Wingston and Princess Celestia arrived at forked path of their tunnel. The two paths led in opposite directions of one another, and with no signs of previous ventures having taken either path they were left to make an informed decision on their own.
“Do you have a coin?” Princess Celestia asked.
“I don’t carry money.” Wingston replied.
“Then how shall we decide which path to take?”
Wingston held out his staff, letting it drop to the ground with a thud, as it clattered against the stone pointing to the right path.
“It’s settled then.” Princess Celestia stated.
Using her magic Princess Celestia levitated Wingston’s staff to him before carving a circle into the wall of the left path to mark it as unexplored. Proceeding down the right path, it proved to be a fine choice as the ground remained fair and quite leveled. Eventually, their travel led them to a rather promising sight. Several more tunnels had emerged, branching paths, but also hoofprints.
“Wingston, have a look at this.”
Raising the brightness of her horn, Wingston looked towards the ground seeing the several hoofprints that had overlapped one another. It had remained undisturbed, giving them a very clear line of sight to which tunnels had been most frequented.
“The only question is which path we take now.” Wingston muttered.
The question was soon answered for them as the sounds of thrashing and cries echoed from the tunnel before them.
“If Twilight or any of her friends were unfortunate enough to have been pulled in as we have, they may be in serious trouble.” Princess Celestia declared.
“The freshest set of tracks leads into this tunnel. It is our best chance of finding them.” Wingston noted.
“I thought you said it was dead!”
Twilight’s horn erupted in sudden flash of magic, producing a sphere of light that shielded her and Fluttershy from a large wave of viscous goo that washed over them. Kana, the giant squid of the Void, was thrashing its tentacles attempting to crush every pony racing around it. Wick and Pyre had drawn much Kana’s attention, being that their flames casted the most noticeable light aside from the glowing horns of Princess Sapphire and Twilight.
“I said that it better be! I never said it was!” Wick shouted aloud.
Wick and Pyre raced side by side, the fire of their manes engulfing them, their movements so in sync that neither lost a step or tripped over one another. If not for the massive squid attempting to crush every pony, it would have been a sight to see the rare phenomenon which was the synchronized attack pattern of the Twins. It had been said that flame pony twins, when fighting together, would increase their own power two fold, but that their instincts to predict each-others movements were unrivaled.
“If burying it under a mountain of rocks isn’t going to stop it, what will?” Rainbow Dash shouted from high up above.
Kana’s tentacles were whipping through the air, displacing the air as they flew by, but with Rainbow Dash’s speed it was enough to keep her from being bothered by it. Even higher above her, Daring Do was looking for weakened stalactites that were close to breaking off, and fly kicking them loose to have them drop down on the giant squid. It proved rather effective as Rainbow Dash hovered over the creature allowing Daring Do to have some point of reference to where it was in the darkness below and it prevented her from accidently dropping it near friends.
“I have an idea but I’ll need you ponies to by me some time!” Princess Sapphire exclaimed.
Leaping away from a giant tentacle smashing its way down the side of the cavern, Princess Sapphire landed near Twilight and Fluttershy. With a flurry of her wings, Princess Sapphire’s horn dimmed of magic, her eyes beginning to burn an icy blue, and her frosty mane beginning to flourish with snow.
“I believe she is speaking to us, brother dear.” Pyre mentioned.
“We could just run, brother. For old times’ sake.” Wick mused.
“And here I was beginning to think you liked playing the hero.”
Kana’s body rolled back, its mouth being revealed as it lunged itself towards the Twins to swallow them whole. Breaking left and right, the Twins split up, racing around the giant squid avoiding its massive jaws. Together the Twins spewed fire at the creature, watching the thick goo begin to solidify from the heat, while avoiding the whipping tentacles.
“Whatever it is you’re going to do, make it fast!” Applejack shouted.
Spike road atop Applejack, claws full of rocks and tossing them at the giant squid. Applejack was having better luck with bucking part of the cavern walls that Kana’s tentacles had previously smashed, causing large parts of the cave to collapse and bury a few of its tentacles to hinder its movements. With a mighty kick, Applejack stuck the cave wall and breaking off a large boulder that tumbled down upon several of Kana’s tentacles earning a gurgled screech from the creature. With its attention drawn towards the cause of its pain, Kana ripped its tentacles from piles of rocks with such force that it through the debris across the cave wall. Applejack was already running away from the creature, but now had to avoid the fallout of the rocks raining down around her. Mantling over a large rock, a massive boulder stuck directly behind them with such force that it knocked Applejack out of the air and sent Spike tumbling away. Covering her head from the rest of the falling debris, Applejack felt a thick layer of dirt wash over her with the sound of scattered pebbles bouncing around her.
“Spike?” Applejack called out getting to her hooves.
Spike had bounced off of the ground, landing himself in another pool of goo that clung to him like melted cheese.
“I’m okay.” Spike mumbled with a disgusted face.
Kana’s anger was mounting, its strikes were becoming reckless, wild, and more vicious. Applejack leaped out of the way, avoiding a massive tentacle from crushing her while Rainbow Dash tried to distract the creature by flying round and round it bulbous head with her rainbow trail blinding it. One of Kana’s tentacles slammed down hard against the ground before dragging itself across the ground sheering the cavern floor, threatening to roll over Spike. Spike got to his claws, trying to run away, but the goo kept him jogging place.
Wick galloped in, dropping into a slide as he collided with Spike and scooped him up into his arms. Pyre bolted after them, Wick held out a free hoof to which Pyre grabbed and with his momentum flung Spike and Wick clear of the tentacle. Pyre braced himself, not having the time to escape the path of tentacle. At the last possible moment a magical sphere appeared around Pyre, the tentacle impacted it and sent it flying into the side of the cavern imbedding it into the wall. The magical sphere faded, allowing Pyre to drop to the ground unharmed, but rather shaken.
“From Equestria’s heart, I stab at thee!”
The sound of a party canon erupted throughout the cavern. Confetti littered the air, sticking to Kana’s slime and effectively blinding her. Pinkie Pie tugged on the party cannon’s string over and over again, showering countless clouds of confetti upon the giant squid, forcing it to retreat.
“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight shouted in disbelief and joy.
Pyre was picking himself off the ground, having been spared being splattered against the side of the cave wall as yet another familiar face approached him.
“Are you alright, darling?” Rarity asked sounding concerned.
“I’m guessing I have you to thank for that magical bubble?” Pyre asked amusingly.
“I’m just glad we got here when we did.”
Cold winds were beginning to stir throughout the cavern. The icy sting was met with the frost that was suddenly creeping across stone ground and walls. Sapphire’s mane plumed a storm of frigid frost, eyes burning intensely in their luminescent blue.
“Every pony get clear!” Twilight shouted.
Princess Sapphire opened her mouth, a thin blue beam pierced through the creature Kana before violently expanding into a sudden glacier of ice. A thick mist of frost settled around the glacier, the giant squid frozen within the chunk of ice as only a few tentacles were left exposed, but unmoving. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do flew down to the glacier, giving it a few taps to see if it would hold and couldn’t find any movement within the creature.
“Looks you just needed to chill, squid thing.” Rainbow Dash remarked.
Looking towards Daring Do for approval, Rainbow Dash met a rather disappointed gaze from her at that pun.
Fluttershy and Twilight were quick to come to Princess Sapphire’s aid as she swayed on the spot having used much of her power to preform that attack.
“Are you alright, princess?” Twilight asked.
“I… just need a moment to rest.” Sapphire replied shakily.
“Maybe we should lead with that next time.” Applejack mentioned with a chuckle.
Pinkie Pie and Rarity hurried over, the group once more reunited, exchanging hugs and explanations to how they came to be here. Wick had stepped away from every pony to speak with his brother, looking none too happy with him.
“I had it under control.” Wick mentioned.
“Really? Tell me, what were you planning on doing with a dragon in your arms and lying on your side?” Pyre asked in fake surprise.
“You could have died you idiot.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. I would have had a broken bone at best. You simply need to think things through before rushing in to situations.”
Wick shoved Pyre with his hoof, to which Pyre returned. It was an unspoken way of saying thanks and you’re welcome to one another. Spike at this time had walked over to them to express his gratitude.
“Thanks for coming to my rescue.” Spike said to them.
“You’re just lucky we’re able to touch you, little dragon. Otherwise you would have been a dragon pancake right now.” Wick stated.
“That is his way of saying you’re welcome.” Pyre reiterated.
Daring Do flew down from up above with Rainbow Dash by her side.
“I think it’s best that we get the hay out of here before that squid thing thaws out.” Daring Do instructed.
“But where exactly would that be?” Rarity asked.
Wick and Pyre flared their manes a bit brighter, giving off substantial light to the area and earning every pony’s attention.
“Alright every pony, just stick with us and we’ll get you some place safe.” Wick instructed.
“Moderately safe. The Mad King has not forgotten your faces.” Pyre corrected him.
The Twins walked off, heading towards a tunnel with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Daring Do already in tow. Rarity and Pinkie Pie seemed rather unsure about trusting the Twins. With Princess Sapphire able to stand under her own power, Twilight and Fluttershy smiled reassuringly to them.
“We’ve got a lot to talk about, but Wick and Pyre are on our side now.” Twilight informed them.
“Really? Do they know where Smolder is?” Rarity asked curiously.
“From what they’ve told us, they left Smolder with the Mad King.” Fluttershy stated.
Princess Celestia raced down the tunnel, Wingston holding on to his hood from the speed at which she galloped. The tunnel opened into a large cavern that prompted Princess Celestia to raise the intensity of the light from her horn to reveal what was hiding in the darkness. It appeared empty, although there were several dozen hoofprints all across the sand that told them that it had been frequented quite often.
“Over there.” Wingston pointed out with his staff.
Turning towards what had caught Wingston’s eye, Princess Celestia could see two makeshift slabs of stone and piles of rock slates stacked beside them. Quickly approaching the slabs of stone, her light revealed etchings upon the rock walls behind the stone slabs that seemed to depict a sort of map of all the tunnels beneath the ground. There was also a two column chart of rather depictive drawings of roots, fungi, and other strange things that were labeled good to eat and what was not.
“It appears that this was engraved by a flame pony.” Wingston deduced.
“Do you think it was Smolder?” Princess Celestia asked.
“There are two slabs, to which I am certain belong to the Twins rather than Smolder.” Wingston noted.
“Then that means-”
Princess Celestia stopped short of finishing her thought. A deep red flame was cutting through the darkness, thick black smoke billowing past her hooves, and the sound of crackling fire could be heard reverberating from the walls. Jumping back, raising her wings to shield Wingston, Princess Celestia’s horn brimmed with magic as she stared into the dark clouds that swirled in front of her. Fire emerged from the clouds, the flames etched out the body of a large colt, eyes like burning coals focused upon them, followed by a maniacal laugh that rang throughout the cavern.
“Scorch.” Princess Celestia hissed coldly.
The Mad King stood before them, consumed in his fire, but his malicious grin apparent within the flames.
“It warms my heart to know you would come all this way just for me, Celestia.” The Mad King greeted her.
“Where are your sons, Scorch?” Princess Celestia confronted him.
“Dead, or soon to be. It matters not. Your presence has proven only one thing: that the portals will open, if not for Smolder, than for you. My return to Equestria is assured, but unfortunately you will not be there to stop me this time.”
With a stomp of his fiery hoof, the Mad King’s flames exploded from his body and his horn brimming with magic. Princess Celestia’s horn, in turn, erupted with power, lowering her head to repel his attack. The Mad King spell emanated from his horn, ready to be cast, but his eyes locked upon Wingston and caused him to seize up, as his magic flickered away. Wingston stared back, unsure of what had made the Mad King hesitate, but Scorch did not seem himself.
“Wingston.” The Mad King muttered.
“Yes… My Lord?” Wingston asked slowly.
Princess Celestia wasn’t sure what was going on, refusing to lower her guard, but she felt Wingston slide off her back to the black sand beside her.
“Wingston!” Princess Celestia hissed at him.
“Tell… the Queen… I can’t…” The Mad King mumbled.
“Can’t what, my Lord?” Wingston asked again.
“I am not… to be disturbed…”
Wingston cautiously stepped towards the Mad King. Scorch’s words were echoing the past, words he had heard many times before when he refused to meet with Lady Glow. Something was different, Scorch was different, and Wingston pressed him further.
“My Lord, the Queen insists. She’s worried about you.” Wingston said aloud to him.
The fire of the Mad King surged, the light of his eyes flickering, it was something Princess Celestia and Wingston had never seen before.
“He’s my… son.”
Princess Celestia and Wingston stood quietly. The Mad King body was beginning to tremble, his eyes widening with fear, and it was unsettling to them.
“Which son, my Lord?” Wingston asked.
“I won’t let it take you.” The Mad King whispered.
Stepping closer to Wingston, Princess Celestia leaned down to him.
“Take who? What is he talking about?” Princess Celestia whispered.
“I… I do not know. If he is remembering the past, this is not something we shared.“
Wingston wasn’t sure what the Mad King had meant, these words were never uttered to him, and it almost seemed like he was in a sort of trance. Looking back to Princess Celestia, Wingston wasn’t sure of what to say, but she encouraged him to try, having noticed this change in him. Wingston stepped forward once more, with Princess Celestia standing right behind him in case things turned bad.
“Be careful, Wingston.”
“Who? Who wanted to take your son, my Lord?” Wingston asked.
The Mad King’s face turned vile, his flames suddenly flaring in anger, his eyes burning full of hate.
“You will not take him from me!”
Princess Celestia’s wings covered Wingston, casting a protective sphere around them as the Mad King’s fire consumed the cavern, throwing the sand like waves before turning to glass and masking the walls with soot. A beam of magic fired from the Mad King’s horn, slicing through the air, cutting through the stone walls like butter before his magic imploded, the blast knocking him from his hooves and throwing him back against the rock walls.
“Burn them! Burn them all! I will burn all of their treasures!” The Mad King roared.
Princess Celestia and Wingston looked on as the Mad King wrestled with himself, shouting angrily into the air, blasting fire in all directions, arguing with some pony they could not see or hear. Staggering away from them, the Mad King swung his head with great force against the rock wall leaving a sizeable crack with in it.
“Stop! Stop this, my Lord!” Wingston shouted in concern.
Princess Celestia refused to lower her shield to allow Wingston to approach him. They looked on watch the Scorch mercilessly slam his head against the rock wall, commanding the voices to stop. Painful grunts escaped from his hoarse cries, his wails of torment rang through the cavern, as his fire was slowly faded from his body. Swaying on the spot, his flames flickering from his body, the Mad King released a wild cry that caused his flames to roar back to life. With his fiery persona once more established, Scorch nearly collapsing to the ground , catching himself half way and struggling to catch his breath.
Wingston approached the edge of the sphere, attempting to get through to the Mad King, but Princess Celestia still refused to lower her shield.
“My Lady, I have no right to ask you put yourself in harm’s way, but I ask that you allow me to.” Wingston said quickly.
“Wingston, he is beyond our help. His madness is finally taking its toll, there isn’t anything left, but his fractured memories that haunt him now.”
“I am what is left of a life he once had, however small and insignificant I may be to him now, I can still be there for him. As his friend.” Wingston replied almost pleadingly.
Princess Celestia knew better than the lower her shield, but felt such sympathy for Wingston and his plight that she allowed her sphere to dissipate. Wingston quickly limped towards the fallen Mad King, as Princess Celestia followed closely behind. The Mad King flared his fire, preventing Wingston from coming too close to him, trying to stand once again to not allow Celestia to stand over him.
“Scorch, what has happened to you?” Wingston asked.
The Mad King refused to answer, it was clear that he was in a lot of pain, not only from the wounds he inflicted upon himself but something internal. Unable to keep himself upright, the Mad King slumped against the side of the cave wall for support, breathing heavily, as his flames flared from each breath.
“My time here has only weakened me… temporarily. Do not fool yourselves into thinking that I am too weak to destroy either of you if I desire.” The Mad King threatened.
Princess Celestia watched the Mad King’s flames rage, flaring, trying to sustain itself, refusing to go out. She had seen this once before, during a time when Scorch was just as vulnerable as he was now.
“You’re dying, Scorch.” Princess Celestia said slowly.
Wingston looked up at her, quickly back at the Mad King, having just realized this as well. The Mad King was struggling to keep himself kindled with fire, but it seemed more and more difficult each time.
“I… am… the King.” Scorch mumbled.
Scorch’s smile was returning, his ragged wheezing turned to strained laughter ringing off the walls of the tavern at the prospect of his own demise. Through sheer will power the Mad King forced himself to his hooves, standing tall once again, staring down Celestia with a spiteful gaze. There was no anger or disgust in Princess Celestia’s eyes now. It was only pity for a fallen King and his failing health.
“All I need… is more fire…” Scorch stated. “Once I am free of this place. I will absorb the fires beneath Equestria and sustain myself again.”
“That same fire from the mountain is what has caused this, Scorch. Your withered, broken body is failing you, slowly but surely. You’ll just be delaying the inevitable.” Princess Celestia stated.
“I am strong enough to end you, Celestia! Make no mistake that I-“
A sudden magical force emanated from Princess Celestia’s horn, knocking the Mad King back and having him collapse to the ground once again. Her attack was not all that powerful, but it proved enough that the Mad King was not capable of backing up his threats anymore.
“We did not come here to fight, Scorch. Tell us where your sons are and we will be on our way.” Princess Celestia told him.
The Mad King refused to speak, his pride had been wounded, his power failing, and now had to contend to the whims of his enemy.
“My Lord,” Wingston began. “Where is Smolder?”
Turning to them, the Mad King’s malicious smile reappeared.
“What do I care?”
Princess Celestia and Wingston watched as the Mad King leaned his head back to laugh. Lowering his head, Scorch was face to face with Smolder again. A dark void surrounded them, only the crackle of Scorch’s flames was heard. Smolder’s face was full of sadness and pain, it was how he looked the last time he had seen him, and it actually hurt the Mad King to see him this way.
From the depths of that void, the Elder Dragon Char emerged, its scales upon its breast searing with fire creeping up its throat. Try as he might, the Mad King could not get to his hooves, he could defend his son from the dragon. Char’s mouth opened, the world was engulfed in fire and Smolder disappeared within its flames.
In his anger the Mad King threw himself into the fires where Smolder once was. He was met with an image of himself, without the scars, without the uncontrolled fire, and the anger that this unsullied version carried upon its face.
Massive dragon claws slammed down beside the Mad King, the Great Dragon Char looming over him. There was a force pulling the Mad King away from this vision of himself, being drawn back into the dragon’s embrace, as his duplicate growing further and further away.
From up above the Great Dragon Char’s mouth opened wide, striking down upon the Mad King and consuming him.
Princess Celestia and Wingston looked on, the Mad King lost in a daze.
“It’s as I said, Wingston, his mind in fracturing and he his losing grip on reality.” Princess Celestia said solemnly.
“Even so, I feel that-“
Wingston was interrupted by a sudden blast of fire that surged from one of the tunnels. Princess Celestia horn flashed, shielding both her and Wingston from flames, as it flourished around them and consuming Scorch.
With a flap of her wings the magical shield expanded, pushing the fire away from them as the Twins appeared rushing towards her. Wick leaped into the air while Pyre charged her from the ground, both ready to blast another torrent of fire at her. With a quick blast of magic, Celestia knocked Wick back out of the air, before nimbly sidestepping Pyre and tripping him up with her hoof. Flourishing her wings, Princess Celestia readied herself to fight, when a familiar voice rang through the cavern.
“Princess Celestia!”
It was unbelievable sight to behold as Twilight and her friends, along with Princess Sapphire and Daring Do emerged from the tunnel quickly to meet with her. The Twins were getting back to their hooves, but every pony was quick to block them from trying to attack Princess Celestia again.
“Cool it, guys. This is Princess Celestia, she’s on our side.” Applejack scolded Wick.
“Step away from our father!” Pyre demanded of her.
“I promise you that I have not harmed him, but these wounds were inflicted upon himself by himself.” Princess Celestia stated.
The Twins were not ready to back down just yet, their manes were still flaring, trying to get closer to Princess Celestia. Rainbow Dash flew up in front of Pyre to cut him off while Applejack did the same for Wick.
“News flash! That’s the Mad King, the pony that made your guy’s life miserable, remember? Why are you trying to defend him.” Rainbow Dash said to them.
“He is our father. That should be reason enough.” Pyre replied.
Wingston struck his metal staff against the stone floor, gathering every pony’s attention.
“Has any pony, currently here, seen Smolder?” Wingston asked aloud.
The Twins were first to look around the cavern, every other pony shook their heads no before looking towards Wick and Pyre having been told that they would find him here.
“Did you not say that Smolder would be here?” Princess Sapphire asked sounding disappointed.
“He was! We left him here with father!” Pyre insisted.
“The Mad King told us that Smolder went to face the Storm.” Princess Celestia told them.
A cloud of black smoke once more billowed from the Mad King, his flames mounting once again, rising to his hooves unhindered and with ease. The fire from the Twins had given him enough of a spark to rekindle himself once again. His burning red eyes seemed focused, full of anger and hatred again. The heat of his flames caused every pony to step back, shielding their eyes from the intensity of the light his fire casted. Pieces of the Mad King’s hide fell away, burning upon the ground like paper, and the roar from his inferno echoed throughout the cavern. The Mad King’s gaze shot towards the Twilight and her friends, there was fear about them, but they stood bravely ready to face him. Princess Sapphire’s eyes met the Mad King’s, even from all the heat his fire created, she felt a chill run through her.
“Now then,” The Mad King hissed turning towards Princess Celestia. “Who was going to die?”