Equestria's Warriors of Light and Dark

by Wildcard25

Las Pegasus

One morning at Sweet Apple Acres, Dustin, Zyphon, and Alistair were helping the Apple Family around the farm. Both Dustin and Alistair were decked out in overalls and work boots so they wouldn't get their good clothes dirty. Zyphon was carrying a bag of grain and was pouring it into a whole line of troughs for the cows, "Come and get it!" he called as some cows were gathering around to eat.

Over by the pig pens, Alistair was pouring some slop for the pigs, "Here boys. Come on eat 'em up!" Alistair ordered as he continued pouring their slops. Suddenly he heard pig squeals and Applebloom called.

"Alistair look out!"

Alistair turned and saw a big pig racing right for him, "Come on, Porky!" Alistair called, as he side stepped the pig and climbed onto its back as he rode him around before it calmed down, "Back it up boy." He ordered, as the pig started walking back to Applebloom.

"That was amazing!" Applebloom cheered.

"No problem at all." Alistair chuckled as he got off the pig.

Meanwhile, Dustin was helping Applejack and Big Macintosh buck apples. Dustin watched as A.J and Big Mac were bucking the trees with their back hoofs and looked at the tree he was supposed to work with, "Ok Dustin, concentrate," He focused some of his spirit energy into his right fist. He threw his arm back and punched the tree. Suddenly all the apples from the tree fell from their branches and landed in the baskets, "I did it!" he cheered as the two sibs looked at him.

"Not bad for your first shot, Dustin." Applejack said.

"You think so?" Dustin asked.

"Eeyup." Big Mac confirmed.

"Thanks guys. I'm glad I didn't channel too much spirit energy otherwise I would've punched the whole tree out of the ground." Dustin joked, and the three laughed.

"Well come on we still got a lot more trees to cover." Applejack stated.

"Bring them on!" Dustin said, while rubbing his hands together.

About an hour later, all their chores were done and the group was inside the house with Dustin and Alistair in their regular garb. They were sitting at a table as Granny Smith cut them each a slice of homemade apple pie. As Alistair took a bite he smiled, "Wow! You make the best apple pie, Granny Smith."

"Ya darn tootin." Applejack agreed.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh added.

"Why thank you, Alistair." The elder pony smiled.

"Much better than store bought apple pie," Dustin added as he ate his, "Oh my dad would flip his gums just to taste this."

"So would Xever." Alistair added, until they remembered their families.

"It's been a month since we were transported here. You think they've flipped their lids by now trying to find us?" Dustin asked his friend.

"Knowing your dad and my brother they probably are." Alistair confirmed.

"I just hope they don't think we're dead." Dustin feared.

"That would be most unfortunate." Zyphon dreaded.

"Don't worry boys," Applejack began, "Princess Celestia promised she'd send you two home when she finds a way."

"Yeah. We just gotta be patient." Dustin nodded.

"Let's just hope she finds it after we stop the Serpentine." Alistair added.

"Speaking of them snakes, where do you think they are?" Applejack asked.

"I don't know. We haven't heard word of their whereabouts for a few days." Dustin replied.

"They're probably still looking for those four Crystal Fangs." Alistair noted.

"And we got to get to them before they do." Zyphon added.

"Until then we just got to be on high alert." Dustin finished, as he took another bite out of his slice of pie.

Meanwhile in the big city of Las Pegasus, Pythor, Skales, and a few Hypnobrai and Constrictai soldiers burrowed up from a hole in the ground and looked around, "Maybe we should wait until nightfall, so we don't attract any unwanted attention from the ponies." Skales suggested.

"I suppose you're right, Skales," Pythor agreed and turned to the Serpentine soldiers; "We'll wait here till it gets dark, but prepare yourselves in case we run into any unwanted company."

"Yes, Pythor!" they saluted.

Pythor looked over at a casino titled 'Horseshoe Casino', "That is where we'll find the first Crystal Fang."

"But that place is so big, it could be anywhere." Skales warned him.

"No matter. We'll search it top to bottom even if it'll take us all night." Pythor replied.

Hours later, it was nighttime and in Ponyville, Dustin, Alistair, and Zyphon returned to their HQ looking tired, "What a long day this has been." Dustin yawned.

"Yeah," Alistair began, "From helping the Apples on the farm, stock duty at Wildcard's shop, re-shelf books at the library with Twi, baking with Pinkie and the Cakes, tending to animals with Fluttershy, and being fashion models for Rarity. Between all those things I am pooped."

"So am I." Zyphon said, as he went into recharge mode.

"Well let's be getting to bed." Dustin said, but as they were preparing to turn in the door to their place was burst open as the Mane six, Wild, and Muse ran in.

"Dustin! Alistair! We got a situation!" Twilight called.

"Calm down, Twi. What's the buzz?" Dustin asked.

"I just received a letter from Princess Celestia," she began, "Serpentine have been spotted in Las Pegasus."

"What?" the boys gasped, as Alistair spoke, "You think they already found a Crystal Fang?"

"There's no doubt about it." Muse replied.

"So we gotta get there and fast!" Rainbow Dash called.

"Problem, Rainbow," Dustin cut her off, "Zyphon's in charging mode and won't be at full power until tomorrow morning. So we're out of luck using him to fly most of you there."

"That won't be a problem actually." Twilight countered.

"How so?" Alistair asked.

"I've been working on my teleporting magic for awhile now, and I can finally use it to teleport us to any part of Equestria." The alicorn explained.

"Sweet." Dustin admitted.

"But you're sure it will work?" Alistair asked wearily.

"I'm positive." She confirmed.

"Where's Spike?" Domino looked seeing no sign of the alicorn's number one assistant.

"I put him to bed. It's late and he needs his sleep." Twilight explained.

"So it's just us." Pinkie added.

"Well what're we waiting for? Let's get us a Crystal Fang!" Dustin called.

"Ok everypony stay together." Twilight instructed, as she activated her magic.

"I hope this doesn't have any side affects on us." Alistair said to Dustin.

"Well it's not like it'll turn us inside out for a brief moment." Dustin replied.

"It might." Rainbow teased, making Fluttershy worry and Alistair stare at her dryly.

"Oh that I needed to…" Alistair was cut off as the group suddenly vanished in a poof of magic.

Suddenly they all reappeared outside Las Pegasus that was all lit up at night, "Whoa. Viva Las Pegasus." Dustin gasped.

"You act like you've been here before." Rarity noted.

"Well not here per say…" Dustin corrected as Alistair spoke.

"Where we're from there's a place just like this place known as Las Vegas. Only it's not as pony themed." He motioned to a giant neon light sign of an Earth pony in the same style as Vegas Vic.

"Come on. Princess Celestia mentioned the Serpentine were spotted around here." Twilight said, as the group followed her before stopping in front of the Horseshoe Casino.

"In there?" Fluttershy asked.

"In there." Twilight nodded.

"Well let's go!" Pinkie cheered, but Wild spoke up.

"Girls wait a minute."

"What is it, Wild?" Muse asked as the lucky Pegasus spoke.

"I can't go in there."

"Why not?" Rarity asked.

"This was one of the five casinos I've been banned from last time I came here." He explained.

"Seriously?" Rainbow asked as he nodded.

"Well they can't keep you out if you're not going to gamble right?" Twilight asked.

"No exceptions, Twi." Wildcard sighed.

"So then we'll just have to make sure nopony recognizes you." Rarity said with a smirk.

"Rarity, why're you looking at me like that?" Wild asked feeling uncomfortable, until Rarity poofed up a changing screen. She dragged Wildcard behind it and soon Rarity removed the screen revealing Wildcard wearing a jacket, hat, sunglasses, his cutie mark was covered by a fake one with the image of a ruby ring, and his tail was dyed red.

"And voila, you can't even tell it's him." Rarity declared.

"Well this should hopefully fool them." Wild hoped.

"Good then let's hurry." Twilight said.

"Twi, another problem." Dustin said, as the alicorn sighed in exasperation and looked at him.

"What is it now?" she asked getting impatient.

"If you haven't noticed Alistair and I are underage so we can just waltz in like you all can," Dustin began, but noticed Twilight's glaring as if she couldn't take anymore excuses or hold ups, "So we'll go in from above."

Twilight sighed, "All right you two do that. Come on everypony." She said as the ponies followed her, while Dustin and Alistair flew above the building while carrying their familiars.

The ponies entered the building and were permitted entrance into the casino. They started looking around seeing the place was jumping with tourists and gamblers, "Where do we start looking?" Fluttershy asked.

"We'll split up. First one of you to see a Serpentine give a shout as loud as you can." Twilight ordered as they nodded.

"It shouldn't be hard finding a Serpentine in here." Applejack noted.

"Well let's go," Twi turned to Wild, "Do you think you can manage yourself without gambling?"

"Hey I have gifted luck not a gambling problem." Wild scowled at her accusation.

"Then we better hurry." Twilight said as the eight ponies split up.

Meanwhile on top of the casino building, Dustin opened an air duct, "Ok Alistair let's go." He said climbing into the vent with Alistair following behind with Fievel and Domino.

"You think this vent blows or sucks?" Fievel asked while following behind.

"Let's not find out." Alistair said as they continued on with Dustin leading.

"Guys, I found an opening," Dustin said, as he busted open a vent below them and poked his head out seeing no pony in sight, "All clear!" he dropped out and landed on the floor followed by Alistair and their familiars.

"Well infiltration was a success." Domino cawed.

"Yeah, but now we gotta find Pythor and the Serpentine." Alistair said.

"Easier said than done." Dustin said as he peeked around the corner of a hall seeing nothing. He finger motioned his friends to follow him and they did so. They continued down the hall not hearing the sounds of others until they look and saw a bunch of pony workers.

"Oh no." Alistair gasped.

"We'll need a diversion." Dustin said, until Fievel stepped forward.

"Leave this to me." Fievel smirked, as he started scurrying down the hall as a female pony shrieked.

"MOUSE!"

The male pony workers tried capturing Fievel but he was too fast for them and led the workers away, "Good going, Fievel." Domino cawed.

"Let's go." Alistair said as they continued on.

Back downstairs on a lower floor, each of the ponies were searching around. Twilight was checking out the casino area seeing no sign of the Serpentine. Fluttershy meanwhile was at the pool area and also saw no trace of the snakes. Rarity had been searching around the lobby seeing nothing. Pinkie Pie was popping up all over the place from under tables behind slot machines surprising every pony that was occupying them. Applejack was at the dining area while fighting the urge to sample some of their food. Rainbow was at the gym area resisting the urge to show off her own strengths with the workout equipment. Muse was patrolling a few hallways while trying not to look suspicious.

Meanwhile, Wildcard was also wandering around the casino area seeing no signs of the Serpentine. He then stopped in front of a slot machine and look tempted, "Come on Wildcard, you promised you'd help them search for the Serpentine... Well maybe one slot," He put a bit in the slot and pulled the lever. He waited, until it hit three of a pair and many bits started coming down. He was about to take them and go, until he looked around seeing no pony was watching him, "One last time." he did it again.

Fluttershy soon left the pool area and looked seeing an area labled under construction. She started hearing voices coming from it and snuck over and saw Pythor, Skales, and the Serpentine warriors with pick axes and shovels. She watched as they were digging in a spot. "Dig faster!" Pythor ordered, as a Hypnobrai soldier struck something.

"I hit something."

"Out of my way!" Pythor got into the hole and used his claws to dig the rest of the way and found a Crystal Fang just like the image in the book the ponies looked at.

"Is that really it?" Skales asked.

"Yes," Pythor snickered as he looked at his reflection in the Fang, "One down and three to go."

Fluttershy seeing that they found it knew she had to alert the others. Remembering what to do to signal them she took a deep breath and let out a scream that signaled the ponies, Dustin and Alistair. Wildcard who had two buckets of bits from not stopping his luck at the machine heard the Pegasus cry. He groaned at being forced to stop, but did so and left his buckets behind to go find Fluttershy.

The Serpentine heard the cry and the Constrictai cornered Fluttershy as Pythor approached with Skales, "Well if it isn't Fluttershy?" The Anacondrai general smirked.

"I'm warning you, Pythor. Give me the Crystal Fang now!" Fluttershy ordered putting on her stare face, only for Skales to hiss at her making her quiver, "If you don't mind at least."

The Serpentine laughed at her attempts, as Pythor spoke, "Well since you asked so nicely. Sure." He offered it out to her.

Fluttershy believing she won smiled, "Thank you, Pythor. You're doing the right thing." She went to take it, only for Pythor to pull it back from her.

"Psyche!" he called, making the Serpentine laugh that the pony fell for it so easily, "Did you really think I was going to just give up the Crystal Fang that easily?"

"No. That's why I was waiting to do this!" a voice called as he turned and gained a slug to the face from Dustin making him fall to the floor and the Crystal Fang slid out of his claw and across the floor.

Alistair saw Pythor dropped it, "The Crystal Fang!"

"Grab it!" Skales ordered the soldiers who ran to grab it.

Before the snakes could grab it, Rainbow Dash swooped in and snatched it, "Nice try boys!" she laughed, only for a Constrictai soldier who was hiding on a pillar to jump from it and land on the Pegasus making her drop the artifact.

"I got it!" a Hypnobrai soldier reached up to catch it. Applejack slid in and bucked the soldier and caught it.

"No, I got it." Applejack smirked as she caught it.

"Good work, Applejack!" Twilight called, as she and the others slid in on the scene.

Pythor frowned seeing the other ponies arrive on the scene, as Wildcard spoke, "Well Pythor, it looks like you're out of luck here."

The Anacondria general smirked, "Don't be so sure of yourself." He snapped his claws as some Venomari and Fangpyre soldiers that surrounded them.

"Oh great." Muse sighed.

"Attack!" Pythor ordered, as the snakes obeyed the order and attacked the ponies and the boys who all fought back.

As a Fangpyre soldiers tried to get it from Applejack, he succeeded in knocking it out of her hold sending it above them, "Somepony grab it!" Pinkie called.

"It's mine!" Wild flew up to grab it, only for a Venomari soldier to grab him by the back hooves and pulled him down allowing two Constrictai soldiers to knock it out of his grip and it was caught by a Hypnobrai.

"Pythor, I got it!"

"Yoink!" Domino called, as he swooped by snatching it out of the Hypnobrai's claw, "I got it, Dustin!" he cawed from above them.

"Good job, Domino!" Dustin called.

"Get that bird!" Pythor ordered the soldiers, who all started jumping up for Domino but were missing.

"Domino, fly out of here!" Twilight called.

"I'm on it!" Domino took off.

"After that Crystal Fang!" Pythor shouted, as the Serpentine ran after the crow.

"Come on!" Twilight called to her friends, as they chased after the snakes.

Domino flew through the casino with the snakes on his tail. The sight of the Serpentine made the tourists and gamblers cry in fright as they hid from the snakes. Pythor jumped onto a card table, extended his right claw, and launched a snake that knocked the crystal artifact out of Domino's talon. Skales jumped up and caught it.

"I got it let's go!" Skales called, as the Serpentine ran out of the casino with the group following them.

"They're getting away!" Rarity called.

"Come on!" Dustin called as they ran out seeing the Serpentine dive into a hole.

Pythor turned to the group with a smirk, "Sayonara, Elements of Failure!" he dove into the hole.

They skidded to a halt and looked down the hole seeing it was too dark and knowing the snakes they'd already be making new tunnels to throw them off.

"They got away." Fluttershy gasped in sorrow.

"We couldn't stop them from getting the Crystal Fang." Twilight said, feeling the same way as her friend.

"Sorry guys I should've been more careful." Domino cawed sadly.

"Buck up, sugarcube," Applejack said, "We're all at fault here."

"And besides this was a minor setback." Rainbow added lifting their spirits.

Twilight realizing it smiled, "Rainbow's right. There are still three more Crystal Fangs out there and all we need is at least one."

"So next time let's make sure we get it." Rarity said confidently as they all nodded, until Fluttershy looked around.

"Where's Fievel?" she asked in concern.

Alistair, Dustin, and Domino gasped, "Fievel! He's still in the casino!" Alistair cried as he was about to run back in only to see Fievel scurrying over wearing a giant salad leaf for cover.

He threw the leaf off revealing him to be covered in salad dressing, "You would not believe what I've been through tonight," he began, "So did we get the Crystal Fang?" he asked hopefully, while the group looked guilty.

"About that," Pinkie began, "Funny story. True story actually." Fievel raised a brow.

Meanwhile underground, the Serpentine were marveling at the Crystal Fang, "It's beautiful." A Fangpyre soldier said.

"More importantly, valuable," Pythor began, "Now that we got one of the Crystal Fangs in our possession all we need is three more to create the Orochi Sword. And then the real fun can begin." He smirked.

Later the ponies were just walking around Las Pegasus, before planning to head home. Rainbow looked back seeing Wild was depressed more than they were, "Come on, Wild. We'll be sure to get the next Crystal Fang."

"It's not that, Rainbow."

"Then what is it?" she asked.

"I had those buckets of bits in my hoofs, but the Serpentine got in the way and I left them!" he cried.

"You were gambling?" Applejack asked in shock.

"Not gambling per say. I was just testing my luck," He countered, until he gasped, "Maybe there's a chance I can still win it back!" he turned preparing to fly back, only for Twilight to use her magic to keep him still and levitated him behind her.

"And you said you didn't have a gambling problem." Twilight scowled at him.

Wildcard looked sheepish before calling out, "I'll be back, Las Pegasus!"