Snakeasaur Saga - The Quest For Harmony

by TyrakatheDragonFan

Rating: mature
Tags: Comedy, Random, Adventure, Crossover, Drama, Alternate Universe
Length: 92220

In the magical world of Equestria, Twilight and her friends are the first to witness the arrival of the elements' new bearer, and the beginning of the Age of Fire. All Hail Jendovahzoor

In the magical land of Equestria, following the events of Discord's chaotic attack upon the land, Twilight Sparkle and her friends become the first to witness the beginning of a new era: For far too long, the natural order of this world has suffered under the arrogance, greed, and stupidity of its mortal caretakers or evil individuals. Too long have the elements of harmony been made a mockery by their bearers, constantly sweeping their problems under the rug until they have no other choice, and often at the expense of those ponykind view lesser than themselves. And too long have the unspeakable deeds of evil and injustice gone unpunished by a bleeding-hearted ruler and her cowardly subjects, thanks to their petty beliefs in the 'magic of friendship'.

Well, that ends now.

A new champion has been chosen, brought forth from the birth world of the mighty dovah. One truly worthy to wield the power of the tree. Through his arrival Equestria has entered a new age; an age where the corruption and imbalance of this world, caused either by chaos or ponies themselves, will be cleansed in Dragonfire and reformed anew in the image of his world. The so-called magic of friendship will no longer be enough; Twilight and her friends will need to put aside all that they have known, and join in the adventure to reshape their world and future, or they will burn.

The Age of Fire has begun.

All hail Jendovahzoor.
-
Rated Mature for: Intense Fantasy/Creature Violence/Gore, Language, Frightening Scenes, and Possible Sexual Content. Spyro x Twilight/Spyro x Harem.
-
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic © Hasbro
Spyro the Dragon (Original Series) © Universal Studios
Legend of Spyro (Legend Series) © Krome Studios
Skylanders (Skylander Series) © Activison/Toys for Bob
The Little Mermaid © Walt Disney Pictures
The Elder Scrolls series © Bethesda Game Studios
Spore/Spore: Galactic Adventures © Maxis/Electronic Arts
Snakeasaur Saga and all original characters/creatures © Tyraka628 (me!)

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-10-01 21:52:59 UTC

A Real Dragon Quest - Part 2

CHAPTER II: A Real Dragon Quest - Part 2

"But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them." ― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea

For a brief moment, Twilight found herself unable to speak, even as she craned her head upward at the sight before her in speechless awe; her mind and heart were a jumbled mess of thoughts and emotions alike. Just seconds ago she had been cursed and kicked out by her friend for causing their misfortune, and now she stood before what was the very definition of sheer primal strength and power. The other-worldly dragon, which had referred to itself as Spyro/Jendovahzoor, stood before her in silent patience, waiting for her to make the first move, his glowing eyes of calm ferocity and ancient experience looking down upon her with amusement.

On the other side of the spectrum, Jendovahzoor watched with a reptilian smirk as the small, wide-eyed unicorn continued to flap her mouth open and shut like a gasping fish, the only sound coming from it being quiet squeaks. If he were a mortal, he would've found the sight of the silly little mammal to be endearing and, as mortals put it, 'adorable'...but he wasn't a mortal; even though he was capable of feeling such things, he knew better than to indulge in them.

Still, it was very amusing.

"...wha...I...y...meh...bleh..."

His amusement soon turned to annoyance, once it become clear that she wasn't going to respond anytime soon; his presence alone had broken her brain...he could only imagine what his power would do. He growled, allowing a bit of his power to leak back into his voice, returning it to it's previous supernatural tone.

"Stop that."

Twilight squeaked, jumping a bit as she closed her mouth with a snap.

"Are you done pretending to be a dying fish?" He asked, still keeping his draconic voice; she nodded silently as she cowered in place, her ears flattening back against her head. "Good..." His voice shifted back as he lowered his head down to her level, stopping no more than a few inches from her face. "...then perhaps we can both get some answers."

It took all of Twilight willpower to fight against the shaking in her legs as his head slowly hovered just in front of hers, and even then she was still trembling with...fear? Was it fear she felt...no...she wasn't afraid. Excited? Yes. Nervous? Definitely...but Frightened?

No.

For some strange reason, she didn't feel any fear toward the dragon before her. It was similar to how she felt around Princess Celestia: Nervous, yet trusting. The sun alicorn was powerful enough to crush her underhoof without a second thought, but Twilight knew that she would never do such a thing to her, and therefore, other than the usual nervousness whenever taking a test or friendship report, she was perfectly comfortable in her presence. It was almost the same with this dragon. She was nervous as heck in his presence, but at the same time, as she stared into the reptilian eyes that had seen other worlds entirely, she felt...safe.

She wasn't afraid of him.

Most likely because she knew that, if he wanted her dead, then she would've been long ago.

Despite no fear, she still shivered as she felt the dragon's scaly snout gently yet roughly push against her forehead as he sniffed her mane, taking in her scent; she bit her lip, fighting to keep as still as she could, as the hot air blasting from his nostrils threaten to sear the tips of her ears; a deep, rumbling purr of thought drummed up from his throat and vibrated through their contact, nearly rattling Twilight's brain...yet she felt strangely content with the physical contact.

"Who are you?" She asked...again; she blushed a bit when she realized this, though she kept calm as the beast continued to nuzzle her in curiosity. "I-I mean, what k-kind of dragon are you...and w-why are you here?" She watched her tone, making sure it didn't sound rude, despite her confusion.

The purple dragon retreated back a bit, lifting his head back up and spreading his wings slightly, making him appear even bigger than he already was. "My name, as I've said before, is Jendovahzoor, though the mortals of my home realms know me as Spyro." He told her again. "...as for why I am here, I was expecting you to answer that."

"M-Me? Why would I-"

"Weren't you and yours the ones who summoned me here to begin?" 'Spyro' asked, turning to the side and moving around the unicorn, slinking toward and hopping up onto the platform where Nightmare Moon had stood before Twilight all those years ago. Twilight shook her head, unable to speak through her confusion, earning a disappointed, gurgling huff from the beast of fire. "Figures...though you're all obviously here on my account; why else would you come to these ruins right after witnessing the MiiraadziemSovaarre?"

Twilight blanched a bit as he moved past her, confused by the alien word. "Mar-..Mi...Miiraadi...I'm sorry, what was that last one again?" She asked sheepishly, stumbling over her own hooves to turn around to face him again.

"The MiiraadziemSovaarre, or the 'Doorway Through Realms' in your tongue," He told her, turning back around on the platform and standing before her like some great dragon god, Luna's moon illuminating his scales like stars. "The portal that opened above these ruins, and no doubt alerted you to my arrival. The MiiraadziemSovaarre is how we Dov access and travel through the different realms, either through gateways carved in enchanted stone or by powerful portal spells conjured out of a great magical force, the latter of which being what you witnessed recently."

Twilight blinked; the idea that dragons traveled through worlds willingly seemed far-fetched at first thought...but when she realized it, it actually made a lot more sense, as well as answered a few questions. "T-That does make sense, because there are dragons in this world as well," She told him, relaxing a bit as her desire to share knowledge took hold. "I even have one as an assistant. His name is Spike, and-"

"No, you don't."

She stopped when she heard his voice revert back to a draconic growl; that dormant volcano had reignited and was bordering on a small eruption, just daring her to say something that would set him off. His face was twisted into a dark glare of calm anger, his teeth slightly bared and glistening in the moonlight, but the fire in his eyes were burning even brighter as they looked down at her with disgust and offense.

Now she realized why Zecora had been so hysterical.

"I knew the moment you called me a 'dragon' that your kind knows of ours, despite the evidence saying otherwise, but don't even think for a moment that the 'dragons' of your world are even comparable to true *Dov,"* He snarled with a deep, rumbling growl of anger and hate, just ready to erupt into a roar; to think that this little...rodent...even dared to compare her disgraceful 'lizards' to his kind! How dare she! "If this pathetic salamander *willingly serves a mortal like you, then he has long given up the right to be called a Dovah."*

Now it was her turn to be offended. "Now wait just a minute!" She snapped, jabbing a hoof at him; she didn't care if he was Tirek himself: no one spoke of her assistant like that. "First off, don't talk about Spike that way! Secondly, He's just a baby dragon...or Dovah...whatever you call it! It's not his fault he's not like you! He's not even the same kind as you! In fact, you're not even from this world, so who are you to say what our dragons should be like?!"

Spyro was, admittedly, impressed by this mortal's fire, but far be it from him to be outdone by a mere beast of burden, magical or no.

"Watch your tongue, horse. You have no idea *who you're talking to."* He hissed, teeth bared, tail swishing to the side irritably; Twilight flinched at the sight, what bravo she felt extinguishing like a match flame. Once she cowered, he stopped snarling, though his glare remained. "As for judgement: all Dov were born from the mighty Vidovahrah, and my kind are directly descended from and retain the might of our ancestors; any kind of 'dragon' that cannot match my kind have lost their connections to our ancestry and the right to even be called *Dovah."*

"...It's still not Spike's fault he's like that..." Twilight murmured with a 'stern' pout, though something clicked in her head. Vidovahrah; where had she heard that word before...?

Spyro snorted animalistically as he rolled his eyes, not at all impressed with her rebuttal. "My, what a compelling argument..." He stated, voice heavy with sarcasm; Twilight pursed her lip in angry embarrassment, her face flushing, though it only served to make her look even more adorable. "...but we've gotten off topic." He approached Twilight in a serpentine manner, his long, lithe body and tail slinking across the room like a giant cat or lizard, wings grabbing the columns and piles of rubble as he moved along. "You knew I was coming some how; how, I don't know and frankly don't care. Right now I wish to know more about where I am: I've never been to this world, nor have I smelled one of your kind before." He stated, giving her a suspicious, side-ways glance. "Who are you, and what are you equines called, may I ask?"

Twilight's anger faded as he, once again, lowered his head down to her level, meeting her gaze; she felt a familiar shaky nervousness return to her legs as his flaming eyes bored into her own.

"T...Twilight..." She finally squeaked, huddling timidly on the floor. "M-My name is T-Twilight...and I-I'm a pony."

'Suvulaan...vostvon.' The purple dragon thought to himself; it was indeed fitting, giving her appearance. As they merely stared at each other in silence, he took the moment to, once again, study the confronting side, analyzing her body and mind for future purposes...whether it be as ally or enemy.

The name Twilight matched her perfectly, if names were given according to appearances in 'pony' culture. Her soft, silky fur (which was like that of a cat or hare, unlike a normal horse's tough, leathery hide) was a lightly-faded lavender-purple, much like the shades of purple during a sunset, while her mane and tail were a much darker shade of deep blue/purple, like the fall of night; running down both her mane and tail were stripes of different color that ran alongside each one, one being a faded purple and the other being a bright magenta. She truly was colored like the twilight sky. Her body, while in decent shape and fitness, was not very muscular and strong at all; her form was lean yet not sculpted, and her fur and mane (though now a bit ruffled thanks to her trip down the hidden chute) was clean and well kept. Her mane and tail-hair were both styled to match each other with a trimmed, straight, 'orderly' look, suggesting a decently strong sense of organization and tidiness. Her horn was the same color as her fur, and curved just slightly upwards, while her tail was long and almost lion-like, tipped with the same style of hair as her mane, and her cloven deer-like hooves were a solid purple in color. Her eyes were also purple, though of a much sharper, clearer tone, and were full of intelligence and a longing to learn, if the wonder and confusion they held as they looked up to him were anything to judge by. And finally was the...marking...on her flanks, which matched each other symmetrically: It resembled a starry burst of magenta magic, if he had to guess, with numerous white sparkles surrounding it.

Conclusion: this 'pony' was a socially-awkward bookworm, one who was smart enough to keep herself fit enough to be healthy (and smart enough to show respect to a purple dovah), but preferred to spend her days inside a library reading books and studying things rather than going out and making a chaotic mess of her life. She was incredibly smart and knew just about everything you could read about, but didn't know a thing about interacting with others on a social level; her gentle and open yet respectful nature toward him (not counting the spat about her 'assistant'), and that she had come with a small group, suggested that she was the type that tried to be friendly and social, and had a few close friends, but often winded up making a dorky goofball of herself.

Intelligent yet friendly.

She was perfect.

Too perfect.

Of all the 'First Encounters' he had received in a while, this was by far the most fortunate. Last time he had been whisked away to another world, he had been dumped into the middle of an ocean, miles from any kind of shore; nothing he couldn't handle, but it was days before he had managed to drag himself out of the water and find a dovah-friendly race who could tell him what he needed to know. Compared to that, this was a real treat.

...though awful...convenient...

"How did you know I was coming?" He asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

For the first time since meeting him, Twilight was able to tear her gaze away from the dragon; she searched the floor around her until she spotted the book laying on the ground near her tattered saddlebags. Her horn lit up as she used her magic to grab the book, which floated to her and dropped free into her waiting hooves. She use her unicorn's tail as a makeshift duster, brushing away the dirt and dust from its cover.

She then held it up to look at it, and the symbols adorning its front; her friends together, under the protection of the dragon, who matched Spyro perfectly.

She smiled softly, a warmth blooming in her chest; the book was once again her beacon of hope. 'I never should've doubted you,' She thought fondly.

As she retrieved the book, Spyro's attention was drawn from her face to the glow of her horn. He could sense it: her inner magic that he had detected before, channeled out of her body through her horn, like a sorcerer's magic through his wand, manipulating the world around her as she willed. He expected this, though: not only had he sensed it before they had met, but Unicorns and magic were pretty much symbiotic in all the tales and songs that the mortals made of them.

"This book," Twilight suddenly said, holding it up for him to see. "It told me that a great, world-changing event was happening right now, and that my friends and I were all involved...and seeing how you're on the cover, I think that 'event' is you."

She was honestly not nervous at all this time as Spyro leaned down and lowered his head to where it was only a few feet from her hooves and the book in them, his eyes narrowing in deep thought as he studied the cover intently. The only sound he made was the deep, reptilian gurgling as he breathed naturally, his tail shifting from side to side like a great snake. His saurian face remained emotionless and neutral, but his eyes revealed both surprise and interest, studying the book to its-

"I've seen this symbol before..." Spyro finally said, lifting his right foreleg and pointing a claw toward the image of Twilight's cutie mark; he lowered his leg as he lifted his head back up, leaning to the side to look at her from an angle. "...it's the same symbol on your flank."

Twilight blinked. "What? Where?"

"On that crystal tree beneath these ruins." He told her, motioning with his head to the windows, mainly toward the canyon surrounding the plateau.

"Cr...Crystal Tree? What Crystal Tree?"

The dragon cocked an eye-ridge. "You don't know? It has your symbol on it."

"I-I wouldn't know! I've only been to these ruins once before, and then we were only there for a few hours!" She exclaimed.

He flicked a wing claw toward her tiara. "You should: It radiates with the same magical signature as the jewel in your tiara does."

"You mean my Element of Harmony?"

"Indeed...let me guess: The Element of Magic, perhaps?"

"Yeah, but- wait...H-How do you about the elements?"

"The tree showed me."

"The t-tree...showed you?"

"It showed you six 'bearers' were coming down the path in the forest; that's how I knew you were here to begin with. It can always tell where the wielders of its elements are or what they're doing."

"...bu...how...its elements?"

Spyro simply made a so-so gesture with his folded wings. "Of course; it was the one that created them after all." He stated.

An awkward silence filled the room.

Twilight just sat there, staring into space, through anything between her and the edge of the universe; Her face was blank, other than the weird, twisted, pursed-lip smile and wide-eye stare. Two thin streams of smoke were coming out of her ears, along the rather delicious smell of scrambled eggs. With a comic 'Boing!', her mane sprouted a couple dozen loose strands, adding the final touch to the 'Broken-de-Brain' look.

Spyro stared at her for a while, cocking his head in confusion...was she okay? He gingerly reached a wing out to her and, being as gentle as his draconic strength could be towards a mortal body, poked her forehead with the back of his finger claw.

She tipped backwards, collapsing to the floor with a comical 'thud', limbs splayed out in almost painful-looking positions.

He stared blankly at the broken pony, unsure of what to do next; he hoped there was a way to fix this...but hey, when you can shatter someone's very sense of logic and reality to the point their brains and bodies lock in place, then it's a good first day in a new world.

A thoughtful look crossed his face as he laid down across the platform like a big cat, resting his head on his forepaws as he watched the frozen pony, waiting for her to reboot, his own mind heavy with thought; huh...how long had it been since he had last been to a realm that he had not known of? Being the JenDovah and a Skylander at once meant traveling throughout the many Dragon/Dovah Realms and Skylands Islands was an almost daily event...but traveling to other worlds entirely? That was something that he didn't experience often, but hadn't unheard of.

How long had it been since there was a need too? The realms had been very peaceful of late, with only a few skirmishes scattered here and there; the last big thing to happen was when the imp-like sorcerer Kaos tried to 'Evilize' Skylands by poisoning Mt. Cloudbreak with Dark Crystals (which was also known as the 'Blood of Malefor'), an event that took place almost 10 years ago, and that Spyro himself, along with the Skylanders and other allies, had stopped.

Twilight was right: Spyro/Jendovahzoor was no ordinary dragon, even by his kind's standards. He was a rare and legendary breed of purple dovah that was born once every ten generations (and by dragon standards, that was a long time) known as the JenDovah, his namesake, which means 'Purple Dragon' in mortal tongue. The power of the JenDovah was the greatest of all dovahkind; whereas most Dov only had one of the numerous Dovahian Elements (Fire, Ice, Lightning, Water, Earth, Magic, etc), the JenDovah had power tenfold: not only were they able to master and wield all the elements at once, but they also possessed power that even most deities could not, including the power to bend reality and control time, just to name a bit.

And Spyro was no exception...though even he paled in comparison to his legendary, if not malevolent, successor.

The story of the purple dovah was one that started over 50,000 years ago, during the reign of the mighty Malefor, the first known purple dovah in history...and the worst; if Malefor had a dovahian name, he had long since abandoned it, for mere titles meant nothing to this god of a beast. He was considered by many to be the most powerful dragon in history, as well as the most monstrous; legends say that he was descended from the great Alduin himself, the most feared of the Great Wyvern Ancestors of Nirn, and was said to have inherited his father's dark power and evil ambition. Much like Alduin, Malefor sought to destroy the Dovah Realms and create it anew by 'cleansing' the worlds of all mortal life, whom he had deemed mere microbes fit for extermination. The monstrous Dovah was too powerful to be killed, though; it was only through the combined powers of the Dovahian Elements and Skyland Magic were the Dovah Guardians and Portal Masters able to seal him away in the Realm of Convexity, but not before most of their once-beautiful home was destroyed in his reign, which had lasted for over 10,000 years.

In the following eons after Malefor's banishment, the worlds of the dragons had recovered from his touch and most races completely forgot about the legends of purple dragons...but it was not to end there. About 1,000 years ago, up in the hills near one of the three ancient GevildomiiraakSkuldde (Castle of Portal Gates) of Alavar lived Grahahyolos (Battle's Flame) and Oblaansulfaad (Sunset's Warmth), two young dragons who were patiently awaiting the hatching of their first batch of eggs, though a bit worryingly. It is well known that most first-time clutches usually fail for most dovah; since it's the female's first time conceiving and laying eggs, her 'untrained' womb may fail to create or carry the first brood successfully. At best, only one or two eggs would hatch, and that was a rarity in itself...

...a rarity that was, thankfully, blessed upon this pair.

Out of a batch of seven eggs, one came through...though it was a strange one, even by dovah standards. Instead of the usual shell colors of red, yellow, blue, green, or white, this one had a purple shell. A shell that, like others, represented the dragon inside; after three long years of waiting, the purple egg hatched into a healthy young male dovah. The first purple dovah since Malefor himself.

As had been told before, most races had forgotten the stories of the purple dragons, though the dovah were not amongst them; Grahahyolos and Oblaansulfaad were well aware of the legend of Malefor, though they didn't think much of it. Dovah were not shallow and petty mortals where they would kill an innocent, defenseless hatchling out of blind fear of a similar monster. Grahahyolos was concerned at first, remembering the tales his own parents had told him when he was younger, but Oblaansulfaad reassured him and put his fears to rest; this was just a child, after all...her child, and she would defend him to the death. They were also a pair that lived far from the Dragon Realms, where they could raise their first batch in peace, far from the dangerous swords, teeth, and spells of their mortal enemies or rival dovah.

So, for the first few decades of his life, Jendovahzoor lived under the love and protection of his parents, living life just as a normal dragon would, completely unaware of his true power and destiny. His parents never told him the legend in full, but still showed pride in their son; in fact, his very name representing his heritage: 'Purple-Dragon-Legend'.

But his story was one to be told another time. Right now he had more important things to do in this new world than reflect on past memories.

But why was he summoned to this world? From the looks of this world, the worst that probably happen here would be a magical prankster breaking a few rules and earning himself a time out.

From within his stone prison in Canterlot, a certain spirit of chaos cursed his predicament: his nose had been turned to stone, and he had developed the desperate urge to sneeze.

Or was there something even bigger going on here? After all, he wasn't the one who had opened the MiiraadziemSovaarre...he glanced down at the mysterious book laying on the floor at a comatose Twilight's hooves, the image of him and the elements of harmony sending a strange vibe through his mind...

Hmmmmm...

He could wait for the moment; his home-world was safe and well guarded, and for some reason this strange new world and these elements needed him. At the least, there was an entire new realm full of new beings and magic for him to explore beyond these ruins...but first, to deal with his newest companion of the dusk.

The unicorn was still laying on her back, her face still locked in that psychotic grin; one hind leg was in the air, twitching slightly ever so often, while her...oh, please, foaming at the mouth now?

Spyro sighed mentally, his face set in a deadpan stare; this was the problem for being 'the brains of the outfit': you've got knowledge and know how for you and all your companions, but once that knowledge fails you, you don't have much left to work with. Either you panic or, like this girl...mare?...has, you just lock up.

Mortals...unbelievably frail...

He turned his attention to the side of the room, where the ruins of an indoor fountain stood carved into the wall, no doubt a former part of this castle's architecture; it's basin was full of stagnant rain water, which had probably collected during the storm caused by the MiiraadziemSovaarre.

His eyes lit up with a soft blue glow as he tapped into his Element of Water, his chest glowing through the crevices of his scales with a matching glow. The water in the basin rose into the air through his will and power in the form of a long tendril, weaving slightly in place like a dancing serpent...until he shot it forward and promptly dumped it over Twilight's head.

Twilight immediately snapped out of her funk when a torrent of ice-cold water struck her in the face, soaking her entire head and upper body to the bone. She quickly whipped herself upright, gasping for breath before coughing and spluttering the water from her mouth.

"Are you done pretending to be a dead fish?" Spyro asked, a touch of humor in his voice. Twilight pushed the wet mane out of her eyes to see him sitting there, looking down on her with a face of amusement.

"Y-Yeah, I'm f-fine." She muttered, shivering slightly from the cold. "Brrrrr..."

Spyro gave a cat-like purr of amusement, his face becoming a look of calm fondness; a surprising warm smile of fondness formed across his snout, his stance no longer possessing any suspicion or judgement. His very eyes seemed to just 'change', from the predatory stare of a scary reptilian creature to the friendly gaze of a fellow sapient being.

They filled Twilight with a warm, inviting feeling, and in turn, she managed a small smile of her own.

"So, what now?" Spyro asked, cocking his head slightly.

Twilight paused, realization hitting her hard; yeah...what now? "I...I'm not really sure, t-to be honest." She admitted, her horn glowing as she used her magic to dry out and smooth out her mane and fur, as well as gather her book and saddlebags, placing the former in the latter. "I guess the first thing I gotta do is find my friends and make sure they're okay, and then we'll-."

She paused when she noticed Spyro wasn't looking at her anymore; his smile was gone and his gaze was focused behind her, his eyes widen slightly and ears perked. It reminded her of how a cat or hawk would look when searching for the hidden prey...he was hearing something she didn't. She was about to ask what was wrong when she picked up the faintest voices echoing. She looked back toward the stairwell (the same one her friends came up when she first felt the spark all those years ago), where the voices were slowly getting stronger by the moment, along with the clopping of multiple sets of hooves.

"...ver do that again, I swear I'll beat you within an inch of-"

"Oh, shut yer trap! It's yer own fault for landin' on me ta begin with!"

"Well, you didn't have to go and insult my-"

Twilight's ears perked up. "AJ? Rarity! Are you guys okay?!" She called, cupping her forehooves to her mouth.

"Hey! What about me?!" Pinkie Pie's voice answered back.

"Twah'light?!" Applejack's voice called afterwards, and the clopping of hooves increased in speed. "Oh, thank Celestia! Are Rainbow and Fluttershy up there with ya?"

Twilight felt a twinge of sadness at the mention of the rainbow-maned pegasus. "No...we got separated a while back...but I found the creature!"

"What?! Hang in there, Twah! We're comin' ta save ya!" Applejack shouted back, her voice getting louder as they got closer.

"That was subtle..." Spyro deadpanned, not at all amused at being referred to as a 'creature'.

Twilight grinned sheepishly, blushing softly. "S-Sorry, just...give me a moment to explain things to my friends, please?" She asked; Spyro snorted in response, but stepped back into the shadows of the ruins, while Twilight approached the stairway entrance to meet her friends halfway.

Within seconds Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all raced up the steps, looking ready to kick some flank...and Twilight blanched at their appearances. All three ponies looked as if they had just dragged themselves out of a bar-room brawl; even Rarity's mane was wild, unkempt, and dirty, as were the other two ponies, all three with messy fur and scuffs all over their bodies.

"Twilight!" They all exclaimed at once (to which Spyro mentally gagged), all glomping her in a group hug. Twilight, while surprised and confused, felt her throat tighten in the sheer relief being back with her friends, and happily accepted the hug, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Hey, everypony." She whispered softly, earning another silent gag from the watching dragon. She then, a bit reluctantly, pulled away from the group, her face becoming one of question. "What happened to you girls?"

Applejack and Rarity fell silent, making a point not to look at each other, while Pinkie Pie decided to tell the story. "We had the biggest, most funnest game of dog-pile I ever played!" She said happily. "It started when we fell down the spooky chute and landed in the also-spooky hall of pony armor..."

The normally death-like stillness and silence of Armor Hall was broken by a quiet screaming...which grew louder and louder until Applejack came plummeting down from the chute above in the ceiling, crashing into the stone floor and making the ancient armor displays rattle from the impact. With a pained groan, she attempted to stand back up, only to have Rarity follow suit and come crashing down on top of her, flattening her against the floor.

"Oh! Well, of all the uncivilized...!" The snow-white unicorn scoffed. "I agree with Twilight when it comes to not charging in like a bunch of barbarians, but this is by far one of the most ungrateful aliens I've ever met!"

"...Ah can think of somepony else that's 'ungrateful'..." Applejack growled from underneath her.

Rarity glanced down before quickly hopping off, blushing with an embarrassed grin. "Terribly sorry, darling. I wasn't exactly expecting to fall down a hidden trap door, but I'm thankful that you broke my fall." She said, using her magic to pick up and dust off Applejack's fallen hat for her. Applejack merely huffed as she began to stand up...only to have Pinkie Pie come down upon her with a painful crash.

"OH, FER THE LOV-A APPLESAUCE!" The cowgirl roared in anger. "ANYPONY ELSE WANNA USE ME AS A LANDIN' PAD?!"

Pinkie Pie giggled. "Don't be silly, Applejack! Landing pads are for Airships!" She said cheerfully, bouncing playfully off of Applejack, who in turn quickly rolled out of the way just in case before picking herself up.

"Well, how do ya think it feels, havin' Rarity's thunderin' flanks crashing down on top-a me?" She asked, taking her hat and nearly slamming it down on her head.

Rarity recoiled as if she had been struck. "Wha...bu...y...THUNDERING FLANKS?!" She screamed, her face flushed with anger. "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I KEEP MY POSTERIOR IN PERFECT SHAPE AND FITNESS!

"Yeah; in the shape and fitness of a pumpkin." Applejack quipped smugly, tipping her hat coyly as she trotted down the hall, Pinkie Pie giggling hysterically as she followed close behind. "Seriously, Rare; ya could kill a drag'n with those monsters."

"MY FLANKS ARE THOSE COLTS WOULD KILL FOR!" Rarity shouted, galloping after them, face getting redder and redder by the moment.

Then Applejack hit home. "Colts would kill themselves in order ta escape from those giant marshmallows!" She called back.

"I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE!"

With a strangely elegant roar of rage, the fashionista threw herself at the farm pony, tackling her; the two ponies went rolling across the floor, batting at each other with their hooves and tearing at each others manes. Pinkie Pie shouted something along the lines of 'Dog Pile!' before diving into the tussle herself, dragging in most of the armor with her and creating a huge fight cloud.

"...and that's how Equestria was made!"

"Please tell me this is some sort of crude joke."

All tension or obliviousness between Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity instantly vanished when the thunderous growl thrummed through the room, silencing all arguments or conflict. Twilight briefly glanced about the room, looking for the source of the draconic growl that she was now comfortable with...but found nothing. For a creature the size of a small Canterlot manor, he was surprisingly stealthy, and good at staying hidden when he wanted to.

"...Twilight Sparkle. What. Was. That?" Rarity hissed between her teeth.

Twlight frowned a bit at the fashionista's rude choice of words. "He is the 'creature' we were looking for; his name is Jendovahzoor, or Spyro if you want."

"Nonononono, Twilight! That is not some creature!" Rarity nearly shrieked, whirling onto the lavender mare, making it clear that she was about to break into panic. "I know 'creatures': they're wild, but tame! They're dangerous, but easily chased off! Timberwolves and Manticores are creatures; that...that is-!"

"Right behind you."

If Rarity's face had even the tiniest hint of color to it, it vanished completely as the blood drained from it; Twilight glanced over the white unicorn to see Spyro's golden and lavender eyes glowing in the darkness, his barely-visible snout just inches from Rarity's back. The color from Applejack's face did fade as she paled, her wide eyes dilating in horror as she stared frozen yet trembling at the demonic balls of flame burning silently in the darkness. And Pinkie Pie...has seemed to have disappeared...what?

"Go ahead. Tell us: What *am I?"* Spyro growled as the frozen unicorn worked her head around to face him, the dragon's voice full of dark promise. When he spoke, the back of his inner mouth and throat glowed with the light of a fire, like a light at the end of a dark tunnel, silhouetting his long, dagger-like teeth; his chest was also glowing, through the crevices of his scales, as if a great fire was blazing deep within him, providing just enough light to reveal his size and a bit of his form hidden in the shadows. "I'd love to hear the opinion of a mortal like you...*"*

Rarity did no such thing; in an act of sheer survival instinct, her brain subconsciously locked her mouth shut, preventing her from speaking even if she wanted too.

"Wise move." The dragon hissed; the fire within his chest died down as he pulled his head back up to full height, allowing the mortals before him to realize his true size, even when hidden.

"W...what a-are ya...?" Applejack whispered, her trembling voice barely more than a squeak.

Spyro turned his gaze to the orange earth pony; his face was pretty much invisible in the shadows, but the way his glowing eyes shifted told Twilight he was cocking an eyebrow...or eye-ridge...at the earth pony. Spyro, on the other claw, was experiencing a flashback at the sight of the 'cowgirl' before him; a flashback involving Space Cows and dragonfly-barbequing farmers. "I could ask you the same question..." He asked, grabbing onto a nearby pillar with a wing claw to support himself as he lowered his head out of the darkness, revealing himself to the ponies before him. "...but I think you know the answer. Your friend did, after all."

Applejack blinked in surprise, her trembling stopping on a dime. "Yer...yer a drag'n?" She asked, greatly confused; the fear in her voice wasn't nearly as great as it had just been, but caution still laced her tone. "...but...but yer suppose ta be from another world. How-?"

"We 'Dragons', as you mortals call us, are as universal and widespread as the stars." Spyro told her, his head just a few feet from the group before him. "There isn't a realm in existence that has not, at one time, been visited and inhabited by us Dovah." Applejack opened her mouth again. "Dovah is our true name, if that's what you're about to ask." She shut it again, the faintest touch of red spreading across her cheeks.

With the rolling of her jaw, Rarity finally managed to work the feeling back in her mouth. "Twilight...dear...may we have a moment?" Her voice was full of sugary sweetness and posh, though the vice-like grip of her magic on Twilight's ear spoke otherwise.

Twilight squeaked as she was dragged away. "Yeah, uh-Ow! Give us a moment, please? Ow, ow..."

Spyro just sat there, staring in confusion, his face twisted and eyes full of the emotion. With a snort of exasperation, he simply slinked away from the middle of the room and back toward the throne platform...only to pause when he nearly stepped on a certain pink mammal...

Meanwhile, Twilight found herself dragged over to the opposite end of the room, where she was promptly dropped in front of Rarity and Applejack, who had her pretty much cornered against a broken support pillar's stump. "Twilight, sweetheart..." Rarity began sweetly, using her magic to quietly smooth her own hair and fur back down. "...I do trust that you know what you're doing, but I must ask, and pardon my rather crude language: what the buck is going on?!"

Twilight huffed, taking the moment to dust herself off with her own magic. "Well, since you asked so nicely..." She said with heavy sarcasm. "...Here's the quick version: Spyro is a special dragon that was summoned from his home realm by the Elements of Harmony for a reason that will change Equestria for all time and his arrival has been foretold by Celestia herself hundreds of years ago."

The looks she got in return were the ones she was expecting: blank stares of confusion.

*BOOM!*

The floor suddenly shook from an impact-created force, throwing the mares off balance and causing them to tumble to the floor. Twilight looked up in a panic, fearing the worst...only to do a double-take at the sight before her. Jendovahzoor, the dragon of otherworldly power and might, the being that existed on a level higher than maybe even Celestia herself (okay, maybe she was exaggerating at that point)...was laying spread out on his back like a large dog, legs curled up in the air and right hind leg kicking slightly, and purring a deep, rumbling thrum as Pinkie Pie sat on his stomach, scratching his scaly belly with her hooves.

"Awww, who's a scary alien dragon from another world? Yes you are! Yes you are!" The earth pony cooed, scratching even faster, making his hind leg kick just as quickly. "He's cute! Can we keep him?" She called to the others.

With a roll of her eyes, Twilight ignored Pinkie as she got up and used her magic to pull out the Dragon Book from her saddlebag, letting it drop into her hooves, which she then used to hold it out to the others, showing the cover of Spyro encircling the images of their Cutie Marks. "Perhaps this will clear things up." She told them, handing the book to Applejack. The farm mare looked at it oddly, but took it anyway, sitting up to read it while Rarity stood behind her, looking over her shoulder as they opened the book. They remained silent as they read, but their faces revealed all Twilight needed to know; the stern looks of concentration slowly fell, and in their place conflict, confusion, and even dread slowly formed.

"This...this can't be real." Rarity finally stammered.

Twilight sighed; she knew the feeling. "I know. I thought the same thing when I found it."

"...where did you find this?"

"Back behind the shelves of the library, which I know I cleaned out just the other day." The unicorn stated with a hint of frustration. "When I went back to get my saddlebags and pack for the trip here, I went ahead and ran a Decipher Spell over the library and the book just to be sure. Someone, and I think we all know who, planted that book there and cast a Concealment Spell on it to keep it completely undetectable until whenever the caster set the date to...and if my spell is correct, this book was placed there about 500 years ago, roughly the same time when the Golden Oaks Library was first carved into its tree."

"But...but that can't be..." Applejack finally said, tears of fear and confusion coming to her eyes. "That means...she...she knew..." The scared, desperate tone in the earth pony's voice cut at Twilight's heart. "This whole time... she knew...but how?"

Twilight put an arm around the orange mare's shoulders, her own eyes shimmering. "I don't know..." She whispered sadly. "...I really don't know."

Spyro glanced up from his position on the floor at the sound of Twilight's sad voice, now ignoring the pleasant scratching on his stomach; despite his relaxation under the pink mare's ministrations, his draconic ears had picked up the entire conversation...and what they had said had made it all even more interesting. Looks like encountering the perfect batch of companions was too convenient to be coincidence after all.

"They don't hear their elements anymore."

He glanced at the pink mare...Pinkie Pie, was it?...who (he disappointingly noticed) had stopped scratching. She was watching the others with a sad, almost motherly look on her face, like a mother who knew what a child's inner turmoil was, but couldn't say or do anything without making it worse. It was rather odd seeing her like that; for the first time since he saw her, she actually looked serious. He also noticed that her crazed mess of a mane wasn't as 'poofy' as before; as if just a little piece of the life had been sucked out of it.

"What do you mean?" He asked, cocking his head.

Pinkie Pie turned her gaze to him, and he almost recoiled in surprise; her eyes no longer held that youthful sparkle of childish innocence and joy that they held just a few seconds ago. Instead, they looked heavy and aged with the weight of reality, though not hollow and drained by it. They were the eyes that all people would eventually reach in their lives, and that he had seen plenty of times before; they were the eyes that had seen the cruel truth of the world around them, and came to accept it. Gone was the safe, beautiful realm of innocence that this world seemed to glow with, but there was still life and happiness to be found out there, even if the void of the past hurts just a bit every now and then.

"Our Elements; they speak to us...though not like normal ponies do." Pinkie Pie explained, her voice calm and comforting. "You can't hear them with your ears, but they still speak through your heart." She explained; she paused for a moment, giving a sad sigh. "Just a little while ago we were attacked by a big evil meanie-pants named Discord. He did many terrible things to us and our home, and tricked us into becoming bad versions of ourselves. I became really mean and grumpy, 'cause Discord made me think that the world is a mean, bullying place and people in it only laugh when laughing at you...and when we turned back to normal and beat that big meanie Discord, the world stayed changed; we all still saw the truth...and it hurt..." Tears came to her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. "...I thought I would never smile for real again."

Choking back her tears, she placed a hoof over the golden necklace resting on her collarbone, the bright-blue gem shaped like a balloon and flowing with power. The Element of Laughter, if Spyro had to guess.

"Then...then a few days later I remembered the real truth, when I saw some fillies playing in the park the other day...and I saw them laughing with real happiness, not at anything at all: yes, the world can mean and hateful sometimes, but that doesn't mean it is always. Yes, there are people who laugh at you, but they are also still those that laugh with you, or laugh because they're happy. My friends love and care about me, and even if we fight and say mean things sometimes, they will still love me, and making them smile is enough for me to smile myself."

She smiled softly at the dragon, her eyes once again full of that twinkle of joy; it was a real smile, regardless of its small size, one not full of arrogant blissfulness, but of true happiness. "I think my element told me that: in a world full of meanies and hurt, there's still reasons to smile; you just have to find them, and I found them in my friends...and I got my smile back."

Despite the silly and childish explanation and overall existence she gave off, Spyro felt a strong sense of respect for this young mortal. Being cheerful and happy all the time was something he usually disliked, and he found people who acted that way pathetic and disgusting; in his eyes, either they were too stupid to see the truth of reality, or they were so cowardly and desperate for the bliss of childhood they tried choking down their pain in arrogant defiance...but this mare knew, and she still smiled. Her happiness was not of simple idiocy or weak deseperation, but of acceptance and experience; it was something he could both appreciate and relate too.

He was going to like her.

Her smile faded as she turned her gaze back to her friends, and the dragon followed suit; the orange mare, Applejack, was openly weeping now, frightened and confused by all the chaos, her simple views of life no doubt ruined by all that had transpired over the weeks and this night; the message in the book had simply been the final straw that broke the camel's back. Twilight and the white unicorn, Rarity, were huddled around her in a comforting hug, both hugging or stroking Applejack, trying to soothe their sobbing friend; tears were beginning to silently run down Twilight's cheeks, and were forming in Rarity's eyes, but both remained silent.

"I found my smile again, but my friends haven't." Pinkie Pie said sadly, a longing tone filling her voice. "What happened with Discord hurt us all really badly, and we all learned things we wish we didn't: truth can be the most painful thing ever, the kindest of hearts can become cruel, greed can consume even the most generous, the strongest of loyalties can be broken...in all the chaos Discord threw at us, we all lost sight of our elements, even Twilight. They can't hear them anymore..."

It was at her words that Spyro noticed something about the Elements around their necks and on Twilight's head: each one of the gems on their elements seemed different than the one on the pink mare's. Whereas hers was bright, sharp in color, and full in life, theirs were dull...and faded, as if the very life and spirit had been sucked from them.

Poisoned by the darkness of this 'Discord'.

She looked down at her element. "I found mine again when I found laughter in all the sorrow, but they still haven't found theirs yet; they're scared, lost, and the pain of Discord's tricks won't go away until they do. I-I tried to tell them what they need to do to get them back, to show them how to be happy again, but they don't listen...you..." She turned back to the dragon, hope filling her eyes and voice. "...that's why you're here, isn't it? To help us find all our smiles!" She leaned forward pleadingly. "You can help us find them."

Spyro remained silent for a while, staring at her with a conflicted look, and then he closed his eyes; twin streams of smoke shot from his nostrils in a stern, disappointed sigh.

"I don't know why I was summoned here, but I know it's not to help you ponies find inner peace." He stated flatly, shifting himself around and using his right fore-claw to push the pony off of him; Pinkie Pie slid off his stomach and back onto the ground as he rolled over and stood back up on all fours. "I am a warrior, not a light-bringer; you regaining happiness is not my duty nor my concern." He stated, turning away from the group and heading toward the platform, tail slithering behind him.

"Then why are you here?"

The dragon paused, turning his head slightly to glance back. It was not Pinkie Pie that had spoken, but the white unicorn, Rarity; that posh, sophisticated accent both grated on Spyro's ears and called to something within him. He detested the upper-class mortals of the civilized world...and yet it reminded him of home. The three mares that had been crying and huddling to themselves were now watching him, the streaks of tears matting the fur under their eyes, looking to him for the answers they needed.

"If you are so certain of what your duty is, then tell us why is all this happening." The unicorn continued; her voice was bold, yet cautious...and pleading. "Our homes were nearly destroyed, and many of us got hurt in the process; our lives are being turned upside down, and if Twilight's book is right, then it's only going to get worse, and you're the only one who can fix it. You must know something about what's going on. Please..."

Spyro stared at her in silent thought for what felt like an eternity to the mares before him, before he simply huffed in defiance.

"You *tell me."* He stated simply, his voice taking on a primordial growl. "Your *elements summoned me here."* He then climbed back up onto the platform, turning himself around and sitting down on it couchant-style, facing the ponies before him. The position reminded Twilight of the lion statues posed in front of the Canterlot Natural History Museum: head held up high, wings folded and legs tucked against his sides, and long tail coiled around the base of his makeshift throne; the moonlight shone off his scales once more, adding an almost majestic aura to the great beast.

**"But how I was brought to this world and why this is all happening is, at the moment, unimportant; I'm here as some sort of life-changing event for your world, and it involves all of us as a whole, if the book is anything to judge by..." He leaned to the right and rested his chin against the knuckles of his lifted right claw, resting his head of his elbow-rooted arm while narrowing his eyes at the mares. "...so stop whimpering in the dark like frightened infants and let's get this party started, shall we?"

Pinkie Pie suddenly gasped in amazement, bouncing off the ground with a sudden 'poof' of energy. "And he starts parties?! Best Alien Dragon EVER!" She cheered in excitement. Spyro, for his credit, didn't blanch in surprise at her sudden flip between moods; what just happened to the mare he saw mere second ago...? Note to self: keep a close eye on the pink normal-looking pony.

"He's right." Twilight told the others as she stood up. "We all have questions, yes, but we can save them for later. Right now, we better just settle for getting our homes fixed and our town back to normal..." She helped Applejack to her feet, using her magic to help clean up her and Rarity, before taking the farm mare by the hoof and leading her toward the dragon. "...and we can start by getting to know one another better."

Applejack instinctively put on the brakes, her fearful eyes locked onto Spyro's narrowed ones. "T-Twah, I-I-I-I can't-...h-he-...I-I-"

"Hey, hey, shhhhhh...calm down...it's okay..." Twilight whispered to the farm-mare, giving her hoof a reassuring pat. "...he's here to help us. Girls, this is Spyro." She then turned to the dragon in question. "Spyro, these are my friends: Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie."

"Hiyas!"

"H...H-Howdy..."

"Yes, uhmm...charmed, Mr...uh...Spyro."

Spyro, however, remained silent, staring down at the mortal being before him, his tail flopping up and down on the ground in a lazy manner; his eyes were narrowed in thought, his mind having entered analytical mode again. So, these were to be his new allies...well, let's see what made them up, and how to use that to his advantage.

The first was Pinkie Pie, the pink normal-looking pony: It was painfully clear why she's called 'Pinkie Pie'; every inch of her bouncy, energy filled body was a shade of pink in color. Her fur, which (unlike Twilight smooth silkiness) was more of a poofy, almost-feathery texture, and was a bright baby-pink in color, while her mane and tail were both a darker tone, almost magenta. Neither her body nor her mane/tail had any special stripes or colors to it; just solid plain pink, which stood out almost blindingly amongst the dreary ruins around them. Her body was by no means strong and sturdy like her orange counterpart; quite the opposite, in fact. She could only be described as bouncy and squishy, and was a bit rounder in the gut than the other ponies (no doubt a result of numerous sweets and pastries, if the scent of sugar was anything to judge by); she wasn't greatly overweight, just a tiny bit and nicely spread out, to where she was 'pleasantly tubby'. Her mane and tail were both an untame-ible mess of crazy natural curls, and could only be literally described as a mix between cotton-candy and a coiffure's worst nightmare, as if charged with her near-insane cheerfulness; Spyro doubted she was capable of brushing it down even if she wanted too. Her hooves were solid and single, like the hooves of a normal horse, and the same color as her mane, and as well as fur, she also had a layer of smooth feathery down covering her chest, shoulders, back, and flanks (perhaps the result of pegasi ancestry?), making her seem even poofier. Her eyes were possibly the brightest baby-blue he had ever seen, and seemed to sparkle with unlimited happiness, energy, and excitement, which was backed up by the symbol of her flanks: a trio of party balloons, the middle one yellow and the others blue.

Conclusion: This pony was a fun-loving party animal, and could find entertainment in just about anything. She had an boundless amount of energy and enthusiasm, which was by no means tampered by expectations, if her reactions to him were anything to judge by; she was the type that loved to just have fun doing just about anything, if only for the sake of having fun and being with her companions, and got along with everyone she knew. Downside of all this was most likely an inability to know when to stop and taking it too far, or the inability to see the situation past her own child-like fantasy; Spyro doubted she was even truly aware of the situation she and her companions were in...though that side he had seen before suggested something deeper...

Then he turned his gaze to 'Applejack', the other 'normal' mare, who shied slightly under his glowing gaze; apart from the marks on her flanks, how did she ever come around to being called something of Apples? Her fur was a bright orange in color, and showed the life of a hard worker; while not filthy, it was slightly rough and dusty in texture, most likely the result of working out in a field most of her life. Her sandy-blonde mane and tail were both long and unkempt, the former covering her head in a shaggy 'cowgirl' look while growing back almost all the way down to her hooves; it was the hair of a mare who had never been to a barber shop, and the only thing keeping them from going haywire being the matching red bands tied off at the ends of her mane and tail, turning them into long ponytails. Her body was that of someone who's natural lifestyle was hard, outdoor work; while she still had the natural slimness and squishy-ness that all these ponies seem to have, Spyro could just make out some of the larger of the strong, rock-hard muscles lining her body and limbs. Her hooves were solid, like Pinkie's, and were a sandy-yellow in color, coarse and rough from hard work; covering her lower legs were 'socks' of long, white hair, the hair on the back nearly reaching the ground. White freckles peppered the sides of her face, adding to the 'outdoorsy' look, and her flank markings were of a trio of bright red apples. Her eyes were a faded apple-green in color, and while currently full of wariness toward him, also carried a down-to-earth humbleness, wisdom, and steadfastness...and finally, atop her mop of messy hair, sat a brown cowboy hat, old and worn away by both time and the elements, completing the classic cowboy/farmer image in the dragon's mind.

Conclusion: This one was, for lack of a better word, a 'cowgirl'. He had seen it plenty of times in his life, and thus recognized the signs whenever he saw it; the dirty fur, the strong body, the unkempt mane, the musky scent, the 'country accent'...she was a hard worker of the land, a toiler of the fields, and fed herself and her family with the fruits of her labors. She also most likely understood the value of hard, honest work and that therefore molded out an honest, if not stubborn and headstrong, personality..and her Element of Harmony, apparently. The fact that she was terrified of him, even after her friend's reassuring, revealed a down to earth wisdom; she knew he was a threat, and was wise enough to respect him for it, if only out of fear. Once she got past that, she'd make a likeable companion, though her courage could use a bit of work.

And finally his gaze came to rest on Rarity, the other unicorn...and almost immediately his snout wrinkled in disgust; it was almost impossible to detect her true bodily scent underneath the multiple odors of shampoo, perfume, hairspray, and other such accessories for artificial beauty. And he doubted she even needed them anyway: her silky, flawless coat was a beautiful pure snow-white in color, and had an almost crystalline quality to it. Her rich plum-purple mane and tail were both combed and styled down to the last hair, ending in long, bouncy curls that gave it a touch of stylish grace; unlike the orange farm mare, this girl spent a good deal of her time styling her mane and keeping herself as fresh and lovely as possible. Her body, while as slim and elegantly attractive as an equine could be, was by no means strong and sturdy like Applejack's; with the exception of Twilight, she was most likely the physically weakest of the four present. Her horn was the same color as her fur, but unlike Twilight's, it was perfectly straight, though she still had the long, lion-like tail and cloven deer-like hooves, the latter of which being the same color as her mane; she was the one who resembled the unicorns of old mythology the most. Her (false) eyelashes were long and curled elegantly, and her eyes were a darker shade of sapphire-blue, the eyelids colored with a light, sky-blue eye shadow. And finally, her cutie mark was a trio of bright-blue diamonds, which oddly seemed to glimmer like real jewels.

Conclusion: This pony was of the kind...that Spyro despised: a nobility whore. The exact opposite of Applejack. The elegant, snooty, upper-class hot-stuff that always strutted about in fancy dresses with their noses in the air, fattened by the work they stole from the 'commoners'; probably never worked a decent day in their life, always looking down upon the lesser privileged like dirt, which they screamed bloody murder over. He hated those types, and at first glance he knew he would come to hate this prissy slut just as much...until he realized what she was doing. The fact that she had come with the others into a feared (and mud-and-bug-filled) jungle right after a world-shaking cataclysm like the MiiraadziemSovaarre spoke otherwise...perhaps she was just a 'lady'; one who acted with elegance and grace out of simple etiquette, and not because she was privileged. One who would be willing to go against everything of her class for her companions. Rather...Generous. Okay, so maybe he wouldn't immediately judge her right away...but he would keep an eye on her until he knew for certain.

So, that covered Magic, Laughter, Honesty, and Generosity...that left only Kindness and Loyalty left: four down, two to go...the two pegasi...

As if on cue, he heard it coming: the whistling of wind, as if something was moving through the air at breakneck speeds. It started softly at first, but grew louder and louder until it-

He suddenly ducked so fast, that Twilight didn't even see him move, other than a blur of purple, gold, and orange; the very moment he moved, a blazing streak of rainbow shot through the air from the doorway, missing the dragon's head by mere milliseconds. Said rainbow streak continued through the air faster than the eye could follow until he braked to a grinding stop just inches from the far wall.

"GET AWAY FROM THEM!" Rainbow Dash roared as she whirled upon him, her eyes smoldering with anger.

Spyro, for his part, looked only slightly agitated, as if dealing with a ranting child. "Yes, yes, the whole 'Stay back, you Evil Monster' speech!" He spat; Twilight could tell from his reaction that he had put up with this more times than he cared to count. "Any other *petty mortal cliches you'd like to get off your chest while you're at it?"*

The cyan pegasus snarled in rage before bolting forth again, creating a mini sonic boom where she once stood, shooting straight toward the dragon with everything she had.

"RAINBOW, WAIT!" Twilight cried, just as Spyro's eyes began to glow purple...

Then it happened; something that Twilight, for all her knowledge and magic potential, could not explain or comprehend. One second Rainbow was streaking toward Spyro with the intent of breaking his skull in half, and then there was this...pulse of power bursting forth from the dragon; it wasn't magic, but more like a kind of 'energy'. It only happened for a snap of a second, and when it did the entire world around seemed to flex and blur...and then it blinked away, revealing the dragon in a completely different position: one second he was rolling away the approaching pegasus to the side, and another millisecond later, he was facing her, standing of all fours, and holding Pinkie Pie (who seemed to blink out of existence next to Twilight) in front of him by his wing hands, stretching her mouth open to impossible lengths, wide enough to...oh dear.

Rainbow Dash didn't even have time to shriek in alarm before she disappeared down the party pony's gaping throat. It was like a cartoon; Pinkie Pie's body suddenly stretched out like elastic by her tail, which had stretched out itself the shape of the speeding pony, before snapping backwards...only to have Spyro clamp Pinkie's mouth shut before then, trapping the pegasus inside and dropping the now bloated earth-pony to the floor.

The responses from Twilight and her friends were as expected:

Lots of horrified screaming.

The only one laughing was Pinkie Pie, though not out of the humor. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! S-S-Stop, D-D-Dashie! T-T-That t-t-tickles!" She gasped between guffaws, her legs kicking the air furiously as she hugged her bloated belly; muffled moans and squeals could be heard coming from within as it bulged and squirmed rapidly, the pony trapped inside struggling to escape.

Spyro couldn't stop the grin from curling his lips up; so, she was a Reality Bender after all...

"SHE ATE RAINBOW DASH!" Rarity screamed.

Spyro glanced back at her from the with a lop-sided stare. "Oh, calm yourself, unicorn." He stated simply, though the humor in his voice was evident. "Both of them are unharmed; be thankful your pink friend's power."

"SHE ATE RAINBOW DAAAASH!" She screamed again, ignoring the dragon's words, before collapsing back into a dead faint.

Spyro could only groan in annoyance.

"M-M-My m-mane!" Pinkie shrieked with giggles, rolling about on the floor as Rainbow Dash struggled harder, dragging them back and forth across the stone. "I-I-In m-my P-P-Pinkie S-Space! F-F-Find s-some s-s-soda!"

"Huh?" Spyro grunted animalistically, confused at first...until he caught on. "Ah." He reached a claw forth and stuff a few fingers into the pink mare's mane; for a moment Twilight though he was going to impale her head, until she saw the claws and whole fingers, which together were longer as a pony was tall and as thick as tree branches, disappeared into the pink fluff. The unicorn could only gape in disbelief as the dragon dug his fingers around, fishing about until he found and pulled out an entire liter of Coke-a-Clopa from Pinkie's hair, pinched between his claws. Pinkie, who was struggling to keep still as her entire stomach bulged out in numerous directions, quickly snatched the bottle from his hand with the end of her curly mane and, after popping off the lid by squeezing the bottle, promptly chugged the entire thing down in four large gulps, spitting the bottle away afterward. Her belly suddenly stopped moving, it's inhabitant no doubt surprised by the sudden dousing of fizzy, bubbling liquid pouring...oh...

Twilight (dragging a confused Applejack and Rarity with her) quickly took cover behind one of the fallen pillars as Pinkie's stomach suddenly began churning, a deep bubbling coming from within as it began to swell larger and larger. Spyro instinctively took a few steps back as the bubbling grew louder and louder until-

*BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRPPP!*

The resounding belch shook the entire room; Pinkie's mouth blasted open with the thunderous boom, erupting with a shower of spittle, soda fizz, and a half-drowned, sopping-wet, wide-eyed Rainbow Dash, who was sent tumbling across the floor like a technicolor, vomit-soaked tumbleweed.

For her own record, only one of Twilight's eyes began twitching.

Pinkie Pie sat up and licked around the inside of her mouth, her stomach once again back to normal size. "Hey, whadda'ya know? You do taste like Skittles, Dashie!" She giggled happily, completely unaffected by what had just happened.

The same could not be said for Rainbow Dash; the pegasus laid there on the floor, whimpering softly, curled up into a shivering slime-covered ball in a puddle of the earth pony's stomach fluids. What bravo and rage she had when she attacked had been completely extinguished, like a candle in the wind; her eyes were wide and disturbed, and her face was twisted into a horrified grimace, as if she had just witnessed her worst nightmare for real.

Spyro snorted in satisfaction, twin jets of smoke erupting from his nostrils as he did so; not so high-and-mighty now, are you, mortal?

He took the moment with her down to analyze her as well, either as a friend or foe. One look at her, and the choice for her name was painfully obvious: her smooth yet furry coat and feathery down were as cyan-blue as the sky, and her messy, unkempt mane and tail were every color of the rainbow; they were set in separate stripes, each lined up to match that of an actual rainbow, as if her mane and tail were their namesakes incarnated: her mane had red, orange, and yellow covering her head, with green, blue, and purple running down her neck to her shoulders, while her long tail was all six at once. Her body was fit and muscular like her orange earth companion, but much slimmer and streamlined, no doubt built for speed and agility. Her mane and tail backed up that theory: both were wild and wind-blown, as if lashed about by high-force winds, both now hanging downwards in a messy, almost tom-boyish look. Her most notable features were undoubtedly her feathered, bird-like wings, as they would be for most pegasi; they and their feathers were mostly cyan blue (and kept in very good shape and health, even for most bird-like creatures), but the primaries and secondaries on both wings were colored the same as her mane, red outside and going in accordingly. Her breast and shoulders were also larger and more developed to her than the other ponies, no doubt with the specialized breast-bones and muscles needed for powered flight; she also had a layer of smooth feathery down covering her chest, shoulders, back, and flanks. And finally, from her hips just above her normal pony tail, jutted out the tail structure and feathers needed to steer; they were colored in the same manner as her wings, the reds being on the ends and going inwards accordingly. Her hooves were solid, like the earth ponies', and colored a dark, sapphire blue. Her eyes were a ferocious magenta-red in color, and finally her cutie mark was that of a cloud blasting forth a bolt of multicolored rainbow lightning, completing the speedster look.

Conclusion: this mare was an athlete and a tomboy; an interesting (and familiar) combo. Unlike Applejack, whose strength came from her natural lifestyle, this one purposely forced herself fit through training and exercise, most likely to compete in sports or other such events (perhaps a flight team of sorts?) specializing in speed and flight. The fact that she had the nerve to charge and insult a full-grown dragon like him spoke leagues of her character: brash, cocky, arrogant, and certainly bad-tempered; clearly an ego-maniac. The type that dove head long into danger without thinking, confident they were 'great' enough to handle anything thrown their way, and always attacked first and asked questions later. If she felt that she could take on a living Jendovah all by herself, then she was certainly one of the biggest fools he had ever met...then again, perhaps it was out of the desire to keep her companions safe; that was something he could respect, even if it was fool-hardy. Like a dog, almost; blindly loyal to her companions...Loyal, indeed.

Such vitality...such spirit...

Spyro could only wonder just what all that bravo was hiding underneath.

Rainbow Dash groaned in pain and disgust, cradling her spinning head with her wings as she weakly rolled over onto her own stomach; now she knew what it must be like to be a pastry from SugarCube Corner. As she struggled to stand on her hooves, only to slip on the vomit and fall to her belly again, she swore to herself never to fly at high speeds anywhere near Pinkie Pie ever again.

She was pulled out of her thoughts and off the ground by her tail, leaving her to hang upside down by it; she looked 'up' over her belly to see the dragon looking down at her with amusement, his mouth clamped onto her rainbow-colored hair.

"Let me go, you big jerk!" She shouted, flailing about in a feeble attempt to hit him. "I'll beat you into a pulp! Let me go!"

Spyro, for his part, couldn't stop his lips from curling up into a saurian's grin, unable to take her insults seriously; this was unbelievably cute, watching her trying to be tough and brave. So tough and ferocious, yet so soft and squishy; it was like being threatened by a living teddy bear! Even her attacks were cute, poking him in the chin with her hooves...oh, right, sorry: kicking him in the jaw as hard as she could.

Pain shot through Rainbow's hind legs, causing her to cry out as she pulled them to herself, cradling them in agony as she swung back and forth. 'What the hay?!' She mentally shouted, hissing in a breath. 'I feel like I just kicked solid rock!' She then yelped in surprise when the dragon released her tail, only to let her drop in his awaiting claw, which grasped her firmly and held her up to his gaze. She squirmed violently, trying to wriggle free, but it was of no use; his grip was stronger than even the toughest Cloudsdalian Steel.

Spyro snorted. "Please. I've swatted flies that bite harder than you." He stated flatly, before his voice took on a fond tone. "Besides, I hardly find the threats of a stuffed animal worth while." He purred with a draconic growl, using a finger to gently pet her head.

She snarled angrily at the insult and touch, though her heavy blush killed the effect, her blue fur turning her face purple. "Hey! I'm not some toy! I'm one of the Elements of Harmony!"

"And that's suppose to be any better?" He asked, cocking an eye-ridge, his voice taking on a heavy sarcasm. "Congratulations; you're a bearer of one of the six magical jewelry pieces of friendship, peace, harmony, and rainbows. A truly awe-inspiring honor, believe you me."

The raging red adorning her face spread all the way to her ears, glowing even more so under the snickers and giggles coming from the other ponies below.

Twilight had to admit; when he put it that way, it did sound admittedly girly.

"Why do you dragons always have to be such jerks?" Rainbow Dash tried to growl, though it came out as more of a whine.

Spyro frowned. "You want to talk stereo-types..." He continued darkly as he set Rainbow Dash down amongst the other ponies, shifting back into an imposing stance. "...why are you mortals always so petty and shallow? I know exactly what you all were thinking the moment you saw me: big, terrifying dragon equals evil, bloodthirsty monster. I'm also willing to bet that if I was a small, endearing baby dragon like that 'Spike' of yours, you'd react differently to me, isn't that right?"

"Well, to be fair..." Rarity spoke up, a bit cautiously. "...you dragons do have a bit of a unpleasant reputation, or at least the dragons of our world do, and you are a lot scarier and more dangerous-looking than any dragon I've ever seen."

"The dragons of your realm are pathetic slugs that wouldn't know true strength if it ripped their tails off." Spyro growled flatly, resting his chin against his knuckles again. "There are nothing compared to true Dovah like myself."

"That just proves my point!" The pegasus snapped with a smug confidence. "What was I suppose to think when the spawn of Tirek himself was towering over my friends?!"

An almost deathly silence filled the ruins as the dragon simply stared at her in silence, his face set in an stern, predatory stare...until it turned into a glare of cruel amusement, a deep, primal chuckle rumbling from within his chest. "Friends...quite the change from the tune you were singing just moments ago."

His horns lit up with a sinister purple energy which resembled a combination of magic and electricity; the familiar vibration of power began to hum through Twilight's and Rarity's own horns again. With an electronic crackle a beam of the energy formed between his horns, forming out a bar similar to the scopes on electronic music equipment, like DJ-PON3's Turn Table...but the warbled voices that played forth was no tune to dance to.

"...You did this, didn't you? This...this is another one of your spells-gone-wrong, isn't it?! You read that book and caused that storm! You summoned that monster! Didn't you?!"

All bravo and smugness in Rainbow vanished immediately, replaced purely with horror. "I...how are you...I..."

"I...I...I don't know! I-I was just reading the b-book's first page and t-then the storm happened! I-I don't know if it did or not! And I didn't mean to if it did! I-I-I'm sorry!"

The look of sheer shame and sorrow on the cyan mare's face nearly broke Twilight's heart a second time.

"I don't care! I just don't! bucking! care! Our friends are in danger and our home is in ruins, all because of your stupid spell! Again! I've put up with you stupid ideas and freaky magic long enough! You wanna endanger our lives just so you can have a 'friendship report' to send to the princess? Then, buck you, Twilight Sparkle!"

"Buck! YOU!"

With a crack of thunder, the scope-like beam between his horns snapped, vanishing in a flash of purple, plunging the room once more into dark silence.

Spyro eyes seemed to glow even brighter with a primal malice. "Quite the different tune..."

The ponies, however, remained in shocked silence. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie could only stare in disbelief at their winged companion, unable to believe what they had just heard. Rainbow Dash herself huddled against the floor, struggling to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes, choking down her whimpers of shame. Twilight, however, stared at the pegasus with pity and concern; she knew the truth behind the mare's words...and even she, who had been on the lashing end of them, couldn't find it within herself to hate her for them.

"Rainbow..." Applejack finally whispered. "...why-?"

"I-I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash whimpered, struggling to keep from sobbing right then and there. "I-I-I didn't mean it. I was...it was all s-so confusing, and I-I..."

"Fear."

"What?"

The dragon got up and turned away from the group, making his way off his makeshift throne and toward one of the glowing crystal formations jutting out of the wall to the left of the platform. "You were scared, *and thus took it out on the one you believed to be responsible for your terror."*

Even when in guilt, Rainbow bristled with indignity. "I-I wasn't scared! I'm not scared! I was just...just...!"

"Don't bother denying it!" Spyro snarled angrily as he whirled upon them, his deep, primal growl of a voice thundering through the ruins; the glow of his eyes erupted into a blazing inferno, the flames licking all the way up to the base of his horns. The ponies recoiled in horror, scrambling away like panicking animals before huddling together for protection against the far wall. "My kind can smell fear when our prey feels it, and you REEK of the emotion!"

He briefly turned back to the growth of crystals before him, turning his gaze down to a smaller batch that glowed with an almost-fiery blood-red, and with a swipe of his wing, he grabbed and broke off the largest chunk with a loud 'CRACK!', said chunk being about the size of a full grown stallion. "At yet, you choke back your true feelings, no doubt in a desperate attempt to cling to the image of self-esteem you've made for yourself; even now, at your lowest, your blind sense of arrogant pride still *prevents you from admitting your fear, so you take it out on the assumed source in order to keep the feelings buried within."* He continued as he approached them, crystal in claw, his blazing eyes locked onto Rainbow's tearful ones. "It matters not whose heart you break or how many friendships you destroy, does it? So long as you and the world believes you to be strong and unbreakable...when in reality, you've broken what made you strong long ago."

He lowered his head to down to her eye-level, his snout only inches from Rainbow's fear-stricken face...and at that moment, his blazing eyes were the eyes of vengeance itself.

"You are right, mortal: I am a monster, as are all of my kind are by nature, more so than any of your kind will ever be...but at least I'm honest *about it."*

And with those final words, Rainbow Dash broke. She didn't cry. She didn't even sob. She outright bawled as she threw herself to the floor, tears pouring from her eyes. "I'm sorree-hee-heeeeee!" She wailed, covering her face with her hooves. "I didn't mean it! I...I didn't..." But it was no use; every excuse she tried to think of only ended up sounding worthless, for the words of the dragon had been burned into her mind. So instead, she simply curled up on the floor and sobbed away, consumed with guilt and sorrow.

Spyro's snorted animalistically in approval, twin streams of smoke shooting from his nostrils.

Underneath all that bravo, indeed...

"You in-pony beast!" Rarity shrieked angrily, her lovely face twisted with rage. "How could you do such a thing?!"

The saurian narrowed his eyes dangerously at the unicorn. "She brought my judgment upon herself." He snarled, his voice echoing with a dark power; he transferred the crystal from his wing-hand to his arm-hand, which he lifted to deposit the gem into his opened jaws, biting upon it in an animalistic manner. The familiar sounds of a dragon chewing gems reached Twilight's ears as his powerful jaws crushed the crystal, giving off a burst of red, magic-like energy from between his teeth before he swallowed, settling his body down on the ground before them. "You'd be wise *not to tempt the same."*

"Can't you see the poor filly is frightened beyond her wits?" She continued desperately, standing tall despite her fear. "Do you honestly think crushing her soul would make it any better?!"

As her fellow unicorn continued to berate the dragon, who merely rolled his eyes at her words, Twilight turned her attention to Rainbow Dash; the pegasus looked absolutely miserable, curled up into a ball of the floor, whimpering softly as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Applejack and Pinkie Pie sat on either side of her, the latter wrapping her in an one-armed hug in a futile attempt to console her.

It was foreboding...and even a bit frightening...seeing the brash yet strong Rainbow Dash driven to such anguish...but it was even comparable to the fact that she...believed it.

She was shocked with herself for even doing so; those words that Spyro had said about her were beyond cruel, but deep down...she felt as if they were right. That what he said about her was true; that Rainbow Dash was indeed a worthless, petty, undeserving coward...no! NO! That's wasn't true! She knew that wasn't true! But why...why did it feel so?

This was the power of the voice of a dragon; the voice of an ancient force of nature and power on mortal ears.

"How dare you..."

All ears in the room perked up at the newest voice; it had been so soft, that Twilight wasn't even sure if she actually heard it...but if she hadn't, then Spyro certainly did. The dragon's ears perked up briefly before he turned his head to stare past the ponies and towards the door. "It's about time *you decided to crawl out of the shadows."* He growled.

"How dare you!"

And with those three words, the last member of the elements came out of hiding; from out behind the doorway stormed Fluttershy, marching up to Spyro with what the dragon could only describe as the most adorable warpath he had ever seen.

"Who do you think you are, able to just go around and traumatize ponies like that?!" The creamy-yellow pegasus demanded as she stomped up to the dragon, taking flight to hover in front of his face. "Just because you're a big, scary, fire-breathing, alien dragon from another world does NOT mean you get to pick on and bully people smaller than you!"

Spyro resisted the urge to correct that little statement, and instead turned his attention into studying the final pony of this little group. She was a pegasus like Rainbow Dash, but practically different in every way imaginable. Her fur and feathers were as gentle and soft as silk, and were a light creamy-yellow in color, like vanilla pudding, and her very long mane and tail were a gentle baby-pink in color; everything about her color and form whispered comfort and sweetness. Her body was the exact opposite of her fellow pegasus: whereas Rainbow Dash looked strong enough to fly through a storm, this pony here looked frail and delicate enough to break apart at the slightest breeze; Spyro could probably crush her body between his fingers without effort. She was very slim and delicate, and probably as lovely as these ponies could be; a fragile beauty, like a small yet beautiful flower. Her mane and tail were the longest out of all the ponies, the former nearly touching the ground on both ends and the tail dragging across the earth behind her when she walked; they both were simple and plain, as if not to draw attention, and the front of her mane cascaded like a waterfall down the right side of her face, as if to hide behind it. Her wings were larger than Rainbow Dash's, but they were considerably weaker, while the breast bones and flight muscles were small and weak to the point of being nearly invisible within her body; she was most likely a glider at best, one who couldn't sustained powered flight for long. The primary feathers were creamy-yellow as well, while the tips were a sparkling pink, matching her mane; her small, delicate hooves were also the same shade of pink as her mane, and were solid like an earth pony's. Her eyes were a soft, yet deep teal-green in color, almost blue, and while gentle and timid, held an inner strength within. And finally her cutie mark was a trio of pink, almost exotic-looking butterflies.

Conclusion: this pony was, in a sense...a butterfly. A small, timid, and fleeting beauty of nature. A person as frail in courage as she was in bodily strength; even now, with all of her righteous anger, she looked ready to bolt from the room at the first sign of danger. It was hard to reach much of her body-language and determine her mind-set, as due to her obviously shy and reclusive nature, she hid it well; thiswas someone who had spent her entire life afraid and awkward around others, and had mastered the art of keeping her inner self hidden to perfection. However, if she was the elements of Kindness, as he had narrowed her down too, she was probably a very kind and gentle person; the shy-yet-sweet girl that was probably really good with animals and kids, but awkward around others of her 'group'. That kindness, however, was just a glimpse at an inner strength that was more than strong enough to break through her fear should someone violate it and those she cared for badly enough.

That strength, however, would be her downfall.

"I can't believe someone could be so cruel as to do something like that!" She continued on in her almost whisper-like voice, pacing back and forth in front of him while doing what Spyro could only guess was ranting her head off. "Can't you see that she's already sorry enough before you crushed her spirit?! Oh, you are so cruel and mean, I, I-I could just scream!"

And that's exactly what she did.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh...!"

It took all of Spyro's willpower to keep his poker face, let alone not burst into laughter. Apparently her butterfly-like nature was not confined to her appearance and name; seriously, he'd heard snails vocalize louder than she did.

"Now, I understand that being a dragon means you're suppose to be scary and dangerous, but this is crossing the line!" She flew right up to him, her nose booping the end of his snout. "You need to apologize to Rainbow Dash; say you're sorry for hurting her!"

"No."

The pegasus recoiled, backing away a few feet. "What?"

"I will not apologize, fore I am not remorseful for what I did, nor do I desire the worthless forgiveness of an equally-worthless mortal like her." He stated flatly, using a paw to brush absentmindedly at his face, much like a cat would when grooming, his eyes remaining locked on the cream-colored pony before him when open. "She allowed pride and fear to blind her, and got exactly what she earned and deserved."

Fluttershy gaped at him for a moment, her mouth flapping like a fish's, before she frowned. "Oh, no you don't! You're not just going to pin all of this on us and leave it at that!" She then forcefully poked him in the snout with her hoof. "You apologize to her right now...or I'll use 'The Stare'!"

Spyro cocked an eye-ridge and tilted his head in confusion. "The what-now?"

He got his answer, in the form of what many ponies believe to be a weapon bestowed upon the fair-maiden Fluttershy by Faust herself...a power not of this world that could tame a full-grown dragon and out-stare the petrifying gaze of the cockatrice: The legendary and almighty Stare.

Twilight instinctively shielded her eyes with a hoof, though she still cringed; even when not looking at it, she could feel the sheer force of it bearing down on her, a feeling she knew all too well. It was the same feeling she remembered during her visit into the Everfree, when she disturbed a sleeping cockatrice and got herself turned to stone; even then, when her entire body was nothing more than solid rock, and her conscious all but non-existent, she still remembered the incredible force behind that ability, strong enough to stare down even the most powerful of-

"What are you doing?"

The unicorn dared a peek at the confused voice of the dragon, and her jaw nearly hit the floor. There Spyro sat, his face no more than a meter away from Fluttershy's full-force stare, completely unaffected. His eyes darted between the pegasus and her own, as if waiting for an explanation. Fluttershy faltered briefly, stunned by this as well, before resuming with twice the force as before; it was almost beginning to hurt the other ponies physically, the sheer force of it pressing down on their bodies...and still he didn't even so much as flinch.

Spyro cocked his head in confusion, unable to make heads or tails of the situation. What was she trying to do, anyway? Laser Vision? A Gorgon Gaze? Some sort of strange mind-control power or super-beam ability from her eyes? He couldn't sense any sort of energy radiating from it, nor did he feel affected or assaulted in any way...but judging how the other ponies recoiled in what could've been pain, there must have been something going on...but whatever it was, he couldn't feel it; as far as he was concerned, she was only giving him a double stink-eye. Not very effective at all.

"No, seriously, what is she doing?" He asked Twilight, flicking a claw toward his 'assaulter'. Twilight, however, could only gape in disbelief, once again taking on that silly 'gasping fish' face.

With a snort of frustration, he turned his gaze back to Fluttershy; the pegasus was straining to do...whatever she was doing, her dry, bloodshot eyes almost bugging out their sockets, sweat running down her body like a waterfall. He stared at her for a moment before lifting a paw, waving it in front of her face...to no avail.

Finally, Fluttershy could no longer hold the stare and broke it off, gasping for breath as she snapped her eyes shut, rubbing them with her hooves to get the feeling back in her eyes. "H...How...How did you...?" She gasped, chest heaving, her eyes watering as she looked up at him. "That...that was my Stare. But...but no creature can resist the Stare..."

Unwittingly, the pegasus had made a fatal mistake: no sooner did those words leave her mouth did the temperature in the room suddenly plummet multiple degrees; as if his mood effected the world around him, both Spyro and the air around his body seemed to darken with an almost icy fury...yet inwardly glow with a growing inferno of rage, his face twistinginto a furious snarl...but what was worst of all were his eyes.

All the warmth and familiarity he had shown Twilight seemed to just vanish, as his pupils narrowed into perfect slits, leaving nothing but a blazing and primordial anger in their place. The look of his eyes were those of a creature whose rage and blood-thirst knew no bounds, that could kill an entire nation of ponies on a whim by nothing more than pure animalistic fury, and feel absolutely no guilt or regret for his actions afterward.

They became the eyes of a predator...the eyes of a true dragon.

He growled, giving her a dark, predatory glare, his lips curling up slightly to reveal his teeth. "So you think I'm just some dog that you can just glare into submission, do you?"

Now, it's an obvious fact that Fluttershy is not the bravest pony in Ponyville; most ponies there barely even see her around, thanks to her skills with stealth, and her dracophobia was certainly the strongest fear she ever felt. But deep down, she's always been able to pull through for the sake of her friends...thanks to the Stare. It had always been her inner strength; even when facing down the full-grown dragon or the petrifying eyes of a cockatrice, it had always been there to help her pull through.

But now? It was worthless.

Then Spyro got up, keeping his dark glare on the pegasus as he rose up onto his legs, lifting himself up to full height. He towered over the ponies, his wings spreading to make himself look even bigger than before, and a deep, reptilian growl rumbled from his throat, drumming through their bodies with the force of distant thunder, his still animalistic eyes blazing with golden fire.

Fluttershy could only whimper tearfully as she cowered away, falling to the floor where she trembled with fear; tears began to run down her cheeks, her wet eyes reflecting his blazing ones. Her worst nightmare come true had conquered her completely, stare and all, and now she was completely powerless.

And she, in her entire, shy, reclusive life...never felt such terror.

"The natural order is universal, equines...*"* He growled, his lips pulling back even further in a growling snarl as his shackles rose with inner fury. "In every realm that exists, one law stands above all: the strongest rule the world..." From deep within his chest a strong, fiery light burned through the crevices of his scales, as a great fire began to build within. "...and I*...am the strongest......OF THEM ALL!"* He rose back on his hind legs, and then lunged forward with a roar!

"RUN!" Twilight screamed, and on instinct, all six ponies bolted for the door with seconds to spare; the floor shook as Spyro smashed his full body into it, shaking the ruins with dangerous force; entire walls gave away, crashing against the crystals surrounding the room. They barely had time to recover before the dragon was upon them, the ground shaking from his footfalls as he smashed his way through the narrow doorway, tearing through the wall of stone like it was mere paper. Scampering like frightened rabbits, the six mares tripped and tumbled over each other down the stare-way, just a few feet from begin crushed by the storm of collapsing rubble and the beast smashing through it.

"The Gods of Humanity are dead!" Spyro's roar boomed through the ruins, the far wall exploding as he smashed through it, the impact sending the girls tumbling down the spiral stairs like ragdolls. "I killed them myself! My flames consumed their creations, like a plague throughout the land!" His tail whipped around the tower, tearing through the wall and nearly carving it in half; from outside blazed in a torrent of rain, the dark thunderclouds clouds forming under the sheer amount of primal anger radiating off his body. The dragon snarled with fury as he watched them tumble out of the tower door and into the main hall below, all scrambling to their hooves and running toward the throne room. "I kill *where I wish, when I wish! And NONE can escape my wrath unless I deem it so!"*

He spread his massive wings, arching his back like a panther ready to pounce. And with that, he leaped from his weakened perch; the force of him pushing off was all the crumbling tower needed, and like a great tree, it toppled over and fell to the earth.

*BOOM!*

The impact shook the land surrounding the ruins, shaking the burned and damaged landscape even more and sending a thunderous crash echoing across the land. The girls felt the ground beneath their hooves rumble with the force, nearly throwing them off balance...only to have the monstrous form of the dragon come smashing through the roof above them, his wings tearing through the walls like knifes through melted butter. Twilight, thinking fast, grabbed all five of her friends with her magic and dove beneath a large slab of the wall that had fallen during the storm, which leaned against the wall it had torn through.

With almost cat-like grace he landed upon a fallen wall, his clawed feet and wing-claws grabbing onto the stone as he turned around on the spot, his lithe body shifting and long tail lashing out as his serpentine neck followed the scent of the ponies to beneath his perch. The six mares huddled down beneath the fallen wall as they can go, cuddling against each other in fear as the blazing eye glared hatefully at them.

"Wait! Please!" Twilight cried; it had been going so well...why did this happen?! "We're sorry, we're sorry! W-We don't mean any harm! We didn't mean to disrespect or attack you; we were just trying to defend ourselves and our home!"

This, however, only made the dragon angrier. "So, your companions pin the blame for the MiiraadziemSovaarre on me, *do they?!"* Spyro snarled angrily as he lifted his head back up, his voice slicing through the room, making the ponies cringe in both fear and pain. "Obvious Mortals; always pinning the blame for your actions upon a scapegoat!"

No more different than the humans had been...

That all these equines really were: four-legged humans...arrogant...stupid...absolutely infuriating humans! Those worthless, cowardly primates, with their pathetic self-beliefs of godhood and importance! Always scurrying about in their seconds-long, purposeless, parasitic lives, which they wasted away hording material possessions of no worth, pleasuring themselves in their own filth and excrement, and slaughtering all that they could in their path! They were no more than a bunch of gluttonous cockroaches under his kind's feet...and even then they actually believed themselves to be above everything else; always thought themselves to be the center of the universes, up to the point where they could violate the natural law and cheat their way up the thrones of nature and the food chain! And when put down in their place, they even had the audacity to call those who truly ruled the universe the lowly, animalistic monsters!

Filthy, damnable apes...they deserved to burn under Tyrone's fire!

The fire in his eyes were now blazing infernos of animalistic rage, lighting up the darkened room like day. "Listen well, you filthy whores, for I'm only saying this once: what happened tonight was YOUR FAULT! All six of you! It was the power of your elements that opened the portal and brought me to this world! Whatever happened to your home, whatever damaged or injuries you and your kin may have suffered...they were YOUR *doing and your doing alone!"* His pupils narrowed even further before his long, serpent-like tongue flicked forward with an angry hiss. "I will not take part in a sssssingle amount of blame! Not! One! Drop of it!"

And with a swing of his powerful tail, the ponies all screamed in fear as their shelter was suddenly ripped from its base and thrown across the throne room; the once beautiful and ancient thrones of Equestria's greatest rulers were smashed into piles of twisted gold and shattered crystal...a symbol of what was to come in the following days.

At that very moment, the orange fiery blaze within his chest seemed to spread throughout his entire body, running through the gaps between his scales like veins through skin; his dorsal spines began to glow with a fierce orange, like metal heated to near-melting points, as did his eyes, the gold flame turning orange. Then, with a flash of wind, his wings snapped open to reveal glowing, rune-like symbols of fire blooming across his membrane, flaring open to resemble a pair of glowing butterfly wings made of pure flame...and then these 'runes' and the veins of power burst into flame, turning what most of the ponies believed to be nothing more than another draconic intruder into what he truly was:

A Jendovah...a god amongst dragons and mortals alike.

He roared in pure rage, the very plateau shaking from the sheer might and now near-demonic warping of his voice, which pounded upon the mortal bodies of his prey; with a slam of his claw, lightning flashed through the sky, and with a strong flap of his glowing wings streams of fire lashed forth and danced through the air like great serpents around the beast, his eyes blazing white with enough power to level the entire mountain of Canterlot.

Stupid, mortal grass-munchers; and to think they thought they could defy him like that!

These ponies were no better than man...in fact, they may very well be even worse! Not only did yet another race of weak, short-lived mortals decide to defy the natural laws, but a race of self-arrogant herbivores, no less! That defied the laws of nature and evolution on so many levels...and no doubt their cultures and beliefs automatically targeted meat-eaters as monsters, regardless of their true nature, including Dovah...he did not care what foolish deity thought himself good enough to deny the laws set since time's beginning.

NO ONE DEFIED THE DOVAH, THE TRUE RULERS OF ALL!

NO ONE!

"I AM THE VERY INCARNATION OF PRIMORDIAL POWER AND ELEMENTAL MIGHT! I AM A GOD AMONGST RODENTS! THE NEW ALPHA PREDATOR OF THIS WORLD, AND YOU WILL SHOW ME RESPECT*!"*

By the time the distant echoes of his final roar of a word had begun to die down, and the blazing fire of his power died back down into nothingness, the entire forest had clammed silent in fear. Not a single note of the normal night ambiance was to be heard: no insects, no frogs, no birds, not even the wind.

Dead silence.

Expect for the...whimpers...and...sobs...

He looked toward the ponies he had confronted, and a bit of the red in his vision faded in response. All six of them had backed up against the far wall and pressed themselves against it as far as their bodies and the stone would allow; they were all huddled together, clinging desperately to each other like a group of frightened children, staring at him in absolute terror, or wrenching their eyes shut in the emotion as they tried to shrink in on themselves. The fear in their eyes was that of a child who had just stared death in the eyes for the first time; most of them were actually crying in fear, tears running down their cheeks and sobs bubbling from their throats. It was truly a pitiful sight.

At first, Spyro found it satisfying, knowing he had cowed these wretched mammals in their place; let them drown in fear. They would never again even think about crossing that line again...

...but then his eyes met those of the first pony he met. Twilight's eyes.

And they struck him hard.

They were full of fear as well...but not just from an angry beast. Her eyes...they were the ones of someone who had just been attacked by a friend. Someone who had been offered warmth and comfort, only to receive pain and hatred. Confusion...Despair...Betrayal...but most of all...Hurt...

A mixture of feelings he was too familiar with himself.

"For the love of the Ancestors, you're the wearer of the amulet, you whore! YOU DON'T GET TO BE EVIL*!"*

He recoiled and stumbled backwards as the flashback surged painfully through his mind, making him snarl with frustration as he shook his head in an animalistic manner, as if to shake it clear from the unwanted thoughts; the memories of that day were the last thing he needed and wanted at the moment. He looked at Twilight once more; the look in her eyes was undeniably familiar...and for the first time in a long, long while, he felt remorse from what he did. She...she didn't deserve that...not at all...

She was the one who had tried to help him, not herself...H-He didn't really need the help, but even then...

Oh, who was he kidding?

The purple dragon closed his eyes took a big, deep breath through his mouth, before exhaling calmly yet forcefully through his nostrils in a deep, heavy sigh, forcing himself to calm down; twin streams of flame blew forth from his nasal passages, and the fiery glow in his chest died down into nothingness as the runes began to fade away once more, as if he was releasing his anger through his breath. When he finished, and the room returned to its darker gloom, and stayed that way for a while until he opened his eyes (which had once again receded down to a calm glow) and finally spoke:

"I..." He seemed having trouble trying to speak. "...I'm...*sigh*...I'm sorry." He spat the word out as if it was poison, though the remorse in his voice was still clear and true. "...to you...Twilight, was it?"

The ponies remained frozen in place, but looked up in confusion, especially Twilight. "W-W-What do you-?"

Spyro snorted a heavy sigh once more, though this time only smoke exited his lungs. "Don't mistake my meaning." He warned them. "I am not sorry for making my point to you who blamed me..." He then glared at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, his eyes glowing just a bit more brightly as he did so. "...Nor do I feel remorse for putting you filth *in your place..."* He growled, making the pegasi whimper in fright. He then huffed, forcing himself calm. "...but in my anger, I indirectly attacked one who willingly helped me instead of judge or fight me." He lowered his head slightly in a respectful manner, his eyes once again having that open, intelligent warmth to them, though now soft and apologetic.

"And for that I apologize, if only to you."

Twilight and her friends remained silent, both still afraid and unsure of what to make of it, though the fear on the lavender unicorn's face softened slightly with pity. The dragon then turned away from the mane six, moving away from them before he lowered himself down and laying down on the stony floor couchant-style, turning himself so he faced away from the ponies.

"Go home." He stated flatly, his face now stern and uncaring, though his eyes were distant and full of thought; it was the face Twilight had seen on Celestia sometimes, when dealing with the more despicable members of the Solar Court, though it was rare of her as well. "Our business is obviously over. Return to your village and spread the word: no one is to approach these ruins unless I allow them to." He then turned his head away, laying it on the ground. "Now go, before I change my mind."

For what felt like an eternity to some of the girls, Applejack finally found the courage to speak. "L...L-Let's g-go, y-y-ya'll." She whispered as she shakily rose to her hooves. "W-While we s-s-still c-can."

No words were needed to agree with that; the six mares quietly got to their hooves and made their way to the exit, their hooves clopping as quietly as they could make them as they slowly and silently shuffled out...until something within just made Twilight stop, and look back.

She wanted to leave, to get away; what she had just witnessed had shaken her to the very core, and anypony in their right mind would put as much distance from that...beast as they could. That had been, without a doubt, the most terrifying event of her entire life; not even the dark Nightmare Moon or chaotic Discord could even begin to compare. This wasn't just some crazy, malevolent warlord with the urge to twist Equestria into their image; this monster was of an entirely different level than them...

..but the way he looked...that distant gaze...stern, yet conflicted...longing...

...alone.

She bit her lip, her eyes darting between the dragon and the door; every once of common sense she had was telling her to run, and to keep running, and don't look back until she had the princesses and the entire royal army behind her...but that soft little voice in her heart said otherwise. This dragon was by himself in a strange new world, without any known way to find or even contact his home and family, if he even had one. He was, truly and by every thinkable definition possible, alone.

Just like she was a few weeks ago.

"...I'm staying."

"WHAT?!" All five of her friends shrieked at once. Even Spyro, though he didn't make a sound, turned his head slightly to glance back in a surprised manner. Twilight swallowed; she was slightly unsure about it herself, but it was something she needed to do.

"You girls head back and calm everypony down..." She told them, looking back toward the purple dragon. "...I'm...I'm going to stay here with Spyro for the night."

"W-With that monster?! You can't be serious, Twilight!" Rarity exclaimed, looking aghast. "For Faust's sake, he just tried to kill us!"

"Only because Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy provoked him!" Twilight snapped at her fellow unicorn. She then closed her eyes, taking a calming breath. "Look, I met and spoke with him before any of you even showed up; I've seen what he's really like. He's a reasonable creature, and I trust him."

'Then you truly are a fool.'Spyro thought to himself; still, the gesture was nice.

"Twah', listen to yerself!" Applejack nearly shouted. "Look, yer were right 'bout that book of yers! Ya win on that...but dagnabit Twah'! That thing's a demon! Yer gonna git yerself killed!"

"And that book is another reason I have to stay!" The lavender mare said firmly; she then levitated her bags up, which she had miraculously managed to grab during the chaos, taking the book out and showing it to them. "Spyro's here to stay in our world, possibly for a very long time; you don't think he's going to spend that entire time in the ruins, do you?" She asked, earning looks of surprise and concern from her friends.

"I'm not." Spyro stated in response, turning his head slightly to look at them out of one eye. "I leave these ruins and set out to establish my new territory tomorrow."

Twilight nodded as Spyro turned back away. "Which means he'll find Ponyville." She told them; this earned a silent gasp from Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy, and a cringing grimace from Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, the images of their family, homes, and friends flashing through their minds. "He's going to encounter other ponies besides us, maybe even the princesses and Canterlot. If your encounters with him were any example of what will happen, then Faust knows how many ponies will get themselves hurt, or even killed, tomorrow!"

She paused, taking a moment to close her eyes and calm down; when she opened them again, they were hardened with resolve and determination, just as they were when they confronted Discord for the final time. "Somepony has to teach him the ways of our world, and since I'm the mare who has the book and his trust, I'm the one who has to do it."

"...then...then let us stay with you!" Rainbow Dash stammered desperately. "Don't do this alo-!"

"NO!"

*SLAM!*

With another thunderous impact, Spyro lashed his tail around and slammed it upon the floor near the ponies with dangerous force, sending the ponies scrambling about and effectively separating Twilight from the group. He turned to face them, his eyes burning once more with an angry blaze as he glared at the two pegasi, Applejack, and Rarity.

"You four have made your hearts clear enough, and are no longer welcomed here..." He growled with as much primal fury as he could muster; his tail hovered in the air, like a serpent's head, just waiting to strike. "If any of you so much as approach these ruins again, you'll die*!"*

"Y-You animal!" Rarity exclaimed in fear and righteous anger. "You can't just separate us from her like this!"

"Let's test that theory, shall we?!" He challenged.

Applejack pawed at the ground angrily. "We're not letting you take our friend from us!"

"Do you wish *to die, Grass Muncher?! For I am more than happy to oblige that desire!"*

"STOP IT! ALL OF YOU!"

It was not Spyro who had shouted those last words, but the volume and force they carried could've matched a dragon's voice easily. All eyes in the room tore their gazes from each other and turned, almost in robotic synchronization, to Pinkie Pie, who was panting for breath.

"...Twilight's right." The pink pony said. "She has to do this...and she can do this."

"Don't tell me you're agreeing with her!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "This is crazy! She can't do this!"

Pinkie Pie, however, simply gave them a soft glare, which looked and felt very out of place on her face. "I take it that means you girls don't think that Twilight, the mare who both faced Nightmare Moon and resisted Discord's tricks, can handle herself?" She challenged with a surprising amount of harshness in her tome. "We, who let that jerk trick and corrupt us all so easily, can't trust the one pony who didn't fall for his mind games until after we tormented her until she finally broke?" That hit a sore point, that was for certain, as they all actually looked ready to cry when she brought it up.

The party mare's face softened with kindness, but remained firm and strong. "I have faith in Twilight." She said as she turned to the unicorn; tears began to run down her cheeks, but even then she still truly smiled. "She has done amazing things, and has always seen us to the end." And with those words, her own Element of Harmony seemed to glow brighter. "This will be no different."

Twilight was unable to stop her own tearful smile, a soft hiccup escaping her lips. "T-Thank you." She sniffed softly.

Spyro didn't say anything; he simply watched them with a thoughtful stare; huh...guess this world's illusion of perfection was false after all. Normally, such overly-sugary 'morals-of-the-day' moments made him gag, but after what they had just gone through, even he was impressed with their bravery and kindness.

Maybe...just maybe this could work out...

The unicorn wiped her eyes with her hoof. "B-Besides, you girls have an i-important job too." She told them. "I-I need you five to go back and tell everypony at home what's going on." She motioned toward the doorway, from which the path home was visible. "Make sure everypony knows just how dangerous this is going to be, and to stay low and hidden until we can get the princesses' help. And please let Spike know that I'm okay...can you all do that for me?"

Her friends remained silent, unable to bring themselves to speak, but all nodded in response...

...all but Rainbow Dash.

"...Twilight...?"

Twilight looked at her, looking slightly surprised that she even addressed her to begin with...until she saw the cyan mare's face, and the tears running down it. The poor pegasus looked absolutely defeated and broken; every trace of the strong, brash Rainbow Dash she knew had been crushed and beaten to death by Spyro's cruel words, leaving nothing more than a hollow shell of guilt and shame in it's place...

...and was it just the lighting of the room, or did her coat and hair seem a bit faded?

"You have ten minutes." With those words, Spyro abruptly stood up, flexing his wings tiredly. He then lumbered tiredly toward the doorway on the right, which led down toward the northern wing of the palace. Before he entered it though, he glanced back with a stern glare. "You four say what you will and be gone by then; until you've proven yourselves otherwise, only Twilight and the pink one may come and go as they wish."

He then noticed their were only five of them in sight; his eyes scanned the room for the missing sixth...until he spotted her long pink tail tucked around a fallen pillar. She peeked out from behind the rock, ducking back with a whimper when their eyes met.

Spyro snorted in disgust.

"Coward."

And with that, he slinked off into the shadows; the ponies watched him go until his long tail slithered into the darkness and disappeared from sight, leaving them alone in the ruins. Twilight didn't waste a moment; no sooner did the fact they were away from the dragon click in their minds did she step forward and wrapped Rainbow Dash in a tight hug. Rainbow immediately stiffen from the contact, but the unicorn refused to let her pull away.

"W...What are...?"

"It's okay, Dash...I forgive you."

The pegasus stiffened even further, her body shaking in shock. "W...W-What...?" She whispered, her voice hoarse.

"What you said in the hall, before we got separated..." Twilight explained, still holding her and using her magic to smooth out their fur and dry her friend's cheeks. "I know you didn't mean it. Like Spyro said: you were just scared, and took in out on what you thought was the cause of it...and to be honest, I was kinda blaming myself too; I mean, I did read the book, after all.

"The point is: I don't blame you for being scared, and I know that's why you said those things..." She pulled back, looking her friend in the eye. "...yes, it hurt, but I know you enough to know you didn't truly mean it. So...I forgive you, Dash. All's forgiven."

The six girls remained silent, all waiting for a response, as Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight; her face was the very definition of surprise and disbelief...until it twisted into the definition of anguish and heartbreak.

"...Why...?"

"Rainbow, come on, I..."

"WHY AREN'T YOU MAD?!" Rainbow Dash screamed, angry tears pricking her already bloodshot eyes.

Twilight recoiled at the angry question. "What?"

"WHY AREN'T YOU MAD AT ME?" The rainbow-maned mare shrieked, shaking Twilight's shoulder roughly as hot tears ran down her cheeks. "WHY AREN'T YOU YELLING AT ME; TELLING ME WHY I'M SUCH A H-HORRIBLE PONY?! THAT'S W-WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO DO! WHY?! WHY A-ARE Y-YOU F-F-FORGIVING MEEE-HE-HE-HEEEEEEEEEEEE?!"

For the second time that night, the normally strong and brash Rainbow Dash was reduced to a wailing, tearful mess as she clung to the unicorn, bawling her eyes out...and for once, she and her friends were perfectly fine with it. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all gathered around their pegasus companion and engulfed her and Twilight in a big group hug, tears of their own running down their faces.

The deed was done and the punishment had been carried out; now it was time for the damage to be healed.

Applejack was the only one who didn't join the hug, for she had seen them in the darkness above: a familiar pair of glowing yellow and lavender eyes.

"...Ya knew this would happen..." She murmured to herself as she stared up at the eyes, a small, half-hearted smile of realization spreading across her muzzle. "...this whole time...ya did that ta Rainbow so she and Twah'light would make up...didn't ya?"

And as if to answer her, one of the eyes winked.

Spyro stared blankly down from her perch up in the north wing of the palace, watching the five ponies leave the palace and head back down the path back to their little village. His body was laying down on the torn pile of ancient mattress stuffing and bedsheets, positioned in a slightly inward curl of rest, like a proper dragon on his hoard, his head lifted up to watch the leaving equines with...'interest' was the best way to describe it; what he had witnessed previously had left him confused and full of thoughtful questions.

Forgiveness was a concept he had never been strong with; even for a Dovah, he was legendary for his temper and vengeful nature...which, admittedly, were the causes to his previous explosion, but that wasn't the point. He, personally, would've physically and mentally crushed that rainbow-maned pegasus for what she had done, if he had been in Twilight's position...yet she shrugged it off like it was nothing; even opened up once more and brought her back into her heart, even after the damage she had done to it.

What kind of bond possessed the strength to make it through that?

He was brought out of his thoughts by a timid knocking sound behind him, and he turned his head to see his newest ally standing just outside the door, hiding slightly behind it; she still felt fear toward him after what she had witnessed before hand, and he wouldn't blame her for running away in fear at the sight of him...and even still she stayed, if only to protect her friends and home.

"You are either very brave or very foolish to stay after what you had just gone through." He stated, almost in an amused manner. "Which is it, I wonder?"

The purple unicorn swallowed softly as she stepped forward, but still smiled sheepishly. "A-A little bit of both, I guess..." She admitted softly. "I can only imagine what my mentor is gonna say when she finds out about this..."

Spyro gave a small snort of amusement as she approached, stopping about ten feet away from his position. "You're dedication to your herd and home is admirable, I'll give you that much." He stated truthfully. "Many in your position would've fled the first chance they got."

"...well, it wasn't just Ponyville I was thinking about." Twilight told him as she used her magic to take off her saddle-bags and Element of Magic, laying them on the floor next to her. "...look...I want to apologize too." This earned a confused look from the dragon. "For my friends' sake. I know you're sorry about attacking us, and so am I: I'm sorry my friends came up and just ran their mouths off at you, as well as tried to attack and stare you down. I can see why you'd get mad at that."

All she got in response was a cocked eye-ridge. "Still doesn't explain why you stayed."

There was a moment of almost sad silence, with Twilight staring off to the side, until she worked up the courage to say it. "...well...I stayed for you." She told him.

That made the dragon pause; stayed...for him?

" I wanted to leave...more than anything, really." She admitted, looking slightly guilty. "You really scared me back there...but when we going to...I saw how lonely you looked." Spyro looked confused; he wasn't lonely...until Twilight explained. "You've been transported into a completely alien world, separate from everything you know and all your friends and family; maybe that's something you're use to, given how calm you seemed at first...but you're still alone...just like I was when Discord tore us apart. I know how that feels, and I think that even you'd be a little scared...so I'm gonna stay, because you look like you could use a friend."

Friend...

She was mistaken to think that he was afraid or longing for home. He was a Jendovah, one of the most powerful beings in all of existence. There was no mortal beast, weapon, or force that he couldn't defeat and conquer, and no force of nature or the supernatural that could stop or destroy him if he wanted to go home; if Twilight's friends were anything to judge by, being the so-called Elements of Harmony, then there was nothing in this world that would bring forth any real danger to his power. As for being homesick, dovah didn't feel such petty mortal longings; the entire universe was his domain, and its wealth his hoard. He was as much as home here than he was in the Dragon Realms, and here he would find a new world to explore and conquer.

No, it was the final word that really stuck in him; something that he hadn't been called in a long time. Friend. Huh...he hadn't heard that word, let alone been called it, in centuries, at least not from a mortal; in his homeworld, the term more often used was 'ally' and 'companion', or at least the Dovah equivalent for it, for allies and companions, while close to you, usually first forge out of common goals and needs for one another strength. Every ally Spyro made, while close on a personal level, had become so out of need in battle and adventure.

But this mare...she owned him nothing, and had nothing to gain from staying; if anything, she had ever right to leave and never come back. The prophecy may have said they were all in it together, but it had nothing to do with them helping each other outside of it. All they would have to do is see it through and then leave and never deal with him again...and yet, despite what he did to her: attacked and traumatized her and her friends...and she actually opened her heart to him, and wished to call him-

"Friend?" He repeated, his tone both amused...and even a bit hopeful. "After all that I've done to you...you actually see me as a friend?"

Twilight paused only for a second, taking the thought to mind...before nodding confidently with a warm smile. "Yes. Yes, I do."

The dragon stared at her for a while in silence, pondering her words; it looked as though he wanted to say something more...but in the end he simply laid his head on the old stuffing like a pillow,  his reptilian gaze never leaving hers.

"Very well, then." He stated. "If that is what you wish."

Twilight couldn't stop the grin from breaking out on her face.

Her grin soon turned into an awkward one as another lapse of silence began, waiting for him to say something else. Spyro, on the other hand, merely laid there, watching her with an almost animal-like curiosity again, waiting for her to make the first move or decision. They stayed like that for a good couple minutes, with Twilight's eyes darted around nervously, her hoof tapping softly against the floor, while the dragon continued to stare motionlessly, waiting for her to speak.

Finally, the unicorn broke. "...sooooo...what are we doing?" She asked, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm about to go to sleep." Spyro stated, still watching her. "Tomorrow's my first day in a brand new world; I'd like to be fully rested for it."

"Right! Sleep..." She agreed...only to suddenly swoon on the spot, almost collapsing onto the floor. "Ohhhhhh..."

It was by his words did she realize a certain fact she had completely forgotten in all the chaos: she hadn't gotten a single wink of sleep since yesterday night, thanks to Spike keeping her up to search for his history...more than a total of 24 hours. That little period of unconscious from the storm couldn't be counted, being no more than an hour's worth, and this time she didn't have a restaurant's supply of Coffee and Donut Joe's to keep her up.

The exhaustion of surviving a super-hurricane, trekking for miles through the Everfree Forest, and experiencing the encounter with a god of a dragon rushed into her at once. Her legs instantly turned to gel and held out for about three seconds before they gave out and she fell to the floor.

Only for Spyro to lash out his tail and catch her on the flat of the blade-tip before-hand.

Twilight only groaned sleepily as she was scooped up by the dragon and lifted off her hooves; Spyro, on the other hand, purred a dragon's version of a chuckle as he lifted her over and gently laid her down onto the pile of stuffing with him, so that she laid next to his arm; His tail then laid back out on the floor, and curled back around, circling them both like a great serpent, as the little unicorn seemed to melt into the fluff as she snuggled softly into her make-shift bed, eyes already closing with a satisfied coo.

It was a scene that seemed straight from a fairy-tale: a mighty dragon, the bestial incarnation of power, fire, and destruction, guarding and nesting with a tiny unicorn, the very symbol of innocence and grace, by his side. Spyro watched as his new little companion, one whom he had hadn't known for even an hour, relax and fall asleep against his wrist, near the claws that could tear her apart without effort...and yet trusted he who wielded them completely.

Heh...was this bravery, foolishness...or perhaps something else? She was an interesting one, that was for sure.

He turned his head to look out the hole in the wall, the night sky clearly visible above them. Even the stars and moon looked differently here, their light almost inviting, like thousands of tiny suns; even the celestial bodies above seemed 'changed' to fit the 'aura' of this realm's childish existence.

His a satisfied grunt of a sigh, he turned back to bed and laid his head near his paws, next to his new...friend?

He paused. Did he consider her that, even after just one hour of knowing her? She may see him as hers, thanks to whatever foolishly innocent beliefs she carried in her child-like heart. The girl who had openly welcomed him, despite what he was, and even after she had seen what he could become...the first mortal to do that in a long time...

...

Yes.

Of course she was, he decided with a exasperated smile of his own. A silly, naive, and and far too trusting for her own good friend...but definitely a friend.

A new yet good friend.

He went to sleep that night with a small smile on his saurian face, looking forward to what the following day and days after that would bring forth in his journey here, unaware yet that, in those following days, he would bring forth the dawn of a brand new age to the magical world of Equestria.

The adventure had begun.

Judgement of the Night

CHAPTER III: Judgement of the Night

"I still get nightmares. In fact, I get them so often I should be used to them by now. I'm not. No one ever really gets used to nightmares." ― Mark Z. Danielewski

The night was an marvelous yet scary time.

Since the dawn of civilization, the night has always been viewed as a time of beauty, mystery, and fear; unlike the day, which just blazed forth in a blinding light and never changed, the night saw many changes throughout the universe, and revealed it all for the mortal world to see and enjoy. It's darkness was both a beauty and a terror: the beautiful moon and countless stars were a wonder of the natural world, and changed shape and position with the coming and going of the seasons, but at the same time it's darkened, icy-cold depths struck fear of the unknown into the hearts of ponies everywhere, and thus many tended to avoid these hidden dangers and stay within the warmth and safety of their homes.

What was best known and loved about the night was that it was a time of rest; whereas one toiled and slaved under the burning, blinding, and unforgiving sun, ponies all over Equestria could find much needed comfort and sleep at the end of the day, under the gentle, soothing glow of the kindly moon and stars. Pony-kind may not care much for the darkened nights, but they loved what it had to offer in that regard, for it was a time when they could escape from the torments and stress of the day, and find blissful peace in dreams.

But even then one could find trouble even in sleep: when the fears and troubles of the living world leak into their subconscious minds, turning pleasant dreams into nightmares, thus destroying their hopes for freedom in sleep.

Thankfully for the ponies of Equestria, the one responsible for banishing nightmares had returned after a thousand years, and was ready to get back to work...

...didn't mean she wasn't as nervous as heck for it, though.

Up within her room in Canterlot, the younger of the two alicorn sisters that had ruled Equestria for over three thousand years was pacing back and forth across the fluffy, navy-blue carpet in a nervous titter; it had only been a few days since her magic had returned to her. As shown through her coat and mane, which had regained its darker shade and ethereal flow, the Princess of the Night had regained her rightful power as the ruler of her realm. And even after almost a whole year of preparation, for this one single day...she couldn't be more anxious, 'cause tonight, for the first time in over a thousand years, she would re-assume her old duties as the Dream Walker, and attempt to re-connect with Equestria and its subjects.

Her nervous pacing was interrupted by a knocking on the door; it was opened a crack right after, allowing her sister of the day to peak her head in. "Luna...?" Celestia asked in a whisper, before spotting her standing in the middle of the room. "Oh, you haven't started yet..." She said aloud, pushing the door open and stepping inside the room, approaching her. "Just checking one last time before bed. Why haven't you begun dream tending?"

Luna sighed, casting her gaze to the floor. "You make it sound like such a surprise." She stated humorlessly.

"Only because you allow it to be." Celestia stated, wrapping a comforting wing around her shoulder.

Luna scoffed, turning away from her sister. "Part of me wonders if they'll even know me as who I was back then." She stated simply. "Another part hopes that they never do."

"Luna, it's been long enough already. You've been hiding up here for more than two years; I've given you a chance to rest and stay away from your duties to the kingdom so you could adjust to the modern age, but now most ponies are beginning to doubt you've even exist, let alone returned from the moon." Celestia stated flatly, though the concern and warmth didn't leave her voice. "Equestria needs its Dream Guider again; not since your banishment have the ponies had anypony to chase away the nightmares."

Celestia slid her wing off her sister, folding it to her side as she got up, turning to leave the room. She paused in the doorway, looking back over her shoulder. "I'll let you decide what to do, and if you do, I can only say good luck." She said apologetically. "Good night, sister."

"Rest well, Tia." Luna murmured, waving a hoof. The door closed soon after as Celestia left, leaving her alone in the preferred darkness of her room.

The younger alicorn looked torn. It had, indeed, been more than two years since that night; the night when, after one thousand long and painful years of exile within her own celestial orb, the long lost princess of Equestria's past had return to the modern world, still trapped within the monstrous form that she had become after giving into the darkness...and the same night when those young mares became the new bearers of the elements and freed her from the clutches of said darkness, destroying the malevolent being known as Nightmare Moon and freed her.

She would be eternally grateful to that young lavender unicorn...Twilight Sparkle, she believed it was...and her herd for releasing her from her imprisonment, and allowing her to reunite with her sister after all this time, though unfortunately, she never got to personally thank them, for no sooner did Celestia announce to that small village that the unicorn (who turned out to be her sister's student) would be staying with the other bearers to learn more about the Elements was Luna whisked away to her sister's new castle, within the mountain-side city of Canterlot, where she and her sister spent an entire week alone, mending the bonds that had been broken over a thousand years ago. After every last tear of sorrow and joy had been shed, Celestia reintroduced her sister as the second princess of Equestria, and within a day's time, all of Equestria knew of their new princess, though Celestia allowed her sister a good deal of time to readjust to the modern world.

A thoughtful smile formed on her lips. It had been two whole years since that decision, which Luna used to adjust to the modern world and all its changes...well, most of its changes.

One such change she accepted was that giant magical mirror with the small black box where one could engage in fantasy adventures brought to life for entertainment. She had spent many nights slaying dragons and seeking out scrolls, as well as mining diamonds and fighting creepers; quite a delightful invention, indeed, and the name of StarPrincess1000 had become quite the legend amongst the gaming world called the 'internet'.

Another change she enjoyed was how delicious food had gotten over the years; those 'Oreo' cookies had quickly become her favorite treat, though she feared for her figure from time to time. Even though she would never say it out loud, it was quite clear just how much a thousand years of tasty, unhealthy foods had been doing to her sister's flanks.

But then there were the negative changes; things the world would've been better off with if they had never seen the light of day. She didn't care how 'convenient' it was. That monstrously-loud toilet bowl was Evil! Evil, she say! She nearly had a heart attack the first time she used it, roaring and gurgling like a ferocious beast under her posterior.

And don't even get her started on the Microwave Incident...

Anyway, moving on from that topic, the source of her anxiousness was clear enough, as her sister mentioned; it had been two years since her return...two whole years of trying to adjust to a world that she did not belong in anymore...so now it was enough. Tonight was the night: the night for her to stop sitting around on her black, moon-marked rump and return to her duties as the Princess of the Night. And by that it meant it was time for her to return to her duties as Dream Guider.

A Dream Guider was a Dream Walker who was chosen by the royalty or divine power to use their gifts to help guide the overall population into safe slumber; to alter their dreams so that the nightmares they faced were banished from their minds, and to guide their dream so that they could find a way to face their daily fears. Understandably, some less noble hearts would use these gifts for their own darker gain or even amusement, so Celestia used her own power to prevent any but the chosen from doing this. Luna, being the princess of the night, naturally had this gift, and thus used them to guide her subjects in the same manner...

Now was a time the ponies needed this ability more than ever, for the village of Ponyville wasn't the only part of Equestria that had suffered the wrath of Discord during his brief escape; all of Equestria had felt his touch, and ponies everywhere were suffering from the effects, both physical and mental. They needed someone to ease their fears and let them find peace.

Question was: would she chase away the pony's nightmares...or just bring forth new ones?

Her actions as Nightmare Moon and the dread she had brought upon pony-kind had definitely caused a downfall in her popularity, to say the least; even to those who had forgotten the original legend, she was a monster who had arrived in Equestria after taking away their only-known protector and banishing the sun that they all depended on for life. It was only made worse when the scientists and philosophers of this age made the connections between her and the story of old, thus renewing the legend and views of the Nightmare to the world. Needless to say, she was not the most popular princess amongst the ponies.

Did she truly think they wanted the pony who nearly destroyed their world and supposedly gobbled up their foals for snacks entering their heads, the one place where they were suppose to be safe from her and her shadows?

Probably not.

...well, she wasn't going to find out just moping about the tower, was she?

Oh well, if she failed, she could always just go back to her adventures in the magic mirrors and black box; she needed something to do while waiting for Changeling: Isolation to finish downloading, anyway.

She stepped out onto the balcony of her room, taking in a breath of the cool, crisp night air. The seasons were changing, that was for sure. The heat and light of summer had passed weeks ago, and autumn was well on its way, the air already cold and crisp, and the days growing shorter. Even now, in the dark of night, she could see the trees in the courtyard and out to the lands beyond; the leaves were still green, but that green was slowly turning into shades of gold. The annual Running of the Leaves event wasn't far away now.

Her gaze hardened with determination and a bit of uncertainly, she fired up her magic and entered the dream realm; her entire body rippled with a dark blue energy as she seemed to phase out of existence, re-materializing in the endless space of Equestria's collective subconscious, her hooves touching down on the endless stream of stars beneath her.

She smiled; it had been so long since she felt this...

...it was grand.

She then set forward, spreading her bat-like wings and taking off through the realm of the subconscious. Before her, she could see the world of Equestria, as if its endless miles were all compressed into one realm; throughout it all, she could see thousands upon thousands of stars, each unique in their own ways, just as the ponies whose sleeping minds they represented.

"Prepare thyself for peaceful nights, my little ponies!" Luna announced to the world before her as she flew forward. "Your Princess of the Night has returned!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! IT'S NIGHTMARE MOON!"

Luna quickly lifted a hoof, trying to calm her first patient down. "Nay, young mare! T'is a misunderstanding!" She pleaded to the mare who was hiding behind the hockey mask-wearing stallion with the knife that she had just been trying to flee from seconds ago. "We are we to aid thee in thy inner fears!"

"SHE'S GOING TO EAT MEEEEEEEE!" The mare screamed, latching a death-grip around the neck of the knife-wielding maniac, who began wheezing for breath. "THE HORROR! THE HORROR!"

"HEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPP! I DON'T WANT TO BE EATEN!" The stallion wailed, desperately scaling the giant spider web to escape from her.

"Would thou calm thy arse?!" Luna snapped, a vein of irritation sprouting on her head; even the giant dream tarantula was giving them a weird look. "You act as though Tirek is on your tail!"

The pony gasped in horror. "TIREK'S HERE TOO?! WHY MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!"

"I DON'T WANT TO BE BANISHED TO THE MOON!" The young, brown-furred coat wailed in a whiny voice, clinging desperately to the large, green, four legged Creeper.

"Oh, for the love of my sister..." Luna snarled, eyes bursting into white light. *"...WOULD THOU JUST CEASE THY RAMBLINGS ALREADY?!"***

This only made the colt wail harder, thoroughly traumatized for life. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

"NIGHTMARE MOON!"

"WE ARE NOT!"

"I'M GONNA DIE!"

"DO NOT TEMPT US!"

"I WANNA LIVE!"

"THEN YOU WILL STOP THIS RACKET!"

"IN THE NAME OF FAUST, SOMEPONY SAVE MEEEEE!"

"*Gasp!* *HOW DARE THEE ABUSE AND INSULT OUR MOTHER'S NAME!"***

"WHAT HAVE I EVER DONE TO DESERVE THIS?!"

"I'M GONNA DIE!"

"WHERE ARE THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY WHEN YOU NEED THEM?!"

"NIGHTMARE MOOOOOON!"

"THOU ARE ALL A BUNCH OF BUCKING IDIOTS!"

The counter shook as an exhausted alicorn slammed her head into it, groaning in mental and possibly physical pain; the chalice of milk she held with a hoof jiggled, spilling a bit of the contents onto the counter. Wearily, she lifted her face long enough to grab an oreo off her plate and, after dipping it in her milk a few times, popped it into her mouth, face-planting against the polished metal once more, moaning pitifully as she chewed.

"Wow. Tough night on the job?" The sandy-blonde unicorn stallion asked as he wiped the counter with a rag.

Luna lifted her head so that her chin rested on the counter, looking up at the stallion with sad, weary eyes. "The torments of this night were amongst the worst in our life, Sir Donut Joe." She murmured like a heart-broken filly. "Had we not know better, we would've believed Discord had never been imprisoned to begin with."

"That bad, huh?" Donut Joe asked again, looking sympathetic; he used his magic to place a fresh plate of oreos in front of her, taking the older plate away. "Well, what did you expect? No offense, but ya di'n't make a good first impr'ssion when ya got back after a thousand years. One. Thousand. Years for Equestria to forget the monster and for you to get your wits back, and what do you do when you return?"

Luna huffed bitterly, pouting like a spoiled foal. "T'wasn't all our fault." She whined. "We were still under the control of the Nightmare Forces. Did you really think that, after a millennium of isolation, We in our right mind would've want to entice another sentence right after?"

The stallion shrugged. "Discord certainly wanted to."

"We are not Discord." The alicorn stated sternly, though she didn't have much heart to those words. "Though as far as our subjects are concerned, we may as well be."

"I don't think so." Donut Joe stated, drying out a washed glass with a rag. "Discord did a number on all of Equestria, and everypony's still dealin' with some personal issue that bastard forced them through; in the last three days, I've already had more than two hundred customers each coming in to drown their sorrow in sugar and caffeine. You'd be surprised just how much sugar one pony can take before passing out." He stated absentmindedly, before continuing. "All of Equestria's goin' through Tartarus at the moment, dealin' with all this chaos crap...and nopony's seen a Dream Walker like ya since you were banished; my guess' that everypony thought ya were just another part of their nightmares and not the real thing."

Luna mulled over this quietly, though didn't seem any happier with this theory. "If that is so, then why did they refer to me in my true form as Nightmare Moon?"

"Perhaps they haven't gotten to know Princess Luna yet?" He offered back. "Ever since ya got back ya locked yourself away in yer tower and refused to show the world just how much ya changed. How are they suppose to know ya changed if ya haven't proven it otherwise?"

"I think that's to be obvious during my first visit to Ponyville, when I had undergone an entire bodily transformation..." Luna muttered, stuffing another Oreo into her mouth afterwards.

Donut Joe merely shook his head in exasperation...until an idea crossed his mind. "Well, you haven't tried visit Ponyville since you got back..."

Luna's thestral-like ears perked up at this, realization slapping her across the face like a wet rag; the elemental bearers...of course! They were the ones who had released her from the dark forces to begin with! And Celestia's Student...the one named Twilight...she nearly face-hoofed herself toward her own stupidity.

"Has it truly been that obvious this whole time?" She asked herself and Donut Joe aloud. "T'is been in front of our royal face this whole time!"

"Uhhhhh...Luna? Ya okay?"

"Of course we are 'okay'!" The alicorn proclaimed, grabbing his cheeks with her hooves and pulling him across the counter. "Don't thou see, Knight of the Baked Goods Tavern? My sister's student, Lady Twilight of the Sparkle House, is the bearer of the very Element of Magic and Friendship itself! That, and she's one of the most learned ponies in Equestria's history!" He held him tight with one arm, waving the other out toward some grand horizon. "If anypony amongst our subjects can teach us how to become loved and adored once more, t'is her and her herd of element bearers: the very avatars of the tree itself!"

The stallion wheezed for breath, struggling to wriggle out of her iron-like grasp. "T-That was...kinda...the...idea..." He choked, turning blue in the face.

"T'is the grandest of ideas!" Luna stated as she released her captive, allowing him to fall back behind the counter, wheezing for breath. "We have yet to directly thank our current bearers for their courage in saving us from our darkness. Besides, we believe it's high time we met young Lady Sparkle; our sister speaks very highly of her."

Donut Joe chuckled as he pulled himself up off the floor, rubbing his throat with a hoof. "Yeah, I can see that happenin'." He stated. "Twilight's a good kid. I know; use to come around to my store sometimes during her late night studies. If anypony's gonna like you, it's her."

Luna hummed in approval. "Then I believe it's settled, then." She stated, trotting toward the partially-transparent doors of the dream-state version of Canterlot's Donut Emporium. "I am off to Ponyville, to meet with my sister's student and my savior!" Before she left, though, she glanced back over her wing. "We thank thee for your service and advice, Sir Joe of the Dounts!" She said earnestly. "May your sugary treats never spoil!"

And without another word, the princess of the night returned to the collective dream realm, allowing the stallion to return to whatever dream he was having before.

Luna was practically skipping with glee as she soared amongst the stars toward Ponyville's subconsciousness; she had heard many things about the young Twilight Sparkle from her sister, who had nothing but good to say about her. It would be good to finally meet the predecessors of the Elements of Harmony, or at least their leader.

Hmmmm...perhaps she could even give young Lady Twilight some tips on wielding them in dire-

Something was wrong.

In the Dream Realm, every single living soul in Equestria was represented as a single star, burning as beautifully and bright as their strength and will were; if someone was of strong will and inner strength, then the star burned bright, while those of low spirits and deep fear were small and wavering.

And before her, in the galaxy that represent the population of Ponyville...there were a lot of small, wavering stars.

Frowning in concern, Luna quickly fired up her magic and phased back into the physical realm, stepping out onto the distant hilltop that overlooked the whole of Ponyville...but even she was not prepared for the sight before her: the town and the Everfree near it's border were in ruins. It was as if an entire hurricane had torn through! The entire south-west side of Ponyville facing the forest, including most of the once beautiful Sweet Apple Acres, had been completely destroyed, the trees and buildings smashed or torn apart in horrific ways. Many buildings on the other side of town had been damaged or even destroyed by branches, trees, and even giant boulders that had been thrown over them. Luckily most of the market and more important buildings were set up in the north or east side, and therefore only suffered slight damage, but there would be many ponies sleeping in the streets now...including poor Dame Applejack of Honesty...

And the ponies. She could see many tents and bonfires set up through the middle and inner circles, away from the forest-side, so at least they were still capable enough to tend to themselves...but there was no way nopony had gotten out of this unscathed, if the tents with the red crosses were anything to judge by. She could spot ponies near those tents, laying about on cots or blankets, being tended by others...she could only pray that nopony was killed...

...but what was worst of all was the fear.

The very air surrounding the town was thick with the emotion: tense, deep-rooted, primal fear. Luna recognized it anywhere: It was the kind of fear that could only be felt by a helpless animal, who was in the territory of the alpha predator, but couldn't see it, and couldn't fight back in anyway. Everypony of Ponyville who wasn't unconscious was full of it...fretting...trembling...waiting...waiting for those gleaming eyes to appear...and for those sharp teeth to strike.

By Faust's mane...what in the name of Equestria happened here?

And how in Tartarus did she and Celestia sleep through it?

Luna frowned in determination; surely the Elements of Harmony, if not injured, would be investigating this case. She would aid them in this quest, and find this...predator that everypony was terrified of.

She spread her wings and took off, re-entering the dream realm. In the endless cosmos, she searched for any of the bearer's Soul Stars: the stars that burned with the power of the Elements of Harmony, and therefore would stand out anywhere...but...she couldn't see them. They were nowhere in Ponyville...perhaps they had already left to find the source of this strange phenomenon? She hoped she wasn't too lat-

There they were! She spotted them: a group of stars that seemed to burn brighter than the others, with the different colors of the rainbow. They were just leaving the Everfree Forest, thankfully in good health...but something was...

Her heart leapt in her mouth: there were only five of them.

One of them was missing.

She quickly stepped out of the Dream Realm, just in time to see them exiting the forest. All five ponies were dirty, battered, and bruised, looking as if they had just gone through a war, both physically and mentally: the rainbow-maned pegasus was arguing to the others, pacing back and forth in the air with anxiousness, as if she wanted to just take off into the distance, while the others just trudged along tiredly.

"...just walking away while she's staying with that monster?!" She shouted angrily, landing on the ground in front of them and stopping the group. "I say we go back and blast that jerk with the Elements and get Twilight outta there!"

"Wasn't bein' out-right attacked and scared half ta death good enuff fer ya, ya Zap-Appled dumb-bell?!" The pony Luna recognized as the Element of Honesty shouted back just as angrily. "Ya heard what he said; he'll kill us if anypony besides Pinkie and Tw'ahlight go back! And I'm not even sure the Elements would work on 'im!"

"So what; we just leave Twilight to die?!"

Applejack huffed in anger, stomping a hoof on the ground. "That's not it and ya know it! Look, I'm worried 'bout Twah'light as much as ya'll are. Heck, I'm scared ta death for her...but in case ya'll forgot, I've got other things to worry about! If ya wanna go and git yerself killed, be mah guess! But I've gotta family ta worry 'bout and a home to start rebuildin' to go runnin' off and gettin' myself burnt ta death!"

"She's not going to die!" The pink earth-pony snapped, from the sound of her tone for the hundredth's time. "Get a Clue, an Uno, a Scrabble, and possibly a touch of Twister! Spyro. Won't. Hurt. Twilight! He said so himself!"

"And you actually believe that freak?!" Rainbow Dash snarled angrily. "He's a dragon! A monster! His 'word's' as good as dirt!" She spat upon the ground for good measure, hate spreading across her face like a shadow. "You're the only one who can go back, so why didn't you-"

"Not gonna happen!" Pinkie Pie snapped. "If I go back, I make everything I told Twilight a big, fat lie! I'm not a lair, Dashie! And it would also make us look like we don't trust Spyro; how are we going to be his prophecy-buddies if he can't even trust us in return?"

Rainbow Dash didn't answer; she instead settled for grabbing onto the sides of her head and screaming in frustration. "GRRRAAAAAAUUGGHHHH! DON'T ANY OF YOU GET IT?! WE'RE NOT FRIENDS WITH IT! IT'S. A. DRAGOOOON!"

"What's this about a dragon?" Any further arguing was interrupted as Luna stepped forward, who had been listening with only mild-interest until the word 'Dragon' was spoken.

Rarity was the first to respond: "P-P-Princess Luna! This is an unexpecte-"

"EEEEEEEKKK! NIGHTMARE MOON!" Pinkie screamed in horror. "SHE'S COME TO EAT US AALLLL-"

"Pinkie Pie!" Rarity exclaimed, swatting Pinkie slightly with her magic. "Honestly!" She then pulled Pinkie away, stepping forward herself. "*Ahem!* D-Do forgive her, your highness. She can be a bit questionable at times."

Luna merely huffed. "Do not fret. We are quite use to it by now." She grumbled under her breath.

Befor Rarity could speak, Rainbow Dash suddenly zoomed in, closing the distance between the two. "Awesome! Now we got the princesses!" She turned to Luna, getting close enough to touch snouts, much to Luna's discomfort. "We need your help: There's this really evil dragon in the everfree! He's got Twilight, attacked us, an-"

"LIAR, LIAR, SADDLE ON FIRE!" Pinkie Pie screamed, shoving the pegasus away and standing in her place. "Don't do anything, Black Snooty!" She pleaded. "Spyro's a nice dragon! It was only after Dashie attacked him that he got all scary and mean! Don't believe that lying liar-pants!"

"YOU'RE THE LIAR, YOU CANDY-EATING PUFFBALL!" Rainbow Dash shouted before trying to shove Pinkie out of the way. The earth pony wouldn't budge, no matter how hard she pushed. "That monster tried to kill us all!"

"You started it!" Pinkie growled as she pushed against her in return, the two struggling back and forth. "Spyro was really nice and friendly until you came in and tried to kick his brains out!"

"He was about to attack Twilight!"

"HE WAS NOT! I'M GETTING REALLY TIRED OF SAYING IT OVER AND OVER! ME! PINKIE! GETTING TIRED OF SAYING SOMETHING! YOU'VE GOT SERIOUS ISSUES, DASHIE!"

"YEAH, WELL...yo...you...YOUR GRANNY PIE EATS BROCCOLI!"

"*GAAAASP!* YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

"ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU!"

With a flash of her horn, Luna encased the two bickering ponies in giant balls of a crystalline material, leaving only their faces exposed, before promptly picking them up and tossing them away; they sailed away a few dozen yards before crashing into some distance bushes. With an aggravated huff, she turned her attention to the remaining ponies. "Now, would thou be so kind as to tell us what in Tartarus is going on?!

Rarity shook her head, as if to clear it from the confusion. "Well, I'll keep it short. A few hours ago, this 'dragon' appeared in the ancient ruins of your old castle." She explained calmly. "I use the term dragon loosely, because...well...you should've seen it, your highness: it was like nothing I've ever seen before! It was...monstrous! It seemed okay at first; it got along just fine with Twilight and Pinkie, but then Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy set it off, and..." She paused, shuddering at the memories of fire and thunder. "...it attacked us. It was terrifying!"

Luna listened with steeled resolve, her heart already hardening for battle. She and her sister had dealt with many dragons before, and each time they had successfully driven off each and every one. This would be no different...except that it would be only her this time around.

Applejack put a comforting hoof on the unicorn's back. "Yeah, it durn was..." She agreed. "...I thought it was gonna kill all'a us, but then it just went quiet, and told us to leave. We did, but...Twilight decided to stay behind with it. She believes that it's part of some ancient prophecy, and that the Elements of Harmony brought it here from anudder world."

Luna scoffed, her face wrinkling with disgust. "Preposterous!" She exclaimed. "Why in my mother's name would the Tree bring a monster like what you described into Equestria?"

The orange mare, however, only glared at her. "Why dont'cha ask yer sister?" She snapped, her voice full of bitter bite. "The one who wrote 'bout us in that damn book?"

Luna blinked. Celestia? Book? What were they talking about?

Rarity composed herself, wincing slightly as her movements agitated her shoulder bruise. "The dragon...Spyro, I think it called itself; he seemed okay with Twilight staying, but he said that if anyone else besides Pinkie tried to go back, he'd kill us." She said, looking up to Luna in pleading. "We can't go back to see if she's alright, and Pinkie refuses to because she doesn't want to break Twilight's or the dragon's trust. We don't want to fight it, but if you would be so kind...could you at least go and check on Twilight for us? It's a lot to ask, I know, but-"

"Consider it done." The alicorn assured her, a surprising bit of warmth slipping into her normally-stern tone. "We'll not let this beast harm a single hair of young Twilight's mane."

Rarity beamed. "You will? Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou-"

"Just be careful, ya hear?" Applejack cut in, pushing Rarity a bit to shut her up. The earth pony's face was dark with concern and doubt. "I know yer the princess, and that yer both tougher than anypony in Equestria...but after what I saw tonight, I ain't so sure that's the case anymore."

Luna frowned at her words.

But no explanation was given as she simply pulled her hat down and turned away. "Let's get going, ya'll." She muttered to the others. "We got a lot of stuff ta do before we can sleep."

"You can all stay at Carousel Boutique with Sweetie Belle and I until we fix up your homes." Rarity offered as she followed. Applejack smiled softly, nodding in thanks. "Now, let's see if we can break those two out of these crystals..."

Luna watched them go, slightly frustrated that she didn't get an answer, when her gaze met Fluttershy's, who had remained quiet during the entire conversation...and she nearly recoiled. The pegasus look absolutely crushed; her mane and tail were limp and dragging, and her body looked lifeless and almost robotic, as if the very life had been drained from it...but was worse of all were her eyes.

They were the eyes of a mare who had been broken, utterly and completely. Luna had seen those eyes many times before over the centuries: A great hero who had been brought down and crushed underfoot. A mother whose child had died in her hooves. A child who had seen the true face of darkness and lost all hope. And now, a pony who had seen the true face of power and fear, and despite her best efforts, had fallen before it.

They were the eyes of a broken soul. The eyes of true despair.

The two only stared at each other, neither saying anything; the normally shy and timid Fluttershy didn't so much as flinch at the sight of the former Nightmare Moon. She only stared at each, the fur of her cheeks wet and matted with tears that had run themselves dry, her face full of a 'dead' sort of sorrow and despair; if it wasn't for her slow, hollow breathing, most ponies would've mistaken her for a statue. It wasn't until Rarity came back and coaxingly guided Fluttershy away from the princess did she actually move, her movements slow and robotic. As they walked away, she almost missed the word whispered from the pegasus' lips.

"...coward..."

Luna could only stare after them in disbelief. She had learned of Fluttershy's nature through the letters her sister shared from Twilight, which spoke leagues of Fluttershy's shy and timid, yet sweet and lively nature. So kind...so loving...such a pure, innocent soul, now broken and beaten within an inch of its life, nothing more than a hollow shell of its former light.

A deep, cold ball of fury formed in her chest, as she glared toward the forest.

That monster will pay for this.

Spreading her wings, she took to the sky for her ancient home in the Everfree. As she flew above the burned canopy, her magic flowed from her horn down her body, forming out into separate pieces along her head, neck, chest, back, and legs. These blobs of sparkling magic aura formed and harden into black armor forged from an ancient metal lost of Equestria today, shaping itself into leg guards, a winged chest plate, neck plating, and a helmet, all resembling the armor she wore as Nightmare Moon. As her flowing mane was tied back at the base of her helmet, a large, double-sided sword formed by her side, with a navy-blue handle with wings for the hand-guards.

She glanced at the sword flying by her side, recalling the last time she had flown to war with this armor. Not since she and her sister faced against Sombra...

She put those thoughts away, steeling herself for the battle to come...but nothing could prepare her either for the sight that befell her the moment she arrived: the sight of the Ancient Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters...her old home, now transformed into this. At first glance at the now decimated, ash-covered ruins and the enormous, energized crystals that had formed about it, she briefly believed that Sombra HAD returned, but she realized that couldn't be it. The crystals themselves were much different than the ones Sombra created: these were unlike any she had seen before; smooth, glassy, glowing like giant stars fallen to the planet and blazing with energy, unlike the dark, black, rocky formations that sucked the life out of their surroundings that the dark unicorn was infamous for.

Yet, there was something strangely familiar about them.

'What in Equestria was Twilight thinking when she agreed to stay?!' Luna exclaimed mentally as she landed at the entrance of the ruins, the one that had been smashed opened by the beast, giving Luna a good estimate of its size as she passed through it. 'Did her encounter with Sahqoyol teach her nothing?!'

That was a decent point: certainly her little venture to the mountain and the red drake nesting there would've taught her better when it came to facing dragons...but apparently not, despite her letters describing the frightening encounter. Luna herself had been both horrified and outraged, demanding explanation from her sister: What was Celestia thinking, sending six normal teenage mares to confront a bucking dragon?! This was clearly a job for the Royal Equestrian Army, not a group of untrained, unarmed fillies! The current captain of the Canterlot Unicorn Guard was quite willing to agree, apparently being related to young Twilight herself. The fact that they were the Elements of Harmony made it even worse: if even just one of them had been killed by it, then the Elements would've been lost to oblivion once more, and who knew when they would return?

But as it turned out, Celestia's own hooves had been tied in the mess at the time: ever since the Elements had been unearthed and Nightmare Moon defeated, the Court of Canterlot had been in an uproar; the sun alicorn had nearly been driven crazy by the outrageous complaints what passed as Equestria's 'Government' had been raising. It was all the same: 'What would these bearers do to us?' 'Why didn't the Elements choose someone of 'gifted lineage'?' 'What will these commoners do with them?' 'What will happen to our wealth and power?'

Not one question came out of their lips that hadn't been about anything other than themselves, their power, or their wealth.

Then word of the dragon reached Celestia, in the form of the panicked pegasus messenger who came crashing into the room mid-court, screaming his head off about it. Celestia made the move to call for the royal guard, but before she could even send the order, she was interrupted by the slur of a stallion that Luna had come to despise: Lord Blueblood, of the house by the same name.

The father of our current waste of flesh Prince Blueblood, Lord 'Blackheart' Blueblood, as he had been secretly dubbed by Celestia, was (in Luna's opinion) possibly one of the worst stallions in the history of Equestria, surpassed only by Sombra himself. Openly tribalist and egotistical, he was dangerous for a noble: whereas his son was nothing more than a lazy, prissy, pretty-boy fattened by daddy's money, 'Blackheart' was far more cunning, ambitious, and downright despicable. More than once, he had made a move against his fellow nobles, those close to their houses, and even the crown itself to further his goals, but had the notorious skill of escaping punishment, either through slithering out of the proof, or pulling strings throughout Canterlot.

From the moment Luna returned he sought to find some way to either ruin or  dispose of the Element Bearers so they wouldn't be a threat to his influence, or worse, to use them to his own gain. And this moment played right into his plans: before Celestia could issue the order, he proposed to send the elements to deal with it. After all, as he said to the whole court before him, they had dealt with Nightmare Moon; surely they could deal with one dragon. And if they couldn't, then how was Equestria suppose to trust them or Celestia's judgement/faith in them?

His family being one of the last true relations to Celestia was the ONLY reason the sun alicorn didn't vaporize him on the spot.

And the fact that Sahqoyol was a dragon more tolerating of ponies was the only reason she even went along with his outrageous idea, despite its weight: stupid beyond belief or not, it was a fair argument, and she would be sure that the whole of Canterlot's filth would send Equestria into a panic if she didn't go along with it.

So, as much as she wanted to strangle that inbred bastard with her bare hooves, she sent the task for Twilight and her friends to solve, praying that the tree would keep them safe. Thankfully, her prayers were answered, and thanks to Fluttershy's skills with creatures, the dragon left without harming a single pony, and Celestia had the honor of rubbing her salty smugness in Lord Blueblood's injured pride.

But if anything should've came from that experience, it should've been a good sense of caution when it came to dealing with dragons.

'Apparently not!' Luna grumbled as she ascended the stairs leading to north wing of the palace; she was following the magical signature of the young unicorn's magic, like metal to a magnet. 'Note to self: once Lady Sparkle has been rescued, put her up for the Royal Guard's Draconic Resistance Training Program!'

But that idea would have to wait, for she had reached her destination...one that brought back memories of a time that had long past, but one that she was part of. The north wing of the palace was once her own private corners when she and Celestia had lived there; as she stood before the carved doorway, images of a once-happier time played through her mind, of a life she had long left behind. It had been in this very room where she had earned her cutie mark, aiding her sister in her duties by raising the moon and painting the stars for the first time.

Twilight Sparkle was in the room, sleeping upon the tattered and moldy stuffing of the mattress of Luna's old bed, which had been ravaged by the forces of time and the elements; apart from her messy fur, a few scuffs here and there, and a bandaged foreleg, she looked no worse for wear, even peaceful as she slept...regardless of what laid next to her. Behind her, with it's long form coiled around the entire room, thundering breaths rumbling from its massive lungs, and purple scales shimmering in the moonlight, slept the very dragon that the ponies had described.

Luna couldn't believe...how crazy ponies could be this days!

This was it? This was the 'monstrous beast' that had left the entire village in an inner panic?! It was nothing more than a wyrmling, barely half the size of a full grown adult! It probably was no older than Twilight by dragon standards, mid-to-late-teens at best. True, it was possibly the most intimidating dragon she had ever seen, if only by appearance (must be a new breed, which would explain Twilight's desire to stay and study it), but that was all it had going for it; she could feel a decent amount of inner power within the creature, but it felt...confined. Pressed down. Hidden away. Most likely it hadn't unlocked it's true potential yet...

She knew what was going on: This was probably a first-blood wyrmling who had gotten lost from the migration path during whatever storm caused the chaos outside, and had taken refugee in the ruins. And given the mortal ponies habit of over-exaggerating ever little detail, they probably believed it to have created the storm and 'came from another world' and all that nonsense.

And Celestia said Twilight was of brilliant mind...

She knew she should be grateful that there was no true threat...but she couldn't help but feel a tad disappointed. This could've been her big chance; to slay the evil monster in battle and earn the love and respect of her subjects that she had lacked for so long (at least the ones from Ponyville)...but to slay this...wouldn't be fair sport; like beating up a helpless filly half her size...

She huffed in frustration, kicking a stone away with her hoof. She had summoned her armor and weapons for nothing; and that had been a cool entrance, too.

Still, she should see if Twilight was well, and not in any fear or danger (as well as ask what the buck she was thinking when she stayed?!) before getting this spooky little runt to leave pony territory.

Dispelling her sword with a burst of magic, she quietly approached the two before laying herself down next to the purple unicorn, who moaned softly in her sleep as she was shifted slightly, but remained asleep. Luna paused, waiting for her to calm down, before lowering her head and touching her horn to Twilight's forehead, connecting the minds and allowing the alicorn to enter the dream of Celestia's most faithful student.

It was a beautiful day in PonyVille. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and all of PonyVille was out and about enjoying the beautiful weather.

Suddenly a dark shadow fell over the village, and out of nowhere a monstrous, enormous dragon flew in, landing in front of the Main Hall, where everyone was gathered for no real reason whatsoever. It was an adult Equestrian Dragon that resembled the purple dragon sleeping next to her, complete with purple scales, golden horns and tail blade, red wings, and angry eyes.

The mayor stepped forward to start a greeting, but the dragon growled.

"YOU HAVE MISSPELLED MY NAME! I WARNED YOU OF MY ARRIVAL, AND HERE YOU HAVE BLATANTLY DEFIED MY GOOD WILL WITH THIS!"

He pointed at one small banner, which read: 'Welcome to Ponyville, Jendov'

Carrot Top! When would she learn to write smaller?

"THIS DISGRACEFUL ACT ENRAGES ME! I DEMAND A SACRIFICE!"

"You heard the dragon!" The mayor yelled. "Who is the oldest and fairest virgin in Ponyville?"

Several dozen hooves pointed at Twilight. The unicorn went stiff in shock, yet she could swear she heard Spike wailing "Rarity! NOOOOOOOOOOO!" somewhere.

"Sorry, Twilight. Need of the many and all!" The mayor announced and clapped her hooves. Several strong stallions grabbed the student of friendship and dragged her to a post with shackles that had appeared out of nowhere. Just like the innocent yet revealing white dress she was suddenly wearing.

Twilight was shackled to the post as the dragon closed in on her, hunger and evil in his eyes. "Help!" the shackled pony yelled. "Help! I don't want to be eaten!"

"NOBODY CAN HELP YOU NOW!" The dragon growled evilly.

"I can!"

"WHO DARES?"

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight cheered as a well known form dropped out of the sky in front of her.

"I shall rescue you, my most faithful and attractive student!" the princess announced, wearing heavy yet revealing golden armor and shin guards. Her tiara was replaced with a heavy crown-helmet combination. "Prepare to taste my MIND BULLETS!"

Celestia's horn lit up with magic, and small rainbow spheres shot from it and hit the dragon. The monster dramatically grabbed its chest. "OH NO, I AM UNDONE!"

It fell over, landing right next to Twilight and Celestia with a crash, who freed her student.

"Now, let us see who this dragon truly is!" the Goddess of the Sun and Princess of Equestria announced boldly. The head of the monster glowed in telepathic magic and was pulled off!

"The Great and Powerful Trixie!" the whole place said in unison.

"It was her plan to dress up as the dragon and capture you, my smart and sexy student!" Celestia explained. "Then she would force you to work as her stage hand, manager and sensual massage mare."

"And the Great and Powerful Trixie would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you meddling ponies and your dumb owl!"

"Hoo!"

"Now that you are safe, my well organized and flexible Twilight, why don't we go somewhere private and you help me out of this armor?" Celestia asked, nuzzling her student gently.

Synthesizer music started to play...

"WHAT IN THE NINE LEVELS OF TARTARUS ARE THOU DOING WITH MY SISTER?!"

Twilight was only centimeters from lip-locking with the sun alicorn when the entire dream realm was shattered from reality, the very existence being torn asunder by the voice that boomed through the cosmos; the village, the Trixie dragon, Celestia, all of it exploded as if made of glass, shattering into shards of subconsciousness before disintegrating into nothingness. Twilight, now torn from her blissful subconscious, looked around in confusion, awe, and a bit of panic as it all disappeared around her, turning into a endless starry void. And standing before her was Princess Luna herself, adorned in black battle armor, looking as if she had seen a ghost...or some really steamy porn, if her wing boner was anything to judge by.

"P...Princess Luna?" Twilight squeaked, still confused as heck. "What's going on?"

Luna grimaced, shaking with the shivers and blushing like mad as she tried to repel the image from her mind, but it was no use; it would haunt her dreams for the rest of her ethereal life.

"Never...never again." She murmured.

"Umm...are you okay, princess?"

Luna gave her head a good shake, slapping the images away, and folded her wings back to her sides as she looked down to the troubled unicorn. "We...we are perfectly fine, young Twilight." She assured her. "We just need a moment to recover from the...i-imagery." She scowled. "Thou has quite a disturbed realm of subconscious, young filly."

Twilight's ears perked up. "Realm of Subconscious...wait...this is a dream? But...you're not part of it?"

"Of course not." Luna stated, a bit impressed the pony was able to learn that on her own. "This is our Dream Walking state, which we use to fulfill our nightly duties."

As if a switch had flipped, Twilight suddenly exploded with joy. "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh!" She squealed. "This means all the old Legends of the Dream Guiders are true!" She began to bounce around with a child-like excitement, much to the confusion of the moon princess. "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, I knew it! In your face, Moon Dancer! In! Your! Face! Oh, I has so many questions: Are the Dream Guiders still around? How many of you are there? Are there really laws regarding the Dream Walking ability? Do they use their abilities to extract information from enemies? How-"

She was interrupted by a sliver-shoed hoof stuffing into her mouth, making her cheeks bulge out.

"Would Thou cease thy constant prattle for one second?!" Luna just about snarled in frustration; when Twilight nodded, she removed her hoof. "Do you even know why I've come to you on this night, or have you forgotten the fact that you are currently sleeping next to a fifty foot dragon?!"

Twilight's eyes widened in realization. "...the girls sent you, didn't they?"

"In a sense, yes."

This, however, had the opposite effect Luna was expecting. "Oh, no. Oh, nonononononono!" She did a little fidgety dance on her hooves, looking about nervously. "You have to leave, now, before he knows you're here!"

The alicorn blanched in surprise. "Excuse us?" She exclaimed, somewhat offended. "We came to rescue thee! A bit of gratit-"

"I don't need rescuing! I stayed at my own will!" Twilight hissed, keeping her voice down. "Look, I'm glad that you're trying to help and all that, but this really isn't the time; if my friends said anything about his power, it's true! You need to go before he wakes up, for your sake, not mine!"

Now Luna was personally offended, an angry glare forming on her face. "Are thou implying that this dragon can defeat us; we who have defeated dragons more than *three times his size in the past?!" She nearly shouted. "We've detected his power before we came; it is unlocked and minimal at best!"*

"No he's not! He's only compressing it inside himself to keep the excess energies from killing me!"

The realm went deathly quiet.

"I've felt the power that radiates from him at full; my horn nearly exploded from the sheer amount of it alone!" She continued, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. "I've seen and felt what he is and what he can do! We all have! All my life I've held your sister and you and the greatest, strongest ponies in Equestria...but now, after what I've seen tonight...I'm not sure anymore." She paused a moment before shaking the emotions away. "Please, you have to go! He'll kill anyone who enters the ruins besides Pinkie and myself-!"

"SILENCE!" Luna's royal voice boom through the cosmos, knocking Twilight off her hooves; the lunar princess' eyes blazed with a brilliant white light, a familiar force of incredible magic coursing through the air and Twilight's horn in her rage. *"WE SHALL STOMACH NOT ANOTHER OF THY DISGRACEFUL SLANDER! DOES THOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THIS HALF-AGED*** WYRMLING IS MORE POWERFUL THAN THE GODDESSES OF THE DAY AND NIGHT *THEMSELVES?!"* She scowled angrily, her power dimming down in a cool fury. *"And our sister gives thy 'faith' in her such high respect...and we gave you our hope...well, thou can be sure that we won't after this day! Once we have this animal's head mounted over our mantle, We will see to it that thou are stripped of thy title and duties as my sister's student! We'll see how thy deluded fantasies shall be after this!"***

Then the entire realm went white.

Severing her connection to Twilight's mind with more magical force than necessary, Luna huffed in anger and disgrace as she awoke and stood up, glaring at the pony at her hooves. This was the pony that Celestia took so much pride and love in? One that would denounce her strength following the next big disaster? She and her sister were the gods of Equestria! Their magical power of the sun and moon were unmatched throughout all of Equestria, and the sheer threat of it alone was enough to keep all other races from raising the blades of war against their ponies...and yet this ungrateful whelp believed that this overgrown lizard could defeat her?! Such words would've earned her a lifetime of exile back in her time, if not the chopping block!

With an angered huff, she flashed her horn and cast a spell over Twilight's form; a simple sleeping spell, one that would keep the unicorn asleep until sunrise. She didn't want the weakling getting in her way, or to see what was coming next. Given how disturbed she was with the concept of a fight, it would be best that she didn't see her slay the beast directly. She kept her stern glare on the sleeping unicorn, who's face began to wrinkle with trouble and concern; no doubt the fear of her future or false concern for her princess was keeping her from peaceful rest.

'Good.' Luna growled mentally, her sword re-materializing beside her. 'She should be worried, for once we are done here, she will never so much as step hoof in Canterlot itself ever again!'

"And you wonder why your subjects hate you."

That voice...that deep...predatory...primordial growl...tore deep into her heart as well as her mind, sparking a deep-rooted, ancient fear within her chest; a fear of the likes that she, as a supposed 'Goddess', shouldn't feel. The same fear her subjects were feeling.

The Fear of Prey.

Then a flare of power shot through the room, piercing almost painfully through Luna's horn, along with a golden, fire-like glow that lit up the dark room like a campfire would. She quickly turned around to face the dragon again; it still laid across the floor, having not moved at all since when she first saw it...but this time, its eyes were open and locked on her.

And those eyes...they were the eyes of destruction itself; the eyes of one who had destroyed hundreds, if not thousands, in its lifetime, destroying anything in its path as a simple act of life, walking away without a single drop of remorse. These were different than the eyes of a normal predator or monster, like a wolf, bear, or Hydra, which were creatures of instincts; despite their primal appearance, they were full of sapience, emotion, and knowledge. The ability to analyze their prey and plan the attack, along with the ability to take pleasure in drawing blood and crushing bone, and to choose who died and who didn't.

She had only seen eyes like these only once before: a demon centaur that now spent his days rotting in the pits of Tartarus...but even he lacked something that this young dragon had.

Rage.

Deep within the eyes of this...this monster, masked by his cold, reptilian face and primal yet sapient stare was a deep, burning rage. A fury of the likes the alicorn had never sensed before, not even in the eyes of Sombra or Tirek. It was contained at the moment, cooled by a strong will and calm surroundings, but it thrashed and roared like a blazing inferno; it was so strong it was physically manifesting itself in the form of the golden flame burning out of his eyes, licking the edges of his eyelids, just waiting for even the tiniest excuse to unleash itself. It wasn't even like someone who tried to fight it yet it burned on: it was as if this dragon was the rage itself, deliberately waiting for anything to go off...the tiniest insult or attack, or even the pettiest of excuses...anything, as if it wanted to get angry, just for the chance to unleash its full wrath and power upon the world, and completely incinerate everything in its path.

And right now, all that rage was directed at her.

Luna could only swallow nervously, her fear filling her eyes even as she tried to stand her ground. Perhaps Twilight and her friends had been onto something before...

On the other end, a certain dragon's heart may have been blazing with volcanic rage, but his mind was once again fast in work, analyzing this newcomer down to every little detail.

First thing he noticed was that she was neither a unicorn, pegasi, or 'normal horse', but what he guessed to be a combination of all three, with both wings and a horn. She was also larger than the other ponies he had seen, standing about head and neck taller and a few good feet longer than the other ponies. Both the soft, silky fur and smooth, lace-like feathers were a deep navy-blue in color, minus a large splotch of pure black that covered her lower back, hips, rear, thighs, and upper hind legs, as if someone had splashed her with a large blob of ink. Her body and facial structure, while still short, squishy, and human-like, was more like a true equine's than the others, possessing a more horse-like muzzle and body build. Her body also seemed...lanky: the young-looking face, larger eyes, long, skinny limbs, and skin almost stretched over a tall frame suggested she was a younger member of her species, not a true adult yet. Her mane and tail appeared to be made...of a small galaxy: Her long, magically flowing hair and tail appeared in be made of pure liquid magic, dark night-blue in color, and full of sparkling white dots resembling stars; it was as if she had a piece of the night for hair. Her wings were not like those of the pegasi: instead of the feathered wings of a bird, this pony had large, leathery bat wings, with the normal four wing fingers and one free thumb, possessing a dark-blue membrane with thousands of bio-luminescent dots covering the rims, resembling stars; these were matched with a pair of large, fork-tipped, bat-like ears and a webbed, fin-like tail rudder, further confirming the fact she was a creature of the night. Her horn was also longer and larger in comparison to a normal unicorn's, curving upwards like Twilight's did, while her hooves were solid like a earth pony's, and appeared to be made of light-blue crystal. Her teal-blue eyes were probably the most attention-grabbing part of her: the irises seemed to almost glow with the otherworldly light of the moon, while the pupil where slightly slitted in shape, though not as much as Spyro's. They were eyes that seemed out of place, those that had viewed the world at a much older time, and looked upon the modern era in confusion yet gratefulness...as if she was thankful to be here, yet didn't know how to fit in. And finally, her cutie mark was the symbol of a crescent moon.

Conclusion:...he needed no conclusion this time. For he already knew who she was.

His glare narrowed as he lifted his head off the floor, raising it up only slightly, just high enough to meet her eye level. "What business do you have trespassing in MY domain, Nightmare Moon*?"* He growled, his deep, growling voice sending tremors through her flesh.

Being addressed as her darker self was enough to snap her out of her fear-induced trance, and she scowled in her own anger. "We might ask of you the same question." She snapped in turn, sword at the ready. "What business does a wyrmling have within Equestrian borders terrorizing our subjects in such a manner?"

The dragon's gaze lingered on the sword hovering between them for a while before returning his glare at her...then he hissed a dark, cruel laugh, cold sadism filling his voice.

"You mean your sister's *subjects."*

Any fear she felt was burned to cinders in her flare of her own rage, her eyes briefly flashing white with the emotion.

"Don't act so undignified; it's nothing you don't deserve, Traitor*."* Spyro growled the last word, the glow of his eyes flaring in response. "The Tree told me all about your true *self, and of what you've done to your world and family."*

Luna's heart skipped a beat, her anger faltering in surprise. The Tree...this dragon knew of the tree! "Do not even dare speak of the Tree, reptile! Why in the realms of Eqqus would the very incarnation of light and harmony itself ever speak to a beast such as you!"

Spyro said nothing; he simply continued to stare sternly yet silently at her for a long, tense moment.

Then he shifted his limbs beneath him before slowly rising up on all fours to full height, now towering over the princess, before turning his head and lowering his gaze down to Twilight Sparkle. The young unicorn was now whimpering in her sleep, soft sobs escaping her lips as tears leaked from her closed eyes and ran down her cheeks. The poor pony was going through her own hell: once Luna had left, her dream realm shifted back to normal, but now as a nightmare.

It was all playing out: first Celestia, following Luna's demands, would strip her of her title as student. Then her family would disown her, not wanting to face the princess's wrath...they would take Spike from her...her friends would abandon her...she would be kicked out from her house...out of Ponyville...and finally be banished into the Everfree by society, to meet her death at the claws of the monsters that lived there.

Her fears were greatly exaggerated, to the point most would laugh...but Spyro didn't. Not even once.

Silly or not, over-reacting or not, this girl was living out her worse nightmare come true; the fears that had haunted her every day and drove her to live her life in this manner, and as far as she was concerned, they were finally fulfilled.

"This *is how you thank those who seek to help you?"* He growled, rage and hatred blazing in his voice, as he shot Luna another soul-rending glare. "By bringing forth their worst fears into light, and threatening to strip them of what they love?!"

Luna, with pride swallowing any sense of remorse or fear, scowled with indignity, as if she had been wrongly accused of a crime. "She doubted and mocked our might." She spat. "To even suggest that We, the goddess of the night, would fall to a hatchling like you is blasphemy of the highest degree! During our former reign, such actions were punished by a visit to the chopping block! Our sister may have softened our kingdom with her bleeding heart during our absence, but we will not take any disgrace from anyone, not even from the likes of her. I promise you both, one way for another, the heretic Twilight Sparkle will pay for insulting our honor!"

The sheer fury of the narrowed glare Spyro gave her would've been enough to kill a weaker mortal on the spot.

He growled, shifting his reptilian body to face the alicorn in an more imposing stance. **"She truly thought that you were in danger and sought to protect you. She wanted to keep you* safe, out of fear of losing someone she cared for and* respected..." His voice had slowly shifted back to mortal tone, all the while his glare and stance softening as he turned to look down upon the whimpering mare next to him. "...she was even willing to go against everything she believed with all her heart to help you; to turn her back against everything she knew her whole life because, even though you've done her wrong on an unforgivable scale, she cared enough to stay by your side, even when she had every right to fear and hate you."

He then lowered his head down to Twilight's sleeping yet sobbing form...and closed the distance; a soft, rumbling purr drummed from Spyro's throat as he muzzled the pony's head with a gentleness that shouldn't have been possible for a creature of that size and ferocity. The pony stiffen in subconscious fear...but slowly she relaxed, her sobs slowly dying as the gentle nuzzle calm her down, assuring her that she was safe. Soon she stopped crying altogether, humming softly as she snuggled in her bedding.

And as he comforted his young pony, it just vanished. His rage; all that primal fury...all that blood-lust and destruction...all that hate...just...gone, like the fire from his eyes, which died down into a soft glow. Disappearing into his body, allowing another emotion to take its place.

Care.

"That is a true form of kindness and love," Spyro said softly, his voice purring with his thrumming. "One that is not often found in mortal or dovah hearts. Andeven though I've known this female only for a few hours, I can honestly say I'm glad to have met her, and grateful that, even after what I've done, she would show that kindness to me."

Luna watched in disbelief; the moment was impossible...yet so surreal...she couldn't help but just stand there and watch.

How could this be? A dragon, a predator and destroyer of ponies, evil incarnate, showing affection and care for one it no doubt considered beneath itself? If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed it. Especially after all that primal fury she had seen before...

What was this creature?

He continued to nuzzle and purr Twilight until she was, once again, sleeping peacefully. The care and affection he was showing abruptly vanished as quickly as it arrived, the familiar flames of rage bursting from the dragon's eyes as he glared death at Luna once more.

"...but then you come around. You, who has no right to judge anyone for anything, *were given the same love, and you spit upon it as if it were dirt."* He snarled with a dark, cold fury. "Have you already forgotten what she has done for you; a salvation of the likes which you'll never be able to repay, Nightmare Moon? One. Thousand. Years. Of the greatest form of torturous exile in the universe, and you've learned nothing.

You are every bit as spoiled and petty as the day you betrayed your kingdom and tried to murder your own blood!"

"SILENCE!" Luna shrieked; with a flash of white, her sword was sent shooting through the air at incredible speed, intent on impaling the dragon's head.

Acting on reflexes faster than mortal creatures can comprehend, Spyro lunged forward with even greater speed and snatched the sword with his jaws, like a snake catching a mouse. With a predatory snarl, he then proceeded to crush the sword between his jaws with a mighty crunch; the crystalline blade shattered like glass between the dagger-like teeth, scattering to the floor before dispelling into blue arcane dust.

He paused a moment, rolling his tongue across his teeth at the taste of the dust lingering on them; it tasted a bit like Traptanium, a common and extremely-powerful physical manifestation of magic in Skylands...though if it were true Traptanium, it wouldn't have broken under even his bite.

Interesting, though, that these 'Equestrians' would have a similar element like it, if only a fraction as powerful.

"DO NOT SPEAK ANOTHER WORD OF OUR PAST TRANSGRESSIONS!" The princess all but roared; the entire room shook from the power of her voice, dust raining down from the rafters. "AND DO NOT ACCUSE US OF CRIMES THAT THOU HAVE COMMITTED ALSO, OR HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE PEGASUS WHOSE SOUL THOU HAVE TORN APART, AND THE OTHERS THOU TERRORIZED?! WE HAVE COME TO AVENGE THEIR INNOCENCE, AND TO SEE THOU NEVER SETS CLAW UPON EQUESTRIAN SOIL AGAIN!"

Spyro merely narrowed his gaze even further, unaffected by the Royal Canterlot Voice. "They brought it upon themselves." He growled darkly, swishing his tail in a serpentine fashion. "Whereas she approached me with respect and good will, they outright attacked me out of malice and biased prejudice." He paused, as if thinking it over for the first time; his eyes seemed to shift to an animalistic glaze, before reverting back to a burning fury. "They have no one else to blame for it, and I will not take any *kind of 'punishment' or disssssgrace for standing against petty wretches like them."*

He then bent his head down and picked Twilight up with his teeth by the scruff of her neck, in the same manner a cat would a kitten. The sleeping pony moaned softly at the action, but Luna's spell held fast as she remained asleep even as she was lifted off the ground and carried by the dragon over to the far wall, near the doorway they had used to enter the wing of the palace, and set her upon the ground at least fifty feet from her original spot...out of the way for what Luna should've seen coming.

Spyro stood there for a moment, gently nudging the pony with his snout to make sure she was fine; once he was certain of that, he backed away from her...and spun himself a complete 360 degrees, swinging his entire body and tail as a living weapon by his arms and wings, tearing out the entire walls of the castle tower with a powerful rumble. So fast and powerful was this attack, Luna couldn't even react before she took the full force of his thick, saurian tail slamming into her.

In that one split millisecond, time seemed to slow down as the tail smashed into her; a thick column of muscles stronger and more solid than stone, covered in diamond-hard scales, being swung at her with a speed and force that no Equestrian creature could match: a force strong enough to pulverize an alicorn's bones. Pain of the kind she hadn't felt before tore through her body like lightning as the blow shattered all the ribs, right limbs, and pelvis along her right side, and smashed all the organs along that side into paste; it took all she had to keep from passing out of the spot, even as the breath was forced out of her lungs in the form of a loud, ear-tearing, soul-rending scream of agony.

This all happened in one split millisecond. At normal speed, there was a brief explosion of red and blue before the alicorn was sent rocketing through the far wall at the speed of a fired cannonball; from outside the towers, the wall appeared to explode outwards in a blast of stone, dirt and wood as she came through, careening through the air above the courtyard before crashing into the stony path a good couple hundred feet from the tower like a meteor. The ground exploded in a continuous flurry of dirt and cobblestone as she tore through it in a skidding fashion, only stopping when she crashed into the far wall with a powerful slam.

What remained of the tower's roof and walls exploded forth as the dragon came barreling through, bounding down from above and landing upon the wall overlooking the courtyard like a leopard leaping from a tree. As his claws clamped upon the stone, his inner fire once again exploded forth from his chest and spread across his body and wings, transforming him once more into a demonic fiery beast with rune-covered wings.

The dragon showed his true power, and Luna realized she had made a terrible mistake.

(1) "NUV FEN ZU'U VOS DII ZEYMAHZINNE WAH KOS FOLAASUS PENTAAR NALL AAN RENEK, MEYAR-VIILTKEI WIIZAAN MED HEI!

"YOU. WILL. BUUUURN*!"*

With an explosion of sheer, fiery rage and power, his body exploded with flames as he reared back on his hind legs, leapt forward in a pounce, claws extended and throat blazing with fire, and roared.

Every pony and creature in Ponyville, the Everfree, and even as far as Canterlot would never forget that sound for as long as they lived. A loud, deep, primal, draconic roar of pure rage and ferocity, one that should've been silenced long ago by the very creation of civilization; no mortal creature in existence could ever create such a horrific bellow of pure primal rage. A fury and hatred so fierce...so ancient...so powerful...

The roar of a true dragon.

Applejack's heart leapt into her mouth as the roar tore through the night sky; the ponies that were aiding her in cleaning up Ponyville froze for a few full seconds before they went into a panic, screaming in fear and running about like a bunch of chickens, ironically causing even more damage.

After she had made sure her siblings and grandmother were safe, she had returned to town to get to work. It had been at least five hours since they first set out to the ruins, but only two hours since they returned. Sunrise was when the dragon said he would come, and it would only be about another hour until then. Pinkie Pie had done a surprisingly decent job of explaining to the townsfolk what had happened and what they needed to do. Of course, there was more than just a tension in the air, but under the guidance of the ponies who defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord, the town more or less regained a since of order, and Applejack herself had rallied up a group of able-bodied ponies to clean up the damage and get everything ready for tomorrow.

But now she began to realize just how deep in hot water she and all of Equestria really was.

Although...there was still that little bit that she had seen before they had left: when Rainbow Dash and Twilight made up for what happened before-hand. He had crushed Rainbow's spirit like a bug under a hoof, and showed absolutely no remorse for it...and yet, by doing that, he had set the stage for her to open her heart and let Twilight in. Applejack knew the pegasus well enough to know that she would've never dropped the cool act and admitted she was wrong otherwise, so the dragon made it so she had no other choice.

It was cruel and harsh beyond belief...but it worked to mend a broken friendship.

It was very confusing, and left the orange earth pony torn and conflicted.

But there was one thing she knew for sure. That dragon...that...living force of nature...it was leagues above them in all ways, shapes, and forms. She could feel it in the earth as he walked. Hear it in the deep, thundering growl of his breath. And see it the fiery, primal rage that burned in those reptilian eyes.

This was what true dragons were meant to be. And had always been.

The lizards that lived in their world...the soft, quivering wyrms that bawled their eyes out before a simple pegasus...they were disgraces to their very kind.

This true titan of the skies...this harbinger of flame and destruction...this living incarnation of nature's freedom and wrath...he was the true meaning of strength and power...he showed just how small and helpless ponies really were...and now he had laid claim to their soft little world, brought forth by the Elements of Harmony themselves. Ponykind had their shot at ruling the very land and skies through  the power of the elements...but they proved themselves unworthy, and thus a new champion was chosen.

They brought him here to fix the chaos that both Discord and Ponykind had wrought...and to bring forth a new natural order to this world...

...or perhaps to restore a natural order that had long been lost?

Who knew?

Either way, Equestria was never going to be the same again.

She whimpered softly as she adjusted her hat to cover her face, praying to whatever gods were out there for Twilight's safety...and their own. Come sunrise, Equestria would enter a new age: an age where the corruption of this world would be cleansed in dragonfire, and reforged anew in the image of the dragon. Ponies would either have to accept him and his rule, or they would burn alongside the rest of the world.

The Age of Fire had begun.

Fluttershy nearly had a heart attack when the roar erupted from the forest, the organ furiously pumping in her chest as she bolted under the broken rubble of her smashed couch, trembling with terror.

Since Rarity had dropped her off, she and the critters that had survived managed to remove the tree that had crashed into the cottage (mainly thanks to Harry the Bear and his relatives), and now she had been tending to the wounds of those who had survived but had been injured. She had just finished tending to a mouse with a broken leg, and the happiness he and his family showed and almost been enough to soothe the pegasus' broken heart, but then the roar scared her back into hiding.

She laid there, whimpering in fear as she covered her teary eyes with her hooves, as that one dark word continued to echo in her mind.

Fluttershy had been called many things in her life: scaredy-pony, chicken, wimp, fluttercry, wuss, and the likes. These had been either the mocking of bullies, or the teasing of friends, but either way none of them held any true weight anymore; years of receiving them had dulled the once painful words into simple emptiness. But that one word had stabbed directly through the built-up barrier and pierced her very soul.

Coward.

In all her years, and all the ponies she had met, no one had ever called her a coward , and it stung worse than anything she had ever felt before.

And deep down...she knew it was true.

She was a coward. That was it. All that was needed to be said, for she knew it was the truth. She was a coward when her friends were forced to drag her up to the dragon's mountain, and she was a coward when she abandoned them out of fear for her worthless self. The only reason she could even stand up for them in the end was because she had the Stare to back her up. It had always been her backup plan; her secret weapon, when all else failed, and with it she felt she could stand up against anything for her friends, despite her fear.

But tonight? That...monster...had won; he stood up and laughed at what made all other dragons flee. He stared right back at her, tore through that stern facade, and ripped out the true pony that was hiding from the world, revealing her to be what she really was.

A Coward.

Her whimpers turned into outright sobs, tears running down her cheeks as her heart broke for the second time that night. Her critters gathered around her to comfort her as she wept, gently caressing her with their paws of petting her mane. But it was no use; she couldn't bring herself to face the beast. He will come, and change the very world, and all she could do was hide.

For that's what cowards do.

Pinkie Pie awoke with a jolt of surprise, nearly tumbling out of bed, as the windows to her bedroom rattled with a loud, scary roar; when she and the others got back, she had taken it upon herself to tell everypony about Spyro and his big debut tomorrow (as she was convinced the others wouldn't tell the whole truth, especially that mean lair-pants Dashie). Sure, everypony had been really scared, but if there was one thing Pinkie prided herself upon, it was handling tough situations and turning frowns upside-down. So, once everypony had calmed down and Applejack started getting everybody working on fixing up the town for the big day tomorrow, Pinkie was outright exhausted, even after all those doughnuts she had shoveled in before-hand, and decided to go the bed...until the roar woke her up, that is.

She groaned, slapping a hoof over her face. She knew this would happen; she tried to tell Luna to leave Spyro alone, but noooo...now she was going to have to work extra-hard tomorrow to get her new dragon buddy to feel welcome, because she was sure as snail-snot that nopony else was gonna even try.

With a tired sigh (That sounded like a kazoo), she flopped back into her poofy, cake-styled bed and stared up at the sprinkle-covered ceiling with a dopey frown. Why was everybody so mean to that poor dragon-wagon? He didn't do anything wrong, other than just being a dragon, and yet that was enough to turn everypony into complete jerks! Sure, he got all mad and flame-y at them, and may have made Dashie cry, but that was because Dashie started it by tiring to kick him in the face!

Though an apology for making her cry would be nice, anyway.

She frowned, this time in a surprisingly serious manner; what on earth was eating Dashie tonight? That was outright mean, to both Spyro and Twilight! The only other time she had seen the pegasus act that way was with that other dragon on the mountain...well, sure he didn't have a sense of humor, but that didn't mean he deserved to get kicked in the nose. That really hurts!

Maybe Dashie was racists against dragons? She hoped not.

This wasn't good at all; couldn't the girls see that this was all really important? Come on: the Elements of Harmony themselves brought him here; it must be for a really important reason! And Pinkie may not have known the main reason, but she knew another good one:

To help everybody get their smiles back.

The world was all dark and gloomy now, after what that really big meanie-pants Discord did to everybody, and all of her friends were still sad and gloomy themselves. She had seen it in their eyes; they couldn't hear their elements anymore. That warm, fuzzy feeling...that sense of safety and friendship that the elements gave, telling them everything would be fine. They could no longer hear or feel them thanks to that big jerk Discord; his dirty tricks had really gotten to them in that maze, and no amount of parties or stain-glass windows was going to fix the damage caused to their hearts.

But the Elements had brought help. Someone to fix their world, kick the bad guy's sorry butts, and keep everypony safe from the meanies and gloom.

And that help was the big purple dragon named Spyro.

Pinkie smiled as she snuggled back into the covers, a happy smile on her face as she closed her eyes; she knew that Spyro was here to help them, even if he didn't know it himself yet, and he was going to fix Equestria. Maybe even make it better than before! And she was going to do everything in her power to help him and make him feel at home in his new world. And the first thing to do would be to prepare a big 'Welcome to Equestria, Our New Dragon Overlord' party...if she could stay awake...

*BRIIIIIIIING!*

Her eyes shot open as she suddenly sat up in bed, hitting the alarm clock with a hoof.

"Oh boy! 3:00 AM!" She squealed. She flip the covers up to reveal an entire pink-and-blue birthday cake tucked next to her side, lit candles and all; she then grabbed the cake and promptly slammed her face into it, splattering icing and cake batter everywhere, munching loudly.

This would give her the energy she needed to plan out the up-coming party...and the first party she had ever thrown for a big adult dragon ever, so she had to make it good! Something a dragon would love.

Hmmmm...she wondered who in Ponyville would make a good maiden sacrifice...

Rarity cried out in pain as the needle she was delicately running through the torn fabric jammed into the frog of her hoof; the sudden roar from outside had shaken the entire boutique, scattering and knocking over what remaining things throughout the building that weren't already, and throwing the unicorn's magical aim off the large tear in the dress she was trying to mend. After seeing poor Fluttershy home, she immediately returned to hers to start preparing the damages the portal storm had created; she wouldn't be able to finish it all tonight, but there were a few things she had to get done soon, including repairing the dresses and suits of the very important order that she would be taking to Canterlot herself in a few weeks...once she had found a place to stay while there.

She moaned softly as she sucked on her pricked hoof, glaring with righteous anger at the everfree through her window. What was that beast up to now?! Didn't he already satisfy his dragon's thirst for pain and suffering enough tonight?!

Alright, so maybe they did start off on the wrong hoof; it was wrong for Rainbow Dash to just go up and attack him like that, and it was admittedly wrong to judge him as bad and evil just because he was a dragon. In fact, she actually believed he was quite hospitable and polite for a large, brutish, and monstrous beast at first, and he only got upset after Rainbow Dash tried to outright assault and injure him, as well as when Fluttershy demeaned him by trying the Stare of him (she was impressed beyond belief that he not only resisted the Stare, but seemed completely unaffected by it). Heck, she could even excuse and even understand him attacking them like that, him being a dragon and all...but there was no excuse for what he did to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

Yes, Rainbow Dash was cruel and hurtful to Twilight, and she planned to have a few words with her about it once everyone met tomorrow for the arrival (granted the brute hadn't eaten Twilight already), and she certainly shouldn't have tried to outright attack him just because he was a dragon, but what he did to her...outright tearing her heart out and crushing it underfoot...it was...barbaric! Simply and truly barbaric!

And then Fluttershy...poor, poor Fluttershy. She practically had to drag the poor filly home, and who could blame her? She was forced to confront the very living incarnation of her deepest, darkest fear...and he crushed her very soul for her efforts. The Stare had been the one thing that gave her strength when she was scared, and it was her one defense against him as she literally stood up to face her fear...and he all but laughed at it. The one spark of hope and bravery she held onto, and he crushed just as he crushed Rainbow Dash's soul.

That horrible, horrible...monster!

...but...what could she do?

She wasn't stupid: she knew this was just the beginning. Soon he would come out of the Everfree and, if he was even a bit like the dragons in this world, would set claim to a new territory in Equestria, most likely over the entire Everfree Forest and all land surrounding it, including Ponyville. And if that display of rage and power in the castle was anything to judge by, then anyone who didn't give him the respect he demanded so fiercely for would burn. That will include anyone...including a certain white unicorn filly who had a habit of unknowingly running her mouth and offending people.

Rarity's angry, indignant huffs became a deep, weary sigh.

She would not risk it; as horrible and wretched as the creature acted, he was the one capable of leveling an entire kingdom. She was not going to risk her life or the lives of her family just to give him a piece of her mind. Besides, he seemed pleasant and well-behaved enough when he wasn't provoked, and even though she wanted to see at least an apology of some sort for being so horrible, she would try to bury the hatchet and start afresh, if only to protect herself and her family. She could only hope he had enough 'honor' to keep his word and not harm Twilight for staying behind...oh, yes, and that Luna would be able to hold her own out there...and that they themselves would be spared what was to come.

As long as he didn't hurt anyone she cared about (or try to burn down Canterlot or Manehatten), he could go off and do whatever it is dragons do; a bit selfish of her, true, but she was not going to risk her own life for somepony stupid enough to talk back to a living volcano.

But first, to fix up this mess. The first day of a new era was not going to be spent with her house looking like a Fillydelphia trash heap.

It took all of Rainbow Dash's willpower to keep from charging into the Everfree when the roar echoed across the land...that, and the massive chunk of magical crystal she was still trapped in from the wings down. After Luna left, Applejack managed to break Pinkie out of her crystal chunk with a solid buck of the hind legs, and was about to do the same to her when Pinkie demanded otherwise; she was going to actually throw a party for that...that monster, and she didn't trust Rainbow Dash to behave herself. After a bit of arguing, and discovering that the crystal would corrode and break apart on its own, the others agreed; thus a furious pegasus was dragged snarling, swearing, and screaming to the Ponyville Hot Air Balloon Stand, lifted up to her cloud-house and promptly left there on her doorstep.

Rainbow Dash had managed to scoot her way into her house, and had spent the past two hours slowly but surely breaking herself free; she had already freed her entire front half of her body and one of her wings when the roar erupted from the forest.

Angry tears pricked at her eyes as she snarled with rage and indignity, wriggling about angrily as she tried to wrench herself free. How could they do this to her?! After all they went through tonight, they were just going to sit back and let that beast roam free?! It was bad enough that they left Twilight alone with it, but Pinkie was actually going to welcome it with a party when it showed up tomorrow?!

Yeah, that was a great idea! What's the dessert, you sick pink buck? Baby ponies dipped in chocolate?!

She gave an angry shriek as she jerked back with all her might. The crystal encasing her trapped wing shattered, allowing her to yank it free, however the force of the motion threw her off balance, and she could only cry out in alarm as she toppled backwards. Thankfully, she was in front of her cutie-mark customized cloud bed, thus she had something soft to land on with a puff of cloud matter.

She laid there, huffing and puffing up a storm as she slowly calmed down, staring up at the cloudy ceiling, her mane spread out around her head as she caught her breath. It wasn't right...it wasn't right! Taking the side of that..that...that thing! And after what it did to them?! It thinks it can just come into their world, make a huge mess of Ponyville, take a part of Equestria for itself, and then outright attack and terrorize them like that, and they take its side?! How dare they?! How DARE THEY?!

The elements summoned it here, Twilight said.

Bullshit. It's all just another one of Twilight's weird beliefs, nothing more! There was no bucking way that the Elements of Harmony would summon a dragon to Equestria! They were evil, murderous monsters to the core! Every single one of 'em! And even if there was such a thing as good dragons, then he wasn't it by far!

You attacked him first.

Well, duh! What did they expect her to do when she saw that thing towering over them like he was going to attack?! And then trying to kill them was uncalled for, even after what she did! She didn't do anything to merit that.

An apology would've prevented that, you know.

The eternal battle within her, and seemingly all ambiance around her, was silenced as a very dark hatred and resolve filled her heart at that thought.

"I will die before I ever submit myself in any way to a dragon." She snarled aloud, spitting the name as if it was poison.

The tiny voice in her heart remained silent.

The hate fueling her body, she summoned all her strength into one final push with her hind legs; the crystal broke out with millions of glass-like fractures before finally shattering into a million pieces before dissolving into arcane dust. With a huff of relief, the now freed pegasus rolled back onto her bed, thoroughly exhausted. With a bit of effort, she kick her cover backs before pulling them back up over herself, shifting her body to find a comfortable position; it was clear she wasn't going to be able to get enough sleep before sunrise, and since she wouldn't be attending the party (invited or not), she might at well sleep off the day of what big disaster was coming up; screw those jerks, anyway. If that's how they thanked her help, then they can deal with the dragon themselves.

And with that thought, though she didn't notice it, the jewel of her element, which was now sitting on the side-table of her bed, faded even further.

As she turned in position, however, her gaze fell upon the same side-table she had placed her element upon...upon which sat a medium framed picture of a group of five pegasi and one earth pony standing outside the Canterlot Wonderbolt Derby Arena, warm, smiling faces all around...especially on the faces of the tomboy rainbow-maned and bashful pink-maned fillies.

"Never...never again." She muttered darkly, shifting away from the portrait and closing her eyes.

Spike froze mid-step, his body going stiff as the roar tore through the library...and through his mind. He had taken the news about what happened as well as one would expect; as they had promised, the girls had told him about what had happened: about how a new dragon had appeared in the Everfree, and that Twilight willingly stayed behind with it. Needless to stay, and as much as he usually wouldn't admit it...he was scared. The girls themselves were in terrible condition when they arrived, especially Fluttershy; all five of them looked like they had gone through a zombie apocalypse! And Twilight stayed behind, alone, with a full-grown dragon! He prayed that dragons weren't really as horrible as everypony made them out to be...especially judging from Zecora's reaction. He had finished cleaning up the Library a bit, he had been heading upstairs to go to bed, when the roar echoed through the night.

That roar...that loud, powerful roar...something about it...felt familiar. Like he should know it. It sparked something within him; something that had been buried deep in his brain, buried under all the pony emotions and logic pumped into him on the day of his birth...something primal.

He stumbled to the side, catching himself against the wall, as instincts and feelings deep within him finally bubbled up to the surface for the first time, all at once. His mind was consumed by images and thoughts that he had never experience before.

Fire.

Gold.

Destruction.

Power.

Death.

And yet...it all felt...right. Something like he should've known this whole time; something that had been missing from his life, and yet he didn't even know it.

In the guestroom of the Library, Zecora awoke with a horrible fright. The beast had claimed his first prey in Equestria, and if the following days would claim much more than that.

She could only pray that she was not one of them.

And all the way in Canterlot, Celestia awoke with a jolt as the roar echoed across the distant horizon, in the direction of a familiar ancient location. The roar of a kind she had not heard in eons. Not since she was just a little filly.

Her eyes widened in alarm, her heart slowly churning with dread.

The time had come...far earlier than it was suppose to.

The Age of Fire had begun...and they were not ready.

With a painful-sounding 'CRACK!', the bloodied and broken Luna slammed against the far wall, screaming in pain as she fell to the stony floor. She barely had time to recover before the dragon burst into the grand hall after her, roaring with fury. With a flash of magic, she quickly teleported out of his path, re-materializing down another hallway just in time to hear the wall explode from the impact, an angry roar bellowing through the ruins.

Gasping for breath as she laid upon the floor, she poured everything she had into the most powerful healing spells she knew, gritting her teeth in agony as bones snapped back into place and flesh sealed shut with smoke; even then, her body was torn and bleeding all over. The only armor that remained from her original shut was half of the helm; the fiercely bleeding gashes lining chest and torso showed how painful it was when the dragon grabbed her barrel-plate and tore it from her body, the metal craving her up like a griffin's venison feast.

This...this was not possible. She was the goddess of the night! The most powerful being in the universe, second only to Celestia! Entire kingdoms fell to her might! Dragons the size of mountains trembled in terror in her mere presence! She moved the very celestial orbs of the cosmos themselves!

And yet here she was, crippled upon first blow and reduced to a floppy, bloody ragdoll by this dragon, who was only half the size of a full grown adult.

Terror gripped the alicorn's heart as a dark growl rumbled through the hall; she whipped her head around just in time to see Spyro slither around the corner like a massive serpent, his claws leaving long groves in the stony floor, and his reptilian eyes and inner chest glowing with fire. Crying in terror and anger, Luna materialized thirty crystalline daggers and sent them flying at the dragon, bolting in the opposite direction as fast as her wounded legs would allow.

The blades shattered against his hide like shards of glass against the metal hull of a minotaur war-machine, the fragments scattering to the floor; Spyro snarled as he recoiled from the attack all the same, raising his wings to shield his face and eyes, lowering them to see her disappear down the hall.

"How long will you continue to flee like the coward you are? He hissed as he pawed at his face like a large cat, clawing away at the magic dust, before glaring after her in anger. "Or have you finally admitted defeat to your greater?"

Luna panted for breath as she hid amongst the armor suits within Armor Hall, pouring her magic back into healing spells upon herself. "W...We do not...intend to lose...this fight...yet!" She snapped back, gritting her teeth as she sealed the gashes on her chest, tears running down her eyes. "We will...not...be...beaten...by the likes...of Thee!"

Spyro gave a dark, cruel laugh, his voice echoing through the darkness. "You are a fool to think that this was even a fight to begin with. You claim to be a god, and yet you lose to one you believe to be beneath you? Pathetic...although, I will overlook this mistake, for many have made it before: Nothing *can defeat me, let alone the likes of a petty queen who fell to the likes of a herd of half-grown mares."*

That was enough to get Luna to pause, anger, indignity...and a bit of regret...briefly drowning out her pain and fear.

"We are not ashamed of being defeated by young Twilight Sparkle and her herd!" She spat, glaring at the darkness behind her as the last wounds finally sealed shut. "They freed me from a darkness I was too weak to resist, and w-"

"To Resist?! HA! You willingly gave yourself to the Nightmare, knowing full well its intentions of death to your own sister! Intentions born from your very emotions!! You were not under some 'spell' as you would like people to believe! You tried to murder her by your own will and power!"

"DO NOT JUDGE US OF OUR PAST SINS!" Luna screamed, teleporting out of the armory and reappearing in the throne room, summoning her blades once more; she was back to full strength and ready this time. "Thou cannot even begin to fathom the emotions that drove us to accepting the darkness! Thou have no idea what it was like; to slave away as much as my sister in tending the night, only for her to receive all the love and praise while we were treated as a monster!"

"Oh...but I do, Nightmare. The tree showed me everything about you, Fron-Kriid."

Luna nearly snarled like an animal in anger, whipping her head about, trying to find were the dragon was.

"I know your type all to well, Nightmare Moon: you believe that since you're of royal blood, that the love and respect of your subjects are absolute', correct?"

"O-Of course it is!" The princess snapped back, though a heavy feeling in her stomach said otherwise. "We are the daughter of Faust herself. Love and respect is our birthright!"

This time Spyro really did laugh: a loud, powerful...horrible laugh; cruel and murderous, one that stabbed even more fear into her already-pounding heart. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, echoing in many voices, like a chorus of voices laughing at her...mocking her...ready to tear her apart. The echoes, however, died down as he slithered down out of the shadows from above, sliding down the wall in a serpentine manner, landing on all fours before her. He leered down at her with a sneer of dark amusement, his upper-lip curled upwards in a toothy, saurian grin.

"Respect?! Birthright?! You petty, pathetic fool! Do you really think that anyone would respect you?!" He chuckled, his eyes glowing with a more amused fire than an angry one. "Respect is not given by 'rights'; it is earned. Your sister earned her subject's love and affection: she has cared for, mothered, guided and protected Equestria as a whole like it was her child. Even during your banishment, through the worst centuries of her life, she stayed to love the ponies that tore her apart from you, when by all 'rights' she should've destroyed them long ago. That *is why mortals respect and love her."*

His amusement vanished into rage as his sneer became a snarl of anger.

"You, on the other 'hoof', are nothing more than a spoiled brat: where your sister has gone through hell to earn her love, you laze around in your tower demanding mortals to give you what you want on a sliver, silk-clothed platter. And when you don't get it, you throw a fit and try to kill *whoever denied you, even when it was to help you!"*

"We've changed! We are no longer the monster we once were!" Luna shouted, tears building in her eyes; the swords hovering around her began to shake and falter in her grasp, before she hardened with resolve, taking a stance of battle. "I know what I did was wrong, and I will not rest until I've earned forgiveness for my past!"

The swords shot forward, rocketing toward the dragon with trails of sparkling blue magic. This time, though, Spyro dodged the enchanted weapons, leaping away with the nimbleness of a deer, before leaping forward in a pounce with an angry roar. Luna barely avoided being torn to pieces by his claws as they slashed at her; she flapped back out of reach and sent the swords after him again. Spyro quickly spun around to face them and threw his wings up, crossing them in front of himself like a mighty shield. The swords exploded against the fiery-glowing membrane with bright bursts of magic and flame, lighting up the ruins like dozens of fireworks.

Through the thick smoke and flashing lights, he retracted his wings and leapt forward with another pounce, body still flaming as he roared in rage. This time, however, Luna dodged by quickly taking to the skies; she wasn't going to let her guard down this time, and with her body healed, she was now at full fighting form.

The ground shook as long, bronze-colored claws punctured through the stony floor, barely missing the pony's tail by a split second, the sheer mass of the beast crashing upon the earth with the force of a small meteor. His head whipped up after the air-borne alicorn, snarling with primal rage; his enormous wings snapped outwards before he leapt up with a might flap, taking flight with the wind-lash of a small twister.

It is well known that dragons, while strong, are rather slow flyers; their sheer size and weight, combined with their massive wingspans, made them creatures that calmly soared through the sky, only moving fast when diving prey. So it's easy to understand why Luna, someone who had out-flown the sluggish lizards before, was alarmed as Spyro tore past her with speeds that could very well surpass Rainbow Dash. And precision too: as he rocketed past her, he slammed into her with incredible force with his head, catching her with one of his horns just enough to strike her without knocking her for a loop. It took all Luna had to keep from screaming in agony as the horn gorged her left side and tore clean through, spraying the air and dragon in her blood.

The alicorn gritted her teeth in pain as she fought against it, struggling to keep herself airborne; each flap of her wings sent a burst of blood gushing from the wounds, staining her right side and thigh red. With the mighty beating of his wings that prompted her to look up as the dragon descend back down from above, stopping his descendant to hover before her. His great glowing wings beat with the strength of a tornado. His mighty tail swished back and forth like a great river. His glowing chest burned with the fiery power on an erupting volcano. His impenetrable scales shone in the light of the moon. And his fiery eyes burned upon her with the anger and vengeance of the very world itself.

It was clear who was the real god of these two beings.

And she found herself hating him for it. Those burning, power-filled eyes stared down upon her as if she were a but a child throwing a tantrum. Eyes that looked down at her and all her regal glory and power, yet saw nothing more than a foal trying to make herself out to be a mare. Eyes of a wretched, disgusting...damnable creature who viewed her not as the divine, almighty goddess she was, but as a simple, spoiled mortal trying to put on a show of pride and greed.

Eyes that she had once seen long, long ago, on the one she knew as family.

With a flare of anger. she summoned more swords and shot them forward: He merely swatted them aside with a lash of his tail, not even flinching. He snorted afterwards, his glare hardening.

Gritting her teeth even harder, she tried casting a spell that would turn him into a mouse: The magic washed over him briefly before a surge of power erupted from within him, tearing her magic asunder. He bared his teeth slightly as a soft growl rumbled from his throat.

Her face twisted into an almost animalistic snarl as she just dropped the artful approach and simply fired solid magic energy, a beam of what resembled blue, sparkling fire erupting from her horn: the furious magic crashed against and washed over his chest, flowing over him like water. This time he was pushed back a bit, but he recovered instantly, merely putting more effort into staying in place, not taking any damage. His eyes seem to glow even brighter and angrier in response, as if absorbing her magic for himself.

"You truly believe you are divine, don't you?" He finally spoke in his 'mortal' voice, his tone that of someone insulted. "Even now, when you have fallen to the most primitive form of magic just to try to make me flinch, and yet I haven't had to use my own power once."

"WE ARE A GOD!!" Luna screamed in fury, her eyes briefly flashing white. "WE MOVE THE VERY CELESTIAL BODIES THEMSELVES!! WE SET THE VERY CYCLE OF NIGHT AND DAY INTO MOTION!! LOOK UPON THAT AND TELL US WE ARE NOT OF DIVINE POWER!!"

With another flare of her horn, great chains of black crystal and blue gemstones erupted from the earth far below; they tore through the air, their mighty links rattling with the sounds of clashing metal, intent of ripping the dragon limb from limb. This time Spyro did dodge the attack, skillfully evading the numerous chains with fast and almost graceful spins, flips, and aerial maneuvers that would certainly impress the wonderbolts; it almost looked as if he was dancing in the air. And the whole while, he moved in a way that allowed his tail to cleave and tear through the chains as he dodged them, the mighty links shattering and falling to the ground in long ropes or shattered fragments. This continued on for a good few minutes, before he spun to a stop, every chain destroyed.

This immediate sent a bolt of realization through the alicorn's mind, even as she healed her side wound during his 'dance'...which exactly what it was, as she would recognize it anywhere: those movements...those perfectly timed and performed maneuvers...that was no mere movement of an animal. They were actions that could've only be perfected through intense training and personal practice.

This 'animal' was not a mere beast of the wilds: he had been trained in the art of combat.

"The act of moving the sun and moon would be impressive...were they not corrupted." The dragon spat as he resumed simply hovering in front of her, not at all winded by his extensive movements. "Had the world not been twisted to fit your petty needs, the ability to do such would be impossible, even for the likes of that Discord wretch."

Luna's nose wrinkled in righteous disgust. "What slander are thou speaking of this time?"

Spyro's eyes narrowed. "That is none of your concern anymore, nor will it ever be again..." He hissed with a reptilian cruelty. "Do you really think you can earn repentance for crimes of your *magnitude?"* The tone of his voice told her that he was tiring of this little game. "Are you even aware *of the sheer level of evil you brought upon this world?*

It is not just about you trying to kill your sister: it's also about you killing off your entire home. You and Celestia control the very solar cycle itself: I know *you are very well aware of what would've happened once you brought forth Eternal Night. The crops dying and ponies freezing is only the sugar-coated version of the story: without the warmth of the sun, the world would freeze over, growing colder and colder by the minute. Soon, even if they had the means to make fire, all life of the planet wouldn't be able to resist freezing to death...if they hadn't starved already, and even then it wouldn't stop. The world would enter an Ice Age of the likes never seen before, and would only go colder and colder until it would be as cold as the space the planet floats in; a cold where not even bacteria would survive.*

But did you care? No...you were aware of this, and yet you deliberately *tried to kill off an entire world in the slowest, coldest, most horrible way imaginable! And why?"*

With those final words spoken, Luna finally snapped:

"Because no one was stupid enough to go out into your death-filled darkness *to stare up at the stars!"*

"DAMN YOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU!!!!!"

With an enraged roar, the alicorn erupted with power, spreading her wings, she soared up into the air, practically blazing with the power of a thousand stars; Spyro hissed in pain as the increasing light made him squint and hover back a few flaps. Luna continued to scream as her horn blazed with the full might and force of her alicorn-hood; the moon blazed brightly in the night, as if pouring its power into her body, the very air vibrating with the energy, blue and white fire blazing from her horn, and any mortal witnessing the sight would've believed that a god had descended upon the land in all his or her glory.

And with one final, furious scream, Luna thrust her head forward and blasted the dragon with every spark of her nightly magic in one, single, solid, giant fiery beam of pure alicorn power.

*BOOOOOMM!!*

Celestia's heart nearly stopped when she recognized the signature of the explosion of magic from the Everfree.

...The dust billowed around and fill her vision as Luna slowly stumbled through the air, clumsily flapping her wings as she fell from the sky and collapsed to the ground. Her body was drained, physically, mentally...and magically: she had poured every last drop of her magical aura into that one final attack: a sheer magical blast that she obtained by tapping her power into the very moon itself. It was an attack that was meant to be used in extreme emergencies only, fore it would be another good hundred years before she would be able to use it again...and the damage it would cause was a danger to Equestria as well as its enemies: the beam had leveled everything within its path. Stretching far out deeper into the Everfree was a massive canyon now torn into the earth, measuring over two hundred feet wide and almost twice that in depth, extending for what could've been miles into the forest. The trees lining the crumbling-fresh edges of the canyon were blazing with blue flames, smoke billowing into the skies, while a blizzard of ash floated down from above, covering the trees for miles in that direction or disappearing into the new depths below.

She laid there of her stomach, gasping for breath. the attack had drained her strength and magic completely, including her natural reserves. Ever mane and tail were drained, no longer in the form of flowing, starry aura; they had materialized into short, dark-blue hair, which laid strewn about and crusty with ash, dirt, and sweat. It would be weeks before she would be able to even use simple levitation magic, let alone recharge her overused reserves into manifesting her hair back into its magic state. She was also sore and throbbing from being reduced to a punching bag, as well as exhausted; she would be VERY sore the next day...

...and yet, she felt nothing but satisfaction, and a bit of joy. She had done it: she had blasted that wretch of a dragon clean off the face of the earth. She was a god. She had proven all the neighsayers wrong. And she would return home head held high with pride, knowing that she had saved Equestria from a terrible fat-

*SLASH*

Pain...unlike anything she had ever felt before rocketed through her skull; it felt as though someone had taken a red hot poker and shove it directly through her horn, all the way down to her brain...only, she realized from the blood gushing down it face...she didn't have her horn anymore (3).

Her explosion had silenced all ambiance in the forest, and thus it was perfectly quiet...meaning there was nothing to stop the soft clink of her blooded, decapitated horn from echoing across the plateau as it landed in front of her.

"You filthy whore. That HURT."

'No...it...it's not...possible...!' She thought as tears of horror came to her eyes It...it couldn't be...that...that had been her strongest attack! It was all her magic! Her godhood! Every last bit of the magic that RAISED AND LOWERED THE VERY FORCES OF THE COSMOS ITSELF!! HOW?! HOW COULD HE STILL BE ALIVE?!?!

As the dust and ash finally began to settle, she was able to finally see him. He hadn't even been blown off his feet or knocked off the plateau; if he didn't look like an angry god of death before, he certainly did now: His chest now sported heavy burn wounds, along with cracked, withered scales, smoke rising from them...but otherwise was completely uninjured. Long claw grooves had been raked across the ground as he had been forced back, but he had hung on the entire time, taking the full brunt of her strongest attack and still stood tall. His tail was still curved to where his blade was still hovering over her head, dripping in her blood, while his face was contorted into an snarling glare of utter anger and hate.

And when she looked into his eyes at that one moment , Luna, for the first time in her eon-long, supposedly immortal life, finally knew what it meant to truly fear death.

"I'm done *playing with you."*

Luna didn't get a chance to plea for her life before the large claw snatched her as the owner tore past in flight.

Folding his wings outwards to his sides, Spyro jerked out into a high-speed glide only a few meters from the earth, tearing across the plateau and alongside the outer palace wall at incredible speeds. Luna didn't have any time to prepare before, with an angry roar from the dragon, she was slammed into the wall with an explosion of rock, dirt, and blood. She could only scream long and loud as she was dragged along the structure, bringing it down with a continuous spray of rock and dirt as they tore through, ripping her apart and crushing every bit of her body. Spyro gave a monstrous roar of rage and victory as he did so, his eyes glowing so brightly that his pupils were barely visible.

He then tore away, flapping hard as he bolted back up into the sky, flying higher and higher, and continued to go higher until he and his captive breached the cloud barrier. The final remnants of the MiiraadziemSovaarre were the large storm clouds that still hung about the skies, having yet to dissipate and fade away. Brief flashes of lightning lit up the inside of the cloud, revealing the rolling black forms and the dragon flying through them.

Spyro gave a stern bark of a growl before he promptly threw Luna into the upper sky; the alicorn barely had time to give a garbled scream before she was slammed by the dragon rocketing past her full force, smashing the ribs along her left side and tearing a large gash in her side with his claws in the process. She didn't even have time to recover from the first blow before the dragon came at her again, coming out from the side and crashing into her head on, sending her spinning through the air as he disappeared into the clouds. He then came at her again, and again, and again, and again! It was as if she was being attacked by twenty dragons at once, all working in unison to rip a piece off or smash everything within her as they tore past, disappearing just before the other appeared. Like a bolt of purple lightning he attacked again and again, pounding and tearing her from every angle without mercy, until the very clouds began to stain red with and rain down her blood. His teeth flashed in the lightning as he tore into her. His roar bellowed louder than any of the thunderclaps around them. Ans his eyes burned with pure white fire like that found only in hell.

Then it came, the final attack: in a brief let-up from the beat-down she was receiving, a bloodied and mangled Luna tried desperately to catch herself. To just take flight and fly. Fly to the farthest corner of Equestria, and then keep flying, and flying, and flying until she was sure he would never be able to find her...but in that desperate action of opening her twisted, featherless wings, she set herself up for the kill.

No sooner were they open did the dragon erupt out the clouds behind, roaring a loud, long, angry battlecry as he swung his claws down at them.

*SLASH!!*

Her ears could only hear a loud, high-pitching ringing, even as she screamed long and loud as her wings fell from her sides and plummeted to the earth below.

She would've fallen as well, but Spyro prevented it by diving after the falling pony and catching her in his claw. Satisfied with his work, he simply folded his wings to his sides and allowing himself to free-fall with his fallen opponent in his grasp; he continued to fall until he fell below the cloud barrier, spreading his wings to catch himself. He took a moment to level himself out into a simple hover before looking down at the once proud and mighty Nightmare Moon. The pony in his clutches was nothing more than a fleshy, blood-drenched, mangled carcass of her former self, her limbs either twisted into unnatural shapes, or even missing altogether, while what tiny patches or strands of hair and feathers had been torn off and laid scattered across the plateau and forest; her wings and horn alike were nothing more than bloodied stumps now, both being torn from her body, the parts that once symbolized her supposed 'god-hood' for gone. Apart from brief twitches and jerky flicks of her...parts...she didn't appear to be alive,  and for a moment he thought she was dead...

...until she spoke.

"...P...Please..." Luna begged weakly, barely even sounding more than mere whispers in his ears. "...I...I give...M-Mer...Mercy...please..."

The plea was so soft...so broken and fearful...that for a brief moment even the mighty Spyro felt a brief spark of such mercy...but it was snuffed out just as quickly, consumed by a raging inferno of insulted fury. Mercy...like the mercy her Briinah begged for before she tried to murder her? The same mercy that she intended to make Goraan Twilight beg for before she sentenced her to banishment from the kingdom?! Or the mercy that this world as a whole would be screaming for as it died a slow, freezing death while she laughed at their misery?! How DARE she ask for the one thing she refused to give to anyone before her!! HOW DARE SHE!!

(2) NAAL FAAL STAHDIM BORMAH AKATOSH, HI FEN SALUK KOTIN OBLIVION MINDOK FOS NII VAHZANGAAR SEIK WAH DIR!!

Eyes bursting into white flame, he pulled his forearm back and, with a mighty roar, hurled the broken mess of blood and limbs at the ground with all his strength; Luna finally managed to scream: a long, blood-curling, heart-wrenching wail of despair and terror as her broken body rocketed down to the earth as it fired from a cannon, and she could only continue to scream before she struck the ground with enough force to pulverize her spine and ribs.

It was a good thing her spine broke though, fore it meant she didn't feel a thing when Spyro spun forward in the air a few times before firing himself downwards in a Horn Dive. His body shot down so fast it broke the sound barrier, creating a miniature sonic boom, but even that didn't prevent the thunderous, primal roar of sheer ferocity from reaching her ears before it all went white.

*BOOM!*

That was it. The final blow. The straw that broke the camel's back. What remained of the ruins, which had undergone so much torture and destruction in that night, could stand no longer. With a mighty crash like thunder and a shock wave of dirt and ash, the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters...a relic of Equestrian history that had stood before the reign of Discord...the palace that withstood both attacks of Nightmare Moon...and the area that witnessed the beginning of the Age of Fire...finally gave way and collapsed in on itself. The weakened, withered walls crumbled away like sand on a beach, and the once tall, mighty towers toppled like trees with great crashes, shattering into rubble upon impact. The rooms containing priceless artifacts and magical items, including a library full of now-vaporized ancient tomes and a sinister green book, collapsed in on themselves, crushing and destroying anything that had escaped the MiiraadziemSovaarre's storm. And finally, the flimsy bridge connecting the plateau to the outside world snapped, crumbling into aged splinters and plummeting into the gorge.

The tremors from Spyro's horn-dive could be felt as far as Manehatten; those closer would think the world was coming to an end, as the very earth seem to shake from being struck by a meteor. Ponyville itself was once again sent into yet another panic as the earth shook the already damaged town.

It would be a strange day for Canterlot, as the impact had broken off one of the outer platforms supporting the Mansion for House Philharmonica, sending the entire house, all its belongs, and the entire family inside plummeting to their deaths in the lake below. However, since all the members of House Philharmonica (minus the twin sisters of music that lived in Ponyville, who would come to inherit the entire family fortune and all that was dragged out of the lake) were complete noble society whores of the worst sort, nobody could decide whether to mourn or celebrate the disaster. Not even Celestia.

Applejack was forced to spend the rest of the night awake, trying to get everyone to calm down and then helping to repair the damages caused by said panic. She would not get a wink of sleep until late following day.

Fluttershy fled her house altogether, taking Rarity's offer to spend the night in the boutique, on the opposite side of town from the Everfree. Angel Bunny found himself forced to sleep with the other animals that night.

Pinkie Pie would give the pony equivalent to a rage-quit as the impact knock over the map she was constructing out of building blocks for the party. She went to bed soon after, grumpy as a goose...if gooses got grumpy, that is.

Rarity regretted going to bed in a full mud mask and pickle slices as she was knocked off the bed and onto the floor, landing face-first into Opal's bed with a messy 'Splat!'. The cat responded with the appropriate claws to said face, thus ruining the unicorn's night even further.

Rainbow Dash slept through the whole thing, thanks to living up in the sky. She spent the rest of the night and most of the morning deep in a peaceful slumber, dreaming of going on adventures with her idol Daring Do.

Spike was knocked out of his trance and into unconsciousness as a large book fell from the shelf above and beaned him on the head. His last thought before passing out was how many gems could he stash in his basket.

And Twilight was saved from plummeting to her death in the rubble by crystalline branches that erupted out of the ground and stretched out to catch her sleeping form, landing her in a cushion of glass-like leaves that shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow.

As the dust and stone continued to rain down amongst them, Spyro rolled over onto his feet and wrenched his head off of her now crushed form; he actually felt her bloodied body stick to his head before gravity pulled it off with a sick 'plop', landing on the ground before him. He back up a few good feet before returning to stand over the so-called 'goddess of the night in a more comfortable position, his wings gripping onto the nearby crystal formations as he lowered himself like a great serpent. Still, if she possessed anything of a god, with was the endurance of one, cause after even that, with her form broken beyond mortal life, he could still see her fleshy sides weakly gasping for breath, and hear the very faint beating of her heart. Even when paralyzed from the neck down, she still had the strength to shift her broken skull slightly to look up at him, with eyes that had miraculously remained unharmed.

"I was almost tempted to let you go and make your demands to your sister, if only to see her deny you in favor of Twilight Sparkle." He snarled with a dark chuckle, eyes glinting with amusement. "To watch her defy you; to reject the sister she lost an eon ago, in favor of the one who replaced you as her new family..."

If Luna wasn't dead physically, then she knew what it must've felt like, fore even in her death-like numbness, she could feel her heart break.

"...but I think not..." Spyro growled as he back up, shifting his body in a serpentine manner. "I think our little game ends here. So tell me, Nightmare Moon*..."* And with those words, his inner chest glowed with fire.

"How do you choose TO DIE*?!"*

"STOOOOOP!"

It was only thanks to Spyro's split-second reaction time that he managed to twist his head to the side as he lunged, snapping on thin air with a crack like lightning, barely missing Twilight Sparkle as she threw herself between him and the near-death Alicorn. He pulled his head back in aggravation, eyes narrowed dangerously. "What are you-?"

Silence.

That was what made Spyro recoil the most, the fire in his chest and eyes unknowingly dying down in response: just the sheer amount of dead, horrified silence. Twilight Sparkle, the pony he had come to own as his companion...as his friend...stared up at his bloodied jaws and monstrous form with nothing short of terror and heartbreak. Her body was trembling like a leaf in the wind, and he could tell she was struggling to keep from running in fear; her mouth was once more flapping wordlessly, though this time it wasn't entertaining, her bottom lip quivering and throat bobbing fearfully...but what was, by far, the most impacting were her eyes: they were even worse than they were when he attacked her friends just a few hours ago. They looked upon him with horror, wide and tearful, a storm of emotions flashing through them: fear, horror, lost, sorrow, betrayal, pleading, and many more...and they pierced into his very being even more the tears began running down her face.

Then she finally spoke, her voice quivering with sorrow and fear. "P...P-Please...D-Don't do this." She begged, hiccuping softly as she struggled to keep from sobbing. "D-D-Don't...k...k-k...kill her..." The first sob finally burst forth at the word 'kill', a word she had no doubt never even thought of before this day , and she wasn't able to get them to stop. "P-P-Please-e-e-e..."

"You wish for me to spare the life of Nightmare Moon?" He asked carefully, cocking his side slightly. "Even after all that she has done?"

"S-S-She's not N-N-Nightmare Moon any-m-more!" She sobbed, falling back on her haunches; the tears were now flowing down her face, and they showed no signs of stopping. "S-S-She's c-c-changed. We...We made s-sure of...i-it."

"Could've fooled me." Spyro spat, glaring at the mangled mess of flesh behind the purple pony. "You of all ponies should want to see her dead, and I will not sit around and..."

He trailed off when felt something fuzzy and trembling latch onto his left wrist as if its life depended on it; he looked down to his arm to find Twilight hugging it as tightly as she could. Her body was stiff, minus the soft sobbing shaking her form, as if she was frightened just being in contact with him...and yet she stayed there, clinging to his arm like a child pleading to her parent, truly trying to reach out and plead to a dovah. She pressed the side of her face against his wrist, the tears running down his scales as she silently begged him to spare the nightmare's life. The pleading look of pure sorrow in her eyes was almost unbearable, even for a Jendovah, as Spyro found himself conflicted over killing Luna...conflicting over killing someone...a villain, no less!

Truly this was a force not to be taken lightly.

"Y-You won..." She whispered, choking her sobs down, though the tears still ran down her face. "P-Please don't do this...don't take her life before she had a chance to redeem it..." Her grip loosened a bit, though she still held on, even gently stroking the limb for comfort. "...and don't take a sister from the Princess. Please..."

A tense moment of silence passed, neither of them making a move...before Spyro simply gave a deep and slightly-aggravated sigh; twin streams of flame blew from his nostrils, lighting up the darkened area briefly, before going out at the end of his breath. The dragon then turned his gaze to the still-motionless Luna, who had been laying there in a pool of her own blood the entire time, watching them with scared...yet ashamed eyes...which quickly turned to fear when he shot her a deep, stern, predatory glare that would've killed a mortal.

"Any other day, I would make you BURN*..."* He growled at the alicorn with a deep, hateful snarl. The broken night princess whimpered in response. "...but you can thank the pony you sought to punish for letting you live..."

Before either Twilight or Luna could respond, no doubt out of immense gratitude, Spyro suddenly raised his free forepaw up before slamming it upon the ground; both Twilight and Luna reacted out of instinct, with Twilight jumping away like a frightened rabbit, and Luna groaning in pain from the impact...which continued to shake; a soft, deep rumble that slowly grew stronger...and stronger...and stronger...as the source tunneled its way out of the dirt behind Spyro.

Enough.

We are done hiding.

A new era is upon us. And we will not spend it hiding in darkness.

IT'S TIME WE RISE.

With a flurry of dirt and ash, a massive glowing crystalline formation erupted from the earth behind the dragon, who turned his neck about to watch; it twisted out and about, growing like the trunk of a great tree...until Twilight realized that, with the largest amount of disbelief she had her entire night, it was a tree: the crystal trunk continued to grow until it was even larger than the dragon, branching out into five main branches ending in a solid, spherical end, which formed out into an almost star-like shape, along with dozens of smaller branches, from which grew beautiful, glassy leaves and long vines strung with bead-like crystals. The trunk stopped growing out and formed out a large, mighty base with dozens of strong roots, anchoring it in the base of the plateau, and within the trunk from out symbols carved from the chunks that fell free from the base: the symbols of a blazing sun, a crescent moon, and in the center of the branches, a great six-pointed star.

The Tree of Harmony had come out of hiding, and into the light of Equestria.

Spyro turned back to the alicorn, the light from the tree illuminating his scales with an almost heavenly glow...which heavily clashed with the hellish blaze of his eyes. "...in return for sparing your life, you will do something on my behalf...." He told her with a strong, battle-ready tone, even as the roots of the tree began to grow large vines and wing-like leaves around her form, readying to send her back home. "Return to your sister, and deliver this message to her and ALL of this world:

"All. Hail. Jendovahzoor."

Life in Ponyville Shimmers (over a Fire) - Part 1

CHAPTER IV: Life in Ponyville Shimmers (over a Fire) - Part 1

Twilight Sparkle was not a happy pony.

Not a happy pony at all.

Even the heavenly glow of the Tree of Harmony did little to soothe the poisonous dread brewing in her chest as she laid huddled amongst the crystalline roots, trembling softly as she wept into her hooves; her fur and bandages had been smeared in dirt when she had scrambled into a pocket beneath the tree, and she had lost her saddlebags in the rubble, but that was, right now the furthest thing from her mind.

And the only things remaining burned into it were the images of an alicorn princess reduced to shredded paper...and the blood-drenched jaws of a flaming-eyed monster.

Why? Why did it come to this? Why did this happen? Where had it gone so horribly wrong?

When Princess Luna went and provoked Jendovahzoor to attack, that's how, a voice in the back of her mind told her: she warned...no...pleaded to Luna not to confront him...but she would not listen. She didn't understand what she was dealing with, even arrogant to it, going as far as to punish her before leaving the dream realm; any future attempts to stop this fight before it happened were prevented for good, thanks to that spell cast upon her before she could wake up.

It had been a surreal experience...trapped within subconsciousness, knowing something was going on outside...and yet...she didn't really know or care enough to try and wake up. Like she was aware while also in a strange 'trance'; a trance that left her going in and out of her awareness of the real and dream worlds. Was it real...or a dream? She didn't know the difference between those words at that moment.

In the end, it turned out to be very real once a powerful magical force tore into the spell over her and ripped it apart, yanking her out of her own mind and into the waking world. She opened her eyes to find herself held above the earth by the glass-like leaves of long branches made out of pure, beautiful crystal, which seemed to glimmer and glow with every color of the rainbow, the heavy yet muffled rumble of the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters echoing around her as it finally collapsed into rubble...one of the oldest remaining relics of Equestria's pre-discordian history...and the place where she felt friendship for the first time in her life...finally losing the battle against outside forces and joining the rest of the ancient world in ruin.

But the sorrow of losing the place of one of her most treasured memories paled in comparison to the sheer horror of what she saw next.

Jendovahzoor, the dragon she fondly thought of as Spyro, revealed as what he truly was: a monstrous, murderous saurian. His jaws, claws, and forehead drenched and dripping the blood of his prey...and that prey was, indeed, the now bloodied, broken Princess Luna.

She knew it was going to happen...sort of, at least: she knew that, if Luna tried to force Spyro to leave, he would fight back...but to actually see it for herself. Claws made for tearing flesh...jaws designed to crush bone...and a thirst for blood that drowned out every single drop of remorse or mercy, if there even was any to begin with in the heart of a living killing machine.

In the heart of a predator.

Predator. The very concept of such a thing was one that most ponies went their entire lives without even hearing about outside of a horror novel or monster movie, let alone see or experience for themselves. The concept of eating meat, let alone killing another living creature for it, was so taboo and unspoken of that only the most horrible and hellish storybook monsters were capable of such an act.

But poor Twilight...poor, innocent, bookworm-ish Twilight...waking up just in time to see it for real, and not only in the most gruesome, monstrous way possible, but to one of the two most important ponies of her life.

Princess Luna...sister of the Princess Celestia, one of two ponies that the entire world of Eqqus saw and sometimes even worshiped as gods. One of the two ponies with everlasting immortality and the power of the very celestial bodies themselves...beaten into a carcass and teetering on the very edge of death by this monster. And not simply either: her body looked as if it had been shoved through a paper shredder, all of her limbs, ribs, and just about every bone in her body broken and twisted in unnatural shapes and positions. Her flesh had been torn and ripped apart by numerous lacerations, clearly made by large claws, to the point where only a few strips of blue, blood-soaked skin remained attached; even some of her organs were visible. The dragon had clearly taken his sweet time and energy to deliberately torture her; to make this the most painful, agonizing event of her entire life, and took great pleasure in making her scream.

But worst of all, in Twilight's opinion, was her wings and horn: the very symbols of an alicorn's might and supposed god-hood, ripped clean off her body and thrown aside like the garbage he saw them as, revealing to the world what she and her sister had been all along:

Mere mortals.

A heavy sob burst out from her lips as a fresh wave of tears poured down her cheeks, and she cried heavily into her hooves; where had it gone so horribly wrong? This had become a nightmare, far worse than anything that Nightmare Moon or Discord had brought; the mere sight of Luna laying there, reduced to a pile of bloodied flesh, and Jendovahzoor growling in predatory anger with blood dripping from his maw, had almost been enough to make her empty her bladder on the spot. Horror unlike anything she felt shot through her at the sight of those reptilian eyes, burning with a primal fury and bloodlust as he went as far as to taunt Luna one last time before readying the kill...and the following words that he spoke would forever haunt her for the rest of her life.

"How do you choose TO DIE*?!"*

Die.

Princess Luna was going to die.

She was torn out of her thoughts by the heavy yet gentle footfalls thundering through the ground she lay upon; she bit down on her sobs, forcing herself quiet as terror gripped her heart like a vice. Even when fighting to stay silent, her rapid breathing came in the forms of quiet whimpers as a purple saurian forepaw stomped down in front of the opening of her makeshift hiding hole. The bronze claws of the other forepaw gripped around the gap in the tree's roots as the source of her trauma lowered his head down to peek through the opening; his eyes had lost its predatory ferocity and rage, but their reptilian stare little to comfort the unicorn.

"You're still adamant about hiding from me, aren't you?" He asked in his mortal voice...which wasn't any less of a primal and animalistic growl than his dragon voice.

Twilight's only reply was to cover her face with her hooves, whimpering louder.

The dragon pulled away with a rumbling snort of disappointment, and without a word simply moved away from the tree, slinking toward the distant pile of rubble that was once the ancient library in a feline-like manner. He spared a quick glance back toward the tree before bounding up to the top of the pile and digging through it like a dog digs for a bone; long claws and thick paws tore through stone and wood as if it was mere dirt, ripping out and scattering rubble across the dirt-ridden ground, pausing every now and again to grab something and toss it aside into a pile. He had been at that for a while now, ever since she hid under the roots after Luna vanished...the length of time since then escaping her mind; the night sky was slowly fading away as the distant glow of dawn began to creep over the horizon.

Sunrise was just around the corner, and when it came, the entire world would learn and fear the name Jendovahzoor.

He prepared himself for rejection.

Twilight's ears perked up in surprise. What was...

He knew the moment Luna entered the ruins that you would reject him for his predatory nature; that all your words of 'friendship' had no true strength behind them once you learned the truth. Didn't make it any less painful to bear, though.

The crystal ceiling and roots surrounding her pulsed with a soft yet powerful aura, the current glow lighting up the night like a thousand stars shining all at once. And when that glow passed over Twilight, it was as if the very universe itself reached out and brushed its fingertips against her skin.

So powerful, and yet so gentle...it was nothing less than the very hand of existence itself.

"Who...who are you?"

We are Balance. We are Harmony.

Twilight's eyes widened in awe and disbelief, and for a brief moment her current woes were banished from her mind.

"You're...you're the Elements of Harmony."

The tree, however, seemed to pulse with a negative vibe when she said those words. If that's what you prefer to call us, then you may.

"How...?" She asked, watching the aurora-like light flow amongst the crystal roots in front of her face. "You're sapient...many of Starswirl theories suggested that the elements had a mind and will of their own...but they were never proven."

Starswirl was a brilliant unicorn, like you, but he was far more open-minded and optimistic toward the world that most. He wasn't mentally bound to the point of not simply believing in something if he didn't see it for himself. This made him far stronger than most of you ponies, and more open to others, such as to the winged demon that visited these lands long ago...funny that you find yourself in a similar situation, isn't it?

*VOOOOM!!!!*

A scream of fright tore from her mouth as a powerful blaze of light and heat erupted across the plateau; she whipped around to spot Spyro hovering in the air before a pile of burning books and artifacts he had been gathering from the rubble, his massive wings beating powerfully as he breathed a continuous torrent of brilliant yellow and orange flame upon the pile. Not even the magical wards protecting the tomes and trinkets could withstand the Dragon Fire of the Jendovah, and the air was filled with the pained, raging screams as the evil artifacts and their toxic powers were burned out of existence, never to harm anyone ever again. The dragon then huffed in satisfaction, giving his wings an extra-hard flap to scatter the ashes and embers of the pile to the wind, before landing gracefully on all fours.

See that?

"Y-Y-Yes..." Twilight whimpered, trying hard to keep quiet.

The light-like magic flowing over the tree's roots formed out into shapes with a twinkling vibration; Twilight watched in timid fascination as the magical energies formed out hollow images of the objects Spyro had burned, including a sinister-looking tome, carved out of withered, scratched-up stone with a ring of dangerous-looking spikes surrounding the center of a strange, burst-like symbol. Another image was that of a sliver and red amulet that resembled the spread wings and proudly held head of an evil alicorn, with rubies for angry red eyes glaring at the world. These were but two of many dark and sinister objects that the tree showed her, each worse than the one before.

The relics that Jendovahzoor just destroyed were amongst the most dangerous and destructive evil artifacts of ancient Equestria. The Tome of Toxicity, The Alicorn Amulet, and many more forged by the blackest of hearts and most evil of magical forces. Their very existence threatened Equestria on many levels, just waiting for a wicked heart or innocent soul to find them and abuse their power...so why has it taken us having to summon one as powerful and destruction-loving as the *Jendovah himself to finally see them destroyed?*

"...Cel...Celestia." Twilight finally answered. "She...she told me she use to collect artifacts like that in the past...hoping to one day use their power for good and-"

She 'told' you a lot of things during your time as her student. The 'voice' took on an angry feel in her mind. When one tells a lie long enough, one starts to believe it for themselves, though in this case her intentions were what you believed...we'll have a lot of things to set straight for you in the future.

Twilight's head and heart alike were hurting from the conflict raging through both, a fresh batch of tears threatening to escape her eyes.

"So you did summon Spyro here from his world...Why?" She asked in a whisper. "Why did you bring someone like...like...him here? Why is he even here?! We defeated Discord, and the Magic of Friendsh-."

DON'T. SAY. THOSE. WORDS.

The sheer, dark, horrible, *powerful*** force in those words shook Twilight's very soul in terror; the gentle light and color of the tree took on a very dark yet fiery fury, rage and hate filling the very air around it. Even Spyro, who was lazily picking through the scattered remains of the ruins, perked up in alarm as the crystal changed from bright bluish-white to a dark reddish-black.

Then, as soon as it happened, it stopped, leaving one very shaken unicorn whimpering into her hooves.

And after a moment of silence, the following words would shatter Twilight's view of the entire world forever.

We are only going to say this once, so get it through your head now: *there is No. Such. Thing. As the 'Magic of Friendship'.** There never was and never will be.* The sheer rage from before had died down, but still burned bright in the magic flowing through her mind. The element you bear doesn't even have anything to do with a bond of any sort. It's just that: magic. The rest are simply the factors that keep the bond between bearers strong.

"...No...n-n-no." Twilight stammered, the tears finally running down her cheeks once more. "T-T-That can't b-be...I-I felt the spark! I-I gained the e-e-element after r-realizing my friends!"

Friend, Ally, Sibling, Parent, Lover, even Pet! It doesn't matter. All that is needed for our elements to work is a strong-enough bond of spirit between the bearers. Friendship is simply the easiest of bonds to achieve between individuals...yet also the easiest to break; even now, the bond you have with the other bearers is weakened, thanks to the mental torture Discord put you all through, it having weakened your 'friendship'. You should know this, or was Loyalty's outburst last night caused by a mere thorn in the frog of her hoof?

Twilight paused, the painful memory of Rainbow's anger pinching at her heart...she couldn't deny it; after what happened during Discord's reign...friendship may have driven them to victory, but not without a heavy price.

"But...but Celestia..."

Celestia *LIED** to you. She's been lying all this time; the sweet little whispers of 'the Magic of Friendship' she's been filling your head with are nothing more than fabrications to make you become what SHE WANTS YOU TO BE.* More images flashed before Twilight from the tree's magic, displaying familiar images from a familiar book she read at the very beginning of her journey...down a path of lies, it now seems. Images of the sun alicorn and her time as the bearer of elements.

Celestia and her sister were once the bearer of our elements; one of the first in many, many eons. We allowed her to take our power and use it against the monster that was twisting her land, and to ensure balance and harmony for the broken world he left behind...but she abused it; she used it to twist the world into what SHE wanted. Celestia is not the strong mare she appears to be; she may seem unbreakable, but under that mask is a petty, broken-willed mare who wants nothing more than her own perfect little reality to hide away in...and she used our elements to achieve that reality: by taking the broken Equestria and twisting it into what she wanted, not what it is suppose to be, and brainwashing the ponies that lived there into her vision. Equestria may seem like a paradise, but only because she wanted it to appear as such.

"That's not true!" Twilight snapped, a flare of strength bursting in her heart, despite the seed of doubt now inside it. "Celestia is a great leader! She's led ponykind through centuries of peace and happiness, and protected us from evils both outside and inside Equestria! Her rule has changed the world for the better!"

At what cost? She could almost feel the tree raising an non-existent eyebrow at her. What has her actions brought to the lands outside of this 'perfect little paradise'? How many times has both your home and those in lands other than it suffered under her arrogance? How many 're-purposed evils' that she stashed away out of sight and mind have come back to bring pain and suffering to both your people and the people of the other kingdoms? You should know; you and your fellow bearers went through it just a few weeks ago, and her response was to memorialize the torture you went through as a victory before shoving any trace that it ever happened under the rug completely...when a strong enough blow to a certain statue would've prevented it all from ever happening to begin with.

"Statue? What do you..." Twilight began, only to trail off as the horrific meaning sank in. "...you...you mean...k...ki-"

KILL Discord. Murder. Slaughter. Destroy. Execute. Exterminate. Annihilate. There must be one that Celestia hasn't brainwashed you into thinking to be pure hellfire incarnate. The same goes for Nightmare Moon: Did you ponies believe that purging the dark magic from her body would pardon her crimes? Do you really think a simple apology would bring justice to one who plunged this world into war, and tried to murder her own blood, all out of petty jealousy? Celestia has poisoned your minds to avoid violence and harm to the point where even self-defense and justice are considered evil...did you know that banishing Nightmare to the moon was not Celestia's original intent when she used us for the last time?

Twilight's ear perked up, eyes widening in surprise.

Yes. When she tried to force us to all work for her against her fellow bearer, she believe that we would simply 'purge the evil' from her body, and everything would go back to normal...that's not how we work. Another image appeared before Twilight, showing the legendary painting of Nightmare Moon being banished in the moon. Understand this now: we are not just a force of 'correction'. We are a force of justice and judgement. The traitor Luna had violated the natural world in one of the most horrendous way possible, and committed hundreds, if not thousands of crimes that would leave lives destroyed forever...in reality, she got off easy. Many have been damned to Tartarus for *less*. We allowed Celestia to activate our power one last time to stop her sister from doing anymore damage, and tonight, thanks to our new champion, the world has finally sated a bit of its first for vengeance, and Nightmare Moon has been brought to justice for what she's done.

"W-What does all this have to do with me?" She asked calmly, glancing past the roots at a now-resting Spyro. "...and him?"

Luna may have been petty and spoiled, but at least she had the strength, resolve, and understanding when it came to dealing with a threat, which honestly makes her stronger than her sister in mind and heart. The images of Equestria's most evil villains appeared, each in their different fates or prisons. Chase them off, and they'll come back when the heat dies down. Lock them away, and they'll find the means to pick said lock. Try to 'reform' them to fit your needs, and it's only a matter of time before the nature of their existence calls them back to Oblivion...and when that happens, there's only one option left:

With a flash of light, the images shattered into a million glass-like shards, banished into oblivion.

Remove them from the picture...permanently.

Twilight remained quiet.

To be snuffed from existence...exactly what Luna faced this very night...and what countless others would no doubt fall to in the near future. Death was a concept she was familiar with in her studies, but the mere thought of it made her chest heavy and her stomach churn with unease. It was known as a basic fact of life, but the idea of actually taking a life was on a level of taboo surpassed only by dragons themselves.

It was only natural: ponies were not predators. They were herbivores, and with herd mentality at that; they knew how to defend themselves, but so ingrained into their very DNA was the value and need for social interaction and a peaceful lifestyle that snuffing out any sort of life frightened all but the most hardened of ponies. Heck, battles for land and disputes between rival herds were fought over using food fights with pies or cake, while pestilence and vermin were simply removed from the area via non-violent means, such as Pinkie's music to herd Parasprites and such. There was a time that ponies did fight in true wars, but those were the barbaric, primitive eras of a darker Equestria, before the reign of Celestia and Luna...

Before Celestia and Luna...

...still, despite her incredible unease...their words did make sense in her mind. The prison of stone that had originally held Discord was believed to be permanent, and yet all it took was a simple argument between fillies to break it (1). Perhaps it was also thanks to the original spell wearing off over an eon of constant use, but the fact that he could break out was now confirmed, and how long would it be until it happened again?

A passing quarreling couple, a few guards cussing each other out, kids on a trip getting into a squabble over a toy, even something as simple as two birds fighting over seeds...

...when, in truth, all it would take would be to de-...destroy him while he was a statue, perhaps with a simple swing of a sledgehammer, and then she would never have to worry about the god of chaos putting her friends through that nightmare.

Ever. Again.

You can see the truth to our words, so we know you're not blind to them. What happened with Discord was simply the final straw for our patience; for too long has the natural order and magic of this world suffered under the arrogance, greed, and stupidity of its mortal caretakers or evil individuals. Too long have our elements been made a mockery by their bearers, constantly sweeping their problems under the rug until they have no other choice, and often at the expense of those ponykind view lesser than themselves. And too long have the unspeakable deeds of evil and injustice gone unpunished by a bleeding-heart ruler and her cowardly subjects, thanks to their petty beliefs in the 'magic of friendship'.

That all ends now.

We are done. Done hiding in a cave. Done watching you ponies tear the world and magical order apart for your own benefit. Done watching injustice after injustice go unpunished for one pony's mere personal comfort. And done having our elements and chosen ponies become nothing more than puppets at the end of the alicorn's strings. We have brought forth a new champion, one who possesses the strength, power, will, and resolve to crush all who oppose us in his path, and bring forth a new age of this world: an age where the corruption and imbalance of this world, caused either by chaos or ponies themselves, will be cleansed in Dragon Fire and reformed anew...in his image.

Listen well; this is something you need to hear now for all that's to come: Everything you've known before tonight, forget it. All the means you have won by so far, change them completely. And all the manure your mentor has filled your head with, drop it all and curse her name. Everything you've known has changed, including the battlefield; your ridiculous beliefs of 'The Magic of Friendship' are all but destroyed, and will only get you and your herd killed should you cling to their remains.

The pony looked like she wanted to object, but at the same time was torn about his words, lowering her gaze in silent thought.

We'll take your silence as acceptance...and one final thing before we leave you to your new duties, something you won't like but have to swallow: People, including ponies, are going to die. Twilight's gaze immediately shot up in horror. DON'T give us that look; you've seen that Jendovahzoor's very presence in this realm spells death for those who oppose him. Nightmare Moon was simply lucky you're of a forgiving heart, but she was just the first of many. His duty...the very one we've summoned him for...is to restore this world's strength and order, not to keep ponies' deluded ideals of 'Harmony', and there are going to be many that don't want the changes he will bring; many will seek to oppose him, stop him, and even force him to their will...and they will BURN.

"B...But...w-what if t-they're g-g-good p-p-ponies?!" Twilight stammered, her throat tightening. "T-They c-c-could b-b-be c-close friends! H-Have f-f-families! H-H-Heroes to Equestria and t-their children!"

That, young Twilight, is where you and your fellow bearers come in. Just remember: friendship has held you six together up until now, but now you all have a far stronger bond to connect through, one that will last you all forever...and that bond is Jendovahzoor.

"...huh?"

But she would receive no answer; before she could even react, she was seized by long, crystalline vines with gem-like leaves, which shot in through the opening of her hiding place and coiled themselves around her barrel. She couldn't so much as squeak before she was pulled out from under the tree and promptly tossed out into the opening, landing stomach-first onto the dirt with a soft 'oof'. The ground shook as the tree then buried it's roots deeper into the earth, tucking it's stump in deeper and cutting the pony off from her hiding spot, leaving her out into the open to face the dragon himself.

And Twilight lifted her face out of the dirt, only for her gaze to meet the reptilian, scaled-covered snout of Equestria's newest alpha predator. Her heart leapt in her mouth and she scrambled back with a panicked yelp, falling over on her back. Spyro, however, merely snorted in annoyance as he lifted his head back up to its normal height; he then merely sat down in front of the frightened pony, his wings folded slightly outwards and tail tapping patiently as he waited for her to respond. The top of the sun had already began to peek out from behind the horizon, bathing his purple scales in an almost flame-like glimmer, giving her the impression that he was glowing with fire.

Just remember: this world needs great help, and we have brought Spyro to give it. If you don't like it, that's your choice...but the least you could do is thank him for last night.

Twilight paused before looking up, her eyes finally meeting the dragon's for the first time since Luna vanished.

"...Why?"

Because if he didn't accept the task, then you would've been the one with Nightmare Moon's blood on your claws tonight.

Luna laid sprawled across the dirt of the plateau, nothing more than a fleshy, blood-drenched, mangled carcass of her former self, her limbs either twisted into unnatural shapes, or even missing altogether, while what tiny patches or strands of hair and feathers had been ripped off; her wings and horn alike were nothing more than bloodied stumps now, both being torn from her body, the parts that once symbolized her supposed 'god-hood' for gone. Fire blazed around the plateau, like a hellish storm from the dark lake, consuming the remains of the castle and any pony who tried to stop this from happening.

Somepony landed upon the earth in front of her, and she managed to force her eyes open to meet theirs. Standing before her were the very ones who had reduced her to this state: The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. The very ponies that had once released her from the Nightmare.

But they were no longer the ponies she remembered: gone were the warm smiles and open arms, and in their place were demons straight from Tartarus itself. Their bodies had been mutated into savage, demonic copies of their old selves: the pegasi now sported large, deadly, dragon-like wings resembling curved blades that had torn out from their old wings, while the unicorns had long, curved spikes that pushed their way out of their bloodied foreheads, splitting the original horn in half. All six ponies' hooves had been ruptured painfully by long, curved talons like those of a griffin poking out of the flesh, while the hair of their manes and tails were now sharp and blade-like, cutting against their own necks, blood running from all areas of the crystalline 'adaptations' to their forms.

And yet, despite the fact that they were in excruciating pain...they grinned. Even as the tears poured down their cheeks like waterfalls from their cruel, narrowed, draconic eyes, they continued to grin smiles lined with sharp, crystalline teeth...to grin with the dark lust for vengeance of the elements, which glowed with a dark power from their necks and crown.

Luna couldn't muster the strength to even scream, let alone fight back, as the Tree forced its new lavender puppet to lift her clawed hoof above the alicorn's head...

And slam it down.

Jendovahzoor was not a happy dragon.

Not a happy dragon at all.

But rather than dread and trauma, the purple dovah felt intense displeasure and aggravation as he stormed through the Everfree in an rage; tiny lifeforms of this world's native fauna (and maybe flora) scrambled to get out of his path, his paws slamming into the earth with more force than necessary. His newest companion now laid on his head, nestled in between his horns and upon his folded-down head fin, whimpering softly under her breath as she trembled like a leaf in the wind; even after all the tears she had wept that night, she had managed to squeeze a fresh batch out of her system, which were audibly 'plinking' against his scaly armor.

How many tears could one mortal have in that small of a body?

But who could blame her?

He growled audibly as he snarled at the sky, envisioning that dumb tree in his mind; were it not vital for this world to exist, he would've smashed it into a million pieces for what it did. Was showing her that TRULY necessary?! That was cruel, even by his standards. He had been trying to soothe her fear, not make it worse! Who knew what level of trauma had broken her mind tonight...this entire world's ideals of morality was a whole new kind of sick and twisted.

Just another thing to add to the long, long list of things he was going to have to fix.

He cast a glance up toward the pony on his head, his face briefly softening into a rare look of concern and deep thought. It was actually very impressive: the cultures of the herbivorous races of the Dragons Realms (Fauns, Centaurs, Mermaids, Rabbits, Kangaroos, etc) always tended treat death as a dark taboo, thanks to never having to kill prey for meat...but even then they still understood the need of war, even if most of them didn't agree with it.

What sheer level of peace and obliviousness had this world entered, for a race to not only become downright traumatized at the mere sight of death, but to never even think of the very concept?

And if this kingdom...Equestria...had achieved such a level of peace and harmony, why would the elements of these very virtues want it to change?

Because that peace has been obtained by the raping of the natural world...and at the expense of those trapped outside this 'Illusion of Eden'. Jendovahzoor growled, glancing up at his passenger; one such pony who had suffered to keep that very illusion intact. There were things in the universe that were not meant to be changed, regardless of motives...and those who have dared to do so will burn, alongside their twisted creation.

He had a lot of work to do in the upcoming years, so it was best to get started.

As the sun slowly began to rise above the horizon, the forest slowly began to awaken; Jendovahzoor had long left the burned blast radius of ash and dirt, and was now slinking beneath the jungle-like canopy. All around him were the sounds of nature awakening from a hellish night; birds chirping in the trees, frogs croaking from distant water sources, and insect sounds coming from all around them. Though they were mostly distant sounds; those of creatures nearby quickly fell silent as he passed, then started up again when he was a good distance away from them.

The dragon grinned in a draconic satisfaction; at least the nature of this world knew to respect its new alpha.

One sound didn't die when he approached, though: the sound of rushing water. It was a sound that made the dragon's dry mouth and throat tingle with anticipation; it hadn't had a drop of water or scrap of food since his arrival. He quickened his pace until he reached the banks of a large river stretching across the ancient path to the former ruins; purring in satisfaction, the large saurian approached the river and stepped into its shallows, the water crashing against his ankles, before lowering his snout into the clear liquid.

Twilight was stirred out of her quiet, almost trance-like numbness by the sound and feeling of the dragon drinking; she could feel the water being sucked into his mouth and swallowed down by powerful esophagus muscles beneath her. She was suddenly aware of her own parched thirst, despite her emptiness.

Jendovahzoor paused drinking and glanced up as the unicorn scooted down from his forehead, staring at the river with longing as she tried to reach it. A small, surprisingly-warm smirk crossed his face before he gently tipped his head forward. Twilight squeaked with surprise as she slipped forward down his snout and slid into the water with a splash. She came up a second later, spluttering and dripping with water, mane soaked and hanging over her eyes.

She pulled her mane out of her eyes with her hooves, looking up at Jendovahzoor, or 'Spyro', who pulled his head back to smirk with a playful, almost animalistic mischief, his eyes no longer possessing a raging, predatory fire, but a soft, warm glow...

...and despite all she went through by his hand...she found herself unable to stop a giggle from bubbling in her throat, her own smile spreading over her face.

She then practically melted into the water as he simply backed up and laid down upon the shore like a large cat, watching her as she eagerly drank up her fill until her stomach felt like bursting; her thirst sated, she briefly dunked her head under the water again, using her hooves to scrub at her face, cleaning away all the dirt, ash, tears, and gunk from last night.

A night that she would certainly never forget.

"Feeling better?" Spyro asked.

Twilight nodded softly. "Yes." She admitted. "A little...I feel a bit sick, though." She then feel silent, continuing to clean herself off in the river.

"She hurt you."

Twilight paused, eyes widening slightly. "...what?"

"She threatened to take your title as your ruler's student, and in doing so ruin your life." His voice was soft and sympathetic, as was his gaze; he looked genuinely sorry and even fearful for her, as much as any dragon could. This sympathy, however, quickly hardened into a hateful glare, though the hate wasn't directed at her. "She wanted to ruin you, for nothing more than simple pride! Despicable whore! After all you did for her she-"

"Wait, waitwaitwait...!" She interrupted as she sat up, motioning to slow down with her hooves. "You mean...you did all that...for me?"

At those words he shifted uncomfortably, looking conflicted; he then turned away from her with a grumbling growl, sitting down so he faced away from her, practically humphing like a child.

"She hurt my friend." He growled darkly, though the concern still laced his voice. **"I wanted her to suffer as you had. To show her what it meant to be the mouse for once. Besides, she needed* the slap from reality; Goddess of Night,* indeed...that, and I did warn you all that no one was allowed in these ruins expect you and the pink one; they should've taken my warning seriously..."

As she stoop up and approached him, she couldn't stop her lips from forming into a small smile. It grew even more as she watched him quickly glance at back her occasionally, shifting in place to avoid meeting her gaze directly as she approached, tail-blade tapping nervously on the ground; it reminded her of a nervous dog when confronted about tearing up the newspaper or something naughty, or of a child when being praised for something he was embarrassed about; heck, he was behaving just like Spike did when questioned about his 'secret crush', only missing the raging blush across his face!

It was so silly...almost cute even.

She almost forgot that this was the same creature who nearly killed one of the two most powerful beings in this entire world.

"Then what was all that talk about 'Nightmare Moon was unforgivable!' and 'You will pay for your crimes, Nightmare Moon!', and all that stuff? That had nothing to do about helping me?"

He tensed angrily and gave a warning hiss, and Twilight respectfully backed off; apparently his limit to having his buttons pushed was much shorter than Spike's was. "Not entirely." He stated, becoming serious. "I was summoned here to restore this world, was I not? And it's about time Nightmare paid for her crimes...though for the most part, I only said those things because I knew they would hurt her, just as she hurt you. To make her pay for what she did."

Twilight nodded softly. "I know...I know..." She assured him. "...It's just...*sigh*...I'm scared..." His face actually softened upon hearing those words, and he cocked his head slightly in question. "I-I know that you're a dragon, and fighting and...k-killing is what you do. It's even why you were brought here for, isn't it? To do with the elements what we ponies can't, right?"

He nodded slowly with a soft, rumbling croon.

"But that's just it; I'm a pony. I've never deliberately hurt anyone in my life! And it scares me to even think of it! What I saw last night...it scared me...so much..."

Spyro simply exhaled a deep aggravated sigh from his nostrils, sending two burst of flame jutting forth, as he simply turned his head away, staring at the distant mountains with a flat, emotionless stare.

He knew it was too good to be true. He knew it was foolish to take an interest in these ponies and get his hopes up, but even then he had expected and prepared himself for it. Typical mortals; so full of cowardice and trepidation. So easy to jump back on their words when things started getting too dangerous. He knew from the very start that, for all her talk and praise in the so-called magic of friendship wouldn't hold out. He could see it in her eyes: Fearful. Worrisome. Dreading. All it takes was one big-enough scare and...

"But..."

...what?

"...I know why you did it. You did it for me, even if I think it was wrong...but...either way...if you didn't answer the Elements' summoning and brought justice it when you did..." She paused, gathering the courage to say what would've been "...t-then my friends and I would've been forced to do it."

Spyro didn't say anything, but simply looked down at her in quiet understanding.

Then she didn't something he really didn't expect; shakily and with water spilling off her fur, she stood up, waded over to him and gently placed her hoof over his paw. It was through this contact, seeing her own small hoof dwarfed by his massive paw, that Twilight realized just how big he really was. How easy it would be to simply squash her underfoot as if she was nothing more than a mere bug.

And yet, despite having only known her for less than a day, he saw her as someone worth fighting for.

"I admit, I'm still a bit scared of many things...but I know you're a decent dragon, and I still want to know that dragon." She began, her eyes meeting his warmly. "I just need a little time to become a bit braver. Please...be patient for me?"

Spyro's response was silence...and then a pleased purr.

Maybe there was hope after all.

"I am a dovah. I'll live as old as the mountains and am just as patient." He stated, tucking his legs under himself before standing up. "I think I can wait."

Twilight grinned, giggling softly. She made a move to get out of the water, only to squeak in alarm when she felt a sudden slosh in her lower abdomen...

...Spyro made a move to step into the river, but was thankfully stopped with a pungent odor suddenly hit his saurian nostrils, making him quickly react his arm. He knew that smell; he had sniffed it out plenty of times, usually when he activated his full power and roared in might during a battle...the smell originating from the groins of his foes. He glanced down at Twilight, who had lost all traces of positive or negative emotions and was desperately trying to keep a straight, innocent face, her eyes darting about nervously and her cheeks a rosy red.

He narrowed his eyes.

"...did you just pee in the river?"

Twilight squeaked, her already glowing blush spreading all the way to her ears. "I...I-I...I couldn't hold it in anymore!" She wailed in embarrassment, covering her face with her hooves. "I hadn't gone since the portal's opening! I've been holding it in for the whole night!"

"Daar Los Krastovon!" Spyro all but roared, quickly stepping away from the bank while whipping a paw over his nostrils. "You couldn't have waited just a little more until you got home?!"

He was going to say more when the water behind Twilight exploded in a geyser as a large form erupted from the river, rearing back like a great beast and...screaming the girliest, most ungodly feminine squeal the dragon had ever heard from a male voice.

The water fell away to reveal a massive sea serpent, easily twice as large as Spyro and four times as long, forcing the young dragon to crane his head upwards to look at his face. His entire body and tail was long and serpentine, and covered in deep bluish-purple scales, like a great snake, minus a pair of almost human like arms located higher up the body near the head, leaving the neck relatively short compared to the rest of it's body. Said head was saurian yet crocodile-like in nature, almost like that of a spinosaurus, with eyes set on top of the head, extended nostrils mounted on the end of its snout, sharp crocodile-like teeth...and the gaudiest, most flamboyant mass of golden-orange hair, styled in a ridiculously-fabulous manner, with a large, curly mustache to match.

"OH CELESTIIIIIAAAAAAA!! IT'S EVERYWHEREEEEEEEEEE!!" The sea monster screamed in a prissy voice that was male, though barely, almost weeping with trauma. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT IN SOMEONE'S HOME?!?!"

"I'm sorry-he-he-heeee! I-I thought the river w-would just w-wash it away!"

"IT'S IN MY GILLS!! OH, SWEET FAUST IT'S IN MY GILLS!!"

"I DIDN'T MEAN TOOOOOOOO!!!"

"IT BURNS!! IT BURNS LIKE FIIIIIRE!!"

"I COULDN'T HOLD IT IN ANY LONGER-HER-HER-HEEEEEEEEEEEEERRR!!!!"

Spyro merely sat there on the river's edge, fighting the urge to bang his head against a non-existent wall as the serpent continued to scream and thrash and the unicorn continued to sit in the water and wail her head off, their comical cries echoing throughout the twilight of dawn.

It was going to be one of those adventures.

"I'm really, really sorry for what happened, Mr. Magnet." Twilight apologized yet again as she and Spyro sat on the opposite river bank, using her magic to wring her mane out. "I forgot you lived here, and I didn't think he would've noticed."

"Oh, don't fret a bit, young lady." The serpent, who had introduced himself as Steven Magnet after Spyro finally cut the panic fest short with an angry roar, assured her. "To be truthful, it certainly did wonders for clearing out the sinuses and gills; I just ask that, next time, do it downstream of my riverbed, if you'd please."

Twilight grimaced, cheeks turning an even rosier red. "D-Don't worry, sir. I-It won't happen again...ever again."

Steven Magnet tittered in the most feminine way Spyro had ever heard; a way that made him want to cringe in disgust before ripping the snake's organs out and setting them aflame. "Ohohohohoho! Do stop with the 'sir's and 'Mr. Magnet'; I am but a simple sea monster citizen of this forest, nothing more than that..." He tuttered a bit before turning his gaze to the dragon himself. "...No, the one you should be focusing respect to is this fellow."

Spyro's gaze narrowed. "You knew I was coming."

"Ohohoho, my good dragon. I'd say it's about time you showed up." Steven Magnet chuckled, shifting his coils in the water. "You certainly would've been useful a few weeks ago when that Discord fellow returned. A bit late to the party, wouldn't you say? But I suppose if the Tree wanted you here to fight that old coot, it would've summoned you when he came around."

Twilight's eyes widened in surprise; he knew about him too?! Celestia wasn't the only one?

The dragon growled, his haunches rising threateningly. "I'm never 'summoned'." He snarled, his voice rumbling through the pony's flesh like an earthquake's tremors. "I chose to answer the call, not come here against my will; I bow to no one, *not even your tree."*

The purple serpent put his hands up in surrender. "Calm down, good sir. I meant no disrespect." He said coolly, without losing any of his charm or glee. "I'm just glad you've finally arrived; after waiting in this river for over five hundred years (3), I was beginning to think Celestia was crazy."

"Wait, what? What do you mean?" Twilight spoke up.

Steven looked surprised. "...What? You mean you don't know?" He asked. "You're suppose to be her most prized student, aren't you...you mean to say that, after all these years, she never told you anything?!"

"To...study...the Magic of Friendship?" She offered, grinning sheepishly.

Steven Magnet stared at her for what felt like an eternity to the unicorn...before he slapped his forehead in a hand version of a facehoof, groaning as if in pain.

"Okay, what is going on?" Twilight exclaimed, frustrated. "Why is this happening? First Celestia and her stupid book, then the tree of harmony and the elements, and now you of all creatures?! What is going on with my life?! Why-?!"

Her panic attack was stopped when a large, scaly finger poked itself against her snout, closing her mouth.

"Sh-h-h-hhhhhh. Calm down." The aquatic reptile said in a soothing tone before removing his finger and leaning back into the water. "Everything's going to be fine...*sigh*...you were suppose to have known about this from the moment you got the element." He stated, pointing to the Element of Magic laying next to her saddlebags. "...but Celestia had other plans. Plans that I told her wouldn't work, but looks like she went for them anyway."

He paused, massaging the bridge of his snout.

"You already have the book that Celestia left you, so you already know the truth: she knew you and your friends were the element of magic from the very beginning, and that Jendovahzoor himself here would come and bring forth a new era for Equestria. How she knew this, she never told us, but she wanted to be prepared for his arrival, so she commissioned the construction of a town on a patch of land just outside the Everfree for him to live in and 'rule over'; sort of a 'welcome gift', for lack of a better term, to earn his favor when he arrived. Oh, you know those Dragons; always wanting nothing else than a kingdom's worth of gold and sacrifices! Anyway, said town was built when Celestia 'gave' the land to the Apple Family, including that lovely young mare, Apple Smith; you know...green earth pony? Apple pie cutie mark? Discovered the Zap Apple Trees?"

Twilight was ready to rip her mane out by the roots. Now Granny Smith was in on this?!?!

"Around the same time that old tree was craved into our charming little library, Princess Celestia suddenly arrived without any head-ups or decree; simply just waltzed into the library, hid your book back in the lower shelves, and cast a spell that would make it disappear until only you or one of your little friends found it." Steven continued, expressing his words further with motions of his hands. "After that she gathered a small group of us, including myself, my dear friend Cranky, Mrs. Smith, Stinkin' Rich, Mayor Mare's grandmother and a few others, telling us all about this prophecy of hers: when the elements are reborn and Nightmare Moon defeated, a dragon of purple scales would arrive from 'the realm of flame' and bring forth a new era of restoration to our entire world. It was something bigger and fancier than that, though, but...oh, drat; it was such a long time ago that I can barely remember it. I was just beginning to grow my glorious mooustache!" He gave said 'mooustache' a twirl with his fingers. "Anyway, our job was to prepare our town to be as dragon-friendly and welcoming as possible; a place where even a dragon would feel at home. The fact that your little Spikey fellow lives there without anypony going all 'KILL IT WITH FIRE' proves that we've succeeded at that part, though given just what kind of dragon our friend is here, things might be trickier than anticipa-COCKATRICE!!!"

Twilight didn't even have a chance to react to his scream of fear before a pair of clawed feet slammed into her back with an angry 'Bwraccckk!', knocking her onto her stomach. She cried out as she hit the ground painfully, just as the attacker leapt off her back and landed in front of her, revealing itself to be a familiar serpentine avian with green scales, bat-like wings, a long snake's tail, and a rooster's head.

The cockatrice whirled upon the pony with an angry glare, one that she avoided by quickly covering her eyes with her hooves; she may have learned from their last encounter, but the yellow pony wasn't around to stop him this time! Not even the giant sea monster was enough to discourage it.

His tiny chicken brain only had room for one thought: Vengeance!

With another angry brawk, he leapt up and grabbed at the pony's bandaged forehooves with his talons while pecking at her face; it's sharp claws and beak dug into her flesh, drawing blood. Twilight sobbed in fear and pain, scrambling backwards while flailing her hooves around wildly, still keeping her eyes squeezed shut even as he flapped away.

"GO AWAY!!" She screamed in terror,  firing blinds shot of magic in desperation as he flew around her, his wings fluttering a gust.

"Get out of here, you little beast!" Steven exclaimed as he swiped his hands around the riverbank with his own eyes closed, trying to chase the reptavian off. "Shoo! Leave her alone! Shoo!"

But the cockatrice wasn't deterred by the wild flailing of both creatures, their aims really off. He had been waiting six months for this moment: the ability to turn its prey to stone was the ultimate source of power and pride of its kind, what made them stand strong against against even the likes of a hydra or manticore! And that yellow pony not only defeated it at its own game, but forced him to releasing prey! Releasing prey! No cockatrice alive had ever done that, by will or force! It had been disgraced as one of its own kind for that; he was the laughing stock of all other Cockatrices everywhere! A loser! A failure! No hens would even think of laying his eggs now!

And it was all thanks to that stupid yellow pony and her friends!

With an angry war brawk he leapt through the air at the panicking Twilight, his talons outstretched to full length; if she would not open her eyes and meet his gaze, then he would rip her eyelids off!

Revenge would be his toda-!

*CRUNCH!!*

Twilight went stiff as a sickening crunch burst forth and the cockatrice's cries were abruptly silenced; something warm and wet splashed against her cheek as more sickening breaks and crunches reached her ears, making her stomach churn. There was also a sudden smell that hit her nostrils like a train, causing bile to build in her throat.

It smelled kinda like...

...she dared to crack an eye open, and immediately wished she hadn't.

She had opened her eye just in time to see Spyro crush the bloodied corpse of the cockatrice in his mouth, spilling blood down the sides of his lower jaw. Spyro grabbed the hanging tail before pulling, and the horrific sound of the dead reptavian's spine breaking and flesh ripping filled the air as he tore his snack in half; a sea of crimson erupted from the split belly, painting the grass red. He snapped up the half in his mouth much like a crocodile snapping up chunks of meat, swallowing it down nosily before popping the other half in after it; more blood ran down his bottom jaw as he finished his bite-sized treat, licking the blood off his fingers afterwards...

...the same kind of blood that was currently coating her cheek.

Her eyes rolled back into her head and she promptly flopped over in a dead faint.

Spyro paused from cleaning himself, looking down at the unconscious pony on the grass, confused; her hindleg only twitched once in response.

Steven Magnet also stared dumbly at the pony on the ground. One could almost see the massive, anime-styled sweatdrop forming on the back of his head.

"Yes, things will be much trickier than anticipated." He muttered aloud, scratching at his scalp.

It was the light of the morning sun that aroused Derpy Hooves from her sleep, the sunlight falling directly over her closed eyes. She frowned, squeezing her eyes tightly in an attempt to hold onto her rapidly-fading muffin dream, but she soon lost the battle. She yawned widely while stretching before she slumped back into bed, a cross look adorning her face as she stared at the ceiling. It had been blueberry muffins too...

Oh well, no use pouting over imaginary muffins; she had a job to get ready for.

She rolled over to roll out of bed, but once again misjudged the distance from the center of the bed to the edge; with a squeal of surprise, she rolled over too far and fell out of bed with a soft *thud*, pulling down all the sheets on top of her. The silly-looking mass under the sheets kicked and struggled while murmuring muffled words of surprise before she finally poke her head out at the top of the pile, gasping comically for air. She giggled as she pulled herself out of the sheets, accidentally tripping over one and falling one again onto the floor.

"Whoops..." She giggled again as she gathered herself back up. Dusting herself off with her tail, she trotted merrily over to a mirror in her bedroom. She looked left, then right, and then back to the mirror; giggling like a little school filly, she makes a couple of funny faces in it, which were only made funnier by her silly-looking eyes; 'laugh and find joy in your own flaws and they won't be flaws anymore', her grandmother always told her...

...that way, when people laugh at you, it won't hurt as much.

Pushing aside those memories, Derpy continued her day; she quickly hopped into the bathroom, taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth...though she got the soap and toothpaste mixed up again, resulting in a nasty surprise. After rinsing the bubbles from her mouth, she reached down to the drawer with her brush, grabbing the handle with her mouth and pulling.

Nothing.

She pulled again, harder this time.

It wouldn't budge.

Scowling at the drawer and determined to open it, she steadied her footing and heaved; this time the drawer gave way, suddenly dislodged by the force of her yank. Derpy herself was sent flying backwards into the wall on the other side of her room, yanking the drawer out of its place in the process, the pegasus slamming up against the wall with a thud. Birds could be heard chirping merrily as she recovered from her tumble; shaking her head, her eyes focused for a brief moment to inspect the carnage that now surrounded her. The contents of the drawer had spilled all around, the brush she was looking for now laying at her hooves.

'Rats, not again...' She groaned mentally, sighing in frustration. 'I'll clean this up later; I don't have time now.'

After a quick brush of her mane, she trotted down the stairs to the kitchen; she grabbed a large brown bag from a nearby chair and went to the pantry, opening it up to find, in her opinion, the most beloved creation ever made by pony-kind.

Muffins.

There was just no mortal words that could describe them. Muffins were probably the most marvelous food ever created by pony chefs. So many different kinds and choices, beautiful explosions of flavor, yet with such humble and ordinary appearances. Muffins were truly a gift from Faust herself...but so little appreciation! Most ponies would take pies, cakes, or Pinkie's cupcakes over a good muffin any day! Honestly, ponies just don't know how to appreciate a good thing when they have one!

After she stuffed her bag full of muffins, she flew into the living room to fetch her professional mail-hat and mail-bag. To her surprise, she found them sitting on the couch just waiting for her to pick them up: a classic-looking mail-hat and a large brown bag full of letters and packages. Along with her things, there was also a note lying next to her hat, drawn out in the red crayon scribbles of a young filly; setting her muffin bag next to her mailbag, she picked up the note with her hooves and read it aloud.

Deer Mom

Alrudy at scholl

Dinky

Derpy smiled; it seemed like it was only yesterday she was just a baby filly with bright eyes and a wonderful little laugh...they grow up so fast, don't they? Oh well, it was good that Dinky could go to school on her own and still be safe during the day; it was tough earning enough money to feed yourself and your baby girl when you're only a mail-mare, who has to get up early to get to work and couldn't afford the time to take your kids to school. She was lucky enough to get that job to begin with, let alone keep it all this time, thanks to her...conditions.

Whistling a familiar tune to herself, the pegasus mare set the note aside and put on her mail cap; smiling proudly, she then reached for her mail bag...

...oh.

There were two brown bags on the couch. One has mail, the other has muffins. How to find out which one has which?

Mail...or Muffins?

Derpy stared intently at the two bags, trying to decide which one she was suppose to take. How on Equestria was she going to find out which bag had the mail in it?

*BONG...BONG...BONG...BONG...BONG...BONG...BONG...BONG!!*

The bell tower struck eight: She was late for work! Just choose and go! Squeaking in surprise, the pegasus grabbed one of the bags and bolted through the front door, the breeze caused by her taking off sending a single letter floating out of the remaining bag...

Ah, Ponyville...the bestest best home in the world! She loved this town ever since she moved here with her own mommy back when she was a itty-bitty filly. Everypony here was always so nice, even when she messed up and broke things every now and then...except for Rainbow Dash, who always got crabby when she accidentally got the weather schedule wrong, or when she played with the fun thunderclouds. She couldn't help it though; thunderclouds were so much fun! Always going 'Zap!' and 'Boom!' whenever she bounced on them, even if things always went 'Kaboom!' if she bounced on them too close to tall things like buildings and trees.

But bouncing on thunderclouds would have to wait until after lunchtime; she had to do her job as a mailmare first! As a mailmare, it was her job, duty, and pride to make sure everypony in Ponyville got their mail delivered on time! As the saying goes: neither rain, snow, sleet or hail, would ever stop the pony mail!

...but...where were the ponies who needed their mail?

For that matter, where was anypony?

For as far as Derpy's crossed eyes could see, the entire town looks deserted; she was currently standing in the middle of the market place, one of the busiest places in all of Ponyville, and yet there wasn't a pony to be seen. Since it was early morning, it would make sense if the shoppers weren't around since they were all still getting ready for the day, but even the stalls were closed, boarded up and sealed shut. Not a single pony to be seen.

It had been deserted yesterday too, but that was because the Dragon Migration thingy was happening; she herself had to be very strict with Dinky that day when she wanted to go outside and play. No daughter of hers was going to go outside when big, scary dragons were flying all around the place! She could've been eaten! And then she would definitely be a little muffin, and not in a good way!

But that was already over, and the dragons were gone...so where was everypony?

Weird.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when something grabbed her by the tail and yanked hard; hard enough to trip her off her hooves and pull her across the ground. Derpy yelped in surprise as she fell to the ground, landing with an 'oof!'; she didn't have time to straighten her spinning eyes before that something began pulling her across the street! She looked back but, to her fear, there was nopony there!

It was The Invisible Pony! The Invisible Pony was kidnapping her!

"HEEEEELP!!" She screamed in fright as she was dragged toward one of the houses, leaving long groves where she tried to grab at the dirt. "I don't wanna be molesteeeed!"

"Derpy! Get down and be quiet!" A familiar voice hissed between its teeth as she was yanked into the front door, landing in the main hall on her back as the door slammed shut. The golden glow around her tail faded as she was suddenly jumped by a unicorn, who pinned her to the floor and covered her mouth.

"For Celestia's sake, Lyra!" Another familiar voice shouted before 'Lyra' was shoved off of her. "Get off of her before you smother her to death!"

Derpy sat up in confusion, finding herself surrounded by numerous ponies huddled up inside; Lyra was wrestling angrily with her assaulter, a beige earth pony with a pink and blue mane, while everypony else were huddled together or peaking around the edges of windows. Many of the ponies here she recognized: there was Lyra, Bonbon, Berry Punch, Colgate, Sea Swirl, Carrot Top, even her second daughter Amethyst.

"Derpy! Thank goodness!" Carrot Top exclaimed as she pulled the confused pegasus in a tight hug, squeezing her until her eyeballs spun. "We thought you were a goner!"

"Mmmmmm..." Derpy moaned, her snout buried in Carrot Top's chest fluff. "Mmmwaff mmoming mon?"

Carrot Top released her grip slightly, looking down at her in disbelief. "Where have you been? The entire town's in hiding and you're out delivering the mail?!"

A lightbulb clicked in Derpy's head. "Ohhhhh! So that's why nopony's outside! Who are we hiding from?"

The other ponies started at her as if she had grown a second head...well, more so than usual.

"...are you kidding me!" A ruffled-up Lyra shouted. "You mean you don't know what's going on?! Half of Ponyville was destroyed in that armageddon-ish storm and you slept through the whole thing?!"

"I went to bed early-"

"Why can't I sleep that hard?!"

"Lyra!" Bonbon snapped, bonking the unicorn over the head with her hoof. "For Celestia's sake..."

"Celestia had abandoned us!" One of the ponies, Daisy, shouted in fear; one of the flower trio, who were all huddled under the dining room table. "We're all gonna die while she does nothing!"

"We're doomed! Doomed, I tell you!" Roseluck sobbed in a comical way.

"We're all gonna be violated!" Lily screamed.

A magenta-colored hoof bonked all three of them over the heads. "Would you three shut up?!" Berry Punch hissed as they all whimpered. "She's gonna find us at this rate!"

"Who's gonna find us?" Derpy asked, still tucked in Carrot's Top grip.

"The...T-The Priestess." Sea Swirl whimpered, tucking herself into a ball.

"She came in just the other night, from Sugarcube Corner." Colgate whispered, peeking out the window. "Said a dragon was coming to Ponyville today, and she's been preparing for it."

The gray pegasus paled, her eyes straightening out for a brief moment. "A D-D-Dragon?!" She squeaked, she and Carrot Top shivering violently.

"Her eyes are like balls of fire!" The unicorn continued, eyes her full of dread. "Her m-mane a mass of t-t-tentacles, and her h-hooves forged from the s-steel of t-t-tartarus itself! The s-skull of the p-princess covers her f-face like a m-m-mask, and a s-staff made from the t-torn-out s-s-skull and s-s-spine of a Draconequus w-w-wields the p-power of the d-dragons to her very whim! She's come to welcome the dragon to our town! To welcome the apocalypse upon all of Equestria!

"And to do that, she needs...n-n-needs...t-!"

*BANG!!*

The door to the house was slammed open with a loud crash, the wind from outside blowing forth in a strangely sinister and frightful manner for a perfectly sunny day. The light of said sunny day silhouetted the form of a hooded figure wrapped in a dark yet strangely sparkly cape that billowed in the wind of a perfectly still day, a staff held to the side with one hoof; her face was concealed by a mask, yes, from which two bright baby-blue eyes could be seen giddily staring at them, locks of pink mane poking out from said hood and hanging over the candied top of the mask.

She pointed her evil staff at them with the horrifying, demonic sound of a squeaky toy, and with but one sentence, made all of Ponyville scream in absolute terror.

"I have come for your Virginity!"

Derpy screamed alongside the others; looks like she was going to be molested, after all.

Outside of the now-panicking Ponyville, Spyro finally emerged from the edge of the Everfree Forest and into the open plains in a quick bound. His paws touched down in grassy ground as he finally got the chance to spread his wings and stretch his spine to full length.

A deep thrum of satisfaction rumbled from his throat as he stretched his body and wings out like a cat or dog would when waking up, his joints cracking their kinks loose...finally; he thought he was never going to see the end of that wretched forest! It was good to finally feel the sun on his scales, and to finally stretch his wings out! For the first time since arriving here, he mentally realized. Already he could feel the heat of morning seeping into the membrane of his wings, flowing through his veins into his already toasty bod-

"HOOOOOOOT!!" A certain unicorn suddenly squealed; with a burst of magic, Twilight disappeared off his head and reappeared a few yards in front of him, doing a silly little tippy-toe dance to put out the smoke rising from her underside. "Hothothothothothot!!"

Damn; he forgot she was there. Oh well...

Spyro snorted in amusement before turning his sights up to behold the landscape before him. With the forest behind him, the open plains and grassy hills rolled on for miles, covering the landscape in a warm green and a rainbow of colorful flowers. Lining the sides of the horizon were large mountains, the ones on the right being the larger and more expanded ranges of the two; and sitting in the middle of the field, with the opening between these two mountains directly behind it, was a decently-sized village of straw-roofed houses and numerous larger and more unique buildings. The most notable of these buildings were a large, three-story tower in the center of town, a giant gingerbread house, a fancy boutique that resembled a carousel, and a tree that had been carved out into a library. The entire town and land before him, even the very sky, was so bright, so overly clean and colorful...sickeningly so.

Still, it held a sort of calm innocence and joy that the young dovah could appreciate, if only because it meant these 'ponies' were a young race; one that had not been exposed to the darkness of the universe, both supernatural and moral, and therefore could be led to grow away from both in the future.

Or at least this town was.

Spyro looked upwards toward the horizon, spotting something in the mountains that caught his interest: on the side of one mountain was what he first mistook for a large castle, but the sheer size, number of towers, and expansion along the edges of the mountain's cliffsides revealed it to be a city...a large, gaudy, and overly-proud and pompous city, every bit as overly and wrongly clean and 'pure' as the world beneath it. He could literally smell the stink of pride, greed, and delusional power poisoning the very air for over a hundred miles; it was a downright miracle this little town was unaffected.

His eyes narrowed into a dark, hateful glare as his lips curled back with an deep, predatory growl...one that purred with anticipation.

So big...so wealthy...so corrupted...

He would enjoy burning it to the ground.

And for a city on the side of a mountain, that would be a long way down.

But that would have to wait, along with a few other things. He could also smell the baked goods and fruit punch from here; the 'Pinkie' one had a celebration prepared and awaiting in his honor, and he was still hungry. So he grabbed Twilight's tail in his mouth and lifted her up, causing her to squeak in surprise; snorting again in amusement, the purple dovah headed toward the town he would come to call home soon enough.

It was all perfect...it had to be perfect.

If it wasn't perfect, the town would perish...but that was silly, 'cause this was perfect!

It had to be perfect!

Though something told Rarity that it wasn't, no matter what.

This was the one time where Twilight's lust of organization would've been perfect to have...but the one time it was, and she was not here. So they had to settle for Rarity's unhealthy obsession for perfection.

'Nice to know my purpose to the town is a pathetic Plan B.' Rarity grumbled to herself as she stood in the middle of town square, overseeing the last touches of preparation as she fumbled with the large list that trailed behind her.

Pinkie Pie had truly, and she meant truly, outdone herself this time; the average Nightmare Night and even Hearth's Warming Eve festivals paled in comparison to what could only be described as its very own holiday. Streamers, food tables, balloons, food stands, bounce-houses, and even a Ferris wheel had been erected to make this a spectacle to behold. Rarity also noticed that everything this time around was especially dragon-themed, in honor of their soon-to-be arrival...and possible overlord: the cookies were shaped like little dragons, with purple and orange icing. The balloons were all clustered in the according colors of purple, indigo, yellow, and orange, matching Spyro's colors perfectly. Paintings and paper cutouts of dragons doing different things, like breathing fire or hoarding treasure, were everywhere; on the stalls, the tablecloths, the balloons, and just about anywhere she could stick a paintbrush. And finally, she even went to make a large, makeshift altar in front of Town Hall (made out of wooden crates organized in a altar-like shape with gray blankets spread over them, said blankets painted to have ancient runes and symbols lining the edges), on which sat a truly enormous plate and dish lid; Faust knows what was awaiting the dragon's stomach underneath it.

"Hiya, Rarity!"

'Speak of the little pink devil.' Rarity thought to herself. She had seen her wear some silly things from time to time, but like the party, Pinkie's current outfit took the cake: A long, wavy, bright-pink cape with yellow candy wrapper tassels dragged behind her, with a matching turban-like hood tucked around her head, allowing the front of her mane to squeeze out over the smiling skull-shaped mask that she had currently pushed up to her forehead to show her face. Her upper body and forelimbs were dressed in robes that matched her cape, cookie-style plating serving as shoulder and upper arm armor, and in one hoof she gripped a tall, streamer-wrapped staff with a goofy-looking dragon-shaped skull on top, googly eyes sticking in opposite directions.

It took all of Rarity's willpower to keep herself from pinning the earth pony down and ripping that monstrosity clean off her body.

It took her another moment to realize just how dirty that sounded.

"Ooooh, I'm so nervoscited!" Pinkie Pie squealed as she bounced to a stop next to Rarity. "I could barely sleep last night, so I went on a planning spree to make this the bestest best celebration a dragon could enjoy!" She whipped out a long list from within her cape, which promptly rolled a good fifty feet in front of both ponies as she read the top. "Okay, we've got all the essentials down, checked over, re-checked over again, and given a complete overhaul for good measure, from cookies to creampuffs! All we're missing is the big ol' New Overlord Conqueror of Equestria himself!"

Rarity frowned. "Don't you think that's going a bit overboard? Yes, we're all in a tight pickle here, but really? Overlord Conqueror of Equestria?"

"Well, duh!" Pinkie exclaimed, looking at Rarity like she was an idiot. "Didn't you read that mysterious mystery book Twilight found? 'Something very important is about to happen near you, something that will forever change the very face and future of Equestria'? If a giant, super-powerful dragon brought in from another world by the elements of harmony themselves isn't important or face-changing, sister, I don't know what is!"

"Well, that I can understand, but what makes you think he's going to take over Equestria?" Rarity continued.

"Because he's a dragon? Duuuuh!" Pinkie rolled; seriously, how oblivious could Rarity be?! "That what they do! It's like their trade-mark thing!"

Rarity humphed haughtily, giving her curls a bounce with her hoof. "I thought their trademark thing was steal treasure, breathe fire, and be absolute brutes." She quipped deadpanningly. "That's certainly all I've seen them be-"

She was cut off when Pinkie beaned her over the head with her staff, with the sound of a squeaky-toy combined with a *bonk!*.

"OUCH!"

"That attitude there is exactly why I've had to make this party extra big and extra special!" Pinkie snapped irritably, jabbing her staff toward the cringing unicorn, who was currently gripping her head with her hooves. "I can't believe you girls: Spyro came here to help us ponies out of the niceness of his heart, and all you guys do is be mean to him!"

Rarity looked as if Pinkie had insulted her and her ancestors. "Excuse me?! I'm the one being mean?!" She all but shrieked. "Do you even remember what happened last night! He almost killed us!"

Pinkie, however, would not back down; she wasn't going to let Rarity or anypony else be mean to her new friend anymore. "Because you girls were mean to him first!" She snapped. "Twilight and I were getting along with him just fine, until you guys showed up, tried to kick him in the face, and stare him down like some dumb puppy for no other reason than he was bigger and scarier-looking than you!"

From within her hiding place in Carousel Boutique, Fluttershy suddenly felt the urge to reprimand somepony for being mean to puppies.

"I will not be put in the wrong here, Pinkie!" Rarity shouted angrily, jabbing an angry hoof at a glaring Pinkie; never before had she been so insulted! How dare she put that animal above her in this argument! How dare she?! "He's the dragon! He's the monster here! All of this chaos and destruction here is his fault, not mine! I only responded as any sensible pony would! I'm not the bad one here! He is!"

"You really *don't know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?"*

Rarity could feel the blood drain from her face and limbs as her heart locked in dread; Pinkie, however, look past Rarity and her face lit up with a happy gasp brighter than a thousand suns. A collective gasp of fear sounded throughout the main square as all the ponies gathered around town hall or working on the decorations stopped what they were doing and, as a whole, turned to stare in absolute fear, wonder, and dread.

The unicorn swallowed nervously before turning around to meet her fate...and the nose of her fellow unicorn, which booped against hers as the owner hung upside down by her tail.

"Hi." Was Twilight's only reply.

It did little to comfort the fiery, powerful glare of the dragon towering over the town as a whole, boring a cold yet blazing fury into her very soul. A powerful and angry growl suddenly drummed forth from behind his bared teeth, thundering through the very sky and earth and shaking the town like an earthquake.

All of it directed at the offending unicorn.

Rarity's eyes rolled back into her skull before she flopped over on her side in a dead faint...right into a muddy puddle with a sloppy splash, to which Spyro snorted in satisfaction before he gently lowered Twilight down to the ground, releasing her tail from his mouth; the unicorn gave an 'oof' as she rolled over onto her back, looking a bit puzzled.

"You came, you came, you came!" Pinkie Pie squealed with joy, bouncing up and down excitedly to Twilight and scooping her up in a hug, to which Twilight returned tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe, and that you came!" She said as she let go of the purple pony and turned to the purple dragon, wrapping her forelegs around his paw and pulling it, prompting him to follow her. "I've got a great party planned just for you; I'm gonna make you feel right at home here in Ponyville!"

As Pinkie led Spyro through main square, Twilight was alerted by a familiar voice calling her name.

"Twilight!"

She whirled around at the voice to see Spike running toward her as fast as his stumpy legs could carry him. A powerful rush of relief and joy filled her heart, and the first tears of happiness that day had to offer pricked at her eyes.

"Spike!" She cried in pure relief, arms opening out just in time to catch him in them as he promptly tackle-hugged her. The force of the impact sent both of them toppling over, but Twilight couldn't care less; she laid on her back with her baby dragon hugged tightly against her, letting her final batch of tears of this day run down her cheeks in bliss and release.

She was back home.

The nightmare was over.

And never before was she so glad to be back in Ponyville.

"Is that him?"

The relief filling her body lessened greatly at those three words; Spike was watching the much larger and stronger dragon past her shoulder with a mix of wonder and wariness. She loosened her hug slightly and followed his gaze with her own; even as Pinkie led him to the makeshift altar, the very earth trembled in fear and respect under the footfalls of the mighty beast. And for a brief second, those fiery reptilian eyes met theirs in a sideways glance as he looked back at them, before turning away to follow the pink mare toward town hall, where Mayor Mare was nervously awaiting and ready for him.

"Honored guest!" The mayor began, breaking the silence. "As the mayor of Ponyville, It is my honor to welcome you to our humble village! We have announced the day of your arrival to be a day of celebration and hope that you enjoy your stay in this fair town! While here, Twilight Sparkle, the personal student of Princess Celestia, will tend to your needs and Lyra Heartstrings, our local bard, will welcome you in the traditional music and story-telling style. Now, I will give the stage to her. Have a wonderful stay and please enjoy yourself."

A mint-green unicorn levitated her harp in front of herself and took center stage; she was just about to start, when Spyro suddenly intervened.

"So..." He started with a cold voice, the very space around him darkening and trembling under his power. "You think that you can appease me with this obvious attempt to make me feel special? Fly in the best celebrity you find, turn my arrival into a carnival and tell everyone to have a good time, just so I am more inclined to behave? This is a very obvious and manipulative attempt to get on my good side, I have to say..."

With the last syllable and a loud SHING, he held up his right paw and extended the claws to full length.

The word silence does not even begin to describe what followed. It was as if the air simply refused to carry sound. There was no wind, no insects, nothing.

Twilight didn't feel the eyes of every pony around her burning into her body, and even if she had felt them, she wouldn't have cared. She felt her body dying of fear; she couldn't hear her heart beat, her lungs didn't fill themselves, and she was sure that her neural system was shutting down as well.

And it was wonderful! She could experience death in the way every scientist wished they could: completely aware and thinking! She would leave this world with knowledge that was in no book! Happily, she accepted the embrace of the pale horse.

Meanwhile, Spyro slowly lowered himself into a prone position and extended his arm toward a stand of apple-based treats. Coldly, he ignored the trembling mare tending the stand as he stabbed a caramel apple, before leaning back and popping it into his mouth. It disappeared in his jaws and left a grin on his face.

"Excellent! It's about time you mortals started doing your homework! You may continue to stroke my ego!" he said with satisfaction.

The entirety of Ponyville exhaled in relief, Twilight felt life returning to her flesh, and in Carousel Boutique, Fluttershy's animal friends were able to CPR their caretaker back into this world.

"Spike..." Twilight told her assistant. "...take a letter."

The nightmare was over, but the adventure had just begun!

(A/N): PROOF-READER NEEDED, PLEASE HELP (RE-ANNOUNCMENT)

Hey, readers. No chapter this time, just a quick message to those reading this:

I need a Proof-Reader for my story; I am aware that I am not the best author in the world, and that I often make mistakes in my works (only to find them later). And I'm sure there are still typos and errors in my current chapters as we speak. So, I'm asking for help in finding and fixing them.

I'm not even asking for a big deal between editors and all that: All I'm asking is for you guys out there, if you have the time, to notify me on any typos, errors, and misspellings I might have made in past, present, and future chapters: when you're reading my book and see any of these mistakes, please notify me in the comments so I may go back and fix them. I'd really appreciate the help.

Til Next Time, Tyraka628

P.S.: All you autistic kiss-ups who keep saying I don't need a proof reader, or that my works are perfect: KNOCK IT OFF. My works are not perfection incarnate just because you're too busy fangasming over it to notice the obvious flaws. I wouldn't be putting up this message if I believed it was perfect: I KNOW it's not perfect. I KNOW it has flaws. And I'm TRYING to find someone to help me fix these flaws; if all you're going to do is continue insisting that I don't need one, then get lost.

Prologue

Earth...was dead.

The once beautiful world of life and promise...gone.

For good.

The Earth, that little blue planet, the birth world and foundation of the human race, had been completely and utterly destroyed in a hellish storm of fire, poison, and fear, along with every single bit of life that had once stretched across its surface; it had been killed off like a mighty tree, succumbing to a deadly poison at the roots, and then burned to a blackened skeleton by a mighty fire, and with it all the fruits of life that grew from its once mighty branches, before they even had a chance to spread their seeds across the universe.

The planet was a dead shell of its former self: the once beautiful oceans were now thick, oozing, stagnant, black pools of decay and poison, the waters worse than the thickest, darkest, and most putrid tar, the surface littered with the poisoned, rotting bodies of every living organism of the oceans; billions upon billions of bloated, decaying corpses dissolving slowly in the acidic gunk now covered almost every inch of the planet's waters, spreading for thousand of miles in a layer of rot beyond the darkened horizon. The skies were pitch-black, the atmosphere choked by clouds of other-worldly smoke and smog; all light from the sun and stars had been completely cut off by the storm of death raging above, leaving the world in complete darkness...minus the flashes of red and white, cause by the unnatural, hellish-red lightning that blazed through the sky, sending flashes of crimson and thunderous explosions across the land.

Other sources of light were the fires blazing across the twisted, crushed landscape, the continents now no longer their original shapes in any way imaginable. A massive cliff of crumbling rock and dirt was all that remained of Europe and its surrounding land masses, all of which lay in giant heaps of crushed stone at the bottom of the black ocean. Africa had been turned into one massive crater stretching almost the entire half of the lower hemisphere, with a great mountain range three times as tall as Everest being the only barrier between the black sludge of the sea and the lake of molten rock filling up the crater from within the broken planet. North and South America had been smashed together, with South America shoved upwards from below and smashed against the underside of it's northern twin, which in turn forced it to smash into Asia. Add a broken Australia in the center of the mix and the continents were now a twisted version of the giant landmass they once were at their creation, with a few chunks of islands and land masses scattered about.

The surface of the world was the worst of all: the landscape had once been a treasure trove of varied ecological habitats and environments, as well as great civilizations and empires of nearly unlimited cultures and lifestyles, all of which were now burned to the ground. the plentiful forests and jungles of all kinds were now little more than miles upon miles of ash and death, while the great tundras and Polar Caps were now no longer existent, and the mountain ranges and plains were either transformed into their opposites by great tectonic forces, or completely obliterated all together. The only ecosystems that remained the same were the deserts, since they were already lifeless wastelands to begin with. One thing they all had in common now, though, was the worst fact: every single spark of life that once thrived throughout the world, even bacteria, had been banished into extinction.

Then, through the blackness of death, a single light suddenly shone through the darkness.

The cracked, flaky street remained undisturbed beneath the glowing, crystalline hooves of the alicorn that silently landed in the ruined city, the godly glow of her horn matching the color of her snow-white fur, lighting her way through the darkened world. Her sapphire-blue eyes gazed sadly upon the destroyed buildings before her as the ash gently fell from the sky like snow, covering the dry, rocky concrete in a blanket of grey, while the hot, dry winds blew it forward, also catching her long, rusty-red mane and tail, causing them to gently whip in the breeze.

Such a fate was too terrible to imagine...but when she heard the news, well...she just had to come.

This world...these people...she couldn't believe they were all gone. She had been here many times in the past when she was younger, usually in secret, just to watch the humans live their mortal lives and advance to new horizons; her most recent visit was that she made a few centuries ago, back when this particular continent had just been discovered by explorers from across the sea; a very brave feat for a mortal race, to cross an ocean with no knowledge of what was on the other side. Most of her kind stayed clear of the humans due to past aggressions between them and the ancestors of man; no doubt her mother would've be livid if she had found out about her little adventures, and to face the wrath of an angry goddess, even one of maternal anger, was a frightening thought.

Though it was her own Godhood that was the only reason she wasn't joining mankind in death.

Even as the stood there, looking about at all the destruction around her, she could feel the darkness fighting back against her light. The shadows slithering through the streets and buildings were not normal shadows; she could feel the fiery, consuming anger, and the cold, bitter hatred flowing through them, clawing at her, trying to end her life as well. It was only her light and immortality that shield her from their wrath; any mortal being that dared to enter this world in the future will be consumed by the shaded fires, and their very souls would die.

The one who did this made sure that earth, and humankind itself, would never return.

But a mere year ago, if you had told any human of what was to come, they probably would've laughed at the idea before going about their normal lives. The planet's main and only sapient race, Human Beings, the mortal descendants of the ancient and legendary Starukians, were one of the first mortal races to come into existence; in their prime, humans numbered at seven-to-eight billion, and forged many civilizations of the like the universe would never see again. Thus they were the example of foundation for many younger races throughout the cosmos; there isn't a race out there younger than human beings that did not possess something in their civilization or culture that didn't mirror something within theirs.

Humans weren't perfect: they had flaws, and a track record most would steer clear of...but no race is perfect; that's what makes Soul Bearers what they are, and what humans lacked in perfection they made up for with their great potential: to do many great things, and to bring great wonder to the universe.

Then He came.

Mankind may have been one of the first races, but they were not the first; that honor went to the Dragons (or Dovah, in their tongue). Those great, eternal, reptilian monsters of fire, power, and greed, whose kind had spread fear throughout the universes, even to the gods themselves, had been around to see the birth and death of many worlds before Earth, and will be around to see the end of this universe and many more to come. They cared not for the other races that had been born amidst their carnage; all 'mortals' were nothing but insects under their feet, food to fill their bellies, or at best subjects to 'give them their well-deserved praise' and to dig up and purify the gold and jewels that they lusted for.

And just as humans had descended from a greater ancestor, dragons, too, had been born from a race even greater than they; the same that their animalistic kin, the Dinosaurs, also descended from. Long before the Reign of Gods, long before even the age of the mighty reptiles, even before Earth existed and mortals lived, Existence was ruled by the ancestors of dragons:

The Vidovahrah, which translates into 'Serpent-Dragon-God'.

They were to Gods and other deities what normal dragons were to mortal races: these great beasts flew through the galaxies and space as if it were merely the skies, and the planets lands full of food and treasure. Their hoards filled entire moons, and their great battles would wipe out entire solar systems in their wake. Entire worlds full of living souls...mere dirt under their feet...wiped out without even being acknowledged...over matters between gods with the minds of animals.

But even the greatest of creatures fall to the ravages of time, and just like their dinosaurian descendants, the mighty Vidovahrah eventually lost their place as the rulers of the universes and vanished into Extinction.

Without the great beasts around to threaten it, Life blossomed throughout the cosmos, whether it evolved over billions of years on its own, or were created by the higher beings that survived through the reign of the great titans to see the dawn of this new age. And soon, after many millennia, the Vidovahrah faded into legends and myth, long gone and dead.

All but one.

Many amongst the deity races have debated on how he survived what his race did not: the most likely theory is that his parents must've nested and laid his egg on a planet within a time rip, which preserved it long enough to hatch into mortal day...but the most-believed theory that he had been alive all this time, surviving what his ancestors did not. It isn't that unbelievable, given the creature's sheer power: far greater than any other Vidovahrah ever known.

A God amongst Gods.

Power Incarnate.

The Teeth of Fire.

The Primal God of Power.

Destroyer of Deities.

Heaven's Bane/Hell's Wrath.

Death.

He has been called all these and more...but the one name that stands out amongst all other is the one he calls himself by: a simple mortal's name, but one that had become feared throughout the cosmos.

Tyrone.

Tyrone the Vidovahrah...or, as the mortal translation will soon come to call it: Tyrone the Snakeasaurus.

In the blink of an eye he came out of nowhere, the power that was merely flowing from his skin twisting the very forces of Physics, Reality, and even Good-and-Evil around him. Before the people of Earth could even blink, he came blazing down from the heavens in a great, destructive wave of fire, poison, and death, roaring in an unbridled rage that no mortal should ever see, let alone feel for themselves. He twisted the very face of the planet with his power, forcing the land and seas themselves to fight against the mortals under his feet, creating a hellish landscape which not even the most resilient could survive, and did all in his power to wipe out everything that had, despite the odds. The humans, confident in their strength, united together to counter the beast's attacks with their own weapons of poisonous fire...but not even that harmed the great Tyrone, for only the weapons of gods could stand against a Vidovahrah. It became even worse when the rest of dragon-kind joined him in his rampage, descending upon mankind in the millions, eager to forever destroy and reap vengeance upon the race that had been a thorn in their side for too long.

Mankind fought to their last breath, but the fires of their enemy's rage and the shadows of his evil swallowed them and their entire world into eternal fire and shadow. And in a year's time, what took over 2,000,000 years to create was extinguished for eternity.

The only thing on this world that had been spared was the treasure: the gold, jewels, and other precious things of the earth that had been torn from its hold, no doubt added to the sea of riches made by the wealth stolen from countless other worlds that had suffered from his wrath. If that wretched beast wasn't still here on earth, then he was no doubt rolling around in his newly-stolen treasure, like a sow wallowing through its own filth.

Dovah, gods or not...monsters to the very core.

A deep sigh escaped Faust's lips as she bowed her head in sadness. She could see them before her: the charred, mummified skeletons of his victims littered the streets before her in the thousands; they had all been going about their normal lives before the first strike, and in that one moment before their death, all differences were forgotten in a common goal they all shared: to live, even by just running.

She had better leave; she had been gone long enough as it was, and her herd was probably looking for her at this very moment. Besides, there were other worlds out there to worry about. Nothing to gain from crying over dead bodies.

She had business elsewhere.

This day may have seen the end of one race...but in its wake, it would see the birth of another.

Deep within the cosmos, in another universe far away from earth, floated a single world amongst the stars. The planet was the same size as earth, as it had been forged in its likeness, and it orbited around a sun just as earth had, an accompanying moon following nearby; it was, by all means, another earth...except for its barren surface.

Unlike earth, which did have life at one time, this world never had living beings to support to begin with: while it did have breathable air, life never bloomed on this lonely little planet; whether it had been forsaken by the deities of other realms, or unable to evolve life on its own, it remained an empty husk. The great canyons that could've been the deep oceans were just as dry and bear as the rest of the world, and the sky was just as empty, not a single cloud or drop of humidity to be seen or felt. By all means, it was a lifeless mockery of the planet it had formed after.

It was perfect.

On the surface of the world, in the middle of a deep, wide valley, a tear through time and space split the air near the valley's ground; through it, for a moment, the horror that befell Earth could be seen, but Faust made that moment brief as she quickly soared through, her four wings shimmering like waves of heavenly aura, and her hooves touched the dirt beneath her just as the portal behind her sealed shut with a flash of light and clasp of thunder. A harsh wind blew into the planet through the portal just before it closed, bringing with it a brief flurry of ash and soot, which settled lifelessly onto the planet with the wind gone.

As the thunderous boom echoed in the distance, the white alicorn merely stood there and quietly observed the barren landscape before her. The night sky above her was filled with an ocean of stars, giving an almost alien beauty to the land; it was almost as beautiful as the night skies of the Elysium Fields, the ancient home realm of the Alicorns.

Yes...those were truly golden years for her kind. She was but a filly back then, but she could still remember it all: She was the youngest of three foals born of the High King Omnipoti and High Queen Eqquis, who were said to be among the first of the Alicorn Race. Under their rule, her race lived peacefully and happily in the Elysium Fields, a truly beautiful realms of flowing meadows, beautiful forests, peaceful oceans, and mighty mountains. She, along with her brother Solaris and her sister Nocturna, played happily under their watchful parents' eye, and looked forward to a life of peace, safe from the might and wrath of the Vidovahrah, for the great beasts cared not for the land and the high rulers of the alicorns, and left their home unharmed.

No, their time of peace was destroyed not by the Vidovahrah, but by another race of demonic creatures, one that was hated even more so than the god dragons of old: The Draconequii.

Born from the very essence of chaos and madness, these twisted, insane beings also wielded power of godly strength. While weaker and less feared than the Vidovahrah and Dragons, they were even more despised; whereas the dragons destroyed merely by instincts and ways of life, the Draconequii brought chaos and torment to lesser races for nothing more than sheer amusement and desire. They enjoyed twisting and corrupting the very fabric of reality just to watch others suffer, and go mad from their chaos...but the races they tormented the most were the alicorns. By nature, the Alicorns and Draconequii were mortal enemies; whereas the alicorns merely wished to live in peace and order, the draconequii desired to tear that peace apart and plunge the Elysium Fields into chaos. At first it was no more than mere conflicts and pranks, but eventually fights became more common and varied; more brutal...and following the murder of Demetra, High Queen of the Forests, the two races plunged into war.

The war was long and brutal, but in the end the Alicorns triumphed, wiping the Draconequii from existence, and cleansing the universe of the chaos they had wrought...but it was a bitter victory: while alive, both Omnipoti and Eqquis were permanently crippled, and the Elysium Fields were destroyed...much like Earth was now.

The alicorns had no choice but to leave their once-beautiful home.

For many centuries the herd roamed the cosmos, searching for a new home...but they would have to search long and hard. With many of the deity races extinct, the Ethereal Realm was rapidly vanishing, most of the power sources it once maintained itself upon gone, forcing what races remaining to descend to the mortal realm. But even this would prove to be difficult: with both the Vidovahrah and Draconequii gone, life of all kinds and origins were spawning throughout the cosmos, filling every inhabitable world and realm conceivable, and the Alicorns would not endanger the lives of other races just for their own ends.

But now, it was finally over. After eight thousand long and tiring years, they had found their new home.

They were ready to begin again.

KRAC-COOOOOM!

The calm night sky exploded in a blaze of white with a thunderous explosion of lightning; were it not for her godhood, Faust would've screamed like a little filly. She turned her gaze skyward to see the once-starry skies fill with a swirling vortex of clouds, lightning blazing forth in multiple directions. Looks like her brethren of the sky were bringing forth the planet's very first rainstorm; a storm that would set in motion the very first beginnings of life on their new little world. Sure enough, the first drops of water to ever touch the soil of this planet began to fall, and were quickly followed by what could only be described as a torrential downpour.

And she was standing in the middle of it.

With an amused huff, she lit up her horn and cast a barrier of magic over herself; a comforting sound of rain pattering against the arcane energy field was barely audible over the now roaring sound of heavy rain, the once cracked-dry earth quickly turning into mud as it greedily absorbed the water. The alicorn looked about herself she spotted it: a large cave opening up at the base of the mountain in the distance.

Perfect.

KRAC-COOOOOM!

Another clap of thunder erupted through the sky just as Faust trudged tiredly into the cave, her mane and coat dripping wet and hanging from her body. The shield she had cast did little to protect from the rain when a large gust of wind blew in from the north; as she used her magic to wring out her mane, she briefly wondered if that sudden wind had been a prank from one of the weather alicorns. She grinned at the thought, despite herself: they were notorious for being pranksters, if only gentle ones, nothing like those monstrous draconequii.

As she flicked her tail about to rid it of the water, she looked about the cavern she had entered: there was nothing truly impressive about it, other than its height; it was large enough to house a full grown dragon and its hoard, but other than that it was a perfectly ordinary cave, going far back into the mountain in a twisted tunnel. A few stalagmites hung from the ceiling and grew from the floor near the walls, which were beginning to moisten and drip from the sudden existence of humidity in the air, creating the silent dripping clinks in what was once a silent cave

'Not exactly the Throne of the High Alicorns, but at least it's dry.' She thought to herself as she laid down on her belly, reaching back to preen her right wing. The ash of earth's ruin had thankfully been washed off in the rain, but a few stray pieces had found their way in her wing feathers, and it made her shudder to think that could very well be the remains of a man on her body.

"You went to Earth, didn't you?"

So alarmed was Faust by the sudden voice that she bit down on her wing hard enough to draw blood; she cried out in pain as she jerked her head back, small streams of the crimson life staining her lips and the snowy-white feathers. She choked back on the pain, turning to see who had spoken...and when she saw her, she nearly choked on her own saliva; there, laying against the wall in the position of a mare nursing young with her great wings draped against and over her sides, was the leader and creator of Alicornkind herself.

She was the first alicorn to come into existence, and from her power and blood all other alicorns came after her. The sandy-blonde color of her mane and tail were fading from age (the thousands upon thousands of years that she had been alive), as were the tips of her feathers. Her fur still had the light-brown shine that she was well known for. Her four wings and single, curved horn were much larger than those of Faust, and her eyes were a gentle lavender in color.

She, like the mighty Tyrone, went by many names in many tongues, but the one she chose was also a mortal name, given to her by the human girl who cared for her as a filly:

Bonnie.

Simple, and even a bit silly...but she would have no other.

But to Faust, she went by no name:

"G-Grandmother!" She stammered in surprise, relaxing from her scare and allowing her wings to fold against her body. "Shouldn't you be back with the herd?"

The goddess known simply as Bonnie merely shook her head, the exhaustion of age clear in her tired movements. "No. This is going to be a very special time for me. I wish to spend it alone: just the two of us, grandmother and granddaughter, undisturbed by the outside..." She told her, her eyes soft as she looked down toward her wing; Faust realized she was shielding something under it, keeping whatever it was safely in her arms, so to speak. She then looked into her granddaughter's eyes, her gaze becoming just a touch colder. "...you went to earth to see what happened to the humans."

Faust didn't even try to lie; she knew better than that. If Bonnie's motherly intuition wouldn't see past it, then her godhood would've. "Yes: after I heard what had happened...well...I just had too."

The older alicorn smiled softly. "Can't say that I blame you, so I won't." She admitted, casting a sadden gaze downwards. "They truly were a good race. I wish we could've done something."

It was that last sentence that made something in Faust finally break; she had seen the carnage of earth for herself, and allowed sorrow, regret, and even guilt to weigh upon her heart...but those last words...that was all it took to break those emotions away, and allow one that had been forced down long enough to finally bubble up to the surface: anger.

"Why didn't we?!" She nearly shouted, slamming her hoof against the cave floor; a clap of thunder bellowed from outside, briefly lighting up the cave and revealing the younger alicorn's face twisted in rage and hatred. "Are we not gods capable of creating worlds?! Did the very sun and moon of our realm not bow to our very whim?! They were an entire world of innocent beings as well as guilty! Couldn't we have, at the very least, tried to save them if not their entire world?!"

"No. There was nothing we could've done." Bonnie said flatly yet sternly, keeping her voice calm. "If we had interfered, then Tyrone and all of Dovahkind surely would've turned his wrath upon us. Besides, the humans-"

"DAMN THOSE REPTILES TO TARTARUS!!" Faust screamed in rage; the very walls of the cave shook from the sheer volume of her voice, as if trembling in fear of her wrath. **"MANKIND IS DEAD BECAUSE OF THOSE MONSTERS!! WHAT, WERE THE HUMANS NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO EVEN LIVE UNDER THEM?! DAMN THEM ALL!! ALL THOSE* INNOCENT SOULS, ALL those Living* Beings...They're gone...all of them..." She couldn't take it anymore; only after she released her anger were the tears finally able to burst from her eyes as she crumbled to the floor. The mighty goddess, the 'author' of worlds, sobbed openly like a filly, her tears streaming down her cheeks and snout. "...W-Why?"

Bonnie's face remained emotionless, but her eyes softened with pity and sadness of her own. Yes, she knew about her granddaughter's secret trips to earth during her youth, but remained quiet about it; she knew how Faust loved the mortal beings that had once, long ago in the ancient times, had been allies with their own race. Her own daughter and son-in-law had always reprimanded her every time she had been caught sneaking out, for they had never trusted the humans as their daughter did. 'They are dangerous!', they would say; 'humans are monsters', they would say. Perhaps they were during their last moments, but they were not always that way. Bonnie would even question them being evil at all; yes they were dangerous and corruptible, but weren't all races? Even the tamest and friendliest of dogs could still bite, after all.

Faust continued to sob in her misery, with nothing but her grandmother's company to comfort her...that is, until the muffled cries of a child tore through the night. Bonnie turned her gaze down to her side, lifting her wing to soothe the crying creatures underneath, her gentle voice humming a soft lullaby, soothing the crying back into silence...and from underneath her wing shone the soft, pure light of a newly-created soul.

The younger alicorn looked up from the ground, and when she saw what laid at her elder's side, her blood-shot eyes widened in surprise and awe.

There, nestled up against the alicorn's barrel and deep in slumber, was a litter of six newborn fillies and one newborn colt...these foals, however, they were not like any foals she had ever seen before. For one, all seven were perfectly identical in appearance, except for the coloring: each one was one of the seven colors of the rainbow, their manes and tails being a darker shade of said color. Another trait was they didn't have horns or wings; they were 'Equestrian' foals, but the lack of alicorn gifts made her think of the animalistic creatures of earth that humans had tamed as beasts of burden (which some shallow alicorns seemed to use as a excuse to dislike humanity). And finally, as well as most importantly, they lacked the godly aura that all Alicorns possessed; yes, they were glowing with the light of their souls, but it wasn't the same as that of a god.

They were mortal.

Faust was stunned speechless, her eyes wide with wonder at the sight. "Are...are those...?" She managed to squeak.

Bonnie smiled cheekily at her daughter's expression. "Yes. Yes, they are." She told her, turning her loving gaze down to the sleeping fillies. "They are the first born of our future race: mortals, just like the humans were."

"Are...are you sure about that? Is that really the wisest thing to do?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not wise, but it's the only choice we have. The alicorns are a dying race, Faust; the mortal realm cannot support us as the Elysium Fields did. We will endure, but all future foals born here wouldn't...so, I've decided to follow in the footsteps of both the Starukians and Vidovahrah: we shall forge for ourselves a mortal race; become less so we can become more."

Faust stared at the infants; one by one they began to wake up, all yawning cutely as they stretched their tiny legs. "They are still plain; un-gifted. Why is that?"

To that question, Bonnie merely smiled warmly at her granddaughter. "That, my dear, is up for you to decide." She said calmly, her tired eyes warm and gentle.

The white alicorn could barely believe her ears, her face and eyes showing her shock and disbelief. Her grandmother had created new life, and had bestowed upon her the honor to forge it. Calmly, if a bit nervously, she looked back at the pile of babies; The orange, blue, and indigo fillies were all pushing and struggling against each other for access to Bonnie's nipples, each of them hungry for the life giving milk within. The red one had crawled over to her creator's tail, giggling happily as he tugged on and played with the aged yet sparkling hair. The yellow and green ones were huddled together for warmth, the former gently licking her sister's ear, making her squirm and giggle, and the purple one, the last...stared up at Faust with wide, awed eyes, her mouth set in a curious 'o'. The two stared at each other in silence for a few moments until the baby inched her way to Faust's chest and gently nuzzled her head against the alicorn's chest.

And despite her sorrow, Faust managed a small smile.

"Alright then...I'll do it."

...Then she blessed each one of the seven ponies with one of the Alicorn's many special gifts; the powers of her kind. The first she blessed was the purple one: the one who had approached her. Her eyes were full of curiosity and a hunger for knowledge, ready to see the big, beautiful universe she had been born into: and thus she was blessed with the Gift of Magic, so that she may use it to learn and do more. And at that moment, a small horn poked out from her forehead, while her tail became longer and more lion-like, and her hooves cloven like a deer's. And thus the first Unicorn Pony was born.

The next she blessed the blue one: this one stood up bravely in front of her creators, chest puffed out bravely and proudly with a sense of childish honor and pride. Faust giggled as she blessed her with the Gift of Flight, so that she could fly to the rescue of her sisters. And from her back grew a tiny pair of feathery, bird-like wings, and from her hips above her tail came the tail feathers of a bird, while her back, breast, and hips were covered in a feathery down; she changed the most, her bones and muscles shifting and changing so that she could soar like the bird she had become like.  And thus the first Pegasus Pony was born.

Following her was the orange one: she was slightly larger than her sisters, and acted like a bigger sister to them as they played together; kind yet strong, protective yet caring. To her Faust gave the Gift of Earth, to be strong and sturdy for herself and her kind in times of hardship and plenty alike. Her body became larger, stronger, and tougher than the others, her hooves becoming larger, rounded and more solid, like the rest of her; the very soil and rock beneath her tiny hooves seemed to shift and bend to her will, ready to grow for its future tiller. And thus the first Earth Pony was born.

Next came the green one: this one, however, seemed out of place. The poor, weak creature had a hard time standing on her flimsy legs, as if they and the very ground she stood upon rejected her. So Faust gave her the Gift of Water. The oceans would welcome the pony where the land would not, and she and her kind would forever be at home in their depths. Then and there the filly's hind legs and tail vanished, turning into a single long, fish-like tail, while her fore-hooves shrunk and turned into small fins. She was then placed in a small pool of water near Faust's hooves, where she splashed about and cooed with happiness. And thus the first Sea Pony was born.

Then Faust turned to the yellow one: the moment she laid eyes on her, the tiny filly cowered against the floor, trembling softly in dread. Faust gave her a warm smile before granted her with the Gift of Nature; she was small and timid...a small, fleeting beauty of the world, just like the creatures that would soon inhabit this world's nature. From her back sprouted a pair of large yet lovely butterfly wings that seemed to glow with every color of the rainbow, and from her forehead grew a pair of tiny moth-like feelers, soft and gentle. And thus the first Flutter Pony was born.

After her was the indigo one: unlike her sisters, who all stayed close together for warmth and companionship, this one laid a good distance away from the others, simply wishing to be alone. To her Faust gave the Gift of Night; the darkness and solitude of the darkness would be her realm, when the rest of her sisters were fast asleep and unable to disturb her. Her body transformed into one similar to the pegasus pony, but instead of bird wings, from her shoulders grew the leathery wings of a bats, along with a pair of fangs from her mouth and her eyes becoming like those of a cat so she could see and hunt in the dark. And thus the first Bat Pony was born.

And finally there was the red one, the colt...but before she could grant him a gift, the acts of the dragons came back to haunt her once more.

For the cave they were taking shelter in was indeed large enough to house a dragon and his hoard...because it did, unbeknownst to the alicorns: farther back in the cave, hiding in the darkness of its depths, a large, elderly dragon watched the ponies from upon his hoard. This dragon was truly an old creature, more than a million years old; his scales and horns were worn, chipped, and faded, his wings torn and full of holes, and his claws and teeth dull and broken, though his fire was still burning bright within his gullet. But instead of attacking, he merely sat back, watching this new wonder before him: he had lived for many, *many years, and seen many, many things; he had lived a full life and was ready to die, so he had come to this planet to die in peace, the caves meant to be his eternally-undisturbed tomb...but he was glad to see one last new wonder before he died: the birth of a brand new race, one that he came to love then and there.*

He was also aware that it would only be a matter of time before his kind would find this new world, and meet the ponies being created before him...so, to protect the ponies, he knew that they would need a guardian; one that could stand up to the younger dragons of this time, and protect his sisters from their wrath.

So, right before Faust bestowed her gift, the old dragon summoned the last of his power and breathed it out onto the red colt.

Faust watched in horror and Bonnie in surprise as the last colt not only grew into an full-grown just as tall and big as they were, but was transformed into what could only be described as a dragon-alicorn hybrid; his fur was replaced by tough, dragon-like scales, resembling a thousand sparkling rubies, and his mane, as black as soot, ran down the entire length of his spine, including the incredibly long dragon-like tail ending in a sword-like tail blade. His teeth were as sharp as daggers, his tongue now like that of a snake, and his hooves had grown into cloven hooves resembling claws. His horn was long and curved, like a dragon's horns, and instead of wings he had large draconic fins resembling large spines growing from his shoulders, which glowed with the dragon's power, and along with his normal unicorn horn, he also had a pair of long dragon horns growing back from his head. His eyes were no longer those of a pony; they were like a cat's, and glowed with a inner fire. They were the eyes of a dragon.

And thus came to be the first Kirin.

Feeling the power and wisdom of the dragons flowing through his body, the newly-born kirin seemed to glow with strength and honor; he turned to his creators and sisters, beaming with pride...but all he saw was horror in their eyes. His sisters screamed with terror at the monster before them, retreating to the shelter of Bonnie's wings, the brown alicorn being the only one who didn't look upon him as a beast. Faust, however, saw only red; her hatred for the dragons blinded her to what this...abomination before her really was. And with a scream of rage and hatred, she blasted the kirin with her magic just as Bonnie yelled 'No!'

But it was too late. Betrayal and sorrow filled the Kirin's heart, for his own mother had struck him out of hatred.

With an anguished roar, the newly transformed dragon-pony bolted from the cave and leaped into the sky, a trail of fire streaking behind him like the tail of a comet; Faust realized what she had done and, in a horror and guilt that only a mother who had harmed her child could feel, called out after him, but it was too late; he disappeared into the storm outside, never to be seen again.

The old dragon shook his head in disappointment as he laid it back down on his hoard of gold; he could feel the life slipping from his body as he laid there...but the only regret he had was not being able to see how this new race would grow. He really would've liked to have seen their future...

In the following years the Alicorns forged the planet into what it is now known today, the once lifeless rock transforming into a Eden of life and sunlight. The six ponies grew to create the foundations of the pony race, each using their special gifts to shape the world they lived in; the alicorns watched over the mortal ponies they created, protecting them from dangers of the world and the crueler races that would come to share the new world with the ponies...one of these races being the Dragons themselves.

Faust never forgave the dragons for what they had done, to both the human race and the seventh foal; the Kirins remained in this world, but they stayed hidden in the shadows of the deep forest, never revealing themselves to the other pony races...some say it was the kirins, and not the alicorns, that protected them from the true threats: they say that since the Kirin was part dragon, the dragons saw him as one of their own, and respected him enough to leave his sisters be...but that did not soothe the guilt or hate in Faust's heart. All races were welcomed in her new kingdom, but the ponies would fear the dragons for what they were in their creator's eyes: Monsters.

The young lavender filly frowned, hugging the sleeping baby dragon to her chest with worry. "But the old dragon was just trying to help." She murmured softly. "...and Spike's not a monster..."

The older mare looked up from the book with a warm, motherly smile, resisting the urge to giggle at her daughter's cuteness; the younger pony was currently tucked into bed in her room at the Sparkle Family Manor, her mother sitting by her bedside reading a story. This particular story had been chosen thanks to the newest member of the sparkle family: the newborn dragon curled up next to the filly who had hatched him.

"I know, Twilight, I know..."

It was an unbelievable turn of events, but it had started out as just a normal day for the citizens of Canterlot, the grand capital city of Equestria and home of Princess Celestia, ruler of ponykind. It was a special day for the Sparkle family, though, for their youngest daughter, the filly Twilight Sparkle, was about to fulfill her dream and be enrolled Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, a famous school where the most brilliant and skilled unicorns from across Equestria studied and learned under the eyes of Canterlot's greatest teachers, as well as Princess Celestia herself. Twilight was thrilled at first, but said thrill quickly turned into the dread when she learned that, in order to enter the school...she had to pass an entrance exam.

And not just any exam, but the infamous Dragon Egg exam.

The idea of the test was simple: if you could use your magic to get the egg to hatch, then you would pass. Many students had been given this exam before, and none had ever succeeded, so it came as no surprise that the purple filly with hardly any magic at all couldn't even conjure enough to so much as touch the egg.

But that was the point of the test.

For you see, as Twilight and her family later learned, the test was secretly impossible to pass: the egg couldn't be hatched, for it was barren. According to the story that Celestia told them, she had found the egg in a traveling caravan of traders from the east, who had found it in an abandoned dragon's cave; she bartered the egg from the traders and, discovering it was a dud, decided to make it part of her school's entrance exam.

The entire point of the test was to make the students fail: you see, once cleared in the enrollment form, the students were already accepted into the school. The 'entrance exam' was to test how the students handled failure and how to approach it in future lessons; students who broke down into tears would be given boosts in confidence, those who threw tantrums would be taught humility, and so forth.

But then this new filly, who seemed to be a magic-less unicorn, did the impossible; following an mysterious explosion from outside, the startled filly's incredible magic exploded from within, and in one blast, she struck the dead egg and brought forth a newly-born hatchling into the world.

In that one moment, she had done what even Princess Celestia could never do: she didn't simply hatch an egg...

She had created life.

And even in that miraculous act, her magic hadn't weakened at all: in fact it only grew stronger, bursting forth from the filly's body in a maelstrom of arcane energy which nearly tore the entire school apart, if Princess Celestia herself hadn't intervened.

Twilight's mother, Velvet Sparkle, shivered at the memory: being turned into a potted fern was an experience she never wanted to repeat.

But instead of punishing Twilight, as the young filly had dreaded, Celestia saw the pure potential Twilight showed that day, and not only enlisted her into the school but made the filly her own personal student; to study in the castle under her teaching. Not only that, but she allowed Twilight to keep the baby dragon that she had brought into the world, knowing that the infant would never become a true danger being born of pony magic, and within the hour the face and name of Twilight Sparkle was in the papers and known throughout Equestria: Celestia's new personal student and acting-mother of Equestria's first true dragon resident. And to top it all off, throughout all the chaos, Twilight had earned her Cutie Mark.

Needless to say her parents were proud.

Tomorrow would be Twilight's first day of school as the princess's student; the poor filly had driven herself ragged preparing for tomorrow and taking care of Spike, and still the excitement and dread of tomorrow wouldn't allow her to sleep, so her mother decided to take this last special night with her daughter and read her a bedtime story of Equestria's History and Lore. Those were always Twilight's favorites; a real bookworm, she was. This story was chosen especially for their newest family member: The Bane of Faust, also known as The Legend of the Kirin...one of Equestria's sadder stories, but one that she and her husband agreed that Twilight needed to hear.

"...why did you read us that story?" Twilight asked as her mother put the book of the nearby dresser.

Velvet smiled, though her expression saddened a bit. "Your father and I thought it was for the best." She admitted, taking her daughter's hoof between her own. "Listen, Twilight. You'll need to know that not all dragons will be like Spike. We read this story so you would learn that: just because Spike's sweet and nice doesn't mean all other dragons are as well."

"I know that, mommy." Twilight said, slightly confused. "Celestia said Spike was nice because my magic made him that way."

"I know, but you still need to remember that: I don't want to wake up one morning to learn that my daughter's gone off to introduce Spike to his long-lost relatives or anything like that." She told her, rubbing a hoof on her daughter's tummy, making her giggle and squirm. "Spike will be safer here, with us, not with is own kind. Understood?"

"Yes, mommy." Twilight murmured, yawning tiredly afterwards.

"Alright, now, it's time for this little pony to get some sleep; you have a big day, tomorrow." The older unicorn told her, gently tucking both the unicorn filly and dragon hatchling into bed, pulling the covers up to their chins. After making sure she was comfortable, she used her magic to turn off the light, and then she kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Goodnight, my little filly." She whispered quietly, and then silently left the room.

"Goodnight." Twilight whispered to her mother just before she closed the door; she snuggled into bed and wrapped a gentle hoof around Spike, pulling him close to her chest like a big teddy-bear. Spike didn't awake, but he did nuzzle himself against his 'mother's' fur, snoring softly as she shifted over onto his back. Twilight smiled softly as she looked past him up at the window, where a full moon shone down on the city from the night sky; the mare in the moon stood out against the white rock, as if it was looking down upon Equestria, watching over those in her night.

'Goodnight, Spike.' She mentally whispered as her eyes closed, and she joined her future assistant in slumber.

Tomorrow would begin a new life for both of them.

And what a life it would be.

How does one define a Hero?

It isn't a hard thing to do; they've been immortalized in stories and legends dating back to the dawn of time, and I've seen them all. They are usually thought of as strong, fearless, and, as the title implies, heroic. They always fight for the right cause and do so with a heart unwavering and pure, never giving into evil and bringing hope to those most in need of something to believe in.

That is the very definition of a hero.

Which is why, when they are truly needed most...heroes are worthless.

You heard me.

Worthless.

It is for these very reasons a true hero is absolutely worthless when someone has to fight: their purity and sense of right are the very reasons they cannot be the ones to rely upon.

A hero's greatest attributes are often also his greatest weakness.

And when a hero falls to his own morals, who will save you then?

Sometimes, more often than not, to truly protect the ones you care about and do what is needed, you have to do the unthinkable and the unforgivable; it's not always the easy thing to do, nor the best thing to do. Hell, many times it's not even the right thing to do, but it's what needs to be done...and a conscious will only get in the way. Which is why a hero, who fights with a pure heart, cannot bring himself to do such evil, and never win against such odds...but one who doesn't can do what a hero cannot and crush the opposing force, and live with the consequences, unaffected by the blood on their hands...or should I say claws.

Sometimes a hero is the last thing you need to save the day...

Sometimes...

You need a Monster.

A Real Dragon Quest - Part 1

CHAPTER I: A Real Dragon Quest - Part 1

"No doubt but there is none other beeste comparable to the mightie dragon in awesome power and majestie, and few so worthie of the diligent studies of wise men" ― Gildas Magnus, Ars Draconis, 1465

The first rays of sunlight peeked over the edge of the horizon, with a shine brighter than what most mornings brought; Princess Celestia never disappointed in starting a day that made one pony happy to wake up to. Even if you got home late and only slept for less than a hour, you couldn't resist smiling at something so beautiful, unless you were incredibly evil or just downright cranky. It was sunrises like these that made Twilight Sparkle happily wake up, even when the sleep she was having was especially deep and pleasant this time around.

The lavender filly that had become Celestia's prized student was no more; in her place had grown a beautiful young mare with an equally beautiful mind and incredible magic skill. It had been more than ten years since that fateful day she had become one of the most famous and important ponies in Canterlot, and since then her magic and knowledge had grown ten fold...though she was no longer a resident of Canterlot.

With a deep and lazy yawn, Twilight stretched out in bed, popping out all the kinks and stiffness in her joint; that had possibly been the best sleep she'd had in ages. Sighing contentedly, the lavender mare rolled out of bed,  landed on her hooves and trotted merrily to the stairs; as she opened the door to the lower floor, the scent of what was surely an immaculate breakfast of pancakes and scrambled eggs struck her full force, making her stomach rumble in anticipation. Spike's personal pancake recipe had yet to meet another that could best it; maybe it had something to do with him cooking the batter with his dragon-fire.

On more than one occasion she had tried to copy his recipe, and on just as many occasions had almost set the library ablaze; she was soon banned from ever trying to cook, since it was clear that cokking was one of the few things that she couldn't do, magic or no.

She plodded slowly downstairs into the kitchen and, sure enough, there was Spike, holding two plates towered high with delicious pancakes and steaming scrambled eggs, just as she had smelled. The young dragon had also changed quite a bit from being the helpless newborn that Twilight had hatched; now, those still a baby by dragon standards, he was now her number-one assistant. He always helped her with the little things in her life, such as cleaning up the place, cooking meals (since she couldn't even cook toast to save her life!), helping her with her studies, and so forth.

Spike looked up from setting the table, his face brightening at the sight of her. "Hi, Twilight! Have a good sleep?" He asked, going back to his work afterwards.

Twilight nodded. "Mmm-Hmmm." She hummed, lighting her horn up, picking up a empty mug from the cabinet.

*SMACK!*

"Ow!" Twilight cried, clutching at her horn; the mug fell back to the counter with a clatter. "Spike, why did-"

"No." Spike said, face set in a steely glare, broom still raised to strike.

"Oh, come on! I can make a cup of coffee."

"Last time you said that, Blueblood wounded up in the hospital." Spike stated flatly, not the slightest bit amused.

"I was experimenting!" Twilight insisted, stomping her hoof angrily. "If you'd just let me-!"

"No. Never again." He said flatly. "Now, if you want breakfast, you'll forget about making coffee, go take a shower, and get cleaned up! You're a mess."

"Now wait just a-"

*SMACK!*

"Okay, okay! I'm going, I'm going!" The lavender unicorn shouted as she bolted from the kitchen as fast as she could go, a flurry a broom swings barely missing her flanks. She grumbled multiple curses and profanities to Celestia, Luna, and even Discord as she stormed up the stairs to her bathroom, only minding the books laid across the floor during her late-night studies during her tantrum.

'Jerk...' She mentally muttered, glaring back at the door as she closed it with her magic; it was then, when she saw her reflection in the mirror, did she realize what Spike was saying. She was, indeed, a mess; her normally silky fur was rough and dirty, chunks of dust painting her body like a techno-color cow. Her mane and tail, normally smooth, clean and well-kept, was stringy, knotted and wild from days of neglect, the once-pretty stripes of her hair now tangled with the main color in a cobweb of dirt and grime. And she didn't even want to know what that smell was...

"Yikes..." She murmured aloud; she blushed with a sheepish grin, slightly ashamed for letting herself go this badly.

'Maybe I should take a break from studying for a while...' She decided as she turned on the shower; the familiar sound of the shower's stream of water, coupled with the warm steam building in the bathroom, made her filthy body tingle in anticipation.

And with that, she didn't wait another second to jump in...ahhhhhhh...soooo much better.

Still, it was incredible how bad it had gotten this time; true, overnight studying was a routine thing for Twilight Sparkle, but this was too much, even for her...perhaps that's why last night's sleep was felt so good...being the first decent rest she had gotten in three days, and the only reason she had gotten it was because Spike practically strapped her into bed. It was always the same excuse: just one more page, she kept telling herself. And then just one last note after that...followed by just one more book. By the time Spike finally broke the chain and dragged her kicking and screaming from her desk, it had been over 40 hours since her last sleep, having lived off of coffee and Donut Joe's the entire time...and don't even ask out bathroom breaks.

Twilight paused lathering her mane with shampoo, smiling in a goofy manner; when exactly did it suddenly go from her taking care of a baby dragon to the other way around? Huh...had it really been that long in general? Her smile faded as she sat back, letting the water run over her as she just pondered her thoughts. It seemed just like yesterday...and yet like a lifetime ago...since the day she pulled off a feat not even the princesses could do and became one of the most famous mares in Equestria. And by Faust's mane, how her life had changed.

For the following ten years Twilight studied under Princess Celestia's personal teachings, with Spike by her side the entire time...but despite her fame, the impact she made on Equestria was minimal at best: she grew up kind and understanding, but at the same time reclusive and shut-in. Thanks to her studious lifestyle, as well as more than a few bitter encounters with jealous students and other ponies, Twilight had come to value knowledge and skill over friendship and other social connections. Friendship was pointless; purposeless, and just as easily broken. There was no point for her to waste time on such trivial matters, especially when no one truly appreciated them. The only ponies whom she could have considered her friends were Spike, Celestia, her older brother Shining Armor, and her foalsitter Cadence (who is also Celestia's niece).

In simple terms, friendship simply seemed worthless.

But that changed soon enough, for one day, while Twilight was studying up an old book of ancient Equestrian legends and prophecies, she came across the legend of Nightmare Moon.

It was a tale Equestria knew very well, if only as a fairytale. According to the story, there were originally two alicorn princesses that ruled Equestria in the ancient times: Celestia herself, and her sister, Princess Luna. As everypony knows, Celestia uses her power to raise and set the sun each day, while Luna used hers to raise and set the moon each night, and thus the natural solar cycle was kept in Equestria...but it was clear who was the favorite: All of ponykind lived and basked in the grand light of Celestia's day, but slept through and shunned the dark beauty of Luna's night. At first, Luna merely kept silent and waited for the time when ponies would love her creations, but soon she became bitter, resentful, and jealous...and finally, one day, the growing darkness in Luna's heart consumed her, turning her into a twisted, monstrous reflection of said darkness: Nightmare Moon. Celestia pleaded for her sister to come to her senses, but the newly-dubbed Nightmare Moon would not have it: she swore to plunge Equestria into Eternal Night, first by refusing to lower the moon for day, and then by destroying the one who rose the sun. The heart-broken Celestia was left with no choice but to summon forth Equestria's greatest force of light: The Elements of Harmony.

What the Elements are and where they came from had long been lost to the depths of history, but it is known throughout Equestria that they are the most powerful force of magic in the entire world; they were the physical incarnations of harmony and light itself and, when combined together through worthy bearers of each elements, can accomplish anything...even defeating a god.

And that's just what they did: with a heavy heart, Celestia summoned the Elements and, with their incredible power, banished Nightmare Moon, her own sister turned evil, from the very planet, sealing her within her own moon for all time...however, according to the legend, that would not be the last of Nightmare Moon: after a thousand years of banishment, the stars would align just right to 'aid in her escape' from her celestial prison, and in her return she would defeat her sister and bring forth nighttime eternal, for the Elements of Harmony had also disappeared over a thousand years. And her return was nigh; that year's upcoming Summer Sun Celebration would mark the thousandth's year of Celestia's solo reign, and thus would be the night of Nightmare's return...and the Summer Sun Celebration was that very night.

Twilight knew something had to be done; most ponies probably would've just laughed at the idea of the old legend being real, but if there was one thing Twilight had learned from her years of studies under the princess herself, was that legends can sometimes be very real...and if that was the case, then there was but one thing to do: she must find the lost Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon. She didn't waste anytime contacting Princess Celestia about her recent discovery; the young unicorn was certain that the princess would take immediate action, always putting true faith and trust in her student.

So imagine her surprise when Celestia responded by telling her to get her nose out of her 'dusty old books'.

Twilight scowled at the memory, a little hurt by the rather mean response. She knew now why Celestia had done it to begin with, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt anymore; the sudden doubt and betrayal in that simple sentence had struck hard.

Anyway, the princess also responded by sending Twilight and Spike to oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, which would be held that year in the quaint little town of Ponyville. Settled by the famous earth-pony Apple Family, the town was a far cry from Canterlot in every way, shape, and form: Canterlot was a big royal city home of tens of thousands of nobles and citizens alike, whereas Ponyville was a farming village populating a little more than a thousand ponies at best; it was also a town where all three races of ponies lived as equals, whereas Canterlot tended to favor Unicorns. Not that such things mattered to Twilight; her mind was set on one goal: getting through the preparations as fast as possible and resuming her studies to find the Elements of Harmony, despite Celestia's orders to find and make friends while she was there. However, her goals were ruined by the constant interruptions of the town's inhabitants; amongst them were five ponies that would change Twilight's life forever: the strong, hardworking cowgirl Applejack, the boastful yet loyal Rainbow Dash, the lovely and generous Rarity, the shy but kind Fluttershy, and the wild and fun-loving Pinkie Pie, all of which welcomed Twilight with friendship, much to the unicorn chagrin; she did not have time to waste on petty friendships!

And her fears were confirmed. That very night, during the final hours of the Summer Sun Celebration, the stars aligned perfectly with the moon and Nightmare Moon returned. She quickly took the power and throne of Equestria, banishing Celestia to the sun and bringing forth Eternal Night, vanishing soon after. Twilight quickly returned to her library, joined by the five ponies she had met before; there they discovered that there were five remaining elements, with a mysterious sixth element that would only come forth when the other five were joined by the 'Spark'. They were hidden in the Ancient Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters, which was located in the infamous Everfree Forest; all of the ponies were hesitant to enter the forest, for good reason, but they all stuck loyally by Twilight side, much to her irritation.

Through the darkness of Nightmare's night, The six mares journeyed through the monstrous forest in search for Equestria's salvation, but they did not go unnoticed; Nightmare Moon knew of their plan and set up multiple obstacles to force the ponies to give up, ranging from scaring them away to outright assassination. But each one failed; each of the five ponies that followed Twilight used their talents and best parts of their characters to overcome these obstacles, and soon the group found the Ancient Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters. Inside the main hall they found the pedestal bearing the five elements, dormant in stone; as she used her magic to bring the elements down, Twilight admitted it: she wouldn't have gotten there if she didn't have her...companions with her.

Friends? No. She still didn't get friendship. It was a step forward, though.

But just as she prepared to ignite the 'Spark' with her magic, Nightmare Moon arrived and swiped the elements, taking them and Twilight to the ancient throne room of the ruins. The show down they engaged in was unnerving, but brief, and Twilight struck the elements with her magic in hopes to ignite the spark...only to fail; the elements did not activate, and the sixth did not appear. Laughing madly in victory, Nightmare Moon crushed the elements under her hooves, announcing to Twilight and the world that they would never see Celestia or their precious sun ever again.

The night would last forever!

At that very moment it seemed that evil had won; Twilight truly felt that all was finally lost...but then...she heard the others calling for her, telling her that they would be there for her, even at the very end. It was then, deep within Twilight's heart...that she felt the true Spark: the spark of friendship. She realized just how wonderful it was to have them, how great it was to care for them, to be with them...to have them as her friends. She revealed her discovery of the newly-discovered truth of the Elements of Harmony to a shocked Nightmare Moon: they were no mere physical objects, nor could they be so easily destroyed. No, the Elements of Harmony resided in the hearts of her and her friends.

Applejack, who reassured Twilight when she was in doubt, represented the spirit of Honesty.

Fluttershy, who tamed the ferocious Manticore with her compassion, represented the spirit of Kindness.

Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represented the spirit of Laughter.

Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful sea serpent with a meaningful gift, represented the spirit of Generosity.

Rainbow Dash, who would not abandon her friends for her own personal desires, represented the spirit of Loyalty.

And with the Spark ignited within her, the final sixth element was born: the most powerful of all the Elements of Harmony, and the one that she represented: the Element of Magic! With the six elements combined, their power surged forth and struck Nightmare Moon, destroying the evil monster and releasing Princess Celestia from her celestial prison...as well as freeing Princess Luna from her darkness. Beaming with pride in her student, Celestia revealed to a confused Twilight that she had been aware of Nightmare Moon's return all along; she knew that Twilight had the magic within her heart to use the Elements and defeat her, but couldn't release it without accepting true friendship into her heart...and now it was time for another to do the same. The pony that had been left in Nightmare Moon's place: Princess Luna, now freed from the dark magic that had tainted her body and soul. Celestia approached her sister, but where most would strike out in rage and disgust, Celestia offered her sister apologies and friendship, having waited a thousand years for the day to be reunited with her again. Luna, consumed with sorrow and regret, threw herself into her sisters arms, crying out in apology.

Nightmare Moon had finally been destroyed, the Alicorn Sisters reunited, and the sun restored to its place in the sky. Celebration filled Equestria from all corners of the land, and Luna was welcomed back by Celestia's side as co-ruler of Equestria.

And yet, despite the reason and joy for celebration, Twilight was downcast; now the adventure was over, she would return to her studies in Canterlot...but now that she had finally found friends, she didn't wish to leave them. Celestia, however, merely smiled and asked Spike to take a letter. She decreed that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle would take on a new 'mission' for Equestria: She would continue to study the Elements of Harmony through learning the magic of friendship, and would write to Celestia her findings from her new home in Ponyville. Thrilled, Twilight thanked the princess, and had been living in Ponyville as the owner of the Golden Oaks Library ever since.

Twilight smiled as she scrubbed herself down with her poofy pink sponge, the dust and grime washing off her coat and disappearing down the drain, leaving her coat with its usual silky shimmer; more than two full years had passed since that fateful day, and she and her friends have gone through some crazy adventures together, ranging from something simple yet goofy as designing and making dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala, to as life-changing and dangerous as using the Elements of Harmony once more to stop Discord, the God of Chaos, from destroying Equestria through his twisted power. Not much had changed in her lessons on the topic of friendship since Celestia assigned her to it, other than the alicorn decreeing that, after a rather bizarre incident (and admittedly embarrassing for the purple unicorn, one that always made her blush when it was mentioned) involving brain-washing the entire town, all of the Elemental Bearers were to write to the princess when they discovered a lesson in friendship.

But what would take place in the following days change the very face of Equestria for all time.

Spike was just stacking up another batch of pancakes for himself, made with shards of emeralds mixed in with the batter, when Twilight returned from upstairs. She was looking much better than she was before; her fur and mane had returned to their usually clean silkiness, gleaming with the shine of damp hair, while her horn and hooves were polished and shining like jewels themselves. She was brushing her mane into its usual trimmed, smooth look as she descended the steps, the brushes floating by her head through her magic.

"Better now?" She asked with an annoyed scowl as she set her brushes away, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

Spike grinned, setting his plate at his spot at the table. "Yeah, yeah, it's fine." He stated, clambering up onto his stool as the unicorn took her seat on a red velvet pillow with golden tassels at the end. "You have to admit: that was for your own good. You let yourself go really badly that time."

Twilight's scowl faded with a tired sigh. "I know, I know..." She admitted, grabbing a fork with her magic and poking at her pancakes dejectedly; they were still warm, probably thanks to Spike. "I didn't mean for it to go that bad. I was just so caught up in my latest studies that I'll...well, you know."

"Wha' was so im'pur'ant abou' 'his on'?" Spike asked with swollen cheeks, pancakes crumbs and syrup spluttering from his mouth.

Twilight's frown returned as she lightly bopped him over the head with the syrup bottle. "Manners, Spike!" She scolded; Spike grinned sheepishly, unwittingly making it worse by showing off his muck-coated teeth. Twilight merely sighed, helping herself to the syrup. "As for your question, I've been studying and catching up on ancient Equestrian legends and prophecies. After the whole incident with Discord, I felt that I should read up on all those old legends if anything like that could...well...happen again..." Her voice dropped with her gaze, her eyes sad and lonely.

Spike could understand how she felt; it had been less than two weeks since the God of Chaos was defeated, but the effects of his power was still effecting everyone who experienced it. Ponyville had been the center of his brief reign, and therefore had taken the full brunt of his madness, in both body and mind; everyone in town was suffering from some sort of issue that the Draconequus had inflicted upon them, and the Element Bearers were probably suffering the worst. They had, after all, faced and were corrupted by the darkest parts of themselves under his influence, and became absolute monsters.

But none had suffered worse than Twilight; the only mind he hadn't poisoned...and the only one left to face the insanity that her world had become. Spike hadn't been affected either, but he didn't have to face Discord alone with those who were once your closest friends were now ruining your very life; the worst he received was a really bad stomachache from Celestia's letters...but what she went through was something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. It was painfully obvious to him that she would want to do something to make sure that would never happen again.

Twilight shook her head, as if to rid it of the terrible memories. "But enough of that. What's on today's agenda?" She asked before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Don't you remember?" Spike asked in surprise, remember to swallow before speaking. "The great Dragon Migration is today."

All grogginess Twilight had left in her vanished in a snap, followed by the most impressive spit-take Spike had ever seen.

"THAT'S TODAY?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER?!" She shrieked, leaping from her seat right after; Spike merely wiped the coffee from his face, watching with a deadpanned look as Twilight ran about the Library, gathering the things for the event in a crazed frenzy. "Nonononononononono! Princess Celestia's expecting me to write a document of the migration! Spike, I'll need you to prepare the food while I get the trench dug! Oh, I was sooo caught up in my wooork..."

"Relax, Twi." Spike said coyly, causally following her to pick up anything she threw about. "I knew you were going to be caught up, so I went ahead and made preparations with the others. Applejack and Pinkie Pie are busy digging out the trench as we speak, and Rarity made the camouflage outfits just last night."

Twilight could've fainted with relief. "Oh, thank goodness...thanks, Spike. You're the best." She told him, ruffling his head spines playfully.

Spike grinned. "Well, I try..." He admitted, arms folded and chest puffed up proudly. Twilight smirked; her number-one assistant did always have a bit of an ego, but that was probably normal for all dragons.

Which deflated with the next confession. "...but...there's one thing that I couldn't get ready..."

"Come on, Fluttershy; It'll be fun!"

"There's nothing fun about dragons! Scary? Yes! Fun? No!" Fluttershy cried softly in fear as Rainbow Dash dragged her by the tail toward the door, trying to get her to join them and the others outside; for a moment the cyan pegasus lost her grip, and the vanilla pudding-colored pony immediately made a bolt for it, but didn't get far before the cyan pegasus caught her and started to push her toward the doors.

They had been at this for more than an hour: The trench that they had dug to watch the dragons from was set up about a mile out of town, not far from Fluttershy's Cottage at the edge of the Everfree. The town itself looked as if it had been completely deserted, the girls not seeing a single pony on their way out here; it was understandable, though: giving the dragons' infamous reputation, no pony in their right mind would be caught out in the open and not barricaded within their homes on today of all days...thought Twilight and her friends were exceptions to that fact, if only because of being the Elements of Harmony. The lavender unicorn had originally planned (before she got caught up in her studies) for them to watch the Dragon Migration together...but she had forgotten to take into account a certain dracophobic mare of their herd.

"But Fluttershy, the great Dragon Migration happens only once in a generation." Twilight tried to reason, but to no avail. "Do you really want to pass up a chance like that?"

"Now that you put it that way...yes!" Fluttershy squeaked; she had braced herself against the doorway with all four of her legs in a desperate attempt to stay inside, with Rainbow Dash trying to push her through, but having little luck.

With a flash of her magic, Twilight teleported outside the house in front of the yellow pegasus. "Aw, Fluttershy, we just don't want you to miss out." She assured her friend sweetly.

That was only half-true, though: yes, Twilight didn't want for one of her friends to miss out on what she believed to be a momentous occasion for anypony, she also wanted to have their resident Beast-Tamer on hand, just in case.

"Miss out on what?" Fluttershy asked, still fighting the battle for safety against her fellow pegasus. "Dragons? Big, scaly, fire-breathing dragons?"

"Well... yeah!"

"Thanks, but... no thanks!"

Rainbow Dash, fed up with trying to push Fluttershy through the door, stopped and tried to 'reason' with her. "Look, Fluttershy, I watched that boring butterfly migration with you..." She snapped as she held up a picture to Fluttershy, depicting the pegasus watching butterflies with binoculars while Rainbow Dash laid next to her, looking very bored and irritated. "...So now it's your turn to watch the dragon migration with me! You owe me!"

And with that, Fluttershy finally snapped.

"I. Said. NO!" She screamed, and with that she whirled around and tackled Rainbow towards the ground, even jumping on her and planting her back hooves on her stomach as she leaped over; Twilight gasped in surprise as Fluttershy ran towards the window in her home at full sped, releasing a high-pitched squeal of fear and frustration. When she reached it, she stood up onto her hind hooves, looking as if she was actually going to bust the window open...but instead, she lowered herself and gently opened the windows, whimpering as she jumped out.

Twilight ran toward the window, watching in shock as the pink-maned pegasus ran off into the distance; if she guessed right, that would be the last time they would see Fluttershy for the rest of the month. She then looked back to see Rainbow Dash lying on the ground in a daze, limbs bent oddly and twitching; she could almost see the butterflies circling around her head.

"Okay, I guess I'll let you off the hook this time." The cyan-colored pegasus stated.

After making sure Fluttershy hadn't broken any of Rainbow Dash's bones, she and the pegasus joined Applejack and Pinkie Pie in the newly-completed rectangular trench; currently all of the present ponies were laying low in the trench while dressed in army-styled helmets and camouflage, scanning the skies with large binoculars for any sign of dragons.

"I don't see any dragons." Twilight commented in a hushed tone after observing the sky for a moment.

"Me neither." Applejack added, in the same tone.

"Me neither neither." Pinkie included, looking up with her binoculars...but through the opposite side. "Shoot!"

"You don't think we missed them, do you?" Rainbow Dash asked, causing Pinkie to look at her through the wrong side of the binoculars.

"No, I don't think so." Twilight stated, speaking in a soft whisper should the dragons arrive at that very moment. "We're just a little early, and I'm glad we are. This way we can watch every moment of the migration without bringing any unwanted attention to ourselves."

As if fate decided to mess with the unicorn's claim, the last of Twilight's friends arrived.

"Yoo-hoo!" Rarity's voice announce from a distance in an overly exaggerated and dramatic tone; the white unicorn was currently dressed up in what supposed to be a camouflage hat and dress, but it's bright purple, red, and yellow style and golden laces didn't just cut the bill for 'blending in'. "Well?" She asked as the long, fancy red carpet she was walking over unfurled at the ramp dug out of the trench, bursting forth a flurry of confetti and noise makers around the other girls. "What do you think? Am I the toast of the trench or what?"

"Ya'll be toast alright..." Applejack stated flatly in a hushed tone. "...when the dragons see ya parading around in that getup."

"You look very nice, Rarity." Twilight commented, trying to keep a straight face and a calm voice as she used her magic to form a bubble around the confetti and red carpet, causing them to disappear as Rarity joined them in the trench. "But could you maybe look nice down here in the trench with us?"

"Nice is an understatement. I look fabulous! Who says camouflage has to be drab?" Rarity said in a posh, sophisticated tone, apparently ignoring the looks her friends were sending her.

Then Pinkie silenced them all.

"Ahoy, maties! Dragons ho!" Pinkie Pie announced in a hushed whisper, pointing skyward. Twilight and the others looked up at the sky above to see what could've possibly been the most amazing and intimidating sight any of them had ever seen in their lives.

Dragons, thousands of them, filled the skies above as they flew past the ponies in the trench. They came in all sorts of sizes and colors as well, being mostly red, blue, yellow, or green, though there also was the occasional grey, brown, and black. They flew through the skies about two hundred feet above the girls' heads, all heading in one direction toward the mountains beyond Canterlot in one large straight line. It was a very impressive, but  very intimidating sight for all of them, and one that would not been seen again for more than another hundred years.

"Oooh... Ahhhh!" The girls all awed, using their binoculars to watch the mighty beasts fly overhead. One brown one swooped down and performed a somersault in front of the trench before flying back up to the flock, as if showing off for the girls.

"Wow, amazing!" Twilight commented, she and her friends lowering their binoculars to watch the closer dragons in awe.

Rainbow Dash, however blew her tongue, not impressed at all. "Pretty lame move. Is that all they've got?" She asked sulkily.

One blue dragon bumped onto a red one, whether on accident or purpose, and quickly flew away; the red one did not like that one bit and fired out a huge wave of fire from his mouth, aiming for the dragon but hitting the trench instead. The girls all quickly ducked to avoid the flames...minus Rainbow Dash, who received the full force of the dragon's fiery breath.

"What do ya think of that 'move', Rainbow Dash? Still think they're lame?" Applejack asked with a coy smirk on her face.

Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, contained an almost pained expression of shock on her face, which was a bit charred, along with her smoking mane. "Uh, not so much. The word 'fierce' comes to mind." She admitted weakly.

"And 'formidable'." Rarity added with some admiration in her tone.

"And 'super-duper scary'!" Pinkie included, lying on the ground in fear, but that fear was immediately banished up when Spike came along and placed a cupcake to her hooves.

"Yeah. Us dragons are definitely a force to be reckoned with." The baby dragon said with pride as he took out a cookie from the bowl of sweets he made and handed it over to Applejack. His sense of pride, however, was shattered when Rainbow Dash collapsed onto the ground on her back, laughing her head off at the sight of him.

"BwaHahahahahaha! Yeah, right, Spike." She managed to squeak out, her voice tight with laughter. "That's one of the scariest aprons I've ever seen!" She cooed with obvious sarcasm before bursting into laughter again, with Applejack and Pinkie Pie joining her.

Spike immediately recoiled, what manliness he had shattered by the teasing. "W-W-What's wrong with wearing an apron?" He stammered, looking at his pink apron with furry trims that presented a hot pink heart in the middle. "You won't be laughing when you spill blueberries all over your scales. Urh...Feathers. That's one tough stain!" He object, trying to sound tough.

Rainbow Dash paused to breathe, a tear running down her face. "One tough stain against one lame dragon." She squeaking, laughing afterwards, much to Spike's annoyance.

As much as she hated to, Twilight had to admit her rainbow-maned friend had a point. Spike was not exactly what anypony would consider to be 'Dragon Material'; she was also pretty sure that was probably one of the only reasons ponies accepted him on sight instead of shunning him for his dragonish nature. After all, what harm could a small, chubby, squishy, wingless hatchling like Spike cause? Sure, he wouldn't be like that forever, but until then...

"You leave him alone, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity scolded with a frown, causing the cyan pegasus to stop laughing and look up in confusion. "Spike's style is unique. He doesn't have to look like other dragons."

"Or act like them." Twilight offered.

"My little Spikey Wikey is perfect the way he is." Rarity complimented, fondly flicking his top scale with her hoof, causing it to vibrate.

This comment seemed to worry Spike. "I don't...act like other dragons?" He asked timidly.

"Oh, not even close!" Pinkie answered cheerfully.

"But why would ya want to, Spike?" Applejack asked.

"Yes. You've got something those dreadfully fierce dragons can only dream of." Rarity told him.

"What's that?" Spike asked in a hopeful manner. The answer, however, was something he didn't have in mind:

"The cutest widdle chubby cheeks!" Rarity fawned in a babyish voice, pressing her hooves against his face and squishing said cheeks. "Ooooo!"

Spike blushed hard, making his entire face turn pink. "C-C-Cute? Dragons aren't supposed to be cute!" Spike stammered, tapping his fingers together shyly. "R-Right?"

But that just made it worse for the poor baby dragon. "Oh, sweetie, you are turning the most delightful shade of red; it is most becoming." Rarity said with a hint of a fond giggle. Spike then noticed every one of the girls staring at him in acceptance...but that just made it worse; dragons are supposed to be scary, tough, strong! Not cute and chubby! This was insulting, even to him.

"Rrrgh!" He growled in frustration, jumping out from the trench and storming off.

All the girls peeked over the trench, watching him go. "Oh, isn't he adorable when he waddles off in anger?" Rarity giggled waddle.

"Waddle? Rrrrrggggh!" He growled before leaving the area angrily.

"Wow..." Twilight muttered, watching her number one assistant storming off in confusion and concern. "And I thought he loved getting attention..."

"I don't see what's to get so upset about." Rarity responded, she and the others returning to their watching. "He's so adorable! What's the harm in that?"

Twilight, however, just stared after the baby dragon, frowning in thought.

The rest of the day was spent watching the dragons on their migration, and then Twilight and her friends ended it by going out for dinner. After enjoying a long, exciting day ending with a delicious meal with your friends will leave any creature, human, pony, dragon, or otherwise feeling very satisfied and eager for sleep...but tonight, Twilight wasn't going to find it.

Spike hadn't enjoyed the day nearly as much as Twilight and her pony friends; what they had said about him not being a dragon had left him greatly disturbed. It was true though: the magic that had been used to create him from within the egg was that of a pony, and therefore it left him as a pony in mind: he hadn't been born with the ancient wisdom and fierce, animalistic instincts of a dragon; those instincts had been erased by Twilight's magic and replaced by the gentle, peaceful mindset of a pony that Twilight was, even if she didn't mean to. He didn't even know how to act like a real dragon, even if he wanted too.

"What am I?" He asked himself as he laid in his basket-bed next to Twilight's bed, staring at the ceiling in thought. "Where am I from? Who am I suppose to be?"

Twilight, who had been trying to drown out the dragon's questions with one of her pillows, groaned in aggravation. "I don't know!" She nearly shouted for what seemed like the hundredth's time as she sat up to face him. "For the last time, Spike, you were given to me as an egg." She told him, her voice softening in pity as she spoke. "I don't know who found you or where they found you."

"Seriously? That's all you know?" Spike asked, turning away from her in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Spike." Twilight said as honestly as she could.

"That doesn't tell me anything about who I am!" Spike stated as he sat up and climbed out of bed; he made his way to the bedroom mirror, looking as his reflection in sadness; a reflection of a copy. A creature resembling one but not entirely one at all. "I need answers! I feel like I'm...I'm looking at a complete stranger."

He then broke down and curled up on the floor, stricken with grief. Twilight's heart tightened in her own sadness and pity; she knew that she didn't know what he was feeling, but she knew that she needed to help. "Oh, Spike..." She said softly, getting out of bed and coming up to him; she gently placed a hoof on his body, gently stroking the scales on his back. "...why don't we do some late-night research? See what we can find out." She offered, turning away and heading to the bookshelf.

Spike looked up, a small glimmer of hope passing over his face. "Really? You'd do that?" He asked hopefully, wiping away his tears.

"Of course." Twilight said as she used her magic to turn on the light and levitate the first book of Mythical Creatures in front of her. "I'm sure we can find something." She then opened the book with her magic and begun to read.

For the next couple of hours the two studied into the night, trying to find any information on dragons that the books of the Golden Oaks Library would have...but for all their efforts, they came up sort with any kind of real information about the mighty beasts. The only stuff the library had on them were old legends of Equestria's past, and bedtime stories for foals, both of which expectantly represented them in the same way: big, ferocious monsters whose soul purpose of existence was to torment ponykind. Needless to say that was more than just a little discouraging.

Twilight's face scrunched up in disgust at the crude interpretations of dragons, unable to picture Spike as them in the books; was this how ponies viewed dragons? Yes, she remembered the Bane of Faust. Yes, they had a bad reputation. Yes, she knew Spike was different than all other dragons in the world...but really?

As she read her current book (one containing a historic tale of a griffin knight slaying a blue dragon) , she recalled an event that took place just a few weeks after the whole Nightmare Moon adventure, when a large red dragon had taken residence in a mountain about twenty miles outside of Ponyville. There was no real threat from the creature as it had chosen that mountain to enter a hundred-year hibernation, but the smoke it was creating with its snoring would choke the very life out of the land surrounding its mountain for miles, including Ponyville. So, under orders from the princess (which Twilight still privately questioned to this day), she and her friends set off to the mountain in order to 'persuade' the dragon to move elsewhere.

What. The. Buck?! Even to this day, Twilight questioned the wisdom of the Princess's decision to send six ordinary teenage mares up to deal with a full-grown dragon; why would anyone even think that would be a good idea, let alone an immortal alicorn of eternal wisdom and leadership? What were they to do if the beast attacked; hit it with apples? Sing it a song? Give it the healing magic of friendship? This was a dragon, not a simple school-yard bully or cranky neighbor; it wouldn't hesitate to harm or even kill them if they set it off. Perhaps if they had the Elements of Harmony with them they could've been protected, but aside from that there was no guarantee that the dragon would cooperate on friendly terms.

So imagine her surprise when he did.

He didn't at first. They each tried numerous attempts to get him to move: Twilight tried to persuade him with calm reasoning, Rarity tried to charm and woo him into skipping his nap, and Pinkie Pie even tried to make him laugh to get on his good side, each one ending in failure (side note, Twilight thought: Rarity's idea was working until she went greedy and ruined the whole thing). Then things did turn nasty when Rainbow Dash, with her ever-present ego and aggressive nature, decided to take matters into her own hooves and outright attack the beast, bucking it straight in the face with her hooves. Of course, the dragon did not approve of this and attacked, blasting them with smoke and leaving them defenseless. And in that moment Twilight feared that her mother's warnings had come true...until something amazing happened.

Fluttershy made him cry.

That's right.

Fluttershy, the pony who freaked out at the sight of her own shadow, who was mortally terrified of dragonkind, went up to him, gave him a stern talking-to as if he was but a foal caught breaking a window...and he broke down into tears, bawling his eyes out in sorrow and shame.

It was unbelievable; when Twilight first entered the cave, she imagined meeting a species of a body and mindset far above that of a normal pony. A creature with mental processing and physical strength that nopony could never even hope to match...one, who would regard her and her friends as mere vermin intruding in its home...but here it was, the 'monster' that had haunted the nightmares and lives of all of Equestria, and Fluttershy was fearlessly babying it as if it were just another one of her critters.

Was this the monster that she had heard of so much yet knew so little about? Was this the species that destroyed countless lives and were feared and hated from sea to sea?

Apparently not, as it turned out: once the dragon had left and they returned home, Twilight went to Canterlot personally to question Celestia of the nature of her encounter. It turned out that the dragon was an unnaturally equine-friendly individual named Sahqoyol, or Red-Fire in mortal tongue; he was a dragon who had grown up in Zanzebra (a country on a separate continent than Equestria), nearby multiple settlements of Zebras, a race known for respecting and worshiping dragons. It was these zebras, who had served his family line for generations, that gave birth to and nurtured his peaceful outlook toward equines in general, as well as his softer side. He had come to Equestria to hibernate in peace, knowing that other dragons would not enter the pony's territory and not bother him...but, thanks to the Mane 6, he returned to Zanzebra to nest in his old home; Twilight admittedly felt a little bad about making him cry, despite the overall bizarreness of the whole situation, and thankfully she was able to get back home without letting her parents or brother found out about her little adventure.

There was no way she was ever going to tell her family about it; they'd skin her alive!

But what the princess had told her also gave birth to many other questions: apparent the Zebras, a race not too different from Ponies, lived in perfect peace with the mighty dragons. She also learned through research that many of the other races of Equestria lived quite peacefully with them as well: The Buffalo of the Appleloosan Planes practically worshiped them as gods, while the Minotaurs had actually set up a primitive form of trade with them: jewels for meat, and such. The Griffins didn't...but then again, they didn't get along with anyone; even Celestia had constant trouble trying to keep the eagle-lion hybrids from going to war for whatever crazed reason they could think up on the spot.

Why was it, when all the other races of the world could accept them, Ponykind, the main race of Equestria, could not?

"Hey, Twilght!"

"GAH!" Twilight shrieked in surprise, literally jumping off her pillow. She fell backwards into a pile of books on the floor, one that had been building up over the night; a loud yet cushioned thump filled the room, a flurry of paper and binding scattering through the air.

"Spike! Don't do that!" She snapped as she poked her head out of the pile, a medium-sized book impaled on her horn. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Spike grinned sheepishly, trying hard to hide his amusement under a mask of fake regret. "Sorry..." He lied; Twilight didn't even need to be the Element of Honesty to see through that one. "...it's just that I found this; I don't think it's one of ours."

What frustration and aftershock Twilight was feeling vanished when she saw the book her number-one assistant was clutching in his hands and holding up for her to see. Anyone who came to Ponyville for any reason would learn very quickly that Twilight Sparkle, owner of the Golden Oaks Library, knew her collection completely, to every last page, and anypony living in this town could vouch for that claim; if any new books were added behind her back, she would find out immediately, and if any book goes missing or becomes overdue, then may Celestia herself save the sinner in question from Twilight tardy-loathing wrath. There was a reason no one visited to check out a book to take home.

So anyone else would've been as equally surprised as her to see this strange new edition to the library's literature...if they even realized it was out of place to begin with.

It wasn't a very large book, just a little more larger than the average reading book in height and length; it's page count barely made it into the pamphlet category, no more than twenty pages at best. It's binding was made out of brown, smooth leather flaps tied together with red string, possessing no solid skeleton of any sort; a paper-back, so to speak, made at home by someone with non-professional materials. At first glance no one would think it was anything important...but it what was on the front that really caught Twilight's attention; the dust that had gathered on the front was so thick it was almost impossible to see, but she was able to just make them out. Engraved into the leather on the front cover was the symbol of the sun, featuring six symbols surrounding in the great star in a hexagonal pattern: a trio of apples, a trio of butterflies, a trio of gems, a trio of balloons, a cloud with a rainbow-styled lightning bolt, and in the center was the symbol of a star burst, surrounded by numerous sparkles.

Her and her friends' cutie marks. Surrounding the symbol of Celestia's cutie mark.

"Where did you find this?"

"Back behind the books in the lower shelves of the Fictional Literature section," Spike stated as he approached Twilight, turning the book around to face him before blowing on it; an enormous cloud of dust billowed forth, sending both unicorn and dragon into a coughing fit. "It-...*Cough, cough!*...It looks like...*Cough!*...it's been there...*Cough!*...for years."

When Spike mentioned the book was found in the Fiction section, Twilight almost mentally tossed it aside; it was obviously a piece of fiction, most likely made and placed there by a 'fan' of the Elements of Harmony...but at the mention of years, Twilight knew that this book was an impossibly. "That can't be," She said. "I just cleaned out and re-shelved the Fiction Section a few days ago; it couldn't have been there. I wiped the shelves clean of dust myself!"

Grabbing the book with her magic, she pulled herself out of the book pile and practically ran over to the shelves in question...and nearly tripped over her own hooves in shock. There, what was once a top clean enough to eat off of that very morning, was a layer of dust thick enough to look like snow...minus a large clean square where a book had been laying the entire time.

Twilight was unable to form words, her mane suddenly becoming unraveled with a comical *Boing*. "...How...Wha...I...that...it...how is that even possible?!" She finally squealed, her eyelids twitching feverishly.

She glared the book floating in her grasp accusingly, as if scolding it for warping her sense of reality...when she saw the cover again; with the dust gone, it was much easier to see the symbols engraved into the leather, including one that she hadn't been able to make out before: circling the seven cutie mark symbols, like a great serpent around a ball, was the image of a flying dragon, his body circled around the symbols, as if shielding them from the world.

A book with their cutie marks and a dragon...that suddenly appeared, as if after years, on the night she and Spike were purposely looking for book of dragons...

There was no way that this was pure coincidence.

Spike, who had remained silent during Twilight's mental breakdown, suddenly blinked. "Hold on...I just thought of something." He suddenly spoke up. Twilight looked at him expectantly. "Well...that thing's supposed to have been around here for years, right? And it certainly looks that way..."

"Yeah?"

"...well, if it has...then how does it have all your cutie marks together?"

Twilight froze, realization smacking her in the face. Spike was right; this book was old...older than how long she and her friends even knew each other.

"This...this is too weird." She finally concluded, setting the book on the nearby table and collapsing back on her pillow; her mind was spinning with questions and confusion, and her body suddenly felt the rush of exhaustion. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and forget this ever happened.

Then Spike asked the dreaded question.

"Well? Aren't you going to read it?"

Twilight stiffened at the question; the moment those words registered in her brain, the all-too familiar urges of curiosity and hunger for answers tugged hard at her very core...but for once in her book-wormy and studious life, she fought back against them. She merely sat there, biting her lip as she gave the book a wary stare.

"I...I don't know..." She admitted, not breaking her gaze. "This thing's obviously unnatural, maybe even magical...I want to read it, believe me; maybe it'll answer a few questions, like who made it and where it came from...or it could be set to explode when opened, or cast a curse or something on whoever reads it."

Spike grinned. "What was that, Twilight? Did I just hear you say the 'C' word?" He cooed, cupping an hand around his ear.

The lavender mare glared flaming daggers at him. "Oh, you're hilarious. Ha ha." She growled sarcastically, before turning quite cross. "I'm being serious, Spike! There's no telling what this thing might do!"

"Or maybe you're suppose to read it," Spike objected, motioning to the book as he approached her. "I know you're thinking it: A magical book about dragons pops up when we're looking for dragon books? This can't be just a coincidence. Maybe it's like that because you're suppose to read it, and if you don't, all of Equestria would be doomed!"

Twilight gave him a flat, unamused look. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

The baby dragon met her look with one that matched. "Says the Element of Magic who was just going on about curses..." He deadpanned; his foster sister opened her mouth to snap something back, but came up with no reply, her mouth flapping like the jaws of a fish. "Maybe it's not cursed; maybe it's just an ordinary book, but there is something important about it. Even I can tell that."

Twilight rolled her eyes as she turned away...only to find herself looking back at that strange book again. She gave it a deadly glare, as if trying to make it burst into flames with her mind; this was ridiculous, all this fuss over a stupid book. Never before had the student of Celestia ever met a book she didn't like (not counting those horrible vampire romance novels that Rarity seemed to love so much; her name was the laughing stock of the school thanks to those stupid things...), but this one was coming very close to being the first. Stupid book...stupid frustrating book! She wanted to throw it out; to set it aflame, bake the ashes into cupcakes, turned the cupcakes to stone, and banish those stony cupcakes to the moon! But...she...just...couldn't.

Finally, after engaging in a staring contest with it for a good five minutes, she broke. "...if anything happens, I'm telling Princess Celestia it was all your fault." She hissed at Spike, picking the book up with her magic and levitating it in front of her.

"Awesome." Spike stated, plopping down next to the unicorn, waiting expectantly for her to start.

Twilight huffed at him, then turned her attention back to the book; for a brief moment the dragon on the cover seemed to be staring at her, as if daring her to try something. She swallowed nervously, sweat building on her forehead as she began to pull on the tip of the cover. "W-Well...here goes..."

And with the stillness of a tree in a hurricane, she shakily opened the book.

Nothing happened.

She slumped back with a sigh of relief...before laughing quietly at herself. 'Look at me, the student of Celestia freaking out over a book. Me, scared of a book. I really do need to get out more...' She mentally giggled, before looking down upon the newly-dubbed harmless reading material...but what she read aloud to herself and Spike, written on pages turned yellow with time, was of a very familiar horn-writing...

Dear Twilight Sparkle.

Hello, I suppose...forgive me; I'm not very good at writing in a social method at the moment, but I plan to change that soon enough. I may not have met you yet, but if you are reading this, then that means we have now and probably know each other very well, so I'm trying to be as friendly as I can.

I know this all seems rather strange, and I truly wish that I could explain what's going on, but I fear that I could inadvertently cause a lot of damage. Listen carefully, though: this is very important. I can tell you that I'm placing this message in the Golden Oaks Library knowing one day you'll find it when the time was right, and that it is enchanted so that will only open to you or the other Element Bearers.

If you are reading this, Twilight, it means that the time has come: something very important is about to happen near you, something that will forever change the very face and future of Equestria. It is very hard to explain, and I can't tell you much for fear of damaging the world, but I can tell you that all of the Elements of Harmony are involved in its workings, as will their bearers be. I cannot stress to you enough how important this is; if you are reading this book, it means that it is already beginning to happen, and you must prepare.

I will warn you, though: what will happen will shake your life and very world badly; you and your friends will not come out of it unchanged, just as Equestria won't as well...but this needs to happen, for the future of all of ponykind depends on it. It will be hard, ponies will be hurt, and your friendships will be put to the test...but I have faith in you, even as I write this, awaiting the day when you will be born.

I trust you, my future student. I know you can do this. Be strong, young pony; be wise, alert, and understanding. And remember to always keep your heart open; true friendship can be formed between even the most unlikely of hearts.

I look forward to meeting you one day.

Signed, Princess Celestia, sol ruler of Equestria.

The book fell to the floor with a soft *thump*, though Twilight paid it no mind, for she was no longer aware of the physical world around her; she just stared into nothingness, her face twisted in stunned disbelief and fear, the words that she had just read echoing through her mind.

'...No...that...that can't be...' She told herself. 'This...this can't be r-real.'

"...uh, T-Twilight? W-What's going on outside?"

Sweat began to roll down her forehead. 'It's just a j-joke, right? Haha, very funny...real funny, Princess. Y-You never told me y-you had a sense of humor.'

"Twilight?"

The world closed in around her, the darkness swallowing her whole. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. 'I-I-It just can't...she c-couldn't have...s-she...she k-k-knew...she knew...it was me!'

"Twilight! Snap out of it!"

'S-S-She knew I was the Element of Magic all along!'

"TWILIGHT!" Spike shouted and, in a final desperate attempt to gain her attention, bit down onto her arm.

The world came rushing back as hot-white pain burst through her foreleg; the sheer trauma-like confusion, coupled by Spike's teeth breaking through her skin, caused her to scream out loud. She threw herself backwards, yanking her leg out of Spike's mouth and toppling head-over-hooves into a tall tower of books; the impact caused the tower of books to topple over and fall to the floor with a loud crash, collapsing on top of Twilight's work table, knocking over the horse-head figurine and smashing a multitude of glass beakers, their contents spilling forth onto the table's top, soaking everything they came across.

Twilight laid on her back in the pile of books, gasping for breath as if choking, clutching her wounded arm as she fought back her tears; Spike had bitten down harder than he intended, and blood was leaking forth from the teeth marks.

She looked downwards at her dragon assistant, who stared back with a mixed look of worry and shame. "S-S-Spike...y-you bit me..." She whimpered, shaken from everything happening.

Spike shook his head, clearing it from the guilt. "I'm sorry, okay, but look!" He told her, pointing to the window.

Twilight followed her assistant's finger to the window, about to question his reasoning, when a distant rumble sounded from outside. Shakily she got up and limped to said window, being careful to avoid putting any pressure onto her wounded limb, and looked outside.

What she saw, she would never forget.

The night sky, once filled with Luna's masterpiece of stars, was transforming before her very eyes; the wind howled through PonyVille, leaves and debris tearing through the air at incredible speeds, as the sky itself twisted and morphed into a monstrous storm. Pitch-black clouds rolled over the town, covering the night skies, thunderous booms rumbling through the air as lightning blazed and danced across the foreboding black. She could actually see the clouds forming into existence, swirling in out of nowhere and filling the heavens in a maelstrom of darkness and fear; rain poured down from the skies in what could only be described as a hurricane, coming down with a strength and fury of the likes no Ponyvillian had ever seen. The very earth shook under the storm's wrath, the trees of PonyVille and the Everfree lashing in the wind, leaves, dirt, branches, and even large rocks soaring through the air; the hailstorm of debris rained down upon Ponyville, soaring into and damaging homes or even destroying entire buildings. Ponies were already fleeing from their damaged homes, running about the chaos in panic, trying to find shelter from what could very well be described as the end of the world.

That's when she saw it, forming miles above the canopy of the distant Everfree Forest: the clouds began to swirl in on themselves, forming the beginnings of an enormous twister in the storm cover...one that was forming upside down, sucking the clouds around it inwards. The closest thing Twilight could compare it to was the little twister that formed in a bathtub; the little swirling whirlpool that formed above the drain when unplugged, though on a godly scale. And from within the growing typhoon blazed a brilliant purple light so bright it became almost white; it was as if the sun had fallen to the earth, lighting up the night as if it was day, lightning of purple and white hues blasting forth and spreading across the cloud like a great spider's web, the thunderous roar destroying the silence completely...and the light grew, building in brightness and power...

Her eyes widened in disbelief and horror.

'It's beginning, isn't it? The 'event' in the book...' She thought, unable to move or speak; fear had claimed her very being. 'The time has come.'

Then, with the light and power comparable to a miniature super-nova, it exploded: from the blazing vortex of death and power shot forth a beam of light, like a giant laser, striking straight down into the dark forest with an ear-splitting explosion of power. Twilight screamed in horror and agony, clutching at her ears as the sound wave ripped through her body...then the shock waves came, softly at first, until it blasted through the earth hard enough to throw the lavender unicorn and her dragon assistant bodily into the air, both of them screaming in horror as their very world spun; any object not bolted down was sent flying, raining down on them in a fury like the storm outside.

"T-T-Twilight!" Spike cried in fear, whimpering with the emotion, huddled in the corner as the library continued to shake. "Twilight, help! Please!"

At the sound of her dragon's frightened voice, all fear and trauma surging through Twilight was vaporized on the spot; now, only a fire of maternal protection raged in her heart. Forcing herself onto her hooves, she charged through the chaos and destruction toward him, taking hits from the books flying about; it hurt, yes, but she forced the pain out of her mind, trudging ahead until she reached him, scooping him up in her hooves and hugging him close, using herself as a living shield.

Her baby dragon was in danger, and in that brief moment, pain and fear meant nothing to her.

"It's o-okay, Spike..." She assured him, holding him close as the destruction raged around them. "...It's going to be okay..."

Then she heard it: through all the rumbling, the thunder, the destruction, and the chaos, a new sound boomed forth above all the rest from within the storm and forest. A sound that made Twilight's blood run cold.

A roar.

It was a roar of pure rage and ferocity, one that should've been silenced long ago by the very creation of civilization; no mortal creature in existence could ever create such a horrific cry of pure primal rage. A fury and hatred so fierce...so ancient...so powerful...it shook her to the very core, as well as blasted her and Spike back against the wall by the sheer strength of its ear-tearing volume.

It was the roar of a true dragon.

The roar of death.

And the beam of light finally blasted forth, and existence itself went white.

The Everfree Forest.

Since the founding of Equestria, this dark and foreboding forest has haunted the dreams and legends of ponies and all other races everywhere. It was the largest section of untouched wild land on the entire continent, covering more than a fourth of Celestia's entire kingdom, slithering in and stretching to cities throughout the land and going far beyond the borders and the horizon itself.

So why did the ponies avoid it instead of take advantage of its natural bounties?

Fear of the alien.

And what was so alien about this forest?

It was completely normal.

As all those who live in Equestria know, this planet's natural cycles are manually taken care of by the ponies that inhabit it: Unicorns use their magic to change the seasons, Pegasi move clouds and create weather patterns, and Earth Ponies tend to the growth of plants and care of animals on the ground. But the Everfree Forest was different: it did all this by itself. Unlike the rest of this planet, the Everfree was perfectly natural in comparison with other worlds: the weather and seasons changed on their own, plants grew and thrived without the help or interference of ponykind, as did the animals that lived in it. To most outsiders, this would be perfectly normal, but to ponykind's blind innocence, it was downright terrifying. Even more so thanks to it's appearance and inhabitants.

From above it was a sea of green, stretching on for all eternity and resembling pretty much any regular forest...but beneath the canopy, it was a terrifying place; trees and plants beneath the branches fought and strangled each other over even the smallest patches of sunlight: a rare necessity in this dark land, leaving the smaller, weaker saplings to starve and die in the dark undergrowth. Down there, several hundred feet below the suffocating canopy, dense vegetation thrived on the dank forest floor and carpeted the putrid dirt with its tentacle-like web of roots, providing miserable but sufficient hiding-holes for the many creatures which inhabit this forest.

The creatures of the Everfree were even scarier and more savage than the forest itself. Many of Equestria's most horrible and feared monsters lurked in the darkness of this forest, eagerly awaiting for a foolish outsider to set foot in it: Dragons were amongst these, though they were far and scarcely spread. Manticores, great lions with bat wings and scorpion tails, were a more common threat to travelers. Timberwolves, canine-like beasts made and grown from the trees they live beneath, hunted in packs to bring down tougher prey. These were but just a few of the many mythical and monstrous beasts living in the Everfree. And then even the beasts themselves could succumbed to other predators, though they not be animals. The lower vegetation itself was alive with poison and toxins of all kinds, from the infamous Poison Joke to their carnivorous cousins the Fang Floras.

From the smallest of creatures to the largest of beasts, from the top of its canopy to the roots of its trees, the Everfree Forest is definitely, by all accounts, a deathtrap for the inexperienced and unprepared...which is why the secrets that laid inside its borders have remained untouched by civilization for centuries, including a famous yet mysterious relic of a time long past:

The Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. The very same ruins where Twilight and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon with the Elements of Harmony.

Having been around since the time before the War of the Sun and Moon, this ancient fortress had stood strong against the ravages of time as well as the many wars it had been through in its existence; even as age and the forest fought to claim it, the ruins still stood as strong now as it did then, even if time and Nightmare Moon's attacks had reduced it to a dirty, broken, rubble-scattered shell of its former glory. It stood on a large plateau in the middle of a large circular canyon, which served as a natural moat; the only way for land-dwelling creatures to reach it would be across a flimsy wooden bridge, which barely held the weight of a couple ponies when Twilight and her friends last used it to reach the Elements of Harmony. This, couple with dozens of booby traps and even a few magical defenses, is why it remained mostly untouched by the forest that surrounded it.

But tonight a beast of a new sort would come to sit on the ancient throne as the new king of this world.

As the unworldly storm above slowly died down into a still cloud cover, the blazing white light of the purple beam also faded from existence, revealing the carnage it had left behind. For the castle had been ground zero: the location where the laser had struck.

The palace had stood against the blow, but it and the forest around it had not come out unscratched. Everything within a thousand foot radius of the impact site had been completely vaporized; all the trees, plants, animals and even the larger rocks within range had been incinerated on the spot, their ashes scattered across the forest by the lashing winds of the shock waves; even now a blizzard of ash was slowly falling over the distant canopies, floating down like snow. The forest just shy of the blast radius had been blown back by the force of the shock waves, entire acres of trees knocked over, crushing anything in their path and tearing up the earth with their roots.

The Sister's Castle remained standing, for the most part: all the weaker pieces, those already destined to fall before the rest, had been blasted down and scattered in heaps across the burned, grass-less plateau. What remained standing had been struck by the force of a hurricane; all the plants growing on the walls and shoved into the cracks had also been vaporized into ash, leaving the ruins in a surprisingly cleaner state than they previously were, though now weaker and more damage-ridden. A thick spray of dirt, stone, and mud kicked up at ground zero of the impact had ruined every last piece of the surviving banners and painting, as well as covered most of the walls and floor surrounding the enormous fifty-foot crater located just in front of the palace, along with the blazing fires still feasting on the last scraps of ruined organic matter.

But it what was new to the palace that really stood out; decorating the burned plateau and forest around it were these alien crystals. Strange, almost gem-like formations filled the Everfree Forest, with many large formations clustered around the impact crater, but countless more scattered far and wide throughout the entire forest by the blast wave; they ranged in size, from a few as large as Canterlot's towers, and some as small as a full-grown pony. They also ranged in different colors; the main color was a dark purplish-pink in color, though there were a few that were rarer and more unique: some were blood-red and strangely healthy-looking, others were electric-green and crackled with energy, and others were a soothing, almost heavenly sky-blue...but all the crystals had one thing in common: they glowed and pulsed with the energy of the storm and beam, dotting the dark forest like stars in the sky.

Pity there was only one native soul currently there to bear witness to what was going to happen next.

As she coughed hard to clear the ash from her mouth and throat, Zecora weakly crawled out from the abandoned burrow beneath the roots of a fallen tree near the canyon, shaken badly from the experience. The zebra herbalist was lucky enough to have found it when the storm first hit.

"In all my years in this magical land, never have I seen such an event first-hand..." She whispered in a shaken breath. She looked up to the sky, hoping the freak storm was finally over; thankfully it was, obvious by the cloud cover breaking apart and fading into the air, revealing the beautiful night sky once more.

Normally Zecora wouldn't be out at this hour, but this time was an exception: as a herbalist of the Everfree, she was familiar with the growth and blooming cycles of all the magical plants of this mysterious forest, and a recent potion request from one of Ponyville's citizens called for the petals of the Lunar Lily, a rare nocturnal flower that only bloomed during a full moon. She was out looking for this very plant when the earth-shattering storm struck the forest, forcing her to take shelter in a hole in the ground.

She quietly dusted the dirt and ash from her brown cloak and striped legs, staring out with suspicion at the flaming, crystal-twisted palace before her. The skies above the plateau was the only place where the black clouds hadn't broken up, though that could've just been the smoke from the fires burning around her. The glow from the fires and crystals alike lit up the smog, giving the fog of black an almost demonic red, orange and purple glow, like the fiery glow of a sunset.

'This forest is known for countless dangers foretold, but this is something not of this ancient hold.' She thought to herself, glaring suspiciously at the crystals across the canyon. 'Twilight and her friends have no doubt seen this; I must tell them of the changed palace and forest.'

She turned to leave and head for Ponyville, when the night was lit up once more by a brilliant purple/white blaze and a sudden clap of thunder. Zecora let loose a whinny of alarm as she brought her foreleg up over her eyes, shielding them from the blinding glare, the boom of the explosion of power knocking her back a few steps...until the light faded, allowing her to look back to the ruins. Within the crater blazed forth a swirling maelstrom of black fog, filling up and spilling forth from the crater like an overflowing pond, unleashing a dark, sinister mist across the plateau. From the reforming clouds blasted forth flashes of lightning, blazing red, orange, and purple as they boom through the air, sending tremors through the earth and the zebra's body.

Then she saw it...emerging from the smoky void in the crater: A sight that would haunt her nightmares for the rest of her life...

The large talon-ed hand of a reptile, as large as a small carriage in size, lifted out of the crater and grabbed onto the edge, the meter-long claws ripping into the very stone. Then the rest of it came, cloaked and silhouetted in the smokey mist and crackling with a unholy purple and red energy, pulling itself out of the ground like a giant demon emerging from Tartarus itself. Huge draconian wings, as long and wide as the palace towers were tall, stretched out to full length before folding down and gripping the earth, aiding the coloum-like arms and legs in lifting the creature's enormous body in an upright, four-legged stance. A massive reptilian tail, as long as a small river and as thick as a full-grown tree, rolled back like a giant snake, it's bladed end smashing into the distant rubble of the palace. A long, serpentine neck rose above the rest of it, holding up the monstrous reptilian head covered in twisted, demonic horns and a webbed, basilisk-like frill...as well as bearing a pair of fiery white eyes.

Those eyes...

Those horrible...flaming...monstrous eyes!

Zecora couldn't scream; she couldn't run...she could only stare, frozen on the spot, into those eyes. Two balls of pure white flame with no pupils, resembling twin suns blazing bright white light throughout the night. And it wasn't just an ordinary fire they were burning with; no, that would actually be preferred! These eyes...they burned with hate...and rage. They burned with a dark yet calm, deep-rooted fury and hatred that blazed with a inner fire comparable only to the pits of Tartarus itself. She wasn't sure what events or force could ever cause anger of that sheer level of ferocity...but it was clear that nothing in Equestria ever could. It looked very similar to a dragon, but it was no dragon...at least, not the kind Zecora knew of.

This...this beast...this demon...

It was not Equestrian. She didn't know what monstrous realm birthed such a creature of war and death...but one thing was certain:

Nothing in Equestria could ever create such a monster.

The lightning continued to flash and blaze around this monster dragon as it stepped forward out of the crater, it's body sliding like water through the air as the earth trembled between its very presence; it lifted its head back and yawned deeply, as if awaking from a long, deep slumber, briefly closing its horrible eyes but revealing jaws lined with the terrifying, flesh-ripping, dagger-shaped teeth of a carnivore. The eyes opened once more before it closed its mouth and looked around, taking in its surroundings with a tense yet calm aura, as if studying, getting familiar with the alien terrain and already plotting how to use it to its advantage. It's wings lifted off the ground and folded to its sides, the long fingers trailing back with its tail, as it turned itself around, turning its head toward what remained of the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Its eyes and face were no longer visible from her angle, but Zecora had the strangest feeling that it was...satisfied.

She paled, the blood draining from her face; if this thing behaved in any way that dragons here did...then she knew it was viewing the castle, and all the crystals that it was most likely familiar with, as a cave. A new den to call home.

It was planning to stay.

The dragon then turned it's full body around began to approach the main doors, which were obviously far too small for it to fit through...not that it would've mattered; Zecora was certain that this creature was plenty strong enough to smash it's way through a mere stone wall. Her thoughts were proven correct when it stopped just a few feet from the doors and, with the deep, rumbling growl of a primal beast, shot forward and slammed its horned head forward so fast into the doorway that it became a dark blur.

The front wall of the castle exploded with a powerful blast of rock, dust, and flame, shattered rocks and splintered wood flying off in all directions. The echoing explosion from the impact tore through the night, sending flocks of birds scattering from the distant treetops.

Shaking the dust from its head as a dog would shake water from its fur, the dragon snorted in satisfaction with a sound comparable to a Flame Throw Spell igniting, and lifted its right foreleg to step inside the new opening in the wall...when it stopped. It simply froze on the spot, listening, feeling...searching for something...

...and then, to the zebra's heart-stopping horror, the dragon turned its head around and glared directly at her.

A flash of lavender lightning lit up the sky, revealing the creature's satanic form in full: pitch-black scales shining in the dim light and glimmering with the purple light, face twisted into an enraged snarl as it rumbled a deep, blazing growl...demonic eyes locked with her own.

Her nerve broke, and she bolted for Ponyville, screaming and tearing through the forest in a blind panic.

The dragon stopped growling and merely watched as the small, striped mammal disappeared into the undergrowth while whinnying in absolute mortal terror, its blazing eyes narrowing in deep thought. Without any sign of emotion other than the calm rage and suspicious glare, the great beast slowly turned away from the forest and disappeared into the shadowy interior of the castle.

There was work to be done.

For what felt like an eternity, Twilight's entire existence was nothing but a dark, dreamless void, plagued only by what was left over from the fear and confusion that had impact her just before she went unconscious. It was almost a welcomed experience; to simply rest, no worries or troubles, not a care of the outside world. So she was, admittedly, slightly disappointed when she slowly returned to consciousness.

"Welcome back ta the land of the livin', sugarcube." A familiar country-slang voice said in a mixture of relief and amusement. "How ya feelin'?"

Twilight groaned as she shifted in place; her body was sore and aching in multiple spots, and her head felt like it was going to crack at any moment. "Sore..." She admitted weakly as she struggled to open her eyes; her vision was blurred at first, but soon the orange-and-yellow blob above her cleared to reveal the smiling face of Applejack. "...very sore."

Applejack chuckled softly. "I figured ya might be." She admitted, turning around and grabbing something. "Ya had an entire bookshelf fall on top of ya; the docs say it's a bonafide miracle that nuttin's broke." The earth pony turned back around, carefully cupping a glass of water in her hooves. "Here. This'll help yer headache."

Twilight smiled gratefully as Applejack sat down next to her and gently propped her up against her shoulder, helping her sit up with one arm while using the other to bring the glass to her chapped lips. Twilight drank slowly but greedily, the cool water soothing her parched mouth and throat; as she drank, she could feel her headache subside a bit once she got fluids back into her body.

"Better?" Applejack asked.

The lavender unicorn nodded. "A little, yes. Thanks...where are we?"

She asked that question as she finally took in her surroundings; instead of the familiarity of the library (which she realized was probably ruined beyond repair now), she found herself and Applejack in a large medical tent set up in town square. It was a Medi-Tent, just like the one they had set up during the 'Baked Bads' incident: these were always used whenever there were too many ponies for the admittedly-small Ponyville Hospital Staff to rush to said hospital.

And too many ponies there were: the tent Twilight was currently laying in had at least thirty injured ponies, plus at least ten more tending to them all. She was one of the lucky ones who got one of the cots; most of them were laying about on blankets, while either moaning/crying in pain or laying silently on their beds or blankets. Most of the ponies injured were either bruised, bleeding, or had broken bones, many either wearing casts, slings, or bandages, or having them tied on my a doctor, nurse, or volunteer; one of this volunteers was Rarity, who, other than a large but light bruise formed on his right shoulder, was one the lucky one unharmed. Looking toward the open flaps, Twilight saw at least three other tents set up outside, in what was left of town square; it was still dark out, but lights had been set up to see by outside.

Rarity, who just finished wrapping fresh bandages around the forehead of a sea-green unicorn mare, beamed brightly when she saw her fellow unicorn awake. "Twilight! Or, darling, I was worried sick!" She exclaimed as she trotted over. "When we found you and Spike in the mess of the library I almost feared the worst for you. Thank goodness you only had-"

"Ohmygosh, Spike!" Twilight shrieked, nearly jumping out of bed. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Hold yer horses, Twah'!" Applejack said, forcing her back down. Twilight gave a soft 'ow' as the farm mare's shove agitated her brushes. "Sorry...but don't you worry none. Spike's fine; he's with my sister and her friends over in the next tent. The little rascal awful tough for just a youngin'."

Twilight sighed with relief. "Thank Faust..." She whispered softly. Her mind at ease, her gaze fell to the bruise on Rarity's shoulder. "Oh, Rarity...your shoulder."

Rarity followed her gaze to the injury, as if noticing it for the first time. "Oh, this silly little thing? It's nothing, I assure you." She reassured the worried librarian with a fond laugh. "One of my display mannequins knocked me in the side as I was trying to get Sweetie Belle and myself to shelter."

Twilight smiled in relief, and then steeled herself before slowly rolling off the cot and setting her hooves on the ground; a soft burning pain shot through the leg from where Spike had bitten her, which had been wrapped in bandages, making the limb nearly give out. Applejack made a motion to grab her, but she held a hoof up, letting the soreness past as she steadied herself.

"Are ya gonna be okay, Twah'?" The orange mare asked worryingly.

Twilight nodded again. "It's just a few bumps and bruises. I'll manage." She assured her.

Applejack shook her head softly in disbelief, looking out of the tent and at the carnage outside; not one building had gotten out of the sudden 'storm' unharmed. "Can ya'll believe this...what in the flippin' pits of tartarus was that thing...?!"

"Applejack, language!" Rarity scolded, frowning at her colorful words. "...though I must agree with you on your question. Whatever that was, it was no simple storm. I guess I should be grateful that I had the Boutique set up on the opposite side of town after all; it'll be quite the mess to clean up, but at least it came out intact."

Applejack frowned. "Well, that's more than what I can say for Sweet Apple Acres; that thing sent an entire Celestia-danged boulder flying through the orchard and smack-dab right inta our house! Tore up half the trees and smashed the whole buildin' to rubble..." She lamented, pulling her slightly battered hat off and placing it over her chest; her eyes began to glimmer with forming tears. "...I know I should be grateful that we all got outta it alive and unhurt...but dag-nabbit, y'all! That was our home! And now it's gone..."

Despite knowing this wasn't her fault, Twilight couldn't help but dread: could...could her reading that mysterious book have caused this? The book did say that by the time she was reading it, that an event would already be starting, so perhaps this was it...

...but could she have somehow inadvertently caused it to go off?

"What about the others?" She then asked, with a hint of dread in her voice.

"They're all doing well, more or less." Rarity told her, using her magic to lift a warm wet cloth and dab it gently on the lavender unicorn's bruises. "Fluttershy got out of it unharmed, but one of the forest's trees had fallen onto her cottage and many of her animals didn't make it." She looked rather down-cast by this. "The poor dear's utterly heart-broken; she's taken the loss awfully hard. Pinkie Pie's been trying to comfort her, but hasn't had much luck; they're both helping the foals that got injured in the 'storm', if you can call it that."

A sick feeling grew in Twilight's stomach. Even children hadn't gotten out unharmed...oh, she really hoped she didn't cause it now.

"...and Rainbow Dash?"

Applejack snorted, looking rather cross. "Alive, but I'm surprised that she is." She said, anger lacing her tone. "That dang-fool pony tried stopping ta storm with her crazed pegasus stuff and nearly got herself killed; winded up gettin' both her wings sprained! I'm just glad she landed in the lake, or who knows what might've happen!"

"I can hear you, Applesmack."

Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity all turned their attention in the direction of the voice; laying on another cot near the other side of the tent was the cyan mare herself, glaring indignantly at them; she was covered in scrapes and scuffs from head to hoof, her mane, fur, and feathers ruffled and even torn. Both of her wings were bandaged, tied firmly to her body.

Applejack, however, remained unfazed as she stormed right up to her, Twilight and Rarity following nervously. "Well, I sure hope you can, cause I'm gonna give you such a talkin' to-!" She stopped herself, forcing her anger down. She let out a deep sigh, her face becoming one of worry, the tears returning to her eyes. "Don't you ever pull such a dang fool stunt like that again, ya hear?! If somethin' had happened to you, I'd..."

Rainbow Dash's own anger went out like a light, water thrown onto the flame. "I...I'm sorry, okay? Yeah, I was really stupid...but I just thought that if I could get to the center of the twister, I could-..." She shook her head, knowing excuses was useless. "...that storm out there; it wasn't ordinary, even by Everfree standards."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Rarity stated flatly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Quiet, Rarity." Twilight scolded; the fashionista looked offended, but was ignored as the lavender unicorn turned back to Rainbow Dash. She lit up her horn, and the purple glow spread onto Rainbow Dash's wings; the pegasus purred softly in relief as her body relaxed, the magic soothing the pain and beginning to repair the damage done to her wings. "Go on, Rainbow."

Rainbow nodded softly, shifting herself to look at them more comfortably as began to explain as Twilight continued working on her wings. "Well, when I got closer to it, I could feel this...this power, coming from inside; I want to say it's magic, cause it was kinda like the magic feel that I get when you use your magic on me...but that...that was not magic. It was something else. Something much, much stronger." She looked at her friends, her gaze confused and worried. "I don't even think it was a storm."

"Not'a storm?" Applejack asked in confusion, "Then what could've it been?"

Twilight frowned in thought as she continued on her Low-Level Healing Spell, her own mind racing with the very same question. She recalled watching as the vortex first formed, the glowing light of a purple sun blazing from it; Rainbow was right that it wasn't a storm, even if it formed one...but what was that strange power she was talking about? 'And where was this 'power' coming from? If it was a type of magic, then it couldn't have just appeared out of thin air; all forms of magic and energy need a source to generate from. If it wasn't coming from the storm itself, then...'

"Hold on. Ain't that Zecora?"

Applejack's question, accompanied with the crowd outside exclaiming in surprise, drew Twilight out of her thinking spell; the unicorn looked up from her work on Rainbow Dash to see Zecora quickly pushing her way through the crowd, not even bothering to notice the ponies she bumped into or even knocked over, making a beeline straight for Twilight in a mad panic.

"Twilight there isn't much time to waste! You must write to your teacher post-haste!"

Twilight recoiled in shock at the herbalist's appearance; the zebra looked as if she had just ran the Running of the Leaves ten times non-stop; her fur was sweaty and mattered, while her skin was cut and bleeding in multiple places. Her mane was frazzled and unkept, and her cloak was torn and covered in dirt and...ash? But what shook the pony the most were her eyes. They were the eyes of somepony who had seen Tirek himself: wide, bloodshot, and dilating in terror, her face pale and wrinkled with the emotion.

And before anyone could react, she grabbed Twilight by the shoulders and began shaking her violently.

"You all must listen to me! A monster from hell roams the Everfree!" The zebra was screaming now, crazed with fear. "Help you must find before we all die! We are all but prey in its fiery eyes!"

"Z-Z-Zecora, s-s-stop!" Twilight cried; she grabbed the frantic zebra's hooves and held them so she would stop shaking her as Applejack and Rarity quickly pinned her in place with their body weight. Zecora thrashed and screamed out curses in her native language, desperate to break free and escape, but the two ponies held on tight until their captive finally calmed down, collapsing to the ground in tears.

A deep sense of fear began to fill Twilight's stomach as she watched the usually calm mare shaking and weeping in fear; nearly every time she had seen the zebra before, she was always in a calm state of mind, most likely with the wisdom of her native land and people...but now she looked so terrified.

"It's okay, Zecora. You're safe now." Rarity assured her calmly, though her own face betrayed her worry to her friends. "H-Here. Have something to drink." She offered, quickly using her magic to levitate another glass of water.

Zecora grabbed it with her hooves, quickly gulping the contents down in a hurry, gasping for breath afterwards. "I thank you for your generosity, but no one is safe from that monstrosity." She muttered, her paranoid gaze locked onto the Everfree.

Applejack frowned, as did the rest of her friends; by now Zecora had drawn a crowd, and everyone was expecting for an answer.

The zebra shuddered as she screwed her eyes tight, the image of the creature flashing before her mind. "Within the forest near the castle of old, a beast came from the storm untold: I knew that warning you all was most dire, the first time I looked into those eyes of fire! With teeth like swords and claws like spears, the creature's very sight made me cry with fear! With a power and strength greater than the sun, I knew that when he saw me I had to run! I beg of you: call your gods for help, and to don't ask me why! Or all of Equestria will perish by the beast of the demonic eyes!" She then broke down into a sobbing mess and started softly chanting in a strange language that Twilight had never heard off, praying to whatever spirits of her homeland for protection and deliverance from this darkness.

Twilight felt her blood run cold as Zecora described the monster she had seen; as a graduated student of Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns, she had quite the knowledge of magical creatures, having studied on them ever since she adopted Spike in hopes of finding out more about dragons. And living next to the Everfree Forest only allowed her to gain field-work experience with these unnatural beasts. She had heard of them all, and even seen most of them herself: Dragons, Manticores, Timberwolves, Chimeras, Parasprites, Sea Serpents, Ursa Majors, Gragodiles, Cockatrices, Star Spiders. You name it, she knew of it.

But to hear of this...this...monster. Coming from one with probably even more knowledge of the magical wilds than her...

And apparently everyone listening was feeling just as frightened as she was; murmurs of fear and worry were spreading rapidly through the crowd, the ponies listening already beginning to feel panic coursing through them. Applejack and Rarity just stared with faces of slowly-forming dread, looking at each other in worry, while Rainbow Dash tried to hide her emotions under a stern glare, but you could spot the fear easily enough. Twilight spotted Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike, standing amongst the crowd and listening as well with their own looks of horror and dread; Fluttershy looked even paler than Zecora did, and Twilight feared that she would topple over at any moment.

"Twah'light..." Applejack whispered. "...what...what are we gonna do...?"

And for the first time in her life, the student of Princess Celestia found herself unable to come up with an answer. "I...I don't know."

Then Rainbow Dash had to open her big mouth.

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do!" She announced, jumping off of her cot and taking to the air, ignoring the slight pulling in her recently-healed muscles. "We're gonna march straight into that forest and use the Elements to blast that storm-causing monster back to Tartarus!"

"NO!" Zecora cried, jumping up and grabbing Twilight by the shoulders once more. "You must not go into the lair for the beast! If you do then on your very soul it will feast!" She was screaming now, shaking the poor unicorn like a ragdoll once more.

"That is enough!" Twilight shouted, finally snapping. With a flash of the horn, she fired a single blast of magic at Zecora's forehead, where it was absorbed into the striped flesh; Zecora herself barely had time to register what had happened before her vision went dark, and she toppled over with a soft thud, her mind once again in peace.

"What was that?" Spike asked, running up to Twilight's side.

"She was going into hysterics, so I hit her with a simple Sleeping Spell." She answered; she lifted the sleeping zebra up with her magic and placed her on the empty cot where Rainbow Dash had been laying moments before. She then turned away, leading her group of friends out of the tent and down the street. "Come on, Spike. We have to get the Elements and warn Princess Celestia about this 'monster'."

"D-D-D-Do w-w r-r-really h-h-have t-t-to g-g-go a-a-after i-i-it?" Fluttershy squeaked, leaning against Pinkie Pie to keep from fainting; even by Fluttershy standards, she looked truly afraid. "P-P-Perhaps t-t-the p-p-princesses c-can d-d-deal w-w-with t-t-this o-o-one."

"W-Well, what else can we do?" Rarity asked; she was just as scared as the others, but she was keeping the brave face for the group. "Another evil creature has shown up to threaten Equestria, even if it does sound rather...intimidating; if we use the Elements of Harmony against it, then it'll be no different than when we defeated Nightmare Moon or Discord, right?"

Applejack nodded in agreement. "W'all just be a might more careful this time around." She assured the cream-yellow pegasus, gently patting her on the shoulder.

Twilight, meanwhile, remained silent in thought as she trailed behind, lost in her own thoughts; she was so deep in thought she didn't even notice Spike until he tugged on her mane. "Hey, Twi-"

"GAH!"

"Sorry, sorry!" He quickly cried, holding one hand up in surrender. "It's just that I held onto this for you. I gotta feeling that it's gonna be very important." He pulled something out from behind his back, and Twilight's heart filled with dread at the sight of it.

The mysterious dragon book from before.

Suddenly, it all clicked in her mind as she broke to a halt; Rainbow Dash was right...it wasn't a storm! It was...

"A portal."

"What was that, Twah'?" Applejack asked, she and the rest looking back in confusion.

Twilight nearly face-hoofed. "Of course! I can't believe I didn't see it before!" She exclaimed aloud, scolding herself. "That 'storm': it was a portal! And that 'creature' came out of it!"

The only one to realize this was Spike, the only one who had read the book too; the others just looked at each other in confusion.

"And how do you figure that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You told me how." Twilight told the cyan pegasus, before clearing her throat; it was time for Teacher Twilight to make another speech. "You said as you got closer to it, you could feel a power that was yet wasn't magic coming from inside, right? Well, where was that 'power' coming from? All forms of magic and energy need a source to generate from. If it wasn't coming from the storm itself, then it must've been coming from a different, distant source, which came out in the form of a inter-dimensional wormhole which ended here!: the Vortex in the storm, where the power and beam of light came out of. And if it ended here...?"

Surprisingly, it was Pinkie Pie who caught onto this one. "...then where did it begin?"

"Exactly!" The unicorn praised excitedly, pacing back and forth in explanation. "Rainbow Dash was right. It worked in the same way my magic does, namely my Teleportation Spell: it took from a power source, like my spell does with my magic, and pushed it through space from one point to another! This, though, was something far more complex than my spell since, instead of pushing things through space, it tore open a 'tunnel' through reality itself, so to speak, from one point to here."

Applejack frowned. "Ah...Ah think Ah get what y'are saying, Twah', but if that's so...then where was that there tunnel and energy comin' from?"

At that Twilight frowned. "...wherever that strange monster that Zecora was talking about came from as well." She stated softly. "You heard what Zecora said: within the forest near the castle of old, a beast came from the storm untold. She saw the thing come out of where the storm opened up, and that means that this creature must've found the portal's entrance and came to Equestria through it...perhaps even from another dimension..."

"Woah, woah, woah, back up!" Rainbow Dash spoke up, waving her hooves in a stopping motion. "Are you saying that thing Zecora saw is some sort of Space Alien?"

"Not an alien in that sense..." Twilight groaned, glaring at her plain-minded companion; honestly, she needed to see the bigger picture here. "...but yes: this thing could very well be a being from another world altogether."

Everyone gasped in the usual surprised way; Twilight began to wonder if there was ever anything they didn't react to with frightened gasps all in perfect unison. Was it even that surprising, given everything else they had faced before? The Mare in the Moon, a God of Chaos, A hoard of hungry, clone-duplicating insects, a fire-breathing dragon in the mountains...was a monster from another world really that far off?

"...Is...is that even possible?" Rarity asked. "Do other worlds even exist?"

"Apparently so, and a resident of one is currently lurking in the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters as we speak." Twilight stated. "Though that means this could be even more dangerous than Nightmare Moon and Discord."

"How so?" Rainbow Dash asked, kick-boxing in the air. "We kicked their butts just fine, and they were some of the most powerful bad guys around! I doubt one big E.T. wannabe will be very much trouble: it might be like those aliens in that movie I saw with Gilda onetime: he might be dying of our common colds as we speak!"

The lavender mare glared at her, angry at her for not taking this seriously. "Yeah, or it could be a being of otherworldly body and power so great that not even Princess Celestia could stand up against it!" She snapped...before softening. "And judging from Zecora's description of the creature, it just might be that. We don't know, and that's why it's more dangerous: this time, its a threat we have absolutely no knowledge of, including on how to beat it."

There was a moment's silence, everyone just standing (or in Fluttershy's case, trembling on the ground in terror) there, trying to process the chaos going around them. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Applejack broke the silence with a heavy sigh, flopping down into her rump in exhaustion, both physical and mental.

"Why?" She asked, her voice sorrowful and heavy. "Why do these things always keep happening to us?" She closed her eyes, trying to fight back the tears building in them. "What happened ta the days when are greatest worries were gettin' the orchard fixed or not missin' the next Wonderbolts show, instead of keepin' every mad wacko with revenge issues from tryin' to destroy our very world and lives? Can't we just enjoy our lives without someone or something always threaten' 'em?! Why?! Why do these things always happen to us?!"

No one answered...until Twilight's gaze turned to the book, her eyes staring into those of the dragon...which were shown to be burning with fire...

...just like Zecora said...

"You know...I think that this was suppose to happen..." She told them. "...and I think I know what to do."

"Seems like only yesterday we were heading through these woods to find the Elements of Harmony." Rarity commented as she, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash traveled down the path through the Everfree Forest to the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.

"Amazin' how time flies when yer havin' fun." There was no missing the friendly sarcasm in Applejack's voice, earning a laugh from the other girls. Hours had passed since the six mares first entered the forest, making their way to their ruler's former castle. Their journey this time around, however, was much smoother and more peaceful than when they first trekked to the ruins all those years ago to defeat Nightmare Moon. Every obstacle that the Lunar Goddess had placed before them was now no longer existent, allowing them to travel with ease.

They had already journeyed down the dirt path all the way passed the Serpent's River, and were currently following the cobblestone path that would lead them to the palace. To pass the time and relieved tension from themselves, they talked amongst themselves about the many things going on in their lives: subject's such as their work lives, latest music, favorite food, anticipated events, and even about some of the cuter stallions and who they thought was more attractive...but for one mare there was many questions already plaguing her thoughts wanting to be let out and answered for her own peace of mind.

Other than the clip-clopping of her hooves against the stony road, Twilight remained perfectly quiet as she stared at the book floating in her magical grasp. Part of her wanted to open it up and see what secrets lay within the pages she had yet to read...but something held her back: the dread of knowing. Never before in her life had she ever felt the fear of not wanting to know something...until now. And she wasn't sure she liked it.

What other facts and events of her past and future life had been recording onto these pages? How much more did Celestia know of what was to come? How did she even know to begin with? What factors of Equestria's history had been the result of her oracle-like knowledge of the future? And how was it so that this event would happen right after she obtained the knowledge to deal with it?

She observed the dragon picture once more; was this the creature the event...the portal...had brought into their world?

And what connection did it have with the Elements of Harmony?

The purple mare hounded herself trying to find a plausible answer that could satisfy her thoughts and to let her be free of the torment she created for herself...so deep was she in her own thoughts, that she didn't even hear her friends calling to her.

"Twilight?" Rarity called to her; when she received no sign of acknowledgement from the purple unicorn, the fashionista moved forward from her place beside Fluttershy and tapped a hoof on Twilight's flank. "Are you okay, dear?"

Twilight jumped for the third time that night, this time so high that anyone would've thought she had sprouted wings.

"WAAAAHH!" She screamed as she spun around, coming face to face with a surprised Rarity. "WHAT THE HAY?! Don't ever do that again! You nearly scared me half to death!"

Rarity recoiled in surprise from Twilight's reaction, instinctively putting a hoof over the purple gem over her element, which they had obtained with the rest from the display case in the Golden Oaks Library, where they were moved to since Discord's attack for in case of emergency...such as now. She knew the purple unicorn was deep in thought, but she didn't think that she would've nearly bitten her head. "Forgive me, darling...but you seem to have been in quite a trance for quite some time now." She looked into Twilight's eyes and could see the frustration and wariness in them "...Twilight, dear...is everything alright?"

It was a stupid question to ask; of course everything wasn't alright. She was tense, nervous, and overall genuinely afraid of what they might find in the palace. Some monster of other worldly origin and power waited for them, as foretold in an ancient prophecy recorded by Princess Celestia herself. It would take an incredible sense of self-denial to even think that everything was just fine; even though, as the girls spoke and laughed with each other, they were doing so in an attempt to relieve the heavy air of tension around them, and with little success. They knew that the Elements of Harmony were the most powerful artifacts in Equestria, but if this was truly something not of Equestria, it could very well be immune or even stronger than them...and that idea truly scared them all.

"Well..." Applejack began as she stepped forward, passing the others as she made her way to the front of the group. "I...I know y'all are just as scared as I am...but even if we are stuck with hafin' ta deal with all this craziness, we can find comfort knowin' that our friends and kin back home are safe because of it."

Twilight smiled. Applejack may have been lamenting about their duty before, but now she was glad to see the mare taking it in stride. "You're really brave, AJ." She told the farm-mare sincerely as she slipped the book into her saddlebag.

Applejack blushed, pulling her hat down to cover her upper face. "Aw, suck, Twah'. Ain't nuttin to it." She said sheepishly. "...now, what say ya'll that we go in and deal with that ol' beastie in there?"

"Hey yeah!" Rainbow Dash piped up. "Applejack's right: we can't back out like a bunch of scared fillies! The faster we kick that monster's flank, the faster I can get back to catchin' 'Z's."

Twilight frowned; along with everything else she wasn't sure about, one of them was fighting and defeating the monster when they found it. Were they suppose to do that? She remembered what the book had said before.

"C-c-can't we l-l-let t-the p-p-princesses h-h-handle t-t-this o-one?" Fluttershy whimpered as she timidly shuffled along behind Rainbow Dash.

"No we can't, Fluttershy; Celestia's usually asleep at this hour, and Luna has the night to govern and take care off. We can't tear them away from their rest or duties to handle something that only the Elements can accomplish." The student of said princess said as they neared the top of the hill; it was only a quick trip downhill before they would reach the canyon and cross to the palace. '...and to tell the truth...I'm not sure I'm ready to face Princess Celestia just yet.' She mentally confessing, becoming suddenly aware of the weight of the book in her saddlebag.

Rarity nodded as the mares reached the top of the hill. "Very well, darling, let us be off. I need to return back to my boutique soon to get some rest, I have an order due in a few days and I need...to...finish..."

She never got to finish her sentence, for her voice and thoughts died off as she and the others beheld the newly changed palace and forest surrounding it. The numerous and massive crystals formations crackled through the darkened landscape with an onimous reddish-purple glow, the plant life of the plateau incinerated and scattered to the winds as ash, which snowed down upon the burned-down forest surrounding the palace...and scattered throughout the fallen trees and flung rubble were the corpses of the native woodland animals that didn't escape the storm's wrath, their pooling blood painting the white landscape of ash, and what plants that were smoldering but still standing.

The mares stood in shock, barely able to believe the sight before them. This was far more terrible then when even Discord twisted the world into his mad vision just a few weeks ago.

Finally, Twilight finally worked up the stomach to continue forward; the thick layer of ash shifted beneath her hooves, and for a moment she nearly lost her supper, realizing that she could be walking through the remains of a dead animal. The others began to follow, each just as silent as her as they fidgeted through their steps, their skin crawling as their hooves stepped through the shifting remains of life. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy followed by flying, being spared from having to step in the carnage.

'This...this is terrible! What in the name of Faust was that beam of light?!' Twilight asked herself as she and the others began walking through the debris of broken trees and burnt grounds. But that would be a question left unanswered, and replaced with another from Pinkie Pie:

"How are we going to get across now?"

The party mare's voice snapped them all out of their traumatic daze, drawing their attention to the canyon separating them from the palace grounds: the rope/plank bridge that had previously allowed them to cross had also been vaporized by the beam; not even the wooden stumps that held the ropes were spared, now no more than cinder-covered bulbs in the dirt.

"How in Celestia's name are we supposed to cross over that dreadful chasm now?" Rarity repeated as she stared down into the blackness below.

Everyone was quiet for the moment until a cough from a rainbow-maned pegasus caught everypony's attention. "Uhmm, I think you guys forgotten that we got two unicorns here, one of which is the Element of Magic?" She emphasized, making a 'hint-hint' gesture toward Twilight's horn.

Twilight physically face-hoofed from forgetting such a thing. "Right, Teleporting..." She murmured; seriously, why did she keep forgetting?! Certainly this would've been handy in many of their previous adventures...though she never teleported this many ponies at once.

"Okay just give a few seconds to prepare..."

The Teleportation Spell that Twilight knew was an ancient yet complex spell created and archived by StarSwirl the Bearded himself; completed sometime in the brief era of peace between Discord's Fall and the Crystal Empire War, this spell is considered by many historians to be one of StarSwirl's greatest works, though its fame could only be appreciated by the stronger unicorn wizards and mages. The spell was so complex and powerful that only alicorns or the strongest of unicorns could use it, and even then it took great concentration and magical energy to cast. In the modern day, it had all but disappeared into the archives of the StarSwirl Wing of the Canterlot Castle; Twilight Sparkle, along with the princesses themselves, were the only ponies since StarSwirl himself to master and wield this incredible spell, used occasionally by the princesses in emergency, but by Twilight on a regular basis.

Twilight had first learned about this ability during her second year under Celestia's tutor-age, and it only took another year for her to perfect it; yet another miracle of modern arcane wielding by the young unicorn protege. It wasn't easy to use at first, and even when it was successfully cast, the effects could take their toll on the body of the caster; being suddenly and instantly jerked from one point in space to another in a eye blink was not a pleasant experience for beginners, but through constant practice and mastery, Twilight had quickly adapted to it, to the point where she felt nothing.

So when she teleported herself and her friends across the chasm in one swoop, she remained standing tall and completely unaffected thanks to her years of practice.

Her friends, however, sadly lacked her level of experience.

"Ooohhhhhh, that was a bad ideaaaaaa...ohhh..." Rainbow Dash groaned, clutching her stomach with her wings; the audible gurgling coming from it did not sound healthy at all. "...I-I think...I'm gonna...*Urk!*..."

She whirled around on the spot and promptly released her supper, staining the blackened earth with digested plant matter, spreading green and brown all over the dirt. She continued to heave until she had coughed up every last bit of food, but even then she could still taste the bile in her mouth, and feel the queasiness in her stomach.

Seeing the pegasus vomit was all it took for the rest of them; Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy all turned away and regurgitated the last meals on the spot; Rarity and Fluttershy let loose a few tears as the bile left their mouths, while Pinkie Pie...was the only one who seemed, for the most part, unaffected by the teleportation. She looked a bit queasy, but otherwise remained strong.

"Twah'...never do that again." Applejack groaned, using a hoof to wipe away the residue bile from her lips.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!" She pleaded pitifully, cupping her forehooves together in a plea. "It's been so long since I got sick from it that I forgot it even happened to beginners! I'm really sorry; I won't do it again, I swear!"

"Look, were cool...it just...ugh...no more teleporting for me. I'll think I'll stick to what I do best." Rainbow murmured, flexing her wings.

"Alright...everypony here good now?" Applejack asked, looking about her friends. The other sick mares just groaned in response, while Twilight and Pinkie Pie nodded. "Good...then I think we better git goin'..."

Only then did the six ponies remember why they were here to begin with, and they cast their dreading gazes up to the mighty castle before them; the true sheer sizes and mass of the energy-crackling crystals were much clearer now, many of them towering and looming over them, their dark shapes and ominous glow lighting the darken landscape. The ruins stood before them, like the gateway to the dark realms of shadow, just waiting for the ponies to dare step inside...to what very well could be their doom.

The demolished doorway was the only thing standing between them and the mysterious monster from another world.

"Is everyone ready?" Twilight asked, unconsciously shifting the element on her head.

None of them answered; of course they weren't ready. They had never been truly ready to face this; Nightmare Moon had been an easy break for them, and Discord's corruption had only shaken them at best. And during both of those attacks, victory had been assured, either by the spark of friendship or by the sweetened words of Princess Celestia.

This was the first time they were going up against a true threat.

Then Twilight's gaze fell upon her saddle bags; using her magic, she lifted out the dragon book and simply stared at it, mainly at the image of the beast circling over their cuties marks...as if protecting them from the world. She caressed the face of the dragon image with her hoof, and in that one strange moment, she felt safer than she ever had before in their entire life.

Encouraged, she swallowed her nervousness and steeled herself, placing the book back in her bag.

"Well...let's go."

From within the higher ruins of the castle, a pair of fiery white eyes shone through the darkness, looking down at the source of magical light and energy it had felt mere moments ago. It shifted its tail coils about in a serpentine manner, his purple scales glimmering in the dim crystal light as his tail blade flicking back and forth, eyes narrowed in thought.

So...these were the natives of this strange world...

They were just as unbelievably odd as their world itself.

That's what the hidden beast thought as he watched the six mammals enter the ruins that he had claimed as his new home since he had arrived in this realm. Normally, the new and the peculiar didn't hold such a strong impact on him anymore as it once did in his younger years; he had been to many different realms over the many centuries of his life, had seen many different things (and probably killed just as many) in them, creature, objects, and forces of nature and reality alike.

Nothing really surprised him in that sense anymore; there was the usual feeling of bizarre confusion when he usually first arrived in new worlds, but that would wear off in time.

In short: he had seen it all.

So he gave this world credit for once again re-sparking his long-dead sense of surprise in the new.

Under what circumstances of natural selection and chance, or by what world-creating deity in a sane sense of mind, would bring forth such a bizarre realm of existence, with equally bizarre life-forms to inhabit it? The very aura of the world was of the kind he had never felt before.

His scaled face tightened in a dark, scowling glare as his glowing eyes briefly pulled away from the creatures to look about the room; he could smell it in the air...feel it in the worldly aura around him. No realm or world lived through the arrival of even one of his kind and survived without some traces of them and the destruction they leave behind...but this one...

Its inhabitants...its aura...

It all felt clean.

Innocent.

..Too innocent.

That in itself proved that it couldn't be one that his kind had been to before. In both of his home realms his kind were strong and many, and therefore the very magic flowed with their scent...but not here; even in the aura of the world, he could not feel anything of his kind, either living or dead.

He turned his gaze back down to the six natives below, who had just begun to cross the main hall of the castle, heading to what remained of the grand stairway. His eyes seemed to glow just a bit brighter as he shifted above on the stones rafters of the palace roof, studying them each; observing their forms, analyzing their individual strengths and weaknesses, already strategizing multiple ways to beat and defeat them should need be...though he seriously doubted that was the case.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled through his nostrils, taking in the faint scents emitting from the creature's warm blood flesh:

Hmmmm...mammal...equines, like horses...or ponies, given their very small size...all female...and all with functioning yet under-developed hormonal glands and reproductive organs. Teenagers, or at least very young adults.

But these were unlike any equines he had seen in any world before. First off their anatomy was completely off in many aspects: First, their coat colors were downright outrageous, but anything with a working pair of eyes could see that. In the natural world, it was a universal fact that armor-less prey mammals too small to defend themselves from predators needed coloring that would blend them into their surroundings. He wasn't really one to talk given his own color, but he did say 'natural world'...and in what natural world would a creature with purple fur or rainbow hair ever have a chance at survival?! He could spot something like that from space.

Second, were their legs: A normal horse's leg was long, thin, and sturdy, because it was more flexible and easier to move with their powerful thigh muscles and allowed for more leverage. He would know; he had chased down horses for food before...one of the few prey mammals that could afford to skip aspect one: you didn't need camouflage if you could outrun predators...not with those stumpy little things.

Thirdly were their heads: While most equines had a head that sloped up in a uniform fashion, theirs...were almost human in appearance: large, rounded head, overly-large forward facing eyes that sparkled with intelligence and emotion, and short muzzles with flexible facial muscles...they all pointed to the same thing: they were sapient. Soul-Bearers: living souls with thought and morals, not just wild animals of pure instinct...just like his own kind, though these were on a much lower level than his own, even for mortals.

And finally was their power: he could feel it within each of them...it was incredibly weak (minus the purple one's), and of a kind he had never felt before...but he could feel Magic flowing through their bodies.

That last one alone made it almost painfully clear: there was no way that evolution could ever give rise to a species like this, not even supernatural evolution. These creatures were created, by some higher force or being; this entire world and just about everything that originated in it...but what kind of deity made a world like this? It was as if some god with a sick sense of humor had descended from on high and bestowed the sappiest, happiest, most innocent Nord girl with the power to create her own world and this was the result: a glittering pink pool of sunshine, rainbows, and pretty little ponies.

He was already feeling sick.

But then again, appearances could be deceiving; a little fact he had learned many years ago.

Question now was: what were these 'ponies' doing here?

Were they here for him?

There was no other even remotely logical reason for it: he had seen that zebra from before go screaming into the forest at the sight of him; if zebras in this world were, most likely in accordance with the other equines, Soul Bearers as well, then it had no doubt raced back to the nearest civilization and warned everyone of his presence. And, if they were anything like humans, they sent their strongest to find and confront him...or the local dare-devils decided it would be a good idea to seek out the alien from the outside.

Either way, let them come.

Perhaps they would provide him with the answers he sought.

"Anypony else gittin' the feelin' we're bein' watched?" Applejack asked quietly, glancing about the room in nervous suspicion.

Twilight would've nodded in agreement, but had no need to; all six of them could feel the foreboding feeling that they were not alone in the palace. The moment they had step into the palace they could feel it: a strange presence, like you knew someone or something alive was in the room but couldn't see it, no matter how hard you looked around. And in the middle of a dark, forbidden castle in the middle of a legend-demonized forest, it wasn't healthy for either their courage or sense of reality.

It also didn't help that it was a strong presence. Twilight could feel it; a...power...radiating through the air...a very strong power. It was comparable to the feeling she got whenever she was in the presence of Princess Celestia, or when she first came here and confronted Nightmare Moon; that feeling of sheer strength flowing from their bodies, making them seem even greater in might than they already were...but even the alicorns of the sun and the moon couldn't compare to this...

"Uhmm, Twilight?" Rarity whispered softly, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. "I don't mean to pry or anything, but I was just wondering: what do you plan to do once we actually find this creature?"

"Yeah. What do we do?" Applejack asked in a hushed tone. "Ah sure hope ya actually have a plan fer all this, or are we just chancin' it along?"

Twilight, however, wasn't sure herself. "Well, to be honest, I haven't planned that far ahead." She told them, much to their outrage. "Now don't start; I made sure we brought the elements so we actually have some sort of protection should things go sour...but, to be fair, we don't even know what this thing is, let alone why its here or what it wants."

"Who cares what it wants?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed in a hushed tone, frustration and aggression lacing her voice. "I say we just blast that thing back into space with the elements! Send it back to whatever wormhole it crawled out of!"

Twilight glared at the pegasus. "That's unfair, Rainbow!" She scolded softly. "For all we know, it could be just as scared and confused as we are! It could be a living person, trapped in an alien world and doesn't know how to get back home."

"It's the alien, not us!" Rainbow Dash spat back, folding her forehooves across her chest. "That freak nearly destroyed our homes coming here. For all we know, it blasted us all on purpose and is planning to take over Equestria!"

"Maybe that's true or maybe not..." The purple mare continued, frowning at Rainbow Dash in disgust; what on earth had gotten into her? "But until we know for sure why its here, I'm not using my element against it."

The others did not like the sound of that. "What?! But we need all the elements to defeat it!" The cyan mare exclaimed.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? It could be just as much a victim as we are!" She argued back.

"And don't you remember how Zecora described it? I seriously doubt that a 'beast of flaming eyes' is a victim of any kind!"

"Just because it looks dangerous doesn't mean it is! Zecora was panicking and delusional; she let fear of the unknown cloud her judgement...just like you are!"

The indignant and fury-filled glare the cyan pegasus sent at the unicorn could've made a glacier burst into flames. "You wanna say that to my face?!" She just about screamed, flying down angrily at her.

"Now's not the time, girls!" Applejack called...unaware of the secret activation tile she had just stepped on; the trap door in the floor beneath the farm mare, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie suddenly opened with a clap of stone striking stone; the three ponies in question could only scream out in surprise and fear before plummeting into the darkness, their screams continuing out of hearing range.

"GIRLS!" Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight cried after them. With the rumbling of stone, the trap door snapped shut once again before any of them could try anything, effectively splitting the team in two.

"Now do you think this monster's 'just a victim'?!" Rainbow Dash screamed angrily as the echoes of the closing trap door sounded through the room.

Twilight faltered, her confidence and belief suddenly wavering. "T-That was one of the booby traps of the castle! This whole place was filled with them to keep intruders out!" She stammered, though she wasn't entire sure anymore; was the creature doing this, and if so, why?

"Girls...stop..." Fluttershy whimpered; no one heard it.

The rainbow-maned mare slammed a hoof onto the stone floor angrily. "No! I have it with your shit!" She growled angrily, advancing on Twilight threateningly; Twilight's ears flattened timidly against her head as she back away step-for-step until she felt her rear bump against the wall. The pegasus was on the warpath, and she was standing in the way. "I don't care what you think! That thing destroyed my town, scared and nearly killed my friends, and now its tearing us apart and scattering us through the castle! Why are you so tartarus-bent on saving that damn thing?!"

"I...I just..." Twilight stammered, tears coming to her eyes.

Suddenly it felt as though the temperature in the room dropped; Rainbow Dash glare suddenly went so cold and hard Twilight felt as if she was sitting on a floor of ice.

"...You did this, didn't you?" She murmured. "This...this is another one of your spells-gone-wrong, isn't it?! You read that book and caused that storm! You summoned that monster! Didn't you?!"

Twilight's blood ran cold, her eyes widening in dread. "I...I...I don't know!" She finally cried, eyes wrenching shut. "I-I was just reading the b-book's first page and t-then the storm happened! I-I don't know if it did or not! And I didn't mean to if it did! I-I-I'm sorry!"

Fluttershy whimpered. "Stop, Rainbow...please..." She tried to squeak out; in only came out in scared wheezing...though, deep within, a light had been lit in the darkness...

One could practically feel the rage building up in Rainbow Dash; her feathers and were fur bristling with anger, giving the impression that she was larger than she normally was. Her mouth was set in an angry snarl, and her rose-red eyes burned with an inner fire.

"I don't care! I just don't! bucking! care!" She finally roared, the glow of her eyes becoming even greater; Twilight whimpered, pressing herself harder against the wall. "Our friends are in danger and our home is in ruins, all because of your stupid spell! Again!" The pegasus pressed her face close enough to Twilight's that their noses were touching each other. Twilight's eyes began to glimmer with tears...

"I put up with you stupid ideas and freaky magic long enough! You wanna endanger our lives just so you can have a 'friendship report' to send to the princess? Then, buck you, Twilight Sparkle!"

"Buck! YOU!"

The wall behind Twilight suddenly opened up; the unicorn suddenly found the support she was backing her entire weight against disappear, and with a terrified cry she tumbled back into the blackness. The last thing she saw was Rainbow Dash's surprised face before she plummeted screaming into the darkness below.

The wall slammed shut with a stony clap, leaving the silent two pegasi alone in the dark.

Rainbow Dash's rage immediately vanished, leaving only horror.

"...T...Twilight...?"

The normally deathly stillness of The Palace Observatory was broken by a quiet screaming...which grew louder and louder until Twilight came shooting out from the chute in the wall, crashing into the stone floor painfully. This wasn't the first time this mare suddenly appeared into this room; if she were to look around, she would recognize it as the very same part of the castle that she first confronted Nightmare Moon...and felt the spark of friendship for the very first time.

Though now, all she felt was pain, sorrow, and guilt.

The tears continued to run down her face as she laid there, curled up into a ball, quietly sobbing into her forehooves, not caring where she was or what was happening at that moment. No one could really blame her if they saw her; as far as she knew, one of her only friends had turned on her and shattered their friendship. Fights like this were common in friendships, of course; no bonds, not even the strongest, were ever perfect, and they could heal with both time and mending between friends...but Twilight Sparkle, student of Celestia studying friendship itself, had yet to learn that. And Rainbow Dash was only the beginning; what would happen once the others found out?

It was Discord all over again.

Only this time, it was all her fault.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry...I'm s-so sorry...*hic!*...I d-didn't mean t-to, I-I-I swear...I di-...I didn't mean t-to hurt a-anyone...I'm sorry..." She whimpered, her words hitching in her throat.

But no comfort was to be found in the darkness of the castle.

She sniffed, wiping at her nose with her hoof, looking downwards. In front of her laid her saddlebag, tattered and covered in dirt; it had been torn off of her body as she fell down the chute, now damaged and ripped open, the contents spilled in front of her. The book that she had put so much faith into now laid before her, dirty and worn; what sense of mystery and importance it once held in her eyes was now long gone, and she saw it as what it had been all along: nothing more than a crude joke on her hope.

"I just...I w-wanted to believe..." She hiccuped as she lowered her hooves; the tears still ran down her face as she slowly forced herself up into a sitting position, she wiped at them with her hoof, still sobbing softly, looking down at the book before her. Part of her wanted to kick it away, and finally be rid of all of its stupid riddles and prophecies...but in that one moment, it was all she had. "...I...I just wanted to know why; I thought...I-I thought that there could be a deeper meaning to all this...t-that the book was telling me...that...t-there was something greater to our elements...to our friendship...than there already was...something more...than what D-Discord made it b-b-be!"

She screwed her eyes shut, her tears running anew.

"I just..." She sobbed, trying to hide herself from the world. "...I just w-wanted to h-help."

"Ruz Ho Vis Gonah Naal Ofanvon Zey Faal Fahraldde Zu'u Yah." (1)

Time itself seemed to stop around the unicorn's body when that voice thundered through her, banishing all sorrow and guilt from her mind and making her freeze where she lay. That voice...that powerful voice...it reminded her of a dormant volcano: possessing the immovable strength of a mountain and just as calm, but quite capable of becoming an eruption of fiery power should it be aggravated. The tone was strong and calm, just as the mountain its strength felt like, though it was a deep, almost animalistic growl, like that of a great beast, just waiting to grow into a great, fiery roar.

Then she felt it: that strong, power-filled presence from before; the same one she had felt when they first entered the ruins. The one that was comparable to those of Celestia and Nightmare Moon, only greater...but when she felt it then, it had been soft and distant, no more than a force far away. Now, it was like standing directly in front of a giant fire; the sheer power radiating from its form was blazing like the sun itself, and it was as if a great force was pushing down on Twilight from all sides...but mostly upon her horn; she could feel the power coursing through it, causing a deep 'hum' of sorts to vibrate through her skull. It was almost painful...and it was all originating from behind her.

For what felt like an eternity, Twilight didn't dare move or speak; she remained frozen on the spot, not daring to make any sort of movement. The only sound in the room other than the rapid beating of her heart in her ears was of deep breathing; the sound of enormous, powerful lungs pumping equally-large amounts of air in and out of a giant body. The deep, rumbling breaths reminded her of the red dragon that slept on the mountain, only not as large and loud, but just as strong.

Their was a shifting of great mass behind her, the floor shaking under the monster's feet, and then she felt something larger than herself looming over her; two powerful gusts of almost scalding-hot air blasted past each side of her head, blowing her mane forward. Twilight's heart was now pounding furiously in her ribcage, her breaths coming in quiet panicking gasps as she fought to keep from trembling; she could 'feel' it's snout hovering just over her, just inches away from touching her spine. She could feel it's breath against her neck, which was like the heat rising from a fire; it would've felt nice in the icy chill of the night...if Twilight wasn't trembling in pain.

The power from before had grown even stronger, and so did the force pushing on her body and vibrating in her horn. The feeling that she wasn't sure was pain certainly was now; it felt as if someone was driving a red-hot nail through her horn and into her skull, both of which were now visibly vibrating, the humming audible in her ears.

She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, whimpering in pain as fresh tears ran down her cheeks; so much power...too much...too much...

Then, as if sensing her agony, the creature pulled itself away from her, taking its energy and fiery breath with it; the pain lifted from Twilight's mind, but she didn't stop whimpering out of fear, trembling on the floor with her hooves covering her head.

What happened next felt was almost indescribable for the unicorn; the aura of power surrounding the being behind her briefly seemed to expand a bit before imploding onto itself. The sheer strength of the power flowing from the creature's body was suddenly absorbed and compressed into it, slowly draining out of the reality around them and disappearing within the creature altogether; the pressure on her body and humming in her horn vanished almost completely. The aura of strength still surrounded it, but it was still there, as if 'compressed' and stored away inside its owner.

Then it...or he, judging by the voice, spoke again, this time in perfect Equestrian:

"You can look, now; my power won't harm you anymore."

Twilight blinked as she stopped trembling, confusion making her frown; it's...no, his voice no longer carried that powerful, almost supernatural, power to it, just like it's body had. It still was deep, strong, and almost primal, but not overly so. It had become mortal...that was it: her curiosity and hunger for answers overcame her trepidation; no more hiding behind fear or guilt...she needed to know the truth.

So, gathering her courage, she did just as he commanded and, slowly and hesitantly, got up onto her hooves and slowly turned around, looking up to the creature from another world.

It was a moment she would never forget.

There, standing before her in all his might and glory, was the Dragon from the mysterious book.

Ever since she had made the connection of Zecora's description and the carving on the book's front, Twilight was expecting the 'monster with flaming eyes' to be a dragon, or at least something like it...but now that she saw him she knew that he was not a dragon of Equestria: he was unlike any dragon that she had ever seen before.

Standing on all fours, he stood two stories tall and was longer than Ponyville Town Hall was tall, his wingspan almost twice as long as that; his head alone was larger than a full grown stallion, and Twilight's head didn't even reach his elbow. He wasn't as large as the adult dragons she had seen before, but he was more than twice the size of a full grown chimera or manticore; a teenage dragon, or at least a young adult, perhaps. His long, lithe body structure was best described as a fusion between a feline and saurian skeletal structures, walking upright on all fours with his long saurian tail held out for balance, his entire form packed full of powerful saurian muscle and bone, not one ounce of fat or any faults of any kind on him. His hind-legs were almost twice the length of his forelegs and like those of a therapod dinosaur: powerful and muscular with the digitigrade ankle-joint and three-toed saurian feet, while his forelegs were almost primate-like, with three fingered, one thumbed hands; the fingers and toes each ended in a long, curved claw, the foot claws being shorter, duller and used for running, while the longer hand claws were clearly for tearing flesh. His large, three-fingered, bat-like dragon wings jutted out from just above and behind his arms, with red leathery membrane soaked in orange around the edges, and claws tipping the three 'wing-fingers'; The hands of his wings had six fingers each, three wing fingers for the wings and two fingers/one thumb for the functional hands. His long, serpentine, dinosaur-like tail was incredibly long, measuring almost twice as long as the rest of his body, and ended in a large tail-blade made up of three large pyramid-shaped arrows of bone fused with each other, forming a large segmented blade with razor-sharp spikes at the bases and tip of the blade, making it even more lethal; his long serpentine neck was about a third the length of his tail, and held its head above his body in the saurian 'S-shape'. Its head and jaws were those of the typical dragon: saurian in shape, structure, and appearance, with flaring nostrils, webbed fin-like reptilian ears, and a short snout and jaws with sharp, knife-like teeth and a long forked tongue. He had two long, brown draconic horns jutting out the back of his head, curving down a bit and then curving back up near the tips, and a fin-like reptilian frill, with brown bones and orange webbing running through the middle of his head, beginning at his curved forehead ending halfway down the neck, the frill beginning a trail of brown dorsal spines with orange webbing running down its back to its tail arrow. Its entire body had tough yet smooth scaly skin, except for his back, which was rough, bumpy, and armored like a crocodile's, and was a dark royal-purple in color, with even darker purple, almost black, markings and stripes covering and running down his spine and sides, and a golden chest and underbelly made up of large, overlapping belly-scales...but the most notable thing about him were his eyes: sharp, reptilian eyes with bright lavender irises soaked in yellow around the edges and snake-like silt pupils; in the dim light of the dark ruins, they seemed to glow with a mystic inner fire.

Twilight could only stare in awe, her previous fear replaced by amazement; the dragon showed no signs of aggression as he stood before her, looking down upon her as if she were but a child found running about his home. He stood before her in a classic saurian stance: on all fours, head held up above his body by his long neck, wings folded against his sides with their fingers trailing back, and his long tail held out for balance. The look in his eyes...they were not animalistic...nor were they sapient; it was like a fushion of both, ascended to a level of mind and body beyond anything any mortal race could ever achieve.

This was what she was expecting to find that day when she and her friends climbed the mountain to the red dragon's cave.

This was a true dragon.

"...you're him...aren't you?" She finally dared to whisper. The dragon cocked his head, silently questioning her. "The dragon of this book...it said, in a way, that you would come...who are you?"

The dragon stared down at her in perfect silence, other than its heavy animalistic breathing, before speaking once more in its mortal voice and tongue:

"I go by many names. In my native tongue, I am called Jendovahzoor...but in your tongue, I am known simply as Spyro."