After Nalik's body had been tucked away for internment, his former agents straightened things out with the rest of the Guards.
"Prince Nalik is... dead?!" One Guard gasped.
"Yes." Slink nodded. "He was destroyed by the very force he sought to control."
"You'd think he would have realised that trying to control the vessel of Death would be a very, very bad idea." Sepulchre remarked.
"What will we do without him?" Another Guard despaired. "There is no heir to the throne!"
"For now, we will form a council out of the city officials." Slink declared. "That will be enough to keep the country afloat until a more permanent solution can be found."
"But what of the prisoners?" A third Guard growled. "You would let them roam free?"
"The 'prisoners' have committed no crime against us." Slink said sternly. "They were brought here under false pretences. As such, they should be allowed to remain free."
"But the Prince-" The first Guard started.
"Is no more." Slink glared. "As of right now, I am the highest authority in this castle. You will obey my orders, is that clear?"
"...Yes, Captain." The Guard bowed his head.
"Good." Slink smiled. He turned to the others. "From this point on, they are not prisoners, but honoured guests. And I expect you to treat them as such."
"As you wish." The Guard declared.
"Nicely done, Slink." Shine smiled. "Maybe you should be on this 'council' you spoke of."
"I think not." Slink sighed. "I blindly followed the Prince's orders, without question. I lack the leadership skills required to help keep our country in check."
"I once felt the same way." Shine declared. "When I first married Celestia, I didn't think I'd be needed at all, that my wife was more than capable of dealing with things without me. But I was wrong. My own skills and way of doing things actually helped make Equestria a better place. So don't sell yourself short, Slink. You could still help your country. You just have to have faith in yourself."
"...Thank you, Prince Paladin." Slink smiled. "The fact remains, without royalty to lead us, this is no longer a kingdom. This is now a republic. No longer will one short-sighted Pony control us. Now, the many will decide our country's fate."
"Maybe you could start by changing the name to something a little less silly." Caboose snorted. "Honestly, where the heck did you guys get 'Schwartzamungaknackerhobblestan'?"
"It's a name from one of our ancient native languages." Sepulchre declared. "Basically, it means 'Land With a Concise Name'."
"Talk about a misleading title..." Daring rolled her name.
"Not all names translate well." Slink said tersely. "For now, please make yourselves at home. I've already sent out a crew to retrieve and repair your ship."
"Fantastic." Big Red smiled. "That ship means an awful lot ta me, ya know."
"To all of us." Eclipse added.
"I understand." Slink nodded.
"Hold up a second." Daring frowned, as Slink left. "Wouldn't Discord be able to fix the damage himself?"
"I would." Discord admitted. "But I think I speak for us all when I say it'll be more satisfying to make the ones who shot us out of the sky to fix it, while we take full advantage of their new generosity."
"For once, I agree with Discord." Osiris declared.
"Besides, we could use some rest before we take off again." Isis added. "It's been quite a day."
"Understatement of the century." Huckleberry snorted.
"We did it though, didn't we?" Globe asked. "We stopped Nalik from using Osiris to kill everypony."
"Yes." Osiris nodded. "It was close, but my magic didn't infest any of the victims long enough to kill them. There was pain, and suffering, but they all still live. No thanks to me..."
"Osiris, we've been over this." Isis shook her head. "You can't blame yourself. With that collar dampening your powers, you couldn't muster up a decent defense against Naik's illusion."
"Knowing that does not make what I almost did any easier." Osiris sighed.
"We've all made mistakes, Osiris." Shine told him. "We've all been manipulated. Taken advantage of in our weaker moments."
"I doubt any of you have ever been responsible for a near-genocide, though." Osiris frowned.
"He's got us there." Caboose admitted.
"The point is, you weren't responsible for what happened today." Daring leapt in. "And nopony got hurt, so it's all good. You've got to forgive yourself, and move on."
"Easier said than done." Osiris declared.
"Come on." Shine urged. "Let's go get some rest. I'm sure we could all use a little downtime after everything that's happened."
"Darn tootin'." Big Red nodded. "Let's get us some shut-eye."
"I could use a little supper first." Globe admitted.
"Some things never change." Eclipse rolled his eyes.
The next morning, as the group came down for breakfast, Sepulchre approached Isis and Osiris.
"Pardon me, your... Serpentnesses..." He said awkwardly. "But I'm afraid I have some bad news."
"After what happened yesterday, I dread to ask, but... what kind of bad news?" Osiris asked.
"Well...I think it's best you hear it from them." Sepulchre used his horn to turn on a nearby radio.
"Officials are still baffled about the mass convulsions suffered by the populace all over the world." A newsreader announced. "For no reason, anypony was wasn't a Unicorn suddenly started suffering headaches and agonising pain, then just as suddenly, it stopped. Some conspiracy theorists believe that a Unicorn was somehow responsible, but scholars the world over have assured us otherwise. Moving on to other news, we have just received word that some kind of island fell out of the sky and onto the plains just East of Schwartzamungaknackerhobblestan. With us now is Drab Dunker, a local farmer who witnessed the event."
"It wuz unbeeleevable!" Drab announced. "That big ol' island just dropped right outta nowhere! Slammed into the ground like an overweight dragon doin' a belly flop! Good thing there wuz nopony was under it, or that coulda gotten messy!"
"Any thoughts on where this mysterious island came from?" The newscaster asked.
"Ah'm bettin' on it bein' an alien outpost." Drab declared. "They wuz usin' it ta spy on us 'til it fell outta the sky!"
"Well, that's one theory." The newscaster said drily.
"Them green freakos took mah prize cow once!" Drab yelled. "An' now they want mah land! Well, they ain't gettin' it!"
"Thank you, Drab." The newscaster growled. "Turning now to sports..."
"No..." Osiris gaped. "This can't be..."
"Unbelievable..." Isis murmured.
"I'm afraid it's true." Sepulchre sighed. "While we were retrieving your ship, the crew found the Sanctuary had fallen from its position, and impacted onto the plains below. It's... mostly still intact, but the veil hiding it from the world has failed."
"I was afraid something like this would happen." Osiris sighed, a tail rested on his snout.
"What do you mean?" Shine asked.
"The reason the Sanctuary has been able to stay aloft all these is because of the connection it had with the Serpents." Osiris revealed. "A small portion of our power goes toward keeping it aloft. However, when it was just me and Isis, well... I decided to power the island by myself rather than burden Isis with it. Our home has been kept in the air by half of my power..."
"And you were at half power yesterday." Discord remarked. "Half of half isn't really all that much..."
"But then what happened?" Daring asked.
"When Nalik stole some of my magic and forced me to perform that extinction spell, enough of my own power must have been expended that there wasn't enough for the Sanctuary to stay afloat anymore."
"Our ancestral home..." Isis sighed. "It's ruined..."
"Not to mention exposed..." Osiris sighed. "Any mortal could easily stumble upon it now... I know you don't want to stay there anymore, Isis, but it was the only home I ever wanted. I don't know what I'm going to do now..."
"Sorry, guys." Daring apologized. "Guess things didn't turn out so well after all."
"I know what you're going through." Caboose declared. "My ancestral home got blown up a while ago. Even if I didn't live there anymore, it still stunk to lose it. I had all those great times there. Not to mention the mould collection I kept in my old room..."
"Thanks for the info." Eclipse grimaced.
"I'm sorry, Osiris." Shine sighed. "But maybe I can offer you a new place to stay."
"A new place?" Osiris snorted. "What place can there possibly be to house a Serpent Deity?"
"Well, I do know of one place." Shine admitted. "It's remote, spacious, and you can be guaranteed your privacy."
"And what place is this?" Osiris asked.
"The caves beneath Canterlot." Shine declared.
"I beg your pardon?" Osiris scowled. "You expect me to live in a cave?"
"Not just any cave." Shine declared. "The cave is full of diamonds and other gems, ensuring some natural light. The tunnels are long and winding. Even if somepony did enter, they wouldn't get far in. I promise that you won't have many visitors."
"But I am a Deity." Osiris frowned. "I cannot reside in such an unwieldy abode!"
"Well, it's not like you have much of a choice, brother." Isis pointed out.
"If it helps, I could have some Guard posted outside the entrance to the caves, just to ensure nopony comes by." Shine offered.
"It's either that, or just flying around like a nomad." Discord added.
"Well... I suppose I could give it a try." Osiris gave in. "On a trial basis, of course. Until a better location can be found."
"Of course." Shine nodded.
Before long, the repairs to the S.S. Cherryblossom were complete. The group prepared to board (Isis and Osiris back in their Pegasus and Griffon forms).
"Good luck with everything, Slink." Shine declared. "And remember what we talked about."
"I shall." Slink nodded. "If all goes well, our new republic will be more open-minded, and less specieist."
"Here's hoping." Shine smiled.
"No offense, but I don't think I'll be coming back here any time soon." Daring admitted.
"I understand." Slink sighed. "Being brought somewhere against your will doesn't exactly endear you to it..."
"You have some pretty good chefs, though." Globe admitted.
"And some nice, big mirrors in the bathrooms." Huckleberry grinned. "Not often I get to see all of me at once..."
"Knock it off, you clown." Eclipse rolled his eyes.
"Please don't say 'clown'." Caboose shuddered. "I hate you, Mr. Jingles..."
"All aboard, folks!" Big Red called. "We are ready fer take-off!"
"Ready, Isis?" Discord smiled, as they boarded the ship..
"Ready." Isis nodded. "Hopefully, this trip will go more smoothly."
"Of course it will." Discord chuckled. "Seriously, what are the odds of us getting attacked again? Nopony's luck is that bad!"
"Let's just go." Osiris sighed.
"Chill out, big O." Discord put an arm around his shoulder. "Things are never as bad as they look, you know. Even if your ancestral home is no longer fit to live on, maybe this move of yours will be a good thing!"
"How exactly do you see that?" Osiris scowled.
"Maybe being closer to the mortals will help you reconnect with them." Isis smiled. "Maybe even help you make friends with them."
"...Maybe." Osiris huffed.
The rest of the group climbed on board. Shine gave Slink a curt bow, which the Unicorn returned.
"Everypony ready?" Big Red spoke into his speaker from the helm. "Here we go!"
The airship took off once more, bound for Equestria.
"Yee-haa!" Big Red whooped. "Good as new!"
As they soared through the skies, they passed over the crashed Sanctuary. Just as they were told, the island was mostly intact, though were some large cracks in it, caused by the impact, with one of the lakes pouring into one of them.
Osiris gazed at the island as they passed.
"Thousands of years up in the sky, the last bastion of Serpent culture, and now..." He sighed.
Isis placed a hoof on Osiris' side.
"I know." Isis sighed. "But at least it's still here. And maybe it being revealed won't be so bad. It could help show the world how great our culture once was."
"You may be right." Osiris nodded. "At the very least, it still stands..."
The rest of the trip back was uneventful. Since they were no longer searching for anything, they were able to make a beeline for home.
"First stop, Canterlot!" Big Red announced, as they landed in the royal airfield.
"Well, this is where we get off." Shine declared.
"It was... an eventful trip, that's for sure." Daring admitted. "But right now, all I want is to hold my kids in my hooves."
"Ditto." Caboose nodded. "Well, that, and go down to Blazin' Blues and tell Vinny, Sonny and Lars all about what happened."
"And I suppose I should go and look at my new home..." Osiris scowled.
"You don't have to." Isis declared. "You could come with us for a while. Discord could let you stay at his place."
"I could?" Discord spluttered.
"Thanks, but no." Osiris smiled. "Like you said, you don't need me breathing down the back of your neck anymore."
"But I'll always need my brother to look out for me." Isis hugged him.
"If you don't mind, Osiris, I'll go to reunite with my family first, then I'll show you your new home." Shine declared.
"I don't mind at all." Osiris smiled. "Family is important, after all."
"In the meantime, we'll be headin' back ta Dodge Junction." Big Red smiled. "We got us a special lady ta see..."
"Ma." Globe smiled.
"You two need a lift?" Huckleberry asked.
"Thanks, but I think we can make it from here." Isis declared. "Right, Discord."
"Sure." Discord nodded. "Ponyville's barely a stone's throw away from here. And there's somepony I've been wanting you to meet."
"Can't wait." Isis beamed.
"Don't be strangers, folks." Big Red declared. "Feel free to drop by any time."
"Especially in that gorgeous Pegasus disguise." Huckleberry grinned.
"I think I'm a little too old for you, kid." Isis chuckled.
"Owch." Huckleberry snickered.
"Good luck with your new home, Osiris." Eclipse declared.
"Thank you, young one." Osiris said curtly.
"Okay, that's enough goodbyes." Discord turned into a bird. "Let's hit the road!"
"Right behind you." Isis spread her Pegasus wings.
The two took off into the sky. Osiris gazed at Isis as she receded into the distance.
"Good luck, sister." He said quietly.
Big Red and his boys took their ship back to Dodge Junction. Meanwhile, Shine wasted no time in reuniting with his family.
"I missed you both so much!" He embraced Celestia and Miracle, having told them the whole story.
"We missed you too, dad." Miracle beamed.
"I can hardly believe Nalik would do such a thing..." Celestia mused. "But at least now, we no longer have to contend with his odious attitude."
"Or his constant come-ons." Shine scowled. "You know, part of why he was doing that was so he could prove he was a better stallion than me."
"What a ridiculous notion." Celestia smiled. "There's no better stallion than you, my love."
"Oh, I've been looking forward to this..." Shine grinned, pulling Celestia in for a kiss.
"So have I." Celestia chuckled. "Another?"
"Try and stop me." Shine smirked.
Miracle rolled her eyes as they kissed again.
"By the way, I hope you haven't forgotten the promise you made?" Celestia asked Shine. "A month's worth of hoofrubs, and a few dozen backrubs, in exchange for letting you go."
"A deal's a deal." Shine nodded. "As soon as I get back from showing Osiris his new home, I'll get started on the first hoofrub."
"Oh, goody." Celestia beamed.
Osiris entered the throne room, back in Serpent room.
"Are we ready to go?" He asked. "Not to put you out or anything, but I'd prefer not to be out in the open for too long."
"Of course." Shine nodded. "By the way, this is wife, Princess Celestia, and my daughter, Miracle. Girls, this is Osiris."
"It's an honor to meet you." Celestia bowed.
"Wow." Miracle gasped. "You're even more incredible-looking than dad said you were!"
"Thank you, little one." Osiris smiled. "I see you inherited your father's respectful attitude." He turned to Celestia. "I hope my staying in your land won't be too much trouble."
"It won't be any trouble of all." Celestia declared. "Any friend of Shine is a friend of mine. And I always treat my friends well."
"I am humbled by your kindness, Princess." Osiris bowed.
"Please, call me Celestia." Celestia declared.
"As you wish... Celestia." Osiris nodded.
"Okay, Osiris." Shine stood up. "Let's go see your new home."
"Very well." Osiris sighed, following Shine out of the room.
Meanwhile, Caboose and Daring reunited with their children.
"Never leave us again, daddy!" Hurricane squeezed Caboose tightly. "Please?"
"Oh, you can count on that, angel." Caboose hugged her back. "I missed you like crazy!"
"Did ya bring me anything?" Michael asked.
"I sure did." Daring smiled, holding up a necklace she'd fashion from a gem chunk from the Sanctuary. "Just for you, sweetie."
"Pretty!" Michael squealed, as Daring placed it around his neck.
"Hey, what about me?" Hurricane pouted.
"Way ahead of you." Caboose grinned, holding up a crude charm bracelet he'd fashioned himself, the charms shaped like wings and horns. "Do you like it?"
"I love it." Hurricane beamed. "Thanks, daddy!"
"You're welcome, sweetheart." Caboose grinned.
"Okay folks, let's head for home." Daring smiled. "Daddy and I have quite a story to tell you."
"Yay, story!" Michael squealed.
"Can't wait!" Hurricane smiled, as they headed for home.
A short while later, Shine led Osiris to the entrance to the caves.
"Here it is." He declared. "Home sweet home."
"It looks... Earthy." Osiris scowled.
"And here come the Guards." Shine smiled, as an Earth Pony and a Thestral walked over them. "Osiris, this is Private Silicate, and Private... what's your name again?"
The Thestral took off her helmet, revealing a purplish mane and a face that Osiris knew.
"Midnight Blossom, your highness." She smiled.
"Y-you don't say?" Shine gaped.
"Impossible..." Osiris gasped.
"So, is this the new lodger?" Midnight asked. "Wow. I've never seen somepony who looks like that before."
Shine and Osiris shared a glance of confusion. For Osiris, the resemblance was uncanny. The mare even had the same Cutie Mark as the Midnight he knew. Which is astonishing given how Cutie Marks usually are always unique.
"So... Private." Osiris asked. "Does your family come from Canterlot?"
"No, we used to live in this little village out in the country." Midnight shrugged. "Lived there for generations, actually. In fact, I'm named after one of my ancestors. A great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother or something. They say I even had the same Cutie Mark she had back, then if that makes any sense..."
"I see..." Shine frowned. "Well, I trust you can help Osiris feel at home."
"I'll do my best, your highness." Midnight saluted.
"Okay then." Shine nodded. "Enjoy your new home, Osiris."
"I'll try." Osiris declared, still surprised by Midnight's appearance.
If you need anything, let me know." Midnight smiled.
"I'll keep that in mind..." Osiris said flatly. "But for now, I think I'm going to need some privacy. I have to get settled into my new home, after all..."
"No problem." Midnight nodded. "I know how hard it is, getting settled into a new home. You do what you need to do. I'll be right here, if you need anything..."
Osiris glanced back at Midnight as he entered the cave. She was so like her ancestor... even in personality. Bit the original Midnight was just acting nice. This new Midnight seemed just as nice as her ancestor pretended to be, but he couldn't be certain that it wasn't just a front.
'We'll just have to wait and see...' He thought, as he entered his new home.
The glittering gem shards made for quite a light show, and the wide, spacious tunnels allowed for plenty of elbow room.
'Maybe this won't be such a bad place to live, after all...' Osiris mused, as he went to explore.
In Dodge Junction, Big Red and the boys greeted Cherry with gusto.
"Ah'm so glad ta see ya again, darlin'." Big Red hugged her.
"We all missed you so much, ma!" Globe added.
"No doubt." Huckleberry agreed. "It just wasn't the same without you. Right, Eclipse?"
"Yeah." Eclipse smiled. "I really did miss you... ma."
"Oh, Eclipse..." Cherry gasped. "You just called me..."
"I guess I did, didn't I?" Eclipse shrugged.
"Oh, come here!" Cherry hugged him tightly.
"Okay, choking a little here..." Eclipse gagged.
"Sorry, dear." Cherry let go. "I'm just so happy!"
"Me too." Eclipse hugged her back. "Me too."
Over in Ponyville, Discord had made the first order of business for him and Isis to be visiting an old friend.
"Do you think she'll... like me?" Isis (back in Serpent form) asked, as Discord knocked on the door.
"Of course she will." Discord grinned. "Fluttershy is the sweetest, kindest pony around. She'll adore you. And you love her, trust me."
The door opened, and Fluttershy emerged.
"Hello, Discord." She smiled. She then looked at Isis. "And, um... who's your friend?"
"Fluttershy, this is Isis, the Serpent Deity of Life." Discord announced. "Isis, this is Fluttershy. Fluttershy, Isis and I are... very close."
"You mean... oh, Discord." Fluttershy realised. "I'm so happy for you! How did it happen?"
"We'd be happy to tell you." Discord smiled. "May we come in?"
"Of course." Fluttershy nodded. "Tell me all about it!"
Discord and Isis followed Fluttershy inside, ready to tell her the whole story.