Eighteen years have passed since the great war between Gryphons and Ponies. Twilight and Spike have taken the throne of the Gryphon King and renamed it the "Land of the Misty Mountains". Together they raised a dragon/pony hybrid, naming her Dawn. Things seemed to be going well, until something mysterious from space lands in the 'Red Forest' and takes Dawn into the most dangerous area. With Twilight heartbroken and the other princesses unwilling to risk spreading a plague through the soldiers, Spike must once again tap into the darkness kept at bay with the light and get his daughter back before she is lost forever.
The sun crept upon their faces as the morning began its’ cycle. Spike and Twilight both squinted, burying their faces into each other to blot out the light, but it was inevitable. The sun had done what it was meant to, and the two couldn’t bring themselves back into the dream world. Twilight rolled off the bed while Spike took the opportunity to yawn and stretch himself out under the warmth of the covers. When he did so, he cracked his neck both ways and turned to watch Twilight sleepily shuffle about for her regal attire. She’d been presented with a set similar to Princess Luna’s only Twilight’s was made of pearl and was… pointier to say the least. It looked like a breed of royal battle armour. Either way, it suited the new queen who over the years had changed her mane into that of a cluster of small galaxies flowing like the Northern Lights above the Frosted Mountains. Her coat had grown a slightly lighter shade of Plum, with her cutie mark, rump and hooves surrounded in a shade of Midnight blue.
Spike had changed also. He stood Eight feet tall, brandished golden scales, silver underbelly and jaw, and Emerald spines with two silver horns. As King, he'd been given his own set of Regal attire which consisted of a sleeveless Crimson and white short jacket with a long collar, a crimson waist cape with matching pants and a pair of dark brown gloves. While the clothes Spike wore weren't very fashionable and didn't really fit the royal standards, they showed his independence and reminded others that he was a force not to be trifled with.
"I'm surprised Dawn's not up yet. She's like clockwork when the sun rises." said Twilight, looking towards the door to their room. Spike just placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.
"Give it a second." he replied. Sure enough, a young Lavender mare with a Violet and green mane and tail burst through the doors in a rush of excitement. She was excited to say the least, panting like a mad thing as she rushed around the room, subconsciously getting to know where her parents were before she went to one. She reminded Spike of a puppy after some hours without seeing its' master. Dawn leaped up onto the bed and threw herself off it, colliding with her mother.
"Oof! Dawn, be careful You'll hurt us both doing that." Twilight reprimanded the now sulking filly. Twilight sighed in defeat, knowing that in the four years things had been this way, she could never stay mad at Dawn when she pulled the kicked-puppy face.
Realising that she'd got the best of her mother, Dawn cheered up quicker than Pinkie Pie ever could and flapped her draconic wings once, shooting a meter into the air, only to land back on the bedding. She then bounded up to Spike who held out his arms for her. When she was in range, the gold dragon scooped her up and pretended to wrestle with her. Naturally, the child was victorious after the dragon supposedly had the upper hand and boasted as much.
"So, what's on the agenda today, Dawny?" Spike asked. Dawn considered the question with great importance.
"I wanna go to the park!" she said. Spike chuckled and nodded once to confirm that they were going to do just that. Dawn was beside herself. With merry cheers, she left the couple to get themselves ready so she could wake up the neighborhood.
"You spoil her rotten, you know that?" asked Twilight, her tone not backing the claim. Spike just shrugged as he rose from the bed and selected his clothes from the wardrobe.
"She deserves it all. After all, she's our reward for everything we went through." he replied, his scales shimmering in the sunlight. Twilight looked at her husband with a sense of pure happiness filling her being. Spike was right; they'd earned this, and Dawn was going to be the best thing that happened to them, no matter how she turned out.
With that in mind, Twilight approached Spike and drew him into a loving embrace.
"I love you." she said.
"I love you too."
Dawn giggled happily as she flew above the trees in the park. She seemed to enjoy the freedom of the sky, a feeling Spike could share with her. Fortunately, Dawn knew not to go beyond sight of her peers when roaming around free as she was. She maintained a constant circle around her father who had been addressed by all the parents doing the same things as himself. Sadly, most of them were mothers, so it made Spike feel slightly emasculate.
Dawn found herself a small group of ponies playing together. Forgetting the rule about keeping in sight, she flew down to meet them. She was met with odd stares. Her features seemed to act as a repellent to the others. While her face was slightly more draconic than equine, her scales were hidden under her coat. Regardless, that didn't seem to satisfy the ponies as they said nothing to her and just walked away. Dawn began to feel that the park wasn't such a good idea, and returned to her father to share this revelation. She soon forgot about it though as Spike decided to play with her himself. He'd brought a ball with him for such an occasion fortunately, her horns were too small to puncture the ball as she butted it with her head.
The game lasted for all of about two hours before a royal guard appeared and informed Spike of some royal duties that required his pressence. Dawn was left with the option of returning home with her father, or remaining behind to play with the guard a little while longer. She chose the latter and the guard did his duty with great enthusiasm.
Spike had managed to make it to the castle in under a minute. As he made his way to the throne room, he saw Twilight sitting in her throne with the angel, Mar Grimm, standing before her. The two of them turned their gazes to Spike as he made his way to his own throne.
"What's this all about?" he asked. Twilight seemed extremely curious.
"Mar has provided a solution to a problem both the Celestial Citadel and Equestria are having." she replied. Now Spike was interrested.
"Oh? Do explain?" he enquired. Mar cleared his throat and began his proposal.
"Regarding the Citadel; due to the war, things have been a bit hectic. Like with refugees, the Elders have to allocate a place for each and every soul. To put things simply, we're running out of room. I propose a solution. Because Equestria is predominately female, the souls who died in the war can be allowed to be reborn again as males, equalising the population. After that's done, every soul who dies get a second chance and is reborn again. In short, We're giving everypony two lives As a result, that will give us more time to expand our reach and make more room those who use up their second life." he suggested.
It took Spike a few moments to wrap his head around it. "So, basically, you recycle us once and then after we die the second time, then we go to you?"
"Yes."
Spike considered the system and how it would work.
"Apparently, the other Princesses have given this plan the all clear, it's up to us." Twilight added. Spike took another few seconds to decide.
"I'm all for it. When can this plan be set in motion?" Spike asked.
"It's already good to go, just say the word and the proverbial machine will begin to run." Mar replied. Spike looked to Twilight who simply nodded her approval.
"Alright, do it." he said. Mar smiled and clapped his hands once A white wave of harmless energy burst out from his hands and went through the walls. It expanded further beyond the city, beyond Equestria until it engulfed the entire world. It remained like that for a few moments before dissipating.
"It's done. Every living thing now has a second life in stock, and the war victims are gradually returning for their second chances as newborn foals."
"Wait, you're basically emptying out the Celestial Citadel?" Spike asked.
"No, just the war victims. If We gave this option to every soul already dead, the overpopulation thing would occur here instead." Mar replied. Just as he finished explaining the details, Dawn ran into the throne room, happy as ever. She caught sight of Mar and lost her mind.
"UNCLE MAR!!!" she screamed. Mar smiled at the little hybrid and knelt down to greet her with a hug.
"Hey, squirt! Not getting into any trouble, are you?" Mar asked her. Dawn shook her head.
"Nu-uh! But some of the other ponies are ignoring me because I'm not a real pony." she replied. Spike and Twilight seemed surprised to hear this, but Mar kept a level head.
"Is that so? Well you're as real as pony as anyone else. Besides, they won't ignore you forever. Time will go by and they'll learn that you're destined for great things. Perhaps you'll even catch the eye of an impressionable young stallion." he assured her.
"Stallion? Eww! Stallions are grose!" Dawn replied. Mar chuckled and bounced Dawn on his knee.
"Ah, you think that now, but one day, you'll come to like them. It's a natural part of life, unless you end up like my daughter and remain true to the same gender." he stopped the topic there.
"I didn't know you had a daughter." Spike said. Mar laughed at that.
"Well of course not, I never mention my personal life. Funnily enough, her name's Dawn as well." Mar said.
"What? Are you copying us?" Spike teased.
"She's eighty-seven." Mar replied. Spike and Twilight both went wide-eyed.
"Really? And how old are you?"
"Hundred and fifty." Mar replied plainly. Spike and Twilight had trouble figuring out what to say. "I'm an Angel, guys; born dead, you know? Age really isn't an issue for us." he clarified.
"Uncle Mar, will I get to meet your Dawn?" the filly on Mar's lap asked. The angel turned to her and smiled.
"I don't see why not. Perhaps your parents will let her foalsit you next Saturday. Just have to hope she doesn't bring Angelus."
"Who?" Spike asked.
"My step-son. He's a good boy. Those two are closer than any siblings I've ever known, but they fight each other non-stop. They always want become stronger than the other and what drives them is their insane notion that the other is stronger than they are when in reality, they're equally as good; what she lacks, he makes up for, and vice-versa."
"So what's wrong with him?" Twilight interrupted.
"He's an angry son of a...gun." Mar caught himself just in time. "I mean, all the time, he sleeps with a scowl on his face." he added.
"So, let's just make sure he doesn't join Dawn in babysitting... Dawn." Spike concluded. All four beings nodded in agreement, including Dawn who found Angelus to be scary sounding.
“Hey, Dad, did you see my headphones?” the voice of a mare reached Spike’s ears. He groaned in annoyance.
“Dawn, I was sleeping, like you should still be doing… What are you doing up this early in the morning?” he asked, groggily. The teenager paid his tired state no heed.
“Uh, what else, talking to my friends on the mobile crystal.” she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The mobile crystal was a relatively new invention. It was an oval-shaped clear crystal no thicker than a window and no larger than a hoof. It allowed the user to tune into somepony they knew, and the crystal would act as a window between them, allowing them to communicate visually and audibly across long distances. Spike rolled his tired eyes. “Of course, worst invention since the portal device.” he groaned. “So if you’re talking to your friends, why do you need your headphones?” he asked. Dawn just scoffed. “Duh! I wanna listen to my music now.” Spike groaned into the pillow. He thought Twilight was lucky to be such a heavy sleeper.
“Look, Dawn… I don’t know where your headphones are, so just retrace your steps and piss off.” he said, trying to make himself comfortable again.
“You’re a model parent, you know that?” Dawn asked sarcastically.
“Yeah, it shows in your personality.” Spike replied with a comeback. Dawn just scoffed once more and closed the door to her parents’ bedroom behind her. Slightly annoyed by her father’s uselessness in relation to her headphones, she scowled as she made her trek back to her room. She passed some of the guards, but they knew better than to address her when she showed a mad face. The halls were pretty dark, even this early in the morning, but thanks to Dawn’s draconic eyesight, she could see well enough. Her room was close to her parents’ despite her numerous protests. She flung the door open and began her search anew. She checked on her dresser, under her pillows, under the bed itself, under the covers, on the balcony, in her bedside drawers, her cupboard, behind her changing screen, in her bathroom; nothing. There was no sign of the blasted headphones anywhere. She began to try and recall where she left them last, rubbing her neck in the action. It was then a shade of red flew across her face. She could feel them already around her neck. She removed them and examined them to double-check that the object around her neck was indeed the object she was looking for. Though nopony was around, she blushed still. She owed her father an apology.
Suddenly, she saw the glow of her mobile crystal. Almost instantly after the glow lit up, the chiming sound rang, signifying to her where she’d left it last. She made her way to her bed and picked up the crystal with her talons.
“Answer.” she said to the crystal. The ringing died down and the transparent image of her friend and secret crush appeared. “Skyler! What a pleasant surprise.” she said, blushing once more, thankfully, the transparency on the crystals made it impossible for anypony to tell.
“Hey Dawn, sorry for callin’ at this hour I didn’t wake you, did I?” Skyler’s voice replied through the crystal. Dawn could see that he was trying to get a closer look as his eye became all that she could see through the crystal. She felt this the time to act strong in order to earn some appeal.
“Nah, I’m more of a night owl, anyway. I was just sittin’ back, chillin’ in ma room.” Even she thought she was starting to sound stupid. Fortunately, Skyler didn’t seem to mind.
“That’s good to know. Listen, I called you up to tell you that some friends and I are out in the ‘Red Forest’ and we found something totally awesome. I figured you’d wanna see it for yourself. You interested?” Skyler asked. Dawn thought he was going to ask her out, make her dreams come true, but the discovery of something labelled ‘awesome’ was almost as good. Dawn didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Heck, yeah! Where in the forest are you I’m on my way now.” she asked. Skyler looked around, seemingly unsure of his exact location.
“I’m not sure… maybe two or five miles in, just south of the centre?” he replied. Dawn smiled as she strapped a saddlebag to herself and pocketed the crystal.
“Alright Sky, I’ll see you there. I’ll call you back if I can’t find you.” she said The muffled farewell of her crush could be heard through the pocket.
“Hang up.” she whispered to the crystal. A single chime indicated that her command had been accepted. She proceeded to pack a few essentials into her saddlebag. These essentials included some money for breakfast should the little expedition last longer than expected. A rope in case what Skyler had discovered required a descent too small for wings to work. Lipstick, should the morning take them anywhere. Finally, her headphones so she could listen to her music on the way there. Her headphones were magically attuned to her stereo, so she could listen from anywhere in Equestria. Feeling set for the journey, she leaped off from her balcony and took flight, headed south of her parents’ kingdom to the ‘Red Forest’.
The morning air was frightfully cold. Dawn was unused to flying this early in the morning. It was still dark out, but the edge of the morning sun’s light could be seen through the lighter colouring of the sky towards the East. Despite the cold, she liked the view. This was her namesake; the dawn of the day. She decided to enjoy herself, taking solace in the silence of the night, save the wind whistling past her ears. She began to spiral in the air as her wings cut through the wind like a blade through water. Such a scene made her happy. It was a rarity for her to be happy without some form of communication or musical sustenance serenading her ears.
Her reverie was cut short as somepony called her name from above. The hybrid looked up to see the Captain of the Dawnguard and Astrobolts, Rainbow Dash. The Pegasus was dressed in her typical training clothes which consisted of sweat bands around her hooves and forehead, and a fluorescent yellow coat over her body. She flew down to meet Dawn.
“Fancy seeing you out here so early.” Dash remarked. Dawn smiled and looked ahead for a moment to make sure she was still on the right path.
“Yeah, got a call to check something out. What about you, you’re not on duty for another hour.” Dawn replied. Dash shrugged in turn.
“Yeah, well my guards can’t keep up with me unless I wear myself out before morning training, so I do a little extra workout to take away some of the energy.” she replied. Dawn was always surprised to find out just how much energy Rainbow Dash had. It was as if she were getting stronger every day. Anypony would think she were the hybrid, what with her strength. “So what’s this thing you’ve been called out to check on?” Dash asked, changing the subject.
“Dunno. Skyler told me that he and some friends found something interesting and asked if I wanted to check it out.” Dawn replied.
“And because you’re like, super-hot for him, you couldn’t refuse, right?” Dash teased. Dawn scowled at the Pegasus.
“Well I was going to ask if you wanted to come along, but I don’t think I will now.” Dawn thought she had the upper hand then.
“Sorry, kiddo. But a princess such as yourself can’t go wandering aimlessly into a forest without protection. As Captain of the Dawnguard, I’m afraid I’m obligated to accompany you, whether you want me to or not.” Dash retorted. Dawn cursed under her breath, letting the wind take it away. She sighed in resignation and nodded to the cerulean mare.
“Alright then, but please don’t be like a parent and embarrass me in front of my friends especially Skyler?” she asked on the verge of begging. Dash huffed with pride.
“Please, you forget who you’re talking to. I’m Rainbow Dash, Captain of the Astrobolts; the only flying team that poses a threat to the Wonderbolts in terms of awesomeness. If anything my presence will make you appear to them as twenty percent cooler.” boasted the Pegasus. Dawn managed a chuckle and nodded in agreement. Their conversation ended there as the two of them sped off to their destination.
The ‘Red Forest’ was named as such after the Alchemically produced red trees were grown over one of the largest battlefields in the Great War, as a sign of remembrance to those who had fallen in battle. The forest had grown faster than any before, and some believed that it had become a cruel red sister forest to the Everfree. It was public knowledge that dangerous creatures of unknown origin resided within the forest; creatures that could dwarf a Hydra in terms of ferocity. Some believed the forest to be the home to the angered souls of the fallen who believed their deaths to have been in vain. Others believed that new creatures had grown from the forest, just as the trees had done. But all agreed that the forest contained things that had evolved in some way to kill and/or eat ponies. There were commonly known dead zones where no life was present within the forest and that was the closest thing to safe within it. The centre of the forest was one such zone. Dawn and Rainbow Dash glided just above the treeline, scanning the area for the ponies who dared to venture into such a place. They made their way southward from the centre of the dead zone, looking, listening for any sign.
“Down there!” Dawn called out to Rainbow Dash as she pointed toward the small group of ponies gathered around together. Dash regrouped with Dawn and they descended together. It unnerved both mares when they saw the group wounded and exhausted. Even Skyler looked pretty banged up.
“What in Equestria happened here?” Dawn asked, rushing to Skyler’s aid. The lime and blue Pegasus was shaky as he spoke.
“M-m-m-m-monster… emerged… from the… thing we found. W-w-w-we thought it w-w-was a c-c-crystal from s-s-s-s-space. B-b-b-but it w-w-was an e… It was an e… an e…” Skyler couldn’t get the last word out, but Dash seemed to know what he was going to say.
“Egg?” she asked, the casual tone gone from her voice. It was one of those rare times when Rainbow Dash seemed more like a Guard than an Astrobolt. To the chagrin of Both newcomers, Skyler nodded. One of the other party members began to cry in frustration.
“Looks like another conspiracy can be added to the rumours of the forest; spirits, evolved creatures and now aliens. We have to get these ponies out of here.” she said. Dawn was prepared to follow those instructions, but no sooner had Dash given the command, that something foul had made itself known to them in the distance. Skyler lost all sense of composure and crawled into Dawn’s forelegs, hugging her for dear life. While this might have been a dream come true for her, the circumstances countered it perfectly.
“It’s coming.” Skyler said, barely above a whisper.
The creaking of trees alerted Rainbow Dash and Dawn of the oncoming presence. Instinctively, Dawn drew back while Dash put herself in between her and the danger. They failed to see anything, despite how close it sounded. With Skyler still holding on to Dawn for dear life, the situation frightened her that much more. Skyler was supposed to be brave and fearless, the perfect somepony for her. But the condition he was in made her feel like whatever was out there was more dangerous than anything ever recorded in Equestrian history.
"Dawn, grab your friends and fly away, I'll try to hold-." Dash was cut off as a long black talon shot out faster than even her eyes could follow. Like a jagged scythe, it bore down on the Dawnguard. Fast as Rainbow was, she couldn't get clear of it in time. Her wing was penetrated and in a painful cry, she fell to the ground, like what had happened in Ghastly Gorge those precious years ago.
"Rainbow Dash!" Dawn cried out, only afterward trying to trace the source of the scythe-like talon. It was long, like an extension made of shadows, but more solid. The scythe broke off from itself, the pointy part still grounding Rainbow Dash. The rest retreated back into the safety of the darkness. The rainbow mare tried to free herself, but the black spike had dug clean through the wing and had buried itself part way into the ground below. The wound was clean, and had happened too fast for blood to be drawn, but as she pulled and pulled, blood began to seep out from under the wing.
"Guys, run, just run!" Dash cried out. A roar sent them all scurrying away in fear. Dawn hated to leave Rainbow Dash at the mercy of that thing, but she felt she had to get Skyler away from danger. She would then come back for Rainbow Dash with a full contingent of guards, perhaps even her father.
Spike stretched his arms in the air as he yawned. He was on his way to the throne room to begin the business of the day.
"Your majesty." one guard among a small group of five addressed him in passing.
"Morning guys." the dragon replied, not stopping to talk to them. He knew this was going to be a busy day. Nobles from Canterlot had expanded their properties into his land and since then, he and Twilight had the misfortune of dealing with them. A harrowing experience and hardly worth it, but complaints were mundane and they hoped to keep them that way.
As Spike made his way to the throne room, there was already a fairly long line waiting for entry. "Don't you guys ever sleep?" he asked as he passed by, opening the main doors and closing them firmly behind him. "Buck." he grumbled to himself. Looking ahead, he spotted Twilight talking with the first Noble of the day. With a sigh, the dragon approached them.
"Not interrupting anything, am I?" he said, cutting the Noble off.
"Actually-."
"God, no!" Twilight interrupted, smiling at her husband while ignoring the insulted noble's expression. Spike chuckled as he stepped up to Twilight and gave her a quick kiss.
"You seen Dawn at all this morning?" he asked as he sat down on his throne beside her.
"No, I haven't. I think she's out with Rainbow Dash because she didn't show up on time this morning." the lavender alicorn stretched her wings and then folded them neatly against her back before sitting back down.
"Knowing them, they're probably sleeping on a couple of clouds, soaking up the warmth of the sun." he said, weaving his fingers together before stretching them out. A melody of crackles followed suit. "So who's this guy with a shorter temper than Gilda?" he asked, pointing out the noble patiently waiting to continue.
"High Road here is upset because some quote unquote commoners are too noisy at night. These are his neighbors, mind you. And their noise is the source of parties. He wants us to resolve the issue." Twilight said with mock enthusiasm.
Spike chuckled as he looked at the expectant Noble. "Alright, let's resolve it right now." the Noble looked at the dragon hopefully. "We'll ask them to lower the noise a bit and if they don't. I'll have one of the guards place a sound barrier around their land. They could make as much noise as they wanted, and it wouldn't even reach your fence line." he declared. The Noble smiled, clearly satisfied with that decision. He bowed and turned to leave. Just as the next one came in, a blur blasted through the doors and rushed toward the couple as fast as it could and proceeded to collapse at the foot of the steps.
"Dash? What the hell happened to you?!" Twilight asked, hurrying down with Spike to help her up. Spike was the first to notice her mangled wing.
"What did this to you?" he asked. Rainbow Dash was breathing heavily, so much so, she was out of breath. The royal couple allowed her a few moments to catch her breath.
"The Red Forest... Dawn and her friends..." she gasped. Spike's eyes widened. He snapped his neck around and called to the guards outside, waiting patiently to assist their wounded Captain.
"You there, grab a contingent of guards and search High and low in the Red Forest for Dawn and her friends." he ordered The guards both nodded and galloped as quickly as their legs could take them. Twilight used her magic to lift Rainbow Dash up and place her across her back.
"Let's get you to the Medical wing." she said.
"Twilight, I'm so sorry!" Dash began to cry as she felt she'd failed her best friend. Twilight shook her head and Spike brushed her mane aside.
"You've nothing to be sorry for. You did your duty and went with Dawn. You nearly died trying to protect her." Spike said.
"Let's not say anything right now. Dash needs to save what strength she has left.
Spike and Twilight sat beside Rainbow's bed, Gilda on the other side. The cyan pegasus slept peacefully as her partner and friends waited for her to wake up. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long. Rainbow Dash stirred and woke up with a gasp.
"It's alright Dash, you're in the medical ward. Safe and sound." Twilight said. Dash relaxed for a moment as Gilda took her hoof.
"Guys, you have to find Dawn. Something chased her and her friends." she began.
"Tell us everything from the beginning, Dash."
As Dawn and the others scurried away, Dash tried to free herself. It was during her futile attempt that she saw a massive black arm reach out from the darkness, slam down next to her and pull an even larger form along. Dash couldn't make out the form of the creature, but she couldn't mistake an large orange eye with a slit pupil like a cat's eye. She began to fear for her own life and pulled even harder. Her wing gave way and tore itself against the black spike, rendering it useless, and her flightless.
As she ran, she tried to follow Dawn's path, but she couldn't find out which way she went. She knew her only hope was to return to the castle and call for aid. Then she would tend her resignation as punishment for failing her king, queen and friends.
"Oh, Dash." Gilda said, resting a talon on her shoulder.
"We've no intention of accepting your resignation, Dash. You're the best pony for the job and there's nopony we trust more than you. You tried your best and that's all we've ever asked. We couldn't fire you for doing all you could." Twilight said.
"Thank you, Twilight." Dash said.
"So... aliens have my daughter? This family should hold a record for the most strange captors in the world. First you with Gryphons, now this." said Spike, rubbing his forehead.
"Honey, call Mar. He'll be able to help." Twilight replied. Spike nodded and patted Dash's free hoof.
"Get well soon, Captain." he smiled before leaving.
"I'm sorry, Spike, but I can't help you in this situation. With the new rules I've designed for this Rebirth system, I can only play a part in the deaths of living creatures It's beyond my jurisdiction." Mar said, his body illuminated by the sunlight through the window.
"But if you made the rules, surely there's a Loophole I could exploit? Come on Mar, we're old friends!" Spike said, stepping forward in a pleading manner.
"Well... there is one way, but I don't think you'll like it." he replied, scratching his head.
"I already don't like where this is going." he replied.
"Angelus." he said simply.
"Sh~it! Why him?"
"Well, the only loophole available to you is if you consider taking vengeance against this 'alien' of yours. You certainly can't kill it, believe me, I've tried everything." Mar replied.
"Wait, you know what this alien is? Tell me." said Spike as he registered Mar's words.
"I think it would be better if you found out for yourself. But on the plus side, Angelus hates her." said Mar, crossing his arms.
"Her?" Spike asked.
"Oops, said too much." he replied, disappearing from sight. Spike sighed before a gateway to Heaven opened up and a tan Angel with black feathered wings, white pants and a red waist cape stepped through. His eyes were whiter than his hair, having no pupils at all. This was Angelus, the Angel of Vengeance.
"I overheard your conversation. I'll help you get your daughter back. Just make sure to leave the 'alien' to me."
"So, Angelus; care to explain who or what this thing that took my daughter is?" Spike asked, walking with the dark-skinned angel along the corridor towards the medical ward.
"Not really. If you're lucky, I'll give you a name before we head out. In the mean time, I'll need your friend who saw the creature to be completely sure who it is I'm dealing with." Angelus replied, brushing the king off as if he were just a noble with another mundane complaint.
"Rainbow Dash is in no condition to move, let alone guide you to the creature. Besides, it's in the Red Forest." Spike argued.
"That's where it is, I need to know who." he said, picking up the pace. He knocked the door to the ward open, not bothering to close it. Fortunately, Spike did that for him. The nurses began to approach the newcomer, ready to force him out if need be. Upon closer inspection of his features, the nurses found themselves too scared to even maintain visual contact.
Angelus made his way to Rainbow Dash's bedside, Twilight and Gilda on the side opposite him. Rainbow Dash looked upon her new visitor with a certain amount of awe and admiration.
"I nearly went straight for a moment, there. What can I do you for, big guy?" Dash asked, smiling at the grouchy angel. Angelus went to say something but Spike interrupted.
"Ah, Dash, this is Angelus; he's one of Mar's Generals. He wants to know who it was that attacked you." he said. Twilight picked up on what had passed through his lips.
"Wait... who? Mar knew the creature that attacked Dash and stole my daughter?" she asked, looking more towards Angelus than her husband.
"That's correct." Angelus replied, still as grouchily as ever.
"Not much I can tell you. All I saw was silhouette." Dash said.
"Did you see its eyes?" Angelus asked. Dash nodded. "What shape were they?" he asked.
"Cat's eyes, you know, slit pupils." she replied.
"What colour?" Angelus asked.
"Orange." she said.
"Light or dark?" he pressed, leaning forward.
"Light?" Dash said unsurely. Angelus expressed something akin to relief.
"Excellent. It's not the one we thought." he sighed with relief.
"Wait, there's more than one of those things?" Twilight asked.
"Yes, there are two... so far." he replied, moving to walk away.
"Wait!" Dash said, grabbing his arm with her hoof, a gesture Angelus clearly didn't like given the expression on his face. "Angels have healing powers, right? I want you to heal me up, so I can help you find Dawn." she said.
"Dash!" Gilda protested, as did Twilight. "You're in no condition to go out there looking for anypony. You'd only get in Angelus' way." the gryphon stated.
"Yeah, that's why I want him to heal me, so I'll be of use to them. I left Dawn there in the forest. I can't rest here while she's out there, having Celestia knows what done to her. Twilight, please... order me to find her." Dash begged. Twilight was at a cross-roads. She wanted her friend to rest and get some sleep after having nearly lost her life, but she also wanted her daughter back safe and sound. If Dash was able to help her achieve the latter, she'd be a fool to turn down that request.
"I may have some small use for you. I'll heal you. In return, I need you to grab a contingency of guards. Make sure they're female." Angelus said, his hand glowing a light golden coour as he brought it near Dash's wing.
Dawn felt her rump hit the dirt, hard. She fell back and was pinned down by something she couldn't see, save for a pair of eyes glaring at her. She'd been brought into a cave under a large tree. The cave was big enough to house a dozen grizzly bears. It was dark, but it was dry. The hybrid tried to squirm under the weight of the creature, but to no avail. "You won't get away with this! My parents will come and save me. They're the strongest beings in Equestria." she threatened, or tried to at least.
"Aw, is that it? I was hoping to make you squirm a bit before getting that information out of you, among other things." a rather sadistic female voice responded. Dawn was frozen speechless. Had she just given the creature what she wanted right off the bat?
"Why did you take me?" she asked, hoping to confirm her fear.
"Why not? That pretty rainbow pony got away, and your features, plus your draconic half remind me of a certain entity I know and love. I just can't resist." the creature replied. Dawn was getting an uneasy feeling, and she rarely got those.
"What do you plan to do with me?" she asked.
"Since your parents are the world's strongest, I'll use you as bait to lure them to me. I'll fight them and... hopefully, win." there was a line of hesitancy as the voice spoke to her.
"What do you mean by hopefully?" she asked.
"While I appear strong to you and your kind, I am incomplete. As such, I have to pass tests given to me, so that I may complete myself and fulfil my destiny." the voice responded.
"Destiny? Who are you?!" Dawn demanded. There was a sly and almost seductive chuckle within the dark space as the eyes of the creature met her again.
"My name... is-."
"...Rena Piper. She's part of a wolf-like race that originated outside reality itself." Angelus said, sitting down with the group of ponies that had been selected by Rainbow Dash. Sitting in on the conversation was Twilight Sparkle and Gilda, who were curious to know about this kidnapper/ attacker.
"What do you mean by 'outside reality'?" Twilight asked.
"Think of Reality as a bubble, and just outside that bubble is another bubble surrounding it. So you have Reality, as a bubble within another bubble. That other bubble is what we call 'Irreality'. So it's like the origin of imagination. Rena was born there, but sent into reality to live as a real being, the reasons for this are unclear to even us Angels." Angelus replied.
"So what's Rena's story?" Spike asked.
"Rena grew up on another world known as Beo-Dur. It was a world not entirely unlike this one. The dominant races were Wolves and assorted felines. The Felines were savages with primitive minds. The Wolves were evolved, cultured. They had social classes. Upper, Middle and Lower. Rena was one of the Lower class. She spent the first thirteen years of her life as a slave-girl. She was shunned even by her fellow slaves because she wielded a power different from those of others. While every wolf possessed control over the natural elements such as fire and ice, Rena had control over Shadows."
"And that's where our worlds are similar? Magic?" Twilight asked.
"As well as Royalty and nobility. Rena had the misfortune of being slave to a rather bigoted and pretentious Noble. Residing over a small village, despite her status among her peers, Rena was often sought after by many a male at the break of night, forced to relieve their tensions and daily stresses. Some of her aggressors were married, yet still they sought her. Beyond that, she was treated as little more than a tool for their continued use."
"How horrible." one of the guards said, covering her face with a hoof.
"So what happened to her?" another asked.
Angelus went on. "One the verge of ending her own life, she met a stranger who offered her another life, free from restrictions. She offered her the destruction of that world, rather, the power to destroy it with her own two hands. And she accepted. Rena quickly referred to the stranger as her new Master."
"The other one." Spike noted. Angelus nodded.
"Zamiel Piper. The stronger of the two. Zamiel was the first Piper to enter Reality itself. Originally a female, Zamiel learned she could change genders at will. Their race was named after the original Piper herself. Zamiel was a name she earned throughout the history of many races. Specifically, the Human Race. The name was German, originating from an Opera that referred to Zamiel as the Dark Hunstman. Zamiel, after having been betrayed by someone, threw him into a dark pit to be eaten by wolves." The ponies seemed disturbed by this history lesson.
"Piper's history exists throughout Humanity. The earliest being the Egyptian God Anubis, who was responsible for embalming the dead and seeing them safely into the afterlife."
"I don't see what any of this has to do with Rena." Spike said.
"Throughout Zamiel's history, she was alone, and often liked it that way. Her personality twisted into something indescribably evil. She's sadistic, seductive, masochistic, any dark thing you can think of, it most likely originated from her. Now, take into account the fact that she's teaching another being everything she knows." Angelus replied. A grim feeling washed over every pony, gryphon and dragon there.
"I see your point. So why did these guards have to be all female?" Spike asked.
"Pipers tend to hold a racial grudge against those who do them wrong before they discover their powers. For Zamiel, it was a God of light who took the form of a Minotaur. For Rena, it's the entirety of the Male race. They tend to torture those kinds of beings before killing them. Everyone else, they just outright kill. So far, only Angels and a select few demons have proven themselves to be the exception to that rule. Rena, however, isn't as cruel as her master. She likes females and tends to seduce them every now and then. If you want to know about the benefits of accepting her advances, you should either do so yourself, or ask my sister." Angelus said. Another long pause filled the room.
"When do we head out?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"As soon as his majesty gives the order." Angelus replied. All eyes turned to the golden dragon sitting thoughtfully in his throne, his wife staring anxiously at him.
"We leave at daybreak. If Rena Piper controls the shadows, then we would have the advantage during the day." he commanded.
"No, Pipers evolved to use darkness even in the light. Zamiel killed a god of Light by using the darkness in his heart. I don't know if Rena is that advanced yet, but we have to assume she has all Zamiel's abilities, even though they're not as strong. That's the only way we'll get your daughter back safely." Angelus said.
"What does Rena even want here in Equestria anyway? It's not as if we've done anything to her." Twilight demanded.
"Rena acknowledges only one other and does as she tells her to. Your exploits eighteen years ago no doubt intrigued The Wolf Piper, and she found you to be the perfect test subjects for Rena's training. Dawn is nothing more than a hostage to get the strongest of you to come out and fight her."
"So she'd be expecting us?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Perhaps, but she won't be expecting me." Angelus slammed his fists together, the entire room rattling from the impact.
"Then we leave immediately." Spike said, standing to his feet.
