“Master, are you alright?” Daemon tentatively asked once they transported into shadowspace.

“I’m alright, old friend,” Dragonok, who had reverted back to his previous self, replied. “I just miss some of our old allies. I wonder where Frostnix could be right now. She’s probably in some sort of multiverse where they have planetary-scale battles on a monthly basis.”

“About that, Master,” Daemon began. “There may or may not have been a few important things you might have missed during your imprisonment.”

“What aren’t you telling me, Daemon?” he inquired.

Daemon gave him a nervous smile before she suddenly spat out a few black gems. “You may have missed a couple of messages from the Big Boss Lady and some of your fellow comrades while you were semi-hibernating as an museum exhibit.”

“How much, Daemon? These can’t be the only messages.”

“Over a couple thousand.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t quite catch that. What was it?”

“Over a couple thousand.”

“Then why are there a few of these messages instead of the two thousand you supposedly claimed to have received while I was gone?”

“Um… how should I put this? Most of the old ones got digested, but the ones I spat out are the deluxe brand that’s super-important, invulnerable to all forms of damage, and really expensive to replace had they melted inside my tummy.” At Dragonok’s deadpan look, she immediately defended herself. “What!? They taste so good in this world! I couldn’t resist!”

“I know you were born from a union of kirin and thestral, but I wonder about your dietary habits sometimes. They’re a bit… dragonian as of late. You may need lay off all that food. Eating all of those message crystals can’t be good for you.”

“Pooh on you.” Daemon gave off a small pout before she nudged one of the three crystals at me. “This one is from the Big Boss Lady. She told me to give this to you once you reawakened from your petrification. She says it’s very important.” Before Dragonok could get a word in, she placed her face right in front of his faceguard to enunciate the message. “Very important…”

Dragonok released a huge sigh as he grabbed the black gem and immediately crushed it into dust to activate the message. The dust immediately began to swirl around in a miniature typhoon for a few moments before the face of a lady wearing a crown forged of a dragon’s upper jaw balefully stared at Dragonok with her slit amber eyes.

Dragonok, the simulacrum began, if you have received this message, listen closely to what I’m about to inform you.

Based on our previous attempt to retrieve you back from the multiverse in which you are currently stranded in, we have discovered a miniature warp entrance big enough to let two of our Chaos Champions enter to find you and ensure that all is well. The only problem that remains is that while we have access into this multiverse, there is no escape due to the amount of magical barriers projected from each variation of a universe stored with this multiverse which in turn has created a powerful barricade that even the most powerful strains of Corruption would be hard-pressed to pierce into.

However, that does not mean there is no evil within this multiverse. There must always be balance to every world or it will easily crumble in the sands of Time. The Corruption knows that and thus has ways to manipulate the inhabitants of each multiverse through indirect means even when it cannot send its minions to do its bidding.

That is why you will be staying here to ensure that whatever breeds of evil are either purified with the powers of True Chaos or eliminated should the former option fail.

You know what to do, my Chaos Champion of Power.

The image of Tiamantis dissipated into the dust from which it had formed, leaving Dragonok amused at his current predicament.

How intriguing… At least I won’t have to worry about the Corruption as I did a thousand years ago. That was when one piece of Tiamantis’ message knocked through his helm. Wait a minute. Two of my comrades are here?

He turned towards Daemon who nudged forth the other two message crystals towards him.

“Here are the other two messages from your comrades, Master. I hope you aren’t mad at me for not telling you sooner.” Daemon stared at him with her big, soulful eyes.

He immediately softened before he began to scratch her ears. She whinnied in delight upon receiving this treatment. He soon stopped, much to her disappointment, as he prepared to crush the second crystal.

Within a few moments, another image, this time of a woman wearing a silver mask with twin scarlet wings attached to the two white roses growing from both sides, began its message.

Dragonok, my ally! It’s me, Frostnix, Chaos Champion of Reincarnation! If you have received this message, then know that I am in the frozen regions of Equestria with your battleaxe, Manasurge. I’ll be waiting there with some new allies I have created during my stay here. May Tiamantis guide you!

By the way, do you have any new girlfriends during your stay here? I would enjoy teasing them.

...

How in frost and blazes does one turn this infernal crystal off? STOP RECORDING, DAMN Y-

The message burst into a shower of dust as the message ended right there. Dragonok held a straight face for a few moments before he roared out in laughter. Even after a few hundred thousand years, Frostnix never did figure out how to operate any technical devices without either short-circuiting it or breaking it into pieces in a fit of frustration.

He still chuckled as he crushed the final crystal to see which Chaos Champion had been sent for the task.

It turned out to be the worst possible person he could think of.

A cloaked figure wearing a leather mask resembling that of a gigantic black crow’s skull with ruby lenses attached over its eye sockets glared back at him in grim determination. It was none other than Necrow, Chaos Champion of Annihilation.

Hello, Dragonok… It has been seventy two years, five months, twenty four days, seventeen hours, four minutes, sixteen seconds, ninety four nanoseconds, and counting since I have arrived in this particular universe where I had received your energy signature. So far, I have only found your weapon identified as Matterbane and have isolated myself in some sort of badland where I will be awaiting your arrival. Should you arrive without provisions of any sort before you awaken me from my communion with the afterlife, I will slice you in half where you stand. Deactivating recording device in three, two, one-

Dragonok sighed as the message ended. It seemed as if things got a lot more interesting. Not only did two of his allies managed to enter Equestria and awaited his arrival, but they managed to find his missing battleaxes as well. It could be worse, but he couldn’t think of anything besides an certain enraged sun goddess charging at him while somehow being overpowered by his weapons.

“Who should we visit first, Master?” Daemon asked.

“I believe it best that we visit Frostnix first,” Dragonok replied. “Her location’s closer to us compared to that of Necrow; that, and she’s excellent in calming Necrow down should specific events take a turn for the worse without us knowing about it.”

“Alright, Master,” Daemon replied. “But we have to recharge our power for a while before we go. Being stuck for over a thousand year took a lot of Chaos energy from us. I sense a good place to recharge, but you’re not going to like this, Master.”

“Why would I not like it, Daemon? Is the Chaos energy emitting from the area you speak too little to revitalize us over time?”

“Well…” At that, Daemon avoided his eyes which elicited a warning bell ringing in his mind. “It’s near the same place where the Elements of Harmony reside: the Everfree Forest.”

Dragonok sighed as he heard the dreaded response… until an excellent idea popped into his head. “Perhaps we can use this to our advantage.”

Daemon stared at him in confusion. “Why, Master?”

“If you recall since our last adventure here in Equestria, much has changed. There’s no sign of Corruption to be found; not even a sense of foreboding signaling its presence in Equus. Perhaps we can learn much from the Elements of Harmony by watching their actions from the safety from the Everfree Forest; the only place where no pony can influence it since it contains much True Chaos which allows it to negate any actions that dare try to influence it. How else would that forest have lasted for over a thousand years without being turned into a small town, let alone a city? Even Celestia and Luna couldn’t control it to obey their whim; just look at the state of their old castle if you want proof.”

“How would you know what their own castle looked like, Master?” Daemon interrupted. “The only way you could have known that after being imprisoned for so long… you kissed Luna didn’t you?” She gave him a deadpan look before shaking her head in frustration. “I know you like her, but she’s no replacement for Sylvania. You know that.”

“I know, Daemon,” Dragonok sighed. “I know. But we also know she’s gone now. She even told me that either of us would have to move on in case either of us left each other. Luna may be no Sylvania, but she’s her own mare. That’s all that counts.”

Daemon felt crush at seeing her master look so solemn upon his recollection. “I’m sorry, Master. I didn’t know you felt that way. Forgive me.”

Dragonok gave out a weary smile before his hand mussed her mane. “Thank you, my old friend, for understanding me. Let’s just ride to the Everfree, alright.”

As they gently rode off, Daemon had just one question for Dragonok. “By the way, when are we getting some more apples? Those were the nummiest I ever tasted!”

Dragonok just groaned as he recalled what he had done just a little while ago. He really needed to make up with Applejack for that.

Author's Note

Here's another chapter for you kind people out there. You've really helped me in writing my story so far. If anypony has any good suggestions for it, I'll take a gander before I think about it. See ya soon!