After getting to land on safe ground at the ice dimension, Shining leaned his grandfather carefully against a wall. After he did that, Twilight asked:
“Is it possible that we’re the only ones who were brought to this world?”
“No, my real me is here too” Star’s clone replied. “But I can’t sense dad.”
Twilight wondered what he meant with that, but then her attention went to Star Shield who started to wake up. When he did, he passed a hoof over his face and asked:
“Where am I?”
“Grandpa…” Shining called.
Star Shield looked at him and asked:
“Shining… is that you?”
He looked at himself, wondering how he could be alive.
“I thought I died…”
“I healed you” Star informed.
That caused Star Shield to turn to him and say:
“Star…”
It was then that he remembered what happened at the Nothingness Realm.
“Where’s Hepheus?! Did you take him down?”
“No, things ended up a little diffently” Shining replied.
“I’ll explain it simply” Star said.
“I may not know what’s going on, but I assume you didn’t defeat the enemy yet” Star Shield said. “Take me to where the fight is. You can tell me on the way.”
“I can’t sense my dad… and my real body feels tingly” Star said. “It might be real dangerous over there.”
“I don’t know if we’ll be helpful or in the way, but I don’t want to fail because we weren’t there when we were needed” Twilight replied.
“I agree with your mother, Star” Shining said. “Besides, if we don’t bring down the Lord of Chaos our world is done for. The few of us who are left have to do whatever we can. We had our minds made up from the start, right?”
They agreed with that.
At the desert dimension, Blue was wandering through the sand dunes, while supporting the hot and bright sun that was at the sky. All that was starting to leave Blue almost too exhausted to walk.
Back at the ice dimension, Star’s clone and the others were on the move to where the original one was, while telling Star Shield what happened.
“It’s hard to believe” he said. “So your power is needed to defeat the Lord of Chaos.”
“Yes, but I can’t and I don’t want to anything like that while my dad is missing” the clone said.
“The ice is moving” Shining noticed, while looking ahead.
They arrived to a cliff, while they saw the avalanche happening. It was then that, from it, Star appeared, flying.
“Over there!” the clone exclaimed, pointing.
The ground with ice spikes started to move and catch the original Star, but he just dodged. More icy spikes tried to get him, but the young alicorn colt always dodged them. It was then that ice started to cover his body, what was enough to slow him down and hit him with spikes. Star started to fall until he was trapped by more spikes.
“Star!” Twilight called.
The Lord of Chaos reappeared above.
“He’s finally showing himself…” Star said.
While seeing the Lord of Chaos immerging from that hole in the fabric of space, Star Shield noticed that was similar like the power he used to go to the Nothingness Realm.
Star tried to break through the ice, but he didn’t have the strength to do it.
“Damn, it’s no good!”
However, that was only a way to make the Lord of Chaos believe he was trapped and make him get closer.
“You said you suddenly stopped sensing your father” Star Shield said.
“Yes” Star confirmed.
“I suspect he was taken to another dimension” Star Shield told. “The Lord of Chaos immerged from a different space. It’s similar to the way I can travel to the Nothingness Realm.”
“Can you enter it?” Shining asked.
“If I resonate the Nothingness Realm, the next time he connects and opens a portal to another dimension, I’m positive that I can enter it. If Blue is there, I can bring him back to this dimension.”
“All right, then I’ll go and support the real me” Star’s clone said.
“However…” Star Shield said. “I’ll need and enormous amount of energy to do it, since it’s a space that I’m not linked to. If I run out of energy while I’m there, I’m done.”
“Then I’ll go with you” Star’s clone said. “The real me won’t go down that quickly.”
“But a clone’s energy is not enough” Star Shield replied.
Twilight then advanced and said:
“Would it still be inadequate with my alicorn magic and the power of the original light?”
“that would give me the minimum at least” Star Shield answered. “Both of you, come with me.”
“Yes” Twilight and Star’s clone replied.
“We don’t even know if Blue will be at the dimension the Lord of Chaos will go next” Star Shield said. “But we’ll start by getting into close range with him. I promise to bring back Blue and deliver him to you all. After all, he is part of my family.”
There was a pause and Twilight said:
“Thank you, grandpa.”
“Yes, thanks” Star said. “And also for rescuing me back then.”
That caused Star Shield to made a slight smile and then said:
“Don’t thank to someone like me. Just keep an eye on the enemy. After all, I’m just doing this to make up for my family who I hurt so much. I’m not going to waste time on a speech, because I’m almost out of time. But… I just ask that you let me walk in front of you… and die for you.”
Back to the Pony World, Heartbeat, Purple Smoke and Melody arrived at the battlefield.
“It’s just like back at the Light Kingdom” Purple Smoke said.
“Yes, and we can’t do anything to help them” Melody said.
They then looked at Heartbeat who was looking around, worried.
“What’s wrong, Heartbeat?” Melody asked.
“I can’t sense them” she replied. “I can’t sense Star, Blue, Princess Twilight or Prince Shining Armor. Not even Hepheus.”
“They’re not here?” Melody asked.
“Is it possible that they ended up falling under the curse?” Purple Smoke asked.
“No, they’re not cursed, that I’m certain” Heartbeat replied. “But I don’t know where they can be.”
“Then let me explain that to you, my dear Heartbeat” a voice replied.
There was a burst of light and the Lord of Order appeared.
“My lord…” the three Generals said, while bowing.
“Please, stand up, there’s no time for that” the Lord of Order told them, while they raised up. I want you ready for when the time comes to act.”
“What do you mean with that, my lord?” Melody asked.
“At this moment, Prince Star Shield and his family are battling my brother, but, if they are able to win, they will need our help to return.”
The three Generals looked confused and then Heartbeat said:
“I think I speak for the three of us when I said that we don’t quite understand what you mean with that, my lord.”
“Then allow me to explain” the Lord of Order replied.
After explaining what happened with the Lord of Chaos using Hepheus’ body to be able to act freely, Heartbeat said:
“That’s explains why I can’t sense them.”
“But if they are fighting the Lord of Chaos, shouldn’t we go to help them?” Purple Smoke asked.
“Yes, it’s our duty as Generals of Order to protect the Light Kingdom’s royal family” Melody seconded.
“You don’t have to worry about that” the Lord of Order told. “Because I do believe that they will put an end on my brother’s scheme.”
After hearing what her grandfather said, Twilight realized that he couldn’t really be saved and that was the reason why he wanted to die for them.
“Star! Twilight!” he called. “Keep a hoof on me, so we can teleport at any time.”
They did so. While that, the Lord of Chaos noticed them. He wondered what they were planning to do, however, he knew that whatever it was, they wouldn’t be able to stop him, so he turned to the real Star again.
“He knows about us” Star said.
“We have to keep in mind that even if we jump into his dimension, he’ll perceive us” Star Shield said. “But we have a little advantage.”
“Yes, I agree” Shining said. “The Lord of Chaos is so full of himself that we’re not worth of his attention. We can use that on our favor.”
The original Star was still waiting for Lord of Chaos to approach even more. He knew he couldn’t attack him with ordinary spells, as they wouldn’t work. The only way to get to him was through light magic and physical attacks. So the only think he could do was to corner him. And even if he tries to escape again through those portals, Star would follow him.
And then the Lord of Chaos started to head towards Star, while exclaiming:
“This is my dimension! You’re powerless here!”
Kokuo then asked to Star:
“Are you ready, Star?”
“Yes, of course!” he replied.
“Then I’ll boost your energy to the boiling point” Kokuo said. “Unrivalled Strength!”
And steam surrounded Star, giving him the strength he needed to release himself and then he use the vapor to counter the Lord of Chaos’ attack, throwing him against an ice wall.
“That’s right!” Star’s clone exclaimed, seeing that.
“Amazing…” Twilight said, not believing the strength her son just showed to be able to hit the Lord of Chaos like that.
The deity of destruction just looked furious to Star.
“You little brat…” he said.
“I’ll infuse energy for you, Star” Kurama told.
“Thank you, Kurama” Star replied.
And then he created an army of clones. Seeing that, the Lord of Chaos took off, while saying:
“You think you can subdue me with quantity, hein? Well, that’s what we’re going to see.”
Star and his clones started to move, but then the Lord of Chaos started with his attacks, causing some clones to disappear. But then while three clones approached and attacked him, with the Lord of Chaos defending, the other clones prepared to attack as well. Before that, the Lord of Chaos didn’t have any other choice, but to get out of there quickly. He opened a portal above and, when he advanced to pass through, Star flight to pass as well.
The Lord of Chaos arrived and landed on a dimension that looked to be mountainous. The portal closed as he raised up, but then he heard something landing nearby.
“I can’t believe that he forced his way in.”
And he saw at the corner of his eye Star hiding behind a rock dune. Two amounts of smoke appeared beside them.
“Looks like others were able to pass” the Lord of Chaos observed. “But the other two run out of power and disappeared.”
Talking then directly to Star, the Lord of Chaos commented:
“Looks like your clones didn’t have enough energy. Are you the original Star Knight?”
“So what if I am?” Star asked.
But the Lord of Chaos didn’t reply. If he was really the real one, then he couldn’t allow him to live any longer, as he was able to pass through his portal, mainly at that place, which was connected to all the other five dimensions he was using in battle and even get to his father. It was already difficult to fight him alone, but with a General interfering would be too hard, mainly if he had to travel through dimensions, what costed a lot of the energy he had acquired when he took over Hepheus. Although he was planning getting Star’s energy, it was clear that it wouldn’t be worth it if that colt ruined another of his great plans.
It was then that long bone-like spikes appeared on his back. He raised a hand, while making a small portal ahead.
“Murderous Bone Ash!” the Lord of Chaos exclaimed.
And he threw a spike from the hand that passed through the portal. Another one appeared behind Star from where the spike got out. The young prince tried to avoid it, but a second one caught him off-guard.
“Die!” the Lord of Chaos exclaimed.
Star’s body started to deteriorate at a molecular level, turning into nothing but ash from the place where the attack hit him. That zone was just undone, along with the spikes at the Lord of Chaos’ back, and Star was reduced completely to a pile of ash.
“Now, all the clones he did at the ice dimension must have disappeared.”
And, having said that, he created another portal and passed through it. When he left, Twilight and Star Shield appeared.
“Thanks to Star, we were able to successfully hide inside the Nothingness Realm” the latter said. “But he’s gone, even as a clone.”
Twilight looked at the pile of ash that was Star moments ago.
“You’re the only one I can rely on, Twilight” Star Shield told her.
“I know” Twilight replied. “There’s a reason why I put myself at the front, even though I am the holder of the original star seed. And I’ll do even more than Star.”
That caused her grandfather to smile. Twilight then looked to the pile of ash that was the clone of Star that was with her and Star Shield, remembering everything he passed through and all the times he saved her, since at the time of her battle against Perfect Scale until the war, without forgetting when the Light Kingdom was invaded. But it was not only her, but all the others. When she looked at him, Twilight remembered who she was before becoming the ruler she was now. At that time, she didn’t hesitate in putting herself at risk to save everypony. But now was her time to protect the ones she loved in the same way her son always did.
The Lord of Chaos reappeared at the ice dimension. While he crossed the portal, Shining, who was now alone, said:
“Looks like we succeeded in getting in, grandpa. Now that you’ve teleported over there, please don’t get caught again.”
After the portal closed, the Lord of Chaos looked around, but seeing what was waiting for him, he said:
“How is this possible? I killed the original one…”
And the original Star and all his clones were still there, ready to attack. The original one smiled, remembering what happened when he tried to follow the Lord of Chaos. The ashes of his clone at the other dimension disappeared, what caused the original one to get his memories. He could see that, when the Lord of Chaos passed through the portal before, Star Shield was able to teleport them as well through it…
Moments ago…
When the original Star was about to cross, the portal closed.
“Damn it…” he said, frustrated.
“Are you okay, Star?” Shining’s voice asked.
Star turned to him and asked:
“How is this okay?!”
“Never mind that” Shining told him. “Just be ready when the Lord of Chaos comes back.”
Through Star Shield’s teleportation, he, Twilight and Star’s clone arrived to the mountainous dimension, with Star landing on the dune to watch over the Lord of Chaos, while Twilight and Star Shield were hiding. However, they made some dust come up, but fortunately the Lord of Chaos thought it were only clones that disappeared.
“This worked…” Star Shield said.
Star then noticed the Lord of Chaos look at him and told the other two:
“He’s onto us. I’ll draw his attention, so you two go hide in the meantime.”
“I’ve marked this spot, so I can hide in the Nothingness Realm for the time being” Star Shield replied. “You too, Twilight.”
She nodded and then the two of them disappeared. Star then heard the Lord of Chaos saying:
“But the other two run out of power and disappeared. Looks like your clones didn’t have enough energy. Are you the original Star Knight?”
“So what if I am?” Star asked back.
In the present…
“So they were just clones back there…” the Lord of Chaos said. “Well played, young Star Knight, well played. You were able to fool me.”
Star chuckled and said:
“You got me. I am the original.”
He now had to fight with more caution, so that the Lord of Chaos didn’t returned to where his mother and great-grandfather were. So Star and his clones advanced to attack.
At the mountainous dimension, Star Shield was ready to start his search and said:
“This place should be connected to the others. We’ll open them one by one and look for Blue.”
“Right” Twilight replied.
She then placed a hoof over Star Shield’s shoulder and started to focus her magic, starting to transfer her energy to her grandfather, involving him with her aura. She would give him all the energy she had so they could find Blue.
A tear of blood started to came out from each one of Star Shield’s eyes, as he started to open a portal. He couldn’t believe how vast the set of dimensions were. And the portal opened, becoming something like a mirror, and they could see the lava dimension.
“This is where we were before” Twilight said.
“I can’t sense Blue in there” Star Shield replied.
A pain on his eyes caused him to lose focus and close them.
“Are you all right, grandpa?” Twilight asked.
But he just said:
“On to the next!”
Although she was concerned about him, Twilight knew they needed to continue.
“Yes!” she replied.
Meanwhile, Blue continued to wonder at the desert dimension, seeing nothing but an extension of sand.
“I thought it was around here…” he said.
He then sensed something.
At the mountainous dimension, Star Shield opened another portal to a dimension with a small pyramid-shaped terrain.
“What is… that?” Twilight asked.
“He’s not there either” Star Shield replied.
He closed the portal, but he was starting to get too much weakened, starting to catch his breath.
“You should rest a bit” Twilight told him.
“What I need is more energy” he answered her.
“Well… I still have reserves” Twilight said.
“Just keep enough so we can get back” Star Shield told. “If worse comes to worst and we can’t find Blue…”
“We will find him!” Twilight declared.
Her determination gave to Star Shield more will to continue and he said:
“Next!”
At the ice dimension, the Lord of Chaos continued to fight Star and his clones, with him defeating one after one. When he prepared to use another attack using his portal, he noticed a Star advancing to pass through it. He knew that young colt was just waiting for the opportunity to find his father. The Lord of Chaos closed it and dodged Star, but that only made the former realized that the original one was the one with the spheres of supreme nature. Star also noticed that he had figured out his multiplication spell. Because of that, he made clones to approach him to cover him. And the two enemies advanced once again towards each other.
At the mountainous dimension, Twilight and Star Shield opened another portal, but this one was to a liquid dimension, whose content started to pass through the portal. With quick reflexes, Twilight took her grandfather to a safe place, but not having some of the liquid to touch one of her hind legs, what caused it to burn.
“A sea of acid…” Star Shield said.
Twilight used her magic to remove the acid that was still on her, but she couldn’t heal herself at that moment.
“Are you okay, Twilight?” Star Shield asked.
“I’m fine…” Twilight replied, ignoring the pain she was fealing. “This is nothing.”
The portal closed, but Star Shield said:
“I know that we don’t have a strong bond, but you’re still my granddaughter. I’ll wait while you heal yourself. That place wasn’t the right one either. After we rest a bit, we’ll…”
“Don’t worry about it!” Twilight replied. “There’s a limit to our magic.”
And she placed her hoof on Star Shield, ready to continue, even though she was exhausted and hurt.
“Why don’t you tend to your wound?” Star Shield asked. “Just a little will…”
“I don’t want to waste this chance that Star gave us!” Twilight exclaimed.
Understanding her feelings, Star Shield smiled and said:
“You want to help him if he starts to stumble, hein?”
Twilight made a confused look, but her grandfather said:
“It’s nothing. Okay, let’s continue.”
“Yes!”
With Twilight giving him more of her energy, Star Shield was able to open a new portal. That one took more effort, but eventually he was able to do it. The desert dimension immerged, with Blue wondering through it.
“He’s here!” Star Shield exclaimed.
“Blue!” Twilight called.
He heard her wife’s voice and turned, seeing the portal that she and Star Shield opened.
“Blue, over here!” Twilight called again. “Hurry!”
But then her reserves of energy started to get empty and Twilight started to faint, although continued to remain conscious. However, without her to support him, Star Shield started to lose focus and the portal started to close. Blue started to run towards it, but it looked like he wouldn’t be able to make it in time. Before this, Twilight accessed to every single drop of energy she still had and transferred it to her grandfather. However, it was so intense that Star Shield felt an immense pain that caused him to lose focus and the portal closed.
“BLUE!” Twilight called, as the portal closed completely.
After that, Star Shield got on his knees, while panting. Twilight couldn’t believe that happened and a great wave of weakness invaded her, causing her to lose consciousness. But when she started to fell, somepony hold her. She knew that smell as the one belonging to Blue who hold her closely and said:
“I’m here, Twily.”
“Blue…” Twilight said with a smile, while her eyes meet her husband’s.
Turning to him, Star Shield asked:
“How did you do it?”
“I barely did it, but I was able to teleport” Blue replied. “Fortunately, I was able to get close enough before the portal closed. Now, let’s go help our boy, Twilight.”
She nodded to him.