Steel Edge looked down on Unityville as he flew over it on his patrol. "Wonder what we'll be in for next. It's like this place is a magnet for critical events. Nightmare Moon's return and reformation, Discord being released, then there was when Shining Dawn sent out his army to try and hold Unityville hostage. And most recently, the Everfree Forest invading. Heh. Never thought I'd appreciate something as simple as a routine patrol."
"Mind if I join up?" Rainbow Dash asked as she zipped right in front of Steel! Steel was the former captain of the Elite Guard. He wasn't a guy who got easily startled, but Rainbow Dash's sudden appearance when he was going about a relatively standard patrol really surprised him. "I mean, it must be pretty lonely patrolling all on your own up here, right?"
"Uh. . . not really." Steel answered. "Arctic Ace is on sky patrol duty with me today." He then motioned to the Element of Wisdom hovering over the inner part of Unityville. "And since the two of us are avatars, we can handle any stray monsters that decide to wander out of the Everfree Forest no problem."
"W-Well don't you want us to spend more time together?!" Rainbow Dash protested! Her cheeks turning a shade of red. "Excuse me for just wanting some time with my boyfriend!"
Okay. . . this is new. Steel thought to himself as he secretly noted Rainbow Dash's behavior and reaction to his refusal of her offer. Rainbow Dash has been getting a bit more attached tome lately. She basically offers to keep me company on some of the most mundane and trivial things I do. Granted, there's exceptions like training and working out, but still. The level she's at is a bit uncomfortable.
"I. . . guess it wouldn't kill me to spend a little more time with you." Steel Edge said with a sigh. "But then again, I can't die. Immortal, remember?"
"Sweet!" Rainbow Dash said with an eager grin as she whipped out her Harmony Keeper. A boomerang that resembled her wing and the lightning bolt that was her Talent Crest. "You don't have to worry about me! My awesomeness back at the Royal Wedding can tell you that much!"
"Doesn't mean I won't think twice about tanking a hit for you." Steel Edge said with a loving smile. "Still, I don't think anything exciting's gonna-" The sound of a furious roar made Steel reconsider his next words. "Well, so much for a quiet day."
Steel and Rainbow Dash flew towards the source of the roar, and Steel froze upon seeing the source of the roar. It was Tyrant Neptune. One of the Chaos Kin, the monsters that Discord had conjured up to attack Twilight before she could restore her friends to their true selves. The same pack of monsters that had nearly ended his life when he made a last stand against them. One would think that Steel would be choked up on the trauma of seeing the monsters that had nearly ended him, but there was no fear in Steel's eyes. A fact the Chaos Kin all noticed when they saw Steel and Rainbow Dash standing against them at the entrance of Unityville.
"Well, if it isn't the worm who decided to raise his sword against us." Tyrant Neptune said with a snort as he glared down at Steel Edge! "Thanks to you, Discord threw us into a prison dimension! "
"So did you get let out for good behavior, or stage a jailbreak?" Steel replied in a cool tone. "You know, speaking of Discord, he's actually reformed now. And I've half a mind to tell him the punks responsible for nearly ending me are on the loose again." All the Chaos Kin visibly stiffened at Steel's threat. "But you know what? I won't." Steel readied his Duelist Arms. "I owe you all payback. Especially the one who had the guts to try and make me an offer while I was on my last legs."
"You think a new addition to your armor will provide you with any more of a chance?" Grand Jupiter scoffed. "Foolish warrior! You will meet the end that should have befallen you during our last battle!" As Grand Jupiter charged forwards, he was knocked backwards by Steel's Blade Beam technique! "Impossible. . . you had no access to magic before!"
"Funny thing about our last battle." Steel said with a smirk as he powered the silver aura of his magic around his hands! "Thanks to you pushing me to my limits to see how my honor holds up, I'm an avatar now. And I'll give you all one guess who're the ones that are really going to meet their end." Steel snapped his fingers, and a series of sword constructs hovered on either side him in a wing-like formation. "I'm raising my sword against them once again!" But before Steel could let loose his blade constructs, Rainbow Dash flew forward! Striking furiously with her boomerang against the Chaos Kin!
"IT'S PAYBACK TIME YOU FREAKS!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she hurled her boomerang toward the Chaos Kin! The Harmony Keeper striking each of its intended targets and staggering them! She struck especially hard at Grand Jupiter! "I wasn't there before, but I'm here now!"
Though none of the Chaos Kin knew what Rainbow Dash was talking about, Steel had pieced it all together the second Rainbow Dash screamed she'd get payback. Each of her strikes was full of desperation, guilt, and regret. It was so very clear that she was trying to undo abandoning everyone when Discord played them all for fools. And it was incredibly evident that she held herself responsible for Steel nearly meeting his end.
And that's going to be her end if I don't step in right now! Steel thought as he launched himself forward and used his magic to detach some of the plates of his wing armor! Steel rearranged the plates so that they formed a particular construct and used his magic to position it in front of Rainbow Dash! Just barely blocking what could've been a deadly thrust from Grand Jupiter's arm blade!
"Temper, temper Dash." Steel quipped as he raised his shield to guard against a fireball shot by Blazing Mars! Steel noticed the guilty look in Rainbow Dash's eyes. "I know you'd never leave me. But this time?" Steel charged up a spin attack that knocked back the Chaos Kin! "I'm here for you. And so are they." Steel Edge smiled as he saw the rest of the Elements of Harmony and Elements of Heroism rushing to their side! "Took you guys long enough."
"Only because we knew you could handle these jerks by yourselves." Burst Stream said with a joking smile. "So. How do they like being outnumbered for a change?"
"Great. Jupiter's ego lands us in the hot seat again." Blazing Mars fumed. "You fools wouldn't be standing so high and mighty if we had our minions!"
"And we soon shall Mars." Grand Jupiter said with a nod. "Splendid Venus. If you would?"
"Of course." Splendid Venus spread her wings out, and a blinding light surrounded the Chaos Kin! Teleporting them to their various lairs filled with their awaiting minions!
"Nnnngh! One heck of a light show!" Night Fang groaned as his eyes readjusted!
"Well, they came and went in a flash." Akage said as he tried to make light of the situation. The Element of Levity's joke seemed to lighten up the mood. "So now we've got eight different groups of an evil army. And they have minions they'll be sicking on us soon. I don't suppose any of you have a megazord and brightly colored uniforms on hand?"
"As much as I enjoy you making that reference, I'm gonna have to be real with this situation Akage." Burst Stream said with a smile. "But something tells me we'll be facing a monster-of-the-week soon enough. We can't afford to let our guard down. But if there's anything I've learned since becoming friends with all of you, nothing stands a chance against us when we fight as one."
As both teams of elements gathered to make battle plans, they failed to notice a small drone recording their recent abrupt battle. Having already collected the data it needed, the drone returned to its user and perched on a dock.
"So. What do you have for me on the element bearers?" The voice of a young man asked as he sat down at his computer and downloaded the footage of the battles. He also brought up other video files of the Elements of Heroism and Harmony in action. All the way from the Nightmare Forces to Shining Dawn's Dawn Treaders. "It looks like both teams of elements are facing increasingly fierce battles. Maybe it's time I answer Burst Stream's call. . . " The figure removed his lab coat. Revealing a hero crest with a robotic eastern-style dragon on his arm. "And maybe it'll be a good chance to give them a few upgrades to stay in touch. But first?"
The young man looked to a set of blueprints for a hi-tech suit of armor. "I'm going to need to work on my project full time. Nigh Guard never really was a fit for me anyway. . . "