• Published 8th Jan 2013
  • 4,399 Views, 722 Comments

Dovahshy May Cry - Draconis187



Fluttershy has disappeared, heralding the fall of Equestria as the Changelings invade. The yellow mare has returned after a year of absence to set things right but the Changelings are just the beginning.

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The Ties that Bind

Dovahshy May Cry
The Ties that Bind
Author: Draconis187

The sun rose on the aftermath of the previous night’s battles. The streets now stained with the blood of fallen Changelings, dust from killed Seven Hells and the rubble of fallen Kyklops. Phantom’s body lay still on the ground, near the failed ritual circle that brought Nyx into this world. His lava-like blood had gone cold and hard just a few hours ago.

The group were still by the Correctional Facility’s entrance since they all couldn’t fit inside and the smell kept them out of the lower levels. Applejack had fallen asleep on Clunker’s side; Dash and Gilda were laid next to each other, drooling and snoring loudly; Rarity was in her bedroll and her sleeping mask on her eyes. Nyx laid next to Twilight, after she begged Twilight to let her; the Elites were keeping watch as well as Fluttershy, Vergil, Joystick and Trixie. The rest of the rescued ponies were asleep as well in various positions and locations in the centre of the group.

“There’s our wake up call.” Trixie mused as she got up and dusted herself off, looking at the sun. “Time to wake up!” She shouted, causing the sleeping - yet armed - ponies and Elites to get up and spin around to the voice.

“Trixie! Next time, let us sleep!” Dash complained as the group got up and woke those still sleeping.

“As much as I agree with Dash, we need to get going.” Twilight said as she and Nyx got up.

The group rolled up their sleeping equipment and went over their provisions for the trip back to Canterlot. In an hour, the group had already made their way out of the city. Clunker had three injured ponies on his back while the Elites carried some of the wounded. They were pulling their own weight, thanks to Broken Skies. The Serene Plains greeted the group as they entered the area’s wide open, calming atmosphere.

“This is nice.” Nyx muttered, taking a deep breath as she and Twilight walked along the long winding pathway with the others.

“It’s called the Serene Plains.” Twilight said, hearing Nyx’s statement.

“Mind telling me more about it like why it’s called that, please?” Nyx asked, giving Twilight a puppy dog look.

“You don’t have to do that. I would love to tell you.” Twilight said with a small smile. “Not to mention it doesn’t work so well with those eyes.”

“Oh! Almost forgot them.” She said, her horn glowing. In an instant a pair of midnight purple rimmed glasses appeared. As she put them on her nose, her eyes changed shape to that of a normal pony but her irises were still turquoise.

“Where did you get those?” Twilight asked.

“You got them for me and enchanted them so they would change how my eyes looked after Rarity made you get rid of the previous ones. Said something about them being ‘horrendous’? Although, I kept losing them after a while so they got a second enchantment, they reside in a small pocket dimension, ready whenever I need them.” Nyx responded with a smile.

“Sounds like something I’d do.” Twilight said. “How am I as a mother?”

Nyx responded by giving her a kiss on her head which made Twilight blush. “The best.”

After a few hours the group came to a stop to rest. Trixie wanted to train with Cerberus as did Rarity with Lucifer and the other Devil Arm carrying fighters. Vergil and Fluttershy were together, Trixie and Rarity were going to fight together while Dash was going to fight with Applejack despite she didn’t have a Devil Arm. Yet that didn’t stop her from accepting Dash’s challenge.

Joystick got out some empty bottle and placed them on the ground and on various surfaces of various heights. He pulled out Blue Rose and aimed. Of the twelve bottles he placed, all twelve either had large holes in them or were missing their top halves. One somehow had its bottom blown off and the top part remained on the rock it was placed on.

Nyx wanted to watch the fights while the others tended to the injured, making sure that their wounds were not getting worse. Twilight took out a quill and parchment so she could write the Princesses a letter about their success. She may not have Spike but she could still teleport it to Canterlot. Nyx found a cloud with a perfect view of the battles that were about to take place in front of her. The first group she observed was Trixie and Rarity.

“Ready?” Rarity asked to Trixie who nodded and twirled Cerberus around before getting into a battle stance. “You ready Lucifer?” She said softly, addressing the Devil Arm on her back.

Let’s dance my dear. He responded.

Trixie opened up by getting close to Rarity, swinging Cerberus around her hooves, effortlessly switching which hoof she was using to swing the cold weapon. Her attacks met Lucifer’s bone blades, blocking every attack as Trixie continued her assault.

My dear, you're not dancing. Lucifer noted, sounding slightly disappointed as Rarity continued to block.

“I must ‘dance?’ How does one dance when trying to avoid being killed?” Rarity asked, earning a confused look from Trixie until she realised who – or more specifically what – she was talking to. Trixie took a few steps back, letting the two have their conversation.

Loosen up my dear, have fun and be elegant in your moves especially in the midst of battle. The world is a giant canvas with you as the artist. I am your humble brush. Lucifer said.

“I think I understand.” Rarity said with a look of conviction on her face. If there was one thing she knew about, it was elegance.

While Rarity was talking with Lucifer, Trixie was talking to Cerberus. She looked slightly sad as she spoke to her demonic companion.

“I’m sorry.” She said her voice slightly shaking as she gripped the ring tighter.

For what? Cerberus responded, openly concerned for his wielder.

“That I couldn’t trust you.” She replied with a tear rolling down her cheek.

Just learn to trust those around you who wish to help and us, then our true potential will be unleashed. Cerberus said, trying to comfort the blue showmare.

“Ok, I’ll give it my best shot.” Trixie said as Rarity looked to be finishing up with her talk with Lucifer. She wiped away her tear and gripped the cold weapon with as much conviction as Rarity had on her face.

“Ready for round two?” Trixie said, getting a simple nod from Rarity.

Trixie ran up to Rarity, somersaulting sideways with her weapon. Cerberus collided with several bone blades, breaking them just before Rarity jumped out of the way as Trixie smashed Cerberus into the ground, creating several ice spikes to smash their way out of the ground. She pulled another six bone blades from their holders, using her hooves instead of her magic before throwing them at Trixie with blinding speed.

Trixie reacted on instinct and subconsciously created a sphere of ice around herself, shattering the blades as they collided with Trixie’s protective attack. As the ice faded away, Trixie stood differently than before. The ring of her weapon was around her neck and was three times its original thickness, looking like a collar. Around her forehooves’ fetlocks were two rings like the original one, connected to the collar by two chains. The same rings were around her hind hooves’ fetlocks as well, connected to the collar by the same means. Her tail also had a single ring around it, near the end and kept in place by three chains instead of two. Her body was radiating cold, turning the air around her so cold it became visible. She held two longer versions of the original nunchaku in her forehooves, each as long as she was tall. The third one was around her neck but rested on her back.

“Are you ok darling?” Rarity asked as Trixie looked over herself with her altered eyes. Her left iris was red and yellow while her right was blue and her original greyish dark violet.

I should be freezing my flank off but… but I'm not.” Trixie responded with four separate voices including her own, speaking at once. She gave a small smile and closed her eyes. “Thank you.

You have learned to trust me by trying to defend using a technique you knew how to perform but couldn’t pull off without my help. Welcome to the pack. Cerberus responded, sounding happy.

Shall we continue, Rarity?” Trixie asked. Rarity pulled out some of her bone blades with one hoof and a rose with the other.

“Of course darling.” Rarity said, throwing the blades by Trixie’s hooves before taking a sniff of the rose. She threw it at the bone blades, causing them to explode.

Trixie began her attack with newfound speed, leaving a frozen trail in her wake. As she bought her one hoof down, all three frozen poles came down with her attack, causing a massive trail of ice spikes to rocket its way from the ground but her attack missed Rarity, who jumped out of the way before landing on her hind hooves. She clapped her forehooves twice as she turned to Trixie. At her hooves was a single blade which detonated the next second.

There you go my dear, you are beginning to understand. Lucifer said with pride.

Trixie looked at Rarity and at her right hoof, where the three poles were dangling to see them at half their original length. As she raised her hoof, two of them slid down the chains until they reached their original locations. As they did, they extended back to their longer dimensions. Rarity looked impressed while Trixie smiled. Trixie returned to normal after that with Cerberus in her left hoof.

“Think that’s enough for today?” Trixie asked as her body caught up, she began to feel slightly dizzy and out of breath. Rarity caught her with her magic and they walked back to the group together.

“That was certainly interesting. Interesting but scary.” Nyx commented as she turned her attention to Applejack and Dash.

Dash was swinging Nevan at Applejack who countered her swing with her hammer. Dash was making sure to hit the hammer with the back of the scythe, so she wouldn’t sever the hammer’s head from its pole and risk Applejack bucking her into the next Winter Wrap Up. The two smiled as they crossed weapons until they saw Trixie and Rarity smiling as they went back to the group’s campsite.

“Whatcha reckon they're up to?” Applejack said to Dash as she swung her hammer in an overhead strike.

“Don’t know.” Dash replied as she rolled backwards to avoid it rather than block it. Applejack was stronger physically and just as athletic as Dash thanks to her rodeo and applebucking. This made it an even match for Dash as she had Nevan to turn things in her favour.

Applejack brought the hammer around again, swinging from the left in an attempt to get a hit in. Dash retaliated by letting out a shockwave from the guitar. Applejack slammed the hammer into the ground and held on as Dash continued to keep the blast of air going with some maniacally fast strumming. Her playing attracted the bats that the weapon is known for attracting. As the air assault died down, Applejack brought her hammer around again, only to be blocked by the bats that were acting as a shield. The two looked at each other before sharing a laugh and ending their bout.

“I reckon we should get back or check on Fluttershy.” Applejack said to Dash as she placed the bat hairclip in her mane.

“Sure.” She said with a smirk. “Can’t wait to see what those two are up to.”

Nyx observed them walk over to where Vergil and Fluttershy were sparring. She met Fluttershy many times but this was not her Fluttershy. The meek, loving Fluttershy she knew was replaced by a killer Pegasus that oddly still cares for her friends and that – in Nyx’s opinion – was all she needed to know.

Vergil summoned his ethereal blades and fired them at Fluttershy who dodged them with some form of contraption consisting of two interlocking rings, one running vertical while the other was horizontal. In the centre in the front where the rings connect was a round ring with the Pandora symbol on it. Along the horizontal ring were fourteen thin square blocks with a single barrel sticking out of each one.

She was sat on a seat with two joysticks by her hooves and a huge roaring engine with multiple ports sticking out from behind her. Oddly though, it didn’t touch the floor, it levitated just above it. She dodged the blades despite being a larger target, the contraption could really move! As she avoided the last attack, she pressed the little red buttons on the top of the joysticks. The barrels fired off a single missile from each of them, creating a small barrage of yellow and grey coloured missiles, all of which were heading towards Vergil.

He jumped; teleported or simply sliced the attacking missiles as they tried to blow him up. But the few missiles that missed only clanged as they collided with the ground, apparently Fluttershy fired inert missiles. As Vergil looked at them, Fluttershy changed the vehicle back to Pandora’s more dormant state: the briefcase.

“Well that there was mighty interesting.” Applejack said with a grin as she and Rainbow Dash walked up to the demon hunters.

“Thanks, it’s called Argument.” Fluttershy responded to her friends.

“How do you know the names of these things?” Dash asked. “Does it tell you or something?”

Fluttershy smiled and hefted the briefcase into the air in front of her. In seconds it morphed into the bowgun, Epidemic. She lowered the weapon and placed it on the floor. She then pointed to the yellow pathways near the first handle. In small, pulsating yellow letters was the word ‘Epidemic.’

“That’s how: each form or attack has its name written somewhere, usually near where you hold it.” Fluttershy explained as she picked Epidemic back up before turning it back into its briefcase form.

“Vergil, ready for one last sparring match?” Fluttershy asked her demonic friend. Vergil nodded.

“What do you have in mind?” He asked in his cold, callous voice.

Fluttershy only responded by readying Beowulf and then activating her Devil Arm Trigger. Vergil gave a small smile and activated his Devil Trigger. Fluttershy shook her head and pointed to her claws. Vergil got the hint and concentrated before letting to a small explosion of purple energy. Standing where Vergil once did was Nelo Angelo with his gauntlets raised.

“Uh, we’ll let you get on with it then.” Dash said as she and Applejack trotted off to the campsite.

Nyx watched as Fluttershy and Vergil fists collided with each other. Flashes of white light and blue flames, coupled with lightning flew off into the surrounding area as they met each other, blow for blow. Fluttershy came with a right haymaker while Vergil countered with a left jab. Using the momentum from his attack’s recoil, Vergil brought his right foot up in an attempt to strike Fluttershy’s side. She flew upwards to avoid it and came back down with her left hind hoof in a Killer Bee attack. Vergil avoided it, leaving Fluttershy to make a small crater in the dirt.

“Everypony! Time to eat!” Twilight shouted, loud enough for Nyx and the combatants to hear. Fluttershy and Vergil looked at each other with expressionless faces before they ended their Trigger states and went to the campsite.

Nyx had already gotten to the campsite, eating a bowl of celery soup with a smile on her face. Gilda was gnawing on a piece of meat while Dash ate some hay fries. How they were made without some form of fryer, only Pinkie Pie was capable of answering that question. The two demon hunters sat down with the group as everypony talked about their training with one another. Everypony was amazed to hear that Trixie unlocked her Devil Arm Trigger and Rarity gave a small smile when she said she might be able to do it as well… and soon.

“Hey Nyxie!” Pinkie Pie called out to Nyx as she finished her soup. Twilight didn’t see them as she was more concerned with teleporting her letter to Princess Celestia.

“Yes Pinkie?” Nyx responded, wondering what the crazy, pink mare wanted.

“Just come with me for a second, I have a favour to ask.” She said with a huge smile.

**** **** **** ****

In Canterlot, a number of airships came into view as Celestia stood on her balcony overlooking a large part of Equestria, with Ponyville easily seen in the distance. Her sister came up from behind her with a smile, she had only slept for two hours and she would have preferred to remain asleep until she had to raise the moon but circumstances beyond her control forced her to get up.

“So is that the griffon forces we were told to expect?” Luna asked her older sister as Twilight’s letter appeared on the balcony before them.

“Yes, it is. Please go and inform the griffons of their arrival.” Celestia said with a small smile. Luna nodded and flew off to the quarters they had given Gilda’s retinue while Celestia opened the letter.

The Arbiter loomed threateningly over Canterlot’s airspace, blocking out a good portion of the sky. The rest of the 54th fleet was on the outskirts of Canterlot’s airspace while the 23rd, 98th and 45th fleets were hovering nearby. A large hatch - normally used for the loading and unloading of equipment - opened. Three griffons flew from the opening and to the grounds below. Celestia stood by the gardens with two Pegasi guards and two Unicorn guards. Luna soon came with her escort: four Night Guards. Behind them, the four griffons were on their way as well.

“Greetings, my na-” Celestia started but got cut off by Bloodwing.

“Sorry ‘Princess’ but I have no need to talk to the likes of you right now since it would most likely take up the rest of my life. Now where is my niece?” Bloodwing asked, looking around behind Celestia as if Gilda was about to pop out the ground.

“Gilda is currently indisposed, I’m su-” Celestia tried again, only to be cut off by Bloodwing again.

“Can’t you speak a simple language?” He sneered. “’Indisposed?’ Death is ‘indisposed’ and the only excuse I will tolerate if one of my soldiers are unable to perform their duties!”

“Admiral Bloodwing, sir!” The four griffons spoke up, turning Bloodwing’s darkening mood towards them as they saluted.

“Ah, at least there is a creature with some common sense!” Blood wing cried out, pushing his way past Celestia. “Now then you wastes of feathers, where is my niece?”

“She went off to Fillydelphia, sir!” One of the griffons said, not lowering his claw from his salute.

“She’s where?!” Bloodwing bellowed, slapping the griffon with a claw. “How could you let her go to some stupid pony city on her own?! Last time I heard, it was overrun by those confounded Changelings!”

“She did not go to Fillydelphia on her own Mr. Bloodwing. She will be back in two days or so.” Celestia said, beginning to lose her patience with Bloodwing’s attitude.

“Oh is that right? And how do you know that you prissy horse?!” Bloodwing shouted, his blood closing to a boil.

“This letter.” Celestia said, shoving the letter in his face with her magic to try and calm him down, or at least shut him up.

“Fine.” He said, pulling the letter off his face as he read it. “’The operation was a success despite the arrival of demons’ what is this supposed to mean?!”

“Apparently the rescue mission was a success but they encountered a variety of demons as they made their way through the city. Just as the letter said.” Celestia explained as the griffon continued to skim through Twilight’s letter. “They are now on the way with survivors as well as some more allies.”

“Well fan-flipping-tastic. We get to interrogate some Changelings. Where can we land our airships? We need to do some proper repairs thanks to an uninvited guest arriving to spoil my fun.” Bloodwing asked callously.

“Just to the north of here is a large enough space for you to land your airships.” Celestia replied, trying to keep her composure and pointing to a large plain that separated Canterlot and Ponyville.

“Good. Right, you heard the white horse! North it is!” Blood wing shouted to his airship as they took off to the Arbiter.

“You alright sister?” Luna asked sincerely. She could see her sister was put off by the griffon’s attitude.

“I just hope we can wrap this war up before I send myself to the sun in frustration. I think I’ll need a drink after all this.” Celestia said, shaking her head.

Luna wrapped her one hoof around her sister’s neck. “If I know your faithful student, you needn’t worry so much.”

“Thank you Luna.” Celestia replied with a small, genuine smile. “I need to go and inform Twilight of these events and scold Gilda for not warning us of her uncle’s behaviour. Do you think you can keep that Bloodwing out of trouble for me please?”

Luna nodded as her Night guard saluted as well. “We shall endeavour to halt his callous behaviour.”

With that, Celestia went off to the library to write a letter back to Twilight, explaining the situation in Canterlot.

**** **** **** ****

After a few hours, the group set off again. They were hoping to get to Canterlot as quickly as possible, before they run out of food and before any of the former prisoners die from their injuries. Pinkie and Nyx returned just before they were about to set out. They just smiled at everypony.

“Where were you?” Twilight asked. “I kind of got worried.”

“Worried about your daughter?” Trixie sniggered.

“Wha-? No! I was just worried that we might end up leaving Pinkie behind, I don’t know Nyx even if she says I do.” Twilight responded, her ears flat and a small heat in her cheeks.

Nyx and Pinkie only smirked. “Don’t worry about us Twilight, I just needed to ask Nyxie something.”

“What could be so important that you couldn’t say where you were going? What could be so important you couldn’t say it near where I could see you?” Twilight said with worry in her voice.

“Spoken like a real mother!” Trixie laughed at Twilight.

Trixie gave the three of them a wink and a smile as they continued their journey to Canterlot as the sun had begun to set in the distance.

Author's Note:

Another chapter, another DAT.
Nothing else to say here that has not already been said. All OCs belong to their respective owners.