Twas Hearthswarming day, Rainius and Starlight were both at Twilight's, along with Galaxy and Sunburst. Opening presents and singing songs. Everything was absolutely perfect. Of course Twilight made sure of that. But as Starlight looked outside she noticed that they were running out of time. "The snow is sticking," She said.
"We still have today," Rainius replied. "No one's giving up here, don't worry."
"Bat ponies are strong and unrefined," Starlight said, then realized Rainius's reaction to her statement. "Well, not all bat ponies are unrefined." She smiled at Rainius nervously.
Galaxy watched as her parents talked. She could see that her mother seemed worried about something, but she wasn't sure what it was. She wished there was something she could do, to help her, but Sunburst tried to get her mind off it. "This is from me," Sunburst said, giving her a present that had a necklace in it.
"It's beautiful," She said.
"Want to put it on?" Twilight asked her as she sat down next to her. Galaxy nodded. Twilight puts the necklace around her neck. "It's really pretty on you."
"Well, I'm glad you like it, Princess," Sunburst said. He turned to Rainius and Starlight who both smiled.
"We got a big day tomorrow and it's starting to get late we should head out if we want to find a place to camp for tonight," Twilight said.
Later that night, Sunburst had set up camp for all the creatures who were with them. They were sleeping out on a snowy mountain where tomorrow the bat syndicate would come. brings some wood and drops it on the ground, then he uses his magic to start a fire. "That’s what I’m talking about. A little pre-battle bonfire… telling war stories," He said.
"Like the Prench Revolution," Melody interjected.
"You fought in the Prench Revolution?" Sunburst inquired.
"Well, not really," She answered. "I was a medic. Me and a group of other medic ponies helped with soldier’s injuries during the rebellions in Prance."
As they were all telling stories Rainius and his mother Luna were watching them all laughing and smiling. Rainius wondered how they all could be happy when the danger that was to come was bigger than all of them. "I can't help thinking that all these creatures are willing to risk their lives and put themselves in danger all because I fell in love with unicorn," He said.
"You found your mate," Luna replied. "You deserve to be happy."
"But at what cost?" Rainius egged on.
"Everyone here has something to fight for. I certainly do," Luna said. "You. And your wife and daughter. As well as my sister." Luna looks over at Celestia.
Rainius looks at Starlight and Galaxy who were in their tent. Starlight was reading a book to Galaxy. He turned to Luna. "Mom, I've never thanked you!" He said, guilty. "For this extraordinary life. I'm sorry… for everything. I know that you were choosing my happiness over yours when you gave me away…" He grimaced. "And I forgive you for it."
"It's okay, son," Luna said. Rainius looked back at the tent where his wife and daughter resided.
In their tent, Galaxy opens the locket containing a photo of Starlight and Rainius and the message ‘Plus que ma propre vie’ engraved in it. "This means ‘more than my own life’ in Prench," Starlight said. "That’s how much I love you. Tomorrow I’m gonna need you to stay with Sunburst, no matter what. Even if I tell him that… that he has to take you somewhere." Galaxy starts crying and Starlight takes her into her arms. "Hey, sweetie, it’s alright. You’re gonna be safe… Always."
When tomorrow came, the day of the arrival of the bat syndicate and their witnesses was all in order. Every creature stood bravely and courageous as what lies ahead was a formidable foe that was to fight against them. They all were gathered in a large, snow-covered field. Suddenly Shadow and his army become visible. And it is clear that they even-out in armies. But even with that, the bat ponies are still stronger than them all.
As Shadow and his army get closer, the timberwolf packs come out to join the royal family and their witnesses. Sunburst; in his timberwolf form, goes and stands next Starlight, Galaxy and Rainius. Shadow and his army stand in a line facing the royal family and their witnesses, Rainius walks forward. "Shadow, let us discuss things as we used to… in a civilized manner," He said.
"Fair words, Rainius," Shadow replied. But a little out of place given the battalion that has been assembled against us."
"I can promise you, that was never our intent," Rainius said. "No laws have been broken."
"We see the child! Do not treat us as fools!" Duke interjected.
"She is not an immortal!!" Rainius shouted at them. "These witnesses can attest to that… Or you can look. See the flush of pony blood in her cheeks."
"Artifice!!" Duke shouted in objection.
"I will collect every facet of the truth," Shadow said, cutting off Duke. "But from someone more central to the story." He turns to Rainius. "Rainius… As the child clings to your now Alicorn mate… I assume you are… involved." Rainius looks at Starlight then makes his way towards Shadow. As Rainius reaches Shadow he extends his hoof, Shadow takes it and uses his power to read through his thoughts and memories then realizes that Galaxy is not an immortal child. "I’d like to meet her."
Rainius turns and looks at Starlight and Galaxy, then Starlight, Galaxy, Sunburst, then joined by Twilight walk towards Shadow. "Ah, young Starlight. Immortality becomes you."
Shadow smiles and then shrieks with laughter as he hears Galaxy’s heart beating. "I hear her strange heart," He said. Shadow holds out his hoof.
Galaxy walks closer to him. "Hello, Shadow," She greets him. Galaxy then touches Shadow's cheek, using her powers on him.
Shadow becomes transfixed by what she shows him. "Magnifico," He says, amazed. He turns to his army. "Half mortal, half immortal. Conceived and carried by this Alicorn, while she was still a unicorn. Shadow turns and looks at Starlight.
"Impossible!!" Duke objected.
"Do you think they fooled me, brother?" Shadow questions him.
Starlight, Rainius, and Galaxy walk back to join the other witnesses.
"Bring the informant forward," Duke demanded.
Diamond was brought forward to Duke and Shadow. "Is that the child you saw?" He pointed at Galaxy.
"I’m not sure," Diamond answered.
Amber?" Duke said. He was going to have Amber use her powers on her.
"She’s changed!" Diamond cut them off. "This child is bigger."
"Then your allegations were false?" Duke asked.
"The royal family is innocent," She replied. "I take full responsibility for my mistake." She looked towards the only family she had ever known. "I’m sorry."
Rainius sees that Diamond is about to be executed. "Duke, no!" He shouts in objection.
Duke then steps forward and hits Diamond and snaps her head off. "Diamond!!" Bow and Flower Blossom screamed in unison. Duke then sets fire to the rest of Diamond’s body, Bow and Flower Blossom run towards Shadow and his army, Melody gets hold of Flower Blossom. Applejack grabbed ahold of Bow, holding them tightly as to not let them go. "We have to attack!" Bow said.
Rainius then talks to them. "Bow, this is what they want. If you attack now, then we'll all die!" He says. Understanding, they calm down. Applejack and Melody release their grip on them.
As Bow and Flower Blossom stop their attack on Shadow and his army, Amber looks at Rainius. "Pain," She says before she uses her power to bring Rainius down in pain, but Starlight manages to use her powerful magic to shield Rainius, he gets up and walks towards Starlight.
"It’s working," He says as he walks back towards them. Starlight smiles as Amber realizes her powers are useless against her shield, then Dark steps forward and tries to use his deadly vapor but Shadow stops him. "Shadow, you see there’s no law broken here."
"Agreed," Shadow said. "But does it then follow that there is no danger?" He turns to his army. "For the first time in our history, ponies pose a threat to our kind. Their modern technology has given birth to weapons that could destroy us. Maintaining our secret has never been more imperative. In such perilous times, only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable, and we know nothing of what this child will become. Can we live with such uncertainty? Spare ourselves a fight today, only to die tomorrow." His words bring fear into the bat ponies.
Rainius then has a vision. "Wait! I have evidence that Galaxy won’t be a risk to our kind," He says. Shadow looks at him with suspicion. "Let me show you." He walks to Shadow and extends his hoof, Shadow grabs it.
"Brother?" Duke said, trying to get his attention.
As Shadow reads his thoughts. Rainius realizes that Shadow won’t change his mind. He sighs. "It doesn’t matter what I show you. Even when you see, you still won’t change your decision." At that moment he turns and looks over to Starlight and whispers, "Now!"
Starlight looks at Galaxy who’s sitting on top of Sunburst. Then Starlight looks at Sunburst. "Take care of my daughter," Was the last thing she said before Sunburst turned and started running into the woods with Galaxy.
Shadow's guards saw Sunburst running off into the woods with Galaxy. "Get them!" Duke commands.
Suddenly Rainius attacks Shadow, kicking him with his leg, sending him flying, but he manages to land back down and orders his guards to take hold of Rainius. "Take him away," He orders.
The mane six, the royal family, and the witnesses become angry as they see Rainius being held. "Let him go!" Celestia demands as she runs forward to attack. Her and Shadow meet each other mid-air, where he shoots magic at her and lands to the ground with Celestia’s body landing soon after. Dead.
The mane six, the royal family, and their witnesses watch in horror as Duke burns Celestia’s body, this causes them and the timberwolf packs to launch into an attack. "Aunt Celestia," Rainius murmured.
Chaos breaks out with both sides undergoing deaths, which Discord absolutely adores. Starlight tries to use her magic to help shield Shining Armor from Amber’s power, but Dark attacks Starlight. Then she uses her power on Shining Armor and he writhes in pain from Amber’s power and then is beheaded by bat pony. Cadence and Twilight scream in fury. "Dad!!" Flurry cries out.
Twilight rushes in and beheads Dark, then a timberwolf is killed by a bat pony.
As Sunburst is running in the woods with Galaxy, one of Shadow’s guards catch up to them. "Sunburst!" She calls out to him. Sunburst!" He doesn't respond. "Sunburst!" Still no response. "Sunburst!" Just then a bat pony jumps onto Sunburst from above. "Watch out!" Sunburst attacks, managing to kill and behead the bat pony. He continues to run in the woods with Galaxy.
Back at the battle scene, Discord uses his power to create a chasm in the earth, which kills many of the armies of bat ponies and nearly takes Luna and Rainius down, but they manage to escape, but not without the sacrifice of another timberwolf. Rainius then kills one of the guards in the process. Then Cadence attacks Amber with Starlight's help by shielding her. Cadence throws Amber to a timberwolf and it kills her.
Duke then joins the battle, then immediately gets his skull ripped in half by Bow and Flower Blossom.
Then, Melody and Applejack attack Crimson Moon. "Finally," He says before they kill him.
As Shadow watches most of his army die he finally joins in the battle and Rainius and Starlight attack him and together they manage to rip his head off and set fire to his body, killing him. With Shadow dead, the battle is now in their favor as the other side now surrenders after witnessing the death of all the bat syndicate. They run off in fear as Starlight and Rainius show them the head of Shadow Mark before burning it. "Well, would you look at that," Starlight says. "We won!!"
Everyone cheers and rejoices in the fact that they were victorious in the battle with the bat syndicate. Rainius and Starlight then look back at the woods. "We should go find Sunburst," He suggested.
"Oh, definitely," Starlight agreed. The two shared a kiss as they celebrated their triumphant victory over Shadow Mark and the rest of the bat syndicate.