The Adventures of Dragon Charge and Friends: Attack of the Gargoylesby PonyRobChaptersChapter 1: Dragon and CriticChapter 2: The FestivalChapter 3 Tenacious PixelsChapter 4: Old Man FrankChapter 5: Sky CastleChapter 6: The Great Emperor KappoPrologue - The GargoylesChapter 1: Dragon and CriticOur story begins on the day before the Millinium Festival, an event held on every thousandth night. This festival celebrates the different races of ponies in Equestria, and consists of free food, a dance floor designed by Luna herself, and the traditional Hearthswarming Eve play, depicting the founding of Equestria by the different races, those being the earth ponies, the pegasi, and the unicorns. Afterwards, the princesses tell the guests to try and converse with at least one pony of a different race. This way, they are all better able to understand one another and live in Harmony, and often new friendships are made. A few years ago, the princesses took a new pony under their wing, a unicorn with powerful shape-shifting magic known as Dragon Charge. Of course, no pony is anything without friendship, so they allowed Dragon's best friend, an earth pony known as The Critic, to stay with them as well. Luna trained her pupil well, but he was not yet at his full potential. On this particular day, Dragon's teacher gave him a very peculiar task. "Use your unicorn magic to help decorate for the Millinium Festival.", Luna had instructed him early in the morning, "Then go to the festival and enjoy yourself. Critic, too." But Dragon had no interest in any sort of silly party. Still, he did as he was instructed. He got up from his bed, went to the castle's dining chamber, made some coffee, woke up his friend(With water ballons.), and then went to the castle grounds to begin helping decorate. Fortunately, a rare(but always welcome in his book) visitor was there to liven things up. "How come Gods of Chaos don't have festivals?" Discord questioned to himself while cutting the nearest hedge with a chainsaw. "Maybe they do, but you're just too cool to show up." Dragon said, smiling and waving. Discord grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Makes sense to me." He replied. "So, Princess Nightlight dragged you into this, too, huh?" "Yeah.", Dragon admitted. "Where are you going to be at the festival tonight.?" Critic asked. "Oh, I'm not going.", Discord stated. Critic snickered. "Gonna watch your stories?" "Umm... of course not!" Discord said defensively. Critic smiled as he continued joking. "So you're not going to find out whether Hammy and Sadface get together or not?" Discord immediately shot back, "For your information, Hammy is secretly dating Sadface's twin sister, but neither know it ye... dang!" Critic laughed. The three continued decorating, and when the were finished, Discord fashioned sleighs and created an ice track around the castle. Finally, he had the hedges, which he had trimmed into the shapes of horses, pull the sleighs, the three friends racing around the castle. When they were finished, Discord returned everything as it was after the initial decoration, left, Dragon and Critic waved goodbye, and the two ponies returned to the dining chamber to await the festival. "This tea tastes funny. I think that mare over there messed with our drinks.", Critic joked, pointing at the young maid across the room. "Oh, no, Mistah Critic", she said shyly, "I made it just like you asked." "Hey, I'm messin' with ya." he said. "Could use a bit more sugar, though.", he critiqued, handing his cup back to her. "You know she could easily spit in that and you would never know.", Dragon warned. Critic chuckled. "Who, Karen? Nah, I'm sure she's just as bored as I am." Why, yes she was, if you consider doing all of the cooking and cleaning for the royal guards, as well as the princesses, and on top of that keeping the area clean, not that she minded it. Honestly, she was just grateful to be living in a nice castle. She arrived with Critic's tea not long after he asked. "This isn't cold tea", he told her, then Dragon smacked him in the back of the head. "What?" Chapter 2: The FestivalAfter hours of waiting, the Millinium Festival finally began, and all of the castle's residents left their home to attend. On the castle grounds, ponies were seated in rows, the stage was set, and the play telling of the founding of Equestria began. About halfway through the play, Critic spoke up. "What happened to the story where Discord ruled Equestria? I liked that one better." The stallion next to him told him to be quiet, but he continued. "But this is a major plothole! I mean, did they find this place together, then Discord just went, 'nope! Already called dibs'? At what point did the God of Chaos start ruling Equestria? Can we hear that story?" Dragon put his hoof over his friend's mouth, and the stallion beside them quietly thanked him. After the play, the dance began. Most of the stallions and mares went to show their moves, leaving Dragon, Critic, the princesses, and the maid Karen standing and watching the crowd. Dragon went to talk to his teacher as Critic decided to hit on the maid. "So... any reason a pretty little thing like you isn't out there?", he said, motioning to the dance floor. Karen rolled her eyes. "If ya gotta know, I'm single, not that it's really any of your business." Critic smiled. "Oh, REALLY?" She sighed in mild annoyance. Meanwhile, Dragon greeted Celestia, and then turned to speak to Luna. "So, about my training..." he started. "I believe I told you not to worry about it and simply enjoy yourself. Look at your friend, that's what he's doing.", Luna replied. Dragon looked over to Critic, who was sitting and chatting with Karen. Dragon thought it looked like fun, but in reality, the conversation was as follows. "How does a mare of your stature not have a special somepony?", Critic asked. "I dunno, I guess I just haven't found the right guy yet.", she responded, getting more annoyed with each personal question he asked. "What kind are you looking for?", he immediately said. She thought for a moment before responding. "Just... somepony sweet, I guess.", she answered. "Man, you're no fun at all", he said, giving up and walking away. A few moments later, and it was time to talk to a pony of a different race. Neither of them had ever met a pegasus pony, so they greeted the nearest one, a nerdy looking fellow. "Hey, what's up?" Dragon said. The stallion replied, with great poise, "Not much." Not knowing what to say next, they introduced themselves to this pony. "Retro Geek", he said, shaking their hooves. "What did you call me?", Critic said. "No, that's my name.", the pegasus stammered, backing up slightly. "Hey, I'm just messin' with ya.", Critic said. "Having fun?", Dragon asked. "Kinda. The play was okay, even with the severe lack of Discord." Critic high-fived him at that. He continued. "I'm not used to being out in public like this, but Mom said it would be good for me to be more social.", he groaned. He then spotted the food table. "Is that pizza?" He suddenly ran at top speed through the crowd to grab a bite. He returned to Dragon and Critic with three slices. Dragon spoke. "Wanna see the castle?" Retro's eyes widened. "You live there?", he asked. "Yeah, I'm Princess Luna's student. She told us to have fun today, though, so I thought we could go play some video games." Immediately, a look came over Retro's face, as if he had saw heaven, and so the three started towards the castle when suddenly, a flaming boulder fell from the sky, and the sound of ponies screaming filled the air. They looked back to see what looked like demonic bat statues attacking the place. Immediately, Retro was gone. The chaos continued until the gargoyles had the ponies quaking in fear. "Citizens of Canterlot!" The tallest one spoke up. He was a horned beast with glowing yellow eyes. The ponies shook in fear as he continued. "Your time of penance has arrived, for years ago your rulers commited a great injustice to us." Luna immediately spoke up. "Injustice? You killed countless innocents, caused damage both physical and emotional, and you want to speak about injustice?" The leader responded by firing a spell out of his horns that turned her to stone. "LUNA!", Dragon screamed, the gargoyles ignoring him. "I thought she would never shut up!" the leader said, before letting out an evil laugh. "My name is Emperor Kappo, the King of Gargoyles, and from this day forth, I will be your new ruler!" The ponies gasped in shock as Celestia pulled Dragon aside. She gave him a box containing the Elements of Harmony. "You must find the ones capable of using these. Make haste!" Dragon nodded and made his way back to the square, only for one of the gargoyles to swoop down and take the box from him, handing it over to the Emperor. "These... well done my servant! Without these, all ponykind will be helpless! Equestria is ours!" Just then, a blast of energy was fired right at the Emperor. "You talk too much!", the attacker stated. Standing not too far from the gargoyle king was a mysterious pegasus with a red mane. Chapter 3 Tenacious Pixels"You will pay for your crimes, 'Emperor'." The red and white maned pony said, glaring angrily. "I followed you here from my home. You gargoyles aren't the brightest bulbs in the box." At this, one gargoyle moved to attack, but Kappo stopped him. "No. Any puny creature who dares insult I, the great Emperor Kappo, must be punished personally. I'll make an example out of her." The Emperor and the new pegasus ran towards each other, ready to fight to the death. "Witless creature! You have hurt my people for the last time", she said, firing a huge beam of energy at him, which forced him through the side of Canterlot Castle, knocking him into the kitchen area. However, when the dust cleared, only a few scars were present on his body. The earth pony maid Karen was there preparing more food when suddenly, the Emperor grabbed her and flew to the top of the castle. He then turned to the crowd and held her high. "Very well, I'll destroy all of your 'people', then.", he said, dropping her from the high castle. Frozen in horror, the ponies watched as she plummeted towards the ground. Suddenly, a voice ended the chilling silence. "Pixel Pony Powerup! Shoes of Speedhog!", the voice declared. Then, a pony wearing a yellow helmet and a red outfit with a blue cape zoomed towards the falling Karen, and caught her right before she landed. While most of the ponies were confused, the pegasi cheered. "That's the Pixel Pony!", one child exclaimed. "He's from Cumulus City, Cloudsdale!" Pixel looked at Karen. "You alright, miss..." "Speechless", she said, looking into his eyes in amazement. Realizing what she said, she immediately corrected herself. "Umm, Karen. Yes, mistah Pixel, I'm fine." "Nice to meet you, Karen", Pixel smiled. "I hope this experience hasn't turned you off of castles. Statistically, they're still some of the safest places to live." Karen nodded in agreement. "I like your outfit, is this a costume party?", Pixel asked. "No, I'm a maid, this is my uniform.", she answered. "Looks like I'm a bit more out of place than I realized. It's a beautiful dress on you, though.", he said. She blushed. Then Pixel turned to face the gargoyles and Tenacity. "I admire your bravery, but you must stay out of this, good citizen.", she warned Pixel. "I admire the way you blow things up, but I'm sorry, ma'am, I can't stand idly by and watch my fellow pony get hurt.", he answered. "Very well, then, shall we team up?", she asked. "I thought you'd never ask.", he agreed. They both turned to face the Emperor. "I'll take the big guy, you go after the others." Tenacity said. "Alright!", Pixel shouted, rushing towards the crowds of gargoyles. Tenacity soon noticed something strange, however. The Emporer's wounds had healed. So, her fight continued. She flew towards the Emperor , surrounding herself in flames and becoming one big fireball, but he caught her and hurled her towards the roof of the castle's biggest tower, her crashing into it and leaving a big hole from the violent collision. She quickly stood up and approached her enemy again, this time creating a tornado effect, but Kappo merely rode the winds and thrusted his fist hard into her face. Exhausted, she used the last of her power to summon a sword, and as Kappo aproached her, she sliced off his right arm. He shouted in pain, but then a grin came over his face. Tenacity watched in horror as his arm grew back. "Foolish warrior. How can you expect to defeat us when your mighty rulers couldn't even stand a chance?" Tenacity's eyes widened. "That's not true!" Kappo then kicked her onto the ground and put his foot on her chest. "We are gargoyles, creatures of stone. We can create the stone necessary for our bodies to be rebuilt." He boasted. Meanwhile, Pixel had been overwhelmed by the gargoyles, and in front of all the other ponies, his helmet was removed. "Retro?" Dragon gasped. The pegasus ponies looked in horror as their hero laid there, defeated. Suddenly, Dragon had a plan. "Follow me, Critic.", he commanded. The two ran into the battle, grabbed Retro and Tenacity, and then Dragon used his powers to teleport far away. "Now you see that none of you can stand against the might of the gargoyles! From this day forth", the Emperor declared as a strange stone area in the sky was being constructed by the gargoyle's powers, "We will rule this land, and anyone who dares rebel against their ruers will be thrown into the lava chamber of my Sky Palace.", he finished, letting out a howling laugh. Chapter 4: Old Man FrankDragon Teleported the group to a secret chamber in Canterlot Castle, where they would be safe, at least for now. "Celestia told me about this place. She said it was a hideaway in case their was ever a threat I couldn't handle.", Dragon explained. He was silent for a moment. "I fear I have doomed us all. Now they have the Elements of Harmony." "'They'? The Gargoyles?", Retro asked, shocked. Dragon nodded. "They probably took it with them. Before they left, I heard them mention a castle in the sky." "Interesting location.", Critic commented as Dragon continued. "I believe that you two are the ones who will wield the Elements and defeat these monsters. But first, we must get them back. Unfortunately, we don't know anything about the castle's potentially deadly rooms, and there isn't anyone who is still alive after a thousand years, so..." Suddenly, Retro spoke up. "That's not entirely... nevermind." Dragon looked at him quizzically. "If you know something we don't, you should tell us." Tenacity nodded in agreement. Retro sighed. "There's this elderly man I know who was always ranting about how harsh the Gargoyle Wars were. He's pretty scary though." Tenacity smiled. "Oh, Retro, I'm sure he's a nice, sweet..." SMACK! When the group arrived at Old Man Frank's house in Cloudsdale, he swung his cane at Dragon, knocking him over. "Myyyyyyeh, what are you kids doing on my property? Can't an old man just be left in peace?" "Oh, well he's a real charmer.", Critic said. "You smartin' off, boy? You kids with ya sarcasm. When I was a boy, we had our mouths washed out with soap for talking to our elders that way." Retro then whispered, "Scary." Frank overheard him. "Dang right, I'm scary because I've seen some scary stuff. Ever been face to face with a gargoyle?" Retro immediately stood up straight. "YES, SIR!" He said respectfully. Frank grew silent. "Then they've returned. Sorry I hit ya, boy", he said to Dragon, taking him by the hoof picking him up off the ground. "I thought you were selling something, trying to scam an old guy." He took them into his house as they told him what they needed. "A guide through their castle? Yes, they actually came from a castle in the sky. My team was dispatched to stop their attack before it began, but we failed, and the result was awful. I'm afraid my experience in there changed me, and I would begin seeing flashes as soon as we got in that place. That would drive me crazy and render me unable to help, so no, I won't go with you. What I WILL do is create a map. I've got it all in here.", he explained, pointing to his head. Meanwhile, the children of Equestria were snatched up and taken to Kappo's castle. One of the gargoyles stayed behind to warn the parents of these children. "Hear this! Your new ruler, the great Emporer Kappo, has decided that those loyal to Princess Celestia will pay for their sins. However, because he is a compassionate man, he requires you to build him statues in our image around your princesses' castle, in order to show loyalty to him. If you do not, the children of Equestria WILL die!" The ponies all cried out in dispair, and Celestia commanded them to comply. "It is okay. I will not put your loyalty to me over the lives of your loved ones. If you do this, I will forgive you.", she said, looking at her sister, now a statue. And so, construction on the statues of tribute began. The gargoyle returned to the Sky Palace to speak to the Emperor. "What of these children?", he asked. The Emporer smiled before answering. "We must not show weakness. Send half of them back to their parents. The other half will become statues, decorations for my new castle, if you will." "Yes, my liege." The gargoyle obeyed. In Cloudsdale, Old Man Frank handed Dragon the map and then led the group to a secret room in his house. There was a flying vehicle, a jet it seemed. "If you fly there yourselves, they'll see you coming, and you won't even make it inside. This is..." then Critic interrupted, fascinated. "A stealth Dragoon! Whoa, they don't make 'em like this anymore.", he marveled. "Very good, sonny. This is the same Stealth Dragoon we used in our mission, maybe you can succeed where your ancestors failed. TEN-HUT!", he said, standing up straight. Then he explained to them how the stealth and flying controls worked. Critic piloted, having decided to read many books on flying vehicles when he lived in the castle. They took off, Old Man Frank saying goodbye. "Make your soldiers proud!", he told them. Chapter 5: Sky CastleThe Dragoon made its way into the castle, and after making sure no one was around, the four ponies got out of the ship and began the search for the Elements in the gothic palace. It was made of completely black bricks, and had stained glass windows depicting the battle between ponies and gargoyles years ago. "Man, this Kappo guy really has an ego, huh? 'I am the great Kappo, and now, witness the hammiest overacting ever seen by pony kind! RAAAAHAHAHAHAH...'", Critic mocked. "Shhh...", Retro said. "This place gives me the creeps.". He soon noticed a statue in the shape of a young pegasi. "I need something to take my mind off of this." He thought for a second. "Where are you guys from?", he asked the group. "Dragon and I grew up in an orphanage together. Orphan caretaker was a jerk, Luna was impressed with us, took us in, that's about it.", Critic answered. "How about you, Miss Tenacity?", Retro asked. She remained silent as she held her head down. "Nothing? You were quite the chatterbox on the battlefield." She muttered quietly, "I was angry." "So, you can only talk when you're angry? Sorry to hear that, I'm sure you have lots of interesting things to say." She shook her head, smiling a bit. "So, you can talk when you're not angry?" "Hey, leave her alone, man, if she doesn't want to talk, she doesn't want to talk.", Critic said. After a little bit more walking, she quietly said, "It's okay. He's cool." "How about you, Retro?", Dragon asked. "Well, I was a loser, just some dweeb who loves video games, but I wanted to help my fellow pony, just like Grandma always did, so I took part in this experiment, but things didn't exactly go as planned, and now I have these superpowers. So, I decided to use them to help those around me. Unfortunately, thanks to the gargoyles, the Pixel Pony days are over." "Your grandma sounds like a real sweet lady", Critic said. Retro stopped and looked downwards sadly. "...she was." They all grew silent for a moment before Critic muttered, "Awkward." They continued on, Dragon explaining the plan of action. "The Elements are probably in the throne room with their emperor.", he told them. But according to Frank's guide, we'll need to make it through the Grand Labyrinth to reach it. Be careful, soon the room will fill with a highly toxic gas.", he warned. They all entered the labyrinth room and went together in one direction, using Frank's map to solve the maze. Soon, however, the room darknened and the smog began flowing in. Thankfully, Tenacity had come prepared with a few cloths she had brought with her to cover their mouths and noses in case of airborne toxins. Unfortunately, she soon realized that she had dropped one in the front hall, and so she gave her only three cloths to her friends for them to save themselves. Dragon transformed into a great bat to help see and guide his friends in the dark. Thankfully, they all made it out in the nick of time. Kappo's throne room and the Elements lied just ahead. Chapter 6: The Great Emperor Kappo"Alright, this is it.", Dragon said when all of them were just outside the throne room. "I just want to say before we do this, I'm glad to have met you all. Critic, you helped me get through some of the crummiest parts of my childhood, and have been there ever since." Critic smiled. "And I'd do it again if I had another life to live.", he admitted. Dragon continued. "Tenacity, you threw yourself at the gargoyles for a bunch of ponies you didn't even know. That takes guts." Tenacity smiled at this. "Retro... look, I don't know what you saw in that mirror, but you'll always be a hero to us.", Dragon reassured. Retro Teared up a bit. "Thanks guys, you're the best. Group hug?" Dragon nodded in agreement and they all embraced. Once they were finished, Dragon plotted the course of action. "You guys distract the grunts. I'll take on their leader. I'm the one who lost the Elements anyway, so I must get them back." Tenacity spoke up. "Umm... I can only use magic when I'm angry." She then felt a sudden painful pressure on her front left hoof. "Angry yet?", Critic asked. She answered, "No, mildly annoyed." Dragon then looked her in the eyes. "Look, these gargoyles have killed innocents, turned my mentor to stone, and now reside in a high security castle like a bunch of cowards." Tenacity's eyebrows wrinkled in anger as Dragon continued. "Do they care about life, our loved ones, our very homes? No, they don't, because they're a bunch of no good, scumbag-" Suddenly Tenacity's eyes turned scarlet as she angrily finished his sentence. "MONSTERS!", she said. She then smiled at Dragon. "Let's mess 'em up!" The group then entered the room to find Kappo sitting on his throne, both Luna and Celestia at his side as statues. "I had my men bring them here. The decor in this place needed that royal touch." "Emperor Kappo, your reign has ended! I am Dragon Charge, hear me roar!", he declared, transforming into a lion instead of a dragon. "Close enough!", he said. As the others charged into battle, Critic noticed two swords and a shield on the wall, so he grabbed one of the swords and charged at the nearest gargoyle, engaging in swordplay. Their blades clashed as over on the other side of the room, Tenacity used her magic to manipulate the bricks in the castle, as did her gargoyle foe, the two sending their projectiles flying at each other before they both got the idea to encase themselves in the stone, making stone suits to fight in. Tenacity swung her stone fists at the creature, only for him to block and throw a rock punch of his own, hitting her in the face and knocking her down. She got up and gave him a nasty uppercut. Meanwhile, Retro engaged in battle with another gargoyle. "Retro Geek Powerup! Cannon of Mechaman!", he said, an arm cannon forming on his hoof. He then fired shots of pure energy at the beast, but they merely slowed his foe down as it ran towards him. In the midst of all this, Kappo laughed at Dragon. "You fools! The Elements are mine, and there's nothing you can do to stop me", he gloated, holding the Elements up in the air. Dragon ran at him in his lion form, tackling the Emperor and roaring at him. Kappo grabbed his face and headbutted it. He then took the elements and flew to the roof of the castle's highest tower, Dragon climbing after him, hoping for a surprise attack opportunity. "Face it, freedom is over for you ponies!", The Emperor laughed. Dragon tried to pounce on him from behind, but Kappo saw him and turned around to grab him by the throat. "You're finished, and there will be a great cry in the land after I take care of you and your friends, Wahahah!" However, the Elements slowly floated out of Kappo's hands and onto Dragon and his friends. The Elements of magic and loyalty to Dragon, the Element of laughter to Critic, the Elements of generosity and honesty to Tenacity, and the Element of kindness to Retro. Dragon smiled at the horrified and confused expression on the Gargoyle King's face. "Looks like they know who their masters are and when they're needed.", Dragon smirked. Then the elements created a widespread burst of light all throughout Equestria. Celestia and Luna were back to normal, as were all of the children who had been turned to stone, and the gargoyles became mere statues once again. The four ponies came together at the center of the castle to congratulate each other, as well as appreciate the fact that they were all still alive. The next day, a ceremony was held to honor the new heroes of Equestria. Even Old Man Frank showed up to give his congratulations. A few days later, Dragon invited Tenacity and Retro to the castle, and they, along with Critic, played video games,(Tenacity beating Retro pretty badly in Super Smash Fillies), had lunch and watched Critic pull pranks on the royal guards. Karen had not forgotten Retro, and when he had his head turned talking to the others, she pecked him on the cheek and ran off to the kitchen before he could turn to see her. "That was wierd", Retro muttered. At the end of the day, Tenacity said something that really stuck with Dragon. As they were leaving, she turned back. "We should do this more often." Dragon nodded. He decided that they would hang out at least once every month,(though it was usually more often than that.) and that's how the friendship of the new heroes of Equestria began. As he went to his bedroom, Dragon was stopped in the hallway by Luna. "I'm glad you're okay. Have the gargoyles been taken care of?" Dragon asked her. "Yes, they have been thrown into Tartarus. You've no reason to worry.", she assured him. Just before he walked into his room, she spoke again. "You really are destined for greatness, wouldn't you say?", she spoke, unknowingly saying the same words Dragon's Mother's note had left him with as a baby. "Well done, my student. I am proud to have you as my pupil." Dragon immediately embraced her. "Thank you, Luna. Goodnight." Prologue - The GargoylesLong ago, in the land of Equestria, the ponies lived in peace. The two alicorn sisters ruled over the land, providing peace, prosperity and safety to their grateful citizens. But peace is merely a dream, and sooner or later, it all comes crashing down. One day, an army of powerful gargoyles made their way to the ponies' home, and mercilessly attacked it. Led by the ruthless Emperor Kappo, they slaughtered and pillaged the land with no consideration for the lives of the innocents. Hearing their people's cry, the two sisters battled the gargoyles to no avail. Finally, they used the Elements of Harmony to transform their deadly foes into statues, trapped within stone, forced to kneel in place for a thousand years, and sent to their old castle in the Everfree Forest. The lives lost that day nearly shattered the ponies' confidence in their rulers and protectors, but over time, it was restored. Unfortunately, a thousand years is a mere blink of an eye to an immortal alicorn, and soon, the spell would be broken. Soon, Kappo's great army would be free to reign terror on all ponykind, and Equestria would need a hero.
Chapter 1: Dragon and CriticOur story begins on the day before the Millinium Festival, an event held on every thousandth night. This festival celebrates the different races of ponies in Equestria, and consists of free food, a dance floor designed by Luna herself, and the traditional Hearthswarming Eve play, depicting the founding of Equestria by the different races, those being the earth ponies, the pegasi, and the unicorns. Afterwards, the princesses tell the guests to try and converse with at least one pony of a different race. This way, they are all better able to understand one another and live in Harmony, and often new friendships are made. A few years ago, the princesses took a new pony under their wing, a unicorn with powerful shape-shifting magic known as Dragon Charge. Of course, no pony is anything without friendship, so they allowed Dragon's best friend, an earth pony known as The Critic, to stay with them as well. Luna trained her pupil well, but he was not yet at his full potential. On this particular day, Dragon's teacher gave him a very peculiar task. "Use your unicorn magic to help decorate for the Millinium Festival.", Luna had instructed him early in the morning, "Then go to the festival and enjoy yourself. Critic, too." But Dragon had no interest in any sort of silly party. Still, he did as he was instructed. He got up from his bed, went to the castle's dining chamber, made some coffee, woke up his friend(With water ballons.), and then went to the castle grounds to begin helping decorate. Fortunately, a rare(but always welcome in his book) visitor was there to liven things up. "How come Gods of Chaos don't have festivals?" Discord questioned to himself while cutting the nearest hedge with a chainsaw. "Maybe they do, but you're just too cool to show up." Dragon said, smiling and waving. Discord grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Makes sense to me." He replied. "So, Princess Nightlight dragged you into this, too, huh?" "Yeah.", Dragon admitted. "Where are you going to be at the festival tonight.?" Critic asked. "Oh, I'm not going.", Discord stated. Critic snickered. "Gonna watch your stories?" "Umm... of course not!" Discord said defensively. Critic smiled as he continued joking. "So you're not going to find out whether Hammy and Sadface get together or not?" Discord immediately shot back, "For your information, Hammy is secretly dating Sadface's twin sister, but neither know it ye... dang!" Critic laughed. The three continued decorating, and when the were finished, Discord fashioned sleighs and created an ice track around the castle. Finally, he had the hedges, which he had trimmed into the shapes of horses, pull the sleighs, the three friends racing around the castle. When they were finished, Discord returned everything as it was after the initial decoration, left, Dragon and Critic waved goodbye, and the two ponies returned to the dining chamber to await the festival. "This tea tastes funny. I think that mare over there messed with our drinks.", Critic joked, pointing at the young maid across the room. "Oh, no, Mistah Critic", she said shyly, "I made it just like you asked." "Hey, I'm messin' with ya." he said. "Could use a bit more sugar, though.", he critiqued, handing his cup back to her. "You know she could easily spit in that and you would never know.", Dragon warned. Critic chuckled. "Who, Karen? Nah, I'm sure she's just as bored as I am." Why, yes she was, if you consider doing all of the cooking and cleaning for the royal guards, as well as the princesses, and on top of that keeping the area clean, not that she minded it. Honestly, she was just grateful to be living in a nice castle. She arrived with Critic's tea not long after he asked. "This isn't cold tea", he told her, then Dragon smacked him in the back of the head. "What?"
Chapter 2: The FestivalAfter hours of waiting, the Millinium Festival finally began, and all of the castle's residents left their home to attend. On the castle grounds, ponies were seated in rows, the stage was set, and the play telling of the founding of Equestria began. About halfway through the play, Critic spoke up. "What happened to the story where Discord ruled Equestria? I liked that one better." The stallion next to him told him to be quiet, but he continued. "But this is a major plothole! I mean, did they find this place together, then Discord just went, 'nope! Already called dibs'? At what point did the God of Chaos start ruling Equestria? Can we hear that story?" Dragon put his hoof over his friend's mouth, and the stallion beside them quietly thanked him. After the play, the dance began. Most of the stallions and mares went to show their moves, leaving Dragon, Critic, the princesses, and the maid Karen standing and watching the crowd. Dragon went to talk to his teacher as Critic decided to hit on the maid. "So... any reason a pretty little thing like you isn't out there?", he said, motioning to the dance floor. Karen rolled her eyes. "If ya gotta know, I'm single, not that it's really any of your business." Critic smiled. "Oh, REALLY?" She sighed in mild annoyance. Meanwhile, Dragon greeted Celestia, and then turned to speak to Luna. "So, about my training..." he started. "I believe I told you not to worry about it and simply enjoy yourself. Look at your friend, that's what he's doing.", Luna replied. Dragon looked over to Critic, who was sitting and chatting with Karen. Dragon thought it looked like fun, but in reality, the conversation was as follows. "How does a mare of your stature not have a special somepony?", Critic asked. "I dunno, I guess I just haven't found the right guy yet.", she responded, getting more annoyed with each personal question he asked. "What kind are you looking for?", he immediately said. She thought for a moment before responding. "Just... somepony sweet, I guess.", she answered. "Man, you're no fun at all", he said, giving up and walking away. A few moments later, and it was time to talk to a pony of a different race. Neither of them had ever met a pegasus pony, so they greeted the nearest one, a nerdy looking fellow. "Hey, what's up?" Dragon said. The stallion replied, with great poise, "Not much." Not knowing what to say next, they introduced themselves to this pony. "Retro Geek", he said, shaking their hooves. "What did you call me?", Critic said. "No, that's my name.", the pegasus stammered, backing up slightly. "Hey, I'm just messin' with ya.", Critic said. "Having fun?", Dragon asked. "Kinda. The play was okay, even with the severe lack of Discord." Critic high-fived him at that. He continued. "I'm not used to being out in public like this, but Mom said it would be good for me to be more social.", he groaned. He then spotted the food table. "Is that pizza?" He suddenly ran at top speed through the crowd to grab a bite. He returned to Dragon and Critic with three slices. Dragon spoke. "Wanna see the castle?" Retro's eyes widened. "You live there?", he asked. "Yeah, I'm Princess Luna's student. She told us to have fun today, though, so I thought we could go play some video games." Immediately, a look came over Retro's face, as if he had saw heaven, and so the three started towards the castle when suddenly, a flaming boulder fell from the sky, and the sound of ponies screaming filled the air. They looked back to see what looked like demonic bat statues attacking the place. Immediately, Retro was gone. The chaos continued until the gargoyles had the ponies quaking in fear. "Citizens of Canterlot!" The tallest one spoke up. He was a horned beast with glowing yellow eyes. The ponies shook in fear as he continued. "Your time of penance has arrived, for years ago your rulers commited a great injustice to us." Luna immediately spoke up. "Injustice? You killed countless innocents, caused damage both physical and emotional, and you want to speak about injustice?" The leader responded by firing a spell out of his horns that turned her to stone. "LUNA!", Dragon screamed, the gargoyles ignoring him. "I thought she would never shut up!" the leader said, before letting out an evil laugh. "My name is Emperor Kappo, the King of Gargoyles, and from this day forth, I will be your new ruler!" The ponies gasped in shock as Celestia pulled Dragon aside. She gave him a box containing the Elements of Harmony. "You must find the ones capable of using these. Make haste!" Dragon nodded and made his way back to the square, only for one of the gargoyles to swoop down and take the box from him, handing it over to the Emperor. "These... well done my servant! Without these, all ponykind will be helpless! Equestria is ours!" Just then, a blast of energy was fired right at the Emperor. "You talk too much!", the attacker stated. Standing not too far from the gargoyle king was a mysterious pegasus with a red mane.
Chapter 3 Tenacious Pixels"You will pay for your crimes, 'Emperor'." The red and white maned pony said, glaring angrily. "I followed you here from my home. You gargoyles aren't the brightest bulbs in the box." At this, one gargoyle moved to attack, but Kappo stopped him. "No. Any puny creature who dares insult I, the great Emperor Kappo, must be punished personally. I'll make an example out of her." The Emperor and the new pegasus ran towards each other, ready to fight to the death. "Witless creature! You have hurt my people for the last time", she said, firing a huge beam of energy at him, which forced him through the side of Canterlot Castle, knocking him into the kitchen area. However, when the dust cleared, only a few scars were present on his body. The earth pony maid Karen was there preparing more food when suddenly, the Emperor grabbed her and flew to the top of the castle. He then turned to the crowd and held her high. "Very well, I'll destroy all of your 'people', then.", he said, dropping her from the high castle. Frozen in horror, the ponies watched as she plummeted towards the ground. Suddenly, a voice ended the chilling silence. "Pixel Pony Powerup! Shoes of Speedhog!", the voice declared. Then, a pony wearing a yellow helmet and a red outfit with a blue cape zoomed towards the falling Karen, and caught her right before she landed. While most of the ponies were confused, the pegasi cheered. "That's the Pixel Pony!", one child exclaimed. "He's from Cumulus City, Cloudsdale!" Pixel looked at Karen. "You alright, miss..." "Speechless", she said, looking into his eyes in amazement. Realizing what she said, she immediately corrected herself. "Umm, Karen. Yes, mistah Pixel, I'm fine." "Nice to meet you, Karen", Pixel smiled. "I hope this experience hasn't turned you off of castles. Statistically, they're still some of the safest places to live." Karen nodded in agreement. "I like your outfit, is this a costume party?", Pixel asked. "No, I'm a maid, this is my uniform.", she answered. "Looks like I'm a bit more out of place than I realized. It's a beautiful dress on you, though.", he said. She blushed. Then Pixel turned to face the gargoyles and Tenacity. "I admire your bravery, but you must stay out of this, good citizen.", she warned Pixel. "I admire the way you blow things up, but I'm sorry, ma'am, I can't stand idly by and watch my fellow pony get hurt.", he answered. "Very well, then, shall we team up?", she asked. "I thought you'd never ask.", he agreed. They both turned to face the Emperor. "I'll take the big guy, you go after the others." Tenacity said. "Alright!", Pixel shouted, rushing towards the crowds of gargoyles. Tenacity soon noticed something strange, however. The Emporer's wounds had healed. So, her fight continued. She flew towards the Emperor , surrounding herself in flames and becoming one big fireball, but he caught her and hurled her towards the roof of the castle's biggest tower, her crashing into it and leaving a big hole from the violent collision. She quickly stood up and approached her enemy again, this time creating a tornado effect, but Kappo merely rode the winds and thrusted his fist hard into her face. Exhausted, she used the last of her power to summon a sword, and as Kappo aproached her, she sliced off his right arm. He shouted in pain, but then a grin came over his face. Tenacity watched in horror as his arm grew back. "Foolish warrior. How can you expect to defeat us when your mighty rulers couldn't even stand a chance?" Tenacity's eyes widened. "That's not true!" Kappo then kicked her onto the ground and put his foot on her chest. "We are gargoyles, creatures of stone. We can create the stone necessary for our bodies to be rebuilt." He boasted. Meanwhile, Pixel had been overwhelmed by the gargoyles, and in front of all the other ponies, his helmet was removed. "Retro?" Dragon gasped. The pegasus ponies looked in horror as their hero laid there, defeated. Suddenly, Dragon had a plan. "Follow me, Critic.", he commanded. The two ran into the battle, grabbed Retro and Tenacity, and then Dragon used his powers to teleport far away. "Now you see that none of you can stand against the might of the gargoyles! From this day forth", the Emperor declared as a strange stone area in the sky was being constructed by the gargoyle's powers, "We will rule this land, and anyone who dares rebel against their ruers will be thrown into the lava chamber of my Sky Palace.", he finished, letting out a howling laugh.
Chapter 4: Old Man FrankDragon Teleported the group to a secret chamber in Canterlot Castle, where they would be safe, at least for now. "Celestia told me about this place. She said it was a hideaway in case their was ever a threat I couldn't handle.", Dragon explained. He was silent for a moment. "I fear I have doomed us all. Now they have the Elements of Harmony." "'They'? The Gargoyles?", Retro asked, shocked. Dragon nodded. "They probably took it with them. Before they left, I heard them mention a castle in the sky." "Interesting location.", Critic commented as Dragon continued. "I believe that you two are the ones who will wield the Elements and defeat these monsters. But first, we must get them back. Unfortunately, we don't know anything about the castle's potentially deadly rooms, and there isn't anyone who is still alive after a thousand years, so..." Suddenly, Retro spoke up. "That's not entirely... nevermind." Dragon looked at him quizzically. "If you know something we don't, you should tell us." Tenacity nodded in agreement. Retro sighed. "There's this elderly man I know who was always ranting about how harsh the Gargoyle Wars were. He's pretty scary though." Tenacity smiled. "Oh, Retro, I'm sure he's a nice, sweet..." SMACK! When the group arrived at Old Man Frank's house in Cloudsdale, he swung his cane at Dragon, knocking him over. "Myyyyyyeh, what are you kids doing on my property? Can't an old man just be left in peace?" "Oh, well he's a real charmer.", Critic said. "You smartin' off, boy? You kids with ya sarcasm. When I was a boy, we had our mouths washed out with soap for talking to our elders that way." Retro then whispered, "Scary." Frank overheard him. "Dang right, I'm scary because I've seen some scary stuff. Ever been face to face with a gargoyle?" Retro immediately stood up straight. "YES, SIR!" He said respectfully. Frank grew silent. "Then they've returned. Sorry I hit ya, boy", he said to Dragon, taking him by the hoof picking him up off the ground. "I thought you were selling something, trying to scam an old guy." He took them into his house as they told him what they needed. "A guide through their castle? Yes, they actually came from a castle in the sky. My team was dispatched to stop their attack before it began, but we failed, and the result was awful. I'm afraid my experience in there changed me, and I would begin seeing flashes as soon as we got in that place. That would drive me crazy and render me unable to help, so no, I won't go with you. What I WILL do is create a map. I've got it all in here.", he explained, pointing to his head. Meanwhile, the children of Equestria were snatched up and taken to Kappo's castle. One of the gargoyles stayed behind to warn the parents of these children. "Hear this! Your new ruler, the great Emporer Kappo, has decided that those loyal to Princess Celestia will pay for their sins. However, because he is a compassionate man, he requires you to build him statues in our image around your princesses' castle, in order to show loyalty to him. If you do not, the children of Equestria WILL die!" The ponies all cried out in dispair, and Celestia commanded them to comply. "It is okay. I will not put your loyalty to me over the lives of your loved ones. If you do this, I will forgive you.", she said, looking at her sister, now a statue. And so, construction on the statues of tribute began. The gargoyle returned to the Sky Palace to speak to the Emperor. "What of these children?", he asked. The Emporer smiled before answering. "We must not show weakness. Send half of them back to their parents. The other half will become statues, decorations for my new castle, if you will." "Yes, my liege." The gargoyle obeyed. In Cloudsdale, Old Man Frank handed Dragon the map and then led the group to a secret room in his house. There was a flying vehicle, a jet it seemed. "If you fly there yourselves, they'll see you coming, and you won't even make it inside. This is..." then Critic interrupted, fascinated. "A stealth Dragoon! Whoa, they don't make 'em like this anymore.", he marveled. "Very good, sonny. This is the same Stealth Dragoon we used in our mission, maybe you can succeed where your ancestors failed. TEN-HUT!", he said, standing up straight. Then he explained to them how the stealth and flying controls worked. Critic piloted, having decided to read many books on flying vehicles when he lived in the castle. They took off, Old Man Frank saying goodbye. "Make your soldiers proud!", he told them.
Chapter 5: Sky CastleThe Dragoon made its way into the castle, and after making sure no one was around, the four ponies got out of the ship and began the search for the Elements in the gothic palace. It was made of completely black bricks, and had stained glass windows depicting the battle between ponies and gargoyles years ago. "Man, this Kappo guy really has an ego, huh? 'I am the great Kappo, and now, witness the hammiest overacting ever seen by pony kind! RAAAAHAHAHAHAH...'", Critic mocked. "Shhh...", Retro said. "This place gives me the creeps.". He soon noticed a statue in the shape of a young pegasi. "I need something to take my mind off of this." He thought for a second. "Where are you guys from?", he asked the group. "Dragon and I grew up in an orphanage together. Orphan caretaker was a jerk, Luna was impressed with us, took us in, that's about it.", Critic answered. "How about you, Miss Tenacity?", Retro asked. She remained silent as she held her head down. "Nothing? You were quite the chatterbox on the battlefield." She muttered quietly, "I was angry." "So, you can only talk when you're angry? Sorry to hear that, I'm sure you have lots of interesting things to say." She shook her head, smiling a bit. "So, you can talk when you're not angry?" "Hey, leave her alone, man, if she doesn't want to talk, she doesn't want to talk.", Critic said. After a little bit more walking, she quietly said, "It's okay. He's cool." "How about you, Retro?", Dragon asked. "Well, I was a loser, just some dweeb who loves video games, but I wanted to help my fellow pony, just like Grandma always did, so I took part in this experiment, but things didn't exactly go as planned, and now I have these superpowers. So, I decided to use them to help those around me. Unfortunately, thanks to the gargoyles, the Pixel Pony days are over." "Your grandma sounds like a real sweet lady", Critic said. Retro stopped and looked downwards sadly. "...she was." They all grew silent for a moment before Critic muttered, "Awkward." They continued on, Dragon explaining the plan of action. "The Elements are probably in the throne room with their emperor.", he told them. But according to Frank's guide, we'll need to make it through the Grand Labyrinth to reach it. Be careful, soon the room will fill with a highly toxic gas.", he warned. They all entered the labyrinth room and went together in one direction, using Frank's map to solve the maze. Soon, however, the room darknened and the smog began flowing in. Thankfully, Tenacity had come prepared with a few cloths she had brought with her to cover their mouths and noses in case of airborne toxins. Unfortunately, she soon realized that she had dropped one in the front hall, and so she gave her only three cloths to her friends for them to save themselves. Dragon transformed into a great bat to help see and guide his friends in the dark. Thankfully, they all made it out in the nick of time. Kappo's throne room and the Elements lied just ahead.
Chapter 6: The Great Emperor Kappo"Alright, this is it.", Dragon said when all of them were just outside the throne room. "I just want to say before we do this, I'm glad to have met you all. Critic, you helped me get through some of the crummiest parts of my childhood, and have been there ever since." Critic smiled. "And I'd do it again if I had another life to live.", he admitted. Dragon continued. "Tenacity, you threw yourself at the gargoyles for a bunch of ponies you didn't even know. That takes guts." Tenacity smiled at this. "Retro... look, I don't know what you saw in that mirror, but you'll always be a hero to us.", Dragon reassured. Retro Teared up a bit. "Thanks guys, you're the best. Group hug?" Dragon nodded in agreement and they all embraced. Once they were finished, Dragon plotted the course of action. "You guys distract the grunts. I'll take on their leader. I'm the one who lost the Elements anyway, so I must get them back." Tenacity spoke up. "Umm... I can only use magic when I'm angry." She then felt a sudden painful pressure on her front left hoof. "Angry yet?", Critic asked. She answered, "No, mildly annoyed." Dragon then looked her in the eyes. "Look, these gargoyles have killed innocents, turned my mentor to stone, and now reside in a high security castle like a bunch of cowards." Tenacity's eyebrows wrinkled in anger as Dragon continued. "Do they care about life, our loved ones, our very homes? No, they don't, because they're a bunch of no good, scumbag-" Suddenly Tenacity's eyes turned scarlet as she angrily finished his sentence. "MONSTERS!", she said. She then smiled at Dragon. "Let's mess 'em up!" The group then entered the room to find Kappo sitting on his throne, both Luna and Celestia at his side as statues. "I had my men bring them here. The decor in this place needed that royal touch." "Emperor Kappo, your reign has ended! I am Dragon Charge, hear me roar!", he declared, transforming into a lion instead of a dragon. "Close enough!", he said. As the others charged into battle, Critic noticed two swords and a shield on the wall, so he grabbed one of the swords and charged at the nearest gargoyle, engaging in swordplay. Their blades clashed as over on the other side of the room, Tenacity used her magic to manipulate the bricks in the castle, as did her gargoyle foe, the two sending their projectiles flying at each other before they both got the idea to encase themselves in the stone, making stone suits to fight in. Tenacity swung her stone fists at the creature, only for him to block and throw a rock punch of his own, hitting her in the face and knocking her down. She got up and gave him a nasty uppercut. Meanwhile, Retro engaged in battle with another gargoyle. "Retro Geek Powerup! Cannon of Mechaman!", he said, an arm cannon forming on his hoof. He then fired shots of pure energy at the beast, but they merely slowed his foe down as it ran towards him. In the midst of all this, Kappo laughed at Dragon. "You fools! The Elements are mine, and there's nothing you can do to stop me", he gloated, holding the Elements up in the air. Dragon ran at him in his lion form, tackling the Emperor and roaring at him. Kappo grabbed his face and headbutted it. He then took the elements and flew to the roof of the castle's highest tower, Dragon climbing after him, hoping for a surprise attack opportunity. "Face it, freedom is over for you ponies!", The Emperor laughed. Dragon tried to pounce on him from behind, but Kappo saw him and turned around to grab him by the throat. "You're finished, and there will be a great cry in the land after I take care of you and your friends, Wahahah!" However, the Elements slowly floated out of Kappo's hands and onto Dragon and his friends. The Elements of magic and loyalty to Dragon, the Element of laughter to Critic, the Elements of generosity and honesty to Tenacity, and the Element of kindness to Retro. Dragon smiled at the horrified and confused expression on the Gargoyle King's face. "Looks like they know who their masters are and when they're needed.", Dragon smirked. Then the elements created a widespread burst of light all throughout Equestria. Celestia and Luna were back to normal, as were all of the children who had been turned to stone, and the gargoyles became mere statues once again. The four ponies came together at the center of the castle to congratulate each other, as well as appreciate the fact that they were all still alive. The next day, a ceremony was held to honor the new heroes of Equestria. Even Old Man Frank showed up to give his congratulations. A few days later, Dragon invited Tenacity and Retro to the castle, and they, along with Critic, played video games,(Tenacity beating Retro pretty badly in Super Smash Fillies), had lunch and watched Critic pull pranks on the royal guards. Karen had not forgotten Retro, and when he had his head turned talking to the others, she pecked him on the cheek and ran off to the kitchen before he could turn to see her. "That was wierd", Retro muttered. At the end of the day, Tenacity said something that really stuck with Dragon. As they were leaving, she turned back. "We should do this more often." Dragon nodded. He decided that they would hang out at least once every month,(though it was usually more often than that.) and that's how the friendship of the new heroes of Equestria began. As he went to his bedroom, Dragon was stopped in the hallway by Luna. "I'm glad you're okay. Have the gargoyles been taken care of?" Dragon asked her. "Yes, they have been thrown into Tartarus. You've no reason to worry.", she assured him. Just before he walked into his room, she spoke again. "You really are destined for greatness, wouldn't you say?", she spoke, unknowingly saying the same words Dragon's Mother's note had left him with as a baby. "Well done, my student. I am proud to have you as my pupil." Dragon immediately embraced her. "Thank you, Luna. Goodnight."
Prologue - The GargoylesLong ago, in the land of Equestria, the ponies lived in peace. The two alicorn sisters ruled over the land, providing peace, prosperity and safety to their grateful citizens. But peace is merely a dream, and sooner or later, it all comes crashing down. One day, an army of powerful gargoyles made their way to the ponies' home, and mercilessly attacked it. Led by the ruthless Emperor Kappo, they slaughtered and pillaged the land with no consideration for the lives of the innocents. Hearing their people's cry, the two sisters battled the gargoyles to no avail. Finally, they used the Elements of Harmony to transform their deadly foes into statues, trapped within stone, forced to kneel in place for a thousand years, and sent to their old castle in the Everfree Forest. The lives lost that day nearly shattered the ponies' confidence in their rulers and protectors, but over time, it was restored. Unfortunately, a thousand years is a mere blink of an eye to an immortal alicorn, and soon, the spell would be broken. Soon, Kappo's great army would be free to reign terror on all ponykind, and Equestria would need a hero.
