Chapter 1

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There are many creatures in the world of Equus. Some have lasted for over a thousand years or more. Others have faded into time and oblivion, and now new races spread throughout the lands, just starting their own legacies in the annals of time and history. For Chantler Leafseeker, deer scribe, sage, and chronicler, he has seen and learned much in his long life of over eighty-six years. History and legends had always been a fascinating thing to him ever since he was a child, so Leafseeker sought to learn all he could until he felt confident enough to go out into the world independently. For decades he learned all that he could from various locations worldwide. He had read from the great tomes of the Glittergreen Library in the Great Deer Kingdom of Everglow, walked the passages of the Temple of Wisdom in Saddle Arabia, visited the Grand Canterlot Library in Equestria, and many more.

Of course, learning knowledge wasn't enough. One had to use wisdom to master it truly. So Leafseeker started teaching those who would hire him, and as his reputation grew, that soon turned to advisement. Many times, the nobility, scholars, philosophers, and even royalty of various nations would seek him out. His grand inner well of history, science, magic, and more had earned him a strong reputation. He wouldn't say he was famous, but he was well-known enough that many spoke his name in various palaces' halls. Alas, time was coming to an end for Leafseeker, who felt his death was coming soon. Most deer didn't live past eighty, and he was surprised to have lasted this long. He decided to return to his home with his apprentice to spend his final years and write his memories before preparing for his eternal sleep.

Alas, it seems that fame comes with a price as he was now shackled to an old bench and desk, writing and looking through old parchments that were some of the oldest he had ever seen. The language was written in Imperial Draconian, one of the oldest written languages globally to the point that some say it was the first actual language. The ancient Dragon Empire was the first superpower of the world that lasted for a long time until the Age of Chaos. Today, its people were divided and scattered save for a few areas of power, such as the Dragon Lands south of Equestria. A shadowed fraction of a great power that once ruled the world.

Chantler's capture had been at the price of his old age and foolishness. He had never dealt with hostile intentions towards himself, though he had advised others at times of war. Yet he was never personally a target of somecreature's ambitions. At least not until now. He sighed as he put down the quill with his magic and looked at his work in personal disgust. Chantler would have refused and accepted any punishment, even death, if it was just his own life at stake. His apprentice was also trapped and too young to lose his life. Yet I fear what I am doing will result in more lives lost.

The door to his prison slammed open as an enormous red dragon, still young by his size yet big enough to be twice Chantler's height, walked in with his black steel armor clanking against his scales. "Have you finished, old deer?"

"Just now," Chantler said as he slowly got up and levitated the paper with his horns. "You may take me to him."

The dragon's reply was only to unlock the chains, but his fiery glare made it clear that any attempt of trickery would result in a burning death. Not that Chantler had any intention of doing so. He would never be quick enough to escape a dragon. With a harsh prod against this flank, the elder deer walked out of his prison with his dirty, grim-covered green leaf robes and down the prison's hallway. For six weeks, he had to suffer in this environment. Endlessly researching, calculating, and praying that he could please his captor enough to show mercy. If not, then it was Cern's Eternal Halls of Peace that awaited him sooner rather than later.

They traveled onward, the mice and spiders scattering around. From what Chantler knew of this place, the castle he had been imprisoned in was once the home of a great and powerful warlord centuries ago whose center of power decayed hundreds of years after his downfall. Its new occupants need not repair it, for their leader had no intention of keeping himself in this place for long.

Up the stairs, they went, slowly but surely, until they reached another door guarded by two more red dragons who opened it up for them. Waiting for them in the middle of the hall was more similar guards and two others who made Chantler's skin crawl. The first was a long and sleek purplish-blue dragon whose body mirrored that of a snake yet had the face and expression was that of great beauty. The dragons of the east were said to be very much different from their cousin counterparts here in the west, but this was the first time Chantler had ever seen one. Her eyes were more narrow than the other dragons, with a far bigger nose and a long sleek furry body with scales that glowed in the firelight from torches on the walls.

Yet there was more to her than just her looks. Her abilities were completely mystifying as rumored were for dragons in the far east. She could levitate and fly without wings, and her eyes held such magical prowess that rivaled that of the strongest unicorns. Yet her gaze had a dark hidden sense of madness that made the deer sage feel like his spine was turned to ice. Chantler felt himself relaxing when her sight turned to the other dragon in the room that stood out. One that she wrapped her body around like a serpent. It was evident that they were lovers as the dragoness looked ready to pounce like a lioness in heat. However, the other dragon focused more on Leakseeker, who only gulped upon seeing his cold yet fiery glare.

Twenty years ago, the dragon clan known as Redskull made an attempted coup against the current Dragon Lord, Lord Ember. She had managed to survive the assassination attempt and prevented an all-out war between the Dragon Lands and Equestria. Though scars of the attempt remained, their rulers had upheld peace between the lands. Together, with many others, they were united through the bonds of friendship...and love. It was said that the Dragon Lord's lover was a dragon raised in Equestria, adopted by the current ruling Princess, and was an ambassador between the two. A tale that would be pretty pleasant to write about personally, but it would only displease this leading dragon right here. For he was the last of clan Redskull (If one ignored the bastard daughter of its former clan leader), and he would see his family avenged.

"Lord Tyranus," Chantler's guard saluted with his claw over his heart. "The deer has completed his task."

Despite feeling fear deep in his heart, Chantler looked up at the tall red-scaled dragon before him. He was twice the size of a Saddle Arabian horse, with his black-colored wings long enough to wrap around Chantler himself. His yellow slitted eyes that held a silent rage behind them glared into the deer's soul as he stood there with his yellow belly and pitch-black spines that formed two horns above his head. Yet it was his armor that was the true symbol of fear. The metal was that of Orchalcihum, one of the rarest and near impossible metals to destroy. The Minotaurs were said to be the only ones who could master the smithing techniques to use it and rarely ever gave it. No Grand Smith Master of the Minotaurs would ever give up such a valuable set of metal like this. Not a living one, at least. The armor was of a silverish black with green lines of draconic runes running down from the padlocks to the shoulder blades. All spiked so sharp that they could cut a diamond in half.

"Speak, sage, have you discovered the time and place?" Tyranus Redskull asked with a deep, graveling voice.

"If I tell you, do I have your word by your gods that my apprentice and I will be set free?" Chantler asked with hesitation.

"You have my word," Tyranus answered with a scoff.

Sighing, Chantler begged the gods of all races to forgive him as he opened his scroll. "The Comet of Kratorix, The First Dragon Emperor, will appear before the sky of Equus on the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month of this year. On the day it comes, it will fall like a water droplet towards a location deep in the unknown world to the far west that none have ever visited save the Emperor who disappeared shortly after with his oldest son. As you know, they were presumed dead not long after, and his second son, Vilitas, took over the Empire. However, it is said that there shall be the blade of the first Emperor in this land, Imperiax. If found, whosoever is worthy of his power shall take it and reforge the Empire anew from its ashes. "

"The unknown world is impossible to reach," Tyranus growled, gripping his claws. "The endless storms of the western sea that have lasted for a thousand years prevent any ship or flight, making it impossible for anyone to venture forth!"

"The comet's power will cause the storms to be quelled as it approaches closer to the surface. In less than two weeks, the comet will clear the storms!" Chantler hastily said. "It will be the perfect time to venture to the new world!"

Tyranus continued to glare at the nervous deer until he turned to the serpentine dragon, who soon nuzzled his face. "He speaks the truth, my love. I have sensed it."

"...Very well," Tyranus said as he took the scroll and looked at it. "Is there any more?"

"Yes, the task of finding the sword is up to those who seek it, but the First Emperor will leave clues. The clues are among the strange dragons living in the new world. For the power of three is the key," Chantler said with a sigh. "Now, please let me-"

Chantler didn't get to finish as Tyranus gripped him by the throat and made him start choking on his saliva. He realized Tyranus's intent with wide eyes and gasped, "You...promised..."

"I said I would set you free. And so I shall," Tyranus said, still looking at the parchment without glaring into the fading eyes of the choking deer. "You shall be set free to the afterlife."

A loud crack echoed with a single twist, and Chantler's body went limp. Thus, the life of Chantler Leafseeker, who passed into the Eternal Halls of Peace with regret, came to an end. Dropping the useless body, Tyranus turned to the guard and said, "Kill his apprentice. We have no use for him."

The guard saluted and walked away, leaving Tyranus to himself as he walked towards a window where his army lay in their war tents. He had gathered the exiled dragon clans for over twenty years and won their respect. One by one, they swore their allegiance to him. Soon, all dragons would bow before him when he took Imperiax and achieved a new destiny. One that would see him rule over all dragons and later the world as the new Emperor of the Reborn Dragon Empire. Dragon Lord Ember will fall, and I will avenge you Father, Uncle, and all those worthy of the title "dragon."

His lover soon returned to wrapping around his body and kissed him on the cheek, which made him chuckle. "Worry not, Dájǐ-Lǐ, I have not forgotten you. You will be my queen and get revenge on your family as well."

"Yes, the throne will be ours—both the east and the west. My father will bow before me, him and my sister," Dájǐ-Lǐ said as she giggled with a hint of madness to her tone. "And I will see them strung up and cut open from their bellies to the point that the Golden Palace will be painted with their blood."

A guard soon rushed back up from the stairs and looked worried. "He has escaped!"

"What?" Tyranus asked, spinning around.

"The apprentice has escaped, My Emperor."

Tyranus snarled but sighed before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. I have what I need. Prepare our forces for the march tomorrow to the shore. We will make for the unknown world soon." He then looked up at the sky where, in the far distance, a red blimp was seen that would grow bigger and bigger in the coming days. "And towards destiny."

Chapter 2

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Spike used to always dream of being a knight when he was little. It was ironic considering he was a dragon, and, according to the tales, knights were always going around slaying dragons. Spike didn't learn about it until he was ten from a bully at the elementary school he went to when he was little. His adopted family always made sure to make the dragon the good guy in all the stories they told him. Still, even knowing this it didn’t stop his desire to be some kind of heroic warrior saving the day. Having been by Twilight's side ever since she became Princess Celestia's student, he was always in the Royal Guard's presence and admired their physical prowess and heroic duty. When Shining Armor went to the Royal Guard Academy for training, he told stories of his training and drills which only fueled Spike’s desires. His first experience of their amazing abilities was when he and Twilight were traveling with the guards to find a Mother’s Day gift for their mother when a few thugs tried to take his older step-sister as ransom for money. After all, being the Princess’s prized student meant she was worth quite a bit. Fortunately, the guards had managed to subdue them easily and Spike was only left in awe by their way.

The only reason he didn’t sign up to be a Royal Guard himself was because he felt like he had a bigger duty to be Twilight’s personal assistant. That and his height sadly left him unable to properly be trained as a guard. Chalk it up to genes or lack of growing up in a dragon environment, but he was a very short dragon for his age until the rage potion incident. Having become big enough, he finally achieved his dream of learning to be a master of combat like the heroes he grew up admiring. However, due to his temporary exile, he couldn’t learn the pony way so he had to learn the dragon way. Ember took him in and quickly began helping him learn how to fight as a proper dragon. Not just with claws, teeth, fire, and tail, but swords, lances, spears, axes, and more. Dragons didn’t just rely on their physical features for war and battle, they were also experts in weapony. When Spike finally returned to Equestria he decided to test his abilities on a number of Royal guards and managed to win a good number of bouts until he lost to Shining Armor. Spike might have been good, but there was a reason Shining became the youngest Captain of the Guard in Equestrian History.

Still, Spike kept up his skills despite the loss and was proud to say he had become quite the warrior. Of course, despite training for twenty years, there were always those who were more experienced.

Spike ducked behind the swing of a crystal sword before raising his own to block the downward blow from the golden armored female dragon coming right at him. Meanwhile, he was wearing thick silver armor that he would never have dreamed of wearing twenty years ago. One great thing about being older was how much stronger he had become. Of course, while he might have had strength, his opponent had speed. She was always more on the offensive side when it came to combat, while he preferred to be on the defense and wait for an opening to strike. Such as her current attempt to stab him, and his countering of it by spinning around and smacking her with his wings. She quickly recovered and turned around to slice at him, but he ducked and gave an upper swing to get her only to miss by inches.

Again their swords clashed repeatedly as Spike attempted to break into the circle of his opponent, but she was able to block each time quickly. Deciding to try and get in a win with a risky move, he faked a downward chop before raising his leg to go for her legs. However, the golden armor dragon countered with a kick of her own but wrapped her leg around his and pulled him forward. She smacked her helmet against Spike's and dazed him long enough for her tail to wrap around his other leg and trip him. He tried to get up, but he found the crystal sword right against his neck as the golden armored dragoness pinned him.

"Any last requests?" She asked.

Spike sighed as he took his helmet off and grinned. "Can I get a kiss?"

Ember took off her helmet and put away her sword before giggling. "Oh, how can I resist such a request from a handsome dragon?"

She leaned down and kissed Spike on the lips as the two closed their eyes and soon embraced each other with their swords all but forgotten. A new battle, one using their tongues, began to erupt inside their mouths as they fought each other for dominance. Their exchange of love was like a burning flame being spread throughout their bodies from heart to heart. One that Spike never would risk losing for anything else in the world. Of course, this wasn’t enough to please the young male dragon who wanted more. And what Spike wants? Spike gets, he thought as he flexed the digits on his claw.

Spike slowly moved said claw towards his girlfriend's rear end. Only their chests and heads were covered in armor, leaving their backsides and legs exposed to the elements. He squeezed the right hard scaled backside of his girlfriend’s rump, which made Ember cut the kiss to gasp before moaning as he began rubbing it like a genie’s lamp. Her scaled backside was one that Spike found himself treasuring more than anything, especially when he came to understand what sex was both in a physical and emotional sense. While Spike regretted the damage he had done thanks to the rage potion, he wouldn't deny that the benefit of being aged up was a great benefit. Ember, of course, never pressured him to put their relationship into a sexual tone, but one heat became too much for either of them, and it led to their first night in bed together. And by the gods above that night was awesome...although we had to replace the bed afterward.

However, before anything could go further besides fondling certain prized assets, a knock on their door made Ember moan in annoyance. "Who is it?!"

"It's me, Smolder," said a voice from the door. "Can I come in? And you two better not be screwing in there like last time! My eyes are still reeling in horror from that!"

The two dragons blushed at the memory of Smolder walking in after a previous duel and finding them in a compromising position where Ember was sitting on Spike's face while handling his...other sword. "Y-Yeah," Ember said as he quickly got off and dusted herself off before helping Spike up. "You can come in, Smolder."

She then whispered in his ear. “We can continue our spar later.”

“Can’t wait,” Spike whispered before giving a quick peck on the nose.

Smolder soon walked inside the dueling room wearing the prized ruby-red and obelisk-black armor of Ember's Scale Guards, although there was a golden sash around her chest to indicate she was captain of the entire force. Something Smolder worked hard for ever since she joined ten years ago. Spike could remember her final challenge to prove herself as the new leader of the Scale Guard by fighting against the previous captain in hand-to-hand combat and winning with probably the best suplex he had ever seen outside of a pro-wrestling show. The day Ember proudly put the sash on her armor was one of the few times Smolder allowed herself to cry tears of joy.

It was not a surprise considering her half-brother, Garble, had inspired her to join the Scale Guard in honor of his sacrifice in saving them all from her father's plot twenty years ago. Just as Ember promised, she buried Garble's burned armor in the Cavern of Heroes after the incident, and a statue was made just outside the Scale Guard barracks in honor of his sacrifice. Smolder practically went there every week to pay her respects since he was not just her brother (half related or not) but the only member of her family that treated her like a decent being her entire life. Being born a bastard, Smolder had been mistreated for years by the rest of her clan save for Garble. According to her, he loved his sister more than any other relative, and being around her was the only time he acted "mushy." Even though he had long put his issues with Garble aside after his death upon learning what he did, Spike found it hard to think of the rugged and bullish dragon having a soft side. It made him wonder sometimes that, if things had been different, they could have been friends.

Smolder also had the honor (though not in her eyes) of being the last of Clan Redskull, but she refused to take the name and formally disowned herself even though the rest of the clan had been put to the sword or hunted down and killed over the years. Smolder always said they deserved it, but one look into her eyes and you could tell she still felt some sort of grief for all that had happened. Combined with her brother's death, it wasn't a surprise that she was in a bad spot for a while. With a suggestion from Spike, Ember decided to send Smolder to Twilight's new Friendship Academy to help her out. It turned out to work as she not only found friends she treasured, but soon healed her emotional wounds before returning after graduation into not just a great guard for Ember, but also a close friend.

Bowing before the two, Smolder announced, "Sorry to interrupt you two, but Professor Rainbow Dash is here with some important news."

"Dash is here? Huh, that's a surprise," Spike said before worrying. "Nothing bad, I hope?"

"She didn't say, but we better not keep her waiting. She's outside," Smolder answered.

Sighing, both Ember and Spike helped each other get their armor off before the former summoned the Bloodstone Scepter to her hands. "Well, let's not keep her waiting."

The three of them walked out of the dueling chambers and into the main halls of the Dragon Palace, which had been updated in the past two decades. It was no longer just a simple dark cavern of tunnels and towers on a mountain but a full-on palace with towering obelisks, domes for study, diplomacy, art, and even a few housing areas for the staff and guards. Best of all, it was practically impenetrable with solid walls, siege equipment, and lava traps that the security could turn on or off with levers and switches. It was like combining the castle in Canterlot (which some inspiration came from) with the mountain itself.

Various servants, guards, or pages bowed before the Dragon Lord, Scale Guard Captain, and the Dragon Lord’s Consort/Ambassador. Being a consort was a big deal since it theoretically made him Ember's most prized possession and dragon due to being her lover. Spike had long gotten used to this, but he found it hard to take all the attention back when he started publicly dating Ember. Of course, he didn't wield any actual political power, not until he decided to become an ambassador for both Equestria and the Dragon Lands. It was more a symbolic thing.

The three of them walked onward until they made it to the outside of the palace, where the gardens awaited them. It was a fantastic feat in itself as it turned out there were flowers that could grow in the ash-like soil of the dragon lands. It added a charm of beauty rarely seen before. However, the true treasure lay below the mountain where, surrounding the entire base, was the city of Torchstone. The whole city was built with pure obsidian fireproof marble with dozens of iconic buildings, statues, and themes around its nine different districts, each named after the nine prime dragon gods of the dragon faith. For the first time in a long time, the dragons had a city for themselves fit for the sizes of all dragons, both large and small. It had been one of the many projects that Ember had wanted to bring to the Dragon Lands for change, and it was one of the most rewarding.

A new culture was being built around the dragons, and Torchstone (named after Ember's father) was the center of it all as dragons, now having a stable home, could build, create, inspire, and research without having to worry about survival. The various trade treaties they had with the other members of the Alliance of Harmony had played an enormous role in that as well. The dragons were already making plans to build two more cities, one for trade and the other for military purposes, but they were only still in the early stages of construction.

Waiting for them, looking at the city from the hill they were on, was a blue-coated pegasus whose famous rainbow mane was flowing behind her with a bit of a poof to it. She wore a blue collared Wonderbolts jacket with the iconic logo of her former team on her back and the right side of her chest.

Upon seeing Spike, Rainbow Dash grinned and flew towards her old friend before fist-bumping. "Hey, Spike. Long time no see. Ember still keeping you on a leash?"

"Applejack still keeping you grounded?" Spike joked with a smirk.

"Yeah, but I'm getting used to it," Rainbow Dash replied with a blush. Everycreature had known the two rivals had feelings for each other but never admitted to it. Applejack was always too busy on the farm while Rainbow Dash was always too busy with the Wonderbolts until Discord, of all creatures, hatched a plan. Applejack had sprained her ankle one day and took a week off to recover in bed. Discord sent a letter saying that Applejack was "mortally injured" and "didn't have much time left," so Rainbow Dash should come over and “tell her how she felt before she bought the farm”.

She practically broke her speed record rushing to Applejack, burst through her window, and confessed her love to her at some point in a commotion of tears and babbling. After calming her down and assuring her she wasn't dying, Applejack grabbed Dash before having some hustling in bed together so loud that the rest of the family had to leave the house while trying to avoid giving Mac and Sugar Belle’s son, Big Sugar, The Talk early on in his life. Discord had been reprimanded for his actions, but every creature gave him some slack since he managed to get the two to get together and marry a year later. So all he had to do was work on the apple fields with no magic for a few weeks.

Of course, Rainbow Dash's job as a Wonderbolt kept her away from the farm for long periods of time, which almost put a strain on their marriage until Dash decided to retire early. Applejack was more important to her, and she had lived out her dream of flying with the Wonderbolts anyway. She also didn’t have to worry about leaving behind a legacy as not only had she helped save Equestria multiple times, she also broke a number of Academy Records and still was the only pony in recent memory who could do a Sonic Rainboom. It was quite clear that Rainbow Dash would never be forgotten for a long time. So Rainbow took a part-time job at the Wonderbolt Academy while focusing on helping the rest of the Apple Family on the farm.

"Well, welcome back to the Dragon Lands, Rainbow Dash," Ember greeted her with a nod. "Is there anything we can help you with? You said you had an important message."

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash frowned with a sigh. "You know how we were supposed to have this year's anniversary of the Alliance of Harmony at Yakyakistan? Unfortunately, that's been canceled. The capital city suffered a sudden avalanche that wrecked a good portion of the main village."

"Yona's family are okay, right?" Smolder asked urgently. She didn't have to worry about her yak friend herself since she lived in Ponyville with her husband, Sandbar, and their adopted two children, while working as Rarity's apprentice.

"Yeah, they're fine, but there were some casualties," Rainbow Dash replied. "They're going to be focusing on fixing their village and giving a proper farewell to their dead. Twi's already got some medical and food aid heading over to help while the Crystal Empire is sending some construction crews to help with the rebuilding. The Kirins are also sending some of their own to help with the ice and snow, while the Griffin Republic is sending a few divisions of their army to protect the yaks from any snow trolls who might get the idea of attacking the weakened defenses. Don't know what the changelings are doing yet."

"I can also send some dragons to aid in the defense and help burn the ice away," Ember said with a nod before calling upon a nearby scribe to write down her order. Once he was sent away, Ember asked, "So are we canceling the event? I'd understand if we can't have it."

"Nah, the Prince said it should go forward as planned, just without him and his entourage," Rainbow Dash said, shaking her head. "We're going to have it at Canterlot since we got Pinkie Pie and her husband...and their seven children. They're already working on setting everything up from what I heard."

"Please tell me they're not going to let Button Pie near the party canon again like last year?" Spike groaned as he winced upon thinking how the little colt managed to get a hold of it and accidentally covered a good position of the attendants in brownie batter.

"You have to admit it was a tasty way to end the party," Smolder pointed out with a smirk.

"Yeah, but I liked that suit..."

Chuckling, Dash said, "And this is why AJ and I agreed not to adopt any foals. Big Sugar's big enough of an issue that he needs his parents and us to watch over him. Anyway, that's all I had to tell you guys. Date's the same, but different location."

"Princess Twilight could have sent a simple messenger over. Or have it sent through Spike via flame mail," Ember asked, confused.

"Well, I wanted to see my old friend and my old student," Rainbow Dash said, shrugging. "Speaking of which, mind if Spike shows me to a room to sleep? I'm a bit beat and not as young as I used to be."

"Sure, follow me," Spike said before smiling at Ember. "See you later. We can continue our spar later."

"I'll show you some new moves I've been practicing on," Ember replied with a grin as the two quickly kissed before Spike left with Rainbow Dash.

She then noticed that Smolder was giving her a deadpan expression. "What?"

"How you two haven't had babies, yet I'll never know," Smolder snorted before rolling her eyes. "Just make sure I don't have babysitting duty when you finally hatch some younglings. I had to babysit Yona and Sandbar’s kids one time when I was visiting and I nearly shipped them off to Saddle Arabia."

"You mock me now, but eventually, you will find a lover of your own, Smolder," Ember said with a chuckle. "I mean, most of your friends are married to each other save for Ocellus. Aren't you curious about finding love?"

"No way, love looks so stupid," Smolder complained as she crossed her arms. "Sandbar and Yona are so sweet that I swear I get diabetes whenever I see them with each other. And Gallus and Silverstream are always acting like the perfect couple. I'm not unhappy for any of them, especially since they had to work hard to be together with them both being different races and, in Gallus's case, dating royalty while being a commoner. But I just find it so...weird."

"Trust me, I thought the same thing too," Ember said as she thought about her early days with her crush on Spike and how she was attracted to him despite their age and size difference. "But, you know? When I finally decided to let go of my doubts and put my faith in those feelings? I never felt better in my entire life."

"Eh, whatever," Smolder replied, shrugging. "I still doubt it will happen to me."

"You never know, Smolder. You never know."

***

"So, did you bring it?" Spike asked with haste as soon as he and Rainbow Dash were alone in her guest room.

Smirking, Rainbow Dash pulled a black box and opened it revealing a perfectly cut blue colored diamond on a golden ring. "Here you go, loverboy. About time too. Twenty years and all of us got married except for you and Twilight. I guess egghead's going to need to start dating soon but considering she's going to outlive all of us, I guess she's got all the time in the world."

Spike gave a warm smile as he held the engagement ring. He had been divided on whether or not to finally ask Ember for her hand in marriage until he finally asked Twilight for advice in his last visit that finally encouraged him to do it. Both she and Rarity had been working hard to give him a perfect ring to propose to Ember. Now, it was here, and he felt both ready to jump for joy and faint from nervousness.

"So when are you going to propose? Tonight?" Rainbow Dash asked, eagerly.

"No, I want to do this both ways, so I need to prepare a God's Blessing to Ember to show that I don't just want us to be husband and wife. I want us to be life mates as well," Spike said.

"Are you sure you're ready for that? From what I know of dragons, it's a pretty big step," Rainbow Dash asked seriously. "Technically, both of you are still young for dragons with hundreds of years ahead of you. Can't you be married and do the life mating thing later?"

"Maybe..." Spike whispered as he rubbed the back of his head. "But I do think Ember is the one, Rainbow. I know I've always focused so much on Rarity, but that was just a crush. A silly one at that. Ember and I have been through so much these past twenty years, and she's always been there for me. I've learned so much with her, and the bond we share is strong. Maybe I'm rushing it, but I think the two of us are meant to be."

"Well, I won't stop you from doing what you want, Spike. You're a grown dragon now," Rainbow Dash said before putting her hoof on his shoulder. "Just be absolutely sure about this."

"I find it funny that you, of all ponies, are telling me to take things slow and consider the choices before me," Spike chuckled.

"What can I say? The older I get, the smarter I become," Dash replied with a proud smile while crossing her hooves.

"So, you're just as smart as Boulder now?" Spike teased.

"That's righ-hey!" Dash shouted as she chased after Spike, who laughed while running out of the room and into the hallway.

Chapter 3

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Having gotten the engagement ring from Rainbow Dash, Spike decided to head over to the Grand Forge to ask one of the smiths there for help in making his God's Blessing for Ember. Spike had already prepared most of the materials for a God's Blessing from every jewel that represented the entire pantheon of the dragon faith and the birthstone of Ember herself. The only thing missing was to create the chain in a unique metal known as platinum, which was only ever found in the dragon lands and was their most precious metal. So much so that it was only ever seen in one specific mine and was considered sacred to many dragons since Bahamut, the top dragon god, was known as the Platinum Dragon God-King. Because of this, platinum was only used for religious or sacred creations, which God's Blessings fell under.

Spike had only trusted one smith to deal with this task: Blitz of the Blackjaw Clan. One of Ember's first true dragon friends, he proved to be a loyal companion and aid to Ember throughout her reign while training himself in the ways of blacksmithing. After passing his clan's final trial to become a fully qualified blacksmith, Ember assigned him to the Grand Forge, home to many blacksmithing dragons who created anything the Dragon Lord required for themselves or the kingdom. Blitz was not only talented enough to make a God's Blessing but could be trusted to keep it a secret from everyone.

However, there was a problem.

"What do you mean you can't make one for another four months?!" Spike yelled in disbelief.

Blitz sighed as he took off his apron and walked around his anvil to get some water. After guzzling down three glasses, he wiped the sweat from his brow before answering. "We're out of platinum."

"How? We get shipments of new platinum every month from the Platinum Mine," Spike asked while scratching his head.

"Turns out an entire horde of Gas Spores made a nest in one of the new tunnels. Some jumpy idiot got spooked and blasted fire at it, which caused it to explode," Blitz answered while shaking his head in disbelief. "And when a Gas Spore dies, it unleashes a toxic cloud that even we dragons could fall prey to in a matter of days if not carefully treated. And when one Gas Spore dies, the others react by spraying more of their toxic fumes to defend themselves. At least a dozen dragons got hit and needed intensive care, but they should recover fine. However, the tunnels are filled with toxic gas, which takes weeks to clear out. Even then, it's going to take even more time to carefully get rid of those things without causing them to explode or be scared."

"Great," Spike moaned as he facepalmed. "Just my luck."

"Hey, it's only for a few months," Blitz said as he put his hand on the younger dragon. "Once the mine gets cleared up and we get a fresh shipment of platinum, I'll get right on your request. Although, I'm rather surprised you want to do one this early in your relationship. Most dragons wait until they're three hundred years old before even thinking of having a God's Blessing with someone."

"Afraid me and Ember will put you and Aquafire to shame if we become Life Mates first?" Spike asked with a grin as Blitz blushed and scratched his neck. "How is she, by the way?"

"She's good. She should be back in time to join us in heading to Canterlot for the celebrations," Blitz said before pausing and asking with a hopeful tone. "There will be chocolate, right?"

"Considering that Pinkie Pie and her family are in charge of the celebrations? If we don't see chocolate, then that will be a sign of the End Times coming," Spike chuckled as the two dragons left the forge room and walked through the steel halls of the Grand Forge. They could hear the sounds of hammers, boiling water, and burning fires everywhere, but both dragons calmly walked down the giant halls while nodding to any passing dragon, big and small.

"Aquafire will be disappointed it will not be held at Mount Aries again," Blitz said. "She loved the water down there."

"Eh, knowing Pinkie Pie, she'll make some big pool for the hippogriffs to use. That or borrow a dozen or so fountains from the city," Spike said with a shrug. "She did that one time in Ponyville when Princess Skystar came to visit."

"I still don't get half the things she does. Especially since she's in her mid-forties," Blitz said as he rolled his eyes. "She even knew my birthday when it came up a year after meeting her and sent me a chocolate cupcake with a candle. Not that I'm complaining, but how does she do that?"

"You'd think after twenty years you'd just simply nod and move on like the rest of us," Spike pointed out as they exited into the open courtyard of the castle. "You gonna bring your fiance with you to the celebrations?"

"Nah, she's not into parties and things of that nature," Blitz said with a shrug. "Honestly, she rarely likes coming out of her home."

"And yet you've come to like her just as much as Aquafire," Spike said with a knowing smirk."

"Well," Blitz smirked and blushed a bit, "it helps that we can even date in the first place, thanks to her."

If it were a stranger hearing this, they would have been confused by the fact that Blitz had a girlfriend and a fiance who was not the same dragon. Before Aquafire's confession when they thought they were going to die twenty years ago, Blitz had been engaged to another dragoness that would be his mate when he got older. Of course, Blitz and Aquafire had grown to love each other and tried to get the agreement to end, but both parties refused.

Surprisingly, Blitz's fiance proposed that Aquafire be allowed as a "second mate" in their union should their relationship still be strong by the time they came of age to become mates, as agreed in the agreement. Pologmeny was technically not illegal in the Dragon Lands, but it was rare since all parties needed to agree to it. After some long talks from all of their families, it was decided that Blitz and Aquafire could date and become mates when the agreement came to be. Ember later sealed the deal with an order while opening more polygamy laws for the public.

The three had tested the waters together by going on dates together, and it was awkward, but it worked out. However, when they had sex together for the first time? Despite loving his girlfriend, Spike couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of that glowing smile on Blitz's face after he returned from that night.

The two then paused upon hearing the sounds of fighting in the sky and looked up to see a streak of rainbow being chased by a male orange scaled Scale Guard who was doing their best to try and catch up. Rainbow Dash, way far ahead, soon turned around and shot back at an even faster speed, much to the Scale Guard's surprise. They could not defend themselves in time as the pegasus kicked them so hard they spun around in the air before Dash grabbed one of their wings and used it to pull them closer for a second buck to the face.

Dazed, the Scale Guard tried to clear his head before swiping his claws around but hit nothing but air. He saw that Rainbow Dash wasn't in the general vicinity when he looked around.

"Up here, Rookie!"

The Scale Guard barely had time to react as Rainbow Dash dived bombed from below and pressed her total weight against her opponent's back. Combined with the power of gravity and her speed, Dash was strong enough to bring the rookie dragon down to the ground in a face-wincing crunch. A small crater lay in the dirt as Rainbow Dash quickly jumped out and dusted herself off while the Scale Guard moaned while slowly coming out and laying on his back to catch his breath and wince.

"And I thought...ponies... didn't hit as hard..." the Scale Guard huffed.

"Rule number one, kid," Dash said with a grin. "Never underestimate your opponent. Especially one as awesome as me."

Spike and Blitz walked over while spotting Smolder and a few other Scale Guards approaching from the other side. Folding her arms, Smolder snorted and glared at the wincing rookie that lay on the ground. "Congratulations, Rookie. You're dead. That crater would be your grave in a real battle, and I'd have to wear ceremonial clothing to your funeral while making a speech about how great of a soldier you were while your parents cried their tears out over the loss of their son. What did you learn today?"

"That ponies hit harder than they look?" The rookie asked, but it earned him only a smack. "That I shouldn't underestimate my opponent even if they don't look tough."

"Exactly," Smolder said as she pointed to Rainbow Dash. "This pony here was once part of the Wonderbolts and has defeated evil beings that would make you crap whatever jewels you had for lunch. She's got enough experience that I'm not even close to her skill or talent, and I learned under her. If this were a real fight, you'd be dead."

She turned to the rest of her rookies. "Always know the strength of your opponents. Pegasi are great fliers and can manipulate anything in the air to their advantage. Unicorns are magic users and, despite our resistance to magic, can make some powerful spells when combined that could still hurt us. Earth ponies are also strong enough to snap necks with their kicks and can take a good beating thanks to their stamina and endurance. Griffins have gunpowder which can pierce even our hide. Changelings can sneak in and slit your throat while designed as your best friend. Yaks have mastered sieging and can tear a castle apart. Hippogriffs are undefeated in water combat and can drag you to a watery grave. And Kirins have a fire that can even burn us despite our high fire resistance." Sighing, she began to pace in front of them. "We dragons are good, powerful, and can kick plenty of butts. But we're not invincible, nor should we be arrogant. We need always to keep a calm head. Especially since we're Scale Guards meant to protect Dragon Lord Ember. If she dies because of your mistakes, I'll be sure to personally sign your execution warrant before carrying out the deed myself and piss on your grave as a final insult. Crystal?"

"Crystal, Ma'am!"

"Good, now hit the showers, everydragon. I think you all got your rumps kicked enough for one day," Smolder said, nodding to her troops, who saluted and flew away.

"Damn, you could give Spitfire a run for her money," Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle as she walked over to Smolder and put a hoof on her shoulder. "You've grown up a lot since I first saw you at the Academy. Angry, cocky, and full of herself. Kinda like I was before I grew up."

"Well, you and the others helped me out," Smolder replied, doing her best to hide her blush. "Besides, your classes were the most fun."

"That's because you creamed everycreature in dodgeball," Spike said as he shook his head. "How does the training go overall?"

"They got potential, but they're far from ready," Smolder said with a huff. "I'm thinking of giving them a tour of The Wall after we come back from Canterlot. Let them see how real soldiers deal with being on the front lines against grave threats."

"That's the place where you dragons defend your borders against the behemoths, right?" Rainbow Dash asked, eyebrows raised. "I've never seen one before. Are they really as bad as dragons say they are?"

Smolder and Blitz shivered and nodded while Spike remained just as interested. Despite being here for twenty years, he had never seen a behemoth, but he knew what they were from all the dragons' tales. They were demonic creatures from the Bad Lands that were monstrous in size and strength, with a horde of dangerous types ranging from pony-sized to creatures even bigger than an adult dragon. They had invaded and fought against the dragons many times, and each of their invasions was costly. The last one was around when Ember and Blitz had been little and barely remembered it, but even they could remember how frightened everyone was of such an invasion.

"Trust me, Rainbow Dash," Blitz said with utter seriousness. "Behemoths are the one creatures that we dragons are afraid of because of what they can do and it's not just bad for us. They won't stop at the Dragon Lands. They'll go for anyone else afterward. All they care about is mindless destruction, but that's to be expected for a demonic race."

"There are rumors that the scouts spotted a new Behemoth Overlord, which is worrisome," Smolder muttered with narrow eyes. "But then again, we get rumors like that all the time."

"What's an Overlord?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Most Behemoths are single-minded creatures of destruction and razing," Blitz answered before turning serious. "A Behemoth Overlord is smart. Intelligent. Cunning. And ruthless. They lead a massive invasion force that can destroy even The Wall and invade the mainland when one exists. It's happened before. One was so bad we lost half our entire population. The good thing is if you kill the Overlord, the rest will retreat out of fear, but they're extremely powerful."

"But thanks to the new warning system we have in place, we can prepare for any invasion before it begins," Smolder said as she stretched her arms. "Well, I'm tired of babysitting a bunch of FNG's. What do you say? We all get something to drink."

"Something I can hopefully digest, please?" Rainbow Dash asked with a smile. "'Cause I know most dragon drinks can kill non-dragons, and I'm not looking forward to going home in a fancy box."

"I think it would be more accurate to say you'd be going home in an urn, but relax, we got safe drinks for you," Spike replied as he and the others walked off to enjoy themselves.

***

The good times lasted longer than usual as Rainbow Dash found herself in a drinking contest with some dragons at the bar and kept pushing herself until she finally collapsed. Since she was in the guest rooms, it fell on Spike to carry her to bed while she still muttered she could drink some more. Even after all these years, Spike thought, you're still Rainbow Dash.

Entering the room that she shared with Ember, he slowly entered the covers and gently pressed his head against the pillow before closing his eyes until he felt a warm embrace around his body and smirked. "Waited for me, huh?"

"What can I say? I can't sleep without you," Ember whispered as she kissed him on the cheek. "Hmm, how was your day?"

"Eh, not bad," Spike said as he pushed aside his disappointment in not getting a God's Blessing ready soon. "Yours?"

"The usual crap," Ember whispered as she nuzzled against him. "Sometimes, being a Dragon Lord can be a pain."

"Hey, we got the celebration to look forward to," Spike said as he held her close and smiled. "We'll be able to relax after all the ceremony stuff. Plus, it would be nice to see old friends again."

"Yeah," Ember said before chuckling. "Still can't believe I'm friends with so many non-dragons. Thanks to you."

"You made friends on your own, Ember," Spike pointed out.

"Yeah, but you were the one who opened my heart to friendship," Ember said as she looked deep into her lover's eyes. "I'd never be the Dragon Lord or done all this if it wasn't for you not just because you saved my life but also because you gave up the position. All that I've dreamed of would have been impossible if not for you."

She kissed him on the lips and whispered, "I love you, Spike."

"I love you too, Ember," Spike whispered back as he slowly got on top of her and grinned. "Want me to show you?"

"The Dragon Lord commands it," Ember said as they pulled the covers over them for some late-night fun.

***

Far beyond the dragon lands, a young cloaked deer was waiting in line for passage onto the nearest public aircraft for travel. The closest one he could find was near the Griffin Republic, where he was able to beg enough money by pretending to be a poor orphan to gain the means to buy a cheap ticket. It technically wasn't a lie. His teacher, who had raised him as a son, was dead, and he had no other home to go to.

He had spent days out in the wilds, doing his best to hide and survive in fear of being hunted down by the dragons he escaped from. Once he was safe, he had to plan out his next move quickly. Tyranus Redskull would be making his move to the unknown continent to search for the missing legendary blade of the First Dragon Emperor. In many ways, it could be considered one of the most powerful relics of the old world to the point that anyone wielding it would hold the power of a demi-god.

The First Dragon Emperor had been subject to much debate among scholars. Was he a noble warrior who did what he did to create the first true civilization in a chaotic and war-torn world that helped usher in the first actual age of peace? Or was he a brutal tyrant who spilled the blood of enough creatures to fill the oceans?

Regardless, the blade's power could not be in the claws of Tyranus Redskull, who sought to rebuild the ancient empire with war only on his mind. Knowing that he was running out of time, the young cloaked deer hoped to make it to Equestria in time before it was too late. Every day was closer to the comet's return, and if he didn't warn the leaders of the Alliance of Harmony soon, all would be lost.

Handing his ticket over to the conductor, he climbed aboard and prayed to all the gods that he would arrive at Canterlot soon.

Chapter 4

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Despite what other creatures believed, different dragons existed in the world. After the downfall of the Dragon Empire, many dragons split off into different clans and spread across the earth. Some managed to create small kingdoms that eventually died out or were absorbed into the greater Dragon Land kingdom.. The Dragon Land kingdom was one of two stable dragon nations that had managed to last all these years, with the other being Shangri-La, a dragon kingdom to the east that few knew or even visited. It was where his beloved Dájǐ-Lǐ had come from, and he was surprised to learn just how long it had lasted and prospered under the rule of her family's lineage.

And then there were the Independent Clan Dragons. Dragons who either refused to join with other kingdoms or were exiled to the outskirts of the world. They were the dragons most creatures ended up meeting as they would fly or make a home not far from the other cities or towns. Most of them would leave them alone. Others demanded tribute for peace. Some just did whatever they wanted and burned the town or ate the residents for meat, and a few rare ones offered to be their protectors for gems with permission to settle down. Every clan of dragons was different, and more so for independent ones.

To unite so many under one banner was a feat of accomplishment any creature would admire, which is why the Dragon Lord was seen as the mightiest and most respected dragon among most if not all clans. Tyranus had done a similar feat, and he needed no Blood Scepter to do so. He had been training and learning from one of the independent clans related to them by blood when the letter came telling him of his family's downfall. The injustice of having everyone but that bastard killed for doing their duty in eliminating a weak and pathetic dragon lord for the glory of their people. Tyranus rarely cried, but he would not deny he wept in despair for his father, mother, uncle, and all the other members of his clan that he loved. He swore he would avenge them and took his father's final words to heart, and for twenty years, he had thought nothing but vengeance.

Walking through the large war camp, dragons of all sizes, from small to large, bowed to Tyranus as he walked past them. He nodded to his troops sometimes but mostly ignored them, focusing on making his way to the enormous war tent to talk to the leaders of the major clans he had managed to get under his wing. A clan of dragons was something to fear. An army of forty-seven dragon clans was enough to make any creature crap themselves, especially against a force of two hundred and fifty thousand dragons. Many of these had followed him because they were allies with those Tryanus had won over the years, but over time they were won over by his strength and his vision for dragonkind.

There were many dragons out there that had been disgusted to learn how weak dragons had become under Dragon Lord Ember's rule. Instead of conquering the other races, they were now friends with them. The once pathetic subjects of a great empire had managed to force the noble dragon race to become their equals when thousands of years ago, they were subjected to their betters. The world was one where the strongest survived and the weak submitted or perished. This was the law of nature and to go against nature was futile.

Of course, the alliance that Ember had made was a problem in another way. Tyranus had hoped to spend at least another hundred to two hundred years gathering support and allies for his bid to take over the Dragon Lands. Mainly because the most powerful clans were too great for him to win over currently, and he would fail quickly without more prestige in their eyes. Clans like Goldenhammer, Serpenteye, Woodwind, and Mountainburn were beyond him because of their strength and size. Plus, many had been friendly with the last Dragon Lord, Torch, and would not go against his daughter unless by force. He was still young in the eyes of most dragons, but he was smart enough to plan how he would get his army. Smaller clans and powerful middle-ranged ones based on alliances were how he got his current army quickly in twenty years. It helped that the first clan to join him was related to him by blood and had a trustworthy reputation.

From there, it was a matter of proving himself through strength, cunning, and wisdom. He had to win them over through combat, trials, tests, and favors. But in the end, all of these dragons in his army would die for him. For he had their hearts with his vision, passion, and honor. Of course, some joined of their own free will as they grew more prominent in numbers. Strength attracted strength, after all. Many smaller clans joined at the prospect of glory and combat, others did so out of honor and duty, and a few were...there for less savory reasons.

Not every clan was one that Tyranus wanted to have join him, but he needed the numbers. Especially when the Dragon Lands joined the Alliance of Harmony. That had changed everything. Going to war against the Dragon Lands was one thing. Going to war against multiple races was insane. Weak as they were in Tyranus's mind, even he knew that the other races had advantages that were not to be underestimated should they unite against them. What's worse was that Ember had opened the borders for independent and exiled dragons to return to their home and start a new life and many clans did, thus increasing their numbers and denying Tyranus more to his cause.

Tyranus wasn't an idiot nor suicidal. What he needed was a new plan. That's when he learned about the blade of the First Dragon Emperor, Imperiax. A sword so powerful, made by the gods themselves, that even the Legendary Elements of Harmony were nothing compared to its power. It was one of the few remaining powerful objects of the Ancient era to survive, and if he had it, Tyranus would be unstoppable. Not just because of the blade's power, but because it would be symbolic. It would show destiny had chosen him to bring a new future for the dragons and rebuild the old empire they lost. Not even the power of the Blood Scepter would be enough to stop him, and the dragons would quickly obey him as the new Emperor of Dragons.

Of course, it was a legend in itself. One that Tyranus spent at least four years trying to find proof of its location. The sage had been the key to finding the final clue. Now he was to go to the unknown continent in the west to achieve his dream. Entering the large red and golden war tent, the large map of the world stood before him while six dragons went silent upon seeing him.

He stared at them one by one as they stood in attention. The first, to his left, was the largest of them, all standing the average height of an adult dragon with blood-red primary scales and black secondary scales. His horns were large and sharp, wings wide enough to cover the entire war tent, but what stood among them all was his armor. It was dark red steel with scars and dried blood scattered around in various locations as the armor protected his chest, wings, spine, legs, and neck with the signs of aged battle. There were two large spiked axes with skull cross guards and blood-red handles by his side. The infamous Butcher and Slaughter were always to be in the hands of the leader of Clan Warblood, in this case, his great distant uncle Scarscale.

They were the first to swear allegiance to Tyranus's cause to avenge his family, for they were of kin, even if exiled. Battle was what they craved, and war was in their blood. They were the mightiest force in his army and were experts in tactics and warfare. They were not just a clan but an army that fought for the chance to face the strongest of enemies with their blood-red armor, weapons, and fire that burned fields to ashes. Death in battle was an honor, and they were fought with integrity—no dirty tricks. No deceptions. Just good old-fashioned guts and courage. If a dragon of Warblood were too old or sick, they would get a final death in combat before getting full honors at their funeral. They were the clan Tyranus trusted most, and his Uncle Scarscale was his greatest advisor.

Next to him was also an adult dragon, but just a few feet smaller than Uncle Scarscale. Unlike the red dragon, this one, Nightsteel, was of green primary scales and black secondary. He might not have been as tall as the previous dragon, but he was bigger due to the size of his armor. Black obsidian steel covered every part of his body from tail to head that he forged himself. It was part of the test every member of Clan Blackforge went through: to craft a perfect set of armor that they were to present to their master. Success would mean adulthood and welcome into the clan. Failure was outright execution with your body buried with your poor quality armor used as a tombstone. Clan Blackforge had once been part of the great clan with three Dragon Lords in their history. Unfortunately, they had built the weapon that killed a Dragon Lord, and his family unjustly believed the clan to have had a hand in his death. Clan Blackforge fled and exiled themselves, while those who stayed were punished severely save for a small secondary bastard line that became Clan Blackjaw as a reward for their loyalty.

Clan Blackforge was among the best for forging weapons and armor. They were vital in keeping his army well equipped and maintaining their equipment to top standard. They traveled with their forges, and every member of the clan learned how to generate their gear and wield it. Tyranus promised to welcome them back to the Dragon Lands once he was made Emperor and eliminate the bastard bloodline that chose to bow before those who accused them of a crime they didn't commit.

The next one stood out among all the other dragons as she was one of the three females in the tent and looked more like a princess than a warrior since she was looking at herself in a blue crystal mirror. She was Tyranus's size but golden in primary scales while white in secondary scales. A pure silverish-blue robe with diamond embedding was around her body with diamond rings piercing her ears and jeweled gems decorating her digits and wrists as either rings or bracelets. Even her tail had a gem-encrusted red bowtie around it. Her face was one most females would be envious of, thanks to her sleek and pretty scales, gazing eyes, and lovely nose. Rumor even had it that male dragons came to her tent for pleasure and fun every night. A platinum crown said to belong to the Princess Platinum—modified for her size—stood on her head to remind every dragon that she was Queen Mara of Clan Everbling.

Her appearance was no surprise to anyone, as everyone in her clan was obsessed with jewels, gems, gold, silver, and crystals. They were more of a marauder group than an actual clan, but they were the best thieves and treasure hunters among dragons. Although they ate gems like most dragons, they prided on having the best and showing off their loot. The bigger and rarer the prize, the more they desired it. They were the purest essence of dragon greed and the most distrusted, as they stole from everyone—even other dragons. Although Tyrus loathed having them among his ranks, they had their uses in their dishonorable ways. Plus, they were great at raiding.. All they asked was the right to take a good portion of any good priceless treasure they found and the chance to raid the Crystal Empire. It was a lifelong dream that they had failed many times.

Another female stood next to Queen Mara, but she was the opposite as night was to day. While Mara had been pretty, colorful, and smiled with greedy eyes, her counterpart, Lichie, was covered in black rags to hide most of her purple primary scales to the point that her secondary's were unknown. From the waist up, her entire body was clothed and protected by almost shadowy silk leather that seemed alive in some ways. Lichie's face was covered by a mask of gray rock, carved like a skull with runes carved into it that were alien to anyone by a member of one of the most feared dragons, Clan Deathclaw. She stood like a perfect assassin: motionless, focused, and ready for action despite her arms folded against her chest. She never spoke a word. None in Lichie's clan did. Rumor had it that, in exchange for the dark powers they gained from an unknown entity, they were forbidden to see in the day (Hence the mask) and could not speak. Tyranus knew very little of their clan other than they were the best assassins and night strikers he could find, but they came to him, pledging their allegiance.

This was both a boon and yet also a problem for Tyranus. On one claw, he had a clan of deadly assassins who could kill his enemies for him at his beck and command. On the other claw, he had no idea why they joined him or what they wanted. So he always made sure to keep his guard up. It was even worse that he couldn't see into Lichie's eyes thanks to the mask, which prevented knowing their intentions. Even Dájǐ-Lǐ could not sense their purposes, and her powers allowed her to look into the hearts of all.

Next was the wildest of the bunch, literally. For this dragon wore no armor, no jewels, and no weapons. They were primarily brown and secondary white, but their entire body was scarred with claw marks, bite marks, missing scales, dried wounds, and carved runes of a barbaric language beyond Tyranus. The dragon was male, a few feet higher than Tyranus but not even close to the tallest ones in the war tent. In his hands, he held the hide of a zebra that he was chewing on his face, covered with blood and other gut juices that he took in the pleasure of tasting before tossing the bones away. Although dragons could eat meat, most preferred jewels as they found them tastier. Grow'an'nawa of Clan Feralbite was not one of those. They were one of the very few but dangerous wild dragons who rejected all forms of civilization and modern lifestyle. They wore no clothing but their scales, used no metal but rock and wood, and had no weapons but their body and breath. They traveled and roamed, hunting, feasting, and fighting with no end. They were barbaric, but Tyrnaus wanted them.

They were best at scouting and surviving against the wilds. They were great hunters that could feed his army. They could scout and track troops and prey easily. And they wanted nothing more than to follow Tyranus due to him saving the son of their head clan when he visited their territory. A debt they all were willing to pay, and it would be paid upon him becoming Emperor. Their lifestyle did cause problems from refusal to work with technology by rejecting it. Anything "modern" such as steel and non-herbal medicine was not be used by them by their request, and they had poor hygiene, with more the one complaint being about the smell of their side of the camp. Especially since they refused to make latrines and just dedicated and urinated wherever they wanted, it got so bad that Tyranus had to force them to have a separate camp away from the rest.

Finally, there was the last one who was to Tyranus's left. Perhaps the second most loyal, if not zealous, of the major clans that joined them. She was Tyranus's size, of yellow primary and dark blue secondary scales, and was dressed in a light blue crystal robe that extended past her tail. A silverish-green cloak covered her head with a bright glowing staff of dark blue in her claw, with the rod showing a swirling white dragon with its tail at the bottom and the dragon's mouth at the top of the glowing, swirling orb of blue, green and gray. A similar color glowed in her eyes to show that the rare power of magic flowed through her body. Despite her size and youth, Ez'mira The Colorful was the most powerful of Clan Fatewing. One of the few dragons capable of casting magic. Long ago, the Dragons Empire were masters of the mystical craft with wonders and knowledge beyond even the unicorns of Equestria. Much magical knowledge was lost when the Dragon Empire fell, with very little saved. Clan Fatewing had dedicated itself to preserving and gathering all knowledge of magical dragon lore they could and mastering it. It was through their meeting that Ez'mira helped Tyranus learn of Imperiax.

Like others, she saw the potential of him becoming the Dragon Emperor. Through their magic, they were able to see the threads of fate itself and saw a dragon of great power holding the sword among a mighty army. A great burst of energy and light erupted, bringing a change in shifts of magic and power. This dragon would make a new world. One from blood and war, but in return would come glory and the salvation of the dragon race. Tyranus was to be this mighty champion. Fate and the gods had created it. But fate was constantly changing, and Tyranus was not going to risk it foolishly.

Clearing his throat, Tyranus soon spoke, "We've received word from our group in Valewind. The ships we have requested will be ready when our army arrives." He wished they could be faster, but the problem with having a horde their size was speed.

"Are we sticking to the plan then?" Nightsteel asked.

"Yes," Tyranus said as he moved the piece representing them on the board to one of the sea-faring cities on the far coast of the Griffin Republic. "Once we have all the ships, we raid and burn the town in a surprise attack. No witness. We must kill all of them to prevent even one from alerting the Republic of what we are doing. They'll find out what happened to the city eventually when they get no word from them, but by the time they do send anyone over, we'll be near the Minotaur's islands."

"I'm surprised that the shipping families agreed to build so many large ships with few questions," Scarsdale replied with a raised eyebrow.

"It helps that the bribe we gave them was large," Tyranus answered.

"You're welcome, by the way," Queen Mara said with a snort. "You're still giving us sixty percent of the families' wealth in compensation, right?"

Tyranus sighed and questioned the priorities but then remembered who he was talking to. "Yes, you will."

"And we get to eat as much as we want, right?" Grow'an'nawa asked, bloody teeth showing. "Been a long time since I had chicken."

"They're half-eagle and half-lion, moron," Queen Mara replied with a snort.

"Bird is bird. They all taste the same," Grow'an'nawa shrugged.

"Yes, every clan can indulge in their desires. The shipping town has a weak guard, and most of the Griffin Navy is dealing with the Siren pirates on the southern coast," Tyranus replied. "We just need to be quick and efficient about it."

"Agreed," Ez'Mira seconded as she waved her hand. A mystical illusion of the infamous red comet appeared overhead while images of the ships they were building sailed closer to the Minotaur islands on the map board. "It would be best to arrive near the shores of the Minotaur islands before the comet's powers come and clear the way to the unknown continent. No doubt, when its effect happens, the entire world will react. We must be ahead of all the other nations and make our way to it."

"We also need to make sure that we keep our army's a secret," Tyranus replied as he leaned forward and glared at each of them. "So far, our spies and the clans loyal to our cause have been keeping our presence a secret. Especially since Deathclaw faked my death seven years ago to keep Ember from realizing I'm alive." Lichie nodded in recognition of her clan's feat. "No doubt that when we get to the Minotaur Islands, they will see our large armada, and news of us will spread, but we should be on our way to the new continent when that news hits the Alliance. Once they even try to do anything to prepare a means to stop us, we'll be at the new world."

He then pointed in the direction of the continent. "However, I want us to have a base of operations when we land there. After we take over Valewind, I want some of the smaller clans to join up with members of Clan Blackforge, Warblood, and Feralbite to go ahead of us. Send your best-trusted clanmates with this task. I want a strong base and good knowledge of the surrounding area when I land with the rest of the army."

The six nodded in agreement as Nightsteel placed his gauntlet claw over his heart. "Allow me to go with them. I can build you a strong fort in less than a day when we arrive. I swear."

"Very well, Nightstell. You may go personally." Tyranus looked at the rest of them and nodded back. "That's all for tonight—spread word of our objectives to the rest of the clans. We move in the morning. Dismissed."

Every clan leader bowed and left except for Scarscale, who stood there with a smirk as his great-nephew looked up at him. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," Tyranus said as he took a water goblet and drank some of it. "I didn't expect to go on such an adventure to a place with little to no information. The last time dragons went there, nobody ever heard from them again. So yes, I am nervous."

"Good," Scarscale said as he put his large hand on Tyranus's head and gently patted it. "Saying you were without fear is stupid. All dragons have fear in their hearts. It's conquering that fear which makes us strong. Not denying it."

"I will do more than conquer," Tyranus said as he looked at the rest of the map and sighed with a soft smile. "I was content with just avenging my family and restoring the Dragon Lands to a proper setting with me as Dragon Lord. I didn't think I would be seeking to make myself an Emperor of our people, let alone the world."

"The gods move in strange ways," Scarscale said with amusement.

"Perhaps, but I just hope I am worth in the eyes of the Gods and the army I have united for my cause," Tyranus replied, rubbing his head. "Forty-seven clans. All who I have to keep in line with negotiations, bartering, threats, and sometimes violence."

"Good practice for a future emperor," a voice said as they entered the tent. He was Tyranus's height, with a similar scale color to his father, but with a more toned body and youthful face. His armor was similar to his father's but held no scars, so it looked brand new, showing his experience in battle. "Father. My Emperor."

"I'm not an emperor yet, Drono," Tyraus replied with a smirk. "You don't have to address me as one."

"Personally, I feel you are one already with how the dragons are talking about you," Drono chuckled as he shook his head. "They speak as if you were Emperor Kratorix reborn."

"That would be amusing, but I am just a dragon trying to do what is right for our race," Tyranus replied as he looked around the map and focused on Equestria. Specifically, Canterlot. "How fortunate that the leaders of the Alliance will be busy celebrating their unity when soon we will usher their downfall when we return in victory."

"Forgive me, but why not eliminate the leaders of the Alliance?" Drogo asked curiously. "Clan Deathclaw alone would take the task if you ask them."

"It's best for our enemies to not know of the existence of our group until it is too late for them," Tyranus replied, sighing as he turned to Drogo. "I know you want to face them, cousin. But we must do this smartly. Together the Alliance is more than enough to crush us."

"My son is just eager to take command and lead in a proper battle," Scarscale chuckled while Drogo blushed. "Ever since I have given him command of his own division, he has wished for a battle to test his leadership."

"Dad, come on," Drogo blushed.

"If you want one, I can give you one," Tyranus replied as he got his cousin's attention. "You can lead our first wave into Valewind. Take no survivors. Even the children and babies. Understood?"

Drogo saluted and smiled. "I won't let you down, sir."

Both Drogo and Scarscale soon left, leaving Tyranus to stare at the map board before him while clenching his fists. Soon, father, I will not just avenge you but bring clan Redskull to the highest of glory by becoming Emperor. I will make a kingdom of fire and blood where nobody, not even the Alicorns, will stop me.

He soon smirked upon feeling a familiar slithering of a warm and scaly body around his waist as his beloved Dájǐ-Lǐ appeared before him while kissing his neck a few times before his cheek. "I was hoping you could come to our tent after your meeting."

"I don't see why not," Tyranus whispered as he turned around, embraced his love, and kissed her lips. "You know...of all those by my side...you are the one I am happy to have the most."

"Do you remember what you whispered to me when I kissed you for the first time by the waterfall?" Dájǐ-Lǐ whispered.

"I said I was in a dream," Tyranus whispered as his happier and younger times played in his head. "Because there was no way you were real."

"And I whispered if this was a dream, then let us never wake," Dájǐ-Lǐ whispered as they pressed their heads together. "The gods meant for us to come together. Two betrayed and hurt souls seeking vengeance...and we vowed to have it or perish in shame."

"We will not perish," Tyranus growled as he held her and looked deep into her eyes. "We will destroy all those who hurt us. Your family. Ember and her friends. We will send them to their deaths screaming for mercy. We will be the new Emperor and Empress of this world, reborn in fire and war. One that our children will inherit and rein for tens of thousands of years. We will tear down the foundations of this pathetic and corrupt world to build a stronger one. One where dragons dominate once again as nature and gods intended. But I will only do this if you are with me. From here to the end."

Pressing him against the board, she began to remove his armor and whispered into his. "Always."

Chapter 5

View Online

Spike may have lived for twenty years in the dragon lands and six years in Ponyville, but Canterlot would always be considered his true home. It was where Spike had been born and spent his entire childhood living with the Sparkle Family and, later on, at Princess Celestia's palace. So much of the city had not changed as various streets, locations, stores, and restaurants were all familiar to the dragon whose families he knew by heart.

However, the city had changed in terms of population. Much like Manehatten, Las Pegasus, Van Hoover, and Baltimare, more non-ponies lived in Canterlot than ever before. You had griffins that set up their unique brand of cooking and clothing stores. Some dragons had started security and mining businesses. A large population of yaks offered exotic jewelry or demolition services. And changelings could be seen as doctors or actors, which was far from their role as invaders years ago. There was even a kirin funeral home that offered cheap cremation services. It was quite a testament to how much not only Canterlot but Equestria had changed after adopting a more cosmopolitan centerfold.

Flying beside Ember, Blitz, Aquafire, and Rainbow Dash, Spike's party passed over the various levels of the capital city while surrounded by two dozen Scale Guards led by Smolder. Creatures below all looked up in awe, including the young ones, as a few waved or shouted something. Spike couldn't help but smile and wave at the citizens below, wondering if they knew who was above them or if they were just in awe of the formation and armor the guards had.

Outside of the citizens and the city's landscape, one could already see the decorations for the big anniversary despite it being two days away. Almost every street was covered in flags of the various nations, balloons, banners, and streamers from lamppost to lamppost. Hotels were crowded with guests and visitors everywhere, while restaurants and shops promoted discounts and special deals. Specific sectors of the city that catered to certain races also had their ways of celebrating based on their culture. The yak districts were putting up totems of their heroes and icons. The hippogriffs were practicing with their various instruments for the festival. And one could hear the kirin choirs singing as, now that they could speak, they were some of the most beautiful singers you would ever hear

Spike already saw a welcoming party of the Royal Guards ready to greet them with salutes when they arrived near the castle. Smolder issued commands to the Scale Guards to land first and prepare a defense position before allowing the rest of them to land. Once Ember and her group had landed, the Scale Guards bowed before rising as Smolder waited for the Captain of the Royal Guards to meet her to welcome them formally. Marching proudly with his wings flared out, Captain Gallus stood before them with his fellow guards standing proud beside him.

Spike didn't know the whole story of why Gallus decided to join the Royal Guard after graduation, but he was determined to become the first non-pony to do so. Naturally, he faced many challenging hardships, from those who felt he wasn't up to stuff to traditionalists who didn't like the idea of a griffin joining them. However, with the support of his friends and Twilight, Gallus managed to not only graduate but become the top of his class.

However, this still didn't earn him full-on respect from his fellow guards until an incident two years after graduating. He was part of a large team of guards sent to look into why convoys were disappearing near the southern borders until they were under attack by an entire colony of tatzlwurms. Their squad leader fled like a coward and left her team to die while flying for Canterlot. When they arrived, she lied at headquarters that his team was all dead save for her. Spike remembered attending Gallus's funeral with the others, but Gallus and the other guards crashed it just as they were about to finish the ceremony.

They were injured, dirty, and tired, but all of them were alive. Gallus took control and helped the team survive through two weeks of avoiding the giant worms until they managed to make it back to the safety without taking one casualty. Everycreature called Gallus a hero, and everypony in the guard finally accepted him as one of them. He even replaced their cowardly team leader, who had not only been kicked out but arrested for her lies and actions. Gallus only became a star of the guard's forces going foward, with everypony respecting and loving him for his various deeds and tactics. It wasn't a surprise that he became Captain of the Guard once the previous one retired ten years ago.

Captains Gallus and Smolder grinned and saluted each other. "Captain Smolder. Welcome back to Canterlot. On behalf of Princess Twilight, I'm here to assure you that you are welcomed and protected within these walls."

Smolder nodded. "As Captain of the Scale Guards. I thank you, Captain Gallus." She then grinned and held out her wing. "Now give me feathers, Blue Boy."

Gallus slapped wings before hugging his old friend and nodding to his second in command to take control. Gallus walked over to the others and nodded to them all. "Dragon Lord Ember. Spike. Professor Rainbow Dash. And guests."

"You don't have to call me professor anymore, Gallus," Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes with a smirk. "Seriously, it makes me sound old."

"And the graying mane isn't proof enough?" Gallus joked while earning a raspberry from the rainbow pegasus. "Hope the flight wasn't that long."

"The wind was in our favor. That's why we're a day early," Ember replied as everycreature started making their way towards the grand double doors of the castle's entrance. "Are the other leaders here yet?"

"King Thorax and Queen Skystar arrived before you guys with their families. The Crystal Empire's Royal Family and Minister Sunburst should arrive later today," Gallus answered as he nodded to the entrance guards who soon opened the doors. The Grand Entrance Hallway of Canterlot Castle was open to them, and Spike found himself drifting into memory lane when he first arrived here all those years ago as a child. He raised his head so high to see the ceiling he fell off Twilight's back and nearly hit his head if not for Princess Celestia catching him with her magic. "Everyone else should be arriving tomorrow except for Prince Rutherford because of what happened in Yakyakistan."

He then turned to Smolder. "By the way, I thought I should let you know that Sandbar, Yona, and their kids can't make it this year. After what happened, they thought it would be best to see Yona's family and do what they can to help out."

"Ocellus is still coming, right?" Smolder asked as they turned left to the main hall.

"She'll be here tomorrow with Starlight and Trixie from the Academy," Gallus answered before smirking.

"No need to ask about Silverstream, right?" Spike said with a soft smile as Gallus smiled warmly and nodded. "How's Garrus?"

"He's doing well," Gallus answered as he turned to Spike and smiled. "He's with Silverstream's family, but he really wants to see his favorite uncle dragon again."

The others grinned as Spike rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't expected to become Silverstream and Gallus's favorite "uncle" over time. Spike had been in Canterlot at the time when the little hippogriff was about five years old, and his parents asked if the dragon could babysit him while they went out for a night into the city together. Spike had agreed, having babysat kids before, but he didn't expect Garrus to be so different from his parents. Silverstream was practically the most exciting creature in the world next to Pinkie Pie, to the point that it was hard to keep her from being happy about anything. Gallus might have been quiet at times, but he knew how to party and have fun. Garrus? He was such a shy bird that you would have mistaken him for being Fluttershy's child.

He had been so scared about Spike at first, but over the night, the two had fun and enjoyed each other's company. Garrus wasn't into roughhousing as he was into reading, writing, and, deep down, singing. He had an angelic voice that would win a lot of hearts when he got older, so Spike also sang with him. The two had a wonderful time, and the smile that Garrus had on his face made Spike's heart melt. Out of all the children that his friends had, Garrus was the purest of them all. And this was coming from the son of a father who pranked the entire school by putting skunk smell bombs in everyone's pillows one night. Ever since that night, Garrus always wanted to be by his favorite "dragon uncle" whenever he was in the city. He was even Garrus's second godfather should anything happen to Sandbar, who was first.

"I take it that things have been busy in the meantime?" Aquafire asked as she noticed a large group of servants carrying tons of baking equipment on their backs and looking ready to keel over. "It couldn't have been easy to plan all this on such short notice."

"Believe me, I thought we were screwed," Gallus said as he shook his head. "But we pulled out our secret weapon, and everything's been going great save for the messes that have the entire janitor department on a full alert status that we haven't put down since we started."

"Pinkie Pie and her family?" Everyone asked.

"Pinkie Pie and her family," Gallus answered, chuckling.

"How bad?" Ember asked, knowing the family's reputation for going all out at making parties.

"I've had two divisions alone covered in cake batter, party poppers, confetti, eels, chocolate pudding, party streamers, raisins, oatmeal, dried bananas, water, milk, juice, coffee, tea, soda, wine, sarsaparilla, candy corn, pumpkin bits, apple skins, cream cheese, melted cheese, snails, and some green and yellow stuff that I don't want to know," Gallus answered. He then paused and turned around to the others with a serious expression. "Also, the west wing on the third floor is out of bounds until the contamination team deems it safe after what the kids did yesterday."

"...Do we want to know?" Rainbow Dash asked, eyebrow raised.

"No," Gallus answered, shaking his head. "And this is orders from Princess Twilight herself."

"Speak of the devil," Rainbow Dash said as two ponies approached them from down the corridor. One close to adulthood and the other the tallest pony in the room, with only the dragons being a few inches taller than her.

Luster Dawn, Princess Twilight's apprentice, happily looked at the others while nodding to them, but Princess Twilight had all the attention. Arguably the most famous mare in recent memory, Twilight stood before them with a regal and joyful smile that shined brighter than any of the glass-tilted windows in the castle. For many, she was a ruler, savior, teacher, and leader who had brought a better age for not just Equestria but for all nations under the Alliance. But to Spike, who hugged her immediately upon seeing her, she was his big sister first and foremost, even if he was technically now older than her.

"It's good to see you again, Spike!" Twilight joyfully cried out as she hugged her brother. The two looked at each other and warmly smiled as they took a moment to appreciate this. The sad part of growing up was responsibility. This was double when you were a princess and ambassador. There were times when Spike secretly wished he was back with Twilight in their tree home, writing her latest experiments and letters to Princess Celestia while waiting to hang out with her friends or go on another adventure to learn about Friendship. But time marches on, and those days are gone. Yet, the two always took whatever moments they had together to make the most of it.

"Hey, don't forget about us!" Rainbow Dash said as she flew over and slapped Twilight on the shoulder. If it was anypony else, everypony in the castle would scold them, but seeing as it was Rainbow Dash, everycreature let it slide. "I know you and I see each other more often, but I could use a little love here to."

"Of course, Dash," Twilight said as she hugged her friend and beamed at her. "Wouldn't forget you even if I tried."

"Yeah, she has a habit of standing out, even when it's not wanted," a voice said, making everyone turn to the right as a familiar farmer, with an apple theme shall and senton hat walked over. Rainbow Dash grinned and zoomed over to her wife before planting a kiss on her lips.

"Yeah, but it got me you, didn't it, AJ?" Rainbow Dash asked as Applejack chuckled and kissed her back.

"As mah brother would say? Eeyup."

Twilight giggled at the two love birds before turning to Dragon Lord Ember and her friends before bowing. "It's an honor to see you again, Dragon Lord Ember. And you as well, Blitz and Aquafire." She then gazed over to Smolder and winked. "And you too, Captain Smolder. Gallus here was telling me the guards are looking forward to another rematch between your Scale Guards and his best troops in another war games fight soon."

"Oh?" Smolder grinned at an equally competitive-looking Gallus. "Well, I suppose we can arrange for something after the festival. If you want to get your butts kicked again that badly."

"Please, this year, we'll be sending you back to the Dragon Lands with your tails so down between your legs, you'll be walking awkwardly for a year," Gallus claimed back.

SMASH!

Everycreature but Gallus, Twilight, and Luster Dawn jumped when one of the windows broke as a pinkish creature zipped right through the window and nearly made for the wall until Twilight calmly caught them with her magic. The pink creature turned out to be a dark pink mare around ten years old with a fuzzy brown mane and pink eyes, while her cutie mark showed a trampoline with a pony silhouette jumping on it. While being levitated down, the pony looked at the newcomers and smiled before waving her hoof enthusiastically. "Hi, Ember! Hi, Blitz! Hi, Aquafire! Hi, Spike! Hi, Smolder! Hi, all the other dragons whose names I don't know but are happy to see anyway!"

"Hi, Bouncy Betty," Spike replied. He took her into her arms and let her climb on top of his head while bouncing slightly. "Are you and your siblings doing okay?"

"Yup!" Bouncy cried out while nodding her head rapidly. "And guess what?! I'm going to have another sibling soon!"

"She's pregnant again?!" Ember screamed before facepalming. "Jeeze, do Pinkie and Cheese want to create an entire army of their bloodline or something?! This is their eighth foal, for crying out loud!"

"Eighth and ninth!" Bouncy said happily but this only made Ember groan again. "We're having another set of Twins like Peanut Butter and Jelly Jam!"

"I still can't believe Pinkie and Cheese picked those names for the twins," Spike muttered before Bouncy was lifted into the air by Twilight, who smiled at her.

"Bouncy? Could you tell your mother that since Spike and Rainbow Dash are here, I'd like us to have our get-together session in an hour? We're going to be too busy tomorrow and the next day to have it, so I would like to do it today," Twilight then turned to Rainbow, Applejack, and Spike and asked, "If you three don't mind."

"I'm parched from all the flying, so count me in," Rainbow Dash answered with Applejack nodding in return.

"Sure, I'd be happy to," Spike replied before turning to Ember and rubbing the back of his neck. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not," Ember said before kissing Spike. "It's your thing. Go ahead. I'll check to see what's going on in the city. Maybe get the dragons living here to see their Dragon Lord for a bit."

"I'll show you to your rooms," Gallus said as he led the rest of the party to follow him.

"I will tell Mom to meet you at the usual place, Auntie Twilight!" Bouncy said as she jumped in midair, breaking the magical hold on her, and started bouncing down the hallway while singing "la la la la la" to herself.

"I'll go with her to make sure she doesn't bounce into anything too much," Luster Dawn said before walking after the little filly. "I'll also let Fluttershy and Rarity know where to meet you as well!"

"Thank you, Luster," Twilight said before sighing in relief. "I could use the break badly, and so can Pinkie. Ever since we had to change the celebrations to Canterlot, I've been working non-stop for days."

"You are taking care of yourself, right, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, concerned. "Because we know what you are like when you don't get enough sleep."

"That was before I got an updated alicorn biology, Applejack," Twilight replied with a proud puff of her chest. "I'm much better now than I was before. I got it all under control."

"...So I don't need to get you my triple lava roasted flavored coffee that I brought for this visit?" Spike asked with a grin, but a desperate-looking Twilight was holding him by the shoulder a second later.

"You give that to me, or so help me, I will put you right next to the terrible trio as a statue!" Twilight shouted with her eyes wide open.

Yeah, under control my scaled butt, Spike thought to himself.

***

Meanwhile, in a shadier part of the city, a trio of dark pink scaled dragons with white underbelly scales talked before a fourth one arrived with their drinks. Placing them on the table, the lead one whispered, "The others just confirmed it. Dragon Lord Ember is here in the city."

"She's early," Another one said, narrowing his eyes. "Why?"

"Good wind," he answered before taking a drink. "This works out for us better. We can strike tonight."

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" One of the other ones muttered. "I know our clan leader told us to do this, but Tyranus didn't give this order."

"Hey, if our clan is going to rise through the ranks in Tyranus's army, then this is the best way to do it," The leader of the four replied. "We got a large enough group to perform this, we got a pony on the inside who is willing to help, and we have the schematics for the palace, so we don't get lost. We need to be silent and careful to find Ember's bed, slit her throat, and get out there."

"What about her lover? Spike?" Another pointed out. "He's in there too."

"Then we slit his throat too. Who cares," The leader said as he raised his bug. "Tonight, boys, Clan Fortuna rises to the top with the greatest assassination ever planned."

***

He had arrived at last. Canterlot. Capital of the Equestrian Kingdom.

A young cloaked deer looked at the city from the viewport with awe as the sheer wonder of its beauty couldn't be defined accurately in all the books he had read. He had always wanted to come here, but if only it were under better circumstances.

Nevertheless, he had an important job to do. Looking at the city and its history could wait. He had to warn Princess Twilight and the other leaders before it was too late. The airship he was on soon landed, and the cloaked deer hurried to get off as fast as possible.

He just hoped he could get them to listen to him in time.

Chapter 6

View Online

Life was an unfair bitch.

At least that was what Former Solar Squad Leader Dawn Winds thought.

All she had ever wanted was fame and glory so she could rise out of the shadows of being a nopony and become somepony with prestige to their name. She thought the Royal Guard was the easy way to do so and worked hard to succeed in the ranks until she became Squad Captain. The problem was that Dawn Winds never found any tasks worthy of her soon-to-be legend in the making. It was always simple patrols, VIP protection details, and guard duty.

When Dawn Winds learned that there was a mission to figure out why convoys were disappearing, she thought it would finally be a chance to get some glory. The only problem was she was babysitting a bunch of rookies at the time—fresh green troops, including a griffin of all things. Still, Dawn was sure they could handle whatever was the problem despite warnings to be cautious.

By the stars, was she wrong.

An entire colony of tatzlwurms had ambushed them, and it looked like this would be the end. Dawn Winds did what any sensible pony did. She flew away as if her life depended on it. Yes, she abandoned her squad, and it was cowardly to do, but she didn't want to die. Was that so wrong? Dawn thought about returning when she was finally safe, but there was no point. They had to be dead. How could anypony, much less greenhorns, survive that? Sure, Dawn Winds felt terrible, but on the other hoof...nopony needed to know, right?

So she lied about it. Said her squad panicked and died before she could save them. Hay, she was even asked to speak at the funeral for them. Everypony believed her, and they were sympathetic to Dawn.

Of course, that stupid annoying Gallus arrived with the entire squad and ruined everything. They exposed her actions, and Dawn Winds was suddenly the most hated guard in the ranks. She was stripped of her rank, kicked out, and even forced to spend ten years in jail for her actions. Her friends had abandoned her, and her family disowned her. They slammed the door on her when she tried to visit for Hearths Warming Eve. Even her little brother said he had no "cowardly and lying sister" when Dawn sent a letter to him once and told her never to contact him again.

With such a poor reputation, Dawn Winds had to take wherever job was available, and most of it was low-end crap that barely made her earn a keep. Meanwhile, that damn griffin was praised as a hero and soon became Captain of the Guard.

It was not fair.

She didn't want to die. Was that so wrong?

Dawn Wings was desperate. She didn't care about anything but making sure she had enough money to support herself. So, she became a criminal for hire, using her ex-guard training to get herself started. Soon enough, she had a new career working for various underground groups that needed some dirty work.

Was she pushing drugs? Sure, the ponies who OD on it had only themselves to blame. Did she start Roughing up a store or two? It was good practice for her muscles. Was she firebombing a rival factory on behalf of a mob boss? A little arson didn't hurt. Murder? Maybe one or two. Was it wrong? Yeah, but what did she care about right and wrong anymore? Dawn Wings was scum in the eyes of society, so why fight back against that?

This is why when a bunch of dragons asked for former guards who knew secret entrances into the palace, Dawn Wings didn't hesitate to answer. Especially with the bits, they were paying. Enough to make her finally leave Canterlot for another city.

"So, this cavern outside the western wall has a secret entrance?" The cloaked pink dragon asked as he pointed to a map that Dawn Wings provided. He was surrounded by his other dragons, who kept their identities hidden, but Dawn Wings didn't care. All she cared about was the massive amount of bits in her presence.

"Yeah, it's a glamor at the right corner at the end. You just need to find the handle past it, pull it down, and the secret entrance opens," Dawn Wings explained as she smirked. "Once you go through it, it's a piece of cake. Follow the path, and you'll end up in the Royal Swimming Pool. Right behind the unicorn statue that shoots water out of its horn."

The center cloaked dragon nodded before pushing the large bag of bits in her direction. Dawn Wing's eyes lit up as she grabbed it and smirked. "So, are we done?"

"You may go, yes."

Dawn Wings nodded and put the large bits in her saddlebags before walking out the door of the small room. Walking down the stairs, Dawn Wings made sure not to look at any of the patrons in the bar before making her way out. Downtown was not a safe place to be in, even during the day. Luckily, she knew a few alleys that would get her to her apartment that were safe.

Humming to herself, Dawn Wings wondered who the dragons would assassinate. She wasn't stupid and didn't need to ask questions about why they needed to get in. It was clear they were here to murder somecreature; the most obvious answer was the Dragon Lord. Not that she cared. Although, I won't object if they also kill the Captain of the Guard along the way.

Walking down one of the alleys she had used multiple times, she noticed a homeless beggar near the middle that spotted her. Dawn Wings hoped to avoid him, but he slowly got up and levitated a plastic cup with a tiny number of bits inside. "Spare some change for a homeless stallion."

"Get lost, old geezer," Dawn Wings growled as she tried to move past him before flapping his wings. "Ugh, forget it. I'll just fl-"

Suddenly, she felt two sharp knives dig into her back, precisely right where her wings connected to her spine. She was about to scream when the homeless figure wrapped his hindleg against her throat before shoving her into the wall. Using his magic, he levitated a knife and started stabbing Dawn Wings repeatedly in the stomach until she stopped struggling and went limp.

Once he was sure the pegasus was dead, the unicorn murderer dropped her and leaned her corpse on the bloody wall. Another unicorn, this one with a black cloak, jumped down from the ceiling above and smirked. "This was an easy one."

"Yeah, and apparently, she was a former guard as well," the fake homeless guy chuckled before grabbing the bits in her saddle bags. "Any idea why those dragons wanted her dead?"

"No idea, but I don't get paid to ask. Let's grab her money and get out of here before she's found."

The two hired murderers ran off with their goods and left the corpse of Dawn Wings behind.

***

One of the hardest things Spike had to learn as a dragon was that, due to his great lifespan, he would lose his pony friends faster than he would realize. It wasn't something that hit him until he got older (rage potion effects not counting) when his friends and family started getting greyer manes, wrinkling faces, acting slower, and creating their own families. The final part had to be when they stopped doing adventures altogether and started focusing on their own lives. It did hurt that Spike knew one day that five of the six mares he called his "sisters" in his heart would have funerals he would visit while he was still a young dragon. Dragons could live up to hundreds or even a thousand years, and he wouldn't join them in the afterlife until much later.

Fortunately, a lot of good talking from those closest to Spike helped him adjust to this. Plus, he wouldn't be alone forever. He would have Twilight, who was bound to live as long as he did, if not longer, Ember, his other dragon friends, and Discord. Plus, he would always look after the descendants of his best friends, no matter what. Sure, there might come a day when it would just be harder than expected and break him temporarily, but he was sure those who loved him would help him come back together.

For now? I'm just going to enjoy our time together, Spike thought as he poured another cup of tea for Twilight, who sipped it shortly after.

The seven of them always made sure to have whatever time they had to spend together, and every time they did, Spike sometimes liked to think back to when he was a young dragon. Back when he was living back at the library with the girls laughing and gossiping about what was happening in Ponyville and waiting for another message from Princess Celestia asking for help with something.

"So, Angel Jr. trapped the babysitter in the closet for six hours that you and Discord were gone?" Rainbow Dash asked her friend, Fluttershy, before slapping the table and laughing. "Ha! That bunny's as bad as his dad was!"

"Yes, but he's really a sweet thing once you get to know him," Fluttershy replied while blushing. Despite having grown older, she was still the natural beauty that had almost made her a modeling star. She had shortened her mane and stopped letting it flow freely in the wind by creating a unique ponytail out of it supported by a blue butterfly clip. She was also the only one without any gray in her mane, which was a surprise since she was the oldest of the six ponies. Plus, you would think being married to Discord undoubtedly would have caused some gray hairs eventually.

"How's Feathercord doing at college? I'm surprised he didn't come down this year since he loves these events," Rarity asked, wiping her mouth after eating a small sugar cookie.

"Oh, he and his marefriend were asked to check out the Gallopagos Islands with their professor this summer, and I wouldn't want him to miss such an opportunity," Fluttershy said before turning to Pinkie Pie with a bright smile. "And speaking of children, congratulations, Pinkie."

"Thanks, Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie cheerfully states as her poofy and sparkling silver and pink mane shivered with excitement. Rubbing her belly, she said, "Two new babies to add to the birthday calendar! And, if my Pinkie Sense is correct, both are girls this time!"

"Are you and Cheese ever going to stop havin' foals?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. "I like havin' a big family' as much as the next pony, but nine children? Ah think ya hit yer limit, Pinkie."

"Oh, I'm sure this will be the last time this happens," Pinkie assured.

"You said that after your third baby," Twilight pointed out. "And then you had the twins the next time."

"Eh, I'm sure I'm right about this being the last one this time," Pinkie said with a shrug and a smile. "Besides, with these two adorable buns in the oven, I'm now ahead of Boulder by one!"

"I don't know what's weirder," Spike whispered to Twilight with an eyebrow raised. "The fact that she's competing with her sister's pet rock or the fact that Boulder actually has children."

"It's Pinkie Pie. I stopped a long time ago asking these things so I don't develop liver cancer," Twilight muttered before wincing and turning to Rarity, who didn't seem bothered by this. "Um, sorry, Rarity."

"Oh, Darling, I've told you before," Rarity stated as she poured another cup of coffee. "We don't need to act like I'm a fragile flower. I'm still in the early stages, and the doctor says I stand a good chance of making sure we don't get to any critical states."

"Sorry, Rarity, it's just..." Twilight frowned, as did the rest of them. Spike was even gripping his claw under the table.

Of all the worst things that happened over the years, finding out that Rarity had developed cancer was the worst. Naturally, everypony had taken it hard, but Rarity was confident she could beat it, and Twilight ensured she had the best medical help possible. Even with the fear of such a thing looming over her head, the most famous fashion designer in Equestria was still working hard on her multiple stores across the nation (and in some other countries) while still being her kind, generous, and wonderful self.

"Twilight, I'm fine," Rarity firmly stated as she looked at all the others in the same manner. "I understand it's still hard to go through this since it's only been a few months, but I'm determined to continue living my life despite this new challenge. Yet, there is a chance this can become fatal, but I'm not going to think about that until I reach that point. For now, I'm going to do my best to defeat this thing before it gets to that, and I want to make sure you all support me in doing so...because I cannot do this without you."

"Of course!"

"Absolutely!"

"I'll always be there for you!"

"Yeah, we're in your corner, Rares!"

"You can beat it, Rarity!"

"And when you do, we'll have a big party to celebrate it!"

Rarity smiled warmly at us all before clearing her throat. "So, Twilight? Did I hear you recently tried another probation judgment for Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Sombra? Three months ago?"

"Yes," Twilight sighed in disappointment.

"I'm guessing that they're still statues means it didn't go so well?" Rarity asked, eyebrow raised.

"No, sadly, it didn't," Twilight explained. "Sombra still was determined to take over everything. Cozy Glow was still lying and trying to manipulate me. And Tirek? I think he's lost his mind at this point because he's just rambling."

"Well, it's their fault for being there in first place," Rainbow Dash replied with a snort. "And Discord too, for his little stunt."

"Dash," Fluttershy warned.

"I know! I know! I've forgiven him too! Just pointing it out is all," Rainbow Dash replied, raising her hooves. "Where is he anyway? Isn't he going to come to the event?"

"He'll be here on the starting day," Fluttershy replied. "He says there was some weird dimensional stuff happening he needed to check out. Nothing too serious, but we don't want a repeat of last time."

Everypony and Spike shivered upon hearing that. Some things were better off not being remembered.

"So, Spike?" The dragon's attention was caught by Rarity, who smirked at him. "How are things between you and Ember?"

"Really good," Spike answered with a sigh. "I was planning a gift for her, but I have to wait due to a problem with the materials being unavailable."

"Oh, dear," Rarity said, getting the hint. "Well, I'm sure she'll appreciate it once you get it."

"Thanks, Rarity," Spike said as he turned to Twilight. "How's the Royal Sister Memorial Museum going?"

"We're just about finished. I feel we'll be ready to open it in about six months, if not sooner," Twilight answered with a small, sad smile. "I wished...I kinda wished they were here to see it."

The girls and Spike smiled sympathetically at Twilight as Rarity patted her on the shoulder. "Twilight, dear? I'm confident that Princess Celestia and Luna are looking down at you with pride. Not just because of the museum you've made for them, but because of how well you've done as leader of Equestria. You've become a fantastic princess and a noble-hearted pony who has not just helped us ponies, but all races. Princess Celestia had complete faith in you when she passed the crown, and that faith has been more than proven."

"Yeah, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said with a nod. "You're a great princess. Best ever, in my opinion. I bet everycreature will remember you for ages to come."

Wiping a tear from her eye, Twilight nodded in thanks. "Thank you, girls. I just...I still wished I knew how they died, though. I mean, they just went to bed at their home and...that was it. They were gone."

"Maybe it was just their time, Twi," Applejack said with a shrug. "Everypony's got to go to the big sleep sometime, and they lived a long time. Even if they didn't show it physically, they were ancient. Maybe some bigger force at work took them to give them that rest they needed, but I'm sure they went peacefully."

Twilight was about to say something when a scroll appeared in front of her from a poof of magic. Curious, she opened it and then smiled. "Sorry, girls. But it seems I'm needed in the throne room. This won't take long. I'll be right back." She then turned to Spike. "Mind coming with me, Spike? Thorax is hoping to see you."

"Sure thing."

***

When Twilight and Spike arrived at the Throne room, they were greeted by a new set of faces that Spike hadn't seen in a while. The representatives of the changelings and hippogriffs, King Thorax and Queen Skystar, along with their guards and some attendants, were there waiting for them, along with two familiar faces Spike smiled upon seeing. The first was none other than Silverstream, Gallus's wife and former member of the Hippogriff Royal Family. However, none of that mattered to either Silverstream or her family. They still see each other as such despite what former Queen Novo did. And the second was their son, Garrus. He had a feathery hippogriff body that looked just like Silverstream's but with a blue coloring instead of pink, just like his eye color. A mane on the child's head was styled with blue feathers and held a white streak at the tips. His lion tail swished back and forth nervously before his eagle-like wings flared up upon seeing Spike.

"Uncle Spike!" Garrus shouted joyfully as he flew towards his favorite uncle and embraced him happily. Spike gently held the mixed-racial bird and smiled as the chirpy little guy looked at him with stary eyes. "I missed you! I was hoping you would come to the event today! I've done better with my flying skills! Can I show you them later?!"

"Sure thing, Garrus," Spike answered as he patted the little lion/bird hybrid on the head. "Want me to bring some of my friends to help?"

"Um, can it just be us?" Garrus asked, nervously shrinking at the thought of others being there.

"Of course," Spike answered, slowly easing the easily timid child. Guess he's still nervous around others.

"Hi, Spike! Hi, Princess!" Silverstream replied in her usual cheery tone as she flew over and took her son into her arms. "So glad to see you both! Well, I see you all the time, Princess, but it's still good to see you anyway!"

"It's good to see you too, Silverstream," Twilight said.

"Nice to see you again, Spike," Queen Skystar stated as she walked over with a bow. "Dragon Lord Ember is here, right? I wish to thank her again for helping us with the giant octopus issues we were having on our border. I had no idea water dragons were good in underwater combat."

"Yup, but she'll probably tell you to thank Aquafire, her family was the one that did most of the work," Spike replied. "How is your family?"

"They're great! Applebloom and Terramar are doing great at the farm they made on Mount Aries, and their experiments with creating underwater apples are doing good too. Not perfect yet, but it's getting there," Silverstream replied with a happy smile. "Mom and Dad are doing great as well. Dad's finally thinking of retiring, so we're planning a big retirement party next year. We're inviting everyone!"

"...Even her?" Twilight asked cautiously.

"...Yes, even her, I guess," Queen Skystar muttered with actual frustration in her tone. A feeling that Silverstream and a few others held.

Of all the friends that everyone had made in the past, the one creature that everycreature agreed to drop as one was Queen Novo. While the former Queen had always been a strict, no-nonsense presence in the alliance, she had been trusted as a comrade and caring mother at the very least, even if she was overprotective of her family.

That is until Silverstream announced she was dating Gallus. A non-hippogriff who was not of noble blood. Needless to say, Queen Novo absolutely forbade such a thing from happening, much to the shock of everycreature, including her own family. She stated that since Silverstream was part of the royal family, she needed to marry into a proper bloodline of high esteem. Gallus, an orphan with nothing to his name, was not one she would approve of and outright demanded that Silverstream break up with him.

No creature had ever seen Silverstream so broken in all her life upon being denied the chance to be with the griffin she loved. Even her parents had been outraged at Queen Novo's decision, with her mother fighting her old sister for the first time in years about this. However, Silverstream then did something that no creature expected, but it proved that she loved Gallus more than anything. She renounced her position as a member of the Royal Family, outright signing the paperwork, publicly displaying her statement, and was even planning on getting hitched in Las Pegasi before her friends, including Gallus, stopped her. Queen Novo had been outraged at Silverstream's actions and went even further by permanently stripping her of her noble rank so that not even a future royal could restore it.

That was the final straw for Princess Skystar, who did something nobody expected. She challenged her mother for the throne through the tradition of three contests: swimming, flying, and combat. The one who won two out of three would become the Queen. Skystar had managed to win at swimming, but Queen Novo won easily in flying. When the combat trial came, everyone feared that Queen Novo would easily win, but Skystar had shocked everyone by disarming her mother and holding her trident to her throat.

Queen Novo had lost, and thus Queen Skystar had been made ruler of the hippogriffs. While Silverstream couldn't become a member of royalty again, her coustin still allowed her to be part of the family and even declared any children of hers would be recognized as royals in their bloodline. She even personally had Silverstream and Gallus married in the royal throne room. As for Former Queen Novo, she bitterly recluded herself from society for years. Queen Skystar tried to talk to her mother a few times but refused to see anyone until the last few years. Only talking to her daughter and occasionally Silverstream's mother, but Silverstream herself had refused to do anything with her Aunt until she finally accepted not just Gallus but Garrus as well. Something that, to Spike's knowledge, had yet to happen.

"Hey, let's not forget who else is in the room!" King Thorax said as he hugged his best friend with his hooves. The Changeling King hadn't changed in the years he had been king. Apparently, even the Kings and Queens of Changelings could live just as long lives as alicorns. "It's great to see you again, Spike!"

Spike hugged his old friend back, saying, "How's your family doing?"

"Great! My husband couldn't come because of the pregnancy, though," King Thorax said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I was this close to not coming on account of how worried I am that he'll lay our eggs any second now, but my brother convinced me to go or else, and I quote, "I'll kick your butt so hard you'll have it coming out of your mouth" since I need to represent the hive and all."

It was a surprise for every creature to learn that changelings of both genders could give birth due to having the ability to change their sex organs at a whim. It didn't matter if your mate was male or female. You were able to get them pregnant regardless. It had been a big secret among their kind out of the fear of being ostracized by society. Plus, it was the answer as to why the hive was always so large in number. You didn't have to worry about relationship genders or sexual preferences affecting your society when anyling could get anyling pregnant. In fact, changelings never really saw each other as males or females in general since they could change genders on a whim. They only did so to make it less confusing for non-changelings. Smolder said she found it really confusing to see her friend Ocellus as a boy when she changed gender one year at the academy to see what it was like before going back to being a girl as her primary preference.

"This is why I've avoided getting married," Queen Skystar said with a hearty chuckle. "I find it easier to live my life without worrying about kids."

"Yes, but you love your nephew all the same," Silverstream replied as she held her son in her arms as he nuzzled her neck.

"So, what did you want to speak to me about?" Twilight asked, tilting her head. "Is something wrong?"

Both Queen Skystar and King Thorax frowned and looked at each other before the latter sighed. "We've both been hearing rumors and wanted to confirm it with you. If this is true, Twilight, you need to be honest with us."

Queen Skystar cleared her throat. "Your niece, Princess Flurry Heart? She's engaged to her guard, Erebus, correct. Somepony your brother and sister-in-law took in when they were both kids and practically raised them together?"

An icy feeling began to grow in Spike's stomach as he turned to Twilight, who had a stony expression on her face. "Correct."

"...Is he Sombra's son?"

Chapter 7

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Spike and Twilight were quiet as King Thorax and Queen Skystar continued to wait for an answer. There was such a long silence that Spike swore that if a pin was to drop right now, it would be the equivalent of an avalanche going off in the mountains. Meanwhile, Silverstream and Gallus nervously looked at each other. The two learned the truth a while ago, and they were concerned at first, but upon meeting Erebus, they realized they had nothing to worry about.

King Sombra had been one of the darkest and most ruthless tyrants in the continent's history, even if he only focused on the Crystal Empire and Equestria to solidify his right to rule. The stallion's backstory was, in some way, sympathetic, according to the journal Twilight and Cadence found in his personal quarters years ago. A young colt appeared out of nowhere during a terrible blizzard and was taken in as an orphan. Sombra had been teased and even outcasted because of his outsider status save for a single friend, Radiant Hope, and his dark, mysterious power further isolated him. Even worse, it was slowly killing him year by year and he feared he wouldn't live long if not for the healing magic of his best friend. Then, he learned the truth from his actual creators: the Umbrum. They were dark, sinister, and evil spirits who had been banished by the Crystal Ponies centuries ago and sought vengeance. Sombra was their creation, and they asked him to destroy the Crystal Heart as it was the only way to save his life.

Despite his reluctance, he did so only to find himself confronted by Princess Amore, who had known all this time what Sombra was but couldn't bring herself to kill a child even if he wasn't one. So she let him suffer, hoping that he would destroy himself one day. Even this was a disgraceful action to many who learned about him, regardless of others' thoughts of Sombra. It lowered Princess Amore in the eyes of many when it was revealed she let Sombra suffer. Especially when there could have been a way to save him. Obviously, Sombra didn't take it well, pushing him to finally embrace his dark destiny and use his powers to kill Princess Amore. But instead of destroying the Crystal Heart, King Sombra decided to also betray his creators. He wanted neither to be the pawn of any other. He wanted to be the king. And so he used the Crystal Heart to corrupt it and absorb the Umbrum into him, becoming a dark living abomination that enslaved the Crystal Empire. Even Radiant Hope, his best friend, couldn't stop him, and she died of her wounds telling Princess Celestia and Luna what had happened during her long journey to Equestria.

The war between the two nations lasted years until Sombra's first defeat, but the stallion was no longer a natural being and survived being killed by turning into a wraith. However, he cursed the Crystal Empire to go down with him and they disappeared for a thousand years until they returned. The rest was history since all knew of the events of his second return with the Crystal Empire's curse ending and his third defeat when Discord tried to manipulate Sombra, Cozy Glow, and Tirek into becoming friends to teach them friendship. Regardless of his past and suffering, his actions caused the deaths and misery of many innocent creatures. So his stoned fate was still deserved.

Even his own son, who Sombra never learned about, believed he deserved what he got.

"How did you find out?" Twilight asked cautiously.

"Rumors spread from the Crystal Empire when some of the nobles were visiting our lands. They were kinda very...open about their disagreements with Flurry Heart and Erebus's engagement," King Thorax nervously said. "I mean, we don't think he's a threat or anything if that's what you're worried about. Shining Armor and Cadence would never let their daughter date him if otherwise. But we just wanted to confirm it."

Spike and Twilight looked at each other before the former nodded. Sighing, Twilight answered, "Yes, Erebus is Sombra's son. Sombra had a few concubines during his reign, and one of them gave birth to Erebus shortly after his second defeat."

"But they were under that curse for a thousand years. She stayed in pregnancy all that time?" Queen Skystar asked.

"It was a thousand years for us, but only ten days for the Crystal Empire. They still don't like talking about it, but I guess the curse activated some kind of space and dimensional magic that caused the whole city to be sent into a pocket universe until it ended," Twilight explained. "I suppose it's for the best that Sombra never learned he had a son. I hate to think what he would do to Erebus if he found out."

"I take it that Erebus wasn't a popular foal since he was the son of a tyrant?" King Thorax asked sympathetically.

"No," Spike answered, shaking his head. "You could tell he was Sombra's son not just by his looks, especially the eyes, but also because he's naturally talented with dark magic. Normally, dark magic can corrupt anyone who uses it, but Erebus can use it without corruption. It's like breathing air for him. He and his mother were mistreated for a long time, even after Flurry and he became friends when they were eight."

"After his mother died, my brother and Cadence took him in by Flurry's instance so he could be raised a guard. He's pretty good at it too, and my family sees him as one of their own," Twilight giggled and shook her head. "It was kinda obvious they'd get together. I've never seen my niece look so happy when she announced they were getting married.

"I take it we're going to meet him when the Crystal Family arrives?" Princess Skystar asked.

"Yup! Trust me, you're going to love him. You'll see that there is nothing to worry about when you do."

The two rulers looked at each other, nodded, and smiled. "Alright, Twilight. We trust you. We just wanted to know more about him."

Spike sighed in relief before rubbing the back of his head. "Well, there is one thing you should also know."

"What's that?" Thorax asked.

"... He's a big worry wort."

***
"Okay, I think I have my armor shined right! Wait, no. I missed a spot. Actually, I should wear my officer uniform?! Or my dress outfit?r! Did I bring that with me?! Or did I leave it at the dry cleaning?! Maybe I should wear a different set of underwear...wait I don't have any underwear. Oh! My mane! Make sure it's nice and clean! Same with my hooves. And teeth! Need to make a good impression and all."

Princess Cadence watched in amusement as a young stallion rushed around in a panic in his room. He was a dark gray coated unicorn with a long black mane that covered one of his two dark green eyes while red stripes went down the sides, especially the tips of his tail. One could easily see his resemblance to his father based on his facial appearance, save for being not only younger but thinner and more handsome compared to the brutish look King Sombra was known for. One of the few things he got from his mother's side. However, the one thing that made it clear he was Sombra's son was the cutie mark he was destined with. The cutie mark was that of a red moon eclipsing a black sun while thunderbolts surrounded it like light rays. Most foals would be happy about their Cutie mark, but Erebus hated looking at it and covered it as much as possible when he could save for being in the presence of Cadence or her family.

After all, Cutie Marks are not fun if the same day you got it was the day a mob lynched your mother trying to protect you. It didn't help that they demanded your death out of fear that you would become a monster like your father. If Flurry Heart hadn't broken through the crowd and teleported both of them away before they could hang him like they did his mother, Cadence would have outright had the entire mob executed instead of life imprisonment. Because she had comforted that sobbing child who was now motherless in a city that hated him for existence. And she would never want to see harm come to him ever again if she could help it.

Many ponies saw Erebus as a demon ready to finish his father's ambitions, but Erebus had always been a noble-hearted and awkward boy who always tripped on his own hooves when trying to chase Flurry Heart in the gardens in their games. He wanted nothing to do with his father or legacy and worked hard to prove it. Even if he didn't change everypony's heart, he changed enough.

Including my daughters, Cadence thought before clearing her throat. "Erebus? You don't need to worry. I'm sure everything is going to be fine."

"Yes, I need to worry!" Erebus said as he started pacing in place. "I'm going to meet with the world's leaders in the alliance! I need to look! I need to look perfect! Or else they're gonna-"

"Think that you're three steps from having a heart attack," Shining Armor said as he walked into the room, stroking his beard as he quickly kissed his wife. "How bad has he been?"

"I hate to see what he's going to be on his wedding day," Cadence whispered, which made the two giggle.

Blushing, Erebus sighed and finally began to calm down. "Sorry. I just...I just want to make a good impression on everyone. I'm not going as a guard this time like I've gone before. I'm going as the future Prince-Consort. No doubt they know who I'm related to by now, and I want to ensure that I'm not what they think I am."

"Erebus, we've been friends with these creatures for years now," Shining Armor said as he walked over to the stallion who had become like a son to him in the years since they knew each other and gave him a friendly hoof around the shoulder. "They know better than to judge others based on their family. I mean, look at Nova. She's an utter bitch-"

"Shining!" Cadence hissed.

"Hey! I'm not taking that back after what she did to Silverstream and Gallus!" Shining growled before smiling back at Erebus. "But Queen Skystar is different from her mother, and no creature judges her for it. Nobody is going to judge you for being related to King Sombra. Flurry didn't. We didn't. My family and my sister's friends didn't. So you have nothing to worry about."

Erebus gave a small smile and nodded. "O-Okay. I'll...calm down...but I still feel nervous."

"I can fix that!"

Suddenly, there was a burst of speed from a white blur before it tackled Erebus off his hooves and into his bed. Shaking his head, he blushed upon looking up and seeing the grinning expression of his fiance, Princess Flurry Heart. She kissed her future husband on the lips, and just like that, all his woes faded. Ending the kiss, she nuzzled her beloved and whispered, "Feeling better?"

"Yes," Erebus whispered with a chuckle.

Cadence put a wing around her husband's waist and motioned to the door. "Come on, dear. Let's give them some privacy."

"Fine, but no hanky-pankey!" Shining warned as the two made their way out and closed the door behind them.

Flurry Heart rolled her eyes before winking at Erebus. "Too bad he doesn't know we did that already."

"And he'll kill me if he finds out we bucked before we got married," Erebus muttered as he closed his eyes and laid flat on his bed. "Still can't believe you convinced me to do that when we turned eighteen."

"I wanted to do it with somepony special," Flurry Heart said as she wrapped her arms around Erebus and nuzzled next to him. "And you're the most special pony I know in my life."

"Same to me, Flurry," Erebus said as he held onto her as tight as possible. "Everything good in my life is because of you. I have a home. A family. And I have you. You've never shown me anything but friendship and love, and I don't know how I can ever repay you for this..."

"You already have by asking me to marry you," Flurry Heart whispered, kissing him on the cheek. She then grinned and used her magic to place a few seals on the doors to prevent anypony from listening in. "But I wouldn't mind other ways you could repay me. Hint hint? Wink wink?"

Needless to say, nopony saw the two for another hour.

***

Spike didn't know why, but he liked looking at the stars in Canterlot more than anywhere else in the world. Maybe it was because it reminded him of the times he, Twilight, and Princess Celestia would watch the stars when he was little. Or perhaps it was just being in the royal gardens that made it seem so peaceful. Either way, Spike felt at utter peace while looking up at them.

It was even better when he had his lover by his side.

"You know, I always did love looking at stars. Even as a little dragon," Ember mentioned as she laid her head on Spike's shoulder. "Dad and I used to watch them all the time. It was one of the few times I ever saw him relaxed. Some dragons said it was because he and my Mom used to do it all the time when they were together. I think he looked up at those stars and wondered if she was doing the same."

Spike sighed and put an arm around his girlfriend, who nuzzled closer. Torch's death was still a sore spot for Ember even if he had been avenged with the deaths of Lord Redskull and Queen Chrysalis. Every year on his birthday and death day, she would spend time at his tomb, silently staring at it and whispering to herself. Sometimes Spike would join her, but most of the time, she requested to be alone. It was different with Spike and his parents, who had been dead far longer, but because he didn't know them, he only visited their tombs often. The Sparkles were more family to him as well as Princess Celestia. He was sadder when she passed away than at any other time in his life.

"But you know what they say, right?" Spike said as he looked at Ember and smiled softly at her. "Those we love are looking down on us from those stars. I'm sure he's looking down at you and your mother if she's still alive. And I'm sure he's proud of you."

"He better," Ember snorted. "I didn't work my butt off for nothing. I even named a city after him. He better appreciate that."

"I'm sure he's got more hot air than he usually did for it," Spike joked as the two dragons laughed before looking back at the stars.

The only thing that would make this more perfect had the means to propose to Ember right here and now. But I got all the time in the world for that.

***

Deep in an underground cavern, a sealed entrance was slowly opening up as cloaked and armored dragons looked at each other and nodded.

It was time to make their move.

Chapter 8

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Ember had to admit that there was something mystical about seeing the moon rising from the magical horn of an alicorn. It was not just a sight of beauty in and of itself, but it was a reminder of how powerful one had to be to lift one of the heavenly bodies of the world into the air. Long before anyone can really remember, there was a time when either the sun or the moon needed assistance to rise and fall so that the world could continue onward without fail. Whether such a means could happen again was anyone's guess, but she imagined that it would change the dynamics of the world's power structure very quickly.

One of the reasons why Equestria had been so influential in the last one thousand years was their connection to the sun and moon. Being the ones that made it rise and fall, they were vital to seeing the world's day and night cycle continue onward. Something that every creature needed to survive. Sure, some believed the secret could be learned or gained through various means. Some had even temporarily succeeded in the case of the Storm King.

The moon's power could cause tidal waves, deny the fauna to grow, and freeze armies in their place. With the sun's power, they could dry up lakes, burn fields of crops, and beat the heat down upon anyone. Save for the incident with Nightmare Moon, the ponies had never once used such power to rule the world with an iron hoof. But what made Equestria trustworthy of such a responsibility was that they never used it to rule over the other nations or force them to bow down to them.

Ember didn't want to admit it, but she knew that if the dragons had this power, they would do such a thing with it. Even if she had made reforms and changes, the way of her people would always be power and strength.

"Sorry for the interruption," Princess Twilight said as she sat on the seat across from Ember on the table Twilight had on the balcony outside her room. "Duty calls and all."

"It's fine," Ember said, sipping her black tea. It was just the two of them at the moment, with the others either already heading to bed or her lover, Smolder, and Gallus doing some late-night drinking. "I know what it's like to get interrupted by something you need to do because of your royal duties."

"Yeah, but I still wouldn't trade this for anything," Twilight admitted with a sheepish smile. "I've gotten so used to the job that its part of who I am. To think, I was so afraid of becoming Princess Celestia and Luna's successor that I had a panic attack at my coordination ceremony."

"That was still one of the wildest events ever," Ember chuckled as she remembered how chaotic it was that day. "All I did was get a bunch of dragons to vow their loyalty to me, and then we ate a bunch of gemstones when I became Dragon Lord. Simple, but I liked it nonetheless."

"So, you wanted to ask me something?" Twilight asked with a big smile.

"Yeah, I was hoping you could help me with something," Ember asked, rubbing the back of her neck. She had thought long and hard about this and figured Twilight was best to ask.

"What's that?" Twilight asked as she sipped her tea.

"I want to ask Spike to marry me."

"PHHHHTTTT!" Twilight spat the tea out of her mouth and onto the floor as a concerned Dragon Lord thumped her back to help. She gagged a few times before shaking her head and looking at Ember in shock. "W-What?!"

"Y-Yeah, I know," Ember replied, blushing with a shrug. "Normally, the guy is the one who asks the girl, right? Well, I kinda feel like we're ready and-"

"N-No, I mean...well, Spike is also...I mean, he...wait, marry him?" Twilight paused and raised an eyebrow. "Don't you dragons do that God's Blessing thing for a life mate?"

"Oh, I have one already in the works," Ember said, waving her hand. "That's not the problem. I had to get it done outside our city so that nobody could get wind of it."

"Oh...I see," Twilight replied, still in shock.

"But I also want to do it the pony way, you know?" Ember sighed as she leaned on her chair with a smile. "Spike might be a dragon and knows our ways better than he did when I first met him, but he still was born in Equestria and was raised by ponies his entire life. Some dragons might see that as bad, but I don't. His being raised like a pony is what made him so special. It made him fall in love with him because he wasn't like all the other dragons. He's...amazing."

"So amazing that you want to spend your entire life with him," Twilight finished with a warm smile. "Well, I think he feels the same way. And I can't imagine anyone else with Spike beside you, Ember. He really loves you."

"I know, which is why I need this to be perfect," Ember said as she leaned forward intently. "I need your help finding a ring big enough for a dragon or getting it custom-made. I plan on proposing to him at the anniversary party, and I'm short on time. Think you can help me out?"

Giggling, Twilight nodded her head. "Ember, trust me. I'll find you the best ring in all of Canterlot before the opening ceremony. There are perks to being a Princess, after all."

"Thanks," Ember sighed in relief as she looked over the balcony to stare at the city's lit-up structure below. "I was hoping you could help, Twilight."

"Why did you decide to propose now?" Twilight asked, putting her hooves close to her chin. "I mean, you dragons do live for a long time. You technically are even still young at your age. Why now?" She then gasped in surprise. "Wait, are you pregnant?!"

"What?! No!" Ember shouted, blushing up a storm. "Nothing like that! I just...well..."

Ember whispered, sighing, "A while ago, I went to have a date with Spike at the place my dad and I used to watch the stars together. Something nice just for the two of us. After we...um...made love..." She nervously grinned as Twilight winced and twitched upon hearing this like any sibling would. "I thought back to the time my dad talked to my mom. He said he wished he had made her his life partner before she left to see the world."

Closing her eyes, Ember smiled warmly. "I thought to myself: Here I am with this amazing dragon I love daily, and I can't think of spending a moment without him. He's everything I've ever wanted, and I care so deeply for him that I'd give up anything to just be with him forever. That's when I decided I didn't want to risk having that same regret my dad had with my mom. I decided I wanted to be Spike's mate for life and his wife."

Twilight slowly got up and walked over to Ember before hugging her. "Well, I think you and Spike will have a long, happy life together. And I'd be happy to have you as my sister-in-law."

"Thanks," Ember said as she slowly got up and yawned. "I'm going to hit the bed. Goodnight, Twilight."

"Night, Ember," Twilight replied as she waved her friend goodnight, waiting for her to leave through the door. Once she was gone, Twilight couldn't help but let out a laugh before shaking her head. "Both of them are planning to propose to each other. Ha ha ha!"

If this wasn't proof that the two were made for each other, Twilight didn't know what else was.

***

Any Royal Guard would tell you that despite what the advertisements told you about the job, ninety percent of the time, your main objective was to either patrol around or stand in attention for any sort of danger around the premises of the palace. While Royal Guards were trained to handle most threats, boredom was the number one thing you had to fight off. It wasn't that the guards didn't love their job, but you were not fending off thieves or assassination attempts every day. Most of the time, you were just walking from one place to the other on the same route for hours until you could go home and rest your hooves.

Of course, like every location, there were some areas that guards hated to patrol. One of those was the Canterlot Palace dungeon. Because they were rarely used, only a few ponies, including the janitors, went below. Which meant that they always had a rotten scent to them.

"Ugh, I feel like I'm in a sewer," a male unicorn Royal Guard with light brown coating and gray mane muttered. He shined his horn to the left, where a small rat quickly fled in fear. "Then again, considering how underground we are, I wouldn't be surprised if we were near them."

"Eh, it is not that bad," Another unicorn Royal Guard, red-coated with a lighter shade of red for a mane, had said before stepping in something sticky. Wincing, he shook a web cob off and said, "The place could use a wash, though."

"How did we get picked for this again?" The first unicorn guard asked.

"Because you suck at drawing lots."

"Bite me, Linebreaker," The grey-maned unicorn grumbled.

His partner didn't disagree before leading them further into the dungeon hall. There was nothing to indicate anything wrong in the area except for the occasional spiders skittering on the walls or a leaky faucet drip. The two guards did their jobs, checking every corner they could to make sure they were cleared of danger or threats. Everything seemed normal.

"Sooooo?" Linebreaker asked with a grin. "You still didn't answer the question, Greyhoof."

"Oh, brother. Not this again," Greyhoof grumbled as she shook his head in disbelief. "You are such a perv."

"Dude, it's perfectly normal to think of the Princess as hot," Linebreaker chuckled. "It's just the two of us. Nopony around. So would you tap that purple alicorn flank or not?"

"I have a marefiend, Linebreaker," Greyhoof snorted.

"And I'm just asking hypotheticals," Linebreaker said as he put his hoof out to pause the lightning-shining unicorn. "Come on. It's just the two of us. Would you totally do her?"

"...No," Greyhoof sighed. "Honestly? I can't see myself bucking a girl taller than me."

"Dude, seriously?!" Linebreaker laughed. "You can only buck mares shorter than you? Weak."

"Well, let me guess? You would totally be all over her?" Greyhoof asked, rolling his eyes.

"Nah, I'd do Princess Cadence instead," Linebreaker pointed out. "She's a mare with more experience as the Princess of Love, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, and her husband would show you why he was one of the youngest Royal Guard Captains in history," Greyhoof pointed out as they checked another of the cells. "Is there anyone you wouldn't sleep with, you horndog?"

"Well, I wouldn't-huh? A dragon?!"

"Dragon?" Greyhoof asked as he turned around. "What's wrong with dra-"

Greyhoof didn't get a chance to finish as a bolt from a crossbow went right into the center of his skull. The unicorn was dead instantly and fell to the ground next to Linebreaker, who had two arrows in his heart. He gasped for breath before a cloaked purple dragon walked over and stabbed him in the neck with a sword, ending his life. A few other cloaked dragons grabbed their corpses and dragged them into a dark corner in one of the cells before closing the door.

"You got spotted," One of the Cloaked Dragons said to another. Removing his hood, he revealed himself to be a light crimson dragon around a young adult size with two spikes on his nose and a near crown of them on his forehead. He also had a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek and a silver chain with a dagger symbol as a medallion. "You're lucky we're in an area where there are few guards present, or else I'd take your head for nearly ruining everything."

"Sorry, Captain Zerth," the dragon bowed apologetically. "It won't happen again."

"See to it that it doesn't," Captain Zerth replied before turning to another cloaked dragon. "Are the summoning circles in place?"

"Yes, we just finished the last one."

"Good, let's hope there are no more interruptions," Captain Zerth replied before he walked further into the dungeons until they were in a large area made initially for prisoners' transfer but was now abandoned as a big empty room. A perfect setting for their plot to assassinate the Dragon Lord.

Despite being trained assassins, a dragon would stick out in a palace designed for ponies. They were good, but not that good, but a good killer was always finding ways to kill their targets besides the usual method of getting close and cutting their throat out. While magic was different for every creature, some magics were universally used among all cultures. One of them was summoning monsters from the various realms of existence in the greater dimensional planes.

A ritual summoning had to be perfect, however. No messed up movements, wrong runes, or interruptions during the spell casting. A single mistake and the whole thing blew up in your face with a quick, explosive death at best or summoning something ten times worse than you intended and losing your soul in the process. There was a reason why most cultures forbid most summoning techniques, especially demonic summoning, which was always considered the last-ditch fool's effort for someone who had nothing to lose.

Thankfully, the creatures they were summoning were not demons, even if they were demonic looking. Instead, they came from a plane known as the Shadowlands. A realm of pure darkness where there was no light save from the stars and various moons in the world that changed color every so often. The different creatures that lived in the Shadowlands were just as beautiful as they were dangerous, but the ones the dragons were bringing were only the latter.

Whispering their arcane words, the dragons gathered around the circles chanted in unionism without missing a beat or syllable. They had practiced this multiple times for this moment, and it showed as the runes before they started to light up one by one. At first a blue color, then yellow, and finally red. Lines of pure magic lined up from rune to rune, making a unique star design that seemed otherworldly due to its different sides before erupting into a bright, clear red light. One that shined through multiple hallways of the grand dungeon.

When the lights faded, standing in front of the circles were mere figures of shadows on four canine legs before they slowly stood up. Hunched over, walking on two pawed legs, long claws of wispy black flames, and red eyes of pure hellfire. Their long maws opened, revealing a set of teeth and giant mouths that were like unending purple voids. They were known as Shadow Hounds. Hunters of the night with an endless hunger for fresh meat.

Knowing they had been summoned, they knelt before their masters and awaited the call to begin their hunt.

"A blue female dragon is living in his palace," Captain Zerth spoke with authority, yet there was a sense of pleasure in doing so. "Find her and kill her. Stay out of sight if you can. If you can't? Kill whoever stands in your way. Now go."

The Shadow Hounds made no noise or sign of acknowledgment. They just ran into the shadows and were gone without a trace.

***

Spike slowly opened his eyes and moaned at the fact that his bladder was calling for relievement. He wished he didn't get into a drinking contest with Smolder, Gallus, and Ember earlier, but his desire for the sweet taste of hard cider had overtaken him. Looking over at Ember, who was fast asleep with her arms wrapped around him, Spike slowly got out to prevent the Dragon Lord from waking. However, she muttered to him with his eyes closed, "Where are you off to?"

"Bathroom," Spike answered before leaning over and kissing her forehead. "Go back to sleep."

"Sure," She whispered before turning to the other side.

Smirking, Spike made his way to their bathroom and soon relieved himself before returning to bed. Ember then said, "Mind getting me some water?"

Pausing his attempt to get to bed, he glared at her, "Were you planning on getting some yourself and just decided to use me when you learned I was getting up?"

"Maybe," Ember teased as she chuckled.

"Jerk," Spike grumbled with a light shove but didn't mean it. He was having problems falling asleep anyway and decided a short walk would do him some good.

Walking to the door, Spike opened it and decided it was alright to leave it open since he would be back shortly anyway. However, a figure slowly entered the room from the ceiling. Latching onto the titles above with its paws, one of the Shadow Hounds entered without a single sound. Its red eyes gazed down upon the figure in the bed.

A blue dragon.

The target its summoner had requested.

The Shadow Hound slowly grinned at the thought of being the one to catch their prey. The praise his brothers of the pack would give him upon presenting the head of the soon-to-be dead target made his tail wag. He, however, refused to let his excitement get the better of him and continued crawling on the ceiling to get closer until he was right over the bed of the slumbering target. It slowly began to savor the moment when its jaws would sink deep into the neck of the dragon and drain the life out of it. His teeth were sharp, and his claws were like the reaper's blades. Not even the scales of a dragon could prevent blood from being drawn.

And blood it would have.

It slowly prepared to pounce, jaws at the ready.

However, so focused on its target that the Shadow Hound didn't see Spike walking back in with a glass of water. He yawned but froze upon seeing something lingering above the ceiling. The red eyes, shadow body, and sharp fangs glittering from the moonlight in the windows made him freeze for one second.

Then the Shadow Hound struck.

"EMBER! LOOK OUT!"

Years of trained instincts kicked in as Ember's eyes widened upon hearing her lover's voice, and she rolled out of bed just as her pillow fell victim to the Shadow Hound's fangs. The beast cursed its lousy luck and quickly tried to turn around to launch itself at the awakened dragon, only to miss again when she jumped out of the way.

Ember, realizing she was in danger, roared with fury before striking down at her attack with her wings when it tried to attack her again. It was knocked back, hitting the wall just before Ember was upon it with her claws. The Shadow Hound raised its claws to counter, and both snarled and struck with equal force and speed. However, Ember had one advantage that the Shadow Hound didn't have. She wasn't alone.

"Spike!" Ember cried out as she grabbed the Shadow Hound's arms, pulled back, and landed on her back while placing one of her feet on its stomach. The Hound was confused by this sudden change of pace when its own strength was used against it and pushed back into the air Ember's kick.

Spike wasted no time flying forward at top speed with his fist already reared back. When the Hound looked up and gasped, the purple-scaled fist was already impacting his face and sending him back flying into the wall. Despite the shadowy form, it was still a solid-formed creature, and it howled in pain when its back nearly snapped upon impacting the wall.

However, neither dragon was going to stop until the thing before it was dead and done. So together, they took a deep breath and unleashed their flames. The Shadow Hound roared and shrieked in terror as the fire consumed their body; its last thought before disintegration was for its brothers to avenge his death. When the creature stopped howling and started melting into whisps, Ember and Spike took a deep breath and called down.

"What the hay was that thing?!" Spike asked as he looked at Ember with concern. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ember replied before suddenly there was a bright light of purple.

Teleporting in without her regalia, Twilight Sparkle arrived, looking concerned as she looked around. "Spike! Ember! What's going on! I heard you scream, and...is that part of the room on fire?!"

"Twilight!" Spike shouted, getting her attention with worry on his face. "There was a thing...dog or wolf or whatever it was about to attack Ember and-"

Suddenly, a series of blood-chilling howls echoed everywhere in the castle as all three froze up.

"...and I think it has friends."

Chapter 9

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He had expected to meet resistance when he arrived in Canterlot. After all, it wasn't every day that some random deer ran off to the nearest guard when he touched down in the city on his flight to tell them that he needed to speak to the Princess about an assassination attempt. Rowan Forestheart chalked it up to a lack of sleep and the fear of having dragons swooping down to burn him alive for knowing Tyranus Redskull's plans. Naturally, the three Night Guards in front of him gave him deadpan expressions as he tried again to explain who he was and why he needed to speak to Princess Twilight or any of the foreign rulers. All while on the landing platforms of the various airships going to and from the city.

Rowan had finished his tale once more, and the three thestral guards just stood there looking at each other before the middle one sighed. "Sir, you'll find me hard-pressed to believe what you say is true. An army of dragons is planning to find some ancient lost blade on the other side of the world and use it to take over said world. Meanwhile, their leader has sent assassins to eliminate the current Dragon Lord, who is currently sleeping at the Royal Palace. You really expect me to believe this?"

"It's the truth!" Rowan urged as he rubbed his tired eyes. "Please, I just need five minutes with Princess Twilight. I am—was the apprentice of Chantler Leafseeker! I know what they are planning and how to find the legendary blade of Imperix! Please, I am begging you!"

"Sir, I'm sorry, but you are clearly either sleep deprived or not of sound mind," The center guard sighed with a softer tone. "Perhaps a medical examination and bed rest will-"

"Ugh!" Rowan threw his hooves in the air and wished he could teleport himself into the Princess's chambers to solve this issue. He was about to argue again when he noticed a new group leaving their airship and making their way down to the platform via the staff-provided staircase. He quickly recognized them and realized this was a better chance of convincing them than those there.

The guards yelled at him to stop when he galloped towards the Crystal Empire's royal family, who were surprised to see him despite their tired state. The guards, including one near the heir herself, looked ready to intervene when he practically slid to his knees and bowed before them. "Your majesties! Please listen to me! Dragon Lord Ember is in danger, and you must help me stop it!"

"Um, excuse me?" Shining Armor asked, stunned by this development.

"What do you mean? Who are you?" Princess Cadence asked in confusion.

The three Night Guards he was talking to earlier looked ready to grab him and cast him in irons when Rowan quickly shouted, "I am the apprentice of Chantler Leafseeker! We were captured by Tyranus Redskull, and I barely escaped with my life! He wants Dragon Lord Ember dead!"

The guards grabbed him, but they were stopped when Princess Flurry Heart screamed, "Wait!"

Everypony turned to her as she stepped forward with concern. "Chantler Leafseeker? You're his apprentice?"

"You know this deer, sweetie?" Princess Cadence asked.

"No," Flurry Heart replied, shaking her head. "But I know of his teacher. Aunt Twilight spoke about him a few times as one of the world's greatest chronicles of history and worldly events."

Her parents looked at each other for a moment before nodding to the guards to release Rowan. Sighing in relief, the deer straightened himself out and bowed to Princess Flurry Heart. "Thank you, Princess."

"Just tell us what this is about," A dark gray-coated unicorn in armor said, getting closer to Princess Flurry Heart as his dark green eyes glared at Rowan.

"Y-Yes," Rowan said, clearing his throat. "My master and I were captured by a horde of dragons led by Tyranus Redskull. You may know him as the last of the Redskull clan. The ones that tried to kill Dragon Lord Ember during the first year of her reign."

"Wait, I remember this," Shining Armor said with widened eyes. "They were also the ones that made Spike go all big and crazy, ending up with him temporarily banished. I thought they were all dead save for Captain Smolder?"

"That's what we thought too until we met him face to face," Rowan bitterly answered. "Look, I can explain all this if you just give me an audience with Princess Twilight and Dragon Lord Ember. I swear I am not making this up. The entire fate of every major power in the world depends on it?"

"Over a sword?" The Night Guard snorted. "What's so dangerous about this sword?"

Rowan took a deep breath and glared at him. "Well, maybe this will make you realize just how serious this is? Imperix? That so-called sword? The dragon Kratorix, who used it to create the original Dragon Empire? He used it to wipe out the entire original Alicorn race."

Their stunned silence that followed after that revelation made it finally clear to Rowan that everypony now knew just how serious this was. Sighing, Rowan said, "If that isn't enough to get your attention, then we should-"

A loud explosion soon made everyone snap their heads in the direction it came from, and to their horror, it was coming from the Royal Palace. One of its roofs had just blown up with fire and smoke. From the center crystal of the three Night Guards, there came a beeping noise followed by a static voice from somepony else.

"All Royal Guards! Code Omega! The Palace is under attack by unknown dark creatures! All units must head to the Palace and protect the Princess and all VIPs! This is not a drill! Class A and S weapons and armor are permitted for use! Repeat! Code Omega! The Palace is under attack!"

"...should hurry there as soon as possible," Rowan weakly whispered as he prayed it was not too late.

***

Spike and Ember were not strangers to dealing with assassination attempts. Despite all that had happened, some dragons still didn't like Ember's new direction for their race or wanted to claim power by stealing the scepter and killing her. One time, one pony tried to kill Spike for what he had done in Ponyville. While no lives were lost, some were traumatized by what had happened, including one pony's sister who, to this day, couldn't leave her house ever again. Spike made sure he was given the least amount of punishment that day.

So when they saw Shadow Hounds attacking everypony in the Palace, they were already prepared to kick butt. The Night Guard was already in combat with the Shadow Hounds and holding well on their own, but they could see a few casualties on the ground, either dead or dying in pools of their blood. It only made Spike madder as he unleashed a fire breath upon three nearby ones aiming for Ember. His girlfriend was just as pissed off and roared before using her scepter to smash in the face before stabbing another and back-kicking a third attempting to get her from behind.

In fact, a lot of them had been aiming for them ever since Ember showed up. This made it clear that Ember was the primary target. Back to back, they stood ready for anything as their tails quickly joined in a silent reassurance that they had each other before releasing their grip. They charged forward in the grand hall, dragon blood pumping as the Shadow Hounds dived for them. Spike grabbed them by the throat and smashed them into the ground before snapping their necks with the thrust of his claws. Three more tried to breathe some smoky dark flames upon him, but he shielded himself with both wings before unleashing his own flames upon the Hounds. Dragons could nearly resist all kinds of flames unless it was fire as hot as the sun. Spike had taken worse hits, even if that shadow flame did burn a little.

He punched another one before dodging the claws of another for a few seconds before grabbing the Hound's arm, breaking it, and throwing him into a pile with the rest. One Hound managed to get lucky and slice him by the side with his claws. Although he winced and drew blood, Spike didn't flinch and smashed his tail into the Hound's face, breaking its nose. Spike gazed up before spotting a chandelier above. Grinning, he flew up, sliced its chain with his claws, and let the object fall upon a few Hounds soon trapped under it. The Shadow Hounds then started climbing up the walls by melting into the shadows and attempted to strike Spike in the air, but he breathed fire around him and spun around, making a small miniature tornado of himself. The Shadow Hounds didn't stand a chance as they were burned away by the flames.

Meanwhile, Ember was using her scepter almost like a sword with the grace of a dancer. She flipped, turned, and struck the assassins with such precision that it was practically artistic. She kicked one Shadow Hound down before smashing her foot in his face, causing it to burst into a puff of smoke. Throwing her head back, she shot it forward and unleashed a giant fireball that exposed upon impact and tore open part of the wall to reveal the night sky. She'd make it up to Twilight later. Turning to Spike, Ember shouted, "I'm going outside!"

"Alright!" Spike answered without hesitation.

She grinned. Despite being her lover, Spike never coddled her. He cared about her and was protective, but Spike knew that Embrer could take care of herself. After all, she always kicked his butt in their spars. Spreading her wings, Ember rushed out and took to the skies as some of the Shadow Hounds followed her by summoning their wispy wings on their back. A bit unexpected, but Ember enjoyed the challenge. They followed her in the air, howling and firing their own flames that Ember countered by doing a few flips and twists while unleashing her own flames as a counterattack. They flew around the palace towers, their own mid-air dance like a show in itself, only it was to the death.

Ember decided to see how bold they were by flying toward Princess Twilight's personal tower and increasing her speed. She continued to go as fast as possible, straight ahead with no stops. The Hounds followed, showing no hesitation in their flight. Grinning, Ember continued going closer and closer toward the solid stone tower until she was mere feet away. Then, with great agility, she changed her momentum upwards and flew right next to the tower's concrete wall; her belly scales barely touching the stone. The Shadow Hounds mainly were not so lucky as they smashed into the wall and disappeared into puffs of smoke, with their dying howls following. A few avoided this by veering in other directions, but the numbers were drastically gone.

Stopping in flight, Ember tried to think of her next move when something purple dived down with her horn glowing like a thunderstorm. With a thrust of her horn, thunder bolts were shot out into the sky, homing in on their targets and vaporizing them within seconds. The flying Shadow Hounds stood no chance against Princess Twilight, who eliminated them all in less than ten seconds.

Flying to Ember's level, a concerned Princess Twilight asked, "Ember?! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. So is Spike," Ember assured her before looking down at a nearby courtyard where more fighting took place. Only this time, her Scale Guards assisted the Royal Guards. Captain Smolder and Captain Gallus were using their blades to lead the charge while performing a few interesting tag team moves, such as Smolder using her tail to knock down one Shadow Hound off its feet, only for Gallus to come down with two swords piercing its chest from above. "Looks like everyone else is too."

"These are Shadow Hounds from the Shadow Dimension," Twilight said with such a fierce glare that it made Ember quickly remember that this was the hero who had defeated near god-like creatures in the past. "They just don't come and go as they please. Some creature summoned them."

"Any idea who their main target is, or is it all of us?" Ember asked.

"It could be any number of us, but let's find who's behind this so we can get our answers," Princess Twilight said as she closed her eyes, and her horn began to glow. Her mane slowly levitated upwards from the aurora of her power as Ember stayed quiet to let her concentrate. "I'm sensing summoning energy...dark energy...from...the dungeons!"

"Can you get us there?" Ember asked.

"Easily," Twilight said as she summoned magic into her horn and teleported them in a flash.

***

Okay, how many of these guys are there? Spike thought grimly as he smashed another Shadow Hound into the wall before grabbing its head and slamming it again to ensure it was dead. He also whipped his wings around to ensure he wasn't being attacked from behind as he turned around with his fists raised. It wasn't that he was getting tired from the fight, but it was getting annoying.

He couldn't even help but groan upon seeing more Shadow Hounds coming from down the hall to join their packmates. However, the Shadow Hounds soon started attacking their breather once they were close enough, which surprised everyone. It wasn't until they were on top of them that the green flames of Changeling Magic went off and revealed Thorax and his guards, who soon took their weapons and hooves and destroyed them with their surprise attack. Thorax summoned magic into his horns and blasted a few Shadow Hounds point blank with a greenish-yellow beam that evaporated the monsters into dust. A few other Changeling Guards soon appeared and teamed up with the Night Guards to help fight off the Hounds.

Thorax jumped over a Shadow Hound and rear-kicked him when it tried to turn around right towards Spike, who grabbed it from behind and suplexed it so hard it turned into a puff of smoke upon impact. Kicking himself back to his feet, Spike grinned. "Welcome to the party, Thorax."

"Yeah, wish I was back in bed," Thorax said as he looked around. "Any idea what's going on?"

"No, but I doubt these guys are going to tell us," Spike said as he turned around and punched a Shadow Hound in the face. "Is Queen Skystar alright?"

"See for yourself."

Spike turned around and saw the Hippogriff Queen, dressed in a pink night robe, and her guards swarm in from the hole Ember made earlier. Wielding her gold and pearl-colored trident, she dived down and speared the closest Shadow Guard with fury before going on a stabbing frenzy that reminded Spike why she beat her mother in that duel. With a combined force of every creature's efforts, they soon cleared the hall of the Shadow Guards as the last one was speared in the chest before it disappeared.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Spike turned to Thorax and Skystar, smiling in triumph. "Thanks, guys. But there might be more of them around here."

"We saw more groups fighting the Royal Guard on our way here," Skystar answered with a serious expression before turning to her Guard Captain. "Send out a detachment of our troops to assist our allies."

"Same for our forces," Throax ordered to his guards as both groups saluted and made off into the sky via the wall hole. "Is Ember okay?"

"She's fine. She can handle herself," Spike assured him despite a small part of him being worried. But that was natural for the one you love. "I'm glad you two are okay."

"Well, we were together in Skystar's room when they attacked, so it wasn't hard for the two of us to team up to defend ourselves," Thorax said with pride as Skystar nodded.

This made Spike raise an eyebrow. "...Why were you two in the same room?"

Realizing their blunder, the two royals soon blushed and looked at each other. "Um, you see...we...uhh...."

"Oh," Spike grinned as he folded his arms. Remembering that changelings were also polygamus in their society and the ruler being not exception, he was only mildly surprise that Skystar was willing to be part of that. "And how long has this been going on?"

"...A year," Skystar admitted with a slightly nervous grin.

"Sky!" Thorax chided with a deep red blush that made Spike laugh.

"What?! We were going to have to come out eventually! And we got your husband's blessing already!" Skystar pouted as she hugged her no longer secret boyfriend. "I'm tired of hiding it! I love you, Thorax! I don't care if you are married to another guy! I'm happy to share! Let's just quit the secrecy already!"

"...F-F-Fine," Thorax sighed as Skystar kissed him.

"Heh, and Ember was sure you were just gay," Spike said with a chuckle.

"I'm not gay. I'm pansexual," Throax admitted with a shrug, which widened Spike's eyes. "What? All changelings are. How do you think we're able to reproduce so fast?"

"A-Anyway, I'm happy for you two, but what will you do about your mother?" Spike asked, which made Skystar's happy expression turn to a steel glare in a split second.

"My Mother will have to accept it since I am Queen. If she doesn't, she can continue rotting alone in her home for the rest of her life," Queen Skystar growled, which made Spike hope Novo would make the right choice this time. Clearing her throat, she said, "But enough about that. We should get help from the outside to help us deal with this," Spike said as he decided to store this information for later.

"I don't think we're going to have to wait long for that," Thorax said as she pointed out the window.

The three of them looked outside, and Spike quickly recognized the royal airship of the Crystal Empire floating above the castle as hordes of armored Crystal Pegasi Ponies started flying down with their armaments. Princess Cadence and Flurry Heart led them along with Shining Armor and Erebus, who were carried via chariot by two guards. Spike folded his arms and grinned. "Looks like it's going to be a night party, after all."

***

Ember and Twilight appeared in the dungeons in a lone room where they saw numerous sigils and summoning circles around them. The two kept their guard up but no sign of anyone in the area. Sighing, Twilight ran her magic over one of the summoning circles and narrowed her eyes. "This is where they summoned the Shadow Hounds. I can reverse the process and banish the beasts back to their dimension, but I'll need a little time. Good thing we're alone."

The sound of swords exiting their sheaths echoed in the near-empty walls of the dungeon as Ember growled and gripped her scepter. "Not really."

To Ember's surprise, a few cloaked dragons appeared with their blades and pointed them at her.

"Dragon Lord Ember. In the name of Emperor Tyranus Redskull, prepare to die!"

Chapter 10

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Tyranus Redskull.

It took Ember only a few seconds to recall that name. She would never forget the name of the clan that had killed her father and attempted to do the same to her. The family who almost took Spike away from her and the ones who forced Garble, one of the only two good members of that clan, to sacrifice himself for her. It was a name that Smolder all but disowned herself from and spat on upon hearing it.

A name she never thought she would hear in present terms again, especially since Tyranus Redskull was supposed to be dead. Having died of an illness years ago, according to her spies, she was mistaken in thinking he was dead and gone. Ember knew he desired to avenge his clan and take her throne, so it was obvious who the target of all this chaos was in the first place.
The cloaked dragons glared at her with utter hate while Ember scoffed at the sight. "So this was your big assassination plan? Summon a bunch of puppies to kill me? Maybe if I was allergic to fur, that would work, but you guys need to do better."

"Silence, you false leader!" One of the cloaked dragons, a light crimson one with a dagger symbol medallion, shouted. "You are a traitor who has sold our people down the river by letting these inferiors and their culture destroy our own! We serve a true leader who will not only redeem our race from your and your father's actions but will restore the glory of our Empire once again!"

"I'm sure I'll learn plenty about how you and Tyranus plan on doing that when I beat it out of you," Ember replied as she cracked her neck. "You good, Twilight?"

Twilight nodded as she went to work, summoning a magical shield around her while disabling the summoning circles, which started to glow purple like her horn's magic aura. "Yes, I just need a few minutes."

"Won't be that long," Ember replied as she twirled her scepter.

One of the Cloaked Dragons decided that enough time had been spent talking and charged forward. Ember quickly parried the blow with her scepter, forcing the dragon to lose his footing. Turning to his back, Ember wrapped her arm around his neck and, with her great strength, threw him over her hip and onto the ground. She slammed her knee on his back, making him yelp, but that was silenced by a crack of his neck that Ember snapped with a thrust from her arm still wrapped around his throat. Letting the limp head go, she kicked the twitching body away and smirked. "Next?"

Instead of one this time, they decided to get smart and send three of them to Ember, who raised her scepter to block their blows flawlessly without hesitation. She never moved from her spot as they circled around her, trying to get in a blow, but she twirled her weapon around as steel met ancient steel. Seeing an opening, Ember kicked one of the dragons in the stomach, which made him lurch forward. She jumped onto his back, rolled over it, and kicked him in the hindquarters, which sent him stumbling into the other two, who grabbed him by reflex. Ember wanted this as she charged forward again, levitating into the air, and used both her knees to smash the faces of the two surprised assassins while dropping down and landing her rear end on the face of the kicked dragon. Her weight forced him to the stone floor, and the large sandwich-like impact knocked him out.

Ember got back up and used her scepter to smash the jeweled end into the faces of the other two, knocking their teeth out and sending them back. Instincts kicked in, and she ducked to avoid a sword thrust into her back. Using her tail, she attempted to trip the assassins, who jumped away, and the two locked weapons. However, Ember knew this was just a delaying tactic for another attack. Having been through so many assassinations, she knew their tricks. It didn't take long for her to hear the sound of a crossbow being notched from behind, and she ducked at the last minute to avoid it going right through her neck. It couldn't be the same for the other guy grappling his pierced throat in a desperate attempt to save his life while falling to his knees.

Three more assassins charged forward, and Ember was forced to cover herself with her wings as she was being assaulted by their flames. Despite popular belief, dragons were not always immune to fire if it was intense enough. It took a lot of training to get your scales properly hardened to defend yourself from multiple levels of fire. Thankfully, Ember had the best trainers from those who once personally trained with her father, and the flames fired at her felt like tickles.

Once they had finished breathing fire, Ember decided to show them how a real dragon uses their flames. She took a deep breath, feeling the everlasting burning sensation all her kind felt in their chests, and unleashed a wall of fire that sent all three of them back. They cried in horror and pain upon feeling actual burns on their bodies. Black melting scales dug into their flesh as they hugged their wounds in pain. They were so distracted that none saw Ember rush towards them and take them all down with her scepter.

Only a few more remained, and Ember wasn't even winded. The damn Shadow Hounds put up more of a fight than these guys.

"Tch," The crimson one, who she guessed was their leader, walked forward. "Disgraces to our clan! All of you! If you want something done right, you must do it yourself!"

Raising his sword, he growled, "Remember my name when you head into the afterlife, traitor! I am Captain Zerth of the-"

"Yeah, don't care!" Ember shouted as she charged forward and locked blows with the dragon. "Seriously! What kind of assassin talks to his target instead of killing them?!"

"Shut up!" Captain Zerth shouted as he pushed Ember away. "You will not defeat us all, Dragon Lord!"

"Don't need to," Ember said with a smirk before relaxing. "Hey, Twilight? You done?"

"Just about," Twilight said as she pulsed her horn one more time, and in an instant, all the magical seals and runes burst into purple ash. From outside the dungeon, although they couldn't see or hear it, the magical bonds that had tethered the Shadow Hounds to the current plane of existence shrieked in pain as they felt their beings erased from this world. In split instances, they were all banished back to their plane of existence, with some wondering what had just happened, but more were relieved that the fighting was over.

Standing next to Ember, Twilight glared at the nervous dragons, who looked at each other with worry. "And with that, they're gone. I suggest you surrender because it's late at night, and I do not like it when someone comes into my home and tries to kill my friends."

Captain Zerth hesitated for a minute before snarling and raising his sword again. "You think we are afraid of you, pony! We are of the noble dragon race and-"

Twilight's response was such a rapid-fire of magical blasts at all the remaining assassin dragons that Ember only had to blink before seeing all of them lying on the ground, smoking and moaning in pain. The two rulers just looked at each other and shrugged. "You'd think that they'd learn by now."

"Well, most villains don't have common sense," Ember chuckled before she turned around to see a group of her Scale Guards and some of Twilight's Royal Guards arrive. "Just in time. Subdue these guys and put them...well, we're in the dungeons right now, so just find a nice cell, I guess."

They saluted and did so by lifting the semi-unconscious dragons with their strength or magic. While doing so, Twilight turned to Ember and asked, "Tyranus Redskull. Is he?"

"The last of the clan that tried to kill me? Yeah," Ember growled. "Looks like he's not dead like I thought."

"You said he was trying to gather an army before he apparently died last time we spoke about him?" Twilight said with concern. "Do you think he's been building that army?"

"...Knowing his abilities as a leader and dragon? I don't think it's an army. It's a goddamn legion at this point."

***

While the damage to the overall palace was minimal, the death toll was higher than expected. While the attack itself was short, especially compared to previous incidents in the castle's history, that didn't mean there was a shortage of lost lives in the long run. Most of them were staff members, but there were guards and aids from all the races that had lost at least a dozen or slightly more casualties. Each leader made vows to ensure that their families would be well provided for and that the ones behind the assassination attempt would see justice delivered upon them.

Thankfully, all the VIPS were safe, with everyone having either helped in the defense or hid well enough to avoid being attacked. Twilight and Shining Armor instantly had both their troops prepare a blockade in and out of the city with orders that no creature was to leave under any circumstances with grounds for arrest if they persisted. Ember had also sent messages via Spike's flames to her ministers to prepare their forces for anything in case this led to any assault from Tyranus and to keep an eye out for any clans who could be inside supporters of his.

It wasn't before everyone soon went to the throne room to discuss what was going on and talk to the one who seemed to know ahead of time of the upcoming assassination. Rowan was doing his best to appear calm. Still, anyone could see that he was nervous upon standing before the leaders and heroes of Equestria, The Crystal Empire, Changeling Kingdom, Dragonlands, and Mt. Aries. Twilight sat on her throne with the other leaders standing beside her while everyone else watched Rowan.

Clearing her throat, Twilight started the conversation first, "Rowan Forestheart. On behalf of Equestria and all of us from the various kingdoms of the Alliance, we thank you for warning us of the assassination attempt on Dragon Lord Ember."

"I feel like I shouldn't be thanked," Rowan sighed. "I failed to get here properly to warn you all."

"You still warned us," Princess Cadence said with a nod. "That allowed us to react fast enough to aid Twilight and the others. Regardless, you should be commended for coming on a hard journey to warn us."

"Agreed," Ember seconded while raising her scepter. "Let it be known that I, Dragon Lord Ember, deem Rowan, a friend to my throne and lands. He will always have a safe place among my people."

"Thank you, Dragon Lord Ember," Rowan replied, bowing low.

"So, is it true that Tyranus Redskull is alive?" Spike asked, gritting his teeth. He had never met the dragon personally, but when Ember went on a warpath to eliminate anyone of the Redskull clan (save for Smolder), many of them vowed that he would be the one to avenge them all before they were executed.

"Figures," Smolder hissed while fire flared from her nostrils. "That bastard probably faked his death to let our guard down."

"So, does anyone want to tell us who this guy is?" Rainbow Dash asked, eyebrow raised.

"... He's my cousin," Smolder admitted with a sigh. "Well, former cousins since I disavow anyone left in my family. If there was anyone who my father and other traditionalists like him wanted to be Dragon Lord, it's him. He treated him more as a son than he did to my brother, and he helped raise him as well. The problem was Tyranus wasn't all bark. He was all bite as well. He's smart, deadly, powerful, charismatic, handsome, and knows every rule and tradition of Dragon culture. It was a shock to every dragon that he didn't get picked during the Call of the Dragon Lord like many assumed he would."

"I thought all teenage dragons accepted the Call?" Rarity asked.

"No, the scepter decides among all the dragons under the Dragon Lord's domain which would be qualified to be the next Dragon Lord. From there, the traditional contest is held to see who shall be the next leader," Ember said while nodding to the object in her grip. "It chose me, Spike, and Garble among those worthy of it, but not Tyranus."

"It was so awesome seeing everyone react to my brother getting the call and not Tyranus," Smolder said with a grin. "Everyone always saw him as unworthy of being the heir to our clan, and many wanted Tyranus to take over. Garble was always trying to prove himself worthy of it."
"Your brother was," Thorax said as he looked saddened upon remembering the young dragon's sacrifice all those years ago. "We still honor his memory."

"As do we all," Shining Armor said before sighing. "And if I remember correctly, Tyranus went into exile after his clan's destruction to gather an army to take over the Dragonlands, correct?"
"Yeah, he was gathering a big following as well," Ember growled. "Occasionally, we would hear news of a foreign or exiled clan joining him. A lot of big-name ones with powerful attributes. We tried sending assassins, but that didn't work out, and he was too far away for us to send our forces to deal with him."

Not that it would have mattered since most of the dragon population was being used to focus on things internally to see Ember's vision of a better land for her people come through. Tyranus had taken advantage of that to focus on building his forces and reputation.

"No offense, but if Tyranus is this smart and ultra-tough guy, he would know he's outnumbered by the Alliance, right?" Applejack asked as she scratched her head. "All of our nations have military treaties, and if one of us is attacked, the other will come rushin' in to save them."

"That's why Tyranus is seeking the ultimate weapon that could help him win," Rowan stated, which got attention on him. "He doesn't seek to be the Dragon Lord. He wants to rebuild the Great Dragon Empire with him as the first Emperor. He seeks to take over the Dragonlands, Equestria, and all other lands with it."

"How?" Spike asked in disbelief.

"By seeking one of the most powerful weapons that the world has ever seen before. That which was forged by the Dragon Gods and has destroyed empires, ruined civilizations and ended the existence of numerous other races in the conquest of ultimate power. The blade of Kratorix, the First Dragon Emperor, known as Imperiax."

Chapter 11

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Before the rise of Equestria as a superpower, the one that were regarded as the greatest civilization in the known world was the Great Dragon Empire. An Empire that had lasted for thousands of years before its collapse. Even today, the powerful nations of the world were nothing compared to the glory days of the Dragon Empire in its prime. Like all empires, the Dragons had one that was a mix of good and evil.

In its best times, the Dragon Empire served as a guardian race for those under their protection. Defeating evil threats that nearly destroyed the world, ranging from demonic uprisings to hordes of monsters raiding the lands of many nations. The dragons would come with their armies and slay them all for justice and peace. They would create works of art that would last millennia, with beauty, philosophy, poetry, and science being the advanced learning curves for their people that would enlighten them to outstanding achievements.

In the worst of times, the Dragon Empire brutally enslaved those under its control. Ideologies themed around dragon superior saw them forcing others to pay tribute and or else they were punished with cruelty and death. Conquest in the name of pillaging villages for resources or burning those who dared defy their might was as numerous as their virtuous moments. Entire races were wiped out, and many civilizations that dared to challenge them were all but ashes and dust, with their names erased from history forever.

It all depended on the leaders and their people, who were in flux as time passed. Some hundreds of years featured the dragons as paragons, and some featured them as tyrants. Regardless, none could deny that the Dragon Empire held influence and was seen as the most powerful civilization to have ever existed thus far, even over the current Kingdom of Equestria and its alliance with its allies.

That was why the fall of the Dragon Empire was seen with mixed results. On the one hand, it led to a very dark age without the dragons to act as the world's center superpower, resulting in multiple wars and warring states. Yet it allowed the other races to finally rise to their own greatness without the dragons looming over them. The dragons themselves were scattered, broken and often became warring tribes of raiders. Some changed their ways, and others created minor civilizations, such as the Dragon Lands south of Equestria. Yet the one thing that held them back was their desire for their past glory.

Ember had been the first Dragon Lord to try and move on from the past. Seeking a future that would learn from their past mistakes and triumphs to make something new. Something that would take a long time to come to fruition, but it would be worth it for future dragons. However, some still desired to see the ancient days return. A means to return to the Great Dragon Empire they once had eons ago. Ember often thought of these dragons as fools. No matter how mighty, wise, or famous a dragon could be, they could never restore something as it once was unless it was the act of the gods.

Sadly, that was what Imperiax was. It was a weapon made by the gods and said to be one of the strongest ancient weapons of that era. Every dragon knew the tale of its forging and the dragon who wielded it to forge the empire that followed. Kratorix of Clan Valefire had been the third son of the chief of his clan, born during a time of great strife with hordes fighting each other in bloody battles for glory and riches. When his father died of illness, Kratorix's two older siblings had fought each other for the right to lead the clan, which split the clan in two. For Kratorix, he realized that his people's senseless fighting would forever trap them in a cycle of death and bloodshed.

Seeking answers from the Dragon Gods about what to do, he flew to the highest peak of the tallest mountain in his area and prayed for twelve days and nights for guidance. Whether the Dragon Gods saw something in him or were moved by his determination, they appeared before him and gave him a great task: unite the dragons of the world and forge an empire never seen before in their name. To help him with this task, they took a scale from each of their divine bodies to make a blade forged in a volcano while giving it great blessings to empower it.

Kratorix had taken the blade and named it Imperiax as a vow to bring his own imperial control over all dragonkind. With the power of the sword, he was able to easily slay his two brothers, and the clan united under him. With his blade, clever mind, and negotiations, he was able to sway many clans under his rule, force those to serve if they proved useful in Kratorix's eyes, or eradicate those who were useless or too dangerous to keep alive. He never lost a fight, and the deeds he did made him out to be worshiped as a living demi-god.

It took him over a hundred and ten years, but he managed to unite all the dragons under his command. From there, he returned to the mountain where he met the Gods who heard his prayers and started building a great city around it that took ten years to make. When it was done, he created the biggest city in the world and used it to expand his borders. Numerous nearby lands fell to his armies and might. Even the Alicorns, once believed to be near the strength of the dragons, had been unable to stop them, and their great kingdom fell to Emperor Kratorix.

The Emperor was said to have left for the seas in search of a new land given to him in a vision. He took his oldest son with him while his second son stayed behind to rule the Empire. After a hundred years of waiting, Emperor Kratorix and his oldest son were declared deceased, with many believing they had died at sea. Thus Kratorix and his legendary blade fell into legend.

"Only you are saying that it's not a legend. But real?" Ember asked as she finished listening to Rowan explain. "How?"

"There was a little-known legend that Emperor Kratorix had found a new land beyond the known western sea. A land of mysterious, new creatures and boundless treasure that would have made the entire Dragon Empire even greater than it could have been," Rowan said while accepting a mint tea from a maid. Having been talking for so long in giving a history legend, Twilight had ordered tea and biscuits for everyone. "But it was always seen as a fairy tale since there was no proof of such a thing. Even my master believed it to be false until he was given the proof by Tyranus himself. A journal from a single survivor of the expedition that was mostly damaged, but what pages that were preserved talked well in detail. My master and I tested the papers, which were legit in terms of age and writing. But the most important thing Tyranus wanted to know was about Imperiax."

"Did the sword return as well?" Spike asked as everyone waited to hear the revelation.

"No, but this is the weirdest part. Emperor Kratorix didn't die in the new lands that the writer called Nova Terrum. Rather, he decided to abandon the Empire all together and forge a new one there without anyone knowing. The writer said that only a few left on a single ship and returned home, but Kratorix's second son forbade them from revealing the truth," Rowan revealed as he shook his head, making the others' eyes widen. "Tyranus believes that some part of the original Empire is still on this Nova Terrum or that the blade is still there at the very least, waiting for someone to claim it and return here to start a new Empire. Tyranus believes if he can do the latter."

"Is...Is the sword really real?" Silverstream asked nervously.

"Even Equestria has records of it," Princess Twilight muttered with a shiver. "I read some of them. Even used a spell to visualize them in my mind. The power of that sword is beyond anything I've seen before. I once saw a memory of it burning an entire fortress city of griffins to the ground with but a simple stab into the ground as a fire tower erupted from the city's center. Waves of burning death spread everywhere, and none were spared."

"On a scale of one to ten, how much more powerful is it than the Elements of Harmony?" Applejack asked.

"Twenty."

"...Well, horseapples."

"But wait, no creature can cross the western sea!" Queen Skystar pointed out. "It's filled with numerous storms that have destroyed every boat that has tried to sail through it. Not even airships or the toughest fliers can make it out alive. One or two escapades of my people even tried going under the ocean, only to be swallowed by water spouts from below. It's impossible!"

"That's what my master thought as well until he was able to discover how the Emperor managed to go through the storms in the first place," Rowan revealed as he walked over to one of the empty windows and pointed at the stars. "In a few days from now, a red comet will sail through the atmosphere, and its strange powers will cause the storms to dissipate for a short time. The storm will be cleared, and the sea will be calm for at least a year. Tyranus intends to use that opportunity to get through the storm, find the sword, and return in time before the storms start again."

"And then he'll attack not just the Dragon Lands but every creature's nation afterward," Spike muttered in concern as he folded his arms before looking over at Rowan. "How large is his force?"

"He's managed to recruit so many clans that they are practically a legion at this point," Rowan replied. "All of them are dangerous too and super loyal to him."

"Do you have any idea where he is now?" King Thorax asked urgently. "Maybe we can stop him in time?"

"When I escaped him, we were in the fridges of the Griffin Republic. Undoubtedly, he aims to head to a port city and steal their ships. I wouldn't be surprised if he has them already," Rowan answered.

Suddenly there were a dozen voices all talking at once. Everyone was giving suggestions on what to do or how to address this, and Spike couldn't hear any clear sentences. He finally put two digits into his mouth and whistled to get everyone's attention. "Hey! We're all worried about this, but talking a thousand words a second isn't helping. It's late, we're still all trying to deal with the adrenaline of what just happened, and we're not in the right state of mind to deal with this."

"Spike is right," Twilight said as she stood up. "I suggest we all just send a quick message to our respective homes to stay on alert for anything, especially you, Dragon Lord Ember. I'll personally send a message to the Griffin Republic about the situation. We can discuss this more in the morning after we've rested and had something to eat."

"Aww, does this mean the party is canceled?" Pinkie Pie asked with her hair deflating a bit.

"I'm afraid so, Pinkie. This requires our full attention. For the sake of our safety we're going to cancel the celebrations and keep the city on high alert," Twilight apologized to the party pony.

"Ah, phooey. Stupid meanie dragon wanting to take over the world."

***

Despite every creature agreeing to sleep, Spike didn't think he could get any after what had happened tonight. Not only did he and Ember nearly get assassinated by dogs that not even Fluttershy would want to pet, but it turned out that the nephew of the bastard who tried to kill Spike and Ember years ago was alive and aiming to find some dangerous sword that would make him invincible.

In other words, it's a typical Wednesday in my life, Spike thought as he chuckled. He long lost any sense of having a normal life the day he became part of the Sparkle family and followed Twilight around as her number-one assistant. From stopping Nightmare Moon, to saving the Crystal Empire, to nearly becoming a giant dragon made out of rage and destroying Ponyville, and so many more adventures that followed. Normal was an overrated concept that Spike didn't bother wishing for since he knew he would jump in no matter what. He might not have been an Element of Harmony, but he played his role in saving the day a few times as a kid, and now he was a dragon who knew not only how to fight but be tactical as well. One didn't become Ember's boyfriend without learning a few things to ensure you could keep up with her.

Ember had stepped into the bathroom for a few minutes to wash, and Spike just decided to grab some water while staring at the damage outside of their balcony. The palace had undoubtedly seen worse, so repairing the damage would take little time. The city itself must have been going crazy after what happened, and he didn't envy those worrying the worst until the guards finally restored order. He sighed and slowly lifted his head to gaze at the stars where this supposed red comet would come and signal Tyranus to go after the sword known as Imperiax.

While Spike wanted to believe that the Alliance could withstand such an attack from Tyranus and his army even if he had the sword, there was something in Spike's gut telling him that it would be horrible if the blade was in the exiled dragon's claws. Typically, whenever bad guys went after magical objects of great power, it always brought disaster if they got a hold of them. The Terrible Trio with Grogar's Bell was a perfect example.

Which means we have to find it first. Of course, we don't know where this mysterious land is or what awaits us there, Spike thought as he rubbed his forehead.

A familiar set of arms wrapped around his waist as Ember rested her head on Spike's shoulder. "Some coming home event, huh?"

"And I didn't even get a chance to taste the cake," Spike joked before shaking his head. "You worried?"

"A bit," Ember admitted before she turned Spike around and smiled warmly at him. "But not too much. I got you by my side. And every other creature is willing to help out. Tyranus might have formed his own army, but I've made connections and built our home stronger than ever. The fact that he has to go halfway across the world to get an ancient sword that may or may not exist or even still function is a testament that he knows he cannot beat me in a straight fight."

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean he won't pull other means to try and hurt you," Spike pointed out as he held her claws. "You know more about dragon history and mythology than I do. If Tyranus gets this Imperiax blade, then how bad is it?"

"If he actually gets his claws on the first Dragon Emperor's blade, then I can kiss my title as Dragon Lord goodbye. Along with my life," Ember answered honestly with a huff. "I never thought it was possible to find that sword until now. If Rowan is telling the truth, and I suspect he is..."

Spike could see the worry beginning to show on Ember's face, and he quickly hugged her tight before putting a quick peck on her cheek. "We'll stop him. Everything we've worked for will not be in vain. We're not letting him ruin what we have going for in this world just because he's an arrogant prick who thinks he has the right to decide the fate of all dragons without our say-so. You got me, Twilight, Smolder, the Alliance, and all our friends. We'll beat him. I promise."

A smile slowly spread on Ember's face as she wrapped her arms around her lover's neck and kissed him on the lips before dragging her favorite dragon back to bed. The thought of Tyranus and Imperiax soon faded from both minds as they began to distract each other from under the covers. Whatever problems they had tomorrow could wait.

For tonight, they only needed each other.

Chapter 12

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Tyranus was someone you could call calm and collected even when unexpected things came up. He had to be if he would be the leader of all dragon kind. Raising an army, plus leading it, had helped tame him into becoming such a leader. However, there were times when even Tyranus had moments of weakness and lost himself in utter fury. He knew there were rivalries among the various clans he had gathered to fight with him. Dragons had long memories, especially against those who had offended them in previous conflicts. It was also in the nature of dragons to rise in power and earn favor from those stronger than them so they could be stronger in turn.

Many of the various clans that Tyranus had gathered in his circle had wanted to prove themselves to him. To earn his favor to reward them when his victory was complete. After all, when a new ruler was made, those who served loyally and distinguished themselves were handsomely granted gifts, positions of power, wealth, and a means to start a legacy that came with all the privilege one could wish for. But sometimes, the greed and desires of those below could cause a wrench in your plans. Such as the one that Tyranus was dealing with now.

Tyranus was not a fool. Despite his beliefs in the superiority of dragonkind, even he knew he stood no chance against the Alliance that Ember had formed with the Kingdom of Equestria and all the other nations. That was why he needed Imperiax. It would not only be the ultimate authority to declare himself Emperor to make all dragons obey him, but it was the perfect weapon to destroy any foes in his way. The blade was known for destroying civilizations to ashes, and Tyranus planned to do that with Equestria. It was the world's largest superpower and the key to the Alliance itself. Destroy it, and all the other nations would quickly follow.

But that was why his actions needed to be unknown to all. It was why he faked his death years ago and was rushing to get his ships and sail for the Nova Terrum. If Ember learned what he was up to, she would send her forces to stop him. Now, that was all ruined. Because not only did one of the clans under his control attempt an assassination plot without him knowing, but they also did it with multiple national leaders in the crossfire.

"Tell me," Tyranus asked as he sat on his red-colored bone-made throne in his tent. The sobbing and terrified leader of Clan Fortuna was before him with his wing broken, multiple body spikes removed painfully, and his face bleeding from the blows Uncle Scarscale had given him for his actions. "What in the name of all the gods made you think I wanted this?"

The head of Clan Fortuna, a pink-scaled male dragon looking more red than pink thanks to his wounds, tried to say something. However, all he could do was cough up blood from his lungs.

"I am fine with those under my command making decisions without my orders provided that they are not moronic, logical, and can be explained why to me when done," Tyranus narrowed his eyes and clawed the edges of his throne. "And not only have I yet to hear one from your mouth, but my brain has also failed to come up with one. It's not enough that you did a brain-dead action that has most likely exposed me to Dragon Lord Ember and her allies, but you also had the gall to try and eliminate the other leaders as well? Thereby putting multiple eyes on us that have the excuse to try and destroy all that I have built?"

The clan leader tried to say something, but Tyranus got up and slowly paced in frustration as his advisors and top clan leaders all watched. "And even if you did succeed in killing Dragon Lord Ember, we would still have to face the wrath of the alliance because not only would we have killed one of their own friends but the lover of the adopted brother of the Princess of Equestria. Who would spend everything to avenge her death."

"But you didn't," Tyranus continued as he rubbed his temple. "You not only failed, but you exposed us. Exposed me. Now they'll be looking for us and find out about us and what we are planning in due time. Especially since we failed to find that annoying little deer apprentice who is most likely in Equestria now."

There was a long silence as nobody said anything. Everyone waited for Tyranus to say something. Instead, he walked over, drew his blade, and sliced the head off of Fortuna's clan leader before he could react. The body flopped to the ground, and the head rolled over to Dájǐ-Lǐ, who happily took it and bounced it in her talons before tossing it away.

"Lichie," Tyranus ordered as the leader of Clan Deathclaw stepped forward. "I want you to take every third member of Clan Fortuna and kill them. Publically. I want an example to be made. Whoever is second-in-command of the clan? Kill them, too. The third-in-command is now in control. I also want every clan to know that any action like this is to be punished not just in a similar manner but worse. Understood."

They all nodded.

"Go."

They bowed and left while two guards carried the dead corpse of the former Fortuna leader out of the tent. Tyranus waited until they were gone, which left just him and Dájǐ-Lǐ. Snarling, Tyranus smashed his forearm across the table, holding wine and goblets that were soon scattered on the floor. "Damnit!"

Dájǐ-Lǐ slowly walked over to the fuming dragon and wrapped her arms around him. Snuggling her head into his neck, she kissed him a few times as she slowly began to relax under the calming touch of his lover. "It will be fine, my love. By the time they do anything, we shall be heading for the new world to search for your destiny."

"I cannot take any chances," Tyranus growled as he looked down while clutching one of her hands. "My uncle met his end by leaving things to chance. I cannot make the same mistake. Even if we were to leave, they could still catch up to us. The Hippogriffs alone can reach our ships faster than we can imagine, and the Griffins merely need to send a fleet after our own. Not to mention, we need to steal the ships and prepare them for the long journey."

"Then you must do something to delay them," Dájǐ-Lǐ suggested as she stroked his chest. "Something to make them hold on finding you and address even worse problems."

"...There is only one way to do so, but even I am disgusted to do it," Tyranus growled, as he did have a backup plan made to give him more time to set sail and grow distance from his enemies. One that he made out of both desperation and pragmatic reasons. However, he was disgusted and ashamed of his action because it would greatly betray the dragon people of the Dragon Lands. Very few knew of this plan because he would be ruined if it was known. Even the other clans under him would see it as dishonorable. No matter how low they were, there was always a standard for someone.

"Nobody but the two of us knows of your plans and the others I've taken care of," Dájǐ-Lǐ whispered as she made him turn around. "Even Emperor Kratorix had to do underhanded things to see his Empire come to fruition. You must do the same to succeed as he did."

Tyranus closed his eyes and sighed as he embraced his love and kissed her. "What would I do without you?"

She giggled and kissed him again. "So, send the letter?"

"Yes. Send the letter to Vagthomoth. Tell him I'll give him the means to get past The Wall."

***

When the Great Dragon Empire fell, most of its cities, temples, and monuments fell into ruin. Few, if anything, from that significant era, still existed, and what little that did exist was barely enough to use for anything save maybe for shelter from a storm. Except for one monument that had been around for ages, everyone agreed it was the one thing that couldn't be allowed to fall.

The Wall.

A vast steel barrier that was the tallest and longest in the world. Stretching from one side of the entire landscape to the next. One would need to travel for a whole week to get from one end to the other, and climbing it without using the elevators would take about an hour. It was the one structure that every Dragon Lord, even the insane and tyrannical, kept strong and going in their reign. The reason was it kept out, for the most part, the Behemoths.

Behemoths were demonic monsters of all shapes and sizes with only one purpose and goal: to destroy everything before them. Nobody knew where they came from, why they did it, and much else except how they killed and what they could fight. Even the land they came from was unknown. Those who tried to explore the misty, dark, sunless land were never seen again.

The Behemoths were first seen in the middle of the Great Dragon Empire's reign and nearly destroyed it with their first invasion until they managed to push them back into their lands. Emperor Robane II then started the construction of The Wall, which finished when his great-granddaughter, Empress Zilla, had it finally completed. Since then, even after the Empire's destruction, The Wall had been the primary defense against the Behemoths whenever they tried to attack. The Wall didn't always work as Behemoths were strong enough to break through or find other ways around it, but it worked most of the time. Especially against the hordes that were led without an Overlord, the one intelligent Behemoth that could lead them with actual tactical oversight.

To join The Wall was considered an honor and a long-time duty. When you joined The Wall, regardless of age, you had to do so for at least three hundred years without rest. You couldn't see your family, marry, or respond to a situation where your clan needed you. You couldn't even fight in a war against enemy nations. The Wall was your life for at least three hundred years without a break, but some loved being on the Wall so much they stood there for the rest of their lives, even until old age.

That being said, it was a great honor to be among the Wall's defenders. Those who had family serving were often credited and honored for their sacrifices, and those who returned home after service were hailed as heroes. Those who died in service were mourned and given proper rest, with the families well compensated for their loss. A few clans even devoted their entire families to the Wall by sending their members there when they were ready.

Being on the Wall also meant joining a family in turn. Knowing their kind's protection was under their watch, they took it seriously and saw each member as a brother or sister. When facing the demonic hordes, you need to trust the person next to you, and they trust each other with their lives. Even if your clans were archenemies, that meant nothing so long as you fought for The Wall.

It was also a means for people to escape hardship. Orphans would often head to The Wall for food, shelter, and a family if they had nothing to live for, and the Wall was happy to take them in. Criminals would seek to avoid punishment by offering to spend their entire lives at The Wall to avoid jail or death. Even those who had dishonored themselves in the eyes of their family sought to go to The Wall to regain their honor in the service of their people.

It took anyone and anyone. Because it needed as many to man the structure.

Yawning, a young light green-scaled dragon with a pearl-like stomach rubbed his eyes to keep himself from falling asleep. He was assigned night guard duty and was doing his best to keep an eye out for anything. There was no moon out tonight for this cloudy evening, and it was hard enough to see what was going on even with the torches lit down below all lined up. His armor was a gray heavy set with every part of his body protected from neckline to tail-end. In the center of the chest plate was a burning black shield symbol carved into it to symbolize him as a soldier of The Wall.

The dragon, Scaleburn, had been part of The Wall for about five years. His reasoning for joining was to find some glory in his life, as he was the third-born son of a clan with two older siblings who were stronger and smarter than him. He wanted to stand out and announced he would join The Wall. His family was proud of him and wished him luck as he set out. Knowing he wouldn't see them for a long time hurt, but they were still allowed letters. Of course, Scaleburn had yet to see any real glory. In all five years he had been here, he had only seen the conflicts between roaming Behemoth groups and their fighters from a safe distance. He was still too new to join the battles, but he hoped to do so one day.

Although, the rumors of their being a new Behemoth Overlord made him nearly wet his scales. The senior soldiers told him the horror stories of such creatures, and he quickly hoped to never see one in his entire life. He really hoped that the rumors were just rumors in the end. Of course, there was also the fact that there had been no sightings of Behemoths for a few months. Even if they came in small numbers, the Behemoths still tried to attack The Wall due to their lust for violence and carnage.

It got a number of the senior members worried, which in turn made Scaleburn anxious. He gazed at the nearby stone tower where the warning fires were stationed. There were different colored flames to be used depending on the seriousness of the situation. He had been repeatedly drilled upon which ones were meant for which scenario for a whole week. Scaleburn could practically memorize them all in his sleep.

The funny thing was that there should have been two other dragons in the tower, but he couldn't see them. Did they go to take a piss together, or were they goofing off? It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to do that, and they got latrine duty in response. He shook his head and turned to look back down the Wall. He wasn't a snitch, so it was their asses on the line if they got caught.

Then he heard something from below the Wall, not in front of it, but from behind it. Curious, he walked over to the other side and looked down to see if it was the elevator nearby or something else. What he saw nearly made him crap in his armor. Moving slowly, like spiders and caterpillars combined, were horrific scaled and hairy beasts with fangs the size of knives slowly skittering up the Wall with one large single red eye focused on him. Gasping in horror, Scaleburn realized he was looking at actual Behemoths heading right towards him.

But what scared him the most was that they were coming up from behind the Wall. Not in front of it.

Meaning...

"The Wall has been breached! Light the signal!" Scaleburn shouted as he ran to the tower. Suddenly, the door to the downstairs level smashed open as ogre-looking armored creatures with bloody axes and swords appeared. Grinning, they slowly made their way to Scaleburn, who drew his sword but looked at the blood-covered weapons and realized his comrades below were dead.

Unleashing his wings, Scaleburn flew as fast as he could to avoid a downward ax towards his head and flew to the tower. "Light the signal! We're under attack! Light the-”

His voice died in horror as he landed and realized that the two supposed to light the signal were dead. Their throats slashed, and their eyes widened in lifeless horror as they lay beside each other. Landing in the tower, Scaleburn looked around and saw the blue fire torch still nearby. The one needed to let the others know they were being invaded and the Wall had been breached.

Grabbing it, Scaleburn turned to light the pyre until he saw something floating nearby outside the tower. It was twice his size and looked like every typical idea of what a demon would look like. Muscled and cloaked in a black battle robe with demonic symbols attached. Its sharp claw-like hands folded in its arms as if levitated with its mighty bat-like wings that were long and sharp. The dark skin and red aura emitting from it made Scaleburn finally lose control of his bladder as he felt he was looking at the avatar of death itself. But the worst was his face. The sinister smiling face of a demon with sharp teeth, burning yellow eyes of hellfire, and the horns of a ram lit on fire.

Scaleburn knew, right then and there, that he would die. This was the end for him. However, he would die still doing one last right thing as a soldier of The Wall. Roaring, Scaleburn threw the torch with perfect aim, and it landed on the pyre. Instantly, it turned bright blue with flames as the signal had been sent. The Behemoth Overlord turned to the right and left to see the nearby towers burning blue one by one as the call was seen. It would soon send the entire Dragon Lands a message that a new Behemoth invasion had begun.

"Now the world knows you are here," Scaleburn said in defiance as he looked up at the Overlord. Despite his fear, he took comfort in knowing that his last action had alerted the world of a new threat to the Dragon Lands.

The Overlord smirked before thrusting his talons into Scaleburn's chest, piercing through his armor and making him gasp in pain as blood came out of his mouth. The Overlord slowly brought Scaleburn to his face and smirked.

"Perfect."

He tossed the dying dragon off the tower, looked towards The Wall, where his vast army started to appear from the darkness, and smiled.

Chapter 13

View Online

Ember didn't want to wake up and return to a world where she would have to deal with another person trying to kill her. She just wanted to sleep soundly in Spike's arms and never get up. It was a peaceful state of nirvana that was more comfortable than sitting on any gem pile in all of the Dragon Lands. However, duty calls, and she couldn't delay herself from the more serious issue of Tyranus's attempted coup.

Getting up from bed, Ember looked at Spike, still sleeping, and gave him a quick peck before heading for the bathroom to freshen up. Once she relieved herself, she went into the shower and let the warm water wash down the mess from their lovemaking last night. It had been three days since the attempt on her life, and everyone had been working hard to plan out what to do regarding Tyranus and the threat he posed to them. While a part of her was upset that this was happening, again, there was a part of her that felt her blood pumping in excitement. That might give a few other creatures some eyebrow-raising looks, but Ember was a dragon. Conflict and battle were in their nature, and regardless of her changes, nothing would change their warrior nature.

Besides, if what Rowan said was true, she would be in battle again soon. Opening her eyes, she shivered at the thought of Tyranus getting his hands on Imperiax. She had heard the tales of the First Dragon Emperor and his mighty blade. Every dragon had grown up with the stories about it and when dragonkind was the strongest of all the creatures in the world. It was the beginning of their great empire and the legacy they would leave behind.

Many had tried searching for the blade in the past, but none returned or gave up. A few fakes were presented by those who wanted to come across as the "Chosen One" of their people, but they were exposed pretty fast. But she knew Tyranus. He wouldn't stake so much on a false lead. If he had a path to get the real blade, he would take it.

Ember wouldn't even deny that she wanted the blade as well. It would not only solidify her rule from what doubters there were, but it would also symbolize hope for her people. While she had managed to drag them out into a more modern setting, many dragons still longed for the glory days of old. Having the legendary Imperiax would show that they were still strong and leave her a legacy for her family and all dragonkind. Of course, she'd be satisfied to just stop Tyranus overall, even without getting Imperiax, but it wasn't a bad thing to dream, was it?

Rubbing her scales with soap, Ember tried to focus on her next move. If Tyranus was still in the Griffin Republic, there was still time to find and stop him. Senator Gilda, the representative of the Griffin Republic, had said that she would do her best to persuade the Senate to act, but the republic was different from a monarchy. It all came down to a vote, and that's also if the Console didn't veto it. She never understood these sorts of political theories but just decided to hope for the best.

Still, everyone was sure that they would help out. No reasonable person didn't like the idea of a rouge dragon army roaming around their nation, attacking their citizens, and stealing their boats. If they could get a proper force down to stop Tyranus, they wouldn't have to worry about him crossing the Western Sea.

However, if they did manage to get their boats, it would be troublesome since they would have to search the sea for them. The good news was that there were only two ways to the western sea since Equestria and the other lands were in the way. The first was the southern Great Iceberg Barrier or the northern Crystal Glacier Valley. Both were frozen areas with icebergs around them.

While dragons were not the best in the cold, their fire could still melt ice, making either option possible. However, if Ember were to put her bet on one of the two areas, she would have to say Great Iceberg Barrier. Going north would put them near the territory of the Crystal Empire and Yakakistan, both of whom were part of the Alliance. While south, they would have to deal with being close to the territory of Mt. Aris, home of the Hippogriffs, Tyranus's forces could stay closer to the desert borders of Kludgetown to avoid them. Kludgetown was not part of the Alliance, and thus they would be free to sail nearby without harm.

Gods above, I just wanted to have a fun and relaxing break with the dragon I love and work on making my proposal to him. Is that so much to ask? Ember asked as she finished showering and began to dry off. Once she left the bathroom, Spike had woken up and rubbed his neck. "Morning, Spike."

"Morning, Ember," He said while getting up. "Shower open?"

"Yeah, you can get in and wash your smelly butt," Ember teased as she tossed him the towel she was using.

"You weren't complaining about sleeping next to it," Spike teased.

"That's because I passed out from the stench of it," Ember joked, making Spike laugh.

He then reached out and grabbed her hand. "You okay?"

"Honestly? I'm just pissed off about all this," Ember sighed. "Is it wrong that Tryanus really was dead instead of faking it?"

"I'm going to say no because he's dead set on killing you," Spike said seriously. "I'm not one to wish harm or even death on people. I'm fine giving second chances like I've done with Discord, Starlight, Trixie, Garble, the changelings, and more. But someone who wants to kill you and ruin everything we worked hard for? I'm not going to cry tears of mercy for them."

Ember smiled softly and kissed him on the lips. "We'll stop him. I won't let him or anyone ruin what we've worked hard for. He will not become Dragon Emperor."

It wasn't just her and her life's work at stake. Their friends and allies were at stake as well. There was no doubt in Ember's mind that if Tyranus got Imperiax, he would declare war on the world and take it over. If even half the rumors of the blade were true, he could very well succeed even with the combined power of the Alliance against him.

The good news is that we know our enemy and will work together to stop him, Ember thought positively.

Suddenly, her door slammed open, and Smolder, looking as pale as a ghost, said a sentence that made both Spike and Ember freeze in terror: "The Behemoths have taken over the Wall!"

***

Of all the times the Behemoths escaped the Wall and started rampaging through the Dragon Lands, this was the worst time possible. The moment Ember heard this, she ordered every dragon to prepare for their return post-haste while sending messengers to every corner of the Dragon Lands to summon all their forces. If there was one thing that united every dragon, supporter of hers or not, it was a full-on Behemoth invasion.

There was little information to go by other than the horde was massive, and the Wall was taken over in a surprise ambush. This was a shock to every dragon since it was designed and guarded to avoid every possible weakness. The moment any Behemoth was seen, they were to send an alert that would spread across the entire Wall. However, not only did they manage to overcome this, but they also exploited weaknesses nobody knew about.

No normal Behemoth could do this, which meant that there was a Behemoth Overlord among them—the smartest and deadliest of them all—the one who could unite them into a proper army and bring chaos to the Dragon Lands.

Looks like the rumors were true after all, thought Spike.

"How bad of an invasion are we talking about?" Princess Twilight asked in her throne room. Once word had reached about a Behemoth Invasion, Ember summoned all her allies to the throne room to alert them of this unfortunate change.

"Based on the reports, we are talking tens of thousands," Ember answered grimly.

"That's not good," King Thorax whispered as Queen Skystar placed a wing on his back to comfort him. "How dangerous is a Behemoth in general?"

"The weakest one could kill three dragons before dying," Ember answered as she shivered. "My father told me that out of all the creatures in the world it is them whom we dragons fear the most. They cannot be reasoned with or negotiated with, and they are cruel. They make Queen Chrysalis look like Princess Celestia. They will kill and burn anything that stands in their way. And it won't stop with us; they will go after all your homes, too."

"So this is a threat to all of us," Shining Armor sighed.

"Don't you think the timing of this is a bit odd?" Princess Flurry Heart said as all eyes were on her. "I mean, we just discovered that Ember's biggest enemy was alive and is trying to search for some super powered sword that is even stronger than the Elements of Harmony. And then this happens?"

"It is a big coincidence," Spike admitted as he rubbed his chin. "Could Tyranus have had a hand in this?"

"I doubt it," Smolder snorted. "My cousin might be a bastard, but he firmly believes in dragon tradition and loves dragonkind. He wouldn't go so far for power to help the Behemoths since they are the enemy of every dragon out there. He'd lose all respect and power instantly if he did."

"Smolder's right," Ember nodded. "If Tyranus hopes to become Emperor, he will need the support of the dragons to do so, with or without Imperix. Aiding the Behemoths would kill any chances of that in an instant. Not to mention the forces he's traveling with would abandon him just as fast."

Spike wasn't sure about that. He had seen many creatures who believed themselves the rightful rulers of power and prestige try anything to get it. However, he figured it was pointless to debate this and said, "Regardless, we need to focus on the Behemoths. They're the more immediate threat."

"Agreed," Ember said as she turned to their allies. "I know I have asked a lot, but I must ask for more. I need my friends to aid us in the fight against the Behemoths. Make no mistake, this is not going to be an easy fight. Some of us may even die. I might fall in battle or Spike and Smolder. This is...that serious of a situation."

The throne room was quiet for a long time before Princess Twilight stood up with a serious expression. "The Alliance of Harmony was forged to bring peace and support to those of us who have come together in the name of friendship. We have allied against such threats before and will do so again today. I, Princess Twilight of Equestria, promise to lend aid and her forces to the Dragon Lands in the hour of need."

King Thorax stepped forward and nodded. "The Changeling Kingdom also agrees to send troops and aid to our friends, the dragons."

"As do the Hippogriffs!" Queen Skystar shouts with her hand in the air.

"The Crystal Empire would be more than happy to lend aid," Princess Cadacne said as Shining Armor saluted. "We'll send those monsters back to Tartarus."

"It's up to the Senate to agree to go to war or not, but considering the Alliance has done a lot for us, I'm sure I can guilt trip them into aiding you guys," Senator Gilda said before turning to Rainbow Dash. "It would also be nice to finally kick butt instead of sitting on it listening to boring speeches."

"I hear you. These wings are ready for combat again," Rainbow Dash said as she flapped her wings.

"You are all going to be careful, right?" Fluttershy whispered.

"We'll be as careful as we can be, Fluttershy," Twilight assured her friend before turning to Gallus. "Gallus? Summon our armies and spread the word to Equestria that we are going to war."

"Yes, Princess," Gallus said as he turned to a worried Silverstream and kissed her. "Guess I'm heading back to the front lines."

"You'll come home, right?" Silversteam whispered as she hugged her husband.

"One way or another, I will," Gallus promised as he kissed her again. He then knelt before his son, Garrus, who looked terrified of his Dad leaving him. The blue griffins gave a sad smile and hugged his son. "Watch over your mother for me, okay?"

"O-O-Okay," Garrus whispered as he got teary-eyed.

"Don't worry. I've got your uncle watching my back," Gallus said as he nodded to Spike, who gave him a thumbs-up.

Spike looked around as more plans were discussed. He gazed over at Ember, who looked worried, and knew, deep down, what her thoughts were. She was already feeling guilty for getting everyone involved in their problems. She also knew there was a chance that some of those in this room might not survive what was to be one of the deadliest fights in their life. He wrapped a wing around her for comfort and smiled warmly as she looked upon him. His smile was all she needed to relax and nuzzle him.

Whatever fate awaited them, they would face it together.

***

The Dragon Lands were known for having various smells ranging from fire and ash to blood and sulfur. However, in the village of Rainstone, the smell of death and decay was everywhere. The homes that once consisted of a sizable amount of dragons had been torn down and ruined, and their owners scattered among the dirt with their blood decorating it. The bodies of the poor souls who tried to fight or flee remained in piles of gore and scales. Many parts were distances away from each other. The creatures responsible for it, all in hideous forms, continued to further mutilate the death either for sustenance or pleasure.

The sicker and depraved-minded had started posing the corpses on spears and spikes, the bodies long since dead and ruined beyond recognition. Age didn't matter, nor did gender. All were equal prey to the Behemoths. The Overlord of Behemoths slowly walked through the devastation with satisfaction. This village was one of many destroyed since their takeover of the Wall. He knew it would only be a matter of time before a strong force finally came to retaliate, but that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun in the meantime.

The strangest thing that stood out was that the Overlord wasn't walking alone. Beside himself, tears in their eyes and traumatized looks of horror on their faces, were two young dragon boys. One blue and one yellow. Both had seen their families slaughtered before them. All that they loved was destroyed and turned to ash. Yet, instead of being granted death to join them in the afterlife, the two boys were spared. In terror and confusion, they stood side by side with the Overlord as he showed them the horrors of the slaughter.

"So what did you think? Was our little show not an impressive one?" The Overlord asked as he brushed his claws against the backs of the two boys. "It's been such a long time since we Behemoths had a chance to go all out. You can say that this is quite the release for us."

Neither dragon said anything. They just stood there in silence as the Overlander stroked their heads. "I know you boys are upset about the loss of everyone you loved and cared for. But the suffering didn't last too long. Well. Maybe a bit longer. But it's over anyway, right?"

The yellow one just sobbed while the blue one gripped his hands in anger.

"I suppose you are wondering why I spared you two?" He knelt down and looked them in the eyes. I would like you to go off and spread the word about what has happened here. I would like you to tell everyone that our army comes like a plague of locusts who will devour everything in our path. Nothing will stop us, and even if they run, we'll catch them eventually. Our time has finally come."

The boys gulped as he turned them around and pushed them forward lightly. "Now go on. Chop chop. You have a long walk ahead of you."

The two dragon boys looked at each other before running off as fast as they could. The Overlord smiled as they ran away. Similar actions were being taken in all the locations they were attacking. They were killing most of the population in the areas before leaving a few survivors to tell the tale of what happened. They were driving fear and hopelessness into the hearts of those yet to feel their power and break their will.

Of course, they didn't need two messengers to tell the tale, did they?

The Overlord summoned a bolt of black lighting in his hand, focused on his dragon of choice, and shot it.

When the day ended, only one dragon made it to the next town to scream about what had happened. Covered in the blood and brain matter of the other who was running before him before a large "popping" sound ended that.

A Burning Flame In My Soul

by Rated Ponystar

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13