> Equestria Wars Episode V: Revenge of the Dark Side > by sonicdash123 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once upon a time in a magical land of Equestria.... EQUESTRIA WARS Episode V Revenge of the Dark Side Darkness has begun to spread in the land of Equestria. After the battle of the Crystal Empire, Malgus has declared war on the Equestrian Empire. During the war, Tirek has escaped Tartarus and began to steal Equestrian magic and has now become even more powerful. In the skies above the griffin kingdom, Charming Thunder is on a mission to rescue the king of the griffins from Malgus' empire.... > Chapter 1: The Battle for the Griffins > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A star destroyer flies over the kingdom of the griffins as explosions were heard. An Eta-2 class starfighter flew over the destroyer and went down to the battle. Dozens of Harrower-class dreadnoughts fired at some destroyers as the TIE Fighters attacked the enemy Mark VI Supremacy-class starfighter. The starfighter then flew past the lasers that were being fired from an enemy battleship. It then flew through an explosion as it maneuvers in unison, dodging flack and enemy laser fire. The red colored R4 astromech droid was on the starfighter as Charming Thunder piloted it. Up ahead was an Interdictor-class cruiser. The droid beeped as Charming Thunder flew straight towards it. "Lock on to them, R4," he said. R4 beeped its reply as Charming Thunder flies straight towards his target. "That ship is where the griffin king is being held and it is crawling with fighters." Enemy fighters flew out of the cruiser and headed straight towards Charming Thunder. "Commander, do you copy?" "Copy, red leader," the commander's voice said in his headset. "Mark my position and form up behind me." "We're on your tail, sir." The TIE Phantom squadron began to cloak and flew behind Charming Thunder's interceptor as it opened its wings. "Begin your attack now." The TIE Phantom squadron uncloaked and began to fire at the incoming fighters as some pass through or got destroyed in the process. A fighter next to the interceptor blew up and the pilot spins off to the ground. A TIE Phantom was being pursued as the enemy fired at him. "They're all over me," the pilot said. "Get him off my--" He was interrupted when his ship got hit and began to spin off to the surface. Charming Thunder looked both right and left to see that he is being pursued now. He maneuvered through he battlefield as the enemy fired at him. "Hang on, R4." He then maneuvered through and explosion from a star destroyer as he attempted to shake the enemy off of his back. He looked both ways again to check if it worked but the enemy was still following him. "Flying is for pegasi," he muttered to himself. The pursuing fighters then fired at him but he dodged to the side. He then did a somersault over the pursuing fighters and he then began to chase them through the battlefield. He shot one of the fighters down leaving one remaining in his sights. He tried to fire at it but he kept missing. "Stand still. Darn it." The enemy fighter kept on dodging the lasers that were being fired from the interceptor. As it stopped maneuvering, Charming Thunder fired at the fighter which caused it to spin out of control and crash on the hull of a dreadnought. He then continued to fly towards the cruiser as R4 beeped something to him. "Oops. Thanks for reminding me." He then shot at the shield generator that protects the hangar to the ship. The hangar shield doors then started to close as he flew straight towards the hangar. "I have a bad feeling about this." He made it through as the door shut and ponie engineers got sucked into the sky. His fighter slid on the hangar floor and crashed into some of the soldiers. When the ship stopped slidding, he pressed a button to open the cockpit and jumped out with his lightsaber activated. R4 popped out of the ship and followed Charming Thunder as he blocked the shots from the enemy soldiers. "R4, locate the king," he shouted. As he cut down the last of the soldiers, he followed his droid companion to the ship's controls. The hologram of the cruiser then popped up as Charming Thunder looked at it. "It looks like his signal is coming from the detention level." He began to walk to a hallway but stopped to turn to R4. "I need you to stay here with the ship." He then tossed a comlink to it and R4 caught it with its robot claw. "Take this and await further instructions." He then began to run through the hallway as he saw the elevators. When he arrived at the elevator doors, he pressed a button on the side and waited for the elevator to come down. He then heard footsteps coming from behind and turned to see two war droids. He activated his lightsaber and deflected the shots. The elevator doors opened and he backed up inside the elevator. When it closed, a group of soldiers were behind him pointing their weapons at him. "Drop your weapon," one of them said. Charming Thunder then turned to see them. "I said drop them." "How about...." He then activated his crimson blade and sliced away on the group as he finished his sentence. "...no." He pressed a button in the elevator to go to the detention level. --------------------- On the bridge of the cruiser, Malgus who was now wearing a cybernetic respirator observed the battle as one of the captains arrived. "What is the situation, captain?" Malgus asked. "A red unicorn landed in the main hangar bay and is in the elevator," the captain replied. "We're tracking him." "Shut down the elevators and tell my apprentice to go down to the king's cell and guard it." "Yes, sir." The captain then went back to the controls and monitored the status of the cruiser's shields. --------------------- Charming Thunder was waiting for the elevator to stop at the floor he needed to go until it stopped. He looked around the room and said to himself, "Well this is unexpected. They know that I'm here." He grabbed his comlink and contacted his companion. "R4, activate elevator numbered 3745." He then waited patiently as R4 was at the elevator controls and made the elevator go down. Charming Thunder then fell due to the activation. He then noticed that the elevator is going upward. "Stop, R4. I need to go down not up." R4 beeped in the comlink as it stopped the elevator. Charming Thunder fell to the ground again when it stopped. The elevator then went down to the detention level as he got up. "Thats better." > Chapter 2: Another Happy Landing > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The elevator door opened and revealed a room full of forcefields. He walked down the hall and looked in each cell for the king of the griffins. He then saw who he was looking for. The griffin wore a crown over his black feathered head. "Your highness," Charming Thunder said as he bowed. "Are you alright?" "Yes," the king replied. He then noticed someone approaching. "Watch out." Charming Thunder then turned to see a brown stallion approaching him. He grabbed his lightsaber from his belt and readied himself for combat. "Get help. You're no match for him. He's an apprentice to Malgus." "Nonsense, your grace. I have dealt with enemies much worse than this." "Your sword please," the approaching stallion said. "You don't want to make a mess of things in front of the king." "That is where you are wrong." Charming Thunder then activated his lightasber as his opponent did the same. He was the first to strike but the apprentice blocked the strike. They then locked their blades as they struggled to strike. "My master has been looking forward to this. I sense great fear in you. You have hate and anger. But you never...ever use them." Charming Thunder then pushed the stallion back and did some strikes at him. The stallion was about to punch him but Charming Thunder grabbed the hoof and chopped it off along with the hoof holding the lightsaber. The lightsaber flew in the air as Charming Thunder grabbed it and activated it. He then placed the two blades around his neck like scissors. He then chopped the stallions head off with the lightsabers and the stallions head rolled on the floor. He then deactivated the lightsabers and placed them on his belt. He then turned to the prison cell and pressed the buttons on the control panel next to it and deactivated the force field. The griffin then stepped out of his cell and said, "You know that you could've taken him prisoner. Princess Celestia would've questioned him if he was brought to justice." "I know, but he is a dangerous unicorn. We must leave before the security forces arrive." They both then walked back to the elevators as Charming Thunder pressed a button on the panel next to it. "Really?" "What?" "The elevators aren't working." He then grabbed his comlink and contacted his R4 unit. "R4, activate elevator 3126." R4 beeped in the comlink as they waited patiently. An explosion was heard from outside of the ship and the room started to shift to the side as the elevator doors open. The griffin and Charming Thunder then climbed inside the elevator shaft and started to run to the floor where the hangar is. The ship then began to shift back to normal and they began to slide downward. The griffin then flapped his wings and grabbed Charming Thunder with his his clawed foot. "Uh-oh." Charming Thunder looked up the see the elevator coming down. "We need to hurry to the hangar floor." The griffin then flew as fast as he could and went through the door. The elevator then slid past the door and they both sighed in relief. "Lets find a ship and get out of here. R4, get down here." Static only could be heard from his comlink. "R4, do you copy?" Beeps from the droid responded and continued to escort the king to the hangar when all of the sudden, a ray shield surrounded them. "Oh come on. First the elevators now this?" the king shouted. "Could this day just get any worse." "Fret not, your highness. R4 will be along in a few moments and then he'll release the ray shields." A door opened and R4 came through as fast as he could and accidentally bumped into a wall. It turned to see Charming Thunder and the king and beeped happily. "See? No problem." A group of enemy soldiers entered and aimed their rifles at them including the astromech droid. "Is there a plan B?" the king asked nervously. --------------------- Malgus stared at the enemy fleet as explosions were also heard. Charming Thunder was handcuffed as he noticed a familiar face. "Ah, yes," Malgus said as he turned to look at the king, R4, and Charming Thunder. "Charming Thunder. I've been waiting for you. So much for a rescue." "You must be Malgus," Charming Thunder said. "You're shorter than I expected." Malgus growled at him and turned back to the window. "I'll be looking forward to break you once this battle is over." "You won't. And you won't be escaping this time. R4!!" R4 then creates a distraction by extending all his arms, shooting out electrical pulses, and bouncing around. Charming Thunder then grabbed his lightsaber and activated it. He then sliced the chains that were connected to his front hooves. He then hits a soldier in the face and grabbed his rifle. He then threw it to the king and said, "Hold them off. I'm going after Malgus." Malgus was at the edge of the room as Charming Thunder cornered him. "You lose, Charming Thunder." Malgus horn then started to glow and a flash of light blinded him. When the light faded, he noticed that he was not at the corner anymore. Malgus teleported inside an escape pod as he chuckled to himself. "Time to abandon ship." He then pressed a button on the panel and the pod he was in launched out of the cruiser. Charming Thunder saw an escape pod leaving the cruiser and said, "Malgus has escaped." "Thats not the only problem we have," the griffin said. "The engines are about to be destroyed." "Strap yourself in, your highness. This might get bumpy." R4 rolled up next to the king as Charming Thunder flipped some switches. He looked out of the window and saw a rainbow explosion in a distance. R4 beeped a question to Charming Thunder as he watched. "I don't know. Either a sonic rainboom or something magical--" The ship then began to shake as he checked the readings. "Looks like we lost the engines. But don't worry. I could try to land this thing." The cruiser then began to go downwards and fast. "Our speed is eight plus fifty. We're getting close to the surface. Grab that handle and keep us steady, your highness." The griffin then grabbed the controls and tried to keep the ship as steady as possible. Two fireships flew next to the crashing cruiser. "Fireships, put out the fires on both left and right." "Copy that," the pilot replied. "We're coming in too hot." The cruiser then impacts on the grassy land and left a trail as Charming Thunder, R4, and the griffin held on for their lives. Once it stopped, they all sighed in relief as Charming Thunder said, "Another happy landing." > Chapter 3: The Execution of Tirek > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A shuttle that carried the griffin king, Charming Thunder, and R4 flew towards Canterlot castle and landed on a landing platform. The ramp lowered and the group walked out of the shuttle. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were at the door as she watched them walk up to her. "Are you alright?" Celestia asked. "Yes. I am," the griffin said. "Thanks to your nephew. But Malgus has escaped." "Malgus won't interfere with your kingdom anymore. I will make sure of it." "Thank you, princess." "Now if you follow me, we can discuss what you and your kingdom requires for your safety." Charming Thunder and R4 followed Celestia right beside Luna as they talked. "I was so close to capturing him," Charming Thunder said. "Don't worry, nephew," Luna said as she placed a hoof on his shoulder. "You will get him soon enough." Cadence stood behind a pillar as she watched the group pass by. "Excuse me," Charming Thunder said as he walked the other way. "Of course." He then ran to Cadence and gave her a tight hug. She began to sob with relief as she embraced the hug. "I've missed you, Cadence." "I'm just glad that you are alright," Cadence said. "Since you were away, I had to deal with a situation with an escapee from Tartarus." "Who?" "Lord Tirek." "Did he hurt you?" Cadence giggled. "No. I'm alright." Shining Armor approached them as he said, "Hey, buddy." "Hey, Shining." He then gave him a high five. "How's it going?" "Princess Celestia needs to see you right away. She did not say why." Charming Thunder then walked down the hallway with Shining Armor to the throne room. Shining Armor opened the door and only Luna and Celestia were present. "You wanted to see me, Aunt Celestia?" "Yes. I have a task for you. I need you to deal with Tirek." "You want me to kill him? I don't know if its a right thing to do." "Its the only way that he cannot steal our magic again." "What of my wife?" "She and her friends sealed him back to the pits of Tartarus and I made sure that he doesn't steal magic from anypony while he is down there. She sacrificed her magic to save her friends including Discord." "Discord?" "Yes. At first he betrayed us," Luna said. "But now he is no longer evil anymore." "He put my wife in danger? He will get what he deserves." "Then you will leave to Tartarus immediately. I will inform the guards that you are expected there. Once you are done, you will head to Twilight's castle in Ponyvile. And don't worry about your father's stuff. I made sure that the guards brought them to your a room in your personal chambers." Charming Thunder nodded and left to take a flight to Tartarus. --------------------- Charming Thunder's Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor landed in front the gateway to Tartarus as the guards noticed the ship. The cockpit hatch opened to reveal Charming Thunder. R4 popped out of the ship and followed him. He then gestured to the droid and said, "Stay with the ship, R4. This is a matter I must handle alone." R4 then rolled back to the ship and waited for Charming Thunder. Inside Tartarus, there were many monsters in their cells. A cerberus that guarded the stairway to the prisoner he needed to see moved out of the way. When he reached to the top of the stairs, he saw the centurion with black eyes and yellow pupils. He wore a magical muzzle which kept him from stealing magic from anyone. "Ah, so Celestia has sent you here for a reason," Tirek said as he turned to see Charming Thunder. "You must be Lord Tirek." He then entered inside the cage that the centurion was in. "I am-- "Charming Thunder, the war hero of Equestria. Yes yes. I know who you are. Everypony is always talking about you and--" Tirek was interupted when Charming Thunder used his magic to choke him. He released him and the centurion started to cough. "You could've thought twice before escaping Tartarus. What else do you know about me?" "I hear that you are still looking for answers about the Crystal Knights." Charming Thunder's eyes grew wide as he turned to face him. "I was a friend of Star Swirl the Bearded. Remember?" "I...I was never told about that." "Celestia and Luna were not the only ones who put me in chains. My traitorous brother Scorpan helped them put me here during the Discord Wars." "Your brother was a good friend to my aunts then. You know why I am here?" "No. But I can tell that you are angry about something I did." "Yes. You were the one who almost hurt my princess wife." "Twilight Sparkle?" "Yes." "Ah. You know, I never knew that she was the new princess and she had all of the alicorn magic from Celestia, Luna, and Cadence." Charming Thunder then started to get angry. "Your wife was so brave she even had to free Discord." Charming Thunder held his lightsaber and closed his eyes as Tirek continued. "She was so powerful and so wise that she had to become a weakling in the end." Charming Thunder had enough. He activated his lightsaber and pointed it at him. "Ah. I see. Celestia has sent you here to kill me." "I'm just doing what she wants me to do." "You would dare attack an unarmed being? What would your father think?" Charming Thunder gritted his teeth and chopped off Tirek's left leg. The centurion fell to the ground in pain as Charming Thunder readied his final strike. His strike then chopped off his head as tears fell down the unicorns cheek. --------------------- Luna heard a voice of Sombra screaming out, "Charming! Charming! No!" She gasped as she slid her eyes open. "What is it, sister?" Celestia asked. "I sensed pain, suffering, and death." Celestia was shocked with what Luna said as she walked down the stairs of the throne. "Something terrible has happened. Charming Thunder is in pain. Terrible, terrible pain." "Contact Twilight Sparkle and let her know about this." > Chapter 4: Charming Thunder's Dark Confession > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack and Rainbow Dash was at Twilight's new castle repairing a power converter in the new YT-1300 light freighter along with a white protocol droid named RA-7. It was a 1.7 foot tall robot with an insect looking head and silver sensors. "And done," Rainbow said. "My new ship is repaired and ready for flight." "There's only one way to find out," RA-7 said. "By my calculation, the ship can fly at 800 miles per hour." "Thats right," Applejack said. "I suggest that we test it just to be sure." "Great idea. Besides I don't want my brand new ship to explode or anything." The group then went inside the freighter and walked to the cockpit. Applejack and Rainbow took a seat in the cockpit and flipped some switches to check if the engines will run. The engines then roared to life as Rainbow smiled. She then shut down the engine and exited the ship. "I think that I'll call it the Millennium Phoenix." --------------------- Twilight and the hologram of Princess Luna were discussing something about Charming Thunder. "My husband's in pain?" Twilight asked. "Is...is he alright?" "Yes," Luna replied. "I just want you to find out whats wrong with him once he arrives." Twilight then heard a flyby of an Eta-2 class interceptor. "That must be him. Go to him." The transmission then ended as Twilight exited the room and saw Charming Thunder exiting his interceptor along with his R4 unit. Twilight walked up to him as he trotted his way with anger in his eyes. "Charming Thunder?" Charming Thunder didn't respond and walked past Twilight. R4 stood next to her as it beeped to her. "I don't know R4. I wanted to know as well, but..." Charming Thunder entered an elevator which led to his personal throne room which looked similar to the room where he confronted his father. He walked up the stairs and sat on the chair. He turned the chair around to get a good view of the town of Ponyvile. He saw the citizens walking around the town some entering Sugar Cube Corner. "Why the long face?" a voice asked out of nowhere. A flash appeared and the lord of chaos appeared in the room next to him. "What do you want, Discord?" Charming Thunder asked. "Shouldn't you be with Fluttershy?" "Yes. But I decided to take a little stroll around town and I realized something. I have never met you before. But it seems that you know who I am." "You were once an evil lord of chaos and you were the one who corrupted my friends. Including my wife Twilight Sparkle." "She's your wife? Awww. And I just missed the wedding." He then snapped his fingers and dressed up in a suit and tie. "I can assure you that I wouldn't cause any problems with you or Princess Twilight Sparkle." He snapped his fingers again and the suit he was wearing disappeared. "Why are you even here?" "I hear that you feel guilty about something and you are afraid to tell your alicorn wife about it." "I'm not afraid of anything," Charming Thunder yelled. "I'm just worried about how she would feel if I told her." Discord walked next to the chair and said, "I'll tell you what, why don't I tell her that you request her presence here and you can tell her...yourself. Does that sound like a good idea?" Charming Thunder wiped a tear off of his face and turned to face the dragonques. "Yeah. I think thats a good idea." "Good." Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared from the room. Charming Thunder continued to watch over the town as he waited. He then heard the elevator door behind him opened. Twilight walked up the stairs and stood a distance away from the cair he was sitting on. The chair then turned to face her. "Are you all right, sweetie?" Twilight asked. "You never said hello to me since you came here." "Yes. I'm fine." Charming Thunder then got up from his chair and walked to the window next to his chair. "Why did you risk you life to save your friends? Why couldn't I be there for you? I know I could have." "Sometimes sacrifices must be made. Tirek was going to destroy my friends. You're not that powerful." "Well I should be. Someday I will. I will be the most powerful unicorn ever." He then turned to face Twilight as he continued. "And I promise you this, I will even learn to stop ponies from dying." "Charming..." "ITS ALL CELESTIA'S FAULT!! She's jealous. She's holding me back." He then turned back to the window as tears began to roll down from his eyes. "What's wrong, Charming?" Twilight asked. Charming Thunder took a deep breath and sighed. "I..." Twilight slowly walked up to him as he spoke. "I killed him. I killed Lord Tirek. He's dead. Lying on the floor in his cell." He then turned to see Twilight shocked. "And not just because of revenge. But it was the only way for me to protect you. He's like an animal. And I slaughtered him like an animal." Charming Thunder then started to get angry as he remembered what he has done. "I HATE HIM!!" He then backed away to a wall and lays down as he began to sob. He then felt a wing wrapped around him as Twilight comforted him. "You had to do what Celestia needed you to do. That's all that matters." "I know...but I just feel so guilty about it." Twilight cuddled with him as he continued to sob. > Chapter 5: The Party > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Malgus sat on his chair in his chambers as he meditated. He then opened his eyes and said, "The dark side is strong with Charming Thunder." He then got up and walked to a window to view cruisers and fighters flying around. "They assumed that no force can challenge them. But now...finally, we have returned to have revenge." An officer entered the room and bowed. "My lord, our forces are almost ready for the assault for Canterlot," he said. "It would take a couple of days to prepare our attack." "Very good, commander. You are dismissed." The officer then bowed to him and left the room. --------------------- Charming Thunder was in the family bedroom with Twilight Sparkle as he helped her brush her mane. She wore a blue dress with stars all over it. Charming Thunder wore a black suit with a red bow tie. "Oh, I'm so excited for the Ball tonight," Twilight said. "Princess Celestia invited you as a guest of honor for this party." "You're so...beautiful," Charming Thunder said as he levitates the brush and places it back in front of the mirror. Twilight turned to him as she helped him fix his bow tie. "Thank you. Rarity took some time to come up with a dress design that suits me. And I must say, you look so cute in that suit." Charming Thunder blushed slightly after the comment she made. "I'm also surprised that my friends are coming with us." A knock was then heard at the door and Twilight walked up to it. Charming Thunder grabbed a tiny present box for his wife and placed it in his pocket. Applejack and the others along with R4 were at the door wearing their dresses way different from Twilight's. "You ready?" Applejack asked. "Yeah. Come on, sweetie." "Coming." Charming Thunder then walked with the others to the direction to the hangar. When the door opened, the group saw the Millennium Phoenix with a fiery pattern all over it. "Wow. Your new ship is amazing, Rainbow. Gotta say I'm impressed." "Thanks," Rainbow said. "I named it the Millennium Phoenix. What do you think?" "A name after an animal that my aunt has. That's a great name. Has it been tested?" "The last time me and Rainbow tested it, it turned out just fine." The group walked up the ramp on the side of the freighter and the group took a seat at a holo chess table and Rainbow and Applejack headed to the cockpit and activated the engines. The ship lifted off the ground and flew out of the hangar and sets a course to Canterlot. --------------------- As the Millennium Phoenix touched down on the floor of the hangar, the ramp lowered and Charming Thunder and the others walked down the ramp. As they entered the castle, they came across a huge crowd of ponies sitting at tables as the other guests danced in the middle of the room as music played. "Why don't you five have fun," Charming Thunder said as he wrapped his hoof around Twilight's hoof. The group then nodded as they walked around. Rainbow saw the Wonderbolts and had a chat with them. "You too, R4." R4 beeped as it rolled to the direction where Fluttershy was going. "May I have this dance, Twilight?" "Of course, Charming," Twilight replied. They both then went to the dance floor and started to dance together. Fluttershy was with R4 as she looked at the animals she recognizes from the Gala. Rarity hung out with Fancypants and Fleur to talk about Cloud City and how the city was doing. Pinkie and Applejack were sitting at a table as they ate some cupcakes and muffins. A bird flew on Fluttershy's hoof as she sang a song to the animals. Even R4 beeped a tune as she sang. A few minutes later, Celestia, Luna, and Cadence entered and walked on the stage. The music stopped playing as they approached. Celestia cleared her throat as she said, "We would like to thank you all for coming to this special part and hope that you all enjoy your time. I would like you to welcome our guest of honor. My nephew and a brother to Cadence; Charming Thunder. Everyone in the room applauded as Charming Thunder waved to them. "He has save a lot of lives during the war and I would like to thank him for it." The crowd than applauded again as the princesses left the stage. Charming Thunder and Twilight Sparkle walked to Shining Armor and Cadence as the other two princesses sat at their throne. Shining Armor hugged Twilight Sparkle as Charming Thunder hugged Cadence. "They are proud of you," Cadence said. "I am too. You saved my kingdom not once, but twice." "It was my duty to protect others," Charming Thunder said. "Would it okay if we talked more while we dance?" "Why of course. Shining, why don't you go dance with Twilight." "Of course, dear," Shining Armor said. Charming Thunder and Cadence walked to the dance floor and began to dance together. "I'm sure that Twilight is proud of you as well, my little brother." "Yeah. Besides, I have a present to give her later." "I'm sure that she'll like it." The music then changed to a tune that was familiar to Charming Thunder. "I know this song. Me and Rarity sang that song ever since I moved in with her." "Its a lovely song." Twilight and Shining Armor danced next to them as Twilight said, "Shall we switch back, honey?" "With pleasure." Charming Thunder and Shining Armor then switched dancing partners as Charming Thunder placed a hoof on Twilight's and began to dance slowly. Charming Thunder hummed along with the music as he danced with Twilight. He then looked at Twilight and said, "I have a gift for you." "A gift? For me?" Charming Thunder and Twilight left the dance floor and sat at a table. He then levitated the small box he had in his pocket and gave it to her. She then opened it and saw a heart shaped object inside. "What is it?" "Open it." Twilight opened the object and a tune played when it opened. "A music box. This is a lovely tune. I love your gift. Thank you." Twilight then gave Charming Thunder a kiss on the cheek and hugged him. > Chapter 6: Trandoshan Hunter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A changeling was in the Everfree forest running away from something that was chasing him. He then hid behind a tree and hoped that he lost the pursuer. He looked around and saw nobody around. He then came out of his hiding spot and slowly walked. Suddenly, a reptilian humanoid creature jumped out of nowhere and landed in front of the changeling. Its scales were mossy green and has red eyes. Its teeth were shown as it scares the changeling. "P-please whatever you want, I can give it to you I swear," the changeling said. He then tripped on the ground and crawled back. "The only thing I want is you dead," the creature hissed as the changeling backed away. "You are trapped now. There is nowhere left to run." It then grabbed its blaster rifle from his back and pointed it at the changeling. "Any last words?" The only thing the changeling did was shake in fear as the creature came closer and closer. "No? Well then." It then pulled the trigger and shot the changeling. It then started to walk away from its prey when a bright light shone in front of it. "Grrr. What is going on here?" The light faded and Princess Celestia appeared in front of the hunter. "Who are you?" "I am Princess Celestia, ruler of the land of Equestria," she explained. "I trust that you are not from around here?" "No. Not really. I'm--" It was interrupted when something hit him in the back of the head and fell to the ground unconscious. The unicorn guard that was behind it handcuffed its hands and levitated it to the chariot. --------------------- The next day, Charming Thunder and Fluttershy arrived at Canterlot since they recieved a letter from Princess Celestia requesting them to come. They entered the throne room and Celestia walked up to them. "We came here as fast as we could," Charming Thunder said. "Is something wrong?" "Nothing," Celestia said. "I just want you to help me with something." "Anything, princess." "I need you two to meet a creature I found in the Everfree forest but I must warn you, it is dangerous." "Define dangerous," Charming Thunder said. "Like it would eat you whole." Fluttershy then hid behind Charming Thunder and said, "Where is it now?" "In the dungeon. Follow me." They both then left the throne room and walked downstairs the the dungeon cell where the creature is held. Once they arrived, they only heard growling sounds inside the cell. The guard then opened the door and allowed Fluttershy and Charming THunder to enter. Once the door closed, they came face to face with the humanoid reptile in chains. It stared at them as they slowly walked to it. "What are you?" Fluttershy asked nervously. The creature growled and said, "I'm Roeoss, a male Trandoshan hunter of this world you call Equestria." "A hunter? Perhaps you can be useful if you will cooperate. So enlighten me about your skills." "I am skilled with melee weapons and a good shot with a blaster. I can also crush anyone with my claws." "Hmm. There are some enemies that I need to be crushed." The Trandoshan hissed as he said, "Free me from these chains and I will help you with this...war you are in. All I need is my weapons back, my hunting knife, and any ship that you have here. I promise you that this is no trick." Charming Thunder stood back to the door and knocked on it three times. The door opened and a guard entered the room. "Get him down and give him his stuff back. He's going to be useful for our cause." The unicorn guard then used his magic to let Roeoss out of those chains. He then walked up to Charming Thunder and raised out his three fingered hand. "Do we have a deal?" Charming Thunder then shook his hand as he said, "Deal. If you follow me, I will show you the hangar where we store ships that might suit you." The group along with Princess Celestia walked upstairs to go to the hangar for the Trandoshan to choose a ship. Charming Thunder leaned to Celestia and whispered, "Why exactly did you need Fluttershy for this?" "I wanted her to use the stare in case something went wrong." "Gotcha," Fluttershy whispered. --------------------- There were three ships in the hangar that can be chosen. Charming Thunder pointed one of them out as the Trandoshan listened. "This is a YV-666 light freighter," Charming Thunder explained. "A long, tall, narrow, and blocky freighter with port and starboard maneuvering fins at the rear that provided vertical movement and a three-deck design." He then pointed to the next ship. "This one is a D5-Mantis Patrol Craft. A best-in-class patrol craft, designed to compete with—and meet the demands of—much larger starships, such as a Star Destroyer. Now the last ship is my personal favorite; the Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft. It is a transport to carry prisoners and an attack ship to hunt your prey down. So, what do you think?" Roeoss examined the ships he wanted to use and he looked at the Mantis Patrol Craft. "I like the Mantis," Roeoss said with a hiss. "I'm sure it will come in handy when it comes with dealing with enemy capital ships." "Good. If you want, you can tag along with me as I introduce you to my wife at her castle." "Yeah. Its a good idea. I need to get acquainted before I can be part of this world." > Chapter 7: Wrath of the Empire > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Malgus was on the bridge of his flagship as he watched the fighters flyby his window. The admiral approached as he said, "The army is ready, my lord." Malgus then turned to the admiral and said, "Good. Plot a course to Canterlot. Once there, we will crush the Equestrian Empire once and for all." The admiral then bowed to him and walked back to the engineers working on the controls of the flagship. --------------------- Charming Thunder's interceptor landed next to Roeoss' ship which Fluttershy flew along with and then headed to the throne room. They both then entered the throne room where Twilight and Spike were. "I'm home," Charming Thunder said. Twilight turned to see the group enter as Roeoss looked around the room. Spike ran to Charming Thunder and hugged his leg as he said, "Its been a long time. How are you?" "I'm good, Spike." Twilight then gave Charming Thunder a kiss and asked, "What did Celestia want?" "She wanted to show me a new creature that came to Equestria." He then pointed to the Trandoshan as he explained. "Roeoss is a Trandoshan hunter and he has agreed to help us." Roeoss then noticed Twilight and walked up to her. Roeoss then bowed to Twilight as he said, "It is an honor to meet you, princess." "The pleasure is all mine. I sure hope that you will be of use to us whenever we need you." Spike then burped out a letter and Twilight levitated the scroll. She unrolled it and began to read it. "Does your dragon friend do that all the time?" Roeoss asked Charming Thunder. "Yeah. He burps out letters that are only from my aunt named Celestia." Twilight gasped as she rolled up the scroll. "What is it, dear?" "We need to head to Canterlot right away. The princesses wants us to be there for something. It may be trouble." "Roeoss can you fly Twilight and her friends to the castle? I'll take my interceptor as I escort you there safely." "Of course." "I'll go grab the others as you two get ready." Charming Thunder then ran out of the throne room and entered the cockpit of his interceptor. --------------------- The D5-Mantis carrying Twilight and her friends flew to Canterlot as Charming Thunder's interceptor escorted the ship. The Mantis then landed on the landing pad as Charming Thunder landed his ship in the hangar. He then exited the cockpit and R4 beeped as Charming Thunder walked to the door. "No, R4," he said. "Stay here for now." He then entered the hallway to the throne room as he walked. He opened the door to the throne room as the rest of his friends entered. "Aunt Celestia, what's the emergency?" "Malgus is heading this way as we speak," Celestia said. "We must prepare ourselves for battle," Luna said. "And hopefully end Malgus' terror for good." "What's my role for this upcoming battle?" "Malgus is on his flagship called the Leviathan. You are to board that vessel and kill Malgus. Roeoss and the others will handle the ground forces. Rainbow and the Wonderbolt Squadron will hold off the fighters as you safely land inside the ship." "Is it wise, princess?" Roeoss asked. "This could be a trap." "He might have a good point," Applejack said. "Malgus wants Charming Thunder and him alone. But I don't know why." "Very well. As soon as the battle begins, Charming Thunder will fight his way through to the flagship as the fleet provides cover fire." "I'm going with him," Twilight said. "No," Luna said. "Its too dangerous and--" "Its ok, Aunt Luna. I'll make sure that she is safe." "So be it," Celestia. "Now go." Charming Thunder and Twilight then ran out of the room and headed to their ships to go to Malgus' flagship as the battle will soon begin. The others then looked out of the window to see the enemy fleet heading straight towards Canterlot. "And good luck." --------------------- The fleet of Star Destroyers along with the massive Super Star Destroyer got into position as the enemy fleet deployed troop transports to the ground as Applejack and her forces readied their defenses. Turrets were placed behind the trenches as citizens returned to their homes for safety. A trooper came to Applejack and reported, "We are set, commander." "Tell the troops to get into positions then," Applejack ordered. "This is where the fun begins." The troops took cover in the trenches as the others were on the rooftops. An AT-ST stood in position behind the trenches as the troops wait. A marching sound was heard and the enemy troops came in along with a 3 foot tall droid. One arm was a flamethrower as the other arm was a shield with a gas tank on its back. "OPEN FIRE!!" The troops opened fire at the incoming army as the walker moved up a little and fired at them. Snipers were on the roof firing at the troops as the enemy forces took cover. The enemy fleet deployed fighter squadrons as the Star Destroyers deployed various TIE Fighter squadrons with the Wonderbolt Squadron in front. Meanwhile in the hangar, Charming Thunder and Twilight were in their Eta-2 class interceptors and prepared for launch. They then flew out of the hangar and into the battle as they made their way to Malgus' flagship. Enemy fighters flew towards them as they took evasive action. "Stay close," Charming Thunder said to Twilight in his headset. "The Leviathan is dead ahead." R4 beeped as Charming Thunder maneuvered around the enemy fighters. The hangar was dead ahead and Charming Thunder along with Twilight safely landed. R4 popped out of the interceptor and rolled to the controls to locate Malgus. "Just as I thought. He is at the bridge waiting for us." Twilight walked next to him and said, "Lets go." "Right. R4, stay with the ship." Charming Thunder and Twilight then ran through the door to the hallway crawling with troops. Twilight grabbed her blaster as Charming Thunder activated his lightsaber. The enemy opened fire at them as Twilight fired at them. Charming Thunder deflected the shots towards them. Once the room was clear, they proceeded through the hall to the bridge. > Chapter 8: Malgus vs Charming Thunder > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack's forces have wiped out half of the army until enemy reinforcements arrived. The incinerator war droid burned some troops as the others tried to shoot it down. It then used its shield to hit them across the battlefield. Applejack was behind the droid and shot its fuel tank which caused it to blow up to pieces. The AT-ST collapsed to the ground as the war droids shot it down. The fighters continued their attack on the capital ships as Spitfire and Rainbow flew through the battle. Rainbow shot down one of the enemy fighters that flew their way. Pinkie Pie was at one of the trench guns and fired continuously at the enemy forces. Roeoss grabbed one of the soldiers and crushed him with his claws. The trandoshan then jumped on one of the war droids back and ripped its head off. The fighters destroyed one of the enemy capital ships as the battle continued in the sky. Soarin had a fighter on his tail as Rainbow chased it to shoot it down. The fighter then exploded and Rainbow flew pas the enemy battleship as she evaded the ships cannons firing at her. Rainbow then noticed enemy bombers flying to the ground forces. "We got bombers in bound," she said. "If those bombers take out those ground forces, we might lose this fight." "Lets take them out then," Spitfire said. The TIE Fighter group then flew to the direction of the bombers and shot one of them down. "Come on. Stay still darn it." The ground forces noticed the bombers heading their way. One of the soldiers rushed to an artillery turret and activated it. The turret then opened fire at the incoming bombers and the squadron chasing them turned back to the battle and destroyed more fighters. Another AT-ST arrived to the battle as the ground forces were pinned down at the trenches. It then fired its cannons at the enemy ground forces as it moved forward. --------------------- On the Leviathan, Charming Thunder and Twilight made their way to the bridge and encountered two guards. They hid in a corner as Charming Thunder came up with a plan. "I'll lure them over here and you shoot them," Charming Thunder said. He then shouted, "HEY OVER THERE!! COULD YOU GIVE ME A HOOF WITH THIS?" The guards heard the voice and walked over to where it came from. They then encountered Twilight and Charming Thunder and she shot the two guards in the face. "That got 'em," Twilight said. They both then proceeded to through the door and Malgus stood at the window waiting. "You are as stubborn as I thought," he said as he removed his hood. "Welcome to my flagship." "Save your breath, Malgus," Charming Thunder said. "You knew I was coming." "Yes. I did. You are just as wise as Princess Celestia. Soon your fleet will be destroyed and then my empire will rise to glory." "That will NEVER happen," Twilight said. "I see that you have brought a friend, Charming Thunder." "She is my wife. And a princess too so watch your tongue." "I will show YOU respect." Malgus' horn shot out lightning at them. His horn then glowed and the ship began to explode around them. "SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED." "In minutes, the ship will explode and obliterate your entire fleet." "You're a monster, Malgus," Charming Thunder said as he activated his lightsaber. Malgus did the same and charged at them and locked their blades. Malgus growled as he pushed Charming Thunder back. He then shot lightning at Charming Thunder but he blocked it with his lightsaber. Charming Thunder levitated a chair at one of the controls and throws it at Malgus. Malgus the sliced the object in half and walks to him. Charming Thunder strikes at him as Malgus blocked them. Malgus then kicked Charming Thunder back. Charming Thunder then jumped over him to the front of the window. Malgus struck as he blocked them. When Charming Thunder blocked to the side and was about to block his next strike, Malgus stabbed him right into the chest. "NO!!" Twilight shouted as Charming Thunder stood silent. Suddenly, he started to laugh as if he was still alive. When Malgus looked up at him confused, Charming Thunder punched him dozens of times and with his heavy punch, he pushed Malgus back. Charming Thunder with the lightsaber stuck in his chest drew his blaster and fired a few shots at Malgus. Malgus used his magic to deflect the shots away from him. Charming Thunder then aimed his arm and flames came out of his gauntlet. Malgus again used his magic to avoid getting caught in flame. He then crushed Charming Thunder's flamethrower on his arm. Charming Thunder then levitated the lightsaber out of his chest and the scar that was left on him healed. He then charged at Malgus as he raised a magic force field around him. Charming Thunder strikes at the forcefield and it began to crack at each strike. When the forcefield broke, he then chopped off Malgus' forearm and then to the head. Malgus' body then collapsed to the ground as Charming Thunder deactivated his lightsabers. He then placed them on his belt and walked up to Twilight. "What was that I saw? I thought you were going to die." "I'll explain later," Charming Thunder said. "We must leave before we go down with this ship." Twilight nodded and ran with him back to the hangar so that they can get out of here. --------------------- The fleet flew away as the flagship exploded to pieces. The explosion obliterated the whole enemy fleet as the forces on the ground took cover. They then poked their heads out of cover and ran a cheer that shook Canterlot. The battle was finally over. The two Eta-2 class interceptors flew over them as they continued to cheer. The interceptors landed in the hangar where Celestia and Luna waited. As Charming Thunder and Twilight stepped out of their ships, they walked up to them as R4 popped out of the interceptor and followed them. Charming Thunder walked to where Roeoss is and had a little chat with him about what happened during the battle "Are you alright, princess?" Luna asked. "Yes," Twilight replied. "Charming Thunder was brave to stand up for me and when Malgus stabbed him in the chest, he was--" "We know," Celestia said. "Come. We'll talk more about it in my private chambers." Twilight then followed the princesses to talk more about what happened and why Charming Thunder didn't die by the hooves of Malgus. > Chapter 9: Secrets Revealed > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia, Luna, and Twilight were in the bed chambers as they discussed what happened. "So you're saying that he learned long levity and he didn't tell me?" Twilight asked. "Yes," Celestia said. "Ever since he had his hoof cut off by his father, he requested us to teach him long levity in order that he can never get hurt of get killed," Luna explained. "So now that he is immortal, he...he is like us but different, right?" "Starswirl the Bearded once learned it as well. Until now," Celestia said. "What happened?" "He decided to give it up after the war against the Lunar Republic ended," Luna said. "So what happens now?" Celestia asked. "We have defeated Malgus and his forces. "Well, I guess I should head back to Charming Thunder. He might be wondering where I went." Twilight then exited the chambers and walked through the hallway as some soldiers marched through the hall. --------------------- Charming Thunder was with R4 repairing Roeoss' Mantis patrol craft. R4's claw reached for a tool and handed it to Charming Thunder. It then beeped as he worked on a power converter. "Alright," Charming Thunder said. "That did it. Come on, R4. Lets go back to the others." R4 beeped a reply as it followed him out of the ship. Along the way, he saw Twilight heading his way as he walked to his interceptor and sat on the wing of the ship. "Hey, honey." "Hi," Twilight said. "Hey, can I ask you something?" "Sure. What is it?" "Why didn't you tell me that you learned long levity? You almost scared me when you almost got killed by Malgus." "I was going to tell you when you came back from that discussion with my aunts." "Please don't scare me like that ever again." "I promise. Nothing will ever happen to me when you are around." Twilight slightly blushed as she walked closer to him and pressed her lips to his. --------------------- Charming Thunder visited the grave of his father at the Crystal Empire as a celebration was going on. He levitated some flowers and placed them in front of the tombstone. "Hey, dad," Charming Thunder said as he sat down. "I just want to let you know that I met my mom a couple of days ago and explored the temple of the Crystal Knights. Then, this war happened and I had to stop a unicorn named Malgus. But now it has ended so soon and everypony in town is celebrating. If you can hear me, I just wish that I can see you again." He took a few moments of silence as the wind blew in his mane and tail. "Well, goodbye, father." He then walked away from Sombra's tomb and returned to the celebration that was going on at the Crystal Empire. A ghostly figure of Sombra appeared as he stood next to his tomb. Sombra smiled as he said, "I will always be with you, my son." He then faded away as Charming Thunder exited the graveyard and returned to the castle to visit Cadence. --------------------- Charming Thunder stood at the castle overview as he watched the soldiers march into a transport. The transport then lifted off the ground and flew to the direction where Ponyvile is. Cadence walked up next to him and watched as well. He then looked at the town as the crystal ponies walked in the streets of the city with smiles on their faces. "You should be proud for what you did," Cadence said. "You once again saved lives at Canterlot." "Yeah," Charming Thunder said. "But would my father be proud." "I'm sure that he is right now." Cadence placed a hoof on his shoulder as she continued. "He was a colt that was once a hero of Equestria then everpony's fear. But now that hewas redeemed by you alone, he can finally rest in peace. You are becoming more like him but less...dark." Charming Thunder then gave Cadence a tight hug as he said, "Thank you. You are the best sister I could ever ask for. Even if I never knew about my family." They then walked inside as ships flew over the crystal kingdom and the Star Destroyer along with the squadron of fighters. Cadence levitated a tea cup and tea pot and poured a cup for herself and Charming Thunder. "How was your visit at your father's grave?" "It was fine. I just told him about the event that happened today. I also told him that I miss him so much." "Then what?" Cadence said as she took a sip from her cup. "That was it. I just left some flowers for him and left. You know, when the war against the Lunar Republic ended and during the celebration, I did see the spirit of my father." "You did?" "Yes. I don't know how though." "Amazing." Charming Thunder then stood up and began to walk to the door. "I have to head back to Twilight. You know how she is whenever I'm gone for a long time." "Completely. I'll see you later then?" "Yeah." Charming Thunder waved as he left the room. He then walked across the bridge of the landing pad with his interceptor. R4 beeped as he got in the ship. "Don't worry, R4. We're going." The engines started running then the ship lifted off of the ground. The ship then flew off like a lightning bolt and headed back to Ponyvile. THE END