The Battle for Equestria: Spike vs. King Ghidorah

by Dashzilla93

A Guardian Emerges

It happened so suddenly. Like a flash, she didn't expect and never braced for. In a blink of an eye, the peace she longed for crumbled and scorched under her hooves as she ran across the grass.

All she wanted was to get together with friends and have a wonderful tea party. Catch up with them after not meeting for three months. Everything was going so well. Now, she ran through the forest tundra, evading burning trees and shrubbery that got in her way.

The smoke thickened the air around her, making her cough occasionally. It was getting difficult for Fluttershy to breathe and all she could see were burning foliage and dark smoke. The level of heat around her felt uncomfortable, but she was not gonna stop. She had to find Harry and going west was the right way. She hoped she didn't get lost. She briefly looked up, considering the option to fly and avoid the burning tundra around her. But, she hesitated at the thought; she didn't want to risk getting struck by an oncoming lightning bolt, especially after it caused that damage around her home.

Yet, strangely enough, when she did look up she saw no trace of sparks igniting in the sky. Was that a perfect opportunity to fly? Fluttershy didn't know but she had to try. Fluttershy spread her wings and flapped –

A big burning piece of tree bark broke off and fell on top of Fluttershy's back, scrapping down hard across her left wing and left haunch. Fluttershy let out an agonized scream as the feathers on her wing caught on fire and her leg was almost rendered useless. In a panic, Fluttershy ducked and rolled across the ground to try and brush the fire off her skin – she succeeded, but she was far from safe and she accidentally smacked the right side of her head hard against a rock. Fluttershy grabbed the side of her face and cried out in unbearable pain.

She tried to get back up as she held her head but every inch her body made felt like she was being assaulted by scorpion stingers and being stomped on by a hippo pod. She was agile and maneuverable, but she was leagues behind Rainbow Dash and she cursed herself for how fragile her body was. If only she took the time to focus on a decent workout and hardened herself physically like some of her friends, this would've been so much easier. She looked at her hind leg and wing and groaned in pain and shame. She was scraped and burned across her body and what's worse was the fires spreading around her. She started to get scared, fearing her life would end right here. Not like this. All she wanted was to find Harry and tell him what had happened, what she had seen, where she had been. What had happened to the forest. What had happened to her. And what happened to Grace, his beloved mate.

Memories started to flow by of her with her animal friends. How everyone had a good time, enjoyed her company and among each other. Herbivores and carnivores alike; there was no bad blood. If there was, she'd straighten it out. She made it her goal to be there and fix any problem her animal friends had whether it be for company, playtime, or if one got injured she'd nurse them back to health if she could or be there if they needed moral support. She would try her damnedest to help them if they needed it. It got to a point where even other animals had her back in taking the same role as her – Harry was one of them.

A mighty predator yet he had such a tender heart. A grizzly bear with such raw power but barely used it. Much like Angel and the others who resided in her cottage, Harry was not too far behind and he always had her back when she needed it. She remembered meeting him as a teenager, an adolescent who had shown up around her cottage one day and he first scared the other animals for how big he was – causing them to panic a little and run from him; how he relished in showing off how strong he could be. Fluttershy was startled, at first, but she saw that he actually meant no harm; he just wanted some fun by doing a few jumpscares. And on that fateful encounter, she approached him with a sincere and welcoming smile on her face. She remembered how he tried to scare her off, too, with a bear's signature stance of standing up tall on two legs and letting out a mighty roar. But, she just stood there with no hint of fear in her eyes – just a kind smile and nothing more. Though she received a frightening roar from him in an attempt to scare her, Harry received a playful boop on the snout in return from her. Fluttershy nearly chuckled at how confused yet surprised Harry had looked, but it sure was enough to stop him and show just how much of an innocent teddy bear he actually really was.

To this day, she still had no idea how she does it; some ponies called her a 'child of Gaia', whoever that was, or just mother nature in pony form. Complements, aside, she just did what she did. It was in her nature, ironic as that was.

But, over time, Harry grew up and eventually found another grizzly to call his mate. Grace was her name and how it fit her so well. Fluttershy didn't know how he had done it, but Harry won Grace over somehow and Grace was just as sweet as Harry was – even giving hugs out to anyone who needed it.

But, just like Harry, Grace was a pure grizzly bear and she was no pushover, either. One day a gang of six fight-happy, trouble-making wolves made themselves unannounced at her home and they decided the cottage was easy pickings, intending on striking down and killing any little creature that will try to stop them. Fluttershy was terrified of them; attempting to reason with them seemed like a deathtrap waiting to happen. But just when one was about to lunge at her, sweet Grace stepped in like a surprise hero from a movie, letting out a mighty roar at the wolf and she then showed Fluttershy just enough to convince her just exactly what Harry saw in her. Lunging into battle, a few bites at those who dared get too close or tried to get past her, and a few hard swipes, they were all it took and the wolves turned tail and ran with said tails between their legs, whimpering in fear. And from then on, Grace and Harry became like guardians watching over her home if anything were to stir up trouble.

Life went on until she soon found out Grace was carrying a cub in her; she was over the moon and felt so proud of Harry and Grace for this next step. Harry, of course, was as nervous as a woodland chipmunk to know he was gonna be a papa bear but she was there to comfort him and let him know that everything was gonna be alright.

The birth of their cub was a memory she would not forget. She couldn't recall how many times Harry fainted from seeing Grace push when it was time to deliver. It was hilarious but it ended when they heard the whimpers and high-pitched calls of a small grizzly cub nestled beside Grace. A small baby boy cub that they named Daryl. Quite an interesting name, but she'd roll with it.

Then, everything was right with her world up until Spike left for the migration, and then three months later, this freak storm happened. Fluttershy wasn't one to use foul language, but damn it all, why did this have to happen? She used what strength she had left to push herself up and lean against the rock she hit her head on. She could still feel the fires approaching around her and the heat coating her skin. She could still breathe but the smoke just made it tricky. She should've gone with Twilight. She could've been with them instead of here. Hell, for all she knew Harry could've taken Daryl and left.

She chuckled to herself. Burned, bruised, beaten, and fragile to the core, yet here she was still alive, "How do I keep getting myself into these things?" She asked herself, recalling events like the Manticore, Hydra, etc. She survived it all and now here she was inside a burning forest about to be cooked alive. It was rather funny and ironic. All those dangerous animals she'd encountered and her cowardly soul survived them all.

Cowardly?

Even with all the dangers of the world, she still called herself a coward? She's been called that dozens of times; more so than names like 'stupid' or 'pansy' or even a 'doormat'. They were right. She was a coward and she wasn't scared to admit it. Yet, here she was risking her life to find her friend and his son and she failed. If Harry was around, she would've hugged him; and given Daryl a hug, too. Unfortunately, she wasn't gonna get that chance. So, what more could she do? She closed her eyes and accepted her fate.

A sudden drop fell and landed on her burnt cheek. Then another fell on her forehead. Fluttershy opened her good eye and looked around before another drop landed on her muzzle, startling her. Confused, she looked up and was shocked to find a new cloud pushing back the much darker cloud. She was baffled but relieved to see something good.

Then two more drops landed beside her, then five more. Then it began to rain. Everything was being pelted with cold drops of water, including herself.

Fluttershy smiled softly at this unexpected change. Finally, a miracle came through. It felt nice and the sudden wind began to blow the smoke away while the cold temperature began to moisten the air. Fluttershy could breathe normally again, but moving was not even an option. She was hurt and with no medical aid by her side, all she could do was wait until someone arrived.

The rain felt good. It drenched her fur and washed away blood that tainted her body. She closed her eyes again, feeling tired but she was awake enough to feel the rejuvenating rain cleanse away the damaging flames and soothing winds blow away the rotten smoke.

Her worries about dying were now out the window and she could soak in the fact that someone watched over her and protected her from suffering a gruesome fate. But, that still didn't save the fact one did end up like that. She opened her eye again and a tear leaked down her cheek. She couldn't stay here. She had to move on. She needed to tell Harry.

She had no idea what or who summoned this rain, maybe it was that Gaia creature, or something. She wasn't sure, but she could not let this opportunity go to waste.

She began to push herself back up. She groaned in pain from the damages she received but she couldn't stop. She needed to get up. For once, she was gonna throw away her cowardly stature and be strong like her friends. She grunted painfully but she pushed herself off the rock and landed back on her hooves, letting out a pained yelp as she did.

She did it! But she wasn't out of the frying pan, yet. She looked around and could see clearly that the rain washed out most of the flames. That was a great sign. But she looked down at the charred grass and followed her gaze to her right. As she looked, she was met with a wave of relief and tons of fortunate luck. Just a half a mile away, in front of a grass field fit for anyone to walk through, was a large den built from the ground up in all sorts of foliage like branches, logs, and so on. It was a good-sized den that looked like it would hold two medium-sized animals; the trees above it provided excellent shade and right now they served as a natural shield for the soft rain. Fluttershy recognized that den anywhere and she hastily limped to it as best as her body could allow.

Unbeknownst to Fluttershy, an eerie animal-like shadow loomed within the trees behind her and leered sharp, predatory, yellow eyes at. It began to follow her quietly and slowly like a ninja out on a mission. Each step never made a single noise.

*****

Harry planted himself in the back of his den with his cub nestled close to his body. They were fully aware of the storm that broke out and the smell of flames could not be any more obvious. He had the option to run with his son, but his beloved mate was still away finding them food. He hoped she was alright and that she would make it back safe, and that she would be with them, so they could leave together.

Not only that, but he wished Fluttershy well in protecting herself from this bizarre, devastating disaster. How this all happened he did not know, but he knew he had to stay and wait. He heard tiny whimpers under him and he looked down to find a small bear cub nestled against his fur.

His son, Daryl, was scared and shaken. The little cub had no idea what was going on, but a soft nuzzle from his father eased his worry a little, but like his father he missed his mother, too. He looked up at his father with innocent, frightened eyes as he whimpered to him, with a growl of fear and almost near tears. He wanted this nightmare to end.

Harry saw the look in his son's eyes and understood him. He wanted it to end, too. But he just didn't know how it started, or what caused it. If it were a storm, he'd hear rain by now. All he heard was nothing but destruction and the searing flames dancing outside, and then his nostrils were pelted with the stench of burning smoke that started to enter his cave. He braced himself and kept his son covered with his paw. He knew that the flames would soon be upon them, he could feel the heat starting to come in with a few embers. He braced himself against his son while his son cried out in fear from the hell blazing outside.

'Dad!' His son coughed out from the smoke and in fear, groaning in worry as he could see the smoke and fire coming in. 'We're trapped!'

Harry lowered his head down from the smoke and shielded the cub as much as he could, nudging him deeper into the den towards a secret tunnel small enough for his son to squeeze through, and it led right out of the den. He noticed the fearful look in Daryl's eyes as he gingerly nudged him towards the secret exit, just in case, he groaned softly and rested his forehead against his son, knowing just how terrifying this is. They both didn't want to die, but whatever was happening out there seems to want to make sure that they do. But he wasn't about to let it take his son, when the right moment comes, he'd tell his son to get through the tunnel and run. Run away and never look back.

'Daddy, I'm scared…!' Daryl cried against his father, begging him that they would somehow get out of here alive. The fires were starting to flood the entrance of the den, further increasing his fear as he braced against his father's body.

Harry nudged him into the secret opening, gingerly holding his paw and giving his son a little reassuring lick on the cheek before lying down and carefully blocking the exit with his body to prevent the smoke and fire from getting to his son. He looked to the fires that were coming in and braced himself for what was going to come. There was no way he was going to let his son be burned alive. If this was gonna be it, he's going to go down protecting his boy. At least he'd hope his son would make it out of it.

He was about to close his eyes until the faint scent of water caught his snout. Then the sound of rustling sang to him. He lifted his head but couldn't tell if the fire finally reached them thanks to the annoying smoke around them. Daryl curled his small form against his father, whimpering in fear, and shivered occasionally, unaware of what was going on.

Harry looked at the entrance intensely and waited for something to happen. Then the wind suddenly blew into the cave and pushed out the smoke and embers that invaded his home. Harry braced himself but was instantly met with a soft breeze as the ambiance of soft rain began to sing and the sound of scorching fire began to slowly dim as if it walked away and gave up a search that ran cold. The little embers that got stuck in the opening of his cave dying from the soft rain.

Harry waited for another minute before he let out a heavy sigh of relief. The fire was gone before any more damage could be done and the rain came at the nick of time. He dipped his head down and nudged his son to look.

Daryl flinched and looked up at his dad before he gazed over to find his home was not gonna burn. He squealed excitedly, but he was still hesitant to move. He was not gonna risk getting burned even if the rain came down.

Harry understood that clear as day. But he was more than willing to head outside to check if the coast was clear. He got up as Daryl rolled on his back with a surprised squeak before he rolled himself back up and curiously looked at his dad, wondering what he was doing.

Daryl called to his dad with a curious grunt, but Harry walked up and poked his head outside. The flames around the forest were put out, but he saw the damage it had done. The grizzly let out a small wheeze from the damage of what he could see. Trees stood tall as they always did but the scars from the fires took their toll on them and he couldn't make heads or tails if any other animal survived this onslaught.

He was about to walk out of his den until something called to him, "H-Harry!" a familiar soft and gentle voice soothed his ears.

Harry perked up. His eyes pinpointed where the voice came from. It didn't sound like Grace's voice, but that didn't stop him from letting out a low groan, calling back, and letting them know he was there. A silhouette of a pony could be seen within the soft rain and right away, he knew just who it was; it brought the grizzly such joy and relief to know she was alive, and that she was searching for him and Daryl.

Harry ran out, rushing over to Fluttershy. Daryl scampered behind, following his father. Harry let out excited hollers, but he immediately skidded to a stop when he saw Fluttershy in front of him, looking worse for wear.

Fluttershy watched as Harry approached and was thrilled to see he was unharmed. Though the shocked look on him was expected, too. She was banged up and she knew it. But, she kept a smile on her face to let Harry know she was alright. That she was still standing and not going anywhere.

But Harry wasn't convinced. Fluttershy's entire frame unnerved him to no end. Her yellow fur was now a faint pink. The right side of her face was swollen and bruised. He winced in shock from how bad her left side looked – her left wing looked was void of feathers and nearly resembled a fried chicken wing, and along that was a badly scraped burn mark that left a charred trail across her body down to her leg, barley grazing her cutie-mark. And she was drenched from the rain. Fluttershy looked like hell and Harry couldn't hold back how much it hurt him. The bear felt so guilty. He could've gone out to look for her if he knew she was gonna do this.

Daryl walked up to his father and squeaked at him. He looked ahead to find someone new in front of him. Or, at least it could've been someone new if Daryl didn't recognize who it was. The cub smiled happily and rushed up to Fluttershy, reaching up and hugging her close with a joyful grunt. 'Auntie Fwuttershy!'

Fluttershy smiled back and giggled at the cub's excitement. She was happy he recognized her long enough to feel comfortable. Poor cub could've been so scared if it was someone else.

But, Fluttershy looked up to Harry, again. Her smile dipped and became a somber and sad frown. Harry looked at her, confused. It took him a minute before he realized what that look meant. He quickly looked around the area and knew right away something wasn't right. Fluttershy came here, all alone. Why did she come here alone? Harry grunted to her, asking where Grace was. She had to have seen her. She wouldn't leave her alone unless something was going on.

Fluttershy kept her sorrowful gaze on Harry. She tried to muster the words to tell him, but for some reason, she couldn't. Her breathing became quick and difficult, almost as if what she wanted to say became recluse and stagnant. Her good eye shut, her lips quivered, the pressure became too much. She let go of Daryl as Daryl backed up, looking at Fluttershy confused and concerned. "H-Harry… I…"

Harry watched as Fluttershy dropped down and cried in front of the bears. Her drenched mane covered her head, but that didn't stop them from the pain she let out before them. Not just because of the pain from her injuries, but what she held in. Harry couldn't take it and he walked up to Fluttershy and carefully carried her in his arms, hugging her like he usually would. Right away, Fluttershy planted her face in his fur and bawled as she hugged him quite tightly. All she could muster was a hesitated, muffled pained, "G-G-Grace!" before breaking down in his fur. That was all she could get out of her system before everything that had happened took its toll on her, especially with what happened. It was right then Harry knew what she meant by that.

His eyes widened in shock and horror. He didn't want to believe it. He wanted it to be a nightmare. But, he had Fluttershy in his arms, crying in such agony. Fluttershy was never known to be a liar, Harry almost considered it but from how Fluttershy looked... he just couldn't deny it. He grunted lightly at his caretaker and his closest friend, he wanted to know what happened to her. Where she was. And if he could see her.

Fluttershy snapped her head up and looked at Harry with a red, puffy, teary eye. He wanted to see her? But, she looked back to Daryl and then to Harry. She didn't know if Daryl was ready for that. It would tear him apart. But Harry shook his head. Like him, Grace would've wanted her son to give her his goodbyes. He may be too young to understand, but he'd pull through. Fluttershy took a moment to think as she rubbed her good eye before she nodded, granting him his wish. Though Harry would be damned if he was gonna let Fluttershy walk.

Daryl playfully swiped at some leaves that floated in the air thanks to the gentle wind. The fire was all but gone and now he didn't have to worry about any danger around him, so he got too distracted to pay any attention to what his aunt Fluttershy and dad were talking about and was more fixated on what the environment provided as entertainment for the little cub. He then sat down and, for once, took in the cool temperature the moist weather created. The energetic cub looked around. The mist in front of him was so thick, he could barely see what was in front of him, he waved his paw through the mist and it swirled around his paw like a wisp. He thought about going off to see if he could catch the mist for some silly reason but then he remembered what his dad told him and didn't want to risk another roar from him. He was only a couple of feet away from his father and Fluttershy, so keeping an eye on him was no issue.

He went to swipe at some more leaves until a faint snap-like noise caught his attention. He looked straight ahead of him and watched the misty wall, confused yet curious. He sat down and eyed it for a moment, fixated on what he just heard. His dad and aunt Fluttershy's conversation was muffled to him, his little ears acting as radars. For others, the ghost-like terrain looked creepy and understandably unwelcoming, but for the little cub, it was like playing a game of hide-and-seek.

He knew he heard something and he was keen to find out who it was. If something scary was out there, his dad would not hesitate to scare them off, so there was no need to worry; he was well protected. His ears twitched a bit as the sound of a much louder snap echoed in his ears.

Daryl's eyes widened. There was no denying it, something was with them and hiding from them. But what? He tilted his head confusedly.

What could be approaching? Was it a monster? Was it another friend of his father's and aunt's?

Could it be his mother?

Daryl perked his ears excitedly at that. It had to be. There was no other way it couldn't be.

His mom! She'd found her way back!

Daryl got up on all fours and let out a welcoming, happy holler to call his 'mother' and let her know he was there. A shadow suddenly came into view; it was big; around the size as his mother's. The young cub couldn't take it anymore, the mental shackles binding him broke off and he dashed for the shadow. He let out another excited holler, so thrilled he would get to see her again, a big grin on his little face. But as he ran, the shadow began to grow in size. Daryl quickly stopped and looked up in shock. The shadow was now twice as tall, about as tall if not taller than his father. Did it grow or was it that big when he got close?

Daryl's excitement shifted to fear as he hunched down, starting to shake from the sight. Did an elephant stumble over here? If it did, why was it here? It wasn't until two shining, yellow eyes appeared – then the shadow began to grow a little more. Daryl's fear turned into terror; he almost ran into a complete stranger and yet it seemed like he had never gotten close to it. Daryl's body began to really shake. He then looked down at the shadow's legs until a claw phased out of the mist, gripping the ground, just inches from him.

A couple of loud, squeaky squeals grabbed Harry's and Fluttershy's attention as they looked just in time to see the cub hurrying to them. Daryl rushed by and ran behind his father, shaking like a distressed puppy.

Concerned, both grizzly and pegasus looked over to where Daryl ran from to see what it was that spooked him. They wished they hadn't. Immediately, Harry was on the defense and growled at whoever dared approach them. Now was not the time to be dealing with any unwanted guests and he'd be damned if they were going anywhere near his son and injured friend. Harry glared defiantly and protectively at the shadow and roared at it in an attempt to scare it off.

But it never budged. It's as if Harry's warning meant nothing to it and it just brought the creature even closer to them as it approached while the grown bear growled and roared at the creature.

Fluttershy was scared and worried. So, she was followed, after all! Great, just what she needed right now. Bad enough she went through hell to find Harry, now someone or something followed her. But, who was it? How could she not hear it? She wiped tears away from her good eye but tensed up from Harry's roar. Once Harry stopped, she carefully wiped the tears off her black eye and looked out to see that the shadow was about to take form. Even if she couldn't see its form, she knew it was massive; by her estimate, she guessed it looked twenty-five feet tall. Then she heard the creature's footsteps. They sounded so light for something so big. She looked up at Harry and saw his attempt to scare off the creature failed, and that his bravery slowly crumbled into fear once he realized that his attempts to frighten what was approaching them were failing. Harry wasn't normally scared of other animals, but this felt so different.

She looked back at the creature as it made its presence known, leering down with the same yellow eyes it gave to Daryl. As the mist cleared, she saw what the creature looked like. She was mesmerized, yet still terrified. Bigger than an elephant, but not as much as a hydra.

The creature was bipedal and displayed a strong, cotton-white, armor-like skin with smooth-like plates that overlapped one another and ran down its chest to its underbelly. Its four legs were armored the same way but the front legs had black patches in front of its shoulders and had four rows of spikes that lined down on the sides of its front legs and the armored forearms were a tinted black; the back legs were the same but thicker. Its claws were a deep shade of purple, but Fluttershy knew what they were meant for.

"Whoa," Fluttershy said quietly before she looked up at the creature's head and upper body.

Large, spike-like protrusions curved on top of the creature's shoulders and yellow glowing lights flickered from under them. She didn't know what they were, but from the looks of them, they nearly reminded her of the back of a shark's fin tail if they were more like cylinders and armored. But its head really gave her that shark-like feel.

Its head almost resembled a great white's torpedo-like build and the horn-like spikes on its head were a great indicator. But that's where her shark comparison ended when she saw the long tusks hanging from the sides of the creature's jaw – almost like an elephant's tusks but much, much thicker. She then looked at it as a whole and realized it looked more agile like a jaguar but stood proudly and nobly like an alpha wolf.

Come to think of it, the large creature seemed to bear no intention to harm them. Fluttershy looked at its cat-like eyes thoroughly and saw no ill-will, malice, and hatred, but saw calmness, gratitude, and – once it looked over to her – pride. It looked proud... of her? Something felt off here.

She wondered something before she looked up to Harry, "Harry, could you put me down? I don't think it's here to cause harm," Fluttershy asked calmly, but Harry looked at her as if she asked him to put her on her death bed. There was no way he was gonna let go of her, not after the hell she'd been through. What made her think this creature wasn't gonna turn her into its next meal?

Harry shook his head, refusing to do so and even took a step back from the mysterious being, nudging his son back as well.

Fluttershy smiled softly and understood Harry's denial. She didn't trust this creature either, but she was willing to hear it out since it came here for a reason, "Harry, I know you're just trying to keep me safe. Believe me, I don't trust this thing either, but, you can trust me on this on. I've handled tons of dangerous animal's before – Manny the manticore, Cleo the crocodile – " she snickered and sneakingly teased her bear friend " – you."

Harry widened his eyes at that remark and pouted at her for that. Yes, he knew he was kind of a trouble-maker when he was a teenager, but that was then and this was now. And now was not a good time to tease him when there's a giant shark-tiger-wolf thing right in front of them! She said she didn't trust it, yet she still wanted to talk to it? Did she really hit her head that hard to think it was a good idea to talk to this giant amalgamation of some of nature's deadliest predators? What's next, a giant komodo dragon with spikes down its back that stood as he did? Fat chance of that!

But Fluttershy was content that nothing would happen and that the new creature wasn't here to harm them, "Harry, please, calm down. Trust me on this, he may look scary but – "

'Forgive me for my intrusion,' a female voice called out to them, making them pause and look at each other as if they were struck with hallucination darts. The voice sounded strong and focused like a take-action leader, but calm and welcoming like a friend-in-the-making.

Daryl peeked from behind his father and gazed up at the giant creature before him, then noticed its eyes flashed a bright white.

'I've come here not to cause harm, but to search for someone,' the voice announced.

Fluttershy and Harry looked up at the creature, bewildered and surprised – well, embarrassed in Fluttershy's case.

"Er, I mean 'she'," Fluttershy blushed, looking away awkwardly for such a silly accusation.

Harry would've laughed, but he was more fixated on how this humongous she-devil-looking monster was able to talk without moving her maw. This must've been a spell or something, but Fluttershy's friends weren't around to do any of that, so... how the bloody hell did this giant chimera learn to speak like that? Was he in the presence of a goddess or something?

But the creature wasn't appalled. She just brushed it off and resumed, 'If you'll allow me to introduce myself, I am Balkzardan. I am one of Gaia's children and one of the guardians of forests.'

Fluttershy widened her good eye and was stead-silent from that kind of introduction. Did she hear that right? She pointed a shaky hoof at Balkzardan and asked her hesitantly, making sure she wasn't hearing things, "G-Gaia? As in Mother Nature? Goddess of the forest? Deity of Equestria? That Gaia?"

A simple nod from Balkzardan was all it took to answer Fluttershy's question.

Fluttershy could faint right now but also wanted to bop herself on the head for not noticing it sooner. Now she understood why some ponies referred to her as a 'child of Gaia'. Gaia was the goddess of life! It all made sense now. As a filly, she heard so many stories about Gaia and how she used her powers to protect the forests of Equestria from any threats. How she was the most beautiful creature and how she molded Equestria's forests into her own image. But, the stories were very vague on her actual appearance; some say it was an alicorn, an earth pony mare, or a giant condor. Even still, now that she remembered, she believed Gaia was real and that the forests still looked as beautiful as they always did. But, she couldn't recall stories of Gaia ever having children. Let alone something like Balkzardan. This was truly something to take in.

That answered one of his questions. Unlike Fluttershy, Harry never heard of anything related to Gaia or Balkzardan; no stories, folktales, rumors, nothing. This was all new to him and it still confused the ever-loving daylights out of him. He looked at Fluttershy and still thought he shouldn't let her go, but the excited look on Fluttershy's face told him a lot. He looked back at Balkzardan and noticed the noble look in her eyes. If what Balkzardan said was true, then he probably should abide by her word. He still didn't trust her, but he trusted Fluttershy to know she could handle this.

Harry gently placed Fluttershy down on the ground. Fluttershy was confused and looked at Harry who looked back with a trusting smile and a slight nod. Harry trusted Fluttershy more than anything and he'd be here if she needed him.

Fluttershy then looked at Balkzardan and limped over to her, ignoring the pain she had before. An animal created by Gaia just revealed herself to her; it was such a phenomenon, that she just had to get closer to her. An opportunity such as this was something she never expected to get; she had several questions to ask her. Like she and every pony in Equestria always did, they'd bow to Princess Celestia and Luna to show respect and welcome upon their arrival; Balkzardan shouldn't be any different, right? Fluttershy wanted to show some respect to her. The guardian of the forest remained as she was and allowed Fluttershy to come close, but she tilted her head at how injured Fluttershy looked.

This would simply not do and she was glad she arrived when she did.

Balkzardan watched as Fluttershy attempted to bow, but the deity stopped her, 'Fluttershy, please refrain from that,' Balkzadan requested and Fluttershy quickly complied as she gazed up a bit worried if she offended her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just wanted to approach you properly and give – wait," Fluttershy looked up at Balzardan, surprised as she realized that she had called her by name. "H-How do you know my name?" Fluttershy never introduced herself, nor did she ever mention anything about it. Was she all-knowing?

Balkzardan eyed Fluttershy for a second until the yellow holes on her shoulders began to flicker. Fluttershy looked confused until she noticed the mist began to slither to life and circle around her and encase her body, making her disappear from view. Fluttershy yelped in pain which caused Harry and Daryl to call out in worry. Harry was about to go on the defense until he and his son saw the unthinkable; Fluttershy's wing began to repair itself and the scraps and patches of furless skin began to regenerate.

Fluttershy didn't know what was going on or knew what Balkzardan had planned, but she started to feel her pain begin to subside. Her black eye began to twitch until she was able to open it again. The pain in her back suddenly vanished and her stubby featherless wing became heavy, again. She looked at her injury to find it was gone; she was whole again!

The mist faded away and Fluttershy could be seen completely healed. Fluttershy looked back at Harry and Daryl with a good-as-new face and bright smile before she looked back at Balkzardan who felt proud of her work. Harry and Daryl were more than thrilled to see their dearest friend completely healed; it was a miracle, but how? They didn't care, either way, Fluttershy was healed and Harry wanted to give her another hug, a real big one to really show his relief and happiness.

"You healed me," Fluttershy said to Balkzardan with a smile of gratitude and respect. "Thank you." She bowed before Balkzardan.

But Balkzardan simply smiled down at her and shook her head at her, and humbly said to her, "You're welcome, but there's no need for formal greetings, Fluttershy. In fact, I'm just as honored to meet you myself." Saying that brought a wave of honor to the pegasus and Balkzardan knew it.

Fluttershy stood back up and felt so bashful she said that; she didn't know how to respond to that. It nearly brought her tears. A goddess saying she was honored to meet a mere mortal like her, what can anyone say to something like that? How could she approach that? Never before had she wanted something so much in her life she didn't know she needed until it came and said it right to her face.

But, Balkzardan continued, 'You may not know it, but I know of you and your friends since you saved the world on multiple occasions. The guardians and I commend you six for your acts of heroism,' She then looked at the sky and gazed at the dark cloud over Ponyville. Her noble, calm attitude then turned into a serious one as she looked down at Fluttershy, again, showing eyes of concern and worry.

'But, I'm afraid today is a day that my friends and I must step in and aid you all in stopping an evil far greater than anything you've faced before,' Balkzardan said with a hint of an offer in that tone. And Fluttershy picked that up the moment Balkzardan said it.

"Wait, what?" The small yellow pegasus curiously asked

'Fluttershy, before I explain, I must ask you something,' Fluttershy looked at Balkzardan, curiously. 'Will you link with me? I would love to have your help in this fight.'

Fluttershy's eyes then widened at that request and she just sat there as she tried desperately to process what the hell she just heard, "You... want me to what and what now?"

'I would like to link with you, Fluttershy. Your loyalty to the forest has earned a great deal of respect from me and the other forest guardians. But, I'm afraid they are too scared to join us in this fight.'

Fluttershy rubbed the side of her head and looked away from Balkzardan in thought. She still had questions that needed answering, but considering the circumstance, she didn't have that much time. Throwing the thought of other forest guardians aside, her friends must be worried about her and whatever attacked them must be at Ponyville right now. Yet, she still needed to show Harry and Daryl before she can agree to this.

She looked back at Harry and Daryl who watched, suspense covering their entire bodies like a blanket. They were just as confused, but they had to know what happen to Grace. That was her main goal from the start. She looked away from them before she gazed back up at Balkzardan, "I still have a lot of questions to ask you, but... I will do it on one condition."

Balkzardan looked puzzled by this sudden request but was interested to know what the condition was. She should've expected something like that, but the whole time she thought Fluttershy would've just jumped right in, but, still, 'Anything you wish, Fluttershy.' She was willing to cooperate, but it had to be quick since a big threat was already upon them.

"Take us back to my home. I have something… actually, someone… my friend and his son need to see," Fluttershy said as she motioned Harry and Daryl who now looked very concerned and worried by what she meant by that.

Balkzardan nodded, 'As you wish, Fluttershy. Are you ready?'

With a nod from Fluttershy, Balkzardan's eyes shined a bright yellow. Fluttershy gasped softly as her eyes shined like Balkzardan's.

Harry and Daryl watched in bewilderment as these two started this up. Fluttershy and Balkzardan suddenly stood still like statues and it kinda freaked them out. They don't know what just happened, but they hoped Fluttershy was alright. First, some freak storm appeared and set afire, then Grace went missing, then Fluttershy got injured, and now a giant Gaia dog-shark thing showed up and needed Fluttershy for something.

Harry sighed exhaustively and took a seat, he felt as though he could really go for ripe fruit or hard cider. 'What I wouldn't give for a drink of that cider those hillbilly farmer friends of Fluttershy's make… after today, I'm gonna need at least a barrel of the stuff.'

Daryl just plopped on his stomach and tried to make sense of today. 'What is going on today?...'

As she locked her gaze onto Balkzardan's, she waited patiently but nothing happened right away. Fluttershy was a tad confused and was about to ask Balkzardan if there was something she needed to do to make this process work until her body felt numb all of a sudden. She closed her eyes a second until she slowly opened them and suddenly found herself in a space-like void that displayed multiple screens, showcasing creatures she never knew existed. She took her first step into the void, but she couldn't hear her steps. But that was little concern as she ventured through, watching any screen that crossed her path.

She didn't know what to make of all of it, but it was quite an exhilarating experience. She saw so much but knew so little.

It was hard to describe any of these creatures, but one crossed by and she saw one creature that resembled a reptilian mole with red skin, a long horn on its head, and floppy ears; it looked kinda cute to her, yet still so scary and mesmerizing, too. The window began to fade right as she noticed the red creature was protecting an egg. How very strange, but very fascinating and otherworldly. A creature like that existed in Equestria? She chuckled at herself for asking such a ridiculous question.

She looked over to find another screen to find another giant creature emerge from the ocean and walked on to land. Like the other one, this one was reptilian. However, this one had lighter red skin with brown and black bumpy patches all around its body aside from the tan underbelly. It was bipedal and stood much taller than the other reptilian giant. It sported fins from the top of its head down to its back and its tail opened up to show a much larger fin; in a way, it resembled a fan when it did that. Fluttershy was astonished. Was this some kind of marine reptile she never knew about? She knew about sea snakes, whales, sharks, dolphins, so many sea-life. But, not once has she heard anything about this creature. It looked like it belonged in a bygone era. When, she had no clue. But, the thought of meeting a prehistoric creature never crossed her mind. Were prehistoric species still roaming Equestria? How was she not aware of this? Fluttershy felt so dumb, but she was honestly excited and yet she was so terrified to know this giant existed. No, to know all these giants existed. If only she knew their names, she'd make it her next goal to meet them.

As that one screen disappeared, she looked around to find another one before it present itself to her and showcased a creature she thought wasn't possible to exist. Unlike the last two who were reptiles, this one was mammal-like in appearance. A giant mammal-like creature just resting on the side of a mountain like it was meditating. Fluttershy could barely make out its appearance, but she noticed its face looked dog-like and it sported thick dirty yellow fur that covered its chest up to the shoulders and over its head and ears. It kind of looked like a lion's mane the way it was presented. Fluttershy squinted a little before she noticed its ears were droopy. She tilted her head but chuckled, getting the idea they might be floppy like the first creature she saw. How funny. Though, despite the ears, the creature looked more fierce than cute. Then it dawned on her, with the way it was and how it looked, it felt like it was a king looking over its kingdom; she looked down to see where it was looking at then noticed a plateau with few buildings and a large shrine with a statue facing the creature.

She tilted her head a little in confusion before she took a closer look to find something familiar, "Is that a... farm?" Then a pony walked out of the farm and looked up at the creature. It looked like a mare and she held her hooves up as if she were praying. "It can't be...?" Fluttershy focused a little more on the mare praying to the sleeping giant. It was tough to see who the mare was, but all she could make out was a strangely familiar yellow-colored mane.

Before she could look any further, the screen quickly faded and the mare along with the giant disappeared. Fluttershy snapped out of her investigative stupor and looked straight ahead, getting back on track and trekked on. Still, that farm looked vaguely familiar and the mare in question couldn't have been her; it must've been a coincidence or something. Perhaps Balkzardan would now? Fluttershy nodded to herself; that was her only option. It didn't take long until she found Balkzardan herself standing next to a screen. Fluttershy approached her but watched over the screen.

She wished she hadn't.

The screen played a scene so horrifying, it made her take back what she thought about the giants she saw minutes ago. A city under attack by a gargantuan creature covered entirely of gold. A three-headed deity so nightmarish, it represented one of her biggest fears. One she thought she got over after she and her friends became friends and allies with the dragons. But, seeing this thing rekindled that fear as it let out that eerily familiar bell-like sound before the beast let out a terrifying roar. Lightning and fire shot down from its body and ignited everything it touched into a blazing sunder. Its screeching howls and cries echoed as helpless ponies and other creatures suffered as they all succumbed to the scorching cocoons created by the monster.

Fluttershy looked away and ducked her head into her mane as the cries of anguish and roars of destruction rang like ear-bleeding music in her ear. Why? Why would a dragon like that be so cruel? To kill everything and everyone. Why was Balkzardan showing her this?

"Please, make it stop. I don't wanna hear anymore of this," Fluttershy pleaded, begging Balkzardan to cease this display of carnage.

She complied and stopped the screen with her paw, "That is who we're up against, Fluttershy. His name is Ghidorah – King Ghidorah. A dragon of all dragons."

Fluttershy shakingly poked her head out and looked up at Balk with teary, fearful eyes, confused as all hell, "Why? Why would he do such a thing? Why is he so cruel?" she asked, utterly mortified by the fact a dragon used all that power for evil. It wasn't right!

She knew before dragons were terrifying creatures – especially the adults – but she didn't think the adults would go that far to kill everything on sight. There had to be a reason, but what? And, for the past years, nowadays, ponykind had made friends with the dragons – albeit shaky and tense, but she was thrilled to know there were dragons that were nice and so eager enough to talk ponies. The alliance is still fairly new, but the two species had made it work and no one ever attempted to start a war with one another. Why would they? A pony would be an absolute moron to start a fight with a dragon; it's suicide!

But, still, from what she saw on that screen, this dragon looked way more dangerous than the ones she encountered before; unstable, malicious, sadistic, and evil. And having three-headed dragons just amplified that by three. Even so, she never knew a three-headed dragon even existed, nor if she knew two-headed dragons existed. Was it the only one? This was insane!

Though, when she cautiously watched the screen, again, it seemed like it was attacking a city she was not familiar with. She wondered to herself about what Balkzardan was showing her. Did this happen in the past? How long she didn't know. Then a white speck came into the corner of her eye. Curious, she began to look a little closer until the sounds of different roars, shrieks, and howls washed over King Ghidorah's. Before her eyes appeared four other giants of different species; the same lion-dog giant she saw earlier roared at Ghidorah and took a fighting stance, then a giant flying turtle-like creature that floated in the air above blue fire appeared and bellowed defiantly at Ghidorah, and... two giants that resembled butterflies? She never knew insects could get that big; then again she really shouldn't question it. They both looked so distinct from one another. One was coated in colors of red, white, yellow, and orange; it looked so beautiful and very powerful despite its fluffy appearance. But the other butterfly just rubbed her the wrong way. Nothing about it made her think this thing was peaceful. Shades of black with red and purple colorings all adorn its horrific body; its red eyes even sparked her to flee despite it fighting back against Ghidorah. The two seemed to work together like yin and yang. How bizarre!

"Who are they?" Fluttershy asked. "And who's with them?" She blinked in surprise as she started to see something familiar about that speck, "Wait --" she focused carefully on the white speck among them. It darted across the screen as it tried to distract Ghidorah so the four giants could attack, but it seemed to barely faze him. Was it firing magic at the dragon? "Is that…?" The screen then zoomed in on the speck to show just who it was firing at this monster and Fluttershy immediately gasped in complete shock upon who she saw on the screen, "Princess Celestia?!"

She was befuddled. Celestia was there? Why? She looked up at Balkzardan as the chimera-beast nodded, confirming she was not seeing things. Fluttershy looked back and held her head, getting a bit of a headache from taking all this in.

'What you see before is a fight that took place long ago before you and your friends even came into the world. The creatures you see before you are known as Guardians, and Princess Celestia knew us quite well.' She smiled faintly at Princess Celestia on the screen. 'She was an ally… a friend, in your case this century… that we cherished so much before the battle even took place. Well, more so than others,' Balkzardan glanced at the dark butterfly before she looked down at Fluttershy who was rubbing her head so she wouldn't get herself a head-splitting headache.

"So, where do you come in? Did you join the fight?"

'I did and I wasn't alone.'

The screen showed Balkzardan rushing to join the fight and behind her charged two other giants that looked eager to throw down. Both were reptilian but looked vastly different from one another.

One was a dark brown creature that had its neck somewhat curved down. It possessed crests on its head that curved like a perfect crescent moon – Luna would've been intrigued by this giant if she had been there herself – and a very sharp nasal horn. It had scaly ridges that went down from its neck to its chest and appeared to be equipped with a whip-like tail. Fluttershy was intrigued by just how battle-focused this armored giant was. It looked like it was made for this fight.

The other one, however, seemed more like it was too invested to join the fight. It rushed in like a mad rhino and gave no damns who it knocked over. It was taller than the other one and had bulky arms to match the spring in its steps when it used its powerful legs to jump high in the air and dropkick Ghidorah hard enough to crash him to the dirt. It stood over Ghidorah and let out a gargle-like howl as it beat its chest in victory like an older sibling would when they'd whoop their friends or younger siblings in a game of wrestling. It bared ridges that traveled across its body and the light blue streaks distinguished which ridges were in place. Even though it was reptilian, it kind of acted like a happy chimpanzee when it slapped the ground. Fluttershy giggled when it danced on Ghidorah's back and slapped his heads a few times. In fact, seeing this goofy reptile and how it looked made her think of a dancing corn-on-the-cob with fangs. It was funny despite how tragic everything else was. Now was not a time and place to be acting like that.

But Ghidorah swatted him away with his tail and got back up. The fight still went on.

'My comrades and I fought as hard as we could, and we ultimately succeeded,' Balkzardan explained as she showed Fluttershy a scene where Princess Celestia, the two butterflies, Balkzardan and the crescent-horned reptile used what they had to seal Ghidorah away in a pillar and plunged it into a nearby mountain where Ghidorah would never see the light of day, again.

"So, what happened after that? Did you guys celebrate your victory?"

Balkzardan lightly shook her head and had a somber look in her eyes – while she would want to celebrate a hard-earned victory, Ghidorah did some irreparable damage that day – and on that day, there just wasn't enough energy nor was it the time for celebration, 'The battle was too much for all of use to bear. Ghidorah ended up killing a few of our allies and what was left of that city barely stood and too many lives were lost. We all ended up going our separate ways after what happened. We haven't seen each other in years and I doubt they'd want to.' With how that fight went down and the injuries they sustained, she'd be surprised if any of them would want to go for round two. She said her allies were willing to join, but that was a big if.

Fluttershy felt bad for her. After all the trouble they went through, someone was able to release Ghidorah? How? "Ghidorah was sealed away in a pillar. Someone must've released him. Have you figured out who?"

That was a good question, but she didn't know, "I wish I did. The only thing I know is that someone had released Ghidorah and he shared his powers with them; a soul link."

"Soul... link?" Fluttershy asked, confused by what she meant by that. "What does that do?

Balkzardan smiled confidently and was thrilled she asked her that question, the forest guardian replied to her with a little something that would no doubt make Fluttershy feel much, much better, 'It allows us to merge our souls into one and we will be able to feel what each other feel. Best part, you will gain my strength and powers once the link is set.'

Fluttershy perked up and looked at her as if she just said something that could only be done in movies. Was she serious? Was she for real? "You're kidding me, right? I get to have your powers? Really?!" Her fears and worries suddenly snapped into an erupted excitement that would make Pinkie Pie proud. "I get to have the powers of a goddess?"

Balkzardan was about to reply when Fluttershy gasped out loud in realization, "Does this mean I can help my friends win this fight?! How powerful am I going to be? What powers will I have? What powers do you have?!" She asked Balkzardan who looked down at her wondering where she got this level of energy from. It was quite funny, but welcoming and heartwarming to see her so curious to learn more about this.

Balkzardan snickered amusingly and told Fluttershy, 'Allow me to show you.' Her eyes shined a bright yellow as Fluttershy's mane began to static.

*****

Harry and Daryl waited for something to happen, for one of them to say something. Fluttershy and Balkzardan had stood there for what felt like minutes, hours? They couldn't tell; even with the sun blocked off, it felt like time was at a stand-still.

Harry got up and was about to walk over to Fluttershy to check if she was alright. It made him wonder if what Balkzardan said was true, that there was a greater threat out there and that she needed Fluttershy's help, but why specifically? The grizzly was so confused but he was worried, too. Worried that Fluttershy might've fallen for some kind of trap.

Daryl just sat there and looked at Balkzardan. He wasn't even gonna attempt to get close to her. She was massive, scary-looking, and not someone to play with. Her shiny eyes didn't make things any better either. One minute she had pupils, then next she didn't. This big creature was weird.

Harry walked around to see if Fluttershy was alright, but was greeted with hypnotic blank-white eyes. Harry flinched and groaned in confusion until those horrifying eyes of Fluttershy's began to surge electricity around the edges which got him to jump, startling him quite badly. Harry ran back to Daryl and as he did, Fluttershy's wings whipped open and bolts of electricity shot out from the tips of each feather. Her pink mane stood straight and shined a bright golden yellow. Harry dove and got over Daryl to protect him from what was going on, his son groaning in confusion, asking him what was happening. Fluttershy suddenly became a lightning rod? Since when the hell could she do that? It made no sense!

Suddenly, he felt the air around him begin to swirl. He gazed back and saw the misty air flow around Fluttershy as she began to float in mid-air without using her wings, yet Balkzardan remained unfazed by this. Was she the cause of Fluttershy's sudden shock-splosion? Just like his son, Harry was starting to get scared, too. A couple of lightning jolts shot out and blasted the ground near him. Harry dared not look.

Daryl howled in fear as the ground around him and his father exploded in bits near and far around them. What was Fluttershy doing? If she was trying to scare him, she was doing a good job. The little cub squealed as the booms went on.

Then a flash enveloped behind them, Daryl curled up and covered his eyes. Harry shut his eyes tight and braced for impact.

An explosion of light erupted like a morning sun then quickly faded as if it were a ghost. The noise from the explosion still rang in their ears, but they were not gonna budge until everything calmed down or flat-out stopped.

Seconds felt like minutes; minutes felt like hours. And, still, Harry didn't budge. He kept a grip on his son while his back was turned. He didn't know what just happened, but he hoped nothing bad happened to Fluttershy. Tinnitus kicked in hard and all they could hear was unbearable ringing. Then it slowly began to fade and Harry and Daryl began to hear the soft winds and light rain around them. Harry was relieved, barely. But, did he dare move himself? Like his son, he was too anxious and scared to move.

Then, a gentle hoof pressed against his back, pushing against his fur like a button, "Harry, are you okay?" Fluttershy said as though nothing had ever happened.

Harry's ears flicked, hearing her voice. He opened his eyes and thought for a moment that he tricked himself, thinking Fluttershy was alright. He didn't know if he should jump the gun and go for it or simply ignore it and hope this hallucination went away; Daryl thought the same and just wanted this nightmare to end.

But, Fluttershy called to him again, "Harry, you can turn your head now. It's all over. You can come out too, Daryl."

That right there was when both bears realized this was no hallucination. Fluttershy was alive! Harry let go of his son and quickly turned to meet his friend before he lunged and gave her a cheerful, solace hug, letting out a joyful roar. He was so happy she was alright and back to what she was. Daryl grinned and hurried to his aunt before jumping into his daddy's arms and joined in hugging her in joy.

Fluttershy was caught off-guard but giggled in delight that Harry and Daryl were so thrilled to see her, "Oh, Harry, it's alright." But Fluttershy returned her hug back and snuggled up to him, holding Daryl close in one arm while her other one was wrapped around Harry's waist. "I'm sorry if what happened scared you two."

Balkzardan remained momentarily quiet as she watched this; the bond that these creatures had with the pegasus, it was quite heartwarming to see how much they cared for her. She smiled lightly to herself as she watched them hug their dear friend in joy; she didn't want to interrupt their moment.

Harry placed both his son Fluttershy down before Daryl charged in and gave his auntie Fluttershy another hug. Fluttershy giggled again as she brought the young cub in for another tender hug... until she opened her eyes and looked up at Harry with a smile.

Harry widened his eyes and flinched so hard he collapsed onto his back as if someone slammed a whammy across his face, grunting in shock and almost fear at what he just saw. Fluttershy and Daryl looked at him confused, before he quickly righted himself and shakily pointed a claw at Fluttershy, huffing and grunting at what he's looking at. He tried so hard to talk, but all that came out were stuttered grunts and growls

Fluttershy placed Daryl down but Daryl looked at his father as if he suddenly became a paranoid squirrel or something. His father mentioned something was off, but he didn't know what he was talking about. Daryl looked up at Fluttershy and was about to ask her what his dad was on about before she looked down at him. He suddenly widened his eyes, too, and hopped away from her, as well, letting out a shocked squeal as he did and rushed over to his father, hopping into his arms for safety. He was startled and a bit frightened by what he just saw from Fluttershy.

Now Fluttershy was confused beyond belief. Both her bear-friends acted like they've either seen a ghost or had watched too many zombie movies during their visits at her cottage or here at their home; though that one, how these two managed to get cable all the way out here to their den was beyond her. "Harry, Daryl, I'm fine. It's still me." Fluttershy said a little more casually. "What's wrong with you two?"

She raised a brow at them as she gazed her golden, cat-like eyes at them, unaware of what they were seeing.

Comments

[DT42]

Nice to have you back

[Dashzilla93]

11230322
Thanks, dude.