A Medicine Cat among Ponies

by Kitsulestia

Goliath's Return

*Twilight's POV*

Some time had passed since Celestia's old castle was rebuilt and merged with mine. One night, I was in bed asleep when I heard a loud yet strange crackling sound coming from outside.

Wait... I remember Starswirl saying that there was a spell that petrifies creatures until the castle they lay at rest rises above the clouds, and the castle right now is above the clouds. I should check the top of the castle.

Spottedleaf yawns "What now?"

"I think there are creatures on this castle that are under a spell, but the spell's ending now." I said as a female earth pony guard with dark blue/black mane and tail, brown eyes and a cutie mark being a shield behind an hourglass. I think she's one of the new recruits, a good fighter and a smart detective.

Spottedleaf spoke "I think these are of a different kind of gargoyle than what Tirek's brother is."

Flash spoke "Someone should go get Celestia, Luna and the Pillars. They have to know about this."

The earth pony guard mare asks "What's going on here?"

I spoke "I don't know."

Spottedleaf teleported to Celestia's location.

Spottedleaf spoke "Celestia! I bring news! They are back!"

Celestia asks "*Groggily* Hmm?"

Spottedleaf asks "Don't you remember the stone statues on your old castle?"

Celestia yawns "How could I forget?"

Spottedleaf spoke "Well, the spell that was put on them has broken!"

Luna asks "You mean... Goliath is back?!?"

That made Celestia jolt up wide awake. "Tell me this isn't a joke."

Spottedleaf spoke "It's no joke Celestia."

Luna spoke "At least I won’t be lonely anymore."

Noble spoke "Luna...."

Luna spoke "Don't worry, wolfy. I haven't forgotten about you and our daughter."

Spottedleaf spoke "But the Pillars don't know that the six are back though."

Luna spoke "It would be hard to find most of them."

Spottedleaf teleported to where each of the Pillars, relaying the same message that she had told Celestia.

Out all of them, Starswirl was the most surprised.

Spottedleaf spoke "It's true Starswirl, the six of them are back after a thousand years."

But back at the castle, I was on the rooftops, seeing cracks on the gargoyle statues forming and growing.

Spottedleaf pops up with Atem and the Pillars just as Celestia and Luna appear.

Spottedleaf spoke "It'd only make sense if the six of them saw some familiar faces after being asleep for a long time."

“Smart choice, Spotty.” I smiled.

Celestia spoke "I agree."

Atem spoke "Same here, and hello Goliath."

All of a sudden, one of the statues burst, revealing a flesh and blood gargoyle as he roared.

Atem spoke "It's been too long old friend."

Then the other gargoyles started bursting free from their stone prisons.

Atem spoke "Brooklyn, Lexington, Broadway, Hudson, Bronx! It's so good to see you and Goliath again after a thousand years."

Goliath asks "Atem?"

Atem spoke "It's been a long time old friend, I hope you're not too mad at Noble for putting you and the others into a stone sleep for a thousand years."

*Flashback to before Luna's fall to darkness*

*No POV*

Atem was flying to the Castle of the Two Sisters.

Atem spoke "Luna! Celestia! We got trouble!"

Luna asks "What is it?"

Atem spoke "An army of gryphons is planning to destroy our home! And if I know Goliath, he'd be mad if those gryphons got their talons on the unhatched gargoyle eggs!"

Celestia spoke "And something tells me that they could attack while the sun is still up."

Pyre spoke "All we can do is stall them until night-time."

Noble spoke "Plus we should be careful though, a traitor could be hiding among our guards."

Luna spoke "You always were skeptical, Noble. Then again, your muzzle was always like a bloodhound's."

The silver-blue unicorn stallion blushes.

Atem spoke "It's bad enough that we lost Starswirl and the other Pillars already."

Celestia spoke "Please, don't remind me."

Noble asks "How much time do we have until sundown?"

Atem spoke "Six hours at best."

Noble spoke "That's not enough time... Unless we brought the moonrise early!"

Celestia and Luna asks "What?"

Noble spoke "We don't have any other options since Goliath and the others are still stone for another six hours! Plus four alicorns and a unicorn aren't enough to hold off a gryphon army for the same length of time."

Pyre spoke "Besides, we can't let that massacre happen."

Noble spoke "We don't have any other options here, the gryphons will attack in an hour!"

Atem spoke "This is our only chance."

Noble spoke "Unicorn or not, I'll take down one of those feathered furballs!"

A night guard spoke "Princesses! The gryphons are coming!!"

Luna spoke "Then we must do it, sister."

Celestia spoke "Agreed, we need Goliath's help now."

Celestia lowers the sun as Luna raises the moon, triggering an early wake up in the gargoyles.

The statues started cracking.

Atem spoke "Sorry for the early wake up Goliath but we need your help."

The statues then burst as the six gargoyles roared.

Goliath asks "What is it?"

Atem explained everything to Goliath.

Noble spoke "We had to force an early moonrise since we needed help."

Brooklyn spoke "Whoa, that's new."

Luna asks "Can you help us fend off the gryphons before they fell our castle?"

Goliath spoke "...Very well."

Little did Goliath know, Luna was close to falling to darkness.

After the gryphons were driven off, something had gone wrong with Luna.

Celestia spoke "Luna, you have to lower the moon now!"

Atem bars Celestia's path with a wing.

Atem spoke "That isn't Luna!"

Noble spoke "Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington! Follow me! We have to protect the eggs!"

Luna spoke "...Not another step. Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they basked in your "precious light"? There can only be one Princess in Equestria. And that Princess will be me!"

Luna stomped her front hooves as the castle started to crack, causing a window to shatter before shadows emerged from the moon and engulfed her. The shadowy mass formed an orb before turning into night sky as it opened, revealing as the being opened its eyes, baring its fangs while laughing maniacally and landed on the ground... Nightmare Moon!

Noble growls "GO!!! Celestia and I will hold her off!!"

Goliath spoke "...No. I shall assist."

Atem drags Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington to the rookery while Noble, Celestia, Goliath and Pyre held Nightmare Moon off.

Atem asks "Wait! Where's Hudson and Bronx?"

Brooklyn spoke "No clue though."

Lexington spoke "We don't have time to find them. Not with a mad mare on the loose."

Broadway spoke "Something must’ve took control of her."

Noble spoke "We can't help Luna right now..."

*Not long after Luna was sealed away in the moon*

Noble asks "Is everything okay Celestia?"

Celestia was anything but okay, as she was heartbroken on what she had to do.

Pyre spoke "Tia, look at me. You'll see her again one day."

Celestia asks "But how?"

Pyre spoke "Even if it takes a thousand years, I know you'll see her again."

Goliath asks "Wait, where are the others?"

Noble winced at that before he led the group to five gargoyle statues.

Goliath asks "Stone? At night? What sorcery is this?"

Noble spoke "One of the beams Luna used had a spell that would force a Gargoyle to sleep until this castle rose above the clouds."

Atem spoke "The eggs are safe for now but I fear that they will be in danger again. So Noble, Pyre and I will take them to a safer place, away from dangers."

Pyre spoke "Exactly and since the eggs are close to hatching, we can't risk putting them in danger."

Noble asks "As one last favor, do you wish to be put into a stone slumber until the day the castle rises above the clouds?"

Goliath spoke "Yes. Cast that spell one more time."

Noble spoke "See you in a thousand years old friend."

Noble uses the spell to put Goliath into a stone sleep for a thousand years until the castle rises above the clouds.

Noble spoke "Celestia, this might be the last time you'll see me as a unicorn though."

Pyre hugs Celestia one more time before gathering up all 36 gargoyle eggs with Noble, Atem and their most trusted guards before leaving the castle by zeppelin to a distant land.

*After the trio of stallions arrive in Avalon with their guards and the eggs*

Pyre spoke "This place will be safe for us and the eggs until it's time to return to our homelands."

Noble spoke "We'll have to speak with the ones in charge though."

Atem spoke "But those weird sisters were honestly difficult to defeat."

Noble spoke "How? We only reflected a spell and turned them into owls."

Pyre spoke "I made sure that spell was a one-way, those three can never revert back."

Noble spoke "I'm not so sure. I think my nose was playing tricks on me, but I picked up two strange scents that smell the exact same."

Pyre chuckles "You're one to talk wolfboy, you have a crush on Luna!"

Noble laughs "Oh yeah, pyro-colt? Says the pony whose heart burns for Celestia."

Atem spoke "Well, my loved one's in limbo though."

Pyre asks "Wait... What if one of these eggs are actually Goliath and Demona's?"

Noble's left ear twitches when he heard Oberon's voice.

Noble spoke "Looks like we might have to get permission for all of us to be on this island."

Pyre spoke "I'm not a verified prince though so it will be hard for me."

Atem spoke "And something tells me whoever's coming here is a being of great magic and power."

A yelp was heard from Noble as he suddenly ascended into an alicorn, gaining the alternate form of a larger than normal silver wolf in the process.

*End flashback*

*Spottedleaf's POV*

Noble spoke "Even though he was a pain in the tail, Oberon and I sparred often."

"Whoa. Did not expect to hear that." I admitted.

Noble chuckles "It was just after arriving on Avalon that I became the alicorn I am today."

End