“DERPY?!” Rainbow Dash shouted in shock. “YOU’RE going to save us all?!”
“What?” Derpy said, casting the cross-eyed gaze in every direction. “Oh no, that’s THEIR job.”
Derpy pointed to three heavily armored ponies standing behind her. Everypony in the group strained their eyes to see if they could identify them. Twilight was the first to recognize one of the ponies, the one in the elaborate golden armor.
“Battleaxe!” Twilight exclaimed happily, running to him. “I’m so glad you’re ok!”
She wrapped her hooves around Battleaxe’s neck, trying to kiss him through his faceplate. Battleaxe placed his hooves on her shoulders and pushed her away. He removed his helm and smiled.
“Please, Twilight,” he said laughing, “your embarrassing-”
Twilight took the opportunity to kiss her first real love. Warhammer and Greatsword just shook their heads while the others just smiled to see the two happy and together. Only one was shocked to see what was happening.
“Twili?!” Shining Armor exclaimed. “YOU’RE with HIM?!”
Twilight quickly released Battleaxe from her embrace and turned a shade of red. “Uh… yes.” she said sheepishly hoping that her brother wouldn’t be disappointed.
“Well sis, I have one thing to say about that,” Shining Armor said with a very stern look on his face, but he couldn’t hold it long before he started smiling. “I’m very happy for you, Twili, he’s a damn good stallion.”
Twilight sighed in relief while Battleaxe placed his hoof around her shoulder. Then, with no warning, Warhammer was jumped by Princess Luna.
“MY LOVE!” she cried in joy, knocking him over. “I have never been so worried in my life!” she ripped off his emerald helmet to revel his loving eyes. Slowly batting her eyes at him, she bit her lower lip.
“You’re going to make up for that VERY soon…” she said in a sultry tone. “But first I need to tell you something…” she drew even closer to his face and whispered her wonderful news into his ear.
Warhammer’s eyes widened and a massive smile came to his face as Luna drew away from his ear. “Really?” he said excitedly, Princess Luna simply nodded. Warhammer grabbed Princess Luna’s head and pulled her to him, the two kissed passionately. Then Warhammer rose and embraced Luna and his brothers. “A father!” he said happily. “I’m going to be a father!”
“I’m happy for you Warhammer. You’ll be a great father, I already know that.” Greatsword looked around at the other ponies in the storm. “What are all of you doing here anyway?”
“I assembled the Elements of Harmony, Greatsword,” Princess Celestia answered. “We had no idea what was going to come of your disappearance, so I wished not to take any precautions.”
“You are very wise to take such a measure,” Dante said. “Your father would be proud to see you now.”
“Father? Dragon… my sister and I have no father,” Celestia replied. “We came to be nearly three thousand years ago.”
“My name is Dante, Princess Celestia,” Dante said. “But you may know me better as the Forge Master.”
“I-impossible…” Princess Celestia said. “The Forge Master… he… he died long ago.”
“I use magic long lost to ponykind, Celestia,” Dante said. “The ability to change form was once a sacred dragon art.”
“You helped us save Equestria,” Princess Celestia said bowing. “I am eternally in your debt.”
“I have aided ponykind more than once, Princess,” Dante said proudly. “Before I was the Forge Master, you may have known me by the name of Starswirl the Bearded.”
“STARSWIRL THE BEADED?!” Twilight exclaimed. “You’re Starswirl the Bearded?!”
“Indeed, young Twilight,” Dante said. “The windigos would have frozen all of Omnipotent’s creation if I had not mentored Clover the clever, you’re ancestor…”
“M-m-my…” Twilight said light headedly. “My ancestor?!”
“Yes, you’re ancestor,” Dante repeated. “I should have known a descendent of my greatest student would be able to hatch my son.”
“WHAT?!” Spike yelled. “But… but Twilight hatched me!”
“And you are my son,” Dante said casting his gaze on Spike. “I want you to know Spike that I didn’t abandon you, I knew that you were needed elsewhere.”
“I-I have a dad…” Spike said, his eyes became misty. “I can’t believe it.”
Spike walked up to Dante, his body was barely half the size of Dante’s first claw. Spike looked up to the massive dragon that claimed to be his father. Then with tears streaming down his face, he wrapped his forelegs around Dante’s claw.
“Don’t cry, my son,” Dante said soothingly. “You have proven again and again that not all dragons are evil, I could never be more proud.”
“Dante, if I may ask,” Princess Cadence called up to him. “How are you still alive? The oldest dragon I knew of was three and a half thousand years old.”
“The inferno,” Dante replied. “So long as the inferno burns, I live, once it dies however, so shall I.”
“Dante,” Princess Celestia said. “You said you are here to help, what do you mean by that?”
“The oldest threat to Omnipotent’s creation is returning,” Dante said. “I remember when he first came… so many died… the three represent the ultimate weapon, the only weapon to defeat Destruction before.”
“What is the weapon you speak of, Dante?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Honor,” Dante responded. “The three represent honor.”
While Dante explained to Princess Celestia the story of her father and the importance of the three to Equestria, Greatsword walked through the large group. Greeting everypony who noticed him pass by, but he was looking for one pony in particular. Then he was stopped by a familiar, gruff voice behind him.
“I doubt that’s military issue.” Commander Garrison said.
“Commander,” Greatsword said turning to salute him. “It’s been a long time hasn’t it?”
Commander Garrison saluted back and continued the conversation, “A very long time, Captain,” he said. “A very long time indeed.”
“What exactly are you doing here, sir?” Greatsword asked.
“I came to pay you a visit in Ponyville,” Commander Garrison explained. “But the three of you were gone, so I took it upon myself to reassemble the rest of the 1025th for one last mission.”
“That explains Long Shot and the rest…” Greatsword said. “But what about Twilight and her friends?”
“The Elements of Harmony,” Commander Garrison replied. “Princess Celestia thought it would be wise to bring them along just in case things got bad,” Commander Garrison looked to the furry of the storm as it started to pour down upon them. “But it looks like things are far worse than they seem.”
“Aren’t there SIX Elements of Harmony?” Greatsword asked, looking at the five present. “Where’s Fluttershy?”
Commander Garrison pointed to a bush not far from the two. Greatsword looked at the Commander with a slight amount of confusion, but Commander Garrison only nodded his head. Greatsword walked over to the bush and gently separating the branches made a small hole for him to look into. He looked inside to see a quivering pegasus, covering her eyes with her hooves.
Greatsword looked down on Fluttershy; all he could do was smile and shake his head. “Fluttershy…” he said softly. “What’s a mare like you doing in a place like this?”
Fluttershy lifted one of her hooves from her eyes and looked up. “G-Greatsword?” she said meekly, “I-is that really YOU?”
“Yes Shy…” he said smiling. “It’s really me.”
Fluttershy bounced out of the bush and wrapped her hooves around Greatsword, “Oh my goodness,” she squeaked, “I-I thought something horrible happened to you.”
Fluttershy opened her eyes while she held Greatsword, but once she did she saw Dante talking to an awestruck Princess Celestia. “AH!” she cried, returning bush to the bush she was previously hiding in. Greatsword rolled his eyes and opened the bush as he had before, finding Fluttershy in the same position she had been in.
“Shy…” He said calmly. “Dante is a GOOD dragon, like Spike. In fact, Dante’s his dad.”
“R-really?” Fluttershy whimpered, peeking out of the bush to stare directly into Greatsword‘s eyes. “Uh… ok… I guess.”
“Spark?” Twilight said looking over to the unicorn standing next to Sun Screech and Event Horizon. “Spark… is that you?”
“Ah, Twilight!” Spark said happily. “It has been a long time since I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance, how are you these days?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Twilight replied. “But where have you been all these years?”
“I’ve been aiding Dante in his search for your three friends, Twilight,” Spark explained. “And as you can see we have been quite successful. If only the Princess saw how helpful I could be… then the outcomes of certain events in recent history could have been completely avoided.”
“Oh shoot!” Pinkie Pie grunted. “I was super certain I was gonna find them first!” The other ponies shook their heads. Pinkie still hadn’t fully understood the gravity of the situation.
“Do you understand now, Celestia?” Dante asked Princess Celestia. “Do you realize that the evil we face is not like any you have faced before?”
“Yes…” Princess Celestia said in a state of shock. “Shining Armor!”
“Yes, my lady,” Shining Armor said running to her side. “How may I aide you?”
“Take your wife and son back to the castle,” she said before turning to her sister, “I want you to return as well,” Princess Celestia’s voice had a hint of fear as she spoke to her sister, “I don’t want to see you injured to the point your child would suffer.”
“I understand, sister,” Princess Luna said, looking to all around her. “But too many times Equestria has faced a threat and I have not been there to aide you. I know Warhammer will keep me safe, nothing bad will come to my child, I promise you.”
“Luna, please…” Warhammer said to her. “Listen to your sister…”
“You did something I wished you not to do for the better of Equestria,” Princess Luna said smiling. “It’s my turn to do something YOU don’t want me to do for it now.”
“But you could die…” Warhammer said, trying to convince her to return to the castle. “I couldn’t stand to see that.”
“And you couldn’t have died on your missions for the past five years,” Luna retorted. “I’m staying, my love, and you won’t change my mind.”
“Must you be as stubborn as me, Luna…?” Warhammer asked, shaking his head.
“Is that not why you love me so much?” Princess Luna said, giving Warhammer a quick peck on the cheek.
“I thought he always liked you for your body…” a voice said from the shadows. “I mean, that’s why I liked you so much.”
“What the hoof was that?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking in every direction, trying to find the voices origin. “Who do you think you are? Show yourself!”
A bolt of red and black magic shot out from the darkness, hitting Rainbow Dash directly. The blast sent her flying through the air into the group of ponies standing next to Dante. Rainbow finally was stopped by landing on Event Horizon, the two knocked out cold by the impact.
“RAINBOW!” Twilight and her friends cried once she finally hit the ground. Greatsword, his brothers and the Princesses looked towards the direction the blast came from and readied themselves for a fight.
“THE SHADOW HAS ARRIVED!” he sang out loud, appearing behind the ponies ready to attack him, while the others tended to Rainbow and Event Horizon.
“What do you want, Shadow?!” Greatsword growled.
“I’m here to have a little fun before the real show starts!” the shadow said grinning ear to ear. “Didn’t I tell you that?”
“You said Destruction was coming!” Greatsword yelled. “You said nothing about you.”
“I thought it was implied that I’d be coming,” The Shadow said. “After all we’ve done together I’d thought you’d know me better than that…” the shadow produced a fake tear. “That really hurts my feelings, you were the closest thing I’ve had to a friend in over four thousand years…”
“What IS that thing?” Twilight asked looking up from Rainbow’s limp body.
“Twilight my dear,” The Shadow said teleporting next to her, “I’m one of those monsters that ponies are to oblivious to notice…” the shadow grabbed Twilight in his forelegs and proceeded to dance with her. “Always in the shadows, stalking silently, striking terror and spreading death at my leisure.”
The shadow spun Twilight around several times as they floated into the air. Once the two were several stories in midair the shadow drew Twilight in very close. “I can see why Battleaxe likes you so much,” he said forcing a kiss. “After all… I have a thing for the nerdy little fillies too…”
“LET HER GO!” Battleaxe roared from the ground.
“Are you REALLY making it that easy for me to say THAT?!” The Shadow yelled back, “REALLY?!” he looked at Twilight, then to Battleaxe, then back to Twilight. “fine…” he grunted shaking his head, “poor choice of words…” The Shadow released Twilight laughing unenthusiastically as he did so. Twilight fell to the ground, screaming all the way. Before she met the ground however, she became immersed in silvery magic.
“Even the stupidest unicorns know levitation spells, Shadow!” Battleaxe said gently placing Twilight on the ground.
“AW, shucks…” The Shadow said sarcastically, “I can hardly believe I forgot THAT.” the shadow teleported back in front of the group.
“Nothing is going to stop me from killing you now…” Greatsword growled.
“Heard that one before…” The Shadow said rolling his eyes, “let’s see if you can actually do it this time. But first…” he surrounded the group and himself in utter darkness, where dozens of horrific and disfigured beast crawled, slithered and limped to his side. “Let’s even the playing field a little…”
“If it makes you feel better…” Greatsword said looking at the shadow’s minions. “but the outcome will not change.”
“If you say so…” The Shadow said chuckling, “I’m going to enjoy ripping the hearts out of your loved ones in front of you…”