Equestria's Warriors: King Ebon's Return

by Wildcard25

Junkyard Brawl

Last time, Ebon had tricked Johan and Omaddon into believing he would return Felix to them if they once again followed his lead. With the duo once again allied with the dark king and the Serpentine, things could be hectic for the heroes, but with the sudden arrival of Muse's siblings things just might be better.

---

The very next morning at Dustin's place, the guys were all gathering into his living room. Dustin spoke to the trio of guards, "So how was your first night sleeping in a new form?"

"Well, it was a different experience. Beds were longer." Terra started.

"And comfy too." Ven added.

"I'll say, I almost didn't wake up." Aqua finished.

"It's true," Aria started, "It took both me and Burai to get her out of bed."

"Ok, yall," Applejack began, "We got a lot of work to do in finding Ebon and the snakes."

"Right, we need a plan to find them and how we're going to deal with them." Twilight added.

"Let's brainstorm." Alistair said.

They all started thinking and pondering, until Dustin spoke up, "I got it!"

"You do?" Fluttershy and Alice asked.

"Yes, and it's full proof," Dustin said sounding sinister, which scared some of them, "First we find the snakes, then we lure them into following us."

"And where will we be leading them?" Rainbow asked.

Dustin smirked, "Right into Clara's backyard!" he laughed.

"WHAT?!" the group asked in shock.

"Dustin, are you insane?" Wild asked.

"What it's full proof. We get the snakes off our backs, Ebon loses his new army, and Clara gets a whole mess of snakes for pets. Everybody wins... Except Ebon of course."

"Sounds inhumane." Jade said.

"Who is Clara?" Aqua asked.

"A human you don't want to know about." Spike shuddered.

"And what if those snakes eat her alive?" Muse asked Dustin.

"That'd be a bonus." he answered.

"Dustin!" Twilight chided him.

"All right, so my idea isn't that good. What have you all got?"

"Well, Dustin's luring plan does have merit, but not so much with luring them to Clara's," Twilight admitted, "Perhaps we should lure them elsewhere."

"And how, you think they'll just come after us with no reason?" Rainbow asked.

"Maybe we need to give them a reason to follow us." Dustin said, as his eyes fell on Nightfall.

"Why're you looking at me like that?" the kid asked.

Muse catching on started calling out, "No! No way! Absolutely not! Out of the question!"

"Muse." Dustin began, but she cut him off.

"There is no way in Tartarus you're going to be using my baby as live bait!"

"I'll do it!" Nightfall spoke up, grabbing their attention.

"What?" they asked.

"I want to do it." he replied.

"Nightfall, don't be foolish." Twilight said.

"Yeah, what you're agreeing to do is dangerous." Terra added.

"I'm already in danger of having my magic absorbed. How much more danger could I possibly be in?"

"Kid's got a point." Rainbow agreed, as Muse sent her a glare.

"Mom, sooner or later they're going to try and keep us apart so Ebon can get to me. Let me help in this case. Please." he pleaded.

Muse wanting to continue to resist his request, started falling victim to Nightfall giving her the Bambi eyes and Puppy pout, "Oh, all right! But I'm not letting you go out there alone."

"Leave that to us." Ven offered on behalf of himself, Aqua, and Terra.

"We'll shadow him, and make sure he's far from the snakes so he can lead them into our trap." Aqua added.

"I shall accompany them as well." Zyphon offered.

"All right, so where will we lure them too?" Dean asked.

"Group huddle." Dustin called, as they gathered together to talk.

---

Sometime that afternoon at the fish cannery, Ebon stood before the duo and the snakes, before speaking, "Listen up. You snakes will now fight along side Johan and Omaddon in order to obtain Nightfall and my magic. Any problems, you take it up with me. Though I should hope there won't be any problems from either side?" he glared, and they nodded.

"We understand, sir." Mezmo hissed.

"Good."

"So what do we do, Ebon?" Johan asked.

"You and Omaddon will lead the snakes throughout the city, but you'll do it in teams," he began, "Johan, you'll take the Hypnobrai and Venomari tribes, and Omaddon the Fangpyres and Constrictai are with you."

"Yes, sir." Johan nodded.

"How will we keep in touch with you after we've found them?" Omaddon wondered.

"With these." Ebon snapped his fingers and amulets appeared around both Johan and Omaddon's necks.

"Amulets?" Johan asked.

"Just touch the gemstone and I will hear your voices."

"Works for me." Omaddon said.

"Good. Now all of you get out there and find them!" he ordered.

"Yes, sir!" they headed off.

---

Meanwhile Nightfall was walking around New York city, trying to blend into the crowd, while the three sibs were shadowing him from on top of other buildings. Nightfall looking at his wrist was wearing a communicator watch to link himself to Zyphon. He spoke into it, "Zyphon, you have my location?"

Zyphon who was another roof top further from him answered, "Yes, master Nightfall. I got your location."

"Any sign of Serpentine in my range?"

"Nothing so far, but keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity." Zyphon warned him.

"Right." Nightfall ended the transmission, as he continued walking while ignoring all the looks the pedestrians were giving him.

The girls and the others meanwhile were waiting by a junkyard, with Dustin receiving Zyphon's update, "Ok, Zyphon, keep us posted."

"Why're we hiding out here in a junkyard?" Rarity asked, while finding it very hard to take a step without stepping in something.

"Because this place is more secluded and far from any innocent lives," Alistair began, "If Nightfall, Ven, Aqua, Terra, and Zyphon can lure the snakes here then we won't be putting any innocent lives at stake."

"Assuming this plan works." Rainbow said, having doubts.

"It has to." Muse said, worried for her son, as Wild comforted her.

"Well, we better get covered. Find a hiding spot." Dean ordered, as they all went around piles of junk to hide themselves.

Back with Nightfall, he crossed a street before getting a message from Zyphon. He answered the communicator, as Zyphon's voice came, "Nightfall, I'm picking up serpentine signatures approaching your location."

"How many?"

"It seems about two tribes worth of snakes, and one signature's that of a dark warrior. It might be either Johan or Omaddon."

"Those two dark warrior's mom told me about?"

"Yes, be careful. Remember your mothers siblings have your backs."

"Right." the transmission ended.

He continued along until he looked around a corner and saw Omaddon looking around with the Fangpyre and Constrictai tribes looking out, 'That's them. Now how do I get their attention?' he thought before an idea popped in.

As Omaddon and the two tribes were looking around, Fang spoke, "This is taking forever!"

"I know, but what else can we do?" Omaddon asked.

"We promised Ebon we'd find them, and most importantly his former self." Chunk reminded them.

"But it could still take forever to find one little kid." Omaddon complained, until they heard a whistle call. They looked down the street and saw Nightfall waving his arm to get their attention.

Fang and Chunk studied the boy's appearance, and realized it was Nightfall, "There he is!" they both announced.

"Him?" Omaddon asked.

"No doubt about it." Chunk confirmed.

"Then let's get him!" Omaddon ordered, as they started charging.

Nightfall seeing this, started running. As the chase started, Omaddon put a finger to his head and spoke, "Johan, I found the kid Ebon's looking for, we're on Bleecker!" he turned to the snakes, "They're on their way."

"You better report this to Ebon." Fang suggested.

Omaddon nodded and touched the amulet as it glowed, "Ebon, I found the kid you're after. No we don't have him, but we're right on his tail. Yes, I won't lose him. Ok, you'll know how to find us." he ended his message.

Nightfall continued running as fast as he could, but knew eventually they would catch him. And to make matters worse, he saw Johan with the Venomari and Hypnobrai tribes.

"Omaddon, I see him!" Johan called.

"Let's grab him together!" Omaddon called back.

Nightfall seeing there was no way to outrun them both looked ready to give up, until Terra jumped down and grabbed the boy, with Aqua and Ven landing next to him.

"What?" the duo and the snakes gasped.

"You want this kid, you're gonna have to try and take him from us." Ven said.

"Get them!" Johan ordered.

"Come on!" Aqua called, as the three ran off with the duo and the snakes chasing after them. However because the three were older and in better shape they were running much faster than Nightfall did alone.

"Pick up the pace!" Johan called, as they ran faster.

---

Back at the junkyard, Dustin got another alert from Zyphon, "Guys, Terra, Ven, and Aqua are on their way with Nightfall. The serpentine are right behind them, but apparently so are Johan and Omaddon."

"What?" they asked.

"So now the duo are back with following Ebon?" Alistair asked.

"Apparently so." Dustin nodded.

"Well, this is a surprise." Twilight said.

"No matter, we'll take both sides out." Aria said.

"Here they come." Dustin said, as they saw the four run into the junkyard and hide amongst all the junk piles.

The duo and the serpentine entered the junkyard and looked around, "Where'd they go?" Omaddon asked, as he looked around.

"They can't be far." Johan said, as he summoned his shadow whip.

The serpentine were feeling weary of their surroundings, as Mezmo spoke, "I got a bad feeling about this."

Suddenly from below them a huge net caught them and was lifted off the ground by crane operated by Ralph, "What the?!" Chunk called.

They all looked and saw their enemies looking up at them, "You!" they glared.

"You guys are so easy, it's laughable!" Dean laughed.

"I can't believe they actually fell for it." Rarity gasped.

"Well, good thing for us they did." Jethro said.

"Bad news for you is I didn't." Ebon said, as he appeared on top of a pile of compressed garbage. He conjured a blue fireball in his palm and threw it at the cable of the crane that cut the net free allowing the serpentine and the duo to land on the ground and free of the net.

"Uh-oh." Dustin gasped.

The duo got up with the Serpentine, as Johan spoke, "Didn't expect this did you?"

"It might've slipped my mind." Dustin looked sheepish.

Ebon called to his forces, "Attack!" And so the duo and the serpentine engaged in combat against the girls and the warriors.

"Elements of harmony activate!" The eight bearers activated their elements of harmony, with Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Wildcard regaining their wings, Applejack, Muse, and Pinkie with their strength, and Rarity along with Twilight could use their magic again.

"Let's go!" Dustin called, as the good guys went into battle.

Rainbow and Wild were flying right through some Venomari snakes knocking them off their feet. Rarity was blasting some Constrictai with her magic, until one grabbed her from behind, "Get off of me!" she demanded.

"Hang on!" Elroy called, as he jumped in and punched the snake off.

"Oh, thank you, Elroy."

"No prob."

Alice and Alicia were fending off against some Hypnobrai, until they were knocked to the ground and Mezmo stood before them, "Look into my eyes!" he began hypnotizing them.

Pinkie seeing the Kingsley twins were being hypnotized had to do something, "Hang on, girls!" she activated her element of harmony which took the form of the mallet she used last time she was in the human world. She ran and jumped above Mezmo calling, "Hammer time!" Mezmo jumped away avoiding the impact which in turn snapped Alicia and Alice out of the trances they were in.

"Close on." Alice said to her sister.

"Yeah, thanks, Pinkie." Alicia thanked her.

"Always glad to help." Pinkie grinned.

Applejack and Ralph were busy fighting against the Fangpyres, "How does it feel fighting like a human again?" Ralph asked.

"Actually, not too shabby." Applejack admitted, as she spun kicked one of the snakes.

Dustin, Alistair, Burai, Xever, Mitsukai, Twilight, and the Balitons stood ready, as Johan summoned the shadow soldiers to fight along side him, Ebon, and Omaddon, "Destroy!" Johan ordered.

And so they engaged in combat with the older warriors taking on the shadow soldiers and the duo. Dustin and Alistair went ahead to fight Ebon.

As the former king fought the two, he spoke, "Clever of you to lure my army here to catch them, but you overlooked a small detail. You cannot pull one over on me!" he attempted to claw swipe at Alistair who ducked, and jumped back.

"That's hilarious coming from the former king who lost to us months ago." Alistair mocked.

"Silence!" he blasted the two with blue fire.

As the three guards and Nightfall watched from behind some garbage, they saw how everyone was holding their own, but saw Dustin and Alistair were struggling against Ebon, "They need help." Terra said, as he was about to join, but Ven held him back.

"Terra, you can't honestly expect to take on the dark king, especially when you're in this new form."

"If Muse and the others can handle it, then how difficult can it be?" he went to join them.

As Dustin and Alistair fired their attacks at Ebon, he took the blows. He was about to launch one of his own, until Terra jumped in and delivered a flying kick to the former dark king, knocking him back.

"Terra!" they gasped.

"Need a hand, as they say here?" Terra asked, and the two smiled.

Ebon frowned and spoke to Terra, "You have just stepped over the line."

"And I don't wanna go back." Terra mocked.

Ebon attacked the three, as they fought back. Terra with all his knowledge of combat he learned in guard training was able to hold his own, but this new form allowed for better usage of attack like spin kicks and punches.

Aqua and Ven watched as their brother and comrade fought along side Dustin and Alistair, "Oh, wow, look at Terra go." Ven gasped.

"He's incredible." Aqua said in awe.

"I sure wish we could get out there and do something." Ven said eagerly.

"You know what we're supposed to be doing." She reminded him of Nightfall.

"Right."

Suddenly they saw shadow loom over them. They turned and saw some shadow soldiers had snuck away from the fight, and attacked the two, "Nightfall, run!" Aqua cried.

Nightfall tried to make a run for it, only for two Constrictai two pop out of the ground and restrain him, "Let me go!" he struggled.

"King Ebon! We got him!" one of the snakes called.

Ebon after dodging two attacks from Dustin and Terra, saw the two snakes holding onto Nightfall, "Yes!" he vanished from sight and appeared next to Nightfall.

"Get away from him!" Alistair called, as he, Dustin, and Terra went to stop him, only for more shadow soldiers to block them off.

Ebon looked at Nightfall who was scared, "Time for a recharge." he smirked and gripped Nightfall's head, and started assimilating the magic out of him.

"NIGHTFALL!" Muse cried, as she and the girls tried to get to him.

Ebon smirked feeling he was closer and closer to regaining all his magic, until he was suddenly nailed in the back by a stream of pixelated projectiles. He lost his hold on Nightfall, and Aqua and Ven quickly attacked the two snakes holding him in place, before taking him away from Ebon.

"Whoa dares?!" Ebon demanded, as they all looked up and saw standing on top of a larger pile of compressed garbage was Blaze.

"Blaze?" the group gasped, as their comrade gained pixelated wings on his back and floated down to the ground, before the wings vanished.

"I'm back." he answered.

Ebon growled at the sight of him, "Why do you constantly meddle in my affairs?!"

Blaze shrugged, "It's a habit."

"How'd you even get her?" Rainbow asked.

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna told me Ebon had come here with the snakes. Not wanting to miss out on the adventure I popped right over myself with their portal magic."

"What about your training?" Eu reminded him.

"Don't worry I've finally discovered all I'm capable of doing now," He assured them, "That little demonstration was known as video manipulation."

"Well, it worked." Dean admitted.

The duo seeing him looked totally surprised, "Ebon, I thought you killed him!" Johan said in confusion.

"I did." Ebon answered.

"A ghost?" Omaddon asked in worry.

"Hardly. He's just been spared." Ebon replied, "And last we fought he gained new abilities now."

"New abilities?" Omaddon wondered.

"Yes, be careful of him." he warned the two, who nodded.

"Well, if it isn't the traitor." Johan said to Blaze.

"Rakka-rakka-rukka-rakka!" Omaddon called.

Blaze was confused at what he said, but shook it off, "And if it isn't the two idiots."

"Let's skip these pleasantries and pick up where we left off! Serpentine, attack!" Ebon ordered.

"Get them!" Johan ordered the shadow soldiers.

Blaze smirked as he ran ahead with his body getting covered in concrete and plowed through the snakes, knocking them down like bowling pins.

"Just like before when he used that tremor attack in Ponyville." Alistair said.

"Admire later." Twilight said, as they all went back into battle, while Terra, Aqua, and Ven guarded Nightfall.

Dustin, Alistair, and Blaze fought against Ebon, Johan, and Omaddon, with all six giving it their all. Dustin and Alistair aimed their index fingers at their opponents, "Spirit/Shadow gun!" they blasted at them.

"Shadow gun!" the three retaliated with their own blasts.

The three heroes dodged, as Blaze spoke, "Here's a little something called smoke shot!" he fired a bolt of smoke and embers.

The three dark warriors recoiled, until Ebon stepped forward, "Playing with fire is dangerous. Let me show you why!" he concentrated his blue flames and started launching blasts at them.

The three started jumping around avoidng the flames, "If these flames spread all around the junkyard will go up in flames!" Valmont called.

"Leave this to me!" Eu began, as she used her magic to bring down a downpour of rain to put the fire out as well as Ebon's flames.

"Little witch!" Ebon growled.

"That's Ms. Little Witch to you!" she blasted Ebon with lightning magic which shocked him due to being drenched in rain. He fell to his knees.

"Ebon!" the duo gasped as they ran to his side.

Suddenly the Serpentine tribes were getting tossed over to the duo and Ebon. Twilight smiled, "We got them now. Let's finish them!" the eight bearers stood together, until Ebon's head shot up and spoke.

"Another time, perhaps!" he used his magic to repel them all back, before opening up a portal below them, "Well, boys. Hope you're ready for a trip to Equestria."

"To where now?" Omaddon asked, as they were assimilated into the portal that vanished.

Seeing they were gone, the girls and Wildcard powered their elements down and returned stood next to the warriors, "We drove them off." Wild said.

"Yeah, but they only went back to Equestria." Muse reminded him.

"And that don't sound any better." Applejack agreed.

"Well at least the day is ours for now." Blaze finished, as they all smiled.

---

Back in Equestria at the old castle, the portal opened up as Ebon and his forces exited it, "Where are we?" Johan asked, as he and Omaddon looked around the old castle.

"Welcome to the former castle of my two nieces, located in the Everfree Forest in the Land of Equestria." Ebon explained.

"Equestria?" Omaddon asked.

"You mean we're on your home turf now, the land of ponies?" Johan inquired.

"Precisely." Ebon smirked.

The duo looked at each other wondering if rejoining Ebon really was worth it they were now forced to remain in his own world.

Back in New York, they were recovering at Dustin's. Muse was hugging the life out of Nightfall, "Oh my baby!"

"Mom, please!" he got free, "I'm fine really I am."

"But still more of your magic was taken."

"I know. I feel like I'm getting weaker every single time he does that." he admitted.

"And if you're getting weaker then he's getting stronger." Twilight deduced.

"And that's not good." Spike put in.

"Well, it's a good thing I got my new powers down. I can once again help in fighting him." Blaze said.

"Right, but as long as Ebon still has the Serpentine under his command it's not going to be easy." Dustin noted.

"So what now?" Ralph asked.

Dustin, Alistair, Blaze, and Zyphon stood with their pony/human friends, "We're going back to Equestria to keep an eye on things." Dustin explained.

"If things get too hectic, we'll send for the rest of you." Alistair added.

"Ok." Aria nodded.

"Be safe." Eu said.

"We will." Dustin nodded, as Twilight activated her element of harmony and was able to produce a magic portal for them. They all entered, as the rest of the warriors decided to head back home as well.

Back in Ponyville, a portal materialized as the group stepped out with the girls, Wild, Nightfall, Terra, Ven, and Aqua as ponies again.

"I don't know about you guys, but I should sure go for a bite." Blaze said.

"Yeah. I'm starving." Rainbow added.

"Let's get dinner." Dusitn suggested.

"Works for me." Applejack agreed, as they all headed off to get food.