Discord slowly lifted his head, pain screeching through every fiber of his being. The power he had once felt was completely gone, leaving him with barely leaving him with enough to stay alive. He looked around, seeing Greyhield, Nightmare Moon, and Chrysalis, just as he had expected, but then he saw seven ponies and a smaller dragon.
“What have you done with him?” Fluttershy demanded. Nightmare Moon traipsed over to the weakened draconequus, flicking her mystical mane into his face with a grin before turning to the ponies.
“Why, whatever do you mean?” She asked with a look that suggested she didn’t understand on her face. “He hasn’t ever looked better to me.” Fluttershy visibly became angry. She shot up to eye level with Greyhield.
“Look here mister, you better let him and Celestia and Luna too!” She shouted and the dragon, who didn’t the slightest bit affected by the antagonizing pegasus.
“Why?” Greyhield asked plainly without any readable expression.
“You better let them go or else I’ll use the stare!” She warned. “I’ve used it on a dragon larger than you and he didn’t last too long, so I suggest letting them all go.” She cautioned, getting closer and closer to Greyhield’s right eye, but the dragon didn’t react excepted for blinking almost as if he was bored. “Alright, you leave me no choice!” She shouted before using her stare on Greyhield, who didn’t seem the least bit affected, in fact he even yawned as the pegasus intensified her glare. Greyhield finally gave a sigh, and then his eyes shot wide, an audible shockwave flowing through the room along with a blast wave that threw Fluttershy back into the group with a devastating force as it pushed the other ponies back a few meters as he did as he did his own stare.
“I have no interest in letting go of any prisoners, and you have much to learn of the stare and how to pick your targets.” Greyhield chided, his expression still remaining neutral, as if he were a teacher explaining something that was obvious to a particular slow student. “Now, if I may proceed.” Greyhield walked behind Discord, bearing his claws. “Discord, will you return to my side, and once again pledge your allegiance to me as you did when I gave you your powers?”
“N-never again… I’ll stand by Fluttershy until… the very end.” Discord choked out, his body convulsing as a racking cough overcame him.
“Very well, then I shall have to start with a clean slate. I’d say I was sorry, Discord, but I feel no pity for traitors.” Greyhield stated, drawing his fist back before sending it forward, his claws slicing through the other side, their black pointy forms stained with red, blood dripping down to the floor. Fluttershy overcame the aftershock of the stare and shot up towards Discord, but her friend held her down, each watching as the draconequus gave a roar in pain. Discord shook as the pain cracked like lighting through every bit of his being, but then, it was gone. He coughed, and blood splattered across the ground. Discord tried to give a laugh, but instead choked on another bit of blood as Greyhield slid his claws out of his chest. Discord looked down, and saw the blood dripping out of the three holes left in his chest. Slowly, black, sticky figure covered his vision, a pressure vaguely registering in his mind as Greyhield increased his grip strength. The pony looked away, but the blood still splattered across their coat, a bit smacking into Blaze’s eye.
Greyhield let go and cut the chains with a claw, walking away from the bloody corpse of the once great spirit of chaos. Blaze kept his gaze on Greyhield, not wishing to look at the alternative of the bloody limp form of Discord.
“And so shall it be done to any who think they may break their word to me.” Greyhield stated grimly as he flicked his claws, the blood sprinkling over the ground. “But Discord was a worthy servant; there is no reason to completely destroy him.” Greyhield lifted his claw, a deep purple aura forming around it as well as the blood and body of Discord. “Your philosophers were not far off when they said that the life and essence of a being is in its blood.” The blood around Discord’s limp form slowly began to swirl around inside the orb of magic that had formed. “But not only does blood have life and the essence of living being, but also the power to resurrect the bearer of the blood or whomever you please of equal power.” He continued to explain as the battered and torn body of Discord sucked the blood back in and began to return to its former form. Eventually Discord was released from the orb of magic, letting him to fall on all fours before lifting himself up and giving a boisterous laugh, much like he had when the Elements of Harmony had first arrived at the maze.
“Thank you, Greyhield; it was getting quite annoying being pushed to the back seat all that time.” Discord said with a smile while giving Greyhield thumbs up.
“You were a prisoner in your own body, trapped by ponies; it was my pleasure to release you from your torment.” Greyhield replied. “And now I believe the ponies wish to try something in an attempt to kill me before this war can begin.” Blaze took a step forward, raising his sword and shield.
“Blaze, let us handle this.” Twilight ordered, Blaze not budging an inch from his stance, his eyes burrowing into Greyhield. “Blaze,” Twilight repeated, putting a hoof on Blaze’s shoulder, “We can take care of it. Just stand out of the way so we can do our work.” Blaze finally nodded and walked back the hall, almost to the door, considering whether to join back with the other ponies in the fight against the reptilous, but hesitated as he turned to watch the six perform their final attack. Twilight and the rest of the Elements took up formation, their magic swirling around them as their latent powers came to full view.
Slowly the pony transformed, each gaining an extra color in their mane and extra cutie marks scattered about their limbs. An orb of rainbow energy began swirling around them as they were lifted off the ground. Suddenly the rainbow orb was surrounded a deep purple aura, which darkened each second. Twilight and her friends looked around the orb, seeing the purple invading the vibrant colors that were shifting around them. Their fear became panic, and soon, they fired out of desperation, not even fully prepared to actually give it their all. The beam broke through the shield, but encountered yet another shield, which pushed back the weakened blast with ease before forming an orb around them and forcing the ponies to the ground, their form quickly shifting back to normal.
“B-but, how, there’s no way you could have deflected such a powerful blast!” Twilight stammered, looking weak and disorientated, as well as having the edges of her mane and tail singed.
“I am no simple fiend, I am no simple dragon. I am much more than anything you have ever faced before being as I am each of you calamity’s root source. I am much greater than anything you have ever faced and greater than anything after this point, seeing as I will be the last thing you face.” Greyhield stated, not as boast or vain gloating, but more as a factual assertion, as if it was like saying the princesses caused the sun and moon to move or that death was inevitable for ponies and all other beings.
“Even if that is true, we will defeat you!” Blaze shouted his reply, anger whelming up in him, his mane briefly rising in a nonexistent wind. “You will never succeed; you will fall like all those you have sent before you!”
“I’m afraid that is entirely impossible.” Greyhield stated plainly. “And there is one in your number as we speak who is not of your side… not entirely at any rate.” He continued. “Spike, the dragon of promise who has seen his future before its time,” Spike slowly stepped forward, facing Greyhield while trembling, “You know who I am, we have met before, and you have seen what your future will be like if you stay with ponies.” Spike slowly nodded. “You purposed to change it if it were indeed true,” Greyhield continued, “I now offer you a chance to change your future by changing what you did to gain that end.”
“What are you saying?” Spike asked, taking another step towards the mighty dragon, feeling draw in towards an elder of his own kind that didn’t seem to resent him, even to the point of welcoming him.
“Don’t listen to him, Spike; he’s trying to trick you!” Blaze shouted, charging towards the baby dragon. Greyhield gave and the ponies his powerful stare, sending them all flying across the hall towards the back wall of the hall.
“Spike, I give you a choice,” Greyhield began, “return to your friend who will betray you in the long run, or join my cause and fight for a cause that needs you, and will gain you great honors and veneration of all. Join my army, join the winning cause and forsake those who would forsake you, eliminating their chance to stab you in the back.” Greyhield offered.
“I-I choose…” Spike began, unsure as he looked back towards his friends, whose voices were blocked by a silencing spell. He looked back to Greyhield, who lifted a few drops of Discord’s blood that had not been caught up in the draconequus reanimating. “I choose,” He repeated as he evaluated his options, “I choose… you…, Greyhield.” Spike stated finally.
“Wise choice, young Spike.” Greyhield said as he raised his claws higher, the ponies on the other side of the hall banging against the invisible wall while shouting unheard words. The flecks of blood made a long, thin circle around Spike, slowly contracting on the baby dragon. Spike looked at the continually flowing red strand until it formed one line and slice straight through him, causing him to glow with a white aura as he rose from the ground. His eyes were filled with horror at what was happening, until he noticed his limbs growing and filling out. He looked at his body as it grew and morphed into a taller, stouter form. He finally was set down on the ground, where he fell to one knee, placing one fist on the ground for support. He slowly rose to his feet, looking up at Greyhield, and then he turned to the ponies, showing his new form to his old friends. He looked almost like a carbon copy of a reptilous, but his spines were better developed and much sharper, and his scales had a cleaner sheen to them. His irises quickly became pinpricks, focused with rage as power surge through him.
“Here, have these, Sir Spike.” Discord said, presenting him with a sword and a shield. Spike took them and turned to face the ponies again, pointing his blade towards Blaze. Blaze walked up to him with his blade and shield within his magical grasp.
“Spike, I beg you to change your mind. Greyhield will only lead you to destruction, we can help you.” Blaze pleaded, but his words fell on deaf ears as Spike charged Blaze, sword raised. Blaze lifted his shield, catching the blade. “Spike!” Blaze shouted, trying to get through to the adolescent dragon, who responded by planting his foot onto Blaze’s shield and pushing against it until it was firmly on the ground, where he torched it in a green flare until it was only hot slag. Spike swung his sword down at Blaze with a wide arc, giving Blaze enough time to lift his blade and block the attack. “Spike!” Blaze shouted again.
“You would’ve betrayed me, but now I’ll turn the tables on you and finish this before anything can start!” Spike shouted in rage, his voice much deeper and less rough. Spike slid him blade away from Blaze’s and swung it at the pony’s side, but Blaze blocked it while shooting a fire bolt into Spike’s face, causing him to draw back.
“Spike, you’re not thinking clearly, Greyhield has affected you, you need to fight it!” Blaze reasoned, but Spike simply wiped the soot from his face before charging the pony once again. Blaze blocked the sword, but then Spike threw a punch out with his shield arm, except the razor sharp claws were pointed outward, ready for the kill. Without thinking, Blaze caught the arm and redirected it into Spike’s chest, though it only made a shallow cut. Spike gave a roared and then inhaled deeply, a green glow emanating from his throat and belly. Spike released a fire storm, but Blaze threw up a shield while jumping to the side, the burst of fire not even touching Blaze.
Spike lifted his blade and prepared to bring it down, but when he tried, it stayed in the air, enveloped in a dark purple aura. The dragon looked back and saw Greyhield, with one of his claws glowing in a matching aura.
“Another time, Spike; for now, let him be, so he may later know your power after you have trained.” Greyhield stated. Spike nodded and lowered the now free blade. “I will make this simple, ponies, I want a war, not a few battles, but a full on war.” Greyhield nearly ordered the ponies. “And to do this, I will send you back to whence you came so that you may lead this endeavor on the part of ponykind.” With that said, Greyhield raised his claws and a dark orb formed around the ponies. A bright flash of magical energy came over the room, slowly fading to reveal Blaze gone, but the other ponies still standing where they were. “But if you really wish to stay, I will be forced to oblige.”
Blaze suddenly blinked into existence in the middle of the battlefield around Canterlot, a reptilous instantly turning to face him. Blaze raised his sword and blocked the reptilous’ attack before using his magic to remove a dagger from its belt and point it at it stomach, but the reptilous grabbed the hilt of the blade with its shield arm.
Blaze pushed the reptilian warrior back and, with a second of thought, took a shield from the battlefield and lifted it into position. The reptilous charged Blaze, but Blaze rolled to the side and lifted a spear from the ground behind the reptilous and sent it straight at the beast warrior, but almost as expected, it turned around and caught it with the same hand that already held the dagger.
Suddenly another pony jumped in and attempted to kill the reptilous, but the reptilous turned at skewered the pony on its lance, the pony’s blood splattering across its armor before it shoved the limp form off of its weapon. Blaze charged the reptilous and brought his sword around the side, but the monster was able to catch the blade with its shield while Blaze lifted another sword from the ground and shot it toward the reptilous. Blaze then shot a lance at it, but the reptilous grabbed it out of the air and slammed it to the ground with one of its leg, repeating the same process with the sword Blaze sent next. Blaze slammed his shield into the reptilous, causing it to stumble backwards a bit.
Blaze sent his sword straight at the beast’s chest, but it lifted its shield and caught the blade before knocking it to the side and pointing its spear towards Blaze, pushing off the ground straight towards Blaze. Blaze grabbed the lance in a sheet of magic, sending it straight to the ground before sending one of the lances on the ground towards the reptilous, which sliced its shaft in two with its blade, the spearhead losing a considerable amount of speed, merely clinking off of its chest plate.
Blaze grabbed the broken spearhead and shot it straight back into the reptilous, who received the attack without a flinch before lifting its blade and bringing it down on Blaze, who stopped it with his magical grip, the force behind the blade making him wince as the strain flowed over his senses. Blaze glared at the reptilous as he shot a fire bolt into its face, but it simply washed over the beast’s head, gaining no reaction except it shaking the soot from its eyes. The beast let go of his sword and grabbed yet another dagger from its arsenal and slammed it into Blaze’s chest, giving him little time to react before the blade slipped between two of the plates and jabbed him straight through his chain male and cloth undergarment, letting a trickle of blood run down his chest.
Blaze wrapped his magic around the blade that the reptilous had left and brought it down at the reptilous, who simply grabbed the hilt. Blaze, enraged, fighting against the urge to enter Rage Shift, wrapped his magic around the beast’s limbs and spread them out, exposing the monster completely. Blaze shot his sword towards its chest, but almost against all logical sense, the beast pried one of its arms out of the magical field and caught the blade before it could tough him.
Blaze slammed the beast into the ground, but it still forced its way to its full height, glaring daggers as it rose. Blaze sent the spear at it, then a sword, then a fire bolt, then another sword, then another sword, continuing to pelt the beast with various weapons, more and more of them hitting as the reptilous ran out of way of deflecting the attacks in his semi-paralyzed state. Finally, Blaze planted the last sword into the reptilous’ back as his mane wiped up, going as far as flickering white before settling back down to its usual form in his helmet.
“Blaze, what are you doing here?” Blaze heard the voice of one of the higher ranking officers shout from behind him. Blaze turned towards the pony, the Lieutenant charging through the chaos of the battle towards him.
“Greyhield teleported me out here,” Blaze shouted his reply, “I need you to get the troops together so we can fall back! This battle is over, we need to retreat and regroup!” The pony nodded and ran back towards the command center of the troops, his departure soon followed by the Equestrian horn, signaling a tactical retreat. The ponies broke off from their battles with their reptilous enemies as arrows began raining down from the skies to cover their retreat. Blaze charged off until he came to the palisade, where he turned to face the oncoming reptilouses.
The battle had been long and hard, Blaze’s armor in tatters, streams of blood slithering down his form, leaving red dots on the path behind him. An air of defeat hung over the stallions as they entered the castle’s grounds. Wives, daughters, young colts, and elderly pony came out to meet their returning heroes, but, to the dismay to many, far too many open embraces were left unfilled as the defeat of the day came crashing down on the ponies.
“Sir,” A guard began, but Blaze walked on, not even caring to listen as the defeat crushed him like a gigantic weight. “Sir, I can’t find the Council of Friendship, have you seen them?” Blaze’s head shot up as he realized their absence. Blaze whipped around and began pushing through the crowd, searching from any sign of the six most important ponies at that moment, but the more he searched, the more it dawned on him; the Council of Friendship, the Elements of Harmony, were gone.
Suddenly, the bell that had been placed at the highest tower of the decrepit tower of the castle rang, signaling an incoming force. A pegasus guard jumped from the tower and swooped down towards Blaze almost by magic.
“Sir, we have a situation.” The guard stated. “A large force of reptilous and other sorted creatures are heading this way. They just entered the forest and are keeping a consistent speed moving through the forest by the appearances of birds fluttering off from where they entered. What are your orders?” Blaze quickly thought up a plan, straining his head to work faster.
“Tell everypony to get together all supplies, but only the essentials.” Blaze ordered the stallion. “Tell them we’re moving out for a new position but don’t give a reason, we need to keep some order. Keep me posted on the reptilouses’ progress.” The guard nodded and took to the air, quickly spread the word.
Blaze quickly began running all possible location they could relocate to, but each was well known, making them prime targets for Greyhield to attack. He looked around at the ponies surging around him, the realization that to hide these ponies they would need a large city if they wanted to actually be able to survive, seeing as the rather large castle was jammed from wall to wall with ponies and supplies, and as if it had been placed in his mind by another, the idea came to him, as well as how to get there easily without detection. Blaze looked out to the forest, and saw a flash of whitish-yellow between the trees, causing a smile to form on Blaze’s snout. Blaze came back to reality and turned back to the ponies around him.
“Come on, ponies, we need to pack up and move out! Greyhield knows we’re here so let’s give him a start when he sees we’re not! Come on, let’s move!” Blaze ordered, galloping towards the castle, rallying the ponies for the move.