• Published 1st Nov 2011
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Stories in Stone, Luna's Royal Guard. - TDR



The Gardens of Canterlot contain more than their fair share of stories. And more creatures than just Discord.

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Path of Sand, Part 2

Stories in Stone
Luna's Royal Guard
by TDR

Path of Sand,
Part 2

“NO, I CAN'T!”

Twilight whirled, rushing right back to the windows without ever having fully left, heading straight for one of them. She had not even made it out of the void before the suspense started to eat at her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So what, you plan to just kick me to death? Great plan.”

“Of course; you unicorns have such frail forms. That's all I need to do. Why bother wasting my time trying to destroy you when I can simply crush your stupid skull with my bare hooves?”

“Wait, wait, wait, that's the entire plan? That is ALL of it? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.”

The earth pony Andre stopped his attack, looking at the unicorn as if he had gone mad, which might very well have happened given all that was going on.

“Right, great plan, but let me get this clear: it's you I have to thank for a great deal of the misery that's been in my life and the lives of the others. Perfect. I can finally seal an annoyingly vague chapter of my life away by killing you.”

Andre growled and lashed out again with his hooves, only to impact a wall of unmoving flesh when the attack connected with the unicorn. Jer'rahd barely flinched at the kick.

“I admit, you are a strong one; that power is in your very nature as an earth pony. And cutting me off from magic… that was a nice strategy as well. But if you had paid more attention to me, rather than who my ancestors were, you would find I don't need my magic to kill things. To be perfectly honest you didn't pay much attention to my dad’s side of the family at all, did you?”

Andre panicked a bit, lashing out again with both rear hooves, trying to smash the unicorn’s face. But Jer'rahd had already moved from the blow, a smile crossing his face.

“I've taken worse hits from baby dragons than what you are dishing out. I'm a half-horn, you dumbass, and a soldier at that. If I couldn't take a few kicks here and there, I never would have gotten to the point I am at now. You really are an old one if you think unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies are still segregated, and pretty much an idiot, too. If this was your big plan to kill me, you are in some serious shit right now, Andrew.”

Jer'rahd reared up, his hoof smashing into the side of the earth pony’s face and sending him tumbling back to bounce off the ground a few times before regaining his hooves.

“Perhaps performing as a pampered pony princess’s pet putrefied your pathetic physique... crap, I just said that with a straight face... I have been hanging around Bleu too much.”

Andrew reared back on his hind legs, growing larger and lashing out at Jer'rahd. His attack impacted the floor as Jer'rahd dodged, cracking the gray ground under his hooves with every attempt to stomp the nimble unicorn. His size increased further, nearing the mass of the beast he was. He roared out, sounding more like the monster that was outside than the pony he had been a moment before. Jer'rahd pretended to yawn.

“I still rule in this mindscape, fool. I have been here longer and know everything there is to know about it and how to use it to my advantage.”

“If you know this place like you know me, I have nothing to worry about.”

“GRAAAAH!!”

Jer'rahd's grin grew wider as the monster pony tried to crush him. Bleu was right; getting some ponies mad was rather fun. Of course, he should take this a bit more seriously, but he was fighting an idiot who thought he was stronger just because of his race and the fact he was older. None of his motions had any hint of training; he was simply lashing out like a spoiled foal upset that he didn't get the exact color he wanted on a present.

On top of all that, there was a familiar weight at his side that Andre did not seem to notice. It had come with him when he died, and now it was with him here again. It was a little lighter than it should be, but that was probably due to it no longer being on his physical body.

“Can we wrap this up, fish guts? You need to die quickly, as I have a princess to save.”

=======================================================

The savage current tossed her about as it rushed through the mountain passes, searching for lower ground. Rocks smacked into her sides as she held fast to the griffon. She lashed out every chance she had at the mess of fur and feathers she was clinging to.

The pair of them smashed into a rock, but she barely even notices, her teeth gripping tighter to the bird’s throat as she struck with everything she could. The Element of Honesty armor was doing a great job of protecting her, but the thin air spell was not designed to work underwater, and was fading rapidly. She was not sure if the god could drown, but she continued trying to bludgeon him to death regardless.

The griffon, for the most part, was trying to reach the surface and escape from the mad pony attached to him. Starfall could not get the leverage in the water to use her blades or deliver a solid kick. After another few collisions, she lost her grip on the griffon and was swept away from his larger form.

She struggled up, breaking the surface as the massive wave rushed through the mountains, causing landslides, and collapsing the towering stone monoliths around her. She fought clear of the grip of the sea, taking to the air in time to see a large griffon pull himself onto a rock ledge further along the rushing water.

The pegasus growled and launched herself through the air at the floundering griffon.

===========================================

Rhede fought against the pull of the water. The tidal wave had surged past the island and had pulled him and the others along with it. He finally hit something solid in the current and struggled against it, working his way up to the surface, his lungs screaming for air. Was this what Jer'rahd felt every time he went anywhere near deep water? He had a new appreciation for his friend if it was even close to this.

Rhede yanked himself to the surface, gasping for air and getting a mouthful of palm frond instead. He spit out the plant and lifted his head to look around as he coughed out what felt like most of the ocean. Somehow, he had been carried all the way back to the mainland and impacted one of the trees along the beach. In the distance, he could see the half-crumbled volcano where Velkorn still was. The water was receding, but there was no way he could make it back to the island by swimming against the current.

“GENERALS!?! MAJOR!? ANYPONY?!?”

He looked up at pegasi flying overhead and thanked the stars for small favors.

“RAMIREZ, DOWN HERE!”

The pegasus stopped dead in the air and rushed down to the tree, hovering over the water and spotting Rhede. He exhaled deeply.

“Cripes, thank Luna you're alright, sir.”

“Forget me; get back to that island. Velkorn is still on it with the Shadow Walkers.”

“The others are still missing, sir. I am not leaving my squad ‘til I find them all.”

“That is an order, soldier!”

“Buck you, sir; I am not leaving my friends for one zebra. If you are here, they have to be around somewhere.”

Rhede growled, but the pegasus ignored him, looking around from his vantage point over the tree.

“THEN HURRY THE BUCK UP AND FIND THEM SO YOU CAN GET YOUR FLANK OVER TO SAVE HER!”

The pegasus didn't respond. He took off in another direction at the sound of another voice, leaving Rhede alone, clinging to the tree and staring at the island in the distance. He didn't leave her out of his own choice. This vision wouldn't happen because he was not dead. Velkorn would be fine... he hoped.

==============================================

Luna was rather surprised she was not yet dead. Wounds covered her body from where the water snake's teeth had pierced her flesh, though they were slowly healing already. It would take massive damage, another god’s magic, or star metal to directly kill a god. The snake had hurt, but while it wascreated by magic, it was not of magic.

The current problem was that she could not breathe; again, an inconvenience more than a threat, but it made doing much of anything very difficult. She also could not hear the books anymore.

She opened her eyes and found she was underwater with Aqua staring at her, the saddlebag with the books floating beside the sea princess. Luna flailed, finding her wings and front legs bound up in the long serpentine length of Aqua's tail. The Seapony Queen was holding her down within sight of the surface. Alright, so now drowning might be a problem if she was choked to death by Aqua.

“Honestly, this was less amusing than I thought it would be. After what you did to my city, I fully expected a tougher showdown, but I have fought mud crabs more vicious than you. At the very least, you brought back my books, so for that little favor, I should make your death quick. But you did ruin my city, so I think I will pass on giving mercy.”

The tail tightened around Luna's neck, her gaze turning to the books. Aqua grinned and flicked the tip of her tail across the princess’s face, slapping her muzzle as the laughed.

Her laughter was cut short by a pain-filled roar from the surface. Aqua raised her head, looking toward the massive rock that still held the remains of Neighlantis on its surface. From under the water, Luna could see the land mass had been dropped on top of a set of undersea mountains that had surround the previously-submerged city. Schools of sea ponies still worked to flee the area around the teetering mass as more of it crumbled as the titans fought on top.

“Andre… what? How is this possible... he's losing?!”

Aqua grinned, looking back down at Luna and giving her neck a tighter squeeze.

“I knew that one was special. It will be fun breaking him of his attachment to you. It may take time, but he will make a suitable replacement for Andre.”

Luna gurgles something, bubbles escaping her nose and mouth in a rush.

“What was that, little princess? I cannot hear you. Speak up.”

Luna glared, her horn flaring with light. A whirl of black and silver slid through the water up from the depths like a shark fin tearing through the surf. The Waning Moon ripped between the two goddesses, severing the tail holding Luna.
The seapony queen screamed as Luna surged upward, bursting from the water and shrugging off the remains of the Aqua's tail as she took a deep breath, taking to the air once more. The sword of the night floated beside her, spinning in place like a fan blade.

The water turned red as the Seapony Queen erupted out of the waves, lunging at the flying princess. Luna dodged to the side, keeping out of the seapony’s reach.

“I agree to the terms; I was going to kill that lot anyway.”

The Princes of War's eyes flared a bright green as the power from the books surged into her form once more. She winced a little as her form altered further, her size matching that of her sister now. A grin that bared her fangs formed on her face as she yanked the saddle bag away from the floundering queen.

“You are not allowed to call me Princess, Aqua. To all my enemies, I am NIGHTMARE MOON!”

==============================================

Jer'rahd dodged again as he taunted the giant earth pony, keeping several steps ahead of him. He could feel the Waning Moon, but it was faint, nowhere near close enough to his body for him to use it. It may have sunken down to the seafloor by this point. He really should have had Bleu keep hold of it. He dodged another blow, lashing out with his own hooves, impacting the giant’s leg with a wet thud before darting off as the beast screamed with pain and rage.

Sooner or later, this thing was going to get a lucky shot. While he did not feel tired, he was leery about what Andrew had said about controlling this place. So long as he was mad, he probably couldn't concentrate on doing anything else.
He paused, feeling a sudden weight add to his side, a stall that almost got him crushed, but somehow his blade had gotten a great deal closer, and the soul within it had joined him here fully.

It was strange; there was a dark energy flowing from the weapon, but he could not dwell on that. He turned his head to draw the spiritual Waning Moon from its scabbard, doing his best not to think of the magical implications of that sort of thing. He really did not need the headache.

The giant earth pony glared down, eyes widening at the sight of the blade.

“That is not possible! You should not have a weapon here!”

Jer'rahd's response was simply using said impossibility to nearly sever one of the giant’s forelegs.

========================================================

Bleu was in a full-blown panic. The entire raised city was in rubble and completely saturated with the blood of the two giant beasts, like someone had dumped a massive bucket of blackish-green blood over everything.
The water around the raised island was frothing with steam from the massive rift that had been torn into the sea floor. Bleu was not sure how deep the water was, but there was a bright orange coloration far below the surface that she expected had been where the volcanoes had been pulled from.

The creatures fighting on the surface had yet to make any wounds that lasted longer than a few seconds on each other. How the buck did someone stop those things?

She had been even more stressed when Luna and Aqua started the spell duel. Lightning did not bother her, but the fire, pure energy, and ice would be a big problem if it hit her. She had flown even further off, only able to see the alicorn and the… well, whatever Aqua was, fighting when spells were cast.

She nearly freaked out when the snake had swallowed Luna, though it was not long until the pair broke the surface again. Bleu breathed a sigh of relief until the leviathan screamed out again.

She looked at the great beast as its foreleg simply seemed to fall off in a great gout of blood and gore. She had not even seen Boss attack it. She waited for it to regrow, but it did not seem to be happening.

Bleu shivered. Luna was right; this was not a fight she would have stood a chance in, and watching these four go at it was terrifying to her.

“I wanna go home...”

=========================================================

Rhede was miserable; he could only watch the mountain in the distance and listen to the cries of the other guards as Ramirez found them one by one. He had no idea what was happening with Velkorn on that island and he was getting more and more stressed about it the longer he clung to this tree.

The waters were slowly receding, but it was still over his head at the base of the palm tree, so he had not bothered sliding down it just yet. He had considered trying to swim, but watching bits of debris and bodies float past below him swept along in a massively strong current made him decide against it. He nearly panicked at the sight of every zebra corpse that floated by, though none of them were Velkorn.

[“Ahoy there in the tree. Are you alright pony?”]

Rhede turns his head looking about for the sound of the voice. He leaned a little too far and nearly fell from his perch. He scrambled to keep his legs wrapped around the trunk. The small craft turned on a magic search light, aiming it up at him for a moment before lowering it to the water.

[“You alright there pony? Hello?”]

“That's General... crap, wait. [That important fish hat. Need sing softly for coin return.”]

The zebras on the boat chuckle and Rhede sighs.

“Anna, your zebra is terrible”

“And hello to you, too, sir. “

[“I need to get over to that island right now; my friend is over there and needs help.”]

[“No can do, pony; that place is Lodoss the Accursed Island. It’s taboo; we don't go anywhere near that unless there’s something serious. Besides, we have an entire coastline that just washed away along with several hundred small villages. We have far too much ground to cover to be playing ferry. I doubt anything you have to say is serious enough to make us do more than pick up the rest of your squad and take you back to port for questioning.”]

As the ship drew closer, Rhede noted the ballista on the foredeck and the armed zebra soldiers standing around a few ponies from his squad. Dutch, Ramirez, and Pancho were still missing, but at least the others seemed to be alright, if a bit waterlogged. The zebras helped Rhede onto the boat. He shook off his mane and looked for the captain. Of course, he was easily identifiable as the one with the fanciest hat.

[“Captain, we need to get to that island.”]

[“Didn’t listen, did you colt? We ain't going anywhere near it, just like my first mate said. Simmer down before I put you down.”]

[“My name is ambassador Rhede Pelt, General of the Lunar Republic. Queen Velkorn is currently stranded on that island with a number of hostiles, including a small force of Shadow Walkers. We need to go rescue her now.”]

The grizzled zebra spit to the side and laughed at him.

[“HAH, you almost had me there till you mentioned Shadow Walkers. I'm not gonna be swayed by old mares tales. Now....”]
[“CAPTAIN!! You better take a look at this.”]

The zebra captain barely turned to look at what his first officer was talking about. The zebra at the light pointed at something in the water. Rhede looked at it and smirked. A cream colored body with an overly long neck was hung up on a tree. Black and white paint spotted on its form, though it had mostly been washed away. The creature was jammed into the crook of a partially submerged tree and Rhede was amused to note it was the body of the one Dutch had hit in the eye with his spear. The captain drew in a sharp breath, uttering a small prayer to the spirits before Rhede was in his face.

[“Island! Now! Queen Velkorn is still there!”]

[“BRING THE SHIP ABOUT, FULL SAIL ROW IF YOU HAVE TO! GET US TO THAT ISLAND NOW! MOVE!”]

Rhede moved up with the rest of his group, cracking his neck and watching as the looming island rapidly grew larger as the craft drew closer

“Make ready; General Velkorn is on the island still and we are going to kill every last thing on that accursed rock until we find her.”

“YES, SIR!”

===========================================

The griffon slammed against the rock behind him, one wing lying on the ground at his side, still twitching as blood spurted from the stump that was left. His other wing and most of the tip was cut off of it from a second slash that he had barely avoided.

He thought he had gotten away from the pony that hit him; he also had thought he managed to find safety after crawling his way from the surging flood waters. But the pony had found him again. The Light of Death, as the dogs called her. His daughter’s final target.

He pressed back against the rock behind him, glancing down at the water as it rushed past, wondering if his chances of survival were greater in the rushing flood water or with this mad pony.

Lightning arced across the sky, illuminating the red lenses of the pony’s goggles and the white of her teeth clamped around the orange-gripped blade she held. It was enough for him to be convinced the water was the safer option. He feinted left and dove for the roaring water to the right.

He screamed out as his leg refused to move, suddenly sending him beak-first to the rock’s surface. A searing pain and the crack of rock greeted him as he tried to clear his head.

Glancing back, the black-armored pony was drawing another blade from her scabbard. The first was embedded though his back thigh and deep into the stone underneath, pinning him to the rock.

He whimpered as the pony slammed a hoof against his beak, knocking him onto his back, the blade raised. He flinched expecting a death blow, but it did not come.

“Why?”

He opened one eye to see the pegasus standing over him, the blade cradled in her wings, her eyes unseen under the goggles she wore.

“Wha... what?”

“Why did you allow her to practice what she did? So much death could have been avoided if she followed your race’s rules, and yet she was allowed to hunt those unable to defend themselves. Why?”

The griffon god shifted a little, wincing at the pain he felt in his leg.

“Would you deny your daughter what she wished to do? What she was good at?”

“If it did more harm than good, yes I would. That wench spawn of yours is the whole reason you are even in this place. The whole reason all this happened was because of Wind Razor. Killing my husband and my brother might have been forgiven in time as a casualty of war, but she hunted down my parents who only came to collect the bodies, and then killed my sister as well. She went well beyond what your race should have allowed. All the reports on her link that freedom to you, her father.”

“Perhaps we simply have a differing set of parental values then. She would have been banished or killed for violating the code if I did not cover for her. And what parent would not protect their offspring from something such as that, no matter what her choice in life was?”

Starfall growled, though she doesn't seem to be directing that at him for once.

“All of this could have been avoided if you had simply reined her in more. I would not even be here if she had not killed them.”

The pegasus turned, moving away from the griffon, the rage that had fueled her seemingly burned out for once. She slipped her sword back into the scabbard.

“She is not dead. She was frozen in stone back in Canterlot. I was denied my revenge at killing her. I see her face in every one of your kind; that drives me to kill griffons like a reaper cutting ripe wheat. No remorse, no joy, just rage, and wishing to see you all dead. Because the one I really wish to kill has been denied me.”

The griffon flinched again, shifting to yank the blade from his leg as quietly as he could. He glared down at the weapon as he pulled it free. Star metal; that figured. He rolled onto his belly, and pushed himself upright, wincing at his rear leg. He gripped the blade and hobbled closer to the oblivious pony.

“Perhaps the issue is not me who is a bad father, but you who are a bad mother? After all, you started hunting us rather than tend your own offspring, Light of Death.”

He did not even have time to raise the blade before it was gone from his claw and the sheathed weapon was sunk into his chest. The pegasus stood on the other side of him, sheathing the blade she just took from his claw. He had not even seen her move, but the place where she had stood remained free of rain for a moment before it started falling there again.

“I would say we have differing parental styles, is all. You raised your daughter one way and she became a murderous psychopathic serial killer with a penchant for collecting grisly trophies. My daughter is being raised to respect authority and listen to the advice given to her by those with more experience. Only one of us will see our child again, as well. And since how you raised your daughter is directly responsible for your death, I think I have done a better job.”

Starfall trotted back over to the griffon, ripping the blade from his chest with a wing.

“I do not see the need to collect trophies of those I kill, either. I simply collect the assurance that justice was done.”

She gripped the blade in her teeth, lashing out with it.

The griffon’s body bounced on the stone, sliding off into the rushing water below. His head dropped to the rock before Starfall punted it off into the rushing water as well. She flicked the blade clean of blood and sheathed it before adjusting her goggles and launching herself into the air to find her squad and see if the rest of the army was alright.

=======================================================

Jer'rahd smirked, looking at the bloodied mess of a pony that was still trying to crush him. The giant’s legs had all but been cut out from under him and the effects of the damage he did here was showing on the leviathan outside.

“How... how can you do this?”

“Please, how many years has it been since you were in a fight? Easily six thousand since you were even anything but a fish. All I do all the time is fight and train. The moment you hit me that first time. it was over.”

“But the magic... Unicorns should not be this strong.”

“I know two spells: a shield and how to magically hold my blade. I never relied on my magic because it was always too limited. You would have known that if you did not have fish for brains. But I figure the princess needs me more than I enjoy playing with you. Goodbye, Andre. Not sure how you survived this long from being Aviana's Element Bearer, but you won't live apart from her anymore. Well, if she's in Tartarus, anyway, like you seem to think she is.”

“WAIT, NO!!”

He ignored the cries as he carved his way through the giant’s chest, fighting back the sudden gushing of black ichor and hacking apart the bone, sinew, and muscle from the prone creature. He reached the heart and cut it to ribbons. The crying form of the earth pony started to dissolve around him, leaving the unicorn covered in the black goo.

Jer'rahd spit out the spirit version of his blade, the weapon hovering brightly in front of him. As he glanced at the windows to the outside, he saw the leviathan start to dissolve into shadowy stuff as well, revealing the form of an earth pony that the monster version of him promptly smashed to a pulp in the rocky remains of Neighlantis. He coughed, snorting to try and clear his nose and mouth of the foul ichor, not entirely certain if it would remain in this mindscape or if he could get rid of it somehow.

“This was far more disgusting than the Tank. Still, I cannot complain about finally having an easy fight. This gives me something else to throw in Celestia's face next time I see her, too. Now let’s hope I can figure out what the buck is up with Aviana before something else she did tries to kill me.”

=====================================================

Velkorn stared back as Rhede and the others fell when the ground gave way. The Shadow Walkers before her seemed just as shaken by the event a she was, though the mindless thralls that had been zebras quickly rush towards her. She did not have time to try and save Rhede. He was a strong pony and he should be fine, she hoped. Several of the zebras found themselves knocked into the water as she glared at the towering forms of the Shadow Walkers behind them.

The zebras were not all Untouchables. Many seemed to be normal zebras from the mainland and some of the smaller ones were little more than colts, most of whom had not earned their cutie marks yet. It was the colts that worried her; more than a few had the crystal horn of the zebra unicorns on their forehead. These young ones were hanging back from the ones attacking her. They stood with the Shadow Walkers, but their eyes were free of the control that the adults showed. They also seemed to be enjoying the idea of the others ganging up on Velkorn. There were no mares visible other than one or two older ones, well beyond the age of bearing young.

It was that lack of mares that told Velkorn all she needed to know. It was the same thing that Bloodtail had wanted: a powerful queen with which he could resurrect the gods with and perhaps even steal their power for himself. He did not care for her; just her body, and he would have succeeded if not for Rhede. It was these creatures that that had sent Bloodtail to her brother, and it was that influence that changed him and caused so many to suffer.

Starfall had her griffons. Rhede had his Elk and the Order, Luna and Jer'rahd had the seaponies and the dragons. And Bleu had the one she called Proudmore. All of her friends had things they would go out of their way to ruin or destroy, even beyond what would make sense to anyone else just because of what they had done.

Velkorn tugged off her saddle bags, letting them fall to the ground. The gathered zebras and Shadow Walkers paused the advance, staring at her curiously as she looked up at them, her eyes narrowing.

[“As a healer, I have issue with killing any living creature. As the bearer of the Element of Compassion and a Royal Guard of Princess Luna of Equestria, and a General of the Lunar Republic, that has not changed at all. You were zebra and as such I cannot even consider you as I would a fish. However...”]

Silver and black armor began to rapidly form around her, the metallic sheen reflecting the red glow of the newly-lit volcano as the ground rumbled again and the first sparks of flame were flung into the night sky.

[“You are little more than a cancer. An infectious growth that has plagued these lands for far longer than any should have tolerated. I am here to see to your final removal so my patient, my kingdom, can fully heal. Those you have touched, Shadow Walkers, are already dead, and thus must be removed to prevent the infection spreading.”]

She screamed, throwing herself into the midst of the zebras and Shadow Walkers, her form a blur of motion accompanied by the crunch of bone and the tearing of flesh.

This was what she would go out of her way to destroy. This corruption was her nemesis.

=============================================================

The sea below them was boiling, steam billowing up as the pair of goddesses tore across the surface of the water and just under it. Aqua was running now; her pet was currently being ripped apart and eaten by the massive monster form of Jer’rahd.

Luna was in hot pursuit of the seapony. The Waning Moon lashed out, charged with dark energy that ripped through the water around Aqua with every swing. Massive explosions of fire erupted from the ocean as the Goddess of War threw all she had at the wounded queen. Aqua was fast; even missing a large portion of her tail, she was deftly avoiding the blows and attacks.

Luna's magic tore massive chunks of land from the sea floor, hurling them up at the fleeing seapony, trying to spear her and cut off any chance of escape. She was long past wanting to toy with her and simply wanted the Seapony Queen dead. She lashed out with Jer'rahd's weapon every time the queen broke the surface; somehow, the slippery bitch managed to dodge every attack.

Aqua, of course, was not simply running. Luna was hard-pressed to doge the ice and lightning attacks the seapony flung her way as well. Various sea creatures also tried to get involved at Aqua's behest and the water ran dark with their blood.
New islands erupted from the sea, crashing into one another to make bigger landmasses. All along the tsunami-swept coastlines of the planet, mountains rose or were sucked down into the earth as the tectonic plates were disrupted and shoved about like movers would shift furniture.

Large sections of land vanished under the surging water and others rose from the sea floor. Lands that were not connected before joined and those that may have been landlocked had new beaches. Holes were opened in the sea floor into vast underground caverns and lava tubes. Steam filled the air, forming massive storms and cloud formations as the sea level shrunk from the vaporization of millions of gallons of water from the goddesses’ fight.

The remains of Cindervale were swallowed by the sea, and the Darklands dropped under the waves entirety, taking the strange creatures and things that existed there with them. Thankfully, only the eastern coast of Equestria was affected. Granted, that did little to aid those that lived there.

The initial wave washed over Manehatten, traveling right up the river and washing over large sections of farmland. The city itself was built a little higher than the surrounding land, so was left an island as the waters settled all about them, stranding those in the city who had not been washed away.

The Great Hooper Sea lost its southern border; now the tears shed for the fallen pony Guard bled into the great Equestrian sea.

The port town of Wilmingtrot was wiped out and the Cape Foal River dried up as the mountains shifted from the underground turbulence caused by the brawl of the gods, cutting off its source. New Dullahan became beachfront property, though all that was left of it when the wave hit was rubble.

The ramifications were felt as far inland as Canterlot, where Princess Celestia did her best to quell the powers that shook the world, though even she trembled at the raw strength on display this night.

As the two goddesses empowered by the dark books fought, the world changed around them.

=======================================================

Rhede stared at the island as they drew closer. Several other patrol boats and a host of fishing boats had joined the search along the coast looking for survivors. Aside from the one they were on, however, all of them avoided the island.

There was a small army of zebra sailors and marines with him now. Ramirez had also returned, leading a few smaller boats with the other missing guards on board, somewhat the worse for wear after their tumble through the ocean and down the cliff, but all of them were alive and still able to move and fight, which was all Rhede needed.

The earth pony hoped that would remain the same fate of Velkorn. “Unharmed” would be a good addition to that as well. As the boat moved along the edge of the cliff they had fallen off of, another rumble sent a rock slide down into the water, forcing the captain to move back from the cliff. Rhede did not bother waiting for a safer spot; he was off the boat, leaping among the fallen rocks and bounding ledge to ledge up the treacherous slope as if he was part ram. Anna and Ramirez flew up as well, each carrying a member of the squad to set them on the edge just as Rhede arrived before heading down to pick up some of the others.

Rhede looked over the scene and shivered a little. Easily thirty zebras and two Shadow Walkers lay dead around atop the cliff. Rhede moved closer to one of the zebras, crouching down to take note of the bloodied marks on the otherwise white and black furred form. It was not this zebra’s blood. More like the blood had come from another body, but the bloodied hooves had then struck this one right after.

“Sir!”

Rhede lifted his head and headed over to where Pancho stood. At the earth pony’s hooves was a pile of medical bags adorned with the symbol for “medic” from a multitude of races.

“Shit... No blood on them, so she must have taken them off herself. “

“Where did the General go, though?”

Rhede looked back at the sparse forest as the volcano shuddered again.

“My guess is further up this mountain.”

“Should we wait for the zebra marines to get up here?”

Rhede looked at the bodies of the zebras. Not all of them were untouchables and there were quite a few younger ones.

“I do not think they will be happy to find this. Let’s go before they get up here and find out what’s going on. Our priority is to find Velkorn.”

“Yes, sir.”

==============================================

Velkorn twisted hard, ignoring the squeal and the crack of bone from the downed Shadow Walker as she snapped its neck. Shoving the mangled corpse away, her gaze shifted back over the trail of bodies that she had left behind her. The Shadow Walkers had fled, and she had pursued, ripping apart anything that had gotten in her way.

This one had its forelegs shattered to bring it down low enough for her to finish it off. The feeling was... glorious. She had felt sick when she had killed the sea ponies, even to save her friends, but every time she took out one of these blighted creatures, it was like a rush of energy and elation filled her.

She was enjoying killing these things, and it sickened her.

She bit her lip inside the armor, trying to shake the feeling from her. This was the same feeling her half-brother had professed to have when he killed one of his enemies. He claimed it better that sex. While she was unsure on that last bit, the rush was decidedly far more enjoyable than she liked. She was a doctor; taking life was not supposed to be something she liked, yet here she was, eagerly looking for the next target.

Her ears perked, hearing voices further up the path. She trotted forward, leaving the Shadow Walker's still-twitching form to investigate. The cry of a foal filled the air, the sound echoing off the stone walls of the pass she trotted through. She sped up, skidding to a stop at the edge of the volcano's lip.

The lava far below seemed far too active for her liking, tossing sparks and spurts of magma high into the air. Even with its activity, the walls of the volcano showed it to be far lower than it normally was. A path ran down into the crater and then up the other side. It was where the two paths met that held her attention as another foal's cry came from the small cave situated there.

Her ears flattened to her head as she trotted down towards the cave. Her armored hooves clacked loudly on the stone, the sound echoing off the volcano's rock walls, easily heard over the bubble and hiss of the lava.

The noise clearly alerted someone in the cave. A pair of zebra mares stepped out to check on the source of the noise, their vacant eyes narrowing as they spotted the armored form approaching. The pair rapidly charged up the path towards her.
Velkorn sighs as they move to attack her, whirling away from their clumsy strikes and lashing out with her rear hooves, sending both of them tumbling over the edge and into the hissing pool below. Her ears flattened as the pair do not even scream as they were flash-burned alive. What manner of enthrallment was placed on these zebras?

She swallowed hard as she trotted into the cave mouth, her eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness as she stayed out of the glow of the torches lining the rough hewn walls.

It seemed like a sickbay at first; many of the beds were filled with zebras. At the back of the room, three Shadow Walkers stood over one mare's bed, looking at a small form bundled in rags on a small table before them. The cries of a foal came from the rags and the three were smiling wide, something that sent a shudder colder than the Windigos’ breath along her spine.

The mare did not seem to be breathing, possibly having died while birthing the foal. At least two dozen other mares were in varying stages of pregnancy across the rest of the room. Most seemed heavily sedated and marked with brands and tattoos of unknown significance to her. Judging by how fresh some of the marks were, she assumed it was done here as some sort of ritual of the Shadow Walkers.

Another group of zebra thralls took note of her and rushed the armored zebra. The movement stirred several of the gravid mares from their beds to join the attack.

Velkorn nearly whimpered as she ended their lives and the lives of the ones unborn as well; at this point, however, it was not a sure thing that what they were carrying to term was even a zebra anymore.

When the last of them lay dead at her hooves, her gaze lifted to the trio of monsters at the other end of the cave that had caused this. The three had seemed to disregard her as the other zebras attacked, but now that they were dead, the trio seemed panicked.

One of them wrapped up the crying foal and backed away to the rear wall, holding the bundle in its mouth. The other two spread out a little, trying to flank her as she stared calmly at them all, glad the armor hid her face to hide her tears at needing to kill so many.

The joy of it all had ended as soon as she came into this cave; the thrill had gone away when she saw what they were doing here. All the mares were simply being used to try and breed new gods. Now, it was simply duty, the removal of things that did not need to exist. Like killing a fox infected with rabies, it needed to be done, but that did not make it any easier.

The other two moved closer, one chanting under his breath as the other uncoiled a length of leather that had been wrapped loosely about its neck, lashing out with it. She ignored the whip as the strikes from it bounced off the armor. A dark miasma rapidly flowed out of the chanting one’s shadow, slithering across the ground towards her.

She moved to dodge just as the whip wrapped around her forelegs, holding her fast. She growled lightly as the shadow blob nearly reached her. She turned, leaping towards the one holding the whip and slamming into him as she slipped free of the leather binding her legs. The Shadow Walker cried out as it was knocked into the path of the darkness. She did not bother to see the effect as she used its falling form as a springboard to attack the caster.

She landed hard atop the creature’s back, her weight forcing it to the ground hard. She ignored the crack of bone as its chest struck the stone floor before she bounded off its back. All four hooves connected with the back of its head, smashing it between her armored form and the floor like an overripe melon.

The final one charged past her, leaping over the rapidly rotting form of the one that had been hit by the spell. She whipped around, galloping after it as the foal cried out again from being bounced around in the makeshift sling the Shadow Walker carried.

She could not allow it to get away with that child.

=======================================================

Starfall stood on a small cloud, staring down at the wreckage of the aerie and the bodies floating in the stagnating water below. The mountains were practically islands at this point. The water was slowly draining away, but who knew how long it would take before this land was back to normal... if it ever was.

In the distance, entire ranges of mountains were missing. The Darklands had vanished, leaving little more than a horseshoe-shaped bay where it used to be, made up of the mountain tops that had once ringed the place.

The dark form of Lion Heart alighted next to her on the cloud. He cleared his throat to announce his presence.

“Report.”

“There were no further casualties among the Shadowbolts, aside from what we lost in the initial raid.”

“Our main force?”

“Believe it or not, only minor injuries from the wave, though there were quite a few lost in the initial skirmish. The wave did not pass through the mountains with enough force produce more than three of four apples deep of water. Some of the smaller ponies were swept away, but they were not taken far. The griffons fled the aerie in light of the attack, the loss of the other two aeries, and the unexpected natural disaster.”

“The harpy forces?”

“Heavy losses at the aerie that they were attacking. The whole mountain is gone and only those who were outside of the structure were spared. That was less than half of their forces.”

Starfall sighs.

“It gets worse, sir.”

“Dare I ask how?”

“We encountered some Royal Guard pegasi investigating the disasters on the coastal cities. Upon finding out we were attacking at the same time, the word is sure to get back to Princess Celestia that the Lunar Republic caused all the damage.”

“Great. How much damage are we talking?”

“It is too early to tell. According to the Royal Guard, New Dullahan is all but gone, Manehatten suffered heavy losses and several smaller ports no longer exist. The east coast of Equestria has been changed in its entirety. The wave supposedly reached the Galapagos as well.”

Starfall glanced back at the expression on the half-dragon’s face. It was the first time she had seen him worried.

“Take three of the others with you and check it out. Send one of them back if you need some sort of help.”

“Yes sir... One question, sir.”

“What’s that?”

“Before the wave even hit, you ordered the death of many yet unhatched. I am curious at the need for such a thing.”
“I see no reason I should be lectured by a five year old on what is appropriate in actions.”

“I was not lecturing, and I am seven, sir.”

“That is not much better.”

“Fine then, if you do not wish to discuss it. When I first met you, you were brutally honest with your intent and words. Now you are simply savage with them.”

“So much for it not being a lecture.”

“So much for you answering my question.”

Lion Heart steps towards the edge of the cloud preparing to take off when Starfall spoke again.

“I see her face in every one of theirs. I cannot help but to hate them.”

“That is your perception, sir. You can, in time, change that. I am sure you had the same reasoning when you first met my kind, and yet here I am, a former enemy, now a member of your elite unit. Perhaps it is time to get over your hatred of the race as a whole. To move on with your life as my race is trying to do.”

“Maybe someday, but do not hold your breath expecting it to happen in your lifetime. Go check on your island, Lion Heart.”

“Yes, sir.”

===================================================

Rhede's ears perked at the sound of a screaming infant. Looking around for the source he spotted the silhouette of a Shadow Walker dashing across the edge of the volcano carrying something before it vanishes again.
“Ramirez, Anna, get up there and see what that was.”

“Geez sir, bossy much?”

“Oh I am terribly sorry you two were born with wings, I can fix that if you like. Besides, if you had followed orders, Ramirez, we wouldn't be chasing shadows.”

“Yes, sir.”

The two pegasi took off, heading rapidly towards the top of the volcano while the others ran along the winding path littered with bodies.

=========================================================

Velkorn galloped after the fleeing Shadow Walker. The creature was slowed carrying the foal, but its long legs still kept it just out of the armored zebra's reach.

It had managed to start down another path on the back side of the volcano, and Velkorn soon followed, just missing being spotted by the pair of winged forms that had flown up after her. The pair of pegasi did spot the cave in the volcano, however and flew back to inform Rhede.

The Shadow Walker was charging haphazardly at this point, taking risks and leaping down sections of the path in order to open the distance between it and Velkorn. It hit the sandy beach first and charged across the shifting sand towards a small copse of trees overhanging the water.

It skidded to a stop at the edge of the trees, allowing Velkorn to catch up and catch a glimpse of the mangled dock that the trees had hidden and the lack of a water craft that, judging by the creature’s expression, should have been there. By the time it turned to face her, she was on it, dealing with the creature the same way she had with the others of its kind: with brutal efficiency.

The bundle of rags landed heavily on the sand and the bawling began again. She paused long enough to flick the blood from her hooves and slowly trotted over to the bundled rags.

She froze, looking down at the creature that had wormed its way out of the raged cloth. It was clearly a zebra; the crystal nub of a horn on its head was a clear sign of it being a spell caster as well. It was the markings on the foal that had startled her. While it had its markings as most foals did soon after birth, she had never seen a child with bright red stripes.

The infant ceased crying as she approached, its eyes opening, solid black orbs looking up at the zebra mare curiously.
A violent shudder ran along her body. This was a zebra god. The Shadow Walkers had been trying to breed a zebra god from the untouchables, and they had succeeded.

She swallowed hard moving closer to stand over the softly-cooing foal. She reared up suddenly, bringing both armored forehooves down on it violently, stomping the creature repeatedly, trying her hardest not to bawl as she destroyed it.
Velkorn stepped back, her body wracked with sobs as turned, not able to look at the body.

She let the armor fade from her form as she started the trek back up the volcano to see if she could find Rhede and the other guards.

Her ears perked at a noise behind her and she whirls around as the infant starts screaming again, the sand and blanket covered in blood, but the foal was undamaged. She barley managed to take this in before a swirling collection of sand gathered around the infant, rapidly picking up intensity until it towered above her, the wind howling as it gathered more sand and debris from the beach, as well as the body of the Shadow Walker.

The infants cry turned into a howl of rage as the funnel grew larger still, yanking the zebra off of her hooves and sucking her into the vortex.

==============================================================

Shards of ice flew at Luna, but she threw herself to the side in time to avoid them. Aqua broke the surface again, her large fins sending a cascade of water skyward that turned into a column of ice shards that flew after the Princess of the Night.
She spun about, ducking and rolling to avoid the blades of ice and lashing out with the Waning Moon to try to reduce their numbers, though all her attacks did was make more of them as the larger ones were shattered.

Aqua flew out of the water, chasing her and laughing as the first shard struck Luna's flank from behind, leaving a deep gash across her flesh that quickly headed itself. She glanced back, seeing all of the shards she had dodged turning in the air to come back at her, even as more were forming from the sea water.

“Stop struggling and die.”

The princess growled in response to the queen, doing her best to dodge as she tried to fly out of the attacking range higher into the sky away from Aqua. The swirling mass of ice followed her climb into the air along with a manically laughing sea goddess.

=======================================================

The wind flung her about, smashing her with gathered sticks and body parts before throwing her free to crash to the ground, tumbling across the sand. Velkorn winced, feeling the lap of the waves along the shore wash over her rear hooves. She struggled to lift herself up, trying to clear her head, her ears still howled and the sand had rubbed raw her nose and any other parts of her body not covered with fur, but she was alive and mostly undamaged.

The wind howled like the demon child at the center of it as she took stock of her injuries. The worst was a gash across her cutie mark that had bled enough to obscure the lower half of the serpent staff; a few other cuts and abrasions covered her as well. She looked up at the towering cyclone of wind and sand, the pull of it tugging her mane and tail towards the mass again, though it was not strong enough at this distance to drag her back in.

She knew she had killed it; no foal should have been able to survive that, but this one had and was already displaying its anger and power. If it could control the wind like this as a new born foal, it could not be allowed to live long enough to gain full control over its power. That pain that she was being forced to kill a foal was greater than what she had endured physically. She was also worried about what Rhede would say about this; he had never liked the long list of rituals and taboos that most zebras displayed. There was also the idea that this was a newborn; that would not likely sit well.

Velkorn whipped her head, unsure of how to go about killing it anyway. She needed to deal with what she could deal with first and worry about what others would think later. The first warlords had used star metal. While Rhede, Jer'rahd, and Starfall used the material in their weapons, she had no such need. Or she had no such need before this point.

She wished she knew where Rhede was, though he may have been washed out to sea or back to the mainland. While she was sure if he was able, he would be coming back, she did not know when that would be. She also did not believe he would be capable of killing a child. She was surprised she was this determined to end it.

The zebra medic turned, looking out to sea and the flashes of lightning in the far distance. A glint of something in the water caught her eye during one such display of light. She watched the spot for a few moments until the sky was lit up again and saw the silhouette of a body along with the glint.

Darting out into the surf she caught a hold of it dragging it closer to shore, expecting it to perhaps be one of the guards that had come with them. She winced, spitting out something foul tasting from the body before realizing it was paint. Shaking her head and spitting out the disgusting mix, doing much the same as Rhede had by swishing with salt water. Looking at the body she recognized this Shadow Walker, the ropes and sections of wood tied to it gave it away as the same one that had been tied to the underside of the boat.

The same one Rhede had killed with his daggers out of mercy.

She rolled the body over in the water, looking for the glint of metal she had seen before. A single star metal dagger remained deep in the creature’s neck, the other having been lost to the sea.

She turned, looking back at the cyclone of sand and the screaming of the new god.

One was all she needed.

=======================================================

Luna soared through the air, ducking and diving from the ice chasing her. The laughing sea pony followed her, casting another spell to aid the first. Electricity arced between the shards of frozen water as they flew after the princess, now making them even more dangerous to try and dodge.

Luna suddenly stopped, detonating a massive ball of dark fire from around her form, melting the ice before it struck her and turning it to mist that filled the air around them.

“Bah, do you think that is going to stop me, Luna? I can make any water my weapon. It may be your night but we are over my ocean.”

“No, we are over your former city.”

“What the buck does that matter? There's still plenty of water.”

“In truth, going by your powers Aqua, nothing. In terms of promising someone else they could kill you if able, it is very important. And I told you to call me Nightmare Moon.

Luna's ears flattened to her head. The roar from below was deafening, though the look on Aqua's face when she realized what was going on was priceless. Luna could not help to smile as a massive set of jaws rose up through the mist, slamming shut with a sickening crunch around the body of the sea goddess before dropping back out of the cloud of mist.

A massive crunch of earth and stone filled the air as the beast landed, gnashing its teeth and grinding the seapony body to little more than paste before spitting it out to splatter across the surface of the ruined city, a look of disgust on the massive creature’s face. Luna glided down, alighting atop the massive reptilian head. The creature growled as if annoyed at her presence, but did not do anything that might disturb her perch.

“I think that may have been a bit more than I expected, General, though it seems the conflict is at an end. I expect you very much wish to change back, so please feel free to do so.”

She flapped her wings lightly, lifting off the massive creature’s head. The moment her hooves left the surface, the creature began to dissolve into shadows, the shades whipping about and condensing smaller and smaller before they fade out and scatter, leaving a very tired-looking gray-coated unicorn.

He coughed violently, spitting more than a few times and cursing before sitting down hard to pant.

“I am never going to get that taste out of my mouth.”

“You tasted what the beast ate?”

“Not physically, no, but I know what it tasted like. Seems cursed darkness-filled earth ponies taste like sour fruit, and seapony gods taste like rotted fish.”

“I shall keep that in mind if I am ever offered one to eat. What do you mean, cursed earth pony?”

“That's what Andre was. An earth pony, head of the Order, former love of Avaiana, and participant of the same ritual that made me the beast. He claimed he was the Element Bearer of Loyalty as well.”

“You two talked with each other as beasts?”

“Sorta. Its... well I still don't quite get it. But yeah, we talked.”

Luna looks up at the sky, wondering where Bleu was.

“Did Aviana make him like this?”

“I doubt it; he was insanely loyal to Aqua. I figure she's the one who made him. Explains why her power was so high. Do the books say anything about it?”

“They have gone strangely silent, General. I do not think they were expecting the outcome to happen like this. I am under the impression the gray one was rooting for Aqua.”

“Goody, I like that we have those things even less now.”

“They have been useful, General, and though a powerful foe has fallen here... well, was eaten here, we still have many left.”
“Point them out and I will deal with them, Princess.”

Luna smiled softly as she noted a soft glow in Jer'rahd's eyes, though the leathery flap of wings followed by a great deal of cursing drew her attention skyward. Bleu glided into view, landing hard on the ground between the pair. Her head whipped as she tried to take them both in at the same time.

“THAT WAS NUTS!”

“Heh… well, Bleu, are you up for flying us out of here? Because if I have to sit on this island a moment longer, I am likely going to accidentally look up and see the ocean. I would rather be secure when I freak out.”

“You still have that issue? I though killing the queen would fix that?”

“I am too tired to be properly terrified, but I am getting more and more edgy with every crash of the waves I hear.”

“Right, Boss. Luna, you ready to go?”

“As I will ever be.”

=============================================================

The armor formed around her as she galloped into the tornado of sand. She barely kept on her hooves as she darted into the maelstrom. While she was not swept up as she was before, she was pushed along the ground, her hooves leaving furrows in the sand that had not been yet sucked into the vortex.

She forced her way through, one hoof in front of the other, doing her best not to get dizzy and wondering how long this foal could keep this up.

She broke free of the funnel to the center of the whirlwind. She shook her head, clearing the sand from her armor as she looked down at the flailing godling in the sand. Its black eyes opened again, staring up at her with more malice than childlike innocence. She gripped the weapon tighter in her teeth before bringing it down into the foal's chest.

The godling screamed, the sound like a dragon’s claws down miles of chalkboard. Its last wail filled the air and was likely heard across the water for leagues as the dagger bit into its flesh. Its eyes went wide a last time and its struggles ceased.
The swirling sandstorm slowed to a stop, dropping massive amounts of sand, rocks, and flayed Shadow Walker body parts to the beach around her.

Several cries forced her to lift her head. There were several craft out on the water, a magical light source pointed at her. She glanced back the other way to see Rhede and the Lunar Republic troops galloping towards her from the volcano.
She let the armor retract back into the Element's necklace, looking down at the corpse of the godling.

She shuddered, sitting back hard as Rhede reached her. The other zebras seemed hesitant about leaving their boat to set hoof on the island.

The large earth pony looked down at her and the corpse in the sand that the boat’s light shone onto and winced lightly.
[“Is that?”]

[“A godling zebra, yes.”]

[“I didn't think they would be red.”]

[“It matters very little at this point what it looks like. It is dead and I have killed it.”]

[“Well, it needed to be done. Judging by the history... oh no...”]

[“Yes. If it was just you and the Guards, everything would have been fine, but there are other zebras here, royal sailors and marines at that. The word will get back.”]

[“We could kill them. No one would know a thing.”]

Velkorn pushes herself up and flicks her tail free of sand.

[“No, there has been enough death caused by me today. I will deal with this as I should once we make it to the capital. The very worst they can do for this is to banish me.”]

[“It’s bullshit.”]

[“It is the way of things. An untouchable is not allowed to hold rank or privilege in zebra society, and due to my actions here, that is what I will be regarded as from this point on.”]

[“Buck it. Fine, let’s get back to the mainland before another wave shows up. We are lucky the coastal villages sent out these patrols so quickly to look for those swept away... though we are also rather unlucky.”]

[“It will be fine.”]

The guards moved around, looking at the body, one of them taking time to bury it in the sand before the group approached the boat. The captain was sitting on the edge of the ship, looking down at them.

[“You ready to get off this rock, Captain?”]

[“I am, but there's no room on this ship for her. “]

[“What?”]

[“Former queen or not, she’s untouchable now; whole crew saw it, and we don't take that kind on our craft, lest the curse becomes our own.”]

[“Superstitious bullshit is what it is.”]

[“You are lucky I am allowing any of you on at all; this island is cursed for a reason. You lot are likely why the tidal wave hit; you angered the spirits.”]

Velkorn was about to tell Rhede to go on without her when she caught the look in his eye and was about to tell him once again not to kill them when he spoke.

“Alright that's it I have had enough of this bull shit.”

“What’s going on, sir?”

“She killed a zebra godling and now they won't let her on the ship.”

“What?”
“Well that’s stupid?”
“Why the buck not?”
“This have to do with that untouchable thing you were telling me about earlier, sir?”

“Yes, it does.”

“So what’s the plan? I know we are not leaving her here.”

“No, we are not.”

“So then...”

Rhede grinned, looking back at the other soldiers in the spotlight from the ship, the wide grin adding a touch of madness to his eyes.

“How did that song go again? What do you do with a drunken sailor?”

They all stare at him a moment though slowly Dutch and some of the others caught on.

“YAR!”

Velkorn simply slapped her face with her hoof as the group yelled out and rushes the boat.

=================================================

(Two weeks later)

Starfall sighed, knocking on the door. This had been an unmitigated fiasco. The harpies had lost a great number of their warriors, only to have the burnt out remains of one aerie to their names. They had demanded all three and raised hell when they found out the waves had destroyed the other two.

She was called a liar and accused of tricking the Harpies into sacrificing so many of their warriors for nothing, despite the harpies having agreed to help. Rumors of that had reached as far as the west coast of Equestria by this point and it was not likely going to help matters with the Lunar Republic. Now she had two avian groups screaming for her blood and claiming she was a monster.

The news got worse as well. The entire city and just under half of the half-dragons on Gallopagos had been killed when the wave crossed the flat lands between the Hooper Sea and the Great Equestrian Ocean and swept across the island. Many were drowned working in the mines or sleeping.

Lion Heart and many of the other Republic half-dragon guards had returned home to try and aid in the recovery. She had sent her Shadowbolts to help as well, along with any others who would go.

She had arrived in Ponyville to see Cloud Dancer and every one either ran from her or glared at her. Evidently, the rumors were quite widespread that she had caused the destruction with her sonic rainboom.

Frankly, while that was absurd, it seemed like everyone wanted somepony to blame and the rumors had pointed to her as the cause. Why else would most of the Republic Guard be untouched when their enemies were stuck full force barely a league from them?

No one bothered to consider that there was an entire mountain range between the sea and the battle the majority of the Guard were in. Starfall did not care, though; there was only one pony’s opinion she gave a rat’s ass about in this whole town.
She knocked on the door again, stopping as it creaked op a bit and Maw Pelt stuck her head out.
“Ah I expected yah ta come by sooner or later, Starfall.”

“Hello, Maw. I came by to see Cloud Dancer. I have a few days clear of anything.”

“Ah don't think that's a good idea.”

“What?”

“Normally, I’d break it down gently, but yer not the type tah take kindly to that. She dun wanna see you, Starfall. She's been hearing too many things from everyone. She's bullied in school and taunted by normal folks too, jus fer being yer daughter. The boys get it, too, fer being Rhede's brother, but they can handle it. She ain't never had any one not like her just cause of who she’s related too.”

“I didn't cause the bucking wave.”

“Anyone with two bits to rub together in their brain ken see that, Starfall. The problem is you and Rhede are loyal to the one who probably did cause it. I think all of yah as family still and even ah am having issues with some of what your princess's been doing.”

“So what now, then...?”

“I'd say leave the Republic, but we both know you can't do that. Yer friends are there and yah swore loyalty to tha Princess. Yer too honorable to break those bonds. Best I ken tell yah is give her some time to herself, let her figure it out. Ah'll be sure to make sure she knows it wasn't you that killed all them griffons.”

“I did kill the griffons.”

“...well, I will tell her about the wave not being your fault, anyway. Have a good day, Starfall.”

The pegasus's ears drooped as the door closed in her face.

===================================================

(Two weeks later)

Rhede was pissed; granted with all that had happened it was no small surprise.

Velkorn had been banished from the zebra lands. The taboos about the untouchables and the fact that one they considered their queen had broken them had gone exactly as she had said.

The rest of the Republic Guard were going to be put on trial for piracy until Rhede reminded the council of exactly how many races that the Lunar Republic had wiped out. He then questioned if they would like to be the next considering they had just severed their only connection to the Republic by banishing Velkorn.

The council hastily reconsidered and simply had the lot of them escorted to the edge of the lands, striking Velkorn's name from any of their history and announcing Baelit as the current royalty.

None of the guards that had come with them thought it was anything but a steaming pile of shit. While the group was much more talkative to him on the way back, Rhede was more concerned with Velkorn; she had not so much said a word since the judgment was passed.

Rhede moved up near Ramirez, the pegasus flinching at the proximity of the general.

“So which one is it?”

“Sir?”

“You clearly have feelings for one of the others; that’s the only reason I can think of that you disobeyed a direct order.”

The pegasus flattened his ears down and seemed to be thinking of an excuse to get out of this.

“I will not press on who, Ramirez, but considering there were only a few still missing at the end, including you, I have a good idea. In any event, everything worked out alright this time. However, if you are part of a unit I lead and you do this sort of thing again, I will find out who you love, kill them in front of you, and then end your life. Are we clear?!”

The pegasus's eyes widened in terror as he looked up at the tall earth pony, who simply glared at the soldier.

“Yes... yes, sir.”

“Good, then this does not need to be brought up again.”

Rhede fell back to walk beside Velkorn again as the pegasus staggered a bit under the weight of the threat.

The Lunar Republic castle was in sight by the time Velkorn finally spoke. He sent the others ahead to Winnysor Castle and hung back to talk with the now-banished zebra. Velkorn moved, taking a seat on the grass and looking up at the sky and the setting sun. He watched her for a moment, not entirely certain what her reaction was going to be to all this.

[“Have you decided what you are going to do now?”]

[“What do you mean by that, Rhede?”]

He blinked and narrowed his eyes, wondering if she was in shock.

[“About the banishment.”]

[“I expected you meant that, but I am unsure what it is you think I should do about it. The council I put into place to rule did their job.”]

[“But...”]

[“Keep in mind, Rhede, I never wanted to be queen anyway. Besides, when was the last time you heard me mention anything about wanting to go back there at all?”]

[“Wha?”]

[“While I am not entirely happy with the way I was forced to leave, I had no desire to go back after I left the first time following you.”]

Velkorn smiled softly.

[“I may mope for a time that I can never go back, but I am more upset about those I had to kill. You are not the only one willing to wipe out a whole race for the good of those you have never met, no matter the consequences. The worst thing to come out of this is that we did not gain the Zebra lands’ support.”]

[“There are going to be a great deal of ugly rumors.”]

[“I have already heard them all in the capital. The fact I set hoof on that island is being blamed for the tidal wave that swept across the zebra lands. At least six villages are gone because of it. A great deal were saved due to the rapid mobilization of the marine units there. You and the other guards are being blamed for the deaths that you may have caused by commandeering that ship.”]

[“Not like they were going to listen to our side of things anyway.”]

[“Nevertheless, despite the outcome, thank you for coming back for me and aiding my escape.”]

[“You think I would do otherwise?”]

[“No, and that is another reason I pursue your affections. While you may still refuse me, you will not let me down.”]

She rose and trotted off, leaving Rhede to stare after her.

=================================================

(Two Weeks Later)

Bleu was rather concerned about boss. He had been out cold for three days before waking up and eating anything put in front of him. Which was to say, about the amount Maw Pelt made for Hearths Warming for the whole family.

Granted, that had happened last time this went on, too. She had watched him train and generally go about the business of being one of Luna's Generals the same as always, but now he just seemed… off.

Slightly more savage when training, a bit more strict with the troops, and seemingly even more infatuated with the princess.
She was not sure if it was anything, or if it was a side effect of what she had watched. Honestly, though, she was getting a little scared of him and Luna both.

===========================================================

(Two Weeks Later.)

Jer'rahd was in a good mood, which, given the events of the past few years, was an odd thing to be sure.
He had been asleep for at least half week and had spent a few more days simply recovering. Using that beast spell was draining on him in ways he could not even describe. He had expected Bleu to make a snarky comment about it, but she had oddly abstained.

In any case, he had spent the last few days training for lack of anything better to do. Luna was still recovering, Rhede and Velkorn had not returned yet, and Starfall had gone to visit Cloud Dancer. Bleu was around somewhere, though she seemed a bit skittish since they had returned. He assumed it had something to do with the fight or the sight of what he turned into. Unfortunately, with no one else about but the Guards, who all knew better than to try and spar with him, this was going to be a boring few days.

He yawned lightly, trotting back up to his room. The sun was starting to come up already and he was working to match his sleep schedule with Luna's again, so as soon as dawn broke, he was often already heading to bed, unless something dire needed his attention.

A light creak of hinges caught his attention as he passed the Princess's door. He paused, glancing back at it as Luna stepped out into the hall, stretching her wings with a soft yawn. She had gotten taller again; while that was an odd sort of growth spurt, he could not help to admire that her form had become a bit sexier than before. Granted, he still preferred how she looked that first time she had been powerless, with the steel blue coloration to her mane and tail. He dipped into a bow as she saw him, and she took a few steps closer to him as he rose.

“I would say good morning, princess, but I figured you might be headed off to bed the same as me.”

“Perhaps in a bit. How are you recovering from the mission, Jer'rahd.”

“Fairly well; my phobia is still there, as are the nightmares. Aqua screwed me up pretty good with this crap.”

“Yet you persevere through all of it. Impressive as always. I will admit, however, Aqua was correct on one thing she said.”

His ears perked up.

“Oh? And what is that, Princess?”

She moved closer to him, leaning down to look at him eye to eye. He blinked at the closeness and the odd shape her eyes had taken; they almost seemed like a dragon’s now rather than a pony’s, glowing softly when they caught the light.

“You do have pretty eyes.”

His eyes widened and he blushed furiously as she slowly pulled back. A smile crossed her face before she turned with a flick of her tail as she went back into her room.

“Let us see if we cannot find a way to rid you of the nightmares, Jer'rahd.”

“Ummm… yes, Princess...”

He whipped his head at that, turning to head to his room for a very cold bath, when she spokr again. He glanced back, seeing her door still open.

“Jer'rahd.”

“Yes, Princess?”

“That was an invitation. Come in here and attend your Princess.”

He stared at the door in shock a moment before a grin split his face. He offerd a glance down the hall before heading into her quarters.

“As you wish, Luna”

The door clicked lightly shut behind him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight pulled back from the sword, not really wanting to watch any of Jer'rahd and Luna's 'escapades'; she had seen enough of that when he was seeing Scarlet. Honestly, she was starting to think Celestia had designed this spell to be as pervy as possible, though this did shed new light on the relationship between the two of them. Twilight still had a lingering doubt that the one in charge of the goddess was no longer Luna, however.

“Oh, you back, Twilight?”

“Yeah, that was a bit of a long one.”

Dash hopped up off the couch, stretching her wings.

“Tell me about it, least I got caught up now. I'm headed out, then.”

“Alright then, have a good night Rainbow. Be careful out there, it’s fairly late.”

“Yeah, I'm not worried about that. Later!”

Dash trotted over to the door. Pausing her ears flattened before she glanced back as the purple unicorn put the sword away.

“Hey, Twi.”

“Hmm, what is it?”

“About what you asked before…”

“About your parents?”

“Yeah.”

“Sorry about that; it was kinda rude of me to ask, but what about it.”

“I haven’t thought about it in a long time, but there was a time when that was all I did. I would have loved having a family. It’s one of the reasons I became friends with Fluttershy. We were both at the same orphanage and she tried to be everyone’s mother. I guess she had her own way to cope with it.”

“Fluttershy was abandoned?”

“Nah, her parents were killed by a dragon. It’s one of the reasons she's so afraid of them.”
“I… didn't know that.”

“And you still don't, not even sure why I'm telling yah. Not my place to. But yeah, once in a while, I do wonder about what it would be like to have a family. Not those bucking idiots who abandoned me, but somepony who actually cared.”
“You have us, Rainbow; me, Fluttershy, Rarity, and AppleJack and Pinkie too.”

“Heh, yeah, I know. GAAAAH! I must be tired if I'm gushing about this sorta crap. You tell anyone ‘bout this, Twi, and next time me and Pinkie go pranking, you’re the target all day.”

“Don't worry. I won't mention it to anyone... Does AJ know?”

“Yeah, though she doesn't make a big deal out of it, since she went through the same stuff after her parents died and all. Why are you asking about AJ... never mind.”

“Get some sleep, Rainbow. I'll see you later.”

“Yup, later.”

Dash slipped out, leaving Twilight alone in the library.

“Well that was informative and depressing... Wait a moment… Where's Spike?”

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