It was going to be probably the biggest celebration Spike had ever witnessed in his short life. The Pillars of Equestria had returned; six of the greatest legends in Pony Mythology were alive and well, and walking among them once more. There was no way Canterlot couldn’t have a massive party celebrating their return.
Unfortunately, it meant a lot of stress for a certain purple alicorn.
“I can’t handle this,” she mumbled for the tenth time. “I can’t handle this! Oh, nothing is going to work!”
“Take it easy, Twilight,” Spike said, handing her one of her charts while hanging onto another graph. “I’m here, remember.”
Twilight sighed, gazing at him with adoration. “Yes. You are.” She hugged him. “And I’m so glad you’re here. Don’t get me wrong, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are great, but… it’s not the same without you. You always knew exactly how to keep me calm.”
“Well, being raised alongside you helped,” Spike noted with a smirk. “Just as being pretty much raised by Princess Cadence and then Princess Celestia should help you know that they’re not going to reject or be mean to you.”
“I know, but still…” Twilight shivered. “They’re two of the five most important, royal princesses of Equestria, and I’ve got to ask them for a huge favor.”
“Yeah, but you’re forgetting one of those other five,” Spike pointed out.
Twilight paused. “Star Wing? Luna?”
Twilight playfully shoved her with a laugh. “You! Come on, Twilight, you’re smarter than that!”
“Oh! Right!” Twilight managed a laugh despite her nervousness. “Right… okay…” She took a breath, and entered the throne room, where sure enough, the other four princesses awaited alongside some of the Pillars of Equestria: Luna and her daughter Star Wing were deep in conversation with Starswirl and Flash Magnus, while Cadence and Shining Armor were also talking with Flash Sentry, who seemed to be giving them some sort of report. Celestia watched over them all like a proud mother, before turning her gaze with interest to Twilight.
Spike nudged her forward as Star caught his eye. “You got this, Twilight,” he promised.
Nodding, Twilight hurried towards Celestia, who smiled and approached her former student eagerly, leaving Spike free to wander over to Star Wing, who detached herself from her mother to follow him.
“Everything going okay?” Spike asked.
Star laughed. “Turns out Mom didn’t do all her homework in the past.” She chanced a glance back as Luna held herself higher as Starswirl nodded in approval, Flash Magnus chuckling at her display. “He’s been quizzing her on some of the magical theories they discussed when she was a filly.”
“An alicorn that had to do homework,” Spike mused with a grin as they opened the door. “That’ll make Twilight happy.”
Star glanced back. “Speaking of which, what’s she so nervous about?” She glanced over at Cadence. “She looks more nervous than Cadence, and Cadence has been demanding regular updates from the baby sitters in the Crystal Empire on how Flurry’s doing.” She looked around before adding, “Spoiler alert; Flurry’s fine. Though the sitters…” she chuckled. “Not so much.”
Spike chuckled. “Twilight’s reasons might seem tame in comparison. She’s got some ideas on how the sun and moon can be positioned to get the best lighting for the stage.”
Star scoffed. “Of course.”
“To be fair, this whole welcome-back party was kinda her baby.”
Star hushed him. “Don’t let Pinkie hear you say that.”
“Too late!” Pinkie declared happily, appearing above them. “But Spike’s right in a way; it was Twilight ‘and’ my baby!” She dropped down to join them, gazing in proud happiness as ponies set up the stage, various festivities and food stands. “And I’m so proud of how she’s growing.”
“The… party, right?” Spike asked.
“Yes!” Pinkie cheered, racing down to where the others were working hard. “Applejack, Jackknife? Apple Cider ready?”
Jackknife used his power over liquid to manipulate several gallons of Applejack’s famous family cider from a massive barrel into several jugs. Applejack saluted. “Present and accounted for.”
Pinkie nodded as Star moved past her. “Decorations? Rarity? Diamondback?”
Diamondback was providing support for Rarity as she decorated the stage with diamond studded streamers. “Taking time, but growing more fabulous by the second,” Diamondback replied.
Pinkie bounced past Star. “Animal ensemble!”
Fluttershy hushed them, tending to several twittering birds that were grouped around a stiff-as-a-tree Phoenix. “Ready as long as you don’t scare them,” Fluttershy cautioned.
Star shot into the air. “And weather? Rainbow Dash? Swift?”
Rainbow Dash shot up to her with a salute. “Cleared and ready for the festival. Right Swift? Swift?”
They turned to find the griffon-dragon hybrid hovering in mid-air, staring worriedly at a black storm of clouds gathering in the distance.
Rainbow Dash growled. “What the…? I thought I just took care of those.” She started to fly towards them, but Swift held out a wing to stop her.
“I think those are more than just storm clouds,” he warned.
Spike and the others drew together, Spike squinting at the strange clouds… and even stranger shapes lurking within.
“It looks like… are those ships?” Spike asked.
Jackknife’s eyes widened. “Not just any ships,” he whispered, turning back to the others. His sea green eyes were narrowed. “Get the Princesses.”
##
In a matter of seconds, the Princesses stood at the entrance to Canterlot, accompanied by the Mane Six, the Drake Six, the Pillars of Equestria, and a platoon of armed guards.
“Ready!” Shining Armor barked, and the platoon formed a phalanx, magical shields up and ready for attack.
“Elements,” Twilight said. “Stand ready.”
“Confirmed,” Spike agreed, hitting his own element and making sure his friends did the same.
“Pillars!” Starswirl declared. “Stand firm.”
Rockhoof bellowed a confirmation, as the others stood ready for action.
And further back, Spike noticed Discord, Trixie and Starlight standing ready.
“Beating up baddies certainly counts as a good deed, yes?” Discord was saying to Starlight, snapping his fingers and producing cannons. “I’m up to 3% now, and I’m quite eager to see what I’m capable of now.”
Before Starlight or Trixie could respond, one of the ships landed before the group. A large mixture of a hedgehog and bear stepped out with a microphone.
“Ponies of Equestria!” he declared. “We come on behalf of the fearsome, the powerful, they almighty…”
“Storm King,” Jackknife hissed.
The hedgehog pouted in Jackknife’s direction. “Hey! That’s my l…” he paused. “Oh! I remember you!”
Jackknife smirked. “Did I rearrange yer face the last time we met?” He cracked his knuckles. “Cuz I’m more than ready to do it again.”
“I don’t think so,” a new voice declared, as a shadowy figure came out to join the hedgehog creature. “After all… you didn’t fare so well against me.”
Jackknife’s eyes narrowed as the unicorn Tempest Shadow strode out to join her herald.
“Is that… a unicorn?” Twilight asked Spike.
“Yeah, Tempest Shadow,” Spike replied.
“What happened to her horn?” Somnabula asked in concern.
Fluttershy gasped. “You didn’t… break it, did you?”
“Hey,” Phoenix protested. “It was broken before we got to her.”
“Tempest Shadow, is it?” Celestia asked, drawing everyone’s attention. “How may we help you?”
Tempest smiled. “I’m so glad you asked. How about we start with your complete and total surrender.”
As she spoke, several of the Storm King’s yetis began to file out. The guards tensed, and Shining Armor’s eyes narrowed.
Twilight’s eyes widened, and she stepped forward. “Wait! I’m not exactly sure what is going on, but isn’t there a chance we can talk this out?”
“I don’t think so, Twi,” Star muttered, for Tempest was glaring at her, then Star, then Luna and finally Cadence. Her smirk widened.
“Oh goody,” Tempest mused. “All five princesses.”
Cadence swallowed back her motherly fear.
“Here’s the deal, ladies,” Tempest continued. “I need your magic. Give it up nicely, please, or we make this difficult for everyone!”
“And why should we cower before you?” Luna demanded. “You stand before not just the Princesses of Equestria…”
“But the Pillars of Harmony as well,” Flash Magnus declared boldly.
“As well as not one, but two bearers of the Elements of Harmony,” Spike added, hoisting Twilight onto his back.
“Sorry, kiddo,” Star teased. “But the odds ain’t in your favor this time.”
Tempest, however, merely chuckled. “Just the way I like it,” she replied, before motioning to her yetis. “Attack!”
The Storm Guards rushed forward, only to be met by the Royal Guard’s phalanx.
“Prepare the Elements!” Twilight yelled, as the Drake and Mane Six rose into the air, Elements glowing in a rainbow of colors.
However, Tempest was fast, and lobbed a familiar looking black and green orb at them.
“Twily!” Shining yelled, leaping up and blocking it with a shield. However, the orb exploded against his shield, and began to cover over him with obsidian.
“Shining!” Cadence yelled, leaping to aid her husband. But as she grabbed onto him, the obsidian spread faster than expected, concealing husband and wife both in black stone.
“Cadence!” Celestia cried out.
“No!” Twilight stammered, turning to Spike. “What is that stuff!”
Spike resisted the urge to curse. “It’s some freaking obsidian stuff that they used on us.”
“Don’t worry, dears,” Diamondback said, breaking off from the group. “I’ll get them out.”
“DB, wait!” Rarity tried to claim.
But Diamondback’s pride was to her disadvantage. And the second she touched the obsidian, it glowed once again, and spread across the dragoness’ body.
Rarity tried to spring free, but the obsidian managed to get her as well. And before anyone could blink, both Elements of Generosity were sealed.
Worse still, as the obsidian sealed them, the Elements went dark, and dragon and pony alike fell to the ground.
“W-What?” Phoenix whispered. “How!”
“Your last attack on us gave us some notes on how to improve the formula,” Tempest replied with a smirk, before lobbing another orb at the phalanx that was keeping the Storm Guards back.
Celestia, however, blasted the orb away, wisely cutting her magic off and creating an obsidian spear that nearly ran Tempest through. Dodging, Tempest growled and summoned her horn’s magic, causing a supernova style explosion that staggered the phalanx, allowing the Guards to begin pushing the army back.
Flash and Rock Hoof rushed to engage the enemy, though Celestia stepped back as she noticed several unicorn’s magic - and even Discord’s chaos magic - fading against the Storm Guard armor.
“Oh, come on!” Discord complained. “I finally get my magic back, and these monkeys have anti-magical armor? That’s cheating!”
“Anti-magic?” Celestia muttered, turning to Spike and Twilight, as Spike pulled Twilight back seconds before the obsidian could try to claim her.
“And with even one of the Elements out of commission,” Twilight reported, “The Elements are useless.” She turned to Celestia. “What do we do?”
Celestia looked back, as Luna and Star Wing joined the Pillars, Star going back into her Night Fire form and engaging Tempest in combat. Together, mother and daughter actually began to push Tempest back.
Celestia’s eyes widened, and she grinned. “It’s time for us to see just how much the bonds between nations have grown.”
Twilight tilted her head. “Huh?”
Celestia rested a wing on her shoulder. “You must leave Equestria, Twilight,” she told her, even as the battle raged around them. “Gather our allies: the dragons. The changelings. The Griffons. Everyone you can find. Find out who will come to aid us in this time of need.”
“But Princess…” Twilight stammered. “What if they just see this as an opportunity to attack.”
At that moment, they heard Star Wing scream. “MOTHER!”
Turning, they saw Luna fall to the ground, encased in obsidian. Tempest smirked cruelly at Night Fire, who’s fire burned white hot.
“YOU’LL DIE FOR THAT, WITCH!” she roared, sending Tempest back-flipping away with a barrage of white flames.
“We must have faith in the power of friendship,” Celestia told Twilight, pressing her head to hers. “Please. Go. We will hold as long as we can.” She turned to Spike. “Keep her safe.”
Spike’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded. “I will.” He turned to the others. “Drake Six! Disperse! We got a new mission!”
Jackknife and Rainbow Dash turned to him, having just yanked Star Wing and Pinkie Pie away from another obsidian orb, before turning and flying them away without question.
“Wait! Mom!” Star insisted. “I can’t leave her!”
Spike grabbed onto Swift, who pulled him into the sky, Fluttershy and Phoenix following along with Applejack in tow. “We can’t help her like this. We need allies, Wing.” He made her look at him. “We need Ember.”
Wing’s eyes contracted, and she looked down as the guard desperately battled the Storm Guards, Discord firing potshots at the Storm King forces while mainly focusing on herding terrified ponies to safety. Starlight and Trixie raced alongside him, yelling orders for the others to follow, while Celestia unleashed a blast of sun magic, sending several Storm Guards fleeing with their fur on fire.
“I…” Star stammered. “I don’t know… Ember… will she… I don’t know if she’ll respect us enough if we ask…”
“You’ve been with her for this long,” Spike insisted. “There has to be something there…” He indicated her chest. “Anything to get her to listen.”
Star swallowed, tears still falling from her eyes as she looked back for her mother. But with the Pillars and Celestia holding alongside the royal guard, Star reluctantly turned her back on the battle, and followed the rest of the Drake Six - now five - away from Canterlot.
##
At the same time, however, Tempest barely managed to elude Celestia with another obsidian orb. Managing to catch Rockhoof with another orb as he charged her, Tempest felt herself get grabbed, and nearly forced an orb into the hedgehog’s - Grubber’s - mouth.
“Message from the Storm King,” Grubber said, showing her a glowing blue hologram of a familiar lanky yet powerful yeti.
“Those dragons are leaving the battle,” the Storm King growled. “And they’re taking two of the Princesses… and that sea serpent that caused us so much trouble beforehand.”
Tempest looked up, spotting the ten figures winging through the air.
Tempest huffed. “You want me to go after them before securing Celestia.” She looked up and gasped before ducking, as Celestia sent a Storm Guard hurtling over their heads.
“Celestia can’t keep this up forever,” the Storm King replied. “That sea serpent and his friends, however, set us back for much longer than I was comfortable with.” His blue eyes narrowed. “If you let them interfere in my plans again, your horn won’t be the only thing that’s broken.”
Tempest’s eyes narrowed. “It won’t be a problem.” She deactivated the hologram and turned to Grubber. “Get us after them.”
Grubber nodded and raced back to the rampway.
“That’s right!” Flash Magnus taunted. “Run, cowards! We’ve got them on the run, boys!”
The Royal Guards cheered, but Tempest looked back with a grin.
“Oh, don’t celebrate yet, ‘boys’,” she warned. “This was just the first round.”
Sure enough, several more ships came out of the smoke. And as the Storm Guards leaped from the ships to engage the battered ponies and their panting but still strong alicorn princess, once more, Tempest and Grubber’s ship set back off into the air, dead set on following the Drake Five and Mane Five.