//------------------------------// // Trial Thirteen: Snowfall // Story: Born In Light, Forged In Darkness // by Jest //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash exhaled a plume of fire into the metal ring at the center of the tent, igniting the hearth’s contents. Soon warmth filled the room, and the excited crackle entered the ears of everyone in attendance. A sigh was shared amongst those not blessed with an intense inner fire, such as Kanathara, who eagerly wrapped her hooves around the back of her familiar. “Feel better?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Very,” Kanathara replied, her body draped over the vengant. “Now that we ain't all freezin’ to death, maybe we can figure a way outta this mess,” Applejack murmured, hiking a blanket a little further up her shoulders. The rest of the army’s leaders all nodded or otherwise voiced their agreement for this course of action. Including Pear Butter, who was one of the few who not wearing numerous heavy garments to banish the cold. “If y'all have ideas, then air ‘em quick. We got a few hours before we're buried in snow or frozen solid,” she remarked. “I assume these windigos are difficult to kill, yes?” Rarity inquired. “You could say that,” remarked Tirek. “They are impervious to physical harm, and last I checked, they had never actually been killed before. Only starved out due to peace and harmony ridding the world of their food source.” “Well, they certainly have a considerable amount of rage and general chaos to feed on,” Rainbow Dash added. “Wait, chaos…” Dawn Hammer murmured. “You don't think Discord has gotten free, do you?” “I would have detected such a large burst of magic,” Kanathara quickly offered. “Furthermore, I don't think Nightmare Moon would allow him to just walk around.” “She's probably locked him up tighter with the plan being to just drop him into the ocean or something,” Tirek added. “After everyone has died, there would be no chaos to feed on and thus no chance he would ever get out.” “Or she plans on killing him after the rest of us are gone,” Dawn Hammer replied. “He would be at his weakest without any mortals around.” “Regardless,” Mrs. Shy began and cleared her throat, “I think we can safely assume that the Lord of Chaos will be out of this fight.” “A fair assessment, I believe,” Rarity agreed. “If she got desperate though? What about then?” Pinkie Pie pressed. “Even then, she wouldn't. Discord needs people around to play with and would side against her in an instant,” Dawn Hammer declared. “You speak as though you know the Lord of Madness quite well,” Tirek pointed out. “All royal guards receive a comprehensive report on him, and though completely crazy, Discord has certain tendencies that can be counted on,” Dawn Hammer explained. “Such as his fondness of this plane and his desire to rule it.” “Hmm, fair,” Tirek murmured. “Moving on,” Rainbow Dash prompted. “Yes, moving on. How do we hurt these windigo things? Something tells me that peace isn't exactly an option right now,” Pinkie Pie asked. “I… don't know,” Kanathara admitted. “Maybe we could reproduce the effect peace has on them through some other magical means? No, that would take years to figure out.” “What about containing them? Perhaps with a layer of interlocking shields and wards?” Dawn Hammer asked. “No, that would never work. They are too slippery for such a thing,” Tirek retorted. “The spells necessary to keep them corporeal would clash with the ones that would trap them.” “I mean, not if we used Heisenberg’s uncertainty ward,” Rarity offered. “That wouldn't clash with the shield spells, would it?” “Maybe, but then power will become a problem,” Tirek pointed out. Kanathara remained quiet, her mind churning with thoughts and ideas while the others argued. Those not knowledgeable in magic didn't take part in the discussion, though they did consider tunneling into Canterlot. A possible strategy, though one that wouldn't allow them to reach their target in the necessary amount of time. A glance in Pythias’ direction piqued Kanathara’s curiosity, as the other demon was staring off into space. She would then twitch, only to look elsewhere, her eyes seeing something which only she could perceive. Though frowning, Pythias appeared to have a small glimmer of hope in her eye, prompting Kanathara to relinquish her hold on her familiar. “I’ll be right back,” Kanathara whispered. “Don't be long. I’m not sure how much of this nerd argument I can take,” Rainbow Dash replied. Kanathara rolled her eyes and slipped around the edge of the tent until she came to Pythias. There the keeper of secrets sat down next to the seer and waited for the right moment to speak. Thankfully that didn't take much time, as Pythias’ shoulders soon slumped, and she glanced over at the demonic equine next to her. “I have little to offer,” Pythias warned. “But you do have something,” Kanathara pointed out. Pythias nodded. “History is important, namely their history. I cannot perceive anything more than that. There are too many possibilities, too many futures. The veil is thick and cannot be pierced.” “History… I’ll look into it,” Kanathara noted. “Do hurry. The possibilities are narrowing with each passing minute, and I do not wish to see the future which becomes inevitable,” Pythias urged. “I won't,” Kanathara replied before standing back up and trotting over to her spot once more. “I have something, but we’re going to need to read up on a few things.” “Augh, I hate reading. Can't I just serve as your blanket?” Rainbow Dash whined. Kanathara rolled her eyes. “Fine, just keep the grumbling to a minimum.” “Can't promise that,” Rainbow Dash replied. Despite her annoyance, Kanathara smiled when she felt her familiar drape her warm body across her back. With what felt like a heated blanket lying atop her, Kanathara felt energized and quickly lit her horn. A second later, a small portal rimmed with purple flames opened to reveal what looked like an enormous library. “Windigos,” she spoke into the portal. A moment later, a flurry of books from all across the vast room took flight, carried by greenish magic. One by one they flew through the narrow opening and landed in an increasingly large pile next to the keeper. Who dispelled the portal the moment the last of her reading materials had passed through the glowing circle. “Can I help?” asked Pinkie Pie. Kanathara merely nodded, unsurprised by the mare’s sudden appearance. “Start with this one and find any mention of windigos. If you get that done, then just grab from this pile.” “Okey dokey lokey,” Pinkie Pie replied. With that, Kanathara grabbed a book of her own and began to skim through it at a rapid pace. Years of study and practice had enabled her to fly through the tome in only a few minutes. Another of the tome’s siblings was then placed upon the metaphorical chopping block and swiftly scanned by the voracious reader. This repeated several times, with Kanathara and Pinkie Pie cutting through the pile in about a half-hour. Unfortunately for the keeper of secrets, her expression had only darkened after her job was done. “I sure hope you found something of use, Pinkie Pie, because I got nothing. Just endless speculation over their nature and origin without any true substance,” Kanthara remarked. “Oh, this one had something interesting,” Pinkie Pie proclaimed, pulling a slim book from the pile. “It's apparently the diary of a pegasus general during the Unification Wars, and it talks about several run-ins with windigos.” “Let me see that,” Kanathara asked, extending a hoof. “Sure thing. Page 56, about halfway down,” Pinkie Pie answered, handing over the tome. Kanathara turned to the indicated page and began to read aloud. “The day is June third, and at three in the afternoon we had another encounter with the dreaded windigos. They appeared overhead during a minor skirmish with earth pony bandits plundering a gem mine in the Macintosh Hills.” “Interesting,” Kanathara murmured. “He goes on to describe how fighting ceased immediately, and both parties retreated, robbing the windigos of their meal. The spectral creatures wandered off soon after, seeking out greener pastures.” “Well, that doesn't help very much,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “No, it doesn't, but the general lists all of his encounters, and they never once try to fight the windigos,” Kanathara continued. “He even went on to discuss these creatures with the other generals who survived the war and ended up on the same side when the conflict was over.” “And they all say the same thing.” Pinkie Pie gasped. “That the windigos never actually fought a demon or even a particularly powerful magic user. But what does that all mean?” “It means we might be able to eat them,” Kanathara explained. “They are, after all, basically just souls tied to a particularly strong clump of old magic that is somehow alive.” “Someone must have tried that before,” Rainbow Dash reasoned. Kanathara shook her head. “Demonology was almost unheard of back then and wouldn't even be explored extensively until the sisters’ war much later. By then the windigos had already died out, unexposed to those from the lower planes.” “So they don't know how to fight demons and don't know that we can eat their souls,” Rainbow Dash said. “Pretty much,” Kanathara agreed. “Good.” Rainbow Dash stood up. “That's all I needed to know.” “Wait, did you guys find somethin?” Applejack inquired. “‘Cause I sure hope so. This conversation is slowly goin’ nowhere.” “I believe that your attempts to contain them, although not permanent, are still helpful,” Kanathara began, raising her voice slightly and silencing all others. “Provided we can lock them down long enough, I believe we can simply devour their souls.” “Wait, really? It can't be that easy, right?” Rarity inquired. “A demon normally can't consume the soul of someone who's alive because it's too firmly anchored to their body,” Twilight Velvet remarked, the mare having entered the tent sometime during Kanathara’s research binge. “But since windigos are basically just animated hunks of magic, you might be able to get away with it. That said, the kickback might be lethal.” “So we pin it down, summon a few imps and see what happens. Easy,” Rainbow Dash replied. Tirek hummed. “It's not the worst plan of action, though we should consider a back-up plan or two in case that doesn't work.” “Fair enough,” Kanathara admitted. “But how are we even going to reach them in the first place?” Rarity inquired. “You saw the storm they brought with them. I doubt any of you could fly in that.” “Leave that to me,” Rainbow Dash proclaimed. “I’ve got just the thing.” “Not this again,” Kanathara muttered, running a hoof down her face. “That didn't work the first six times you tried it, why would it work now?” “Because now everything is perfect,” Rainbow Dash proclaimed. “What is she talkin’ about?” Applejack asked in a low tone. “You’ll see soon enough!” Rainbow Dash shouted before sprinting out of the tent. “Augh,” Kanathara groaned. “We better get moving if we want to make use of the shitstorm Rainbow Dash is about to unleash.” “Why, what's going on?” Rarity inquired. “It would be quicker if you just watched,” Kanathara replied, stepping out of the tent and into the ever-present blizzard raging all around them. Behind her, the other leaders had either followed and were waiting or were marshaling their forces. Kanathara on the other hand was busy using a spell on herself, one which once completed allowed her to levitate into the air. A second one amplified her voice, allowing her to shout up into the heavens, all the way to where the windigos were. “Hey, just for your information, Nightmare Moon plans on wiping out all life on this plane,” Kanathara shouted. “Which includes you guys.” There was a moment of silence before one of the ethereal horses descended from a bank of clouds and stopped a little closer. “Impossible,” it began. “It is our destiny to rule alone on a snow-covered world devoid of all other life.” “Wouldn't you starve?” Kanathara retorted. “Foolish,” retorted the magical creature. “We require no nourishment to simply exist within our realms of ice and snow. It is only your presence that drains us of our power.” “Great, just had to check in case there was any moral ambiguity. Wouldn't want the ponies bothering me about killing a slave or something,” Kanathara explained. The windigo swirled in confusion, its form blurring as it tried to process what it had just been told. “What foolishness spills forth from your meat hole?” demanded the windigo. “Nothing. Say, is it getting warmer?” Kanathara inquired. “It is not…” The windigo paused. “Where is this heat coming…” The creature looked around in a panic, its gaze landing almost immediately on a spot somewhere behind the keeper of secrets. There it located what looked to be a rapidly growing mass of wind, within which was a spinning entity that spewed fire in all directions. Hellfire shot from nearly every kink in Rainbow Dash’s armor, the blackish-red flame resisting the blizzard and burning hot. Around and around the vengant went, moving so fast that she was a blur of flaming metal. The windstorm she was conjuring grew with each passing second, going from barely holding together to standing strong. Eventually, it was able to overpower the blizzard, scorching the clouds and driving back the windigos which had gathered. Confused, and for once terrified, the magical creatures were so surprised that they didn't even react until the tornado was released. By then Rainbow Dash was no longer even visible, the hellfire windstorm burning so bright that she couldn't be seen. In fact, the pillar of swirling flames was so all-consuming that the entire army looked on in a mix of confusion and fear. The ever-present howling wind shifted, becoming a scream of barely contained rage that filled all who heard it with dread. Even the windigos were not immune to its effects, though they didn't have the chance to contemplate it as the tornado was on the move. Surging directly towards the group of magical creatures, the mass of hellfire and wind blew aside all that got in its way. Trees were uprooted if not instantly incinerated, the snow melted, and dirt was thrown high into the air. Above it all, the heavy snow-filled clouds melted, depositing their watery payload before dissipating completely due to the heat. The tornado shifted, careening around the army before slamming into the mass of windigos, sending most flying. This knocked some sense into the mass of magical creatures, who used their icy powers to try and combat the tornado. Their efforts were mostly in vain, but the swirling windstorm did shrink ever so slightly. Those who had been knocked aside rejoined their brethren and added their power to the assault, stopping Rainbow Dash in her tracks. Then, just as it seemed like the hellfire-infused wind was about to be defused, it exploded violently. Flaming debris rained down in all directions, along with white hot embers that drove the windigos back once more. One of their rank who had been knocked to the ground was soon swarmed. A horde of imps recently called from the depths of Tartarus covered it utterly, devouring the creature in mere seconds. A horrifying, ear-piercing scream elicited a sense of victory and terror in equal measure for all who heard it. The sound was then followed by a violent pop as two of the imps erupted in gore, sending their innards flying in all directions. “What?” shouted one of the windigos. “How have you done this? We are the true inheritors of this world. We are invincible!” “You are also quite delicious by the sounds of it,” Kanathara retorted. The windigos looked down in horror as the mass of still living imps stared back at them with an intense craving in their eyes. They weren't alone either, as several other squads of their kind were already standing ready along with their winged allies. The tense stand-off lasted mere moments before the mass of demons leaped into the air with a unified cry of hunger. “Scatter!” bellowed one of the windigos. “We will return to Mistress Moon and find out how to gird ourselves against these foul abominations!” “Split up, let none escape!” Pear Butter shouted over the wind. Her squads followed after their charges, their flight temporarily unimpeded by howling winds or biting cold. Only an open sky greeted them, allowing the motley assortment of creatures to quickly chase down their icy foes. The fastest of the bunch was a group of Ebon Wind assassins led by none other than Fluttershy’s mother. On either side flew two assassins, their bladed wings glinting in the bright light of the full moon. Behind them, lagging several feet back, were a pack of howling imps desperate to reach the fight first. Together they charged after one of the windigos, their quick movements somehow always able to adjust for the windigo’s change in course. A swerve to the right was countered, a sudden dip met with a just as quick change in direction. Not only did the pegasus assassins manage to keep up, but they were able to reach the windigo before long. Upon doing so, one of the assassins buried a shining golden dagger into the windigo’s side, causing the creature to cry out in agony. “How dare you harm me, you worthless sack of meat!” shouted the windigo before unleashing a hail of icy magic at its attacker. The assassin was fast, but not fast enough, dodging the majority of the attack, but still getting nicked. In an instant, nearly her entire back half was covered in ice, weighing her down significantly and causing her to fall. Two of the assassin wing dropped along with her, catching the wounded fighter before she could get too far. Down to only a single assistant, Mrs. Shy didn't hesitate to continue her pursuit, producing a pair of glowing daggers. She then weaved through the windigo's attacks and struck home with first one of her blades and then the other. The windigo’s form lost its definition, and the creature became a swirling mass of snowy ice that twisted through the air. Upon putting some distance between itself and its attacker, the windigo snorted angrily. “You may wound, but you can never kill me. Worm!” it shouted. “Yeah, we know. That's the point of them,” Mrs. Shy replied, pointing behind the windigo. “What?” scoffed the windigo, who spun around. “There is nothing, augh!” A mere second after it turned around, a horde of imps hit it from below, quickly overwhelming it. The creature wasn't about to go down without a fight though, and it tried to escape again. This didn't work, as the imps clung to its form, their maws open wide and consuming its very essence. It wasn't long before the creature’s efforts grew sluggish, and it released one final cry of rage before dying. Its death rattle killed nearly half of the imps, though the survivors showed no concern for their dead allies. They had gorged themselves on the most potent soul any of them had ever imagined and were content for the first time in their second life. “Works every time,” remarked the assassin. Rarity heard the scream of her wife as clear as day, the girlish cry cutting through the wind whistling past her ears. Despite being aware of this fact, she did not slow down or even turn her head to see if the diamond dog was okay. The voice was not falling away into the distance, so she was at least still in the second saddle, which was all that mattered. “Catch them!” Rarity shouted over the roar of the wind. The mare couldn't be certain if she was heard, but the grootslang continued to swim through the air anyway. Its movements were nonsensical, the great beast having somehow learned the best way of flying was to pretend like the sky was an ocean. Regardless of how, it was moving quite fast, so much so that their squad of imps had hitched a ride on the chaos beast’s tail rather than fly on their own. They at least were not screaming, though the confused pair of windigos were doing just that. The duo was the most terrified of the lot and flew with all the speed they could muster. They stopped only briefly, firing beams of icy magic back at their pursuer, who weaved around the attacks with a strange ease. After nearly a minute of fleeing, the windigos realized their lead was gone, and the grootslang was gaining. Having noticed the shrinking gap they had on the chaotic creature, they both quietly agreed to turn and face it. Spinning around in the air, they fired off another set of spells, one that took the form of a dark cloud while the other was another beam. Though the quicker of the two attacks did not hit its intended target, it wasn't meant to. The concentrated mass of super-cooled air merely pushed the grootslang to dodge to the left. Where it was about to run face-first into the conjured cloud, its snowy payload ready to erupt upon hitting the chaotic creature. That never happened, as a bright teal shield the shape of a gem blocked it before it could reach the grootslang. Who was given just enough time to curve around the barrier, and reach out with a massive clawed hand. The closest windigo was so shocked by this turn of events that it didn't even try to slip away until after the grootslang’s digits wrapped around its body. It then attempted to escape the chaotic creature’s grasp by becoming ethereal, only to find itself held fast. Its confusion turned to horror when it saw the swarm of imps leaping down the grootslang’s arm. Thankfully for the genocidal ice creature, its ally saved it by blasting the first wave of demons with a concentrated beam of cold. Though the grootslang was mostly unbothered by this, the imps were encased completely in the frozen water. As they tumbled out of the sky, the remaining demonic creatures clambered over their icy friends and onto the trapped windigo. This time it was not able to be saved, and thus died screaming in a mix of confusion and rage. Seeing the writing on the wall, the remaining windigo aimed at the grootslang’s hand and froze the remaining imps solid. This also covered the chaotic creature’s arm up to its elbow in ice, causing it to recoil, releasing a cry of pain. Thankfully it had allies of its own, as Rarity cast a warming spell on it, allowing the grootslang to shed the half-melted ice “Give up, you have no more of your fiendish allies!” the windigo shouted. “We will see if that matters in a moment. Attack!” Rarity shouted, pointing to the remaining windigo with a hoof. The grootslang roared and reached forward, plucking the windigo from the sky and squeezing down hard. The baleful creature of ice and rage attempted to freeze its attacker’s hands, but thankfully Rarity was quick to cast another heating spell. This was a mere feint though, as the spirit was actually focusing its efforts on slipping out through a narrow crack in the grootslang’s fingers. “Not so fast,” shouted Rarity’s wife. The diamond dog then released a flaming bolt from a handheld crossbow. Burnt and forced back into the confines of the grootslang’s hand, the windigo raged impotently against its captor. That anger turned to panic when it felt its semi-ethereal form begin to be forced down into a smaller and smaller space. “What is… oh my,” Rarity murmured. With a howl of pain, the windigo was crushed by the chaotic creature, a flurry of snow shooting from between the grootslang’s fingers. Which uncurled to reveal that the genocidal spirit was well and truly gone, leaving behind only a palmful of ice crystals. “I did not see that one coming,” Daisy muttered. “Me neither,” Rarity admitted. “Should we go help the others?” Daisy offered. Rarity glanced out over what had started as a battlefield, though now were simple plains once more. The fight was nearly over, with the majority of the windigos having been killed outright or forced to retreat. The only one which had not escaped or been dealt with was the largest of the bunch, though it was currently being chased. Rainbow Dash, with Kanathara on her back, was hedging the final windigo in with bursts of hellfire and spells alike. Though most of their imps were frozen and falling to the ground, a few remained, doggedly following behind the two larger demons. “We should probably help the camp,” Rarity remarked, gesturing down to the slightly scorched base currently scrambling to locate all the stuff which had been buried or blown away. “Probably,” Daisy admitted. “Something tells me those two can handle a single windigo.” The grootslang hooted and dove towards the ground, causing its riders to screech in unison. As the trio made their way back down, a fight still raged on, with fire and ice lighting up the sky not far away. The windigo managed to stay in front, but its lead was shrinking with each passing second that its pursuers remained on course. With panic filling its mind, the windigo shot a beam of dark blue magic up at a rogue cloud, turning it black and causing it to grow. Within seconds snow began to rain down from the altered cloud, which rumbled angrily while spreading out across the sky. The windigo saw its chance and phased through the weather formation while Rainbow Dash was forced to go around. I wish you could just alicorn up. I could have busted straight through that cloud, Rainbow Dash complained. We don't know what's coming next. We can't expend ourselves in case there is more to come, Kanathara retorted, gritting her teeth tightly as they careened around the top of the cloud at a breakneck pace. Wait. Where did it go? Confused, the pair found that they were alone atop the cloud, with only the bitter wind as company. That changed a few seconds later when a confused mass of imps collided with one another in order to stop in time. The angry demons squabbled amongst themselves while Kanathara and Rainbow Dash continued to float there. “Gimme a second, I’ll scry its location,” Kanathara remarked. “I’ll-” Rainbow Dash’s statement was cut off by her instincts flaring to life. Without thinking, the vengant rolled to the right, tucking her wings against her back. Just in time to dodge an enormous hoof made of a black storm cloud, one which sent the mass of imps flying into the distance. Several were sent back to Tartarus upon impact, but others were partially frozen, left to struggle as they careened downward. “Now do you think we should use it?” Rainbow Dash shouted. Kanathara said nothing, merely watching as the cloud twisted, its undulating mass shifting rapidly. Changing, until finally, it resembled an enormous black windigo a hundred times larger than its original size. The genocidal spirit reared back and released a rage-filled howl that nearly froze the pair in midair. Yes, I think it is. Kanathara replied, her form already turning to mist and slipping between the plates of Rainbow Dash’s armor. The vengant dove down while her body began to go through its own series of rapid changes. Armor shifted, her scaly hide turned a mix of dark purple and red, gaining the many runic patterns that usually adorned Kanathara’s hide. While a horn began to sprout from the demon’s head, the windigo continued to attack, its hooves coming together. The attempt to crush the pair of demons was dodged, the duo accelerating straight towards the enormous shape. Within seconds the transformation completed, their horn having reached its full length while the other changes had solidified. The onlookers didn't have a chance to inspect them all before the pair slammed into the windigo, hellfire spewing from their maw. The windigo merely grinned, holding its hooves over the point that the pair of demons had entered its body. Within its blackened form flashed lightning and snow, the winds within buffeting the demonic alicorn. Which didn't seem to bother them one iota, as their flaming form burned too hot to even be affected by the windigo’s attacks. Whose face darkened, its muzzle scrunching up as a flurry of lightning flashed within itself one after another. The surface of its smoky form trembled briefly, only for a section to break and a gout of bright red hellfire to shoot out of it. The hole in its body was soon joined by another, and then a third, the windigo’s form losing more and more of its consistency. Before finally breaking apart when a particularly powerful blast knocked its head clean off. With its cloudy host now obliterated, the windigo left it behind, regaining its original body and flying off towards Canterlot. Its flight lasted an even shorter amount of time than its confidence, as a white-hot comet slammed into it only a moment later. Spinning around in the air, the terrified creature stared up into the fang-filled maw of its demonic pursuer. Sporting a flaming galaxy for a mane, and twin-pupiled eyes of raging maleficence, the alicorn made the windigo feel true terror for the first time in its life. “M-mercy,” it croaked. “Never,” the twin-voiced demon replied before opening their mouth wide. “N-nooo!” screeched the windigo as its soul was pulled from its magical body. Snow and ice covered the demonic alicorn in a thick layer, yet they continued to inhale, pulling deeper at their prey. The windigo was losing, and losing badly, rapidly shrinking as more and more of its essence was torn away. Until at long last it released one final wail of anguish, signaling to all who heard it that the windigos had been annihilated once and for all. The winged and horned demon grunted, wincing as the windigo’s soul bounced around inside of them. Parts of the creature’s plate mail-covered exterior briefly turned blue before returning to their natural coloration. Only for their body to bulge unexpectedly, requiring the demon to slam a hoof against their side, forcing their form to return to normal. A pained expression remained on the demon’s face for several seconds before they unexpectedly belched a cloud of frost. Which quickly dissipated due to the heat radiating off the combined demons, turning to rain which froze before hitting the ground. Leaving the pair strangely full in a way that even they had never experienced before. The dissonance that came with such a circumstance was enough to make the pair split and plummet towards the ground. Thankfully both recovered quickly, with Kanathara turning to mist and Rainbow Dash opening her wings, allowing her to glide to the ground with her mistress as her bodily passenger, the keeper reforming after they both landed. And were immediately surrounded. “That was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “You had us a might bit worried,” Applejack remarked. “Pfft. I had absolute confidence in the both of them,” Tirek dismissed. “Admit it, you were worried a little,” Velvet retorted, elbowing the centaur in the side. “I admit seeing you two fight was… uncomfortable to watch,” Tirek muttered. Pear Butter chuckled. “Are you two alright?” “We’re…” Kanathara glanced to Rainbow Dash, who nodded. “We’re both okay.” “Just a bit of indigestion, really,” Rainbow Dash added. “Well, that's good to hear, darlings,” Rarity commented. “I must say you two certainly had an oddly regal air about you when you, er… combined like that.” “I bet you could fool a whole buncha ponies into thinking there was a fourth princess if ya did that,” Daisy pointed out. “A consideration for another time,” Kanathara replied, turning to Pear Butter. “I assume we got them all?” “Eeyup,” declared the wrath demon confidently. “The two which got away were hunted down before they could reach Canterlot.” “Perfect,” Kanathara stated. “Let me guess, back to marching then?” Rainbow Dash whined. “Yes. But first, we must clean up around here and-” Pear Butter’s speech was interrupted when Aloe and Lotus pushed their way into the group. “Something is happening in Canterlot,” Aloe exclaimed. “Something bad!” added Lotus. As one, the group turned towards the distant city on the mountain and watched as a magical shield was erected. It was a dark blue and covered an existing barrier that obscured the castle from sight. A third obstruction joined the other two, encompassing an entire district with another wall meant to keep out invaders. Several more sprung up in rapid succession, each one covering another part until finally the last went around the entire city. “What the heck is that?” Rainbow Dash shouted, gesturing towards Canterlot. “It seems as though someone wishes to keep us out,” Tirek reasoned. “And are quite determined to ensure that we can't get in,” Kanathara added. “What now?” Applejack asked. “We march on,” Kanathara replied. “Be it resurrected windigos, walls of magic, or endless hordes of demons, we must cut through it all if we will have a hope of reaching our target before this world is little more than a ball of ice.”