Session 98.0 Ardashir (Inspiration. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCm7QkpWidI ) And one extra line by me.
To relax in one of the brief moments when neither the school, nor Ponyville, nor Equestria or the once independent nations becoming its dependencies were in peril the girls and Spike played a quick game of O&O.
It was not going as planned.
"Okay," Dash pointed at the map of a tavern where their figures stood along with an Earth pony farmer, surrounded by goblins. "How the hay is this happening?" She rolled the dice and groaned when they stopped. "What? A 1?!? Yeesh, Spike, did ya do something ta the dice?"
"Just a moment," Spike said as he rolled the dice. "The Goblin Chieftain astride his worg laughs at your puny assault -- but not too loud! Ulp," Spike swallowed as electricity seemed to flare in Dash's eyes. "Okay, now Sturdy Shoveler is making his attack."
"He'll blow it, I hope," Dash grumbled as she watched the dice roll, and then settle. "I don't bucking believe it! A natural 20?"
"And the Goblin Chieftain goes down, slain by a single blow of the shovel!" Spike tipped the mounted goblin figure over.
"Wow, we're doing lousy tonight." Pinkie lightly tapped Sturdy. "But it's not like I mind seeing an Earth pony win."
"Shouldn't we be happy that the bad guys are beaten?" Fluttershy looked around the table. Dash folded her forelegs and blew in annoyance. "I mean, the dice are acting odd. We all keep losing on our rolls or getting hit by the goblins, and Sturdy keeps beating them." She frowned, very gently, and rubbed her chin. "That is kind of odd."
"I'm getting curious myself," Twilight flew over to her chalkboard and wrote down some numbers. She worked a few equations and tossed the chalk down in disgust. "Ugh! Statistically speaking this is impossible!" She flew back to the table and pointed at the farmer figure. "He's killed more goblins than the rest of us together! Spike! Was our getting shown up by some shovel-swinging farmpony deliberate?"
"No. You just rolled that badly." Spike shrugged and tapped the dice. "Blame the Random Dice Alicorn, not me!"
Everypony looked at Pinkie Pie.
"I swear that isn't me!"
"I could have told you Spike didn't plan this when my character died darling," Rarity said.
Applejack stomped a forehoof. "And what's wrong with farm ponies?!"
Spike sat back with a groan as his friends started to quarrel.
Far away and yet quite nearby in his chaos realm, Discord sniffed and folded his arms as he watched the game.
"Bah! Random Dice Alicorn! That's my family's specialty, not Celly's!" He snapped his claws and tossed a little more chaos through the realms at the dice. "Let that keep them busy. Such an insult! I'll just keep searching for wherever those escaped villains are hiding on my own and find them. After all," he asked his reflection, which wore glasses and held a notepad while he had neither, "How can I possibly get in trouble doing that?"
His reflection just held up the notepad. "Want me to list the ways?"
Session 98.1 Jarkes (spoilers for A Horse Shoe-In)
"Okay, be totally honest, Trixie," Spike said, "Did you never actually want the Vice Headmare position and go through all those shenanigans to eventually lead to Sunburst coming in to take the job so that his and Starlight's relationship no longer had to be a long-distance one?"
"Trixie will neither confirm nor deny that allegation," Trixie said, smirking. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I walked in on them doing... things I would have rather not seen them doing," Spike responded, his eye twitching.
"...What kind of-"
"NOT sexual things if that was your immediate thought."
Session 98.2 Mtangalion
Spike the Dragon squirmed in his seat, even as his claws danced over the keyboard, directing his unicorn bard Garbunkle to launch another volley of arrows towards the giant evil black-scaled version of Dragon Lord Ember. “This just feels all kinds of wrong, fighting one of our friends! Hey Garble, don’t you think this is…” His eyes grew wide. “... weird?”
“You like that?!” bellowed Garble, clicking his mouse in a frenzy. His griffon warrior spun his new axe like a whirlwind, wailing away at the ‘Queen of Ashes.’ “Take that, you pompous bossy scepter-stealing jerk! Hah, this is great! Take this! Ooh, and that! And this too! Die, die, die!”
Princess Twilight frowned. “I know some ponies say that working out your frustrations in a fantasy setting can be therapeutic, but that just doesn’t seem healthy.” She noticed that Starlight had tensed up, blushing and sweating a bit. “Um, Starlight? Anything I should know about?”
“N-nope!” yelped Starlight, focusing on the game again. “Nothing at all!”
Earlier…
Starlight Glimmer leaned back in her office chair, rear hooves propped up on her desk. “Hmm, no, I don’t think so.” Her features twisted into an evil smirk. “Having the books sorted by spine color just isn’t working for me. Sort them in reverse alphabetical order! And dust that third shelf again, you missed a spot.”
Twilight Sparkle bowed humbly before Starlight, her simple maid’s uniform rustling. “Right away, Mistress Glimmer! It’s my pleasure to serve you in any way that you require!” She rushed right over to the bookshelf and started painstakingly resorting the books by hoof. “I’m so glad that you’re in charge now, Mistress. After all, I only got lucky and blundered my way through everything, since I don’t really have any talent or ability at all. If only you’d become an Alicorn princess instead of me...”
Starlight’s deeply contented sigh was interrupted by the ding of the egg timer on her desk. “Aw… It’s been an hour already?”
Twilight set the books aside and trotted behind a folding screen, looking back at Starlight with a sly grin. There was the sound of a zipper and rustling cloth, and Alisa padded into view, wearing the same smile, now with gleaming fangs. “Alisa’s also happy to serve, if you kept promise.”
Starlight sat up, looking away. “Right… my end of the deal.” Her horn flashed, teleporting three large crates into the room. “There you go… two hundred copies of the ward you gave me. Enough to blanket all of Icehome twice over, I’m guessing.”
Alisa had already opened one of the boxes, and she was inspecting the complex runes engraved on the clear crystal held in her paws. “Icehome yes, and Ponyville too,” she growled.
Starlight blinked. “Did Twilight… I mean, did the real Princess Twilight approve that? I’ve never seen that style of rune-work. What do those ward crystals even protect a place against?”
Three more diamond wolves padded into the office, loading the crates onto wheeled pallets to take them away. Alisa herself shivered, gray and white fur fluffing up a bit. “Fear, anger, hatred.” She gave Starlight an oddly serious look, then took the ward crystal that she still held and pressed it into Starlight’s hoof. “You keep this one. Figure it out, then you’ll know why!”
Session 98.3 Unown3
"I spy with my little eye..."
"I think we've run out of things with to spy with your eye Grubber..." Shadow Tempest was hanging from chains, along with Grubber.
"Sorry Fizzy..."
"Though I wish you could reach my sore spot I have."
"Really? Where?"
"My back, feels like somepony put a knife in there."
"I said I was sorry! He said he'd kill you if I didn't play along!"
"... At least Twilight will realize I'm missing and come to help soon..."
"Didn't you say you were gonna go find yourself and help bring peace to the rest of the storm empire and not to wait up for you?"
"... DAMMIT!"
Session 98.4 Ardashir
On the EG side of the mirror gate, Fluttershy watched the fight against Dark Ember proceed.
"Hah! Take another one!" That new black-furred griffon player seemed wildly eager as he hacked wildly at the Queen of Ashes. It was odd the way he spoke, like he knew her personally. "Still think ya shoulda exiled me ta puny Pony town? Man, how I love this!"
She staggered back with an agonized roar, looking ready to collapse -- again...
"Great work, everyone!" Shining Armor said.
"This time's gotta finish her," Rainbow Dash charged in and put a few more blows in on Ember. She howled in pain and sank to her knees. Applejack and Big Mac were right behind, their blows driving her back against the wall, which oddly enough lit up like it was waking damage. Fluttershy frowned and focused on it as suddenly...
"FOOLS!" Dark Ember roared as suddenly her health soared back to near normal. At the same time she gave a fire blast at everyone before her, driving them all back as they took near fatal damage.
Groans sounded over the link.
"How does she keep doing that? Yeesh, we should had her beat thee times over by now!"
"Everyone," Sunset said on the link, "I'm starting to think we should just call this a night. We're getting pretty frustrated, and nothing we do seems to put her down."
Everyone''s attention returned to Dark Ember as she cut loose with another wide area blast, which also made that wall glow.
"I am the Dragon Lord! The power of all dragonkind flows through me, no loner held back by any weak concern for others, and --" She noticed Fluttershy standing near that one section of the cavern wall. "Hey, get away from there!"
"Eeep!" Fluttershy barely dodged the dark fire blast hurled at her. "Girls! Everyone! There's something behind this wall, and whatever it is, it's what keeps healing Ember!"
"How's she sure?" That new unicorn sorceress said, the one who always took the flashiest gear. Rarity was delighted with her.
"Any plan would be better than what we're doing now," Garbunkle the bard said as he sent a flurry of arrows into the wall. It partly crumbled. He added, "Hey, you fighters, keep Ember off our backs until we discover what's inside here!"
"You got it, Spike!" The black griffon said as he attacked the Queen of Ashes again with limitless enthusiasm. As he did Fluttershy and Garbunkle smashed through the wall and found the source of Dark Ember's power.
"Oh, my goodness!" Fluttershy's gasp as audible over the link. "Dragon eggs!"
It was a cave full of them, spotted and multi-colored dragon eggs. They glowed, weakly, and as Ember was knocked down again only to rise at full power the eggs flickered and glowed less brightly.
"That's how she stays so strong," Garbunkle sounded shocked. "The enchantment that turned her evil and made her powerful is drawing its strength from the life-forces of the hatchlings. If we just beat her up, we'll stop her eventually, yeah, but we're gonna destroy all the unborn dragons!"
"And wipe out some of Equestria's best allies against Tirek and the rest of the villains." Sunset tried to move to aid Fluttershy and Garbunkle, but Dark Ember shoved them all back and entered the egg chamber. She breathed a wall of green flame that kept the others out of the chamber.
"Get away from those eggs!" She roared, breathing fire over their heads. "I'm the Dragon Lord -- I mean, Queen of Ashes, they're mine to protect -- no, use! Arrrgh!" Briefly Ember flashed back to her original appearance. Her health showed, low and weak, as it should be after the fight she'd been through. Another health bar showed for the eggs as well, just as low. When she spoke she sounded weak, drained. "Whats wrong with me?"
"Stop her now!" Dash tried to batter her way through the magical wall. "We beat her in there, she's done!"
"But the eggs!" Garbunkle called back.
"Hey, remember history class, when ya wanna make an omelet?" Dash tried to force it again. Dark Ember seemed paralyzed. "Yeesh, Flutters, do something!"
Fluttershy touched one of the eggs and eeped as a small window popped up.
FIGHT DARK EMBER/HEAL DARK EMBER.
CHOOSE NOW.
Session 98.5 Mtangalion
Human Gilda’s character, the griffon shadowmage Rockstar Queen, peered at the FIGHT DARK EMBER / HEAL DARK EMBER options. “Nice! So, which one gives better loot?”
Fluttershy’s Dire Bear, Flutter Nice, slowly turned to face them, giving each and every one of her friends a Stare that seemed to come right out of their computer monitors. “We’re saving Ember AND the precious baby dragons.”
Even as far away as Griffonstone, Greta froze and Gabby abandoned her popcorn to dive behind the couch and hide. There were a lot of crashes and thuds outside Gilda’s hut, probably griffons watching the Royal Livestream who had forgotten how to fly for a moment. Queen Gilda didn’t cower, but she did need a few quick deep breaths before she could key her microphone and say “You heard her! Let’s do this!” Her griffon Priest of Boreas, Noneofyourbusiness (long story), lunged across the room to personally peck the HEAL DARK EMBER button.
Half a dozen healing spells from Gilda, Sunset, and Fluttershy flashed over the eggs, and the corrupted Ember began to laugh, posing with wings spread wide. “Yesss! Replenish the source of my power! You’ve sealed your own doom, fools!”
“I don’t think so!” declared Spike the Dragon Mage, now grinning and standing tall with staff raised. “While the others kept you busy, I figured out Tirek’s curse, and I know how to beat it!” With a wave of his claws, floating crystals were revealed, surrounding Ember. They erupted in emerald flames, creating a ritual circle that froze Ember in place… and created a glowing purple bubble that expanded to fill half of the arena!
Inside the purple bubble, an otherworldly scene played out… on a barren rocky cliff in the Dragon Lands, cute baby dragon versions of Ember, Spike, and Garble sat, paying attention to a teen dragon. “Never trust a pony!” the teen dragon lectured. “They’re greedy and totally not cool. They steal dragon eggs and kill dragons for their treasure! Trust in the Dragon Lord, and Lord Tirek!”
In the real world, Spike the Dragon Mage explained, “Tirek planted three false visions in Ember’s mind! Defeat these nightmares from the inside, and the Rainbow of Darkness will bind Lord Ember no longer!”
Human Shining Armor, Rainbow, and Sunset shrugged at each other, then charged on ahead into the bubble. There were poofs and clouds of smoke, and suddenly they appeared as random teenage dragons themselves.
“No you don’t!” bellowed Crunch. “Soft meddling pony things will stay away!” He leaped into the dream too, turning into an adult dragon, and all the other baby dragons started poofing into rock monsters, joining in the fight. Only the baby dragon version of Ember remained to gawk at the sudden and fierce battle.
A second dream bubble formed, showing an older Ember in black iron armor, commanding a whole army of armored dragons. “Go!” she bellowed, lifting the Bloodstone Scepter high. “Fall upon Equestria and BURN IT ALL. Leave the lesser creatures no place to hide… their magic belongs to Lord Tirek! The age of ponies ends today!”
The other half of the raid charged into that bubble, along with an enraged Lavan. The dream crumbled… most of the dragon army became an army of rock golems fighting for Lavan instead.
The battles were hard and brutal, but in a surprisingly short time, all the boss minions were struck down.
“No!” howled Crunch as he fell. “Rock does not… break!”
“Curse these adventurers!” wailed Lavan. “I haven’t gathered enough magic for my ultimate form! Fall back… fall back, darn you!”
The first two dream bubbles imploded, throwing the raid back into the real world, and the final nightmare appeared…
… a wasteland of broiling skies and dead ash, spanning from horizon to horizon. In the midst of the desolation stood a truly titanic version of Ember, a dark rainbow sheen covering her pitch black scales. “You thought to control me?” she boomed. “Tirek the Pitiful, Tirek the Less than Nothing?” Ember lifted a tiny triangular amulet, and crushed it to dust between two claws. “I am a daughter of Tiamat! This world is mine, to own and use as I see fit, and I say: Let ALL be ash and dust beneath my feet!”
Garble the Dragon Brawler’s expression turned grim, and he seemed to find new strength, staring down the living apocalypse inside the dream bubble. “My love, my dear Ember… While I draw breath…” He hefted his hammer-axe and strode into the bubble. “This nightmare will NOT come to pass! Heroes! It would be my honor to fight by your side once more!”
Session 98.6 Alex Warlorn Ardashir Mtangalion sonicandmario826
"Applejack! Apple Bloom said blushing, "Yau won't believe it! Tender Taps just asked me on a date!"
"Well ain't that nice," Granny Smith smiled.
"Ah'm gonna have a talk with that colt," Big Mac said darkly, SPEAKING IN WHOLE SENTENCES! Uh-oh.
Big Mac opened the door to find Cheerilee, Marble Pie, and Sugar Belle all waiting for him with a set of four matching rings on a pink pillow.
"NOPE!" Big Mac closed the door.
Cheerilee said to her rivals turned fellows. "Okay alright girls, on three, THREE!" And the Earth Pony mares showed Earth Pony strength wasn't just for show as they lifted the barn off its foundations, exposing and bewildering the five inhabitants (including Winona!).
"YEP!" The three said together as they gently put down the house off to the side for the moment (they'd put it back later).
+++
Celestia said, "So thanks to the herd laws that were never taken off the books, Cheerilee, and Marble have proposed to Big Mac along with Sugar Belle... though Tealove and Fleetfoot seem to admit their love was based on a fantasy, nice to see you're also moved past him sister."
Luna said awkwardly, "Actually Celly, it was for a different reason: the thestrals have petitioned me to become their queen. I let them all alone without their goddess for a thousand years for no fault of their own and they kept their faith. They expected me to become their rulers as soon as I returned and I would free them of their isolated existed. I never did. I kept getting distracted. I owe them a thousand years in return." Luna's pegasus wings shape shift into bat wings while retaining her Alicorn appearance. "And I'm waiting for my prince to become a stallion as is apparently the strange laws of this era."
+++
Princess Luna walked into a massive cave in the mountains. Everything was silent. And then hundreds of pairs of glowing crimson eyes open up everywhere, all focused on her.
"I told everypony you were coming your Nightesty, the elders want to discuss the details of your coronation," called Windy Whisper's voice. Even she was excited at the idea of Luna taking her rightful place, the creator of her tribe, her goddess.
Five dark and handsome beefy thestral stallions approach, bowing low before Luna. "Your Majesty! We have been selected to offer your our... services."
"To aid you in choosing your Prince of the Night."
"Or Princes..."
"So you offer your services to me fully and utterly in anyway I deem fit?" Luna asked.
"We are yours to do with as your please our soon-to-be-rightful-queen."
Luna sighed, and blasted them, in a flash, two were now thestral colts... and one was now a mare in a frilly dress. The thestral former-stallions looked at each other in shock.
"Pipsqueak, here are your new servants and playmates."
Pipsqueak came out behind Luna. "Yay, I finally have some friends who like Luna as much as I do!"
The first former stallion said, "It's this or nothing, isn't it?"
Luna said, "Aye. Please him or I will be most displeased. Pipsqueak is to become my prince. You five will be his playmates. You will teach him about the thestrals, protect him and his family when I am unable to. Teach him our ways, and through him learn THEIR ways! We have bottled ourselves up for far too long."
The five bowed quickly. "Yes, your Nighesty!"
-
"Stupid dragons! Eating our gems and run off without paying for them! Princess Twilight is getting the bill for that! If I ever see a dragon again! It'll be too soon!"
Limestone Pie snarled, and stomped the ground.
From the shock wave, Holder's Boulder cracked, and crumbled, reveling a giant baby dragon within, that begins sucking on its own tail. Its eyes locked on Limestone Pie, only one thought enters its head as it silently looked at her: Mama!
Later, back at the farmhouse.
"Ugh. Mom! Dad! Marble! Somepony better help me get a pet bed and food and water bowl ready." She pointed at the huge baby dragon following behind her.
It pulled her close and began licking her with a long slimy tongue.
Limestone snorted, "And soon!"
+++
When the Pies sent a letter, they didn't expect Dragon Lord Ember to show up instead.
Ember said, "I hear you're the pony who tricked a dragon into thinking you're their mother."
Limestone was agitated. "For your information..."
The baby dragons slurped Limestone.
"I keep TELLING you not to do that!"
The baby dragon was silent for a moment then slurped her again.
Ember watched silently for a moment then said. "Yes, well, I have to make sure you can raise him. It takes a lot of strength to raise a dragon properly, after all."
Limestone Glared at her. Walked over to a giant diamond that Junior had been teething on. Hammered several punches into it, spelling out the words in shattered diamond 'THIS STRONG ENOUGH FOR YOU?'
Ember unfazed said, "That'll do."
+++
Reminds me of a fan comic where Spike begins breathing fire in anger when he reads his paperwork and finds out he's legally a "pet lizard", and Twilight frantically defends that they had no clue he was going to be sapient, and that she kept trying to bring it up with Celestia, but she kept side stepping the matter.
"Twilight, about my birth certificate, I'm not registered as your pet because you had no idea if I was going to be sapient or not did you?" Spike asked the strangely precise question. Then Spike bleached out a letter.
After reading it, Twilight said frantically.
"Uh oh... Find out if its growing five heads or has platinum scales! Hopefully it's just a baby kaiju-sized dragon egg! There is no way a normal dragon egg would take that long to hatch or be that big!"
+++
"'A proclamation by God-Mother Queen Tiamat.
many of our subjects, misled by a desperate conspiracy of dangerous and ill-designing drakes, have forgotten the allegiance which they owe to the power that has protected and supported them, and have declared rebellion and traitorously levied war against us.
It is the better part of wisdom to put a speedy end to such disorders.
We have thought fit to issue our royal proclamation that all our royal officers, both hatchery and raiders, are obliged to suppress such rebellion and bring the traitors to justice.
When the unhappy and deluded multitude against whom this force shall be directed shall become sensible of their error, I shall be ready to receive the misled with tenderness and mercy.
for those who persist in their treason For those who persist in their treason, the punishment shall be death by devouring alive.
given in parliament this 26th day of october in the year 970.
Greed Blessed the Queen.'"
Mina finished reading the original declaration of rebellion that Tiamat had sent to Princess Celestia, demanding the return of her subjects that had left the Dragon Lands for Equestria, and the Equestrian Parliament had been shuffled to Fillydelphia (much its discomfort) to be out of sight and forgotten about. Tiamat sending an official document had nearly never happened in history, only when she dealt with other creatures, and usually they wrote up the paper work, not her... the original document was said to be crudely written and had been carved into metal because it was easier to come by than paper in the Dragon Lands.
"Wage war?! Dad says we didn't even fight until they tried to force us to come back!" Mina snapped.
She and other Dragon Town dragons were snacking on the latest crazy to hit Fillydelphia's population of dragons. Baked Bads! Having seen that Spike had enjoyed them, the muffins that gave Ponyville food poisoning were delicious for the dragons!
And Tiamat herself had one of her heads in an office building... where a video game company had used her image as the villain a RTS game...
All were surprised when the Dragon Queen left without leaving a blasted wasteland in her wake.
"HOW DID YOU DO IT?! Why aren't we all dragon chow?!"
"... We agreed to add a second campaign where the Dragon Lands conquer Equestria and crush Dragon Town into rubble..."
"Oh."
"Also, she gave ideas for one of the 'buildings' for the dragon side... did you know Tiamat owns a magic well to create skeleton dragons who want to continue serve Tiamat forever in this world instead of the next world? Well, I know now... "
+++
Grubber brightened up when he remembered, "What about that old friend at the Crystal empire you told me about or that team you were apart of to get Luna’s powers back?"
Tempest's eyes widened, "What?! We took a vow of silence, how did you find out about that?"
Grubber said, "You talk in your sleep."
Tempest glared, "What would you know about me while I sleep?"
"Cause you asked me to guard you while you slept cause you didn't want a yeti to kill you in your sleep."
"Oh, right."
Grubber said, "Princess Luna puts together her own private black ops team and she didn't give you a way to contact each other?"
"Not like we have a secret hoof shake... though Trixie wanted one. And... 'my friend at the crystal empire'? It's not like we have dragon mail... by the time she realizes I'm not replying to her letters, it might be too late."
"Well I know you're not the type to just sit somethin' out! Come on Fizzy! If there's one thing about you, you never give up, you never stop fighting. Come on!"
Session 98.7 Unown3
Starlight sighed as the tea-party for the cabal (herself, Daring Do, Maternity Love-Tap, and Bon-Bone/Sweetie Drops). She thought of Discord... he likely knew exactly what they were doing, but was acting on plausible deniability, that would be just like him.
"But finding where the missing villains have gone has become a problem. Maybe we should focus on kidnapping the sirens and giving them an attitude adjustment next."
"Oooh, I think you'll be doing something else instead..." Said a dark voice that Starlight had hoped she'd heard the last of.
"SOMBRA!" Starlight gasped, hoping to teleport away but was blasted in the horn with Sombra's parasitic black crystals feeding off her horn's magic, clearing them away would take time.
'But that means Sombra is WORRIED about me! He wouldn't do that unless he thought I was a threat! Which means he's not as powerful as he was before!' Starlight thought logically.
"I must say, when I began spying on you ugly light creatures, I didn't expect to find a group of ponies going around and mind controlling villains to go along... no, wait, that's a lie. You ponies do that all the time. I'm just surprised at any of you being so, HONEST about it! Ha ha!"
Starlight braced herself, she knew what was coming next.
The Umbrum Pony materialized out of the smoke and shadow. "But things change. You'll be brainwashing villains... but they'll be all secretly loyal to me... don't feel bad Starlight, nothing will really change, you and I are so much alike..."
Starlight looked down sadly. Her voice breaking, she said, "Yes, we are."
Sombra stopped. "What did you say?"
"... We are alike... We both brainwash ponies to do what we want then to do. We were both alone. We both loved somepony, we both lost somepony, and we were both too blind by the loss to-" Tendrils of darkness were wrapped around Starlight's throat, choking her.
"WHAT THE TARTARUS COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW ABOUT THAT!"
"We-ACK! Found your study! Twilight told me what they found out! She thought it was... uuugh, good... lesson... "
Sombra dropped the mare, she hit the floor of the cabal's basement dwelling (away from their families and friends so none would be accused if the cabal were found out). This was NOT how the script was supposed to go! He couldn't get into her head if she calmly accepted her demons!!!
"... It's unbearable isn't it? Being without them. Feeling all alone in the world. Hating this unfair world for taking them away from you. Having what your destiny is decided for you. Having nothing but your anger to lash out at the world. Deciding you're going to fix everything with your own four hooves no matter how many tell you you're wrong..."
Sombra couldn't take it anymore. How long had it been? Centuries? Since ANYONE had spoken to him without brainwashed obedience, hatred, sycophant or cold contempt? Not since Her...
"BE QUIET!" Sombra blasted Starlight in the head. "FORGET I WAS EVER HERE!" The crystals around Starlight's horn vanished. And Sombra fled. He couldn't stand being here a second longer!
Starlight awakened... "Ugh... okay, the scent of dark magic is everywhere and my neck feels like a giant mistook me for a doll and tried to pull it off and I have no idea what happened. Time to have the others check me for hypnotic suggestions."
++++
'If I return without the army Grogar demanded I come back with now... My obliteration is assured.' Grogar's spell made it so Grogar had to simply will Sombra's death and he'd be no more.
Sombra hated and despised what he had to do next. But his choices were exhausted.
Sneaking into his chambers that had been sealed off and hidden since ignorant is obviously the best defense against ideas you don't like, he found the door. THE door.
Sombra sighed. And with surprisingly little resistance... the door swung open.
A towering dark gray unicorn mare with a mane of shadows like his immediately formed from the darkness and stepped through. Smaller, younger shadow ponies followed behind her.
Sombra fell to his knees and lowered his head.
"Mother, I-"
Queen Rabia back handed Sombra so hard that he was knocked clean off his hooves.
"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!" She snarled. "I can't help but notice that you didn't even TRY to free us once the Crystal Empire was yours again! Or when you ruled it the first time!"
"I wanted to make sure everything was ready for-"
Rabia kicked him. "Don't lie to your own mother! When that witch of light Amore destroyed your father, my dear Lord Miedo... I had such high hopes you would do what none of us could! Instead you allowed yourself to become distracted by these unnatural light creatures!"
Sombra said nothing.
Rabia looked around. "So where is that crystal witch who tried to turn you against your own kind?"
"She's ... Radiant Hope has been dead for centuries..." Sombra whispered.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish."
Sombra clenched his fangs at her insult.
"Come along my family, your brother has finally done something right."
And come they did. Ponies of shadow and smoke, for whom dark magic flowed through their veins.
Among them: A very attractive Umbrum mare named Lujuria who brushed against her brother as she passed. A stallion named Codicia wearing gold finery. A less beautiful mare named Envidia looking darkly at Lujuria.
A umbrum who yawned as he came out, forming more slowly than the rest and more messily, Perezoso. "I thought we were going to have servants to carry us when we got out?" (Far away, Prince Blueblood sneezed.)
There were two or three others that Sombra instinctively knew, but Sombra was distracted when he met face to face with his little sister for the first time. The little Umbrum clearly being the youngest of the group.
"So this is outside..." Ira said looking around.
"Not quite, we'll be outside in a moment," Rabia said. "Then you'll see the sky, and the crystal ponies that imprisoned us sweetie..."
"Wait... I... have creatures that will be of use to us in destroying the Alicorns so they won't meddle with us again." Sombra chose his words carefully.
"Is that so?" Ira asked, the look in her eyes... it was the same as her mother's.
Sombra looked at her... her eyes... they were like that Filly's.
"There's a filly I think you'll be great friends with," Sombra said.
+++
"Hi," said Ira with a pleasant smile and innocent eyes.
"You're thinking of five different ways to use him for your own ends aren't you?" Cozy Glow asked immediately.
"Yep!" Ira nodded politely.
"Wanna have a tea party?" Cozy Glow invited.
"SURE!" Ira hadn't had one where her party guests weren't rocks and mushrooms.
Far away, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara both sneezed.
+++
"Welcome to the alliance of Tambelon Lady Rabia, we accept the Umbrum, when Equestria is conquered, the Crystal Empire and the crystal ponies will be yours to do with as you please," Grogar said.
Chrysalis shuddered in disgust. 'I've put up with a lot with Grogar. But the UMBRUM!? My babies can't feed off despair! These things bring nothing but darkness and gloom wherever they go! Instead of turning them into happy obedient live stock to be ruled over by the superior race.' "My babies... DO NOT go anywhere near our new 'allies!' Their aura of bleakness is likely to make you ill!"
A changeling who was about to ask to join in Cozy Glow and Ira's tea party (both already thinking of how to turn the changeling into an expendable pawn on their way to becoming 'joint' queens (for however long it took them to stab each other in the back).
"Yes mother! I obey!" The changeling turned around and went back the way she came.
+++
Author's Notes:
If one of the Elements of Magic Spell Copy Sombra's fear magic (though Celestia and Twilight already have), and zap Sombra with it... His worst fear is Radiant Dawn... not saying anything, just looking at him sadly, knowing he's the cause. (also possibly tying into the fact Radiant Dawn actually HATED destiny, and saw herself as an Alicorn but choose not to become one. Where Sombra has done nothing but side with his tormentors, being everything they said he was).
Anyone is free to write that. I imagine it being a nice use of things in the finale.
And I can imagine when Chrysalis when defeated, she mocks that she created an entire generation of changelings loyal to her kind's true path, and her precious babies make sure Twilight's reign isn't some perfect utopia, and they'll be the shadow to Equestria's 'oh so perfect' light. (Similar to Mammoth Mogul saying he was tired to trying to fight Sonic who was protected by fate, so instead promised to make his heirs never known true peace.)
Session 98.8 Mtangalion
Shining Armor’s raid followed Garble into the final dream bubble, glancing around uneasily. It looked even more bleak from the inside. In the distance, they could see that half of the Everfree Forest was ash. Ponyville and its surrounding adventure town was on fire, and Canterlot’s mountain peak had shattered and collapsed.
And Dark Ember clearly hadn’t even been to those places yet. The corrupted dragon was big enough to crush most of Ponyville with a casual stroll.
A raid warning appeared on all of their screens: (Dark Ember will become aware of your presence in 2:00 … 1:59 … 1:58 …)
Purple Pup gulped. “Is... is there even anything worth saving here?”
“It’s a dream,” said the Spike the Dragon Mage firmly. “Remember that! Tirek doesn’t want the world destroyed, he wants to bring Ember under his complete and irrevocable control. That’s what this is about.”
Sunset sighed, folding her arms. “I don’t suppose we can dream up a tank platoon and some cruise missiles or something. I mean, what can we do against Ember? Stab her toe claws?”
The pony Shining Armor chuckled grimly. “Actually, it’s funny how often that works. Remember when we fought that giant diamond dog, Mongrel the Conqueror? ‘Argh, my ankles! My one weakness!’”
Rainbow Dash waved a hoof defiantly. “This battle wouldn’t be here if it was totally impossible! We’ve got sixty seconds left… quick, how does the fight go?”
The human Shining Armor hesitated. “I… don’t know.”
Rainbow blinked. “Whaaaat!? What happened to being prepared?”
Shining turned, glaring. “What happened? What happened is that *someone* insisted on activating the secret mythic version of the battle!”
Flutter Nice blushed, trying to duck down and hide, even though her dire bear was the biggest creature in the raid.
“Only a few guilds in the world have beat it,” continued Shining, “and for some reason, they’re not telling anybody what the trick is!”
Rockstar Queen pulled out her daggers, making them spark and seethe with shadow energy. “Well, I hope nobody’s planning to chicken out, cause this griffon doesn’t back down!”
Queen Gilda smirked. “Maybe there’s some real griffon in hairless monkey me after all…”
Session 98.9 Alex Warlorn
Princess Twilight exclaimed, "YOU WANT TO WHAT?!"
Apple Bloom said, "We want to go see Cozy Glow in Tartarus."
Scootaloo said, "She's our responsibility, we got her into the school, we taught her, we couched her, we never saw the warning signs."
Sweetie Belle added, "And if Fluttershy can reform Discord," Sweetied added in a cheerful tone, "I still have nightmares about the Day of Chaos by the way, then we can reform Cozy Glow!"
Princess Twilight asked, "Wait, you still have nightmares about... why didn't Princess Luna help?"
"She did! That's why I don't wake up screaming and uh, need to change the sheets?"
Apple Bloom said, "Off topic! Ya know we're just gonna sneak in there if ya say no, so can we cut out the middle pony and just get yer permission?"
Twilight was surprised, the CMC normally weren't this straight forward ... okay, they WERE this straight forward, but about this sort of thing they TRIED to be subtle normally...
"I want to know that we at least TRIED to save her from herself!" Scootaloo snorted.
+++
Cozy Glow suddenly looked sickly.
"You okay?" Ira asked.
"I feel like somepony just felt COMPASSION for me somewhere!"
Session 98.10 Ardashir
"Okay girls, here we are." Apple Bloom pointed at the Tartarus Gates as they towered over them. Mighty and dark and barred, grim and fearsome to see, containing the worst evils in all of Equestria's history. And standing before them three adorable little fillies. "Ya got everything we should need? I got th' map." She held it up, managing not to shudder at the feel of the leather it was made of. Rumor had it that the map of Tartarus had been made long before ponies could even think, by some dreadful elder race long gone from the world.
"I've got the games we wanted to try playing with Cozy if she's interested," Sweetie Belle opened her saddlebags and levitated the boxes out. "Monopony, Crystals and Rainbows, that Paranoia game Miss Trixie said Cozy liked to pay with her. Yep, that's it!" She nodded and returned them to her bags.
"And I've got some treats," Scootaloo tapped her own saddlebags from whence emanated a delicious odor. "Pinkie was happy to make them."
"Okay, then." Apple Bloom took the amulet Miss Twilight gave her and lightly tapped the gates with it. With a deep metallic groan like a dying dragon, they opened. Within lay darkness, illuminated fitfully by scattered flickering lights. With gulps the three fillies walked in. "Heh! Kinda a great place for Nightmare Night, ain't it?"
Even as they did something huge and hairy loomed over them, growling in three voices at once.
"Hi, Cerberus!" The girls waved up at the huge multi-headed dog. "Miss Twilight said she was gonna send word we were coming. So let us in, okay?"
He glowered at them. With a deep 'woof' he pointed a paw back the way they had come.
"Okay," Sweetie gulped. "Now what?"
Apple Bloom scratched her head."Hah! We forgot the treats!" At the mention of 'treats' Cerberus looked eager. His stumpy tail began wagging as Apple Bloom took three treats out of her saddlebags. She tossed them to the monstrous canine. "Here ya go, Cerberus! Just remember ta let us back out, okay?"
He snaffled the treats up in a single bite before lowering his head and giving the fillies slobbery canine kisses.
"Okay," Scootaloo said when he was done, looking at them and panting. "That was gross. Now let's get going."
They passed by the cages of monsters as they headed further into Tartarus. The inmates savage beasts of all sorts, eyed them with fascination as they walked in. Apple Bloom made very sure to walk clear of one cage holding a chimera.
"Ssssoooo," the snake head said, "we meet again, little pony!"
"Yeah, but this time ya ain't even gonna try ta eat me," Apple Bloom stomped her little hoof defiantly. "We're here ya see Cozy Glow."
"Oh, arrrre you now?" The tigress head smirked, displaying yellowing fangs. "You may find a surrrprise waiting for you when you do." The CMC stared in confusion as all three heads laughed. A moment later a deep tolling went through Tartarus, and as it did the monsters stepped back from the bars and faced a corner of their cells. In another instant every cage had a bowl of food appear, and the used and soiled straw in the cages vanished to be replaced by fresh bedding.
The fillies walked on, headed for the section reserved for the vilest inmates. In the distance through the gray murkiness of Tartarus they thought they could see a pony in water with a fruit-laden tree hanging over his head. Whenever he reached up for food the branches swayed out of reach. When he reached down the water receded out of reach. Further away another pony tried pushing a huge stone up a hill. He almost made it when with a whinny of despair it rolled away from him back downhill.
The fillies gulped and hurried on until they reached a platform once reserved for Tirek alone. It was dark and still and silent as a closed coffin.
"Hey, Cozy Glow?" Scootaloo hurried in front of her friends. "We, we came to talk. Or play games, or whatever you want to do. And to..." She turned away, falling silent.
"To apologize for not doing this sooner," Sweetie Belle trotted up beside Scootaloo. She lit her horn. Light spread over the cheerless platform. "But we were mad that you tricked us, and tried taking everyone's magic away so you could rule Equestria, and locking our big sisters up in Tartarus forever. Wait." The light shone over an empty cell. "Where is she?"
"Never mind thet," Apple Bloom's voice shook. "Where's thet nasty old Tirek?" Sweetie and Scoot gasped to see his cell was also empty. Dust was thick on them both.
The three looked at each other and shared one thought. "They escaped, and they've been gone for months! We've gotta warn everypony!"
They turned, ready to gallop all the way back to Ponyville, and froze.
For there in the darkness stood a tall bipedal figure, hairy, horns on its head, batlike wings out to either side, and staring at them with fiery eyes.
Session 98.11 Mtangalion
The numbers in the countdown turned blood red, and Honest Apple smiled grimly. “Guess we’re gonna find out how this battle goes the hard way.”
… 0:06 … 0:05 …
Rising Sun cast “Blessing of Celestia” on the raid, ready to call down Holy Fire.
… 0:04 … 0:03 …
Garbunkle drew his sword, gulping...
… 0:02 … 0:01 … 0:00
Dark Ember turned her head sharply, slitted pupils narrowing. “What... do we have... HERE?” She shifted her stance, every footfall like thunder, and glared down at them. Then she lifted her head and glanced left, then right, frowning when she saw nothing else on the horizon. “Seriously? No armies? No airship fleet? This is all you’ve got? Hmph!”
She raised her left forepaw, and a huge orange warning zone covered the entire raid and then some.
Faithful Student looked around frantically. “What the…”
“RUN!” bellowed Shining Armor. “Go, go!”
The raid group barely sprinted out of the way before Ember stomped her paw down, laughing. “Go on, tell me how you’re gonna stop me! That should be good for a laugh. Were you going to say we should be FRIENDS? Ooh! Or maybe you were gonna sing a song about smiling!” She lifted her right forepaw.
“Hey!” shouted Pink Sugar Explosion, Pinkie Pie’s character. “Don’t diss the Smile Song!”
She actually sang a few bars before Blackest Flame face-clawed and flew back to snatch her up and carry her to safety, again, only seconds before Ember would have crushed them underpaw. “Don’t say I never do any of that teamwork junk,” grumbled the griffon warrior. He blinked. “Oh, hey! We can fly in this battle!”
“You other creatures never understood your place when it comes to dragons!” roared Dark Ember. “I told the ponies once before, but apparently I have to say it again! Dragons don’t do friendship! This!” She thumped her chest scales with a paw. “This is what a dragon truly is! Greed and power. And for you, death!”
Dark Ember drew in a deep breath, actually sucking in lines of mystic force like some kind of sci-fi anime death ray. A cast bar labelled “Ultimate Savage Dark Flare” appeared over her head, and started to fill.
“W-where’s the safe zone?” stammered Flutter Nice.
Spike the Dragon Mage flew over to them. “This is no safe distance from that attack! Oh man, oh man… Ah!” He conjured a huge green barrier between them and Dark Ember. “Everybody, channel your energy into this shield, and we might survive! Healing spells, buffs, special attacks, anything you got!”
“This sucks!” snapped Rockstar Queen, as she contributed her shadow energy to the spell. “We haven’t done squawk to her, besides not dying!”
Pony Shining Armor shook his head, throwing more healing spells. “Less squawking, more of that not dying!”
“That’s it!” cried Spike the Dragon Mage. “Full power!” The shield rang like a gong, just as Dark Ember’s spell triggered. The whole world seemed to white out…
And the raid found themselves alive, but stuck on a patch of intact ground about forty yards across. Everything else all around them was boiling lava.
“How...” Dark Ember shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Now I simply have a smaller target to destroy!” This time, her cast bar read “Beyond Ultimate Savage Dark Lance.”
Spike the Dragon Mage sank to his knees, chuckling hopelessly. “No time to get mana back… I’ve got nothing.”
The cast bar filled halfway… two-thirds of the way… The ground began to shake.
Suddenly, Garble the Dragon Brawler launched himself into the air, unfurling his wings to stop mere feet from the dark dragoness’ muzzle. “Ember! I beg of you, STOP!”
And for just a moment, Dark Ember froze. Her burning red eyes faded to their normal color, and the spell was interrupted. “Gar… Garble? My love? …”
Her eyes blazed crimson again, and the colossal dragon thrashed, seemingly at war with herself!
Session 98.12 Ardashir
"No!" Dark Ember roared, her eyes going full crimson. "Dragons don't love! Love is weakness, hate is strength. Where love only pleads, hate commands!" She snarled at Garble, the in-game one, and the others. "And Tirek's hate commands that you all die --"
She recoiled as Garble the Dragon Brawler flew even closer. His reflection was visible in Dark Ember's huge eye.
"No!" He set his paw on her muzzle, ignoring her hiss of fury. "My dearest love, you don't believe that! Dragons are more than greed and power-lust..."
"I think I'm gonna be sick if this keeps up," Darkest Flame gagged over the link.
"Me too," both Gildas chimed in. Faithful Student shushed them.
"At least it's giving us time to get our mana back," she indicated the dialogue between the two dragons. "And listen. We're getting a clue here."
"We are nobility, and majesty, and strength," Garble the Brawler pounded a claw against his chest, "of body and of will! We don't let ourselves be used by petty tricksters and bullies like Tirek."
Dark Ember seemed to be listening, at least until she shook her head. "No. The injuries he inflicted on me, the truth behind pony lies," she snarled, and her cast bar began slowly filling again, "it's too much. This is all that's left for me now. My heart is too broken to be healed!" She thrust a claw at the stark and barren mountain behind her. Only now did they see that the shattered cracks in its black peak formed the crude outline of a heart with a jagged crack running through it.
"That's it," Faithful Student and Shining Armor both said at once. Fingers danced over the keys. "Listen, everyone, we need to heal Dark Ember, not destroy her." They magnified the view of the mountain. "We need to heal her broken heart."
"Just when I thought this weirdo human game couldn't get any mushier," Darkest Flame muttered. As Garble the Brawler continued trying to convince his beloved to turn good again, he almost clawed the keyboard in his anger. "Okay, can we heal her poor widdle broken heart and end this fight?" He shuddered. "Yeesh, at least I'll never hafta hear about this from the rest of the dragons. Especially Ember!"
***
Back in the Dragonlands, where a conveniently appearing magical screen, courtesy of one reformed lord of chaos, was displaying the events of the game to the vastly amused scaly denizens, Ember faceclawed with a groan.
Two of her attendants breathed fire in glee as they watched the game's Garble woo the corrupted Ember.
"Wow, I never knew Garble cared so much." Ballista coiled back on her long tail, feet clear of the rocks, and snickered.
"Me neither," Prominence belched out one more blast of fire before she choked on her own laughter. "What's the matter, Ember? You can confess how you feel about Gar-Gar," she put her arm around Ember's neck in a comradely gesture, ruining it by laughing. "It'll be just between you, us, and everyone seeing this!"
Ballista and Prominence rolled on the ground laughing as Ember seethed. Her claws tightening into fists, she glared at the images before her with such venom she felt surprise that other-her and Garble didn't drop dead.
"Garble, my dear heart," she spat the words out, "when I see you again, we're going to have our own private little conversation!"
Session 98.13 Mtangalion
Ember started to claw the offending screen aside, but found herself lingering, watching the fierce battle. “Lovey dovey crap aside,” she mused, “I look pretty cool, don’t I? I always had trouble imagining what I’d be like, if I grew as big and strong as dad someday...” Ember twisted the Bloodstone Scepter in her paws, growling thoughtfully as she imagined having power like that for real… and suddenly she realized that she’d bulked up a bit, and even grown a few inches taller!
Ember flinched, but nothing happened. “Huh?” She peeked an eye open, looking at Ballista. “You’re not gonna throw a rock at my head?”
Ballista arched a brow. “Are you ordering me to do that, dragon lord?”
Prominence flew over and clapped a paw on her shoulder. “Ember, you’re the dragon lord! Nodragon will object if you indulge your greed a little. In fact…” She winked. “They’d prefer it!”
Ember grinned. “So, if I decide to play a little game of ‘How big can I get without going feral, now that I have this, and this?’” She waved the Bloodstone Scepter, and tapped a claw on her iron tiara.
Ballista grinned, showing her fangs. “Then we’ll enjoy the show, and have some nice big rocks ready to throw. After all, nodragon masters her greed in a day!”
Session 98.14 Ardashir
Twilight trotted down the hall, a nervous smile on her face as she walked past the bulletin board covered with fliers. Some of the students were reading the one for the new class in creative writing. They nodded in greeting. She barely noticed, brushing by.
One of them frowned. "Um, Miss Twilight, are you okay? You look upset about something."
"Me? Upset?" Twilight smiled or rather grimaced at them, her mane frazzled. As the two young ponies backed away, ears pinned, she said, "No problems here! Nope, nothing wrong at all! I'm certainly not looking for anything to be kept from the eyes of innocent fillies and colts! But if you find anything like that, make sure to not look at it!" Twilight hurried down the hall towards the apartments for school staff, ignoring the two students as they galloped away from their crazy headmare.
Twilight walked to one specific door, took a deep, calming breath, slowly opened it to reveal Spike obliviously reading one of his Flashire comics, cast a spell to baffle all sounds that would com from inside, and roared at he top of her lungs: "SPIKE! What did you do with, with that story of mine?"
"Wooahh!" Spike shot to the ceiling and slowly dropped back down to the bed. "What are you yelling about, Twi? What story?" His eyes widened as he realized what she meant. "You mean that, uh, romance? Event Horizon of Lust?"
"Yes! I mean, yes," Twilight took another deep calming breath. "I checked my desk today for notes on our next Crystals and Rainbows game and found that triple-locked spell-bound security box I keep my old shame in open and the story gone! And you were the only one who knew about it! Aside from Dash, and Rarity, and Fluttershy -- and they never wanted to see it again."
"Wow, there's a shock," Spike muttered as he remembered what they'd told him about it.
"What was that?"
"Er, nothing!" Spike smiled unconvincingly at the glowering alicorn minor. "Well, I may have mentioned it earlier to Trixie. She's going to be running that creative writing class, and she was asking if I knew of anything she could use as samples of amateur writing. I suggested my stories, but ah," Twilight's horn glowed incandescent as her eyes narrowed, "I know how you still feel about them. I just mentioned your story in passing!" He held out his claws as if keeping her back. "Would she really be foolish enough to humiliate you like that?"
The true meaning of Spike's words sank into them both at once.
A moment later a purple alicorn and dragon were both flying down the hallway to Trixie's classroom, with Twilight's mind dancing with images of lawsuits.
Session 98.15 Mtangalion
Queen Gilda smirked, clawing her push-to-talk key. “Don’t sweat it, Gar Gar. Your love life secrets are safe with us... and everygriffon watching my livestream!” Garble started swearing up such a blue streak that Gilda held her headphones away from her ears.
Just then, an animated spinning coin appeared in the corner of the display, along with a happy jingle. “And it looks like we’ve got another donation!” added Gilda smoothly. “Thank you, Dr_Disco for contributing… sheesh, 500 bits?! I mean, cool, it’s your money right?” She cleared her throat. “Remember griffs and hens, donate to the stream, and those bits will pay for new network routers for Griffonstone and phones for the grifflets and stuff.”
The voice chat crackled. “Gilda, focus! We need your head in the game!”
“Keep yer horseshoes on!” snarled Gilda, fur and feathers bristling.
Inside the game, Queen Gilda’s Priest of Boreas felt very strange indeed, targeting Dark Ember instead of the raid. “Oh well. If this doesn’t work, it’s not like I can heal her more than 100%!” She raised her holy tree branch (fancy staves with gems and crap cost bits, after all) and cast “Quit Yer Squawkin’,” followed by “Greater Walk It Off.”
Lo and behold, a second health bar appeared. “Ember’s Broken Heart” was empty, except for a sliver of bright green from the healing spells that Gilda had just cast. “What the feath… I mean, uh, I knew that would happen!”
Rising Sun grinned, adding heals of her own, and rays of pure sunlight to amplify them. “Looks like it’s the healers’ time to shine on this fight!”
“I’ll help too!” said Flutter Nice, shifting from Dire Bear to Timberwolf of Life… a druid form made of living wood and covered in flowering greenery. Gold and emerald sparkles rained down, the Heart health bar filled up more, and Dark Ember actually seemed to be getting smaller!
“It can’t be this easy,” mused Faithful Student.
It wasn’t that easy. Dark Ember’s *shadow* began to move on its own, waggling a talon at them. “This amusement begins to bore me,” spoke a voice, seemingly from the air itself… female and seductive, yet cold as steel. “Princess Ember is a valuable tool for my plans. I won’t permit any further interference.” Ember’s eyes burned crimson again. “DRAGONS… RISE! Your Dragon Lord commands it!”
The darkly shimmering colors on Ember’s scales began to seethe, and ghastly winged shapes peeled themselves loose, screeching at the raid, then diving at them en mass.
“Aw yeah!” said Rainbow Dash, drawing her swords. “Now the real fight begins!”
Session 98.16 Mtangalion
REAL_Princess in the boss fight briefly froze.
Twilight in the game room exclaimed, "How did *griffons* take the human tech we adapted and become the computer experts of Equestria? I did NOT see this coming."
"I'd say racist, but that's a fair deal," said her griffin student.
Starlight said slyly, "Gee, you don't suppose it's because no pony has a *cutie mark* for computers? Except for a few colts and fillies that won't be in the job market for another five years. I mean, who ever predicted that cutie marks could be holding us back?"
Twilight said flatly, "Har, har..."
Session 98.17 Ardashir
"Destroy!" Dark Ember pointed her still-massive claw at the heroes. "Kill them all! But the Healers first!"
Screeching in rage, the shadow dragons, made of nothing but darkness save for their sickly green eyes and open mouths, flew at the raid, claws outstretched.
"Yow!" 'Pretty_Princess' dodged aside from a pair of the diving horrors. "Hey, you swordswingers, a little help here?" Even as she spoke she cast one of her heals on Dark Ember. The green bar grew a little bigger, and Ember definitely shrank.
Smolder knew it was a game, but she still gulped as Dark Ember pointed and snarled, "Start with that one!"
One of the shadow dragons raised a claw over her as she stood defenseless, only to vanish as OrchardBlossom and Honest Apple cut it down.
"Thanks, guys!"
"Don't mention it," Honest Apple fell back before a spray of ebony flame from the mouth of another attacker. "Just you an' the rest of the healers fix Ember so we can end this quest."
"Yeah, cause it feels like we've been here for months!" D@r1ng-d0 said as she flew through another shadow dragon, her wing blades sending it plummeting in defeat.
For several minutes the battle raged on. Healers and other spellcasters used the magic they had to keep hitting Dark Ember with healing. The green bar grew from a sliver, becoming bigger and bigger, and as it did between the desperate fighting of the warriors and Dark Ember's diminishing corruption the shadow dragons born of her dark enchantment fell until all were gone.
"I... won't... quit!" Dark Ember was down to barely any health at all. She dropped to one knee, obviously weakened. The raid gathered around her, weapons and spells ready. The dream realm around them all seemed to shudder, like it was on the verge of collapse. When she spoke her voice was ragged and exhausted. "I'd rather... die... then become one of you weaklings again!"
"Hey, have it your way. Now's the time ta finish her!" Noneofyourbusiness! yelled as she prepared her biggest attack. Back in Griffonstone, the onlooking griffon audience, which was by now most of the town, was shrieking in delight. She stepped forward, weapon raised --
Only to stop as Flutter Nice stepped in the way. "No! This isn't the right way!"
"It's not?" Blackest_Flame froze in mid-greataxe swing.
"No! This quest isn't to beat Ember, remember?" She showed them some of the message they'd been given when they started out on it. "'Tonight, we venture into Tartarus itself! There, we shall seek the prize that the evil Lord Tirek thought he could hide from us… The Sparks of Trust and Hope… the keys to the new magic that will be his downfall!'" Flutter Nice stepped in front of Ember, within reach of her fangs. "We won't win with violence and spells." She moved closer to Ember, changing from her Dire Bear and into her pony from. "But by showing we hope for Ember, and trust her to still be herself, a being of honor and decency, under Tirek's corruption."
Far off in the Dragonlands, the real Ember watched, her attendants and the other dragons around her silent. Was someone somewhere trying to fight one of them by expecting them to do the right thing?
Flutter Nice stood before Ember, the weakening shadows of her corruption flickering and fading. The dream realm about them was collapsing now.
"You won't hurt me or the others," Flutter Nice said to the wounded dragoness. "You know who really hurt you. And you know who's going to help you."
"Guys," RisingSun said. It looked like the shattered Equestria around them was falling apart, and about to take them with it. "We better end this now, or this place is going down with us in it."
Dark Ember hissed and raised her claw above them, the ground beneath the raid turning orange, as one last box appeared on the screen.
FIGHT EMBER/TRUST EMBER
CHOOSE NOW
Session 98.18 Mtangalion
Meanwhile, at the Pie household, Pinkie Pie remained fixated on her computer, but one eye began to twitch. “*Dashie* thinks it feels like this fight has lasted for months. Heh. Heh heh…”
Unexpectedly, Maud pulled up a chair and put an arm around Pinkie awkwardly. “There, there.”
Pinkie giggled disturbingly. “So many days, waiting for more Words. I don’t remember what school looks like, or the bakery, or…”
“It’ll be okay,” droned Maud. “Here. Have one of your cheer-up muffins. Just a little farther to go.”
Another line of text appeared on human Shining Armor’s screen, below the choice buttons. “Reminder: If you fail this version of the encounter, you cannot attempt it again until the next raid lockout.”
In the game, Shining looked up at the corrupted Dragon Queen... struggling to stand, “bleeding” off plumes of black ash and dark magic, much smaller but still plenty large enough to crush them all. He drew a deep breath, and pushed the TRUST button with a hoof. “I’ll trust Princess Ember! Stand down, everycreature!”
The raid relaxed, uncertainly. Spike the Dragon Mage and Garble the Dragon Brawler flew over to them and landed as well, standing with them. “Ember!” Garble implored her one more time. “Your people need you! I need you! Come back to us!”
Dark Ember clenched her upraised paw, snarling and slamming her tail on the ground. “I must… destroy you all… I MUST… I…” And then, her eyes focused sharply. “I WILL NOT!” she roared, slamming her forepaw down… beside the raid, not on top of it! The ground fissured, cracks running clear to the horizon in an instant, then up into the sky, which shattered like a broken mirror, raining down…
And with a jolt, they found themselves back where they were before, in the deepest chamber of Tartarus. “Whoa!” Daring_Do looked around, gaping. “Is it over?! Are we back in the real world?”
In Twilight’s Friendship Castle, Spike whooped and high-pawed with Smolder. “For a given value of real.”
If Lavan and Crunch the Rockdog had survived the raid encounter, they were long gone. There was no sign of them now.
The “real” Princess Ember glowed and began to shrink, layers of corrupted crystal exploding off of her body. All of her shackles fell apart, because Ember was suddenly too small for them, and yet…
“Is it over?” rasped Princess Ember, unknowingly echoing Daring_Do. “Am I me again? This feels really weird…” Her body was once again young enough to walk on two legs, but now she stood as tall as Garble, and her blue scales were darker, shading to black in places.
Garble the Dragon Brawler grinned toothily, leaning on his hammer axe. “I think I could get used to it.” His eyes widened. “My lady, be careful! You’re not fully recovered… mfff!” Princess Ember tackled him, shoving him up against a stone wall and kissing the living daylights out of him.
Garble banged his head against his keyboard. “Kill me now.”
“I’ll kill him!” snarled Dragon Lord Ember.
Ballista giggled, elbowing her. “At least take him on a date first. You can always kill him later.”
Queen Gilda rolled her eyes. “Blah blah blah, and then they banged. Can we get to the loot now?” She rubbed her claws together, salivating over the large and ornate golden chest which had appeared.
Princess Ember looked over her shoulder. “Oh, that? That’s some treasure those jerks made me hoard so I’d get bigger. You can ha… Sorry… You can have… Ha… haaaa… You can have it!” She slumped in Garble the Dragon Brawler’s arms, panting. “That was hard...”
Rising Sun popped the chest open, and sitting right on top of the loot pile were a pair of crystal orbs, just like the unawakened Elements of Harmony. One had a red and yellow sun, and the other bore glittering stars.
And that wasn’t all. Gongs and triumphant fanfares played on their computers as the achievements popped up…
(Tartarus Unchained) - Successfully cleared the Tartarus raid!
(Legendary Challenge: Dark Ember) - Defeated Dark Ember on the highest difficulty mode!
Secret Achievement: (Hooves and Paws and Claws) - Persuaded the Dragon Kingdom to join the Equestrian Alliance! Reward: You may now create playable Young Dragons!
Spike reeled back in his chair. “What, NOW they give us that? Hey, Garble!” He turned his head. “What do you think of…”
Garble had already logged out of his griffon warrior, and he was grinning like an idiot at the new character customization screen.
Smolder stretched limbs tired from sitting in a chair for hours. “What about you, Spike? Finally going to play something else besides that pony mare you started with?”
Spike chuckled. “Maybe?”
The human Shining Armor started sorting through the loot, and raid members began making their bonus rolls. The game had one more unexpected surprise for them, though…
Almost silently, some of the crystal shards began to rattle, rolling across the dungeon floor, collecting together and rising up… Some intuition made pony Shining Armor whip around, drawing his sword as the shards dissolved together, forming…
A baby dragoness made of pure shimmering shadows, no bigger than Spike when he first got his wings. “How disappointing!” she said, speaking with the same mysterious voice they’d heard during the battle. Shining Armor lunged with his sword, but she flew out of his reach, waggling a small talon. “Still, Princess Ember’s essence is strong. It’s a pity that I couldn’t salvage any more of it.” She flew tauntingly closer and purred, “We WILL meet again, little pony.” Then she flew through a crack in the ceiling and was gone.
Shining Armor blinked. “What… What was…” He looked down at the chat log, and her dialog was all there, spoken by ‘The Shadow of Lilith.’ “What the heck was that thing!?”
Pinkie Pie waved her hooves dramatically. “Oooh, foreshadowing!”
Shining twitched. “Let’s just… pass out this loot and portal on home.”