To Hunt a Beast

While Northern was glad that her father had escaped from the hold that Copper and her machines had over him she was worried about the aftermath of his departure. It wasn't that Celestia and Luna ordered their guards to gather their armor and weapons, or that Copper was still messing around with some other mechanical devices near her. Nor was the fact that both Wisdom and Tick had come back with weapons and armor from the train, though she was confused as to where they had been hidden.

It was the fact that Discord had appeared in front of them all, fully equipped in silver armor, custom made to fit his body, and had a spear similar to Wisdom's broken one strung across his back.

"Discord, I was not aware that you would be joining us," Celestia calmly said, trying not to show any hint of her earlier fear, "So, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I'm not here to joke around my dear Celestia," Discord replied without a pause, "I came to offer my assistance in the permanent defeat of Eclipse. I would, of course, understand it if you were to refuse my help, as I was the one who tried to change history and brought this monster upon us. I am the one who changed the peaceful king into such a monstrous pony, one capable of bringing great harm to his own friends."

"Oh go away Discord," Celestia moaned, clearly not in the mood to deal with the draconequus, "We don't need you to infuriate Eclipse anymore than we have already made him. If you want to fight him, then by all means go ahead and see where that get's you this time. Just try not to make matters worse then they already are if you decide to chase him again."

Discord sighed and left the courtroom, using the door as he passed by two sleeping guards and two very awake ponies that stared at him. The door closed tight as Chrysalis, decked out in light green armor, stood next to a fully regal Sombra, the other two who had helped create the monster Eclipse. The three were fully prepared, wearing what could be their final war suits and had weapons strapped to their sides.

"What did the Princess say?" Chrysalis asked, her voice having lost the dramatic tone it once had, "Did she say that we were allowed to help out or did you make it all about yourself again?"

"He likely made it seem like he wanted to atone for his 'sins'," Sombra retorted, "As if killing one stallion will erase some many bloodstained years he has accumulated."

"Celestia puzzled me this time," Discord admitted, sighing as he opened a small doorway in front of them, "She made it sound like I wasn't invited to the party, but then again she also seemed to think I would go after Eclipse anyway."

"Let's go then," Chrysalis said, eying the light blue gateway.

"We'll follow a few miles behind Eclipse," Discord spoke, approaching the magical portal, "When he moves, we move. We'll find his hiding place and if the others don't arrive then we can simply tell them where we went."

Chrysalis and Sombra took one last look at the glory of Canterlot before joining Discord on the other side of his portal, hoping that it wouldn't be the last time they saw the lovely town. The portal shimmered to a close as the two guards suddenly woke up, confused and unwilling to admit that something had happened.

~The Armory~

Northern had followed her mother through the hallways of Canterlot's palace, avoiding the looks she had gotten from the maids that were still up. There were questions she wanted answered and the only pony that could answer them was her mother, that was if she would slow down and face her. She had thought her mother was insane the moment she had entered the Canterlot Armory, moving quickly to a mannequin that was decorated in what appeared to be a light green armor.

Armor that looked almost like the goo that some of the changelings used to incapacitate those that were in their way, with the symbol of the Changeling Hive on the side.

"Mother, what are we doing down here?" Northern asked, her eyes scanning the walls as she took in all the weapons and armor that lined the shelves.

"I came to get this armor," Viscarias responded, pulling the helmet off and studying it for any flaws, "I came because I knew that you would want to see your father, even after he escaped from the Princess' hold. I had asked Copper Sprocket the last time I had seen her to make a special set of armor that could reflect some of the most powerful spells in existence. The only spell it cannot reflect is your father's most feared spell, the one that Peachy calls a 'cero'."

"Why would you have this armor made?" Northern asked, confused as to why her mother commissioned Copper to make the set.

"It was supposed to be a present for your fifth birthday," Viscarias replied, fitting the helm over Northern's head softly, "Eclipse said that on your fifth birthday he was going to permanently return to the Hive and us, but he also warned that it might be sooner if Wisdom caught him quicker. He was hoping that he could cure his friends and deter Wisdom from hunting him forever, but that hardly matters now. The armor will allow you to watch your father during the fight without any fear of getting hurt by any stray spells."

"That leads me to one of the questions I wanted to ask," Northern continued, just standing there while her mother began dismantling the armor and slowly placing it on her body, "You talk as if he had visited you in the past. What aren't you telling me?"

"You remember the name Princess Celestia called your father?" Viscarias asked in turn, placing a leg guard on Northern's front left leg and receiving a nod, "Once upon a time, before we were King and Queen, your father was an extraordinary unicorn stallion who was called 'Rocket Sky'. My mother sought his power for her own devices, attacking Ponyville in broad daylight in order to grab him while he was separated from his friends. On that day he and his powers became one for a brief moment, forcing him to ascend and become an alicorn.

A year later we were married and were involved in the Princesses War Games, an event that could pass as a military exercise between the four of them and us. It was during this time that my mother slipped him a seemingly forgotten about plant called the Demonshade, one that contained a deadly poison that could kill him. His friends gathered together and hunted down the elusive flower known as the Angels Root, a flower that contained the only cure for the poison. And, just as he had been saved, Discord intervened and twisted reality.

I was back to square one, having to keep an eye on a pegasus named Rocket Sky that spent time with the Elements of Harmony, the race change having been caused by Discord. While he tried to blast him out of the sky and crush him while he slept Eclipse formulated the plan that could create his new form. He found Sombra and learned the secrets of the black magic in time to use them against Discord, shattering the veil that separated the lies from the truth. By then it was already too late and, as most have taken to calling him, the monster Eclipse was born into Equestria.

They are one and the same, Rocket and Eclipse. It doesn't matter what he chooses to call himself, I choose to love him no matter who he is. He's come on your birthday, pretending to be a royal guard around others so they couldn't learn the truth early. He told me you were the second jewel of his life, one that he was willing to risk his life to protect if you were ever taken by force."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Northern, now fully decked out in surprisingly well fitting armor, asked as they left the armory.

"Because you were bound to figure it out for yourself," Viscarias replied, stopping at a second story window to stare at the assembled group, "Your father is fully expecting you to join his friends and search for him. He knows that you'll be wanting to see what his power is like, seeing how you now know it even tempted my own mother to seek it for herself. And maybe for your next birthday we'll all go to the beach and forget about being hunted by his friends or something."

Northern looked down at her father's friends, each of them wearing different suits of armor that they hoped would aid them in their upcoming battle with Eclipse. The four princesses stood amongst the ponies, each of them wearing what Northern assumed was their war game armor. Her own armor fit perfectly, though she wondered if Copper had done anything to the armor before it had been locked away where she would never think to look for it. She hoped, by the end of this whole mess, that nopony was hurt too much and that her father would return like her mother promised.

~The Frigid North~

Resting at about a few dozen miles away from the Crystal Empire, completely cloaked by the endless snow, sat a fortress carved from the surrounding mountains. Standing on the top terrace, surrounded by the snow, stone, and torches, was none other than Eclipse, who had flown throughout the evening to get here. The torches, much like the fires throughout his fortress, were burning with dragon fire, which burned bright and as long as Eclipse wanted it. His current home would stay lit and warm all winter long, but that wasn't on his mind at the moment.

He sighed; he was waiting for the final battle he would have with his friends, the princesses, and, he assumed, even Discord himself. And he was looking forward to the chance to beat Discord up all over again.