• Published 2nd Jul 2017
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Stories in Stone, Last Dance - TDR



All stories must end, even those in stone. The final book of the Stories in Stone series.

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Last Crusade

Stories in Stone
Last Dance
By TDR

Last Crusade

[1024 years after the defeat of Tirek ]

The room was quiet.

Outside the room there was a soft yammer of voices, barely heard though the thick door that two of the three figures in the room had closed behind them.

The room itself was rather simple. Numerous old photos and a couple of paintings hung on the wall to the standing figures right, along with the door to the wash room and a three section bookshelf. The lower two shelves held an assortment of books primarily about plant life and herbology. The third shelf held a few small jars of dried herbs, a broken wooden dragonfly toy, and a small trading card that had long ago had it's image and autograph faded. Only the word 'Wonderbolts' was still legible on it with a faded orange and blue blur as the only sign it had been a photo card. A small crystal music player sat on a small table next to a large bed. The device was playing an old song from the Rarities last album, one of the figures was sad to note it was the last song the mare had ever sung as she clicked the player off at the end of the last chorus. A few other assorted crystals lay around the device though the one glowing softly in the player was the oldest, it's case had a number of scrawls in black marker that was mostly faded and flaked showing it's age, though it was easy to see that it was the autographs from the whole band plus the sound tech.

The room smelled sweet, almost sickeningly so with the amount of flowering plants scattered and placed every where along the wall opposite the pictures. Covering end tables and the dresser as well as a few chairs that had been brought in for the purpose. The taller of the two figures wrinkled her nose a little at the smell but said nothing as the pair of them looked down at the third figure in the bed before them.

The bed itself seemed to be formed out of a live root of the tree the home was built into. Nothing was cut in the entire house, the tree was shaped as it grew and adjusted over the years with out a bit of harm done to the wood. However the tree home was old, most of it's branches never saw leaves any more and this far into the fall what few leaves had not turned brown and fallen off only seemed to need a soft breeze to flutter away and leave the tree bare. The old apple tree was not likely to see the next spring.

Much like it's owner.

The figure in the bed was softly breathing as if asleep, but the other two knew she was only taking a moment to gather her energy before speaking. Her yellow fur had long since faded to white, though her figure and lithe form remained unchanged if growing less hardy and more brittle with age. Her bright red mane and tail were little more than thinning strands of gray at this point as well. She was hidden under simple brown blankets with only her face visible. The only bright spot on her form was a bright red bow that had been done up in her mane, likely by one of the family outside the room.

The two figures looked to each other before the smaller one spoke.

“Applebloom?” Princess Twilight Sparkle asked hesitantly.

The figure in the bed exhaled softly, her eyes opening, bright green orbs glittered as they looked up at the figures a small smile crossing her weathered features.

“Well, now. I expected you two some time ago. Didn't have any trouble on the way in did ya?” Applebloom asked.

“No Applebloom we didn't.” Celestia responded.

“Good to know these louts can listen once in a while. Still they might cause a bit of trouble for you in the future. Lot of the young ones like that whole isolationist idea that's going around a little too much for my taste.”

“I'm sure Maple can keep them in line.”

“She's a bit of a soft touch unless she's angry, girls got some fire in her.”Applebloom chuckled.

“ Fitting for your Granddaughter.”Twilight suggested.

“Don't give me that. I ain't seen you since Cadence's funeral. You're forgetting time passes for those of us out here in tha real world Princess.” Applebloom chided

“So says the mare who's been alive over a thousand years.” Celestia points out

“Yeah well Elk live a long time. I got me some of that. Though it's only been a thousand and forty three ta be exact.”

The shorter of the two figures smiles a little.

“You've lived longer as a half elk then a normal elk would live.” Twilight chuckled.

“Course I did, outlived several husbands, a few foals, and pretty much all my friends and family.......” Applebloom trails off at that.

“Not all your family. There's a whole room of Elk and Ponies out there that care for you.” Celestia answered.

“True that. I've made a number of friends and expanded tha Apple's a lot in my time but it ain't tha same as the first ones. My brother and sister, the Crusaders. No one ken replace them, can't even come close.”

“No one is supposed to.” Celestia stated. “Sunshine has been here for you for a few years now?”

“Zecora? Yeah, Spike and Bleu drop by every so often as well to cause a ruckus. Uncle Kaisur and Aunt Luna've been by recently too along with mai nieces and nephews. Bout time for that to go down I reckon. Ah ken hear him still, hasn't shut up ever and now he's gitting louder. He's gonna come out swinging, you know that right?”

“We've been preparing for it, which is why I am glad you never built anything in the crater.” Celestia commented.

“Was too close to tha tree, ah could hear him bitching, got annoying real fast. Give him a good kick or three for me will yah?”

“We would, but we are only the transport, not the combat team.” Twilight admits.

“Really? Why's that?”

“It's a ranking of vengeance. Celestia is number eight as she didn't lose anything but pride, and I'm ranked at seven as Rarity was my only real loss. A dear friend, but less than what the others lost.” Twilight explained.

“That sounds sorta stupid.”

“It is, so clearly Kaisur came up with it.” Celestia snorted getting a small chuckle from Applebloom and a eye roll from Twilight. “ But the others agreed so I was outvoted.”

“I figure ah ken guess who's at tha top, but who's the two after you?”

“Spike and Bleu.”Twilight states. “ Bleu lost two close friends, one that was technically a cousin or a brother with how she views Jer'rahd, so she's six, and Spike lost three friends and his crush so he ranks at five. Bleu should have been higher, but he still mopes about Rarity whenever she's mentioned and Bleu wants it to stop already.”

“Jus like an old married couple.”

“Well they are so ….” Twilight mutters pausing as Applebloom coughs.

“Much as I'd like to continue yammering on, I'm afraid my times about out and you two have a job to do I'm sure.” Applebloom manages to get out.

“We do. How long do you you have?” Celestia asked solemnly..

“One good thing, if you can call it that, about being in tune with nature and tha spirits as much as I am...” Applebloom strained a little, pulling her left fore leg from under the covers. The formerly green and mossy looking limb she had regrown after losing her original leg in the fight with Tirek, was now mostly brown and gray as well with only a small patch of green left at the first joint over her hoof. It couldn't be more than a few hairs that still retained their coloration. “.....I've a fairly good indicator of when my time is up. I'll be lucky if I remain around for another half hour.”

“I knew it was close... but this.....”Twilight sighed.

“It's alright Twilight. I'm not in any pain and everything is prepared for. You should go now. It'll take you a few minutes to get where you're going in the crater. Send the rest of my family in when you go. Good luck to both of you.”

“We'll meet again Applebloom, Everyone will.” Twilight smiles.” Go ahead and rest . You've earned it. Say hi to Sweetiebelle and Scootaloo for me.”

“Will do Princess.”

As the others exited Applebloom sighed her gaze shifting to a fourth figure that had entered the room after the Princesses had. “So they didn't notice yah huh?”

The third visitor in the room, a dark alicorn, shook her head softly.

“Just give me long enough for them to git where they need to be, this has to end now. No one else should git hurt causa him.” Applebloom let out with a wheezing groan.

The dark alicorn nodded with a small smile.

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

The tall white alicorn stared up at the massive tree before them. The ancient tree had seen better days. It was leafless and like Applebloom and her tree home it was dying. Unlike the tree Applebloom grew in the Elk village outside Whitetail crater, this one had an evil inside it that was trying to escape. It would not be long until Tirek was free again. Only this time he was expected and there was a welcoming committee waiting for him.

A light thud sounds nearby Celestia and she glances back smiling softly at Twilight.”Still have not gotten the hang of landing yet have you?”

“At least I can land on my hooves. Last time I saw you try and land you were picking grass and rocks out of your mane for a week.” Twilight chuckles. “ Everyone's in position. The closest settlements to the badlands have been cleared and we are ready to end this.”

“It's a pity to see this tree go. There's never been an Zap apple tree this large. And it never even bore fruit.”

“It did. But only twice in it's existence. The second time the fruit was picked but never used. The fruits been allowed to rot away and the seeds were collected. No one is willing to taste fruit of a tree that contains such evil. But the seeds that were harvested show no taint and will be planted as part of Applebloom's interment ceremony. Likely they will be the only thing that can grow in this crater. Fitting really.”

“Keeping up with everything hmm?” Celestia smirks.

“I never took the Goddess of War title. Luna still has that. I did however accept the Goddess of Knowledge title I was given. I am to make sure I keep up with it.”

The pair's ears perk up at mournful howls in the distance. The crater echoing with the cries of Timber wolves.

“She's gone......” Twilight frond.

“Time to go to work then.” Celestia nodded her ears flattening to her head as the howls die out. “Are we ready?”

“Yes.” Twilight's horn glowed brightly a massive shimmering purple cone shield forming around the tree and taking up most of the crater. Even the under tunnels and the trees roots were included in the massive shield, the monster would have no way to go but before them.

The crack and splinter of wood echoed in the enclosed space of the shield as the gargantuan apple tree shook and groaned. The dead wood splinters and rips as a form smashes out of the trunk of the tree. Black and red fur covered in splinters was seen as the monster roars, ripping free of the tree fully. Sap and splinters covered the crimson coat. The creature was not as big as the last time they saw him, but he still radiated with power.

“Seems you were right Twilight. He retained some of the power he stole.” Celestia nods.

“Less than I accounted for though. We are more than prepared. You ready?” Twilight smiled. “Shields are holding.”

“YOU!” Tirek bellows pointing a finger at the pair of them. “You think you are enough to destroy me, that this shield will hold me? I will draAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

The monsters tirade was cut off suddenly as Celestia started to glow, the ground underneath Tirek erupting in a burst of molten fire that blasted the creature skyward like a rocket funneling out of the cone shield and bursting skyward like a volcano going off. The fire and the monster guided in the proper direction by Twilight's shields. Celestia's magic continued until the launching pillar of fire rose out of the crater and far higher than the world tree had ever risen. Celestia's magic fades along with the fire leaving the flung creature as little more than a receding dot in the sky.

“You cut him off mid rant.” Twilight mused.

“I've always wanted to sucker punch some one when they took too long talking.”Celestia smiled.
“So I suppose our part is done now?”

“Not quite. We need to purify this crater. Burn clear all the dead wood and tainted land.” Twilight sighed. “ The ash will help the apple trees grow as well.”

“Really is that all or did you volunteer me for this because you harbor a attraction to my solar form?” Celestia snarked trying to make a little light of their situation.

“Please... I've always had that.” Twilight grinned.” It's hot.”

Celestia flinches. “For that pun I'm letting you do most of the work.”

“What a harsh pun-ishment.”

“Stop it Twi.....”


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

Tirek grumbled wincing as he was rocketed skyward. The solar fire had burned off the first layer of his fur and skin and as such it no longer hurt save when it was trying to grow back. Which was constantly, so it hurt a lot. Still something like this wouldn't slow him down very long. As soon as he could douse the fire and get his bearings he would teleport back to the ground and start to work on destroying these fools.

“Package incoming Spiky.”

“I see it Bleu. He's a big ball of burning flesh, he's hard to miss.”

Tirek looked up, risking opening his newly restored eyes only for two massive shapes to zip up along side his rocket propelled flight through the sky. The first was a blue scaled dragon, with a wing span that could cast a shadow that would cover a town. She had numerous scars and a bit of age was showing along her spines, but she was still in her prime as a dragoness.

The other was even larger than the female. His wing span dwarfed even hers. The green and purple scaled beast was a monster of sheer muscle and claw. Were he any one else Tirek might have been terrified simply at the sight of this brute.

He knew them both however, so he was a little worried none the less.

The two massive creatures dropped back letting his flailing burning form get ahead of them as he started to reach an apex of his launch. He watched as their chests swelled as they both inhaled deeply the spark of green fire dancing around their maws as they quickly built up their furnaces , then unleash great gouts of green fire to blast over the Tirek, the creature screaming as flesh and bone was chared and dissolved away to become nothing more than ash in the air that was quickly swept away by an unfelt wind.

“Ugh he smells worse on fire than he does wet.” Bleu snorts.

“Package sent Princess. I hope you know what you are doing.” Spike mutters into a small crystal.

“Thank you Spike, Bleu. We'll take it from here, though do I need to keep reminding you I am no longer a Princess?” the voice from the crystal responds.

“Well he's not calling you Queen. That's my title.” Bleu snapped.

“I can't even tell if you are being serious or not,” mutters Spike.

“I'm being pervy, so same thing.” Bleu grinned.

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

The charred mass of screaming monster reformed high in the air above a desert, falling from the sky to smash into the sand and the rough sand burnt glass underneath. A massive crack filled the air followed by the sound of thousands of mirrors shattering all at once as the whole ground shook and shifted, as the rough made glass that had been blasted into the sands centuries upon centuries ago by a angry goddess of fire that was chasing a mad god of chaos. In the distance on the other side of a tall stoney hill was a series of grave stones, last markers to those who had fallen here, far enough away from the impact point that the dust barely touched them .

The desert had reclaimed the area in rolling dunes, but the blasted landscape of the Shadow of Nox remained hidden just under the surface of the rolling sands.

The explosion of sand and shattered glass that was flung into the air was blocked suddenly as a series of green panels formed in the air rapidly filling the space around the impact site encaseing it in a series of overlapping panels that made a dome shape. The shields suddenly doubled as a second dome of the same make formed over the first. Inside the dome was like a snow globe had been shaken up, dirt, sand and glass dust whirled and whipped under the dome obscuring the figure that had fallen to the ground inside.

A dark form glided down landing lightly in the sand next to a gray figure wrapped in a large brown cloak.

The dark figure was clearly a mare covered in black chitinous plates that hid any cutie mark she might have had, her mane and tail were a limp platinum blue with various patches of what seemed like holes in it. Her legs and bat like wings had the same series of odd holes. Her horn was a massive jagged thing that sprouted from her dark blue forehead over a pair of green catlike eyes that faded into a teal coloration as they return to normal. She smiled a little flashing a bit of fang in the process.

“Right on time.” Luna chuckled.

“I didn't expect your sister to be late in this. I hope we wrap this up soon I would like to attend my nieces funeral.” the cloaked figure muttered.

“We have a day and a half at least before the land is cleansed and the wake begins Jer'rahd, do relax.” Luna smiled down at the cloaked figure. “Your anger is not very palatable love. I know what he made you do, but keep in mind by your own system you are only third in line to take revenge.”

“I never expected any one to take that seriously. I mostly said it to annoy your sister.” Jer'rahd snorted under his cloak, a bit of fire flickering from under the thick hood. “Bah...”

Jer'rahd lifted a foreleg up rubbing his nose where he had snorted fire, his limb was more like a dragons than a hoof though the orange scales turned back to gray fur a little before the elbow joint, with one last circle of orange scales where he had lost the limb once long ago. The new fanged maw he had had taken some getting used to, his swordsponyship had improved to the point that even at his most unskilled, he was still better than many considered masters. Several hundred years of practice helped that considerably.. His hunt with Twilight centuries ago gave him the baseline to adjusting to his new form, the years after honed that.

As the dust died down Jer'rahd unfastened the cloak with a shudder as he shook the bulky thing loose. His amber mane had grown long again at Luna's urging, He didn't mind so much as it hid the gray and orange scales running down the back of his neck to his shoulders. Most of his torso remained furred though around his joints and along his spine the thick draconic scales remained prominent. His ears had gotten longer and had grown tufts of gray fur at the tips. His horn had smoothed over the years and the jagged stump that remained of his previous horn had fallen away and smoothed out, the new one curved back a little and was smooth rather than spiraled. It was tinged orange instead of the gray of his coat like his old one had been. His eyes remained red and green, though they had become slitted and more draconic, his muzzle was a bit longer now and his teeth were all sharp resembling a dragon's maw. He still retained his cutie mark, though the chess knight looked more draconic than pony now. Out of all the changes however he was most amused with the tail. The serpentine length was mostly orange scales, joining with those that ran along his spine. It was as long as his body was and ended in a large tuft of amber hair that was all that was left of his original tail. The best thing about it however was that it was very dexterous on it's own and he had learned how to wield a weapon with it as well as a few other tricks that Luna approved of.

“Is he still in there?” Jer'rahd asked as the cloud in the dome starts to subside.

“He is, unless he's learned to hate and anger at a distance.”Luna chuckles.

“The goddess of the night and her pet.” I should have guessed.” A looming figure in the roiling dust growls. There was a sudden blast of magic and the sand inside the shield was vaporized leaving the green dome clear with Tirek standing in the middle. The monster looked rather annoyed that Jer'rahd didn't seem the slightest bit strained from the burst of magic he had just put out. “ I should have expected you two would be the ones who would try to destroy me. Not that you could before, and I've been watching you.....”

“Pervert.” Luna snorts.

“What .. no not like that...... “Tirekl Protests.

“Seriously peeping? And here I thought you were bad when you just tried to kill ponies. Now you've sunk to that. With my wife no less.... I mean I know she looks damn good but still.” Jer'rahd commented shaking his head as Luna giggled.

“Would you two just stop already” Tirek grumbles. “ You're going to try and destroy me so lets get this started. Not like I don't have counters for all your magics now that I've had time to study them.

“Yeah about that, we only ranked three and four. You killed my brother and my best friends and you killed the best friends Luna had for thousands of years. Took a while to correct that, but still. You also used me to kill them. So we rank a little higher than sun butt and Sparkle.”

“What is this ranking nonsense if not you then who?” Tirek throws his hands in the air in annoyance.

“That would be us.” stated another voice.

Tirek turns to see three figures on the other side of the shield dome approaching from the caverns nearby. One of them was dragging what looked to be a very old moth eaten couch.

“Shin what is that?” Luna asked as the middle figure flung the red upholstered couch down and flopped onto it in a mock faint.

“Another one of Mrs. Reignolds couches. These things are every where.” Shin called out from where he lay.

The figure in question was odd. At first he seemed male, though with a very effeminate voice, then she seemed female with a very masculine voice. Both his poise and voice seemed to switch whenever she felt like it. She was very lithe, yet well muscled and was the smallest compared to the other two figures. His fur was a almost black shade of purple covered with various chitinous plates. Like Luna her horn was rather jagged shifting from the smooth red length it once had been when he was a foal, though the rough edges were not nearly as pronounced as Luna's. He also had numerous holes in his legs and green flowing mane and tail, though she seemed to have filled some of the holes in with various babbles or jewelry. Despite her odd appearance she had been pulling the old couch as if it weighed nothing.

“Seriously is that the couch she drug out here when we tracked down the Jade Scroll?” Luna considered.” What are those things made of?”

“ Don't question it. We found one in the closet of the rebuilt castle in New Canterlot.” Jer'rahd sighed. “ I think they are breeding some how.”

The other one, the obvious male of the trio was a white furred Kirin covered in shimmering onyx scales around his hooves, muzzle and joints. His mane and tail were a nearly black shade of purple, and both were braided tight, like some sort of high society elite mare, though given the stallions build and piercing blue eyes if he was placed next to a mare wearing the same feminine hairstyle, the mare would have been the one who would have looked oddly masculine wearing it. He had a slightly curved black horn rising from his temple, black draconic wings on his back and wore a simple red crystalline breast plate with a large black spear held by straps to his side.

The female was of clear zebra decent, though she was far larger than any zebra Tirek had ever seen. She towered over all the rest of them save Luna and the Kirin. She wore nothing but a pair of saddlebags sew with numerous patches that looked as if they belonged to medical personnel. Her shiny black mane and tail were ridiculously curly though they were bound up much like the males though in looser braids. What stood out about her most was that rather than the normal black stripes of a Zebra , her's were a deep red, looking slightly like wounds. Atop her fore head was a small horn made of red crystal that poked up between her bangs and over a pair of bright blue eyes.

“And who are you supposed to be then?” Tirek growled.

“Why I am Shin Amore Sparkle.” Shin chimed. “ But I'm just here for moral support and to insult you a lot. These two are the ones on the list.”

Tirek glared at the Kirin and the Zebra. The pair of them glared back at him and the monster was forced to look away first.

With Luna and Jer'rahd on one side and the trio on the other he was surrounded. A good bit of his magic was claimed in regenerating all the damage he had taken getting here and he needed to absorb some one before he lost any more power. The Changelings were out, though the two Kirin and the Zebra were fair game.

“My name is Elusive Lion Heart Reignolds. You killed my parents and tried to exterminate my nation. I am here to be the end of you.”Elusive grumbled before glancing over to the Zebra with a small smile. “But I need to wait my turn and let my wife have her chance at you first.”

“His other wife, not me.” Shin called adopting a rather seductive looking pose as she shifted on the couch, and was mostly ignored.

“Fine then once I finish her I'll finish what I started with your damned race.” Tirek snarled.” I don't know what sort of game you think you fools are playing here but I will end you all.”

“You killed my father and my mother while she was heavy with me.” The Zebra mare stated, her voice cold enough to freeze a Windigo.” You left my brothers and I with out or parents and you caused untold suffering to any one you came in contact with.”

She shifted forward her eyes staring at him with such anger that Tirek couldn't help take a step back.

“Ooh, she's fired up. Not sure I like the taste.” Shin commented as she reclined on the couch.

“My name is Rynthia Pelt, and I will see you suffer for what you have done.”

Tirek took two steps back this time as he snarled, his hand reaching up to one of his broken horns as he glared at her. “Pelt!!! Your father was Rhede Pelt!?”

“My mama said my daddy's name was Rhede Pelt...” Rynthia monotones after a long sigh and a glare at Jer'rahd.

At the words Jer'rahd couldn't help but snicker before he doubled over laughing only for Luna to clip him across the back of the head with her wing.

“I can't believe you Jer'rahd.” Luna snorted.

“Oh come on, that was priceless.” Jer'rahd choked out.”It was far too perfect I had to ask her to do it.”

“It matters not who you are. I will destroy you and rip the very fiber of your being from you. You will suffer for what your sire wrought you......... What the buck?!” Tirek stammered.

Before him were now a group of changelings. The one on the couch was unchanged, though the Kirin was now a massive beast of spikes and carapace. The zebra mare was the same though her plate was a deep crimson and hugged her form rather tightly. Looking over to the others Luna was unchanged, though Jer'rahd was now also a burly gray changeling with Orange plates.

“WHAT is this!?!” Tirek yelled, not able to sense the magic as he had done before. “ You are all Changelings?”

“Sorta.... “ Shin rambled from the couch. “This ones my bad and why I'm even here. Aside from watching my spouses kick your flank I mean. Though I will probably just be watching their flanks... we really need to do this later in more private settings cause you two look damn good.”

Shin purrs as both Rynthia and Elusive turn a bit red.

“Shin, focus.” Jer'rahd growled at the attentions the Changeling was giving his adopted daughter, married to her or not.

“He has a point , you do look good like this.” Luna purred.

“Shush you.” Jer'rahd muttered making a note to see what the range of Shin's powers were later.

“Right right sorry. See it took a while but I found out that my god power of all things is shareing. Surprise surprise I was the element of Generosity. Sounds stupid right? Well yeah until you an consider I can share the powers of my changeling race with others, and share the powers others have as well so long as every one agrees. “ Shin smiled.” So what happened was you went from having to deal with a Zebra god and a Kirin god, to dealing with a Zebra and Kirin God boosted with the power of a Changeling Queen, A Changeling God, and a nightmare made flesh who's got more confirmed kills on bad guys than any military force in the last thousand years. Yeah and you don't even know what Ryn and Lu's powers are yet. Good Luck!”

It was at that point Rynthia moved. She was standing next to the couch and then she wasn't, she was right up next to Tirek. Her hooves lashed out, striking hard with a green light as they impacted the monster. The hits were light, but the glow that they brought lingered and caused Tirek to roar out in pain. He lashed out at her, but she was gone and yet everywhere at once almost a blur of strikes, every one of them like the fires of the sun itself was burning his flesh.

As her Hooves touched the broken glass and the sand her movements kicked up clouds of dust, but the others could see the glass crinkling and turning to sand, the sand solidifying and turning to dirt, that dirt turning to soil and spreading out from where she laid into the monsters. A bubbling trickle of water formed , running across the new dirt and out into the sand, the new land and water expanding as the beating continued. Tirek winced and wailed, flailing wildly and striking nothing but air. The others looked on impressed as the lands themselves seemed to be recovering. The Zebra finally backed off , though by that point the land itself seemed to have heal away from the barren wastes it had been to a freshly tilled farm land that stretched for leagues in every direction.

Tirek was curled up on the new ground wincing and panting. He was a shadow of himself, a withered crone barely able to stand upright.

“Well I didn't expect this.” Shin whistled.” The lovely mare here's power is of injury transference. She can move a wound or a sickness and illness from one thing to another. Usually just a living thing to another. Ooh when paired with Lu's power it seems she can heal the land itself. Wonder if it goes the other way damage the land to heal others? We should check that out later Ryn. All that and she looked damn fine doing it too, by the stars I could watch that all day … sooo damn sexy....”

“Shin!” Jer'rahd growled.

”What don't you want more grand babies?” Shin demanded shifting to the most adorable big eyed waif he could as he pouted.

“You and Rynthia both have given us eight each with either you or Elusive being the father... not including that one time when Rynthia was the father.” Luna sighed.”Also please stop antagonizing Jer'rahd. You know how he gets.”

Rynthia trotted back over to Elusive who simply nodded to her with a smile.

“I suppose It's time I ended this. Despite how much you deserve it, I don't enjoy watching you suffer.” Elusive stated before looking up to the sky. Green shields formed around all of them and they all backed away from Tirek.” Shame to ruin the land again after it was just restored. I'll try to make this small.”

The earth under Tirek erupted as Elusive's horn glowed. Spidery tendrils of molten metal swirled up from the earth spearing into the decrepit Tirek as he screamed, what little magic he had left was being leached out of him as he was wrapped and pierced by the wire thin metal.

“There was that much star metal under the Badlands?” Jer'rahd winced.

“It is a large swath of land that lay untouched for a long time, I've been drawing it along , collecting it under us since we entered the Badlands. But it will all be concentrated in this spot soon and the rest of the land can recover.” Elusive stated looking up to the sky as his horn glowed brighter.

Tirek's lifted his head, the only part of him that remained free of the wire prison to see what appeared to be a massive ball of fire falling from the sky. A meteor pulled from the stars.

“In case you were wondering. My power is to affect metal and ore, either that which is on Equss, or that which is around it. I can shape it, arrange it move it... and in this case, pull it and guide it to the ground where ever I want. Goodbye monster, you shall not be missed.”

Tirek screamed out as the fiery ball of star metal plummeted from the sky and, with pinpoint accuracy, slammed into his bound form. The impact and fire was far more than enough to obliterate any trace of his existence that could have remained on Equss.

The small group watched from behind the shields noting this as the day that they lost Applebloom, but also the day that brought a final end to the monster known as Tirek.

Author's Note:

This one was actually going to be at the end of Lost Empire and in fact is what started the whole idea of Last Dance. The only reason Sweetiebelle went first was because of how well the song fit in the title.

There was also a good bit of humor in this one though that was there as all the others were unfortunately used to saying goodbye to others by this point. While AB wasn't the last to die, she was the last non god to die.

The powers of the three are explained as follows.

Elusive- Metal bending. On a epic scale. So far as any one can tell he has no limit on how much metal he can control or how far off he can pull it from. Primarily he uses it to make Jewelry or decorations following the artistic flair of his birth mother. Though as seen here it has rather telling offensive purposes The reason he can wield starmetal so freely is the same reason Jer'rahd can. He and the others have spent a lot of time around it. All five of the individuals in the bad lands are practically immune to the effects starmetal has on magic.

Rynthia. As shown before she has healing equivalent exchange. While she initially was going to heal a number of sick creatures and pass that on to Tirek she found she wouldn't have been able to hold the sickness within her long enough to do so. Thus using Elussives power shared through Shin she simply chaneled his life force into the blasted landscape around her.

Shin's power was something i came up with a long while back but had no idea how to use it. Basically he can share abilities between at least ten others. This is all abilities , supernatural skills, regular skills, combat prowess and other powers that they might have. If need be all five of them could have accessed Jer'rahd's Beast form at that point in time. This makes him the ultimate party buffer.

The 'My momma said' joke had to be used again at least one more time. And of course Jer'rahd would go for it. Convincing Rynthia to go for it was a little harder , but she eventually agreed.