“PRINCESS CELESTIA,” Grubber boomed through his loudspeaker. “HEAR US!” He pointed to Star as she hung defeated from the figurehead. “YOUR REINFORCEMENTS ARE NOT COMING! WE HAVE CAPTURED YOUR MESSENGERS AND HALTED THEIR PLANS! NO CAVALRY IS COMING TO RESCUE YOU!”
Celestia’s legs trembled. “No…” she whispered. “Not Twilight… she can’t have gotten Twilight…”
“YOU ARE THE LAST ALICORN PRINCESS,” Grubber continued. “SURRENDER, AND YOUR SUBJECTS NEED NOT SUFFER ANYMORE!”
Celestia looked down in dread, before Starswirl touched her side.
“It can’t be over,” he said, turning as another guard raced up.
“Princess,” he reported. “Ponyville is holding for now. Astral Flare and Aurora Frost have managed to build a resistance. And Sergeant Flash Sentry’s leading the Crystal Empire’s defenses.”
Celestia turned to him. “Do they know about Princess Flurry Heart?”
“No,” the guard assured. “She’s being kept secret and safe.”
Celestia breathed. “Then there is still hope.” She turned to Starswirl. “Use your teleportation spells. Link up with the Ponyville resistance. See if it is possible to meet with the Crystal Empire’s defenders as well.” She turned to Discord. “Discord?”
“Hello,” he cheered from up top.
“Have another round of pies ready. We’re going to need them.”
“I certainly hope it’s for a celebration,” Discord teased. “I believe all these good deeds fighting off baddies gave me back 4% of my power now.”
“But Celestia,” Starswirl asked, “What will you do?”
Celestia glared out at the approaching ship. “I’m going to get my niece back.”
##
As Spike and his army carefully snuck after Tempest Shadow’s ship, he listened carefully to Dash’s story.
“These other dragons held us up,” Dash growled. “They said some ‘Shade Fang’ guy deserved to be Dragon Lord and that Star’s relationship with Ember was too close to be natural.”
“Shade wasn’t there, was he?” Spike asked.
“I wish he was,” Dash growled. “I’d have given him a kick for you.”
“And one for Astral,” Spike added.
Twilight nudged Spike aside. “So, what happened after?”
“What do you think?” Dash replied. “We fought them. We were doing pretty well too, but then that freaky unicorn with the broken horn caught up.”
“Tempest,” Jackknife muttered quietly.
“Whatever,” Dash refuted. “She jumped Star while she was busy with three dragons; managed to encase her in that weird black rock before I could get free of this one red dragon.” She shook her head. “I tried to go after her, but then one of the dragons boasted about how ‘weak’ Star was. How Ember needed to hear that ponies weren't worth defending.” She sank lower. “And before I could stop him, two more dragons got in my way. By the time I managed to beat them…”
Twilight hugged her friend. “It’s okay, Dash,” she said. “You did the best you could.”
“But now we don’t have the dragons,” Dash insisted.
“No,” Spike admitted. “But we do have the changelings, the yaks, the hippogriffs, the sea serpents, and the griffons.”
Each leader nodded and noted assent with their mention.
“Don’t worry, Element of Loyalty,” Thorax assured. “The changelings were enemies once, but we’re ready to redeem ourselves. We won’t let you down.”
Dash smiled softly at his words, before Swift hushed them.
“We’re almost there,” he noted.
Indeed, Tempest’s ship was once again lowering into Canterlot. With a pang, Spike saw the statues of Luna and Cadence propped up before a makeshift throne.
Worse still - as Twilight whimpered in fear - Princess Celestia was striding up to said throne. She had no guards and there was an air of surrender about her.
“So,” a voice boomed from the throne. “Princess Celestia, I take it?”
Jackknife seethed; though they couldn’t see him, Spike remembered that voice: the Storm King was sitting on that throne.
“And I suppose you’re the Storm King?” Celestia replied, managing a small, wry grin despite the circumstances. “I expected more ‘gray.’”
“And I expected more ‘godly and regal,’” Storm King replied. “Less… ‘cute’. I never did like cute. Doesn’t really go with the whole ‘Sun Goddess who tamed a bunch of dragons’ thing.”
Celestia chuckled. “Begging your pardon, but I consider myself more of a demi-goddess.”
Storm King chuckled. “Well, considering the performance your fellow alicorns put up…” he glanced over as Tempest dropped Star Wing right next to Luna, “I can believe that.”
Celestia tilted her head, looking up at the ship. “Where is Twilight?”
“She’ll be joining us shortly,” Tempest replied with a smirk.
However, the Storm King’s voice chased the smirk from the unicorn’s face. “W-What are you talking about? We need all five of them! And where’s the sea serpent? Jack-something or other?”
Tempest stepped back. “They… well…” she glanced at Celestia. “Can we discuss this after we put her in the obsidian? I mean, at least she’s here, right?”
The Storm King stood up and grabbed her by the neck. “You idiot, I told you…!” He stopped, glaring at Celestia, who now had the widest troll grin Spike had ever seen.
Even better, her eyes briefly flicked to him and Twilight. She gave the smallest of nods before noting to the Storm King, “Having trouble with your servants?”
The Storm King seethed, before managing a brief chuckle. As he threw Tempest aside, Spike motioned to the others, who began to slowly spread out, surrounding the throne.
“You’ll have to excuse my incompetent help, Celestia. But it won’t matter. I have you now.” He lifted a staff that glowed dark blue and pink. “And once I absorb your magic and the magic of this little spitfire…” he waved his staff at Star Wing, “I’ll be able to take your student’s magic easily. Then…”
“Equestria will be yours, right?” Celestia replied. “I’d be more terrified if your servant didn’t just imply that not just Twilight, but Jackknife as well slipped through your grip.”
The Storm King huffed. “And what makes you think that sea serpent will be any help to you? The Magic of ‘Friendship’?” He laughed. “Friendship and flowers and cute ponies?” He gagged.
Celestia chortled. “I’m thinking he’d be more along the lines of ‘punching you in the face alongside his brothers and sisters in arms.”
“Ya got dat right, sista!” Jackknife boomed loudly. And as the Storm King turned around in shock, Rainbow Dash and Jackknife struck as one, burying their hooves and fists into the Storm King’s face, and flinging him right into a magic blast from Celestia.
At the same time, Spike bellowed out, “NOW!” And the army he had gathered lunged from the shadows, the changelings letting their disguises drop as yaks, hippogriffs, sea serpents and griffons alike all fell upon the Storm Creatures.
Tempest Shadow struggled to her hooves, only to fall with a scream to Swift, who lunged at her and knocked her out with a headbutt.
Grubber made the mistake of leaping towards Pinkie Pie, only to accidentally land on Prince Rutherford, who promptly bucked him into a drop kick from Phoenix.
And as Spike’s reinforcements hit the Storm Guard from the back, a volley of pies smashed into the few Storm Guards able to rally, as Starswirl led the remnants of Canterlot - alongside Astral and Aurora with the Ponyville resistance - made a resurgence from the front.
Caught on all sides, the Storm Guard quickly fell, and all fighters converged on the Storm King and Celestia, as Celestia threw the Storm King into his throne, hard enough to crack it, leaving him stunned and gasping for breath before finding her horn inches from his heart.
“How’s that for a ‘cute pony’?” Celestia asked.
The Storm King glared at her for a moment, before chuckling.
“Oh, that’s never a good sign,” Swift mumbled.
“Not a good sign at all,” Novo agreed, already backing up behind Sapphire.
The Storm King glared at Astral.
“Tell me this, defender of Ponyville,” he noted. “Were my guards really so incompetent that you cleared Ponyville already?”
Astral cracked his neck before readying his swords. “Well, we left with Starswirl because my girlfriend had everything under control back home.” Aurora nodded as she prepped ice across her claws.
The Storm King glanced back with a grin, as the others saw several more Storm Guard ships heading straight for them.
“Looks like she got things too under control,” Swift mumbled. “She got them to retreat here to Canterlot!”
In their moment of shock, the Storm King struck. Knocking Celestia’s horn aside, he scooped up his staff again.
Celestia leaped back to defend herself, but the Storm King’s attack was but a feint. Instead, he swung for Star Wing’s helpless form.
Twilight tried to leap to Star’s defense, but Spike stopped her just in time.
Unfortunately, though it kept Twilight in the game, the Storm King was powered up with Star’s magic in seconds. And with the magic of three alicorns in hand, he swept his staff with a yell, and a shockwave flung the fighters backward.
As Celestia struggled to keep her footing, the Storm King rushed her and stabbed her with the staff. Before Twilight could even scream, the Storm King turned to her, the magic of four alicorns in hand.
“Spike,” Twilight whispered. “I need time.” Her horn flared to life. “Buy me some time.”
“You got it.” Spike lunged to defend his princess, but the Storm King batted him aside, Swift getting incapacitated just from trying to catch him. Phoenix and Jackknife lunged forward as well, only to be tossed aside as well.
Rainbow Dash, Gilda and Gabby all spun at him in a whirlwind, but were launched into the sky.
Rutherford charged, Pinkie firing cakes from her cannon, but the Storm King caught the cakes and threw them back, splattering the two and sending them crashing and skidding before being batted aside.
Jackknife lunged back in, but the Storm King batted him over the head, punched him in the gut, and then threw him back to the ground.
Thorax tried to shield Twilight with his body, only to be blasted away.
Applejack caught the staff with her lasso, only to be spun into Fluttershy.
Astral lunged forward, and just before the Storm King could bat him aside, Aurora leaped to her boyfriend’s rescue with ice-covered claws.
Unfortunately, all she did was take the blow intended for him. As she was smacked aside however, Astral managed to grab the staff.
Snarling at the green dragon, the Storm King sent a bolt of electricity through the staff, flinging Astral next to Aurora.
The Storm King spun and glared at Queen Novo and Sapphire, who were holding back Skystar. Sapphire hesitantly glanced at Jackknife, who was trying to rise back up, but the Storm King saw what she was looking at. He seized Jackknife, and blasted him point blank with electricity. As Jackknife screamed in agony, Queen Novo seized her daughter and tried to make a run for it. The Storm King, however, hurled Jackknife at her. Though Queen Sapphire and what seemed to be the hippogriff general - Sky Beak - tried to jump to their defenses. But Jackknife was charged with alicorn magic, and was flung through both of them, knocking Novo and Sky Star out of the sky.
The Storm King grinned darkly at Twilight, who backed up fast. The Storm King glared around at the beaten heroes.
“ANYONE ELSE?”
Spike tried to rise, but his body failed to hold up. His friends similarly were too injured to rise.
But then, slowly and hesitantly, five younglings stepped forward. Spike recognized a bright blue griffon and the pink hippogriff that had helped them alongside Sky Star - Silver Stream, he thought her name was - though the names of the young female yak, the even younger changeling and another earth pony eluded him.
The Storm King couldn’t help but laugh as they silently stood between him and Twilight. “Are you serious?” he asked, indicating his approaching ships and his staff. “I mean… is this a joke? Please tell me you guys aren’t trying to be this cute!”
“Trust me,” the blue griffon noted wearily, “We aren’t trying.”
The Storm King sighed. “Well, too bad. Like I said…” His eyes glowed as he lifted the staff. “I HATE CUTE!”
“NO!” Twilight yelped, trying to pull the kids behind her.
But right before the Storm King could fire… an orange ball of scales slammed into his eyes, and his shot went wide.
The Storm King stumbled back, shaking his head and glaring at the newcomer: a bright orange dragoness, around the same age as the kids that had come to defend Twilight.
“Hate to burn your brisket, buddy,” the dragoness growled. “But you got something that belongs to Dragon Lord Ember. And I’m here to show that at least one dragon in my clutch has loyalty to the Dragon Lord!”
Spike gaped in shock, sharing a look of disbelief with Rainbow Dash, while Astral and Aurora looked to each other and mouthed ‘Could this mean…?’ But as they looked up, they saw the Storm King’s forces get ambushed by dozens of dragons, who began setting fire to the ships.
As the Storm King blinked in disbelief, a familiar bright blue dragoness landed before him, spinning a blood red scepter in her claws.
“Y-You came?” Rainbow Dash stammered. “But… that dragon said… he told you how weak Star was… he said…”
“Garble was as much of an idiot as Shade was,” Ember replied darkly, her eyes briefly glancing at Star’s frozen form before locking on the Storm King with hate. “Regardless of how good Star is at fighting, she’s my treasure. Gem, jewels, lovers, they’re all treasures.”
“Ugh…” The Storm King groaned, even as Ember’s scepter began to blaze like fire, causing Astral and Aurora to back up as they felt fear at the Dragon Lord’s fury.
“So taking them is the same as STEALING FROM ME!” Ember roared. “AND I’M NOT ABOUT TO LET SOME EDGY YETI TAKE WHAT’S MINE!”
The Storm King growled. “And I thought the ponies were pathetic. This is just sad!” Spinning his staff, he rushed at Ember, but Twilight lunged to meet him. Together, Dragon and Pony alike matched his strike.
And as they did so, Twilight hit the staff with a spell of her own. One that created a shockwave that spread across the battlefield.
As it hit the others, Spike felt energy and strength return to him. Rising back up, he and the others rushed the Storm King.
And though he tried to swipe at them, his strikes didn’t hold as much power. “H-How?!” he stammered.
“You’re not the first to steal magic from us,” Twilight replied with a grin, hitting his staff again and causing another shockwave. This time, Star, Luna, Cadence and Shining Armor burst from their stone prisons. “I figured there would be someone that tried that trick again, so I studied and learned counter-measures against it.”
Spike grinned at Twilight and cracked his knuckles. “Now, let’s see how good you are without stolen magic boosting your power.”
The Storm King seethed at him, before diving for one of his obsidian orbs.
“Oh, no you don’t!” Jackknife roared, before he and the others deluged the Storm King in strikes; the dragons and unicorns set his fur on fire, before the sea serpents blinded him with steam produced from quenching said flames, allowing the changelings to hit him from the back. The yaks and earth ponies barreled into him at rib-cracking speeds, while the griffons yanked him into the air so the hippogriffs and pegasi could barrel him into the ground. As he bounced off the ground, Jackknife came in with the final blow, belting the Storm King in the chin. As the Storm King hit the ground, his belt split, and obsidian orbs went flying into the air.
Everyone quickly jumped back, watching as one fell towards the Storm King’s face.
“No-NO-NO-OH-NOOOO!” the Storm King wailed, trying to dodge, but in vain. For the orb hit him right in the face, reducing him to a stone statue in seconds.
And as the others looked back, the last of the Storm King’s ships plummeted in flames, watched over by the dragons to ensure they caused no more mischief.
Spike glared at Tempest, who was hauled to her hooves by Swift and Gilda. Tempest glanced around nervously, before hanging her head in defeat. Grubber was similarly watched over by Phoenix.
Celestia strode up to Ember with a smile that put the sun to shame.
“My friends,” Celestia declared to all the non-ponies. “Thank you. Equestria… is in your debt.”
She then bowed to Ember, though Ember merely gave her a nod, before looking to Star.
Star and Ember only had to share a look before they crossed to one another and embraced.
And as they embraced, a roar of victory echoed over Canterlot. Aurora shot ice energy into the air, accompanied by fireworks and the flash of rainbows as Rainbow Dash eagerly soared through the air.
Astral and Big Mac brought out several tons of cider, as friends embraced friend, ponies thanked non-ponies, and the Storm King’s defeat was rallied long and loud over the lands of Equestria.
##
As the heroes celebrated their victory over the Storm King, a certain former dragon lord watched from the mountains.
"What a fool,” Shade said as he watched from the shadows. “He could have been so useful, but he underestimated our enemies."
"Forget about that pathetic ape," a dark voice growled, as a familiar black unicorn stepped up beside him, green eyes flashing with purple fire. "Even if he did manage to take Equestria, he would have had to hoof it over to us." King Sombra grinned as his eyes locked on Spike. "In a way, this is better; now, I will be able to finally have my revenge."