//------------------------------//
// 2. Reunions 
// Story: Wargs of Fire and Blade: Book II 
// by One of Nine 
//------------------------------//

The city of Canterlot shook as enormous individual tremors struck. The castle shook and vibrated as the mountain was sat upon, the shadow of a great dragon casting the city in shade. Ponies screamed and raced for their homes, knowing deep down they were not safe.
The midnight blue dragon tilted its head, an armada of orange, slitted eyes glaring at the gleaming towers below. The abyss yawned open above the city as the dragon spoke, it’s voice shattering every window. Walls cracked and crumbled.
“HEAR ME, CANTERLOT. I HAVE COME ON BEHEST OF MY SON, TREAT HIM WELL AS HE VISITS YOUR LITTLE CITY.”
Joseph was a bit older, but he didn't appear grey. He still walked strong with the Lord, praying multiple times a day and keeping his mindset always focused on the Lord's will over his own. His coppery red irises drifted up to see the large dragon from his bedroom window. "Mendosei… could you not scare the ever-loving fuck out of everyone? It's a pain in the ass to calm them down. That, and we’ve had to deal with several demons over the years…" he sighed. "Yare, yare… most would say demons aren't real, as would I… before that day."
The dragon’s splendid hearing picked up what he said amongst the panicked screams and shouts of the ponies. Focusing on him, she sent a mental message, the wall of eyes flicking towards him. “Stow your remembrance… Displaced. I care not. You are the guardian of this city?”
Joseph shrugged. "You can thank Tia for that. She apparently contacted my Ancestor whom happened to be training me… and he sent me in his place. Suffice to say, she's nowhere near the stubborn pain in the ass she once was… and on the upside, that petulant waste of space 'Princess' Aotaka certainly was humbled several years back… though frankly, his choice was one that damn near cost far more than just the ponies," he sighed, shaking his head.
“Aotaka? I recall one called Blueblood being executed a little while ago, at least from what my Wargs tell me.” The dragoness rumbled, huffing as her breath boiled the streets. It was then that Joseph noticed the three figures hiding amongst her enormous fins. Two Wargs and one dragon.
"Both he and his sister were put down. They tried to summon creatures from another dimension that threatened this one. Had to call in assistance to fix it." Joseph said bluntly, not interested in reopening new wounds.
“Don’t tell me…” Greg huffed as he landed next to the window, his strong claws cracking the marble walls of the castle. “That idiot Blueblood has descendants, and those two are it? Sounds like they are identifiable by their acts alone.”
"His brats certainly inherited his ego… wouldn't surprise me if he'd built their egos up that they were better than Celestia… and in his words, not mine, 'that moon mutt bitch'. Not sure how they got into that world… Helheim… but the fruits there are extremely dangerous… and if they don't turn you into a monster… you'll be damn lucky," he sighed. "Kinshinzō was Blueblood's son… Aotaka his daughter," he muttered, very aware of the Neighponese names.
Greg looked at him, unamused, as he glanced up to see Damian and Spike joining them. “Any chance I can skip the dialogue cutscenes and say we’re here to see Sparkle butt?”
Joseph cocked an eyebrow. “You’re lucky Twilight is here at the moment, considering she had planned on heading back to Ponyville this afternoon,” he deadpanned, rolling his eyes.
“It’s been five decades,” Spike deduced as he clung to the wall, his two tails slithering around the grand architecture. “She’s going to their funerals?” He referred to the Main Six, his eight slitted eyes glaring down at the human. “I’d expect nothing less from the span of time spent apart. But I don’t know you…”
"Nor I you, bub. So don't try intimidating me." Joseph said bluntly. He snorted as he half turned away. "And it's Granny Smith's passing… though I'd wager ten to fifteen years…the other five will join her at Christ's side," he sighed. 
Spike just gave a soft growling hum. Damian had come and sat on the balcony railing, looking over to the young drake. “If you need a minute, take it little guy.”
Spike wanted to rebuff, but only nodded, his frown growing deeper. “Let’s just get this over with…”
"Ain't nobody perfect, lad. That's one thing I'm all too familiar with." Joseph quipped. He pushed off the balcony, landing a crouch. "Never saw how the hell superheroes pulled that idiotic landing shite," he muttered gruffly as he straightened, fairly certain that the Wargs and Dragon had noticed the clawing scars across his throat.
“So… are you leading us to Twilight?” Spike asked, driven between hope and suspicion of the flat-faced creature with blonde curly hair.
Joseph snorts, rolling his eyes as a mature Twilight happened to come out into the gardens below them right at that moment. "When she's already here? Besides, I can say that Celestia is nowhere near as much of a bitch as she once was, which even she'll admit to," he quipped half-jokingly.
Greg snarled, grabbing Joseph’s shoulder from behind. “We don’t give a crap about Celestia. We’ve found the purple princess, now leave us alone.” His grip tightened to the point the man’s bones shifted and popped.
“You know, we could leave the two to talk and go have some fun together.” Damian smirked, the hazel rings in his eyes glowing with what seemed like eager anticipation.
Without even asking for Joseph’s impute, Greg sent a mental message to Ihkerah. “Hey, boss lady? We found Spike’s target, Damian and me wanted to have a little… friendly chat… with the kid Spartan.”
The enormous dragon’s head tilted toward their location, her many eyes zeroing in on them from above. “Don’t take long~”
Greg just grinned at Joseph, almost looking psychotic.
Joseph cocked an eyebrow, ignoring the pain. "Is that supposed to intimidate me?" he deadpanned dryly. His eyes narrowed fractionally as his irises glowed a hot bluish purple.
“Nah!” Damian smirked, his fangs showing as he grinned in a very joyful way, pulling the human into a sidelong hug. Joseph noticed that his eyes had shifted to a rich hazelnut. “We’re just a little bored and I would love to see how you fair in a fight.”
“Thorkelllll?” Greg elongated the “L” in the name, a brow raised in slight alarm and weariness.
“Thorkell” smirked wider and shrugged. “What? I’m bored, and you know how I get.”
“That’s what I’m worried about…”
"You enjoy a good fight, clearly… and there aren't too many that can give me a truly good fight… Stella Sabre alongside a few of her friends, Shining Armor in his prime… Celestia… Applejack…. she can still give a hell of a fight," Joseph commented wryly.
“Shining Armor? The former captain?” Greg scoffed, clicking his tongue.
“The ponies?” Thorkell smirked, cracking his knuckles, and flexing his burning claws. “Try wargs…”
Within a second, Joseph felt pain spike through his gut, spider webbing throughout his body. Next, he found himself flying over the city and over the walls, landing in a heap at the roots of the mountain. Struggling to sit up, he gazed up to see Greg crouched over him, able to make out his chuckles through the ringing in his ears.
“Pfft, that was quite a ways. Ten out of ten, huh?”
"Not bad… but Old Man Hades hits harder… and that was before the blessings I got…" Joseph commented as he stood slowly.
“Then allow me to send you his way…” Greg snarled, gripping Joseph’s collar and hoisting him up to eye level. Greg stood, his ten-foot stature leaving the human’s feet dangling. “I’m sure Hell wouldn’t be opposed to a new resident.”
Joseph chuckled before he let the shockwave of kinetic force shove them apart, landing in a crouch. “Been there, done that. By the way… Tirek already went down there. Pretty sure Megaera and Tisiphone are having fun playing with his ass…” he smirked as he rolled his shoulders. “But if you’re so eager for a fight to the death… I have plenty to use, but I’m leaning towards using a bit of close combat,” he deadpanned as he focused, silvery heat forming into the Nemean Cesti over his fists and forearms. “But don’t cry when I punch your teeth so far down your throat, you’ll have to shove a toothbrush up your ass to brush them,” he growled. “And height-wise, you ain’t far from a Midgardian Troll…” he drawled as he clashed the Cesti with a metallic crack and surge of kinetic energy.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m not the crazy fighter here.” Greg huffed, walking away and off to the side as Damian, or Thorkell, stalked up to the man with a psychotic smirk.
“I’m really, extra sure our mate wants us to come back alive, so let’s just brawl for however long we can stand. Sound ok, curly?”
Joseph cocked an eyebrow. "All right, Larry. No sign of Moe, though," he quips, a bit amused, though I have to wonder if he notices the likely unintentional Three Stooges joke, he started. He pushes off the ground, popping Damian across the face with a rising knee before twisting into a back thrust kick that catches him in the chest.
Damian hadn’t even flinched. His smirk widened as his eyes shifted back to brown. “Ah’right then…”
Thorkell delivered a haymaker to Joseph’s face after the man landed, giving him a one-way ticket to the skies. Joseph landed in a cloud of dust several meters away.
Joseph grunted as he kicked up onto his feet, cocking his head. "Was that a love-tap, boyo?" he drawled, a slight smirk crossing the corners of his mouth.
“Nah, a warmup.” He then rushed the human, his breath layered in frost as his fur hardened into slick, ebony stone. Summoning his two Chaos Blades, he thrusted the two blades out and yanked himself the rest of the way to Joseph, preparing to kick him in the chest.
Joseph grinned as he shifted his weight before ramming the right Nemean Cesti into the Warg's side in a vicious short uppercut. Following it up with an overhand left into his belly, hard, whilst employing the old dip-and-roll boxing tactic.
Instead of whimpering, Thorkell grunted and laughed, swiping at Joseph with his yellow flaming claws. “Nice one. But remind me; who are you? I don’t think we’ve met before… hooman.” He sounded as if he’d hardly ever said the word.
"You could say I know your Alpha. Not a blood brother, but one in the Holy Spirit," Joseph deadpanned, hopping back to evade the claws.
“Only briefly.” Greg rolled his eyes from the side, having kept up with the two fighters. “And cut that bull crap, we all know our Alpha’s a simp for religious freedom. Though, I personally don’t care if he is, so long as he doesn’t try to convert me. Sorta like a gay friend; don’t hit on me and we’re cool.”
Thorkell sighed and shook his head.
"Only because you think you don't need His Love, which sadly is far too common not just here but on Earth as well," Joseph deadpanned dryly.
Greg rolled his eyes again, groaning. “I’ve gotten through life just fine without the man upstairs. And I don’t need your ‘help.’”
"Heh heh heh heh heh… I once thought the same… until the world used me like a bad ex… and crushed me worse than a glass bottle under a steamroller," Joseph sighed, shrugging. "But He does things in His time," he sighs.
“And yet, some of us can make it on our own terms.” Greg snarled, crossing his arms. “Would you two mind continuing the show? Me and the Boss would love that.”
“Yes, please move on~” Came the dragoness’ voice in their minds. “I so love good entertainment, dears~”
Joseph’s eyes narrowed as he dismissed the Nemean Cesti before a very familiar pair of blades materialized in a gust of brilliant scarlet flames --- his own Blades of Chaos. “Entertainment, eh? Then let’s dance, bitch,” he growled, his eyes narrowing as they glowed a dull amber. He shifted his weight as he let a few inches of chain sway down, so the blades gave off a growling hum as he spun the chain in his grasp, the blades starting to spin in the air, a cyclone of flames forming as he let them spin. “And I can say… I dunno how Kratos recreated the fusion of the chains for these… but the games… didn’t show how much having them fused to your muscles and bones hurts like hell.” He let out a low, almost growling laugh.
The dragoness who towered over the city blinked her many eyes in confusion. “You… want to fight me? Are you certain, dear?”
"Not you, Ryūtenshi…" Joseph drawled. "Her," he growled. The one he spoke of was a Greek Changeling who fed on fear; a woman with decaying skin, bat wings, and falcon talons.
Steam rose from his grip on his chains, though he ignored the pain.
Ihkerah wasn’t impressed. Looking between the creature and the human, she frowned. “Is this an insult? This thing isn’t even worth putting in a hatchling’s nightmares.” With a flick of her tail, she sent the creature flying to parts unknown. Snorting, her breath melting some of the gold on the castle’s towers.
“You failed to impress me, Displaced.” Then, in a low whisper as dark smoke enveloped her. “I should’ve strangled that Merchant eons ago…”
Within seconds, she had shifted to her smaller form, her shadow no longer casting over the city. She glared down at the human that stood up to her waist, her voice dripping with venom, making the Wargs shiver and back away. “Do you still wish to fight me, darling?~”
“I never said it was a Merchant that Displaced me... as a matter of fact, it was my own Ancestor… Kratos himself… who did so,” Joseph deadpanned, “and I’m not like my ancestor… fighting for the fun of it… or to sate bloodlust. True, I do fight, but only when I must.”
“Would you prefer a true test of your strength?” The ridge of scales above her many eyes lifted with her slender tongue flicking in his direction. With a flex of her taloned feet, the ground cracked under all of them.
"Tempting, but unnecessary, even if it were to prove to you my strength. I don't see physical strength as the ultimate necessity." Joseph commented wryly.
She sighed, pinching her brow. “You fool. This world is filled with powerful creatures, both my kin and more. Should you wish to survive here, test your metal against someone you trust not to kill you.” Stepping closer, she leaned forward to get at eye level with him, grasping his chin in a vice-like grip, one even he couldn’t get free from. “And by the way, ponies are one of the least powerful creatures in this realm. You test your abilities with level one mobs, not bosses.”
Joseph sneered a bit. "That implies I truly trust anybody." His words held a distinctive growl. "The only one I might trust slightly in that way would be Stella… most everyone else… I don't trust one of them. Physically, I know I've lived a half century, yet in body, I don't feel a single day older."
“Hm… my mistake, you don’t need a fight. You need a beating.” It wasn’t a jest, her voice hard and many eyes narrowed.
"If you mean 'beating' as in 'humbling'... every day I wake up breathing is humbling enough… though between you and me, I'd be hoping God isn't like that certain version of him from a certain series with brothers hunting inhuman threats as a 'family business'," Joseph sighed, rolling his eyes.
“Ah yes, so sad…” She smirked, letting him go and casually snapping her claws in his face. The shockwave alone was enough to evaporate his crimson armor and explode his body. All that remained was a splatter of blood on the grass. “And so was that.”
Summoning her magic, Joseph reappeared in front of her in a circle of fire. Ihkerah stared at him as he patted himself down and trembled, her smirk gone as she frowned with an almost dead look in her eyes. “You wanted to scratch my little jewels, so you will fight me.”
The two Wargs gulped, staggering back to put distance between them and their Mistress.
“Think we should run?” Greg whispered to Damian, who was now back in control and shaking.
“F-Fuck that, I’m getting out of the blast zone!” Damian was engulfed in green fire and sped towards the city.


-=Meanwhile=-


“So… fifty years?” Twilight mumbled awkwardly, fixing her flowing white dress and silver regalia, sitting on a bench with Spike a foot away. Sitting tall and straight, she looked the definition of a princess, a mask to hide behind. “W-what’s happened? How’ve you been?”
“Uh…” Spike rubbed his neck, claws scraping hardened scales. “It’s been quiet under Ihka’s rule…lots of trade with other packs and even a few merchants set up shop in our town. But there was a small group of Wargs that left. They didn’t want to live under a dragon or Havaak. But all in all, living in Dragneel’s been good.”
“Dragneel?” Twilight asked, her worry slightly replaced with curiosity.
The drake chuckled, shaking his head. “Same old Twilight… it’s the name of the town we live in. It’s a small place that’s northwest of Equestria, a mining and farming town.”
“Is ‘Ihka’ that… big dragon?” She couldn’t help but shutter at the terrifying memory of the massive dragon.
“Yeah. And she… kinda adopted me?” Spike blushed a bit, smiling with embarrassment. “She says we’re all like jewels and gold to her, and she definitely holds us with that value, but we’re not objects to her. We’re her family. Oktarr more or less became my big sister too. She’s kinda like you, really smart and always has something new to teach.”
“So, everypony’s been… good to you? That’s great to hear.” She sighed, smiling for a moment before becoming somber, her royal mask cracking. “I was devastated when I’d heard you’d left. I’ve had lots of time to think about how I treated you…”
Then her regal mask slipped, a sniffle, then a whimper. It was within seconds that she broke down, throwing her arms around the dragon as she squeezed him with all her alicorn might. Yet Spike like he was being hugged with the strength of a child. “I-I’m so s-sorry! I-I should’ve been better, a much better sister to you! And… I should’ve realized what Celestia had done too…”
“Twilight…” Spike sighed, looking her in the eye as tears stained her cheeks. “You were a filly back then. And it wasn’t just your fault.”
“I-I know. Celestia…” She sat up and cleared her throat. “She knows what she did and she’s very sorry for what she did under the Sun Priests’ influence.”
“And she couldn’t tell me that herself?” He deadpanned, coiling his two tails around the bench, a small crack being heard.
Twilight looked away, ashamed. “She couldn’t, ruling the kingdom and all. We’ve been trying to find new ways to live without the excessive use of magic, but it’s been a slow process. At the rate we’re going, I don’t think many ponies will be fed. The Earth Ponies have had it the hardest, crops are choked out by weeds and thistles. The Pegasi can’t control the weather very well, any big storms make their efforts useless.”
“And the unicorns?”
She winced. “Whatever magic the average unicorn had, it’s almost gone. They can barely lift anything with levitation, like foals do.” The alicorn looked at him hopefully. “Do you think Fang could help? From what you’ve told me… things have been great for you guys.”
He scratched his head. “I… I don’t know. Ultimately, that’s up to Ihkerah. Havaak might have a say, but she’s the one that will have the final say. You want help? Ask her.”
Twilight’s face went pale. “O-oh… w-would any of the other Wargs help?”
“Uh…” Now it was Spike’s turn to go white. “They might… for a price…”
“W-well, Equestia doesn’t have much in the way of bits at the moment, the Deneighcrats made sure of that…”
“N-not money…” Spike gulped, licking his lips. “In work…”
“W-work?”
“S-slavery is a practice in some of the tribes…”
Twilight stared, unmoving. “WHAT?!?!?”
“I-It’s not too common! Just, expected…”
“A-are there other ponies who are slaves to the Wargs?!”
“Y-yeah… and dragons too…”
The mare stared, flabbergasted. “U-uh…”
“B-but they’re treated really good! I haven’t heard of or seen anypony sick without treatment, anypony gets their own rooms, they can even live outside their master’s lands. The High Alpha makes sure of it. In his society, no one is treated unfairly… at least, so I’ve heard.” He smiled nervously.
“You’re suggesting that we sell the entire population of Equestria off as SLAVES?!” Twilight roared, her perfectly combed mane frazzling.
“Hey! I was warning you!” Spike shot back, eyes glowing and spines elongating, tails lashing. “Don’t start yelling at me because you can’t handle the idea!”
“Spike, this isn’t an idea or some fairy tale, this is real life!” She countered.
He snarled. “And you’re still living in a fantasy!”
Twilight tried to rebuttal, but she couldn’t, not after they’d just been reunited. She hung her head low, her flowing mane acting like a wall between them, her voice cracking. “I-I know Spike… but it’s all I have left. My friends and family are gone and Equestria is falling apart.”
“Hey…” She felt his claw rest on her shoulder, prompting her to look his way. She found him smiling. “I’m still here. And families fight sometimes, it’s ok Twi.”
Spike suddenly found himself in another hug, the alicorn shaking and weeping in his arms. They stayed like this for several minutes before Damian came rushing through the gate, melting the bars as he sped up to them.
Damian panted, the green fire dying. “Hey, you guys good?”
“Yeah.” Spike smiled and patted Twilight on the back, waiting for her to release him. “Everything ok?”
“Uh… if you define ‘ok’ as Equestria’s only defense getting clapped by your mom, then yeah. Everything’s dandy!” Damian mockingly deadpanned, an explosion sounding in the distance, followed by a short tremor. “Just great… you? You and the Princess of Sparkles hash things out?”
“You want popcorn with the show? Extra butter?” Spike deadpanned back, letting Twilight sit up and sputter at her new title.
“Extra-extra butter…”
“Roret’s going to kill you when your cholesterol spikes.”
“I have three hearts to spare.” The Warg shrugged.
“Not when she’s done with you.” Spike chuckled. “But yes, Twilight and I are cool.”
“Good.” Damian looked to the skies to find their draconic mistress landing next to them, black smoke dissipating around her.
She calmly walked up to them, standing a head over even Damian, looking over her hatchling and the little alicorn. Seeing that they were on better terms, she kept a cool vestige, but nodded to Spike. She relaxed her voice, letting it dip into a deep, melodic symphony of terrifying power. “I assume you’ve made an emends?”
Spike nodded to her, standing, and helping Twilight up onto her hooves. The Dragoness regarded Twilight with a soft but cold stare, silently judging the mare that had mistreated her precious little hatchling. Ihkerah snorted a plume of smoke and disregarded the alicorn, finding the mare beneath her attention. In her eyes, Equestria and its ponies’ lives were soon ending, and there was no need to harm a dying corpse.
She loked back to Spike. “Would you like to spend the night or longer, before moving on to the Dragon Lands?”
“Uh…” The young drake thought for a long moment, so long that Twilight was surprised. She’d always known him to make snap-quick decisions. Finally, he looked back to his mother. “I think a week would be good.”
“Very well.” Ihkerah nodded, inwardly grimacing. She didn’t want to spend too much time around these ignorant ponies. By no means did she detest the entire species, just the foolhardy Equestrians. Afterall, one could only ignore the rotting stench of arrogance for so long.


-=Meanwhile=-

Near the world’s core, deep in pressurized stone, lay a slumbering dragon. His vast muscles tensed, claws scraping and crushing stone. His single pair of crimson eyes snapped open, his magical senses pinging at his groggy mind. Breathing stale air, deep and long, the grey scaled dragon sighed as four large wings scraped the abyss’ ceiling. A flicker of scarlet lightning danced on the corners of his eyes and the length of his two prolonged horns. The dragon’s enormous vocal cords rumbled, causing the earth to shudder. “Sssssister…”