The moment they arrived back in Canterlot, Celestia had gone back. She only said that she wasn't leaving Discord on his own. Luna had looked tempted to follow, but relented. She couldn't leave Canterlot without at least one of them present.
Their allies started forward, beginning to ask about what had happened. Their silence and expressions told the whole story. All they could do was wait. All were present, except Samore. Sombra informed them she was in her room, under guard.
None of them dared to speak or even move. It felt like everyone present was holding their breaths. The silence was only broken by the occasional worried sob from those like Pinkie or Fluttershy. The latter was especially concerned, wringing her hooves and staring at the spot where Celestia had vanished.
"He's gotta have a chance though, right?" asked Rainbow. "I mean, we all know what he can do. There's no way Fallen can beat that."
"It is to be hoped," murmured Dusk.
No one added to this. As if merely speculating about the outcome was too much. Because that also invited entertaining the idea if Discord did lose. If so...
A ball of golden light appeared before them. A second later, Celestia stumbled to the ground. Luna was there in an instant, leaning towards her sister and helping her up. The last time Dusk had seen the look on her face, it had been when Wrath was almost unleashed.
"He's... he's gone..." she whispered.
"Sister..." Luna gasped. "You don't mean...?"
"I saw it. Tried to teleport to him but he... he shut me out." She sounded like she could hardly believe it. "His sword, he... a-and then Wrath, his power... he just... just... oh, Luna...!"
The two sisters held one another in a close embrace. Luna allowed her sister to bury her head in her shoulder, shaking from sobs. The younger princess tried to maintain composure, even as tears of her own formed.
"No... no!" Fluttershy whipped her head up. "No, he can't be gone, he can't! He promised me, he said he wouldn't! W-We can summon him with the Elements, bring him here."
"Fluttershy," Twilight began, "I don't know if that will-"
"No, it will! It will work! He has to come, he has to!" She shook her friend's shoulders. "Start the spell! Start it, Twilight, please!"
All of them exchanged nervous looks, both with each other and their Elements. They weren't even sure if they'd work after whatever Fallen had done to counter and drain their power. But Twilight quietly nodded.
They stood in a circle, leaving space at the centre. Twilight began the spell. Her Element and the others glowed in response. At least they still seemed to work partially. But the glow didn't build, nor did any rainbow streams appear. They lit up and slowly faded again.
"W-What's going on? Why isn't it working?" Fluttershy prodded her Element. "Try it again."
"Fluttershy-"
"Try it again!"
They did. Once again, the Elements glowed and once again, it dimmed shortly after it started. They tried again. The same result. And again. Nothing changed.
"F-Fallen did something," Fluttershy was saying. "He um, he made them weaker somehow. B-But it'll wear off, we can try again in a bit."
"Fluttershy, darling..."
"No, Rarity, I know it will. W-We can't give up, we have to keep trying. He has to c-come back, he has to."
"Fluttershy, I..." Applejack sighed and removed her hat. "We can't summon Discord because... because he ain't-"
"No, don't you say it, don't you dare!" she shouted. "He can't be gone! This is Discord, the Lord of Chaos! H-He can change the whole world just by snapping his fingers so don't you even dare try to tell me otherwise! Princess, you were there. M-Maybe he managed to get a-away or this is just a trick to make Fallen think he's... but he isn't. H-He can't, he's like you and Luna. Please, there has to be a chance, there has to be!"
"Fluttershy..." Celestia peered up from Luna's shoulder, her eyes shimmering. "I'm... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry but... there's nothing left of him. Nothing..."
Fluttershy went rigid. For a few moments, she stood. Frozen. Her head twitched from side-to-side, in one last attempt to deny it. She started to speak, but the words died in seconds.
Then, a cry. The most heart wrenching, despairing cry erupted from her throat. From her very soul. All of them gathered around her, holding their friend where they could and standing close by if they couldn't. Whatever their personal feelings to Discord might be, they all shared in the sense of loss that radiated from their most gentle-hearted friend.
Rainbow was the first to break away. She looked down at her Element of Harmony. With a roar, she tore it off her neck and hurled it across the room. It landed with a clatter as she glared at it.
"Rainbow Dash!" snapped Applejack. "Ain't no need fer that!"
"Why not?! It's not like these things are actually any use now!" she retorted. "The Elements have failed, Discord is gone and Fallen is still on his way! What are we supposed to do now, huh?!"
"Well I... I don't know," she admitted. "But that ain't helpin'. We gotta keep our heads on straight."
"Pardon my saying so, Applejack, but it is rather difficult to think in such terms after what we've just witnessed." Rarity was clearly fighting very hard to keep her voice rising. "The power of those Beasts is downright monstrous and he has them under his full command! Even Discord wasn't a match for them!"
"Calm down, Rarity! Hysterics aren't gonna make it better! Pinkie, ya gotta back me up here," said Applejack. "Give us a lil' laugh or somethin'. Ya know we can't just..."
She trailed off when she saw Pinkie. There wasn't even the faintest hint of a smile on her face. Her mane was already beginning to sag while she did her best to comfort Fluttershy.
"I'm sorry, AJ," she said blankly. "But... I'm not seeing much to laugh about here."
"Twi? Come on now, ya gotta have somethin'."
Twilight didn't respond verbally. Dusk could see her breathing rapidly, hear the faint mutters under her breath while her head shook. He embraced her, holding onto her tightly as her mind worked at a rapid pace to find a solution to a problem which didn't seem to have one. Applejack caught his eye and he shook his head.
"You're kidding, right? We can't just give up!" Gilda looked around at them. "I mean, we know where his hideout is, right? What happened to that plan?"
"What good will it do us, if he's already on his way?" asked Strongheart. "There's little point in striking where he has been and has likely abandoned, now that his plans are underway."
Gilda faltered a little but pressed on. "Alright, so we get ready for him here. We fight him and stop him. We have a shot, at least. I mean, Discord was just one guy and look at all of us!"
"A 'guy' who could change reality in the blink of an eye," said Zecora morosely. "Fates bode ill if he was struck down, considering his magical renown."
"A-And the Elements of Harmony are supposed to be really powerful too, right?" Thorax was shaking. "If they couldn't stop him either, then… then…"
"What chance do we have?" Trixie finished, her voice trembling. "R-Rainbow is right. We're doomed. W-We're all going to die!"
"Trixie, cease your…!" Doom's tirade was cut short when he saw the state of her. He closed his eyes, scowled and lowered his voice. "There… there is no need to fear. There is… still a chance."
She blinked at him. "Wow. Things must be bad if you're trying to be encouraging."
His snarl returned. "You dare to throw my efforts back in my-?!"
He stopped when she hugged him. His body froze, his expression bewildered. He cast his eyes about for help. When none came, he very awkwardly did his best to return it. Gilda started to speak a few more times, but let out a growl of frustration and punched a wall. No one called her out for it. Even Dusk was having trouble seeing the hopeful side of things.
It was strange. Dusk didn't think it would be honest to say he'd liked Discord. He had his moments since his reformation, but he still felt like he had to keep on-guard around him. Perhaps he had a point, when he told them the reasoning behind what he'd done. That lacking sense of firm trust. Not without good reason, but even so...
He remembered his experience during Twilight's spell. Reliving his earlier days and everything going wrong as a result. Everypony turning against him, despite his best efforts and all that had been wrought as a result. Had that been how Discord felt? Was that another reason why he wanted him to experience it? A rather odd way of experiencing empathy for another, but then... what was Discord if not odd?
And now, he was gone. The being who had dominated Equestria, unseated its rulers, been given friendship and just when he was only beginning to understand its nuances... he had been robbed of that chance. He felt like-
"Okay, enough!" Ember strode between the two groups and stamped her foot. "I get it, alright? Your friend is dead and it's horrible and you ponies are all full of feelings and whatever, but we do not have time for this! At least the griffin is making some kind of sense!"
"Ember! Show some respect!" Strongheart snapped. "Allow them a moment at least, for pity's sake!"
"We don't have time for pity!" she shot back. "The same guy who killed your friend and destroyed an Empire is on his way here! So if none of you will do anything, I guess I will!"
She stormed out of the throne room. Dusk managed to extract himself from Twilight, silently conveying for Applejack to take over. He hurried after her, along with Rarity.
"I've spent a little time with her," she explained quickly. "Perhaps I can help. Ember! Ember, wait!"
"Go away!" she yelled over her shoulder. "I've spent too long hanging around here! Dragons are dead because of this Fallen and I'm not going to stand by any longer!"
"You can't just run off!" Dusk managed to stand in her path. "The Elements of Harmony were our most powerful asset and nopony matches Discord in terms of power. You can't fight Fallen alone and expect to win!"
"Good thing I'm not a pony then or a... whatever Discord was!" she retorted. "Unless you plan to fight me yourself, you'd better get out of my way!"
"He's right, Ember." Rarity joined him at his side. "We can't afford to do anything rash right now. Emotions are running high and things are looking grim enough as it is without losing another ally."
"Well right now, we're not doing anything!" She gestured back to the throne room. "All they're doing right now is wasting time! None of... of that is going to change what's happened or what's going to happen! That's all there is to it, so there!"
She spread her wings and took off, ignoring their calls and flying straight for the borders of Canterlot. They looked at one another, but there wasn't much they could do without wings and they couldn't make her stay, even if they did catch up.
"I sincerely hope she doesn't go through with it," said Rarity.
"I can understand her perspective, but even so…" Dusk looked out after her. "I actually rather liked her."
Rarity sighed. "So did I. In a way, she reminded me a little of-"
"Hey guys! Guys!" Another familiar dragon came running up to them. "What's going on? Where's Ember going?"
"Spike!" Dusk grinned at the sight of his fellow assistant. "When did you get here?"
"Just now," he said. "What did I miss?"
"Oh Spikey, it's good to see you!" Rarity gave him a hug. "But I thought you were keeping an eye on Cadence and Shining."
"I sent a message to Twilight and came here as quick as I could. Didn't she tell you?" He noticed the apprehension between his two friends. "Hey, what happened? Is it something to do with Ember leaving?"
Dusk took a quick glance at Rarity before stepping up.
"A lot has happened in the past hour, Spike. Enough that Ember has been driven to try and face Fallen Soul. Alone."
"What?!" Spike yelled. "She can't do that, she'll be killed! I'm going after her."
"Spikey, wait! What's happened with…?" Rarity trailed off as Spike flew in the same direction as Ember. "Well really, that's just inconsiderate."
"He's certainly quick to act when his mind is set," agreed Dusk. "Perhaps we'd do well to ask Twilight what the message is."
Rarity nodded, but hesitated on their way back inside the throne room.
"Dusk? Do you… do you believe we're going to make it out of this?" she asked quietly.
"I…" He thought for a long while before answering. "I can't say with certainty, Rarity. All we can do now is try our best to carry on."
"So it seems." It clearly wasn't the answer she wanted to hear, but she didn't press him further. "Let's get back to it then."
They walked in silence until they were back inside. Thorax was the first to meet them at the door.
"Oh no. E-Ember didn't leave, did she?" he asked. "I hope not. I.. I thought she was really brave and strong."
"We thought the same," agreed Dusk. "But she's made her choice. Hopefully the right one." He noticed a few others missing. "Where are the princesses? Where's Twilight?"
"Luna took her sister to her room, to try and calm her down. Pinkie Pie has done the same for Twilight, taking her to one of the spare suites," answered Sombra. "It's a pity about Discord. I can't say I abided by him much, but losing any ally is a blow. Especially one such as him."
"That much is true," murmured Dusk.
He gazed around the room. Doom looked oddly troubled, with Trixie standing near him, uncertain of what to do. Gilda was pacing about impatiently, whilst Strongheart lay on the ground, pawing at it. Fluttershy had been moved to sit on one of the empty thrones, being comforted by Applejack. Rainbow zipped around the room, with the same energy as Gilda. Even Zecora looked concerned, struggling to peacefully meditate.
"I don't suppose you have any thoughts about our next course of action?" he asked Sombra.
He sighed. "I confess, I'm at a loss. Though Rainbow was curt in how she said it, she is correct: without the Elements and with Discord dead, our chances for victory seem much slimmer. I've tried to find the right words to say, but... nothing comes to mind."
"I think perhaps," said Dusk, "the best thing we can do for the moment is to try and get some rest, maybe a little food and water. What just happened, it's…"
"I know," said Sombra. "You and your friends are to be commended for your bravery and valour, young ones. It's not an easy thing, what has been thrust upon you all."
"Indeed." Dusk glanced towards the direction of the royal quarters. "Some of us more so than others…"
Spike hadn't been used to having wings for long. They'd started to properly grow in a few weeks back, not long before Twilight got hers. Rainbow had helped him practise and in turn, he practised alongside Twilight for a while. It was clear that, as a dragon, it came much more easily to him than his adoptive sister.
But his relative inexperience wasn't stopping him from flying quickly as he could, narrowing the distance towards the blue shape in the distance. He had no doubt Ember was tough, but she was making a big mistake and he wasn't going to stand by and let her. She was the first dragon he'd met that didn't insult him or tease him for being raised among ponies. Maybe she was a little blunt, but he knew she was good.
"Hey! Ember!" he called. "Wait a sec!"
"Huh?" She looked over her shoulder, eyes widening when she saw him. "You better not be trying to stop me!"
"Actually…" Spike put on a burst of speed, soared beneath her and in her flight path. "That's exactly what I-!"
But Ember didn't stop herself in time, nor was Spike quick enough to get out of her way. She smacked into him, causing them both to tumble out of the sky. They crashed onto a small outcropping on the mountain that Canterlot was built into. Spike could feel grass beneath his scales and a very ticked-off dragon on top of him.
"You idiot!" she shouted, glaring down at him. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Well uh, trying to stop you from leaving," he replied sheepishly. "I-I mean it worked, sort of."
He chuckled and forced a grin. She didn't return it. Then they both realised that Ember was still atop Spike. Both of their faces suddenly turned beet-red as Ember scrambled off him and Spike pushed himself up.
"A-Are you okay?" he stammered.
"Fine, no thanks to you." She turned away and flared her wings again. "We're done here."
"No, wait!" He stood in front of her again, arms wide. "I can't let you do this."
"Let me? Let me?! I am daughter to Dragon Lord Torch and you think you're in any position to stop me?" Her eyes narrowed and her claws bared. "I'll fight you, if I have to."
"You can't fight Fallen, Ember!" he argued. "He has the Demon Beasts and believe me, those things aren't something you want to go up against. Not alone."
She snorted. "Oh yeah? And how would you know?"
"Where do you think I got these from?"
He gestured to the three faint, but still prominent claw marks on his belly. They had stayed with him, even when he'd matured. Sometimes, Spike was able to forget they were there. But not for long.
"What…?" She stared at the marks. "They… did that to you?"
"One of them. Wrath. He was going to hit Rarity. I pushed her out of the way and… well…" He looked down at them. "Now I've got these."
"I-I just thought they were from another dragon," she murmured. "But even those would have healed by now." She looked off to one side briefly. "Does… does it hurt?"
"Not really," he shrugged. "Stung for a while when I first got them, but it faded. It's okay though. They make me look rugged and manly, right?"
"Yeah… I-I mean…" Her cheeks turned red again and she coughed. "I mean, I-I'm sorry that happened. And you did that whilst saving Rarity?"
Spike nodded. "It's just what I would do for my friends. And hey, you helped her out too when Ponyville was attacked. I didn't say thanks for that."
"I-I didn't. I mean, I did but… she was there a-and she was fighting the one I was looking for. Looked like she needed help and…" She rubbed the back of her head. "I guess I did sort of help her… but only because she needed it! Not like w-we're friends or whatever…"
"Would it really be that bad if you were?" he asked. She didn't answer that. "Ember? Do you really think you'd stand a chance against Fallen, alone?"
"Yes. No…" she admitted after a moment. "But what else am I meant to do? All of them back there, all they want to do is sit around and hug and cry. Someone has to do something."
Spike shook his head. "You can't blame them for that. A lot's happened in the past few hours. Ponies have been hurt, even… even killed."
"So what? People get hurt and people die. It happens. I get that and so does the guy who did the killing." She fixed him in her gaze. "Fallen Soul not going to wait around while you all want cuddles and kisses for your boo-boos, because he won't stop with just Discord. If we don't do something, it'll be all of us next and then however many he wants after, when there's no one else left to stop him! That's the difference between dragons and ponies. We get how things work and we don't try to kid ourselves otherwise. If you were a real dragon, you'd understand that."
Spike felt a dull ache in his chest at that. It wasn't the first time he'd been called out for not being like dragons are meant to be. But coming from Ember... something made it hurt just a little bit more.
He didn't look at Ember's face, only at her feet. He saw her hand raise towards him, then fall back to her side. She went to step around him. Just as he heard her wings spread again, he found his voice.
"Is that what you believe?" His voice was quiet, though the pain beneath it was evident as he turned to face her. "That because life is harsh and unfair, we should take the same approach?"
Ember paused, but didn't look back. "It's worked out well enough for us."
"Yeah, I've seen. W-Well..." Spike drew herself up and said in a firm voice: "Well, you're wrong."
That made Ember stop. For a few seconds, she stood there. Then, she glanced over her shoulder. Spike thought he saw her ruby eyes flash.
"Is that so?"
The tone in her voice made Spike suddenly feel very afraid. But he pushed it down.
"Yeah, it is. Though I get how you'd think that. I've been to the Badlands. I've seen exactly the kind of land dragons call home and I get how it might have helped shape the way you think." He let out a little chuckle. "I mean, it was still fun. I got used to the smell of sulphur and it was pretty cool to find out that I'm tough enough to swim in lava. But I don't think I could call it a nice place to live."
"Oh, I get it." Ember turned fully to face him, striding back over. "You think because of a couple of sightseeing trips, you know exactly what it's like to be a dragon? How tough life is for us there?"
Spike didn't back down. "I don't think I can say that. I know the way we've grown up is different. You were brought up somewhere fighting is a way of saying hello and I was brought up learning how to bake a good batch of muffins. But I know not every dragon thinks like that and I think that includes you."
"Now you're telling me what you think you know about me?" Ember snorted black smoke, baring her fangs. "Go on then, Spike! What makes you think you know so much about me?!"
"You do." Spike looked right back into Ember's eyes while they widened in surprise. "Like you said, you helped out Rarity in Ponyville and I know she would have done the same. After that, you could have gone off by yourself. Found your own way. But you came with us and you stayed with us, even though you could have left at any time. Look, I'm sorry about barging into you before. I get it if you do want to go. But don't force yourself to act, just because you're afraid."
"Afraid?!" she spluttered, her cheeks flushing. "I-I'm not afraid!"
"Of course you are and there's no shame in that. We're all afraid right now, I know I definitely am. But I've learned that, when I'm afraid, you find your strength from others around you. From your friends. Ponies may not have it as tough as dragons, but they've faced their fair share of challenges and they've beaten them. Sure, plenty of times we've been knocked down at first, but we've pulled through. I know me and my friends have."
"That so?" She sounded sceptical, but she didn't stop listening.
He nodded. "At least three of the ponies in the throne room right now, we've fought against at some point. Thorax's people attacked both Canterlot and Ponyville. That was a really rough time. Now look at us. We're all here, in the hopes of defeating our enemy. That has to count for something."
Ember didn't look as certain as before. Her eyes kept shifting about, her wings unfolding and folding back up again. Spike offered her a smile.
"But like I said, I get how you're feeling. If you really, really want to go, then fine. I know I can't actually stop you. You could kick my butt easily, if you wanted," he said with a laugh. "I just wanted to say my bit. So long as you know it's what you actually want and you don't do anything you might regret. I-If it means anything though, I… I'd like it if you stayed."
Her face reddened again. "Y-You would?"
"Yeah, of course. You're tough and brave, you're a great flyer and you don't back down easily. A-And I know you don't like being called stuff like this but…" He felt his own face heat up. "I-I think you're nice. R-Really, really nice."
Ember's blush deepened and she looked away. Spike started to feel bad, worried he'd gone too far and made her uncomfortable. Yeah, that was probably exactly what he'd done. Great work, Spike, he thought to himself. You've blown it again.
"Well um… that's what I wanted to say," he finished lamely. "I'm… I'm gonna head back. Y-You coming?"
She didn't respond. She kept looking at the ground, up at Spike, out past the mountains and at the ground again. Definitely blown it.
"Alright." He turned away from her. "Good luck, I guess."
Feeling like a complete idiot, Spike spread his wings and flew off back to the Palace. It was about time he got caught up on things and right now, his other friends still needed him.
He was tempted to look back at Ember, but knew there would be no point. She'd made her choice and all he'd done was mess things up with her. He hadn't even used her title properly! Some cultural ambassador.
Bracing himself for what would probably be more bad news, Spike kept his eyes locked on the Palace. He only hoped it wouldn't be as bad as all that…