Trixie’s half-lidded stare traced over the impossible sight floating before her. A small, rational part of her said that she should have been intimidated and overwhelmed. That what she and the rest of the Returners vowed to stop could not be overcome. They should all flee back into the cabins of the Paradise, turn it around, and fly away as fast as possible.
The majority of her just felt annoyed. “Are you done posturing or are you ready to fight?”
“Oh, somepony is feeling confident today,” came Discord’s amused reply. The monstrosity that composed Discord's mouth grinned. “That’s what I’ve come to like about you, Beatrix. No matter what I’ve thrown at you, you’ve always soldiered on through. It makes me a little sad that our game ends today.”
As one, the Returners drew their weapons. Unicorns’ horns began to glow. Pegasi unfurled their wings. Earth ponies stomped their hooves. Spike readied his spear. Stardust scraped his talons against the deck. Zecora withdrew her sword with a flourish. Umaro slammed his fists together and Thorax’s horns lit up.
“It will end for you,” Trixie promised.
“Now, now, now. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Discord’s animated head drifted back from the airship. “I have one more game for you to play before the big finale. And just like before, the rules are simple. All you have to do is make it to the center of this mess. How you do it is up to you. I’ll be waiting for you there.” The snout acting as Discord’s mouth collapsed into the mass, forming a sphere of floating materials.
“Don’t keep me waiting long.”
With those final words, the oppressive silence returned.
The Returners waited a minute before relaxing their guard, sheathing weapons and powering down magic. “Trixie supposes that she shouldn’t be surprised.” Whirling around, she faced Pinkie Pie, a hoof pointed back towards the sphere. “Think you can get us through all that?”
Pinkie Pie looked up at the chaos floating in the sky, then down to her ship, then back up. “Nope.”
“Ponyfeathers.”
“I see a few places where I could drop you off, but there ain’t no way I can get this through all that. I doubt Discord would allow it, anyway.”
“More than likely,” Sunset Shimmer said.
Twilight Sparkle scrunched up her face. “Should we all go in as one? Or should we split up?”
“I say we split up,” Shining Armor spoke up. “Too many of us together will only cause us to get in each other’s way. We’ve done pretty well with four or five at a time, so let’s stick with that.”
Zecora nodded. “I agree, this seems the most logical step to take. It will keep Discord’s attention divided and he might make a mistake.”
Trixie waited to hear from anyone else. When nobody raised any objections, she said, “Fine, then we’re going with that. We need to decide on what parties to make.”
The next few minutes saw the Returners forming and reforming groups. While they debated on party structure, Stardust and Apple Bloom passed around bottles and salves. Once they were out of stock, they migrated towards their assigned party. There were a few grumblings about balance but most agreed on whom they were paired up with.
Luna and the Pie sisters, minus Pinkie Pie, stayed on the sidelines. They were to stay aboard the Paradise and be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Luna looked over the assembled Returners and cleared her throat. “It pains us to remain behind while you all go off and fight.”
Breaking off from her group, Sunset ran up to her and threw her legs around the larger pony’s neck. “I don’t know what kind of chance we’ve got, but I want to come back. We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”
Luna wrapped one of her legs around Sunset, returning the hug. “Indeed. Fight well, Sunset, my dear sister.”
Sniffling, Sunset gave one last squeeze, then broke off to trot back to her party members.
“Before we go, please let me say this to all of you,” Twilight Sparkle said to the crowd. Once she had everyone’s attention she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. I’m blessed to have gotten to meet all of you.
“Please, keep each other safe. I don’t want this to be the last time we see each other again. Some of you I barely know, but I’d like to, once this is over.”
Her words hung over them, some tearing up. Trixie cut through the silence. “Listen to what she said. Who knows what we’ll find once we enter that thing but we have each other. Don’t be stingy with your potions and ethers. There’s no use holding back now.”
“Yeah, let loose!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “We gotta be in tip-top shape once we reach Discord.”
The sentiment was shared among the rest, another cheer rising above the airship’s engines. Trixie smirked and nodded to Pinkie Pie. “Take us in.”
Pinkie Pie smiled, giving a crisp salute. “You got it!” She grabbed hold of the Paradise's wheel and gave it a spin. “Here we go!”
.o.O.o.
The sheer enormity of Discord’s cobbled-together domain became apparent the closer the Paradise flew in. It was like flying close to a moon that had gotten trapped in the sky. The airship jerked as it neared a drop-off point and ground based creatures felt a little lighter.
“As though such a thing could be more of a depravity,“ Zecora said. “This blight on the world has its own gravity.”
“Hold on!” Pinkie Pie held the airship’s wheel in a steel grip, fighting against the pull. “I’m going to dip in real quick then skedaddle! First team, get ready to hop off!” Lurching the Paradise into a forty five degree angle and causing the passenger’s stomachs to drop, Pinkie Pie yelled out, “Now!”
A group of ponies swung themselves over the rails and dropped down onto the nearest solid surface. At the same time Pinkie Pie yanked on the wheel, skimming over the surface and pulling back up into the sky. The remaining Returners held on to whatever was nailed down, clinging for dear life.
“Don’t get comfy,” Pinkie Pie’s voice carried over the whine of the airship’s engines. “Gotta do that four more times. Next team, you’re up!”
Thankful that they wouldn’t need to experience these aerial stunts a third time, a second group of Returners prepared to fling themselves off. As before, the Paradise dove down close enough for them to jump for the sphere and get taken in by its gravitational pull. Unable to tell if they landed safely or not and too busy to think about it, Pinkie Pie pulled the airship up and over a bent radio tower, barely avoiding ramming into it.
“Wish there was a better way than this,” Pinkie Pie grumbled before focusing on the next drop-off. “Cutie mark, don’t fail me now.”
.o.O.o.
Applejack landed deftly on a steel girder, skipping from one hoofhold to another until her momentum tapered off. She spun around to see how her companions were faring, just in time to have Apple Bloom come flailing into her. The pair of sisters tumbled backwards, Applejack rolling with the impact. A quick and precise kick off the ground sent Applejack into a somersault and flinging Apple Bloom back into the air. Applejack touched down on her back hooves, her front ones catching Apple Bloom as she came back down.
Her eyes rolling in their sockets, Apple Bloom drunkenly said, “Golly…”
“I hear ya.” Applejack set her sister down. “Good thing this Genji armor or whatever it’s called cushions me against a lot of tumbles like that.” She looked up to find the rest of her team, spotting Derpy simply flying down, landing next to her a moment later. “Glad ya made it. You see Big Mac?”
Derpy waved her off. “Oh, don’t worry. He’ll be here—”
A roar of heat and air came from above. Big Macintosh descended, his four hooves belching fire. He came to a stop a few hooves away, the thrust and whine of engines cutting off. He shrugged his shoulders and a tank strapped to his back came loose. It fell to the floor with a hollow clang. Next, Big Macintosh stepped out of metal boots that were steaming from exhausting so much fire.
"—in no time,” Derpy finished.
“Gonna need to refine these,” he said casually as he trotted up to his team. “Used way too much fuel.”
Applejack gave him a flat stare. “Now yer just showing off.”
A tiny smirk played at his lips. “Maybe.”
“I thought both of your landings were cool!” Derpy said. Apple Bloom nodded her agreement.
Shaking her head, Applejack turned away, though all present noticed the smile gracing her features. “Well, let's hope you got enough gadgets to get us through this.”
“Eeyup.”
Now on the surface of Discord’s mini-moon, the random assortment of objects that it was composed of made it difficult to tell which direction to go. Anywhere they looked was a mess of rocks, crystal spires, metal plating, dirt, and broken glass. “Any ideas on how to get to the center?” Applejack said aloud.
Derpy placed an ear to the ground, scrunching up her face. After a few seconds she raised her head up, trotted to a different spot, then repeated her first action.
Apple Bloom cocked her head at the sight. “What is she—?”
“Ssshhh!” Derpy hissed. Letting out a huff, she moved to a new location. After the fourth time her eyes widened. She stood up straight and pointed at a section of collapsed steel walls and wiring. “Here!”
The others walked up to her. “Here what?” Applejack asked.
“Break this down.”
Shrugging but raising no objections, Applejack extracted her tiger claws and slashed through the feeble webbing of busted machinery. In seconds the fragile pile fell apart, revealing a tunnel large enough for them to walk through.
“I listened for vibrations, or a lack of, really. Just like a hoover that travels through the ground with only its hearing.”
“Well, can’t argue with the results,” Applejack commented as she retracted her claws. “Let’s just hope it takes us somewhere useful.” She went in first, the others right behind her.
They had only gone a little ways in when the tunnel filled with light. Bulbs set into the ceiling and walls illuminated a steel hallway, a dull hum permeating the area. The ponies hesitated, but when nothing else happened they continued on. The hallway didn’t last long, exiting out to a much larger room. A room as large as a factory.
“Holy horse apples,” Applejack breathed.
The ponies came to a stop on top of a metal walkway. All around them machinery whirred, cranes and hooks passed by on pulley systems, engines cranked and spun, and conveyor belts carried half-finished equipment to parts unknown.
“The Magitek Factory,” Big Macintosh said with a huff. “Ain’t got no good memories with this place.” He cocked his head and reached back into his pack. A diamond tipped drill came out and he gave it a few revs. “Well, maybe a few.”
Applejack nodded. “Probably why Discord set it up.” Her eyes tracked the walkway, seeing it lead over most of the factory floor and down towards a metal door. “Follow me. And keep yer eyes peeled.” She took the lead again, Apple Bloom and Derpy next with Big Macintosh taking up the rear.
With so many moving parts and noise surrounding them, Applejack missed movement from above. Derpy didn’t. The pegasus cried out a warning the same time she darted forward and tackled Applejack to the walkway. A metallic clang and metal scraping against metal assaulted their ears. Applejack rolled herself and Derpy to their hooves, facing off against whatever had dropped down.
A large, bulky mechanoid stood up on legs as thick as tree trunks. Two muscled arms ending in wicked blades scraped against the walkway railings. A humanoid head attached to an elongated neck looked down at them with two unblinking white eyes. It opened its mouth, revealing two rows of long needle-like teeth, and let out a low hiss. Written on the side of one of its blades was the word Inferno.
The monstrosity lurched forward, swiping at the ponies with its left sickle. Applejack reacted on instinct, kicking out and deflecting the strike and flipped away to avoid the follow up attack. Derpy flew upwards, her wings shimmering with gathered magic. She let loose a torrent of lightning bolts down on the Inferno, but the beast simply lifted a blade. Instead of shocking it to oblivion the electrical attack veered towards the blade like a lighting rod, flowing into its main body. The Inferno made a sound Applejack could only assume was a laugh before renewing its onslaught.
On the other side of the walkway, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom rushed towards the battle. Big Macintosh threw his considerable bulk into jamming his drill as deep into the Inferno’s back as he could. The machine jerked and hissed, breaking off its fight with Applejack to take a swipe at him. Big Macintosh wrenched loose his drill but wasn’t fast enough to avoid the attack. The blunt end of the blade struck him in the chin, sending him back and down on the walkway, nearly colliding him with Apple Bloom.
“Big brother!” Apple Bloom was at this side, already taking out potion bottles to apply to his wound. The Inferno didn’t give her the chance, raising a sickle for the finishing blow. She shrieked as it descended.
“Coming through!” Derpy swooped down in front of the Inferno’s head, arcs of lighting crashing into its face. The Inferno pulled back and aimed for the pegasus instead, but a collision on its back threw its aim off.
Applejack, her claws extended, pummeled the hole her brother’s drill left behind. Sparks and electronics flew from its back, emitting an enraged roar from the Inferno. It tried dislodging the pony, twisting its body and flailing with its bladed arms but couldn’t quite reach her. With a grunt, the Inferno fell backwards in an attempt to crush her, but Applejack disengaged and darted out from under it. She ran back towards the others, turned, and faced off with the recovering Inferno.
Damaged and furious, the Inferno charged the Apples and Derpy, oil splaying like spit from its gaping mouth. Applejack tensed her muscles, ready to move, but a shrill cry from behind her flubbed her step.
“You hurt my brother!”
Apple Bloom sprinted past a bewildered Applejack and straight for the oncoming Inferno.
“Apple Bloom, no!” Applejack cried and took after her. However, Apple Bloom’s lead meant she was going to reach the Inferno before she could.
With a defiant cry, Apple Bloom leapt up at the lunging monster, its blades crossing like scissors to cleave the pony in two. A flash from Apple Bloom’s flank filled the area with a bright light, blotting out the two combatants. When the light subsided, Apple Bloom was dangling from one of the blades with her hooves, staring with wide eyes as the other blade rose up in preparation to pierce her.
Applejack, too far back to do anything, watched with dread as a single, red eye opened up behind the Inferno. The unsuspecting creature never saw it as a red beam shot out of the eye and struck its exposed back. The Inferno jerked, a strangled gurgle escaping its mouth. The eye passed through the Inferno like a ghost, a goat’s body with a green coat forming around it. The esper Shoat grabbed hold of an astonished Apple Bloom and floated the pair away from the convulsing Inferno, its center taking on a stone texture. The stone spread, enveloping the monster in seconds. It took one last swipe at the retreating pair before all movement ceased, its viscous grin locked in place.
Shoat set Apple Bloom down next to Applejack, grunted, then disappeared in a flash of red light.
“Apple Bloom!” Applejack snatched up her little sister and squeezed her to her chest. “Oh, don’t ever scare me like that again.”
“Sorry,” Apple Bloom said.
Applejack fussed over Apple Bloom for a few more minutes before relenting and letting her go. Big Macintosh came up next to them, a bruise forming under his jaw. He bent down to ruffle Apple Bloom’s mane.
Derpy smiled at the scene, trotting away to give them some space. She stopped next to the petrified Inferno, regarding it with a sneer. Flying up next to its head, Derpy punched it. She yelped as the statue toppled over, crushing the walkway railing as though it were tinfoil. The Inferno enjoyed a few seconds of airtime before crashing onto the machinery below, shattering into hundreds of tiny shards. Those shards were sucked into the nearby gears and pulleys, creating a cacophony of rending and shredding machinery. Parts popped off, sparks flew, the trolleys ground to a halt, and smoke rose up from small fires ignited by the sparks.
Looking back at her blinking companions, Derpy offered a shrug. “Oops?”
.o.O.o.
“Are we sure Pinkie Pie didn’t just dump us off at some random point?” Rarity asked aloud. She kicked open a metal door, a holdover of Vectorlot, and found only piled up junk in the room beyond.
“Well, um, to be fair,” Fluttershy said, hovering above and peeking through a large hole in the ceiling. “I don’t think it really mattered where we landed.”
Nearby, Sweetie Belle nodded as she turned over an urn and found nothing underneath. “Yeah, this whole place just seems smooshed together. I’m surprised we got this deep.”
Zecora came trotting in from an adjacent room, shaking her head. “Nothing beyond here but old and broken relics from the Empire. I think it best we move on before we expire.”
Rarity shook her head. “Yes, sound advice, but if that way leads nowhere then there’s nowhere else—”
A click sounded above. The group looked up and saw Fluttershy pull her hoof away from the hole she had been inspecting, looking mortified. Nearby, a stone wall began to move, grinding against stone and rust. A stairway leading down revealed itself, lit lamps illuminating the way.
“Sorry!” Fluttershy squeaked.
Zecora chuckled. “This way friends, to our new ends.” Zecora headed towards the new entrance way, standing guard as the others caught up to her.
Sweetie Belle nudged Fluttershy as she descended. “Nice going.”
The pegasus shrunk behind her mane. “I didn’t mean to.”
Rarity lifted up her Mare Do Well mask, giving Fluttershy a flat look. “Darling, really, we’re here to dispose of Discord and you’re worried about breaking his stuff?”
“Well, we are kinda guests here and I don’t want to be rude…”
Sighing, Rarity declined to comment, setting her mask back into place, and followed Zecora. They reached the bottom of the stairs quickly, exiting out into another room filled with junk and multiple wooden doors. “Wonderful. More time for us to waste trying to find the right way to go.” Before Rarity could comment further, Opalescence sprung out from under her cape and scampered towards one of the doors. “Opal! Don’t go wandering off!”
Opalescence didn’t go far, stopping and sniffing at one of the doors. She howled and hissed at it as though it had offended her. Turning, she scuffed her feet at the door, stuck her nose up in the air, then walked back to Rarity.
Rarity lifted her cape so that Opalescence could climb back up. “You’re such a drama queen.” With her cat back in place, Rarity faced the door. “Well, should we try that one?”
“I’ve got it!” Sweetie Belle ran up to it, ignoring the panicked looks from the others. She grabbed hold of the door handle with magic and pulled. The door slid open with ease. Sweetie Belle had only opened it by a few hooves when the smell hit.
A rancid air of decay spewed out from the door crack, assailing the ponies’ and zebra’s noses. The smell was so awful that Sweetie Belle fell back into a faint. Fluttershy dared to zip in and catch her then dart back, holding her breath the entire time. The door creaked open further, spilling more of the foul odor. The Returners began to retreat back up the stairs when a noise on the other end of the door stopped them.
“Gah!”
The wooden door flew open the rest of the way, a dark green bone spilling out.
“Finally! Fresh air!” More bones tumbled out from the door, ranging from ribs to femurs. The small room was quickly filled up, a large skull the last to fall out and on top of the pile. The skull, twice as large as the ponies and with an elongated snout and jaws filled with decaying teeth, gave a sigh. A cloud of putrid green air wafted out of its mouth, adding to the pungent stench. Two glowing red orbs filled its eye sockets which rotated to point at the Returners staring at it as they covered their noses. “Oh, didn’t see you there. Mind if I open a window?”
The Returners rapidly shook their heads.
“Thanks.” Taking a deep breath, despite the absence of lungs, the bone dragon spit out a glob of green mucus that impacted a nearby wall. Within seconds, the mucus dissolved through the metal plating and the rubble behind it, revealing the clears skies beyond. A strong breeze wafted through, pushing away some of the pervasive stink. “There, that’s better. Any of you happen to have an air freshener on you?”
Another shake of the Returners’ heads.
“Drat. Well, going to have to live with it.”
Sweetie Belle spoke up, keeping hold of her nose and adding a nasal quality to her voice. “Um, who are you?”
The skull twisted itself around to face her fully. “Ah, sorry. The name’s the Skull Dragon, one of the eight Chaos Dragons. And you are?”
“Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie Belle motioned towards the others. “This is my sister Rarity, Fluttershy, and Zecora. We’re trying to get to the center.” She cocked her head, staring more intently at the Skull Dragon. “You wouldn’t happen to be related to the Dirt Dragon, would you?”
“Oh, you’ve met my brother?” The group got the distinct impression that the Skull Dragon was smiling even without the presence of lips. “How’s he doing?”
Sweetie Belle chanced moving forward, fighting down her urge to gag. “He’s good! I got to sing with him at the opera.”
The Skull Dragon’s eyes glowed more brilliantly. “Fabulous! He’s always wanted to sing on stage. It’s a shame I missed it.” The scattered bones formed a more cohesive skeleton and moved closer. “Did he get a standing ovation?”
Rarity rushed forward to put herself between her sister and the dragon. “Not exactly. More of a polite sendoff. And as much as we would like to stick around and chat, we do need to be going.”
“Oh.” The Skull Dragon’s bones sagged across the floor. “Yes, of course. I don’t want to be keeping you.” He shuffled his bones against a wall, leaving plenty of space for the Returners to cross to the door he came from.
A pall fell over the room, one that even in her haste to leave Rarity couldn’t ignore. She glanced back at Fluttershy and Zecora, their faces wearing concerned frowns. Fluttershy in particular looked like she was ready to fly over and give the Skull Dragon a pat on the head. Sweetie Belle fidgeted on her hooves, her gaze not once leaving the dragon. Sighing and immediately coughing on the acrid taste of the air, she cleared her throat and said, “Sir, is there something wrong?”
The Skull Dragon pressed himself further against the wall. Rarity marveled at how well he pulled off sulking for having no lips to pout with. “You want to leave me because I smell bad.” He grunted and turned his red eyes away. “I get it. My brothers and sisters keep away from me too. Not my fault I’m like this.” A femur waved in the air. “Just go. The tunnel through the door leads further down.”
Rarity ground her teeth together. “I’m going to regret this,” she hissed under her breath. Taking on a more airy tone, she said, “Nonsense! We’re not going to just leave you after you’ve been so generous to help us.” A small red box levitated from under her cape. A click and a pop later, it opened to reveal a make-up case which she showed off to the others. “Ladies, shall we?”
Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle both nodded eagerly and trotted up to her. Zecora lagged behind, quietly observing the scene. Hushed voices and whispers wafted from the pony huddle until Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle broke away to stand on either side of the Skull Dragon. He watched them, his red orbs shifting between them with curiosity.
“Okay, Mr. Dragon, please stay still until we finish,” Sweetie Belle said with a grin.
Fluttershy hovered off the floor, smiling. “Yes, you’re going to have to trust us.”
The Skull Dragon looked at them, then to Rarity. “If this is a trick, I’m going to be very upset.”
Waving a hoof, Rarity said, “No tricks. You sir are going to be my crowning achievement once we’re finished.” She pushed back her hat and cowl, revealing her pretty face to the Skull Dragon for the first time. “Now then, let’s get to it.”
Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s horns lit up while Fluttershy’s wings began to glow. The three ponies’ magic swirled around the Skull Dragon then came together at a single point above his head. The dragon winced from the intense light, the action costing him as the three ponies took the opportunity to pounce on him.
The Skull Dragon emitted a pathetic “eep” and then it was too late for him.
Standing back, unsure if she should be helping the Returners or the Skull Dragon, Zecora settled for observing this bizarre sight. Tiers of magic she had never encountered before were being flung around, a constant white light obscuring what was happening across the room. Zecora suspected she would never behold a spectacle like this again, so kept her eyes fixed to see what the final outcome would be. Barely a minute passed and then it was over. The magic died down and Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Fluttershy broke away and gathered together in the center of the room.
Of the Skull Dragon, well, in Trotzen they say that the Chaos Dragon’s charisma grew three levels that day.
He still resembled half a skeleton, but his bones were bleached white instead of sickly green. The skull shone with a brilliance that sparkled against the light beaming in from the acid hole. The ever present stench that the Skull Dragon gave off was long gone, replaced with a refreshing fragrance of flower fields. A flowing blue cape extended out from the back of the skull, flittering gently in the breeze. The capper was a blue beret laying on top of the Skull Dragon’s head, worn slightly askew.
Rarity flashed a winning smile, putting back her make-up case and taking out an ornate hand mirror. She levitated it up towards the Skull Dragon. “Well, what do you think?”
The Skull Dragon’s red eyes stared at his reflection, the creature not saying a word. He twisted to and fro, getting a good look at his new hat and cape. Finally, after a few moments, a sound not unlike a sob bubbled up in the back of his non-existent throat. “I… I don’t… this…” Unable to contain himself, he let loose a roar and slithered around the ponies before they could react. He gathered up his bones as tightly as he could and squeezed the fleshy beings together.
“This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for meeeeeee!”
Squished together but otherwise unharmed, the three mares let out a content sigh. Sweetie Belle reached up and stroked the pristine side of the Skull Dragon’s head. “There, there. There’s no need to cry.”
“I physically can’t but I’m just soooooooooo happyyyyyyyyy!” He then proceeded to wail like a newborn drake.
The ponies sighed and waited for the Skull Dragon to calm down. After a time, he finally wound down and let the mares go. With no sinuses or tear ducts, there was no need to blow his nose or clean up. That didn’t stop him from sniffling. “I… don’t know how to thank you enough. This is all I have to give.”
The Skull Dragon puffed out a small green cloud of gas. It collapsed in on itself, condensing down into a dark green gem. It floated over to them, Rarity taking it in her magic and placing it under her cape.
Fluttershy flew up and patted him on his blunt snout. “Thank you, but you being this way makes it all worth it. Tell you what, once we’re done here, do you want to join us for a picnic?”
“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle piped up. “A picnic to celebrate getting rid of Discord!”
“I… would like that a lot.” The Skull Dragon shuffled away to let the ponies pass. Using two bones like pincers, he tipped his new hat to them. “Good luck to you.”
The Returners smiled and waved, heading towards the door the Skull Dragon exited from. Once past, Sweetie Belle nudged her sister in the side. “I was not expecting something like that out of you. Way to go, sis!”
Rarity, re-donning her mask, lifted her nose into the air. “There are hidden depths to me even you can’t fathom.” She reached down and draped a hoof over Sweetie Belle’s shoulder. “Just like I’ve learned about you.”
With a squeal, Sweetie Belle latched onto Rarity, giving a crushing hug. Rarity gasped under the pressure but didn’t pull away. The sisters held their embrace while continuing on through Discord’s maze.
.o.O.o.
Elsewhere, another group of Returners had worked their way down through the floating labyrinth, stepping into a room that held all the furnishings of the long gone Empire. Metal plating covered the floor, walls, and ceiling, with a large raised area draped in a deep red carpet. Nothing else stood out in the room, though the Returners crossed it cautiously.
“Trixie is glad she spent most of her time outside the castle,” the former general said as she surveyed the room. “Even the better rooms like these looked like metal boxes.”
Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie trotted up on either side of her with Rainbow Dash hovering just above them. “Yeah, it’s kinda cold and boring,” Rainbow Dash said.
“And so lifeless!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “No wonder whenever I hosted a party, the Empire’s people always looked forward to them so much. Living in places like these would make anypony a Danny dullard.”
Scootaloo scampered up the stairs to the raised platform, stepping on the carpet. Her hoof sank down a few millimeters. “Wow, at least these are plush. You could curl up and take a nap easily.” She ran to the edge and lifted up part of the carpet with her mouth. “Fink we could take fiths with us?”
Trixie shook her head. “Leave it. If you want one so bad, go buy one.”
“Aw.” Ears tucked in, Scootaloo set the edge of the carpet down. “Where will I find the gil for that?”
Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof just above Scootaloo’s head. “Well, he’d be a good start.”
“What?” Scootaloo turned around, coming snout to snout with a shiny head.
“Boo.”
Scootaloo yelped and scrambled backwards, tumbling down the stairs. She flipped herself back up and came to stand with the rest of her companions. Now with a better view, Scootaloo was able to take in the entirety of the creature standing on the raised floor.
The beast was large, twice the size of magitek armor and the shape of a brachiosaurus. Its neck and tail stretched out farther than any other monster they had encountered, both double the length of the main body itself. It stood on four short, but thick, legs. Its head was tiny compared to the rest of the body, though the look in the monster’s blue eyes showed that it was quite intelligent. Hairless, its hide glistened with a golden hue.
“So, you are the ones Discord said would arrive,” it said, a surprisingly mellow voice from something so large. “I am the Gold Dragon. You will not go any further.”
Rainbow Dash let out a laugh. “You? One of those dragons? You must be the runt of the litter.”
Despite the insult, the Gold Dragon smiled. “No, that would be my brother, the Ice Dragon.” It raised its head and lifted up a leg, as though displaying itself at a fashion show. “I like to think of myself as the pretty one.”
Pinkie Pie raised a hoof to her chin in consideration. “Eh, I think I prefer the White Dragon. She had class and sass!”
“Her?!” the Gold Dragon spat. “She’s plain, copies Red Dragon’s look, and doesn’t even bother to preen! I’m five times the looker she is!” Snarling, the Gold Dragon lowered his head and crouched low. “Just for that, you’re going to suffer my wrath until you learn my beauty is superior.” He roared, yellow electricity gathering within his mouth. He shot a bolt of lighting at the group, forcing them to scatter. The bolt cut through the metal flooring, leaving molten jagged edges behind.
Rainbow Dash zipped to the side of the room, readying her knife. “Oh, yeah, time to finally try this out.” She dove down, weaving through a storm of electric balls forming all around her. One clipped her wing, causing it to seize up, but she pressed on with the other wing, closing the distance. Her first attack slashed the Gold Dragon’s neck, leaving a red welt against the thick hide. Rainbow Dash was far from done, her form a blur as she weaved around the dragon with deadly precision. Three more strikes hit home before she broke off to survey her handiwork. Where her weapon struck, trickles of red blood oozed out. “Ha! It worked!”
“My… my precious body…” The Gold Dragon stared at the gashes that leaked blood over its golden skin.
“Awesome work, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo called out. “How’d you do that?”
Rainbow Dash smirked. “That scroll Ember gave us described a special technique to attack multiple times in one go. Neat, huh?”
“Trixie is impressed,” Trixie said, mimicking Rainbow Dash’s smirk. “You’ll have to show Trixie that once we’re done here.”
“NEVER!” the Gold Dragon screeched. “You’ll die before that!” It reared up and slammed its considerable weight down on the floor. The area rocked savagely, knocking Trixie and Pinkie Pie to the ground.
Being in the air, Rainbow Dash scoffed. She readied for another round when Scootaloo hopped in front of her.
“My turn!” With a buzzing of wings, Scootaloo let loose her own lighting attack, striking the Gold Dragon in the center of its chest. “You’re so big I don’t even have to aim!”
Instead of recoiling, the Gold Dragon let the magic flow over his body. He sighed, as though he had received a rejuvenating massage. The cuts left by Rainbow Dash closed up, his hide flawless once again. “Ah, that felt marvelous. Please, do that again.”
“Ah, oops.” Scootaloo gulped and zipped behind Rainbow Dash. “Uh, he’s all yours.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and readied to fly in.
“Not this time!” Whirling faster than the pegasai expected, the Gold Dragon’s tail whipped out and caught both ponies, flinging them into the wall. They crumpled to the floor, dazed. Opening its mouth, it shot out a lightning blast much larger than before.
The bolt arced unnaturally away from them, striking an upraised sword instead.
“Now, Pinkie!” Trixie yelled out.
A pink form hopped up from seemingly nowhere on top of the Gold Dragon’s back. “Hey, mister. I’ve got a friend who’d like to meet you.” Pinkie Pie flipped her mane, a jar containing the Smooze popping out. “Or rather—eat you!” She uncorked the bottle and tipped it over, allowing the Smooze to ooze all over the Gold Dragon.
“What?” The Gold Dragon tried to smack Pinkie Pie off of him with his tail, but she bounded away. He craned his head down at the sickly green goop spreading across his back. “Ew, what is it?! The Skull Dragon’s illegitimate offspring?” He shook himself violently to dislodge the Smooze, but the green blob with a mouth refused to leave.
“Get off!” The Gold Dragon discharged electricity all over his body, filling the room with an ozone smell. The Smooze didn’t even notice. It now encased the entirety of the Gold Dragon’s bulbous body and was working its way down the tail and up his neck.
The Gold Dragon shrieked, slamming himself into a wall in an attempt to smear the Smooze against it. The grip the Smooze had was stronger. The slime creature oozing closer to his head, the Gold Dragon looked for any means to escape it, his eyes wide with panic. “Get it away! It’s so gross! Do something!”
Pinkie Pie bounced in front of him, giving a cheeky smile. “Aw, but it really likes you. It has a thing for gold, after all.”
“I don’t care! Make it go away!” His eyes started to see nothing but a green, watery filter. He wailed as though living a waking nightmare.
“Maybe I will, but I haven’t heard a single please yet.”
“PLEASE!” The Gold Dragon snapped his mouth shut just before the Smooze engulfed it.
“Okay, but you better be nicer when I get you out.” Pinkie Pie gave a shrill whistle. The Smooze stopped expanding, its mouth wrapping around and stopping over the Gold Dragon’s chest. Pinkie Pie held up the bottle in one hoof and dropped a hoofful of gil into it with the other. She gave the bottle a shake, rattling the gil inside. “Here, Smoozie! Come and get it. This stuff’s better for you anyway. He’ll only give you indigestion.”
The Smooze slurped and detached from the Gold Dragon in one big splash. The Gold Dragon staggered back, coughing and spluttering. The Smooze leapt from the floor in a reverse waterfall and poured itself back into the bottle. Once it was all safely contained, Pinkie Pie re-corked the bottle and stashed it away.
“What was that?!” The Gold Dragon kept his eyes peeled, remnants of the Smooze still dripping off his body. “Keep it away from me!”
“Gladly, but you have to do something for us in return,” Trixie said, walking up next to Pinkie Pie. “Lead us to the center and leave behind your special gem. Do that and we can part ways.”
The Gold Dragon sneered at the ponies, gritting his teeth. One look at Pinkie Pie’s innocent smile though dashed whatever plans he had of retaliating. “Fine. Here.” He opened his mouth, a thin beam of electricity lancing out in front of him. The beam curled in on itself, circling around and forming a perfect sphere of lighting. In a flash, the electricity solidified, leaving behind a flawless nugget of gold. Rainbow Dash’s mouth watered as it floated towards them.
“I can’t leave this spot, but the way down is there.” He stepped back, his tail snaking under the red carpet and lifting it up to reveal a trapdoor.
Trixie pocketed the gold before Rainbow Dash could nab it. “A pleasure doing business with you.” She trotted forward, the others following. The trapdoor was unlocked so it was a simple matter of pulling the handle to open it. Stairs leading downward greeted them and they wasted no time descending.
Once the ponies were gone and the trapdoor closed, the Gold Dragon grinned widely. “Perhaps not as pleasurable as you think, pests. We shall meet again, soon.”
.o.O.o.
Shining Armor wasn’t sure what to expect when he, Spotter, Umaro, and Sunset Shimmer landed on Discord’s floating sphere of junk. What he certainly didn’t expect was how quickly they made progress, with Spotter pointing out hidden passages and Umaro knocking away debris with relative ease. Any monsters they encountered were similarly dealt with as Sunset blasted them before they could pose a threat.
It made him wonder what good he was to the team when everyone else was so efficient. He kept such thoughts to himself, content to bide his time for his chance to contribute. Maybe a random missile would pass overhead that only a well placed shield could stop—
"Watch out!"
Acting without thinking, Shining Armor summoned a pink shield above the group’s head just in time to intercept a warhead streaking down. A fireball erupted from the impact, the heat reaching them even through the shield’s protection. Years of drilled in discipline came rushing up within him as he called out, “Get close to me in case there’s more!”
Shining Armor’s command brooked no argument. Spotter, Sunset, and Umaro huddled together in the narrow passage they were currently in. Just in time too as a gout of flame funneled down the passage, concentrated by the tight confines into a condensed wall of physical force. The fire slammed against a hastily constructed barrier, superheating the surrounding walls into liquid slag. Shining Armor gritted his teeth in channeling his magic to maintain their only means of protection. The stream of fire continued for several seconds, far longer than any monster he had encountered could keep up.
As abruptly as it started, the fire receded. Shining Armor kept his shield up, partly in case the attack resumed and partly because the passage now resembled the insides of a volcano. The heat bore down on them savagely, the shield doing little to keep it at bay.
“We’re going to be cooked alive if we stay here,” Sunset said, her coat taking on a glossy sheen as sweat built up. “Does anypony—”
Umaro stomped forward, taking out the blue orb he plundered from the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters and holding it out before him. It shone with a blue light, responding to Umaro’s command. From deep within the orb, a wave of cold washed outwards, expanding to encompass the entirety of the passage. Within seconds, the unbearable heat was replaced by a refreshing cool air, all the molten debris solidifying into hissing and smoldering piles.
“Or anyyeti…” Sunset murmured.
Grunting in satisfaction, Umaro lowered the orb but kept it out.
“That was literally the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Spotter exclaimed.
Shining Armor trotted by Umaro, nodding up at the yeti. “Good job.” He unsheathed his sword and pointed it down the wrecked passage. “But whatever caused that is still a threat. We need to stop it before it does that again. Move!” He ran forward, keeping alert in case a new shield needed to be created again. The others followed behind, Sunset drawing her own weapon.
The passage exited into a spacious room lined with thick metal plating. Red banners adorned with the Empire’s symbol hung from the ceiling. Stairs led up to a raised podium that supported a heavy metal throne.
“Emperor Blueblood’s throne room,” Shining Armor breathed. “What is—”
He never got to finish his thought as a machine concealed by the banners dropped down in front of them. The metallic behemoth stood on two thick legs to support a massive cannon. Two large guns attached to its sides like arms trained its sights on the newcomers.
“A Guardian!” Shining Armor wasted no time and sliced the space in front of him. His sword rended the air, launching a thin wind-blade. The blade swiftly crossed the distance and cut through one of the arms before it could fire. The gun arm crashed to the floor, leaving a sizable dent.
The Guardian didn’t seem to care as its remaining gun arm unleashed a slew of bullets. Shining Armor countered with a shield, blocking the incoming projectiles. “Attack it while its sights are on me!” he called out.
Sunset dashed from out of cover, flanking the Guardian on its severed gun side. Her magic gathered and she let loose a fireball into the machine’s side. The impact splattered against the Guardian’s plating, only leaving a small scorch mark. Sneering, Sunset charged in, the Ultima Weapon raised to strike.
“Running counter program,” came a robotic voice. The Guardian lifted up a leg and brought it down hard on the floor. The area shook with the impact, knocking Sunset off her hooves. The Guardian broke off its attack on Shining Armor, aiming its central cannon on a recovering Sunset. Cries from the others for her to move came too late as the Guardian fired.
A figure appeared in front of Sunset, obscuring her vision of the incoming missile. A twirl and a pin-point buck later, the missile was deflected away, impacting against the throne and blowing it to bits. Sunset felt herself being hefted back to her hooves by a familiar kirin.
“I’m sure glad we espers have magic hooves!” Autumn Blaze said with a wide smile. “That would have really hurt, otherwise.”
“Thanks for the rescue, but move.” Sunset, her eyes afire, rushed in before the Guardian could fire again. She swiped up with her sword and lopped off the main cannon, sparks and broken parts raining down on the floor. The dismembered cannon rolled down the stairs, coming to a stop at Umaro’s feet.
The yeti grinned and picked up the cannon, wielding it like a baseball bat. With a bestial cry, Umaro charged up the stairs and began pummeling the last arm gun, smashing and crushing the weapon to useless slag. The Guardian attempted to shove Umaro away, but its bulk wasn’t enough to stop the yeti’s rampage. On the opposite side, Sunset joined in, hacking away at the Guardian’s underside.
Between the two savage beatings, the Guardian crumpled to the floor in a heap of exposed circuitry and sparking wires. “Pro...gram te...minate...d…” With a final slump, the machine lay still.
Umaro and Sunset backed up, their weapons still raised. Shining Armor trotted up the stairs, his own sword poised to strike. “I really hope that’s the last of these things.”
Meanwhile, Spotter jumped into Autumn Blaze’s awaiting arms. “Thanks, Autumn! You did great.”
“Hey, you’re the one that summoned me in time,” Autumn replied, ruffling his mane. She looked up and around the room, her gaze settling on the smoldering remains of the throne. “If you guys want to keep going, there’s a tunnel up there.”
Sunset, satisfied that the Guardian was down for good, sheathed her sword and nodded. “Thanks. I owe you one.”
“Just get Spotter a new toy and we’ll call it even.”
Spotter craned his neck to give Sunset an excited smile. “I want a super ball!”
“You’ll knock your eye out, Spot.” Shining Armor put away his own sword and headed for the throne. “Let’s go. We’ve still got a ways to go.”
.o.O.o.
Stardust scratched the ground, cleaning the dirt off of a section of flooring. He sighed as nothing was uncovered. “Zilch. How are you guys doing?”
“Not good,” Spike replied on his end of the room, brushing away grime covering a control panel. None of the buttons or screens were responsive to his claw presses.
Fluttering above them, Thorax looked down and said, “A dead end?”
“Looks like it. Unless Twi found something.” Spike ran over to an entrance way, cupped his claws to his mouth, and shouted, “Anything?!”
His voice echoed down the pathway. It was a minute before a “Nope!” came back.
Spike let out a frustrated grunt. “Great. Well, that was a lot of wasted time.” He looked to the others. “Gonna have to double back and look for a new way. Jeez, why did Discord have to make this place so random?”
“Probably to watch us squirm,” Thorax commented.
A few moments later, Twilight trotted back in the room. She shook her head. “Nothing down that way. Any luck with you?” A unanimous round of head shaking was her answer. “Darn. Well, looks like we’ll have to go back.”
Stardust looked around, shuffling his wings. “Can’t you just use magic to make a new path?”
Twilight opened her mouth, stopped, then closed it, a contemplative look on her muzzle. “I… guess so.”
“We should be far enough away from the others,” Spike added, his voice rising in excitement.
“I’ve no objections,” Thorax said. He flew down to rejoin them.
Stardust shrugged. “I’m fine with it. My magic probably won’t help much, though.”
Spike grinned and nudged Twilight in the side. “Whaddya say? The two of us can blast our way through. And we get to break Discord’s stuff too!”
Her lips pursed, Twilight sighed and nodded. “Let’s do it.”
“Yes!” Spike scanned the room, pointing to a section that didn’t have any hard substances embedded in the wall. “We’ll both fire there. Okay?”
Twilight nodded again, taking a spot next to Spike.
“And a one… two… three!” Taking a deep breath, Spike unleashed a steady stream of fire. Twilight did the same from her horn. The combined living flamethrowers plowed through the wall like scissors through paper, tearing through it and incinerating huge chunks of debris. They kept up the pressure until both sagged, their flames spent.
Thorax and Stardust gave a low whistle. Where once stood a solid, if jumbled, wall was now a tunnel of burnt cinders. Some parts had burnt so hot that glass littered the floor. The new pathway stretched on farther than either could see.
Admiring their work as they caught their breath, Spike and Twilight gave each other a smile and a hoof bump. “You know, that was kinda fun,” Twilight admitted.
Spike wiped his brow. “Yeah. Now, let’s see if this leads anywhere.”
The group headed down the created passage, walking two abreast. For a few minutes they took a leisurely walk, occasionally tossing debris aside. Eventually the tunnel ended, but not as a dead end. The fire had taken out a support beam that collapsed the floor above. A few choice steps later and the Returners climbed up into a circular, metal room. A quick glance around showed little except for a solid steel cube that hung from the ceiling by a chain. With cautious steps, they walked towards it.
“Hello?” Spike called out. “Anyone in there?”
No response came.
Spike looked to Thorax and jabbed a thumb at the cube. “Wanna go check it out?”
“Maybe we should just continue on,” Stardust said. He eyed the cube warily. “I don’t think I want to know what’s in there.”
“I’m with Stardust,” Twilight was quick to agree. “Something’s not right. I have a feeling we won’t like it.”
Spike sighed and shrugged. “Fine. We’ll—”
Leaving so soon?
The Returners’ heads jerked. The voice had not been said allowed but directly into their minds.
I have spent an eternity waiting for you. I will not have our meeting cut short.
The cube hanging from the ceiling darkened, as though light was being absorbed into it. It became pitch black within seconds then collapsed in on itself until it was a tiny dot of darkness hovering in the air. There came a tearing sound as a gigantic wing ripped its way out from the splotch of black. Another wing followed, the feathers shaped like daggers. Four legs and a flowing tail followed, the center dot expanding to accommodate the new appendages. A bulbous blob of darkness grew to form a horse-like head with bright, pupil-less white eyes, a rippling mane, and a sharp horn. It let out a roar, completing its transformation by wrapping its torso in smoke-like armor. Alicorn in shape and twice the size of Nightmare Moon, it dropped to the floor. It tilted its head towards the Returners, its mouth opening into a grin and showing off rows of jagged teeth.
“At last, I’m free again,” it said in a deep, raspy voice. “Discord pulled me from the X-Zone so that I could bring terror to your world once again. Consider it an honor to be the first to die under my hoof, for I am the Pony of Shadows!”
Twilight and Spike had already drawn their weapons while Stardust and Thorax readied themselves to assist. Spike, keeping the Pony of Shadows in his sights, said to Twilight, “Ever hear about this guy?”
Twilight gave a slight nod. “I read a passage from one of the books we took from the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters. Right before the statues were created and hidden away, this thing appeared to threaten the world. Nopony knows where it came from, but a group of ponies managed to seal it away.”
“My, my, it’s nice to hear that I haven’t been forgotten,” the Pony of Shadows said. “Just for that, I’ll kill you last.” He reared his head back and gave a mighty neigh. He dropped back down and fired black lightning from his horn.
Stardust reacted faster, his magic fanning out over the group. Each of them bolted out of the way of the attack, moving far more quickly than was natural. Twilight and Spike took advantage of the boost, rushing past the Pony of Shadows and lashing out with their sword and spear. Twin gashes appeared on opposite ends of the monster, releasing grey vapor and drawing a roar of pain.
“That… that hurt!” Whether he was more angry or shocked was anyone's guess, but Twilight and Spike didn’t waste time debating. They circled back to parallel strike again, their magically enhanced speed still in effect. The Pony of Shadows roared and splayed out his wings, the dagger like feathers expanding outwards and repeatedly impacting the area around him. Twilight and Spike stopped their advance to avoid getting skewered.
The Pony of Shadows roared again, an obsidian orb of magic gathering above his head. “How did you hurt me?! I am the ultimate form of evil! You puny ants can’t be allowed to have this power!” The orb grew larger, becoming twice the size of the Pony of Shadows. With a grunt, he heaved the orb at the ground.
The moment it made impact the orb shattered, spilling its dark power across the floor. A tidal wave of magic washed over the Returners, slamming them into the walls. The steel creaked and groaned under the pressure to keep the malevolent power contained until at last the onrush subsided. The Pony of Shadows grinned as he saw them struggling to get back up, little jolts of black lightning rippling over their bodies.
The Pony of Shadows threw back his head in malicious laughter. “So ends you all! This is what will happen to all that oppose me.” He dropped his head back down, inky drool spilling from his mouth.
He blinked. A bearded stallion in blue robes stood defiantly in front of him. More shocking than that was that the Pony of Shadows recognized him. “Star Swirl?”
The stallion lifted a white hoof up at the monstrosity. “Villain, you will stand down, now. Resist and I’ll be forced to stop you like I did last time.”
The Pony of Shadows sneered. “What is this? Did Discord bring you back when he released me?”
“No more questions! Do as I say.”
A standoff between the two opposing forces began. The Pony of Shadows stared balefully at the pony while Star Swirl looked defiantly back. The hum of gathering power surrounded the Pony of Shadows in preparation for an attack. Star Swirl responded by lighting up his horn with a soft white glow. The Pony of Shadows shifted into a ready stance while Star Swirl stood tall.
Abruptly, the Pony of Shadows’ magic faded. He relaxed his posture and smiled down at Star Swirl. “Nice try.”
Star Swirl furrowed his brow in confusion. “What are you doing?”
“Very convincing, but you forgot the bells.”
Blinking, Star Swirl looked down at his robes and the distinct lack of ringing as he moved. “Drat.” A column of green fire engulfed him, reverting him back to his true form. Thorax gave a nervous smile. “Uh, you should still give up.”
The Pony of Shadows lunged forward to bite the changeling in half.
An impact to his side sent the Pony of Shadows careening into the far wall. A terrible burning sensation tore at his black form, but he was unable to appreciate that as he was lifted up by flaming hooves and then slammed back down to the floor. A whine of pain seeped out of his mouth, followed by a whoosh of air as a goddess of fire stomped down on his midsection. Completely unprepared for these new unpleasant sensations coursing through his being, the Pony of Shadows lay helpless on the ground.
“Now, Spike!”
Weakly, the Pony of Shadows cracked open an eye to see the little drake fly up to him and impale his holy spear through his head.
Twilight let out a sigh, her esper form evaporating. “Good job.” She nodded at Thorax. “Thanks for the distraction. How did you know to change into Star Swirl?”
Chuckling, Thorax said, “Well, kind of a guess. I saw an entry on him in those books you brought back and figured he’d be someone that would do something like that.” He pouted. “Though, it looks like I missed a detail.”
“Don’t worry. It was enough.” Twilight trotted over to check on Stardust who was guzzling down an x-potion. “You okay?”
Stardust gasped for air as he finished his drink. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good now.” He put the empty bottle in his bag, wincing at the loss of so many potions.
“Hey, that’s why we brought them,” Twilight assured the chocobo. “I don’t think even my healing spells would have worked as well.”
“No, it’s fine. Just… the merchant in me is all.”
Twilight smiled and patted his side. She then made her way over to Spike, who stood vigilant over the downed form of the Pony of Shadows. She looked the beast over, mindful to keep watch over any movement. “Think we got him?”
Spike poked at the monster with the tip of his spear. The sacred power seemed to repel the smoke emanating from its wounds. “Looks like it.” He turned his head to look up at Twilight. “What now?”
A minute passed as Twilight regarded the body. “I’m not sure. If it’s not dead and we leave it here, then it will attack us again when our guard is down. Maybe—”
All at once, the dark form of the Pony of Shadows evaporated in black steam, causing Twilight and Spike to yelp and jump back. However, no new attacks came their way. Instead, a much smaller body now replaced the Pony of Shadows’. Twilight and Spike inched closer to get a better look.
It was a young unicorn stallion with a light grey coat and blue mane. He was dressed in a dirt brown cloak and was breathing shallowly. He coughed, a ragged and retched sound. One eye peeked open, falling on Twilight and Spike. “Wha…?”
Twilight put a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Back me up.” Receiving a nod, Twilight came forward to stand above the stallion. Her horn glowed and a small bit of healing magic spread over him. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle. Who are you?”
A grateful sigh came from the stallion as the magic did its work. He coughed again, though much cleaner than before. “My name’s… Stygian.” He fixed Twilight with an intense stare. “Listen to me. You can’t kill Discord.”