Nalik's airship landed on an airfield, just outside his castle.
"Ah, home, sweet home." Nalik smirked. He turned to the leader of the attack squad. "Captain Slink, escort our guests to the castle. All of them."
"Yes, your highness." Captain Slink bowed.
Down in the hold, the group turned as the door opened. Slink and his fellow Agents entered the room, all wielding electrified spears.
"We've touched down." Slink declared. "We have orders to escort you to some new lodgings."
"Over mah dead body!" Big Red yelled.
"That can be arranged, old timer." A burly agent sneered.
"Stand down, Agent Sartorius." Slink snarled. "We have strict orders not to harm our guests unless absolute necessary."
"Orders?" Shine asked. "From who? Who's behind all this?"
"You will learn soon enough, Prince Paladin." Slink told him. "In the meantime, it would do you all well to co-operate. I'd prefer not to inflict lasting damage if I can help it."
"How charitable of you." Daring scowled.
"Resistance would be pointless, anyway." Agent Sepulchre snorted. "We've already established that you're no match for us, so why not spare yourselves a second humiliation, and come along quietly?"
"I never go anywhere quietly!" Caboose yelled.
"Let's not be too hasty." Shine told him. "Even if we did somehow manage to overpower these guys, there would probably be more waiting outside. Let's play along... for now."
"Thinking of escaping later?" Agent Sartorius jeered. "Good luck with that..."
"I'm glad to see good sense has prevailed." Slink declared. "But you won't need to worry about escaping. Our munificent leader will release you just as soon as he has what he wants."
"Sounds like a real nice guy..." Eclipse said sarcastically.
"He is." Slink declared. "Don't let the fact that you've been brought here by force sway you. He only seeks to make the world a better place."
"By kidnapping Deities?" Osiris snarled, still struggling to free himself from the net.
"What does your 'leader' want with us?" Isis asked.
"You'll learn soon enough." Slink answered. "Now, come."
"Very well." Shine nodded. "Come on, everypony."
The group followed the squad, Discord Isis and Osiris being dragged by the nets.
"This ain't exactly yer best idea, Shine." Big Red scowled.
"Sometimes it pays to let the bad guys capture you." Daring noted. "They take you right into their stronghold, where you're in a perfect position to bring their evil plan down. Trust me, I've been there."
"Oh, we're bringing these clowns down, alright." Eclipse snarled. "Shooting Pa's ship down, locking us in some dark, smelly room... They won't get away with this!"
"I'm sorry, Isis." Discord sighed. "If I'd known this would have happened, perhaps I wouldn't have been so eager to seek you out."
"It's not your fault." Isis told him. "And despite how things are at the moment, I'm still glad you did."
"Well, I for one am feeling quite disenchanted with our little trip so far." Osiris growled.
"You're the one who invited himself along." Isis chided him.
"And for good reason, it seems." Osiris frowned. "Barely a day out, and we are already at the mercy of some insidious mortals. I knew we should have stayed home..."
"That's your answer for everything, isn't it?" Isis snorted.
"I'm just saying, we stayed on that sanctuary for over a thousand years without incident." Osiris declared. "But barely minutes after we left, we were shot down and captured. Coincidence? I think not!"
"He's got a point there." Caboose admitted.
"Oh, please." Discord growled. "You saw that gadget the boss guy used. It gave a way of finding Isis and Osiris, even when they were disguised. Even if they didn't leave the sanctuary, these guys still would've shown up."
"How the heck did they whip up a gadget like that, anyway?" Big Red asked.
"Who knows?" Daring frowned. "What matters is that they did, and they got us."
"Wh-what do you think they're gonna do to us?" Globe gulped.
"Relax, bro." Huckleberry told him. "You heard them before. They wanted Isis and Osiris. They probably won't do anything too bad to us."
"You hope." Eclipse said darkly.
"Don't talk like that." Shine declared. "Even if things go bad, I won't let them touch you boys."
"Me neither." Big Red agreed.
"We all know how much trouble ponies can get into for touching boys." Caboose smirked.
"Let's just hope whoever's in charge is the reasonable type." Daring mused.
The squad brought the group out of the airship and into the foyer of the castle. At the top of the stairs was a robed Unicorn stallion, his back to the arrivals.
"Your highness." Slink bowed. "Your 'guests' have arrived."
The stallion turned around, revealing himself to be Nalik.
"You." Shine said quietly.
"Well, hello there, Shine." Nalik sneered. "Long time, no see."
"Nalik." Shine frowned. "In spite of myself, I was hoping you weren't involved in this. Guess I was wrong."
"Oh, I'm not just involved." Nalik smirked. "I'm the mastermind of this whole plan!"
"Mastermind of what, exactly?" Daring asked.
"Yeah." Caboose nodded. "Fess up, jerkface!"
"Ah, Mr. Napoleon." Nalik looked at Caboose. "As witty and sardonic as ever, I see."
"...Was that an insult?" Caboose frowned. "I can't tell."
"I'm sorry, who is this guy?" Eclipse asked.
"Yeah." Huckleberry frowned. "What's going on?"
"That is Prince Nalik Aqbar-Royale, ruler of this oddly-named little land." Daring declared.
"A Prince?" Globe gaped. "Then... what does he want with Isis and Osiris?"
"A very good question." Shine nodded. "What exactly are you up to, Nalik?"
"The only thing I'm 'up to' is making this a better world." Nalik smirked.
"Excuse me?" Shine frowned.
"You heard me." Nalik declared. "I'm going to build a utopia in our time."
"Okay, now I know you're nuts." Daring scowled.
"Whoa, and I thought the way he talked about himself all the time and hit on Celestia was weird." Caboose snickered. "This is a whole new level in whackadoo!"
"Mockery, eh?" Nalik shrugged. "True visionaries are never appreciated in their time."
"You, a visionary?" Shine scoffed. "Forgive me if I'm having a hard time believing that."
"But it's true." Nalik noted. "As a Prince, I'm sure you have seen the criminal, violent and self-serving ways of oh so many ponies. All that unsavory business is on the verge of rotting our society from within."
"And you think you'll be the one to change all that?" Shine asked "Not likely. Try though we might, we can't change the simple fact that there are ponies like that out there. Ponies who are selfish, greedy, and just plain evil, no matter what we do."
"True." Nalik nodded. "And it's not like I can just wave my horn and make them better ponies."
"But you have something in mind, don't you?" Shine asked.
"Of course." Nalik declared. "The only way to change things for the better is through the application of raw power. The kind of power that is rare, and incredibly hard to obtain."
"Pardon mah French, but what the buck are ya jawin' about?" Big Red asked.
"It's quite simple, you old hick." Nalik sneered. "I'm going to harness the power of our Serpent friend here." He glanced at Osiris. "And use it to wipe out all of the 'undesirables' in this world."
"What?!" Osiris snarled.
"You can't be serious." Shine gasped.
"Oh, I'm dead serious." Nalik smiled. "Just think of how much ponykind will be able to accomplish without the selfish, greedy, violent, anti-social dregs holding it back. Our society will be able to transcend, and become truly perfect!"
"I will not allow that!" Osiris roared. "You fail to understand that like everything, death must have balance. What you intend to do will upset that balance!"
"Will it?" Nalik asked. "Many of those 'undesirables' I spoke of are murderers, assassins, terrorists, and all the monsters inbetween. Getting rid of them would actually help the balance in the long run."
"No, it won't." Osiris said stubbornly. "You know nothing of the forces you seek to bend to your will."
"I beg to differ, my scaly friend." Nalik countered. "You see, I've been planning for this day a long time..."
"I don't believe this..." Shine frowned. "You were always an egotistical, racist jerk, but I never thought you'd go completely mad!"
"What's the matter, pretty boy?" Caboose asked. "Did all those hair products leak into your brain?"
"How dare you!" Slink snarled. "Prince Nalik is not mad! He is a visionary! He will make our world better!"
"That's enough, Slink." Nalik raised a hoof. He walked over to Shine. "I don't expect you to understand. Not after the things you've done to me. You humiliated me, stole Celestia from me, corrupted Blueblood, one of my closest friends... well, now the horseshoe is on the other hoof, isn't it?"
"I don't know what you're really up to." Shine declared. "But the Nalik I know isn't that big into making things better for anypony but himself. Whatever you've got planned, you won't succeed. I promise you."
"But I will." Nalik declared. "Believe it or not, what I am about to do is for the good of all. And when I'm done, perhaps Celestia will finally realize who the better pony is."
"Fat chance." Shine sneered.
"Captain Slink, have our surplus visitors escorted to the holding." Nalik ordered, before turning to Globe and Caboose. "Except for these two. As fellow Unicorns, I believe they can be afforded a little leg room. Just have the guards make sure they don't leave the palace."
"As you command, your highness." Slink bowed.
"And as for our true objectives..." Nalik looked upon Isis and Osiris with relish. "Have the girl taken down to the basement. She could come in handy later. As for the male, bring him to his.. specially prepared suite."
"By your command." Slink nodded.
"Let go of me!" Osiris roared, as Sartorius dragged him across the floor.
"You won't get away with this!" Isis struggled.
"Isis!" Discord yelled, as he was dragged away with the others. "Let her go!"
"Nalik, you can't do this!" Shine roared.
"You're not putting us in some dingy cell!" Eclipse yelled.
"This ain't right!" Big Red struggled.
"No fair!" Huckleberry growled. "How come Globe gets to be free? I'm way better-looking!"
"You slimeball!" Daring growled.
"Daring!" Caboose cried, as he then glared at Nalik. "Oh, you are messing with the wrong guy here, pal!" His horn began to glow, "You think I'm just going to let you take my wife and friends into some hoosegow?! Well, you got another thing coming!"
"L-let them go! Let my brothers and pa go!" Globe pleaded, mustering up some courage.
"Calm yourselves, brothers." Nalik stepped in front of them. "The others will be perfectly fine. Caboose, I know you find it hard to trust me, given our past, but things are different now. I don't want to hurt you, or any of them."
"Seriously?" Caboose snorted. "You are that same Nalik I met at that summit, right? The one with the loser bodyguards whom I beat up without breaking a sweat?"
"I am." Nalik nodded. "And you must believe me when I say I am not the same arrogant fool you met that night. My eyes have been opened to the big picture. Why, if I hadn't changed, would I even allow you two to be here?"
"He has a point." Globe pointed out.
"Yeah, I guess..." Caboose admitted. "The old Nalik would never be this nice... What about the others, though? My wife, Daring?"
"They'll be released soon enough." Nalik assured him. "They just lack the vision we Unicorns possess. They won't believe that what I'm doing is for the greater good until they see it with their own eyes. And when they do, they'll have to acknowledge the truth of my words, and I shall release them. In the meantime, you two make yourselves at home. I shall have you two escorted to the lounge. The royal kitchens are just down the hall. My chefs will gladly make you a snack, just holler and they will come. And I will be with you in a moment, okay?"
"Okay..." Caboose nodded.
"Just remember to stay inside!" Nalik called, as Caboose and Globe are led away by two guards.
"He seems... okay." Globe admitted. "Maybe he's telling the truth. Maybe he does want to help the world."
"Eh, I dunno." Caboose frowned. "He was a total meanie before. Ponies like that don't change that fast. Not unless major psychotropic drugs are involved."
Back in the foyer, Nalik held up a magic mirror. The image of his fellow Forefather appeared, namely the masked one who was bound to a wheelchair.
"Good news." He announced. "I have found and obtained the Serpents."
"Did you now?" The wheel-chaired stallion mused, "About time. Me and the others were beginning to get worried that the legends weren't true and we had some crazy yahoo flying a five millions Bit aircraft looking for two flying snakes."
"Oh, ha, ha, laugh it up, squeaky." Nalik sneered. "But you can't argue with results. Soon, I'll be moving on to phase three, and we will have the power of death under my control."
"Our control." The masked stallion corrected him. "Don't forget, Father gave you the means to find the Serpents so we could utilize their powers as a whole, not to help you with your... your..." He put a hoof to his masked chin. "Say, what was it that you wanted the Serpents for?"
"It doesn't matter." Nalik grunted, "Just be thankful that the brute, the slacker, and your paralyzed Earth Pony flanks have Father's 'blessing' or this would be our last time speaking."
"Well, I just hope you are prepared for the ramifications of what you're doing." The masked pony warned. "What you are about to do will surely throw the world into utter chaos."
"You just leave the details of what comes after to me." Nalik chuckled, "Now if you'll excuse me, I got to get things ready."
"Just remember to take it nice and slow." The wheel-chaired stallion urged. "You are talking about harnessing one of the primeval forces of this realm. This is nothing like Alicorn magic."
"Give me some credit, old stallion." Nalik scowled. "I've done the research. And I won't be messing things up now."
"For the glory of the Forefathers and your sake, you had better not. We will be in touch." The masked Forefather member proclaimed, before his image faded from the mirror.
"Fool." Nalik spat. "It's not the Forefather's glory I'm interested in..."
Meanwhile, Discord and the other ponies were being marched down the halls.
"You do know that Prince of yours is totally nuts, right?" Daring asked.
"Quiet, pigeon-pony." Sartorius scowled. "Prince Nalik is going to make life better for all of us. Even second-rate equines like Earth Ponies and Pegasi."
"You clearly don't know Nalik like I do." Shine scowled.
"We've served under him for years." Slink countered. "He is a fine Prince, who cares about his citizens."
"Only because they're Unicorns." Shine said darkly.
"It's not his fault we're so obviously superior to you other races." Sepulchre smirked.
"Superior, mah tail." Big Red scowled. "Ain't no such thing as 'superior'. We all got our own special skills. Keeps things equal."
"Keep thinking that, old timer." Sartorius snorted. "But we all know the truth."
"I see he's been feeding you the same rhetoric he believes." Shine frowned. "Don't you see? Nalik's not going to save the world, he's going to throw it into chaos!"
"Major league chaos." Discord added. "Trust me, I would know."
"You don't know what you're talking about." Slink sneered. "Prince Nalik is a benevolent ruler. He treats us all courtesy and compassion. My whole family has served under him, and they never had a bad word to say about him. If Prince Nalik says he's going to make the world better, I believe him."
"So this is what blind loyalty is like." Eclipse scowled. "It'd be impressive, if it weren't so dumb."
"Silence, birdbeast!" Sartorius snarled.
"Sartorius..." Slink scolded him. "Prince Nalik gave orders not to harm them. Even the Griffon."
"Yeah, yeah." Sartorius pouted.
"Besides, you don't want to waste your time and energy on a lesser being." Slink added.
"Lesser being?!" Eclipse growled.
"That's just how the world is, kid." Sepulchre sneered. "Don't blame us."
"Mah boy ain't a lesser nuthin'." Big Red growled.
"Your boy?" Slink frowned. "You adopted him?"
"Yep." Big Red nodded. "Gotta problem with that?"
"One or two." Slink admitted, as they stopped at a door. "But they'll have to wait until later."
The group were forced into a large room beyond the door, one with blank gray walls and no windows. Discord was released from his net, just as the door shut.
"So much for the 'let the bad guys take us to their base' plan." Eclipse growled. "Let me know when phase two starts."
"Isis... what will they do to Isis?" Discord fretted. "Not only is she lacking her powers, she's stuck in pony form. She could get seriously hurt... Oh, what have I done?!"
"Don't blame yourself, Discord." Daring told him. "None of us could have seen this coming."
"If they harm one hair on her currently-pony shaped head, I swear, collar or no collar, I will turn them inside out!" Discord pledged.
"Nice threat." Eclipse noted. "Not that it does us much good right now."
"Be patient, Eclipse." Shine declared. "An opportunity will present itself, sooner or later."
"It always does." Daring agreed.
In the basement, Isis was un-netted and put in a cage.
"Let me out of here!" She yelled, rattling the bars.
"Yeah, we brought you all the way down here so we could let you go." One of the squad members snorted. "Please..."
"You have no idea who you're dealing with!" Isis yelled. "If you don't let me, my brother and my friends go, you'll regret it!"
"You might want to keep it down." The other squad member declared. "You're not the only thing down here, you know..."
A loud growling sound reverberated through the basements. Whatever it was, it sounded big, and hungry.
"And since you're pretty much just a feathery spring roll right now, you might not want to get its attention." The squad member taunted her.
Isis scowled at her captors.
"Don't worry." The first member told her. "It's your brother the Prince really wants. You're just... collateral."
"That makes me feel so much better." Isis snarled.
"Enjoy your stay." The other sneered, as the two left the basement.
Isis prowled around the inside of the cage, trying to find a weakness, but it was no good. The cage was solid. Isis curled up in worry, thoughts of what was happening to the others running through her head. She was especially worried about Osiris, in spite of their recent disagreement.
"What are they doing to you this very moment, brother?" She wondered.
Osiris found himself dragged into a large room with a square glass cell at the far end, a massive void below it. A walkway telescoped out to Slink, allowing him to walk across to the cell. Osiris was uncouthly thrown into the cell. With a flick of his horn, Slink tore open the net, and slammed the door.
"Glass?" Osiris scowled. "You think glass can hold me?"
"This glass will." Slink smirked. "It's reinforced. Even ol' Cerberus couldn't bust out of there."
Osiris rammed into the glass, punched it, scraped his claws across it, to no avail.
"Do we have a listening problem?" Nalik asked, as he entered the room.
"You." Osiris glared at him. "For a mortal, you have a lot of nerve."
"I try." Nalik shrugged. "Now, like I said before, I've been preparing for this day for a while, so I have ways of taking your power from you and using it for our own. All the same, it would be so much easier for both of us if you gave it to me willingly."
"Never." Osiris spat. "I've seen what happens when extremists like you get their hooves on power like mine. You think you were the first. Heh, not even close."
"But I will be the last." Nalik retorted.
"You think so?" Osiris asked. "You're really not that much to look at, you know. I could a plain Unicorn like you have could power over me."
"Says the Serpent stuck in the form of a Griffon." Nalik sneered. "In this state, you're actually quite vulnerable."
"Do your worst." Osiris said boldly. "I can handle whatever you have up your sleeve!"
"Don't be so sure." Nalik smirked. "You see, I have some powerful friends. Friends who helped me locate ancient spells. Spells powerful enough to affect even a Deity."
"Bold words." Osiris scoffed. "But I fail to see any action."
"You want action?" Nalik pulled out a old sheet of parchment. "Here's some action."
The smile slid off Osiris' beak as he noted the ancient writings on the parchment. Whatever was written on it was older than even he was.
"Let phase three begin." Nalik smirked, as his horn channeled the energies of the ancient spell.
Nalik opened the door to the cell. Osiris rushed forward, intending to force his way past him, but his vision was engulfed by a flash from Nalik's horn...
"Gah!" Osiris screeched, as everything went white...
Flashback... ?
A younger Osiris, in his Griffon form, was flying around the sanctuary, looking for his Serpent friends. But he wasn't having much luck.
"Hello?" He called, as he circled some trees. "Guys? Where are you?"
As he continued his search, Osiris found no trace of any other Serpents.
"What's going on?" He frowned. "It's like the whole sanctuary's deserted..."
As he kept flying, Osiris heard a small sniffling sound from down in the thicket.
"Is that...?" He gasped, heading for the ground. "At last, somepony else!"
As soon as Osiris touched down, he followed the sniffling noise to a bush. With a brush of his wings, the bush revealed none other than a very young Isis. Though in her true Serpent form, she was barely about the size of Osiris's griffon form, quivering as tears rolled down her face.
"Isis?" Osiris whispered. "What's going on? Why are you crying?"
"The other Serpents..." Isis whimpered. "They're gone. They took them all away."
"'They'?" Osiris frowned. "Who's 'they'?"
"That doesn't matter right now." Isis sniffed. "What matters is what they did."
Isis shifted, revealing some sort of gray, diamond-like stone object buried in her side.
"No... no!" Osiris roared. "Whoever did this will pay! This I swear!"
"Of course they will." Isis nodded. "But first, I need your help to get this out of me."
"Of course, sister." Osiris reached for the object.
"Not like that." Isis shook her head. "It's enchanted. It can only be removed after receiving an infusion of magic. But I'm too weak to use my own. It's up to you, brother. You need to funnel some of your own magic into it."
"My magic?" Osiris frowned. "But... I don't know what effect that might have. If that object were to be saturated with my power over death, it could become a weapon of mass destruction if it fell into the wrong hooves.."
"You would let me suffer rather than risk a slim possibility?" Isis asked, her breathing growing ragged.
"No, I..." Osiris protested. "I just... need to be certain that this is the only way..."
"Brother, please..." Isis sobbed. "It hurts so much..."
That was all that Osiris needed to hear.
"Don't you worry, sister... just hold on..."
However...
Despite the touching scene, what was happening was all but an illusion. Osiris was still were he was, the spell making him believe he was talking to a young wounded Isis, somewhere deep in his memory... when in reality, he was talking to Nalik.
"Thank you, brother..." Nalik whispered, his horn somehow adding a feminine voice to his own, as then a glow appear on Osiris's collar, namely the lock mechanism. "Only a little will do..."
The others were still in their cell. The heat was starting to get to them.
"Boy, I'm sweatin' like a pig." Huckleberry mopped his brow. "It's like a sauna in here."
"Especially the stink." Eclipse cringed.
"Like Griffons don't sweat." Huckleberry sneered.
"Actually, they don't." Daring declared. "Not the eagle half at least."
"Whatever." Huckleberry took off his hat and fanned himself with it. Something small and metal fell out. "Hey, my hairpin!"
"You have hairpins?" Eclipse sniggered.
"Just in case." Huckleberry said defensively. "Like... if I need to pick a lock!"
"Holy Hannah." Big Red asked. "That's our way outta here!"
"Big Red's right." Shine smiled. "Go for it, Huck!"
Huckleberry stuck the pin in the lock, twiddling it. After a moment of tension, the lock clicked, and the door opened.
"Nice job, kid!" Daring smiled, as they walked out into a (mercifully) empty corridor.
"Pretty smart, I must admit!" Discord grinned.
"For once, fussing about your mane came in handy." Eclipse snarked.
"Enuff jawin'." Big Red declared. "We got us a psycho stallion ta stop, an' some friends ta find."
"I'll second that." Discord nodded.
"Okay, Discord and I will stop Nalik." Shine declared. "Big Red and Eclipse, try to find a way to contact Canterlot. We could use some back-up."
"On it." Big Red nodded.
"Daring and Huckleberry, locate and free Isis." Shine finished.
"Consider it done." Daring smiled.
"Okay, let's do it!" Shine cheered.
The group split up, ready to foil Nalik's scheme and save their friends.