso's Gatekeeper. She was a sorcerer. She was the one who also wrote the book."
Twilight's mind snapped. "The Guardian book? Wait! This rhino was the author of the Wolves of Imperiacus?!"
"Duh!" Rainbow Dash cried out.
"And this rhino is some sort of Gatekeeper? Gatekeeper of what?" Twilight said to herself.
The mysterious rhino cleared her throat in the corner, an attention-getter. "I am "the" Gatekeeper and I am the Gatekeeper of the Eclipse."
Everypony looked over at her; she was holding a tray full of glass of liquids. "Drink up. I got some grape ciders for everypony"
Makara sat down on a nearby crate, everypony sat across from her, took a glass of grape cider.
Applejack broke the awkward silence. "We really appreciate what you're doin' for us."
"Don't mention it." Makara said.
"My name is Applejack." Applejack introduced herself. She then called out the names for the rest of her other friends. "This is Rarity. That's Rainbow Dash. That's Pinkie Pie. And that's Fluttershy."
"And what about your other friend?" Makara pointed to Twilight who was still lying down on the couch.
"Well, she use to be our friend." Rarity whispered angrily to Rainbow Dash, who also agreed.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle." Twilight introduced herself to Makara.
"Well, Twilight, where are you from?" Makara asked.
"Canterlot." Twilight answered.
Makara started scrutinizing her. "Wait a minute... You're a Canterlot pony, all of you!"
"Uh, yeah." Twilight backed up slightly from her outburst. "We are. You know about us?"
"My apologies. It's just that I haven't seen Canterlot ponies for a while." Makara explained. "Well, not ever since after the great war."
Pinkie Pie smirked. "The rest of us don't live in Canterlot, we mostly live in a town called Ponyville."
Makara chuckled at the name. "Ponyville, huh. Such an obvious town with that sort of name."
"The ponies back on Ponyville are big fans of your book, Ms. Makara." Fluttershy giggled nervously.
Makara giggled. "I am very grateful, thank you. I'm guessing' that you're all gonna be needing a place to stay for tonight."
Twilight finally jumped out from the couch and decided to tell her the real story. "Um, no actually. You see, we are here on a mission."
"So, why are you ponies doing in a horrible place such as like this?" Makara wondered.
Twilight signed. "We were trying to get to the land of Imperiacus."
Makara took a moment to answer. "So, you ponies are trying to seek the Guardians, huh?"
Twilight frowned. "Yes, we were, but we're afraid we are not doing such a great job at it."
Makara scoffed. "What did you expected? You ponies were walking in the most dangerous part of Mortarn."
Rainbow Dash grunted in the obvious. "If we knew that, we wouldn't be in this situation."
Makara's eyes moved around them, mostly at Twilight. "It is said that to those who seek the Guardians are very desperate for their help. Something has happened to Canterlot, hasn't it?"
The ponies sat there with stunned expressions. Makara looked to Twilight. "Tell me."
Twilight signed with a deep depression, trying to pronounce the frighten name. "Bloodfang."
Makara shocked. "Bloodfang is free?!"
"Yes." Twilight nodded.
"But that's impossible. The Guardians have sealed him away for eternity. How did this happen? How did he return?" Makara questioned.
Rainbow Dash gave Twilight a cold glance. "Aren't you going to tell her, Twilight.... or should I?"
"Huh ... Oh, uh, we're, ah..." Twilight choked nervously.
Applejack intervened. "Let's just say, a certain pony woke him up." Applejack glared angrily at Twilight.
Makara realized and glazed at Twilight, too. "I see. What about Princess Celestia?"
Twilight frowned and took a moment. "She was captured by Bloodfang."
"I see." Makara said with a frown.
"Are you really the author of the Guardian book?" Pinkie Pie asked to double-check.
"Yes. I am, indeed." Makara said as she let out a smile on her face.
Fluttershy stared at her. "You're aware that our home has been taken over, right?"
Makara shrugged. "If Bloodfang and his army are awakened, then the world is doomed already. Lord Bloodfang is a monster. A vicious killing machine. He will kill or torture anyone who stands in his way. I know, I wrote everything about him in my books."
Rarity stepped forward and looked down. "We fled from our home and looking for a way to get to Imperiacus. The Guardians are our only hope to help us defeat these monsters and save Equestria."
"You were wondering if I would be able help you, is that it?" Makara interrupted.
"Yes." Rarity replied. "That is, if you don't mind."
Makara raised an eyebrow. "Mind? Of course I don't mind. If those Nightwalkers have their way, they will destroy our world. As Gatekeeper, I won't allow that to happen."
"So, you'll help us then?" Applejack asked.
Makara smile and nodded. "Of course, I will help you. I will guide you the safest way out of Mortarn. But, I can't assist you in battle. I maybe a rhino, but I am not a fighter."
Applejack gave out a relieving smile. "Thank you. But we're runnin' out of time. We should start leavin' right now."
Makara giggled. "Yes indeed, we will. But first, you must eat. You ponies got a big day ahead of you today and you won't have enough energy without getting any food in you stomachs."
Applejack nervously laughed. "Don't bother with our empty stomachs. We're okay."
Makara said. "Nonsense, you can stay for lunch. I've got plenty of food."
"We love to, but we're in a hurry. We need to get to Imperiacus as soon as possible." Rainbow Dash said gratefully.
Makara nodded. "Do not worry. Only with my help, you ponies will get there in time. So far, it is still only morning, even with a little break, you'll still be able to make it out of Mortarn by the end of the day. When you reached the ocean and start sailing north, you'll be able to make it to Imperiacus by the next morning."
Rainbow Dash hesitated for a moment, and then spoke. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I am," Makara said cheerfully. "Now, who's ready to eat?"
Later for a few minutes, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy are all seating on rocks by a black wooden table, all of them drinking from clay mugs. Makara finished handing out bowls and served on their plate of fried giant cockroaches. They all stared into hers with a grim expression.
Rarity grossed out and burped. "Is this... food!"
Makara nodded. "That's right. Dig in, everypony."
Rainbow Dash stared disgusted at her so-called food; she tapped it slightly and watched its legs started twitching. "Mine doesn't seem to be cooked all the way."
Makara walked towards Rainbow Dash's dish and repeatedly banging the half-dead food with her cane until it moved no more. "Now it's cooked."
The other ponies watch as Pinkie Pie sniffed the food and took a huge bite out of it. She chewed a few times and let out a burp. "...Delicious!"
Applejack looked to Makara, trying to avoid the meal. "So... um... Makara... how do you and Prince Eclipso knew each other?"
Makara reminisced. "How we knew each other? I knew Prince Eclipso when he was a little pup."
Applejack was surprised as well as everypony. "You did?!"
Makara nodded her head. "Of course. Back in my days, centuries before the Legendary War began, I was the great Gatekeeper of the Eclipse. I was once the first peacekeeper of the earth. A loyal servant of our creator."
"Wow! That's amazing!" Pinkie Pie amazed.
"Please continue!" Fluttershy started to get excited, wanting to hear more.
Makara continued. "One day, the eclipse sent me a message. It told me to go to the land of Imperiacus and rescue a newborn wolf pup who was abandoned by his parents and was left to die alone by himself.
Fluttershy gasped in shock. "Why would they do something like that to him?"
"In those old days, wolves weren't always protectors. In fact, they were all vicious selfish predators who fight and hate each others. I knew it wouldn't be safe place to let the wolf pup be raised in that environment. So, I brought him here to Equestria." Makara explained.
"So that's how you first met him." Rarity realized.
Makara smiled and nodded. "After I've brought him to this land, I've sent him to a small village where unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies live together in harmony. I've placed him on the doorstep of a young unicorn named Marlstone."
Rainbow Dash interrupted in shock. "Wait! What are you saying?! Are you saying that the great and proud, Prince Eclipso was raised by a pony."
"A unicorn to be precise." Makara corrected.
"Prince Eclipso was raised by a unicorn?!" Rarity shouted surprise.
"Yes. He was raised and nurtured by a sweet and kind unicorn named Marlstone." Makara added.
"I've never read about that in the book." Rainbow Dash shocked and confused.
Makara continued on the story. "Marlstone adopted the wolf pup, raised him as her own, and named him Silver. As Silver grew up among the ponies, he learned to appreciate the hope and love that Equestria had given him and grown to be a kind and warmhearted wolf.
"That's very fascinating." Rarity agreed. "What happened next?"
Makara continued on. "However as the years went by, Marlstone eventually passed away and Silver was forced to go back to his homeland. But thanks to his mother's guidance and everything that he learned here in Equestria, he taught all the other wolves about love, peace, and friendship and forever changed the ways to all of his kind. The wolves became so grateful for his teachings, they eventually made him their leader and coronated Silver to become Prince Eclipso, the ruler of Imperiacus. And that's when the story was born."
"Cool, ever thought about writing a prequel!" Rainbow Dash amazed.
"I agree, that story would be much more interesting than the original." Rarity said.
"It's not about the fame or fortune, everypony. I wrote those stories to remind every citizens of earth to know what Prince Eclipso and his Guardians had done for us. How they saved us, how they bravely sacrificed their lives to save our future. Those books are the reason why everypony still remembers them today. So, the past will be never be forgotten." Makara lectured.
"It's true. Everypony back on Ponyville still believes in Prince Eclipso and the Guardians and what they had done for all of Equestria." Applejack realized.
"Prince Eclipso was widely regarded as the finest warrior and king of all the tribes. He was a true legend and a great hero... if it wasn't for him, our world would've been a very different place from what it is today." Makara said.
The ponies are overwhelmed by what they're hearing.
"So... what happened?" Fluttershy asked.
Makara continued. "Over time when the Nightwalkers were defeated... I made a choice to stay here to keep detain on all the evil of Mortarn away from the outside world, Prince Eclipso had moved back to Imperiacus to continue on his duty. I hadn't heard from him for centuries."
The Ponies are silent for a moment.
Makara signed in happiness. "He was always an inspiration to others. He was always the symbol of the hope. The hero of peace and freedom." Makara spoke with grim-visage intensity. "This is why I'm taking you to Imperiacus. That is why I'm helping you to save Equestria. Equestria was his home, too. He only left because he has to, he wants to keep the land and all of the subjects to live in peace and harmony."
These words strike deep in the ponies' heart.
Applejack signed. "Do you think we have a chance to save our home, too?"
Makara giggled. "Believe in yourselves. Just as I believe in Prince Eclipso. Believing gives you strength. It even helped you get this far, didn't it."
Everypony smile, knowing that believing in themselves made them stronger.
SONG: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
(Makara got up from her chair and sing around everypony.)
(Makara)
Believe in yourself.
Believe in yourself.
Don't feel alone.
Believe in yourself.
Believe in yourself.
You are stronger than you think.
(Makara then blast of sparkling, luminescent green smoke promptly fills it. From this rise the head and shoulders of the rhino.)
(Makara)
Don't let you fear gain control.
There is greater more inside you.
Love it more than you know.
Be braver than you realize.
Make it worthy than you'll admit.
(When the green dust sprinkled in the air, everything it touched everything light up like fireworks.)
(Makara)
Believe in yourself.
Believe in yourself.
Don't feel alone.
Believe in yourself.
Believe in yourself.
You are stronger than you think.
(A bit of glowing green dust is produced and blown upward; follow it into the air. Forming itself and literally changed into a rainbow light around the room.)
(Makara)
Don't let me drift too far
Live the moment as if today is all we truly have.
Let the sunshine out as well as in to create your own rainbow.
Believe in your heart.
Then something wonderful will happen.
Believe in yourself.
Believe in yourself.
Don't feel alone.
Believe in yourself.
Believe in yourself.
You are stronger than you think.
(Finally, everypony got caught up with the music and all joined in the festivities. Soon everypony was singing and dancing with Makara.)
(Makara and everypony)
Making believe is just another way of dreaming, so till my dreams come true.
Making believe I'm talking to you, wish you could hear what I say.
Your deeds will make you known where're you'll go.
Follow the heaven of light.
Believe in yourself.
Believe in yourself.
Don't feel alone.
Believe in yourself.
Believe in yourself.
You are stronger than you think.
As the song ended, Makara and everypony continued dancing around the house, getting into their hearts of hope back up again.
Meanwhile, back at the forest of Mortarn, General Darkclaw and his small army of Nightwalkers were flying in the dark skies when suddenly they realized a disturbance on the ground. Below, they saw a trail of trees collapsed down, which made it very suspicious. They all made a landing on the ground with a roar and a cloud of sand. Darkclaw scanned the area, looking for clues, and he found one. There, he saw more trails of horse track on the dirt.
"They've been through here." Darkclaw studies all the trees broken down, noticing that something has happened here. "They seemed to have confronted with something."
"Like what?" one of the Nightwalker Guard said.
That question was answered when suddenly, the same giant anaconda popped out from the trees, facing Darkclaw. Every Nightwalker was spoiling for a fight. The anaconda targeted Darkclaw and charged right at him.
"YOU WANNA FIGHT, HUH!" Darkclaw spiked out his wing claws and charge at the incoming anaconda.
Darkclaw zoomed in on the beast, striking a blow to its head, decapitating it. He assumed a forward victory pose in front of the headless anaconda as it dropped dead on the ground. The anaconda's head rolled over to Darkclaw's feet. "I REALLY LOVE DOING THAT. HAHAHAHAHA…."
Nightwalker Guards chuckled and applauded the General. "Amazing performance, sir. But it looks like that snake beat us to them. The ponies wouldn't stand a chance against that thing. They're dead, alright."
Darkclaw growled, knowing that was not true. "No, they're not. They're still alive."
"What makes you so sure, General?" Nightwalker Guard confused.
"That beast was trying to eat us, which means that it was still very hungry. If it did ate all six ponies, then it would have no reason for it to attack us. They're alive, alright." Darkclaw explained.
"Continue the search then, General?" Nightwalker Guard said.
"Yes, this time, they will not escape." Darkclaw and his Nightwalkers sped away in the sky, hot on Twilight and her friends trail.
Back to Twilight and the others, they are all now walking through the forest and following the path. Makara finally led them up the stone path. They reached the crest of a ridge of the mountain, off in the background on the far landscape view; they can see the outline of the entire land.
Makara pointed the view of the land they see before them. "The destination you wish to reach is there in the distance. Straight ahead is the shore of the land of Mortarn. You must cross the safe path, follow the sun that is touching the ground. There, you will reach the end and sail on your way on your journey."
The ponies strained to get a better look.
Rainbow Dash smiled. "That doesn't look far. I can almost see the ocean."
Rarity nodded in agreement. "Sure doesn't look like it going to be too must trouble? If we just kept on going, we'll be there by sundown."
"Then we better not waste anymore time then." Applejack said.
Makara frowned as she looked back at Twilight and the other ponies. "I'm afraid that this is as far as I can take you."
The ponies are thrown by this.
Fluttershy stunted. "Wait! You're leaving us?!"
Makara signed. "If only I could. But I have a duty as well. I have told you all that I know. Now you must achieve this journey on your own. Go to Imperiacus, find the Guardian, and with them on your side. Your story will always have a happy ending."
"Thank you, Makara. For everythin'." Applejack said.
Makara raised her hoof and all six ponies put their hooves on top of hers.
"Believe in the legends. Believe in yourselves, ponies. If you believe, you can achieve anything." Makara said to them with a smiled.
Everypony said their good-byes and marched on the path that Makara had pointed. Twilight was the last to leave, but Makara stopped her. "Twilight! Wait!"
Twilight halt as looked back at Makara who has something to say to her. "Do not worry of your friends. They care for you no matter what you done. We all make mistakes sometimes. But we all learn from them. The past is history and the future is now. Give them time, Twilight Sparkle. Because your friendship is magic and magic lives forever. Just believe in yourself."
Twilight smiled at what Makara had said to her, giving her encouragement. "Thank you, Makara." She waved good-bye and followed her friends.
Leaving Makara to smile as they were off on their way. "Good luck, Twilight Sparkle."