Lucina piloted the ship and landed at a destroyed town that looked a thousand years old to make some repairs on the damage caused by the pursuing fighters. She walked down the ramp levitating a tool box and teleported to the top of the ship and began to fix the damage. After a few minutes of repairing, Lucina teleported the tool back back into the ship and suddenly heard a strange sound coming from away of the ship. She jumped down from her ship and began to investigate along with BB-8; who followed her. The town looked like it had been through a lot a long time ago as she looked at buildings that were covered with vines and trees that are grown next to some destroyed buildings. She heard the sound again and turned to see a pony with a hoof on what appears to be a wound. She rushed on over to the pony, but was stopped when the pony warned, "Don't come any closer! You'll get infected like others who once lived here."
"What has happened here?" Lucina asked. BB-8 hid behind her leg.
"This once great city was bombarded a long time ago. I was only sent here to recover some data, until a rakghoul attacked me. I managed to get away but--" The pony groaned in pain and started to change into a strange creature. The creature roared at Lucina along with BB-8 began to flee from the creaure and hid behind some rubble. The creature ran past them without knowing that they were hiding and stopped to take a sniff around. It then turned to see them and charged at them, but it was suddenly shot in the head out of nowhere. Lucina peeped her head to check where the shot came from and saw a blue dragon wearing gold armor holding an E-5s sniper rifle. The dragon flew down and approached them to see if they were alright.
"Good thing that you weren't bitten or scratched," the dragon said. "You would be infected by then." Lucina slowly got up and wiped the sweat off of her forehead with relief. "What are you doing out here anyway?"
"I was just here to make repairs to my ship when I fled from the Mephiles Alliance," Lucina said.
"You had an encounter with the Mephiles Alliance? Then you must be very lucky to flee from them. I'm Ember, Lord of Dragons. And what is yours, my friend?"
"I am Lucina, daughter of Twilight Sparkle and Charming Thunder."
"Charming Thunder. Charming. Isn't the whole empire looking for him?"
"I believe so. Did you know him once?" Roars of rakghouls echoed the destroyed city.
"Let's get to your ship and leave this old city." Lucina led BB-8 and Ember the way to her ship and left the ancient city. A probe droid hid in the shadows as they left and sent what they found to its master.
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The ship traveled across the land of Equestria on auto pilot while Ember and Lucina were in the crew lounge. "To answer your question from earlier, I did know your father," Ember explained. "He was the one who raised me when he was young before I was returned to my father."
"Just like Twilight took care of Spike," Lucina added. "You missed him after he gave you away to your kind, did you?" Ember sighed.
"I did, but I got over it. That was until I met Spike before I became Dragon Lord. He reminded me so much about your father. I wish I could see him again." BB-8 gave a series of beeps. "So why was the Mephiles Alliance after you?"
"They wanted my droid. It carries a map to something I don't know about and I need to get to Ponyville as quick as possible before my mother is worried sick about me."
"What map?"
"Show her, BB-8." BB-8 nodded and revealed the hologram map of one part of Equestria filling the room. Ember examined the map as she walked.
"This map's not complete. It's just a piece. Ever since your father disappeared, people have been looking for him for three years."
"Why did my father disappear?"
"Well rumors say that he felt responsible for your uncle's death and fled to find a way to bring him back."
"Danny?" Ember nodded.
"Those who knew him best, they thought that he was looking for some sort of temple."
"I wish I'd known him."
"He was the best war hero who started the Equestrian Empire. And a cunning warrior. And he was a good friend. Right now, half of the Equestrian Empire led by Starlight Glimmer went off to find him and I volunteered to help. That was where you came in." BB-8 deactivated the holo map and rolled past the two. "If this droid is important, we need to bring it to Twilight and the princesses. Maybe they will know something about this piece of the map." Lucina nodded and walked to the cockpit of the ship and plotted the course to her hometown of Ponyville.
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Twivine and Thexan stood in a dark space looking up at the hologram of Mephiles. He had the stab wound still regenerating for three years ever since the Dark Forge battle. "The droid will soon be delivered to the princesses," Mephiles said. "Leading them to the king of Equestria. If Charming Thunder returns, all hope for the Mephiles Alliance will be lost."
"Master, I take full responsibility for the--" Thexan said until he was interrupted.
"THEXAN!!" Mephiles took a deep breath and held his regenerating wound. "Our strategy must now change."
"The weapon on the Hammerhead cruiser. It is ready. I believe that the time is now to use it. We shall destroy the heart of Equestria; Canterlot. Without the princesses to protect Equestria, the empire will be vulnerable and we will stop them before they reach their precious king. "
"Go and oversee preparations then."
"Yes, master." Thexan bowed and took his leave leaving Twivine alone with Mephiles.
"There is something more to this, Twivine. The droid we seek is aboard the YT-2000 freighter. In the hands of this so called daughter of Twilight and Charming." Twivine reacts with subtle, but looked surprised.
"She means nothing to me," Twivine said.
"Even you, Highlord of the Tal'darim, have never faced such a test."
"I will destroy this mare if it means to lure her father back."
"We shall see. We shall see." The hologram of Mephiles faded as Twivine left the room.
