Back in Darkness’s castle, a dark corridor appeared and out came Darkness, along with the trio, as the corridor disappeared. Makucha, Chuluun and Ora looked around the place and were amazed by it since they’ve never seen anything like it before, even back in their world.
“This place seems nice,” said Makucha.
“I’ve seen anything like this before, even back in the mountains,” said Chuluun.
“Well, you have now,” said Ora making Chuluun glare at him in annoyance.
“Make yourselves at home,” said Darkness while taking a few more steps forward with his hands still crossed behind his back, “I shall call you when I need you to make a move.”
“And what sort of move will you be after from us?” Ora asked.
“A move that will slow them down and unable to protect the colt I’m after,” answered Darkness.
Makucha, Chuluun and Ora were now in complete shock after hearing what Darkness had just said. He wants them to attack the group that will make them slow down and unable to protect Lightning Twister from him. They refused to attack them again, especially Oliver as they haven’t forgotten what he turned into.
“Are you kidding?! We’re not going to attack them again!” Chuluun said angrily, “Not after our last attack on them!”
“Relax, my dear. I can assure you, your next attack won’t end up in failure.”
“Who said anything about failure? We’re talking about one of those creatures that ended our attack!” Ora said.
“Those creatures you are on about,” said Darkness, “They are ponies, unicorns, Pegasi and alicorns. The other creatures are a griffon, yak, dragons, Changeling, hippogriff, humans, hedgehog, fox and a Echidna. Unicorns have horns, Pegasi have wings and alicorns have both horns and wings. And I’m sure they’re not that scary if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Those lot we may be able to handle, but one of them won’t be!” Said Makucha, “That “alicorn” ruined our attack, by turning into some sort of, monster that’s all black and have horns on its head.”
Darkness uncrossed his hands, laid them on his sides and just stood there. He knew which alicorn they meant and what kind of creature he turned into. Something he learned before beginning the nightmares. Darkness slowly turned his head round to look at the three and stared at them before asking, “Are you certain?”
“We’ve seen him do it,” said Ora, “We saw him turn into a monster, with our own eyes.”
Darkness stared at them for a few more seconds before looking forward again as a dark corridor appeared in front of him. Darkness crossed his hands behind his back once more and walked into the dark corridor as it disappeared. Makucha, Chuluun and Ora looked at each other confusedly not having a clue on what was going on now.
Suddenly, they saw another dark corridor appear in front of them making them go into shock. The dark corridor slowly started to disappear revealing the person, or rather creature, standing in it, and soon, the three were even in more shock to who was in the corridor.
It was an big alicorn size bug pony, that was as tall as Princess Celestia, who has a very dark gray chitin, a hideous looking dark cerulean mane and tail, a pair of light cerulean insect-like wings, a carapace on her back with a gradient shade of dark arctic blue to moderate green and her eyes were moderate harlequin with dark grayish opal pupils and very deep opal eyeshadow. It was Chrysalis, former queen of the Changelings.
Chrysalis angrily glared at the three as they moved back a bit in completely fear and shock. They have never seen a bug creature this big before, that is, if they have seen bug insects back home.
“W-Whoa,” said Chuluun in a shock and fear tone while shaking a bit.
“Don’t look so shock,” said Chrysalis, “I’ve already know how this goes.”
The evil Changeling approached Makucha, Chuluun and Ora before saying, “Let me ask you from what I heard from Darkness…is it true that you three have encounter the Ink Demon?”
Makucha, Chuluun and Ora were now even more shock to hear what Chrysalis has asked them. They didn’t know, but they figured she might be on about the alicorn that transformed into a monster and fought them before meeting Darkness.
“You know what that monster is?” Makucha asked in shock.
“The Ink Demon was once somepony who was going to be my ultimate weapon to get my revenge on the two ponies that ruined my life. He was also once…my son.”
The three were somewhat confused by this, even after hearing her say that the Ink Demon was also her son when he’s in pony form, as Ora asked, “If he is your son, why isn’t he with you? You said he was your weapon and your child. He should be helping us get what Darkness wants from those lot.”
“HE BETRAYED ME!” Chrysalis shouted angrily, “His own mother. Just like how all the Changelings turned their backs on me with that traitor Thorax!”
“You had others on your side? Well where were they when you needed them to get the boy?” Makucha asked.
“They betrayed me before he was born,” answered Chrysalis before looking at a window, “They all left and joined the friendship, thanks to that Starlight Glimmer. Oliver was going to be the weapon that not any of the Changelings could be. But since he was adopted by Cadence, he still wishes to be on their side. But soon, he will pay. They all pay, including Starlight Glimmer! I will have my revenge on her and show them that no one betrays or messes with me!”
“Even if you must destroy him?” Chuluun asked.
“Yes, even if he still refuses to join me, I will destroy him.”
“Well, you’re looking for a way to get him to join you,” said Makucha, “There is a way to get him to switch sides.”
Chrysalis looked at Makucha in confusion before asking, “And what way might that be?”
“Well…” The leopard approached the evil Changeling, “What if, you told him his future? If you tell him what will happen, he might start feeling worried and distrusting his friends and family. Then, you can easily get him on your side. After all, you might still need him.”
Chrysalis stared at Makucha before slowly growing an evil grin on her face while chuckling evilly. She liked the sound of that idea and believes it might actually work.
By the time night came and Princess Luna raised the moon, the team were now in a dirt ground area with a river next to it and it was time to call it a night before continuing on. Newt and Applejack have finished setting up the campfire while Oliver and Tempest was putting up the tent. However, while Tempest was putting the peg down to help hold the tent up, she couldn’t help but stare at Oliver as he placed the other peg down.
After placing the peg down, Oliver saw Tempest acting strange again. He knew the last he asked, she said she was doing just fine and was just cold. But he knew something was up and he needed to know what it was. So he walked over to the dark purple pony. Tempest was busy sorting the tent out and didn’t notice that Oliver was approaching her until she heard him say, “Fizzlepop, are you doing okay?”
“Huh?” Tempest saw Oliver looking at her as she started to blush uncontrollably again while saying, “Oh yes. Yes, I’m doing okay. Thank you.” She chuckled nervously.
Oliver raised an eyebrow with a not amused look. He knew something was up, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
“Fizzlepop, you haven’t been yourself ever since I thanked you for saving Flurry Heart from Shadow. You said you were just tired from fighting him, but I know something’s wrong.”
“I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong with me at all. I’m just…exhausted from what’s going on each day, that’s all.”
“I’m not falling for that again,” said Oliver, “There’s something wrong and I want to know what it is, now.”
“You wouldn’t understand,” said Fizzlepop while looking away sadly and in fear.
“Fizzlepop, I can help you. And I will understand, if you just tell me what’s wrong and I can maybe help sort it out.”
Fizzlepop continued to look away before slowly turning her head to look at Oliver before asking, “You really want to know what I’m really hiding?”
“I do.”
“Is that an order?”
“If you want to be given an order from a captain, then yes. That is an order.”
Fizzlepop let out a calm sigh before saying, “Okay. As you wish. But you may not like what I’m about to show you.”
Oliver was now confuse to what she just said to him. “Huh? What do you mean?”
Fizzlepop didn’t answer. Instead she approached him and closed her eyes. And Oliver was now in shock to where Fizzlepop did next. She placed her lips against his lips and started giving him a semi-kiss as both hers and Oliver’s cheeks went bright red. Fizzlepop moved her lips away from Oliver’s lips as she opened her eyes, while blushing, and saw Oliver was now blushing and in shock to what she had just did.
“Fizzlepop…I…”
Fizzlepop started to fear she did something wrong and Oliver was now going to be mad at her. She started to turn and made her way into the tent.
“Fizzlepop, wait!”
But it was too late. Fizzlepop Berrytwist was now inside the tent and unable to hear Oliver’s voice. By the time he realise she won’t be able to hear him now, he started to wonder what was that kiss about and why did she do it. He was still in shock after that kiss as well.
“Did she just kiss me? Does she…does she love me? For how long?”
Everyone was now inside the tent as the adults started preparing the table and dinner while the children stay in the bedroom either reading a book or talking to each other or just relaxing. Lightning, however, was in the bathroom as he needed a wee. After flushing the toilet, he came out the bathroom before letting out a sigh.
Discord appeared in a flash of light before asking rudely, “Why still so down? Shouldn’t you be happy by now?”
“How can I? I’m still having nightmares, we’re still haven’t reached the Tree of Life yet, Cozy Glow and Daddy are back, and new threats keep attacking us. I really thought my life got better now after The Storm King was defeated again. But now, this happened.”
“Well it is your fault this all happened in the first place.”
Lightning looked at Discord and asked, “How is this my fault? I did nothing wrong!”
“Actually, you did,” said Discord, “You made Fluttershy stop seeing me, got her mad at me, took her away from me and made her break her friendship with me after trying to help Twilight and Oliver while having everyone be mad at me.”
“That was on you!” Said Lightning getting angry at the lord of chaos, “You did all that to yourself and blaming me for no reason when we’re all free to have more friends and have a family!”
“Oh please,” said Discord, “Like it’s all my fault Fluttershy broke our friendship. Besides, none of that or this would have happened if you haven’t have showed up at Fluttershy’s cottage that night.”
“I didn’t know what was going to happen after running away from Daddy! I didn’t know Fluttershy was going to find me and treat like me how would my real Momma would treat me if she was still alive! The only reason I wanted her as my Momma was because she was kind to me and she wanted to be my Momma after changing her life! I didn’t force her to become my new family, she chose to take me in! It was her choice as well as my choice for her to be my Momma!“
“Unluckily story. And can I just remind you that you’re the grandson of the evil king that nearly took over Equestria and stole the princesses’ magic?” Discord said.
“I’m nothing like him! And I moved on from that family!”
“Pfft…changing family and name won’t stop the bloodline,” said Discord while crossing his arms, “I don’t even know why I even bother speaking since you can’t admit all this is your fault.”
“Then why did you come? Just to annoy us and make my friends and family more angry?”
“No, of course not. I’m just here to get Fluttershy’s friendship back and be free from my home.”
“Well it hasn’t been going well for you ever since you returned,” said Lightning, “You still thought your plan was a good plan, you upset Spike and me, made Credence feel like he’s a bad guy and still think I’m not part of the friendship circle and can’t be in Momma’s life! And now you’re blaming me for everything when most of it was your fault it happened.”
Discord got very angry as his eyes went on fire. He reached his lion paw out and slapped Lightning across the face very hard giving him a red mark on the cheek. Lightning fell to the ground and slowly got up again before rubbing his cheek where the mark was as tears started to form in his eyes.
“Never speak to me like that again, young pony!” He shouted angrily, “I’ve had Fluttershy in my life long before you were even born! And I’m not going to have you ruining everything again!”
Before Discord could even say anymore, he suddenly saw the young six standing out of the bedroom and staring crossly at him as they knew what he had done. Lightning turned to look at his friends and showed them the mark on his cheek and tears rolling down his face. Lightning ran up to Silverstream as she sat down and opened her arms out to him. The poor colt jumped into the hippogriff’s arms as she pulled him into a warm comfort hug while letting him cry in her chest fur.
“Shhh…I’ve got you, little cutie,” she whispered softly in his ear, “I’ve got you.”
Smolder sadly looked at her boyfriend before glaring angrily at Discord. She flew up to him, grabbed him by the beard and pulled him close to her face and angrily said, “If you EVER lay a claw on my boyfriend again!”
Discord pulling his beard out of Smolder’s hand and glared at her before saying, “He doesn’t know when to stand up to himself.”
“Well let me give you a hint! Wait for him to find the courage in his heart to stand up to his own fears!”
“Fine. And he will.”
The fight between them was soon quickly stopped by Applejack who pushed them away from each other while saying, “All right all right, break it up, you two. Now, what happened?”
Smolder let out a calm sigh before calmly said, “Lightning was feeling down. And Discord decided to make things worst by saying stuffs to him that ain’t true, before slapping him across the face.”
Hearing this made Applejack grow an angry stare at Discord who just stupidly shrugged his shoulders while smiling nervously, but Applejack was having none of that. “You’ve got some serious explaining to do when I tell Fluttershy about this.” Applejack grabbed Discord’s beard and pulled him close to her angry stare and said, “And even when speaking to her as well, I want to hear the truth. The ACTUAL truth!”
Applejack dragged Discord, by the beard, to where Fluttershy and the others were as he slid on the floor since he won’t be able to stand Fluttershy’s anger when he tells her what he had done.
Smolder crossly watched the two walk away with her arms crossed before sadly looking back at Lightning who was still crying in Silverstream’s chest fur while being comforted by her. The hippogriff gently rubbed his back while softly shushing him in his ear. Smolder flew towards the two and carefully placed a claw on his shoulder giving some comfort of her own.
“Is he going to be okay?” Ocellus asked.
“I hope so,” answered Smolder, “That jerk’s making things more worse than the nightmares he’s having. But let’s hope Luna will deal with what nightmare is coming tonight, even though I hope there isn’t going to be another nightmare. He’s suffering through enough.”
Lightning slowly moved his head away from Silverstream’s chest and looked at Smolder with tears still going down his face. “C-Can I still s-sleep w-with you and S-Silverstream?”
“Of course you can, Braveheart,” said Smolder softly, “You can sleep with us as long as you want and need to.”
“Yeah, cutie,” said Silverstream, “Nothing will ever stop us from comforting you during nighttimes. We will always be with you.”
With nothing else left to say, Silverstream continued to hug the poor colt with Smolder gently rubbing his shoulder while the other four stood around them. But knowing by them, the nightmares weren’t going to go away or leave Lightning Twister alone so easily, even by Princess Luna.