Rainbow Dash only took a second to think. All levity she'd gained in Epona's company was quickly replaced with seriousness and strength. “Raindrops, Scribes, Merry May!” Her lieutenants were to her side in the space of a breath, ready for their orders. “Get everypony into their assigned groups and back to the stadium as fast as you can. Do a head count and make sure we haven't lost anyone.” The three pegasai took off in one fluid movement and Dash turned to Applejack and Big Macintosh. “Find Twilight, Luna, and anypony else who was assigned to the shielding charm and meet us where they first cast the spell.” The two siblings nodded and ran off, leaving the rainbow maned pony with Soarin.
“What about me, Commander?”
She turned to him, expecting the goofy smile of his after calling her what nearly every other pony had taken to calling her, but there was nothing amusing in his expression. For some reason this, above anything else he'd said or done so far, softened Rainbow's attitude toward the stallion and all that had transpired between them.
“Stick with me. We may need to do some serious flying.” With his nod of understanding she took to the air and headed for the roof of the tallest building in Fillydelphia. With Soarin at her side flying in all his gear, the goggles, the armor, the wing bracers, he looked ready for battle. She'd been spending her days almost longing for the action that was sure to come, to be able to finally fight again this enemy they all knew so little about but feared above everything else. Now that it appeared upon them, however, Dash couldn't help but pray for another day, just one more day to prepare.
Below them ponies moved in a sea of bodies. Merry May led her group through the city and away from the carnival, Scribes close behind and Raindrops leading her group to take up the rear. All the lights and the music from the rides and the stands stayed strong and bright giving the abandoned area an eerie quality when Dash looked back at it. She saw Luna depositing Pipsqueak with somepony below before catching an updraft and joining the other two in the air.
“What do you know about the dragons?” Rainbow asked the princess quickly.
“Very little,” she confessed, eyes on the black mass in the sky. “I am still learning all that I have missed with pony-kind. I have not even begun to get caught up on what I have missed with the dragons.”
“They're getting closer,” Soarin observed. As they reached their destination the three winged ponies touched down on the roof just as Twilight and Shining Armor came up from the stairs inside. Soarin looked at the unicorn stallion. “Will your shield hold?”
“I don't know. It's never been tested against dragons.”
Other unicorns began trickling in and Twilight hurried to line them up in preparation for reinforcing the shield. Among them was Rarity who, while listening to her friend, kept a watchful eye on the dark night sky in the distance. “Pardon me,” she ventured, eyes narrowed thoughtfully, “but has anypony noticed how uneven their group is?”
“Rarity,” chided Twilight, “this is no time to worry about symmetry.”
“No...” Shining Armor stepped closer to the edge of the roof with a furrowed brow. “She's right. See how far their mass spans north, but there are only those occasional fire bursts from the southern side of the group.”
“What do you think that means?” asked Luna. “Perhaps they are not all capable of breathing fire?”
“All dragons can breathe fire,” said Twilight confidently. “Unless they've been injured, of course.”
“We'll find out soon enough,” Dash said. “They're getting closer by the second.” Another burst of fire in the sky gave a brief highlight in the dark and made everyone present gulp in fear. As far away as they had been when first spotted, their group looked impressively large. Now they just looked massive, and waiting for them to get closer was not easy. Rainbow's tail lashed and she pawed the roof, eager to do something and having half a mind to just fly out there and meet them. Soarin, perhaps anticipating as much from her, stepped to her side and simply stood close, staring out with the rest of the gathered ponies. Cadance joining them from above was enough to make everypony jump and almost had Rarity lunging at the alicorn, horn first.
“What are you doing here?” Shining Armor asked sternly. “You should be inside with the others.”
“And wait to hear if my husband has survived or not? I don't think so.” She looked at Dash. “All ponies present and accounted for, plus one baby dragon.” Twilight breathed a quiet sigh of relief as Cadance turned her attention outward as well. “You should know they are preparing to fight. The children have all been gathered together and will be watched over, but most of the ponies in the stadium are readying themselves for war.” She looked at Rainbow once more. “They await your command.”
“We need to see what we're dealing with first.”
“Does it matter?” the princess asked. “If they wait until the last possible minute to come forth and fight they will all be together and easier to slaughter. Rainbow Dash, you must make the decision now. Either they scatter and prepare or they wait and face death with a higher likelihood than if they were throughout the city in smaller groups.”
The pegasus snorted in frustration. She recognized the truth of Cadance's words but hated not knowing what was coming. “I'm going out there.”
“What?” Everyone looked at her and she nodded.
“I'll just get close enough to check it out and be back before they even notice I'm there. I'm the fastest flyer here.” She looked at Soarin practically willing him to argue.
“You're faster than me,” he conceded willingly, “but I've got better moves and tricks than you. You go, I'm going with you.”
“You'll only slow me down.”
“And on your own you'll only get yourself killed.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence!”
“Wait, what is happening?” Rarity's question silenced them all, eyes turning back to the approaching group. In the very center of the black mass a small light formed, growing with each passing moment until it made it nearly impossible to look at.
“Lower the shield!” Luna exclaimed. She was on her hooves, wings extended and ready to take to the air. “Lower it! Quickly!”
Uncertain, Shining Armor nodded to his sister and the other unicorns, then turned and aided them in dispelling the shield around the city. Almost as soon as the magical haze was gone the blinding light and its surrounding black mass was upon them. Heavy wingbeats stirred up strong winds, fire burst in the sky above them as dragons soared low over the city, one after another, filling the air with the smell of sulfur and a warmth none of them had known for weeks now. They perched where they could when they landed, yet the wingbeats did not end. Following the last dragon came another wave of creatures, the other side of the black mass. Gryphons of every shape, size and color filled the sky with their cries, an occasional feather floating down to land on the roof. Everyone stood in awe, watching these majestic creatures find places to land. Some of them waited patiently, some of them even preened, but none of them attacked.
The blinding light was now directly in front of them and just as it grew in intensity just moments previous, it now slowly faded with a gentle pulse, leaving a single pony in its place.
“Sister!” Celestia had barely gotten a hoof to touch down on the roof before Luna was launching herself at her, tears of joy rimming her eyes as they embraced. “I thought I'd never see you again.”
Celestia held Luna tightly, a weary smile on her face. “Dear Luna...forgive me for taking so long to join you.” Her pale coat was dirty and stained with blood in places, fur torn and exposed flesh scratched. Her mane still moved in its own wind but it was knotted and a terrible mess. When she opened her eyes they were tired and one looked bruised and swollen. As she let go of Luna, Twilight ran forward and was enfolded in Celestia's motherly embrace as well. “My faithful student,” Celestia said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. “I am so glad to see you.” As she looked around the rooftop she regarded them all with another exhausted smile. “I am glad to see all of you.”
“Where have you been?” Twilight asked, looking up at her mentor. “We were so worried! We thought...”
“I could hardly fault you for thinking as much,” said Celestia. “I should have been with you long before now but my journey was delayed far too many times.” She looked at Shining Armor and nodded. “Thank you for allowing us in, nephew, but I believe it would be a good idea to raise your shield once more.”
The stallion did as suggested as Luna got one more hug in, pulling Cadance in as well. “You look weary,” Cadance said with concern. “What happened?”
“Weary is putting it mildly.” Celestia sat on her haunches and looked past the group of ponies, out to the waiting dragons and gryphons. “After Canterlot was attacked and Ponyville was cleared of all its citizens I went northeast to see how widespread the damage had been and to begin locating all of the groups that had been sent away. It appeared that there had been simultaneous attacks on Canterlot, Ponyville, and Manehattan but we were not the only ones to be set upon. Regions from Neighsia to Trottland, Bridleland and Prance had all seen widespread devastation. They did not have the warning, small as it was, that Ponyville had and my help was needed. I knew things would be well in hoof with Luna and the Elements still alive and trusted in time we would all meet up again. I wanted nothing more than to be with all of you, to keep you safe...”
“But you had your responsibilities,” supplied Twilight. “We're not angry, Princess. We were just so worried.”
“How did all those guys get involved?” Dash asked, looking out at the waiting additions to the city.
“I went first to the gryphon kingdom,” Celestia explained. “Their country borders Prance and I wanted to make sure they were all right. Though they had seen some losses, they fared far better than we had. I met with the gryphon king and he graciously offered to help us in the fight that was sure to come.” She rose and walked to the edge of the roof, looking around. “King Gorlois, if you would be so kind.”
From the masses, an elderly male gryphon flew over from a nearby balcony and landed on the roof with a gust of wind beneath his wings. His fur was a dark chocolate brown and his feathers were brown-orange with lustrous ear tuffs. His round eyes, bright periwinkle, surveyed the group with a removed sort of interest. When he bowed, it was a slow graceful movement that was meant for everyone, not just the royalty present. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” he said, his accented voice deep and rich, “though I wish it could have been under more pleasurable circumstances.”
“Thank you for your help, your majesty,” said Twilight. She bowed her head graciously, then elbowed Rainbow Dash to follow suit. The others dipped their heads in respect as well. “We don't really know what we're up against but we wouldn't dream of turning away the aid, especially from your people. I've read the most fascinating books on the history of the gryphons and was amazed to learn that...” As Twilight prattled on, the gryphon king looked at Princess Celestia and the two shared a smirk. Not blind to it, Twilight trailed off and looked between the two.
“This must be Twilight Sparkle. Your princess has told me much of your insatiable thirst for knowledge.”
Twilight's face burned red and Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Look at that, egg-head! Even the gryphons know how much of a super nerd you are!”
“I told King Gorlois about all of the Elements,” said Celestia evenly. It succeeded in wiping the smirk off of Dash's face and the pegasus looked up at the king with a gulp.
“Oh.”
“Rainbow Dash,” he guessed correctly. “The fastest flyer in all of Equestria.” She beamed. “Also the most prideful.” Dash deflated some, her cheeks coloring slightly.
“To continue,” said Celestia with a delicate cough, “King Gorlois told me this enemy we face sounded similar to a legend he'd heard before about a war waged with the dragons. Naturally, I decided to go to the source.” A slight smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and Celestia gave a slight nod. A large dragon on the building next to them opened her maw and trumpeted a call into the night. Her blue scales shimmered with a green iridescence that matched the green of her under belly and the leathery fold of her wings. Slanted eyes, golden and searching, seemed to be almost laughing as she took them all in.
“I am Synge,” she told them in a surprisingly whispery tone, “queen of the dragon kin.”
“Spike is going to freak,” muttered Dash, gaze frozen on the dragon.
“When your princess came to me I knew almost at once the enemy with which you struggle. Long before I was born, many generations before even your princesses were born and dragons still ruled most of the world we, too, were attacked by an unseen force. It fed off the weak and destroyed every living creature it could find. These Harbingers, as you call them, are much like your Changelings and Windigos in that they feed off of living creatures. But they do no feed off of love or fear and strife, they feed off of life. They kill to live because it is the only way they can live.”
“What does that mean, exactly?” asked Rarity.
“Just as you and I rely on food for sustenance, these beings rely on your lifeforce for theirs.”
The unicorn made a face. “That's disgusting!”
“How do we defeat them?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We've all had run ins with them and realized they can be killed by magic but it seems like more and more keep coming.”
“They do not truly die,” said the dragon queen, “but into a period of regeneration. Those you believe you kill only come back stronger and smarter.”
“Smarter?” Twilight echoed. “They explains why they started gathering together and herding us. They were evolving before our very eyes.”
“And they will continue to do so unless they are completely obliterated,” said Gorlois. “Once they defeat ponies, some would say the most formidable species currently alive, they will come after the rest of us.”
Rainbow Dash looked around. “So like I said, how do we kill them ?”
“The way you kill any serpent,” Celestia intoned. “You cut off it's head.”
Dash blinked in confusion. “They're...snakes?”
The question earned Dash another elbow to the ribs from Twilight. “It's a figure of speech, Rainbow. It means we go after the leader.” Twilight looked at Princess Celestia. “But we've never seen anything beside the harbingers. We didn't even know they had a leader.”
“He calls himself the Revenant,” Synge offered. “If you had been near him you would have known. He smells like every living thing he has consumed and those his children have consumed as well.”
Once more, Rarity made a face. “Ugh! How could he stand to live with himself!”
“He appeared to us in the form of a dragon, though I suppose since it is now pony-kind he hunts, he will be like you. Sunken, fiery eyes, rotting teeth and nails, scales missing. Or fur, in this case.”
“Darling, that sounds nothing like us.”
Dash quirked a brow. “He kinda sounds like a zombie.”
Twilight groaned. “Pinkie will be thrilled.”
“He represents all dead things come back to life,” said Synge, “and he will not rest until he has consumed all of us.”
“I don't get it,” Soarin said. “Over the past few days we've seen the spirits slowly disappear. Why have they not yet launched a full force attack on us? No offense to Epona or you, Dash, but we're not exactly one hundred percent invulnerable here. If they wanted to they could easily take us.”
“Because.” Synge looked at Celestia. “The most powerful one of all was not here.”
Celestia smiled grimly. “How nice of him to wait for my arrival.”
Shining Armor, silent until now, looked up at the dragon queen. “Now that Princess Celestia is here, does that mean this final attack could come at any time?”
“You are correct.”
The gravity of such a realization settled heavily upon all of them, each thinking about how much time they possibly had left, what they could do with that time, and what would happen once the battle began. After several long moments of silence, Celestia stood and drew all the attention to herself. “Tonight the dragons and the gryphons will keep guard. All of us will need our rest. I may not be able to see the future but something tells me tomorrow will be a day unlike any other.”
“What about my unicorns?” asked Dash, “and the pegasus recon teams?”
“Call them in for tonight. We will be well guarded.”
As Dash and Soarin took off to call the current watch in, Twilight stepped forward to regard Gorlois and Synge. “Thank you so much for your help. If there's anything we can do tonight to bring you food or even just a place to sleep for awhile...”
The gryphon and the dragon looked at her kindly. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle,” said Gorlois, “but we will hunt for our food.”
“And we prefer to sleep out in the open should we need a few moments of rest,” added Synge
“Oh.” Twilight's ears drooped in embarrassment. “Right. Of course.”
“Come, Twilight,” The unicorn turned to see everyone else heading into the stairwell, though Celestia waited for her. Twilight gave the gryphon and the dragon a parting smile, then hurried to catch up with her mentor.