The Epic Quest of Ford Mustang

Chapters

Chapter 2 – A Surprise Visit
Chapter 3 – Meeting Rainbow Dash’s Father
Chapter 4 – One More Visit
Chapter 5 – Bedtime Stories
Chapter 6 – Final Preparations
Chapter 7 – Where it All Began
Chapter 8 – Out of the Darkness
Chapter 9 – All is Lost
Chapter 10 – A Dragon’s Tale
Chapter 11 – Training Day
Chapter 12 – Call of the Wild
Chapter 13 – The Eyes of a Predator
Chapter 14 – King of the Jungle
Chapter 16 – Trial by Fire
Chapter 17 – The Master and Apprentice
Chapter 18 – A Brush with a Griffon
Chapter 19 – Wagner the Inferno Dragon King
Chapter 20 – A Dragon’s Duel
Chapter 21 – A Random Encounter
Chapter 22 – The Enemy of my Enemy…
Chapter 23 – Allies Assembled
Chapter 24 – Castle Crashers
Chapter 25 – A Fight Amongst Lovers
Chapter 26 – Ultimate Showdown
Chapter 27 – Ultimate Destiny
Chapter 29 – It’s About Time!
Chapter 30 – Announcements, Ceremonies, and Farewells
Chapter 31 – Planning for the Big Day
Chapter 32 – The Wedding Ceremony
Chapter 33 – The Wedding Reception
Epilogue – First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage…
Sequel – The Wonderful Life of Ford Mustang
Chapter 1 – Plans for the Future
Chapter 15 – The Coming Storm
Chapter 28 – Where We Have Left Off

Chapter 2 – A Surprise Visit

A lot certainly has happened in nearly a year since Rainbow Dash has joined up with her dream team, the Wonderbolts. Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle have finally got their respectable Cutie Marks. Spitfire and Soarin decided to at last tie the knot, which Rainbow was lucky enough to attend their wedding as one of Spitfire’s bridesmaids. Ford Mustang, while maintaining the fort back at Rainbow’s home, is not only doing well as one of Ponyville’s weather ponies, but he’s also managed to work on several art commissions for some of the town’s residents. Rainbow was very happy to hear him achieving some aspects of his dream job.

But the one that really took the cake this year was when last month, Fluttershy and Big Mac got married and settled down at Sweet Apple Acres! Who would have thought the shiest couple around would be the one to take the initiative first! After that, it got Rainbow Dash thinking about something. When will it be the right time for Ford and herself to start settling down? They don’t get much of a chance to see each other everyday due to her schedule as a full-time Wonderbolt, but never the less, she always cherished each moment they’ve shared together.

However, that was not what was crossing her mind right now. In one of Cloudsdale Cloudeseum’s locker rooms, where the uniformed Wonderbolts are having their opening meeting on their last show for the tour, Rainbow is too distracted on another matter in mind. One that matters the most to her considering that today is also her birthday.

“Okay, team! Listen up!” Spitfire announces to her team. “This is our last day for our tour at Cloudsdale, so don’t even think about slacking off just yet! That goes double for you, Soarin!”

“Ah, come on, honey!” Her startled husband whines while receiving numerous snickers from his fellow teammates.

“So let’s get ready out there…” the captain concludes. “…and give them a show like never before!” After hollering out some enthusiastic cheers for their upcoming performance, the team begins to leave the locker room as they ready themselves for their tour's last show.

Once they have all left, Spitfire is surprised to see only one pony remaining on one of the benches: Rainbow Dash. And what’s even more surprising is that Rainbow is very down-trotted for some reason. Surely, something is very wrong here.

“Rainbow Dash, what’s the matter?” Spitfire approaches her fellow teammate concernedly. “You’re usually the first one ready before anypony else.”

“I… didn’t get any mail today.” Rainbow states very sadly.

“What are you talking about?” Spitfire puzzles for a bit. “You received more fanmail than any--! Oh! You mean from your coltfriend, huh?”

“Ever since I’ve joined the Wonderbolts, Ford has always sent a letter to me for each day I’m away.” Rainbow says in discontent. “He has never missed one day just like he promised. He Pinkie Promised. But now… today’s my birthday. It’s been a month since I last saw him, and this is the first time I haven’t received anything from him today. I’m worried, Spitfire. I really am.”

“Rainbow, I understand your concern on this matter.” Spitfire responds sweetly as she sits next to her distraught teammate. “But I think there’s nothing for you to worry about. In my opinion, you’re quite lucky to have such a devoted coltfriend like Ford Mustang. Do you know what I would give to have that kind of commitment for my husband? I love Soarin and everything, but Celestia bless him if he could just remember when it’s his turn to take care of the dishes for me!” Rainbow Dash starts to smile as she giggles upon hearing that from Spitfire.

“Tell you what?” Spitfire says with a grin as she wraps a friendly wing around Rainbow Dash. “After the show, we’re going to treat you to a night out on the town!”

“Please tell me there isn’t going to be an obnoxious birthday song!” Rainbow groans.

“Ooo, great idea!” Spitfire responds with a devious grin. “I’ll have to make sure to remember that request once we grab dinner later on! Thanks, Rainbow!”

“You’re truly evil sometimes.” Rainbow glares at her captain with an uncontrollable smile. “You know that, right?”

“Hey, at least you’ll get a free birthday cake once the song is over!”

“You’re already treating me to dinner! So what’s free cake going to matter?”

“Well, considering that I’m the one who’s going to pay for your meal, it will matter to me the most!” Then, the two mares share a hearty laugh together as Rainbow starts to brighten up.

“So, feeling better?” asks Spitfire.

“Definitely! Thanks, Spitfire!” Rainbow replies with a smile as she hugs her friend.

“No problem!” Spitfire says before they finish their hug. “So, ready to show those ponies a good time out there?”

With a heavy sigh of relief, Rainbow places her goggles over her eyes as she answers with her trademark grin, “Let’s do this!”

It is a magnificent show for the Wonderbolts’s final day on their tour in Cloudsdale. Through synchronizing aerodynamics, the acrobatic team easily wows its audience as they go through some of the Wonderbolts’ signature moves. Soarin captivates the crowd with his death-defying Bronco Tornado. Spitfire awes the spectators with her stunning Rising Phoenix. And last, but certainly not least, Rainbow Dash finishes off the tour with her ultimate crowd-pleaser, the Sonic Rainboom, with a multitude of fireworks accompanying her. Rainbow smiles to herself as she hears the uproarious cheers of her captivated fans. She only wishes for one other pony to see her spectacular performance as well. Unbeknownst to her, a disguised stallion without a Cutie Mark is watching her with glee from afar.

After the final show is over, the Wonderbolts take the time to meet up with their fans at their booths where they sign autographs and take pictures with them. And although Rainbow Dash certainly enjoys all the attention she’s getting, she especially enjoys meeting up with fillies and colts who want to be just like her. It truly warms her heart to know what an inspiration she can be towards kids these days; just like how she was when she was a filly.

“Okay, who’s next?” Rainbow calls out for the next pony.

In front of her stands a mysterious, tall Pegasus with a light bluish coat and a rich blue-colored tail. He is wearing a pair of sunglasses, a Wonderbolt cap, and an official jersey jacket featuring an insignia of Rainbow Dash’s Cutie Mark. Along with his clothes, he is also carrying a saddlebag laid across his back.

“Hello, Rainbow Dash!” he greets to her. “I’m a really big fan of your work by the way!”

“Who else isn’t?” Rainbow smirks to herself as she pulls out a photo of herself from a stack nearby. “So, who do I address this to?” she asked the fan without looking at him while getting her pen ready.

“How about: ‘To my big, strong Mustang from your beautiful, blue angel!’”

Rainbow pauses for a moment with wide eyes as she couldn’t believe her ears. There is only one pony to ever call her by that nickname. She quickly lifts her head up to confirm who this grinning pony is. She had to be sure that it was him! She looks at him closely to verify his features. The coat and tail looks like him. And then there was the jacket. She remembers giving that kind of jacket for her coltfriend’s birthday. Figuring that Rainbow knows who he is by now, the disguised stallion lowers his shades as he reveals his turquoise eyes to her. He winks with a grin before he continues to gaze at the lovely, magenta eyes of his awestruck marefriend.

Rainbow couldn’t believe this! Ford Mustang actually came all this way for her birthday! She is so happy right now, that she couldn’t widen her smile even further than it already has! She wants to leap right across from the table and smother Ford with nothing but hugs and kisses! Unfortunately for her, that will have to wait until later. She has to act professional in front of her fans, colleagues, and patrons.

“Sorry, pal!” she acts very laid-back to Ford as she writes something down on the photograph. “But I’m already seeing somepony else! How about: ‘To my biggest fan! Signed, Rainbow Dash!’”

Rainbow hands the autographed photo to the baffled Ford Mustang. Once he received it, he looks at the photo closely. It didn’t say what Rainbow just said earlier. Instead, it says: “CLOUDSDALE RESORT, ROOM 319 @ 5PM. DON’T BE LATE!”

Once he gets the message, Ford Mustang smiles to himself and says to Rainbow Dash, “Yeah... that will do nicely! Thanks again, Rainbow! Maybe we’ll see each other again!”

After Ford leaves the scene, Rainbow mutters to herself with an all-knowing grin, “Sooner than you think.”

Later that day, Ford Mustang arrives in front of Room 319 at the Cloudsdale Resort. Looking at a clock on a wall nearby, he sees the timepiece’s hands now saying 5 o’clock. Satisfied that he is on time, Ford takes a deep breath and exhales it out gently before knocking on Rainbow Dash’s door.

“Hey, Rainbow! It’s me, Ford Mustang--WOAH!”

In a very quick dash, Rainbow grabs Ford in a heartbeat as she slams the door behind him. In the midst of this aggressive action, his saddlebag falls onto the floor, and Rainbow dives in for a longing kiss from the surprised Ford Mustang. Then, she tosses his startled coltfriend on to the bed and pounces on him like a hungry predator attacking its helpless, cornered prey.

“W-w-wait! Don’t you want to open your present first?” Ford asks shockingly as Rainbow showers his cheek, neck, and chest with quick, passionate kisses.

“I’m doing exactly that, Mustang!” she answers with a hungry grin before removing his hat with her teeth. “Now less talking! More lovemaking!” she orders as she strips off Ford’s prized jacket.

“Yes, ma’am!” Ford responds immediately with arousing joy as he returns her desperate affection with a deeper kiss while his fore hooves caress her juicy flanks, which are still hugged tightly in her sleek, skintight uniform.

“Now where’s that accursed zipper on this thing?!”

Half-an-hour later, a satisfied Rainbow Dash lies on top of Ford Mustang’s chest after finally relieving those agonizing urges she held on to for so long. While she snuggles closely on his neck, Ford is pretty content himself as he gently brushes his marefriend’s colorful mane.

“I can’t believe that you’re actually here!” she says to him ecstatically. “How did you get here? I thought you couldn’t afford a ticket for yourself!”

“I had help from Hindel, my dragon friend!” Ford responds. “You remember him, right?”

“Oh yeah… how could I forget him?” she smirks to herself.

Months ago, inside Hindel’s Cave…

“Uhh… Mustang. Not wanting to complain here, but coming into this deep, dark cave isn’t exactly what I had mind for a romantic get-together.” Rainbow said to Ford with a cocked eyebrow as they walked inside a familiar cave.

“Aww… but I thought you like adding a little excitement to our romantic lifestyle!” he teased her for a bit. “Anyway, I only want to introduce you to my friend, Hindel, and then I’ll take you to safety from this big, spooky cave!” Then, he started making goofy, spooky noises which caused Rainbow to break into a giggling smile.

“Oh, my hero!” she grinned sarcastically. “Whatever will I do without you?”

Eventually, they reached the entrance to the main cavern where Rainbow stared at mountains of gold and jewels right before her awestricken eyes.

“Whoa!” she gasped in awe. “This friend of yours must be loaded! Why would your hermit friend lay out all of his riches in the open like that?”

“Hmm… you know, I’m not really sure why exactly.” Ford replied casually. “You better ask him yourself. Hindel! You awake yet?!”

“RYAAAAAAAAAAWN!!”

The elder dragon rose from his bed of golden coins as he roared out a mighty yawn, which nearly shook the entire chamber he dwelled in. Ford Mustang wasn’t surprised by this, but Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, froze completely in terror as she unintentionally yelped out a fainting goat noise before she toppled onto the ground like the animal she was inadvertently mimicking. Ford puzzled over this as he looked at her paralyzed marefriend next to him.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were dating a goat, Ford.” the blind, perplexed dragon responded from the noise he was picking up earlier.

“That wasn’t funny, Ford!” Rainbow Dash frowns with an immature, pouting face as they continue to lie in bed together while Ford just chuckles to himself. “I thought I was gonna get eaten for a second there!”

To make up for that, Ford just simply gives Rainbow a nice, reassuring peck on her forehead. This helps turn her frown upside down in an instant as she hugs him closely in a very cute manner.

“Still, it was very nice of Hindel to give some of his money for you.” says Rainbow Dash.

“I hope this makes up for not sending you a letter this time.” Ford comments with a bit of worry.

“Ah, don’t sweat it, Ford! You technically didn’t break your promise since you’re now here with me!”

“I’m glad to hear that from you, Rainbow. Because you wouldn’t believe who I ran into before I left for Cloudsdale this morning.”

“Pinkie Pie?” she says with sly smile and a raised eyebrow.

“Pinkie Pie.” he confirms without hesitation.

“Ooh… and how did that go?” she inquires curiously.

“Well…” he thinks back to his encounter with the pinked-colored pony earlier.

YOU PINKIE PROMISED!! Pinkie Pie’s shriek echoes in Ford’s mind.

“It took awhile to convince her…” he speaks again after recovering from that haunting memory. “…but eventually, she forgave me rather quickly once she made my surprise visit as a special exception to my Pinkie Promise.”

“Well in any case, I’m so glad to have you here with me on my birthday!” Rainbow smiles warmly as she continues to cuddle with her coltfriend. “This truly is the best surprise I ever had in a long time!”

Happy to hear that, Ford lifts her chin up gently so he can gaze into Rainbow’s dreamy, magenta eyes and her affectionate smile. Then, he steadily pulls her in for an extended kiss. It starts out softly, but with each passing second, their kiss starts to get rougher than ever. As they continue their latest making-out session, Rainbow quickly glances at an alarm clock on a nightstand nearby. She nearly loses her concentration as she is shocked to see what time is it.

“Oh crap! It’s half past five right now!” she panics after abruptly ending their kiss much to Ford’s disappointment. “Spitfire and the Wonderbolts promised to treat me out to a birthday dinner tonight! We better clean up first!” She gets up from the bed and starts to hover towards the bathroom.

“Hey, I just thought of something!” she speaks up enthusiastically as she turns her attention to the stallion lying on the bed. “Since you’re already here, we can stay in Cloudsdale for a bit longer! Tomorrow, I want you to meet somepony important who is just as cool and awesome as I am!”

“And who would that be, Rainbow?” he asks with a curious smile.

“My dad, of course!” she replies excitedly before entering the bathroom and turning on the shower.

Ford freezes in place with a wide-eyed expression as a new fear grips him in place. He’s never met her dad before. He doesn’t even know what to expect from him since her dad only made a brief appearance in one episode back when he was a human, who used to enjoy the animated series based off of the world he lives in now.

“Ooh, Ford!” a wet-haired Rainbow Dash snaps him out of his fear-gripping trance in a very alluring voice as she looks at him with dreamy grin. “Are you going to sit there and stare into space all day, or would you rather hit the showers with me and find something worth staring at?”

Instantly, his fear is quickly diminished as it’s replaced with blissful arousal over Rainbow Dash’s open invitation.

“Coming!” Ford calls out to her merrily as he flutters swiftly to his awaiting, dripping-wet marefriend, so they can take a very nice, hot shower together.

Oh yeah! Her dad is SO going to kill me by the end of tomorrow!

Chapter 3 – Meeting Rainbow Dash’s Father

After finishing their lunch at one of Cloudsdale’s cafés, Rainbow Dash and Ford Mustang fly off together to meet up with her dad in one of the cloud city’s floating neighborhood regions. While Rainbow is overly excited to see her father, Ford is feeling otherwise. The closer they get to her dad’s house, the more nervous he becomes. Rainbow takes a glance at her worried coltfriend and sees how he has been slowing his speed down gradually. Noticing this, she slows herself down to match with Ford’s pace as she begins to comfort him.

“You okay back there, Ford?” she asks concernedly.

“Oh yeah, sure! Why wouldn’t I be?” he responds nervously with sarcastic wit. “I’m about to meet up with your dad for the first time! What stallion doesn’t want to see the father of the mare he is dating right now?”

“Look, you’ve got nothing to worry about!” she giggles over Ford’s nervous antics. “My dad is like the coolest parent ever! Besides, I’ve told him all about you through my letters to him!”

“Has he said anything about me through his letters?” he inquires with a small, hopeful smile.

“Hmm… not that I can recall.” she ponders on that. “All I can remember is that he can’t wait to meet you!”

“Hmph! That’s what he wants you to think!” he cautions in an exaggerative manner. “To make you think he can act all compassionate and understanding towards me! And once you’re not in the same room as us… BAM! Consider yourself a single mare once more!”

Rainbow just smiles as she shakes her head to herself before saying, “You really must have watched too many movies back on your homeworld! Stop worrying about it! You’ll warm up to him! You’ll see!”

“Actually, that’s what I am worried about!” Ford continues to fret over this. “I wasn’t born as a pony! I was born as a human and transformed into a pony! I’m pretty much nothing more than a pretender in this world! What if your father finds out about that? What if… he hates me for that?”

“He won’t hate you, Ford! I know he won’t! And even if he does hate you, I won’t give up on you just because of my father’s disapproval! I will never do that to you, Mustang!” As she reassures she flies closely by his side as his worries begin to diminish.

“I know you won’t, Rainbow.” he says affectionately to Rainbow before kissing her warmly on the cheek. “And that’s one of many reasons why I love you so much! So anyway, can you tell me a little about your father? It will make me feel better if I get a general idea on what this guy is like.”

“Oh yeah, sure! Well first off, my dad’s name is Turbo Dash! He was one of the greatest racers in Equestrian history! And not just as a flyer! He was an accomplished racer on the ground as well, rivaling with the fastest Earth Ponies and Horses of Saddle Arabia! At his prime, he rose to the top in so many different races!”

“That’s amazing, Rainbow! So, what’s he doing right now?”

“Well, he’s a weather pony manager at one of the cloud factories here on Cloudsdale, but often times, he would volunteer as an instructor for flight camps!”

“What?” Ford puzzles after hearing this. “I figure he would either retire or become a full-time coach for the next speedsters! What led him to give up everything he had?”

“When he married my mom, Firefly.” Rainbow answers with a warm, reminiscing smile.

Things start to become quiet between the two flying Pegasi. Rainbow Dash rarely told Ford Mustang anything about her mother before, so he never pressured her into that matter. But seeing how they were going to meet up with her dad, Ford couldn’t help himself as his curiosity got the best of him.

“Can you tell me something about your mother as well?” he asks cautiously.

“Well… I… Oh, wait! We’re here!” she manages to change the subject quickly as she gleefully points out her former home.

Up ahead is Turbo Dash’s home, which is much bigger than any of the other houses around the neighborhood. Of course, it’s not like a mansion or anything like that, but still, it’s a very luxurious house to look at. Through Ford's eyes, it’s like looking at a miniature version of Rome’s Pantheon, with its domed, golden roof as part of the main structure of the house.

“Look, when we see him…” Rainbow says to the anxious Ford as they land on her dad’s cloudy yard. “…you don’t have to tell him anything about your human past. I’ll help cover that up for you. Just follow my lead and everything will be smooth sailing from here.” she finishes it with a confident grin.

They walk over to the door, and Ford makes a heavy gulp while Rainbow rings the doorbell. Soon enough, the door is briskly opened, and stepping outside is her grin-bearing father, Turbo Dash, an older, yet well-toned Pegasus with a soft-pastel blue coat, a short, wild mane, and a cropped tail. The latter two features share the same color pattern as his daughter. And lastly, his Cutie Mark features a simple cloud with a couple of red and yellow rays beaming out of it.

“Well, look who it is!” he smiles greatly at his daughter’s arrival.

“Hi, dad!” Rainbow responds with an emotional smile.

“So… aren’t you going give me a hug already, or are you just too cool to do that anymore?” her grinning dad says with opening fore hooves. Without another word, Rainbow leaps into her father’s hooves as he embraces her with tight, warm hug while kissing her on the cheek.

“And how’s my favorite Wonderbolt doing?” he asks in the midst of their embrace.

“Oh, you know me!” Rainbow replies in her cool and casual manner. “Kicking tail! Taking names! Showing off how awesome I am! You know, the usual!”

“That’s my Dashie!” Turbo Dash chuckles heartily as he ruffles her daughter’s colorful mane.

“You better cut that out, dad, or else you’re gonna get it!” she giggles as she tries to swat her dad’s fore hoof away from her hair.

“Oh yeah? Make me, squirt!” he provokes her daughter as he continues to ruffle her hair some more.

“That’s it!” Rainbow exclaims as she pounces on Turbo onto the cloudy surface. As father and daughter engage in their wrestling match, all Ford could do is just stand there speechlessly as he watches them tussling with one and another. In the midst of watching the match unfold before him, he breaks into a giggling smile as he sees his marefriend gnawing on her dad’s ear like a lion cub would do to her feline parent.

“Oh. you’re gonna get it now! Come here!” Turbo declares with a determined grin as he swiftly turns the tables around by pinning Rainbow Dash onto her side. Then, he extends out his left feathery wing and begins to brush lightly on Rainbow’s midriff. Once she starts to feel that awful tickling sensation, she bites her lips to prevent herself from giggling at this unfair tactic. Of course, Turbo is just getting started as his feathers pick up speed and ferocity while they continue to tickle Rainbow without mercy. Finally, she breaks into uncontrollable laughter as she desperately squirms out of this situation, but her father pinned her good, and she isn’t going anywhere.

“Wait! Stop! I… give up!” she begs to her father in the midst of her laughing. “Uncle! Uncle!”

“Sorry, Dashie!” her dad smirks as he carries on her daughter’s ticklish torment. “Your uncle isn’t here to save you now! Just admit that I’m more awesome than you, and I’ll let you go!’

“N-n-never! NEVER!” she defies her father as she continues to bear against this kind of torture.

“Eh, suit yourself!” Turbo shrugs as he continues to tickle her without mercy.

As Turbo tickles her daughter to no end, he briefly looks up and inadvertently glances at Ford Mustang. Once he notices that he and Rainbow Dash are not alone, Turbo immediately stops their game as he stares at the awkward-smiling, blue-haired stallion. After Rainbow finally catches her breath from the exhausted tickling she was enduring, she also realizes that Ford was watching them the entire time. Both father and daughter share a discomforting blush on their faces as the three Pegasi look at each other during this awkward moment of silence.

“Oh… sorry!” Turbo says embarrassingly as he gets up. “I… didn’t realize you brought over company!

Rainbow Dash follows suit before she begins introductions. “Oh, right! I nearly forgot about that! Dad, I would like for you to meet my coltfriend, Ford Mustang. Ford, this is my dad, Turbo Dash.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Dash… sir.” Ford says timidly as he extends a friendly hoof.

“Please, call me Turbo. Of course, if you call me Dashie, I’ll have to kill you.” he grins deviously as he firmly shakes Ford’s fore hoof.

Ford couldn’t decide if Turbo Dash was kidding or not as he makes a difficult gulp in his throat, so he responds with a nervous smile, “I’ll… be sure to keep that in mind, Turbo.” Seeing the tense expression on Ford’s face causes Turbo to have a brief chuckle for himself.

“Anyway, come in already!” Turbo insists the two younger Pegasi with a warm welcome. “I’m sure we’ve got a lot to talk about!”

Inside the house of Turbo Dash, Ford Mustang and Rainbow Dash sit together on one of the comfy couches in the living room. Across a coffee table, Rainbow’s father sits on the other couch as he faces the two. While father and daughter engage in casual conversations to catch up with one and another, Ford mostly just sits there silently as he attentively listens to their stories.

“You’ve been awfully quiet, Mustang.” Turbo Dash gets Ford’s attention, which nearly startles him. “Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?”

“Well…” Ford speaks in mild hesitation. “I live in Ponyville right now, mostly maintaining Rainbow Dash’s house while she’s away. But I also work there as one of the weather ponies down there. It’s a pretty active and enjoyable job for me.”

“But he’s also an artist too!” Rainbow adds beamingly. “I mean, I’m not the one who takes the time to visit art museums every now and then, but Ford is really talented! He even made me this awesome portrait of me for my birthday last year!”

“Oh, you’re just saying that because you’re my marefriend!” he blushes with a smile for her compliments.

“Well, that’s true, but I’m certainly not exaggerating about your art skills either!” Rainbow confirms tenderly when she kisses Ford’s cheek. “Oh, tell him about what you’ve made for Ditzy Doo on Mother’s Day!” she insists eagerly as she rocks Ford’s foreleg.

“Oh, alright!” Mustang complies before reminiscing on that special day. “Well you see, Dinky Doo heard about me when Rainbow Dash came over to visit Ditzy Doo one day. So, her daughter met up with me and asked me to help make something special for her mother. She even brought out all of her money to pay me for this special project. Seeing how very sweet she was, I declined her bits and only asked a dozen of her mother’s delicious muffins as payment. So on Mother’s Day, I helped Dinky by creating a portrait featuring the two together. Dinky was the one to present her gift to her mom since it was her idea to begin with. It was… quite touching to see those two together! As a bonus for my service, I received a baker’s dozen, making a total of 13 scrumptious blueberry muffins! Mmmm! Best project ever!” he finishes his recollection while licking his lips.

“That’s quite thoughtful of you, Ford, to do something like that for somepony on Mother’s Day!” Turbo Dash smiles greatly after hearing that. “By the way, considering how talented you are, how come you haven’t earned your Cutie Mark yet?”

Ford freezes in place with wide eyes as he isn’t sure how to answer that question. Mostly he didn’t take into consideration about of his missing Cutie Mark since he gave up that pursuit a while ago when he and Rainbow Dash started dating.

“Oh, don’t tease him like that, dad!” Rainbow fortunately covers up Ford’s surprised hesitation. “You know you can’t rush these things! Cutie Marks just happen when they happen! Ford’s just waiting for his perfect moment to shine! Then he’ll get that Cutie Mark for sure! You’ll see!” she winks at Ford, who in return smiles gratefully to his marefriend.

“Okay then… where are you from exactly?” her dad asks his next question.

“Why… he’s… from… Mustangia!” Rainbow answers for a puzzling Ford once more. “Yeah, Mustangia! You know, that’s why Ford’s surname is Mustang! ‘Cause he’s… a Mustangian himself! It’s so far out on the other side of Equestria that you probably never have heard of it before!”

“Mustangia?” Is that even a real place, or is she just making that up for me? Ford ponders to himself confusingly.

“Come on, Dashie!” he all-knowingly grins to his daughter. “Who do you think you’re talking to? I was a world-class racer, remember? Of course I know all about Mustangia!” His answer is a shocking revelation to both Ford and Rainbow. “It’s one of the coolest cities I’ve ever been to! The beaches, the food, and sights to see! Oh, how I miss that place! It’s been forever since I flew over there! So, tell me Ford, what’s it like growing up over there?”

Unsure on how to cover this one up, Rainbow looks at Ford to see what he can come up with, so now it was his turn to think of something. “Well… you see I… I… sigh… I can’t do this.” Ford admits in discomforting defeat. Upon hearing this, Turbo’s usual grin starts to disappear as he becomes bewildered by the other stallion’s statement.

“Ford, don’t--!” Rainbow insists to him in a quiet voice.

“It’s okay, Rainbow.” he faces her with an reassuring smile as he lays his fore hoof on top of hers. “I already lied once about myself to you. It won’t be fair for me to do that again to you or to your father as well.” Unsure at first, she nods lightly to Ford before he turns his head to look at Turbo Dash in the eye, who’s bearing an impassive but concerning expression on his face.

“You see Turbo Dash, I’m… not entirely a pony.” Ford confesses uneasily with mild hesitation.

“‘Not entirely a pony?’ Wait… are you a changeling or something?” Turbo inquires puzzlingly.

“No no! I’m not a changeling at all!” Ford dismisses that before sinking back into a timidly humble manner while confessing the truth. “Although… I was a different species before I became… this. You see, sir… I was once a human from another world over a year ago. But somehow, I was mysteriously transported into Equestria as well as transformed into the Pegasus you see before you. It was around that point where I met your daughter, Rainbow Dash, for the first time. She has been very kind to me over my stay in Equestria while she was also helping me adjusting to my new life as a Pegasus. And overtime, we fell in love with each other. I was given a choice to go back to my homeworld, but I chose to stay here so I can be with Rainbow Dash for as long as I can. And I never looked back ever since then.”

His finished confession is awarded with cyan wing wrapped around his back as Rainbow tenderly nuzzles with Ford for telling the truth to her father. After their brief nuzzling, both of them stare at Turbo Dash as they wonder what his reaction might be to all of this. Turbo still had a stoic expression as he shifts his gaze between the young couple and then at the floor. Silently, he gets up from his couch and steadily hovers into the kitchen area. In the midst of Turbo’s absence, Rainbow is assuredly thinking that her dad just needs some time to think this over. Ford, on the other hand, is dreadfully fearing that Turbo’s just sharpening and brandishing the largest kitchen knife he could find before he returns to threaten him out of his house… or worse!

“Oh, Rainbow!” Turbo calls out to his daughter sweetly as he comes back to the living room while carrying twin saddlebags meant for shopping purposes and a piece of paper indicating a list of groceries. “I hate to ask you this since you’re the birthday girl, but do you mind picking up some groceries for me? I’m planning on a big dinner tonight, and you’re fastest Pegasus that I know of who can help me get the job done!”

She and her coltfriend puzzle a bit by this unexpected request before she replies, “Umm… okay, sure! Do you mind if Ford comes along?”

“Actually, I was hoping to have a one-on-one talk with your coltfriend here. You know, stallion to stallion.” Turbo grins and winks to his daughter.

Oh boy, this is exactly what I was afraid of! Ford dreads to himself from predicting this fearful outcome.

After Rainbow Dash packs the list into her empty saddlebags and straps them across her back, she walks over to Ford Mustang, who looks at her with pleading eyes. If looks can speak for themselves, Ford’s eyes would be saying to her, “Please don’t leave me alone with him!”

Somehow, Rainbow could understand that look of his as she leans forward to give a nice, reassuring peck on the cheek before saying to him softly, “Don’t worry, Mustang. I won’t take long. I promise.”

Reluctantly, Rainbow leaves the two stallions alone as she heads outside to swiftly take care of her chores. Once the door is closed, Ford briefly stares at the last, empty spot that Rainbow Dash was standing in before she left. After he breaks out of his trance, Ford slowly turns his attention to the peculiarly smiling face of his host, Turbo Dash. In return, the younger stallion smiles awkwardly in the midst of the silence he trapped himself in.

“So… Ford.” Turbo breaks the discomforting silence between them. “Wanna have a drink with me?”

“Umm… sure.” Ford replies timidly. “What do you have in mind?”

“Well, I’ve made some fresh raspberry lemonade recently. Would you care for a glass?”

“Oh, yes please!” Ford agrees with thirsty anticipation.

After a stroll through the kitchen, Turbo brings a tray consisting of two glasses and a pitcher of rosy-colored lemonade filled with ice cubes, slices of lemons, and raspberries. He lays the tray on the coffee table and pours a glass before handing it over to Ford. After pouring a glass for himself, Turbo reassumes his seat as each of them takes a refreshing sip of their beverages.

“Wow! This is quite delicious, Turbo!” Ford comments the sweet and zesty drink. “You certainly can’t buy this from a store!”

“I’m glad you like it!” Turbo responds kindly to the compliment. “Help yourself for some more!”

“Thanks!” Ford says appreciatively to his host.

After he finishes his first drink, Mustang reaches for the pitcher and pours himself another glass before taking another gracious gulp of his lemonade. After satisfying his taste buds, he takes a moment to think of something on what he wants to say to Rainbow Dash’s father. The only thing he can think of is something that’s probably really absurd, but it’s better than nothing he guesses.

“Umm… Turbo?” Ford begins to ask.

“Hmm?”

“You’re not going to show me your collection of authentic and deadly weapons, are you?” he asks with a nervous smile.

“Of course not!” Turbo chuckles greatly on Ford’s vivid imagination. “Where would you get an idea like that?” This helps relax Ford for a change as both of the stallion share a hearty laugh.

“But I do have a collection of all the martial tournaments I’ve won in the past!” Ford’s laughter ceases immediately after hearing Turbo’s claim. “It’s been a while, but I can still pull off some seriously slick moves! Care for a demonstration, Mustang?” Turbo asks with a sinister grin.

After a bit hesitation, Ford answers with a nervous chuckle, “Uhh… maybe some other time.” Seeing Ford on edge causes Turbo to break into a playful grin before they continue to enjoy their refreshments.

Nearly done with what’s left with their lemonade, Turbo speaks up again, “Anyway, Ford. May I ask you something?”

“Mm-hmm.” Ford responds simply as he sips his drink.

“Why do you think you deserve to be with my daughter?” Turbo asks steadfastly.

PFFT!

The startled Ford Mustang nearly coughs up his drink as he instinctively covers his mouth before swallowing what’s left. Once the burning, sour sensation starts to die down in his throat and nose, he starts to catch his breath from this surprising interrogation.

“I’m sorry?!” he asks unsurely to Turbo’s sudden questioning.

“Why do you think you deserve to be with my daughter?” he enunciates once again.

“I… don’t quite understand the question, sir.” Ford responds tensely.

“Just answer it as best as you can for me.” Turbo insists softly.

Ford Mustang takes a glance to study Turbo Dash’s expression. His face is impassive to tell, but it didn’t display any distrust or resentment towards the younger Pegasus. After that, he takes a while to collect his thoughts before he can try to answer the question. In the midst of his thoughts, Ford slowly finishes the rest of his drink before setting it down on the coffee table. Once he quenched his thirst, Ford is ready to answer Turbo's riddle.

“Well… the truth is… I don’t think I deserve her.” Ford admits sincerely. “I count myself lucky to able to date somepony as wonderful as her! She has her usual characteristics such as bravery, athleticism, loyalty, and brashness, but as we were getting to know each other, I discover new characteristics about her. She’s an attentive listener, a kind caregiver, and an encouraging supporter. Everything that makes her who she is today is why I still adore her so much.” He smiles tenderly as he recollects those heartwarming memories to himself. “Eventually, when I was given the chance to go back home, I was in such a turmoil with myself that I almost broke her heart in the process. I would’ve never forgiven myself if it wasn’t for my new friends for making me realize how important Rainbow Dash really is to me. Once I told Rainbow about my true feelings for her as well as the truth about myself, I was surprised to find out that she also loves me and accepts me for who I am. And ever since then, I have never been happier to have her into my life.” Once his recollection is over, Ford looks Turbo right in the eye as he finishes his speech with absolute conviction. “I love her, sir, and she loves me as well. And I won’t give her up for anything, not even if anypony tells me otherwise.”

After hearing what Ford had to say, Turbo just raises an eyebrow as he asks stoically, “Not even if that pony is her own father?”

“Especially you, sir.” Ford replies without a doubt in his heart. Turbo Dash is slightly surprised by Ford’s resolve as he blinks his startled eyes a few times. Then, his face returns to its impassive state as he bears a tiny smile for himself.

“Well then…” Turbo say casually as he places his glass on the table. “I have only one thing to say to that…”

Steadily, he gets up from his seat and approaches Mustang very leisurely. As Turbo stares down at the seated stallion, the determined Ford Mustang feels a bead of sweat running down his neck as he prepares for the worst to come.

In a flash, Turbo pulls Ford out of his seat and surprisingly gives him a big hug before confirming to him with a wide grin, “Welcome to the family, Ford Mustang!”

Confused by this sudden affection, Ford startlingly responds, “Wh-wh-what?!”

Taking a break from his bear hug, Turbo looks at the startled Pegasus as he continues with a chuckling grin. “You know, from what Dashie has told me, I once imagined that you were just a big softie! But now I see that you’ve got guts to go with that big heart of yours!” he says as he gives a light hoof bump to Ford’s chest.

“Y-you don’t mind if I was once a human before?” Ford stammers inquiringly.

“Of course not! I wouldn’t care if you were a human, pony, griffon, or even a changeling! As long as you make my daughter happy, then I’m happy!”

“So… does that mean you’ll accept me?” Ford asks hopefully.

“More than that, Mustang! I’ll even give you my blessings into asking her to marry you!” Turbo Dash commends with glee.

Caught off guard by Turbo’s unexpected approval, Ford flabbergasts, “W-w-wait, how did you know I was planning to propose to her?!”

“Call it a ‘father’s intuition.’” he winks at his possibly future son-in-law.

Ford Mustang takes a moment to collectively process all that has happened in just a few minutes. Once he finally grasps this startling revelation, he breaks into a most grateful smile before he returns the affection by firmly hugging Turbo back as he says to him appreciatively, “Th-thank you, Turbo! You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that from you!”

“You’re welcome, Ford!” Turbo responds as he pats Ford on the shoulder. Once Ford finishes his hug, they both take seats on the same couch.

“I don’t know if Dashie ever told you about this before…” Turbo shares something with the younger stallion. “…but she didn’t have much self-esteem for seeing herself as attractive as most of the other mares when she went to high school. Personally, I think the colts were just jealous of her top-athletic prowess. But either way, some of the students used to tease her greatly based off her appearance and characteristics. I’m sure you can guess some of the insults they would sling at her for somepony with rainbow hair and a tomboyish attitude.”

“I can only imagine a few of them, sir.” Ford admits quietly without even wanting to go over the list of cruel names.

“Eventually, she would just shrug them off, but I think all that teasing might have left a greater impact on her own self-image as a mare.” Turbo continues. “That’s why I assumed she would always focus on her goal as a Wonderbolt, so that way she could keep herself preoccupied without having to worry about pursuing a relationship.”

After a brief sigh, Turbo smiles warmly as he resumes his reminiscing. “But since the last few months, whenever I talked to her or read one of her letters, she would tell me more about you than how she was doing as a Wonderbolt. It was unbelievable to hear that from her! The mare who is now the rising star of the team she wanted to join since she was a filly was gushing over her new coltfriend! I can’t tell you tell how much I’ve looked forward upon meeting with you, Ford Mustang, and I want to personally thank you for making my little girl so happy right now!”

“Umm… happy to be of service, Turbo.” Mustang smiles humbly for all the praise he was receiving.

“Just promise me one thing, Ford.”

“Anything, sir.”

With a gentle hoof resting on Ford’s shoulder, Turbo gazes at him with pleading eyes as he requests softly, “Take good care of my little girl for me, will you? She’s all that I have left right now.”

Hearing how heartbreaking Turbo sounded of all a sudden, Ford can imagine all the emotion pain Turbo Dash had to go through in order to raise Rainbow Dash as the beloved mare she has become up to this point; probably had to do with something regarding with her mother.

Determined to not let him down, Ford crosses a foreleg over his heart as he makes a solid vow to Rainbow’s father, “Turbo Dash, I would gladly give my life for her if it ever comes to that! I promise to look after her no matter what!”

Content upon hearing that unwavering answer, Turbo strongly embraces Ford once more as he is thankfully to know that his daughter will be well taken care of.

After their latest hug, Turbo asks Ford with mischievous smirk, “Well, since we have some time to kill… want to look at some embarrassing pictures of Rainbow Dash when she was a filly?”

Ford blinks his eyes as he puzzlingly stares at Turbo Dash upon that devious suggestion, but then, he breaks into an enormous grin as wide as Turbo’s as he answers, “…Absolutely!”

“Dad! Mustang! I’m home!” Rainbow Dash shouts out loud while entering the house with her saddlebags full of groceries. “Sorry it took so long! The lines at that store were terrible! You would think they would even bother to open up another register at that point!”

After she finishes her complaining, Rainbow is surprised to hear the unusually dead silence in the house. But then, her ears perk up a bit as they catch a strange noise coming from the living room.

Wait… are they… laughing? Rainbow puzzles to herself. Why would they be laughing together? Unless... OH NO. she gasps at this dreadful realization.

After her twin saddlebags drop onto the cloudy floor, Rainbow speedily flies into the living room. Once she sees her father and Ford Mustang sitting on the couch together, she gasps in fear as she blushes immensely while the two stallions continue to chuckle with one and another. It’s just as she feared: her dad is merrily going over her baby pictures from their family photo album with her greatly amused coltfriend!

“Ah! Here’s one of my favorites: Little Dashie eating her spaghetti when she was just a foal!” Turbo points to another picture showing a cute, smiling foal version of Rainbow Dash slobbering over her bowl of messy spaghetti.

“That’s no surprise!” Ford smirks to himself. “She still eats like that whenever we would have spaghetti together!”

“Does she still make those adorable slurps of hers?”

“Oh yeah!”

“Ha-ha! Like father, like daughter!”

After sharing another laugh together, the two bonding stallions finally take notice of Rainbow’s startled and embarrassed presence.

“Oh hi, Rainbow!” Turbo greets her daughter casually. “Glad you could make it!”

“Dad?! What are you doing?!” Rainbow blushingly demands while taking a seat next to Ford Mustang.

“What does it look like, kiddo?” her father replies with a nonchalant grin. “I’m doing what any father would do: showing my daughter’s coltfriend some embarrassing pictures of you!” Suddenly, he is distracted by another favorable picture. “Oh, here’s a classic! Getting Dashie to have one of her first bathtimes! Boy, was she a hassle back then!”

Ford and Rainbow lean in as they see a photo of a struggling cyan-colored filly Pegasus with short, spiny, rainbow-colored hair as she splashes and squirms out of her father’s grasp while forcing her to take a bubbly bath. Ford just awes at another cute picture while Rainbow groans heavily with an intensely glowing blush on her face.

“Funny, that doesn’t sound like my Rainbow Dash! My Dashie just loves taking baths!” Ford empathizes teasingly to his blushing marefriend with an alluring voice.

Recalling yesterday from their steamy shower together, Rainbow’s face becomes as red as the colored streak in her hair; both from being reminded of that intimate moment they’ve shared and from being mad at Ford for even bring that up subtly in front of her dad. In retaliation, Rainbow gives a swift and merciless punch to Mustang’s right shoulder. Despite the immense soreness in his bruised upper foreleg, Ford just keeps grinning to himself as he is certain that it was totally worth it.

“Oh, you’re gonna love this! This is something I will always treasure!” Turbo exclaims grinningly as he flips to the next page of his album.

“Oh no… dad, please! Don’t show him that! I’m begging you! Anything but that!” Rainbow pleads significantly. But her words fell onto deaf ears as Ford gasps with wide eyes and a broad smile while looking at the next picture.

“Oh my Celestia! Is that what I think it is?!” Ford smiles in disbelief.

“Yep!” Turbo confirms with a smirk. “Rainbow Dash performing her first ballet recital while wearing a tutu!”

“NOOOOOOOOOO!” Rainbow cries out in agony over the reveal of her darkest secret as Ford couldn’t help himself but laugh non-stop at the unbelievably cute picture of Little Dashie doing her ballet performance.

“I can’t believe you would show him that! I was only young and naïve back then!” she whines to her dad, who is fighting a very bad case of the giggles by Rainbow’s melodramatic reaction.

“D’awwwww… but I think you look so cute in that!” Ford coos teasingly to his blushing marefriend as he pulls her in closer with a wrapped wing. “Besides, you looked like you were enjoying yourself too!”

“I don’t know why you’re so embarrassed by this!” the grinning father remarks. “The instructors said you were one of their best sky dancers they have ever seen! Though granted, they had to put up a lot of work for you to cooperate with everypony.”

“You promised you wouldn’t show that to anypony else except family members only!” she frowns at her dad with an accusing hoof pointing at him.

“Well, Ford Mustang is pretty much part of the family now, isn’t he?” Turbo smirks knowingly.

This catches Ford and Rainbow by surprise as they look each other for a bit. Almost simultaneously, they bear tender smiles for each other as she leans her head on his shoulder while Ford leans his head against her colorful mane.

“Y-y-yeah… I guess.” she mutters with a light, affectionate blush, which earned her a nice kiss on her forehead from her deeply-touched coltfriend.

And so from there, Turbo Dash and Ford Mustang are gleefully getting along just fine as they continue to look over the family album together. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, agonizes immensely over these embarrassing photos as she hides her intensely red face beneath one of the couch’s pillows. Suddenly, she’s starts to think to herself that bring Ford along to meet with her father was a bad idea to begin with.

Author's Note

Admittedly, I had a difficult time choosing a good name for Rainbow Dash's father. For some reason, I tried to think of names that go with the word "Rocket", but I stopped brainstorming on that one because Equestria hasn't made any form of rockets at that time, especially those that travel into space or at least are used as a means for travel. Probably the closest thing they have to a rocket is fireworks. I also thought about "Sonic Dash", but that seems too reminscient to Sonic the Hedgehog, especially with the amount of crossovers the fans have done with Rainbow Dash & Sonic.

There was one name I really wish I can use: Bifrost. For those that don't know, in Norse Mythology, the Bifrost is a magical rainbow bridge that extends from Asgard (the Realm of the Gods) to Midgard (Earth, basically). It would be so fitting and cool for Rainbow's dad to have that name referencing to the mythology. Anyway, someone already used that name for Rainbow's father in "Fire & Rain" by Ruirik. It would seem rather unfair for me to use that name from one of my favorite stories, so I stuck with "Turbo Dash."

Chapter 4 – One More Visit

“Hey Mustang! How are the veggies coming along?” Turbo Dash asks his newly appointed sous-chef as he starts sautéing the onions and garlic in a frying pan.

“All chopped and ready to be cooked, Turbo!” Ford salutes to his head chef after laying down the chef’s knife aside.

It’s late in the afternoon, and Ford Mustang just finished his task of cutting the remaining vegetables after stacking the cutting board with a colorful, chopped variety of eggplants, bell peppers, squashes, and tomatoes. Together with Turbo Dash, they are making ratatouille as the main dish for Rainbow Dash’s birthday dinner.

“Not bad, Ford!” Turbo praises him. “You’re certainly quite a chef, aren’t you?”

“Speak for yourself, Turbo!” Ford comments right back. “You can probably give some high-class chefs a run for their money!”

“Well, when you raise an aspiring filly like my Dashie, cooking meals such as this tends to become a must-have for any single father such as myself!”

“Speaking of which, where is Rainbow?” Ford asks as he looks around the room. “I haven’t seen her in awhile.”

“Oh, she’s… visiting somepony important today.” Turbo hesitates on his answer.

“Who?”

“...Her mother.”

Ford instinctively clamps his lips shut after the mention of Rainbow’s mother. In the midst of the disturbingly dead silence, the younger Pegasus keeps his uncomfortable gaze away from Turbo’s as the older Pegasus continues to stir up the soon-to-be-delectable dish.

“Ford?” Turbo breaks the silence gently.

“Uhh… y-y-yes?” he stammers in response.

“Could you pass me the eggplant and thyme?”

“Oh! S-sure!” Ford says startlingly as he separates the sliced eggplant from the large cutting board before passing the purple vegetable along with the thyme to Turbo. For the next step, the head chef adds the two ingredients to the frying pan before continuing his stirring.

“I don’t think Rainbow ever told you about her, did she?” Turbo inquires while he is still focused on his cooking.

“It… wasn’t my place to ask something like that from her.” Ford responds softly.

“It’s okay, Ford, and I appreciate that.” Turbo gently smiles at him.

“Is it… alright if I ask you then?”

“Go ahead, Ford.”

After a brief moment of hesitation, Ford finally asks, “What happened to Firefly?”

Turbo didn’t answer right away. He took a moment to compose himself before answering Ford’s question impassively, “She died during childbirth.”

“I’m… truly sorry, sir.” Ford says as best as he could to humbly offer his sympathies to Turbo. “I honestly can’t imagine how hard it was for both of you.”

In response, Turbo Dash just smiles and nods at Ford before going back to his cooking.

In a minute of unsettling quietness, Ford speaks once again, “May I ask just one more question?”

“Sure.”

“How did you manage into raising such a wonderful daughter all by yourself?”

Turbo takes a moment to think on his answer before he replies with uncertainty. “It’s… kind of hard for me to explain.”

“You don’t have to say anything--!” Ford tries to take back his previous question hastily.

“That’s not exactly what I meant, Ford.” Turbo chuckles a little at Ford’s confusion. “What I mean is that… it’s kind of difficult for me to describe it for you. How can I put this…? In a way… Firefly hasn’t truly disappeared from this world.”

“How so?”

“Because I kept her alive in my memories.” Turbo Dash smiles to himself softly before he reminisces his past to Ford.

“When Firefly died that day, I was truly a wreck with myself. My life felt so empty without her warming presence. I practically didn’t care just about anything since that unforgettable day.

Until one day, when I was wallowing in my own misery, I heard somepony else crying. I realized that it was my newly born daughter who was crying. Immediately, I rushed to her crib, and did my best to comfort my poor, baby girl. As she started to calm down, Dashie made the most adorable and beautiful smile I have ever did see. The way she was smiling at her daddy made me think back to all those wonderful memories I’ve shared with Firefly. Just seeing that tender smile helped me rekindled my appreciation for life once more. And from that smile, I saw a little resemblance of my dear, sweet Firefly. I swore to myself on that day, both to Rainbow and to Firefly, that not only was I going to be the best father for our little girl, but I was going to keep my memories of Firefly alive and well no matter what!

And so, life began anew! I shaped myself up! I took on more responsibilities than I could have ever had imagined such as cooking, cleaning, and financing! I was so determined to not let my Firefly down after all she has done by bring forth our newfound bundle of joy into my life!

Eventually, when Dashie was a little older, she asked the inevitable question on what happened to her mommy. Reluctantly, I told her the truth about Firefly. At first, she was really sad, not just from the fact that her mom was gone, but she believed that it was her fault that Firefly passed away. I made certain that Rainbow understood that it was never her fault, and that Firefly would give anything to have her brought into this world because of how much she loved her so much. As a way to make her feel better, I would tell her stories all relating with her mother: how we met, what were her greatest accomplishments in her lifetime, how we fell in love, and how much we wanted to start our own family together. Soon enough, it became one of our favorite pastimes together before we went to bed as I regale to my Lil’ Dashie on more and more stories about her mother.”

“It certainly was a lot of hard work for both of us to get by without Firefly, but in the end, it was well worth it to see what an astounding mare Rainbow Dash has become now!” Turbo Dash concludes with a fulfilling smile.

After attentively listening to Turbo’s story, Ford just smiles warmly to himself as a few tears escape from his watery eyes. “That was… quite beautiful, Turbo.” he says to the older Pegasus while wiping away his tears. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

“Hey, now! Why are you crying all of a sudden?” Turbo teases with a small chuckle as he rubs something from his eyes as well. “If you start crying, you’re gonna get me crying too!”

“I’m… not crying!” Ford retorts with a chuckling smile as he continues to rub away his remaining tears. “It’s… those blasted onions! They’re stinging my eyes!”

“Y-Yeah! Damn onions! Why do we even eat these things if all they ever do is make us our eyes watery whenever we cut them?!”

Ford takes awhile to come up with his answer, until eventually he finally says, “Because they taste so good with just about anything we cook them in?”

Turbo startlingly stares at Ford before he laughs out-loudly and responding with a grin, “Damn right they do!” The two stallions share a good laugh together before they reassume with their cooking. For their next step, Ford hands over the sliced tomatoes, peppers, and squashes to Turbo, and the self-appointed head chef places them in the frying pan before stirring them.

“Say, Ford…” says Turbo Dash after adding the required spices to the dish.

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you go see Rainbow Dash right now? I’ve got it from here.”

Ford is surprised to hear Turbo suggest that. He isn’t sure if that’s a good idea or not. “I… I don’t know, Turbo.” he responds uncertainly. “Wouldn’t she want to be by herself for now?”

“Trust me, Mustang.” Turbo turns his head before giving Ford an approving smile. “She would really appreciate it if you were there with her.”

Ford takes a while to think about this, but eventually with a soft smile, he nods and says to Turbo, “Okay then… where may I find her?”

After being given directions, Ford Mustang swiftly makes his way to Rainbow Dash’s current location under the partly-cloudy sky as the divine rays of light ranging between yellow and orange shine through the purple clouds. Luckily, it isn’t that far from Turbo’s house compared to Cloudsdale.

In the corner of the neighborhood region, Ford spots his destination: the memorial garden. This place is far different than what Ford has expected for a traditional cemetery. From what he has heard from Turbo Dash, Pegasi don’t usually bury their dead on the ground. Tradiationally, they would cremate them, whether it’s conducted during the memorial service or not, and build statues in honour of them. Usually cemeteries would creep Ford out initially, but this memorial garden has a… welcoming presence to it.

After strolling around the garden while glancing at the beautifully crafted statues along the way, Ford finally finds his marefriend. In a more-opened area of the cloudy garden, Rainbow Dash sits on her hindquarters as she looks up at a graceful statue of a Pegasus mare that looks just like Rainbow, except the statue has a Cutie Mark that features two simple lightning bolts on it. On top of the pedestal, there is a ceramic bowl holding a flickering, pink fire right in front of the standing statue. With his sharp eyes from afar, Ford can read what’s on the pedestal’s golden plaque:

In Loving Memory of
FIREFLY
BELOVED WIFE OF TURBO DASH.
DEVOTED MOTHER OF RAINBOW DASH.
“EVEN WHEN YOU ARE GONE,
THE LIGHT OF YOUR EVERLASTING LOVE
WILL NEVER FADE AWAY."

Ford smiles to himself after reading that nice and short memoir. He thinks about approaching Rainbow, but he decides to wait on that when he starts to hear Rainbow saying something to the statue representing her departed mother.

“…and then dad had the nerve to show those baby pictures of me to my coltfriend while I was away! Ugh! Can you believe that! I was so embarrassed!” Rainbow Dash complains before smiling to herself. “Of course, I’m sure you would gush over them too, huh?”

“Still, with the way things have turned out, I’m happy that dad and Ford are getting along quite well with each other. They’re at home right now preparing a big dinner together in honor of my birthday this week! Can you believe it?! Two of my favorite cooks are collaborating on a meal together just for me!”

“Speaking of which, I had a really great day with my birthday yesterday! I finished off the last day of our Wonderbolts tour in a most spectacular performance, but what really made my day special was when Ford Mustang managed to come and see me after the show! I… I just couldn’t believe it! I was so surprised and happy to see him, that I… well… I better not go over the explicit details with you!” Despite the great amount of distance from each other, the two Pegasi share an embarrassing blush as they quickly recall their night together yesterday. “Either way, having Ford being there for me on my birthday was the best surprise I could have ever asked for!”

“After that…” Rainbow Dash continues. “...Ford and I went out to meet with the rest of the Wonderbolts so that they can treat me to dinner! And just like Spitfire promised, the servers had to sing that obnoxious birthday song when they brought out my dessert!” she groans at this reminder. “I pleaded to them that I would gladly tip them if they didn’t sing for me, but Spitfire countered it by doubling what I was going to offer! It was a lost cause, but they did serve a pretty good cake over there!” She shakes her head while chuckling to herself before she continues her reminiscing.

“You know, when one of my coworkers told me to make a wish on my birthday candle, I think back to all those candles I’ve blew in the past. I could have wished for a lot of things back then. Most of the things I already have right now: best friends, becoming a Wonderbolt, and surprisingly enough, having my special somepony! But if there is one thing I will always wish for no matter how impossible it may be…” she admits as tears begin to flow uncontrollably out of her eyes. “…is that I always want to see you just for one time in my life. I just… want to tell you on how much I miss you so much, mommy! How much of an inspiration you are to me! How much I want to feel you in your tender hooves as you hug me closely! And just… to simply tell you… that I always love you for all that you have done for me! I just… I just…!”

As Rainbow struggles with the emotional dam that’s breaking up inside of her, Ford couldn’t bear it any longer to just sit by and watch her suffer alone. Quietly, he hovers right behind the grieving mare before making a soft landing. Instinctively, his big wings steadily wrap around Rainbow Dash as he pulls her closely to himself. Initially surprise by the gesture, she already knows whose gentle wings they belong to. She turns around to face him as her tearful eyes gaze into the sympathetic, stoic eyes of her coltfriend. They don’t need to say anything to each other as their eyes did all the talking for them. Without holding back, she continues pouring out her sorrow as she presses her face into Ford’s chest. Steady as a rock, he continues to embrace the weeping mare closely into his wings and fore hooves while he strokes her mane and back gently. Time is irrelevant as they continue holding into each other’s hooves, but that didn’t matter to Ford. He is willing to continuously comfort his anguished marefriend for as long as she likes. After an immeasurable amount of time, Rainbow slowly breaks their hug as she looks at her comforting coltfriend with watery yet gratifying eyes and a soft smile.

“Thanks, Ford. I… I really needed that.” she says to Ford as she wipes the tears away from her eyes.

Satisfied on doing a job well done, Ford leans forward to give a soft kiss on her forehead before saying to her, “Anything for you, my beautiful, blue angel.”

After her tears dry away, she begins showing off her usual, cheerful self before asking Ford, “So… how’s dinner coming along?”

“It’s going great!” he replies happily. “Everything should be ready in a couple of minutes!”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” she exclaims in hungry delight as she prepares her flight home. Surprisingly, she halts her takeoff as she turns around to face the statue. “Hang on! Just one more thing!” she says to Ford.

With a raised fore hoof, she kisses it lightly and places her hoof on the statue’s pedestal whilst she looks up at the carved face of her smiling mother.

“Don’t worry, mom. I’ll be sure to come by and visit you next time.”

After saying her goodbyes, Rainbow Dash walks past Ford as she prepares her takeoff once more. “Come on! I’ll race ya!” she grins at him before immediately kicking off from the clouds as she rockets to the sky.

Before he can try to catch her, Mustang turns his head around as he blankly looks at the statue of Firefly. After staring at it for a brief moment, he mutters softly, “I promise, Firefly. I’ll look after her no matter what.”

He stares at the statue for a bit longer before a hovering Rainbow Dash breaks him out of his trance by shouting out to him, “Yo, Mustang! What’s the hold up?! Dinner’s gonna get cold if you keep standing there like that!”

“Hey, what happened to a signal first?!” he retorts with a smile.

“You want a signal? Fine!” she responds sharply. “READYSETGO!”

After the rapid countdown, Rainbow speeds off into the sunset before Ford can even prepare his liftoff. With a chuckling smile and his head shaking at her shenanigans, he finally takes off as he hopes to give Rainbow a run for her money this time.

Chapter 5 – Bedtime Stories

In the evening, Rainbow Dash had another birthday dinner, which was orchestrated by her father, Turbo Dash, with some help from her coltfriend, Ford Mustang. As night approaches in Cloudsdale, Rainbow and Ford are allowed to stay over for the night in her old room that’s been turned into a guest room, which is surprisingly kind of Turbo for the younger Pegasi to share the same bed together. Of course, the blue-haired stallion has his suspicion on the considerate gesture of Rainbow’s dad.

“Now remember…!” Turbo lectures his daughter and her coltfriend as they get cozy in their temporary bed for the night.

“We know… no funny business, right?” Ford assumes with a smirk.

“What? No! I was going to say to keep it down in there!” This catches Rainbow and Ford off-guard as their faces bear intense blushes by Turbo’s statement. “You two can have as much fun as you like so as long as this old colt gets his proper beauty sleep!” he winks to the embarrassing couple with a wide grin.

“Okay, dad! Goodnight!” Rainbow shrugs it off with a smile as she tries to diminish her blush.

Turbo chuckles lightly and then gives Rainbow a quick goodnight kiss before saying, “Goodnight, Dashie!”

“Goodnight, Turbo!” says Ford.

“Goodnight, Ford!”

After saying their goodnights, Turbo exits the guest room before closing the door. As the door is about to be shut, the grinning father quickly cracks it opened to say, “Don’t forget to use protection!”

“Goodnight, dad!” she dismisses her dad with a growl while Ford snickers to himself.

Turbo closes the door once more, but just like before, he opens it suddenly to say just one more thing, “Of course, if you’re already planning on having foals…!”

As Rainbow and Ford turn instantly red in the face by Turbo’s remark, their reactions are bit different from each other’s. Ford couldn’t help but laugh at Turbo’s constant need to embarrass his daughter, while the aggravated mare on the other hand couldn’t stand the suffering she has to endure anymore.

“DAD!” she cries out in a whining, angry voice as her grinning dad chuckles with glee by her predictable reaction.

“Okay! Goodnight, you two!” Turbo smiles with satisfaction before he finally closes the door and leaves a groaning Rainbow and a laughing Mustang alone in their comfy bed.

“You’re right about one thing, Rainbow.” says Ford after calming his laughter down. “Your dad certainly is the coolest!”

“Yeah… he is.” Rainbow Dash smiles to herself after having a brief chuckle.

Soon enough, Ford Mustang and Rainbow Dash get cozy with one and another and they prepare to sleep in their embrace once more for the rest of the evening. But as they are about to sleep, Rainbow thinks of something that she wants to share with Ford first.

“You know, I never did tell you anything about my mother, Firefly, did I?” she speaks up, which gets Ford’s attention right away before he nods off to sleep.

“I wouldn’t mind hearing a little about her, if that’s alright with you of course.” he responds delicately.

“It’s fine, Mustang. I’ll be happy to tell you about her.” she reassures with a gentle smile. “Like my father, mom was also an accomplished flyer as well, except instead of racing, she was a dancer. Firefly was an amazing sky dancer, ranging from ballet to gymnastics. She was one of the main reasons why I performed some ballet recitals when I was in school.”

“Really?” he’s puzzled by this. “But I thought you hated dancing when we looked at your picture!”

“N-n-no! I never said that I hated it!” Rainbow retorts before continuing her explanation. “I tried dancing for a lot of reasons. The group was short on a number of dancers, and they were asking for any volunteers from the other athletic clubs. Besides, other then being informed that my mother was a gifted dancer, dad also told me that it may help me out with my stunt routines.”

“Hmm… I can see that. Your performance always seem very graceful to me.”

“Thanks.” she smiles from Ford’s compliment.

“In any case, if you have enjoyed dancing so much, why were you so embarrassed about it?” he asks bewilderedly.

“It’s just that… well… I… I have a reputation to keep, you know?” she hesitates with an uncomfortable blush.

“Rainbow, you’re such a silly filly sometimes!” he giggles a bit with a grin as he hugs her closely. “You have nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to dancing, and that’s coming from a guy who used to watch a popular cartoon about talking ponies, which was originally intended for girls by the way!”

“Okay, I see your point there!” she chuckles along with Mustang before continuing with her story. “You know, my mother actually got her Cutie Mark not from dancing, but from her superb speed. She was a naturally talented speedster, but it was dancing that became her calling to life. Though granted, there was only one time my mom actually beat my dad in a race before. In fact, that was how they first met if dad told me correctly…”

Nearly 30 years ago, at Cloudsdale University…

At a large, oval track, one of the racing Pegasi, was so close to the finish line, that he could just taste that sweet, familiar sensation of victory already. This only caused him to kick it into overdrive as he zoomed right passed the finish line. Once he grasped his latest conquest, he landed gracefully before breaking into a cocky smile while posing for any of his fans out there. This young stud was Turbo Dash, one of the top athletes on campus who had plans to soar to great heights once he graduates from college.

“Another stunning victory for the great Turbo Dash!” he declared to the campus with extreme hype. After he prided over himself, he turned around to see how the rest of the competition was doing. To his surprise, the remaining athletic Pegasi, who crossed the finish line several seconds later, were practically out of breath as they collapsed onto the ground while heavily gasping for air.

Turbo just shook his head with a smile before calling out to his colleagues, “Sorry, slowpokes! But you’re gonna have to train a little extra harder if you wanna catch up with me!”

Across the cloudy track field, Turbo heard the delightful screams from a couple of cheering mares nearby. Grinning at this, he said to his weary competitors, “Now… if you’ll excuse me, I think I hear my fans calling out to me!”

And with a flap of his wings, Turbo casually glided over to the female spectators. After his landing, he got a good look at the trio. The two of them were all giddy with excitement after being in the presence of such a hot, young stud. But then, something grabbed Turbo’s attention briefly as he looked at the third mare. This pink-coated Pegasus mare with blue mane, violet eyes, and two blue-colored lightning bolts on her Cutie Mark was very stoic and uninterested at Turbo’s marvelous appearance. Shrugging that aside, he turned his attention back to the first two mares.

“So, ladies…” he grinned at them. “I take it you’ve enjoyed the show?”

“Oh yes!” One mare squealed happily in response. “You were so amazing, Turbo!”

“Yeah! And soooo fast!” the second mare agrees joyfully.

“Well, with a name like ‘Turbo Dash’, you certainly won’t expect anything else, now would you?” he boasted before the two mares giggled to themselves at his remark. After his little joke, he turned his attention to the silent mare beside the other two.

“How about you, pretty lady?” Turbo asks with a smug grin. “Did you like what you see out there?”

She looked at him with an impassive stare, but then she shrugs casually, “…Eh, I’ve seen better.”

This unexpected opinion caused her two friends and Turbo to stare at the unimpressed mare with wide-eyed disbelief before he said shockingly, “Wh-what?!”

“Yeah, sorry for putting it so bluntly, but I’m not so impressed by what I’ve seen over there.” The pink mare restated with a slight smirk.

The athletic stallion was still stunned by somepony who isn’t awestricken by his awesomeness. Eventually, he composed himself and he responded back with a smug grin, “Oh-ho-hoh! And I suppose you can do a much better job than me?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I can.” she nodded with certainty.

This made Turbo Dash dropped his grin immediately after hearing her unfaltering confidence. With slight puzzlement, he asked her, “What a second… I’ve never seen you on the tracks before! What do you do exactly?”

“Well, I major in dancing, in case you are wondering.” she answered matter-of-factly. This only caused Turbo to stare at her in silence, but then all of a sudden…

“BWHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, this is precious!” he laughed uproariously with a smug smile. “I hate to break this to you, sweetheart, but you’re way over your head if you think you can win against me!”

“Oh, you want to put your money where your mouth is?” she goaded her upcoming challenger. “How about we settle a wager?”

“A wager, huh?” Turbo responded with keen interest. “Okay, I’m game! If I win, you’ll go out with me this weekend! And you’ll have to pay for everything, of course!”

“Alright, but if I win, you’ll have to do something for me for one whole week!”

“One whole week? Doing what exactly?” Turbo inquired warily.

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough!” she simply smirks to her pristine rival.

“Well in that case, it’s only fair that you’ll owe me one week’s worth of dates if I win! Deal?” Turbo extended a fore hoof with a cocky smile.

Without hesitation, the confidant mare embraced the hoofshake and answered with an all-knowing smile, “Deal!”

Moments later, Turbo Dash and his newfound rival took to the fields as they do their routine stretches at the start of the finish line. One of the two mares that was with the new challenger was kind enough to volunteer to give the signal as she holds the checkered flag with her mouth.

“By the way, I didn’t get your name, sweetie.” Turbo grinned to the female Pegasus as they continue with their stretches.

“My name’s is Firefly.” she introduced herself. “And I’ll see to it you remember that once I leave you in the dust, Turbo!”

“Ooo, feisty, aren’t we? Oh, I can tell our first date is going to be an interesting one!” Turbo said grinningly over his assured victory.

After finishing their stretches, Firefly and Turbo took their starting positions as they eyed on their newly appointed flag-girl. Once she saw that they were ready, the volunteer reared up as she lifted her head up with the flag still grasped between her teeth. And with a mighty wave of the checkered flag, the two racers were off.

Both Turbo Dash and Firefly had a great sprint; in fact, they were on par when it comes to their initial speed. Noticing this, Turbo kicked it up a notch, which allowed him to gain the lead by a few yards away from Firefly.

As the first turn approached before him, Turbo had to slow down a bit due to the tremendous speed he boosted earlier. After completing the first turn, he glanced back to see his opponent. To his surprise, Firefly managed to catch up a bit, but it doesn’t like she has increased her speed at that point. In any case, he decided to push himself a little further just for good measure.

Soon enough, he was approaching the last turn, and after that, he would have completed three-fourths of the race. But as he was in the midst of his cornering, out of nowhere, Firefly dashed right by him and completed the last turn of the track. But it wasn’t her cornering that took Turbo Dash by surprise. It was also when she finished completing that turn that she unleashed an incredible boost of speed as she was gone in a flash while leaving the Turbo in the dust. Once the stunned Turbo Dash completed his cornering, Firefly already passed the finish line.

After Firefly won the race, the spectators gathered around to chant her name and praise her spectacular accomplishment. As Turbo Dash made his way to the finish line, though at a slower, defeated pace this time, he stared speechlessly at his female competitor while the crowd kept cheering for Firefly. He just couldn’t believe it! He’s been training all his life to be a professional racer, and then this mysterious mare beated him like he was just a rookie! He just couldn’t put his hoof on it on how she was able to defeat him so easily! He just had to find out why that happened to him!

Once he approached Firefly after the crowd finished their chanting, he asked bewilderedly, “H-h-how?! How did you beat me?!”

“Simple, I paced myself.” she answered with a casual smile.

“‘Paced yourself?’” he snapped in disbelief. “I’m one of the fastest Pegasi on campus! There’s no way you can beat me just because you’ve paced yourself!”

“Well, that’s partially true.” Firefly said nonchalantly before continuing her explanation. “But I’ve noticed a lot of things from your last race as well. For example, your top speed does exceed my own, but you have low stamina and you usually waste it all just as soon as the race began. Also, your cornering is very poor. Since you were going so fast, you had to slow down to complete those turns. Therefore, upon your exit point, you’ve lost most of your speed and had a lot to gain afterwards. So as you can see, racing isn’t always about speed, you know.”

“I… well… I mean… uhh…” Turbo flabbergasted to a great extent.

“Oh, and in case you are wondering how I know so much when it comes to racing, it's because that I used to be one of the top racers from my days in high school.” She continued with a sly smile. “Now then, about our little wager…”

“Sigh… alright. You beat me fair and square, Firefly.” He admitted defeat in a slightly grumbling voice. “What is it that you want?”

“Come inside the gymnasium at seven o’clock tonight, and you’ll find out soon enough.” She said ambiguously while maintaining that wicked smile of hers. But as she made her departure, the last thing she said to the perplexed Turbo was this: “Don’t be late, Dashie!”

“‘Dashie?’” Ford Mustang says in surprise as he couldn’t help but chuckle greatly while listening to Rainbow’s story. “I thought he never wanted to be called by that name!”

“It was only my mother who was allowed to use that nickname once he got used to it.” Rainbow replies as she gets comfortable in Ford’s embrace before continuing her tale.

“So anyway… what was it that he had to do for Firefly once he lost the race?”

Rainbow just grins widely as she says, “Well you see…”

“So Dashie, how do you like your new leotard?” Firefly asked with a wide smirk to her new dance partner.

In one of the gymnasium’s dance rooms past seven o’clock, Firefly was wearing a white sweatband with two red stripes on her head, a purple leotard, semi-transparent stockings, and a set of ballet shoes. The once-proud racer who goes by the name of Turbo Dash is wearing a matching attirement, except without a sweatband, and his leotard had a soft gray color instead.

“The name’s Turbo Dash!” he mumbled while nipping the leotard’s tight elastics in a vain attempt to loosen it up a bit. “And it’s a little… tight. Can’t I just wear something that’s a bit more comfortable, or better yet, not wear anything at all?”

“Sorry, Dashie.” Firefly answers with teasing smile which earned her an inaudible grumbling from the disgruntled Turbo Dash. “But it’s a requirement for you to wear this type of clothing when practicing. But if you’re looking for something a little bit looser, I’m sure we have some spare tutus around here that are just your size…”

“On second thought, this leotard isn’t so bad once you get used to it!” he quickly changed his mind with an awkward, blushing smile.

“Good!” she said flat out with a satisfied smile.

“Ugh! Do I really have to be your dance partner for your private practice sessions?!” he continued to complain. “Couldn’t you choose something else?!”

“Why? Don’t tell me you’re chickening out already!” she goaded with a raised eyebrow and a mocking smile.

“N-n-no! I would never back out of a deal!” Turbo retorts with a hesitant blush. “No matter how embarrassing it might be.” he mumbles to himself.

“Hey, you should consider yourself lucky to have me as your private dance instructor!”

“And why would that be?”

“Because Dashie, dancing will teach you how to be more flexible and more in control of yourself no matter how fast you run or fly.”

“R-really?” Turbo was surprised by hearing this claim. “You’ll show me your techniques when it comes to racing?”

“So as long as you’re cooperative with me. So Dashie, you ready for your first dancing lessons?”

With little to no choice, Turbo Dash answered groaningly. “Sigh… Let’s get this over with.”

“Ha-ha! I don’t suppose you have a picture of your dad in a leotard, do you?” Ford asks with a chuckling smirk.

“Unfortunately, no.” Rainbow smirked right back. “If I did, I would have made sure he won’t show anypony those embarrassing pictures of me ever again!”

“So, did your dad persevere with your mom’s punishment or what?”

“Actually, yeah he did. During their time together, they’ve started enjoying each other’s company. It was once the week was over that dad realized that he was a bit sad that they wouldn’t see each other again after that. As for his racing, he improved significantly, especially with his cornering, thanks to mom’s private lessons. He only wished that there was a way to make it up to her. That was until one day, when he found a poster promoting a ballet recital on one of the school’s bulletin boards featuring my mother as one of their lead dancers that night…”

At the university’s very own outdoor amphitheater that evening, the seats were packed with students, faculty members, guests, and family members who were able to make it. Once it was time, the curtain rose and the show began. In this show, it featured a variety of performances ranging into groups and styles.

As for one of the final acts, Firefly, who was wearing a shimmering, sky-blue, toga-like gown, was preparing her solo performance where she will do an aerodynamic, sky-dancing routine. Once it was her turn, she gracefully took to the stage. As she took her starting position, she noticed somepony familiar in the crowd. It was from recognizing that face from the one of the front row seats that nearly broke her initial concentration. Staring right back at her startling face was Turbo Dash!

Completely shocked at first, Firefly recomposed herself before the orchestra began to play. Throughout her dance, she dazzled the crowd with her rhythmic steps, grateful twirls, and breathtaking stunts as her moves are in sync with the fitting music echoing in the amphitheater. In the midst of her routine, Firefly kept glancing back at Turbo Dash. She just couldn’t put her hoof on it. She figured that Turbo would have been asleep by now, but surprisingly enough, despite his unexplained impassiveness, he was very attentive during the entire night. Once her performance came to a close, she and all of her classmates received a standing ovation.

After that, once she packed up her things, Firefly made her exit from backstage. And to her surprise once again, she saw Turbo Dash waiting for her outside the amphitheater. But that wasn’t the only thing that surprised her. Hovering above the ground, Turbo was carrying a bouquet that featured a colorful arrangement of flowers.

“Umm… Hi, Firefly.” He greeted gingerly with a small smile.

“Hi?” she greeted back with caution.

“I got these for you.” he hands the bouquet of flowers to the slightly perplexed Firefly before she accepted the unexpected gift.

“Oh… th-thanks, Turbo.” she responded with nervous blush on her face after retrieving the flowers. She examines the flowers carefully, and then she looks at the awkwardly smiling stallion. She still couldn’t figure out why Turbo Dash had to show up for her recital tonight. She was certain that there had to be reason behind all of this, and she was going to find out one way or another.

“Okay, I give up! Who did you lose a bet to this time?” she asked sharply once her patience was running thin.

“No one!” he blurted out loud. “I came here at my own free will, alright?”

“Why?” she inquired in a skeptically manner.

“Well… I… I heard you were performing tonight.” Turbo admitted sheepishly. “So… I… figured that I might as well check it out myself.”

“Well, that’s awfully sweet of you, Turbo.” Firefly responded even though she wasn’t buying the whole thing. “But you didn’t have to bore yourself just for my own benefit! I’m not that desperate for spectators you know!”

“Actually… I though it was… nice.” He commented with a weak, blushing smile.

Just from hearing that compliment, Firefly’s questioning ceased immediately as she froze in place with wide eyes and her face turning beet red suddenly. In the midst of her frozen position, all she could say was this, “…What?”

“I mean… dancing isn’t my thing, but the way you’ve performed tonight was expressive, dynamic, and surprisingly engaging. And… well… I actually kind of liked it.” he confessed with a slight blush while rubbing the back of his head with a fore hoof.

Firefly kept staring at Turbo with a blank expression while her blush just kept on glowing. “…You… you did?” she asked with a small smile.

“Look… I know I was bit of jerk to you when we first met.” he admitted humbly. “And even though I wasn’t that thrilled when it comes to dancing, I’ve really enjoyed our time together. I didn’t even get a chance to properly thank you for all that you have done for me. I would have never greatly improved my racing capabilities in such a short amount of time without your help. So… thank you, Firefly… for everything."

After hearing Turbo’s kind sentiment, Firefly bore a blushing smile as she said to him, “You’re very quite welcome, Turbo.”

“So… can I at least buy you some dinner for a job well done?” he offered modestly.

Firefly thought about it for a few seconds, but then she smiled sheepishly as she answered, “Well… I am kind of hungry. Sure, why not?”

Together, they casually flew side-by-side from the amphitheater as they searched for a place to eat. In the midst of their flying, Firefly couldn’t help but believe how much Turbo has changed since they first met. She never thought that this once-cocky athlete could be such a gentlecolt to her. It was causing her to have newfound respect and appreciation for Turbo’s company. She didn’t understand these new feelings herself, yet she wasn’t ready to dismiss them right away.

“Hey, Dashie?” she asked.

“Yeah?” he responded.

“Thanks for showing up for my recital.” she said warmly as she kissed him on the cheek. “It really was very sweet of you to do that for me.”

FOOMPH!

From her sweet gesture, Turbo’s wings froze in place after they have ended involuntarily. In a sudden flash, Turbo dropped from the sky before crashing onto the ground. Initially surprised by this accident, Firefly couldn’t help but chuckled from the young stallion’s reaction by that kiss she gave earlier. As Turbo recovered from his crash landing, Firefly swooped down to help him up.

“Oops! Sorry! I figure a ladies’ stallion such as yourself wouldn’t get so worked up with just one, little kiss!” she teased with a smile after helping Turbo Dash getting up on all four hooves.

“Th-that wasn’t it!” he flustered sharply with a sudden blush. “I just… sprained my wings from all that training I did, that’s all!”

“Heh! Sure you did!” she said with a giggling smile. “Anyway, there’s a good diner nearby. You can handle a little walk around the corner, can’t you?”

“S-s-sure. No problem.” he stammered with a smirk.

“And that was what they would consider to be their first date that evening.” Rainbow continus her story. “Afterwards, they started going out together doing the usual things: study dates, going out on weekends, and supporting each other by showing up to their respectable events. Once they’ve graduated, they’ve continued going out for quite some time. A few years later, my parents were at the highlight of their careers, Turbo became one the most recognizable racers in history, and Firefly was a professional dancer in a multitude of shows and plays. Unfortunately for them, it was putting a damper in their relationship as it was making less time for them to see each other.”

“I think we both can relate with that, huh?” Ford winks at her which earns him a giggling smile in return. “So anyway, you once told me that Turbo quit being a racer so he can marry Firefly, right? Well, how did that happened?”

“Well you see, three years after they’ve graduated from college, my dad’s last race was one of the biggest events that Equestria has ever hosted: the World Grand Prix! It’s an intense race where the best racers must complete one lap around the world as they pass through each checkpoint that’s marked across the globe! It’s pretty much the mack-daddy of all races!”

“Have you ever thought about competing in it yourself?”

“I did, but I was more focused on getting into the Wonderbolts first.”

“In any case, what happened during the final race?”

“Well, the big race lasted for quite sometime. Usually the fastest speedster can finish the race in less than a month. But during the halfway point, dad went missing all of a sudden. Nopony knew what happened to him or where he went off to. Mom was really worried on that day. She’s been listening to the radio’s broadcast since the beginning of the race. Until one day, she received a surprised visit.”

DING-DONG!

“Huh, who could that be?” Firefly asked herself after hearing the doorbell ringing.

Ever since she first heard about Turbo Dash’s mysterious disappearance, she’s been staying at the house the two have been sharing together since they’ve graduated from college. For nearly a week, she’s been sitting at home as she kept on listening to the any updates the radio can offer regarding with the missing Turbo Dash.

She’s not only surprised to have an unexpected visitor at this hour, but also do to the fact that it’s been nothing but a grey, dreary storm outside this evening. She didn’t answer it right away since she was busy thinking about the possibilities on who it could be showing up so unexpectedly. But then, after one major possibility popped into mind, she immediately rushed to the door and opens it swiftly.

Once the door is flung wide-opened, a familiar figure briefly stood before the startled mare. But then, he immediately collapsed onto the floor right before Firefly. She couldn’t believe it at first, but once she recognized that rainbow-colored hair and the soft blue coat, she could thankfully confirm this drenched pony’s identity. Turbo Dash had finally come home!

“T-T-Turbo?!” Firefly gasped in shock.

“Hey, Firefly.” Turbo wearingly looked up at her with a tiresome smile. “Miss me?”

Seeing how exhausted and weak he was, Firefly lead Turbo into the living room before she propped him up on one of the cozy couches. As Firefly helped Turbo lie on the couch while he was catching his breath, her attention was drawn towards the unrecognizable saddlebag he was carrying. She remembered hearing about the competitors not being allowed to carry any bags with them during the race. So why was he carrying that bag with him? Well, she can worry about that later as she had some questions that needed to be answered first.

“What happened out there?!” Firefly snapped out of concern. “Everypony was freaking out about you since you’ve disappointed from that race! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?! How could you just show up out of nowhere without sending a single word to me regarding with your sudden disappearance?!” In the midst of that, tears dripped from her eyes as she expressed her constant worry for her coltfriend.

With what little strength he had, Turbo reclined from his seat and used his ruffled wing to gradually pulled Firefly for a welcoming embrace upon his return. Having been away from each other for so long, Firefly calmed down a bit as she gave in to that familiar comfort.

“I’m sorry if I worried you, Firefly.” he said soothingly as he continued to nuzzle with his caring marefriend. “I just wanna see you as soon as possible.”

“Wait, so… you were alright this whole time?” she puzzled as she looked into Turbo’s golden eyes.

“Yep.” he confirmed with his trademarked grin.

“And… you turned around just to see me?” she asked in slight confusion.

“Actually, I was already at the halfway point of the race.”

“You mean… you’ve actually completed your lap around the world?” she inquired surprisingly.

“In a way, yeah I did.” he responded casually.

She took awhile to process this stunning news from Turbo before breaking into an awestricken smile and saying with excitement, “Wow… that’s… that’s amazing!”

“Yeah, I guess.” He simply shrugged in response.

“Turbo! This means you’ve broken the world record by a landslide!’ she expressed with uncontainable joy over this.

“Well… I would have, if I didn’t miss the remaining checkpoints along the way.”

Hearing that caused Firefly to drop his beaming smile instantaneously as she stared at the surprisingly calm Turbo Dash with wide-eyed disbelief before saying, “…You what?”

“Yeah, it would be a waste for me to stop at every checkpoint if I wanted to see you again.” He simply said with a nonchalant smile. Firefly was completely speechless by how Turbo’s been acting from all of this as she continued to stare at him blankly. Trying to understand his logic just only made her more infuriated over Turbo’s careless decision.

Not being able to contain her fury any further, she snapped out loud, “…YOU FULL-BLOWN IDIOT! Why would you skip all those checkpoints if you can just complete the race in record time?! For that matter, why would drop of out the race so spontaneously like that?!”

“Look, would you just forget about the stupid race and just listen to me?!” he sharply responded. “There’s something really important I have to tell you!”

“Really?! What could be more important than winning the biggest race of your life?!”

After taking a moment to collect himself, he quietly reached into his mysterious saddlebag lying on the floor. With one fore hoof, he pulled out a dark blue, velvet box before showing it to a perplexed Firefly.

“…This.” he answered plainly as he opened the box before her. Within the box, Turbo revealed a luxuriously shiny, golden hoof bracelet with a sparkly diamond as its centerpiece. It took a few seconds for Firefly to figure it out, but then, she let out a silent gasp as she eyed the beautiful piece of jewelry with large eyes while a soft blush crept on her face.

“Listen, Firefly… during the race, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking regarding with us. I mean, while I do enjoy racing, I’ve realized on how much it’s been having a toll on our relationship. The fact is… I hate myself on how far apart we are every time I enter a new competition. And during the World Grand Prix, I begin to fear on what would happen if I win, and that it will separate us even further than before. I don’t want that, and I don’t even care about competing anymore. Once I spotted this little beautiful at one of the stores during my last checkpoint, I’ve finally realized what I really want right now. I love you Firefly. I’ve always had and always will. And I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Firefly… will you marry me?”

Once she heard his proposal, Firefly was motionless for a little while as her eyes kept shifting between the engagement bracelet and Turbo Dash. Then, as she was staring into Turbo’s sincere, golden eyes, Firefly’s violet eyes started to break down into tears as she formed an affectionate smile.

“You… you really are the biggest and sweetest goofball I have ever met!” she sniveled with a giggling smile.

“So… does that count as a ‘yes?’” he grins hopefully.

After taking a moment to wipe the never-ending tears from her eyes, Firefly answered at last as she gleefully leaped into Turbo’s embrace, “Yes… yes of course I’ll marry you!”

“After that, my dad announced his retirement as a racer, and they got married several months later.” Rainbow Dash happily concludes. “Other than me being born, he said to me that their years as a married couple were some of the happiest moments of their lives.”

While Ford Mustang is smiling at hearing the romantic tale of Rainbow’s parents, he couldn’t help but curse to himself on how beautiful it was. Dammit! I wish my proposal would be as awesome as that!

“Hey, Dashie?”

“Yeah?”

Once he got Rainbow’s attention, Ford leans forward and gives her nice kiss on her cheek before saying sincerely, “Thanks for sharing those stories with me."

“No problem, Ford.” she responds tenderly as she nuzzles closely with him. “Thanks for listening.”

Then, with a hoof on his chin and his body laying on its side, he displays his set of bedroom eyes while a sly grin emerges on his face. “Well…” he says grinningly.

“Well what?” she responded with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, what about my goodnight kiss?”

Rainbow smirks deviously as she asks back, “You want me to call dad back in for you?”

Ford chuckles lightly before answering with a smile, “Nah… that’s okay. Better not disturb his beauty sleep anyway.”

“Well, how about I give you one instead of him?” she asks in a seductive voice as she lays a fore hoof on Ford’s cheek.

“Eh, I suppose that will do.” he mockingly shrugs before he gently pulls his smiling marefriend forward with a caressing fore hoof. From there, the two share a gentle, sweet kiss together before closing in for the night.

As they are finally tucked in for the night, Ford makes an alluring yet mischievous grin as he asks Rainbow Dash, “You know… since your dad gave us his permission, you wanna…?”

“No.” she answers sharply in a deadpan expression.

Ford just chuckles in response, “Okay, just asking!”

With a giggling smile, she says to Ford before drifting to sleep, “Goodnight, Mustang.”

Ford follows suit as he snuggles closely with Rainbow before saying to her with a sleepy smile, “Goodnight, angel.”

Chapter 6 – Final Preparations

“Ah yes! Faster! Faster!”

“Rainbow! I don’t think… I can keep this up!”

“Come on, Mustang! Don’t stop now! Keep going!”

“Waitaminute… Rainbow! I can feel it! I’m almost there!”

“Yeah, that’s it, Ford! Just a little more!”

“I’m gonna… I’m gonna…!”

But just before the struggling Ford Mustang can finish his declaration, the vapor cone’s resistance is still way too much for him to push through. Thus, the greater amount of force causes Ford to ricochet across the sky once again. Of course, with every attempt backfired, Rainbow Dash is always there to catch him with a soft, plushy cloud.

This wasn’t a complete surprise to him since he has attempted to pull off the Sonic Rainboom for nearly a hundred times in total whenever Rainbow had a chance to work with him on that legendary stunt. But for every attempt he has made, he can feel how close he is into accomplishing his personal goal. For now, he’s just too exhausted to care about that, especially when he has other plans in mind.

“Oh, so close, Ford!” Rainbow cheerfully embraces her coltfriend as they sit on the cloud she just used to catch him. “I swear, if you just push it a little further, you’ll finally be able to create your very own Sonic Rainboom!”

“Can we… finally… take a break… from this?” Ford asks while heavily gasping for air.

“Oh come on! Just one more try! That’s all I’m asking!” she pleads eagerly.

“Please, no more!” he responds whiningly. “I’ve tried pulling it off a dozen times today! Can’t we just call it a day already? Besides, I want to get ready for tonight’s anniversary!”

“Oh, alright.” she gives in with a grump. “But you better make our first anniversary special tonight! Otherwise, I’m calling the shots for next year’s!”

“Oh, don’t worry!” he says with a confident smirk as he sits himself up. “I’ve got someplace really special in mind this year!”

“Wait… are we going out somewhere?” she inquires with renewed excitement.

“Mmm… more or less, but you don’t need to wear anything formal at the very least.”

“That’s cool. So, where is this place?”

“Can’t tell ya! It’s a surprise!” he teases her with an all-knowing grin.

“Ooooh, why not?!” Rainbow whines exaggeratingly. “Tell me!”

“Trust me, Rainbow. I’ve got it all planned out this evening.” Ford grins reassuringly before getting himself up from his cushiony seat. “Anyway, I better get going to get all that I need. Just wait for me at home until 7 o’clock and leave everything to me!”

“Okay, have it your way!” she says with a smile before giving Ford a nice kiss on the cheek. “I know you won’t disappoint me!”

“Thanks, Rainbow!” he says warmly as he affectionately nuzzles with his marefriend. “I won’t let you down!”

After they finish nuzzling their heads with each other, the two Pegasi share a nice, quick kiss before departing in opposite directions. Rainbow heads back to their home, while Ford is heading towards the town of Ponyville.

It’s passed 5 o’clock this afternoon, and Ford Mustang swiftly arrives at Rarity’s home, the Carousal Boutique. After his last visit with his dragon friend, Hindel, Ford promptly met up with Rarity to discuss his thoughts into asking Rainbow Dash for her hoof in marriage. Once he explained his plan as well as showed Rarity the tiny Prismatic Diamond he had with him, she without a second thought agreed with irrepressible excitement as she knew the best pony to incorporate the rare jewel into an engagement bracelet, or a hoof ring as some ponies would call it.

“Hello? Rarity?” Ford calls out for her as he enters her establishment.

“Ford Mustang! I’ve been expecting you!” Rarity greets her expected friend cheerfully as she makes her appearance.

“So, is it finally ready?” he asked with an eager smile.

“Why of course, darling! I have it right here!” she confirms with glee as she levitates Ford’s precious gift to him with her light-blue magic.

After it is released from Rarity’s magical aura, Ford examines the purple jewelry box as he touches the top lid’s softly velvet, curved surface. With great anticipation, he delicately opens the prize box as he witnesses the jewel’s colorful shine radiating from the inside. Once the lid has been fully opened, both Ford and Rarity gaze with enlarged pupils and gasping smiles at the marvelous piece of jewelry before them!

It’s like a standard golden bracelet except with one distinctive feature: a pair of golden wings that encases the gemstone. Of course, the real crown jewel is the actual jewel itself: the Prismatic Diamond! Even when it’s inside somepony’s home, the uniquely colorful gem still shines just as beautiful as ever!

“Rarity, it’s… it’s perfect!” Ford glees ecstatically with a very wide smile. “I know she’s gonna love it! Thank you so much for getting this for me!”

“Oh, there’s no need to thank me, darling!” she beams in return. “I’m always happy to lend a helping hoof to my dear friends! Besides, the real credit goes to a good friend of mine, who helped crafted this marvelous jewelry for me!”

“And I must say, Mustang…” Rarity continues as she admires the shimmering diamond ring. “I’m still amazed by this marvelous piece of gemstone you’ve picked up for yourself! I’ve seen many jewels in my lifetime, but this is one of most beautiful gems I have ever gazed at! I must know! Where ever did you get such a precious stone like this?”

“A… dragon gave it to me.” He answers with slight hesistation.

“Which dragon?” Rarity inquires with curiousity as she slightly tilts her head.

“Hindel.”

“…Him?!” she gasps in surprise.

“Yes?” he answers puzzlingly with a raised eyebrow.

Suddenly, Rarity steps uncomfortably close to a startled Ford Mustang as she bats her fluttering eyelashes while displaying a persuasive grin before saying to him, “You know darling, if you happen to see Hindel again, do you think your dragon friend might be willing to spare some of his treasure for me? If he does, I’ll consider that as payment for my services.”

“I… don’t think it’s wise to take an advantage of a dragon like that.” he responds uneasily.

“Oh come now, Mustang!” she continues to coax him with her winning smile. “I’m sure Hindel won’t mind sharing me some of his treasure that he’ll no longer be missing!”

“Now Rarity, don’t be greedy!” he playfully scolds her.

“Don’t be silly, Ford!” she retorts with a sheepish smile. “Think of it as… charity! Just wanting to find a better home for them, that’s all!

“Rrright… But seriously though, how much do I owe you, Rarity?”

With a defeated sigh, Rarity gives up her material pursuit as she composes herself before she refocuses on what’s important now. “We’ll discuss about payments for another time. For now, all I ask in return is that I be the first pony to hear the wonderful news once you and Rainbow Dash are engaged!”

“Well… if it all goes according to plan tonight, we’ll be sure to set something up real quick to tell you and the rest of our friends!”

“Splendid!” she responds contentedly. “Well, you better get going! You don’t want to keep Rainbow Dash waiting!”

“Right!” Ford says with determination as he leaves the well-known establishment. “I just got a couple stops left! Wish me luck, Rarity!”

With a chuckling smile, she waves goodbye to Ford as she says to him, “Good luck, darling!”

For his next stop, Ford Mustang enters another familiar establishment, Sugarcube Corner. At the counter table, he rings the bell, which promptly brings Pinkie Pie from the entrance of the bakeshop’s kitchen.

“Oh hi, Musty-Wusty!” the pink mare greets cheerfully as always. “You’re just in time to see the unveiling of your cake for tonight!”

“Please don’t make it a habit of calling me that name.” Ford groans slightly.

“No promises!” she responds with a giggle.

“Not even a Pinkie Promise?” he asks with a hint of hope.

“Nope!” she answers flat out with her usual cheerful grin.

“Eh, it was worth a shot at least.” he shrugs to himself. “Anyway, may I see the cake now?”

“Certainly, Ford! Just follow me!” she says happily before leading him into the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, Pinkie points out the special dessert to Ford before he marvels at it with wide, hungry eyes. In front of them is a medium-sized, light-colored cake that’s dotted with splashes of deep, bluish purple and sprinkled with confectionary sugar. With his equestrian nose, he takes a whiff of the cake’s lovely, complimentary scent of blueberries and lemons.

“Here it is!” Pinkie Pie announces with extreme glee. “Just like you have requested: my Blueberry Lemon Mascarpone Cake! It may not be as grand as the Marizpan Mascarpone Meringue Madness, but with its plump, juicy blueberries, its extremely creamy mascarpone filling, and its softly sweet white cake mixed with a zest of lemon, this latest confectionery creation will still have the same ‘Mmmm’ factor as its predecessor! Won’t you agree?”

“Mmmm…” is all Ford can respond at that point as he continues to gaze at the lovely cake in front of him.

“Exactly!” Pinkie adds with a happy smile. But then, she stares at the distracted stallion, whose gaping mouth is still unhinged as a trail of saliva drips from his lower jaw.

“Uhh, Ford?” she points out with a repressed chuckle. “You’ve got a little something on your lip there.”

Snapped out of his hungry trance, Ford blushingly notices the dripping saliva before wiping it off quickly and apologizing, “Oh! Sorry you have to see that, Pinkie Pie! I guess I couldn’t control myself!”

“No problem-o, Musty-Wusty! That only shows just how mouth-watering this cake’s going to be!” she chimes as she carefully packs up the cake into a white box.

“Well, considered that it was created by you, I’m certain that this cake will be truly delicious! Thanks again for baking this delectable masterpiece for us! I’m sure Rainbow Dash will indulge this as much as I will!” He then reaches for the cake box and grasps it between his fore hooves.

“If you think this was my masterpiece, wait until you see what I have in store for the engagement party! Ooo! And of course, let’s not forget the WEDDING!” she enunciates that last part in a high-pitched, sing-song voice.

“He-heh! Okay, Pinkie Pie! One step at a time!” he says with a chuckling smile. “Well, I better get going! I just got one more stop left to go, and then I’m off to woo the mare of my life!”

“WOO-HOO! Go get her, Ford!” Pinkie Pie cheers for Ford before he leaves the bakeshop.

It’s roughly 6:30pm at Sweet Apple Acres, and Applejack and Fluttershy are putting on the finishing touches for all of the food they have cooked up this evening. Considering that they has made enough for the rest of the family, Applejack splits some of the cooked food into individual ceramic pans. Then, Fluttershy stacks the covered dishes carefully inside a large picnic basket while also packing up the boxed cake, plates, utensils, and cups. Lastly, they cover up the basket’s surface with a large, folded, red-and-white checkered sheet before placing it on a table where Ford Mustang is waiting patiently for the last item on his list for tonight's event.

“Order up!” Applejack announces with pride.

“Thanks you so much, girls!” Ford says gratefully. “I really appreciate the time you put into this for me!”

“Well ya definitely came to the right ponies when it comes to preparin’ meals for special occasions! I certainly couldn't have done all of this without my new sister-in-law here!" Applejack says as she hugs a briefly surprised Fluttershy closely.

"Oh, thank you, Applejack!" Fluttershy blushes with a humble smile on her face. "It was nothing, really. I was just happy to help out Ford and Dashie in anyway I can."

“So, what on tonight’s menu?” Ford asks as he looks at the rest of the food, which will be served to Apple family momentarily.

“Well for our anniversary couple’s special this evening..." AJ answers for him. "...we have apple, spinach, and walnut salad, applesauce blueberry muffins, red cabbages with apples, and our main dish this evening, roasted root vegetables!”

“What, no apples in the root vegetables?” he jokingly smirks. “I am very disappointed in you, Applejack!”

"Wait, were there so supposed to be apples in that one?" Fluttershy gasped before she begins to apologize instinctively. "I'm so sorry, Ford! I should have double-checked the recipe beforehand!"

"Don't let him fool ya, Fluttershy!" Applejack assures her considerate friend with a chuckling grin. "Ford here is just tryin' to get our goat, that's all!"

Quickly, AJ pulls the picnic basket away from Ford as she mockingly glares at him with a smirk of her own. “Besides, if that’s how he truly feels, we can just take all of this back, and he can cook his own dang dinner next time!”

Frantically, Ford Mustang quickly pulls the basket back towards him as he apologizes sheepishly, “Just kidding, Applejack! Just kidding!”

After sharing a laugh between the three ponies, Applejack helps strap the twin saddlebags onto Ford’s back while Fluttershy stuffs a beverage thermos into his left side-pocket.

As the two mares secured the large basket on his back, Ford says to them gratefully, “Seriously though, thanks again for the wonderful food you’ve made for both of us tonight!”

“You’re quite welcome, Ford!" Fluttershy says with a endearing smile while AJ nods in agreement.

"Say sugarcube..." Applejack asks Ford. "Mind if we take a look at that bracelet for a sec?”

“Sure!” he answers with a nice smile as he hands the jewelry box to Applejack. With the box in hoof, AJ delicately opens the velvet box before she and Fluttershy marvels at the shimmering Prismatic Diamond ring.

"Oh my! This is just so pretty!" Fluttershy awes gleefully. "Rainbow Dash will surely love this!"

“Woo-wee!” AJ exclaims with delight. “That’s one fancy-lookin’ sparkler you’ve got there! Wish Ah got something like that for myself!”

“Why? Got anything special in mind regarding with Rarity?” Ford teases with a wide grin.

This is enough to cause Applejack to blush intensely as she stares blankly at Ford while fumbling over her answer, “I… well… I don’t know… maybe!”

“Perhaps Sweet Apple Acres will have another member in the family, hmm?” he continues to tease without mercy while cocking his eyebrow. Fluttershy couldn't help but repress her giggling smile as she observes the sudden redness on AJ's face.

As Applejack continues to fluster, she makes a deadpan expression after realizing the irony from Ford’s joking. “This is for all those times Ah’ve used to tease you about Rainbow Dash, isn’t it?”

“Eeyup!” Ford confirms with an all-knowing grin.

“Just… just take your picnic basket and get out!” she snaps with a continuous blush as she hands the hoof ring back to the snickering stallion, who places it inside the right side-pocket of his saddlebag.

“Okay, I’m going!” he finishes his chuckling before leaving the house. But as he opens the door, he stops briefly before turning around and calling out to the farmpony, “AJ!”

“Ye-yeah?” she stutters in responds while still maintaining her blush.

“Despite my teasing, I really do think that you and Rarity would make a great, married couple someday. You know that, right?” he says with a sincere smile.

Applejack gradually shows a warm smile for Ford’s considerate support, but the blush she was trying to diminish comes back in full force. With renewed discomfort, she tries to dismiss Ford with an uncontrollable, giggling smile. “J-j-just get outta here before Ah buck ya outta here myself!”

“Alright, alright!” Ford chuckles greatly before he finally leaves the farmhouse.

Outside, on the front porch, Ford Mustang takes a moment to gather his thoughts as he goes over the plans one last time. With his mouth, he gently grabs the velvet box from the saddlebag’s right side-pocket. Using his left fore hoof, he opens it up to take on last look at the engagement bracelet before he gives it to Rainbow Dash tonight. He smiles tenderly on how the hoof ring's gemstone is still as sparkly a one of Luna’s stars on her most beautiful nights. Once he closes the jewelry box and places it back in its respective pocket, he breathes in deeply before letting out a steady sigh of relief and self-assurance.

With renewed confidence, Ford mutters to himself with a hopeful smile on his face, “It’s time!”

Meanwhile, countless of feet beneath the earth’s surface…

Inside an undiscovered cavern, there would be nothing but absolute darkness if it wasn’t for the fact that there is already a source of unnatural light illuminating within the uncharted labyrinth. In the center of one of these grim chambers, a demonic ray of light radiates from two sources that originate from a tall, shadowy stallion standing in the middle: one source comes from a wildly flaring, large mane made of blue fire, while the other source comes from a long tail sharing the same characteristics as his mane.

As he stands completely still in his mediating spot, hunks of polished barding enter the fray through the use of levitation that’s made up of his blue, blazing magic. The pieces of the enchanted armor slowly encircle the concentrating pony as each of them begins to approach the menacing shadow.

One by one, the equestrian armor forms an intimidating suit for him. First, the greaves for each of his hooves. Then, the croupiere for his hindquarters. Next, the peytral to protect his chest, which is connected to the croupiere. And finally, the crowned helmet is gently placed over his fiery head.

Lastly, one final piece that will serve as the key to his ultimate plan: a dark metallic amulet featuring three, glowing orbs in a triangular arrangement. Each gleaming orb bears a primary color: red, yellow, and blue. Soon, the floating amulet wraps around the stallion’s thick neck before a binding snap echoes in the vacant chambers to confirm the amulet’s absolute security on him.

With everything in place, the mysterious pony of shadow and fire lets out a steady, calm breath before he snaps his blue, burning eyes open while he contemplates gleefully over what’s to come next.

“It’s time!”

Author's Note

So, on the day before releasing this chapter, I realized that Fluttershy could have also helped out in this chapter by assisting Applejack when they were preparing the special meal for Ford Mustang & Rainbow Dash's anniversary. It's only because I believe that Fluttershy is just as good when it comes to cooking as Applejack is. So, I quickly added and changed some things within that scene. So if you detect something was off regarding with Fluttershy's character and such, all I can say is that I'm sorry for the last minute touch-up.

Chapter 7 – Where it All Began

“Are we there yet?” Rainbow whines childishly.

“Just give me a minute, Rainbow!” Ford responds sweetly as he keeps his head low to the ground while continuing with his search. “Ugh! Where is it?”

It’s after 7 o’clock where Celestia’s sun is nearly finished with its setting, and the two Pegasi are in the far outskirts of Ponyville where Ford Mustang planned to have their anniversary dinner in middle of the field of colorful wildflowers. Ford is carrying his double saddlebag, while the hovering Rainbow Dash offered to carry the picnic basket. As the stallion is relentlessly searching for that perfect spot, the impatient mare is grudgingly following along.

“Ford, it’s fine! Just pick a spot already! I’m not as picky as somepony like Rarity you know!”

“I know it’s around here somewhere…” Ford mutters to himself as he paid no attention to Rainbow's impatient groaning. Suddenly, his eyes widen as his search is finally over.

“Ah, I finally found it!” he declares triumphantly.

“Found what?” Rainbow asks in a mixture of relief and puzzlement.

“This!” he points it out to her.

After he steps aside to reveal his chosen location, Rainbow stares at that spot in front of her. What’s different from the nearly endless field of flowers is that this clearing didn’t have any flowers at all. It’s just a large, oddly shaped patch of earth with a strangely vague impression on the ground.

“Huh, well you certainly found a nice clearing out here.” Rainbow verifies casually as she puts the picnic basket next to the clearing.

“You don’t remember this spot?” Ford inquires with a raised eyebrow as he places his packed saddlebags on the ground.

“Well… this area does seem familiar.” she ponders for a bit more. “It reminds me of the time where we first--!” Just as she is about to finish that sentence, she finally gets the special meaning behind this clearing. “Wait… is this…?”

“Yep, this is the exact, same spot where we first met over a year ago!” he confirms as he taps on the patch of earth.

After hearing Ford mentioning that, memories of their time together flash before Rainbow’s startled eyes. From recalling those first memories, she gradually starts to get emotional as a broad smile spreads across her face while her eyes surprisingly start to get watery from all of these warm, fuzzy feelings she’s having right now.

“Darn it, Ford! Now you’ve got me all sappy once again!” she chuckles while immediately wiping her nearly tearful eyes.

“Sorry, I’ll try to tone it down a bit next time.” Ford chuckles along while sheepishly scratching the back of his head with a fore hoof.

In a quick grapple, Rainbow pulls a surprised Mustang in closely as she says to him with a sultry smirk, “Don’t you even dare!” Following that, Ford leans in for a sweet, sensual kiss before gradually letting Rainbow go as he gently leads her to their special place.

“I remember it like it was yesterday.” he reminisces with a soft smile. “I was lost and confused as I aimlessly roamed across this majestic field of wildflowers. Then, of a sudden, I was completely distracted by a mysterious, blue angel soaring freely in the open sky. I asked myself, ‘Who is this beautiful creature that can make endless streams of rainbows with her incredible speed alone?’” This is enough to cause Rainbow Dash to softly blush with a smile. “And as I kept pondering about this, the gorgeous mare I was so captivated about suddenly came crashing into me. I was laying right here.” Ford says as he reassumes the position he took up when he first met Rainbow up-close. “And when I woke up, I found myself staring into the mesmerizing, magenta eyes of the future love of my life.”

“Like this?” Rainbow says grinningly as she stands right above Ford just like they first met.

“Yeah, but a little closer.” he replies with his own grin. Following his suggestion, the equally grinning mare leans her head closer to Ford’s.

“Closer.” he repeated. With a roll of her eyes, the smiling Rainbow leans her head even more.

“Closer.” he repeated once more as he continuously maintains his grin. Their muzzles are so close right now, that they are practically touching each other.

“I don’t think we were that close.” she smirks all-knowingly.

“Oh really?” he grins with mocking ignorance. “Care to refresh my memory then?”

“With pleasure!”

The two Pegasi close the gap as they share a romantic kiss on this wondrous evening together. It starts off playful, but then it quickly escalates into something rough and extremely passionate. Their tongues dance wildly into each other’s mouths as their bodies keep grinding against one and another. Soon enough, Ford’s passion goes into auto-pilot as his forelegs begin to explore Rainbow’s body. First, he caresses the soft, colorful mane around her neck. Then, his fore hooves begin to trail down on her back and wings as he massages them gently. And lastly, his hooves reach towards the end by grasping onto Rainbow’s perfectly curved flanks. But just as Ford is about to claim his prize, he feels Rainbow’s firm fore hoof pressing hard onto his chest, which breaks him out of his animalist lust as well as their breathtaking kiss.

“Down boy!” Rainbow teases with a smirk as both of them catch their breath. “Let’s save the best for last, shall we?”

A bit reluctant at first, Ford begins to show a sly smile as he replies, “Sure! Beside, with all the food we’ve got lined up, we gonna need all that energy for later tonight!”

Once their picnic is all setup with the checkered blanket laid over their memorable spot, the couple enjoys what is in store with what Applejack & Fluttershy have prepared for them. As they eat their dinner together, they engage in their casual conversations as they mostly talk about what they’ve missed from each other’s lives since their one-month separation.

After finish off over half of Pinkie Pie's blueberry lemon mascarpone cake, they take a while to rest their full stomachs as they lie on their backs while snuggling closely to each other. From there, their eyes are now looking up to watch Luna’s stars twinkling in the nightly sky. The individual stars light up and flicker like the decorative lights on the festive trees seen during Christmastime or Hearth’s Warming Season.

“Sigh… best anniversary ever, wouldn't you agree?" Rainbow Dash asks with a satisfied smile.

"How can you say that when this is our only anniversary so far?" Ford responds with a grin and a cocked eyebrow.

"Exactly! Therefore, it's the best anniversary ever! So I win!" Rainbow declares with her winning smirk.

"...He-heh! Can't argue with logic like that!" Ford merrily chuckles over his lose of words.

After sharing a brief laugh, the two Pegasi relax in content as they continue their stargazing. Soon enough, Ford comments, “I have to say, I’m still amazed to see this many twinkling stars each and every night.”

“Don’t you have any stars in your world?”

“We do, but the stars in my world don’t shimmer as greatly as these do.”

As they continue to admire the stars, something flutters right in front of their eyes. It shimmers like a star, yet this glowing, yellow orb is moving around in such a random pattern, and strangely enough, it has its own pair of wings too. Once Ford and Rainbow get themselves up to continue watching the mesmerizing thing, dozens if not hundreds of them join in as they light up the nightly blue background with their brightly yellow radiances.

“Hey, look! Fireflies!” Ford points it out with gleeful surprise.

Rainbow awes at the arrival of the friendly insects as they gently dance around them. As she is distracted by the mesmerizing sight of the dancing fireflies, Ford took the opportunity to reach inside the left side-pocket of his saddlebag to grab his special present. Tucked away safely, he finds the jewelry box as he holds it delicately in his fore hooves. After one more look to make sure Rainbow hasn’t noticed anything, he opens the top lid carefully to examine the engagement bracelet once again. Under the nightly, starry sky, the Prismatic Diamond twinkles brightly with its vivid colors as each sparkle nearly matches with the stars above. Seeing how the jewel is still radiating its unique beauty, Ford smiles to himself with deep fascination.

“Ford?” Rainbow calls out to him softly as the graceful fireflies continue their waltz around the two.

“Yes, Rainbow?” Ford responds in slight surprise as he quickly tucked the enclosed jewelry box underneath his right wing.

“I’ve been thinking about something… about us.” she states it quietly.

“…Oh?” he responds simply in surprise.

“It just that… we’ve only been dating for a year, and yet we haven’t been seeing each other that much since my initiation to the Wonderbolts. And… well… the truth is… I can’t stand the fact on how little time we've spent together! I feel like I’m being tugged between you and my dream job! I guess I'm just kinda worried of what would happen if things keep going this way between us!”

Ford’s fears get the best of him as he inquires in hesitation, “Rainbow Dash… you’re not suggesting… that we…?”

“No! Of course not!” she reassures hastily as she gets close to him. “I would never do that to you! You’ve done so much for me, that there’s no way I’ll ever give up on you! That’s what I am trying to say, Ford! If I had to choose between you and the Wonderbolts, it would definitely be you without a second thought!”

“…R-really?” he asks as his fears begin to be laid to rest.

Rainbow nods with a reassuring smile before continuing, “I used to think that being a Wonderbolt would be the best thing that could have happened to me, but once we've started dating, that all changed for me! Ford, you see more me than just a Wonderbolt or an Element of Harmony! You see me just as a mare who’s already special in her own way no matter what I do! You once told me that you loved me for everything that I am! Well, that’s exactly how I feel about you as well! I love you, Ford Mustang! And I can’t thank you enough for all that you have done to support me along the way!”

As she lovingly caresses the cheek of her coltfriend, Ford freezes in place as he processes on all the things she has just said to him. As he mentally recalls those tender sentiments, soft tears begin to descend from his eyes as he smiles widely to himself. Unable to contain his overwhelming joy, Ford immediately embraces his lover as he holds her tightly within his forelegs.

“You… you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that for me!” Ford cries out happily as he affectionately nuzzles with Rainbow’s head and neck. “I love you too, Rainbow Dash! You’re truly the best thing that has ever happened to me! And I won't trade that for anything else in the world!”

It becomes very silence between the two Pegasi as they continue to enjoy the warmth of their embrace. The thought of sharing another kiss didn’t cross their mind at that point, but that doesn’t matter. Their ongoing snuggling is just as affectionate as any kiss beforehand as they continue to nuzzle closely with each other.

Once they are finished with their hug, Ford prepares his own say in the matter. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about something regarding with us too. It’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for quite some time now.”

“Sure, Mustang.” she smiles warmly. “You can ask me anything.”

“Okay, here it goes…” he responds as calmly as possible before taking a deep breath. After letting it all out, he starts to reach for the precious box tucked underneath his right wing as he is finally ready to ask his ultimate question.

“Rainbow Dash, will you--?”

Chapter 8 – Out of the Darkness

Moments Earlier at the Castle in Canterlot…

After Princess Luna has finished up her work with tonight’s starry, nightly sky, she is now joining up with her dear sister, Princess Celestia, for a special tea party that was set up by a special guest. To Luna’s great surprise, their host is none other than Discord, their ex-adversary from over 1,000 years ago.

While Celestia has been warming up to Discord’s change in heart, her sister was pretty suspicious to the trickster’s sudden, goodhearted nature. However, overtime Luna’s worries have been put to rest as Discord has proven himself to be a very cooperative friend despite maintaining his trickster persona. Needless to say, the tea party Discord is hosting is rather lovely in its own unique way. In one of the castle’s chambers, the tea party is relatively normal. Except with the use of trickster’s chaotic magic, the utensils and chinaware come to life as they eagerly serve their satisfied guests.

“I must say, Discord. This is very generous of you to set all of this up for us.” Celestia compliments as an animated teapot pours her another cup of tea before she takes a courteous sip.

“‘Twas my pleasure, Princess Celestia.” Discord responds mannerly before casually dipping his saucer into his tea cup like it was a cookie and then taking a bite out of it.

“I agree.” Luna chimes in while a lively creamer cup finishes pouring a generous amount of half-and-half into her cup. “We should do more of these themed parties more often. Anyway, would you mind passing me the sugar, Discord?”

“Certainly, my princess of the night! What would it be? One lump or two?” he asks with a mischievous grin.

Luna gives a deadpan expression with a raised eyebrow before saying to Discord, “There better not be a mallet behind your back.”

“Why Luna! I’m hurt!” Discord exaggerates. “How could you think of me like that?” Celestia only smirks slightly as she sees Discord’s tail grasping a cartoony mallet behind his back. With a flick of his tail, he tosses the mallet away before it disappears into a small flash of light.

Hmm… perhaps I should rethink on my material next time. Discord thinks to himself.

Suddenly, a great burst of blue fire explodes in the middle of the room as it abruptly startles the three guests from their tea party. As the gigantic flame begins to disappear, a dark, silhouetted pony steadily steps out of his magical portal of fire as he reveals himself before them. Luna and Discord are immensely surprised by this, but Celestia however, is absolutely shaking with many mixed emotions when she recognizes that shadowy figure.

Before the three godlike entities is a frightening creature who resembles an Earth Pony with a coat as black as the abyss itself and is as tall as Princess Luna. Covering much of his purely black body is his own custom-made, dark-colored armor featuring sharp characteristics, some deep blue gemstones, and a menacing helmet with earpieces resembling that with a dragon’s. And around his neck is a tightly secured amulet with three primary-colored crystals set up as a triangular centerpiece. But the most distinguishing features from this intimidating intruder are the blue, blazing flames that serve as his wildly, large mane, his flaring tail, and his piercing, soulless eyes.

“Good evening, Princess Celestia.” he greets her slimily as he bows before her. “It’s been what… 500 years since we last met? I know it’s been a few centuries, but I hope you haven’t totally forgotten about me, have you?”

Princess Celestia, who usually is cool, calm and collected, glares intensely at the stranger as she identifies him with condensed rage, “YOU.”

The dark stallion simply chuckles in response before saying to her, “Yes, me.”

“Who is this, Tia?” Luna looks at her sister with worry and confusion.

“Somepony I never want to see ever again.” Celestia answers with absolute disgust.

“You know this… pony?” Discord asks with the same reaction as Luna’s.

“Unfortunately, I do.” Celestia admits as she continues to glare menacingly at the unknown trespasser. “500 years ago, there was turmoil between dragons and ponies. Yet, there were those who were seeking peace between those two races. One group was a clan of noble dragons who raised orphaned ponies as their own. In fact, these special ponies were given the gift to learn Draconian Magic. Within that diverse clan, there was one pony who was naturally talented to grasp the rare, magical arts of the dragons. However, his desire for power was insatiable, and in return, he betrayed both ponies and dragons alike, dealing with those in his way in a most horrifying manner. That atrocious pony is the very same creature you see before you: Arrogon the Destroyer!” The villainous creature just stands there without taking any offense to Celestia’s statement. In fact, he takes pride over his introduction.

“Is that who I think it is?” Arrogon gazes wondrously at the startled Moon Princess. “Princess Luna, back from her banishment! What an honor it is to meet you at last! I hope you've been on your best behavior since your return. We certainly don’t want your big sister to give you another thousand-year timeout, now do we?”

“Go to Tartarus!” Luna responds in an offended growl.

Arrogon chuckles deviously before saying, “Where do you think I've been all this time?” Then, he turns his attention to the surprisingly chivalrous draconequus. “And this must be the 'Big, Bad Discord' I’ve heard so much about when I was a colt! 'The Master of Chaos', now serving tea parties, I see!”

“Charmed, I’m sure.” Discord responds nonchalantly as he mannerly sips his tea cup.

“So, we the high and righteous Celestia making friends with the two of most dangerous and feared entities the world has ever known! How the mighty certainly have fallen!” Arrogon shakes his head in mocking disappointment. “And how come I wasn’t invited to this little get-to-together?”

“Sorry, sir.” Discord answers casually. “But besides Celestia, only reformed villains are allowed into this party.”

“Hey!” Luna glares at the slightly grinning trickster.

“What do you want, Arrogon?” Celestia ignores the two as she is still eying furiously at the intruder.

“Ah yes! Straight to business as always! You really haven’t changed one bit!” After a brief chuckle to himself, Arrogon states his visit in a more serious, intimidating tone. “But yes, let’s get down to the matter at hoof, shall we? What I want, Princess, is quite simple actually. I want what was mine from the very beginning before you and that accursed dragon took that away from me! I want my rightful place as supreme ruler of all Creation! And whether you like it or not, you are going to help achieve that for me!”

“If you think I’m going to lend a single hoof to a coldhearted monster like you…” Celestia responds with absolute fury as her horn radiates an intense, solar yellow aura. “…THINK AGAIN!”

But before she takes immediate action, Celestia is stopped by Discord’s extended eagle-clawed hand as he says to her. “Wait, Princess. Allow me to handle this myself.” Then, the surprisingly collective spirit of mischief steps forwards as he glares at Arrogon. “You know, I’m normally not against party-crashers. But for you to intrude into our party like that as well as for disrespecting my friends like this, I’m making you a special exception!”

“Discord, I’m very disappointed in you for someone with such a fearsome reputation.” the smug intruder casually shakes his head once more. “And to think you would appreciate my own brand of chaos that I can unleash upon this world.”

“You see, Arrogon… that’s the big difference between you and me. I only take joy in bring chaotic fun, not senseless destruction!” Discord spats out in infuriating disgust as his disproportionate eyes change from yellow to black with his red pupils glowing intensely.

Suddenly, Discord begins to grow extraordinarily in size as his once-slender figure is bulked up with massive muscles. Other than the change in his eyes’ color, his once-single fang is now accompanied by many razor-sharp teeth as they extrude out of his jaws. Discord becomes so large, that he nearly takes up the entire space of the room they are in.

“I may not know what you have done back then to make Princess Celestia this angry, but you should certainly know better than to piss me off as well!” Discord threatens in an unsettling, aggressive voice. “With a mere wave of my finger, I can change you into anything I want; making you practically harmless before me! You’ve made a nice entrance for yourself, Arrogon, but this is as far as you go from the moment you’ve crossed with me, let alone with the Princesses! So I’m only going to say this once while you still have a chance to make this out alive: GET OUT NOW!”

After Discord’s threatening speech, the two sisters freeze in place as they are slightly startled by Discord's sudden, scary transformation. They are even more surprised by the fact that Discord didn’t appear this way when they last clashed over one thousand years ago. Meanwhile, as Discord is breathing down on his strangely composed challenger, Arrogon takes a moment to himself while closing his fiery eyes before laugh arrogantly at his intimidating opponent. The monstrous Discord and the Princesses are quite perplexed by this usual display of confidence as Arrogon continues with his devious laughter.

Once his laughter dies down, the amused Arrogon lets out a sigh with his eyes still closed before he finally states his case. “I must say… this really is a nice surprise for me. You know, I was actually expecting someone else to complete my ultimate plan. But now that you are here, Discord, I’ve decided to add you to my special collection instead!”

When Arrogon’s flaming eyes snap wide-open as they laying sight on the monstrous target, something else is glowing as the red orb from his tri-colored amulet illuminates a strong, intense light. Suddenly, the crimson crystal fires a spiraling beam of immense energy before it quickly hits its target. After hitting its mark, the orb’s tractor beam begins to pull Discord into its swirling vortex. Discord tries to resist this, but strangely enough, his own powers aren’t enough to break free out of this cursed jewel’s magical grasp.

“Not… again…” Discord groans as his struggling comes to an end before his entire essence is pulled into jewel’s entrapment. After Discord becomes the cursed amulet’s first prisoner, Arrogon gloats to himself with a menacing chuckle once he captured one of the most powerful beings in Equestria.

“Discord!” Celestia cries out for her former enemy.

“You’re next, Princess!” Arrogon glares with glee at the stunned Sun Princess as the blue, glowing orb of his amulet activates.

A blue beam is fired from the second crystal as it’s aimed at the greatly shocked Celestia. Still paralyzed from witnessing Discord’s capture, Celestia is unable to get out of the way as the colorful ray almost hits its next target. In that dire moment, the bright, blue beam makes contact, but it wasn’t Princess Celestia this time. To her surprise and even greater horror, it’s her sister, Princess Luna, who stepped forward and intercepted the blue orb’s overwhelming tractor beam.

“Sis… ter…” is all Princess Luna could say as her body is magically swallowed into Arrogon’s mysterious amulet.

“Lulu!” Celestia cries out for her beloved sister as sorrowful tears pour out of her eyes.

“Two down, one to go!” Arrogon declares with anticipated joy in his cold, dark heart as the last colored orb activates with an ominous, yellow glow.

“Princess Celestia! What’s happening?!” Princess Twilight Sparkle inquires greatly as she enters the room. “I heard noises, and I--! GASP!” But it was too late. Princess Celestia was no match for Arrogon’s newly immeasurable powers as she is magically engulfed by the yellow crystal’s enchanted curse.

“Twi… light…” Celestia calls out to her faithful student as her body is forcefully sucked into the amulet’s last colored orb.

“Princess!” Twilight screams out for her teacher as the amulet is finally finished with its work.

At last, with three of the mightiest deities in his possession, Arrogon starts to chuckles greatly as the amulet’s colorful orbs radiate such immense, unimaginable power. As his chuckling begins to develop into mad, egotistical laughter, his demonic body shakes uncontrollable while it emits an intense, blue, scorching aura.

“The power… mwhahahahahaha! The absolute POWER!!” Arrogon howls like a madpony as he continues with his triumphant, wicked laughter.

But as he is distracted by his inflating ego, Arrogon’s neck, hooves, and torso are suddenly bounded by artificially constructed shackles after they have emerged from a magic circle beneath his hooves. Ceasing his laughing, he curiously glances at the shackled hooves and the magically drawn circle first. Then, he tilts his head to gaze at the spellcaster responsible for this: Princess Twilight Sparkle, whose horn is imbued with intense, sparkling magic as her crying eyes glare furiously at the heinous stallion.

“Release them! NOW!” she demands in irrepressible rage.

“Ooh, another Alicorn Princess?” he observes insultingly. “Hmph, they’re pretty much giving them away these days!”

“You will release them this instant, or else I will have to take you down myself!”

Unfazed by her threat, Arrogon simply responses, “By all means… go right ahead!”

A bit startled by Arrogon’s challenging demeanor, Twilight holds nothing back as she concentrates on her glowing horn before it unleashes a mighty blast of magenta-colored magic. The illuminating wave of immense energy engulfs the immovable Arrogon as its blows a massive hole through the wall of the room. After her powerful spell dies down, Twilight takes a heavy breather as she recovers from performing such an incredible feat for herself. Once she opens her eyes, she nearly holds her breath after she gasps in disbelief when she sees the unharmed Arrogon still standing there once the smoke clears away.

“I’m sorry. Was that’s supposed to hurt me?” Arrogon inquires mockingly with a deadpan expression.

“That’s… impossible!” Twilight exclaims in shock. “I bound you with a spell that prevents you from moving! How were you able to survive that?!”

“Silly filly! My extraordinary powers are now beyond that of Discord or any of your Princesses combined!” And to provide his point, he easily breaks free of his magical bondage with only the use of his dreadful, blazing aura.

“You might have posed as a challenge to me 500 years ago, but as of tonight…”

To further demonstrate the enormous gap of their powers, his flaming eyes flicker intensely before the young, troubled Alicorn Princess is immediately pushed back by an incredible, unseeable force, and she is slammed hard against the wall next to the doorway.

“…you are just as insignificant as the rest of those worthless ponies out there!”

“What have done with Princess Celestia and the others?” the pinned Twilight demands from the overpowering challenger as she struggles from Arrogon's magical grasp.

“If you must know, your former superiors are kept safely right here in my amulet.” he answers with calm satisfaction as he points his irremovable amulet with a shin-armored hoof. “During my extensive recovery after my supposed demise, I’ve been devising a plan. A plan upon which I can not only have Celestia out of the way, but to also reach my ultimate perfection! This amulet I’ve created specifically for that purpose can absorb them into these three magically-crafted crystals as their entrapment will also serve as my infinite power source! Now, with the Alicorn Princesses and Discord trapped inside, they will constantly fuel my immeasurable powers from now on, and I will finally achieve my status as the one and only true god of this world!”

Just as he was about to laugh maniacally over his newfound godhood, Arrogon notices something odd about Twilight Sparkle’s appearance. He narrows his sizzling gaze as he murmurs to himself, “That crown… there’s something vaguely familiar about that. But why?”

After processing this, Arrogon’s eyes are shot widely as he realizes why that crown with the large, star-shaped jewel looks so familiar. Because of this, he also realizes that there is one possibility that can ruin everything for him. A chance that he can’t afford to overlook at this crucial point of his return. Immediately, he rushes forward before he slams his hoof hard against the wall right next to the immensely startled face of Twilight.

“WHERE ARE THEY?!” he demands in outrage.

“I don’t know what you are talking about!” Twilight replies weakly as she is still pinned to the wall by Arrogon’s fearsome magic.

“Don’t play coy with me, Princess! You possess one of the Elements of Harmony! Where are the other five?!”

“I’ll never tell you!” she answers firmly.

After hearing her response, Arrogan takes a moment to calm down from his outburst and he says to her with crafty eyes, “Well then… if you won’t tell me, then I guess I’ll have to find them out myself!”

While Twilight briefly wonders on what Arrogon meant by that, she suddenly feels an intense, burning sensation inside her head as if she was suffering the biggest headache of her life. From enduring this massive migraine, she suddenly sees various, mental images from all her adventures with her five friends in Ponyville, from how they met individually before the return of Nightmare Moon, to her coronation as the newest princess. However, from being forced to see these wonderful memories, Twilight senses another pair of eyes that are also watching these flashing visions; the piercing, flaming eyes that belong to the very pony who’s has penetrated deep within the corners of her mind.

Once he has gathered all of the information he needs, Arrogon ceases his mindreading spell as he says with disgusting delight, “Ahh… so it’s not just a matter on where they are, but who they are.”

“No!” Twilight whimpers in horror over what Arrogon has in stored for her dear friends.

“Yeesss… but don’t you worry, my little Princess. You’ll be joining them real soon.”

Presently on the Outskirts of Ponyville…

“Rainbow Dash, will you--?”

But before Ford Mustang can finish his proposal as well as present his engagement bracelet to Rainbow Dash, she is abruptly distracted by something out in the distance where Canterlot is. From that distant area, dark, rumbling clouds spread across Luna’s beautiful night as they block the celestial stars and devour the world’s colors, making everything filtered into an ugly, dark shade of gray. Even the fireflies have stop their dancing before they instinctively flee away from the coming, ominous storm.

“Hey Mustang, do you remember there being a gray overcast tonight?” Rainbow asks as she continues to eye the suddenly cloudy sky.

“No, there wasn’t supposed to be one according to tonight’s weather schedule.” Ford answers as he quickly tucks the hoof ring back into his right wing while Rainbow is too distracted from noticing it.

“That’s strange. Those dark clouds are coming from Canterlot over there.” she points it out as she gazes at the source of the disturbingly unusual forecast. Ford joins at her side as they continue to figure out the strange phenomenon that is happening with the sky above.

“I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.” Rainbow muses with a grimace face before she turns her head and faces Mustang with deep concern. “Ford, I’m sorry for cutting this short, but I have to see Twilight and find out on what’s going on! This could mean trouble for all of us!”

Ford would be lying to himself if he didn’t want Rainbow Dash to go just as soon as he was about to pop the question. But considering that there are more important matters at hand, such as the safety of Equestria, he nods his head lightly and smiles warmly to his loyal marefriend as he says to her, “I understand. You go do what you do best and save the world.”

Showing a gratifying smile on her own, Rainbow happily kisses Ford on the lips before saying, “Thanks for understanding, Ford. I truly appreciate that from you. I’ll wrap this up as soon as possible, and then we can continue where we left off!”

With his heart fluttering with renewed anticipation, Ford Mustang says to her, “I’ll be waiting.”

Just as soon as they are about to go their separate ways, an unforeseen explosion of fire illuminates a blazing blue into the dark gray surroundings. The explosive combustion not only catches Rainbow and Ford off-guard extremely, but it also blew away their picnic and its utensils as well as scorched some of the wildflowers nearby. From that pillar of fire, Arrogon steps out of his unique teleportation spell as he eyes with great interest at the unusually terrified Pegasus mare.

“Hello, Rainbow Dash. Is this a bad time?”

Author's Note

So, I might get some gripe on how I didn't use past tenses in the first scene of this chapter. The reason behind that is because is that this chapter's first scene and the previous chapter ideally take place in the same time. And mostly when it comes to using past tenses, I use them mainly for the flashback scenes.

Chapter 9 – All is Lost

Under the ugly, gray, stormy sky, there are three ponies standing out in the middle of the field of wildflowers, right on the outskirts of Ponyville. On one side are two Pegasi, Rainbow Dash and Ford Mustang, who were just wrapping up their anniversary date after noticing the bizarre overcast that originated from the Castle of Canterlot. On the other side stands Arrogon the Destroyer, who has recently increased his own powers tremendously by absorbing Celestia, Luna, and Discord within his cursed amulet. Now, the two sides are facing each other as Ford and Rainbow try to figure out on who this mysterious tyrant is, while Arrogon on the other hand is inches away from tying up one loose end.

“Rainbow Dash, we meet at last.” Arrogon pronounces with revolting delight. “You have no idea how long I have looked forward to this moment.”

Initially shocked by Arrogon’s sudden appearance, both Rainbow and Ford glare simultaneously at the party crasher before the blue-haired stallion steps forward as he demands in outrage, “Who the buck are you?”

When Ford questions Arrogon, the menacing pony didn’t pay any attention to him at first. He just stands there with a deadpan expression for only a few seconds. But suddenly, he snaps his head sharply as his piercing, fiery eyes flicker intensely while they lock onto Ford's. A bit startled by Arrogon’s demonic stare, Ford is swiftly pushed back by the unforeseen telekinesis before he is plowed right into the ground several yards away from the other two.

“Mustang!” Rainbow cries out to her coltfriend afar.

“Hmph! So rude!” Arrogon scoffs at the Pegasus he just tossed aside. “I was getting to that part anyway. Now then… where was I? Ah, yes! Allow me to introduce myself.” he continues before bowing lightly at the disinterested Rainbow Dash. “My name is Arrogon, the newly appointed, supreme ruler of Equestria, and eventually, the world! And I am here to accompany you to my newly acquired castle, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow just stares at him with a raised eyebrow as her anger builds up like a thunderous storm. “Okay, first of all, if this is your idea of a joke, you’re buckin’ terrible at telling it!” she responds brashly to the uninvited guest as she readies herself for a fight to come. “Second of all, I don’t think the Princesses will take you so kindly if you talk so smugly like that! And finally, that was my coltfriend you just knocked aside, and I sure as hell am not gonna let you get away with that!”

“Ho-hoh! Feisty, aren’t we? I like that!” Arrogon says with keen interest.

“Then you’re gonna love this!” she responds wittily before she quickly launches herself from the ground and rushes toward her foe.

For her first strike, Rainbow plans to deliver a righteous hoof-punch to Arrogon's overconfident face. However, to her immense surprise, her charge becomes ineffective as a blue shield, which is automatically summoned by Arrogon himself, causes the attack to be turned aside.

A bit startled by the failed attack, Rainbow continued the barrage as she relentlessly keeps on throwing all kinds of lightning-fast, fighting moves against the motionless Arrogon, but just like her first attack, his blue shield keeps blocking of all her incoming attacks. After countless of unsuccessful, quick attacks, the female athlete takes a heavy breather as she glares at her unimpressed opponent.

“You know, as much as I’ve enjoyed the show, I think it’s time for us to take our leave right now.” Arrogon says in mocking boredom.

“Don’t think... I’m done with you just yet!” she responds with a confident smirk as she continues to catch her breath. “Once Princess Twilight finds out about this, you’ll be in serious trouble--!"

“Oh, but that’s the thing, Rainbow! All of your friends are waiting for you right now!”

From hearing that, all of her confidence diminishes as she stammers with wide-eyed skepticism, “Wh-what?”

“That’s right!” he repeats with a nod of his head. “I’ve already gathered all of them one by one! And all that's missing right now is you!”

“You… YOU LIE!” she protests while struggling to hold her tears back.

Arrogon just eyes at the distressed mare before responding with a sly, slimy voice, “Would I?”

Unable to control her anger and grief for long, Rainbow Dash hastily rushes toward her smug foe as she lets out a vengeful war cry. But before she could even try to touch Arrogon, the dark one flashes his explosive eyes, which violently knocked her backwards. As she tries to get back up, Rainbow is constricted in a dark blue aura before she is levitated towards her victorious opponent.

“Your efforts are quite admirable, but futile none of the less.” he comments to the trembling mare. “Just like all of your pathetic friends who would dare pose as a threat towards me. Without each other, your Elements of Harmony are practically worthless trinkets against the superior might of my unfathomable powers!” After Arrogon walks closer to her, he creepily strokes Rainbow’s cheek as he says to her in a sinister tone, “Now you’re all alone… like a rainbow in the dark.”

Groaningly, Ford Mustang steadily gets up from the ground after being flung away from such a great distance. While clearing his head from the sudden impact, he instinctively reaches what’s underneath his right wing to see if the engagement bracelet is still intact. Unfortunately, to his horror, he feels nothing at all. The hoof ring he has been planning and cherishing since Hindel gave him that precious Prismatic Diamond is now missing!

As he frantically searches for the ring, Ford turns his head around as his wide-eyed gaze locks in place when he shockingly sees something more horrifying than his missing present: Arrogon has enveloped a floating, frightened Rainbow Dash with his dark aura as he slimily caresses her face with his fore hoof!

Seeing this awful sight before him, Ford begins to feel a surge of unimaginable, irrepressible anger as he unconsciously draws on an unknown, yet familiar source of power within his hardening right hoof. Whether as a human or as a pony, Ford has always found ways to maintain his cool without letting his anger get the best of him. Even in these turn of events, there are some things he could have just look the other way. If someone pushes him around, he won’t let that instigate him into a fight right away. As for making him losing his ring, he knows that there are things more precious in life than material possession. But this… when there is someone who is threatening or mortifying his loved ones, especially his marefriend, Rainbow Dash… this is just simply UNFORGIVABLE!

Without a second thought, Ford launches from his spot at ludicrous speed as he rushes towards the grim offender while he is fueled with righteous fury. As he is close enough to deliver his first strike, his right foreleg springs into action as his lightning-fast punch takes aim at that disgustingly smug face of Arrogon’s.

In that split-second, Arrogon would have ignored that counter-strike since his energy shield would have automatically block that attack. However, something is different this time; something that not even Arrogon would have foreseen after his countless years of formulating his plan. That right hook from this one, normal-looking pony is able to easily penetrate his automatic defensive spell. Once he notices this unexpected circumstance, Arrogon begins to turn his attention to the source of this startling phenomenon. However, it is too late for him to counter back.

POW!

The almighty hoof of Ford Mustang makes a direct hit with Arrogon’s distressed face as the self-proclaimed god feels the full force of the enraged, light blue Pegasus! With time seemingly flowing back to its normal speed, Arrogon is swiftly catapulted across the landscape as his unresponsive body severely tumbles across the floral valley like a broken ragdoll. Despite feeling some satisfaction for giving what’s coming to Arrogon, Ford didn’t keep his furious eyes off him as the villainous foe lies on the ground in the far distance.

While still maintaining the pose after delivering that overwhelming punch, Ford is breathing heavily before he grimly warns the knocked-out Arrogon from afar, “Get your filthy hooves off my marefriend!”

Once he makes sure Arrogon isn’t getting back up, Ford calms himself down before trotting over to shaken Pegasus mare as he expresses great concern for Rainbow’s well being.

“Rainbow Dash! Are you alright? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” he asks as he kneels down while tending to her.

Completely shocked by how her coltfriend was able to hit Arrogon right in the jaw, she starts to compose herself as she contentedly hugs Ford while she speaks in a weak voice, “I’m… I’m fine, Mustang. But… he… took them. He’s captured all of our friends.”

Initially surprised by the awful news, Ford sharply turns his head as he looks at the fallen Arrogon across the field of the once-colorful wildflowers. With renewed determination and brewing rage, he reassures Rainbow Dash by saying, “Not for long he hasn’t!”

Meanwhile, Arrogon gradually gets up from the mound of dirt he was slammed into. He hasn’t felt this kind of stinging sensation in a very long time. Nopony was supposed to be able to harm him once he has captured all three of Equestria’s most powerful deities. He was supposed to be untouchable! Yet somehow, this unknown, normal-looking Pegasus was not only able to penetrate his basic defenses, but he was also able to cause pain to his ultimate perfect form! It shouldn’t bother him that much since he can quickly regenerate his injuries thanks to the absorbed powers of the Equestrian gods, yet Arrogon continues to puzzle on how this strange simpleton was able to hurt him, nor could he forget this first act of humiliation since his recent ascension to godhood.

A bit distracted by the slight amount of pain he was feeling, Arrogon rubs his left cheek with a hoof as Ford Mustang hovers in front of him. Once Arrogon is aware of Ford’s presence, he slowly turns his head to face him with his rubbing hoof still glued to his face.

“You… actually hurt me.” Arrogon states in a mixture of perplexity and surprise.

“And there’s more where that came from if you don’t tell us where our friends are and release them this instant!” Ford threatens furiously as he is ready for another round.

But Arrogon pays no attention to Ford’s threats as his twisted mind is still wrapped on how this unforeseen challenger could have hit him so easily. The fact that he still couldn’t find a proper answer to this mysterious pony is literally driving him mad. Though strangely enough, he didn’t show any form of anger as his dark, blank face still maintains his calm and composed expression.

As Arrogon continues to puzzle on this, he sees something strange on the hovering Pegasus. On Ford’s hindquarter, there isn’t any depiction of a Cutie Mark on there. Basically, it's nothing more than a blank slate.

“A pony without a Cutie Mark? Huh… how interesting.” Arrogon muses to himself.

“And what’s so funny about that?” Ford Mustang growls with narrowed eyes.

“Nothing at all, I assured you. You have my sympathies, pony… for the briefest of moments!”

After he finally breaks out of his moment of puzzlement, Arrogon’s eyes flare up extremely as Ford is quickly pushed away by Arrogon’s telekinesis once again. Only this time, Ford’s recent impact is more brutal than the first one. Despite feeling more pain than before, it didn’t do much to dwell on his anger as he quickly torpedoes toward the more serious Arrogon. Unfortunately, Ford’s charging attack is interrupted as his frozen, levitated body is wrapped tightly in an aura of dark blue magic.

“You may have earned yourself a lucky blow back there, but your luck just ran out!” Arrogon sneers at the struggling Pegasus.

“Then why don’t you quit hiding behind your magic and fight me like a real stallion!” Ford goads with clenched teeth despite his sudden helplessness.

“Hmph! You’re in no position to make demands from me, pony.” Arrogon scoffs before he casually looks at one of his armored hooves. “Besides, I rather not dirty my hooves against lowlife filth such as yourself.” To demonstrate his handicap, Arrogon magically slams Ford into the ground really hard as his face is heavily planted into the rough patch of dirt.

“Now why don’t you be a good, little pony, and show some proper respect to your new king and master?” Arrogon insists smugly as he leans a little closer to the injured stallion lying on the ground.

Summoning all of his willpower, Ford steadily looks at Arrogon in the eye as he firmly responds, “The only ponies I will ever bow down to are the Princesses, and you certainly don’t look like one of them!” Strangely enough, a devious smile creeps on his dirty face as he continues by saying, “Unless, you really are a princess, aren’t you? In that case, I apologize. I had no idea you were a princess considering that you have such an unusual figure to say the least. Of course, that would explain why you don’t have any ba--!”

“INSOLENCE!”

Not amused by Ford’s sense of humor even when in the face of danger, Arrogon repeatedly slams the rebellious Mustang into the earth. With each merciless pounding delivered by the villain’s dark magic, the paralyzed Rainbow Dash helplessly watches the ruthless onslaught as she increasingly cringes for each beating Ford receives.

Once Arrogon is close to satisfaction from venting out his demonic anger, he takes a moment to examine his tortured subject. The barely responsive Pegasus has become quite a mess with his tarnished coated-body covered in dirt and a multitude of dark-purplish bruises with a stream of blood trickling from his mouth. Satisfied, Arrogon carelessly tosses the greatly injured Ford Mustang aside like a piece of trash.

“Perhaps your feeble mind can’t comprehend on who you’re dealing with right now!” Arrogon gloats triumphantly as he marches toward the immobile Mustang. “I am Arrogon the Destroyer! I have become the mightiest entity this world will ever know! And you, my hopeless simpleton, are nothing more than a puny, insignificant creature compared to me! What can you possibly hope to accomplish against the presence of an almighty god such as myself?!”

With what little strength he has, Ford steadily lifts his head up so he can face his tormentor once more. As Ford looks at Arrogon dead in the eye, he prepares his throat for a proper response.

SPOOT!

With a well-aimed shot, Ford’s wad of spit makes a direct hit into Arrogon’s left eye. Surprised at first, Arrogon shakes with uncontrollable fury as his left eye sizzles while he glares intensely at the weakly smirking Ford Mustang.

“Does that answer your question?” Ford asks with a witty smile.

SMACK!

Swiftly, Ford is forcefully backslapped by Arrogon’s left fore hoof as he slides harshly across the dirt. While still angry for the further insult he has received, Arrogon pauses momentarily in confusion as he hears the weak chuckling of the troublesome pony.

“Oh, what a shame.” Ford chuckles with an amused, yet painful smile before he turns his head around to get a good look at Arrogon’s reaction. “I force you to soil your own precious, little hooves. Heh, I guess even gods must dirty their hooves sometimes.”

Having all he can take from this defiant pony, Arrogon snaps as he activates his dark magic once again to swiftly pull Ford Mustang closer to him. “Your continued defiance annoys me to no end!” Arrogon growls right in front of Ford’s face. “Just for that, I’m going to end you in a most fitting manner for displaying such disrespect towards your new master: a slow, painful, and merciless death!”

After lifting Ford higher in the air, Arrogon’s magic begins to constrict tightly around him as he feels an overload of sharp, painful sensations. Even when he wants to cry out his pain, he couldn’t because the constricting aura was nearly crushing his windpipe. Eventually, he could feel the dark magic seeping into his body as his ribcage starts to crack within. Soon, Ford can feel the very life literally chocking out of him. And just as when his torture has just begun…

“STOOOOOP!!”

Ford’s excruciating pain comes to a sudden halt as he and Arrogon look down at the source of the protest. And to their surprise, they see a tearful Rainbow Dash on all fours as she grovels beside Arrogon’s left fore hoof. Ford has a terrible feeling of what’s to come, but he couldn’t object to this since his voice is cut off by Arrogon’s dark aura.

“Please stop, Arrogon.” Rainbow begs greatly as she faces up at him with a pitiful, pleading look. “I’ll… I’ll do whatever you ask of me. I’ll even give myself up, just please don’t hurt him anymore! I beg you! Please, just let him go! Please!”

As Rainbow weeps uncontrollably at the mercy of Ford’s tormentor, Arrogon takes a moment to process this before questioning her with puzzling eyes, “You are willing to devote your very own life before me?”

“…Yes.” she replies with quiet hesitation.

“And… you will address me as your master from this day forward?”

“…Y-y-yes… Master.” she stammers as she lightly bows before Arrogon.

Greatly satisfied by Rainbow’s submission, Arrogon casually states his decision, “Sigh… very well. Since today is such a momentous occasion for me…” And with that, Ford is free from the torturous magic before he tumbles hard onto the ground. “…I shall release him.”

“Th-thank you, Master.” Rainbow says with forced gratitude as she bows again before him.

“You are quite welcome, my dear. Now, come along, Rainbow Dash.” he orders kindly as he prepares a magically terrifying, blue portal of fire. “Your friends are all waiting for you.”

As Arrogon waits for Rainbow to enter the fiery portal first, she looks back at the barely conscious Ford before she speaks out loudly, “Wa-wait!” This causes Arrogon to glare angrily at her before she restates her request carefully, “May I say… just one last goodbye to him, Master? Please?”

“Fine.” Arrogon sighs after softening his fierce expression. “But please make it quick.”

Hastily, Rainbow flies to her mildly crippled coltfriend before she softly nuzzles with him to get him to remain conscious with her. Gradually, Ford lifts his head as he tries his best to return Rainbow’s affection.

“Rainbow… please…” Ford weakly begs her while locking his pleading eyes with hers. “Don’t do this to yourself. Please.”

“I’m sorry, Ford.” she responds softly as she lovingly caresses his injured face. “But I can’t allow you to get hurt this way. Please understand that no matter what happens to me, I will always love you, Ford Mustang. Don’t ever forget that for me.”

Lastly, Rainbow shares one final kiss with Ford. In that brief moment of everlasting love, they want to hold on to that for as long as possible. Reluctantly, she pulls away from her lover’s quivering lips as she slowly gets up and unwillingly walks toward the patiently waiting Arrogon.

“Don’t worry.” Arrogon subtly mocks the immobile Mustang. “I’ll take good care of her.” All Ford could do in response is grid his teeth and emit a low, threatening growl despite knowing for a fact that there is nothing he can do at that point.

Satisfied, Arrogon turns around as he begins to lead Rainbow Dash into the terrifying portal. But just as they are about to make their departure, the villainous victor pauses as he chuckles to himself upon forget something, “Oh wait! One last thing…”

With a quick jerk of his head, Arrogon flashes his suddenly vengeful, fiery eyes one last time as Ford Mustang is wrapped in that dark, sinister aura once again. As Ford is lifted in the air once more, Rainbow hastily rushes to his aid, but is immediately halted by Arrogon’s magical aura as well.

“What are you doing?!” Rainbow screeches in outrage as she frantically struggles within her magical entrapment. “You said you will release him if I go with you!”

“I did say that, didn’t I?” Arrogon says sinisterly. “But you didn’t specify on how far I may release him!”

While Rainbow hopelessly resists the sinister magic enwrapped around her, Arrogon directs his cold, murderous eyes towards Ford as he is tightly and painfully bounded by the villain’s levitated aura.

“Goodbye, wretched pony!” Arrogon salutes to his defeated adversary. “You shall be the first and last pathetic creature to ever lay a hoof on me like that again!”

After bidding his final farewells, Arrogon, for the first time since his return, unhinges his black jaw, which reveals sharp, silhouetted, trapjaw-like teeth. Within the maw of the monster, a raging blue fire begins to emerge from the bowels of the endless inferno. Soon enough, that fire starts to take shape in the form of a spiraling fireball. With nowhere else to go, Ford realizes that his fate has been sealed as Arrogon unleashes his raging fireball of doom.

BOOM!

“NO! FORD!” Rainbow Dash cries out loud in heartbreaking horror.

Shot like an explosive cannon, Ford flies off into the far distance, away from his greatly distraught marefriend and the maniacally laughing fiend. Like a fallen meteorite, his scorched body is flung towards the heart of the Everfree Forest. Scorched in fire and dealt with some much agonizing pain, Ford is practically on the verge of death. He could curse out Arrogon’s name, he could call out for his beloved Rainbow Dash, he could try to cry out for any possible help, but that will all be pointless for him. Realizing that there is nothing else left for him to do in what little life he has left in him, he simply closes his eyes, and waited for the end to come swiftly for him.

Shortly afterwards, Hindel the All-Seeing Dragon scouts high above the canopies as he aimlessly searches for his fallen friend. Despite his blindness, Hindel continuously relies on the rest of his exceptionally sharp senses for his seemingly hopeless search; therefore giving him a field perspective range far greater than any of his dragonkind. He knew this day would happen, yet he never expected Arrogon to execute it so swiftly.

“No no no!” Hindel panics frantically as he continues his fruitless search. “I was supposed to foresee this! I was supposed to prevent all of this from happening!”

Suddenly, he feels something unusual in the midst of his flight, not the cold, nightly air, but the warm, intoxicating smoke fuming from down below in an opened clearing. But it’s not just the change of temperature Hindel is picking up, his elongated snout picks up a strange scent. The smell not only detects a familiar source of magical fire, but also something burning that smells like a something being roasted… or somepony to be exact.

“NO!” Hindel screams in denial as he swoops down to the source of the fire.

Once he lands on the ground, Hindel verifies his surrounding with his sensitive touch. Picking up the vibrations from each careful step, he determines the area he is on a small, shallow crater where the source of the impact lies in the center. Noticing that there are some lingering flames nearby, Hindel quickly spans his wings and blows them away with a mighty gust.

Moving closer to the center of the crater, Hindel fears on what’s to be expected. Here, in the middle of the impact, lies the fallen and severely broken Ford Mustang. His crushed body is nothing more than a complete disarray of broken limbs, bloody blotches, bruised marks, and most notably, his tattered coat of darkly charred fur. Sensing no sign of life or motion from the lifeless pony, Hindel cringes in horror at his failure to save his unresponsive friend.

“No.” Hindel whispers mournfully as he hangs his head low in immense shame, deep regret, and great sadness.

For Hindel to find Ford dead right in front of him, it really tears his heart. If only his visions would have come clearer and warn him sooner. If only he had a little more time to work with Ford… to prepare him. But now… it’s all too late… for Ford… for Hindel… and soon enough, for the rest of the world. All is lost.

…

“R-R-Rain…”

“Wh-What?” Hindel stammers in disbelief as he leans forward to carefully listen to the motionless body of Ford Mustang. Using his extraordinary, sharp hearing, Hindel holds his breath in astonishment after he picks up very faint heartbeats from the surprisingly but scarcely alive Pegasus.

“R-Rain… bow…” Ford speaks up weakly in the form of a chapped, hoarse whisper.

“He’s… he’s alive. He’s still alive!” Hindel gasps in joy at this second chance he has been given.

Carefully, Hindel flips the limp pony on his backside as the noble, elder dragon leans his head forward to face Ford’s. “Maybe it’s not too late!” Hindel says to himself. “Maybe there is still a chance to fix all of this! Hold on, Ford Mustang! Just hold on for a little longer for me!”

After he quickly intakes a huge amount of air, Hindel breathes out a warm, brightly golden vapor as it seeps right into the Ford’s mouth. This flow of Draconian Magic spreads throughout his body as Ford is immensely wrapped in that golden aura of familiar warmth. From this warm feeling of comfort and light, he can also feel something changing from within. The broken bones rapidly mend themselves. The cuts, blotches, and bruises enclose themselves up. And his blackened coat retains its healthy, shiny, light blue color. Gradually, his healing body returns to its normal condition, but he is too sore and exhausted to awaken from his miraculous recovery.

After his lifesaving breathing technique begins to die down once he finishes his work, Hindel sighs in great relief before he says softly to the recovering stallion, “Rest now, my friend. For soon, we have much to discuss.”

Author's Note

Regarding with Arrogon, I often visualize him not using his mouth when it comes to basic talking or expressing his emotions. Mainly, he'll open his mouth when he breathes fire or performs roar-based attacks. I know it sounds strange, but I enjoy on how Arrogon lets his eyes "do the talking" for him.

Chapter 10 – A Dragon’s Tale

Darkness.

Nothing but darkness surrounds the fallen Pegasus known as Ford Mustang.

In this dreamy vacuum of empty space, he floats aimlessly in his supposedly eternal sleep as he feels absolutely nothing. No pain, no fear, and no solid form of physical contact. Just a stallion who’s endlessly drifting in this unique sub-space between life and death.

Gradually, his mind and body begin to piece together the last recollection before he was embarked on his subconscious voyage. He starts to feel many negative emotions surging through his soul: anger, fear, and melancholy. His mind recollects the previous scenes of his life as he once again relives those horrors: from the sadistic brutality of his malicious challenger, to the forced separation of his beloved. All he can hear from these returning nightmares are the maniacal laughter of the triumphant Arrogon and the mournful cries of his heart-stricken marefriend, Rainbow Dash. As he recalls these frightening sounds, blue flames rise up from the dark abyss as they encircle around his motionless body.

But suddenly, the dangerously illusionistic flames disperse immediately as a bright, warm, golden light engulfs the fires as the screaming nightmares begin to fade away. Afterwards, the empty void is being painted in splashes of the background’s colors. Soon, these blurry colors begin to sharper as they depict shape and form in Ford’s surroundings. Gradually, the numbness in his body diminishes as he not only feels the hard, cold ground on his rough-coated back, but he can feel the aching soreness throughout the rest of his body.

Eventually, he weakly opens his turquoise eyes as he verifies the unknown environment he is in. The first thing he notices is same, thick, cloudy darkness that continues to block the once-beautiful sky. At this point, he can’t even determine whether it’s night or day. He slowly tilts his head to continue his analysis. The location looks like a wide, sunken valley with many cavern openings within the rocky chasm’s walls. In the center of this ancient valley, is a large, bonfire as an enormous, silhouetted, dragon sits near it patiently.

“Ah, you’re awake, Ford Mustang.” Hindel greets with a smile.

“Hindel?” Ford moans weakly from his recovery. The smiling dragon nods in responds. Then, the pony immediately tries to get up as he gasps shockingly, “RAINBOW! Hindel, we’ve got to save Rainbow and the others! There was this terrifying pony with a blue, fiery mane and great, flaming eyes! We have to--!”

“And we will, Ford.” Hindel interrupts gently. “But for now, you must rest, save your strength, and listen to what I have to say first.” With a soft nod, Ford takes heed to Hindel’s advice and reclines back gently on the hard rock bed. “I know exactly on who you are talking about. In fact, I know him all too well.” he admits dishearteningly.

“He… called himself ‘Arrogon!’ He wasn’t… anything I have ever expected!” says Ford Mustang in a trembling voice. “He claimed to be this all-powerful god, and he sure wasn’t blowing smoke when he was able to toss me around with only his mind and those crazy eyes of his!”

“Sigh… I should have foreseen this coming.” Hindel confesses shamefully. “I knew Arrogon would make his return one day, but I never thought he would put his plans into full motion so quickly!”

“Who is he, Hindel? You said you knew him before, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did. But he never started out as the monster you now know as Arrogon. Back then, when we first met, he was just an Earth Pony simply known as Morning Star.”

“500 years ago, ponies back then were not as kind and understanding as of today despite living under the ruling of Princess Celestia. A perfect representation of such cruelty and savagery was a medieval city called ‘Stonehaven.’ Within its fabled stone walls, the twofaced city was filled with gluttonous nobleponies, corrupted enforcers, opportunistic criminals, and prideful hunters who sought glory with capturing legendary beasts, including dragons. To those whose hearts weren’t as black as the rest, life in Stonehaven was nothing more than a prison to them.

An example of such an unfortunate individual who had to live in that sinful city was an orphaned pony named Morning Star. One difficulty he had to face in life was the fact that he was born as an Earth Pony. Back then, Pegasi and Unicorns of the noble class would considered Earth Ponies to be inferior because they possess no form of magic when compared to the other two races. Because of this, Morning Star’s chances to be raised in a good, wealthy home were very slim thanks to his Earth Pony heritage. The other difficulty he had to face in life was being shunned out as a Blank Flank. Another reason why his chances for an adoption were so slim is because nopony would want to take him in if he didn’t have a special talent in the first place. Because of these cruel circumstances, Morning Star was constantly bullied, verbally abused, and pushed around by just about anypony around in the orphanage.

When he finally had a chance for a better life once he was adopted, fate took a drastic turn for the worst when he was handed over to a workhouse, which was run by its cruel and ruthless Headmaster. For nearly every day, Morning Star was severely punished by the Headmaster, with or without any reason. For much of his foalhood, Morning Star never knew of any form of compassion or love from anypony what’s so ever.

One day, he was able to make his escape as he fled from Stonehaven and into the dark, tangled woods of the Everfree Forest. Within the untamed wilderness, Morning Star was cold, frightened, and alone before he collapsed from exhaustion and hunger. It was from there where I first met him. My clan used to live in this same valley you’re standing in right now, so our home was right in the heart of the Everfree Forest. Upon meeting the unconscious Morning Star, I felt great pity for him, and I decided to help him by reviving with my magic; the same method which I used to revive you just recently.

Upon his reawakening, Morning Star was able to tell me everything about himself. And after a series of events, he was able to unleash his very own Dragonian Magic, which was part of the magic I’ve imbued within him. Seeing the raw potential he had over his newfound gift, I’ve decided to raise him as if he was my own hatchling. Overtime, we are joined by some of the other orphans who have also escaped from the cruel workhouse. It took some time to convince the rest of the dragons from my clan, especially my hotheaded friend, Wagner, who has a 'respectable' distrust amongst ponies. But fortunately enough, the clan agreed to help raised the other orphaned ponies with me, and we became quite a family after that.

Many ponies of our clan were able to grasp the concept of our Draconian Magic since it will make their lives more easily when you live with dragons, but Morning Star… he was a prodigy. Even when he is compared to the other dragons of my clan, he mastered more magical techniques than anyone of them. I couldn’t be any more proud of him for having him as a member of my clan. In a way, he was… like a son to me. Ironically enough, it must have been own my proud that has truly blinded me on what he will become later on.

As the years went by, Morning Star was excelling extraordinarily well with nearly every known technique within the field of Draconian Magic. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t help Morning Star into gaining his own Cutie Mark as he was growing up. As an adult, he started becoming bitter, envious, and coldhearted to nearly everypony around him since they all have their Cutie Marks by then. He was… like a different pony altogether.

But then… everything changed when my brother, Deimos, and his dragon clan came by for a supposed visit. I know a lot of dragons have a strong dislike for ponies. But Deimos… he hated them with a passion. He claimed that we dragons are the true masters of this world due to our immense strengths and longevity, and it is his belief that ponies shouldn’t see themselves as their superiors, let alone their equals. He was so disgusted with ponies living peacefully amongst our clan, that he saw them as a threat that needed to be wiped out just like the rest of the ponies, especially Morning Star.

It was eventually inevitable that Deimos’ clan and mine had to clash with one and another. While my brother’s army had strength in numbers, my clan had strength in unity and power thanks especially to Morning Star. As the bloody battle was drawing to a close, it was down to one deciding factor: Deimos and Morning Star. Despite his hatred for ponies everywhere, Deimos developed a special interest in Morning Star. My brother knew the quaking, unimaginative rage that was residing in the pony’s heart as well as his secret desire to achieve power for the sake of his own pride. Sadly enough, those two shared a lot more in common than Morning Star would ever admit to himself.

When Deimos lost the battle, he goaded Morning Star into finishing him off by attacking him psychologically. I tried to stop him from tainting his victory, but my words would not take heed as Morning Star rushes in for the kill. With his dying breath, Deimos unleashed his most devastated spell: a powerful curse of fire that amplifies greatly by the amount of negative emotions dwelling within its victim. And unfortunately for Morning Star, he was feeling the full force from that cursed spell as his body was scorched so badly that his entire coat was turned into a permanent charcoal black. With the death of Deimos, his clan surrendered and was banished from our lands. However, that moment of victory came at a heavy price, and it was both Morning Star and I who had to pay for it.

We tried to help Morning Star to recover from his mortal wounds, but even our best healers weren’t enough to cure his deadly affliction. I feared that it would be end of him, but to even greater horror, it would be the beginning for something even worst to come. That afflicting curse Deimos casted upon Morning Star did more than just scarred him physically. Deimos’ final actions were meant to change Morning Star into something even more monstrous than even my own brother was. Somehow, Deimos’ own demonic magic was able warp Morning Star’s fragile mind into a vessel of absolute rage due to his misfortunes from foalhood as well as his endless struggle for a Cutie Mark. And in doing so, Morning Star was gone from our lives, and in his place was an enraging beast that was more terrifying than any dragon I have ever known; that day was when he became Arrogon the Destroyer!

On that unforgettable day, Arrogon committed many treacherous deeds against me and Equestria. Most notably, he… massacred every last pony within my clan. It was from that horrific moment when I realized that the Morning Star I knew was no more, and that I must do all that I can to vanquish Arrogon for good before his irrepressible rage could consume the world. In my desperate attempt to defeat Arrogon, I was thankfully assisted by Princess Celestia, who was willing to aid me in my battle against my former pupil. With our combined powers, the Princess and I were able to subdue Arrogon before he could cause anymore devastation to anyone else. But In one last desperate attempt, he summoned all of his enraging powers and performed a powerful explosion that would have costed his very own life. In the end, Arrogon disappeared before our eyes, while also permanently blinding my own eyes. I’ve lost so much back then… my friends, my family, my eyesight, and of course, my good friend, Morning Star.

In the aftermath, I didn’t see myself as a qualified leader of my clan anymore, so I passed the role of leadership to my long-time friend, Wagner. As his first act as clan leader, Wagner and the remaining dragons would relocate in the Talos Mountains far north from here and away from pony civilization. As for myself, I lived in exile in the Everfree Forest to this very day. During my self-exile, I’ve been having these dreams… visions of the inevitable return of my supposedly deceased enemy. As these visions kept getting stronger overtime, I become more convinced that Arrogon wasn’t dead after all. It was just his way to fool the world over his alleged demise. Knowing this, I resolved myself to do whatever I can to stop Arrogon before history would repeat itself! But in doing so, I know that I will need help in a later period of time when Arrogon will make his return. And so, from summoning a majority of my own magic, I casted out an experimental spell within space and time in order to find that very individual who will help me end this 500 year-long nightmare once and for all!”

It takes awhile for Ford Mustang to gather up all that he has learned from Hindel’s story. But what was a real shocker for him was that last part of the dragon’s tale. Immediately, his memory flashes back to when he was teleported to Equestria by that golden sphere of soothing fire. Then, he recalls the time on how Hindel used his magic to give him the uncanny ability to hold things with his hooves just like everypony else. Yet strangely enough, Hindel’s magic shares the same characteristics as the magical fire that was responsible for his mysterious appearance. And finally, he remembers on how that same mystifying warmth of fire was responsible for his revival. At last, Ford has finally unravelled the mystery behind his arrival!

“…It was you, wasn’t it?” he questions Hindel with wide-eyed astonishment. “You’re the one who transported me from Earth to Equestria, didn’t you?”

“…Yes.” Hindel confesses quietly.

“Why? Why me?” Ford asks shockingly. “Why not any one else here on Equestria?”

“Because I had no control over that. Magic sometimes works in its own mysterious ways. My inter-dimensional spell automatically locks on to that specific individual to whom I needed the most, no matter what the limits are regarding with the space-time continuum, whether it’s in this world, your world, or another world all together.”

“Okay, but still… why me though?!” Ford continues to question himself in a panicking state. “There… there was nothing special about me in the first place! I’ve never performed any heroic deeds for myself back on Earth! I don’t have any special form of combat training that can stand up against Arrogon! I was just an ordinary guy with a passion for the arts! I’m not a soldier, or a superman for that matter! I’m just… sigh… me.”

“You wrong, Ford Mustang.” Hindel greatly reassures to the downhearted Pegasus. “There is something special about you! Something that can not only end Arrogon’s reign of terror and destruction, but can also serve as the source to the hidden power that resides within you!”

“And… what’s that, Hindel?”

“Courage.” the golden dragon answers simply.

“…Courage?” Ford stammers in confusion. Hindels nods in response. “B-but Hindel! You must be mistaken!” Mustang reacts unconfidently. “I’m pretty much the opposite! I’m usually timid, humble, and cautious when it comes to taking chances! Heck, even when I was turned into a Pegasus, I still had to struggle with my own fear of heights! I’m not the best example when it comes to displaying courage!”

“Oh no?” Hindel asks with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile. “Then tell me this, Mustang… when you first entered my domain, what was the first thing you were feeling at that point?”

“I was… afraid. Terrified on whatever kind of creature I was going to have to face in there.”

“And if you were so afraid, then why did you continue to venture inside my cave?”

“Because there were three fillies inside, and I didn’t want anything bad to happen to them!”

“Yes, exactly! Despite your initial fears, you were willing to go forward, let alone sacrifice yourself if need be, just to save others! You see, courage isn’t about never being scared to begin with! It’s about facing up to those fears and learning how to overcome them! And above all else, to never give up in the end, no matter how hopeless it may seem! Even recently, you were willing to stand up against someone as sinister as Arrogon just to protect the one that you love the most! That’s how I knew that you were the one I’ve been waiting for all this time! And it is why I need you now more than ever if we are to ever stand a chance against him!”

Ford begins to smile on Hindel’s optimism. But then, his smile fades away as he turns away from Hindel while expressing a sour mood all of a sudden. “You know, as much as I should appreciate your faith in me, I should be mad at you for concealing the truth away from me.” Ford admits in frowning, disappointed manner.

“I… I know.” Hindel admits softly as he lowers his head in shame.

Then, Ford shakes his head while bearing a kind, forgiving smile before continuing, “But given all that has happened in the past year, I’ve never been happier in all of my life. So in a way, I should be thanking for all that you have done for me. I don’t know what my role in all of this is yet, but I’ll do whatever it takes to save Rainbow Dash and everyone else in this world!”

“Thank you, Ford.” Hindel smiles gratefully at Ford’s willingness to help out in all of this.

“Speaking of which, can you find out for me on what happened to Rainbow and the other girls after Arrogon kidnapped them?” Ford requests pleadingly.

Hindel takes a moment to think about this, but with an assuring smile, he says to Ford, “I’ll see what I can do.”

With his blind eyes closed, Hindel concentrates silently to himself as his mind’s eye scopes far and wide on where Arrogon has taken the six mares. Through his unique form of clarity, the dragon is able to pinpoint the location of the girls as they are sadly confined in one Canterlot’s sub-level dungeons.

“Hmm… yes… I can see them!” Hindel exclaims in a moment of triumph, which causes Ford to express some surprised joy over this news. “The Elements of Harmony are being held imprisoned inside one of the castle’s dungeons. They’re quite distraught from the recent events, but they are alright for now. And… wait! I can see something else! It’s… it’s Arrogon! He’s currently building himself an army of dark, magical creatures thanks to his empowering amulet!”

"Wait! What happened to Celestia, Luna, or even Discord?! Couldn't they stop Arrogon by themselves?!"

"The very amulet he has crafted for himself is the very reason why the three entities are incapable to stop him. Those three jewels on his accursed amulet must have not only imprisoned them, but they are also draining their powers while infusing with Arrogon's. This would explain how Arrogon has become so powerful after all these years!"

“Then what are we waiting for?!” Ford growls impatiently. “We need to go over there and save them!”

“No. Not yet.”

“What? Why not?!” Ford screeched in protest. “We have to save them now!”

“Patience, Mustang. In due time, we will.” Hindel states it as calmly as possible. “But for now, we must take advantage of the time we have been given. While Arrogon is busy creating his army, we can use that time to begin your training.”

“Training? On what exactly?” Ford asks puzzlingly.

“On how to master your draconian powers of course.”

“Wait… I have draconian powers now?!” Ford points out in complete shock.

“That’s right, and I’m going to teach them to you!” Hindel confirms with a smirk.

“But how? The only kind of magic I would possess is Pegasus magic, right?”

“Ford, don’t you remember those breathing exercises I’ve taught you in the past few months? Haven’t you notice anything different since then?” he asked him with an all-knowing grin.

“Hmm… well… I do feel stronger and more energized than ever.” Ford ponders on this for a bit. “But how did I possess those powers in the first place?”

“You’ve had them ever since you first arrive to this place.” Hindel verifies all-knowingly. “That inter-dimensional spell not only transported you here, but it also gave you a portion of my own magic. Therefore, allowing you possess the powers of a dragon as well!”

“So, if that's the case… does that mean I can breathe fire at some point?” Ford beams exaggeratingly with a wide smile and sparkling eyes.

“We’ll see, Ford.” Hindel chuckles at the pony’s exaggerative antics before continuing in a more serious tone, “But be warned, Mustang. We may a window of opportunity at this time, but we don’t have a moment to waste. From now on, it will not just be simple exercises we’ll be going through. The real training I will put you through will involve some seriously dangerous challenges that will constantly test your body, mind, and soul! The trials you will face may be grueling and food and sleep will not come so easily for you, but by the end of your training, I know that you will be ready to help me crush Arrogon once and all! So, are you truly ready for what’s to come from here on out?”

Realizing how serious and dire the situation has become, Ford Mustang takes a deep breath before he says something to the patiently waiting dragon, “I just only have one question, Hindel…”

“Yes?”

Ford just simply grins and asks him, “When do we get started?”

Author's Note

Morning Star is a reference for a well-known fallen angel/devil, Lucifer, a prideful angel who sought to ascend a throne higher than that of God before he was cast out from Heaven. Ideally, his pride and his backstory with being raised by dragons is what led me to come up with the name "Arrogon", since it's a combination of two words: "Arrogant" and "Dragon."

There is one other character that has inspired my creation of Arrogon who is pretty much similiar to Lucifer: Anakin Skywalker a.k.a. Darth Vader. Don't get me wrong, they way portrayed Anakin in the Star Wars prequels was horrible; whether it was due to the actor or the script of the story. But despite these flaws, I do like the concept behind it. I want to show on how hard Morning Star's life was before he managed to find a sense of purpose and happiness in his life. Of course, when he is an adult, he starts to show some dark traits due to his constant struggle for a Cutie Mark as well as being haunted by his foalhood memories. Never the less, he was a good pony before Deimos the Dark Dragon intervened, corrupted him, and ruined his life forever.

Other inspirations for my OC villain include: Freeza & Cell (DBZ), Father (Fullmetal Alchemist), Carnage (Spider-Man) and Ganondorf (Legend of Zelda).

Chapter 11 – Training Day

After finishing his recovery, Ford Mustang and his new dragon master, Hindel, are standing in the training grounds of the former, ancient home of the blind, golden dragon. This specific area consists of tall, upright boulders and a small spring nearby.

“So tell me, Mustang.” Hindel begins their first session together. “Based off the breathing exercises I’ve taught you, what have you learned so far?”

“Well…” Ford ponders to himself before coming up with an answer. “Through proper breathing, I am able to control my own energy within my wings and hooves so that I can also empower them as well. Is that right, Hindel?”

“That’s right.” The golden dragon nods to Ford's answer. “But can you tell me why breathing plays an important aspect in your training?”

“Umm… so I can concentrate on channeling my own energy?” Ford guesses with a sheepish smile.

“That’s partially true. But the real reason behind your breathing is to gather the energy that’s around you. When you compare it to Unicorns, they can manipulate the magical energy through their minds and horn extensions. While dragons, on the other hand, can manipulate the energy through their lungs and hearts. The lungs help store the energy while the heart helps circulate the energy throughout the body’s systems. With proper focus, you can easily transfer that miraculous power through the extensions of your body. Now, could you demonstrate that for me by punching that boulder over there?” Hindel points out to the large rock behind his student.

“Uhh… sure.”

Gingerly, Ford hovers over to the boulder Hindel has chosen for him. Once he's close enough, Ford floats in mid-air before he begins recalling his simple breathing exercises.

Okay, Ford. he reminds himself. Just like Hindel has taught you. Breathe in through your nose, and then breathe out with your mouth.

Calmly, he steadily breathes in and out using his nostiles and mouth in a slow, rhythmic pattern. He couldn’t feel much of it from the first time he tried this, but as of now, he can feel a great warmth building up inside his chest.

So far, so good. Now, focus only on your left hoof, and allow that energy to travel to it.

With his mind focus on that chosen appendage, the gathered energy instinctively travels through his veins before it reaches at the center point of his left hoof. As the magical energy gathers at that point, his hoof shakes slightly as it glows with a golden, blazing light.

Once he is ready, Ford eyes on the boulder before a confident smile emerges onto his face. He figures that this will be as simple as the time he knocked over that large apple tree weeks ago, except to his relief, he wouldn’t have to deal with an angry Applejack this time.

With his eyes set on his target, Ford unleashes the draconian fury by smashing the giant boulder to smithereens with his left hoof only. With the dusty smoke clearing away, all that remains of the once-mighty boulder is countless pebbles scattered across the floor.

“Hey… I did!” Ford smiles widely.

“Very good.” Hindel nods with a praising smile. “You have mastered the basic art of energy manipulation.”

“Wait, if this is supposed to be a basic magic technique, then why don’t all dragons use this ability on a regular basis?”

“Well… that’s quite the opposite for dragons actually.” Hindel answers sheepishly while scratching his chin. “The biggest problem for dragons when it comes to mastering that technique is that because of our immense sizes, it can be quite a challenge for us to channel that much energy throughout the complexity of our bodies. Also, it shames me to say this about my race, but most of them severely lack patience and discipline when it comes to learning this special ability. Observe, if you will.”

Hindel gets up from his sitting position as he steadily walks to one of the other boulders. Once he is in front of the pillar of rock, Hindel closes his eyes before he extends his index finger in the air. The observant Ford Mustang awes in wonder as he sees Hindel’s clawed finger glowing with same aura the Pegasus has displayed earlier. Once Hindel finishes his concentration, the dragon firmly presses his finger into the rock before it explodes into tiny pebbles.

“Now, since you have a basic understanding of Draconian Magic…” Hindel continues his lecture. “…we can move on to your next lesson: fire breathing!” Ford gasps in joy over the fact that he will be learning on how to breathe fire soon.

“For dragons, it’s a natural talent for them to breathe fire due to their massive lung capacity.” Hindel reassumes his lesson. “But don’t worry. We’ll work on that later. For now, let’s see if we get you to breathe fire first. Basically, you have to gather up all of the energy you inhale in one great breath. Then, you concentrate on that energy within your lungs as you transformed that into fire. And finally, when you are ready, release it!”

With a quick nod, Ford Mustang sets himself up in a proper stance as he eagerly prepares for his first try. After a few quick breaths, the stallion inhales a deep breath of fresh air. And once he exhales it out…

POOF!

…nothing came out but a puff of smoke. Ford is completely shocked by his failed attempt. He tries it again, but the results are still the same. Soon enough, the frustrated pony starts to get really impatient. Again and again, Ford keeps trying to breathe fire in a very hasty manner, but not a flicker of fire emerged from his gaping mouth. This certainly isn’t as easy as augmenting his magic into his hooves like before.

“I don’t get it!” Ford pouts over his frustration. “I’ve followed your steps, yet all I’m doing is puffing smoke!”

“You’re lacking concentration, Ford!” Hindel scolds his impatient student. “You need to concentrate on the air you breathe in!”

“How can I concentrate on something that I can’t even see?!” Ford retorts. “It was easy enough for me to do that with my hooves and wings, but when it comes to visualizing thin air, that’s pretty much impossible!”

Hindel takes a moment to think on an alternate method to teach Ford on how to breathe fire. “Visualizing it, huh? Hmmm…” Then, he smiles brightly as he comes up with an interesting idea. “I might have a way to help you with that. But first, you need to close your eyes.” A bit puzzled at first, Ford eventually complies with his master’s instructions and firmly closes his eyes.

“Okay, now what do I do?” Ford inquires with his eyes tightly shut.

“Can you see anything, Ford?” asks the dragon.

“...Is that a trick question, Hindel?” Ford retorts with raised eyebrow.

Ignoring Ford’s witty retort, Hindel says, “Just practice your breathing like before, and listen for a minute.”

Following his master’s further instructions, Ford calms himself down before going over his usual breathing routines. In his deep state of meditation, Ford silently listens for anything that comes to mind. At last, he hears something while his eyes are still closed. It has a nice, steady rhythmic beating to it, and it sounds very familiar. Ford finally realizes that the soothingly mellow rhythm is coming from his own heart.

“Tell me… what do you hear, Mustang?”

“I hear… my heart beating.” Ford confirms softly.

“Good.” Hindel smiles on hearing Ford’s progress. “Now just concentrate on the rhythm of your heart and continue your breathing.”

Continuing with the progression of his training, Ford keeps his cool as he breathes in a usual, steady rhythm. Suddenly, he sees something in this peaceful darkness he puts himself in: a tiny ball of golden light! It starts out small, but then it gets bigger. And not only that, but it is also throbbing just like his beating heart.

“I… I think I finally see something.” Ford gleamingly acknowledges.

“What do you see?” Hindel asks with peaked curiosity.

“It’s… a golden ball of light. …And it’s pulsating just like my heartbeat.”

“Yes… that is your own aura, Ford. It is where the source of your Draconian Magic resides in. Now then, concentrate on that glowing light, and allow it to expand inside you!”

Do as he is told, Ford focuses on the pulsating sphere of light, which is located at the center of his heart. With the power of his mind, Ford permits his golden aura of light to spread beyond its boundaries. The aura’s extensions transform into spiraling tendrils, and eventually, those multiple tendrils form unique shapes within his body. Once the aura has extended every inch of his body, Ford is amazed to see what his aura has to show him. He can see every vein inside his body lighting up thanks to his aura of golden energy!

“Wow… It’s like I’m looking from inside out!” Ford states his self-discovery in continuous amazement.

“Oh, but it doesn’t stop there, Mustang!” Hindel smirks with a light chuckle. “Allow that energy to expand even further and beyond your body!”

A bit curious on what Hindel is expecting from him, Ford continues his concentration. Eventually, he sees additional splashes of colors lighting up right outside of his body. Ford almost loses his focus as he nearly gasps in awe at what he is witnessing in his mind’s eye right now. Other than himself, Ford can now see Hindel’s magical aura, where the dragon’s body is made up of intense, golden light. Out in the background, Ford can also see tiny specks of multi-colored lights floating delicately in the air. On the ground, he can see the earth-colored lights depicting the whole valley that Ford and Hindel are standing on right now. Underneath his hooves, he can see the colorful energy shining brightly from the crystals deep below the earth’s surface. Also, the Pegasus can sense the green-colored, life-force energy from a crawling beetle as well as see the tiny seismic waves from each step the six-legged creature is making. Lastly, Ford can sense the natural, watering hole from afar as he can see the rippling waves of blue-colored energy illustrated by the splashes of the small waterfall that’s pouring onto the surface of the tranquil pool. Through Ford’s eyes, he sees the blackness of his spiritual plane as the canvas and the countless dots of prismatic energy as a colorful, pointillistic painting.

“So tell me, what do you see now?” Hindel inquires with an all-knowing grin.

“Ev-everything!” Ford stutters in continuous amazement. “I can see just about everything in my surroundings!”

Hindel joyfully nods before he addresses to the awestricken Pegasus. “Do you see what energy really is now, Mustang? Energy isn’t just magic itself. It’s in everything! You! Me! The rocks! The trees! The water from that creek nearby! The crystals underneath the ground! Even the very air you breathe in! Everything! Energy is life itself! We take that energy, and then we release the energy!”

“It’s incredible!” Ford mesmerizes over his mental imaging. “It’s like… looking at a painting coming to life!”

“Yes… it is beautiful, isn’t it?” Hindel smiles softly.

“Is this how you truly see the world every day?” Ford asks his mentor remarkably.

“Indeed it is, Mustang! Think of it as an additional sense that allows you to extend the awareness of your surroundings. When you feel the energy from everything that’s around you, you can practically see anything within that unique field of perception. Right now, you can see the whole valley where you are standing in right now. As for me, if I wanted to, I can see this entire forest with my eyes closed! Umm… metaphorically speaking, of course.” Hindel chuckles with an awkward smile. “Now, let’s get back to your fire breathing technique, shall we? This time, focus back on your heart and practice your breathing like before.”

With his eyes still closed and renewed determination, Ford Mustang concentrates back to his beating heart until all he can see right now is his own lit-up body and the golden aura that's pulsating in the center of his chest. The aura isn't as tiny as before; it is radiating stronger than ever even though it is thumping in a calm, rhythmic manner.

“Good.” Hindel says with glee. “Notice how the aura inside you has expanded significantly thanks to the energy you have been gathering through your breathing. Next, take a very deep breath, and mix the air with your aura so that you can create your very own fire.”

Calmly, Ford breathes in a deep breath of fresh air while noticing on how he is inhaling the numerous energy particles. From his mind’s eye, he can see the air circulating within his lungs. With his bright aura in the center of the mixing process, the excess oxygen circulates intensely around the aura before it transforms into swirling, blazing fire of golden light. Normally, fire would be the last thing Ford wants inside his chest as there was a possibility to spontaneously combust, but here, in this magical world he lives in, this unnatural fire that’s swelling inside Ford’s chest is soothingly warm and surprisingly encouraging. He knows that he is ready to unleash the blazing fury that’s just begging to be let out!

Hindel can also sense the completion of Ford’s technique, and then he commands out loud, “Now… RELEASE IT!”

At last, with a great exhale…

FOOM!

…Ford Mustang breathes out his very first fire breath! It is a magnificent display of golden fire that lights up the eternal darkness Arrogon has casted upon this world! The fire is quite a sight for Ford to see! His new, draconian technique showcases its raw, unrivaled power, but it is also quite beautiful due to the way it flickers in the nightly background! Strangely enough, It didn’t look as dangerous as it may seem. It’s not as big as a standard dragon’s fire breath, but considering that the roaring fire was much bigger than the pony itself, Ford is still pretty proud for the supposedly impossible feat he just pulled off, and so was Hindel for that matter.

Once the breath of fire vanishes into thin air, Hindel nods his head proudly as he praises his student, “Good… very good. You’ve unleashed your very first fire breathing technique.” After exhaling out a gentle breath, Ford Mustang smiles in relief over another accomplishment regarding with his newfound Draconian Magic.

“Now, for your next lesson, I’m going to teach you on how to roar like a dragon.” Hindel grins to his student.

“How will roaring be effective when I face Arrogon?” Ford asks with a cocked eyebrow.

“A dragon’s roar may be known as a very intimidating method, but it can also be used for offensive capabilities. Here, allow me to demonstrate.”

Giving himself enough space in front of another boulder, Hindel inhales a mighty breath of air before he screams out a powerful roar at his target. The sonic shockwaves of his almighty roar vaporizes his second boulder. Ford couldn't help but unhinge his jaw as he is completely shocked to see the magnitute of Hindel's roaring technique.

“By mastering a dragon’s roar, you can use your own voice to unleash powerful blasts of compressed air and sound.” Hindel says to Ford after finishing his demonstration. “It may not take as much energy as fire breathing, but it can be quite difficult to master though. So, ready to give it a try?” To serve as his answer, Ford nods to his dragon instructor. “Okay then, just like when you breathe fire, focus your energy into your vocal cords this time, and then, let it all out in one, big roar!”

With another nod, Ford gets himself ready in another proper stance as he faces another rocky pillar. Holding his ground, he inhales greatly to gather his energy as well as to prepare his own throat. After gasping a huge intake of air, Ford lets it all out.

Rarr!

It was loud, but not by dragon standards unfortunately. Plus, the boulder Ford is facing didn’t so much as budge at all.

“What was that?” Hindel asks rhetorically in a mix of surprise and disappointment. “That didn’t sound like a dragon at all! It sounded like… someone intimating a baby manticore! Now, let me hear you roar once more!”

Repeating the steps, Ford quickly reassumes his stance and tries to screech out a better roar this time.

Raarr!

"Louder!" Hindel orders.

RAARR!

"Louder!"

RAAARR!

"LOUDER!"

RAAARRR!

“Sigh… this isn’t working.” Hindel mutters to himself as he shakes his head in slight disappointment.

As for Ford Mustang, he feels great shame for himself. Not just from not being able to put a single crack on the mocking boulder with the use of his voice alone, but also because of his own gentle nature that's holding him back from trying to impress his newly appointed teacher.

“Sorry, Hindel.” Ford apologizes meekly. “I’m… normally not good when it comes to shouting like that.”

Noticing how downhearted Ford is, Hindel softens his expression as he smiles to his apprentice, “Why don't we take a break and grab something to eat right now?”

Happy to hear Hindel’s suggestion, Ford responds gleefully, “Great! I’m starving! So… where’s the food?”

“Right over there!” Hindel answers with a grin as he points to the valley’s exit.

Following the dragon’s pointed claw, Ford looks at the exit. In front of the entrance of the dragon’s valley, the dark trees of the Everfree Forest loom before the suddenly timid Pegasus. Thanks to the immensely cloudy darkness, the Everfree Forest looks scarier than ever.

“In… in there?” Ford gulps at this grim realization. “Y-you mean, in the Everfree Forest?”

“Mmm-hm.” Hindel nods his head with a very wide grin.

“So… aren’t you going to accompany me, Hindel?” Ford asks with a hopeful smile.

Hindel just smirks at the nervous stallion before he chuckles in response while raising his brow, “Why would I? I’ve got all the food I need right here in the valley! Even after all these years, this place is filled with so many delicious gems to eat!” After eagerly licking his chops with a forked tongue, Hindels leans his head in front of Ford with a mischievous smile. “May I interest you in some, Mustang?”

“No thanks… I like to keep all of my teeth in place, thank you.”

“Eh, suit yourself.” Hindel shrugs before he turns around and walks back to the center of the valley. From there, he can begin his excavation for some of those tasty crystals he’s looking forward to.

As Hindel walks away, Ford turns back and continues to stare at the gloomy forest before him. During his own self-paralysis, Ford begins to hear numerous, wild calls echoing from the haunting forest. Hearing these unusual, creaking sounds is making it even harder for Ford to make a single step despite his rumbling stomach urging him to go forward.

WHOOSH!

Distracted by the dark, creaking woods in front of him, Ford yelps out loud after feeling a sudden gust of wind brushing against his back. Quickly, he turns around and eyes angrily at his ideal suspect: Hindel, who is still maintaining that all-knowing smirk of his.

“Oops! Sorry!” Hindel says with a suspiciously devious smile. “I thought there was mosquito on you back! You know how big those things can get around here!”

Ignoring that smirking dragon’s poor excuse, Ford turns his head back as he eyes at the entrance of the Everfree Forest. Fear starts to crawl back inside as he is once again reluctant to make his way into intimidating woods.

“You’ll do fine, Mustang. Trust me.” Hindel reassures the nervous pony with a gentle smile.

Ford smiles back at Hindel for his reassurance. Then, he turns his head back to look at the scary forest one more time before his rumbling stomach snaps him out of his own nervousness. Feeling his hunger overtaking his fears, Ford takes a deep, calm breath before he lets it out gently, and he finally trots forward into the dreaded woods so that he may found some nourishing food somewhere.

After Ford ventures into the void of the Everfree Forest, Hindel mutters in a hopeful whisper, “Prepare yourself, Ford Mustang. For the real training begins now.”

Author's Note

Regarding with Draconian Magic, it's all about breathing when it comes to gathering and manipulating energy's magical properties. I got this idea from two sources: Avatar's Firebending (thanks to Uncle Iroh's wise lectures), and the Ripple/Hamon from the first two series of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Speaking of Avatar, I also got the idea of energy perception from Toph's "Seismic Sense" as Hindel and his new trainee can mentally see the energy produced from through life-forces, magic, kinetic energy, seismic activity, and other sources. That way, through proper concentration, it can give them complete awareness to their surroundings as well as help Ford out with his training when it comes to manipulating the energy from within.

Chapter 12 – Call of the Wild

In the deep darkness of the Everfree Forest, Ford Mustang is lightly treading across the jungle grounds as he cautiously searches for any source of food around here. Unfortunately for him, he can barely see an inch in right of his muzzle as it was too dark for him to see anything in this dense, darkly woods he is venturing into. And to make matters worse for himself, the creeping sounds from all of the anonymous animals are making it all the more terrifying due to the floral darkness they are hiding in. The echoing, unidentifiable noises cause Ford to shutter in fear once again despite his willingness to venture further so that he might find something to eat soon.

Calm yourself down, Ford. he tries to mentally ease his own nerves. It’s just your mind playing tricks due to all of the noises you’re hearing. Ugh… What I would give to be able to see in the dark right now.

Suddenly, he smiles to himself as brightly as the mental light bulb that just popped into his head. Wait… maybe I can! If I can amplify the extensions of my body with my own energy, then maybe I can do the same thing regarding my eyes too!

Following Hindel’s teachings recently, Ford closes his eyes and began his usual breathing. Eventually, through his mind’s eye, he can see and feel the warm glow of his pulsating, golden aura.

Now, to calmly direct the aura’s magic into my eyes.

With the power of his concentrated mind, he mentally commands the aura to steadily divert its energy into his eyes’ photoreceptive cells. Along the way, Ford is able to evenly split that energy into two glowing orbs, one for each of his eyeballs. Upon their destinations, energy orbs amplify the visual cells greatly as the eyes radiate immensely.

Okay, everything is in place! Now, as the good book would say, “Let there be light!”

After opening his eyes, he sees a flash of light before his amplified eyes automatically adjust themselves for a better picture. Through enhanced clarity, Ford can finally see the distinctive colors and shapes of the Everfree Forest. Once he notices on how the dense jungle isn’t so scary now that some of its darkness has been lifted, Ford glees ecstatically over the success of his experimental energy augmentation.

“HA-HA! It worked!” he announces in joy. “Now let’s see if we can find some… GASP! FOOD!”

In front of him, Ford nearly lets his jaw dropped to the ground as he stares with wide, hungry eyes at the vibrant colors of the first sign of food he sees. To his immense astonishment, Ford eyes at a familiar, yet extraordinary tree that only he and his pony friends would recognize: a Zap Apple Tree! And surprisingly enough, the tree is also ripe for the picking too!

“I don’t believe!” Ford exclaims excitedly as some saliva drips from his mouth. “Zap Apples… in the Everfree Forest!”

Not wanting to waste any more time due to the rare tree’s short duration of harvesting time, Ford rushes over to the fruit tree and quickly grasps one of the rainbow-colored apples from one of the tree’s lower branches. With hunger mercilessly knocking at his door, the blue Pegasus promptly takes his first bite out of the tempting, rainbow-striped fruit.

Like its namesake, the Zap Apple gives Ford Mustang a welcoming kick to his taste buds. It has that perfect blend of sweetness and sourness found in most of the best apples in Equestria, but what make this colorful apple so extraordinary is that its taste can be best described as electrifying. The flavor of this bizarre yet tasty fruit gives its taster a uniquely enjoyable, tingling sensation with each bite a pony takes.

After finishing his first bite, Ford couldn’t control himself any further before gorges on the rest of this delectable fruit, right down to the very apple core. But then, as he is about to eat the next apple, he blankly stares at the apple’s vivid colors and begins to recall on all those warm memories back in Ponyville. Not only does this appetizing fruit remind him of Applejack and the rest of her Apple Family as they were the ones to treat him like one of their own as well as their time on the farm together, but it also makes him think greatly about his marefriend, Rainbow Dash.

Ford misses Rainbow so much. He misses the all the times he spent with her along with their wonderful friends. He misses how they used to fly together. He misses the touch of her beautiful coat brushing against his own as well as how wildly passionate her kisses were whenever her soft lips came in contact with his.

From recalling his favorite mare, tears are the verge of breaking from his emotional eyes. Almost distracted by his own emotions, he quickly wipes away any tears that might have leaked out from his eyes. He believes to himself that it’s his own hunger that’s causing him to be so worked up all of a sudden. Immediately, he gets back on track and plucks out as many ripe Zap Apples as possible before the tree can magically disappear back into the ground.

In the midst of his apple picking, Ford picks up a very unusual and disgusting smell. This foul stench smells just as rotten as a musky swamp. It was a good thing Ford didn’t amplifying his own nose in order to increase his chances from finding food; otherwise he would have fainted right away from trying to bear that overwhelming odor. But then, he dismisses that smelly odor as he detects some menacing growls right behind him. Reluctantly, the startled stallion turns around, and he nearly lets out a yelp once he spots the source of the growling creatures: Timberwolves!

The terrible trio surrounds the scared pony as they continue with their intimidating growling at the invader of their territory. The wooden, wolf-like creatures stare down at Ford with menacing, glowing, green eyes as they gradually approach him. The shivering Mustang makes a heavy gulp as he tries to work this out in a calm, friendly manner.

“Umm… n-n-nice doggies. G-good doggies.” Ford stammers with a nervous smile.

The threatening Timberwolves didn’t pay heed to quivering pony's pleas as one of the animated creatures lunges forward and tries to bite him. Luckily, Ford Mustang immediately jumps over the snapping jaws of the territorial Timberwolf. After making his leap of faith, he quickly makes his getaway before the three Timberwolves follow in hot pursuit.

In the midst of this terrifying chase, Ford quickly looks behind him and is shocked to see that the three wolves are catching up to him. As the Timberwolves begin to bark at him, Ford turns back and tries to pick up the pace of his frantic galloping. Then, he realizes something on forgetting the obvious.

“What am I doing?!” Ford says to him as he desperately wants to facehoof himself if he wasn't in mortal danger right now. “I’m a Pegasus! I can fly right on out of here!”

Immediately, he jumps into the air to prepare his flight towards freedom. But something is wrong as he suddenly plummets back to the ground and his face slams into the floral floor. Once he recovers from his unexpected downfall, Ford inspects his wings to find the cause of his descent. Then, he notices something really strange around his unresponsive wings. To his horror, his wings are clamped together by a magical band made of faintly glowing, golden energy! He just can’t figure out on how his wings were bind together in the first place!

His magical mystery over his constrained wings is put on hold as Ford Mustang is once again surrounded by the trio of Timberwolves. The barking wolves close in slowly as Ford has nowhere else to go thanks to his temporarily disabled wings. The high-pitched barking from the wolves is aggravating to Ford’s equine ears. The frightening snarls continue to scare Ford out of his wits. He is uncontrollably trembling in his hooves from having to endure all of the wolves’ intimidation. He isn’t sure on what to do now!

Then he asks himself, What would Rainbow Dash do in a situation like this? No doubt she would charge head first into any form of danger whenever one of her friends is in trouble. With her incredible speed and her never-ending bravado, she would have whipped these wolves right on their wooden hinnies and sent them running away with their tails between their legs! Ever so loyal until the bitter end, she would never give up, and she would never give into such petty fears no matter what! If these wolves bark at her, she would just bark right back! In fact, her impression as one of the them is more terrifying than the actual Timberwolves themselves!

Maybe that’s what I need to do for myself! Ford begins to encouragingly smile to himself. If these dogs are just going to bark all they want, then I’m just gonna have to bark right back at them! Thank you, my blue, beautiful angel! I don’t know what I would do without you!

With renewed confidence in himself, Ford Mustang pushes his fears aside and stares back at the Timberwolves encircling him. After firmly pressing his fore hooves right into the ground, the determined stallion inhales a mighty breath as he prepares his own war cry. After drawing a very deep breath as well as gathering all that energy into his throat, he is ready to pull off the biggest roar of his life!

RAAAAAAARRR!!

Meanwhile, at the valley, Hindel is sitting down and munching on his current meal of freshly dug-up gems. As he picks up another handful of delectable jewels, his large, fanned ears pick up a thunderous outcry from the far depths of the Everfree Forest. Not only that, but he also feels the earth shaking slightly as well as hear the screeching caws and screeches of the numerous birds fleeing from the scene. To his surprising delight, it sounds just like a roaring dragon. Of course, Hindel knows exactly who can make such an unusual, earthshaking roar like that.

“Hmm… now that’s more like it!” he mutters to himself with his usual, all-knowing grin.

Back inside the Everfree Forest, Ford Mustang magnificently finished up his first dragon’s roar. Once he calms down a bit, he looks at the Timberwolves’ reactions. To his immense surprise, the three wolves are all whimpering like little puppies. Also, their wooden limbs are shaking like dead trees as they begin to back away instinctively due to the menacing call that sounded like an angry dragon earlier.

A bit satisfied by the draconian technique he just pulled off recently, Ford sets aside his pride as he knows that he’s not out of the woods just yet. With the Timberwolves caught off-guard momentarily, Ford charges forward and knocks down the first wolf with a strong hoof-punch. Thanks to his training, the punch was powerful enough to break apart the wolf’s composition of sticks and leaves. Without taking a break, Ford goes on the offensive against the other two Timberwolves. Just like the first one, the last two wolves are broken apart with one amplified punch after another.

Once the Timberwolves have been reduced to individual piles of crumpled leaves and broken sticks, Ford smiles slightly in triumph over the defeat of the once-menacing pack of wolves. Then, he turns around so he that he can head back to the Zap Apple Tree and gather some more of those delicious apples before time runs out

Suddenly, Ford hears something rustling behind him. Once he faces the leftover remains of Timberwolves again, he nearly gasps in a shock as he sees all the three discarded Timberwolves magically floating in the air before they start to reconfigure into something massive. Once a fan of the animated show that’s based off the Mane Six’s adventures back on Earth when he was a human, Ford then realizes that the Timberwolves are magically combining their parts together in order to create a larger version of their respective species. After their fusion is complete, a new set of very large, glowing, green eyes looks down at the slightly startled stallion before it prepares itself for a roar that can rival that with Mustang’s.

GRAAAAAWWL!!

The colossal Timberwolf’s roar was impressive enough, but to its surprise, it wasn’t enough to break Ford’s spirit as he continues to stare up at the ferocious giant.

“Nice try!” Ford mocks the perplexed wolf while maintaining a fearsome gaze. “But I’ve already seen that trick before! You’re nothing but all bark and no bite!”

In response, the gigantic Timberwolf quickly tries to take an enormous bite out of Mustang! Thankfully, when he got past his initial fears beforehand, Ford makes a narrow escape by leaping away from the jaws of his feral challenger.

“Okay… maybe you do have some bite to back up that roar of yours.” Ford admits with a sheepish smile. But eventually, he ready himself in a fighting stance as he fiercely stares back at the growling Timberwolf. “But then again… so do I!” he finishes with a confident smirk.

Once again, Ford draws in a quick, deep breath. Only this time, it wasn’t to perform another dragon’s roar; it was to unleash a breath of dazzling, golden fire. The burst of fire greatly terrifies the monstrous Timberwolf as it immediately steps away from the roaring fire. Noticing how scared the Timberwolf was, Ford makes a very devious smile as he realizes the monster’s obvious weakness.

Then, he comes up with an idea on how to reduce this Timberwolf down to size. With another quick breath, Ford spews out another burst of fire. This time, he precisely aims at the giant wolf’s left forepaw. Impulsively, the giant Timberwolf whimpers in pain as it tries to blow air so that he can fan away the flames away from his paw. Next, Ford targets his next fire breath on the wolf’s right forepaw. With its forepaws high in the air, the greatly upset Timberwolf stands on his two hind legs. Halfway through his plan, Ford breathes one last burst of fire on the giant’s left hind leg. Unable to bear this humiliating pain, the giant, crying wolf holds his burnt hind leg with both of his forepaws as it hops around in a very comedic manner; even Ford couldn’t help but giggle at the ridiculous posture the Timberwolf has put itself in.

With the gigantic Timberwolf now standing on one hind leg, Ford grins at the near completion of his assured victory as he charges head-on towards the wolf’s wobbling hind leg. During his charge, Ford quickly channels his Draconian Magic into his hind hooves and swiftly delivers an almighty, bone-shattering buck, causing the Timberwolf’s standing leg to break in two! With the once-mighty Timberwolf leaning back to its imminent destruction, there is only thing Ford always wants to say for this particular moment:

“TIMBERRR!”

After Ford finishes his corny one-liner, the giant Timberwolf goes tumbling down and shatters in an explosion of discarded timber. After the great fall, the splintered remains of the combined Timberwolves slowly try to piece their individual selves together. It was a struggling process for each of them as the Timberwolves grudgingly regain their individual consciousness.

STOMP!

But then, a stomp from a heavy hoof wakes them up startlingly out of their grogginess. The once-terrible trio looks in fear at the face of a very assertive Pegasus in front of them. Ford Mustang has proven himself and to the Timberwolves that he is in charge here, and he is going take full advantage of this newfound dominance by issuing his first command:

“SIT!”

In an instant, the three silent Timberwolves sat up straight while also slightly lowering their heads as they express pitiful looks before their new master. A bit surprise by the Timberwolves’ sudden obedience, Ford makes a small smile of satisfaction before he continues his role as the alpha male of the group.

“Now listen up and listen good…” Ford Mustang orders to the pitiful wolves in a low, growling voice while walking up towards them. “I’ll be coming back into these woods every now and then, and I better not expect any trouble from you or the rest of your pals! So you better tell them what I just told you.” the aggressive pony leans his head right in front of the Timberwolves’s fear-stricken faces. “Because if I ever hear you bark, growl, or so much as see you bear your teeth at me…” But then, Ford softens his expression as a very evil smile emerges on his face before he continues, “…well… let’s just say… I can always use some more firewood.”

After Ford finishes on that threatening promise, the three Timberwolves shake tremendously like an autumn leaf dealing with the heavy blow of a freezing wind. Seeing the wolves in such a terrifying state puts a smile on Ford’s face, but quickly, he dismisses his grin before he assertively glares at the trembling wolves on last time.

“Is that clear?” Ford asks growlingly after reassuming his role of authority. Quickly, the wolves frantically nod their heads to serve as their answers.

“Good. Now get out of here.” he firmly issues his final command to the wolves.

All at once, the three Timberwolves run away from the unbelievably terrifying pony as they constantly whimper away before they disappear into the welcoming darkness of the forest. Ford couldn’t believe it! He managed to fight and scare off some of Everfree Forest’s most fearsome creatures! Finally, he trots back to the Zap Apple Tree as he continues to smile and laugh over his latest triumphant.

Back at the tree, Ford Mustang reassumes picking as many Zap Apples as possible. From grabbing the next apple, Ford pauses as he is reminiscently stares at the colorful stripes of this mesmerizing fruit he’s holding. Once again, he couldn’t help but think about Rainbow Dash. It was because of her that Ford has managed to build up his own courage for himself. Whether it was for his fear of heights or when confronting with snarling Timberwolves, one way or another, she was always there for him. He is truly fortunate to have met somepony as wonderful as Rainbow Dash. He can only hope that she will be okay for the time being before he can make his grand return and to stop Arrogon’s plans from coming into fruition.

“Just hold on for a little while longer, Rainbow Dash.” he whispers to his imaginative marefriend as he hugs the apple closely. “I’ll come back and save you and everypony else. I promise.”

After grabbing over a dozen of Zap Apples, the magical tree’s time is up and swiftly sinks back into the ground. With some sticks, vines, and huge leaves, Ford is able to create a makeshift bag to help store the luscious fruit and place them on his back before making his way out of the forest finally.

In the midst of his steady walk, Ford couldn’t help but puzzle on how his wings weren’t able to operate properly like he wanted them to be. He continues to think back on that strange band of transparent, golden light that was wrapped tightly around his wings. And he couldn’t figure out as to how he was magically bounded in the first place.

Thinking back to all of this, he starts to remember on how Hindel blew something on his back before the dragon made some ridiculous claim about giant mosquitos. Then, a terrifying realization hits him! Piecing it all together, Ford believes to himself that there is only one logical explanation for his unexpected predicament, and who ever was responsible for that is going to have to deal with a very angry pony!

A little while ago, Hindel is just finishing up his lunch break after consuming his last portion of jewels. Suddenly, the blind dragon lifts his head up as he senses the return of his apprentice. Even with his unique ability to see the life-force energy in his surroundings, Hindel is still unable to see the sour mood Ford Mustang is putting himself in as he disgruntledly steps outside the boundaries of the Everfree Forest

“So, did you run into any trouble lately?” Hindel asks in a casual manner.

“I did actually.” Ford responds calmly despite displaying an unpleasantly grim face. “While I was being chased by some menacing Timberwolves, my wings weren’t working properly. In fact, they were constricted by strange band of golden, light energy. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” he interrogates the dragon with a raised eyebrow.

The golden dragon takes a moment to think silently on his answer, but then, he responses with a clever smirk. “I say you’ve already figure it out yourself.”

“SO IT WAS YOU!” Fords erupts abruptly as he points an accusing fore hoof at his nonchalant dragon friend. “How could you, Hindel?! You didn’t even consult with me before binding my wings with your magic! And you know what? I might have been okay with that if you would just talked to me about that in the first place! How could you have purposefully endangered me like that?!”

“And even if I didn’t do that, you think Arrogon would fight fair as well?!” Hindel snaps right back.

Ford wants to retort at that counterargument, but then he freezes with his gaping mouth still hanging out in the open. Dumbstruck, he closes his jaw and ponders on Hindel’s reasoning. Of course, that didn’t stop the stern dragon from continuing with his rebuke.

“You need to understand that there will be many scenarios where you will be pushed to your limits as well as being placed in a severe disadvantage! So whenever you are out there in a situation as dangerous and unpredictable as the Everfree Forest, you’ll need to learn on how to think on your feet constantly!” Hindel then takes a moment to breathe in and out before he calmly finishes his lecture, “Do you understand now, Mustang?”

After hearing what Hindel has to say, Ford can feel his anger immediately extinguished as shame starts to fill in its place. Feeling guilty for his earlier outburst, the humble pony admits softly. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry, Hindel. I should have been more prepared to expect the unexpected if I’m going to face Arrogon again, and I shouldn’t have doubted your training like that.”

“It’s quite alright, Mustang. And you might be right about one thing. I should have trusted you into accepting my restraining condition before you venture out into the forest. Nevertheless, I did trust you enough on handling whatever confrontation you may come across in there on your own. Also, I figured that your fight with the Timberwolves might have pushed you harder enough to unleash your dragon’s roar, which was very impressive by the way.”

"Well, do mind taking this binding spell off of me now that I'm out of the forest?" Ford asks nicely.

"I don't need to." Hindel smirks in response. "See for yourself."

Confused at Hindel's suggestion, Ford looks at his Pegasus wings as he expects some resistance once he tries to move them again. But shockingly enough, he can now move them freely as the mysterious, magical band is nowhere in sight. To make sure this isn't a fluke, Ford flaps his wings before he hovers casually in the air.

"Hey, I can fly again!" the Pegasus announces happily in surprise. "But how did that happen?"

"You did that, Mustang." Hindel explains with a casual smirk. "When you use your dragon's roar, it can be powerful enough to break just about any restrainting spells. You might want to keep that in mind when Arrogon tries to give you that stare of his again."

Once Ford lands back on the ground gently, both master and apprentice smile over the happy resolution from their brief quarrel. Then, Hindel says to his student with a proud grin, “You did well for yourself on your first day of training, Mustang. And as a reward for your accomplishments, I’ve brought a little treat.”

Reaching with his claw, Hindel pulls out a nicely sized crystal that’s glowing a bright, turquoise light. After handing his gift over to Ford, the bewildered pony couldn’t help but make a baffling face after accepting the brightly colored gem.

“Uhh, Hindel… I thought we’ve already established that I can’t eat rocks.” Ford states with a scrunched brow and an awkward chuckle.

“Oh, these aren’t ordinary rocks!” Hindel responds with an insisting smile. “Go ahead! Give it a taste!”

A bit reluctant at first, Mustang carefully examines the supposedly edible gift. Cautiously, he sticks out his tongue to give the gem a quick lick. Once his tongue retracts back in his mouth, the gem he was taste-testing is surprisingly sweet. Not only that, but it also had a welcoming, fizzling sensation from its taste sample. To further conduct his analysis, he then presses his teeth into the gem. To his surprise once again, he notices on how his equine teeth can leave bite marks on the much softer crystalized structure. Eagerly, he takes a huge bite on the uniquely delicious crystal. As he is experiencing the full taste of this mysterious treat, his mouth is pleasantly overwhelmed with explosive fizziness and mouthwatering sweetness.

“Hey! This is just like rock candy!” he confirms as he happily munches on his succulent treat.

“Exactly!” Hindel responds with a toothy smile. “This rare, tasty gem can grow overtime, and it’s enriched with natural sugars and energizing minerals. Plus, it’s not as rock-hard as its predecessors.”

After taking a couple more bites over his glowing rock candy, Ford remembers the Zap Apples he has stored inside his improvised bag. Removing the bag from his back, he pulls out one of the rainbow-colored fruits and shows it to Hindel. “Well, since we’re exchanging food here, care to try one of my Zap Apples?” Ford offers to his dragon friend.

After receiving the apple carefully, Hindel stares at the mesmerizing fruit with a perplexing expression, but then he eagerly smiles as he says to Ford, “Zap Apples, huh? Hmm… sounds intriguing. Sure, why not?”

Accepting Ford’s gift, Hindel tosses the apple up in the air and quickly snaps his jaws shut before munching on his bizarre treat. In the midst of his chewing, Hindel begins to feel the tingling sensation of sweet and sourness.

“Mmm! This fruit has quite an electrifying taste!” Hindel glees over the surprisingly tasty snack.

After exchanging a few more candy crystals and Zap Apples, the two unlikely friends enjoy a brief moment of peace as they silently snack on their distinctively tasty treats. Once they are greatly satisfied after finishing their delicious snacks, Hindel asks his pupil with a cheerful grin, “So, now that our break is over, you ready for your next lesson?”

Ford grins just the same as his master before he answers obviously, “Always!”

Chapter 13 – The Eyes of a Predator

For nearly two weeks, Ford Mustang continues his intense training regarding with his newfound draconian powers. Through Hindel’s guidance, he not only improves his breathing capability to help store and absorb the energy around him, but he also masters the energy manipulation within his body; thus increasing his strength, endurance, agility, and speed into a multitude of folds. For his fire breathing, he learns how to manipulate the flames into various forms such as explosive fireballs, multiple missiles, precision beams, and overpowering blasts of intense inferno. As for his roar, he not only learns how to create a wide-spread shockwave to knockout and stun any foe surrounding him, but he also learns how to condense that vocal power into a single, more powerful concussion blast of immense soundwaves.

Of course, his training doesn’t just end with Hindel’s rigorous lessons. Even when Ford ventures out into the Everfree Forest in search for his daily food, he has to encounter some dangerous creatures along the way. But overtime, he manages to thwart them all. He tamed the furious Manticore. He stared down a Cockatrice. He tangled with the Four-Headed Hydra. He even freed himself from the Giant Spider’s silky entrapment by radiating enough heat in his body to melt through the sticky webs. Relying on his newfound strengths, cunning wits, and survival instincts, Ford Mustang overcomes nearly every predator in the forest.

One day, Ford is out in the forest in search of his latest meal. To his delight, he finds some wild, ripe squashes, which have the right taste of natural sweetness to them. As he was gouging on the delectably sweet vegetables, Ford thinks he hears something before snapping his head around to see who or what is out there. Upon surveying the dark, dense forest, he could swear he saw something moved out there... Something really big. With a quick rub to his eyes, he looks at the scenery again. Nothing moved that time. Figuring that he had enough to eat, he briskly trots back to the valley as he feels like he’s being watched.

Little did the edgy stallion know that something is watching him! The large, slithering shadow continues to prowl around the forest as it stalks its latest prey. Getting anxious over what’s behind him, Ford hastily turns around to get the best out of the shadowy stalker. To his surprise, there is no one behind him again.

“Heh, must be my imagination.” he says to himself with a nervous smile.

But as he turns back to his general direction, the monstrous beast reveals itself as it stares down at the utterly horrified Pegasus! This sinister-looking monster is definitely the largest snake Ford has ever seen! It must have been 100-foot long with dark scales bearing a greenish brown color that helps it blend within the haunting forest! But the most petrifying feature out of this mighty anaconda is its eyes!

The enormous snake’s orange, glowing eyes are so frightening to look at, that it would put a Cockatrice to shame if they had a staring contest. And while the snake’s eyes can’t turn anyone into stone, Ford Mustang is immediately paralyzed by the predator’s fearsome gaze. With its latest catch unable to go anywhere, the slithering serpent slowly comes closer to its paralyzed prey.

As the petrified pony remains frozen in his tracks, he knows that he can’t remain like this forever. While closing his eyes to concentrate, he focuses on his steady breathing as he gathers up the energy to break the spell that was casted on him. As he’s gathering up his willpower, he can hear the snake’s hissing ever so closely with each passing second. Ford can feel the great beast’s presence from the immense, heated energy it is emulating as the snake arches his neck back to prepare its first, and perhaps its only strike. At that moment, the struggling Pegasus finally breaks free of his paralysis and he closely dodges the monster’s swift attack!

Once Ford is out of the snake’s range of attack momentarily, he quickly leaps into the air and tries to take flight. Unfortunately, he slams to the ground hard after his attempted takeoff. He puzzles greatly over this as he looks at his locked-in wings, but there’s no magical, golden band on him this time! Apparently, the snake’s petrifying gaze is so powerful, that it can still leave his wings temporarily numb even after he broke away from that dreadful stare!

After he recovers from his fall, Ford immediately makes a break for it and madly dashes out of the forest. Unfortunately for him, the giant, hungry snake is trailing him from behind. Sensing this, Ford decides to use his fire breath to help create a barricade between them as well as to frighten the snake. However, that wall of fire didn’t faze the monstrous python, let alone harm it, as it dives right through it without losing its sights on its next meal.

Upon this pursuit, Ford runs into a dead end: a steep cliff with hardly any platforms to jump on. He briskly turns around as he faces his inevitable fate with the death-glaring snake. The Pegasus is rapidly losing control of his breathing. He couldn’t concentrate on his powers that he has worked so hard on. His confidence over his abilities begins to diminish as his fears start to suffocate him. He’s running out of options fast. He wants to call out for Hindel’s aid, but he can’t. Right now, he’s too scared to even say a word as his heart keeps beating at a rapid, aching pace. Ford is certain that this is finally it for him! No final battle with Arrogon! No world to save! And most certainly no last goodbyes with Rainbow Dash! No, in the end, he’ll just end up as this snake’s latest main dish in this cruel, natural circle of life!

But just before the snake finally sinks its teeth in, a very large, winged creature lands abruptly right between the ferocious predator and its prey! With the dust clearing away, Ford Mustang gets a good glimpse at his savior as his prays have been answered! Hindel the All-Seeing Dragon stands tall and ready as he faces the menacing snake with a fierce expression on his face!

“Sorry to disappoint you, but you won’t frighten me that easily!” Hindel says firmly to the slightly startled snake as it unexpectedly notices the dragon’s blindness. “Now back away from the pony this instant! Otherwise, you will have to deal with me first!” Hindel growls with condensed fury.

The two gigantic reptiles face each other sternly without making any sudden moves. The snake knows to not take the dragon’s threat so lightly, so it decides to slither back into the treacherous forest and not pursue the terrified Pegasus. At least… for now.

Once Hindel makes sure the glaring snake is out of his presence, he sighs in relief as his expression softens before turning his attention to his small, trembling apprentice.

“Are you alright, Mustang? Can you move?” he asks softly

“I… I’m fine, Hindel.” Ford responds shakily as he gradually gets himself off the floor. “But my wings… they’re frozen stiff!”

“Don't worry. It will wear off overtime. Here, I’ll give you a ride back to the valley.” Hindel offers as he lays his head and neck down on the ground. Ford climbs aboard the elongated neck before he ascends to the dragon’s back. Once there, he firmly grasps the ridge of Hindel’s back with all four of his hooves.

“Hang on.” Hindel says as he expands his enormous wings before he starts to mightily flap them. Once they have reached an altitude that’s high above the treetops, Hindel flies at a steady speed towards their temporary home.

“How were you able to find me, Hindel?” Ford asks. “I couldn’t even call out to you!”

“All-Seeing Dragon. Remember?” Hindel answers with a smirk to his passenger. “I saw you were in trouble through my visions, and I was able to track you down by sensing your energy. I was fortunate enough to get there in time too.”

“Hindel, what was that thing? It wasn’t like anything I have ever faced before!”

“That, my friend, is a Basilisk! The largest snake to have ever slithered on the face of this earth! The Basilisk only lives in the deepest parts of the jungle. And if there is one creature that would deserve the title of ‘King of the Jungle’, it would certainly be the Basilisk! Some say that this creature is just a legend, but as you have come to know around here, truths and legends go hand-to-hand. Its strength and ferocity can rival that with the mightiest dragons, including myself. I haven’t faced a Basilisk in countless years. Heh, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same one too.”

“And that stare of his…” Ford cringes upon reflecting that dreadful moment. “It was like I was completely frozen without even turning to stone!”

“Yes, it’s that stare that you have to watch out for. It’s the Basilisk’s most well-known and deadliest aspect. Some say that its gaze is so terrifying, that the Basilisk can kill its prey just by looking at it. If you haven’t encountered and overcame that Cockatrice before, you would have been dead before you even know it.”

Ford gulps heavily as he shivers on what would have happened to him if he didn’t break out of the Basilisk’s stare in time. Then, he begins to feel incredible shame for himself. Hindel trusted him that he would be fine on his own in the forest, but now, he had to be dependent on his dragon master in order to flee for his life from that overwhelming opponent. Once they have landed back in the dragon’s valley, Ford carefully gets off of Hindel’s back before facing him with his dejected head low to the ground.

“Thanks for the rescue, Hindel. And… I’m sorry, but I’ve failed you.” he apologizes shamefully.

“What are you talking about? You didn’t failed at anything--”

“YES I DID, HINDEL!” Ford snaps in outcry as pitiful tears start to pour from his eyes. “Didn’t you see me back there?! I was so scared that I didn’t even try to put up a fight! I was pretty much dead on the spot until you came in and save me! If something as frightening as that Basilisk could exist, then how can I even stand up to Arrogon now?! You and everyone else in this world are counting on me to take him down, and I’ve already failed at something before I could even face him! I just… don’t know if I can do this alone.”

Overwhelmed by his fears of failing, Ford collapses on the rocky floor as he continues to weep in self-pity with his fore hooves covering his sniveling muzzle. Hindel is silent as he feels sorry for the downhearted pony. Once Ford’s crying starts to die down, Hindel lays right next to him as he brings his face close to the weeping Pegasus.

“No, you won’t have to do this alone, Mustang.” Hindel reassures delicately with a soft smile. “You’ll have me, and you’ll have your friends back in Ponyville. And who knows, if you keep an open mind on your journey, you might find some unexpected allies along the way.”

Hindel carefully lifts Ford’s chin up with a delicate claw as the dragon continues his supportive speech. “And you didn’t fail at anything. In fact, you are progressing with your training so expeditiously, that I couldn’t be any more proud of having you as my apprentice. And you should be proud of what you have accomplished for yourself as well.” Ford begins to smile gradually after hearing such praise from his master.

“And you’re right about one thing: it isn’t fair for me to have you burdened with such an enormous task on your shoulders, and for that, I am truly sorry. But you know what I see in you? I see you as the shining beacon in this dark, dreary world we are in right now. One who’s courage and kindness can help unite the good-hearted races of this world in order to stop Arrogon’s never-ending conquest. Remember this Ford Mustang: when you are at its darkest hour, only through the fires of courage and the united hearts of harmony will you achieve a power so great, that not even Arrogon can blot out its purifying light.”

After hearing all of that, Ford beams significantly over Hindel’s encouragement as he wipes what’s left of his tears. Just as soon as Ford is feeling better, Hindel quickly lift his head up as he faces something that’s behind the recovering Pegasus. Puzzled by Hindel’s sudden alertness, Ford turns his body around before gasping in fright over what’s at the edge of the forest. A familiar set of reptilian eyes glow in the darkness of the forest as it stares at Ford with hungry anticipation!

“Hindel! It’s back!” Ford screeches in alarm. “That Basilisk is back again!”

“Hmm… It’s just what I was afraid of.” Hindel murmurs. “That persistent creature has locked onto your scent and won’t give you up easily unless you’ve become too much for it to handle.

“D-d-do you think he’s going to attack me when we’re asleep?” the Pegasus asks in a trembling voice.

“It wouldn’t dare. That Basilisk already knows how much of an immense threat I am. It may be relentless, but it isn’t stupid enough to challenge me directly. Trust me, that snake won’t try to pull off a sneak attack on you, Ford; not when I’m around.”

“Wh-what should we do then?”

“Just sleep on my back for the time being.” Hindel insists before lower his head down once more to allow Ford to climb on top of him. “You had a long, rough day as it is, and you’ll need your strength if we’re going to continue with your training tomorrow. I’ll even help you find some breakfast if it makes you feel any better.”

“O-okay. Thank you, Hindel.” Ford says gratefully as he trots on the dragon’s neck.

“You’re welcome, Ford. Now get some rest. I’ll be sure to keep an eye on that snake for you in the meantime.” After reaching on top of his new sleeping quarters, Ford couldn’t help but giggling to himself after hearing Hindel’s oxymoron sentence.

“That’s… that’s what I’m worry about!” Ford comments as he continues to laugh a little bit loudly.

“Now what’s got you laughing of all a sudden?” Hindel puzzles at his apprentice’s case of the giggles.

“I’m sorry, Hindel! It’s just that… you said…!” Ford tries to compose himself while keeping his laughing to a minimum.

It takes a while for the elder dragon to get it, but after replaying on what he just said earlier, Hindel starts to chuckle as well from his own contradicting statement.

“Oh, right! I guess I tripped myself on that one, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did!” Ford replies as his laughing comes to a close. “Goodnight, Hindel.”

“Goodnight, Mustang.”

After that little, unintentional joke helped ease his mood, Ford curls himself up onto Hindel’s smooth, scaly back as he tries to get some sleep. As he struggles initially, his tiresome eyes keep shifting to the entrance of the forest, where the glowing, orange eyes of his latest adversary continue to stare menacingly at the shuddering pony. Knowing that looking directly at the Basilisk’s eyes is going to makes things worse for him, Ford turns away from that dreadful gaze as he gradually drifts to sleep at last.

In the lightly foggy, dark dreamscape, Ford Mustang is wandering around aimlessly as he wonders what has brought him here to this mystifying place. Suddenly, the fog parts before him as he sees something bright and colorful in distance. As he inches closer to the mysterious figure, the radiant beauty reveals herself while casting that beautiful grin of hers. Before his surprised eyes is the love of his life, Rainbow Dash!

Ford is certain that all this is just a dream, but he didn’t care about that right now. He’s still just as happy to see the girl of his dreams. With an overjoyed smile, he rushes over to Rainbow as she does the same for him. After so many lonely nights, he can finally find some sense of comfort in the hooves of his dreamy marefriend. Time starts to slow down as the two reunited lovers are so close to one and another. But it didn’t matter to Ford, because as soon as he can embrace her, he’ll have all the time in this dreamy world of his. As their fore hooves are nearly touching each other…

FOOM!

…a roaring wall of blue fire intervenes their reunion as it seperates the two! Soon, the trial of fire starts to expand as it encircles around the startled Mustang! Then, the slithering line of fire begins to take shape as it reveals its identity: a black-colored Basilisk with blue, fiery eyes and a wild mane of that same colored fire just like Arrogon’s! Before Ford can leap into action, the coils wrap tightly around him as the devilish snake lets out a sinister laughter of triumphant!

Suddenly, the gigantic, hissing fiend turns his attention to somepony else, Rainbow Dash, who is completely paralyzed with fear! Ford tries to call out to her, but his voice is suddenly muted as he starts to sink within the dark snake’s coils! The demonic serpent leans closer to the petrified mare as it licks it jaws with a forked tongue while mouthwatering saliva drips from its gaping maw! It was useless! No matter how much he wants to save her or how hard he desperately struggles out of this bind, Ford slowly sinks away like he is trapped in quicksand! And just before Mustang disappears into the abyss of the constricting coils, the last thing he sees is the Basilisk swiftly lunging for Rainbow, and all Ford could hear after that is the terrifying screams of his soon-to-be-devoured marefriend!

The ringing of those ear-piercing screams snaps Ford out his hellish nightmare. Abruptly awake, he surveys the area quickly. To his surprise, the stalking predator is gone. Probably it was because that waiting all night long is pointless for the Basilisk, and it would continue its hunt later on. Once he noticed that the snake is gone, Ford looks down and sees Hindel snoozing soundly as his neck and tail are curled around his body.

As Ford tries to go back to sleep, something else is stirring him in this restless, eternal night. It isn’t fear anymore that is keeping him up at night; it’s his rage. Keeping to himself, he feels nothing but irritating angry for several reasons. He is angry at himself for barely putting up a fight when he first encountered the Basilisk. He is angry at the Basilisk for making him feel so powerlessly from the start and utterly defeated at the end. But most important of all, he is very angry at Arrogon for all that he has done to him, to his friends, and above all else, to Rainbow Dash! Ford will see to it by the end of all this that Arrogon will pay dearly for his transgressions! But first, he needs to get some rest if he wants to finish that matter with that fiendish snake once and for all.

“Next time Basilisk…” he mutters quietly to himself with fierce determination. “Next time, you’re mine!”

Chapter 14 – King of the Jungle

After several hours of restricted sleep, Hindel roars out a mighty yawn as he stretches his aching neck. He certainly misses all those long, hibernating hours he used to partake in his leisure, but it’s that kind of luxury he can’t afford right now. He has an important mission to complete, and he’ll see to it before he can retire peacefully.

“So, Mustang… how about that breakfast I promised you?” Hindel asks after he finishes his usual stretching. The old dragon waits for a reply, but nothing rings his sharp, frilled ears. So he calls out Ford’s name again.

“Mustang?”

Surprised to not hear anything again, Hindel lays a gentle claw on his back to feel around in case Ford Mustang is still sleeping, but he wasn’t there. Hindel is starting to get worried. He turns his head around rapidly as he tries to listen in if his student is nearby.

“Mustang?!” Hindel calls out to him once more. For better clarity, he quickly concentrates on his mind’s eye as he tries to pinpoint Ford’s energy signature in the camping grounds. The blind dragon’s unique form of radar can feel the energy waves of the colorful, underground crystals, the delicate steps of the crawling bugs, and the ripples of the watering hole nearby. But there is still no sign of the pony’s life-force anywhere within the valley.

After realizing this, there is only one dreadful thought that comes to mind on what could have happened to the missing Pegasus as Hindel murmurs to himself from fearing the worst for Ford.

“…Oh no.”

Meanwhile, miles away from the dragon’s current location, Ford Mustang is in a very large clearing of the Everfree Forest where he is taking a refreshing drink from a large stream that is connected to a waterfall on his right side. As Ford continues to take his generous sips, the Basilisk on the other side of the river looks at the preoccupied pony with hunger eyes as it resumes its hunt by silently diving into the water. Being able to swim with ease without making a sound or a disturbance to the water’s surface, the snake is certain that this time it will finally catch its unsuspecting prey for good.

However, Ford isn’t as unwary as the snake has perceived, for the Pegasus has being waiting for this moment for quite some time under the dark, cloudy sky. In fact, he already knew about the Basilisk’s upcoming sneak attack thanks to the energy field perception Hindel has taught him. With his muzzle in the water and his eyes closed, he is able to visualize and detect the snake’s movements through the ripples of the water as well as the Basilisk’s massive life-force energy. Also, Ford laid himself out in the open because he figured that the wide-opened terrain might give him an advantage point for their next battle; this way, he’ll have more room to move and fly around in an opened clearing compared to the dense foliage of the forest. All he had to do was to make himself vulnerable, such as drinking some water from the edge of the canal, and he’ll be able draw that humongous snake into his chosen battleground. He knows that his attacks will mostly be limited since breathing fire doesn’t frighten nor greatly hurt the snake due to its resistant scales, but Ford Mustang is confident that he can still win this outcome.

After Ford is finished with his drink, he turns around while the submerged Basilisk is within striking distance for its surprise attack. With the pony’s back turned, the hungry predator makes its move and lunges out of the water to finish what was started yesterday!

However, once Mustang has already foreseen his ferocious opponent’s sneak attack, he quickly counters it by spinning to the snake’s left side before its gaping mouth can ensnare his prey! In the midst of that quick spin, he finishes off his counterattack by delivering a powerful double kick right into the Basilisk’s face, which forcefully bucks it right out the water!

Shaking off the surprisingly strong kick to its face, the hissing anaconda immediately takes its intimidating stance as it piercingly stares down at the stallion. Unfortunately for the snake, this effective tactic didn’t have any effect on his unfazed prey as Ford Mustang rushes up to it and swiftly punches the snake right in the jaw again. After receiving another blow to the face, the Basilisk resumes his towering stance while Ford also takes up his fighting stance as they glare at each other intensely.

“Don’t think you can pull off the same trick twice with me, snake!” the bold stallion growls at his reptilian adversary. “This time, we fight on my terms now! Now then… have at you, snake!”

The Basilisk starts to notice that this isn’t the same, trembling pony as of yesterday. The monstrous python knows not to underestimate him now, as it carefully studies his winged challenger while encircling him. Like a mongoose facing its mortal enemy, the cobra, Ford keeps his own piercing gaze locked on to the Basilisk’s as they engage in this slow dance of death. If he makes the slightest slip-up or even loses his focus for a split second, it could be all over for him.

Finally, their waltz comes to an end as the Basilisk slithers rapidly to the Pegasus in a zigzag formation! Seeing as this is a way to throw him off-guard, Ford prepares for an evasion maneuver as he waits for the right moment to dodge. Once the zigzagging snake is close enough to its target, it makes for another quick, gaping strike, but Ford’s shape eyes caught on to it as he leaps away from the attack while taking flight in mid-air! Airborne now, the swift Pegasus swoops in for the attack! However, his strike misses the snake after it retracts its head thanks to its elongated and very flexible body!

Their fight has been going on for a while. For each strike they make, the other one evades it responsively. Soon enough, the Basilisk change its tactics as it sharply fakes his latest strike before it quickly wraps its coils around the startled Pegasus! Grounded and now trapping Ford Mustang within its grasp, the Basilisk finally gains the upper hand as it begins to tightening its elongated body around the subdued pony!

Little did the snake know, Ford surprisingly has the situation under his control. Despite how tight the coils are, his well-trained body doesn’t break so easily as he calmly takes quiet breaths while his eyes are closed. Recalling from most of what he had watched and read about animals back on Earth, Ford assumes that hesitating within the giant anaconda’s grasp would only cause it to tightening the coils even further. So for now, he clears his mind of any fears and doubts as he concentrates on the one thing that can get him out of here alive. Through subtle respiration, he gathers the energy that is concentrated within the vocal areas of his throat. Performing a usual wide-ranged dragon's roar won’t help him loosen up the crushing coils. So for now, he builds up enough focus and energy so that he can blast a single voice missile right into the Basilisk’s face.

Curious as to why its prey hasn’t put so much as a fight within its thick coils, Basilisk ceases its constricting as it inches closely to the silent Ford Mustang. Upon further examination, the snake employs its infrared sensing thanks to its pit organs. Using these special sensory organs, the Basilisk can detect any form of heat signature from live organisms. From a closer inspection, the probing serpent senses normal heat signatures from most of the immobile Pegasus, but shockingly enough, the Basilisk detects an immeasurable amount of heat coming from Mustang’s throat. Just before the snake can make a decisive action on this puzzling discovery…

RAAAH!!

…a mighty blast of compressed air and sound knocks the wind right out of the Basilisk as it greatly arches its neck from enduring Ford’s precision air cannon! With the ginormous snake temporarily knocked out, its coils begin to loosen up, and the Pegasus immediately makes his escape from the reptile’s deadly clutches by flying straight up into the air.

After an intense amount of concentration, Hindel has finally pinpointed the pony’s energy signature and is able to visualize the ongoing battle between Ford Mustang and the Basilisk from afar. Hindel couldn’t believe what he is witnessing! Not only has his student managed to shrug off the snake’s fatal stare, but he also made a narrow getaway from the seemingly inescapable constrictions of the enormous python! Admittedly, there was a moment where Hindel wanted to help his student right away just like before, but considering how well Ford is handling himself in this fight, the elder dragon decides that it is best to sit this one out for the time being.

Once the Basilisk recovers from the blunt force of that small pony’s roaring blast, the unrelenting snake looks up and spots its equally persistent prey hovering in the air. Putting his own wings to good use, Ford considers the option to attack the Basilisk aerially since his maneuverability is now more freely compared to fighting from ground level.

Continuing where they left off, the towering snake quickly lunges first. Due to its 100-foot length, the Basilisk still has a chance to take down its opponent from the air. Of course, using the sky to his advantage, Ford easily dodges the snake’s extensive attack before he makes his move to strike back. Back and forth, the swift Pegasus and the deadly Basilisk keep counterattacking with one and another, until finally Ford makes the first hit since his escape from the snake’s ensnaring coils. Amazingly, the Basilisk’ head topples onto the ground from the fourth time it was hit in the face. Ford is puzzled by that. That most recent strike had the same amount of power as his first two strikes during their initial encounter today, yet it seems that the Basilisk is finally down for the count. Why? Why give up so soon? Ford puzzles to himself.

THWAK!

Out of nowhere, a thick, scaly tail firmly smacks the distracted Mustang from behind as he comes crashing down onto the ground! He should have seen this coming! The Basilisk was pretty much playing dead while its bludgeoning tail was getting ready in position before the clever snake could unleash its perfect strike!

Recovering from the blunt trauma to the back of his head, Ford steadily gets himself up after that harsh crash. His vision is a bit blurry and his equilibrium is slightly unstable as Ford rubs his sore head with a fore hoof. After finally recuperating from that sneak attack, the first thing Ford can clearly see is the Basilisk’s hungry jaws rushing right at him! He tries to fly away from the hasty snake’s gaping maw, but by the time Ford begins his takeoff…

CHOMP!

…it was all over for him.

“NO!” Hindel screeches in absolute horror. Quickly, he takes flight and rockets to the location of the deeply satisfied Basilisk after it finally indulges on its hard-worked meal. With a hard, abrupt landing, the earth shakes severely and greatly startles the giant snake from taking a moment to rest. As the Basilisk stares at the blind, golden dragon, Hindel is fuming with irrepressible anger as he threatens the distressed serpent in a booming voice.

“YOU WILL COUGH HIM UP THIS INSTANT, OR I WILL TEAR YOUR GUTS OUT AND GET HIM MYSELF!”

Despite the promising threat that may come, Basilisk refuses to give up what it has worked on for so long as it hisses menacingly at the equally ferocious dragon. Hindel realizes that this isn’t going to be easy to defeat this gargantuan snake. Because of his large size, the dragon knows that if he isn’t too careful, he could easily be constricted by the Basilisk’s dangerous coils, which will make it a challenge for Hindel to break free from that. Nevertheless, Hindel will do whatever it takes to save his pony friend while he still can.

But before the battle between of the two ancient reptiles can even begin, something is holding the Basilisk back. For a creature that is known for its deadly stare, the snake’s eyes are much wider than usual before it starts to wince in pain. Without warning, the Basilisk wiggles uncontrollably as it greatly hisses from the unknown cause of its upset stomach.

Noticing the snake in immense agony all of a sudden, the perplexed dragon stands in place as he ponders on the Basilisk’s sudden distraught. Suddenly, Hindel begins to sense an unusual amount of heat coming from the distressed python. Only this strange heat signature wasn’t coming from the Basilisk itself; it was coming from another source inside the snake! Focusing on his own energy field perception, Hindel can mentally see the cause of the distressed snake’s affliction: Ford Mustang, who is still trapped inside the bowels of the wretched python, is radiating a lot of intense heat from his own body! This way, the struggling Pegasus can give the Basilisk a really bad case of heartburn!

Unable to bear it any longer, the Basilisk begins to cough up its recently caught meal. Hacking up immensely, the sickly snake finally vomits out Ford in a wad of disgusting, digestive fluids. Once the displeased stallion is finally out of that doom-impeding digestive tract, Ford gradually stands up as the heated steam continues to rise from his body while the snake’s slimy, pale green goo evaporates off of the pony’s messy coat. Despite from surviving such a dangerous predication, Ford is alive and well as he readies himself for another round, while the Basilisk on the other hand continues to suffer greatly from not learning on how to chew before swallowing its own food.

Hindel is completely shocked by the turn of events. He just couldn’t believe that Ford Mustang has managed to overcome nearly everything thing the frightening snake could have thrown at him, and more importantly, the pony has come back on top even stronger than ever. The dragon is about to lend a hand so that they can finish this together, but to Hindel’s surprise, the aggravated Pegasus steps in front of his master as he continues to eye menacingly on the weakened snake.

“Please stand back, Hindel… this one is still mine.” Ford growls insistently as he still has a score to settle with.

A bit startled by Ford’s sudden aggression, Hindel understands that this is something that Ford wants to finish by himself. With a soft, chuckling smile, Hindel permits to his student, “By all means… go right ahead.”

With a small smile to show his gratitude for his dragon friend, Ford immediately takes flight as he rushes head-on at the sickly serpent. The Basilisk sees this enraged pony coming at it, but the snake doesn’t have enough energy to react from this due to the recent regurgitation it had to go through. Upon contact, Ford delivers a ruthless barrage of punches and kicks to the sluggish Basilisk! But it wasn’t just the snake’s face that had to suffer Ford’s righteous retribution! With his incredible speed and agility, the unstoppable Pegasus flies around the monstrous snake as he continues his hard-hitting assault throughout the rest of its tough, scaly structure! After enduring so many consecutive hits to its body, the once-mighty python is unable to pull off any lightning-fast evasive moves.

Following from unleashing such as combo of numerous strikes, Ford Mustang takes a moment to finish this fight by charging up his fore hoof with his powerful Dragonian Magic. The amplified hoof is glowing with bright, gold energy. Noticing on how the stationary pony is standing in place, Basilisk takes its chances and makes one final, quick strike against its tiny adversary! To its disappointment, Ford steps forward and strongly uppercuts the charging snake right up into the gray, nightly sky!

High above the canopy of the Everfree Forest, the Basilisk experiences its first moment of flying hundreds of feet in the air. Unfortunately, that moment of flight literally comes crashing down as the completely terrified snake falls to its doom. During its freefalling, the helpless reptile dangles freely in the air while the only screams the Basilisk can make are in the forms of hissing sounds. Despite all of its cleverness, the once-mighty predator has no way to escape from this. Facing its own end at the hooves of its formidable prey, the Basilisk braces itself from the eventual impact on the cold, hard ground.

However, just when the Basilisk is about to hit the ground, the snake is roughly halted by a mighty tug on its tail. Inches away from facing its imminent demise, the petrified Basilisk lightly swings in mid-air as it composes itself before looking up to see who has stopped its descent. To the giant snake’s surprise and confusion, its savior happens to be the small, blue Pegasus who is mightily holding on the end of the snake firmly. The same prey that the Basilisk has been hunting since yesterday is now saving the life of his pursuer!

Gently, Ford Mustang lowers the Basilisk down to the ground before it slowly slides into a casual position. Once Ford makes his graceful landing, the serpent stares back at the calmly assertive Pegasus. With their stern eyes fixated on one and another, the towering snake tries to figure out on how this one pony can be so unexpectedly powerful and yet can still show mercy to its fiercest opponents. Without a single sound, the Basilisk lightly bows its head to Ford as a sign of respect to such a formidable quarry. And after accepting its defeat gracefully, the legendary snake turns around and slithers away into the dark forest, hoping to find much easier prey to partake in.

A bit surprised by the snake’s unexpected humility, Ford finally lets out an exhausted sigh before he displays a smile of pride and relief after his personal victory over the deadly Basilisk. As for Hindel, despite his immense shock over his apprentice’s latest triumph, he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as the dragon mutters with a contented grin.

“Huh, looks like there’s going to be a new ‘King of the Jungle’ around here.”

Chapter 16 – Trial by Fire

500 years ago, the former home of Hindel the All-Seeing Dragon used to house at least a hundred dragons. Now, the dozens of cavern openings are left uninhabited ever since the remaining dragons moved out to their new home centuries ago. One example is a very large hollow cavern that Hindel and Ford Mustang are walking towards. This ominous cave is much bigger than all of the other caves encircling the ghostly valley, and its presence gradually sends chills to both of their spines. For Ford, he starts to creep out on hearing the very low, hollowing winds echoing from the deep darkness of the cave. As for Hindel, he begins to cringe over the nostalgic memories he used to have, before Arrogon tarnished them all on that horrific day.

“This is it.” Hindel announces as they stand in front of the cave. “The place where your final lesson will commence.”

“It’s massive!” Ford wows at the monstrous entrance. “Whose home was this?"

“This… was mine, of course.” Hindel answers hesitantly.

The young stallion nearly gasps before he shamefully flattens his ears and apologizes to his master, “Sorry… I didn’t mean to bring that--!”

“It’s fine, Ford.” he smiles assuredly to his Equestrian student. “Let’s just go inside, shall we?”

Once inside, the blue Pegasus examines the deep, dark cave. It is quite enormous with a multitude of stalactites hanging on the cavern ceiling and a very wide and empty space. Carefully, Ford treads lightly across the hard, smooth floor while following his dragon master.

“So… what’s this final technique you will be teaching me?” Ford asks the golden dragon.

“This time will be different, Ford. This time, you will learn the final technique all on your own.”

“What?” Ford responds shockingly. “But how am I supposed to learn it if I don’t have basic grasp on what it is yet?”

As always, Hindel just smiles all-knowingly before he answers, “You’ll see. Stand in the middle of that floor right there, wouldn’t you?”

Following the dragon’s instructions, Ford slowly walks over to the center of the dwelling’s circle. Once he stands there in place, the puzzled pony looks around at his hooves and then at the ground before looking back at Hindel.

“Okay. So… now what?” he asks in a baffeling manner.

With a simple smirk, Hindel answers, “Now… I do this!”

FHROOSH!!

Abruptly, the elder dragon blows out a powerful breath of golden fire right at Ford Mustang! Alarmingly, he jumps back from the fire blast’s impact before the golden explosion transforms into an immensely fiery wall and encircles the startled Pegasus!

Entrapped within the ring of fire, Ford sharply calls out to his instructor. “Hindel, what are you doing?!”

“This will be your final test, Ford Mustang.” Hindel replies calmly. “You must use all that you have learned in the last two weeks and conquer this ring of fire. Only by discovering the final technique yourself will you be able to survive this and complete your training. This living fire is different than anything you’ve ever faced before. If you don’t vanquish this fire quickly enough, it will continue to grow, and it will become too great for you to handle.” Slowly, Hindel turns around and prepares his leave reluctantly.

“Hindel!” Ford cries out to him in a state of panic. “Don’t leave me! What if... what if I can’t do this on my own?!”

“There’s no turning back now, Mustang.” Hindel responds with unintentional coldness. “This will be your ultimatum. You will either succeed or fail at this. Live or die. It’s as simple as that. Either you consume the fire yourself, or the fire will consume you.” Then he turns around to face Ford with a confident, gentle smile on his face. “And besides, I have faith in you. I know that you can do this!”

“Hindel…” Ford murmurs in a stunned expression.

Once he is outside of his former home, Hindel grabs a colossal boulder with his strong claws and drags it over to block the cave’s only exit.

“Goodbye, Ford Mustang.” the dragon says while he takes one last look at his pony student. “And good luck.” With a disheartened farewell, Hindel reassumes to drag the large boulder so that he can enclose the entrance.

In a shocking manner, Ford continues to plead out to the departing dragon, “Hindel, wait! Come back! HINDEL!”

Like a parent who struggles with ignoring the pleas of his child, the heavy-hearted dragon finally slams the cave shut with the massive boulder. After finishing that heartbreaking task he forced himself into, Hindel breathes out a very heavy sigh and departs to another location. Far, far away from the valley, Hindel finds another clearance in Everfree Forest; a place where he can keep Arrogon as far away from Ford as possible. After making a soft landing, he lies down on the soft earth, closes his eyes, and calmly waits for the fated battle to occur.

Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, Arrogon the Destroyer is in hot pursuit for his upcoming confrontation with his old master, Hindel, as he flies over the Everfree Forest. Along the way, something catches his eye as he looks down at a clearing. From his point of view, the sinister pony sees a small crater and a strange impression in the center of it. With curiosity getting the best of him, Arrogon decides to swoop down and examine the crater himself.

Upon landing at the crash site, Arrogon conducts a further inspection of the mysterious crater. The burnt markings at the source of the impact formed a strange silhouette that vaguely looks like a Pegasus Pony. What is also unusual about this shape is that the supposed body must have been severely damaged due to the impressions of the distorted limbs and broked wings. Somehow, looking at that familiar shadow causes Arrogon to think back to a time when he took care of that defiant, blank-flanked pony weeks ago. He is certain that there’s more to this than just a mere coincidence.

Suddenly, a new piece of evidence catches his blazing, sapphire eyes: a scorched, light blue feather. Using his levitating magic, the damaged feather floats closer to Arrogon before he can closely examines it. Despite how dark the burnt feather is, he can see the remaining colors of the owner’s light bluish coat. Upon confirming the identity of the missing item, Arrogon glares furiously at the floating feather before his aura of dark blue magic causes the atrocious thing to burst into flames. Turning his head around from one side to another, Arrogon looks for any other traces of the despicable pony he supposedly dispatched long ago. He knows that this is the spot where that worthless creature has landed. So the real question is where's the body.

As he walks around the area to look for any more evidence of the missing Pegasus, Arrogon nearly trips himself after he steps into a very large footprint. Backing away from it, the shadowy Earth Pony studies the claw mark before he detects a small trace of magical residue. It is the same kind of energy that he has been following since he left the castle an hour ago. Arrogon nearly gasps to himself once he realizes that Hindel has been here before! He frowns in puzzlement as he baffles on what Hindel was doing out here and what does this have to do with the wretched pony he took care of before.

While Arrogon is wrapping his twisted brain on this mindboggling mystery, the silent, reptilian predator known as the Basilisk eyes on his latest target with the dark stallion’s back turned. Emerging from the safety of its forest, the sneaky serpent slithers stealthily and approaches Arrogon from behind. Without making a sound, the Basilisk raises his long, arching neck as it prepares itself to strike down on its supposedly unexpected prey.

Unfortunately for the almighty anaconda, Arrogon is well aware of the giant snake’s presence. Annoyed by the serpent’s attempt at being threatening before it lunges for the kill, the irritated pony flares his fiery, soulless eyes, snaps his head around, and glares intensively at the snake. This surprisingly ceases ithe snake's attack to a grinding halt.

“BURN.”

Upon command, Arrogon spews out a beam of intense, blue fire and sets the hissing snake’s head on fire! Like a match after being struck, the horrifying flames gradually travel down the Basilisk's elongated body as the lifeless snake collapses heavily onto the ground.

While observing the burning corpse of the once-mighty Basilisk, Arrogon sighs with disinterest, “Well, that was rather uneventful. I barely had the chance to test the my true powers. Oh well, perhaps Hindel will provide a better challenge than this.”

Redirecting his search for his former master, Arrogon reestablishes his demonic wings of fire and takes flight once more. As the dark, winged stallion leaves the scene, the poor Basilisk is left to its ill-fated end as its burning corpse is being reduced to smoldering ashes.

Inside the enclosed cavern, Ford frantically looks around at his current predicament. All he can see is nothing but a roaring fire as it threateningly looms over the stressed-out Pegasus.

“Okay! I can do this!” he says himself with deep breathes in-between. “If Hindel has faith in me, I should have faith in myself as well!”

With his impressive wings, he tries to fan out the wall of fire with mighty gusts of wind, but it only causes the flames to grow even bigger than before! Suddenly, the fire comes to life and nearly topples the surprised Mustang with a tidal wave of blistering flames. While he was able to dodge that unexpected reaction, it did little for him to calm down his nerves.

“Relax, Mustang!” he reassures with little to no success. “You can figure this out! You’ve handled fire like this before! This shouldn’t be a problem at all!”

Next, he tries to the cliché tactic of “fighting fire with fire” by breathing out a powerful stream of fire at the blazing barrier. However, all that did is make the ferocious fire even stronger! And just like how the first attempt was backfired, the animated inferno counterattacks by flicking a long, fiery whip at the frustrated Pegasus!

After dodging that vicious counterstrike, the Pegasus scolds himself, “Come, Ford! Everyone is counting on you! You’ve faced nearly every dangerous creature that can be found in the Everfree Forest! You… can… do… this!”

With his hooves planted firmly on to the hard, smooth surface, Ford draws in a very deep breath before he cries out an enormous dragon’s roar. The intense waves from that tremendous attack begin to push the surrounding flames back a little. Unfortunately, the fire’s flickering tips respond from the pony’s offense by raising from their source and locking onto Ford like a rain of arrows! Quickly, the Pegasus flies up in the air before the piercing, scorching tips collide where he used to stand!

Now in the air, the hovering Pegasus contemplates on what he should do next. His main attacks have no effect against the expanding inferno. And for every attack he throws at it, the fire will just attack right back. And with every passing second, he can feel himself growing weaker and more exhaustive as the animated flames are getting stronger. It’s quite possible that the Hindel’s enchanted fire is gradually feeding off the remaining oxygen within the enclosed cavern. Following with his physical instincts, the sweating pony rapidly gasps as much air as possible, but it did little for him to gather as much energy as possible.

Giving in to the frustration of his grave situation, he screams in outrage, “Dammit! Why isn’t anything working?!”

Recklessly, the war-crying Mustang charges forward at the blazing inferno with empowered hooves ready to strike. With his enraging hooves amplified by his golden Draconian Magic, the aggravated stallion hastily hits the mocking, oppressive fire. Of course, with every strike he unleashes, the lively, irritating flames retaliate with their scorching tendrils. Back and forth, the hotheaded Pegasus tries to fight back against the unnatural fire while constantly evading its flaring whiplash.

Eventually, his strength and stamina start to diminish before the fire’s backlash smacks Ford right onto the ground! Though thankfully, his training has made him more resilient against fire, the repercussion from that flickering tendril struck him down real hard. Struggling with his breathing, he could barely get himself up before he falls back down.

“I’m sorry, Hindel.” he wheezes in self-pity. “I can’t... do it. I’m just… not… strong enough. I’ve failed you. I’ve failed… everyone.”

Giving in to his defeat, Ford gradually closes his eyes as his mind starts to shut down by ignoring the roaring flames that are surrounding him. Eventually, everything around him starts to become dim and the crackling background noises begin to die down. Soon, it will all be over for severely overwhelmed stallion…

Come on, Mustang! This is no time to take a nap now!

“Rain… Rainbow Dash?”

Through his mind’s eye, bright colors flash before him as they paint a familiar scene from his past.

Months ago in Ponyville…

High above the clouds during a gorgeous sunset, Ford Mustang tiresomely laid across one of the plushy clouds after his latest attempt from pulling off the legendary Sonic Rainboom. He wasn’t that exhaustive, but he wasn’t as enthusiastic as the previous times. Meanwhile, his self-appointed coach and supportive marefriend, Rainbow Dash, kept grinning to herself as she eagerly nudges the stallion’s back.

“You’re doing great so far!” Rainbow beamed cheerfully. “You just need to find that drive to push you even further, that’s all!”

“Sigh…” he responded lazily.

“Something bothering you, Mustang?” she asked with concern.

“I don’t know, Rainbow…” he answered dejectedly. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea in the first place.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… I’m not making any progress with this! Sonic Rainbooms are your specialty, not mine! I was so hyped about it during my first attempt, that I didn’t realize that I was just fooling myself!”

Rainbow just stared at the suddenly disheartened stallion for a minute. But then, she broke into a cheeky grin with a raised eyebrow as she reassured him, “Oh Really? ‘Cause I remember a time when you thought it was nearly impossible for somepony who never flew before when you’re now an accomplished flyer. Or how about the time when you were too scared to perform simple stunts, and just recently, you’re now attempting to create your own Sonic Rainboom. That’s one thing I’ve always admired about you: no matter whatever holds you back, you’ll always push yourself forward to face that challenge head-on!”

Ford looked up at Rainbow as he gazed at her comforting smile and her beautiful, magenta eyes. Gradually, he smiled a little before he asked her, “You really think that I can still pull it off?”

With her chest held up high, Rainbow answered with a confident smile, “I don’t think it. I know it!”

Gaining his self-esteem thanks to Rainbow’s encouragement, he got up and wrapped his wings around the sky blue mare while saying to her lovingly, “What did I ever do to deserve such a cool marefriend like you?”

“Nothing much really.” she shrugged casually while she still maintained that radiant smile. “Just being your awesome self was enough for me.”

“Well, you wanna know what else I admire about you?” he grinned broadly.

“What’s that, Ford?” she inquired with grin matching that with the embracing stallion.

“You always know how to raise my spirits up.”

Touched by Ford’s sentiment, Rainbow blushed lightly before she leaned forward and gave him a welcoming kiss. In the midst of their simple affection, she placed her fore hooves around Ford’s neck while he himself wrapped his hooves around Rainbow’s torso.

After that modest kiss, Ford grinned widely as he continued, “That, and you make the most adorable, girlish screams whenever something excites you!”

Caught off-guard by the surprising comment, Rainbow’s eyes went wide and she exclaimed with a very heavy blush on her face, “I-I do not!”

“Oh no? Not even if I tickle you to no end?”

Noticing that sinister smirk on his face, Rainbow tried to step back, but she forgot that she was still in Ford’s firm clutches thanks to his surprisingly strong fore hooves and his wrapped wings. Thinking that Ford would never be this bold, she called him out in a stammering chuckle, “You’re… you’re bluffing! You’ve never been able to tickle me before!”

“Maybe not, but like I usually say to myself, I’m always up to a good challenge when it presents itself.” he stated that in a devious manner as he leaned closer to his nervous marefriend.

Suddenly realizing that he wasn’t bluffing, Rainbow makes a subtle gulp before she tried to escape her coltfriend’s grasp. But it was too late for her as he already anticipated that. Using his own weight, he brought both of them back onto the clouds before pinning her down. She once again attempted to make her escape by frantically crawling away from him, but Ford wasn’t going to let her get away that easily.

“Come here you!” Ford insisted mischievously as he pulled her closer to him.

“NO!” she squealed out in an uncontrollable smile.

Back in her pinned position, the smirking Mustang fanned out his feathery wings as he mercilessly tickles the helpless mare. Suffering at the hooves of her ticklish tormentor, Rainbow Dash breaks into irrepressible giggles as she began to laugh out loud in the vacant, orange sky they were in.

“Come on!” he teased her. “Let me hear you sing for me!”

“N-N-NEVER!” was all she could respond in the midst of her insuppressable laughter.

“Alright! Looks like I’m left with no other choice!”

Suddenly, he stopped her playful assault as he folded his wings to his sides. Getting a chance to catch her breath, Rainbow was about to question Ford on what he meant by that. But before she could do that, she heard a disturbing sound being blown on her soft, well-toned belly.

PFBBBBBTT!!

She couldn’t believe it! Ford Mustang was employing a very childish tactic by blowing a huge raspberry right on her stomach! That ridiculous noise along with his hard blowing vibrating against her skin was enough to cause her to burst into squealing screams of surprised delight while squirming in place.

“EEE-HE-HE-HEE! STOP IT!”

But her pleading went unheard as Ford blew another raspberry right on her tummy.

PFBBBBBTT!!

“TE-HEE-HEE! STOOOP!”

PFBBBBBTT!!

“THIS IS--EEK-HEE-HE! SO EMBARRASSING! JUST STOP, PLEEEASE!”

Finally, the torture was over for her as Ford collapsed right next to the exhaustive mare. Lay right next to each other, they were both suffering a case of the giggles, though for different reasons. Ford couldn’t help himself but laugh at what just happened, while the flustered Rainbow Dash was still suffering to control her breathing as she tried to suppress her own enforced laughter.

“There we go!” Ford smirks in triumphant with a chuckling smile. “That’s the sound I wanted to hear from you!”

“You are SO going to pay for that!” Rainbow glared at him while displaying a playful smirk of her own.

“Oh really?” he teased her. “And how are you going to do that?”

Slowly, she climbed right on top of an immediately flustered Mustang as she looks at him with an alluring grin before saying, “You’ll just have to wait until we get home and find out tonight!”

Shaking slightly with eagerness, Ford leaned forward as he wanted to seal it with a kiss, but to his surprised disappointment, his lips were only met with a firm fore hoof pressed against him as Rainbow decreed in a teasing manner, “But first, you going keep trying that Sonic Rainboom for me, or else you can kiss tonight’s rematch goodbye!”

“…I think I got a few more tries left in me before we call it a day.” he acknowledged with a grin matching with hers.

Satisfied, she moved her fore hoof away from his muzzle and awarded him with a deep, tender kiss. Gradually, they break away from that before she said to him with a winning grin, “That’s what I like to hear! Now get up there and show Equestria what you got, Ford Mustang!”

After reflecting from that heartwarming memory of his marefriend, Ford Mustang is uplifted by Rainbow Dash’s encouragement, and he immediately opens his eyes after nearly submitting to defeat. From his reawakening, he can feel his strength and energy slowly returning as his limbs begin to instinctively move on their own.

She’s… she’s right! This is no time for me to give up now! It’s too soon to call it quits yet! I can’t give up! I won’t give up no matter what!

From that resolve, he steadily gets himself off the ground, and eventually, he stands tall on all four hooves and he poses himself ready to confront the deadly ring of fire once more! Despite how big the raging, golden fire has gotten since he momentarily passed out, Ford keeps a calm, cool, and collected head under the steamy pressure he is still in.

Okay, Ford! Let’s try to think this out thoroughly! You can’t physically fight the fire yourself, so there’s got to be another trick to this! Just do what you normally do: breathe in and out like Hindel has taught you and just think about it.

Closing his eyes to ignore the crackling fire, he conducts his normal breathing. Through this routine, he decides to just think on all the positive things that have happened to his life recently. Like all the wonderful friends he has made in Ponyville. Or all the times he has spent with Hindel through their weekly visits and his training. But more importantly, he recalls the coolest, most awesome Pegasus he could have as a marefriend, Rainbow Dash. Just thinking about her adds an even greater warm feeling in his heart.

From finding his inner peace, Ford Mustang smiles in content as he continues his steady breathing. Along with the growing warmth that’s radiating inside him, he suddenly feels a different kind of soothing warmth wrapping around his body. With one eye, he takes a peek and gasps shockingly at what he is seeing: the wispy flames from the fearsome fire are touching him! Losing his concentration due to this shocking discovery, Ford startles briefly before the fiery tendrils quickly draw back to circle of fire.

What was that? he perplexes greatly to himself. I could have sworn that I just saw that fire touching me! But… it didn’t hurt me at all! Maybe… if I try it again…

Focusing on his breathing once more, he finds his inner peace and once again feels the unusual warmth touching his skin. Without breaking his concentration this time, Ford slowly opens his eyes and confirms his discovery. The gentle wisps of unnatural fire are indeed touching him without scorching him at all!

So I was right! The flames are drawing towards me, and they’re not harming me at all! In fact, they are slowly entering inside me! But why is this happening?

As the stallion puzzles to himself while the enormous fire gradually dies down around him, he looks deep inside his body through his energy field perception. Through this unique field of perspective, he sees his pulsating aura and notices on how much his golden Draconian Magic has increased significantly. Somehow, he’s gaining an extraordinary power increase from absorbing the flames around him!

Wait a minute! I feel… different somehow. My own aura is growing exceptionally! Far more so than anything I have ever experienced before! Could it be… that Hindel’s fire is giving me its incredible power? But how is this happening! All I’m doing is my breathing! Hang on… breathing. Basically, it’s a matter taking that energy as well as releasing that energy… and fire is basically a form of pure energy… so that would mean...! I’ve got! This is final technique: the absorption of pure energy! So that’s what Hindel meant before he left the cave!

Either you consume the fire yourself, or the fire will consume you.

After recalling Hindel’s riddle, Ford smiles to himself as he is thankful for all that his master has done for him to get this far.

Hindel… you deliberately hinted that for me, didn’t you? Well… thank you for that. As of now, I can’t absorb all of this fire right away, so I’m just going to have to doing this as steady as possible. But just you wait, Hindel! I’ll be done as soon as I can, and once I’m finished with this, we can finally face Arrogon together!

Determined to finish his final lesson thoroughly, Ford Mustang reinvigorates himself, both mentally and physically, as he continues to progressively absorb the once-fearsome fire that’s surrounding him.

Back in the chosen, wide clearing of the Everfree Forest, Hindel is still patiently waiting for his fated encounter with his former apprentice. During that casual period, the golden dragon has been carefully planning for anything to occur in their final battle, whether it’s deciding on what kind of attacks he can use against his opponent, or accepting on whatever the outcome may be for him. Either way, there is only one thing that matters to him: the well-being of his promising student, Ford Mustang.

Suddenly, Hindel begins to feel that sickening presence of dark magic closing in thanks to his special radar. Calmly, he opens his blind eyes as he recognizes that one pony who can display such a sinister aura of immense energy: Arrogon the Destroyer!

Upon arrival, the demonic overload spots the composed, elder dragon, and he glees in menacing delight over the likely conclusion to their final match. Through a mix of grace and intimidation, Arrogon spreads his large wings of blue fire as he glides down gradually before making a surprisingly refined landing and dismissing his magical wings. Despite his blindness, Hindel sternly faces Arrogon as the ominous pony stares right back.

“Hello, Hindel.” the dark Earth Pony greets in casual disgust. “It’s been so long since we’ve last met, hasn’t it, my old friend?”

Calmly, Hindel responds with a simple smirk, “I was wondering when you were going pay me a visit, Arrogon… or do you prefer Morning Star instead?”

Author's Note

Okay, so I want to apologize for not completing this chapter within a week like most chapters beforehand. Hopefully this doesn't have happen as often in future chapters, unless they meant to be really long chapters that serve as the utmost importance to the story. Anyway, "Ford Mustang's Training Arc" is coming to a close as there is only one more chapter left: "The Master and Apprentice."

Chapter 17 – The Master and Apprentice

Standing in an opened clearing of the Everfree Forest are two mighty warriors that haven’t seen each other in over 500 years, Hindel the All-Seeing Dragon and Arrogon the Destroyer. In a different period of time, they were master and apprentice who shared a unique bond of friendship, but now, fate has made them into the bitterest enemies. Despite their vast difference in size and race, these two are the fiercest titans when it comes to the mystical arts of Draconian Magic. Facing each other impassively, they remain very still during the stormy, eternal night as the chilly, whispering wind brushes them while blowing some scattered leaves across the landscape.

“Morning Star…” Arrogon murmurs softly. “I haven’t heard that name in a very long time. But you know full well that I don’t go by that name anymore, Hindel!” he growls bitterly.

“Of course.” Hindel responds simply.

“I see the years haven’t been kind to you due to your loss of sight.” Arrogon points it out nonchalantly. “I’m actually quite surprise that you were able to recognize me after all these centuries.”

“I’ve managed to do well on my own, thank you.” Hindel says before a witty smirk spreads across his snout. “Besides, I don’t need my eyes to know that it was you, Arrogon. Your extremely foul stench was easy enough to tell me on whom I am speaking to.”

“Charming.” the dark Earth Pony frowns lightly before relaxing in a calmer manner. “So, I take it that you are well aware on what I have achieved since my grand return?”

“…I am.”

“Then you already know on why I am here, don’t you?”

Hindel didn’t say anything to serve as his answer to his adversary’s grim statement, so Arrogon continues, “But before we end this long, overdue game of ours, there’s something I want to share with you first. A couple of weeks ago, I had to get rid of some vile Pegasus who had the audacity to challenge me. And along the way here, I spot an unusual crater right in the middle of the Everfree Forest. In fact, I would say that it would be the same spot where I’ve sent that discarded pony over there. Of course, to my surprise, there wasn’t even a body to be found!”

Despite being very casual about this, Arrogon eyes the blind dragon very vigilantly. He studies Hindel’s expressions very carefully just to see if he will involuntarily hint on anything he knows on what Arrogon is talking about. Luckily for the twisted pony, Hindel’s blind, white eyes widen at the mention of the Pegasus, which might confirm on Arrogon’s assumption with the dragon being at the same scene.

“Oh, and get this!” the stallion continues gleefully. “During my search, I’ve also discovered a few clawprints as well! And strangely enough, they look like they belong to a dragon! Kind of like yours actually! So tell me something, Hindel, you wouldn’t have anything to do with that missing Pegasus a while back, would you?” he inquires in a mocking tone.

Despite teasing his old mentor, Arrogon believes that he got the elder dragon on the ropes and he will finally get the answer he deserves about the supposedly dead pony's mysterious disappearance. But unexpectedly, he sees a strange smirk emerging on the dragon’s face without demonstrating unusual edginess or hesitation.

“Ooooooh! Is that what it was!” Hindel exclaims in surprise with a chuckling smile. “Now it makes sense!”

“…What?” the pony flabbergasts with a narrowed gaze.

“You see… a while ago, I was flying around the forest when I suddenly detected a most delicious smell! So I followed its smoky trail and examined the unusual delicacy myself. Unable to contain myself, I immediately gobbled it up! Heh, I never had a pony before, but to be honest, it was quite good to say the least. Still, I prefer gems over meat any day. They not as chewy and don’t get stuck between my teeth that much.”

“...So you ate… a pony?” the baffled tyrant asks with squinty, fiery eyes.

“I believe that sounds right, so yes.” Hindel confirms with misleading cheerfulness.

A moment of dead silence fills the air with the exception of the howling wind. Thanks to his calm composure, Hindel didn’t make any slip-ups when he was lying directly in front of Arrogon’s face; even he himself was surprised by how collective he was when he came up with that story. The only question now is if Arrogon will buy that deception or not.

As for the shadowy stallion, he is still dumbstruck by what he has learned from Hindel. He stares at the dragon, and then, he looks at the ground while he ponders on this some more. Gradually, he makes a creepy chuckle, and so enough, that chuckling transforms into uproarious laughter. While Hindel is confused by Arrogon’s sudden change in expression, he almost cringes to himself as he starts to doubt that the megalomaniac tyrant isn’t that easy to deceive.

At last, Arrogon’s menacing laugh dies down and he scoffs while shaking his head in mocking disappointment, “Hindel… you really are a blind, old fool. Well, no matter. I’m here on more important matters right now. Namely, you.”

Hindel mentally sighs in relief after hearing that from Arrogon before he says with a smirk, “Hmph! Just like old times, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes… just like old times.” Just when Hindel is about to get into a fighting stance, he notices something different about Arrogon as he nonchalantly takes a look at his surroundings. Then, he takes a whiff of fresh air before he reminisces in an unexpectedly gentle voice, “Ahhhh… what a nostalgic feeling it is to come back to this place. The days we used to spend during my training. The battles we would fight side by side. The sense of peace I never had from my foalhood. In a way, I kind of missed those days back then.”

Hindel couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The sense of gentleness from Arrogon’s voice makes the dragon starts to believe that there is still some goodness within that dark shell of the demonic pony he once considered as a good friend. Taken back by Arrogon’s startling sentiment, Hindel just whispers softly to himself, “Morning Star…”

“But do you know what I missed most of all from this place?” Arrogon continues in that unusually soft tone of his.

…

“The screams.”

Hindel instantly feels chills travelling all the way from his neck down to the tip of his tail after the villainous pony answers his own question with disgusting delight. Anything that was left of Morning Star was swallowed whole into the void of Arrogon’s dark, souless heart. With his flaring eyes displaying a repulsive sense of ecstasy, he carries on his revolting recollection as Hindel grudgingly listens on.

“Oh yes, it’s been countless years since I came to this place, but I can still remember the screams from those treacherous ponies I slaughtered! You should have seen them yourself, Hindel! Knowing just how weak they were compared to me! Heh… they never stood a chance to begin with!”

“Enough.” Hindel whispers as he violently shudders from listening to Arrogon’s description of that unforgivable massacre.

“In fact, all of their screams were unique in their own way! Some were high-pitched and some were low-toned! Each with its own flavor to sample!” Then, the sadistic stallion opens his silhouetted jaws as his black tongue licks his lips before he comments blissfully, “Mmmm… the taste of them still lingers on my palate!”

“Enough!” Hindel repeats a bit louder, but it didn’t get the dark pony’s attention to cease his grim reminiscing.

“Of course, the screams I definitely enjoy the most are the helpless ones when they would cry out in agony as they desperately call out for your name while their bodies are reduced into nothing but piles of--!”

“ENOUGH!” the infuriated dragon demands in a thunderous roar before he quickly readies himself to take Arrogon down. “It’s time we end this!”

The dragon’s furious outcry is enough to stop Arrogon’s retrospective as the now-serious stallion redirects his focus at Hindel. “Yes… you’re absolutely right. It’s time to stop reminiscing on the past and to focus on the future. My future!”

“Arrogon, your future will be just as dim as my eyesight.” Hindel growls his silver-tongued remark.

“We’ll see about that, won’t we?”

Like a hungry wolf, the demonic creature eyes his reptilian prey with great anticipation as he encircles the motionless dragon in a very slow manner. Regardless with his blindness, Hindel can easily tell the whereabouts of his formidable enemy, whether it’s by hearing the pony’s delicate steps or by sensing the immeasurable aura of dark magic that scorching from Arrogon’s infernal body. This will not be an easy confrontation compared to their last duel. Last time, Hindel had help from Princess Celestia as they took down the traitorous pony together. But now, he is all on his own, and to make matters worse, Arrogon is far more powerful than before. With odds severely against him, it doesn’t matter to Hindel now. The chips have been cast, the dice is about to roll, and their final clash is about to begin!

“But then again…” Arrogon says as he stops his pacing. “You won’t live long enough to find out!”

With a burst of speed, the tyrannical overlord takes the first charge as he rushes toward the golden dragon. Quickly, Hindel spins his body around and whips his very elongated tail at Arrogon. With sharp reflexes, the charging pony jumps right above the whiplash as he spins a multitude of blurring somersaults. Using his flaring mane and tail, Arrogon turns his rapidly motioned body into a wheel of blazing, blue fire and dive-bombs right at Hindel with his back turn. Luckily for him, due to his extremely heighted senses, he immediately takes flight with a great take-off as Arrogon’s rolling attack misses him.

With all four hooves on the ground, Arrogon turns around and looks up to see Hindel flying high in the air. With a sneer, the disinterested stallion announces up above, “Flight is no longer your advantage, Hindel!”

Easily, Arrogon conjures his hellish wings from his back once more and takes off to reach the same altitude as Hindel. Once there, he breathes out a great breath of blue fire, while Hindel responds with his own golden fire breathing attack. Upon contact, the contrasting fires combusts in an explosive smoke of mixed colors. Circling each other now, the two draconic warriors engage in an elegant yet deadly sky-dance as they repeatedly blasts one enormous fire breath after another. From the collisions of their fire breathing attacks, the dark sky is lit up with a spectacular display of colorful explosions that can put most fireworks to shame! After each of them blasts a mighty breathe of intense fire, the latest explosion produces enough force to drive both of the contenders away from each other.

From this brief breather, Arrogon boasts out loud, “I am not the same pony you once fought before! I have transcended into a far more powerful being; one that overshadows the Princesses and all other entities combined!”

“You are no god!” Hindel snaps at his former student. “You’re still just an arrogant brat who forsook his own qualities as a pony and stole powers from others! Even after all these countless years, you haven’t changed one bit!”

“How I achieve power matters little to me! I’ll do whatever it takes to secure my rightful place in this wretched world I was born into! And you especially will not stand in my way anymore!”

In response to that threat, Hindel amplify his gigantic wings before fanning them out to unleash a make-shift hurricane of razor-sharp winds. From seeing this inescapable storm in front of him, Arrogon instinctively teleports away from the destructive path of the dragon’s tornado. Surprised by this, Hindel hastily tries to pinpoint his opponent’s position, but it was too late for him as he is harshly kicked from the back by Arrogon’s treacherous, teleporting attack. From that buck he just received, the dragon crashes right into the trees of the Everfree Forest.

As he recovers from that harsh landing, Hindel gasps in shock as he senses Arrogon’s presence when he is swooping down while blowing an endless stream of widespread fire. Hastily, Hindel evades the demonic trail of fire as the heartless stallion sets the forest ablaze. While gliding away from his pursuer, Hindel rapidly blasts several beams right at his chaser. Promptly, Arrogon dodges each of them, which broke off his continuous fire breathing.

With a quick turn around, the elder dragon simultaneously slashes both of his claws at the incoming Arrogon as his magical talons unleash waves of bladed energy. Facing against the crisscrossed slash attack, Arrogon effortlessly teleports away from that. But this time, Hindel is able to predict that as he uses his flailing tail to smack the devious pony right as he was done with his teleportation spell.

After swiftly recovering from the blind dragon’s counterattack in midair, Arrogon’s rage begin to build before he roars a multitude of energy missiles right at Hindel. With great speed, he flies away from the missile barrage. However to his shock, all one-hundred missles turn around and home in on the flying dragon. Thanks to his incredible speed, he can outfly all of the homing missiles.

What Hindel didn’t foresee however is when the menacing pony teleports once again from behind and fires a giant, explosive fireball right at his left wing! Caught-off by the scorching blast from that backstabbing attack, Hindel feels the full onslaught of the multiple homing attacks! After suffering from a multitude of energy explosions, the disabled dragon falls from the sky and makes a rough landing on the burning forest’s clearing.

Gradually trying to get himself, Hindel aches to a great extent as he tries to verify the status of his left wing by gently stretching it out. Unforunately, he winces greatly from that action as he feels incredible pain from the upper limb that’s holding the spanning wing together. Now, with his left wing disabled, he is grounded for the time being as Arrogon gracefully descends before the crouched dragon as the pony menacingly glees in triumph.

“What’s the matter, Hindel?” Arrogon ridicules his injured opponent. “Has old age finally caught up to you? I know time is pretty much irrelevant to you dragons, but I never thought you would be this weak before!”

This is starting to look bad for me! Hindel cringes to himself. Normally, I wouldn’t be this weak to begin with, but since I gave a lot of my Draconian Magic to Ford Mustang as part of his final trial, I can’t heal myself quickly from this injury! Oh well, it was a necessary sacrifice on my part. In any case, I can’t let Arrogon find out about Mustang no matter what!

Even when things look grim, Hindel presents a smirking grin as he mocks his dark oppressor, “Showing mercy to your enemies, Arrogon? I never would have thought that you would have a change of heart to hold back on a blind, old fool such as myself!”

“You are sadly mistaken, Hindel, for tonight, you will die by my hooves only!” Arrogon says as he leisurely walks toward the wounded dragon. "But at the very least, I can give you a warrior’s death, and as a bonus, a proper cremation to go with that!”

Despite how overwhelming the situation has become, Hindel still has one last trick to pull off: a secret technique he worked on for a very long time during his self-exile! With renewed focus, he stands upright as he calmly commences his ultimate attack. Arrogon freezes his tracks as he notices a change in Hindel’s expression as he displays a level of seriousness. While the shadow pony is perplexed by the dragon’s stern behavior, Hindel keeps a cool demeanor as he breathes in and out slowly and gently.

With his concentration at its maximum, Hindel’s opens his mouth slightly before blowing out a thin stream of golden energy that shoots out like lightning! A bit surprised by this lightning-fast projectile, Arrogon narrowly dodges it.

“Ha! You missed!” Arrogon rubs it in at the dragon.

Despite Arrogon’s boasting, the golden dragon kept on blowing his narrow blast of golden energy. As the stallion starts to wonder on why Hindel is continuing with his latest attack, Arrogon fails to perceive on how the golden arrow makes a couple of sharp, rapid turns before redirecting right back at Arrogon! Immediately caught off-guard by the returning projectile, the golden beam makes a direct hit right into his temple before severely knocking him to his side! While a piercing, magical attack like that can cause lethal damage to a normal pony, Arrogon is beyond normality as he grudgingly gets back up, but in return for his supposed immortality, he suffers an intense, side-splitting headache.

“Where… where did you learn such an attack like that?!” he bitterly demands out of the composed dragon.

Smirkingly, Hindel answers with pride, “While you were wallowing and scheming in the abyss you’ve put yourself into, I’ve spent the rest of my time preparing for this moment and have been developing a new fire breathing style! This precision technique is so advanced and requires so much concentration, that it’s one you will never be able to accomplish yourself, nor will you be able to overcome, Arrogon!”

“Hindel…” the frustrated pony growls in a low tone. “You will pay for that!”

Without a moment to hesitate, the concentrated dragon fires another golden, slender beam at Arrogon. But just when the stallion prepares to evade this one, the living laser makes zips around the immensely distressed pony before making another direct hit at Arrogon’s side! With a quick recovery, Arrogon makes a dash as Hindel fires another golden laser. With his amplified speed, the more-serious Earth Pony manages to stay on his hooves as he evades the zigzagging beam of intense light. When the unpredictable laser is about to come into direct contact with him, Arrogon instantly teleports away and reappears behind the immobile dragon. And just when the grim pony prepares for his counterattack, the beam darts back with incalculable speed and knocks the wind right out of Arrogon!

After another recovery, Arrogon takes flight with his fiery wings before Hindel unleashes his ultimate attack once more as it homes in on the evasive pony. While aggravatingly dodging the magic shot’s random pattern, Arrogon figures that Hindel is out in the open as long as he has to concentrate on that menacingly unorthodox attack of his. During his never-ending dodging, the scheming stallion quickly fires dozens of lock-on missles at the very intense dragon. However, that plan is shot out of the sky as the golden bolt of concentrated energy swiftly destroys all of Arrogon’s missiles before redirecting back to its original target! Taken back by how he couldn’t comprehend all of this, Arrogon is struck down once more by Hindel’s animated arrow of light! In the midst of his downfall, Arrogon is repeatedly pierced by the precised laser beam before Hindel’s special attack comes crashing down on him like lightning and furiously slams him into the ground!

I can’t prolong this fight any further! Hindel reminds himself. I need to finish this! One way or another… it all has to end now!

“You really have disappointed me, Arrogon!” he scorns his disgruntled, former student. “Despite all that I have done for you in the past, you just became so spoiled and kept demanding for more power! It was never enough for you, was it?”

To emphasize his point, Hindel punishes his very bad ex-apprentice by firing another bolt of intense energy, which brutally nails Arrogon right in the back!

“And like always, I have to be there to teach you a lesson!” Hindel shakes his head in witty disappointment. “Then again, you never did take the time to listen to me of course!”

“Stop this at once, Hindel…!” Arrogon warns in fuming spitefulness. Of course, that kind of misbehavior is only rewarded with a firm whiplash from Hindel’s animated laser.

“What’s this?” the dragon continues to mock Arrogon while placing a clawed hand next to his frilled ear. “Is that begging I’m hearing from you? Who would have thought that the oh-so-mighty Destroyer would become such a whimpering, little foal!”

“Hold your forked tongue, you vile lizard, or I’ll--!” And once again, very aggravated Arrogon is swiftly taken down by that irritating beam attack.

“Or else what? You’re going to cry some more?” Hindel persists with his mockery. “Can’t say that I’m surprised though! Look at yourself! You’ve tried so hard to prove yourself to everyone… just so you can get yourself a stupid Cutie Mark, and look where that got you! Ironic, isn’t it? You were born with nothing, and now you will end up with nothing!"

When Arrogon finally stands up, Hindel draws another breath of air before spewing out an emaciated laser blast at lightning-fast speed; hopefully, this is all it will take to at last destroy that wicked pony for good! While the unorthodox beam targets the grim stallion in a blindingly zigzag formation, Arrogon just stands there as his infamous rage builds up to fuel himself with more unimaginable power. And as soon as Hindel’s magical fire bolt comes into Arrogon’s close proximity, a firm fore hoof swiftly smacks the golden arrow away into the far distance of the clearing!

Hindel is momentarily stunned by Arrogon’s display of raw power after he deflected the golden dragon’s ultimate technique! In the midst of his shock, Hindel feels great, ghastly chills as he senses the intoxicating, dark blue aura rising from the crossly trembling, dark overlord.

“I thought that you…” Arrogon rages in a quaking voice. “…out of all the miserable creatures in this world… would know better… THAN TO UNDERESTIMATE ME!!”

With a mighty flap of his demonic wings, Arrogon ascends hundreds of feet into the air as Hindel frets on what’s to come from the enraging stallion. In a suitable altitude, Arrogon looks down and scorns out to the golden dragon, “I’LL SHOW YOU, HINDEL! I’LL SHOW YOU JUST HOW POWERFUL I REALLY AM!”

Once he unhinges his jagged jaws, Arrogon mightily inhales a great deal of energy as trails of dark blue energy spiral towards his glowing maw. From the gathering of this spiraling energy, a small, floating sphere of blue fire is formed from outside of his mouth. Through the creation of this unique fire bomb, the tightly woven sphere crackles intensely as it prepares itself for the massive explosion to come.

As Arrogon prepares his devastating fire spell, Hindel also prepares his own counter-offensive through the use of his secret technique: by absorbing the pure energy of the blazing fire that lit up the forest from one of Arrogon’s earlier attacks. After regaining his immense level of composure and concentration, the blind dragon breathes in and out gently as his large body acts a giant magnetic pull from the burning trees nearby. With Arrogon too focused on his own grand attack, the enraging fires drift from the canopy of the trees as they wispily pour into the gentle dragon, so that way, they can lend their natural energy to him.

Soon enough, the majority of the forest fire disappears as Hindel glows immensely with aura of bright, golden energy. Meanwhile, Arrogon is finished with his extraordinary fire bomb technique before he propels the fiery sphere with a forceful dragon’s roar. With the crackling fire bomb falling from the sky as it leaves spiraling trails of sizzling sparks, Hindel raises his head up high and prepares his ultimate stand!

With one monstrous breath, Hindel unleashes a massive wave of golden fire right at Arrogon’s downward projectile! As the two final opposing attacks collide with one and another, Hindel’s magnificent blast of fire envelops the fire bomb! However, the spinning explosion remains intact as it slowly drills right through the dragon’s colossal fire breath! Arrogon cackles high and mighty from the spectacle down below as he marvels over the superiority of his godly power!

Meanwhile, Hindel is relentlessly struggling as he tries to push his ultimate attack ever further. But it is no use. Arrogon’s fire bomb is gradually penetrating through his gargantuan fire breathing. His Draconian Magic is dwindling, his monstrous strength has already pushed himself to his limits before it begins to diminish, and his stamina is fatiguing thanks to enduring just a ruthless battle and his grave injuries. At this point, Hindel has already lost the battle before it is over. Despite that, he is willing to accept his defeat as he already feels accomplished from what he has done so far. Without prolonging this any longer, the noble dragon closes his blind eyes and ceases his final attack…

Presently, Ford Mustang has finally absorbed all of the fire that was entrapping him before and ultimately completes his training! After taking a breath of relaxation, the blue Pegasus takes a moment to observe himself as he can see a transparent aura of golden energy surrounding his fore hoof.

I feel… different somehow. he amazes to himself. I definitely feel more powerful before I got here, and yet… I feel in more control and less strained about it than ever! Could this be what Hindel has intended for me from the start… to give me this incredible surge of power? Hmm… I should probably ask him once I see him again.

Suddenly, a tremendous, thunderous noise quakes the cave's interior and startles Ford out of his self-astonishment. But then, he hears something even more frightening than that booming noise from outside the sealed cavern.

“RAAAAAAARRR!!”

Wait… that roar… it sounded like… GASP! HINDEL!

From recognizing the screeching pain of his dragon mentor, the panicky pony rushes to the ginormous boulder that’s blocking the cave’s entrance, and he bashes right through the rock before it is reduced to mere pebbles!

As he makes his way out of the dark dwelling, Ford stops in his tracks as he is horrified on what he sees before him: in the far distance of the Everfree Forest, a monstrous pillar of swirling, blue hellfire towers over the forest as it nearly touches the cloudy sky. From witnessing this massive inferno from afar, the immensely startled Mustang recognized that haunting blue color as he verifies the spellcaster responsible for that monstrous fire: Arrogon the Destroyer!

Not only that, but Ford can sense two immense life-forces from that distance. The first source of energy Ford feels is monstrous and gives off a burning sensation found in either extreme hot or cold temperatures. This frightening power source is obviously from Arrogon. As for Hindel’s his life-force offer a different sensation: one that is soothing and comfortably warm. And while Hindel’s is as massive as Arrogon’s, the dragon’s vital life-force is rapidly dispersing away.

“Oh no…” Ford fears for the worst as he desperately flies off to Hindel’s aid. “Please God, no!”

Back in the battleground, the pillar of intense fire is gone, and in its place, is a giant, blue bonfire that continues to burn away the armored scales of the fallen dragon. As for Arrogon, he makes a soft landing as he continues to impassively observe the incineration of his old, former mentor.

After a heavy sigh, Arrogon states in a mellow manner, “At last… it’s finally over.”

Satisfied, the warmongering pony sharply turns around and prepares a portal of fire that will lead him back to his acquired castle in Canterlot.

“Now there is no one left in this world that can stand up to me!” he declares with contentment.

Gradually, he walks around over to his magical portal, but then, he stops of all of a sudden. Without any explaination, he looks over his shoulder as he stares at the self-improvised cremation of Hindel. As he blankly stares at the motionless dragon, rain begins to shower over the charred battlefield. Each raindrop makes a sizzling noise as they vanquish into his fiery mane and tail, but that matter little to no difference to Arrogon as he continues to gaze at the ferocious fire that’s consuming his former teacher and long-time friend.

After that long, indistinctive stare, Arrogon looks away from Hindel and whispers something completely uncharacteristic to his once-formidable adversary, “Goodbye… master.” And with that, Arrogon walks into his portal, and it closes right after his entry.

Meanwhile, inside the fire pit Arrogon has created from the aftermath of his fire bomb, Hindel is still suffering from the terrifying flames of his opponent’s dark Draconian Magic. Even though he lays motionlessly on the ground while his body continues to be set ablaze, Hindel remains conscious long enough to reflect his outcome.

So… this is the end. Well… I had a feeling that I wouldn’t stand a chance against him to begin with. But… at the very least… I’ve managed to divert Arrogon long enough without letting him knowing the whereabouts of Ford Mustang.

As the blind dragon welcomes the sweet release of death to escape the hellish torment he is in, something flashes right before his mind’s eye. He couldn't imagine that he would receive a vision at a time like this.

Have I… finally reached to the other side? No wait… this vision… this is Ford’s--!

Hindel silently gasps to himself at what he is seeing! He glimpses scenes that show him on what will happen in the future to come for his young apprentice, Ford Mustang! These visions… they are… no words to describe on what he is experiencing! They are just… so overwhelming, that Hindel couldn’t contain himself as he makes a very broad smile at what he is witnessing! And strangely enough, this sense of comfort is so overpowering, that the dragon is able to ignore the excruciating pain he is in right now!

Huh, it seems the fates are kind enough to grant me a glimpse into this pony’s future. Now… at last… I can find peace in my inevitable death.

...

“HINDEL!”

W-wait… is that…?!

WHOOSH!

Unexpectedly, a forceful gust of wind blows at Hindel as the self-made whirlwind, thanks to Ford’s almighty Pegasus wings, disperses the flames that were engulfing the gravely injured dragon! Despite feeling the unbearable pain from his scorched body, Hindel welcomes the refreshingly cool breeze to his charred skin as he grudgingly lifts his head up to get a better look at his savior.

After he swiftly got rid of the fire that was torturing his dragon master, Ford ceases his hovering as he lands on the barren clearing before walking closely to the large smoke that conceals the greatly wounded dragon. Rain continues to pour from the dark cumulonimbus as it finally washes away the remaining flames of the Everfree Forest.

Once the drenched Pegasus got close enough after the smoke clears away, Ford Mustang gasps in horror as he sees the severely injured state his teacher is in. All of Hindel’s smooth, golden scales that used to shine like the coins he once hoarded are now sadly reduced into brittle, stone-like flakes of burnt charcoal! And yet, despite his humiliating condition, Hindel weakly stands up with pride as he smiles down at his heartbroken apprentice.

“Ford… you did it!” Hindel praises softly with a feeble grin. “You’ve completed the final technique of your training! I… knew you could do it! I’m so… very proud… of you.” Unable to hold himself up any longer, Hindel immediately collapses onto the wet ground as he no longer has the strength to move any further.

“Hindel, hang on!” Ford cries out in alarm as he gallops closer to the deeply charred dragon. “Just stay with me, and I’ll heal you in no time!”

“Do not… waste your energy on me… Mustang.” Hindel dismisses the pony’s noble action while heavily gasping for what little air he can receive. “Besides… I am… damaged beyond repair. There’s… nothing you can do… for me right now.”

Ford couldn’t bear what he has to hear from the wheezing dragon. Steadily, he breaks into tears as he slightly shakes his head in doubt and softly inquires his fallen master, “Hindel… why? Why did you do that? You should have told me! You shouldn’t have taken on Arrogon all on your own!”

“No… you completing your training… was far more important… than that. Besides… I had to make to sure… that Arrogon couldn’t find you… just yet.”

“Come on, Hindel!” the tearful pony breaks into a disheartened chuckle as he repeatedly nudges the dragon’s head. “This… this isn’t the time for your usual naps right now! Get up! Please get up!” he cries out quietly after failing to budge Hindel out of his pitiful state.

Ford collapses on all four hooves as he cries more uncontrollably while the greatly weakened Hindel continues to encouragingly smile for the stallion’s kindness and reassurance.

“Listen closely, Mustang…” the blackened dragon tries to get the stallion’s attention gently. “Do you remember… what I told you… about my clan relocating to the mountains… up north from here?”

Ford is hesitant to respond due to his immense crying, but eventually, he nods his head and answers, “Y-y-yes. I remember that.”

“Good… now listen carefully, Ford… before you go and face Arrogon… you must… find Wagner… the leader of my former clan. He and the rest of the dragons… live up north… in the Talos Mountains… tall peaks that are shaped just like our claws. My friend, Wagner… can be very stubborn towards ponies… but he will be… a great ally… to your cause. Now… I can feel… my own end… drawing near. It’s… such a shame… that our time together… was so short… but still… I have no regrets… on having you… as my apprentice… and… as my friend. Farewell… Ford Mustang.”

“Hold on a second, Hindel!” Ford bellows out in desperation. “You’ve said that we were going to defeat Arrogon together! There’s so much I want to share with you after all this is over! How I would tell you on how I propose to Rainbow Dash! Or on how I was going make you come to our wedding no matter what! I was even thinking on having you be there as my best man--dragon--whatever! And who knows, if Rainbow and I have kids, we might even recommend you as their godfather one day!”

“That… does sound nice… actually.” Hindel smiles at that thought.

“So you see, Hindel? You can’t die on me now! You just can’t! Please… don’t go!” Heavy tears pour out of his miserable face as he desperately pleads one last time to the dying dragon, “You did so much for me in these few short weeks that I haven’t been able to give you anything in return!”

“But you already have, Ford.” Hindel reassures tenderly in his dying voice. “You gave me something that’s far greater than any treasure I have ever possessed in my lifetime. You… gave me… your… friendship.”

With one final breath, Hindel gently closes his eyes and displays his well-known smile across his stony face. Soon enough, his heavy, charred body stops its deep respiration as his soft heartbeats come to a standstill. And finally, the remaining Draconian Magic of his golden aura that resides in the center of his large, unresponsive heart disperses from the lifeless dragon.

At last, after all that he endured since that unspeakable incident over 500 years ago, Hindel has finally earned his well-deserved rest for all eternity.

Besides the heavy rain that continues to pour over the deceased dragon and the petrified Pegasus, everything else is nothing but silence to Ford’s drooped ears as he no longer senses any signs of life from Hindel anymore. Everything was just happening so faster. He just couldn’t believe it. His dragon friend has died right before Ford’s tearful eyes.

“H-H-Hindel?”

…

“Hindel?!”

…

“HINDEEEEEEEL!!”

The cloudy heavens above weep non-stop to join in on Ford Mustang’s neverending sorrow as his howling roars echo and shake across the entire forest. No matter on how much begging Ford puts himself through, his cries will never to able to reach Hindel’s ears. And yet oddly enough, in spite of all of the tragedies and sacrifices he went through, the dragon always maintained that endearing grin of his, even in face of his own death. Such it is fitting as a final tribute for the noble creature that once was Hindel the All-Seeing Dragon.

Author's Note

Sure, this tragic moment will probably make you recall just about every death scene in a majority of Disney films and mentor archetypes in well-known movies and animes/manga. But the one inspirating film that helped me write all of this out is Don Bluth's "Land Before Time", where Littlefoot has to heed to his mother's words before she dies under a rainstorm. This was from the time where Don Bluth had his moment of fame in the animated world, along with "An American Tail" & "Dragon's Lair", you know, before the ones had to nerve to make those god-awful, never-ending direct-to-video sequels of "Land Before Time!"

Also, I need some suggestions for what's to come. Wagner, who is based off another dragon character with the same name from a video game "Odin Sphere" (I swear, I tried to think of another name, but I couldn't think of anything more fitting for that character!), will make his grand appearance in a couple of chapters. Anyway, I want to give Wagner a cool title just like Hindel's. So far, I thought about "Wagner the Crimson King Dragon", but maybe you can offer some ideas for me. Here are some of Wagner's characteristics:
- hotheaded, ill-tempered, or grumpy
- leader of his dragon clan for 500 years
- greatly incorporates fire into his attacks
- bulky, armored body structure

Anyway, consider this as my Christmas gift to the viewers who had to wait a little while longer for the previous chapter. So... Happy Holidays!

Chapter 18 – A Brush with a Griffon

Sleep never did come easy for Ford Mustang during his time in the Everfree Forest, whether it’s either through the aching aftermaths of his intense training or from reliving the nightmares of his forced separation from his beloved Rainbow Dash. But this time, he barely had any sleep at all after mourning the loss of his good friend, Hindel the All-Seeing Dragon. In fact, the only reason why he was able to doze off despite his restlessness is because his body became so worn out from crying not-stop over the departed dragon.

Eventually, Ford wakes up from his restless nap and rubs out the sand and dried-up tears from his eyes. Grudgingly, he gets up from the floor and prepares himself for the next of his journey: finding Wagner, a great friend of Hindel’s, and asking for his aid into defeating Arrogon the Destroyer, the menacing stallion who is responsible for Ford’s constant grief, and most recently, for the death of his friend, Hindel!

But before he takes his leave, the emotionless pony takes one last look at his deceased master from where Ford has slept nearby during his agonizing rest. Once he turns around, the Pegasus is slightly surprised by what he is looking at. With the Hindel’s scales being turned into hardened stones due to that devastating hellfire he endured, the great dragon looks more like a sculpted mountain than an actual corpse. And frozen on the mighty reptile’s face is that unforgettable grin of his.

As the respective Ford observes the eternally sleeping dragon, he feels a familiar radiance dwelling inside his heart-beating chest. Even without the need to close his eyes, he can see the aura’s growing warmth of golden Dragonian Magic. This reassuring warmness serves a reminder to him on all the times he has spent with Hindel since they first met inside the dragon’s home.

With a grateful smile, he muses to himself, “Hindel… even when you are gone… you are still with me, aren’t you?”

After eating some of nature’s bounties as well as partaking on those energizing, delectable Rock Crystals that Hindel has gathered up before, Ford Mustang finally takes flight and heads up north for the Talos Mountains.

The journey to these mysterious mountains is very dreary due to the expanded sky being nothing more than dark, thick clouds, so it didn’t make traveling all the more enjoyable. But Ford doesn’t have time to sight-see. He’s been tasked with an important mission by Hindel in his final moments, and he will see to it that he will follow it to the letter!

Passing the great Equestrian plains, the determined Pegasus has entered a mountain range. As the environments have shifted into a different setting, so has the change in the weather. The snowstorm is not as terrible, but because of how fast Ford is flying, his vision starts to become hazy. To get away from the blinding blizzard, he reaches for a higher altitude to use the clouds as a way to shield himself from the snow. After passing-by the scattered clouds, he merges within the great, gray blanket in the sky. Once he is inside, he starts to think that this was a bad idea since now his vision now more obscured than ever due to blanket’s thick grayness.

Before he decides to go back down, he spots a dark spot ahead of him in the overcast. Soon, that vague spot gets bigger as it takes shape and spouts two large wings. While Ford tries to figure out on who that shadowy figure is, he fails to realize on how close it is approaching him.

SLAM!

With a firm, head-on collision, both flyers fall out of the gray, cloudy mass. While Ford is quickly able to recover with ease from that crash, the indistinguishable flyer is at least lucky enough to plummet into one of the scattered clouds down below. Frantically, the winged stallion rushes to the collided flyer’s aid as he lands on the lone cloud. Upon landing, Ford is slightly startled to see that fallen flyer is a brown griffon just by looking at its distinctive features: the hindlegs and tail of a lion, and the wings and fore claws of an eagle. The only thing that is missing is its head, which is stuck in the dense cloud’s fluffiness.

“Ohmygosh!” the humble pony apologizes. “I’m so sorry! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine! Leave me alone!” the gruff, female griffon snaps as she struggles to free herself.

With one final pull, the griffon manages to get her head out of the cloud. Angrily, she turns around to face the punk who crashed into her while Ford’s eyes grow as big as saucers when he recognizes on who she is. From her facial features, she has piercing, golden eyes, large, light purple eye shadow, and head feathers that form a fringe, which hangs ahead of her white eagle face. Glaring right at Ford Mustang is Gilda, an old, former friend of Rainbow Dash!

“Hey, dweeb!” she screeched out loud. “Watch where you’re going next time!”

“G-Gilda?” Ford responds quietly in surprise.

“Yeah, what about it?” she grumbles as she brushes herself off for any cloudy residue. But then, her pupils shriek a bit after hearing on what Ford just said. “Wait… how do you know my name?!”

Ford is about to response, but he just lets his jaw hang opened as he realizes the mistake he just made. When he was human, he knew all about Gilda through her only appearance in an episode of its cartoon counterpart as well as through the immense fandom. But as a real pony, he really can’t say that he knew her at all. So he is confounded on how to recover from that slip up.

“Well?!” Gilda demands impatiently as her beak got really close to the stallion’s muzzle.

Without any alternatives in mind, he answers nervously, “I was… at that party Pinkie Pie hosted for you… when you were in Ponyville! Remember?”

As he mentally prays to himself that his lie will actually tie-in with this magical world’s timeline, Gilda continues to glare with narrowed eyes at the pony stranger as he displays a broad, sheepish smile. Eventually, she steps away from the stallion and dismisses it with a harrumph.

“Oh, right… that!” she growls under her breath. “Sorry if I don’t recognize you. You ponies all look the same to me.”

“It’s… fine, Gilda.” Ford didn’t care how insensitive the griffon was towards him. He’s just happy that she bought that little lie of his.

“Tsk! Pinkie Pie!” she scowls at that name. "You know, if it wasn’t for that queen lame-o, she wouldn’t have caused Rainbow Dash to turn against me like that!"

“Oh come on now.” Ford tries to correct the grumpy griffon. “Pinkie was just trying to cheer you up and show you a good time, that’s all.”

Gilda turns her head sharply as she glares back at Ford with furious eyes before questioning him, “You think tricking me into those ridiculous pranks and making me into a complete laughingstock is her idea of ‘showing me a good time?!’”

“No, of course not.” he answers calmly and assuredly.

“Hmph! Whatever!” she says without a care. “As much as I should be mad at that pink dweeb, I’m more pissed off at Rainbow Dash for abandoning me like that! I was her best friend, and I’m like a hundred times cooler than any of them combined! How dare she choose them over me! Heh, Equestria may considered her as the “the Element of Loyalty”, but if you ask me, Dash is nothing more than a friggin’ hypocrite when it comes turning her back on her real best friend!”

Ford is not amused by the way she was mocking Rainbow as his friendly smile flips into a disapproving frown. This time, it is his turn to snap back at Gilda. “Hey! Don’t talk about my marefriend like that!”

"Marefriend?!” she exclaims in surprise.

“That’s right!” he nods firmly as he angrily stares at her. “You got a problem with that?”

It takes a while for Gilda to process it, but then, she uproariously laughs right in front of the puzzled Pegasus. “Are… are you serious?! You and Rainbow… are an item?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Now that’s funny! No offense, pal, but I never thought that Dash would sink so low with the likes of you!”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” he inquires in an irritated tone as he narrows his intense glare at her.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Gilda points it out in a scornful chuckle. “You’re a dork! And what’s more, you don’t even have a Cutie Mark on ya! Last time I check, those things are essential when it comes to ponies like you! And for a pony at your age to never receive one is a clear sign that you are the lamest out of all the ponies in Equestria! Of course, for somepony as cool as Rainbow Dash to go out with you, I guess that makes her even lamer than you, huh? Heck, I wouldn’t even be surprise if she dumps you at some point! But hey, what do you expected from a backstabbing traitor like her to do something like that?”

Ford Mustang has all he could take from her! He's already accepted his fate on never being able to get his own Cutie Mark one day. What he won't stand however is the rentless insults of Rainbow Dash that this smug griffon is spewing in front of his face, no matter how great of a fandom she has back on Earth!

“Gilda?” he gets her attention in unusual calmness.

“Yeah, what?” she snaps at him.

“You’re welcome to mock all you want about me… but don’t you dare insult Rainbow Dash like that ever again!” he shouted in a tremendous outburst.

The earth-shattering voice of the fuming stallion greatly startles Gilda as she tries to reassume her assertive persona, “H-hey! Watch what you say--!”

“NO, YOU WATCH IT!” he sharply interrupts her as he hovers right at her eye level while he continues his scolding at the disrespectful griffon. “I am so sick on hearing you talking trash about Rainbow when you clearly don’t even know her at all like I have! Such as how she enjoys reading her favorite stories! Or how supportive she can be to those who admit their fears to her! You may expect that from someone you would classify as a ‘big softie’ or an ‘egghead’, but in my book, Rainbow Dash is a thousand times cooler than you will ever be!

And yeah, I remember you from that party, but I also remember on what you did before that! How you scared an elderly mare just to get a kick out of that! Or how you stole some food without paying for it! Oh, and how could I forget on what you did to the kindest mare in Equestria when she accidentally bumped into you! She even apologized to you, and what did you do to her?! You mocked her in so many ways and purposefully scared her off! As far as I know, only bullies take enjoyment out of something so juvenile like that! And Rainbow Dash would never do anything like that. That’s the real difference between you and her! You just never learn on when to grow up!

And lastly, you keep telling me how she betrayed you and such, but you the one who got it all backwards! You saw how happy Rainbow Dash was with her new friends, so you threw a tantrum and left her instead! She didn’t turn her back on you, Gilda! You turned your back on Rainbow just because you were too stubborn and jealous to admit you own mistakes to her! So tell me something ‘Ms. I’m-So-Cooler-Than-Anyone-Else’, what do you got to say to that?!”

Gilda is utterly speechless by the time Ford finished chewing her out mercilessly. Nopony has ever spoken to her like that before. She should be furious at the pony’s accusations, but somehow, she detects a hint of truth in Ford’s harsh words, and that's what really hurted her the most.

“You… YOU…!” is all she could say in a trembling growl. Despite her rising emotions, it didn’t do much to falter Ford’s firm attitude towards Gilda’s misbehavior. And just as it looks like she’s about to reach her boiling point, she lets out a sad sigh and he mutters in a defeated manner, “You’re right… It… it is my fault.”

Ford is quite astonished by the sudden reaction from Gilda as he softens his expression. But then, Gilda breaks down into aggravated tears as she admits loudly, “I was jealous, okay?! There, are you happy now?! I just… I just want to be with my best friend again, alright?! You have no idea on what it was like for me! You just… sigh… don’t.”

After laying down her haunches onto the cloudy cushion, Gilda depressingly pours out her feelings to the lone, attentive stallion, “When I transferred to Junior Speedster flight camp, I… didn’t start out with any friends. The fact that I was the only griffon there is what caused most of the fillies and colts to be too scared to even come near me. I usually don’t mind being seen as fearsome, but back then, all I really wanted was to have a friend.”

As she recollects from her days at camp, Gilda begins to smile to herself as she continues her story, “But then, there was one pony who wasn’t afraid of me at all. That was when I first met Rainbow Dash! Not only did she say that I was pretty awesome just because I was a griffon, but we also have so much in common, such as competing in just about everything, performing the coolest tricks ever, and pulling off some of the biggest pranks! We were like the coolest flyers ever!

But eventually, we had to separate once flight camp was over. It sucked so bad for us to split like that, let alone with the best friend I could have asked for! So yeah… a couple years before, I went to Ponyville, just so I can hang out with Dash again. Just like old times. But then, Pinkie Pie came in and… well… I was bitter about because… this was supposed to be about me and Rainbow Dash. And… I was afraid that Pinkie was going to ruin that for me. So… yeah… I guess I got so mad about it that I nearly took out my angry on everypony. And… you’re right… about everything about me. I was so blinded by my own anger that I didn’t realize that I was the biggest dweeb of all. I guess what I’m trying to say is… I’m sorry!” she sobs greatly as fresh tears pour out of her heavy eyes. “I’m so sorry! If only I realized that earlier, than maybe… I won’t have to lose Dash like that.”

“Gilda…” Ford says sympathetically as he gently pats on the griffon’s foreleg. “I’m sorry on what you have gone through. And I’m also sorry for snapping at you like that earlier. I’ve been through a lot lately, and I too let my own frustration get the best of me.”

From hearing the Pegasus’s sincerity after wiping away her tears, Gilda breaks into a small smile as she chuckles softly, “I guess we just had to let it all out, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” he agrees with a soft smile as well. “…Hey Gilda?”

“Hmm?”

“If you like… I can speak for Rainbow Dash on your behalf if you still want to be her friend again.”

“R-really? You would do that for me?”

“Sure! I can see just how honest you are when you confess your guilt towards me, so I’m sure that Rainbow will forgive you as well. And… that’s not the only thing I can give you.”

Greatly puzzled by all of this, Gilda says, “You’re willing to do all this for me, and I don’t even know you. What else is there you could give me?”

With a friendly smile, Ford extends his fore hoof and answers matter-of-factly, “My friendship, of course! After all, Dash doesn’t have to be your only friend, right?”

Gilda just stares at the pony’s hoof for a while. Then, she’s hesitate a bit before she scratches her head as she responds with a mild blush, “You know… this is rather embarrassing for me to say, but I didn’t even get your name yet.”

“I’m Ford… Ford Mustang.”

As Gilda shakes his welcoming hoof, she perplexes with a smirk, “Ford, huh? That’s… quite unusual for a pony name. Uhh… no offense!”

“It’s fine, Gilda. After all, I am an unusual pony myself.”

They share a brief, hearty laugh together before Ford grins widely, “You know what this calls for?”

“What?”

With his fore hooves spread out, he answers with a very wide and goofy smile, “A HUUUUUUUUG!”

With a heavy blush, Gilda refuses in a shaky voice, “N-N-NO WAY! I am not doing that!”

“Come on!” he teases her while maintaining that ridiculous grin of his. “You know you want to!”

“No!” she repeats herself as she grumpily crosses her fore arms while turning her gaze away from Ford’s.

“Gilda, either you hug me, or I’m gonna hug you! And just to warn you, I am lot stronger and faster than I look!”

With a peek over her shoulders, Gilda still sees that mischievous grin on the kindhearted stallion. And while she wants to preserve her image of coolness, she starts to fall into temptation a receiving a welcoming hug from her recently new friend, even if it is rather “dorky” for her to do that.

“Don’t worry! No one’s looking! I promise!” Ford reassures her in a slightly teasing manner.

Reluctantly, she gives in and stammers, “F-f-fine! But this stays between us! Got it?!”

“My lips are sealed!”

Slowly, Gilda approaches the grinning stallion, who still has his fore legs out in the open. With the discomfited griffon in his reach, Ford gently pulls her in and softly embraces her. Still on the edge, Gilda quickly looks around as she makes sure no one’s watching her. She would never hear the end of it if any of her griffon comrades spot her in this embarrassing situation. Yet, despite her initial discomfort, Gilda is actually kind of glad that there’s someone is willing to be her friend. Giving in to this comforting embrace, Gilda gradually wraps her fore arms around Ford as she gently pulls him in closely towards her.

“You know? This is… kind of nice actually.” she muses with a satisfied smile.

Meanwhile, Ford Mustang is too drawn in by the soft density of Gilda’s feathers. It’s been so long since he felt such a plushy surface when he started his Dragonian Magic training. Almost right away, he would start to doze off into this all-natural pillow cushion.

“Mmmm… you have such nice breasts…” he murmurs quietly with a dreamy smile.

“Wait, what did you say?” Gilda raises an eyebrow at Ford’s unusual choice of words.

Upon realizing on what he just said, Ford immediately snaps out of Glida’s cozy, feathery chest and breaks the hug right away before trying to rephrase his previous statement, “I… I meant plumage! You have a very nice plumage! Wait, is that a dirty thing to say to a griffon?! I’m sorry! I… umm…!”

Gilda doesn’t know why Ford is so embarrassed all of a sudden, but just from seeing how red his face is getting instinctively causes the griffon to laugh uncontrollably. As she rolls on the cloud, she continues her spontaneous laughter as the flustered pony takes a moment to observe the griffon’s sudden hysteria.

In the midst of her heavy chuckling, she confirms to Ford, “You seriously are the strangest pony I have ever met since Pinkie Pie!”

“Gilda, you don’t even know the half of it!” Ford chuckles all-knowingly.

Once she is done, she wipes a tear from her eye and says with an amused smile, “But thanks, Ford! I really needed that!” Ford may not know on what Gilda is thanking him for, but he is glad to see her feeling much better since they’ve first encountered.

“So Gilda… if you don’t mind me asking… what are you doing out here?”

“Well right now I’m serving as a scout for the Griffon Kingdom. For over two weeks, we’ve received nothing but dark gray overcasts in our country! Recently, the weather griffons speculated that the source of this strange forecast originated in Equestria. So, I volunteered to check out the strange phenomenon myself and report back on what I could find over there. Also… I was… kind of… planning on stopping by Dash’s place… in case she missed me yet or not.” she murmurs the last part to herself.

“In that case, perhaps I can save you the trip instead and tell you myself.”

“Really? You know what’s happening?”

Ford lets out a distressing sigh before he answers in a more serious tone, “Unfortunately, I do. Ever since those dark clouds have appeared, Canterlot has been taken over by a demonic pony named Arrogon the Destroyer! He is the terrible fiend that not only captured the Princesses, but also the Elements of Harmony!”

“Wait! Even Rainbow Dash?!” Gilda asks alarmingly.

He starts off very hesitates, but then he responds dishearteningly, “Yes… even her.”

“Then what are you doing out here?!” Gilda snaps at Ford. “You should go back and rescue her!”

“Believe me, Gilda! I really want to! I’ve been through hell and back just so I can confront Arrogon one day! But first, I have to seek someone out in the Talos Mountains before I can challenge that monster myself!”

“Really?” Gilda tilts her head slightly in confusion. “Who do expect to find out here?”

“A dragon, who goes by the name of ‘Wagner.’”

Suddenly, Gilda froze in place with wide eyes after she heard that name. It’s a name her race will never forget, and a name that sends dreadful goosebumps all across her feathers!

“W-W-WAGNER?! As in ‘Wagner the Inferno Dragon King?!’ That Wagner?!” she inquires in complete shock.

“You know him?” Ford inquires eagerly.

“‘Know him?!’ Ford, every griffon knows who Wagner is! And trust me, you do not want to face him!”

“Why is that?” Ford asks in a clueless manner.

“Are you thickheaded or something?!” Gilda chews out the supposedly naïve pony before she lectures him on this historical figure. “Wagner the Inferno Dragon King is one of the most infamous dragons to have ever existed in our country’s history! When Wagner and his dragon clan first came into the Talos Mountains, the Griffon Kingdom sought a regular settlement from them if they wanted to stay in our country. Mostly it’s because since dragon on known for their incredible senses on finding jewels, the bureaucrats figured that it would be easier to collect what the dragons dig out for them. But Wagner would not have that, and refuse to bargain with us! So the Griffon Army tried to force the dragons out of their home if they would not cooperate! Of course, their means to drive the dragons out were only met with the furious might of Wagner! Some say that he breathes fire like no other dragon, and his strength rivals that with our most legendary warriors! After that, the Kingdom made peace with Wagner and his clan by vowing to never come into the dragons’ territory ever again as long as they don’t bring destruction into our cities. We were lucky enough that Wagner accepted our treaty, and we’ve maintained over 400 years of peace with them ever since then! That’s why it is forbidden for us to enter the Talos Mountains, and why it is absolutely suicidal to even go there, let alone just to speak with Wagner! Not even our king is foolish enough to provoke the dragon’s wrath again!”

Ford would be lying to himself if he didn’t make a nervous gulp to himself after hearing Gilda’s story on the supposed ally of his cause. Still, despite his sudden uneasiness, he realizes that there are more important things to consider, like defeating Arrogon or more personally, saving Rainbow Dash.

Resolvedly, he asked her, “So where is the Talos Mountains?”

“Wait, what are you doing?” Gilda fears on what Ford’s going to do next despite her warning.

“I need to know where the Talos Mountains are so that I might speak with Wagner.”

“Haven’t you been listening to what I just said?!” she strongly snaps at him. “IT’S… FOR-BID-DEN! Wagner will not allow any outsiders to enter his domain, and from what I’ve heard, Wagner shows a great dislike to ponies! If he sees you, then you will be dead on the spot! It’s suicide! So please Ford, trust me on this one, and don’t do this to yourself!”

Calmly, Ford reassures her, “I do trust you, Gilda, and I appreciate all that you have told me. But either way, I still have to see Wagner on this important matter! It’s urgent that I gain an audience from him! Beside, my master entrusted me with this task as his last request, and I can’t let him down no matter what! Wagner and his clan may be the best chance I have at crushing Arrogon and his army! Who knows, maybe Wagner wouldn’t be such a bad guy to talk to once you get to know him! So, I’m sorry, Gilda, but I have to do this, and there’s nothing you can do that could convince me otherwise!”

Dumbfounded by Ford’s boldness to go forward and face the mightiest dragon head on, Gilda just shakes her head as she breaks into a chuckling grin, “Dude… you’re absolutely crazy! But you know what? I like that about you! So, I’ll help you!”

“You… you will?” he asks in surprise. “But I thought you were too scared to confront the dragon yourself!”

With a bold smirk, Gilda boasts to her new pony friend, “Me? Scared? No way! I’m half-eagle and half-lion, not half-chicken and half-scaredy cat! I laugh at the face of danger! I was just pointing that out for your own good! Besides, you’re doing me a solid by allowing me to patch things up with Rainbow Dash, and I figure that I should return the favor this time! So, I’ll lean you a claw and show you where Wagner lives!”

“Thanks, Gilda. I really appreciate that.” he gratifies with a gentle smile.

“Hey, no prob, Ford! Well come on then, we don’t to end up as a bunch of dork-sicles in this kind of snowy weather! Try to keep up, Mustang!” she playfully winks at her before she darts off the cloud and begins her lead to Wagner’s mountains.

As he easily catches up with Gilda, Ford Mustang thinks to himself, Well pretty soon, I will finally meet up with Wagner. I know Gilda and Hindel have been mentioning that this dragon has a deep grudge against ponies. But surely, since this guy was Hindel's friend, he’ll be reasonable enough and help me out in my quest, right?

…

Right?

Author's Note

For those who have offered their ideas on a respectable title for Wagner after the release of Chapter 17, I just want to thank you all for your participation!

Chapter 19 – Wagner the Inferno Dragon King

“So… let me get this straight…” Gilda questions Ford Mustang with perplexity as they fly off towards their next destination. “You spent the last two weeks in the forest with a dragon that taught you not only on how to breathe fire, but he also taught you on how to roar like one too?!”

“Mmm… yeah, pretty much!” he answers casually.

“Heh, I’ll believe it when I see it!” she scoffs with a smirk.

The blue Pegasus is quite grateful to run into someone he knew (well, at least from a television show originally). It’s nice for him to have some company along his journey to the Talos Mountain, where he hopes to find Wagner and compromise an alliance with the dragon and his clan.

“Still, I’m sorry to hear on what happened to him though.” Gilda offers her sympathy to Ford after hearing his tale of Hindel’s heroic sacrifice. “He must have been a really cool guy to hang out with.”

“Yes… he was.” he responds quietly with a chuckling smile.

The griffon eyes the nearly detached Pegasus as she detects a hint of sadness behind that ambiguous smile of his. She wishes that there is something she can do to help cheer him up, but unfortunately she is not the best kind of griffon for this kind of sentimentality. As she ponders on this, something catches her eagle eye in the far distance.

“Oh hey, look over there, Mustang!” she points it out gleefully. “We’ve made it!”

Following her pointed claw, Ford smiles in joy at what he sees before him. Dozens of mountains clustered together with their peaks curved into the unusual likenesses of ferocious claws. Surely, these must be the fabled Talos Mountains that Hindel and Gilda told him about! But something else catches his eye as he continues to awe at these bizarrely shaped mountains. In the center of that landmark, there is a colossal mountain that’s at least five times bigger than the region’s second-largest mountain. But its extraordinary size isn’t the only thing that’s strange. The enormous mountain is also hollow as it emanates a red-hot glow from within. Yet strangely enough, there is no smoke rising from that hollow mountain, so it’s certainly not a volcano. So what could be causing such an immense, fiery glow from this ominous mountain?

While Ford continues to gaze at the renowned home of the Wagner’s clan, Gilda spots a tiny red glow on the side of the central mountain. She speculates that it must be a hidden entrance that could lead them into the dragons’ dwelling. Suddenly, she grins deviously as she comes up with an idea on how to help lighten the mood up between them.

“Say Ford…” she smirks at him. “How about we have ourselves a little race on who ever can reach to that cliff-side entrance over there first?”

The stallion eyes at the entrance that the griffon was pointing at. Then, he breaks into a small grin as he proclaims in a slightly boastful manner, “As fun as it sounds, I’m afraid that would be overkill on my part.”

Gilda puts on the air brakes before Ford does the same as she responds with a chuckle, “What, you think you and your so-called dragon powers can beat me in a landslide? I think you’re overestimating yourself there, Ford!”

“Oh really?” he broadens his mischievous smile even more. “I’ll tell you what, Gilda… I bet that if I give you a ten-second head-start, I can still beat you to that cliff over there!”

She quickly ponders on the possibility if Ford is bluffing or not, but in either case, she is certain in her abilities as a flyer and seals the deal with a confident smile, “Alright then… challenge accepted! But remember, Ford, it’s your loss!”

“We'll see!” he shrugs before they land on a cloud nearby. Once there, he raises his fore hoof up in the air as he asks his competitor, “Ready?”

After stretching out her body in a suitable starting position, Gilda confirms her answer with a sharp nod before Ford starts the countdown.

“On your mark… get set… GO!”

With a wave of Ford’s hoof, Gilda launches from the cloud as she darts straight to the imaginary finish line!

1… 2… 3… 4…

With her sharp eyes, Gilda makes an approximation on how far away she is from the cliff-side entrance. The Talos Mountains is only a couple of miles away, but with her top speed, she can reach there is less than a minute. Plus, she was one of the best flyers alongside Rainbow Dash. So she is sure to win against an average flyer like Ford Mustang. Even with the handicap she was given, she feels some pity on taking advantage of it since it will take all the fun away for her to gain such a huge lead ahead of the newly acquainted Pegasus.

5… 6… 7…

Already it’s been seven seconds, and she is just reached a quarter of the race! With a winning smile spreading across her beak, she is absolutely convinced that she already got this in the bag!

8… 9… 10!

When ten seconds are finally up, the overconfident griffon is almost at the halfway point! Assuredly of her victory in her grasp, she turns her head as she wants to see the look of regret on Ford’s face as she is about a mile away from the cliff-side entrance. But after catching a brief glimpse of her challenger, Gilda’s victorious smile immediately hang out openly as she heavily gapes at what’s coming at her from behind. Speeding up in a blaze of golden light is the deviously smiling Ford Mustang, who is immediately catching up to the gawking griffon at an incredible velocity!

Snapping out of her shock, Gilda frantically reassumes her pace as she tries to push herself beyond limits. Unfortunately, she is clearly out of her league as Ford immediately passes by her in a blurring flash of blue and gold! Within ten seconds flat after he left the improvised starting line, the extraordinary Pegasus makes a touchdown at the cliff’s landing point, while Gilda has only completed three-quarters of the face! With a gawking expression frozen on her face, the astonished griffon gradually makes her way to the cliff in a slower, defeated pace.

Once she makes her landing, Gilda continues to flabbergast over the unbelievable power Ford possesses as he faces her with wide, prideful smirk across his muzzle. Annoyed by the pony’s smug grin, she stammers in an abrupt grump, “Sh-shut up!”

“I didn’t say anything.” he says with a witty smile.

“Yeah well… I was just going easy on you because I thought you were bluffing on your powers, that’s all! I’ll be sure to not make the same mistake again!”

“Well… thanks for leading me here, Gilda. I’ll take it from here.” When he turns around to make his way into the narrow cliff-side entrance, the blue Pegasus is quickly pulled in by a feathery foreleg wrapped tightly around his neck.

“And who said you could ditch me like that?!” the grinning griffon demands.

“I’m not trying to ditch you, Gilda!” Ford replies sharply as he breaks away from the hug before he explains himself in a gentler tone. “I just… don’t want you to get hurt from these dragons because of me.”

“Hey, come on, Ford!” Gilda winks at him as she playfully punches him on the foreleg. “I’m a big girl! I can take care of myself! Besides, we’re friends, aren’t we? So, someone has to watch your back from these pesky dragons!”

Smiling for her bragging devotion, Ford says to Gilda, “Alright, you can come along. But stay close to me, okay?”

From entering the narrow passage, Ford steadily leads the way while Gilda follows him from behind. Once they squeeze out of that hidden entrance, they each make a mighty gasp as they gaze at the wondrous sight before their eyes. Within the hollow mountain, they are hundreds of dragons residing in there!

The concave walls of their dwelling are littered with hundreds of caverns, which serve as the dragon’s private residences. In the center of their collective home is a colossal crystal cluster that is glowing bright red. The strange, red glow within that crystal is flickering like a flame as a few, watchful dragons breathe fire into the gigantic quartz while it absorbs their fiery breaths. This explains why the mysterious crystal is glowing immensely and why it offers the comforting warmth of a fireplace.

Many dragons engage in their leisurely activities. Most of them are resting, basking, or eating their gems. Some of the more aggressive, greedy dragons will engage in fights either for good sport or for gambling on their delectable treasures. For the hatchlings, they eagerly practice their fire breathing or flying with their parents and instructors. And a more pleasant experience for them is their multitude of hot springs as their own steaming breaths allow them to heat the water to its perfect temperature.

“Whoa-ho!” Gilda exclaims astonishingly. “Look at all these dragons! There must be hundreds of them!"

Ford is also impressed by the vast number of these legendary creatures. He is certain that with this many dragons, Arrogon won’t stand a chance against them.

“So… any idea which one is Wagner?” he asks Gilda as he looks around the hollow mountain.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never met him before. All I remember from the stories is that Wagner is a big, red, and scary dragon.”

Quickly glancing around his surroundings, Ford can see dragons of all shapes and sizes. Afterwards, he says to Gilda, “Well, there are a lot of dragons here that fit those descriptions. Maybe we should ask one of them.”

Nearby, there is large, rounded dragon with his back facing the two visitors as he heavily snoozes on the rocky floor. The heavy sleeper has earthly brown colors, small wings, stocky limbs, spiky, plated armor on his back, and a tail club with several spikes extruding from it. To Ford, the dragon reminds him of the armor-plated dinosaur, the Ankylosaurus.

“Excuse me, sir!” the pony approaches the snoozing dragon gingerly. The sleeper must not have heard him, so the pony tries it again.

“Sir! If I can just ask you a question real quick!” Even when he repeated himself a bit louder, all Ford gets in response is the slumbering dragon taking a moment to scratch his back.

When the stallion is about to try one more time, Gilda intervenes as she screeches sharply, “Hey! Wake up, your lazy bum! We’re trying to talk to you!”

“Wh-what? Who said that?!” the surprised dragon mumbles in his abrupt awakening. Because of Gilda’s impolite shout-out, some of the dragons nearby catch wind of it as they curiously eye on these two unlikely visitors. A few of them fly or crawl closer to these unknown foreigners.

Afraid on greatly agitating the larger beasts around them, Ford whispers to his less subtle friend, “Gilda, please! Let me do the talking, alright?”

“Why? It worked, didn’t it? You’re just being too timid about this!”

“Please, Gilda?” he pleads to her softly.

With a roll of her eyes, she reluctantly agrees, “Ugh! Fine!”

After rolling off his back, the slothful dragon turns around to see the ones who are responsible for that rude wake-up call. Coming face-to-face at last, Ford and Gilda get a good look at the first dragon they are speaking to. His round face has two stubby horns that are pointing angularly from each other, a jagged, beak-like snout, and beady, yellow reptilian eyes.

“What the--? A pony and a griffon?” the chunky dragon stares in disbelief before he scowls at the remainder of his sudden disturbance. “What are you two doing here in our lands, let alone disturbing my sleep?!”

“Yeah, I’m terrible sorry about that.” Ford apologizes meekly. “But we just need to ask you something real quick and you can go right back to your napping!”

“Well, what is it?” the dragon insists in a grump.

“Do you know where we may find Wagner around here?” the pony asks in sheepish smile.

Perplexed by this simple request, the brown dragon blinks his beady eyes a few times before he grin widely while holding back a suppressed chuckle. Unable to contain himself any further, the heavy dragon lets out a deep laugh as Ford and Gilda are confounded by what is so amusing all of a sudden.

“Hey everyone!” the ridiculer calls out to his nearby dragon friends. “Did you hear that?! This pony wants to speak to Wagner!” Eventually, the dragons close by join in as they laugh and mock at the gentle-natured Pegasus. From all this ridicule, Ford starts to feel very uncomfortable while Gilda is completed annoyed by the pony’s humiliation.

“Please!” Ford beseeches to the chief ridiculer once again. “It’s important that I speak with your clan leader at once!”

“Take my advice, pony!” the plump dragon finishes his chuckling as he is about to reassume his napping. “Wagner has no interest on meeting a pathetic creature such as yourself! If he sees, he’ll surely make mince meat out of you! Now be gone from this place before he finds you!”

“Look, can’t you just point it out to me on where we can find Wagner?”

“I said ‘leave’, pony!” the grumpy dragon demands before making a mighty plop on the ground. “And do not disturb me again!”

Disappointed by the refusal of the first dragon they came into contact, Ford Mustang pouts out to Gilda, “Sigh… well… maybe we can ask someone else around here--!”

“Forget that!” she snaps from being snubbed out by that. “This dragon is gonna answer to us, one way or another!”

“Gilda, no!” But Ford is too late to stop the impulsive griffon as she takes flight and loops around the good-for-nothing sloth so that she can give that dragon a piece of here mind.

“Listen up, you big, dumb jerk!” her outburst disrupts the dragon’s nap once again. “You better tell us where Wagner is right now or else you’re going to be in a world of pain right now!”

Less amused by the hovering griffon’s brashness, the deadpanned dragon quickly snorts out some smoke, which causes the Gilda to tumble right onto the ground. Getting himself back up again, the displeased dragon gets really close to the startled griffon’s face as he threatens her grimly, “Careful, little birdy! Or else you will end up as the only good griffon out here: a crispy one!”

To show her that he isn’t literally just blowing smoke here, he slowly unhinges his jaw and his mouth lights up brightly with the fire that is stirring within his massive throat. Seeing the raging fire up close has petrified Gilda right to the very core of her body and she fears that her life will end up as this terrifying dragon’s next meal.

After closing her eyes from what’s to be her inevitable end, the dragon’s scorching breath suddenly disappears. With one peek, Gilda is surprised to see that the threatening dragon is nowhere on the ground. With both eyes opened, all she can see in his place is a very shadow. Also, she notices a lot of dragons looking up in the air for some reason with their gaping mouths hanging out in the open. Following their gazes, Gilda becomes just as shocked as the rest of them as he finally sees on what has happened to her missing oppressor. Dozens of feet above the ground, the plump dragon is scared to death as he is lifted high in the air by the astonishingly super-strong Pegasus, Ford Mustang!

With an almighty toss, Ford slams the big, terrified bully right back on to the ground really hard! The quaking sound is so startling, that every dragon stops whatever they were doing as they gasp at the shocking scene that is taking place. Normally, they would expect such an earth-shaking noise from their great leader, but they never could imagine that such a creature as small as this pony can display such tremendous strength similiar to one of their own kin. Even some of the more aggressive dragons begin to show signs of fear. Ignoring the crowd’s immense shock, the hovering Pegasus glares at the aching dragon down below before he dives down and harshly lands on the fat, soft underbelly of the greatly sore, toppled giant.

Staring right at the terrified dragon’s face, Ford growls strongly, “Don’t you dare threaten my friend like that ever again! You got that?!” Quickly, the chubby dragon nods his head rapidly before Ford continues as he walks closer with one firm stomp at a time. “Good! Because right now, I don’t have time to play games here, so I’m going to ask you once more, and I better get a straight answer from you this time!”

As soon as Ford’s muzzle is inches away from the horrified dragon’s snout, deeply stern pony enunciate very clearly, “WHERE… IS… WAGNER?”

Despite hearing the question quite clearly, the chucky dragon is so scared by the pony’s sudden change of persona that he could barely make the words to serve as a suitable answer, even if his life depends. Out of nowhere, a chilling, booming voice echoes across the concaved mountain as it responds to Ford’s question.

“You want me, little pony?!”

Simultaneously, everyone looks up at the mightily high, curved peak's tip of the hallow mountain. The peak is nothing more than a shadow to its spectators, but then, two enormous wings expand out as a new, bulker shape emerges the shadows of the mountain! Suddenly, the dark, winged creature promptly leaps from his sharp perch as it dives right onto a ledged platform, which is closeby to the dragon that is pin down by the assertive pony! With a grand slam, a dust cloud explodes from that awesome entrance before it begins to clear away and gradually reveals the form of the greatly menacing intervener!

First, there are the black, razor-sharp claws digging into the rocky ledge’s edge. Following upward, the dark scarlet limbs feature muscles that they are very bulky and well-toned. Also, the scales throughout most of his body are like rigid, plated armor. Starting at the ridge of his back, black, curved spines trail all the way down to his tail, which at the end has four straight spikes like a Stegosaurus. The monstrous wings have dark sails between their appendages. The head is shaped like an arrow with black, frilled ears and a massive lower jaw with bearded spikes extending from his chin and cheeks. The jaw along with the legs reminds Ford Mustang of the great king of dinosaurs, the Tyrannosaurus Rex! And lastly, he has piercing, green eyes that are just as menacing as the Basilisk’s! In a way, this dragon is a complete opposite to Hindel due to his rough, sharp features! There is no doubt in Ford’s slightly trembling heart that this is the great leader of Hindel’s clan presented before him and all others; indeed, this has to be Wagner, the Inferno Dragon King!

“Here I am!”

Upon his arrival into the great valley, everyone is silent before their mighty king. Not only that, but all of their activities cease as they stay frozen in their spots and watch the upcoming confrontation between Wagner and the intruding pony. The first one to surprisingly make a move is Ford as he jumps off the grounded dragon he was questioning and casually walking towards the overlooking king of the mountains.

Respectfully, Ford bows down and greets in a well-mannered tone, “Wagner, thank you for seeing me. I’m sorry on doing that to your friend over there, but I really need to speak with you on an urgent matter.”

The red, impassive dragon’s only response to Ford’s manners is a harrumphing snort through his nostrils. Without so much of a word, Wagner directs his bright, green eyes towards the stout dragon as his piercing gaze demands an answer from the deeply petrified dragon.

“W-Wagner! I… I don’t know what to say!” the troubled dragon stammers in fright. “He just… caught me by surprise and--!

“Yes, I saw it.” Wagner assures his reptilian brethren in surprising composure as he redirects his observant eyes back to the perplexing Pegasus. “Quite unusual for a pony to display this much power. I haven’t seen anything like that since--!”

But then, he stops in his tracks before he even finishes that sentence as his eyes widen on the frightening realization. Using his extraordinary senses, Wagner can feel the same Draconian Magic that’s coursing through this pony’s veins as it does through all of his fellow dragons. But more shockingly, the Pegasus’s aura has a familiar, warm, golden color to it.

“Wait! That aura!” Wagner verifies shockingly. “I recognize that aura anywhere! The only one who should possess that would have to be--!”

Again, he didn’t need to finish that sentence. But instead of gasping at this realization like before, he begins to fume intensely as he swiftly shoots off the ledge and charges forward at the immobile pony. Bring his infuriating face close enough to the Ford’s, the enraged dragon interrogates him thoroughly in a thunderous roar.

“WHERE IS HINDEL?! WHY DO YOU POSSESS HIS POWERS?! IF YOU DO NOT ANSWER ME THIS INSTANT, I SHALL FORCE IT OUT OF YOU MYSELF!!”

The rest of the dragons and Gilda shudder in fear after hearing that tremendous shout from Wagner. At first, Ford Mustang is the only one to not quiver from Wagner’s wrath, but then, he starts to gradually tremble for a different reason as his sorrowful eyes threaten to break into tears.

In a soft, grief-stricken voice, he answers hesitantly, “He… he died… he died trying to protect me."

A bit startled by the disheartened news of his old friend, Wagner then demands in a low growl, “And how did he die?”

After some time, Ford finishes his story, from how he first met to Arrogon to the unfortunate death of his mentor, Hindel. As a way to offer her sympathy, Gilda lays her brown wing over the Pegasus’ shoulders as he smiles gratefully for her concern. The dragons who bear witness to the Pegasus’ story begin to gossip with each other after what they have just learned as they dread over the return of the infamous dragon slayer, Arrogon the Destroyer. The only dragon who is completely silent by all of this is Wagner as he was very attentive to Ford’s tale.

“I see… so Hindel was right all along.” he mutters somberly to himself. “Heh, why am I not surprised?”

“So now that I told you on what’s been going on, will you help me out in stopping Arrogon?” Ford asks in a beseeching tone.

Without an immediate response, Wagner turns around and begins to walk away from the pony and griffon before he says coldly, “You two are done here and are welcome to leave. We’ll handle things from here.”

Surprised by that vague answer, Ford steps forward and asks, “W-wait?! But what about helping me into defeating Arrogon?!”

“If he or any of his despicable followers even dare come to our lands, then we will wage war against him soon enough, but we will not aid you and the rest of the ponies out there! They are on their own for that matter!”

“H-h-how…? How can you be so coldhearted about this?!” the outraged pony inquires. “There are innocent ponies out there who are in desperate need of our help, and you wouldn’t even lift a claw for them! How can you call yourself Hindel’s friend if you won’t even comply with his dying wish?!”

“Don’t you dare question my friendship with Hindel!” Wagner snaps in an almighty roar as he sharply turns around to face the disgruntled Mustang. “I knew him way longer than you ever will in multiple lifetimes! The pain you have been going through is nothing compared to my own! I may owe Hindel a great deal for all that he has done for me, but I will stand by my own decisions for the good of my clan, not just for myself! He would respect my choices just as I will respect his!

Besides, why should my clan be involved in your battles?! My race has suffered enough because of your wretched kind! It may not matter much to you in your short life, but I still remember all the heinous crimes you ponies have committed against us! You accused us of stealing treasure from others when you ponies have abandoned them with each passing century and sought the right to steal them right under our noses!”

With a quick glare, Wagner’s judgmental stare greatly startles Gilda as he snarls at her, “And don’t think I forgot on what your race tried to do to us centuries ago, griffon!” Without a word, the trembling griffon cowers behind Ford as the great dragon refocuses his aggressive attention at the unyielding stallion.

“And what’s even more barbaric, your kind used to pluck our shiny scales and fashioned them as extra skins for your own vanity! You even sought so-called glory by capturing and encaging us like animals! Why, even several years ago, I heard of your ‘precious’ Princess Celestia snatching one of our eggs and treating that hatchling like it was her slave!”

He must be referring to Spike! Ford reflects on that claim. Well… I better leave that aside so that I don’t anger Wagner any further.

“You’ve always seen us as simple, mindless beasts…” the dragon king continues with his enraged accusation. “…but it’s you who are the real monsters to us! Your race deserves to destroy each other! And whether or not you are indeed a friend of Hindel, I will not form an alliance with the likes of you!”

Shaken by the dragon’s resolve to form an alliance with him, Ford bows on all four legs as he desperately begs to Wagner with all of his heart. “Wagner… please. I beg you.” he grievingly pleads to the stubborn dragon. “I didn’t come all this way just to seek your help. I wanted to do this for Hindel’s sake as well. He… trusted me with this final request in his dying words. I can’t let him down after all he has done for me. I just… can’t. So I am asking you, what is it that I need to do to prove myself towards you?”

Surprised by Ford’s humbleness and determination, Wagner takes a moment to consider this as he also thinks back to a time where he and Hindel last met with each other.

Two years ago in the Everfree Forest…

In the hollow valley they have once called ‘home’, Wagner swooped down for a gentle landing right behind his oldest friend, Hindel, as he sat on his haunches and waited patiently for the clan leader’s arrival.

“Hello, Wagner.” Hindel gently greeted to him. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Amazed by how Hindel was able to recognized him without his eyes, Wagner smirked and replied, “Too long, my old friend. I see that your senses are just as sharp as your mind and claws.”

Once Wagner sat alongside the elder, golden dragon, Hindel then asked, “So, how is the clan doing so far?”

“Things have surprisingly been prosperous for us.” Wagner answered with glee. “Recently, we just welcome over a dozen of hatchlings into our family.”

"Really? That’s so wonderful to hear from you.” said Hindel with a warm smile. “I wish I can see their little faces right now.” Realizing the mistake in his grammer, Hindel chuckled to himself, “Oh wait, what am I yammering on about!”

But Wagner wasn’t amused by the older dragon’s sense of humor as he asked in concern, “Hindel… have they… gotten better over the years?”

“No, Wagner… no they haven’t.” Hindel answered with a small, comforting smile. “But don’t worry about that, I’ve managed to do just fine without them. Besides, this is my own price to pay.”

Dismissing his own blindness asides, he said to Wagner with gratitude, “By the way, thanks for coming here out of your own free time. I know you’ve been very busy, but I greatly appreciate your respect for them, especially when today is their… Anniversary.”

“It’s the least I can do, Hindel. No one, dragon or pony, deserves such an awful fate as that.”

In a moment of silence, Hindel and Wagner lowered their heads and prayed to themselves as they silently show their respects to those who have fallen in battle against the treacherous traitor of their clan, Arrogon the Destroyer. After an immeasurable amount of time, Wagner was the first to speak after they finished their prayers.

“Hindel?”

“Hmm…?”

“Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Putting yourself in this self-exile nonsense! No one blames you for what has happened! It was that accursed pony’s fault to begin with!”

“But… I should have done something about it.” Hindel admitted in shame. “I knew I saw visions on what would happen, but I shouldn’t have ignored them. I could have at least helped out Morning Star in any way possible. If I did just that, then maybe… he wouldn’t turn into such a monster in the end.”

“Hindel… come back with me! To our clan! To our family!”

Hindel shook his head as he smiled to his friend. “Wagner, I’m not the clan leader anymore. You are.”

“I don’t care about that!” he exclaims in desperation. “I don’t even care which one of us is in charge! It just… hasn’t been the same without you! Sure, I’m one of the strongest dragon out there, and my kind looks up to me for that! But, deep down, I know that my brute strength isn’t enough to be qualified as a respectable king! That’s what I truly lack, Hindel! I can never match up to your great wisdom or calm composure! That’s why… I still need you!”

A bit startled by his friend’s unforeseen confession, Hindel grinned reassuringly as he said with comforting words, “Wagner… Do you remember why I choose you as my replacement before I went into exile? It wasn’t just because that you are my most trusted friend, or for your tremendous knowledge of our sacred magic, but it’s because that you always have a great passion when it comes to the well-being of others. Deep down that armored hide, you have always listened to that big, noble heart of yours. I knew that you would be a worthy successor when I heard on how Deimos tried to tempt you into massacring the ponies of Stonehaven. And yet, you refused because you didn’t want innocent blood to be spilled in your need for vengeance to those who have wronged us. You may have faced some obstacles along the way of our clan’s revival, but in the end, you have persevered not just as a mighty dragon, but as a strong leader too! And I can’t tell you how proud I am of you, my little brother!”

Caught-off guard by Hindel’s last word, Wagner turned his head away as he stated halfheartedly, “But… I’m not your real brother, Hindel. Deimos is.”

“Does that even matter, or have you already forgotten what it means to be part of our clan? No matter where we come, whether we are dragons or ponies, we are always a family to each other! And unlike Deimos, you are the brother that I’ve always wanted, Wagner!”

Again, Wagner was deeply touched by Hindel’s caring sentiment. While the usually grouchy dragon wasn’t the one to break down into tears, he was pretty close into doing so. Unable to restrain himself with his emotions, Wagner immediately pulled the blind dragon in for a great, big hug.

“Thank you… brother.” Wagner whispered.

Smiling at the rare display of Wagner’s affection, Hindel returns the brotherly embrace as he pats a gentle claw on Wagner’s thick skull. Eventually, they broke away from their hug as Wagner composed himself from getting so sappy. He believed that it wasn’t a fitting trait for the Inferno Dragon King.

“So… I guess I can’t change your mind, huh?” asked Wagner.

“I’m afraid not, Wagner. I’m sorry, but I am needed here more than ever.”

“What else is there to be found here after all these centuries?”

“I’m waiting for someone.”

“Who? Wait… you’re talking about Arrogon, aren’t you?”

“Actually, I’m waiting for someone else.”

“Who else is there?”

“A friend, and perhaps… something even more than that.” Hindel smirked all-knowingly to himself.

“Enough with these riddles, Hindel!” the red dragon demanded impatiently. “Who exactly are you talking about?!”

“I don’t know who this creature is… but all that I can see in my vision is a vague, winged pony with a most peculiar feature that separates him from the rest of the other ponies.”

“And what’s that?”

Hindel was a bit hesitant to answer his impatient friend, but without any further delay, he confirmed with a small, sly smirk, “A pony without a Cutie Mark.”

Wagner’s green eyes grew widely as he dreaded on the possibility of history repeating itself. “No! Hindel, no! I cannot believe this from you! Please tell me that you are not going to teach him Draconian Magic!”

No answer came out of Hindel’s mouth, but his head turning away from Wagner’s confirmed otherwise.

"Oh sweet Leviathan, you are, aren’t you?!” Wagner growled in outrage. “You see, this is why I forbid our clan to teach any outsiders of our sacred magic since that horrendous incident! We’ve already trusted ourselves with one markless pony before, and look where that got you--!”

Despite immediately clamping his jaws shut, Wagner was too late to take back on his impulsive words. But surprisingly enough, Hindel did not take heed of that.

“I’m… sorry, Hindel.” Wagner apologized in a remorseful tone. “That was uncalled for.”

“It’s fine, Wagner. And besides, you are mistaken.” Hindel turned his head to face the puzzled dragon, and he displays a teasing grin on his face. “I am no longer a member of your clan anymore, so therefore, your laws have no authority on who I may teach it to.”

Wagner was flabbergasted by Hindel’s witty response. After he shook away his dumbfounded expression, he sharply turned away from Hindel and dismissed with a grump, “Well, I may not know what you are scheming, but I refuse to be involved in this mess again! I will not play a part in this, and neither will the clan for that matter, and that’s final!”

As the grumbling dragon prepared to take flight, Hindel stopped him. “Wagner, please wait.”

“What?!” he sternly gazed back at the golden dragon.

“If… anything were to happen to me… will you then… help him out in anyway possible?”

Conflictingly, Wagner didn’t bother to reply, so Hindel pleaded to him once more, “Please brother, consider it as my final request and I promise that I won’t bother you with this any further.”

Reluctantly, Wagner gave in as he muttered to himself in a cranky tone, "Sigh… curse my honor into the depths of Tartarus. Alright, fine! I will keep this in mind! But on one condition!”

Grateful to Wagner’s reliance, Hindel responded with a satisfied smirk, “Name it."

“You still seek an alliance with me, pony?” Wagner asks the pleading Pegasus in a firm tone. “…Very well. But only if you prove yourself that you are worthy before my clan.”

Nearly overjoyed by the dragon’s sudden cooperation, Ford Mustang immediately asks, “And how can I do that, Wagner?”

“You must fight me… TO THE DEATH.”

Author's Note

Happy New Year! Here's to a better year for all of us!

Next Chapter: "A Dragon's Duel - Ford Mustang vs. Wagner"

Chapter 20 – A Dragon’s Duel

Right next to the central stronghold of the Wagner’s clan of noble dragons, there is another grand, hollow location in the Talos Mountains region. While its peak is not as high as the dragon’s main dwelling, this concaved mountain has a very wide space, which would perfectly serve as a makeshift coliseum for the ultimate match to come!

The rocky stadium is lit up with dozens of bonfire torches as the roars of the highly anticipated crowd echo throughout the arena. Hundreds of fully matured dragons perch on the mountain’s naturally structured balcony as they agitatedly wait for the epic duel to begin. The spacious terrain wasn’t entirely flat as it is scarred with cracks, craters, and sturdy rocks sticking out of the ground. Nevertheless, the dragons wouldn’t think of a better place for a fight than on this sacred, ancient battleground.

On one side stands the 500-year long leader of his clan, Wagner the Inferno Dragon King. Normally, he would be pumped and ready for action, considering that he hasn’t been in a good fight in ages. But this time, he is surprisingly composed about the smaller challenger he will be facing. Mostly it’s because he is pondering as to what his departed friend, Hindel, sees in this gentle-looking pony.

On the other side is the blue-haired Pegasus of Ponyville, Ford Mustang. As Hindel’s last apprentice, Ford has a lot to ride on regarding with the necessary victory over Arrogon the Destroyer. Most recently, as per to Hindel’s last wish, the pony wants to form an alliance with Wagner and his clan. Unfortunately, he is faced with a dilemma as he must fight Wagner in a death battle to enlist the aid of the dragon clan. As he internally struggles with himself, the only one who can give him some support is his newly acquainted griffon friend, Gilda.

“Are you really gonna fight him, Ford?” she asks with concern. “He doesn’t look someone who will take you lightly!”

Ford takes a glance at Wagner and can see the absolute seriousness and furiousness in those sharp, green eyes of his. With a subtle gulp, Ford replies, “I can’t turn back now, Gilda! Hindel entrusted me with his last request, and I need to see this through!”

“But… even if you can defeat Wagner… are you really going have to… you know… kill him?” she hesitates with a gulp.

Ford takes a moment to think about that possibility before he answers uncertainly, “I… I don’t know. But I’ll figure this out… somehow.”

“In any case, just do your best out there!” Gilda winks at him with a reassuring grin. “I’ll be rooting for you!”

“Crush his skull, Wagner!”

“Burn him to a crisp!”

“Hit him with a rock!”

Disinterested by the dragons’ obnoxious cheering from afar, the frowning griffon adds to her previous statement, “Well… even if no one else will.”

Showing a smile at last, Ford responds, “Thanks Gilda. I appreciate that.”

“Good luck, Mustang!” she grins as she gives him a thumbs-up. Ford tries to return the gesture, but then he reminds himself that he’s no longer human after seeing his fingerless hoof. So the next best he can do is give Gilda a farewell salute before she exits the arena as he gradually walks forward to face his reptilian contender.

Spotting an empty spot on top of the mountain between two medium-sized dragons, Gilda takes a seat before she can observe the upcoming battle from afar. The two dragons looked at each other bewilderedly before they grin humorously and begin their cruel remarks against the lone griffon.

“So, little birdy…” the bulky, orange dragon snickers. “Did you finally say goodbye to your little pony friend down there?”

“Nyah, not really.” Gilda shrugs before boasting a smirking retort. “I was just giving him some pointers on how to take your leader down!”

“Please!” The leaner, purple dragon dismisses that with a scoff. “Your army of featherbrains couldn’t match up to our Inferno Dragon King 400 years ago! What makes you think that this puny pipsqueak can stand up to the great Wagner now?”

“Maybe if you guys just shut up for a second, you’ll find out soon enough once the match begins!” she retorts with a confident grin.

Grumbling from dealing with Gilda’s sharp tongue, the two dragons in-between her decide to hold their verbal grudge-match as they turn their attendance to the real fight down below when it looks like it is finally about to commence.

Once Ford has ceased his steady march, he passively stands before Wagner in the central sector of the arena. With both of the combatants ignoring the one-sided cheers of the excited spectators, they sternly stare at each other as they wait for each other to make the first move.

“So, you have decided to finally face me!” Wagner comments with a slightly satisfied smile on his face. “Heh! And here I thought you were just a spineless coward!”

“Wagner, please reconsider!” Ford pleads respectfully. “I have no quarrel with you or your clan! There’s no reason for us to fight at all!”

“You will fight me, pony, if you want the full support of my clan! And the only way to earn that is by killing me first!”

“Wagner, this is absurd! How can I gain the dragons’ support if I kill off their leader?!”

“Do not underestimate my clan’s code of honor! They are aware of this match’s consequences and will keep their word to aid you if I fall in battle! But I doubt that will ever happen if you are this reluctant to face me like a true warrior!”

Determinedly, Ford says firmly, “If I have to fight you just to prove myself, then so be it… but no matter what, I will not kill you!”

“Then you’ve already lost!”

And without hesitation, Wagner launches his first assault by breathing out a massive wave of fire! With a quick flap of his wings, Ford leaps into the air and dodges the intense, widespread flames. In the midst of Pegasus’ hovering, Wagner follows it up by using sharp claws to unleash his bladed energy waves. Thankfully, for his size and nimbleness, Ford manages to evade them all. Unfortunately for him, while Ford was busy dodging the razor-sharp waves, Wagner takes the opportunity to leap into the air and firmly smacks the distracted pony with the bare side of his iron tail!

During the somersaulting fall, Ford recovers quickly and makes an abrupt landing. After that, he notices the great red dragon preparing for another fire breathing attack and reflexively hides behind of one the nearby boulders before Wagner unleashes another wave of fire!

After Ford narrowly dodges another blast of his wrathful fire, Wagner loudly calls out to him, “You think the terrain can protect you from me?!”

While the Pegasus is still crouching behind his rock, he spots a large shadow eclipsing his. After a curious glance up, he gasps at the sight of a large falling rock beneath him! Immediately, he gets out of the way before the larger rock smashes his sheltered spot! Facing the dragon once more, he gapes with awe and fright as Wagner demonstrates his monstrous physical strength by using his Stegosaurus-like tail to lift the next large stone up!

“I own this terrain!”

After his mighty declaration, Wagner’s spiky tail casts the second stone like a catapult! As the lobbed boulder make its descent, Wagner grabs two more boulders with his large claws and chucks them at Ford. This time, the pony is ready for the incoming projectiles as he evades each of the hurling boulders.

Without a moment to rest, Wagner thoroughly digs his claws into the land and extracts a colossal rock that’s almost as large as the dragon itself! With the humongous rock above his head, the mighty Wagner heaves it right at the preoccupied pony. After Ford’s latest evasive maneuver, he sees the mountainous rock coming right at him. With a quick spin and his bent hind legs aimed at the enlarged projectile, the blue Pegasus impressively bucks that massive rock into a thousand pieces!

Suddenly, he glances behind him as sees an extremely tall wave of fire charging forward! In a frantic pace, he tries to outrun it, but the towering flames are catching up. Up ahead, he spots a squeezable opening within the crack of the earth. With little to no options at his disposal, Ford dives right into that gap before the rolling fire could engulf him.

For Gilda and the rest of the audience that are still watching, they couldn’t see the miraculous save Ford made for himself. And once the latest heat wave has disappeared, they assume that the young stallion has met an unfortunate demise. Assuming that it’s finally over, the rest of the dragons cheer wildly for Wagner’s supposed victory. However, the only one out there who is not favor of Wagner is a deeply troubled Gilda as she is sandwiched by the two heckling dragons.

“He-heh! Looks like that friend of yours is toast! Literally!” the orange one boldly mocks her.

“Yeah! Extra crispy!” the snickering purple fiend joins in as well.

Normally, she wouldn’t take that from such jerks without a witty retort or a fight, but she is too concern over the well-being of her new friend.

Come on, Ford! Show these arrogant jerks what you’re made of!

While every dragon is distracted by their excitement, Gilda snaps out of her worry and is the first one to notice something strange of Wagner’s behavior. Unlike his reptilian kind, the red dragon is very impassive and still vigilant. It is as if he isn’t completely satisfied with the outcome of his match.

“Where are you hiding, pony?!” he suddenly roars in outrage as it got every dragon to hush up right away. Growlingly, he swiftly looks around his surroundings as he impatiently stomps around the coliseum. “Come on out, you coward! You considered yourself as a worthy apprentice of Hindel, yet you will turn tail the moment you realize your defeat! You are a disgrace to even wield such power from our race, and you bring nothing but shame to your former master! I can’t imagine what he would have to say to you if he was alive right now!”

"Hmph! Figures a wimp like him would flee away!” the orange dragon scoffs before he turns toward Gilda. “What do you got to say to that, griffon?”

Once again, Gilda ignores the snickering dragon as her sharp eyes are focused on the severely ill-tempered Wagner. As he rapidly blows out some smoke from his flaring nostrils, he displeasingly continues his search for his missing opponent. Finally, the attentive griffon spots something emerging from the jagged opening underneath the red dragon. Stealthily, Ford Mustung surfaces from the ground before he takes a moment to charge up his left fore hoof with his golden Draconian Magic!

As Ford prepares for his surprise attack right beneath Wagner’s nose, Gilda couldn’t help but smirk at the pony’s shrewdness.

You sly pony! I almost forget how truly devious you can be!

“Wait! Why are you smirking like that?” the bewildered, bulky dragon breaks her train of thought.

Faking her oblivious attitude, she replies with a shrewd grin. “Huh? Oh, I was just noticing on how funny your stupid face looks!”

With a predictable frown, the disgruntled dragon growls immensely, “You… you better count yourself lucky that Wagner decided to spar you before the match began! Otherwise, I would char you to the bone myself!”

“Wait a second…” the leaner purple dragon squints his eyes as he carefully examines something beneath Wagner. Once he spots the missing Ford Mustang, the thin dragon gasps out loud and tries to call out to his leader, “WAGNER! LOOK UNDERNEATH YOU--!”

But his warning is cut short by Gilda as her talons tightly grip around the purple dragon’s snout, which prevented so much as a whisper from escaping any further. “Hey! No help from the peanut gallery, lizard lips!” the stern griffon lectures the snitcher before he fretfully nods in response.

Meanwhile, Wagner is sidetracked from his maddening search by the screeching of one his brethrens. Taking the opportunity of the great dragon’s distraction, Ford finishes his concentration and unleashes the full force of his first strike against Wagner’s cream-colored underbelly!

BAM!

With the unforeseen power of Ford’s sky-rocketing uppercut, Wagner gags tremendously as he is speedily launched into the air! In the midst of the dragon’s unintended ascent, Ford Mustang continues the barrage by rapidly pummeling the unresponsive dragon with one fire hoof punch after another!

The silent crowd gasps in horror as they witness the surprisingly strong pony inflicting great amount of pain against their aspired leader. The only one who is making any noise is of course Ford’s only supporter, Gilda.

“WOO-HOO!” the griffon roots for him. “Go, Mustang! Lay the smackdown on that overgrown lizard!” The two medium-size dragons in-between her glare at Gilda for her cheering, but she dismisses their intimidation by stating it nonchalantly with her forelegs crossed over, “What? You cheer for your pal, and I’ll cheer for mine!”

Back in the arena, Ford ceases his barrage of punches and finishes his brutal assault with a quick, aerial spin, and then, he bucks Wagner right in the chest with an almighty double kick! From that cannon-like kick, the pummeled dragon crashes to the side of the mountain’s wall, which creates an enormous fracture and causes countless rocks to plummet from that impact.

While Ford takes a short break from that, Wagner grudgingly gets up as his sharp eyes piercingly stares at his smaller opponent. Despite being inflicted with countless punches and that hard buck to the chest, the surprisingly composed dragon shrugs it off as he is tough enough to dish out the pain as well as to take it. Silently, their fierce gazes are locked on to each other’s as they try to figure out which one will make the next move.

Then, all of a sudden, Wagner breaks into a small smile before he comments to the bewildered pony. “I see that Hindel has taught you well in such a short period of time. But you still have a long way to go before you can stand up to a true Dragon Master!”

With his fighting spirit renewed, Wagner employs a very unorthodox strategy by scooping up the rocks with his mighty, large jaws and crunches on them. As he munches on the sturdy minerals, the furious red dragon could barely suppress his chuckling on what he has in stored for the perplexed Pegasus. During the grinding process, the dark scarlet dragon’s mouth lights up with an intense glow of flickering fire.

With everything in place, Wagner quickly takes off and reaches a very high attitude before he spews out the scorching rocks from up above! As dragon’s fiery attack rains down like a meteor shower, Ford immediately takes flight away from the flaming rocks. And while the Pegasus can dodge the meteors’ impacts, he couldn't have foreseen the blazing stones' combustive explosions! Like the nearly unavoidable shrapnel of a grenade, the sizzling fragments spread out widely as some of them nearly puncture the evasive stallion! Thrown off by the rocky fragments’ sharp, sizzling pain, Ford hastily dives for cover before Wagner is finished with his bombardment of raining meteors.

For his next attack, Wagner clutches his left claw before setting it ablaze with his fire breath. Despite his astonishment from seeing the dragon’s creative use of his Draconian Magic, the Pegasus fears on what’s to come as Wagner charges up his very own fire punch.

As he looks at his own two fore hooves, he gets a crazy idea on how to counteract Wagner’s next attack. Like they say: you got to fight fire with fire!

“If you can do it, so can I!” he says with resolve. Without a second thought, Ford inhales a mighty gulp of air before he breathes out a stream of golden fire onto his own hooves!

“Ford! What are you doing?!” Gilda exclaims from her seat. “This is no time to play with fire!”

Of course, she was worried for nothing as she sees that Ford’s blazing hooves are fine as the fiery, golden aura circulates around them. After he amplifies his own physical strength, Ford Mustang lifts from the ground as he charges to his colossal target in the sky.

A bit surprise by Ford’s ability to swiftly copy his own technique, Wagner breaks into a subtle smile to show his impressiveness before he rushes in full velocity to meet the challenge head-on! Like knights in a jousting competition, the two combatants charge at each other at blazing speeds as their fiery punches are about to make direct contact!

KAPOW!

With the collision of the two scorching attacks, the arena is lit-up with a dynamic explosion that is so massive, that it almost knocks the audience right out of their seats! As for Wagner and Ford Mustang, each of them is immensely knocked back in opposite directions due to the incredible force they unintentionally created! Wagner is flung furthering into the air before he can regain himself and make a mid-air recovery. As for Ford, however, his landing is intensely harsh as he plows right into the ground! His Draconian Magic may be on par with Wagner’s, but he lacked the natural brute strength a great dragon would possess.

After a brief moment on taking it all in on what just happened, the dragons roar in excitement over Wagner’s triumph and the pony’s downfall. Gilda, on the other hand, gasps in horror after observing Ford’s gruesome landing. As Mustang is momentarily out cold, Wagner flies down casually before as he keeps his eyes lock on the pony’s unresponsive body.

“You have fought bravely, little pony…” he comments his plummeted challenger. “…but your might is nothing compared to that of a dragon’s! At the very least, I can show you my respects as a warrior by finishing you off with my ultimate attack! I can only hope that your death will be swift once this is all over! Farewell, pony!”

After his final farewell to the Pegasus, Wagner takes a moment to brace himself before he can begin his ultimate spell. With an extensive inhale, the Inferno Dragon King gathers up all of the vast energy around him. And not only that, but he is also inhaling a lot of loose stones towards him. As his scaly body radiates a blazing, crimson aura, the gathering rocks gradually compress before his wide-opened mouth and the concentrated energy is turned into fire. With the combination of fire and rocks, Wagner is progressively building up a massive, rock-hard fireball!

Fearing for Ford’s life, Gilda alarmingly screeches out to him, “GET UP! MUSTANG, GET UP!”

Upon hearing the high-pitched voice of his griffon friend, Ford slowly gets himself up before he can verify the situation he is in. Once he turns around, he is shocked to see the progress of Wagner’s grand technique as the enormous fireball is almost as big as the dragon’s head.

Dammit! Ford Mustang cringes in minor pain and at the sight of the impressive powers of Wagner. I don’t know if I can stop that thing, let alone deflect it!

In the midst of his disgruntlement, he is suddenly distracted by the leftover, scorching rocks that surround him. Just by looking at the small, flickering flames makes Ford think back to his final trial where he discovered the ultimate technique in Draconian Magic: the absorption of pure energy!

Well… I can at least regain my strength, but I doubt if it will be enough to push back Wagner’s attack!

Suddenly, a bold idea finally hits him like a bolt of lightning. Something quite opposite from what he was thinking of beforehand.

Maybe… instead of pushing it back… I can just redirect it! Smiling brightly with determination, Ford puts his daring plan into motion. Okay! Let’s give it a shot! Now… just like in your final lesson, find your inner peace and let the energy come towards you.

In a strangely tranquil manner with his eyes closed, Ford Mustang gracefully hovers a few feet in the air before he breathes in and out gently as the fire from the remaining scorching rocks drifts away and is automatically drawn into his body. As the audience nearly marvels at the display of Ford’s growing radiance, Wagner is unable to witness this since the size of his extraordinary fireball exceeds his own head. With his body glowing in a soothing, golden light, Ford snaps his firm eyes opened and gently extends his fore legs forward, so he can be ready in a defensive position to counteract the menacing spell that is to come.

At last, the final spell is completed, and with a mighty roar, Wagner bellows out his colossal fireball right at the motionless Pegasus! Calmly, Ford remains in place as he waits for the raging fireball to come closer to him. And at the right moment, he swiftly steps aside once the giant meteor draws near him. But it didn’t stop there as he promptly presses his fore hooves into the blazing aura of the meteor! When the two opposing arts of Draconian Magic come into contact, Ford Mustang intentionally creates a magnetic pull with the gigantic object! And with a mighty twist of his hovering body, the resourceful Pegasus heaves the monstrous fireball and flings it right back at its draconic spellcaster!

Extremely shock by the unexpected redirection of his ultimate technique, Wagner fails to take evasive action and significantly suffers from the full force of his gargantuan fireball! Because of the spell’s overwhelming power, Wagner is driven back at an incredible speed and is slammed into the same wall he crashed into before! Because its fragility, the immensely fractured wall causes a landslide as mammoth rocks descend and collapse right on top of the Inferno Dragon King!

After the explosive turn of events, the crowd is utterly speechless as they fear the possible outcome of the match. Once the earthy dust clears away, they gasp in horror as they see the critical condition Wagner is in. Along with the rocks as big as his head, a colossal rock pillar has severely pinned down the red dragon. Despite how exhaustive he is from pulling off such a stunt like that, Ford Mustang slowly walks over to get a better look at his helpless opponent. In his pitiful state, Wagner couldn’t decide which hurts the most, the grave injuries he has sustained or his pride as a great warrior.

“How disgraceful.” the dragon groans. “To think that my ultimate attack can be used against me like that. Still, it doesn’t matter now. You have proven yourself as a capable warrior, and my life is in your hooves now.”

The arena is silent. Despite their deepest desire to protest against this, the hesitant, grief-stricken dragons know better than to intervene in a battle that Wagner commanded to not let anyone interrupt. Gilda is also hesitant to make her objection, for she couldn’t imagine that Ford would do something as awful as… killing someone. As for Ford Mustang, he just completely impassive on what he should do in his position.

Impatiently waiting for his warrior’s death, Wagner grumps to the indecisive stallion, “What are you waiting for? Deliver the final blow and claim your prize already!”

Without a word, the stoic Pegasus slowly raises his right fore hoof into the air before his golden aura envelopes it. From seeing the pony making his decision, some of the audience turn their heads away or close their eyes, so that they will not bear witness to the execution of their clan leader.

Gilda’s eyes widen in shock as she shakes her head in disbelief. No… he couldn’t! He wouldn’t! …Would he?

Once his final attack is charged up, Ford is frozen stiff as he is once again hesitant to carry out with his decision.

Unable to bear this agony any longer, Wagner furiously snaps at him, “DO IT!”

As if on command, Ford leaps high into the air before he dives down and prepares to unleash his finishing move against the immobile dragon!

Fearful on this life-changing decision the pony has just made, Gilda rushes out of her seat and cries out to him, “FORD! DON’T!”

But her protest fall unto deaf ears as the rapidly descending pony is closing in for the kill. Satisfied at the swift end to come, Wagner closes his eyes and embraces his own mortality.

CRACK!

…

It is a strange feeling Wagner just felt. Despite feeling the immense quack of the attack, his body is much lighter now. But he still feels incredibly sore from the battle he has endured. Opening his eyes, he is shocked to see the first thing he sees in his sight: the passive pony with his back turn who was supposed to slay him!

As he grudgingly gets up, the recovering red dragon feels two heavy objects sliding off his back before they slam into the ground on each side. The gigantic rock that was pinning him down was split apart by the merciful Mustang!

“I had one dragon die for me already.” Ford firmly states to the perplexed dragon behind him. “And I am not going to have another one die for me again.”

“This is just shameful!” Wagner grumbles. “To be spared and shown pity by a pony of all things!”

“It’s not pity! It’s kindness! You should learn to try it sometimes!”

After that pony’s retort, Wagner sharply turns head away as he lets a harrumph. Knowing that he is too stubborn to listen, Ford continues to give that red dragon a piece of his mind.

“Wagner… I may not know on what has happened to you and the ones that hurt you, but I assure you that times have changed… for the better! That hatchling you mentioned earlier, he has been cared and raised by the ones you would consider as ‘monsters.’ And you know what? He’s never been happier to be loved by so many ponies, including Princess Celestia!”

The usually disgruntled dragon is shocked to hear that one of his own kin is being treated with such consideration, especially when it’s coming from another race he distrusted for so long. With the dragon’s attention finally grabbed, Ford carries on, “And I didn’t come all this way to pick a fight with you, Wagner. I came to seek for your aid as per Hindel’s request, not just because we share the same enemy… but also as a friend. You probably know full well on what that ambitious tyrant is capable of, and if we don’t put a stop to his madness as soon as possible, it could mean the end for us all! Dragons and ponies alike!" After a heavy sigh, Ford turns around and finishes his statement. “But if you’re this stubborn to join up with me, then so be it. I won’t force you into this, and I especially won’t do that just by killing you! You can talk all you want about honor and such, but there certainly is no honor in such pointless bloodshed! So… farewell.”

As Ford walks away, Wagner snaps at him, “You naïve, little fool! You think showing compassion to your enemies will benefit you?! Your kindness will only be met in retribution to come!”

“Perhaps, but it’s not going to change who I am, and who I continue to strive for! Hindel entrusted me with his very life, and I’m going to see to it that I won’t let him down no matter what! With or without your help!"

After leaving Wagner to his thoughts, Gilda meets with up Ford as they casually walk away from the arena.

“Way to go, champ!” she winks at him. “For a second, you almost had me scared back there! …Almost.”

“Aww… you were worried about me!” he teases at her. “Who would have thought that you would be such a softie, Gilda!”

Grinningly, she grabs the stallion and gives him a rough noogie! “Hey, who are you calling 'a softie?' You’re the one who wussed out from delivering the final blow to Wagner!”

Breaking away from that noogie, Ford responds with his own grin, “Hey, I live by own rules! And if someone has a problem with that, then tough!”

“Eh, I can respect that! But still, you certainly shown a lot of guts for what you did out there!” she says as she playfully bats Ford on the shoulder.

“Thanks, Gilda.”

Suddenly, the two are stopped by a loud, booming voice, “WAIT!”

Turning around, Ford and Gilda are surprised to see Wagner approaching them in a much calmer manner. Once he gets close enough to them, the dragon asks Ford, “Tell me your name and where you come from, pony.”

A bit unsure at first, the Pegasus answers with pride, “My name is Ford Mustang, and I’m a Pegasus from Ponyville.”

“Ford Mustang… though my pride wounds me more than my own injuries, I gladly offer my respects as a warrior to you for your valor and determination. I can see now that you have inherited more than just Hindel’s power. You have also inherited his noble spirit. I am honored to meet his final apprentice at last.” Wagner commends as he gently bows before the greatly surprised Mustang.

Startled by Wagner’s unforeseen sense of consideration, the pony and griffon then see all of the dragons in the audience gradually show their respects to Ford by bowing their heads as well. A bit puzzled by all of this, the stallion eventually figures this out as he shows a brightly hopeful smile.

“Then… does that mean… that you will…?” Ford asks with high optimism.

With chuckling grin, Wagner nods his head lightly to confirm his decision before he boomingly calls out to his clan, “My fellow dragons! You have just witnessed the absolute strength, cunning, and courage of the one called Ford Mustang! And so, in honor of my old friend, Hindel, I swear to dedicate my life to this pony’s cause so that we may stand up against Arrogon the Destroyer and put an end to his reign of madness permanently!”

After a thunderous roar of cheers from his reptilian comrades, Wagner continues, “So I ask of you, my devoted brothers and sisters! Will you lend me your strength in this fight against Arrogon?!”

“YEAH!”

“Will you unite with Ford and his allies in their time for need?!”

“YEAH!”

“Will you help me avenge the death of our clan’s founder and finish what should have ended 500 years ago?!”

“YEAH!”

“Then join with me, my noble dragon warriors! Let your war cries deafen the storm’s terrible thunder! Let your fire erupt higher than any volcano imagined! Let your righteous fury rival that with nature itself! And let us finally annihilate that traitor from the face of this world forever!”

After Wagner’s inspirational speech, all of the dragons howl loudly as their jubilation echoes the great, hallow mountain they seat in. Hearing their roaring approval, Ford smiles very broadly as he is truly thankful for fulfilling Hindel’s last wish.

“Thank you, Wagner.” he says to the Inferno Dragon King, who welcomingly nods in reply.

Gilda smirks at Wagner’s change in behavior as she comments mischievously, “Geez, who would have thought that such scary dragon as Wagner would be so benevolent all of a sudden!”

Instantly, Wagner scowls at Gilda, “Are you saying that I’m going soft, griffon?”

Nervously, she replies hastily, “No, not at all! You’re totally the most bad, radical, ferocious dragon of all time!”

With a proud grin, Wagner response, “Hmph! And don’t you forget it!”

After the conclusion of the fearsome battle, they all return to their central mountain as the dragons welcome Ford Mustang and Gilda as their honored guests. Firstly, they took a dip in the clan’s famed hot springs, which miraculously rejuvenates and heals the wounds of Ford and Wagner. During their time together, Wagner discusses his plan on how he will gather over a hundred of his best dragons, and they will meet up with Ford at Canterlot in one day.

After confirming with their plans, Ford and Gilda say goodbye to Wagner and their clan before they take flight and make their way south.

“Well then, that was certainly a lot of fun, wasn’t it?” Ford comments happily as they fly back to Equestria.

“If by fun, you mean ‘extremely dangerous and crazy?’ Then yeah, it was a lot of fun.” Gilda replies with a grin.

“Well, now that we’ve got Wagner’s full support, I was thinking that maybe we should go to the Crystal Empire first and see if Princess Cadance and Shining Armor can offer their aid against Arrogon.”

Uneasily, Gilda says to Ford while lightly scratching her head, “Actually… I’m afraid this is where we have to split up from here.”

“Wh-what?!” he exclaims shockingly as he suddenly stops in mid-air before they take a moment to land on a cloud nearby. “But why?! I thought you would want to help me out and save Rainbow Dash!”

“Hey, don’t get me wrong!” she explains herself with her talons held up in the air. “I totally want to help you put that Arrogon jerk in his place for sure! But I have got my duties to attend to first. I need to go back to Gryphus and report to the King and Queen on what I’ve just learned from you and all of this.”

“Oh. I see.” he understands despite displaying his pouty expression.

“Hey, cheer up, Mustang.” Gilda lightly nudges him in the cheek. “Once they understand what’s at stake here, the Griffon Kingdom will surely lend a claw and send the best troops into Equestria. We’ll meet up again eventually. You’ll see.”

“Well… it’s very nice to meet up with you, and… thanks for everything.” To show his gratitude, Ford extends a friendly hoof at the griffon.

Momentarily, Gilda blinks and stares at it before she playfully grins at him, “Ah, come here, you big lug!”

Quickly, she pulls Ford in by surprise and gives him a big hug. As he is squeezed in-between Gilda’s forelegs and her fluffy chest, the pony smiles contentedly as he wraps his hooves around her plushy feathers.

“Heh, and here I thought you were too cool to give out hugs like this!” he snickers lightly.

“Ford… don’t ruin the moment.”

“‘Kay.”

After their hug, Gilda is about take off and head back to home, but then, she stops herself as she turns around to face Ford one last time.

“Oh hey, Mustang!”

“Yeah?”

Awkwardly, she hesitates while rubbing her head, “If you see Dash again, tell her I said… ‘Hey.’ And that… well… ‘I’m sorry.’ Okay?”

“Don’t worry, Gilda. I’ll put a good word in for you. I promise.”

“Good.” she smiles in satisfaction before she gives a quick wave to him. “Well, catch ya later!”

And with that said, Gilda leaves and flies back to the Griffon Kingdom’s capital city while Ford Mustang waves her goodbye. While he is slightly sad to see her off, he is fortunate enough to meet up with Gilda and to have her as his brief traveling companion. Refocused on his primary mission, Ford makes a quick take-off and hurriedly heads back to Equestria.

Author's Note

Even though Ford Mustang has made some poweful allies, there is just one more to come. Who could it be? Find out in the next chapter!

Also, the alternate title for this chapter was going to be "Duel Monsters."

Chapter 21 – A Random Encounter

“AUUGH! SO… HUNGRY!”

Ford Mustang is beyond starving! He hasn’t eaten anything since he left the Everfree Forest, and recently, he just finished an excruciating battle with Wagner the Inferno Dragon King in the Talos Mountains in order to gain the dragons’ alliance against Arrogon the Destroyer. Plus, the dragon's home didn't have anything that was edible to him. Either way, the grumbling void in his stomach is becoming unbearable. So for now, he searches for anything that might offer the necessary nutrients he seeks as he travels back to Equestria. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find anything sustainable within the mountains he’s passing by.

With quick glance to his left, he suddenly spots something where the mountains end their range. It is a large forest that is just as dark as the Everfree Forest. Most ponies wouldn’t even dare trend to such an ominous place, but considering that Ford has practically conquered the Everfree Forest firsthand, he has nothing to fear from woods' intimidating nature, especially when his growling stomach tells him otherwise.

Hopefully this forest can offer something to eat in there!

With nothing else to considered, Ford quickly makes a sharp turn to the left and heads into the dark forest. Upon his landing, he notices some differences that separate this haunting forest from the one he trained in for two weeks. While the Everfree Forest was incredibly dark, it was at least full of life in every turn, from its enriched vegetation to its diversity of animals. This forest, however, is a complete opposite as it devoid of any form of life. There is not a sight or sound from any creature that would roam in these woods. The ground is hard and cracked. And the sickly trees are practically dead as their skeletal branches sprout no leaves nor do they bear any fruit. In a way, Ford feels that this “Foresaken Forest” is far creepier than the fertile Everfree Forest.

After spending several minutes aimlessly searching for any signs of food, the immensely starving stallion is just about to give up. But just as he is about to take-off from this dreary forest, Ford surprisingly notices a colorful speck in the shadowy background. After trotting closer to it, he gets a better look at it as he gasps in mouthwatering joy from what it up ahead: a bushel of mixed wild berries featuring blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries!

Unable to contain his furious hunger any further, the overjoyed Pegasus leaps into the air and charges at full speed. Upon close proximity, Ford quickly takes a sniff of the tempting berries, just to make sure they are not poisonous. With his nose, he gratefully detects the berries’ enriching smell of abundant sweetness. Satisfied enough, the hungry pony greedily gobbles them up as he indulges on the ripe berries’ sweet and tart taste.

Upon his indulging, he makes several observations on this too-good-to-be-true bounty he just found. What amazing luck! To think I would find such tasty berries in this wasteland! Hmmm… now that I think about it, who would anyone leave such a treasured fruit right next to this tree and underneath this neatly pile of leaves? In fact, there are hardly leaves to be found on these trees at all! If I didn’t know any better, I would say that this is all starting to sound like a--!

TWING!

Literally, right under his nose, a silky web springs from underneath Ford and quickly it entraps him! As he swings lightly while hanging in the air, he finishes his sentence with a tiresome groan, “Sigh… trap.”

“HA-HA! SUCCESS!!”

From pinpointing the location of that startling noise, the entrapped Pegasus notices a very blurry figure that's vaguely shaped like a pony. Suddenly, its nearly perfect camouflage deteriorates as it reveals itself. Upon observation, Ford realizes that this isn’t a standard pony at all. From its overall dark-colored body and insect-like characteristics, including wings, legs, and wing covers, the pony recognizes that his entrapper is a changeling! While it does possess identifiable features, the changeling does have a few distinctions that separate him from the rest of his race: a box-shaped face, a sharp, pointed chin, and a multitude of razor-sharp teeth.

“At last! My patience has finally been paid off!” the over-zealous changeling exclaims with pride. “And what’s even more fortunate is that my quarry is a pony of all things! Truly, the Colony will praise me for my valiant efforts!”

“Hey, you’re a changeling, aren’t you?” Ford confirms calmly.

“Yes indeed! And you, my foolish little pony, has fallen right into my trap!”

“Uh-huh. And how long did it take you to make this?” Ford asks coolly while examining his own entrapment.

“Well, providing the bait wasn’t the problem thankfully.” the changeling replies casually. “It’s the details in its construction that took a majority of my time.”

“Oh, sorry to hear that. But hey, this is a really nice trap you setup out here.”

“Why, thank you--! Wait, why are you speaking to me so mannerly like that?!” he snappily gets back on track. “You should be wallowing in despair and agony!”

“Oh no. Please. Don’t hurt me. Ahhhh…” he enunciates in emotionless sarcasm.

Unamused from his prey not taking this seriously, the changeling inquires in a deadpan manner, “…You’re not taking this seriously, are you?”

“Well… if it makes you feel better, this isn’t the first time I was trapped in a spider’s web before.”

“It doesn’t matter! You are trapped, and there is nothing you can about it!”

“Oh really?” Ford smirks deviously. “Not even if I do this?”

SNAP!

With a quick amplification from his Draconian Magic, Ford uses the edge of his feathery wings to easily cut through his webby ensnarement like they were made of extremely sharp scissors! After his graceful landing, the proud pegasus turns around just so he can see look on changeling’s speechless face.

“Wh-wh-what?!” the insect-like creature flabbergasted in disbelief. “What are those wings made of?! That fine silk was spun by the Colony’s best spinners!”

“Huh, what a shame.” the pony sympathizes casually as he brushes off any remaining silk on his body. “Despite its stickiness, the threads are very soft and firm. Well, it was nice talking with you, but I’ve got to get going. See ya!”

As Ford Mustang is about to take his leave, the frustrated changeling sharply steps in the way of the pony’s departure. “Hold it right there! I, Trapjaw, commander of the Royalty’s army, challenge you to a duel!”

“Ah man! Not another one!” Ford sighs aggravatingly before he turns his attention back to his challenger. “Look buddy. I don’t have time for this. I just fought a dragon, and I really need to get back to Equestria.”

“Ha! Your boastfulness shall not deceive me, pony! If you wish to leave these woods, you must defeat me in a battle! Now then, have that thee!”

“Are you sure you want to do this right now?” Ford asks with severe disinterest while raising an eyebrow. “Because I really don’t feel like fighting right now.”

“Enough of this!” Trapjaw impatiently dismisses Ford’s passiveness. “You shall not delay this any longer! FOR THE ROYALTY!!”

During his screeching warcry, Trapjaw charges at the uninterested Pegasus head-on. With repressed strength, Ford swiftly makes a hard push against his charger, and the headstrong changeling is quickly shoved back before he trips over a dead log behind him.

As the startled changeling gets himself back up, Ford approaches him slowly as he cautions his contender gently, “Please. Don’t make me have to hurt you.”

After composing himself, Trapjaw responds boldly, “You are… a lot stronger than I’ve expected, but this match is far from over! I have faced tougher opponents before, and I shall not back down from this one! And if my might cannot match up to yours, then have a taste of my fury!”

FOOSH!

Immediately, Trapjaw exhales his own natural flamethrower as the stream of fire engulfs the slightly surprised Mustang! With the pony engulfed in the small inferno, Trapjaw laughs triumphantly over his successful attack. However, that laughter starts to die down before Trapjaw gasps at the implausible feat the pony is pulling off. Through an extensive inhale, Ford sucks up the creature's fire like they were strands of spaghetti! Of course, the absorption of his fire isn’t the only thing that made Trapjaw gap in awe and shock! Ford miraculously remains unharmed after being briefly swallowed by his opponent’s fire!

“Mmm… thanks for the meal, Trapjaw.” he smirks while mockingly licking his lips. “And now that you’ve shown me yours, I’ll show you mine.”

FOOM!

In return, Ford unleashes a golden fireball, which explodes upon direct contact with the stunned changeling! Through that explosion, Trapjaw is slammed right into the same log before! Thankfully for him, his beetle-like hide protected him from being severly burned from that counterattack. However, the force from the Pegasus’s attack greatly injured him as he grudgingly tries to get himself up once again.

“What in blazing infernos are you?!” Trapjaw inquires as he pants exhaustively.

“Oh, you know…” Ford shrugs with a shrewd smile. “Just a simple Pegasus Pony who gained the powers of a dragon. No biggie really.”

“I see. The odds in this fight are clearly against me.” the changeling states as he amazingly stands back up on all four legs. “But I shall not shy away from battle so easily! I would rather die on the front line than to live the rest of my days as a shameful coward! So don’t think this over just yet--!” In the midst of his bravado, Trapjaw begins to lose his balance as he nearly topples over.

“Are… you alright over there?” Ford asks with concern.

“I’m… I’m fine!” the proud warrior reassures. “I don’t need any sympathies from the likes of--!”

Suddenly, his shaky legs could not hold himself any longer and he reclines right on the log. Upon his collapse, Trapjaw holds his stomach as he squirms and moans in uncontrollable discomfort.

“Ooooooh! The paaaaain!” he groans immensely. “Why must it happen now at a time like this?!”

“Seriously, what’s wrong?” Ford inquires as he crouches next to the fallen combatant.

“So… hungry!” he whines greatly. “Haven’t… eaten… in days! Must… feed!”

“Hang on. I’ll get the berries from your trap over there.”

But as Ford is about to get up, Trapjaw stops him. “No, those will never sustain me! I must… feed off of emotions! Preferably love of all things! It is the only thing that can end my hunger!”

“So that’s why you were setting up traps earlier.” Ford speculates.

“Yes… and even though… I wish to continue this battle of ours until the bitter end, I... don’t have the strength to carry on! Please, pony!” he begs him as he reaches out with a trembling foreleg. “Be merciful and end my pitiful life already! I have shame myself long enough already and cannot bear it any longer!”

Yeesh! And here I thought Rarity was the over-dramatic one! Ford scowls to himself.

“Alas, my time is growing short, yet I have no regrets.” Trapjaw continues with his melodramatics. “Everything that I did… is for the good of the Colony. And that… is truly enough for me. So farewell, my dear brothers and sisters! Long… live… the Queen!”

While the supposedly dying changeling makes an exaggerative gagging noise, Ford’s pupils shrink after hearing Trapjaw’s last sentence.

‘The Queen?’ Could that be Queen Chrysalis?

As he ponders on this, the voice of Hindel, his deceased master and dragon friend, replays something familiar in his head.

If you keep an open mind on your journey, you might find some unexpected allies along the way.

Could Hindel have foreseen this possibility? But more importantly, can she be trusted? I mean, she was able to fool nearly everypony when she infiltrated the Castle of Canterlot! Hmm… perhaps she might be a valuable ally after all!

After some careful consideration, the Pegasus makes his decision and quickly taps the changeling on the cheek to snap him out of his nap.

“Hey, wake up!”

“Wh-what?!” he awakens abruptly before he glares at the sight of his defeater. “Oh, it’s you! Have you changed your mind already?”

“No.” Ford answers with a frown.

Displeased, Trapjaw dismisses the pony, “If you will not grant me a warrior’s death, then leave me be so that I may die in peace already!”

“Look, before you keel over, this Queen of yours… this wouldn’t happened to be Queen Chrysalis by any chance, would it?”

Surprised to hear the name of his queen, Trapjaw asks, “You know of her royal Majesty?!”

“The one who disguised herself as Princess Cadance and nearly took over Canterlot, right?”

“Ah yes, what a glorious day that was!” Trapjaw reflects with a warm, toothy smile. “Ever as beautiful as she is deadly, the Royalty has accomplished what no pony else would even dare to do: invade Canterlot from the inside out! My Queen has managed to slip pass Celestia’s defenses and perfectly disguised herself as one of the enemies! With Celestia dethroned and their impervious shield shattered, the Colony had those frightened, little ponies right under our hooves! If it wasn’t for Celestia’s wretched protégé and her friends, we would still have Canterlot under our control! We may have been defeated on that day, but never have we come close to enjoy the sweet taste of victory ever since then!”

So, Queen Chrysalis knows how to sneak into the castle, eh? If she can get into the castle with ease, then maybe she can help me rescue the Elements of Harmony as well!

“Trapjaw, was it? You feed off of emotions, is that correct?” After receiving a nod from the weakened changeling, Ford continues, “Okay, now answer me this truthfully: what happens to the victim once their emotions are being drained?”

“Nothing too fatal really.” he answers straightforwardly. “If the host is thoroughly drained, then they will just feel asleep until their strength returns overtime.”

“So… no permanent side-effects what-so-ever?” Ford inquires cautiously with a cocked eyebrow.

“Not at all! Where are you so persistent on this matter?”

“…Okay. How about this… if I offer you a little of my emotional energy to you, will that be enough to satisfy your hunger?”

Trapjaw blinks in response on this rare offering before he responds in disbelief, “You would do that for me?”

“Mm-hmm… and all you have to do is to take me to your leader.”

“NEVER!” he snaps out loud in defiance. “I would rather die than to be deemed as a traitor to my beloved Queen!”

After lightly chuckling over the misunderstanding, Ford reassures, “Relax! I’m not going to harm her or your Colony. I just want a chance to speak with her, that’s all.”

Not buying it entirely, the vigilant commander asks with slight curiosity, “Why do you insist on seeking an audience with her Majesty?”

“Because I have some important information that may not only be the end of your Colony, but for the rest of the world as well."

“The Colony is endangered?” he gasps in horror.

“That’s right.”

“Quick, you must tell me!” Trapjaw demands in a state of panic. “I need to relay this message to the Royalty immediately! The fate of the Colony may depend on this!”

“Sorry, but only I can deliver this message myself. You just need to lead me to Queen Chrysalis unharmed. Plus, you’ll get a free snack out of yours truly. The way I see it, you’ve got nothing to lose from what I’m offering to you. So… do we have a deal?”

After Ford extends a friendly foreleg to confirm the agreement, the conflicted changeling contemplates on whether or not this gamble will be beneficial to his queen and his Colony. Finally, he extends his foreleg and shakes the pony’s firmly.

“Very well, I accept!”

After smiling over the newly formed compromise, Ford then asks with a hint of nervousness, “Okay, so… how does this work?”

“Just relax, and I’ll let my magic do the rest.”

“And remember, only a little bit!” he reminds the changeling sternly. “Because if I start to get dizzy, tired, or hurt from this, I’m cutting you off! Got it?!”

“I assured you, it would bring great shame to my honor if I go against my word! I will never betray such rare kindness from a pony this generous!”

After breathing out a heavy sigh, the Pegasus relaxes himself before he authorizes his readiness, “Alright… go right ahead.”

With a nod in return, Trapjaw closes his eyes as his jagged horn illuminates a green glow. In the midst of the changeling’s concentration, Ford feels a slight tingling sensation around his head. But thankfully, this unfamiliar feeling isn’t the equivalent of a headache. Soon enough, Ford starts to feel lightheaded and deems that this is where he should end this psychic draining session.

“Okay, that’s enough.”

To Ford’s surprise, Trapjaw is too distracted while conjuring his energy-draining ability as he makes inaudible noises to show that he is clearly enjoying the nurturing food he is partaking in.

“Hey, I said, ‘that’s enough.’” Ford repeats himself sternly.

Once he realizes that Trapjaw is too drawn in with the energy he is gradually sucking out of the disapproving Pegasus. Ford swiftly smacks the changeling’s jagged horn to disrupt his mental absorption.

“HEY!” Ford crossly shrieks him out of his mediation.

“Huh?! Oh, my apologizes!” Trapjaw says humbly after he breaks out of his haziness. “It’s been so long since I tasted such a strong flavor of emotions before! I can honestly say that it was the best thing I have ever eaten in my life!”

“Umm… thanks?” he awkwardly assumes as a form of a compliment.

“To whom do I owe my deepest gratitude towards, noble pony?”

"Ford Mustang.”

Right away, Trapjaw bows before the staggered Pegasus for his noble kindness as the changeling grovels before the pony’s hooves, “Ford Mustang, I thank you from the bottom of heart! If I already didn’t swear my eternal allegiance to the Royalty, I would have dedicated my life to you from this point on! But as promised, I shall escort you to her Majesty herself!”

“Thanks, Trapjaw.”

“But before we take our leave, I must make one thing perfectly clear to you!” Trapjaw warns in absolute seriousness as he gets too close in Ford’s personal space. “Nopony must know of our secret hideout! Ever! So if I find out that you reveal the Colony’s location to any pony else, then I swear on my blood that I will hunt you down and will not rest until you pay your treachery with your very life!”

“Alright!” Ford agrees hastily as he pushes Trapjaw away from him. “Your secret will be safe with me! I Pinkie Promise!”

“‘Pinkie Promise?’” the changeling bewilders momentarily. “But… we don’t have any fingers.”

“No, it’s--! …Sigh. Nevermind. Let’s just go already.”

Author's Note

Yeah... so... most of you weren't that surprised by which character Ford Mustang will run into as a potential ally. Anyway, this chapter is part one regarding with Ford Mustang's meeting with Queen Chrysalis. The reason why I split this up into two parts is because I didn't expect the first part to take so long, and I was afraid that the second part with take even longer before I can submit them both within a week.

Also, regarding with Trapjaw, the main inspiration for his design is based off of Inferno, one of the Predacon villains from Transformers: Beast Wars. Mostly, I really want to make Trapjaw a fanatic devotor of Queen Chrysalis, but to also give him a sense of honor as a proud warrior. Plus, writing his melodramatic dialogue is kind of fun.

Next Chapter: "The Enemy of My Enemy..."

Chapter 22 – The Enemy of my Enemy…

After befriending the changeling commander, Trapjaw, the grateful warrior leads Ford Mustang to the hidden location of his Colony in the haunting forest north of Equestria. From there, the blue-haired Pegasus hopes to meet Queen Chrysalis, so that she can help him take down Arrogon the Destroyer within the seized castle of Canterlot as well as rescue the imprisoned Elements of Harmony.

“So, just out of curiosity…” Ford cautiously asks his new traveling companion. “Since you guys can only feed off the emotions of other creatures, how do you guys manage to do that without drawing any suspicion from everypony?”

“I’m not at all surprised to hear such ignorance spewing from that mouth of yours, pony!” the changeling scoffs with a smirk. “But very well, I shall elaborate with you! When it comes to emotions, each of them has their own distinctive flavors, which only we can taste the difference. For example, anger has a bit of a spicy kick while sadness can have a bitter taste to it. But above all else, there is nothing sweeter or more fulfilling than the taste of love!” he says in ecstasy as he licks his lips upon reflecting that delicious energy he tasted earlier. After composing himself, Trapjaw continues, “So, in order for us to survive, the Colony’s elite infiltrators go from town to town undetected as they gather up as much love as possible. Mostly, it’s easy for us to gather our daily dose of love from a large crowd, since it’s less likely for multiple hosts to faint on us. And there are several ways to approach this; usually it’s by disguising ourselves as random ponies or by using our invisibility spells.”

“And… you don’t unintentionally hurt anyone by doing that, do you?”

“Of course not!” the changeling snaps in response. “We only need the energy from their emotions, not their lives! We not as savage as you ponies have perceived us!” Once he calms down, he then states in a quieter voice, “But recently, our sources of love are extremely low for some reason. Something has filled the ponies’ hearts with constant fear and despair. So we had to result for other… desperate means.”

“You mean how you were trying to capture me?” the deadpan pony assumes.

“Y-y-yes…” Trapjaw admits with a hint of disgrace. “But I assure you, we weren’t going to harm anypony nor will we keep them imprisoned for long! We’ve even gathered lots of fruit and vegetables to help replenish their strength afterwards! And after a simple mind-wiping spell, we would set them free and it will be as if they were never here in the first place!”

After taking a moment to process all this, Ford comments respectfully with a small smile, “Well… I can’t say that I fully approve all of that, but I’m glad to hear that you took a lot of consideration for their sakes.”

Some time later, the two flyers arrive at a large tree in the center where its fruitless limbs and trunk are more twisted than the rest of the trees surrounding it.

“Ah, we’re here!” Trapjaw announces with delight.

Using his slightly gnarled horn, the trunk of the tree reacts upon the changeling’s command as it glows an oval-shaped ring of green-colored magic. As the glowing ring disappears, the cutout portion of the trunk magically vanishes as well. After the reveal of the secret entrance, Trapjaw lightly pushes the stallion to go first.

“Go on ahead, Ford, but be sure to mind your step. The drop can be quite long.”

Carefully, the pony enters the crooked tree’s opening and gentle hovers down while Trapjaw seals the entrance behind him and makes his descent as well. Eventually, they touch the soft ground as Ford gets use to the darkness they are in right now. Surprisingly, there is no need to amplify his eyesight as he spots a tunnel that’s filled with tiny, turquoise lights. Seeing Trapjaw taking the lead once more, Ford follows right behind.

As they walk within the tunnel, Ford couldn’t help but awe at the welcoming source of the pretty lights around him. Within the dark passageway, the concave walls are littered with hundreds of fluorescent fungi, all in various shapes and sizes. Also, he notices the changes on the ground and walls as he feels the smoothness of the slightly slimy floor and sees the cave's unusually organic architecture. Quite possibly, the tunnel’s ongoing construction is all made by the changelings. As for how these creatures were able to come up with the organic material to reinforce the passageway… well… the less the Pegasus knows about it, the better.

At the end of the tunnel, Ford nearly lets out awestricken gasp at sight of the massive chamber of the Colony’s hive. The central station is literally buzzing from the activity of the ever-working changelings as they travel in and out of the hundreds of entryways. Busily, the workers are either transporting cocoon-cased supplies or are in the middle mending newly constructed tunnels and chambers. It may look very foreign through the eyes of a normal pony, but through Ford’s eyes, the large, domed structure is as magnificent as a classical gothic architecture.

While the visually pleased Pegasus is distracted by the hive’s architecture, the majority of workers suddenly halt their progress as they gaze at the unexpected visitor. One by one, they are drawn towards the mysterious pony as they are lost in their own self-induced trance. Finally, taking notice of the multitude of changelings surrounding him, Ford is slightly startled by ravenous looks on their faces as they slowly close in on him.

“Food… Food… Food…”

Like zombies, their hunger is the only thing that’s on their minds right now as the changelings sought to consume the emotional energy of the vigilant Mustang. But before Ford prepares to respond in self-defense, Trapjaw makes a menacing hissing sound towards his famished race as his wings rattle like mad.

“Keep away, all of you!” Trapjaw barks with authority. “This one is for Royalty only!”

While some of the changelings respond to the challenge with their own intimidating sounds, Trapjaw’s display of intimidation is more effective as he hisses louder while constantly encircling the severely perplexed pony. Gradually, the sapped changelings gave up their pursuit as they reluctantly return to their posts and schedules. Once the supposed threat has passed, Trapjaw faces Ford with an apologetic expression on his face.

“Please forgive my brethren, Ford.” the commander apologizes. “They can be quite impatient when it comes to the distribution of our vital energy supplies.”

“What’s happening to them, Trapjaw?” Ford asks concerningly. “They look so… sickly.”

With a heavy sigh, the changeling turns his head and looks at the poor state of his comrades. “As I’ve stated, our sources of love have been extremely low for nearly two weeks. Because of the mysterious, grim situation, our Queen had to rationalize our reserves into very small portions. If it keeps going this way, I fear that my beloved Colony will fade into extinction.”

Following the commander’s gesture, Ford also observes the behavior of the other changelings nearby. In one corner, the observant Pegasus sees a group lining up for food. Managed by two armored soldiers, they serve tiny portions of energy of love from its special cocoon sac. But what really pulls his heartstrings is when he sees a motherly worker feeding her portion of emotional energy to her crying hatchling. It nearly breaks his heart for Ford to see this level of poverty from such misunderstood creatures.

“Trapjaw…” Ford says to him in a soft tone. “If you don’t mind, I would like to see Chrysalis at once.

“Oh yes, of course! Follow me! The Royalty’s throne room is right down this passageway!”

Refocused on their mission, Ford follows Trapjaw as they enter a much larger corridor. Towards the end of the main hallway, the two can see two green colored torches. Upon entering the next chamber, the green fire illuminates the room quite clearly. Besides each flickering torch are two armored, poised guards, who are holding their spears as they stand in place on top of the steps. And in-between them is an elongated throne that also serves as a lounge where the Queen of the Changeling herself is leisurely stretched across it and her hooves are crossed over with each other.

“My Queen!” Trapjaw announces joyfully as he bows before Chrysalis’s presence. “I have return!” Following suit, Ford Mustang shows his courtesy by bowing to the queen as well.

Briefly surprised at the return of her commander as and the pony he brought along with him, Chrysalis sits straight up as she glances between the two before a toothy smile spreads across her face. “Welcome back, Trapjaw!” she greets him in cheerful mood. “And what this? Gasp! You’ve brought me a present! Why my dear, faithful commander, you certainly know on how to please me, don’t you?”

“Y-you flatter me, your Majesty!” he staggers with a sheepish smile.

“Mmm… in fact, he looks so good right now, that I could just eat him up!” she comments alluringly at the young Pegasus before she eagerly licks her upper jaw with her tongue.

I’m not even going to ask which way she meant by that! Ford mentally shivers at the suggestive thought.

“Actually… he’s not here to resupply our food source, your Majesty.” Trapjaw restates hesitantly.

“Then why else would he be here, Trapjaw?” Chrysalis inquires confusingly.

“He’s… actually here to gain an audience with you, my Queen.” he answers nervously in a quiet voice.

It becomes quiet at first, but that silence is broken when the Queen breaks is an awkwardly amusing smile, which manages to ease some of Trapjaw’s worries. But then, Chrysalis snaps into a scowl as she uses her levitating magic to immediately drag the commander right in front of her face.

“YOU BUMBLING FOOL!” she harshly scolds her trembling subject. “How could you lead him into our hive so easily?! I gave you a simple task, Trapjaw! ONE! SIMPLE! TASK! And that was to capture a pony alive and bring it before me!”

“B-b-but I did brought him here before you, your Highness.” Trapjaw stammers his poor excuse.

“Yes you did, Trapjaw. But you are also letting him leisurely walk before my presence WITHOUT ANY FORM OF RESTRAINT!”

After stating her grim disapproval, Chrysalis carelessly lets go of her magical grasp as Trapjaw topples before her. Shaking like a leaf, the emotional Trapjaw is unable to give a proper response to his queen’s accusations. And unable to bear his shame anymore, he drops on his knees and desperately grovels before her.

“I am sorry, my Queen! I let my own honor blinded me once again from my own sworn duties! My actions are inexcusable, and I wait on whatever punishment you plan for me! Please vent out your righteous fury onto me in anyway you see fit!” As the pitiful commander wallows in exaggerating agony, everyone else in the room just silently stares at Trapjaw’s self-proclamation of disgrace, which makes them all very uncomfortable.

Unable to bear this any longer, Chrysalis groans as she rubs her forehead, “Geez, you really know how to take the fun out of this, don’t you? Sigh… arise, my faithful commander. I shall show mercy and look past your transgression for the time being.”

A bit surprise at Chrysalis’s change of heart, Trapjaw flip-flop to the other end of his emotional spectrum as he thoroughly expresses his overwhelming joy, “Oh, my Queen! I am not worthy to receive such forgiveness from your benevolent magnificence! Truly, there are no words to express my undying gratitude towards you! But if I were to attempt such a feat, I would start out by saying--!”

“Trapjaw?” she interrupts him softly.

“Yes, my Queen?”

“As much as I would love to listen to one of your never-ending babble, I need you to do me one little favor for me.”

“Anything! Just name it, and it shall be done!”

Coldly, she commands, “Zip it, and stand beside me, NOW.”

“Y-yes, your highness.” With his head slightly lowered in shame, Trapjaw slowly gets himself up and stands right next to her. After the commander takes his place at the queen’s right side, Chrysalis redirects her gaze at the mysterious Mustang.

Realizing that she has company, the Queen bears a more pleasant smile as she greets Ford properly, “You’ll have to forgive me impoliteness. If I knew we were having guests, I would have cleaned up the place first.”

A bit at ease from Chrysalis’s greeting, Ford humbly bows once again as he responds to her, “There is no need for that, your Majesty. I am not worth for such royal treatment, and I must say it is quite an honor to meet you at last, Queen Chrysalis.”

“Ooh, cute and well-mannered! I’m starting to like him already!” the matriarch grins with great interest as she lounges on her comfy chair with her fore hooves crossed underneath her chin. “And who might you be, handsome?”

“My name is Ford Mustang, your Highness. And I humbly come before you in desperate need of your aid.”

“Wait a second… you came all this way… just for that?” she asks puzzlingly.

“Yes, that is correct.” he nods.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Oh, this should be good!” she smirks amusingly as she reclines to the other end of her chair. “Are you sure you’re not confusing me with one of your lesser princesses back home?”

While he knows that it’s just going to tickle her fancy, Ford hesitantly answers, “Unfortunately, they are unable to help me at this point.”

“And why is that if I may ask?” she inquires with a chuckling smile. “Has being a princess for so long been too much for Celestia to handle?”

Considering it as fair play, Ford replies with a sharp smirk, “No, let’s just say that somepony already beat you to the throne first!”

Her chuckling ceases immediately after hearing that sharp answer. Then, she asks the grinning pony in a baffled tone, “…Come again?”

“Oh, haven’t you heard?” Ford continues to egg her on. “There’s a new player in town, and his name is Arrogon the Destroyer!”

“Arrogon, huh? Hmph! Never heard of this pretender before!” she dismisses unimpressively.

“Then, perhaps you should step outside more often, your Majesty.” Despite earning himself a couple frowns from the queen and her guards from that remark, Ford continues while displaying a witty grin towards them, “As of now, it’s been over two weeks since this 'pretender' has taken over Canterlot. In fact, he is the cause on why you can’t obtain enough love to feed your precious Colony. From what I’ve understand, your race is facing a shortage of food because Arrogon’s forces is driving fear into the hearts of ponies; making it difficult for you to gather enough love to sustain your livelihood. And as you continue to shy away from the outside world while your subjects starve to death, it will only be a matter of time before he plunges the world into complete darkness and turmoil; thus destroying the very kingdom you treasure so dearly!”

After listening attentively to Ford’s remarks, Queen Chrysalis’s temper begins to boil as her sharp hooves nearly dig into her cushiony chair. As she tries to keep her calm composure, the Queen insists in a growling voice, “If all you’re here for is to rub all this into face, then you better have a good excuse as to why I shouldn’t take out my frustration over your pitiful carcass right now!”

Satisfied at getting the queen’s undivided attention, the smirking Pegasus begins his proposition, “Well, the way I see it, we both share a common enemy here. And while I may not look like it, I happen to possess an extraordinary power that may help take down Arrogon. In fact, I’ve even managed to overpower the mighty Inferno Dragon King, Wagner, of the Talos Mountains recently. Surely even you must know of his fearsome reputation.” This confirms Ford’s speculation as he sees the subtle horrified looks on the changelings’ faces. “Just ask your commander over there. He witnessed firsthoof on what I can do when he tried to capture me earlier.”

With stallion’s fore hoof pointing at the startled Trapjaw, Chrysalis sternly turns her stern gaze at her flabbergasted commander before asking, “Is that true, Trapjaw?”

Not willing to hide the truth from his queen, he stammers, “Y-y-yes, your Majesty. As shameful as it is to admit it, he managed to best me in combat. And… if I didn’t know any better, I would have to say that he was holding back just for my own pitiful sake.”

“I see…” she says as she gazes back at Ford. “If you’re already this powerful, then why do you need my help in all of this?”

“Because I need something that can give me an edge to overthrow that mad tyrant! Something he would never suspect at all! And who better to turn to for such cunningness than you, O’ Queen of Deception?”

Pleased at the compliment, she says with a contented smile, “Mmm… You certainly have a way with words, don’t you?”

“As far as I know, you are the only one who has managed to sneak into Canterlot without raising so much suspicion within the castle, including Princess Celestia herself! So, that’s why I am here, Queen Chrysalis. And now that I have explained the situation to you, will you lend me your support against Arrogon along with myself and my allies?”

Without an immediate response, the impassive queen slouches on her chair as she ponders deeply in her own thoughts. After a brief moment to herself, Chrysalis is finally ready to respond to the Pegasus’s request. But to Ford’s perplexity, she displays an all-knowing yet devious grin that stretches from cheek to cheek.

“Hmm… You’ve certainly brought some very interesting points to my attention. But you forgot to answer the most important question of all?”

“And what’s that, your Majesty?” he insists respectfully.

“What’s in it for me?” she asks simply with a tricky smile.

“Umm… getting back at Arrogon and knowing that you’ve helped save the world?” he assumes with a sheepish grin.

“Good try… but no. Vengeance and recognition is nice and all, but that’s not the answer I want to hear from you.”

“I hope you’re not expecting the right to rule over Equestria afterwards!”

“Oh, what a shame!” she pouts exaggeratedly. “You’ve already saw it right through me! Perhaps I can change your mind with a little persuasion!”

As soon as she emphasis her last word, her tall horn radiates a green aura as her magic wraps around the startled pony’s head. Feeling her headache-inducing magic gradually seeping in, Ford immediately counteracts that by expanding his golden aura to block out the intrusion of changeling’s spell. With the glaring pony’s aura shielding him, Chrysalis begins to wince from having to struggle with the overpowering force of Ford’s mysterious Draconian Magic.

Having enough with these mind games, Ford’s golden energy shield expands rapidly as it nearly knocks the changelings out of their positions while also breaking away Chrysalis’s concentration! As their queen pants in near exhaustion from facing such overwhelming power from a lone stallion, the guards point their jagged spears at him, while Ford glares intensely at them.

“Sorry, Chrysalis, but I won’t be persuaded so easily!” he frowns with disapproval.

After her latest attempt for fun is met with unforeseen resistance, Chrysalis raises a hoof, which signals the guards to lower their spears away from the stern Pegasus. In any case, she relaxes and leisurely reclines back on her throne while resting her right fore hoof on her cheek.

“Hmph… it seems we’ve reached an impasse, haven’t we?” she remarks with an amusing smirk. “You need my help in order to infiltrate Celestia’s Castle, yet you won’t give me what I want in return! So, what do you suppose we should do about that, hmm?”

Ford is at a loss for words. He thought he was in control of their conversation, but Chrysalis managed to turn the tables around. He can’t think of anything that he can offer for her. Plus, it would go against his nature to get what he wants through sheer force unless it is absolutely necessary, especially when he will have to confront Arrogon again.

As the speechless Pegasus ponders on this matter to himself, Trapjaw carefully leans to his queen as he whispers something into her ear, “Your Majesty, if I may be so bold…”

“By all means, be bold!”

“Before we arrived here, Ford here was generous enough to offer me his emotional energy in order to save my life from starvation!”

“Please tell me you didn’t swear your eternal allegiance to him already!” she groans lightly.

“Of course not, my Queen!” he reassures hastily. “You are the only one I shall serve until the end of my days!”

“Glad to hear that! Continue!”

“And from what I can presume, this stallion might have plenty of energy to feed an entire army! It could be because of his stamina being amplified by his dragon-like magic!”

“And how do his emotions taste exactly?” she asks with keen interest.

“Honestly, it’s so good, that there are no words to describe it!” he answers ecstatically with a bit of drool dripping on his chin.

“Really? That scrumptious, eh?” Surprised by the description of the pony’s energy, she glances back at Ford before smiling widely at an alternative she just came up with. “Well Ford… it appears that there is something you can offer for me after all!”

“And that is?” he asks with a raised eyebrow despite disliking on what her suggestion might be.

“It’s quite simple actually! What I need from is… your love.” she answers with a hungry smile as she licks her lips in anticipation.

Briefly caught off-guard by the change in his proposition, Ford chuckles awkwardly, “I hope you’re not going to brainwash me and force me to become your new husband because I’m already spoken for!”

“Don’t flatter yourself, pony!" she giggles at Ford's discomfort. "You’re cute, but not that cute! No, what I need from you is the raw, emotional energy that dwells within you! Perhaps in addition of my special skills, you want to enlist the aid of my army, correct? Well, I need to feed my army first if you ever seek an alliance with me! So tell me, Ford Mustang… will your love be enough to satisfied our hunger?”

While Chrysalis takes joy out of this, Ford takes a moment to consider before making a deal with the supposed she-devil. While he believes that he has enough firepower thanks to his alliance with Wagner and his dragons, Chrysalis may be the only one capable to sneak into the castle without alerting Arrogon. This is important to him because it will give Ford the opportunity to rescue Rainbow Dash as well as the rest of her friends. With the Elements of Harmony back on his side, they can stand a better chance to bring an end to Arrogon’s reign swiftly. Then, all of a sudden, he reflects to that poor starving hatchling he saw earlier. If he give up some of his energy, he can at least do some good for the changelings here, and thus earning their trust as well.

Through careful considerations, he asks the amused queen with caution, “If I agree to this… how do I know that you will not take advantage of me once I am weakened? For all that I know, you would only just give yourself more power!”

“Why, Ford! I’m hurt!” she gasps in mocking distress. “Don’t you trust me?” she lures with her rapidly bashing eyelashes.

“Ehhhh… no.” he replies flat out in a humorless tone.

Seeing how skeptical the pony is to trust her, Chrysalis sighs with a bored expression and attempts to compromise in a more serious manner, “Oh, alright! Guards, bear witness on what I have to say here!”

Right away, the soldiers, including Trapjaw, pay close attention to their queen as she places a fore hoof over her chest before she makes her monotone pledge, “As Queen of the Changelings, I give Ford Mustang my word that I will not betray him or his friends in the midst of our struggle against Arrogon and his forces!”

“Well… at least until all this is over.” she mutters that with a sly smile.

“Hey!” Ford shouts with a scowl.

“Relax! I was only kidding on that last part!” she chuckles as she defensively holds her fore hooves in the air.

“And I should take your word on that?” he frowns with a raised eyebrow.

“Why do you think I have my guards overseeing this? Tell him, Trapjaw!”

“It’s true, pony!” Trapjaw reassures greatly to the doubtful Pegasus at the queen’s request. “When the Royalty gives her word, she is bound to it for all eternity! It’s one of the laws that must be upheld by the Queen herself!”

Chrysalis then says with disinterest, “So even if I do betray you, Trapjaw won’t shut up about it until I redeem myself, right the wrongs I have made, and blah-blah-blah! You know how he is about ‘honor’ and stuff! So then, are you ready to give me your energy now?”

Even though he hasn’t met Trapjaw for long, Ford can at least trust his honorable remark compare to Chrysalis’s. And making that pledge didn’t sound so pleasing for the Queen to pull off, considering that she had to push her playfulness aside over royal responsibilities.

Maybe Chrysalis is serious about this. he assumes within his thoughts.

Finally ready to take this chance, Ford breathes out heavily and says to Chrysalis, “Okay… I’m ready whenever you are.”

“Excellent!” she states with excitement as she props herself in a proper sitting position before commencing her spell. “Now just relax. Since this may take a bit longer, I’ll try to be as gentle as possible. Who knows… you might actually enjoy it yourself!” she teases with a wink and a grin.

“Doubt it.” he responds with a slight smirk before he closes his eyes and gradually falls into a calm, submissive state.

Just like with Trapjaw before, Ford Mustang can feel the changeling queen’s magic tingling around his head. At the very least, it isn’t the same as when Chrysalis tried to toy with his mind. Intially, he starts to feel lightheaded, but he can easily shrug that off. However, as time passes by, his body starts to get really tired over the longer period. Despite his fatigue, the struggling pony keeps maintaining his consciousness for as long as he can.

As Queen Chrysalis is in the middle of her energy absorption spell, she can mentally see the memories of the voluntary participant due to her psychic abilities. Focusing on absorbing as much love as possible, she unintentionally sees glimpses at the source responsible for his nearly endless supply of love: his heartfelt relationship with Rainbow Dash! In the beginning, they grew into fast friends as they would tend to each other through sickness and health. Soon that friendship began to sprout into some more such as Rainbow’s birthday and their first, unintended date at the fair. At last, their love comes into full bloom after a fateful night at the Grand Galloping Gala. For the next year, they had their share of struggles within their commitment due to the complex schedule of the newly admitted Wonderbolt, but they still managed to persevere as their love is as fruitful as the first time they confessed their feelings for one and another. And when Ford Mustang was about to make the ultimate decision in their relationship, Arrogon intervened and painfully splits them apart from each other. Despite that devastating seperation, Ford continues to have high hopes on finally being able to reunite with Rainbow Dash once this is all over!

In the midst of reliving those memories, the distracted Chrysalis can taste all kinds of emotions: fear, grief, anger, guilt, and hope. But all these minor emotions are nothing compared to the exquisite taste of Ford’s love for Rainbow Dash! It is so strong and so sweet, yet not overpowering due to mixture of the other emotions! Somehow, the complex emotions are blended perfectly as it produces the ultimate flavor for a changeling’s palate! Just as Trapjaw has said: there are no words to describe it!

Having enough love to absorb, Chrysalis slowly ends his energy-sapping spell as her eyes uncontrollably shed tears to no end. Even Trapjaw and the two guards are surprised by their queen’s rare display of her soft side. Still dazzled by what she just experienced, she mutters simply with tears continuously running down on her face, “So… delicious!”

“My Queen… are you alright?” Trapjaw asks softly.

“Huh? Oh, y-y-yes! I’m quite alright!” she stammers sharply as she hastily wipes away her tears.

After regaining her regal composure, Chrysalis looks at the charitable pony as she is shocked to see Ford is still awake after enduring such an extensive energy-draining session. However, his struggling consciousness comes at a price as he not only feels extremely tired, but he is even hungrier than he was before he even met Trapjaw.

“I must say, I am impressed!” Chrysalis smiles at Ford’s accomplishment. “You’ve managed to stay awake after all this! Nopony has ever remained conscious for that long!”

“Oh, lucky me.” Ford grunts out sarcastically from his exhaustion as he weakly tries to stand up. “So, I fulfilled my end of the bargain. Will you do the same for me now?”

Impassively, the queen and weakened Pegasus stare at each other for a brief period of time, but then, Chrysalis lets out a gentle sigh as she concentrates once again before her glowing horn generates an amorphous shape of brightly colorful energy. Like blowing a bubble, the incased energy expands significantly before it nearly takes up the entire space of the royal chamber’s ceiling. The floating bubble of energy is mostly a pink color with specks of various colors.

“Did… my emotions… do that?” Ford gapes with shrunken pupil as he wondrously stares at the enormous bubble of emotional energy.

“Yes, they did.” Chrysalis answers with a small smile. “This is only half of the energy I have absorbed, which derives from your love. This is by far something I haven’t tasted in years, not even from my brief takeover at the Canterlot Wedding."

Using her magic once again, the queen levitates closely to her loyal commander as she issues an order, “Trapjaw! Take this and divide it amongst our comrades! We’re going to need our troops well-fed if we’ve got an upcoming fight on our hooves!”

“At once, my Queen!” he obeys gleefully as his magic grasps the colossal bubble before he hovers out of the queen’s chamber and miraculously squeezes the energy bubble of out the entryway.

“Guards!” she issues her next command. “Fetch some food for our honored guest here! I believe this calls for celebration over our newfound alliance here today!”

“Yes, your Highness!” the guards say respectfully before they quickly leave in search of nourishing food for the immensely starving yet thoroughly pleased stallion.

As soon as the first batch of food arrives, Ford Mustang loses all senses of etiquette and instinctively gorges on the various bounties of fresh fruit and vegetables. Despite them being slimy from being transported in cocoon storages, Ford couldn’t care less as he truly enjoys the food’s freshness thanks to their changeling’s special storage systems. As the Pegasus is lost in his self-indulgence, Queen Chrysalis couldn’t help but giggle at how cute the pony is when he is eating.

“Thank you so much for all the food you have provided for me, Queen Chrysalis!” he gratefully says while he is still stuffing his mouth rapidly. “I haven’t eaten like this in a long while!”

“The pleasure is all mine, Ford!” Chrysalis comments cheerfully with a broad smile. “It warms my heart to see my guests completely satisfied! Especially when it comes to fatten them up!” she teases with an evil smirk.

Abruptly, Ford pauses from his eating as he stares at the grinning queen with disbelief. “…Wha--?”

“Your Majesty!” a changeling soldier interrupts as she rushes in and bowing before the queen. “I have some urgent news to report!”

“Speak, soldier!”

“Our scouts have confirmed an unknown force of dark magical creatures emerging from Canterlot and are invading the towns nearby!”

Startled at this announcement, Ford hesitantly asks the soldier with a hint of worry, “Wait! Does that… include Ponyville?”

“Yes, sir!”

After hearing the suddenly disturbing news from the soldier, Ford is deeply concerned for his hometown as well as for his friends that live there. As much as he wants to challenge Arrogon right away, he can’t leave Ponyville unintended if his friends are not able to face the unknown monstrosities that the despicable tyrant has unleashes upon the world.

No longer hunger anymore and with a new important destination in mind, Ford stands up and bows to the queen while he says to her respectfully, “Your Majesty! I want to thank you for your kind hospitality, but I must return to Ponyville at once!”

After blinking her eyes from hearing the pony’s urgent need to leave, Chrysalis simply grins and asks, “Well, in that case… mind if I tag along?”

Author's Note

Other than his upcoming allies from his pony friends back in Ponyville, the Changelings are the last race Ford Mustang will come across before the ultimate battle will begin! I've already talked to a respectful writer over other possible allied races such as Minotaurs (Iron Will) and Zebras (Zecora), but I informed him that I can't figure out any good sub-plots to go with those ideas, and I didn't want to waste anymore time with this story, both literally (in delaying the climatic showdown) and figuratively (in produced more chapters). So if you were expecting any more characters to make major appearances in the rest of the story, sorry!

Chapter 23 – Allies Assembled

Ponyville certainly had its fair share of supernatural disasters, whether it’s ranging from the return of Nightmare Moon, the short-lived tyranny of a possessed Unicorn mare out for revenge, or dealing with the topsy-turvy antics of Discord. But for the past two weeks, the magnitude of the most recent disaster has reached an all-time record! At first, the citizens of Ponyville noticed the strange phenomenon from the unnaturally dark, cloudy weather. Shortly after that, they were alerted of the sudden disappearance of the town’s well-known residents: Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. A week later, reports came in on how Shining Armor and his Crystal Empire army attempted to retake Canterlot, but they were swiftly defeated by Arrogon’s godly powers and had to take refuge in Ponyville.

And right now, the well-known town is being sieged by Arrogon’s Shadow Minions! In the previous day, the brave ponies managed to thwart off the first wave of hundreds of these unknown creatures thanks to the aid of Princess Cadance and the Crystal Empire, but by the next day, the Shadow Minions has replenished their numbers and strike once again in full force! Half of the military has been injured and are being at respective medical facilities, and Princess Cadance could not keep up her powerful force field for long. And while there are those who are willing to volunteer as the town’s militia, the combined forces may not be enough to defeat the shadowy creatures once more!

Storming the dark sky are the Furies and Djinns as they are either engaging dogfights with the Pegasi or are setting the town on fire. On the ground, the hackling Gremlins scurry throughout the streets as they cause havoc while a group of bulky Golems smash anything that’s in their way. Meanwhile, the scythe-wielding Wraiths act as a versatile attack unit whether in the air and on the land.

In the town square, some of the ground troops are surrounded by dozens of Shadow Minions. Despite the Unicorns’ magic and the Earth Ponies’ strength, they are having great difficulty with the Gremlins’ vast numbers and the Djinns’ fiery weapons and spells. Luckily, the enemies’ numbers are literally cut down to size by the razor-sharp edges of the magically constructed spinning discs! In addition, spheres of swirling, flickering, light blue energy are lobbed at the creatures that are clustered together, and upon contact, the spheres release explosions of intense vibration that vaporize the gathering Shadow Minions! The pony responsible for these powerful spells is the Musical Magician herself, DJ-PON3, a.k.a. Vinyl Scratch!

“Dammit!” Vinyl groans as she is begins to feel exhausted from summoning her magic non-stop! “If only I had a little more time to complete it before these partycrashers showed up again!”

From behind, a Djinn creates a fiery whip out of thin air and prepares to strike the preoccupied mare with the purple shades from behind. As the demonic genie is about to unleash its whiplash, it fails to notice in time from another mare charging at it. With a great bound, the gray-colored Earth Pony springs forward and firmly smacks the distracted Djinn with a very sturdy frying pan!

BONK!

Upon recognizing that haunting sound, Vinyl turns around and is shocked to see that the one who save her from that sneak attack is her marefriend and well-known cello player, Octavia! Even with her pink bow tie on and her neatly combed black mane, Vinyl couldn’t help but admired at how badass her lover is as she stands on her hind legs while masterfully wielding the terrifying instrument in hoof. But then, Vinyl shoves her mental admiration aside as her over-protective instincts kick in.

“Tavi! What are you doing out here?!” she screeches at the cellist.

“You’re welcome, Vinyl!” the deadpan Octavia responds sarcastically.

“I told you to go somewhere safe!” Vinyl lectures her as she fires another magical disc, which slices through a line of Gremlins.

“I’m not going to leave you if you keep rushing in so recklessly like that!” Octavia retorts while using her frying pan to deflect a fireball that was spewed from a Djinn.

“I’m fine on my own, Tavi! I just don’t want you get hurt out here!”

“I can handle myself just as well, thank you!”

To demonstrate her capability, Tavi bats her weapon of choice at the charging Djinn. The swing of her merciless frying pan causes the larger Minion to slam a couple of Gremlins into one of the houses nearby.

“See?” Octavia smirks at her awestricken, gaping marefriend.

After a seeing the knocked out creatures fading away into spectral mist, Vinyl is mightily impressed by how big of an impact the attack left on the cracked wall. Reluctantly, she permits Octavia, “Alright, just… please be careful and stay close to me, okay?”

Contented with each other, the two musicians watch each other’s back as they along with their fellow troops fight off the remaining Minions. Suddenly, a towering Golem smashes into a house as it directs it soulless, red eyes at the two, surprisingly formidable mares. Both of them freeze in place as they see the giant’s hand of doom falling down towards them.

With Vinyl Scratch being the first to break out of their paralysis, she calls out to her frozen companion, “Tavi, move!” Abruptly, Vinyl uses her levitating magic to push Octavia out the way.

“VINYL!” the cellist cries out in horror as the Golem’s enormous hand descents closer to the worn out disk jockey.

The blue-haired Unicorn closes her eyes and embraces herself from the severe impact to come, but surprisingly, the slamming attack didn’t happen as expected. After a brief peek, Vinyl gasps at the sight of her recent savior: Big Macintosh, the red stallion who is wearing militia-style bronze armor and mightily holding the Golem’s crushing hand with his bulky fore hooves.

“Nnnope!” he sternly announces his catchphrase as he continues to halt the colossus’s attack.

Once Vinyl gets away from where Big Mac is standing, Octavia firmly grips the frying pan with her mouth and runs onto the extended, large arm of the Golem. Using its other hand, it tries to stop the galloping mare, but its stubby fingers are cut off by Vinyl’s razor-sharp disc. With nothing stopping her now, Octavia rushes for the kill and partially lops off the side of the brute’s head! With the defeated giant toppling to ground, Vinyl Scratch uses her remaining magic to gently levitate Octavia into her hooves.

“Geez, Tavi!” Vinyl smirked at her. “I forgot how scary you can be with that frying pan of yours!”

Lovingly, Octavia rubs her fore hoof on the DJ’s cheek and responds with a tender smile, “The only ones who should be afraid are the ones who would even dare to harm you, Scratchie.”

After rewarding her noble lover with a quick, affectionate peck on the lips, Vinyl turns her attention to the red farm pony and expresses her gratitude with a grin, “By the way, thanks for the save, Big Mac!”

“Eeyup!”

Unfortunately, their short breather is interrupted by a tall barrier of roaring fire that was conjured up by five Djinns. With Big Mac, Vinyl, Octavia, and the troops entrapped, a trio of Wraiths slowly enters the ring of fire unharmed as they rhythmically clash and sharpen their sickle appendages together. Impulsively, Big Mac stands boldly in front of his friends to protect them, but his noble action didn’t slow down the grim reapers from carrying out their death sentences. Once they are in close proximity of their targets, the Wraiths raise their scythes and prepare to deliver the deadly blow to the entrapped ponies.

But just as they are about to release their makeshift guillotines, the ghostly executioners are swiftly eliminated by a multitude of golden light beams raining from above! Simultaneously, the ponies and Djinns look up and try to figure out who that miraculous Pegasus is up there. All at once, the five dark magicians focus on their new target and breathe out streams of fire at him. Upon contact, the opposing fire just encircles around the mysterious Pegasus as he transforms the flames into a golden fire shield! With a mighty yet unusual roar from the pony, he expands his fiery shield and quickly vaporizes the Djinns!

Once the demonic spellcasters have disappeared, so too does their fire barrier. As the winged pony makes his graceful descent, Big Mac and company keep wondering who their mysterious rescuer is. To get a better look at him, Vinyl lifts her shades over on top of her horn as she squints her eyes at the descending Pegasus. Upon closer inspection, she sees some familiar characters of the hovering Pegasus such as the light blue coat and a rich blue-colored mane with a golden yellow streak on each side. But once Vinyl sees that there is no Cutie Mark on his flank, her ruby eyes grow widely as she gasps from figuring out the identity of the stallion!

“No way! Is that…?!”

“You know who it is, Vinyl?” Octavia inquires perplexingly.

“It’s… it’s…!”

Upon the pony’s landing, Octavia and Big Mac glance at the blue-haired Pegasus before they share the same incredibly gaping expression as Vinyl’s. Standing before them and their pony comrades is the grand return of their long-lost Ponyvillian friend, Ford Mustang!

“Hey guys! Is everypony okay?” he asks them coolly.

“M-M-Mustang?!” Octavia stammers in tremendous surprise.

“Yep!” he nods with a smile. “In the flesh!”

But before the flabbergasted ponies can think of a way to give Ford a proper response, A few more Golems halt their reunion and surround the heroes. The vigilant military takes formation as they face the hulking giants towering over them. Strangely enough, the only pony that isn’t as worried as the rest is the surprisingly confident Mustang.

“Hey, if it’s alright with you, why don’t all of you take a break from this.” he asks his friends kindly with shrewd smile. “I’ll handle it from here.”

As one of the perplexed ponies is about to question on what Ford meant by that, the winged stallion takes off and becomes a blurring streak of blue and gold. Unable to react just as fast due to their massive bodies, the four Golems were swiftly slaughtered one at a time by Ford’s blazing speedy attacks. After the destruction of the gigantic colossi, Ford continues the lightning-fast barrage as he dives down and zooms throughout the streets of Ponyville. With his mesmerizing speed and enhanced agility, he promptly destroys each and every Shadow Minion on ground-level. The ponies that were struggling with these dangerous creatures before are utterly speechless at the Minions’ sudden destruction thanks to the brilliant blue and gold flash left behind in Ford Mustang’s wake.

After the streets are cleared of Shadow Minions, Ford returns back to town square before he looks up and sees the remaining flying monsters fighting off the Pegasi. Once he got a good estimation of them, Ford closes his eyes and takes very deep breathes. From this intense concentration, the stallion gradually absorbs most of the fire that were burning the roofs off the houses. While the ponies are still stunned by the miraculous turn of events, they marvel at the flicking flames drifting from their homes and drawing towards the center of town.

With a majority of the flames fueling his immense Draconian Magic, the exceptionally glowing Mustang then pinpoints the Shadow Minion’s dark magical energy through the use of his energy field perception. With one final deep breath, he breathes out an enormous fireball and launches into the air. At the right attitude, the fireball burst like a grenade and hundreds of its fragmented missiles seek out their targets! While Ford is still in-sync with his intense concentration, he mentally directs his golden light missiles as they home on the dark energy signature of the Shadow Minions! Almost simultaneously, all of the flying monstrosities are obliterated as the golden explosions light up the dark sky like a spectacular display of fireworks!

Once he can no longer sense the presence of the Shadow Minions within the town, Ford finally opens his eyes and exhales out an extensive sigh of relief. After the battle is over, he looks back at his three well-known friends, but he winces slightly at their blank, gaping expressions. He is afraid that his newfound powers will scare them off and make them distant from coming in close contact with him.

“Okay, I know you have a lot of questions for me!” he tries his best to easy their worries. “But I assure you, there’s nothing for anypony to be scared of!”

“Are you kidding me?! That was the most amazing thing I have ever seen!” Vinyl suddenly exclaims before she energetically shifts around the astounded stallion with an uncontrollable smile on her face. “I mean, when you were firing all those lasers at them! PEW PEW! Then, you were zigzagging all over the place as you smashed right through everything! ZOOM! WHOOSH! And after that, you were sucking all that fire… then launched it all in the air and finally… KA-BOOM! Everything exploded!” Having taking a rapid breather from how excited she was from telling the recent change of events, Vinyl wraps a foreleg around Ford as she gleefully grins at him, “Please tell me that you’re available for laser shows!”

“Umm… I’ve never considered that actually.” he replies uncertainly with a sheepish smile.

“Mustang, once this is all over, you and me got some business to discuss afterwards!”

“I must admit, I am quite surprised by all of this.” Octavia adds as she steps closer to the two. “You seem to have changed so much so we’ve last met.” Ford starts to worry about Octavia’s supposed uneasiness, but his worries are pushed aside as the cellist quickly gives him a welcoming embrace. “But I’m so glad that you’re back safe and sound!”

“Oh girls.” he coos softly as he wraps his forelegs around the two musicians. “It’s so good to see you again.”

Once they are finished with their hug, Ford is approached by Big Macintosh as he greets the blue Pegasus in a very pleasant tone, “Howdy, Ford. Welcome back.”

“Thanks, Big Mac. It’s definitely good to be back.” Ford replies as the two tall stallions give each other a firm hoof bump.

“We’ve... actually assumed that ya might have been killed ever since that filthy scoundrel kidnapped…!”

As Big Mac is hesitant to finish that sentence, the red, gentle giant sheds a lone tear on his cheek. Noticing how the farm pony unable to continue due to how heartbroken he is over the capture of his sister and wife, Ford gently pulls the emotional stallion in a one-legged hug.

“I know, Big Mac.” he sympathizes in a whisper as he softly pats him on the back. “I miss them too.”

After Ford’s kind gesture, Big Mac begins to feel better and starts to smile again. Once the Earth Pony has composed himself enough, the Pegasus then asks with a hint of worry, “How are Granny Smith and Apple Bloom? Are they… okay?”

“They’re just as distressed as Ah am over the capture of my sister, my wife, and the rest of the girls, but the two are alright and alive thankfully.”

“Thank goodness. I’m really glad to hear that, Macintosh.”

Soon enough, the dozens staggered ponies, ranging from the residents of Ponyville to the shimmering soldiers of the Crystal Empire, gradually approach the mysterious protector of their town. But eventually, the townsponies recognized him, and they greatly cheer and embrace Ford Mustang for his bravery as well as for his homecoming.

“I don’t believe this! Ford, is that you?” somepony with a feminine voice calls out from above.

Looking up, Ford gasps with joy at sight the two Pegasi in their distinguishable, blue-and-gold uniforms. The one who called out to him has a yellow coat with a mane and tail in the shape of a flaring orange fire. The other one is a male with very light blue fur and messy, deep blue hair.

“Spitfire! Soarin! You’re here too!” Ford smiles in delight.

After their grateful descent, the Wonderbolt couple goes up to Ford and gives him a big hug before Soarin comments with a broad smile, “Dude! I knew Rainbow Dash commented on your growing skills as a flyer, but I never thought you can reach our leagues that fast!”

“So tell me something, Mustang? Ever thought about becoming a Wonderbolt yourself?” Spitfire asks with a grin as she playfully nudges Ford with a fore hoof.

“Sorry, Spitfire! That’s Rainbow’s passion, not mine!” he replies with a chuckle.

“Eh, couldn’t hurt to ask!” she shrugs with a smirk.

As the gathering crowd continues to root for Ford Mustang, a white Unicorn stallion with sapphire blue hair featuring a highlight and a darker streak breaks through the circle of friends so that he can figure out what all the commotion is about. Recognizing his features and the purple armor he is wearing, the crowding ponies make way for the Captain of the Royal Guards and Prince of the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor.

“Spitfire? What’s going on here?” the unicorn asks one of his commanders. “Is everypony alright?”

“We’re all fine, Captain, thanks to Ford Mustang right here.” she points it out.

“Shining Armor!” Ford goes up and gleefully shakes the captain’s fore hoof. “I’m so glad to finally meet you!”

“Have we… met before?” he inquired with a crooked eyebrow.

“Not exactly… but I’ve heard so much about you and your wife from Twilight Sparkle.”

“Well Ford, you certainly have my deepest thanks for what you have done for us today!” he offers his gratitude with a light bow.

“By the way, is Princess Cadance here as well?”

“Yes, she is.” Shining Armor nods with a smile. “My wife is probably in the Town Hall right now.”

“Good, because I have a lot to discuss with you and Cadance, but more importantly, I know of a way that may help rescue Twilight and the others as well as a chance to defeat Arrogon!”

“Y-you do?!” Shining gasps at the mention of his little sister. “Well then, follow me! I’ll show you where she is!”

But before Shining Armor can lead Ford to where Princess Cadance is, Octavia reminds her marefriend, “Umm, Vinyl? We should probably get back on that secret project you’ve been working on. Remember?”

“Oh, right! Thanks for the notice, Tavi!” Vinyl says as she gives a quick peck to her reliable, sexy assistant.

“What are you guys working on over there?” Ford asks in curiosity.

With a shrewd, unmistakable grin, Vinyl answers, “Well… let’s just say… in due time, those creepy crawlers will be in a very rude awakening once this bad boy is ready!”

After the two musicians depart ways to the location of their secret project, Shining Armor escorts Ford to the Town Hall with Big Mac, Spitfire, and Soarin following along. Inside the central building, the floor room was turned into a strategy room featuring high-ranked soldiers and officials delegating to their subordinates on what to do regarding with the aftermath of their battle. And in the center of the room is Princess Cadance at a huge round table where she coordinates with her followers on what to do next. Upon the arrival of Shining Armor and company, she takes a brief break from her duties and joyfully welcomes her husband back.

“Shining! I’m so glad to see that you are safe!” she smiles as she embraces him. “Is the latest invasion already over?”

“Yes it is, but the credit goes to this brave stallion right here, Ford Mustang!”

Once Shining Armor moves aside, Ford approaches the Princess of the Crystal Empire and courteously bows before her.

“It’s such honor to meet you, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!”

“Please, call me Cadance!” she giggles softly before bowing lightly in response to Ford’s chivalrous gesture. “And it is my honor to meet such a brave pony as you, Ford Mustang!”

“I’m quite surprise to see you and the others taking immediate action against Arrogon’s forces.” Ford admits to the Alicorn Princess. “But how did you find out about all this so quickly?”

“I owe it to another brave soul right here.” she replies warmly as she turns her head to whom she is speaking of. Humbly, a small, purple dragon with green spines appears from behind the round table as Ford is surprised once again to see another familiar face.

“Spike?!”

“At your service!” he bows with a smile.

“How did you escape the castle, let alone from Arrogon?” Ford asks in astonishment.

“I knew a couple of small and secret passages around the castle grounds since I was a hatchling, but before I left, I first went to find Twilight and the girls in one of the prison cells.”

“You saw them?!” Ford gasps in shock as he hastily hovers towards the young, startled dragon. “How’s Rainbow Dash?! Did she say anything?! Please Spike, I must know!”

“Well, I only saw them two weeks ago, but all I remember is that she and others are alright. Well… except for Rainbow.” Spike confesses hesitantly. "She… just wasn’t her usual confident self.”

“Oh, Dashie…” he grieves quietly over the safety of his marefriend. In return for Ford’s sympathy, Big Mac wraps a strong foreleg around the Pegasus’s shoulders as his comforting silence speaks for itself over their common concern for their respective loved ones.

Soon enough, Spike continues with his tale, “After that, Twilight told me to head to the Crystal Empire and alert Cadance & Shining Armor right away!”

“And thanks to Spike’s brave efforts…” Cadance tells her side of the story while gently patting Spike on the head. “…we gathered as many troops as possible before we head out and attempted to save Canterlot as well as to figure out on what kind of enemy we are dealing with.”

“Unfortunately, our army was completely overwhelmed not just by the vast amount of monsters at Arrogon’s disposal, but by his tremendous, godlike powers! It was... unlike we’ve ever faced before!” Shining Armor shutters with a hint of shame. “So we retreated and separated some of our troops to recover and protect the other towns nearby while my wife and I set up our temporary base of operations here in Ponyville.”

“Our Princess informed the citizens of Equestria about the dire situation and requested for anypony available to take up arms. And once we were alerted about this, the Wonderbolts were more than happy to lend a hoof!” Spitfire comments with an encouraging grin.

“So anyway, Ford… you’ve said that you have a way on how we can free my sister and the others?” Shining Armor asks him.

“Yes, of course!” he responds as he refocuses on why he is here in the first place. “But first, I should probably explain on what has happened to me before we get to that!”

For the next half-an-hour, Ford Mustang tells his story on what has happened to him in the last two weeks, First, he starts it off by explaining his intense training from Hindel the All-Seeing Dragon and his newfound draconian powers. Then, he informs his friends on how he came in contact with Hindel’s friend, Wagner, and managed to recruit him and his clan of dragons for his noble cause. Finally, he adds the possibility that Gilda might brings some help from her city in the Griffon Kingdom. By the end of the Ford’s story, everypony (including a small dragon) gaps tremendously with awe at what the blue-haired Pegasus has accomplished for himself.

“I’m sorry, Ford, but did you just say that an army of dragons will be on their way to lend their aid to us?!” Cadance asks in a startled voice.

“Yes, that is correct, Princess!” he nods with a smile.

“…Wow!” Shining Armor says after listening to just how mindboggling it was.

“Eeyup!” Big Mac agrees simply with a blank expression mirror that with Shining's.

“Ford, my offer still stands if you ever want be a Wonderbolt someday!” Spitfire kids with an awestricken smirk.

“I still find it unbelievable that you can such wield such an awesome power that’s equivalent to that of a dragon's!” Soarin states it bewilderedly.

“That’s… so… COOL!” Spike gasps with a wide smile as he could hardly contain his excitement over what he just learned. “I mean, I often believe that dragons are indeed a noble race, but this is just too good to be true if there is a clan just like them! Do you think they can take me under their wing someday?”

Ford chuckles lightly as he playfully pats the dragon’s head. “I’ll speak with Wagner about that whenever I get the chance.”

After calming herself down with her usual breathing exercise, Cadance then asks, “When will the dragons arrive exactly?”

“Well, Wagner said that they will be in Canterlot within a day.” Ford answers as he ponders when exactly they will show up. “So guessing on how long it has been since I’ve left the Talos Mountains, I would have to say that they will arrive in less than half of a day.”

“So… Ford, is this the plan you wanted to tell us about?” Shining asks.

“Actually, no. The real plan I want to share with all of you is when I met up with another ally right after my visit with Wagner’s clan. From what we have discussed, this will allow us to sneak into the castle of Canterlot and free the girls, so that they may use the Elements of Harmony once again! They may be our only hope to stop Arrogon if all else fails!”

“That’s does sound like a very good plan, Ford.” Cadance approves before she expresses a curious look on her face. “But who is this other ally you are speaking of?”

But before answering the Alicorn Princess, he uneasily hesitates all of a sudden as he rubs the back of his head sheepishly. “Well… she is here actually… but you have trust to me on this one!”

“Ford, there’s nothing for you to be afraid of.” the princess responded with a warm, reassuring smile. “You’ve done so much for me and my friends, so of course I trust you.”

He is uncertain on the princess’s word, but eventually, he gives in and addresses the matter that he’s been dreading for quite some time. “Sigh… Very well.” Turning around and facing away from everypony else, he then calls out aimlessly, “You can come on out now!”

As the ponies ponder on who Ford is talking to, they are completely startled by the sudden appearance of a pair of green, evil-looking eyes and a wide, toothy grin. As the blank face bellows out a familiar, ominous laughter, the invisible shadow begins to reveal herself as she displays her recognizable features: her flowing, silky, slightly ragged hair, a long, jagged horn, and a pair of sharp, dragonfly-like wings. Once the hackling changling has emerged from her camouflaging spell, everyone gasps at the unexpected of return of their most hated enemy, Queen Chrysalis! The only pony who is not surprised by this is Ford because he knew where she was all this time due to his ability to sense life-force energy, invisible or otherwise.

After finishing off her despicable laughter, the queen ecstatically says to herself, “Ahhhh… I’ve been meaning to do that for quite some time right now!” Once she glances at the speechless faces out of everypony in the room, she then chuckles with pride, “Well, I’m glad to see that I haven’t lost my touch when it comes to making my dramatic entrance!”

“Well as for me, I’ve quite enjoyed it myself!” Ford enthusiastically praises her theatrics. “I really liked how you displayed your eyes and teeth first before revealing the rest of yourself! It definitely added more to your menacing appearance!”

“Oh, you’re too kind, Ford!” she waves it off to the flattering pony.

“By the way, you could have helped me out there despite having to hide yourself from the rest of the ponies.” he remarks with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

“And ruin that magnificent entrance you’ve made for yourself earlier? Heh, and they say I’m the cruel one!”

“WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?!” Cadance demands furiously as she interrupts the two’s casual conversation.

Nonchalantly, Chrysalis looks pass Ford and gleefully waves at the fuming princess. “Oh, hey Cadenza! Nice to see you too!”

After seeing the immensely growling look on Princess Cadance’s face, Mustang timidly explains himself with a sheepish smile. “Well… you see, Princess… she’s… actually here to help us with saving Twilight and her friends.”

“Ford, do you even know who that is?!” Shining scolds the younger Pegasus. “This is Chrysalis, the Queen of the Changlings!”

“GASP! You remember me!” she literally leaps in joy as she tenderly embraces and nuzzles the completely disturbed Unicorn. “Oh my dear Shining Armor! I knew that you would never forget our special time together!”

“S-s-stop exaggerating things!” he stammers in discomfort.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, dearie!” she responds with a witty, alluring grin.

Unable to take it anymore, Cadance takes immediate action as she abruptly breaks Chrysalis away from the nearly traumatized Shining Armor. “Stay away from my husband, you vile temptress!”

“‘Vile?!’” Chrysalis gasps exaggeratedly before sobbing crocodile tears. “How can you say such mean things to me?! And you call yourself the Princess of Love when you have little to no compassion towards me! What did I ever do to you?!”

“Well let’s see… you threw me in that wretched cave just so you can switch places with me! Then you deceived everypony else and nearly ruined my wedding by trying to marry my Shining Armor! And lastly, you almost took over Canterlot with your merciless horde of changelings!”

“Ah yes… good times!” she nods with a wide, reminiscing smile.

As the Princess of the Crystal Empire is about to explode with irritated rage, Ford swiftly steps between the two female monarchs as he tries to negotiate a peaceful settlement between the two. “Cadance, please! You said that you can trust me on this one!”

“I do trust you, Ford.” she reassures him in a calm, sweet voice for a brief moment, but then she stares back at the mischievous changeling as she instantly flips back into unforgiving anger. “I just don’t trust that despicable, ugly creature right behind you!”

“HOW DARE YOU CALL MY QUEEN UGLY, YOU DISRESPECTFUL NAG!” the changeling commander intervenes sharply as he instinctively cancels out his invisibility spell.

As the Equestrian crowd stares with wide-eyed surprise at the appearance of another changeling, Queen Chrysalis calmly says to her fiercely loyal subject, “Umm… Commander?”

“Yes, your Majesty?” Trapjaw replies softly to his queen.

“Did I give the signal yet?”

“No, why--?” Upon realizing his mistake, Trapjaw lowers his head in disgrace. “Oh… I got carried away again, didn’t I?””

“Yes you did, Trapjaw.”

“Should I… reenter Stealth Mode again?” he asks in a timid voice.

“No, there’s no need for that. Just stand right there and let the grown-ups do the talking for now.”

“I don’t know what your true intentions are, but we are not taking any chances with the likes of you!” Shining Armor sternly remarks as dozens of standby guards encircle the two changelings with their weapons and magic ready upon command. “We’ve got you surrounded, and there’s no way for you or your minion to escape from this!”

“Oh, Shining!” Chrysalis snickers while unimpressed by the threat from the pony soldiers. “You’re so cute when you’re this clueless! Commander, would you care to do the honors for me?”

“At once, my Queen!” he answers as he is happy to oblige.

Facing the opened doorways of the Town Hall, Trapjaw charges his horn with some of his magic before firing the energy missle outside. Strangely enough, the missile isn’t aiming at anyone as it curves up and heads toward the dark sky. At a proper altitude, the green projectile explodes brightly. And from the moment the artificial green star makes its appearance, changelings start to appear out of nowhere, whether from their invisibility spells or from removing the disguises as random pony bystanders. In the midst of the town’s sudden panic, hundred, if not thousands of changelings randomly appear in Ponyville.

“You see, Princess!” Chrysalis says with a bold smirk. “If I really wanted to, I could have easily taken over this town just like I did with Canterlot years ago!”

“You mean before Shining Armor and I vanquished you and your minions into the far outskirts of Equestria, right?” Candance retorts with a witty smile.

“Umm… your majesties. Can we please just get back on the task at hoof right now?” Ford insists in a timid voice.

“Oh-ho! Cheeky, aren’t you?” Chrysalis chuckles lightly at the Alicorn’s challenge. “Well, you wouldn’t be so tough without having everypony waiting on all hooves for you!”

“Funny, I can say the same thing about you and your fellow drones out there!” Cadance remarks as the two rival matriarchs are dangerously close to each other.

“Your highnesses… we really need to focus on what’s important here!” he pleads once again while trying to maintain his gentle composure.

“Spoiled brat!”

“Repulsive leech!”

“Hot-blooded princess!”

“Heartless wench!”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!”

Upon his thunderous outburst, Ford makes an earth-shattering stomp that stops everyone in their tracks! Immediately, Cadance and Chrysalis cease their verbal assault and joins the others as they gaze with surprise and fright at the furiously disapproving Mustang.

“Now look, Cadance…” he turns his attention first to the startled Alicorn Princess. “…I know that there is some bad blood between the two of you, but you can’t let your emotions get the better of you when there are more important matters to consider!” Upon being reminded of her sudden hotheadedness, Cadance turns her head away with shame as Chrysalis mockingly sticks her tongue at her defeated rival.

With a sharp twist of his body, Ford snappily turns his head around and stares with piercing, turquoise eyes at the terrified changeling now that it's her turn to be disciplined. “And you, Chrysalis, how can you not take any of this seriously when your whole Colony’s survival is on the line?!” After Mustang has pointed out her own immaturity, she too hangs her head in shame as she obliviously forgot her duties as a queen to her race.

Once he sees the two matriarchs recognize their own mistakes, Ford sternly continues his lecture, “I’m presenting us an opportunity where we can put a permanent end to Arrogon’s reign of terror, but in order for that to work, you two need to put your differences aside for now and start working together! So stop acting like little foals and start acting like proper royalty!”

Thanks to Ford’s surprisingly stern way on keeping the peace between the two female rulers, they take a short amount of time to reflect on their disgraceful actions before Cadance speaks up first in a more respectful manner, “So… umm… Queen Chrysalis?”

“Y-y-yes… Princess Cadance?” she stammers softly.

“Is it true that you know a way for us to enter the castle undetected?”

“Why yes, of course I do!” Chrysalis confirms with a positive smile.

“How?” Shining Armor asks with perplexity. “The castle is protected by an impenetrable energy shield!”

“So? That hasn’t stopped me from before, has it?” she shrugs with a smirk.

“Then how did you get inside the first time?” Cadance inquires greatly as her patience is being tested by the changling’s ambiguous shrewdness.

“Here’s a hint: it’s the same way you and Twilight have managed to escape on your own.”

After receiving the vague clue, Cadance thinks about this before realizing the answer is based off of her misadventure at her wedding in Canterlot. “The caves!”

“Exactly!” Chrysalis nods with an affirmative grin. “At the base of the cliff that holds the castle on top, there is a hidden cave entrance that allowed me to bypass the shield itself. If this Arrogon is as dimwitted as I think he is, then we’ll easily sneak in right underneath that smug prick’s nose!”

“So princess, what do you think of our plan?” Ford asks as he anxiously waits for her approval.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m with her on this one!” Cadance agrees with a compromising smile. “If we can’t face Arrogon directly like before, then we can at least use the element of surprise against him! Thank you, Chrysalis, for sharing that with us!”

After the Queen of the Changelings mannerly nods in response for the gratitude she just received, Princess Cadance addresses her fellow ponies on what the next move they should make, “So, along with Queen Chrysalis & Ford Mustang, Shining Armor and myself will accompany them, and we will infiltrate the castle in order to save the girls and anyone else imprisoned! Once we have secured the Elements of Harmony, we can combine our powers and destroy Arrogon together! Agree?”

“No.” Her captain impassively disagrees to everypony’s surprise. “You need to stay here. I will accompany these two instead.”

“Care to explain why, Shining?” his wife inquires with slight frown.

“Listen to me, sweetie. You are the only princess Equestria has right now. If things don’t turn out so well by the end of it all, you will need to be ready to bear a greater responsibility for this country and its citizens. They will need a leader to look up to; they will need you, Princess Cadance. Does that make sense?”

After listening to her husband’s rational reasoning, Cadence tries to offer a rebuttal on her own, “But… but…”

“Don’t worry.” he reassures his sweetheart as he affectionately strokes her cheek with a gentle fore hoof. “I’ll be there to make sure we get Twily and the others out safely. I promise.”

Finally, she reluctantly agrees with an understanding smile. “Okay, honey. I will leave this important mission into your hooves, my beloved Captain. Please… come back soon.”

“I will, milady. I love you.”

“I love you too, my brave Shining Armor.” she confirms tenderly before the two share a romantic kiss together.

After a countless amount of time within their own special moment, they gradually break away from their kiss as Shining Armor gasps in awe in a slightly weary state, “Wow, Cadance! You really know how to take my breath away!”

“Chrysalis!” Ford snaps at his ally with disapproval as the queen with her horn glowing was too distracted from sampling off the love of the smitten couple.

“What?! It’s just a little snack, that’s all!” she retorts with a devious smirk on her face.

After that, Shining Armor turns toward his commanders and gives his following orders to them, “Spitfire! Soarin! Macintosh! You will be in charge of the troops and help out with the princess in any way she sees fit! Understand?”

“Got it, boss!” Spitfire salutes with grin.

“Leave it to us!” Soarin does the same thing.

“…Nnnope!” Big Mac surprisingly refuses with a stern look on his face.

“What?” the captain replies shockingly.

“Ah’m comin’ along too, and Ah won’t take ‘no’ for an answer!” Big Mac affirms with fierce determination.

“Big Mac, you can’t come along with us!” he argues with authority. “This rescue operation has to be a small unit, and you have responsibilities here within your own community!”

Treating that as an offense, Big Mac butts heads with the captain of the Royal Guards as he stares him down and retorts with a rare maddening expression. “My wife and sister’s well-being are even greater responsibilities to me! If y’all going on this mission for yer sister, then Ah’m going with ya for my family as well! So don’t ya dare tell me otherwise!”

“Me too!” Spike speaks up as well as he stands next to Big Macintosh. “Twilight and the girls are like family to me, so I’m coming along as well!”

Seeing how Shining can not compromise with the two volunteers’ stubbornness, Ford steps in and offers his sound advice to the disgruntled Unicorn, “Captain, let them come along. Spike might be able to lead us to where they are imprisoned, and Big Mac can provide the extra muscle in case we run into trouble.”

As Big Mac and Spike showcase their gratifying smiles to Mustang for his understanding over their loved ones, Shining Armor sighs and softens his expression before he grudgingly agrees, “Alright, you two can join with us, but that’s it!”

“Hey captain, if she’s leading the rescue mission, who’s going to keep an eye on the changelings here?” Soarin inquires regarding with Queen Chrysalis.

“Why, don’t you trust them to be good on their own?” she bashes her eyes in a humorous manner.

With a second thought, nearly everypony in the room answers flat out loud, “NO.”

“Sigh… isn’t it such a shame we live in such skeptical times? Oh, alright! Trapjaw, you will stay here with our troops and heed the pink pony princess until I get back!”

“As you command, Royalty!” he confirms with a quick salute.

Aftewards, Chrysalis turns to the Alicorn Princess. “Cadance, I leave them in your capable hooves until I return.”

“I will look after them with great care, Chrysalis. I promise.” she affirms to the Queen of the Changeling.

Satisfied with Cadance giving her word, Chrysalis then walks toward Shining Armor as her mischievous eyes are fixed on Cadance’s. “And you don’t need to worry about your precious Shining Armor here!” she assures with a crafty smile. “As you are well aware…” In a fiery flash, Chrysalis changes into a very alluring version of Princess Cadance. “...I can make a fine substitute in your absence! That and more!” she purrs at the captain while he trembles with severe discomfort.

Quickly, Cadance pulls Ford in closely as she whispers into his ear in the form of a growl through her gritted teeth, “Ford Mustang, if she tries anything funny, you have my absolute permission to obliterate her immediately!”

“I’ll… consider that as a last resort, Princess Cadance.” he answers with a slightly nervous smile.

“Okay, then it’s settled!” Shining Armor speaks to his four recruits. “The five of us will sneak into the castle and rescue Twilight and all of her friends! For now let’s meet back here in five hours, and then we’ll depart from there! So everypony, get plenty of rest, for soon, we may have the fight of our lives!”

Author's Note

This chapter pretty much concludes the "Recruiting Allies" Arc, and by the next chapter, for those who have been wonder for so long, you will finally find out on what has happened to the Mane Six while Ford Mustang was away!

Chapter 24 – Castle Crashers

Today is the day. A day which can change the very fate of Equestria and all of its inhabitants. After a few hours of rest and saying their quick goodbyes to their friends and loved ones, five brave warriors make their long trek to a secret entrance at the cliff of Canterlot, the country’s capital that was overtaken by Arrogon the Destroyer over two weeks ago.

Leading the party is Chrysalis, the Queen of the Changelings and chief infiltrator, who is infamously known for being the only one able to enter the castle of Canterlot undetected. Following behind her is Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guards and husband of the Crystal Empire’s Princess, who acts as the self-proclaimed team leader of the group. Riding on top of the Unicorn’s back is Spike, Twilight Sparkle’s Number-One Assistant, who possesses knowledge of the location of his imprisoned friends. At the end of the line is the Sweet Apple Acres’ red, indomitable stallion, Big Macintosh, who acts as the muscle of the team. And right beside Big Mac is the pony responsible for bring everyone together on this important mission of theirs, Ford Mustang.

Hundreds of feet beneath Arrogon’s dark magical force field that has entrapped everypony inside the castle walls, the party of five is treading on a narrow pathway alongside the cliff as they pass by a couple waterfalls. So far, their treacherous journey has been a smooth one. Of course, like any typical family road trip, there tends to be some… disgruntlement between its travelers.

“Oh come on, Shining!” Chrysalis chuckles greatly at the extremely flustered Unicorn. “Are you still mad at me? I said I was sorry already!”

“‘Sorry?!’” he screeches at the changeling with a face boiling with rage and embarrassment. “You nearly ruined my marriage!”

She shrugs casually as she continues to mock him, “Hey, it’s not my fault you were too easy to trick when I disguised myself as your wife, and that you actually confused me for her when you snuggled up close to me!”

“I-I was too drowsy to tell the difference!” he retorts with a stammering excuse.

“Yeah, too bad your pitiful excuse wasn’t enough to save you when the real Cadance walked in while you were busy spooning with yours truly! And boy, was she furious!” Then, she starts to laugh madly as she continues, “Ahh, I can still picture the look on her face! Oh, everypony! You should have seen it yourself! It was priceless! Hahahahaha!”

“Yeah, hilarious.” Spike responds with an unfunny, deadpan expression.

“On come now, dearie!” she says as she ruffles the spines on scowling dragon’s head. “I’m just trying to lighten up the mood here! Geez, you guys sure are a couple of killjoys here!”

Meanwhile, at the caboose end of the line, Ford and Big Mac stare blankly at Chrysalis’ maddening antics as they share an impassive expression over this matter.

“Well, this trip certainly has been a fun get-together, hasn’t it, Big Mac?” Ford asks with a small, sarcastic smile.

“Eeyup.” he answers with a simple nod.

“Hey, Chrysalis!” Ford calls out to her. “How far are we until we get to this secret entrance of yours?”

“Not for long, Mustang! It’s just right around the corner!”

And just like she said, around the corner of cliff and at the end of the narrow pathway, there is a cave entrance with another waterfall right across from it.

“Here we are, gentlecolts!” she announces happily before making her way to the secret tunnel.

“Wait just a minute!” Spike intervenes which stops Chrysalis from proceeding as he gets off of Shining Armor’s back. “How do we know that she won’t double-cross us?! For all we know, she could secretly be in league with Arrogon and is throwing us off course!”

“Well first off…” she turns her attention to the distrustful dragon as she hovers towards him. “…I’m not doing this for any of you, except for Ford here for reasons I will keep to myself. Second of all, I have my own duties as a queen to preserve my own species' need to survive. And finally, when it comes to power, I’m not too fond on sharing it with anypony else, including Arrogon!”

Spike along with Big Macintosh and Shining Armor look at each other with blank skepticism over trusting the changeling’s word, so Ford Mustang stands right beside her as he reassures his male comrades, “Look, whether you trust her or not, it’s too late for us to turn back now! Let’s just remember why we are all here in the first place and focus on the mission!”

A bit surprise by how far Ford is willing to trust her, Chrysalis smiles and gestures to them, “Well… after you.”

One by one, starting with Ford, they enter the cave at will. But as Shining Armor walks by Chrysalis, he warns her sternly, “Just remember this: I’ve got my eyes on you!”

“Ooo, be careful with those baby blue eyes of yours, big boy!” she giggles in response to Shining’s threat. “Your sweet, devoted princess won’t take it so kindly from if you keep leering at me like that!” Upon leaving the dumbfounded Unicorn, she purposefully sways her hips in an alluring manner as she finishes it off with a wink and a grin, “Then again, I won’t mind it at all!”

Grudgingly, Shining Armor is the last one to enter the cave as he mumbles inaudible curses to himself. Inside the forbidden caves, countless, unrefined gems extrude from the cavern walls. Standing on the ground level, they allies look up and all of them except Chrysalis gasps at the nearly endless elevation of the crystal labyrinth.

“Okay boys, I’ll see you at the top!” she says to them as she takes flight to bypass the maze-like staircase.

“Wait!” Spike shouts to her. “How are we supposed to reach the top ourselves?”

Ford takes a moment to think about this. And after that, he turns to Shining Armor for his assistance. “Captain, can you create a bubble that can be used for me to transport all of you?”

“Sure, but are you capable on carrying all three of us?”

“Well, I’ve once lifted a monstrous, 100-foot long snake off the ground, so you tell me.” he smirks with pride.

A bit speechless at first by Ford’s boastfulness, Shining Armor nods to the younger pony’s request and projects a magenta-colored bubble around himself, Spike, and Big Mac. Along with the creation of the secured bubble, Shining also adds a handle on the top of the transparent sphere, which will make it easier for Ford to carry them. With his fore hooves fastened to the bubble’s handle, he carefully lifts them up with ease. As the Pegasus transports them, Chrysalis leisurely hovers right beside them as she observes Ford with a casual smile.

“You know Chrysalis, you're welcome to lend a hoof as well.” Ford states with a grin.

“And have me shatter that fragile stallion pride of yours? Mustang, you wound me so!”

At the very top level of the abandoned mines, Chrysalis reveals a secret entrance to the sewer system. And from there, they exit from one of the sewer’s openings before they lean right against a shady wall. Through a peek around the corner, the unlikely heroes can see the next step of their rescue mission: the Royal Guard’s garrison. Unfortunately for them, the only way to gain access to that is to somehow sneak pass not only the two motionless Golems standing guard at the garrison’s entrance, but also with all the other Shadow Minions that are crawling around the royal courtyard.

“Okay, everypony.” Shining Armor addresses to his recruits quietly. “The entrance to the dungeon is just inside that garrison over there.”

“So… how do we pass all these living shadows out there?” Spike asks.

With no one coming up with any ideas, Chrysalis steps forward with a proud smirk. “Well, since I’m the only one who can turn invisibility, I guess I’ll go solo from here on out!”

“Hold it right there!” Shining stops her abruptly. “We’re all on this mission together, so we all go together as well! No one gets left behind!”

“Really?" she retorts with a crooked eyebrow. "Do we really have to go through this whole trust issue thing again?”

“Then how about turning each of us invisible as well?”

“Sorry to say this, but I can only use that spell for myself.”

“Hmph! I expected better from the all-powerful Queen of the Changelings!” he scoffs at her.

“Oh, and I suppose you have a better idea, O’ Fearless Leader?” she glares back at him.

“Well… why don’t you two combine yer powers and create some kind of invisible force field or something?” Big Mac suggests gingerly.

Instantly, the two bitter enemies cease their arguing after hearing the red stallion’s suggestion. With blank expressions, they first stare at Big Mac, and then at each other. Eventually, Shining is the first to respond with a hopeful smile on his face, “You know, that might actually work.”

“Heh! I always knew Fluttershy married you more for your brain than for your brawl!” Ford comments with a grin as he softly nudges Big Mac with an elbow.

“Eeyup!”

“Hey, before you two get started, can you also add a soundproofing spell just for good measure?” Ford inquires to Shining Armor.

“Oh yeah, sure.” he answers. “Everypony! Stay close together while we perform the spell!” Once the others were in place, Shining Armor and Chrysalis carefully cross horns together. Before they begin, he warns her in a low growling tone, “This stays between us! Got it?”

“Don’t worry!” she replies with a very shrewd smile. “Since this is your first time anyway, I promise to be gentle for you!”

After dismissing her latest innuendo with a subtle grunt, Shining begins the spell by casting his trademark magical force field first. As the shield is encasing the party, Chrysalis starts her part as her twisted horn discharges a bright, green beam at the center top of the shield. Once Shining Armor was done create the shield, the changeling’s magic spreads and evaporates the magenta color of the Unicorn’s force field. After the combined spell is complete, at it leaves in its place is the semi-hazy view of the magical dome from the inside and a thin, glowing, green ring on the ground that indicates the unique spell’s activation.

“So, did it work?” Spike asks with curiosity.

“Only one way to find out!” Chrysalis answers with a clever smirk.

But before any one else could question her, the shrewd changeling quickly goes up to Shining Armor and humorously gives him a simple lick on his muzzle. Briefly frozen by this sudden display of affection from his hated enemy, Shining hastily overreacts to this with immense disgust and fury.

“EW!! WHAT THE BUCK?!”

After that impulsive screech of his, Shining embarrassingly clamps his mouth shut with his hooves as he is afraid that he may have ruined their mission. But to everyone else’s surprise except Chrysalis’s, none of the Shadow Minions were alarmed by the Unicorn’s shrieking. So to their relief, the invisible, soundproof force field actually works.

“Well… guess that answers that!” Chrysalis verifies that casually with an amused smile.

After recomposing himself, Shining Armor then issues to his ragtag recruits. “Alright team! Stay close to me while I guide us into the dungeon!”

Deep within the dark, dank dungeon, the cloaked party is getting close to their main objective with Spike pointing them in the right direction. At last, the five infiltrators have reached to the location of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. And the only things that are standing in their way are two vigilant Wraiths guarding the reinforced door to the girls’ prison cell.

“That’s it!” Spike proclaims with sheer excitement. “That’s where Twilight and the others are being held at!”

“Well then… what are we going to do about those guards over there?” Big Mac asks in subtle anticipation over his long-awaited reunion with his beloved Fluttershy.

“I can probably take care of them quickly if that’s okay with all of you.” Ford offers his assistance.

While they are so close to be reunited with their love ones, Shining Armor really hopes to keep the element of surprise for as long as they can until they can confront Arrogon together. With a heavy sigh, he then permits the light blue stallion, “I guess we don’t have much of a choice--!”

“Ahem!” Chrysalis interrupts the captain sweetly as she holds up her fore hoof in front of Ford. “What this job requires now is a mare’s touch!”

With a little more room from her male associates, she concentrates immensely as her body is engulfed in a magical, green aura of fire. As her flames die down, the rest of them perplexingly stare at her as they wonder on what she’s up to. Upon the reveal of her transformation, everypony gasps tremendously at Chrysalis’s lastest disguise. Ford especially is trembling with subconscious anger at the mere sight of his most hated enemy of all, Arrogon the Destroyer!

Ignoring the guys’ reactions, the disguised changeling nonchalantly walks out of the cloaking device and steps out of the shadows before standing in front of the slightly startled Wraiths. To the four observers inside the secured force field, they are completely astonished by how the mistress of disguise has managed to fool the mindless minions of the real Arrogon.

“You two! What are you imbeciles still doing out here?!” she yells at the cyclopean reapers with a flawless voice matching that with the Destroyer’s. “You were supposed to be out in the courtyard with the rest of them, remember?!”

Bewilderedly, the floating Wraiths look at each other as they wonder if they ever received that order from their master beforehand. Of course, being artificially created constructs, the Shadow Minions severely lack the proper intelligence to think for themselves.

With a roll of her flaming, blue eyes, Chrysalis continues her masterful impression with an intimidating command, “Ugh! Nevermind! Just get out of my sight at once!”

Without any hesitation, the two Wraiths leave their supposed master alone as they make their way to the courtyard upstairs. Once they were gone, Chrysalis disintegrates her disguise with a burst of green flames before reverting back to her smug self.

“Ahh, I just love playing pretend!” she proudly declares with a satisfied smile.

“H-how did you do that when you’ve never met him before?!” Ford shockingly asks her. “You even sounded just like him!”

“When I was draining your generous amount of energy when we first met, I saw glimpses of your encounter with Arrogon as well as heard some of his dialogue within your memories. So it gave me a general idea on what kind of disguise I should use.”

Surprisingly enough, the door that the Wraiths were watching over is completely unlocked. Not wanting to waste a moment on questioning this stroke of luck, Shining Armor immediately opens the heavy iron door with his magic. With the prison cell finally opened, the three stallions and pint-size dragon frantically rush in to greet their loved ones. Sadly, their heartwarming welcome has come to a grinding halt after they see the fate of the beloved mares. Frozen before the four male companions, Twilight and the others are encased in a cluster of sharp, unnatural crystals. The only thing that can be seen in their crystallized state is their silhouetted forms.

“Twilight?” Shining Armor calls out to her softly as he places a hoof on the cold crystal that’s encasing his dear, little sister. “Twily, can you hear me?”

“What’s happened to them?” Spike frets over the girls’ unforeseen frozen state. “Are they still… alive?”

Closing his eyes, Ford concentrates immensely as he tries to sense any sign of life from the mares. Luckily for him, he can detect the pulsating energy from some of the girls. “It’s very faint, but I can definitely hear their heartbeats.” he calmly verifies to his restless comrades. “Right now, they’re in some form of suspended animation.”

“Is there any way for us to get them out of there?” Shining inquires with great concern.

Placing one fore hoof on the abnormal ice, Ford gets a good sense on the icy containment’s source of extraordinary energy. “This magical substance… it’s definitely familiar and yet quite opposite to my own Draconian Magic. It must be Arrogon’s doing!” With confirmation on what he is dealing with, the blue Pegasus has a good idea on what to do from there. “Okay, I think I know how to free them! Everyone, give me some room while I take care of this!”

Doing as he says, everyone backs away from Mustang as the stallion concentrates and calmly breathes in and out. Once he is ready, he gently blows out a breath of dense, warm air. Gradually, the golden mist wraps around the unnatural ice crystals that serve as the mares’ imprisonment. Thanks to its intense, soothing steam, the magical vapor steadily melts away the Arrogon’s dark, frozen enchantment. Once all the ice has evaporated into a thick fog, the sleeping mares gently plop on to the ground as each of them starts to wake up from their cursed slumber.

Fluttershy is the first mare to awaken from her nearly eternal nap as Big Mac sits close to her and nuzzles her gently. With heavy, teal eyes, she looks up to verify on where this familiarly warm affection is coming from. Her vision may start off blurry, but she can definitely see some distinguishable characteristics from her husband, from his rich, red coat to his earthly orange hair.

“M-M-Mac?” she inquires in a drowsy state. “Is that you?”

“Eeyup!”

Upon hearing that recognizable catchphrase, Fluttershy’s eyes bulge widely as she can clearly see her green-eyed husband looking down at her with his gentle, warm smile. Unable to contain her emotions, she cries out happy tears and tightly embraces her stallion’s strong neck.

“Oh Macintosh! You’re here! You’re really here! I was so scared that I will never see you again! I’ve… missed you so much, darling!”

“Ah’ve missed you too, Flutters!” he softly sobs in response as he tenderly embraces his wife. “More than you will ever know!”

On the right side of the prison, Applejack was next to wake up before she is startled to see her marefriend, Rarity, still asleep right next to her.

“Rarity?” AJ fretfully calls out to her gently as she repeatedly nuzzles her so that she may wake up as well. “Come on, sugarcube, get up! Please get up!”

“Mmm… darling?” she mutters softly as she gradually rouses from her own nap.

“Eeyup!” Applejack smiles with relief. “Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!”

“Oh, you…!” Rarity retorts with mocking scowl before she strongly pulls the surprised farmpony in for a longing kiss, to which Applejack has no objections to it.

After that, Spike goes up and greet them, “Rarity! Applejack! Are you two okay?”

“Spike?” Applejack gasps in surprise from the dragon’s return.

“Yep!” he nods with a proud. “I’ve brought help just like I said I would!”

Happy to see him safe and sound once again, Rarity brings the Spike with a warm hug and praises him for his brave efforts, “Oh, Spikey-Wikey! You came back! I knew you would come back to save us!”

As Ford is about to enter the fog he unintentionally created in search of his beloved Rainbow Dash, a pony with fluffy, pink hair springs forward and pounces Ford with her patented surprise hug.

“Mustang!” Pinkie Pie says in her usual perkiness while tightening her squeezing hooves around him. “I’m so happy to see you again! I knew you would be alive! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!”

“Good to see you too, Pinkie Pie!” he responds with a chuckling smile. “I hope we didn’t take too long!”

“Well, we’ve been stuck like this for 14 Chapters, but we’re okay now, thanks to all of you!”

After Twilight finishes her heartwarming embrace with her B.B.B.F.F and Spike, she inquires with complete amazement as they walk out of the prison cell, “I… I can’t believe this! How did all of you manage this?”

“We… had some help.” Shining Armor answers uneasily.

As Twilight is about to ponder if there is more to it than what her big brother is telling her, she and the rest of the girls stop abruptly as they stare with wide eyes at the smirking creature mostly responsible for their rescue.

“Twilight!” Chrysalis greets her with a bizarrely cheerful smile. “Long time no see!”

“Chrysalis?!” the young Alicorn Princess exclaims with a mix of surprise and anger. “Why is she here?!”

“Saving your sorry flanks apparently!” the Changeling Queen mocks her with a witty grin. “Oh, you’re welcome by the way!”

“Wait… you’re… actually helping us?!” Twilight baffles greatly over this startling revelation on Chrysalis’s cooperation.

“Believe me, it’s not exactly my cup of tea either, though it does pleases me to know that you are in such desperate need to be rescue by the likes of me!”

Unable to comprehend all of this due to how skeptical she is over Chrysalis’s sudden change of heart, Twilight firmly steps forwards and fiercely warns the changeling up close and personal, “I don’t know what you game is, Chrysalis, but if you intend to deceive us once again--!”

“Ah, for crying out loud! Do you really think I would come all this way just for something as petty as that?! If it weren’t for the given circumstances, I would have happily just left you all here to rot in this dungeon! In fact, if there’s anypony who you should truly be grateful for your pathetic salvation, it’s that magnificent stallion right over… there…”

Her outburst ceases gradually as she gazes with a suddenly sad look at what’s behind Twilight and the others. Following at what the changeling is looking at, Twilight and everyone else look back at the prison cell and their abruptly cheerless expressions mirror that with Chrysalis’s.

Standing alone at the center of prison cell is Ford Mustang as he gloomily stares at the cold, graveled floor. His completely depressing silence is enough to remind the others on the horrifying truth. Everypony else was present… all except for one special pony in mind.

“Girls… where’s Rainbow Dash?” Ford asks quietly. None of the remaining mares dare to comply to answer that grim question, so he turns around asks them once again with a soft, brokenhearted look on his face. “Please… tell me. What happened to her?”

Twilight and her friends are still hesitant to answer Mustang’s dire question as they are fearful on how he may react on what happened to their missing friend. But Fluttershy couldn’t bear it any longer. She emotionally breaks down as she weeps heavily on the awful truth regarding with Rainbow’s disappearance.

“I’m so sorry, Ford!” she admits with immense tears streaming across her guilt-ridden face. “It’s all my fault! If only I… I…!”

Unable to control herself, she instinctively pours her sorrow onto the red, soft coat of her husband as Big Mac softly pats and quietly coos to his lamenting wife. Seeing how there is no way to avoid this, Twilight Sparkle gingerly steps up and approaches the worried Mustang with a shameful, melancholy face.

“Ford… there’s… something we need to tell you…”

Over two weeks ago and several hours after Arrogon’s complete takeover of Canterlot…

“Consarn these chains!” Applejack growled as she continued to pull her strong hind leg so that she may break the irritating shackle that was pinned to the floor. “Break already!”

“Applejack, please stop doing that!” Rarity pleaded greatly to her stubborn marefriend. “If you keep that up, you’ll only hurt yourself!”

“Well, what else am Ah supposed to do?!” she snapped at the fashion diva with exhausting frustration. “Just sit here and do nothing?! Why don’t you come up with any better ideas, huh?!”

“I don’t know, okay?!” Rarity retorted back before she collapsed on the floor with aggravating tears flowing out of her weary, deep blue eyes. “I just… don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Applejack’s heart nearly broke in two from seeing her lover in a pitiful state. Carefully, the Earth Pony sat down next to the weeping Unicorn before she softly nuzzled and lightly kissed her on the cheek. “Ah’m awfully sorry, sugarcube. Ah should have never snapped at you like that.”

Touched by AJ’s honest tenderness, Rarity began to smile before she nuzzled right back. “It’s fine, darling. I know you’re just doing your best to get us out of here. I guess I’m just… so scared from all that has happened to us."

“Well, since we’re being honest here, so am Ah. Sigh… Ah just hope that my family is still okay.”

“They’ll be alright, darling. We did comply with that fiend’s demands so that he would leave them alone, so that’s something we should be thankful for.”

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle was still struggling with her own special restraint. With Rarity included, Twilight has a metal ring secured tightly around her horn. These horn rings were designed specifically to greatly inhibit Alicorn and Unicorn Magic. At her best, all Twilight could do at that moment was produce magical sparks with her disabled horn. And in return, all that pointless struggling gave her was fatigue and a throbbing migraine.

“Oh, careful Twilight!” Pinkie Pie comforted the exhausted Alicorn. “You’re gonna give yourself a massive headache if you think too hard like that!”

“You’re right, Pinkie.” Twilight agreed in the midst of her heavy panting. “It’s no use to carry on like this. These specials chains Arrogon made must have prevented me from using my magic.”

With an exaggeratingly pouty face, the pink Earth Pony grouched as she sat next with Twilight, “Hmph! Well, whoever this Arrogon is, he’ll be in big trouble for ruining my upcoming plans with the engagement party for Dashie & Ford--!”

Horrified at that slip up, Pinkie Pie hastily covered her mouth with a hoof as she and Twilight stare at each other fearfully. Cringed with immense worry, the two cautiously turned their heads around as they concernedly glance at the one pony they don’t want to upset even further. In the far corner, the once-indomitable Rainbow Dash was still suffering from her constant grief over the heavy loss of her coltfriend. Silently, she carried on with her melancholy with her head laid on Fluttershy’s lap as the kind, canary-yellow Pegasus continued to soothingly stroke Rainbow’s colorful mane.

“Do you think she heard me?” the remorseful Pinkie Pie whispered to Twilight.

“I don’t think so.” she presumed quietly as she too felt sorry for the severely depressed Pegasus. “Poor Rainbow Dash… she’s been through so much compared to all of us. It’s not fair for her to suffer like this!”

“Hey, it’s not over just yet!” Pinkie attempted to cheer her friend up. “We’re all still here, so we may still have a chance to win this, just like with all of our previous adventures, remember? And who knows! Maybe ‘you-know-who’ might be able to make a comeback someday!”

“How can you be so sure about all this? Is it your Pinkie Senses telling that?”

“No, not really. I just… do.”

A bit confused by the puzzling, casual statement, Twilight started to bear a hopeful smile after hearing her friend's reassuring words. “Thanks, Pinkie Pie.”

Suddenly, Twilight and Pinkie Pie heard something moving from within the prison’s wall. behind them. Once they turned around, they saw a concreted section creaking out of its place.

“Hey, lookie-lookie!” Pinkie pointed it out ecstatically. “There’s something moving from that wall over there!”

“Eww! Is it a rat?!” Rarity cringed in disgust. “Please tell it’s not a rat!”

“Nah, I think it’s something bigger than a simple rat. Ooo, maybe it’s a giant rat instead!”

“A g-g-giant rat?”

“Yeah! You know, like in that RPG game we played once! With its menacing, red eyes and sharp, yellow, crooked teeth! And it makes a sound like this!”

After Pinkie Pie made a horrid, chattering noise while doing her impression of a giant rat, Rarity couldn’t take it anymore she squirmed in place while rapidly prancing on her tippy hooves.

“EW-EW-EW-EW-EW!”

“Dang it, Pinkie Pie!” Applejack shouted over her marefriend’s fidgetiness. “Ya’re makin’ it worse!”

“Oops, sorry!” she giggled apologetically.

Ignoring the girls’ shenanigans, Twilight was too busy figuring out on who it was behind that loosed wall. From the crack of the secret passageway, she saw a recognizable feature sticking out of there: a stubby, reptilian, purple tail with green, rounded spines.

Once she figured it out, she called out to her friends, “Girls, that’s not a rat… that’s…!”

“A mutated rat?!” Pinkie Pie gasped with unorthodox joy. Because of that, Rarity faints dramatically as Applejack had to serve as her personal fainting couch.

“No, it’s…!”

But before Twilight could finish her answer, the small, familiar, purple dragon finally popped out of the slim crack and reveals himself.

“Whew! I really got to lay off the donuts next time!” he mused as he brushed himself off.

“SPIKE!”

Upon hearing that from Twilight, the rest of the girls perked up in their own way. For Rarity’s case, she immediately got herself up after her latest melodramatic performance as she smiled broadly over seeing Spike again. But as for Rainbow Dash, all she could produce was a subtle smile on her brooding face. Either way, the mares approach the young dragon and greatly welcomed him in open hooves.

“Hey did you manage to find us?” Fluttershy squeaked in happiness.

“When we were little, Twilight and I used to play Hide-and-Seek around the castle grounds.” Spike explained. “So often times, I would discovery secret passages throughout the castle, including the ones in this dungeon.”

“What a clever dragon you are!” Twilight praised him as she hugged him closely. “I certainly wouldn’t expect anything less from my Number-One Assistant!”

“Oh, Spiky-Wikey!” Rarity commended to him. “You’ve certainly have become quite a knight in shining armor, haven’t you?”

“Oh shucks, girls! It was nothing at all!” he responded bashfully.

“It was something alright!” Applejack added. “No need to be modest about that!”

“So, now that I’m here, is there anything else I can do?”

“Actually, there is! Spike, can you melt these chains yourself?” Twilight asked of him.

“No problem, Twilight!” he answered with confidence.

At once, he grabbed Twilight’s shackle between his claws and straightened it out. After a heavy breath, Spike blew out his draconic fire like it was blow torch. Once a section of its chains turned hot red, he tried to pull it apart, but the metal hasn’t come close to soften it up. He tried to use his makeshift blow torch once more before he reattempted to break the accursed links, but it was no use much to everypony’s dismay.

“I can’t do it!” Spike wheezed heavily. “I just can’t melt through these chains on my own!”

“Hmm… it’s just as I was afraid of.” Twilight confirmed sadly. “These chains must be magically enchanted as a special precaution.”

“Umm… what can we do now?” Fluttershy asked timidly.

Twilight Sparkle gave herself some deep thought on her next strategy. Eventually, she could only think of one plan in mind. However, she was hesitant on sharing it with her friends because on how risky it was, especially to the one who has to perform such a daunting task. But with how limited her options were, she proceeded to put that plan in motion as she guided Spike closer to her with a gentle wing of hers.

“Spike, listen to me very carefully because what I’m about to ask from you may be the most important task of your life.” After a quiet nod from him, she continued, “I need you to escape this castle and make your way to the Crystal Empire immediately. Tell my brother and Princess Cadance on what has happened regarding the situation with this Arrogon the Destroyer, and they will know on what to do from there.”

“Twi, that’s crazy!” Applejack objected sternly.

“Yes, please reconsider, darling!” Rarity seconded that. “He can’t make it on his own! You’ll be sending him to his doom out there!”

“Spike will be fine, girls.” Twilight reassured them. “And we don’t have much time to consider a second option. Right now, this may be our only chance out of here. Can you do that for us, Spike?” she pleaded softly.

Spike took a moment to consider this dangerous responsibility he was being offered by his foster caretaker. But at last, with a bold smile, he accepted the task, “Of course I can! I won’t let any of you down!”

“Thank you, Spike.” she said with soft gratitude as she pulled him in for a motherly hug. “And please, be careful out there.”

“I will.” he replied.

One by one, the rest of the girls joined in their hug as each of them expressed their heartfelt farewells, starting with Applejack. “Good luck, Spike.”

Then it was Rarity’s turn. “Take good care of yourself, darling.”

Next was Pinkie Pie’s. “We’ll be rooting for you all the way!”

After that, it was Fluttershy’s. “We know you can do it.”

And finally, while Rainbow wasn’t in the mood to express words of encouragement, she smiled brightly over Spike’s boldness and offered him a reassuring nod instead.

After the hard goodbyes, Spike squeezed his way back into his secret passage as he called out to his friends one last time, “I’ll be back with help! I promise!” And with that said, he firmly shut the hidden door back in place before he made his departure.

As silence filled the dark private cell the mares were imprisoned in, Pinkie Pie randomly pulled out a boxed deck of cards from her puffy, pink mane using her hair’s elongated frontpiece. With the deck placed in her forehoof, she asked her friends cheerfully, “Soooo… anyone up for a game of 'Go-Fish' while we wait?”

But before the they could take up on that offer to help pass the time, a sudden, bright flash of blue fire lit outside the their prison cell and the heavy door rapidly opened by itself before it made a echoing slam against the wall. And stepping from that harsh light is the demonic appearance of Arrogon the Destroyer!

“Hello, ladies.” he greeted them with repulsive delight. “Sorry for keeping you all waiting. I hope you don’t mind your new living quarters for the time being.”

“Hmph! Despite how ghastly this dungeon is, I would still prefer this over your company any day!” Rarity scorned with lifted muzzle facing away from Arrogon’s blazing eyes.

“Ooooh, my dearest apologies, Rarity.” he responded mockingly with light bow. “And here I came all this way just to grace you with my presence. You should consider it an honor to meet a pony as magnificent as myself.”

“Buddy, I have pigs at home that are far less filthy than you are!” Applejack added with a frown.

“Than maybe you should have spent less time rolling in the pigsty, you ignorant sow.”

“How dare you insult a lady like that, you wretched cur!” Rarity stepped forward with a flaring glare as she defended her marefriend’s honor.

While impressed by Rarity’s nobility, Applejack patted her dignified marefriend as she reassured her, “Simmer down, Sally-girl. Words like that don’t mean a thing, especially when they come from such heartless monsters.” In response, Arrogon let out a subtle harrumph to the girls’ retorts.

“Who are you exactly?” Twilight inquired. “I know enough on Equestria’s history throughout my studies, and there is no information on anything regarding with 'Arrogon' or 'Destroyer!’"

“Heh, looks like even your precious Princess Celestia likes to keep her own dirty, little secrets!” Arrogon snickered lightly to himself. “Not that I don’t blame her anyway. She was well-aware on how much of threat I was 500 years ago and must have decided to not include me in the history records. If there was ever a mention on how terrifying my deeds were… well… not wanting to brag, but I would think it would even put Nightmare Moon and Discord to shame compared to me.”

“You’re… despicable!” Rarity spewed out with absolute digust.

“Hm-hm-hmm… yes…” he chuckled giddily.

“Don’t think that you have won just yet, Arrogon!” Twilight warned their latest adversary sternly.

“Really now?” he remarked playfully. “Well let’s see what I have accomplished for myself in less than a day… I have imprisoned three of the most powerful entities in Equestria and made them into my power source, I have captured the Elements of Harmony and rendered them useless, and now there is no one else left to stand in my way!”

“There will be others to stand up against you!” the Alicorn added. “The ponies of Equestria will never bow down before you!”

“Perhaps…” he shrugged without a care. “…but if there is anypony foolish enough to defy me, then they too shall face severe consequences as well. Just like that pathetic stallion I took care of earlier.” The mares shuddered at the pony Arrogon is obviously referring to.

“If you don’t believe, why not ask your friend, Rainbow Dash, right over there?” he pointed to her. “I’m sure she can fill in on all the details for you.” Out of all the mares in the room, the detached Rainbow was the only one who couldn’t look at Arrogon directly in the eye.

“It’s such a shame really.” he carried on nonchalantly while shaking his head. “If only he wasn’t so dim-witted, I might have let him live. But what does it matter anyway? He was nothing but garbage, and good riddance to such bad rubbish too!”

“Don’t you dare sully Ford like that, ya filthy scoundrel!” Applejack snarled as the rest of her friends followed up with similar expressions.

“Why should any of you care about him anyway?” Arrogon perplexed slightly at their fierce reactions before he needlessly carried on with the insults. “There was nothing special about him to begin with! He was just a mere Blank Flank! One with no talent at all! A useless piece of trash! A complete waste of life itself! Incidentally, I probably did the world a favor by wiping that worthless scum from the face of his pathetic existence! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA--!”

“You’re wrong.” a soft, raspy voice interrupted his disrespectful amusement.

“Eh?” Following on where that interruption came from, Arrogon was greatly surprised to see that it was from the once-broken Rainbow Dash, who was now looking at him dead in the eye with her renewed, piercing glare of intense, merciless rage!

“YOU’RE WRONG!” she repeated ever louder to the startled, dark pony. “You don’t know a thing about him to begin with! He may not have a Cutie Mark, but he’s got a lot more talent and guts than you would ever possess! And he doesn’t need a Cutie Mark to prove on what made him awesome in the first place! Oh, and do I need to remind you what that ‘worthless scum’ did to you when he punch you in the face earlier?” she asked with a bold smirk which caught Arrogon off-guard by surprise on from recalling his only humiliation since his return. Amused by how shaken up he was, Rainbow chuckled as she continued to egg him on. “It’s kind of funny actually, I couldn’t lay a single hit on you, and yet Mustang managed to knock you down flat on your ass with just one hoof of his! So tell me something, you arrogant jerk… if you’re this so-called almighty god, then what does that say about you now if you got your butt kicked by a measly Blank Flank as you so called him? Ford Mustang wasn’t the pathetic one! You are!”

After Rainbow Dash finished cutting Arrogon down to size, everypony in the room was speechless by the blue Pegasus’s outburst. Afterwards, Pinkie Pie was to the first to speak up with wide, amusing smirk on her face, “You know, I was going to say that she burnt you good, but that would be ridiculous of me to say considering that your mane and tail are already on fire, silly!”

Amused by Pinkie’s sense of humor, the rest of the girls are inspired on Rainbow’s boldness at they insultingly smile at the stunned, dark tyrant. Ignoring the taunting smiles from the rest of the girls, Arrogon fixed his scorching, sinister gaze at Rainbow before he heavily stomps before her with nearly irrepressible rage.

Once his dark muzzle was inches away from Dash’s, he sternly warns her in very low-toned growl, “I would be careful with that disrespectful tone of yours if I were you, Rainbow Dash.”

“What do you want with us anyway?” Twilight demanded in order to redirect his menacing attention away for Rainbow.

“Yeah!” Applejack insisted as well. “Don’t tell us that ya here to waste time just by gloatin’ in front of us!”

After getting a chance to compose himself in a calmer manner, Arrogon proceeded to answer for them, “As entertaining as that may be, I have something important in mind first. You see, now that I have all the power that I need, I want to see the true extent of my newfound capabilities. I have a very special project I’ve been meaning to work on, but to my dismay, I don’t have any volunteers to assist me at this point. So I figured who better to ask than the Elements of Harmony themselves! So… which one of you nice, little ponies would like to go first?” he asked with sickening anticipation.

Arrogon looked around the room, but nopony was willing enough to step forward and assist him. Seeing as this was no surprise, he then said to them, “No one? Hmm… what a shame. Well… I guess it’s up to me to choose one for myself. Now… who will it be?”

“Will it be you?” he asked as he slowly shifted his fiery eyes toward Twilight and Pinkie Pie in the center of the room.

“Or perhaps… it will be one of you.” He then turns his intimidating gaze to Applejack and Rarity on the right side of the room. With a dark chuckle, he carried with his little game by directing his blazing, blue eyes to the left side of the room.

“Or maybe… it just… might… be…”

Abruptly, his blazing, blue eyes are locked on with Rainbow’s. For her, there was something repulsive about that look of his. Something that made her skin crawled from the Destroyer’s subtle interest in her. She was very certain that he was going to pick her out of all the other mares in the room. But at the very least, if that was his decision, he would leave her friends alone and out of harm’s way. With waiting nearly killing them, Arrogon’s shifted his eyes a little more to the left as he was finishing up with his decision.

“YOU.”

To Rainbow’s surprise and even greater horror, Arrogon picked sweet, innocent Fluttershy instead of her!

“M-m-me?!” the terrified Pegasus stammered.

“Yes, you dearie.” he said with menacing glee. “You will do just fine.”

“Umm… Sorry, I really don’t want to.” she refused timidly.

“Now now… don’t be shy. There’s nothing to be afraid of!”

As Fluttershy backed away from him, Arrogon chuckled menacingly as he gradually walked toward her.

“No, stay away from her!” Twilight yelled at him.

“You leave our Fluttershy alone this instant, you monster!” Rarity joined in as well.

“Yeah, don’t come anywhere near her, you big meanie-pants!” Pinkie Pie shrieked in a high-pitched voice.

“Get away from her, you filthy varmint!” Applejack spat out sternly.

After being backed in a corner, Fluttershy pleaded in a whimpering voice. “P-p-please! Just don’t hurt me!”

“‘Hurt you?’ Why, I would never even consider it!” he teased as he slimily caressed the deeply trembling Pegasus with a fore hoof. “But if you keep squirming like that, then I can’t promise your safety for much longer.”

“WAIT, I’LL DO IT!”

Ceasing his teasing at last, Arrogon turned his head slightly as he eyed the source of the intervention: Rainbow Dash.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow. Could you please repeat that for me?” he playfully asked her. “I didn’t quite catch that.”

“I’ll… I’ll do it.” she repeated in a softer tone. “Let me take Fluttershy’s place instead. I’ll be your personal test subject if that’s what you want. But you have to leave everypony else out of this! Got it?!”

“Excellent!” he expressed his unique sense of joy after laughing over the mare’s display of ferocity. “Oh, I knew I can always count on you, Rainbow Dash!”

After Arrogon stepped away from Fluttershy, she desperately begged her first friend to reconsider. “No, please don’t, Dashie! Don’t do this for me! Please, I don’t want anything bad to happen to you!”

“Hey, don’t worry about, Fluttershy.” she smiled warmly to her weeping friend. “It’s going to be okay. Trust me. I can handle whatever that jerk can dish out.”

“Well, let’s get going, Rainbow Dash!” he said to her as he gently wrapped her in his dark magic aura before releasing her out of her shackle. “I’ve got big plans just for you!”

As he leaves the gloomy room while carrying the unresisting Rainbow Dash with the use his levitating magic, her friends felt so utterly helpless on not doing anything to stop on whatever Arrogon has in store with their valiant companion.

And just before he shuts the door, Arrogon said one last thing to them, “Oh, I’m sorry! How inconsiderate of me! You girls must have had a rough day as it is… so why don’t the five of you take a nice, long nap!”

And with that said, he swiftly flashed his flaming eyes at them as the ponies’ shackles were transformed into a crystallized form of abnormal ice, which engulfed the screaming mares until they eventually succumbed into a deep sleep!

“And after that flash of light… we just woke up from there.” Twilight halfheartedly finishes her side of the story. “How long were we all out?”

“From what you’ve just told us…” her brother answers. “…I would have to say it’s been over two weeks since then.”

“Two weeks?!” Applejack hollers in completed shock. “We’ve been asleep for that long?!”

“Oh no!” Rarity gasps with tremendous worry. “If we were gone for that long, then what has happened to our Rainbow Dash all this time?”

“Poor Dashie…” Pinkie Pie mopes with an extremely cheerless expression.

“It’s all my fault!” Fluttershy grieves constantly as she continued to press her sniveling muzzle into Big Mac’s coat. “It should have been me instead of her! It should have been me!”

While the red stallion does his best to comfort his grief-stricken wife, Twilight Sparkle turns her attention towards Ford Mustang as she carefully studies his reaction from her story. To her surprise and perplexity, Ford isn’t showing any form of raw emotion, not even anger. He is just blankly staring at the ground while silently contemplating to himself.

“Twilight…” he softly speaks to her at last.

“Y-yes, Ford?” she replied with a slightly trembling voice.

“Do you know where the Elements are being kept at?”

“Yes, of course I do.” she answers with an affirmative nod. “They’re hidden safely in my room. Only I have access to them. But my own Element of Magic… Arrogon has taken it away from me!”

“Then all of you should go on ahead and get the rest of the Elements ready.” he suggests to his friends before turning around and gradually marching out of the prison’s corridor. “I will go get Rainbow Dash and the last Element myself!”

“But… how are you going to find them?” Twilight asks with mild confusion. “Only Arrogon knows where they are!”

All of a sudden, Ford stops in place as he progressively trembles with unimaginable power and righteous fury before he answers to Twilight, “Oh, I’m going to find him first, and when I do… I’LL MAKE HIM TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!”

After Twilight and company take a glance the unbridled rage that is building up inside of him, Ford Mustang abruptly leaves them behind in a thunderous takeoff as he exits the stone-carved corridors in blinding speed! The echoing boom of the blue Pegasus’ swift aviation was enough to cause the dungeon to briefly shake from that makeshift tremor!

In the wake of Ford’s earthshaking exit, the rest of the gang momentarily gapes in awe at the display of the Pegasus’s awesome power. For Twilight and her friend that were recently liberated from prison, this is their first time witnessing the stallion’s unexpected development.

“Oh my… I didn’t know that Ford can be this… scary.” the slightly startled Fluttershy says to Big Mac. “Did you?”

“Nnnope!”

“What do you think happened to him, darling?” Rarity asks Applejack with a hint of worry.

“Ah don’t rightfully know, sugarcube, but Ah sure hate to be that Arrogon fella right now.”

Outside, hundreds of Shadow Minions continue to aimlessly patrol the royal courtyard as they are unaware of the recent activities that were taking place underground. But all of that will change in a just few seconds as the ground shakes and starts to split apart.

BOOM!

An explosive force tears the earth asundered as dozens of Gremlins and Wraiths are launched from the massive roar they just endured! Hovering out of the pony-made crater is Ford Mustang with a piercing gaze that can rival that with any ferocious creature he has every dealt with!

While the rest of the patrolling constructs make their way to stop the stallion, he takes a moment to ignore them and pinpoint the location of his primary target. Quickly, he recognizes the sinister energy signature as it is emitting from the throne room hundreds of feet in front of him. With the location of his most hated enemy in mind, Ford refocuses on the approaching henchmen before he charges forward and proceeds to eliminate all that stands in his way.

From above, the Furies and Djinns rain with their fireballs, but the countless fiery projectiles are not enough to hit him with his zigzagging agility while swiftly striking any dark creature he comes across. Eventually, he takes the fight to the sky as he spews out a multitude of golden beams at his snipers. At a high attitude, Ford is surrounding by numerous flyers as they recklessly rush right towards him. After embodying his wings with Draconian Magic, he does a rapid twirl as he fans his wings out to launch golden energy projectiles like throwing knives. From this wide-span attack, the sharp, feathery missiles pierce through the magical shells of the Shadow Minions.

As he resumes his onslaught from the ground level, Ford feels some pity for these mindless creatures he is mowing down. Not for the fact that they deserve it, but because he was taking his frustration out on them without any satisfaction in return. He wants them to be scared. He wants them to experience the true meaning of fear. He wants them to know on what will happen to anyone who even dare to bring harm to his friends and loved ones, especially if it involves Rainbow Dash! Unfortunately for him, he can never get that kind of contentment from completely emotionless creatures. But it doesn’t really matter to him, because the only pony he hopes to see the fearful look on his face is just behind those massive doors leading to the throne room!

Nearly close to his target, Ford almost loses his momentum when a shadowy ellipse shifts in front of him before a ginormous Golem pops out of its mode of transportation and its long, bulky arms reach for the flying Pegasus. With a quick turn, Ford dives right between the Golem’s stubby legs before he merciless punches the giant in the back. After the defeated Golem fades from existence, dozens of shadows appear out of nowhere as various Shadow Minions rapidly pop out of them.

Not wanting to waste any more time with this before his fated confrontation, the resentful Mustang hollers out to the remaining forces, “DON’T GET IN MY WAY!”

With only him and the pursuing Shadow Minions in the abandoned courtyard, Ford roars out an ultimate, fire-breathing attack as the immense blast of golden fire engulfs all of the Minions in his vast firing path! Within a fraction of a second, the dark constructs are vaporized in a near-instant!

After all of the courtyard’s senseless underlings are finally taken care of, Ford turns around sharply and faces the looming, high doors to the throne room. At long last, after everything he has been through and after all that he has experienced along with his journey, he is finally ready to face Arrogon for the second, and hopefully the last time! And so, without further delay, he bucks the massive doors right out of their hinges before making his grand announcement!

BANG!

"ARROGON!!"

The once-majestic room of the Princesses is devoid of its shimmering colors as they are replaced with darker colors, typically ranging between blue and purple. The only things that are lighting the very dim place are flickering, blue torches that mostly hang on the columns. From up above, the throne room is littered with black banners as each of them bears a symbol of Arrogon’s newfound empire.

On the other end of the room, the thrones of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been replaced with a large, black throne that has jagged features in the shape of fire and Twilight's Element of Magic as the crown jewel on top. And sitting on that custom-made chair is none other than Arrogon the Destroyer!

From that lone stallion’s thunderous entrance, Arrogon’s flickering eyes grow extremely wide as he stares back at the first pony he supposedly killed off long ago. Ford is slightly pleased to see the immense shock frozen on Arrogon’s face. But then, his soulless eyes shift into their usual piercing glare as Ford mirrors the same intimidation while he slowly stomps before the severely disgruntled overlord.

“YOU.” the dark stallion speaks to him in a trembling growl. “So… you were alive all this time.” Without losing his cool, Arrogon leisurely reclines back in his seat as he rests his chin with a forehoof. “Hmph! I don’t know why Hindel bothered to waste his last breath protecting a pathetic worm such as you, but it doesn’t matter now. Your grand return amounts to nothing! My powers are beyond that of any entity known to ponykind! Compared to me, you’re just another insect begging to be squashed once again!”

About a dozen feet away from the strangely relax Arrogon, Ford stops his gradual march as he enunciates the ultimate question, “Where… is… she?”

“Who?” the tyrant replies nonchalantly.

With his anger and impatience rapidly boiling to their breaking points, Ford leaps with a tremendous burst of speed and he firmly slams the surprised Arrogon to the back of his chair with a strong fore hoof.

“WHERE’S RAINBOW DASH?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER?!”

“Ooooh… you mean her!” Arrogon responses in a dark, teasing manner. “Well, why didn’t you say so? Hang on for just a moment while I’ll call her down for you.” While being pinned by Ford, Arrogon turns away and calls out to her aimlessly in a disgustingly sweet voice, “Rainbow Dash~! Will you come down here for a minute please? There’s someone here who’s just dying to meet you.”

Slightly confused by what Arrogon is up to, Ford almost misses a familiar streak of a rainbow zooming right above him before it dives down right between the two. Instinctively, the blue Pegasus backs away immediately before the colorful lightning bolt crashes in front of Arrogon. Within the dust, Ford can see the recognizable silhouette of his marefriend. But then, he gasps in dread at the first sign that something is terribly wrong with her. Instead of those mesmerizing, magenta eyes he fell in love with, they have been replaced by two soulless orbs of hot, magenta fire.

As the dust clears even further, Ford continues to dread in denial on what has happened to his beautiful, blue angel. Her coat, tail, and mane have a darker color overlay, which robbed out her original, vivid spectrum. And in a similar fashion to Arrogon’s armor, the manipulated Rainbow Dash is wearing dark magenta armor that shares the same sharp, menacing characteristics as her puppetmaster. Ford was ready to face anything that Arrogon would throw in his way, but nothing over something as cruel as this!

“…No.”

“Oh, yes!” Arrogon responds gleefully as he is more than happy to carry on with introductions. “Meet my newly minted captain! The new and improved Rainbow Dash!”

Author's Note

You know, I was quite surprised on how long this chapter was going to be, and I was THIS CLOSE to consider on splitting it up into two chapters! Anyway, I'm pretty certain that the next chapter won't take as long as this one!

Chapter 25 – A Fight Amongst Lovers

For two long, agonizing weeks, Ford Mustang has been dreaming for this moment for a very long time. The moment in which he can finally be reunited with his Rainbow Dash and put Arrogon in his place for all the trouble he has caused to them. But now, that dream has been turned into a living nightmare as he faces the mare he endearingly loves so much being used as a manipulated tool for the truly vile villain right behind her!

“Rainbow…? Rainbow, can you hear me?” Ford gingerly takes a step forward as he tenderly calls out to his possessed marefriend. “It’s me… Ford Mustang, remember?”

“She can’t hear you…” Arrogon points it out for him as he leisurely gets off his chair before walking closer to his feminine counterpart. “…nor can she see you. She doesn’t even know that you’re still alive at this point."

"What did you do to her?!” Mustang demands in outrage.

“Simple.” he composedly explains with pleasure. “I made her into the perfect servant who will obey my every command. Oh sure, she put up quite a fight at first. You would have been so proud of her. But her strong will was already cracked the moment she realized that she will never see you again, and in good time, my will embodied her mind and soul. All of her memories are sealed away, while she is trapped in her own darkness of despair. Her loyalty is now mine to claim. Mine and mine alone.”

As Arrogon brings his hoof closer to the impassive Rainbow Dash, Ford grinds his teeth severely as he witnesses the dark overlord slimily caressing her unresponsive face. “I must say, I can see why you were so fond of her.” Arrogon comments admiringly as he slowly traces his armored hoof downward across Rainbow’s contours, which adds more enraging fuel to the gritted Mustang. “So fierce. So passionate. So driven. Why, when I first saw her charging towards me, I could see the fire within those determined eyes of hers. In a way, I can see a little of myself in her. That’s why I knew she would make the perfect companion for myself.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about her!” Ford retorts harshly. “You’ve practically stripped out everything in her life that made her wonderful in the first place, just so you can mold her to your liking!”

“Ahh… but she will have a new life!” he counters with depraved giddiness as he coolly walks back to his specially made throne with the Twilight Sparkle’s Element of Magic mounted on top. “One where she will lead my army across the lands! Claiming them all under my name! Why, with her extraordinary abilities, I will conquer this world in a matter in days! And who knows… if she serves me well, I might have other plans for her... as my beloved queen!”

“And as a puppet no less!” Ford mutters in an aggravating growl.

“A small price to pay I know, but I’ll get over it quickly.” he shrugs without a care.

“You bastard!”

Having all he can take from the smug tyrant, Ford springs into action as he furiously darts for Arrogon. But his righteous retribution is swiftly obstructed by the cursed Rainbow, thanks to her distinguishable speed. Because of his brainwashed marefriend in the way, he had to come to sudden halt so he doesn’t misguidedly take his overwhelming anger out on her.

“Careful.” Arrogon openly mocks the other stallion with a wave of his hoof. “You know how protective she can be towards her friends.”

“Enough of this!” Ford shouts pass the stationary mare. “If you’re as powerful as you say you are, then stop hiding behind your pawns and fight me!”

“Ehh… no. I’m in no mood to fight you right now.” he dismisses the returning challenger uninterestedly. “But if you’re looking for a fight, then prepares you should you take it up with your marefriend. Oops! Sorry, my mistake… I meant to say ‘ex-marefriend.’” he rephrases to add more salt to the wound. “But be warned, o’ noble hero. Anything you do to her may have some seriously fatal consequences from your actions. So if you wish to face me, then your only chance to do that is to kill her first. So, what’s it going to be, pony? Will you kill your long-lost love in order to challenge me, or will you sacrifice yourself to allow her to live? Your choice.”

As Arrogon takes joy over what’s at play here, Ford is internally conflicted on how he can overcome this. He would never take the risk on harming Rainbow Dash, yet he can’t just give up now after everything he went through in the last few weeks. No matter how hopeless or unfeasible the situation may be, he won’t let Arrogon intimidate him as he is determined to find a way out of this chaos orchestrated by the arrogant Destroyer.

“I will never submit to your sick, twisted games, Arrogon!” he answers sternly. “I will free Rainbow Dash from this curse you’ve placed upon her, and after that’s out of the way… you’re mine!”

“Oh-ho! You still believe you can save her yourself?” he responds amusingly. “This shall be most entertaining! Very well, let us put it to the test, shall we?” After that, Arrogon calls out to the corrupted Rainbow Dash in a mockingly sweet voice, “Captain, do you see that stallion right in front of you? Here are my first orders: KILL HIM.”

After listening to her dark master’s wishes, Rainbow immediately rushes at Ford for the kill in a blinding burst of speed. Thankfully, Ford quickly dodges the charging attack by rolling out of the way before the shadow mare’s armored hooves skidded across the floor until she comes to a complete stop.

As Ford leaps high into the air, Rainbow mindlessly continues her pursuit by flying after him. Before Hindel’s training, Ford may not be able to elude Rainbow Dash with her naturally gifted speed, but now, he is on equal terms with his possessed pursuer as they zigzag across the vast, gloomy throne room. Meanwhile, the hackling Arrogon is taking purely disgusting delight at the show he has orchestrated as he waits in anticipation on the outcome of this deadly, little game of his.

I can’t keep doing this forever! Ford muses to himself while he continues to dodge every one of Rainbow’s swift attacks. I need to save as much of my strength as I can for Arrogon, so that in time, the girls are prepared with the Elements of Harmony!

As he is darting across the room, he is constantly thinking of a way to free Rainbow from Arrogon’s dark magic without inflicting any harm to her. Every time he gets a glimpse of Rainbow’s face, which is concealed by her muzzled visor, he is almost distracted by her flaming, magenta eyes. But overtime, his sharp, observant eyes are shifted into something else. Right between her soulless eyes, there is an oval-shaped gemstone right in the center of her helmet. The shiny gemstone on her forehead shares the same characteristics as Arrogon’s.

Hmm… maybe that helmet is the very thing that’s responsible for her brainwashing! If I can just remove it somehow!

With a goal in mind, he starts to vigilantly look for any means to hold Rainbow off longer enough before he can take her helmet off. Luckily, he sees dozens of the tyrant’s signature banners hanging in the air and quickly puts his plan in motion. With Rainbow Dash right behind him, he snatches one of the black flags with teeth before he quickly loops around and tightly wraps around the pursuer’s body!

With her wings confined, Ford starts to wrestle the wicked helmet off as Rainbow frantically tries to wiggle her way out of her bind. With both of them in the struggle for Rainbow’s free will, they plummet towards the ground before they crash onto the floor. Despite the harsh landing, the blue-haired stallion is thankfully successful at removing the helmet off!

After crushing the accursed helmet for good measure, Ford carefully approaches his marefriend with worry as he removes the wrapping off of her. For Rainbow Dash, she is slightly dazed from the stumble while her eyes are still closed.

As he gently lays a hoof on the dazed mare, he softly calls out to her, “Rainbow, are you okay? Can you hear me now? Please say something for me!”

With her face turning towards him, her eyelids began to fidget as it looks like that they might reveal themselves. With high anticipation, he will finally get to see those lovely magenta eyes he fell in love with since the day he first met her. But in a snap, Ford flinches in alarm as Rainbow’s eyes are still just a pair of sizzling fireballs!

In the midst of his shock, the still-active puppet of Arrogon delivers a swift punch to him, and he flies right into a column nearby! After slamming into the pillar, Ford briefly collapses from the first hit as he starts to shake off his temporary paralysis. Distressfully, he just couldn’t get over the fact on how his first attempt at freeing Rainbow Dash utterly failed.

But his distress has to be pushed aside as the emotionless, dark cyan Pegasus comes down hard and firmly presses the pinned Mustang on the side of his head with a merciless fore hoof. Using both of his hooves, Ford puts enough force to resist Rainbow’s athletic strength without so much as crushing his skull like it's a watermelon. As he persists on opposing Dash’s might, Ford can hear the insulting laughter of his true adversary, who is still seated on his comfy chair.

“HAHAHAHAHA! You seriously thought that removing her helmet would free her from my control?!” Arrogon ruthlessly ridicules the vain hero. “A valiant effort, but my Dragonian Magic is infused within her, making it impossible for anypony to break her out of her never-ending trance! Now my dear captain, finish him off!”

Upon command from her tyrannical puppetmaster, the silent Rainbow Dash applies a lot more pressure in her fore hoof while the pinned Mustang counteracts that by putting more strength into his resistance. Despite his submission, Ford isn’t even close to giving up just yet.

“Come on, angel! Snap out of it!” he desperately calls out to her. “This isn’t you at all! Remember everything that made you who you truly are! What about living the dream as a Wonderbolt? What about all your best friends in Ponyville? What about me, your big, strong Mustang?”

It seems that no matter what Ford says, his words just fell unto deaf ears. But then, he feels something trickling onto his grounded face. Surprised by this sudden wetness, he shifts his curious eyes to see where it came from. Looking up, Ford’s heart nearly came to a standstill as he is shaken to see such a disheartened sight before him. Despite Rainbow’s inability to express emotion, somehow she is able to unconsciously cry out tears from her blazing, blank eyes!

He can’t explain it himself on how this is plausible, but Ford is certain that Rainbow is crying it out for somepony to help her. He can’t imagine the heartache and sorrow that his marefriend has been going through within the accursed darkness that Arrogon has trapped her in. It truly breaks his heart to see her like this.

Suddenly, a vision flashes within his mind. It was around the time where he too was drifting in his own void of darkness, when Arrogon nearly killed him. But that dreamy darkness was casted away with a warm breath of Hindel’s Draconian Magic. The same magic that not only revived him from his fatal wounds, but also gave him phenomenal powers. From this recollection, Ford discovers a way to save Rainbow Dash once and for all; the same way that his master, Hindel, has saved him!

With a quick burst of strength, Ford finally pushes the shadow knight off of him as she rolls backwards in the midst of her tumbling. But when Rainbow is about to recover, the determined stallion hastily rushes for her before he grapples her with his fore hooves. In response, she tries to push him away, but he doesn’t move an inch as he fixatedly stares into her sizzling eyes, which are still crying uncontrollably.

“I know why you cry.” Ford says to her softly in another attempt to reach out to her. In response, the conflictingly weeping mare very gradually eases up her resistance for reasons unknown to her own body.

“If my words can’t reach you, then let my actions speak for themselves!”

Pouring all of his heart and strength into this, Ford Mustang firmly pulls Rainbow Dash into a deep, longing kiss! But this kiss isn’t just meant to rekindle their long-lost romance. From that breathtaking kiss, Ford is exhaling his golden Draconian Magic into her possessed body. The incredibly divine warmth that Ford knows all too well is now traveling into her systems as it exterminates all traces of Arrogon’s dark magic. As the inner darkness is being vanquished, so too are her shadowy, exterior features. The dark shade of blue from her coat radiates into vivid cyan color. The rainbow colors from her iconic mane and tail return to their shimmering splendor. The rest of her armor starts to crumble off of her body. And the flames in her eyes are extinguished as they relapse into majestic, magenta orbs. At last, Rainbow Dash has been reverted back to her true, awesome self once again!

Gently cradled into his forelegs, the recovering mare groans heavily from her extended nightmare as she starts to wake up. Gradually, her eyelids lift themselves up, and to Ford’s overwhelming relief, he finally sees a glimpse of those mesmerizing magenta eyes of hers. After a couple of blinks from her drowsy eyes, her vision refocuses itself as it starts to see familiar shapes and colors of her familiar coltfriend. Once her vision is clear of any form of haziness, she silently stares right into tender, turquoise eyes of her big, strong Mustang. From immediately startled by the first thing she sees, it is as if Rainbow is looking directly at a ghost.

“F-F-Ford…? Is that really you?” she stammers in disbelief. Upon hearing the first words coming from her mouth since they were forcefully separated, Ford smiles widely with great amounts of joy after hearing that lovely voice of hers again.

“Yes, Dashie… it’s me.” he replies sweetly as he brushes one sweep of her beautiful hair.

After staring at him for quite some time, her wide, skeptical eyes began to leak out fresh tears as she frantically shakes her head from refusing the seemingly impossible truth right in front of her.

“No... no it can’t be!” she panics severely as she hysterically attempts to break away from his grasp. “You’re not real! You can’t be real! You’re just another illusion! Stay away from me!”

Noticing her sudden fear, Ford hastily reassures her, “Rainbow, it’s okay! It’s really me this time! I swear!”

Once he is able to grasp her shaky fore hoof, Ford brings it to his chest as he allows her touch to know that he is indeed real. From feeling the stallion’s soothingly melodic heartbeat, Rainbow begins to calm down as she looks back at the warm, smiling face of her coltfriend.

“See?” he comforts her. “I’m here for you right now.”

With her hoof pressed on the center of Ford's heart, she slowly but surely brings it up to his warm, gentle face. Once her fore hoof is placed on his cheek, she delicately rubs the soft, yet slightly rugged texture of his familiar fur. As she strokes the cheek of her returning lover, she finally breaks into a wide, blissful smile as tears continue to pour out of her beautiful eyes.

“It… it really is you!” Rainbow confirms tearfully with absolute, overwhelming joy. “This… is just too good to be true! I… I thought that I would never see you again!”

“Come on, Dashie!” he smirks humorously. “You can’t get rid of me that easily! You yourself trained me to be made out of tougher stuff, remember?”

After blinking a few times with a blank expression, her grin matches that with Ford as she chuckles in response, “I guess my awesome training paid off after all, huh?”

“It sure did, Rainbow.” he answers with a chuckle of his own.

As the two were just enjoying their heartfelt reunion, their tender moment is interrupted by the slow, echoing clap of the other stallion in the room. Putting their reunion on an abrupt hold, Rainbow and Ford sharply turn their heads as they intensely glare at the dark, blank stallion while he continues his sarcastic clap for the two. With Rainbow Dash safe and back to her true self, Ford sternly stands in front of her as he remembers that he has some unfinished business to take care first before he and Dash have some major catching-up to do.

“Well done, pony. Well done.” the emotionless tyrant praises for Ford’s valor before he ends his clapping and gets off of his seat. “You’ve managed to surprise me yet again. It seems I keep underestimating you. A mistake I shall remedy that IMMEDIATELY!”

Without restraint, Arrogon angrily flashes his soulless eyes as his dark blue magic constricts around Ford and Rainbow gasps in immense fear on having to relive that horrifying experience again!

“This time, I will see to it that you will not come back ever again!” Arrogon snarls at the continuously defiant pony.

Just as the dark stallion initiates his levitation spell, he notices something is wrong with his usual tactic. He was able to haul Ford before like he was just a feather, but now, the glaring Pegasus feels like he weighs almost the same as a whole mountain. Arrogon tries to put more effort into his telekinesis as his flaring eyes intensify, but it matters little as Ford’s unexplained mass prevents the perplexed tyrant from any further.

Seeing how he can’t lift Ford off the ground, the aggravating Arrogon tries to wrap this up by crushing him with his magic alone. But in response, the gradually infuriating Mustang unleashes his own Draconian Magic as his golden aura progressively pushes back Arrogon’s psychic constriction. As Ford’s rage intensifies in the same level as his magic, the throne room begins to shake tremendously due to the immense magnitude of the stallions’ standoff. At first, Rainbow was shocked by Ford’s unforeseen powers, but now, she couldn’t help herself but smile in awe as she notices Arrogon’s futility over moving the surprisingly indomitable Mustang. And once the infuriating overlord is reaching his breaking point over his telekinetic powers, Ford has enough with these mind games as he pours all of his fury and powers into a thunderous roar!

"RAAAAAARRR!!"

The deafening sound of his dragon’s roar is so devastating, that it not only shattered all of the stained glass windows in the room, but it ultimately breaks the concentrated, dark aura of the greatly startled Arrogon!

“That’s… that’s impossible!” he exclaims in staggering disbelief. “How could he--?!”

But before he can finish that sentence, Arrogon fails to respond as Ford Mustang charges right at him!

POW!

And for the second time since his return, Arrogon is caught off-guard and is punched in the face by the same pony as before! Only this time, Ford’s amplified strength is hundred times greater than the last time they met. Because of the immeasurable might of Mustang, the unresponsive tyrant is greatly propelled from that incredible force as he smashes right through his black throne and the castle’s wall! But that didn’t stop there. Hurled through the air at breakneck speed, Arrogon then crashes right through his own magical force field with little to no resistance stopping him! As the accursed dome that has trapped Canterlot’s citizens for so long breaks into countless, tiny shards before they fade from existence, Arrogon continues to fly off in such a great distance away from the world-renowned city before he finally crashes into the great, expansive plains of Canterlot.

After holding in all that fury for so long, Ford lets out a heavy sigh as he is very much satisfied on giving that ruthless pony a taste of his fully developed powers. Turning around, he is surprised to see Rainbow’s reaction after she saw the display of his overwhelming abilities. At first, she expresses a gaping, blank expression towards the slightly worried stallion, but then her face shifts to a very wide, awestricken smile as she rushes in for a long-overdue hug from him. Almost tackled by his marefriend, Ford is more than happy to return the affectionate gesture as he is truly thankful that he has his Rainbow Dash back in his hooves.

“Okay, I give up!” she looks at him with a pleased smile and a cocked eyebrow while she is still wrapped in his embrace. “Who are you, and what have you done with my coltfriend?”

With a smirk, he answers wittily, “Perhaps this might convince you other else.”

Gently, he pulls her towards him and delivers an affectionate kiss on her lips. It only lasts for a few seconds, but it is enough to help reignite the love that was never forgotten in the first place.

After breaking that kiss softly, he grins and asks for her opinion, “There… satisfied?”

“Are you kidding me? I haven’t seen you in like ages, and this is the best you can give me?” she goads him with a recognizable smirk.

“Oh trust me, Rainbow… I’m just getting started!”

Accepting her challenge without a second thought, Ford quickly pulls Rainbow back in for another smack on the lips. Only this time, this kiss is a lot deeper than before. In the midst of this, Rainbow is briefly surprise by Ford’s unusual boldness, but never the less, she welcomes it endearingly as her body starts to melt in his warm, longing embrace. After a much longer period of time, they gradually break their latest kiss as it leaves Rainbow Dash completely breathless and slightly dazed.

“So… did I pass this time?” Ford asks for her opinion once again with a confident smirk after examining the mare’s reaction.

Astonished by that second kiss, she composes herself as she confirms with a wide grin, “Totally!”

Afterwards, she resumes to hug him tightly as she expresses her amazement from the recent turn of events. “I still just… can’t believe it! You’re really here! When did you get so awesome all of a sudden?! I mean with the way you held your own against that stupid stare of his, and that roar of yours, and how you knocked that guy right on outta here!”

After a brief chuckle over seeing Rainbow’s usual excitement and cheerfulness, he explains to her with an amusing smile, “It’s a really long story, so I’ll tell you about it later.” Then, he notices Twilight Sparkle’s Element of Magic laying right next to him after it fell off from Arrogon’s broken throne. Realizing on what’s the next step to take in order to put a permanent end to Arrogon's reign, he picks up the crown and hands it to Rainbow. “But right now, you need to take this with you and go find Twilight and the others!”

“Oh my gosh!” she panics alarmingly. “I almost forgot about them! We’ve gotta save them!”

“They're fine, Rainbow. We’ve already freed them, and they should be fetching the Elements of Harmony right now.”

A bit relieved from hearing that the rest of her friends are safe, she starts to hover off the ground and vigorously takes the initial lead. “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s get those Elements, so we can send that Arrogon packing on a one-way trip to oblivion!”

Rainbow starts to take flight so she can find her friends right away, but then, she stops herself as she notices that Ford Mustang hasn’t budge an inch from his spot. Instead, he’s sternly gazing outside of the castle’s crashed opening for some reason as Rainbow Dash couldn’t figure out on what he’s looking at.

“Come on, Mustang!” she insists as she tries to pull him from his fixated trance. “Let’s get going!”

“No.” he responds strictly to her surprise. “You need to go on ahead. I have to face Arrogon until you and rest of the girls get the Elements ready.”

“Wait a minute!” Rainbow Dash says him as she blocks Ford’s viewpoint. “You can’t go out there just yet! Let’s find our friends first, and then we can face him together!”

Without paying much attention to her, Ford walks around her as he single-mindedly approaches the cracked opening on the wall. “I can’t let Arrogon find out anything on what our real plan is! I need to hold him off long enough until we can use the Elements of Harmony on him!”

“No way! It’s too risky to pull off a stunt like that! I won’t let you go out there!”

Ignoring her retort, he continues toward the makeshift exit. “There’s no time to argue! I need to do this! It’s the only way to defeat him!”

As he is about to takeoff, he is stopped by Rainbow Dash with her forelegs locked around his torso. He is about to argue with her, but he stops himself as he sees the mare weeping heavily right before his eyes.

“Please!” she pleads in a whimpering manner. “I… I… I just don’t want to lose you again!”

Touched by her rare display of emotional sincerity, Ford pulls the lamenting Pegasus closely as he tenderly nuzzles her. After wipe some of her tears away with a soft fore hoof and lightly kissing her on the forehead, he warmly reassures her, “You’ll never lose me again, angel. Not now and not ever.”

While wiping her remaining tears, she asks of him in a cute, pouty expression, “Promise?”

“Pinkie Promise.” he answers with a sincere smile as his waving fore hoof goes through the motions of the unbreakable promise.

Reluctantly at first, Rainbow silently permits him with a smile and a nod much to Ford’s satisfication. As he starts to turn around so he can confront Arrogon head-on, he is held back once again with a fore hoof.

“Wait!”

Curiously, he turns back around to can see what else Rainbow wants from him. But to his surprise as well as his delight, Rainbow firmly presses her warm lips onto his as he welcomes it without any resistance to her never-ending affection towards him.

Once their lips depart from each other, Rainbow clarifies it to him smoothly, “For luck.”

With a deeply satisfied grin, he responds coolly, “With you, I’m already the luckiest pony alive!”

After they reluctantly part ways from their latest embrace, Rainbow picks up the Element of Magic and teasingly commands her brave coltfriend with a winning grin, “Now go kick his ass, Mustang!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

With spirits and determination renewed thanks to Rainbow Dash’s warm affection, Ford Mustang takes off like a rocket and heads out to confront his deadliest adversary.

Miles away from Canterlot, in the great plains of Equestria, Arrogon the Destroyer lies motionlessly in a huge crater made from the brutal fall he just endured thanks to the unforeseen strength of the lone stallion. Inside his dark, twisted mind, he tries to figure out this greatly perplexing enigma. How could a pony like that gain so much power in such a short span of time?

Then he recalls that excruciatingly painful punch he just received. Despite its greater level of power, there is something familiar about that hit compared to the last time he was punched like that. Comparing to the two punches from that one Pegasus, they share one thing in common: they possess the same burning sensation as the powers Arrogon wields. Only Ford's has a sickeningly warm sensation that Arrogon despises so much. Next, he recalls what else he just witness recently. The fiery, golden aura… the recognizable roar… it’s all starting to make sense. They're all characteristics of Draconian Magic! And there was only one creature in this world that had a hand in this inconceivable treachery!

“HINDEL!”

Upon cursing out the name of the one responsible putting him in this mess, Arrogon immediately gets up from the ground and swiftly leaps out of the crash site. As his anger increases drastically, Arrogon almost misses Ford Mustang landing suddenly right in front of him.

“It was Hindel, wasn’t it?!” he demands out of the blue Pegasus in outrage. “He taught you Draconian Magic, didn’t he?! I should have known that accursed lizard would have pulled something like that by training another pony to fight his own battles!”

“That ‘accursed lizard’ was my friend!” Ford snaps back with merciless anger equivalent to Arrogon’s. “And now, you’re going to pay for everything you have done to this world!”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Ford Mustang!” he introduces himself before he points firm fore hoof at Arrogon similar in fashion of a famed, fictional lawyer with spiky hair back on Earth. “And I’ll see to it that you remember that name by the time I’m done kicking your ass!”

After glaring at each other sternly for a brief moment of time, Arrogon lightly chuckles to himself before he responds to the determined stallion in an amusing manner, “Ford Mustang… I must say, this is a surprising turn of events. But I should count myself lucky.”

Gradually, the demonic pony summons his pair of fiery wings before he slowly rises in the air as the two stallions kept their stern gazes locked on to each other. “Ford Mustang, as per your death wish, you shall have the honor and privilege to experience the full extent of my powers! So prepare yourself, warrior, for you are about to feel the wrath of a true god!”

Undaunted of villain’s fierce intimidation, Ford strongly plants his fore hooves into the soft ground as he comes up with a proper response to the Destroyer’s ultimate challenge.

“BRING… IT… ON.”

Author's Note

Next time: The Final Battle - Ford Mustang vs. Arrogon the Destroyer!

For what's to come after this, I will be pulling off some of the biggest chapters I will ever write on this website. Basically, the final battle will be divided into two chapters, so essentially, the climax to this story with be a two-parter. So here's my plan for that: I will write both of them and try to submit them simultaneously (maybe at least by one day). I figure it would be fair to submit them at the same time instead of publishing one new chapter and working on the next one in the span of a week or two. The catch is that it will take a long time for me to complete both of them, so it might take up a month or so upon their completion. Hopefully, you can bear your patience for me on this matter. But then again, most of you had to wait for an even longer period of time for some of your favorite stories to be updated, so I'm sure you can handle it for the time being. Cough! Two's a Company, Three's a Crowd Cough!

Chapter 26 – Ultimate Showdown

In the vast, open fields outside of Canterlot, two stallions come face-to-face in a decisive battle for the fate of Equestria and the entire world itself. Hovering menacingly in the air is the demonic overlord that is responsible for the dark tyranny of the seized country, Arrogon the Destroyer. And on the ground facing his ultimate adversary fearlessly is Equestria’s newest champion and probably its last hope against the monstrous tyrant, Ford Mustang.

Both of them are former apprentices of Hindel the All-Seeing Dragon. Both of them possess their own variation of Draconian Magic. Yet in a way, they’re a complete opposite towards each other. Like water and fire. Light and darkness. Good and evil. Two sides on the same coin.

With their piercing eyes firmly locked on to one and another, they silently wait for one of them to make the first move. In the midst of their face-off, nothing else was distracting them, whether it was the howling wind that’s rolling by them or the low, grumbling roar of the dark gray clouds above these two contenders. At last, the stage is set, the players are ready, and the final act of this epic tale is about to begin!

Through sheer instincts, the two glaring stallions charge simultaneously for each other as their fore hooves prepare to deliver the first punches in their ultimate conflict. At close proximity, their charge-up hooves come into contact, and their corresponding strikes create an explosive shockwave that echoes across the vast battleground! Yet despite the tremendous amount of force they have just created, the two bitter rivals held their stances firmly as their collided hooves are stuck to each other.

Eventually, they parted ways momentarily as they promptly follow it up with several quick strikes afterwards. From blocking each other’s attacks, the absorbed blows travel through their bodies as they give them ripple-like vibrations. Even by parrying them, their aura-infused moves are still powerful enough to send subtle shivers into their spines.

With their brute strengths on par, Arrogon switches it up by unleashing his demonic fire breath. After nimbly dodging that one, Ford counteracts that by breathing out his own display of draconic fire. In the midst of their aerial dogfight, fiery streams of dark blue and golden yellow light up the dark sky as the winged ponies encircle one and another. To finish off their blazing dance of death, both Ford and Arrogon take very deep breaths before each of them expels an immense blast of fire at the same time!

The collision of their flaming attacks creates a much mightier explosion compared to their initial punches! Because of the result of their recent actions, the latest shockwave is powerful enough to push the clashing titans back away from each other at such a great distance!

From that breakup, Ford takes a bit of a breather for himself as his eyes are still locked on to Arrogon’s. It is quite a strange feeling for him to experience. Despite how much the odds are against him, Ford is quite calm in all of this. Maybe it’s because of all the challenges he has gone through in the past: the Timberwolves, the petrifying Basilisk, Hindel’s final test, the mighty Infernal Dragon King, and most recently, a darker variation of Rainbow Dash. In a way, all these significant events in his life were meant for this moment; the moment upon which he can help defeat Arrogon, once and for all!

But Ford’s moment of silent tranquility is interrupted by muffled hackling of his over-confident opponent. “Oh Ford… don’t tell me you had enough with me already.” Arrogon chuckles so smugly. “I’m just getting warmed up!”

And to show that he isn’t all talk, the Destroyer radiates an incredible amount of blazing blue aura around his body. The foul stench of that malevolent energy is so strong that Ford can practically taste it.

I have to be careful with this guy. he calmly muses over this. With a practically immortal body, he can probably recover from any attack I throw at him. I have to play it smart for the time being until the girls arrive with their Elements of Harmony. But I can’t outlast him for too long if I want to reserve as much of my energy as possible. Hmm… what should I do from here?

After his brief display of unimaginable power, the boastful, dark Earth Pony asks smugly, “So, ready for another round?”

In response, Ford silently stares at the arrogant creature without answering his question. Then all of a sudden, the blue Pegasus breaks into a small smile as Arrogon is slightly confused by Mustang’s cool display of self-assurance. But before the perplexed tyrant can question that, Ford is gone in a flash and disappears into the dark clouds behind.

After the speechless Arrogon blinks his blue, flaming eyes a couple of times, he spontaneously laughs out loud before he calms himself down and amusingly calls the Pegasus out, “Ford… you disappoint me. You’ve shown such bravado in the first few minutes, but now you’re turning tail at the mere glimpse of my true powers. How disgraceful. Well, don’t think you’ll get away that easily! One time you have already escaped from my wrath, and that’s one time too many!”

With a mighty flap of his demonic, fiery wings, Arrogon pursues his fleeing target and enters the clouds’ thick density. After entering the stormy clouds blindly, Arrogon slows down his speed and slowly shifts his vigilant eyes to survey his hazy surroundings.

“Come out, come out wherever you are~!” he provokes the missing Pegasus in a sickening, singsong voice.

As the menacing stallion continues his steady pursuit, he doesn’t notice on how the gloomy clouds surrounding him are moving closer to him, nor did he pay any attention to how the clouds become darker than usual. Suddenly, he freezes in place after he hears a rumbling sound echoing from the clouds encircling him. Not sure on what Ford’s next move is going to be, Arrogon prepares himself for anything that’s to come. However, he is completely caught by surprise as a lightning bolt shoots right at him!

After the random lightning nearly hits him, Arrogon screeches in alarm, “What the--?!”

Once the first bolt was cast, a couple more are shot from the dark at different directions at the startled pony. As the two thunderbolts approach him at lightning speed, Arrogon hastily leans away before they cross paths with each other. As he continues to struggle in the cloudy entrapment, the number of lightning bolts increases overtime. Until finally, Arrogon had no way to dodge them all and is thoroughly zapped in the crossfire!

Meanwhile, as the Arrogon howls in pain from the countless lightning bolts, Ford Mustang carries on with his clever trap as he rapidly punches the condensed thunderclouds that are concealed around his paralyzed adversary. Thanks to his experience as a yearlong weather pony, Ford has enough knowledge on how to create and arrange various clouds for the required weather forecast, including thunderclouds. Because of that and his Pegasus anatomy, he managed to come up with this ingenious entrapment.

Unfortunately for Ford, the trap is short-lived as Arrogon lets out a booming roar, which obliterates the electrified clouds entrapping him. From this enraging outburst, Ford is knocked back by the roar’s power as he rapidly flips backwards while tumbling towards the ground. But right before he touches the soil, he pulls off a quick recovery and performs a perfect landing.

Slowly, the glaring Arrogon makes his smooth descent before landing some distance away from the stern Pegasus. As they continue their latest stare down, Ford can see a few trails of smoke sizzling from the burnt markings on Arrogon’s black coat. Eventually, the smoke fades away and there isn’t a visible scratch on him.

“Quite an impressive trick you’ve pulled off there.” Arrogon calmly praises Ford’s effort to the latter’s surprise. “But it’s quite obvious to both of us that your tricks won’t save you for long. You can’t measure up to my own powers, so you have to resort to other pitiful means to fight your battles, such as using the elements of nature against me. However… compared to them, you’ll see that I am a true force to be reckoned with!”

At once, Arrogon unhinges his razor-edged jaws, points his head towards the sky, and bellows out hundreds of blue energy missiles! Once they reached a great altitude, the missiles begin to curve and rain down towards the astonished Mustang. After he snaps out of it, Ford speedily makes a break for it, and avoids the incoming projectiles. But it didn’t stop there as the energy missiles are now homing in on Ford’s trail. Taking the latest game of hide-and-seek to the sky, the heat-seeking missiles continue their relentless hunt for the agile Pegasus. No matter how many twists and turns he pulls off to outmaneuver them, he can’t shake them off nor can he cause them to collide and explode with each other.

In the midst of the high-speed chase, Ford looks down and frowns at the sight on the laid-back Arrogon as he leisurely snickers over the Pegasus’s fruitless efforts. Seeing how his acrobatics aren’t doing anything to outsmart the projectiles, Mustang decides to pull off a classic trick in the book and swiftly turns around to charge right at Arrogon with the tyrant’s missiles following in hot pursuit.

At first, Arrogon is surprised to see Ford coming right at him in a blazing burst of speed, but then he dismisses it with an all-knowing chuckling to himself. Oh please! You seriously think that you can fool me with that pathetic, millennium-old trick on me? I know that from the moment you get close enough towards me, you’ll simply turn away and try to divert those missiles right at me! Too bad for you, I can control them with such ease that they won’t fall for such a simple trick as that!

Smugly, Arrogon stands still in place as he is confident that Ford’s latest tactic would blow up in his face. Even when the unyielding Mustang inches closer towards him, Arrogon’s coolness hasn’t deteriorate one bit as their game of chicken plays out from here. But just as the pony reaches in Arrogon’s close proximity range where the dark lord predicted his opponent’s diversion, Ford unexpectedly folds his wings and dives right through Arrogon’s tall legs! While he narrowly swoops all the way through that gap, Arrogon is immensely surprised by this unorthodox ruse as he impulsively turns around to look at the death-defying stallion! But from that distraction, the demonic stallion forgets about his numerous missiles that are coming right at him!

Because of that distraction, Arrogon didn’t give himself enough time to redirect the route of his incoming projectiles before they start to explode right in front of his face! As the Destroyer is being bombarded by his own volley of energy missiles, Ford expands his wings again to put on the air brakes. With a swift twist of his body, Mustang faces Arrogon from behind and roars out an explosive blast of golden fire! With Ford’s sneak attack included, the stricken Arrogon is caught in a pinch between the multitude of fiery explosions!

After all of Arrogon’s missiles have combusted, the shadowy king is engulfed in a very thick dust cloud, thanks to the countless explosions. While the smoke settles in, Ford takes another breather to relax his muscles and gather his conserving energy. Eventually, the dust clears away as it reveals a slightly shaken oppressor before he slowly turns around and fiercely glares at the noble pony with intense, blazing eyes. From the look on Arrogon’s face, Ford can tell that the dark Earth Pony is no longer amused by all of this as he displays a grim, serious expression towards his foe.

“You worthless foal!” Arrogon snaps at him. “Are you that cocky into believing that you can defeat me with just mere tricks like that?! Huh?!”

Ford didn’t say anything at first, but then, he breaks into a small smirk as he replies wittily, “I just didn’t want to dirty my precious, little hooves against such lowlife filth, that’s all.”

A bit surprised by that ironic statement, Arrogon growls back at the slightly grinning pony, “Joke all you want, clown! It only goes to show you that your little ruses won’t do you any good if you can’t even lay a single hoof on me! Now make a move--!”

BAM!

But Arrogon got what he wished for once he is suddenly punched in the muzzle by Ford’s left fore hoof! Taking a few steps back from that sudden blow, Arrogon muffles his groaning as he holds his sore muzzle with his fore hooves. Once his nose recovers, he removes his hooves and he glares with increasingly piercing eyes at Ford, who is holding his punching stance firmly with a very stern expression.

After retracting his foreleg, Ford asks his opponent coldly, “There. Satisfied?”

“Mark my words, Ford.” Arrogon threatens him with extreme bitterness. “By the end of this, you will rue the day from ever having to face me!”

With that said, Arrogon goes on the offensive and charges forward with killer instinct. In their latest confrontation, Ford puts up a strong defense in response as he blocks and dodges Arrogon’s increasingly hostile attacks. Then, the Earth Pony unleashes one mighty blow, which is countered the Pegasus’s own hoof-punch. Next, Arrogon throws his other hoof at Ford, and he counters that one as well. With their fore hooves pressed against each other’s, they are engaging in a tug-of-war struggle as the grunting ponies are locked in another test of strength. The strength in their fore hooves counterbalance with one and another and their hind legs dig deeply within the earth. In this latest contest of ultimate power, the scale slowly shifts back and forth between the two fierce rivals.

But that is abruptly ended when Arrogon swiftly delivers an iron headbutt to Ford’s forehead, and it causes the young stallion to collapse onto the floor. With the briefly stunned Mustang on the ground, Arrogon takes the opportunity to secure the Pegasus’s forelegs by firmly stomping onto top of them, which earned the pleased tyrant a yelp of pain from his pinned adversary.

“Got you!” Arrogon says with glee.

In the midst of the submission hold, Ford groans and attempts to break free, but his forelegs are unable to move thanks to Arrogon’s heavy hooves. At long last, Arrogon has him right where he wants him: at his feet and at his mercy!

“Enjoy that breath of fresh air, Mustang… because it will be your last once I’ve extinguished your very life!”

After saying that, Arrogon arches his head back as his monstrous jaws unhinge and perhaps his blue fireball just like the time they first met. But this time, Arrogon will see to it that Ford is disintegrated right before his eyes with his point blank shot.

As the dark overlord preps for his ultimate fireball, Ford is lost in his own thoughts by that one word Arrogon said earlier: “breath.” That word keeps repeating in his head for some reason. Then, the Pegasus recalls all of his training from his master, Hindel. On how breathing plays an important role in Draconian Magic. No breathing means more Draconian Magic. The shocking realization strikes the wide-eyed Mustang like lightning and he hastily prepares his counterattack.

Spotting Arrogon’s exposed neck, Ford takes a quick breath and spews out a very small variation of his dragon’s roar. And before Arrogon can unleash his fireball, the bullet made of compressed air makes a direct hit to his throat with deadly accuracy! Due to the precision of Ford’s piercing attack, Arrogon gags greatly as his fire spell breaks apart in an instant! As the off-guard tyrant coughs on his own demonic fire, he involuntarily steps back, which inadvertently frees Ford’s forelegs from their heavy restraint.

Not wanting to waste any more time on this rare opportunity, Ford goes on the offensive by retracting his strong hind legs and springs them into action by firing off a powerful kick right in Arrogon’s muzzle! Because of that, Arrogon rockets away from Ford before crash-landing in a great distance away from him. As the dark pony pitifully moans in muffled pain, he steadily gets himself up as he gingerly holds his poor, damaged nose.

So far, so good. Mustang cocks a small, contented smile as he sees Arrogon’s current, weakened state. Now, only one thing left to do!

In a starting position before he makes his grand gallop, Ford charges himself with as much Draconian Magic as he can gather for just a few seconds. But more importantly, he puts a majority of his powers into his hind legs as they will serve as the ultimate finisher to his 3-step assault. Once he is ready, he sprints into action and promptly bolts right for the anchored Arrogon. In the midst of his rapid dash, Ford’s galloping body glows a streaking aura of golden light. And as soon as he gets close enough to the dazed Destroyer, Ford stops himself with one solid fore hoof to swiftly spin himself around. Then, he stops his rapid spin with the other fore hoof. And finally, he finishes it off with an all-powerful buck to Arrogon’s side!

CRACK!

“GRAAAHH!!”

Thanks to the amplification of Ford’s draconian powers and the applied forces from his high-speed charge and quick spin, the devastating side kick is enough to fracture Arrogon’s ribs from the inside and sends his deeply injured body tumbling uncontrollably hundreds of feet away from the contented Pegasus! He could hardly believe it. His last-minute strategy actually worked. He managed to temporarily disable the three vital attributes to Arrogon’s powers. His ruptured trachea can only produced wheezy coughs from his injured throat. His broken nose has sealed off his alternative means of breathing. And every times he tries to gather any amount of energy through inhaling, he is greeted with indescribable amounts of pain as his broken ribs would stab his inflating lungs. Arrogon the Destroyer may be the most powerful creature in Equestria, but all of his godly powers won’t do him any good if his respiration has been cut off. And now, he is as powerless as the very ponies he looked down upon for so long; maybe even more so than the ones he would consider as inferior creatures.

Helplessly, all Arrogon can do is curse at the pony who did this to him while he continuously winces in pain, “I’m going… to kill you… Ford.”

With Arrogon down for the count, Ford has a critical decision to make. He originally wanted to hold off Arrogon for as long as he can until Rainbow Dash and her friends arrive with the Elements of Harmony. But with the powerless Arrogon unable to get up at the moment, Ford has a chance to finish off the Destroyer once and all, and save everyone else the trouble.

With his mind made up, Ford hastily powers up and rushes in to annihilate Arrogon from the face of Equestria. In the midst of his flight, Ford glances at the Destroyer’s stern expression as he is slightly confusion on why the dark demigod is so calm despite facing his imminent demise. Pushing his perplexity aside, Mustang refocuses on the task at hoof as he sought to deliver the final blow.

But suddenly, a mob of Shadow Minions block Ford’s path as it slows his pace at an increasing rate. Distracted by this random encounter, the surprised pony swiftly looks up and sees dozens of hackling Gremlins raining down on him. Upon their landing, the pesky, little imps topple on top of the immensely startled Pegasus as they cause him to tumble backwards. With the pony caught off by complete surprise, hundreds of shadowy hands reach out and pull him away from their dark master.

“N-n-no… NO! ARROGON! YOU COWARD!” Ford yells at him with colossal fury as he is dragged away by the smug pony’s Shadow Minions. Arrogon couldn’t care less about Ford’s screeching outburst. Despite his ill condition, he is fortunate enough summon every last creature at his disposal. Sure, it would cease his takeover from most of Equestria’s cities and towns momentarily, but if it will take ever last one of his Minions to hold Ford long enough before he can make a full recovery, then so be it.

Meanwhile, the aggravating Mustang is being suffocated him by the Shadow Minions’ massive mash pit. Furiously, he breaks free and flies high in the air. However, he is being swarmed by numerous Furies as they peck and scratch at his fur. Annoyed by this, Ford lets out a wide-ranged dragon’s roar as it scatters the pesky flyers away from him. Hurriedly, he tries to scope out Arrogon, but is constantly distracted from his search as he frantically dodges all of the fiery projectiles from the Djinns and Furies. Along with that, he has to agilely evade the grim Wraith’s swift sickle slashes. Having enough of this, Ford swoops down at ground level while he plows right through any Shadow Minion that gets in his way. But out of nowhere, two ginormous hands slam on top of Ford and the Golem begins the compress him. Just when Mustang begins to break free from the monster’s grasp, five more Golems join in the fray and add their pressurized weight into the pulverization. In the middle of the crushing process, Ford radiates an intense, golden heat which glows right through the giants’ enormous hands. And eventually, his body’s raging aura explodes and frees him from the Golems, while also obliterating them.

After performing that enormous explosion, Ford takes a heavy breather as that last attack took a lot of energy. In the middle of his panting, he sees the Shadow Minions re-gathering their forces and surrounding him. Despite being slightly weary from his aggressive barrage earlier, Mustang readies himself for what’s to come. All at once, the emotionless creatures jump forward and attempt to attack without mercy.

But just before Ford Mustang can make a move, he is startled to see the leaping monsters freezing in mid-air as they slam into something hard yet invisible to their soulless, ruby eyes. Apparently, Ford is being protected by a magenta, see-through dome. As the magical force field is still activate, a blur of red and gold flies around in circles as its high-speed wake creates continous streaks of fire. Eventually, the blazing trails expands into a fiery tornado, and in the center of it, Ford marvels from within at the magnificent firestorm as it either tosses the Shadow Minions aside or incinerates them!

With the surrounding forces dispersed, the protective bubble disappears as Ford gets a good glimpse at his saviors responsible for their signature techniques: Spitfire and Shining Armor!

“Hey, Mustang! Looks like you could use a hoof around here!” Spitfire greets him with a grin.

“Thanks, Spitfire!” he smiles at both of them. But when he glances at Shining Armor, his smile drops as he expresses confusion on the Unicorn’s arrival. “Wait, Shining Armor? What are you doing here? I thought you were with Twilight!”

“Twily said that she and her friends will be alright by themselves, so she insisted that I free everypony else in Canterlot. Then, all of a sudden, those shadowy creatures start leaving the city for no reason. So we followed them here and saw that you have bitten off more than you can chew!”

“Princess Cadance and her troops stand ready in an outskirt nearby.” Spitfire adds. “And once we saw Shining’s signal, we were more than happy to join in the skirmish!”

Their reunion is cut short when the countless Shadow Minions gather around and surround the three ponies. Their terrifying encirclement almost resembles a giant, jiggling blob of darkness that’s dotted with red, glowing eyes as they gaze at the three Equestrian heroes.

“You should probably sit this one out, Ford.” Spitfire kids as she is back-to-back with her comrades. “And let us professionals show you how it’s done!”

“And not perform my civil duty for the community? Heh, not a chance!” he chuckles in response.

“Eh, suit yourself. WONDERBOLTS GO!”

And upon command, the rest of the Wonderbolts, including Soarin and Fleetfoot, make a grand entrance in the sky as they lead the rest of Ponyville’s top-notched Pegasi. From this additional, aerial support, they attack and break up the other flyers of Arrogon’s army. From the sideline, Earth Ponies and Unicorns form a mighty stampede as they charge head-on into the battlefield. The armor-clad ponies were armed to the teeth as those without magic were wielding various weapons, including swords, spears, and bows. In the midst of the chaos, rolling dust clouds the battleground as magical sparks are flying across the arena with battle cries and the clashing weapons filling in the air.

Despite how skillful a majority of their forces were, the ponies are still outmatched by the Shadow Minions as their numbers are a hundred times greater than Equestria’s. But the odds have shifted as thousands of changelings cover the sky and buzz their way into the ongoing battle like a swarm of angry bees.

“FOR THE ROYALTY!!” Trapjaw screeches to his fellow brethren.

And with that said from their leading commander, the menacing changelings dive down and join the fray. While they lack skills and refinement compared to the ponies, they make up for that in greater numbers and ferociousness. An example of their ferocity is when hundreds of changelings cling onto one of the Golems and manage to take it down while they rip it to shreds. Some of changelings cunningly take up disguises of their enemies as they draw confusion to the mindless Shadow Minions. From this distraction, the ponies and changelings can take the opportunity and ambush them by surprise.

As the battle wages on, Ford is assisting the Pegasi as they fight off the flying Shadow Minions in the air. Suddenly, they hear bird-like screeches in the far distance as Ford and the others turn to the source. Upon sight, Mustang smiles to himself broadly after verifying the new arrivals: Gilda and her army of griffon warriors!

Breaking off their formation, the armored griffons disperse and take on any Shadow Minion like predators setting their sights on their next meals. While most of them are armed to the teeth with their razor-sharp weapons, they are not afraid to get their claws dirty as their talons can easily rip through the constructs’ artificial shells. With their extraordinary endurance, the griffons can muster through any fight they can get their claws on.

Once she gets a chance, Gilda approaches Ford in mid-flight while she shows off her newly acquired, purple breastplate armor with gold trimmings. “Gilda! You made it!” he welcomes her with a big hug.

“Like I was going let you have all the fun to yourself, Ford!” she responds with a grin as she fist-bumps with his hoof. “By the way, where’s Rainbow Dash? Did you guys free her yet?”

“She’s fine, Gilda. She and her friends are inside the castle and are fetching the Elements of Harmony as we speak.”

“Whew! I’m glad to hear that, Mustang.” she says with relief. Then, she faces the other way around and waves off to him with a cocky smile, “Anyway, I better get back up there! I can’t let those slackers outshine me in my moment of glory!”

“Whatever you say, Gilda!” he chuckles mildly before they depart ways.

Seeing how most of the sky has been covered, Ford decides to return back on the ground and resume the fight from there. With new reinforcements, the odds have slightly shifted in his favor. Even with the Shadow Minions’ numbers reaching hundreds of thousands, his allies have a lot more to offer compared to the mindless drones out there.

Out of nowhere, Ford hears a strange, rumbling noise as his hooves feel a soft, rhythmic shake on the ground. That throbbing sound begins to sound like familiar, awe-inspiring music to his ears. And that mesmerizing beat has a certain Unicorn DJ written all over it. To confirm this, he hovers above the conflict to get a better glimpse of the source. Over a hill, a six-wheeled vehicle steadily rolls in place as Ford gasps with awe at the reveal of Vinyl’s secret project.

The steampunk tank consists of shiny, gray metal plates and is highlighted with bright, blue neon lights, especially its rims. At the driver’s seat is Octavia, who is wearing her pink bowtie, a pair of goggles over her eyes, and thick headphones with a microphone attached to it. Right behind the cellist is a massive turret with a very odd armament attached to it: a massive loudspeaker system with four subwoofers. The bass speakers pulsate every time it lets out a booming beat to its rocking battle music. And seating at the helm of this one-of-a-kind weapon is the devious disc jockey herself, Vinyl Scratch, who is wearing her trademark, purple shades and her own set of headphones similar to her marefriend’s.

“Make way, everypony!” Vinyl announces with a grin to the crowd through her mike. “DJ-PON-3 has entered the stage and is ready to rock!”

From her controls, Vinyl can see everything in front of her through the screen. From her monitor, she can see a colossal Golem smashing its way. With careful aim, she aligns the crosshairs at the Golem’s head and prepares to initial her weapon. The loudspeaker system separates its subwoofers, the top two shifting up and the bottom two splitting left and right, and it reveals a massive blue speaker with four smaller subwoofers surrounding it. After a brief charge-up, the transformed loudspeaker fires a bright, blue beam of intense waves of sound!

WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!

From that short burst of intensified energy, the sound blast vaporizes the head of the unsuspected Golem, and the massive creature topples over while its headless body gradually fades away!

Next, Vinyl eyes the sky and sees the countless swarms of Shadow Minions giving some trouble with the Pegasi and griffons. Suddenly, a crazy idea pops into her mind, and the DJ grins widely before she directs a megaphone toward the crowded sky.

“Hey, hotshots! Round those creeps up so I can take them out in one shot!”

Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot catch wind of that shout-out, and the lead Wonderbolt direct the other two and anyone else near her, “You heard the young mare! Let’s show those amateurs who rule the skies up here!”

After a nod to their commander, Soarin and Fleetfoot split off with some of the flyers following them. Eventually, the Pegasi and griffons form a circle around hundreds of Shadow Minions. Once everything is in place, the flyers rapidly flap their mighty wings as they create strong, gusting winds. With their synchronizing fanning, the opposing flyers are pushed into the center of the ring, and they are tightly squeezed at the centerpoint. With the compressed creatures unable to move as the flyers continue their intense routine, Vinyl directs his special cannon upwards and fires a second blast right at the clustered Shadow Minions!

WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!

In one fell swoop, the amassed Minions are disintegrated by the booming blast of Vinyl’s custom-made tank. After the creatures’ disintegration, the Pegasi and griffons that help assisted in this ploy cheer and holler at their accomplishment as Vinyl grins with proud.

But then, Octavia calls out to her through their special headsets, “Vinyl, we’ve got enemies from all sides!”

Hearing her marefriend’s warning, Vinyl takes a moment to look away from the screen and sees how dire the situation is. Surrounding the Equestrian tank are a dozen of Gremlins, Djinns, and Wraiths as they slowly approach the vehicle. Despite how menacing the looming threat is, Vinyl isn’t too worried as she has another surprise just in case if that might happen.

“Not a problem, Tavi! Just hit that blue button right next to you, and we’ll drop the bass on them!”

Looking around her driver’s seat, Octavia sees a shiny blue button right next to the stick shift. Immediately, she presses it, and throughout the six-wheeled tank, side speakers pop up from all sides as they all face the approaching Shadow Minions. And all at once, the surround sound system blasts a tremendous, widespread wave, and the thick sound barrier damages the dark creatures while also pushing them at a great distance away from the two musicians.

“Ah, yeah! Totally awesome!” Vinyl glees ecstatically before she coos to her latest invention while gently patting it. “Oh, I can’t wait to turn this baby into my very own party mobile once all this is over!”

Octavia groans as she rests a fore hoof on her head while shaking it with displeasure. “Oh Celestia, help us all if it ever comes to that.”

Back in the centerpoint of the ongoing battle, Ford Mustang returns back on the ground while he is met up by Spitfire as she lands right next to him.

“I’ve got to say…” she comments with a smile. “…despite the overwhelming odds, we’re holding ourselves pretty well!”

“Yeah, it looks like we might make this out alive after--!”

But then, he stops abruptly as he realizes that he forgot something really important to do. He once had Arrogon right where he wanted, but with the interventions of Arrogon's mindless Minions and his allies, he unfortunately lost track of him, and he isn’t sure on how fully recovered his enemy is at this point. Frantically, the blue Pegasus searches around, but he can barely see anything through the immensely dusty battleground.

“Wait… where’s Arro--?”

Suddenly, Ford freezes in place as he shockingly stares at what’s behind Spitfire. A pair of menacing, blue eyes pierce through the rolling dust cloud as they lock on with Ford’s. Along with the eyes and flaring mane, another source of blue fire makes an appearance as it takes a shape of a gaping mouth like a snake ready to swallow its prey whole. Realizing on who the shadowy Arrogon is targeting at, Ford hastily springs forward as he frantically cries out to his unsuspected friend.

“SPITFIRE! LOOK OUT!”

But before the fiery-haired Wonderbolt can turn around and see what’s behind her, the scheming scoundrel fires a mighty fireball from his maw as Ford jumps in the way and shields Spitfire with his body!

BOOM!

From that scorching attack, the explosion launches both Ford and Spitfire far away from Arrogon. Eventually, the two Pegasi plow right into the ground as the stallion takes most of the impact from that crash-landing. With Spitfire taking far less injury than Mustang, she is the one who gets up first as she quickly recovers from her daze. With her head cleared, she examines Ford and gasps in horror at what he has gained from his valiant effort: a nasty burnt mark right on his back and between his wings.

He tries to get up, but the black, scorching wound causes him so much pain, that it makes him lose his balance and focus as he tumbles back on the ground while hissing from his injury. Carefully, Spitfire lays Mustang’s head on top of her lap as she gently strokes his hair while hoping that help with arrive soon. Shortly after that, her prayers have been answered as her husband, Soarin, dives down and assesses the situation.

“Honey! Are you okay?!” Soarin frets with worry.

“I’m fine, sweetie.” she assures her spouse tenderly before turning her attention back to her pain-ridden protector. “But Ford… he’s hurt!”

“Auggh… my back!” Mustang points it out in a groan.

Frantically, Spitfire issues a command to the Wonderbolt stallion. “Soarin, go find a medic! Now!”

“On it!” he salutes to his wife before he flies away and begins his search.

“Spitfire… get out of here!” Ford insists greatly despite his anguish. “It’s too dangerous!”

“Shh… Don’t worry, Ford.” she cooingly dismisses him as she reassumes her gentle patting on Mustang’s hair. “I’m not going to leave you. I’m staying right here until help arrives. Everything is going to be alright.”

“No, Spitfire! It’s not safe here! He’s coming this way! He’s--!”

But he didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence once again as he gazes with wide eyes at the figure of shadow and fire drawing towards them. Once he finishes his steady march, Arrogon looms over the two Pegasi as he scoffs at Ford’s current condition.

“I must admit, Ford. You held on your own very well, but when it comes to protecting your friends, you’re just as helpless as they are!”

After she gently removes Ford from her lap, she sternly steps in front of the wounded Pegasus and growls at her enemy, “You stay away from him!”

“Spitfire… don’t!” Ford pleads in the midst of his agony.

“Stand aside, or else your fate will be the same as his.” Arrogon warns her in a firm manner.

Without a second thought, she answers sharply, “Never!”

“FINE.”

With his blazing eyes flickering with anger and annoyance, Arrogon prepares to launch another fireball as he plans to finish off both Ford Mustang and Spitfire at point-blank range. But then, his charge-up is interrupted by a screeching voice behind him.

“Hey, ugly! Over here!”

Instinctively, he turns his head around to face the intervener. But before he could get a good glimpse of the interrupter, his flaring eyes are met with a swift swipe of razor-sharp talons!

"ARRGH!! MY EYES!!”

After his deafening screeching, Arrogon impulsively closes his eyes, which has three glowing, blue scars stretching across them, as he kneels on the dirt while he continues to holler in unimaginable pain. The bold creature responsible for the tyrant’s disgrace happens to be Gilda, who after slashing Arrogon’s face has her left claw without warning set ablaze. Distraught by her own recoil of pain, Gilda tumbles onto the ground and she slides right next to the stunned Pegasi. Once the minor fire on her claw was put out, she looks back and takes great amusement over Arrogon’s pitiful state.

“That’s one for the griffons!” she smirks with pride over Arrogon’s humiliation.

Breaking out of his astonishment, Ford says to his griffon friend concernedly, “Gilda! Your claw!”

After examining her burnt claw, she shrugs it off with a smile while ignoring the sizzling pain, “Hey, don’t worry about it! It’s just a scratch, that’s all!”

“Gilda… I… don’t know what to say…”

With a wink, she grins at him, “I told you that someone has to watch your back, didn’t I?”

“Thank you.”

After Ford’s warm gratitude, the three heroes are then diverted by Arrogon’s constant screeching as he hisses in pain and overwhelming fury.

“When my eyes get better, I’m going to find that griffon who did this to me! And when I do… I’LL BOIL HER EYES FROM THE INSIDE OUT!!”

Taking the hint that Arrogon wasn’t exaggerating with his latest threat, Gilda starts to shake with fear on that grim possibility, and she tightly clamps her beak shut while Ford leans in and whispers to her, “Gilda… run.”

Just when Gilda considers on taking that advice and high-tailing it out of here, the blind, demonic Earth Pony freezes without prior notice as he hears something slamming right into the earth. Ford and company gasp with awe as they witness their adversary being imprisoned within a large, hollow cube. Next, another cube is magically created out of thin air as it perfectly fits in the top opening of first 3-D shape, thus sealing the distressed Arrogon like a disgusting bug in a jar. The two cubes are both artificial made out of sparkling, magenta magic, except the second one is completely solid compared to the first.

With the trap in place, the smaller cube drops and smashes Arrogon so hard until it creates a shallow imprint due to its own immeasurable weight! Repetitively, the makeshift compressor keeps slamming the pony in the ground as the impression digs in deeper than the last. Finally, improvised machine press comes to a stop with the dense cube resting on top of Arrogon’s unresponsive body. After starring at the trap’s handiwork speechlessly, the two Pegasi and lone griffon gaze at the pony responsible for the clever setup as the white Unicorn with deep blue hair walks towards them while keeping his blue eyes firmly locked on to his own magical device.

“That was for laying a hoof on my sister!” Shining Armor spats out while his glowing horn is still active.

“Nice one, Captain!” Spitfire congratulates him.

Shortly after that, Soarin enters the scene as he carefully carries a well-known caretaker of Ponyville, Nurse Redheart. Once the Wonderbolt lands her gently, Redheart gallops toward the injured warriors before she unloads her combat medic saddlebag.

“No, attend Gilda first.” Ford mildly rejects the nurse’s help as he points a fore hoof to his griffon friend. “I’m fine on my own.”

“Ford, don’t be absurd!” Spitfire scolds at him for his supposed stubbornness. “There is no way you can fight with that nasty wound on… your…!”

But her assertiveness starts to die down as she gapes with wondrous eyes on Ford’s display of his Draconian Magic. After a couple of steady breaths, a warm, golden light glows over his scorched back as tiny, thin tendrils of his magic weave in and out of his deeply burnt wound. With his unique, cross-stitching magic at work, the blackened fur is replaced with its original light blue coloring and any trace of his injury fades away.

After staring blankly at Ford’s regeneration for several seconds, Spitfire blinks a few times before commenting it with an awkward, chuckling grin. “Or you know… you could do that instead.”

Once Ford is nearly completed with his self-healing process, Redheart refocuses her attention to Gilda as the mare examines the griffon’s injured talons. With her quick analysis completed, the Earth Pony cleans the claw with a cloth and some alcoholic ointment. Afterwards, she wraps it up securely with a long piece of bandage.

With his recovery completed, Ford gets himself up and gives his limbs and wings a nice stretch for each of them. Abruptly, he ceases his stretch as he senses extremely high levels of energy coming from Shining Armor’s entrapment. For some reason, this wasn’t a complete surprise to him; Arrogon is not down for the count just yet.

“Everypony, something’s wrong here!” the captain alerts his allies as he strains himself from trying to hold the indomitable tyrant down. “He’s… somehow resisting it and breaking free!”

Progressively, Arrogon begins to rise from his coffin as he carries the immeasurable, cubic weight on his back. What’s more is that Shining’s magical constructs, which are entrapping the enraging monster, starts to literally crack under pressure.

Regarding with his friends’ safety, Ford firmly issues an order to them, “Guys, you need to get out of here! NOW!”

“No way, I can still fight!” Gilda refuses boldly. “I can take this creep with one claw behind my back!”

“LISTEN TO ME!” he snaps at her which nearly shakes the startled griffon up. “Arrogon isn’t like those creatures out there! His powers aren’t like anything you have ever faced before! If you so much as give him a chance, he can take control of your body with just a mere glance at you and won’t show any mercy once you are in his grasp! And trust me, I know what he is capable of from experience! Right now, I’m the only one who can stand up to him, but if any of you get in the way, he will take full advantage of it! So please… for my sake… don’t interfere.”

As Gilda silently takes into great account on Ford’s warning, Shining Armor’s magic is nearly at its breaking point while Arrogon finishes his rising and furiously glares at his offenders. Again, the struggling Unicorn alerts his comrades, “Guys… I can’t… hold him off… much longer!”

Taking heed on Ford’s advice, Spitfire complies with the strict stallion, “Whatever you say, Mustang.”

With Spitfire giving a nod to her pony compatriots, Soarin and his wife prepare to transport their griffon ally as the Nurse Redheart says to Gilda, “Come on. Let’s get you heal. Princess Cadance has prepared a medical sanctuary for all of us.”

The Wonderbolts begin to help Gilda up, but before they can leave, she stops them with a raised claw as she looks back at Mustang’s immovable, watchful stance.

“Ford!” she sharply gets his attention which didn’t cause much reaction from his end. “You better make it out of this alive, because I am not going to be the bearer of bad news once I finally get to see Dash again!”

Without turning his head back, Mustang displays a small smile as he expresses his soft gratitude, “Thanks, Gilda.”

Satisfied, the grinning griffon allows Spitfire to escort her to Cadance’s sanctuary while Soarin follows along while carrying Nurse Redheart once again in his forelegs. After that, Shining gallops away from the scene while his barely containable magic is still active.

“Good luck, Ford.” Shining says while he passes by him as he received a short nod in return.

With everyone else gone, Ford can concentrate with resuming his fight with his fated enemy, Arrogon. And using his own dragon’s roar, the Destroyer shatters what’s left of the Unicorn’s magic before he steps out of the squared hole and faces his stern opponent once again with a menacing stare-off.

“Tell me, where is that griffon friend of yours?” Arrogon asks with such unusual niceness that gave a bad taste to his mouth. “If you cooperate with me, I promise to make your death as quick and painless as possible.”

“They’re not your concern right now! This is just between you and me!”

“Why do you bother wasting your time on such weaklings? They cannot comprehend on the kind of power we possess! They will only just get in the way and hold you back from achieving your true potential! If you did that, you might stand a chance against me!”

“You’re wrong, Arrogon! My friends are my strength! It’s what drives me to where I am today!” And Ford finishes it off by pointing a firm fore hoof right at his adversary. “And it’s them who will be your downfall!”

In response, Arrogon chuckles with great amusement as he grimly assures Ford, “In that case, I’ll just have to break that pathetic bond of yours and see just how strong your friendship really is towards them! One link at a time!”

“…You know what? We’re taking this fight somewhere else.”

“Ha! Considering how feeble your powers are compared to my own, you don’t have the right to make such a request--!”

But he never got a chance to finish that ridiculing statement as Ford Mustang shoves his foreleg right into Arrogon’s muzzle before they take their liftoff! At tremendous speed, the two fly across the ongoing battle beneath them as the taken-by-surprised Arrogon is being driven away against his own will by Ford’s unexpected might. Once the two are in a clear distance away from the main conflict, Ford swiftly flings Arrogon before he crashes into a tall cliff side of a mountain nearby.

As the dark lord grudgingly gets himself up from the ground, Ford lands firmly right next to him as he coldly verifies it to his opponent, “I wasn’t asking for your approval.”

After a slow wipe across his dark muzzle, Arrogon glares at Ford with complete displeasure before he remarks in response, “Fine. We’ll continue this without any distractions. But don’t think that this will help your friends escape from their imminent demise! Look and see it for yourself!”

A bit hesitant at first, Ford turns around and gasps with wide-eyed shock. From the cliff lookout, he could see the entire battle his allies have to go through. Even with the combined forces of ponies, changelings, and griffons, their numbers don’t even come close to the Shadow Minions’. And with such a countless army to deal with, the alliance start to grow tired as they carry on with their decisive struggle.

Soon enough, the allies start to take damage, and most of them have to be escorted into Cadance’s medical sanctuary right outside of the main battleground, which is being protected by the Alicorn Princess’s special force field. From there, a collaboration of medics would do their best to heal the wounded, whether it will allow them to fight once again or to save them from their grave injuries.

As Ford continues to helplessly watch his overwhelmed allies, Arrogon gleefully proves his point by delivering a stinging statement to his preoccupied adversary, “You see? My vast army covers the land while your allies are just mere specks in my expanding sea of darkness! Now, with their precious champion out of the way, they’ve only just lined themselves up for the slaughter! Your actions didn’t save them! You’ve only hasten them to their inevitable doom!”

From this grim realization, Ford cringes from the constant cries of his allies from every time they are inflicted with pain. He sees Pegasi and griffons dropping from the sky, exhausted Unicorns reaching their limits of their magical capabilities, and Earth Ponies and changeling steadily losing their stamina. Mustang couldn’t help himself but dread on the fatal outcome for his friends out there. Arrogon, on the other hand, simply sits back and enjoys the psychological torture he has plunged Ford into.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar abruptly snaps Ford out of his shock as he and Arrogon look into the cloudy sky where that call came from. Dumbfounded by that booming noise, Arrogon inquires, “What… was that?”

From recognizing that roar, Ford slowly breaks into an all-knowing grin reminiscent to Hindel's as he answers simply, “Cavalry.”

Like the famed, mythological Valkyries from Ford’s homeworld, Wagner the Inferno Dragon King descend from the heavens as he leads his band of one-hundred strong dragons to fulfill an oath that he made to Hindel and Ford Mustang. Upon seeing these legendary beasts making their arrival, the allied forces smile brightly for the dragons to come to their aid like this.

As Wagner leads the charge, he lets out a mighty battle cry, “FOR HINDEL!!”

Following suit, the dragons shout out their own booming roars as they spread out like wildfire. Half of them assist the rest of the flyers in the sky, while the other half aid those on the ground. As the most aggressive species out of the entire allied forces, the dragons are employed with many weapons at their disposal such as their teeth, claws, tails, heads, and most notably, their fire-breathing. Despite their immense firepower, some of them are quite masterful into controlling their flames. For individual targets, they can simply spew out arrows of fire at them. And of course, their massive sizes dwarf everyone else; they even rival that with the Golems.

Due to their overwhelming sizes and power, the dragons were strictly ordered by Wagner and Ford to not have anyone of their smaller allies to be caught in the crossfire. Even when they kept that careful notion in check, the dragons dominate the battlefield as they swiftly reduce the Shadow Minions by the thousands for each passing minute.

Back on the cliff side, Ford and Arrogon stare speechlessly at the sudden turn of the tide as the black sea of Shadow Minions are being purged by the dragons' colorful display of fire. The cries of agony are gradually deafened with the sound of morally inspired battle cries from Ford’s allies as their hope has been renewed, thanks to Wagner’s reinforcement.

Unable to resist, Ford turns to the flabbergasted Arrogon with a witty grin as he rubs it in his face, “Well well well… Looks like the odds have shifted into my favor, won’t you agree?”

After shifting his expression into complete displeasure, Arrogon intensely glares at the proud Pegasus before suddenly disappearing in a flash of blue fire. Startled by this vanishing act, Ford gasps with utter confusion as he wonders where his opponent has gone off to. But then, he gets his answer the hard way when Arrogon reappears right in front of his face and punches Ford with a strong left hook!

From falling off the cliff’s edge after that unforeseen strike, the Pegasus makes a rapid recovery with the spread of wings before softly landing to safety. Once he pulls through, Ford is shocked to see the collected Arrogon reappearing from that brief flash as he leisurely walks towards the light blue pony. Not sure on how the tyrant did that, Ford impulsively bounds forward in order to return the favor from that hit back there. As the heroic stallion is within striking distance, Arrogon lets out a scornful chuckling before disappearing once again. This time, he teleports right behind Mustang and grabs him by the tail. After a quick swing, Arrogon quickly vanishes before he resurfaces right in front of flung pony before bucking him in the face. But that didn’t stop there as Arrogon punches and kicks Ford around like a deadly game of tennis until the mischievous villain greatly shoves Mustang into the soil. With an irritating groan, Ford rises from his fall as his arrogant adversary demonstrates his mastery of teleportation by rematerializing at a rapid pace all across the field. Arrogon is teleport so much that it looks like that there is more than one of them surrounding the slightly agitated Ford.

“BWAHAHAHAHAHA! How can you fight me at this rate when you can’t even touch me?!” Arrogon makes fun of the disgruntled hero while continuing with his deceptive tactic.

Seeing how the Destroyer is only distracting him, Ford ignores the mockery as he closes his eyes and falls under a self-induced trance to employ a way to counteract this act of misdirection. From what Hindel has taught since the beginning of their training in the Everfree Forest, he clears his mind and concentrates on only following the Arrogon’s dark energy signature. Through his mind’s eye, the still Pegasus can see the true spectral form of his enemy’s teleportation. Every time he teleports away, he creates a thin trail towards its next destination before stopping just for a fraction of a second before reassuming his form through a micro-explosion and making his reappearance. From this intense concentration, time seems to slow down gradually as Ford gets a better grasp of Arrogon’s pattern. All the Pegasus needs to do is wait for the right moment before he can break his foe’s strategy.

Eventually, Arrogon is done toying with his prey and goes directly for the kill from behind. Once Arrogon’s teleportation trail comes to a stop right where Ford wants him, the noble pony promptly twists around and strongly punches Arrogon in the chest just as soon as he finishes his latest materialization!

Considering it as a mere stroke of luck, Arrogon teleports once again, but Ford manages to catch up with him rather quickly and greets him with a firm kick to the face. Refusing to believe that his teleportation can be outmatched by Ford’s speed, he repeats his desperate tactic once again. But this time, the composed Mustang is right behind the reappearing Arrogon before the Pegasus delivers another strong blow to the back of his neck, which causes the infuriating tyrant to slide across the cold, hard dirt.

Enraged as ever, Arrogon quickly breathes out a heavy stream of fire, which causes Ford to decisively step away from the blue fire’s impact. However, Arrogon’s intention starts to unravel as the sizzling flames encircle around the startled Mustang and traps him within the tall pillar of fire.

As the Pegasus stands still in the blazing, blue inferno, Arrogon hovers to the very top of his tower and greets his enemy from down below, “You know, I never did tell you on how Hindel died while you were away. Well you will found out soon enough once I finish you off the same way I finished off your master! When you see Hindel, give him my regards for me!”

Ford isn’t sure on what exactly caused his master’s demise, but he figures that Arrogon’s next attack will be something big and explosive from remembering that towering inferno he witnessed before after completing his final trial. From that recollection, the stallion decides to use the elder dragon’s secret technique to absorb the barrier’s raging fire; the same way in which he vanquished the fire to complete the ultimate test of his Draconian Magic.

But something is terrible wrong as the blue fire draws toward Ford. Most of the fire he has sampled before is soothingly warm, but the demonic flames he is trying to absorb tastes extremely awful and its harsh flavor burns his palate, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise considering that he is trying to eat fire.

After spewing out that heinous blaze from his mouth, Ford take a moment to looks up and sees Arrogon preparing with his crackling fire bomb. Time is running out, and Ford needs to figure out a way to escape his confinement before he is blown to smithereens. Fortunately enough, he quickly comes with an alternative as he absorbs the blue fire once again. Only this time, instead of inhaling it, he causes the infernal blaze to wrap around him and creates his own means of protection. Just as soon as Ford has ready his very own fire shield, Arrogon is also set with his deadly fire spell before casting it down towards the center of the twister. As the spiraling sphere of doom makes it unavoidable descent, the fortified Pegasus makes haste and dives right out of his imprisonment.

BA-BOOM!

The explosion from that spell causes the roaring inferno to grow even bigger than ever as the pillar touches the dark sky once again. With disastrous twister still active, Arrogon laughs maniacally at the display of his awesome power as he is certain that Ford Mustang is finally no more.

“Yes! Burn! Burn! BURRRRN!!”

In the middle of the villain’s moment of triumphant, his megalomaniacal laughter is disturbed by a simple tap on his shoulder. With a sharp turn of his head, Arrogon looks behind and is shocked to see the persistent return of Ford Mustang, alive and unharmed. And before the overlord could break out of his shock, the smirking Pegasus lets out a very unique roar that left dark stallion dumbfounded by its indistinct language.

“FUS RO DAH!”

Despite how foreign the words sounded, the Ford’s “Unrelenting Force” did the job and throws the staggered Destroyer backwards until he is swept away by his own hellfire!

After witnessing Arrogon being caught inside his own firestorm, Ford makes a graceful landing before chuckling to himself with a sly smile. “Damn, I’ve wanted to do that for so long!”

But Ford’s self-satisfaction didn’t last for long once the towering inferno disperses as an Arrogon floats in mid-air. Once the scorching twister is gone, Arrogon slowly makes his landing as he impassively eyes on the steadfast Mustang. His black body is covered with lots of smoke after being thrown into the fire, but his own flames hardly did any critical damage to him.

Once Arrogon comes to a gentle landing, he asks Ford in a soft yet aggravating tone, “Ford… what did you do just now?” In response, all Arrogon gets in return is nothing but dead silence from the stoic pony. Infuriated by this unresponsiveness, the impatient tyrant asks again, “I’m asking you on what did you do just now! Why are you still alive?!”

“Don’t know…” Ford finally replies before displaying a mocking grin, “…but it looks like your ‘godlike’ power isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.”

Ticked off as usual, Arrogon retorts in an outburst, “You ignorant fool! My power is far beyond anything you could ever achieve, even before my grand return! I’ve spent countless years practicing and mastering my own Draconian Magic! What could you have possibly accomplished in just a few short weeks compared to me?!”

After his deadpan face blinks his eyes a few times, Ford remarks with a chuckling grin, “…Wow! If you spent that long to master your powers, then I guess you must be a really slow learner. But hey, that’s okay. No one’s judging you.”

Arrogon becomes dumbfounded for a brief moment before his body trembles with immense, anger-infused aura, and then, he lets out an infuriating war cry as he blindly charges for the impassive Pegasus. Of course, Ford merely steps aside from that angry, demonic bull before he counters with a golden beam of fire as it strikes his opponent right on the back.

While Arrogon sharply turns his head around while he is still on the ground, Ford slowly marches towards him as he scoffs at the Destroyer in a firm tone, “You know, when I heard that you were bad student, I merely assumed that you just had mental problems, but now I can see that there is more to it than just a bad attitude!”

After panting out his growing frustration heavily, Arrogon bellows out a widespread of blue fire, but once the flames are gone, Ford is nowhere in sight. With his patience running thin, Arrogon then notices the defiant pony right behind, so he breathes out a thin stream of fire with a sharp turn of his body. But to the villain’s aggravation, Ford circles around his tense challenger as he purposefully toys his opponent around. As Arrogon continues to pointlessly breathe out his fire, Ford can only hope that this will allow the completely unfocused Destroyer to waste his vast, magical energy. That way, it may weaken Arrogon if he keeps dispersing his own powers like that.

When the dark pony pulls off a fast punch, Ford easily bats the fore hoof away before he sturdily slaps Arrogon in the face while he carries on with his lecture, “You’re Impatient!”

SLAP!

“Inattentive!”

SLAP!

“Undisciplined!”

SLAP!

“Stubborn!”

SLAP!

After the multitude of harsh slaps to the face, Ford swings his foreleg down like a hammer and slams the staggered Arrogon right into the ground. With the Destroyer lying in the dirt, Ford finishes his scolding, “And above all else, you’re so full of unnecessary anger, that it has blindsided you from every decision and move you’ve made! Face it, Arrogon… YOU’VE LOST!”

The battle halts momentarily as Ford silently watches over Arrogon, who is still resting on the cracked floor. Eventually, the impassive overlord gets himself up as he speaks up in a very low tone, “I’ve spent hundreds of years plotting for my transcendence. To finally achieve the absolute power that I truly deserve for so long.”

After he stands up, Arrogon gradually lifts his head up with his soulless, infuriating eyes staring deeply at Ford. The fearsome look from Arrogon’s piercing eyes nearly shakes Mustang to the core with a gaze that is more petrifying than the Basilisk’s or Wagner’s. As the tyrant’s body shakes with an immense, fiery aura, he finishes off his grim monologue in a loud, demonic voice, “And no one is going to take that away from me… ESPECIALLY SOME DAMN BLANK FLANK LIKE YOU!!”

Following up from that menacing outburst, Arrogon’s aura of dark blue energy blows away like a hurricane as it almost sweeps Ford off his hooves. From that harsh wind brushing against his face, Ford squints on impulse. But after reopening them, his wide eyes go into complete shock as the charging Arrogon approaches right in front of his face.

Without restraint, Arrogon delivers a powerful punch at Ford’s jaw, and the Pegasus fall back hard. The overwhelming anger that Arrogon has been building up since his second confrontation with Ford is channeling his ruthless strength. But it didn’t stop there as the immensely enraged tyrant continues his demonic barrage through rapid strikes. Due the overwhelming power of those hits, Ford can barely make an evasive recovery in-between them, and Arrogon spins around and bucks the poor stallion right in the chest.

From that solid kick, Ford wheezes and coughs extremely before he can feebly gets up on his four hooves. But after he stands up, he nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees a ginormous sphere of blue fire coming right at him. However, what is more perplexing about this roaring attack is that this gigantic fireball has the eyes and extremely jagged teeth just like Arrogon’s!

Quickly, Ford breathes out his golden fire to create a defensive shield for the incoming inferno. At once, the Jack-O-Lantern’s raging, blue fire consumes the pony and greatly drives him back. Thankfully, Ford’s fire shield prevents him from being burnt alive. But as a tradeoff, he has to deal with the severe impact the spell’s incredible force. Once the blue flames disperse, the Pegasus keeps flying backwards until gravity takes hold and causes him to repeatedly tumble until he finally comes to a slow, agonizing stop.

While there are no burnt markings on Ford, his aching body is covered with scraps and minor bruises. From having to endure Arrogon’s latest assault, it was almost like being rammed by an oncoming train at full speed. If it wasn’t for Hindel’s training, he might have been broken beyond repair or dead for that matter. As the unrelenting Mustang feebly tries to get up from his latest scuffle, his battered face is firmly planted back in the ground when Arrogon heavily stomps him on the back of the head.

With a heavy, armored hoof still holding Ford down, Arrogon leans in closely to the pony’s right ear as he hisses to him in a deeply aggravating voice, “You know, I just realized something. Killing you just won’t be enough for me anymore. You're willing enough to sacrifice yourself for others, aren’t you? Yes, if I kill you right away, then you will be martyr, and afterwards, I’ll never get rid of those pesky rebels off of my back! So here’s what I’m going to do… once I beat you within an inch of your life, I’m going to find that marefriend of yours and bring her here before you. And the first thing I’m going to do to commemorate this little reunion is pluck out each and every single feather from her!”

Underneath his fore hoof, Arrogon can feel Ford flinching. Whether it is through fear of Rainbow Dash or through anger at his oppressor, Arrogon took deep satisfaction on how utterly powerless his pinned opponent is right now, so he carries on with sick pleasure, “Next, I’m going to rip her wings out of their sockets just for good measure! And after that, well… I’ll just improvise and see what comes to mind. But I can assure you… it will be slow and extremely painful! And you’re going to watch every single, agonizing moment she has to go through… all because of you! By the time her filthy carcass is reduced to a pile of ash, you’ll have no one to blame but your own damn self!”

For every grim threat Arrogon makes towards the pony’s marefriend, the immobile Mustang cringes repetitively under the tyrant’s fore hoof, so the Destroyer brings it to a close in a truly sadistic tone, “So I hope you are prepared for what I have in stored for you, because Rainbow Dash and I… we’re going to have one hell of a time!”

After the Arrogon finishes his dark promise, Ford Mustang continues to shake violently. But the Pegasus isn’t the only thing that is trembling. The ground underneath the two contenders quake spontaneously as Ford’s body glows brightly in a golden aura of energy. Just as a precaution, the struggling Arrogon puts a lot more strength into his stomping hoof. However, Ford’s increasing aura resists with a greater amount of force than the shadow pony would have expected. As the wild, fiery energy progressively pushes Arrogon off, immensely infuriated Ford stand ups from his submission. Until at last, he lets out all of his unbridled rage through a powerful dragon’s roar as his golden aura expands into an enormous typhoon!

Ford’s mighty cyclone of Draconian Magic tosses Arrogon aside before his body plows into the earth! Once he recovers, the Destroyer is flabbergasted at what’s before him. Ford Mustang is constantly radiating a tremendous amount of blazing energy as he coldly stares down at Arrogon with a severely livid expression on his face.

“I’m going to say this once and only once, Arrogon…

YOU’RE NOT GOING TO LAY A SINGLE HOOF ON HER FOR AS LONG AS I STILL LIVE!!”

And in a flash, Ford charges forward at lightning-fast speed before he uppercuts the startled Arrogon right underneath the jaw! The sky-rocketing punch sends the dark stallion flying at hundreds of feet in the air, but Ford isn’t done yet as he promptly takes off to carry on with his relentless assault on his greatest enemy! As soon as he reaches him, Mustang unleashes another punch to Arrogon, which keeps on send him higher than ever! Through the dense, dark clouds, the unstoppable stallion continues to fling the unresponsive tyrant higher with each powerful punch he throws at him! Each amplified strike from the Pegasus is like a thunderbolt as its golden light penetrates through the stormy clouds!

Surprisingly, they managed to break through the accursed, gloomy sky as the two rivals are greeted by the sun. For Ford, he welcomes the sun’s warming embrace after its absence for so long, but for Arrogon’s case, he hisses in extreme discomfort as he tightly shuts his flaming eyes away from the blinding, celestial light. Suddenly, the glaring light is block, and Arrogon begins to open his eyes up. But then, he freezes in midair as the silhouetted form of Ford Mustang rushes in a steep, rapid descent and sharply shoves his fore hooves into Arrogon’s back!

In the middle of their descent, the speed of their fall has increased dramatically! Far more so than what gravity would have allowed! Like a meteor entering the world’s atmosphere, an intense heat shield is formed around the two with Arrogon at the front taking the majority of the scorching friction!

“Let go, you wretched pony!” Arrogon hollers in anger as he desperately tries to break away from Ford’s iron grasp. “Let go of me right now!”

But Arrogon’s outcry would go unheard as Ford carries on sternly! Soon, the well-known vapor cone starts to oppose Ford’s velocity! However, that resistance is completely ignored as Mustang continues to push right through it! No matter how much friction he is dealing with, he has an important motive to pull off this seemly impossible feat, and it because of that drive which causes the stretched-out vapor cone to crack progressively!

And then… it finally happens!

KA-BOOM!!

For the first time since Rainbow Dash’s victory in the Best Young Flyer Competition, a new Sonic Rainboom emerges as its explosive shockwave stretches in countless miles from its origin point! Sharing its owner’s colors, the ever-expanding ring consists of various shades of blues and bright, gold streaks blended in-between! The allied forces nearly stopped whatever they were doing in the middle of their fighting as they silently awe at the spectacular display of this legendary phenomenon!

Meanwhile, with the nothing holding Ford back anymore, his Sonic Rainboom reaches supersonic speeds as he sends Arrogon on an inevitable crash course to the earth! The Destroyer is helpless to fight off such a powerful, unforeseen maneuver as he constantly screeches in agony and rage while having to endure the acceleration’s tremendous amount of force! Once Mustang is close enough to Equestria’s surface, he makes a drastically sharp turn away just as soon as he lets Arrogon go before the villain makes a deep impact unto the ground itself! From that crash landing, the aftermath causes a colossal explosion as it exuberates with the same bright colors as Ford’s blue and gold wake!

As for Ford, he tries to come to a nicer landing than Arrogon’s, but he isn’t used to such overpowering speed as his marefriend. Instinctively, all four of his hooves screech harshly as they dig into the unplanned runway while his wings spread out to help slow himself down. But his desperation didn’t help him that much as he trips and rapidly tumbles across the unpaved ground. After his harsh stumble, he finally comes to a halt.

With him lying on the ground, his body is covered with a lot more bruises and scraps, mainly from the imperfect landing he just performed earlier. His breathing rate is awfully heavy as he urgently gasps for as much air as possible. His first Sonic Rainboom took nearly everything he had to finally pull it off. His tense muscles are extremely sore after pushing his Pegasus body beyond its limits, and he has nearly exhausted all of his Draconian Magic to make it all count in the end.

As Ford makes a steady recovery while continuing his heavy breathing, he feebly walks toward the massive crater his last assault has made. After reaching the edge of that crater, he shockingly stares with wide, disbelief eyes at what’s at the center of that enormous hole: there lies Arrogon the Destroyer, face-downed, unconscious, and nearly scathed throughout his entire, demonic body. And what’s most notable about this is that Arrogon’s ominous armor is thoroughly shattered and scattered across the crash site. The only piece of craftsmanship that is completely intact is his accursed, tri-colored amulet.

Staring down at the seemingly lifeless Arrogon, Ford chuckles softly in the midst of his panting as he is certain that there is no way the fallen, broken tyrant can ever recover from an attack like that. However, the pony’s hopes over his victory start to die down as he sees Arrogon’s hooves twitching violently. Dreading on Arrogon’s resurrection, Ford greatly steps back from the crater as he attempts to regenerate his own strength and magic, so that he can prepare for the worst.

Sooner or later, Arrogon crawls out of his grave as his ruthlessly merciless gaze is locked on to Ford's. Once he makes it out of the huge crater, the ravaged Arrogon stands in place while he pants loudly in disgruntlement and pain. No longer is he standing so tall and full of his usual smugness; his posture is more hunched and his legs wouldn’t stop shaking from the aftermath of that Sonic Rainboom. His one-of-a-kind armor is destroyed and has exposed his bare body for the whole world to see, including his dark, blank flank he has concealed for so long. And from the looks of it, his fiery mane and tail is even wilder than ever.

Through his gritted, jagged teeth, he grumbles in a low, ferocious voice, “Ford… how dare you…

HOW DARE YOU CONTINUE TO DEFY ME!!”

Despite how deafening Arrogon’s immature outburst is, it didn’t faze Ford much, but that didn’t stop the pissed-off tyrant from expressing his absolute hatred over the silently stoic Mustang.

“You think you have what it takes to defeat me?! Just what the hell makes you so special in the first place?! Huh?! Because you shared the same master as I did?! Or the fact that neither one of us are defined by pointless Cutie Marks?! Well that’s where our similarities draw the line, Ford! While you desperately cling on to your mortal fragility and your pathetic friends, I cased aside those weaknesses long ago to achieve something that ponies would even dare to dream of!

You know, I really thought that I killed you after the first time we met! If you didn’t even bother to come back to challenge me once again, I never would have known and you could have just lived out the rest of your days in seclusion without me even noticing! And yet, despite that rare opportunity, you foolishly turned that down and sought to come back none of the less!

What I don’t understand is this: why bother to return at all?! You must have a clear understand over the vast difference in our powers, right?! No matter what you throw at me, I will always come back as strong as ever while your restricted strength will diminish over time! You just can’t be this stupid over such an obvious fact that can spell certain death when it’s right in front of you! So why do it anyway?! Why take that risk and throw your life over something where you didn’t have a chance to begin with?!”

As the demanding Arrogon edgily waits for a proper response, Ford takes a moment to think back on how to respond that question. It’s not he doesn’t have an answer for that; in fact, he has a lot of answers to choose from: for Hindel, for the good of the world, for his friends, and more importantly, for Rainbow Dash. Instead of deciding which reason to go for, Ford just breaks into a very shrew smile before he gives his straightforward answer to his impatient adversary.

“It’s simple really… because I can.”

…

“…GRRRRAAAAAAHHH!!”

Unable to comprehend such a simple yet mindboggling answer, Arrogon flies off into a mindless rampage as he charges for the stoic Mustang with absolute bloodlust in his eyes. Worn out from his first Sonic Rainboom, Ford is unable to evade as swiftly as before, so he can’t move away from the berserker’s oncoming charge. But in spite of how weak he has become, he is still able to stand his ground firmly.

Just as Ford prepares for what’s to come out of the charging monster, something miraculous appears before the stallion’s turquoise eyes! In a bright streak of six colors of a rainbow, a well-known Pegasus appears out of nowhere and delivers a long-overdue, righteous kick right into Arrogon’s gaping jaws! The flying kick was so blindingly fast, that the dark overlord certainly didn’t see it coming as he topples at a great distance away from the two Pegasi!

“Next time, keep your filthy hooves to yourself and away from my stallion!” she hollers at Arrogon, who is down for the count once again.

Ford gapes and stares at the awe-inspiring Pegasus mare hovering right in front of him. The proud mare responsible for that last-minute interference is the one and only Rainbow Dash, coming in for the rescue!

Author's Note

Ford Mustang vs. Arrogon the Destroyer - The Final Battle (1/2)

Regarding with Vinyl's entrance, I wish I can find a good soundtrack to go with that, but I can't think of anything fitting at the time. If you guys have suggestions regarding with something like that, let me know and I'll give it a listen. And if I like it, I'll input your name in here as a way to thank you.

Chapter 27 – Ultimate Destiny

After a surprise attack from Rainbow Dash, Arrogon is knocked down momentarily while Ford Mustang stares speechlessly at his overjoyed marefriend. He is about to question on why she is out here without her friends following closeby, but then, she quickly sweeps him up with her forelegs as she excitedly embraces him.

“Oh my gosh! Ford! You were amazing out there!” she squeals in delight while she hugs him closely. “I saw it! I finally saw it!”

“Saw what exactly?” he asks in slight confusion.

“The Sonic Rainboom, of course!” she exclaims matter-of-factly. “I knew you can do it one day, and you actually did it! You totally decimated him, and it was awesome!”

Ford breaks into a chuckling grin as he says to her, “I told you that you make the most adorable squeals whenever something excites you!”

As expected, she flusters from that comment and stammers in response, “Sh-shut up!”

“Make me!”

With a grin matching that with the goading stallion, Rainbow Dash greedily pulls him in for a welcoming kiss. Ford is nearly lost from the recent sign of affection, but then, he remembers something he has to address first, and he unfortunately has to break out of that.

“Wait a second, what are you doing here in the first place?”

“Saving your flank apparently!” she answers sharply with a grin.

“No, I mean why are you here when you're supposed to be with the girls right now?”

“Where do you think I got this little beauty from?” she says with a cocky smile as she points out her Element of Loyalty that’s nicely secured around her neck. Once he sees the red lightning bolt necklace, Ford feels very foolish from not recognizing it earlier.

“Once I've secured my own Element of Harmony, I went ahead of them to help you out. They’ll be here soon enough.” Then, her expression goes from gentle to fierce all of a sudden as she glares at the unconscious Arrogon in the far distance. “Plus, I’ve got a score to settle with that arrogant jerk over there!”

Soon enough, the disgruntled tyrant gets up from floor, and he fixes his fearsome gaze at the bold mare who delivered that harsh kick earlier.

“Rainbow Dash… we were just talking about you.” he says in a disgustingly sweet tone before his soulless eyes flicker intensely at her direction. “NOW YOU SHALL SUFFER IN FORD’S PLACE FOR HIS TRANSGRESSION!”

Recalling on that dark promise Arrogon made prior to Rainbow’s arrival, Ford dreads immensely as he hastily cries out to her, “NO, RAINBOW!”

As the heckling tyrant’s eyes flash wildly, Rainbow flinches and automatically shields herself with her forelegs while Mustang instinctively steps in front of her as he hopes to block off the cursed magic’s aim once more.

Suddenly, the villain’s diabolical laughter stops as he is dumbfounded for some reason or another. Curious by the sudden change in Arrogon’s demeanor, Ford turns around to see if Rainbow is still okay. But then, his gaping face becomes just as stunned as Arrogon’s as he notices an extraordinary change in his marefriend. Rainbow Dash is surrounded in a protective aura of golden energy!

“Wh-wha…? WHAT?!” Arrogon flabbergasts to an extent.

From his analysis, Ford remembers on how he sent some of his own Draconian Magic into Rainbow Dash in order to free her from Arrogon’s dark control. Because of that, a small portion of his magic must have been infused within her body, giving Rainbow a temporary boost of power as well as more resistance to the overlord’s dark magic.

While Rainbow Dash isn’t sure on what’s going on, she is greatly amused from seeing Arrogon so thunderstruck, so she takes the opportunity to ridicule him while displaying a very wide, confident smirk, “Well well well… it looks your little magic trick won’t work on me anymore! And you know what that means~?”

As she gets into a proper stance before she can begin her flight, Ford notices something else. Her blazing aura is growing much bigger, and not only that, but its bright spetrum is changing from a golden yellow to a multicolored gradient that resembles her mane and tail.

And after cracking the joints in her legs, she then declares with a very bold smile, “It’s payback time!”

With that said, she takes off in a dash as she charges forward like a multicolored fireball before punching the staggered Destroyer really hard in the face!

“This is for ruining my anniversary!”

Once Arrogon snaps out of it, he quickly bellows out a breath of fire, but he completely misses her as the masterful speedster is already behind him and delivers a bone-shattering sucker punch right into his back!

“This is for nearly killing off my coltfriend!”

Before Arrogon can even get up, Rainbow rushes in with her lightning-fast speed and bucks him high in the air with a very strong kick!

“This is for kidnapping and imprisoning my best friends!”

With the sky to her advantage, the relentless Pegasus flies after the taken-aback Destroyer before she carries on with her aerial assault by severely knocking him around like a pinball in its arcade machine! No matter how far she drives him back with one of her rapid hits, it won’t outmatch her with her superb speed and agility!

“This is for messing with my head and using me as your sick, twisted puppet!”

While Ford spends the time regenerating himself while also recovering his magical energy, he continues to dazzle over Rainbow’s colored barrage as Arrogon ricochets across the dark sky through a multitude of vivid micro-explosions! For her ultimate finisher, she uppercuts Arrogon to such great heights before she sky-rockets at a very higher altitude than her flung opponent! Once she reaches at the right elevation level, she plunges at ludicrous speeds toward her deeply staggered enemy before she unleashes her ultimate technique!

“And this one… THIS ONE IS ESPECIALLY FOR ME!”

KA-BOOM!!

Without any form of restraint, Rainbow Dash releases her own Sonic Rainboom, and the devastating attack take its heavy toll on to Arrogon’s body as he once again relives that agonizing moment of the Rainboom’s immeasurable force of power! Like Ford beforehand, she tosses the unresponsive tyrant aside before make a sharp turn and the fiend’s impact creates a massive explosion while taking a shape of a colorful mushroom cloud!

Due to her mastery of the Sonic Rainboom, the naturally talented Pegasus has great control over its overpowering speed and comes in for a perfect landing right before the truly astonished Mustang.

“And that’s how it’s done!” Rainbow mildly boasts with her winning smile.

In a surprise tackle, Ford embraces her closely as he affectionately praises her, “Rainbow, have I ever told you on how awesome you are as my marefriend?”

While nuzzling right back, she responds with a chuckling grin, “You can stand to mention it some more!”

After that, the two Pegasi observe the brutally battered tyrant from afar as his non-stop trembling legs try to allow him to stand up once more. While observing how weak Arrogon’s stature is, the hovering Rainbow Dash gets a devious idea and offers to make a suggestion to her coltfriend.

“And for my next trick, I’m going to need a volunteer!”

“I’m game! What do you have in mind?”

“Ooooh… just little something I call the ‘Double Supersonic Screwdriver!’” she answers nonchalantly with a sly smile stretching across her face.

“Ooo, sounds dangerous!” he reacts exaggeratedly. After looking back on how immobile the weakened Arrogon is right now, Ford faces Rainbow once more and bears a grin similar to hers. “Let’s do it!”

From their limited free time, they sometimes practiced new tricks and routines that Rainbow Dash will use for the Wonderbolts’ upcoming shows, so Ford is already aware with the suggested trick in mind. After stepping back hundreds a feet away from their staggered adversary, the two ponies hold on to each other’s forelegs tightly and launch themselves simultaneously with a equally mighty burst of speed.

Form their synchronization, they rapidly spin around in numerous cycles as their colorful wakes create a double helix pattern. And before Arrogon could even get a chance to move out of the way, the two spiral Pegasi make a direct hit as their drilling begins to penetrate through the dark stallion’s shell! At the right moment, the two stunt ponies split apart as their combined attack carries on without them while it pushes and continuously twirls Arrogon around like a windmill enduring a severe hurricane! Eventually, the twister dies down, and the gyrating Destroyer plows right across the earth’s surface!

Dizzily, Arrogon grudgingly rises from his latest stumble, but he hardly gets a chance to make a necessary recovery as he sees Rainbow and Ford charging forward at blistering speed. Quickly, Arrogon summons a personal shield before the two soaring Pegasi flies around in countless circles and unleash rapid strikes against the protected Destroyer. While his shield is preventing any further damage towards himself, it can’t hold out for long from the encircling speedsters’ fury.

“ENOUGH!”

In a loud outburst, Arrogon’s shield transforms in a wave of fire as it pushes the persistent Pegasi away from him. Luckily, the two make a smooth landing and hardly receive any injuries from that blazing counterstrike.

“Uh-oh! Somepony is maaad~!” Rainbow says with an amusing grin to her snickering coltfriend.

“You miserable Pegasi!” Arrogon snarls at them. “Did you really think that the two of you would be enough to defeat me?!”

All of a sudden, a bright blast of magenta-colored energy passes right in between the two ponies and makes a direct hit right on Arrogon’s forehead! From that well-aimed headshot, the staggered overlord is sent back hundreds of feet away from the party!

Ford and Rainbow blink in deadpan expressions before turning around and smiling in joy on the mare responsible for that magical surprise attack.

“How about all seven of us instead?” Twilight Sparkle calls out to the fallen Destroyer as her glowing magic fades away from her horn. With her includes the rest of her friends with their respective Elements of Harmony attached to them: Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.

“About time you girls show up!” Rainbow grins at them. “I was afraid we would finish this battle without you!”

“You know, you could have just stayed with the group instead of flying ahead of us.” Twilight comments sourly.

“Well, she was never able to sit still in one place for long.” Applejack teases while rolling her eyes.

“Especially after she saw that Sonic Rainboom of yours, Ford!” Rarity adds with amazement. “We could hardly believe it with our own eyes!”

“Yeah!” Pinkie squeals with an uncontrollable smile. “And on the way, we saw Dashie doing one too! It’s like one after the other! Double Rainboom all the way! Woo-hoo!”

“Yes, they were both quite dazzling to see.” Fluttershy beams softly.

“Uh, girls…” Ford intervenes gently. “I really hate to rush you like this, but we really need the Elements of Harmony like right now!” With the girls following the direction on where Ford is pointing at, they notice Arrogon gradually recovering from Twilight’s beam attack.

Seeing how precious, little time they have, Twilight Sparkle speaks up, “Oh right! Everypony, formation! Ford, this may take awhile for us to charge up our Elements. Can you hold him off until then?”

The stallion takes a moment to gaze at his recovering opponent. Then, he looks back at the mares before responding with a confident smirk, “No problem! Just need a quick pick-me-up first!”

Shrewdly, Ford flies up to the puzzled Rainbow Dash and pulls her in for a deep, bold kiss. While she was briefly caught surprise by that kiss, Rainbow didn’t mind it at all as her lips continue to affectionately press against his.

Once he feels more recharged from that brief moment of tenderness, he pulls his lips back gently and confirms with a very satisfied grin, “Okay, now I’m ready!”

With an encouraging smile, Rainbow smirks in response, “Go get him, champ!”

After responding in a silent nod, Mustang turns around and swiftly charges for Arrogon while Twilight and her five friends prepare themselves with their Elements of Harmony.

Meanwhile, Arrogon stands back up as he gingerly rubs his aching forehead from the precision attack he was struck recently. While he groans from the aching pain, his ferocious eyes shift to the background from where Twilight and the others stand in formation. From seeing the young Alicorn once again, his gaze widens significantly as he greatly surprised by the unforeseen release of Twilight and her five friends. And not only that, but he also sees the special trinkets they're wearing. With Elements the Harmony reunited, the six mares concentrate progressively as their respective jewelry begins to glow. With the gears beginning to turn inside his twisted head, Arrogon finally realizes on what Ford and the others have been scheming this entire time!

“NO!”

Without wasting another second, the aggravated Destroyer rushes forward and seeks to interrupt the mares’ concentration by any means necessary. But his mad dash is intercepted by the head-on collision from Ford’s own blitz. From that tackle, the two colliding stallions stumble greatly as they continuously roll backwards.

Within the midst of that tumble, Arrogon bucks Ford off of him and tries to get up. But before the impatient stallion can resume his pursuit on the six mares, he is suddenly halted by a great tug on his fiery tail. With a sharp turn of his head, the increasingly pissed-off Destroyer looks behind and glares at the pony responsible for his desist. With his teeth and his resistance to fire thanks to Hindel’s training, Ford mightily bites down on Arrogon’s tail as his sturdy hooves dig into the earth.

“Let go of my tail this instant, you useless cretin!” Arrogon demands in outrage.

‘Alright, if you insist!” Ford mutters between his clenched teeth.

With his own monstrous strength, Mustang begins to spin around as he pulls the reluctant Arrogon along for the ride. Gradually, each rotation becomes faster than the previous one. Until finally, Ford lets go of the tail, and the screeching Arrogon flies away as it puts an even greater distance away from Rainbow Dash and her friends.

After the latest tumble through that harsh crash landing, Arrogon growls in immense fury before he lunges toward the opposing Mustang. From their latest conflict, the two stallions trade blows with each other. For most of them, they didn’t even bother to block them. Despite how devastating their strikes are, their enraged spirits block out the pain their bodies are going through. With their fore hooves locked on to one and another, the two engage in another test of pure, physical strength. But this time, Ford is prepared to counter Arrogon’s headbutt with one of his own. The impact from the two’s thick skulls creates a shockwave strong enough to separate them apart.

They both groan lightly as each of them pulls through their self-inflicted headaches, but Arrogon is able to recover faster than Ford, and he charges forward to take out his increasing frustration on the Pegasus. Ford braces himself for what’s to come and instinctively closes his eyes. But suddenly, Arrogon’s charging fore hoof comes to a screeching halt within inches away from the pony’s muzzle. Opening his eyes finally, Ford is completely astonished to see not only Arrogon freezing in place, but also his body is covered in a bright, green aura.

Abruptly, the disgruntled Arrogon is flung away from the flabbergasted Ford thanks to the mysterious, green magic, and the light blue stallion turns around when he hears a familiar chattering sound of fluttering wings. And once again, he gapes exaggeratedly at the sight of one of his arriving allies: Queen Chrysalis!

“You look awful, dearie.” she comments with an amusing grin. “Why don’t you take a break and let me handle it from here.”

Breaking out of shock at last, Ford greatly warns her, “Chrysalis! Don’t come near him! He can use telekinesis on you with those crazy eyes of his!”

From overhearing that, Arrogon remarks with devious glee, “Why thank you, Ford! I believe I will do just that!”

Without hesitation, Arrogon flashes his eyes and tries to wrap his dark magic around the changeling. Yet once again, his telekinetic spell fails him as Chrysalis shrugs it off with a wide smirk on her face.

“Sorry to break this to you, hon!” she informs the greatly puzzled Destroyer with a teasing smile. “But I’m already aware of your little psychic technique thanks to what I have read from Ford’s mind earlier! And besides, you’re not the only one with psychic powers!”

To demonstrate her boastful claim, she replicates Arrogon’s previous telekenetic spell and uses it to greatly push back the baffled tyrant once more. While Arrogon steadily stands back up, Chrysalis approaches him leisurely as she continues her lecture on the hotshot villain.

“You’ve got at lot of nerve seizing Canterlot and claiming yourself as the most powerful ruler in all of Equestria! That’s supposed to be my job, you pathetic pretender!” With a glow of her gnarled horn, Chrysalis summons hundreds of shining, green orbs as they surround the perplexed Arrogon. “And unlike my new associates, I am not so forgiven to those who would even dare cross with me!”

One by one, the magical spheres of energy fling at the Destroyer as they combust upon contact. And overtime, the pace increases as more than one spherical projectile would dart off simultaneously with Arrogon being caught in the blast. Near the end, all of the remaining smart bombs would fire at once as they finish it off in one big bang.

With the smoke clearing away, Arrogon could barely stand on all four hooves as he huffs and puffs in complete aggravation while the smirking Chrysalis takes great joy on rubbing her self-assured victory on the disgruntled pony’s face.

“You may have Celestia and the others as your source of power, but I’ve managed to defeat the Alicorn Princess once before! And what’s more, I’m even more powerful than ever before with all that love I have ingested! So what makes you think I can’t beat someone like you as well?”

After Arrogon catches his breath, he manages to regain an upright stance before he replies in a unexpectedly calm manner, “So… you like to feed off of other ponies’ emotions, do you? Well then… why not have a taste of mine instead?”

“Not to be rude, but I’m not that hungry right now, thank you.” she rejects it mildly.

“Oh no! I insist! Go on… take it… TAKE IT ALL!”

Briefly distracted by Arrogon’s outrage and his intensely flaring eyes, Chrysalis suddenly witnesses something flashing right before her mind’s eye. Her surroundings are nothing but scorching fire as her mental vision leaves a slightly blurry opening for her to see through. Confused and startled by this unknown illusion, Chrysalis is forced to sit through whatever befalls on her.

The first thing she sees is a silhouetted Unicorn who has a pair of white, glowing rounded glasses and some bearded features. Out of nowhere, the menacingly ambiguous stallion pulls a long whip with the use of his magic. And without warning, the despicable shadow starts cracking the whip right at Chrysalis!

WHPISH! WHPISH! WHPISH!

The whip snaps loudly as she cringes greatly from the unexplained pain and the crackling sound of that abusive weapon, but instead of her voice, her yelps are replaced with that of a tiny, frightened colt. The entrapped changeling can hear the smaller, invisible pony pleading in pain and deep regret, but her pleas go unheard as the vague stallion continues his merciless whipping.

Abruptly, her vision shifts through a flash of fire as Chrysalis looks up and gasps at the sight of a colossal, malicious dragon. The entirely black dragon has the same piercing blue eyes as Arrogon, and it starts to laugh ominously at the petrified changeling. Afterwards, the shadowy dragon breathes out a blast of blue fire, and its blistering flames engulf the increasingly panicking queen!

FWOOSH!

Just when the nightmarish roller coaster is over, the flames disappeared and Chrysalis’s perspective has shifted into a new setting. This time, vague, shadowy ponies are running around through the blazed environment as they panic just as greatly as the confounded changeling. Suddenly her gaze is forcibly directed to a frightened mare as she pleads in terror.

“P-p-please!” the unknown mare begs, “Don’t do this, Morning Star!”

Chrysalis is baffled by that unfamiliar name, so she tries to reassure the terrified pony. But her voice is cut off once again, and just like before, her muted voice is replaced with another one. This time, it is a dreadful voice that she knows all too well.

“There is no Morning Star! There is only Arrogon the Destroyer! And there can be only one worthy to wield the almighty powers of the dragons!”

And without warning, a roar of blue, blazing inferno blows underneath the Chrysalis’ perspective as it sets the screaming pony ablaze before she vaporizes into ashes!

From what Chrysalis has figured out, she is somehow reliving Arrogon’s past memories. But these memoirs are far different than what she has experienced before. These dark recollections have no amount of love to feed on. Instead, they are filled with so much negative emotions including anger, despair, bitterness, and carnage. As Chrysalis helplessly witness the ongoing slaughter of Arrogon’s brethren, the severely grim emotions are forcefully fed to her as she gags and hysterically screams out in desperation from this inescapable nightmare.

“AAAAAAAHH!!”

Back in reality, the constantly screaming Chrysalis squirms uncontrollably on the ground as Arrogon sadistically continues to entrap the pain-stricken changeling with his dark, psychic magic. Since the queen possesses psychic powers, Arrogon exploits that weakness by force-feeding her through their mental link with a taste of his truly warped psyche.

“Yes, that’s it! Scream for me, you filthy parasite!” Arrogon hisses as he gleefully watches the changeling writhe in agony.

Unable to bear it any longer, Mustang sprints forward and firmly smacks Arrogon’s face with a hard hoof-punch. This swift action causes Arrogon to fly away from his two enemies while it also frees Chrysalis out of her illusionary imprisonment. Free at last, she takes rapid, deep breaths and gags heavily in relief while Ford gently pats her shoulders.

“Chrysalis, are you okay?” he asks her concernedly.

“I’ll be fine, Ford.” she groans with a weak smile. “Just… got to get rid of this bad taste in my mouth.”

After he made sure that Chrysalis is going to be alright, Ford resumes his assault and flies after the Destroyer. Upon confrontation, the stallions bounce across the battlefield as they tussle around like two roughhousing colts. From that scruffle, Ford breaks it up with a strong kick right into Arrogon’s chest.

Once he gets back up, Arrogon takes a huge breath before he launches two enormous fireballs at the same time while they take off in a rapid spiral formation. With no time to dodge them, the Pegasus holds up his fore legs forward and attempts to stop the projectiles with brute force. But Ford didn’t halt their advancement as twin fireballs continue to push the struggling stallion back. Along with that, the crushing fireballs start to blister against his opposing fore hooves. With a massive grunt, Ford is able to split the great fireballs right pass him before they explode on the ground behind him.

While he may have diverted the path of the fireballs, it only allowed Arrogon a window of opportunity as he rushes in and punches Ford squarely in the muzzle. This causes the young stallion to tumble onto the dirt before the Destroyer lands on top of him and firmly slams a heavy fore hoof right on Ford’s throat!

To prevent any further pressure onto his vital area, Ford quickly presses his two hooves against Arrogon’s as they desperately attempt to resist the Earth Pony’s monstrous strength. With his hooves tied up and his breath cut short, the pinned-down Mustang is having a difficult time gathering up his strength and Draconian Magic.

“Let’s see you squirm your way out of this one!” Arrogon ridicules in front of Ford’s face.

As Ford struggles with his raspy breathing, he hears a feminine voice from afar, “Mustang, cover your ears!”

Recognizing on who was calling out to him, Ford quickly follows on the mare’s advice and covers his ears. When Arrogon looks up to see where that bewildering shout-out came from, he is met with the full force of Vinyl Scratch’s deafening blast of wubs!

WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!

With the intense waves of sound engulfing the greatly staggered Arrogon, Ford rolls out of the way as the petrified Destroyer suffers from the increasingly throbbing noise that’s coursing through his entire body! After the bright, booming beam dies down, Arrogon could barely stand any longer as his constantly trembling legs could not longer support him. And not only is he shaking so uncontrollably, but his sense of balance is so out of order he can’t properly see straight. Plus, the never-ending ringing in his ears continues to give him such unbearable pain.

While Arrogon is too dizzy to recover from such a mind-throbbing attack, Ford sharply looks at the direction from where that blast came from. He smiles widely once he sees the ones responsible for the latest assist. Dozens of feet away, the weaponized party mobile is stationed in place with Octavia saluting to Ford from the driver’s seat while the grinning Vinyl Scratch waves wildly from the seat of her turret.

As he is still suffering from his vertigo, Arrogon inquires in a pain-stricken grunt, “What… was that?”

“Oh it’s nothing special, it’s just my BASS CANNON!”

After that grand announcement, Vinyl ecstatically presses the firing button and the humungous loudspeaker fires another blasted directly at the paralyzed Arrogon!

WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!WUB!

Seeing on how he can’t move away from that due to his vertigo syndrome, Arrogon hastily summons a shield to protect him from the second blast. But that makes it worse as his shield only causes it amplify the assaulting waves of sound, just like tapping the glass of an encased animal. With the shield cracking under pressure, Arrogon pulls off a frantic counterattack once his defense disintegrates.

“RAAAAAARRR!!”

Counteracting the musicians’ Bass Cannon, the aggravating Arrogon unleashes a severely powerful dragon’s roar! At first, the opposing forces of sound are evenly matched, but with an extra push from his ever-growing rage, Arrogon’s roar gradually pushes the other attack right back. Seeing how the conflicting blasts is coming right at them, Vinyl and Octavia decides to bail out their vehicle before it explodes from their rebounded attack.

Alarmingly, Ford screeches out to his friends, “Vinyl! Octavia! Say something!”

“NOOOOO!! MY BABYYYYY!!”

…

“Oh, and Octavia’s fine too, I guess.”

SMACK!

“Ow, what did I say?!”

“Way to show concern for my well-being, Vinyl!”

From hearing their usual dispute, Ford lets out a small sigh of relief upon learning that Vinyl and Octavia are at least safe and sound. With that out of the way, he sharply turns his attention towards the wobbling Arrogon as he glares at him. While the tyrant manages to destroy that nauseating machine, he is still suffering from severe dizziness as his demonic body nearly collapses on itself. Because of the villain’s current disadvantage, Ford takes this opportunity to ruthlessly whale on him in retaliation for his friends.

Since his vision and balance is so skewed and blurry, Arrogon could barely react in time before Ford mightily punches him with a devastating right hook! Following up with that, the stern Pegasus unleashes ballistic barrage on deeply troubled Destroyer. Due to his vertigo, the dark stallion can hardly grasp the situation he is in as the furious punches are flying at blinding speed and numerous afterimages.

After slamming Arrogon into the ground, Ford takes a quick, deep breath before shouting out a dragon’s roar at point-blank range. With each roar he makes, they frequently push the staggered Destroyer into the earth as the crater he is shoved into gets bigger and bigger. With Arrogon firmly stuck in his concaved hollow, Ford leaps high in the air before he stops at the right altitude. From there, Ford takes a very long, deep breathe as he gathers up his energy with his eyes fixated on the motionless opponent down below. And once he is ready, Ford bellows out a beam of golden fire, and it creates a huge explosion after it hits its marker!

While taking a break from finishing up that combo, Mustang gently lands next to the smoldering crater just so he can examine the results of his chained attacks. Once the smoke clears away, all he can see is the multitude of cracks in the earth while some of the rocks extrude from there. The only thing that is missing is Arrogon. But as soon as Ford wonders where his adversary is, he quickly notices a new crack creeping up towards him. And from that split within the earth, Arrogon pops out of the abyss and jabs Mustang in the jaw!

Despite that surprise attack, it didn’t faze the Pegasus that much as he makes a quick recovery in midair. Once Arrogon reaches the same elevation as Ford, the two stallions stare each other down once more as they breathe heavily from enduring such a prolong battle. As they are about to resume their match, they suddenly hear a thunderous roar calling from above.

“ARROGON!!”

As soon as the distraught Destroyer looks up, the first thing he sees is a very large, red tail swinging right at him! With a very firm smack of the dragon’s iron tail, Arrogon is sent plummeting at a rapid pace before he once again crashes into the earth!

As he gets up from his fall, Arrogon finally notices on who this new challenger is as he rushes toward him: Wagner the Inferno Dragon King. With his monstrous jaws wide open, the aggressive dragon prepares to sink his teeth into his long-hated enemy. However, Arrogon counteracts that by using his godly strength to resist the dragon’s bite force even though Wagner is able to drive his opponent back.

Despite having somepony caught between his teeth, Wagner is still on the offense as his unhinged mouth lights up with a raging fireball and the explosive fire launches Arrogon out of his jaws at point-blank range! With the Destroyer flying off in a trail of smoke and fire, Wagner smirks at Ford once he lands next to him.

“You didn’t think that you would take all of credit for taking down Arrogon by yourself, did you?” Wagner asks with a toothy grin.

“Well I couldn’t have gotten this far without you guys, that’s for sure.” Ford replies with a smirk of his own.

With his reptilian eyes, the crimson dragon spots Arrogon in the far distance as he steadily rises from his recent fall. Promptly, he advises his Equestrian ally, “He’s getting back up! If we’re going to finish this fight, we’re going to have to combine our fire blasts!”

“Heh, I never thought I would ever hear you suggest that to somepony like me.” Ford response with a chuckling smile.

With a deadpan expression, the red dragon retorts, “Just shut up and follow my lead.”

Following that notion, the two warriors go through their breathing routine as they gather up their energy. Despite their vast difference in size, each of them radiates an equally intense aura of their respective Draconian Magic: a scarlet red for Wagner and a golden yellow for Ford. As the two ready themselves, Arrogon finally stands up and furiously charges for the two offenders.

“Now, on three.” Wagner orders once they have finished powering up. “One… two… THREE!”

At the same time, Ford and Wagner roar out their immense, fiery blasts at the charging stallion, and the twin firestorms swallow up Arrogon whole as the warm-colored flames severely scorch the dark overlord’s body! As the roaring blaze continues to consecutively damage him, he is lost in his own thoughts as he comprehends the severity of his situation.

How can this be happening to me right now? No matter what I have achieved for myself, they just keep on defying me! Especially that irritating Blank Flank! This is all his fault! If only I made sure that I killed him for good, none of this would be happening! Is this the extent of godhood? Could it be that my powers aren’t enough to crush my enemies? …No! I refuse to believe that! I am Arrogon the Destroyer! I HAVE NO EQUAL!

With renewed conviction, Arrogon snaps out of his daze and infuriately builds up his enraging power. And with an almighty roar, he launches his own monstrous blast of fire as it pushes back the combined forces of Ford and Wagner!

At first, it looks like that two comrades’ firepower is enough to hold against Arrogon’s raging inferno. But eventually, their conjoined cannons gradually die down as the Destroyer’s hellfire increasingly drives forward. Instinctively, the Pegasus and dragon ceases their tiring exhalation and immediately steps away from the roaring, blue inferno.

At this point, the three Draconian Magic-users take a moment to catch their breaths. During that momentary break, Arrogon witnesses something in the huge gap between the two adversaries. His blazing eyes widen with shock as he remembers the purpose of Ford’s interference. In the background, the six mares are in a deep sense of uninterrupted concentration as their Elements of Harmony radiate immensely. And from the looks of it, they are nearly down with their ultimate build-up.

Arrogon curses himself for nearly forgetting about them and on how they pose as the true threat to his sovereignty. But then, his anger diminishes swiftly as he notices a perfect opportunity to prevent his ultimate downfall. Not only are Wagner and Ford Mustang still exhaustive from their latest attack, but their necessary separation created a very wide opening that leads a straight path towards Princess Twilight and her friends.

“YES!”

With precious time remaining, Arrogon hastily gallops in a mad dash and passes right by the two combatants. The recovering Mustang screeches in protest, but his pleading words go unheard as Arrogon excitedly continues his charge towards the mares. With sinister glee, he carries on with his galloping as he approaches the six with great anticipation.

However, just when thinks are going his way, he nearly halts his pursuit as he sees Twilight and her friends opening their eyes as they showcase flashes of blinding, white light. After that, their Equestrian bodies explodes in a shimmering radiance as it launches two spiraling, intertwining streams of colors before they combine into a massive rainbow, and it descends toward Arrogon! Despite the incoming, multicolored arch, Arrogon is confident that he can outrun it and permanently stop the mares before their harmonized spell is complete, but the arching rainbow homes in on its vile target, and it plunges the Destroyer in its surge of overwhelming power!

The gravity of this cascade of bright colors is truly intense as it ceases the villain’s tracks right on the spot. Still, he manages to press forward as he slowly moves his limbs. But that only gives Arrogon a false sense of hope, as his legs gradually cease their motion. Eventually, the rest of his demonic body progressively freezes in place, and all he can do now in his confinement is scream wildly in frustration.

“GRAAAAAAAHHH!!”

As Arrogon’s uproar comes to an end, the majestic rainbow fades away into a colorful mist, and the concentrated light surrounding the Elements of Harmony begins to disappear. Gradually, the six mares float down gently after they are finished with their signature spell. As they recover from performing such overpowering magic, Ford Mustang quickly goes up to Rainbow Dash and rewards her with a welcoming nuzzle. While the group silently congratulate themselves, they are joined by their other friends and allies including Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.

“Twily!” her BBBFF says as he hugs her firmly.

“Shining, how’s everypony else?”

“Despite the injured, everypony else is fine.” he verifies it with relief. “Thanks to the dragons and everyone else, all of Arrogon’s forces have been wiped out. Where’s Arrogon anyhow?”

“Take a look at him yourself.”

As Twilight points it out with a fore hoof, the leaders of the Crystal Empire and everyone else pay attention at the center point of the battlefield. From there, a lot of smoke from the aftermath of that almighty attack is concealing on what everyone is looking at. Finally, the smoke clears away and everyone gasps at the reveal of their adversary. Instead of the terrible tyrant that has plagued the country for so long, it has been replaced with a perfect stone replica of their defeated enemy. From his frozen posture, Arrogon is standing tall on all hooves as he arches his neck back while his scowling face is stuck in an everlasting roar of defiance with his unhinged jaws hanging out in the open. Even the flaring fire emitting from his angry eyes, mane and tail are completely petrified in motion.

“He’s… he’s been turn to stone!” Shining says shockingly.

“Well, at least Canterlot will have another statue to put into their Royal Gardens.” Princess Cadance kids mildly.

Rarity adds with slight disgust on that suggestion, “I don’t see how you would want something as horrendous as that into Canterlot’s pristine gardens!”

After a brief giggle from the company, Fluttershy intervene softly after nuzzling with her husband, “Umm, what’s going to happen to Princesses and Discord? Are they going to be trapped like this… forever?”

The shy Pegasus’s friends are flabbergasted on that inquiry as they have no idea on how they were going to free the almighty trio, but then Twilight answers with growing confidence, “I’m not sure, Fluttershy. But I’m certain that with some time and research, we will eventually free them from Arrogon’s amulet. For now, I think it’s safe to say that we've finally won this battle.”

“Then… we did it!” Pinkie Pie says quietly with wide eyes before she breaks into an overly excited smile. Then, she turns to the crowd behind her and announces with overwhelming, bouncing joy, “WOO-HOO! Hey, everybody! We did it! We all did it!”

From the eccentric pony’s exciting announcement, everyone else breaks into thunderous cheers over their long-awaited victory. Ponies, griffons, changelings, and dragons exchange congratulations to one and another as this is a turning point of peace for them. Families, friends, and loved ones rejoice with each other through hugs and kisses.

As for Rainbow Dash and Ford Mustang, they silently gaze at each other with very affectionate smiles before they swiftly wrap themselves in a tight, warm embrace. As they snuggle closely, Ford quietly contemplates to himself on how thankful he is right now to be alive and reunited with his loved one.

In the midst of their hug, Ford couldn’t help himself as he directs his eyes on the motionless Arrogon, just so he can verify that his quest is finally over. However, the stallion is slightly startled as he is certain that he notices something off. First, there is a small crack stretching across the Destroyer’s face. Then, it spreads across his chest. And finally, to Ford’s horror, the tyrant’s body is covered in crackling fractures.

“No…” Ford murmurs in denial. “No!” When he unfortunately ends his hug with Rainbow Dash, he calls out in alarm, “EVERYONE, STAY BACK!”

Upon hearing that, everyone is completely distraught by Ford’s distress before they feel a disturbing tremor originating from the center point. Once they take notice on what Ford is warning about, they all stare with complete fear and disbelief over the return of their supposedly defeated enemy. And with Arrogon’s fiery eyes flickering like mad, he lets out an infuriating outcry as the force of his roar finally breaks him out of his stony imprisonment!

As the revived Destroyer heaves angrily, Twilight Sparkle couldn't get over the fact on how they failed their crucial plan. “The Elements of Harmony… they have no effect on him at all.”

“Wh-wh-what are we going to do now?” Fluttershy stammered in fright as she shudders closely to her protective Big Mac.

Rainbow Dash gives it some careful consideration on what they should do from there. Of course, the choice is quite clear to her as she bears her trademark confident grin towards her friends, “We keep fighting, that’s what!”

Encouraged by Rainbow’s fearlessness, everyone else’s valor has been renewed as they ready themselves for their last stand while they encircle the lone villain and they assume their battle-ready stances. Irritated and exhausted, Arrogon glares at the ever-rebellious races as he sets to reassume his one-pony assault on all those that stand in his way. Steadily, he takes one step forward which nearly causes the opposing side to almost step away in caution.

But as soon as his fore hoof makes that stomp, something unexpected happens as a massive glowing crack appear on his leg! As Arrogon flinches in pain while nearly tripping over his spontaneous injury, the blue cracks spread like a virus as they reach as far as his blank flank.

Amazed by this, Ford Mustang points it out loud, “Wait a minute, look!”

As the allied forces observed this, the crackling scars finish their task once they reached to his screaming face. With his body covered in permanent marks, he begins to suffer excruciating amount of pain as he topples onto the floor while carrying on with his earsplitting screams.

“Hey, look at that!” Pinkie Pie says with a giggling smile. “He’s literally cracking under pressure!”

“Then they did work!” Twilight verifies with renewed delight. “The Elements of Harmony must have significantly weakened him!”

“Well what are we waitin’ for?” Applejack issues with a bold smirk. “Let’s keep at it and send that brute packin’!”

As the six mares prepare to unleash the awesome powers of the Elements of Harmony once again, Ford is too distracted by the continuous wailing of his formidable adversary. Sure, Mustang can definitely feel the unforgiving rage from Arrogon’s constant howling, but for a brief moment, the bewildered Pegasus is certain that he just caught a hint of concealed sadness and loneliness. This understanding sense of isolation may not be noticeable to others, but to make sure that this wasn’t just a whim, Ford hesitantly decides a course of action that can turn this decisive battle on its head.

“Wait, everyone!” which interrupts the war cries of his allies. “Just… give me a minute with him first.”

As Ford’s friends are baffled by this attempt of peacekeeping, Rainbow Dash goes up to him and sternly expresses her disapproval, “Ford, don’t! There’s no sense in reasoning with him now!”

Gently, he pleads to his marefriend as he grasps her forelegs, “Please, Rainbow. I… need to find out if there is another way to resolve this.”

Uncertain on what is on Ford’s mind, the Pegasus mare is indecisive on approving this sudden need for diplomacy. But after some consideration, Rainbow shows him a soft smile before she nods silently to serve as her answer. Grateful on how far she is willing to trust him, Ford thanks her with a gratifying kiss on Dashie’s cheek before turning around and hovering towards the tormented Destroyer while the surrounding forces lower their arms and watch in awe over this new development.

After he steadily soars toward the center of the ring, Ford lands softly in front of the pain-stricken Arrogon, whose agony has lessened momentarily. However, that didn’t diminish his demonic temper as the dark overlord growls aggressively at the stoic Mustang like a mad dog being backed into a corner. Without another word, the passive stallion extends his foreleg as Arrogon instinctively reclines away from it. But once Ford’s foreleg comes to a gentle stop, Arrogon stares at it with sheer incomprehension as he flabbergasts on the meaning of this baffling gesture from his enemy.

“What… what are you doing?”

“I’m offering you a hoof, of course.” Ford retorts straightforwardly. “You going to take it or not?”

Insulted by this act of pity, Arrogon harrumphs as he dismisses Ford’s assistance, “I’m fine on my own! I don’t need anypony’s help! Especially yours!”

“Don’t be absurd! You’re damaged beyond belief and your army is complete annihilated! Face it, it’s over!”

“It's not over until I say it is--!”

But his outburst is cut short as Ford swiftly approaches him, but before Arrogon can brace for the incoming hit, he abruptly freezes in place as Ford does the unthinkable: he hugs him!

“Morning Star. It’s over.” the mild stallion repeated in a kinder tone. “Just let go already.”

Within this tight, unforeseen embrace, Arrogon just wants to gag in disgust over this abundance of tenderness as he frantically desires to break away from this unnecessary physical contact. Yet, despite his inner protest, his fractured body couldn’t respond to this as his dark mind goes blank from dealing with these discomfortingly warm feelings. The kind of positive feelings he has discarded for so long. As the wide-eyed Destroyer is paralyzed from dealing with his confounding emotions, Ford continues to speak his mind out as he keeps on hugging the dumbfounded Earth Pony.

“You know, Hindel once told me on what you have been through before you were turned into this thing. You must have been in so pain all on your own. I can’t even imagine on what that must have been like for you. In spite of that, you were a good pony at that time before things went from bad to worse. I wouldn’t lie to myself. I hate you for everything you’ve done to me and my friends, and yet, I can’t help but feel sorry for you.”

Within the observing crowd, Wagner furiously snaps at the peacekeeper, “Ford, don’t be a fool! Have you forgotten on what he has done to my clan?! To Hindel?! Arrogon is beyond redemption at this point! There is no way for him to have a sudden change in that black heart of his!”

After ending his hug with the deeply thunderstruck Arrogon, Mustang turns around slowly and faces the Inferno Dragon King with a serious stare. “'No way' you say?” Ford lectures softly. “Was it not you who was willing to aid us despite your grudge with ponies long ago?”

Wagner was about to retort, but he couldn’t come up with any to say to that as he gruffly snaps his head away from Ford’s knowing gaze. Then, the stallion shifts his gaze at the recovering Chrysalis who is standing right next to Cadance.

“Or Queen Chrysalis?” he calls out to her. “Was it not you who gave your alliance with Princess Cadance a chance even though you two were bitter enemies?” Startled by that inquiry, Chrysalis looks at her pink rival whose shock is just like hers. They stare at each for a little bit before they break into small, respectful smiles for each other.

Ford then turns his attention back to Arrogon, who is still sitting on the ground while his head is staring aimlessly at the dirt. “If there is one thing I have learned on my journey is that anyone can change their ways, for better or for worse. So if he’s willing to make amends for himself, then I’m willing to forgive him. And I believe that’s what Hindel would have wanted as well.”

As Ford extends a friendly foreleg once again, the staggered Arrogon gradually looks at him with his enlarged, fiery eyes, which express a much softer expression from the way they flicker. “You… you would forgive me?” he asks in disbelief. “Just like that? After everything I’ve done to you?”

“Yes, I would. But first you have to let go of that amulet of yours and release Celestia, Luna, and Discord. With their powers, I’m certain that they may able to help you change back into a regular pony. But only you can make that decision yourself. If this is what you really want, then my friends and I would do our utmost best to help you out in anyway possible. You don’t have to be alone anymore. So please, Morning Star… don’t do this to yourself.”

As Ford Mustang continues to hold her extended foreleg in place while bearing a gentle smile, Arrogon is very hesitant on accepting this sign of goodwill. Never in his long, solitary existence since his dark transformation has he received a second chance in life. A chance to go to back a time where he used to receive love and attention just how Hindel and his dragon family used to give me. A chance to be… normal.

“Ford… I… I…”

…

BAM!

“I HATE YOU!!”

To everyone’s surprise, irredeemable Arrogon wrathfully punches his hoof into Ford’s face as the unexpected blow knocks him right on his back while he slides away from his aggressor! Swiftly, Rainbow Dash flies toward his fallen coltfriend and helps him up before she glares mercilessly at the intolerable Destroyer.

“What’s your problem?!” she shouts at him. “He was willing to go out of his way and try to help you, you buckin’ jerk!”

In response, Arrogon just laughs sinisterly before composing himself and gradually stands up tall while maliciously addressing to the crowd, “Help me? HA! Don’t make me laugh! Do you expect me to fall for something like that?! Friendship! Love! Kindness! They are all meaningless! Just a bunch of sugarcoated lies that are meant to hide the fact on how truly deplorable this world really is! There is only one thing that is absolute in this cruel world of ours: POWER! Whether it’s through money, authority, lineage, or absolute strength, power is the ultimate decisive factor in life! If you are strong, you live! If you are weak, you die! It’s as simple as that! You think Celestia or Luna is anything different compared than me?! Whether it’s through fear or respect, their simple-minded followers look up to them for one reason only: power! That is all!

'Help me' you say? Why would I ever want to go back to that life, which I casted aside centuries ago?! Why should I give up the very thing that I strived for all these countless years?! Just so I can be like all of you: a bunch of pathetic weaklings, who have to depend on one and another?! I have no intention of returning to that accursed mortality, and I have no regrets on any action I have to take to achieve my goals! So let me make it as perfectly clear for you as possible: there is no Morning Star! And there never will be! There is only Arrogon the Destroyer, now and forever!

But fine… that’s just fine… if all of you are so willing to stand up together…

THEN ALL OF YOU SHALL DIE TOGETHER!!”

And in a flash, the reinvigorated and severely cracked Arrogon disappears in a micro-explosion of blue fire and is gone instantly. The allied forces gawp at the sudden disappearance of their formidable enemy as they frantically search their surroundings while Twilight and the rest of the Elements of Harmony regroup with Ford and Rainbow.

“Wh-where is he?” Twilight asks anxiously. “Where did he go?”

Quickly, Ford enters a state of concentration as his mind’s eye widely searches for any unmistakable energy signature matching that with the Destroyer’s. His energy field perception can detect every single life force within a mile radius. So far, he can account every one of his allies, but no sign of Arrogon at all. It was like he vanished without a trace.

After conducting his widespread search, he says to them disappointedly, “I don’t know! I can’t sense him! He’s out of my extensive range!”

As the pony friends wrap their minds on this mindboggling mystery, Fluttershy instinctively looks up to the sky for any inspiration to come. However, what she is sees up there may be the answer they seek, but not the one they have hoped for. Paralyzed at fear on what she is witnessing, the canary yellow Pegasus is nearly choked up and initially unable to speak as her legs shake uncontrollably.

Until finally, her voice breaks free and sings out loud, “LOOK, UP THERE!”

Following on that shriek, everyone look up and their fearful expression mirrors that with Fluttershy’s. The dark clouds have parted and are steadily circulating around the vast opening in the sky like a swirling vortex. At the eye of this ominous storm is a solid, black sphere, a sphere made entirely of dark magical energy that is floating, growing, and pulsating with blue sparks coursing across its circular body! And the obvious suspect responsible on such an apocalyptic spell is none other than Arrogon the Destroyer!

Underneath his black ball of doom, Arrogon is pouring all of his Draconian Magic that his amulet would allow into this one final attack of his. As he bellows out his dark energy into his growing globe of destruction, his permanent injuries take their toll as his irritating cracks constantly put his body through enormous amount of pain. But he didn’t care about that as he continues to push onward. He didn’t care if this act of desperation will kill him in the end. If this grand attack will finally obliterate Ford Mustang and his friend from the face of Equestria, then he will happily pay whatever price that comes with that!

Back on the ground, Ford and company gasps in horror at the continuous growth of Arrogon’s death ball. Slowly, it begins to overshadow the fear-stricken allies.

“What in Equestria is that?!” Rarity shrieks.

“It’s so… scary looking!” Fluttershy comments in trembling fear as Big Macintosh leans in and does his best to comfort her.

“And it’s getting bigger!” AJ points it out. “At this rate, it might swallow this entire valley!”

“Wait, what are we so worry about?” Pinkie Pie asks in a surprising confident smirk. “All we have to do is use the Elements of Harmony and take him down once more! Right, Twilight?” When Pinkie faces Twilight, the young Alicorn is disturbingly silent as she shamefully looks away from her pink friend. From noticing this disturbing reaction, Pinkie Pie’s confidence is shot down as she asked again in an unusually quiet voice, “…Twilight?”

Reluctantly, Twilight gloomily replies with great uncertainty in mind. “Girls… I… even if we can charge them up in time, I don’t think our powers will be enough to stop him and reach him at such a high altitude.”

“So… does mean… that we…?”

Even though Rarity wouldn’t even dare to finish that sentence, Twilight’s discouraging silence is enough to serve as her answer. Unable to contain herself any longer, Rarity turns to Applejack as her only source of comfort as she pours all of her sorrow into her marefriend’s soft, strong neck. Undisturbed by the Unicorn’s tears being soaked up into her orange coat, Applejack wraps a gentle foreleg around Rarity and brings her in for a sympathetic embrace. Mimicking her friends, Fluttershy and Big Mac nuzzle closely with each other as share their final moment together as a married couple. Looking for closure, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie engage in one big hug to signify their strong and unbreakable friendship to held on to for such a few short years.

Quietly, Rainbow Dash approaches the strictly disheartened Mustang as she wants to do her best to comfort him in their last moment together. When Ford tilts her head, he looks into Rainbow’s magenta eyes that are full of concern, but as for her, all she sees is nothing but guilt in those remorseful, turquoise eyes of his.

“Rainbow… I’m sorry… I…”

Unable to finish that apology, he collapses onto the floor and hysterically breaks into disgraceful tears over his recent and perhaps his greatest failure of all time. “It’s… it’s my fault! It’s all my fault!” At once, he slams a hard fore hoof into the dirt as the quaking sound accompanies his regretful frustration. “Dammit! I should have finished him off right on the spot, but I was so stupid into believing that I can somehow save him!”

Without a word, Rainbow gently glides toward the weeping stallion from behind and drapes her forelegs around his shoulders and neck while her angelic wings wrap softly around Ford’s torso.

With her face next to his, she reassures him with tender sincerity, “No you’re not. You did a very brave thing out there, and I wouldn’t have expected anything less from my big, strong Mustang.”

Touched by her sentimental words, Ford turns himself around and gazes into her loving eyes before he coos to her, “Oh, Rainbow Dash…”

For their last moments together, they break into a heartfelt kiss before hugging each other as closely as possible, never wanting to let go. As he looks up towards the sky, he watches the inevitable sphere of oblivion growing larger by the minute. From staring at this foreboding ellipse, Ford recalls something that Hindel once said to him when he comforted him with his own fears after his defeat with the Basilisk.

“Remember this Ford Mustang: when you are at its darkest hour, only through the fires of courage and the united hearts of harmony will you achieve a power so great, that not even Arrogon can blot out its purifying light.”

Bearing in mind from the dragon’s words, several things start to click in place inside Ford’s head: Draconian Magic, Hinden’s technique: energy absorption, the Elements of Harmony. He starts to realize that everything is in place just like Hindel has foreseen. And with that realization in mind, the best idea in the world hits him like a Sonic Rainboom as he beams as bright as the sun he just saw earlier!

When Rainbow catches a glance at Ford’s smiling face, she is slightly confused by his sudden chance in expression as she inquires, “Ford, what is it? What’s gotten you smiling all of a sudden?”

Instead of a reply, Ford hovers toward Twilight as his swift appearance startles her and Pinkie, which breaks up their hugging. “Twilight, can those Elements of Harmony be used as a power boost?”

“I… I can’t say for certain.” Twilight answers unsurely as she ponders on that possibility. “We’ve never tried to use them like that before.”

With a confident smirk, he assures her, “Then congratulations, you just got yourself a volunteer!”

Following behind, Rainbow floats towards them and asks again, “Hang on, what’s going on here--?”

But once again, Ford leaves a slightly annoyed Rainbow Dash in the dust as he flies up towards Wagner before making his hasty request, “Wagner, I need you and every dragon available to give me all of your fire so I can absorb as much as possible while the mares charge me up with their Elements!”

“Hmph! Normally I don’t take orders from ponies.” Wagner grumps before he breaks into a toothy smile of approval. “But given the circumstances, I’ll make this an exception.”

Satisfied, Ford leaves the red dragon be and returns to Rainbow and the rest of her puzzled friends while Wagner flies up and gathers his clan for their role in this final assault orchestrated by Ford.

“Okay, do you mind filling me in on what exactly you are up to?” Rainbow asks once more with her patience running thin.

Gladly, Ford explains his grand plan to the girls, “From completing my training, I have the ability to enhance my powers by absorbing pure energy, in this case, fire! But I don’t know my own limits on how much energy I can absorb for myself. However, that’s where you girls come in! If the Elements of Harmony can empower me with their miraculous magic, I can reach a power far greater than my own limitations! And hopefully deliver the final blow to Arrogon once and for all!”

The six mares are a bit unsure on this convoluting plan of his, but then, Rainbow Dash is the first one to brighten up as she showcases a courageous, captivating smile. Little by litte, the rest of the girls bear a hopeful smile until finally, Twilight Sparkle with a positive smile of her own says to them, “Well… it’s better than nothing, so… let’s give it a shot!”

Renewed with hope as well as excitement, Pinkie Pie hollers up in unbridled joy, “Wahoo! Alright! Well, come on! Let’s do this already! Places, everypony! Places! Let’s move move move!” As she says this, the pink pony springs into action as she grabs each of her friends by surprise and positions them in a proper circle before she takes the vacant spot herself.

As Mustang steps into the circle of friends, Rainbow stops him momentarily as she asks him with a hint of worry, “Ford… are you sure you’re up to this?”

“Why? Don’t you have faith in your big, strong Mustang?” he teases with a smirk.

“Of course, I do!” she retorts as she briefly takes offense from that remark before she slightly shies away with her eyes avoid his. “I just… I just want to make sure that you come back in one piece, okay?”

In a more serious manner, Ford directs her tender gaze towards him with a gentle forehoof as he assures her with absolute certainty, “I’ll make it out of this one, angel! I promise!”

“Do you Pinkie Promise?”

A bit hesitant on living up to that sacred promise, Ford dismisses his worries with a bold smile before he uses his left forehoof to cross his heart and then placing it over his left eye. “I Pinkie Promise!”

With a soft sigh, Rainbow lets him go as he takes his place in the center of the circle. With everypony in-place, each of them relaxes and closes their eyes as the six mares commence their Elements of Harmony one last time. From their jewelry, their respective Elements emit vibrant lights as they release pastel-colored rays of magic into Ford’s body.

From up above, Wagner witnesses the ponies’ initiation, which means it is time for him and his dragons to do their part as well. Following their red king’s signal, the hovering dragons breathe out gentle streams of magical fire as their breaths are automatically drawn down below towards the composed Mustang. In his state of peace, Ford carries on with his steady breathing as he freely allows his amplified body to absorb colossal amount of fire. The extraordinary warmth from gathering so much draconic fire at once is a lot to take in and a lot hotter than expected, but thanks to the Elements of Harmony’s amplification, he can endure and carry on with the important task in mind.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd eyes wondrously at what’s taking place as they see the dragon’s multicolored breaths pouring downwards in a gentle, spiral fashion as they easily enter the immensely glowing stallion within the Elements of Harmony’s celestial core.

“Wow… unbelievable!” Princess Cadance exclaims with amazement.

For once, Chrysalis agrees, “Yeah, it looks like they're pouring all of their magic into that one final attack! And Ford Mustang is holding the reins on this one!”

“I wish there was something we can do to help them.” says Shining Armor.

A thought comes to mind, and Princess Cadance beams brightly to her husband and her former enemy, “Maybe there is!”

Immediately, the Alicorn Princess floats in mid-air as she calls out to her Equestria subjects and allies, excluding the participating dragons, “Everyone! Listen to me! Focus on anything that you hold dear in life: friends, family, pets, loved ones, anyone! With your love, I can channel that into power and we will finally end this nightmare for all of us! So please, lend me your strength!”

Following her command, the rest of the allied forces concentrate as hard as they can as they focus solely on the things they love most out of life. Cadance’s horn lights up a usual light blue aura, and with her special magic, she transforms those endearing thoughts from her supporters into a collective, pink mist of magical energy. From this alteration, Cadance guides and levitates the love-infused, sparkling energy into Ford’s concentrated absorption as the additional magic source inserts more power to his capability.

In the midst of her duties, Cadance almost loses her focus from the Trapjaw’s abrupt screeching, “Your Majesty! Please reconsider! We would be more than happy to sacrifice ourselves in your place!”

With a peek, Cadance glances at the commotion and is shocked to see Queen Chrysalis giving up her own energy into the sparkling torrent of love while her worrisome followers, including Commander Trapjaw, stand by her.

“Stay out of this, all of you!” Chrysalis growls at her changeling loyalists. “You don’t have enough love to spare for this attack, so I shall bear the Colony’s burden myself!”

While surprisingly touched by the Queen’s self-sacrifice, Cadance couldn’t help herself from scolding the changeling’s recklessness, “Chrysalis, what do you think you are doing?!”

“Don’t try to stop me!” Chrysalis snaps back in a groan as her energy is quickly dwindling away. “I don’t care if you don’t want my energy! You gonna take it one way or another! I won’t just sit back and do nothing!”

Startled by this misunderstanding, the Alicorn rearticulates in a gentler tone, “No, I… I just don’t want you to push yourself to the brink of death for my sake.”

“Oh, well… that’s very noble of you to considered, Princess.” she responds in surprise as she stands up with her head held up high while practically starving herself. “But if I’m going to die, then I’m going to die on my hooves and defiant to the bitter end!”

After gathering as much love as possible, Princess Cadance finishes transferring all of its emotional power into the lone stallion while Wagner and his clan accomplish their task as well. Once the massive energy transfer has been completed, Twilight and her friends break from the trance and cease the Elements’ intensification. Once she opens her eyes, Rainbow Dash and everyone else are amazed by Ford’s startling transformation. Instead of the usual golden color, his extensive aura is replaced with brilliant waves of rainbow colors as they change constantly within his magical expansion. And while it still maintains its fiery appearance, the way it flickers doesn’t look as scary as natural flames; it moves in a graceful manner as its flames has an unnaturally angelic characteristic. Even its warmth is very soothing and comforting to all those around him.

Gingerly, Rainbow Dash walks up towards her dazzling coltfriend until her muzzle is inches away from his.

“Hey Ford, what’s it like?” she asks with slight curiosity.

Calmly, he opens his eyes and bears a very relaxing smile before he replies in a soothing voice, “It’s like… the second greatest warm feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

“The second greatest?” she responds with a slight chuckle as she raises an eyebrow. “Well, what’s the first then?”

Predictably, he answers with an all-knowing smirk on his face, “When I fell in love with you, of course!”

Considering how super sappy that was, Rainbow nearly chocks up from some of her own tears before she rushes up and tightly hugs him. While she nuzzles against her coltfriend’s soothingly warm, soft coat, she continues to smile tenderly as Ford pulls her closer with an embracing foreleg. As he holds her closely to his chest, Mustang contemplates on whether on not to let in on his secret when he wanted to ask her to marry him weeks ago before he was flung in this crazy adventure of his.

“Rainbow, before I go, I…well…”

Hesitant on what he wants say to her, his eyes are locked unto Rainbow’s as she waits on him with an affectionate gaze. But then, he softly chuckles to himself while shakes his head and dismisses his initial statement, “Nevermind… I’ll tell you once I get back.”

“Don’t keep me waiting.” she responds with a teasing smile.

“I love you, angel.”

“I love you too, Mustang.”

The two Pegasi finish it off with a deeply emotional kiss and their affection causes Ford’s colorful aura to grow larger and brighter than ever. Halfheartedly, their tender lips pull away gradually as Rainbow steps back to give Ford some room for his final takeoff. Finally, Mustang launches up into the air like a glaring rocket and prepares to confront his ultimate adversary one last time!

Meanwhile, hundreds of feet above ground, Arrogon has just finished his omega sphere of death as the massive, black orb is big enough to engulf the entire valley along with all of his enemies. Once his masterpiece of mass destruction is ready, he looks down and sees his shimmering adversary coming right at him.

“So, you’re willing me to face me head-on, aren’t you?” the tyrant mutters with malicious intent. “Good… then you will be the first of many to perish before my all-powerful might! Then no one would even dare to challenge or defy me ever again!”

After pour all of his strength and godly magic into this one final attack, Arrogon flies to the very top of his dark globe of overwhelming energy and position himself before he rears back and makes his declaration out loud.

“NOW PREPARE TO DIE, FORD… AND FACE OBLIVION!!”

With a firm stomp of his forelegs, the doomsday device plummets from the sky and it descends towards the ascending Ford Mustang. Unfazed by this, he continues to push forward as his acceleration reaches supersonic speeds. Halfway there, the Destroyer’s electrified ball of dark matter and the Pegasus are about to collide with one and another. But as the onlookers from down below believe that their combined powers infused within Ford will be enough to deflect that monstrous attack, their hopes were utterly crushed when they witness the heroic stallion being swallowed up whole by the colossal sphere of darkness!

Everything that was riding on their victory and their only chance of survival was complete destroyed once they saw Ford’s sacrifice in vain. Facing a hopeless situation, most of them prepare to face the inevitable they shun their eyes away from the gargantuan death ball as they embrace those who are close to them, no matter if they are strangers or not. One of the few exceptions to the disheartening circumstances is Rainbow Dash, who vigilantly keeps her eyes on the descending sphere of doom. She is certain that deep down in her heart, Ford is still alive in that dark, magical orb and will make it out of this one. After all, he Pinkie Promised to her, and nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise!

And then… a miracle happens!

KA-BOOM!!

The enormous ball of darkness suddenly pops like a balloon, and in its place, the largest Sonic Rainboom in existance explodes from within like a supernova! As the rocketing Mustang continues his uplifting ascent, the booming ring of radiant colors expands significantly as its shockwave conjures up enough force to completely shatter the dark sky apart!

With the accursed, gloomy clouds dispersing, Celestia’s sun finally breaks through as its celestial rays of sunshine greet the citizens of Equestria and their friends with warming embrace. As the allies bask in the sun, there are also welcomed by Sonic Rainboom’s magical residue as its colorful ring showers its awing spectators with glittering dust that are infused with the warm love they contributed earlier.

For Rainbow Dash’s case, she couldn’t help but brightly smile with pride over Ford’s legendary feat by pulling off another Sonic Rainboom on the same day. And this time, his second one is much bigger and more spectacular than the ones she has created before. With her astonished eyes glued to the parted sky, she irresistibly boasts to her friends nearby with a proud smirk on her face, “See that? I taught him that!”

As the heroes continue to bask in the glory of the sun, Arrogon was too distraught by all that is happening to him as he shuns his eyes from the harsh, blinding light of the Sonic Rainboom. He deems it to be impossible for anyone to stand up to his omnipotence, and yet, despite the godly powers he can tap from his precious amulet, it still wasn’t enough to stop the relentless Ford Mustang from taking him head-on.

“No…this can’t be happening…! How can his powers be greater than my own--?!”

"RAAAAAARRR!!"

But his flabbergasting of self-denial is severely interrupted by a familiar, piercing war cry as Arrogon looks down and sees the roaring Pegasus coming right at him as he readies for his strongest punch he will ever unleash. But that isn’t the only thing that has caught Arrogon off-guard. Overshadowing the charging Mustang is a ghostly, recognizable figure that shockingly sends shivers down the tyrant’s spine. Mirroring Ford’s thunderous roar is the afterimage of his deceased master, Hindel the All-Seeing Dragon!

For the first time since his return to the surface, Arrogon is truly afraid!

POW!

Paralyzed with immense fear, Arrogon has no means to counter right back as he feels the truly overwhelming power of Ford’s hoof-punch! This latest strike from Ford’s righteous might makes his earlier punches feel like love taps as his most recent hit delivers so much force that it tremendously shakes the bewildered Destroyer to the very core! The combined forces of his nearly limitless Draconian Magic, the Elements of Harmony and the love-infused energy are beyond overpowering; not even Arrogon can comprehend this kind of magnitude!

From that ultimate punch, Arrogon is blasted away in a massive beam of streaming colors as he is launched further away from Equestria’s stratosphere. Within that immense blast, Arrogon continues to suffer the countless consecutive hits as he can barely comprehend from the unspeakable pain and damage he is dealing with. Even more so, the immense power of Ford’s last attack is infused with so much positive energy, which Princess Cadance originally gathered up, that it is making the pain even worse for the black-hearted Destroyer to overcome.

In the midst of this agony he is in, something begins to crack. But it wasn’t his body just yet. Instead, his precious amulet, which holds the powers of Equestria's deities, begins to rupture as the three colored orbs start to crack under immeasurable pressure. Until finally… they completely shatter!

Without the aid of the amulet’s godly power supply, the distraught Arrogon can no longer preserve his own supposed immortality as his already-broken body starts to crumble apart like ash! With pieces of his body vaporizing within the monstrous wave of dynamic energy, Arrogon impulsively vents out his futile frustration at the ones responsible for his impending downfall!

“CURSE YOU, FORD MUSTANG! CURSE YOU, HINDEL! CURSE YOU ALL!!”

As his demonic outcry fades away, so too does his body! Lastly, his screeching face deteriorates while his mane of blue fire is swiftly extinguished! All that remains of the once-mighty Arrogon the Destroyer are his two fiery eyes before his existence will be completely snuffed out from the face of this world!

And like that… he’s gone!

After the divine light of his magnificent attack has disappeared into the atmosphere, Ford Mustang weakly smiles to himself as he can no longer sense the evil presence of his formidable foe. However, that is all he can do as he is fully drained from unleashing everything he got against Arrogon. Because of his ever-increasing fatigue, his body completely shuts down on its own before he gradually descends due to his unresponsive wings. In the midst of his fall, he reflects on his heroic accomplishment with a tiring grin.

I did it! At last… it is finally over! But my body… I can no longer move it. Heh, I don’t think I can feel anything at this point. Oh well… at least… everyone is saved. That’s… the only thing that matters. Gilda… Chrysalis… Wagner… Hindel… all of my friends from Ponyville… and of course… Rainbow… my beloved Dashie… my beautiful, blue angel… thank you… for everything… and… goodbye!

With the multitude rays of sunshine piercing through the scattered clouds, constant cheers are filled in the air as Equestria’s champions celebrate their long-awaited, triumphant victory. However, everyone becomes silent as they see a silhouetted figure gracefully descending from the heavenly clouds. As the mysterious shape gets closer to the ground, familiar characteristics begin to reveal its identify: very large wings, elongated legs, a long, magical horn, and an extensive, ever-flowing, shimmering hair that features four spring-like colors.

“Wait… is that…?!”

As Twilight Sparkle is about to finish her sentence, the recognizable Alicorn makes her proper, dramatic entrance once she lands in an elegant manner. Once the younger Alicorn knows for certain that that it’s her, Twilight couldn’t contain herself any further as she happily sheds tears over the return of her beloved mentor.

“Princess Celestia!”

At once, the emotional Twilight rushes over towards the Sun Princess and she warmly nuzzles with her teacher who happily returns it with motherly affection. In the middle of their embrace, two more figures descend from the sky. One of them is the Moon Princess and sister of Princess Celestia. The other one is the Master of Chaos who was one of the Princesses’ most notorious enemies.

“Princess Luna!” some of the ponies announce with glee.

“Annnnnd…. Discord!” he introduces himself as he spreads his arms to welcome the attention.

Everypony else could hardly contain their excitement over the Princesses’ return as they run towards them and greet them with sheer admiration, which leaves poor Discord being overlooked by the majority of the welcoming crowd.

With his arms crossed over each other, the grumpy trickster pouts in a sarcastic tone, “Hmph! Well don’t crowd all at once for my sake!” But to his surprise and delight, a tearful Fluttershy nearly tackles him with joy with a great, big hug as he deeply appreciates her kind gesture for his arrival.

After getting reacquainted with her former student, Celestia expresses her happiness to her, “I am so thankful to see you again, Twilight Sparkle!” Then, she faces the vast crowd and expresses her gratification to her citizens, “And I am very proud of all of you in midst of our absence!” Some of them shy away from receiving such modest praise from their Princess, while others hold their heads up with pride.

Bashfully, Twilight responds, “Well… we couldn’t have done it with--!”

Realizing on who else is missing, Rainbow interrupts her lavender friend as she dashes right in front of Celestia’s face, “Where’s Ford Mustang?! Did you see him?! He should have been here by now!”

With regal composure, Celestia shifts her expression into subtle sadness as she looks at her raised wings before answering the Pegasus’s questioning, “He’s right here, Rainbow Dash.”

After lowering her wings, the white Alicorn reveals an immobile Mustang saddled to her back. With her magic, a golden aura levitates the motionless body off of her and is gently laid right next to the worrisome Rainbow Dash with his back on the ground.

“He’s… he’s not move! Why is he not moving?!” she asks frantically.

Once she kneels right next to him, she continuously nuzzles him with her head as she tries to get him to regain consciousness. “Come on, Ford! Wake up! This is no time to take a nap now! That’s my job! Quit kidding around! This isn’t funny anymore!”

Despite her pleading and constant shaking, her vain attempts did nothing to arouse him. Worrisomely, Rainbow turns to disturbingly silent Celestia for a hopeful answer. “He’s gonna be okay, isn’t he, Princess? He’s gonna be make it out of this one, right?”

Hesitantly, the Princess of the Sun lowers her head sadly and answers halfheartedly, “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash.”

Unable to accept such a depressing response, Rainbow starts to shed never-ending tears while shaking her head in denial before she turns back to Ford and hysterically continues to plead for his life with a grief-stricken heart, “N-n-no… no… no! Dammit, Ford! You can’t do this to me! You promised! You Pinkie Promised that you will make it out of this one! You’re not supposed to break your Pinkie Promises! So you can’t die on me right now! You just can’t! You did so much for me that I never got a chance to properly thank you for what you have done!”

With no sign of improvement, she carries on with her heavy sobbing as she muffles her constant weeping onto Ford’s chest. As Rainbow openly pours her love and sorrow into her motionless coltfriend, everyone else around the two Pegasi express their grief over Ford’s ultimate sacrifice in their own ways. Some of them bow their heads as a sign of respect, while others join in Rainbow’s anguish by shedding their own fair share of tears for her. Either way, the war-torn battlefield has become absolutely quiet, and the only sounds that the crowd can hear are the uninterrupted wailing of Rainbow Dash.

With little composure, she places her face inches away from Ford's as she whispers in a soft, whimpering voice, “Please… don’t leave me like this… I love you!”

And in a final effort, she gently leans forward and presses her quivering lips against his. In the midst of this sentimental kiss, Rainbow can feel that warm tenderness once again; the same warm feeling in which Mustang saved her when he pulled her out of her own darkness that Arrogon had her under his control. Somehow, this familiar warmth gradually sooths her as she holds on to that kiss for as long as she could before release.

Suddenly, Rainbow can hear unusual noises from numerous friends as they make various gasps over something. Curious by this, the preoccupied Pegasus is about to break from her kiss, but unexpectedly, something pushes her back as she is force to deepen that kiss. As she is caught by surprise from the deeper embrace, her pressed lips can feel something moving underneath her. The muscles on the stallion’s muzzle stretch widely and the suspected forelegs caress her mane and neck in the right amount of firmness and gentleness. Finally, the forelegs let go of her before Rainbow Dash can slowly back away as she wants to make sure that this wasn’t some cruel dream for her. Frozen with a wide-eyed expression, she stares blankly at Ford Mustang, who awakens with a big, goofy smile on his face.

“Gotcha!” he greets her in a slightly hoarse voice.

As the onlookers break into blissful smiles and soft giggles, Rainbow is still flabbergasted from being tricked in such a traumatic situation. First, her eyes pour our new tears as she is truly thankful that Ford is still alive. Next, a massive blush nearly spreads across her entire face to showcase her extreme embarrassment from displaying such sappiness in front of everyone. Lastly, she just needs to decide which emotion to express first for her returning coltfriend: gratifying happiness or aggravated rage? The answer is quite obvious to her.

“YOU BUCKIN’ JERK!” she snaps at him as she impulsively punches him in the left shoulder with a strong fore hoof. “I REALLY THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE DEAD!”

“OW!” he whines loudly after receiving that justified hit from his flustered marefriend. “Rainbow, I know you like it rough, but please… not so hard!”

Realizing on what he has been through to achieve their victory, she hastily apologizes with a sheepish smile, “Oops! Sorry, Ford! I guess I got carried away with that!”

After she gently reclines him up, Ford shrugs the immense soreness from his incapacitated body as he breaks into a chuckling grin. “Don’t worry about! It’s probably the best pain I’ve ever felt!”

As Rainbow and Ford share a good laugh together, their friends continues to beam and cheer with overwhelming joy over their victory and Mustang’s steady recovery. The only one who isn’t taking part of the festivities just yet is Princess Twilight Sparkle as she stammers on the deviously convincing prank Ford managed to pull off.

“Wait… so you mean… that he was faking?!” she exclaims incomprehensively.

Besides her, the purple Alicorn hears the irritating snickering of Discord as he could hardly contain his laughter over the Pegasus couples’ shenanigans.

“Discord!” she scowls suspiciously at him. “This better not be your doing!”

“Well that seems rather unfair to put me on the hot seat like that!” he responds in an exaggeratedly innocent manner while failing to restrain his shrewd smile. “Besides, I can’t take all of the credit on this one!”

Puzzled by Discord’s remark, Twilight wonders on who was the true mastermind behind that deception. Then, her ears perk up when she picks up a different kind of laughter. Turning around, she is surprised to see that Princess Celestia is doing her best to stifle her laughing as she covers her giggling smile with a fore hoof.

“Princess Celestia… you?!” the younger Alicorn inquires in wide-eyed disbelief.

Once she calms down a bit, Celestia apologizes to her with an amusing grin, “Sorry, Twilight. It seemed like such a good opportunity, so I couldn’t resist on asking Ford and the others on this one.”

Back in the center of their reunion, the increasingly exhausted Mustang is laying across Rainbow with his head on top of her lap as she affectionately strokes his blue, yellow-streaked mane. While enjoying the soothing brushing from his marefriend, Ford asks her in a tiring voice, “So… did we do it? Did we… save the world?”

“Yeah, we did it!” Rainbow answers softly in a gleeful tone. “You did it!”

“…Awesome!”

As she gazes at the smiling stallion while he is in an adorably drowsy state, her eyes spontaneously drift to the rest of his body until her eyesight comes to a complete halt at one particular area. Her awestricken eyes grow largely at this astonishing feature that she has never seen before. She is practically speechless on what she is witnessing before she can manage to speak up and bring this up to Ford’s attention.

“Ford… your flank…!”

“Uh, Rainbow Dash… my eyes are up here.” he impulsively jokes with a tender smirk on his face.

Shaking her head over Ford’s sense of humor, she retorts with an chuckling grin. “Just take a look, Mustang!”

As per her instructions, Ford weakly lifts his head off of the mare’s comfortable lap and glances at his flank. And just like Dash’s initial reaction, Ford is utterly speechless at what she is referring to. Since his permanent stay in Equestria, he has shrugged his foolhardy desire for a Cutie Mark due to how well-contented his new life is. But now… after all he has gone though since the start of his epic adventure… and before his increasingly disbelieving eyes… is his very own Cutie Mark!

Carefully, he examines all of the details of his newly acquired Cutie Mark. It has a side view headshot of a dragon with a monochromatic color that’s just like his blue mane. And its silhouetted style is similar to that of Tribal Tattoos with its simple, exposed features such as fanned ears, curved teeth, and piercing glare. Ford is quite certain that his dragon-shaped Cutie Mark is referring to his newfound talent with Draconian Magic. But he couldn’t help but wonder if there is more to it than that. Perhaps its artistic design also represent to his skills in the visual arts. Or it might have a deeper meaning by having a dragon symbolizing his own bravery in everything he has been through up till now. Either way, he finds it difficult to express in words on how overjoyed he is from this.

“My… my… my own Cutie Mark!”

Flabbergasted from this revelation, he turns his head back to face Rainbow Dash again as his wide eyes plead in silence on making sure that this is all real. Understanding his beseeching expression, she smiles warmly and nods in confirmation over Ford’s worries. Satisfied on her answer, he reassumes his comfy position as he lays his head back onto Rainbow’s lap while showcasing a very relaxing smile on his strenuous face.

“Yaaaaay… I’ve finally got… my own Cutie Mark…”

And then, he fainted.

Author's Note

Ford Mustang vs. Arrogon the Destroyer - The Final Battle (2/2)

And they all live happily ever aft--! OH WAIT! We're forgetting something, aren't we?! ;D

Chapter 29 – It’s About Time!

Later that night in one the castle’s luxurious guest rooms, Rainbow Dash is looking at herself in front of a mirror. Hovering above the floor, she is now wearing the same dazzling, purple gown that she wore on the night that she and Ford Mustang attended at the Grand Galloping Gala one year ago. The same dress that she received as a birthday present from Rarity. Giddily, she twirls her dress around as she happily recalls that special night of hers. She chuckles to herself as she imagines Rarity having an over-the-top fit over wearing the same dress twice in one lifetime. But even if that was the case, Rainbow wouldn’t care at all. It’s still a gorgeous dress to wear, and she is more that happy to wear it again, especially when her coltfriend has something special in mind for their date this evening.

Rainbow is still surprised and curious by Ford’s sudden idea for their upcoming date since this morning. She expected that once he was done talking with Princess Celestia and the others, he would finish what he was going to ask of her afterwards. Instead, Ford asked her out on a date so suddenly. Of course, she wouldn’t want to refuse since it gives them an opportunity to make up the time they’ve missed since the malicious intervention of Arrogon the Destroyer. Plus, this may be all just a build-up for Ford’s expected proposal. Not to mention that somepony inexplicably brought her one-of-a-kind dress into her room right after Ford’s talk about tonight’s date, so that must be a promising sign for what’s to come.

Breaking out of her daze, a couple of knocks are heard from her door. Immediately, she rushes to the door before composing her excitement as best as she can. Once she calmed herself down, she opens the door and befalls on a wondrous sight before her.

Just like herself, Ford is also in his special attire that he wore at last year’s Gala. Yet for some reason, when she was gazing at him, he looks more stunning in that sleek, black tuxedo than his first time in it. But there is something else that is more mesmerizing about him than his clothes. His smile is very casual yet bold. His gentlecolt-like posture is tall and stern. And lastly, his turquoise eyes still have the same gentleness, yet at the same time, they are full of confidence. Rainbow doesn’t often see Ford being so daring before. Usually, he can be timid and doesn’t like show off as much as her. But as of tonight, this new, attractive side of him is causing her to blush like a schoolfilly having her first crush.

“Good evening, Rainbow.” he greets her with a modest bow.

“H-hey, what’s up?” she stutters in response, which she mentally scolds herself as she wants to facehoof herself for uttering something so lame like that.

Reaching in his inside pocket, Ford pulls out a familiar gift. It’s a fully bloomed, white rose with a short, thornless stem. It’s like it was freshly picked out of a garden because its unique fragrance can reach her muzzle.

Seeing how the events are repeating themselves, Rainbow brushes a little of her silky, groomed mane aside from her right ear as she asks of him sweetly, “Would you mind?”

Gladly, he answers, “Not at all.” Careful as always, he inserts the rose within the gap of her right ear and her mane. Once the flower is set in place, he teases with a smile, “Try not to pluck out its petals this time.”

“Only if you won’t break my heart this time.” she kids right back.

With his nose touches hers, he reassures her cooingly. “Trust me, that will never happen again!” Rewarding his reassurance, she gives Ford a nice kiss, which causes him to blush lightly from that. At least she is pleased to see him fluster like that to make up for her own brief discomfort before.

After the first of many kisses to come, he offers a right foreleg to her and asks graciously, “Well then, shall we?”

But instead of grasping his hoof, Rainbow charges to his side and lays a left wing over his back. Mimicking this unique display of affection, Ford takes his right wing and wraps it around her before he gently pulls her closer towards him.

Once they are ready, she answers with gleeful certainty, “Yes, lets!”

It’s a beautiful night in the kingdom of Canterlot. No longer is the city void of its majestic colors due to Arrogon’s once-everlasting, dark clouds. With the overshadowing curse casted away, the city has return to its shimmering splender. The gaslight streets are filled with laughter and cheer as the lights from the every window and sign radiate a welcoming glow.

One shining example is a famous restaurant simply called “Angela’s.” Named after the original owner whose golden mane is as silky as her well-known pasta, this five-star restaurant has received numerous awards and praises over the years for its extraordinary pasta dishes, enriched, tasty marinara sauce, and elaborated dining experience for all to enjoy.

After opening the gates to this heavenly restaurant, Ford Mustang and Rainbow Dash marvel at the place’s interior design. The dining room must have been originally built by Pegasi due to its carved marble columns and statues. In the center, there is even a fountain where a Pegasus statue endlessly pours water out of its jar.

As the Pegasus couple hover towards the attendant’s desk, several of the ponies at the restaurant gape and awe at their arrival. Once Ford and Rainbow approach the counter, the female attendant is also startled by their appearance.

“Excuse, ma’am.” Ford says to her politely. “We have a reservation under the name ‘Ford Mustang’ I believe.”

“Oh! Yes of course!” the young mare responds in a slightly squeaky voice. “We have a table all set for you! Please, right this way!”

Following the young mare, Ford and Rainbow hover slowly with hoof in hoof as they are led to their reserved table. As they pass through the dining room, other guests and servers continue to stare speechlessly at the recently famed heroes of Equestria. Dash and Mustang took notice of the awestricken silence, but they didn’t care. Still, the two couldn’t help but break into subtle giggles from seeing the ponies’ gawking faces.

On one side of the restaurant with an outdoor balcony in the nightly background, there is a big, round, candlelit table with a cream-colored linen covering it, a couple of neatly folded red napkins, and a semi-circled booth that serves as its seating. Once the attendant leads them to their specially arranged table, Ford allows his marefriend to enter first and sitting herself on the booth’s cushiony seat before he scoots himself in and joins on her right side. As the mare attendant leaves and returns to her station, a unicorn waiter jumps with graceful haste as he prepares to take the couple’s orders.

“Greetings, madam and sir. And welcome to Angela’s. May I start you two off with a drink this evening?”

“Rainbow, what would like you?” Ford asks her.

Dash scans through her menu quickly and her eyes widen at a familiar item on its list. With a keen smile, she orders, “I’ll have sparkling cider.”

“I’ll have what she’s having.” Ford concurs with her choice. “In fact, you’re welcome to bring the whole bottle for us.”

“Very good.” the smiling waiter bows to their selection after writing down their orders. “I’ll give you some more time on making your decisions while I fetch your drinks.” Before he takes his mannerly leave, the waiter turns backs and adds with an all-knowing grin on his face, “Oh, and as a special reminder, everything is on the house tonight.”

With a smile matching that with his server’s, Ford responds, “Thank you, sir.”

After their waiter disappears, Ford looks back at her gorgeous date and as he smiles widely over Rainbow’s astonished expression on what their server just said to them. Once she breaks out of her shock, she asks bewilderedly, “Okay, I have to know, how did you manage a table for us so quickly?! Usually you need to make reservations within a month advance for a place like this! And for that matter, how did you convince them to serve us a free meal?!”

With a very shrewd smile, he blows a puff of air onto his hoof before he smugly rubs it against his tux as he wittily boasts to her, “Well, when you’re a renowned hero of an entire country like myself, you tend to get paid for your heroic deeds in the end.”

While she is amused by Ford’s mocking display of swagger, Rainbow knows that there is more to it than what he is letting on. For now, she shrugs it aside and retorts with a chuckling grin, “As cute as that was, you better leave the boasting to a professional like me.”

One hour later, the two Pegasi have just finished their salads, a basket of softly toasted garlic bread, and their first bottle of sparkling cider. Their demolished salads were pretty much equivalent to the Caesar Salads that Ford favored back on Earth. True, he blurted it out by accident as he failed to realize that the name of the Equestrian counterpart’s salad is different than Earth’s, but Rainbow Dash was there for the quick recovery and made a proper suggestion for both of their salads. As they gorged themselves on bread, cider, and salad, Ford started off their long-overdue conversation with tales of his adventures.

While they wait for the second bottle as well as their big meal, Ford excitedly carries on with his latest story about his grudge match with the Inferno Dragon King. “So there I was! Lying on ground and completely at the mercy of Wagner!”

“Un-huh?” Rainbow nods eagerly as she leans in closer.

“But the dragon wasn’t going to back down as he prepares this monstrous fireball to finish me off for good!”

“Yeah?”

“So I had to think fast! I needed to prepare the ultimate counterattack for his crushing fireball technique! But before I can pull it off, I needed to wait for the right moment once he launched the thing! And once that fireball was coming in close enough towards me…”

“Then what?! Then what?!” she demands excitedly.

With a wide grin, Ford caps it off by saying, “… I used my Draconian Magic to fling that enormous projectile right back at Wagner, thus ensuring my victory and his support after that!”

After a hearty chuckle, Rainbow comments with amazement, “Wow, I’ve got to hoof it to you, Ford! You really had one crazy adventure! I mean with the Timberwolves, giant snakes, and even fire-spewing dragons! I’m kind of jealous that you got to have all the fun to yourself! I mean, I don’t have much to say on my behalf! I had to spent weeks being cooped up in Arrogon’s dungeon!”

Taking a break from his storytelling, Ford takes several gulps from his tall glass of ice water. Once he rehydrates himself, he is about to continue where he left off, but he stops himself once he notices Rainbow’s disturbing silence. Her usual cheerfulness is replaced with a very disheartening expression as she aimlessly stares down. As the concerned Mustang is about to question her sudden change of disposition, Rainbow beats him to it with a question of her own.

“Ford… can I tell you something?”

Of course, Dashie.”

After exhaling out a heavy sigh, she begins in an unusually nervous manner, “When I was being turned into Arrogon’s personal plaything, I tried to put up a good fight with his mind games for as longer as I can, but my will was beginning to break down overtime during our ‘private sessions.’ I think what hit the final nail on the coffin was being reminded on how I was never going to see you again when I really thought that you were dead for sure! Eventually, I started to lose fragments of my own memories: my dad, my friends, my dreams as a Wonderbolts, my own name, you!”

Noticing the uneasiness in her voice, Ford tries to stop herself in a gentle way, “Rainbow… you don’t have to continue…!”

“Ford… please just… listen to what I have to say first. It’s really important I get this off my chest.”

Understandably, he nods in silence as he allows her to continue. But as she was struggling to carry on, Ford lays a soft forehoof onto hers as he patiently waits for her to take as much time as she needs once she is ready to go on with the rest of her story. After calming herself down with another sigh, she continues where she left off.

“Once I lost all of my memories, I was somehow trapped in this unknown abyss. There was nothing but darkness everywhere I turned. No sights. No sounds. No ground. Nothing. Absolutely nothing! It was like the worse case of dying out of sheer boring! Eventually, I lost count on how long I was stuck in there! I flew constantly and screamed out for anypony to hear me! But nopony responded back! I don’t always admit this to myself… but… I got scared, Ford! Like really scared! I’ve got so scared from being trapped in there for so long that I couldn’t help myself from whimpering like a little foal! It was truly the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my life!”

As she admits her fears to the attentive stallion, she couldn’t barricade her emotions any longer as constant tears pour out of her eyes. Gently, Ford pulls his trembling marefriend close to him with his left wing wrapped around her. With the stallion’s wing shielding her from the outside world, she lets go of herself while she muffles her cries into his silky suit. While Rainbow presses her sobbing face into his chest, Ford lays his head of her softly combed mane as he lightly cradles her in his strong wing.

When she is calm down enough, Rainbow persists on to Ford’s surprise, “But then… while was I crying to myself, I finally heard something for the first time in like forever! There was… somepony calling out to me, asking me to remember on what makes me who I am! Even though I didn’t realize on who or what that pony was talking about, it gave me some hope on knowing that there was somepony looking out for me! And suddenly, a golden ray of light breaks through the void and was pulling me out of there! As I was enveloped in its comforting warmth, my memories started coming back to me all at once! And next I knew, I was in your hooves and looking at your gorgeous eyes and smile!”

Lifting her head up, Rainbow stares into Ford’s astonished eyes as she displays a beaming smile for him. To his relief, he can no longer see the fear in her tearful eyes. Instead, they are now showcasing her undying gratitude, joy, and admiration for the stallion that has risked his life and limb for her.

“And it was you all along… you came back and save me! So… thank you, Mustang… for everything!”

Her sentimental words touch him to the very core of his soul. Leaning forward, he honors her brave statement with a soft kiss on her lips. What remains of her trembling earlier has quickly vanquished away once their lips come into contact. The somewhat electrifying kiss is enough to daze the two of them for a brief moment of their time together.

After their lips gradually separate from one and another, Rainbow breaks into a spontaneous giggle as she starts to wipe her tears away, “Sorry, I guess I overdid it on the waterworks, huh?”

As a way to reassure her, Ford kisses her on the forehead before replying softly, “You have nothing to apologize for, Dashie.”

Then, with the use of his teeth, he pulls out a handkerchief from the jacket’s outside pocket and offers it to Rainbow. Gladly, she accepts the kind gesture from him before using it to soak up her remaining tears.

As Dash recovers herself, Ford thinks to himself that it’s only fair that she knows his own fears during his recent adventures, “You know… I may not know on what it’s like to be trapped within the dark corners of your mind, but I’ve got really scared on several occasions too during my training with Hindel.”

After drying up all of her tears, Rainbow responds with wide-eyed surprise, “Really? But you’ve made your adventures sound so awesome!”

“Trust me, they may be something to look back and laugh about, but it wasn’t all fun and games for me.” After a brief chuckle from his own remark, Ford carries on in a more serious tone. “Remember when I told you about my first petrifying encounter with the Basilisk? Well… after Hindel saved me, I broke down… hard! It was the most aggravating defeat I’ve ever faced since I lost you over to Arrogon! I wasn’t just scared on the fact that I almost died! I was scared that I would have failed everyone that matters to me the most, include you, Rainbow! Even during my final trial in regards with my dragon powers, I thought that I wasn’t going to make it out of there alive!”

Just like how Ford was there to comfort her, Rainbow returns it in full support as she rests her reassuring fore hooves over his. With a comforted smile, Ford happily continues in a more uplifting tone, “And yet, every time I’m back in a corner, just thinking about you was enough to raise my spirits high and keep pushing forward! I guess what I’m trying to say here is that no matter what kind of jam I was in, you were always there to give me all the strength and courage I need to carry on with my journey! So… in a way, I’m the one who should be thanking you, Rainbow Dash, for being there when I needed you the most!”

Her fluttering heart skips a few beats from hearing on how much of an inspiration that she is towards her affectionate stallion. Quick as a flash, she grabs Ford by the neck and pulls him in for a very deep kiss. Surprised at first, he eventually gives in to her energy-draining affection as his wings firmly embrace her.

As their making-out session is just getting started, the two are interrupted with a proper “Ahem” by their returning waiter, who is accompanied by a few helpers. Each of them is slightly embarrassed from what they were just witnessing. Realizing that they were unintentionally being watched by the staff, Dash and Mustang quickly give each some room before the waiter addresses himself to the blushing couple.

“I’m terribly sorry for interrupting you, but your dinner has just arrived. Enjoy.”

As the server bows before the Pegasi, one of the helpers lifts up the lid that was covering the main dish, which was transported by cart. Next, the two Pegasus assistants use their mouths to carry the large dish’s handles and place it before the couple. As the steam fades away, Ford and Rainbow eye hungrily at the grand feast they ordered.

Inside the gigantic shallow bowl is Angela’s famous angel hair pasta topped with its chunky, flavorful marinara sauce. And piling on top of that are dozens of thick slices of eggplant, covering with more marinara sauce and gooey parmesan and mozzarella cheese. This monstrous entrée is one of the most popular dishes in Angela’s: Eggplant Parmesan!

As the steaming aroma reaches their nostrils, Ford and Rainbow couldn’t help but drool over their enormous, mouth-watering meal. With their wide eyes fixated on their pasta, Rainbow is the first to break from their trace as she exclaims with hungry anticipation, “I don’t know about you, Ford, but all this sappiness is making me hungry!”

Following suit, he agrees with a hearty chuckle, “Agreed! Let’s eat!”

Throughout their shared meal, Ford and Rainbow’s taste buds are in pure ecstasy. The angel hair pasta that made this restaurant famous in the first place is heavenly silky and fulfilling as the two Pegasi slurp it up with joy. The thick marinara sauce that slender noodles are drenched in is made with freshest and tastiest vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, and spices. The sliced eggplants are cooked with the right amount tenderness. And the cheese is melted to perfect consistency. Everything about this place regarding with its food and atmosphere is truly heavenly!

Despite how messy their meal can be, the couple is well-equipped with the large red napkins tied around their necks and covering them up. Either way, they don’t care much if any sauce gets on their fancy clothes as they are too distracted by how scrumptious their dish is. In the midst of their meal, Ford mischievously pulls an ultimate Disney cliché by slurping up one end of Rainbow’s strain of pasta and stealing a kiss from her. In return for that cheeky move, she playfully licks some of the leftover sauce from Ford’s cheek, which earned her a nice blush from her coltfriend. In the end, they've enjoyed their dinner thoroughly. All the way down to the very last strain of their delectable pasta.

“Ahhhh… best… meal… ever!” she praises gleefully as she licks her lips ecstatically.

After wiping his muzzle with a napkin, he pouts to her with a teasing smile, “Aww… better than the ones I cooked for you?”

Responding to his little joke, she rephrases herself with a reassuring grin, “Okay… second best meal ever.”

Later on, it has become awfully quiet between the two. Taking advantage of their silence, Rainbow scoots closer to the seemingly obvious Mustang while she displays a wide, shrewd smile on her face as she hopes to hear what she’s been waiting for the entire day.

“Sooooo….”

“So what?” he perplexes to her.

“So isn’t there anything important you wanna ask of me?” she adds as she flashes a winning smile for him.

Ford takes a moment to think about this as Rainbow prays to herself that he would get the obvious hint. Finally, he brightens up as he answers, “Actually, there is one thing that has been on my mind for quite some time…”

Rainbow holds her breath as she anxiously waits for Ford to continue where he left off this morning. With his fore hooves holding hers, she nearly shakes with anticipation from this grasp as he finally questions her, “Would you like to share a dessert with me?”

Shot down like how she used to attempt the recreation of the Sonic Rainboom, she blankly stares at her grinning date as she is utterly speechless by his unforeseen request. Once she maintains her cool composure, she shrugs it off with a soft, giggling smile before she answers, “Sure, why not?”

For dessert, they’ve chosen a mega-sized, deep-dish chocolate cookie pie topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup. From their last item for the evening, Rainbow starts to turn their dessert into a competition. And so, the race is on as each of them takes hefty scoops of the hot and cold treat. At first, it looks like that Ford is taking the lead. However, after he hastily intakes the ice cream, he suffers temporary brain freeze, which Rainbow takes advance of and finishes the last bite of their dessert. With the giant cookie demolish, the two celebrate Rainbow’s victory with a good laugh as they are completely satisfied from their finished meals.

After their dinner, Ford and Rainbow walking down the streets and he leads them to their next activity on the list. As they take their stroll, Rainbow reflects on that unintentional copout earlier. She was certain that Ford was finally going to pop the question by the end of their meals. Still, the night was young and so was she, so maybe their date is far from over just yet.

Distracted by her own thoughts, she almost didn’t notice Ford stopping in front of her. Following his glance, she looks up and gasps at their next stop. In front of them is the Canterlot Stadium, and from the looks of it, there is a big show going on in there. Posted around the entrance-way are posters promoting an extraordinary circus troupe, but what really got Rainbow’s attention is circus’s special guest appearance: the Wonderbolts! Renewed with excitement, Rainbow holds on to Ford’s foreleg like an eager foal as they enter the magnificent coliseum.

It’s quite amazing that they can set all of this up in such a short span of time, and to make it opened for the general public. However, there is one spot reserve for somepony special tonight in the VIP section. Lead by one of the arena’s attendants, Ford and Rainbow are seated in their specially privileged box, which gives them a great view of the show’s stage. As if on cue upon their arrival, the greatest show on Equestria begins.

The acts themselves are very diverse as it features races outside of the usual pony trio. There is an act where buffalos and cowponies engage in daring rodeo routines. After that, there are zebras who performed exotic dances, amazing gymnastics, and acrobatic feats with their rings, balls, and ribbons.

And a couple of acts later, there is a certain blue unicorn with a magician’s hat and cape that Ford and Rainbow know all too well: The Great and Powerful Trixie. Despite the unicorn’s usual boasting, she demonstrates great use of her talent by wowing the crowd with her magic tricks and colorful fireworks. For her last trick, Trixie summons up a fiery explosion as it reveals a frightening representation of Equestria’s previous threat, Arrogon the Destroyer! The fiery specter scares most of the audience as it lets out a monstrous roar. Fortunately for the frightened spectators, Trixie is there to save the day as she vanquishes the illusionary monster with ease in one big bang. As the crowd praises the egotistic magician with applause, Ford and Rainbow simply shrug it off with repressed giggles as they did enjoy Trixie’s contribution to the show none of the less.

Lastly, the Wonderbolts take the center stage as the crowd cheer wildly for their appearance, including Rainbow Dash. Even though she is an official Wonderbolt herself, she couldn’t contain her shrieks as she relives her days as a fan of her favorite team.

With Spitfire stepping forward, she takes a moment to address the pleasing crowd through a microphone, “Good evening, everypony! How do you like the show so far?!” After receiving thunderous cheers as a satisfying answer, Spitfire continues with a gleeful grin, “Well, I’m sure you all know what’s to come next, but before we can get right down to it, we have a special announcement to make first! Tonight’s entertainers are here to honor two of Equestria’s latest heroes! In fact, both of them are here right now as we speak! One of them is somepony most of you already know as the Wonderbolts’ rising superstar! The other one is somepony we owe our thanks to for our recent victory against Arrogon! So please give it up for Rainbow Dash and Ford Mustang!”

Suddenly the spotlight shines on the announced couple as ponies applaud loudly for them. Despite how much she loves the attention, Rainbow freezes in place by her captain’s unforeseen announcement. As she timidly waves back to the crowd, Rainbow notices on how calm Ford is from being in the spotlight. Then, she looks back at the grinning Spitfire and she all-knowingly winks at them. Because of that sly gesture, Rainbow starts to assume that all of this has been planned beforehand. Wrapping her mind around this, she gets the impression that the show’s final act might be where Ford will take the opportunity to propose to her. Getting her hopes high once again, she bears a very wide grin as she eagerly waits for the finale to begin.

“And now, without further ado… THE WONDERBOLTS!”

Once that was said by Spitfire, a group of Wonderbolts fly above the arena as their roaring wakes let loose several fireworks. Immediately afterwards, more Wonderbolts enter from all sides as they go through their spectacular routines. While the flyers carry on with their daring stunts, they are accompanied by additional pyrotechnics, which is lead by the Great and Powerful Trixie once again.

While Rainbow Dash silently awes over her favorite tricks from her aspiring team, she could hardly contain her excitement for what she has been is expecting. For the Wonderbolts’ grand finale, six of them fly towards the center before they sharply pull up while they leave trails of stormy clouds. As they spiral upward in a synchronizing fashion, their cloudy streams nearly come close to each other until their magical sparks start to fly from close proximity. And once they time it just right at such a high altitude, the Wonderbolts split apart, and the friction of their combined wakes creates a widespread explosion of magical lightning, followed by Trixie's multitude of colorful fireworks!

The crowd eyes the vivid spectacle with amazement and wonder as they give a round of applause for the circus’s final act. As the ponies are completely dazzled by the aftermath’s glittering sparks showering down gently, Rainbow vigilantly fixates her eyes toward the sky as she expects something else to be happening right now. However, as most of the audience takes their leave from the stadium, Rainbow grimly starts to realize that the show is truly over. And once again, her expectations come crashing down.

Back on the streets, Rainbow Dash is once again lost in her thoughts during their leisurely walk. She thought for certain that Ford was going to prepare that special surprise during the show. Maybe he would have the Wonderbolts use skywriting to write up Ford’s proposal. Or maybe, her coltfriend would have pulled out a ring right in the end. But no, he didn’t do any of that. Maybe she is reading this all wrong from the beginning. Maybe Ford just isn’t ready to take that big step in their lives after all.

“Hey Rainbow?” Snapping out of inner thoughts, she turns her head and faces Ford, who’s softly expressing concern over her. “Is everything alright? You’ve been awfully quiet since the end of the show.”

Masking her face with a broad smile, she reassures him greatly, “Yeah, I’m totally fine! I was just thinking on how I could have pulled off those slick moves myself with ease! All the same, seeing the Wonderbolts like this was great as always!”

Despite showing her appreciation, Ford isn’t buying all of that as he replies discouragingly, “I was just worried that I might have disappointed you in some way tonight.”

To show that she means well, she playful nudges him out of his doubts as she comforts him with her trademark smirk, “Are you kidding me? This night has been totally awesome! Dinner at Angela’s! A spectacular show featuring the Wonderbolts! Everything has been going better than I’ve expected! Trust me, Ford! You’ve never disappointed me!” she says with complete conviction before kissing him on the cheek. “Not one bit!”

Touched by her comforting affection, Mustang uses his right wing to pull her in and nuzzle her closely. After their nuzzling embrace, she suddenly shifts to a halfhearted smile as she subtly hints her honest expectation, “I guess I was hoping that this night of ours wouldn’t end just yet.”

With a clever smile, Ford leans closely into her ear as he coos to her in a soft whisper, “And who says it has to?”

Her ears perk up before she quickly faces her grinning coltfriend with a hopeful smile. “You mean… there’s more?”

“Mm-hmm! Just one more stop for us, and this is exclusively just for the two of us!”

“Really? Well, where is it?”

Smirking widely, he extends his foreleg and answers, “You’ll have to take my hoof and see it for yourself.”

As commanded, she eagerly takes his hoof and he gently lifts her off the ground before they take flight towards their next destination. High above the city of Canterlot, the Pegasi pass through the clouds before they take a soft landing on one of them. After they get comfy in their plushy seats, Rainbow perplexes as if something is supposed to happen.

“Okay… so now what?” she asks puzzlingly.

Not wanting to give away the surprise, he says simply, “Just sit back and enjoy the show!”

Following Ford’s gaze, she looks up to the dark blue sky as she expect to see something. Sure, it's clear tonight with only a few small stars scattered across the nightly canvas, but there is nothing else to gaze at. But just when Rainbow is about to question the smirking stallion on what they are supposed to look at, something starts to catch her eyes finally. One by one, more stars to make their appearances as they twinkle brighter the the old ones. As the countless stars flicker like festive lights, various, multicolored dust clouds spread in all direction as they gently dance and spiral around each other. Despite their unification, the splashes of colors don’t truly blend together as their abstract formation creates a unique spectrum of harmonizing hues. Eventually, the lively, vibrant painting is completed as the newly created nebula continues to dazzle the two Pegasi with its sparkling stars and softly shifting colors!

Entranced by the interstellar cloud, Rainbow’s pupils gradually grow so large that they almost overlap the rest of her astonished eyes. In the midst of her speechlessness, she manages to take a moment to express her growing astonishment, “Ford… this is just so… so… amazing! I’ve never stars like this before!”

“Hmm… well… I think there’s something else missing here.” he ponders for a bit.

“Really?” she chuckles with disbelief as her eyes are continuously glued to the nebula. “What else can make this night ever more perfect than it already is?”

“Right here.”

Abruptly, Rainbow Dash catches a new twinkle in her eyes. But the shimmering glitter didn’t come from the sky itself; it was coming from a sideways glance. Once she turns around to see where that shimmer came from, she looks down and becomes completely petrified while letting out a silent gasp. Speechlessly, she gazes at the thing responsible for the latest sparkle that caught her awestricken eyes. In Ford’s fore hooves is an opened jewelry box with a shiny, golden bracelet nestled inside. And in between of the hoof-ring’s crafted wings is a sparkling diamond whose shimmering splendor reflects the dazzling colors of the nebula. At long last, he finally reveals on what has he originally intended to do for a very long time: the Prismatic Diamond Ring!

In the midst of her frozen posture, Rainbow could hardly believe that this is finally happening. Even though she expected this moment to happen throughout the entire night, Ford Mustang still manages to catch her off-guard when she was distracted by the nebula. In fact, the surprise was so effective, that her incredulous eyes start to get watery from this life-changing event she is in while her mind starts to go on a nearly endless cycle over a certain catchphrase of hers.

Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! OHMYGOSH!!

“Rainbow Dash… will you--?”

And once again, Ford never gets a chance to finish his proposal. Only this time, it is Rainbow Dash who causes the latest interruption as she hastily pulls the stallion in for a very deep, heartfelt kiss! Despite being drawn into this swift, tender affection, Ford’s nerves quickly melts away as he finally receives the answer he has longed for since the night of their first anniversary. Locked into this increasingly warm embrace, they continue to hug each other tightly for as long as they can as they silently rejoice over their newly established engagement.

At last, their lips break into a soft, smacking sound before Ford catches his breath and retorts with a chuckle, “Dangit, Dashie! Can’t I just get one proposal done without any further interruptions?”

After chuckling along with him, she grins in response, “Then say it!”

Once he clears his throat, he pulls the gorgeous ring out of its box and presents it to the emotional Rainbow Dash while he boldly issues his proposal one last time, “Marry me!”

Despite each of them knowing what her answer is going to be, Rainbow is getting choked up as a few happy tears emerge from her emotional eyes. While she is unable to say it just yet, she nods her head rapidly before she is finally able to speak up in a tremblingly excited voice, “Yes!”

At once, she pounces on him like a hungry tigress before she steals another breathtaking kiss from her pinned-down Mustang. While it may not be as long as their previous one, it is still enough to leave them completely breathless after that.

Lying on top of Ford, she anxiously asks of him, “How did arrange all of this in one night?”

With a very wide smirk, he happily answers her newly appointed fiancée, “Let’s just say the gods were in my favor.”

Earlier this Morning in Ford’s Guest Room…

“And what do you have in mind for us exactly?” Celestia smiled broadly even though she had a pretty good idea on what Ford has in store for them.

With a grin reminiscent to his dragon master, Ford answered simply, “…To help me finish what I’ve started!”

“And I take that this has something to do with your disrupted anniversary?”

“Yes, Princess Celestia. So I was wonder if you can recommend me some places I can take Rainbow out for our date in Canterlot in evening. Preferably dinner and a show afterwards.”

With a gentle smirk, Celestia said, “I think I might be able to arrange something for you and Rainbow Dash. And there’s no need to worry about money. I'll have everything taken care of!”

Then, he turned to Celestia’s younger sister and asked of her, “And Princess Luna, I have a request that requires your special talent.”

“What is that you wish of me, Ford Mustang?”

“At the end of our date, I want to us to be in a scenic location before I finally propose to her. So in our secluded spot amongst the clouds, I was wondering if you can create a one-of-kind nebula for us!”

Luna blinked a few times from this surprisingly colossal request before she asks softly with a deadpan face, “And I have free creativity over this?”

“As long as it has shimmering stars and vivid colors, then yes, of course you do!” he shrugs with approval.

Once she is able to get over her immense shock, the Princess of the Night flies up with overwhelming joy as she proclaims her enthusiasm over her task in a loud booming voice, “Fear not, Ford Mustang! For in honor of your valor against Arrogon and your devotion to Rainbow Dash, I shall turn tonight’s canvas into my masterpiece!”

After somewhat cringing over Luna’s thunderous proclamation, Ford pleads to her softly, “Just… be sure to keep it between the four of us, okay?”

Embarrassed slightly over her exaggerated shouting, she sheepishly expressed her regret as she made a soft landing, “Oops… my apologies, everypony.”

Lastly, it was Discord’s turn. “And where do I fit in this grand scheme of yours?”

“Oh trust me Discord, I have a task that is just as equally important as the other two.”

“And that would be…?”

“You have to make sure that no one knows about our date tonight, nor will you allow anypony to follow us, no matter what!”

“Well that sounds rather bor--!” Abruptly, Discord’s expression shifted from boredom to subtle worry. “Wait… does this include Pinkie Pie?”

“Especially Pinkie Pie!” Ford acknowledged with a nod and a growing, mischievous grin. As this caused the uncertain trickster to be lost for words, the nonchalant stallion continued to slyly push Discord into his favor, “Of course, I understand if you can’t handle one pink, over-the-top party extraordinaire all by yourself. After all, this is Pinkie Pie we’re talk about. But hey, if you too intimidated by this one little pony, then I won’t press you any further into this matter--!”

As the Alicorn sisters took joy at witnessing Ford’s unforeseen trickery, Discord made up his mind and retorts with an egotistical smirk, "Oh, so you think that I, Discord, Master of Chaos, can’t handle one particular pony on my own, do you? Very well, I will accept this challenge! But only because it will amuse me into proving just how wrong you are from underestimating me!”

With a huge smirk, Ford declared to the trio, “Then it’s agreed!”

Back on the clouds, Rainbow is snuggling very closely to Ford as she states her immeasurable astonishment from hearing the origins of his master plan, “I can’t believe that you managed to do all of this just for me!”

“I would go to great lengths just for you, Dashie.” he responds sentimentally.

With a chuckling smile, she adds, “Well you certainly know how to take your sweet time and keep a mare waiting.”

“What can I say?” He shrugs casually. “I tend to have a flair for the dramatics sometimes.”

With the hoof-ring still clutched in his fore hoof, he presents it to Rainbow once more and simply asks of her, “May I?”

Still astonished by all of this, she briefly loses her voice, so she nods her head to express her overwhelming approval. Willingly, Ford lightly grasps her left foreleg and gently slides the precious ring on to her hoof. Once that is completed, she lovingly gazes at the shimmering gemstone as she adores its rich brilliance.

“It’s so beautiful!” she compliments with an awestricken smile. “How did you get such an awesome ring like this?”

“It was… given to me by Hindel.” he replies with sad hesitation.

Remembering on how Ford explained the dragon’s sacrifice during their dinner conversation, Rainbow lays a comforting wing on his back while she sympathizes, “He really was a good friend to you, wasn’t he, Ford?”

“Yes, he was.” he replies softly as he looks at his dragon-shaped Cutie Mark. “He’s done so much for me, that if it wasn’t for him, I would never be here to share this important moment with you.” he says as his fore hoof caresses her ringed foreleg.

“Well, I’m not going to forget Hindel for what he has done for us. And I’m certainly not going to forget this awesome night of ours either! Because right now… I’m the happiest mare alive!” she expresses sincerely while bearing a tender smile towards Ford.

“I love you, Rainbow Dash.”

“I love you too, Ford Mustang.”

Almost simultaneously, they close their gap for a softer kiss this time. Their pressed lips are locked on to each other’s as they plop onto the cloudy mattress. Eventually, they take a break from their latest kiss as they look up to the stars and enjoy the magnificent sight of Luna’s nebula.

While they stargaze, Ford notices something unusual in the interstellar cloud above them. Within the amassed, sparkling cloud, there is a shape that vaguely looks like a dragon. The dragon-shaped cloud has a familiar golden color, and not only that, but its silhouette bears a recognizable smirk. And just as Mustang imagines the nebula’s head being similar to Hindel, the cloudy interpretation of his dragon master suddenly winks at him with a twinkling star in place of its eye. Ford blinks a couple of times as he assumes that his eyes are playing tricks with him. Once he gazes back up to get a better look at it again, the golden cloud no longer resembles his dragon friend. Coincidence or otherwise, Ford just smiles to himself as he presumes that Hindel has never truly left him.

“So…” Mustang turns his attention back to Rainbow Dash. “You want to go back to our room?”

“Nyeh. Let’s just stay here for the rest of the night.” she replies as she nuzzles closely to Ford’s body. “I’m pretty comfortable as it is right now.”

With his fiancée using his body like a soft, life-size pillow, he takes up on her idea as his large wings wrap around her like a warm blanket. After a contended sigh, he snuggles up to his future wife before blissful sleep takes hold of them.

“So am I, angel. So am I.”

Author's Note

Here's an extended ending to this chapter:

“You know, Ford… it’s been awhile for us… and we’ve never done it on a cloud before.”

“Rainbow Dash, our house is made out of clouds!”

“Well yeah, but we’ve never tried it on a natural cloud before! You know, one that is out in the open… under the starry sky… with nopony in sight!”

“Well… these clouds are pretty comfy.”

“So are you in or what?”

…

“No time like the present, right?”

Chapter 30 – Announcements, Ceremonies, and Farewells

The next day, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna once again invites the Elements of Harmony for breakfast along with Spike, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Queen Chrysalis, Gilda, Big Macintosh, Vinyl Scratch, and Octavia. The lengthy table is piled with countless, delicious items including fresh fruits, various pastries, and a breakfast casserole made up of eggs, onions, potatoes, cheese and peppers. Everyone is waiting for two of its missing guests before they can dig in on this latest feast. Of course, that didn’t stop the greedy changeling queen from chowing down before everyone else.

“Ugh, Chrysalis!” Cadance scolds next to her in a motherly tone. “Must you eat like that? You could have just waited until everypony else is present!”

In the midst of stuffing her face, Chrysalis breaks into a toothy smile with her lips and cheeks covered in powdered sugar and jelly as she responds in a chuckle, “You’re just jealous because what I eat doesn’t go straight to my flanks, unlike a certain pink princess that I know of!”

“Hmph! I can manage my weight just fine!” the Alicorn retorts touchily.

“Sure, tell that to those jelly donuts you devoured yesterday!”

“It was… just a couple of them, that’s all!” the pink pony lies in an embarrassing blush.

Puzzlingly, Shining Armor then states obliviously, “Really? I thought you only had six of them.”

Fumingly, Cadance glares with dagger eyes at her petrified husband while Chrysalis does her best to repress her devious laughter at the white Unicorn being put on the hot seat. Hastily, he restates himself with a nervous smile, “Not that they would affect your gorgeous figure or anything like that, of course!”

Meanwhile, Princess Celestia hears a deplorable groan and realizes that the sickly sound is coming beside her. Turning her attention to the source, she sees poor Discord lying on a couch with a bloated tummy, his long tongue hanging out from the side of his mouth, and an ice pack on top of his head.

“Is everything alright, Discord?” she asks of him sweetly. “You’re looking quite pale this morning.”

“Perhaps he has bitten off more than he could chew.” Princess Luna comments with an all-knowing smirk.

“Well… I wouldn’t know about that!” Pinkie Pie intervenes as perky as ever. “After all, he made a pretty good competitor regarding with all of our food challenges last night!”

Recalling on the cause of his discomforting predicament, Discord moans in response, “Please… no… more… Pie…!”

“Oh don’t be silly, Discord!” Pinkie reassures cheerfully. “We never had any pie in any one of our challenges! But if you like, maybe we can have one some other time, hmm?”

As the groaning Discord curls himself into a ball, the majority of guests break into subtle giggles. But then, their giggling stops when a set of doors open for the two anticipated ponies. With their wings laid over each other’s backs and their tails intertwined with one and another, Ford Mustang and Rainbow Dash are practically glowing with their subtle blushes and irrepressible smiles beaming across their faces. The seated guests immediately take notice of this once the two giddy Pegasi enter the dining room.

“Good morning, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity greets with a very warm smile. “You’re looking positively radiant this morn--!” Suddenly, she stops herself as she notices something different about Rainbow. Other then noticing on how more openly affectionate than she usually is, something else catches Rarity’s eyes as she sees a sparkling accessory attached to her left foreleg. The shimmering colors of that one-of-a-kind ring seize everyone else’s attention as the seamstress begins to figure out of its familiarity.

“Wait a second… that ring! Gasp! Does this mean…?!” Rarity inquires with an uncontrollable smile.

Unable to contain her giddiness, Rainbow leaps in the air as she proudly announces in an overly excited voice, “I’m getting married!”

For a brief second, the room becomes absolutely quiet as everyone is speechless by this exciting news, but then, the rest of the Elements of Harmony shriek ecstatically in high-pitched unison as they all at once rush over to congratulate the two blushing Pegasi, along with Spike, Big Mac, and Gilda.

“Oh my stars! Darling, I can’t believe we forgot all about that!” Rarity exclaims in overwhelming joy.

“You sly, little daredevils!” Gilda grins as she playfully punches Ford in the shoulder. “So that’s what you two have been up to last night!”

“And it’s about time too if ya asked me!” Applejack comments with a smirk.

“Eeyup!” Big Mac nods.

“This is just simply wonderful!” Fluttershy says with a soft, warm smile as she hugs Rainbow Dash. “I’m so happy for both of you!”

“Yeah, I’m so excited! This calls for another par--!” Abruptly, Pinkie Pie shifts from irresistible excitement to sheer horror as she recalls something important to her. “Oh no! I missed the perfect opportunity for Musty and Dashie’s engagement party! I was so busy with all the games, rides and food that Discord was providing for--!”

But she didn’t finish her sentence as she freezes in place with a shocked expression as she realizes on why Discord was so insistent on giving her the night of her life. Then, she sharply twists around, sprints to the pale trickster, and jumps on his overstuffed belly, which causes Discord to deflate like a whoopee cushion.

“YOU!” she screeches with a scowling face. “You were distracting me on purpose, weren’t you?!”

“Aww… don’t be like that, Pinkie.” Discord replies with a faint smile. “After all, I did everything you asked for last night. Remember how we became actual game pieces and were part of fully animated board games?”

…

“Or how about the time we went on every single, crazy carnival ride we could imagine?”

…

"Or that cumulonimbus of chocolate rain with hot fudge, sprinkles, whipped cream, and a cherry on top?"

No matter what he does to sway her, it didn’t help dismiss that judgmental frown of hers. She just keeps glaring at him in a motionless stare-off as Discord is becoming rather uneasy by the disturbing silence from his former playmate.

“Umm, a little help here, please?” Discord pleads weakly.

Rushing to the Draconequus’s aid, Ford apologizes to the overly stern Earth Pony, “Look, Pinkie Pie… I’m really sorry! It was my idea from asking Discord’s aid last night!”

Once Pinkie Pie faces him, Ford is certain that she will be angry with him as well. But instead, she expresses a cheerless, pouty look on her face. “Why?” she inquires with her big, baby blue eyes holding back her overwhelming tears exaggeratedly. “Don’t you like my parties?”

“Well of course I do, Pinkie!” Mustang comforts her greatly with a reassuring smile. “Your parties are the best, no matter how spontaneous they can be! We just… wanted some time for ourselves, that’s all!”

Composing herself, Pinkie eyes retracts her overbearing tears back into their ducts as Ford sees this as a promising improvement before he continues. “We’ll make it up to you! I swear! We can still have that engagement party once we get back to Ponyville!”

Adding to that, Rainbow Dash concurs with a winning grin of hers, “Yeah, and we can’t have Ford’s Cuteceñera without our very own super duper party pony!”

After the Pegasi’s attempt to compromise, Pinkie takes a moment to think about this with a deadpan expression. But in a flash, she breaks into a comforting, cheerful smile as she says perkily, “Okie Dokie Lokie! I understand if you two needed to spend some quality time together!”

After Ford and Rainbow sigh in relief over this, Twilight goes up to them and asks, “So, have you two figured out a date for the wedding?”

“Mmm… Not yet.” Ford answers uncertainly. “But we were hoping to have ours within a month at least.”

SLAM!

“I OBJECT!”

Unexpectedly, somepony slams the grand table really hard as the loud noise startles everyone present, including the godly princesses. Turning to the source of the quaking noise, they are shocked to see that the cause of this interruption happens to be one of Ford and Rainbow’s friends: Vinyl Scratch!

With her forelegs firmly holding her stern posture, Vinyl’s fiery, red eyes continue to glare piercingly at Ford and Rainbow as their faces display a mixture of alarm and confusion. Meanwhile, Octavia, who is sitting next to DJ-PON-3, is just as shook up as everyone else by the Unicorn mare’s spontaneous outburst. Eventually, the cellist is the first to break out of her daze as she scolds her marefriend.

“Vinyl, I can’t believe you! After everything Ford has done for us, how could you object to their marriage like that?!”

Surprised by Octavia’s angry response, Vinyl blinks speechlessly before she grins knowingly over this misunderstanding with a wave of her hoof, “Oh no no no no! I’m not saying that they shouldn't get married at all. I’m just objecting to the fact that they should get married first.”

“Shouldn’t get married first?” Ford perplexes on this before he smiles widely on a possible realization in mind, “Wait… does that mean you and Octavia are…?”

Without giving it away, the grinning disk jockey asks her Earth Pony companion, “Tavi, care to do the honors for us?”

With a heavy blush and a small smile, Octavia grasps hooves with the smirking pony as she announces softly, “We’ve… decided to get married as well.”

Just like with Ford and Rainbow’s announcement, the room is filled with brief silence, but eventually, it is filled with numerous shrieks of excitement over the musicians’ engagement. After the hollering is kept to a minimum, Dash is the first one to express her joy over the blushingly smiling couple.

“That’s so cool! Congratulations, you two!”

Ford then asks with vast amazement, “Yeah, when did all of this happen?”

Vinyl’s grin stretches widely across her muzzle as she gladly answers that question for him, “Well…”

A couple days earlier in the aftermath of their battle against Arrogon…

“So… it’s finally over.” Octavia stated with a smile of relief.

“Yeah, it is.” Vinyl Scratch confirmed with a subtle nod.

On one side of the battlefield, the two nuzzling mares were observing their cheering comrades from afar as the allies were celebrating their grand victory over Arrogon’s defeat thanks to the heroism of Ford Mustang, who was brought back to safety thanks to the return of Celestia, Luna, and Discord.

All of a sudden, Vinyl was distracted by something as she turned her head around and looked behind her. Soon enough, Octavia took notice of her marefriend’s diverted attention as she asked with concern, “Vinyl, what’s wrong?”

Instead of answering right away, Vinyl slowly walks away from the concerning cellist as she stared at the remains of her bass cannon tank. With her unhappy, ruby eyes fixated on the pile of her latest, technological masterpiece, she said with a sad sigh, “I just… can’t believe that it’s completely trashed. After all the amount of work we put into this.”

Despite her earlier disapproval over the idea of making it into a obnoxiously loud party mobile, Octavia became regretful over Vinyl’s heartache over her ruined invention. Once she approached the grief-stricken Unicorn from behind, the gray Earth Pony laid a gentle fore hoof on Vinyl’s shoulder as she offered her condolences.

“It will be alright, sweetie.” she said with a soft, reassuring smile. “We can always build another someday.”

“It’s not just that, Tavi.” Vinyl replied in an unusually trembling voice. “It’s just that… we’ve spent so much time on this project… together. Sure, I’ve came up with the design for this thing, but if it wasn’t for your assistance, we may never have finished this in time.” Turning around, Vinyl’s warm, scarlet eyes were locked on Octavia’s violet eyes as the DJ continued with a tender smile. “You’ve been a great help towards me, Octavia. The very best partner I could have asked for in so many ways.”

Startled and touched by the Unicorn’s unforeseen sincerity, Octavia started to get really emotional as she responded with a hoof over her face, “Oh, Vinyl… I never knew this meant so much to you--!”

In one felt swoop, Vinyl swept Octavia off her feet as the light-colored Unicorn held on to her marefriend tightly while she expressed a soft, loving expression to the stunned, blushing Earth Pony.

“Marry me.” Vinyl asked boldly.

“Wh-what?”

“Marry me, Octavia.” she repeated herself as her crimson eyes began to pour soft, heartfelt tears out of them. “You are everything that I want as a part of our duet. The better half of my musical soul. The one pony I want to spend with for the rest of my life. I know I can be a bit of a screw-up sometimes, but if you become my wife, I promise to get better as the years go--!”

Unable to contain herself with Vinyl’s sentimentality, Octavia quickly pulled the affectionate mare in and delivered a very deep kiss for her. Surprised at first, Vinyl melts in the cellist’s tugging embrace as she returned the favor in full force. After sometime with their undisturbed make-out session, their lips slowly pulled away from each other’s. While Vinyl Scratch was dazed in the afterglow of their recent kiss, Octavia smirked at her marefriend’s speechless reaction before she lightly teased her.

“Having to put up with you for so long, I don’t see how that would make any difference in our relationship.”

With a very wide, hopeful grin, Vinyl inquired, “Soooo… does this mean you’ll marry me?”

In a giggling smile, Octavia answered before giving the grinning pony another kiss, “Yes, you silly filly! Of course I will!”

“Not the ideal place for a proposal if you asked me.” Octavia nitpicks slightly.

“Hey come on!” Vinyl responds with her winning grin. “It was romantically apocalyptic and you know it!”

“Sigh… only you can make an incomprehensible term like ‘romantically apocalyptic’ sound so appealing, Vinyl.” she shakes her head in a mocking groan before she smiles lovingly and gives her astonished fiancée a rewarding kiss on the cheek. “But yes, it was very romantic none of the less.”

After composing her bashful smile, Vinyl Scratch gets more serious as she points a fore hoof at the other engaged couple to get back on the original matter beforehand. “So you see! Since we are the ones who got engaged first before you did, we should be the ones to get married first as well!”

Competitive as always, Rainbow Dash slams her own hooves on the table as she snaps back at the stern DJ, “Oh yeah? Well… we’ll get married in less than a month before you do!”

“Ha! We can have everything ready within three weeks top!” Vinyl retorts with a smirk matching that with Rainbow’s. Gradually, the two arguing mares lean closer to each other as their smirks shift into scowls.

“Two weeks!”

“One week!”

“Tomorrow!”

“Tonight!”

Overwhelmed on how impractical it will be to have such short span of time from planning their wedding, Ford wants to steps forward and end this ridiculousness as peacefully as possible. But Octavia beats him to it as she pulls Vinyl back into her seat before she firmly chastises her.

“Vinyl Scratch! That’s enough! This isn’t a race to see on who’s going to get married first!”

Stubborn as a foal, Vinyl crosses her forelegs as she pouts greatly, “I’m not budging until we get something from those two!”

After Ford gently pulls an assertive Rainbow Dash back into her seat and gives her a soothing pat on her back, she takes a heavy breath before attempting to negotiate in a softer tone, “Alright, well what do you want exactly?”

Feeling overwhelmed with the new authority given to her, Vinyl makes her request in an over-the-top voice, “We demand to be in charge of the music for your wedding, and we’re not taking ‘no’ for an--!”

“Sure.” Ford and Rainbow respond simultaneously in casual tones.

Flabbergasted, Vinyl simply states to them with a blank stare, “Wait, huh? Really?”

Yeah, we’ve already consider that thought.” Ford concurs with a pleasant smile. “And we think you’ll be perfect regarding with our music. We can have Octavia be in charge of the ceremony’s…”

“And DJ-PON-3 can have full reins over the reception's!” Rainbow adds excitedly.

“Ooo! Ooo! Can I be in charge of reception party!” Pinkie Pie asks as she rapidly waves her foreleg in the air like a kid trying to answer a teacher’s question. “Can I? Can I?”

Rainbow chuckles at her friend’s predictable reaction as she replies with grinning approval, “It wouldn’t be a party if it’s not endorsed by our Pinkie Pie!”

“Yaaaaay!”

“Okay well… that doesn’t count if you’ve already planned that for us!” Vinyl reassumes her assertiveness as she decides on an alternative. “In that case, we insist that the reception has a bar!”

Ford then comments matter-of-factly, “Well of course it will have a bar--!”

“An open bar!” Vinyl restates with a devious grin.

Ford is about to counter that, but his gaping mouth couldn’t produce any words as he ponders on the possible expenses regarding with the complimentary drinks. Especially if most of those drinks are ordered by Vinyl Scratch. Turning to Rainbow Dash, he whispers to her, “Do you think we can manage that within our budget?”

But before Dash can offer her own opinion to Vinyl’s latest suggestion, Princess Celestia tenderly cuts in the couples’ conversation, “If I may interject, perhaps I might be able to lend hoof in this matter.”

“What do you mean, Princess?” Ford asks humbly.

With a caring smile, Celestia carries on, “Well… considering that we are indebted for what you and your friends have done for all of us, we figured that it will be only fair if my sister and I repay for your valiant services. So with that in mind, we will be more than happy to pay off both of the parties’ wedding expenses, just like how we took care of Fluttershy and Big Macintosh’s wedding as our gift to them.”

Staggered by this generous offer, Octavia stammers with overwhelming gratitude, “I… I don’t know what say! Th-thank you, your Majesties! This is truly a tremendous honor!” Then, she snaps her head towards her startled fiancée as she coldly stares at her to make sure that she doesn’t mess this up for them. “Right, Vinyl?”

Petrified by the coldhearted stare of her respective partner, Vinyl makes a difficult gulp in her nervous throat before she decides to give in with a subtle grump, “Yeah… I guess so.” But just as she is about to finally give up much to Octavia’s relief, Vinyl then reverts back to her huffy resolve, “Whoa, wait a minute! If they’re getting the same treatment as us, that doesn’t change anything! I’m not gonna let them have first dibs on a wedding date unless they give us something in return first!”

Tiresomely, Octavia lets out an aggravating sigh as she gives herself a facehoof. “Can you please just let it go already?”

“NEVER!” Vinyl screams overdramatically.

As Ford thinks it over and how he can appeal Vinyl, he seems to recall on how impressed she was when she witnessed his Draconian Magic firsthand. With a broad smile, he offers this as a suggestion to the stubborn Unicorn, “Okay, how about this. Remember how you wanna talked to me about doing some laser shows for you?”

With a deadpan expression, she cocks an eyebrow as she replies, “Yeah, and…?”

“So, if I perform a spectacular fireworks show for you and Octavia’s wedding, will that be a fair enough trade if you allow me and Rainbow Dash to have our wedding first?” he asks with a pleading smile as he extends a foreleg.

Taking her sweet time, the Vinyl rubs her chin with a fore hoof as she narrowly stares at the uneasy Mustang with his extended foreleg hanging in the air. At last, the disc jockey grins wildly before she gives Ford a firm hoofshake. “Deal!”

After reclining back to her seat with a victorious smirk on her face and her forelegs crossed behind her head, Vinyl boasts to her unimpressed fiancée, “See that Tavi? Am I good or what?”

“Sigh… my future wife, everypony.” Octavia announces in a sarcastic voice.

“By the way, where’s Wagner?” Ford wonders. “I haven’t seen him or the other dragons all day long.”

“They’re here in Canterlot along with Gilda’s griffons and Queen Chrysalis’s changelings.” Celestia answers. “Right now, the dragons are probably lodging in the underground caves and are permitted to eat as many unrefined gems as they like. They’ve been treated here as honorary guests for their contributions against Arrogon.”

“Hey Chrysalis, what’s going happen now that it’s all over?” Ford asks in a soft tone when he turns toward the changeling matriarch. “I kind of hate for us to be enemies after all we’ve been through.”

Speechless at first, Chrysalis grins amusingly as she playfully chides the considerate stallion, “Why Ford! I’m surprised by you! Do you really think I’m that shallow to go back and do something as pitiful as vengeance? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I am refined enough to handle peaceful terms with my former adversaries!”

“What kind of terms?” Ford asks with curiosity.

“Well… we haven’t finalized anything just yet, but we’ve been brainstorming some ideas on how to provide love to the changelings.” Princess Cadance adds with a bright smile. “For example, there’s a promising idea on establishing a drive where those who donate their emotional energy will receive a small compensation from some of Chrysalis’ own mines.”

“To make a long story short: give us your energy or we’ll invade your country again!” the dark queen states with a mischievous chuckle.

“Subtle as always.” Cadance scowls sarcastically.

“That reminds me, we have something we would like to discuss with you, Ford Mustang.” Celestia says to him.

“With me?”

“Why yes!” Princess Luna responds with an ecstatic smile. “Considering that it was you who has helped establish better relations with changelings and dragons as well as restoring harmony back to our world by vanquishing the Destroyer, a proper reward must be in order!”

With a nod from the elder sister, Princess Celestia makes this offer to him, “Perhaps a position within our royal courts might interest you.”

After careful contemplation on this, he provides his answer in a most humble and respectful manner, “Thank you for your consideration, your Majesties, but I never had any interest in politics. I’m afraid I’ll be of poor use to you if you give me such a privilege like that.” Then, he faces Rainbow Dash to wrap a wing around her as he adds with a warm smile, “Besides, I have my own royal duties to attend to back at home.”

With a subtle giggle over Ford’s usually touching sappiness, Rainbow gives him a quick peck while most of the mares awe over his sentimentality. Slightly surprised from how he turns down a position of a lifetime, the Alicorn sisters smile reasonably over Ford’s refusal before Luna offers this alteration in place of their initial offer.

“In that case, how would you like to be an honorary knight instead?”

“M-m-me?!” he stammers to a great extent with wide-eyed surprise. “A knight?! Really?! B-but aren’t knights supposed to be of royal bloodline or something like that?!”

“Most of them do inherit that title through lineage.” Celestia explains matter-of-factly. “But other ponies can also be knighted by those of royalty such as myself or my sister.

Ford is still shocked by this rare honor he was given. Never in his life before he was transformed into a pony would he be given an opportunity to be just like the ones in fabled tales or general RPG games. With a very bashful smile, he asks the princesses in a childish manner, “So… if I accept this… does that mean… I get my very own suit of armor?”

“Custom-made and fit to your specifications!” Luna answers with pride.

“And… my very own sword as well?”

“Absolutely!”

Unable to contain his inner fanboy anymore, Ford smiles to his full extent as his fore hooves press his cheeks mildly until they start to get puffy. As he does this, his exaggeratingly gaping smile lets out an unusually high-pitched gasp as this inaudible noise he makes is his way of expressing how overexcited he is on becoming a knight.

As funny as it is to see Ford reacting like this, Rainbow Dash is a bit worried by his seemingly never-ending reaction, so she tries to nudge him out of his self-induced trance as she says, “Uh, Ford… you okay there?”

After a couple of nudges from his fiancée, Ford catches his breath as he pants out in response with an embarrassing blush, “I’m fine, Rainbow. Just… had a bit of a fanboy moment there, that’s all.”

After giggling to herself over the stallion’s shenanigans, Luna asks of him with an all-knowing grin, “So… I assume we can take that as a ‘yes’ then?”

“Fillies, gentlecolts, and those who come from other nations, we welcome you all here to witness a momentous occasion here in Canterlot! As most of you know, Equestria had to deal with a recent crisis with the oppression of Arrogon the Destroyer! At that time, myself and our well-known associates were unable to thwart this new face of evil ourselves! However, despite our absence, Equestria has miraculously persevered thanks to a very special individual who we are honoring today…”

As Princess Celestia carries on with her grand, inspirational speech right next to Princess Luna, Ford Mustang peaks out of a curtain as he gets good glimpse of the crowd that the elder sister is address to. All of his allies are there in an event that is dedicated to him, much to his rising uneasiness of this. He originally thought that his knighting will be a private ceremony, but no, much to his disappointment, it is made into a public one. On the ground below the ceremonial balcony is a vast mixture of ponies, changelings, and griffons. As for the dragons along with their leader, Wagner, most of them are clinging to the rooftops of the castle’s keep since there is a lot of space for them to take up compared to the ground.

After swallowing a heavy gulp, Ford closes the curtain and reflects on how he put himself in this predicament. After breakfast, he was immediately sent to the armory so that he can get his very own suit of armor and his personalized sword. After listing out his specifications as well as his measurements, the blacksmiths from the forge made quick and efficient work out of his order right away. After lunchtime, his completed armor and weapon were delivered to him as several royal attendents suited him up properly.

Now, in the middle of the afternoon, Ford Mustang is pacing around nervously as he wears his pristine armor, which is surprisingly lighter than he expected. His finished suit is composed of polished, silver, metallic plates. The cloth underneath his saddle has a rich, blue color matching that with his hair and tail. The chestplate has a shield emblem that depicts his dragon-like Cutie Mark. And the helmet placed on his head causes his mane to shape like the feathery plumes of those Greco-Roman helmets.

Strapped to his right side is his personally crafted sword, which is secured in its respective sheath. The sword’s hilt is colored in a cerulean blue with a golden yellow crystal placed right between the guard and the blade. His sword may be originally made for ceremonial purpose, but its polished and sharpened blade is not something one should take lightly of. Even though he was thoroughly impressed with the sword and armor’s top-notched quality, it didn’t help him enough to ease his worries, even though his friends are there to give him their encouraging support.

“How did I get myself rope into this?!” he sighs as he frantically continues his trot around room behind the curtained balcony.

“I have to admit, Celestia and Luna got you good!” Rainbow remarks with a giggling smile. “Besides, why are you so nervous about all this? This what you really wanted, right? To be seen as a hero towards others!”

“Well yeah… it’s definitely a dream come true for me to be just like a superhero, but nopony told me that I had to make up a hero’s speech once I’m knighted! If they gave me some forewarning about that, I would have something prepared right now! Oh, what am I gonna do?! What should I say?! What if I mess up out there and instantly become from hero to zero?! What if--?!”

Instantly, his rambling is silenced by a swift, deep kiss from his blue angel, Rainbow Dash. Forgetting on what he was talking about, Ford gives in to this sudden affection as he embraces his compassionate mare. Despite being in a room where their friends awe and blush over this, the two Pegasi pay little mind to their surroundings as they are too drawn in with their breathtaking kiss. However, in the midst of their making out, Ford couldn’t help himself but chuckle to himself from hearing the quick banter between Princess Cadance and Queen Chrysalis.

“Chrysalis! Stop that!” the Alicorn scolds the changeling over her unapproved energy absorption.

“How can I help myself if they do it right in front of me like that?!” she retorts with an immature whine.

Afterwards, Rainbow ends their kiss as she leaves Ford more relaxed than before. With a smirk, she asks of him, “Feeling better?”

With a slightly goofy smile on his face, Ford nods in response, “Much better.”

“Good. Because if you do your best out there, there will be more where that came from once we get home tonight.”

As the fluttering stallion smiles widely over Rainbow’s proposition, Shining Armor taps him on the shoulder to inform me of his cue, “Ford, you’re up!”

With most of his anxiety taken care of, Ford takes in a deep breath before he pushes the curtain aside and steps outside. Upon his grand entrance, the armored Mustang is greeted with countless cheers from the multitude of races that have gathered in the royal courtyard.

“Please step forward, my little pony!” Celestia instructs him in a caring tone.

With an upright posture, Ford walks up to the two princesses of Canterlot before removing his helmet and kneeling before them. Using their magic, the Alicorn sisters remove their ceremonial swords from the sheaths that are held by the respective captains of their royal guards. On Ford’s left side, Princess Celestia levitates a longsword with the an orange and yellow hilt, while on his right side, Princess Luna levitates a similar one with a blue and purple hilt instead. Both of their swords have their personal Cutie Marks right on the guards’ center. As the majestic blades hover above the kneeling Pegasus, Princess Celestia is the first to begin the knighting ceremony.

“Ford Mustang, for your heroism against the opposing forces of evil and for dedicating your life by protecting those in our country…”

Then, it is Princess Luna’s turn for their collaborated speech. “…we the Princesses of Canterlot would like to honor your valiant actions by giving you a title worthy enough for all of Equestria to recognize as your noble deeds will forever go down in our great nation’s history!”

One at a time, the tall Princesses lower their swords as they gentle lay them onto Ford’s shoulders while they continue their royal procedure.

“And so, by the Princess of the Sun…”

“…and by the Princess of the Moon…”

As each of them carefully crosses their swords to lightly tap Ford on the other shoulder, the regal sisters conclude their majestic duties in front of the public.

“…we hereby dub thee, Sir Ford Mustang…”

“…Knight of Ponyville!”

And as a way to complete their royal ceremony, Celestia and Luna clash their swords in the air, which create colorful sparks that shower on the awestricken audience as they wildly applaud over Ford’s new status. Turning around and facing the applauding crowd, Ford gives a couple of waves to them before he hesitantly begins his improvised speech.

“Umm… thank you everyone for being out here for me!” he starts it off awkwardly. Once the applause from the crowd dies down, Ford takes his time as he continues with an increasingly uplifting tone, “But this credit doesn’t just go to me! It goes to all those who are present, whether it be ponies, griffons, dragons, or changelings! If it wasn’t for anyone of you, we may never have been able to stop Arrogon and his tyranny for good, no matter what reasons we might have for ourselves! Whether it’s for a fallen comrade, for a friend, for the survival of others…”

During his brief pause, Ford looks behind and sees a smiling Rainbow Dash peeking from the curtain. With a broader smile, he finishes his sentence with greater emphasis as his loving eyes are locked on to Rainbow’s, “…or even… for a special loved one!”

Once he is given a blushing smile from his rarely shy fiancée, Ford turns his attention back towards his listeners as he wraps it up in a more inspirational manner, “And I am so proud to consider all of you as my fellow comrades, and more importantly… my friends! So, I know for certain that whatever dark times may come our ways, no matter what our differences may be, we can unite as one once more and bring a new age of peace to this magical world of ours once again!”

Following up with his conclusion, the spectators respond greatly with uproarious cheers and thunderous applause. Satisfied on his speech’s success, Ford pushes aside the overwhelming attention he is soaking up as he takes another look as the grinning Rainbow behind him, who gives the stallion a knowing wink for a job well-done.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, everyone was having one heck of a victory party, courtesy of Pinkie Pie, of course. And later that evening, as the sun starts to set, Ford and all of his close friends are outside of the castle’s main entrance to say their final goodbyes to the leaders of the three allied factions.

“Well, Dash… it’s been fun, but I better get back to my kingdom.” Gilda says to her. “My friends and I got our own victory party back home.”

“Party?! Where?!” Pinkie Pie asks spontaneously as her head sticks out in the background of the small crowd.

“You better come to my wedding, Gilda.” Rainbow commands mockingly. “We still got a lot of catching up to do, you know.”

With a smirk matching that with Rainbow’s, the griffon responds, “I won’t miss it for anything.”

Once she gives the mare a big hug, Gilda then faces her stallion partner and teases him with a grin and a wink. “Hey, Mustang… you better take good care of her. She can be a real firecracker.”

Ford chuckles lightly as he proclaims boldly, “Considering on what I’ve been through, I think I can handle her just fine.”

After she firmly hugs the Pegasus stallion, Gilda takes flight to catch up with the rest of her griffon comrades as they make the long trip home. Next up is Queen Chrysalis, who already sent Commander Trapjaw to lead her army back home and has just finished her own goodbyes with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.

“So Chrysalis, I guess the next time I will see you, it will be at my wedding, huh?” Ford says to her.

Blinking in surprise, the changeling queen responds coyly, “R-really? You really want me to be at your wedding?”

“Of course!” he nods with a reassuring smile. “You’re my friend after all! You’ll be able to make it, right?”

Her heart nearly melts from hearing the kind invitation from one of the very few ponies she would call her friend. But before her true emotions betray her, she shakes it off as she masks herself with a mischievous grin, “Well yes, of course I would be there! I planned on crashing your wedding anyhow, whether you have invited me or not!”

Shaking his head, he responds with an amusing smile, “You never will change, will you?”

“Even when I’m good, I’m still bad!” She winks while sticking her tongue in a teasing manner.

After sharing a brief laugh together, Chrysalis suddenly becomes more bashful than usual as she says to the Pegasus while gingerly digging her fore hoof into the dirt, “Umm… Ford? I just wanna say… well… thank you… for you know… everything you have done for me and my colony.”

“You’re very welcome, your Majesty.” he bows graciously.

Then, she hesitantly makes a strange request to Ford, “And… if it’s alright with you… may we… intake some of the guests’ energy during your wedding?”

He stares speechlessly at the discomforting changeling, but then, his expression eases with an approving smile as he answers, “Sure, I think we'll have plenty of energy to spare.”

Overwhelmed with extreme gratitude, Chrysalis quickly embraces the astonished Mustang as she tightly hugs him. Afterwards, she sheepishly lets him go and retreats back to her underground home. Lastly, Wagner stands aside as he waits his turn before saying his farewells with Ford.

Once the blue stallion approaches him, the Inferno Dragon King first addresses an important matter to the smaller individual, “Before we take off, there is some unfinished business that we need to discuss first.”

“What it is, Wagner?”

“Well… since Hindel doesn’t have any living descendents nor does he have any connections with our clan anymore, we’ve decided it’s fair that we leave all of his treasure to you instead.”

As Rarity’s ears perk up automatically upon hearing the word, “treasure”, Ford is greatly surprised by his unexpected inheritance as he questions it in great shock, “All of it… goes to me?”

“Mmm-hm.” Wagner acknowledges with a simple nod. “Considering that you now inherit his powers, it would seem fitting that you should inherit his treasure as well.”

Quickly, Rarity steps in while her marefriend, Applejack, follows behind as the fashion diva inquires politely, “Umm… pardon me for interrupting your conversation, but out of curiosity, how much treasure are we talking about?”

Wagner takes a moment to estimate the amassed wealth before he can answer Rarity’s curiosity, “Mmm… I would have to say… enough to buy a whole castle.”

Unable to speak properly after hearing that estimation, the flabbergasted seamstress responds to the best of her abilities by moaning and fainting dramatically with Applejack being there to catch her just like before. As for Ford, he takes into great consideration on this vast fortune he just received.

And after silently contemplating on this, Ford looks back at Wagner with a leisurely smile and says to him, “You know what? You keep it. I have no need for all of that.”

“WHAT?!” Rarity shrieks in great alarm as she hastily rises up from Applejack’s forelegs.

Surprised by this, Wagner has to make sure on the stallion’s decision. “Are you sure about that, Ford? Most ponies would be foolish enough to turn down an offer like that.”

“Yes, Mustang! Please reconsider!” Rarity pleads significantly with a sly, persuasive smile. “I know that accepting such a massive amount of wealth can be quite a heavy burden, so maybe you might want to give some of it away to help lighten the load for you, as it were! Perhaps one of your dearest and closest friends, who one of them happens to run a boutique, might be able to put your newly acquired wealth to good use!”

As the white Unicorn flashes her fluttering eyelashes with an appealing smile towards the indecisive Mustang, the disapproving Applejack gets her materialistic marefriend’s attention by clearing her throat, “Ahem! Rarity…”

Startled by AJ’s judgmental expression, Rarity restates herself with a nervous smile, “Oh, and uh… in addition for a well-known farmpony, of course! You know… to help support her devoted family and make harvest seasons more productive for her too!”

As tempting as that sounds, Applejack isn’t buying that as her emotionless face raises a skeptical eyebrow towards Rarity’s scheming. As for Ford, he takes this into more consideration before he smiles over his final decision.

“You do bring up a pretty good point, Rarity.” he says to her, much to her delight and Applejack’s confusion. Then, Ford turns back to the great, red dragon and declares to him, “Wagner, I would like to retract my previous statement. Your clan can keep half of Hindel’s treasure, but the rest of the other half can be divided evenly to other allies, including the griffon and changelings. They each deserve an equal portion of the reward for their contributions.”

Behind him, Rarity subtly groans in disappointment while AJ smiles broadly over Ford’s benevolent decision. As for Wagner, he is still baffled by the stallion’s generous nature towards others.

“And… you still don’t want a portion for yourself, Ford?” the dragon asks of him.

“Thanks, but…” He wraps a gentle wing over Rainbow before he directs his tender words for her, “I already have the greatest treasure in the world right now.”

Touched by his tenderness, Rainbow leans in and affectionately nuzzles his face. As for Rarity, she too is touched by Ford’s loving devotion for his fiancée as she reflects on how her own greed got the better of her. Thoroughly impressed by Ford’s thoughtful actions, Rarity seeks to be redeem herself by setting herself as a proper representative of generosity.

“You know, on second thought, I would rather give me fair share to somepony else who deserves it even more than myself!” she says with resolve before facing Applejack with a warm smile on her sincere face. “Especially if it’s for an honest, hardworking farmpony that I know of back home!”

“Ooh, come here you!” AJ urges with watery, emerald eyes as she pulls Rarity in for a deep, rewarding kiss.

Unable to contain his massive stomach with all of this sappiness, Wagner gags to break off the emotional scene, “Ugh! You ponies and your mushiness! Very well, we will leave half of the treasure to you then. And I assume your princesses will take responsibility over this?”

“We’ll make sure to divide it up equally to each of our friends.” Twilight Sparkle promises.

“Well then, I guess that settles that. Farewell, Sir Ford Mustang.”

After a respectful bow to Ford, Wagner flaps his mighty wings and takes his leave while several of his dragon brethrens follow suit. While Wagner and his remaining clan members flight toward the sunset, Ford suddenly realizes that he forget something and hastily asks the dragon leader in a loud voice.

“Wait Wagner! You’re gonna come to my wedding too, aren’t you?!”

In response to that outburst, Wagner loses focus of his flight pattern and stumbles greatly in midair. After a steady recovery, the crimson dragon turns around and harshly criticizes at the smiling pony down below.

“You can’t be serious! How would I even squeeze into those confined buildings of yours?!”

“We can figure something out later!” the armored stallion replies with a carefree smile. “For now, will you accept my invitation?”

Wagner greatly flabbergasts on the idea of coming to pony’s wedding as his stubbornness takes a grasp on his decision-making. With quivering lips, Ford appeals to the indecisive dragon, “Please, Wagner? I’m sure Hindel would appreciate it if you take his place for him!”

Knowing that his honor is at stake on the mention of his old friend, Wagner surprisingly blushes like mad as he snaps his answer out loud in a flustering manner, “Oh, alright! Fine! I’ll do it! But you better provide the most exquisite gemstones to cater our needs there!”

Satisfied by the ancient dragon’s reaction, Ford agrees with a chuckling smile, “Done!”

After what seems to be like a long yet pleasant train ride back to Ponyville, the friends depart to their respective homes. As for Ford and Rainbow, they leisurely fly back to their floating castle in the sky where the evening background has transcended into a gradient of orange and blue colors. Upon their landing, the two Pegasi take a long look at their welcoming home before they enter inside.

“Well… home sweet home!” Rainbow comments with a smirk.

“Yes… home.” Ford murmurs with a dreamy smile as he rests his head onto hers.

As they make their way to the beckoning doorway of their long-awaited home, Ford looks at her and asks with a sly smile, “So Rainbow... if I’m a knight, does that make you my princess?”

“Eh, I don’t like the title that much.” she responds with slight disinterest. “I’m a mare of action, not some damsel-in-distress waiting to be rescued!” she boasts as she drums her chest proudly.

“I don’t know. Your princesses are pretty active on the line of duty than you give them credit for.”

“Hmm, that’s true I guess.”

“How about… you become my warrior princess instead?”

“Warrior princess, huh?” she ponders for a bit before she grins with approval. “Yeah, I could go with that!”

With a simple smile, he grins with satisfaction, “Awesome!”

After she opens the door, she faces her knight in shining armor as she extends a foreleg for him while doing an impression based off of Rarity’s aristocratic demeanor, “Well then, Sir Ford… care to escort the young lady to the royal suite upstairs?”

Playing along with her, Mustang courteously kneels before his beloved princess, accepts her fore hoof, and kisses it lightly before replying in a chivalrously cliché way.

“As you wish, milady.”

Author's Note

Only four more chapters to go, including the Epilogue!

Chapter 31 – Planning for the Big Day

After a couple of days from reconnecting with their friends and family back in Ponyville, while also taking part in all of Pinkie Pie’s parties just like they promised, Ford Mustang and Rainbow Dash are finally getting started with planning their big wedding event. In their living room, the coffee table is littered with various notes, flyers, and pamphlets. Rainbow is lazily reclined to one end of the cloudy sofa while on the other side of their couch, Ford is glued to a revised checklist that he's been scribbling on his notepad for quite some time.

“Okay, let’s go over this one more time.” he notifies his bored-out-of-her-mind fiancée.

As expected, Rainbow groans from having to endure this tediousness as she whines without even getting up, “Do we have to? If we need somepony to check it over again, we could have gone to Twilight for that!”

With a witty smile, he responds, “Okay then, perhaps you would like to take care of all the planning and paperwork instead of me.”

Her ears perk up before she stares at her smirking partner with the “are-you-serious” look on her face. Without putting up much of a fight on that subject, she gives in with a roll of her eyes as she smirks right back, “Sigh… Carry away, Mr. Wedding Planner.”

After she slides closer to him, Ford smiles over her cooperation as he goes over the finalized checklist one last time. “Okay so… we’ll have our wedding in Canterlot Castle as our sign of our appreciation for the Princesses taking care all of our expenses.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Vinyl and Octavia will be in charge of music.”

“Yep.”

“Pinkie Pie will take care of the wedding cake as well as reception party, of course.”

“Of course.” she smirks knowingly.

“Fluttershy will help out with the flower arrangements.”

“Sure.”

“Applejack will be in charge of all the food the event will cater towards.”

“Mm-hmm…” she concurs as she eagerly licks her chops over the grand feast in mind.

“Twilight Sparkle will conduct the wedding ceremony for us.”

“Heh, won’t she be surprised.”

“And Rarity will undoubtedly be the one to create all of the dresses for you and the bridesmaids.”

“Right, so now we’ve finally agreed on everything, what’s the next step from here?”

“Well then… how about we visit some of our friends and discuss them on what we have planned so far?”

Excited to go outside for a change, she agrees, “Yeah, sounds good!” But as they get up from their seats, Rainbow nearly forgets something she wants to discuss first before they head out. “Oh wait, Ford! We forgot one other thing!”

“What’s that, Rainbow?” he asks as they sit back down.

“My… maid of honor.” she answers hesitantly.

“Oh… right. I guess you have a tough choice to make there, huh?”

“Actually, I reduced my choices down to two ponies thankfully. But it’s still so hard to decide from there.” she confirms rather halfheartedly.

“Really? Who are they?”

“Applejack and Fluttershy.”

The speechless Mustang blinks a few times before he responds in an understanding astonishment, “Wow… those really are some tough decisions to make.”

“I don’t know what do from there.” she sighs in a slightly dismayed manner. “I mean… Fluttershy is my very first friend since we were fillies, but Applejack is a lot fun to hang out due to our shared competitiveness and athleticism. Plus, both of them are someponies I would turn to for advice or comfort, whether it’s for Fluttershy’s kindness or AJ’s honesty. They’re both my closest friends and I don’t want to hurt the other if they take it the wrong way.”

Ford ponders on this as he hopes to help resolve this with Rainbow, but he’s afraid on picking one over the other just like Rainbow is. Then he realized that he himself hasn’t decided a “best man” just yet. And upon that realization, a bright smile stretches across on his face as he suggests it to his indecisive fiancée.

“I think I might have an idea that can work out for both of us.”

With their plans set in motion, they split up to take care of their errands. Ford Mustang would visit Applejack and Pinkie Pie, while Rainbow Dash would visit Fluttershy and Rarity. Late that morning, the Pegasus mare knew exactly on where to find her first friend.

Ever since Fluttershy has moved in with her husband, Big Macintosh, in Sweet Apple Acres, she has converted her old cottage home into a free-ranged animal shelter. So nearly everyday, the yellow Pegasus would take the time to stop by and check on her animal friends, whether they are domestic or wild.

Upon arrival, Rainbow is surprised to see so many animals roaming around Fluttershy’s old home. Even from a bird’s eye view, the blue Pegasus has a hard time counting and verifying every animal off the top of her head. As the multitude of critters continue with their rowdiness, Fluttershy exit out of her former home and hovers around the crowding animals while she carries around two big bowls stacked on top of another.

“Alright, my little friends.” she says to them sweetly. “Don’t push now. There will be plenty of food for everyone.”

Laying them on the ground, the animal caretaker distributes two different dishes: fresh vegetables for the rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, ducks, and turtles (tortoises included) and mixed nuts and berries for the other rodents and birds. As the hungry critters happily chow down, Rainbow approaches her pleasant friend.

“Hey, Fluttershy. Seems like you’re as busy as always.” she greets with a smirk.

“Oh good morning, Rainbow Dash. What brings you here on this nice, sunny day?”

“Ooh… nothing much.” the hovering Pegasus answers with a casual smile. “Just going outside for a nice flight and figured that I should stop by and see how one of my best friends is doing.” Then, she looks around the countless critters gathering around as she whistles with astonishment. “Wow… there sure are a lot of animals out here today!”

“Why yes. There was a lot for me to do once we got back to Ponyville. The poor dears have certainly missed me since my absence.” she coos about them in a motherly tone.

“Well since I’m here, maybe I could help you out around here.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful! Thank you, Dashie!”

Throughout the rest of their morning, the two Pegasi take care of all the regular chores ranging from feeding the rest of the animals to grooming them. Later on, they are in chicken coop as they spread minced corn to the clucking hens, roosters, and chicks.

“So Rainbow, how’s everything coming along for you and Ford lately?” Fluttershy asks before she reverts to her predictable timidness. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

“Pretty good actually. We’ve confirmed some of our wedding plans and have split up to discuss them with our friends.”

“Well, if there is anything I can do for you, I would be more than happy to help out in anyway I can.”

“I know I can always count on you, Fluttershy. Which is why I’ve chosen you to help out with the flower arrangements.”

“Really? I mean… I really appreciate that, but are you sure that I’m qualified for such a daunting task?” the pink-haired mare inquires with slight uneasiness.

“Of course!” Rainbow nods with an eager grin. “Your knowledge with flowers is only second best to your natural talent with animals! Plus, your attention to detail is just as good as Rarity’s!”

“Umm… okay.” Fluttershy accepts with a bashful smile. “But will it be okay if I ask the girls from the flower shops if they can help me out with this?”

“Sure, the more the merrier!” Suddenly, Dash grins widely as she brings up her reason on why she is here in the first place. “Oh, by the way, I’ve got another job for you!”

“A-another one?”

“Yep! It’s something even more important than taking care of the flowers for me!” she emphasizes greatly.

“More important than that?” Fluttershy’s legs start to shake a little from imagining a heavier responsibility than flower arrangements.

“Mm-hmm… Care to guess on what that is?” Rainbow asks with a teasing grin.

“Oh… I don’t think I want to know actually.” she responds in a quiet voice.

“Being my maid of honor, of course!”

“M-m-me?! R-really?!” she stammers in shock.

“Yeah totally! I know that you would be perfect for this role!”

Frozen with shock at first, the sensitive mare gradually breaks into tears as she turns away shamefully and hides her face with her long, pink hair. Concerned by this, Rainbow approaches her suddenly weeping friend as she does her best to comfort her.

“Hey, what’s the matter, Fluttershy? I thought you would be happy to receive such an honor from somepony as awesome as me!”

In spite of her tears running down her face, Fluttershy is actually smiling gratefully, which adds more confusion over this. “I am happy! Really! It means so very much for you to pick me as your maid of honor!” Then, her smile diminishes as she confesses something to the confusing Rainbow Dash. “It's just that… I honestly thought that you rather choose somepony else since I… I… I picked Rarity as the maid of honor for my wedding!”

“Hey hey… come on now.” the comforting athlete embraces the tearful mare. “I thought we were past that. I know how close you and Rarity have been since when you first moved to Ponyville before me. So it was practically a no-brainer for you to choose her as your maid of honor instead of me.”

“Actually, Rarity made me Pinkie Promised her that she can be my maid of honor once Big Mac and I announced our engagement. She was so excited about it that I couldn’t bear to break that oath for her.”

Rainbow chuckles lightly as she says to her recovering friend. “You really are too kind for your own good, Fluttershy. Well either way, I know that you’ll do awesome as my chief bridesmaid when that day arrives!”

“Umm… speaking of which, was there anypony else you were considering?” she asks concernedly.

Seeing that question as not much of a big deal, Rainbow responds nonchalantly, “Well there was Applejack but…”

“Oh, maybe you should have her be the maid of honor instead of me.” Fluttershy worries immensely. “I mean, I’m certain she’ll do a much better job at it than I will.”

Assertively, Rainbow grabs the shy mare by the shoulders and assures her, “Now you listen to me, Fluttershy! This is my wedding, so I call the shots around here! And if AJ has a problem with choosing you over her, then she’s gonna have to take it up with me, not you!” Fluttershy is quite surprised by that bold statement, so Rainbow eases up by breaking into a gentle grin as she concludes, “So you have nothing to fret about, okay?”

Once she gives it some thought on what Rainbow had to say, Fluttershy lets out a small smile before she nods simply as her answer. Smiling widely over her close friend’s acceptance, Rainbow adds one last thing with an all-knowing wink to her.

“And besides, Ford has it all taken care of.”

Meanwhile, in the famed farmlands of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Ford Mustang are out in the orchards as the stallion helps out the farmpony with one of her daily chores. Like Fluttershy, Applejack and her reunited family has a lot to makeup with their unintentional absence, so the orange Earth Pony is very grateful for Ford’s additional help as well as for the company. As time went on, they bucked their last trees before they start stacking their baskets of apples onto the wooden carts nearby.

“Thank ya kindly for helpin’ me out with the apples this morning, Ford.” Applejack says with a very gracious smile. “It’s been awhile since we worked together like this, hasn’t it?”

“Eeyup. Just like old times.” he replies with a warm, reminiscing smile on his face. “Heh, I was almost afraid that you would never let me back in the orchards again.”

“So long as ya don’t knock any more trees down like last time.” she smirks knowingly at him.

Almost shivering on that grim reminder, Ford shrugs it off as he says with a reassuring grin, “Trust me, AJ. I’ve got everything under control now.”

“Yeah, Ah’ll bet.”

After a goodhearted chuckle between the two, Ford then takes the moment to share his recent idea regarding with Applejack. “Anyway, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“What is it, sugarcube?”

“Well first of all, Rainbow Dash and I would very much appreciate it if you help out with the banquet for our wedding.”

“Why Ah would be honored to cater for your wedding, Ford! You know you can always count on me and my family whenever ya need something!”

“Actually, there’s something else I need to ask of you.” he states it in a more sheepish tone.

“Yes?”

Hesitantly, he begins his statement while rubbing the back of his head with a fore hoof. “Well… I just want to inform you… that Rainbow’s been having a hard time deciding on who should be her maid of honor… so I thought that it’s only fair to let you know… that we’ve made our final decision with Fluttershy over you.”

She blinks in mild shock over Ford’s news, but to his surprise, AJ bears a comforting smile to the wary stallion as she responds understandably, “Oh, that’s quite alright, sugarcube. Ah ain’t gonna blame you or RD over something as trivial as that. Ah’m sure that Fluttershy will make a great maid of honor for her. Ah mean, Ah’m still gonna be one of the bridesmaids at least, right?”

Uncomfortably, Ford struggles with his hesitant response, “Yeah… about that… we’ve talked about this and we figured that--!”

But once he looks back at Applejack, he pauses on what he is about to say as he sees the vast amount of hurt in those emerald eyes of hers. Despite showcasing her immense frustration on this supposedly heartbreaking decision, her anger wasn’t enough to cover up her hurt feelings as her eyes desperately try to hold her tears back.

While Ford is completely petrified by her mixed reaction, AJ takes the opportunity to demand an answer out of him, “Wh-What?! But why?! Ah’m one of her closest friends! Why would you two decide against that for me?!”

…

“Because I was hoping to have you as my best mare instead.”

Immediately, all of her negative feelings wash away as Applejack is utterly speechless by Ford’s quiet response. While the orange mare is still recovering from this astonishing revelation, the light blue stallion progressively carries on with a proper explanation to his previous statement.

“Listen Applejack… when I first came to this world, you and your family were so kind to take me in and give me a home during my stay. And later on, you’ve treated and accepted me as a member of the family. Despite all of your teasing I had to put up with, it’s actually one of the many things I’ve enjoyed about you. And what’s more, you’ve been there to give me sound advice whenever I need it the most. To me, you’re the closest thing I ever have as a sister. And it would mean the whole world to me if you would be my best mare for our wedding.”

After he finishes his say in the matter, Ford is quite discomfited by Applejack’s overly blank, wide-eyed expression. Disheartened by her frozen reaction, he lets out a soft sigh before he says to her, “But look… if you really want to be a bridesmaid, I understand. Maybe I’ll just ask Big Mac to be my best stallion instead--!”

At once, the emotional Applejack charges forward at breakneck speed, and she grapples the staggered stallion before lifting him up in the air and tightening up her iron-grip around his torso. As Ford is completely baffled by her sudden change of heart, AJ continues to strongly shake him around while she greatly expresses her overwhelming joy over this honorary position she has just been given.

“Oh, thank you!” she exclaims with a few gratifying tears streaming out of her joyful eyes. “Thank you! Thank you! Ah can't tell ya on how much this means to me! Of course Ah’ll be your best mare!”

Thankful to hear her accepting his offer as the wedding's best mare, Ford happily returns the favor as he comfortingly embraces his sisterly friend. Despite how overwhelmingly strong she is whilst he’s still in her vice grip, he could hardly cares about that as his Draconian Magic can easily adjust his resistance to her strength.

Once they have resolved this over a big, fraternal hug, they finish packing up their overstuffed carts and mosey on back to Sweet Apple Acres. Along the way, Applejack contemplates on something she has been thinking about since Ford and Rainbow’s wedding announcement. With all the courage she can muster, she shares her thoughts with the Pegasus next to her.

“Say Ford… Since we’re talkin’ about weddings here, mind if Ah ask for something that might be a bit foolhardy on my part?”

“Sure AJ. What do you have in mind?”

Embarrassingly, she hesitates on expressing her plan to the puzzling stallion, so instead, she leans and whispers it into his ear. As she explains her hushed proposal even further, his turquoise eyes grow widely as she goes over the astonishing details. Once she is finished, AJ is extremely flustered by what she has just said to him. As for Mustang, he blinks silently over Applejack’s spontaneous idea while bearing a mild blush on his face, but then, he breaks into a wide smile as he reassures the blushing mare with his approval.

“Applejack… I believe we can gladly arrange that for you!”

After storing up all of today’s picked apples and sharing some well-earned snacks with the Apple Family, Ford flies off towards the next destination on his list: Sugarcube Corner. Just as soon as he enters the renowned bakery, Pinkie Pie exits from the kitchen’s doorway right on time and greets him warmly with an ever-so friendly smile.

“Oh hi, Musty-Wusty! You’re just in time to try out a sample of my latest confectionary creation!”

“Umm… okay, sure. But actually, I came here to discuss something important with you first.”

“Yeah yeah… we can talk about it later once you feast your eyes on this!” the pink pony says enthusiastically as she pushes the Pegasus into her kitchen.

Once they are inside, Ford is about to address his reason for visiting Pinkie Pie today, but suddenly, he is distracted by a wondrous sight that is being displayed on the kitchen’s island table. On the messy countertop is a small cake made up of six layers. Each individual layer matches with every color in Rainbow Dash’s hair. As the stallion’s eyes are fixated on that colorful cake, Pinkie Pie breaks him out his self-induced trance as she skillfully uses a spatula knife to cut a modest slice before serving it on a plate.

“Go ahead, Ford!” she eagerly offers the sample to him. “Take a slice and tell me what you think about it!”

Gingerly, he leans forwards to the tempting dessert just to get a closer inspection of it. With his muzzle inches away from the delectable slice, he can quickly smell the overpowering scent of sweet citrus. Unable to contain his hungry curiosity anymore, Ford dives in and takes a huge bite out of his cake. Chewing it slowly, his mouth is overwhelmed with so many fruity flavors. Along with the citrusy zestiness, he can also detect various berries within that first bite. Lastly, the filling in between the multicolored layers has a familiar, electrifying taste; something Ford hasn’t tasted since his first day of Draconian Magic training in the Everfree Forest.

Once Ford swallows the first piece of his cake, Pinkie Pie then asks with an enthusiastic smile, “Well… what do you think?”

As the baker fidgets in constant excitement, Ford is temporary stunned by the cake’s over-stimulating flavors. Gradually, his shocked face breaks into a very broad smile he expresses his opinion to his anticipated friend, “Pinkie Pie… this cake is the truly most delicious thing I have ever tasted!”

“Ha-ha! Success!” she exclaims with a very pleased smile. “I’m so happy that you like it, Ford! It’s a six-layer cake with every color of the rainbow! Every layer has a different flavor.” she points it out from top to bottom. “Purple for blackberries, blue for raspberries, green for lime, yellow for lemon, orange for… well… orange of course, and red for cherries. Plus, between each layer is a spread of Zap Apple Jam.”

Awestricken with the confirmed ingredients, the satisfied taste-tester continues where he left off and feverishly eats the rest of his cake. With each new bite, a different fruit-flavor layer overpowers the others, so the taste is never boring. Plus, the welcoming taste of Zap Apple Jam compliments greatly with the citrusy fruits and mixed berries.

As he finishes what’s left of his cake, he inquires with a satisfied grin, “What’s this extraordinary cake for anyway?”

“For your wedding, silly! What else?” she answers matter-of-factly. “This one is merely a prototype for your super-duper, extra-tasty, colossal wedding cake! I just hope Dashie will like it as much as you do.”

“I’m sure that she’ll love it! Do you mind if I give her a sample of this as well?”

“Of course!” she approves gleefully. “It’s your wedding cake! You and Rainbow can have as much as you like!”

“Be careful what you wish for, Pinkie!” he chuckles in response. “I may not be about to restrain her if she eats the entire thing before we even get married!”

“Oh, I almost forget! What did you want to talk about?”

“Actually, that’s why I’m here, Pinkie. I wanted to ask if you want to be in charge of our wedding cake's creation for me and Rainbow Dash.”

“Wow! What an amazing coincidence!” she reacts in surprise before she leans up close to Ford’s face as she inquires, “Hey, are you psychic or something?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” he answers with awkward uncertainty.

Pinkie Pie just simply shrugs before saying to him, “Well in any case, I’m glad that you’re here right now. I could use some help on thinking some concept ideas for the cake’s overall structure, and your artistic skills might come in handy for that.”

“I think I’ve got some time to spare.”

“Great! Of course, we can’t brainstorm some ideas without a little brain food!” she declares as she pulls a large bowl of frosting. With the bowl in front of them, she then shrieks in a giddy voice, “So who wants some buttercream icing to go with that cake?”

With a chuckling smile, Ford mutters to himself, “I can’t believe Rainbow Dash is missing out on this.”

…Why do I have a craving for sweets of all a sudden? Rainbow Dash muses to herself as her unexpected sweet tooth gets the better of her. Ugh… wish I was in Ford’s place and heading out to Sugarcube Corner right now! But I got to take care of this first, even though it’s my least favorite thing to do on the list! I just hope he’ll bring something delicious from over there once he gets back home!

Grudgingly, she continues her flight towards the Carousel Boutique as she mentally prepares herself for what’s to come with the last item on the list. Once she lands outside of the store, the bold Pegasus takes a very deep breath as she braces herself for what’s to come before stepping inside.

“Good morning, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity greets with a welcoming smile. "What brings you here to my humble abode?”

Without a word, Rainbow reaches inside her saddlebag as Rarity ponders on what her Pegasus friend is reaching for. Once the blue mare finds what she is looking for, she pulls them out and reveals two amusingly large corks. While the seamstress is still puzzled by what the local athlete is up to, Rainbow leisurely closes her eyes and plugs the corks into her ears. Then, with a heavy sigh, she finally makes her reluctant request to the bewildered fashion diva.

“Rarity… I need you to make a wedding dress for me.”

Presently in Sugarcube Corner, Ford Mustang and Pinkie Pie have been discussing on the wedding cake’s perfect design while the stallion showcases his various sketches to the astonished baker. From his latest sketch, it depicts an elongated dragon with features similar to his former dragon master, Hindel, especially his head, bearded whiskers, and wings. Most of the recent design is a based off a combination of traditional Eastern and Western dragon from the respective mytholologies of his homeworld.

“So Pinkie Pie… what do you think of it so far?” he asks of her.

“Hey, these are really great, Ford!” she praises ecstatically with wondrous eyes. “They’ll be perfect for the blue sky and cloudy pattern!”

“I must admit, I’m getting really excited about all of this.” he nods with a thrilled smile over the design’s development.

“See? I told you we can combine your Cutie Marks into this cake!” she grins with pride as she playfully nudges him. “Hey, maybe we can have them breathe lightning out their mouths!”

But before they can carry on with their brainstorming, the two ponies hear a faintly high-pitched sound outside of the bakeshop as their perked ears try to decipher the unusual, shrilling noise in the background.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!”

“Do you hear something?” Ford asks while turning his head to pinpoint the fading screech outside.

Pinkie contemplates on what that noise could be while rubbing her chin and humming to herself. But then, she perks up with a bright smile as she figures it out right away. “Ooo! Sounds like Rarity has been given a really big opportunity~!”

Thinking over on his friend’s assumption, Ford starts to grin all-knowingly as he realizes on what could cause Rarity to make such an over-the-top shriek. “You know, I think you might be right, Pinkie.”

Back in the Carousel Boutique, Rarity is completely out of breath as she pants greatly on her elegant couch. As the Unicorn mare recovers from her overdramatic display of enthusiasm while reclining on her splendid piece of furniture, the temporarily deaf Rainbow Dash stares at the melodramatic pony with a deadpan face as she waits for the all-clear.

“You done yet?” Rainbow asks with a raised eyebrow.

As Rarity uses her magic to cool herself down with a levitating fan, she catches her breath before she is well-suited enough to answer with a hasty nod, “Y-yes, I think I’m quite alright now.”

Once the worst was over, Rainbow removes her improvised earplugs before she gets a chance to state her business, “Good, now about the dress--GURK!”

But she didn’t get a chance to finish her statement as the Pegasus is caught in a very tight squeeze that can rival with one of Pinkie’s infamous hugs. In the midst of Rainbow’s inescapable struggle, Rarity carries on with her ever-so gratifying hug while squealing in never-ending delight.

“Oh Rainbow Dash! You have no idea on how much of an honor it is to make another wedding dress for one of my very best friends! I mean, I did have high expectations that you would pick me over everypony else, but it still means so much that you would trust me with this enormous task!”

“Umm, glad to hear that, Rarity!” she wheezes in subtle agony. “But… uh… do ya mind let me go first? I kinda need to breathe right about now.”

Seeing on how purple Rainbow’s face is becoming, Rarity immediately releases her before apologizing in a sheepish manner, “Oh yes, of course! Sorry about that, darling. I got… carried away for a second there.”

“Yeah, no kidding!” the Pegasus murmurs to herself as she quickly straightens her aching back. But before she can make a complete recovery, Rainbow Dash's body is suddenly pulled by Rarity’s light blue magic as the fashion designer leads her reluctant friend to her studios.

“Now come with me, Rainbow! We have so much to discuss and not a moment to spare!” she squeaks in everlasting enthusiasm as she forcefully drags her friend against her will.

“Rarity, I just wanna drop by and assign you my dress.” she groans unwillingly. “You don’t need me to go along for the ride. I have total faith in your decisions over something like this.”

“Oh Rainbow Dash, your naivety is simply adorable!” she responds with a chuckling smile before her giddiness over her latest project kicks into overdrive. “This is your wedding dress we’re talking about! The pièce de résistance for your big day! And it’s definitely not something to be trifled with! There are sketches to go over! Revisions to be made! Things to be finalized! Of course, we’ll also need to take a trip to the spa on the day before your wedding! Oh, and then there’s the makeup--!”

“NO! No makeup whatsoever!” she shakes her head furiously.

But the oblivious seamstress pays no attention to Rainbow’s plea as she reassures the reluctant Pegasus with a teasing smile. “Oh come now, Rainbow! Surely you’re not scared of a little makeup--!”

“I SAID ‘NO’, RARITY!”

After screeching at the top of her lungs, Rainbow instinctively summons all of her willpower and miraculously breaks free out of Rarity’s magic. As the unexpectedly petrified Pegasus steps away at a great distance, Rarity diminishes her playfulness and replaces it with a seriously sympathetic expression towards her feathery friend.

“What is ever the matter, darling?” she asks concernedly. “I’ve never seen you this frightened before.”

As the surprisingly frightened Pegasus refuses to speak, Rarity sits down on a sofa nearby and gestures to Rainbow with a gentle pat on one of its cushions while pleading to her in a caring tone, “Please, talk to me, Rainbow. I only wish to help you in anyway I can.”

Gradually, the silent flyer comes closer to her patient Unicorn friend before landing softly on sofa’s plushy cushion right next to Rarity’s. In a manner similar to her first friend she visited this morning, Rainbow then requests in a discouraging voice, “Could you… Pinkie Promise me that you won’t tell this to anypony, not even Ford?”

With an understanding smile, Rarity makes the unbreakable vow between friends while her foreleg goes through its motions, “Cross my heart! Hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in my eye!”

With a small smile over Rarity’s reassurance, Rainbow takes a very deep breath and exhales it out as gently as possible before she begins her story, “When I was in high school, there was… one colt I had a bit of a crush on. Now don’t get me wrong, he’s nothing compared to my Mustang, but back then, he was just… so cool! I wanted to get his attention so bad, but I was afraid that he wouldn’t look the other way considering how… tomboyish I am. So I figured that some makeup might add up to my awesomeness. I couldn’t ask for dad’s help since it would be so embarrassing for me. And since I didn’t have a…”

But Rainbow Dash couldn’t possibly finish that sentence as it’s too heartbreaking for her to continue. Noticing the painful truth without so much as another word, Rarity pulls the choked up mare in as the Unicorn comforts the grieving Pegasus with a reassuring embrace.

“It’s quite alright, darling.” Rarity whispers tenderly. “I’m here for you.”

After she has calmed down a bit from recalling such personal grief, Rainbow Dash softly breaks away from Rarity’s comforting hug before she is able to persevere, “Well anyway… I turned to Fluttershy for help instead. The next day, I went up to the colt just to say ‘hi’ and I figure that would be enough to finally get his attention. But instead of complimenting me on my new looks, he just… laughed at me and said that I looked ridiculous. Soon enough, his gawking friends joined in and laughed along with him. Honestly, I really want to smack those jerks for that, but I was so humiliated that I did the unthinkable and ran away.”

“Ugh! Boys can be so insensitive sometimes!” Rarity grunts with a roll of her eyes before she rephrases herself with a small smile on the reminder of Rainbow and Fluttershy’s male spouses. “Well… some boys at least. Nevertheless, no pony deserves such cruel treatment like that!”

“It didn’t end so badly.” Rainbow begins to smirk brightly. “Once I told dad the truth when he noticed that I was skipping school, he made sure to teach that punk a lesson he would never forget!”

“Please tell me he bucked him right in the face for that.” the seamstress implores with a twisted smile on her face.

“Heh, I wish! But dad did the next best thing by pranking him so bad, he transferred to another school once he got a taste of his own medicine!”

The two friends share a good, hearty laugh together before Rarity comments mischievously, “You're definitely his daughter!”

“Yep, that I am!” the Pegasus responds with a proud smirk on her face.

“Still, I’m awfully sorry to hear you go through all of that humiliation like that. It’s no wonder you never attempted to use makeup ever again.”

“Actually, there’s another reason why I never wanted to touch that stuff myself.”

“I hope it’s not as bad as the first!” she worries slightly.

“It’s not, trust me.” Rainbow reassures with a reminiscing smile. “When Ford confessed his feelings for me, he said that he really likes me for my natural beauty. No stallion has ever said anything nice to me like that before! That’s why if I want to look my absolute best for him, I would rather leave my face just the way as it is!”

“I completely understand your plight, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity says while laying a comforting forehoof on her friend’s shoulder. “In fact, it’s something I can relate with since my dear Applejack has her own display of natural beauty that I admire so much about her. But please, listen to me for just a minute. You don’t need a lot of makeup to make yourself even more beautiful than you already are. Just a simple touchup is all you need to reach your utmost potential. Just out of curiosity, what is it that Ford Mustang always admires about you?”

Thinking it over carefully, Rainbow bashfully replies, “Well… when he gets really sappy at best, he would often comment me on my eyes. He would say stuff like how mesmerizing they are or how they're as pretty as any gemstone he would gaze at.” Then, she looks at her dazzling engagement bracelet as she beams warmly. “Including this ring he gave me.”

With an extravagant gasp that abruptly snaps Rainbow Dash out of her dreamy daze, Rarity quickly grasps the startled Pegasus by the shoulders as she shares her brilliant inspiration, “Then that’s perfect! I think I know what to do from there! Just leave everything to me, darling! Because once you walk down that aisle, you absolutely shine brighter than any rainbow casted in the sky!”

Author's Note

So within a month at least, I hope to finish the last three chapters for this story and submit them one at a time (for each day). Overall, the story's finale shouldn't take as much as time as the Ford's final battle with Arrogon, nor should they be as extremely long as the climatic two-parter.

So just bear with me for a little while longer. We're almost there!

Chapter 32 – The Wedding Ceremony

It's been one month since Ford Mustang proposed to Rainbow Dash, and now at long last, that day has finally arrived! Canterlot Castle is buzzing with constant excitement as the various ponies and guests get ready for the momentous occasion: the wedding of Ford Mustang and Rainbow Dash!

In one of the private suites next to the royal chapel, the groom is nearly ready with his traditional attire: a black tuxedo with tailed ends, a white, collared shirt, and a black bowtie. His sleeves have six jeweled cufflinks, each one of them matching the colors of his fiancée’s gorgeous mane. The warm-colored jewels are on his right sleeve while the cool-colored ones are on his left. And lastly, right next to the outside pocket that contains a white handkerchief, he has a multicolored carnation pinned on the left side of his tux.

And while Ford feels ready enough to meet his wife-to-be after one whole day of absence, Applejack, his best mare and honorary sister, isn’t totally convinced as she keeps on rubbing her hooves into his blue hair while applying some hair gel to make his mane nice and shiny. She already finished his tail, which was the most difficult part out of the two, so working on his mane shouldn’t take that long. However, with the way she keeps stroking his combed-back mane, her roughness is making it hard for him to cooperate with her while they stand in front of a mirror.

“Oh for corn’s sake, Ford!” she disciplines him in a motherly tone. “Hold still already!”

“Come on, Applejack!” he gripes in response. “It’s fine as it is!”

“No way, sugarcube!” she retorts with pride as she stubbornly carries on her task. “As yer best mare, it’s my job to make you decent enough for Rainbow Dash out there!”

“Since when did you start getting prissy regarding with how I look?” he asks with a smirk.

Hesitant at first, she answers with a blushing grin, “Ah guess ya could say that Rarity is kinda rubbing off on me.”

Once she is finally satisfied, the orange mare lets him go as the blue Pegasus takes one final look at himself from the large mirror. Standing tall and regal, he grins with proud over his sleek hair and well-tailor suit, courtesy of Rarity, of course.

While smiling with gratitude over Applejack’s handiwork, he couldn’t help but make a sarcastic comment to her, “Thanks, AJ. What would I ever do without you?”

As the two friends share a pleasant giggle with each other, their subtle laughter ends in an abrupt halt as a blurred pony flies right past them. Ford and Applejack cringe as they hear the flung pony crashing into a wall right across the room. Laying on the floor upside-down is Soarin, famed Wonderbolt and husband of Spitfire, who is now here today as one of Ford’s ushers.

Stuck in an awkward position, he pleads softly with an embarrassing smile, “Umm… a little help here?”

“Soarin, what happened?” Applejack asks alarmingly as she rushes over to give the poor Wonderbolt a helping hoof.

“Just ask your dragon friend over there.” Vinyl Scratch answers with a deadpan expression as she points it out with a hoof that bears an elegant engagement ring featuring a shiny ruby gemstone.

Ford Mustang turns to the other direction and sighs in disappointment over the cause of the commotion. Near the doorway are two bulky, red stallions. One of them is another close friend of Ford’s, Big Macintosh, who has a loose black tie in his mouth. The other stallion is somepony fairly new. While his body structure is almost like Big Mac’s, he has features that are similar to a Bat Pony, with leathery wings, extra fluff at the end of his ears, and slitted-pupil eyes. Even with the new Equestrian body, he still bears characteristics to his original dragon form, including his spiny black mane, dark scarlet coat, bright green eyes, spiky mutton chops and goatee, broad chin, and razor sharp teeth. Fussy as ever is Wagner the Inferno Dragon King, who is clearly not enjoying himself, given the circumstances he has to go through.

“Back away! All of you!” He screeches to the ponies around him. “I’m not wearing that thing around my neck!”

Besides the disgruntled ex-dragon pony, everypony else is fully dressed. All of the ushers that are present are wearing tuxedos just like Ford’s. The only difference, besides the groom’s carnation and jeweled cufflinks, is that each of them has to wear a tie instead of bowtie, with an exception for Vinyl Scratch for her red bow tie in correspondence with her fiancée’s. The only usher that is not here is Octavia, who is already dressed and is inside the chapel right now playing music for the arriving guests. As for Wagner, he is only half-dressed, with his collar turned up and his suit unbuttoned.

As Ford walks in between the two stallions, he asks Big Mac, “Still having trouble getting Wagner to wear a suit, huh?”

“Eeyup.” he huffs with a subtle grouch.

“Sigh… I’ll handle this.” he insists with an extended hoof. Gladly, the farmpony hands the tie over to Ford before the Pegasus cautiously approaches the irritated Bat Pony.

“Don’t even think about it, Ford!” Wagner retorts. “I refuse to put that noose on me!”

“It’s called a tie, Wagner. And it’s customary for groomsmen--! I mean ushers… to wear matching suits, ties included.”

“This is so degrading!” he mutters with a growl as he looks at his exposed, black fore hoof. “It’s bad enough that I have to take the form of another creature, but to be forced to wear this tight, itchy, secondary skin… it’s simply more than I can bear!”

“Look, I’m sorry about this, Wagner, but the Princess’s transformation spell was the only way for you and your dragon friends to be part of this wedding. You just need to put up with it for the time being, and then you’ll be back to your scary, scaly self by tomorrow morning, okay?”

While Wagner gives out a tiring harrumph, Ford places the tie around former dragon’s neck and adds one other thing, “And besides, you promised to be Hindel’s replacement. So if not for me, do it for him at least.”

Upon that reminder, Wagner lets out a heavy sigh and reluctantly allows his pony comrade to proceed with his tie. As Ford struggles with the accessory, the Pegasus and nearly everyone else miss a new pony entering the room. Passing through the doorway is Fluttershy, who is wearing a green bridesmaid dress that has the front piece wrap around her neck in a simple twist.

“My my! Don’t you all look so handsome!” she comments astonishingly to the groom’s party as she walks up to her husband.

“Thanks, Flutters.” Big Mac replies lovingly as he amazes over her beauty. “And you’re lookin’ as pretty as always.”

“Oh, you!” she coos sweetly with a mild blush before she gives her husband a simple, affectionate kiss. After that, she turns to Mustang and asks, “So, I take it that you’re all set, Ford?”

“Well… almost everyone is ready.” he chuckles lightly. “Would you mind helping Wagner out with his tie? It’s kind of difficult for me to fix somepony else’s tie with these hooves of mine.”

“Certainly.” After switching places with him, Fluttershy softly approaches the edgy Bat Pony and inquires in a gentle tone, “Umm… Excuse me, Mr. Wagner, sir. Would you mind holding still for just a minute please?”

But when her hooves are about to touch the unfinished tie, Wagner barks at her, “Don’t tell me what to do! I don’t need any help from the likes of you!”

Like an enraging bull, Big Mac’s nostrils flare intensely as he prepares to charge forward and rough up that boorish Bat Pony brute for disrespecting his kindhearted wife like that. Fearing for the worst, Ford rushes in front of red Earth Pony and mightily holds him back. As for Fluttershy, she is a bit startled by Wagner’s outburst, but her reaction catches everyone by surprise as she uses the draconic pony’s tie like a leash and slams him to the floor!

Everypony else freezes in place, including Ford and Big Mac, as they wondrously observe Fluttershy’s rare display of assertiveness. With the tie wrapped tightly around her foreleg, she pulls the suddenly petrified Wagner up as his terrified eyes are locked on to the mare’s infamous stare.

“Now you listen to me, Wagner!” she lectures him firmly. “You may be the king of all dragons from where you come from, but this is Rainbow Dash’s very special day, and no one, and I mean no one, is going to ruin that for her! So I better expected you to be on your best behavior by the end of this night! Because if you even attempt to decimate her wedding in any way possible, you’ll answer to me and me alone! You got that?”

“…Yes, ma’am.” Wagner whimpers in response.

“Whoa… go Fluttershy.” Ford remarks with a blank stare and a small smirk.

“Eeyup! That’s my wife!” Big Mac smiles with pride.

Satisfied over Wagner’s change in behavior, Fluttershy abruptly reverts back to her old, sweet self as she panics over her recent, assertive actions. “Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry! Here, let me fix that for you.” With great care, Fluttershy quickly adjusts Wagner’s tie as he is still baffled by her sudden change in persona. Once her task is completed, she asks for his opnion. “There. How is it? It’s not too tight, is it?”

“N-no. It’s just fine. Thank you.” he answers in a surprising mannerly tone.

“You’re very welcome, sweetie.” she responds kindly as she buttons his suit up. “Okay, I better go and see how the rest of the girls are doing. See you all very soon!” And after she shares one last kiss with Big Mac, she leaves the room briskly with a pleasant smile on her face.

As the large Bat Pony is still paralyzed with wide-eyed astonishment, he asks Ford, “Tell me something… who was that fair creature?”

“Oh her? That’s Fluttershy.”

“I’ve never met anyone who could be so gentle and so fierce at the same time.”

“Well, this isn’t the first time she came face-to-face with a dragon, you know. Heck, her stares are enough to petrify creatures larger than her.”

“That was her?!” he says while sounding more surprise then ever. “I once heard about a lone mare who stood up against a dragon that was visiting us at the time, but I never would have imagined that the mysterious pony would be her!” Then, he breaks into a very small, impressive smile as he mutters softly to himself, “Fascinating!”

Noticing how entrance Wagner has become, Ford Mustang playfully nudges the large stallion with an elbow as he remarks with a teasing smirk, “Yeah, sorry to disappoint you, Wagner, but Fluttershy is already spoken for.”

“Eeyup.” the smiling farm stallion confirms with a nod.

Flustered by that shrewd comment, Wagner’s face turns a new shade of red before he snaps out loud at the chuckling Pegasus, “I wasn’t thinking of anything like that, you insufferable wretch!”

In another royal suite that’s far away from Ford’s, Fluttershy returns as she glances at the ponies in the room. Pinkie Pie, Gilda, and Spitfire are anxiously waiting for the bride’s reaction as they break into silent, giddy smiles. But as for Rarity, she is in intense concentration as she uses her magic to delicately hold a mascara brush. Carefully, her levitated tool applies gentle strokes on Rainbow Dash's eyelashes. All of the bridesmaids are wearing the same dresses as Fluttershy’s, except each of theirs has a different color resembling Rainbow’s multicolored hair. Red for Pinkie, yellow for Gilda, orange for Spitfire, and blue for Rarity. Twilight Sparkle is the only bridesmaid that is missing, but she is already at the altar as she’s preparing herself with the ceremony she’s in charged of.

“Rarity! How much longer is this going to take?” Rainbow Dash whines impatiently as she keeps shutting her eyes tightly.

“Just keep your eyes closed for a little while longer, darling!” the makeup artist reassures sweetly. “I’m just putting on the finishing touches here!”

With a great eye for detail, Rarity examines every single eyelash she has brushed to make sure everything is in their proper place. Satisfied at last, the Unicorn moves the brush away from her Pegasus friend and inserts it back into its bottle before tightening up the cap.

Noticing on how she isn’t sensing anymore of Rarity’s touchups, Rainbow asks in a slightly annoyed tone, “Well… can I finally open my eyes now?”

With a subtly giggling smile, Rarity quickly turns the edgy Pegasus around to have her face the three-sided mirror and answers wittily, “See for yourself, Rainbow!”

Slowly but surely, Rainbow Dash opens her eyes to at last see her unveiling. Initially, she was worried that the dress and makeup would ruin her awesome image. But when she finally looks at herself in the mirror, she could hardly believe her wondrous eyes that she is the same mare as her bedazzled reflection!

Her majestically shiny hair is nicely fluffy into a luxurious ponytail just like her first night at the Grand Galloping Gala. On of her neatly brushed mane, a golden olive wreath serves as her crown with a long, shimmering veil attached from behind. A golden collar wraps snuggly around her neck as it displays a shiny brooch that matches with the tricolored lightning bolt on her Cutie Mark. Her hooves are fitted with golden, elegantly laced, leather horseshoes. But the most extraordinary feature about the bridal dress is the sparkling gown itself! Its elongated covering is made of the finest silk imagined, but the real secret behind its constant sparkling are the countless, tiny diamonds embedded into its soft fabric. Because of gown’s numerous crystals, it showcases the illusion of a continuous wave of shimmering colors, thus completing the bride’s motif!

And finally, Rainbow Dash stares with wide-eyed disbelief at what Rarity has recently done with her eyes. Her once-straight eyelashes are altered into simple yet elegant curves. Along with that, they are much bolder than they were originally, yet they’re not as much as she had expected. In addition, her eyelids have a shiny coating of eye shadow. The coloring matches well with her light cerulean coat, yet this simple touchup brings out a nice shine to her eyes. In a way, her eyes are just as striking and dazzling as her wedding dress!

As Rainbow Dash is lost in her own reflection, Rarity couldn’t bear the suspense any longer as she asks with a hopeful smile, “So… what do you think?”

“I look… I look…”

Rainbow is too choked up on how splendid she looks right now. She never imagined that she could be this beautiful before. There are no words to describe on how tremendously happy she is over her beautified appearance.

“You look amazing, Rainbow!” Fluttershy compliments warmly as she steps in.

Rainbow turns around to face her maid of honor and is greeted with sincere smile from her. Composing herself, she looks back at all sides of the mirror and models herself with that welcomingly egotistic smirk on her face.

“You know, I was gonna say that I look awesome, but yeah, I do look amazing, don’t I?” she grins in her usual, confident manner.

“Heh! Even as a bride, she still knows how to show off!” Gilda chuckles lightly.

Spitfire joins in with a soft giggle of her own as she replies to her griffon associate, “Well, we won’t expect anything less from our Rainbow Dash, now would we?”

“You said it!” Pinkie Pie chimes in with an ever-so perky smile.

“Oh, just wait until Ford Mustang sees you out there in all your splendid glory!” Rarity glees ecstatically as she stands alongside the self-confident bride. “He’s never going to take his eyes off of you! And not only that, but every single guest out there will marvel at your radiance with each step you take towards that altar! And as you make your vows for one and another, everypony will be watching you attentively as they bear witness to the most important day of your life!”

Rainbow’s confidence starts to deteriorate as she frets how she might disappoint thousands of spectators on her own wedding day. She can’t bear the thought on making a fool of herself in front of everyone, let alone in front of her husband-to-be.

Noticing her friend’s subtle trembling, reliable Fluttershy steps in once again as she shares her own wedding experiences with the girls. “You know, I remember on what it was like to be so nervous for my own wedding. I felt so much peer pressure from everypony looking at me, that I was afraid that I would be too scared to walk down that aisle. But then, when my eyes met with Big Mac’s, all of my fears just simply went away. I just kept my focus on the stallion that I would happily spend the rest of my life with, and everything else went so smoothly for me after that.”

After Fluttershy’s uplifting recollection on that fateful day, Rainbow’s worries fade away as she relaxes into a positive smile before pulling Fluttershy in for a gratifying embrace. “Thanks, Fluttershy. I will definitely keep that in mind.” Then, she faces all of her bridesmaids and expresses openly. “And thank you all for being here with me today. You, Twilight, AJ, and the rest of the girls are the coolest friends a mare could ask for!”

Promptly, the heartfelt friends gather around Rainbow and bring the bridal pony in for one big group hug. All of a sudden, a knock on the locked door disrupts them from their tender moment. Gilda, with a grumpy sigh, breaks out of the hug as she approaches the door to verify the disruptor.

“Yeah, who is it?” she demands.

“It’s me, Turbo Dash!” he calls from the other side. “May I come in?”

Despite recognizing that voice, the griffon makes a shrewd smile as she replies, “Sorry, sir! No stallions are allowed!”

Expectedly, he lets out a whine, “Oh come on! Not even if it’s her own father?!”

“You’re not accompanied by anypony else, are you?” she inquires cautiously.

“Don’t worry.” he chuckles in response. “Ford is still on the other side of the hallway. Nopony is with me right now.”

“Oh, just let him in already, Gilda!” Rainbow insists with a giggling grin.

Following the lady’s command, Gilda opens the door and permits Turbo Dash entrance before she hastily closes the door behind him. Once he enters the room, Turbo stares astonishingly at her stunning daughter, who greets her dad with a sheepish smile while crossing her legs over the others.

Once he recovers from this tremendously pleasant surprise, he displays a really big smile as he happily says to her, “Wow, Dashie… you look very beautiful!”

With an expected blush, she replies back with a timid smile, “Thanks, dad.”

“Anyway, I just to want let you all know that everypony else is ready, and we’re all waiting for you.”

After Turbo Dash makes his announcement, Spitfire takes the lead as she decrees to her fellow bridesmaids, “You hear him, ladies! Showtime!”

As the rest of the girls, excluding the bride of course, follow the Wonderbolt in line, they leave the room in ecstatically high spirits as they make their way towards the chapel to play their roles. As for the father and daughter, they wait a little while longer until everyone else is gone before the older Pegasus is the first to speak up.

“So… are you ready to go out there and meet the stallion of your dreams?”

“Are you kidding me?” she reacts with a bold smirk. “I’ve never felt more ready than I am right now!”

With a chuckling smile over Rainbow’s endearing enthusiasm, Turbo then shares a special memory in mind, “It’s funny. I remember all those vain attempts from getting you to wear a dress when you were just an adorable, little filly. And now look at you. You’ve become this beautiful, blushing bride that’s standing right before my very eyes.” As he brushes some of his daughter’s hair, he continues his appreciation over her, “You’ve grown up into such a fine, young mare, Rainbow Dash, and I can’t tell you just how proud I am of you.” Lastly, he ends his praiseworthy statement to his daughter with a tender whisper, “And so would your mother if she was here right now.”

Rainbow is shocked to hear her dad say that. Not just because he mentioned her mother, but because on how touching that sounded. At once, her eyes start to get watery ever before she has the chance to walk down that aisle. With no one else in the room, she lets go of herself and tightly squeezes her dad while doing her best to prevent any tears from shedding as she wants to save them for later. As for Turbo Dash, he happily embraces his emotional daughter as he wraps his hooves and wings around her.

“I love you, daddy.” she mutters affectionately.

“I love you too, baby girl.” he responds warmly as a single tear streams down his smiling face.

As much as she enjoys being in her dad’s forelegs, she realizes that she delays this life-changing experience for far too longer. Abruptly, she ends their nuzzling and she reminds her father with a hearty chuckle.

“Come on, dad! Let’s not keep everypony waiting!”

Gladly, he extends a fore hoof and Rainbow happily wraps a foreleg around his before he courteously escorts her out of the door.

“Well then, after you.”

The royal chapel of Canterlot is nearly full of thousands of invited guests that are already seated. The vast sanctuary is filled with soothing, philharmonic music, provided by Octavia and her personal ensemble that features three string musicians. Along with her tux, just like the rest of Ford's ushers, she is wearing her own engagement bracelet similar to Vinyl’s. Only instead of a red gemstone, the cellist has a violet one that matches with the color of her Cutie Mark. And as always, the gray Earth Pony is wearing her traditional, pink bow tie.

Most of the seated guests are from Ponyville while others are friends and acquaintances outside of the couple’s hometown along with their guests and family members they were allowed to bring with them to this magnificent event. Seating in one of the front row seats are the well-known princesses and their personal friends, including Celestia, Luna, Discord, Shining Armor, Cadance, Queen Chrysalis, and her commander, Trapjaw.

And standing on one side of the altar are Sir Ford Mustang and his ushers from left to right, starting with his best mare, Applejack, Big Mac, Vinyl Scratch, Soarin, and Wagner. All of them stand present and ready for the bride’s arrival. But as for Princess Twilight Sparkle, who is wearing the purple bridesmaid dress and a less extravagant crown compared to her Element of Magic, is ironically more worry on how this wedding will play out than the groom himself.

“Oh, how does it go again?” Twilight frets increasingly as she is lost in her own thoughts. “Mares and--! No, that’s not it! Fillies and gentlestallions--? No, that’s not right either! Spike, flashcards! I need flashcards!”

Close by the panicking princess, Spike frantically searches through his little tux’s various pockets. Noticing Twlight’s usual disarray, Ford lays a hoof on her shoulder as he gently shakes her out of her panicky state.

“Breathe, Twilight.” the stallion insists softly. “Breathe.”

Following his advice, the Alicorn princess breathes in and out smoothly while she goes through the movements that Princess Cadance taught her. After calming herself down, she expresses her worries to the attentive Pegasus.

“Sorry, Ford. I know that this wedding is really important for you and Rainbow Dash. So I just want to make sure that everything goes perfectly today. I mean, I’ve never conducted a wedding ceremony before. It would make more sense if you asked one of the other princesses to do this instead of me.”

While the increasingly nervous Twilight eyes the seated royalty, she looks at the casually smiling Princess Celestia before she impulsively waves out to her “Oh hey, look! There’s Princess Celestia along with everypony else! Hi, Princess~!”

As Celestia happily waves back to her edgy, former student, Ford reassures the purple mare with a meaningful smile, “You’ll do fine, Twilight. Trust me. You’re the most studious pony we’ve ever known. And Rainbow and I would consider it a great honor for you to conduct the ceremony for us, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

After the groom chivalrously nods to her, Twilight gives it some thought over Ford’s reassurance. While contemplating this to herself, Spike lightly taps a clawed finger on her shoulder to get her attention before showing her the flashcards she requested earlier.

“Uh, Twilight… do you still need your cards?”

Following with a glance between the small dragon and the tall Pegasus, Twilight lets out one more sigh before displaying a comforting smile to her Number-One Assistant, “Thank you, Spike, but I think I’m good for now.”

After that little matter is settled, Twilight notices something beyond the crowd and sees one of the Royal Guards peeking through the crack of the tall doors. Following on what’s behind there, the unicorn sentry silently closes the doorca and gives the observant princess a meaningful nod to her.

Once she receives the signal, Twilight turns to the string quartet, who are aware of the alicorn’s indicating gaze, and signals to the musicians with a nod of her own. As the ensemble prepares with the commencement of the wedding ceremony, Ford can clearly understand from his surroundings that the time has finally come!

With Octavia and her string quartet leading the first ceremonial score, the male Unicorn guards open the doors and allow the bridesmaids to make their entrance first. One by one, they gracefully walk down the long passageway. Leading the way is Fluttershy, follow by the other bridesmaids in order: Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Spitfire, and Gilda. At the altar, they line up on the left side with Princess Twilight Sparkle in the center and Ford Mustang and his party on the right. After the first score is over, the musicians have a momentary silence before quartet readies themselves once again. With the cellist and her ensemble poised and ready for the expected chorus, Ford faces the grand, towering doors while anxiously waiting for his long-awaited bride.

With the recognizable tune ringing out in the majestic chapel, the guards open the door one last time as the guests stand up for the bride’s grand entrance. The first ones to enter are the three darling, little fillies, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, who have once again reprise their roles as flower girls as they bounce onward and spread the colorful petals from the baskets they hold in their mouths. Looking beyond the three trotting fillies, Ford freezes with complete amazement as he wondrously gazes at the absolute brilliance of Rainbow Dash!

Everypony gasps with awe and astonishment as they smile over the bride’s regal splendor. Her glistening veil drifts gently in the air as her shimmering gown diverts everyone’s attention with its shifting, sparkling colors. As father and daughter walk down the aisle hoof-in-hoof, Turbo Dash smiles just like any proud father would while making glances at the speechless crowd who continues to gape over Rainbow’s astonishing beauty.

As for Rainbow Dash, she didn’t care about all the admiration she is receiving; her attention is directed on somepony more important than that. Like Fluttershy suggested, her eyes are focused on Ford and no pony else. The way he lovingly stares at her while bearing that ever-increasing, tender smile on his face is very comforting to her as all of her earlier worries melts away while her heart flutters at seeing such piercing yet gentle eyes of his. So to her great satisfaction, his fixed gaze alone is truly priceless!

Meanwhile, the spellbound stallion continues to marvel over Rainbow’s magnificence as she steadily approaches him. Everything about her shines boldly before his astonished eyes, whether it’s her dazzling gown, her well polished mane, or her glossy blue coat. However, they are nothing compared to her most striking feature of all: her eyes! Those majestic, magenta eyes of hers! They are more mesmerizing than ever before! From all the stare-downs he came across along his journey, his previous challengers got nothing compared to the tender gaze of his angelic wife-to-be!

After they finally ascend the small steps to the altar, Turbo shares one last kiss with his daughter and gives Ford a simple yet gracious hoofshake before he takes his rightful seat in one of the front rows. As the chorus comes to its end, Ford softly grasps Rainbow by the fore hoof and whispers to her affectionately.

“You look so radiant right now, Dashie!”

Her heart nearly skips a beat from hearing Mustang using the word “radiant” like that. It just seems so poetic and fitting for her to receive such a high compliment like that. In response, she barely makes out a whisper to him while bearing a blushing smile for him, “Thank you.”

Once the bridal chorus comes to an end, the ponies instinctively seat back down in their seats as they wait for their princess for the wedding’s commencement. With a beaming smile, Princess Twilight begins her speech to all those who have attended as she addresses it with regal composure.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Rainbow Dash and Sir Ford Mustang! As per their request, Ford and Rainbow would like to exchange their vows, which they have written for themselves.”

Starting off with Ford, he sits down on his haunches as he reaches for something in his inside pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. With one fore hoof still taking hold of Rainbow’s, he uses the other hoof to hold the parchment before he passionately reads it out to her.

“Rainbow, I’ve always been a fan of you in so many ways, even before we first met. But when you literally came crashing into my life, I was given chance to know you even better than I could have ever anticipated. Whenever we would hangout together, whether it was through our sick days, flying lessons, or all the places we would go to, it would always feel like a new adventure. And throughout our time together, I found myself head over heels for you. At first, I was scared that you might not share the same feelings for me and that it will destroy this wonderful friendship we have. But once I finally opened myself up, you not only accepted me for who I am, but you also love me for who I am!

Despite how busy your schedule is as a Wonderbolt, we would always manage to make the most of it from what little time we had with each other. So when we went out for our one-year anniversary, I was more than determined to ask for your hoof in marriage. However, when you were taken away from me on that day, I was afraid that I would lose you forever. In spite of how hopeless everything may seem, I managed to overcome every challenge I faced along my incredible journey until at last, I rescued you along with everyone else!

But it wasn’t just my new dragon powers that helped me accomplish such an implausible task. It was you who taught me the Sonic Rainboom and who made me such an awesome flyer. You are an inspiration to me in so many ways, Rainbow, and if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here right now as I’m about to marry the most awesome and most beautiful mare of my life!”

Suddenly, he puts his note away before he tenderly holds Rainbow’s slightly trembling foreleg with both hooves while locking his turquoise eyes with her magenta ones. The bride braces for what’s to come as Ford brings up his vow’s closing statement.

“To me, you will always be my muse, my beautiful, blue angel, my beloved Rainbow Dash. And I may not be the Element of Loyalty like yourself, but I’m going to see to it that I will always stand by your side no matter what may come our way!”

As expected, his sappiness really knows how to pluck her heartstrings as Rainbow Dash joyfully breaks into overwhelming tears while bearing a tender smile over Ford’s eternal pledge for her. Several of the attending guests share in the bride’s emotions, but more to Princess Cadance’s surprise, the queen of the changelings next to her is sobbing uncontrollable as she is deeply moved by Mustang’s sentimental speech.

“Chrysalis… are you crying?” Cadance asks in mild confusion.

Embarrassingly, the queen fails miserably to keep her tears under control as she fibs to her Alicorn friend, “Wh-what? Of course not! I’m just… getting all emotional from all this love I’ve been absorbing!”

“Oh really?” the pink princess replies shrewdly. “Then why isn’t your horn glowing right now?”

As Chrysalis is unable to come up with a proper answer, Cadance uses her magic to offer a handkerchief to the speechless changeling. With tears continuously running down her eyes, she stares at the friendly offering before she sulks and reluctantly accepts the gift from the smirking princess.

“You’re so lucky I’m not here to take over Canterlot once again.” she grumps in a mocking tone while wipe her eyes with the levitated hankie.

“That’s nice, dear.” Cadance grins nonchalantly.

Once Rainbow has calm herself down enough, she signals to Fluttershy before the maid of honor steps forward and pulls out a folded note with her mouth. After graciously accepting the piece of paper from her dear friend, the blue mare delicately opens it up and proceeds to read her own vow for the handsome stallion standing in front of her.

“Ford, before we met, I never gave much thought on finding love for myself since I had my head in the clouds regarding with my dreams as a Wonderbolt. But as we were getting to know each other better, I slowly started to realize that I was falling in love with you. You used to be so doubtful about yourself, but I’m here to tell you… to tell everypony that you’re the best thing I could ever ask for as my husband! You’re an awesome stallion who is fun to hang out, a striving gentlecolt who would always support me and look out for my best interests, an amazing artist who knows how to speak through the heart, and as if that wasn’t enough, you’re now this legendary hero with the coolest powers ever!

You know, when I presumed the worst from you on that horrific day, I realized something terrifying in the weeks to come. Without you, my life just had no meaning without being in your ever-loving presence. And in the midst of those dire circumstances we were in, I realized that I really wanted to be with you. More than you will ever know.

It’s funny on how all of this has turned out for us. You always treated me like I was some kind of a princess, and now I about to marry the most gallant knight I could have imagined! As sappy as it sounds, it almost like a fairy tale come true. Only this time, we’re actually gonna make this happen so that we can finally have our own happily-ever-after together!”

The crowd awes tenderly over Rainbow’s sentimentality. Despite having an embarrassing blush across her face, she makes a bold grin and expresses herself proudly to the awestricken spectators.

“Yeah, that’s right! I get sappy sometimes! What of it?!”

After earning some worthwhile chuckles from the attendees, the proud Pegasus turns back toward her smiling stallion and tenderly grips his hooves while concluding her awe-inspiring vow for him.

“You’ve always been there for me, Ford Mustang, so I’m going to live up to my Element of Loyalty by being there for you from now and forever. And I know for certain that our new life together is gonna keep getting better than it already is! Because as long as I have you by my side, nothing in this world is gonna stop us from showing everypony just how awesome our love really is!”

Her sentimental devotion over him truly touches the very core of his soul. So much so that he couldn’t help but shed a few earnest tears over Rainbow’s declaration. As Ford gently wipes his emotional eyes, he asks the Alicorn with a crafty smile, “Princess Twilight, can we just skip to the end so that I may kiss this wonderful mare of mine?”

From hearing Mustang’s suggestion, Rainbow perks with a broad smile as she flaps her wings with excitement before she nods wildly to express her agreement. As the shrewd couple wait over Twilight’s approval, she rolls her eyes as she answers with an amusing smile.

“Not yet, Ford. We still have to do the rings next.”

“Dangit!” he softly curses to himself, which earns him a suppressed chuckle from Rainbow Dash as she smiles over Ford’s shenanigans.

“As I was saying: may we have the rings please?”

Following with Twilight’s courteous request, Scootaloo happily walks forward as her saddle carries a plushy pillow that is securing two of the couple’s precious belongings: the Prismatic Diamond Ring for Rainbow Dash and a traditional golden bracelet for Ford Mustang. Once the purple-haired filly stands before Twilight Sparkle, the gracious princess bows lightly and easily levitates the rings from Scootaloo’s back. After completing her noble task, Scoots is pulled in by her inspiring, big sister as the older mare happily hugs her little sister. After that warm, sisterly embrace, bride gives a quick ruffle to Scoot’s mane before letting her go and allowing her to retreat back to her post.

With the rings ready, Twilight uses her magic to hand the bride’s jeweled bracelet to the groom as she carries on with her ceremonial duties. “Ford Mustang… do you take Rainbow Dash as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

“I do.” he answers devotedly as he gently slides the glistening hoof-ring right back on Rainbow’s left foreleg.

Next, Twilight turns to her loyal friend and asks the same question while giving her the other ring. “Rainbow Dash… do you take Ford Mustang as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

“I do.” she answers passionately as she returns the favor by sliding the golden band right onto Ford’s left fore hoof.

Seeing how her work is almost completed, Twilight happily declares to everyone present at the wedding, “Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

“Now may we…?” Ford inquires with an eager yet teasing smile.

Humorously, Twilight answers, “Okay, now you may kiss the bride.”

Leisurely, the blushing couple leans toward each other as nearly everypony holds their breath to watch in great anticipation over wedding’s grand finale taking place. It’s been a long and bumpy road for these two to reach this crucial point in their lives. And all it will take to make their marriage finally official is one little kiss to seal the deal.

With a mere brush of their longing lips, they finally come into contact, and like magnets, they are immediately drawn in towards one and another! With their lips firmly pressed against each other's, the audience gasps with awestricken smiles as they witness the holy union between Rainbow Dash and Sir Ford Mustang. In the midst of their drawn-out kiss, a devious thought comes to Ford’s mind as his preoccupied lips stretch into a mischievous grin. He briefly contemplates on his idea, but he shrugs those uncertainties aside considering that today is his wedding day after all.

Ah, buck it!

In a rapid motion that could rival that with Rainbow’s agility, he sweeps his bride off her feet and pulls her in for an even deeper kiss. Everypony hollers with surprise and glee as some of them cheer wildly over Mustang’s boldness. Even Rainbow is surprised as well as impressed by her husband’s daringness. Either way, she endearingly welcomes that magnificent kiss of his as she tightly wraps her forelegs around his strong neck whilst they proudly carry on with their public display of affection.

Eventually, time returns to its normal pace as the newlyweds slowly separate from their breathtaking kiss. Slightly dazed by that long-awaited smooch, Rainbow sums it up in one simple word with a very dreamy smile plastered on her face, “Swag!”

Once they stand back up with tall postures, the newly wedded Pegasi are greeted with thunderous applause from the guests’ various shouts, claps, and stomps. Then, Octavia and her quartet end the ceremony with one final march as Ford and Rainbow happily walk down from the altar while their wings wrap closely around each other's bodies. As they merrily trot down the aisle, the married couple is showered with tons of confetti that the guests have taken advantage of; clearly this was all preplanned by the party pony herself, Pinkie Pie.

Upon their grand exit, Ford and Rainbow knows that beyond those doors would be the start of their new lives together, filled with its constant twists and turns. But whatever unforeseen challenges and moments of happiness they may come across on their lifelong journey, they going to face them… together!

Of course, before all that, they have a reception party to attend to first.

Author's Note

The Wedding of Ford Mustang & Rainbow Dash (1/3)

Chapter 33 – The Wedding Reception

“Alright everypony!” Vinyl Scratch announces gleefully from her DJ station. “You all have been waiting for this! Without further ado, may I introduce the hottest couple in all of Equestria! So please, help me make some noise as I proudly present to you, Mr. Ford Mustang & Mrs. Rainbow Dash!”

Within Canterlot’s grand ballroom, the countless guests rise from their seats as they applaud wildly over the arrival of the newlyweds. Rainbow Dash and Ford Mustang smile blissfully over the DJ’s announcement before they share a simple peck with each other, with just enough time for some of the ponies to capture this on their cameras.

“And now that the bride and groom have finally arrived…” Vinyl continues over her microphone. “…let’s have them come on down towards the center of the dance floor so that they can share their first dance together as husband and wife!”

Side by side, the two Pegasi walk to the vast dance floor with warm smiles on their faces as they silently reminisce over their first slow dance together since the last time they were here. The dozens of occupied tables surrounding the dance floor continue to cheer in anticipation for the couple as Ford and Rainbow take their place in the middle of the room. Once they take center stage, Vinyl begins to play the perfect track from her turntable as Rainbow Dash is surprised by its familiarly soothing tune.

“This song… it’s just like the first time we danced like this, isn’t it?” she smiles brightly after she recognizes its melody. “Ford, did you pick this one out yourself?”

“I may have made a small suggestion to Vinyl Scratch earlier.” he answers slyly with an all-knowing grin.

Eagerly, they each place a hoof on the other pony’s shoulder as they begin their graceful waltz. Their equine choreography syncs perfectly with the piece of music. Most of the observers sigh and awe lovingly at the newlyweds’ elegant dance routine. In the midst of their sequence, Rainbow grins over an idea that comes to mind.

“Hey, Mustang… why don’t we give these ponies a real showstopper?”

Knowing what she is emphasizing, Ford concurs with a smirk matching that with hers, “I think I already know on what you have in mind, Dashie.”

“You don’t mind if I take the lead on this one, do you?”

“Lead the way, angel.”

With a mighty flap of her wings, the leading dance partner lifts her stallion high in the air as the awestricken crowd gasps wondrously over this new development. From this change of pace, the Pegasi snuggly wrap their forelegs around each other as they carry on with their unique sky-dancing. Without a care from the onlookers down below, they keep their affectionate eyes on each other and no one else.

“I like what you did with your eyes, Rainbow.” Ford comments warmly.

“Thanks, Rarity helped me out with that. You don’t… think it’s a bit too much?”

“Are you kidding me?” he chuckles lightly. “I could get myself lost in those gorgeous, magenta eyes of yours!”

“Well, don’t get too attached to them, Ford!” she smirks in response. “These take too much of my free time, so I better not hear you gripe about them if I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis!”

“In that case, I’m gonna have to make every second count to capture this moment. And besides, with our without makeup, your eyes are just as stunning as the day I first met you.”

As the touching song comes to an end, the Pegasus couple finishes it off with a very lengthy kiss as they slowly descend towards the floor. Upon their landing, the guests clap and stomp ecstatically for the bride and groom as Ford and Rainbow’s tender lips gradually separate from one and another.

Afterwards, they move on to their main meals, which is orchestrated by Applejack’s family and catered by the castle’s royal staff members. The banquet consists of a colorful variety, including roasted squashes and root vegetables, delicious soups, homemade bread, fresh salads, and platters of ripe and juicy fruits. And as promised, they did provide plenty of glittering jewels for the dragons attending this event. Even from taking the form of a pony, Wagner especially is certainly pleased by the vast assortments of these tasty gems. As guests line up in order at the extensive buffet, Ford, Rainbow and their ushers and bridesmaids did not need to get up from their head table as their prepared meals are already served to them. Once everyone has taken part of the buffet line at least once, they enjoy their meals with great content as they talk and laugh over the course of their extravagant feast.

Near the end of their dinner, Fluttershy finishes taking her delicate sip of iced water before standing up from her seat and preparing her big speech towards the preoccupied crowd. Despite how nervous she was, the Pegasus mare is ready to do her duty as Rainbow Dash’s maid of honor.

“Excuse. Umm… everypony.” she timidly asks to the best of her abilities. “If I could have your attention for just a minute… if that’s not too much to ask for at least.”

Of course, because of her soft-spoken voice, the seated guests hardly paid any attention to what Fluttershy has to say as they carry on with their pleasant conversations. Noticing this, Gilda steps up and tries it her way.

“HEY, PIPE DOWN! FLUTTERSHY HAS SOMETHING TO SAY!”

Alerted by the griffon’s screeching command, the attendees immediately hush up as all eyes are directed towards Gilda and Fluttershy. As the feathery bridesmaid sits back down, Fluttershy makes a subtle gulp before refocusing on her task at hoof.

“Oh, umm… thank you, Gilda.” she smiles softly to her new friend as the proud griffon nods in response. After taking a very deep breath to calm her nerves down, Fluttershy begins in a slightly nervous manner to her attentive audience.

“So uh… my name is Fluttershy, and as Rainbow Dash’s maid of honor, I would like to propose a toast to the bride and groom this evening. As some of you know, I can be very shy towards others, so I didn’t have much confidence in myself. So when I was a filly, I was always picked on for my timidness. But one day, somepony stood up for me, and more surprisingly, she became one of the best friends I could have asked for. That day was when I made my very first friend, Rainbow Dash!”

After Fluttershy glances at the bride's warm smile, she feels a lot more confident now as she continues her speech, “There aren’t enough words to describe how truly amazing Rainbow Dash really is. She’s always been such an inspirational role model towards others, including myself. I can’t express enough on how grateful I am towards all the encouragement she gave me over the years. I would have never been able to overcome most of my shyness without somepony as remarkable as her. And as her friend, I vowed to do all that I can to help Rainbow Dash in anyway possible. So one day, when she came over to my house and confessed her feelings about Ford Mustang, I was more than happy to assist her in finding her special somepony, just like how he was kind enough to help me find the love of my life.”

Then, the maid of honor faces the groom as she expresses her warm gratitude towards him, “Ford, you are a very kind and brave stallion who would do anything for our Rainbow Dash. And after all the great lengths you would go for her, I know for certain that you would make a wonderful husband for her. I’m just so happy to be part of this important moment in your lives, and I hope that you two will experience that same happiness that Big Mac and I go through with our own little marriage!”

As Fluttershy cries a little over her happiness towards the newlyweds, Rainbow hovers towards her and gives her emotional friend a gratifying hug for knowing how much she means to the kindhearted Pegasus. After that, Fluttershy smiles broadly as she lifts her champagne glass up, which signals everyone else to do the same.

“To the bride and groom!” she announces cheerfully.

“TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM!”

At once, they sip on their glasses before they cheer over the maid of honor’s speech. Modestly, Fluttershy blushes from receiving such vast praise as she reassumes her seat. After she sits back down, Big Macintosh leans in and lays a gentle hoof over his wife’s and awards her with a tender kiss, which she gladly accepts.

On Ford’s side of the head table, Applejack realizes that she is up next. Once things have started to quiet down, AJ gets up from her seat and commence her own speech.

“Ahem! Howdy y’all! My name’s Applejack, and Ah’m here tonight as Ford’s best mare! When we first met, Ah was just being my reliable self when Ah offered him a place to stay at Sweet Apple Acres during his first visit in Ponyville. And during the time he spent over there, he began to warm up to us. Ah mean, he’s just as hardworkin’ as myself or Big Mac whenever he lends a hoof with our chores. Apple Bloom is happy to have him come over so they can play together. And Granny Smith always prides herself to have another stallion appreciating her cooking. For all that he has done for us, especially for me, we’re quite proud to have him as a member of our family! Plus, it’s always a hoot to ruffle his feathers every now and then, especially when Ah first caught these two doing something frisky together.”

As the grinning farmpony receives some laughs, Ford and Rainbow blush mildly over of the reminder of that misinterpreted incident during the stallion's sick day. After the laughter dies down, AJ turns her attention towards Rainbow and carries on with her speech.

“Now, Ah’ve known Rainbow Dash for quite sometime now even since she moved in to Ponyville. At first, she seemed like a lazy, reckless, competitive showoff, and of course… she still is.” Through the best mare’s kidding, she earns some more laughs as the bride makes a mocking scowl in response. “But there’s more to her than that. Whenever there is real danger, she’ll always be there and ready to face it head-on. And despite how she’s always aiming to be the best, she would constantly put others first before herself. So knowing that she’s gonna be Ford’s wife, Ah can rest assured that she will undoubtedly make him the happiest stallion alive! And more importantly, Ah’d count myself lucky into welcoming my best friend into our family! So Ah better expect you two for some of our family get-togethers! Otherwise, Ah’ll have to get my lasso and drag ya down there myself!”

With that last bit of jesting, everyone has a good laugh as Ford and Rainbow join in the merriment. While Applejack was on a roll with this, she starts to tense up a little as it looks like she has more to say.

“And speaking of which, there’s one more addition Ah’d like to make to our expanding family.” she says to her audience as she suddenly turns her soft gaze to the surprised Rarity before walking up towards her.

“Rarity… when we first met, Ah… honestly never expected us being the best of friends, let alone marefriends, but after our fair share of adventures together, we’ve started to become really close to one another, ya know? Sure, we have our usual differences like yer prissiness and my messiness. However, we also have a few things in common, such as how stubborn we can be sometimes or how passionate we are towards our jobs. Either way, they’re just to name but a few on why Ah admire you so much. Ah love you, sugarcube, and Ah just can’t imagine what my life would be without ya.”

The Unicorn seamstress starts to choke up upon hearing such sincerity as she smiles greatly while her gorgeous, blue eyes try to hold back any tears attempting to break through. As Rarity starts to get emotional over this, Applejack anxiously removes her Stetson off the top of her golden mane and pulls out a jewelry box from the inside brim of her hat. From the reveal of AJ’s precious gift, Rarity freezes in place as her astonished eyes are fixated on the box that’s about to be opened before her.

"Ah guess what Ah’m tryin’ to ask is… Rarity, will ya marry me?”

As Applejack asks the ultimate question, she opens the jewelry case in front of her deeply amazed marefriend. From its unveiling, Rarity stares speechlessly at the unique piece of jewelry. It is an well-polished engagement bracelet made up of pure silver. The hoof ring’s centerpiece is a purple gemstone shaped like a diamond that matches with the fashion diva’s Cutie Mark. But what makes this ring so unique is that in the center of that gemstone is a bright, orange, holographic image that resembles AJ’s Cutie Mark; a perfect representation on how Rarity will always carry a part of Applejack with her!

Nearly everypony holds their breath as they anxiously wait on Rarity’s inevitable decision. The trembling Unicorn mare tries to control herself by concealing her muzzle with a fore hoof. But her overwhelming emotions betray her as her covering fore hoof fails to hide the ever-growing smile while her eyes couldn’t contain themselves any longer as heavy streams of tears pour out of them. Despite the proposing farmpony knowing on what the answer might be based off Rarity’s reaction, she still waits for her to say it out loud, until finally, she does.

“YES!!”

With a high-pitched shriek of uncontainable joy, Rarity immediately pounces forward and tackles Applejack right onto the floor. With her newly established fiancée pinned down, Rarity lunges for a really deep kiss that greatly catches the Earth Pony by surprise. Though the audience couldn’t see what is going on behind the head table, the fact that they heard Rarity’s answer loud and clear serves as an indication to cheer for the newly engaged couple. Sooner or later, Rarity pulls her lover up from the ground as they act all giddy over this latest development in their relationship. With the white Unicorn lifting her left foreleg up, Applejack takes her cue and slides the engagement bracelet onto Rarity’s hoof. The tearful seamstress smiles giddily over her gorgeous hoof ring, and she pulls the orange mare in for another deep kiss. AJ is more prepared for this as her lips lock firmly against Rarity’s as they embrace each other very closely.

Once their meals and speeches are over, the real party begins as Vinyl Scratch plays the hottest tracks over her turntable. With a rocking soundtrack in full swing, nearly everyone gets up and take it to the dance floor, with the bride and groom leading the charge. Most of their dancing are pretty much freestyle as they boogie down on the dance floor, but in between, there are a few numbers where they follow synchronizing dance routines such as variations of the Conga line and Electric Slide.

After an hour of nonstop dancing, Ford Mustang takes a brief break as he heads over to the bar for a refreshing drink. At the bar, several stallions gather around it, whether they are ordering their beverages or they just standing around while conversing with their friends nearby. One of those stallions is Turbo Dash, who spots Ford approaching the watering hole and welcome the younger Pegasus with a free hoof.

“Hey-hey! There’s the stallion of the hour!” Turbo greets him with a tipsy smile as his free hoof wraps around Ford’s shoulders. “Here, let me buy ya a drink!”

“Turbo, it’s an open bar.” Ford chuckles at the older pony's choice of words. “The drinks are all complimentary.”

“Oh, well in that case, I’ll just have to leave a generous tip for them!” he laughs it off in a hearty manner.

“I can tip for my own drinks, you know.”

“Nonsense! This is your night, Ford!” Turbo insists firmly. “And I’m not gonna let you spend a single bit here without me taking care of that for you!”

As Turbo leads Ford to the bar, the other customers in line make way for them as it’s practically customary to allow the groom to be at the front of the line. While Rainbow’s father already got himself a glass of whiskey, Ford orders one of his favorites: spiced rum with fizzy cola and a twist of lime. After receiving his drink, the two stallions walk away from the bar before they stand in place and casually sip their alcoholic beverages. As the Pegasi savor their drinks, they observe the ongoing dancers. More specifically, they are gazing at Rainbow Dash as she is happily dancing alongside with some of her close friends.

“Gosh. Just look at her out there.” Turbo points it out with a contented smile. “Happy as can be. How I want to share this moment with Firefly right now.”

“She would have been very proud of her, Turbo.” Ford reassures warmly.

The older stallion nods for Ford’s good nature before both of them take more sips out of their drinks before they finish and place them on a catering tray nearby. Then, Turbo speaks up in a more somber tone, “Listen, Mustang… I know that we talked about this before, but I can’t thank you enough for all that you have done for my baby girl.”

“Ahh, it was nothing, really--!”

“It was more than nothing to me, Ford! You not only made her the happiest mare I ever did see, but you also went out of your way to save her! If it weren’t for you, I… would have lost the only family I had left.” he states as his emotional eyes start to get watery. “Because of you, I’m able to be here today as the proud father of the bride. You took care of my sweet, little Dashie like you said you would, and I can’t tell you on how fortunate I am to have you as my son-in-law. So… thank you, Ford… thank you for everything.”

Touched by the appreciative words from his smiling father-in-law, Ford goes up to him and gives Turbo a great, big hug, who openly accepts it. In the midst of their masculine embrace, the older Pegasus feels a couple light taps on his shoulder. With a brisk turn of their heads, the two stallions see the grinning Rainbow Dash hovering right next to them.

“Hey dad! Don’t mean to interrupt your bromance here, but can I have my husband back?” she inquires with an amusing grin. “I can’t showoff my best moves without my awesome dance partner backing me up!”

With a small smirk of his own, Turbo Dash hands over his son-in-law to his daughter as he answers, “He’s all yours, Rainbow.”

Eagerly, she takes Ford by the foreleg as they fly back to the dance floor while Turbo Dash waves them off. Back in the center of the ballroom, the couple carries on with where they have last left off. In the midst of their latest dance number, Rainbow asks her husband with a sharp smirk on her face.

“So… what were you two getting all gushy about over there?”

Hesitant at first, Ford simply replies to her, “Oh you know… stallion stuff. You wouldn’t understand.”

In response, she just shrugs it off with an even wider smirk, “Riiight…”

A couple hours later, everyone takes a break from their dancing as it’s time for the wedding cake. Pinkie Pie really outdid herself with the amazing cake’s creation. The six-layer cake roughly towers at six feet high. Each stacked tier is covered in smooth buttercream icing with a different pastel color that matches the order of Dash’s colorful, streaky tail: red at top and purple at the bottom. The light rainbow cake is decorated with fluffy, frosting trimmings and cloud-shaped cutouts. At the very top are a couple of figures that visually represent the newlyweds in their respective attire as they stand underneath an arching rainbow.

But the most extraordinary features about this cake are a pair of figurines that are shaped like roaring dragons! The shiny, blue dragons, with a few golden-yellow characteristics such as their spines, teeth, and eyes, match with the final sketch Ford made for Pinkie Pie weeks ago. Each of them sit on their hindquarters on opposite sides of the cake as their elongated bodies arch back while their fore claws grip themselves on to the third, green-colored layer. Of course, what really captures their striking characteristics is where their opened jaws breathe out constant, colorful streams of harmless sparks! The glittering pyrotechnics shower the wedding cake toppers as everyone marvels at the vibrant cake with wondrous, hungry eyes while several of the guests make great use of their cameras to capture its presentation.

When the time has come, Pinkie Pie and some of her assistants snuff out the sparklers and remove the dragon statues aside so they can start slicing up the cake. First up is Rainbow Dash and Ford Mustang as the husband uses a cake spatula to slice up a piece for his wife. With the sample on the spatula, Ford gently brings it over to the smiling, restless bride before she happily gobbles it up. Her mouth is overwhelmed with so many flavors, whether it’s the multi-flavored cake layers, the Zap Apple jam filling, or the sweet buttercream icing.

“MMM… SO… AWESOME!” she squeals in delight as she presses her cheeks together.

After finishing her first piece of that truly delicious cake, she does the same for Ford as she takes the serving tool and serves a modest piece for him. After accepting the tempting treat from her, he also expresses his approval with a muffled, satisfying moan and an irrepressible smile. Once he swallows his first bite, he breaks into a devious grin as he prepares another small slice for her.

“Hey, Rainbow. Mind if we try a little tradition I know of back home?”

“Sure, what do you have in mind?”

“Well first, I have to ask…” he inquires with am increasingly mischievous smile as he holds the slice up with a fore hoof. “You want this cake?”

“Yeah… I want it.” she replies with a raised eyebrow.

“You want this cake?”

“Yes, that cake! I want it!” she answers again with her patience being put to the test.

“You want this cake?”

“Are you even listening to me? Yes, I want it!” she says once again in an irritating tone.

“You want this cake?”

“YES, FORD! I WANT THAT CAKE! NOW LET ME HAVE IT ALREADY--!”

SPLAT!

As per her command, Ford lets her have it as he splatters the cake all over Rainbow’s muzzle. Half of the guests gasp at this while the other half suppress their chuckling as they just witness the groom’s unorthodox action towards his wife. The bride was startled by this, but her initial surprise shifts into a mocking death glare as she expects a good answer from her giggling stallion.

“Hey… you asked for it.” he points it out with a witty grin.

Amused by that setup she failed to foresee, she breaks into a chuckling smile before she licks her chops to get as much of her splattered cake off her face as possible. Following with her satisfaction from tasting that scrumptious cake once again, Rainbow smirks deviously as she scoops up a generous portion from their colossal dessert.

“So… I take it that it’s fair play from here?” she states it deceitfully.

“Yep!” he answers while being obviously to the larger size of Rainbow’s slice of retribution.

“Well then… eat this!”

In retaliation, Rainbow flings it directly at Ford, and his face is entirely covered with cake and frosting. More gasps and laughs are heard from the crowd while Mustang removes his messy mask with his hooves and lips as Rainbow laughs out loud.

“Hey!” He retorts in a mix of amusement and disapproval. “You didn’t have to go too crazy like that!”

“Oh yeah?” she goads him with an extremely smug face. “And what are you going to do about it? Hmm?”

In response to that challenge, Ford takes a larger scoop of cake and faces his slightly startled bride with a grin matching that with hers. “Oh, it is so on!”

In preparation for the battle to come, Rainbow takes a hefty serving to use as her next projectile before they simultaneously cast their next shots. Like two immature foals, they carry on with their culinary warfare as their bodies and clothes suffer major damage from the explosive shots of cake. Despite how dirty they are getting, they are having the time of their lives as they laugh and continue to fling more cake at each other.

Meanwhile, the bystanders are completely baffled by the couple’s private war while some of them are amused by the Pegasi’s antics. Rarity, however, isn’t taking this all too well as she sees her lastest fashion creations turning into fashion disasters.

“Have you two gone insane?!” she screeches in a state of immense panic over such a crime against fashion. “Somepony stop them!”

As for her newly appointed fiancée, Applejack laughs it off as she wraps a hoof over the displeased bridesmaid. “Oh, Rarity! Just let them have their fun for one night! Ah’m sure things can’t get worse from there--!”

But their opposing conversation comes to an abrupt halt as the two hear a large, collective gasp from the crowd. Rarity and Applejack, along with everypony else, turn to the source of the sudden development in the newlyweds’ amusing quarrel. Apparently, their little warfare has cost them a casualty, and to everypony’s dismay, it happened to be Discord, who’s inexpressive face is plastered with cake.

“Ahem! You were saying, darling?” Rarity asks Applejack in an irresistible, witty manner.

As for Ford and Rainbow, they ceasefire as they survey the situation carefully before the groom sheepishly apologizes to the stoic trickster, “Oops. Ehh… sorry about that, Discord. We didn’t mean to put you in the crossfire.”

To everyone’s surprise, Discord displays a carefree smile as he reassures the anxious couple. “There’s no need to worry, Ford. I’m not some despicable creature to hold grudges. After all, we can settle this like proper gentleponies.”

Suddenly, the Master of Chaos disappears in a flash of blinding light. And as everyone else wonders on where the mismatched creature has gone off to, Discord miraculously pops out of the wedding cake as he is equipped with six arms in total with each of his hands holding a glob of cake. The audience panics on what’s to come as the grinning trickster prepares his grand statement to the terror-stricken crowd.

“FOODFIGHT!!"

And upon that declaration of war, the ultimate battle of their lives begins as Discord launches the cake in all directions. Taking action immediately, most of them take cover with any furniture nearby while the rest strike back by firing the leftover cake right at the malicious assaulter . As the battle rages on, more ponies are caught in the crossfire, and they too seek retribution by taking part in this ever-expanding war. Even Rarity gave up in her futile struggle for the sake of decency as she joins up with Applejack, who like most of their friends, are having a blast with it. Eventually, the entire ballroom is turned into a ginormous, free-for-all battlefield. No one is safe; not even the Alicorn Princesses for that matter as they too join in on the fun. And yet, despite how dirty their clothes and fur are getting, they couldn’t care less at this point as the infectious laughter and merriment ring out across the room.

With no more cake to dish out, the fighting dies down as the filthy masses take a breather as their exhausted laughter continues to fill the air. As the forerunners of this cake war sit on their haunches side by side, Ford and Rainbow continue to catch their breath as they smirk over each other’s grubby faces.

“You got a little something on your face, Rainbow.” he points it out with teasing smirk.

“So do you, Ford.” she responds in the same manner.

“Here, let me get that for you.”

From leaning closer to her, Ford proceeds to clean up the mess by licking the frosting that’s smeared across her muzzle. In return, Rainbow does the same as she enjoyably licks the smothered cake off her husband’s face. After wiping most of the dessert off their cheeks, they work their way toward each other’s lips, until finally, they are drawn into a hungry kiss with their tongues exploring and savoring their respective partners’ mouths. Eventually, they pull out from their latest breathtaking kiss as they pant heavily over their recent treat together.

“Mmm… You taste delicious.” she comments with a dreamy smile.

“You’re delicious.” he remarks with the same expression as hers.

“You know, as fun as that way, it’s kind of a shame that our cake had to be tarnished like that. Not to mention that Rarity will undoubtedly have a fit over this.”

Hoping to fix all of this, Ford turns to the godly trickster and asks of him, “Hey, Discord. Would you mind doing that for us? We like to have our cake and eat it too.”

Without so much of a fuss over this request, Discord replies with a pleasant smile, “Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. But remember… I get the corner piece first!”

And with a snap of his fingers, everything is enveloped in a brief flash of light before it fades away and reveals the room as the way it was originally before this whole mess happened. All the tables are back in their proper places. The majestically multicolored cake is all in one piece. And to Rarity’s immense relief, all of their clothes, including the bride and groom’s, are completely spotless. Proceeding where they left off, they begin to serve individual slices of cake for all the guests in line, starting with a generous corner piece for Discord, as promised.

Everyone takes great enjoyment out of the wedding cake, including Wagner and Queen Chrysalis, who rarely eats anything outside of their respective food sources. Along with their cake, they are also given other choices as additional desserts that are based off of the Apple Family’s recipes, including their famed apple pies and apple crisps. And of course, they couldn’t have their cake and pies without some vanilla ice cream to go with that. One thing is for certain, no one is going go hungry tonight.

After dessert, the party resume with more music and dancing. Of course, like all good things, it would have to end at some point. Later that evening, guests gradually start to leave as they head on home. Of course, the first ones to leave are the ones who live outside of Equestria, which include Gilda, Wagner, and their invited guests.

Next up is Chrysalis and her changeling companions while Princess Cadance escorts them outside on the castle’s courtyard. Surprisingly, the changelings’ bellies are extremely bloated as they grudgingly walk on all fours. Despite only sampling the local food in the reception area, the real cause of their swollen stomachs is all the emotional love they had the privilege to intake. Due to thousands of attendees there, Chrysalis and her fellow escorts can gather as much love as possible without having to worry on causing any fatigue to their generous hosts. Apparently, because of this rare opportunity in their lives, they have bitten off more than they can chew.

“I take it you all had your fill as it is?” Cadance inquires with a knowing smirk.

“Ughhh… I can’t eat another bite!” Chrysalis groans in response. “Can you, Commander?”

Commander Trapjaw is just as overstuffed as his queen. Because of that, he crawls on his belly with the use of his feeble forelegs as he overdramatically expresses his discomfort to everyone, “So… much… love…!”

“Well, you’re welcome to take some more with you.” Cadance insists sweetly. “I’m sure we’ve got plenty to spare.”

“No more, Cadance!” the changeling queen refuses sharply. “I’ve got enough love as it is to feed an entire colony for three whole years! Any more of this stuff, and I might explode!”

“If that’s the case, let me help put that theory of yours to the test.” The Alicorn princess suggests with an unusually devious grin as her horn starts to glow.

Fearful on that claim, Chrysalis backs away a bit before she retorts with a menacing growl, “Don’t you even dare!”

Following suit with their visitors’ departure, Rainbow Dash and Ford Mustang also prepare their leave as they hover toward the arriving carriage, which are being pulled by four Pegasi of the Royal Guards. Trailing behind the increasingly giddy couple are their closest friends as they say their goodbyes to them.

“Well, it’s been fun, but we gotta get going as it is!” Rainbow says to her friends.

“Awwww, don’t be like that!” Vinyl whines mockingly. “What’s a wedding party without the bride and groom being there?”

“Sorry, everypony. But me and Mustang here got our own private party to attend to. Right, Ford?” she leans closely to his face while bearing a very enticing grin for him.

From understanding that subtle reminder, Ford flaps his wings with renewed excitement as he concurs with his nuzzling wife, “You heard the young lady, folks. But hey, let’s meet up at the Baltimare Harbor 11 o’clock tomorrow before we set sail for our honeymoon.”

Agreeing to their meeting place, the gathering friends give one great, big group hug to the ecstatic newlyweds before they reluctantly let the eager Pegasi go as they float over to the royal carriage that just pulled over. But as the two take their leave, Pinkie Pie calls out to them.

“Are you sure you’ll be able to meet up with us on time?”

“Yes, Pinkie Pie. We’re sure.” Ford answers assuredly.

As the bride and groom approach their vehicle, Pinkie rises in front up them unexpectedly as she asks once again, “Are you absolutely sure about that?”

With a tiring groan, Rainbow answers, “Yes, Pinkie. We’re absolutely sure about that.”

After stepping around the seemingly unconvinced pink pony, Ford opens the door to their carriage to let his lady in first. But before either one can step inside, they are caught by surprised once more by Pinkie Pie’s unpredictable appearance as she sits on one of the coach’s plushy seats before asking her tedious question one last time.

“Are you absolutely, positively, one-hundred percent certain that you will make it--?”

“Yes, Pinkie! We’ll be there, alright?!” Rainbow screeches as she has all she can take. “We’ll even throw in a Pinkie Promise just for good measure!”

“Okie-Dokie-Lokie!” Pinkie confirms in her usual cheerful self before she merrily bounces out of coach.

After Ford and Rainbow take their seats, they close their door to their carriage and signal their drivers to take off. At the couples’ command, the Pegasi soldiers gallop mightily whilst they flap their wings tremendously. As the stagecoach is about to take flight, the newlyweds look back from their window and wave goodbye to their friends while they did the same. At last, the magical pony-drawn carriage lifts off from the paved ground and disappears into the spectacular, starry sky. Before rejoining the party, the friends of the bride and groom continue to stare at the dark horizon as they reflect on how wonderful this night has been for them.

“Sigh… what a marvelous wedding this has been.” Rarity states it with dreamy smile.

“If you think that one was good, just wait until we have our wedding someday.” Applejack smirks knowingly while she lightly nuzzles with her fiancée.

“Uhh… I believe that would be our wedding you’re referring to, AJ.” Vinyl Scratch intervenes with a cheeky grin on her face.

“And Ah think that rambunctious music of yers has finally made ya deaf, Vinyl.” she lightly chuckles in response.

Vinyl nearly butts heads with AJ as she demonstrates a bold smirk matching that with the farmpony's. “Hmph! If that’s how you really feel, then maybe I should find somepony else to cater for our wedding event, hmm?”

With a heavy sigh, Octavia asks, “Are we really doing this right now?”

“Girls, there will be plenty of time to plan for these events for another day.” Twilight Sparkle steps in while settling this in a reasonable tone. “For now, I think we can all agree that we’re very happy for Rainbow and Ford on their newfound marriage this evening.”

In unison, the ponies nod in silence with Twilight before they head back inside the castle. As they walk back towards the party to continue their celebrations, Pinkie Pie shares something rather interesting in mind.

“You know what comes after that, right?”

“And what is that, darling?” Rarity asks, even though she might know the answer herself.

“A THREEQUEL~!!”

After the party extraordinaire sings it out loud, her friends are completely flabbergasted by her unexpected yet unsurprisingly random answer. Fluttershy exchanges glances with Big Mac, who just offered a simple shrug to his wife. So she turns to her pink, perky friend to ask the obvious question for the baffled ponies in present.

“Umm… Pinkie Pie… what’s a threequel?”

Author's Note

The Wedding of Ford Mustang & Rainbow Dash (2/3)

Epilogue – First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage…

On their wedding night, Ford Mustang and Rainbow Dash’s pony-drawn carriage pulls up to the front side of the couple’s floating cloudhouse. After the stagecoach’s graceful landing, Ford steps out of it first before he lends a hoof to his bride and helps her out of the coach. Once their hooves are on the cloudy surface, the newlyweds thank and wave goodbye to the four Pegasi, and the drivers take off to make their way back to Canterlot Castle.

Once the Royal Guards and their carriage are out of sight, Rainbow lightly smirks to her husband, “No offense to them, but we could’ve gotten here much faster ourselves, you know.”

“Well then…” he says to her with an enthusiastic smile matching that with Rainbow’s as he quickly picks her up and carries her bridal style. “…let’s not waste any more time.”

Safely in his forelegs, the giddy mare pulls the gentlecolt in for a seemingly never-ending kiss. Without their lips breaking away from each other’s, Ford holds her very closely as he glides towards their home. With a firm kick, he pushes the door open and they enter inside before he slams the door behind them. As they carry on with their record-breaking make-out session, they ascend the staircase whilst they make their way to the bedroom.

Inside the sanctuary of their home, they stop for a brief moment with their tender lips still firmly pressed together. In the midst of their lip-smacking kiss, Ford removes the golden wreath with the glistening veil attached to it off of Rainbow’s pretty mane while she hastily unbuttons his tux along with the white, collared shirt underneath it. Saving the rest of the clothes for later, Ford leads his wife to their bed and lays her down softly before getting on top of her. Gradually, they break their kiss as they take a moment to lovingly stare into each other’s eyes.

“Hey, Rainbow…” he says as he brushes some of her splendid, silky hair.

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure about this?” he asks with slight uncertainty. “I know that we talked about it before, but I don’t want to rush you into this if you’re not ready just yet.”

Understandingly, Rainbow places a gentle fore hoof on the stallion’s face as her soothing touch relieves any hesitation in his heart. With her affection gaze locked on with Mustang’s, she reassures him cooingly, “Ford… after all we’ve been through, I don’t want to waste another second from sharing every moment with you. So please believe me when I say that I want this more than anything right now!”

After seeing the sincerity in her magenta eyes and smile, Ford is reinvigorated with assurance and excitement as he grins wildly, “Alright… but just to warn you: I’m not the same Mustang you first met over a year ago. So once we get started, I can probably outlast you before this night is even over.”

In response to that challenge, she replies with a very wide smirk on her face, “Oh, is that so? If that’s the case…” Suddenly, her hind legs wrap tightly around the surprised stallion as they refuse to let him go while her forelegs interlock around his neck. “…don’t expect to back out of it so easily until I’m done with you first.”

Noticing that playful competitiveness of hers, Mustang lunges forward with his exposed belly rubbing against hers, and his forelegs wrapping snuggly around her beautiful neck. And as they are about to begin the night of their lives, Ford says one simple thing to Rainbow Dash before they seal it off with another fantastic kiss to commence the ultimate matchup between them.

“Well then… game on!”

THE END

Author's Note

The Wedding of Ford Mustang & Rainbow Dash (3/3)

Thanks again for all those who have supported me by following along with my second fanfiction as well as the sequel to my first one, "The Arrival of Ford Mustang." A couple of blogs will follow soon enough regarding with future plans and so forth.

Sequel – The Wonderful Life of Ford Mustang

The Wonderful Life of Ford Mustang

Shortly after their wedding, Ford Mustang and his wife, Rainbow Dash, have already made plans to have their first foal together. With each passing month, they go through the usual joys and struggles from starting their own family as they cherish what they have from their friends and family. But as his beautiful, blue angel goes through her pregnancy, Ford starts to receive terrible visions that may determine the ultimate outcome of Rainbow Dash's fate. Mustang has gone through many challenges in his previous adventure, but can he find a way to change her fate in time or will he have to accept the inevitable in the end? Don't miss out on the final chapters that will ultimately conclude the Trilogy of Ford Mustang!

Chapter 1 – Plans for the Future

So… you thought I was finished, didn’t you?

Did you really think that anyone can get rid of me that easily?

You especially should know me better than that.

I will never disappear from this accursed world!

Soon, I will rise from the darkness you have once casted me into!

I will achieve powers far greater than anyone’s imagination!

I will come back stronger than ever before!

And the very first being who shall suffer the full extent of my wrath…

will… be… you…

HINDEL!!

“GASP!” Hindel awakes abruptly from his latest nap inside his cavern home. The blind, golden dragon breathes rapidly at his latest dream as beads of sweat seep between the shiny scales of his brow. As he recovers from his nightmare, he reflects back to what he just saw. It was nothing but darkness in there, not a real surprise for someone who is blind. But this was different because in many of his dreams and visions, he can see them as clear as day. No, in this dreamy darkness, Hindel heard a familiar, frightening voice in the void of his dreams. But as the voice got louder, Hindel saw something else. Something more terrifying than the darkness itself. Two orbs made of blue fire glowing intensely within that dark void. The same fiery eyes that have haunted Hindel for over 500 years.

“Hindel? Hindel!” Someone else is calling out to the restless dragon from the entrance of his cave. Another familiar voice this time, but this one is a complete contrast compared to the one in Hindel’s nightmare; one that is kind and gentle. Hindel’s eyes may not be able to see, but in his mind’s eye, he can see who it is: a tall Pegasus with turquoise eyes, a mane and tail sharing a cerulean blue color with a golden yellow streak on each side, and a light bluish coat. And most distinguishably, he doesn’t have a Cutie Mark on his vacant flank. Surely, it could be none other than Ford Mustang, the once-human outsider now a full-fledged pony, coming in for Hindel’s weekly visits.

“Sorry about that, Hindel.” Ford apologizes humbly. “I hope I didn’t disturb you again.”

“No need to apologize, Ford.” Hindel responds after stretching his long, aching neck. “I was wide awake before you even got here. So, what did you bring for me this time?”

“Just a wide variety of jewels that were leftovers from some of Rarity’s previous projects.” The Pegasus answers as he unloads his twin saddlebags of various, tiny jewel shards. “Hope you don’t mind them.” Grabbing the bags, Hindel drops the shards into his other claw, and he scarfs them down with glee.

“Mmm… My compliments to the seamstress.” says Hindel after he finishes his snack. “Her taste in jewelry is just as exquisite as mine own. By the way, have you been practicing those breathing exercises I’ve taught you?”

“Of course I have!” Ford responds. “I’m not sure why exactly, but these workouts have done wonders for me! I feel stronger and faster than ever before! Although, it does take awhile of getting used to it.”

“Oh, really? How so?” asks Hindel while he licks the remaining shards on his claw.

“Well…” Ford replies hesitantly with a light blush. “…there was that one time I applebucked a tree so hard, that I clearly knocked it right out of its roots! It was an accident, but…”

One week ago in the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres…

“WHO THE BUCK KNOCKED DOWN ONE OF OUR APPLE TREES LIKE THAT?!” Applejack hollered in outrage after seeing her once-mighty tree pulled out of the earth and laying down on the ground.

“Sorry!” Ford called out apologetically from his hiding cloud dozens of feet in the air.

“Ford Mustang!” the angry farmpony called back to him. “You better get down here right now and explain yerself!”

“If I do, will you promise not to hurt me?” he asks in whimpering fear.

“If you don’t come down from that cloud this instant, Ah’ll just have to grab my lasso and pull ya down here myself! And that’ll just be the start for what’s to come for you!”

“Alright, alright! I’m coming down!”

“That day, I thought for sure that Applejack was going to tan my hide for that!” Ford trembles over that memory after finishing his tale.

Hindel smirks upon hearing this and asks, “Then I take it you’ve been learning on how to maintain self-control over your own newfound strength?”

“Ehhhh… more or less.” Ford answers bashfully with a shrug. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that.” he says to Hindel with a curious look. “Why did you teach me all that stuff anyway?”

Hindel pauses for a bit before responding with a hesitant answer, “Well… I thought it would be my way of saying ‘thanks’ for all the visitations and jewels you’ve brought over for me. Plus, I figure it might help you out with your duties on the farm and as a weather pony, right?” The old dragon bears a toothy smile to his younger friend, but Ford isn’t entirely convinced as he raises a suspicious eyebrow.

Wanting to avoid the awkwardness he created for himself, Hindel clears his throat and speaks up again, “Anyway, how’s this… uhh… marefriend of yours? 'Rainbow Dash', was it?”

Ford perks up with a wide smile at the mention of her name as he happily answers, “She’s doing great! She’s nearly done on her latest tour with the Wonderbolts at Cloudsdale! Unfortunately, the last show before her big break is also on her birthday.”

“Well, why not fly over there and see her yourself?” Hindel inquires.

“I would if I could…” Ford reponds depressingly. “…but getting tickets to see the Wonderbolts, let alone to see her, are so expensive. Plus, she couldn’t get any more free guest passes this time since it’s one of their biggest tours this season. Besides, my salary as a weather pony isn’t enough to cover for something like that.”

After a moment of silence, Hindel ponders to himself before showing off an all-knowing grin. “Well… if money is the issue, then look no further, pony!”

“What do you mean, Hindel?” Ford puzzles at the grinning expression the dragon was making.

Hindel continues to smirk all-knowingly as all he needs to do is pat his enormous bed of hoarded treasure to serve as his answer. It takes a while for Ford Mustang to get the hint, but once he puts two-and-two together, his jaw nearly drops to the floor at what Hindel is offering to him.

“Hindel, you can’t be serious--!” Ford says in complete shock.

“I am.”

“B-but… isn’t this against your dragon code or something like that to give away your treasure to someone?!”

“It’s my treasure, and I’ll do whatever I want with it. Even for a friend.”

“I… I don’t know what to say.” Ford hesitates with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Hindel.”

Hindel nods his head before gesturing to Ford with a wave of his claw. “Now go on. Grab as much as you like.”

While a bit hesitant at first, the happy-go-lucky Pegasus jumps at this opportunity like a kid winning a shopping sweepstake at a toy store. Recalling how much tickets would cost to see the show and to meet the Wonderbolts afterwards, Ford carefully counts out the right amount of bits he needs for his surprise visit. After all, he didn’t want to take advantage over anyone’s generosity; especially from a dragon’s.

As he stuffs the last, few, remaining coins into his saddlebags, something glittery catches his attention. Distracted by the sparkling light within the pile of treasure, he approaches it and reaches for it with a fore hoof. Once he grasped it, he examines the glittering gemstone more closely as he is completely mesmerized by how vibrant it is. He has never seen a jewel illuminating so many colors at once before.

“You’re pretty quiet all of sudden, Ford.” Hindel unintentionally breaks the pony’s self-induced trance. “Is there something on your mind?”

“Oh! It’s nothing, Hindel!” Ford responds after recovering from his dazed distraction. “I just found this pretty, little gem, and… I’ve been thinking about something.” He continues to gaze at the unique gem as a warm smile emerges on his face.

“Tell me.” Hindel insists curiously.

“Well… it’s been almost a year since that night at the Gala where Rainbow Dash accepted me as her coltfriend. And despite how busy she is as a Wonderbolt, it’s been the happiest year of my life. I just can’t imagine my life without her. And… well… since our one-year anniversary is coming up soon, I was wondering if maybe… I should ask her to marry me.”

As Ford Mustang continues to admire the little gem, Hindel’s curiosity grows immensely before he finally says to Ford, “Bring that gem over here, so I can verify it for you.”

Once Ford brings the colorful gem close enough to Hindel’s snout, the dragon unleashes his forked tongue to take a couple of quick licks on the mysterious sparkler before confirming its identity. “Ahhhh… I didn’t even realize that I still have one of those around here. That is a Prismatic Diamond you have in your hoof, Ford Mustang.” the dragon declares. “It’s one of the rarest jewels in the known world. It is said that under any source of light, it will shine a multitude of prismatic colors as vivid as any rainbow or aurora in the sky. The tastes of these things are just as enriching as the colors themselves.” he finishes his statement as he licks his chops over the rare and tasty jewel.

Ford looks back at the rare gemstone with a tender smile as he says to the dragon, “It’s very beautiful, Hindel. Well anyway, here. You should have it.” he offers the priceless gem back to the surprised dragon. “You must be hungry to eat one of these things for so long.”

After giving it a moment of thought, Hindel says with conviction, “You know what? It’s yours now. Take it.”

Shocked by another generous offer by his dragon friend, Ford looks back at the Prismatic Diamond with wide eyes and a gaping face. Then he looks up at the dragon before stammering, “Hindel… a-are you sure?”

“Of course!” Hindel replies with a resolving grin. “Besides, it’s so tiny, it will not be enough to satisfy my own cravings. You keep it. Consider it as my wedding gift for you and Rainbow Dash.”

Unable to contain his joy over this unexpected act of kindness, Ford Mustang flies up to Hindel as he tries to give the biggest hug he can offer to the noble, ancient dragon. “Thank you! Thank you so much, Hindel! Oh, this would be perfect!” After breaking the hug, Ford then asks, “You’ll come to the wedding if that happens, wouldn’t you?”

“I would, but I don’t think your buildings would accommodate my own size.” Hindel answers with a chuckling smile.

“Eh, I’m sure we’ll work something out eventually.” Ford responds casually, but then he gets overly excited once again as he plans his next move. “Right now, I’m getting ahead of myself! I’ve got a proposal to work! I’ve gotta get this little beauty ready! Maybe Rarity knows a craftspony who can turn this into an engagement bracelet! Oh wait, I first need to plan out my surprise visit for Rainbow Dash’s birthday this week! There’s so much to do and so little time!” Not wanting to waste anymore time, Ford gallops towards the exit of the dragon’s cave as he says goodbye to his friend. “See you later, Hindel! And thanks again for everything! I’ll make it up to you! I swear!”

As Ford Mustang leaves the cave, Hindel chuckles lightly to himself before he goes back to his usual napping spot. However, sleep won’t come so easily for him this time around as he is still haunted by the last vision he just had moments ago.

“He’s coming.” Hindel mutters to himself grimly. “I know it!”

Author's Note

One notable change I have made to this sequel is that the narration for this story will be 3rd-Person Perspective from now on. One main reason behind that is that there will be certain moments in this story where it will not always involve my OC character, Ford Mustang.

Chapter 15 – The Coming Storm

Ever since his takeover of the Royal Castle of Canterlot and the capture of the Elements of Harmony, Arrogon the Destroyer initiated his global invasion force for many days to come. Thanks to his all-powerful amulet, the dark overlord easily created a massive energy barrier of dark blue, translucent magic around the doom-impeding kingdom of Canterlot. Because of the impenetrable force field, the citizens of Canterlot are trapped and confined in their own city while also severing their connections to the outside world.

Without any further distractions, Arrogon used his limitless powers to create an army of Shadow Minions, silhouetted demons that are artificially constructed by the Equestrian tyrant’s Dragonian Magic. The shelled bodies of these animated creatures are made up of dark blue, lively energy, and their most notable features are their soulless, glowing, red eyes. With Arrogon’s twisted imagination, his Shadow Minions are divided into five distinguished units.

Gremlins: mischievous, little imps that take joy out of creating destruction. Despite their short stature, these flat-headed troublemakers with their large, pointy ears, slitted eyes, and wide, toothy grins can be quite furious when they swarm in numbers as they can rip and wreck through whatever they can get their sharp, feral claws on. Plus, these demonic tykes can also serve as suitable scouts and spies.

Djinns: twisted versions of genies that will devotedly fulfill their dark master’s wishes. Despite serving as the army’s spellcasters, these intimidating magicians with two big, demonic horns and a long, wispy tail are no push-overs since their arms are as bulky as a gorilla’s. Of course, their main means to demolish their enemies are through their fire-based magic. Their dark, fiery spells include fireballs, fire breathing, fire barriers, and blazing weapons. Other than combative magicians, Djinns can also take up the roles of overseers, especially when they unleash their fiery whips upon the poor, unfortunate captives.

Furies: the main flyers of the shadowy army. The body of this vicious bird is filled with nothing but extremely sharp characteristics including their bladed fan wings, razor-sharp beak, hook-like talons, and three lengthy, curved tailfeathers. Besides their razor-sharp appendages, Furies can also breathe out fire, but their firepower isn’t as poweful as the Djinns'. But just like the Gremlins, the Furies can be quite a force to be wreck with when these swift raptors swarm in greater numbers.

Golems: towering behemoths who serve as the heavy infantry. Despite how slow they may be due to their stubby hoofed legs, these cube-faced giants are incredibly strong and have a very extensive reach thanks to their long, hulking, bludgeoning arms. Plus, with their long, massive arms, the Golems can also double as makeshift catapults.

Wraiths: the elite shadows who personify Death themselves. Ponies who see the Wraiths may mistake them as the grim reapers due to their ragged, robe-like appearance. They even have hood-like heads where the front pieces cover some of their cyclopean eyes, making these executioners appear more terrifying that way. But what is just as nightmarish as their looks are their two forelimbs that are shaped like large, deadly sickles. While they may not be as tough as the Djinns or Golems, their incredible, ghostly speed and swift slash attacks make them the most dangerous Shadow Minions as they are perfectly tasked as the army’s sentinels.

Now, after two long weeks, Arrogon has created hundreds of thousands of his ever-devoted Shadow Minions. High on top of very tall overlook, the deeply pleased, godlike king looks down from his balcony as he examines the latest batch of thousands of varied Minions. With all them gathered together in an organized formation, they stand ready in the vast courtyard right before their dark master.

“My faithful Minions!” he proclaims to the mindless mass down below. “Tonight, you will all initiate the first phase of my invasion force! Your mission: to overtake the nearby towns of Canterlot! Once we have secured our vantage points, we shall spread out like wildfire and take control of larger cities! Until finally… all of Equestria will be mine! And if anyone stands in your way of my worldwide conquest, well… you all know what to do. Now go, my Minions! Go forth and bring glory to my new empire!”

With a mighty wave of his hoof, the selected Minions disperse quickly as they exit the cursed kingdom and its force field. For those who can’t fly, the Gremlins and Golems shift their bodies into flat, circular shadows and swiftly travel across the ground to reach their targeted locations at a further pace. For the ponies that are either house-arrested, imprisoned or enslaved, they shudder in fear on the Shadow Minions’ departure as they hear the nightmarish creatures’ screeching howls pass by them. Resting his armored fore hooves on the balcony’s fence, Arrogon observes his departed minion with sinister anticipation over the conquest of Equestria.

Yes! Arrogon glees deviously as he gazes at the landscape with ambitious, fiery eyes. Everything is going just as I have anticipated! My power is absolute! My Shadow Minions are expanding significantly! And my special project is progressing quite well recently! With no one left to challenge me, I will finally get the respect I have long deserved and achieve my rightful place as god of this world!

Suddenly, a tiny yet familiar sensation sends a shiver across his spine. Instantly, he directs his attention to follow where that sensation is coming from. Soon enough, Arrogon pinpoints the well-known energy’s location as he fixes his flaming eyes on a huge forest in the far-off background. It was a tiny sensation Arrogon just felt eariler, but the fact that the energy’s source came from countless miles away would mean that its owner is unbelievably powerful.

I felt something… a presence I haven’t felt since…

After musing on any possibilities of the unknown energy-user, Arrogon’s eyes widen and then frown intensely once he came up with one, possible answer of someone he knows all too well.

HINDEL. I nearly forgot about him! Beforehand, I planned to absorb his soul into my amulet, but with Discord being the exception, there was no need for that. But right now, I can feel his aura growing expediently from such a faraway distance! No doubt he is already aware of my return at this point. So what’s he up to right now? Hmm… whatever he is scheming, I can’t overlook this any further! As long as he is out there, he can still pose as a threat to everything I have worked on!

Set on his next course of action, Arrogon quickly conjures up a pair of great wings from his back. Just like his mane, eyes, and tail, his newly fabricated wings are also made up of blazing, blue fire. Once the wings are completed, he stretches his enormous wingspan before he redirects his predatory eyes toward his next destination.

“I think it is time we have ourselves a little family reunion. Wouldn’t you agree, Hindel?”

With an almighty flap of his hellish wings, Arrogon immediately takes off of his perch and soars across the gloomy, eternal night to finish what was started 500 years ago.

“So, are you ready, Ford Mustang?” Hindel asks his student.

“Ready!” Ford responds eagerly.

In the middle of the enormous, draconic valley, Ford and Hindel are getting ready for their next training session. This time, the Pegasus not only has his wings restrained by the golden dragon’s magical band, but he also has his eyes tightly closed, for this exercise is designed to make him use his energy field perception continuously as well as test on all that he has learned in the past few weeks.

Without another word, Hindel fires a simple fire missile right at the grounded Pegasus, but grinning pony simply bats the incoming projectile with a hoof like it was a ball of paper. Next, Hindel spews more missiles at the confident stallion. During the missile barrage, Ford dodges a majority of them with rolls and jumps while countering some of them with either a smack of his fore hoof or with his own fire missile.

Noticing on how Ford has been able to evade one missile at a time, Hindel plans his next tactic as he greatly arches his head up while his unhinged jaws glow brightly. After that quick charge-up, Hindel unleashes dozens of blazing missiles at once high in the air before they rain down and home in on Ford. Quickly, the temporarily blind Pegasus breathes out accurate beams of golden fire, which rapidly destroy the volley of missiles.

Impressed by Ford’s progress so far, Hindel decides to end this training exercise with one final spell: a massive fireball. The large, scorching projectile roars out of the dragon’s mouth and is aimed directly at the Pegasus. Without breaking a sweat, the stallion swiftly steps aside as he dodges the enlarged fireball.

“Heh, too easy.” Ford mutters to himself a cocky grin.

But then, the fiery comet makes a U-turn and charges back at Ford from behind! Distracted by his cockiness, Ford barely dodges the charging comet again, but this time, his left wing is slightly injured by the blazing ball of fire! Ignoring the small burnt to his left side, Ford stays alert as he cautiously detects the large, homing missile that keeps coming back at him. He tries to counterattack the incoming fireball with his own fire breathing attacks, but surprisingly, the self-guided comet just absorbs the pony’s fire.

Facing the fireball head-on, Ford decides to quickly focus his magic into his fore hoof, and he swats the fireball right back at Hindel! Surprised by Ford’s counterattack, Hindel quickly destroy his returning fireball with his own fire breath. Within the explosion of smoke and fire, Ford Mustang dives right through it and prepares to strike back with a fore hoof ready. Completely off-guard by Ford’s sudden charge, Hindel freezes in place as he prepares to receive the first hit from the pony. But just as Ford makes direct contact with Hindel…

BOOP!

…he lightly taps the puzzled dragon on the forehead as he casually stands on the reptilian snout.

“Gotcha!” Ford triumphs with a chuckling smile.

With a simple back flip, the proud Pegasus makes a graceful landing before he finally opens his turquoise eyes. Next, his strong wings stretch within his confined band of golden energy, and he breaks the magical restraint with ease.

Impressed by Ford’s ever-growing strength, Hindel says with grin, “Well played, Mustang.”

After breaking that restraining band, Ford examines his left wing to see just how badly burned it is. The damage isn’t that bad consider that a few of his outside feathers are a bit charred, but the minor injure didn’t stop the Pegasus from quietly wincing to himself; something that Hindel catches on quickly due to his very sharp hearing.

“Did something happen?” Hindel asks with concern.

“Oh, it’s nothing, Hindel.” Ford reassures modestly. “My wing just got a bit scorched, that’s all.”

“You want me to take care of that for you?”

Ford thinks about that, but then he responds with a modest smile, “No thanks. I’ve got this.”

Closing his eyes once again, Ford concentrates on his left, expanded wing as he breathes in and out gently. The extended wing starts to radiate a soft glow of golden energy. The magical, harmless flames begins to “burn away” the charred colors of his burnt bristles before they regenerate into newer, stronger feathers. After the miraculous aura disappears, Ford smiles in satisfaction over the handiwork of his newly refurbished wing.

After feeling the last bit of warmth disappearing from Ford’s healing spell, Hindel is stunned by the display of his student’s Draconian Magic before he breaks into a smile and says to Ford, “Impressive. You’ve already grasped on your regenerative abilities in such a short period of time. You’ve not only gotten stronger since yesterday, but you’re mastering your emotions quite well.”

“That reminds me…” Ford asks his master. “I know that you’ve been saying that I should master my own emotions in order to push my powers beyond their limits. But, if that’s true, then… wouldn’t anger be the best emotion to increase my own potential?”

Hindel can tell that Ford was a little hesitant but also curious when he asked that question. Understandably, the dragon responses, “It’s true. Anger can bring forth a lot of your potential, and it can give you a tremendous boost of power when it comes to boosting your own Draconian Magic, but there’s a price to pay from that. If you let your anger get the best of you, then you will greatly lose focus in your breathing and control. Doing so will also quickly diminish your own energy capacity.”

“So… I shouldn’t use anger whenever I fight someone?” Ford asks with uncertainty. “I don’t know if I can do that for myself, especially when I have face Arrogon again.”

“Well, I’m not saying that anger is always a bad thing.” Hindel reassures his bewildered student. “All I’m asking is that you be mindful when you unleash your fury against Arrogon, so that you can preserve your strength and concentration. And besides, there are more positive emotions to consider, including the most powerful emotion of all, love!”

“Really… even love can be channeled into power?”

“Yes, it can. Remember all those who’ve cared about you… the ones who’ve helped you become what you are today. Let their everlasting love for you add more fuel to the fire of your soul. If you can master that emotion’s unfathomable power, you can achieve anything!”

Awestricken by Hindel’s words, Ford smiles warmly to himself as he looks down at his chest while placing a hoof over his heart. Somehow, reflecting those special moments he once shared with Rainbow Dash has caused his golden aura to grow gradually as it radiates a deeply warm feeling inside.

“Well… that’s enough of that!” Hindel insists with a wave of his claw. “Why don’t you go ahead and get something to eat first?”

Happily, the blue Pegasus takes off and dives right into the Everfree Forest to find his latest lunch there. After Ford has left the valley, Hindel couldn’t help but beam over Ford’s achievements for the past two weeks of his intense training. Soon… very soon they will be ready to confront Arrogon head-on before the cruel tyrant’s age of darkness can take a permanent effect on Equestria.

As he turns around to feast on some of his jewels, something unexpectedly flashes before Hindel’s white eyes! Through sight beyond sight, the startled dragon sees a familiar, dark figure flying across the nightly sky. Along with its shadowy body, blue flames take the form of his mane, eyes, tail, and wings. Recognizing those highlighting features, Hindel nearly shivers at the mental sight of his former apprentice and now his greatest enemy of all: Arrogon the Destroyer!

What the--? Arrogon has left the castle… and he’s flying at an incredible speed! Hindel thinks alarmingly to himself as he continues to see this shocking vision before him. But why? Why leave the castle so abruptly? There’s nothing ahead in that direction except the Everfree For--! …OH NO. There’s no way he would know about our location! I’ve been making sure to hide my energy for so long! How else would Arrogon be able to find us--?

Suddenly, Hindel sharply turns his head around before he faces the Everfree Forest where his apprentice is in right now. It was Ford’s… the dragon realizes the startling revelation to himself. Arrogon has been sensing Ford’s growing energy signature instead. But… does that mean Arrogon is aware that Ford is still alive? …No, I don’t think so. Mustang’s aura is similar to mine, so Arrogon could have just mistaken that power signature for my own. In any case, we don’t have much time. He will be here soon, and I can’t let him find out of Mustang’s return just yet. There’s only one thing left to teach Ford before he finally completes his training; something that even I haven’t passed on to my students long ago, not even… Morning Star. But still… is Ford ready for what’s to come though?

As the elder dragon ponders on this, he can hear Ford making his eventual return from the Everfree Forest. Upon reflecting on all the days they have spent together as well as sensing the ever-growing, warm energy residing within the young, noble Pegasus, Hindel breaks into a confident smile as he is certain on what to do next for his promising apprentice.

Yes… I know that he is.

Once Ford makes his landing, he greets the dragon with a welcoming smile, "Alright, I'm back! Did you get anything to eat yet?”

“Y-yes, I did.” Hindel hesitantly lies to his student before refocusing on what’s important right now. “Mustang… there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it, Hindel?”

After taking a deep breath, the dragon says to Ford, “I think it’s time, Mustang.”

“Time for what exactly?” the stallion perplexes with a cocked eyebrow.

With an all-knowing grin, Hindel answers simply, “For your final lesson, of course!”

Author's Note

I don't know if this is kind of cheating on my part, but I wanted to try my best to upload a new chapter for each week. Basically, the final chapters of the "Training Arc" were originally going to be concluded with two chapters. But considering on how much there was in the first part to the conclusion of Ford Mustang's training compared to the second part, I figure it might be appropriate to break that first part into two chapters. So in short, two chapters for the conclusion of this plot have now become three chapters. Get it? Next Chapter: "Trial by Fire."

Also, this chapter allowed me to introduced Arrogon's army of darkness, the Shadow Minions! Originally, there were only going to be three variations: Gremlins, Furies, and Golems. But overtime, I figure that three units are a bit too few to showcase the menacing threat of Arrogon's forces, so I began to think on adding two more units: Djinns and Wraiths. I'm especially proud of the two additions because the Djinns can serve as Arrogon's spellcasters while the Wraiths are pretty much badass, scary mofos, which can serve as the personal bodyguards of Arrogon.

Chapter 28 – Where We Have Left Off

Slowly but surely, Ford’s dozy eyes begin to open from his extensively well-earned rest. Drowsily, he sits himself up as his hazy eyes and senses verify his surroundings. His body rests on a very plushy bed, which features thick, comfy sheets and fluffy pillows. It’s been so long since he experienced this level of luxurious comfort after having to sleep on hard bedrock for a couple of weeks straight. The vast royal suite consists of softly warm, heavenly colors such as orange and yellow. And outside from his window with the silky curtains opened, Ford can hear the birds happily chirping away as if spring has just arrived while ponies are bustling with renewed, cheerful spirits as they go about with their busy lives.

As he turned his head to the joyful noise outside, there is something that catches his attention immediately as his eyes become fully awake. Staring with disbelief is a simple jewelry box with purple velvet covering the surface, but to Ford, he would recognizable that box from anywhere. And next to it is an envelope with neat cursive writing that has his name written on there.

He is just about to reach for the box and letter, but his left fore hoof is caught in a snag by a familiar grasp. Turning to his left side, he smiles warmly at the sight of his beloved. Rainbow Dash is still asleep in an ever-so cutesy manner as she bears a contented smile while she is subconsciously possessive of Ford’s foreleg.

Carefully, Ford reaches out for his items as he doesn’t want to stir Rainbow out of her sleep as well as to ruin his surprise for her. With the jewelry box set closely beside him, Ford takes the time to quietly open the envelope and read the letter to himself.

Dear Ford Mustang,

I certainly hope that this reaches you once you wake up before she does. I’m sure you know what to do with your precious gift from there! Anyway, I expect to hear more from you and Rainbow Dash soon once everything is official! Take care of yourself and good luck!

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

Afterwards, Ford breaks into a soft, chuckling smile over Celestia’s words before he tucks the letter away. Then, with barely contained anticipation, he lifts the lid of the box and beholds the magnificent sight of his missing ring! Smiling widely, he dives into a mesmerized state over the return of his one-of-a-kind engagement bracelet, one of Hindel’s parting gifts to Ford: the Prismatic Diamond Ring!

Distracted by the colorful sight of the hoof ring, Ford almost fails to notice that Rainbow Dash is rousing from her own slumber. Frantically, he closes the ring’s box and hides it underneath his pillow before he resumes his previous sleeping position just so his eye level matches that with hers. After she briefly opens her eyes, they are shot wide open once she sees the bright, welcoming smile of her coltfriend. Gradually, her awakened eyes lessen into a softer expression as her lazy smile mirrors that with Ford’s.

“Hey.” he greets her simply.

“Hey.”

“How long was I out?”

“About a day. So how do you feel right now?”

“Honestly, it’s the best sleep I ever had in a long time!” he answers joyfully as he gives his back and forelegs a nice morning stretch. Then, he pulls Rainbow Dash closely as he adds with a giggling smile, “Of course, it’s even better when I have my favorite cuddle buddy to snuggle up to!”

Despite flustering from having to endure the sappiest of her lover, she lets it slide as she openly embraces the over-abundance of cuteness while rubbing her smiling muzzle into Ford’s fuzzy coat. He smiles greatly over the adorableness from the way his marefriend nuzzles his chest as it’s been so long since they get to unwind like this.

Once they settle down with their forelegs wrapped around each other, Ford asks her, “By the way, where’s everypony else?”

“They’re probably having some breakfast right now. While you were sleeping, we spent some time yesterday tending to the wounded and patching up Canterlot.”

“Sorry if I missed out on anything.”

“Nah, don’t sweat about it. In fact, Pinkie Pie vowed to hold off of all her planned parties until you finally wake up.”

“That’s… quite commendable of her.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t believe the list of parties she has in mind! There’s the ‘Ford-Is-Awake’ party, the ‘We-Just-Kicked-Arrogon’s-Flank’ party, the ‘We-Saved-the-World’ party, and of course, we can’t celebrate your new Cutie Mark without your very own Cuteceñera!"

“Please tell me that all these parties aren’t all wrapped into one!” he cringes on that thought. “Because no offense to Pinkie, but I'm not fully recovered yet for something like that!”

“I’m sure we can work something out with her.” she rests his worries with a casual, chuckling smile.

“Ah, good!” he sighs with relief as he reclines back on his side of the queen size bed.

As Rainbow gets cozy while laying her head on Ford’s chest, he puts his right fore hoof behind his head while his other foreleg wraps around her wings and shoulders. With his right fore hoof slightly underneath his pillow, he can feel the jewelry box’s surface he tucked away earlier and realizes that now would be a good time to pop the ultimate question to her.

“Hey, Dashie?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember on what I wanted to tell you once all this is over?”

After Rainbow answers with a silent nod, Ford continues with slight nervousness creeping up on him, “Well… it’s something I’ve been meaning to ask of you since the night of our anniversary. You know, before we were thrown into this mess.”

She takes a moment to think back on their uncompleted anniversary date and remembered that there was something Ford wanted to ask her originally. As she ponders on what that question could be, a certain possibility comes to mind as it leaves her thunderstruck while she blushes like mad. Something she should have seen since their night together out in the open fields from where they first met.

But before she can confirm this, Ford grasps her fore hooves with his and looks into her stunned, magenta eyes as he carries on tenderly, “Rainbow, I can’t tell you on how much you mean to me right now! I mean, I always love you, but after all of this, I just can’t imagine my life without you! Which is why I want to ask you this one important question that I’ve been holding on to for so long!”

With uncontainable excitement over what’s to come, she hastily urges him, “Well go on, ask me away!”

“Rainbow Dash… will you--?”

“HEY EVERYPONY! FORD’S AWAKE! FORD’S AWAKE!”

DAMMIT! the two Pegasi curse simultaneously to themselves before they sharply turn to their attention to the source of their untimely interruption.

Standing in the doorway is the pink, overjoyed mare responsible for that high-pitched shriek, Pinkie Pie. And eventually, all of their friends crowd and enter the room as they surround the flustered couple, including the rest of the Elements of Harmony, Spike, Big Macintosh, Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, Gilda, Chrysalis, Cadance, Shining Armor, Celestia, Luna, and Discord.

“Aww, would you look at that!” Gilda teases the Pegasus couple with a cheeky grin. “Just as soon as he wakes up, you two turtledoves are already getting cozy in your own little love nest!”

Embarrassed from being gawked at by others, especially those who chuckle alongside with Gilda, Rainbow blushes heavily as she retorts to her griffon friend, “Sh-shut up Gilda!”

“Oh, are we interrupting something?” Fluttershy says meekly. “I’m sorry.”

“If that’s the case, mind if I join you two?” Queen Chrysalis inquires while displaying a tempting, hungry smile. “I haven’t had a chance to indulge myself since our first time together, Ford!” As the teasing changeling licks her chaps, Rainbow looks at the discomforting Mustang with a deadpan stare as she expects a good answer from him.

Frantically, Ford restates what the queen meant by that to his cross-examining marefriend, “Emotional love! She’s talking about emotional love! I swear!” Satisfied on Ford’s honesty and uneasiness, Rainbow reassures him by breaking into a giggling smile before she nestles his neck softly.

“What? Was our love not good enough for you, Chrysalis?” Princess Cadance kids.

“Eh, your love’s kind of stale compared to theirs.” The rival matriarch shrugs with a playful grin.

As Cadance rolls her eyes, her husband expresses his bewilderment, “I’m not sure if that was supposed to be a compliment or an insult.”

“Well anyway, we’re just thankful to see that you’re alive and well, darling.” Rarity states to Ford with a comforting smile.

“And you’re just in time for breakfast too!” Applejack adds. “Pinkie Pie here just came by to see if RD wants anything to eat from us!”

Excited as always, Pinkie Pie jumps on the bed as she bounces repeatedly while she says to everyone present, “Yeah! And now that Ford’s wide awake, we can turn this into a ‘Ford-Is-Awake-So-Let’s-Have-A-Big-Extravagant-Breakfast’ party!”

Suddenly, a very loud rumble is heard within the room as the company perplexes on where that growling noise came from. But soon enough, they turn their attention to Ford as he blushes greatly while looking down at his immensely grumbling stomach.

Sheepishly, he accepts Pinkie’s first of many invitations to come, “When you put it like that, I could really go for a big, hearty breakfast right about now.”

Happily, Pinkie jumps off the bed as she springs out of the door. “Great! I’ll go ahead and get the kitchen staff ready! See you guys in a bit!”

Hesitantly, Ford asks for something else before he gets out of bed, “Actually… if it’s alright with Celestia, Luna, & Discord, I would like to talk with them first before I head out.”

Puzzled by this request, everyone looks at Celestia, Luna, and Discord while the almighty trio look at each other in silent consideration. Speaking for all three of them, Princess Celestia addresses their answer to the small crowd, “Of course you may, Ford. We’ll see you all shortly.”

“Okay then.” Twilight Sprinkle agrees. “We’ll go on ahead and get breakfast ready.”

Following Twilight’s lead, they leave the room one-by-one. Unwillingly, Rainbow looks into Ford’s turquoise eyes as she hopes to stay beside him as well as to wait on him for that highly anticipated question of his.

With a soft smile, Ford says to her with a wink, “Don’t worry, I won’t take longer. Just be sure to save a seat for me, okay?”

With Rainbow almost reluctant to leave, Gilda helps her out of bed by egging her competiveness with a playful nudge from her elbow, “Come on, Dash! I’ll race you to the dining room!”

Predictably, Rainbow accepts the challenge as she response with a bold grin, “You’re on, Gilda!”

At once, Rainbow and Gilda race down the hallways as the emptier bedroom is now reduced to four. Silently, they wait a little bit longer to make sure that everyone else has left for sure before Ford is ready to discuss with the three Equestrian entities.

“Well now, what would you like to talk about?” Celestia inquires sweetly.

“Well first off, I want to thank you for securing this ring for me.” Ford answers with a gratifying smile as he pulls out the engagement hoof-ring underneath his pillow. “I never thought I would ever see this again!”

“Actually, you should thank my sister here.” the older sister points it out to Princess Luna next to her. “She was the one who found it in the first place.” In confirmation with her sister’s response, Princess Luna nods with a humble smile.

Surprised by this fact, Mustang asks Princess Luna, “How did manage find it anyway?”

“When I was visiting Ponyville to help out in anyway I can, I spotted that box sitting out in the open fields.” Luna answers with a hint of pride to her deed. “With my own powers, I could visually see the memories attached to your engagement bracelet and sought to bring this right back to you.”

“Thank you, Princess Luna!”

“Ahem! Uh, what about me?” Discord harrumphs as he expects his share of gratitude. “I was the one who managed to sneak this in without disturbing anyone!”

With a chuckling grin and a roll of his eyes, Ford addresses to the trickster, “Yes, you’re right! Thank you as well, Discord!”

“I suppose there is something else you want to discuss with us?” Celestia asks Ford with an all-knowing grin.

“Yes there is. I just want to clarify that because of me, I managed to save Equestria.”

“Yes of course, and we are truly grateful for what you have done for all of us and all of Equestria.” Celestia states as she and her colleagues express their appreciation by bowing lightly before Ford.

“So if it weren’t for me, all three of you would still be trapped in Arrogon’s amulet, am I right?” Ford inquires with a raised eyebrow.

Giving it some thought, Luna answers uneasily, “Yes, I suppose that would be true.”

“Which is fair to say that each of you owes me a favor, correct?” Ford adds as his devious grin widens on this inquiry.

“Oh, I can see where this is going!” Discord exclaims with a bored expression as he finally understands Ford’s intention. “Okay, so what’s it going to be? A national holiday named after you?”

As if on cue, a purple shirt magically appears out of nowhere as it attaches itself on to the startled Mustang. On the shirt, it says in bold, yellow letters: “Happy Ford Mustang Day!” It even features a cute picture of Ford’s Cutie Mark with its iconic dragon smiling and winking.

“Having your very own kingdom?”

Next up, a golden scepter flashes in Ford’s left fore hoof, which has a replica of his head on top. Along with that, a purple cloak with fuzzy lining wraps around his shoulders and a tacky crown resting on top of his head.

“Or becoming an all-powerful Alicorn? That’s always a popular trend to consider!” Discord smirks all-knowingly as he displays one last item with a snap of his magic fingers.

After a flash of light, the latest fashion accessory appears on Ford’s forehead. Using his shiny scepter, he gets a better look of himself through its reflection. Plastered to his head is a horn just like a Unicorn’s. Only, instead of a real thing, it’s just a poorly rendered copy of a horn made out of cheap, colored paper and a piece of string wrapped underneath his chin. Unamused by this, Ford frowns at his unnecessary attire.

“None of that sort!” Ford restates himself as he aggravatingly casts his needless clothes and accessories aside. “Just help me coordinate this one thing for me, and I’ll consider us even!”

“And what do you have in mind for us exactly?” Celestia smiles broadly even though she has a pretty good idea on what Ford has in store for them.

With a grin reminiscent to his dragon master, Ford answers simply, “…To help me finish what I’ve started!”

Author's Note

Not much to say regarding with this chapter. Just want to give my thanks for those who've been very patience with the previous two chapters I worked on for nearly two months! I also want to thank those who showed their appreciation and support through their comments! Hopefully, I'll update this story with a new chapter on a weekly basis.