On the evening of the second day of training in the Veldt, Maduin called for a meeting.
“That will be enough,” he said to the group gathered in front of the airship. “You have all done well, but I believe it’s time to make our way to my homeland.”
“‘Bout time,” Rainbow Dash muttered. She winced as Applejack poked her in the side.
“Don’t be like that, Dash. We got plenty of practice in ourselves.”
“I trust that you all will continue to train your abilities,” Maduin said over them. “There is plenty still to learn, but I’m afraid we do not have the luxury.”
Pinkie Pie hopped forward and gestured towards the Party of One. “All right, everyone! Let’s get on board and get some rest. If we leave now we should be able to reach that base during the night. We can slip in easily, then!”
Rarity covered her mouth and coughed. “Don’t be so sure, Captain Pinkie. That place seemed to be very alert no matter what time it is. It might be best to slip in through the mountains rather than try the front door.”
“We’ll talk about it on the way,” Rainbow Dash said, already trotting up the gangplank. “C’mon, let’s get this over with.”
The moment Rainbow Dash’s form was out of sight, Spike turned to Applejack and said, “What’s with her?”
The farmer shrugged. “Reckon it has to do with that Trixie pony. I guess that with the downtime we’ve had, she’s had a chance to brood over it.”
“Jeez, she’s wasting her time. If you ask me, Trixie isn’t worth it.”
“Maybe, but try tellin’ her that.”
Soon, the rest of the Returners boarded the airship and helped themselves to Pinkie Pie’s pantry. Within minutes, the Party of One took off, heading west over the Veldt.
.o.O.o.
Just as Pinkie Pie predicted, the airship reached the eastern end of the Empire’s continent well past midnight. The engines whirred as slowly as possible to reduce the noise, forcing the Party of One to come in low. The eastern mountains loomed ahead in the darkness, a giant mass of rock that pierced the night sky.
“So, what’s the plan?” Pinkie Pie said, her hooves steady on the wheel. “If we go higher, they may hear us coming but if we go around it’s going to be morning by the time we get there.”
Scootaloo buzzed up and thrust a hoof forward. “I say we go blasting in! Take ‘em by surprise.” She whirled around, pointing at all the ponies present. “Man the cannons!”
“Uh, yeah, not gonna happen,” Pinkie Pie drawled. “The only cannons I’ve got are party cannons.” She blinked and cocked her head. “But you know, if I loaded them up with cake batter…”
Beside her, Rarity shook her head. “No. That would only make them mad. They’ve got more than enough to blow us out of the sky. We need to be cautious about this.”
“Hey, how about I scout ahead and see what they got?” Rainbow Dash said. “Better than going in blind.”
“A good idea, but you’re going to need something to cover up. Your mane isn’t the most stealthy of colors, dear.” Rarity lit up her horn, lifting out a black body suit from her bag. She presented the suit before Rainbow Dash. “This should do the trick. This was going to be a backup Mare Do Well costume, but with a little modification, I can make it suitable for your wings.”
Rainbow Dash pawed at the fabric, giving it a doubtful look. “I’m pretty sure I can get in and out without them seeing me.”
“Why take the chance? This will only take a minute.” Rarity sat down, levitated out a pair of scissors and began cutting through the suit. A little thread and needling later, Rarity stood back up and gave a “Ta-da!” Before Rainbow Dash could protest, Rarity held the pegasus still with her magic and slipped the suit on in one smooth motion. She stepped back and nodded in approval. “You look fantastic!”
The fabric covered all of Rainbow Dash’s body with only her muzzle poking out of a hole in the cowl area. Even her tail was covered by a thin black mesh.
Scootaloo snickered. “You look like a cat.”
“Har, har,” Rainbow Dash replied. Now able to move again, Rainbow Dash squirmed in the tight fitting outfit, using a hoof to pull at her crotch. “Is it supposed to ride up this much?”
Rolling her eyes, Rarity used her magic to adjust the uncomfortable area. “You don’t have to wear it long. Give your wings a try.”
Rainbow Dash spread out her wings, the same mesh that covered her tail also wrapped around them. A little hop into the air and she was flying around the deck. Once she completed two laps, she circled back and hovered over Rarity. “Okay, I admit, this feels pretty cool.”
“I never disappoint when it comes to frocks,” Rarity said with a smirk and a wink.
“Well, better head out then.” With that, Rainbow Dash took off over the mountains and was soon lost from sight.
An hour passed, the airship circling the coast as the Returners waited for the pegasus to return. Just as the others began to murmur among themselves if they should head in to find her, Rainbow Dash landed on the deck, startling them all.
“You guys won’t believe this!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed before anyone else could get a word in. “The whole place is empty! I couldn’t find a single Impy wandering around.”
A few moments of silence followed her statement.
“C’mon!” Rainbow Dash thrust a hoof towards the mountains, grinning viciously. “Let’s get in while the gettin’s good!”
A white hoof lowered Rainbow Dash’s own. “There’s no possible way that could happen,” Rarity said. “There must have been an entire army’s worth of soldiers when I last saw it.”
“Ya gotta believe me. I know it’s crazy but it’s true!” Whirling on Pinkie Pie, she pushed the airship captain towards the wheel. “When we get close, you’ll see.”
Pinkie Pie looked to the others, seeking guidance. A hushed conversation between Applejack and Shining Armor took place and after a minute, Applejack stepped forward. She shrugged. “Let’s check it out.”
“Yes!” Rainbow Dash pumped a hoof to the air.
Minutes later, the Party of One’s engines whined with increased power, lifting the airship higher and above the mountains. Only a half-hour passed before lights shining against the darkness could be seen. As the vehicle came closer, a large base built into the side of the mountains came into view. High walls covered in Imperial banners surrounded a central building large enough to house enough firepower and troops to lay siege to any settlement on the continent. The only thing missing were any signs of soldiers.
“I don’t like this,” Rarity said at length. “Why would they abandon such a critical place?”
Applejack made a committal grunt. “You think it’s a trap?”
“I know it’s a trap.”
“Then what do we do?” Shining Armor said. “If we want to get to the gate then we need to go through that.”
Waving a hoof in the air, Pinkie Pie let out an “Oh! Oh!” gaining everyone’s attention. “Why don’t some of us go in and the others stay out? We can be your lookout for anything weird. Whaddaya think?”
“Sounds good, I think.” Turning so that he had the entire group in his sights, Shining Armor said, “Let’s figure out who’s going in. Obviously, Twilight will need to go.”
“And me!” Spike spoke up, standing straight next to Twilight.
“I’ll go to make sure we follow the correct path,” Maduin said. “I won’t be much use in a fight, though.”
Rainbow Dash buffed her chest with a hoof, smirking. “And of course I’ll have to go. No way I’m missing out on this. Think of all the treasure I could find!” She looked over the rest. “Anypony else?”
“Us—”
Applejack bopped her sister over the head. “Nope.”
“Aww…”
“Me,” Big Macintosh said as he stepped forward.
Nodding, Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie Pie. “All right, seems we’re all set. Get us down and keep a look out.”
“Roger!” Pinkie Pie saluted and began the landing process.
A few minutes later and the gate team were on the ground, in the middle of the base. Cautiously, the group headed for the large steel doors at the rear of the base. No locks could be seen holding it closed. Together, the ponies and dragon pushed the doors open, revealing a narrow path leading into the mountains. With no sign of Imperials, Maduin led the way. Less than a mile in, a heavy wave of heat hit the party. The sudden and oppressive temperature staggered the ponies while Spike walked on, unhindered.
“You dragons have way too many perks, ya know that,” Rainbow Dash said as she adjusted her bandanna to keep the sweat out of her eyes.
Spike’s response was a smile full of teeth. “Heh, yeah. We can live just about anywhere, especially if there are gems around.”
“Well, there should be plenty in a spot like this, so you should be right at home.”
“Yeah. Too bad Stardust didn’t want to come with us. Though he’d be a smoking plate of chicken wings going in here.”
“Speaking of here,” Maduin spoke up, “we’ve arrived.”
Before them was a large hole in the mountain. No fancy archway, no obvious path or marks to indicate that this was the entrance to the esper world. By all appearances, it was just an ordinary cave, completely uninteresting for what lay beyond.
“Once we enter, we must stay on our guard. Monsters have filled this cave over the centuries, drawn by the residual magic coming from the gate.”
“Don’t worry, we’re ready,” Rainbow Dash said, drawing Thunder Blade. “Let ‘em try to get us.”
.o.O.o.
“Run! There’re gonna get us!”
Having traveled a short distance into the sweltering cave, the party ran into the first wave of monsters. However, instead of living, breathing creatures, these beasts by all accounts appeared dead. Corpses of ponies shambled towards them, their rotting skin hanging from blackened bones. Their moans echoed through the cave, as though calling out for someone to end their suffering. The monsters came at them in packs, often with a single figure wearing tattered robes in the middle pointing bony fingers at the Returners to attack. Maduin identified them as liches, undead beings with power over the dead.
The first wave was taken down with a wall of fire from Twilight’s horn, incinerating the tormented creatures. However, another group soon replaced them. Rainbow Dash and Spike cut down two before being forced back by the unrelenting march. More liches and their animated servants began piling into the small, dark cavern, quickly surrounding the Returners.
Just as all avenues of escape closed, Twilight Sparkle gave a guttural cry and morphed. Now encased in fire, Twilight lowered her head and fearlessly plowed through the encroaching line of undead, incinerating any too slow to get out of her way. The creatures scrambled away from her, creating an opening.
Not one to pass up an opportunity, Rainbow Dash ran after the half-esper. Spike and Maduin followed, swatting away any stragglers seeking to get close. Twilight continued her charge, leading them deeper into the cave. Then without warning, the flames surrounding Twilight sputtered and died. Now just a regular unicorn, Twilight swayed and nearly toppled if Rainbow Dash hadn’t been there to catch her. Now the party ran for their lives, being pursued by relentless monsters and Twilight cradled in her father’s arms as she panted for breath.
“Where to?!” Rainbow Dash called back towards Maduin.
“Just up ahead!” Maduin replied. “They won’t follow us much longer.”
Rainbow Dash put on a burst of speed, galvanized by the esper’s words. She soon found stairs leading down with an orange glow at the bottom and bounded her way to the end. A heat more intense than anything she had ever felt hit her like wall. Gasping for breath, she gaped at the huge open cavern she had entered and the lakes of flowing magma. “We have to cross this?!”
Coming up beside her and kneeling down, Maduin gently placed Twilight on the rocky floor. He lay down next to her, sucking in air with shallow breaths. “Yes. This is… the way… to my home.”
“We’ll never make it through this. I can barely stand it, it’s so hot.”
She heard movement next to her and nearly jumped away, only to see Spike smiling smugly up at her. “Heh, can’t take the heat?”
Rainbow Dash wiped her brow and came away with a torrent of sweat. “Yeah, what about it, dragon boy?”
“I think I know a way for you guys to get through this just fine.” Rearing back, Spike took a deep breath.
“Whoa, wait!”
Too late, as Spike let loose a blast of arctic air that washed over Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Maduin. The Ice Dragon’s power coated the ponies and esper in a fine sheen of frost that glittered in the light of the lava.
Spike cut off his ice breath with a snap of his jaws and dusted off his claws. “There, that should do the trick.”
Rainbow Dash blinked, looking herself over. “Whadja do?”
“Gave you guys a little heat resistance. I thought it up on the way here. Neat, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s like being in a sauna now.”
The dragon raised an eyebrow. “You go to saunas?”
“Spitfire,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Anyway, let’s get going before this wears off.” She turned to Maduin and inclined her head down the path between the lava pits. “Lead the way, big guy.”
Nodding, Maduin carefully picked up Twilight, as the unicorn was still recovering, and headed further into the cave.
.o.O.o.
“See anything out there, Spotter?”
The colt sighed and shook his head. “Nothing, Sweetie Belle. I got this feeling I should be seeing something but I just can’t find it.”
“Maybe you need to squint really hard,” Scootaloo said. “Like this.” She propped her front hooves onto the airship railing and narrowed her eyes.
Sweetie Belle gave her a flat stare. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Sure it does! It works for me.”
“Which is probably why you crash so much when you try to fly,” Sweetie Belle muttered under her breath.
“Whadja say?”
“Nothing!”
Spotter shook his head and trotted over to where Stardust and Apple Bloom were sitting only a few hooves away. The chocobo and filly had been inseparable ever since they had been given the list from the zebras. Scattered around them were an assortment of herbs, vials, and other materials that Spotter could only guess at. “How’re you guys doing?”
“Not bad!” Apple Bloom said with a wide grin. “Those zebras really know their stuff. I’ve already made a whole bag full of poison that that white unicorn said she could put on her needles.”
“And I might be able to make an elixir,” Stardust added. “Not even Moonlight could figure that one out.”
“Ah, cool, I guess,” Spotter said, giving a dubious look over all the seemingly random ingredients spread over the airship deck.
Apple Bloom nodded so rapidly, Spotter feared her head would fly off. “Yeah, really cool! Ever since I got my cutie mark, it’s like I just know how to mix this stuff. I was okay at it before but now I’m on a roll!”
“Great.” With nothing left to say, Spotter wandered back to the railing. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were in a heated discussion with something to do with how toast was supposed to be prepared, a topic Spotter decided he wanted nothing to do with. He turned away before he got embroiled in their argument, a decision that cost him missing a dark silhouette flying low against the ground. The dark form coasted silently until it reached the path leading deeper into the mountains. Soon, the figure disappeared between the craggy cliffs.
.o.O.o.
Twilight Sparkle stifled a groan as a brief twinge of fatigue nearly overwhelmed her. She looked up but no one else seemed to have noticed. She swallowed and forced herself to keep moving one hoof in front of the other.
She had been so excited and relieved when she had managed to get control of her esper half during her stay on the Veldt. Finally, she felt she could contribute to her friends and pay them back for all the help they had given her to reach that point. Never again would she feel useless while others around her did all the fighting. The path to peace looked brighter than ever.
At least up until her fight with the liches and their undead minions. True, she had managed to defeat them quite easily, but the aftermath of morphing that fast, that quickly had taxed her more than she could have guessed. Now she was back to relying on the others while she recovered, feelings of shame and uselessness bubbling up within her.
“You look troubled, Twilight.”
The unicorn was brought out of her darkening thoughts by Maduin’s voice. Her father walked next to her, his demonic face softened as he looked down at her.
“Sorry,” Twilight replied, turning away. “Just worried that I won’t have enough energy to do whatever I need to do when we get to the gate.”
“No need to apologize. You are still getting used to your powers. You’ll learn when it’s best to use them and when not to.”
“But that’s just it!” she cried, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes. “I’m going to be asking help from others soon, and I can’t afford to learn as I go. This… it’s too important for me to screw up.”
Maduin sighed, looking away. Her head hung low, Twilight shut her eyes tight and hiccuped. A few minutes went by, neither speaking as they traveled past boiling magma.
“Give me your sword.”
The sudden command made Twilight flinch. She blinked and glanced up to see Maduin’s hand outstretched and waiting. Swallowing, Twilight unsheathed her sword and levitated it towards him without a word. Maduin grabbed the pommel and made his way towards one of the lava pits. Twilight, face scrunched up in confusion, followed after him. She watched, wide eyed, as he dipped the blade into the molten rock and held it there. A small pulse of red magic traveled down Maduin’s hand and into the sword. After a minute, Maduin stepped back, removing the sword from the lava.
Twilight’s mouth hung open upon seeing her weapon. Instead of a handle with a melted off blade, there now was a bright red blade with serrated edges. The pommel had transformed as well, with a metal grip inlaid with swirling smoke designs. Maduin held the weapon out in front of him, peering down its length. He swung it twice, the sword leaving flaming tendrils in its wake. Nodding, he knelt down and presented it to Twilight.
“Use this,” he said, eyes twinkling. “It will help you while you recover after transformations.”
Speechless, Twilight took hold of the sword in her magic, feeling a tingle of familiar power run down her horn to her spine. “What is this?” she breathed out.
“Let’s call it the Flame Sabre. This should keep you in the fight even if your magic is running low.”
“I… but…”
“Take it. Think of it as a present from me.”
Twilight searched his face, finding nothing but compassion and love, all directed at her. More tears began to build but she quickly wiped them away. Firming her features, she sheathed her new sword and stood straight. “Thank you, Father.”
Maduin smiled and placed a clawed hand over Twilight’s head. “Don’t worry. You’ve made it this far. You’ll make it through this.”
“Hey, the bonding is cute and all, but we gotta get going!” came Rainbow Dash’s voice from further up the path.
“She’s right,” Maduin said, standing up. “Try not to think so hard about what’s coming up. Even the best laid plans rarely survive contact with the enemy.”
Twilight gave a slow nod, her eyes clear of tears. “Okay, I’ll try.”
With that, the group continued on. Twilight walked a little straighter though, no longer with her head hung low. They reached another set of stairs leading further down and into a pit. Bones of monsters and other unidentifiable creatures littered the pit, prompting the party to move a little faster to get by. Past the pit and around a bend, a large opening in the cave wall loomed before them.
And standing in front of the opening was the largest dragon either one of them had ever seen.
“Ah, my senses weren’t playing tricks on me after all,” the dragon said through a deep, rumbling voice. He laughed, a high pitched hiss that all but confirmed that he wasn’t here to offer them support.
Weapons were drawn in an instant, Rainbow Dash and Spike moving to protect Twilight and Maduin.
“So eager. Excellent.”
“Let me guess,” Rainbow Dash said through her hold on Thunder Blade. “You’re one of those freaky dragons.”
“Correct,” he replied, a stream of smoke curling out from his jaws. He stepped forward with a scaly red claw large enough to hold even Maduin. “I am the Red Dragon. The little whelp there has the powers of my brethren. If he wishes to add mine, then you will have to fight me for it.”
Spike raised a claw, giving a nervous chuckle. “Um, what if we said we just want to pass and don’t care about that?”
The Red Dragon curled his lips into a sneer, revealing long, sharp teeth. “Then that would be a shame because I’m going to attack regardless.” Putting action to words, the Red Dragon lunged forward, scattering the group.
Twilight dived out of the way but made it back to her hooves quickly. “Wait! We’re just here to get help. We don’t want to fight!”
“Too bad. I do.” The Red Dragon rounded on her and reared back, taking in a deep breath. He thrust his spiky head forward.
Rainbow Dash swooped in just before he could let loose his attack, striking his jaw with Thunder Blade, and sending the gout of fire meant for Twilight to veer off. His fire breath impacted against the cave wall, melting the rock into a super-heated puddle. Rainbow Dash whirled and came back in for another attack, but a sudden swipe of the Red Dragon’s tail swatted her out of the air.
The Red Dragon stepped back, rubbing his jaw. His claw came away with a few drops of blood, but the dragon ignored it. “Looks like I will have to get serious.” Raising his head, he let out a roar that shook the very earth around him. The group frantically covered their ears with little effect.
Now distracted, the Red Dragon used the opportunity to chant. A flash of bright red erupted from his body, followed soon after by magical balls of pink energy shooting out of the tips of his claws. Unable to get out of the way, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Maduin each got blasted. As if synchronized, they all fell to the floor, their eyes glazed over.
The Red Dragon turned to the last combatant still standing. “Well, little whelp, looks like it is just you and me. Don’t disappoint.”
Spike gulped, eyeing his friends lying unmoving on the other side of the Red Dragon. He shifted his stance, raising his spear to point at the dragon’s throat. “I-if you’ve hurt them in any way, you’re d-dead!”
“I don’t care about threats, only actions,” the Red Dragon hissed. He took a step towards Spike, the ground trembling under his weight. “And so far you haven’t done anything to convince me that you’ve earned my brothers’ powers.”
“Oh yeah, then have a load of this!” Sucking in air, Spike blew a stream of condensed cold air at the Red Dragon. The blizzard breath washed over the advancing creature, immediately covering his scales in flakes of ice. The dragon’s charge began to slow as more and more ice built up around his limbs. Spike squeezed his eyes tight, forcing his attack to continue even as his tiny lungs emptied of air. At last, he could take no more. He fell back on his rear, sucking in huge mouthfuls of oxygen. As he recovered, he cracked open an eye.
His eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets upon seeing a claw encased in ice inches from his face. Spike peeked around the outstretched limb to see the Red Dragon’s entire body was now an ice sculpture. He let out a sigh of relief. “Wasn’t so hard.”
A crack of ice was the only warning he got. In less than a second, the ice covering the Red Dragon shattered and the once immobile claw finished its attack. Too tired to react, Spike winced as the claw slammed down on him, pinning the smaller dragon to the floor.
“I am… not disappointed,” the Red Dragon said. He stepped away from Spike and the shallow indent he left the young dragon in. Spike gave a low groan and looked blearily up at the Red Dragon. “You still have a long way to go if you wish to truly challenge me.”
“Wha…?” Spike replied in a daze.
“I will let you go and give you my gem.” The Red Dragon blew out a puff of smoke that swirled and condensed into a single point. A flash of red light later, a sparkling ruby appeared. Taking it into his claw, the Red Dragon set it down next to Spike’s head. “You better be stronger the next time we meet.”
Without another word, the Red Dragon turned and lumbered down the cave. He passed the others, still on the ground in a magical coma, and briefly waved a claw over them. Within seconds, their eyes became focused and aware. The Red Dragon reached a nearby lava pit and dove in without ceremony. The last any of them saw of him was a tip of a tail sinking below the magma.
Rainbow Dash was the first to get up, her gaze lingering on where the dragon had submerged. “Well, that happened.”
“You all okay?”
A round of nodding and “Yeahs” followed Maduin’s question. The esper himself stifled a groan, slowly rising to his feet. “I don’t recall that beast ever causing problems before. He tends to ignore all that come through here.”
“Sorry,” Spike said, his head hung low. In his grasp lay the ruby the Red Dragon left behind.
Twilight came up to him and rested a hoof on his shoulder. “You didn’t know he was here, Spike. And none of us are seriously hurt. I think we should count our blessings.”
“Yeah, thanks.” His grip on the ruby tightened.
“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re always giving me encouragement. And it was you that managed to get him to go away.”
“That’s right,” Rainbow Dash said, eyeing the blood red gemstone. “So… you gonna eat that or what?”
Spike shook his head and shoved the ruby in his sack. “Naw, not in the mood right now.”
“We should get going,” Maduin said, tilting his head towards the now unguarded exit. “Before he decides to come back. The portal is just beyond here.” He made his way over to the opening, his form disappearing into the shadows.
Rainbow Dash nudged Spike towards where Maduin had left. “C’mon, we’re almost done. You can mope around later.”
“Alright, alright,” Spike responded, waving Rainbow Dash away. A quick hop placed him on Twilight’s back.
Giving each other affirming nods, the ponies and dragon stepped through the rocky opening.
.o.O.o.
One second they were in a sweltering cave full of magma. The next, they all stood before a cliff overlooking dark clouds that swirled in an endless abyss. Lightning flashed within the clouds every few seconds, creating a constant cacophony of thunder. Stretching over the edge and connecting with a jagged outcropping of rock that pierced through the clouds was a wooden bridge. The bridge was several pony widths wide and held together with thick rope that weathered the storm churning below it.
Maduin stood only a few paces from the bridge, a faraway look in his eyes. Twilight and Rainbow Dash trotted up to him and peered across the bridge. The rock spire on the other side didn’t seem to be anything special, save for a circular indent in the stone where the bridge ended.
“You know, it’s one thing to hear about it, and totally another to see it for yourself,” Rainbow Dash commented over the booming thunder and wind.
“I’ll say,” Spike said. He hopped down from Twilight’s back and patted her side. “All right, student. Show ‘em what you got!”
Staring down the sturdy but swaying bridge, Twilight Sparkle involuntarily shuddered. “Do I… uh… just go down there and ask? Is there a password?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure,” Maduin admitted. “You will need to feel this one out.”
“Oh, just get on with it, already.”
Everyone whirled around, coming muzzle to beak with Gilda. The griffon nonchalantly walked through the cave opening, the sides of her mouth forming a sinister grin.
“You!” In a flash, Rainbow Dash and Spike readied their weapons. “Twilight, get to the gate, we’ll keep her busy!”
Twilight made to move into fighting position, but Rainbow Dash all but bucked her away.
“Go!”
Biting her lower lip, Twilight raced down the bridge, yelling over her shoulder, “Please be safe!”
With Twilight gone, Rainbow Dash and Spike stepped forward, Maduin lingering behind.
“You no good cheat!” Rainbow Dash said as she moved closer to Gilda. “How’d you get past the others?”
Gilda scoffed, buffing her talons. “We’ve had control of this area for years. It wasn’t hard to drill in a few extra holes to skip over all that heat. Your pals back there never had a chance to see me coming.” She planted herself on all fours, the wind around her gathering speed. “And once Twilight there opens the portal, we’ll have direct access to the esper world. Heh, how does it feel to know you’ve been working for us this whole time?”
Spike, only a few steps away, thrust forward with his spear, forcing Gilda to back away. “As if we’d let you get by us!”
“Well, then I guess it’s time for you dweebs to die.” Letting out a shriek, Gilda rushed forward in a mass of clawing talons and snapping beak.
Rainbow Dash and Spike separated, coming at Gilda from two different sides. Gilda didn’t seem perturbed by the numbers advantage as she casually raised a talon and summoned a gust of wind that pushed the two back. “You guys forget? I’m the one with the magic here.”
“Shut up!” With that, Rainbow Dash blasted forward, pushing her wings to their limit. The sudden burst of speed caught the griffon off guard, Rainbow Dash’s sword slashing upwards. In desperation, Gilda raised her talons to block and managed to deflect Thunder Blade away from her body. A current of electricity ran up her arm and into her chest, staggering her.
Spike took the opportunity to breath a gust of wind of his own, blowing Gilda away to crash into the cliff side rocks. The Imperial groaned in pain as she lifted her battered body up.
“Hey, Spike, looks like we’ll be able to keep our promise with the Storm Dragon after all,” Rainbow Dash said.
Spike responded with a smile filled with teeth. “That’s right. I’d almost forgotten about that.”
“You idiots,” Gilda hissed in anger and strain. “Don’t you know the golden rule? Never make deals with a dragon.”
“Yeah, well this one I’m willing to keep,” Rainbow Dash said. “Let’s end this, Spike.”
“Right with ya,” Spike replied.
In that moment, the world around them rumbled. The very air itself began to vibrate. The pair looked at each other, then behind them. Both of their jaws dropped as they beheld a rip in reality appear on the rock spire where Twilight stood. Blue light pulsed from the rip, with each reverberation growing stronger every second. Twilight had already morphed, her body pulsing with light in time with the portal.
A dark chuckle came from Gilda, all aches and pains forgotten. “She did it. After all this time, we finally—”
The reality distortion burst with the force of a hurricane. Blinding light and unearthly screeches filled the cavern as Maduin, Rainbow Dash, Spike, and Gilda were blown back. Dozens of shapes flew out of the opened portal, rocketing past the group and out through the cave entrance. The onslaught of magical pressure and sound continued for less than a minute, but seemed an eternity for those trying to weather through it. All at once, the portal gave one last gasp of power before imploding on itself, shrinking down until it was a mere speck. Then, it winked out and all returned to normalcy.
Rainbow Dash waited a time before peeking up. She found Spike curled up at her side and a quick check revealed him to be breathing. Looking around, she saw Maduin not far away, an expression of bewilderment on his face. Of Gilda, there was no sign.
“Twilight?” she called out. Rainbow Dash stood up to get a better view and quickly spotted Twilight laying on her side, unmorphed, near the bridge. Rushing up to her, Rainbow Dash sighed in relief to find the unicorn unharmed. She shook Twilight gently, saying, “Twilight. Twilight, wake up.”
A low moan came Twilight’s response. Blinking slowly, she looked up to see Rainbow Dash’s concerned muzzle, and smiled. “Did I do it? Did it… work?”
“I don’t know what the hay just happened, but I don’t think we should try that again. C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
.o.O.o.
Dinky sang a happy tune as she dusted off the porch leading into the inn. Soon it would be morning, and she needed to help her sister get breakfast ready for any awakening guests. A good night’s sleep wasn’t the only thing Amethyst Star promised her customers, and a fed client was a happy client. Happy clients tended to give hearty recommendations to their friends who in turn stopped by to stay the night. It was a beautiful circle of business that had kept the inn going strong ever since its creation.
Just a few more sweeps of her broom and Dinky finished her sweeping. With a practiced flick of her horn, she placed the broom behind the front door and set out the welcome matt. As she finished, she caught a glint of light coming from the east. She looked up and peered at the growing, orange light with a frown.
“That’s weird. The sun shouldn’t be rising yet.”
She stepped out into the early morning street, trying to get a better look. The light steadily grew brighter and larger, becoming much more luminous than the sun ever got through the perpetual smog that covered Vectorlot. A sinking feeling began to grow within her gut as the unnatural light continued to get bigger. She swallowed, her hooves shaking, as she saw the light break apart into smaller lights and scatter throughout the city. One such smaller light headed straight for her, quickly filling up the entire sky. Dinky’s eyes widened in fear, her whole body now quivering.
The last thing she saw was the form of a terrible creature wreathed in flames. Its ear-piercing roar rooted her to the spot. She felt unbearable heat for only one, agonizing second and then she knew no more.