Chapter 5: The Wrath of the Hydra
It was a while later that turn into night. Twilight and her friends slept during the night after the Castle Nowhere. The shadow emerged from the bushes. The goblin approached to camp. He chuckled softly and merely. The goblin approach Twilight's bag and continued to find something important while throwing the mess out. He found the map. The goblin took it to the fire as he rewrite and redraws the map.
The goblin smile evilly as he put the map back. Spike yawn which shook the goblin whose quickly hide behind the tent and covered his mouth with his hands. Spike look around. He groaned at the mess. Spike approach Twilight's tent as he clean up. No need for Twilight to be upset over this, right?
"Man, I'd really miss home. But gotta...... to find," Spike yawn a bit, "ingredients to save.......Applejack's farm."
Spike then yawned as he puts everything back in the bag. Spike yawned as he goes back to sleep. The goblin smiled evilly as he immediately escaped. The creep makes plans to let his bosses know about what's going on.
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In the Realm of Demons, Tso Lan, Tchang Zu and Hsi Wu meditated in the middle of the rock as they are searching for answers as to whom those two mysterious two Alicorns are. For few hours, they had spent. They opened their eyes like the three have been rudely awakened. And boy, are they not happy, indeed!
Hsi Wu groaned, "Should have known those fools belong to our old ally!"
Tchang Zu snarls, "How dare he betray us?! He shall pay for his treachery!"
"There has to be logic explanation of why he is helping Princess Celestia's students and ponies. But what," Tso Lan ask his allies with a frown.
Xiao Fung hopped before three Demon Lords, speaking, "I've brought news. The goblin did what Shendu planned and had some vital information."
"Hsi Wu and Tchang Zu, head to the others and find out what's happening. I have some discussion with old friend of ours." Tso Lan orders His Wu and Tchang Zu sinisterly.
Hsi Wu and Tchang Zu nodded their heads. They followed Xiao Fung who is hopping back to their family. Tso Lan then creates the portal to find somebody or somepony. It's time to have a chat with his 'ally'...
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The Superior and his members are discussing of matters and process of their battle strategy, along with Merluck. Superior sensed something, causing him to demand, "Who goes there?!" They saw a figure appearing in a puff of smoke. He gasps in shock. "Tso Lan?! What are you doing here?!"
"Tso Lan?! The Demon Lord of Moon," Merluck ask in shock and bewilderment.
"What do you want from us?!" Trix demands more than she asked.
"Skip the pleasing acts, descendants of Smaug the Great. I'm only interested in learning of your betrayal against us." Tso Lan snaps to the mentioned descendants angrily. "Have you forgotten of your ancestor's oath to us? You dare betray us, traitor! You dare help your enemies defeat us!"
Warring gulps in worry. She got a bad feeling about this. Merluck, looking confused, demands to the Superior, "Father, what is he talking about?!"
"I don't like the tone of that!" Trix snaps, getting annoyed by Tso Lan's nasty tone of voice.
"Milord, what is the meaning of this?" T. Moon asks the Superior in the usual demanding tone of voice.
"Ah had idea o' what he had said!" Liarjack commented, lying as usual under her hood.
"You dare mock us and our glorious leader!" Crarity snaps to Tso Lan, engaged by this fiend's attitude towards the Superior.
"What on scientific logic is he talking about?!" Wilco demand, having no idea of what this newcomer is talking about either.
"What do you mean betrayal?!" Deadly Rager asks in bewilderment. No one in the Apocalypse Ponies has done any betrayal whatsoever...as far as he knows anyway.
"How did you find our lair," R. Chaos demands, wondering how this intruder got into the Apocalypse Ponies' HQ in the first place.
"How dare you call our leader traitor," Suffocator Jill snaps at Tso Lan angrily. She has half a mind to punish this creep for even suggesting just thing!
"You shall pay for that!" Starven Fran exclaims furiously and in agreement with fellow members.
Fluttercruel taunts Tso Lan cruelly, "You're from the Realm of Demons! It's not like you could do anything to kill us."
Psycho laugh, "You said it! There's nothing you can do! There's nothing you can do!"
"Silence," Tso Lan roars at the ones who are yelling at him furiously. "You dare threatened me! I shall show how what a threat's really like, ponies!"
Tso Lan's hands are covered in darkness. He slammed onto the ground with his hands. The ground shakes. The Apocalypse Ponies panicked as their chairs that they're sitting in, tables and equipments moved or floated around. The Superior remained sitting in his chair. He did nothing but to look.
Tso Lan waved his hand down hard. The chairs that the Apocalypse Ponies are sitting in was pushed and knocked to the wall hard and painful. The Demon snaps to the denying ones, "Any pony wish to challenge my power?!"
Apocalypse Ponies remain silent after the attack. The Superior, who was silent during this, spoke up, "Enough showing off your powers, Tso Lan; What you had spoken doesn't make any sense as my children had spoken of. What do you mean I betray you? I had not sent anyone to go to 'The End of Equestria' to kill you and you brethren. In fact, I have plans to get you out from there and rule Equestria, with help of my dark Mystic Pony."
"If that's the truth that you spoke of, then I demand an explanation as to of how those two Alicorns of yours ended up in my territory and are helping Twilight Sparkle!"
"Alicorns; who are they?" Merluck ask, having a feeling that he knows who those two Alicorns are.
"Boxco and Dum-Dum," Tso Lan answers, two of the names were mentioned during the meditation progress.
The Superior was in shock, but became very angry as he groan and growl angrily. The Apocalypse Ponies were in shock as well. Warring gulps in worry. The Superior yelled in anger, "Who ordered those two to go and help Twilight Sparkle and her family?! I did not authorize it!"
"I take it you had nothing to do with this."
"Of course not! I would never send my subordinates to help my enemy! But I want to know who and why?! Trixie and Merluck! You dare send them to help Twilight and her family!"
"Of course not, father, I would never betray despite seeking more powers. I would never help them." Merluck insists to the Superior. He may wish for more power but the unicorn isn't stupid to pull any unnecessary risks.
"I would never sent them to 'The End of Equestria' because they are vital to us!" Trix said to her father nervously.
"Since the rest of Apocalypse Ponies are not part of Safe Haven, however, and those two were not involved of this, that leaves one." The Superior then turns his attention to Warring Malice, who sat uncomfortably in her chair, "Warring Malice! Do you have some explanation of this?!"
Warring panicked insists, "No! Of course not," Of course, she was fibbing. The main reason why she send those two nitwits (giving the suggestion to Boris of course) was that she wanted a challenge for her group to deal with, to not only see if Boxco and Dum-Dum would do something right (for once) but to see if Twilight is indeed a challenge for the Apocalypse Ponies. Plus, she is doing it out of favor for Trixie who Warring feels deserves another rematch again in the future.
"I sense that she's lying." Tso Lan said sinisterly. Warring Malice frowns, she has forgotten that that Demon can do something like that.
The Superior groan and growl in anger, "You'd better tell me the truth or I'll send you to the Realm of Demons for the Demon Lords to have feast upon you!"
Warring decides to give out pretend fear this time, in hope to get out of this with her mane intact, "Okay! Okay! Okay! You're right! I did send those two off! Honestly, it's just my suggestion! I gave it to Boris. I didn't expect him to take it seriously and-"
"So Boris is responsible?!"
"That imbecile! I had warned him before about disobeying the order! Now, he's helping our enemy." Merluck said in fury. Trix looks worried, Boris is in big trouble. "Father, I shall punish Boris at once for helping our enemy! And this time, he will be an Earth Pony permanently!"
Trix gasp, "No, Merluck! Father! I'm sure that Boris didn't mean to disobey and disappoint you! He must be sending them to go to 'The End of Equestria' to finish Twilight and her friends when they're looking back!"
"Is that so? Then, why did Bai Tza, Dai Gui and Xiao Fung were not informed of this by 'Boris'?! It seems that they're willing to attack my brethren. You're trying to deceive me to save him? You love him," Tso Lan remarks to Trix who didn't continue arguing to defend her POV; the Demon huff, "Nothing but troublesome."
"Enough! We shall deal with Boris later. But for now, Tso Lan, deal with Twilight and her family by means of necessary and do as you please." The Superior said, not wanting this foolishness to go further. "If you had to kill my useless imbeciles, then so be it. They're completely of no further use to me. Even if that plan of yours and ours had failed, we had set both ours and new plans for the schedule as we planned."
"So be it. Next time, Superior, you'd better put your organization in a tight leash, should they ever tried to disobey, assassinate and overthrow you. If there is betrayal among my brethren, I shall take all powers of yours and your descendants' possessed away permanently. I will not accept any excuses anymore."
Tso Lan disappeared. The Superior glared at his members as he berates them, "Let me remind you one last time. This organization was built by me! This purpose was built by my ancestor's dark purpose! So, anyone who joined and earned my trust and respect must obey my command only. I will be the one who authorized the mission! I will be the one who decides who to go!"
The Superior turned to Warring as he continues, "Malice, when you had some suggestion, you give it to both Merluck and Trixie or me, not Boris. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, milord," Warring Malice comments, not bothering giving the leader a look in the eye.
"As for you two, you'd better restrain those former criminals tightly, or else being thrown into a jail will be the least of their concern. I do not want more excuses and problems again. Do I make myself clear?"
Merluck and Trix said quickly, "Yes, Superior."
"This will be difficult for us now since Boxco and Dum-Dum is helping our foes." The Superior grunts a bit.
"Milord, what oath does Tso Lan speaks of?" T. Moon asks, curiously as to what oath that Tso Lan is talking about.
"He and the rest of Demon Lords had given the power and Dark Magic to my Great Ancestor for his loyalty and devotions to them. They all vowed that they will rule Equestria together and destroy anyone who tried to destroy and get in their way. Should any of us fall, we shall help and raise them from the darkness."
"That explains why Tso Lan is furious of your 'betrayal'. He expects no betrayals." Deadly Rager remarks in amusement. How those Demons get their tails in a bind when anyone tried to betray them.
"Not to mention that you had plans for them to escape from their imprisonment." Suffocator Jill said, remembering what the Superior mentioned before.
Wilco ponders a bit, adding, "If I recall correctly, master, the Panku Box was the only item to get them out but only one portal for them to come out."
"Yes, it is true. But I have other ways to get them out, without the use of one portal for one Demon Lord, but all." The Superior explains darkly to Wilco. Even without the Panku Box, he has ways of getting the Demon Lords from the Realm of Demons.
"What about your history with the Demon Lords? Better hope it's not too boring." R. Chaos said, bored and wanting to leave already.
"After their banishment to Realm of Demon, my ancestor begins using the powers of Demon for conquest and control of the Equestria as the ruler. He's not strong enough to control and master advanced Dark Magic. Thus, he has no control of Discord like the Demon Lords did. Despite losing that power, my ancestor's dream had passed down to generation and generations to master both Dark and Demon Magic before we begin our conquest."
"Thus, the creation of Apocalypse Ponies begins. Interesting, who would have thought that you were actually helped by the Demon Lords?" Suffocator Jill asks the Superior in amusement.
"To win the war, I must master every Dark and Demon Magic that I possessed from both alone and masters. For once I had, the enemies of mine will fall. Not today, not tomorrow, but one day they shall fall. Now leave me, I got to speak to Grimmore." The Superior orders his fellow members.
The members took the hint, using portals to leave, Trix looks worried as she heads back, with plans to inform Boris that Boxco and Dum-Dum may be in trouble, along with the Devil Pony later. Once they are gone, the Superior made a portal appears, showing Grimmore in Tartarus.
"What is it?" Grimmore ask the Superior curiously.
"Tso Lan was here. He was...upset that Boris sent his two dummies, most likely to help Twilight Sparkle again." The Superior explains to Grimmore darkly. He chuckles a bit. "Tso Lan threw quite a fit, especially with that business involving my ancestor's oath."
"Oh I see. He thinks he and his brethren are in control of you...but the truth be told we are the ones in control of THEM."
"Yes, for the powers I, Merluck and Trixie possess are not theirs but ours...although most of my dark powers comes from you."
"Yes...and of course, I have a feeling that the Demon Lords may outlive their usefulness." Grimmore said with a sigh. "They were powerful back in the day...but the Demon Lords has since become a joke, especially since four of them had fallen to Twilight Sparkle and her allies. We may have to cut them loose."
"Oh, on the contrary, I think with some certain dark magic, we may have use for Tso Lan and his brethren yet." The Superior chuckles a bit. Grimmore laughs, knowing what he means. Oh, this will be interesting when the last of the Demons are beaten.
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Tso Lan appeared before his siblings. Hsi Wu impatiently asks, "What did the troublemaker have to say? What's his reason?!"
"The Superior's subordinate, Boris the Devil Pony had disobeyed his order and helped his enemies." Tso Lan explains, much to the shock and fury of the others.
"Unacceptable! If they have not come and ruin our plans, Twilight Sparkle would have lost her power, all ponies who dare to enter our territories will fall, and both Ben and Nightmare Moon will be ours!" Bai Tza screams in fury, outraged upon hearing this explanation.
Tchang Zu remarks angrily, "I'd say we should punish them at once! The Devil Pony and his stooges shall know our wrath!"
"Dai Gui will kill that Devil Pony!" Dai Gui growled, wanting so much to punish Boris for his 'treachery'.
"No. We mustn't. For we had a more important mission and enemy to deal with; we will deal with Boris later, should we fail or succeed." Shendu points out to his siblings gently. Boris will be dwelt with at a later time.
Po Kong nod her head, snarling in anger, "Better hope he's not dead, so I can feast upon him!"
"Never mind of that. So what have you learn of our enemy?" Tso Lan ask the goblin, wanting to know what the creature has learned from Twilight and her group.
"The goblin found out that Twilight and her so-called family journeyed here to seek the ingredients to restore the Element of Honesty known as Applejack's farm." Xiao Fung explains to Tao Lan. "Something must have happened to it; But what?"
The Demon Lords thought for the moment. Then Dai Gui snaps his fingers, saying, "Dai Gui knows the answer. When Dai Gui set foot on Equestria, Dai Gui sense a disturbance and Dark Magic."
"What kind of Dark Magic, Dai Gui?" Bai Tza ask Dai Gui curiously.
"The spell that stops the growth of the land for vegetables."
"Ahhh; Yes; I know that well. It's Lifeless Growth Spell. This spell destroys the life and growth of the land." Shendu said with an evil grin. That explains what the princess and her group is doing in the End of Equestria in the first place, to save the farm. "It cease it ability forever. Nothing can restore the damage, not even Alicorns can do it."
"The only ingredients that can restore the growth are here. The ponies have journeyed far to seek them." Tchang Zu said thoughtfully.
"Not to mention, they're tenacious." Hsi Wu said thoughtfully.
"So, what's this plan of yours, Shendu? From what the goblin had said, they're heading to the Heavy Drop." Xiao Fung said to Shendu, wondering if his sibling has an idea on how to deal with the gang.
Shendu chuckled, "I'm afraid that they will be going the wrong way to get there."
"What do you mean?" Po Kong asks Shendu, knowing that he has a plan all right.
"There is a short cut to Heavy Drop. But to get there, you must get across my pet while the long route is the safest way. I told the goblin to change the map's direction. The 'Heavy Drop' that they're going will be misled right to my pet."
"Wow. Now, that's crafty and nasty, Shendu. I'd like to see them try to get out of that one." Hsi Wu chuckles sinisterly and eagerly. He wanted so much to be there and see his revenge for his own defeat be granted.
"All of them shall fall to their demise!" Dai Gui booms madly.
"Yes, Dai Gui, I'd love to see how Twilight escapes that one." Bai Tza remarks in agreement. "She shall soon the regret the mistake that she made."
"Remember, Shendu, I want Nightmare Moon and Ben Mare alive. For their powers are quite useful and essential to our armada and conquest." Tso Lan points out to Shendu. Nyx and Ben must be alive for later on.
"You'd better hope that pet of yours obey very well. Or you shall face my wrath!" Tchang Zu remarks to Shendu sinisterly. She isn't afraid of hurting him should this plan of his goes way south.
"I assure you Tchang Zu. Everything will go according to our plan. None shall escape the wrath of my bloodthirsty pet." Shendu assured Tchang Zu with a dark smile. Twilight and her friends are in for a big surprise indeed.
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The group appears to be on their way now, getting closer to the area of Heavy Drop. Twilight and her family had arrived at the fork road. Spike, glancing at each path, asks Twilight, "Twilight, which way we should go?"
"Let me see on that map again. If I recall correctly, we should go to-!" Twilight stops for a moment and looks confused as she notices something's off, "What the?"
"What's wrong?" Ben asks his love in concern.
"Something's not right. I remember that the map told us to go right. But for some reason, it now says go left."
"Not to mention, there's a signboard." Nyx said as she notices a signboard on the map now.
"But 'dat's good, right?" Tough ask his pals with a shrug, not getting the point.
"No, Tough; I remember that there is no signboard on the map."
"You don't think somepony rewrite and redraw the map?" Spike asks in concern, someone must've rewritten the map but whom?
"Ah don't like it." Tough grunted a bit, suspecting a rat.
Phobos gave a suspicious look to Bocolix and Dumbledore, asking, "Did you two do something on the map?"
"I was sleeping! Honest!" Bocolix insists to Phobos in worry.
"Honest too," Dumbledore exclaims in agreement. After all, why would he or Bocolix do such a thing? Boris orders them to keep Twilight safe at all cost! Messing with the map would jeopardize the whole thing!
"Then who,” Phobos demands in annoyance. Something is not right here, even the two stupid ones that someone or something has messed with the map to lead them all in the wrong direction.
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In the Realm of Demons, the Demon Lords were shocked to see this, their Enemies suspects that something's amiss. Shendu growled in anger as he open the portal to his servant.
"Goblin; what did you do?!" Shendu demands to the goblin, suspicious that this idiot has messed up somehow.
"Nothing; Honest; I did exactly like you had said! Changed the location and drew the arrow to the Hydra lair with the signboard." The goblin explains to Shendu in worry. "And then make a signboard on the fork road!"
"You put in a signboard?!" Shendu ask in shock and disbelief. The goblin nodded his head. The Demon then roars in fury, "Imbecile! I did not order you to put in a signboard on the map! I order you to drew the leading to the Hydra lair!"
"But why?"
"They will get suspicious of the map, fool!" Bai Tza explains in annoyance as she slaps herself on the forehead.
"Useless Goblin; always making mistake," Dai Gui grunts in annoyance.
"Now the ponies are in suspicious of the map and signboard!" Hsi Wu groans in despair. The ponies will know who is responsible and go the other way, bypassing Shendu's little pet entirely no thanks to that stupid goblin!
"So how're we going to do it now?! It's too late!" Tchang Zu adds in concern.
"Let's watch first." Tso Lan said to the siblings. Perhaps they can win yet.
The Demon Lords glanced at the portal that consists of Twilight and her friends in figuring out about which road to go.
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Ben got down from the cart. He approach the signboard as the Earth pony look closely at it Ben saw the branch. He took it up. Everypony looked at him, including the Demon Lords through small portals to see them.
"What're you doing, daddy?" Nyx ask her adopted father puzzled.
"Figuring out which way to go; there's something not right with both the map and signboard. It's like somepony want us to go to a trap." Ben said with a frown. "So in case of anything like this, use a branch. It'll acts like a compass to get us somewhere nearby."
Twilight smiled as she ask, "Flash taught you that?" Ben's best friend Flash Sentry always help him with some lessons or so.
"Yup. When Flash's dad took us for a campaign trip, Flash used a stick to find which path to go both there and home. That branch's never wrong."
"Well, do it, Ben. Let's just hope we get the right direction." Spike insists to Ben; The faster that the stick can lead the gang somewhere, the faster that the heroes can get to Heavy Drop.
"Here goes nothing." The Earth pony said. Ben pointed the stick to the right and left. He threw the stick up. The stick ends up pointed to the right direction. The Demon Lords saw it, that stick will put a dent in their plans!. Tso Lan quickly changed its direction by using his gravity. The stick turn to the left.
Twilight and her family were shocked and surprised. Ben scratch his mane, frowning as he said, "That's weird. I thought it was the right road."
"But you said that you should trust the branch." Spike reminds Ben of what he said before.
"So, we should go left." Phobos remarks in agreement. If the branch say go left, they should go right.
"I guess. But why do I get the bad feeling that someone is watching us." Ben said in suspicion and concern.
"I don't know. But let's focus on the important mission than thinking about somepony or anything else. If we keep on moving, then we can get all the items we need." Twilight said gently to Ben.
"Ah doubt 'de voice is 'de one 'dat did it." Tough said, knowing that the voice wouldn't try to mislead them like this. Bocolix and Dum-Dum shrugged. At least the gang is going somewhere.
Twilight and her family continue to walk. Nyx look behind and felt like that somepony is watching them. The filly shrugs before she turned to the front. Nyx in her mind thought, 'Maybe daddy's right, somepony wants us to go there but why?'
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In the Realm of Demons, the Demon Lords smirk and chuckle evilly. Looks like the villains got nothing to worry about after all.
"Good trick, older brother!" Po Kong grunts to Tso Lan in amusement. None of their enemies suspect a thing!
"Still, it could be risky, Tso Lan." Xiao Fung said in concern. For all the Demon Lords know, the group may realize what's going on right now.
"They will think that wind changed the direction as their guide to know which location is safer." Tso Lan insists to the siblings in assuration.
"On the opposite, that leads to doom. Well trickery, Tso Lan." Hsi Wu said to Tso Lan with a smirk.
"Indeed, the ponies will fall to our wrath. They shall know what happened, should anyone even ponies dare to challenge our powers!" Bai Tza laughs evilly. Oh, this will be a great victory for the Demon Lords indeed.
"Now, we shall watch what happen next." Shendu remarks with a smile, though the Demon Lord suspects that he has indeed already have won the day.
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On the left road, some bushes shaken. A white Unicorn mare appears with short black and navy jet mane. Her Cutie Mark is a hat and compass. The mare looks worried as she saw which way that Twilight and her group are heading to.
"Oh boy. This isn't what my granduncle had planned. That road leads to -!" The mare pauses then she gasped in realization. "I've gotta tell him about this!"
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For a few hours, Tao waiting near the rock as he wrote the words on it. Tao then look back before he return to the rock.
"Hmmm. Something's not right. They shouldn't be far away from here." Tao mumbles in concern. Something is not right here. "I'm sure this is the road to Heavy -"
"Hey Tao!" A familiar unicorn appears, making Tao almost jump out of his coat.
"Aieeeyaaah; Jade Adventure; don't do that! Wait! What are you doing here?! I told you -"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, unc. I know. 'The End of Equestria' is too dangerous for a not full-fledged Mystic Pony to come here because it can corrupt them easily and quickly. I know. No worry, Tao. I've got the Chi Protection Spell to protect me from it."
Tao sighs a bit in relief, "That I'm glad. But you should not be here! Twilight Sparkle will be suspicious of you and me!"
"Why is that?" Jade ask her uncle, not sure what Tao meant.
"A lone old pony whose keeps appearing and disappearing from their sights, and the voice who gave her riddles to solve and save them when encountering danger. To avoid being suspected by Twilight and her friends, I have to act like I've known this place as a spirit. Suddenly, a confident child appeared with him from out of nowhere! They will be suspicious about me. She will figure it out that I'm the Mystic Pony who helped her throughout the mess! As the Mystic Pony, we are not allowed to reveal our identity to them during their journey, unless the ponies had passed his or her test! I'll reveal it to them if they succeed the mission!"
"Like that's gonna happen if she goes wrong way."
"Wrong way," Tao ask, startled upon hearing this. "What do you mean Jade?"
"Somebody or maybe the Demon Lords rewrote and redrew Twilight's map and lead her and her family to the left road." Jade explains in worry to Tao.
"Left road? Yes, it does have a short cut to Heavy Drop. But the only way to get through is-!" Tao realized something, "Aieeeyaaah! That leads to Shendu's pet, Mo Sie the Hydra! This is very bad."
"I know! We've gotta teleport in front of them at once and stop them!"
"No, Jade. We have to teleport at Hydra's lair, so I can use my voice to stop them before they reach that lair! In fact, Mystic Ponies are not allowed to interfere in mortal's affairs, but act as their guidance. That would be cheating, not evolving. That is the cycle of life."
Jade pauses as she points out "Still, that would make the Demon Lords and the Apocalypse Ponies to win the war, if we keep on hiding."
"There's nothing I can do, Jade." Tao sighs to Jade. "For the Mystic Council, they are the ones who made the decision, not me."
Jade groaned, "So unfair!"
"We do not have much time. We must go!"
Tao and Jade disappear in a puff of smoke. They hope to get to Twilight and her allies before it's too late.
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Soon Twilight's group comes across a large open canyon wall that's about as tall as a mountain almost touching the skies. From what Twilight has instructed the group, their path lies to continue forward to get to the other side. Course once they make it to the close edge of the canyon, there is but a single opening; just one problem….it's too narrow.
"Great, we come all the way here, and the opening's too darn small for us to squeeze through!" Phobos complains in seeing their only pathway across is a crack size for single file-line bunch, not a whole cartload.
"How about we fly up?" Bocolix suggested from looking up, thinking that the group can fly over this canyon wall.
"We can use magic to help us." Dumbledore looked to the gang in saying with magic; they'll take everything without much a problem.
"No guys, that won't work. The map says to climb this canyon mountain would take ten days, even our magic would get tired out real fast." Twilight objected to the idea of going over the canyon mountain wall, it'll take too long and time is of the essence around here.
"So we're caught between a rock an' a hard place." Tough Apple spoke off to say in looking at Rabbitchu, the owl & wolf cub in what their situation looks pretty stuck.
"Isn't there some way to get through?" Spike asked off in how the group can get pass this obstacle that stands before them.
"What if we made the narrow opening bigger?" Nyx suggested that they could find a way to make the way through this place wider.
"I doubt Justin could pull that off, just how far feet we talkin?" Tough Apple shrug off his shoulders about that idea, it sounded okay, but the range & level might be a different story.
"Too long, the rock formation is extra thick even for a MechBull's ramming strength." Twilight shook her head in regretting that even bashing through this structure take too long as it would to climb this thing.
"Mruuuwaagh," Justin cried out in feeling depress over what this discussion is turning towards a hopeless case.
"Then how else can we get through, shrink ourselves?" Phobos sarcastically stated about them trying to get small so they fit through the narrow opening.
"Maybe not, being small with giant bugs might be worse." Bocolix issued a problem about being small, then the tiny bugs around will be a bigger issue to deal with.
"Yeah, and around here, who knows how bad the bugs are in giant size?" Dumbledore nods in agreement to that, the insects in the End of Equestria might be more deadly than normal bugs.
"We have, trust me." Ben rhetorically addresses that claim since the gang fought against such creatures; like the Swarm for example.
"Well, maybe…." Twilight suddenly was having an idea come to her mind of a solution. "Maybe a spell to widen the narrow opening all the way across might help us." The girl could try a spell that instead of affecting them, she could make the opening go from narrow to wider length for travel, course that means doing it on a whole canyon mountain level change structure.
"Twilight, are you hearing yourself, this canyon must be a few feet's length across with solid rock structure?" Ben asked if his love was sure about that plan, this canyon might be so wide and too far to even pull off a feat like that.
"I'm an alicorn now Ben, I can do this! As a new princess, I have to try my best for my friends & the Apples' Farm." Twilight issued with a determined face, if she can't create a path to aid in their travels, then Applejack's home is doomed. "You two, can you perform a magic enhancing spell and hold it tight?" She looked to the Enforcers, wanting to know if they can pull off such a spell request.
"I think so, that was something we learn to perform when going into battle." Bocolix nods in recalling that the two did learn such a spell, by Boris's demand.
"We just never done it on our own outside of our home." Dumbledore shrug off to mention this little fact, which was to say they done it mostly in Safe Haven.
"Then since you two know the spell, get ready!" Twilight instructed the two new alicorn allies to help her out. "Ben, I'll need your help with your TriForce to support these two, just in case." The girl requested her love to make sure that the Enforcers get enough help, since they are willing to help; it's still a good idea to have a backup plan.
"Alright, if you say so Twilight," Ben nods in seeing he can't get the mare out of this, so he may as well help Twilight out with her crazy plan.
"Can I help mommy?" Nyx asked her mother in wanting to help in some way.
"Sorry Nyx, but this spell is tricky & I need plenty of enhancement spells to help…but if I need a little boost, then jump right in. Kay?" Twilight spoke to her daughter that she needs more…experienced & strong users of magic, but if things get hard, a little boost from Nyx couldn't hurt.
"Okay, sounds fair." Nyx nods a bit in seeing that if she's needed, she'll offer some magic to help her mother out.
"Ready…here goes nothing!" Twilight made a serious face, as she gets into position with those standing by now.
Soon Twilight's horn was glowing with a lot of magical pinkish aura effect. Dumbledore & Bocolix also had their white & purple magical auras from their horns empowering Twilight's own. Even Ben Mare decided to just use his Triforce power as his Cutie Mark glow and stood near Twilight's side. The entire canyon mountain was glowing from this magical spell effect, leaving the others to watch in awe and wonder. Epesically when it's not every day….a pony tries to move a mountain. Course Twilight was shown having a hard time, her forehead was looking like she was struggling…So Nyx decided to change into her Battle Form as her Adult Self and just give Twilight some of her magical boost. No later did Tough, Spike, Phobos, and the rest soon see…the narrow crack was beginning to stretch, the spell was making the path wider for the opening. In fact, it was working too overly well that the mountain canyon was splitting its narrow path in two directions to the point where a whole herd or a giant could cross the wide path. But unknown to the group, the shaking quake they were doing caused a large boulder near the side break off in revealing a cavern cave that was almost like it was sealed. Once the quake-effect stopped, Twilight and all the other users of magic took a moment to have some moment to breathe easily.
"Hugh…hugh….did we do it?" Bocolix was slowly getting his bearings from using up so much magic in aiding in this assistance.
"Hope so…hugh….we can't mess this up." Dumbledore was also a bit out of it, if the two fail to aid, they'll have to answer to Boris when and 'if' they get back.
"Well you two did alright, you really tried hard." Ben smiled a bit in giving the two new Alicorns the gang have come to know some praise.
"Ah thanks." The Enforcers responded a bit happy and a bit bashful; it's the first time that as long as these two remember….being thanked for a job well done, and with a positive outlook in the atmosphere.
"Phew…Nyx, thanks for the aid. Though I thought I said when I needed a 'little' boost." Twilight sigh with relief before looking to her daughter, as Nyx return to her filly form, about giving the mare only a little bit if needed, instead, they might have over done it now.
"Well, I guess I don't know my own strength." Nyx smiled to shrug off her shoulders; she wanted to help, so perhaps like her mother, she didn't know how to figure out her own strength.
"Hugh; sounds familiar." Phobos responded in hearing what Nyx said, sounded like what Twilight spoke of earlier.
"Very familiar, yeah," Spike nods in agreement, those two are definitely like mother like daughter alright.
Tao and Jade appeared on a rock nearby, unknown to the group, and saw Twilight and her friends had opened the boulder path. The old pony gasps in alarm, "Aieeeyaaah! We're too late! They have opened its door!"
"You can still tell them to get out of there! After that, you can create the boulder and block the monster's way out." Jade suggests hopefully to her uncle.
"Jade, I told you before. I'm not allowed to interfere in mortal's affairs. This is the ponies' journey to evolve stronger and maturity. Once you opened the path, you have no choice but to face it, even the greatest threat of all."
"That's not fair!"
"I'm afraid it is, Jade. Twilight and her family must overcome the serpent beast." Tao said to his niece in regret.
The gang were amazed and mostly around the new princess, Twilight's magic has grown powerful enough to possibly help her split a large canyon mountain wall in half, to allow for travel up to almost a large number of creatures. Course, she needed some help from others, but Twilight seems to have be the one at the most work trying to focus on how to channel that much magical power.
"Whelp, let's git going now, onward 'ta…." Tough Apple was about to issue that they get moving now, but just then…."Hay wait, wha's wit' 'dat cavern there," The tough stallion issued off in noting something near yonder.
The others stop for a moment to gaze in seeing a strange cavern opening nearby and what was a destroyed boulder that sealed the place.
"Hugh, maybe this could have helped us get across." Dumbledore responded off in thinking that this was something to aid the group instead of the canyon path that the gang made.
"Yeah, somepony must've blocked it from us noticing." Bocolix issued how the group never knew another path was available and yet they went through the trouble of opening up a path.
"I'm not sure, judging from what was here, seem to insinuate that it was sealed not to keep us out…" Ben spoke from careful study that what was keeping this cavern from being know wasn't cause nopony was supposed to enter it….
"But to keep something in instead," Twilight finished the last parts Ben was gonna state, this cavern was meant to keep something in and not keep them out.
"But what," Spike asked off in what was even here that was meant to be sealed away.
"I think…we're about to meet him." Phobos spoke from looking at the cavern area with a worried look on his face that earn the others to….follow the gaze in the area itself.
-------------
The Demon Lords watch the fight from where they are at. Shendu grins as he said, "Now, my dearest pet, it is time to awaken from your slumber. Go forth, Mo Sie, feast upon them."
Tchang Zu said to Shendu sternly, "You better hope that snake of yours don't eat Nightmare Moon. We need her alive."
"If that beast can think carefully," Bai Tza remarks, knowing how Hydras tend to not think things through.
"Let the death battle begins!" Tso Lan roars evilly to prepare the fight.
-------------
"Grrruuarrrughhh…" Suddenly during the moment, a strange noise was heard from within the darken cavern, as some form of big…orange eyes like a lizard's was seen floating in the blackness. The gang outside the newly opened cavern stood there, unknowing about their situation. "STOOOOMPFRUVHMMMM…" Just then, a giant size claw stomped outside and dug deeply in the ground. "Hiissss…" Soon something was rising up with a hissing sound before the gang took notice of what was rising up and out of the sealed area in question. It look like a giant dark gray scale serpent-like monster that was…a one-headed Hydra.
"Um, g-g-g-g-g-guys," Tough Apple was speaking a bit gibberish at first while the rest of the group was trying to not lose themselves at what appeared. "Wha do ye call dat thing?" Tough Apple asked off in seeing the one-headed Hydra growling while it reached its long neck height up above them.
"In the words of my Aunt Pinkie Pie, TWO WORDS!" Nyx issued off in how to address the situation by a simple two words here.
"GRAAARRUUAARRRUGHHHHH-Aarrrrughhhh," The Hydra roared off while in the background, the dark clouds seem to flash, almost responding to the beast with lightning & tundra effect.
"AM SCRAY," Nyx screamed out what the heroes & Alicorns should do here and many couldn't have put that to better words.
"Aaaaahhhhhh," Phobos screamed out before he, Dumbledore, Bocolix, Ben & Twilight got into the cart.
"Giddy-up Justin, MAX," Tough Apple grab the liens to issue the MechBull start running, pronto.
"MRUUAARRUGHHHH," Justin heard the command and did not hesitate to start having the gang rush through the newly open pathway through the canyon mountain.
Of course, the Hydra beast of the End of Equestria hissed in seeing its first meal in so long. Soon the beast was starting to move off to chase after its prey, stomping across the ground. Ben Mare saw the foe, and from its size and long neck, even at the speed they are going, it could reach the group, so he pulled out his Master Sword.
"Hay, you're not thinking of fighting that thing?" Spike asked off if this Earth pony was nuts to try that type of thinking.
"Why not, it's only a Hydra with one head, right?" Ben responded off in seeing it's only a small threat, though not really small, but close enough.
"Ben listen, we don't even know what this creature is capable of!" Twilight protests that fighting a Hydra is unexpected since not a lot of them have truly fought such creatures.
"Don't we have one in Froggy Bottom Swamp with four heads?" Phobos rubbed his head to issue about them having a Hydra in their own neck of the woods.
"Yes, but there's no telling how dangerous they are considering no pony ever fought against one!" Twilight slightly nodded to say while issuing that the ponies don't have much about how truly dangerous a Hydra can be, anypony with sense just knows to stay far, far away from it.
"Then coach me while I keep this thing away from all of you and the cart." Ben issued before using his Triforce powers to hover off in flight to approach the chasing beast.
"Gruaarrughhh," The Hydra roared towards Ben for facing him with his bladed weapon, trying to keep it away.
"That's it, dance around him! Dance around him!" Phobos instructed Ben from behind the moving cart in seeing Ben trying to keep the beast at bay.
"Hruuaarrughh,” The Hydra head launched, but Ben duck away from the beast from almost chopping him to bits.
"Watch the teeth! Watch the teeth!" Dumbledore issued a warning in seeing Ben held his sword, keeping the Hydra back while watching out for them sharp teeth.
"Hrrughh," Ben swung his Master Sword that stroke the Hydra face across, almost hurting it a bit.
"Nice thrust, now lean to the left. Lean to your left." Bocolix responded in liking how well Ben was fighting here, just as the Hydra raise up its neck and then…
"Wrarrrrughhhh," The Hydra head roared to dive down, which Ben yelped to duck out of the way before the impact caused the pony to roll across the ground while the enemy bite the ground.
"Hugh…" Twilight & Nyx nearly gasp in seeing this with worry, enough to make Tough Apple cease their fleeing moment to watch what was gonna happen next.
"Ugh, we meant your other left." Phobos slapped his forehead to lie a bit down in exclaiming the other left, meaning Ben's right from their side view of the conflict.
"Are yew fellas trying 'ta confuse Ben on how 'ta fight or wha?" Tough Apple responded off in seeing this fighting was getting silly, too many different direction guiders.
"Don't worry, I'm okay!" Ben Mares poke from getting himself under control to stand up and held up his hooves to hold….nothing. "What the…?" During the whole rolling event, Ben must have released his sword and soon a stabbing noise is heard where the Master Sword got stuck near…a high canyon wall.
At the moment, the Hydra head growled to bite off the ground in gazing at Ben and raised itself upwards, "GRUAARRUGHAARRUGHHH!" The Hydra roared off loudly in its rise in preparing to attack again.
"Ben, get your sword!" Twilight shouted for her love to get his weapon to defend himself.
"But what about the Hydra," Nyx questioned how her father can retrieve his weapon with that beast after Ben
"Wait, how about we hit it with something?" Dumbledore spoke off in thinking of a plan that might be helpful.
"Yeah, maybe that might work!" Bocolix nods in agreement, that plan might be crazy enough to work.
Soon the Enforcers used their magic to break off a piece of rubble like a large spike to toss it at the beast. "CLUMPFRUVHMM…" Course nobody saw the Hydra ended up catching that attack inside its jaws to let off a hiss. "BREAKfruvhmm…" Then what came next to a shocker was seeing the monstrous giant bite off that rock like nothing. "Gruh-Heh-heh, Heh-heehh…." And what was even creepier was seeing the Hydra head chuckle off evilly in staring at such futile resistance.
"Whoops!" The Enforcers gulped big time in seeing that plan was a bust, especially when the large rock got eaten.
Both Jade and Tao watch the battle scene. The mare slaps herself at what the Enforcers did, groaning, "What are those pinheads doing?! Are they helping or killing him?"
"Aieeeyaaah; I had warned those two about the consequences that they faced." Tao groans a bit in annoyance.
"I'd only hope that they don't be Hydra chow."
No sooner did Ben Mare gone off to charge after his blade or so it seemed.
"RUARRRRGUHHH,” The Hydra beast roars to dive its head down to attack Ben.
Acting fast, Twilight cast a protective barrier around Ben as the stallion was soon seen trying to wrestle a Hydra…by the TEETH!
"Hang tight Ben, Ah'll shoot him!" Tough Apple hollered out before trying to aim with his rifle, but…
"No don't! You fire that near Twilight's ears and her concentration might break!" Spike waved off for the tough stallion to not fire his gun or fear that Twilight's concentration will be undone.
"But how else can Ben get free, get his sword and fight back?" Phobos questioned off how else can they help Ben fight against the one headed Hydra & get the Master Sword stuck in the wall.
Nyx suddenly got on her game face and transformed into her Battle Form, and took to the air.
"Naaughh…" Ben finally managed to outwrestle a Hydra head down to the ground, now all that was left was…
"Father…your sword," Nyx's voice was heard from above as she was soaring in her Battle Form while holding…the Master Sword.
"Nyx…" Ben & Twilight responded in surprise, their daughter was entering this and bringing back the sword for the Earth pony to fight with.
"Hisissss….." The Hydra head rose up, and came across the adult Nyx, but the girl hover where she was with her father's sword in hand, or hoof. But then from a sneaky stunt, the beast sent forth its tongue that grabbed Nyx's left leg.
"Wha…Waaaughh!" Adult Nyx yelped from when she was spun and thrown upwards into the air. "Waaaughh…" She let off a cry from feeling herself let go of the sword and the tongue, but saw where she & the Master Sword were heading, "Waaaaughhhh!" Battle Form Nyx cried out in horror, she flew to get the Master Sword before it would be lost in the beast's belly, but…
"CHOMP!" There was a sudden darkness from the shutting of teeth, and outside…. "Gulp," Outside, we see the Hydra swallow what was the morsel that was Nyx with a smile in satisfaction.
Everyone else nearby was horrified in seeing that sweat little filly was eaten. Tao yelps in alarm, "AIEEEYAAAH! What was Nyx's thinking?!"
"Is she crazy?! Is she trying to get eaten alive?!" Jade yelps in fright. "Boy, this is so not good. And I thought I would meet her in pony."
----------
"Shendu, you imbecile," Bai Tza snaps at Shendu angrily. Most of the Demon Lords were stunned or outraged at what happened to Nyx. She was eaten alive!
"You let your pet eat her!" Dai Gui remarks, preparing to come over and stomps Shendu to the ground right now for this outrage.
"We need her alive!" Tchang Zu screams out in anger.
"She's our weapon!" Xiao Fung complains a bit in disbelief. How will they conquer Equestria now?
"Boy, I guess that pet of yours is not exactly smart enough." Hsi Wu remarks with a laugh, making Shendu glares at him in annoyance.
"Did you tell it about your order?!" Po Kong asks Shendu in disbelief.
"What do you have to say?!" Tso Lan demands to Shendu angrily.
Shendu pauses as he speaks, "My apology. But still, once we get rid of the ponies, we'll get our Nightmare Moon out."
----------------------
"BURRRRRPPH," The Hydra head let off a loud burp from enjoying that little meal treat as it was licking it's lips.
"Nyxxxxxxxxx," Twilight screamed out her daughter's name, which unfortunately, caught the attention of the Hydra too.
"Arrrruauaarrughhh," The Hydra head roared out with the background of lightning & loud thunder noise to dive down to feast on the others.
Many were worried to see they were the next victims, but Twilight looked ready to go into an inferno of rage, Ben would about charge in fury too, but…
"Guuppvhmmm…." But then the Hydra head stop, lean upwards to suddenly look…weird; It was having an unusual feeling as it looked down at itself to ponder…what was wrong? Then from its neck, something was poking at it, but from the inside before….a sword swing cleaved it off and out came….Nyx's Battle Form wielding the Master Sword!
Everyone was so overly shock to see this, they almost forgotten about the cleaved Hydra head coming at them before they immediately moved out of the way. And soon the giant serpent body fell on the ground while Nyx landed on her feet, or hooves while seemingly looked kinda sticky.
"Alright; she's okay!" Tough Apple cheered in seeing the little mare, whose was a filly, got out of that one a-okay.
"Hey guys…that….that wasn't so bad, was it?" Nyx spoke from looking a little bit zoozy, as she soon was losing balance.
"I gotcha Nyx," Ben came near to catch Nyx from dropping from exhaustion, who could blame her after getting out from within the belly of a beast.
"Nyx-Nyx," Phobos and Spike came near the girl that has returned from such a moment and wanted to see how she was. "How many tails do you see me and Spike showing yah?" Phobos asked off while from Nyx's view, there were multiple images of tails.
"Ugh….six to twelve," Nyx responded a bit still woozy over just getting out from the beast's belly.
"Eh, close enough." Phobos shrugs off to say in seeing that Nyx will be fine.
"Oh Nyx; I was so worried!" Twilight came up to rest her head to Nyx's neck, expressing how much she was worried sick for the girl, "Don't ever do that again young lady!" Twilight stood up to give a strict tone towards the black pony about trying such a stunt; getting eaten is no laughing matter.
"Hehe, sorry, I couldn't let dad's sword get eaten and then him next. Besides…I think I did okay in busting out the gut of our problem." Nyx gave a little smile to respond to her mother to not worry as she was gonna be okay and she managed alright in defeating and getting her father's sword back.
"Let’s say those jokes for after we help clean you up." Ben assured to Nyx that they can kid around when this child has been scrubbed, especially from smelling like something died in a belly, which was mostly true.
"Boy, nopony will ever believe such a tale." Tough Apple shook his head in feeling this was something so outrageous, nobody is gonna believe them.
"Hey, I was almost eaten too, you know!" Phobos issued off to state about how he too was once nearly eaten alive.
"But you were never eaten." Spike issued off to make a point about Phobos was never actually eaten.
"You two, help me get my daughter to not smell like she was in the belly of the beast, okay." Twilight turn to the Enforcers that were still recovering from what happened in hearing this pony want them to help clean her daughter so she won't smell so bad.
"Roger!" Dumbledore & Bocolix responded without question, as some rain was beginning to fall around them; A perfect time to use magic to get rid of that awful smell off of Nyx's body before they could continue their journey.
Jade cheer on from her hiding spot, "Oh yeah! Nyx did it! She's the hero! She's the greatest. Twilight and her gang won the battle. Bo Yah!"
Tao however frowns as he interrupts Jade, saying, "I don't think it's over. They should not leave it alone."
"What are you talking about, Tao? The Hydra's dead!"
"No, it's the beginning."
-----------
The Demon Lords were relived, so to speak. Nyx is alive but the Hydra is dead...or so it seems.
"Well, at least Nightmare Moon is out of that Hydra." Hsi Wu remarks with a grunt as he sat in his chair.
"Indeed. Safe and sound," Po Kong said in agreement. For once, she and Hsi Wu agree on something.
"Shendu's pet is dead!" Tchang Zu complains in alarm. Their tactic has failed!
"It had failed us! The ponies are alive!" Dai Gui groans angrily.
Shendu smile before he chuckle. Xiao Fung, noticing, demands, "What is the meaning of this?"
Bai Tza, realizing what Shendu is chuckling for, smiles as she explains, "My brothers and sister, do you not realize of what pet Shendu possessed?"
Tso Lan explains, "This creature cannot be killed easily."
Shendu chuckles a bit, glancing at the portal while adding, "In fact, this is the beginning of ponies' demise."
---------------
At the moment when everyone was finally getting ready to set off on Justin the MechBull to travel through the canyon mountain…something unnatural was happening. The top hairs from the Hydra's body were moving, but it was not from the wind. And the next freaky thing was that it almost seems to move….like it's still alive.
"That…doesn't sound good." Dumbledore responded when the group stops to turn around with fearful eyes back at the defeated beast…what could this mean?
The headless body of the Hydra suddenly was moving to stand up, and something weird was forming on its severed neck. Something was trying to burst through some plastic wrapping form, one, no two, maybe three things. "GRUUARRGUH…Urrurrvhhmm….." Suddenly, like a lizard growing a new tail, this creature let off some cries before revealing it had three new Hydra Heads. "Grruavhmm…Urruvhmmm…." The new heads looked to the other with a smiling surprise before they set their sneaky little gazes on….the group below.
"Definitely not good," Bocolix responded in wide-eye surprise, the one Hydra became three, what a weird trip.
"Grruvhmmm…." Then Ben took charge to let the others get to the cart as he held back the three headed Hydra with his return Master Sword, "Graarrughhh!" Course, Ben had more than just his hooves being full, he was trying to keep a distance from the roaring beast.
"Mwrrruaughhh," Justin the MechBull was riding out like a fast bullet train as Tough Apple had everyone settle in to go after one more pony. And boy was Ben trying to get far from the attacking Hydra heads times three.
"Graarughh…Hrraughhh!" Before one of the heads almost bites off Ben, Twilight & Nyx reached from the cart that came near Ben Mare, and pulled the pony in while the beast missed its target.
"Thanks for the save guys," Ben thanked those that saved him in that tricky spot.
"You’re welcome," Nyx smiled in accepting her father's thanks for saving him.
"RUURARRRUGHHH," Soon the Hydra Heads were now stretching off to attack the gain running across the canyon mountain to get away, but not with this chaser on their tail.
"We gotta stop them things from eating us!" Phobos issued off about trying to stay alive from three Hydra heads wanting to eat them.
"Maybe we gotta try to chop off their heads again!" Dumbledore suggested a way to stop the beast from getting to them.
"Worth a shot, it stuns them before! Let’s do it!" Bocolix responded in thinking that plan could work; it can't grow more heads after that….right?
Soon the Enforcers fired off magical energize buzzsaws that severed off two of the Hydras heads.
"Yes!" Phobos cheered in seeing that the beast lost two and down to one, just get rid of the last head and it'll be okay….or so they thought.
"Gruuarrughhh," But then from one to two severed heads came another two to four more Hydra heads.
"No…" Spike responded with worry that the beast recovered quicker, and now had more heads then before.
"Quick! Keep attacking!" Phobos issued off to Dumbledore & Bocolix that made the two become panicky enough to not think, but do…just like they done as Boris' Stooges without careful considerations.
Now the gang had to watch out for more heads trying to attack them. "Grarrrughhhh…" The Enforcers were soon firing a bunch of magical cut type attacks to try to defeat the beast, but each time ended up making more heads come out.
"Guys, how's it go…in…back…there?" Tough Apple turn around to see how the situation of dealing with a Hydra while they were fleeing was going…and he was almost becoming as breathless as the rest.
Soon from a bunch of loud roaring noises, the group stared off in horror within this downpour of a stormy rain to see…that they ended up making an entire forest zone of Hydra heads. All of them where lashing, roaring, and making a lot of noises to move about and come close to wanting to attack the heroes, if the gang was like a mere ten, then they would be facing a hundred to a thousand Hydras.
Jade gasps, "Oh my Celestia! What were those two thinking?! Are they trying to get everypony killed!"
"Aieeeyaaah! That is not how to kill Hydra! That only create more complex and difficult!" Tao exclaims in annoyance and disbelief. Hoo boy!
"BY TARTARUS; WHA IS DAT!?" Tough Apple yelled out loud to reach the skies above, they've gone an entered a whole world's worth of a nightmare here.
"The one Hydra that became many!" Spike gulped with worry in seeing they've got one big enemy…with a lot of heads for an army.
"Ugh, nopony panic, we got this. Don't we?" Dumbledore slowly responded in trying to not get scared here as he turn to Bocolix in hoping they got this.
"Yes, we…just keep attacking and…" Bocolix slowly nods while looking concern, but maybe this beast can't make anymore and will fall if they continue, but….
"WILL YOU TWO FORGET THE HEAD SLICING THING," Twilight yelled out angrily at the Enforcers for trying to defeat the beast by chopping the head that's proving useless. "If you cut off one, it grows two to three, and how many did you try to cut from it?" From the stern princess, Dumbledore & Bocolix listen, but they and the others were unsure if they should even answer such a question when the answer…isn't good.
"Um….more than 50," Phobos slowly estimated a number of times they've done the chopping of heads, and if they grow two, three, four new heads, then they've made too many to deal with.
"Urrrugh…..it's no wonder it was sealed! Anypony that couldn't kill it by just getting the head and not the entire creature made their situation worst!" Twilight sighed to groan in seeing what's happened here, the Hydra will create more heads to attack any that managed to sever its neck, no wonder none could defeat it except by sealing this terrible beast away.
"So how can we stop this?" Nyx asked off in how they can stop something if chopping the neck is a no go.
"What about hitting all of it, the heads and the body, could that work Twilight?" Ben suggested an alternative attack plan, to harm the entire creature so that it can't recover, especially for more heads.
"To pull that off, we need a mountain to bring it down!" Twilight rolled her eyes in seeing that kinda plan needs to be very big to pull off.
"Then yew two use 'dis canyon, it's a mountain, right? So bring her down on 'dat thing!" Tough Apple shouted to point ahead for they are riding through a canyon mountain while trying to escape a monster behind them.
"Okay, Ben, help me out….if I could break a boulder by accident, then maybe I can help bring a mountain down with a good enough impact." Twilight sighed to see that this crazy plan is better than no plan and will need her love to help defend her to pull off such a stunt.
"Don't worry Twilight; no Hydra will make a meal of you, me, or our friends & family." Ben spoke to hold his sword; he won't let Twilight or those he care for be a meal.
Soon Ben and Twilight flew off and into the skies where the heads started to attack. Two Hydras collided against another, leaving them daze.
"That worked out pretty….Gaugh!" As Ben was about to respond, he and Twilight got attack by a head butt from one head that knock them off balance.
"Waaaughhh…" Soon the scene shows Twilight & Ben falling town into a jungle of Hydra Heads, and boy that would not look good for anyone. The beasts' multiple heads soon dive into its own nest to go after its new targets.
"Ben, I don't think we covered this as part of the plan! AAAAAAHHH…" Twilight was shouting and screaming from going through what might be some scary thrill ride through a few loops of the beast's neck line.
Coming near the end was another Hydra Head waiting to eat the two ponies. Course one other Hydra bite that one's neck by mistake which launched the two ponies off that side into the air-space of a Hydra jungle neck zone. From a few maneuvers, Twilight & Ben managed to watch for grasping tongues to avoid getting eaten to finally pop out of the jungle of Hydra heads outside where it was raining and came near the mountain side of the canyon.
"Gaugh…" Ben and Twilight grasp around the edges of the rocky gorge, just before falling down… "Powfruvhmmm…." Course the situation became worst off when the two ponies were within the grasp grip of the terrifying beastly foe.
"Hisisisss…." The large amount of Hydra Heads hiss in gathering around where they caught their prey with no chance of escaping.
"They're trapped!" Spike yelped in seeing what was happening to Twilight and Ben.
"Let's go! They need us!" Tough issued to the group, as he got his gun to prepare to fight now.
"Wait, what about their plan?" Bocolix held up his hooves to stop anyone from going, they haven't let Twilight & Ben's plan to bring a mountain down get done yet.
"Yeah, they said they know what to do!" Dumbledore nods in agreement, the group should at least wait until it was clear that the beast can't be a trouble to them.
"But they might not pull it off in time!" Nyx issued this to the Enforcers of the Hydra holding their friends as they all felt worry if the gang can make it through this at all.
"Bad day," Jade said to Tao in worry. The Hydra is about to finish Twilight and Ben off! "This is so not good! Tao! You've gotta help them! Rules or not, Twilight and Ben won't survive the attack for few seconds!"
"Even if I did use five elements, I would risk the lives of Twilight and Ben. It must be her and young Ben to overcome that battle." Tao explains to Jade grimly. It's up to Twilight and Ben to destroy that monster now.
----------
"Wow; this is the best gladiatorial combat I ever seen!" Hsi Wu cheers wildly. He loves seeing his enemies get mauled to death like this!
"By looking at the Hydra's hungry look on ponies, makes me hungry." Po Kong commented, licking her lips a bit.
Tchang Zu chuckles, "I admit it, Shendu. That is amazing."
"The end of ponies has come!" Dai Gui remarks in glee.
"It is pitiful to see our greatest enemy to fall before our pet." Xiao Fung comments in agreement at this.
"You have done well, Shendu. But it is pitiful to see Ben Mare to fall to its death." Bai Tza remarks with a slight chuckle.
"It doesn't matter. Our least concern is to weaken the Elements of Harmony and Equestria is completely defenseless." Tso Lan points out to the fellow siblings. "Or perhaps, this is my chance to convince Nightmare Moon to surrender."
"I am pleased of it, my brothers and sisters." Shendu remarks in glee as he watch the Hydra preparing for the final attack. "Do you know what is the most favorite part of the game; Sudden death."
The Demon Lords roars out at once, "Death to Ponies!"
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As the fight is about to be drawn to a close, Tso Lan contacted Nyx through psychic. They both speak in minds as the Demon Lord order, 'If you truly want your family alive, you must surrender to me.'
'Who are you?! You're not the same voice who helps us banish the Demon Lords!' Nyx thought frantically, knowing that this voice isn't the one who helped him get rid of the Demon Lords before!
'No questions! Listen carefully, my child. If you want them live, surrender to me and be Nightmare Moon eternally. One word could save them from being devoured by Hydra.'
'Never! I won't become Nightmare Moon!'
Tso Lan chuckles as he continues, 'So be it. You'll regret the decision you had made, Nightmare Moon. Say goodbye to your false family. Death is upon them.'
'Nooooooooooo,' Nyx thoughts in horror as she watch the scene unfolds.
"Ruasssisisisihhh…" Soon all of the Hydra heads were rising up high into the stormy skies to prepare to attack all at once.
"Hugh…." Twilight & Ben gasped in seeing the beast will attack and almost kill them here.
At this moment, Twilight looked up to notice above was….a large edge of the mountain that flash from lightning behind it.
"Ben, hang on…this might be rough!" Twilight looked back from her love to the beast, knowing that this move has to work or they're finished.
"Considering our options, I'll go along." Ben issued in feeling that he'll take such chances then to give up here.
"RUUAARRRRUGHHH," Soon all of the Hydras were diving down at once to eat nothing left of the pony preys.
"NOVA PUNCH," Twilight shouted from using her magic to make a glowing supernova charge glow over her front hooves, and she was performing it on both. "Powwwfruvhmmm…." Twilight delivered a strong force impact from her front hooves directly into the bedrock of the mountain, like a supernova going off to impede around it. The force was cracking itself all the way up towards the top of the mountain above them.
"Gruuaarrughhh…" At the moment, the Hydra heads cease about to attack to notice with wide gaping eyes…what the princess has gone and done. This might be bad for them.
No sooner did an entire rubble from above create a mountain landslide of boulders falling towards where the struggle was. And the shock Hydras were caught off guard to get smack downwards, and even Ben & Twilight brace themselves for this. For soon a large amount of the mountain was raining down, burying the Hydra's body and trapping the heads under tons of heavy gravel until all of them were completely buried. From a flash of lightning, showed the Hydra's one claw rise up in a grip, to fall down on the ground, completely down and defeated.
Everyone else however was very shocked in seeing this feat be done. A large mountain landslide had fallen to bury the terrible beast from doing them harm, but what about those that were still endangered; Twilight Sparkle & Ben Mare. Where were they?
"Twilight…Ben…" Spike slowly spoke in fear of not believing this was even true now.
"Mommy…Daddy…" Nyx called out the names of her folks, they aren't…they couldn't be…
"They're….finished. Oh, what a world,” Phobos responded while groaning in agony over what's happened here.
"Darn good-fer-nothing serpent! If yew weren't dead, Ah mangle ya myself!" Tough Apple snapped off against the dead Hydra buried, he's lucky, but the tough stallion wish he beat the living day lights out of the creature for what it's done.
"Oh no, we know who won't like this news back home." Dumbledore yelped to look to Bocolix, when the news of Twilight dying in this place reaches home, a lot of folks won't be too happy to hear this.
"In more ways than one, we're dead meat if we show up with this to tell!" Bocolix nodded in agreement, if he and Dumbledore return to Safe Haven, they'll be as good as dead when Boris learns that they failed to keep Twilight safe & brought back alive.
"Aieeeyaaah; It can't be. This is not what I foreseen." Tao gasps frantically. Ben and Twilight appears to be gone forever!
"I told you! I really did. But what can you do?" Jade ask Tao in concern. "You couldn't break the Mystic Rules. We're forbidden to interfere and help mortal's affairs. We're only guiding them to seek the answers."
"No Jade. I should have helped them instead of waiting. This is my grievous mistake."
---------------------
Although the Hydra is dead, the Demon Lords appear to be celebrating. Po Kong brought out pots of greenish sludge, calling out, "Who wants Sludge Meat?! Come and get it!"
"Give me some!" Hsi Wu laughs as he took a pot. "Boy, not what we expect for, but worth it."
Dai Gui chuckled, "Victory is ours."
Xiao Fung chuckles in agreement, "Revenge is ours!"
"Today, Nightmare Moon joined our side, tomorrow, Equestria is ours to control, along with our allies!" Tchang Zu boasts madly. Nyx has to join the Demon Lord after having nothing left to stay good for, right?
"Indeed. I'm truly sorry to see your pet's death. It had served us well." Bai Tza said, expressing her condolences for Shendu's loss.
Shendu doesn't seem upset. Instead, he said, "It matters not, my dear sister. Sacrifice requires victory. Thus, it did."
"My brothers and sisters, today is an excellent day. The enemy had fallen before us. Victory is upon us! First, a toast! To our freedom and empire," Tso Lan exclaims as he held up a pot to make a toast.
The other Demon Lords follow as they all cheers out, "To our freedom and empire!" The Demon Lords ate their Sludge Meats; Looks like victory is theirs at last.
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Jade however isn't about to take this sitting down. She pleads to Tao, "Tao! I know you can't break the rules. But if the Hydra eats the rest and the Demon Lords captured Nyx to make her Nightmare Moon, the future of Equestria will be over! Please, you've gotta help them!"
Tao nodded, saying in agreement, “I will, Jade. I cannot let their vain be nothing. If only I could have talk with Ben about his true origin, and so as Twilight about her brother. If they had, at least they would be pleased of it. But I must not let the enemy be victorious!"
"Go Tao!"
Tao made the cards appeared as he began to chant his spells. The cards continued to spin around him as they glowed in bright white light.
Suddenly at this time, a noise was heard from the grip claw of the fallen Hydra, this at first signals everyone's attention of what was happening now.
"Oh no…" Phobos yelped in seeing this act, not good, not good at all.
"It's still alive!" Spike responded in thinking the beast was not dead yet.
"Everypony, stay ready…." Tough instructed the group, the remaining ones can't let their friends sacrifices be wasted, they'll end this here and now to complete the journey to save the Apples' Farm, it's what Twilight & Ben wanted.
But soon an answer came that nobody ever thought they see if the Hydra was truly alive or not, from within the claw were creatures that pushed it open to reveal….Twilight & Ben. They've managed to push themselves free from within that beast's grip and survive the landslide. The Demon Lords watching from the Realm of Demons also saw the events in surprise.
At this moment, there was a large cheering from the rest of the gang for joy that their friends were safe. As Twilight step out with Ben helping her, the rain had soon stopped and the sun was shining down near their spot. The two gave a wave of saying 'hello' as if a ray of hope was lighting what these two have performed before getting surrounded by their travel friends in sheer joy & relief.
"Heh, you know Twilight, I gotta admit….that was pretty heroic." Ben spoke from almost feeling a bit drain, but felt happy that they gotten out of that jam in such a way…it was pretty cool how Twilight performed that.
"Ahah, a little something I whipped up,…in case Boris got any funny ideas." Twilight chuckled a bit in almost feeling bashful by what Ben said, since she developed that move for not only for defensive needs….but to smack an evil jerk if he should ever come between her again.
"Ouch, I hate to be in front of that one." Ben smiled to make a little joke in feeling terrible to get hit by Twilight's new technique, if it could crack a mountain, imagine how painful it be in the face…especially for any enemy.
"You did it Mommy! You and daddy did it!" Nyx came up to hug her parents in seeing that they've defeated the Hydra.
"Yeah, you won by a landslide!" Spike jumped up and down to celebrate the matter of their victory.
"Literally even and boy will that be hard to top when folks hear this tale!" Phobos spoke off to issue how lots of folks back home will find this hard to believe, Twilight Sparkle brought down a mountain to defeat the terrible Hydra at the End of Equestria.
Soon the pets were flying and running around the ponies that won in joy, making Twilight & Ben giggle at this little display of happiness.
"Phewwww, we didn't mess up after all." Bocolix sighed with relief in seeing that Twilight was okay and safe.
"Yeah, now let’s just keep this up and we won't be in trouble." Dumbledore nods in agreeing to his pal there, they were asked to make sure Twilight returns alive or face the angry wrath of Boris the Red Devil.
"Come on everypony, lets git outta here an' find a place 'ta rest an' recover our strength. Ah'm as hungry as a…." Tough Apple was issuing what they best be doing now, get moving and rest up somewhere and that he's hungry, like the beast they just beat.
"I think we get it Tough, and believe us, we don't want somepony as hungry as a Hydra." Twilight beat Tough to the punch in knowing what he was getting to, after that much effort, they all may feel tired and hungry about now.
"Especially when we just survived almost being eaten," Ben rhetorically stated how they all managed to survive a Hydra that wanted to eat them whole.
"Yep, me especially," Nyx nods with a cheery attitude while returning to her original child-like size.
"You especially Nyx, and I'm glad for it." Twilight playful mess her daughter's mane in knowing that what happened in the past with the Hydra eating Nyx before she got out in the weirdest of way, stays in the past of their memory.
The group smiled before they each were slowly turning about to return to the cart where Justin and Rabbitchu awaited them.
Jade cheers on excitedly, "They made it! They're alive! Yes! Woo-hoo! Go Twilight! Go Ben! They're the greatest! They're the best couple!"
"Yes! They did it. I'm glad that they're alive, so I can give them piece of my mind for scaring me!" Tao said in relief, making a point to snap at his friends for almost giving him a heart attack.
Jade smiled, saying, "I think they will, Tao. They will. So what are you going to do now?"
"Set a lunch for them. As for you, go back to the Mystic Realm and ask Dragon Kick and my apprentice, Mighty Heart of how the events of Ponyville and protection spell are going."
"No fair. I want to meet them in pony! They're my heroes, especially Nyx. She's the coolest heroine I ever heard of. I really want to meet them."
"You will, Jade, when this journey is over." Tao promises Jade gently.
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"UNBELIEVABLE," Shendu roars as he smashes his pot and the others' own pots in fury before knocking the table over. "This is unacceptable! How could my pet and plan failed!"
Shendu blasted fire breathing up high and roared loudly. Demon Lords glared at their enemies, including Tso Lan. He mumbles to himself, "My dearest child, you should have surrender to me when your false family have died, either you're stubborn or a fool."
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During the fallen rubble of rocks over the sight where the group had managed to bury the Hydra, something seem to move. And from a tiny dark opening was a hole where one head was seen. But soon it opened its eyes out of the hole to spot one of the heroes closest while the others were getting their cart & MechBull ready to depart the area. "Hiissssiissshhh…" The only surviving Hydra-creature head glared and made a low hiss sound, there was no way it would die out without taking someone with it. "KAPOWVH…" Then without another moment, the nearby rubble of stones was shot off from where the rest still buried the defeated beast.
"Hugh?" Spike looked back to see that something off was happening.
"What the…?" Phobos asked off lost, just what was going on now while a dust cloud block their view.
"GRUAARRRRUGHHH-Aaahhhhhh," Suddenly, a surviving Hydra head lashed out its long neck from the rubble to attack...
"Twilight," Ben Mare shouted in seeing pass the dust cloud to see…his love in danger.
"Huugh," Twilight suddenly turn around while letting off a gasp at what was…coming from behind.
"GRARRRRGUHHH…" The Hydra head screeched out before almost about to have a tasty pony morsel.
"Shadow Grasp," A silent voice spoke off from afar with a commanding tone that sounded…thrustful.
Then the entire scene froze in a gray coloring, as it almost looked like the Hydra was about to eat Twilight…until the color return and something else began to unfold.
"Hisss...Eesisishh…Urraarrugh…" The Hydra head was acting strange, almost like it couldn't…breathe. "Gruuaarrugh…Arrugh…." It made some last moment resistant urges that even left the others watching this in confusion. "Klumpfrvuhmm…." Then the head dropped on the ground, the eyes shut from becoming unconscious; now the Hydra of the End of Equestria was truly down for the count; But how?
Twilight stared what almost seem like forever, what just happened that a survived Hydra head just….suddenly stops and drops in a lost to not support its weight to lift itself up. But when the new princess looked closely at the neck, a sign of it was being strangled, but it did not seem like anything was on the neck, as if by an invisible force…or was it? Closer examination by Twilight's careful eye spotted something a miss….and it was a shadow. There appeared to be a shadow line on the ground, touching the neck of the beast, and thus explains that what attacked the Hydra head was not invisible, but a shadow.
"This is….Shadow Magic. But how….?" While Twilight was baffled in seeing this form of magic, but question remain; who was the caster of such spells?
At the moment, Twilight's eyes saw from pass the dust cloud, where the shadow line was slowly withdrawing towards…its user. Of course, the user was well hidden behind some large shadows overshadowing the area, so the only thing Twilight could see was…some features. It was of a grown unicorn stallion, seems to be very well fit for the body, wore clothing, but the shadows covering over the darkness hid much, and even from the mask over…the eyes. Somehow, Twilight seeing those strange eyes that seem…blank, empty, yet…something about them click in her mind.
"Who…are you?" As Twilight was asking the stranger, he was slipping into the dark shadows to fade away. "Wait!" The girl cried out, as she came a bit closer to find…nothing. There was no pony but of a wall cover with much shadow, yet how was it there was no one here when Twilight was sure there was? Was this some bizarre form of magic?
"Twilight," Ben's voice snapped Twilight back into her reality of her situation. "Twilight, you okay?" Ben asked to approach his love with concern over the Hydra's sneak attack.
"Yes, I'm okay." Twilight slowly nods in assuring she's fine while the others gather around.
"Well golly, ye sure stop this beast fro' biting ya neck." Tough Apple spoke in noticing the fallen Hydra head that broke out of the rubble.
"It wasn't me…there was another pony hidden in the shadows!" Twilight shook her head with a serious expression in stating this job wasn't done by her, but by another.
"A pony in the shadows; Hugh, why does it feel like that happened during the party when we stopped Lorcan's invasion," Nyx responded off a bit pondered in wondering if something about hearing this rang a bell when there was some strange presence at a party they had for Spike when Lorcan was defeated.
"Was it a cannibal that could use magic?" Ben asked Twilight if the strange pony in question was another cannibal that they've seen since entering the End of Equestria wish the group must've missed.
"No, this one seemed different; I couldn't see much of him in the shadows but…" Twilight shook her head from knowing for a fact, that pony was no mere cannibal, he was…much more than even a random pony that got lost in the End of Equestria. "He single-handedly stopped that last Hydra head by strangling it into submission into an unconscious state…with Shadow Magic!" The girl explained out what she could recognize under that tiny moment, even by a small degree that it seem unlike, no mistake in what 'type' of magic she saw being performed.
"Shadow Magic; What's that?" Phobos asked off in not even knowing what kinda weird magic that is connecting it more towards something involving shadows.
"A very strange magic that entails the manipulation of shadows from both the user & others as a weapon arsenal along with techniques, that one would have to be very intelligent to pull off such stunts." Twilight explained that the very basic of Shadow Magic involves controlling shadows to manipulate their form, even from objects around to living creatures. "For such use of magic, one can even blend in with a shadow, travel by shadow and sneak up to anypony with such a silent approach, you never knew that they were there at all." The girl explained the very context of how such magic works for those that can be so sneaky, you never know where it'll come from.
"Wooh, sounds pretty cool, and pretty scary when you say it like that Twilight." Spike responded in almost being dumbstruck to know this, and at the same time, feel a little worry about such magic existing.
"Yah, 'dat sounds like some freaky stuff fer an enemy 'ta pull on us." Tough Apple nods in issuing how such an unnatural type of magic might be something a serious foe would try to pull on them from out of nowhere.
"But then who would help save Twilight? There shouldn't be any pony else besides the former cannibals, so who would this new guy be?" Ben Mare questioned this concerning fact, who would save Twilight if the enemy knew her journey was to save the Apple's Farm, and with the cannibals now cure of being insane, were there actually any other residences here in the End of Equestria that they don't know of?
"How about we just save this chat for later, cause unless that Hydra thing is dead, it could break free and try to kill us?" Phobos interrupted this moment to say they best save the chat later cause if they don't, the fallen Hydra may wake to have a sneak attack…namely on the gang.
"Okay, we're all in agreement, what's important is that no pony, and Twilight especially, is hurt." Ben nods in feeling that as long as they are all okay; they can chat about such a subject later. "Hugh, let’s just hope we'll make it through to rest somewhere safe before continuing our journey." He sighs to see that after getting by another day's worth of traveling in the End of Equestria, to now surviving a terrible Hydra issue; they may all be tired out & in need of rest.
"Great idea daddy; let's hurry up to the cart!" Nyx nods with a smile in agreeing with her father.
As they were leaving the scene of the rubble and loose Hydra head, Twilight seemed to not pick up enough pace to keep up with the others. Her mind was too focus on that new pony that helped her out, just seeing him caused a weird…emotion, like she knows him, but yet doesn't…which is it?
"Twilight…you okay?" Ben's voice broke Twilight's daydream moment to return to reality here.
"I can't help but feel something strange about that mask pony in shadow….like I've known him from somewhere. But where," Twilight responded to Ben with her mind very distracted over what happened, she doesn't know who saved her, but why does she feel like she knows the stallion, her brain being the logical part says she has no memory of the character, so why?
Ben could see Twilight was very distracted with concern worries, but then an idea came to him that made him smile; he knows how to fix the mood.
"Well so long as it's not Boris trying to be dashing for you to fall for a mask ploy just to get you to fall in love with him, I'll be fine then." Ben responded off with a kidder smile to tap Twilight's shoulder in issuing that his love better hope the savior isn't the jerk they know, or Twilight will feel almost like she's fallen for the wrong pony.
"Oh you," Twilight smirked to look back at what Ben was pulling to deliver a more hoof punch on Ben's shoulder to which he didn't mind to much. "I wouldn't fall for Boris even if he wore a nice getup disguise; I could tell by his eyes and yours…which of them is the pony that I love," The girl issued to her love about knowing there was one pony she love, and it wasn't from the school bully jerk the two know.
"That's all I wanted to hear." Ben smiled in seeing the Twilight he knows and loves get out of her stump state.
"And you were making such a comment, why…" Twilight raised an eyebrow in pondering why Ben even tried such a strange tactic on her.
"Just as Flash Sentry pulled one over me to get me to see pass my doubtful mistakes, I had to snap you back." Ben explained that this was a tactic maneuver his Pal Flash Sentry once used on him to overcome his troubles which include to get under a pony's skin, "That, and I just wanted to mess with you." Ben made a sly smile before turning away for a moment to walk off after saying this with a playful tone.
"Ohho, so that's it? Well get ready, cause I'll show you something just as scary as a Hydra!" Twilight made a sarcastic comment in staring at Ben with a 'Oh yeah' challenge expression along with a 'We'll see about that' face in what she'll show this pony to kid around with her, a princess on a journey.
"I better be protective then!" Ben made a quoted comment while he looked back to continue to feel cocky.
"Oh you better be!" Twilight made a sly smile in feeling she'll get Ben back for this little playful stunt, she'll play some funny joke on him next.
"Hay lovy-dubbes; Get yer flanks in gear!" Tough Apple called back to the two lover ponies trying to snatch each other with their hidden words of emotion, the rest are ready to go here.
"Mwurrarurghhh," Justin the MechBull made a loud call out while Rabbitchu sat on it's back, resting, but the machines & everyone were set and ready to go.
Soon Twilight & Ben join the others in the cart before their MechBull was pulling the cart on a more easy going, especially since nothing was chasing them now. But once the gang was away, a sudden large boulder rock fell on the last Hydra head, burring it completely. We see a strange shadowy large finger claw that was grasping lots of large boulders to drop them around the buried Hydra body. Once that was over, the shadow claw was shrinking back down before disappearing within a shadow…of its user revealed to be: The Equestrian Eliminator.
"From the Shadow Claw's use to lift & grab heavy objects like paperweights to drop them around here, now this beast will stay put." The Equestrian Eliminator issued of what move he used that will 'keep' the Hydra from ever escaping again to wreak havoc on anyone that comes here, just as he stared at where the others went. "You were lucky that I was ordered to watch your progress, as for saving your life, you may lose it further ahead; Twilight Sparkle." This guy was issuing that 'he' somehow helped save Twilight, but from the sounds, he just did it as a 'whim' moment to watch how far the new princess can last surviving this backyard of Tartarus. "For unless you escape soon, more tougher creatures will appear, and the question will remain…can you defeat them while accomplishing your objective?" Number 13 was truly puzzled in how far Twilight & her party would step further into danger growing worst by the moment, and if they don't leave soon, their lives will be over. "I guess we'll have to watch such progress from the shadows to learn it." With that last stuff said, this pony begins to sink into the shadows below before vanishing from sight.
Of course, his presence didn't go unknown: Tao spots him vanishing, causing the old pony to speak out, "Starlight. So, he had come as I expected."
"Wait, Twilight's younger brother? He saved her. I guess he remember everything." Jade said in amazement.
"No Jade. He has not. He is still observing and learning his sister's ways."
"Can't you talk with him or something? He can't serve that no good elf!"
"I could. But only he must do it. Starlight must leave Grimmore and helped his sister for the greater good or darkness triumph." Tao explains seriously to Jade of what the Equestrian Eliminator AKA possibly Starlight must do on his own. "If he truly wishes to learn his true origin, I'm honored to tell him."
"Why do we have to keep secrets? It's like hurting them!" Jade complains to Tao. The more we wait, the more problems coming to us! Like what you did for Ben."
"There isn't a way to remove the curse on him from my foe. My small and pure light is the only way to save him by his true love. I believe his true mother and father would think of that too."
"So unfair."
Everything that's happening will just keep pushing Twilight Sparkle further to step up her game and Number 13 is watching of how far such a progress can go. For now Twilight has obtain a small handful of ingredients, but there is still much more to overcome, it's more than anything…the traveling pony party is about halfway through the End of Equestria. What other horrors still lie in wait for them….is a mystery.
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"Although my most powerful pet is dead, I have yet begun the fight." Shendu explains to his fellow Demons calmly. "When I meet Ben Mare, I shall tear him apart."
"It does not matter. Since you had lost your pet, who shall be the one to take care of these fools, unless you had knowledge of getting rid of them?" Tso Lan ask Shendu who didn't speak to give out an idea.
Tchang Zu soon spoke up, "I have."
Hsi Wu rolls his eyes as he remarks sarcastically, "So, let me guess. Start a fight with ponies? That's what you and Dai Gui good at." Tchang Zu glared at Hsi Wu who gave an uneasy smile and chuckle, "Carry out, Tchang Zu."
"Why must I fight when I can weaken them?"
"How are you going to do that?" Po Kong ask Hsi Wu suspiciously.
"Let the heroes fight among each other." Tchang Zu explains calmly to the fellow Demons.
Xiao Fung skeptically remarks, "I doubt that would work on them."
"Not them themselves; The Grundles. They will do anything to protect their home, and even at the cost of their lives."
"They have been extinct since the invasion of those worthless witches and Smoozes and disappeared since the arrival of Discord." Bai Tza said in bewilderment. "How is it possible that they're still alive?"
"Where will you find them?" Dai Gui ask Tchang Zu. How is it that his fellow Demon knows where the Grundles were all these years?
Tchang Zu smirked as he explains, "The goblin found them few months ago. This is where my plan unfolds."
"Do it, Tchang Zu." Tso Lan orders Tchang Zu sternly. Tchang Zu opened the portal to the goblin who is waiting for his master.
"Goblin, have you heard 'Grundles'?" Tchang Zu ask. The goblin nodded his head. "Good. Here's what I want you to do before you go and seek them."
Tchang Zu smirked evilly. This is going to be a good plan indeed...