Twilight watch as Everblight shout out orders. No pony has been able to speak to him since he and the others return from the zebra homeland of Gondwana. Finally, Spike stalk over to her scales and claws brittle from lack of sleep, "Spike, what's going on?"
"Sorry Twi," the purple dragonspawn sigh as he sits beside her, head drooping low and eyes barely staying open, "we've just gotten bad news." "The bad is that all dragons are in a state of war," seeing several ponies shiver, Spike nods somberly, "Everblight is in a fragile alliance with five other true dragons against who knows how many other dragons."
"There can't be that many," Fluttershy begin to hyperventilate, eyes wide in fear and wings lock to her back, "there's not that many mountains on the planet, Twilight look at a map."
Spike cringe knowing the next words would be her undoing, "I hate to tell you this...but most of the true dragons had gone to ground in the most literal sense."
As she faints in fear, Rainbow Dash glare at the drake, "Ya had to say it like THAT?!" "She still trying to get use to all these dragons!" before she could get into his face, Applejack pulled on her arm.
Twilight looks over as a group of reindeers led by Miir walk over with grim face, "Um, Spike?" As he turns to them, they talk in soft whispers causing the girls to frown. Watching him nod and the reindeer head towards the Everfree, Twilight sighs before looking at him, "I'm not going to ask what that was, I understand military secrets." "We'll just let you know that we're heading out," as Spike head twist to them, they flinch as his vertebrates crack, "Princess Celestia ask me to head to the Crystal Empire to help Cadance and my brother."
"Not without Spike, you're not," seven heads turn to Everblight as he turn to them, "last time I was there, there was still dark magic and necromancy in the area." Ignoring Twilight mention of a test, he look over to the young dragonspawn, "Son, you and four other dragonspawns go with them." "If anything without a pulse come close to them, light 'em up," as Spike took of, Everblight looks down at the six frowning, "what is wrong with you, you're the Elements of Harmony!" "If something happens to you, then ponykind will be doom until new ones can be found," sighing as the young women look down guiltily, he motion for a reindeer to give each of them a dagger.
While the others shift nervously, Twilight and Fluttershy check the weight before sheathing the blade. As Everblight nods and turns to issue orders to a group of reindeer hex hunters, Spike returns with Amber, Chute, Clump and Thrasher, "Let's go Twi...it's been sometime since we've been on a journey together." With a soft smile and a nod, the group of eleven boarded the train heading North.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vex and Puff move into the cave system as a long drawn out scream tore through the area. The purple drake snort before moving into the room as Chrysalis drops limp in her chains. The dragonspawn look around, seeing the many eggs before he and Puff began the long task of moving them to a separate area. Ignoring the begging of the disgrace queen, they gather six eggs each at a time before walking out the room as a group of reindeers enter to gather the eggs.
The eggs are place in two separate chambers, one with a glowing blue pool and the other with a lake of blood. Within minutes the eggs in the blue chamber begins hatching while the others, more numerous eggs, in the blood room will take over a day before they're all hatch. Vex look over as the newly hatch stumbles across the floor with a smirk.
A parody of dragon and changeling, it will stands on its hind legs while using its tail as a counter balance. It and its fellow will have dragon like wings, clawed hands and dragon like heads. As the small creature looks up, Vex feels the mind of Everblight touch over him, "Good, the first generation of nephilims are developing well." "Now, I need you, Puff and Shakes to continue to provide more genetic materials for the changeling," nodding his head, Vex notice that the nephilims already beginning to stand, "let me know of any complications you discover."
Feeling him leave his mind, Vex sigh before looking down at the white scaled dragonspawn, "Ya came at a bad time kid...but I'll do my best to help ya."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Meanwhile in the blood room, Puff glance at the being before him. Thanks to the blight, the child look like a hybrid of reindeer and dragon instead of changeling. Pale brown fur covers his body as he try to stand on cloven hooves before tumbling. Wet wings flap uselessly before one of his brothers push him back to his hands. Mostly looking like a reindeer, the elegant antlers of a deer are replace with savage multipoint lances. The gentle face becoming disfigure in a sharp tooth grimace.
"The Grotesques seem to be developing well," simply nodding, he smirk as two of the blighted creature began to fight each other. They feel a pulse of blighted energy before it seem to trail off. Minutes pass before any being would move and they feel the rage emitting off of Everblight as he broke off the connection.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Garble moves forward with a purpose as he, six dragonspawns, five groups of hex hunters and three groups of strider blightblades move through the underground tunnels. It had taken sometime to find the entrance to the diamond dog city and they've begun hunting for the alpha. Garble smirk as he jumps over two guards and slams two of his hands down, blood flowing from the gaping hole in their chest. The team continues to rush forward as civilians jump out of their way and guards try to stop them.
Soon they come across the alpha as he steps out with an entourage of warrior. The black furred canine growl at the reindeers and holds up a great axe in one hand, "Why you here? Reindeers no need us."
"Your right," Garble walk over to the dog with a smile while the others grip their weapons tighter, "we want to ensure that you and your pack remain out of this upcoming war."
"How?"
"By giving you three choices," Garble glare at the diamond dog before turning to the masses, "you can leave this place and go deeper in hiding where you may meet a true dragon that'll enslave you, you can work with us and have lands all to yourself." "Or you can fight us here in now...and we will kill all those who fight us before taking the survivors," the diamond dogs look around, muttering amongst themselves, "so what...is your choice?" The silence blanket the area before with a great roar, the alpha lifts his great axe and swung.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the girls and dragonspawns travel to the Crystal Empire, Spike began to truly look at the ponies. Twilight still looks the same since leaving for Ponyville although she gain three inches and her bra size grew from C to D cup. The others remain mostly the same with Applejack standing at five foot ten with broader shoulders, flat hips and E cup breasts. Rainbow is lean in form with little curvature standing at five foot five with B cups, which is average for such an active flyer. Both Pinkie Pie and Rarity stands at five foot three, although Pinkie Pie has an apple body type with DD cup breasts and Rarity has an hourglass figure with E cup breasts.
Finally, Fluttershy defies everything known about pegasi. She stands at six foot flat making her the tallest recorded pegasus, has a full hourglass figure that makes her a slow flyer and uses F cup bras. He blinks before smiling as Everblight chuckles echo into his mind, "Fluttershy must have some of the old blood in her. Pegasi used to be much taller back some three to four thousand years ago."
'Is this a cheek up or are you just saying hi,' tearing his eyes away from his friends, he notice Amber nestle close to him with a smile. Feeling his amusement through the link, Spike blushes before turning away, 'So what's up.'
"Everything is going as expected, the grotesques and nephilims will be ready by the time you return," Spike could feel the teasing smile on the dragon's face, "but if you feel the need to take your time for some...excursion, we'll understand." Spike begin to choke on his breath to the amusement of Everblight and the curiosity of the girls, "That being said, I need you to look for a sliver of my athanc while your there and either retrieve it or destroy." "It is most likely the reason behind its disappearance," blinking, he frowns with understanding, "aye, it is a good way to do many things, enslave the living, extend one's lifespan...increase fertility."
"What was that about?" Twilight look over to a blushing Spike with a raise eyebrow. As he opens his mouth, Amber snuggle deeper to his side with a soft moan, making his blush deepen, "Never mind, I think I have an inkling."
The group turn as one as a conductor step into their car, "Terribly sorry but we can't go further."
"Well why ever not, surely you're not going to make us go on hoof."
"Sorry but the train literally can't go any further," at the raise eyebrow and frowns, he starts to sweat, "we've been trailing forward on ice cover rails and it's starting to get worse up ahead." "I'm sorry but you'll have to move forward on your own."
The group of eleven watch as the train slowly back away, the ponies shivering at the subarctic temperature. Spike covers Twilight with a wing earning him a smile as she moves closer to his warmth. As Amber use her to cover Rarity and Chute and Thrasher covers Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, Twilight looks at her friends with a serious face, "Alright everypony, lets hurry and hope to Celestia that we make it their safely."
The group nods before beginning their trek, unaware of the armored pony behind them watching them intently. The stallion stood at six foot five and had an athletic build. His two tone shade of scarlet eyes glow a sickly green and his mane a black that devour any and all light. His skin, when there was any, a dark gray and to his side a ebony scythe with a glowing blue crystal attach to the other end. As he glare at the group, his eyes lock on Twilight as dark thoughts cross his mind, "...Kill the dragons if you want but I want the purple unicorn alive."
Clicking sounded from behind him as several skeletal ponies in heavy armor and wielding strange great axe rose from a kneeling position. Grinning to himself, he look over to the group as the undead warriors strides forward before handing a dart filled with unknown substance to an undead reindeer and walking away, "Should they fail, you know what to do."
Clump stops, feeling as if some creature was just watching him. Before the others could say anything, he took to the air and see a group of three skeletons in heavy armor and wielding axes came from the frozen forest, "Bane Knights!" As Spike curse before pushing Twilight away with a comment to hide, the others took to wing before diving at the group of undead.
Spike charge forward, his mouth open in a roar as he jumps at one of the bane knights. It only had enough time to look in his direction before he crush its neck between serrated teeth. Dropping the headless corspe, he swing his bladed tail to deflect the axes that bared down at his head. A his rumble from his chest as he launch a gout of fire at the pair, armor melting over the bones before those burst into flames. As he finish, he gaze at his fellow to see how their fight was going
Chute and Thrasher bites into the last of their foes and pull, tearing the undead apart in a surprising affection display before licking each others' wounds. Clump was beating one of the undead back to death with two of his comrades, all the while singing a new day draconic war hymn that got the others pumped. Turning to Amber, he notice one of the bane knights rising and charge forward.
As the bane knight bore its axe down, it cleave into Spike's front right claw. Pushing back, he force the undead pony on its back before crushing the skull underclaw. With a shrill roar, Amber stab her tail blade through the skull and out its pelvis. As she look over curiously, Spikes steps forward with slitted eyes, "Wha are ya-HMPH!?"
The dragonspawns look on in amusement as Spike pulls the shock dragonspawn deeper into the kiss. As the pair pull away, a scream broke between them, "TWILIGHT!!"
While the dragons were fighting, the girls hid behind a group of trees. Each flinching while waiting for the dragonspawns to return, they hope that none of them are hurt. Unnoticed to them, the undead doe stalks through the forest with a blowgun in one hand and a sword in the other. Locking onto the purple unicorn, she sneaks to the right of her and brings the blowgun up to her lips before firing.
"What the hey?" Twilight flinch as she feels something pierce her stomach. The others turn to face her as she reach down and pulls out a dart. As the others open their mouth to speak, she feels a burning feeling as if somepony was trying to melt her from the inside out before kneeling.
While the others began panicking, Fluttershy notice a reindeer with exceptionally pale lips before glaring and grabbing her and Twilight's dagger, "How-How dare you HURT MY FRIEND?!" Leaping forward, she stabs at the undead reindeer only to be deflected by the sword. The siren swung at the tall pegasus but Fluttershy ducks under the swing and slash at the doe's arm, severing it. The pair broke off before the usually timid threw her dagger forward making the deer duck down. As the doe rise, Fluttershy kick the sword out of opponents hand before drilling the dagger in between the reindeer's antler.
The others jaw drop before Pinkie Pie look over, "Well that's a thing." They flinch back as Twilight scream in pain, beads of sweat trickling from her head as she drifts into unconsciousness.
In a flap of wings, Spike and the other dragonspawns landed with snarls across their muzzles. Looking over the knocked out unicorns, Spike begins to growl only to be interrupted by Amber, "Stop Spike, you can get angrier or you can get her help." Looking over to Clump, she motion over to the purple unicorn, "Can you carry her until we get to the city?"
As he nods, Spike look over to Fluttershy with a relieve expression and a nod. As they began moving again, Fluttershy notice a emerald that wasn't there minutes ago before reaching for it as Spike enter conversation with Everblight.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Everblight frowns at Spike's report before sighing, "There wasn't much you could do son, it was a lose lose situation." "Say you did go to them," interrupting Spike before the young dragonspawn could think of an argument, "then Amber would have died from the attack." "In this case, you did the best you could in the situation," sighing, Everblight notice Princesses Celestia and Luna walk into Ponyville frowning, "just make sure that she's alright and complete your task as soon as possible, even if you have to eat the damn thing, don't let any of the undead get that athanc sliver or we'll lose the North."
Disconnecting from the mind link, he brace himself against an angry alicorn, "WHAT THE BUCK IS THIS ABOUT TWILIGHT BEING INJURIED?!" "YOU SAID THAT SHE WOULD BE SAFE AWAY UP THERE AN-"
"SILENCE!" the alicorn held her ears to stop the ringing before glaring at the dragon, "she is still alive, like I said she would be." "As soon as you sent up North, I couldn't promise her safety and I told you so," Everblight watches her swell up before she slouch with tears in her eyes.
Uncaring of watching eyes, he wrap her in a winged hug as she took a shuddering breath, "Y-You're right...I'm sorry about that."
"Don't mention it," letting her remain curled in his wings, he look to the Crystal Empire with a glare, "although I wonder what 'King' Sombra injected into little Twilight."
"Ye-I mean, you believe us?" Luna look up at the mountainous dragon with curious eyes. This has been the first time she meet the dragon as herself and not as Nightmare Moon. Looking over the formerly sleeping dragon, she truly believe the tale of him being so ancient.
Everblight scoff before looking to the West for some reason, "My father would never let one of his generals die so easily." He seem to ignore the shock eyes of the two alicorn princesses, "If I was a Sombra made immortal through necromancy and fashion myself a king...then I would make sure that my lineage could continue."
"But he has no children."
"There are more ways to ensure that your genes carry over to the next age," Everblight nods at her, while Princess Celestia felt a shiver creep up her spine, "one is rape, which he can't do as an undead, and the other is artificial insemination." The two princesses look panicky at each other before flinching at the dragon, "Don't even think about it. Even when I was a mass murderer...I would not attack an unborn child." "Who knows, the kid may do great and honorable things in the future," blinking, he smile as Garble flew over, "welcome back son."
"Mission accomplish pops," the small lightish red drake smile before laying on his large back, "we won't have to worry about the diamond dogs."
Before he could congratulate him, he felt Spike over the mental link, "Um dad...we may have a problem."
Seeing what he see, Everblight first flinch before smiling widely, "Perfect! When you're done up there, bring him here."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On a chain of island in the middle of nowhere, an undead raven flew into the keep. Dodging under bannisters and around rotted pillars, it swoop down the stairs before landing on a large mass. Twin jets of green fire roast the creature, as the mass move revealing a black scaled dragon with glowing green eyes rising briefly from its slumber. "The time...is not yet nigh," the dragon's decidedly male voice echo through the keep as undead servants attend to his great body.
Briefly considering waking fully, he decides to close his eyes again in rest, "Soon my children, Sombra...you will know why one does not mess...with a GOD!" With that, Toruk the dragonfather went back to his slumber.
Meanwhile on mountain range far from civilization, a tall mare turn to the South with a frown, "Brother...Thou shalt not prosper." "I will rather strike thee down...then allow ye harm mine children," a wind blew at her cloak, revealing armor underneath. Tilting her head back reveals goldish gray skin, glowing artic blue eyes, amaranth mane and the long horn, her face coiling into a sneer, "And not only I but thine children, my nieces and nephews will gladly assist me in this endeavor." "So go back to rest, abomination," large wings open wide as a sword of pure life force glow on her hip, "and know that ye wilt never threaten this world." Turning in the rough direction of Ponyville, she smile, 'Perhaps...I shalt be greedy and see to mine offspring.'
With a soft chuckle, she drew the cloak over her again before beginning her long walk.