//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Infernal Imp (Part 2) // Story: Lyra's Pyro Predicament // by Darrtaa //------------------------------// Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or any of the characters, nor do I own Team Fortress 2 or any of it's characters. I do, however, own; Over-Dose, Quick-Fix, Captain Ajax, and Commander Ironsides. "YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVEN'T DONE IN AGES? EAT SOMEPONY." said a bored Nightmare Moon as she observed her loyal Night Watch while they continued to move ponies into the courtyard, including Pinkie and her band of fillies she had attempted to lead to safety. Silas whirled around at the blunt statement. "YOU ACTUALLY CANNIBALIZED SMALL PONIES BACK DURING THE SHORT PERIOD OF TIME YOU WERE IN POWER A THOUSAND YEARS AGO?" he growled slightly taken aback. He knew that Nightmare was evil (whence why he picked her to be his herald), but he didn't think she would have gone that far. "HMM, NOT REALLY. THESE UNGRATEFUL PEASANTS MADE RASH STORIES ABOUT ME AFTER I WAS SO WRONGLY BANISHED…BUT I'M FEELING A LITTLE PECKISH AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING NEW TO TRY." said Nightmare as she licked her lips and scanned the horrified cluster of terrified Equestrians spread out before her in a colorful smorgasbord. Her cat-like eyes swept over the herd, until they came to rest on one filly in particular. Nightmare's horn lit up with her aura and surrounded one captive with a magical field and hoisted her up into the air. "NO! DINKY!!!" Derpy screamed over the few gasps and shrieks in the crowd as her yellow, uneven eyes watched her only daughter be carried away towards the hungry Goddess. Derpy launched with astounding speed into the dark night sky and tore off after her "Muffin" as fast as she possibly could. She snatched Dinky from the pulsating spell and made a sharp u-turn away from Nightmare Moon and her questionable tastes. Nightmare was about to soar after them when a large glowing glove went up in front of her muzzle before she got up. "NOW NOW, NIGHTMARE. ALLOW ME, I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TEST MY NEW BAG OF TRICKS. HAH!" With that, the Horseless Headless Horseman (who had been largely inactive for the majority of the coup) raised his mighty Headtaker high over his head and began to swing it in a circular motion. A purple aura trailed behind it as it rotated, glowing in density and luminousness as Silas swung faster. He focused on the grey pegasus and her unicorn daughter as they fled from the Night Watch guards that tailed them, the Headtaker hissed as he used the built-up momentum to fuel a massive backswing. In an instant the magic focused into the blade and shot forth as a crescent in the shape of the arc the Headtaker had taken and tore after Derpy at an alarming pace. "H-Hey! Look ou-GRAAAH!!!" The Night Watch guardspony, who had fallen behind the other two in pursuit of Derpy in case she tried to double back, was suddenly struck by the purple energy slash that had seemingly teleported into being behind him. As it made contact with his dark armored saddle, he writhed in agony from the soaring crescent that phased through his body while leaving him unscratched. He plummeted like a stone towards the ground, the other two guards took this as a warning and broke off the chase in order to avoid meeting the same fate as their fallen comrade. Derpy wasn't the greatest flyer in Equestria. She routinely bonked her head on her daily rounds and could usually be seen flying upside-down. But this wasn't the same mailmare Derpy, no, this was fiercely protective mother Derpy and she wasn't about to let Dinky come to any harm she could save her from. She soared high into the pale moonlight and then dropped into a swan dive to throw off the sinister slash. No luck, the energy continued to follow her no matter what she did. Back at the Castle Grounds, Silas was amusing himself with how easy it was to steer his attack with mere thought (and the aid of about twelve unicorn horns). "I GROW TIRED OF THIS GAME, SILAS." said Nightmare Moon as she slumped down on the throne she had made for herself that reflected her sinister personality, "JUST FINISH HER ALREADY." The HHH stifled a curse, she had no right to order him around. Well, he'd soon take care of that…"AS YOU WISH. HAH!" The energy crescent picked up speed and closed the gap between it and Derpy's blonde tail. She knew what would happen if that thing hit her, and that Dinky would be shocked too. She made a decision that no mother should ever have to. Spotting the nearest cliff, she squeezed Dinky tightly and swooped as close to it as she could before releasing her daughter to safety. Dinky hit the ground a bit harder than Derpy would have liked and tumbled into a shrub. She quickly righted herself and ran to the edge to see her mom, floating there, smiling at her as tears poured down her cheek. "MOMMY!" "It's okay Dinky! Just run, run as fast as you can away from Canterlot! I'll...I'll meet up with you, be safe!" said Derpy as she drifted further away from her confused and frightened filly. "No mommy! Don't leave!" cried Dinky, who was now as close to the edge of the cliff as she could get, but her mother kept drifting away from her. "I'm so sorry Dinky, just know that I always lo-" She was cut off as the energy crescent, which had taken the form of a spear, plunged into Derpy with a loud crackling sound as her nerves fried and her brain shut down from the overload of pain. Dinky screamed as she was forced to watch her mother plummet into a nearby tree and broke multiple branches before she finally came to rest at the trunk where she remained motionless. Dinky broke down into sobs as she realized just how horrible things had become, she just wanted for it all to go away. She screamed again, this time asking the powers that be why her mommy was taken away from her. And this time, she received an answer: "BECAUSE NIGHTMARE WON'T STOP PESTERING ME UNTIL YOU'RE IN HER GULLET." Dinky jumped as she tuned to see a massive hand stretching out of a purple portal that originated form the tree behind her (needless to say the squirrel that lived there was also having a fairly traumatic experience). Dinky stood her ground, although she was only a school filly with a pegasus mom, she had already learned a few spells from other unicorns and the time she spent at the library with Twilight. Her tiny horn began to glow with a spell she hoped would save her; a flash, a thunderous explosion, and the glove was engulfed in flames that almost singed Dinky's fur. Dinky looked around as the glove retreated back from whence it came. Had she done that? She looked behind her and saw that something far more wondrous had occurred; Celestia was free, and she was here to put a stop to her sister's mad reign. Dinky ran the towering alicorn and hugged her hoof. "P-P-Princess! Thank you so much! I- MOMMY!!!" Dinky let go of Celestia and was about to check on her possibly doomed mother when she felt a soft warmth engulf her being and gently lifted her onto Celestia's back. The Princess fanned out her wings to make sure she wouldn't fall and trotted to the edge of the cliff, where Over-Dose and Quick-Fix were already treating Derpy's wounds. Celestia lowered a crying Dinky down to the two medics as she received the best hug Derpy could give her with her broken ribs. Pyra stepped out from behind one of the trees. "That's *sniff* so beautiful…" sniffled the masked avenger as she watched the two grey mares' loving embrace. She regained her composure upon seeing the intensity in her Princess' eyes and stood next to her. Celestia and Pyra jumped bravely through the purple portal the HHH hadn't bothered to close. Now it was time to finish this madness. ========================================================== "GAAAAAAH!!! THAT WALKING GLUE STICK SCORCHED ME!" screamed Silas as he reeled back from the intensity of the heat. He had been burned countless times before at the rubbery hands of RED and BLU's Pyros, but the pain of being charred with a home-made Flamethrower pales in comparison when being burned by the Goddess of the Sun. Nightmare Moon rolled her cat-like eyes. "OH, BOO-HOO. I THOUGHT YOU WERE MORE OF A WARRIOR THAN THAT! FINE, IF YOU WANT TO SULK IN SHAME, THEN I'LL GLADLY GET MY HOOVES DIRTY IF IT MEANS FINISHING OFF-" The portal that the Horseless Headless Horseman had so carelessly left open began to crackle as something, or somepony, tunneled it's why through. "-CELESTIA?" Celestia tackled her misbehaving sister as she shot through the portal, followed closely by Pyra who charged through with the aid of the Splendid Screen and crashed into a group of inattentive Night Watch guardsponies. Nightmare quickly gave chase, and soon both Royal Pony Sisters where airborne and launching inanimate spells at one another in a dazzling display that would have shamed any firework. The battle soon turned to Celestia's favor, and Nightmare was forced to focus her spells to shield herself from her sister's rage. "HORSEMAN! HELP- NNGH! HELP ME FIGHT HER OFF!" barked Nightmare Moon as yet another sun beam projected from Celestia's horn slammed into her failing shield spell. "HMM? WHAT WAS THAT? I COULDN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE SOUND OF ME 'SULKING IN SHAME'…" he said bitterly. Nightmare fired a dark orb at Celestia, who in turn dodged it and fired one made of pure light. "ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO ARGUE WITH ME RIGHT NOW!? STRIKE HER YOU FOAL!" Silas withdrew the Headtaker, this could actually work well for him. If he "accidentally" hit Nightmare while he was assaulting Celestia, then his rise to power would only take half as long! He wound up, focusing all of his own magic with that of the numerous horns he had harvested into what would secure his rightful place in the halls of…what is THAT? Out of the corner of his hollow eye, he saw a twinkling in the darkness near the mountains; a flame, and it was moving quickly across the valley. It had a strange shape to it, like that of a bird. "PHILOMEENA? OH LOOK, SISTER, AT LEAST ONE OF YOUR PATHETIC FOLLOWERS KNOWS HOW TO SHOW SOME COURAGE! ONCE I FINISH YOU OFF, I THINK I'LL TRY SOME ROASTED PHOENIX THAT THOSE SNIVELING CANTERLOT ELITISTS HAVE BEEN WHINING ABOUT FOR SO LONG!" Nightmare Moon laughed as she finally started to force her elder sister to take up a defensive spell that rendered her immobile while it was active. "HAHA! NOW, SILAS! DESTROY HER SHEILD SO I CAN FINISH HER ONCE AND FOR ALL! SILAS? WHAT ARE YOU GAWKING AT!? IT'S JUST A PHOENIX!" "NO IT'S NOT…" To the sisters, it looked exactly like Philomeena swooping around near the castle, even Pyra and the Elements of Harmony (who were now engaged in combating the Night Watch) thought that Celestia's pet phoenix was rushing to the aid of her master. But the flames grew brighter and much MUCH larger. With the sudden appearance of the raging inferno soaring about in the night sky, the HHH had let all of the magic he had stored in the Headtaker either drain out or seep back into his own being. He shook his carved head and began to charge again, this time not taking his eyes off the looming creature. The tip of the phoenix glowed brightly as a white-hot fireball rocketed away from the rest of the body, hurling directly at Silas. "DAMN…" He had no choice, he swung his Headtaker with what little energy he had stored and let fly another energized cutting crescent, much like the one that hounded Derpy. The two energies collided mid flight into a shower of flame and crackles followed by a deafening explosion. Now everypony, Night Watch and Element alike, watched as the the mysterious creature flew closer towards the Horseless Headless Horseman. "WHAT- WHAT IS THAT THING? THAT COULDN'T BE A DRAGON COULD IT?" stammered Nightmare Moon as she continued to find any flaw in her sister's shields. "NO. IT'S WORSE," he snarled readying the Headtaker, "IT'S A BLAZING BULL!" "MMMMMMMMUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAHHHH!!!" The fireball picked up speed and barreled straight for Silas. The flames that flew off the main body crackled and continued to burn in the air, leaving a long fiery tail. Silas, not wanting to be humiliated again, surrounded the mysterious UFO (Unidentified Fiery Object) with multiple levitation spells that the owners of the unicorn horns knew and forced the object towards the ground a couple of yards away…right where Celestia and Nightmare Moon were having their showdown of the ages. As the flaming faux-phoenix violently changed course, the two Princesses both realized that no simple spell would protect either of them from the meteorite and both warped away. The impact shook Equestria and the very foundation of the mountain as the flames washed around the castle. After a brief moment of staring, Nightmare launched another assault at Celestia, only to be forced to dodge the much more effective counter-strike that the Sun Goddess brought forth. The Horseless Headless Horseman walked slowly over to the smoldering crater, his heavy footsteps crushing the rubble from the mid-sized explosion. He reached the mouth of the gapping hole and peered down into it's smoke filled depths, nothing stirred and no sound other than the ones coming from the various struggles around him could be heard. Silas started back when he heard something, something all too familiar: the hiss of a propane pilot light. *Hissssss-FOOM* "DAMN IT ALL TO H-" "HUDDAH-HUH!" A stream of ignited propane cut through the thick smoke cover and torched the HHH's hollow head, entering every opening it could and burning him from the inside. He howled like a wounded animal and clutched his face as his natural resistance to after-burn dowsed the embers almost instantly, and just in time for him to watch a crackling pinwheel shoot from the ditch and rise high in the air. At the apex of it's ascent, the flames were fanned away by two glowing red wings. "PYRO!?" cried Lyra in disbelief as she and everypony else turned towards the moon where a lone figure was casting his silhouette. Hovering there like a bat out of hell, the Infernal Imp gazed down upon all of the little ponies in attendance from his small, rectangular, golden lenses that sat just under the classical round ones. In place of his usual goggles were two massive red horns that jutted from the sockets, and a pointed red ear adorned either side of the otherwise black mask. The most prominent feature was also the most useful; two leathery bat wings, that sported the same colors as the horns, had sprung from either shoulder and were busy flapping away to keep the Infernal Imp airborne. Finally, down at the end of propane tank, was a red and yellow tail that whipped mindlessly about on it's own accord. In his hands hissed a horrible monster, a beast that had been the end of many foes who thought that they could run from such a beast; the Backburner. Although it shared much with the basic Flamethrower in terms of design, the front of the nozzle had been modified to look like the head of a dragon with two angry eyes painted on the sides. The reason this weapon was chosen above all the rest by the Imp wasn't so much for the looks, but for its devilish effect to cause fatal burns to any who tried to run from its scorching breath. After a moment of silence shared by all, the Imp dive-bombed back towards the earth. As his dive-bomb achieved mach 2, he swooped around, barely missing the ground and tackling the HHH into a nearby guard tower. Silas roared and swung the Headtaker wildly as he attempted to end the elusive maniac. The Imp had other plans, none of which involved him dying without taking the Horseless Headless Horseman down with him. Using his short wings to fuel his movements, the Imp easily evaded the Headtaker, all the while punishing the HHH's sloppy attacks with quick bursts from his Backburner. "WHY-" *CLANG* "WON'T-" *FWOOSH* "YOU-" *WHAM* "DIE!?" *FOOOOM* ========================================================== While the Goddesses and demons were engaged in mortal kombat, their followers were having quite the bout themselves. The Night Watch (who had up until this point been on top the situation) fell one by one as the combined forces of the Elements of Harmony and Pyra: Defender of Justice proved too much to be contained. "Good job getting hold of the Elements, Pinkie!" shouted Twilight as she sniped a guardspony out the air. "Nothing but a bunch of prancing show ponies!" she jeered. "No problem, Twilight! It was super-duper easy once I told the kids what we were looking for! They're REALLY good at scavenger hunts! I would have never thought that Nightmare Moon hid them on the roof, good thing I had Featherweight with me! Oh! That's what we should do when we get back to Ponyville, have a big scavenger hunting party! There'll be cake, balloons, and-" "Pinkie, dear, do think that now is really the best time for that?" said Rarity as the blue diamond on her solid gold Element Neckless repelled a would-be attacker with a magical burst, giving her time to fix a stray hair in her vampiric mane. Pyra had been holding her own too, even when compared to the Elements. She had discovered that her magic allowed her to recharge the Splendid Screen at much faster rate, allowing her to tackle one guard and be ready to do it again in a matter of moments. "Say, guys?" asked Pyra after she picked herself up from slamming into yet another guard. "How are we supposed to stop those two if Celestia can't? I know you're the Elements and all, but even if we turn Princess Luna back to normal, the Horseman will just turn her right back!" "It's okay…Lyro?" "Pyra." "Sorry, 'Pyra'. I'm sure we'll find- Applejack! Behind you! -some way to- Fluttershy, that guard's going after Sweetie Belle! -stop them. We always do!" Twilight's confidence was just what Pyra needed to keep pushing through, if anypony was going to find a solution, it'd be her…but stopping Nightmare Moon and the Horseless Headless Horseman wasn't what was on her mind (despite how critical it may have been). She was more concerned about Pyro. As she watched him bravely swoop in and out the HHH's attack range, burning him as he did so, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd be back to normal. He was certainly more frightening now, with the horns, wings and tail now poking out his body. But he was also acting VERY strangely. She couldn't put her hoof on it but it seemed like he was fighting more viciously than when he fought the guards back in Ponyville. The next few moments only confirmed what she fearing, and that he had indeed changed: During an aerial flip, Silas had caught a lucky break and finally landed a hit, right on the Backburner's propane tank. It hissed wildly and forced the Infernal Imp to discard his beloved torch seconds before it exploded into a cloud of fire and shrapnel. The Horseman let out a reverberating laugh as he closed in for the finishing blow. The Imp stood his ground, unflinching in his resolve. 'NO! Why won't he MOVE!?' screamed Pyra inside her mask-covered head. He changed his stance, coupling his hands behind back but still not moving from his sacred spot on the destroyed courtyard. "HUH…" The Horseman drew closer, the Headtaker whaling for the Imp's head. "DUH…" The abomination took one last step, coming well within striking distance. To his horror, he found out soon enough that he had been inside the Imp's striking distance the entire time. "HUH!!!" The following flash of light and crushing roar of the flames instantly gained the attention of everypony that could see the towering inferno. From his blackened rubber gloves, the Infernal Imp had unleashed an unprecedented amount of fire-based magic ever seen in all of Equestrian history. The godly pilot light reached into the atmosphere and illuminated almost ever corner of Equestria for the few seconds it blazed until slowly receding back down to the Imp's singed hands. Even Celestia, who had been to the surface of her sun countless times, hovered in awe before her attention snapped back to her sister climbing out of the fresh crater she had thrown her into. "UHH, YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT SISTER!" she hissed as she stumbled out. "You don't have any say in what happens now, Nightmare. Look at what's befallen your champion." said Celestia as she indicated with her eyes over to where the Infernal Imp wobbled to stay standing after such a feat. There, about three hooves ahead of him lay the Headtaker, it's master's boney arm still tightly clutching the battered handle for all its worth in the center of a gargantuan scorch mark. Everypony, except Nightmare and her traitorous Night Watch, cheered and rejoiced at the downfall of such a horrid creature. They jumped and danced around, the CMC thought they even got their Cutie Marks at one point, but it turned out to be singed fur from the stray embers that followed from the Über Huddah-oken. The Elements had rushed over to aid Celestia and used their combined powers of friendship to purge the darkness from Princess Luna. After the cold night lit up yet again from the Element's Purification Rainbow that entangled Nightmare Moon, it reverted her back to the Luna the Mane Six had first met back in the Everfree Forest. Upon her return, she graciously asked everypony for forgiveness, which she got in the form a group hug with all her friends (which was only the Elements and Celestia, but still). However, as Pyra quickly noticed, something was still amiss; the Night Watch were still resisting, Nightmare had given up far too easily, and the Imp still had his guard up (despite how spent he had become). 'I can't be the only pony who notices this,' said Pyra as she scanned the happy scene. 'Instead having come back to see us, Pyro's still looking for something, but what?' Pyra looked over at the Elements and saw Twilight's violet eyes darted around from behind her tinted shades. She noticed something was wrong too, but neither of them could place a hoof on it. "MURR? MUPH! HUDDAH!" The Imp became infuriated and hopped away from where he had been standing as a purple smog engulfed the Headtaker and the Horseman's arm within its swirling confines. The axe began to twirl on its own accord as the Horseless Headless Horseman rose from the depths with a sickening cackle and reattached his severed arm, and by extension, his Headtaker. Everypony gasped in shock as Luna tried her best to hide behind her sister, who in turn fanned out her wings to further shield her frightened sibling. The Elements readied themselves, all except Pinkie, who had been pulled away during the premature celebrating by some of the fillies that had helped her find the Elements of Harmony. The Imp couldn't move, he had taken a misstep that cost him his balance and had once more struck his already pounding head on the side of Canterlot Castle. He crumpled into a semi-conscience heap as images swirled about before him. The HHH said nothing, but instead launched into another attack. The Headtaker glowed and fired a beam of striking purple energy at the whimpering Luna. Celestia refused to stand aside and lose her sister again, she took one last look at her sister, her magenta eyes filled with tears as she closed them tightly. The malicious magic washed over both of the Royal Pony Sisters, the resulting explosion threw the Elements and scattered them in all directions. Applejack nearly flew off the edge but was saved by quick thinking on Rarity's part and was snatched from her plummeting dive by a faint blue aura that originated from the fashoinista's perfectly white horn. "Thanks, Rarity. Ah almost bought the farm there." said AJ as she fixed her bow that adorned her dyed amaranth mane. "It's nothing, Applejack. However we really must find Pinkie so we can put a stop to these uncouth infiltrators!" "Yer tellin' me! She sure has a knack fer high-tailing it at the worst possible time…*sigh* Least she always brings somethin' back with her that usually-" The farming earth pony stopped short. Rarity followed Applejack's stricken gaze past the Infernal Imp as he got back on his feet and across the courtyard to where they had been thrown. The dust that had been thrown up by the spell's impact had taken a purple hue and now blanketed the demolished throne. Spontaneous sparks and bursts of energy crackled and danced among the thick particle cover as it slowly dissipated. The silence could have been cut with a knife, and that knife was the sound of gilded horseshoes clinking against the cobblestone. As they grew louder from within, the shape of an alicorn came into focus. As she stepped into view, she expanded her elegant wings, dispelling the nearby fog. Nightmare Moon's cat-like irises flashed as she glared at the Elements. "Oh, COME ON!" shouted a vampiric Sweetie Belle from somewhere in the crowd before a miniature Wonderbolt and pint-sized Applejack pulled her back down to safety. Twilight groaned. "Ugh! Darn it! Could this get any worse!?" A second clinking sound echoed from the depths of the purple dust. Princess Celestia was alright as well! As the Princess approached, Nightmare's face twisted not to one of fear, but into a wicked smile. Even Silas was paying close attention to what was transpiring before him. From out of the cloud stepped a blazing red horseshoe that belonged to an equally fiery set of red eyes. A burst of flame and the purple smoke was no more, revealing Princess Celestia; her flowing, multi-colored mane and tail were now comprised solely of raging flames that lashed wildly about. Her white coat now boar a more crimson tone than it's normal soft pink and accented her furious red eyes that cast their gaze over the stunned audience (which had been in various levels of shock and awe ever since the night got underway). Her ruby horseshoes were now more along the lines of boots that reached up most of her forelegs and spiked near the tips. While her signature collar had done little more than change to a reddish hue, her once sparkling tiara was now a crown fit for a malicious monarch. The Horseless Headless Horseman could no longer contain his curiosity. Folding his arms across his ribcage and looking towards the sky, he fell into an opening created in the ground beneath him and reappeared in-between Nightmare and the fiery new Celestia, much to their surprise. "MY MY, THIS CAN'T TRULY BE PRINCESS CELESTIA, CAN IT?" She looked him over for a moment, her face retaining it's stern expression as her mouth curled into a smile. "NO, NOT ANYMORE. CALL ME…SOLAR FLARE." Solar Flare looked around at the ponies who were once more being rounded up, "HMM, THIS SIMPLY WON'T DO. WHERE ARE MY LOYAL GUARDS?" Nightmare laughed, "WHY, THEY DECIDED TO TAKE THE NIGHT OFF, AND ARE SLEEPING COMFORTABLY IN THE DINNING HALL." She chuckled, remembering the laughter she and the Night Watch had enjoyed as they watched Celestia's best stumble and crash about the dinning hall, all the while splattering food and drinks across every surface as the powerful sleeping powder took hold. Solar Flare raised an eyebrow, her face once again reverting back to one of quiet resentment for everypony but herself. Her horn glowed with a wild aura that matched her brilliant flames, casting a dull glow in the immediate area. All was silent for a moment, save the crackling of Solar's mane and the harrowing wind that whipped across the sweat-drenched bodies of the petrified ponies. There was a clattering slam off in distance, followed by a growing roar of armored hooves matching in step and multiple wingbeats moving steadily towards the courtyard. The iconic Royal Guards made their way through the deserted streets from the chow hall to the courtyard that had seen more excitement in the past two hours than the rest of Canterlot had seen in years. "MHMMHMHM. NOW MY FAITHFUL GUARDS, TO WHOM DO YOU SWEAR ALLEGIANCE?" boomed Solar Flare in her most commanding Canterlot Voice. "Solar Flare…" they all chanted in unison. Twilight looked down at their eyes, something was wrong. As she peered at the nearest guard, she saw his pupils flicker and burn like twin flames dancing in white pools. "Ohhh, they sure are scary, huh Twilight?" "They sure are, Pinkie. I don't know how we'll manage to fend them off without~* PINKIE! Where the hoof have you been!?" The bubbly party pony bounced behind a nearby vender cart and revealed three frightened looking fillies. They slowly emerged, dragging something behind them; a large, burlap bag with scorch marks around the sides with the name "PYRO" stitched in red on the main flap. Pyra was next to Pinkie so fast that she seemed to teleport (which in hindsight would have probably been faster). "That's…that's Pyro's bag!" she exclaimed as her yellow eyes widened. "Where in Equestria did you find that?" Pinkie, still masquerading as the Pumpkin Queen, giggled as the fillies cowered behind her from Pyra's sudden appearance. "Hmm-hmm! Well, after we beat that big meanie, the fillies here said that they found something shinny near the big crater. We went down there and found this…thingy! See, I told you guys they were good at scavenger hunts!" Twilight and Pyra looked at one another with raised eyebrows of suspicion, but they decided that perusing the notion of exactly how Pinkie had managed to heft the deceptively heavy bag all the way up the Crystal Cave was a pointless endeavor and left it at that. There was an eruption of light and flame that brought everything to a standstill. The Imp launched from where he had watched the events unfold through painful, blurry eyes and had seen enough: He was now determined to bring down all three bosses, and any pony that stood in his way. He didn't even think about how his actions might bring him closer to home. All he knew or cared about was that there were three foes that weren't dead. Yet… "GUARDS! SEIZE HIM!" "GUARDS! ASSIST THE NIGHT WATCH!" The demonic phoenix plowed head-first into the swarm of guards massing before him, creating a living barrier between him and evil rulers. He flailed about, thrashing at any thing that got within striking distance, tossing guards and chunks of armor alike into the air. The guards, although repulsed by the flying limbs at first, readjusted their plan of attack and were soon effortlessly dodging the Infernal Imp's mad swings as they performed hit-and-run maneuvers which forced the humanoid onto defense. One Night Watch pegasi managed to buck him square in the back of the head. The ringing was unbearable, he couldn't make out any of the blurs before him as his new golden lenses began to fog from the perspiration of straining his overtaxed body to it's limits and beyond. He knew he wasn't going to win, but he sure as the fires of hell wasn't going down alone. He coupled his hands behind his back yet again as a raging fireball quickly formed betwixt his palms. Silas swung his Headtaker forward like a general commanding his troops. "GUARDS! STOP HIM BEFORE HE CAN ATTACK AGAIN! ALL IS LOST IF HE GETS IN ANOTHER SHOT!" The Royal Guards, having been unconscious during the first time, were suddenly outpaced by a flurry of Night Watch guards as they scrambled to snuff out a potentially catastrophic fire brewing in the Imp's hands. The Imp tensed up, ready to fire once they all got bottlenecked right above- "PYRO! Catch!" cried Pyra as she teleported something in a green flash over to him. Thinking quickly, he transferred the entire Huddah-oken over to his left palm and extended his right hand out to receive whatever it was that Lyra was sending him. Another green flash and the Infernal Imp tightened his uncanny grip around the handle of…the Postal Pummeler. The Imp stopped, he gazed across it's green shell over to the faded white numbers. The number of the house he had lived in, with his mom and dad, and baby brother. He remembered the picture stored safely within, untouched by all of the horrors he had been through. He remembered that day when it was taken, it was a picnic in the backyard a few months after his brother was born, and everyone was so happy as they laughed and ate good food. He remembered the week that followed, a man had broken into his home and set it ablaze, he remembered waking up in the middle of the night coughing from smoke. He remembered running into his parent's and baby brother's room, only to see them burned alive as the roof caved in. He remembered crying, the tears stinging his face but not as much as the flames. He remembered crawling from the wreckage of his house alone and disfigured. He remembered how none of his neighbors would shelter such a "horrid little freak" in their expansive homes. He remembered finding that man some years later, in a drunken stupor outside of a tavern. He remembered using the same bottle the man was drinking out of as a Molotov to turn him, and the surrounding city block to ash. He remembered the psych ward were they declared him mentally unfit to work within society, and the woman in purple who paid for his freedom. He remembered meeting RED Team, and all of the glorious battles they fought together for the greater good (of their paychecks). He remembered the accident that had teleported him through space/time into the magical land of Equestria, and meeting Lyra who showed him genuine kindness. He remembered…that the Postal Pummeler hurts like crazy when applied directly to the forehead. *THWACK* The Night Watch Guardspony's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he passed out, the sudden uppercut from the Imp had caught him off guard (ironically) after the Imp was motionless for so long and sent the stunned pony flying into the distance. The Infernal Imp's horns began to fade, as did his tail, wings, and Huddah-oken that he had been building. They feel away like shards of glass that turned to ash upon hitting any physical object, weather that be the infamous red body suit or the cracked ground, until all that remained, was Pyro. "Huddah? Murr mur mo mormurr? MMMPHMM!!!" He pumped his free hand into the air in triumph, he was free from the Infernal Imp's clutches! But now he was surrounded by hundreds of NIght Watch and Royal Guards… Pyro felt bad; if they had had a few hundred more, they might have stood a chance. Pyro reached into his belt and withdrew a silver disk that bore Dr. Grordbort's crest about the size of his hand and tossed it into the air. As it spun, it began to throw beams of light in all directions, slowly becoming a shaft of light itself. The shaft began to morph and contort until one end was flat with and coiled along the rim, a final burst of light and the strange item fell back into Pyro's waiting hand. The metallic coil hummed as it glowed, illuminating the bright red body of the Third Degree; the final weapon in Dr. Grordbort's trio of futurist firepower. The axe wasn't made so much for cutting wood as much as it was made for cutting down BLUs with a white-hot metal coil that severely wounded it's victim and any unfortunate Medic that was healing him. Pyro crossed them over his head. "MUPH! HMHMHMHM!" Taking him up on his taunt, the hoard of guards washed over him and blocked him from view like a swarm of golden and purple locusts assaulting a wheat field. The guards continued to pile on. They sat still for a moment, satisfied of their victory, until the mound began to swell at the top. A dull rumble made it's way up from the base of the pile-on, guards were knocked away left and right from the quaking. With a mighty battle muffle, Pyro burst forth, striking a triumphant pose before surfing down the shimmering gold and purple armored backs of the dazed guards towards the trifecta of evil. More guards began to charge, the non-pegasi that hadn't been apart of the failed pony-pile had watched with evil glee, then evil satisfaction, then evil confusion, and were now moving more towards evil frustration as the human refused to yield. "We've got you now! No matter how strong you may be, you can't resist unicorn mag- *HONK*" The frightfully confused guard tumbled into his brothers in hooves. He looked down to see that he had been covered in…in…"Is this, confetti?" "YEP!" Smiled Pinkie Pie, who was now standing outside of her pumpkin costume that during the course of the battle had transformed into a mobile Party Cannon; armed with mounted confetti guns, and rotating gum ball launchers on either side. The pumpkin head sat on top, guiding the attacks when Pinkie Pie stepped away to do…whatever it is that Pinkie Pie does. =====THEN THIS HAPPENED AGAIN===== "Well, that's an easy question: I party!" Yes, Pinkie. We know that. Now can we- "I mean come ON! You've watched the show for HOW long now? …a year? "Oh. Really? Then how many times have you watched the episodes?" A lot. Look, Pinkie, I need to get back to the story. "Hmm? What story? *GASP* Are you telling a story!? I love stories! Which one is it?" (Oh my God) Pinkie, please, I've had writer's block for weeks now I've finally got a good idea and I don't want to lose it. So, would you kindly- "Wow! What's all this? Oh, hi Pinkie Pie." "Hi Lyra! Oops, I mean; 'Pyra'. *giggle*" Wait, WHAT? How'd you get in here? I thought- Darn it, Pinkie you left the door open again! "Huddah?" ALRIGHT THAT'S IT! MOVING ON! =====STEADY DARRTAA, STEADY===== The gum-launching gyroid cut through the sea of possessed ponies with amazing precision! Twilight couldn't help but wonder how Pinkie had managed to build such a contraption; it's aim was impeccable, the rate of fire was suppressing an entire company of guards with nothing more than gum balls, and it could fold back in on itself to allow Pinkie to WEAR it! 'Talk about dressed to kill,' thought Twilight. All questions about the mysterious ways of Pinkie Pie aside, Twilight, the other Elements, and Pyra remained right behind the masked salamander as he cut a swath through the guards, the occasional *CLANG* ringing out with each connecting hit from the Postal Pummeler mixed with various yelps and screams from the Third Degree finding it's targets. "I'VE SEEN ENOUGH, THIS ENDS NOW!" boomed Solar Flare as she took to the darkened skies. She shined brightly, not unlike her sun, as a spell began to take shape around her horn. Pyro knew this wasn't going to end well. He gestured to the others to keep the guards occupied. "But, Pyro…" Pyra started, "if we leave you, how will you be able to fight all three of them? I…I don't want to lose-" A black glove came up in front of her muzzle, that slowly and calmingly went over her head and stroked her mint mane as he brought himself to her level. She could feel her eyes burning, she wasn't trying to hide her tears any longer. Droplets began to trickle from behind her Pyromancer's Mask, she couldn't stand losing the same friend twice. Pyro really didn't know what to think, he had never seen someone, or in this case somepony, become so attached to another so quickly. Little did Pyro know that in this world friendship is magic, and can create powerful bonds almost instantly that can last lifetimes. The little ponies were known for making friends almost instantly and would stay good friends, rarely would two ponies hold grudges against one another that didn't last for a week at the most before making up and becoming better friends because of it. Pyro put his ash-covered hand under Pyra's chin and raised her head so she looked right into his smoke glass eyes. "I have to do this, it's the only way" they seemed to say. She nodded. "Just…come back in one piece, alright?" she said softly, choking back tears and giving the best smile she could. He made the first move and wrapped her up in a hug, she couldn't believe how warm he was. After a moment, Pyro stood and picked up the Third Degree that he had dropped when he was confronting Lyra. He turned back towards Solar Flare, who at this point had finished charging her enchantment and was ready to fire. "HAHAHA! IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FIREPROOF YOU CLAIM TO BE, NOT EVEN YOU CAN WITHSTAND THE FULL POWER OF THE SUN!" With that, she summoned a gargantuan pillar of fire that rocketed toward the RED burn ward. He turned around to Pyra and pointed towards the direction of where Solar Flare was hovering. "One rapid elevator, coming up!" she said as the Splendid Screen propelled her forward and slammed into Pyro's back, launching him directly into the fiery column. Pyro held the Postal Pummeler out in front of him while allowing his left arm and Third Degree to rest at his side as he flew through the air. He collided with the magical flames and felt the immense heat actually starting to melt his suit. For one of the first times in his life, he could actually feel the beads of sweat run down his singed skin from the heat. His goggles where beginning to fog from the perspiration as well, but was evaporated almost as soon as it left his body's pores and made contact with the glass. He maintained focus, he had to endure for his plan to work, and judging by the red crackling energy that was emitting from the Pummeler, it was working just fine. The entire RED team had asked Pyro about the Postal Pummeler when he first started using it. While it may have just been an ordinary mailbox at one point in time, it possessed an interesting ability; to perform Critical Hits on burning opponents. Pyro shot through the towering inferno, much to everypony's surprise, and made contact with the Pummeler and Solar Flare's fiery mane: CRITICAL HIT! Solar plowed back into the earth next to Nightmare and the HHH with a thunderous crash, the former in utter shock while the later was indifferent. Silas knew that wasn't going to work, using fire against Pyro was a poor strategy if there ever was one, but he figured that Solar was going to learn that one way or another. Pyra caught Pyro with her magic and created a buffer so he wouldn't be injured by his fall. He gave her a thumbs up in thanks before snapping back to the two remaining evil doers. The Horseless Headless Horseman chuckled, he aimed the Headtaker where Solar had fallen and shot a jolt of magic into the smoldering crater. Solar Flare slowly emerged from its depths, not a scratch nor a hair out of place. "NOW DO YOU SEE, PYRO? YOU HAVE NO CHANCE OF STOPPING US. JUST GIVE UP, AND MAYBE I'LL MAKE IT QU- *SHINK* GRAH!" The HHH was interrupted from his rant as ambassador Third Degree took the floor by lodging himself into the side of Senator Horseless H. Horseman's orange cranium. Silas roared, he had had enough. No longer caring if Equestria was destroyed in the process, he rounded up Nightmare and Solar for one final spell. As their regal horns and Headtaker charged, the magic either sister had been using to manipulate the guards faded away and the guards slowly began to regain control of their own thoughts; and right now, all their thoughts were telling them to flee as fast as they could. With the panicking pony patrollers dispersing, the Elements (and Pyra) stood unopposed and rushed to Pyro's aid. The three dark embodiments all focused their power onto the Headtaker, which cackled as it attained full power. "NOW YOU DIE!" Three different streams coiled together to form a sinister snake of pure evil that streaked right towards the friendly firebug. As Pyra and the others finally made it, they saw Pyro; unfaltering in his resolve to protect those who had shown him such kindness. "PYRO! What're you doing!? RUN!" screamed Pyra. Pyro turned away from the oncoming stream of death and locked eyes with Lyra from beneath both of their masks. He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay, that he would see her after this was over, or at least again soon. But he could not. He dropped the Pummeler, he didn't know if death here was permanent, and he wouldn't be the one who would suffer for it. He knew that dying here would be the most selfish thing he'd ever done…but was it avoidable? He certainly hoped so. As the deathly beam was about to collide with the fire conjuror, he wheeled around and caught the blast with both hands, splashing the extra energy like a garden hose turned on full. He started to slide back inch by inch as the terrifying trio continued to pour it on. "Come on girls! We have to help him!" shouted Fluttershy, much to the surprise of everypony else. "Oops, was that too loud? I'm sorry…but we really should, um, help him…" she trailed off. "Fluttershy's right!" announced Twilight! "Let's put a stop to this; together!" As she finished speaking, Twilight's eyes began to glow and the Elements rose high into the sky. Lyra could do little but stand in awe of the spectacle before her, she had only seen the Elements in action once, and that was from a distance when they put down Discord (not to mention the large ear of corn that she had been fighting at the time had demanded her full attention). The golden necklaces and Twilight's crown cast a protective bubble around the Mane 6 as they too focused their power and launched the Harmony Beam at the three lords of chaos. But the actual Elements had other plans. Instead of clashing with the dark energy Pyro was struggling to counter, or even going after the ones attacking him, the rainbow Harmony Beam struck Pyro. He began to tremble as the Elements washed over his being, and stopped him from sliding back any further than he had already been. His body glowed like molten red steel as his eyes flashed like yellow beacons. He grabbed hold of the darkness that had assailed him and coupled his hands behind his back in one fluid motion. The Elements purified what energy he captured betwixt his palms and it soon became a spiraling ball of rainbow-colored energy. Pyro thrust his hands forward with all his might, crying out as he did so: "HUDDAHUH!!!!!" The rainbow energy shot forth and clashed violently with the darkness of the three Elements of Chaos. They struggled to maintain enough power to keep the beam at bay, and soon faltered. The Harmony-charged Rainbow Über Huddah-oken washed over them like a tidal wave crashing over a stone. Nightmare Moon, Solar Flare and the Horseless Headless Horseman all reeled back at the overwhelming force of the magic of friendship that had first brought the Elements together. Solar Flare and Nightmare Moon both began to revert back into the beautiful Princess Celestia and the regal Princess Luna within the beam, Silas however, was worse for wear. Attempting to block the power of Harmony, he had used the Headtaker as a shield and despite the massive cracks that were forming all around it, he was still standing. As the rainbow beam continued to pass over him, the Third Degree (that was still lodged firmly in his pumpkin noggin) started to throw off jolts of red energy, not like the Postal Pummeler had been earlier, but not unlike what the Pomson 6000 did when Pyro was first sent to Equestria. Just as before, the Third Degree cracked and released lights as it rose into the air. It became engulfed by the strange light and folded in on itself with an alarming crunch, creating another energy ball. Silas paid no attention, he hadn't even noticed that the space axe was no longed a part of his head. The ball grew in size, feeding off of the two forces in conflict; the evil of the Headtaker and the purity of the Elements of Harmony. Pyro couldn't tell for sure how long the orb would stay before disappearing. He disengaged the Über Huddah-oken, grabbed his Postal Pummeler, and ran for the HHH. Silas, smoldering and covered in magical burns that would have killed a mortal, lowered the Headtaker from his face and had it quickly replaced with a green mailbox. He stumbled back, his cape fluttering towards the energy orb. Silas turned to see the throbbing ball mere feet from where he was standing. "SO THAT'S YOUR PLAN IS IT? YOU PLAN TO FORCE ME BACK INTO THE VOID? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHERE THIS THING COULD DUMP US!? YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" he said with a hint of desperation in ghostly voice. Pyro took a look at the spherical portal. The HHH was right, he didn't know for sure what would happen…but he couldn't let this monster run rampant where he could hurt Lyra! With a final burst of strength, Pyro slammed the aged mailbox into the Headtaker and shattered the infernal implement. The pieces all fell back into the portal, which was now a powerful vacuum that drew in both Pyro and Silas. "NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo…" The orb shot into the air and erupted into a myriad of colorful fireworks as a strange message appeared in the air. The Horseless Headless Horseman has been defeated! Press [K] to REMOVE. The crowd of ponies erupted into cheers and other forms of rejoicing that rang out in the entire kingdom of Canterlot and all of Equestria. Twilight and the others rushed over to help Celestia and Luna, who looked a little…different. "Um, Princess Celestia? Are you felling okay?" meeped Fluttershy. "Y-Yes, I'm fine. But, being in the snare of Silas' magic is not an experience I hope to repeat." "Yes, but what about your chevelure?" asked Rarity, which to her was the most important question. "My…my mane? Oh my…" said Celestia as an all-pink lock of her mane billowed past her eyes. Her mane, in fact, no longer billowed, but was blown past her face by a natural gust. Celestia stood, and found that she only slightly taller than her most faithful student. Luna also looked a little different, she looked almost exactly like she had when the Elements first freed her from the clutches of Nightmare Moon. Her stardust mane was much sorter and a grayish light blue, and much like like her elder sister's, was now completely stationary. "Great, you wouldn't believe how long it took for me to get my mane back to normal last time…I'll help you with yours, Tia." said Luna using a piece of shattered glass as a mirror. As the Royal Pony Sisters and the Elements of Harmony shared a good laugh Lyra sat at the mouth of the crater where Pyro had forced the HHH into the vast unknown. She noticed that Pyro's backpack had disappeared, and yet, her Pyromancer's Mask and Splendid Screen were still on her body. She didn't know what emotion she should adopt. She had never lost a friend twice before. A smile slowly crept across features. She hadn't really lost him, maybe for the time being, but not for an eternity. She could feel Pyro still out there, somewhere…and after all, she had his mask. He'd be back. =====2 DAYS LATER===== Life had returned to normal in the once again peaceful land of Equestria. Celestia and Luna both still looked the way they did, but after multiple press interviews and public statements, they had managed to convince everypony who wasn't in the fashion world that they would return to normal with time. The Royal Masons had gotten to work on rebuilding the massive damage done to the courtyard (namely the staggering amount of craters that dotted the landscape), and Luna had paid a special visit to Derpy and Dinky while Derpy recovered from her injuries at the hooves of Equestria's finest. The Elements' lives returned to normal as well, probably faster than everypony else's since things like that tended to happen to them on a more frequent bases. Lyra's life had gotten back into the flow of things, but nowhere near "normal". She had been honored as a hero and had been given a seat in a parade commemorating the defeat of Nightmare Moon, Solar Flare, and the Horseless Headless Horseman, and when she finally got back to Ponyville, she was given one of the biggest parties Pinkie Pie had ever thrown along with a massive scavenger hunt. That was all yesterday, today had been much more mellow. Lyra had woken up to a normal start around nine and was now waiting for Bonbon so they could finally have their shopping trip. A knock on her front doors signaled her friend's arrival. Lyra trotted happily over to the door and stopped, this could be a trap, the CMC might be with her again. "Bonbon? Is that you?" "…yes?" "Are you alone?" "Wha?" "Are. You. Alone?" "Well, that depends; are there any human para-dimensional fire-starters hiding out in your spare room?" "Touché, so are you alone? No CMC?" "No, Lyra, now open the door already! I want to get to the mall before it gets too crowded." Lyra opened the door cautiously, but Bonbon was true to her word, all that stood at her doorstep was the cream colored mare with a questioning look on her face. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine…oh apples! Look at the time! Let's hurry!" With that, the two mares galloped out of Lyra's modest house. As she slammed the door behind her, some of the decorations in her living room shook slightly. Namely, a bronze shield that sat on her table and a painted cow skull that hung over her mantle. THE END (Until I get the epilogue written up)