//------------------------------// // Final Arc part three // Story: Ruining Harmony // by Artaelian //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle watched as Rarity levitated the teapot to each cup in turn and poured the tea into them. Smiling, Sweetie Belle used her own magic to lift her cup to her lips and sipped at the tea. Opposite her, Rarity did the same, and sighed as the cup returned to the saucer it had come from. “So, I told you how my friends and I left in a hurry because Ulysses was trying to kill us, and set up another shop in Irvest. Would you please tell me what happened to you these last six years?” Rarity asked. Sweetie Belle looked down at the table as she placed her cup back on its saucer. She raised her head and begun to look around the kitchen, its white walls and floor were complemented by stylish black worktops and a silver sink, even the table the sisters sat at was black. “When Ulysses was rampaging through Ponyville, me, Applebloom and Scootaloo ran and hid at the farm. Fortunately, Ulysses wasn’t interested in Ponyville after that day. But everything was a mess. Things sort of returned to normal, I kept going to school, learned how to use magic. But I always worried that Scootaloo was right, that you wouldn’t come back.” Sweetie Belle now looked into the teacup, her eyes fixed to the brown liquid within. “Then a month after, the pegasus ponies all started disappearing. I was worried it had something to do with the unicorn that came to town and threw the mayor and the ponies working at town hall out. A few days after, Scootaloo went missing. Me and Applebloom went looking for her, but we couldn’t find her anywhere.” Sweetie Belle begun to sob. “Then one day, we were walking past the hospital, and we saw it. Baron, the guy who kicked Mayor Mare out of Ponyville, he was destroying the hospital, until Nurse Redheart wheeled out Ditzy Doo. Using magic, he carried her upside down to the town hall, and we followed. A-and then...” Sweetie Belle burst out crying, her head hung low. “I looked i-in a w-w-window... there was Scootaloo, h-hung by her b-back legs to a rope! S-she was beaten and b-bloody, and her eyes!” Rarity by this point had left her chair and was now beside Sweetie Belle, holding her tight. The younger sibling spoke no more, as her crying now made it impossible. As she soothed her sister, Rarity looked out of a window, and stared at the crimson red sky. As she had just learned, the sky changing colour, and the permanent placement of the sun and moon side by side in the middle of sky had been the least horrible thing to happen in the world. She didn’t want Sweetie Belle to speak any further, as with the horrors of Ulysses’ origins made it perfectly clear what kind of horrors had befallen Equestria in the six years. “I’m here for you Sweetie Belle... it’ll be ok, I promise. I’ll work with Twilight and the others, and we’ll make Ulysses pay for all that he did to you and your friends.” Rarity said, unaware that Sweetie Belle had since seen Scootaloo alive and well. -- At the Sweet Apple Acres, a similar conversation between the Apple Family had taken place, ending on Applebloom’s accounts of the same events she had seen with Sweetie Belle. However, due to Applebloom’s upbringing on a farm, while the sight that had made Sweetie Belle break down and cry in front of her sister had also made her upset, death had not been something of a shock to see. Applebloom had seen animals die now and then, but what had really disgusted her, and made the events affect her hard, had been somewhat different. “When Sweetie Belle said she saw Scootaloo, ah worried. She turned away and begun crying. So ah looked in, and sure ‘nough, there was Scootaloo, strun’ up like clothing on a washing line, her eyes were dull, but Sweetie Belle seemed to think they were grey an’ lifeless.” Applejack reached out a hoof towards her younger sister, who was lost in her thoughts of the event. “But that weren’t the worst part. Ah looked further, an’ to this day, ah wish ah hadn’t. Scootaloo wasn’t alone in there, other pegasi were also upside down, many with broken wings and legs, and all had clearly been beaten badly, some were even dead and just left there. Ah couldn’t stomach to look at it anymore, so ah took Sweetie Belle away.” Applebloom looked to the ground in an effort to hide her tears from recalling the event. This was where her strong resolve to not cry in front of her sister and the rest of the family failed, as tears dropped to the ground. “You don’t havta say more sugarcube. Ah just wish ah was here fer you then.” Applejack said, walking to Applebloom’s side. “Ah understand you had to run from him Applejack, ah don’t blame you. But what ah saw... while ah’ll live with it forever in my memory, it begun the end for Baron. Six months it was before ah looked in the town hall window. That night, I met Soarin’, said he was leading a newly made Resistance against Ulysses and his loyalists, and asked if ah had anything to help. So ah told him. Ah told him everything ah saw through that window. Couple days later, the whole town raided the town hall, and saved all the pegasi still alive. The first one out was Scootaloo. Just before the raid, Baron had decided to kill her. Ah checked on her at hospital every day,” Applebloom paused for a moment, and looked into her older sister’s face, “every day. For two months. Ah watched her go from weak and having lost the will to live, to getting stronger. That gave me new hope. Even when things had gotten that bad for her, surrounded by others and treated, even killed like they meant nothing, she realised the worst was behind her, that there was a point to stayin’ alive. And it gave me the hope, that one day, you’d return, that everything could be normal again.” Applejack wasn’t the pony who normally let herself cry, but after hearing Applebloom’s speech, a small tear of pride and joy ran from her eyes. She rubbed her eyes, and stood up. “Ah’ve got to talk to Twi. We can’t just sit around while Ulysses could cause more harm. You stay here ok sugarcube? Ah’ll be back soon.” Applejack said, and headed back to Ponyville. -- It had been an hour since the little meeting in the library basement. While it had been interesting, Rainbow Dash hadn’t stopped worrying about Scootaloo. The horrors she had seen and heard around her, while still very young herself, they clearly had done something to her. But Scootaloo had left before she could stop her and talk. In the skies over the town, the dragons had begun to change places. Some now flew down to the ground for a rest, while ones that had been resting previously stood up, stretched, and took flight. It hadn’t been hard to find Scootaloo, even as a teenager, she wasn’t exactly the one to keep subtle where she was. Scootaloo was currently in the air above the park, leading in one dragon at a time to a safe and appropriately sized place to land. The last one that had been coming in for a rest had landed, a large red dragon, with a yellow under belly, and yellow spines, and was now looking down at Scootaloo, with what could only be described as a very toothy smile on its face. “Tomorrow you say? A brash pony from Irvest has arranged it?” the dragon said, its voice clearer as Rainbow Dash trotted over. “Yeah, calls himself Sunshine Blaze, he arrived earlier with those crates. It might be worth following his plans, he knows Ulysses very well, said he was his brother.” Scootaloo replied, looking up at the dragon. “Most unfortunate for him. You and I fly to battle once more?” the dragon asked. “Yes Gringhold, maybe for the last time against Ulysses. But, what becomes of our pact once he is beaten?” Scootaloo asked. Gringhold mused for a moment, paying slight attention to the arrival of Rainbow Dash. He snorted a small amount of black smog into the air, which floated away. “Our pact. It saved us both that day, and cannot be broken. You and I keep the other alive. For it to be broken by ourselves will kill us both. Just remember,” Gringhold lowered his head down to Scootaloo, “only use my strength of magic to save yourself should we get separated. For now, I must rest.” Gringhold stomped away, the ground shaking under his weight. For the first time since she had led the dragon in to land, Scootaloo noticed Rainbow Dash, and looked away. “Scootaloo, can we at least talk?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Why? So you can try to justify abandoning us? Abandoning me? To die? No thanks Rainbow Dash, you did enough when you ran off to Irvest to live.” Scootaloo stood up and took flight. Rainbow Dash looked annoyed and took flight after Scootaloo. Being faster than the teenage filly, she soon drew alongside Scootaloo. “I know you’re angry at me, and truth is, I’ve always wanted to come back and help Equestria, but Sunshine Blaze and the others always stopped me. I’m sorry Scootaloo, if I had known what was going on, I’d have ignored them anyway and been back here.” Rainbow Dash said aloud over the rushing wind. Scootaloo stopped flying and hovered in one spot. She glared at Rainbow Dash, gritting her teeth. “Fine, you want to talk, we’ll talk, if that’s what it takes to make you leave me alone.” Scootaloo said coldly. “Listen squirt, I can’t apologise for what you went through. If I’d known, I’d have done something, but you can’t blame me for it, since it wasn’t me doing it to you.” Rainbow Dash said softly, looking to one side. “I didn’t know at the time what was worse. Being hung by my back legs, and whipped for crying or trying to lift myself up and stop the blood rushing and staying in my head, or the fact you never came to kick in those doors and save me, or save the others. I believed in you, I hoped you would suddenly buck open the doors, kick Baron’s flank, and get us all out of there. And each day, each damned day, I had to listen as he whipped us, cut and tore wings, even kill others.” Scootaloo was now very angry again, like she had been in the library basement. “I hung there, my hope you would save us slipped away, and my will to live went with it! I got to the point where I wanted to die, because it would have at least gotten me out of that forsaken place! And then,” Scootaloo paused, tears begun to well up in her eyes and roll down her cheeks, “one day, after a time where days could have easily been months, I saw him. He took a knife, and walked up to me. Baron had chosen me to die. Either side of me, two old mares begged him to choose them. And I smiled. I was happy that he wanted to kill me, because then I wouldn’t have to endure the pain, the torture, and the cries of everypony else as he did the same to them.” Rainbow Dash could only stare in stunned silence as Scootaloo spoke, as Scootaloo kept crying, but not openly, as the tears streamed down her face. “He drew closer, the glint of the metal was a welcome sight. And then, as the blade made contact with my belly, the doors burst open. He was shocked, and the blade remained sticking out of me. But I didn’t care, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo now looked sad and tired, “I didn’t care. I knew I was bleeding heavily, and as everything went black, I watched as Baron was overpowered. I saw the ponies of town rushing about, freeing the others, but I thought it was too late for me, Baron had already done enough for me to die. Last thing I saw was Soarin’, as he told me to hang on. And I didn’t. I’d given up the will to live, and closed my eyes.” Scootaloo landed and stomped a hoof, with Rainbow Dash following after her. Once on the ground, Scootaloo sat down, tears still ran down her face, but she still refused to openly cry. “I felt at peace then, when the darkness took over. I thought I had died. Its hard to know when you have, because you can only go through it once, and you don’t get to keep the memory. I don’t know how long it was, but the next thing I remember, there was a beeping noise, and I heard Applebloom, telling me how her day had gone. She noticed I was waking up, because I saw the outline of her standing up and disappearing, only to return with Nurse Redheart. Turns out, it had been close. Another few minutes, and Baron could have done a lot worse and I wouldn’t be here now. The rest of the time in hospital, it was Applebloom and Sweetie Belle coming to cheer me up, or Cherilee coming to teach me things that had been taught at school.” Recalling the events seemed to weaken Scootaloo, as she changed her body position from sitting up, to laying flat on her stomach. But even as she did so, she maintained eye contact with Rainbow Dash. “I ended up finishing school with the others, and then I sought out Soarin’, to thank him. I learnt more about the Resistance, and I wanted desperately to join, so I could do what you had failed to appear and do yourself, defeat Ulysses. But he wouldn’t let me. Instead, I snuck off after them, Applebloom didn’t like that, but she couldn’t stop me. One day, I followed the Resistance to where Ulysses’ loyalists were fighting the dragons, and that’s when it happened. I was near Gringhold at the time, when a magic bomb went off. It wounded me and Gringhold, we should have died. But he made an offer. Neither of us had to die if we entered a pack. Its sort of like what Twilight and Spike have, Spike helps Twilight and in return, Twilight takes care of Spike while he’s vulnerable. Gringhold said if we made the pack, we would both be able to use the energy of the other to heal the wounds that would otherwise kill us. How could I refuse? My recklessness and youth had got me to the point where I was going to die, and I refused to die without defeating Ulysses and his loyalists for all they did to me. I agreed.” The wind blew past the two as Scootaloo stopped speaking, putting her head over her legs. Rainbow Dash looked down at her and felt sorry for the teenage filly. Rainbow had, until that point, felt bad for herself that she had left her home, hadn’t been there to help others. Yet the little filly that had sometimes annoyed her prior to her departure to Irvest now lay before her, having been mentally broken while still the same age she had been when Rainbow had last seen her. It made Rainbow realise that feeling sorry for herself was selfish, that her pity should be for Scootaloo. “When me and Gringhold had helped the other, I asked him what else this pack meant. Since he’s a free dragon, it doesn’t mean I have to find somewhere for him to live, even when Ulysses is defeated, we may never see each other again, but the pact still exists. If one of us needs to borrow the strength of the other to heal a wound, or to use magic in our defence, we can. It’s something I think will be very helpful, since sooner or later, Gringhold will fly somewhere and sleep for a hundred years. That means he’ll store up a lot of energy, but won’t need to take any from me, and I won’t even be alive when he wakes up. It may be unbalanced, but he says what potential energy I would have had will go to him when I die. So it all works out I guess.” Rainbow Dash smiled, and joined Scootaloo in laying on her belly, only she faced Scootaloo. “You know, when I returned, I expected you would have stayed the same. But I was wrong kiddo. You’ve grown so much. You’re better than me, because even when you lost all hope, and were given it back, you didn’t run. You ran with the new hope. It may mean you now have a pack with a dragon, but that doesn’t matter. You’re doing what I should, being brave to try and defeat Ulysses.” Rainbow Dash said. “I know. It’s not easy, and Soarin’ wasn’t happy I’d been sneaking on missions, but what Ulysses did, and my pact with Gringhold secured much needed help in the dragons. Soarin’ soon let me go on missions, and at least all of northern Equestria is under Resistance control. Just the other day we helped overthrow the loyalist who had control of Appleoosa, and had hung Celestia’s guards there as an example for all Pegasi to go and die.” Scootaloo smiled, picking up on the admiration Rainbow had for her bravery. “What did you do with him?” Rainbow Dash questioned. “Well, Gringhold didn’t have to go hunt something in the Everfree forest when we returned...” Scootaloo answered. “Hahaha, nice one kiddo. Nearly had me there.” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Nice one? I wish I was joking, Gringhold ate that loyalist in one bite!” Rainbow Dash went pale and her eyes turned to dots. She couldn’t hide that even she had a fear of dragons, it was only normal for ponies, even when she pretended that she didn’t fear them at all. “W-well,” Rainbow Dash quickly thought of a topic to change the conversation, “could I ask how you still have scars on your body?” “Hm, some are from close calls with loyalists, but most are what’s left from when Baron strung me up,” Scootaloo quickly stood up and threw her front hooves into the air, showing a scar that ran across her belly, “this one won’t ever go away, that’s when Baron tried to cut me open to kill me. But I don’t care if I don’t look good anymore with these horrible scars. To finally bring Ulysses’ downfall, I’d gladly shave my mane and tail, even let my coat go unwashed, I’d do anything to beat him, even if I was left with just one leg and no wings. For what his loyalists did to me and others in his name? It’s something I’m willing to do.” “Oh, Rainbow Dash! I’m glad I found you,” came Rarity’s voice, as she walked over, “perhaps you could take me to find Twilight? Sweetie Belle told me an awful story of what happened, and its news you need to hear too, since it involves Scootaloo.” “Ok, Rarity,” Rainbow Dash said, getting up, “let me just finish speaking here and we can get going.” Rarity’s eyes fell on Scootaloo, and immediately, she reared back from what was an utter horror show. “Oh my! If this is one of the things Ulysses has done, then we really need to hurry up,” she looked at Scootaloo, clearly failing to recognise who it was, “don’t worry dear, when I come back, I’ll treat you to a trip to the spa, that is, if it’s still around. If not, I’ll personally help you with those nasty cuts.” “You don’t even know who I am, do you?” Scootaloo asked, sitting up and tilting her head to one side. “After six years away, you’d have to forgive me if I’ve forgotten. Your face does seem familiar however. Oh, hello, Applejack.” Rarity said, her gaze turning to one side and seeing the orange earth pony approach. “Well this is good, now we can all go find Twilight. I’m sure you know where she is, RD,” Applejack said, standing next to Scootaloo. “Yes, well, sorry I don’t remember who you are dear, but do remind me of my offer when you next see me after Ulysses is gone.” Rarity smiled. “Oh please tell me yer kidding Rarity.” Applejack groaned. “Whatever do you mean Applejack?” Rarity questioned. “How can you not know who this is?” Applejack questioned back. “It’s simple, Applejack, I don’t recall ever seeing her before.” Rarity replied. “All you have to do is keep in mind the same eyes, mane and coat colour, then imagine her at about six or seven years old, looking up at you.” Applejack stated, her eyes half closed. Rarity looked at Scootaloo for twenty seconds, trying to do what Applejack had said. It soon dawned on her, and her face turned into a look of shock and embarrassment. “Oh my Celestia, Scootaloo?” Rarity asked. “The very same.” Scootaloo replied, smirking, seemingly enjoying the shock Rarity had just gone through. “I’m... I’m so sorry. When,” She swallowed, “when Sweetie Belle said she saw your eyes through the town hall window, I just assumed she had seen you dead.” “Wait... Sweetie Belle saw me? Did she say whether Applebloom saw me that day as well?” Scootaloo asked, now concerned for her friends. “Yeah sugarcube, if it weren’t for Applebloom seeing ya, she wouldn’t have told Soarin’ and you wouldn’t have been saved.” Applejack answered, holding a leg around Scootaloo, who looked shocked. “Well, sorry we can’t stay and talk, we must go see Twilight. Dangerous business, not for fillies even your age, and do remind me of my offer once Ulysses is gone.” Rarity said, pushing Applejack and Rainbow Dash away to try and avoid further embarrassment on her part. They were stopped by a semi circle of fire in their path. Looking behind them, the three saw Scootaloo’s eyes were glowing with a hint of red and orange. She swept her front right hoof back in the opposite direction she had clearly moved it in just a moment before and smiled. “It’s not dangerous for me. Sorry if I scared you, but times change. I’m comfortable with danger, you’ll be seeing me tomorrow, fighting to get to Ulysses and making him pay for what he did to me,” she stood up and grinned, “with interest. For now, I better go talk to Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. See you Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo took to the air, but stopped a few feet from the ground. While she didn’t turn around, she spoke. “Oh and Rainbow Dash? I forgive you. You did what you had to. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hated you for so long, when it wasn’t you who did all this to me.” -- Pinkie stood outside the entrance to her old home, Sugarcube Corner. She had been standing outside for ten minutes, nervous of the reception that would await her when she knocked the door. The Cakes had, for all intents and purposes, been her family before she had to leave Equestria, but would they be willing to welcome her back after six years? Hoping for the best, she approached the door and knocked. As she waited for the door to be answered, she shuffled about nervously. The sound of someone approaching the door on the other side made her back away a little. Seemingly reluctantly, Mr. Cake opened the door a jar, and peeked through the gap. “Yes? Can I-” he stopped. The one eye that Pinkie could see seemed to buldge, and the door was thrown open. “Pinkie Pie? Is- is that really you?” Mr. Cake asked. “Yeppers-jeppers, sorry I disappeared for so long.” Suddenly, she was pulled into Sugarcube Corner, and the door slammed behind her. In the main room, Pinkie was able to see that it didn’t look like the building had been used as a business for a long time. The counters and displays had a disused feel to them, paint chipping away and a thick layer of dirt obvious signs that there hadn’t been a sugary treat made or sold, possibly since her departure. The only other occupants in the room, aside from herself and Mr. Cake, was his wife and a yellowish unicorn, who were staring at the pair as though one or both of them had just grown an extra head. Before Pinkie could speak, Mrs. Cake got up out of the chair she had been sitting on and had cross the room to where Pinkie stood, wrapping her forelegs around the pink mare. “We thought Ulysses or his followers had killed you!” Mrs. Cake cried, tears of happyness flowing down her face. “Well, he tried, but his brother, Sunshine Blaze, oh! You’ve got to meet him later! Anyway, he took us to his homeland, Irvest, to give us time to prepare to defeat Ulysses.” Pinkie explained. As the tearful reunion drew on, Pinkie became curious. Mr and Mrs. Cake were present, and the unicorn had turned out to be Pumpkin Cake, their daughter, but there was still something missing from the scene. “Hey, uh,” Pinkie nervously rubbed her right foreleg against the left, “I just wanted to ask, where’s Pound?” Both Mr and Mrs. Cake glanced at each other before looking at Pinkie. “He’s fine, he has a room in the basement now. We usually make him stay there, so anyone loyal to Ulysses can’t find him, since only we know where the entrance to the basement is. Maybe once Ulysses is gone, he can start to learn to fly.” Mrs. Cake replied, the smile never once leaving her face, at her own instilled hope of a better future for her son. “That’s great. Look, I’m sorry I have to leave now, but I need to check in with the others. I’ll see you all soon okay?” Pinkie stated, hopping out of Sugarcube Corner. She couldn’t wait to find Twilight and tell her the good news. --- Twilight and Fluttershy meanwhile, were highly confused. Before they had left Equestria, they had seen the distant past, with Twilight witnessing what seemed to be the end of the lives of the three colts she, Fluttershy and Applejack had met in the past. By all logic, what Twilight saw standing before her shouldn’t be. It seemed more impossible than Nightmare Moon, which she knew was true. And yet, Fireshot and Forest Breeze stood before her, not looking a day older than they had been a thousand or so years before. “Well thanks for that hello, after all this time.” Fireshot stated, rolling his eyes. “B-but... how?” Twilight stumbled to form words. “My! I had no idea my good looks would charm a mare into being unable to form words!” Forest Breeze remarked, wiggling his eyelids up and down. This earnt him a hoof across the back of his head from Fireshot. “Ignore him, even being cursed, he still hasn’t learnt when it is not appropriate to flirt with a mare.” Fireshot said flatly, ignoring the groan of pain from Forest Breeze. “You were cursed?” Fluttershy almost shouted, immediately causing her to get embarrassed and try to hide into herself. “Yes, by Discord, Twilight should remember that. My curse was to die in three days, which I got around by getting turned to stone. Forest Breeze however is still cursed.” Fireshot said calmly. “Yeah, he cursed me to never be able to tell right from wrong anymore, a curse I get past thanks to Vax. Vax eats the curse energy, allowing me to remain neutral, and not chaotic, which reminds me, Vax? Where are you?” Forest Breeze called out. After a few seconds of silence, a sprite with seemingly disembodied wings flew into the room from a nearby window and begun to spin around Forest Breeze, a thin white line leaving Forest Breeze’s body and arriving into the sprite. Twilight considered for a moment that this was how the sprite fed off the curse energy. “This is him, fascinating isn’t he?” Forest Breeze remarked. “Oh he’s just so cute.” Fluttershy said loudly, her eyes fixed on the sprite, which paid her no attention. Her smile faded into concerna while she still looked at it, and she asked “I just have a question, where’s Cloudswirl?” Fireshot and Forest Breeze looked at the other, before looking back at Fluttershy. “We have no idea. Since I had assumed Discord had killed him and Forest Breeze, and yet, here he stands, that maybe Cloudswirl wasn’t really killed either, we just need to find where he is.” Fireshot stated. “It’s been our main focus, considering what Ulysses is having done to pegasi. Cloudswirl is one. It’d be horrible for him to survive a curse after a thousand years, only to be killed by an usuper with a hatred for anything intelligent that has wings.” Twilight and Fluttershy both looked at each other, both suddenly very worried for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Fireshot caught their attention once more with a cough. “Anyway, we spoke to Sunshine Blaze, and agreed to a plan. We shall escort you six tomorrow to the castle gates, so you can reach Ulysses without any injuries before your fight. We’ll see you again at dawn, we both need to make preparations for then. Take care!” Fireshot said, smiling and bowing, before both he and Forest Breeze left. “Twilight,” Fluttershy said quietly, “we’d better find the others, we need to take extra care if Ulysses is singling out pegasi like Dash and I.” No sooner had Fluttershy said that, did the door to the room open once more, and Rainbow Dash walked in, followed by Rarity and Applejack. -- After Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash had informed Twilight of what had taken place in Ponyville during their six years away in Irvest, Twilight led her friends outside of the library, and to the edge of Ponyville itself. There, the six friends looked out and could only just make out Ulysses’ castle in the distance. “Girls, tomorrow could be the hardest day we’ll have gone through for a long time. Sure, going against Nightmare Moon wasn’t easy, and Discord almost got the better of us, but we at least had the Elements of Harmony. With Ulysses, we only have one, and we’re risking the fact he could just as easily take the last one when we’re at his castle. I don’t know if we can do this. The whole world is counting on us to get the ones he stole back and defeat him,” Twilight paused, taking deep, worried breaths, and looked at each of her friends in turn, who each wore an expression of worry, “we’ve seen and heard what he has done, even had done in his name. The horrors Equestria has faced the last six years, they weren’t even done by him and are way worse than what we saw he can do. He’s attempted the utter extinction of all pegasi, and his loyalists did the deeds for him. But tomorrow, we’ve got to face him, with no idea how much stronger he has become. I don’t think we can do it.” “Oh come on, Twilight! After all he did? He’s got this coming.” Rainbow Dash said, smiling, and feeling sure that events would go just fine. The conversation died, as the friends looked on at the castle in the distance. -- Twilight had to admit, she had expected the force the Resistance could gather would be a lot smaller than what it was. She had woken up with her friends in the library to the sounds of marching ponies. As her friends left, she had spoken quickly to Spike and held him up in a hug before leaving the library herself. The whole of Ponyville she could see had been covered by the force of the Resistance. She couldn’t see Zecora, but more dragons had appeared during the night, and she could easily see the manticores and hydras. Quite clearly, Ulysses had made more enemies than friends if even the beasts of the Everfree were willing to stand near ponies and not eat them. It made her feel good about Equestria in the six years she was gone, to see all its residents, regardless of species united against a common enemy. She and her friends were currently at the western edge of the army, as they all marched towards Ulysses’ castle, Sunshine Blaze, Fireshot and Forest Breeze kept near them. In the air, Scootaloo, despite the protests of all six friends, was currently flying alongside Gringhold, and she was the only pony in the air. As the castle drew nearer, Twilight thought she could see activity somewhere on the outer walls. “Enemy force approaching!” a voice called out from the castle, barely audible over the sound of so many ponies marching as one. It wasn’t surprising that the Resistance didn’t have the element of surprise as they reached the castle. It was impossible to hide such a large force. The Resistance stopped a five hundred yards from the castle, and Twilight listened as Soarin’ who had been near the front, stepped forward with a unicorn, who casted a voice amplification spell on him. “Ulysses!” Soarin’s voice boomed thanks to the magic. There was no immediate response. “Ulysses! For too long you have terrorised and killed ponies of Equestria! We have resisted you, and fought back, reclaiming our home in the name of peace. Stand before me Ulysses! No pony else needs to die today! Only your castle remains under your control, you have lost!” Soarin’ spoke again. For a brief moment, all Twilight and friends could hear was the wind. This became joined by a laugh, and a visual projection image spell of Ulysses. He was laughing. ‘You really think I am beaten? Look at yourself, you filthy disgusting pegasus. “in the name of peace”, yet to get this far, you have ordered countless deaths, even killed yourself. Do you think you are better than me?’ Ulysses sneered, showing no sign of leaving his castle. “I am better than you Ulysses, we are all better than you. Your loyalists died, not because we are heartless murderers, bent on just wanting to watch the world crumble beneath their hooves, but because we brought them to justice, they died for their crimes, as shall you this day.” Soarin’ replied, to cheers and hoof stomps from the Resistance. ‘And still you try to make yourself better than I.’ Ulysses taunted. “What do you mean?” Soarin’ questioned, taking the bait. ‘I need to remind you? Very well, and I quote, “Spitfire! Speak to me! Don’t die on me Spitfire, not now! What? Avenge you? But, but how? If the pony or thing behind Cloudsdale vanishing did so much and killed so many this fast, what would give me the chance? Spitfire, please, don’t go! Spitfire... I promise. I promise I will make whoever killed you pay with their life!”,’ Ulysses paused, as if waiting for the words to take the desired effect, ‘you set up the Resistance as a way to get revenge, to kill in cold blood. So answer me this, what makes you and I different? Because from what I can understand, we are the same.’ Soarin’ took to the air, looking over the Resistance before facing the castle again. “What makes us different, Ulysses, is that I changed. When I saw what was being done in your name, it ceased to be about avenging Spitfire. It became a fight to free everypony. We were born free and equal, and then you came along, took away our freedoms, and treated pegasi as if we were monsters, to be purged from the world. Then you set on the manticores, dragons, anything that could have more intelligence than you, anything that was different to you. What makes me different? I don’t fight for selfish reasons, or the joy of being the one to crush your skull under my hoof. I fight for the home you robbed from us, for all of these ponies below me, for all the ponies in the towns and cities across Equestria. And if we beat you this day, we will return home, knowing we have our freedom back.” Soarin’s speech was met by the same cheers and hoof stomping as before, but quickly was drowned out by a deep laugh. ‘If.’ Ulysses said. Soarin’ watched as the gate to the castle opened, and the loyalist army marched out. He smiled slightly when they stopped flowing out of the castle, and saw that the remaining forces Ulysses could muster was the same size as the ground unit of the Resistance. “Now is the time Resistance! Give them hell, for Equestria!” He flew down to the ground as around him the forces of the Resistance ran at the charging forces of Ulysses. He held still as two unicorns attached armour to his body, the hoofshoes designed with the purpose of digging into whatever he kicked at. With his silver armour on, Soarin’ joined the charge and entered the fighting. -- High above, the dragons swooped in, breathing fire at the loyalists, burning many into ash. Scootaloo stood on Gringhold, grinning as she watched him sweep over an anti-dragon machine, and burn it and the ponies preparing to use it into ash. Looking back as he raised into the air, Scootaloo cheered. “From what I can see,” she yelled over the winds as she glanced around quickly, “there’s only five more of those at the moment. The only issue then would be to stop the loyalists returning into the castle and getting another.” Gringhold didn’t reply, as he swooped around, breathing fire at the loyalists as he did so. Changing into another swoop, Gringhold looked back at Scootaloo. “Soon we need to join the others in getting low, so Brazen can break the gate open.” he said. “I know. He’s up high now, see?” she said, looking up. As she spotted Brazen, a blue dragon with a lighter blue underbelly, her jaw dropped in horror. One of the anti-dragon machines had succeeded in firing, and the long and thick metal pole flew clean through Brazen, who now fell lifelessly to the ground. “Gringhold!” Scootaloo called out. “I saw. The other dragons are burning the remaining machines, but what do we do now?” Scootaloo begun to think. -- On the battlefield, Sunshine Blaze, Fireshot and Forest Breeze led the six friends past the fighting, trying to not be seen. When they were spotted, Fireshot and Forest Breeze made quick work of disposing the enemy with combined magic and physical strikes. As they did, the call went out among the Resistance that one of the dragons had been shot down, and they all looked up. “Isn’t that...” Twilight begun to ask. “That was the one that was supposed to break a way into the castle! It’s like they knew.” Sunshine Blaze answered her question before she said it. “What do we do now?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We have to keep moving. When we get to the gate, we’ll work out another way to get you six inside. The whole operation depends on it.” Fireshot replied, running on. -- Soarin’ bucked his back legs into a loyalist that had attempted to stab him from behind. He didn’t look back, and kept watching as Brazen fell to the ground, impacting with a sickening thud. Soarin’ was only relieved that the dragon had probably already died before ever getting near the ground. His eyes darted about, and eventually found what he was looking for. Still high up were the figures of Scootaloo and Gringhold. He watched for a moment, then realised that Scootaloo was riding on Gringhold’s back, as he shot towards the castle gate. “Scootaloo! Don’t do it! You’ll be killed!” he tried to yell at her, knowing she was too far away to hear him. -- “That’s it! Faster Gringhold!” Scootaloo yelled, watching as the castle gate drew nearer. “Fly young one, I can survive this, but you won’t!” Gringhold shouted back to her. “No way,” Scootaloo now spoke only for herself to hear, “this will be a fantastic story to tell Applebloom and Sweetie Belle if I get back to Ponyville.” she smiled, forcing her eyes to stay open as it became too late to fly away to safety. -- Sunshine Blaze, Fireshot, Forest Breeze and the six friends slowed down a few feet away from the castle gate, looking around them for the source of a very excited, if nervous cheer. Rainbow Dash looked up, and her eyes grew small and jaw lowered at the sight. Gringhold flew through the gate, the wood wasn’t a match for his mass and speed. They splintered as if they were simply twigs, underfoot on a forest trail. As her eyes followed the dragon as he circled back up into the air, Rainbow watched as an orange pegasus with a violet mane and tail flew off his back. Scootaloo landed beside Sunshine Blaze, with the biggest possible grin on her face, and a lot of new scars to her face and the parts of her body that had faced the gate as she and Gringhold had gone through them. “Good luck guys. I’ll hopefully see you all back in Ponyville later!” she said, running at full gallop into the fighting. The six friends, Sunshine Blaze, Fireshot and Forest Breeze all looked to each other for some sort of explanation, and had nothing. They faced the wide open arch where the gate had stood as an impassable wall just moments before. “We’ve done our job, we’ll get to helping others survive through the battle, good luck you six!” Fireshot shouted, running off into battle. Forest Breeze made to follow him, only to stop a few steps later and turn around. “Maybe after this, one of you will take me up on an offer of going for a dinner?” He asked with a smile. The reply he got was the confused looks from the six mares. “Guess not. Think about it at least. Until later!” he shouted and ran off to catch up to Fireshot. Twilight turned her focus to the broken gate into the castle, a grin appeared on her face. “This is it guys. Scootaloo helped us get the chance we thought was gone. Everypony is counting on us. We can’t fail them now. Let’s go stop Ulysses.” Twilight said, breaking into a run into the castle.