As the flash of the Element’s beam faded away, Twilight and Shiva were the first ones to inch towards the crater where Day Breaker and Kodo had vanished into.
In the crater, surrounded by chunks of both obsidian and shards of golden armor, lay Celestia and Kodo. Similar to the day when her sister was freed from her own demons, Celestia was smaller. Weaker. Her mane was now a soft pink, and her coat a more innocent white.
Kodo briefly lay atop her, before he slid off and collapsed to the ground.
“Kodo!” Shiva yelped, practically teleporting to his side. Celestia tried to tend to him, only for Shiva to throw her out of the way. “My son.”
“Brother,” Celine whimpered, skidding to his side.
Celestia wisely backed up as Twilight and Luna pulled her away from the dogs. They couldn’t help but whimper at the poor dog’s state. The Elements had done nothing to heal the damage he had taken from Day Breaker. His fur was ashen and scorched, burned down in several places to reveal charred skin. His teeth were broken, and one of his eyes didn’t open. But when he gazed up into his mother’s eyes with his remaining eye, the light of Sombra shined in them no more.
“Mother…” he whispered in utter relief.
“I’m here, Kodo,” she promised him, pulling him close. “I’ll never leave you again.”
Her pack link twined around them, as if to enforce that promise. Twilight glanced at Luna and Celestia before cautiously stepping forward.
“Um… Shiva?” Twilight whispered. “I… really hate to do this… but…”
Shiva merely leaned over her son, as a pack link extended to Twilight. She took it… and gasped as she felt herself dive into Kodo’s mind. Sure enough, Sombra was gone. The inky darkness that had surrounded them the last time she had linked to Kodo was replaced with a brilliant white.
Nodding, Twilight released the pack link, and gave the dogs their space.
“Is it true?” Luna asked.
“Yes,” Twilight said. “Sombra is gone.”
And yet… no cheers greeted her. No howls of victory or cries of relief. And she knew why. Everyone’s eyes couldn’t help but turn back to Equestria. To the destruction that had been wrought.
“So…” Pinkie mumbled, glancing back. “Who’s going to clean all that up?”
The diamond dogs winced as every eye slowly turned to them. One of them bristled.
“W-Well, the son of our Alpha told us to do it!” he protested. “A-And the alicorn wiped out our pack mates!” He looked hopefully to Shiva. “The alicorn killed Luke.”
Shiva turned, her ears flaring in horror. Desperately, she tried to send out a pack link… but the one she wanted to link with couldn’t.
“Luke?” she whispered. “Luke!”
Celestia looked down with a pained look of regret, but Rainbow Dash stomped forward.
“W-Well, you guys gassed Canterlot!” she protested back. “You killed ponies, and enslaved dozens more!” She turned to Kodo. “Princess Celestia said you promised you wouldn’t hurt ponies. Was that before or after you sold us to the wild dog clans!”
Shiva blinked, emotions fighting for dominance on her face.
“Kodo,” she whispered, turning to him with disbelief. “Is this true?”
Kodo could only bow his head in regret. “I… listened to Sombra,” he admitted. “I just wanted you back.”
Shiva stepped back from him. “And you thought I would approve of you enslaving our allies?” Shiva demanded. “Gassing them? I…” a fresh thought brought utter horror to her face. “Luke is dead because of YOU?!”
Kodo winced, and not just from his injuries. Celine, however, stepped between them.
“No, Mom, please,” she whimpered. “He was possessed by King Sombra.”
“Exactly!” another dog noted. “We didn’t know there was some sort of pony spirit in him. We were only trying to get you back. He said he knew how!”
But Shiva was shaking her head. Pain and betrayal seemed to override her entire being, and it had nothing to do with what Day Breaker had done. As she gazed up at the remnants of her pack, her eyes shined with disappointment and shame.
“I told you what ponies were capable of,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. “I warned you that they were not the weaklings you thought they were.” She looked to more than a few that still carried scars as she did. “Some of you knew that first hand! And the minute I am taken, you decide to just ignore everything I’ve taught you?”
The diamond dogs whimpered, and more than a few started to glare at Kodo. But with the young diamond dog beat up the way he was, their glares quickly faltered.
“Shiva…” Celestia whimpered. “The fault… isn’t with them. I…"
“Do not. Speak,” Shiva snapped at the weakened alicorn, her fur pulsating like she was going to turn into her own version of Day Breaker.
Celestia winced and hid behind Luna and Twilight. But when Shiva looked up, it was to her pack.
“You are going to repair the damage done to Equestria,” she growled. “You will pass through every town from here to Canterlot, and make it look better than when you attacked it. Then, we are leaving and never coming back.”
Twilight winced. “B-But Shiva…”
“This isn’t…” another diamond dog tried to protest.
However, they faltered as Shiva glared at them. Her eyes were like pits. Filled with nothing but pain, disappointment, shame... and rage. Celestia shivered behind Luna, not daring to show her face to the angry wolf.
With everyone terrified of what Shiva might do if pushed, Twilight was unable to do anything but stand aside, as Shiva led the remnants of her pack back towards Equestria. Shining and his own forces cautiously followed after them, weapons at the ready. But with another pulse from Shiva’s pack link, the diamond dogs dropped their weapons, and slunk along like beaten dogs.
The war was over. Sombra was beaten. Shiva was returned, and rapidly bringing things back to normal.
So why did no pony – not even Pinkie Pie - feel like celebrating?
#
Several weeks later, there was cause for celebration. Equestria had been repaired, and Shiva stuck to her word. The Diamond Dogs left Equestria shimmering and studded with gems. They left the Crystal Empire. And all routes to Outer Haven were closed off. If any wild diamond dogs or Storm Creatures or other forces had wanted to cause trouble, Shiva had 'convinced' them not to.
And as the Crystal Empire welcomed both Flurry Heart and the changelings of Caritatin Hive, Vespin Hive and even the new Thorax Hive - seen as heroes for defending Ponyville - into their fold, the roads once again were paved with laughter and celebration.
Twilight herself couldn’t help but grin as Flurry Heart and her changelings were bathed in light, and the Crystal Heart once again remade them into sparkling crystal versions of themselves. And yet… she couldn’t help but glance back for the one who was missing out on all of this.
“Still no word from Shiva?” Celestia asked the freed Cadence.
She shook her head. “Nothing,” she admitted. “Outer Haven was built underground. But all tunnels that could’ve given us access are cut off. It’s like Shiva and her dogs have vanished off Equestria once more.”
Shining couldn’t help but lower his head. “Maybe it’s for the best,” he noted. “After everything that happened between ponies and diamond dogs…” He noticed the hurt look Celestia gave him. “I-I don’t mean to insult her, Princess, it’s just…” He nuzzled next to his wife. “Her son took over the Crystal Empire. Hurt my wife… tried to hurt my daughter. And… after what happened to her mate…”
“We are not innocent in this conflict, Shining Armor,” Celestia reminded him before looking down. “Me least of all.” She gazed down at her hooves. Twilight couldn’t help but notice that her mane remained pink and un-ethereal; like she was still de-powered. “I took her mate from her. I burned one of my own subjects..." She shook her head. "Poor Tempest Shadow... no sentence we can pass can compare to what Day Breaker did to her. It could be months before the mare can walk again."
"Celestia..." Twilight protested, but Celestia was unconsolable.
"I let myself become..." Celestia shivered at the memory. "Something I vowed I would never let myself become.” She gazed at Luna. “I think I understand you better than I ever did before, Luna.”
Luna looked away. “Tia…” she mumbled.
“No,” Celestia whispered, her voice threatening to crack with emotion. “I…”
She glanced around, and inched the princesses away from any eavesdropping ears. As they secreted themselves away, Twilight’s ears began to flatten as she saw who Celestia was behind her queenly mask.
“I must admit,” Celestia confessed. “It’s times like this where I realize just how unfit I am for the throne.” She gave Luna a look of a mourning. “I blamed you for driving Shiva away… yet now, I wouldn’t blame Shiva if she wanted me dead herself.” She gave a sad smile to Twilight. “Twilight, you got closer to her than either Luna or I could hope to achieve. And it’s for that reason that…”
“Are you sure that your actions have driven her away for good?” another voice asked.
The group of princesses turned to the only female that wasn’t an alicorn. Princess Scorpia grinned knowingly at them.
“My changelings have noticed some strange sightings in Equestria,” Scorpia noted. “Tales of a canine-like beast. That appears as if from nowhere, and stops monsters from attacking ponies.”
Twilight turned, her gaze hopeful. “Shiva?” she whispered.
Scorpia’s grin faded. “Hm… possible,” she noted. “Though they say the canine’s fur is much darker than hers.”
Celestia looked up. “Kodo,” she whispered.
“He seeks to right his wrongs,” Luna guessed. “By protecting those that he oppressed.” She nodded. “But does it do it on the orders of his mother, or his own regret?”
Scorpia shrugged. “Like I said,” she said. “It’s just stories. But I wouldn’t say that Shiva is entirely gone.” She gazed out to the Frozen North. “She just needs time.”
Celestia shook her head. “No amount of time can heal what I’ve done to her,” she insisted. “If any pony is going to have a chance of winning her friendship…” she turned to Twilight. “It is you.” She raised a hoof before Twilight could protest. “But don’t think I’m asking you to see her now. As Princess Scorpia said… give her time. Let her heal.”
Twilight followed her gaze. “Well,” Twilight said. “Whenever she’s ready to come back… I’ll be waiting for her.” Her eyes narrowed in determination. “I promised her that the world she made – the world where Equestria was truly united – wouldn’t be more than just a dream. But I can’t do it alone.” She pawed at the ground. “Please, Shiva… whenever you’re ready… we were so close. I could really use your help.”
Celestia smiled softly. “And that, Twilight Sparkle,” she whispered, so softly that only Luna could hear. “Is why you will be a better ruler than I ever could be.”
#
Unfortunately, what the ponies didn’t realize was that at that very moment, a Storm King Ship hung over the mountains that held Outer Haven.
Deep in the bowels of the mountain, Shiva sat, hunched on a throne of sapphires, her king’s throne empty and cold, as the Storm King and two of his creatures stood before her.
“So, here’s my deal,” the Storm King said. “I’ve been trying to re-brand here. ‘The Storm King,’ is tracking, well, as ‘intensely intimidating,’ but you know what? I need to back it up. You know what I need to back it up with?”
“I’m sure you’ll tell me,” Shiva grumbled, her claws teasing along her daughter’s head as Celine glared at the furry beast before them.
“A storm!” the King insisted. “That would be great! This pony with some broken horn promised me magic that could control the elements, but all she gave me was some branch!” he indicated the staff he was carrying. “A twig! I mean, was she serious?!”
“I’m sure she was,” Shiva grumbled, her eyes half lidded.
“Hey-hey,” he snapped. “Get with the program, snowball! I’m not even to the worst part!"
Celine snarled, but Shiva soothed her with a rub behind the ears. “Then how about you get to the worst part,” Shiva said. “Because I can, literally, think of a million things I’d rather be doing right now than listen to you talk.”
The Storm King chuckled. “Like licking Celestia’s horse shoes?” he asked.
Shiva tensed. She glared at him with dark eyes.
“Yeah, don’t think I don’t know what she did,” he said. “She burned my pawn; burned my army. Burned your dogs! Then forced them to clean up her entire country! And then she has the gall to try and act like a cute little pony with the friendship and the flowers and BLEH!” He mimed getting sick. “Can’t even keep up the whole ‘big bad powerful magic guy!’ What a poser, right?”
Shiva lifted herself off her throne. “What do you want?” she growled.
The Storm King grinned. “I want Celestia!” he growled. “I want the magic of the alicorns.” He glanced up and down Shiva body. “And I could use a Queen,” he added with a purr.
Shiva’s eyes narrowed, while Celine’s snarl redoubled. The Storm King, undeterred, stepped forward.
“Let’s team up,” he offered. “Celestia hurt us both. And we’re both attractive, powerful, white-furred rulers.” He reached out for her claws, his eyes already trailing to her empty throne. “You’d find me to be quite the powerful… ‘friend.’”
Shiva hummed in intrigue. Celine moved to tug at her mother’s robes, but Shiva waved her off, her other claw reaching up to entwine with the Storm King’s.
“And you honestly think we stand a chance against Equestria?” she asked.
“Mother!” Celine whispered, horrified at the genuine curiosity in Shiva’s voice.
“Don’t be scared, kid,” the Storm King said, though he kept his eyes on Shiva. “Together,” he promised. “The entire world will bow to my…” he checked himself. “Er, ‘our’ rule.”
Shiva chuckled, turning away from him and to her daughter. She lifted Celine’s head, like she was about to speak to her. Yet her eyes darted to the Storm King, before she grinned coyly at Celine.
“You really are a foal,” she noted, before barking.
The Storm King’s grin barely got to fade before two meaty paws punched out of the ground and seized him by the legs, pulling him into the dirt. Briefly, he snatched and clawed at the ground, struggling to avoid getting yanked down as Shiva turned back to him. He looked to his guards, but they had already vanished into the earth. Two holes were all that was left of them. He reached for his staff, but Shiva snapped it in half with a hard stomp.
“This isn’t funny!” the Storm King warned. “If this is your idea of a joke, I should warn you, I am very unamused right now!”
“Interesting,” Shiva replied, crouching to his level. Her voice dropped to an angry growl. “I was equally unamused when you joked about taking the place of my husband.”
“B-But your husband’s dead!” the Storm King insisted. “And Celestia killed him!”
“Wrong,” Shiva replied. “Day Breaker killed him. And if you really want to tempt Celestia to let that monster loose on us again… then you clearly have a death wish.” She lifted her claws towards his face. “And if you’re really willing to let your subjects die with you, then you are unfit to rule them!”
Wait,” the Storm King insisted as her pack link arced towards his eyes. “WAIT!”
But though his armor was magic resistant, he neglected to bring a face guard. And Shiva’s pack link stabbed into his face, withdrawing any energy he had before shoving him down into the depths. Shiva swept aside the holes where he and his guard had once stood, and stared at the pulsating ball of ice blue energy with a smile that would’ve made Tirek shiver in his fur.
A smile that faded as the door opened, and a familiar yet heavily scarred diamond dog with an eyepatch limped in. The eyepatch was studded with a sapphire, making his remaining look slightly lopsided.
“My Alpha,” Kodo said, kneeling before her.
Shiva didn’t turn to him, instead turning to her daughter and giving her the Storm King’s energy.
“Speak,” Shiva growled.
“Baltimare is safe,” Kodo said. “Some scumbag stallion tried to break into a mare’s house. He changed his mind once I got my claws on him.”
Shiva turned, her eyes darkening, and he lowered his stance even more.
“I-I didn’t harm him,” he added. “Just scared him. Hopefully enough that he won’t go after her again.”
Shiva nodded. “Good,” she said, glancing down at the holes. “My Betas will be arriving soon to discuss what to do with this Storm King.”
“You should kill him,” Kodo growled. “After the way he spoke to you…”
But Shiva barely glanced at her son. “Return to the catacombs beneath Equestria, before they see you again. You still have much to do before the diamond dogs or the ponies will stand to see your face again.”
Kodo gave Celine a nervous look, while she could only look at him with pity. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Kodo asked. “I don’t like the way they look at you. Now that Dad…”
“Kodo,” Shiva barked. “Now.”
Realizing he had gone too far, Kodo bowed his head, and retreated. Celine gave him a piteous gaze before turning back to her mother as she sat on her throne.
“I don’t like the way they look at you either,” Celine noted. “It’s like the Storm King… only I think they’re not kidding.”
Shiva hummed. “Well, there’s plenty more that hate me for making them clean up Kodo’s mess,” she noted, wringing her claws. “At least the ones who think they have a chance with me are there to keep them in line.”
“But…” Celine whispered. “You wouldn’t actually…?”
Celine stopped the second her mother gazed at her. In her eyes, Celine saw Shiva’s pain. The grief that she couldn’t show to anyone else. Combined with a firm, if inaudible, answer that no one would ever replace Celine’s father.
The mere show of grief was almost too much. Shiva turned away, struggling to steady her trembling arms. Celine gazed at her worriedly.
“Mother?” she asked.
Shiva didn’t respond. Her head rested against her fists, and Celine whimpered as she saw Shiva trying to reign in her emotions. And yet… wanting so desperately to cry and mourn the loss of her first love. To curse Celestia and Day Breaker alike, yet also knowing that it was pointless to challenge either of them.
Celine rested her own claw on Shiva’s shoulder, breaking her from her thoughts.
“I miss him too,” she whispered. She looked back towards the end of the throne room. “I miss Kodo… I miss Skippy.” She looked down. “I miss Cadence.”
Shiva’s grief faded. She lowered her arms with a sigh.
“We were lucky Cadence didn’t have us all sent to Tartarus,” she noted wearily. “That the other alicorns let us leave with our lives.” She glared down at the ground. “We can’t allow this Storm King to make the same mistakes Kodo did.”
Celine’s ears wagged back and forth. “Do you think that - someday - we could try and go back? To Equestria, I mean.”
Shiva looked up as her betas entered. As Kodo and Celine feared, several gazed upon Shiva with lust in their eyes. Others towards the empty throne that had once been Luke’s. They scurried forward, eager to see if they could earn her favor.
And yet… one moved slower than the others. And Shiva grinned as she noticed him smile reassuringly at her, as his eyes flash with the green flames of a familiar changeling. She rose, her pack link twining around Celine as she rose to address her subjects.
“Maybe someday, my love,” Shiva whispered through the link. “Maybe someday.”
But it would not be today. For as Shiva moved forward and addressed her subjects, the Storm King’s ship was pulled under the snow. So that by the time any changelings were able to bring pony spies, all they would find was a barren wasteland.
Apparently devoid of life.