//------------------------------// // Glass Crystal Fangs // Story: Equestria's Warriors of Light and Dark // by Wildcard25 //------------------------------// One night in Ponyville, the full moon shined down upon the town and the rest of the land. At the residence of Dustin and Alistair, both boys were asleep until they were suddenly floating up from their beds and saw each other, "Hey Alistair, what's going on?" Dustin asked in confusion. "I don't know we're flying, but we're not doing it." Alistair replied as the window opened up and the boys were flying for it. As they flew past their coat rack they grabbed their jackets and put them on. Fievel who woke up from the sound of their shouts saw them flying for the window. "Hey where are you going?!" the mouse called. "We don't know!" they cried, as they were pulled out through the window. Soon they were flying above the clouds seeing an armada of fillies and colts from all three types of ponies, "How're non pegasi flying?" Alistair asked Dustin who was just as confused as the dark warrior was. "How nice of you to join us tonight, Dustin Bowers and Alistair Savage." A familiar voice said, as Princess Luna appeared before them as they flew. "Princess Luna, what gives?" Alistair asked. "This is a tradition I have begun in remembrance to something I did long ago." The princess of the night began. "And that is?" Dustin asked. Luna sighed and explained to them, "Over a thousand years ago when my sister and I first defeated Discord the land was still in ruins from his chaos." "I can imagine what it was like." Alistair replied. Luna nodded and continued, "It was then I formed an idea that we should start a new colonization with ponies selected by my choosing. But my sister forbade it feeling that such an action could shatter the broken kingdom even more. In response I decided to take matters into my own hooves. One night I set out into Equestria bringing forth orphan fillies and colts to another land far away." "Whoa." Dustin gasped. "You kidnapped orphans in the night?" Alistair asked. "I only wanted to bring them happiness. They followed me and raised themselves in the other land calling themselves my Children of the Night. That act was one of my many actions that would eventually lead me into becoming Nightmare Moon." Luna sighed. "Whatever happened to them?" Dustin asked referring to the fillies. "They grew up as young ones are meant to. Some had children that would learn the teachings as children of the night and there's and so forth. I believe it is what my sister called the gypsy ponies." The princess explained. "Gypsy ponies?" the boys asked and she nodded. "And now in memory I set out this very night bringing fillies and colts all over Equestria on a nightly fly as if I were once again bringing forth my children of the night. Seeing as how you boys are still young you also qualify to partake in this tradition." Dustin noticed the young fillies and colts were enjoying the flight, "Well they look like they're having fun." Alistair turned to Luna in worry, "You're not going to drop us all off in another land are you?" Luna could only chuckle in amusement, "Of course not. I shall return the children to their beds once the dawn approaches." Alistair sighed in relief. "I got to say Luna, this is one swell tradition you came up with." Dustin admitted. "I thank you, Dustin Bowers." Alistair looked over seeing the CMC flying around and having fun while flying through the clouds, "Hey there are Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo!" Dustin looked in another direction and smirked, "Hey Alistair, check it out." he motioned to Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon who were flying upside down unable to control themselves. "Ha! Serves them right" Alistair said to his pal. "Yeah-yuh!" they fist bumped as Luna moved up for the front humming a tune to herself. "You hear that?" Alistair asked. "Yeah. It sounds beautiful." Dustin admitted as they flew to the rhythm with the other ponies. Alistair saw the two Ponyville filly snobs were still unable to fly right and were still upside down. He smirked and flew above them smirking, while they had no choice but to look up at him, "Not so easy is it, girls?" "Oh shut up." D.T scoffed. "Hey attitude like that won't improve on flight." Alistair chuckled, as he flew on ahead with Dustin as they joined the CMC. "Hey girls!" Dustin called. "Dustin! Alistair!" Applebloom called. "You guys are partaking in this flight too?" Scootaloo asked. "Yeah, lucky us." Alistair said. "This is so much fun!" Sweetie Belle cheered, as she flew through a cloud. "We do this every day. Now you really know how we feel." Dustin said, as he did a corkscrew spin through some clouds. "Hey guys!" another voice called, as Babs flew up to them signaling they were already passing over Manehattan. "Babs!" the three Ponyville fillies cheered as the four flew together. "Nice of you to join us!" Alistair called as the boys flew with them. "What's going on?" Babs asked in shock. "Princess Luna says this is a new tradition she's started for fillies and colts that happens this night every year from now on." Sweetie Bell explained. "Where she takes us all for a fly through the skies of Equestria!" Applebloom cheered. "Neato!" Babs called. So Luna continued flying through the skies picking up more children to join them. As more joined them Dustin and Alistair were racing each other through the skies, while not passing up Luna who was meant to lead them. When they covered all of Equestria they were all being lowered back through their bedroom windows and into their beds once again. Soon they were flying above Ponyville again and the three CMC were being put back to their respective homes while Dustin and Alistair hovered above their home with Luna, "Thanks for the great night fly, Luna." Dustin thanked her. "You're very welcome." Luna replied, and suddenly found herself embraced by the two boys. "We hope this new tradition makes more kids happy with the years to come." Alistair said, as he embraced the alicorn princess of the night. Luna smiled and returned the embrace to the boys, "I hope so too." "Goodnight, Luna." The boys bid her a goodnight. "Goodnight, boys." Luna replied, as the boys were lowered back through their window and watched as Luna flew onward to return the other kids. Dustin turned to his friend, "This was some night huh?" "For real," Alistair let out a yawn, "Well night, Dustin." "Night, Alistair." Dustin replied as the two returned to their rooms. Meanwhile up by Neighagra Falls, Pythor and the Serpentine were going up to it, "According to the map, the Crystal Fang is supposed to be behind these falls." Pythor explained to the snakes. "Then we better hurry and get it before others try to." Skales suggested, as the group moved in behind the falls seeing a cave was behind the falling waters. They followed the caves path until Pythor stopped them, "Why're we stopping, Pythor?" Fangtom asked. Pythor touched the ground below them leading up ahead resulting in a part of the floor caving in save for a small path, "What good is reclaiming the Orochi Sword if we're not there to do it?" Pythor asked and motioned to a Venomari soldier, "You! Continue on the trail and retrieve the Crystal Fang!" "Yes, Pythor!" the soldier nodded as he stepped lively across the small path against the wall of the cave. The snake started triggering more booby traps that it just kept ducking and dodging fearing for its life, until he reached the end of the cave seeing a pedestal on top of some rocks. He ran up to it but saw no trace of the Crystal Fang, "It's gone!" he called out to Pythor and the others. "It's gone?!" Pythor gasped in shock. "Where is it?" Skalidor asked. Pythor growled, "This has complicated our search now!" he slinked out of the cave with the Serpentine following him and the Venomari soldier running after them from behind. The very next morning, Dustin and Alistair were talking to the Mane six and Spike about what happened last night, "So you were also taken along just like Applebloom?" Applejack asked. "That's right." Dustin nodded. "It was a blast flying all through Equestria." Alistair added. "And that story Princess Luna told you. I never would've guessed she'd decide to make a whole tradition based off it." Twilight said. "So then you know about the Gypsy ponies?" Dustin asked. "Yes," Twilight began, "They were said to be the orphans that Princess Luna brought with her to another land far away. She taught them how to read the stars and how to make food grow with the moonlight. Some ponies say that each of the stars above is the soul of a child reaching out to their mother of the night." "How mystical." Rarity gasped. "It's beautiful." Fluttershy agreed. "Guys!" Muse called, as she and Wildcard arrived. "Hey there you two are. Dustin and Alistair were just telling us this awesome story about what they did last night." Rainbow said. "Really, about what?" Wild asked. "We went on a nightly fly with Luna and all the kids of Equestria." Alistair explained. "Whoa, what was that for?" Muse asked. "New tradition the princess made." Dustin answered. "Well you can explain it later. I need to get to the Crystal Empire." Muse replied. "What's going on there?" Zyphon asked. "I need to go to a glass and crystal shop there owned by a stallion named Crystal Stone. I need some glass props for my next feature. Princess Cadence assured me he was the best glass maker in Equestria. So I sent him a letter a few days ago to schedule an arranged meeting with him and he finally sent me a letter back." "And she wants us all to go with her." Wild added. "Of course any chance to see my brother and Cadence is a good day." Twilight agreed, as the girls started agreeing as well. "Guess it's unanimous." Alistair said. "Well what're we waiting for?" Applejack asked. "Yay! We're going to the Crystal Empire!" Pinkie cheered in excitement. Elsewhere, underground in the Serpentine's lair, Pythor was waiting impatiently with the other generals, until a Constrictai soldier popped up from the ground, "I assume you bring me good news?" Pythor asked with glaring eyes. "Yes, Pythor," the soldier began, "After countless hours of searching for leads I managed to come across some hard evidence on the whereabouts of the missing Crystal Fang." "Get on with it!" Pythor demanded. The soldier nervously grabbed a magazine and shows him a picture of a male earth pony that had a gray body, his mane and tail were pure white, his eyes were golden amber his cutie mark was a round glass ball in a furnace, "This is Crystal Stone, a glass and crystal sculpturer from the Crystal Empire who is not only said to be an excellent creator of glass sculptures but is said to have the biggest collection of crystal artifacts in all of Equestria." The other generals were curious about it, but Pythor remained skeptical, "And you believe he may have the Crystal Fang out of hunch?" "Not hunch, Pythor. I believe he does because of this." He showed the Anacondrai general another picture of the pony holding what looked like the Crystal Fang. Pythor's eyes widened, "That's it!" "The Crystal Fang!" Skalidor gasped. "We must go to the Crystal Empire and retrieve it." Acidicus suggested. "Please allow me to do this," Skales insisted, "If we all went we'd only put the entire kingdom on alert and would attract the attention of you know who." "Good point," Pythor admitted, "Very well, Skales. Go to the Crystal Empire and retrieve the Crystal Fang." "As you wish, Pythor." Skales slinked off. Meanwhile in the Crystal Empire, while Twilight and the others were at the castle, Muse was looking up at the crystal shop known as Crystal Paradise. She went inside and saw little glass statuettes of animals and ponies, vases, bowls, and even jewelry made from either glass or crystals, "Wow, amazing!" she gasped. "They are, aren't they?" a stallion asked, revealing to be Crystal Stone. "Oh hello you must be Mr. Stone." She said. "That's me, Crystal Stone; the glass and crystal sculpturist pony of fine arts." He nodded. "Well it's nice to meet you. I'm Muse." "Ah the pony of media and performing arts." Muse only smiled seeing her reputation still preceded her, "Well I'm here today for your help. I need some glass pieces for my next performance" "Ah yes I remember the letter." "I need a vase and bowl. I also need a necklace like..." Muse began, as she noticed a pendent around Crystal's neck that looked like a sakura blossom, "That one. I must say Crystal that pendent is beautiful." Crystal smiled sadly, and spoke, "Yes isn't it? This is one of my greatest creations, but I'm afraid it's not for sale." "Oh no I wasn't looking to purchase it." she said sheepishly. "Right. Well since you seem to have a knack for noticing fine creations let me show you something more personal," Crystal said, while leading her for the back, "This is something I rarely show anypony." When they went in back, Crystal turned on a light revealing a life like statue of a pony made out of crystal. It was of a female unicorn that looked like she was in a mid dance with a tambourine in her front hooves and was in a gypsy dress, "Whoa." Muse gasped. "A beauty isn't it?" Crystal asked while marveling at it himself. "She's beautiful all right. How long did it take to make this?" "It took many years my dear, even for somepony of my talent. I wanted her to be perfect right down to the sense," He explained, while smiling at it lightly while touching it with his hoof. He spoke sadly, "This was in fact modeled after my wife." "Oh… She's beautiful." "She was a magician and dancer. My beautiful Magic Flower." "What a lovely name," Muse gasped, "What happened to her?" "Well you see years ago when I first met her my family didn't approve of her." "Why not?" "Well I came from a rich society of ponies and she was a gypsy. My family didn't trust them thinking they were like witch ponies." "That's wrong." Muse frowned at the biasness towards others. "Yes. They thought she cast some kind of love spell on me." He explained. "They seriously thought that?!" Muse asked in outrage. "Yes. For you see she was born a child of the night." He explained. "Child of the night?" Muse gasped, having been told about it through Dustin during the train ride to the Empire. "Yes. I assume you're aware of the legend?" "I was briefed on it moments ago. Some friends of mine partook in a tradition that happened last night based off the events of the legend." "I see. Well yes Magic was born from a line of Children of the Night that Princess Luna once took away to another land. When she learned about her ancestry that was one of the reasons she decided to become a gypsy dancer," he touched the pendent, "This was once hers. I gave it to her as an engagement present." "What happened to her?" "She was chased away from me and I went to find her. But I never did." He said looking sad. "I'm so sorry." Muse apologized. "It's ok." He assured her. "Did you have any foals?" she asked. He shook his head, "None, but we wanted one. We always dreamt of being parents. She would've made a great mother as I would've been a great father." He smiled making Muse smile as well. "Thank you for sharing this with me." "You're very welcome, my dear." "So why did you come here to the Crystal Empire?" she asked. "Well I traveled all around Equestria collecting crystal objects to help inspire me to make my own kind of glass and crystal creations. When I heard the Crystal Empire was restored to its former glory I decided to settle down here and set up shop." "And what a marvelous shop it is." She admitted. "Why thank you." "Now about those glass sculptures for my next play…" Muse began. "I can have them ready for you in a jiffy," He assured her. Muse smiled, until they heard something enter the shop, "Oh wait here I'll be right back," Crystal said going to see the next customer. Muse listened in and heard two voices with one being Crystals. Crystal spoke, "Can I help you?" "I'm looking for a very special crystal." Another voice spoke. Muse peaked out from the back and saw Crystal was talking to something hidden beneath a cloak but didn't look pony shaped, "How special are you talking about?" Crystal asked. "Something particularly, fang shaped." The customer explained. Muse froze upon hearing that and recognized the voice, but to clarify her theory she looked down and saw the tip of a blue tail sticking out of the bottom of the cloak, 'Skales!' she thought in shock. "Well I do have something like that." Crystal admitted. "Get down!" Muse called out. Muse charged and bucked the disguised Serpentine. The cloak fell off exposing himself. "Whoa!" Crystal gasped. Muse turned to the Crystal shop owner, "Get out of here! Get Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends. They should be at the palace with Princess Cadence." "What about you?" "I'll be fine, now go quickly!" Crystal ran out as Muse got ready to buck Skales should he attack. The Hypnobrai general got up and glared at the pony, "You have once again stuck your muzzle where it doesn't belong!" he warned her. "With you and Pythor trying to take over Equestria it is where I belong." She answered. Skales started slinking over slowly, "Well I'll put a stop to that. Look into my eyes." he started using his hypnosis. "Musn't look." Muse struggled to keep her eyes away from his gaze by closing them. "Resist all you want, because I will be victorious," Skales warned her as he got closer and grabbed her, "Open your eyes!" "I won't!" He squeezed Muse tighter forcing her eyes open, "Now you're mine!" he said as he started his hypnosis, while she continued to try averting eye contact, "Resistance it futile." he hissed unaware of the girls watching from outside. They were about to charge in, until Dustin motioned them to stay put. He sneaked inside and creeped along the floor before coming up behind Skales. The snake was so preoccupied he didn't even feel Dustin lift his tail up from the floor. He held it to his mouth and took a huge bite into it, "YEOOOOWWWW!" Skales cried in pain, as he stopped his hypnosis process and dropped Muse. Skales held onto his head and slunk out of the shop whimpering in pain. "Thank goodness that was close." Muse said, while panting. "Too close for comfort." Applejack added as the others entered. "Blech!" Dustin gagged, while shaking his tongue around trying to get the taste of snake out of his mouth, "Toothbrush!" he pleaded. "Here ya go!" Pinkie pulled one out. Dustin took it and began cleaning his mouth. "Why do you have that with you?" Alistair asked the party loving pony. "For emergencies." She answered. "How's Mr. Stone?" Muse asked in worry. "He's perfectly safe." Twilight assured her. "He came here all crazy saying that a snake was here and you were holding it off." Rainbow explained. "Yeah. I think Crystal has a Crystal Fang in his collection here." Muse deduced. Rarity looked around and marveled at all the collection of crystal and glass artifacts and sculptures, "I must say Mr. Stone has quiet a collection of glass." "It's so shiny." Pinkie said, while her face was a little too close to a sculpture so she could see her reflection in it. "You break it you buy it." Alistair warned her, and Pinkie backed away from the sculpture in worry of breaking it. Dustin after he finished washing his mouth out, turned to Zyphon, "Zyphon, make a memo. 'Never bite a Serpentine in the tail'." "Noted." Zyphon made a check on that. Twilight looked around the shop, "Where would he keep the Crystal Fang?" "We should probably ask him." Muse suggested. Meanwhile in a forest outside the kingdom, a few Hypnobrai soldiers were bandaging Skale's tail up, "Oh sir your beautiful tail." One of the soldiers said. Skales growled, "I will have that boy for dinner when I'm done with him!" Pythor suddenly appeared startling the Hypnobrai general, "So you failed to get the Crystal Fang and got yourself bitten in the process?" "That boy had teeth like a Fangpyre!" Skales argued. "Why was that one pony in there though? There's no way she and the others could've tracked you there so soon, unless they know about the Crystal Fang as well." Pythor wondered. "I do not know, but with all of them there now getting the Crystal Fang will be harder." Skales warned him. "I will not let anything get in our way of finding the Crystal Fangs so we can take Equestria," Pythor replied and smirked, "Skales my number two. I have just the plan." He snickered as Skales listened with interest. Later that night, back at the Crystal Empire, Muse was escorting Crystal back to his shop/home, "I'm so sorry that happened today." "Oh It's quite all right." He assured her. "Though I must ask, did you really have a fang shaped crystal?" Muse asked. "As a matter of fact yes." He nodded as they went into the shop. "Mind if I see it?" "Well ok." He said, as they went into the back and he took a sheet off something revealing the Crystal Fang that was missing from its location on a pedestal. "That's it!" she gasped. "I found this little beauty when I was a young colt. My family and I were camping around Neighagra Falls. I wandered behind the falls and found a tunnel. I checked it out and found this inside it. I was so fascinated by it I tried to recreate it as a glass sculpture." "And did you?" "I did. It was actually how I first became interested in glass making." He explained, while showing her a box of glass fangs modeled after the Crystal Fang itself. "Amazing," she gasped, "But I should warn you. The Serpentine are after the four Crystal Fangs. They already got one of them." "What could they have use for such things?" Crystal asked. "They intend to fuse them together to form a weapon that will make them stronger." She explained. "And you will not be around to witness it!" a voice called as Muse and Crystal gasped and saw Pythor appearing before them spooking Crystal. "Pythor!" The pony of performing arts gasped. "My most humble of thanks for leading me to the Crystal Fang." Pythor chuckled. "Well you're not getting it!" Muse called, as she grabbed it off the pedestal. "On the contrary. I am!" he extended his snakes from his claws ensnaring her. Muse struggled before tossing the Fang to Crystal, "Run!" "But I can't leave you!" Crystal argued. "I'll be fine! I have the ultimate magic on my side I have courage!" she explained with passion. Crystal stood looking surprised as he recalled Magic Flower saying that to him years ago, "Now go!" she called. He tried to leave only to bump into Skales and three of his soldiers, "I'll take that." he tried grabbing the Crystal Fang, only for both of them to drop it on the floor, "Get it!" Skales ordered his soldiers who ran for it. Muse noticing the box of replicas bucked it making them all spill on the floor mixing the real one up with them, "No!" the Hypnobrai soldiers cried, unable to tell the difference. Pythor growled at the fast one pulled on them. "Try finding it now." She challenged them. "Take them all!" Pythor ordered. Muse struggled out of her binds bucking two of the Hypnobrai soldiers along side Crystal. One of the Hypnobrai soldiers gathered up all the replicated Crystal Fangs, "I got them!" "No!" Muse called. "Sorry, but we win this round again!" Pythor vanished and the others fled. "Dang it!" Muse cursed. "I'm so sorry." Crystal said feeling he messed up. "It wasn't your fault." She replied. "If I had run instead of hesitating they probably wouldn't have got it." "You did all you could." She assured him. "You know Muse, you remind me of my wife." "I do? Well thank you." She smiled. "And you know if we had a daughter. I'd wish she would've turned out like you." He added. "And I would have loved to have parents like you and Magic. After all I don't even know who my real parents are." "You don't?" Crystal asked in surprise. "No." she answered, feeling sad about that concept. Soon Muse headed back for the castle as Crystal watched her leave while thinking, 'I wonder?' he thought and flashed back to when he last saw his wife. "But Magic, what about our plans to start a family?" "I'm sorry Crystal, but there's somepony that needs me more than you..." she explained. "Who?" he asked. Magic was about to answer, but heard a sound of a mob, "I have to go...remember Crystal, I love you!" she kissed him. "Magic I…" but she took off before he could answer, "I love you too." He looked down whimpering before he shot his head up and screamed to the heavens in anguish. As the flashback ended, Crystal smiled before shedding a tear when he realized what she was trying to tell him and upon realizing who he was talking to, "Magic, we really did start a family," He went outside his shop and looked around, "Where'd she go?" Unaware to him, Pythor was watching around the corner of an alley. Since all the replicas looked so authentic, neither he nor any of the other Serpentine could tell the difference. Because of that he decided the best way to determine the real one from the fakes would be to use the source, "Only he can tell which is real." He said to himself. Crystal had decided to head for the castle and said to himself, "Maybe the princess knows where I can find her." Suddenly he was caught in Pythor's tail. "So sorry, but you'll have to meet with the princess another time," Crystal struggled, "I need your help." He dragged the glass making pony off. Meanwhile in the castle, Muse found the others as she looked a little down, "Hey Muse, what's up?" Rainbow asked. "Is something wrong?" Wild asked in concern. "What's got ya all moody?" Applejack asked. "Pythor got the Crystal Fang." She admitted. "What?!" they gasped. "But now he has two of them." Alistair said. "And about fifty glass copies." Muse added. "Huh?" they asked. "Crystal made multiple copies of the Crystal Fang. With our luck it'll take them forever to find the real one." "I hope you're right," Dustin began, "Because with two in his grasp all he needs is two more." "And how was Crystal?" Twilight asked. "He's ok." Muse replied. "He must've been crushed to have lost so many glass replicated Fangs." Wild believed. "I know I would be crushed if I lost many gems." Rarity admitted. "Me too." Spike agreed. Muse nodded, until she gasped and suddenly had a premonition of Pythor dragging Crystal out of the kingdom and heading for the forest outside it. She snapped out of it, "No!" "Muse, what's wrong?" Fluttershy asked in worry. "Pythor's got Crystal Stone!" "What?" they gasped. "How do you know that?" Wild asked in confusion. Muse didn't want to say anything about having the vision, "I have this gut feeling that he does." "Should we go?" Dustin asked Twilight. "We probably should, and it could give us a chance to get the Crystal Fang back. Lead the way, Muse." The Princess commanded. So Muse led the way out of the castle with the others following her out of the kingdom. Meanwhile in the forest outside the empire, Pythor, the other generals, and some soldiers from each of the four tribes were forcing Crystal to determine for them which of the glass fangs was the real one, "Well?" Pythor asked, as a Fangpyre soldier held out another. "Not that one." Crystal answered. "You better be telling us the truth or you may find yourself covered in scales." Fangtom warned him being beady to sink his fangs into his body. "I'm serious." Crystal assured him. They continued holding out for glass fangs for him to identify and they kept going through duds, "This is taking forever, Pythor." Skales warned him. "Perhaps, but we will get the Crystal Fang no matter what." Pythor assured him. "And when we do what will we do of him?" Skales whispered to Pythor. "We'll simply dispose of him of course. Can't have witnesses now can we?" Pythor smirked. "Jambalaya!" a voice called, as Alistair dropped down preparing to chop the Serpentine with his Shadow Buster. The snakes dodged before Alistair's attack could nail them, "It's that dark warrior!" Skalidor called. "And I brought back up." Alistair smirked as Dustin, Zyphon, Spike, and the ponies arrived. "Muse!" Crystal gasped. "Crystal, are you ok?" Muse called. "I'm all right." He assured her. "But he won't be for long." Fangtom chuckled. "Let the pony go, Pythor!" Twilight ordered. "Not until he finds me the Crystal Fang!" Pythor called. "Doing things the hard way are ya?" Rainbow smirked. "Why don't they ever learn?" Dustin asked. "Come on yall! Let's take 'em!" Applejack called. "I'm way ahead of you, Applejack!" Dustin called as he summoned his Spirit Saber. "Come on!" Pinkie called as they charged. "Serpentine, go!" Pythor ordered, as the soldiers charged into battle against the ponies, the humans, and Zyphon. A Constrictai soldier and Venomari soldier were coming at Wildcard who flew around dodging them, "Come on guys I'm right here," He landed on the ground. The two soldiers tried to jump him only for Wild to fly up causing the two to land on the ground, "Eating dirt? That's just like you snakes!" Wild chuckled. Pinkie and Rainbow saw a Hypnobrai and a Fangpyre soldier charging at the two from both sides, "Hey, Rainbow Dash. What animal is white, orange, and goes quack-quack?" Pinkie asked. "A duck?" Rainbow asked catching on. "Correct!" Pinkie cheered, as the two ponies ducked resulting in the two soldiers to crash head first into each other. Applejack was bucking some Hypnobrai soldiers, until she saw some three Constrictai coming right for her. She went to a tree and saw a tree branch. She pulled it back and right when the soldiers were on top of her and released the branch as it swung forward whipping the snakes in their faces knocking them down, "Take that ya slithering varmints!" Fluttershy was busy flying above the Serpentine to keep away from them, but the snakes tried jumping for her, "Leave that pony alone!" Zyphon called as he blasted the snakes trying to get at the shy Pegasus. "Thank you, Zyphon." Fluttershy said in relief. "My pleasure, Ms. Fluttershy," Zyphon said, only to get attacked by Acidicus who was whacking his staff around the robot, "Don't dent the chrome!" he launched his right fist from his arm like a rocket that slugged the Venomari general in the face as the launched fist returned to Zyphon's arm. Twilight and Rarity were using their magic to blast against any incoming Serpentine. Spike saw Skalidor, three soldiers of his tribe, Skales, and two soldiers of his tribe coming up from behind them, "Girls watch out!" Spike called as he took a deep breath and spat fire on the ground below the snakes. They looked down and started jumping up and screaming from how hot the ground felt for the generals tails and the soldiers feet. They ran to a nearby pond and dunked their feet or in the generals' case tail into the water. "Nice going, Spike!" Twilight called. "That's my little Spikey-Wikey." Rarity smiled at the baby dragon who blushed. Dustin ran past the snakes reaching Pythor using his saber against Pythor and his staff, "Your efforts will be in nothing but vain once we get the second Crystal Fang." Pythor warned the spirit warrior. "Keep flapping your lips, Pythor. Because we will stop you!" Dustin called, as he kept deflecting Pythor's strikes with his staff. In the midst of the fighting, Muse snuck around back to Crystal and bucked Fangtom away, "Come on we better get you to safety." "But the Crystal Fang." He whispered. "We'll get it once you're safe." She replied. "No. I know which one it is." He whispered. "Which one?" "The one right there." He motioned to one of the Crystal Fangs that seemed to have a faint symbol on it that appeared to be the symbol of Ouroboros while the rest of them did not have it. "I'll get it." She went to grab it only for Skales to lay a claw on her hoof. "Thank you for finding it." He hissed, while using his free claw to take the Crystal Fang.. "Let go of me!" Muse shouted as she tried to break free. Crystal saw how Muse was getting pulled away and flashed back seeing his wife Magic Flower in a similar situation when one of his family's guards was trying to take her away by order of his parents. He frowned at this repeating situation and called out, "Get your claw off my daughter!" he shouted, before charging Skales tackling him off Muse and made the general throw the Crystal Fang up into the air for every pony and snake to see. "That must be the real Crystal Fang." Rarity gasped. "Grab it you fools!" Pythor ordered as he knocked Dustin down. "Zyphon, retrieve it!" Dustin ordered, as his robot flew up to grab it only to be piled on by some Venomari soldiers. "Rainbow! Wild!" Alistair called. "We're on it!" Rianbow called, as the cousins flew to snatch it and succeeded. "We got it!" Wild called. "You mean you had it!" Skalidor called as he swung his staff at the two knocking it out of their grasp. "No fair!" Rainbow called, as Skalidor caught both the Crystal Fang and his staff. "Pythor, I got it!" "Then go!" Pythor called, as the Constrictai general burrowed into the ground with all the other Serpentine fleeing in their own ways. "Skalidor got away with the Crystal Fang!" Fluttershy called, as Pythor laughed and stood before the group. "And soon the other two will be ours. You should've quit before you even begun…" Pythor continued giving a lecture to them while he was unaware of Dustin sneaking up behind the general. And just like he did to Skales he did the same to the Anacondrai general by taking a gigantic bite into his tail, "YEOOOOOWWW!" Pythor screamed, before crying in pain and slinking off. "Thank you for that." Spike said, feeling irritated from listening to Pythor's speech. "Ugh! I'm gonna need my whole mouth disinfected because of this," Dustin gagged, "Mouthwash!" Pinkie offered him a bottle of it which he took. Alistair looked at the pony and guessed, "For emergencies?" "Righty-o!" "Well good news we're all safe, bad news the Serpentine got the second Crystal Fang." Wild sighed. "And we were this close too." Twilight added. "I know, but we saved Crystal from the Serpentine so we succeeded in something." Muse noted. "Yeah. You're right." Applejack admitted. "Thank you all for what you've done for me." Crystal thanked them, as he put his replicated Crystal Fangs back in a box. "No trouble at all, Crystal." Muse replied. "Mr. Stone, when you attacked Skales it kinda sounded like you said daughter." Rarity noted. "You're right he did say that." Fluttershy gasped. Muse turned to Crystal in confusion, until Twilight spoke. "Maybe we should talk about this after we get back to the Crystal Empire." "Good idea, Twi." Applejack agreed as they all started heading off. Meanwhile the Serpentine were in their underground lair, as Pythor was getting his tail bandaged up by some Constrictai soldiers, "Getting bitten by that boy! He'll pay for that." "I told you so." Skales reminded him. "Oh stuff it. What good came out of this is we have the second Crystal Fang. Now all we need is the final two and Equestria will be ours." He chuckled. Back in the Crystal Empire, the group returned to Crystal Stone's shop, as he explained to the group about his wife and his latest theory, "What?!" they gasped. "You think Muse is your daughter?" Dustin asked. "Yes, but this is mostly a theory for the moment." Crystal explained. "How do you figure this?" Wild asked. "I just have this kind of gut instinct. Muse does remind me so much about my wife, and I realized that one of the reasons she fled wasn't just to protect me, but to protect our unborn child as well." The glass maker pony explained. "Well we could have Princess Celestia put in some words and arrange something to see if it's all legit." Twilight explained. "Thank you, Princess Twilight, but before that you all have something bigger on your hooves." Crystal reminded them. "Yes. The Serpentine are still at large." Alistair noted. "Until they're defeated this will have to be put on hold," Muse said, but looked at the older stallion, "But if you also believe I am who you think I am, then I couldn't be happier to think that there's still hope of me finding out my roots." The two hugged as the others smiled, while Pinkie shed some tears. "We better be getting back to the castle now." Wild said, as they started leaving with Crystal smiling at the possibility of him becoming a father after all. As they headed for the castle, Dustin and Alistair looked behind them seeing Rarity using her magic to levitate Spike up to her level as she started kissing his face repeatedly, "Oh my little Spikey Wikey! I knew you'd save us." She said in between kissing his cheeks as Spike was blushing up with hearts around his head. The boys chuckled seeing their little dragon friend get some love as Muse thought to herself, 'How was I able to get that vision of Crystal being taken by Pythor? I just don't understand it.'