The ceiling burst open, showering us all before a tidal wave of lava engulfed us. Luna and her sisters were lucky enough to be on the outside of the group, allowing them the chance to escape the molten rock, but we weren’t so fortunate. The others started to panic as we were sent every which way from the lava’s flow, but I managed to burry my hand in the stone floor and ride out the glowing, boiling soup.
As the lava leveled out at my knees, I stood up with eyes, jaws, and runes alight. I probably looked like a demon. The new attacker seemed to think so as he backed up from the lava, looking ready to crap his pants at the sight of me.
“Why do you attack us?” Both I and Baldur spoke as one, slowly walking closer to him. “Who sent you?!”
The Warg didn’t answer, frantically looking between me and the lava I stood in, my clothes in rags. After not getting an answer, I stepped closer as the Warg finally stood and glared at me, seeming to claim his courage.
“You really wan to know?” He challenged, giving me a smug look. “Then come and make me tell you!”
“You come here first.” I smirked back, popping my knuckles.
The guy seemed to hesitate again, looking at the lava before forcing himself forward. It seemed that this was his first time finding out that he was fireproof. Stepping into the lava, his pants incinerated up to his knees, yet he came closer still. Stopping three feet away, we were at eye-level.
“This your first time?” I asked, genuinely curious.
The Warg growled to himself, looking away for a moment. “Yeah. They never said anything about… this.”
“Because they don’t know. How could they? The ponies live reclusive lives here in Equestria, they know nothing of our kind.”
“Yeah… I’m going to kill you now.”
“Before that, could I get the name of my slayer?” I inwardly chuckled at my sass, but the Warg before me didn’t find it so funny.
But before he could answer with his outburst, Danny rushed in and slashed at the Warg with his red lightsabers. The Warg let out a howl of pain as he jumped back, clutching a stump of an arm.
“W-wha—”
Greg fell from above and delivered another attack, slashing at hot air as the Warg dodged. “Answer the man’s question, dirt-bag!”
“The name’s Levi!” He grunted, headbutting Greg. “And that’s all your getting outta me!”
Greg stumbled back, his dazed state taking over for several seconds as he shook his head. Danny stood next to me, watching as I brought my lightsaber to bare.
“You all set?” I asked, keeping an eye on Levi as he searched his belt for something.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Levi then pulled a double-bladed lightsaber from his belt and ignited it, a soft hum emanating from the black blades. The want-to-be assassin smirked as he watched Danny’s face fall.
“The inner geek in me is squealing with joy, and utterly terrified by the fact that he has two Darksabers…” The brown Warg confessed with a frown. “Bo Katan would be jealous though.”
Levi rushed at us, slashing at Danny as he blocked, the second blade angling and coming down on me. Raising my own saber, I was barely able to block it from the crushing force behind it. Levi punched Danny away with the stump of an arm into the lava, spinning and slashing at me with his now free Darksaber. I closed my eyes, awaiting the pain, only to have the sword bounce off me.
I opened my eyes to see my arms were covered in a glassy black substance, hard as rock. Looking myself over for a moment, the same stuff had covered my entire body, the long cracks and crevasses slowly sucking up the lava I stood in. I felt the lava’s warmth reach my head, filling me with a sense of power. With my eyes and maw still alight, I smirked and howled at Levi, the long guttural howl sending his face into terror.
Deactivating my lightsaber, I charged forward and pushed myself into Levi, opening a portal behind us as he dropped his weapon. We fell through, falling back down to the molten ground far below.
“So, you think you can hurt my friends and go on your marry way?” I shouted into his ear, glaring daggers. “You think you can rape my girlfriend with no hassle?! Think again!!”
Another portal open below us as I shoved Levi ahead of me, causing only him to be swallowed up by the portal. I watched as he tumbled out onto dry ground, on a little island surrounded by a lava river. The others had been watching and were on their way to help take down Levi.
Summoning my Spell Chroma, green fire formed an obsidian jetpack on my back, propelling me forward. I rushed over Levi’s head, doing a front flip, and dispelled the jetpack, falling toward him. Greg suddenly come over the horizon with blinding speed. Enveloped in green fire, he raced up to Levi and delivered several punches that the Flash would’ve been proud of. I soon landed next to Greg and socked Levi in the jaw, jumping back to avoid a returning slug. Greg then backed off with me as Danny and Damian came up, both their bodies enveloped in golden flames, the ground cracking and shattering beneath their steps. They charged our attacker and pulled back their fists, the single, combined punch from them sent Levi flying as a fiery blue chain wrapped around his ankle from above. Luna tightened her grip on said chain and yanked Levi up to her, grabbing him by the throat and roaring an inferno into his face.
She then grabbed Levi’s left wrist and snapped it, causing the Warg to scream in pure agony and drop his Darksaber into the lava below. Leaping into the air, trails of fire erupting from my feet as I rocketed up to Luna and Levi, grabbing the Warg by the collar of his shirt. Looking to Luna in that moment, I planted a kiss on her cheek before I plummeted back down to earth, dragging a roughed-up Levi with me. However, as we fell, I steered for the lava below, calling for the earth below to open up and create a deep pit filled with lava. With a determined face, I plummeted into the pooling lava, sinking down into the deep with Levi struggling against me.
A green runic circle appeared above the pit, sending me the air I needed to breath down in the depths. Levi, now starving for precious oxygen, struggled even harder. In an act of desperation, Levi grasped my skull and head butted me, making me release my grip on him. For the next few moments, the world was foggy. I was barely aware that Levi was punching and bashing my head about, I was finally broken from my stupor by faceplanting into the pit’s wall.
Blinking hard and thanking Baldur for the hardened skin, I delivered a single uppercut to Levi with all my might. The result was a sonic boom and the Warg was sent flying from the now half full pit. I surfaced and looked up to see a spasming and bleeding Levi falling from a crater in the cavern’s ceiling.
With a scowl on my face, I clawed my way out of the pit I’d made, rising out of the hole with lava pouring off my shoulders. As I stood, I found that the others were all staring at me. Greg, Asher, and Danny looked on me in awe, while Damian looked at me with a mixture of amazement and uncertainty.
“Dude! How did you do that?!” Cried Asher, hands griping his head in awe.
“How did all of you do what you did?” I countered, wondering how they’d known to work their magics.
“We learned it all from Roret and Akiira, they’ve been teaching us how to use magic.” Explained Danny. “Awesome, right?”
“Yeah, but… I don’t remember seeing Asher help.” Greg pointed out, looking to the blonde Warg in question as he came out of hiding.
“Have you guys seen yourselves?! While fighting baddies is awesome, I don’t want to fight one stark naked!”
“Heh, you have a point…” Agreed Danny, looking over his burnt and torn clothes, his belt in shambles and barely holding his pants up. Me on the other hand…
“Forget us, look at Micah!” Damian nodded to me. “That… armor, I think, is the only thing keeping you from being nude. Keep that stuff on, I don’t want to be walking down a hallway and you suddenly let your—”
“YOU THINK ONE PUNCH CAN BEAT ME?!” Screamed Levi as he came around a boulder, smashing it as he glared at us. “I may’ve not known about the lava stuff, BUT I’M PRETTY DAMN EXPERIANCED WITH MY POWERS!!”
“HOW IS THIS GUY STILL ALIVE?!” Yelped Asher, unclipping with his lightsaber from his belt.
We watched as he clenched his fist, green flames engulfing it as he marched toward us. Glaring back, my own fists balled as my body erupted with red flames. I then rushed forward, my muscles aching as I attempted to barrel into Levi. But when I made contact, he didn’t move an inch. I looked up in panic as he brought his fists down on me, the impact smashing me into the ground as a crater formed. The lava around us erupted outwards, giving me a solid bed of stone to lie in for a second before the thick liquid rushed back over me. Ears ringing and vision bleary, I could barely watch through the murky depths as Levi attacked the others.
With my lungs starving for precious air, I pushed myself up on aching elbows, gasping as I watched the others clash. Where had this sudden boost in power come from?! Had he been toying with us before? If so, I had to hand it to him, Levi was a good actor.
“CRUEL SUN!!” I turned onto my back to see Danny launch a massive ball of fire at Levi, the Warg barely dodging the attack. When the flaming ball hit the wall behind him, Levi was launched toward Greg from the massive explosion, the grey Warg’s Ward Chroma still up.
However, with a switch of power, Greg became a flaming green blur and reappeared behind Levi with mine and his lightsabers in hand. But before he could attack, the winds started to pick up. I looked to my right to see a massive tornado forming beside Maggie, now covered in only scrapped clothing. With an infuriated roar, orange flames pouring from her jaws as she charged forward, blinking out of existence as the tornado gathered up her flames. In a flash of sparks, Maggie rematerialized next to Levi, sending a right hook to his face. Levi was then send flying into two boulders, smashing through the first and landing inside the second.
“You thought you could rape me, who decided that? You thought you could kill Micah, who decided that?! Die, you sick-o!!!” Maggie roared, bringing her yellow lightsaber down on him, only to stare as it bounced off his arm with no effect.
“And who decided you had a choice?” He grinned, grabbing her by the throat and pulling her close, kissing her. “Mmmmm, yummy~.”
Levi suddenly screamed in agony and dropped Maggie into the lava, a long silver spear lodged through his chest, tying him to the ground. Finally taking some initiative, I summoned my earth magic and impulsively punched the ground, sending a tremor through the terrain. A bestial rumbling bellow followed, a deep sound in the ground below us as we all froze. Seconds later, a gigantic creature burst from below. A pair of huge leathery wings spread over the entirety of the cavern, the many lava falls pouring off its shimmering white scales. A gargantuan scaley head with seven horns like mine, yellow slitted eyes narrowing on me as the rest of the pearly creature pulled itself free from the abyss it had dug.
The enormous dragon roared, painfully loud and profound noise that rattled my very bones. The creature then looked at me again, a strange understanding coming over its gaze before it looked to Levi and charged.
-=Meanwhile, in Canterlot=-
The Princess of the Sun sat in her office, staring puzzlingly at her deceased father’s journal. Back when Luna had first given her the book, Celestia had been hesitant to read it, afraid of what dark deeds she’d read of in her own father’s words.
The alicorn was brought out of her brooding by a knock at the door, looking up to see Raven, her personal secretary. Said mare gave the Princess a sad but understanding look.
“Still deciding, your Highness?” She asked in her usually firm but soothing voice.
“I’m afraid at what I’ll find…” Said Celestia as she freely slumped in her chair, her secretary being one of the only ponies to see her real self. “I’m—”
“Afraid that in reading what your mother did, it would change your relationship with Luna for the worse?” Raven smiled sympathetically. “I know how it feels. But, in the end, it’s better to just plunge headfirst when you don’t want to. Better to get it over with…”
The Princess smiled. “I still wish you’d tell me where you get all this great advise.”
“Well, I wasn’t born in Equestria… maybe that has something to do with it?” She slyly smiled back, her expression changing back to the serious situation. “But still…”
Celestia followed her gaze toward the old book on her desk, her frown returning. “Right… get it over with…”
Raven then left her Princess to her work, continuing with her own efforts. Hours passed by as she poured over the ancient book, her fear changing to curiosity, then slowly into horror.
Tears streaming down her cheeks, her hand raised to her lips as terror seized her heart. “Luna… I-I can’t imagine your pain…”
Her loving and doting mother had only been a fantasy. Inscribed on those ancient pages was the true story of the war her mother had fought, striving to destroy an entire race out of existence, and one that was far more powerful than their own, weak species. Not only that, but Faust had also stolen Luna from her birth parents. Celestia’s fists shook as the thought occurred to her, her once love soaked heart now bleeding in anguish.
Celestia’s heartfelt moment was interrupted by the room suddenly shaking, her eyes snapping around the room in a blind panic. The mountain began to shake and rumble as she looked out the window, finding the earth splitting above where the Crystal Caves would’ve been at Canterhorn’s roots. The new crevasse yawned open as smoke billowed out, a thunderous roar following. From the ravine came the enormous head of a white dragon, half its face covered in melting ice. Soon pulling itself free from the crippled earth, the grand beast stood at the height of the mountain’s peek. The great dragon seemed to swallow something, picking it’s teeth with a sliver stick. Celestia couldn’t see what it was. And after reading the grim tale of her father’s, she found herself wondering if the dragon’s snack had been one of the Wargs, or perhaps… Luna? She dreaded the answer and dared not entertain that last thought. Celestia watched on in astonishment as the giant dragon lumbered off to the east, slithering over the mountain range as if it were a small hill and vanished to parts unknown.
Celestia stared after the creature with her jaw slack and musty eyes wide, only coming back to reality from the tapping on her window. Turning to her left, the alicorn spotted her sister and the other Wargs all dangling or flying next to the window.
-=Luna’s POV=-
Once Tia opened the window and let us all inside, I sent the others to get changed, looking to my alicorn sister to explain current events. As I explained the previous situation, Micah fled into the bathroom to get changed, his hardened stone armor vanishing like thick smoke.
“…and then, our attacker, Levi, was eaten by the dragon. I still have no idea how that thing would help us, we were battling over its head as it slept, I suspect…”
“I don’t know why, but…” Mused Micah aloud as he exited the bathroom with a shrug, now fully dressed as he stood next to Roret. “but I think, somehow… the dragon and I communicated. Wish I knew how though…”
“A psychic connection?” Roret pondered, rubbing her chin.
“Maybe? I don’t know, magic here seems crazy. At least with some of the anime I watched, there were systems for the different magics. But here in Equestria, it honestly feels like a jumbled mess with no governing rules.”
Roret looked at Micah with a mixture of astonishment and confusion. “Wait, have you accessed your Chroma Tree yet?”
“Chroma Tree? Again, I don’t know what that is.”
Roret then looked to me. “Has Akiira taught you this?”
“Uh, no…” I smiled sheepishly.
My littermate rolled her eyes. “Aside from the scolding our sister is going to get, I’ll teach you both this.”
“B-But before you get on with the lesson,” Celestia spoke up, looking to me sadly as she began sobbing. I’d noticed she’d been crying before; I took it as a sign that she had read the book. “I need to say that I’m sorry, Luna. I’m sorry that I haven’t been the best sister, I’m sorry for neglecting you all those years ago, and I’m sorry for how m-mom t-treated you. You didn’t deserve it, any of it. I apologies on her behalf; I’m so, so sorry.”
I was amazed that she wasn’t a weeping mess on the polished floor. Tears cascaded down her cheeks in an unrelenting flow, and she was barely keeping her composer. I knew that she was asking for forgiveness, but I also knew she was too proud to actually ask for it. That fact wounded my heart, but I at least knew what she was sincere in her apology.
Stepping forward and pulling her into a hug, I buried my head in her shoulder. “I forgive you Tia.”
Turning back around, I saw Micah and Roret giving me smiles and a thumbs up. Roret stepped forward, bring her magic to life as a strange fiery tree erupted from her palm, its branches ending with little multicolored fireballs. The tree’s trunk was a deep orange, its branches splitting off into different colors like a mystical diagram. I wagered that these were the different attributes to Chroma magic.
“As you know, Chroma magic works differently than pony magic. They are both fueled by the same things, willpower and emotions. But Chroma is sectioned off into splitter groups, each possessing their own qualities. Rage is the most emotional based, it reacts to the user’s feelings quickly and can be directed through the body. As we’ve seen Fang use it, Rage can be used like jets or fire breath, but with enough focus, it can be used for much more.
She went on, pointing to each color on the tree. “Portal is the one I’m most familiar with. With it, one can travel from one location to another. From what I saw in the caverns, Maggie has a similar connection, but it seems deeper into the branches of the Chroma. I believe she has a connection with Blink Portal, and this type of power doesn’t need a gate to work like mine. But unlike my variant, she can only travel to places in her line of sight.
“Spell is used for healing, buffs, and massive one-shot attacks. This was how I was able to heal Fang when injured. Buffs act as powerups, giving the user increased speed, strength, or, let’s say, x-ray vision. I think I saw Greg use the speed boost. For the one-shot attacks, they’re basically the ultimate moves in games. Moves that take a while to charge and deal massive amounts of damage to the target.
“Ward, as we saw with Damian and Danny, shields the user or anything they deem needs protecting. That’s it really, Ward is purely defensive magic, but can be utilized like an impenetrable shield around the host. This basically turns them into a tank.
“Blade works just like it sounds, you can create or summon weapons at will from the Ether. The Ether is a pocket dimension that some Wargs use to store their weapons, whether they be melee based or the biggest guns imaginable.”
“So… I could pull a tank from the Ether. Maybe even a Gauss Canon?” Micah smiled like a foal expecting the best present imaginable.
“Yes, but only if you’ve stored it in there, you can’t just make a gun from the Ether. And finally, we have Null. I know that you have a connection with it, but I hardly ever see you use it. Why is that Luna?”
I looked my sister, slight shame entering my mind as I looked away. “I… don’t know how to use it. I’ve used Blade more than Null, but that’s because I’m more used to it. More familiar.”
Roret nodded in understanding, dispersing the tree’s image, and folding her hands behind her back. “Null Chroma acts like an E.M.P. for magic. Anyone that you deem a threat, or a nuisance is rendered incapable of using magic. Unlike the other Chromas, Null only has two branches. Pulse and Beam. Null Pulse is where a magic cancelling dome expands over the area and deactivates all nearby enemies’ magic. Beam is for singular nullification.”
“Ah…” I nodded, grasping the idea. “I see. But I’m not sure if I will ever need to use it, at least, not in my daily life.”
A swirling portal exploded into existence behind Micah, causing him to freak out and scream, rushing to my side a second later. I felt a small blush claim my cheeks as his hand wrapped around my arm, a flurry of butterflies fluttering about in my belly. We all watched the portal with surprise, suspicion, and worry, only for all of it to melt away as a familiar Wargess stepped through.
“Mother!” Both Roret and I cheered, my sister rushing forward while I approached with hesitation.
Once done hugging Roret, my mother turned to me with the same look warm, loving smile that made me feel safe and happy. I noticed her struggling to hold back tears. She then rushed toward me than the naked eye could track and hugged me. Her thick and firm arms wrapped around me in a way that felt familiar, as if these arms had once held me the same way, only gentler. However, the warm embrace soon became a crushing bearhug as my ears picked up the sounds of soft sobs above my head.
“Um, m-mother?” I wheezed as I tapped her shoulder for her attention.
With a gasp, the Queen of the Wargs pulled back, frantically looking me over for any bruising. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry dear! Please forgive me!”
“I-It’s ok.” I smiled, pulling myself closer to bury myself in her distantly familiar scent. A hazy memory flooded my mind as I finally breathed in her vanilla and coconut scent; I looked up from the interior of a large white crib, the blurry faces of my parents overlooking my tiny form snuggled amongst five others. I smiled at this memory, though I couldn’t remember much from it, I still found myself treasuring it.
“I’ve longed for this day, to hold you again.” Spoke my mother as she leaned down and kissed my forehead. “My silver angel.”
The nickname struck a chord inside me, making me choak up. “W-Why come now? Why now, mother?”
“Well…” Breathed the Queen as she stepped back, crossing her arms with an irritated and apologetic look. “As you can guess, running a kingdom is no easy chore, so we couldn’t just come over whenever we wanted. Even if I tried to cancel several meetings to do it…”
I found myself smiling, overjoyed that she at least tried to make time to come and visit. But then something she’d said struck me. “Wait, ‘we?’”
“Well, hello!” Came a cheery voice from behind Queen Jurdehn, my mother turning to reveal a brown and tan Warg, looking to be in his mid-teens. He was slightly round in the middle, seeming like one who didn’t much care for physical strength. Wearing a strange orange poncho and a navy-blue robe, and with his warm green and silver eyes smiling at me, the Warg stepped past mother and briefly hugged me.
His voice had a strange accent to it, sounding like the proper pronunciation to what Micah tried to replicate when speaking Norse. The Warg held me in a sidelong hug, still smiling. “I trust my big sis has been treated well?”
Before I could give an answer, Akiira burst into the room, smashing the doors wide open and glaring at the Warg next to me. “Siikur!!”
The Warg, now deemed Siikur, paled. “Oh no…”
“You and Ordem are so dead!!”
“Did someone mention me?” Smiled a dark grey Warg, his fur almost black in the portal’s light.
His gold and red eyes scanned the room, soon coming to land on me as a smile split his face. Striding over in his brown and red tunic, Ordem happily pulled me into a soft noogy, stopping only to spin me around and shake my hand. “Hey, I’m Ordem, as you’ve heard. Sorry if my greeting was unexpected.”
I found myself smiling back. “It’s ok, I actually liked it somewhat. I’m Luna.”
“Luna huh? Nice name, very mysterious.” He smirked, pulling his cloak over his face, only his eyes visible over the clothe as he dramatically tip-toed around me.
I giggled at his antics, finding them adorable in a way. “Thanks, though I seem to remember that you like betting. Care to explain the wager?”
Siikur skidded to a stop next to me, catching himself before he could fall. “He bet that Akiira had met her mate while away… and I’m going to guess that that’s the case? Where is the lucky guy? Is it scar-face over here?”
Regardless of the slight anger at the nickname, I shook my head with a smile. “No, he’s mine.”
“Oh?” Perked the Warg, looking Micah over again as my boyfriend spoke with Mother and a new ginger Wargess violently hugged him. “Then I retract the insult. I’d say you did good with choosing a mate, sis. Seems like a nice guy, from first glance, regardless of outward appearances.”
“Thank you, Siikur. Have you found yours yet?”
My little brother shook his head, a tiny hint of sadness entering his voice. “No, but I’m sure I’ll find miss perfect out there…”
“GET BACK HERE YOU GAMBLER!!” Yelled Akiira as she chased Ordem out of the room and down the hall.
“Well, I now know that I’ll be looking for a tombstone tonight… poor Ordem, so young…” He dramatically lamented, swooning with a goofy grin on his muzzle.
“Oh yes, such a tragedy.” I winked back, looking over to see Micah smile my way.
A sudden influx of power overtook the portal, the silhouette of a tall Warg coming into view, a few inches taller than mother. Said Warg finally stepped through, his dusty brown fur shimmering in the light, pure magic radiating off him in waves. His blind silver eyes stared ahead, yet somehow; I could tell that he was observing the room. His body tilted just enough for me to see a black metal arm, sleek and majestic in design. At the sound of a soft gasp, I looked up to see the Warg’s head pointed in my direction, his blind eyes welling up with tears. There was such intensity in his distant gaze, yet a pleasant gentleness that warmed my four hearts. The Warg slowly began walking toward me, choking on hie tears as he neared, coming to tower over me.
Then, with the gentlest of touches, he brushed a hand against my cheek, whipping away my own tears. Somehow I knew, even without the description from mother’s stories of him; this was my father. A gentle giant to his little warrior princess.
“F-Father?” I whispered, tears flooding my vision as I leaned into his hand.
The great Warg knelt before me, his ten-foot frame coming to embrace me. “I’ve missed you, my dear…”
His voice was so rich and warm that I felt I could listen to him read an entire book series. I felt another pair of hands hug me from behind, knowing it was my mother. Then another snuggled me from the side, I looked to see it was Siikur, his ever-present smile gracing my weeping face. One by one, each of my siblings joined us in a large group-hug. Akiira and Ordem had returned from their bantering, the grey Warg looking slightly roughed up, but still eager to join the hug.
“You too.” King Karipuur said, his hand outstretched toward Micah.
The Nahar looked hesitant, but upon smiling, walked forward and joined us.
“You also, missy.” Queen Jurdehn smiled to Tia, the alicorn also hesitating, but ultimately joined in on the family hug.
The Wargs to my right parted to let Haven through, the little pup coming up and clinging to my body, her little face smooshed against me. And there we stayed for the next few minutes; a family joined together at last. I found myself smiling the widest smile possible, overwhelmed with joy at finally being accepted. I was home.