Truly Divine

Chapters

Prayer
Thunder
Thor
A Godless Nation
Chosen by a God
Thor: God of Equestria
Listener
Seeping Shadows
Chaotic
Expert
Faces
Promise
Words
Threats
Hammer in the Hole
Chaotic Thunder
Forbidden
Fever
Asgardian Party
Destroyer
Catastrophic
Rock the Dragon
Bend
Mirror
Rose
7 Years of Bad Luck
Wrath of Thor
Found
Stolen
Ascended
The New God of Equestria
Decisions
When Gods Tremble
Devourer
A Ruler's Duty
In Your Prayers

Prayer

Lights flashed across the sky as twin streams of magic bombarded the lands below, signaling a desperate attempt by those who were sworn to protect their land to bring down a foe that was beyond what they thought possible. A beam of solar magic combined with a burst of lunar power, which then collided with a colossal monstrosity that was in the process of decimating what was left of the city of Delemare.

The monster was the size of a skyscraper and more than capable of bringing one down in a single strike. It's main body was made up of thousands of crystals, all of which were as hard as diamond and able to take extreme amounts of punishment without so much as a scratch. But it was the personality that had caused it to become hated by the rulers of the land. For the monster was merciless and crushed any in its path. But the worst thing about it? It was one of many.

"Sister! Go for the legs!" the princess of the night, Princess Luna, cried out as she dove underneath of a strike by the colossus. The titans blow was slow enough to be easily avoided, but the burst of wind generated by its strike nearly sent Luna spiraling into the torn apart streets below. She managed to keep herself aloft and cycled around behind the titan, but as she did so she had to take in the state of the city.

Multiple buildings had been toppled, lining the streets with thousands of tons of rubble. Ponies were either running for their lives or trying to save the lives of those that were wounded. But only a few were wounded. Most had passed on. Dozens of fires caused by the creatures rampage had forced the fire department to be everywhere at once, which was something they couldn't do. And then there was the second titan, off in the distance, causing even more damage.

'First thing is first. We must deal with this one,' Luna forced herself to think as she tilted to the side and went low, firing all of her lunar power into the back of the titans knee. The titan let out a bellow that could shake the city as it slowly lowered onto one knee, the back of which was now cracked and blackened by her magic. Luna let out a sigh of relief before a ray of solar light tore through the other knee of the titan, bringing down completely.

"It seems that these beings do have a weakness!" Celestia, the princess of the sun, called out to Luna as she circled by overhead. The white alicorn reared her head back as she channeled all of her power into the horn on her head, before unleashing all of her magic in a scream of rage and anguish. The magical blast struck the titan in the side of the head, drawing forth another bellow as the titan collapsed into the side of a building.

"Perhaps they do! Let us strike and strike hard!" Luna agreed with a roar before she and her sister rocketed towards the stunned titan. The being slowly turned its head to face the oncoming alicorns, its bright blue eyes glaring them down as they approached. The beast then opened its maw, which, to the horror of the princess, was filled with magic that shined like the stars.

"MOVE!" Celestia roared as she and Luna threw themselves out of the way, just in time to avoid a laser of magic that erupted from within the titans maw. The blast cleaved through the heavens and pierced through the clouds, blasting them away and allowing moonlight to shine down on the burning city.

Celestia and Luna regrouped a good distance away from the titan, which was beginning to push itself back up to its feet. The two princesses flashed a glance at the other as their foe rose back up, both of them realizing that the other was breathing heavy and looked to be near their limit.

"We are out of practice, aren't we sister?" Luna asked with a small smile to Celestia, trying to alleviate the situation as best she could. Celestia looked from her sister to the titan, and then to the burning city behind her.

"Indeed we are. And our subjects have had to suffer because of it," Celestia said in a somber tone, before gazing at their colossal foe who was lumbering towards them once more. "We need to attack it together. Attacking limbs, trying to divert its attention...none of that is working. All we can hope for now is that a combined strike will be enough to pierce its crystal armor and bring it down."

The titan opened its maw once more and fired another beam of magic into the sky, just narrowly missing the two sisters. The two sisters nodded to each other before hurling themselves towards the titan, the both of them glowing like stars in their own right as they combined their magical powers.

Both princesses let out a bellow of rage as they unleashed the both of their powers into the head of the titan, consuming it in both solar and lunar magic. The building behind the creature was practically knocked over as the power of the magic shook the landscape, but more importantly tore apart the head of the titan. The titan let out one last bellow of rage before its head finally disintegrated, allowing the sisters to end their combined attack.

Both princesses let out a tired sigh before they slowly descended to the ground, collapsing the moment their hooves touched the destroyed cityscape. Celestia fell to her knees while Luan keeled over onto her side, gasping in as much air as she could get in each lung full.

"It's dead. It's actually dead," Celestia said in-between breaths as she gazed at the now headless titan, half expecting it to regrow its head at any moment and resume its attack on the city once more.

"Sister, I'm trying to die over here and your talking is making it hard to do so," Luna wheezed out as she forced herself to sit up, smirking at her sister. Then the sound of another building being knocked over reached the ears of the two princesses and they gazed over to see that the second titan had brought down another skyscraper. Celestia and Luna channeled what little magic they had left to push themselves back up to their hooves, while drawing what rage they had to glare at the titan.

"So, think we have enough in us to bring down another one of those things?" Luna asked Celestia, both of them extending their wings to take to the skies.

"Most likely not. But we will have to bring it down anyway. We have no choice," Celestia replied as she kicked off the ground, Luna following her a moment later. The sisters sailed towards the titan with their horns glowing with power, both of them doing their best to not think about how tired they were.

The titan saw their approach and swung an arm towards the approaching alicorns, trying to swat them out of the air before they could get close enough to do any real damage to it. The princesses were forced to dodge, but the titan followed up its arm swing with a blast of magic that would have killed the princesses had they not erected a barrier of magic to protect themselves.

"Think Twilight and her friends are doing better?!" Luna called over to Celestia as the two split apart, weaving around the titan and attacking it from both sides. The titan roared at their attack, while the princesses flew straight up and positioned themselves over its head. The combined their magic once more, to a much duller light they noticed, before taking aim at the top of the creatures head.

"I pray they are, sister. We are the only hope these ponies have."

And then the two struck.

({})

Autumn Breeze had almost got used to the cries of pain or the smell of those dying all around her. She was used to her mother rushing around to save as many as she could or how she couldn't get to sleep at night if she couldn't feel the ground faintly shaking beneath her. After months of having lived in terror that the titans might kill her and everypony she knew, she had gotten used to being afraid all the time. But what she couldn't wrap her mind around was that the princesses and Ambassadors hadn't managed to defeat them yet. That was too much for her.

The small pony whose coat and mane matched her season weaved around the legs of the doctors and nurses that were hard at work trying to save those that had been wounded in the attacks by the titans, trying to ignore the fact that where they had sent up a field hospital used to be the town where she lived. She had a bucket with dry bandages gripped in her mouth and knew that the faster she got those to her mom the sooner she could get back to her other tasks.

Their village was a secure location in the center of Equestria, away from where most of the titan attacks had taken place. The princesses had chosen it as a place to tend to the survivors of the attacks, so nearly every doctor in the nation had been teleported in to lend aid to those that needed it. But even though their town was a good size, eventually the number of wounded filled up the homes and the streets.

Autumn tried not to look at the hundreds of wounded as she ran, knowing that if she saw a pony that was badly injured she'd stop for a few minutes and stare. She had to keep herself focused and on task, so that the dark thoughts that had been plaguing her ever since these attacks began wouldn't come back. She spied her mother knelt down next to a pony covered in bandages with two doctors flanking her side.

"Hey mom!" she managed to get out as she skidded to a halt next to her mother, dropping the bucket next to her hooves. Autumn's mother flashed her a quick smile, which was the most amount of joy she'd seen on her mothers face in weeks, before her stone like features returned and she pulled the bandages out of the bucket.

"Thanks dear. Now can you run these canteens of water over to the south section. They've almost run out and they're going to be getting some new arrivals soon. Rumor is last night Delemare was horribly ravaged by the titans," Summer Sky said to her daughter, placing numerous canteens over her daughters back.

"Was the entire city lost?" Autumn dared to ask, surprised when her mother flashed a bitter smile.

"No. Luckily for them the princesses made it to the city in time, but the casualties were still high. Not to mention that the princesses exhausted themselves bringing down the two titans that attacked."

"Two?" Autumn asked in shock as both of her eyes went wide with horror. "But the titans have never teamed up before. It's only been one of them attacking a city at a time! If they're starting to realize the power of teaming up..."

"You are not the only one that realizes the terror of what this new development means, but right now there is nothing we can do about it," her mother replied before leaning over and gently kissing Autumn on the forehead. "Now go drop off those canteens and go to bed. Get some rest and get ready for another hard day of work. These titans are the most destructive force that our land have ever seen, meaning that there will only be more causalities. Go rest, sweetheart."

Autumn smiled at her mother, trying to show her that she was fine, before she started to shift the canteens on her back in a way so that they wouldn't fall off. But as she adjusted the canteens a doubt began to gnaw away at the back of her mind, one that had been trying to get her attention for weeks.

"All those casualties. And those were caused with two princesses of Equestria there to stop the titans," Autumn said to her mother, getting Summer to look down at the scared face of her daughter. "But if they can't stop these monsters, if the Ambassadors can't stop these things, then what chance do the rest of us have?"

Summer was silent for the longest time after Autumn asked this, working in silence as she tried to think of an answer. Eventually she just let out a sigh and moved her head back to stare up at the sky, which was shifting from day to night.

"We just have to pray that the princesses will be strong enough to deal with this threat. They've dealt with so many threats for thousands of years now, so I guess all we can do is hope that they can deal with this one as well," Summer said to her daughter, but the mare's eyes showed that she was starting to lose faith. Autumn snuggled up to the blue coat of her mother, smiling up at her while trying to keep her moms golden mane out of her eyes.

"At least we have each other. Right mom?"

Summer smiled down at her daughter before reaching over her back and grabbing the canteens. "How about you go get some sleep and I'll drop these off for you? You're still a growing filly and you need your sleep." Autumn wanted to argue, but when she let out a small yawn she realized that her mother was right. She hugged the side of her mother before heading off to her quarters, knowing that her mother would most likely work through the night.

'I hope my mom is right and that the princesses can deal with these titans. They've always protected us in the past, so I hope they can do so now,' she thought as she walked, but the doubt hung around her like chains, dragging her down. Eventually it got so bad that she had to stop and stare at the heavens, which were now brimming with an uncountable number of stars. One of the stars shone brighter than all the others and seemed to be right above her. Despite knowing that it was just something little foals did, Autumn closed her eyes.

"If anypony is listening, if anypony is up there, I need help. My home, my family, my nation is under attack. And...I'm scared. Every day I'm scared that that day will be my last. We're trying to stay positive, trying to believe, but we're running out of strength and faith. Please...if anypony is there...help us. I beg of you."

Autumn waited for five minutes after she finished her prayer for some kind of sign, but when nothing happened she let out a dejected sigh and walked into her tent. She laid down on her cot and wrapped herself in her blanket, her heart sinking into the depths of her chest as she felt the faint tremors of the titans off in the distance, destroying anything they came across. And she was terrified she would be next.

Thunder

The castle on the top of Canterlot had been turned into a fortress. Armed guards patrolled the halls at every hour, tacticians and magical users filled the rooms while going over battle plans against the titans and the numerous bedrooms were occupied by dozens of ponies that needed a reprieve from the constant battling.

But two alicorns weren't able to take a moments reprieve, so as everypony moved out of the way of the exhausted sisters Celestia and Luna did their best not to show how tired they were. The two of them nodded whenever ponies bowed to them, but other than that they made no efforts to stop as they marched towards the command center. Celestia opened the door for her sister and the both of them walked inside to see that their other main protectors were already in the room.

"Twilight. I am glad to see that you and your friends have survived your encounter with the titans in the south," Celestia greeted Twilight with a curt nod, before turning her attention to the other five members of harmony. All of them wore strong looks on their faces, but Celestia could see the weariness and exhaustion creeping in. Aside from her and her sister, the Ambassadors had been fighting the longest. "There is little time so I will be brief. Last night my sister and I discovered that these titans are not as invincible as we previously thought."

The exhaustion in the eyes of the Ambassadors melted away with amazement at the news and all of them leaned closer to hear what Celestia had to say. "Last night my sister and I battled with a pair of titans in a city far from here. There, we combined out might and managed to blast the head off of one of the crystal monstrosities. Unlike the other times we've taken a limb off of these beasts, this time the monster stayed down."

"So all we need to kill them is have enough magic equal to the strength of two alicorns," Rainbow said with a smirk, but her usual sarcasm was instead replaced with exhaustion.

"Our rainbow power should be able to make up for that, even if the titans are magic resistant," Twilight told her friends before looking up at Celestia with a look of sorrow. "I am sorry princess, but we weren't able to completely protect all of the ponies in Mareiland. We...we lost near a thousand when the second titan showed up. We managed to chase it back, but..."

Luna held out a hoof and gently placed it on Twilight's shoulder, getting the princess to look up at the princess of the night. "This is war, dear Twilight, and the unfortunate reality of war is that there will always be causalities, no matter how hard we fight to make sure there is not. We cannot drag ourselves down with those we failed to save, but instead realize that due to our actions there are those that survived. That is the only way you can keep yourself going."

"Thank you princess, I will remember that," Twilight said with grateful smile, before Celestia used her magic to create a map of Equestria. Numerous cities had marks above them and even a few of them had a red X over them.

"So far the titans have been pushing themselves inland, despite our best efforts to keep them out. They are definitely pushing towards Canterlot, and by extension the symbol of Equestria's power," Celestia recapped for the group, some of who were shocked at how many cities had already been lost. "That alone makes me think that there is a mind behind these monsters."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

"Some of the smaller towns have been completely avoided despite being right in the way of a titans path. If the titans were just destroying everything in their way, then those towns would be gone," Luna spoke up for her sister. "But they were ignored for a bigger target. So either the titans don't care for the smaller towns or the mind behind them doesn't. And given how the titans will destroy anything, I'm willing to bet the latter."

"A mind behind these monsters, that makes sense," Twilight muttered, before a sad thought came to her. "But even if there is somepony controlling these things, we can't go look for them. It's taking everything in our power to keep these things from destroying everything in their path. If any of us were to go look for the monster behind this, the casualties would skyrocket."

"I agree with Twi. We can't leave the front lines to go look. And if there isn't anypony there, we would have doomed how many on a wild goose chase," Applejack spoke up, her expression showing that she didn't like what she was saying. "Ah think our best bet is to hopefully wait out these titans. These things can't be easy to build and whoever is building them can't keep it up without more crystal."

"Without more crystal..." Luna muttered to herself before her eyes went wide with horror. "The Crystal Empire! The one place the titans haven't attacked yet!"

"Of course. At first we thought that they were avoiding the Crystal Empire because of the heart, but what if whoever is controlling these titans were waiting until we were weakened before striking," Celestia finished. As soon as she said this, the door to the room was kicked open and a guard ran inside.

"Princesses! Emergency call from the Crystal Empire! Seven titans have appeared there and are laying siege to the empire!" the guard blurted out. Celestia and the others all shared the same look of horror, before a scout pony flew into the room behind the guard.

"Princesses! Three titans are on the outskirts of Ponyville!" the scout informed the group, getting the Ambassadors to gasp in disbelief. "Also, there is a pair of titans heading towards one of our hospital towns a good ways from here! We don't have enough forces to fend these things off!"

"Thank you. You are both dismissed," Celestia instructed, but the two were hardly out of the room before she had turned to the others. "Here is what we will do. My sister and I will head towards the Crystal Empire and defend it. If we lose it, not only are we down Cadence and Shining Armor, but the titans will have a lot more crystal to keep building their forces."

"Twilight, you and your friends will head to Ponyville and defend it. If we lose a place so close to Canterlot, we may soon lose this city as well. Not to mention I am certain that this is a direct attack against the six of you," Luna continued on before her horn began to glow. Twilight nodded and motioned for her friends to follow her, but Pinkie raised a hoof. "Yes Pinkie?"

"But what about that town with all the wounded ponies?" she asked. Luna and Celestia both shared a bitter glance before they sighed.

"We must defend these two places first. And if we can afterwards, we will go to that town. But unfortunately, we cannot be everywhere...as much as it pains me to say. We have to focus on winning the war and we can't do that without either Ponyville or the Crystal Empire. Now go. You have your orders."

Luna and Celestia vanished in a flash of light, leaving Twilight to glance back at their friends. They all wore the same bitter look that she did, but they all knew that the princesses were right. So as Twilight cast a spell, the six of them vanished to go defend their home. It was all they could do.

({[]})

Autumn had never run so hard in her life. The titans had practically appeared out of nowhere, lumbering towards their town from the north and the south. The guards stationed their had just enough time to sound the alarm before going to stall the titans. They knew they couldn't win. Everypony in the town knew that they couldn't win.

'Gotta find mom! She'll know what to do!' Autumn thought to herself as she weaved in and out of the stampeding ponies, all of who were either running for their lives or trying to find their loved ones. She glanced up to see the guard tower on the edge of town be knocked over by one of the titans, who was now making his way into the town. The titan brought back a fist and slammed it into the ground at the edge of the city, sending out a shockwave that knocked Autumn Breeze off of her hooves.

"MOM!" Autumn called out as she pushed herself back up, turning around to see the second titan entering her town. The beast brought back its head to take in a breath, before it opened its maw and unleashed a blast of magic into the clocktower in the center of the town. The magic blasted it to ash, while everything else the beam struck went up in flames.

A pony slammed into the side of Autumn and knocked her into the mud, getting the filly to groan as she slowly pushed herself up once more. Through pain filled eyes she watched as the first titan reached one of the hospitals they had set up, lifting a massive foot over it before slamming it down with an earth shaking force. She was too far away to see what had become of the ponies, but from the screaming in the distance she could guess.

The best way for her was away from the titans, so she took of in the direction that they weren't going. A herd of ponies went with her, all of them doing what they could to outrace the others. But while she ran Autumn kept an eye out for her mother, hope starting to fade in her heart. Yet when she ran by the hospital she had been helping at, she spied her mother helping the sick and wounded out of the town out of their tents.

"MOM!" Autumn yelled as she tackled her mother, nearly knocking her over.

"Autumn! You're safe!" Summer Sky exclaimed with relief before she pulled her daughter into a tight hug, a hug that only lasted a moment before Summer broke apart. "You need to get out of here now! The titans will be coming this way soon and you can't be here when they do! I'm going to stay here and help the wounded get out!"

"I'm not leaving you, mom!" Autumn said with such a voice of finality that Summer looked down at her daughter with surprise. She then gave her a loving smile before she pointed to a group of foals hiding in a tent across from them.

"See those foals? They're too scared to get out by themselves. Help get them out of here," Summer instructed. Autumn nodded before she ran over to the foals, all of who were cowering underneath of a table.

"Come on you guys, we need to get out of here!" Autumn instructed to the foals, all of who shook with fear and closed their eyes. Autumn sighed at their response before she ran behind the hiding group and pushed against them, kicking them out of their hiding place. "Trust me you guys, you don't want to be hiding under a table for protection when a titan shows up. We need to go!"

The foals were too scared to argue and they followed Autumn as she ran out of the tent, leading them through the parts of the streets that weren't filled with stampeding ponies. "We're going to be heading for the east exit! Stay together and don't get lost!"

"Why don't we go with the others?!" one of the foals called out, before a roar that chilled all of their souls echoed throughout the town. A third titan then rose out of the ground at the edge of the town, right in the way of where most of the ponies had been running towards. The monster let out a roar before it fired a blast of magic into the large group of escaping ponies, reducing them to ash in seconds.

"That's why," Autumn replied in a whisper as she tried to get the foals to run with her, but the sight of ponies being vaporized had gotten the foals to be frozen with fear. The titan then began to look around, looking for another set of targets. And then its spied the group of foals, with numerous other ponies standing around them. The titan slowly began to march towards them. Autumn tried one last time to get the ponies to move, but none of them did. All they did was watch as the bringer of their end walked towards them.

"Autumn!" Summer called out as she ran over to her daughter, pulling her into a hug and holding her tight before staring up at the massive monster. The creature came to a stop and stared down at them, hatred and power flashing in its eyes. It then drew back its head as magic formed in its mouth, shaking the ground with its power. "Don't look, dear," Summer whispered as she pulled Autumn close. "Just close your eyes."

Autumn did so, holding her mom close one last time.

An explosion with enough force to tear apart the sky and shake the land asunder erupted over the heads of the ponies, getting Autumn to snap open her eyes and look up. A vortex of black clouds were swirling overhead, in a way that the ponies had never seen before. Even the titan stopped its attack to look up, unsure of what was happening. Then something fell out of the sky. Something so tiny that the ponies couldn't see it until it was right on top of the titan.

Crystal was shattered into dust as the item collided with the head of the titan, falling straight through its head and cleaving its body down the middle. The titan let out a weak noise before its entire body shattered into billions of pieces, just as the item slammed into the ground in front of the ponies who all stared at what had just killed an unkillable titan.

It was a large hammer.

The hammers impact had created a good sized crater, but the destruction of the titan had drawn the attention of the other two titans, who began to march towards the group of ponies. But then something else fell out of the sky, something else that caused the titans to stop as it too landed in front of the ponies.

The being was slightly taller than the princesses, yet gave off an aura of power that dwarfed the princesses in comparison. His blond hair gently drifted around his shoulders, while a helmet of silver with wings on the side shined atop his head. A red cape blew in the breeze behind him, while his armored suit barely contained the muscles that was beneath it.

He extended its hand towards the hammer and at once the hammer flew from the ground to his hand, almost as if the hammer was determined to be with its owner once more. The moment the hammer touched his hand, the sky let out a cascade of thunder so mighty that it sounded like a chorus of power singing the arrival of the new being. The titans, beings that took on the princesses without fear, backed away slightly from the being that had arrived. Then the being looked behind him at the group of ponies, glancing over them before his eyes rested upon the stunned face of Autumn. Then he smiled and she realized what he was.

"You...you're..."

"Aye. There is no longer need to fear, little one," the being said before he turned back to the titans, the lightning of the gods flashing in his eyes as he began to swing his hammer.

"Thor has heard your prayer."

Thor

Celestia and Luna weren't capable of comprehending what they were looking at.

For hours they had fought alongside Cadence and Shining Armor, along with the Crystal Empire forces, against the onslaught of the titan army. A dozen titans had attacked the Empire and forced them into the fight of their lives, forcing them to unleash more of their magical power than they ever thought they could. But it hadn't been enough. The titans had pushed them further and further back until they were right at the walls of the empire.

Then the sky opened up and lightning had descended upon the titans, followed by a being that looked similar yet was so different to the princesses. That being then annihilated the titan army in a little under ten minutes with a hammer that could smash through the titans almost as if they were made of glass. So as the princesses watched, slacked jawed and amazed, the being with the hammer decimated a force that was the princesses had thought to be unstoppable.

"Sister...do you have any idea what that is?" Luna asked her sister from the top of the Crystal Empire walls, staring down at the being in the red cape with the winged helmet that was kicking around what remained of the titans like they were toys.

"Whatever it is it is incredibly powerful, sister. Far more powerful than anything I have ever seen in my entire life," Celestia whispered in a scared tone as the being lifted the body of a titan with one hand and hurled it over the horizon, getting Celestia to widen her eyes even further.

"I don't even think Discord can match it's power," Cadence said from behind the two of them while Shining Armor stared in awe. "But whatever it is, it helped us defeat the titans that were invading my home. So maybe, just thinking out loud, it's on our side?"

"There is only one way to find out."

Celestia and Luna extended their wings and descended towards the caped being, trying to get a reading on him as they did so. As the two of them got closer they both became aware of his power, which felt somewhat magical, but so much more. They gently landed on the grass behind the being and cleared their throats to announce their presence, not wanting to get closer than they had to. The being turned around to glance at the two, before he smiled and waved to them.

"Greetings, alicorns!" the being said in a tone filled with mirth and power, one that made the princesses back away from him slightly.

"You...have heard of alicorns before?" Celestia asked in a tentative voice.

"Of course. Asgard is home to many miraculous forms of life. I have seen unicorn, pegasi and even the occasional alicorn in my land. Of course, those ones do not speak!" the being laughed before he walked right up to the two princesses, who realized that he was a full head taller than them. "Greetings, rulers of the land. I am Thor. God of Thunder."

"Um, greetings, Thor. What brings...a god...to our land?" Luna asked, her words picked very carefully. She wasn't certain if the being before her was a god or not, but when she took a moment to glance around at all of the decimated titans, she found that the idea was not impossible.

"I came to answer the prayer of one of your foals," Thor replied as he walked towards another titan's body, lifting it with one hand and chucking it off into the distance. "Her prayer was so intense and so sincere that I heard her desperation all the way from Asgard. I would have been here sooner, but the All-Father has been difficult as of late. But all that is of no importance now! For Thor is here to aid thee in thy hour of plight!"

"I...see," Celestia said before flashing a look at Luna, one that Luna had come to learn meant that Celestia was out of her depth.

"Um, Lord Thor..."

"No need for such titles. Thor will suffice," Thor corrected.

"Alright then Thor, as I do not wish to waste the time of one of such...stature, I will say that this is not the only place where the titans have attacked," Luna began, using her horn to create a map of Equestria. Thor raised an eyebrow with a smile at her display of magic, before he waved a hand through the magical map. "There have been titans attacking Ponyville while we-"

"I am aware of such attacks. I dealt with those titans before I arrived to save thee," Thor informed the princesses, who eyes went wide at Thor's words. "I have also defeated those that attacked your cities and towns here, here and here," Thor continued as he pointed to numerous different towns and cities, getting the princesses eyes to widen even further.

"However, I was not aware that there were titan attacks along the cities at the coast. I shall dispose of them with haste," Thor decreed before he backed away from the princesses and began to swing his hammer, causing a massive gust of wind to nearly knock the princesses over. "We shall rejoin where Autumn Breeze first prayed for my aid. Until then, fare thee well."

Thor then threw his hammer skyward while still hanging onto the grip, ripping himself from the ground and hurling him up into the sky. The princesses watched him go until he was gone from their sight, still trying to process what they had just witnessed. Cadence and Shining Armor walked up behind the two princesses, who turned to see that the two were waiting for an explanation.

"Celestia. Luna. Who was that?" Cadence asked. Celestia took a long sigh after that question was asked, as if she herself was not sure of what she was about to say.

"That, my friends, was Thor. A god. Father help us all."

({[]})

Thor could hear the roaring of the titans before he saw them. The might of Mjolnir drew Thor to where the titans were ravaging a city by the sea. Thor counted three as he broke through the cloud cover and descended, narrowing his eyes as the monsters looked up to see his arrival.

The titan he was flying towards opened its maw and unleashed a beam of pure magic towards Thor, with enough force to destroy a mountain. Thor smirked as Mjolnir pierced through the magic and rocketed Thor right into the face of the titan, not at all slowed down by the magical force. With a bellow Thor thrust Mjolnir threw the head of the titan, breaking it apart in a single hit and raining crystal shards down upon the city below. Thor then slammed his boots into what remained of the creatures face, driving it into the streets and crushing its throat with his godly strength.

"Why is it always giants?" Thor asked as he turned towards the other titans, who were lumbering through the streets towards where the god had struck down the first titan. "I have wrestled stars, fought black holes and waged war with those that could devour worlds. And yet I am always brought back to giants."

Thor chucked Mjolnir towards one of the advancing titans, shattering the titans knee and causing it to collapse to the ground in front of Thor. The monster roared at Thor as it reached out a hand to grab hold of the god of thunder, but Thor simply smirked before he extended his hand and called Mjolnir back to him. Mjolnir crashed through the back of the titans head and burst through its forehead to return to Thor, who turned towards the final titan with a smirk upon his face.

"But while tall and made of crystal, these foes do not posses the same challenge of the Frost Giants. I am almost disappointed," Thor lamented as he began to swing his hammer once more, causing lightning to crackle along Mjolnir. The final titan started to back away from the god, having seen what he had done to its brethren, but that action got another smirk out of Thor.

"Nay. There is no escaping my wrath."

Thor thrust his hammer into the sky, summoning thunder clouds which roared overhead in a fury of lightning. Dozens of bolts came raining down onto the god of thunder, striking Mjolnir and charging it with the power of the heavens. Thor then pointed the hammer between the titans eyes and a moment later a blast of lightning far more powerful than any that had come before it tore the head off of the crystal being, leaving a smoking stump where its head used to be. Thor watched the creature fall over and collapse into the city, before he turned to see the citizens of the city looking at him with shock and awe.

"Are all of thee unharmed?" Thor asked the ponies, who couldn't even muster the will to respond to the being that called down the heavens. Thor raised an eyebrow at the silence by the ponies, but with a shrug he turned away from them and began to spin his hammer.

"Wait!" a voice called out, getting Thor to turn back to the ponies once more. A foal, one smaller than the one that had prayed for him, walked to the front of the crowd. He stared up at Thor with wide eyes, as if he was trying to take all of Thor in and couldn't.

"Yes, little one? What do you require of Thor?"

"I-it's just...the princesses struggled to bring down one of these titans. Our magic and weapons have no effect. But you...you defeated three of them like they were nothing," the foal stammered out, getting a smile to cross Thor's face. "And the princesses are the strongest beings in the land. So what does that make you?"

"A god, little one. I am a god."

Thor then hurled Mjolnir and took to the skies once more, leaving an awestruck crowd of ponies to watch the divine being ascend into the sky. And as he vanished in a flash of thunder, smiles began to cross their faces. Smiles they hadn't had in so long.

({[]})

Autumn held up a cup of water to her mother, who drank it down in a heartbeat before she returned her focus to the pony she was bandaging. Autumn raced off to get another drink for her mother, before the sound of thunder rumbling overhead turned her and every other head towards the sky. A moment after the thunder rumbled Thor descended down from above, landing hammer first into the ground in the center of the town.

With cries of joy all of the ponies in town that weren't too wounded to walk or helping those that were went over to Thor, who towered over the ponies by a good four feet. He smiled to them as he waded through the crowd, all of who made room for him when he got close. Despite the amazement and respect they had for him, none of the ponies wanted to get too close.

Thor spied Autumn and waded over to her, watching with interest as the filly raced a drink of water to her mother before looking over to Thor. She gazed at him with awe before looking back to her mom with uncertainty. Thor walked over to her and sat down inside of the tent with Autumn and Summer, despite that he barely fit inside of the tent.

"Greetings, young Autumn Breeze. I hope that you are well?" Thor asked Autumn, who moved closer to her mother while giving Thor a hesitant smile.

"H-hello, Mr. Thor," Autumn managed to stammer out.

"Thor is fine, young one. I have come to inform you that I have answered your prayer. Your home of Equestria is no longer in danger from the titans that have plagued your lands," Thor said to Autumn, whose eyes went wide with surprise the same way her mothers did. "I have flown across the entire land three times and have found no trace of their evil. You will no longer have to fear their wrath any longer."

"Thank you," Autumn said in an awed tone, while the ponies that had been listening outside of the tent began to cheer and celebrate what Thor had said. Thor made a motion like he was about to get up, but then a thought came to him and he sat down once more, a concerned expression upon his face as he rested a hand on the handle of Mjolnir.

"Young Autumn, daughter of Summer, may I ask thee a question?" Thor asked, waiting until Autumn nodded before he continued. "While I am glad to have aided you in your hour of need, I only heard of your prayer because I was listening for any cries from help. And in your prayer I heard no mention of any of the gods of your world. Forgive me if I am intruding, but why did thee not pray to thy gods?"

"Um, we don't have gods," Autumn replied to Thor, who let out a small sigh at her words before nodding for her to continue.

"If I may interrupt, Lord Thor," Summer Sky asked with trepidation, waiting until Thor smiled and nodded to her. "All we've ever had is the princesses to protect us, to look out for us. And then Twilight and her friends showed up. They protect us the best they can, but some times, like recently, it's not enough. Aside from Discord, who we can't rely on, Equestria has never had...gods. Nowhere in the history books is there even a mention of them."

"I see. That troubles me," Thor muttered to himself before he rose to his full height, the wings of his helmet ripping through the top of the tent. "I will go speak with Celestia, ruler of the sun, and Luna, ruler of the moon, on this matter of the lack of gods on your world. I thought that after Gor I had solved this issue, but it is clear that I did not try hard enough."

Thor walked out from the tent and started to swing his hammer, building up enough speed to create a small whirlwind.

"Thor!" Autumn cried out, getting Thor to look over at her with interest. "Thank you...for answering my prayer! But what will you do after this?! Will you go back to...As...gard?"

"Nay, young one. Until I can ensure that your prayers never go unanswered again, Equestria is where I shall stay. For there is nothing worse than the prayers of a child that go unanswered. Until I know for certain that you are safe, until I have truly answered your prayer, then I cannot leave. You have the word of a god," Thor comforted her before he hurled his hammer into the sky and sailed into the clouds, leaving Autumn with the flower of hope blooming in her heart.

A Godless Nation

"A god?" Twilight repeated, not sure that she had heard Celestia right the first time. "Like, a literal god, one that can move the planet and tear asunder the heavens? That kind of god?"

"Yes Twilight, that is how Thor introduced himself," Celestia said to Twilight once more. "He called himself the god of thunder."

The Ambassadors had returned to Canterlot after Ponyville had been saved by a being with a massive hammer had dealt with the titans that had been attacking the city. The titan's had been dispatched so quickly that none of the six had any idea what to make of the being before he had flown off to a different part of the nation. They had returned to Canterlot to tell Celestia what they had witnessed, only to find out that the same being had single handedly ended a war with a being they weren't sure they could beat.

None of them knew if that was a good thing.

"But...but there has never been a god in Equestria. Not unless we count Discord and I'm not sure about him," Twilight stammered out, trying to wrap her mind around what divine being had landed in their world. "Say this Thor is a god. Say he's what he claims to be. Why is he here? What would bring somepony like him to our world?"

"According to Lord Thor himself, he heard the desperate prayer of one of the foals in our land, one that was desperate enough to reach him all the way in Asgard," Luna informed the six, who all shared uncertain looks with each other. "He then proceeded to wipe out every known titan across the land. My sister and I have been communicating with our forces and they all say the same thing happened. The sky was filled with thunder and lightning, Thor descended upon them and then easily wiped the titans off the face of Equis."

"That makes him a god in my book," Shining Armor said from beside Cadence, both of who had joined up with Celestia and Luna when they had gone back to Canterlot. "Nothing we threw at the titans could even dent them. Thor wiped them off the face of the planet in a single day. If he's not a god, he's the closest thing to one that I've ever met."

"But is that a good thing?" Cadence asked, turning all heads to her. "We couldn't fend off the titans. Thor decimated them. What do we do if he turns that power on us?"

"Why would he do that? Didn't you hear the princesses? He came here to help," Pinkie stated, but all her words did was get Cadence to shake her head.

"Gods, at least what little I know of them, are fickle creatures. Look at Discord. He's on our side and we still have issues with him. Or how about the other gods of the other nations? We've seen how they've treated us and even their own people over the years. How are we to know that Thor won't turn that hammer on us?"

The group silently drunk in the possibility of having to fight a being like Thor, before Luna shook her head and regained control of the conversation. "We will cross that bridge if we come to it. Right now we should be thanking Thor for aiding us in our hour of need. Without him many lives would have been lost, but now it seems that the war is finally over."

"That's good to hear. Unfortunately, that means we must now fully deal with the casualties and the rebuilding of our nation," Celestia added on with a look of weariness. "And then I will find the foal whose prayer was strong enough to summon Thor to our world and bury them in gold and praise. It is the least we can do for them."

"Hey princesses, I've got a question," Rainbow Dash said from where she was leaning against a pillar, getting the sisters to look at her. "Why don't we have a god or goddess to help us in times like these? I mean, is it just our nation that doesn't have a deity or is it all of the other nations as well?"

Celestia and Luna shared a long look with each other, one that made the faces of every other pony in the room be filled with confusion. Before either of them could answer Dash's question, a loud rumbling was heard overhead and the throne room began to shake. A moment later the mighty Thor descended through one of the windows, landing hammer first into the center of the room.

His arrival nearly knocked every pony in the room off of their hooves, while the impact of the hammer striking the stone floor created a massive, hammer shaped dent in the center of the room that the princesses knew would be there for a long time. Celestia and Luna watched with uncertain eyes as Thor rose up to his full height, while the Ambassadors and the rulers of the Crystal Empire backed away from the god with disbelief in their eyes.

"W-what in the world?" Twilight asked with fear in her eyes as her whole body began to shake with fear. "This power. This overwhelming power. I've never felt anything like it. It's...it's beyond anything I could..."

Shining Armor had placed himself between his wife and Thor, a look of both terror and disbelief upon his features. Cadence had a look that was more angry than afraid, but even she couldn't keep out the fear she felt for the divine power that she felt. None of the ponies could believe the raw power that they could feel coming from the being before them.

"Aye, princesses. I have the same question," Thor agreed with Dash as he walked into the center of the room, intrigued to see that all of the ponies aside from the princesses of the sun and moon backed away from him. He chuckled to himself slightly before his face set like stone and he turned his godly gaze upon Celestia and Luna. "Why is it that Equestria is a land without gods? From my experiences with the worlds, there is at least a god for dead world, let alone a world filled with life like this. Why is Equestria different?"

"Ambassadors. Cadence. Shining Armor. Please leave," Celestia asked the others, who all stared at her with disbelief as they heard her words. "I know that what I am asking may confuse you, but for the time being I ask that you listen to me. I will explain everything when I am able to at a later time."

Begrudgingly, everypony in the room that wasn't Luna left the throne room, eventually leaving the two alicorns alone with Thor. Celestia nodded to her sister, who nodded in reply before she used her magic to seal off the walls and doors, along with the windows. Thor raised an eyebrow at their magic, but it was quickly forgotten when Celestia let out a sigh and used her magic to create an image that floated in the center of the room.

The image was of a white alicorn, one with a red mane that flowed down to her shoulders. Upon her flank was an image of a quill and pot of ink, while a look at her eyes showed a kindness and creativity that Thor hadn't seen in a long time. But even though it was just an image, he could still feel the divine energy that was coming off of her. And he instantly knew.

"This was your goddess, wasn't she?" Thor asked.

"Yes. This is Faust. She is...was the goddess of Equestria," Celestia whispered in a voice that would have been hard to pick up if not for Thor's godly hearing. "She is credited with creating our world, creating all of us, and then helping to shape our future for the longest of times."

"But then one day, she vanished," Luna added on, though her tone was more reverent than her sisters. "Nopony knows why. Some say that her power ran out and she vanished. Other's say the other gods of our world forced her from her position. Nopony knows. But ever since that day we have been without a divine being we can rely on to aid us. We...have hidden all records of her existence from the ponies of our nation. If they knew that we had been abandoned by our own deity..."

"I see. I am sorry to hear of this," Thor said with a nod of his head, before he swung Mjolnir at the image and changed it to an image of Discord. The princesses eyes went wide at how easily he manipulated their magic, but Thor never noticed. "I heard mention of this being called Discord and how he is a deity as well. Why does he not take up her role?"

"Because he is a god of chaos and hates to be bound by anything," Celestia replied, getting Thor to sigh with a shake of his head. He had dealt with enough gods of chaos to understand. "Not to mention that he really doesn't act like the other divinity in this world. If anything, he is more like a child than a god."

"Tis a shame. Yet you have just said that there are other divines in this world. Why not ask for their aid in your hour of plight? Why was a filly forced to call upon the aid of one beyond the stars of her own world?" Thor put forward. The look that Celestia and Luna gave each other after he spoke told him that he would not like the answer.

"Each race or nation in this world has their own deity, one that is there to protect them and only them," Luna eventually replied, wincing slightly as Thor's face became thunderous. "They care not what happens to those outside of their own jurisdiction and have been known to let entire species been wiped out. As long as it is not theirs, they hardly bat an eye."

A flash of lightning cracked across the sky above the castle, followed by a massive boom of thunder. Celestia and Luna took a step back from Thor as they felt their castle rumble slightly, shaking from the anger that Thor felt within him. But his restraint took hold a moment later and he mastered himself. "Celestia, ruler of the sun, and Luna, ruler of the moon, why do the two of you not take the place of your missing goddess?"

"Because we're not gods," Luna replied with a sarcastic smirk, getting Thor to raise an eyebrow at her. "We aren't anywhere near powerful enough to take on the role left by Faust. The titans made that clear when they trampled over our land."

"Pity. Are there any within Equestria that could take up the role?" Thor asked, but to his disappointment both princesses shook their heads at him. Thor crossed his arms and lowered his head onto his chest, losing himself in a thought that neither of the princesses dared to interrupt. Then his eyes seemed to thunder and he raised his head once more, his expression telling Celestia and Luna that he had come to a decision.

"Then here is an idea. Until I am able to find one that is capable of replacing your lost goddess, there is only one course of action for the time being," Thor told the two princesses, who both looked at him with some confusion. "Thor, the god of thunder, shall become Equestria's god."

The princesses eyes went as wide as they could go at Thor's words and both of them opened their mouths to speak, yet nothing came out of either. "Do not try to change my mind. Thor has spoken," Thor told the two, neither of whom had yet recovered from his words. "And do not believe that I shall take away your power or position. I have no desire to do either. My task shall be to aid your land and aid those within it until either another god is chosen to take my place or your land no longer needs my aid. Only then, when all of the nations prayers have been answered, shall I leave."

"B-but what about your world, Thor?" Celestia managed to stammer out. "Will your world not be needing your power to protect it?"

"The champions of my world are more than capable of defending the world. And I am not the only god on Midgard," Thor replied with a smile, one that was as flashy and strong as the lightning he could conjure. "And from the prayers I have heard in the short time that I have been here, it is clear that your world is in dire need of divine intervention. Unless of course, you both believe that you are up to the tasks of a god?"

Celestia and Luna both averted their gaze from Thor, knowing that recent events prevented them from answering. Thor smiled as he turned towards the window that he had entered from and he began to spin his hammer, yet before he was able to leave the throne room Celestia stepped forward.

"Thor. God you may be but...I will only allow you to take the role of god of Equestria if the ponies of my nation accept you first," Celestia said with all the courage and strength she could muster into her voice, masking the unfathomable amounts of terror she felt within. Thor turned back to look at her, surprise written clearly upon his features. "I may rule over them, but I am not a dictator. What they wish is what I do. And I will not allow anypony to force their will on them. Even a god."

Celestia stared Thor in the eyes as she said this, using every last ounce of her willpower to keep from breaking down under his thunderous gaze. Luna glanced at her sister like she was crazy, before glancing up the sky to make sure no lightning came down to smite her sister. For a moment Thor considered Celestia before a thin smile crossed his face.

"You have courage in you Celestia, a courage akin to those that I call my allies," Thor told her with a small nod. "Very well. Thor shall heed your request and allow those you protect to determine whether or not they wish for Thor to take the place as their god. Yet even if they do not, I will remain in Equestria until a new god is chosen."

"That...I have no objection to," Celestia agreed, knowing better than to push her luck. "Three days. Give me three days to find out what my nation wishes, if you would not mind."

"Excellent. Then during my stay I shall require the aid of those that know of this land, so that they may explain its customs and culture to me," Thor said aloud as he began to spin his hammer once more.

"We have plenty of ponies that we assign to ambassadors of other nations when they come to our land," Luna informed Thor. "We can assign one of them to you if you like?"

"Nay. Thor already knows which two ponies he will ask to aid him during his time here," Thor replied before he hurled his hammer towards the horizon and flew out of the castle, leaving the princesses to watch him sail away.

"Sister...are you alright?" Luna asked.

"No, sister. My life is still flashing before my eyes. I can't believe that I actually did that."

"Did what?"

"I argued with a god and didn't die. I'm...terrified."

"...yeah, that kinda terrified me too. Think he's upset?"

"If he is, we will find out very soon."

Chosen by a God

With a grunt Autumn managed to pull out a photo of her family from underneath a huge pile of stone, making the photo one of the few items that she had managed to recover from what remained of her home. On the other side of the destroyed structure was her mother, who was trying to salvage anything of importance that she could find. Autumn looked around at what remained of her home with a sad sigh, recalling all the memories she had.

But then a glance around the rest of her town showed that she was one of the lucky ones. Despite Thor having dealt with the titans with ease, much of her town hadn't survived the battle. Countless homes had been wiped off the face of the planet and many of the ponies she had grown up with had moved on to the next life. And while emotions had risen thanks to the arrival of Thor, there was still an air of despair that all could feel.

"Sweetheart, could you come over here for a moment?" Summer asked her daughter, who shook her head free of the dark thoughts and bound over to her mom. Summer spied the photo that Autumn was holding and gently took it from her, smiling bitterly at the image. She placed the photo in a pouch with other items of importance from their home before pulling her daughter into a hug. "You doing okay?"

"I'm fine mom," Autumn Breeze replied, pushing herself closer to her mother as the two of them gazed at the ruins of their home.

"I know and that's what worries me," Summer Sky replied before turning her golden eyes down towards her daughter. "You've seen death, pain and the destruction of your home, yet you don't seem...well, bothered by it. I don't know whether that means you have an unbreakable will or are in serious need of some therapy. How are you doing it?"

"It's...it's really hard to deal with mom, I can't deny that," Autumn replied before a smile spread across her face and she flashed that smile at her mother. "But the reason I can deal with it okay is because, well, my prayers were answered. In our darkest hour, the heavens helped us. And I never thought that would happen."

"And sadly young one, you are not the only to think that way."

Autumn and Summer turned their eyes towards the heavens in time to see the god of thunder descend into their village, landing next to their ruined home. He quickly glanced from the pair of them to the destroyed building, understanding instantly what had happened.

"I am sorry for the loss of your home. Had I been here soon, perhaps I would have been able to save it," Thor apologized, but Summer instantly shook her head.

"Please Lord Thor, do not disparage your actions. You saved my daughter, my only family. There is nothing I can do to ever repay you for that," Summer quickly said to Thor while bowing her head slightly. "Yes our home is gone, but it is only a building and items. All of those can be replaced. My daughter is irreplaceable. All of the lives you saved are."

"Yeah, not to mention that you totally smashed all of the titans plaguing our land!" Autumn reminded Thor. "If you weren't a god I'm pretty certain that we'd all be hailing you as a hero! Heck, you're both!"

"Thank you for the kind words, my friends. I am grateful that I was able to help," Thor replied with a smile before his face became more serious. "However, I would like to ask a favor of the both of you, if you would be alright with heeding my words."

"Of course Lord Thor, what is it you wished to ask?" Summer asked.

"Despite my divine nature, I am still a stranger in this land and am...unaccustomed to the ways and people of this land," Thor began as he lay his hammer on the ground and sat down before the two ponies, but even sitting down he was still easily taller than the both of them. "I have asked your rulers if they would be fine with me taking the mantel of god of Equestria, due to your lack of a deity."

Both Summer and Autumn's eyes went wide at Thor's words, but he was too busy speaking to notice. "Celestia, princess of the sun, has asked that the ponies of your land decide whether or not I become their god, instead of agreeing to allow me to take up to role. Out of respect for her courage, I agreed. Now I wait to hear from her, but even if your species does not grant me my request, I will not be abandoning you until I am certain that your prayers will never go unanswered again."

"I am thankful to hear that, Lord Thor. But, if I may ask, what does any of this have to do with the two of us," Summer asked once more.

"That is simple, Summer Sky. I request that while I am in this land, the two of you will be escorts and show me the ways of your world," Thor requested and once more his words caused the two ponies jaws to hit the floors. Summer looked down at her daughter with uncertainty in her eyes, while Autumn looked up at her mother with amazement in hers.

"I...I am honored that you would choose me out of everypony in this land to ask, but I am hardly qualified," Summer stammered out, trying to wrap her head around what Thor was asking of her. "Before the titans attack, I was just a nurse at the hospital. Being an escort to a god is...beyond my experience."

"Do not sell yourself short, daughter of Spring, you proved during the attack on the titans that you have a courage and strength that is more than worthy enough to stand with a god," Thor corrected for her with a smile, before he glanced down at Autumn. "And young Autumn has shown that her faith is stronger than many I have come across, if it was able to draw the aid of Thor. The two of you are a perfect fit for the role of escorts and I will hear no words otherwise."

Autumn smiled up at her mom with excitement, but Summer was racking her brain with any way she could say no to a god. Then she looked back at what remained of her home and then glanced at the bag of belongings that she had managed to scrounge up, what little they had left.

'We've lost our home and almost everything we owned. I can't take care of my daughter like this...I can't protect her like this,' Summer realized before she looked up at the smiling face of Thor, who was waving to the ponies that were standing around him with awe on their faces. 'But if she is in the care of a god, a being that took down those titans with such ease...'

"Very well, Lord Thor. If it is alright with my daughter, then I will do my best to escort you around the lands of Equestria and show you the world you may become the god of," Summer Sky said with a bow, her actions getting Autumn to bow to Thor as well.

"Excellent! I am glad that I will be able to learn about this land in the company of you both," Thor said with a chuckle before he rose to his feet, backing away from all of the ponies and beginning to swing his hammer. "Celestia has asked for three days to be given before she will have an answer for me. However, I shall ask her if she would be willing to spare one of her many rooms for you and your town. It seems that you all need temporary shelter."

"Thank you for your generosity, Lord Thor," Summer said with another bow while Autumn ran up to Thor.

"Don't worry, Thor. After what you did for us, I have no doubt the ponies of Equestria will have no issues making you the god of Equestria," Autumn told Thor with such confidence in her voice that even Thor felt certain. "And I'll be praying for those three days just in case. Now that we actually have somepony to pray to."

"And worry not, little Autumn. I will do everything in my power to ensure that those prayers are answered," Thor replied with the promise of a god before he hurled his hammer into the sky, ripping him from the ground as he ascended towards Canterlot, leaving Summer to rise from her bow and join the rest of the townsponies in watching the god fly away.

{([])}

"Well, the results are in and the are essentially unanimous," Celestia said with an amazed sigh to her sister, the two of them having spent an entire day counting up all of the votes. For three days the princesses had been going from city to city, asking about Thor and the idea of him becoming the new god of Equestria. Celestia had expected their to be hesitation and some confusion about Thor. She couldn't have been more wrong.

"My votes count the same, sister. The ponies wish for Thor to take up the mantel as Equestria's god," Luna finished for her sister, tossing the last of her list onto a large pile of votes and opinions. "Though I cannot say that I'm all that surprised. After the terror and fear that the titans instilled upon us, the idea of a divine being looking out for them would be comforting. Especially considering that divine being destroyed the titans like they were ants."

"So far Thor does not seem like the worst choice to become the god of our nation. He, at the very least, genuinely seems to be here to help, like he says," Celestia continued on as she shook her head at her list before placing it on the ground. "And there is no denying that Thor has done nothing but help since he came here. Not only did he slay the titans, but he also has been helping those that are now homeless find places to stay."

"Unfortunately that means that the castle is far more cramped than it was meant to be," Luna added on before her face took on a darker shade. "But I am still uncertain about the god of thunder. Cadence said it herself: gods are fickle creatures. Perhaps Thor wishes to help us now. What if he no longer wishes to? What if he desires this land for himself?"

"Then sister, I doubt there is anything we could do to stop him," Celestia admitted to her sister, who gave her Celestia a confused look. "We have both felt his power. We know that we are no match for his divine might. And then there is the issue of that hammer he carries."

"So you have felt it as well," Luna whispered as both princesses lowered their head. "Thor's power is beyond anything that I have felt, but the hammer he carries...it's power surpasses his. There is no magic, no eldritch abomination that I have fought that comes even close to the power within that hammer. As if Thor wasn't strong enough on his own."

"Then our best bet for the time being is to avoid doing anything that may anger Thor," Celestia whispered in reply, remembering the look on Twilight's face when she had first met Thor. "And I believe it is best for now to keep the Ambassadors away from the god of thunder. If they sense what his true power is..."

"I agree sister. For now we shall deal with Thor. Perhaps Cadence, after some time. But for now, let us deal with the god," Luna agreed as she rose from her chair and walked towards the window, firing a blast of lunar magic into the sky in the style of a firework. A rumble of thunder followed the explosion of lunar light and a moment later a being descended out of the night sky, coming to a stop over the balcony.

Thor landed on the balcony with such force that the entire castle shook and it took everything Luna had not to physically back away from the god of thunder. He nodded to the princesses before he walked into their chambers, dropping his hammer at the edge of the balcony. Luna glanced at the hammer before following Thor inside, offering a chair for him which he took.

"I saw your message. You have an answer for me?" Thor asked Celestia, whose response was to smile before motioning to all of the paper strewn around the room. "They have decided?"

"Trust me, after the first few answers it became clear what the general consensus would be. But I checked every vote, just to be certain," Celestia told Thor before a bitter smile crossed her face. "The ponies have voted that they wish for you to become the god of Equestria by ninety five percent. I've never seen them be so united on an issue before."

"Then again, never before has a being from on high descended upon our land and saved us from a terrifying evil before. Though I do wish it would happen more often," Luna joked and Thor gave her a polite smile in reply. "So with the votes tallied, all that's left to do is announce to the world what they have decided and give you a proper ceremony. Are you fine with waiting a few days for that, Lord Thor?"

"It is no trouble at all. But I hope that the both of you would not mind if I begin my godly duties right away?" Thor asked the both of them, who gave him confused looks in reply. "I have barely been here for a week in your time and already I have heard countless amount of prayers for me. While most of them are selfish and petty, there are the few that are in desperate need of my aid. And Thor has sworn that he would never ignore prayers for his aid again."

"Again?" Luna whispered as Thor rose from the table and began to walk towards his hammer. "Please Lord Thor, allow me," Luna said as she grabbed the hammer with her magic, but when she went to lift it she found that the hammer wouldn't budge. She pulled on it with all of her magical might, might strong enough to move the sun and moon, yet the hammer didn't even budge. "What in all of the..."

Celestia cast a quick glance at Thor to see that he was watching Luna attempt to move his hammer with a smile upon his face, a smile that told her there was even more to the hammer than she had thought. After a moment of watching her try Thor extended his hand, instantly causing the hammer to fly from the ground and into his grasp. Luna looked from where the hammer lay to Thor, a smirk crossing her face.

"I loosened it for you."

"And I am grateful for your efforts. But if you excuse me, I must be going," Thor said as he moved to the balcony, before turning back with a stern expression on his face. "Also, may I trouble the both of you for the location to the one known as Discord?"

"Um, sure. He lives in Fluttershy cottage, on the outskirts of Ponyville," Luna stated, using her magic to create a map for Thor. Thor nodded as he memorized the location, before his hammer began to spin. "If I may ask, why do you want to know?"

Thor's response was to smile before he hurled his hammer into the sky, sailing away from Canterlot in an instant. Celestia and Luna shared a look with one another, before the both of them decided that they were both glad that neither of them were Discord.

Thor: God of Equestria

Luna sneaked a peak out of one of her windows into the courtyard of Canterlot, letting out a small whistle at the amount of ponies that were standing in attendance. The last time she had seen so many ponies awaiting an announcement by the princesses was the day that Luna had been called up to be a princess...or the day Celestia decided to finally go on a diet.

She then turned her attention to the ponies in the room with her, biting back a smile when she saw how the ponies in the room were reacting. Celestia was pulling Twilight away from Thor, as the princess was trying to poke and prod the god with all sorts of magical testing devices. Thor was fending off her devices with his hammer, but thankfully he had a smile on his face as he did so.

The other members of the Ambassadors were all talking amongst themselves, but Luna caught their eyes glancing over at Thor a couple of time and she guessed what they were talking about. Shining Armor was watching his little sister act silly with a smile on his face, while Cadence stood off to the side by herself. Out of all of the ponies, she seemed to distrust the god of thunder the most. Luna couldn't figure out why, but at the moment she couldn't probe any further.

And finally there were the two new faces in the room. Autumn Breeze and Summer Sky, the two ponies that Thor had chosen to be his personal escorts while in Equestria. Autumn Breeze was the color of autumn, with a golden red coat and a yellow mane, making her look like the leaves on the trees. Summer Sky was also colored like her name, with a golden mane and a sky blue coat. She stood over her daughter and kept a hoof wrapped around her, clearly out of place among such beings.

"Sister. Twilight. Lord Thor. It is almost time," Luna told the three of them as she glanced up at a clock on the wall. Celestia and Thor nodded, while Twilight used her magic to try and fix one of her devices that had the misfortune of striking Thor's hammer.

"Never thought a day like this would come. A day when Equestria gets to introduce a new god to the ponies of the world," Celestia muttered aloud, staring up at the ceiling while silently praying to herself.

"Thou does realize that I can hear every word of your prayer?" Thor asked Celestia, whose face went red and she tried to stammer out an excuse. "Fret not Celestia, that is far from the worst prayer I've ever heard. I have heard prayers asking for my own demise. As you can tell, I did not grant those ones."

The ponies all let out a polite laugh at Thor's words, before a more serious air overcame the group. Thor then rose to his feet and held out his hand, returning Mjolnir to it a moment later. Celestia and Luna both put on their game faces and began to walk to the main balcony, with the Ambassadors flanking their sides. Celestia held out a wing to tell Autumn and Summer to stay inside, but then Thor waved the two of them over. The two looked from their princess to their god, getting Celestia to roll her eyes before she motioned for them to join the group.

"Ready, sister?" Luna asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Celestia and Luna pushed open the doors to the balcony and walked out, instantly being deafened by the roar of the crowd of ponies. The roar grew even louder when the Ambassadors walked out behind the princesses, but the crowd was silenced when Thor emerged behind the eight of them, a smile on his face that could have out shone the sun.

"Ponies of Equestria," Celestia began, turning all eyes from the god of thunder to her. "As I am certain that all of you are aware, these past couple of months we have been attacked all across the nation by beings we have called the crystal titans. We currently know little about these monsters, but what we do know is that, at the moment, they are gone for good. The war is over."

The crowd murmured excitedly at these words and Celestia felt all eyes leave her, only to rest upon the being standing behind her.

"Yet in our darkest hour, a single prayer spoke by a desperate filly managed to call forth the one that would put an end to our war. That filly prayed...and a god answered," Luna continued on as she turned to look behind her at Thor, who took a step forward and waved to the crowd. The crowd roared back with an intensity that made the ponies cover their ears, but Thor took it all in with a smile.

"Thor made short work of the titans. In under a day, he answered the prayers of the filly and saved our world. And then he made us an offer, one that my sister and I weren't certain of. He offered to take the mantel of Equestria's god," Celestia continued onward, once again having to shield her ears from the roar of the crowd.

"And while we could have made that decision ourselves, we knew that the real choice would be with all of you," Luna cut in, using a look to cut back on the noise of the crowd. "For Thor would not just be our god, but all of yours. So we left the choice with all of you. And you responded in a very clear manner."

"Yes, you all told us exactly what you wished for. So I, princess of Equestria, along with the other princesses of Equestria, have decided to honor your wishes," Celestia began before she turned back to Thor, who raised an eyebrow at her with a smile on his face. "Thor, god of thunder, by what power I have as ruler of this land, I hereby declare you Thor: god of Equestria!"

The crowd of ponies practically exploded as Celestia said this, creating a wave of noise that would have blown the ponies on the balcony off of their hooves. Thor then stepped forward and held out a hand to silence the crowd, who all fell silent at the motion. Thor then cleared his throat before he turned his gaze skywards and begun to spin his hammer.

"Ponies of Equestria, your god has a simple request. Please, would you all kindly move to the side of the courtyard." The ponies looked at him in confusion, but did as he asked, while the princesses and Ambassadors looked at him like he was crazy.

"Thor, what are you doing?" Autumn asked. "Why did you have those ponies move?"

"Because child, we are about to have company."

A blast of fire erupted from the sky and a meteor came raining down into the center of the courtyard, getting ponies to scream as fire consumed the point where the meteor landed. Thor hurled himself from the balcony and landed in the courtyard, right in front of the pillar of fire. From within the fire a being began to walk forward, a being that made all of the ponies in the courtyard gaze upon it with fear and terror.

The being looked like a changeling, but was three times as large and had fire in place of eyes and wings. It's body had fire running through its veins, while it's body radiated a power that none of the other beings within the courtyard had felt before. All except for Thor, who smiled at the being with a cocky smirk upon his face.

Thor then cast a look to his side to see the shadows moving, getting Thor to turn his attention to the being that was moving out of the shadows. At first Thor mistook the creature for a zebra, but once the being stepped into the light he realized it was something else. Instead of being a creature with black and white stripes, there was only the black stripes and nothing else, leaving it to look like a fragment that was moving. The being walked over beside the burning creature, who both stared up at Thor.

Then the sky was torn open and a being began to descend, wrapping its impossibly long body around Canterlot as it descended. The creature was a bluish color and had a massive, snake like body with hundreds upon thousands of scales. The being lifted its head and held it over the courtyard, blocking out the sun with its sheer size. The ponies within the courtyard gazed up at the head of the dragon with absolute terror and disbelief, whereas Thor simply raised a hand and waved to the being.

"Finally! I thought that ye would never show thyselves," Thor said to the three with a boisterous laugh, one that got the three beings to narrow their eyes at Thor. "But I knew that the ponies declaring a new god would most likely drag all of you out of your hiding places. Ho, gods of this world. I am Thor. God of Thunder."

"And the new god of Equestria, apparently," the burning changeling said with clear tones of disgust in its voice as it sized Thor up, before its flaming eyes rested upon the hammer and it let out a snarl. It then raised its eyes towards Celestia and Luna, who were gazing at the scene with disbelief. "I do not recall allowing Equestria to decide whether or not they could decide their next deity. As usual, you have gone too far, Celestia. I suppose I'll have to give you and your nation another reminder, won't I?"

The god of the changelings took a step towards Celestia, but before it could do anything else Thor extended his hammer and pointed it right at the chest of the changeling. "Thor. As a new god to these lands, I shall tell you this only once. Do not interfere in matters that do not concern you."

"Aye, this would normally not be my concern. Except for the face that your failure to protect this world has made these problems my concern," Thor replied with such force that lightning crackled overhead, getting the ponies to yelp. "Then there is the matter that I have been declared the god of Equestria, meaning that all those within this land are now under my care. You wish to punish Celestia? You must go through me."

The changeling god let out a snarl and started to burn with a hellfire, but before the fight could start the shades of the zebra stepped between the two of them. "Toraxo, this is not how we should be greeting a new divine in Equestria. Especially one that is taking up such a heavy burden as the god of Equestria," the zebra said in a calming manner, one that seemed to soothe the flames of the changelings. "Greetings, Thor. I am Rose, goddess of the zebras."

"Greeting, Rose. It is nice to meet a fellow divine that does not wish to try their hand at fighting me," Thor replied with a strong smile, before he turned his gaze up towards the colossal dragon, who had been watching the meeting in silence. "And what should Thor call you, mighty dragon? For your power is quite greater than any of the other divine that stand with Thor!"

"I am called Shelor, god of the dragons," the being relied in a voice powerful enough to shake the entirety of Canterlot. "And we are here to see the new god that has been decided to take the role that Faust left all those years ago." The ponies in the crowd began to murmur to themselves while Celestia held a hoof to her head, knowing that she was going to half to explain that one to her nation at a later time.

"We were expecting that one of the princesses had decided that they were powerful enough to take up the role. Or that perhaps Discord had finally wizened up to his true nature and wished to become all he could be. You...are not what we expected," Shelor continued, giving Thor a look that made all of the ponies cower in fear. Thor smiled in reply. "You are not a god of this land. You do not belong here."

"Aye, you are correct in saying I am not of this world. But thou are wrong in saying that I do not belong here," Thor replied as he pointed his hammer at the dragon, making the dragon back away slightly as he sensed the power within the hammer. "For a prayer for aid brought me here, a prayer that went unanswered by any of the four deities that stand here with me. I belong wherever those who call upon the aid of Thor reside. Therefor, I belong in Equestria. Now then, perhaps our finally deity who has chosen to watch from afar can finally join us?"

As soon as Thor spoke those words, a being materialized in a flash of light in the center of the courtyard, getting the ponies to yelp in surprise. The being wore a white cloak that wrapped completely around its body, covering everything except for its face. Its face was covered by a mask, one that was half smiling and half frowning, with a crack down the center to differentiate the two sides. Yet even with the cloak covering it, Thor could tell there were a large pair of horns beneath the cloak.

"So, you managed to sense me after all. Seems you are not just all talk," the right side of the mask, the frowning side, said with a laugh. "I am Janis, god of the northern Elk. A minor nation in this land, but they need a god all the same."

"And I am Sinaj, god of the southern Elk," the smiling side replied with a depressed sigh. "Our nation was split in two years ago and as a result, we have been split as well. Half and half. Perfectly fair."

"A god with two personalities? That has never been a cause for concern in the past," Thor noted aloud, getting both of the masks to darken at his words.

"Thor," Shelor said, turning all eyes towards him once more. "You are new in this land, so there are rules among the gods of this world that you know not of. In time, we will teach them to you, so that you can truly be a god of this world. But for the time being, refrain from doing anything that would upset the balance of this world."

"Thou mean, do not do anything that would upset the balance the four of you have forced upon this world?" Thor replied in a biting tone, one that turned all of the gods eyes towards Thor. Thor lifted Mjolnir and summoned a torrent of lightning overhead, one that was strong enough to shake the entire planet.

"Hear me and hear me well, gods of Equis. Thor is not like the former goddess of this nation. Thor will not bend to your will or your rules, if it means that those who prayer to Thor would have their prayers ignored. Thor will protect this land and Thor will defend these ponies as if they were the people of his own world. And if any of thee try to say otherwise," Thor said as he slowly lowered the thundering hammer and pointed it at the four of them. "I will have words with thee."

A long silence followed Thor's decree, one that was only broken by the lightning that flashed from the end of Thor's hammer. Then the gods all backed away from Thor and vanished from the courtyard, leaving only one deity standing amongst the ponies. He lowered his hammer and stared up at the sky, eyes narrowed and an unreadable look upon his face.

"Lord Thor?" Celestia asked as she and Luna floated down behind Thor, who glanced over his shoulder to see that they were both looking at him with uncertain eyes. "What was that all about?"

"Those were the other gods of Equis, princess of the sun. And they came here to try and intimidate me into following the rules that they have established," Thor told the both of them, whose eyes widened at his words. "I replied by telling them what I will do as long as your nation calls me their god. And they did not like what they heard."

"So...what does that mean?" Luna asked.

"It means that I have a great deal of work to do," Thor replied as he began to spin his hammer. "Starting with the other god that calls Equestria his home. Fare thee well."

Thor then rocketed into the sky in a clap of thunder, leaving the princesses standing with all of the other ponies. The ponies stared at the princesses, waiting for some kind of explanation. But for the first time in a long time, the princesses didn't have one. But they had a feeling, a feeling that things had only gotten much more complicated.

Listener

'This planet is far greener than Midgard,' Thor thought to himself in silence as he floated in the atmosphere over the planet of Equis, gazing down upon the world that had called upon his aid. They had to resort to Thor, god of another world, when there were already five deities that called Equis their home. That did not sit well with the god of thunder. 'I will deal with them soon enough. For now, it is time to listen.'

Thor closed his eyes and gripped the hilt of Mjolnir with both hands, concentrating with all of his godly might upon not just the land of Equestria, but the entire planet as well. 'If those gods are anything remotely like those that I have battled with in the past, then I cannot trust that the prayers from their own nations will be answered.'

Slowly the prayers began to enter Thor's mind, getting him to smirk as he started to hear how many of the prayers weren't prayers for help, but were instead simply thanks or occasional insults. He was used to both. 'A prayer for aid on a test? Tis silly what the young pray for. Another for the mare they love to love them back. I will not answer that prayer. She will choose you if she wishes too.'

Then a prayer crossed Thor's mind that made him open his eyes, one that made him release his double grip on Mjolnir and begin to spin it. A prayer for rain. A prayer to restore the land that had long since dried up due to the ignorance of others. A prayer that reminded Thor of the state of his world, a state that he was still battling on his world.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, the god of thunder let his hammer fly and grabbed hold of the strap. He was yanked down from the atmosphere and descended towards the section of the planet that he had heard the prayer come from. As he burst down from the cloud cover, he instantly saw that the prayer had been a just one.

The land was practically a wasteland, with only sickly trees showing the god that there had once been life there. The ground was dry and devoid of any animal or insect life, while giant gashes in the landscape showed Thor there was more to the prayer than he had heard. His godly gaze rested upon a tiny village in the center of the wasteland and with haste he descended into the center of it.

The few ponies that lived there let out a yelp of shock as Thor landed with such force that the ground shook. He rose to his full height and glanced around at the ponies within the village, searching for the one that had prayed for him. To his annoyance he found that he could not find the one that had prayed for his aid, but judging by the faces on the ponies that gazed up at him his arrival was not entirely unexpected.

"Greetings, ponies. I am Thor. And I am here because of a prayer," Thor informed the group, who snapped out of their shock at the voice of Thor. They all threw themselves onto the ground and began to worship Thor, but with a crackle of thunder overhead Thor held up a hand. "None of that. Thor will not be bowed to. Not here. But what you can do for Thor is aid him in locating the one that sent the prayer."

"W-what do you mean, Lord Thor?" one of the ponies asked.

"I cannot find the one that prayed for me. I know it was none of you, for I can tell. Now then, tell Thor where they are," Thor replied in a godly tone, getting most of the ponies to begin discussing with one another. A pony then walked forward, a mare with a foal slung over her back.

"I can tell you where he is, Lord Thor. He's out working the fields, the same thing he has done for three years now," she said in a tired tone that told Thor this was not the first time she had needed to tell someone where the pony was. "But I am surprised that he would actually pray to you. Most of the time he refuses help from anypony. Even the princesses."

"I see. Where are these fields you speak of?" Thor asked, getting the pony to point to the south.

"You'll know them when you see them. Just look for the area with the dead plants and the one pony that refuses to accept that his crops won't grow."

Thor nodded before swinging his hammer once more, taking him into the sky. For a minute Thor flew over more of the ruined landscape, his eyes narrowing as he started to realize that the death of the land wasn't from a natural cause. He could sense the faintest traces of magic in the land. A magic that he didn't like.

Then he spied a solo pony in a field of weeds, pulling a large plough that was cutting through dried land. Thor crashed down to the earth next to him, kicking up dirt and weeds upon his landing. The pony glanced over at Thor with wide eyes, before he smirked and unhooked himself from the plough.

"So, you're Thor, huh?" the pony said in a dry voice. "Didn't actually expect you to come. Most of my other prayers have gone unanswered. Expected this one to be the same."

"Nay, friend. Thor has spent many a lifetime ignoring the prayers of those that asked for his aid. And he has spent the rest of his lifetime regretting his earlier decisions," Thor told the pony, who raised an eyebrow in surprise at Thor's response.

"So that mean you answer every prayer you hear? Sounds like a hard job."

"Thor answers the prayers that truly need my aid. Such as the prayer you have said," Thor told the pony before glancing out over the dead land, narrowing his eyes. "And it is clear that something truly is the matter here. There is dark magic in these airs."

"Really? I thought it was just the lack of rain that caused the crops the die," the pony replied before glancing at the hammer Thor carried. "Normally I don't pray, but upon hearing you're the god of thunder made me think that maybe you can summon rain, since those two usually go together. Can ya?"

"Aye, I can summon the storms," Thor replied as he ascended into the sky, closing his eyes as he began to swing his hammer around over his head. Black clouds came at the call of Thor, blocking out the sun with darkness and thunder. The winds began to pick up as Thor swung his hammer faster, while rain began to pour down. Within moments a full fledged thunderstorm began to rain down upon the land.

Yet as the rain began to fall, Thor opened his eyes and watched the ground carefully, watching for any signs of the dark magic that he had sensed. The rain struck the ground and was absorbed into it, while the pony that Thor had been talking to hid behind his plough for cover. The god of thunder glanced around with anticipation, yet the dark magic, if it was ever there, never showed.

With a shake of his head Thor landed next to the farmer, both of them looking down at the ground to see that the seeds were already starting to grow and little pieces of green were poking out of the soil. The pony chuckled to himself before he glanced up at the god of thunder.

"Well color me surprised. You really are a god," he said before grabbing one of his gardening tools and starting to get to work.

"You doubted me?" Thor asked in a slightly offended tone.

"Didn't mean to insult you, but in the sixty years I've been alive I've seen many a beings that thought themselves gods," the pony replied while moving around the dirt at his hooves. "All of them promise the same thing. And then they can't deliver. The last one that came by here promised that they could make the land grow once more. Didn't work."

"So, a being claiming to be a deity came by here and made you a promise, did they?" Thor asked as he placed a hand under his chin, losing himself within his thoughts for a long time. "Do you happen to know what this deity looked like? Were they a zebra or some other form of beast?"

"Nope. They were a pony. That's all I know about them," the pony replied with a grunt as he attached himself to the plough once more. "I could tell by their magic. It was pony magic alright, but far darker than what I've seen in my life. That's all I know, sadly. They wore a black cloak that hid their features. Sorry I can't tell you more."

"Tis fine. You have given me plenty to think of already," Thor replied before another prayer echoed through his mind, but this one brought a smile to his face as he realized who it was from. Thor began to spin his hammer, causing the thundering clouds overhead to begin to swirl around him. "But if another deity shows up in the future, call for me before you decide whether or not they are divine. I shall decide that."

"As you wish, Lord Thor," the pony nodded.

Thor hurled Mjolnir into the sky and was dragged along with it, hurling himself into the clouds and the rain. The lightning didn't touch him and the rain couldn't break him from his thoughts. 'There is more going on here than I first believed. But what that is, I have no clue as of yet,' Thor thought to himself as he broke free of the black clouds, resting in the sunlight over the land. He then spun Mjolnir once more and took aim for Canterlot. 'But for now, there is another that needs me.'

{([])}

"I can't believe how big this city is!" Autumn said with a massive smile on her face as she raced back and forth across the streets, looking into all of the different store windows with wide eyes. The autumn colored foal was completely oblivious to the looks that the ponies in the streets were giving her, while Summer was looking around to make sure that there wasn't anything too dangerous for her daughter to get into.

"I know you're excited dear, but it is a large city. Please don't wander off too far," Summer Sky told Autumn, who saluted her mother before spying a coffee shop and racing over to it. Summer let out a tired smile at how happy her daughter was, before she cast a glance at the two royal guards that walked behind her. They didn't meet her eyes when she looked at her and continued to stare ahead with stony expressions on their faces.

'It's weird being important enough to have two royal guards follow us around,' Summer thought to herself as she followed her daughter to the coffee store, where she spied Autumn looking at a rack filled with candy with hungry eyes. 'And it's even weirder knowing that my daughter is friends with the new god of Equestria. A week ago I was afraid of dying to a titan attack and now I fear angering a god. Amazing what a week can do.'

Feeling a sense of exhaustion washing over her, Summer walked to the counter while waving her daughter over. The young mare behind the counter asked for Summer's order, before glancing past Summer at the two guards that flanked either side of her.

"Don't worry, they're with me," Summer replied with a calming smile, one that was lost on the slightly scared face of the cashier. "I'll take whatever has the most amount of caffeine in it. And heavy on the chocolate. Pumpkin spice for my daughter, she loves anything related to autumn. And you two want anything?" Summer asked as she glanced behind her at the two guards, both of who raised an eyebrow at her words while they said nothing. "No? Okay, that'll be it."

"Mom, you should get something for Thor!" Autumn reminded her mother. The moment she mentioned the name of the god of thunder every conversation in the room came to a stop and all eyes turned towards the filly, who was once again oblivious to the looks she was getting.

"I'm...sure Lord Thor is far too busy to come here for coffee," Summer said with a kind smile to her daughter.

"Oh he's already on his way. I sent him a prayer a few minutes ago," Autumn Breeze told her mother, who stared at her daughter in disbelief before she let out a sigh and turned towards the pony behind the counter once more.

"So, you got anything on the menu that will satisfy the thirst of a god?"

The pony didn't, so with a shrug of defeat Summer walked over to a table that wasn't taken, sitting down by herself while her daughter glued herself to the window and stared out at the ponies that were walking by the store. Summer glanced over to see the two guards standing by the table, but neither of them making any motion to sit down.

Summer took a moment to study the both of them. The guard on her left had a brown coat and was fairly bulky, while his face never changed despite what went on the room. The other guard was smaller in size, but had a look in their eyes that told her they had seen some things. Summer had noticed a similar look in her eyes whenever she looked in the mirror.

"You know that the both of you are welcomed to sit down, right?" she told the both of them, who cast her a quick glance. Summer motioned for them to sit down and after a moment of debate the two guards took up the chairs across from her. "So Princess Celestia told me that I would have guards escorting me and my daughter wherever I went, but she never told me why. Do either of you want to fill me in on that missing detail?"

When neither of the guards responded to her question, Summer let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair. A pony that worked at the coffee joint walked over to their table, placing her and her daughter's order on the table. Summer grabbed her drink and took a long sip before she eyed the guards once more. "Not going to answer that one, eh? Okay, how about your names? If you're going to be protecting us, I'd at least like to know who the both of you are."

"Steel Point."

"Quake."

"Well, glad I know so much about the both of you know," Summer replied in a dry tone, before she sized the both of them up once more. "So if you don't want to tell me why you're guarding us, care if I take a stab at it? The both of you are guarding us because it was my daughter that called upon Thor. And if she could do it once, she can do it again. And a pony that has a god on her call would be a very valuable asset, wouldn't she? So we need to be guarded from any that would try to use us to use Thor. That sound about right?"

The guards faces didn't change as she spoke, but when she had finished speaking she could see in the way that they looked at her that she had gotten close to the truth. Summer smirked to herself as she took another drink of her coffee, before a massive explosion of thunder overhead caused practically every pony in the city to leap with surprise.

"Oh look, it's the god of the thunder. Answering the call of my daughter," Summer said to the both of them as she glanced out the window to see Thor impact in the center of the street. "Just like I thought."

Seeping Shadows

As she stood alone on the balcony to her room, Celestia used her magical power to lower the sun beyond the horizon. As the darkness began to descend upon the land, she gazed up at the sky to see that off in the distance was a storm of black thunderclouds. Thunderclouds that were not created by pegasi or scheduled to be there. She knew who was responsible. The god of thunder.

A knocking on her door turned Celestia's attention away from the thundering clouds and to the door, which she opened with her magic. A moment later the princess of friendship was standing in Celestia's chambers, a look on her face that told Celestia she was in for a long talk.

"Princess Twilight. I wasn't expecting you today," Celestia said with a kind smile to Twilight, who bowed in reply but did not smile. Celestia motioned for Twilight to join her on the balcony, which Twilight did so after a moment of hesitation. "But if you are here that means that you have concerns that you wish to voice to me. Go ahead. Speak them."

"I don't approve of your decision to make Thor the god of Equestria," Twilight stated boldly to Celestia. Celestia let out a sigh, figuring that Twilight was going to say something along those lines. Almost as if he was listening, the thunderclouds off in the distance rumbled with thunder, getting the both of them to glance at the storm.

"You do not approve?"

"I completely disagree with your decision," Twilight said in a slightly stronger tone, not put off at all by the thundering. She turned on Celestia with a look the princess of the sun hadn't seen on her former student in a long time. "I can't even understand why you did it. While I didn't know Equestria was without a divine, I would not pick Thor as my first choice. I would have picked Discord over him."

"I assume you have reasoning to back up your words?" Celestia asked in a calm tone, knowing that her student always had a reason.

"We know nothing about Thor. Yeah, he claimed that he came here to help us and maybe he did, but all we have is his word. The word of a deity. And we all know how reliable that can be," Twilight reminded Celestia, who nodded to agree with Twilight's point. "I think...you made a mistake instating him as our god. You did it so quickly too. You didn't even ask any of us, the guardians of Equestria, what we thought. Why?"

"Allow me to ask a question first. Why Discord before Thor? He is irresponsible and has a bad habit of not keeping his words," Celestia reminded Twilight.

"We know Discord. We don't know Thor. We don't know what he's capable of or what his intentions are or..." Twilight trailed off after that, staring at the moon which was beginning to rise over the mountains in the distance. "Why did you do it, Celestia?"

"Because he asked."

Twilight's eyes went wide at Celestia's words and confusion spread across her face as she gazed up at her mentor. "You established Thor as the god of Equestria because he asked? That...that's stupid! Forgive me for saying so, but why would you do that because he asked?!"

Celestia was silent for a moment after Twilight said that, a look on her face that made Twilight fear that she might have gone too far with her words. Then Celestia's face hardened and Twilight stared to realize that her teacher wasn't any happier with her decision that Twilight was.

"Have you ever tried to tell a god no, Twilight? Have you told a god they couldn't do something and they respect your decision and leave? No. Gods get what they want. One way or another. You have felt his power, Twilight. It is a power the likes of which that I've never felt before in my eternal life," Celestia said in a cold whisper to Twilight, chilling the alicorn. "Tirek. Discord. Sombra. All of the evil forces I have dealt with over my life have had a power that comes close to or eclipses my own. But they were ones I could deal with. Their power I could understand."

"And now we have Thor. A being whose power is so far beyond me that I can't think of him being anything less that a god. The power to control the heavens on a whim. The ability to strike down the titans, titans that waged war on our land, in a single day," Celestia told Twilight as her body began to shake, not with rage, but with helplessness. "And it is like you said. We know nothing about Thor. So how would we know, if I declined his request, he would not turn that unstoppable power on us?"

Twilight's eyes softened as Celestia's words hit home, getting Twilight to lower her head as she realized the full weight of her teachers decision.

"If he were to unleash his godly power on us, we would not survive. Not in our weakened state. Heck, not even if we were at full power. He's just so far beyond us," Celestia said to Twilight, who had to nod her head sadly in agreement as she knew Celestia was right. "And then there is the hammer."

The air seemed to become electrified the moment those words left Celestia's mouth, getting Twilight to swallow nervously before she glanced up at her teacher. "So you've felt it as well? The unfathomable amount of power that the hammer has within it? Celestia, what in all of reality could forge a weapon as powerful as that?"

"Is it even a weapon? From the few times that I've been around it Twilight, I've felt...a sentience from it," Celestia told Twilight in a whisper, before she shook her head and regained her more regal appearance. "But to get us back on track, that is why I agreed to make Thor the god of Equestria. Because, for the time being, he is on our side. He is fighting with us and not turning that power of his towards us. And I will use this time that he is on our side to learn the truth about him. To see if he is what he claims."

"But with the rainbow power-"

"Twilight," Celestia said in a tone that cut off any further argument. "I know that you and your friends are strong. I know that you are heroes. But sometimes there will come an opponent that you can't beat through strength. That you can't overpower. And in those instances, you must find another way. Sometimes, you must accept that all of your power and strength cannot solve the situation at hand. Sometimes, you must surrender the battle to win the war."

"I understand, princess. That is why you decided to humor him, because we can't win at the moment" Twilight said with a nod of understanding, only to cast a glance to the distance when she heard the rumble of thunder.

"I wouldn't call it humoring him. I would say that I'm respecting his request," Celestia told Twilight in a careful tone. "We may not know where he is from, we may not know what his real intentions are, but we do know this. Thor is a god and he is a god with power the likes of which we have never even dreamed of. It would be in all of our best interests to make sure we do not invoke his wrath. For I fear for Equestria if we do. Please, tell you friends what I have told you."

"I will, Princess Celestia. Thank you for confiding in me," Twilight said with a bow before she walked out of the room, a troubled look on her face as she left. Celestia watched her student leave until Twilight shut the door behind her, before Celestia sighed and gazed at the moon that was rising over the horizon.

'And then there is my other concern. Whoever unleashed the titans upon Equestria will most likely not be deterred by the appearance of Thor. Their plans may have been struck with an incredible set back, but they are still out there. The question now is, will they make their next move in the broad daylight? Or will they stay in the shadows and work from the darkness to bring us down?'

Celestia then narrowed her eyes as she thought she spied something on the horizon, something moving just out of reach of the moonlight. It looked to be a massive beast of shadows, slipping between the moonlight and staying in the darkness. Celestia spread her wings and began to summon her magic into her horn, but the moment she summoned her magic the beast slipped into the shadows, vanishing from her sight.

'So. Darkness it is. Perhaps with Thor in the lands, the being behind the titans realize that the overt method is no longer viable. So they will be sticking to the shadows. Time to contact my sister.' Then Celestia thought for a moment on whether or not she should contact the god of thunder, before shaking her head. 'We have made it this far without relying on a god to save us. I we will continue to do so.'

{([])}

A loud thumping sound coming from upstairs awoke the god of chaos, who made a strange sound as he opened his eyes and returned to the world of the conscious. Discord sat up from Fluttershy's couch and stretched out his neck, which meant that he stretched the length of his neck a good three feet before he was satisfied. The moment he finished stretching his neck he snapped his fingers and a second later was within Fluttershy's room, where he floated in a corner and watched Fluttershy race around her room in a frenzy.

"My dear Fluttershy, what has got you riled up so early this morning?" Discord asked Fluttershy, getting the yellow pony to skid to a stop before she glanced up at Discord.

"O-oh, good morning Discord," she said with a meek smile before she started to look around her room again. Discord did so as well, not surprised to see that three-fourths of it was taken up by bird cages, animal food and an assortment of other pet related items. Discord was the king of messes and even he had trouble finding things in her house at times. "I'm just...looking for something."

"Then you will be looking a long time, my dear, unless you ask for some help," Discord told Fluttershy with a toothy grin, getting Fluttershy to smile back at him.

"I'm looking for three of the baby bunnies that escaped from me last night," Fluttershy said as she crouched down and stuck her face under her bed, coming back out a moment later with a different kind of bunnies on her face. She brushed the dust off and walked over to her cabinets to search in there.

Discord snapped his fingers and pulled out one of the baby bunnies from behind one of the bird cages, floating it over to Fluttershy who let out a happy squeal as she grabbed the bunny out of the air. With another snap of his fingers Discord found himself downstairs in the kitchen. Discord reached into his head and pulled out both of his eyes, tossing them near the ground and having them fly underneath of all of the furniture and places for the rabbits to hide.

His left eye spied one of the bunnies hiding under the sink, nibbling on a piece of lettuce that it most likely stole from the fridge. Discord took off his hand and tossed it into the place where the bunny was hiding, snatching the bunny up faster than it could register. Discords body parts came flying back to his body, reassembling back together in Fluttershy's room.

"Here you are Fluttershy, the one that raided your food pantry," Discord told Fluttershy as his hand floated over to her and dropped the bunny off in her care.

"Oh thank you Discord, now all I've got to do is find the last one," Fluttershy said as she started to walk downstairs. Discord began to follow her, before something triggered his senses. Something that made him scowl.

"Fluttershy, the last one is outside near the river," Discord pointed out to Fluttershy, who looked back at him on the stairs. "Don't bother walking, my friends. I'll teleport you there right now." Before Fluttershy could argue, Discord snapped his fingers and she was gone. He then let out a sigh before he floated down the stairs into the living room, where he found the shade of a zebra sitting on his couch.

"Hello, Discord," the god of the zebra's said to Discord, who folded his arms and turned his smile upside down.

"Rose. What do I owe this unexpected surprise to?" Discord asked.

"I am here because many things have changed in Equestria. Things that I am surprised you have made no response to," Rose said to Discord, who gave a her a look that meant he didn't care. "There is a new god in this world, Discord. One that has put our order on edge."

"What? The god of thunder? Why would you be on edge from him? It's not like he's going completely against the rules that you four gods have set up and is far more powerful than any being in this land. Oh wait," Discord said with a mischievous smile. "That's exactly what he's doing. And none of you are happy with this."

"Of course we are not. His arrival threatens to bring down the peace that we have kept for so long."

"Peace for those who worship you four," Discord corrected for her, his look going from mischievous to dangerous. "There has been no peace in Equestria for a long time. Since, oh lets see, Faust vanished. I wonder why that is."

"Are you accusing us of something?"

"No. Just thinking out loud," Discord replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "I know better than to mess with you guys. You made that clear the last time we tangoed. So you came here to warn me of Thor? Please, from what he's said he's here to help and since I'm not evil anymore, I doubt we'll talk much. Maybe we'll pass each other at the mall. I'll probably wave to him, but only if I'm not busy."

"You act like he is not your problem. He made it clear that he is against the gods of this world. Which includes you."

"No, he is against you four for messing up the world like you did and requiring him to step in to get anything done," Discord smirked in reply, getting Rose to darken dangerously. "And if you ask me, he's right. You four have been sitting high and mighty for some time now, ignoring the problems this world faces. Guess he's here to hammer his point home, hmm?"

"...you do not see him as your problem? Interesting. Because he see's you as one of his."

"What do you mean by-?"

"Discord!"

Faster than Discord could react a hand punched itself through the wall next to where Discord was standing. The god of chaos had just enough time to register a hand wrap around his throat before he was pulled through the wall of Fluttershy's cottage and hurled onto the ground. Discord groaned while looking up at the being that had done such a thing to him, only to find himself looking at the head of a hammer held by a very powerful being.

"I would have words with thee."

Chaotic

Discord rubbed the back of his neck as he gingerly pushed himself back up to his feet, brushing rubble and building off of his body before casting a sour glance at the god of thunder. The hammer whose power made even Discord somewhat afraid was still pointed at the god of chaos's chest, while the god wielding the hammer was giving Discord a look that would most likely end in a fight.

"I hope you realize that you have to pay for that wall, right?" Discord told the god of thunder, only to be silenced by a bolt of lightning that crashed down behind Discord. Discord turned his head a full one eighty to look at the crater created by the lightning, before looking back at Thor.

"You have evaded me for too long, god of chaos," Thor informed Discord as he lowered the hammer and walked right up to the god of chaos, looking him right in the eyes as he did so. For the first time since Tirek, Discord found that he was face to face with somepony that he actually had to look up at. Discord then lowered his gaze slightly at the armor and muscles on the god, making Discord raise an eyebrow slightly. "And I am here to have words."

"If you wanted to talk you could have just knocked on the door. No need to knock down the wall," Discord said in a flippant tone before he started to float by Thor. "But sadly I am very busy right now and don't have time to talk to the god of whack-a-mole. Maybe if you come back in a few hundred years I'll be able to-"

Thor's hand lashed out once more and grabbed Discord by the throat, getting him to gag before Thor's strength tore him off of the ground and dangled the god of chaos in front of the god of thunder. Discord snarled at Thor and snapped his fingers to try and teleport away, but to his horror he found that Thor's divine magic was managing to combat Discord's chaotic nature.

"We shall talk now," Thor informed Discord, why shrugged his shoulders in acceptance and crossed his arms to show he was listening. "I have been god of these lands for a week now and in that time there has been as many cases of attacks, dangers and creatures of evil as there have been on Midgard. And yet aside from the princesses and their six champions helping, all of those that require the aid of others have gone unanswered."

"And?" Discord asked with a smirk, only to immediately regret his choice of tone a moment later when Thor tightened his grip on Discord's neck.

"Watch your tone creature, or I shall rip your tongue from your skull," Thor promised Discord, who began to sweat slightly from Thor's glare. "I would not be as upset with these unanswered prayers if Equestria didn't have a god before I got here. Yet here I stand with a god living in Equestria within my grasp. A god that has done nothing for those who he lives among. I want answers, god of chaos. Why have you abandoned these ponies?"

"If...you would...let me talk," Discord managed to choke out and Thor released his grasp, dropping the god of chaos to the grass below. Discord wheezed a few times before he stood back up and rubbed his neck, giving Thor another look that was more cautious than angry. "Well, Mr. Thunderpants, you want to know why I've let so many prayers for help go unanswered? It's because I'm not the god of Equestria. I'm not the god of anything, except for the chaos that goes on in this world. I have no reason to-"

Discord blinked and found Mjolnir floating next to his head, mere centimeters away from Discord's head. Discord glanced over at the floating hammer, able to fully sense what that hammer was capable of and how if it had struck him in the head, his head might have actually been knocked off his shoulders. And not in a way Discord could recover from.

"You have reason to protect those that you live amongst. Those that give you shelter and take care of your ills," Thor replied as he held out his hand and the hammer returned to Thor's grasp. "I have heard from young Autumn about all of the different attacks on their world in the years since she has been born and the amount of times the gods of this world have done nothing has sickened me."

"Well the gods of this world only protect those that worship them. And unfortunately for the ponies, they don't have a god that they worship, present company excluded of course," Discord replied in a calm tone, one that was guarded and careful. As the conversation continued on, he was getting more and more ready for a fight with a foe he wasn't sure he could beat.

"They have you," Thor replied in a dark tone, one that made black clouds begin to swirl overhead. The ground rumbled as lightning flashed across the sky, shaking the land beneath the both of them. "They have you and yet unless the situation benefits you, you do nothing. Just like the other gods of this world. Just like nearly all of the other gods of the cosmos."

Thor was getting ready to bring the hammer down. Discord could feel it and he knew that he stood little chance against Thor by himself. With the hammer though, Discord knew that this was a lost fight. The god of chaos raised his hands and backed away from Thor, getting the god of thunder to pause for a moment.

"Look, I know that I live among the ponies. But to tell you the truth. I was imprisoned in stone for a thousand years in this land and was only freed two years ago," Discord told Thor, who paused his advancement to raise an eyebrow at Discord's words. "And I wasn't exactly nice back then. I was quite...problematic. Fluttershy is really the only pony to give me a chance and be my friend. All of the other ones mostly fear me or ignore me. I may be a god living in Equestria, but I am not a god of Equestria. They would never let me have that title."

"So you were once an evil god?" Thor asked in a voice that sounded like a building storm.

"I wouldn't say evil, I would say...lost," Discord said as he glanced to the side and in doing so never say the lightning leave Thor's eyes. "I used my power for my own enjoyment and cared nothing for others. It took being incased in stone for a thousand years and nearly losing all of my friends to realize that there are things more important than me. That a god isn't the focus of the universe. But...I can't be that god."

Thor crossed his arms as Discord said this, lowering his head to the point where his silver helmet covered his eyes and made it so that Discord couldn't see into them. Discord caught movement off to the side and spied Fluttershy walking towards them, a confused look on her face as she saw both Discord and Thor. Discord waved her away with an urgent look on his face, before taking on his neutral expression as Thor lifted his head once more.

"Why not?" Thor asked, getting Discord to give Thor a look of confusion. "Why can you not be that god?"

"Because I'm a god of chaos. And chaos only creates chaos," Discord replied.

"But you wish to be more?"

"I...I'm not sure."

"You are an interesting one, god of chaos. You have suffered and been imprisoned in a way that would make most gods go crazy with revenge, yet you instead opened your mind to learning to be better," Thor said to Discord, all of the rage and power in his voice having faded away. "You have done what so few gods have done. You have seen your own folly and sought to be more than just your nature. Yet you do not believe you can..."

Discord gave Thor a look, not sure how to respond to the sudden change in attitude from Thor. Thor then extended a hand towards Discord, with a look of confidence in the god of thunders eyes that made Discord even more afraid than when Thor was angry.

"Why are you extending you hand to me with that smile on your face?" Discord asked a bit afraid, getting a booming laugh to escape the god of thunder's lips.

"Because you remind me a of younger, far angrier me," Thor told Discord. "One that was so self-absorbed and arrogant that he was not worthy of the hammer that you see within my grasp right now. It took quite a long time and plenty of agony before I finally reached the place you are now. And when I reached that place, I had the people of Midgard and their heroes to help show me what it means to be a god. To show me I was more than the god I was."

"Okay, but I don't really know what either of those are," Discord replied in a careful tone. Thor let out a laugh before he clapped Discord on the shoulder, knocking Discord's arm off of his body and sending it tumbling into the stream. Thor's laugh grew even louder as Discord snapped his fingers and returned his limb to his side, giving Thor a look.

"Of course you would not. And we are far too far from Midgard to take you there...so why don't I teach you what the people of Midgard taught me? What it truly means to be a god of your nation? To be the god you wish to be?" Thor asked with enthusiasm in every word.

"Okay, first of all I am not a god of this nation. I am a god of chaos and I am not confined to one place," Discord told Thor, but the god of thunder shook his head with his smile growing even wider.

"Aye, god of chaos you are, but that means that you are god of this entire world. Including those within this land," Thor told Discord, who sighed in frustration at how Thor didn't seem to be getting what Discord was telling him. "I am the god of thunder and thunder travels across the world, so all those in the world fall under my care. God of Equestria or not."

"You do realize that in saying that you're breaking many of the laws that the other gods of this world set amongst each other?" Discord told Thor, whose smile became far moreclike that of a god than Discord had seen.

"The gods quarrel, the gods bicker and the gods set rules. Yet us gods get our power from the mortals, from those that believe in us and pray to us for help in their darkest of days," Thor replied before he glanced to the side with a dark look coming over his face, one that was mirrored by Discord as he sensed what Thor had sensed.

"You felt that as well?"

"Aye, I did. There are those in danger and require the aid of Thor," Thor told Discord as he began to spin the hammer, kicking up a mini storm in front of Fluttershy's cottage. Thor then cast a glance at Discord, before extending a hand towards him once more. "Will thou come with me? You can take thy first steps to becoming a true god, not one that would be feared or hated, but worshiped."

Discord glanced at the ground to think for a second, before glancing over his shoulder at where Fluttershy was taking cover behind a log. The two locked eyes and she nodded to him, getting the god of chaos to bite his lip. He reached out for a brief second towards Thor's hand, before he snapped his limb back and turned away.

"I apologize, Thor. I am not ready to be that kind of deity yet," Discord whispered.

"Very well, Discord, I shall handle this problem myself," Thor replied before a thin smile crossed his face. "But I saw you extend your hand. You wish to be a god that is respected. You just do not believe that you can be. And I was the same way all those years ago."

Discord didn't turn around until he heard the thunder crack across the sky and he looked towards the heavens to see Thor sailing off into the distance. Discord let out a small sigh and sat down on the ground, not lifting his head until Fluttershy walked over to him and sat down next to the god of chaos.

"You could have gone with him," Fluttershy told Discord.

"I could have. But at the same time, what would be the point?" Discord asked her, sighing as he placed his hands on his knees. "I would most likely make everything worse."

"...yeah, you probably might."

"Thank's Fluttershy. Always the wind beneath my wings."

{([])}

Celestia let out a curse as she leapt out of the way of a blast of darkness, before whipping her head to the side to blast one of the beasts made of darkness that tried to slash at her side. Behind her Luna was batting with two more of the beasts, managing to keep them at bay with her lunar magic. Yet as Celestia glanced around at the wilds cast in shadows, she realized that more and more of the creatures were coming out of the darkness to fight them.

"So sister, do you think we made the right call in not asking Twilight and her friends to aid us?" Luna called back to Celestia with a worried smirk on her face, getting Celestia to narrow her eyes before she blasted apart two beings of shadows with her magic. "Good job sister, two down, fifty more to go."

"Why do you insist on mocking me when the both of us have our backs against the wall?" Celestia called over to Luna before creating another barrier to stop three more of the lion like shadows from attacking.

"Two reasons. If these are to be our final moments, I wish to make sure I get in as much sisterly mocking as I can," Luna called over to Celestia, getting the princess of the sun to roll her eyes. "And the second is for the first time in my life I made a prayer to the heavens and I expect it to be answered at any moment."

"A prayer? I thought that you didn't believe in praying?" Celestia asked, but before her sister could answer bolts of divine lightning came crashing down from on high, incinerating the entire army of the beasts of shadows that had surrounded the sisters. Both of them lifted their heads to the sky to see Thor flying above them, casting down lightning upon any beasts that tried to escape.

"I didn't sister, not when they went unheard," Luna said with a smile as she watched Thor smote the shadow beasts. "But now that I know somepony is listening, I'm a little more inclined to try it."

Expert

"First it was the titans. Then it was a god of thunder. And now it's beasts made of shadows that are harder to kill than cockroaches," Celestia grumbled aloud as she and her sister used their magic to show everypony in the room the beasts that they had fought. After Thor had dealt with the beasts of shadow, Celestia had called an emergency meeting of the Ambassadors as well as Thor, who was going to be there anyway.

"Why would you kill cockroaches?!" Fluttershy asked with tears in her eyes, getting the sisters to share a quick look.

"We said tried to kill them, Fluttershy. Even with our incredible magic we still can't get them out of our home," Luna quickly said, though her words didn't really calm Fluttershy down. "But we're getting off tracks. Beasts of shadows with hints of crystals mixed in. I take it I don't need to tell any of you what kind of crystals we found in the remains of the beasts?"

"The crystals that were used to make the titans," Twilight finished for all of them, getting the sisters to nod.

"Correct, Twilight. It seems that whoever is responsible for the titans has switched from their towering terrors to these monsters of darkness," Celestia said as she ceased her magic and faced every pony standing in the command center. "We have only just begun the cleanup efforts to repair those places that were lost during the war with the titans. The last thing we need is a new breed of evil sprouting up during these times."

"However, these beasts of darkness are nowhere near as hard to kill as those infernal titans were," Luna pointed out to the group. "So I have no doubt that if any of you were confronted by one by yourselves you should be able to handle it."

"I don't get it? Why did the pony or whatever making these things switch away from the titans?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I mean, those titans were kicking our flanks day in and day out. If it was me, I would keep using what worked."

"I am the reason they stopped," Thor finally spoke up, the thunder and divinity in his voice turning all heads towards him. He was leaning against the wall with arms crossed and head hung, with the mighty Mjolnir resting on the ground beside him. "The titans, impressive beasts they may be, are no match for my might. I made that clear. These beasts of shadows are harder for me to sense and thus are more adapt at striking terror before I can appear. Whoever is behind these attacks has changed their tactics in response to my arrival."

"That is what we think as well, Lord Thor," Celestia agreed before turning back to the group. "Yet these are not the first time these shadow beasts have been seen in the land of Equestria. A long time ago, back during the reign of the dark king, these beasts plagued the Crystal Empire and the ponies there, leaving the king to try and eradicate them. We know he did, but we do not know how he did it. At least, not entirely."

"There is a scholar in the Crystal Empire that has studied the dark king and his methods for some time now. Cadence has instructed him to come to Canterlot to aid us with the fight against the shadow beings," Luna continued on, before looking over the six. "For the time being, I recommend that all of you stick together in groups of two or three. We do not want to risk any being caught off guard. If we lose anypony in this room, our chances of winning this war shift in the enemies favor."

"And then there is the matter of the gods," Thor muttered to himself, but loud enough so that the entire room could hear. "What is there play in all of this? And why do these shadow beasts and titans only plague this land? Is it because of this lands lack of a god? Or is it because of some other reason?"

"You believe the shadow beasts to be connected to the other divinities, Lord Thor?" Twilight asked, getting Thor to sigh as he rose to his full height and walked over to the balcony. He gazed out across the land for a long moment, able to feel something brewing out there. He wasn't sure what and that concerned him. Whenever a god didn't know what was going on, dark times were ahead.

"Perhaps they are. The two incidents could be completely unrelated," Thor thought, before his face darkened. "Yet I rarely see an event of this magnitude in which the gods are not in some way involved. Perhaps it is time that I pay the other gods of Equis a visit in their lands. Reveal to the rest of the world what the new god of Equestria is capable of."

"Lord Thor, wait!" Luna called out as Thor turned and began to head for the exit to the room, placing herself between the god and the doors. "Equestria is still weak from its war with the titans and the last thing our nation needs right now is a war with gods. Even with you on our side, the amount of lives lost would be too high for me to even consider. I beg that you change your mind."

Thor stared a the princess of the moon for a moment before he nodded his head. "Very well, princess of the night. For now, Thor shall refrain from battling with the gods of Equis," Thor said before he walked by her, stopping at the door to look back at Luna. "But know this, sister of the sun. There will come a day when the gods of this world will do battle. I may not be the one to start the battle, but it will come. It is in the nature of the divine. I warn you now."

"T-thank you for the warning," Luna said with a nervous nod to Thor, who pushed the doors open and began to walk away. "Where are you going now, Lord Thor?"

"I promised young Autumn and Summer that I would aid them in, what was it again...dealing with loan sharks," Thor said with a smile of battle on his face. "I know not what type of sharks can loan things, but I look forward to battling with them. Perhaps they will be a worthy foe?!"

The ponies let out a small laugh at the joke, before they began to question whether or not Thor was actually joking or not. Then the rainbow maned Pegasus spied the hammer of Thor still sitting against the wall and she flew over to it.

"Hey Lord Thor, you forgot your hammer," Rainbow Dash said as she wrapped her hooves around the hammer, getting all eyes to widen at her while Thor turned around with a look of interest. "Here, allow me to-URK!" Rainbow Dash had tried to fly the hammer over to Thor, but the moment she tried to fly with it she found herself being yanked out of the air by magic and dropped straight to the ground.

"Okay, ow," Dash grumbled as she glared over at Twilight, whose horn glowed with a purple light. "Twilight, what the heck was that for? I was just trying to-"

"You touched something that belonged to Lord Thor without first asking if it was alright," Twilight scolded Dash before turning to the god of thunder with an apologetic smile on her face. "Lord Thor, I am terribly sorry. My friend can sometimes act without thinking and-"

"Aye, your friend is indeed rash in her actions. But I do not mind her trying to be helpful," Thor said with a playful smile on his face, one that surprised all of the ponies in the room. "Rainbow Dash, was it not? This time I will ask of you to bring me my hammer...if you are able?"

"If I am able? Is this a challenge?" she replied before gripping the handle of Mjolnir. "Because this won't be a challenge at all. All I'm doing is-URG-lifting a stupid-HRK-hammer! Okay seriously, what the heck?" Dash tried three more times to lift Mjolnir or even budge it, but to her increasing frustration the hammer didn't even flinch from Dash's efforts. Eventually she gave up trying to lift and settled for kicking it, but that turned out to be an even worse idea.

"Move over Dash and let me do it," Twilight said with a hint of urgency in her voice before she grabbed hold of the hammer with her magic. Yet to Twilight's disbelief, she found that when she tried to lift the hammer with her magic it refused to move any more than when Dash had tried. Thor smiled to himself as Twilight strained with all of her magical might, but to no avail. "What's going on? I can move the sun and the moon with my magic, so moving this hammer shouldn't be-"

Twilight let out a yelp as the hammer flew from the ground and sailed past her head, before coming to a stop in the outstretched hand of Thor. All eyes in the room turned towards him as he tossed the hammer in his hand a few times for good measure, before smiling at Dash and Twilight.

"Behold Twilight, why I do not mind when another tries to lift my hammer. Because none here can," Thor told the group before he started to walk away from the command center.

"Why not, Lord Thor?"

"There is a simple explanation for that, Twilight," Thor replied as he smiled over his shoulder, before he turned and left the room.

{([])}

To Thor's disappointment, he did not find Autumn, daughter of Summer, or Summer herself in battle with sharks that were trying to loan things to them. Instead, as he descended from the clouds above the city of Canterlot, he found the both of them sitting with another pony at a table who was talking with them in a cheerful demeanor.

"Summer, where are the sharks that your daughter spoke of in her latest prayer?" Thor called down to the three right before he impacted on the ground next to them, cracking the stones that made up the pavement. The pony they were talking to let out a cry before he tumbled over backwards in his chair, while Summer and Autumn both smiled up at the god of thunder.

"Don't worry about those sharks, Lord Thor. I've already fended them off for the time being," Summer told the god of thunder, who raised an eyebrow with an impressed look on his face.

"You must be a mighty warrior to fend off such fearsome creatures as those. Perhaps you shall aid me the next time I battle with the shadow beasts," Thor put forward as the pony that he had startled picked himself off of the ground.

"I'll pass, thanks," Summer said with a polite smile. Autumn began to tell Thor about there day, but after a moment Thor turned his gaze upon the pony that had fallen over and studied him for a moment. He wore a brown sweater over his black coat, while a blue scarf gently moved in the breeze. A pair of reading glasses covered his face and his mane was short and brown. Yet it was his eyes that made Thor's eyes narrow. Eyes filled with curiosity and knowledge, but also underlining hints of hunger.

"And who are thee?" Thor asked as he pointed the hammer at the face of the pony, but to Thor's surprise he found that the pony didn't look at Mjolnir with fear. Only with an intense amazement and curiosity that made Thor lower the hammer.

"Forgive me Thor, where are my manners?" the pony said with a flustered tone as he pushed his glasses up further along his nose. "I am Spellbinder. I have been sent to Canterlot by the decree of Cadence to aid the princesses here in dealing with the shadow beasts that have popped up recently."

"Aye, Celestia did say that you would be arriving. Just not this soon," Thor muttered, while the pony nervously rubbed the back of his head.

"I know. I'm supposed to be here tomorrow, but I was just so excited to finally put the things I've been learning about to good use that I came out here on the first train...which got here at four in the morning," Spellbinder laughed in a tired voice before he gazed up at Thor with wide eyes. "So tell me Thor, did you see them? The shadow beasts?"

"Aye, Thor did battle with them. They are not as tough as the crystal titans, but these beasts are far more numerous and harder to track than the titans ever were," Thor said with a glance at Summer and Autumn, but when he looked back at Spellbinder the pony already had a book out on the table.

"Yep, according to Sombra's notes, he's the dark king by the way, the beasts of shadows were adapt at slipping past defenses are wrecking havoc on living quarters and sources of power. Seems even he couldn't deal with them," Spellbinder said with a masters knowledge on the subject.

"Perhaps he was not able to, but he was not a god. I am and I shall strike these creatures from the face of Equis. That is my promise to you all," Thor swore to the ponies, who all gave him polite nodes except for Autumn, who stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Well I hope you can, because from what I've read Sombra was only able to banish them. He wasn't able to completely get rid of them," Spellbinder said once more, but a look from Thor ceased his talk on the subject any further.

"Does thou doubt the word of a god?" Thor asked Spellbinder, who shook his head as he sunk under the table. Thor smirked at his actions before turning his attention back to Autumn, who was wearing a look of concern. "What ails thee, little Autumn?"

"It's just...how many more evils are going to plague our land?" she asked in a tired voice, one that made her mother pull her into a hug. "First it was Nightmare Moon, then Discord, then Tirek, then the titans and now these shadow beasts. And all of them have attacked in just a manner of a few years. Will Equestria ever be at peace?" she asked in a worried tone.

Thor heard her concern and knelt down so that he was as eye level with the little filly as he could be, getting her to look up at him. "Autumn, daughter of Summer, Thor swears to you that he will not rest until he finds a way to ensure that peace takes up permanent stay in your land. In this entire world," Thor swore to her, getting Autumn to smile slightly. "No matter how many eons it make take me, there will come a day when you shall not fear attack by any being. You have the word of a god."

"Okay, Thor. I believe in you," Autumn replied. Thor smiled as he rose up to his full height once more, before gazing off into the distance, far further than any of the ponies could see.

"I must go. If I am to ensure that peace is to last on this world, then I need to meet with the other gods of this realm," Thor said as he began to swing Mjolnir. "Starting with the most untrustworthy of them all. Starting with the two faced god."

Thor was gone a moment later, leaving the ponies to brace themselves as a massive burst of wind nearly knocked them out of their seats. Once the wind died down they all turned their gaze to where Thor had flown off, before Spellbinder started to write in his book.

"Thor, god of Equestria. How interesting," he muttered to himself before casting a glance at Summer, who caught the look. "Would the two of you mind if I hang around you more often? It seems that all the most interesting things happen when you two are around."

Faces

'This land truly is far different than Midgard,' Thor thought to himself as he sailed high above the land of the elk. He had wasted no time in visiting Janis's land and just as the god had said, he found that a huge chasm had cleaved the land in two right down the center. He also sensed that the chasm was not naturally created, telling Thor of a rift in the land that he may need to mend.

The land of the elk interested Thor, as it reminded him of the realm of the light Elves, Alfheim. The trees were filled with wonder and magic, glowing with untold number of lights that made the forests look like something in an Asgardian fairy tale. Plants the likes of which Thor had only seen in the Elves realm grew with the colors of the rainbow, with a fruit dangling from them that watered even a gods mouth.

And then there were the elk themselves, or at least what few Thor spied in the forest from his flight above it. Much like the ponies of Equestria, all of them were colored differently, with the difference being that unlike the ponies that had marks on their flanks, the elk had marks similar to those upon their chests, almost like badges of honor.

Of course, he had only spied three elk to make that assumption and the three elk that he had spied were in peril. The three of them raced through the forest as fast as their legs could carry them, but from the eyes of a god Thor could tell that they were not fast enough to escape the monstrous spiders that chased after them. To Thor's interest, the spiders seemed to be made of dirt and stone that were always constantly moving. The eyes were made of rare gems, with the leader of the swarm having ruby eyes while the rest had emeralds. Thor was almost impressed with their beauty. But they were chasing the elk. Thor couldn't allow that.

"Halt, beasts of stone!" Thor roared as he flung Mjolnir into the ground in front of the advancing swarm of stone spiders, getting the spiders to halt in their tracks. Thor followed the landing of his hammer, rising to his full height and towering over the spiders. Behind him he heard the elk come to a halt, but he kept his eyes forward as he extended his hand and Mjolnir returned to its wielder. "You shall not claims these three today. Thor swears it."

The leader of the spiders clicked his stone mandibles and warily skittered back and forth in front of the god of thunder, but three of the spiders behind him let out a screeching sound and lunged towards Thor. Thor smirked before he swung Mjolnir in a perfect arc, shattering the first of the stone spiders and knocking the other two out of the air.

The two spiders that hadn't been reduced to pebbles landed on their backs, scrambling wildly for a moment before they flipped over and resumed their attacks. Thor slammed the closest one to him with his hammer, before reaching out with his left hand and grabbing the other spider by the face. Thor squeezed his fingers together and crushed the head of the spider to dust, causing its body to fall apart into stones and pebbles. A second shot from the hammer finished off the third spider, leaving Thor to glance at the rest of the swarm and smile at them.

"Are thou done? For I promise you, Mjolnir has plenty more pain for all of you," Thor told the spiders as he pointed Mjolnir towards the swarm. Some of the other spiders stepped forward, but the leader with the ruby eyes made a clicking sound before he began to back away. The rest of the swarm followed and a moment later Thor stood alone with the three elk and three piles of rubble.

"Are the three of you unharmed?" Thor asked as he turned on the three elk, who all gazed up at him with disbelief. Two of the three elk had antlers upon their head, but only one of their horns were fully grown. Two of them were a similar green color, Thor assumed they were siblings, while the one with the antlers stood protectively over the other two.

"You two, run. Whatever this thing is, I'll hold it off," the elk said in a deep voice, before giving Thor a glare that caused a smile to spread across the gods face.

"Dad, you saw what that thing did to those spiders. You won't stand a chance," one of the little ones whispered back, but a glare from the father silenced any further argument. Before the three could do anything rash, Thor held out a hand and gained their attention.

"There is no need for such rash action, friends. I am not here to harm you or your children. I am Thor, god of thunder and recent god of Equestria," Thor introduced himself to the three, whose eyes went wide at his words. "And I am here to speak with your god, Janis."

"Thor...yeah, I think I've heard of you," the father elk muttered with a nod of his head, the tension leaving his shoulders but the look of caution still remained on his face. "There have been rumors of Equestria finally getting a god once more. Great, just what we needed."

"I do not understand the reason for the displeasure in your voice," Thor said to the elk, who glanced down at the ground. "Thor commands that you speak."

"It's...the ponies are already plenty powerful enough, even without a god or goddess to make them even stronger," the elk said with a sigh, not wanting to disobey a gods words. "In fact, the only reason we're certain they haven't tried to take over the other nations is because of the fact that we have a god and they don't. But now, with you here..."

"I am confused. I have been with the ponies for a few weeks now and they do not seem like the type to wish invasion upon you or your races," Thor said as he crossed his arms, his look demanding more answers from the elk, who avoided his gaze. "In fact, Celestia and Luna both speak about how they wish to be friends with all. That does not sound like what you are describing."

"Not all ponies are like them. And the princesses don't speak for all of the ponies," the elk replied in a soft voice, but Thor heard him just find. "But perhaps my own views are making me negative. You have saved my family and me from a terrible fate, Lord Thor, so I have no reason to doubt your words. Thank you for saving us."

"There is no need for thanks. But there is a question you can answer. Where is your god and why did you not pray for his aid?" Thor asked the entire family, who all glanced at each other before answering.

"Lord Janis...has not been himself since the split in our nation. Sometimes we're not even sure if he is the same deity," one of the children answered, though every time Thor looked at the girl she avoided the gods eyes. "Sometimes he is the god we know, but at other times he seems completely different, speaking with himself and doing...something. We dare not question him."

"Questioning a god rarely ends well, especially when the god is not all there," Thor said before he began to swing his hammer once more, having sensed where Janis's temple in the land was located. "Can the three of you return to your home safely or do you need the aid of Thor further?"

"No, we were almost home when we got attacked. Thank you once more for your aid, Lord Thor," the father elk said with a bow to Thor once more. "Oh, I am Shear by the way. And these are my children, Wisp and Spirit. Come on you two, thank Lord Thor."

"As I said before, there is no need for thanks. You have already made even what I did with the information you revealed," Thor said with thunder in his eyes before he took to the skies once more, waving to the three before he hurled himself in the direction of the temple of Janis.

'Janis being insane does not surprise me. Many gods go mad in their life times. What concerns me is the impression of Equestria that these elk have, an impression that I have not noticed,' Thor thought to himself with a clouded expression. 'Perhaps the lack of their goddess has not only weakened Equestria, but split it from the rest of the world. Just another task to add to my seemingly ever increasing list.'

{([])}

Thor was tempted to destroy the temple the moment he laid eyes on it.

The temple of Janis resided in the center of a massive city of the elk, one that was made out of magic and nature instead of the buildings that the ponies had. Janis's temple was larger than any of the other buildings, made of a material that seemed incredibly valuable, and from the number of guards around the place, incredible valuable.

But what made Thor's blood boil was the images on the side of Janis standing over his elk, some of the images of him with his boots upon their heads or them sacrificing themselves to appease him. These were the kind of gods that dragged the name of the divines through the mud. These were the gods that had created Gor. A mistake that Thor had spent so long trying to undo.

'Yet I have made a promise to the princesses not to start any fights with any of the gods, no matter how deserved this one is of a blow from Mjolnir,' Thor thought to himself as he descended to the entrance of the temple, behind the guards who only seemed to stare forward. Thor walked inside without waiting for any of the elk to see him, pushing open the doors and walking inside.

The inside was just as infuriating as the outside. Every square space that was not being used for offerings or elk worshiping the god was dedicated to images of the deity, with hundreds of images and statues of the masked deity. Thor felt himself gripping his hammer tighter as he walked into the center of the room, getting the elk that were inside worshiping to stare at him with disbelief.

"Out. All of you," Thor ordered with a crack of thunder and a moment later he was alone in the temple. "Janis! Sinaj! Whichever you are calling yourself right now! Come out! Thor would have words with thee!"

As Thor said this he raised his hammer and unleashed a torrent of lightning and thunder within the temple, causing mass panic outside of the temple. Thor continued the light show until he felt the arrival of the god, along with a sense of anger that only a deity could produce.

"Who in the name of the underworld dares to defy my temple?!" Janis roared with fury as he materialized in the center of the temple, both halves of his mask contorted in a look of rage. The eyes behind the mask widened when they saw the god of thunder standing alone in the temple and Thor watched as the eyes did their best to suppress the rage. "Thor. God of Equestria. What are you doing within my temple?"

"Trying to draw you out, of course," Thor said with a smirk to the dual god, noticing both eyes narrow as the mask returned to its halved expressions. Thor's face then darkened as he walked up to the god of the elk, glaring down into his mask, as he did stand a good two feet taller than the god. "There are a new species of evil laying siege to Equestria, barely a week after I destroy the titan scourge that plagued their home. Would thou happen to know anything about that?"

"Why would I know anything about that?" Janis replied in a reserved voice, one that told Thor the god was doing everything in his power to restrain himself from attacking the god of thunder. "I have my own land with its own issues to deal with. I don't have time to waste on a lesser nation."

"Be careful of your words or you may feel the strength of my hammer," Thor told Janis with a growl. "And do not claim that you are in anyway aiding those of your land. On my way to this place I had to aid three that would be lost if not for my interference. Where were thee then?"

"Dealing with...issues," Janis snarled before regaining control once more. "But I swear to you Thor, swear as a godly oath, that I have nothing to do with these new evils that plague the land of Equestria. But as the god of Equestria you will soon learn that new evils pop up in that land faster than dandelions. Perhaps you will soon learn why Faust eventually quiet her job as deity of Equestria?"

Thor narrowed his eyes once more, but he turned away from Janis and walked to the exit. "Oh, and Thor?" Janis began, getting Thor to stop and turn to face Janis one last time. "Be careful if you go flying into another gods land in the future. Not all of them are as forgiving as me."

"I will keep that in mind when I am laying waste to them with my hammer," Thor replied in a stern tone before he left the temple. Janis watched until he left before he mask flipped around on itself and Janis flooded the temple with his power.

"That arrogant god of thunder. Believing himself to be so much better than all of us," Sinaj snarled to himself as he glared into one of the few reflective surfaces in the room, eyes narrowing behind his mask.

"Yet the idea of a new evil rising in Equestria just a while after the titans interest me," Janis replied with a smile, forming a ball of power in his hands as he glared at his reflection. "It seems that an evil force has either returned or resurrected once more. And in these dark times, perhaps we can finally show the ponies of Equestria that they have placed their faith in the wrong...rulers."

"Perhaps it is time we start doing what should have been done years ago," Sinaj agreed before he vanished into his sphere, leaving the temple empty yet the rumbles of thunder still echoed within.

Promise

The floors were still a polished silver, despite having no visitors for over two thousand years. The torches hung from the walls burned with a radiant light, a light that only served to illuminate one pony's path. And the empty halls served as a brutal reminder that the heavens were just as empty as the temple, but yet Celestia found herself within the temple once more.

'The Temple of Faust. How long has it been?' Celestia asked herself as she gazed at the images of the alicorn goddess on the walls, images of the goddess speaking with Celestia's grandparents, then of her father and mother. And the most recent images, by a few thousand years, was of the goddess speaking to a young Celestia and Luna. That was a day Celestia would never forget.

Celestia drew her attention away from the memories as she entered into the main chamber, where once upon a time hundreds of ponies would come to offer prayer and praise to Faust, but it had been so long since any had offered a prayer to Faust. Barely any in the world remembered that she had existed. But Celestia would never forget. She couldn't allow herself to.

"Hello, my goddess," Celestia whispered as she approached a massive statue of the alicorn that stood in the center of the main temple chamber. The statue of the goddess made her seem larger than life and imposing, but all a pony had to do was look into the eyes of the statue to see the compassion and hints of deviousness in her eyes. Celestia could recall seeing those same emotions in the eyes of the goddess all those years ago.

"It has been so long since I've come to talk to you. There has been a lot going on in Equestria," Celestia said to the statue as she sat down, hanging her head slightly as she closed her eyes. "Evil has constantly been running rampant in Equestria. For the thousands of years I have been in rule, it seems that evil refuses to rest. Of course, it began stirring when you vanished, but until mother and father passed we managed to keep it at bay."

"For a while though, we thought we had a solution. Twilight Sparkle, I talked about her the last time I was here, has obtained the Element's of Harmony and, along with five others, have been able to fight against the forces of evil. For a time, at least," Celestia sighed as she recalled the first day the titans showed up. "But once more, evil adapted to our powers. A new evil, the titans, rained death and destruction upon our lands. We did our best to fight them off, but..."

Celestia lifted her eyes to the statue once more and looked into the eyes of the statue, noticing that the eyes seemed to be filled with interest now. She knew that her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she forced herself to smirk as she lowered her head once more.

"Right, you want to know about him. You want to know about Thor," Celestia said. The moment she spoke the gods name, thunder rumbled over the temple. Celestia glanced at the roof for a second before she returned to her humble position. "The god of thunder and the new god of Equestria."

"I'm not sure on him. I don't know where his loyalties lie. Yes, he saved us and truly seems to be on our side, but gods are fickle beings. And I know we couldn't win if he turned his power upon us," Celestia tried to explain, but there was pain in her voice. "I truly did not wish to give him your position. But I did it for my nation, to keep them safe!"

The eyes of the statue seemed to harden for a moment, making Celestia tense up with hesitation. "But I also did it in hopes...that the insult would cause you to return. That you would return to take your place as the rightful ruler of Equestria. That Thor's coronation would draw you out. Well...it drew out four other gods. But not you."

For a long time Celestia hung her head in silence, waiting for some kind of sign that the goddess would respond. That they hadn't been abandoned by the one that they had believed in for so long. That there was another reason for her disappearance. But after nearly an hour, Celestia let out a sigh of sadness before raising her head once more.

"Faust...if you are listening, if you are out there, we are in desperate need of your guidance," Celestia whispered in a quiet prayer. "Constant attacks from evil on my land and yet constantly I am powerless to stop it. And when we finally get some relief from the darkness, it is from a god that I do not know I can trust. What do I do? What can any of us do?"

Celestia waited for a long time, waiting for a sign of some sorts, anything to tell her that her prayers had been answered. The statue never moved and no other sound could be heard, until Celestia heard the sound of heavy boots walking across the floor. Celestia opened her eyes and turned around to see the god of thunder standing at the entrance to the main room, an interested, but also respectful, look upon his face.

"Lord Thor! What do I owe this honor?!" Celestia said in a panicked tone as she tried to get to her hooves, but Thor held out a hand to stop her. He walked over besides Celestia and gazed up at the statue, staring at it for a few moments before looking down at the worried eyes of Celestia.

"I am here to speak with you, princess of the sun," Thor said to Celestia. Thor then crossed his legs and sat down across from the princess of the sun, placing Mjolnir on the ground next to him. Celestia swallowed hard before she moved herself so that she was facing Thor. "I have heard recently that you have concerns about me being the god of Equestria."

"W-where did you hear that, Lord Thor?" Celestia asked in a quiet voice.

"I heard your prayer just now," Thor said with a smile, one that made Celestia's eyes shrink. "So speak, Princess Celestia. Why does thou not trust the words of the god of thunder? What has Thor done that would turn your thoughts against Thor and try a desperate plan to return your lost god to the throne? Speak."

"It...it's that..."

"Speak."

"You are a god," Celestia spat out in a scared tone, one that made the room all the more silent. Thor did not reply as he waited for her to continue, though it took Celestia a few moments to realize that she hadn't been struck down for her words. "A-and gods...are fickle beings. You've met Discord. One moment he's working with us, fighting by our side. And then the next he's raining syrup upon a city and laughing at the ponies that he's turned to waffles."

"I am hardly-"

"And then there are the other four gods. Just you being there was enough to get the god of the changelings to try and strike me down," Celestia continued on, her fear fading as it was replaced with rage. "For all of the years I have ruled, I have never met a god that I could trust. Faust was the only one that kept her word and she vanished. So I was stuck trying to lead a godless nation, living in constant fear that one of the gods of another nation would strike us down out of boredom."

Thor did not respond to her words.

"How am I to know that your words are real? How am I to know that you are really here to help us and don't have an ultimatum that ends with us being enslaved or worse?" Celestia spat at Thor, so consumed with her emotions that she had forgotten the being she was speaking to. "Yes, I set you up as god of our world so that Faust might return. I did it because I don't trust you. But how can I? Every being I've come across with your kind of power has tried to either rule us or destroy us. How are you any different?"

Thor didn't say anything for a while after Celestia had spoken, allowing the princess to regain control of herself. Once she had done so, her eyes went wide as she realized what she had said and she bowed down while trying to stammer out an apology for her words.

"I-I am sorry for being so harsh, Lord Thor...I understand if you would have issues trusting me-"

"Celestia, princess of the sun...you are not wrong." Celestia's eyes snapped open and she whipped her head up so fast she nearly popped something in her neck. "From what you have seen and been subjected to, you have no reason to trust the gods. Even me, the god of thunder, still needs to prove to you that I am not your foe. You feel betrayed by the goddess that you trusted so deeply. Thou are not the first."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Gor," Thor said in a voice filled with wrath, a wrath that made Celestia shake with fear. "The god butcher. He unleashed a war upon the stars for a countless number, butchering any god that he came across. At first I thought he was simply a madman, but over time I learned his reasons. The gods had abandoned him. The gods had been concerned with only themselves. He watched, on so many different worlds, that the gods simply did not care about the mortals. So he swore to make them pay. And pay we did."

"He...butchered gods?"

"So many of them. I lost track of how many fell to him. Perhaps Faust was one of them. I know not. But what I do know is that for all of his rage and insanity...he was not wrong," Thor admitted with a heavy sigh. "So many gods are only concerned with themselves. They see mortals as playthings. I saw them as sources of entertainment, in my youth. So many mortals put their faith, their trust, into us and we only aid them when it benefits us. Perhaps he had every right to exact his revenge upon those that failed him. He went to far, as all villains do, but he was not entirely wrong. Sometimes...I wonder if he was right?"

"You mean you think he was right in butchering the gods?" Celestia asked with horror.

"Nay. I mean, perhaps he was right in saying the realms would be better off without gods. That perhaps the worlds would be a better place without the arrogance and foolishness of those that believe themselves untouchable," Thor said with a tired sigh, one that Celestia had never expected to hear from Thor. Thor then lifted Mjolnir once more, staring at the inscription on the back of the hammer before he flipped it over in his hand and offered the handle to Celestia.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked.

"But that is why I fight so hard, Celestia," Thor said to Celestia as he extended the handle closer to her. "To prove that not all gods out there are selfish and deaf. That there is at least one god out there that will answer your prayers. That Gor was wrong. There are gods that care. I can not change the nature of the other gods. But I can change who I am. The people of Earth showed me that even a god can be a better person. That I could be a better person. The mortals saved me. It is only right that I save them. As for whether or not I trust you..."

He motioned for Celestia to take the hammer once more and, with some hesitation, Celestia extended her hoof towards it. She grabbed hold of the handle, feeling the power of lightning course through her the moment she did so. Thor let go of the head of the hammer and allowed Celestia to fully hold it. She pulled the hammer closer and placed her other hoof under the head, looking down at Mjolnir with wide eyes.

She could feel the raw lightning coming from the hammer, as if all of the world and its power was hers to command. She could also feel the strength and power within the hammer, a strength that could overcome any foe. But she also sensed the danger. The weapons she wielded was not one to stop foes. It was one to put an end to them. A terrible weight to wield. She shifted its weight a few times, amazed at how well balanced it was, before she saw words written on the back of the hammer.

'Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.'

"What does that mean?" Celestia asked as she turned the hammer over and offered the handle back to Thor, who took it with a smile on his face.

"It is a promise, Celestia. My promise to you," Thor said as he placed Mjolnir down beside him. "It is a promise that I will defend your home and your people. That I will hear the prayers of the ponies and help those that are truly in need of my aid. That I will be a god worthy of both you and the goddess that came before."

Celestia felt a small sense of warmth in her heart, as she was able to hear the sincerity and truth in Thor's words. Then Thor took up his hammer once more and once again looked at the back of Mjolnir. "I...appreciate the words, Lord Thor. I really do."

"Thor will suffice, Celestia," Thor replied before his face darkened. "But it is also a darker promise. For as hard as I try, the dark nature of a god still resides within me. And if a day should come, a day when I forget who I am and give into the cruelty of the gods, I ask thee take my hammer from me and smite me with it. For if you can, it is proof of how I have failed thee."

Celestia didn't like the tone in Thor's voice as he said that and the way he gazed at his hammer told her there was more that he hadn't said, but after a moment he looked up at her with his normal smile upon his face, one with all of the confidence and strength of a god.

"We have spent enough time speaking of pain and death. Let us return to this land of magic, where I constantly receive prayers for my autograph," Thor said with a laugh, rising to his feet before holding out a hand to Celestia. Celestia took it with a smile, being pulled to her hooves a moment later. "I will join you momentarily. Please allow me a moment."

Celestia nodded and left the chamber, leaving Thor alone with the statue of the goddess. Thor glanced down at Mjolnir once more before he turned and looked up at the statue of Faust, whose eyes seemed to be burning into him. Thor smiled in reply and tipped his helmet to her.

"She is who you chose, is she not?" Thor asked, getting no answer in reply. He smiled and turned away, heading towards the exit before he stopped and looked back at her statue. "You chose well."

Words

Luna let out a tired sigh as the moon finally vanished over the horizon, getting the first rays of sunlight to shine over the land. Despite being the princess of the moon, for the first time in her life she was happy to see the silver orb sink from the sky. The moon brought out the shadows and the shadows brought out the strange beasts that lived within them. Another evil for them to fight.

'Can't think like that. It's going to be a long day and I need to focus,' Luna thought to herself as she turned from the balcony that was attached to her room and walked back into the castle. The first thing she did was walk to her sisters room, as Celestia had been out for most of the day and the night working. She tapped her hoof against the door to her sisters room and pushed the door open when she didn't get a response. The bed was neat and tidy, yet showed no signs of being slept in. Luna frowned before leaving to hunt down her sister.

'Sister, what have you been up to?' Luna asked herself as she walked through the mostly empty castle, checking all of the places that Celestia would normally hang out. First she checked the kitchen, then the library, then the kitchen again and finally she checked out the hall of meditation. Yet to the princess of the moons anger, she couldn't find Celestia anywhere. She did, however, find another pony that she had not expected to find.

"Who are you?" she asked the pony in the brown sweater, who she had found meditating in the center of the chamber. The pony let out a yelp as he shot to his hooves, spinning around to face the princess so fast that he nearly whipped off his glasses.

"I-I am sorry Luna, I'm Spellbinder," he introduced while picking up his glasses and placing them on his face. "And I'm the expert on the shadow monsters that Cadence set from the Crystal Empire. I would have been here earlier, but I got caught up in things and only just arrived the other day."

"Ah, well that explains it," Luna said with a nod before she motioned the pony to follow her with a flick of her wing. "These shadow beasts have been a problem recently. Thankfully they are not as dangerous or destructive as the crystal titans, but they have been problematic in other areas. Namely, they are going through temples and places of knowledge, stealing things that don't belong to them."

"Like what, Luna?"

"Information on the deities of the world," Luna informed the stallion, whose eyes went wide behind his glasses. "Anything and everything relating to them. Rituals used to appease them, where they are located, how they have behaved or acted in the past millennia. If any of them so much as show up in a book or scroll, they snatch it."

"But why would they want this kind of information? I mean, what good would it do these beasts of shadows?" Spellbinder asked.

"For the beasts of shadows, I assume it does nothing. For the one in control of them, however, it could do many things," Luna said in a worried tone, pushing open the doors to the main hallway of Canterlot Castle. "Information is one of the greatest weapons of all, so whoever wields this information could potentially use it for something evil."

"B-but these shadow beasts cannot be controlled," Spellbinder stammered as he reached into one of the saddle bags that he had brought with him, only to fumble it and spill papers and books all over the floor. He stammered out an apology before he snatched up an ancient look piece of parchment. "Right here it shows that even king Sombra couldn't control these beasts of shadows and he was made of living shadow. If he couldn't do it..."

"Just because one pony cannot do something does not mean that another can not find a way," Luna told the scholar, before glancing over all of the information he had with him. "You truly have devoted yourself to learning the ways of the dark king, have you not? What drew you to studying his evil?"

"Well, you know the old saying. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it," Spellbinder stammered out with a smile as he scooped back up his books and papers. "And with the way villains that were once sealed away are popping back up, the more we know about them and their tactics the better."

"I agree. Thank you for the work that you do, then," Luna said with a nod to the pony, who smiled with pride that his work was being praised. His smile faded when the doors to the castle opened and the princess of the sun walked in, a tired but hopeful look on her face. Luna nodded to Spellbinder to tell him it was time to leave, before she turned towards her sister with a smile on her face. "Sister. I had wondered what had become of you. For a time I feared that you had been trapped in a never ending meeting and I would have to rule for a century."

"Very funny, sister," Celestia said with a dry smile, casting a glance at Spellbinder, who shuffled past her as fast as he could. "No I was not trapped in a meeting. Well, at least not the ones that we are accustomed to. I was speaking with Thor at the temple of Faust."

Luna raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing as she motioned for Celestia to continue speaking. "I made the mistake of praying to Faust and Thor heard me, forcing me to tell him about all my concerns and fears about him. He, in turn, told me about a being that had butchered the gods because of their arrogance and laziness. A being called Gor." Luna didn't know why, but she shivered when she heard that name.

"Gor killed many gods before I assume he was stopped, but apparently he was the one that got Thor to realize that he was not a god to be proud of. And after the people of his world saved him, he swore that he would not be a deaf god. That he would be one that cared."

"I see...do you believe his words?" Luna asked with hints of hesitation.

"...I do. After that talk with him...I feel like I understand Thor better than I did before," Celestia said with a small nod. "He is not like the gods that we have had to deal with. He is...similar to Faust, if she carried a hammer and spoke with a slight accent."

"Well, if you believe in him sister, then I shall as well. But it may take a little longer to convince the Ambassadors to trust his words," Luna said with a small laugh. "Twilight still is trying to figure out how Thor can be so powerful and Rainbow Dash has been working out so that she can move the hammer the next time she gets the chance. Perhaps you could ask Thor to talk with them? Help them see that he is on our side?"

"You know sister, that is not a bad idea," Celestia said as she closed her eyes and prayed the idea to Thor, hoping that he would respond as soon as he was able. "But in the meantime, I wish to speak to you about these shadow beasts. I have heard they are up to no good."

{([])}

"Oh this is nice. What do you think, Discord?" Fluttershy asked her chaotic friend as she showed him a small necklace made of seashells.

"Trust me Fluttershy, if you wear it then it will look amazing," Discord promised her, getting Fluttershy to smile at his words before buying the necklace from the shopkeeper. She wrapped it around her neck and smiled down at her, before she picked up her basket and walked towards the next shop.

"It is nice to have some peace and quiet after the titans. When they were attacking I was afraid that we would never have any time to rest ever again," Fluttershy said, looking around at her home. Even though a few weeks had passed since the death of the titan army, there were still scars that covered the land and buildings, as well as the ponies that lived in the town.

"Yes, it is incredible just how much has changed so quickly," Discord muttered in agreement, looking around at the faces of the ponies. He then flicked an ear towards the heavens and let out a sigh, before he smiled down at Fluttershy. "Dearest Fluttershy, I just realized that Pinkie has concocted a new form of sugar that I have not had the pleasure of trying. Would you be so kind as to secure it for me? I do not wish to cause a commotion inside the shop."

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at Discord's words, but she shrugged her shoulders and headed in the direction of Sugarcube Corners. Discord waved to her with a smile on his face, before it literally fell and he turned around with a sigh.

"I know that you are there. Show yourself."

A burst of fire incinerated the land next to Discord, who placed a pair of sunglasses over his eyes as a being crawled out of the fire. The beast was a changeling made of fire, but he gave off the same radiant power of a deity that Discord hated to be around. It summoned wings of fire that melted the ground around the two, while he turned his blazing eyes towards Discord.

"Toraxo. To what do I owe this pleasure," Discord said, making sure to put as much venom into the last word as he could. The god snarled at Discord before glaring at any of the ponies that were nearby, scaring them off.

"I am here to speak with you," Toraxo said to Discord. "Thor cannot be the god of Equestria. And as you are the only being in Equestria that could possibly take his place, you need to become god instead."

"Yeah, no," Discord said without a moments hesitation, getting the eyes of the changeling god to turn blue with fury. "See, I don't want to be god of this world. I can't be it. Besides, Thor is doing a good job right now. Ponies are happy, there's no threats trying to kill everypony and most importantly he keeps the four of you in check. It's a win-win for all of us."

For a brief moment Toraxo glared at Discord with such intensity that Discord believed he would be forced to whip out some sunscreen, but then the fire died down and the god of the changelings made a motion for the god of chaos to follow him. Discord raised an eyebrow and did so, turning invisible when Toraxo vanished from sight.

The two of them came to a stop above the Ponyville square, unable to be seen by any of the ponies down below. "So tell me, what was so important that I had to turn invisible and spend my afternoon with you instead of my best friend?" Discord asked Toraxo, who glared at Discord to silence him before pointing to a single pony in a dark cloak, who stood in the center of the square.

"Friends of Ponyville, I come with tough tidings!" the cloaked pony cried out to the crowd of ponies, some of who stopped to glance at the cloaked figure. "The age of the princesses is over! Their benevolent reign, one which has kept us all safe, is at an end! It is the age of gods now!"

Some of the ponies laughed at the words of the cloaked pony and Discord found himself doing the exact same thing. "Think about it, my friends. How many evils have shown up in the last thousand years? And how many of them did Celestia and Luna fight so hard to stop? They have always been there for us, they have earned our trust. But now they do not lead. Now a god, a foreign god from another world leads. A god they fear."

Discord frowned at the pony's words, but as he glanced through the crowd he found the ponies murmuring amongst themselves. "This god was strong enough to strike down the titans! He was strong enough to cause four other gods to cower with fear! He says he is happy just being a god and allowing the princesses to rule...but for how long? How long until he wants our land? Then the world? How long until we must bow and serve under the boot of Lord Thor?!"

Discord's face fell even further as he watched nearly all of the ponies turn and begin to listen more to what the cloaked pony was saying. His words engrossed the crowd as he told them about how Thor would bring thunder and lightning down upon the land to destroy any who dare question him. How gods could not be trusted. And the crowd listened.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Discord asked Toraxo, who said nothing as he gazed over at Discord. "Fine, so a pony's got an issue with a god. He's not the first and I doubt he'll be the last. After a while he'll go away and things will go on like nothing ever happened."

"You do not get it, do you Discord? This is happening all over Equestria," Toraxo said to Discord, whose eyes widened at the revelation. "Ponies are not just asking for the removal of Thor...they want Thor all of the gods to be cast away from the planet. They loved him at first, but now they are starting to realize just how strong he is. And how he is a power they have no chance against. They call us fickle, but we both know how fickle mortals are...and how soon they will turn on Thor."

Discord wanted to argue, to say that the god was wrong, but as he watched the ponies eyes he could tell that the words of the cloaked pony were getting to them. And after having done so much to them so many times himself, he could understand how the ponies would so easily want someone like Thor, a god they knew nothing of, gone. And he also knew he couldn't let that happen.

"Thank you for showing me this. It was mildly entertaining. Now get out of my nation," Discord said with a snarl to Toraxo, who chuckled slightly at Discord's words.

"Do you understand now, god of chaos? If these ponies have there way, Thor will soon be the one hated and turned against. And then how much longer would it be until he turns against them? Then how much longer till he rules the world?" Toraxo asked Discord, who narrowed his eyes in response. "We both know there is only one way to defeat a god. With another god. So what will you do, Discord? Allow Thor to evenually take the throne? Or will you become god yourself?"

Toraxo vanished in a flash of fire, leaving Discord to watch the ponies begin to chant for Thor. Discord snapped his fingers and a moment later a torrent of applejuice rained down on the ponies, getting them to head for shelter. But even as they scattered, Discord found himself unsure what to do.

Threats

"Princess Twilight, I know what you're doing is for the best, but I still have some concerns," Summer said to the violet princess as the princess strapped some strange contraption to the top of her daughter's head. Autumn was sitting in a chair with all sorts of things strapped to her, but she was so excited at being in the castle of one of the princesses that she didn't care about the wires in the least.

"Don't worry in the least. Your daughter is perfectly safe," Twilight said with nothing but confidence in her words as she finished setting up her machine, which she then flicked on with her magic. Sumer bit her bottom lip as lights began to flash from the contraption, getting Autumn to laugh as the energy tickled her body. Twilight stared at the machine as it began to show her results, but she frowned upon seeing those same results.

"Princess Twilight, I must ask once more that you change your mind on testing my daughter for...what are you testing her for exactly?" Summer asked Twilight once again, who spent a minute looking over data before she turned back to the concern mother.

"We've all been asking for help long before the titans attacked out home. Yet out of all the foals, ponies and everything else in this land, Thor only heard the prayer of your daughter," Twilight pointed out to Summer Days, who realized that Twilight was right. "What about your daughter makes her so special that a god of thunder would descend from Midgard and aid her when she called for help? What makes her so special?"

"Maybe she prayed harder than anypony else on the planet? Or maybe her prayers were purer than any of the other beings that were praying?" Summer suggested.

"There are plenty of religions in this land that would beg to disagree with your hypothesis," Twilight muttered in reply. Summer opened her mouth to guess again, but Twilight's machine made a noise and Twilight turned her attention back to it for a few moments.

"So what, you think my daughter is like a goddess in disguise or something along those lines? That she somehow has a power within her that allowed her to call upon the aid of a god?" Summer asked with a bit of heat, her tone taking Twilight's attention away from the machine and to the mother. "Because I'm fairly certain I know what summoned Lord Thor. And that was that my daughter let out a prayer in an hour of desperation, when everything seemed lost. And he heard her. There's nothing more to it than that."

"Summer, I know that you're just trying to keep your daughter safe, but if there is something...unique about her, then I want to figure it out before anypony or anything else does," Twilight said with a hint of worry in her voice. "In three weeks we've seen the destruction of the titan army, been introduced to the other gods of Equis and had a new god take his place as god of our land. Things are changing so quickly that I'm afraid of all of us being left behind. I'm just trying to take precautions."

Summer wasn't happy with the response, but with a glance over at her daughter she found that she understood where Twilight was coming from. 'I have a single foal to take care of. Twilight has the entirety of Equestria to look after, which cannot be easy with everything that has happened. She's just trying to protect us.'

"Don't worry mom, I'm fine," Autumn said as she kicked happily in her seat. "And I'm also super freaking excited! How many foals get to say that they got to be invited to a princesses castle?! Not to mention, Princess Twilight is interested in me! This day honestly couldn't get any better!"

"Well, as long as you're happy, Autumn, then I suppose no harm has been done," Summer begrudgingly admitted with a sigh, getting a grateful nod from Twilight before she began to run some more test with her machine.

"So what do you think of Thor?" Twilight asked Summer in a whisper once another test had started up. The quiet tone Twilight spoke in made Summer raise an eyebrow.

"Considering he saved me and my daughter, along with countless other lives, then slayed the beasts that threatened our land, I think that he very much lives up to the title of god," Summer said with a shrug, before narrowing her eyes at the princess. "But I take it you have a different opinion?"

"I see him as a threat," Twilight replied in a near whisper, glancing up at her castle ceiling as she said this. When the thunder didn't come, Twilight let out a sigh and continued speaking. "Not to mention I don't know if I can trust him. Equestria hasn't exactly had a good history with dealing with godlike beings. Discord and Tirek, to name a few."

"A threat? After he's made good on his promise and helped all of us in our time of need, before flying all over the land to answer prayers from those who need help?" Summer said to Twilight, talking to her like she was a foal. She caught herself and apologized to the princess. "Alright, I can understand being wary of him at first. But considering he's done nothing but help us, why worry?"

"Because of what he means to Equis...and what he brings with him," Twilight admitted with a scared tone, one that Summer had never thought she would hear from the princess. "Before Thor showed up there wasn't the threat of divine retribution. Yeah there was constant danger, but it was danger we could handle. Even the titans we could beat eventually."

"But now Thor has shown up and shown the world that Equestria has a god. And because of that, the other gods have revealed themselves and have shown they are not happy. Giant monster made of crystal my friends and I can handle. Four divine beings that could wipe us off the face of Equis if they wished to? And what happens if Thor fights them? Causes them to wage war with Equestria? What would happen to our world..."

Twilight went silent for a time after that, engrossing herself in the result from her machine. Summer couldn't help but feel bad for the princess, able to sense the amount of stress and pressure she was under with all of the changes in their land. Summer then looked over at her daughter, wondering how she was able to deal with being the one that a god responded to so well.

"Well, I'm not finding any anomalies that show that your daughter is anything other than a regular filly," Twilight said after some time, glancing over all the reams of paper that had accumulated on her floor. The princess then walked over to the chair and unhooked the filly, who hopped off with a smile on her face. "I thank the both of you for taking time out of your days to agree to this. Is there anyway I can thank the both of you?"

"How about you take us out to eat? We can have a royal meal!" Autumn said with a hopeful smile, getting the princess to smile in reply at the filly.

"Alright, that's something I can do with ease. That alright with you, Mrs. Summer?"

"Sure. Food sounds good," Summer agreed with a sigh, allowing the princess to lead the both of them out of her castle and into the streets of Ponyville.

"So what's it like showing a god around Equestia?" Twilight asked as the three walked through the streets, Summer trying to ignore all the murmured conversations that started as the three walked by.

"Really we haven't done that much. Aside having to explain to him how magical coffee worked, I haven't really seen much of him," Summer admitted before yelling at her daughter to stop hopping on barrels. "He's often off doing godly things and Lord Thor really only shows up whenever Autumn calls for him, not me. And then there's all the looks ponies give me..."

"Yeah, sorry about that. You two have become almost as famous as Thor himself just on the grounds of being close to him," Twilight admitted before waving at the ponies to stop staring at them. "Eventually they'll stop. Ponies love a good bit of gossip, so you shouldn't let it get to you or Autumn."

"Don't worry, we won't," Summer promised, smiling at Twilight who smiled back...before she stopped dead in her tracks. Summer raised an eyebrow in confusion before she turned to see what Twilight was looking at, only for her eyes to go wide as well.

Standing before the both of them was a black and red changeling, with fire for eyes and wings. The changeling smiled as he saw the three ponies faces fall, before he started to walk up to the group with a chuckle. "Princess Twilight, it is an...experience to meet you at last. I've heard so many stories about you. Some are even moderately impressive."

"Toraxo," Twilight said with fear gripping at her voice as she gingerly bowed to the god of the changelings. "T-to what to I owe this visit to?"

"Well, I've seen the princesses and was not impressed. I've seen the Ambassadors of Harmony and barely managed to stay awake. Discord has only grown soft in all these years, so he's no longer interesting. So all that is left for me is to see the one who summoned the god of thunder to this land...our little Autumn Breeze here."

Toraxo walked up to Autumn as he said this, his blazing eyes getting the foal to cower the closer he got. Before he could get too close though, Summer stepped between the two of them and glared right into the eyes of the god with a hatred in her eyes that matched the fire within the changelings.

"You'd dare stand before a god?" Toraxo asked with a dangerous flame burning in his voice.

"In the past weeks I've stood before a titan, the princesses and the literal god of thunder. And only one of them was going for my daughter. So yes, you insect bastard, I'd stand before you," Summer spat in a voice that held no fear within it, making both Twilight and Autumn's eyes to go wide with horror.

"Brave words for a mortal. I am surprised that you can say that knowing full well what comes next," Toraxo threatened with a dangerous smile on his face.

"Yeah, I know what comes next. I know because I prayed to Thor the moment I saw your ugly mug."

KRA-BOOOOOOMMMMM!

Toraxo's curse was consumed by the lightning as he leap back just in time to avoid a hammer that slammed into the ground where he had been standing a moment before. A crack of lightning flashed across the sky and a moment later the god of thunder stood beside them hammer, his face masked aside from his eyes that glowed with power and lightning.

Thor slowly began to walk towards the god of the changelings, extending his hand and summoning Mjolnir back into his grasp. Toraxo smirked at Thor as he wiped the ash off of his godly form, before he too started to walk towards the god of thunder. The two met in the center of the street, neither of them noticing the dozens of ponies that hid wherever they could from the two gods.

"Thor. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Toraxo asked in an insulting voice.

"Thou are bothering the ponies under my protecting. Tis it not natural that I would be there to protect them from someone like you?" Thor replied in a voice like thunder, one that shook the ground and the houses around it.

"A little unnatural, yes. The gods of this land do not answer the prayers of the mortals unless it is absolute necessary. Something you have seemed not to have learned," Toraxo spat before glancing at Summer and Autumn with an air of disdain. "What do we care if two mortals vanish from the planet? Two less making prayers to us that we cannot answer."

"Listen and listen well, Toraxo. These ponies, all of them, are under my protection. And if you take any action to harm them, then you have my word that I will rain upon you lightning that has struck down stronger beings than you," Thor promised Toraxo in a cold whisper, one that chilled the air around the ponies.

"I am a god Thor, I do not care what you say," Toraxo said as he pointed a hoof towards Autumn, who cowered behind her mother. "If I wish to smite these mortals, I will. Mortals mean nothing to the gods and these two mortals right here are-"

The next thing Toraxo knew he was tasting Thor's fist, ripping Toraxo up from his hooves and hurling him across the Ponyville streets. He came to a stop when he slammed into the side of a building, where he dropped to the ground with pain lancing through his teeth. With eyes filled with hellfire he lifted his head to glare at Thor, whose glare was icy cold in reply.

"Heed my words, insect. If thou tries to inflict any harm upon any within this land, the next time I will not strike you with my fist. I will strike you with my hammer," Thor promised as he pointed Mjolnir towards Toraxo and charged the hammer with lightning. "And I swear that it will rend your head from your shoulders, which I will then crush under my boot. This Thor promises to you."

Toraxo spat out fire as he rose to his hooves, the ground around him boiling and burning as his fire began to consume the earth. Above Thor thunderclouds quickly built into a monster of a storm, with howling wind and roaring thunder that drowned out every sound aside from the anger of the storm. For a long moment the two gods stared each other down, making every pony in the town to hold their breath in fear. Then Toraxo let out a snarl and vanished in a burst of fire, returning the ground that had been melting to normal. With the god gone, Thor ceased his thunderstorm and within seconds the sky was blue and clear once more.

Without a word to the ponies around him Thor thrust his hammer into the sky and a moment later was gone, leaving the citizens of Ponyville to look at the destruction that had been caused simply by the two gods just glaring at one another.

"This is what I was afraid of," Twilight said to Summer, who clutched Autumn tight in her grasp as she gazed at the still burning earth. "This is no longer a world of magic or harmony, of monsters and ponies. It is a world of gods. And when the gods wage war with one another, what can us mortals do but perish?"

Hammer in the Hole

With a sigh Thor drove the head of Mjolnir into the open palm of his free hand, barely registering the impact of a weapon that could break worlds. Alone the god of thunder sat in a crater near the edge of Ponyville, a crater caused by his arrival when he first defended the town from the wrath of the titans. Yet for Thor the titans had been a simple task, whereas the problem that currently plagued the gods mind was not.

"You've been sitting there staring at your hammer for a long time."

The voice of Autumn Breeze snapped Thor free from his thoughts, getting him to look over at the young filly who was chasing numerous insects that had also taken up residence in the crater. Thor found her interesting. Not only had she had to will to summon him, but she also seemed to know what on within Thor's mind. She was a strange one.

"Aye, I have been speaking with Mjolnir about what to do next," Thor revealed as he flipped over the hammer and read the inscription upon the back of his oldest friend once more.

"You...talk to your hammer?" Autumn asked with a nervous smile, which only grew when Thor nodded. "Does...the hammer speak back?"

"Somedays, yes. Today does not seem to be one of those days," Thor said with a small sigh as he swung the hammer and flipped it over in his hand, before his eyes faded and he returned to his thoughts. For a time he stayed like that, before he broke himself free of his thoughts and smiled at the filly. "Forgive me for my silence, but my thoughts are jumbled."

"What's got you so bothered?" Autumn asked as she scooted next to Thor and sat down, tiny compared to the massive frame of the god. "Wait, is this about that weirdo god that made a scene the other day? Because I'm fairly certain after what you did to him he would never come near you again."

"Reading my mind again, young filly? Thou should be careful, the thoughts of a god can drive a mortal mad," Thor warned her with a smile before he placed Mjolnir upon the ground and rested his hand upon its handle. "But indeed, your words rings true. Toraxo and his actions have bothered me."

"Why? You punched him into a building. You practically knocked him out with a punch. He would probably still be circling the planet if you had used your hammer," Autumn pointed out and Thor found himself laughing at her words.

"Nay young one, he would have left the planet's gravity and would be on his way to the stars had I used Mjolnir," Thor corrected with a laugh, yet the dark thoughts stole the merriness from his expression. "But it is his words and actions that have me bothered. To me his is of no threat, but he did not threaten me. He threatened you and your mother."

"Okay, so did the titans. You dealt with them and you'll deal with him," Autumn added, but Thor shook his head.

"Gods are rarely told no. And when they are, those that told them no generally do not survive the next encounter," Thor told the young filly. "Both you and your mother did more than that. You both insulted him. And in all my thousands of lifetimes, I have never found a god that will stand for being disrespected. Even I have to use all of my will to control myself when I am insulted. And Toraxo is not me."

"Well maybe if he started working out he could try to be," Autumn suggested with a smirk.

"You jest, young one, but Toraxo strikes me as a vengeful god, not a forgiving god," Thor said with an experts knowledge, feeling the weight of Mjolnir once more and fearing that he was going to have to use it soon. "And he made a point to single out you. To threaten thee. The one that called me here. My first, and so far only, friend who is a pony."

"What are you talking about, everypony here loves you!" Autumn said with a beaming smile. Thor smiled in reply, but his smile held a weight to it.

"Aye, they love me, but there fear me. Though I cannot blame them, if those four are how your gods act," Thor admitted with a grim look. "The Ambassadors are not sure of me, your mother respects me, but does not wish to get close to me. I am making ground with the princess of the sun, but for the time being you are the only one I can speak to who does not fear me."

"You saved me, Thor. You saved all of us. You didn't have to, but you did. That makes you a friend in my book," Autumn comforted Thor, who nodded gratefully. "But is that why you wanted me to hang out with you for a while? So that Toraxo doesn't come after me?"

"Aye."

"But what about those who need your help? If you're with me you can't help others, can you?" Autumn asked.

"For the time being, there are no prayers that require my aid. Some ponies would be greatly relieved, but their problems are ones they can handle," Thor told Autumn, who raised an eyebrow.

"But that won't always be the case, can it?" Autumn asked with a knowing look, getting Thor to chuckle.

"Nay, I suppose it won't. But I will not let Toraxo claim your life, as he indicated he wishes to do."

"Then why don't you get another god to look after me?" Autumn questioned. "That way you've got one looking out for us and you can still go off and save those that need you. Also, aren't you looking for an actual god to take your place in Equestria? Well this way you can find one that can fill your spot."

"Another god..." Thor asked himself, placing a hand on his chin and thinking about what she had said for a few moments, before giving Autumn a curious glance. "You are far wiser than you appear, are you not?"

Autumn's response was to smile cheekily before she started to chase after a butterfly. Thor thought about her idea for a while longer, thinking of a certain god in particular that he was willing to test, before a flash of violet light appeared in front of him and a moment later Thor found his crater filled with the Ambassadors of Harmony.

"Princess Twilight and friends. To what do I owe this visit?" Thor asked as he rose to his feet, smiling down at them.

"We're here because of Rainbow Dash," Twilight admitted as she flashed a look at Dash, who smirked before she flexed a bit, showing of muscle that Thor did not remember seeing before. "Ever since the castle incident, she's been doing nothing but working out. Seems she took offense to the fact that she couldn't even budge your hammer. Also Celestia say's that I should spend time getting to know the real you. But mostly we're here because Dash is upset she couldn't lift your hammer."

"Which is plumb foolish, if ya consider the fact that it's a weapon wielded by a god," Applejack pointed out with a nasty look at Dash. "If Thor is strong enough to punch another god through a wall, his strength has to be far beyond us. His hammer has to weigh a ton."

"But as I said, it doesn't matter how much it weighed, Dash should have still be able to budge it," Twilight pointed out. "And if it far too heavy for us, then it would have cracked the floor of the throne room. That flooring they use cracks pretty easily. Ask Spike when he dropped a chest onto it, the stuff practically splintered."

"Then how come you couldn't move it with yer magic?" Applejack shot back, silencing Twilight. "Yer magic is strong enough to move the heavens, yet ya can't pick up a hammer?"

"Friends, friends, there is no need to argue," Thor cut in before the six could start fighting with one another. "Both Twilight and Applejack are correct. My hammer is heavy, but mortals are capable of lifting it. Of course, it is impossible to move for one such as yourself, Twilight."

"And why is that?"

"Because the hammer cannot be lifted by just anyone. There is an enchantment upon Mjolnir, an enchantment that makes it so that only those that the hammer finds worthy can lift it," Thor explained as he flipped the hammer over, showing the six the inscription on the back. "That is why you could not lift it with your magic, Twilight."

"So wait, only one who is worthy of that chunk of...I mean, majestic weapon can wield it?" Rarity asked with a look of disgust at the massive cinderblock. "So, how does a pony know whether they are worthy or not?"

"You try to pick it up."

As Thor said this he placed Mjolnir head first onto the ground in the center of the crater, motioning for the ponies to step up. Rainbow Dash pushed herself past all of her friends and grabbed hold of the handle, pulling with all of her new muscle against the weight of the hammer.

"This...isn't...possible!" Rainbow Dash roared in an exasperated voice as she finally gave up straining against the hammer. "This thing weighs just as much as it did weeks ago. And I've done nothing but lift ever since then! How is there no difference?!"

"Simple, Dash. Ye are not worthy," Thor said with a chuckle, crossing his arms with interest as he watched the others try their hooves.

Applejack tried her hoof next, yanking on the handle of the hammer with all of her might. She was even more muscular than Rainbow Dash, but even all of the extra muscle couldn't aid the farmpony in so much as budging the hammer. AJ tried one last pull before she shrugged and gave up.

"Alright, ah'll admit it. The thing's heavy," Applejack surrendered.

Pinkie leapt forward next and grabbed hold of the hammers handle, pulling slightly before she looked down at the hammer with an annoyed expression.

"Alright mister, you have been laying down for too long! Today you are going to get up and move!"

"Is she trying to motivate the hammer to try and move?" Autumn asked with disbelief as Pinkie started blowing a whistle at Mjolnir.

"Aye, it seems she is. To be fair to her, no one has tried to move Mjolnir like that before," Thor admitted with a small smile, though he could already see how this was going to end for the remaining ponies.

Eventually Pinkie gave up and allowed Rarity to give it a shot. Rarity glanced down at the handle of the hammer, before she lowered his nose and sniffed it. She let out a gurgling sound before she gingerly touched the handle, pulling once before she let go and started to sanitize her hoof.

Pinkie pushed Fluttershy forward and motioned for her to try. Fluttershy glanced at the hammer like it was about to lash out at her at any second. She gingerly approached the hammer, poking it once with her hoof before hiding behind her mane, waiting for the lightning. When the hammer did nothing, she poked at it once more. A moment passed before Fluttershy backed off, not wanting to push her luck any further.

Finally it was Twilight's turn and all of the eyes were upon her as she walked up to the hammer, gazing down at it like it was a problem that she needed to solve. She stared at the side of it before glancing over to the side, studying it from every side possible. Then she reached for the handle.

"Ye will not be able to lift it," Thor said before she even had the chance to try.

"Why not?" Twilight asked with some offense.

"I can tell."

Twilight flared her nostrils before she strained against the hammer, unable to lift it with her hooves. She then narrowed her eyes and her horn began to glow, shaking the ground beneath her friends as her power shook the air. A purple light covered Mjolnir as Twilight encased it in her magic, before with all of her magical might she strained against the hammer. Yet even though she could move the heavens, the hammer didn't even twitch.

"That's quite the enchantment," Twilight admitted after a few seconds of trying, not needing to go on any longer to know that it was not going to move. "So Thor, what does it take to be worthy of the hammer? Because if none of us are worthy to lift it, then I doubt anypony in this land can."

"It is simple Twilight," Thor replied as he walked to the hammer and scooped it up into his hands, spinning it once with a smile. "You must be worthy of being Thor."

{([])}

"For so long the ponies been seen as rulers of this land," Janis said to himself as he stared at a circle carved into an ebony floor, a circle filled with inscriptions and a language that had been lost to all except for the divine. "Not just by the ponies, but the beings that also reside upon Equis. But they have gods, while those foolish ponies do not. Little do my subjects know that if war broke out between the world that Equestria would be the first to fall."

"Or it would have been, had not that infernal god of thunder arrived," Sinaj whispered in a fury as cold as the grave. "And now not only are the scales tipped in favor of the ponies once more, but they have been far more off-balance than ever, even when Faust was still in power."

"You would think that disposing of a lands goddess would make it weaker, yet somehow the ponies remain strong," Janis spat in reply, before letting out a small sigh and glancing around the chamber. It was made of an ebony material, yet from the way it sparkled and shone like the stars one would never believe it to be a room of darkness. Then Janis raised his head towards the heavens, where a single hole filled with the power of the stars and heavens resided, a light that filled the room with a comforting glow.

"But Thor cannot stay here forever. We know that there is another world that depends on him. Soon he will be a problem no longer," Sinaj said in a comforting tone, one that soothed the flames with Janis. "As once he is gone, Equestria will go back to being the weak, godless land that it once was. And then we can finally change things."

"Yet what if..."

"They do not know where this chamber is. That secret vanished with Faust," Sinaj finished before his other half could finish speaking. "And without access to this chamber, Thor shall be the only god that Equestria will ever have protecting them again. And that is something we can both agree on."

Janis nodded and vanished in half, leaving the chamber empty once more. That was until one of the shadows started to move and a black beast slowly materialized from the wall. It glanced around the chamber once, before turning its eyes to a piece of paper ripped from a text as old as the gods. A page with an exact image of the room upon it.

"Found..."

Chaotic Thunder

With all the restraint he could muster Thor tapped his knuckles against the door to Fluttershy's cottage, trying his hardest not to look at the section of the wall that still hadn't been entirely repaired. A smirk crossed Thor's face as he figured that perhaps he had not disposed of all of the rashness that he was known for as a child. He also knew that the being he was there to see was not in at the moment. But they would be soon.

"Yes, can I-" Fluttershy began as she opened the door, only for her eyes to shrink as she found herself face to waist with the god of thunder. Fluttershy slowly lifted her eyes up to look in Thor's face, causing her eyes to shrink even further. "I'm sorry, nopony is home right now. Please come back later."

"Nay, Fluttershy, Thor cannot. But he can ask if you would be willing to allow him into your home?" Thor asked the Pegasus as he placed his foot in-between the door and him, completely preventing it from moving. Fluttershy tried to push her door close only to find that it wouldn't move at all, getting her to sigh before motioning for Thor to enter her home. The god of thunder had to crouch down quite a bit to fit inside of Fluttershy's cottage, but once he made it through her door with minimal damage, he found that it was a cozy little place.

To Thor's surprise he found numerous assortments of animals scurrying around under his feet, making him have to move cautiously to avoid stepping on any of the little creatures. Fluttershy motioned him to her couch and he obliged her, sitting on it and causing it to squeak in agony.

"So, what can I do for you Lord Thor?" Fluttershy asked in a near whisper, forcing Thor to lean in closer to hear her. "I mean, I doubt that somepony with your stature would come to visit somepony like me without a good reason."

"Somepony like thee? You mean one of the six ponies that have defended this world from terrifying threats without the aid of a divine? Aye, I would make time to meet one such as yourself," Thor informed her with a smile as bright as a flash of lightning. Then he crossed his hands and leaned forward, getting another agonizing squeak out of the couch. "But thou are right, I have a reason for being here. I have been trying to get into contact with your friend that takes up residence in your home, but as of late he has been avoiding me. And I do not need to tell thee of how hard it can be to track a god of chaos?"

"So you're here to talk to Discord? He headed out to the Crystal Empire earlier today, but he didn't say when he'd be back," Fluttershy informed Thor as she walked into her kitchen, turning on the water and grabbing some tea bags from her pantry. "You can go there and see if he's still hanging around."

"I have been tracking him across Equestria for a few days now, but he is adept at avoiding me. He is crafty and slippery, but if I am correct he will soon return here," Thor told Fluttershy, who knew that Thor was right. "But I am interested in you as well. If what I have learned from Celestia is correct, thou are the one that is responsible for reforming Discord into a friend from a foe."

"Oh I wouldn't say that I reformed him," Fluttershy said with a shake of her head as she walked out with a tray of tea and crackers, which she laid down on the table in front of the god of thunder. "More like I helped him see how much more a life with friends is worth living. It was nothing much."

"Thou changed the ideas and nature of a god of chaos without the use of force or threats. What you did was no small feat, Fluttershy. In fact, only a handful of mortals across time can ever say they changed a god. And even less can say they did it for the better," Thor told Fluttershy, who hid behind her mane with a thin smile at the praise. "From what I have learned from my time upon Equis is that you and your friends are not to be underestimated. Even gods may find themselves unable to match your magic...the magic of friendship."

"W-well, it's like you said, it's only because I have my friends that I can do any of this at all," Fluttershy meekly replied while Thor took a sip of the tea. It took all of his godly might not to make a face at the bitter taste of the herbs and he forced a smile to his host before pounding the rest down in a single gulp. "Would you like some more?"

"Nay, but I would be grateful if you had any ale or rum. Perhaps a mix of the both?" Thor asked hopefully, only to smile when Fluttershy shook her head. "Tis a pity, but I have learned that the drinks of the gods are not to be found so easily on this world as they are on Midgard. But Thor has endured far worse. He shall endure this."

Fluttershy let out a small giggle at Thor's statement, before the door to the cottage was kicked open and a certain god of chaos slumped into the room. "Boy, what a day," Discord said with a sigh as he took off his hat and coat, throwing them onto a coat rack that had materialized out of thin air. "You would not believe the day I had at the office today Fluttershy, but I'm just happy to be home and-"

Discord came to a dead stop when he saw the god of thunder sitting on Fluttershy's couch, getting the god of thunder to raise his teacup in greeting to the god. To the surprise of both Fluttershy and Thor, Discord crossed his arms and turned on Fluttershy with tear filled eyes.

"So. I work my tail off all day at the office, slaving away in front of a cubicle, and what do I come home to find? My best friend hanging with...another god!" Discord sniffled before turning with a sob. "I thought what we had was special, Fluttershy! I thought that-"

"Cut it out Discord, Thor's here to speak to you," Fluttershy said in a firm tone, one that made Discord immediately stop sobbing and switch his face to a less than amused expression.

"Ugh, of course he does. Hello, Thor. Seems every god is going to visit this place," Discord grumbled to himself as he grabbed a teacup and started to sip something out of it, while Thor looked down and wondered where his cup had gone. "I am glad to see that this time you decided to talk like a civilized divinity instead of punching a hole through the wall and pulling me out into the cold air."

"Wait, you're the one who broke the wall?" Fluttershy asked Thor, who became very interested in the crackers on the tray. "Discord told me it was some dumb barbarian that tried to prove he was smart by bashing it in with his head."

"Fluttershy, there's no need to tell him all the details," Discord said with a nervous chuckle as he glanced over at Thor, whose expression was less than amused.

"What I am here to speak with thee about is the dark beast problem that has been plaguing this land," Thor continued on, figuring it was best to skip over best the wall and the how Discord had insulted him. "More specifically, something that I spied earlier in the day during my flight over the desert."

"What was that?"

"There was thousands of the dark beasts, all of them swarming as if their greatest foe was trapped within the center of the swarm," Thor informed Discord, who pushed down on his eyebrows to change his expression from bored to serious. "I know not why they are there, but I do know that the reason can not be good for any of us"

"So then why are you here? Why not just go out there and, for lack of a better word, go all Thor on them?" Discord asked Thor, who smiled as he placed his teacup on the tray, getting Discord to look down at his empty hands with shock.

"Simple, Discord. Yes, Thor could slay the beasts with ease. But what would that achieve? There would be more and we would remain stuck in the same position we are in now," Thor told Discord and Fluttershy, both of whom had to admit that Thor was right. "But if we could trap one of the beasts and perhaps convince it to lead us back to its master, then I can put an end to the true evil behind these attacks."

"Sounds like a plan. Why do you need me?" Discord asked, getting Thor to smile as he rose to his feet, bumping his winged helmet against the ceiling.

"I may be able to destroy these beast with ease, but god of traps I am not. I will need the aid of a being craftier than me and sadly my brother and I are not on speaking terms at the moment," Thor said as he extended a hand towards Discord once again. "So I ask thee, god of chaos, will you aid Thor in finally bringing an end to the beasts that have plagued this land?"

Once more Discord found himself not sure of what to do. He glanced down at his own hand and paw, before glancing over at Fluttershy. She gave him a meek nod and motioned her head towards Thor. Discord looked up at Thor with a sigh, before he extended his hand and grabbed hold of Thor's.

"Oh alright, I'm not doing anything this afternoon anyway. Let's go fight monsters made of shadows," Discord surrendered with a sigh.

"Excellent!" Thor said with a laugh before he wrapped an arm around Discord's shoulders and began to spin his hammer. "There is no time to waste! To battle!"

A moment later a smiling god of thunder and a screaming god of chaos burst through Fluttershy's roof, sailing into the sky and leaving a yellow Pegasus to stare at the new skylight she had. She let out a small sigh before she walked over to her closet, grabbing a broom and dustpan.

{([])}

"That's more than you said," Discord realized with a shake of his head as he gazed down at the sea of darkness that swirled below the both of them, with Discord having given up on counting how many beasts of shadows were covering the darkness. Thor floated beside him, spinning his hammer over his head to hold him in place. "But you're right in saying that something has them riled up. Here we are, middle of the afternoon, and yet all these little beasties are out. Whatever's down there has got to be good."

"Aye, but capture one of these shadow beasts will be worth ten of whatever they are after," Thor said as he begun to spin his hammer, summoning black storm clouds behind him as lightning began to flash from Mjolnir. Discord got some distance from Thor as the god of thunder's power grew, shaking both the land and the sky with his might. "Be ready, Discord. Once I scatter them, you will only have a moment or two to catch one of these beasts before they flee to the shadows!"

"Okay, but what do you mean by-"

"FOR EQUESTRIA!" Thor bellowed before he lifted his hammer into the storm cloud, summoning lightning bolts to strike Mjolnir and infuse it with the power of the storms. He then let out a roar as he hurled Mjolnir towards the sea of darkness, sending the lightning infused hammer right into the heart of the swarm. Mjolnir vanished into darkness for a moment, before a massive explosion of lightning tore apart the sea of shadows and sent black beasts raining from the sky.

"Dear god, I thought you were going to destroy the planet with that!" Discord roared as Thor as the entire planet shook from the impact, but the laugh Thor gave off was louder than even the roaring thunder.

"There is no need to fear Discord, I held back. Now go, catch one of these beasts while Thor deals with the rest of them!" Mjolnir returned to Thor's grasp and a moment later he flung himself into the beasts that lay scattered across the desert, while Discord glanced down and found a beast of shadow that had been flung further away from the rest.

"And there is my new best friend," Discord said before he snapped his fingers, appearing in front of the shadow beast a moment later. The beast weakly looked up at Discord, who pulled out a glass jar and pulled the top off of it. "Hey there. I know this is asking a lot, especially since we just met, but would you mind testing out this new genie lamp for me?"

The beast let out a snarl before it plunged into the shadows at it's own feet, but faster than most would give him credit for Discord shot down and scooped the darkness into the jar, along with the creature. He slammed the lid on top of the jar and sealed it with his magic, frowning at the beast of darkness within that was roaring as it tried to get free.

"Crafty little thing. If I didn't already know how to catch darkness, it would be nigh impossible to catch one of you," Discord admitted with a frown. "I can see why Thor needed my help."

Discord cast a glance over at where the god of thunder battled with the remaining shadow beasts, but aside from the ones that Thor had slain with his initial hammer strike the other beasts of shadows were choosing to flee rather than fight. Thor had only managed to strike down a few of the beasts before the two gods found themselves standing alone in the center of a desert, with the black clouds still rumbling overhead.

"Well, that went better than expected. Did thou catch one of the creatures?" Thor asked Discord, who smiled in reply as he held out the jar with the now tiny shadow beast trapped inside. "Excellent, I am glad to see that my plan worked. Sadly I could only slay a handful of the beasts before they managed to slip away. Yet the fact that there are so many of them concerns me."

"Do not worry, this one will not be escaping. But you were right, Thor. It is taking all of my magic to keep this thing from slipping into the darkness. If I were you I'd place it in a place where light constantly shines down on it," Discord said as he extended the jar to Thor. Thor reached out to take it, before something caught his eye and he stopped.

"Would thou mind taking this beast to the princess of the sun? Thor will join you shortly."

Discord shrugged and vanished with a popping sound, leaving Thor to walk into the crater that he had caused with Mjolnir. He reached the bottom of the crater and found something at the bottom that he did not expect to find. It was a box made of a metal that Thor did not recognize. He picked up the box and glanced at it, finding little interesting aside from the fact that the box had no way to open it.

"Who would create a box to put something inside, but no way to open it?" Thor muttered to himself as he shook the box once, just barely able to hear the sound of something rattling inside. Thor lifted Mjolnir and slammed the hammer of the gods into the top of the box, but to his amazement the box didn't shatter from the impact. Thor struck again with an even greater strength and this time he found that Mjolnir managed to cave in the side of the box. One more, stronger hit to the side of the box smashed it clean in half, allowing Thor to see what was within.

"What in the realms?" Thor asked himself as he dropped Mjolnir and reached inside to pull out a small sphere. The sphere was a silver color, but it was cracked and shattered to the point where it was hardly round anymore. A dim light glowed from within the sphere, but it's light was weak and Thor rubbed his thumb over it, feeling chips and cracks that went to the center of the sphere.

But there was something else about the sphere that drew Thor's attention. It almost felt like the sphere was alive, that it had a soul and life-force. But even if it did have one, Thor could barely feel it. He figured that perhaps the sphere had once been apart of a living being or perhaps that another had infused a bit of their life-force into it. But whatever it was, Thor had never felt another like it before.

"What manner of item are you?" Thor asked with a grim look, before he slipped the sphere into a pouch on his belt and extended his hand for Mjolnir. One his hammer was within his hands, he ascended into the sky and flew towards Canterlot. 'This den of snakes seem to go deeper and deeper the further in I go. What is this sphere? Who is behind the shadow beasts? And which of these gods of Equis will be the first to feel the wrath of Mjolnir?'

Forbidden

"So this is one of the buggers that have bothered us," Princess Luna said as she looked into the small jar at the creature of darkness, which was currently slamming itself against the side of the glass in an effort to escape. "It is hard to imagine that one of these could be so deadly. I am impressed that you managed to capture it, Discord."

"It wasn't easy, I can tell you that," Discord said in a bored tone as he looked at his nails, before casting a glance at the jar from the corner of his eyes. "That thing there is linked to darkness and is constantly being pulled back to it. It's taking a good chunk of my magic to keep it from slipping away."

"Then it is a good think you joined me in my battle with the beings of darkness," Thor said with a laugh before he clapped Discord on the back, nearly hurling the god of chaos across the room. Thor then picked up the jar and glared at the creature within, getting it to cower slightly under the gods gaze. "But now comes the hard part. Getting this beast to talk about who is in control of them. Talk beast, or I will rend your soul from this realm."

The beast responded by roaring back at Thor, though with the jar separating the two of them it's cry of rage was done in silence. Thor glared in reply before Discord took the jar from him, placing it upon a table that took up the center of Celestia's room. Thor place Mjolnir upon the table and crossed his hands, glaring at the jar while thinking of all the ways he could get the beast to talk. He came up with none.

"God Discord, I am afraid that once more I must ask thee to aid me," Thor admitted after a moment of silence, getting Discord to raise an eyebrow at the god of thunder. "Brute force will not get this beast to talk. It will slip into the shadows before I can get so much as a whisper out of it. I will require your more tricky magic in discerning any information from this creature."

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I'll think about it," Discord said with a smirk before he glanced down at the creature trapped within the jar. "But sadly I do not think I can aid you here. I've trapped it. I can't make it talk. I don't even know if it can talk."

"But we have capture one of them. That's a start," Celestia said as she begun to get her horn to glow, keeping in glowing for a moment before she ceased her spell. "I have summoned Spellbinder. If anypony here will know how this creature will work it will be him. I hope that he arrives here soon."

"He's a maniac on this subject. He will learn to fly if he has to," Luna said with a chuckle before she looked at both Thor and Discord. "But I must admit that I am surprised to see you of all beings working with the god of Equestria, Discord. I thought that you wanted nothing to do with us and simply wanted to freeload at Fluttershy's?"

"What, am I going to tell this guy no?" Discord asked as he jerked his thumb at Thor. "Besides, if HE needs my help then it was clear that it was serious. But if you could deal with these so easily Thor, I fail to see why they are a threat to us."

"Aye, to me there are no threat. But I am not the one they are after," Thor replied with a sigh as he stared out the window. "These beasts are hunting for something. What it is, I know not. But their patterns, their methods...they are all too familiar. That is why to sooner we can hunt down that which is controlling them, then we can put a stop to them."

Before the conversation could continue, the door to the room was kicked open and Spellbinder raced into the room. A massive smile was on his face as he pushed his glasses up his nose, glancing at the four beings with nothing but hunger and excitement in his eyes. "I heard that you managed to catch one of the beasts of darkness! Where is it?!"

Thor motioned to the table and in a split second Spellbinder was at the table, glancing into the jar with wide eyes and an awed look on his face. The beast of darkness had given up trying to escape its jar and just lay in the center of the jar, glaring at the gods and princesses. Spellbinder ripped open a book and began to look between it and the creature of the dark with blinding speeds, before he glanced up at the princesses with a stern expression.

"So what did you call me for? How to dispose of the creature? How to make it vanish for good?" he asked as he picked up the jar and tossed it to Discord, who caught it.

"Neither. We were wondering if there is a way to make this creature tell us who is controlling it and where they are," Celestia told the stallion, who narrowed his face as he opened another book and began to scroll through it.

"Sombra's notes have nothing on them talking. But apparently the creatures, if they can be controlled, will return to their master if they feel threatened," Spellbinder told the four, but his face was grim. "Unfortunately, unless you can travel through the darkness yourself, you cannot follow them. So at the moment I recommend we keep this in the jar."

"I see. Well, at least we've learned that they can be controlled. Lord Thor, you believe that they are hunting for something. Would you be able to take a guess at what it might be?" Luna asked Thor, who shook his head with a sigh once more.

"Nay, it could be any number of things. At the moment all I can assume is that they are hunting something that would allow their master to defeat the princesses and me."

"That is ridiculous, there is no power in the world that can give anypony the power to equal the princesses, let alone Thor," Spellbinder said with a laugh and a shake of his head, before he realized that the two princesses and Discord shared a dangerous look. "Unless...there is?"

"Spellbinder. I know I just called you, but you must give us a moment," Celestia said.

"Of course, Celestia," Spellbinder replied, before he found Discord giving him a look. "Is something the matter?"

"You and I are going to have a talk later. In private," Discord said in a low voice to the pony. Celestia held up a hoof to cut him off before her horn began to glow. A moment later she, Luna and Discord found themselves standing in a library that was filled with books, all of them covered in dust and cobwebs.

"Sister, why are we down in here? And where is Lord Thor?" Luna asked.

"I thought I had teleported him as well. I guess that his godly power prevents him from being teleported by me," Celestia assumed. Discord tore a hole in space and time next to him, allowing Thor to step from Celestia's room into the library. Spellbinder looked at the portal with wistful eyes before the portal closed in front of him. Once Thor was with them, Celestia walked to one of the walls in the back and pressed her hoof against it.

"There is a way to match your power, isn't there?" Thor asked, getting Discord and the princesses to share looks with each other. "And that is what is kept in here, isn't it? The secret to obtaining the power of a princess?"

"No, Lord Thor. In here is a clue to obtaining the power of a god," Luna corrected as the wall of stone melted away, revealing a chamber that was lit with a green light, which was being generated by a green book that floated by itself in the center of the room. With what almost felt like reverence, Discord, Celestia and Luna approached the book, while Thor walked right up to it without any fear.

"What did thee mean obtaining the power of a god?" Thor asked Celestia and Luna, the former of the two sighing as she took the book in her hooves. The moment she did so a power flooded through the chamber, a power that made all except for Thor shake slightly.

"In here is the secrets to obtaining the power of a god, to become one akin to that of Faust," Celestia revealed as she opened the book, revealing numerous words and symbols that Thor didn't recognize, yet Thor was able to read them with ease. He took the book from Celestia and flipped through it a bit, smirking after reading what it had to say. "With this book, and the right place, a pony can go from a mortal to a god. That is why this book is far better hidden than any other magical item in the land...including the Elements."

"Aye, what you say is true. In here is indeed the ability to turn a being into a true god," Thor agreed before he closed the book and handed it back to Celestia, who gingerly took the book and placed it back within the center of the room. "But thou also said the right place, did you not? What is this place you speak of?"

"We...do not know," Discord answered for the princesses, getting the three to look over at him. Discord shook the being in the jar for a moment before he continued speaking. "All we know is that there is a place that goes with the book, but it is unknown to all of us. Faust...in the time she stopped me before Celestia and Luna were forced to, told me that she hid it from me, so that I could not use it to become a true god. She did not tell Celestia and Luna either, apparently."

"What does thou mean, a true god?" Thor asked Discord, eyeing the beast in the jar with narrowed eyes.

"I'm...godly in my creation. I am not a god by divine right, I was created to be one," Discord admitted with a sigh. "I'm not getting into my backstory, don't care to, but I was created to be the ultimate god. One that could bend space and time at whim and do whatever he pleased. My creator...got most of what they wanted. They got the god...but the power, for a time, cost me my mind. Over the years I regained most of it, but I still am slightly...off."

"Yet with the book and the alter, as we call it, I could gain the true godhood that my creator wished for me to have, allowing me to rival or maybe surpass the other gods of this land...and perhaps even you, Lord Thor," Discord said with a smirk to Thor, who replied with an expressionless look.

"...so in order to obtain the power of true godhood, one must have both this alter and the book," Thor muttered to himself, getting Discord to nod. Thor then reached out with his hand and grabbed the jar from Discord, holding it in his hand for a moment before the jar was consumed with lightning, incinerating the beasts within and shattering the jar.

"Thor! That was our only lead to whoever is controlling the shadow beasts!" Celestia reminded Thor, who was brushing the glass off of his hand.

"True. Yet that beasts was also the only one that has seen the book," Thor replied before reaching out and grabbing hold of the chamber walls, slamming them shut with his godly might. He then muttered words under his breath and fused the walls together with his lightning. "Meaning that it was the beast that had seen all that their master needed to become a god."

"Wait Lord Thor, are you suggesting...?"

"Aye, I have found another piece in this absurd puzzle," Thor said as he walked past the princesses and Discord, glancing around the room with thunderous eyes. "Why would the beasts of darkness be out in such number? Why would one of them be so easy to catch? They had avoid Discord for this long, surely they could avoid him again? Unless one of them wished to be captured."

"Wait, it allowed itself to be captured to learn the location of the book?" Celestia asked with some confusion. "But how would it know that we would not simply destroy it?"

"Do you usually destroy thy foes?" Thor asked and Celestia's silence answered for her. "And also, the master knows that we are desperate for information, so we would not risk killing the only shadow beasts that we have captured."

"I...suppose that makes sense," Discord admitted, glancing over at where the book was hidden.

"Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps all I have done is destroy our only lead on the master," Thor suggested. "But that is a risk that I will not take, not with your lives. For the time being I will have to search the old fashioned way and hope that we discover where the master is. And I pray that I am wrong and that the master has not found the alter. For if he has..."

"Um, Thor? Quick question. If you're a god, who do you pray to whenever you're at the end of your rope?" Luna asked, getting Thor to look at her with a dark look in his eyes.

"If Thor is at the end of his rope, Princess Luna, then he will pray to whoever is still alive."

{([])}

"I hope you know that you have made a grave risk in calling us together," Rose said with a hint of annoyance to Janis, who growled at her under his mask before he regained his composure. The goddess of the zebra's looked around the dark room with a look of annoyance on her face. "And I also notice that we are missing one of our number. Where is the god of the dragons?"

"You know that he will not bother himself with any affair outside of his own land if the threat is not greater than him," Toraxo spat in reply with a cross of his arms. "And after hearing you out, I wish I had done the same. You wish for us to unite, for the first time in the history of this world, against Thor? Thor of all gods?"

"Of course against Thor. Have none of you been paying attention to what has been going on since his arrival? The world has already changed!" Janis roared at the other two gods, but neither of them took his words seriously. "His power, his strength...they are not a power we can match individually. But together-"

"Feh, I do not care what you think. And I think even less of your plan," Toraxo said with a chuckle before he turned to leave the chamber. "I will deal with Thor and those that believe in him as I see fit. Soon, all Thor will be is another missing god in Equestrian lore. Just like all the others."

"Toraxo-" Janis tried to say, before the god of the changelings vanished in a flash of fire. Janis let out a growl before he looked over at Rose, who had a thin smile on her face.

"What did you expect? The gods do not work together. We barely work at all," Rose said as she began to fade away. "Take my advice and leave Thor to his own devices. In time, all will work itself out."

Janis watched as Rose vanished, waiting until she was gone before he let his mask flip around and allow the other side to take over. "They are all fools," Sinaj said with a growl, one that shook the chamber with his power. "Thor is the greatest threat that we have ever faced!"

"I do not know why I bothered. They have never cared for anything but themselves," Janis replied as his fury reached a point that it have never reached, but a cold thought suppressed the rage for a moment. "But perhaps, if the gods of this world will not aid me in striking down Thor," he whispered before looking towards the heavens, at the millions of stars above them.

"Then the gods within the heavens will."

Fever

The sun was red on the mountains off in the distance, casting an orange light over all that fell under its rays. The sounds of laughter and excitement filled the air as a group of foals played with a soccer ball in the middle of a small field, kicking it back and forth to one another while laughing happily. And if any of the foals were to look up at the hillside to the left of the field, they would see the strange sight of two gods sitting with a princess, while one of the gods ate a massive thing of ice cream.

"Another day, another waste," Thor said more to himself than the others, sighing in discontent before he scooped out another pound of ice cream from the tub and wolfed it down. "I have scoured the lands from the Crystal Empire to the southern seas, yet I have found nothing that would aid me in learning the location of this master."

"You talk about your failings Thor, but at least you are not having issues with the other gods of the land," Celestia said with a sigh as she leaned back and stared up at the clouds rolling overhead. "I have heard word that the other gods have been showing up more and more in my nation. My sister and I have been trying to keep track of them and make sure they don't do anything, but they never listen to us...if they pay us any attention at all."

"Wow, sounds like the two of you have had it rough. Course, can't say I've ever had it any better," Discord muttered as he took a sip of his tea, flicking his finger and causing the foals soccer ball to bounce straight up into the air. "There were hundreds of those shadow beasts the other day. Today, there are none. I don't know how they managed to vanish so quickly, but damn it all they are gone."

"Aye, that is why Thor now fills that void of failure with the frozen dairy of this world," Thor replied as he tossed the tub of ice cream behind him, before opening his sixth cartoon and getting to work. "It is strange how similar and yet different the items of this world are. This cream of ice is far more natural than that of New York. Similar to the magic of your world, which is far purer than that of Earth."

"Pinkie give that to ya, huh?" Discord asked.

"Nay, it was a family of ponies that work at an ice cream store. I aided them when an avalanche nearly destroyed their home and they repaid me with a lifetime supply of the dessert," Thor said as he finished off his sixth tub with a large smile. "I do not believe they knew what they were getting into when they said lifetime, for my lifetime shall be far longer than theirs."

"Is that all it takes to get free food?" Discord asked with some interest as he poured tea from his cup into his kettle, making Thor raise an eyebrow at the destruction of physics. "Remind me to save more innocent more often if it gets me free things."

"Perhaps once you fully become the god you wish to be, those who are grateful to you will give you tributes simply for being such a kind being," Thor pointed out with a knowing smile, getting Discord to sigh as he leaned on his hand and caused the foals soccer ball to turn into a basketball.

"Look Thor, I'm grateful for you trying to bring out the best in me, but I don't think I'll ever be that kind of god," Discord admitted with a sigh of defeat, trying to ignore the looks that both Celestia and Thor were giving him. "I've been a monstrosity of chaos for over three thousand years now. I don't think I can be trusted with the title of god of Equestria...I don't think I could ever be worthy."

"There is an easy way to find out," Thor said as he picked up Mjolnir and offered the handle to Discord. Discord's eyes went wide as he stared down at the hammer, able to feel the power and might radiating from it. He swallowed hard and reached out to the hammer, his hand shaking as he did so. For a brief moment his hand was mere inches from the handle, before he snapped it back and turned his head away.

"I'm sorry Thor, but I know what I am. And worthy I am not," Discord said in a small whisper, getting the god of thunder to sigh while Celestia looked at the both of them with a confused expression.

"Very well Discord, it is your decision," Thor replied as he placed Mjolnir on the ground next to him, before opening his seventh tub of ice cream. "But back to what the princess of the sun was speaking of, we cannot wait for the master or the gods to make their next move. We all need to cover more ground at a faster speed. We need to divide these tasks among our resources."

"What do you suggest?" Celestia asked.

"We shall each tackle a different task instead of only dealing with them one at a time," Thor said as he turned towards Celestia. "Celestia, you and your allies shall be in charge with hunting down the location of the alter. If we can find it before the master can find the book, it shall give us the upperhand against him."

"But-"

"Discord, you shall continue to track any information that leads us to the master," Thor continued, getting Discord to raise an eyebrow. "It is clear that my power makes me far to easy to track, and unlike you I cannot instantly teleport to an area. The master will be able to sense my coming if I learn of his location. But you are crafty and a god of chaos. If any can get close to him without his knowledge, it will be thee."

"I suppose. But what of the shadow creatures? Are we going to try and capture another one of them?"

"Nay, they only serve to create destruction. They serve to cause misery and pain. Thor shall deal with them whenever they appear," Thor said as he lifted Mjolnir and stared down at the hammer, trusting that his oldest friend would not fail him.

"I never thought I would see the day that a god, a divine being that can do no wrong, would ask the aid of others for help in something," Discord said with a bit of a snarky voice, but to his surprise Thor laughed at Discord's words and rose to his feet with a smile.

"Aye. And if you had said that to me a thousand years ago I would have torn your head from your shoulders and used your body as a scarf," Thor said to Discord, whose eyes shrunk at the god of thunders words. "But it is truly incredible what even a god can learn in such a short time as a thousand years. And the god I am today is ashamed at the arrogant boy I used to be. Gods can change, Discord. Even ones that are created."

Discord sighed at Thor's words before he looked up at the darkening sky, frowning as he looked at his empty cup. "I should get back to Fluttershy. It's late and she gets jumpy at night when I'm not around. Thanks for the talk guys and Thor, I'll do my best...but don't expect too much change out of me. I'm not the one to be responsible."

"Neither was I, Discord. But then I changed."

Discord smirked at Thor's words before he vanished in a flash, leaving the god of thunder standing alone with the princess of the sun, both of them watching the group of foals race towards their village for the night. For a long time the two stood in silence, before Celestia glanced down at Mjolnir.

"Why did he not take the hammer?" Celestia asked Thor, who turned his gaze towards her before he hefted his hammer. "He gazed at it like it was judging him of every action he had ever committed. I have only seen that look in his eyes when he was afraid that Fluttershy would reject his friendship."

"Mjolnir...is a very good judge of character," Thor said to Celestia before shaking his head and giving her a look. "But you are not the only one that can read faces. It is clear that there is more that you wish to say to me. Go ahead, friend. Speak your mind."

"I know that you believe I can find the alter, but before you have made up your mind on the matter I wished to inform you of something," Celestia began with a hesitant tone. "I made a promise, the day I lost my sister and Faust did not come to aid me. I promised that if I ever located the alter, I would use the book and turn myself into a god, one that would never abandon Equestria. And I intend to keep that promise. So I just wanted to let you know, if we find it...I will try to become the replacement for Faust."

Celestia waited for some sort of anger or disapproval at her actions, but all Thor did was raise an eyebrow with a smile. "Is that all?"

"Is that all? I just told you to your face that I plan to replace you and you don't even care? You're not going to do anything if I try to become a goddess?"

"Celestia, if you become the goddess of Equestria, then Equis will finally have a goddess that I can trust," Thor said with a smile before patting her on the shoulder, before walking past her and starting to spin his hammer.

"You trust me? You'd trust me with the power of the gods? Why?" Celestia asked, getting Thor to stop spinning his hammer for a moment before he looked down at Mjolnir with a smile.

"As I said. Mjolnir is an excellent judge of what a person, or pony, holds within. You ask if I trust you? I would trust you to Hel's gates."

{([])}

"Checkmate again! That makes three for me!" Autumn said with a cry of happiness, while Princess Luna let out a sigh and rubbed her face against her hooves. At Thor's request, the princesses had taken Summer and Autumn into their castle and were keeping an eye on them, incase any evil forces tried to use them against the god of thunder. Celestia and Luna did not mind the both of them, as they both found Autumn an endless source of joy, but the both of them did make the princesses nervous. Already two gods had confronted the pair. Would the others do so as well?

"Well you win again, little Autumn. And I've got to admit, you pick up the rules quickly," Luna said good humoredly as she used her magic to place the pieces back on their spots, before glancing over at the filly with knowing eyes. "And while I would love nothing more than to continue to aid you in showing your incredible intelligence, it is time for you to go to bed. You can barely keep your eyes open."

"That's not true...I can totally keep going," Autumn replied in-between a large yawn, getting Luna to smile at the foals actions before she glanced over to see Summer Days walked over to the both of them. "Aw come on mom, not you too. I can totally stay up longer."

"Autumn, you are seven years old and already have experienced more in those seven years than most do in an entire lifetime," her mother chided the filly, who pouted before looking to the princess of the night for aid.

"Sorry little filly, but even the decrees of a princess cannot override the decisions of a mother," Luna replied with a smile, watching as Summer scooped Autumn onto her back and tried to get the struggling filly to calm down. "Sleep well, Autumn. And do not worry, I will make sure your dreams are pleasant."

Summer carried her daughter to the room they were borrowing, once again grateful for how kind the princesses had been for her and her daughter. 'Not only us, but everypony that has suffered at the hands of the titans. Our old home is almost completely rebuilt and hopefully we will be able to return there soon. Of course, that's if none of those other god assholes show up and decide to mess with us.'

"At least you've been a constant source of happiness in this whole mess," Summer whispered to her daughter as she placed the filly onto her bed, a smirk crossing Summer's face when she saw that her daughter was already fast asleep. Summer kissed Autumn gently on the forehead before exiting the room, needing to talk with Luna. "Honestly thought that you would never run out of energy."

Unbeknownst to Summer or even the princess of dreams, Autumn had a dream the likes of which she never had before. In it, she was surrounded by a blazing inferno, one that circled higher and higher around her, blazing into the sky with a plethora of colors. For a time, Autumn enjoyed the fire in her dream. But then all of the fire turned black and began to close in on the filly, who tried to call out for help. Her voice failed her.

The fire rushed her all at once, consuming her very form with the blaze. She felt herself getting hotter and hotter until it felt like she would burn away. Then a lunar light shine down upon her and the fire retreated, but the sensation of burning was still on the filly's mind, like a serpent of some kind that was slowly crawling up her body.

And the feeling was only getting hotter.

{([])}

"So, you've finally made your way back," a voice within the darkness said as a creature of shadow appeared in the center of a plain room, one that was created entirely of stone and shadows. The shadow creature bowed its head to the one that had spoke, even as it was unable to see his face due to the shadows that clung to him. "If I recall, the god of thunder had destroyed you. Normally when a god destroys something, they stay destroyed."

"I managed to escape into the shadows right before being annihilated, my lord. But at the cost of my legs," the beast replied in a raspy voice as it glanced down at its missing limbs with pain.

"But you have come back. You are the first to do so. Which means you know where the book is."

"Indeed. The princesses have it trapped in a secret library. One that only they, the god of thunder and Discord know about."

"Interesting. So that is where it was."

"Shall we strike now and retrieve the book, my lord?"

"No. Sadly some...chaotic events have come into play, events that have made it so that I can no longer act for my own self gain," the being replied with a shake of his head, but his eyes still glistened with interest. "But you all will continue to work. Just under a new master, a master who does not yet know the gift that I will give to him."

"Who is this master, my lord?"

"He is the one behind the titans that tried to ravage Equestria. He is the one that has caused so many issues for the ponies over the years. He will be your master, at least until I see fit. And do not worry. He's an old friend."

"Then what will you do?"

"I have been...giving an offer from an old friend of mine. I'd be foolish to pass up on it."

Asgardian Party

"Pinkie, I know you like to go all out for your parties, but this is overkill, even by your standards," Twilight said to the super party pony, who was on the ceiling of a building, trying to finish up panting a Viking warship and having some issues with it. "I get that you want to make Thor feel at home, but going to the other world and looking up everything about him and his culture? Isn't that a bit much?"

"There is never overkill when it comes to parties, Twilight!" Pinkie shouted down before she swung across the Viking longboat with a paintbrush clutched in her mouth, adding the finishing touches to the boat. She slipped out of the rope at the peak of the swing, flipping in the air and landing next to Twilight. A smile spread across Pinkie's face as she looked up at her handiwork, while she nodded with approval.

The Viking longboat covered the top of the roof, with dozens of mannequins designed to look like Viking warriors were battling with each other inside of the ship. Fake fire raged around the rest of the ship, while arrows and some of the bodies were laying on the ground along the outside of the building, making Twilight place a hoof on her face and shake her head.

"Think he'll like it?" Pinkie asked with a hopeful smile, getting Twilight to roll her eyes.

"I'm just glad that you didn't meet your human counterpart in the other world. Both realities would probably implode if that happened," Twilight muttered to herself, before she glanced through the open doors of the building at the room inside. She could see ponies talking and partying with smiles on their faces, despite the fact that most of them were wearing horned helmets and all had on fake beards.

"You wouldn't believe how many hours worth of reading I had to do to learn about his culture, his people and everything else about Thor. Did you know that he had a brother? Or that one time he wore a dress to confuse a foe of his?" Pinkie asked Twilight, but Twilight failed to answer as she was too busy staring up at the seven foot deity that had landed behind Twilight.

"Yes, that was not one of my better days," Thor admitted with a hearty smile before he glanced up at the Viking longboat, looking it over before he tilted his head to the side for a second. "I do not recall any of the ships to be that color of pink, but it has been a while since I last battled with Vikings. Greetings Princess Twilight and Pinkie, maker of parties. Thor has arrived."

"Yay! You got my letter!" Pinkie exclaimed happily as she bounced around Thor. "I've been wanting to throw a party for you for such a long time, but I wasn't sure which one to throw for you. A welcome to Equis party? A welcome to Ponyville? Congrats on becoming a god of Equstria? Thank you for saving us? Too many to chose from! So instead, I just squished them all into one super awesome mega fun bomb party! Come on, let's go!"

Pinkie zipped into the building where the party was going on, leaving Twilight to let out a sigh as she looked up at Thor. "So what brought you to this party? You probably have thousands of different things that you need to do. I know that tomorrow the princess wanted me and my friends to start looking for the alter. And you're probably getting prayers from all over the planet? So why are you here?"

"Ale!" Thor bellowed with laughter as he followed Pinkie into the building, forcing Twilight to press a hoof to her face to keep from laughing out loud. She followed the god of thunder into the party and found a sight that she would never forget in all of her years. In the center of the floor stood Thor with a barrel of ale held high above his head. A hole had been punched in the side of the barrel and from the puncture poured ale right into Thor's mouth.

"Go go go!" the crowd chanted as Thor down the entire barrel of ale, before he threw it to the side and picked up another barrel. One of the ponies at the party punctured the side of it and, if it was possible, Thor began to drink at a faster pace than he had before.

"That cannot be healthy," Twilight said to Pinkie as Thor finished off the barrel, smashing it to splinters against his head to the roar of the crowd. "And you said that ale was made specifically to his liking?"

"Yep, an elixir for the gods. And he's downed enough to knock out everypony else at the party," Pinkie said in an impressed tone as Thor lifted another barrel over his shoulder, looking at the crowd with a coy smile and asking them if they wanted him to go on. "If he wasn't a god, I would fully expect him to be dead right now. Must be nice being so powerful."

"Maybe, but there's a huge responsibility that comes with it," Twilight said in a knowing tone, getting Pinkie to pat her friend on the shoulder as Thor finished off his third casket.

The party continued on after that, with Thor regaling the crowd with tales of his epics and battles with other gods and monsters. He told them tales of the heroes of Midgard, of the wonders of Asgard and the chilling depths of Hel. Sometimes the crowd cheered. At other times they were horrified. And once the crowd nearly all vomited at his story of how he had to carve his way out from the inside of a serpent with one of its own ribs.

"Wonderful party, Pinkie. It almost reminds me of the parties we would have back on Asgard," Thor said after he had finished regaling the crowd with his tales of wonder, with most of them clutching at their stomachs or trying to wrap their heads around some of the beings he had described. "It was almost a perfect match of the parties back home."

"Wait, so the party wasn't perfect?! What was wrong with it?! Was it the ale? Or the lack of actual Vikings?! What was it?!" Pinkie roared as she hopped up onto Thor's chest and tried to shake the god of thunder until he answered, but she only shook herself instead.

"At Asgardian parties we ended every celebration in a massive brawl that would go on until the morning!" Thor said with a boisterous laugh that was powerful enough to shake the room. "And I take it that neither of you wish to brawl with not just an Asgardian god, but also the undefeated champion of party brawls?"

Both of the ponies shook their heads and Thor let out a loud laugh, before he sat down in the corner and rested his hammer against the wall. Pinkie and Twilight shared a look with each other as Thor closed his eyes, seemingly dozing off despite all of the noise in the room. For a long time Pinkie and Twilight watched as Thor "slept" until his eyes snapped open and a thin smirk crossed his face.

"The party may continue. Thor is not needed at the moment," Thor told the two as he rose back up, getting Twilight and Pinkie to look at him with confusion.

"What do you mean, Lord Thor?" Twilight asked.

"I was listening for prayers that required the immediate aid of Thor. None of them do, so for the time being I may continue to enjoy your party," Thor clarified before he caught a look of uncertainty that Twilight was giving him. "Do my words give you cause for concern, princess of friendship?"

"No, it's just...how do you do it?" Twilight asked in a hesitant tone, getting Thor to raise an eyebrow. "How do you balance an entire nations prayers and needs and decide which ones need your help and which one don't need your attention?"

"Centuries of practice," Thor replied with a kind smile to Twilight. "And sometimes with less than stellar results. Twilight, only recently have I started to take my role of god of Midgard very seriously. For the longest time I was a lost soul, consumed by his own arrogance and thirst for battle. It took weeks of torture and a team of heroes for me to finally see the error of my ways."

"What manner of being could torture you for weeks?" Twilight asked with terror in her voice.

"The same one that butchered thousands of gods. But I digress. What I am trying to say Twilight, is that the role of a god, or a ruler, isn't to wait on your subjects hand and foot. Nor do you ignore them and leave them to fend for themselves. The universe is far to cruel for that. But there must be balance. People, or ponies, cannot grow if they do not overcome their own obstacles. But when the universe sends terrors or monsters to destroy everything they have tried to built, that is when I step in. I help in small ways and I don't often solve a persons problems for them. But I will aid them in finding their own answers."

"That...makes a lot of sense. thank you, Lord Thor," Twilight replied with a small bow before a smile of kindness crossed her face. "Out of all the gods that are out there, I'm glad we got you."

"And I am glad that I came here. I have learned plenty in the short time I have been here," Thor replied with a nod before he saw that the ponies had rolled out another barrel of ale. "But if you excuse me, it seems that there is still ale to be drunk and a party to be celebrated. And Thor has never been one to-"

Thor was cut off as an explosion of lunar light filled the room, followed quickly by one princess of the night, one mare named after a season of the year and a filly who was as pale as a ghost. For a brief second the mother of the filly looked around the room, before she spied the god of thunder and ran over to him desperately.

"Lord Thor!" she half said half exclaimed as she skidded to a halt in front of the god of thunder, looking from him to her daughter while trying to get the words out of her mouth. Without waiting for another word Thor took the filly from her back and laid her on the ground, placing his hand upon her forehead and narrowing his eyes.

"She has a fever, Lord Thor. A fever that will not break no matter what magic or medicine we try," Luna said to the god of thunder, filling Thor in when Summer was unable to speak. "It started with a dream she had of fire last night. I banished the dream, but she has not awoken since and this fever has gotten worse and worse. Nothing we do works to cure it. Even submerging her in icy water didn't change her temperature at all!"

"Aye, and I can see why," Thor replied as he lifted his head to face the mother and princess. "I sense a dark magic is the cause of Autumn's sickness. A magic the likes of which I have not felt in a long time. Black magic."

"But who would want to cast this upon my daughter? What has Autumn done?!" Summer said in a frenzy, glaring around the room in hopes that the attacker was within striking range. Thor did not reply, but he did extend his hand and summon Mjolnir to him before he slowly moved the head of the hammer over the filly. The hammer glowed slightly and Thor's eyes darkened, before he rose this his full height with an air of power.

"It is as I feared. This is not simple, evil dark magic. This is the work of a divine. This is the work of a god."

"Toraxo," Summer seethed and Thor nodded his head to show that she was correct.

"Toraxo? The god of the changelings?" Luna asked, not catching on as quickly. "But why would he want to harm a filly? What would he even have to gain through doing it?"

"To make a statement. To show that he will do as he pleases, despite my warnings," Thor thundered with a power strong enough to shake the entire building, getting the ponies that had been hiding within to cower underneath of the tables. "Tis will be his final mistake."

Thor spun and began to walk to the door, but before he could leave Luna placed herself between him and the door. "Remove yourself form my path, princess of the moon. The god of the changelings will pay for daring to harm a child under Thor's care."

"Lord Thor...if I may," Luna began in a nervous tone, able to feel the sheer power radiating off of Thor. "I understand your rage and your desire for vengeance. I can't say I don't disagree with you. But Toraxo is the god of the changelings. He is the god of a nation powerful enough to rival Equestria. And while we may be on decent terms with them now, getting into a war with their god...may drag both of the nations you two reside in to war as well."

"They would be fools to wage war against the god of thunder," Thor replied in a dangerous tone, making lightning crack outside of the building and causing thunder to shake the ground.

"But they will if their god tells them to. And then we're stuck in a war that we can't win, not with so recently having survived the attacks from the titans," Luna tried to reason with Thor and found, to her relief, that the thunder was starting to fade from his eyes. "I am not saying you shouldn't go or that you shouldn't confront Toraxo, especially if he has done something as cowardly as harming a child. But I beg of you, please do not fight him unless you have to. Please."

"Very well, princess of the night. If Toraxo is willing to remove the curse that affects young Autumn, then Thor sees no reason to crush his skull," Thor replied, before his eyes filled with lightning and turned them a crackling blue. "But if he does not, he shall feel the wrath of Thor. A wrath that has slain worlds."

Thor then thrust his hammer heaven ward and flung himself through the rook of the building, leaving dozens of ponies to wonder what was going to happen to their land next. Luna sighed and kicked off through the hole that Thor had made, following after him while using her magic to contact her sister and Discord. She had the feeling she was going to need both of them.

Destroyer

"I don't know, I think that perhaps it should go there," Thorax said to the changelings that were holding Chrysalis's old throne, a monstrosity of darkness and evil that reminded the changelings of the life they had under her. "But maybe I should put it in a museum or something like that. It's an important, albeit dark, part of our history. For now just put it in the maybe pile. We'll deal with it later."

"Whatever you say Thorax," the changelings replied before they grunted and carried off the throne, leaving Thorax to let out a sigh before he turned to the rest of the things that needed to be done. He glanced out the window of the palace, which was undergoing renovations to remove the tyranny of Chrysalis and to usher in a bran new age. Since he had been one of the first changelings to defy Chrysalis, Thorax had been put in charge.

'Which leaves me to deal with all of the changes,' Thorax thought to himself as he looked down at a list he was carrying, sighing as he saw that he was nowhere close to done with his list. 'Need to get a move on, sun will be going down soon.'

Thorax spread his wings, which shined in the sun now, much to his enjoyment, and flew out of the palace down to the changelings in the streets. Along with changing the palace to fit the new style of the changelings, the area around the palace was also being renovated with new buildings and roads. Thorax was especially proud of the roads, considering how quickly they had been built under such a short amount of time.

'We also got luck that the titans that have been attacking the land of Equestria haven't come here. Actually I'm glad most of the things in Equestria haven't come here,' Thorax thought before looking up at the setting sun and letting a smile cross his face. 'I guess I should be thanking whoever is up there looking over us. It's thanks to them that-'

BOOM!

Thorax let out a yelp as an object slammed into the road not far from Thorax, shaking the ground and sending chunks of rubble flying past his head. Thorax looked through the dust kicked up by the impact to see that a crater had been created by the impact of the object, a crater that was not only massive, but would take a long time to repair.

"Oh come on, what could it be now?" Thorax asked as he walked to the edge of the crater, but the moment he peeked down to the bottom of the crater he felt his heart sink to new depths. For in the center of the crater was a large, electrified hammer, one that hummed with a power that he could feel even from the top of the crater. But it wasn't the hammer that scared him. He had heard the stories. And he knew who followed the hammer.

Swallowing his fears, Thorax slowly lifted his eyes to the sky to see that his fears had been confirmed. There, floating in the sunlight with a thunderous look on his face, was the god of thunder. Thor. All Thorax could do was watch as Thor descended right beside Thorax, before the god extended his hand and called Mjolnir back to his grasp. Thor then slowly looked around at all of the terrified changelings that were staring up at the god of thunder, all eyes filled with fear.

"Greeting, ruler of the changelings," Thor said in a deep and very angry tone to Thorax, who wished that he could turn invisible so that he could vanish on the spot. Thor looked around at all of the changelings around him, who reminded him of the colorful beetles of Earth, before he rested his eyes upon Thorax once more. "Thou has no need to fear. Thor has not come here to harm you nor your nation."

"That's...good to hear," Thorax said in a near whisper, trying not to meet Thor's eyes but found that he couldn't look away. "T-then why are you here, Lord Thor? Because we just built this road and your hammer kind of...destroyed it."

"Aye, Thor will repair your roads. After what he has done what he has come to do," Thor replied with a thundering tone before his eyes filled with lightning. "I am here to speak with your god, Toraxo. Tell me where the coward is hiding and I will leave you in peace."

"Considering I've been praying since the moment you showed up, he should be arriving any time now," Thorax replied in a nervous tone, his eyes shrinking when lightning cracked across the sky behind Thor.

"Very well. I shall wait," Thor replied before he dropped Mjolnir to the ground and sat down cross legged next to the hammer, closing his eyes and starting to breath calmly. Thorax had no idea what to do, so he was incredibly relieved when he looked up to the sky and saw the princesses of Equestria descended towards him, with another pony and her foal in tow as well.

"Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. Thank the gods that the two of you are here," Thorax said as he raced over to the two, before nodding to the mare who was cradling a foal. "The lord of Equestria just showed up and I have no idea what to do. He's here for Lord Toraxo and I'm afraid to say anything to him lest he turn that wrath of his upon us."

"That is the wise thing to do," Celestia replied before motioning her head to Summer, who was holding Autumn with fear written clearly on the mother's face. "Thor believes Toraxo to have cursed the foal with a spell, so he has come here to ask if Toraxo will remove the curse. We came along to make sure that is all that happens."

"That is terrible. How could Lord Toraxo do such a thing?" Thorax asked with a shake of his head, before he caught the underlining tone in Celestia's voice. "Wait, he's here to ask, right? Then what happens...if Lord Toraxo doesn't remove the curse from the foal?"

The dark look in Celestia's eyes told Thorax what would happen and with fear filled eyes he looked back at the god of thunder, who still had yet to move. "My sister and I also came here to ask a favor of you. We wish to ask...should complications arise, we ask, no, beg, that you do not blame Equestria for the decisions of Thor. Neither of our nations need another war, not now."

Thorax lowered his head and thought long and hard about his answer for a long time, long enough for Celestia and Luna to become nervous. "You helped us drive out Chrysalis. You helped us to reclaim what was lost to us," Thorax began, before his eyes darkened and he shook his head. "But Lord Toraxo is our god. If he asks us to fight your nation...we cannot tell him no. I am sorry."

"Thorax, please reconsider," Celestia tried to say, but at that moment Thor rose to his feet and lifted his hammer, causing lightning to flash across the sly above the changeling empire.

"TORAXO! I know that you can hear me, you coward!" Thor thundered to the heavens with enough force to shake the planet beneath him. "Do you not know it is an offense to ignore a fellow immortal?! Come and answer for what you have done, lest you make me truly angry!"

Thor's words rumbled like the thunder above, getting the changelings to take shelter under whatever they could find. Thor kept his eyes glued to the heavens with an expectant glare, but when the god of the changelings did not show himself he turned his head towards the gods temple with dangerous eyes.

"Very well then. So if my mere presence alone will not be enough to get your attentions," Thor muttered as he took aim at the temple. "Perhaps this will!"

With a swing of his arm Thor hurled Mjolnir into the temple, sending the hammer crashing through the side of the silver shrine and caving in the walls. Following the will of the god, Mjolnir flew back and forth across the temple before the might of the hammer finally brought the entire temple down, getting the changelings that were watching to cry out in fear. Thor extended his arm and Mjolnir returned to him, just in time for Thor to turn around with a dangerous smile on his face.

"Finally. I thought that he would never show."

A massive column of fire erupted from the ground, turning the air around the changelings into a heatwave. From within the fire walked a changeling that burned like hell and the expression on his face told those that looked upon him that was exactly what Thor had wrought with his actions. The only being there that wore no look of concern was Thor, whose eyes were still filled with lightning as he gazed down at the other god.

"You have made a grave error, Thor," Toraxo said in a voice that was like a bubbling volcano, just one push away from erupting and taking everything with it. "Coming to my own land and calling me out was insult enough, but to have the gall as to destroy my temple? That is an offense that I cannot-"

A right hand to the side of the face sent the god of the changelings flying through one of the buildings that had been constructed, before he skidded to a stop next to a group of changelings. The multi-colored bugs ran for their lives as Toraxo slowly rose to his feet, the fires of hell burning in his eyes.

"Offense? Thou wishes to speak of offense? Then let us speak of your unholy offenses! Such as cursing a young foal with dark magic!" Thor thundered, while lightning coursed from his hammer. He pointed that same hammer towards Toraxo while glaring the god down. "If thou has an ounce of honor in your body, you will remove what you have done to her before I force you to."

"Thor, our deal!" Luna called over to Thor, but the two gods were far to angry at that point to hear the words of the mortals.

"I will do no such thing. The foal is cursed and cursed she shall stay," Toraxo replied before spitting fire to the side, burning a hole in the ground.

"Why curse her? What does an immortal being have to gain from cursing the life of one so young?!" Thor roared in fury, a fury that summoned thunderclouds overhead.

"Simple, Thor. She is an example. And example to those who dare try to be more than anything they are. I am a god and they dared to stand to me. I wished to curse the mother as well, but I figured that it would be more...of an example if her daughter was consumed by the fire first," Toraxo explained with a smirk, only for the air to chill around the area as Thor tilted his head and hid his eyes beneath his helmet.

"Is that your answer?" Thor asked in a calm tone, one that scared the ponies and changelings far more than any amount of thunder could have. Toraxo spat in reply, getting Thor to raise his eyes to glare at the god once more. "So be it...HAVE AT THEE!"

Toraxo had just enough time to hear the cry before Thor was upon him, swinging Mjolnir down towards the skull of the god. Toraxo vanished in a ball of fire in time to avoid being hit, but when the hammer struck the ground it shattered the land under its might. Thor turned around to see Toraxo appear behind him, balls of hellfire circling around him.

"Very well Thor, the ponies will watch as another of their gods fail them!" Toraxo roared as he fired the balls towards Thor, which melted the ground as they soared towards him. A smirk crossed Thor's face as he swatted the balls out of the air with Mjolnir, getting the changeling god's eyes to go wide as his attacks were brushed away.

He then screamed with rage as he slammed his hooves into the ground, creating columns of fire that erupted towards Thor. Thor hurled his hammer forward and flew through the pillars of fire towards the god of the changelings. Toraxo eyes widened before Thor grabbed him by the throat, lifting the god of the changelings with one hand before slamming him into the ground at Thor's feet.

"Remove your curse!" Thor demanded before he drove a boot into the side of the changeling god, sending him flying through the side of a building. Thor began to slowly spin his hammer as he advanced towards Toraxo, who was struggling to get to his hooves.

"Thor, please! Cease this before it goes too far!" Celestia yelled as she ran between Thor and the changeling god. Thor placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her out of the way, but even though he was restraining himself Celestia was still sent flying away. Toraxo spun his head around and spewed fire from his mouth, bathing the god of thunder in flames. Yet even with flames as hot as the sun, Thor reached through the fire and grabbed Toraxo by his throat, hoisting him once more before slamming him into the ground.

"I will ask only once more. Remove your curse," Thor demanded as he slammed a boot into the sternum of the god, getting him to cough in pain as his body cracked.

"Even if I could, do you think that I would?" Toraxo asked Thor with a smile crossing his face, getting Thor's eyes to narrow. "This right here is your greatest failing as a god, Thor. You don't command respect. Yes, the ponies like you and appreciate you, but they will never worship you like the changelings do me. You will just be another deity that Equestria will forget in time."

"What does thou mean even if you could?" Thor asked in a dangerous tone, one that got Toraxo to start laughing before he smiled up at Thor with evil in his eyes.

"The curse I put upon the foal is not one with a cure or a counter spell. It is a killing spell. One that is slow and painful. And it's power come from me, meaning that it is a divine curse. One that not even you can remove," Toraxo said with pride before he spat fire onto Thor's suit. "So you will have to watch, Thor. Watch as the filly that summoned you, who has put her faith into you, dies while you can do nothing. In fact..."

Toraxo's eyes flashed and a moment later Autumn began to scream, getting Thor to look over at Summer and Autumn. The filly was screaming in pain as she writhed in her mothers grasp, while the princesses were trying to use their magic to soothe the pain of the foal.

"Enjoy her final moments, Thor. Enjoy watching her die knowing you failed her," Toraxo spat at Thor with a smirk. "And know that no amount of words or bargaining will change my mind. This is you punishment for insulting me."

Thor then slowly turned his head to glare at the god beneath his boot, face hidden in shadows except for his eyes. Eyes that were flashing with a thunder and lightning that was beyond any that Toraxo had seen before. Thor then lifted Mjolnir over his head, taking perfect aim at the god beneath his boot. Toraxo's eyes widened as he realized what Thor was about to do and he opened his mouth to say something.

"Thor, wait-"

Faster than the rests of the gods words could come out, Thor struck down with Mjolnir with all of the power in his body. The sound of Mjolnir striking rang out with a roar of thunder, one that got all in the area to cover their ears. But their eyes remained glued open, eyes that were glued to the sight before them. For at the feet of Thor lay Toraxo, the god of the changelings...except that were his head had once been was now Mjolnir and golden, godly blood that soaked the head of the hammer.

Autumn stopped screaming a few moments later, breathing heavily as the pain died down in her. Summer held her daughter close with tears of relief running down her face, while all of the changelings and the two princesses looked at Thor with horror and disbelief in their eyes, unable to comprehend what Thor had just done. Thor cast a glance to his side to see that Autumn was fine, before he glared down at the body of Toraxo.

"Thou told me the curse was tied to your powers. To slay thee was the only way to remove the curse cast upon the child. You would not do it thyself. You left me no other choice except to slay thee," Thor said as he extended his hand and returned Mjolnir to his grasp, before he spat on what remained of Toraxo's head. "I am glad you didn't."

Catastrophic

With a thin smile Thor closed the door to the bed chambers, allowing Autumn Breeze a chance for rest she so desperately needed. He knew that with her mother by her side there would be no need for Thor to look out for her at the moment. For he also knew that he had far greater things to worry about.

Once the door was closed Thor turned to see Celestia and Luna standing behind him, looks on their faces that even a god of thunder couldn't read. "If the both of you have something that thee wish to say to me, speak now. Thor does not like to be kept waiting."

"Thor...we need to talk. About what happened at the changeling empire," Luna began in a tone that was filled with rage and pain, even though she was trying her best to control the emotion. "Word has spread like wildfire and all in every nation knows what you have done. What we thought to be...impossible. You killed a god."

"Aye. I did."

"...that's it?" Celestia asked with disbelief in her voice, unable to believe that was all the answer Thor could muster. "You fly into a friendly nation, call out their deity and then...decapitate him and all you have to say is that you did it."

"I regret that killing Toraxo is what it came to. I do not regret my actions," Thor replied in a strong tone, one that got both of the princesses to back away from Thor. "Toraxo made it clear that he would have allowed Autumn to die, for no other reason to get back at her and me. He would not willing retake the curse. He could not. So to save the life of the pony who called me here, I slayed a monster that called himself a god. I wish I did not have to slay him. I am not sad that I did."

Celestia and Luna shared a worried glance with each other, one that was not lost on the god of thunder. But at that moment he found that he had other things on his mind. He turned and walked away from the princesses, who followed after him with expressions telling Thor that the conversation was not over.

"Thor..." Celestia tried to start again, but before she could Thor spun towards her and pointed Mjolnir at her. For a long moment both sisters stared in fear at the hammer, one which had slain a god, before Thor sighed and flipped the hammer so that the head was facing down.

"I know that you doubt my actions Celestia, but had I done something truly evil, truly selfish and cruel, then you would be wielding this hammer," Thor told Celestia, who frowned as she stared at the hammer for a moment before sighing in resignation. Luna looked between the two of them, wondering what Thor was talking about. "I did what I had to do to save a life. That is sometimes all even a god can do. Now then, let us talk about what else the two of you have to say."

"We can't get anything by you, can we? We have to talk about what your actions have wrought," Luna began with a sigh. "Whether or not your actions were just, you have slain a god of a foreign nation. A nation that we were trying very hard to form a lasting relationship with. Not only that, now all of the other nations are terrified of us. Are terrified of the power of Equestria."

"Why would that be?"

"Because in terms of magical power, ponies have always been better at the magical arts than the rest of the world. Giving us an edge against other nations," Celestia explained. "The only thing the other nations had to comfort themselves is that if we ever attacked, Faust forbid, then their gods would repel us. And now you have shown to the world that you are beyond their gods. That you can kill that which they thought unbeatable."

"That is...fair, I suppose," Thor muttered to himself, starting to realize the unintended consequences of his actions. "But surely they have heard that Toraxo was killing a filly, one that had done nothing wrong? What I did was not an action of murder or godly rage, but that of one trying to save the life of an innocent."

"They've probably heard about it. But from what we have heard, they do not care," Luna revealed to Thor, who sighed with frustration before removing his helmet and rubbing his hand through his hair. "Without their god to keep their home together, the land of the changelings is in catastrophe! Earthquakes plague their land, disease is tearing through their people and it is taking all of their magical efforts to keep their nation from falling apart. Their nation is falling down around them and they're terrified. Of you"

"Then let them be terrified. I will deal with their problems soon. We have other matters to discuss," Thor said to change the conversation, before looking at Celestia. "How are you and your allies coming on finding the location of the alter?"

"We have made little to no progress...why do you ask?" Celestia answered in a nervous tone.

"Because after striking down Toraxo, I have a feeling that our foe will be moving up their plans to find the alter of your goddess," Thor revealed, getting the princesses to groan with frustration. "I need to meet with Discord and see if he has discovered anything of importance. Forgive me, princesses of the heavens, but I must go."

Thor spun his hammer and threw it into the heavens, yanking himself into the sky and sailing across the airspace of Equestria. He was glad to be away from the princesses and their stares. The questions he could handle. The looks he gave him not so much. But even as he sailed through the clouds a small part of his wondered if they were right. Had he gone too far?

'Toraxo left you no other choice, Thor,' Thor thought to himself as he shook his head, banishing the other thoughts of doubt from his mind. 'You did all you could. The princesses have yet to learn that even gods have their limits. Even though we pretend we don't.'

It was with a small sense of relief that Thor landed on the outskirts of a volcano, a location that Mjolnir had led Thor to on its own. And as Thor walked up to the god of chaos, he could see why the hammer would bring him there. Discord glanced over his shoulder at Thor's arrival, before he went back to whatever it was he had been doing.

"I am surprised to see you here," Thor said to Discord as he raised a hand in greeting.

"But not as I am to see you. After what you did I'm surprised you're not at Canterlot doing damage control," Discord muttered as Thor sat down beside him, glancing down at Mjolnir as Thor rested it beside the god. "Celestia's known to throw a hissy fit whenever somepony says a naughty word. I can't imagine how she's reacting to you killing somepony, even if they were a god."

"Her fear of me prevents her from speaking her full mind. I am sad that the fear of me is still there," Thor admitted with a sigh as he gazed at the volcano peak. "I do not wish to be a god that is feared. I wish to be respected, but as one respects a friend or a mentor. Not as a god of doom."

"Well after what you did to Toraxo's head, you're probably going to be seen as the latter," Discord bluntly replied to Thor, who smirked at the gods honesty.

"Discord, as one god to another, did I make the correct choice?" Thor asked Discord, who raised an eyebrow at Thor's question. "Was killing Toraxo the only solution to the problem? Or was I blinded by my own dislike of Toraxo, which in turn led me to being blind to other alternatives? Was my choice of actions incorrect?"

"...that's a hard call to make, Thor. Maybe there was another option. Maybe you could have broken his curse a different way," Discord began with a shrug. "Or maybe that other way would have taken too long. Or maybe it only works half the time and then a mother has lost her foal. I wouldn't know. I tend to avoid situations like this. As for whether or not Toraxo deserved to have his head smashed in...well, let's just say I won't miss him."

"Heh, for a god of chaos and deception, you can be brutally honest when you wish to," Thor replied with a smirk.

"Sometimes you have to be. Ponies here can be...stubborn in there ways and will only hear the truth they like," Discord replied. "And sometimes when you burst their little bubbles they panic and scream and do everything else except dealing with the issue. They're also incredibly forgetful. Like with you smashing Toraxo's head in. Nearly all of Equestria is asking how did a god as "dangerous and deadly" as you get to be god. When they were the ones who voted for you to become one."

"In times of danger, people and ponies tend to gather around those that can currently protect them, instead of those that should protect them," Thor wisely said, though it was more from experience with mortals than wisdom. "They were lucky I was the god that came to this land. There are many within the heavens that would take advantage of a race such as them."

"I wouldn't underestimate them. Yeah they can be thickheaded and annoying beyond belief, but you haven't seem them at their lowest. That's when they band together and find a way to overcome any obstacle in their path," Discord said with a small smile.

"I wouldn't know. I have not been around long enough to know that about them. But you have," Thor said in a quiet tone, one that made Discord turn his gaze towards the god of thunder with a curious expression. "You should be the god of this world, Discord. You know these lands, these gods, this world. But more importantly you know the ponies and what makes them...them. You would be a far better deity than I currently am. Perhaps you would have handle Toraxo differently."

"Still trying to get me to be a real god, huh? It's situations like this that turn me away from being a full fledged deity," Discord replied. "I can't handle all of the pressure or the prayers or the constant begging me to fix all of their problems. I'm not that kind of god. I wasn't...built that way."

"It matters not how others created you to be, but what you yourself choose to be," Thor told Discord, who rolled his eyes at the cheesy line. "Ye may roll your eyes, but the words remain true. I have fought alongside many beings created to be weapons of death and destruction, yet who choose to be more. You were created to be a god of chaos, of anarchy and madness, yet you have rejected who you were created to be. You just need a little aid in finding the god you wish to be."

"You really won't let this go, will you?" Discord asked Thor, who shook his head with a smile. "Why? Why do you care so much about the god I become?"

"Because I have seen far too many gods lose themselves, lose who they wished to be in who they were expected to be. All while I did nothing," Thor revealed with a sad look in his eyes as he stared off towards the heavens. "And then Gor the god butcher showed us what we really were, when our titles and aura was stripped away from us. We were cowards, bullies and monsters. We were not any better than those we ruled over. We had become so consumed with ourselves, that we forgot about those we were supposed to be the deities of. And we paid in blood."

"So what I am saying Discord is that for far too long gods have only cared about themselves. Not about the mortals they ruled over and certainly not the other gods around them. And that is why we were butchered," Thor summed up, while Discord tried to wonder what kind of being could butcher gods. "So I try to aid my divine brethren whenever I can, even if they do not believe they should be. Forgive me if I seem stubborn, but I have seen the cost of gods not caring."

Discord gazed over at Thor as the god of thunder stared at the heavens, no longer sure what to make of the god of thunder. He had rarely ever heard of a god caring about others, much less caring about other gods. It had taken a thousand years in stone and a best friend who was an Ambassador of Harmony for him to start caring.

'Yet he speaks of a god butcher, someone that took deities and butchered them. It seems that he learned how to care from a far harder teacher than me,' Discord thought to himself with a bit of a sad sigh. 'Maybe...I could give it a try. For Thor. After all, what have I got to lose? Maybe he'll be able to help. It would take an act of god and he's the only one that seems to care.'

Discord opened his mouth to talk to Thor, but at that moment Thor sprung to his feet and called Mjolnir to his hand. Discord snapped his head towards the sky, where Thor was glaring, only for his eyes to go wide when he saw what was descending towards them.

A being that had thousands of blue scales was descending from the clouds, blocking out the sun and casting blue reflections across the land. The sharp face of the dragon god was covered in a white beard, while his eyes and antlers on his head crackled with power. The dragon god let out a deep rumble that shook the whole planet, but Thor was the one being on the planet that did not shake.

"Greetings, Shelor. I hope that this is a friendly visit," Thor greeted in a thunderous tone, one that rumbled the sky above the dragon. "For if it is not, I ask thee that you leave now. I do not wish to fight two gods in just as many days."

"I am afraid it is the latter, god of thunder," Shelor replied with a blue fire crackling in his maw, one that burned the air around the two gods of Equestria. "I have no issue with your striking down Toraxo. I have heard what he did and I will not mourn his passing. But my nation is afraid of you and they have prayed that you are slain. And much like you, I answer the prayers of my nation."

"You cannot slay me, Shelor. You know that," Thor said as he pointed Mjolnir towards the deity.

"Perhaps. But you are a young god, god of thunder. And there is much an old god like myself can still teach you," Shelor replied.

"So be it. Very well then, Shelor. I shall battle with you," Thor said. "But when you fall, all of the world will see what it means to do battle with the son of Odin."

Rock the Dragon

"How? How could Thor have slain Toraxo?" Janis asked Rose, the both of them sitting at a table made of a divine material that mortals could only dream of. Rose was serving herself some tea while Janis constantly switched back and forth between his heads, both of the faces with a look of concern upon their faces. "We knew that Thor was powerful, but to think that he actually had the power to strike down one of us..."

"It was unexpected, but not entirely a surprise," Rose responded in a calm manner as she took a sip of her tea, getting both of Janis's faces to lock onto her with confusion. "Thor is a god far beyond anything we have ever seen, even as divine ourselves. Toraxo's foolish attempt to put Thor in his place showed us this. Thor is not a god we can defeat, not in the traditional sense."

"Then how do we defeat him? What can possibly be done to stop a god that can slay other gods?" Janis asked, curious to see how Rose would respond. The goddess of the zebras took a moment to finish the rest of her tea, before pouring herself some more from a kettle made of petals.

"Strength is not the key to defeating the god of thunder. He is the strongest god that I have ever seen. And his hammer makes him beyond physical force," Rose said once more, getting Janis to switch faces with frustration. "And deception or bribery would not work on him, for he is either too honorable or too stupid to allow either to work on him. No, what we need is something that even he cannot stop. Something that would best Thor."

"Are all of your species so damn cryptic?" Sinaj roared at Rose before grabbing hold of the kettle and blasting it away into nothingness. Rose gave him an annoyed look before she waved her hoof, summoning petals of flowers to form a new kettle for her tea. "If you have a way to defeat Thor, then just spit it out!"

"Blindly rushing against Thor will only end in our own destruction. Look at what is left of Toraxo," Rose stated calmly for Janis, talking to him as if she was talking to a child. Janis's faces began to spin faster than Rose could keep up with, getting her to sigh before placing her cup on the table and rising to meet Janis's eyes. "Yes, I have something that may manage to defeat Thor. Or at the very least, make sure that he never bothers us again. But you must be patient. For if you are not, you will end up like the other gods."

"You have something that can stop him?" Sinaj asked, but Rose shook her head and moved her hoof, getting the petals to circle around her and create the image of the god of thunder in battle with the god of the dragons. Janis let out a gasp as the image vanished, but the bitter smile that Rose had on her face told him everything.

"It seems that another one of us did not learn from Toraxo's mistake. Brute force cannot best the god of thunder" Rose stated, before she looked over at Janis with an evil smile. "But there are other ways to destroy a god. Have you ever wondered what happened to Faust?"

({[]})

The roar of a divine dragon echoed across the skies, followed by a roar of thunder that drowned out the voice of a god. Clouds blacker than a void circled above the entirety of Equestria, why blows that could shatter planets rocked the very land the thunderer sought to protect. Citizens took cover inside of their homes and with their families, certain that the world was coming to an end. As the two gods fought, both believed that it would should the other prevail.

"Thou cannot win!" Thor roared as he lashed out with Mjolnir, striking Shelor in the center of his skull. The god of the dragons roared with pain as he was sent crashing into the lands below, his body covering an entire mountain range as he crashed into the earth. "Cease this battle, god of dragons, or I shall not hold back my power any longer!"

"You know I cannot do that, god of thunder," Shelor roared as he rose back into the sky, circling his lengthy body around Thor and using it to cut the god off from the clouds that rumbled over head. Thor snarled as he begun to swing Mjolnir over his head, getting lightning to flash from the hammer. Shelor opened his maw and unleashed a tidal wave of water that consumed the god of thunder. Thor roared as the water wrapped around him, seeking to extinguish the thunder and life with the god. "I will defeat you. My nation will see that their prayers will be answered whenever they call upon me. But in doing so, you must fall. I am sorry."

With a bellow of fury that could be heard across the nine realms, Thor slammed the head of Mjolnir into his hand to generate a shockwave of electricity. The shockwave blasted apart the sphere of water that had been ripping Thor apart, freeing him and allowing Thor to face the god of dragons with a renewed thunder in his eyes. Thor hoisted Mjolnir into the air and brought down divine lightning that struck all along the body of the god of dragons, who roared in pain as the lightning forced him back down to the planet's surface.

"So ye say, but Thor has other plans for how this battle shall go!" Thor roared before he let Mjolnir fly towards the dragon god. The hammer tore apart the sky as it flew towards the fallen dragon god, who lifted his head in time to let loose a gale strong enough to blow away the moon. But while satellites and planets would have been swept away by the mighty gale, the hammer of the gods was not deterred from its path.

Shelor roared in pain as the divine hammer struck him in the chest, generating a shockwave powerful enough to knock the dragon god over and cause him to create a new lake from his head impacting the planet. Thor oustretched his hand and a moment later Mjolnir returned to him, now slightly covered in godly blood.

"Yield, Shelor," Thor called down to the god when he spied that the dragon as trying to rise once more. Shelor's response was to lift his head towards where the god of thunder floated and open his maw once more, this time firing a beam of pure energy towards Thor. Thor thrust Mjolnir to the side and used the weight to yank himself out of the way of the blast, which pierced through the clouds and traveled into the blackness of space.

"Fall, Thor!" Shelor roared as he fired more and more blasts of energy towards the god of thunder, who weaved in and out of the shots with no room for error. But as Thor came to a stop his eyes went wide as he realized that none of the blasts he had avoided had vanished. He looked around him to see that all of the blasts of energy were now floating around him as spheres, trapping him with their magnitude alone.

Shelor then let out a bellow that sent all of the sphere' hurtling towards Thor, who gritted his teeth as he crossed his arms. The very sky was set ablaze by the dozens of explosions that went off, as each of the energy spheres detonated against the god of thunder. After nearly ripping the heavens asunder, Shelor ceased the attack and began to breath heavily, gazing towards the smoke filled sky with anticipation.

"Is that all you can muster?"

Shelor's eyes widened with horror as the smoke began to clear from the heavens, revealing a very angry god of thunder who glared down at Shelor. To Shelor's slowly increasing horror, he found that there was not so much as a scratch on the god of thunder, but there was a look of rage upon his face that sent a shiver down the massive body of Shelor.

"This...cannot be," Shelor whispered to himself as he slowly began to back away from Thor, who floated down so that he was on eye level with Shelor. "That was enough power to decimate the world! To rend blackholes! To bring the very fabric of reality to-"

Faster than even the eyes of a god could see, Thor slammed his body into the throat of Shelor and sent the dragon go hurtling across the sky. In a flash of thunder Thor appeared behind Shelor, driving a knee into the back of the dragon's head to send him crashing down towards the planet below. Thor grabbed the tail of the god as it passed by, yanking back and stopping the gods decent. Thor then begun to spin the dragon god, hurling him right into the side of one of the few mountains that had managed to remain standing during their battle.

"Your power is great, but it is nothing compared to my power," Thor told Shelor as Thor lifted Mjolnir once more, summoning clouds above his head that were filled with enough lightning to strike down even the greatest of foes. Thor's eyes filled with lightning as he glared down at Shelor, before a massive bolt of lightning descended from on high and struck the hammer. Thor's body was filled with the power of divine lightning, power that made his body glow brighter than the sun as he aimed Mjolnir at Shelor.

"Fall."

With a thunderous roar that would have deafened any mortal that could have heard it, Thor unleashed a bolt of lightning beyond anything that a mortal could have comprehended. The blast of lightning consumed the dragon go as well as the mountain range the god was lying on, as well as anything else in a five mile radius around the dragon. The bolt of lightning then ascended into the heavens, shaking the planet to its very core. The roar of the dragon god was lost within the thunder, but as the lightning storm reached it's peak, Thor swung Mjolnir to the side and ceased his attack.

As the lightning faded away back into the air, Thor looked down at his divine foe. Shelor's entire body was covered in burns and the landscape around him had been turned into a black and barren wasteland. The mountain range was gone, leaving only the dragon that had been resting upon it. Thor slowly floated down next to the head of Shelor, who let out a weak moan as his glazy eyes focused on Thor.

"Well what are...you waiting for...god of thunder?" Shelor asked Thor, who gazed down upon the dragon god with eyes that could not be read. "You have...bested me...finish it. Put an end to me. That is...how the code of our gods works...so if you...wish to be a god of this world...strike me down..."

Thor narrowed his eyes at Shelor's words before he lifted Mjolnir over his head, taking aim at the center of Shelor's skull. Then Thor snarled and lowered his arm, before turning and walking away from the dragon god. "Nay, you shall not see Valhalla today, god of the dragons. Ye shall live and return to your nation, knowing that you could not best the god of thunder. And they shall know in the future that it is not wise to anger Thor, god of Equestria. Now leave my sight."

"You...will live...to regret this Thor," Shelor said as he slowly began to lift his body, grimacing in pain with each movement. "Gods...do not forgive...we never have and never will. And the sooner you learn this...the sooner you can be the god that this world needs."

"Leave, Shelor. Before you feel the impact of my hammer once more," Thor said in a cold voice to Shelor. Thor waited until he felt the dragon's presence leave the area, before he let out a sighed and looked around at all of the destruction the battle with the god had caused. His attention was taken away from the destruction when he sensed Discord landing behind him, getting Thor to turn to see that Discord wore a worried look upon his face.

"Well that was...something," Discord said as he clapped his hands together and looked around at what had once been a mountain range, whistling with disbelief when he saw all that was left was black ash. "Still don't know what I can believe more. That another god would pick a fight with you after seeing what you did to Toraxo. Or the fact that you beat down one of the oldest and powerful gods in Equestria."

"Tis barely was a battle. While powerful, he was far too large to use his power effectively and thus he left me with plenty of chances to strike him down," Thor said to Discord, who grunted slightly before looking around nervously. "Thou has something ye wish to say to me? Go ahead. Speak."

"This isn't going to help your situation," Discord told Thor, who let out a sigh as he realized that Discord was right. "If the land wasn't scared of you after you struck down Toraxo, then they'll be downright terrified of you now."

"He started the battle," Thor reminded Discord.

"Yeah, but they won't care about that. Also, these battles are going to affect Equestria's relationship with the other nations," Discord told Thor, who chose to stay silent this time. "The changelings aren't speaking to Celestia and Luna right now, which isn't a good sign. The dragons have never been friendly to dragons, but after hearing about how you bested their god they are sure not to be happy. You've really made things a lot more complicated."

"What else was I to do? Bow my head and accept their foolish decrees? Nay, Thor does not bow to anyone or anything, save the All-Father," Thor spat back in a thunderous tone, one that made Discord back away from Thor in a nervous way. Thor let out a sigh as he tried to contain his anger once again, before he began to swing Mjolnir over his head. "I will go and meet with the princesses, so that I may tell them of what has transpired. You do thou best to find the shadow beings and who is behind them. We must be quick. Time is against us."

"And why is that?" Discord asked Thor in a worried tone.

"Is it not obvious? First Toraxo, now Shelor. It is only a matter of time before Rose and Janis try to destroy Thor as well. And then I will be forced to strike them down."

Thor ascended into the sky after he said his peace, leaving Discord to watch the god of thunder fly off with a newfound concern about the future. 'Mighty Thor may be, but he knows nothing about talks or bargaining. If any god opposes him, he only knows how to go through them. And it's only a matter of time before we all pay for how headstrong he is.'

Bend

To the surprise of Thor, he found that neither Celestia or Luna occupied the castle when he returned to it. As he landed just beyond the castles gates, he felt the presence of neither princess. A frown crossed the god of thunders face as he realized that they were either out dealing with something related with the alter or something related with him. Neither thought lifted Thor's mood.

Ignoring the guards as he passed them, and ignoring the looks of concern they gave him, Thor figured that none of the ponies had yet to hear about the news of Shelor falling to Thor in battle. Thor closed his eyes and tried to hear if there were any prayers asking him about the battle, but when he heard none he confirmed his thoughts.

'That means that I have a small amount of time before I must deal with the consequences of my actions. Perhaps I shall check in on young Summer and Autumn,' Thor thought to himself as he pushed open the doors to the castle.

The castle was quiet, aside from the maids and butlers going about their business and cleaning up the place, and Thor took solace in the quiet. His body still ached slightly from his battle with Shelor and Discord's words about the fear the ponies would feel towards him still echoed in Thor's mind. He felt his fingers tighten around Mjolnir for comfort, wishing that his friend would give him advice like it once did.

'Nay, what's done is done. I wish it did not have to come to battle, but Shelor made his intentions clear. Sadly, I can not blame him entirely for his actions. He answered the wish of his people. He did what I chastised other gods for failing to do. Being a god that listens. Perhaps I was too headstrong. Perhaps I should have tried to talk things out more,' Thor pondered, but he locked his thoughts away as he reached the room where Autumn slept. When he heard Summer tell him to enter, he did so silently.

"How has she been?" Thor asked in a whisper, but even when Thor whispered the rumbling of thunder could still be heard.

"She's been sleeping peacefully, thank god," Summer said with a smirk at Thor, who smiled at her joke. Then Summer's face fell slightly and she looked at the little filly sleeping calmly beneath the covers. "I am worried, Thor. I am worried about what the future will hold for me and my daughter."

"There is no need to hide your true thoughts with me. I will listen to what ye have to say," Thor promised Summer.

"I am fearful that the gods wrath will continue. Not against you, but against us," Summer said in a fearful whisper. "You have made it clear when you killed Toraxo that no god can match you. But gods don't forgive. And since they cannot best you, I am afraid they will come for us. The ones favored by the god of Equestria."

"Summer, mother of Autumn, I swore that I would protect you from any threat, including that of the gods. And Thor has kept his word, has he not?" Thor asked Summer, but his words did not comfort the mare.

"But you will not be here forever. You have your own world, your own people to go back to. Eventually, we will not have the aid of the god of thunder," Summer replied and Thor knew her words rang true. "But...perhaps there is another way. Perhaps you can speak with the other gods, ask them to let go of the rage they may feel for you. Perhaps they will listen, as it is you."

"That...may be more difficult now then you believe," Thor said with slight hesitation, getting Summer to turn her full attention to the god. "I have just returned from a battle with Shelor, where I was forced to beat him into a state where he could no longer battle with me. I fear that after that, talking with the gods will not work."

"You...you struck down another god of Equis?" Summer asked with terror in her voice.

"Nay, I simply defeated him. Shelor still lives, but it will be a time before he can be a threat to any once again," Thor said with a nod, but Summer was no longer looking at him and instead was looking at her sleeping daughter. "Ye need not fear from Shelor. His battle was with me, not with you or your daughter. I can promise you that."

"Thor...may I speak freely?" Summer asked, waiting until Thor nodded before she began speaking. "You've fought two gods of this world in just as many days and you've, if what you've told me about Shelor is correct, defeated them both soundly. The rest of the world is not going to respond well to that."

"Shelor is the one who was asked to do battle with me. His own people, the dragons, wished for him to battle with me. They are the ones to blame, not I," Thor replied.

"Maybe, but the world won't take it that way," Summer replied with a shake of her head before her ears perked up, yet Thor already knew what she had heard. With a hefty sigh the god of thunder turned his head towards the doors to the room, which opened and revealed the two princesses of Canterlot, with neither of them wearing an expression of joy on their faces. "You should go talk with them. Thank you for being concerned with us, Thor. It's nice to know that a god cares."

Thor nodded to Summer before he walked towards the door, noticing the way the two princesses walked away from Thor as he got closer to them. He closed the door behind him before turning his full attention to Celestia and Luna, trying to read their faces.

Luna's face was filled with fear and concern and from the way she gazed at Thor he could tell that she seemed to be waiting for him to strike her down. It was a look he was more familiar with seeing in his youth, when he did strike down those that got on his nerves.

Celestia was more composed, but Thor had been around anger long enough to tell when someone was hiding their true emotions. Beneath her calm demeanor Thor could sense anger bubbling like lava and it was only Celestia's respect for him that Thor assumed she hadn't blown up at him. That or her fear.

"Thor, we have just received word of a battle...a collision of forces over the mountains far from here between Shelor, lord of the dragons, and you. And according to what we heard, you decimated Shelor in a storm of lightning the likes of which shook this very planet to its core," Celestia informed Thor in a calm voice, despite her body shaking slightly. "Now why I have no reason to doubt the validity of these words, I promised myself that I would wait to hear your words before I made up my mind on the matter. Please...tell me why you battled another god so soon after the death of Toraxo."

"I was not the one that started the battle, Celestia. Shelor was prayed to by the people of his nation and they prayed to him to defeat me. To stop me before I could destroy them and everything they held dear. And as he is a god of honor, he battled with me in the sky above this land. He did not win," Thor said with certainty. "He started this battle. I finished it. He still draws breath, if that is your concern."

"While I am grateful for that news, that was not my biggest concern. Thor, in the past couple of days you have bested two gods in this world! Your actions are not only causing ripples among the divine, but also among the mortals that live down below. Thor, the ponies, dragons and other beings of this world are terrified of you! And when they get wind of your besting of Shelor..."

"What would you have had me done, Celestia?" Thor asked as he turned towards Celestia, a lightning in his eyes that told both princesses that he was angry. Luna, despite being terrified of him, moved herself between her sister and Thor to protect her sister. The action lessened Thor's rage, but he still glared at Celestia while demanding an answer. "What would you have me do? Stand down and surrender? Allow him to slay me, so that your land is without a god once more?"

"No, you didn't have to do any of that, but...Thor, there had to be another way. You are the god of thunder! You are stronger than any other deity in this land! Surely you could have dealt with Shelor in a way that did not leave his broken and burned body stretched out across a mountain range! But you chose to crush him, to strike him out of the sky. There had to be a different way...maybe you could have spoke with him. Bowed your head and asked for him to let go of his rage. Maybe...talking would have worked."

Thor lowered his head and thought about Celestia's words for a moment, before he lifted it once more to reveal eyes filled with even more lightning within his eyes than before. Luna's eyes went wide as the air in the room began to electrified and small burst of lightning cracked around the ceiling.

"Aye, Celestia. I am the god of thunder. And does thou know what thunder does? Thunder roars, it shakes the land and is a warning to all those that challenge the lightning. Thunder does not cower, it does not talk and it does not bow its head. Thunder is a force that does not lose. And neither do I. Ye would do well to remember that," Thor said with that same thunder in his voice as he pointed Mjolnir towards Celestia once again.

Luna let out a gasp of horror as she backed away from the hammer, but instead of cowering Celestia simply narrowed her eyes before she placed a hoof atop Mjolnir. Luna's eyes went wide as Celestia's mane started to stand on end from the electricity, before Celestia pushed the hammer down towards the ground.

"You did not answer my question, Thor. You blustered and raged and made a terrifying noise, much like thunder, but thunder does not harm those that hear it. And neither do you," Celestia told Thor to his face, glaring right into his lightning filled eyes. "And while you have blustered, you did not answer my question. Why did you not try to talk things out with Shelor? Why did you choose to battle with him, when there was no need to?"

For a long moment Thor and Celestia stared at each other, neither of the giving an inch. Celestia's mane continued to rise as she kept her hoof on Mjolnir and thus small currents of electricity coursed through her, but her face remained stone cold as she glared at the god of thunder. Only Luna could tell that Celestia was actually terrified at the moment, but if Thor knew he didn't mention it.

"Because I am Thor, Celestia," Thor replied in a quiet voice, one that was holding back the power and thunder that could decimate the galaxy. "And Thor does not bow his head. He does not bend his knee. He does not stand aside. Thor fights, he battles and he wins. Aside from my father, Odin, and my mother, Freya, I have never bowed to any. Be them god or mortal. And I will not bow to gods that believe they are able to defeat me. That they can do as they wish at my expense. I am Thor. And I defeat all that challenge me."

"Even if the consequences of you winning would be disastrous for the mortals that you protect?" Celestia asked Thor, who did not answer. "Answer me this, Thor. What if your actions against Shelor cause the dragons to go to war with the ponies of this land? We are still weak from our war with the titans. We cannot beat them, not as weak as we are now. Would it have been worth dooming thousands to death just so you could keep your pride as a warrior?"

"If the dragons were to wage war, I would be there to prevent them from doing so," Thor said.

"That is not what I'm asking. What I am asking is would it have been worth it. To doom all those lives, just because you didn't want to lose?" Celestia asked once more in a stronger tone. Thor narrowed his eyes at her before he turned and headed towards the exit to the room. "Thor, the only reason I ask you these question is because I respect you. You are the only god aside from Faust that I have ever met that is both kind and caring. But there is a darkness to you, one that I fear may one day bring destruction down upon us."

"My promise still holds true, Celestia. I will protect you and your nation no matter what tries to bring harm to it. And Thor keeps his promises," Thor said to Celestia, who shook her head once more.

"True as that may be, you still hold that darkness. And that darkness is your pride. Your refusal to...back down. Thor, there comes a time when defeating your foe can be far more disastrous than simply refusing to fight."

"Not when you are a god, Celestia. A god never backs down."

"But a ruler that is looking out for there nation does. And you are the god of our nation. Your true concern should be keeping us safe, not striking down any that challenge you."

"Do not speak to me about royal duties. I am prince of Asgard. There will come a day when I will be king of Asgard, though I pray that day is far from now," Thor spat back at Celestia, yet his rage from earlier was gone.

"Then it is all the better that you learn now that sometimes a ruler has to put aside their own pride for the betterment of their nation. For those that look to them. That sometimes one must compromise," Celestia said to Thor, hoping that her words were getting through to him. But as Thor stared back at her, she had the feeling that he was not heeding her words.

"Your words hold wisdom within them, princess of the sun. But I am Thor. I will not be defeated. I will not break my promises. And I will protect all that call me their defender. I do not compromise. I do not need to. Continue your search for the alter. I shall continue to deal with the threats that plague this land."

Thor exited through the doors as he said this, slamming them behind him and dispelling the lightning in the air. Celestia watched him go with a shake of her head, glancing at Luna as her sister joined her side. "Do not fret sister, you did your best. But gods, even ones as kind as Thor, are still gods. And it is impossible to change the mind of a god."

"Perhaps, sister. But I pray that Thor heeds my words before either he or some other does something that causes even more pain and destruction. But if these prayers go to Thor, then I fear they will not be answered."

Mirror

Thor had hoped that by helping those of Equestria that he would feel better about himself after his fight with Celestia the previous day. He was wrong.

His first act of divine interference was to use his power to stop a massive flood of water that would have wiped a small town off the face of the planet. By simply hurling Mjolnir into the ground he created a massive lake that all of the water pooled into, stopping the raging water and providing the ponies with a new lake. Yet when he had descended to tell them that they were safe, he was met with fear and terror in their faces. A terror that he had seen on the faces of the gods that Gor had butchered.

His next act was an act that he was far more comfortable with doing. Near the western edge of the country he found a group of hydras laying waste to all in their path, with a city directly in their path. Thor had wasted no time in acting, hurling himself into battle against the beasts of myth with a smile on his face. Mjolnir had made short work of the first three heads of the hydra, before he had grabbed the last, conscious head and used it to throw the entire hydra far from the city.

The other two hydra were dispatched in a similar fashion, even though they were beasts that Thor would normally just slay. Yet with how recent events had gone down and the knowledge that the world was afraid of him now, he had decided to stay his hand from killing any being, even if they were monsters of myth that needed to be slain.

Yet even though he had taken care not to show any sign of his real power or harm the hydra in any real fashion, Thor was greeted with the same faces of fear and terror as he flew through the city, with the only difference from the previous town being that there were some faces filled with hatred that gazed up at him.

He spent the rest of his day trying and failing to be a god that the ponies would look up to, not a god to be feared. He stopped an active volcano from erupting, used his godly might to prevent an earthquake from wiping out an entire island and even summoned rainstorms to areas of the land that were in desperate need of water. But despite all of the miracles he performed, the faces on the ponies was the same no matter where he went. Fear. Hatred. And Anticipation. But it was the fear that he noticed the most. The fear of him and his divine wrath.

So as the sun set upon the land and the night became poised to take over, Thor found himself alone at the top of an icy peak, standing alone on a mountain range not far from the one that had been forced to bear host to the god of the dragons. Only earlier in the day had Shelor finally returned to the land of dragons and from what Thor had heard, from conversations where they didn't know he was listening, the dragons were not happy.

'I do not understand. I have saved their way of life, stopped cataclysmic events that would have wiped them off the face of this world and even torn down the oppressive tyrants that called themselves gods, yet I am still the most feared being in this land? Is it that I do not look like them? Is it because I am from another world? Or perhaps,' Thor thought as he looked down at Mjolnir, who shined in the moonlight. 'My power is beyond anything that they could comprehend? Perhaps, even among the divine, I am too powerful for them. I am too terrifying. Perhaps my thunder scares them far more than the threat of their gods could...'

Thor then looked up at the heavens, wishing that he could call upon the aid of his mother or one of his mortal friends, who always seemed wiser than they appeared. But he knew that if he left Equestria, he would be leaving it at the mercy of two questionable gods and a force of evil that he still knew not the location of. The mere thought of the villain that had eluded him for so long caused Thor to grip his hammer with enough force to break moons, yet the might of Mjolnir didn't give an inch.

"Perhaps it was a mistake to take the title of god of this land. Perhaps I should have never gotten so involved with the ponies and instead only aided them when they needed my help. Perhaps if they did not know...nay, that is a fools way of thinking. I have done everything correctly. It may scare the beings of this world, but never once have I given them a reason to fear me. I slayed Toraxo for he left me no other choice. I battled with Shelor for he sought a battle with another god. He would know how that ends."

"Yet the fear is still there. The ponies do not trust me, despite all I have done to aid them. What am I unable to see? What is it about me that makes them so afraid? They cheer my strength when I strike down the titans, yet when I strike down another god they become afraid? What is the piece that I am missing?"

"Perhaps if you sit down and talk a while, you can learn for a change."

Thor spun around and prepared to bring his hammer down on whoever had snuck up on him, yet when he laid eyes upon the being he found that he had to not only stop his arm from swinging the hammer, but also stop himself from calling down the lightning to turn the being to dust. For before him stood a zebra, a divine zebra that was one of the two gods he had been waiting to attack him. And here she was.

"Rose. If thou are he to battle with me, then you have made a grievous error in thy judgment," Thor snarled as he pointed Mjolnir at the zebra, yet to his surprise all the zebra goddess did was glance down at his hammer before walking to the side of Thor. She tapped her hoof against the snowy ground and a moment later a table with steaming hot tea appeared before her. Two chairs shot out of the ground in a flash of rose petals, one of which was the perfect size for Thor. Rose sat down at the table and began to pour herself a cup of tea, while motioning for Thor to join her.

"Please Thor, join me for some tea while we talk. I find it is very soothing for those that are stressed or angry. Or in your case, both," Rose said in a voice that was as calm and warm as a summer breeze. In response to her inviting tone Thor summoned a thunder cloud overhead and had numerous lightning bolts strike close to where the two resided.

"Does thou take me for a fool, Rose? I know that you are not here for any pleasantries or talks. Thou wishes to be rid of me. But if ye try anything, know that Thor has no qualms with flinging ye down from the very peak of this mountain," Thor promised Rose.

"Your words have been noted. But Thor, know that I am not here to fight with you. I have seen what has happened to Toraxo and Shelor and I know that I would fare no better than them. All I am here to do is talk...and perhaps aid thee in finding out why the ponies fear you as they do. Now please, sit."

Thor narrowed his eyes at the zebra, but he felt no malicious intent coming from her words. Cautiously, Thor moved towards the chair and placed a hand on the back of it, waiting for some kind of trap to be sprung. When nothing happened, Thor slowly sat down in the chair. For a brief moment he awaited some kind of pain or agony, but when again nothing happened, he slowly placed Mjolnir on the ground beside him and glared across the table at Rose.

"What did thou mean by the reason the ponies fear me?" Thor asked Rose, who took a small sip of her tea before she gazed up at Thor.

"I mean I know the reason to the question you ask. Why the ponies fear you despite all you have done for them. It is sad, really. You are actually probably the nicest god that they have gotten since the tragic disappearance of Faust," Rose said with a sigh as she stirred her tea slightly.

"None of these games, Rose! Tell me what you know or face the wrath of Mjolnir," Thor snarled at Rose, who gave him a look before she placed her cup down on the table. Rose lifted a napkin to her mouth and dabbed at her lips a few times before she turned her full attention to Thor.

"The reason the ponies fear you Thor is through no fault of your own. In fact, had you done what you have done in any of the other nations in this land, you would be hailed as the hero that you are. But sadly, you are a deity in Equestria. A land filled with thankless beings that are full of greed and selfishness. A land that does not appreciate what it has until it is gone."

"Liar. I have seen the ponies of this land. I have seen the strength and desire to help one another that I have only seen among a few of the beings in the cosmos," Thor shot back, slamming a fist onto the table with enough force to knock all of the cups and the kettle off of the top. Rose sighed before she tapped her hoof against the table, conjuring new cups and a new kettle. "The ponies are kind and good. Your words will not sway me."

"Answer me this, god of Equestria. What ponies are you speaking about?" Rose asked. Her question was not what Thor had been expecting and the surprise quelled his rage.

"I speak of Celestia, of Luna. Of Twilight and Rainbow and all of their friends. Autumn and Summer. All of these ponies are good and kind," Thor replied, yet to his fury his words got a small chuckle out of Rose, who shook her head at Thor.

"Yes, those ones are the kind of ponies you have described. Kind and caring. With hearts full of kindness. But they are not the rest of the nation. They are not the ones that you have been guarding," Rose revealed to Thor, who narrowed his eyes in response. "The ponies of your land are selfish and ungrateful. Example. Despite Twilight and her friends saving the world countless times, did you know that they are still treated as if they were nobodies? I watched as a movie maker made fun of Applejack's accent and the crowd laughed with him. At Applejack, one of the six that saved their world."

"There are bad beings in every group. One example does not prove your point," Thor shot back.

"You are right. One example doesn't. But perhaps this will," Rose said before she pulled out a strange mirror, one that shimmered with a surface that was constantly changing colors. Rose showed the reflective side to Thor and he gazed within it, yet to his surprise he found that he saw nothing.

"What trickery is this? The mirror does not show me anything."

"Oh, but it will. See Thor, you are being stubborn. You are refusing to open your eyes and see the selfish beings that these ponies really are. And a mirror can't be of any us if you keep your eyes closed," Rose wisely said to Thor. "Tell the mirror what you wish to see and then open your eyes to the possibility that it might be true. Only then will it be of use to you."

"Very well. Mirror, show me...if the ponies truly are selfish and ungrateful," Thor asked. The surface of the mirror began to shimmer and a moment later Thor found himself looking at a scene where Rarity's dresses were being mocked by a professional craftspony.

"She helps to save the world and in return he mocks her designs without so much as giving them a try," Rose whispered behind Thor.

The rest of the images were barely any different than what Thor had seen before. Most of them involved Twilight and her friends being made fun of or ignored, despite the good that they had done. Then the images shifted to ponies that mocked Celestia and Luna, going so far as to call them the reasons for the problems that the ponies were going through, including the titans. And as Thor watched more and more, he felt his rage building along with the cloud of thunder overhead.

Then the images moved to ponies that were mocking Thor and what he had done. Saying that Thor was a fool of a god and that the land would be better off if they had remained godless. Others would say how such a fool could reach the statues of godhood and assumed that it must be easy. Only when a bolt of lightning came crashing down close to where Rose was standing did she pull the mirror back.

"Do you see now, god of thunder?" Rose asked Thor as the thunderer simmered in place, his fists clenched and his body shaking. "The ponies have been and will always be ungrateful to those that help them. They take what they have for granted and then whine when it is taken away. Essentially, they are a bunch of children that only care about something when someone else has it. That is why none of them mourned Faust when she died. That is why they don't care about the Elements. That is why they all cry about you. Because they won't appreciate you until you are gone."

Thor remained silent, having to devote most of his concentration on not erupting like a volcano. A small part of him, the young man he struggled not to be, wanted to go out there and smite all of those that had dared to talk bad about him. But in the blinding inferno of rage, something that Rose had said was a small island of reason and thought. And that thought turned Thor towards the goddess of zebras.

"Thou said Faust is deceased? Yet earlier thou said she had vanished," Thor said in a tone far more menacing than any villain was capable of making as he rose to his feet, glaring down at the zebra that was slowly moving away from him. "A simple slip of the tongue, perhaps? Or does thou have something to do with the disappearance of Faust? Answer me!"

"Oh well, it was bound to come out eventually. Yes Thor, I disposed of Faust. I got rid of her when she became too...good, just as you are now," Rose admitted with a smirk, one that made lightning flash overhead.

"Monster. So you are the cause of these ponies strife! I will have your head!" Thor roared as he lunged forward, yet Rose vanished in a flash of petals and appeared behind Thor. "How did you slay the goddess? Thou are nowhere near powerful enough to do so!"

"You wish to know how I did it? I did it...like this," Rose said before she pointed the mirror at Thor. A blinding flash of light erupted from the mirror and consumed Thor in the light. Thor let out a roar louder than any thunderstorm before he vanished into the light, which also vanished a moment later. Rose then smiled as she glanced at the mirror, which now had an image of the god of thunder trapped within.

"And with the god of thunder out of the way, now I can take my time and dispose of those infernal ponies of Equestria once and for all," Rose smiled before she glanced down at the image of Thor trapped in the mirror, watching as his legs slowly began to fade away. "Or perhaps I should take some inspiration from you and decimate them in one, glorious flash of lightning. Ah Thor, I can't believe the ponies said that you don't have good ideas."

Rose

"Did you feel that, sister?" Luna asked Celestia as the princes of the moon stared out at the heavens, her eyes glued to the clouds that rumbled off in the distance. "Those feel like the thunderclouds that Thor summons. Do you think he is battling with another of the gods? Or is he venting after your...talk with him."

"Whatever the reason, we cannot pay it much mind," Celestia replied with a tired sigh. The princess of the sun was staring down at a map of Equestria that was spread across her royal dining table, making numerous x marks on the map. "According to reports from Twilight and her friends, they are narrowing down the location of Faust's alter. Thankfully Twilight discovered a spell that allowed her to locate where Faust's magic used to reside, so we've got some heading."

"I am glad as well, sister, but do you think it is wise to leave Thor to his own devices?" Luna asked in a worried tone to Celestia. "I mean, there are only two known gods left in this world and Thor has not had a good record with either of them. If he strikes down another god of Equis, it would cause panic in the streets and the other nations may sever their peaceful ties with us."

"I know that Luna, but Thor is right about finding the alter being our biggest concern right now," Celestia replied. "The shadow beasts have been quiet ever since we captured the one and now Discord says that he cannot find heads or tails of the magic that we felt in the book room, so now he's out looking harder than ever before. I've never seen Discord with this kind of work ethic."

"Do you think some of Thor's words finally got through to him?" Luna asked, only for Celestia to shake her head with a shrug. Luna then turned her gaze back towards the thunderclouds that had been off in the distance, only to find that they were gone. "Well, either he's finished turning his foe to paste or he's calmed down enough to be talked to again. Sister, what are we going to do?"

"About what?"

"Thor. The ponies are terrified of him, the other nations are down right traumatized by him and worst of all he's an unstoppable force that we cannot...reason with easily," Luna said to Celestia, her voice filled with enough concern to turn her attention away from the map. "Any pony that isn't afraid of speaking out has asked us to remove him from his status of god of our land, but I don't know if we have the power to do so."

"Do you believe he should be removed?" Celestia asked Luna, who looked slightly surprised by the sudden question.

"I...am not certain. He has done a great deal of good things for us. Striking down the titans, aiding us against the wrath of the other nations gods. But as princesses, we must put the needs of our nation before our own desires. Just as you said to Thor. And the ponies of our nation are terrified of him, aside from Summer and Autumn."

"Speaking of Autumn, how is she holding up?" Celestia asked, once again surprising Luna by the sudden change in topic.

"She is recovering. She finally opened her eyes again and earlier today she was walking around and talking to her mother. I am glad to see that whatever Toraxo did to her has finally worn off," Luna said with a sigh of relief, but noticed that Celestia didn't seem to be listening. "You are still focused on finding the alter, aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you've barely done anything else since Thor instructed you to do it. You only tear yourself away from the map and reports if there is something dangerous that needs your attention or if you are called away by Thor himself. You've been...obsessed with it, to be honest."

Celestia let out a small smirk at Luna's words before she walked away from the map and moved beside her sister, joining her in staring at the mountain's off in the far distance. "Perhaps you are right. I have...always looked up to Faust. She was our goddess, but she was also a teacher to me. So to be able to follow some of her hoofsteps and find out more about her...it calls to me. Not to mention that there is somepony else chasing after her legacy and I cannot allow that to happen."

"Well, I've always said once you get an idea in your head it is nearly impossible to talk you out of it," Luna said with a small shake of her head. Celestia let out a chuckle at Luna's words, before she lowered her head slightly.

"But you are right about Thor. As much as I like him and despite all of the good he has done, he is too wild. He is too...bloodthirsty? Refuses to stop fighting? Whatever the word, he is scaring our ponies. And as you said, we cannot allow that to continue. I will speak with him next chance I get-did you feel that?"

"Yes I did. But what in the world?" Luna asked her sister as the both of them felt a chill colder than ice slide down their backs. "That feeling...it's moving towards Ponyville! I believe that it is going after the Elements!"

"Then we need to get there and support them!" Celestia said as the both of them ran out onto the balcony, just in time to see an explosion in the shape of a rose detonate in the center of a small town near the base of Canterlot Mountain. "A rose...no, don't tell me that Rose is attacking us as well?!"

"But if she is attacking us, then that means that either Thor is too busy to fight her...or Thor is no longer around," Luna said with horror as she looked up at her sister, fear blazing in Luna's eyes.

"Then let us hope it is the former and that he will be there before we have to deal with her," Celestia said as she started channeling magic into her horn, channeling the power around her and her sister. The two alicorns vanished in a blinding flash of shining light, only to appear in the streets of Ponyville a few moments later. Yet as the light died down and the two alicorns looked around at what was going on, the fear that they would have to deal with the problem themselves began to sink in.

All around them were roses that had wrapped around ponies, leaving the ponies trapped within the petals and screaming for help. Fires that were colored likes roses burned all around the sisters, swiftly burning buildings down to petals of roses that were blown away. And the sky was colored in a pinkish hue, one that was far more menacing than it was comforting.

Celestia and Luna then turned their eyes towards the sky to see the one causing all of their problems, the one goddess that they had hoped that they wouldn't have to face. With only her black stripes being visible she was hard to see, but there was no doubt who was floating above them. Rose, the goddess of the zebra's. Floating beside her were six rose bubbles that held within them six ponies, six ponies that Celestia and Luna had chosen to protect their world.

"Rose! What in the name of Faust and Thor are you doing?!" Celestia roared up at Rose, figuring that the time for pleasantries had long since passed. The goddess of the zebras turned her head and looked down at the two princess, a smile crossing her face before she floated down towards the ground while leaving the rose bubbles up in the sky.

"Celestia. Luna. I was wondering when the two of you would arrive," Rose asked the two goddess with a voice as sharp as a roses thorns. The two princesses crouched down into fighting stances, but slightly backed away from the suffocating power that radiated from the goddess. "I was hoping that it would be a little longer, so that I could set things up to look a little nicer before you arrived."

"What are you speaking of, you monster?" Luna snarled at Rose even though she was unable to hide the fear in her voice.

"Simple, Luna. You ponies are very ugly creatures. You are selfish and cruel, caring only about yourselves. The only time you care about others is when you are told to, like sheep. Tell me princesses, how does it feel to be unappreciated by the beings that you've fought so hard to protect?"

"Release our ponies, Rose," Celestia spat back, ignoring whatever mind games Rose was trying to pull. "And then leave our lands and return to your own. I cannot promise your safety or your life if you continue your attack on our home."

"My safety? Really, you are concerned about my safety despite the fact that you two are the ones going up against a goddess?" Rose asked with a laugh, before her aura became menacing. "Do the two of you think that you are any threat to me? No, you two are nothing to me. And you have never been, despite what the two of you think."

"We are not the ones that you need to be afraid of," Luna replied, but her words only got another laugh out of the goddess.

"Are you perhaps speaking of the god of thunder. Well let me promise you, he will never harm another again," Rose said with a laugh as she reached behind her and pulled out a mirror, one that she showed to Celestia and Luna. Both of the princesses let out a gasp when they saw Thor trapped within the glass, with half of his body having vanished into the reflection. "Yes, this was a weapon I discovered long before the written word ever came into being. A weapon that can trap any divine being and destroy them with their own power. These are what I've used to...thin out the gods that used to be far too numerous."

"There used to be more gods in this land...wait, you've thinned gods before? Does that mean...?" Celestia asked with terror filling up her throat, a terror that grew only stronger when she saw Rose smile and nod her head.

"That is right, princess of the sun, a mirror just like this is what I used to rid this land of Faust," Rose revealed to Celestia, who backed away in terror. "I will admit that I was afraid of Thor. His power is the likes of which I've never seen before, so there was a small fear that I would not be able to trap him. But as he was a divine, the mirror still worked. And within a few days time, Thor will de consumed by the mirror and destroyed."

"You monster!" Celestia roared as she fired a blast of magic towards Rose, who deflected the blast of magic with a rose petal that appeared before her. Rose gave Celestia a look before she fired a blast of godly magic towards Celestia, who barely managed to construct a barrier around herself before the magic struck her shield. The shield was destroyed instantly and Celestia was hurled backwards across the ground, barely able to breath as pain tore through her body.

"SISTER!" Luna roared as she raced over to Celestia's side, using her lunar magic to try to ease Celestia's wounds. A moment later Celestia sat up, still feeling the pain burning through her body as she glared at Rose.

"Do not bother trying, Celestia. You should know better than anypony that a mortal cannot match the might of a goddess," Rose said with a laugh before she looked around at all of the ponies with a look of rage on her face. "Equestria is bad about that, isn't it? Trying to match the might of gods or thinking themselves on par with us. Tell me, Celestia, back when you trained with Faust, did you ever manage to get a hit in on her?"

"No," Celestia admitted bitterly, getting Rose to chuckle once again.

"Because you never can be a god like her. You are not worthy to stand beside us. You are not fit to be a goddess. You are a mortal and if you could have simply accepted that fact, then perhaps I wouldn't destroy your land," Rose said before the pink aura overhead turned a crimson red and land began to shake under her power. "But I've watched the two of you. Trying to claim the moon and the sun. Trying to obtain our power when you are not worthy. It is an unpardonable offense. One that will be punished by death."

Rose then let out a bellow as she fired another blast of red magic towards Luna, tearing apart the ground as the blast hurled towards Celestia. Celestia's eyes went wide as the blast approached, before Luna shoved Celestia out of the way. Celestia's eyes went wide as she watched her sister move before the path of the blast, before she created a barrier around herself just before the blast struck.

"Luna!" Celestia cried as the divine magic shattered the lunar magic around Luna, getting the princess to scream as she was sent flying backwards. Celestia created a barrier of magic around her sister to stop her from hitting the ground, but as Celestia slowly lowered her sister to the ground she felt the full weight of what was about to happen.

"And now you are alone," Rose said with a smirk as she began to walk towards Celestia, who stood her ground and did everything in her power to keep from backing away. "No Ambassadors. No sister. And now you are down two gods. And yet you wished to be a divine. You wished to be just like the pony you idolized. How does it feel, Celestia, knowing that no matter how hard you try to be more than you are, you will always be a failure? You will never be a god and you will never be a true leader."

Celestia narrowed her eyes and tried to look stronger than she felt, but at that moment she was panicking inside. She knew that she couldn't battle Rose, but if she ran from the foe then her ponies and sister would fall at her expense. All Celestia could do was stand in place, trying to look braver than she actually felt. Rose smirked at the false bravery of Celestia, before she charged a ball of godly magic in front of her.

'Sompony...help,' Celestia prayed in desperation.

"Farewell, failed goddess."

Rose then fired the blast of magic towards Celestia, whose eyes went wide right before the sphere consumed her. The ponies let out a gasp of terror as they believed Celestia to be gone, but then over the roar of the explosion they heard the snapping of fingers and a moment later the explosion vanished, revealing both Celestia and a certain being of chaos who glared at Rose with anger in his eyes.

"Discord?" Celestia asked weakly.

"Yes my dear. Sorry I was not here sooner, but even a god can be late," Discord said to Celestia before he glared at a smirking Rose. "But don't worry, I've heard what's been going on. It's time for some divine intervention."

7 Years of Bad Luck

The god of chaos floated forward towards Rose, his eyes narrowed and so much rage boiling beneath the surface that his face had turned purple. Rose smirked at the advancing god, watching as Discord came to a stop halfway between Rose and Celestia. Discord glanced around at all of the damage caused, before he snapped his fingers. The fires went out, the buildings were restored and the rose colored bubbles were popped, freeing the ponies within them. The Ambassadors fell to the ground, unconscious but alive.

"Discord. I was wondering if you would show up eventually," Rose said with a smile to Discord, who chose to keep his angry expression instead of answering. "I thought that you generally avoided these kind of situation, though. All the stress and responsibility that comes with them and all that."

"I do prefer not to get involved in these matters, but even I have my limits to how much I can hang back," Discord snarled, hanging his arms to the side and giving Rose a menacing glare. "And believe me, I've been listening to everything you've said. To the ponies, to Luna and to one of my best friends, Celestia."

"Glad to hear that you don't just tune everything out that doesn't interest you. But just to ease a worry of mine, did you hear about what I did to Thor, the god of thunder?" Rose asked Discord with a smile, which only grew wider when Discord snarled in reply. "Yes, I've taken away yet another god from Equestria. And if you do not leave my sight at once, I will do the same to you."

"Promises, Rose. See, normally I would take your advice and bugger off, but today you've caught me in a bad mood. A really bad mood. And when I get in a bad mood, things get a little...hectic," Discord warned Rose as he cracked his fingers, while Rose's form shimmered slightly. "But seeing as you were nice enough to warn me, I'll return to favor. Release Thor, apologize for what you have done and get the hell out of my nation."

"Oh, a threat. How long it has been since I've heard that from a god of this land," Rose chuckled before her strips turned a deep red color and in reply Discord cracked his fingers, turning the sky into a vortex of bizarre and strange. "See, most gods are smart enough not to mess with me. I may not be the strongest god or have the most influence, I am incredibly skilled at dealing with other divine. Faust, Thor...you don't want me to go for the three-piece, Discord."

"You are welcome to try," Discord spat back.

A burst of red shot out of one of Rose's strips, but by the time it reached Discord he was already in the air. He snapped his fingers and dozens of birds heads began to circle around him, before he pointed his fingers at Rose and the shrieking birds head dived towards her. Rose flickered her form and shot rose magic out of her strips to incinerate the bird heads.

Rose stomped a hoof into the ground and caused a typhoon of petals to erupt around Discord, who quickly glanced around to try and find a way out the trap. The rose petals then launched themselves towards Discord, who crossed his arms before the petals began to slice through his form. In the blink of an eye the petals sliced Discord into tiny bits and pieces, all of which fell to the ground. The ponies let out a gasp of horror at the pieces of Discord, but all Rose did was smirk.

"Come now Discord, we both know that it will take more than that to kill you for good," Rose told the pieces, before the body parts began to form back together until Discord was perfectly healed, minus his mouth. "Your creator made you far stronger than any mortal should have been able to. He made you so that you were able to match the gods. Another offense from Equestria that I will have to seek payment for."

Discord motioned for Rose to bring it and she obliged. While Discord battled with Rose, tearing apart reality around the ponies, the mouth of Discord hopped over to where Celestia was laying. Celestia looked down at Discord's mouth with a baffled expression upon her face, but before she could say anything the mouth began to speak.

"Celestia, you need to listen and listen good. You need to get Luna and get as far away from this battle as soon as you can," Discord's mouth said to Celestia.

"What? No, I'm not abandoning you! I will not let Rose take my nation!" Celestia tried to argue, but the mouth frowned in response.

"This isn't a battle you can win. I'm not sure it's a battle that I can win. But I'm not going to let this striped bitch take away the only home that I have ever know. But if I can't protect my friends, then I'm truly a failure as both a friend and a god. Please, get out of here and let me handle this."

Discord's mouth then leapt into the air and went flying back onto Discord's face, smacking him in the side of his face and spinning his head around. Discord snapped another finger and created a vortex to another reality in front of him, watching as a blast of rose colored magic entered into the portal. Discord then snapped the fingers on his left hand and summoned the portal behind Rose, firing her own blast of magic at her.

Yet even though she never saw the attack coming, when the magic struck Rose it simply entered into her body instead of harming her. Rose glanced casually over her shoulder to see what had happened, before she shrugged and turned her full attention back to Discord, whose face was grim.

"You are starting to see why none of the other gods wished to mess with me, aren't you? I specialize in dealing with other divine," Rose informed Discord, before thorny vines shot out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Discord's feet. Discord snapped his fingers towards the vines to sear them off with fire, but while he was doing that Rose took perfect aim at his chest with one of her stripe.

"And while your chaotic powers might normally protect you from nearly all other forms of attack in this land, I understand how your powers work. And that allows me to counter it," Rose stated before she unloaded with all of her stripes, sending blasts of rose colored magic not just at Discord, but in every direction. Discord saw the attack coming and snapped his fingers once again, creating shields and barriers around everywhere that the magic was flying except where he was standing.

Numerous explosions went off all across Ponyville, but thanks to Discord's godly magic none of the blasts did any damage. Unfortunately for Discord, he had spent so much of his power trying to protect the city and ponies that he hadn't had enough power to protect himself. So as the smoke cleared, the ponies eyes went wide as they laid eyes on Discord.

His body was broken apart and not in the way they were used to, with bits and pieces of him laying around where he stood. White and silver blood poured from most of Discord's wounds, while one of his eyes was rolling around near where Luna lay. Discord let out a pained grunt as he picked up one of his arms and attached it to his side, only for it to fall off again.

"And there is your flaw. Chaos, as unpractical and powerful as it is, can never be perfect. You can't protect everypony here. Your nature won't allow you to. Every time you cast your magic, something has to go wrong or else it won't be chaotic," Rose said as her stripes began to float off of her body and formed a massie X that hung in the air in front of her. "So you would have to make a choice. Protect yourself or protect your friends. And with how you've been acting lately, I knew what you would chose."

"Heh, so you figured me out. This is why it's better to not care about any of this," Discord said with a weak smirk, watching as the red X charged up its power. He snapped his fingers on his right hand, only for the hand to fall off and splat on the ground. The hand then flipped over and crawled off, leaving Discord disarmed. He then looked behind him to see Celestia kneeling by Luna, shaking his head at her. "I thought I told you to leave. Why don't you listen?"

"Because I won't abandon my friends," Celestia told Discord. She then looked from him to Rose, before she closed her eyes and took a moment to swallow all of the fear that she felt building in her chest. She then rose to her hooves and began to walk towards Rose.

"Oh this should be good," Rose said as she canceled her attack and turned to look at Celestia, who couldn't stop her legs from shaking with fear. Yet with her sister out of commission and with Discord barely able to stand, she knew that she was the only one that could do something. "You have something you wish to say, Celestia? Then say it before I slay you."

Celestia opened her mouth to say something, anything, but her voice failed her in the face of a divine being. For a moment she stood there with her mouth open, before she closed it and decided to glare at Rose. Rose threw her head back and began to cackle, before she turned her eyes upon Celestia with menace in them.

"And there it is. The fear you feel while standing before a real divine. Do you see now, Celestia, what it means to truly be in the face of a real goddess?" Rose asked Celestia as she took a step towards Celestia, who backed away with fear in her eyes. "This is the power you wished to wield, this is what you wanted to be, is it not? The power that Faust held?"

Celestia couldn't say anything in reply, as her fear prevented her from doing so. "But you will never hold it. You will never be anything more than the pathetic excise for a ruler that you are. You will never be like Faust. At most, you will be similar to the failure that she was. You will always be remembered as a mediocre ruler and a failure of an attempted goddess. Just as you deserve."

"And the worst part is you will die knowing that you failed in more ways then one. Not only did you fail to obtain the status that you wished for, but you will also have to die knowing that your sister and your failed god will soon follow. You will be remembered the same way Faust was. As a sentimental failure."

Celestia closed her eyes and lowered her head, hiding her eyes behind her mane. Rose smirked at Celestia before she turned her attention back to Discord, who had been slowly piecing himself back together while Rose had been distracted with Celestia. Rose began to channel her power towards Discord once more, only to have her attention taken away from the god by a blast of solar magic that struck her in the side of her head.

"You are right. I will never be the goddess that Faust was. At most, all I can do is follow her teachings and try to be the best I can be," Celestia admitted to Rose, who was now glaring at Celestia for daring to fire at her. "But after having met you, after having met all of the other gods...after having held Mjolnir, I realize that I do not wish to be the god that all of you are. For if you are a representation of what it means to be a divine...then I would rather be a mortal for the rest of my life."

"You dare...?" Rose asked in a whisper, but Celestia wasn't done talking.

"And I would rather be a leader, be the kind of being that ponies looked up to instead of fear. I would rather be a leader that can change the lives of those that need her, instead of ignoring them like you do," Celestia spat back, her rage suppressing her fear. "So when you say at most all I can do is be like Faust, is just live up to who she was, then I am already far beyond you. Even as a sentimental failure, I am already far beyond you."

The ground shook as a rose aura erupted from Rose, who shook with rage as she glared at the insolent alicorn. She took aim at the center of Celestia's head with all of her magical might, summoning enough power to split the moon in two. Yet even in the face of such overwhelming power, Celestia didn't budge an inch.

"What gives you the right to say that about me? What gives you the right to judge a goddess?!" Rose roared as she glared at Celestia, who simply stared back in reply. "You are not worthy to stand in my presence! You are not worthy to be killed by me! So what makes you think you are worthy enough to speak to me?!"

An eruption of magic tore apart the ground as it raced towards Celestia, who glared into the incoming attack without any fear. A massive explosion then consumed the princess of the sun, turning the very sky the color of roses as the explosion rocked the planet. After a few moment the explosion began to die down, getting Rose to smirk as she stared into the smoke. Luna, Discord and the ponies all watched on with terror and horror, all of them knowing that Celestia couldn't have survived that.

Then the smoke cleared to reveal Celestia standing tall, not a scratch on her despite the land around her being decimated. Rose's eyes went wider than she believed they could as she stared at the alicorn, before she noticed what was laying at the princesses hooves. For what was laying at her hooves had absorbed all of her power and might and not been scratched in the slightest. And then Rose remembered what it meant to be afraid.

"What makes me worthy to say all of that about you, Rose? I don't know," Celestia replied as she reached down and picked up Mjolnir, before she pointed the hammer towards Rose. "But I think a hammer decided that."

Celestia then let out a bellow of rage that blazed like the sun as she pulled her arm back, before letting out a scream as she hurled Mjolnir with all of her might. The hammer sailed through the air on a divine course for Rose's head, getting the goddess to see her immortal life flash before her eyes as the hammer that could slay gods came flying towards her.

Yet with the speed of the divine Rose moved her head to the side to avoid Mjolnir, which sailed past Rose and slammed into the ground behind her. Rose glanced over her shoulder at the hammer before she let out a nervous chuckle turning back towards Celestia with a look of rage and relief.

"Nice try Celestia, but simply throwing a hammer doesn't mean you can best me," Rose snarled as she prepared to kill Celestia once more. But to Rose's confusion, she found that Celestia had kept her hoof outstretched even after she threw the hammer. "What are you doing? You missed?"

"Did I?"

Rose caught Celestia's tone and spun around just in time to see Mjolnir come flying back at her. She lifted both of her arms to defend herself, feeling the hammer crash into her and send her skidding across the ground. Celestia caught the hammer and gazed down at Rose, who rose back up to her hooves with a snarl.

"Again, a nice trick, but it take more than a hammer of a god to kill me!" Rose roared at Celestia, who smiled calmly in reply.

"I know that. But I wasn't aiming at you. Just your accessory."

Cold realization sunk into Rose's heart as she looked down at her arms, seeing a shattered mirror held within her grasp. She had just enough time to realize what was about to happen before a massive explosion of lightning detonated around them, followed by a god in a red cape with a winged helmet slamming into the ground near Rose and Celestia. The god of thunder then rose to his full height, standing there for a moment before he slowly turned around to glare at the goddess of the zebras.

"Oh right, a broken mirror is seven years bad luck. But don't worry, Rose," Discord said to the goddess with a smile as the zebra backed away. "I'm sure you won't be around nearly that long."

Wrath of Thor

Thor had always been imposing to the ponies. He was taller than any of them, had huge, rippling muscles and could call down thunder and lightning with a word. Add on the fact that he was the most powerful divine being that any of them had ever been in the presence of and it would be understandable to be afraid of him. But as the god of thunder slowly walked towards Rose, with his eyes hidden underneath of the rim of his helmet, every being in the world truly feared him.

He made a motion with his hand and a moment later Mjolnir flew to him, where it was snatched out of the air with enough force to blow the ponies around him off of their hooves. Even Discord, in his weakened state, was launched from his feet and would have fallen flat on his back had Celestia not caught him. Slowly, with each step seeming to take an eternity, Thor approached the goddess of the zebras, who, despite not having many facial features, was terrified beyond what she thought possible.

"Thor-" Rose began, before a backhand from Thor ripped the goddess off of her hooves and sent her flying into the side of a building, where she was stopped by the brickwork and fell to the ground with a small cry of pain. She weakly pushed herself back up to her hooves, feeling pain blaze through her face from where Thor had struck her. "Thor, I know that you are angry..."

"Angry is not a strong enough word to describe the rage that I feel right now," Thor replied in a whisper, yet his whisper was still strong enough to make the planet beneath him quake in fear. "In fact, I am fairly certain that there is no word among mortals that can accurately describe how I feel right now. But I promise you, that the flames of Hel will not be anywhere as painful compared to what I will do to you."

"Thor..." Rose replied in a terrified whisper, but the expression on Thor's face told the zebra that the time for words was gone. In the moment Rose blinked Thor moved from across the street to in front of the goddess, driving a boot into her chest and pinning her to the ground. Rose let out a cry of pain before she used her power to stab at Thor's leg with her thorns, but aside from tearing the material that made up his pants the thorns didn't even phase Thor.

"I have slain many an evil in my day, but know that I take no pleasure in striking down other gods. But today," Thor began as he lifted Mjolnir over his head and took aim at Rose's head with a deadly precision. "I will take a great deal of pride in ridding the world from you. To Hel with thee!"

Rose covered her head with her hooves as Thor let out a thunderous roar as he hurled Mjolnir towards the goddess...only to glance at his right hand in surprise when he found that Mjolnir was no longer there. Slowly the god of thunder turned around to see where Mjolnir had gone, yet all he had to do was look to the princess of the sun to see who now held the hammer of Thor.

"Celestia. I will ask this only once. Return Mjolnir to me and do not interfere again," Thor said in a murderous tone as he extended his hand towards the princess of the sun, demanding that she return his hammer. "What is about to happen is not your concern."

"Actually Thor, I believe it does," Celestia replied in a strong voice, one that was devoid of fear. She gripped Mjolnir tight as she walked towards Thor, whose eyes narrowed with a flash of lightning rumbling overhead. "You may be our god, but this is still my nation. And I will not have you execute Rose, no matter how badly she deserves it, on my watch."

"Can this be true? Are thou seriously telling me that you wish for Thor to spare this monster?! A goddess that sough to wipe out your nation and destroy all that you hold dear? Have thou taken leave of your senses?!" Thor rumbled at Celestia, his rage causing the ponies around them to cower. Celestia held her ground despite Thor's rage, not giving an inch despite the ground beneath her wishing to back away from Thor's rage. "Rose is the most dangerous and terrifying being in this land and yet you are instructing me, the god of your nation, to spare her? Do not think that holding my hammer means that you can speak to me in such a manner, Celestia."

"Does having Mjolnir give me any right to speak to you this way? No. Does my statues and knowledge of my ponies allow me to speak to you like this? Allow me to answer your question with a question, Thor. You said that Rose is the most terrifying being in this land. Yet I look around and to my surprise, none of the ponies in this town are looking at her with fear. But then who are they looking at?"

Thor knew what Celestia was implying as he began to look around at all of the ponies in the town of Ponyville. Despite Rose having trapped them in her magic, destroyed their homes and hurt their leaders in front of them, Thor found that Celestia was right. Every pony in the town, including the recently awoken ambassadors, were all staring at Thor with terrified looks on their faces. Some were looking at Rose with hatred and disgust. But the fear...it was of Thor. Or rather, what he might do next.

"Why would they be afraid of me? I have done nothing to warrant this fear," Thor asked Celestia.

"Because it's not what you've done, it's what you could do," Discord answered as he limped over to the both of them, turning Celestia and Thor's head towards the god of chaos. "Thor, as terrifying and evil as Rose is, she's not the strongest god in this world right now. You are. And because of that, every eye is on you. We all look to you."

Thor glared at Discord, before glancing down at the wounds of the god that had yet to heal. One of Discord's arms fell off and began to roll away from him, but Discord was so busy standing before Thor that he never noticed. Or just didn't care. Thor couldn't tell with Discord.

"And you're wrong. You have done some very scary things. Things that this world will never able to forget. Like killing Toraxo. Like defeating Shalor. You've proven to everypony that you, bar none, are the strongest in this world. So the ponies, the dragons, definitely the changelings, are terrified of you. After you slayed Toraxo, the changelings land was filled with earthquakes and plagues. after you've crushed Shelor, the dragons are preparing to wage war with us. While your actions had the best of intentions, they've had disastrous consequences."

"But I have done-"

"No. You haven't hurt the citizens or mortals in anyway. All of the other gods have. You know what the difference is, what makes these ponies so afraid of you? What makes me so afraid of you?" Discord asked Thor. Thor narrowed his eyes in response, before he glanced around at all of the ponies, who still gazed at him with fear. He then cast his glance back towards Celestia and Discord, who had moved in-between Rose and him.

"Pray tell, oh wise god, why are the ponies of this land so afraid of Thor, despite having no reason to be so?" Thor asked Discord with a snarl, but this time it was Celestia who stepped forward.

"When Toraxo attacked us, you stopped him. You defeated Shelor. And now you've beaten Rose with little to no effort. If any of the other gods, as evil and strong as they are, try to hurt us you would stop them. But what if you wanted to hurt us?" Celestia asked Thor, who found that he could not find the words to answer. "Who would stop you, the god that can defeat other gods?"

"I would never-"

"But you might. And that alone is enough. That is why they...why we are so afraid of you, Thor. Yes, you have been nothing but a help and a friend since you have arrived here, but we're also terrified of what you one day might do," Discord added on, cutting of Thor before he could finish. "Because you are the only one that can stop you. And if you did not wish to stop, then all we could do is die. We'd fight, yes, but we'd lose. And the ponies know that. The whole world knows that."

"So what would they think if you strike down every foe that crossed you? And what would happen if they day came when they had to stand against you? Like we're doing now?" Celestia asked before she pointed Mjolnir towards Thor, who took a small step back as if he himself had been struck by the hammer. "Because I promise you, god of thunder, if you try to kill another god of this land...then I will face you. I promised Faust I would following her teachings. And that means saving as many as I can. Even if it's scum like her. And you said it yourself, if a day came when I wielded the hammer and you didn't to stop you. Well I'm holding it now."

"It's about showing the world what gods should be like, Thor," Discord said with a laugh as he summoned his arm back to his side, standing by Celestia while smirking up at Thor. "We have to show them that not all gods need to be feared. That we can not only be their gods, but their heroes. Isn't that right?"

Thor lowered his head for a long time, lost within his own thoughts. Celestia and Discord watched with concern as the minutes turned into an hour, during that time Celestia placed Mjolnir atop Rose so that she couldn't escape. Then Thor turned from the both of them and walked over to the mirror that Celestia had shattered, picking up the frame of it before muttering a few incantations. The spell caused the shards of glass to reattach themselves to the frame, fixing the mirror once more. He then rose and walked back over to the princess and the god, handing the mirror to them.

"If you wish to keep her alive, the you can trap her within this. This mirror, according to what I've learned while inside of it, is able to imprison and erase gods," Thor told the both of them in a heavy tone. "It will not erase her unless you wish for it to. The choice is yours. But today, in front of all of those watching, it must be your choice. You must be the ones to stop this threat. I cannot. Not anymore. You must be the ones they look to."

Discord took the mirror from Thor, a heavy look in his eyes before he nodded to the god of thunder. Thor extended his hand and returned Mjolnir to him, allowing Discord to walk up to Rose and point the mirror towards her.

"Oh don't be so dramatic, we're not going to erase you. Just going to imprison you for a thousand years or so until you learn your lesson," Discord promised her with a smirk before he used his godly power to activate the mirror. A blinding flash erupted from the mirror and with one last cry of rage Rose was sucked into the mirror. Discord flipped the mirror around the see the image of the goddess trapped within the glass, getting a tired smile out of him before he held the mirror high.

"And that, mares, gentlecolts and everypony else, is how you trap an immortal being without striking them down," Discord said to the crowd with a laugh. The crowd of ponies let out a thunderous cheer as they swarmed the princess and the god of chaos, all of them thanking the both of the with tears or relief in their eyes. Celestia smiled at the ponies and took their thanks in stride, yet Discord found himself rubbing the back of his head and avoiding eye contact with the masses.

"That was pretty cool of you back there, saving me from Rose's wrath," Celestia said to Discord when the crowd had died down a bit, getting Discord to look at Celestia with surprise. "I thought that you didn't like getting involved in the matters of other gods. Or our matters, for that matter."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't going to just stand by and let the entire nation of Equestria fall to Rose, was I? And I certainly wasn't going to let the only princess that can tolerate me be destroyed by her either. Who knows if your sister would let me stay in this land?" Discord replied with a laugh, but then a small smile crossed his face as he gazed at all of the ponies.

"But you did. You stepped in and fought with another goddess. One that had imprisoned Thor. You saved all of us," Celestia told Discord.

"Nah, all I did was get kicked around by her. If anypony here was impressive it was you, swinging around Thor's hammer and breaking the mirror that imprisoned him. You know that only those that are worthy can wield it, right?" Discord asked Celestia, who gave him a surprised look, one that told Discord she didn't know what he had told her.

"Still, you came when we needed you. You were there when we were all praying for help. Who knows, Discord? Maybe we'll make an actual god out of you yet," Celestia said with a laugh before she turned back to see the Ambassadors walking towards her, relief on their faces. But while they talked Discord thought about what Celestia had just said and then he thought back to his actions, knowing that the reason he had showed was because he had heard her prayer. And he had answered it.

'She's right. I did answer her prayer. I showed up when the ponies need me most. Just like Faust used to do...just like Thor,' Discord thought to himself as he glanced down at his hand, noticing that his wounds were starting to heal. 'Maybe...Thor was right. Maybe I can change. Maybe I can be the god that this nation has needed...maybe I can be the god I wish to be.'

"Thor..." Discord began as he turned around to speak with the god of thunder, yet Thor was gone.

Found

Once more Discord found the god of thunder standing at the very peak of the highest mountain in Equestria, gazing across the land as the sunrise basked the nation in warmth and light. The cold breeze tugged at Thor's cape, yet the chill did not bother the god of thunder. Yet Discord could tell that Thor was troubled. Though Thor did his best to hide it, the way Thor stared at the land, not looked upon it, told Discord all he needed to know.

"So what's the matter with you, big guy?" Discord asked as he floated next to Thor, who did not break his gaze away from the land to give Discord so much as a glance. "Is it the whole being imprisoned in a mirror thing? Cause trust me, I was imprisoned in stone for a thousand years and I know how boring that can be."

"Nay, Discord. It is not that, though my blood does still boil at the thought of Thor being made another's prisoner. What has my concern...is that I fear I have been a poor god of this land," Thor admitted to Discord, who raised an eyebrow at Thor's words before smirking.

"Poor? Thor, you've saved us all so many times. The titans, the other gods and countless other threats that only you and I know of. You've been a great help," Discord told Thor, but even with the kind words Thor simply shook his head and resumed his vigil.

"Aye, those have been the works of a great hero. Of an Avenger. But not those of a god. Not those of a being that will be watching over your nation come an eternity from now," Thor replied, finally breaking his gaze and turning to look at Discord. "I never planned to be a permanent god here. At most, I would stay for a year or until your land was ready to live without me. But now I see that this land needs a permanent god. Needs a divine being that will always be there for them. A being that I am not."

"At first I was all too happy to be your nation's deity, but now, with hindsight, I should have instead been their hero. In my efforts to make sure that your land would suffer no threat in the short time I was here, I dealt with problems to fit around my brief time here. Slaying Toraxo and defeating Shelor have only damaged the frail bonds of this world, all because I chose a swift solution to the problem at hand. And because of it the dragons fear the ponies more than ever and the changelings are on the verge of having their land destroyed by natural disasters, without a god to aid them. But a god that would stay in this land, one that would watch over these ponies, would have looked for solutions that would benefited all. Would have chosen a path that would keep them safe for as long as possible. That is where I have failed as your nations god."

"Come on, don't be like that. You did it with the best of intentions and the other gods were going to be a problem anyway. Did ya here that the zebra's aren't in any hurry to get their goddess free? Shows how much of a good impression she made on them," Discord informed Thor with a smirk, but Thor was no longer listening to Discord. He had gone back to staring at the land, but Discord knew he wasn't really looking at the land.

"Celestia is right about me. I have always had issues with being a ruler. Be it on a throne or as a god above all," Thor admitted to Discord. "I am poised to take my fathers place when he passes, but I know I cannot be the wise ruler he is. I am the chosen god of Midgar, but sometimes I fear my divine actions cause more harm than good. I have always been one to strike first and ask questions later. I am not one to sit down and talk things out. That is my flaw, if you will."

Thor sat down after saying his peace, kicking up the powder snow around him. But instead of being blown away by the wind, the snow floated around Thor, almost as if he willed it. Discord snapped his fingers and summoned a lawn chair for himself, which he then sat down in before crossing his arms behind his head and watching the sun rise.

"There are worse flaws to have. Take the other gods of this land. All of their flaws are that they are arrogant beyond belief and they have no care for those that live under their protection. You could have been like them," Discord tried to comfort Thor, but all his words did was get Thor to smirk.

"You should have met me when I was young. My younger self would make you pray for those very divine that you so casually speak of," Thor informed Discord, who couldn't believe that there was a time when Thor was worse than the other gods that he had known. "It took a lot of time and a lot of beatings before I finally realized the error of my ways. And even now, I still have my moments."

"It's scary thinking that there are beings out there that can beat you," Discord said as he took a sip of an orange drink through a bendy straw. "But something even scarier would have been if Rose had done what she wanted to and destroyed Equestria. You helped to stop that."

"Please, it was Celestia that put an end to Rose's evil schemes, with some assistance from you of course," Thor replied.

"All I did was get beat up while Celestia freed you, using your hammer I might add," Discord added, getting a smirk to cross Thor's face. "Apparently she didn't know that you had to be worthy to wield it. You didn't tell her?"

"She proved she was worthy before I had the opportunity to. I felt no need to inform her of information that would have made no difference," Thor replied, before giving Discord a knowing smile. "But she is not the only one that proved her worthiness. While trapped within the mirror I could still hear what was going on. I heard Celestia's cry for help, one that I could not answer. And yet you did."

"Yeah, well...I just happened to be passing by and I really liked the décor in Ponyville, so of course I wasn't going to let Rose ruin all of my favorite places to visit," Discord replied in a bored tone, but when he glanced over at Thor he found the god of thunder giving him a knowing look. "I know what you're going to say, but I'm not that kind of god. I can't be..."

"Me? Discord, if I have proved anything to you with my actions it is that you should not be me. You should be the god that this nations needs," Thor said. "And you have proved that you are more than worthy enough to be god of this land. The ponies have done nothing but sing your praises since you stood before Rose. Even Celestia looks at you with different eyes now."

"Really? She does?" Discord asked before he got his mind back on track. "It's not that I don't like the praise, Thor. Believe me, every chance I have to inflate my ego I take it. But...I can't handle the pressure. The pressure of having to make a call. A call that can make the difference between life and death. I can't make those kind of choices."

"You already have," Thor corrected for Discord, who looked at Thor with a surprised look on his face. "Celestia would have perished if not for you. The ponies of Equestria would have all fallen to Rose had you not chosen to answer Celestia's prayer. You have already made that choice, Discord. You have shown who you really are. And who you really are is the kind of divine that should be the one to replace me."

"Replace you? Does that mean that you plan to step down?" Discord asked.

"It is time. Recent events have shown me that I was never meant to be the god of this land. Even after being alive for thousands of years, I still can be so blind at times," Thor admitted with a laugh. "So tomorrow I plan to tell the nation that I will no longer be their god. I have heard enough of their prayers to know that they will be overjoyed to hear my decision. Then, after I make sure things are all stabilized again, I will return to my own world."

"...I knew this day would come, but I'm still sad to hear it. You think that this place will be fine without you? I mean, you did kind of paint this huge target on Equestria. The only reason nopony has taken a shot yet it because they're all terrified of you."

"I believe it will work out. Omnipotence is not one of my divine abilities, but I have a feeling that things will work themselves out before I leave," Thor replied with a smile as he rose up from the ground, allowing the snow that had been floating around him to fall to the mountain top. "Now come. I wish to make amends for my wrath and try to restore as much peace as I am able. Then I shall bother you no more."

Discord was about to reply to Thor's comment, but at that moment the princess of the sun came flying down towards the both of them at a speed which instantly caused some concern. She landed hard on the mountaintop and staggered for a moment, only to force herself to remain standing before she ran to Thor.

"Thor! We've found it!" she said to him in an excited voice. Both Thor and Discord's eyes widened in disbelief at her words, the two instantly knowing what she was talking about. "Twilight found it just the other day. She had been on her way to tell me before Rose attacked. She says that pony of shadows helped her to find it, in a place I would never think to look. She's been recovering since the incident, as have the rest of the Ambassadors, but now they are ready to help us get to the altar!"

"Heh, so he did uphold his agreement," Discord whispered so that none could hear. "Then I say there is no time to lose," Discord then said to Thor, who nodded his head in agreement. "Whoever is in control of the shadow monsters will be after this altar as well and if we could find it, I guarantee that they have as well. But this sounds like it will be a tricky task. We could really use a god of thunder on our side."

Thor gave Discord a look, one that told Discord that Thor wasn't sure what the god of chaos was planning or what he spoke of. Thor then cast a glance to Celestia, who was looking up at him with expectant eyes. Thor sighed and glanced down at the hammer that he had clutched within his grasp. When he laid eyes on the hammer, the sound of thunder rumbled in agreement.

"You too, old friend? Very well then, Thor shall accompany you on one last adventure. It is the least I can do."

{[()]}

"They have found the altar, lord," a being of shadow said to their master as he knelt down at the foot of a throne made of steel and bone. Despite the beings having been formed from shadow itself, they still felt themselves go cold at the sight of the colossal throne. A throne that was far colder than when their previous master had sat in it. The master of the beasts sat atop the throne, his whole visage masked by a dark cloak. "And we have also learned that Thor will be going with them to altar of Faust."

"Excellent. And the ponies of the land no longer trust him?"

"No sire. You're two-faced ability has made them fear him when once they cheered him. All he sees now is their fear and does not understand why," the beast replied. "However, the princesses are still on his side. And they have nearly found the altar. What is the next move?"

"The time is at hoof. Our first order is to take the book from those foolish horses to ensure that they don't accidentally use it to appoint one of their own weaklings to the position of deity," a dark voice spoke from beneath a hood, while four pairs of eyes could been seen glaring in the darkness. "And once the book is in our possession, we shall use it to crown a new deity in Equis. Not one that is a simply a god, but a being that rules over all. One that cannot be bested by a god alone. Now go."

The shadow being bowed his head and fled the room, leaving the master of the beasts to think about his next move. He knew that his victory was certain, for it had been planned for so long by more than an single brilliant mind, but there was always a chance of failure. That he had learned from his long life. So there had to be a backup plan. Insurance. To ensure the death of the god of thunder.

"Being on high, can you hear me?" the lord of darkness asked into the void of blackness, knowing that it was a long shot to find such a being twice. He had stumbled upon the being once before, on accident, but he would never forget the power and age that he had been met with. A power that dwarfed Thor's. For hours he sat and waited, waiting for the voice to answer him. And just when he thought that he would get no answer, he heard the voice speak.

'What do you want with me?'

"Almighty force, I ask for your aid. I ask that in my hour of need you come to me and strike down those that dare to oppose me," the dark master asked into the void, not knowing what the beings response would be. For ten minutes the voice did not answer, but then spoke once more.

'I shall aid you in striking down those that plague you. But there is something that I require...that I need in return.'

"Anything. Just name it."

Stolen

Thor could tell that something had gone wrong the moment that the group arrived back in Canterlot. Guards were running everywhere and barking orders, while fire burned along the top of Canterlot Castle. The Ambassadors of Harmony were all standing around the princess of the night, who had an ice pack to her head and a look on her face that could only be describe as pure loathing.

The moment Discord, Celestia and Thor touched down Celestia ran to her sister, while Thor raised his hammer and summoned a storm of rain above the castle. A downpour of rain silenced the roar of the flames and with it's job done, another wave of his hammer Thor banished the cloud from the skies. The two deities then approached the Ambassadors, none of who looked too happy.

"Tell Thor what has happened," Thor demanded of the group, getting six sets of upset eyes to look up at him.

"They came out of nowhere. Those creatures of darkness we've been fighting. They came out of the shadows and attacked where the book of the divine was located," Twilight spoke up, the feeling of failure she felt clear in her voice. "We were caught completely off guard. Luna and I were the only ones close enough to try and stop them, but we were horribly outnumbered."

"It seems that you were not fast enough in slaying the dark beast that we brought to the chamber," Luna added on as she and Celestia walked over to join the group. "They attacked with a purpose. Twilight and I fended them off as best we could, but we were quickly overrun. They ripped open the chamber and stole the book before fleeing back into the darkness, but they didn't go before leaving me with a goodbye present."

"It is clear that whoever is in control of these shadow beings is now trying to ascend to godhood," Discord said in a calm tone, which told Thor how bad things looked. "But this is worse than it seems. If they use that book to become a god, not only would they have all the power and statues of a divine, but they would become the rightful god of Equestria. And considering they've tried to destroy us in the past, them becoming a god bodes poorly for our future."

"Then there is no time to waste. We much reach the altar and prevent them from ascending to a position that they do not deserve," Thor said to the group. "Twilight, you and your allies discovered the location of the altar. Take us there with haste."

Twilight nodded before she and her friends formed a circle, closing their eyes and channeling the power of their rainbow magic. A blinding flash of rainbow magic consumed the entire group, sending them traveling across the lands of Equestria before they reappeared in a place that made even Thor wary.

Blackened trees decorated the bleak landscape, with the twisted branches reaching towards the sky like the trees themselves were trying to escape the place they were rooted in. The ground beneath Thor was devoid of any life, even on a bacterial level, and when Thor looked through the trees all he could see was a white mist. Yet he could sense an underlining sense of power there, a power that he hadn't felt since he had been a young god. And that thought made him tighten his grip on his hammer.

"This place...it doesn't feel right," Celestia muttered as she and the others walked around, each of them with the same look of concern that Thor wore upon his face. Even the normally aloof Discord seemed worried by where they were, while the rest of the group looked scared.

"I can feel an unnatural magic in the air, a magic that is telling us that we don't belong," Luna said aloud. "It is a magic that I haven't felt in so long. This is magic of Faust."

"That is correct," Thor said to the group, before letting lightning flash from his hammer to drive back the mist. "This mist and magic is a last resort created when a god or goddess needs to either hide or protect something. This is where Faust's altar will be. You six did well in finding a place that would be so well guarded. Come, you can tell me how you found it as we move."

"You can find your way in this mist?" Rainbow Dash asked as Thor began to move through the fog. "Because I just flew up as high as I could go and all I saw was endless mist."

"My divine senses are telling me where we need to go. Not to mention, it seems that the last of Faust's conscious resides here. And for the most part, she trust who I am with," Thor told the group, before firing a bolt of divine lightning through the mist to create a path for the group. "Make sure that you do not wander from this path. If you were to get lost within the divine mist, then I do not know if even I could find you."

"Good to know," Dash muttered as she moved closer to the god of thunder.

The group moved along in silence, with only the sounds of thunder to break the seemingly endless silence. All of the ponies glanced around cautiously at the fog around them, but Celestia moved at a faster pace than most of them and twice Thor had to pull her back to keep her from getting too far ahead.

"Celestia, I would advise thee to heed my warning. Even though thou might move the sun to your will, to become lost within this fog would be a death sentence. It is designed to keep those who get lost within it lost for eternity," Thor warned the princess of the sun, who nodded as she fell into line beside Thor. Yet Thor could see a look of anticipation in her eyes that concerned him.

"Twilight, I would be interested to know how you managed to find a location that was this well hidden," Thor asked the purple princess beside him.

"It wasn't easy. My friends and I scoured the entire continent of Equestria, looking for anything that would be remotely related to the divine. That didn't go too well," Twilight admitted. "But then a pony I was in contact with discovered something. After being close to the other gods of Equis and feeling their magic up close, they began to feel a faint magic that was all but hidden from all of our senses. But once they discovered it and shared the knowledge with me, I used every spell in the book to follow it here. To this place."

"A place of souls. Do you know who this pony was that aided you?" Thor asked, but Twilight shook her head. "Very well, do you know what land this is?"

"To the best of my knowledge, this land exists between the realms of the living and the dead. A realm that only a divine could survive in," Twilight admitted to Thor. "The only reason that I can think of why my friends and I are allowed in here is because of our rainbow power. You and Discord are both gods, so you can move freely here. Celestia and Luna...they seem like they've been before this power before."

"Indeed, your line of thinking is correct," Thor replied with a grim expression as a single though crossed his mind. 'Celestia and Luna knew Faust. They would be allowed here. Twilight and her friends have a sacred magic that makes them champions of this land. They would be allowed. And Discord and I are divine and are not affected by this magic. Yet the being of shadows should not be any of these things. Why would they be allowed in this land?'

Thor had to put that train of thought to the side as he and the group came to a stop, for a colossal structure made of pure white stone had appeared out of the fog in their path. The structure was like the Canterlot castle, but far larger and seemed to glow with a radiant light. The Ambassadors all gasped with amazement at the castle, while Celestia and Luna gazed at it like it was an old friend. Discord was the only one to catch Thor's eyes and the two of them nodded, before Thor walked towards the massive doors made of gold.

"I take it you two know of this building, Celestia and Luna?" Thor asked the two princesses, who snapped out of their gaze and nodded to Thor.

"This...was the castle of Faust. This is where she lived back when she was with us," Celestia revealed as she started to walk forward, but Discord placed a hand on her shoulder and held her back.

Thor stepped forward towards the castle, feeling an air of power surround him as he got closer and closer to the doors. Upon reaching the doors he placed a hand against them, pushing with all of his godly might against them. The doors didn't budge. Thor then gripped Mjolnir with both hands and swung the hammer that could destroy a sun into the golden doors. This time the action garnered a response and that response was beams of divine light erupted from the doors, striking Thor in the chest and sending him skittering backwards. Thor grunted as he felt pain burn in his chest, yet he was more intrigued by the reaction than he was wounded by it.

"I cannot open these doors. Whatever divine magic that your goddess has used to enchant the place prevents me from getting in," Thor admitted to the ground, who looked up at him with stunned faces. "If we had a few hundreds years I am certain that I could break through these defenses, but as we are stressed for time I am open to hearing your ideas."

"Perhaps we could use our rainbow power to break through the doors?" Rarity suggested. "If Faust has allowed us here because of the power that we wield, then it only makes sense that her doors would open to that same power as well."

The six ponies all nodded to one another and Thor, Discord and the princesses moved to the side to allow them to work. The six made a circle before channeling their rainbow powers into one another, creating a circle of rainbow power that brought light to the eerie land. The six floated into the sky before firing a beam of rainbow light into the doors. The lights crashed against the golden doors with all of their might, but when the lights died down the six were shocked to see that the doors hadn't budged an inch.

"A good idea, but I am afraid it did not work," Thor said with a shake of his head as the six landed and separated. "The divine magic that I feel coming from that castle is designed to keep out practically everything. Even your rainbow power will not gain us entry."

"Then what will?" Luna asked with some annoyance, slamming a hoof against the golden doors. "Does Faust not know how desperately we need to get in there? To prevent the nation she helped to create from falling into the hooves of evil?"

"Faust is gone, princess of the night. All that remains is the spell that she cast to ensure that those who are not allowed in are kept out. And sadly it seems like all of us here are not allowed in," Thor said with a shake of his head. The ponies then began to brainstorm ideas with one another, hoping that one of them would think of a way inside. Yet while the ponies talked, Discord walked up towards the gates with a smirk upon his face.

"You always did like causing troubles for others. Especially me," Discord said to the gates with a shake of his head. "But you were always kind and brilliant. While we may of had our differences, I can't hate you for what you did. You did your best. That's all any of us can do. So I hope you can forgive me, but I'm going to do my best to help save these bunch of ponies. I owe it to them."

Discord then began to think of every trick, every chaotic scheme that he had ever concocted to get past the doors, yet when he placed his hand upon the door a golden light shined from the crack where the two doors met. Discord backed up in surprise as the sound of a lock unlocking echoed throughout the landscape and the two doors began to swing open. All eyes turned towards Discord as the doors finished opening.

"What did you do?" Celestia asked Discord.

"I...don't know," Discord admitted.

Thor lead the group into the castle, taking point as he was the strongest and most durable god out of the two. As the group stepped into the castle, they had been expecting some grand hallways and jewels and gems everywhere. But to the surprise of the group, the castle within was fairly plain for the most part. But what drew the eyes of the group was the fact that the walls, floors and ceilings were covered in paper, paper that had images and words upon them. So many words and images that only Thor and Discord were the only ones able to process all of the seemingly infinite stories and images.

"This...is incredible. Look at all of this," Twilight whispered as she and the other stared at the ceilings and walls, unable to comprehend how many ideas and stories were on the walls. I had expected something else, but never any of this."

"I can see why this place would be so well guarded," Celestia said with a bitter smile as she gazed at all of the work. "Faust was always into creating things. New lands, new beings and new stories. Sometimes she would show me what she was working on, but at my young age I could never fathom what she was doing. I understand why she would want this place so well guarded. This wasn't just her castle. This is where she created."

"And maybe we were worried for nothing?" Discord suggested in a voice that seemed concerned. "I mean, with how hard it was for us to get in here, do you honestly think that those shadow beings could somehow make it in? I bet that they're still lost in that fog, unable to tell which way is up."

Discord then bumped into Thor, who had come to a dead stop. Discord looked past the god of thunder to see why he had stopped moving, only for his eyes to go wide as he gazed into a massive room filled with shadow beings, all of which were glaring at the group. The room had walls filled with changing images while the ceiling mirrored the starry sky above, but it was what was at the end of the room that caught every eye. An altar made of silver, with a huge stature of an alicorn standing above it. And in the center of the altar was a circle, with inscriptions around it that only Discord knew the meaning to.

"If it is still on the table, I will take that bet, Discord," Thor said with a smirk.

Ascended

The first line of the dark beasts had the pleasure of being introduced to Mjolnir. Dozens of shadow beasts were hurled into the air and sent flying into the walls of the chambers, where they disintegrated on impact. Thor then lashed out with his free arm and caught one of the shadow beings in the throat, tearing its head from its body. Yet even with thirteen of the shadow beasts destroyed in an instant, as the god of thunder looked over the room he believed that there may have been more shadow beasts.

"We must get to the alter. If there are this many shadow beasts in this room, then their master cannot be far behind!" Thor roared to the rest of the group. "Leave the shadow beasts to me! Get to the alter. As for you shadow beasts...have at thee!"

The god of thunder bellowed before he hurled himself into the swarm of shadows, crashing into the shadows with the force of a storm. Within the bodies of darkness that surrounded him Thor unleashed torrents of lightning, which blasted apart the dark beings around. Thor then held Mjolnir aloft and sent the lightning crashing out from it, striking down the shadow beings that were trying to get in the way of the ponies and Discord.

"Ambassadors, with me," Celestia instructed before she unleashed solar magic into a swarm of shadow beasts. "These creatures may not be a match for Thor, but they can certainly harm us. We must stick together if we wish to get out of this alive."

"What should I do?" Discord asked Celestia.

"Keep the shadow creatures off of us. And also keep an eye out for whoever is in control of these creatures. I know that they will not be far from this fight."

Discord nodded before snapping his fingers, creating a cloud of smoke around him that obstructed his form from view. Within the smoke his form expanded and shifted, growing until his head nearly touched the ceiling. The smoke cleared and the now massive god of chaos looked down at the shadow beasts with a toothy grin.

"Now normally I'm not the one to break up a chaotic little battle such as this, but unfortunately for all of you I seem to be one of the good guys now," Discord informed the shadow beasts before he opened his maw wide and unleashed a blast of green fire into the shadow creatures. His divine power was nowhere close to Thor's, but it was still great enough to push the shadow beings back long enough for Celestia and her group to break through.

"Discord is keeping them off of us, so what's the plan when we get to the alter, princess?" Twilight asked Celestia, before three shadow creatures leapt into their path. All three sets of alicorn horns glowed at once and each of them fired a blast that obliterated the shadow beasts back into the darkness.

"I may not have the book of the divine with me, but I know Faust and I know that she will not let somepony evil become a god. So when we get to the alter each of us will stand upon it and see which one of us the alter deems worthy of being a god," Celestia told the ponies, whose eyes went wide at her words. "I know that my words come as a surprise, but it is the only way to ensure that whoever is trying to obtain godhood does not get it. I wish I could think of another solution, but at the moment it is all we can do."

"And you're certain that one of us has what it takes to become...a goddess?" Luna asked with some awe in her voice. "Even without the book?"

"I am flanked by seven of the bravest and most noble ponies in this land. One of us must certainly be worthy. We must be," Celestia said with utter confidence as her group ran closer to the alter. More shadow beasts tried to block their path, yet every time it seemed like the eight were going to be overwhelmed the twin gods looking out for them would strike down the shadows in their path.

"We are nearly there, hurry!" Celestia ordered after Thor used his hammer to clear a path for them, getting the group to sprint towards the alter with all the speed they could muster. As they approached the divine place Celestia began to pray, pray to Faust that she would be willing to chose one of them even if they didn't have the book. 'Faust I know that I have asked for much ever since your absences, but just this one please answer my prayers. Do not allow whoever is behind these attacks to become god of our land. Please let it be somepony I can trust...even if it is not me.'

The alter was within their grasp and with a good chunk of the shadow beings have been decimated by Thor and Discord, for a few moments the ponies believed that they were going to make it. Then a bolt of black lightning came crashing down from above and struck the very foot of the alter before the ponies, getting them to come to a dead stop as the lightning blocked their path.

Then a figure formed in the center of the lightning, one that made the ponies back away with fear and trepidation. The figure wore a long, black cloak that masked their entire body. A hood covered the beings head, though there were points stick through the hood that showed there were horns on the being. Yet even though the group could not see its features, they could feel the dark power that radiated from it, a power the likes of which they had never felt before.

"Ah, so this is where Faust has been hiding her alter for all these millennium," the being said in a powerful voice, one that nearly pushed the ponies back from the force of the voice alone. "The realm between the living in the dead, hidden far to the north of Equestria. I would not have found for a few hundred years more at least. How clever of her."

"Whoever you are, stand aside. You are not worthy to stand on the alter of Faust!" Celestia roared at the hooded creature, who slowly turned its head towards the princess of the sun. For a brief moment the ponies could see four red eyes glaring at her from beneath the hood, only for darkness to cloud the eyes from their sight once more.

"And you eight are? A princess that failed to keep her nation safe? A princess that gave into her own emotions and nearly destroyed the land she once called home? Or perhaps you are referring to the six behind you, six ponies that are so young and naïve that they believe that they understand the first thing about being a divine? No, I am the only one worthy to stand upon this alter. And I am the only one worthy of taking the title as god of Equestria."

"We won't let you," Luna promised as she took a step forward towards the being, who slowly moved its head to glance at the princess of the moon. "If you are here to take the power of godhood that means you are not yet a divine. And that means you can and will fall to us!"

Luna then let out a roar as she unleashed her full lunar power towards the cloaked being, who didn't bother to move as they were consumed with the lunar energy. Her magic was so powerful that it darkened the room for a moment in black and blues hues, before the princess ceased her spell and gazed at the spot where their foe had stood.

Yet to her horror the cloaked being walked forward through the smoke created by the attack without a scratch on them. The cloak they wore was torn and ripped apart, revealing strange looking armor underneath of the cloak. Yet the face was still masked, only now the ponies could feel an anger radiating from the cloaked being.

"It seems that your efforts to stop me are just as pitiful as all of your attempts to deal with evil in Equestria. I do not know why you princesses try. You should just leave the dealing of evil to the Ambassadors and sit in your castle, where you belong."

The cloaked being then created a duel sphere of light and darkness before him, one that held a power within it akin to the divine. All eight sets of eyes widened in terror as they gazed at the magical sphere, before the cloak being let out a small chuckle. In the next instance the sphere unleashed a burst of divine power towards the two princesses, who just had enough time to widen their eyes before a divine blast of lightning intercepted the sphere and decimated it.

The god of thunder then landed between the ponies and the cloaked being, towering over all of them as he turned his thunderous gaze upon the being in the cloak. Despite the power that the cloaked being held, it slightly backed away from the god of thunder while its eyes were trained on his hammer the entire time.

"Thor. I had hoped that my shadow beings would have kept you busy for a little longer than that," the cloaked being snarled as he backed onto the alter, with Thor slowly advancing towards him.

"Sadly, your creatures are as pathetic as you are. Why hide your face, being? Or rather, should I say faces?" Thor asked the cloaked being with a smirk. The cloaked being reeled back in surprise, before he let out a small chuckle as he gripped the edge of his cloak. He then ripped the cloak from his body and tossed it to the side, revealing a strange being that was covered in white armor, but had a mask upon its face. One that was both smiling and frowning and had a crack down the center of it.

"Janis?" Celestia and Luna both asked in shock, while the Ambassadors narrowed their eyes.

"How did you figure it out, Thor?" Janis asked Thor, both halves of the mask glaring at the god of thunder with hatred and rage. "I made sure to cover my tracks perfectly. I even put ideas in place making it seem that the fool Sombra had returned and was trying to become a god."

"It was simple, really. I've fought with every other god in this land aside from you. I figured it would only be a matter of time before I found you as my opponent," Thor revealed as he pointed Mjolnir towards Janis, who backed away as if struck. "Thou has made a grave error in coming here as well as made a grave error in your schemes. You should know better than any that a god cannot be made a god again."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Twilight asked Thor.

"A god may only become a god once. There is no such thing as a god of gods or anything like that. Janis is already a divine of another nation. He cannot become the official god of your land like he intends to do. And before thou ask, I was never the true god of your nation. I was more of a placeholder than anything."

"You words all ring true Thor, for I, Janis, have already been declared the god of the elk from a power beyond me," Janis said with a small chuckle, before his expression changed and what seemed like four eyes began to glow with hatred. "But say that there was another soul living inside me, another being that hadn't yet been declared that divine. Would they not be able to take that title?"

"NO!" Thor bellowed as he took a step towards Sinaj, but the moment Thor moved a torrent of darkness came raining down upon the group, getting Thor to roar as he placed himself between the ponies and the darkness. Thor absorbed the full force of the attack yet the blast of darkness was still strong enough to send the group flying backwards away from the alter. Sinaj smiled at the fools before he held out a hand, getting one of the shadow beasts to place the book of the divine into his grasp. Sinaj then turned towards the statue of the alicorn, smirking up at it before he opened the book.

"For so long you have tried to keep me away from your home and your ponies. But without you here, there is nopony that can stop me from become the true god that I am destined to become. So weep Faust, weep as you gaze upon the last moments of freedom that your nations has."

Sinaj then began to chant incantations found within the book, incantations that caused the alter around him to glow with a divine power. Thor let out a thunderous roar as he broke free of the torrent of darkness that was trying to keep him and the others pinned, hurling the mighty Mjolnir towards the gods. But right before it could impact, a portal into the darkness appeared and Mjolnir flew into the unknown. The torrent of darkness then doubled its efforts and a moment later the hammer returned, flying into the back of the god of thunder. The blow sent Thor crashing to the ground, leaving none to stand against Sinaj.

"By the power of the gods, I declare this to the heavens. I will take the place of the fallen. I will be the deity of the abandoned. I, Sinaj, will be...god of Equestria!"

With another roar of thunder and lightning Thor decimated the shadow torrent and blasted it into oblivion, but when he and the others were free of the darkness they found Sinaj looking at the group with a triumphant smile on his faces, one that sent chills down the spines of the group.

"You are too late Thor. Now I, Sinaj, the other half of Janis, am the god of Equestria. Bow before me."

The New God of Equestria

None of the ponies could make a sound, for the horror that all of them felt staring at their new god prevented even the smallest of noises from escaping their lips. All except for Celestia, who glared at the god with her eyes like slits. Thunder filled the room as Thor glared down the god with the two faces, yet instead of being afraid of the thunderer Sinaj simply let out a loud laugh.

"None of that, god of thunder. You wouldn't dare try to strike me down now," Sinaj said with a wave of his finger to Thor. "I am the new god of Equestria, meaning that every action you take against me will felt throughout the nation of ponies. Say you strike me down. I will make sure that my final actions are placing a curse upon the land of Equestria that the ponies will never recover from. One that kills every foal and mare within the land, so that your precious ponies would be wiped out."

"Thou would not dare," Thor thundered as he pointed Mjolnir at him.

"Try me, thunderer."

Sinaj gave Thor a smirk that made the gods divine blood boil and with a methodical approach Thor began to walk towards the altar. Yet after only a few steps the shadow beasts that Thor believed to have been struck down swarmed towards the god of thunder, blackening out the room with their sheer numbers.

Yet numbers had never been enough to stop the god of thunder. With a bellow that was known to make frost giants shiver with fear Thor swung the hammer that had slain gods through the overwhelming number of shadow beasts. Within the darkness flashes of lightning from the hammer illuminated the battle, yet more and more shadow beings poured themselves into Thor.

"My word he does take an impossibly long time to kill, doesn't he?" Sinaj asked the ponies, who turned their heads away from the battle and towards the god with hate filled eyes. "Now now, that's not a look you should be giving to your new lord and savior. Be careful or else I will wipe out everything the eight of you care about. And I really do not want my first action as god of your nation to be genocide...but I'm not above it."

"Of course you wouldn't be, you damned monster," Celestia spat at the god, whose faces narrowed dangerously at her words. "You stole a book passed down from my father to me and then you steal the position of god from those that would be far better deities than you could ever dream of being. I am not surprised in the least that you would threaten my land and my ponies."

"That is not the tone I would expect you to take with me, princess. Especially considering how you have reacted in the past to deities such as myself," Sinaj and Janis said together with all of their divine rage made clear in their voice. Yet instead of cowering, Celestia instead took a step towards the duel god and spat to the side.

"Yes, I was afraid of you divine at first. Because I thought of you as beings beyond my comprehension, beings that acted with rhyme and reason that I couldn't comprehend," Celestia admitted, before she smirked at the duel god. "But now, thanks to Thor and Discord, I have seen the true nature of gods like you, Toraxo and Rose. You're all just arrogant fools with more power than you ever should have had the pleasure of having. No different than the many mortal villains that I've had to face. So no, I'm not afraid of you. I'm disgusted by you."

The air thickened around the ponies as Janis and Sinaj's faces both contorted into an image of pure rage, a rage that shook the chamber and made the shadow beings that were supposed to be killing Thor glance over at them with fear. Janis then very slowly and very deliberately began to walk towards Celestia, his approach making the Ambassadors and Luna back away from him, but the princess of the sun held her ground, glaring right into the four eyes that glared at her.

"Before I obliterate your very being and send your soul screaming into the abyss, I would be eternally grateful if you could inform me how you are managing to summon this kind of courage in the faces of a being such as myself," Sinaj whispered to Celestia, who smiled in reply.

"Two reasons. The first is that even if you kill me, you still have to deal with the god of thunder over there, who has a reputation for striking down every god that has fought him," Celestia informed the god while motioning her head to Thor, who had almost dealt with the shadow beings once more.

"That is a fair point. But Thor will be dead soon enough. Even he cannot match the might of two divine powers in the same body," Sinaj said to Celestia, but once again all his words did was get a smile out of the alicorn princess. "You find humor in my new powers? Perhaps you are not brave and have simply gone mad in the face of such might."

"No, you fool. I am simply laughing because despite all your planning and all your arrogance, you still have yet to see that you do not have the powers of two divine. You are the same divine that you were when you came in here," Celestia informed Sinaj, who looked at her like she was crazy.

"The ritual worked. I felt it work. And if it worked, that means that the godly powers that were once Fausts are now mine," Sinaj said in a slow tone for Celestia.

"You are correct in saying that the ritual worked. But you were not the only being standing on that alter when the ritual was concluded, were you?" Celestia asked Sinaj, who narrowed all four eyes before he turned back to the alter, where three shadow beasts still stood. He made a motion for them to leave the alter, but to his surprise he found that only two of them obeyed him.

"What are you doing? Obey your master and come here!" Sinaj roared at the final shadow beast. But instead of following his order, the final shadow beast chose to smile, a smile that had a single, large tooth that he knew all too well. "No...it can't be..."

The shadow being then vanished in a puff of confetti and a moment later Discord was standing on the alter, but the god and the ponies could sense that he was not the same Discord that he had once been. A new power radiated from him, one that was akin to that which Faust had held all those years ago. What was more, there was a new mark upon his body, a mark of an ink pot and a quill.

"No...it cannot be!" Sinaj roared before four sets of magic erupted from his eyes and hurled themselves towards Discord, who smirked as he snapped his fingers and created a barrier that reflected the magic back at Sinaj. The dual god took all four blasts to the chest and was sent flying backwards into the wall, which crumbled under his power.

"Oh, but it can," Discord replied as he walked forward while cracking his fingers, smirking at the seething god of the elk. "I figured out your plan a while ago. Steal the book, get us to unintentionally help you find the alter and then become the god of the ponies, making so you got to rule Equestria and Thor couldn't hurt you without dooming the race he swore to protect. It wasn't a bad plan, honestly."

"If you knew of my plan, then why did you never try to stop me?!" Sinaj roared as he unleashed more streams of divine magic towards Discord, but this time Discord had the magic be sucked into numerous vortexes he created. With another snap of his fingers he summoned new vortexes behind the god of the elk, having the gods of magic appear from within and strike the god in the back. Sinaj let out a roar as he was sent flying across the ground, skidding to a stop at Discord's feet.

"What would be the point?" Discord asked Sinaj, kneeling down next to the god and lifting him by the back of his head. "Even if we had all the plans in the world, we would have still ended up here. That's how things work in Equestria. If the ponies want to find the Elements, they'll find the Elements. If an evil forces wants to break free of their prison, they'll break free. Things like that can't be stopped and believe me, I've tried. So instead of trying to stop your eventually successful plan, I decided to...tinker with it."

"So you played along and waited until I was about to become the god of Equestria, only to step in yourself," Sinaj spat at Discord, yet all Discord did was shake his head.

"You still don't get it. How can a god with four eyes be so blind. You were never going to get those powers. Didn't you hear a word Celly over there said? The god of Equestria would be chosen by the alter. The alter doesn't just grant the power to the first lunatic that walks up their and spouts some nonsense," Discord reminded Sinaj, who seethed at the god of chaos.

"It was a risk letting you get right up on the alter, I'll admit. After all, it might of thought you were a worthy successor to Faust and then egg on my face. But I was also willing to bet that it would pick somepony...or one, who had a bit more of a connection to the ponies. Somepony that they already trusted and saw as a friend."

"Are you saying...you are that god?" Sinaj said with a laugh as he rose back up to his feet, glancing over towards Thor to see that the god of thunder had dispatched his remaining shadow beings, leaving him alone in the room. "You have never been one to take your divine role seriously, Discord. You were created to be one of the stronger gods of this land, but you've always run away from that responsibility and power, preferring to be an annoyance throughout history. You can never be the god they'll need you to be."

"Of course I can."

"How? You're a god of chaos. You create havoc, mess with the lives of others and can't sit still long enough to make a normal decision, let alone one that a divine must make. How will you become the god they will need you to be?" Sinaj asked with a snarl, but to his surprise all Discord did was smile.

"Simple. I'll change."

Sinaj and Janis had both heard many crazy words come out of Discords mouth, but at that moment the words he had just spoken sounded like utter insanity to the god of the elk. Janis shook his head with bafflement and confusion, before the anger set hold once more and he began to channel his divine power.

"It doesn't matter what you think you will do, because all of your futures end here and now!" Sinaj roared with fury as his divine power shook Faust's chamber, making all of the ponies and even Discord back away from his might. "I will annihilate you all here and now and simply take over Equestria myself! I do not need to be the true god to be the ruler of your land! All I need is to wait for-"

WHAM!

Mjolnir had decided that it had had enough of Sinaj's talking and decided to silence him by placing itself firmly on the side of the gods face. The side effect of this polite attempt to get Sinaj to stop talking was that the god of the elk was sent hurtling into the wall of the chamber with such force that even as a divine the god was still knocked out cold. The ponies and Discord all turned to look at Thor, who shook his head at the unconscious god.

"He talked far too much. Some silence I feel would be for the best," Thor said before glancing at Celestia. "What should be done with him?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"You are Faust's pupil, the one she wished to carry out her will. It is your choice. Not mine."

"Can the mirror hold more than one god?"

"If given time, I believe I can make it so."

"Then let us do that. I will have no more death on my watch."

"Very well, princess," Thor said before he turned to look at Discord, a smile crossing his face as he felt the new, divine power that radiated from him. "So, thou finally found the god thou wished to be. And it seems that Faust has agreed with your choice. I am proud of you, Discord."

"Well, when the choice was between me getting the powers and rule of Equestria or that bag of cats...the choice was clear," Discord said with a smile before he looked down at himself, as if finally realizing what he had done. "I just hope that I made the right decision. Janis was right, I'm not a very good god. I've made plenty of mistakes. Am I really the right one for this job?"

Before Thor could answer Celestia and the other ponies surrounded Discord, each of them hugging him and thanking him for what he had done. The princess of the sun then walked up towards Discord and gave him a proud smile.

"There is nopony else I feel that is more qualified to fit this role, Discord. While you may not be as active as you could be, you have shown today that you are of the title of deity. Not because you were created to be one, but because you chose to be a better one," Celestia said to Discord. The god of chaos looked away from her and at the faces of the Ambassadors, who all nodded up at him with huge smiles on their faces. Finally he looked towards Thor, who nodded with a smile as well.

"Well, you guys might be willing to put up with me, but will the rest of the ponies? Some of them still haven't forgiven me for what I did when I was out of control," Discord revealed, but to his surprise Thor let out a boisterous laugh and placed his arm around Discord's shoulder.

"Trust me friend, after seeing what the other gods of Equis were like and having feared me, they will welcome you with open arms," Thor told Discord, before a more serious smile crossed Thor's face. "And for those that don't believe in you right away, you will just have to work that much harder to convince them. Show them why you are worthy, my friend."

Discord didn't have any words left to say. All he could do was look at his friends with a smile on his face, still unable to fully wrap his head around the fact that he had been chosen. He wiped a tear from his eye and then tossed it to the side to create a portal back to Equestria, before looking over at where Janis lay.

"Do not worry, I shall take him," Thor said before walking over to Janis still unconscious body and hoisting it over his shoulder. "Once he wakes up I will have Celestia carry out his sentence. Perhaps he can join Rose in the mirror, where the two can yell at each other for all eternity."

"We will also need to tell the elk of what has happened to their god. But if they're anything like the zebras, they shouldn't be too distraught by the loss," Celestia said as she and the other ponies followed Thor through the portal. Discord walked forward to join them, but at the edge of the portal he stopped and turned his head to gaze up at the statue of the alicorn, which looked a little different than he remembered.

"Faust...thank you. For believing in me," Discord said, before he turned and walked through the portal, leaving the chamber, and the alter, alone once more.

Decisions

"How did it go?" Discord asked the princesses as they emerged from within their chambers, bags under their eyes but shining smiles on their faces. Behind them Discord could see large piles of paper that stacked nearly to the ceiling, with each of the papers having the answer to a yes or no question that had been asked by the princesses.

"Well at first we were certain that the results would be more split," Luna revealed to the god of chaos. "After all, most of the ponies didn't even know that you had changed sides, let alone had become one of our strongest allies that has aided us in our battle with the gods."

"But after the Ambassadors and I showed the land of Equestria not only how you fought against Rose when she tried to conquer the land, but then outsmarted Janis when he thought he had us beat, their opinion of you rapidly changed," Celestia added on, getting Discord to look at her with surprise. "Yes, it seems that upon seeing what you've done for us, along with a lot of ponies misplaced distrust of Thor, they have all come to a similar conclusion."

"And...that conclusion is?" Discord meekly asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"The ponies are in agreement with our thoughts. They have elected that they would be fine with you replacing Thor as god of Equestria," Celestia revealed with a proud smile, while Luna nodded her head in agreement. Discord held a hand to his had at the news that had been dropped, before summoning a chair behind him that he collapsed into.

"I can't believe it...they actually voted me as they god of Equestria?" Discord asked with disbelief, before a smirk crossed his face. "Who knew that all it took to become ruler of Equestria was to have all of the ponies love and adore you to the point where they simply elect you as the ruler? I really tried to hard way back when I tried to take this land by force, didn't I?"

"What do you mean by ruler of Equestria? My sister and I are still the rulers of this land, thank you very much," Luna replied with a smirk to Discord's words and the god simply gave her a sassy smile in reply. "But you are not wrong on their change in perspective. Of course, the information that you were chosen by the spirit of Faust herself certain did change those that were on the fence. The only time I've seen a vote more one sided than yours was when Thor was elected to be god of this nation."

"Speaking of the god of thunder, does anypony have any idea where he has gotten to?" Celestia asked with some concern as she glanced around the hallway, unable to see or sense the god of thunder. "He has been very distant as of late and I fear that he has taken the idea of his "failures" to heart."

"What failures? He's helped us at every turn and done the best for this nation. Not to mention that Janis was the reason that so many turned on him," Discord reminded her, yet Celestia shook her head.

"The fact that things got as bad as they did has caused Thor to believe that he has failed the world as a divine, when he clearly hasn't. He takes failure to heart and he cannot stand to see others let down," Celestia replied with a sigh. "Once we have instated you into position of god hood, Discord, I will make sure that the ponies of this land celebrate Thor for what he has done to aid us. Even if he were not a perfect god, he still aided us against the titans and the gods of the other lands. He deserves to be praised for those actions alone."

"Yes, but that will have to wait till later. Come Discord, the Ambassadors having been waiting just as long as you to hear the results of the vote," Luna said to Discord, leading him away from Celestia. Luna led Discord down the hallway, but as he reached the end he glanced over his shoulder to see Celestia vanish in a flash of light. "She will meet with us later. There is somewhere she needs to be."

Discord nodded to show that he understood, but even as the doors to the main castle chamber opened and he saw all of his pony friends on the other side turn towards him with expectant eyes, he couldn't help but wonder where Celestia was going to. He assumed it was where Thor was and focused on his friends.

"So? What are the results?!" Twilight asked with uncontained enthusiasm as she raced over to where Luna and Discord entered, with the rest of the five following after her. "Please tell me that the ponies of this land have some common sense and didn't elect Discord without thinking about it first!"

"Sorry Twilight, but the ponies will be ponies," Luna replied with a smile, one that made Twilight groan as she hung her head. "And the voting was nearly unanimous. They all want Discord to replace Thor, especially after hearing about how Faust picked him herself to be the next god of this land."

"When will they learn? This is just like Thor all over again. They get so swept up in what's going on that they don't stop to think," Twilight muttered to herself in a disappointed tone. "They did it with Thor and they did it with Discord. How soon until they'll want to elect somepony like Sombra as the god of the world?"

"Well I for one am happy to finally see that the ponies trust you the way I trust you," Fluttershy said with praise as she beamed up at Discord. The god smiled in reply as he rubbed the back of his head nervously, not sure if the ponies were as trusting as Fluttershy said they were. The other Ambassadors gave their congratulations as well before Luna tapped Discord on the shoulder.

"Come on Discord, we have to start getting the castle prepared for another celebration. After all, it's not every century that Equestria has two gods that are voted into power."

Discord nodded in response and allowed himself to be lead away by Luna, with the Ambassadors following after him. As they walked they passed by a window that allowed Discord to see into the garden of Canterlot, where, for a brief glimpse, he saw the numerous statues that he had once been apart of. He felt himself shiver slightly at the sight, before a sense of comfort and disbelief washed over him.

'That was the old you that was trapped in there. The one that was selfish and cold and didn't care for anypony else besides himself,' Discord thought silently before he forced a smile onto his face. 'But I am not that Discord anymore. I am a friend of the ponies and will do everything in my power to aid them, to be the god that they need me to be. That is my promise.'

({[]})

Celestia found Thor in the middle of a barren wasteland, using his incredible strength to carve a trench through the earth next to a village of antelope. Once he had carved the trench he then flew back to the top of where the trench began and slammed his hammer into the top of it, shattering the ground and drawing forth the water that had been trapped within. The water cascaded down into the trench and quickly filled it to the top, getting the antelope to begin to thank Thor for his actions. Thor waved to them before he turned to see Celestia floating overhead.

"Come. We shall fly while we talk," Thor ordered Celestia, who nodded her head in agreement before she and the god of thunder took to the skies. For a long time the two flew over the wastelands in silence, with Thor on the lookout for anything that required his attention.

"The voting was unanimous," Celestia said at last to break the silence. Thor glanced over at her with a look that told the princess the news did not surprise him. "I'll admit, with his history and how often he enjoyed getting into trouble I thought for certain that it would take longer for the ponies to warm up to him. But after helping save us from the other gods and being chosen...how do you feel about all of this?"

"I believe that Faust made the right choice in choosing her successor to her title. Discord will be more than a worthy god to aid all of you," Thor said with nothing but confidence in his voice.

"A better successor than me?" Celestia asked, getting a smirk to cross Thor's face.

"Celestia, princess of the sun, after having wielded Mjolnir you have shown me that you are more than worthy of standing among the divine. But as a goddess...I fear you would be a poor one," Thor stated, getting Celestia to raise an eyebrow at him. "You have the wisdom and patience of a god, but what you lack is the ability to harden your heart and do what a mortal would not be able to. You are a far too caring and loving individual. That is not a fault, to be clear. In fact, I believe more gods would be able to learn from you than you from them."

"Are you trying to compliment me or insult me, because with you I'm fairly certain that it could go either way," Celestia asked Thor, who let out a small laugh in reply.

"You are more suited to being a leader than a god, Celestia. And you can take heart in knowing that comes from someone who is more suited to being a god than a leader. As these past couple of months have shown, I am nowhere close to the leader and ruler than you are. That is one of the many things that impressed me about you."

"Now see, that I can tell was a compliment," Celestia said with a laugh, only to get serious again a moment later. "So will you be coming to Discord's coronation? I speak for all of us that we would be honored to have you there. After all, we wouldn't have found our true successor to Faust had it not been for you."

"You should not tell half truths, Celestia. Yes, I aided you in finding where Faust left her power for thee. However, it was you and Discord's cunning that won the day, not my strength. This is your victory, not mine. You should celebrate together. But know that even if I am not there in person, I will still be watching."

"...you will be returning home soon, won't you?" Celestia asked, having pieced together Thor's thoughts. The god of thunder nodded before he and Celestia came to a stop. They were floating above a sea of clouds, with the setting sun casting a warm pink and red glow over the two and the cloud tops. Thor then cast his gaze towards the sky and Celestia followed after it, seeing the stars faintly beginning to twinkle overhead.

"There are many things that need to be done, both on Midgard and Asgard," Thor told Celestia. "The Odin sleep will soon take part and I must return home to keep my father safe. And then there is the issues that constantly plague Midgard, such as evil forces and natural disasters. Thor abandoned the people of that world once. He shall never do it again."

"I can understand your reasoning. How much longer do you believe you will be with us?" Celestia asked Thor, who thought about it for a moment before he smiled and crossed his arms.

"I believe that I shall leave after Discord has ascended to his throne. I will not leave until I am certain that there is a god in place who I can trust to look after your nation. Not to mention there are...a few personal tasks that I must take care of before I leave Equis," Thor said.

"I see. Will this be the last that we ever see of you?" Celestia asked.

"Nay, princess of the sun. While Thor may not return in any of the ponies lifetimes, you have my word that this shall not be the last you see of Thor," Thor replied to Celestia with a laugh. "Shall you ever need the aid of the god of thunder, all ye need to do is pray for his aid. And I shall arrive with the thunder and the lightning."

Celestia smiled at Thor's answers, before she lowered herself onto the cloud and sat down. A sigh escaped her lips as she watched the sun finally set over the horizon, allowing nighttime to finally fall upon the land.

"You know Thor, the heavens could really use more gods like you," Celestia said, but once again her words got Thor to laugh.

"Nay Celestia, for if there was another god that acted and boasted the same as I, I would not rest until I had rid the universe of that pest," Thor replied with a chuckle. "For the only person that Thor cannot truly stand is another Thor. We tend to get on each others nerves."

When Gods Tremble

"I give you the new god of Equestria, Discord!" Celestia cried with triumph, her words setting of a thunderous applause from the hundreds of ponies that the princesses had somehow managed to cram into the Canterlot courtyard. Discord gave the crowd a small wave, only to shake his head with a smirk when their applause and cheering got even louder. Yet even as the god of chaos, and now of Equestria, gazed across the faces of the crowd, he couldn't find the face he was looking for.

'Well Discord, Celestia told you that he might not be able to make it or that he wouldn't appear at all. Guess something must have come up that required his full attention,' Discord thought to himself with a sigh before he went back to drinking in all of the praise that the ponies were giving him. The god of chaos then looked to his side to see Fluttershy and her friends all cheering him on, while the princesses beamed with pride. And for a moment, Discord thought that perhaps being a god of Equestria wasn't going to be a terrible thing.

Yet if Discord had looked harder at the area around him, he would have seen that the god of thunder hadn't missed the coronation of the god of chaos. For the god of thunder was watching the full coronation from within the castle of Canterlot, gazing down at his friend and fellow divine with a proud smile on his face.

"I wish you luck in your future, Discord. You will need all of it that you can get," Thor whispered to the god before he turned away from the window and turned his attention to the two ponies that were standing beside him. "Summer. Autumn. Thank you for coming to see me off. While most of the ponies will most likely be sad to see me go, or not miss me at all, I figured that the two of you would wish to speak with me one last time."

"Do you really have to go?" Autumn Breeze asked the god of thunder. Thor nodded his head sadly and the filly did her best to hold back a sniffle.

"I am sorry that my words cause sorrow for you, but Thor is no longer needed in this land. The gods that sought to do you harm have been dealt with and there is a new god that will do a far better job than I ever could," Thor said to the small pony. He knelt down beside her and gently placed his hand on the top of her head, yet due to his size his hand covered nearly all of her head. "It is time for me to return to my own home and deal with whatever problems have arisen there. And believe me, there will be problems."

"But it won't be the same. After all, you're the god that's been looking out for the both of us, not Discord," Autumn said to Thor, who nodded his head with a smile.

"And that is why he will be a better god than me. I should have spent more time open to your entire land, not just the two of you. Perhaps if I had, a god would still be alive and certain bonds would not be strained as hard as they have been," Thor lamented. "But do not take my words for meaning that I will not miss the both of you as well. It is not everyday Thor comes across a being whose faith and prayer is so strong that it can summon me from across the cosmos. You have been a joy to be around Autumn, daughter of Summer."

"And as for you, mother of Autumn, you have been an interesting one," Thor said with a smirk to the mare, who raised her eyebrows at Thor in reply. "I have rarely seen a being that is willing to stand up to a god for any reason, yet you have stood up to several, including myself. You have the heart of a mother and the soul of a warrior. A dangerous, yet reassuring combination. I do not fear for you when I am gone. I know that you will be strong."

"You've got that right. After having dealt with you and all of the other divine, anything else life throws at me will be a walk in the park," Summer said. "And don't worry, I'll keep this little one here safe from any harm. Thor forbid that we have to call you back to deal with any of our problems. But in all seriousness though, I will miss you. I kinda got used to hearing the sound of thunder whenever something was amiss."

"Will we ever see you again?" Autumn asked Thor, turning his gaze down towards her once more. Thor smiled at the filly before he rose to his full height.

"Aye, Thor will check up on this land from time to time. And if things ever get so desperate that you need Thor to be there at once, then all ye need do is pray. And Thor will hear your prayers," Thor told the filly before smiling at both her and her mother one last time. "Though we did not get to spend that much time together, I am truly grateful that I was allowed the honor of meeting the both of you. You have given me another reason to keep up my endless fight against all who would harm the worlds."

"Goodbye, Thor," Autumn whispered.

Thor smiled at her one last time before he thrust his hammer into the air and shot out of the Canterlot castle, choosing to go through an open window instead of making an opening in the ceiling. He flew with a speed that few others could fathom, allowing him to reach his destination in a matter of moments. It was on the outskirts of a small town, the very first town that he had arrived in when he had landed in Equestria. There waiting for him was the princess of the sun. But to Thor's surprise he found Discord waiting for him as well.

"This is a surprise. I did not know that you would be joining us," Thor said to Discord after he landed next to the god and the princess. "Yet my divine eyes are showing me that already your body is starting to take on its new role as god of Equestria. You are giving off a magic similar to that of the other gods I have met."

"Yeah and my fear is that I might turn into one of them," Discord said with a smirk as Celestia stepped forward.

"Thor, do you still have it with you?" Celestia asked. Thor nodded and reached into his pouches to draw forth a divine looking mirror, one that he extended to Celestia. "Good. I see that no harm came of it. And neither Rose nor Janis tried to break out."

"Nay, both are still trapped within the mirror. However, it seems that Janis has found a way to communicate even within the clutched of that mirror," Thor sighed. "For days on end he has offered me priceless treasure and endless power to free him. I may be divine, but his irritating voice was enough to get under my skin."

"Well you will no longer need to worry about his voice anymore. I will be taking him and Rose to a place where they will never be able to harm anypony again, at least until we are certain that we can free them without them trying to wipe us all out," Celestia said. "I have spoken with the elk and the zebras and both sides have agreed that the gods will need time to cool off. After a thousand years or so of therapy, perhaps we will let them out."

"Aye, I believe that is for the best," Thor replied before he turned his gaze to Discord, who had been oddly silent during the entire time the two had been talking. "Is there something that troubles you, friend Discord? if there is, tell it to Thor so that he may aid you with what you cannot solve. This may be your last chance to ask another god for advice before you must truly begin your job."

"It's nothing like that Thor, it's just...I think I finally get it," Discord said, getting Thor and Celestia to raise their eyebrows. "I think I finally understand what you've been saying about being a god of the ponies. Once I was coronated, I was able to hear all of the prayers that were for me. And not one of them was asking for anything. All they were was thanking me for having helped them and how they looked forward to seeing what I would do. It made me all...choked up, I guess."

"Oh, so that was the reason that you weren't singing your own praises from the highest mountaintops," Celestia said with a smirk, getting Discord to laugh in reply.

"I promise you Thor that I will do my best. I will try to live up to the god and goddess that came before me. I'm not going to run away from my powers or responsibility anymore. I'm going to be a god that would make my creator seethe with rage at how I turned out. I am going to be worthy," Discord said with absolute confidence. Thor and Celestia both smiled at Discords words, before an idea came to Thor.

"Well, if thou are worried about whether or not thou will be worthy of being the god of Equestria, there is an easy way to find out," Thor said. Discord gave Thor a curious look, before Thor lifted Mjolnir and flipped it around in his hand, offering the handle to Discord. Discords eyes widened as he gazed down at the hammer, while Celestia looked from the hammer to Discord with interest. For a brief moment there was doubt in Discord's eyes and he reached out for the hammer, only for his eyes to strengthen and he drew back his hand.

"There's no need. I know I'm worthy," Discord said to Thor, who nodded with approval before he took up the handle of his hammer once more.

"Aye, now you have the confidence of a god. I am certain that you will do well aiding this world," Thor said before he placed an arm over his chest and bowed. "Discord, god of Equestria."

Thor then turned and gave Celestia a polite bow as well, one that she returned. Thor then stood up and began to spin his hammer, getting the clouds overhead to rumble with excitement. "I leave the fate of this world in the care of the both of you. And I am not worried about it in the slightest. I know that you will do far better than I ever could."

"Well, we'll try," Discord said with a smirk. Thor smiled in reply before he crouched down and prepared to launch himself into the heavens. But then to the surprise of both gods and the princesses, they all heard the sound of laughter coming from within their minds. "What's going on?"

"It is that annoyance, Janis. It seems that he has one last thing to say to Thor before I go," Thor sighed. "Speak Janis! And make it quick, for Thor has more to do today and he does not have time to waste upon one such as yourself."

"Oh I know that you will have more to worry about, god of thunder," Janis said in a sinister tone, one that caught Thor's full attention. "For I have just sensed the one that I have summoned coming towards this planet. He will be here soon and when he does, this world shall pay for thinking it could rid itself of me."

"I do not care what you have brought here, you should know that it-" Thor's words were cut off as he sensed what Janis had just sensed. And it made him afraid. Thor then dashed to Celestia and snatched the mirror out of her hoofs, glaring into the reflective surface with a fury that made the other two back away from him. "Speak you monster! What have you brought to this land?! Speak now or I shall shatter you mirror and damn you to Hel!"

"I do not know his name nor where he comes from. All I know as that he is powerful and that I made a deal with him," Janis laughed in reply. "He offered to help strike down any that would dare oppose me and aid me in finally conquering this world."

"And what did he ask for in return?! What did he want?!"

"Not much. All he said...was that he was hungry."

Discord and Celestia had never seen the color drain from Thor's face, but as the face of the god of thunder grew whiter and whiter they both knew that they never wanted to see such a thing again. Then, with a bellow of fury and fear that could have driven a mortal mad, Thor dropped the mirror and hurled himself into the sky, blasting into space with such force that both Celestia and Discord were knocked onto their rears.

'It cannot be him! It must not be him!' Thor prayed within his mind as he tore himself free of the planet's gravity and rocketed towards where he sensed the immense power coming from, a power that dwarfed his own. Yet as he got closer and closer the power became more and more familiar, until Thor flew behind Equestria's moon and found the source of the power.

His eyes rested upon a massive starcraft, one that was far more advanced than anything any race could have had. The spacecraft was spherical in nature and had numerous devices and machinery coming off of it the likes of which Thor would never have been able to figure out. But none of that is what drew Thor's full attention. What drew Thor's attention was the window made of energy on the front of the ship...and the colossal being with the purple helmet staring out from within the center of the craft.

"Odin help me," Thor prayed before he flung himself towards the ship.

Devourer

With a roar of thunder that could be heard even within the vacuum of space Thor hurled himself through the screen of the ship, shattering the material and slamming onto the center platform within the spacecraft. Around him were thousands of machines and devices that would have intrigued any being, but Thor couldn't afford to pay them any mind as he stared up at one of the greatest threats that he had ever faced in his life...and never alone.

"Galactus," Thor seethed as he stared up at the ancient being. Galactus was the size of one of the titans that had plagued Equestria, but far more dangerous in every way. His suit was composed of a purple and blue material, material that was far beyond any technology that Thor had ever seen. But as the purple eyes of the galactic devourer glared down at Thor, the god of thunder felt a twinge of fear creep up his spine. Thor never felt afraid.

"The god of thunder. I did not expect to find you so far out in the cosmos," Galactus said to Thor. Thor felt himself grit his teeth as Galactus spoke, as even the ancient beings voice held a power in it that made Thor very nervous. "But while I may not know what brings you out this far, I assume that it can only be to be a thorn in my side."

"Aye, I am here to block your path, devourer of worlds," Thor promised as he pointed Mjolnir towards the colossal being. "But just this once Thor is feeling merciful. If thou turn around and leave this place, never to return, then Thor will have no reason to sever your head from your shoulders. I would take my offer, Galactus, for it will not come again."

"Your threats are as empty as your head, so called god. Both of us know that you alone can not defeat me. You could barely hold me off with all of your heroes combined...and even then, all you could do was drive me away," Galactus stated as he clench his fists atop his chair, making the whole room shake as the power cosmic began to form in them. "So I will give you my counter offer. Move aside or be destroyed."

"That is something I cannot do. I know that you are here to feast upon the planet known as Equestria," Thor said to the ancient being. "A land filled with magic and wonder, with beings that are kind and gentle. They do not deserve to feel your wrath. So only once more do I ask that you leave this place and find another planet to feast upon...or I will oppose you."

"Another planet with magic? I have eaten so many of those," Galactus said with what sounded like disgust. But then Galactus slowy began to rise from his throne, shaking the ship as he reached his full height and glared down at the god of thunder. The power cosmic formed in Galactus's hands and even Thor, with all of the divine power in the world, felt himself slowly back away from the power cosmic. "But my hunger is eternal, so I must eat. And this planet will soothe my hunger for now. This is the last chance I give you, god of noise. Leave or face me."

"You already know what my answer will be," Thor said with a snarl as he took up his most trusted friend once more.

"So be it."

'Hercules, this be Thor. I know that I would never pray to you if I had any other option, but I am in dire need of help,' Thor silently prayed as he glared at the colossal being that slowly began to walk towards him. 'I am about to do battle with Galactus in the far reaches of the cosmos and I cannot hope to best him alone. If you hear my prayers, gather the Avengers and bring them to me. Galactus wishes to eat a world filled with innocent beings, beings that do not deserve to be devoured. I will hold off Galactus as long as I can...which may not be long.'

Thor then hefted Mjolnir over his head and let out a bellow, summoning thunderclouds within the very spacecraft. Thunder roared and lightning crackled all around the ship, but Galactus paid the storm no mind as he approached Thor. Thor let out his mightiest bellow before he kicked off the ground and hurled himself towards the devourer.

"For Equis!" Thor rumbled as he stuck at the chest of Galactus, swinging Mjolnir for all he was worth. The hammer let out a torrent of lightning when it connected, sending divine lightning coursing up the chest and body of Galactus. The ancient being let out a rumble of pain as he staggered back, but when he turned his gaze back towards Thor the god saw that he had only made Galactus angry.

"Begone," Galactus said as he pointed a hand and Thor, unleashing hell upon the god in the form of the power cosmic. Thor crossed his arms right before he was consumed by the power cosmic. The roar of pain that Thor let out was consumed by the roaring of the power cosmic, which pinned Thor to the floor of the chamber. Galactus then raised a second hand and unleashed even more of the power cosmic into Thor, who was practically lost within the assault.

"You were a fool to face me alone, Thor," Galactus said before he ceased is attack, looking down to see a smoldering god laying on the floor. "And you were an even greater fool to think that you would be able to stop me. The mightiest beings in countless worlds could barely slowly my advance and that was when they had their entire planet to fight me. What could you do alone?"

Thor let out a pained gasp before he slowly began to push himself back up to his feet. The pain that he was feeling was agonizing, but it was far from the worst pain that the god of thunder had ever faced. With defiance in his eyes and Mjolnir in his hand Thor thrust himself back to his feet, glaring up at the cosmic being.

"Your futile resistance has been amusing, but it is time for this to end," Galactus stated as he pointed his hand towards Thor once more, summoning all of the power cosmic into it. "Time for your eternal rest, Thor."

"Nay, I shall never rest...for I shall never tire!" Thor bellowed as he summoned every last ounce of godly lightning and power that he could bring forth into the hammer of Mjolnir, which he then thrust towards Galactus with a cry of, "MIGHTY THUNDER!"

Lightning erupted forth from the head of Mjolnir just as Galactus unleashed the power cosmic towards the god of thunder. The power of the divine clashed with the power cosmic, unleashing enough power and energy to begin to rip the ship apart. Thor bellowed with rage as he poured every last ounce of his strength into the attack, while Galactus glared down at the beam struggle with the same blank expression on his face that he always wore.

Thor felt himself being pushed back and knew that even with all of his might and all of his strength that the power cosmic was too much for him to be able to best. But then the god thought of Autumn and how desperately she had prayed for someone to save her world. He then thought of Summer and how much that mare had given to keep her daughter safe. And finally he thought of Discord, who had gone through so much to finally become the god he wanted to be. And Thor knew he couldn't lose yet.

Thor then let out a roar that shook the heavens, pouring more power into his lightning than he knew that he had. With the additional power and the thoughts of all of his friends fueling him Thor was able to slowly begin to push back Galactus's power, making the cosmic beings eyes widen in surprise when he saw that his power cosmic was losing to the divine power of Thor. And then Galactus raised his other hand.

{([])}

All eyes in Equestria were drawn towards the heavens as a massive explosion detonated near the moon, an explosion that was filled with thunder, lightning and a strange source of power that the ponies didn't recognize. As the ponies normally did, upon seeing the explosion they all began to scream and run around in circles, figuring that the end of the world was at hand. Only Discord, Celestia, Luna and the Ambassadors keep their wits about them, but the fear that the other ponies felt was not lost on them.

"What in the name of Faust was that?" Celestia asked Discord.

"That was Thor," Discord revealed, getting all of the ponies to look at him with shock. "He is battling...something up there. Something with a power the likes of which that makes me want to crawl up and die. It's a power that could match...no, surpass the power of Thor."

Celestia's eyes widened with disbelief before she drew forth the mirror that she had used to trap Janis within. "Janis you eternal coward, speak to me! What manner of being did you bring to Equestria?!"

'A being the likes of which none of you can stop. A being that will put an end to all those fools that sough to oppose me. A being that will slay your precious god of thunder as if he were a gnat,' Janis laughed from within the mirror, getting Celestia to snarl before she tossed the mirror into a vortex.

"He is lying, right? Thor cannot be bested?" Luna asked Discord and Celestia. She chuckled nervously after she said this, but when Discord and Celestia continued wearing grim expressions the princess of the night realized just how serious the situation was.

"Are those...comets?" Twilight asked as balls of fire appeared in the sky, heading down towards the planet.

"No, those are the remains of whatever was caught in that explosion!" Celestia cried out. She flapped her wings and took to the sky, with her sister and Discord following suit. "And whatever they are they are not burning up in the atmosphere! We need to make sure that none of them strike any of the ponies! Hurry my friends!"

Celestia, Luna and Discord all took off together, all three of them heading for the spot where most of the shrapnel was heading. With a roar Celestia unleashed her solar magic into the fragments of whatever had been destroyed, but to her horror she found that the metal that was plummeting towards the planet was strong enough to withstand her magic.

"Don't try to destroy it, just focus on teleporting it," Discord told the other two. He snapped his fingers and created a barrier of vortexs that lead to all sorts of abandoned locations, like deserts or the bottom of the ocean. Celestia and Luna followed his lead, creating portals of their own that lead to locations where nopony would be harmed.

The group zipped back and forth across the vast sky, having to move as fast as their wings would carry them in order to catch all of the pieces before any of them could strike the planet. But after nearly twenty minutes of constant teleportation, the three were finally allowed a moments rest when all of the biggest pieces were finally removed from the sky.

"Alright, it seems like we got all of them," Luna said. "Now hopefully Thor has dealt with whatever it was that created these pieces and we can get back to our normal day."

"Speaking of Thor, is that what I think it is?" Celestia asked. Discord and Luna followed Celestia's gaze to see that one more object had fallen into the planet's atmosphere, but unlike the large chunks of metal all three of the group instantly recognized what was falling towards them. They moved out of the way and allowed the flaming object to go sailing past, where it impacted in a field far below them and create a massive crater.

The three flew down and landed within the crater, only for their eyes to go wide when they saw what lay at the bottom. For what lay head down and covered in blood was the mighty Mjolnir, with ash and soot covering the normally silver hammer. But even as Celestia extended her hoof and called the hammer to her the others began to look around for who normally followed after the hammer.

"This...is godly blood," Celestia told the other two as she examined the hammer's head.

"Then...does that mean Thor...?" Luna asked.

"It could be the blood of whatever he was facing. If anything was going to give him that much trouble it would have to be another divine," Discord put forward.

Yet before they could continue their discussion on what the being might have been, all three of them felt a wave of terror wash over them. All at once they all turned their heads towards the sky, where the clouds overhead were being parted by a power that none of them had ever felt in their lives. A power that was as ancient as it was unstoppable.

Then the being behind the power began to descend from the sky. He was as tall as the titans but far more muscular. He wore a suit of armor that was blue and purple in color, yet somehow looking upon it filled all with a sense of dread. And then there was the eyes beneath his helmet. Eyes that did not see an inhabited world or millions of lives each with their own story. All the eyes saw was food...and things that would have to be destroyed so that he could get that food.

"Curse that Thor, destroying my vessel and the machine which feeds me," the voice of the titan boomed across the land, getting screams of horror to follow it. "Without my machine it will take far longer to extract the energy from this planet. Yet all his sacrifice has done is force me to work slightly harder to get what I came here for."

The being then extended both hands and channeled its power into them, allowing all of the world to feel his power first hand. And upon feeling the power cosmic for the first time, all of the fight and desire to resist that any pony would have felt was stripped from them. All anypony could do was just sit down and wait for the end to come.

"W-what should we do?" Luna asked her sister and the god.

"Should we pray?" Celestia asked.

"Honestly Celestia, no amount of praying will help us now," Discord whispered. "I think...this is it."

A Ruler's Duty

The vast, coldness of space was generally devoid of anything that wasn't a planet or a star, but near the moon that circled Equestria a broken and bloodied deity floated in the vacuum. Thor, the god of thunder, had been utterly crushed by the power of Galactus. The power cosmic had overcome his own godly might and left him shattered practically beyond repair. Had he been a weaker god, the blast of power cosmic would have slain him dead. But Thor had never been a god to roll over and die. He was far too stubborn.

Yet even though his unbreakable will refused to allow him to die, it didn't do much good for the rest of his body. His bones were shattered, his armor was pierced and his cape was torn. His golden blond hair was stained crimson and his thunder, which had once rumbled with enough power to shake the stars, was a mere whisper.

Perhaps on will or maybe on instinct Thor slowly reached out with his left hand, calling out to the one friend that would never abandon him in his hour of need. Yet though to coldness of space hardly registered to the god of thunder, the emptiness in his hand when his hammer did not return to him was a blow far greater than anything Galactus could have done to him.

With the darkness closing in Thor leaned his head back and closed his eyes once more, summoning whatever strength he had left to begin to heal. Unlike a good number of the heroes that he knew, Thor did not have a quick or enhanced healing factor. His ability to heal came from the fact that he was a divine and it generally took a while to kick in, days to weeks on end to fully heal from a terrible wound. But he didn't have time to wait. So he'd have to recharge himself in a faster way.

With all of his might Thor thrust his hand into the vacuum of space, summing storm clouds over his head. While the sight would have driven any scientist mad, Thor's powers were not confined to the science or laws of nature. They, like him, were divine. So when the first bolt of lightning came crashing down from the clouds in space upon the god of thunder, he felt a surge of energy course through him.

'I can hear them,' Thor thought as another bolt came crashing down into his chest, getting his entire body to kick. Over the pain that flooded his mind Thor could hear the beings that lived on the planet below screaming out for help. He did not hear their prayers because they were praying to him, though some of them were. He was able to hear them because they were praying to anyone that would listen.

As another bolt of lightning stuck the god of thunder Thor felt his strength beginning to return. With a roar that was lost in the silence of space Thor swung himself to a vertical position. With the ability to think clearly having been returned to him, he took a guess at the reason why his old friend had not returned to him.

'The only reason that Mjolnir would not heed my call would be that there is another that is wielding it. And there is only one on Equestria that can wield the mighty Mjolnir,' Thor deduced as he swung himself around to gaze down at the planet below, able to see a spot near Canterlot where the power cosmic was swirling like a storm over the land. 'And I know why she would be wielding it. Galactus seeks to devour Equestria. He shall have to go hungry today.'

Summoning the power of lightning within his hands, Thor then unleashed a thunderstorm behind him and used the force to propel himself towards the planet below. He crossed his arms as he entered into the planet's atmosphere, gritting his teeth as the searing temperatures burned his weakened body. Yet after numerous minutes he broke free of the atmosphere and began his descent towards the planet, hoping that he had angled himself just right so that he would land where Galactus was.

'But what then?' Thor asked himself as he continued to fall, having some time to try and think of a plan. 'He has already proven that I cannot best him alone and I cannot sit by and wait for the Avengers to come to my aid. By the time that they arrive this world will have been consumed and it's inhabitants lost. Even with the aid of Celestia and the others, Galactus is too strong to try and defeat. There must be a way. There has to be.'

{([])}

After fighting the titans, being swarmed by beasts of shadows and having fought with literal gods, Celestia had begun to think that there was nothing in the universe that could scare her anymore. So of course the universe had to go and prove her wrong, for she felt completely terrified of the monster of a being that towered over everything in its path.

She, her sister and Discord had already engaged the being in combat, but to her horror she found that the titan of a being was hardly phased by any attacks that she or any others put forward. What was making the battle all the worse was that she was wielding Mjolnir, the most powerful weapon that she had ever held, yet even the might of the hammer barely seemed to slow down the giant creature. She and her sister decided to fall back while Discord and the Ambassadors kept it busy.

"Nothing we do phases it, sister," Luna informed Celestia in an exhausted voice once the two had landed a little ways away from the battle. "My strongest spells, Discords greatest attacks and even the hammer of a god seem to do nothing to the creature. And it's power is like nothing I have ever seen or felt in my entire life. It dwarfs Thor's power and Thor's power dwarfed every other power I have come across. What manner of beast is this?!"

"I know not, but if it is powerful enough to best Thor than it will take everything we have and then some if we wish to bring it down," Celestia stated as she gazed down at the hammer once more, wishing that it could speak to her like it did Thor.

"It is barely paying us any mind and yet it's still so overwhelmingly powerful," Luna said with a shake of her head. "Nothing we do hurts it while a flick of its finger could wipe out our world. We need something or somepony to help sister. Something that can even the odds."

Celestia didn't have a response for her sister, as she too was trying to think of something that could slow the being down. But then the sound of thunder could be heard and both sisters turned their gazes towards the heavens, where a small ball of fire was heading towards them.

"Speak of the god and he shall appear," Luna said with a sigh of relief. The two princesses took to the sky and followed the ball of fire, right until it rocketed past them and crashed into the planet with enough force to get the giant monster to turn his head in their direction. For a moment the being considered the crater before it turned back to what it was originally doing.

"Lord Thor!" Celestia cried as she and Luna raced towards the craters edge, unable to see what was within it due to the smoke and ash. But after a moment a bloodied hand grabbed the edge of the crater and pulled forth an even bloodier god from within. Celestia and Luna moved to the side as Thor pulled himself free of the crater, breathing heavily with his whole body trembling. "Dear Faust, what has happened to you?"

"Galactus happened to me," Thor said as he turned his gaze over towards where Galactus was. The Ambassadors of Harmony were laying scattered around the giant's feet, while Discord was doing everything in his power to keep Galactus from concentrating. Galactus tried numerous times to slay the god of Equestria with a blast of the power cosmic, yet somehow Discord just managed to get out of the way each time.

"What is Galactus? What is he doing here?" Luna asked, the fear overriding her normally calm demeanor.

"His is an ancient being that has been in existence as long as the universe has been. He is fueled by the worlds that he feasts on and his power cosmic is one of the most powerful energies in all the nine realms," Thor said quickly to both of the sisters, who had to shake their heads at his words.

"I'm sorry, did you just say that he eats PLANETS?!" Luna roared in absolute terror, while Celestia looked to be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"Then what do we do against that kind of strength? What do we do against an eater of worlds?! Please Thor, tell me you have a solution," Celestia asked Thor, praying that he had an answer. Thor heard both her words and her prayers and nodded with a small smile on his face, but Celestia noticed that it was filled with a bitter regret.

"We cannot fight him. He is too strong. We cannot run from him in time. Within ten minutes his hunger will devour this world," Thor said in a bitter tone, before he reached out and took the hammer from Celestia. "So that leaves only one option left."

Without waiting for the princesses to response Thor hurled himself towards Galactus, timing his arrival perfectly so that right when Galactus fired another blast of the power cosmic towards Discord, Thor was able to intercept with Mjolnir and knock the blast into the heavens.

"Thor?" Discord asked, but before he could say anything else Thor grabbed Discord and threw him over to where the princesses were watching, leaving Thor alone to face Galactus. Thor gazed up at the being cosmic, who stared down at him with a look of annoyance upon Galactus's face. Thor then slowly lowered himself to the ground across the field from where Galactus stood, taking in a heavy breath in preparation for what he was about to do.

"Thor. How hard can it be to kill a god?" Galactus asked Thor.

"Very hard, Galactus, as you have seen," Thor replied in a respectful tone, one that was not lost upon Galactus. "But I am not here to fight you. I...know that I cannot best you. Not the way I am now."

"Then you will leave this planet to be consumed? I did not believe that you had that in you," Galactus asked in a perplexed voice.

"Nay, I will not let you have Equis. This is home to many great ponies and other life forms, all of who deserve the chance to live," Thor replied with thunder. His words made Galactus's eyes narrow and the power cosmic began to flow through his hands once more.

"Your make no sense, little god. You say that you do not wish to fight me, yet you will not allow this world to be consumed? You cannot have one without the other," Galactus threatened Thor.

"Actually, I can Galactus. My might is not enough to slay you. My divine magic will not be enough to stop the destruction of this world. Every tool I have will not allow me to prevail. You have left me with my last resort," Thor said to Galactus. The being cosmic narrowed his eyes and prepared for Thor's next move. Thor's response was to slowly lower Mjolnir to the ground, before he reached up and took off his helmet and placed it next to the hammer. He then lowered his head, much to the confusion of Galactus.

"I beg of you Galactus, spare this world. Spare those on it and find a nearby planet to feast upon," Thor begged to Galactus through gritted teeth. Galactus wore a look of surprise on his face at Thor's actions, but his mind was not convinced. "You said it yourself that you have feasted on many magical words. Even an eternal being like yourself must get tired of eating the same food over and over. But there are numerous planets nearby that you could feast upon that would quell your hunger."

"Perhaps. But I am here. And this planet will quell my hunger for the time being," Galactus stated, getting Thor to seethe with rage. "Why should Galactus hear your please, pleas that he has heard from so many? I should simply devour this planet and be on my way."

"Then I will find you a planet! A planet the likes of which you have never tasted before, one that will quell your hunger far longer than any other planet that you have ever devoured!" Thor pleaded with Galactus, who tilted his head to the side with interest. "I will scour the heavens and search for a planet that you will find worthy!"

"Why should I believe you? You are clearly doing this to try and be rid of me. How can I know you will keep your word?" Galactus asked Thor. For a long moment Thor didn't reply. Then, slowly, as if it was taking every last ounce of his fiber to perform the action, Thor slowly lowered himself onto one knee. He placed a fist on the ground and bowed his head to Galactus, who looked down upon Thor with interest.

"I give you my word that I will find you a planet," Thor promised in a near whisper.

"How do I know your word will be good?"

"Because if it fails, then this planet is doomed. And I will do whatever it takes to save this world. Even bowing to you."

For a long time for those watching, but only a few minutes in real time, Galactus stared down at the god of thunder. The being cosmic didn't know what to make of Thor. He knew that he could crush Thor and eat the world. That would not be a problem. But there would be a fight. And that would make him hungrier. Then there was the issue that this planet was not as substantial as he would have wished, almost as if it's very magical nature was fighting against him. Eating it may not be enough to fill his hunger after a true battle with the god of thunder.

Yet he also knew about Thor's pride. His pride was as well known as Thor himself, so he knew what a massive blow to Thor's pride it must have been to kneel to him. Thor would never have done that unless he truly had no other options. Galactus also knew that Thor's word was his bond. He would follow up on his promise.

"Find me a world, herald of thunder," Galactus said to Thor, getting Thor's head to shoot up at the titan. Galactus then turned away from Thor. "Find me a world that is unlike any I have eaten before, even if you must spend the rest of your immortal life to do it. And if you do not, I shall return to this world and annihilate it with such force that you will wish that I had simply eaten it. Say your goodbyes then get to work. I hold you to your word."

Galactus then unleashed the power cosmic from his hands and ascended into the sky, leaving Thor to watch with disbelief as the being cosmic left his sight. At that moment Thor didn't know what was more unbelievable. That he had bowed his knee to a being that had tried to kill him or his world so many times. Or that is plan had worked and that Galactus was gone.

'I suppose for the time being I shall take my victory,' Thor thought with a shake of his head as he glanced to his side to see Celestia, Luna and Discord all heading towards him. 'This world is safe. That is all that matters. Tomorrow I will begin to wonder about what world I can find for Galactus. For he keeps his promises, much like I do mine.'

"That...what happened? Why did he leave?" Luna asked in disbelief as she gazed at the heavens, unable to see Galactus any longer.

"I made him an offer. An offer that even an eternal being like Galactus wouldn't be able to turn down," Thor revealed to the three, before he gazed up at Celestia with a kind smile. "And I did it by listening to you, princess of the sun."

"Listen to me? But I didn't tell you anything remotely useful in defeating that titan," Celestia said.

"Not when I was fighting Galactus, but long ago, when you first truly spoke to me," Thor revealed. "You told me that, in the interest of those that they seek to protect. That sometimes even a ruler or god...must bow their head."

In Your Prayers

With a snap of his fingers Discord cleaned up the remains of a building that had been brought down with ease, finishing off the last of the buildings that had been destroyed by Galactus. The ponies that owned the house thanked Discord with heartfelt thanks and offered to reward him, but all Discord did was wave to them with a smile before he moved onto the next prayer that needed help.

Discord was still not too certain about himself being in the position of being a god, but he figured now that he had been given this title he would do his best to do the previous goddess proud. So in the days since Galactus had left and Thor had gone to the castle, Discord had spent all of his time answering prayers and helping those that needed it. Some days it was hard, but Fluttershy and her friends continued to encourage him, making his job easier.

The next prayer that he heard came from the city of Stalliongrad and Discord wasn't surprised that a prayer had come from there. 'There have been numerous attacks there from some sort of flying creatures, which have been trying to steal supplies,' Discord thought to himself as he snapped his fingers and sent himself flying through space and time to appear at the city.

As Discord's body reassembled itself over the city, he had to detach his head to avoid it being ripped off by a strange, moth looking creature that flew by him. Discord snapped his fingers towards the bat and a giant, sixteen ton anvil swatted the creature out of the air. With the annoyance dealt with, Discord took a moment to look around at the sky and sigh to himself.

"It's always something. Herd of buffalo nearly trampling a wild west town. Giant sea creatures trying to raise the ocean. Luna getting stuck in the toilet without paper. And now this," Discord muttered to himself as he cracked his fingers, before placing his hands on his back and then cracking that. He then spun his neck a full three sixty, wincing slightly as he heard everything up there began to pop.

Then he fully took in the swarm of flying beasts that were terrorizing the citizens, smirking to himself slightly when he saw that all of the creatures resembled giant moths in one way or another. If they hadn't been so dangerous, he might have enjoyed watching the giant insects of the night fly around. Yet as he spied a pair of moths trying to take off with a few ponies in their grasps, he knew that it was time to intervene.

A snap of his fingers teleported the ponies out of the grasps of the bugs, getting the insects to look down at their appendages with some confusion. Discord then snapped his fingers and created a giant bug zapper that he dangled seductively over the edge of the city.

"Oh boys!" Discord called out with a whistle, turning every head towards the giant light. "Come and get it!"

Just as he had predicted, the moths dropped whatever they were doing or holding and swarmed towards the giant light in the sky. Discord lowered himself to the streets below and allowed the swarm to pass by, while placing a pair of sunglasses on his face in the process. The moths reached the light and swarmed around it, burying the light under their sheer mass of bodies. Then the bug zapper went into effect.

Discord raised his eyebrows and "ooo'd" at the crackling electricity and sparks that flew from the bug zapper. The lightning arched through everyone of the moths and turned them to ash on the spot in a way that made them seem like fireworks blowing up. The citizens down below watched the fireworks as well, before one last snap of Discord's fingers put an end to the light show.

"You know, Celestia and Luna think up all these complicated and unnecessary solutions to these problems, but sometimes the tried and true methods are the best way to go about things," Discord said to himself as he summoned a broom and dustpan, sweeping up a little bit of the ash before looking around at the piles of ash that had covered the city center. "Well, I've done my job for the day. I'm sure that you guys can do the rest, right?"

The ponies looked at him like he was crazy and after a moment a smirk crossed Discord's face. "Kidding. Come on, I'm not that kind of god anymore. I'll get this half of the city and you guys get the other half. Sound fair?"

The ponies rolled their eyes at Discord before they started to gather up brooms and trash bags, helping Discord clean up the mess that the swarm of giant insects left behind. "Hey don't get mad at me guys. Just because I'm the god of this world doesn't mean that I'm going to do everything for you. I'll deal with things you can't handle, like that swarm or helping to repair the changelings homeland."

"But as for cleaning up messes, you guys don't need me for that. Lazy bums."

{([])}

Autumn blew into her whistle and raised a hoof to stop the group of small foals that were following along behind her. She then looked both ways across the street to make sure that there weren't any carriages or stampedes heading their way. Only after she made sure that the roads were perfectly fine did she allow the group to cross, motioning for them to follow after her.

From a window overlooking the seen sat Summer, who watched her daughter lead the foals with proud smile on her face. Her daughter was growing up to be just as responsible and kind as Summer was, without any of the bonedheaded mistakes Summer had made as a foal. But what really made Summer smile was that even with everything that had happened, and even with her special connection to the god of thunder, Autumn never called for his help whenever things got rough.

'He has a lot to look after besides us, mom. I'll call for him only if we really need him,' Autumn had told her mother one night. And Summer knew her daughter was right. Thor was a god of more than there world, so there were plenty of other places that needed his help far more than they did. And as Summer turned her gaze towards her daughter once more, who was now applying a bandage to a foal that had scrapped their leg, she knew that the world was in safe hooves.

{([])}

With one last flick of the quill Celestia signed her name to the bottom of a piece of parchment, a parchment that finally restored the peace between Equestria and the dragons that she had fought so hard to recover. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she folded up the parchment and placed it within an envelope, before it vanished in a flicker of magic a moment later.

'This has been a good day,' she thought to herself as she finally lifted her head, glad to finally be done with all of the paperwork that she had to deal with. The repairs for the battle with Galactus were done, peace had been restored with the dragons and even the elk, who still had made no effort to get their deity back. The three lands were providing aid to the changelings, who were starting to repair their home, along with finding a new god. But most importantly Discord was living up to the title that Faust had bestowed upon him. All was good.

That was until something crashed down hard in the room next to her, nearly knocking Celestia off of her hooves in the process. A moment later she had ripped open the door and rushed into the other room, ready for some unholy abomination to be waiting there for her. But what she saw instead surprised her far more than any unholy terror could have. For in the center of the room, resting upon the now split in half table, was a hammer.

The hammer had a crimson red handle, which was almost as long as her horn, and was attached to a massive chunk of metal at the top. The chunk of metal was a square shape, while the coloring of it was red and orange. Upon the sides of the hammer were a pair of wings that looked remarkable similar to the design of her own, while the square had designs on it that caused it to look similar to the face of a pony.

Celestia extended the hoof towards the hammer and it flew to her an instant later. She caught the hammer with relative ease and the moment she laid her hooves upon it, she instantly felt like it was a part of her. Once again she felt the hammers weight, amazed at the balance it held, before she saw an inscription upon the handle.

'Solar Storm.'

A smirk crossed Celestia's face as she read the words, before she turned her gaze towards the heavens.

"Thank you for the gift, Thor. I love it."

{([])}

Discord let out a small whistle as he gazed around at the chamber of darkness that he found himself in. After a few days of tracking Janis's divine power, Discord had finally managed to locate the room where the dual god had led his forces of darkness. It was in a land far from everypony else, far enough away that nopony would be able to find it. Nopony but a god. Discord was thankful for that.

"And I'm also thankful to you as well," Discord said to the darkness, knowing who was there. "I honestly didn't believe that you would listen to me at first, what with our past and everything. Kinda surprised you gave the dark forces to Janis, however."

"Well with Thor around, all they would have done was led him to me. And while I might be evil, I am no fool," a voice replied from the darkness. "Thor would have ended me. No question about it."

"Yes, but he's no longer around. Yet you've still remained in the darkness and haven't tried anything new," Discord added as he walked up to the throne, spying a pony sitting on it. "Have you, Spellbinder. Or rather should I say, Sombra?"

Spellbinder narrowed his eyes at Discord before he turned back into the dark king, one who looked far stronger than Discord had remembered. "Well, I may be an arrogant, power hungry dictator, but even I know to listen to the words of my gods. One of which happens to be you. I couldn't be any happier."

"Yet you still gave your dark forces and information to Janis as well," Discord pointed out.

"Well, if he were to kill all of you, it would still be a win for me. After all, I've never really liked any of you."

"Thanks, I can just feel the love oozing out of you," Discord replied, before a serious look crossed his face. "So tell me, have you found anything?"

"I have actually. It's amazing how much I can get done with one of the gods of Equestria willing to help me, as well as promise me freedom in exchange for information," Sombra replied as he pulled out a fragment of a very ancient mirror. "Found this little guy in the land of the zebras. You know what this is?"

"It looks like...a mirror?"

"Ding ding. This is the very first mirror Rose created. It is the same mirror that was used to "kill" Faust all those millennia ago. But here's the thing. It didn't work."

"What? How do you know it didn't work?"

"Simple. Equestria is still here," Sombra said with a dark smile. "Think about it Discord. When Thor killed Toraxo, the changelings land went to hell, right? Earthquakes, plagues and deaths of young changelings all followed his demise. I did some research after that and found that the nations on Equis are tied to their gods. If their god dies, then their nation falls to ruin. But Equestria, all these years after Fausts "death", is still here. Which means..."

"She's still alive," Discord put together, before a very dark thought crossed his mind. "Wait. If the nations are connected to their gods, what would have happened if Thor had slain the other gods and goddess?"

"You seriously don't know? You're a god and you don't know? Ugh, nopony reads ancient text anymore, do they? According to what I've studied, without the gods of old, Equis would have been obliterated, turning into a plant of magma and death, devoid of any life," Sombra replied while giving Discord a massive, evil grin. "Had Thor killed those gods, we all would be dead. Now I'm not normally one for sparing foes, but I think this once we should thank the princess of the sun for being so foolishly good, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah...we should," Discord muttered in reply.

"But that leaves us with a little conundrum. We've got a missing goddess to find and odds are Rose will be anything less than cooperative," Sombra said with a smirk. "We have no idea where Faust has gone or what was done to her. All we know is that she's alive and was apart of this mirror. My money on when Rose realized she couldn't kill Faust, at least not without destroying the nation she sough to conquer, the mirror was shattered and scattered. It's what I would do to be rid of a god yet not kill them."

"Then we need to find her and bring her back together," Discord said and Sombra nodded in agreement. "So I suppose I only have two questions left. Will you help me? Or are we going to return things to how they used to be?"

"Discord, my lord, I wouldn't dream of facing you," Sombra said with a laugh. "Not yet, anyway. Now come. We have a goddess to fix."

{([])}

The sight of the Avengers tower was one of the beautiful sights that Thor had set his sights on for a long time. As the god of thunder descended onto the landing platform where the Quinjet normally landed, he rolled up a long sheet of parchment that he had been holding and placed the parchment within his belt, right next to the silver sphere he still carried.

'Dozens of star systems, hundreds of planets and none of them match what I promised to Galactus,' Thor somberly thought to himself, knowing that he would have to double his efforts soon.

"Welcome back to Avengers tower, Thor," the voice of Jarvis said over the speakers, getting the god of thunder to nod as the glass doors slid open to allow him access inside. "How was your trip?"

"Tis a tale for another time. Right now Thor needs all of the ale in your possession, a day of rest and something to hit," Thor told Jarvis.

"I have none of that Thor, but I do have something else for you. A visitor." At this Thor gave his full attention to the A.I. before motioning with his hand to continue. "With all of the other Avengers out at the moment, I am having him stay in the waiting room. He seemed to urgently wish to speak with us, but I have been unable to contact Master Stark or Captain Rogers. Will you be seeing him now?"

"Aye, Thor will find out what this man wants," Thor said before he headed towards the waiting room. Jarvis opened all of the doors in a way that allowed Thor to rapidly reach the waiting room. Yet when the doors to the room opened and Thor walked inside, even a god wasn't ready for who he saw.

Standing near the window was a man in a whitish gi with a red headband wrapped around his head, with a set of old and weathered beads around his neck. Laying near his feet was a bag filled with all of his possession, which, given the fact that he went barefoot, didn't include shoes. But what drew Thor's eye was the beard upon the mans face...and the fact that both his beard and the hair upon his head had far more gray in it than Thor remembered. But Thor recognized him all the same.

"Friend Ryu!" Thor called out as he walked over to Ryu, who turned his head with a smile upon his face. The two shook hands and Thor let out a boisterous laugh. "It has been too long my friend! Not since the last crisis on our worlds have we met! Tell me, what brings you to my Earth?"

"Unfortunately, it is not good news. I am in need of the Avengers help," Ryu said in a serious voice. While serious was Ryu's default, Thor knew him well enough to tell that something was the matter. "I don't have time to explain anything. All I can ask is if you and the other Avengers can come with me right now. Before I am found."

"Sadly I am the only Avenger here at the moment, but I will gladly follow you into whatever battle you are currently waging," Thor promised Ryu. Ryu's face fell for a moment before he regained his composure and nodded. He then pulled out a small device and pressed a button upon it, causing a vortex that tore through reality to appear next to him. "Before we go, friend Ryu, answer me this one question. What ancient evil or universe destroying threat are we going up against this time?"

"Sadly, it is nothing that simple. Tell me, have you ever heard of a being called the Maestro?"

Author's Note

Though Thor may not be on Equestria any longer, none will ever forget what he had done for them or what he brought them. And whenever any are in need of his aid, a prayer is all that it will take to summon him to their side. But now we move on from a story of gods to one of jerks, for in the next story-

Oh goody, it's finally my time!

Oh dammit all, not this shit.

Yeah you better believe that this is happening baby! It's finally time for me to shine! Y'know people have been asking you to do me for a long time and I don't mean in that way. So I was thinking maybe we start with a parade in my honor and then maybe a harem of...hey wait a second! What the hell is going on?

Whatever do you mean?

I mean that there's another big name character in my story! And didn't I kill this asshole already in some other show? Why the hell would you put him in with me?!

Because you're not supposed to be the next story! Slade is the next story!

Well too bad! Do you know how long I've waited to be the star! To have my name in the title! The answer to that is too damn long! So I don't care if you're next story is about space Nazi's or that kid in the green tunic named Zelda, I'm going to be in it. If you need me, I'll be in my trailer! (Storms off)

...Well then. I guess it's Wade and Slade next time. F :yay: ck.