//------------------------------// // Third Movement: Part 6- The Ballad of the Five Armies // Story: Sonata de Equestria // by MyHobby //------------------------------// The Ballad of the Five Armies Cadance stared up at the shield. It wobbled as the armies outside rained down blow after blow. She brought her eyes down to the ground, where crystal ponies of all sizes and colors awaited. They were bedecked with crystal armor and weapons, enchanted to withstand great force or to hold their keen edge. She turned around and walked up to the shield, where Sombra was waiting. He grinned. “Are you here to surrender?” “No.” Cadance shook her head. “I’m here to give you a chance to end all this.” “I’ll take it,” Sombra said. He glanced up as the pink shield shimmered. “Any second now.” “You almost took the kingdom before,” Cadance said. “But that was before we found the Crystal Heart.” “Quite.” Sombra leaned his head, cracking the crystal around his neck. A quick flash of black magic later, he was whole again. “I intend to destroy that vile trinket before the mistakes of yesterday return.” He lifted his own purple crystal heart, which pulsated in the air. “And a new day shall arise—one of peace, harmony, and justice—with one law.” He snapped his teeth together. “Mine!” He turned to Gilded Wing. “Lord Wing, have you had ample time to experiment with that amulet?” Gilded touched the Alicorn Amulet that he wore around his neck. His eyes flashed red. “Absolutely.” “Very good.” Sombra took a step back. “I would back away if I was you, princess. I wouldn’t want that beautiful cutie mark to become marred.” Gilded Wing rose into the air on his golden wings. He pulled a two-edged sword out of its scabbard and glared at it. The air around the blade shimmered as the metal grew red-hot. He lifted it into the air and opened his artificial beak in a scream as he plunged the sword into the shield. There was an ear-splitting shriek as numerous cracks appeared in the shield. Webs ran through the transparent surface from Gilded’s sword to the ground. All at once, the dome crumbled over the Crystal Empire, letting in the chill of the surrounding frozen wasteland. Rover Redvest and Lord Gilded Wing gathered beside Sombra. He leaned to them. “Flanking maneuver. Grotesques and dogs to the right. Griffons and timberwolves to the left.” “Together, my people!” Sombra roared. “We face victory or death! Ch—!” “Enough!” The command echoed through the entire city. The sheer authority behind it stopped every creature in their tracks. Twilight stepped out from among the Crystal Armies, her horn glowing as she cast the spell for the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Surrender, Sombra!” Sombra bared his teeth in a mocking smile. “Hello again.” Sombra walked up to Twilight while the crowd around them remained hushed. He looked up at her forehead and smiled at the Crown of Magic. “Royal vestments suit you.” “It’s the Element I bear.” Twilight nodded back, calling the other five bearers forward. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie stood beside Twilight on either side, faces determined and hearts racing. “We all have one. You did, too, once. Which was it?” Sombra walked down the line of mares, gazing at each of them. Armor rustled all around as the soldiers shifted to combat stances. The Crystal King stopped before Rarity. “Ah. There it is.” “Wh-what are you talking about?” Rarity stammered. “I was a most generous prince,” Sombra said. “So giving, so eager to please. Then came a day I decided to give the world the greatest gift I could. Peace.” His eyes glowed with dark power. His body split into a million swirling shards as he rose above them. “And until that gift is given, I shall continue to lay low all who oppose me!” Twilight squinted. The gemstone in her crown shone with purple light. “Fine.” All six mares rose into the air as strings of magic connected their Elements. Their eyes blazed white as memories of their friendship poured out of them and into the spell. Living color spilled forth, enveloping the kingdom with sheer power. “You dare!?” the nightmarish swirl of malice that was Sombra said. “You dare to use the Elements on a former bearer!?” “Well, you know,” Rainbow Dash said, “it worked on Luna.” The spell was complete. It lashed forward and wrapped Sombra’s tornado in a multicolored ribbon. Sombra screamed as he was pulled in, compressed and crushed by the power of friendship. His heart flew in after him, beating faster by the second. The magic stretched and jumped as Sombra strove to break free, but it held him fast. A seam appeared, through which Sombra’s green and red eyes burned. A final flash of magic closed the gap. The rainbow exploded in a wash of blinding light. Twilight and the others settled softly to the ground. Twilight walked up to a rumpled cape on the ground, covering a gray stallion. She poked it with a hoof. “Sombra?” She lifted her head to the five armies facing her. “Sombra has been vanquished! Return to your homes! This battle is over!” Maniacal laughter rolled over the crystal spires. Twilight scrambled back as Sombra got to his feet. He patted his chest. “Ah… ah, there it is.” He laughed again and spat at Twilight. “You cannot destroy me with those things. The time has come, and you cannot stop the tide from rolling in! All those who stand with me! Stand therefore!” He pulled his cloak off of his shoulders and let it drift away in the wind. His muscled and armored body rose above Twilight, dwarfing hers. “Stand for our new life! A life of hope! A life of power! A life…” He lowered his horn at Twilight. “Without these monsters.” Cadance rose into the air on her pink wings. “Hold the line!” An arrow zinged out from the griffons to graze her wing. She fell from the sky and was caught by her guards. She shook herself off and shouted again. “Don’t let them through!” The five armies at Sombra’s command charged forward. Their weapons and spells met those of the Crystal Empire with a mighty crash. Pegasi and griffons fell from the sky, earth ponies and diamond dogs were crushed into the ground, and timberwolves and unicorns crumbled under the onslaught. The grotesques descended from the sky, burning everything with lavender fire. Spike watched from a nearby hill. He clutched his chest with his claws, tears shimmering in his eyes. He watched as Celestia and Luna plowed through a drove of griffons. He watched as Fluttershy pulled a crystal pony out from under a wrecked cart. He watched as Twilight dodged a bolt of power from Sombra, who raced away through the crowd once her back was turned. Gilded Wing flew through the air, pulling ponies to the ground with the power of the Alicorn Amulet. He sliced clean through armor with a flick of his blade, and halted arrows in midair with a wave of his talon. He saw a flash of rainbow through the crowd and dove for it. Rainbow Dash crashed into Martial Paw and gripped his talons with her hooves. “They’re gonna break through!” “I know!” Martial pushed her out of the way of an oncoming fireball. “What do we do?” Rainbow Dash pointed behind them. “The palace! We have to protect the heart.” Martial’s eyes flickered to the tallest spire in the city. “What if it screws everything up!?” “Then we really need to be back there.” She dragged him through the air. “Come on!” Gilded followed them, his eyes blazing red. Spike watched it all. One of the six grotesques exploded into fragments as a few unicorn spells found their target at the center of its chest. Two more of the flying monsters dove in, torching the ground. Soldiers ran for their lives as the ground turned to molten rock. Rarity was one such unicorn. She leapt out of the way of a spatter of magma, though she couldn’t avoid having one of her leg guards catching the splash. She shucked it off, tossing it in the face of a nearby timberwolf. She ran towards another ground of unicorns that were concentrating their magic. She was halted by a kick to the face. Spike stood up, his fists clenched. Rarity looked up and saw Rover Redvest’s spiked club falling towards her face. She shifted her head with a screech. She kicked out with her hind legs, heard a grunt, and scrambled to her feet. Rover clutched at his stomach and glared at her. “Whine, whine, whine, whine.” Rarity picked up a shard of crystal. “As you wish.” She chucked it at the diamond dog, but he batted it aside with his club. “Whine, whine, whine, whine,” he said. He stomped towards her. “Brutes. Ragamuffins. Cretins. You always say nasty stuff about diamond dogs.” He swung his club and grazed her helmet. “Always prissy! Always pretty! No care about dogs, they’re always nasty!” Spike ran. Rover barked. His next swing caught her in the side of the head and knocked her down. “Always better! Rover shows you nasty!” Spike didn’t pause in his charge. He ducked under timberwolves, breathed fire at griffons, and shoved ponies aside as he raced for Rarity. She caught Rover Redvest’s club in her telekinetic spell. She wrenched it from his grasp, but he lashed out. He caught it in his paw by the sharp end, where nails dug deep into his pads. He yelped, but held fast. “Rover hurt little pony!” He stomped down on her stomach. “Hurt bad!” Spike tossed two timberwolves into the air effortlessly as he reached them. Rover looked up with a gasp. A dragon stood over him, twice as tall as even the biggest diamond dog. He swung his club at the dragon, but the spikes bounced off its scales. The dragon reached down and grasped Rover’s tail as he tried to run. Spike wrapped his arms around Rover and held him steady. He reached underneath the dog and lifted him into the air. “Leave her alone!” He threw Rover Redvest across the battlefield. The diamond dog landed among the timberwolves and crumbled into a heap. Spike looked down at Rarity, who was staring at him in awe. Spike bit his lip as hot tears burned in his eyes. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to grow again.” Rarity hugged his leg tight. “Do I look like I’m complaining, darling!?” His scaly lips flapped mutely. “Wh-well…” Rarity looked up into his big, green eyes. “Never have I met the gentlecolt—” She pulled away with a scream. “Look out!” Spike turned around to see three grotesques bearing down on him. “Aw, crap.” The first slammed into him, taking him to the ground. The others spread out, roaring and cackling. The first bit down on Spike’s shoulder, drawing blood. Rainbow Dash and Martial Paw landed in the castle courtyard. The Crystal Heart revolved in place beneath the palace, sending out pulses of magic through the city. Rainbow Dash marched up to it and took a deep breath. “Princess Aura? Can you hear me?” “The Elements of Harmony protect the Empire.” “Yeah, that’s me…” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck as Martial placed a talon on her shoulder. “Look, about the Elements—” “The Elements failed,” the Heart said. “I protect the Empire.” The Heart went quiet for a long time. Rainbow Dash licked her lips. “Well… dang.” “It’s gonna disappear, isn’t it?” Martial said. “The Empire’s gonna vanish for another thousand years.” “And us with it…” Rainbow Dash swallowed the lump in her throat. “Okay. Okay, we can deal with this.” “How?” Martial asked. “I don’t actually know yet, okay?” Rainbow Dash paced around the Heart. She shivered as it began to spin faster. “I mean, I don’t see an off-switch.” “Well… we could destroy it?” Martial Paw slapped his face. “Stupid idea.” “Can we destroy it?” Rainbow Dash asked. She examined the Crystal Heart. “Is it possible?” “‘Should we destroy it,’ that’s the question we gotta ask.” Martial clicked his beak. “You’re asking that question, right?” “Yeah.” Rainbow Dash turned to him. “And right now, it’s looking more and more like the—duck!” Martial saw the look in her eye: Terror. He’d seen that expression very rarely, but he knew where it was from. He obeyed instantly, bowing his head and dropping his body to the ground. Gilded Wing’s fiery sword passed inches above his head. It clipped a feather that stuck out above the rest, charring it to a crisp. The mad griffon lord flew up to the courtyard’s ceiling. His eyes flashed red as two gouts of flame appeared beside him. A flap of his wings sent the fire burning towards Dash and Martial. They flew away, separating as the heat cut between them. Gilded Wing reached out with a talon. His opponents froze in midair. He made a fist and drew them towards himself. Rainbow Dash batted her wings at the air. She gazed back at the lord behind her. “Martial…” Gilded flicked his wrist and sent them careening towards the ground. They struck the crystal road with a crunch. Rainbow Dash cried out as her wings bent in a bad position. Martial scrambled to his feet and drew his thin rapier. He pointed it at Gilded Wing. Gilded’s glowing sword sliced clean through the rapier. Martial looked at the severed hilt and whimpered. Rainbow Dash tackled Gilded from the side, her wing flopping uselessly. Gilded reached around her and grasped at the wing, twisting it. Rainbow Dash’s knees shook as she tumbled. “I tried to warn you,” Lord Wing said. “I tried to tell you to leave well enough alone.” Martial stretched out his talons and raked them along Gilded’s armored chest. The larger griffon drew power from the Alicorn Amulet and wrapped it around Martial’s neck. “I gave you the chance to walk away, back in Sombra’s tomb. Then you humiliated me.” Gilded wrenched Rainbow’s wing around in its socket. “You humiliated me. Stole my daughter from me. There are crimes you have committed that cannot be forgiven, nor shall they ever be.” He looked up at Martial Paw. “Be at peace, traitor. At least you shall be with your beloved in death.” Twilight incinerated a timberwolf. Ashes blew around as she blasted the griffon behind it with an ice spell. The diamond dog next to it was hit with a deluge of water. She teleported two enemy earth ponies across the field, where they were set upon by crystal ponies. All the while, Sombra kept his distance. He assailed her with occasional blasts of jagged crystals, but remained five pony-lengths from her. He kept glancing around, his breathing erratic. “What’s the matter, Sombra?” she yelled. “Come on, where’s the big, bad sorcerer!? The one who enslaved an empire!? The one who tore Equestria apart!?” She stomped a hoof and fried the wings of a nearby griffon soldier. “The one who killed my brother!” “I would love to stay and chat, Twilight,” he said. “But I have places to be.” “You have places to be, alright!” Twilight ran ahead, through the splinters of a late tiumberwolf. “Like the hereafter!” Sombra lifted his horn. Crystal spikes shot out of the ground, separating him from Twilight. He grinned at the black wall and turned. Twilight teleported right in front of him. She snarled and shot him with a blast of force. He grunted as he careened into his own defensive wall. He sprung to his feet and fired a bolt of magic. Twilight vanished and reappeared on his back. He turned his head to nip at her, but she was gone just as quickly. His hooves glowed with purple light as she cast an antigravity spell, lifting him into the air. He shut his eyes, concentrated, and reversed the spell. “That’s more like it,” Twilight said. “Use real magic. Or have you forgotten how?” Sombra barked with laughter. “I expected you to be using the magic of crystals, myself.” His horn glowed red. His spell sent cold rolling across the ground towards her hooves. “Very well. True magic!” He teleported away. Twilight stared at the empty ground for a moment. She scuffed a hoof against the ground. “I should have expected that.” A blow to the back of her helmet sent her to the ground. She caught herself in a bubble of magic, setting herself back on her feet. She lit her horn as she faced Sombra, her snarl matching his. Celestia jumped on his back, knocking him off-balance. She dropped to the ground beside him and attacked him with a flurry of strikes. He fired a blast and seared her bad wing, knocking her to the side. Twilight wrapped a chunk of black crystal in her telekinesis and flung it at him. It collided with his nose. Luna and Cadance ran up, their horns already letting loose damaging spells. Sombra reeled under the onslaught as his armor buckled. He bucked Twilight and sent her tumbling away. He yelled as he grew a wall between himself and Cadance. He turned to Luna, licked his teeth, and lowered his horn. Luna dodged to the side, revealing that she was carrying something in a bubble of magic. It was a blob of molten rock, burned up by the grotesques. She tossed it at Sombra. His jaw dropped as the magma covered him. Luna followed up with an ice spell, freezing the rock solid. She ran over to Celestia and helped her sit up. “He should be contained for now.” “He—he just got covered with lava!” Twilight said. “He should be dead!” “He got hit with the Elements of Harmony,” Luna said. “He should have been stopped already.” Twilight ran up to Sombra. She could already see cracks appearing in the rock. “Holy…” Cadance hugged Twilight from behind. “It’s good to see you.” Twilight hugged Cadance. She blinked back tears. “I’m sorry.” Twilight pulled away. “There’s time to talk after the battle. We’ve got to figure out how to stop—” Sombra’s prison exploded outward. He roared as he shook the loose stone free. His armor clanked to the ground around him, melted beyond recognition. He glared at the mares around him. “Who dies first!?” Twilight blasted him back. He hit the ground hard. He tried to stand, but slumped back down with every movement. He looked around, panic setting into his features. “Wh—wha?” Cadance gasped. She covered her mouth. “His cutie mark.” Twilight looked at Sombra’s flank. Her own jaw dropped. Where once was nothing but a blank flank, where armor had covered before this moment, there appeared a cutie mark. “The Elements…” Twilight shook her head. “The Elements did work. When we hit you, it bonded you with your heart again.” Sombra wiped a streak of blood that dribbled down his nose. “Shut up.” “He’s alive again?” Luna lifted her head. “Just a normal pony?” “Shut up,” Sombra hissed. Twilight looked closer at the cutie mark. It was a heart, with intricate designs growing along the bottom. Crystalline structures ran through the center, making it appear three-dimensional. Cadance looked at her own flank in disbelief. “No… no, no, no, no, no.” She looked over at Celestia. “Aunt Celestia. Why does Sombra have my cutie mark!?” Spike gripped the grotesque’s neck in his large hands. He pushed the monster back, angling its fire-breathing mouth away from his face. The grotesque’s claws dug into his sides. He kicked it off with his hind legs, but it leapt back onto him in the next instant. The two other grotesques wrapped their barbed tails around his arms and pulled, restraining him. The one on top of him opened its mouth and prepared for a blast of fire. Rarity ran, shouting to other ponies to gather. A few pegasi heard her and dragged their thunderclouds towards the downed dragon. Lightning flashed and magic sparkled. The grotesques alongside Spike shrieked and released him. Spike clamped his hands on the remaining monster’s jaw. He crushed its mouth shut, holding back the fire. He opened his mouth wide and blew fire, hotter than he had ever blasted before. The grotesque staggered back, clutching at the hole that now sat in the center of its chest. It crumbled into crystal dust. Spike jumped up and flexed his biceps. “Oh yeah! Who’s next!?” The other two grotesques shrugged off further lightning attacks and shot their own fireballs at the airborne pegasi. Rarity gasped as she, too, found fire racing to meet her. Spike covered her body with his, taking the brunt of the blast. He spun and charged at the grotesques. He leaped into the air, grasped one by its wings, and dragged it back to the ground. He held it down as he tried to pull its wings off. The other jumped on his back and scratched at his scales. He winced as he felt some of his natural armor come loose and flake off. He jumped back and threw the grotesque off, but in the process let go of the monster beneath him. Two more grotesques landed beside Spike, leaving him facing all four that remained. He turned slowly as they circled, his eyes wide. “How’s about we do this one at a time? That sound good? Tell me that sounds good.” They all charged him at once. Two grabbed his arms, and the other two grabbed his legs. One grotesque wrapped its tail around his and held him steady. He wriggled against their grip, and in response their dug their diamond-tipped claws all the deeper. He spat flame, though they were all positioned behind him. “Spikey!” Rarity charged in, followed by Applejack and Fluttershy. She lit her horn and started to fling detritus at the grotesques. “Let him go, you brutes! Fight someone your own size!” Applejack pulled her back as a grotesque breathed fire. “Hold up, Rares! We can’t do nothin’!” The grotesques beat their wings as one, lifting Spike into the air. He thrashed around, heaving fire into thin air. He looked down at his friends as they shrank to pinpricks on the ground. Fluttershy gripped a thundercloud that had lost its lightning charge. She dragged it slowly into the air, her wings beating as fast as she could. “Help me! Somepony help him!” All other pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies were engaged in combat. Applejack and Rarity ran below, trying to keep Spike in their sights. The grotesques lifted him higher, above the clamor of pegasus and griffon wings. Applejack skidded to a stop, her lungs burning. “We can’t help him,” she gasped. “He’s too high.” “No!” Rarity said. She pushed Applejack’s shoulder with a hoof. “No! There has to be something! There has to be something I can do!” “Like what!?” Applejack stood still for a minute, waiting for Rarity’s answer. “Well?” Rarity sat down and shook her head. She lifted her eyes to the sky, watching Fluttershy pull the cloud. “There must be something.” Spike looked down. When he felt his stomach toss, he decided not to do that anymore. “So, wings are pretty nice, huh?” “Your kind slaughtered our brothers,” one grotesque hissed. It was bigger than the others, with jagged horns growing out of the side of its head. “We were gone for so long. We hunger for dragon meat.” “Yeah, okay, that’s creepy!” Spike choked as the grotesques’ claws slid past his scales and into his flesh. “Get your lousy hands off me!” The lead grotesque peered at the ground. “Now, brothers.” They let him drop. Gilded Wing raised his sword over Rainbow Dash’s neck. His iron beak parted as he exhaled. “Time was, I admired you. The spirit, the drive. You were a great friend to my daughter.” He lowered it until the searing edge was placed against her neck. “Too great. You drove us apart. You defied me, and led to her denial and subsequent death.” “She’s alive,” Rainbow Dash said. “She’s in Ponyville recovering. I think she’d forgive you.” She turned her magenta eyes to Martial Paw. “She deserves the chance, at least. Don’t you think?” Gilded Wing narrowed his eyes. He pointed the tip of his sword at Rainbow Dash. “She’s already dead to me.” A javelin shot through the griffon lord’s shoulder. He reared back in pain, dropping his sword to the ground. He flapped his wings as he tumbled across the courtyard. Martial Paw dropped to the ground coughing, his talons massaging his throat. He crawled over to Rainbow Dash and wrapped an arm around her. “You okay?” “No.” Rainbow Dash wiped tears from her eyes. “Who did that?” Gilded Wing raised himself up, the javelin still embedded in his body. “Crested! Show yourself!” Crested Barbary swung under the edge of the roof, his second javelin in his talon. He flew towards Gilded and struck, but only hit the crystal floor. Gilded stumbled to the side, attempting to ignore his wound but still breathing heavy with every step. “Traitors!” Gilded said. “I’m surrounded by traitors!” “I serve the griffon empire,” Crested Barbary said. “That includes dealing with monsters who would be king!” Gilded Wing raised his talons and grasped Crested’s wings with the power of the amulet. He pulled them to the sides, stretching Crested in two directions. “Your loyalty is noted!” Martial Paw jumped onto Gilded’s back and pulled the stuck javelin out. He struck again, stabbing the griffon through the chest. Gilded flapped his wings and threw Martial off. He clutched at the javelin’s point as his chest feathers grew red. Crested broke free while Lord Wing was distracted. He flew around, searching for another attack vector. Gilded roared as he revolved to keep facing the captain. Martial circled around the other way, angled for an opportunity to grab the javelin again. Rainbow Dash struggled to her hooves. She wobbled over to the Crystal Heart. It spun faster and faster, almost too fast to see. Magic pulsed from it again and again, seeping through the ground and reaching the edges of the Empire. “What are you doing?” Rainbow Dash asked. “This is insane. You’re going to seal everyone away, and it’s all going to happen again in another thousand years.” “I protect the Empire.” “You don’t!” Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth. “You never have. You’ve always just used stupid temporary solutions instead of finding the real solution. Ever since you cut your own heart out instead of facing Discord.” The heart spun. “Don’t make the same mistake again.” Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof to support her damaged wing. “Do the right thing this time. Fight the problem.” “I protect the Empire! I protect it my way!” “Remember Starswirl!” Rainbow Dash backed away. She reached her good wing down and scooped up Gilded’s still-glowing sword. “Remember how much he missed you! You’re going to do that same thing to a whole lot of other ponies. Hundreds! Thousands!” Gilded Wing pulled the javelin out of his chest. His eyes were completely red, two balls of burning hatred. “Death!” He plunged the javelin in Crested Barbary’s stomach. The captain gasped and tumbled to the ground, clutching his injury. Martial Paw jumped into the air, his eyes searching for Rainbow Dash. The air charged with power as the Heart sucked in energy. Rainbow Dash lifted the sword. “You’re going to make me do this, aren’t you?” “I protect the Empire! I protect the Empire!” Martial wrapped his forelegs around Rainbow Dash and gripped the sword. They held it together before the gyrating Crystal Heart. Martial Paw clicked his beak. “Ready when you are.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Thanks.” Gilded Wing ran towards them with the javelins in his talons. They struck the Heart. The Crystal Heart exploded. Sombra coughed blood as he righted himself. “Beg pardon?” “Why does this dark sorcerer have my cutie mark,” Cadance gasped. “Why? Tell me why!” “What?” Luna said. “His mark isn’t—” Her mouth fell open. “But… But I would have remembered…” “A cutie mark is part of who a pony is,” Celestia said. “If one can lose a cutie mark, might they lose part of themselves?” “It doesn‘t matter!” Twilight Sparkle trotted over to the fallen king and pointed her horn at his face. “We take him in, we lock him up, we throw away the key. Before I do something I’ll regret.” “But this is impossible!” Luna shook her head. “The baby was stillborn.” Cadance froze. “What baby?” “Your baby?” Twilight asked. “The one you had with Sombra?” Luna bowed her head. “I had her with Somber Tidings. Not Sombra.” “What baby?” Cadance asked. “You’re not talking about—” “Starswirl hid the child.” Sombra stood laboriously. His eyes shifted back and forth as he thought. “He knew about me. He knew I was taking the Empire. So he hid our child.” He looked at Cadance, his eyebrows raised. “To protect you?” Cadance stared at nothing. “No. No, my parents were pegasi.” “Foster parents?” Celestia said. “Or adopted? How long have you lived, Cadance?” Cadance looked from one pony to the other. “I… I don’t—” Twilight Sparkle placed her hoof on Cadance’s shoulder. “Hay. Hay, it’s okay.” Sombra smirked. All four mares turned towards him as energy began to pool around him. His horn flared white as his eyes glowed bright purple. He threw his head back and laughed. “The Journey’s End spell!” Luna shouted. She lit her horn and fired a blast, but it was thrown back. “He’s going to run!” Sombra was obscured within a haze of white. “Farewell, you are all children to me!” Twilight Sparkle jumped into the spell just as it reached its critical point. The two of them vanished, leaving Celestia, Luna, and Cadance standing in the midst of the battlefield. Luna looked at Cadance. “Later, I feel that we will have much to discuss.” The grotesques let Spike drop. As he fell, he reached up and grasped the barbed tail of one monster. He pulled himself up as the beast took on his weight. He placed himself between its wings and wrapped his arms around its neck. “Giddyup!” The grotesque spiraled towards the ground. The other three circled around like vultures, biting and snapping at Spike. He breathed fire at them as they flew past. One fireball caught a grotesque on the edge of its wing, sending it spiraling into a nearby crystal building. Both the spire and the monster crumbled. The large grotesque roared and pointed at his partner. The smaller monster flew straight for Spike and his unwilling steed, bellowing discolored fire. Spike clamped his jaw shut and jumped onto the charging monster. He kicked out with his feet and slammed the two grotesques together. Their limbs tangled together as they fell. Spike grasped the wing of one grotesque and tore it off. The three of them spiraled down together, descending at a slightly gentler pace. The largest grotesque grasped Spike’s shoulder in his mouth. Its teeth pierced Spike’s shoulder and ripped it raw. The monster shook Spike and tossed him away from the flailing grotesques, tumbling into the empty sky. Spike waved his arms and legs as he fell, reaching for anything to hold onto. The Crystal Empire rushed up to meet him, its sharp towers waiting for his impact. He shut his eyes and waited for the end. He landed on a soft, fluffy cloud. “What the—?” “I can’t believe that worked!” Fluttershy gasped. “Oh, I didn’t know dragons could cloudwalk!” Spike felt his claws sinking through the cloud. “We can’t!” The cloud crumble underneath him. Fluttershy griped its edge and pulled. “No, no, no, no, no!” “Fluttershy!” Rarity called up. “Drag him to the castle! Bring him to the ledge!” Fluttershy pushed the cloud for all she was worth. She screeched at a fireball shot past. The large grotesque was hot on their heels, alongside the only other undamaged monster. The grotesque that was short one wing lay on the ground below, where it was being torn apart by earth ponies and unicorns. Spike shot a fireball back at the pursuers. His arms trembled as his hand poked through the bottom of a cloud. “Shoot. Oh, shoot.” “Jump, Spike!” Applejack shouted. “Jump!” Spike leaped from the cloud to the palace. Except the palace wasn’t there. He tumbled head-over-tail as he fell the dozens of feet to the balcony protruding from the side of the Crystal Palace. Fluttershy dove for the ground as a grotesque grasped at her. One claw dug a shallow cut through her side, sending her spiraling off course. Spike reached out and caught her. He held her close to his chest as the two grotesques circled. The lead monster blasted the base of the balcony. The supports creaked and the floor split into shards of crystal. Spike pushed Fluttershy into the palace as the balcony crumbled away. He dug his claws deep into the quartz as the world turned upside down. He kicked off the wall of the palace and pushed the detached balcony towards a monster. It smashed into the grotesque, and the both of them fell crashing to the ground. A troop of unicorns around the base of the palace fired bolts up at the lead grotesque, driving it away. Applejack and Rarity met on top of the decimated balcony. “Spikey!” Rarity cried. “Are you alright?” Spike groaned and shifted. He opened one eye and looked towards the voice. “Rarity?” Rover Redvest stirred. He lifted himself to his hands and knees, both of which were bloody. He picked a nail out of his palm, where it had been torn from his club. He couldn’t find his club. He looked up and saw a large wall of black crystal. He reached up to the top, where the shards were at their thinnest. He snapped one off. He licked it. It was as sharp as a diamond blade. Some few feet away, a dragon lay on the ground. The dragon. The one who had hurt Rover. Humiliated him. Stolen from him. Rover looked from the shard to the dragon. He spotted several spots where the dragon was missing scales. Rover shambled towards the dragon. Rainbow Dash lay against Martial Paw. She felt his beak run through her mane, tickling her ears. The next moment, she felt a sharp pain running through her right wing. “Ow.” “I’m gonna try and get up, okay?” Martial said. “I can’t get up.” Rainbow Dash lifted her leg. “I can’t move.” “It’s okay, I’ll help.” Martial lifted her gently and slid out from beneath her. “You gonna be okay?” “Eventually.” Rainbow Dash looked down. “Did we stop the Heart?” “Yeah.” Martial Paw looked out over the shower of crystal shards decorating the courtyard. “Yeah, it’s gone.” Rainbow Dash bit her lip. “The crystal ponies are gonna need a new home.” Martial nodded. “I think I know of a little country called Equestria.” He rolled Rainbow Dash over so that she could lie on her belly. She brushed her cheek against his talon. “Where’s Crested?” Martial Paw looked across the courtyard. He spotted a crumpled mass of feathers on the far side. “He’s dead.” “And Gilded?” “I can’t see him.” Martial perked his ears up. “Maybe we’re lucky and the blast vaporized him.” “It didn’t vaporize us, did it?” Rainbow Dash tried to get up, but only flopped back down. “Find him.” They both felt a jolt run down their spines at a gargling gasp. They turned towards one of the four supports the palace sat upon. Slumped up against it, blood pouring from multiple wounds, was Lord Gilded Wing. He pointed a talon at them as his eyes flashed a dim red. “Kill… you…” Martial stumbled back. He jerked his head to the side. “You hear that?” “Kill…” Gilded gasped. “Kill!” Rainbow Dash looked up. Hairline fractures ran through the ceiling of the courtyard. “Marty. Run.” Gilded clenched his fist tight enough to draw blood from his palm. “Kill! You!” Martial Paw lifted Rainbow Dash with a little more force than before. “On my back!” One of the supports shattered. The balcony tumbled from above and landed atop a passing grotesque. Spike landed on the ground soon after, purple scales raining around him. “Spike!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “We gotta help him!” “We gotta help ourselves!” Martial flapped a wing as another support crumbled. The entire palace leaned. “Hold on to me!” A leather strap around Gilded Wing’s artificial mouth snapped away, letting the iron beak drop to the floor. He hissed as the support behind him buckled. When it snapped in half, the topmost portion crushed his body. Martial ran out of the courtyard as the final support was destroyed. The entire palace dropped at once, eliminating the courtyard from existence. It tumbled to the side, toppling towards the warring armies below. The palace shattered at it fell. Giant blocks of crystal crushed buildings and creatures alike. Martial Paw tripped. He and Rainbow Dash sprawled on the ground, right in the path of the titanic building. They held each other tight as they watched the final moment come. Spike stood between them and the palace. He pressed his hands against the ground and held still, allowing the tumbling crystal to shatter against his strong hide. He winced as shards found holes in his armor, but he never moved an inch. A few minutes later, the palace was gone. The dragon stood. Spike slumped down, careful to avoid crushing Dash and Martial. “You guys okay?” “No!” Rainbow Dash shouted. She lifted her head and planted a kiss on Spike’s cheek. “But we’re better than we could be!” Martial Paw planted a kiss on Spike’s other cheek. “You’re the dragon, man!” “First of all, you,” Spike said to Martial. “Don’t ever kiss me again.” Spike groaned as he shifted. Crystal pebbles poured off of his body. “Second of all, ouch.” Rarity and Applejack climbed over rubble. Fluttershy landed beside them, clutching her side. Rarity jumped down beside Spike and planted a long kiss on the tip of his nose. “You were simply spectacular, Spikey-wikey.” “Thanks.” He frowned. “But I turned into a monster.” “Well…” Rarity tilted her head. “Isn’t it what’s inside that counts?” Spike pursed his lips. His nose twitched, still wet from Rarity’s kiss. “Maybe you’re right.” He lurched up, howling in pain. He gasped as blood poured out of his side. Rover Redvest grinned up at him as he stabbed his crystal shard deeper. “First diamond dog to kill a dragon! Ever! Rover is best ever!” A dark shadow fell over the dog. Rover looked up to see the last grotesque glaring down at him. “No,” the monster said. Its barbed tail whipped around. “No such honor to any but the grotesques!” The barbed tail dug into Rover, lifted him into the air, and bashed him against the ground. The grotesque lifted the diamond dog up to its mouth and ate him in two bites. The monster howled in triumph before digging its claws into Spike’s hide. Spike pulled away, but was still half-buried in rubble. He yelped as the grotesque tore at him. The monster grinned as it brought its face close to Spike’s. “Finally, the grotesques shall feast!” Spike bit down on the edge of its nose. His gem-munching teeth crushed the grotesque’s head into shards. The rest of the monster flew back on unsteady wings as black smoke poured from its body. Spike spat out the bits of grotesque and launched a fireball. The monster shattered. Tears poured from Spike’s eyes as he collapsed. “Can I be done now?”