Chapter 25: Changelings and Gargoyles
*The day of Princess Twilight's capture...*
Thorax sat on his throne in the center of the Changeling Kingdom. It was over 20 years ago since he had become king and Chrysalis was exiled. Sure, there were some missteps. But after Chrysalis and her allies were turned to stone, his kingdom had been in everlasting piece.
Until today.
As Thorax took in a large intake of air, a navy blue changeling flew to the front of the throne.
It was Pharnyx, Thorax's older brother. He has also been the kingdom's defender almost as long as Thorax has been king.
"Hey, bro," he began. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
"Peaceful," Thorax said. "I tell you, this past 20 years have been a breeze."
"You said it. Though I sometimes feel like there are still rogues out there just waiting for the right time to strike."
"Pharnyx, we have been in perfect harmony for 20 years. You're just being paranoid."
Pharnyx shrugged. "Hey, I'm just protecting my brother. Besides, if I was king and you had to guard, you would probably hide in a corner or something. No offense"
Thorax wasn't sure if that was true. Although he stood up against Chrysalis, became king, and even assisted Twilight in the battle against Chrysalis and her allies, he HAS had his moments of panic.
Thorax opened his mouth to reply, but then a magenta light appeared and a scroll suddenly plopped on the floor.
As if on cue, Pharnyx grabbed the scroll with his magic and opened it.
"What does it say?" asked Thorax.
Pharnyx mumbled a bit, before he finally told Thorax what the letter said.
"It's from Princess Twilight!" he said. "She says that all ponies and creatures in Equestria must meet at Canterlot around the main stage. If all seats are taken, we just surround the area like one big crowd. It is required that the leaders go there as well."
"Well if every being in Equestria, along with their leaders, must meet in Canterlot, then there could be something that can affect us!" Thorax squeaked, a little bit of panic in his voice.
Pharnyx took notice of that.
"Listen, as you said, Equestria has been in perfect harmony for years! I admit, I used to always be iffy whenever we were called for something. But that was years ago! So I suggest that we try to remain optimistic."
Thorax smiled and nodded.
"I guess I still need advice from you after all..." Thorax said.
*Meanwhile in the dragon lands...*
Scorpan's life was a complicated one. A long time ago, he and his brother Tirek came to Equestria to steal magic. But then friendship came into his life. And while it saved him, it did not save Tirek.
Around a month ago, Scorpan finally retired from whatever he was doing, and decided to explore all around Equestria and learn from it. He started with the areas ponies live in. He learned that Celestia and Luna are no longer princesses, but rather, a new alicorn named Twilight Sparkle.
He also learned of Tirek's fate.
Apparently, Tirek somewhat escaped Tartarus and joined forces with other vile villains. And when they were defeated, he and his allies got a punishment worse than Tartarus: imprisonment in stone.
When Scorpan first saw the statue, he felt shame. He knew that those worthy of imprisonment in stone were far from friendship. And although he learned exceptions were rarely made, Tirek and those who got second chances were not the same. Sometimes, the nightmares of his brother would haunt him at night.
As of the moment, Scorpan was walking around the dragon lands with the new Dragon Lord named Ember, whow as the daughter of former-Dragon Lord Torch.
And while he expected today to go smooth, his expectations would soon be subverted.
"You dragons sure have an interesting way of life..." Scorpan mumbled, with his rough voice someone bearing a calming tone. "I admit, I have researched your ways before, but that was when there was no friendship. So I am glad that you let me visit this place today and see what it is like with friendship."
"I do admit that we sometimes forget about friendship, harmony, and all that stuff..." Ember said. "But it is easy for us to go back. All we need is a reminder."
"Interesting..." Scorpan scratched his chin..
The conversation between the Dragon Lord and the gargoyle was immediatly interrupted when a scroll suddenly appeared out of nowhere in a magenta light. Quickly Scorpan grabbed it, opened it, and began reading out loud.
"Attention all ponies and creatures of Equestria. I have an important announcement that could change everything. All living beings must come to the main stage in Canterlot. If there are no seats left, just stand. And if any of you have leaders, those leaders are required to come with you.
Best regards,
Princess Twilight Sparkle.
"Huh..." Ember said. "I... guess we should be going? From the sounds of it, this could be very important to us."
"I am interested, so I guess I could come too," Scorpan said.
"Perfect! Just let me get the attention of the dragons and we will be on our way."
*Over an hour later... Thorax's POV*
All the changelings stood in the large crowd that surrounded the stage. Thorax stood on the edge of the crowd, thankfull for two things. Thankful that he was tall, and that he was able to see the stage.
"I wonder what's taking so long..." he muttered.
"Well, there are other creatures," Pharnyx reminded him. "From the looks of it, we still have to wait for the dragons."
Thorax looked up and then turned his body 180 degrees. There weren't enough buildings to shield what he saw.
"Hey," Thorax said, turning to Pharnyx. "I think I see them a distance away."
*Meanwhile...*
Flying alongside Dragon Lord Ember, Scorpan flew in the sky, deep into thought. Just what would this assembly be about? Although he didn't know why, there were odd feelings embedded in his gut.
Canterlot was directly in view. But as Scorpan and the dragons flew over Canterlot, another thought entered his mind.
"Hey," he said loudly, turning his head to Ember. Ember looked at him as well.
"I'm going to take a little detour," finished Scorpan.
"Are you sure?" asked Ember.
"I just... need to see something."
"Well... alright." Ember turned her head straight again before she finished. "Suit yourself."
Scorpan nodded and flew down to take his detour.
Finally, he took notice that he found his destination and flew down, before he finally landed on where he was.
The entrance to the Canterlot Garden.
Scorpan moved forward to enter before he noticed something.
"Wait..."
He took a sniff of the air.
"Hmmm... this garden must be getting fumigated."
Suddenly, his eyes lit, and his entire body was covered in a golden aura.
"This should keep me safe..."
And with that, Scorpan entered the garden.
*Back to Thorax...*
Finally, the dragons made their way into the crowd surrounding the stage. Thorax noticed Ember in the distance and waved at her. Ember took notice and waved back. Thorax looked forward before his smile slightly faded. He turned back to his brother.
"Hey, Pharnyx? Do you think I have enough time to grab a quick drink before this assembly starts? Just a simple drink of water or something?"
"Uuummm... I don't know Thorax," said Pharnyx. "I'm not sure if there is a stand where you are able to get a free sippy cup..."
Thorax blushed.
"Pharnyx!" he whined.
"What? I'm kidding!" Pharnyx chuckled. "I'll go get a cup and fill it with water."
"No need too, Pharnyx," replied Thorax in a very kind tone. "I can do it myself."
Pharnyx shrugged."If you say so."
And so Thorax turned and galloped off.
*Back to Scorpan...*
Scorpan continued walking through the grass as he continued exploring the garden. But once he turned a corner, he paused.
There was supposed to be a statue there. A statue of a changeling, a filly, and his own brother. But instead, there was nothing!
"Did... they escape?" Scorpan muttered. "Will they cause chaos at the assembly? Or is the assembly about them?..."
Scorpan decided to check, and so he opened his wings and flew off.
*Thorax...*
Thorax barely walked for even a minute before he came across a well. Even luckier, there was a table of cups nearby.
"Huh... I didn't even walk for a minute and there is already a well and a table of cups..." Thorax said. "Well that was convenient."
Thorax then went through the process of lowering the bucket, scooping up some water, and reeling it back up. He then set it next to the well, used his magic to grab a cup, dunked the cup in the water bucket to fill it, and finally drank it.
Thorax turned his head to find a garbage can. Immediately he saw one. He threw the cup away, then left as soon as it got in.
He began to gallop his way to the crowd as they came into view. Pharnyx was waiting for him, a large space between him and another changeling.
But as soon as Thorax was halfway to the crowd, a giant transparent yellow wall of magic suddenly appeared.
As soon as Thorax saw it, his reflexes kicked in. He managed to stop himself in his tracks, skidding on the ground a little before he came to a complete stop. He saw Pharnyx express curiosity before tapping on the yellow wall. It made a clink sound.
Thorax looked up and saw that the wall extended into a dome. Once he saw this, he began to continue heading to the trapped crowd.
As Thorax made his way, Pharnyx put both his forehooves on the wall.
"Bro?" was all he said as soon as Thorax finally arrived and stood directly in front of him outside the dome.
Thorax put both his forehooves directly in front of his brothers on the dome.
"Pharnyx? What's going on?"
Pharnyx and Thorax suddenly heard loud speaking and they both looked at where the source was. Even though the stage was far from them, they could tell from the voice and the figure that this was not Princess Twilight.
Pharnyx and Thorax looked directly at each other again.
"I gotta do something!" Thorax said.
"Listen Thorax," Pharnyx said. "I don't know what is going on, but from what I can tell, this is something sinister! You need to get away from here as fast as you can. I don't know if there are any other living beings out there, but you need to get to them as fast as you can if there are any!"
"But Pharnyx-"
"GO! NOW!"
Thorax bit his lip and sighed, before he finally turned and ran off.
As for Pharnyx, he turned around to face the direction of the stage, prepared for any sinister thing to happen to the crowd.
*Scorpan*
When the dome came up, Scorpan stopped.
"What the-"
His flight slowed down as he advanced closer to the dome.
"Did... they do this?" he muttered. "Impossible... the dome is yellow..."
As he got closer to the dome, he began to express uncertainty.
And then he looked down.
And he saw a familiar creature running. A changeling.
But not just any changeling. This one had all the features that a leader would have. He seemed to be taller and he had large horns.
Scorpan knew who this was. King Thorax of the changeling kingdom!
Scorpan quickly turned and flew after the running changeling. Once he was closer to the ground, he called out.
"HEY!"
Thorax stopped running and turned while Scorpan hovered to the ground.
"S-Scorpan!" stuttered the changeling king when Scorpan finally landed on the ground. "I haven't seen you since you visited the kingdom a week ago!"
"Yes, indeed!" Scorpan said. "But I must ask... are you running because of..." Scorpan turned and pointed at the forcefield. "...that?"
"It's terrible!" Thorax said, as Scorpan turned back to him. "I went to get a drink while I waited for Princess Twilight's assembly to start! But before I came back, a forcefield formed around the whole crowd and trapped everyone! Including my brother!"
"Brother..." Scorpan muttered.
"Excuse me?"
"Er... I mean..." Scorpan cleared his throat. "... I mean... that's terrible!"
"What are we gonna do?" asked Thorax.
"Hmmmm... Scorpan pondered. "Perhaps you could transform into a bird of sorts and watch what is happening on the stage!"
"Why me?"
"I only suggest this because I can get spotted easily and you have the ability to disguise yourself."
"Hmmmm..." Thorax tapped his hoof on his chin. "Oh, ok! I'll do it! Promise that you won't go anywhere?"
"I will be hiding here. Call my name when you return."
And so, Thorax engulfed himself in green flames. When the flames faded, in his place was a medium-sized bird. He nodded to Scorpan before he flew off to the dome.
Once Thorax got there, he made sure to find a good view of the stage to watch everything that was happening. But when he finally found a good view above the stage, what he saw with his enhanced eyesight made his stomach jump.
On the stage were nine ponies, a very familiar dragon, and a very familiar draconequis. Three of the ponies were in cloaks, so he couldn't tell who they were. But he could tell who the others were.
The six ponies were Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Ranbow Dash, and Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. The dragon on the stage was his first friend, Spike. And the draconequis on stage was obviously Discord.
Before he could fully understand what was happening, a bright yellow glow suddenly flashed from the stage. When the glow faded, Princess Twilight and her friends were suddenly beginning to turn grey. He saw Pinkie and Rarity stand in the back of the stage. He saw Discord embrace Fluttershy in his grip. And he saw Rainbow, Applejack, Twilight, and Spike all lunge at one of the cloaked ponies.
And then they stood still, fully grey, and unmoving.
Thorax immediately understood what happened.
They turned them to stone... he thought.
He continued watching for a few more seconds, before something else happened.
The cloaked pony that Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack, and Spike lunged at began glowing yellow. And then, yellow beams shot out of every single being that had magic. The whole dome was suddenly filled with yellow beams all connected to a center.
Thorax couldn't believe his eyes! Almost every being with magic is being drained.
And then he noticed something else out of the corner of his eye.
Thorax turned his head, and in an area with less buildings, he saw a pony running from the dome.
Even from a distance he saw that the pony was a familiar hot pink color and had a golden mane and tail.
Thorax recognized her.
Luster Dawn. Twilight Sparkle's student.
Relieved that another magical being escaped the dome, he flew toward Luster as fast as he could.
As soon as he got to her, he began circling around her.
"What the hay?" exclaimed Luster.
Thorax, now bearing the attention of Luster, flew in front of her and engulfed himself in green flames. When the flames faded, he was once again in his true form.
"Thorax!"
Luster ran over and hugged the changeling king.
"How did you escape?" asked Luster when she and Thorax separated.
"That... dome... closed when I was getting a drink. You?"
"I ran late."
"Oh."
Luster's grin faded.
"All of that aside..." she began. "I feel like we need to figure out what the hay is happening! Do you think we're the only ones who are outside the dome?"
"Actually, Scorpan got out as well. I don't know how, but he did."
"Wait? Scorpan? I think I met him before when he visited Canterlot."
"And I met him too when he visited the kingdom. My guess is that he knows a lot about magic since he is technically Tirek's brother. Maybe we could figure out a way to stop whatever is happening."
"That's a good idea. Let's go!"
And then Thorax turned and galloped away. Luster followed suit.
*Ten minutes later...*
After a short run, Thorax finally slowed down when he came across the area he thought Scorpan was at. Luster ended up slowing down as well.
"I think he's here..." muttered Thorax. "Scorpan!"
Suddenly, a golden silhouette in the shape of a gargoyle fizzled into thin air. The golden glow fizzled for a moment before it became flesh and bone of Scorpan.
He looked at Luster.
"Luster Dawn..." he said.
Luster stepped forward and Scorpan shook her hoof.
"It is an honor to meet you again," she said.
"So how are we going to handle this?" asked Thorax.
"Well, since we are all united, maybe we could hide somewhere safe to get some sleep and then figure out what is going on tomorrow," Scorpan said.
Luster grinned.
"I have an idea. Villains hate sweet stuff. And obviously, we are facing a villain. So how about we hide in Sugarcube Corner?"
Thorax and Scorpan looked at each other.
"It seems a little over-exaggerated, but that could work..." said Scorpan. "But I don't think I have visited the town it is in before. Are you alright with projecting an image for me?"
"Of course!"
Luster then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A golden glow enveloped her horn. A couple seconds later, a large projection of a building appeared in front of the three. The building looked as if it was made of gingerbread, along with other things.
Thorax recognized it. As for Scorpan, it took a second for him to catch on as to why the building has that name.
"Oh, that's Sugarcube Corner," he exclaimed, pointing to the building. "Yeah, the name makes sense. Thank you."
Luster made the projection fade.
"Ok... so I guess we are all ready?" asked Thorax.
"I believe so," Scorpan said.
*Sugarcube Corner...*
Outside of Sugarcube Corner, a golden glow sparked. And when it faded, a pony, a gargoyle, and a changeling stood in that place.
Without a word spoken, Luster went into the building. Thorax followed. Scorpan followed as well, but he stopped when he got to the door.
"Scorpan?" asked Thorax.
"I'll stay outside," he said. "Somecreature needs to watch out for danger."
"Are you sure?" questioned Luster. She sounded unsure.
"Trust me," Scorpan replied.
Luster opened her mouth to speak. But then she changed her mind. She instead chose to say something else.
"If you get into any trouble, we will try our best to help," she said.
"I doubt our sleep through the night will be disturbed," Scorpan reassured. He fizzled into a golden silhouette before the silhouette faded out of sight.
Luster stood for a moment before she closed the door.
*The next day...*
The door creaked when Thorax walked out, then Luster. The sky seemed extremely dreary. But there was no time to waste.
"Scorpan?" called out Thorax.
Suddenly, heavy steps were heard. Luster and Thorax turned their heads in the direction it was coming from. Scorpan then appeared as a golden silhouette before fizzling into his regular form.
The three then looked out into the streets of Ponyville.
They were empty.
"Weird..." Thorax said. "I thought the citizens of this town would at least be here in a dreary mood or doing slave work."
"The only good thing I see of this is that there will be no living being to end up calling us out..." Scorpan muttered before he gulped. "...I hope."
"Who do you think did this?" asked Luster.
"Well..." Scorpan began. "I would think it would be my brother and his allies, because when I visited the Canterlot Garden before the assembly, the statue was gone. But the forcefield was yellow."
"Plus, the magic I saw in the dome were yellow as well," added Thorax.
"And this all happened after the day they reformed..." Luster said.
Scorpan and Thorax glared at Luster.
"Excuse me?" questioned Scorpan.
"Oh yeah..." muttered Luster. "I didn't tell you... two days ago I was called by this map to solve a mission. That mission was to reform them. Long story short, it worked."
"Wait!" Thorax piped. "So... Chrysalis finally changed her ways? She finally accepted the true way of love?"
"And Tirek is embracing friendship instead of searching for power?" asked Scorpan.
"For the most part, yes," Luster said. "I saw it with my own eyes. I comforted them, taught them, and did a lot for them. And it was all worth it."
Scorpan and Thorax looked at each other and then back at Luster.
"Thank you for the information, Luster," Scorpan smiled. "Now we know that this threat is something new. And I suppose we have another reason to end this... so those who were formerly our foes could live a life of friendship and make amends with us."
"So what should we do?" asked Thorax.
"Maybe we could spy on whoever is doing this in the throne room!" Luster suggested. "After all, whoever wants to take over Equestria always wants the throne room."
"Hmmm... that's not a bad idea," Thorax pondered. "We just need to find some windows that we can see in very well."
"There are actually a few of those in the throne room," replied Luster. "They were installed there last week. I suggest we search the outside of the building until we find a suitable window."
"Then that's where we're going," Scorpan proclaimed. "We teleport there, turn invisible or disguise ourselves, and we fly up. Luster, I can carry you. If you are fine with that, of course."
"I actually learned a spell where I can levitate myself," Luster replied.
"Very well."
"But what if we actually end up getting caught?" asked Thorax.
"I would suggest we attack but... I also saw what happened in the dome," Luster thought. "They were taking magic. I don't know how, but they did. This battle relies on our smarts. If one of us ends up getting caught and the rest of us attack, it's all over! Those that aren't captured will have to escape back to Sugarcube Corner and hope they have enough information for a plan."
"I agree," said Scorpan.
"Alright. Let's go!" Thorax said with determination.
Luster and Thorax went close to Scorpan. When they were close together, Scorpan glowed a golden light that covered his two allies.
No...
His two friends.
And in a flash, they were gone.
*Canterlot*
The three allies appeared in an area that was the closest to the main castle.
The area of Canterlot was oddly deserted.
"Weird... no living being is here either," Thorax said.
"Not for long," Scorpan said.
They all looked at each other before they nodded. Scorpan's body began glowing gold, along with Luster's before they disappeared out of sight. Then Thorax emitted green flames before turning into a ladybug and began to fly to the castle. Scorpan followed. And then Luster's body emitted an orange glow before her whole body became covered in her transparent magic aura, making her easier to see. Her body levitated off the ground and began heading to the building.
Once they got there one by one, Thorax, Scorpan, and Luster began scaling the building to find a perfect window.
It was easier for Luster, since she saw the windows herself. It took a little bit, but she managed to get a view of the throne room. She landed on the (thankfully large) ledge sticking out from under the window. She looked inside and saw that two cloaked ponies stood on each side of the throne. A third cloaked pony stood in the center right on top of it.
But Luster saw something else out of the corner of her eye.
Luster turned her head and saw a yellow projection. She didn't see what was on it because it quickly faded.
She then focused on the discussion of the cloaked ponies. She couldn't hear it well, but she ended up gathering information about the whereabouts of Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy.
They weren't here in Equestria.
They were in another world.
Luster quietly gasped when she learned of this.
Scorpan and Thorax had their own reactions.
"Another world?..." whispered Scorpan when he learned of the information.
"But where?..." Thorax wondered when he learned of the information.
She listened a little more. She heard more snippets of the conversation, and how they planned to go to the world and sabotage everything.
But then she felt a tickle on her nose.
"ACHOO!"
Luster sneezed a very loud sneeze, some spit spraying on the window.
The cloaked ponies perked their heads up.
Luster felt her heart jump, but she didn't panic. She was invisible. And even though there was some spit-drops on the window, she wouldn't be seen.
The center cloaked pony turned into a glowing translucent yellow silhouette before it began to morph into a cloud of yellow smoke.
"What? But... how can it..." was all Luster managed to say.
The smoke began heading for the window.
"ACHOO!"
Luster sneezed again.
The smoke picked up its pace.
And then it stopped at the window.
Luster did nothing. She just stood still.
And then a yellow aura surround the window.
And then the window was torn out the wall and pulled inside.
Luster was running out of options. She had to stay still, or give herself away and escape.
"ACHOO!"
That was all it took for a tentacle to shoot out of the smoke and grab Luster around the barrel. Immediately she was pulled in. When the smoke was halfway to the ground, it let go of Luster. She landed right in the middle of the carpet.
And then when she looked up at the smoke, it blasted her with a yellow beam.
Suddenly, Luster felt like she was getting weaker. And weaker. And weaker.
And when the smoke was no longer blasting her, Luster was visible once again!
She weakly got up to her hooves, closed her eyes, and pointed her horn at the smoke.
Nothing happened.
Luster then realized what happened. She let out a big exhale of air.
"No... my magic..." she panted.
When looked up, the smoke was gone and the two other cloaked ponies were making their way to her.
Luster turned around, but then she saw the yellow smoke blocking the exit before turning back into the cloaked pony that was on the throne.
"Well, well, well..." he said, his voice indicating his gender. "Look at what we have here. Luster Dawn. The pupil of Princess Twilight Sparkle..."
Luster gulped. She didn't have a plan! But then she took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Oh yeah? Well despite not hearing much of what you said, I know enough that I'm pretty sure the former villains are in another place or even another world!"
The cloaked pony charged yellow in his horn, and blasted her. Her body started to cake in stone. She wanted to run, but it was no use... within' seconds, she was trapped in a stone prison.
"Ok. Here's the plan..." the leader pony said. "I will teleport Luster to the garden.Then I will meet you back here. We will go from there."
The two cloaked ponies nodded. The leader then lit up his horn, a yellow glow emerging from it, before the three ponies and Luster vanished.
For Thorax, he watched the whole thing. When the ponies vanished, he flew back to Canterlot.'
Coincidentally, Scorpan did the same.
*A few minutes later... Sugarcube corner*
Thorax quickly turned back to himself when he returned to Sugarcube corner.
"SCORPAN?!?" he called out.
Suddenly, a thump was heard. And then Scorpan turned visible again.
"You saw and heard everything?!" he asked.
"Indeed." he said.
"What are we going to do?" asked Thorax.
"We only have one option..." Scorpan began. "We can't save Luster. That we know. And it may be too late to follow the villains to the world the former villains are trapped at. But we can stay where we were at the throne room, only this time we have a spell cast where we can mentally communicate. If one of the ponies return, we follow them and hope that they end up giving us an opportunity. If we make noise, we fly away as fast as we can to do so."
"Are you sure?" questioned Thorax. "What if they never give us an opportunity?"
"They will," Scorpan replied. "Just trust me."
Thorax said nothing for a moment. But then he sighed.
"Ok."
*Hours later...*
Thorax, in his ladybug form, stood on the shoulder of Scorpan, who was invisible. They've been waiting for hours.
And then a yellow flash took place in the room.
The three cloaked ponies from before suddenly appeared. Both Thorax and Scorpan listened closely, their hearing amplified to make it easier to hear.
"Now, my allies..." the one in the middle said. "Let us sit on the throne and watch how this plays out..."
Thorax and Scorpan suddenly saw a yellow glow emit from the middle-cloaked pony. Suddenly, a projection appeared in front of the cloaked ponies. On it was a strange object that neither Thorax or Scorpan have seen before. It kind of resembled a carriage. Only different.
"They escaped?" asked the cloaked pony on the left.
"All part of the plan..." said the lead cloaked pony. "Don't you remember?"
"I don't get it..." muttered the left cloaked pony. "WHY would we help everyone foil our plans?!?"
"Yeah..." the cloaked pony on the right said. "Everything would have went our way. WHY would you thwart our plan?"
Scorpan and Thorax could have sworn the leader chuckled. He then lit up his horn. And in a yellow flash, they were gone.
The two disguised allies didn't speak for a moment.
"How long until you think they return?" Thorax asked.
"If they return and it turns out they captured the former villains and/or those that helped them," Scorpan replied. "we will have to regroup. We will just have to hope they return empty-hooved..."
"What should we do with Luster?"
"We rescue her when we have the chance. Don't worry."
Thorax sighed.
"I'm sorry... I don't mean to worry. I still remember having to team up with other reformed friends to save Equestria. Only this time... the stakes are even higher."
"Hey. I haven't stopped any source of evil for over a thousand years! I myself am a bit worried as well."
"You? Worried? You always seem so calm and collective. Plus, you're always the one with the plans."
Scorpan chuckled. "Sometimes, the inner shell is different from the outer shell..."
Suddenly, a yellow flash brought their attention.
The three cloaked ponies were back!
"I have another plan..." the center cloaked pony said. "We just have to teleport to a spot near the path where our foes are going. Once we stop them in their tracks, we capture them. I will do the deed myself. Once I reveal my true form, you two join me and reveal yourselves as well. Then, we return here and then bring them downstairs. When we return, we will leave the portal open since we may need to take more than one trip. It won't be an issue since I doubt any living being will be near it. Understand?"
"You tend to get very detailed in your plans," said the cloaked pony on the right.
"That's because I think big," the leader said.
The right cloaked pony shrugged.
"Whatever you say, Grogar," he said.
"Grogar?" whispered Scorpan.
The middle cloaked pony nodded before he lit up his horn, and a yellow portal suddenly appeared in front of the throne. The lead cloaked pony walked through before his allies followed and the portal closed.
Thorax and Scorpan were silent for a moment.
"That can't be Grogar..." Scorpan said.
"Grogar?" questioned Thorax. "The Grogar whose bell had been used by Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow? THAT Grogar?"
"I'm afraid so..."
"I thought he was a ram."
"Grogar is powerful enough to disguise himself."
"What should we do?"
"Thorax, this is likely our chance to get the others. Grogar said that when his own allies return, they will leave the portal open in case they need to come back for the allies that haven't been brought here. Whether they have magic or not, we can rescue them. All we need to do is sneak into the throne room. I could stay invisible, and you could stay disguised so we could avoid detection."
Thorax put one of his ladybug legs on his chin.
"Hmmmm... well, I don't see any other option."
"Ok. Hang on kid."
Scorpan's body began to glow gold, the glow also encasing Thorax since he was nearby. A few seconds later, the duo was no longer at the windowsill, but rather, inside the throne room.
Scorpan begin walking to a corner next to the throne, still glowing orange so Thorax could see him.
Once Thorax was next to Scorpan in the corner, he turned off the orange glow.
And now... they wait.
They were unaware of what was going on at Earth. For the next five to ten minutes, they stood silent.
As of the moment, on Earth, the truck carrying the reformed villains and humans began to swerve into the field.
Scorpan and Thorax stood still.
Back on Earth, Grogar had the humans for hostages and was about to take the reformed villains as well.
Canterlot remained silent.
Grogar revealed his true identity.
Even Scorpan's breathing was light as he tried to keep as quiet as he could.
Grogar's allies came and revealed themselves as well.
The sun was slightly visible in a hole in the clouds.
Grogar presented his memories to everyone but his allies.
Dust slightly blew in the throne room.
Grogar turned the former villains back into the ways they looked when they were turned to stone.
Time felt like it was standing still.
Grogar turned the former villains to stone.
And then a yellow portal opened on the side of the throne room.
But a cloaked pony didn't walk out.
Instead, it was a blue ram. Above him he was carrying one of those odd creatures that Thorax and Scorpan saw in the projection.
Thorax and Scorpan watched Grogar as looks of shock appeared on their faces.
I knew it... Scorpan thought.
But then they looked at his collar.
There was a bell on it.
A glowing bell.
He has the bell? were the words that Thorax said in his head.
He has the bell! Impossible! exclaimed Scorpan in his mind.
As soon as Grogar turned the corner, two more beings walked out.
These two were also familiar to Thorax and Scorpan. The latest book of Equestrian history showcased the events of 20 years ago. Both Scorpan and Thorax have read that book. Two of the many villains that have been faced 20 years ago were King Sombra and the Storm King.
But King Sombra was banished to the aether and the Storm King was turned to stone and shattered to pieces.
So the fact that they both exited the portal was enough to make Scorpan cover his mouth before a gasp escaped his lips.
"How..." Thorax whispered very quietly. Luckily, King Sombra and Scorpan didn't notice.
Above King Sombra levitated another one of those creatures. And the Storm King held yet another one under his arms.
Finally, the two resurrected villains left the room and were out of sight.
Once Scorpan and Thorax felt safe, they moved to the front of the portal. Scorpan turned himself visible again and Thorax turned back into his regular form. They both faced each other as they took in what they just saw.
"I knew that Grogar was back..." began Scorpan. "But I didn't know he had the Bewitching Bell!"
"Sombra and the Storm King are alive?" pondered Thorax.
"This is worse than I thought... not only is Equestria under siege. But Equestria is under siege by three villains, one of them being the Father of Monsters! At this point, we should just... retreat. We have no chance against them!"
Thorax tilted his head.
"Scorpan, that doesn't sound like you."
"Well, what are you going to do about it? We are the only ones left. And even with the three reformed villains, we stand no chance."
"Weren't you the one that chose friendship over stealing magic? Weren't YOU the one that left your evil brother? The fact that somecreature like YOU has lost hope is just... SILLY! They may have more magic than us and an even bigger army, but we have friendship. You were NOT like this when the siege started, and only NOW you lose hope? I'm scared too, Scorpan. But it's better if we try than throw in the towel!"
Scorpan started at Thorax with no words.
"You know..." he finally said. "You're right. I'm just... shocked is all."
Thorax smiled and the duo looked into the portal.
"Now let's go to that other world," Scorpan said.
"And if the reformed villains are not there, we can search for them until we find them," mentioned Thorax.
And with no hesitation, the duo walked through the portal.
Their view swirled with yellow colors. But only for a moment. Suddenly, a whole new landscape and view entered their eyes as they finally exited the portal.
And immediately saw the statue that was facing them as they got out.
Thorax and Scorpan stopped in their tracks and just looked at it.
The statue looked the same as they last saw it. Cozy was cowering with fear. Tirek was hiding behind his arms. And Chrysalis was lunging toward her prey.
"Oh no!" Scorpan said. "Looks like we came just in time!"
Thorax and Scorpan ran closer to the statue and then stopped again right in front of it.
"You know, I find it odd that Chrysalis looks like the way she did before she reformed," pondered Thorax. "Maybe she doesn't like her new form and likes the original one better? And isn't it a coincidence that they are in their same positions as last time?"
"Yes, it is. But we need to stay focused," reminded Scorpan. "The fact that the reformed villains are in stone will make freeing them harder. But I may know a way to free them. I will tell you when I get back, if that is alright with you."
"No problem at all."
Scorpan turned to the statue and then closed his eyes. When he opened them, he lifted his arm, the hand becoming encased in a golden glow. The statue began to glow gold before it lifted off the ground.
"Uh, oh..." Thorax suddenly exclaimed. "I think I realized something..."
Scorpan turned his head to his ally.
"What is that?"
"Well, if we return, Grogar or one of his allies may be there and we will get caught. But if we stay and hide in a spot far from here, the portal back home might close and we will be stuck here. And even if Grogar opens a portal back home, it could be anywhere! And if Grogar tracks the reformed villains, he could find us!"
Scorpan said nothing. He stared at Thorax, looked at the statue, then looked back at Thorax.
"Hmmm..." he pondered. "You're right. We haven't thought this far!"
"Maybe I could turn into a ladybug again, head back to Equestria, and see if Grogar will return. If I don't see him in the areas I check, I will return and tell you that can head back. And if Grogar returns to the room right when we return..."
Thorax looked down and then back up.
"...then we risk it!"
Scorpan once again stared at Thorax with no words.
"Alright," he finally said. "We can try that and hope it plays out well."
Thorax smiled a bit before he became encased in green flames. When the flames faded, he was once again a ladybug.
Thorax flew in his place for a bit before he finally flew back through the portal.
Scorpan turned his body to fully face the portal. The statue was still floating in the air.
And nothing happened for a minute.
And then, a small ladybug finally flew out the portal before it became encased in green flames. And then, when the flames faded, Thorax stood in place facing Scorpan.
"As far as I know, we're all clear," he confirmed.
Scorpan just grinned and nodded before he walked to the portal, the statue following him as it levitated. As soon as Scorpan passed Thorax, the changeling king turned and walked beside the gargoyle as they made their way back home.
And the portal buzzed as Thorax and Scorpan entered the portal back home, the statue following close behind.
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