A Passing Through Kamen Rider

by thunderclap

Rating: teen
Tags: Sex, Princess Celestia, Crossover, Dark, Human, Anthro, Main 6, Romance, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Other, Kamen Rider
Length: 422967

A young man goes to a convention and finds he has the powers of Kamen Rider Decade in a world of ponies and monsters. Can he rise up and fight evil?

A young man goes to a convention and finds himself in Equestria with the powers of a Kamen Rider. Not just one though, ten of them. And he'll need that power to fight the hordes of monsters lurking in the shadows. Can he face this threat? And can he protect the ponies that call him friend? The answer to both of those questions is:
Henshin!
(Now with co-writer: shagohad12 )
Edited by: Voldine
(A Kamen Rider Decade Displaced fic)
(All images and characters belong to their original owners.)

Published 2015-11-03 00:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2020-05-21 15:32:59 UTC

Henshin

Wyatt found himself slowly drifting back to consciousness. He had no idea what happened. Had he somehow hit his head at the convention? He looked around and it seemed like he was in a hospital room. He’d recognize the cloying smell of antiseptic in the air anywhere. Wyatt continued to examine his surroundings and noticed that he was the only one in the room. Wyatt decided to throw the blanket off of him and see if he could find anyone that could help him figure out what had happened to him. When he did, he found himself in a hospital gown.

‘I guess this is better than being put in here while still in the costume,’ Wyatt thought.

Just as he was about to leave the room, the door opened and a nurse entered the room. Only it wasn’t a person. The nurse seemed to be a white furred, pink haired, horse woman wearing the stereotypical nurse outfit, complete with the little hat. Wyatt’s eyes widened the instant he saw her. He could feel his jaw slacken and his words failed him. The same couldn’t be said for the horse nurse.

“Oh, you’re finally awake,” she started with a sweet smile. “How are you feeling sir?” The horse nurse talking seemed to be the thing to cause Wyatt’s mind to fully break as he collapsed to the floor in a sitting position. The nurse let out a gasp and she rushed to Wyatt’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Sir, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Wyatt managed to collect himself enough to speak. “Where am I?”

“You’re in Ponyville General Hospital. You were found unconscious by a helpful mare who brought here.”

‘Ponyville, that doesn’t tell me anything,’ Wyatt thought, holding back a frown.

“Um, how long was I out?”

“About two days,” the nurse answered, her smile falling slightly. “We don’t know why though. You didn’t seem to be injured. Now, let’s get you back into bed and I’ll go get the doctor.” She offered as she held a hand out to Wyatt. He nodded and accepted it and the nurse helped him back into the bed. She walked away and just as she was about to leave the room she turned back and flashed Wyatt a smile. As soon as she left, Wyatt’s mind started to race.

‘What the hell is going on here?! Why was that nurse a horse-lady?! A-am I dreaming?’ Wyatt looked down at his arm and pinched it. He flinched from the pain, but nothing else happened. ‘Okay, either this is one vivid hallucination, or this is really happening. What happened to me?’ He thought, trying to recall the events before he fell unconscious. The only thing that seemed to stick out to him was the smiling man. ‘That bastard, did he do this to me? Did he do something like this to the other people that disappeared from those other conventions?’

Before Wyatt’s train of thought could continue, the door to his room opened and the nurse walked back in with another horse-person. Wyatt guessed that this one was male due to its figure. The doctor had a coat of yellow fur and brown, swept back hair. He was also wearing glasses, had a stethoscope dangling around his neck and was staring intently at a clipboard with what Wyatt assumed was his chart. Oh and one other little detail, there was a horn coming out of his forehead! Wyatt’s doctor was a unicorn.

“Welcome back to the waking world,” the doctor joked. “We sent word to the mare who found you. She was quite worried about you.”

Wyatt adjusted himself in his bed so he was sitting upright and replied, “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to make anyone worry about me.”

The doctor laughed a little at that. “No need to apologize, you were ill after all. Though with what we haven’t been able to figure out. Considering you’re obviously not a pony we’ve had some trouble making a proper diagnosis. Anyway, would you mind telling us your name so we can have it on file? Also, could you sign this release form stating that you’ll come back here for some follow up examinations? It would be a great help to us in case you were to have a more serious injury in the future. Though, Celestia forbid that ever does happen.” The doctor finished, a blue glow surrounding his horn and clipboard and floating it over to Wyatt along with a pen. Wyatt flinched slightly, but grabbed it and looked over the form.

“Umm, what kind of examinations are we talking about here?” Wyatt asked.

“Nothing too invasive, basically a check-up and some x-rays,” the doctor explained with a wave of his hand. “We already took a sample of your blood and are pleased to tell you that you are fully capable of getting transfusions from a pony. If we do believe something other than that is needed then we’ll have another form prepared for you.” Wyatt continued to scan the form, making a quick check to see if there was any trapping language hidden within it. Satisfied that everything seemed to be in order, he signed his name on the bottom line. He held out the clipboard and pen and the doctor took it in the strange, blue aura again. The doctor checked the signature and gave a nod. “Thank you very much Mr. Carter. Is there anypony we can contact to come get you?”

“I-I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“Oh, I am sorry to hear that,” the doctor replied, not sure what to say. “I’ll leave you here for now. The mare who brought you here should arrive shortly,” the doctor said as he turned to leave.

“Alright, thanks for everything Doctor,” Wyatt said as he settled back into the bed. He then curled up and shivered as he wondered if he’d ever see his family again.

Wyatt didn’t know how long he was like that until he heard, “Wake up sleepyhead!” His eyes shot open, he rolled out of the bed and fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs and bedsheets.

“Pinkie, I think you scared him,” a voice offered softly.

“I did?” the voice that had woken Wyatt up asked. It was then quiet for a while before he felt someone helping him out of the twisted blanket. When his eyes were uncovered he came face to face with a mare with a large poof of pink hair, pink fur and bright blue eyes looking at him with a big smile. Due to how close she was he couldn’t tell what she was wearing “I didn’t scare you, did I?”

Wyatt rubbed a sore spot on the back of his head and wanted to be annoyed with the mare. But one look at her caused that idea to die instantly. There was no way he could bring himself to stay mad at the bubbly being in front of him. “You just surprised me, that’s all.” He said with a sigh.

“Ooh, was it a good surprise? Because who doesn’t love a good surprise every now and then? I know I do.” She finished with a giggle.

“It was the best surprise I’ve gotten all day,” he said with a chuckle, technically not lying.

“I’m glad to hear that!” the pink mare enthused, her already large smile growing as she helped Wyatt up. “My name’s Pinkie Pie, what’s yours?”

“I’m Wyatt Carter, but you can just call me Wyatt.” Pinkie giggled again and Wyatt quirked an eyebrow at her. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, I was just trying to come up with a nickname for you!” She beamed. “Right now I’m workshopping Wy-Wy but that doesn’t feel quite right.”

“Okay,” he answered, still confused but accepted the response. “Are you the mare that brought me to the hospital? If so, then thank you very much.”

“That wasn’t me silly! That was Twilight!” Pinkie’s eyes widened as if she just realized something. “Oh, that’s right! You still have to meet my other bestest best friends!” With that, Pinkie hopped away from Wyatt and revealed that there were five other mares in the room. They were all a variety of bright colors that nearly seared his retinas. And of course it reminded him that his only covering was the thin hospital gown. They each had little grins on their face, most likely due to the young man’s confused look. The first one to speak up was an orange furred mare with long blonde hair done up in a loose pony tail. She was wearing a red flannel shirt, well-fitting jeans and resting atop her head was an old but well maintained Stetson. She walked up to Wyatt and started shaking his hand with a strong grip.

“Howdy there Wyatt. Ah’m Applejack, pleased to meet’cha.”

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Wyatt offered with a smile. The next pony to speak was a cyan furred mare with rainbow colored hair and rose colored eyes. She was wearing a blank tank top with a cloud and a tri-colored lightning coming out of it, with black jogging shorts. Wyatt’s eyes widened when he noticed the large, feathered wings on her back.

“S’up, I’m Rainbow Dash.” She said with an outstretched fist.

Wyatt tapped her fist with his own and replied, “S’up, um… I think your wings are cool.” This caused Rainbow Dash’s eyes to light up and a cocky smirk to dominate her face.

“You’re damn right they are!” She boasted as she extended her wings. “These bad boys make me the fastest pegasus in Equestria. Can even pull off a Sonic Rainboom with ‘em.”

“That sounds awesome!” Wyatt affirmed with a grin. “I’d love to see you pull that off.”

“Sure thing, I love showing off my stunts to anypony who’ll watch.”

Then, a white unicorn mare with hair that was expertly coifed into a violet curl came up to him with a few graceful steps. She was wearing a light blue blouse and a black skirt that stopped just above her knees. “Hello there, I’m Rarity. If you ever need something fabulous to wear, then be sure to come to me.”

“Thanks, I’ll definitely be needing some new clothes. I’ve only got one set of clothes and I don’t know how long I’m going to be here.”

“Why do you not know that?” A yellow pegasus mare with pink hair asked only to tense up when Wyatt looked at her. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking that is?”

“Well to be honest, I don’t even know how I got here,” Wyatt explained. “And not to offend any of you or anything, but talking ponies, especially ones with wings and horns is insane to me. I’m having a hard time thinking any of this is real. In fact, I’m pretty sure that I’m hallucinating and I’ll eventually be back to the reality that I’m accustomed to,” he finished.

“Oh,” the yellow mare said, unsure of how to respond. “I’m Fluttershy, nice to meet you,” she said, barely audible.

The last pony to step forward was a lavender furred unicorn mare with navy blue hair with a purple and pink streak running through it. She was clad in a white button up shirt with a purple sweater over it and a pink, plaid short skirt. Her violet eyes were lighting up and she rushed toward Wyatt. “Hi, I’m Twilight Sparkle. When you said all that it piqued my curiosity. Does that mean that you’re from another world? If so, you could be living proof that there are other universes out there!” She said in a blur as she let out a squeal. “I am so going to write a letter to Princess Celestia about this. Would you mind if I ran some studies on you? I would love to see what I could learn from you.”

“Sure,” Wyatt agreed with a shrug. “The hospital’s already going to be doing some tests on me so I don’t see why you can’t. Just don’t do anything too crazy.”

“Of course,” Twilight replied with a quick nod. “If I suggest something too crazy just be sure to let me know.”

“Alright,” Wyatt said as he walked over to the door. “Twilight, thank you for bringing me here. And I hope I can see the rest of you again. I have to go get my clothes and find a place to stay and work for as long as I’m here.”

“Why don’t you stay with me?” Twilight suggested. “Seeing as I’m going to be studying you it would make things easier if you were close by.”

“Are you sure that’s okay?” Wyatt asked. “I don’t want to impose on you or anything.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Twilight dismissed with the wave of her hand. “I have plenty of room at my home.”

“Okay, but I plan on doing some chores for you at the very least,” Wyatt told her. “I’d hate to be a burden on you.”

“If you insist,” Twilight replied with a smile. “I don’t think I could say no to free house cleaning. Now, let’s go get your things and I’ll show you where I live.

Wyatt nodded and he led the mares down the halls to the closest nurses’ station and asked to retrieve his things. The nurse in charge of the station disappeared for a little while before returning with a bag that held his clothes, and another that held his watch, his keys, his wallet, his phone, and his camera. This puzzled Wyatt and he looked up to the nurse.

“Umm, is this everything I was brought in with?”

“Yes, that’s everything,” the nurse confirmed with a nod. “I even double-checked just to be sure.”

Wyatt then turned to Twilight and asked, “Is this everything I had on me when you found me?”

Twilight quirked an eyebrow at that. “Yes, why do you ask? Are you missing something?”

Wyatt stared at the bags in front of him intently. ‘What is going on here? Where is my costume and the case with the cards? Shouldn’t they have come with me too? This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.’ Wyatt then looked up and saw that the ponies were all staring at him.

“Oh, here’s my watch,” he said, pointing at the bag. “Nurse, is there a room I could use to change real quick? I’d like to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“Sure thing, just follow me,” the nurse said as she got up and indicated for Wyatt to follow her.

When Wyatt was done changing, and got dismissed from the hospital, the girls led him into town.

“Welcome to Ponyville,” Twilight said just as they entered the town square. “This might be a small town, but you won’t ever have to worry about being bored.”

“Really? Sounds cool,” Wyatt said as he glanced at all of the rustic buildings. “This looks like your typical sleepy town to me.” He said as he snapped a photo of a building he liked.

As if on cue, a pony screamed in the distance and a rumbling noise grew closer. Moments later, a crowd of ponies came running and started pushing at Wyatt and the girls. “Everypony run!” one member of the mob shouted.

“It’s a monster!” another screamed.

Wyatt looked back as he got swept up into the crowd. Through gaps in the shifting mass of bodies he was able to make out what looked like a strange creature stalking its way into the town. Wyatt’s eyes widened when a gap in the crowd opened wide enough for him to get a good look of the creature. It was a large, corrupted, humanoid bat-like creature with red, leathery wings attached to its arms. Wyatt recognized this creature. It was an Undead, a monster from Kamen Rider Blade.

Wyatt struggled against the motion of the crowd, trying to push himself out. He was eventually able to free himself and wound up inside of an alley. He poked his head out and saw that Twilight and the others were all glaring at the creature, intent to fight it.

“Whoa, looks like this thing got one too many whacks with the ugly stick,” Rainbow Dash laughed, pointing at the Undead.

“Rainbow, now is not the time to be making jokes,” Twilight admonished before glaring at the creature. “We have to stop this thing before it hurts somepony.”

With that, Twilight charged her horn with a pink aura and fired a beam into the Undead’s chest. If the thing was affected by the beam at all, it didn’t show it. Twilight recoiled for a moment, but kept firing beams at the Undead while it charged at her. The Undead reached out, wrapped its hands around her throat, and lifted her off the ground, choking her. Wyatt paled and his mind started to race, not knowing what to do. Rainbow Dash and Applejack did not share that problem. Rainbow Dash flew up into the air and started to dive-bomb the Undead while Applejack bull rushed it. Just as Rainbow was on top of it, Applejack pivoted on one foot and attempted to roundhouse kick the Undead in its side. The Undead reacted quickly, removing one hand from Twilight’s throat and backhanding Rainbow Dash out of the air and sending her flying through the window of a nearby house. While it did that, it moved Twilight so that Applejack kicked her. Twilight cried out in pain as she was knocked out of the Undead’s grip and landed on the ground with a solid *thud*. Applejack recoiled from what she did to her friend, giving the Undead plenty of time to attack her. It thrusted both of its arms into her solar plexus, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying a few feet.

Wyatt watched the events unfold with a look of horror as his mind was sent racing. ‘What the hell is going on here? Why is there a monster from Kamen Rider in this world? If someone doesn’t do something, these girls could die!’ Wyatt looked between the group of ponies and none of them seemed to be able to move. They all looked terrified. A pit formed in Wyatt’s stomach and he wanted to scream in frustration. ‘I wish I could do something! But what could I do? If I go out there, I’d die.’

Wyatt closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at the scene in the village square. The Undead was moving back towards Twilight, who had managed to pull herself to her knees. She charged her horn one more time but the Undead just grabbed her throat again. Wyatt’s eyes threatened to bug out of his skull. He clenched his fists and growled in frustration. ‘That’s it, I can’t just sit back and do nothing! If nothing else, I can hopefully distract the thing long enough for them all to get away.’

Wyatt was about to rush out of the alley when he felt something in his hands that wasn’t there before. He looked down and saw that it was the buckle to his costume along with the case for the cards. ‘Where did these come from?’ Wyatt wasn’t sure, but he felt the need to do something with the buckle. ‘Screw it, might as well try it.’ He stood tall and pressed the buckle to his waist. In an instant, a belt shot out of it and wrapped around his waist. Then, he opened the case and pulled out a card.

“Henshin!” Wyatt boomed as he slotted the card into his belt and pressed in the gray handles.

He had expected nothing to happen. Instead, a strange voice called out, “Kamen Ride: Decade!”

Then, 10 grey silhouettes surrounded him and converged on him. A flash of light gave way to reveal Wyatt in a black armored suit. Next, card shaped objects came from the center of his buckle and formed lines on his helmet. Once the last line on his helmet settled, color appeared on his armor and his eyes flashed green. Wyatt took one moment to look himself over in disbelief before snapping back to reality and running out of the alley and towards the Undead choking Twilight.

“Put that mare down you monster!” Wyatt shouted, his voice distorted. The Undead looked up and held Twilight out, daring him to attack. Wyatt shot the thing a glare, though it was lost through the helmet.

“What in tarnation?” Applejack asked, having picked herself up and grasping her stomach. Wyatt didn’t bother to react and reached into his card case again. He slotted another card into his belt and the voice rang out again.

“Attack Ride: Blast!”

Wyatt’s card case shifted and transformed until it was shaped into a crude gun. He aimed carefully and pulled the trigger so the blasts from his gun hit the Undead’s shoulder. Sparks erupted from the impact sight and the Undead released Twilight, recoiling from the pain. In a burst of speed, Wyatt managed to catch Twilight and placed her on the ground gently before turning his attention back to the Undead. He slotted another card into his belt.

“Attack Ride: Slash!”

Wyatt’s card case transformed again, this time into a sword. Wyatt charged the Undead and slashed it across the chest. More sparks came from the monster and it took two steps back. The Undead flapped its wings and took to the sky. The Undead dive-bombed Wyatt, using its wings to slash at him. Sparks came from Wyatt’s armor and he groaned in pain. The Undead made a few more passes at him and he tried to swing his sword at the monster, but its speed in the air was too much for him. Wyatt cried out and fell to the ground after one pass. The Undead prepared for another attack, but Wyatt picked himself up quickly and shifted his case back into a gun. He pulled the trigger just as the Undead was starting its attack. Wyatt scored a direct hit on its wings, knocking it out of the air and sending it crashing back down to earth. Wyatt pulled out one last card and slotted it into his belt.

“Final Attack Ride: D-d-decade!”

Ten grey cards appeared in front of Wyatt. He placed his card case onto his belt and jumped into the air and stretched out his leg to deliver a kick to the Undead. The cards shifted and followed the descent of his kick Wyatt passed through the cards in a blur and when he passed through the final card a circle of what looked like barcode surrounded his foot. Wyatt let out a roar as he kicked the Undead in the chest. The Undead let out a cry of pain as it exploded in a small burst, scorching the ground where it was. The mares all watched what had just happened with slackened jaws.

Twilight managed to pull herself up and asked, “W-who are you?”

Wyatt looked at her over his shoulder and couldn’t resist saying, “Just a passing through Kamen Rider, remember that.”

Secrets Revealed

“A Kamen Rider?” Twilight asked, an eyebrow quirked. “What does that mean?”

Wyatt ignored her and looked up at the window that Rainbow Dash crashed through and walked over to the building. He then jumped up and through the broken window in order to find the pegasus. He found her in a heap on the floor, blood oozing out of her and shards of glass protruding from various parts of her body. Wyatt had to fight the urge to vomit and shook his head to clear his thoughts.

‘I need to get her out of here quickly. Luckily, I’ve got just the thing for quickly,’ he thought as he pulled out two cards. He slotted the first card into the belt and the voice rang out.

“Kamen Ride: Kabuto!”

A flash of light surrounded him and Wyatt appeared in a new suit of armor. A majority of the suit was black with bits of silver on his legs and around his wrists. His chest piece was crimson with silver along the shoulders and bits of black showing underneath. The helmet was crimson as well with a silver mouth area and the blue eye portion was separated by what appeared to be a large horn. Just as Wyatt was about to slot the next card into his belt he heard someone coming into the house. He turned his head slightly and saw that Twilight and the others were coming up the stairs.

“Wait!” Twilight shouted. “You still haven’t answered my question. What’s a… who are you?” She asked, noticing Wyatt’s new form. “What happened to the other one?” She and the others kept their focus on him and hadn’t noticed Rainbow Dash yet.

“Now’s not the time for questions, Twilight.” Wyatt replied as he inserted the second card into the belt.

“Attack Ride: Clock Up!”

“Wai-” Twilight didn’t have the chance to finish her plea as she seemed to slow to a standstill. Wyatt moved past her and carefully cradled the injured pegasus and ran out of the house faster than the average eye could see. “-t!” Twilight finished as her eyes widened when she noticed that the armored individual was gone. “What… where did he go?”

“Ah don’t rightly know, but isn’t this the house Rainbow Dash crashed through?” Applejack asked as she looked around the room. Fluttershy let out a loud gasp as she pointed at a spot on the floor.

“Girls, there’s blood on the floor,” she whimpered.

Twilight looked to where Fluttershy was pointing and nearly felt her stomach turn. “You’re right, no wonder he said there was no time for questions.”

“He, darling?” Rarity questioned.

“Yes, even though the voice was augmented, the proportions of the body suggest that whoever this ‘Kamen Rider’ is, they’re most likely male.”

“Do you think both of them were the same person?” Pinkie Pie asked. “They were wearing really different outfits.”

“I don’t know, I think we should head to the hospital. Considering everything that this person has done so far I’d say that’s where they’ve taken Rainbow Dash.” The girls all nodded and made their way out of the house.

Wyatt rocketed through the streets of Ponyville, retracing his steps back to the hospital. He glanced down at the mare in his arms and paled under his helmet when he saw the condition she was in again. He didn’t know how long he was running, time was confusing due to his speed. But eventually he made it to the hospital and pushed his way inside. Wyatt looked around the room and wondered where he could put her. In an instant (relative to him) he decided to place her on the reception desk and ran back out the door. Once he was outside he found a secluded spot behind a tree and some bushes and pulled on the handles of his belt buckle. The grey silhouettes appeared and pulled away from Wyatt and reverted him back to his normal self. He let out a deep breath and slumped against the tree as he heard a scream from inside the hospital. He turned his head toward the disturbance and let out a sigh of relief when he heard further sounds of some kind of commotion.

‘I can’t believe I just did all that.’ He thought as he felt the area where the Undead had slashed at him. He flinched and had to bite back a groan. ‘Ugh, okay that hurts. But the fact that I could transform like that does make the idea that I’m crazy or hallucinating seem a lot more likely. So, now that I’m a Kamen Rider in what is most likely a hallucination, what do I do? Should I go public? Nah, I don’t think I’d like having the spotlight on me. But should I keep this a total secret?’ Wyatt lifted his shirt and flinched when he saw large, purple bruises where the Undead had attacked him. ‘I don’t think that’ll work. I’m going to be living with Twilight and she’s going to run tests on me. I don’t think she’s going to buy excuses like I fell down some stairs forever. Now what am I going to do with this?’ he asked himself, looking down at the Decade Driver. As soon as he did, the buckle and case seemed to disappear. ‘D-did that just really happen?’ He felt around his waist and the Driver really seemed to be gone. ‘Maybe it’ll appear again when I need it?’ He frowned at that thought. ‘Yeah, kinda hoping I won’t need it again.’

Wyatt let out another sigh as he got up and walked back into the hospital. The entire lobby was chaotic and Rainbow Dash was being taken down a hallway. Wyatt took a deep breath and widened his eyes as he locked his gaze on the gurney she was on.

“Rainbow Dash!” Wyatt called out as a nurse moved to stop him from running into the gurney.

“Sir, do you know this mare?” The nurse asked calmly but firmly.

“A little,” Wyatt admitted. “She and her friends picked me up from the hospital today. What happened to her?”

“We don’t know,” The nurse replied. “She just appeared here in a critical condition. She’s being taken to have glass shards removed from her and possible surgery.”

“Would it be okay if I go back there while the doctors work on her? Her and her friends are the only ponies I really know here.”

“I suppose there’s no harm with that,” The nurse replied seeming to think it over. “But if any of the doctors tell you to leave then I expect you to do as they say.”

Wyatt nodded and followed the nurse down the hallway until he came up to a row of seats and a large pane of glass that showed a room where the doctors were preparing to work on Rainbow Dash. He sat down in one of the chairs and silently watched as the doctors set about their work. Wyatt didn’t know how long he was sitting before he heard someone say his name.

“Wyatt, what are you doing here?” Twilight asked, confused.

“Uh,” Wyatt started as he looked around and saw that they were the only ones within earshot. Once he was reassured that they were alone he got up and walked over to her. “Actually, the truth of it is… I’m that Kamen Rider.” He told her in a whisper.

“Wha…“ Twilight started to screech before Wyatt covered her mouth with a hand.

“Twilight, please don’t make a scene. I don’t want everyone to know about my abilities. Now, I’ll remove my hand if you promise not to make a scene. And In return, I promise to tell you everything I know when we get back to your place.” Twilight nodded and Wyatt removed his hand.

“Okay, I promise,” she replied before starting some hand gestures. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she punctuated the last part by covering an eye with a hand. The others mirrored her actions and repeated what she said. “There, a Pinkie Promise, I won’t break it.”

Wyatt quirked an eyebrow and looked over to Pinkie Pie. “You have a promise named after you?”

“Yup, though only ponies in Ponyville know about it.” She replied with a weak smile.

The girls then turned to the window to look in on Rainbow Dash. Twilight then turned her head toward Wyatt.

“Thank you for saving her, and us.”

“You’re welcome,” Wyatt answered with a weak smile. “I don’t think I’d have been able to live with myself if I had just done nothing. Besides, Rainbow Dash said she’d show me some of her stunts. Can’t let anything happen to her before she does that,” Wyatt said, hoping to add some levity to the situation.

“I guess you’re right,” Twilight replied. “We should probably go. I don’t think Rainbow Dash is going to be in any condition to talk to us. We’ll come back tomorrow. How are you by the way? That monster hit you quite a few times.”

“No need to worry about me,” Wyatt replied with gusto as he tapped his chest with a fist. “I was protected from those attacks.”

“Glad to hear it,” Twilight said with a smile. “You just got out of this place, I’d hate to have you get treated again. Now, let’s go to my home. You’ve got a lot of questions to answer. Not to mention Spike is probably worried sick by now.”

“Spike?” Wyatt questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“He’s my assistant at the town’s library. Actually, the library is where you’ll be staying with me.”

“You live in a library?” Wyatt asked before looking over to the other girls. “On a scale of one to ten, how much of a nerd would you say that Twilight is?”

“Hey!” Twilight shouted indignantly.

“I think she breaks that scale to be honest,” Pinkie answered innocently.

“Hey!” Twilight shouted, a little louder this time.

“Well,” Rarity started, trying to choose her words carefully. “To be fair darling, you do have a tendency to get a bit obsessive and eccentric at times. Like when you sent the town into a frenzy due to a potentially overdue assignment.”

“That was,” Twilight responded with a deep blush. “I mean, I thought that I was going to… let’s just get going to the library already.”

Everyone (except Twilight) shared a laugh as they walked out of the hospital. As they walked through the town Wyatt noticed that the town’s ponies were slowly getting back into their normal routines after the monster attack from earlier. While the ponies went about their jobs and were cleaning up the broken window and the debris from the explosion, Wyatt readied his camera and knelt down on one knee as he snapped a quick picture of the ponies while they worked.

“There we go, I think that one’ll turn out nice.”

“Are you something of a photographer darling?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, it’s a hobby. Though I’m hoping to make it a part of my career.” Wyatt answered as he held up the camera with a smile.

“Here’s hopin’ ya do,” Applejack offered with a tip of her hat. “Everypony should have a job they love.”

“Thanks, I’m still thinking about what I want to do exactly. A lot of what I’ve been doing lately has been landscape stuff, but I’ve considered some other things.”

“I would love to see some of your work, darling,” Rarity said with a small smile.

“Sure, I just have to finish up the roll of film and I’ll develop them for you girls. Actually, I’ve got some photos from my world on here so I can show you that too.”

“Really!” Twilight gushed as her face lit up. “That’s amazing! I’ll be able to see more of your kind!”

“Heh, yeah. Though you should know that I took those photos at a convention so a lot of people you’ll see are in costumes of some kind.”

“That should be interesting,” Twilight mused with a bright smile. “What kinds of costumes should we expect to see?”

“Uhh, well some are from video games, some would be from comic books and a few other different media.”

“I can’t wait to see them,” she said. “It sounds like a great opportunity to study part of your culture.”

“Well, it’ll probably take a while for me to finish the roll. Hope you don’t mind waiting.”

“No problem, I can be patient,” she replied as she stopped in front of a large tree. “Here we are, the Ponyville Library.”

Wyatt quirked an eyebrow and looked around him. “Where? Is it behind the big tree here?”

Twilight giggled at that and pointed at the tree. “The big tree is the library, Wyatt.”

Wyatt gaped at that, staring intently at the tree. He then broke out into a wild grin and held up his camera. “So, I’m going to be staying in this place? That’s awesome!” he cheered as he snapped a picture. “I think I’m going to like staying in such an interesting place.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Twilight replied as she went up to the door and opened it. When she did a tiny, purple, lizard-like creature walked up to the doorway.

“Hey Twilight, what took you so long?” The little lizard asked in what sounded like an adolescent male voice.

“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight replied, kneeling down and patting him on the top of his green spines. “But there was a monster attack in the center of town.”

“Seriously?” Spike asked with a nervous gulp. “What was it this time, bugbears, manticores, z-zombies?!” he cried, biting at his claws.

“No Spike, it was nothing like that. Though I don’t know what the monster was,” she said, her face scrunching up in thought over the monster that had attacked her and her friends. “And the strange thing was that it was completely unaffected by my magic.”

“What?!” Spike shouted, jumping in the air. “Then how did you all get rid of the thing? Is it still out there?”

“Calm down, Spike,” Twilight told him, patting him on the head again. “The monster has been dealt with, but it wasn’t the girls and I that did it.”

“Really, then who?” Twilight didn’t answer verbally, instead turning her head slightly toward Wyatt. Wyatt didn’t respond. He didn’t even seem to notice Twilight. His gaze was locked on Spike.

“T-Twilight, is S-Spike a-a…” Twilight paled at Wyatt’s reaction and threw her hands up defensively.

“Wyatt, please don’t panic. Yes Spike is a dragon but he’s still…”

“That’s so awesome!” Wyatt beamed as he zipped over to the small drake. “Would you mind if I take a few photos of you? Never know when I’ll run into a real dragon again,” He asked hopefully, holding his camera up.

“Sure,” Spike affirmed, his ego seeming to get a boost from the offer, “just be sure to get my good side.” Wyatt nodded eagerly and readied his camera, taking several pictures of the young dragon in different poses and from different angles. Even having Spike breathe fire for a more dramatic shot. Wyatt eventually stood up and thanked Spike.

“Did you get enough shots, darling?” Rarity asked, covering her mouth with a hand to hide a snicker.

“Yeah,” Wyatt chuckled. “Though that’s probably because I just used up the roll.”

“Well then, how about we go inside and you can explain everything like you said you would back in the hospital?” Twilight asked, indicating the open door.

“Alright,” Wyatt said, following her inside.

Once everyone was seated Spike looked around and asked, “Hey, where’s Rainbow Dash?”

“She got hurt during the monster attack,” Fluttershy explained softly. “B-but don’t worry, she’s going to be just fine,” she blurted out, hiding behind her pink mane.

“Okay, so how did you defeat that monster?” Spike asked, turning to Wyatt.

“Oh, I turned into a Kamen Rider and made it blow up,” he answered dismissively.

“What is a Kamen Rider?” Twilight asked.

“I guess the best way to explain it is to just say that a Kamen Rider is a type of super-hero. Kamen is the Japanese word for mask or masked and Rider usually refers to the fact that a Kamen Rider usually rides a motorcycle.”

“What’s a motorcycle?” Twilight asked, taking notes.

“You don’t know what a motorcycle is?” Wyatt asked, confused. The hospital had seemed to be quite modern, how could these ponies not know about motorcycles?

“No, would you mind explaining it to me?”

“It’s like a bicycle, but with a motor, hence the name.”

“That does make sense,” Twilight replied, jotting down more notes.

“Dude, you’re a super-hero?!” Spike cheered. “You’ve got to show me that! What are your powers? Do you have a catchphrase like the Power Ponies?”

“I guess I have a catchphrase,” Wyatt replied, scratching his cheek in thought. “And I don’t think transforming when I don’t have to is a good idea.” Spike seemed to deflate with that and started to pout. “But I might be able to show you what I use to transform,” he offered, hoping to cheer the baby dragon up.

“Nice!” Spike beamed, pumping a fist into the air. Wyatt closed his eyes and concentrated on having his Driver appear in his hand. After about a minute or so he felt a familiar weight in his hands and opened his eyes to see the buckle and the card case in them once more.

“Whoa, how’d you do that?” Spike asked pointing at the items Wyatt was now holding.

“I just sort of pictured them in my head and they appeared.”

“Interesting,” Twilight stated, her horn lighting up and surrounding the buckle and case. She was silent for a few moments before she furrowed her brow and said, “There seems to be some kind of magic coming from these devices. Though it’s not a type of magic that I even recognize. Would you mind if I study this?”

“Sure, but be careful with it, okay?” Wyatt told her. “I’d hate for you to break it in case another Undead shows up.”

“Undead?” Pinkie questioned, tilting her head. “Like a vampire-pony?” She asked, throwing her arm around herself as though she was wearing a cape. “Or a zombie?” This time stretching her arms out in front of her and letting out a guttural moan as she stumbled over to Rarity.

“See!” Spike cried, leaping into the air again. “I told you it was zombies!”

“Actually, it’s not really a zombie,” Wyatt explained.

“How do you know so much about this monster?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean, if you don’t mind me asking,” she squeaked.

“This might be a little hard to believe,” Wyatt started, taking a deep breath. “But Kamen Riders, and monsters like the Undead are both part of a long running series of stories,” he then opened up the case and pulled out a card with a picture of a grey helmet ending in a horn-like curve and circular red eyes, showing it to the group. “This is the card for Kamen Rider Blade, the Undead are from his story.”

“A story?” Twilight questioned. “You’re telling me that monsters like that are from some story where you’re from?”

“Yeah, I don’t get it either,” Wyatt admitted. “But I’m telling you the truth.”

“Can you turn into that Blade you mentioned like you did those other two, darling?” Rarity asked, pointing to the card.

“I should be able to,” Wyatt affirmed, nodding.

“What were the other two forms called?” Twilight asked.

“Decade and Kabuto in order of their appearance. Decade is actually the base form for this belt.”

“May I see your case?” Twilight asked, holding out a hand. “I’d like to take a look at these cards.” He shrugged and handed her the case. She carefully pulled out all the cards and flipped through them slowly with Spike peeking in next to her. “Fascinating, you said that the Undead was related to one of these Riders, do the others fight Undead, or some other type of monster?”

“Well, Kuuga and Agito both fight the same type of monster, and Decade doesn’t really have an official monster,” he shared. “Other than that, each rider has their own type of monster that they would fight.” His eyes then widened as he came to a realization. “Oh god, Twilight, I just had a thought. If Undead are a thing in this world, maybe the other monsters will appear.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Twilight stated darkly. Everyone in the room seemed to shiver a bit at that, Pinkie’s mane deflating slightly as well.

“Hey,” Spike chimed in, “if those monsters do show up then Wyatt here can just transform and beat them all up!” His energy seemed to be infectious because Pinkie Pie brightened up as well.

“Yeah! And then you’ll be all like bam, zoom, pew, pew,” she cheered, miming out fighting moves.

“Well, I gotta do what I can,” Wyatt replied with a weak smile.

“There’s one more thing that I’m curious about,” Twilight started, looking over the cards. “Can you tell me what these greyed out cards are?”

“Greyed out cards?” Wyatt asked, confused. “Can I see them?” Twilight handed him the cards and his eyes widened in realization. “Now I remember, these were there when I bought the case,” He then frowned. “Though the guy I bought it from said I’d be able to figure out how to get images to appear on them after I got the case. Well, I did and he still didn’t tell me what I’m supposed to do with these.” Wyatt scrutinized the cards and noticed something that he hadn’t before. “Hold on a second, this card has writing on it. ‘Displaced Ride’.” He read aloud.

“What the hay is that supposed to mean?” Applejack asked, scratching her head.

“I have no idea,” Wyatt admitted, “but it is a start.”

“I think this’ll be enough for today,” Twilight spoke up. “We’ve all gone through a lot and should get our rest. Come on Wyatt, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.” Twilight and the others got up but Wyatt stayed where he was sitting for a moment.

“Can I get you all to promise me something first?” He asked.

They all responded with a quick, “Yes?” simultaneously.

“Can you please keep my being a Kamen Rider secret? I’d rather not stand out more than I already do.

“If that’s what you want, then I’ll be happy to honor your request, darling,” Rarity told him with a nod.

“Shoot, Ah don’t see much of a problem with keepin’ that a secret,” Applejack replied with a tilt of her hat.

“Oh, um, I’ll do my best to keep your secret,” Fluttershy said with a sheepish smile.

Pinkie didn’t say anything, instead she mimed out a few actions of her drawing her hand across her mouth, twisting it, seeming to dig a hole and filling it back up and stretching her arms out to draw out a large shape.

“Umm, what was that supposed to mean?” Wyatt asked, puzzled.

“I zipped my lip, locked it, buried it and built a house on top, duh!” Pinkie beamed.

“Don’t you worry, I’m great at keeping secrets,” Spike bragged, puffing up his chest. “Twilight on the other hand, not so much.” To her credit, Twilight didn’t respond to that, instead choosing to level a subtle glare to the drake.

“I’ll keep your secret, but with one small qualifier,” Twilight said, turning to Wyatt.

“What is it?”

“If Princess Celestia asks me directly about this, then I’ll have to tell her.”

“You mentioned this princess earlier, who is she?”

“I’ll tell you all about her tomorrow while we’re on the way to see Rainbow Dash at the hospital. For now, I think it’s best you get some rest. You might say that you’re okay after that fight, but I’m a little worried.”

“Alright, sheesh, you sound like a mom right now,” Wyatt told her with a chuckle.

“Trust me, you don’t even know the half of it,” Spike deadpanned while rolling his eyes.

Twilight rolled her eyes as well as everyone said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. She then showed him the general layout of the library before she showed him to the basement. The room was filled with machinery and other scientific equipment with a small bed in a relatively empty corner and a small night stand beside it.

“Sorry it’s not much, but that mattress is comfortable,” Twilight offered.

“Thanks, it’s perfect,” Wyatt answered with a smile as he sat at the edge of the bed.

“Good night,” she told him as she turned to walk back upstairs. “I hope you get plenty of rest.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,”

“Okay.”

With that, she and Spike exited the basement, leaving Wyatt alone. He peeled out of his clothes, minus his boxers and set them and his meager belongings on the night stand. Except for his wallet. He opened it revealing several photos of his friends and family. Before he knew it, a small bit of moisture fell onto a picture of him with his mother and father that had been taken when he was much younger. This gave way to silent sobs as he clutched the wallet to his chest.

“Mom, Dad, I wanna go home.”

School's Out

Celestia hummed to herself, putting the finishing touches on her breakfast. Once it was done, she had a stack of pancakes with a face on top made of various berries. She smiled at her handiwork and sat down at her table. She then levitated the morning paper to read as she ate.

“A monster attack in Ponyville,” she read aloud between bites. “My goodness, I hope Twilight and her friends are okay.” She continued to read, taking a sip of orange juice.

Moments later, her eyes widened and she spat the liquid out in a mist. She then lit up her horn and teleported with the paper in tow. When she reappeared, she was in Luna’s bedroom. “Luna, wake up!” she cried, grabbing her sister by the shoulders.

Luna frowned, pushing her rather intrusive sister away. “Sister, thou hast best have a good reason for waking me up,” Luna spoke, her grogginess causing her to mix her speech up.

Celestia levitated the newspaper into Luna’s hands, pointing out the article she had been reading. “I do. A Kamen Rider has appeared again.”

Luna blinked for a few moments before gripping the paper hard enough for her knuckles to go white. She stared at the page, reading over the head line again and again. “Didn’t you tell me Agito had vanished some time after I was banished?”

Celestia nodded, a frown on her face. “Yes, he did. It seems he was able to survive through the years as we have.” Celestia gave Luna a hard look. “Perhaps we should check Ponyville? Agito might still be close by.”

Luna tossed her covers away, rising to her hooves. “Agreed. If Agito has returned, it can only mean that something has his attention. Something that we should know about.”

Celestia nodded and teleported out of the room to her own bedroom. She quickly changed out of her bathrobe and put on a dress and her regalia. She then teleported back to Luna’s room to see her sister had gotten dressed as well.

“I believe we should pay my student a visit,” Celestia commented. “I’m sure she’s heard something about this rider.”

Luna nodded and the two lit up their horns. They disappeared in a flash and reappeared in Ponyville. There was a gasp around them and the two sisters looked to see the townsponies bowing.

“There is no need to bow, my little ponies.” Celestia smiled, gesturing for them to rise. “I hope everypony is alright. When I heard the news of the attack, I had to come here myself. I assure you, we will do everything in our power to protect you from any further incidents.”

The ponies rose up and returned her smile. There was a quick chorus of thanks and assurances that everypony was safe. They then dispersed, going about their day.

Nodding at Luna, Celestia started to walk towards the library. Running over the possibilities in her mind, she began to formulate what exactly she would say to Agito. The man hadn’t exactly left on the best of terms, and she doubted he’d be happy to see either of them. She shook her head as she approached the library door. It didn’t matter if things were tense between them, she had a duty to protect her citizens. She reached out, knocked at the library door and waited for a response.

After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a yawning Spike. He opened his eyes and suddenly snapped to attention. “Princess!” he cried, looking between the sisters. “What are you two doing here?”

Celestia spoke first. “We heard of the attack, and were worried you and the elements were harmed.” She glanced around before leaning in. “Where is the rider?”

Spike’s eyes widened for a moment before letting them inside. “I’ll go get Twilight. You two can make yourselves at home.” He waved a claw over to the nearby couches while he rushed upstairs.

He returned a few moments later with a disheveled Twilight, her mane sticking out at odd angles. “Princesses, Spike told me you were here about the rider,” she said, a nervous smile on her face.

Celestia nodded, a stern look on her face. “Where is he now, Twilight? I need to see Agito as soon as possible.”

Twilight blinked for a moment before tilting her head at them. “Um, Wyatt said his base form is Decade.” Her eyes then widened. “But he did say he could turn into Agito. Wait,” she tilted her head and looked between them, “how do you know about Agito?”

Celestia and Luna exchanged looks, before focusing on Twilight. “Twilight, if you wouldn’t mind bringing us this ‘Wyatt’, I would be very grateful.” Celestia smiled reassuringly. “I promise you, he’s not in trouble.”

Twilight motioned at Spike who nodded and headed down to the basement. They all heard a muffled cry of, “What?!” before what sounded like a dull thud of someone falling. A few minutes later and Spike came back with a thin young man who looked between them with barely contained nerves.

“Hello,” Wyatt said, cracking a nervous smile.

Celestia looked Wyatt over, turning to Luna. “He’s certainly not Agito. A son perhaps?”

“Maybe we should ask him directly?” Luna offered, waving a hand to him. “He is right here and can hear everything we’re saying after all.”

Blushing, Celestia cleared her throat. “Forgive me, Wyatt. It has been a long time since we’ve seen a human, let alone a Kamen Rider. Please, tell us, what has brought you here?”

“Uh to be honest, I’m not really sure,” Wyatt said, rubbing the back of his head. “One minute I was at a convention, and the next thing I know I woke up in the Ponyville hospital.” He blinked, digesting Celestia’s earlier statements. “Wait a second, there have been Kamen Riders before me?”

“A pair of brothers,” Luna explained, leaning back on the couch. “Kuuga and Agito. They gave us a similar story to the one you just told us.”

Wyatt gaped at them, looking between the sisters. “This is nuts.” He took a seat across from them, looking down at his lap. “I thought I’d be the only human here.”

Celestia gave him a bright smile. “While there are no humans in Equestria, they do exist on this world. They live across the western sea, and choose to keep to themselves.”

“What?!” Twilight cried, stepping over to Wyatt’s side. “How come I’ve never heard this before?”

Wyatt ignored her outburst, staring up at the princesses in disbelief. “Why did they choose to isolate themselves?”

“Tensions were high after the unification. Not many nations were willing to forgive them for what the Gurongi did.”

Wyatt balled balled his fists at the word, a pit forming in his stomach. “So the Grongi appeared before I was here. Are Kuuga and Agito a part of this story?”

“Patience,” Celestia chided. “Spike, would you mind getting us some tea?”

Spike nodded and walked over to the kitchen. Wyatt took a deep breath, doing his best to wrap his head around all the new information. Coming back a few moments later, Spike passed out a few cups of tea.

Sipping at her tea, Celestia made herself comfortable. “Like we ponies, humanity was once separated into tribes. These tribes were the Linto and the Gurongi. The Linto were peaceful like us, but, the Gurongi were a brutal warrior tribe, constantly harassing their peaceful relatives.”

Wyatt arched a brow at her, adding a couple sugarcubes to his cup of tea. “That Gurongi tribe sounds like the monsters Kuuga fought.”

“Things changed when a meteor crashed into Gurongi lands. They harvested the strange materials and somehow used them to grant themselves the ability to take on the forms of monsters. The created a ‘game’ called the Gegeru, one that if completed, would have made the Linto as violent as they were.”

Spike gulped, taking a seat next to Twilight. “Did they do it? Did they complete the game?”

Luna smiled, shaking her head. “Luckily for us, Kuuga and Agito appeared to challenge them. They fought when the Linto could not, and brought the Gurongi leader low. However, instead of finishing off the vile tribe, Kuuga offered them peace.” Her ears drooped and she stared into her cup. “And while they achieved it, Kuuga did not live to see it.”

Wyatt gulped, placing a hand on one of the bruises on his chest. He winced slightly as he let that news sink in. It served to remind him how close to dying he had come himself the day before. Or what could happen if he kept using the belt. Then an image of Rainbow Dash in a bloody heap replayed in his head and he clenched his hand over his chest.

Celestia picked up the conversation. “After Kuuga’s passing, Agito became distant. After the Nightmare Incident, he vanished altogether, though, over the years I’ve gotten reports of someone wielding powers like his. The last was around the time Twilight first became my student.”

Wyatt’s eyes widened and his sip of tea went down the wrong pipe, sending him into a coughing fit. He rubbed his throat before speaking. “Are you saying that Agito’s been around that long?” He scratched his chin for a moment. “Or maybe the original Agito passed his powers down to someone.”

“Kuuga was of the impression that their powers would keep them young, much like us.” Celestia gestured to herself and Luna. “While I am slightly disappointed you are not him, I’d like to think news of your existence will draw him out.”

Wyatt chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’m sure I’m nowhere near as impressive to see as a hero that helped save the world.”

“Still,” Celestia pressed, putting her cup down. “Agito’s return would aid us greatly. When one monster appears, many are sure to follow. Equestria has been at peace for so long, my little ponies have forgotten how to fight.”

Wyatt nodded, giving the princesses a serious look. “I’m sure. I know I’m not the rider you’re looking for, but I’ll help you however I can. It’s not like I can give my powers to someone else.”

Celestia smiled sadly. “I hate asking this of you. To put yourself in danger to protect a race that is not your own.” She reached over, taking his hand. “You have my thanks, Wyatt.”

Wyatt returned her smile and rubbed the back of his head. “Consider it my way of repaying you all for giving me a place to stay.” He slowly pulled his hand away from her. “Besides, what kind of person would I be if I let others die when there’s something I can do?”

Luna nodded, an approving smile on her face. “Well said, I hope you keep that attitude in mind during the trials ahead.”

Wyatt smiled at her. “Can I just make a small request? I’d like my identity as Decade to remain private.”

Celestia and Luna exchanged a look for a few moments before facing him again.

“That should be fine,” Celestia assured him.

“Thank you,” Wyatt said, relaxing in his seat. “Um, is it okay if I ask you something?” His eyes moved from their heads to their backs. “What kind of pony are you exactly?”

Giggling, Celestia spread her wings. “My sister and I are alicorns. In us, all pony tribes are represented. A unicorn’s magic, a pegasi’s flight, an earth pony’s strength.”

Wyatt nodded in understanding. “No wonder you two are the princesses.”

“That’s not all,” Spike chimed, “they also raise the sun and moon everyday.”

Wyatt turned to the drake, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. “That’s impossible.”

Twilight let out a gasp, shooting up from her seat. “Oh my goodness, I just remembered something!” She turned to Wyatt and Spike. “We’re supposed to meet the girls at the hospital today!”

“You’re right!” Spike gasped, his eyes going wide. “Rainbow Dash should be awake!”

Celestia and Luna shared another look before turning to Twilight with a concerned expression.

“Does Rainbow Dash being in the hospital have anything to do with the monster attack?”

Wyatt nodded, getting out of his seat. “Yeah, it knocked her through a window.”

“If you don’t mind, may we join you?” Luna asked.

Twilight flashed the princesses a smile. “Of course you can come.” She walked over to the front door and motioned for the others to follow.

Everyone else got up from their seats and followed her out the door into town. Most of the trip was spent in relative silence, though Wyatt couldn’t help but notice the reverent looks directed at the princesses. The silence was broken when they passed by a schoolhouse. The faint sounds of children screaming caught their attention.

They ran towards the sounds and were stunned by what they saw. A humanoid monster that was a deep green with a staff in its hand that had a crescent moon shaped blade at the end. Its head had an alien look to it and spikes jutted out from its head and various parts of its body. In its other hand was a charcoal colored pegasus foal that it was holding up by the foal’s throat.

“Wh-whaddya want from us?” a yellow earth pony filly with a red mane asked, holding her hands over a gash on her leg.

“Wings!” the monster cried, raising its weapon as it prepared to strike the foal in its grasp.

Wyatt’s eyes widened and he concentrated on his driver appearing in his hand. It only took a moment for it and the card case to appear. He placed the driver to his waist and the belt formed around him. He then pulled out the Decade card and slotted it into the driver.

“Henshin!” Wyatt called out, pressing the handles on the buckle together.

“Kamen ride,” the familiar voice of the driver said, various silhouettes appearing around Wyatt, “Decade!” The silhouettes converged and with a flash, Wyatt appeared in the Decade armor.

“Beast, you won’t hurt a hair on those foals!” Luna was the first to spring into action. A war hammer appeared in her hands, and she leapt into the air, quickly closing the distance between them. With a savage cry, she brought it down onto its head with as much force as she could muster.

The monster stumbled, causing it to release the pegasus foal. Before they could hit the ground, Wyatt dove and caught them.

“Are you okay?” Wyatt asked, looking down at the foal. He stood up and put himself between the injured filly and the monster. “Can you move?”

“Y-yeah!” the filly shuttered, staring with wide eyes.

Wyatt put the pegasus foal down next to the filly and turned his attention back to the monster. He grabbed his card case off his belt and unfolded it into its sword form. “Then you two get to safety. The princesses and I will take care of this.”

“Come on!” The pegasus grabbed the filly’s arm, dragging her along as he made a run for it.

Wyatt felt a surge of relief fill him as he charged the monster. He slashed the monster’s back while it and Luna’s weapons were crossed. Sparks flew up from the creature’s back and it let out a roar of pain. Out of the corner of his eye, Wyatt noted Celestia was standing guard over the school children, wielding a sword and shield. The monster growled, pushing Luna and her hammer and creating an opening in her guard. Just as the monster was about to strike at her, Wyatt jumped in front of her and blocked its fist with his sword.

Wyatt grunted and shoved the monster back. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to hit a lady?” Wyatt asked.

Luna spread her wings, giving them a flap to regain her balance. “I take it you know what this creature is?”

“It’s an Imagin,” Wyatt answered, taking a card out of his case. “It gains power by forming a contract with someone and granting their wish.” He slotted the card into his belt, pressing the handles together.

“Kamen ride: Den-O!” the driver called out, Wyatt’s form shifting.

The main color of his armor became red, with silver trimming running down the center of the chestplate that resembled train tracks. His boots and gauntlets were entirely silver with the unarmored portions on his arms and legs being black. The mouthpiece of his helmet was silver, the almost triangular eyepieces extended out a little past the helmet and a golden band ran along the top of the helmet. His sword changed in appearance as well, with a black and silver handle and a long, red blade that was thicker than the one he used as Decade.

Luna gazed at him, hefting her hammer again. “I never ceased to be amazed by rider transformations.”

Wyatt got into a stance with his sword, bending his knees. “I’ve got eight more I can show you.” He leapt forward, slashing diagonally at the monster’s chest. It hissed in pain, stumbling backwards.

Luna followed up by swinging her hammer horizontally and catching the monster in its side. “Die monster!”

Wyatt pulled out a card from his case. “I think I can help with that. You might wanna step back.”

Luna heeded his warning as he put the card in his driver.

“Final attack ride: D-D-Den-O!” The blade on Wyatt’s sword shot out from the hilt, a bright glow surrounding it. He then moved his arm in a horizontal motion and the blade quickly followed it in a blur. He did this again, a shower of sparks shooting out from the monster. Finally, he swung the hilt down from over his head and the blade cleaved the monster in two, soil and grass erupting out from the force. The remains then dissolved into sand as Wyatt reverted to Decade.

Luna let her hammer drop, eyeing the sand carefully. “Are you sure it’s dead?”

Wyatt nodded, his body relaxing. “Yeah, it’s dead.” He walked over, kicking the sand to demonstrate. Part of it drifted away with the breeze, but nothing else happened.

Dispelling her hammer, Luna pat a hand on Wyatt’s shoulder. “You’ve certainly earned your keep. If only there were more like you.”

Wyatt smiled under his helmet, looking between Luna and the foals. “In my world there’s a popular saying; with great power comes great responsibility. If I’ve got the powers of a rider, then I’ll do the job of one.”

A distant smile formed on Luna’s lips. “Kuuga shared a similar sentiment. He always strived to protect those who could not protect themselves.”

Wyatt felt a bit of pride at the comment, glancing back at her. “Well, I think I’m gonna go off and turn back to normal away from everyone. But I think you and your sister should talk to the foals. I’ve got a feeling that one of them made the contract.” He started to walk off.

Luna walked over to her sister, whispering everything Wyatt had told her. Celestia’s eyes widened for a moment, glancing back at the foals.

“We will need to tread carefully,” Celestia whispered. “I’m sure the foal in question is already quite shaken up by what happened here.”

Luna nodded. “Tact has always been more of your strong suit.” She scanned through the group, looking for any foal that seemed particularly out of sorts. Her eyes settled on an orange pegasus filly that was trying to make herself as small as possible. “What is your name?” she asked, making the filly jump.

“Um, S-Scootaloo, Princess,” the filly answered, not meeting the alicorn’s gaze. It was then that Luna noticed that the filly’s wings looked rather underdeveloped for her age.

“Please come here, Scootaloo,” Celestia instructed, kneeling down to her level. Giving Scootaloo her best smile, Celestia gestured to the playground. “Can you tell me about what happened? I promise, no matter what, you won’t be in trouble.”

Scootaloo’s face fell and her eyes darted around frantically as if she were contemplating running away. After a few moments she her shoulders sagged and she started to walk towards the jungle gym.

Celestia turned to the school teacher, who had been keeping the other foals under control. “You may go inside. I suggest ending school for the rest of the day. I’ll send my guards out to escort the children home.”

The teacher nodded and motioned toward the door for all the foals to see. “Okay everypony, let’s get inside until the nice guards come here.” She turned to the yellow filly and pegasus foal that had gotten caught up in the attack. “Apple Bloom, Rumble, do you two need any help getting inside?”

“Ah should be fine,” Apple Bloom assured, carefully taking a step forward on her injured leg.

“I’ll help!” Rumble stepped over, bracing Apple Bloom’s shoulder.

“Okay, just go over to my desk so I can clean that up,” the teacher said, ushering the students into the schoolhouse. “I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”

Celestia and Luna watched them file into the building for a moment before joining Scootaloo by the jungle gym. They took a seat besides her, both of them giving her comforting smiles.

“Do you know how this monster attack started?” Celestia asked. She put a hand on the filly’s back. “Tell us whatever you can.”

Scootaloo stared down at the ground, trembling for a few moments. “I-It was all my fault,” she admitted. “T-that thing came up to me. It rose up from a pile of sand and asked me what my wish was. I-I know I shouldn’t have told him, but I couldn’t resist. I told it that I wanted to fly.” She shuddered, clenching her hands around her knees. “Because of me, one of my best friends got hurt.” Tears openly fell from her eyes. “If it weren’t for you and that weird armored guy, they might’ve-” She stopped herself from finishing and broke into sobs.

Luna’s expression fell, the monster’s intentions suddenly becoming clear. She put a hand on the filly’s shoulder. “Nopony could blame you for falling into that sort of temptation.” Taking a chance, she pulled Scootaloo into a hug. “Least of all me. You are not at fault for what that beast did.”

Scootaloo’s sobs slowed slightly as she returned Luna’s hug. She stayed like that with the princess for a while.

The sun blazed high over head, sending unrelenting heat down onto the dry ground below. A single being walked along a well worn path, their form hidden under a cloak. A pale mask concealed their face, depicting a horned demon. The rhythmic crunch of dried grass under foot was the only sound that graced the area. The figure adjusted their cloak, the blazing sun making the article of clothing uncomfortable. They climbed to the top of a hill, spotting a town nearby. Nothing about it stuck out, not after all the other towns the figure had seen.

Resuming their trek, they passed a sign stating the town was named “Appleloosa.” The figure turned their head, seeing a treeline just outside of the town. The figure guessed it was an orchard if the name of the town was anything to go by. The figure turned back toward the town, slowly making their way toward it.

As they walked into town, a few ponies stopped to watch them. One such pony, a yellow stallion with a leather vest and cowboy hat, made a beeline for the newcomer. Clearing his throat, he threw his arms out wide. “Welcome to Appleloosa!!!!!”

The figure was taken aback by the greeting. Normally ponies weren’t so happy to see a cloak and demon mask. In fact, the figure had been run out of towns instantly more than once at torch and pitchfork-point.

“Hello,” the figure greeted, their voice rasping from the early stages of dehydration. “You must be the welcome wagon.”

The stallion chuckled. “Ah make sure all our guests feel welcome.” Pausing to look over the newcomer, he smiled. “Ya’ll musta been walkin’ fer a while. Come on, ah’ll show ya to the saloon. First drinks on me.”

“I’ve never been able to turn down a free drink.” The figure motioned towards the rest of the town. “Lead the way.”

“Ah’m Braeburn by the way,” the stallion introduced, leading him through the town.

The figure looked around, finding everything to have an Old West aesthetic. He half expected to see Clint Eastwood and John Wayne to walk out and have a shootout. He turned back to Braeburn. “You can call me Oni.”

“Oni huh?” Braeburn asked, eyeing him critically. “Well, Oni, we ain’t ones ta turn away a weary traveller. Us Apples Especially!”

Braeburn led him through the stereotypical doors of the saloon, swinging behind them for a few seconds before coming to a rest. “I appreciate it. I’m a little sick of cactus juice,” “Oni” replied. The pair got a few looks, but, no one bothered them.

The pair took a seat at the counter, Braeburn motioning over the barkeep. “Tapper, two Apple Family Ciders please.”

“Comin’ right up!” Tapper, an olive colored mare with a fiery red mane, replied. She grabbed two mugs, filling them up from a keg set into the wall. Turning around, she slid them along the bar. “Enjoy boys!”

Braeburn and Oni caught their mugs by the handle and picked them up. “Thank ya kindly.” Braeburn flashed her a bright smile before taking a long swig.

“Thanks.” Oni tilted his mask up, taking a long drink from his mug. “Haven’t had anything like this in a while.”

Braeburn chuckled and grinned. He leaned on the bar as he turned to Oni. “Ah doubt you’ve ever had anything like this. It’s mah family’s secret recipe. Best in all o’ Equestria.” From what Braeburn could see of Oni’s face, it appeared the stallion was smiling.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that a lot. Apples tend to be everywhere you go.”

Braeburn chuckled and took another swig. “Eeyup, the family tends t’plant a lot o’ seeds if ya catch mah drift.”

Oni took another drink from his glass, setting it on the bar. “Yeah, I know what you mean. What about you? Plant any seeds yet?”

Braeburn set his own mug down and looked up. “Not yet. Appleoosa is still settlin’ in. Between buildin’ the town, plantin’ the orchard and settlin’ the feud with the buffalo, everypony’s had their hands full.” He turned back to Oni with a wide smile. “Ah ain’t worried none about it though. Ah ain’t even thirty yet. Way too soon t’think about makin’ little Apple saplings.”

Oni shrugged. “You never know. A kid could just jump out at you.”

Braeburn laughed for a few moments, tilting his hat back. “Yeah, as if a little filly’ll fall on mah head and Ah’d adopt her right quick.”

Chuckling, Oni shook his head. “It could happen.”

Braeburn shook his head and smiled. “Maybe. Stranger things have happened. Mah cousin became an Element of Harmony and Princess Luna returned. Anything’s possible.”

At Luna’s name, Oni tensed up. ‘I heard about that. Must have been some reunion. I can only imagine how happy Celestia was.”

Braeburn finished his cider, putting his mug on the counter. “From what Ah heard, there was a lot of tears and hugs.”

“Good for them.” Oni finished his drink, placing a few bits on the table. “For the tip.” He slide his mask back down, heading towards the door.

Braeburn watched him as he left. “Aint’cha gonna stick around? Ya haven’t even had a bite t’eat. Not t’mention the desert don’t exactly have soft beds.”

“You got an inn?” Oni asked, looking over his shoulder.

“Not exactly,” Braeburn replied, adjusting his hat again. “But there’s a spare room at mah place. It ain’t nothin’ fancy, but it’ll keep the cold, night air away.” Adjusting his hat, he gave Oni a smile. “Yer welcome to it, ah insist.”

Oni turned back, taking his hand off the door. “I guess one night won’t hurt.” He faced Braeburn, the eyes of the mask boring into the stallion. “But I can’t stay longer than that.”

Braeburn nodded and waved Oni back over. “Alright, whatever ya say. Now why don’t ya come and get a bite t’eat? Tapper may not be able t’brew anything like mah family’s cider, but she’s a mean cook.” He flashed the bartender a teasing smile.

Tapper huffed, smoothing down her dress. Satisfied it was presentable, she flashed Oni a smile. “Come on, sugar, whaddya have?”

Oni took his seat back at the bar, resting his elbows on the counter. “I’ll take just about anything that doesn’t have hay or flowers in it. Got anything like that?”

Tapper smiled and nodded. “I’ll whip ya somethin right up, sugar.” She dipped back into the kitchen and grabbed a variety of materials. Half an hour later and she returned with a steaming plate of a vegetarian shepherd’s pie.

“Smells good,” Oni complimented. Once again, he slid his mask up, just enough to allow him to eat. He took the offered fork and cut into the crust. A wave of steam came out and revealed the gravy and vegetables. Taking a bite, he gave Tapper a thumbs up.

Tapper’s smile grew and she grabbed Oni’s mug to fill it back up. “Glad ya like it, hun.” She slid the mug back over to him.

Oni nodded in thanks, grabbing the mug and taking a long drink from it. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a faint smile on his face. Just as he was about to take another bite, the doors opened and slammed into the wall. He turned to see several stallions with weapons in their hands. Oni sighed, putting his fork down as he prepared for the worst.

Standing up, he turned to the stallions. “And what do you idiots want?”

“Easy, we’re taking this town for everything it’s got,” the largest earth pony stallion of the group answered, seemingly ignoring the insult. “This place doesn’t even have guards, just an old sheriff.”

Oni eyed them closely. “I suggest you turn around and leave. These are nice people, they don’t deserve to be bothered by the likes of you.”

The group laughed, nearly doubling over. The leader quickly recovered and pointed his dagger at Oni. “You must be some sort of comedian.” The stallion grinned. “They may not deserve to get robbed, but we deserve a pile of bits.”

Sighing, Oni shook his head. “It’s always the stupid ones.” He held out his hand, and a rush of blue energy emerged from his cloak. It formed in his hand, becoming a blue staff, with a blade on either end. The would-be bandits flinched and gaped at the unknown weapon. A glare from the leader caused them to get into stances against Oni. They spread out around him, keeping his back to the counter.

“Do we really have to do this?” he asked, moving his gaze between them.

“Of course not,” the leader said, “just let us take what we came for and we won’t hurt anypony.”

“Too bad, I can’t let you have that.”

The leader motioned with his hand and the rest of the bandits charged at Oni. Oni was quick to react and swept his weapon at the hooves of a scrawny, cream-colored unicorn. Knocking the stallion off his hooves, Oni kicked him in the stomach, sending him into the guy behind him. Another earth pony stallion charged at Oni with an axe, the weapon held high above his head. Oni spun his polearm around, smacking the charging stallion in his elbows. The stallion lost his grip on the axe, the butt of the handle falling and hitting the stallion in the head. The axe then hit the floor, the blade lodging itself into the floorboard.

Oni leveled the blade with the stallion's neck, lightly pressing it into his skin. Locking eyes with the leader, he spoke. “Are we done now?”

The leader was about to say something when the remaining bandits ran out the door, their weapons clattering to the floor. The leader grit his teeth before hanging his head. “We give up.”

Oni dispelled the weapon, retaking his seat. “Thought so.”

The patrons of the bar surrounded the leader and the remaining bandit and dragged them off towards the jail. Braeburn and Tapper stared at Oni as he resumed eating, their mouths agape. Oni ignored them, turning his attention to the pie in front of him. He grumbled to himself over the fact that the pie had become lukewarm.

Braeburn was the first to recover from his stupor. “Well, Ah’ll be, that was amazin’ Oni! How’d ya do that anyway?”

Oni shrugged and took another bite of his pie. “It’s just something certain members of my kind can do.” He took a few more bites before standing up. “Sorry about the mess.” Reaching into his cloak, he pulled out a small bag, placing it on the counter.

Tapper recovered and put the bag back into his hand. “Yer money’s no good here, hun. Not after keepin’ us all from gettin’ robbed.”

Oni grunted, putting the bag away. He turned on his heels, walking out of the saloon.

“Ya leavin’ town already?” Braeburn asked, a frown on his face.

“Sorry. Don’t need the attention.” Oni paused, looking over his shoulder. “Hey Braeburn, is Granny Smith still around?”

A large grin spread across Braeburn’s face. “Eeyup, she’s alive and kickin’. Ah think her stubborn ways are gonna make her immortal.”

“Tell her, Pear says he’s sorry.” Without further conversation, Oni walked out of the building, vanishing from sight.

A Daughter's Quest

Wyatt had to hold back a yawn as he sat at a desk. Twilight had taken it upon herself to teach him about Equestria from its culture to its history. At the moment she was talking a mile a minute while writing on a blackboard. Wyatt tried to absorb the lesson, but there was just too much.

He let out a silent thank you as a knock on the door interrupted her.

“Spike! Can you get that?” Twilight called, visibly annoyed.

“Sure thing, Twi!” Spike replied. Everything was quiet for a few moments before he spoke again, “Twi, Aj’s here to see you!”

Twilight closed her book, setting it on the table. “You can tell her we’re in the back, Spike! Thank you!”

Wyatt sighed in relief, sagging in his chair as Applejack walked into the room.

“Sorry fer showin’ up unannounced, Twi,” the farm mare said, tilting her hat up. “But somethin’ came up.” She lifted her hand, indicating the letter she was carrying. “My cousin had a run in with someone and Ah thought ya’ll should know.”

Wyatt took note of a certain word as he turned his head towards Applejack. “Why’d you say “someone”? Don’t you guys normally say somepony?”

“Yeah well, Braeburn didn’t meet no pony,” Applejack responded. “Says the guy had a cloak on and wore a monster mask. Apparently, he beat up a buncha bandits that tried to rob the town.”

Twilight frowned. “That’s very odd.”

Wyatt brought out his card case and pulled out the card labeled Agito. He held it up for Aj to see. “Did the mask look like this?”

Applejack brought the letter to eye level, pouring over it again. “Nothing like that. He said that it looked like a demon or something. He also said that he called himself ‘Oni’ and used some kinda magic to create a weapon.”

Wyatt sighed and put the card and case away. “Looks like we don’t have a concrete lead on Agito.”

Applejack let her arm fall, rubbing the back of her neck. “Sorry, Ah wish I could be of more help.” An unsure look came across her face. “There was one other thing. He told Braeburn to tell Granny that ‘Pear was sorry.’”

Twilight tilted her head, a confused look on her face. “This random person knows Granny Smith?”

Applejack shrugged uncertainly. “Ah don’t rightly know. When Granny read it, she got all quiet like. Normally, she gets badder than a bull when she even hears the word ‘pear’.”

“That sounds like something you should ask her about. Doesn’t your family have a feud with the Pears?”

“I don’t know?” Applejack asked, her unsure look growing. “I’ll talk to Granny Smith and let ya know what she tells me.”

“Oh, and how’s Apple Bloom doing?” Twilight asked. “Is her leg recovering alright?”

“Yeah.” Applejack nodded her head. “She’s doin’ pretty good. Worried like crazy about Scootaloo. How’s she doin’ anyway?”

“I haven’t seen her in a day or two,” Twilight admitted. “Though she still looked out of sorts about the attack.” A melancholy look dawned across her face. “She’s really shaken up. I mean... she inadvertently unleashed a monster on her classmates.”

“Ah think we need t’talk with her,” Applejack offered. “Remind her that none of us blame her fer what happened. Ah know Bloom’ will be happy ta try and cheer her friend up.”

Twilight let a faint smile spread across her lips. “That sounds like the best thing we can do for her right now.”

Wyatt looked between the two mares, not sure what to say. He wanted to offer help of course, but he didn’t know anything about Scootaloo so there wasn’t much he could really do. “Did your cousin say anything else about ‘Oni’?”

Applejack looked over the letter one more time, scanning it for any details she had missed. “Just that he didn’t have a lot of fur on him. The only thing Brae says he saw of him was his mouth. And it wasn’t no muzzle.”

Twilight nodded and rubbed her chin, her eyes narrowing in thought. “Then maybe our lead is more solid than we thought. Did Braeburn say anything about this Oni still being in Appleoosa?”

“No,” Applejack responded. “Said he didn’t want the attention and left town the same day.”

Wyatt and Twilight groaned, both of them dragging a hand across their faces. “And just like that we’re back to square one,” he noted. Running a hand through his hair, he gave Applejack his best smile. “Still, thanks for the info.”

Aj nodded and pocketed the letter. She gave him a smile of her own. “Ah figured a little info was better than none to report to the princesses.” She tilted her hat, turning to the door. “Ah’ll see ya’ll later.”

Wyatt and Twilight said their goodbyes and watched her leave. Twilight then turned to Wyatt and pointed to the board. “Pop quiz! Which pegasus legionnaire is cited as being one of the primary influences for the formation of the Wonderbolts?”

Wyatt jumped, his eyes frantically scanning the room. “Uh... uh... Sergeant Pepper!!”

Twilight shook her head. “Incorrect. Sergeant Pepper was the pony that led the charge in the battle of Minos. The correct answer was Flash Magnus.”

Despite his incorrect answer, Wyatt smirked slightly. “Did Sergeant Pepper have his Lonely Hearts with him?”

Twilight frowned. “No, The Lonely Hearts was a band of mercenaries that fought against Equestria during the Griffon Conflict.”

Wyatt’s smile slowly faded, and he put his head in his hands. “Twilight, I’m going to go hide in my room. Your world is starting to freak me out.”

Twilight tilted her head as she watched Wyatt slowly left the room. “What?” she asked, following him to the door.

Wyatt didn’t pause, making his way down the stairs. “Sergeant Pepper and the Lonely Hearts Club Band was an album by one of my world’s most famous bands. I’ll come back up when I stop having an existential crisis.”

Daring Do stepped off the train into the bustling platform that was Canterlot station. Of course, she was in her “A.K. Yearling” disguise so no one would pay her any mind. She glanced around the platform, noting that most of the crowd were unicorns as per usual. She adjusted the stack of paper under her arms as she made her way into the city proper. She had just finished her manuscript of her latest adventure and was ready to present it to her editor so it could become a new novel.

The streets weren’t very crowded, making her trip all the easier. It was a welcome change of pace from the Mareoccan markets she had just gotten back from. Of course, the trade off was being around upper crust ponies. Something she tried to avoid at all costs. She adjusted her shawl, feeling eyes on her as she stopped in front of her editor’s office. She climbed up a few steps and opened the door.

“Hey, Velvet,” she called out, stepping inside. “Got some words for you. Nice long ones, that’ll satisfy your OCD.”

The whitish gray mare adjusted her reading glasses as she looked up from her paperwork. The purple and white mane that normally hung down to her shoulders was done up in a neat bun. She was wearing a lavender suit jacket with a black shirt underneath it. “A.K. how many times do I have to tell you that I don’t have OCD?” Despite herself, she smiled.

“Until you can convince me that you don’t,” A.K. shot back, returning her smile. “Bet the fans are gonna love this one.” Taking the tome from under her arm, she held it out to Velvet. “Got everything they love about Daring Do.”

“Did you emphasize Daring’s cleverness like I suggested?” Velvet asked, taking the loosely bound pages and skimming through them. “The publishing company keeps telling me that we’re getting letters about the shift to the more action oriented style of the books.” She looked up to meet A.K.’s gaze and shrugged. “Honestly, I think you pull off both styles fine enough, but I’ve gotta play messenger or I’ll keep getting nagged.”

A.K rolled her eyes. “Geez, can’t ponies just let a mare write how she wants?” There was a reason she only ever read fan mail, or had any interaction with fans, when she was at conventions. “There’s always something they don’t like.”

Velvet chuckled, grabbing a highlighter as she set the rough draft on her desk. “Oh trust me, I know all too well how unpleasable a fanbase can be. Just remind yourself that they’re trying to make something they love better.”

A.K. smoothed out her shawl, wearing a scowl. “Yeah, I bet.” Spotting a newspaper lying on the desk, she grabbed it. “Anything important happen since my last trip to civilization?”

“There were two monster attacks in the town where my daughter lives,” Velvet answered, indicating to A.K. that it was okay for her to take the paper with a handwave as she set to work on the draft. “Luckily, the princesses unveiled a new type of anti-monster soldier.” Velvet tapped her chin with the back of the highlighter in thought. “A kamen something was what I believe they called them.”

The world seemed to freeze at the word kamen, A.K.’s gaze firmly locked on the papers in her hands. She started to read the article, her eyes pouring over every word. Eventually, she found the name Velvet was talking about, Kamen Rider. Of course, the name wasn’t new to her, she had heard it before. Long before this moment.

A.K. looked up from the paper, her eyes boring into Velvet. “Do you know if this Kamen Rider is still around Ponyville?”

Velvet looked up from her work, frowning at the serious look on A.K.’s face. “I don’t know, I only asked my daughter if she was safe. Apparently one of her friends was put in the hospital by the first monster attack.” Velvet took her glasses off to rub her eyes. “Poor dear had to have glass removed from her wings.”

A.K winced at the thought, reflexively fluffing her wings. “Was anyone seriously hurt?”

A soft smile graced Velvet’s lips as she shook her head. “No, my daughter’s friend sustained the worst injuries and she’s expected to make a full recovery. It seems this Kamen Rider is doing a good job.”

The news made A.K relax, but only slightly. “Can’t be him...” she muttered to herself, eyes drifting back to the paper. “He’d never let himself get mentioned in the news...”

Velvet quirked a brow, leaning forward in her chair. “Hmm, what was that?”

“Oh nothing,” A.K. said quickly, cursing under her breath. “I’m sorry, V, but I’m gonna have to cut this short. Something just came up, and I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

Velvet smiled and waved her off. “Don’t worry, A.K., with the draft you’ve given me I’ll be busy for quite some time. Just be sure to come back at some point so I can show you the notes. Let’s not have a repeat of what we went through-” Velvet blinked as A.K. ran out of the room, not even bothering to shut the door behind her. Velvet sighed, using her magic to shut it. “Why do I always get stuck with the eccentrics?”

A.K. didn’t hear Velvet’s complaint, too busy pushing her way through the Canterlot crowds, as thin as they were. If she pushed just a bit more, she could reach the train station before the next train pulled out. Practically tossing the ticket booth a bag of bits, she jumped on the train just as the doors closed. She hopped into the nearest empty seat and sagged over, sighing in relief. She stared out the window, seeing the valley below Canterlot. Due to the distance, she could just barely make out the buildings that made up Ponyville. She thought back to the last time she had visited the little hamlet. She almost had to chuckle, newsworthy was the last thing that came to mind from what she had seen.

Getting comfortable in her seat, she put her mind to the situation at hand. ‘I can’t just, go around asking questions. That’ll just bring myself more attention than I want.’ A scoff escaped her lips. ‘Faust, now I’m starting to sound like him.’ She continued to look out the window, the train lurching to signal the beginning of her trip. ‘He’s got a lot to answer for. Just up and leaving like that without so much as a goodbye. Well, now I’ve finally got a solid lead on him.’

“Father.” She spoke quietly, just loud enough to reach her own ears. There was still enough respect and love for her to call him that. Father. The one that had taken her, an orphaned filly no more than three, into his life.

She still remembered everything about the day they met. She had ran away from the orphanage she had been placed in and had got caught in a storm. She took shelter in a cave, shivering from the cold. The moment she looked up and saw him looking down at her was firmly imprinted on her mind. Of course, she had been terrified of the mask he wore, the sharp teeth, the jutting horns.

Then he knelt down to her well and greeted her with “Aloha.”

At the time, she had no idea what that meant, but the tone of his voice was warm. She didn’t move to get away from him and shakily returned his greeting.

He took a seat across from her, crossing his legs. “What's a little filly like you doing here?” Glancing at the mouth of the cave, he tilted his head. “It’s pretty cold out you know. You should be in bed.”

She sniffled, shivering again as he reminded her of the cold. “No house,” she said, struggling to articulate her thoughts due to her limited vocabulary.

He nodded. “I haven’t had one of those in a while either. How about I get us a fire going?” Reaching under his cloak, he retrieved a large knapsack, from which he removed some firewood.

She watched him work with interest, taking in how he used flint and steel to light up kindling. In a matter of minutes, he had a small fire going that offered her some comfort. Daring found herself staring at his mask in fear and awe, noting the way the light danced along its white surface.

He caught her gaze, holding it for a moment. “Would you feel better if I took my mask off?”

Daring shook her head, blushing from being caught. She scooted closer to the fire, feeling warmth seep into her bones.

A chuckle came from behind the mask. “Well, how about I take it off anyway? It’s not exactly all that comfortable to sleep in.”

Shrugging off his cloak, he reached up, quietly removing his mask. Dark skin met the light, along with a muzzleless face. His hair was dark and fuzzy looking, though a lot of it seemed to sit close to the top of his head. His eyes had a slight slant to them and were a deep brown in color that almost looked black in the low light. Some of his face was obscured by a beard that looked like it hadn’t been trimmed for a long time.

“Hows that?” he asked, giving her a big smile. “Less scary right?”

Daring giggled a little and tugged on his beard. “Fuzzy.”

A grunt escaped his lips, though, he didn’t seem all that upset. “Yeah, I’m a fuzzy guy.” Taking a chance, he placed his hands under her armpits, transferring her to his lap. “There.” Letting his cloak drape onto her, he grinned. “That should be warmer.”

Daring squirmed for a moment before settling in his lap. She stopped shivering and made no attempt to get away.

“See? Better?” He put his hand on her head, scratching her ears.

Daring giggled and moved her head with his scratches. Her wings buzzed on her back and her tail tried to swish against him.

He watched her for a moment, a smile on his face. “What you’re name anyway? I bet it’s Jade, right?”

Daring shook her head, pouting. “No, Dawing!” she corrected. “Dawing Do!”

“Daring Do huh?” he asked, mentally translating her lisped speech. “I’m Agito.” He offered her his hand. “Nice to meet you, Daring Do.”

“Yeah!” Her smile returned and her wings buzzed again as she ignored his hand and hugged him as tight as she could. Agito blinked for a moment, but returned her hug. The two stayed like that for a while before Daring let out a long yawn.

Agito stroked Daring’s head. “Sounds like it’s bed time.” He laid down, letting Daring rest on his chest. “I could use the rest too.”

Daring nodded and let her eyes close as she curled up against him.

She was brought out of her memories by a lurch of the train. She looked out the window to see Ponyville Station. Daring rose to her hooves, adjusting her shawl to cover her face. If she remembered correctly, Velvet’s daughter was the town librarian, and Celestia’s personal student. She had to chuckle as she stepped off the train. It seemed the need to be surrounded by books was genetic in that family.

Bidding the staff pony a good day, she stepped onto the platform, taking in the sights and sounds. There was an air of apprehension coming from the ponies she saw. Not that she could blame them given having two monster attacks so close together. Other than that, it seemed like the peaceful village she remembered.

Putting the train station behind her, she made her way into town, stopping a local or two to ask for directions. She thanked them and altered her course accordingly. Along the way, she could see a boarded up window she guessed was damaged in one of the attacks. She made her way towards the center of town, spotting the tree that was the town’s library. She knocked on the door, waiting for a response.

“Coming!” a young voice called, followed by the click of nails against wood. The door opened, revealing a small dragon. “Welcome to Golden Oak library! How can I help you?”

Daring’s eyes widened for a moment before remembering that Velvet had mentioned adopting a dragon during one of her previous editing sessions. Spike she believed.

She cleared her throat, adjusting her shawl. “Yes, I was hoping to see Twilight if you don’t mind.”

Spike nodded, turning back inside the treehouse. “Hey, Twi! Somepony’s at the door for you!”

“You can let them in!” A mare called back. Daring noted that she sounded a bit like a younger Velvet.

Spike stepped aside, letting Daring step inside. Closing the door behind her, Spike showed her into the waiting room. She took a seat and a minute later a young mare stepped into the room.

She smiled at Daring and said, “Hi there, I’m Twilight Sparkle. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Daring nodded, sitting up. “I’m hoping we can help each other out.” Removing her shawl, Daring gave Twilight a disarming smile. “I’m actually one of your mother’s clients.”

Twilight gaped for a moment before letting out a high pitched squee that threatened to shatter nearby glass. “You’re A.K. Yearling!” She zipped over, filling Daring’s vision with purple. “I have a first edition Daring Do book, would you please sign it?!”

Daring leaned back, putting her hands up. “Ms. Sparkle please, calm down. I’d prefer if you didn’t shout my presence out to everyone.”

Twilight blushed and covered her mouth with a hand. “Sorry. I’m just a long-time fan. I’ve read all your books. Including the novel you wrote for a more adult audience that critics praised but didn’t sell as well.”

“You know, Velvet warned me about that.” Daring chuckled, letting the tension leave her body. “As you know, Ms. Sparkle, I’m a very private person. I don’t interact with many ponies these days.”

“I know, there are tons of fan debates for that that range from the mundane like you’re just an introvert, to the ludicrous like you’re the real Daring Do and your books are based on real events,” Twilight quickly said. She then quickly laughed. “How ponies come up with that stuff is beyond me.”

Daring put on her best smile. “Imagination is never a bad thing. Now.” She cleared her throat. It was obvious that, while Twilight was an adult, she was also a bit naive. Daring invoked her best business voice. “Despite that, I always try to make time for my fans. I was hoping to hold a little something here in Ponyville. However.” A concerned look crossed her features. “The recent monster attacks have me worried.”

Twilight blanched, throwing her hands up. “Oh, you won’t have to worry about that! We’ve got a great way to combat monsters here in Ponyville!”

“Would that be this... ‘Kamen Rider’ I read about in the news paper?”

Twilight nodded emphatically. “Yes, that’s exactly right!” A small, nervous smile wormed its way onto her face. “The rider’s already stopped two attacks and saved the life of my friend.”

Daring let her frown stay. “And you’re sure this ‘rider’ will prevent anymore?”

Twilight nodded, her smile growing. “Of course, the princesses approve of the rider, so you can trust them.”

Nodding, Daring returned her smile. “That’s very reassuring. If you’d like, I could sign those books for you.”

Twilight struggled to contain herself as she rushed out of the room.

’Nows my chance.’ Getting to her hooves, Daring proceed to scoop the room, looking for anything that would give her a lead. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the waiting room. She fought off a frown before spotting a door. She opened it and saw a flight of stairs that led down to a basement. She started to walk down the steps, careful to not make them creak. Once she made it to the bottom of the stairs, she found herself in a large room filled with scientific equipment.

Short on time, she began to search the lab, making sure not to leave anything out of place when she was done with it.

Before she knew it, she heard someone clear their throat and tap her on the shoulder. “Um, are you a maid Twilight hired, or should I go and get this world’s equivalent of cops?”

Daring didn’t think. She grabbed the hand, twisting it around and throwing whoever it was against the wall. “I was hoping to do this quietly...” she grumbled to herself, pinning them between her and the wall.

The mystery person woozily lifted their head up, revealing a light skinned face that vaguely reminded her of her father. “Note to self, ponies know Judo,” he said, a dazed look in his eyes.

“What's a human doing in Equestria?” She asked, twisting his wrist. “Talk, now.”

The human grunted, wincing in pain. “I’m staying here.” He pointed behind her towards a bed in a corner of the room clear of equipment.

Not taking her eyes off him, she gripped his wrist harder. “What do you know about the Kamen Rider?”

The human winced again, a nervous look in his eyes for a brief moment. “Just that he fights weird looking monsters. It’s like something out of the old stories of the Gurongi.” His eyes drifted up and away from her. Classic liar’s tell.

“Do you think I’m stupid?” she hissed, pinching the area between his thumb and forefinger. “I know damn well that the last two riders were humans. I honestly don’t care about you, or your secret. I just want to know where Agito is.”

The human blinked for a moment before seeming to relax slightly. “Applejack came by earlier with a letter from her cousin. A person calling themselves Oni fought some bandits in Appleoosa before leaving the town.” No changes in his eyes or body language. Daring knew he was telling the truth.

Spinning him around, she drew her arm back. “Thanks. And tell Twilight I’m sorry.” Not giving him a chance to respond, she decked him across the face, letting him drop like a sack of rocks. “And sorry to you too.”

Twilight came back into the waiting room with her books in tow, hovering in the air around her. She paused for a moment, A.K. was nowhere in sight. She looked around for a moment before seeing that the door to the basement was open.

“Oh, she must be looking for a bathroom,” Twilight said to herself. She walked over, ready to personally point the author in the right direction. “Ms. A.K.?” Twilight inquired, peeking down the stairs. “Are you down there?”

She didn’t get a response, causing her to walk down the steps. She gasped, finding Wyatt in a heap on the floor. She rushed over to him, wincing when she noticed the odd way his nose was bent.

“Wyatt!” She ran over to him, wincing at his wound. “Hey, come on, you have to wake up.” Shaking him, she pressed her sleeve against his nose.

Wyatt groaned, stirring slightly. “Ow,” he muttered. His eyes opened fully and winced from the pressure on his nose. “That mare hit like a horse.”

“A mare?” Twilight questioned, a confused look on her muzzle. “What did she look like?”

“Uh... kinda yellow with a blackish-grey mane.” Wyatt bolted upright, making Twilight stumble. “She knows!”

Twilight stood up straight and put her hands on his shoulders. “Easy there, moving like that might not be a good idea. You could have a concussion for all we know.”

“Twilight, she knows!” Wyatt insisted. “About me, about Kuuga and Agito.”

Twilight blinked before everything seemed to sink in. “A.K. Yearling knows about that?! How? I didn’t know about that and I read every book in Canterlot Castle that wasn’t restricted!”

"I don’t know!” Wyatt responded, his frustration clear. “She said she didn’t care about me, she just wanted to know where Agito was.”

“Then we know where she’s going if you told her about Applejack’s letter,” Twilight replied. She then noticed his nose again and lit up her horn in order to sooth the pain. “I’ll let Celestia know what happened. Assault is a pretty serious crime in Equestria.”

Wyatt quickly thanked her while resisting the urge to rub his nose. “Think we should go after her? Who knows what she wants to do to Agito if she’s willing to punch me in the face.”

“We should get you looked at first,” Twilight replied, rising to her hooves.

“I think this is more important than my nose,” he argued. “Just give me some painkillers and I’ll be fine.” He quickly deflated, seeing the glare Twilight was shooting him. “Or I could get looked over. That works too.”

Twilight gave him a triumphant smirk before dragging him by the hand out the door. “Glad we could come to an understanding.”

Wyatt grumbled to himself every step of the way, his frustration only matched by the stabbing pain in his nose.

A lone pony was working in a lab cramped with various pieces of equipment. Papers were scattered all around the room, each bearing various equations and measurements. Some of the measurements were crossed out and some pieces of paper were discarded altogether.

The quiet, gray pony worked diligently, her hands putting the finishing touches on a small, purple rectangle. A purple crystal sat on the desk, resting on a circular device. It pulsed every few seconds, bathing her in pale light of the same color. Completing the object in her hand, she plugged it into the device, flicking a switch on the side. Energy pulsed into the rectangle, arcs of electricity running along the crystal. Then, the rectangle let out a flash of purple light and she flipped the switch again.

Removing the rectangle, she lifted it to eye level, the barest hint of a smile growing on her muzzle. “You’re legacy won’t be forgotten.” She turned her gaze to a tapestry hanging from the wall, depicting a yellow, insect-like symbol. Returning her attention to the rectangle, she pressed a button, located near the bottom.

Joker!

“Everything seems to be progressing as planned,” the mare said to herself, opening a drawer next to her. She pulled out a case and opened it to reveal slots that could fit several of the rectangles. Replacing the purple rectangle, she took out another, black rectangle. “Now, we just need to test it.” She sat the black rectangle on the table and began adjusting the equipment on it.

Feel the Beat(ing)!

Wyatt stared out the window as a bleak, desert landscape quickly passed by. He fought the urge to scratch at his face where his bandages were bothering him. In lighter news, Rarity had made him some new clothes. In a moment of inspiration she had decided to make outfits based on his rider forms. He was currently wearing the one inspired by Decade. It sported a black over-shirt with a fuchsia undershirt, black jeans and a white belt. Despite pink not being a color he usually wore, he had to admit that the outfit was very well made.

“Are you alright, Wyatt?” Turning his head, Wyatt was greeted by the soft smile of Fluttershy. She brushed some hair out of her face, sitting next to him. “You seem out of it.”

He returned her soft smile, pointing to his bandages. “Just thinking about some things. Like how weak I am when I’m not a rider.” He let out a dry chuckle. “I mean, an author laid me out in one punch.”

Fluttershy put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure she had a good reason to. Not that hitting ponies is okay...”

Wyatt let out a genuine laugh, waving a hand over himself. “To be fair, she didn’t hit a pony. Guess that means it’s okay to hit me.”

A frown etched onto Fluttershy’s face. “It’s not okay to hit anyone Wyatt, pony or not.”

Wyatt nodded, glancing out the window. “You’re right, though monsters are an obvious exception.” After a few beats, he returned his attention to her. “So, will she still get in trouble, if I don’t press charges?”

Fluttershy’s muzzle scrunched up and her brow furrowed in thought. “Um, I’m not exactly a lawyer, but I think criminal charges will still happen, but civil ones won’t if you don’t pursue them.”

“I really don’t want her to get in trouble over me...”

“Then she shouldn’t have assaulted you,” she countered, a firm tone in her voice. “Not only that, she was lying to Twilight.”

Wyatt sighed and rubbed the side of his head. “When you put it like that, I can’t really argue with you.” They sat quietly, and after a few minutes, Wyatt spoke up again. “Why do you think Agito vanished?”

Fluttershy looked down in thought for a few moments before answering. “Maybe he felt guilty for what happened to his brother and Princess Luna?” she offered, turning her head to look at him. “If my brother died and one of the girls were to get banished, why, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

“You got a brother?” Wyatt asked, a bit more interested in that topic. “Is he as shy as you are?”

Fluttershy giggled, covering her muzzle with a hand. “Oh no, he’s nothing like me. He’s very sociable and extroverted.” She sighed, a frown working its way onto her face. “He’s also lazy and doesn’t stick with things for very long.”

“Ouch.” Wyatt cringed slightly. “I knew a guy like that in high school. Think his name was Jason. Used to hang out with this other guy, forget his name, who was way into Trigun.”

Fluttershy sighed again. “He’s not all bad, he just needs to find his motivation. I just wish he wouldn’t mooch off our parents in the meantime.” She shook her head. Leaning over, she whispered. “He also incessantly hits on Dash.”

“Ah, so a lazy, self-titled lady's man,” Wyatt replied, a flat look on his face. “Sounds like a great guy.” His expression fell. “Uh, no offense.”

Fluttershy flashed him a soft smile. “None taken, even I have a hard time getting along with my brother most days.” She patted his shoulder. “If anything else is ever bothering you, don’t hesitate to talk with me.” Her smile grew. “That’s what friends are for after all.”

Wyatt sighed, turning to look out the window. “Thanks, Fluttershy.” A frown formed on his face. “There is something else I’ve been thinking about.” His brow knit as he tried to get his thoughts in order. “Agito’s rider abilities seem to have made him immortal. So, what if that’s true for me too?”

Fluttershy adjusted her wings, looking down into her lap. “Does it bother you, that it could be possible?”

Wyatt’s frown grew as he closed his eyes and he scratched the top of his head. “I honestly have no idea how to feel about it. I mean, death is something everyone is scared of, but I don’t even know what I’d do with an eternity of time on my hands.” He looked back at her. “Not to mention what it would mean to watch friends like you and the girls all grow old and die around me.” He shuddered. “Not gonna lie, it’s been keeping me up at night.”

Fluttershy turned, taking his hands in hers. “I understand that perfectly, Wyatt.” Shifting in her seat, an unsure look crossed her features. “Twilight thinks our connection to the elements might do the same for us.”

Wyatt sighed, his look matching hers. “Guess I’m not the only one worried about this sorta thing. I just can’t help thinking which I’d prefer, fighting monsters for the rest of time, or ending it once and for all like Kuuga and Agito did with the Gurongi?” He groaned, letting his head hang. “That sounds so selfish, doesn’t it? Of course ending the fight once and for all is the right way to go. That way no one else will be put in danger or die from them.”
Giving him a gentle smile, Fluttershy squeezed his hands. “Well, no matter what, just remember, your friends are here for you.”

Wyatt seemed to relax a bit, nodding at her. “Thanks for that, Shy.” He took a deep breath and released it before giving her a smile. “I needed to let that all out.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Fluttershy reminded, giggling. She looked past him, noting the train was slowing down. “Well, I think we’re here.”

Wyatt nodded and braced himself as the train lurched before coming to a stop. He then stood up, gently pulling his hands away from Fluttershy’s as he stretched his arms above his head and heard a few satisfying pops. “Good, the seats were killer on my back. I think that thing did more damage than A.K. did,” he joked.

Fluttershy just smiled and got out of their seat, letting him out. “Then maybe you should earn some bits and spring for a first class ticket next time,” she offered, walking towards the front of the car.

Wyatt grumbled, rubbing the side of his head. “Easier said than done, I didn’t exactly have my high school diploma on me when I got sent here.”

“High school?” Fluttershy questioned, forming the unfamiliar name in her mouth. “I don’t think I know what that is.”

Wyatt paused for a moment before realizing the only school he had seen during his time in Ponyville had been the small schoolhouse. He scratched his chin, trying to find a way to explain it. “In my world our education system is divided into what we call ‘grades’. It starts with Kindergarten which is basically just to get kids used to school and teaches some basic stuff, and then switches to a number system that goes from one to twelve.”

Fluttershy nodded, stepping out onto the platform. “Foals go to school for a little over a year after they get their cutie mark. Everypony bases their higher levels of education off of that.”

“Cutie mark?” Wyatt questioned, quirking a brow at her as they stepped off the train. A blast of dry, hot air hitting him in the face.

Rarity stepped out next to him, giving a short giggle. “Twilight, Wyatt’s been staying with you for at least a week, and you still haven’t told him about cutie marks?” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Just what exactly have you two been doing?”

Twilight gasped, her eyes widening. “Oh my gosh, teaching him about cutie marks completely slipped my mind! It hadn’t even occurred to me that he wouldn’t know about them.” She turned back to Wyatt with an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry about that.”

Wyatt waved her off. “It’s fine, you’ve been teaching me history and culture. Like about that Flash guy.” He snapped his fingers. “Think his name was Magnus.”

Twilight sighed, running a hand through her mane. “Well, at least a little bit of my lessons are sticking with you.” She paused for a moment to think. “Maybe I need to try a new teaching method,” she said aloud. “Maybe include some sort of incentive.”

“Oh, I can think of a few things dear.” Rarity batted her eyelashes at Wyatt. “I can only imagine male humans are just as enraptured by the right clothing choices as stallions are.”

Wyatt’s face exploded into a blush, doing his best not to picture Twilight teaching him while wearing skimpy outfits. He turned his head away, trying to hide the color on his face. “Uh, I think the current lessons are fine.” He coughed into his hand. “I just need to take them seriously.”

Rarity giggled. “Well, it seems my hunch was correct.” She primped her mane, sashaying her hips. “Good to know.”

Wyatt grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he stuck to the back of the group. “Gotta watch out for her, she’s dangerous.”

“Ah come on, don’t let her get to ya.” Applejack slapped his shoulder. “She’s just teasin’. Ah think she just likes the attention.”

Wyatt stumbled a bit from the strong slap before turning to her. “Yeah, but it’s what she’ll try to do once she has that attention that I’m worried about.” He smirked a little. “I’m sure she could get some work out of someone who can transform into a super-strong and fast rider.”

“Notta lotta stallions can pull off pink,” AJ teased. She adjusted her hat, glancing around the platform. “Alright everypony, Ah told Brae we were coming, so, best not keep him waitin’.”

Everyone let out a quick affirmation and set off for the town. It didn’t take them long to find Braeburn who was waiting for them by the saloon. Wyatt instantly noticed his stereotypical cowboy attire.

“Welcome to Appleloosa!!!” Braeburn shouted, throwing his arms out. “It’s good ta see ya girls again!” Braeburn turned to Wyatt, giving him a once over. “And Ah’m guessin’ yer Wyatt.”

Wyatt held his hand out. “I guess that’s pretty obvious. I tend to stick out like a sore thumb wherever I go.”

Braeburn chuckled and gave Wyatt a firm handshake. “There ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’ unique, pardner.”

Wyatt pulled his hand away, giving Braeburn a smile. “It does take some getting used to though.”

Braeburn tipped his hat and nodded to Wyatt. “Dontcha worry none, here in Appleoosa we’ll make ya feel like one of our own.” He looked the rest of the group over, giving a nod of approval. “Bet ya’ll are hungry. Ah got some food cookin’ back home. Why don’t we go eat?”

Wyatt was about to object, but as soon as he opened his mouth his stomach turned traitor and growled loudly. “So uh... food?”

The rest of the group started to laugh and Braeburn led them through the town. They wandered towards a large orchard. Wyatt was impressed by how healthy all the trees looked despite the trees looked despite the less than ideal environment. He chalked it up to the earth pony magic that Twilight had taught him about. The orchard cleared away to reveal a decently sized farmhouse. There were a few ponies milling about the land, doing various chores.

“Howdy, ya’ll!” Braeburn called out, waving towards the working ponies. “We got guests fer lunch!” Turning to the group, Braeburn puffed his chest out. “Now we ain’t got Granny Smith, and our orchards are still a might bit small, but what’s ours is yours!”

He led them into the farmhouse and pointed out the sink for them to get washed up at. They all sat down at a large table and Braeburn and a couple of his relatives laid food out for them. Unsurprisingly, apples were the focus of most of it.

“Ah see ya been using that recipe book we sent ya,” Applejack commented, digging into some apple pie. “Granny’ll love that.”

Braeburn smiled and hung his hat up before taking his own seat at the table. “Of course we’re usin’ ‘em. Only a fool would ignore recipes from the best cook in all o’ Equestria!”

Wyatt went quiet as he picked at his food. It all looked good, but it wasn’t exactly what he was looking for. It had been over a week since he had eaten any meat. It was getting to the point where he’d be willing to fight a horde of monsters for just one bite of steak. He resigned himself to his forced vegetarianism and pierced some baked apples with his fork.

“Wyatt, is something wrong?” Twilight asked, noting his lack of appetite.

He looked up at her, swallowing the bite of food in his mouth. He then forced a smile. “Nope, everything’s fine.” He turned to Braeburn. “This is delicious by the way.” He went back to eating, making sure to get big bites.

Twilight frowned, eating some of her own meal while keeping an eye on him. “Are you sure you’re fine?”

“I just...” Wyatt fidgeted in his seat uncomfortably. “I’m just not used to this kind of diet.”

“What, ya mean all the apples?” Applejack asked. “Ah’m sure we could run to the store and grab somethin’.”

Wyatt sighed, putting his head in his hands. “Girls, humans are omnivores.”

“Oh, is that all?” Fluttershy asked. “That’s not a big deal.”

Peeking out from behind his hands, he glanced between the girls. “It’s... not?”

Fluttershy giggled, shaking her head. “Of course it isn’t. I take care of all kinds of animals, including ones that eat meat in one way or another. If you really wanted some, you could’ve come and seen me.”

Wyatt glanced away, rubbing his neck. “I was, I dunno... worried you’d be scared of me of something...”

Applejack just smiled and slugged him on the shoulder lightly. “As if we could ever be scared of ya.”

“When we get back to Ponyville, I’ll make sure to stock up on some fish,” Twilight assured. “You really should have spoken up sooner, I’d have made sure you were getting a balanced diet.”

Wyatt sighed in relief, looking around the group with a thankful expression before settling on Twilight. “That sounds good, and I’ll be sure to let you know anything else.”

The rest of lunch went nicely, with Braeburn and Applejack regaling the group with some Apple family stories. Wyatt couldn’t help but feel a tightening in his chest with every story. Each and every one of them brought flashes of times with his own family. After a few stories, he couldn’t take it and asked where the bathroom was. He excused himself and rushed off, closing himself off in the room.

“I’m sorry...” he muttered under his breath, putting his head in his hands. “I shouldn’t have gone. I’m sorry...” He sank down onto the floor, an urge to scream rising up from his chest. He looked up at the mirror, his appearance quickly becoming disheveled. He let his face fall into his hands again, shaking as he started to sob.

Celestia sighed as she teleported into Ponyville’s library, a small sack in her arms. She had wanted to do this on Spike’s birthday, but his stint as a greed consumed drake forced her to change her plans. “Spike!” she called, amplifying her voice slightly. “Could you please come downstairs?”

It only took a few moments for the baby dragon to rush down, a dishcloth and a bottle of cleaner in his claws. “What is it, Princess?” he asked, panting a little.

Celestia took a seat on the couch, patting the spot next to her. “Forget about your chores for the rest of the day, Spike. This is important.”

Spike grinned, setting the cleaning supplies down on a table before sitting next to her. “Well, I can’t exactly ignore a direct order from the princess.”

“Don’t think of me as a princess right now.” Celestia shook her head. “Spike, I want you to understand...” She stopped shaking her head. “No matter how I try to say it, it never comes out right.”

Spike tilted his head, his smile sagging a little. “What are you talking about, Pr-Celestia?”

“We’ve never talked about where you come from.” Celestia placed the sack on the table. “Twilight and her family don’t know, and I... didn’t want to tell you before I felt you were ready.”

“Yeah, all I was ever told was that you found my egg somewhere.” He let his tail drape across his lap and tapped his claws against the scales on it.

“That’s not entirely true.” She wrapped a wing around him, gazing intently at the sack. “It was four hundred years ago when your egg came into my possession, a day that still bothers me.”

Spike’s jaw dropped and he stared up at the princess in utter disbelief. “Hold on a second, did you just say four hundred years? I was an egg for centuries?!”

Celestia nodded. “Dragon eggs have no expiration date, as far as I can tell.” She mulled it over before adding. “But, I do think that staying in an egg for longer than that, might cause the hatchling to have a warped mind.”

Spike’s stomach turned and he gulped, the spines on his head flattening a bit. “Are you um… speaking from experience?”

“No, just a theory.” She smiled soothingly. “You’re a fine drake, Spike. I don’t think you need to worry about any mental issues.”

Spike sighed in relief, letting his head hang a bit. He then frowned as he looked himself over. “Do you think being an egg so long is why I’m so small? I mean, I haven’t grown in a long time.”

“I’m sorry, Spike. I know as much as you do about dragons.” Celestia shook her head. “Which, isn’t a whole lot.”

Spike sighed, nodding slowly. “Right, nopony knows anything about what’s normal for me.” Looking up at her, he steeled himself. “You said that the day you found me still bothers you?”

“It does, Spike very much.” Celestia put her hand on his head, stroking his spines. “I don’t know what happened, but all of Equestria saw the results. Do you remember the Day of Black Sun?”

Spike’s brow furrowed for a moment. “Wasn’t that some sort of eclipse?”

“Not one I created.” Celestia rose up, walking towards the window. “On that day, something stirred in the Dragonlands. What, I have no idea. But I felt it. As the moon moved in front of the sun, a wave of...” Chewing the word, she looked back at Spike. “Greed struck me to my core. If I had not held strong I-I fear I would have been corrupted, much like Luna.”

“I don’t get it, what does all that have to do with my egg?” Spike asked, watching her carefully.

“There was an explosion, one so powerful, it split the Dragonlands, and shattered every window in Canterlot.” Stepping over to the sack, she reached inside, clutching a handful of silver coins. “These rained down all over the continent for hours.”

Spike’s nostrils flared for a moment and his pupils contracted into slits. He leaned forward for a closer look before shaking his head. When he looked back, his pupils were normal again. “Whoa, that was freaky.”

“These coins tend to found in the hoards of particularly aggressive dragons.” She replaced the coins, holding her hand out. “Come Spike, there is something you need to see.”

Spike hopped out of his seat and took her offered hand, his mind racing with possibilities. Some were good, others, not so much. A golden flash dazzled his eyes, replacing the familiar library shelves with the wilds of the Everfree. They stood in one of the rare clearings, a tall, green obelisk rising up in the center. Spike walked up to the obelisk, putting his hand on it.

“What is this thing?” he asked, looking back at the alicorn.

“Take a closer look,” Celestia encouraged.

Spike shifted his gaze back to the pillar, roaming over every inch of it. Carved into the stone was a dragon, wrapping around the sides, its face etched into the top. Near the middle was a plaque. ‘Here lies a mother, her life unknown’

Spike’s eyes widened for a moment, his mind putting the pieces together. He looked back at her, tears welling up in his eyes. “Wh-when you found my egg, y-you didn’t find me alone, did you?”

Celestia shook her head. “I did not know her, Spike. I came into the forest on a report that something large had been hurled in from the explosion. When I arrived your mother was...” She took a breath, kneeling down next to him. “She protected you with her body. I think, I think she recognized me, by race if not by face. She begged me to take you, to make sure you were safe.”

Tears flowed freely from the drake’s eyes as he leaned on the obelisk. His legs felt like they were going to fall out from under him as his mind raced. For over a year, the answer to a burning question he’d had all his life had been right under his nose. He could now say he knew where his mother was. He felt the gentle tickle of wings on his back, followed by the warmth of Celestia’s body as she pulled him into a hug.

She said nothing, merely letting him cry into her chest. Celestia hummed a lullaby, rubbing his back.

“A-all my life I’ve been looking for my family,” he mumbled, sniffling as he tried to collect himself. “And it turns out they’ve been dead for centuries.”

“Your family is right here.” Cupping his chin, she look into his eyes. “You belong to the Sparkles, and they’re not going anywhere, Spike.”

This seemed to console him a bit, a soft smile spreading across his lips as his tears started to slow to a trickle. “Yeah, you’re right.” He then looked back at the obelisk, his smile faltering for a moment. “I wish I could’ve met my birth mother though.”

“As do I. There is one more thing she gave me.” Celestia reached into her dress, offering him a trio of coins. Unlike the others, these were ringed with gold. Each was a different color, red, green and yellow, and depicted a different animal.

His nostrils flared again but his pupils remained unchanged. “Those ones feel different from the others,” he commented. “What are all these coins?”

“I don’t know, Spike.” She took his hand, placing the coins in it. “But, they were hers, and now they're yours.”

Spike looked the coins over, watching as they reflected the light of the sun. He then frowned. “You said weird coins rained down for hours that day, right?” He looked up at her. “Do you think these coins are related to that explosion?”

“I can’t imagine they aren’t.” Celestia stood up, folding her wings. “Come, Spike. How about we have some tea?”

Spike chuckled, turning away from the obelisk to walk to her side. “It’s always tea with you. Have you ever thought about coffee or maybe hot chocolate? Just for a change of pace.”

Celestia giggled and reached down to take one of Spike’s hands. She then lit up her horn and teleported them away from the clearing and back to the library.

Once everyone had finished eating, Braeburn led Wyatt and the girls out into the desert. He explained that the Buffalo tribe would be able to track down anyone that passed through the area recently.

“Little Strongheart helped us smooth things out between the tribe and the town,” Applejack explained. “She’s a sweet little filly, but she’s preddy tough so, try no ta get on her bad side.”

Braeburn nodded in agreement. “Yup, and once she hears about yer problem, Ah’m sure she’ll help ya track that author down.”

On the horizon appeared the settlement, several fires scattered throughout. Several tepees made up the settlement and Wyatt noted the feathers and warpaint that the buffalo were wearing.

“It feels like the times I visited the reservation with Floyd,” he muttered. Except, that reservation hadn’t been inhabited by 7 foot tall, bipedal buffalo. An idea struck him and he walked up to one of the buffalo, greeting them like Floyd and his grandmother had taught him. The buffalo looked at him curiously, returning the greeting. “Guess the languages are different,” he said to himself, quickly excusing himself to catch up with the girls.

“What took ya?” Applejack asked, looking back at him.

Wyatt rubbed the back of his head. “Oh, just tried something. These buffalo remind me of certain…” he tried to find the right word for a moment. “Popular conceptions that relate to a group of people back home. So I tried greeting one in a language that my friend’s tribe speaks.”

“Braeburn!” Wyatt turned to see a young buffalo running over to them. She was around the size of a similarly aged pony foal, with with a feather tucked behind her ear.

“Howdy, Little Strongheart!” he greeted, bracing himself as she rushed him and wrapped her arms around him for a tight hug. “It’s good t’see ya!”

“You haven’t visited in awhile.” Strongheart pulled away, looking up at him. “I was going to stop by town soon, we’re almost out of pie again.” Turning to the rest of the ponies, she grinned. “It’s good to see you all.” Her smile faded a bit. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?”

“She’s in the hospital at the moment,” Twilight answered. “Luckily, she’ll make a full recovery so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“That’s good.” Strongheart peered at Wyatt, an unsure look on her face. “Whose your friend?”

“I’m Wyatt Matthews,” he answered, giving her a quick wave. “But you can just call me Wyatt, everyone else does.”

“Nice to meet you.” Gesturing to the tribe around her, Strongheart smiled. “Why don’t you spend the night and we can get all caught up? We’re having a bit of a celebration tonight, so we’ll have lots of food and music.”

“That sounds mighty nice,” Applejack replied, tilting her hat up. “Then we can talk about why we came t’see ya.”

Wyatt listened to the idle chit chat, a little put off by the uncanny valley. By the time night fell, the village had gathered around a large bonfire, with many of the buffalo in costume. This only caused the uncanny valley to get wider since he recognized some of the costumes. Especially the one he guessed depicted a thunderbird. It almost felt like Floyd’s grandmother would step out and perform one of the ceremonies he had witnessed. Though he noticed something odd. A few of the costumes seemed out of place from what he had seen during his visits to the reservation. They looked more like demons than anything else.

Then, a ceremony started. The costumed buffalo started to dance around the fire while a chorus chanted in a language that definitely didn’t match what Floyd tried to teach him. From what he could gather, the demonic creatures were terrorizing the other costumed buffalo. When things seemed at their lowest, one of them fought back. Though not with traditional weapons, the costumed buffalo used a musical instrument to start driving back the demons. Wyatt’s eyes widened, the story matching something he recognized. The ceremony ended with the other costumed buffalo joining in with the first, driving back their malevolent counterparts.

Wyatt leaned over, whispering in Twilight’s ear. “I think these guys had a run in with another kind of monster.”

Twilight turned to him with a surprised look. “Really?” she whispered back. “You recognized something from their ritual?”

“Yeah.” Wyatt nodded. “Driving off monsters with music was an element of Hibiki.”

Twilight looked back at the buffalos, watching as they removed their costumes. “Fascinating, we keep seeing elements of riders influencing cultures of Equestria. We’ll have to do some digging to see what else we can find.”

“Do you think it’s because of Kuuga and Agito, or despite them?”

Twilight’s muzzle scrunched up and she put a finger to her chin. “That’s pretty hard to say. I’d need conclusive evidence that monster sightings like this didn’t start until Kuuga and Agito appeared in our world. But, seeing as I only learned about Kuuga, Agito, and the existence of all this recently, I can only make baseless speculations at the very best.”

Slouching in his seat, Wyatt closed his eyes. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Twilight smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, just because we don’t know now, it doesn’t mean we never will. It just means that we have to do some research.” Her eyes seemed to twinkle in the firelight. “And research is one of my specialties.”

Wyatt looked up at her, and found he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Ya, that makes me feel better. Thanks, Twilight.”

Twilight giggled, putting her hand in her lap. “There’s no need to thank me. Friends help each other, it’s what we’re supposed to do.” Her smile grew. “And you’ve been doing a pretty good job of that when you’re Decade.”

Wyatt looked away, rubbing his neck. “Seems like I’m pretty lucky. No one liked the original Decade. There’s a reason ‘it’s Decade’s fault’ became a meme.”

Twilight tilted her head. “Meme? You mean the Aristrotian concept of an idea that spreads among a society quickly? I had no idea you were versed in classic philosophy.”

“I have no idea what you just said,” Wyatt responded. “That’s just what we call things that spread on the internet. My personal favorite was 60’s Spider-Man.”

Twilight blinked. “And now it’s my turn to have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“It’s hard to explain. See, there was this Spider-Man cartoon in the 1960's that had hilariously bad animation, and the internet had a blast taking stills from it and making stupid captions with them.”

Twilight continued to blink owlishly. “That only made things marginally better.”

Wyatt shrugged. “I told you it was hard to explain.”

Pinkie hopped over to them, hauling them to their feet. “C’mon you two, stop making kissy faces at each other and let’s join in on this party!” She dragged them over towards the bonfire, and let them go before starting to dance.

“Uh...” Wyatt blushed, the implication of Pinkie’s words sinking in. His hide was saved, as a loud roar pierced the air. “Oh thank god, saved by a monster.” He ran into the nearest tepee and summoned his driver into his hand. “Henshin!” he cried, donning his Decade armor. He then ran out of the tepee and towards the source of the roar.

At the edge of the village was a large monster. It looked like a giant, red spider except that a few of its legs were capped with scorpion-like pincers. He recognized it as one of the makamou that Hibiki fought.

“Looks like I’m going to have to beat some sense into you,” he said, taking a card out of his case and put it into his buckle.

“Kamen Ride: Hibiki!” his driver called out, his form shifting. His armor became blueish purple with a silver harness on the chest. His gloves changed to a bright red with silver bands on the wrist. The helmet was radically different from any of the other riders. There were no eyepieces, only jagged red bits that ran along the helmet to create the vague outline of a face. Two little silver horns poked out from the top of the helmet and a protrusion that resembled a tuning fork rested between them. In his hands were long, red sticks with red spheres on the end.

Wyatt tapped the rods together, lighting the orbs on fire before charging the monster. The monster spat webs out from its mouth and wrapped them around him. He struggled for a moment, only for the monster to pick him up in one of its pincers.

Much to his surprise, the buffalo began to chant. As one, they joined their voices, stomping their hooves on the ground in unison. This caused the monster to falter for a moment, dropping Wyatt to the ground. He then struggled for a moment, wriggling his wrist and pressing the flaming stick to the web. The webs quickly burned away, freeing him.

He raised his rods and started to swing them, the sounds of a drum filling the air as he sent out fireballs. The monster roared in pain and swung one of its pincers. Wyatt tried to dodge but ended up getting hit in the chest. He went flying and rolled on the ground before crashing into a tepee. Wyatt rose to his feet, his chest throbbing in pain. He ignored the pain as he threw off the cloth from the fallen tepee.

Wyatt rushed back towards the monster and jumped in the air in an attempt to land on its back. The monster swatted him down, causing him to crash and knocked the wind out of him. He rose to his feet, swaying slightly. He rose his weapons up in a defensive position and rushed the monster again. It jabbed at him with a pincer, hitting him right where his weapons crossed.

Wyatt was pushed back a little, his feet creating tracks in the dirt. He pressed forward, moving as fast as he could while straining against the pincer. He grunted in exertion, knocking the monster’s pincer up with a mighty heave. This knocked the creature off-balance for a moment and he dove underneath it. He spun around, facing the beast’s underbelly. He then started to swing his sticks right on the monster’s stomach.

Roaring in pain, the creature scuttled backwards, jabbing with its pincers. After a moment, it turned, beating a heated retreat. Wyatt got to his feet, trying to run after the monster. This didn’t last as his adrenaline started to fade from his system. He fell to his knees, his chest exploding in pain.

Hauling himself behind a few boxes, he returned to his human form, collapsing to the ground. He groaned, his eyes threatening to drift closed. Putting a hand to his stomach, Wyatt winced, knowing he’d have more bruises tomorrow. He faintly heard Twilight and the others call his name. He tried to respond, but only a hoarse croak escaped his throat. His eyes drifted closed and he decided to just rest them while he drifted into unconsciousness.

Unexpected Visitors

Author's Note

This chapter is a crossover with Primaris Marine Sebaste and his fic: Brave Frontier Equestria. Be sure to give him some love.

Unexpected Visitors

Wyatt stared out over the desert, the sun hanging low in the sky. There were no signs of A.K. as far as he could see. A breeze rolled through, hinting at the bitter cold that the night would bring. He turned back to the others, each of them watching as Little Strongheart examined the makeshift firepit that the rogue author had most likely left behind.

“We missed her by a few days,” Strongheart commented, rising to her hooves. “But, I can tell you she was alone.”

Applejack frowned and tilted her hat up. “This might be a tall order, but can ya tell which way she went?”

Strongheart walked a bit away, meandering her way around camp. “She’s pretty good at covering her tracks.” Frowning, she gazed off into the desert. “She might have headed towards Dodge Junction.”

Pinkie tilted her head, lowering herself down to the ground to stare at the firepit and camp. “Weird, it’s almost like A.K. has a lot of experience keeping ponies from following her.” She hopped to her hooves with a bright smile. “She must’ve done a lot of research for her books!”

“She knew enough to kick my ass,” Wyatt commented, kicking at a pebble.

Twilight put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. “To be fair, she did have the element of surprise. She doesn’t exactly look like somepony that could toss a grown stallion over her shoulder.”

Wyatt nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Strongheart cleared her throat. “If we’re going to continue tracking this mare, we might want to gather some firewood. I don’t think it would be a good idea to keep going. The night will be cold and we’ll want to keep warm.”

Twilight gave Wyatt a look and motioned to his waist before motioning her head towards Strongheart. “Should we tell her?” she whispered.

Wyatt thought for a moment before nodding. “Better to tell her now, than have her freak out later.” Raising his voice, he got Strongheart’s attention. “Hey, so... we have to tell you something. It’s a secret though, so we’d appreciate you not telling anyone else.”

Strongheart quirked a brow. “I can keep a secret, what is it?”

“You remember that guy with the flaming sticks that showed up when that monster attacked? That was me.”

Strongheart’s eyes widened and stared at him in disbelief for a moment. “That is quite the claim. Forgive me for saying this, but you don’t seem like the warrior type.”

Wyatt chuckled, rubbing his arm. “Yeah, I’ve only been doing this for the last couple weeks. Not too good at it yet. Or, at least not good at fighting giant monsters.” He cleared his throat, clapping his hands together. “So, how about we set up camp now?”

Everyone nodded in affirmation and split off into pairs to gather firewood. Wyatt was with Twilight, his eyes scanning the ground. Every once in awhile he’d find twigs or dried up grass that would be useful. The sun was just poking out from below the horizon and the two were about to return to the group when Wyatt noticed a glint. He turned his head and spotted a blue crystal hovering above the ground that he could’ve sworn hadn’t been there before. He adjusted the sticks and kindling in his hands so he could easily pick it up. At once, he heard two female voices in his head.

“To those who are not afraid to see the light and rise like a phoenix to stop those who will harm others, use this crystal to summon us, the Blade Queen and Thunder Phoenix, and a brave new frontier will be opened, but for those who wish us to do harm to others that don’t deserve it, beware…”

Wyatt blinked, staring at the crystal in disbelief. “Uh Twilight, are talking crystals a normal thing in Equestria?”

Twilight turned back to him, noticing the crystal in his hand. “No, that’s not a normal thing.” She leaned in and lit up her horn, a purple aura surrounding the crystal. “Hmm, there’s a strange magic surrounding this. It almost reminds me of what I felt on your driver. You’d better keep that safe.”

He nodded and clutched the crystal tight. “The thing said that I could use it to summon two people. Called themselves the Blade Queen and Thunder Phoenix.”

Twilight quirked a brow and held out her hand. He got the message and let her have it. She scrutinized it, continuing to probe at it with her magic. “I’ve never heard of using crystals for that sort of thing.”

“Should I give it a try?” he asked. “They said they protected people.”

“I suppose we could,” she said. “But we might want to be on guard just in case.” She examined the crystal for a moment before deciding to send a bolt of magic into it. The crystal started to glow and she set it onto the ground, stepping away from it.

There was a flash of light that blinded the two for a moment. When they were able to see again, the crystal had been replaced by two people. Both of them were female and were wearing armor. The most striking thing about one of them was the wings that seemed to be made of pure electricity on her back. She also had bright, brown hair that she had pulled back into a ponytail. She had on a yellow skirt that reminded Wyatt of something he had seen in a museum exhibit on Rome. A single sword was sheathed at her side.

The other woman had snow white hair and icy blue eyes. She had heavier armor and a tattered blue cape that hung down to her ankles while a pair of wings sprung from her back. She had a stylized kite shield strapped to her arm that had a gem resting in its center. At the top of the shield were several blue, diamond shapes. A feathered skirt hung around her waist and legs, and in her left hand, she was armed with a single blade,with seven smaller translucent blades that flickered in and out of existence as they circled the sword. Both girls were looking around in confusion.

“Huh, so that’s why they’re called Blade Queen and Thunder Phoenix,” Wyatt commented, staring at them both in fascination.

The white haired girl then focused on him before then staring at Twilight in shock. “What the…?!” She exclaimed, stumbling backwards in shock before tripping on a rock and knocking down her companion in the process. There was a clatter of metal as the two landed on the ground.

“Ow! Mira, what was that about?!” The brown haired girl groaned as she picked herself up, before noticing the other two near them. “Oh…”

Twilight’s mouth opened and closed for a moment as she tried to process their reaction to the sight of her. “Um, I’m sorry if I startled you. Are the two of you okay?”

“Y-yeah, just… never seen you looking like a cross between a human and a pony before, Twi. Were you experimenting on a new spell or something? And….” She then realized where she was. “Oh… Twi's gonna love this…” she groaned and facepalmed.

Twilight’s muzzle scrunched up in thought, eyeing the two newcomers critically. “Are you two from another world like Wyatt? Is that why you said my name as if you were talking about somepony else?”

The girl nodded sheepishly. “I'm Cassandra, Cassie for short. And this is my sister, Miriam. Mira to her friends.” She said. Mira gave a shy nod.

“It’s nice to meet the two of you,” Wyatt said. He chuckled a little bit and waved a hand over the landscape. “Sorry we didn’t bring you to a nicer location.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “Compared to an apocalyptic Equestria, this is a welcome change from where we’ve been.” She said with a small smile.

Wyatt nodded, filing away the comment under, “Things to ask about later”. “I’m Wyatt by the way.” He held his hand out.

Cassie extended her own hand and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.” She said. Turning to Twilight, she said “Yes, both Mira and I are from a different world altogether.”

“Fascinating, then there must be a countless number of worlds out there. Maybe even worlds beyond having humans or ponies,” Twilight muttered to herself.

Cassie gave a small laugh. “Don't give yourself an aneurysm overthinking this matter.” She said.

Wyatt laughed with her. “From my experience, Twi isn’t one to stop thinking about something until she’s figured it out.” He looked out at the horizon. “And I’m thinking we should continue this back with the others, nightfall is almost here.”

Mira shivered as the wind whipped through her armor, her now long hair whipping around her face . “L-lets…” she said, rubbing her arms.

Twilight and Wyatt led them back to the camp. It was a quick walk, though the light of the sun was all but gone by the time they met up with everyone. Pinkie was of course the first one to react.

She gasped and rushed over to the two women. “Oh my gosh, you two brought new friends with you!” She paused and deflated slightly. “Aww, and I don’t have any party supplies on me.”

Applejack came up behind the pink mare and hoisted her up by the collar. “Pinkie, Ah think ya need to calm down a bit. They look like they need some space.”

“Sorry.” Pinkie flashed them a sheepish smile.

“It's okay.” Mira said softly, looking around at the group assembled.

“Glad t’hear it,” Aj replied, setting Pinkie down.

Everyone then started to build the fire, opting for a log cabin style as per Strongheart’s instructions. Once they were done, Strongheart then used a striker and flint on the kindling in the center to get it started. Everyone then went into their supplies and set up chairs around the growing fire. Both Cassie and Mira opted to sit on the ground.

“So um, where exactly are you from?” Fluttershy asked, a green blanket wrapped around her torso.

Cassie sighed. “Originally, we’re from a world called Earth. It's like Equestria, but the dominant species are known as humans. Unfortunately, we’re a very war like race. Since the beginning of civilization, we’ve fought more wars than can be counted. There are some good humans that try and help others, but for the most part, we are ruled by governments that are either corrupt or tyrannical.” She fiddled with her ponytail. “Both Mira and I were at a convention for a game we play called Brave Frontier. She was dressed as Blade Queen Sefia, at least until she changed into the next form of her character a few months earlier, I was dressed as Phoenix Thunder Rayla. Mira decided to pick up a replica of a battle crystal to look at in one of the tents… we didn't know that what would happen next would change our lives forever…” She then stared into the flames, memories flashing through her eyes.

Wyatt rubbed the back of his head, staring into the fire with her. “I guess that’s pretty true. Though I think another category of people can be described as those that want to do good, but go about it completely wrong.”

Mira gave a small chuckle. “Anyways, the minute I picked up that crystal, we were sent 10,000 years into our Equestria’s past. We ended helping Celestia and Luna stop Discord, but at the cost of us turning to stone with him. That battle also ended up with us turned into ponies.”

“On the bright side, it looks like you were able to return to normal,” Twilight offered.

“You can thank Nicko for that.” Cassie said with a laugh. “He was the first Displaced we encountered.”

“Displaced?” Wyatt repeated, his brow furrowing.

“Didn’t you have cards that said Displaced on them, darling?” Rarity asked, a blanket draped over her lap.

He nodded, summoning his case into his hand. He opened it up and pulled out one of the grayed out cards. “Yeah, I did.”

“From what we were told, Displaced, are people who were dressed up as a character from a movie, game, book, or even a TV show and get sent to Equestria by someone called the Merchant or a similar event that sends them there. And each Equestria is different, but they all share one thing in common: the ponies.” Mira spoke up, nodded her head towards the Mane 6.

“That sounds like what happened to me,” Wyatt told them, slotting the card back into the case. He barely registered a small flash in the corner of his eye before he put the case away. “I was dressed as Kamen Rider Decade before I got sent here. I thought I was getting a good deal on the case I was just holding. Now, I’m stuck here in a world full of monsters.”

“Us, we have to deal with four gods and goddesses that are hell bent on destroying all ponies in Equestria.” Mira then shivered. “We've already had an encounter with one of their Allies… a madwoman called Kafka. Wherever she walked, sickness followed. She managed to lay the whole of Ponyville low, and left both me and Cassie too weak to even stand…”

“That sounds awful,” Fluttershy said, putting a hand to her muzzle. “W-were there any casualties?”

“Thankfully, there weren't. But it took us weeks to recover from the mist her snake emitted.” Mira replied. “Tilith herself ended up feeling nauseous.”

The girls all let out a sigh of relief, their shoulders relaxing. Wyatt picked up a stick and stoked the fire a bit.

“Sounds like you’ve had a pretty eventful time in your Equestria,” Wyatt commented.

“Yep… and we’ve had a few encounters with other Displaced in their worlds, including an asshole that nearly killed me and Mira.” Cassie said.

“I’ve never run into any others,” Wyatt said. He chuckled weakly. “Though I guess that was obvious due to the way I reacted to the term for us.”

Both girls giggled. “Same with us when Nicko was in our Equestria.” Mira said.

“Judging from what you said just now, not all Displaced are friendly,” Twilight commented. “Is that right?”

“Not really, some can be pretty arrogant. The guy we ended up fighting was a Merc that got sent to his Equestria by unknown means as a half demonic being called a Killer Prince.” Mira explained with a small glare at Cassie. “Cassie ended up running her mouth and nearly got us both killed by him going bat shit insane. And I was in my character’s third form at the time.”

Wyatt chuckled. “And let me guess, that wasn’t even your final form?”

“It's… hard to explain. In Brave Frontier, your character unit is rated by a star system, my third form is what's known as a five star unit. To go up a rank, you evolve them into a new form.” Mira said.

Wyatt nodded. “I think I get it, I’ve seen similar systems in other games.”

Cassie then gave a small grin. “Wanna see a cool trick?” She asked.

Wyatt returned her grin. “Sure, I’ll show you one of mine too to be fair.”

Cassie then stepped back before a glowing circle appeared around her right hand. “Redcap, I call upon you!” She chanted before there was a flash of light and a Goblin like creature stood in front of her. It wore a worn black shirt and carried a large club. But its most noticeable feature was the red cap on its head.

“You called, mistress?” It asked in a squeaky voice. Cassie didn't answer, instead banishing it with a single stroke of her sword.

“That wasn’t very nice,” Fluttershy said, a pout on her face as she stared at the spot where the creature had been standing.

Cassie shrugged. “It's the only way to send them back to Grand Gaia.” She said. “Don't worry, it didn't hurt him.”

Fluttershy had an unsure look on her face. “If you say so.” She brushed a part of her mane out of her face and turned her head. “Still seems too mean,” she muttered.

Cassie rolled her eyes before saying, “Anyone have any questions?”

“What else can you do?” Twilight asked. “Your abilities seem pretty extensive judging by the kind of summoning you just did.”

“We have three different attacks, called brave bursts. The third is the most powerful, but it drains the person after using it.” Cassie said. “As for summoning units… if Mira and I wanted to, we could summon one of the Six Heroes of Grand Gaia.”

“Ah’m confused,” Applejack admitted, scratching her head. “Ya’ll er more confusin’ than Wyatt.”

“Well, we humans are a confusing race.” Cassie said with a small grin. She then concentrated before her wings solidified, turning into a pair of tawny brown feathered wings. Small arcs of electricity jumped from time to time across the feathers.

Strongheart watched in interest. “You’re like a thunderbird.”

“Yeah, in a way, I kinda am.” Cassie said, shifting her wings. “But my power is a double edged sword…”

“What do you mean?” Strong heart asked, placing a pot over the fire. “Do your powers cause you harm?”

“No… but if I keep fighting for too long or if I get too upset, I may lose control to the beast within me. Like Mira, I have a final form, but… it's one that may end up hurting others.” Cassie said, shivering. “My Omni form… Bennu Edge Rayla.”

Wyatt watched as Strongheart poured water into the pot. “Yeah, that’s all going over my head, and I’m the guy who can turn into at least ten different people.”

“What I mean is, my Omni form has the potential to go insane and end up going on a rampage. And I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it.” Cassie said.

“Right.” Wyatt noted Twilight had taken out a scroll, the sounds of her scribbling heard over the crackling fire. “Man, she doesn’t waste time does she? You should see her back in Ponyville.”

Both girls chuckled. “Our Twi’s the same way.” Mira said. “Just not as study intensive.”

Twilight chuckled and sat her scroll in her lap. “I just like learning about new things. When I see something that’s a complete unknown, I want to figure out how it works. You’re not alone in being sent to ancient Equestria. Apparently, two kamen riders appeared in our history, too.”

Both girls looked at Twilight with interest. “So in a way, our world paralleled some events of your world.” Mira said.

“Well, I doubt you have a human nation on your world.” Wyatt stirred the fire again. “Apparently there’s a tribe of them here on another continent. There used to be two but after some fighting, they merged into one.”

Cassie looked thoughtful while Mira brushed her hair out of her face.

“According to the princesses, after certain events that involved monsters and the previous two riders, the humans have put themselves in a state of isolationism,” Twilight explained. “This has caused them to fall out of our history books. Even I didn’t know about them until they told me about them recently.”

“What exactly were these monsters like?” Mira asked.

“They were the Gurongi,” Wyatt explained. “They had a goal to complete what they called the Gegeru game. Said game involved killing people.”

Both girls looked sickened at the description. “That's… terrible!” Cassie said.

“Well, they are called monsters after all,” Wyatt pointed out. “Or, were in this case seeing as they’re all gone now. The other two riders made sure of that.”

“I'm glad to hear that. If that had happened in our world, we would have done the same thing to those beasts……” Mira said.

Wyatt sighed, rubbing at his chest where the monster had hit him. “Well, there are still things aside from the Gurongi in the world. The other enemies of the Kamen Riders that I can turn into. I just fought one a couple days ago.”

“Some kinda big ol’ spider thing,” Applejack cut in. Wyatt watched her for a moment, watching as she set up a pot and started to cook. “Ah haven’t seen somethin’ that big since that ursa came ta town.”

“Luckily Wyatt and the buffalo were able to drive that dreadful thing off,” Rarity said.

Mira shuddered. “Makes me glad we only have dragons in our world, except for the occasional demon…” she said.

“It hasn’t been that bad so far,” Wyatt offered. “I’ve only had to fight one monster at a time and I’ve only gotten a few scrapes and bruises.”

Cassie gave him a raised eyebrow. “That sounds like you're putting that lightly.”

Wyatt turned his head and chuckled weakly. “The driver does a lot of the work. If I didn’t have it and didn’t know how to use it then I’d have broken a bone by now at the very least.” He winced and scratched at the bandages on his face. “Uh, this one doesn’t count. I didn’t get it while fighting a monster.”

“What happened?” Mira asked.

Wyatt sighed, rubbing his neck. “Some famous author was snooping in Twilight’s basement and I tried to confront them calmly. Then, she put me in some kind of arm lock and interrogated me. And finally, once she got the idea to come out this way, she punched me in the nose and knocked me out.”

Both girls winced. “Ouch, that must've been a rude awakening.” Cassie said. She then frowned. “What exactly did she ask you about?”

“She asked me if I knew where Agito was,” Wyatt replied. “How she knew about him is sort of a mystery.”

“Agito?” Mira asked. “Who is that?”

“It’s the name of one of the previous two riders I was talking about. Unlike me, I guess they stopped using their real names.”

“So…. Why would she be looking for him?” Cassie asked.

Twilight frowned, looking down at her lap. “We don’t know, it’s one of the reasons we’re following after her. Humans aren’t exactly common knowledge, and if I didn’t know, I can’t imagine how A.K Yearling found out.”

“Did she sound panicked when she asked you?” Mira questioned Wyatt.

Wyatt shook his head. “Well, she didn’t really ask. More like, threw me against a wall and demanded rather angrily. She sounded pissed.”

Cassie raised an eyebrow. “Why would she be angry at you?” She asked.

“I didn’t say she was angry with me,” Wyatt corrected. “I just said she sounded angry.”

“So I’m guessing the reason you guys are out here is because of this pony?” Mira asked.

“We came out here to find A.K Yearling because she assaulted Wyatt,” Twilight responded, a bit of irritation in her voice. “She knows something about Agito and we need to know what that is.”

“There’s probably a reason she was acting like that, but what that reason is…” Cassie shrugged. “But how Mira and I come into this, I’m still unsure of how we can help you guys.”

“Any help you could provide would be appreciated,” Twilight said, giving the two a smile. “There is also the problem of the giant monster that attacked us a few days ago.”

“Great, now we have Godzilla to worry about?” Cassie joked half-heartedly.

“More like a big spider,” Wyatt added, gesturing with his hands. “I managed to drive it off, but, it was a bit too strong for me to beat, even with the buffalo backing me up.”

“Okay, not Godzilla, more like Ebirah then.” Noticing Mira’s surprised look, Cassie held up her hands. “What? I used to watch some of the old Godzilla films.”

“God knows where it is now.” Wyatt watched as Little Strong Heart began to make a stew.

“Those kinds of monsters used to trouble my ancestors all the time. We learned to drive them off with our chanting. No one had seen any hint of them for at least a generation.”

“Until now?” Mira asked, tracing something in the dirt. “Why would they start attacking after that long?”

Wyatt frowned, wracking his mind for possibilities. “I’m sure there’s a reason for all the sudden monster attacks, and whatever it is, I’m sure it isn’t good.”

Cassie also frowned as she accepted a bowl of stew from Strong Heart. “Do you know if they're being controlled by someone?” she asked, wincing as some of the steaming liquid spilt from her bowl and hit her skin.

Wyatt shook his head, taking a bowl of stew for himself. “I haven’t seen any signs of control on them. Though, I haven’t exactly been able to take one alive for study.” He took a sip, finding the warmth welcome in the desert cold. “The overall villains of Kamen Rider Decade was a group called Dai-Shocker. They wanted to take over the multi-verse. Think of them like Shadaloo from Street Fighter.”

Cassie gave an awkward chuckle. “I never really got into Street Fighter, so I wouldn't really know the organizations…” she said.

Wyatt rubbed the side of his head. “Okay, then I guess the important thing to note is that they recruited monsters from other universes to work for them.”

“So like what the main villains in the Power Rangers series do?” Mira asked.

“That’s actually a pretty good comparison all things considered,” Wyatt told her.

“So, not t’derail the important conversation, but Ah can’t help but feel like ya two have only talked about yer powers and not yerselves this whole time.” Applejack commented, taking a big gulp of her stew.

Mira gulped nervously. Cassie put a hand on her shoulder and spoke up. “Well, our lives weren't really that exciting, at least mine wasn't. Not until Mira came into my life. My parents adopted her after she lost hers in a fire a few years before.”

Rarity frowned. “Oh how awful. I am so sorry to hear that, darling.” She offered Mira a sympathetic look.

“I-it’s alright.” Mira said, looking like she was trying to swallow back tears.

“The school we went to didn't really help things either, if she wasn't being teased about losing her parents, she was teased for her white hair.” Cassie pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can't remember the amount of times I’ve had to tell those bullies to back off.”

Applejack had a stern look on her face, shaking her head. “Who in tarnation would ever tease somepony for losing their parents? That’s just too cruel!” She snorted, downing the rest of her stew.

“Unfortunately, it's one of humanity's failings. We are capable of great good, but we can also be heartless to our own kind.” Cassie said. “Those particular kids were from rich families, so they were all kinds of snobs.”

“Bet none of them woulda opened their mouths if they knew what it was like,” Applejack grumbled.

“Yeah. But anyways, the two of us had our own hobbies, we also made a few friends, one of which Mira has a crush on.” Cassie gave a small grin at a now embarrassed Mira. “But they somehow disappeared after going to a convention… turns out the same thing that turned us into our characters happened to them.”

“You know, I watched a crazy guy online go on about the con disappearances,” Wyatt spoke up, taking another sip from his bowl. “I didn’t really pay that much attention to him though.” He stared down into his soup, sighing. “A part of me wish I did. My parents...” the words died in his throat, and he went silent.

“I’m really sorry…” Cassie said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I miss my mom and dad also.”

“Thanks,” Wyatt said. “Guess I should’ve paid more attention to the warning. Though, Equestria isn’t all bad.” He cracked a weak smile, looking between the girls. “And I get to be a superhero.”

Both Mira and Cassie gave a small chuckle at that. Mira then yawned, leaning against Cassie as her eyes began to grow heavy.

“Why don’t we finish dinner, and turn in for the night?” Rarity asked, glancing between the sisters. “I would be happy to share my tent.”

“Thanks Rarity.” Cassie said, nudging Mira.“We’d be honored.”

Wyatt gathered up the dirty bowls, putting them in a pile. “I’ll do the dishes tonight then keep an eye out for anything that tries to get into the camp.”

As Cassie helped Mira to her feet, she thought back to her Mane 6. I hope they're doing okay and not too worried about us… She thought. Although Tillith is probably keeping their spirits up. A small smile crept across her lips.

Wyatt watched as the girls piled into their tents. Once the last tent was closed he grabbed a washcloth and started doing the dishes as best he could. He looked out past the light of the fire, wondering if the monster he had driven back was still licking its wounds somewhere.

The sound of a tent flap opening caused him to turn and see Cassie exit Rarity's tent, her armor having been replaced by regular clothing, and walk to the edge of the camp before sitting down and look up into the sky.

Placing the dish down, he moved over to her. “You alright?”

“Yeah, just trying to collect my thoughts.” She said, her wings shifting.

“I’ll give ya a penny for them,” he joked, pretending to fish around in his pocket.

Cassie laughed at that. “You must've been quite the jokester back on Earth.”

Wyatt shrugged. “With my friends I was. To everyone else I was the quiet kid who never went anywhere without a camera.”

“Were you planning on being a news cameraman?” Cassie joked.

“Wrong kind of camera,” Wyatt replied, chuckling. “Though I was possibly going into journalism on Earth.” He looked up at the sky. “Wound up working on a pony newspaper instead. Good news though, print media isn’t dead in this world.” He turned to her with a smile.

“Both Mira and I are still trying to catch-up on past events after the two of us got sealed by the elements in order to stop Discord.” Cassie said. “We’ve recently gotten to Luna becoming Nightmare Moon…”

Wyatt chuckled, shaking his head. “Twilight’s been teaching me history too. Apparently, Sergeant Pepper was a war hero here.”

“Did he have a Lonely Hearts Club Band with him too?” Cassie asked.

“That’s what I said!” Wyatt said, throwing his arms up. “But no, they were on the other side.”

Cassie burst into laughter at that. When her giggles subsided, she looked up at the sky and the expanse of stars. “It’s weird, back on Earth you couldn't really appreciate the beauty of the night sky.” she said.

“I lived out in a place like this,” Wyatt said, indicating the desert. “When my friends and I went out, we saw all kinds of stars.” He looked up with her. “Never gets old though.”

“I can see why.” Cassie said.

“Yeah, never thought I’d miss the place until now,” he said. “I used to hang out with a friend on a Navajo reservation. I even tried Peyote once.”

Cassie winced. “Bet you regretted that.” She said. “You wouldn't catch me trying that stuff.”

“My friend told me it would’ve been disrespectful to turn it down.” Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck. “It was… trippy for lack of a better word.”

“I bet. I honestly hate substances like that. It's caused more trouble than it's worth.” Cassie said.

“I know I’ve had my fill of them for a lifetime,” Wyatt agreed. “Besides, Equestria has enough trippy sights without altering my brain chemistry.”

“Tell me about it…” Cassie said with a giggle. “Seeing so many colorful ponies sometimes makes me wonder if this is a dream or if it’s a fantasy…”

Wyatt put his hands in his pockets, looking up at the sky. The two fell into an easy silence, which lasted for several minutes. “I better get back to those dishes.” He turned, walking back to the pile.

Cassie nodded as she stood up. “Need any help?” she asked.

“Sure.” Wyatt smiled at her. He took a seat next to the wash basin, offering her a sponge and a bowl. “Beats doing it all by myself.”

Taking both, Cassie began to work on the bowl, a few strands of her hair falling in front of her face as she scrubbed. She began to grunt with the effort.

“Do you have anyone special? Back in your Equestria, I mean.” Wyatt retrieved his bowl, starting to scrub it. “You two have been around longer than I have.”

Cassie shook her head. “No, I never really could bring myself to date a pony. If I was still a Pegasus, maybe, but as a human? It just feels awkward.” she said. “Mira’s starting to date Sasha at Beacon. So she’s lucky.”

Wyatt looked down into the water, a sigh escaping his lips. Was it worse for him? The ponies here were almost human, barring the extra limbs and fur. He hadn’t felt like he was in the Uncanny Valley. But, would that change now that he actively thought about it?

“Everything okay?” Cassie asked, a worried look in her golden eyes.

Wyatt scrubbed a little harder, his nose scrunching up as he considered sharing his thoughts. In the end, he figured a little more soul baring wouldn’t hurt. “I was just wondering about how I’d feel dating a pony from this Equestria. Worst case scenario is that I never get to go home, so non-human dating might come up.”

“From what I’ve heard from some of the displaced I’ve met at Beacon, you can actually date other displaced, you just need to keep their token on hand in case you want to call them over.” Cassie said as she picked up another bowl and began to work on it, pausing now and then to brush her hair out of her face.

“That’d be one hell of a long distance relationship,” Wyatt commented, moving on to another dish. “It’s something to keep in mind though.”

Cassie gave a half hearted laugh. “It’s working for Mira, she gets to see the guy she had a crush on during school hours at Beacon. Me, I’m not really trying to get to know any of the guys there. Not worth it for me.”

Hearing the word crush brought up recent memories for Wyatt, causing him to scrub even harder. The bowl in his hand became spotless, but he kept trying to make it cleaner.

“Um, Wyatt? Scrub any harder and you might break the bowl.” Cassie said.

“Huh?” Wyatt snapped out of his daze, turning his head to look at her.

“The bowl’s clean. Are you sure you're okay?” Cassie asked, looking at him. Her own bowl laid forgotten in her hand.

Wyatt sighed, setting the bowl down. “Right before I got displaced, I confessed to an old friend, and she told me it was best we just stayed that way. Guess that’s for the best though, I did get stuck here after all.”

He felt a wing wrap around him in a comforting hug. “Remember, you're not alone in this multiverse.” Cassie said.

Wyatt nodded, a soft sigh escaping his lips. “Thanks, Cassie, that means a lot.”

She gave a small smile before she went back to working on her bowl. She then began to sing softly, some of the lyrics Wyatt didn't catch, but one verse he did hear was “We could be heroes, me and you…”

Wyatt chuckled a little, quickly finishing up the dishes. “Pretty appropriate choice of song,” he commented, drying off his hands.

“I used to listen to her a lot back on Earth. She was one of my favorite singers then.” Cassie said, a small blush forming on her cheeks.

“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” Wyatt told her, giving her a smile. “I listened to a lot of older stuff back on Earth. Especially Pink Floyd whenever my friend Floyd was with me.” A chuckle escaped his lips. “You know, his parents almost named him Pink Floyd.”

Cassie also laughed at that. “Now that would be funny.” she said.

“He’d never hear the end of it if his parents had gone through with it,” he told her with a grin.

“I bet. He’d probably have legions of fans asking for his autograph.” Cassie joked.

Wyatt laughed. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind having adoring fans.”

Cassie then yawned, shivering as a breeze blew through the camp and causing her to wrap her wings around herself. “I’m gonna get some sleep. See you in the morning.” She said, turning towards Rarity's tent.

Wyatt told her good night and took a seat by the dying campfire. He let his gaze settle towards the desert, keeping watch for anything that tried to get in.

Cassie meanwhile laid on her bedmat, thinking over the conversation she and Wyatt had. A few minutes later she was asleep, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Morning eventually came and the chill of the night gave way as the sun made itself known. Wyatt yawned as he got out of his tent, his watch having been uneventful. Twilight stepped out of her tent, waving to Wyatt as she stifled a yawn.

“How was your night?” she asked, fishing out equipment to help get breakfast started.

“It was pretty good,” Wyatt answered, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to fix it. “Cassie helped me with the dishes and we talked some more.” An idea hit him, and he waved Twilight over. “You remember those Displaced Ride cards from before?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, do you have an idea on how to use them?”

Wyatt shook his head. “No, but it just clicked in my head. Cassie and her sister are Displaced, right?” He closed his eyes, summoning up his card case. He flipped it open and sifted through his cards. “Aha!” He pulled out two sets of cards, these ones bearing Cassie and Mira’s likenesses. “Seems I get cards for the displaced I meet. Wonder what they do?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Twilight said, taking one of the cards and reading it. “Final Form Ride? That sounds interesting.”

“Not a whole lot of people around to see me.” Wyatt passed her his card case, summoning his belt and placing it around his waist. “Let’s see what this thing can do.”

He quickly changed into Decade and pulled out one of the Displaced Ride cards. He took a deep breath and slotted it in.

“Displaced Ride!” The belt called out, a ring of light appearing around him. “Mira!”

In a flash of light, Wyatt’s armor changed. Instead of fuschia and black, the main colors were silver, gold and blue. It was a bit bulkier, resembling a traditional knight’s with shoulder pads that resembled Mira’s crystal wings. The gauntlets had blue gems on the back of the hand that looked like what was embedded in her shield. There were golden patterns along the chest with his own Decade crest at the center of it.

“This is new.” Wyatt looked at his hands, flexing his fingers. “You got a mirror summoning spell on ya?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “No Wyatt, I don’t have one of those. But I’m sure Rarity brought a mirror with her, I’ll go borrow it from her.”

Twilight ducked into Rarity’s tent for a few moments before returning with a hand mirror. She held it up so he could get a good look at himself.

Wyatt whistled, leaning towards the mirror. “Not bad, definitely shiny. It looks like I don’t turn into the person, but a rider form of them.” He rested his hands on his chest. “Good thing too, I dunno how I’d feel about turning into a girl.”

“Wh-what’s going on?” Mira asked as she walked out of Rarity's tent, letting out a yawn as she did so.

“I was just trying something out,” Wyatt replied, turning to face her. “This was the result.” He waved a hand over himself.

Mira studied him over. “Guess that's what my armor would look like if I was a boy.” She said, a small smile on her face. “Minus the helmet and shoulder pads.”

Wyatt nodded. “Yeah, I like the look. It’s a bit more ornate than my other forms.” He rapped his knuckles on the chestplate. “This might be seeing some use.”

“You might have the armor, but can you control the powers I use?” Mira asked, her armor appearing on her body. Her sword with its 7 orbiting blades and shield in both her hands. “My attacks are pure light. Any enemy hit are temporarily blinded and burned at the same time.”

Wyatt took out a card and slotted it into the belt. “Attack Ride: Holy Eight Blades!”

A flash of light surrounded Wyatt and duplicates of her weapons appeared in his hands and around him. He took a step back, giving the sword a testing swing. “This feels pretty natural.”

“If you have my powers, then you should know that I have two different powerful attacks, known as brave bursts. The first is the standard, called Rogue Bind Fencer, both this and my super brave burst, Atomic Nova have a chance of paralyzing your foes.” Mira explained.

Wyatt nodded. “That sounds pretty useful.”

“If you’re done showing off, we should eat,” Little Strongheart spoke up, gazing off into the distance. “We’re not far behind your pegasus, and I don’t want to lose her trail. It’ll take forever to find it again.” Grabbing a few items, she began another fire, getting another stew brewing.

Wyatt chuckled and returned to normal before taking a seat by the fire. “That’s the last thing I need.”

Cassie soon walked out of Rarity's tent, rubbing her eyes. Both her hair and the feathers on her wings were rumpled from sleep. “Morning…” She said.

“Good morning,” Wyatt greeted. He chuckled at the condition of her hair and feathers. “With bed head like that, I’d say you had a good night’s sleep.”

“Huh?” Cassie's hand flew to her head. She then began to laugh. “Yeah, I guess so.”

The group sat down for breakfast, sharing a rather pleasant conversation. At Little Strongheart’s urging, they got back on A.K’s trail, following it deeper into the prairie. After a few hours of walking, they came to the remain of a camp, with several large tracks in the ground.

“What could have made those?” Cassie asked, pointing at the tracks.

Twilight and Little Strongheart knelt down towards the tracks, examining them. Strongheart then looked over the rest of the camp before turning back to the group.

“This was her camp,” she said. “And she was forced out of it.”

“But by what?” Mira asked, looking around nervously. “Surely there isn't anything bigger than a dragon out here, right?”

“It might have been that Makamou that attacked the buffalo,” Wyatt pointed out. “That’s the only thing I can think of.” Conjuring up his belt, he buckled it on. “How good are you girls at making sound?”

“Yelling wise or in general?” Cassie asked, an eyebrow raised. “If this is where I think it is going, I’m unsure what you have in mind…”

“Makamou are extremely weak to sound,” Wyatt informed, stepping around the remains of the campfire. “I can’t take it on by myself, and even with the buffalo, we just scared it off.”

“The only loud noise I can really make is a thunderclap…” Cassie said.

“We’ll just have to hope it works, huh?” Wyatt inserted the Hibiki card, though reframed from activating his belt. “If it did attack A.K, she either got away, or...” he let the idea linger, wincing at the horrified looks that spread through the group. “Either way, we can’t just let it wander around out here.”

“Agreed…” Mira said, leaning on her blade.

“I suppose we should try to find try to find Ms. Yearling,” Rarity spoke up, trying to ease her stomach.

“I hope she’s okay...” Fluttershy hid behind her mane, letting out a soft whimper.

“Same… ” Mira said, her wings shifting. “I don't like it when people or ponies get hurt…”

Fluttershy took to the skies, while the other girls spread out amongst the area. Wyatt himself climbed up an outcropping. From his position, he took stock of the area, noting the seemingly endless red dirt and cacti.

Cassie soared above the ground, her eyes scanning for any tracks. She soon spotted a group of smaller tracks, along with what looked to be blood splatters heading towards the east. “Over here! I found something!” she called out.

“What’d you find?” Wyatt called, sliding down to the ground. He rushed over, cursing when he saw the blood on the ground. “Please tell me you didn’t find her... body...”

Cassie shook her head. “No, but she’s probably injured. These tracks lead east. She can't have gone far with whatever injury she got.” she said.

“We’ll find out when we find her,” Little Strongheart huffed,kneeling down by one of the bloodstains. “It’s fresh, only about a day old. Start looking for a trail.”

“Like that one?” Mira asked, pointing at a line of hoofprints that had drops of blood alongside it, plus what looked like a drag mark.

“Yeah, something like that.” Little Strongheart moved over, following the tracks with her eyes. “We have to hurry, who knows how much blood she’s lost.”

Cassie looked at Wyatt. “You think she’s okay?” She asked.

Wyatt looked out the trail, making a note of their sizes and the distance between them. “I’m not an expert on this or anything, but I think if we get to her soon then we should be able to keep her from bleeding out.”

“Unless she's already done that herself. I noticed some strips of cloth cut from that tent back in the camp.” Mira said. “And the blood is just the runoff?”

Twilight came up to Mira’s side, staring at the blood. “We can only hope. I don’t know how well she’ll be able to navigate though,” she held up a broken half of red frames for glasses, “I found this by a rock.”

Rarity came up with a tattered shawl in her hands. “And I found this… piece of clothing not far from it. Though her losing it might’ve been a favor.” Rarity made a disgusted face as she glanced down at it. Both Cassie and Mira giggled.

“Guess we follow the trail from here…” Cassie said.

Wyatt walked over to the trail of blood. “Then let’s get started. Time is of the essence here.”

He started walking, leaving a hand on the handle of his driver while keeping his eyes and ears open for the monster.

Both Cassie and Mira soared above them, their wings spread out. Once and awhile, Mira tumbled as her wings still weren't used to flying for so long before catching herself.

Their trip lasted for an hour and led them to a group of plateaus. Wyatt’s eyes narrowed, the hair on the back of his neck starting to stand up. He came to a sudden stop, scanning the area. “A.K Yearling?” he called, shifting his feet. “We’re here to help!”

Everything was silent for a few moments before the group made out the faint sound of a groan.

“I see her!” Cassie said, pointing to a mustard yellow Pegasus with a light/dark striped mane and tail and magenta colored eyes near a rock outcropping. Her right wing was wrapped in cloth strips as a rudimentary bandage, while she wore a pith helmet and vest.

Twilight gasped, rushing over to the injured mare and pulling out a first aid kit to better dress the mare’s wounds. She looked into the mare’s eyes, an awestruck look on her face. “You’re not A.K. Yearling, you’re Daring Do!”

“Who?” Cassie and Mira asked simultaneously.

“I didn’t need any help!” Daring Do hissed, pushing Twilight away. “You had no reason to follow me out here!” Getting to her hooves, she braced herself against the outcropping. “Go back to your library and leave me be!”

“I’m pretty sure we’ve got a reason to follow you here,” Wyatt countered, pointing at his bandaged face. “That notwithstanding, you won’t be able to fight that monster right now.”

“Please, we can help you stop the beast.” Mira said.

Daring grit her teeth, taking a shaky step forward. “I don’t need to stop it. I’ve gotta keep going or I’ll lose track of him again.”

“Of who?” Cassie asked, blocking her path. “You’re in no shape to be walking right now.”

Daring growled, shoving Cassie out of her way. “I told you, leave me alone.” She stumbled forward, ignoring the pain. “It’s none of your business.”

“She’s after Agito,” Wyatt said, putting himself in front of Daring. “The real question is why she’s after him.”

“Go to Tartarus,” Daring hissed, attempting to push past Wyatt, before collapsing against him.

Wyatt helped keep her stable, a neutral look on his face. “I’m just gonna assume that means what I think it does.” He motioned to Twilight, getting Daring to lay down again. “Now, stop being stubborn and accept our help.”

Twilight thanked him and continued to dress Daring’s wounds, the pegasus grumbling to herself the entire time. “I can’t believe you're really Daring Do,” she commented. “How did you hide it for so long?”

“Living out in the middle of nowhere and dressing like an old mare,” Daring replied, her feathers ruffled.

“Twi, let's fangirl later.” Cassie said. “I don't think she's really comfortable with it.”

Twilight coughed into her hand and nodded, a blush peppering her cheeks. “Right, I’ll just focus on the first aid.”

Mira then handed a green bottle to Daring. “Here, drink this. It’ll help you heal faster.” she said.

Daring grumbled and accepted the offered bottle. She gave Mira a quick thanks and took a long gulp of the liquid inside before making a retching sound.

Cassie chuckled as she scanned for threats in the area, her wings folded behind her.

Wyatt looked out as well, nothing sticking out in the area. He was getting a bad feeling about how still everything seemed. Turning to Daring, he sighed. “Are you gonna tell us why you're looking for Agito, or start yelling insults again?”

“It’s still none of your business,” Daring shot back. She shifted, a bit of metal visible around her neck. “Just fix me up and get out of here.”

“That’s not gonna happen,” Wyatt told her. “If we don’t know why you’re looking for Agito, then we don’t know if you’re trying to threaten him. And of course there’s the matter of how you know about him in the first place.”

“And what's on your neck?” Mira asked.

Daring shifted, taking a hand and toying with her neck. “Nothing, just a necklace.” Glaring at Twilight, she adjusted her wings. “You done yet?”

Twilight took a quick look at her work before nodding and taking a step back. “There, that should take care of it.”

Mira looked at Daring. “Why exactly are you looking for this “Agito”? Does he have something to do with your past?” She asked.

“Is everypony here deaf or something?” Daring growled, turning away from the group. “I’m not talking about why I’m after him. So stop asking.”

She felt a hand spin her around, finding Cassie's frustrated eyes looking into her own eyes. “You don't seem to get that they want to help you. Going it alone isn’t going to help you in the long run, so I would suggest accepting their help.” The winged human growled.

Daring snorted. “I’ve gone it alone for years and I’ve always come out on top in the end. I don’t need help, what I need is to get going before Agito’s trail goes cold.”

“Because you’ve been lucky so far. But your luck is going to run out sometimes, and like it or not, you’ll need others to help you.” Cassie said.

Daring glared at the young woman, adjusting her hat on her head. “Lady, luck has had nothing to do with why I’ve been so successful. You don’t know anything about me so don’t act like you do.”

“You’re right, I don't.” Cassie said. “But your eyes are telling a different story. You’re glad that we came when we did. What you're doing is just a front to avoid thanking us. Kinda like a certain pegasus.” she said.

Daring hardened her gaze. “Don’t tell me what ‘my eyes’ are saying. I’m not telling you anything, so you're better off not wasting anymore of your time.”

“That’s fine, you won’t have to tell us anything,” Wyatt told her, smirking. “Because we’re just gonna follow you until you find Agito.”

Daring barred her teeth. “Are all humans such arrogant flankholes!?”

“Depends on who you ask,” he replied, chuckling.

“In this case, we’re worried about you.” Mira said. “Whether or not you’re confident in your abilities, you can't take on everything alone. I know what that feeling’s like, and to this day, it still scares me.”

“I don’t need all of you to talk to me like you’re my bucking mother,” Daring growled. “I work alone, that’s how I like it.” She turned, moving away from them. “Not you, not that damn spider thing, nothing is going to get in my way!”

“Wait, did you say spider thing?” Cassie asked, sharing a shocked look with the rest of the group.

“Yeah, that’s the thing that messed up my camp,” Daring huffed, rubbing her injured wing. “Lost a lot of good supplies. Got me pretty good too.”

“Did you see where it went?” Wyatt questioned. “It wasn’t anywhere near your camp anymore.”

“I lost it in the night.” Daring shock her head. Her shoulders slumped, and she looked back at the. “You’re not going to leave me alone, are you?”

“Nope,” Pinkie said with a grin, carefully throwing an arm around Daring’s shoulders. “You’re stuck with us.”

Daring pulled away from Pinkie, sitting down. A course chuckle escaped her throat. She put her head back, speaking in what Wyatt thought sounded like Japanese.

He made a note of that for later. “I think we should set up camp here,” Wyatt commented. “Daring’s in no condition to walk any further and the cover limits how that monster can come at us.”

Both Cassie and Mira nodded in agreement. The others shared a similar sentiment and began preparing the camp. With everyone working together, it took just under an hour. Wyatt gave up his tent so that Daring could have a place to properly rest up.

“I don’t need your tent,” Daring muttered, gazing up at Wyatt. “You can keep your charity kid.”

“Just accept the gesture and heal up alright?” Wyatt told her, slowly chopping vegetables to help make lunch. “Can’t exactly let you use yours. So, you gonna tell me how you know Japanese? Or, am I going to be told to go to Tartarus again?”

“I’ve been all over the world, I know a lot of languages,” Daring dismissed, rolling onto her side.

“Japanese isn’t a language here,” Wyatt countered, not looking up from his work. “Which means, you had to learn it from someone. And since Agito is from where I’m from...”

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but keep it to yourself,” Daring warned in a low tone so only he could hear. “I’ll break your jaw next, kid.”

Cassie soon came back with a load of firewood collected from branches that had fallen into the plateau. Dropping the load off nearby, she sat down next to Mira and the other girls. “It’s hot as a dragon’s flame out there…” she said, wiping some sweat off.

“Good thing it gets cold at night.” Wyatt gave Daring a look. “We should have brought more blankets, or used Spike as a space heater.”

“I don’t think Spike would appreciate being used as a tool like that,” Twilight said, a small frown on her face.

“Relax.” Wyatt put his hands up. “It was just a joke, honest.” Opening up his mouth to speak, the words were drowned out as a screeching roar filled the air. “Looks like it’s go time.” Dropping his knife, he activated his belt.

“Kamen Ride: Hibiki!”

In a flash, Wyatt was in his Hibiki armor, weapons at the ready as the spider-like monster came into view. It screeched again, its spear like legs stabbing into the ground with each step. Pinchers held high, it skittered over, smashing through anything in the way.

“Wyatt, besides sound, is this thing weak to anything else?” Cassie asked, her sword drawn and ready.

“Besides hitting it really hard? No.” Wyatt answered, charging at the monster.

He swung his weapons at its legs, directing it away from the girls as it lashed out with a pincer.

“Hey spider cakes! Taste this, ASTINIC FALL!” Cassie shouted as she slammed her blade down onto the beast, electricity then smashing into it and sending it stumbling back as the thunderclap accompanying the attack hit it like a physical blow.

Twilight took a position outside of Daring’s tent, putting a shield around the rest of the camp. “I’ll keep this up as long as I can, just make sure it doesn’t hit it. I need a lot of concentration for this.” Closing her eyes, she steadied her breathing, focusing her mind on the shield.

Mira stood nearby, her sword and shield at the ready in case Cassie and Wyatt were unable to keep the beast contained. The creature raised a pincer, slamming it down on Mira. Wyatt jumped up, landing on the beast’s back while it was distracted with Mira. He brought down his weapons in a series of blows, loud drumbeats echoing through the camp.

“MIRA! Let go of her, you Ebirah wannabe!” Cassie shouted, before she flew forward and sunk her blade into a chunk off the spider’s armor, an electrical blast then jolting through the beast and causing it to let go of Mira, who stumbled back and collapsed.

Wyatt had to crouch down and grab onto an armor plate on the monster’s head as it collapsed to prevent himself from falling. He righted himself quickly and resumed his attack. “How many times to I have to hit you!?” Wyatt growled, his voice barely audible over his attacks.

Cassie, meanwhile had brought Mira back to the group and settled her on a nearby pillar. “Just stay here and don't move.” she said.

“Not… a problem…” Mira groaned. Her armor was heavily dented from being held in the spider’s pincer, and from her pained look, a broken rib.

Turning back to the fight, she streaked out and held her hand up. A massive thunderclap then sounded and caused the beast to screech in pain from the sound.

Wyatt turned to Cassie, pulling a card out of his case. “Hey Cassie, I need you to get over here so I can try something!” he called out, slotting the card into his belt.

Cassie flew over to him. “What’s the plan?” she asked.

“This.” He pressed the handles of his belt together, getting behind her.

“Final Form Ride: Cassie!” the belt boomed.

“This might tickle a little,” Wyatt warned, inserting his hands into her back, a ripple going through it. With a deft movement of his hands, Cassie shot into the air and her form started to shift.

“Wha- What's happening?!” she yelped.

“A power boost if I did this right,” Wyatt told her, watching the scene unfold with interest.

Cassie cried out in shock as her arms fused to her wings, while her armor disappeared and her feet turned into talons. “No… no, NO! Not this!” she screamed, fear showing in her eyes. Her neck and face elongated and her teeth became sharper. A tail then sprouted and in an instant, Cassie had turned into the very thing she dreaded becoming. The dragon then roared a challenge at the spider, its massive wings spread.

Wyatt took that as a cue to jump off the spider's head, looking at what Cassie had turned into with fascination. “This could either go really well, or very poorly,” he said to himself.

With a snarl, the Dragon flew forward, firing a massive bolt of lightning at the spider and sending it flying backwards. It came to a skidding stop, righting itself and lashing out at the dragon. It grabbed one of the dragon’s legs in its pincer, squeezing with all its might and trying to pull the dragon from the sky. The dragon roared with rage and flew upwards, taking the spider along with it. It then began to spin, going faster and faster. The spider let out a high pitched squeal, grabbing the dragon’s other leg with its other pincer.

Then to everyone's shock, the dragon spoke. “Not gonna let go, ey? Then let's see how you like THIS!” It then dived down and thrust its legs forward so that the spider would take the brunt of the force. The two impacted with the force of a meteorite, throwing up a huge dust cloud and obscuring the two combatants.

The spider tossed the dragon out of the cloud, struggling to get back up. Many of it’s legs had been crushed from the impact, and it’s shell cracked open in several places.

“Maxium Drive!” A synthesized voice shouted out. Several blasts of energy slammed into the spider’s battered body, finally putting it out of its misery.

The dragon then collapsed, before it began to change. In seconds, Cassie was in the spot the dragon had occupied. She stood up, and everyone was shocked to see tears streaming down her cheeks.

Wyatt reverted to normal and rushed over to her. “Cassie, are you okay?” he asked, a panicked look in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea it would do that to you.”

“N-never a-again. I’m not going to go through that again!” She then collapsed onto Wyatt’s shoulder, sobs wracking her body.

Not knowing what else to do, Wyatt put his hands on her shoulders and let her cry. “I’ll never use that card on you again, I promise,” he assured her, his mind barely registering the growing wet spot on his shoulder.

The moment Twilight dropped the shield, Daring ran past the pair, coming to the halt a few feet away. “The Tartarus have you been!?” she shouted, shaking with rage. “You just couldn’t wait to leave me, could you?! You didn’t even come to my graduation!”

It was only then that Wyatt registered the man standing in front of Daring. Clad in black armor, and sporting a silver skull helmet, the man stood silently, a black pistol in his hand. A scarf hung from his neck flowing in the night breeze. Upon closer inspection, Wyatt noted the man wasn’t human, noting he had hooves instead of feet.

“Daring, that’s not Agito,” Wyatt told her, glaring at the figure. “That’s Kamen Rider Skull.”

“What?” Daring asked, her eyes going wide. She took a step back, looking over every inch of Skull.

Skull brought his hand up, giving a two fingered salute. Adjusting his hat, he turned, leaping over an outcropping and vanishing from sight.

Wyatt briefly considered following after Skull. Despite the headstart he likely could’ve caught up with him using Kabuto. Despite an urge for answers, he decided not to chase Skull. Skull seemed to have been baited by the other rider and the last thing he needed was to fall into a trap.

“It wasn’t him...” Daring muttered to herself, staring off after Skull. She sank to her knees, shoulders sagging. “Faust, I’m an idiot.”

“It sounds like you and Agito were close,” Twilight noted, approaching the mare from behind. “Considering you expected him to attend your graduation.”

“It’s alright, you can tell us,” Fluttershy encouraged, walking to Daring. She knelt down, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not healthy to keep everything bottled up. I bet you’ll feel a lot better if you tell us.”

Daring grunted, letting her shoulders sag. “You girls really don’t take no for an answer,” she muttered. She shook her head, sighing. “Guess there’s no point in hiding it since you saw me like that. Agito’s my dad. He adopted me when I was little.”

Cassie looked up at Daring. “What happened to your real parents?” she asked, her voice still shaky.

“Tartarus if I know.” Daring shrugged, a hint of bitterness in her voice. “I ran out of the orphanage when I was three. Never bothered to go back.” Standing up, she braced herself against Fluttershy. “So, who was the Skull guy?”

“I can’t tell you who was behind the mask,” Wyatt told her. “They were a pony, I could tell that much.” He frowned, eyeing Daring curiously. “You haven’t actually seen Agito in rider form, have you?”

“No,” Daring admitted. “He described riders as guys in armor, but he’d never turn into his rider form. Wouldn’t say why.”

“Right.” Wyatt shock his head. Not only were Agito and Kuuga a thing, now he had to worry about Riders with Gaia Memories. Sensing Twilight’s already building urge to ask questions, he cut her off. “I’ll tell you everything I know about Skull when we get back to town.”

“What about Agito?” Daring asked, grunting as she tried to stand under her own power. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be this close to finding him again.”

“You need a hospital,” Wyatt pressed, his tone firm. “Celestia hoped knowledge of my presence would bring him out of hiding. If that doesn’t work, we’ll think of something else. But, you will die if we don’t get you to a doctor.”

Cassie turned to look at Mira, who was still laying on the outcropping. Taking a deep breath, she pulled a yellow vial from her pocket and flew over to her sister. “Here, drink this.” she said as she helped Mira gulp down the contents. Mira then cried out in pain as her rib reset itself before sighing in relief. Helping her to her feet, Cassie looked over at the group. “We’re ready.” she said.

Daring stared, looking at the vial. “Please tell me you have more of those?”

Cassie nodded. She then tossed another one to her. “It’s a tonic potion, able to cure Injury, Weakness, and Sickness ailments.” she said.

Daring caught the vial, quickly uncorking it and downing the contents in a single gulp. Gritting her teeth, she shuddered as her body knit itself back together. “That, hurt like a bitch...”

“Tell me about it…” Mira muttered. Her armor was soon replaced by regular clothes.

“Is everyone done with all the arguing and magic stuff?” Strongheart asked, looking between Wyatt and the sisters. “Good. If we’re going back, we should head out now and cover as much ground as we can, I don’t want to run into another one of those monsters.”

Cassie nodded with a shudder, the memories of what she went through still fresh in her mind. “Y-yeah, let's go…”

“Cassie, wait. We need to go back home to our Equestria.” Mira said. She turned to Wyatt. “Was there anything else you needed to know about us?” she asked.

Wyatt thought for a moment before nodding. “What was that thing I used to summon you? It kinda worked like a rider card, so, I imagine it’s something like that.”

“Our token?” Cassie asked. “It’s something called a battle crystal. It helps power up our brave burst attacks faster.”

Wyatt blinked owlishly. “What’s a token?”

“It’s… kinda like both a summoning device and a calling card for a displaced.” Mira said. “Each one varies on each Displaced.”

“And you use them to summon other Displaced?” Twilight asked, putting her hand on her chin. “Certainly sounds like how Wyatt explained the Rider cards. How do you make them?”

“Pick something that represents your character and focus some of your soul into it. Then say a message to let others know what your intentions are, whether for good or evil.” Cassie said. “It then gets sent into the void and split into millions of copies, one for each displaced.”

Wyatt thought for a moment, summoning up his card case. He slipped his Decade card out, gazing at it intently. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. ‘Sending this out will probably get me dragged into a bunch of stuff. But, if I can help, I should.’ Focusing on the card, he spoke. “I am the passing through Kamen Rider. If you ever need a helping hand, just hold this card up, and call for Decade.”

Acting on instinct, he pulled his arm back, he jerked it forward, throwing the card out in front of him. It glowed, passing through a transparent wall, before it arked back like a boomerang, flying back at him. Catching it, Wyatt let out a sigh of relief .

“I was worried I wouldn’t get it back.” Replacing the card, he dispelled the card case. “Thanks for helping out. Uh, sorry all that stuff happened.” He rubbed his neck, awkwardly kicking a rock. “It was nice to see some fellow humans again.”

“It was nice meeting you too.” Mira said, a small smile on her lips. She nudged Cassie, who mumbled something they didn't catch. Mira then noticed her sister's cheeks and gave an inward grin. Oooh, I’m so not letting forget about this… she thought.

“So...” Wyatt clapped his hands together. “How do I send you girls home?”

Recalling what they learned at Beacon, Mira said, “Some displaced have their own way of getting to their home, but for those who don't, just say “Our contract is complete.””

Clearing his throat, Wyatt straightened up his stance. “Cassie, Mira, our contract is complete.”

At once, a portal opened behind the two girls. Mira waved to the group before entering the portal. Cassie hesitated before looking over at Wyatt. “Good luck. I.. I hope we can see each other again someday.” she said.

“I hope so too.” Wyatt gave her a smile, waving after her.

Cassie smiled back, before walking through the portal. It then closed with a snap.

Wyatt nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. “They were nice.” He raised an eyebrow, noting the looks the girls were giving him. “What?”

Rarity spoke up, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Cassie certainly seemed to get along with you, darling.”

Applejack groaned, facepalming. “Rarity, the boy's got enough on his plate as it is. Don’t be teasin’ him for havin’ fillies take interest.”

Wyatt chuckled nervously, a faint blush peppering his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his head. “Come on you guys, there’s no way she likes me like that... Right?” Glancing between them desperately, he let out another chuckle. “Right?” His shoulders sagged as the group erupted into snickers and giggles. “Why me?”

An older stallion grunted as he descended the stairs, his chest heaving. “Daughter, I have returned.” Stepping down into her lab, he placed a belt on the table. “The system worked, as thou said.”

“Thank you, Father,” a gray mare said, taking the belt and attaching it to a device. A screen sprang to life, displaying a series of numbers. “Are you experiencing any ill effects from it?”

“Just some tiredness,” he responded, peering over her shoulder. “Mine speed was increased, but the effort was still the same.”

“The belt is meant to enhance your capabilities while feeling natural,” she replied, jotting down notes. “The memory?” she asked, holding her hand out. Once the stallion placed it in her hand, she plugged it into the device. “No change in the memory. The test was a complete success.”

Standing up, she made her away to a shelf, containing a more complete version of the belt. “I need to start running tests on the complete version.” Taking the belt off the shelf, she turned to her father. “I’ll need some time to find a compatible pair.”

“I am glad I could be of assistance to thee,” the older stallion said, bowing his head towards the mare. “I saw something of note during my test, a new rider has appeared. His form does not appear to be related to the legendary brothers’. There was a mare with him. She wore the mark of Agito.”

The mare paused on her way back to her seat. “I didn’t know Agito had vassals.”

“Her relationship did not appear to be that of a vassal,” the stallion said, finding a seat next to her. “It seemed more personal judging by her words. Thy sister was with them as well.”

“That must mean we can find this new rider in Ponyville,” the mare said. She then paused, a thought striking her at the mention of her sister. She rose from her seat, walking over to her equipment and starting to work. “You can go up now, I’ll probably be at this for a while.”

The stallion nodded, bidding her goodnight and making his way upstairs.

That's the Power of Love! (Poison)

It had been a few days since Wyatt and the girls returned from the desert, dragging Daring with them. Of course, they had made a stop at Dodge Junction first, only for no one there to have known anything about Agito. Daring was obviously not happy at all, but had accepted that there was nothing to do except try to draw him out through a plan.

Wyatt was walking around town, a part of him noting the pink and heart-shaped decorations all over light fixtures and buildings. He then noticed that ponies were paired off, making goo-goo eyes and kissy faces at each other. He sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Great, this world has an equivalent of Valentine’s Day,” he muttered. “Looks like I’ll be celebrating Single’s Day as always.” It made part of him wish that Cassie and Mira had stuck around, if only to have others to sulk with. He then remembered that Cassie had mentioned that Mira was seeing another displaced. “Nevermind, the traitor isn’t allowed to celebrate with us,” he grumbled, his aimless wandering bringing him to Sugarcube Corner.

“Hi Wy-Wy!!” Pinkie greeted from behind the counter. “Are you enjoying Hearts and Hooves Day?”

“Hey Pinkie,” Wyatt greeted, her cheer infecting him and forcing out a smile. “I’m celebrating a different holiday called Single’s Awareness Day today. Think you can make me a special treat for that?” he joked, walking up to the counter.

“Sure I can!” Pinkie nodded. She zipped around the back of the store, placing a box on the counter. “Done~!”

Wyatt blinked, reaching into his pockets to pull out bits. “Pinkie, how did you make baked goods in less than ten seconds?”

“I’m just really good at baking!” Pinkie smiled, taking the bits. Getting him his change, she pushing the box forward. “I hope your day improves, Wy-Wy.”

“With the stuff you make, it’s sure to,” he said, sliding the change in his pocket before taking the box. “So, what’d you make for me?”

“I made you some eclairs. I made them just how you like them!”

“Uh, how do you know how I like my eclairs?” Wyatt questioned. “I never told you eclairs were my favorite pastry.”

“It’s a secret.” Pinkie winked. She busied herself in the back, humming a soft tune to herself. “Hope you like em!”

Wyatt shook his head, quickly thanking her and exiting the bakery. “I swear that mare has superpowers,” he said to himself. He started walking again, looking for a place to eat his eclairs. Finding himself in the park, he took a seat, waving at a few passing couples.

He placed his box of treats next to him, pulling one of the tasting confections out and taking a bite. “Mmm, Pinkie does great work!” he said to himself, quickly taking another bite. “I wonder what else I can get up to during a holiday dedicated to couples?”

Maybe he could help out in Fluttershy’s cottage? He was pretty sure she wasn’t spending the day with anyone. He knew to avoid Rarity like the plague. He was absolutely certain she would try to play matchmaker for him. He shuddered at the thought of her forcing him to go on a blind date. What was worse was that she’d probably insist on making a suit for him to wear on said date.

“Not falling in that trap,” he muttered, taking another bite. “I could hang out with D.D. Get some more info outta her.”

He finished off his eclair, debating with himself whether or not he should grab another one. He decided against it, grabbing the box and started walking towards the hotel she was staying in until she could find a home in or near Ponyville.

Stepping up to her door, he gave a few solid knocks. “Hey, A.K, you in?”

The door opened and a hand pulled him inside roughly before the door closed behind him. He stumbled a bit before quickly recovering. He took notice of Daring, who had traded in her adventuring gear for a simple olive green t-shirt and shorts.

“Sorry for the rough treatment,” Daring said. “I didn’t feel like putting on my disguise.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Wyatt waved her off, offering her the box. “I uh, brought some eclairs. Being single today kinda bummed me out. I figured we could hang out. Or something.”

Daring thanked him and grabbed an eclair. “It’s Hearts and Hooves Day?” she asked taking a bite. “I’m either on an adventure or home alone this time of year, so I always forget about it. As for your offer, yeah, hanging out would be better than spending the day here.” she indicated the plain room with simple decorations.

“How’s Ponyville treating you?” Wyatt asked, sitting down on a free chair. “You’ve been on the down low since we got back.”

“It’s an alright little town,” Daring answered, taking a seat on the bed. “Folks are pretty friendly so I can’t complain there. How’s it treating you? Ponies can get kinda weird around non-ponies.”

“I still get some odd looks here and there but everyone seems to have accepted me,” Wyatt answered, grabbing an eclair. “I think the welcome party Pinkie threw for me helped.” Leaning back, he grinned. “She still hasn’t thrown you yours yet.”

“Ugh, don’t tell her this, but I’m not a big fan of parties. I’ll probably find a comfy corner and deal with the meet and greet as best I can.” She stretched her arms above her head and laid down on the bed.

Swallowing a bite, Wyatt thought of his first question. “How much do you know, about Earth I mean? It’d be nice to talk about it with someone. I realize you haven’t actually been there, but still...” Closing his eyes, he fought off another wave of homesickness.

“I know some stuff about Earth culture,” Daring answered. “Dad also talked a lot about movies and stuff like that.”

“Oh yeah? What was his favorite movie?”

Daring chuckled. “That depends, he had categories. His favorite Disney movie for example was Lilo and Stitch. He’s half Hawaiian, said it always hit him in the feels.” A light smile graced her lips. “He taught me a lot about the islands.”

“That sounds pretty cool. Did he teach you about the culture of the islands?”

Daring let out a barking laugh. “Damn right he did! Did the same thing of Japanese culture. I had the time of my life growing up.” Gazing up at ceiling, a thought struck her. “Guess that’s why I wanted to learn about other cultures.”

Wyatt chuckled, taking another bite of his eclair. “Sounds like we have something in common. My mom’s a photographer and taught me everything about cameras.” He sniffled, ignoring the tear running down his face. “Dad’s a costume designer. He made the costume I was wearing when I got sent here.”

“Sounds like an interesting family,” Daring commented. She scrunched up her muzzle, taking notice of his condition. “And sorry you can’t see them.” Sitting up, she brushed a few strands of her mane out of her face. “Dad used to get like that sometimes. He told me it wasn’t so bad, because he had me.”

“Can’t even imagine being away from my family for a thousand years,” Wyatt said, leaning down towards his lap. “The potential of being immortal has been the weirdest part of becoming a rider.”

“Kid, look at me.” Daring got his attention, looking into his eyes. “Live in the now, alright? You’re what, 17, 18? Don’t worry about it for now. Maybe you should get a job, so you don’t have as much free time to worry.” Eyes widening, Daring snapped her fingers in inspiration. “You’re a photographer, right? Maybe you should see about getting a job at a newspaper?”

Wyatt nodded, sitting up in the chair. “I think I could like that.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Only problem is that I don’t have any formal experience. Or a recognized education in this world.”

“Kid, you’re friends with the princess's personal student, and you’re risking your life to fight monsters, just ask Celestia to throw you a bone.”

Wyatt frowned. “I don’t know if I’d be comfortable having strings pulled for me like that. It’s my choice to fight monsters, I’m not looking for handouts for doing it.”

Daring crossed her arms. “Would you rather just mooch of off the bookworm for the rest of your life?”

Wyatt winced, the sentence hitting a nerve. “Okay, good point. When I get back to the library I’ll write a letter and have Spike send it to the princess.” After a moment, Wyatt shot up from his seat. “That’s actually perfect!”

Daring blinked. “Well, that’s a sudden attitude change.”

“Hear me out.” Wyatt conjured up his card case, removing the Kuuga card. “Kuuga was Agito’s brother right? What if I photograph myself as Kuuga and submit them to a few newspapers? Agito’s bound to investigate.”

Daring nodded, sitting up in the bed with a smile. “Yeah, I think you’re on to something!” She chuckled. “Just be ready to get punched.”

“I had a feeling something like that would happen,” Wyatt replied, standing up from his chair and stretching. “You wanna head out into town? We could make fun of the couples or something.”

Daring shrugged, standing up from the bed. “Going out to get some fresh air doesn’t sound too bad. Just give me a sec to put on the old lady clothes.” Moving over to her dresser, she removed a shawl, wrapping it around her shoulders.

“So, why do you have a secret identity?” Wyatt asked. “Is it for privacy’s sake or something?”

“Well, that’s part of it.” Daring fit her glasses on, turning back to him. “If ponies found out that everything I write about is real, they’d go after that stuff themselves. I don’t need that kind of trouble. So, I made up A.K Yearling, and based a persona around her.”

Wyatt nodded, opening the door and holding it for her. “Yeah, that makes sense. Twilight let me read the first of your books so I could see how ponies hunting for that stuff would go wrong.”

Daring placed her hat on, stepping out of the room. “If anyone asks, we’ve been talking about your home. Inspiration and all that, got it?” Giving her outfit a final adjustment, she began to walk into town.

Wyatt gave her a two fingered salute in affirmation, grabbing the eclair box and following her through the streets. They chatted as they went, avoiding topics they wouldn’t want anyone to overhear. Their wanderings had them come across Twilight, who was sitting on a bench reading a book. Wyatt took note of a red stallion and purple mare approaching a picnic blanket in the distance, but paid it no real mind.

“Hey Twi,” Wyatt greeted, offering her the box. “A.K and I were just on our way to see you.”

Twilight looked up from her book, placing something in it to keep her place before closing it. “Hey Wyatt.” She took the offered box and looked inside. “Ooh, don’t mind if I do.” She grabbed an eclair and took a bite. “So why were you two looking for me?”

“Because we had an idea to draw Agito out.” Wyatt sat next to her, placing the box in his lap. “We need Celestia’s help though.”

Twilight perked up. “If you’ve thought of a way to draw out Agito then I’m sure she’d be happy to help. How are you enjoying Hearts and Hooves day?”

“About as well as anyone could on a holiday dedicated to having someone you love,” he retorted. “Sorry, that came out a bit harsh. I decided to just celebrate singles day, like always.”

Twilight chuckled, patting her book. “I guess I’ve been doing the same thing. I’ve never really dated anypony so I always celebrate by studying the history of the holiday.”

“Is it based on a saint?”

“A what?” Twilight asked, tilting her head. “I’ve never heard that term before.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He waved her off. “It’s just something from back home. Our version of Hearts and Hooves day is called Valentine's day.”

“Oh, that’s fascinating,” Twilight noted. “But to answer your question, this holiday is based around a pair of royalty that drank a love potion and nearly let their kingdom fall to ruin due to the effects. Sources say they started the holiday as a joke and then became a serious celebration later.”

“The more you know,” Wyatt commented. Not wanting to fall into uncomfortable silence, he spoke up. “Anyway, why don’t we get some lunch and get you up to speed with our plan? Beats walking and talking.” Of course, he wasn’t looking forward to eating another salad. Maybe he could ask Celestia about getting him some meat? He’d fight a dozen monsters at once just for one sandwich that didn’t have hay or flowers in it.

He then caught something out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw that the mare and stallion from earlier were walking away from the picnic blanket with everything on it. He also thought he heard somebody shout angrily, but chalked it up to a trick of the wind.

“Hey.” he nudged Twilight, pointing at the blanket. “Looks like we got ourselves lunch.”

Twilight scrunched up her muzzle. “Do you think it’s okay to eat food that somepony else abandoned?” Her eyes then locked on a plate with daisy sandwiches and her stomach growled loudly. “Well, it does seem like they didn’t want it,” she said, walking over to the blanket.

Wyatt took a seat on one side of the blanket. He frowned, searching for something he could eat. He looked through the basket, finding a sealed container of what looked like quesadillas. He opened it up and examined it for anything that he couldn’t eat. Satisfied, he took a bite of one.

“Mmm... this is pretty good,” Wyatt muttered, taking another bite. “You wanna get in on this, A.K?”

Daring stared at the blanket with an unsure look on her face. “I think I’ll just stick to the pastries,” she said. “You two have fun though.”

“Suit yourself.” Wyatt shrugged, focusing on his newly acquired meal.

Twilight meanwhile was busying herself with one of the daisy sandwiches. After a few bites though, her mouth started to feel dry. She scoured the blanket before finding two cups with a purple, fizzy liquid inside. She grabbed one for herself and offered the other to Wyatt. “Here, for when you get thirsty,” she said, taking a sip.

“Thanks.” Wyatt took the cup, giving it a taste. “Huh, tastes like... Raspberry.” His body then stiffened and his eyes locked on Twilight. He couldn’t explain it, but a surge of emotions started coursing through him. His eyelids lowered and he leaned closer to the mare. “I love you my little smarty pants,” he cooed, unable to hold it back.

Twilight blinked, before her eyes focused on his. “Just looking at you makes my brain go crazy.”

Daring gaped at the pair before her eyes settled on the cups. She picked one up, looking into it and giving it a sniff. “Um Twilight, did you tell anypony else the story of the first Hearts and Hooves Day?”

“Just the Crusaders,” Twilight replied absentmindedly, reaching out and taking Wyatt’s hands. Wyatt grinned dopily, giving hers a squeeze.

“Uh huh, and where might I find these Crusaders?” Daring pressed, watching the pair make kissy faces at one another. A frown creased her lips as the pair ignored her. “Hey, I’m talking to you two.”

Wyatt pried himself from looking at Twilight, regarding Daring with a confused look. “Huh, did you say something, A.K.? I was a little busy staring into the most beautiful eyes in the world.” He turned his head back to Twilight with a grin.

“Don’t let her distract you, dear.” Twilight lit her horn, putting a small dome around the pair.

Daring groaned, rubbing her eyes with her forefinger and thumb. “Fantastic, now I’ve gotta deal with this on my own.” She inhaled a sharp breath through her nostrils and quickly released it. “Okay, I’ve got a name, I’ve worked with less before.”

Movement off to the side caught her eyes. “I don’t really like being spied on. If you don’t want me to come over there, come out.”

Three fillies stepped out of the bushes. The one on the left was an earth pony with yellow fur and a long red mane with a pink bow resting on it. Her body was covered by overalls with the sleeves of a pink shirt poking out.

The filly in the middle was an orange pegasus with a short purple mane. She was wearing a purple t-shirt and a black pair of basketball shorts.

The filly on the right was a unicorn with a curly mane made up of purple and pink. She was wearing a light purple dress that hanged down to her knees. Each of them had a nervous smile on their faces.

“I’m just going to assume you're the crusaders, and that this is your fault.” Gesturing to the translucent purple dome. “Love potions? Really?” She held a hand up. “Doesn’t matter, you’re helping me fix this.”

“Is it really so bad?” the unicorn asked, indicating the pair. “I mean, they look pretty happy.”

Daring just stared down at the unicorn. “As I was saying, you’re going to help me. Now, what did Twilight tell you about the potion?”

“Just that the holiday started with one,” the pegasus answered. “And the book she lent us had the recipe for it. We were planning on using it on our teacher so she’d have a special somepony for the holiday, but,” she rubbed her neck, “she didn’t go for the picnic.”

“Where’s the book now?” Daring questioned.

“In our clubhouse,” the trio answered in unison.

“Well, go get it!” Daring ordered, sending the trio scrambling away. A hard growl escaped her throat. “This is why I hate kids.”

The three fillies shot up for a moment before scrambling away, bumping into each other once or twice along the way.

“I swear to Faust, if a monster attacks before they’re cured.” Daring paced around, glancing so often at the dome. Twilight and Wyatt were rubbing noses now, most likely proclaiming sweet nothings at each other. “Ugh, how can people enjoy that stuff?” She blinked, glancing at the cups still on the blanket. “Oh yeah, while drugged. That makes sense.”

“At least they're not taking each others clothes off...” Daring muttered. “Those girls are in enough trouble as it is.” Daring winced, realizing the hornet’s nest she had just kicked. “I really hope I didn’t tempt fate there.” She looked over at the dome, relaxing slightly at the sight of the pair still engaging in innocent, yet sickeningly sweet acts. “Well, at least they’re just talking.”

A few minutes later and the fillies returned, the earth pony carrying a large book in her arms. “We got the book, Miss!” she called out, displaying it for Daring.

Daring snatched the book from her, flipping through the pages. “Love potion, love potion...” Daring groaned, pinching her brow. “This wasn’t a love potion, it’s a love poison. This book says the effects’ll be permanent if we can’t separate them for an hour.”

“Alright.” She snapped the book shut, turning to the fillies. “This should be easy. I’ll just knock one of them out.” Walking up to the barrier, she rapped her hand against it. “Hey! There's a monster attack!!”

Twilight and Wyatt shot up, the human summoning his belt while the dome started to fall.

Jumping over the vanishing wall of the dome, Daring drew her arm back, and threw a punch at Wyatt’s jaw. There was a loud crack and he collapsed to the ground in an unconscious heap. Twilight let out a shriek, dropping to her knees to lay her hands on him and teleported away.

“That seemed mean,” the unicorn filly commented, frowning at Daring.

“I should have figured the teleporting,” Daring grumbled. “Alright, we know where she lives. You three will keep her busy, while I grab Wyatt.”

“How are we supposed to keep an even crazier Twilight busy?” the pegasus asked, her wings buzzing on her back. “Put books in the wrong places on her shelves?”

“Figure it out,” Daring responded, dropping the book into the unicorns arms. “This is your fault, you have to fix it.”

“Alright girls,” the unicorn said, looking between her two friends, “we can think of something on the way. Let’s go!” She pumped a fist into the air, leading the charge towards the library.

Daring shook her head, wiping some dirt off her glasses. “Kids suck.”

Once her glasses were clean she started walking towards the library. Her mind started to race with potential plans to keep Wyatt and Twilight apart. That was assuming the fillies could do their part. “Just keep him knocked out.” Daring ignored the ponies around her, picking up her pace. “Just make sure he doesn’t suit up.”

She shuddered at the thought of dealing with a crazed rider. From how her father had described the powers, she’d be nothing but red mist if she attempted a straight on fight. It wasn’t something she’d have to worry about, if Wyatt was the hero he said he wanted to be.

Then there was Twilight. It was obvious the mare was skilled with magic. Whatever training the princess had given her had paid off in a big way. Luckily, the the unicorn seemed to lack real combat expertise. ‘Let’s just hope I don’t have to crack her horn or something’

Eventually, the library came into view. Daring walked up to the door, the faint sound of a commotion coming from within. “Sounds like the girls have gotten started,” she muttered. Throwing the door open, she braced herself for whatever mayhem awaited her. The girls were in fact running around the shelves and rearranging the books. Twilight was in hot pursuit, using her magic to put the books back in their proper resting place.

“Good thing OCD trumps love...” Daring moved into the library, keeping an eye out for Wyatt. Sneaking upstairs, she peeked into the first room she came across. She found herself in a loft, with a bed, a basket with a blanket and pillow and a window that led out to a balcony. She cursed under her breath, the baby dragon was watching over Wyatt. Lucky for her, he hadn’t noticed her entering.

“Hey kid,” she spoke, alerting the dragon to her presence. “We got a problem, and I need your help to fix it.”

“Is it the fact that Twilight called Wyatt…” the drake took a moment to wretch. “Schnookums.”

“Those crazy fillies accidentally gave Wyatt and Twilight a love poison,” Daring explained, walking over to the bed. “The only way to cure em’ is to keep them separated for an hour. I knocked Wyatt out, but, Twilight teleported them away before I could make off with him.”

Spike nodded in understanding. “Okay, how do you want me to help?”

“You got a direct line to the princess right? So, tell her what happened, and have her take us to Canterlot or something.”

Spike nodded, walking over to a table in the corner of the room and grabbed a quill and parchment. He scrawled out a quick message, rolling it up and sealing it with a red ribbon. He then blew flames on it, watching as the smoke floated away before turning to Daring.

“Hopefully, she won’t take too long,” Spike said, giving her a smile. “We just gotta wait.”

“Considering her prized student and monster fighter are on the line, she better,” Daring said, relaxing slightly. She took a seat, glancing over at Wyatt. “I really gotta stop hitting this poor kid.”

Spike chuckled, grinning at her. “I dunno, you could just give him a punch-card. If you hit him enough times then he gets a prize!”

Daring held in a laugh, giving him a hearty slap on the shoulder. “I like you, kid. You don’t annoy the tartarus out of me.”

Spike smiled. “Thanks, you’re obviously cool too, Double D.”

The two continued to chat until a flash of light caught their attention.

Wyatt returned to consciousness with a groan. His head was pounding, specifically in his jaw. He rose a hand to touch his jaw, wincing in pain. He felt a haze in his mind, struggling to recall anything past approaching the picnic blanket.

“How many times am I gonna get punched in the face?” he bemoaned, glancing around his surrondings.

“Considering you are in the business of fighting monsters, I would say it’ll be a regular occurrence,” a motherly voice said, getting his attention. There was then a soft clinking sound.

“Princess!” Wyatt sat up, which in hindsight was a terrible idea. A fresh wave of pain shot through his brain, nearly sending him to the floor. “That really hurts,” he hissed, rubbing at his forehead desperately.

“Sorry to have startled you,” Celestia said, floating an ice pack over to him.

Taking it from her magic, he placed it against his head. “Thanks. That actually really helps.”

Celestia smiled warmly and placed a cup of tea in front of Wyatt before taking a sip of her own. “Between my niece and Twilight, I have plenty of experience performing minor first aid.”

“Do you know what happened?” Wyatt asked, picking up his tea cup with his free hand. “The last few hours are just gone for me.”

Celestia giggled, putting her cup down. “You and Twilight drank a love poison.”

“A love poison?” Wyatt asked, raising his eyebrow. “What does that do? Death by sn-” Deciding it was best not to finish that sentence in the Princess's presence, he closed his mouth. “I take it I’m cured?”

“Yes, the cure is rather simple, keep the victims from looking in one another’s eyes for one hour, or the effects will be permanent once a certain amount of time has passed,” Celestia explained. “Daring Do contacted me, and I brought you here.”

Wyatt nodded, a weak smile on his face. “Thanks for helping me out. I guess this is kinda fortuitous, I was going to write a letter to you anyway. Now I can just say what I want to you directly.”

“Ah yes, Daring told me about your plan.” Celestia set her tea down. “It’s a good plan, though, I cannot help you get a job with any of Equestria’s major newspapers. It just wouldn’t be fair.”

“That’s fine,” Wyatt waved off. “I just need a job where my photo and article can get spread throughout the country.”

“I didn’t say I couldn’t help.” A grin grew across Celestia’s face. “I just happened to let it slip to a few editors, that you might be the man to go to for rider photos.”

Wyatt grinned with her, a chuckle escaping his lips. “You have no idea how much I want to submit photos under the pseudonym Peter Parker right now.”

“Bring me pictures of Spider-Man!” Celestia giggled, her grin growing at Wyatt’s surprised look. “Kuuga used to have a laptop, we watched Spider-Man once. You humans certainly know how to create entertainment.”

Wyatt rubbed the side of his head, a soft smile on his lips. “Feels kinda good to finally have someone that got one of my jokes.”

Celestia hummed, tapping her leg. “You know, I still have that laptop. If you can find a way to charge it, I don’t think Kuuga would mind if I gave it to you.”

Wyatt scratched his chin. “I’m sure Twilight and I can think of something. I’m willing to bet a horn can sub in for an electrical outlet and charger.”

“Then I’ll send you back with it.” Celestia leaned back in her seat. “Are you alright, Wyatt? I know all of this has been sudden, and I doubt you’ve had time to fully process it all.” Reaching over, she took his hand. “If you wish, we could talk about it.”

Wyatt smiled, taking a sip from his cup. “I think I’m pretty used to how insane this world is compared to Earth. Thanks for the support though. And the homesickness is something I’m coming to terms with.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Having Twilight as a roommate and a teacher certainly helps. She crams my head so full of Equestrian history and culture that I can’t think of anything else at the end of the day.”

Looking into his eyes, she nodded. “Still, if you ever do want to talk, I’m all ears.” Flopping her ears a bit, Celestia pulled her hand back.

“Thanks for that.” He chuckled at her antics and let his hand rest in his lap. “I’ll listen to you too if you ever want to vent about your job. Or for whatever else you could want,” he added with a shrug.

“It’s a deal.” Celestia smiled lifting her cup up, holding it out in front of her.

Wyatt lifted his up as well, gently clinking it to hers. “Tell Luna this goes for her too. Can’t let you be the only one to have someone to vent to and let your hair down with.” He blinked, taking note of her waving mane. “Uh, does gravity every actually affect your hair?”

Celestia rolled her eyes and lit her horn. A moment later, and her mane fell and hanged off her shoulder like normal hair. “Yes, my mane can in fact behave like normal hair, my little human.”

The two talked late into the afternoon, and for a moment Wyatt forgot all about his troubles.

Just Enough Pink.

Wyatt removed the battery from the laptop that Celestia had given him. It was a recent model. At least recent from the time he had been displaced. Not that it mattered anyway, the internet was a long way from existing in Equestria. He held out the battery towards Twilight, who was wearing a labcoat and had her mane done up in a bun.

“Okay, so we need to figure out a way to charge this, or how to replace it with something we can make work with the laptop,” he said.

Taking the battery from him, she turned it over in her hands. “We’re going to have to be careful. I might be able to charge it with magic, but it’ll take a bit. If I do too high a voltage, it’ll probably damage it.”

“We might also need to take into account that it’s lost the ability to hold a charge,” Wyatt noted, putting on a pair of goggles and offering Twilight her own. “This stuff wasn’t exactly made to last for thousands of years.”

Twilight giggled, putting the goggles on. “Which is why Princess Celestia put a preservation spell on it.” Lighting her horn up, she held the battery up. “I’ll start at a low charge, and we’ll go from there.”

Wyatt rubbed the side of his head. “Is there anything you guys can’t do with magic?” he asked as arcs of electricity danced around Twilight’s horn.

Leaning back on a table, he watched in hesitant anticipation as the electricity arced from Twilight’s horn and struck the battery. There wasn’t any violent reaction from it, so he took that as a good sign.

Several minutes passed before Twilight cut the electricity, wiping her forehead. “Okay, that should be enough.” She took a breath, steadying herself. “Let's see if it worked, shall we?”

“Can do, Twilight,” he said, taking the battery from her and putting it back into the laptop. He then flipped open the screen and motioned for Twilight to come take a look. “Alright Twi, you wanna see some human tech and entertainment?” With that he pressed the power button.

“Yes!” She rushed over, gripping his shoulders. Peering over his shoulder, she let out a squee as the screen lit up.

He chuckled at her excitement, a smile on his lips as it spread to him. He clicked on a profile labelled Kuuga. He found it odd for a moment that there was no real name but quickly forgot it when rows of programs flashed onto the screen. A few caught his eye, it seemed that Kuuga frequented Steam quite a bit if the amount of game icons were anything to go by.

“Everything seems to be working,” Wyatt informed, glancing at Twilight with a smile. “We got everything Kuuga had when he brought it here. Just not the internet.”

“I really wish I could try out the internet,” Twilight said, pouting slightly as her eyes roved over the screen. “The way you described it makes it sound so fascinating.” She then glanced at him. “It’s we’ve got by the way. “We got” is grammatically incorrect.”

“Don’t be a grammar Nazi,” Wyatt chided, flicking her nose. Turning back to the computer, he opened a few of the folder. “Hey this is interesting.” Spotting a rather intriguing picture, he opened it, displaying it on the screen. “I had no idea Celestia had pink hair.”

“Whoa, this must’ve been taken when Celestia was still new to being a princess,” Twilight observed, ignoring his other comment. She then pointed to a pair of humans standing next to her. “They must be Kuuga and Agito.”

“You’re right.” Wyatt’s eyes moved to the pair, taking in every detail he could. Judging by their matching features, it was obvious the pair were twins, though one had a dent in his skin, just under his right eye.

“I think we should show Daring this laptop. I’m sure she’d like to see the photo,” Twilight offered, scrutinizing the photo herself. “In any case,we still need to keep this thing charged. Based on how you described the charging processes, I should be able to make a magic generator and a converter.”

“Sounds pretty good to me,” Wyatt said, turning to Twilight with a smile. “Thanks for helping me with this.”

Twilight blushed, rubbing her neck. “It’s like giving you a piece of your home back. I wasn’t going to say no.”

Wyatt chuckled, poking her snout. “Especially when it gives you something to study.” Standing up, he gave her a quick hug. “Seriously though, thanks. This means a lot to me.”

Twilight returned it, a warm smile on her face. “Always happy to help a friend. Now, you need to go and get your Kuuga pictures.” She playfully nudged him towards the door. “I’ll stay here and get some designs started on the generator.”

“I can’t wait,” he told her, letting her push him through the door. “I’ll be sure to get some good shots. Gotta make the papers happy.” Finding himself back in the library, Wyatt took a minute to breathe. “Alright, let’s get this done. Gotta get pictures of Spider-Man.”

He clapped his hands together, grabbed his camera and walked out into town. He noticed that ponies were parading through the streets and singing, but chalked it up as something Pinkie had cooked up. Deciding not to question the odd event, he walked by, heading to the forest.

Once he was sure he was alone, he summoned his driver, placing it on his waist. After a few moments, he was in Kuuga’s Mighty form. He examined himself, getting a feel for the transformation. Power coursed through him, more than he had felt in any other transformation so far.

“Alright,” he spoke, psyching himself up. “Just gotta set the timer and do some cool poses. Not that hard.” He tested out a few poses, trying to make it look like he was in the middle of a fight with a monster. Once he was satisfied, he tied the strap of the camera to a tree branch and adjusted the settings on his camera. He waited until the last second before striking one of the poses he had practiced. The camera flashed, indicating that it had captured the pose.

Repeating this for some time, he grew more and more confident in his task. Which led to more and more elaborate poses. He even tried out the Titan and Dragon forms for a few of his poses, making sure to keep his weapons in frame.

Panting softly, he dropped out of his last pose. “That should be enough.” Reverting to human form, he took a moment to catch his breath. “Geez, all I did was pose a bit. Kuuga must have been exhausted after battle.”

At the mention of exhaustion, Wyatt’s stomach made itself known, loudly demanding that he eat. “Alright, guess it’s time to eat.” Retrieving his camera, Wyatt made his way into town, noting the singing and dancing had ended.

He ignored that, trying to weigh his options. Most of the restaurants town didn’t serve any substantial dishes that contained foods he could actually digest. Sighing, he reminded himself to ask Fluttershy for help making a meal with fish in it. He idly wondered if she had the ingredients to make sushi. He changed his course to put him on the path towards the pegasus’s cottage, planning on developing the pictures once he had his meal.

He made it about halfway through town before spotting Pinkie singing and dancing around what looked like a middle-aged donkey man. The only word Wyatt could use to describe him was cranky. He was clearly not amused by Pinkie’s song and dance routine.

Deciding to come to the man’s rescue, Wyatt made his way over. “So, Pinkie,” he became, putting a firm hand on her shoulder. “Who's this fine gentleman?” Holding his hand out, Wyatt put on a disarming smile. “I’m Wyatt, Ponyville’s resident human.”

“The name’s Cranky Doodle Donkey,” the donkey grumbled, reluctantly accepting Wyatt’s handshake. “Not to be rude, but you’re an odd looking, fella.”

“None taken.” Wyatt shook his head. “Anyone here would look pretty odd back where I’m from.” Turning to Pinkie, he put a firm edge to his voice. “Alright Pinkie, I take it you’ve just greeted Mr. Donkey into town. I think we should let him get on his way.”

Pinkie deflated slightly, freezing mid-dance move. “But I haven’t gotten him to smile yet. Let alone made him my friend.”

“Pinkie, you can’t force these things.” Wyatt shock his head. A sudden mental image appeared in his mind, with Pinkie wearing Gentaro’s school uniform. Snickering at the image, he relented slightly. “Maybe you could schedule a little get together for Mr. Donkey.”

Pinkie cheered up again, nodding vigorously. “Yeah, that sounds fun!” she agreed, turning to Cranky. “I could help you unpack your cart there or even bake you some tasty treats!”

“Pinkie.” Wyatt pinched his nose. “Maybe he wants to get settled in by himself?” Giving Cranky a nervous smile, he pulled Pinkie closer. “Seriously Pinkie, tone it down. Not everyone can handle you going full blast on them.”

Pinkie deflated slightly again before nodding. “Okay.” She turned back to Cranky. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I just wanted you to know that you had friends in your new home.” With a hopeful smile, she continued. “I usually throw parties for every new pony that comes to town!” She took in a deep breath to prepare for a tirade, when she saw Wyatt shake his head. Letting it go, she dialed it back. “I could throw something together for you. Something small if you don’t like crowds.”

Cranky sighed, shaking his head. “I’ll think about it. For now, I just want to settle into my new house. And apology accepted.”

Pinkie took another deep breath, giving him a more tempered smile. “Thanks! If you ever stop by Sugar Cube Corner, I’ll give you a nice treat on the house!”

Cranky nodded his head, grabbing the handle on a large cart filled to the brim with personal belongings. “If you have cranberry orange muffins and coffee then I might take you up on that offer,” he said nonchalantly, starting to pull his cart.

“Nice job, Pinkie,” Wyatt complemented, watching Cranky walk off.

Pinkie pulled Wyatt into a tight hug, bouncing on her hooves. “You’re being too nice, Wy-Wy. That only went well because you helped keep me from coming on too strong.”

Wyatt stumbled a bit, returning her hug. “You just need to remember, you can be a bit overwhelming at times. Just remind yourself that, not everyone can handle you at full Pink levels.”

Pinkie giggled at that, snorting every now and then as she ended the hug. “I love that! Pink levels. I’m so using that from now on!” She got into a pose, acting like she was talking into a walkie talkie. “Ensign, dial Pink levels down to half capacity!”

Wyatt snorted, giving her a playful shove. “Just remember, from one pink ranger to another; too much pink energy is dangerous.”

“Of course! The morphing grid can’t handle two sets of identical powers. Eventually, one of them would be destroyed,” she said, an innocent smile on her face.

Wyatt stared at her for a moment. “You know, Pinkie, sometimes you scare me.” Recovering from the bizarre statement, he smiled slightly. ”I was going to head to Fluttershy’s for some fish. You wanna come?”

Pinkie hopped over to his side, nodding. “Of course! I can’t say no to hanging out with a friend after they helped me out!”

The pair started to walk, with Wyatt nodding along to Pinkie’s chatter. He didn’t mind, she was good company, and always made him feel welcome. There was something to be said about her bubbliness. It was like she was stuck in the mindset of a little kid on Christmas.

The two made it to Fluttershy’s, who was more than happy to help feed Wyatt. The meal passed by with Pinkie and Wyatt discussing how to best deal with Cranky subtly. Fluttershy even offered her two bits which the pink party mare greatly appreciated.

With a spring in her step, Pinkie bounced home, mind racing with ideas on how to make Cranky feel welcome. She greeted her pet alligator, Gummy with a pat on the head and bounced out of her clothes and into her pajamas before climbing into her bed.

“Tomorrow's gonna be a great day, Gummy!” Pulling him into bed, she cuddled him like a teddy bear. “Just you wait and see!”

A few days later, Pinkie was manning the counter of Sugarcube Corner a smile on her face as she arranged the baked goods behind the display. Her ears perked up when she heard the front door open and had to contain her excitement when she saw that it was Cranky walking in.

Pinkie gave a smile, waving him over. “Hello, Mr. Dandie. How are you liking Ponyville so far? Pretty friendly place, huh?”

Cranky nodded, walking up to the counter. “The air’s clean, ponies are friendly, and my bed’s comfy, that’s all I need out of a town and home right now,” he replied, putting an elbow on the counter.

“That’s all anypony really needs.” Pinkie smiled, kneeling behind the counter. She stood back up, holding out a muffin. “One cranberry orange muffin, on the house!”

Cranky blinked, taking the offered pastry. “You remember what I wanted from days ago?”

Pinkie opened the register, dropping a few bits in. “Parties are my thing. I keep everyones likes and dislikes memorized, in case any party needs comes up!”

Cranky chuckled, a ghost of a smile on his face. “You’re more attentive than you let on. I bet you’ll make a special somepony very happy if you don’t already have one.” He took a bite of his treat, licking his lips. “Mmm, tasty muffin.”

“Thanks! I made all the muffins today.” Pinkie leaned on the counter, pleased by his semi-smile. “Anything else you want to order?”

“A cup of coffee,” he replied automatically. “Three cream and sugar packets on the side.”

“Coming right up!” Pinkie turned,zipping around the backroom. “Here ya go!” She pushed the steam cup towards him, putting three sugar packs next to it. “Anything else?”

“That should be everything, Pinkie,” Cranky assured, digging in his pocket for bits. “I don’t have a bottomless pit for a stomach like I used to.” He place them on the counter, taking a sip from his cup. “Mmm, good coffee too.”

“Can’t say we have the best baked goods in town if we can’t pair it with good coffee!” Pinkie replied, taking his bits and placing them in the register. “Though, the Cakes said I shouldn’t have it anymore after I tried it for the first time.”

“I can see why,” Cranky muttered into his cup.

Pinkie chuckled weakly, quickly busying herself by wiping the counter. “Anyway, I’m glad you like the muffin and coffee.” She bit her lip, wracking her brain for a change of subject. “How’s the unpacking going? Got your house to feel like a home yet?”

Cranky grunted, taking another bite of his muffin. “It’s adequate. Nice and quiet, just the way I like it.”

Pinkie nodded, an idea popping into her head. “Ooh, I think I know something that could make it better.” She disappeared beneath the counter for a moment and popped back up with color swatches. “Rarity talked to me about how to use colors to effect a pony,” she giggled and pointed the swatches at him, “or donkey in your case’s mood. Sounds like you’re in the mood for relaxation.” She flipped through the swatches and held up a light grey, white and blue swatch. “Painting rooms like this can help with that if you want.” She winced. “Um, am I being too Pinkie again?”

“As long as you aren’t singing or dancing or talking way too fast, this is fine.” Cranky leaned in, inspecting the swatch. “You know, that’s not bad. I think you might be onto something.”

Pinkie sighed in relief before smiling. “I used it in my own room!” She giggled and showed off the canary yellow and sky blue swatches. “I couldn’t resist the colors from my cutie mark and now I always wake up to something that makes me smile. I could help you with the painting if you want.”

Cranky hummed for a moment, looking into his cup. “Alright, little lady, you can help. But!” He held his hand up, giving her a hard look. “No signing, no dancing, no bouncing. I have a lot of things I’d rather not have broken.”

“Of course!” Pinkie agreed, nodding her head. “I know how to be a good houseguest.” She frowned for a moment. “Umm, is humming okay? I don’t know if I can promise no humming.”

“That’s fine, just not too loud,” Cranky conceded.

Pinkie saluted, a smile on her face. “You won’t have to worry about me being loud. The Ensign will have my Pink Level set to minimum capacity.” Giggle snorting, Pinkie moved off, taking care of another customer.

Cranky shook his head. “That mare’s cute, but too crazy for her own good,” he commented, taking a sip of his coffee. “Pinkie, stop by my place after work and we’ll get started. It’s out near the whitetail woods.”

“I’ll be there!” she assured, taking multiple orders.

Cranky grunted, rising from his seat and taking his leave. The end of her shift couldn’t come fast enough for Pinkie. She went over the advice she had been given by Wyatt and Fluttershy, psyching herself up.

“I’ll be back later, Mrs and Mr. Cake!” Pinkie called, hanging up her apron. “I’m gonna go help a friend do some painting! I’ll be back later tonight!”

“Have fun, dearie!” Mrs. Cake called back, scrubbing the kitchen with her husband.

Pinkie stepped out of the bakery, stretching her limbs out. Humming a soft tune, she bounced through town, waving at various ponies along the way. She decided to get all her bouncing out of the way considering her new friend had told her she wasn’t allowed to do it within his home. Pinkie had helped friends move before, and despite Cranky’s limitations, she was certain she could make it a fun time. She kept Wyatt’s advice in mind, keeping herself contained so she wouldn’t annoy the donkey. Though she did plan on asking him a few questions. Since he seemed to be all for relaxation, maybe he was the type to enjoy board games?

Slowly down to normal walking speed, she spied Cranky’s house coming into view. Pinkie stopped at the door, taking in a deep breath. “Remember, Pink levels at minimum,” she muttered to herself, knocking on the door. “Mr. Cranky, it’s me Pinkie.”

It only took a few moments for Cranky to answer the door. He was in an old jumpsuit and the floor was covered in tarps. “Glad you could make it, I’ve got everything ready for us.” Stepping away from the door, he gestured for her to come in.

She thanked him and slowly stepped into the house. “So, what room do you want to start this in?” she asked, taking a quick look at the donkey’s home. It was cozy, almost like a cottage out of the stories that Granny Pie would tell her and Marble when they were fillies. “Also, do you want me to help with your bedroom, or do you want me to stay out of that room?”

“Ain’t nothing in the bedroom yet,” Cranky responded waving her over. “We’ll start in the kitchen.” Passing her a paint roller and a bucket he gestured to a doorway on the right. “It’s right over there. I’ll be in here, taking care of the den.”

“Oh, so we’ll be tackling different rooms?” Pinkie said, her plans to chat hitting a small snag. She brightened up. “Good idea, divide and conquer and all that. I’ll be sure to use some nice, even coats in your kitchen.”

“Just be careful,” Cranky insisted, watching after her as she walked into the kitchen. “I got my dishes in the cabinets, and I’d rather not have to buy more.”

“You can trust me, Mr. Donkey!” Pinkie called out, getting her paint set up. “I’m just here to paint! Your belongings will remain untouched!”

Setting the paint can down, Pinkie took stock of the kitchen. All the furniture and cabinets were protected by tarps, which meant she didn’t have to be too careful. Still, she made a promise to be careful, and that's what she was going to do. She pumped her fists close to her chest, a determined look on her face. She then slowly dipped her roller into the paint tray and got a decent amount of paint on it. Setting about painting the room, she hummed softly to herself as she did her best to make the walls look perfect.

She was nearly halfway done with the room when she heard a rustling from nearby window in the kitchen. She didn’t think anything of it, continuing her task. Then, she felt something bump her, causing her to slam into a cabinet and let out a cry of surprise and pain. The cabinet rattled, part of it dropping to the counter it was suspended over. Pinkie’s heart sank when she heard what she assumed were Cranky’s dishes shattering.

“What just happened?” Pinkie wondered aloud, rubbing her head where it had struck the cabinet.

She looked around, trying to find any trace of what had hit her. She gulped when she was sure that she was the only one in the room. That couldn’t be true though. Something definitely pushed her.

“Mr. Donkey?” She peered out into the den. “Were you just in the kitchen?”

“What the blazes are you talking about?” Cranky questioned. “I haven’t left the den since we started.”

Pinkie frowned, looking back over her shoulder. “Something bumped into me, and knocked me into a cabinet. I turned around, but, I didn’t see anypony.”

“What?!” There was a commotion from the den and the donkey came running into the kitchen. His eyes widened when he saw the state of his cabinet. “My dishes!”

“I-I’m sorry.” Pinkie whimpered, rubbing her arm. “I don’t know what happened. I was just walking back and then something pushed me into it.” The entire thing unsettled her. Not once had her Pinkie Sense alerted her to something being wrong. That fact alone scared her, more than getting attacked.

Cranky looked like he was about to turn red in the face, but his look softened when he noticed the genuine fear she was displaying. “You really believe something hit you,” he said, less of a question and more of a general statement.

Pinkie nodded her head vigorously. “Us Pie’s each have a ‘sense’. Something that other ponies don’t have. Mine tells me when things are about to happen, but, I didn’t get anything this time! Nothing at all!”

Cranky frowned, clearly not understanding everything she was saying. “Then it sounds like we should leave and have the guards take a look around.” He grabbed a picture frame from a drawer, holding it close to his chest. “Come on, being here is clearly unsettling for you right now.”’

Giving a shaky smile, she stepped over to the door. “Thanks, Mr. Dandy. I dunno what it is, but something just isn’t right.”

“Don’t think anything of it,” he dismissed, walking over to the door. “Been around long enough to know when somepony’s just trying to cover their flank. That’s not what you’re doing right now.”

Stepping outside, she let out a sigh of relief. “I can go get my friend, Twilight. She’s one of the best magic users around! She might be able to find out what’s going on.”

“I’ll drop you off there,” Cranky insisted. “I can wait to file a report with the guards until after you’re with your friend.” Letting her lead him, he glanced back at his home, frowning slightly. It was clear that he didn’t like the idea of abandoning his home to some unknown force. He sighed, knowing there was nothing else he could do.

Pinkie walked quickly, wanting to get to Twilight as soon as she could without going too fast for Cranky. She tried to wrack her brain, desperate to come up with a reason for her Pinkie Sense to fail her. It had never happened to her before. Sometimes she wouldn’t understand the warning signs, but there was always something.

Thankfully, they reached Twilight’s home before she could dwell on it any further. Knocking as loud as she could, Pinkie shifted on her hooves, feeling the worry gnaw at her thoughts.

The door opened and revealed an excited looking Wyatt. The excitement then dulled when he saw the state Pinkie was in. “Are you okay, Pinkie?

“Wy-Wy!” Pinkie didn’t waste a moment, all but jumping into his arms. “Something attacked me in Mr. Cranky’s house!” She buried her face in his neck, whimpering softly.

“Did you see what it was?” Wyatt asked, looking down at her with a serious look.

“No! I didn’t see anything!” she lamented, looking up into his eyes. “My Pinkie Sense didn’t go off! That’s never happened before!” Tightening her hug, her ears splayed backwards.

Wyatt’s face scrunched up for a moment as he thought. “Pinkie, would you describe your sense as magical?”

“Um, I guess so.” She wiped at her eyes, sniffling. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I think that just helped me figure out what’s wrong.” He took a moment to notice Cranky in earshot.”I think I got a plan, okay?” Pulling away from her, he looked into her eyes. “You just gotta trust me, okay?”

Pinkie nodded vigorously, her sniffling slowing down. “Of course I trust you, Wy-Wy. Do you need my help for this plan?”

“I need you to take Cranky back to his place.” Glancing at the donkey, he kept his voice low. “No matter what happens, don’t be afraid. I just need to make sure this is what I think it is.” Looking back at her, he smiled. “I’ll make sure both of you get out of this okay.”

Pinkie gulped, trembling slightly. “I was afraid you’d say that. But I’ll believe in you on this.”

Wyatt nodded, pulling away from her. “I’ll go get Twilight.” Turning to Cranky, he sighed dramatically. “It might be nothing. Pinkie’s a bit of a dramatic pony, so it might be nothing. Still, I’m sure Twilight wouldn’t mind making absolutely certain everything is fine. Why don’t you head back? We won’t be too long.”

“As long as my house goes back to being peaceful, I don’t care what you do,” Cranky replied. Grunting at Pinkie, he shifted the album into a more comfortable position. “Come on, Pinkie. We still have a lot of rooms to paint.”

Pinkie nodded, taking stiff steps in the direction she had come from. It was obvious to Wyatt that she was in no way excited about the plan. Shaking her head, Pinkie took a deep breath. Wyatt and Cranky were counting on her, and she wasn’t about to let them down.

The trip took a few minutes and the pair stopped in front of the door. They took another deep breath and crossed the threshold into the house. It was quiet, and nothing seemed out of place.

Pinkie steeled herself, a part of her hoping that whatever had attacked her had left already. Those were dashed when a gust of wind hit them and tarps flew up and covered them. “Gah!” she shouted, panicking just a little.

Wyatt then burst into the room in his Kabuto form. Pinkie and Cranky looked like they were standing still beneath the tarp. He didn’t pay that any mind though, there was something else that demanded his attention.

There was a figure in the room that was able to keep up with his clocked up speed. The figure was as tall as him and had a distinctly insectoid appearance. The monster was a greyish-green in color with a concave chest with a strange looking ribcage exposed. One of its arms ended in a normal hand while the other ended in a mantis-like claw. Grey, multifaceted eyes seemed to glare at him.

Wyatt pointed at the monster as if to challenge it. “I had a feeling that a Worm was behind this.” He then turned his head away. “Really glad it wasn’t a gamma, I can’t exactly go Ghost after all.” Returning to the matter at hand, Wyatt stared down the worm. “Sorry, but identity theft doesn’t fly here.”

The monster charged at him, bringing down its claw in a wicked slice toward his chest. Wyatt brought his arm up to block the attack, nearly losing his footing due to the force. With a grunt of effort, Wyatt pushed the worm back, reaching for his weapon. After a quick slotting of a card, a yellow bladed kunai appeared in Wyatt’s hand. He pressed his opening, delivering a series of slashes to the worm’s chest.

The worm hissed, the blade cutting into its shell. The worm shoulder-checked, Wyatt, pushing him into a tarp-covered table.

“Crap,” Wyatt cursed, sliding over the table, pulling the tarp down to the floor with him. ‘I have to get out of the house before we break everything.’

Wyatt slashed at the monster again before turning around and running for the door. “Come get me, you mascot reject!” He taunted, glancing over his shoulder. Seeing that the worm had taken the bait, Wyatt switched his weapon into gun mode, firing at the worm as it crossed the threshold.

Sparks flew up from the worm, the monster screaming in pain as it stumbled out of Cranky's house. The worm quickly recovered and fired a string of silk-like material from its mouth at Wyatt.

Moving to dodge the silk, Wyatt swore as it caught him on the shoulder. Rather than continue trying to imprison him, the worm pulled on the silk strand and brought him in close to slash at his chest with its large claw. The claws cut Wyatt across the chest, earning the worm a cry of pain, and a few more shots to the body. He then dropped the barrel of the gun into his other hand, freeing his shoulder with the axe mode before hitting the worm in the head with his full strength.

“I’m starting to hate your guts,” Wyatt grumbled, grateful as always that he had armor. “You're almost as annoying as that makamou.” He put away his gun, pulling out another card and slotting it.

He turned his back on the worm, pressing the handles on his belt together. “Final Attack Ride: K-K-Kabuto!”

Electricity arched around his leg and he turned his head to look at the worm over his shoulder. “Rider Kick,” he said, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick.to the worm’s chest. The worm slide back, its shell cracking and shattering under the force of the kick. The worm let out one last cry before its remains fell into an unmoving heap.

“Ha!” Wyatt grinned beneath his mask, ignoring his stinging chest for a moment. “That’s a new record, and I didn’t even damage Cranky’s house!” He fist pumped, deactivating Clock Up with his free hand.

He heard a commotion from the house as time passed as it normally would. There was a whoosh of air as Pinkie rushed around the house.

“Where’s the scary thing?!” she cried.

“Get this thing offa me!” Cranky grumbled, dropping his scrapbook and fighting to get the tarp off. Finally freeing himself, he tossed the tarp off, grumbling to himself. “This town’s more trouble than it’s worth...”

“Excuse me,” Wyatt called from the doorway. He waved, leaning on the doorframe. “Ms.Twilight informed me that you two were afraid something was in your home. As it turns out, you had a bit of a bug problem. No worries, I took care of it.”

“And who the hay are you?” Cranky asked, taking in Wyatt’s appearance with wide eyes.

Wyatt gave a thumbs up, pushing away from the wall. “Just a passing through kamen rider.. Here to make sure everyone’s safe from the monsters, remember that.” With that, he turned his back from the doorway and started to walk away.

Pinkie watched after him. “He’s so cool, isn’t he?” She turned back to Cranky, noting the scrapbook on the floor. “Oh, Mr. Cranky, you dropped your book!” Lifting it up, she glanced down at the page it was open on, her eyes landing on a picture of Cranky and a female donkey. “Hey, she looks familiar...”

“Don’t look at that!” Cranky snapped, snatching the scrapbook from her. “Those are private memories.”

Pinkie jumped, putting her hands up. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to be nosy!”

Cranky snorted, putting the scrapbook away. “I’ll forgive you this one time, it was open and on the floor after all. Just ask me before touching stuff like that.”

“I Pinkie Promise.” Pinkie went through the motions, doing her best to ease the tension.

“Then if all that nasty business is done, let’s finish painting this place. I want the paint fumes cleared out before I go to bed tonight.” He walked over to the abandoned painting supplies, holding a roller and can out to her.

“Aye, aye captain.” Taking the roller and can from him, she returned to the kitchen. As she worked, she couldn’t help but dwell on the female donkey. She knew she had seen her somewhere before...

Cranky took a deep breath, taking in the scent of his morning coffee. He had to admit, Pinkie might be a little out of it, but the mare certainly came through on her promises. The fresh paint job really did make him feel more relaxed. The best part was that he hadn’t experienced any more strange occurrences. Peace had returned to his home and he couldn’t be happier about it.

This peace was shattered when someone knocked on his door. He set his coffee down and went to open it. “Can I help you?” he asked, finding Pinkie on the other side.

“Sorry to drop by so early!” Pinkie gave him an apologetic smile. “But this is important! When I looked at your scrapbook yesterday, I thought to myself ‘Hey! That lady looks familiar!; So, I went through everypony I know in town! And... Tada!” She stepped away, throwing her arms out.

Cranky’s eyes widened when he saw a female donkey that looked like she was around his age. Her mane was done up in an elaborate bun and she wore a modest white dress. “Matilda?” he asked softly, taking a step forward. “Is that you?”

Matilda smiled, walking up to him. “It’s been a very long time, hasn’t it?”

A smile worked its way onto his face. “Not since that night at the Gala. I spent so long looking for you after that.”

Matilda frowned, pursing her lips. “Didn’t you get the note I left you?”

Cranky blinked, a confused expression on his face. “No, I never got it. Ever since that day I’ve gone from town to town, searching all over Equestria for you.” He took her hands, looking into her eyes. “Until I finally gave up. I came to Ponyville to retire from my search.”

“I was living in Ponyville the whole time. I always hoped that someday you would come and find me... Doodle,” Matilda told him.

Pinkie smiled, her heart swelling at the scene. “I know Ponyville can get kinda crazy sometimes, but, it’s one of the best places in Equestria!” Taking a breath, she took a step towards the path. “I know I can get kinda crazy so, I’m gonna bounce off, before I overstay my welcome. Have a great day, Matilda and Mr. Cranky!”

Cranky chuckled, giving Matilda’s hands a squeeze. “That mare might be a little off in the head, but she’s got a good heart,” he commented. “I think she’s gonna make somepony very happy one of these days.” His smile grew. “Just like you do for me, Matilda.”

The reunited lovers made their way into Cranky’s house, locked hand in hand.

A shadowy figure marched through a forest, a mass of soldiers at his back. His mind was utterly focused on one goal, the gates of Tartarus. There was something that he and his associates needed from within the dreaded realm. Several somethings, or someones rather. The figure smirked, the other havoc caused by storming the gates would be a lovely bonus. It would keep the princesses off their trail and keep them busy.

Stopping at the edge of the forest, the figure noted the massive set of doors built into a sheer cliff wall. He turned to a tall creature, who was clad in a rather outlandish suit of armor, sporting a ridiculous headdress with a pair of antenna sticking out the top. “Was Cerberus lured away?”

“Of course,” the creature said, flicking his cape over one shoulder. “It was an easy task. We only suffered a minimal loss of combatmen.”

Grunting, the figure gestured to the gates. “Bring them down.”

The assembled soldiers gave a cry of ‘YEEE!’ in affirmation and threw out grappling hooks. Once they were secure, the soldiers piled onto the ropes and pulled with all their strength. It didn’t take long for the gates to give, the massive steel doors crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom.

The figure held up a fist, causing the soldiers to stand at attention. “All non-monster soldiers remain here. Unless of course you wish for Tartarus’s air to kill you. Come, Ambassador, we have prisoners to release,” he said, walking towards the fallen gates.

The flamboyant looking creature walked in lockstep with the figure, crossing the threshold into Tartarus proper. Darkness encroached upon the pair, causing the figure to pull out a lantern and light it. The oppressive air did nothing to bother them, tickling their lungs every once in a while. Lesser demonic creatures scurried away from them, sensing the aura of authority they gave off.

Making their way to the deepest parts of the prison, the figure counted off empty vs occupied cells. Several of the occupants looked human, but the figure knew better. He approached the cell of a young looking man with black hair that reached the bottom of his neck.

“Greetings Rook,” the figure spoke, giving a bow. “I’m sure you would love to be free so you could resume your duties to your King.” He then chuckled. “Or just so you can return to your games.”

Rook grunted, casting a hard glance at the figure. “And a pony like you can get me out?”

“I managed to get this far down into Tartarus, didn’t I?” The figure retorted, a smirk on his face. “If I were a normal pony, I’d be dead right now. But we’re getting off track. I am here as a representative of an organization. We wish to gain your king’s aid. Freeing you and the other pieces will surely earn us his debt.”

“If you free me, then I don’t care what you want,” Rook told the figure, putting his hands on his bars. “Just do it.”

The figure nodded, a dark aura surrounding his horn. Then, A giant crystal erupted from beneath the bars of Rook’s cell. The crystal then sank back into the ground, causing destroyed bars to clatter to the stone cave floor.

“Come then.” The figure turned, his hooves echoing on the stone floor. “We still have other prisoners to free. We shouldn’t keep them waiting.” He didn’t wait for Rook to reply, walking ever deeper into the prison, a wicked smile growing on his face.

Dragon Rider

Wyatt hopped down into the trench that he and the girls had made for the dragon migrations. He had a fresh roll of film in his camera and he couldn’t wait to get shots of dragons in flight. It was unfortunate that Fluttershy didn’t want to see it, but he didn’t want to force her to do something she was terrified of. Dash on the other hand, tried and failed to get the butter-colored mare to come along. She also said something about being owed one for a butterfly migration or something.

His giddy smile wouldn’t leave his face, his finger hovering above the shutter button. He looked down at his camera, checking yet again to make sure the settings were perfect. The last thing he needed were photos ruined by motion blur or overexposure.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Spike pacing back and forth, fiddling with what he assumed were a few bits.

“Hey Spike, what’s with the bits?” Wyatt asked. “Are hot dog vendors gonna come by or something?”

“Huh?” Spike came to a stop, blinking owlishly. “I’m just... ya know...” Rubbing his neck, Spike looked up at the sky. “I don’t get to see a lot of other dragons. Guess I’m nervous?”

Wyatt nodded. “I think I understand where you’re coming from. I mean, I’d be nervous about meeting the humans that are native to this world.”

Spike glanced at Wyatt, frowning. “Would you want to meet them? The other humans I mean.”

Wyatt rubbed the side of his head, sighing. “A part of me does. But another part makes me think I’d be reminded of what I’ve left behind.”

Looking down at the coins in his hand, Spike swished his tail. “If you had to chance, would you take it?”

Wyatt took a deep breath, stopping to think for a few moments. He scratched his chin, his brow furrowing. “Yeah, I think I would. If only to know what it is that the riders before me gave up so much to protect.”

“Then, that’s what I’ll do.” Spike tightened his hand around the coins, turning back to the library. “I need answers, and I’m not gonna get them here.” He began to walk off, determination imprinted on his features.

Wyatt jogged after him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Whoa there, you can’t just follow the migration by yourself. Who knows how far they’re going.”

Spike pulled away, snorting. “Wyatt, I need to know! I need to know why my mom died! I need to know what these coins are!” Stepping away, Spike ran back to the library, slamming the door behind him.

Wyatt sighed, shaking his head.. “Little guy didn’t let me finish.” He knocked on the door. “I wasn’t trying to stop you! I was about to say that I’d go with you!”

The door opened, and Spike peered up at him. “You mean it?”

Wyatt nodded and gave the drake a thumbs up. “Are you kidding? I’d never try to stop you from learning about yourself and where you came from.” He summoned his driver and card case. “I can even show up as Ryuki. Hopefully they’ll accept me in that form.”

“Which one is that?” Spike opened the library, letting Wyatt in.

Wyatt reached into his case and pulled out the Ryuki card, showing it to Spike. “Ryuki means Dragon Knight. He got his power by making a contract with a dragon. Hopefully they’ll smell dragon on me or something.”

“That’s cool.” Spike waddled to and fro, throwing together a hastily packed suitcase. ,

Wyatt put the card away and started to pack his own things. He focused on grabbing things that would help the pair gather food and water during what he knew would be a long trip. He also grabbed a spare set of clothes, packing them neatly into a backpack.

“Hey, um, you have pockets, would you hold onto these for me?” Spike held out the coins, allowing Wyatt to get a good look at them. “I don’t wanna hold them the whole time.”

Wyatt’s jaw dropped as soon as he saw the coins. He picked them up from Spike’s claw and held them up. “Spike, where did you get these?”

Spike looked away, his spines drooped them. “My mom gave them to Celestia when she... you know...”

Wyatt flinched, nodding solemnly. “Right. You said that you wanted to know what these are. Well, I do. These are core medals. They’re related to Kamen Rider OOO’s and they’re what he used to transform in tandem with his driver.”

Frowning, Spike gazed at the coins. “Then, why did my mom have them?”

Wyatt frowned and pocketed the coins. “I couldn’t tell you that. In OOO’s, the medals were created by humans through alchemy. If we want to know more, we’ve got to go to the dragons.”

“Right.” Spike finished his packing, throwing the suitcase over his shoulder. “Let’s go then!” Running over to the door, he stepped out, only to walk into Twilight’s legs.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Twilight asked, giving him a stern look as she helped him to his feet.

Puffing his chest out, Spike met Twilight’s gaze. “Wyatt and I are joining the migration!”

“Absolutely not,” Twilight replied. “There is no way I’m letting you wander for miles. Spike, you’ll get yourself killed.”

“I’m not asking!” Spike growled, clenching his hands. “I want to know about my mom and dad, I want to know who I am, Twilight! I’m going, and you can’t stop me!”

Wyatt walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Twi, I’ll keep him safe. I’ve got supplies in here that’ll keep us fed and hydrated during the journey. Also, there’s some rider business that we need to take care of. So-” he put his driver on his waist and slotted a card into it.

“Kamen Ride: Decade!” He then slotted another card in. “Kamen Ride: Kabuto!”

“-Gotta run!”

He scooped Spike up and sat him on his shoulder while putting a third card into the slot.

“Attack Ride: Clock up!”

Before Twilight could say anything, he ran off in a blur.

“Hey!” Twilight shouted, running after them. “We weren’t done talking!” After running for a few feet, Twilight slowed, her mane starting to fray. “Wyatt!!!!”

The other girls caught up to her, confused looks on their faces.

“What in tarnation just happened?” Applejack asked.

Twilight whipped on the girls so quickly, everyone but Pinkie flinched. “Wyatt and Spike are joining the migration!”

“What?!” Dash cried. “Why would they do that?!” She shook her head, her bandaged wings trying to flex against her back. “I mean, we’ve gotta go after them!”

“Oh, poor Spikey Wikey!” Rarity lamented, putting a hand against her forehead. “To think, he’d want to mingle with those ruffians!”

“But Rarity, he’s one of those “ruffians”,” Pinkie pointed out, making sure to use air quotes. “Of course he’d want to be among them at least once in his life.”

Rarity huffed, putting her hands on her hips. “Spikey is different. He’s a gentledrake, unlike those other dragons.”

Pinkie looked up at the sky, watching the dragons pass overhead while she tapped her chin with a finger. “I dunno, Rarity. That seems awfully prejudiced seeing as we’ve all only met one other dragon besides Spike. Don’t you think that they’re just as capable of being nice or meanies as anypony in Equestria and to call them all bad without giving them a chance just ends up making you look bad?”

“Pinkie is right.” Applejack nodded, patting Pinkie’s shoulder. “Ya can’t say all dragons are bad.” Fixing her hat, she followed a dragon as it flew over head. “If’n were gonna go after em, we better git movin’ fore’ they stop flying over Ponyville.”

“Of course we have to get going,” Twilight agreed, turning to look where the two had ran off. “I can’t let Spike go out there, even if Wyatt’s helping him.”

The other girls muttered in agreement. After some more chitchat, the group dispersed to prepare for the trip. Twilight grabbed what was left of the supplies in the library, a frown etched into her face as her mind raced with thoughts of the two getting into trouble.

“I think we’re almost there!” Spike called back to Wyatt, adjusting his grip on the suitcase. “I can see a buncha dragons up ahead!”

“Then I’d better turn into Ryuki!” Wyatt replied.

He summoned his driver and turned into Decade before putting another card into the slot. The driver called out the name and Wyatt’s form shifted. The main color of his outfit was red, with black running along his boots. His chestplate, shoulder pads and gauntlets were all silver with black trimming. The helmet had a series of slits with the circular, red eyepieces behind them. On the top of the helmet there was a dragon symbol with a red jewel resting between the antlers.

Spike stared for a moment, frowning. “That one’s kinda lame.”

“Oh really?” Wyatt asked, clearly amused. “Hey Spike, you got a mirror in that case of yours?”

“Why would I have a mirror in here?”

Wyatt crossed his arms over his chest. “I saw you toss all sorts of random things in there, so excuse me if I thought you had a mirror too.” He then chuckled. “Especially so you could do one of these.” He flexed his arms, striking a pose. “Looking good, Spike. Looking real good.”

“Hey! I don’t do that!!” Spike huffed, growling at him. “Don’t go spreading that around!”

Wyatt chuckled and stopped posing. “Don’t worry, I’d never spread something like that around.” He reached down and patted Spike’s shoulder. “But trust me, this form isn’t lame.”

“It looks lame,” Spike insisted, his pout remaining. “Can I have the medals back?” He held his hand out, looking at Wyatt expectantly.

Wyatt rolled his eyes behind his helmet and reached into his suit to pull out the medals. He then carefully placed them in the drake’s claw. He started to scale the rest of the hill, effortlessly carrying Spike’s case.

Spike hurried off in front of him, going as fast as his little legs could take him. When he reached the foot of the hill, he stopped, eyes wide in wonder. Dozens of dragons were gathered around, with the adults relaxing in pools of lava. What looked like teenage dragons sparred with each other, often getting into fights. Wyatt took it all in, staying on guard as he followed Spike around the crater.

Taking the direct route, Spike slide down the crater wall, stumbling a little. Once at the bottom, he felt his heart pounding with excitement. He looked back at Wyatt, waving him over. “I need to get everyone’s attention!”

Wyatt thought for a moment, watching the actions of the dragons. “Ah, I think I have an idea. These dragons seem to value actions.”

He pulled out a card and slotted it into his belt. “Attack Ride: Strike vent!” A gauntlet appeared on his right hand that looked like a dragon’s head. He held the gauntlet up in the air and it let out a large stream of fire.

A few dragons turned to look over, intrigued.

Wyatt nudged Spike, gesturing to him. “Alright, looks like you’ve got their attention now.”

Spike gulped, climbing onto a nearby rock. He took a breath to calm himself, looking out at the collected dragons. “Um... my name is Spike. I uh, haven’t been around other dragons, so...” Rubbing his cheek, he held his hand out, showing off the medals. “My mom had these when she died. I just want to know what they are, and who my mom was.”

Some of the dragons leaned in, looks of realization dawning on them when they saw the medals. A few of the larger dragons scooped up their hatchlings, keeping their distance from Spike.

The entire atmosphere changed. A few of the older dragons roared, moving to surround the pair. “You would bring those vile trinkets here, welp?!” A large red dragon demanded, smoke pouring from his nostrils.

“Be ready for me to turn into Kabuto again,” Wyatt whispered to Spike. He gulped, staring the dragon in the eyes as best he could. “He doesn’t know what they are. We’re sorry if we’ve done something wrong.”

The dragon roared again, flaring his wings out. “Leave. Now! Before we rend you limb from limb!”

Spike frowned, fighting back his fear. “I can’t leave. I still have no idea who I am. My mother died protecting my egg on the Day of Black Sun! I want to know why she died!”

The red dragon roared again, opening his jaws wide as if to swallow them whole. Wyatt was about to grab Spike and run as fast as he could, but a teenage dragoness put herself in the way of the red dragon’s fangs.

Thrusting a hand out, a blast of magic knocked the dragon aside. “There will be no killing today.” Lowering her hand, the dragoness snorted. Her scales were a deep blue, sparkling in the midday light.

Spike’s jaw dropped and he stared at the dragoness in awe. “Whoa, I had no idea dragons could use magic like that.”

“You risked much, showing those here.” She looked over her shoulder, eyes taking in his every detail. “Most dragons would kill you for possessing those coins.”

“I kind of figured that out already,” Spike said, clutching the coins tight. “Being threatened with being torn limb from limb made that crystal clear.”

Returning her gaze to the red dragon, she waved her hand dismissively. “These two are in my care now. Begone with you.”

The red dragon snorted out a plume of smoke from his nostrils, turning to return to the lava pools. “Damn shamans,” he grumbled. “No idea why the dragon lord lets you two exist.”

“Because Torch knows that next time, Smaug won’t let him live!” the dragoness called after him. Turning back to Spike and Wyatt, she bowed her head. “My name is Sapphira. Please, come with me, and you will have your answers.”

“You got it!” Spike grinned. “And thanks for helping us out back there. I’d rather not find out what it’s like to be eaten.”

“Not fun, I imagine.” Sapphira scooped Spike up, glancing at Wyatt. “Hold onto my back.”

Wyatt did as she asked, holding onto her shoulders.

Sapphira spread her wings, pushing off and into the air. It took her a moment to adjust for the added weight, but soon, she was soaring high into the clouds. The flight itself was quiet and uneventful, the wind was a great deterrent of conversation. Eventually, Sapphira set down at the foot of a dead volcano, letting them off.

Wyatt silently let out a sigh of relief as he noticed they were standing outside of a large cave that led into the heart of the volcano.

Sapphira put Spike down and motioned towards the cave. “Come, the answers you seek are in here.” Not waiting for a reply, she walked into the cave her claws clicking on the floor.

Wyatt and Spike shared a look before following after her. Once the light of the sun couldn’t reach them, torches lined the wall. The odd part was that they burned with green flames.

“Not much further now,” Sapphira assured, her scales glittering in the green light.

Wyatt and Spike remained quiet, following her closely. A few moments later, the tunnel gave way to a large circular chamber. There were shelves all along it that held scrolls and books of all sizes.

A large shape moved about the corner of the room. It took Spike a moment to process what he was looking at. A massive dragon, the biggest he had ever seen in his life. Lines were etched into his scales in intricate patterns that made his mind wheel in wonder.

“It is impressive that you made your way here without wings, hatchling,” the hulking dragon said in a deep, rumbling voice. “Even more so that you hatched after all this time.”

The dragon lumbered closer, the ground shaking with each step he took. Craning his neck down, the dragon peered at the pair with one good eye, the other milky white and surrounded by scars. Wyatt and Spike flinched before doing their best to not look at it to not offend the dragon. The dragon’s good eye was emerald green and his scales were purple.

“Speak,” he commanded, locking his eye on Spike.

Spike took a deep breath, doing his best to ease his nerves. “Sir, my name is Spike. My mother died on what the ponies call, The Day of Black Sun. She gave these to Princess Celestia for safekeeping.” He held his claw up and displayed the coins for the dragon to see.

The dragon snorted, covering Wyatt and Spike in a cloud of dust. “Yes, I know all about them.” Reaching a massive hand down, he scooped up the two of them. Walking over to a large carving of a statue, he held them at its eye level. “Her name was Peridot.”

The statue depicted a dragoness rearing up on two legs. It was carved from green gemstones with diamonds set into the eyes.

“Your mother was the bravest dragon to ever leave her mark on the dragonlands. The world has been all the lesser from her loss.”

Spike’s spines drooped at hearing all that as he stared at the statue. He then looked up at the dragon curiously. “Why do you have a statue of her in your home?”

“I am Smaug.” Smaug lifted his head, a mix of pride and melancholy filling his words. “I have been the dragon shaman for generations. And Peridot was my daughter.”

Spike took a moment to let the words sink in. “Then that means, you’re my grandfather,” he said, gaping at the shaman.

“It does.” Smaug leaned his head down, lightly touching the tip of his muzzle to Spike’s head. “Your mother would be overjoyed that you survived.”

Spike’s eyes welled up with tears, and he relaxed in Smaug’s grasp. “This is great. I didn’t think I’d have any dragon family members.” He rubbed at his eyes, using his other arm to hug Smaug’s muzzle.

“Unfortunately, you won’t find others,” Smaug said, turning away from the statue. “We are the only living members of our clan.” Carrying them over to a table, Smaug set them down. “Those coins are of my creation.”

“Then does that mean you caused The Day of Black Sun?” Spike asked, looking between the coins and his grandfather.

Smaug hung his shoulders, a long sigh escaping his lips. “It was not my intention. Eight centuries ago, Dragonlord Kalameet tasked me with creating a weapon that would allow us to crush our enemies. Our clan had been decimated by a minotaur general, and I was more than willing to create a weapon.”

“So you used your knowledge as a shaman to create the core medals,” Wyatt chimed in. “Infusing them with the greatest abilities the animal kingdom has to offer.”

“Something like that.” Smaug reclined on a pile of treasure, keeping his head level with them. “But, with every set I completed, I noticed Kalameet slipped further into the depths of his own greed. The coins were created from greed, which we dragons have in abundance.”

Spike winced, looking down at his feet. “I know about that. I went on a greed-filled rampage during my last birthday.” He rubbed his arm. “I nearly destroyed Ponyville.”

“Living with ponies did not prepare you well for the realities of your existence,” Smaug commented, eyeing Spike curiously. “Your growth has been stunted.”

Spike’s face fell as he looked himself over. “How big am I supposed to be?” He looked at his back. “Am I supposed to have wings by now?”

Smaug simply grabbed a few of those silver coins, dropping them next to Spike. “Embrace your greed, just a bit.”

Spike recoiled from the coins, gulping as he stared at them. “A-are you sure that’s a good idea? What if I lose control?”

“Go on. If you overcame it once, you can overcome it again.”

Spike took a few moments to steel himself, taking deep breaths. He then averted his eyes as he gingerly picked up the silver coins. A shudder passed through him as he felt the wave of greed, his claws clutching the coin. He grunted as his entire body started to shake and his pupils threatened to contract into slits. His body spasmed, limbs stretching and bones creaking. He fell to his hands and knees, his claws clutching the coins tighter subconsciously as he closed his eyes. His breathing became heavier and wisps of smoke rose up from his mouth.

Eventually, the coins started to crack, shattering to dust. Spike’s body stopped shaking and he started to pant. He pulled himself into a sitting position and rubbed his head.

“Ugh, my aching everything,” Spike muttered. “It didn’t feel like that last time. What did it do, anyway?”

Smaug let out a rumbling laugh, reaching down into his pile of treasure. After feeling around for awhile, he pulled out an ornate mirror and put it in front of him. “Look for yourself.”

Spike gasped, staring at his reflection. His body had a massive growth spurt, now having similar proportions to a pony foal of his age. “W-why didn’t I get this tall before?” Spike asked, wincing as his voice cracked.

“That is hard to say,” Smaug said, regarding Spike with a hint of pride. “Ponies tend to admonish greedy behavior. Of course, you know from experience that losing yourself in it is harmful even to us dragons. There is a balance that each of us have to find.” He indicated the shelves in the lair. “Or, we learn to direct greed into something positive. Much like Sapphira and I do with knowledge.”

Wyatt cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention. “You still haven’t told us what happened on the Day of Black Sun.”

“Ah yes, that.” Smaug’s face returned to the neutral mask it had been before as he adjusted himself on his mound of treasure. “Forgive me if I don’t wish to revisit my daughter’s death.” He cleared his throat. “As I was saying before, Kalameet was descending into madness and even as blinded by a desire for revenge as I was, I knew he needed to be stopped. So, I created one last set of medals, based not on greed, but on emptiness. Peridot took them before I could use them, and forced them into Kalameet. His power had grown so that he could move the very sun itself. What I hadn’t foreseen was just how explosive the reaction would be.”

Spike looked down at the medals in his hand. “Whoa, all of these together can do that?” He frowned, staring at the coins before tilting his head up at Smaug. “Do you think it’s good for me to keep these?”

Smaug snorted, rising from his perch. “You will be fine. They will only corrupt you if you tap into their powers directly. Which, I assume, you cannot do.”

Spike rubbed the back of his head. “I haven’t exactly tried. Celestia didn’t hand me an instruction guide for these.” He looked down at them, sighing. “I’m glad they won’t corrupt me though.” He shook his head. “I’d hate to wind up like that Kalameet guy.” Spike had a look of realization dawn on him. “What happened to my dad? You said we’re the last two of the clan, so-” he gulped, “how’d he die?”

“Your father wasn’t from our clan,” Smaug explained. “Nor was he even a dragon.”

Spike’s jaw hit the table and he looked at Smaug with a gobsmacked expression. “Then what was my dad?”

“A simple earth pony, who managed to catch your mother’s eyes.” Smaug chuckled, a smile forming on his lips. “The only pony I ever liked.”

“I’m half-pony?” Spike asked, looking down at himself. “I did not see that coming. I mean, I don’t look anything like a pony.”

“Your parents were very interested in how you would turn out.” Smaug moved over what looked like a work bench, motioning Sapphira over. “Your father left the dragonlands to find you and your mother. I never saw him again.”

Wyatt and Spike tried to get a look at what Smaug was doing, but the large dragon’s body prevented them from seeing anything. After a few moments of straining; they gave up and sat down.

“So my dad died alone out there somewhere.” Spike sniffled and tried to keep tears from forming. “He probably thought my egg was smashed.”

“Your father would be proud of you, Spike. For pony reasons, but proud still.” Smaug nodded at Sapphira, who flew over to retrieve Spike. “I have thought long and hard on what to do with my creations. I have heard many a tale of beings gaining possession of one, losing themselves to the power within.”

Spike looked up at Smaug as Sapphira placed him on the worktable. “Yeah, Princess Celestia said that those silver coins have been found in hoards of really aggressive dragons.”

“Those coins are like rubies, not all that filling but can enhance the taste of higher quality gems. The sets are like emeralds.” Smaug purred, licking his lips. “Things with real taste to them.”

Spike’s mouth started to water and his stomach rumbled loudly. He blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head. “Guess that growth spurt made me hungry.”

“Later. Sapphira, bring me the belt.”

“Of course.” Sapphira bowed her head and flew off to a corner of the chamber. She rooted around for a few moments, being mindful of the priceless tomes. Her eyes then lit up as she picked up a belt that had three circular slots running along it. She rushed back over to Smaug, holding up the belt.

Pinching the belt between two claws, Smaug offered it to Spike. “Take it.”

Spike did as he was asked, grabbing the belt with both his claws. He turned it over for a few moments, his brow knit in concentration. “So, I’m supposed to put the medals in here and that’ll let me use their power without corrupting me?”

“Very astute,” Smaug complimented. “Spike, you are young. Young and ignorant of your people. I am old, bitter, and unable to do what must be done. My place is here, passing on our history and knowledge to Sapphira, so that she can one day take my place.”

Spike looked between the belt and his grandfather, a hard to read expression taking his muzzle. “And what is it that needs to be done?”

“I lost all but a handful of coins the day your mother was taken. Those coins are out there in the world, infecting others with my mistake.” Smaug snorted, thumping his tail against the ground. “If it were not for my duties, I would have done it myself.”

Spike nodded, tightening his grip on the belt. “I can do that. I’ll make sure the medals can never hurt anyp-,” he shook his head, “no, anyone ever again.”

“Good.” Smaug grinned, the older dragon becoming more animated. “Now, let us make sure you can safely harness the power of the coins.”

Spike nodded, putting the belt around his waist. He then put the coins in the slots. “Now what do I do?”

Sapphira bent down, tilting the belt to the side. Taking his hand, she made him grab a circular object on the side of the belt. “Now, pass this over the coins.”

Spike nodded and slid his hand over the coins. A ringing noise and rings of multicolored light came from the belt.

“Taka, Tora, Batta!” the belt rang out, ethereal versions of the coins swirling around Spike. “TaToBa, TaToBa TaToBa!” It chanted, the coins converging on the drake and leaving him in an armored form.

Wyatt recognized the form in an instant. It was OOO’s. The main color of the armor was black and Spike had seemed to have grown again to match him in height. The chest had a circular portion with three symbols on it. The top portion had a red hawk with its wings spread, the middle portion depicted a yellow tiger with splayed claws beside the head and the bottom third showed a green grasshopper with four legs coming off the body. Along the arms of the armor was yellow trimming that led from the chest to the yellow gauntlets. Said gauntlets had folded up claws attached to them. The legs had similar trimming in green that went to the boots. The boots were knee high and were made up of triangular plates that ran along the front of the legs. Finally, the helmet was black with a red, hawk spread across the face and green, circular eyepieces were placed in the middle of the wings.

Spike tilted his head down and drank in every detail of the transformation. “This is so cool!” Swishing his tail, Spike looked at Wyatt. “Does this mean I’m OOO now?”

Wyatt gave him a thumbs up. “Yup, congrats on becoming a rider, Spike. It’s a good look for you.” He turned his head to Smaug. “You said you had other medals, right? How many do you have exactly?”

Smaug rumbled, tapping his claws against the table. “Only a small fraction of the collection. What I could retrieve myself.”

“Can I see them?” Spike asked, turning back to the large dragon. “I wanna see what all I can do.” He started to shadow box and threw out clumsy kicks. “Can’t go out and retrieve the coins without being prepared.”

Letting out an amused snort, Smaug gestured with his hand at Sapphira. She gave a short bow and flew back to the corner she had retrieved the belt from. After another bout of searching she returned with a small chest. She landed in front of Spike and opened the chest to reveal a small pile of core medals.

Taking the chest, Spike peered inside, mentally cataloging the coins. One bore the image of a panda, another a kangaroo and then there was a group of black medals. A shrimp coin, a crab coin, and a scorpion coin.

Spike picked up the shrimp medal, scrutinizing it. He then tilted his head at Smaug. “A shrimp, seriously? Isn’t that kinda lame?”

“I could always keep it,” Smaug responded, already reaching a hand down.

Spike held the chest away from Smaug’s claw and chuckled nervously. “Heh, uh no thanks. I’m sure I’ll get some good use out of it.” He then pulled the other two black coins out and looked between them. “Hey, do these things work better when I use three of the same color?”

“In theory, you would be able to draw out their full power.” Smaug resumed his place on his hoard. “However, it would put additional strain on your body. I would advise caution.”

Spike nodded and put the coins back into the chest. “Then I’ll only use matching sets as a last resort. Don’t want to take unneeded risks.” He was quiet for a moment before realization seemed to strike him. “How am I supposed to track down the coins? Do you have something that can help with that?”

Smaug snorted, a frown etching itself onto his face. “No, I have no such means for that.” He blew a plume of smoke from his nostrils. “However, that does not mean I will leave you with nothing. There are signs that a coin has corrupted someone. Their desires will become exaggerated and they will fixate on them, sometimes to the point of insanity. As for those with purple coins, they will seek to destroy all in their path.”

Spike tilted his head, putting the chest under one of his arms. “Why are the purple coins different from the others? Is it because you made them different?”

Sapphira sighed. “It should be obvious. The purple coins are the coins Master Smaug created from emptiness. The animals he based them on don’t exist anymore, so the coins are filled with the desire to return to the void.”

Spike shuddered at that. “Okay, ponies on a mindless rampage will probably have a purple coin, got it.”

A low growl rumbled in Sapphira’s throat, and she gave Smaug an annoyed look.

Smaug noticed the look and turned to look at her. “Do you have something you wish to say, Sapphira?” he asked in an even tone.

“If he cannot pay attention enough to infer such a simple conclusion, why are you entrusting the belt to him?” Saphira snorted, crossing her arms.

“He has shown other observations, Sapphira. He figured out the strength of the coins multiplies when used in combos and he asked the right question when I brought up the difference of the purple medals. Do not think I am passing on the belt to him as a slight to you. You are being given great power too.” An amused grin spread across his face. “Or did you become my apprentice merely to keep an old drake company?”

Sapphira bowed her head. “Forgive me master. Perhaps I have let my jealousy go a bit far.”

Smaug shook his head. “Do not apologize for your concerns. The belt and medals are a great responsibility. And it is no secret that you are stronger and more knowledgeable than Spike is at this time. However, his perseverance following the migration is something that I see worth in. I did not grant him the boon out of respect to blood. Besides, an apprentice is ceremonially part of their master’s clan, or did you forget your first lesson from me?”

“Of course not master,” Sapphira respond, raising her head to look at him.

“Then I ask you to support Spike as you would me,” Smaug told her, extending his smallest claw and patting her head gently. “You are more free to leave the dragonlands if he requires assistance than I am.”

Sapphira gazed over at Spike, her eyes lingering for a few moments. “I will do my best, Master.” She bowed her head.

Spike held his hand out to Sapphira, a smile beneath his helmet. “Let’s do our best to get those coins. I’m gonna prove I deserve this.”

Taking his hand, Sapphira shock it, her grip firm. “I hope you can, for all of our sakes.”

Wyatt shifted on his feet, feeling like an outsider among the trio of dragons. He turned away from them, trying to turn his focus on something else. He perked up as he heard the faint sound of footsteps coming from the tunnel they had entered into the chamber from.

He turned back to Smaug. “Um, are you expecting any visitors beside us?” he asked.

“No, we are not. Sapphira.” Smaug gestured to his apprentice, motioning towards the tunnel. “If you would be so kind.”

She nodded, stepping away from Spike. She then flapped her wings and took off towards the tunnel. The sound of voices soon reached their ears, followed by the sounds of fighting. After few moments, several figures were tossed into the chamber, none of them being draconic in nature. Except for the rags of what had once been a crude dragon costume. One even still had the mask covering their head.

Despite this, Wyatt and Spike instantly recognized them. “Girls?!” they cried out, taken aback.

Smaug growled, slamming his tail against the ground. The entire cavern shook, drawing everyone's attention. “You dare trespass here? You were not invited, ponies. In any other instance, I would be well within my rights to roast you all to ashes.”

“We just came here to get our friend back,” a brash, feminine voice shot back from behind the dragon mask, bandaged wings twitching on her back.

“And who are you to challenge me, pony?” Smaug asked, rising to his full height. “Your efforts are wasted regardless, Spike and his companion are in no danger.”

Spike rushed towards the edge of the table, looking down at the group of six mares. “Girls, everything is fine.” He waved a hand over to the large dragon. “This is my grandfather. I found my family!”

The girls all gaped at the armored Spike, unable to form words for a moment.

“Spike, is that you?” Twilight asked. She shook her head, offering him a weak smile. “I mean, I’m glad you found what you were looking for.”

Spike blinked before looking down. “Oh yeah, I’m still all suited up.” Working on an inference, Spike reached down, tilting the belt back up. His armor shimmered and vanished. “There! Hows that?”

“Ooh!” Pinkie popped up behind Spike and grabbed one of his arms. “Looks like you had a growth spurt, Spikey!”

Spike stared at her for a moment. “Yeah, Pinkie. Grandpa said I was stunted. All the pony values and stuff kept me small.”

Pinkie deflated slightly, her smile shrinking. “Being the good boy you are was bad for you?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Do not misconstrue my words,” Smaug rumbled, peering down at Pinkie Pie. “A certain level of greed is needed for dragons to grow at a healthy rate. Not something ponies would know.”

Twilight perked up, the urge to take notes obvious from the look in her eyes. “If Spike got a part-time job and earned some money, would that be a safe way to encourage his natural greed?”

“There would be nothing to lose from trying it,” Smaug agreed, laying back onto his hoard.

“There’s a job opening in the mail room down at the paper,” Wyatt offered, looking down at Spike. “Considering all your experience keeping things organized, it should be a breeze for you.”

“I could try that.” Spike looked down at Twilight. “Hey, Twi! Come up here! I want to properly introduce you!”

“Okay, just give me a second,” she called back.” She huddled the rest of the girls together and lit up her horn. In a flash of light she disappeared and reappeared on the table and pulled Spike into a hug. “I’m glad you found your birth family,” she whispered to him.

Spike nuzzled her back. “Thanks, Twilight.” He took her hand, pulling her towards Smaug. “This is my grandpa, Smaug. Grandpa, this is Twilight Sparkle. She’s like my big sister. She hatched me, and her family raised me.”

Smaug gave her an appraising look, his mouth clamped shut in a hard to read expression. “You have my thanks for letting my grandson experience life. I couldn’t ask anything else from a pony attempting to raise a proper drake.” He leaned his head down, his eye scrutinizing every inch of her. “You have power.”

Twilight blushed, shuffling on her hooves. “Well, I suppose I know a good deal about magic. Princess Celestia made me her apprentice and everything but I wouldn’t call myself powerful.”

Spike snorted, looking up at his grandfather. “Don’t listen to her, Grandpa. She’s lifted an Ursa Minor in her magic before.”

Smaug waved them both off. Stepping towards the other girls, he inspected them. “You all have power.” Turning his head back to Sapphira, he grunted. “Sapphira, start the forge.” Without another word, he moved off, busying himself with various objects on a shelf.

Sapphira didn’t say anything either, flying towards a large forge at one end of the room. She took a deep breath, exhaling a gout of deep blue flames to ignite it. She then flew to another part of the cavern, gathering up tools and presenting them to her teacher.

Taking them, Smaug placed them next to the forge. He turned to the ponies, smoke billowing from his nostrils. “Tell me, what would you do to protect Spike? The path ahead of him will be long and dangerous, and you will not always be there to shield him from harm.”

“I’d do anything to protect Spike,” Twilight responded instantly. “I’d cut off my horn if it meant keeping him safe.” She looked up at Smaug with a hard look in her eyes.

“Then you should have no problems helping me.” Smaug began to work, setting a plate into the forge. “I shall make one last set of coins, based not on greed or emptiness, but.” he paused eyeing Twilight. “Harmony.”

Twilight walked over to the edge of the table and tried to get a better look of what the old drake was doing. “What do you need us to do?”

“Um, what do coins have to do with anything?” Fluttershy asked weakly, holding a hand up. “If you don’t mind me asking.” She hid behind her mane.

Smaug grunted, gesturing to Spike. “The young one can explain it to you. Sapphira, gather the magicite.”

Sapphira nodded and flew over to a high shelf in the cavern and scooped up a pile of a pile of crystals. She quickly returned to her master’s side and handed them over. He took them from her, diving right into his work.

Spike turned to the girls and looked between them. “The basic gist is that Grandpa made the coins for the last dragon lord to help fight against the minotaurs. They made him go crazy so Grandpa made the purple coins to counteract the others. That’s what caused the explosion that killed my mom and scattered the coins around.” He gestured to the belt attached to his waist. “Then Grandpa made this so the coins could be used without corrupting someone.”

“I will need some of your power,” Smaug spoke up, hammering some metal into shape. “A bit of essence, as it were. Nothing that time and rest won’t restore to you.”

Twilight shot up. “Alright, what do you mean by essence? Some of my magic or do you mean something more physical like blood?”

“I mean, the harmony each of you carries.”

“So what? Focus on how we feel when we use the elements and send it your way?” Rainbow asked, having pulled off the dragon mask and discarded it to the floor.

“You are required to do nothing. I will handle everything.”

“Then we’re ready whenever you are,” Applejack told him, tipping her hat back.

Smaug waved them off. “It will be quite some time before I am ready. Sapphira, tend to their needs, take them out to enjoy the migration. Inform anyone who tries to stop you that they are under my protection.”

Sapphira bowed to her teacher and ushered the group out of the chamber, grabbing a torch as she led them through the cavern. The girls stuck close to the dragoness, not looking forward to being out among the other dragons. They held out hope though, seeing as Smaug had been fairly hospitable. Once they were out of the cavern, Sapphira turned to the girls.

“Be careful around the adolescent drakes. They will most likely try to accost you. They are trying to impress the elders and earn a place in the hierarchy by displaying their prowess.” Sapphira sat down on an empty space, overlooking a group of said drakes. “Not making eye contact is your best bet. Unless you like giving yourself a headache.”

“Would it be okay if I joined them?” Spike asked, standing at the edge of the outcropping.

Sapphira gave him a surprised look, glancing between the drakes and Spike. “I cannot stop you, just be prepared to be hazed, mocked and your dominance tested.” She chuckled. “Granted, you might have an edge over them now.” Her eyes drifted to his belt.

“I got this.” Spike grinned, giving her a thumbs up. Climbing over the side, he slid down the slope, coming to a stop. “Uh, hey guys!” he called out, waving at the older drakes.

“Well if it isn’t the hatchling with the cursed coins,” the red drake chided, snorting smoke out of his nostrils. His eyes drifted to Spike’s belt. “What’s with that thing? Trying to wear clothes like the ponies?”

“Clothes can look nice.” Spike shrugged. He puffed his chest up,jabbing his thumb at himself. “I’m Spike! Son of Peridot!”

The drakes all shared a look before bursting out into laughter.

“So you’re the kid of the pony lover!” the red drake mocked, pointing a claw at Spike. “No wonder you stink like a namby pamby pony.” The red drake stepped around him. “On the bright side, you look like a real dragon.”

“What'd ya say about my mom?!” Spike growled, his tail swishing in irritation.

The drake snorted a wicked grin on his face. “I called her a pony lover. Couldn’t get a real drake to put up with her so grabbed the first pony that stumbled into the dragonlands.”

Spike grit his teeth, seething in rage. Not just from the drake’s words, but the fact that he didn’t know enough about his mother to defend her. “So what if my dad’s a pony?! Maybe those other drakes weren’t worth her time!”

This caused the drakes to laugh again. “Yeah, and a tiny pony was.” The red drake grabbed the top of Spike’s head and hoisted him up into the air. “Lucky for you your grandpa’s the shaman, otherwise there’d have been no way you’d exist right now. Full grown dragons and ponies don’t mix naturally.”

“That just means I’m different,” Spike retorted, glaring back at the drake. “Nothing wrong with that.”

The red drake snorted again and unceremoniously dropped Spike. “Yeah, if being different isn't so bad, then tell me, where are your wings?” The drake pointed at Spike’s back.

“I dunno, but, I know I’ll get them someday,” Spike replied, pushing down the doubt in his mind. “And even if I don’t, I’m just as good as any other dragon!”

“Not at flying you wouldn’t be,” the red drake shot back, spreading out his own wings.

“So? That doesn’t make me any less of a dragon!”

“Ever seen a dragon that can’t fly before?” the red drake questioned, flapping his wings to lift himself into the air.

“Ever see an obnoxious jerk before?” Spike shot back, getting to his feet.

This caused the other drakes to snicker, earning a glare from the red one. The red drake turned back to Spike, landing and puffing himself up. “You want a piece of me, pony?” he growled.

“I dunno, you think you can take me?” Spike asked, growling back as intimidatingly as he could.

“I could eat a pipsqueak like you for breakfast,” the red drake snapped, balling his fists at his sides.

“I’m not just a pipsqueak.” Spike grabbed the scanner, slowing removing it from it’s slot. Luckily, he hadn’t removed the coins from their slots. He quickly ran the scanner over the coins, the belt calling out his transformation and his body stretching out as he changed into OOO’s. “I’m Kamen Rider OOO.”

“What the Tartarus?!” the red drake called out, taking a step back. “You’re using those things like you’re the Mad Dragon Lord!”

“No, I’m gonna fix his mistake.” Spike stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. “And make sure my mom didn’t die for nothing.”

The red drake quickly recovered and brought up his own fists. “Whatever, I’m still gonna pummel you.”

Sapphira leaned forward in her seat, her tail slowly thumping against the rock. “This should prove interesting.” Looking back at the ponies, she continued. “We never combat tested the belt.”

Twilight frowned, staring intently at Spike. “Doesn’t that mean it could give out in the middle of this fight?”

“I doubt that. Master Smaug doesn’t make faulty objects.”

Twilight held back an objection, watching as Spike opened the fight with a punch to the drake’s chest. “Which coins is he using right now?”

Sapphira was about to answer but Wyatt chimed in first. “He’s using the hawk, tiger and grasshopper medals. The hawk medal increases his visual senses, the tiger medal gives him a razor sharp pair of claws and the grasshopper medal increases his jumping abilities.”

“And how do you know about the coins?” Sapphira asked, shooting Wyatt a pointed look.

“It’s a long story,” he mumbled, looking away from her.

Back at the fight, the red drake stumbled from the punch, the wind knocked out of him. He clutched his stomach and took to the air to put distance between him and Spike while he recovered.

“Not so puny now, am I?” Spike asked, smirking. “I’ll make you eat those words, jerk.”

“Spike!” Wyatt called out. “Use the power of the Batta medal! You can jump up and reach him with it!”

Spike crouched down, focusing on his jump and reaching the red drake. After a moment, his legs rippled, shifting so they bent at an odd angle and resembled a grasshopper’s. Then, he sprang up, easily reaching the red drake and punching him in the jaw.

The drake tumbled in the air before steadying himself. “Not only are you a pony, you can’t even fight without magic!” With a flap of his wings, he slashed at Spike’s face.

Spike brought his arms up in a guard, the force of the blow sending him backwards as he fell back to the ground. He righted himself, managing to land on his feet shakily. “What happened to saying you could pummel me even with these?” Spike taunted, motioning with his hand for the drake to come get him.

The red drake let out an enraged roar, dive bombing Spike. “I’ll make you wish you never hatched, you stupid wannabe!” Drawing in a deep breath, he unleashed a torrent of flame.

Spike dove away from the flames, rolling back onto his feet. Spike tried to retaliate in kind, only to remember he was wearing a helmet. “Gonna have to remember that...” he muttered to himself. “Okay, new plan.”

Spike planted his feet firmly and took a wide stance. The red drake dove for him again, his mouth open and ready to take a chunk out of Spike. He grabbed the drake by the jaws, sliding backward from the impact as he kept the drake from biting him.

“Anypony ever tell you you need a breath mint?” Spike asked, keeping the drake’s jaws apart. “Jeez, you should probably see a dentist too.”

The drake thrashed around in Spike’s grasp, planting his feet on Spike’s chest as he tried to pull himself free. Spike braced himself, heaving the drake into the crater wall. The Drake groaned, sliding onto his ass as his wings twitched weakly from the impact.

“You done?” Spike asked, panting. “Because it looks like you're done.”

The drake growled, slowly rising to shaky feet. “No way I’m losing to a pony,” he hissed, charging at Spike.

Spike stayed where he was, waiting as the red drake barreled towards him. Spike then lashed out, kicking the red drake right in the chest, sending him flying again. “I can keep this up all day, you know.”

The red drake garbled a response, his head swaying as he collapsed in a twitching heap.

Spike deactivated the belt, too high on adrenaline to feel just how tired his body was. “Doesn’t look like you can though.” Crossing his arms, he snorted. “Still think I’m not a good dragon?”

The other drakes scrambled to get away from Spike, grabbing the red one by his tail and dragging him off.

“Hey, where you guys going!?” Spike called after them. “I’m not going to hit you guys or anything.”

Wyatt slid down the crater, stopping at Spike’s side. “They’re probably dragging him off to his parents,” he said. “Not to mention how scary seeing a one-sided fight like that is.” He grinned beneath his helmet. “So, how’d it feel to fight like a rider?”

“I’ve never actually been in a fight before,” Spike admitted, blushing slightly. “I just did what came naturally. I uh, almost breathed fire in my helmet.”

“Lucky thing you’re fire-proof,” Wyatt commented, chuckling. “Not sure the smoke would’ve been good for you.”

“Uh... you think that guys parents are gonna be mad?” Spike asked, his previous bravado vanishing as the combat rush wore off. “M-maybe we should get out of here?”

“We’re sorta stuck here until your grandpa’s done those new medals,” Wyatt pointed out. He looked out among the dragons, seeing another group of drakes fighting with none of the larger dragons even batting an eye. “But I think we’re safe. Fights seem to be normal here.”

“Yeah, but, those drakes aren't fighting with ‘cursed’ coins,” Spike pointed out, air quoting.

Wyatt nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, that’s true enough, but everyone did leave us alone last time when Sapphira brought up your grandpa. Besides, do you really want to leave before seeing what Smaug’s making?”

“I didn’t mean leave the dragonlands, just... not being here,” Spike elaborated, rubbing his neck.

“Wanna see if we can find a group not comprised of jerks?” Wyatt asked, waving a hand out towards the groups of adolescent dragons. He then smirked, elbowing him in the side. “Maybe see if you can impress a dragoness your age?”

Spike made a face, rubbing his arm. “I don’t think any dragoness is going to want a half pony. Guess my mom was special like that.”

Wyatt put an arm around Spike’s shoulder. “Can’t know unless you try. The only thing worse than getting rejected, is never asking, trust me.”

“I mean...” Spike glanced up to the outcropping, his gaze landing on Rarity. “I don’t even know how to approach a mare. How am I supposed to talk to a dragoness? Sapphira was the first one I ever met.”

Wyatt paused, nodding to himself. “Well, I can only offer help from a human perspective here. I’m as lost as you are when it comes to pony or dragon dating. So, just be confident and try to strike up a conversation.” He paused again before snapping his fingers. “Why not ask about their favorite gems?”

"That could work.” Spike nodded. Taking his gaze from Rarity, he glanced at Wyatt. “But, if it doesn’t work, you have to do my chores for the week. Got it?”

“I’ll make it two just to sweeten the deal,” Wyatt retorted, patting Spike’s shoulder.

“Right.” Spike puffed his chest. “Gotta go show some girls how awesome I am!”

“That’s the spirit,” Wyatt said, looking out across the crater. “Now to find some.”

Spike swept his eyes across the crater, tail swaying slightly. The whole idea left him confused, and a bit guilty. He knew he and Rarity weren’t an item, but it still didn’t feel right. Wyatt glanced down at Spike, seeing the unsure look on his face.

“Is something wrong, Spike?”

“Huh?” Spike asked, looking up at Wyatt. “Nothing’s wrong,” he lied, throwing on a smile. “Just not sure where to start.”

“Okay,” Wyatt replied, not quite buying it but decided to drop it. “We just have to look around the crater, we’re bound to find at least one dragoness here.”

Spike took his leave of Wyatt, climbing up the side of the crater. Once he reached the top, he looked out, looking between all the different groups that had formed. “How do you tell male and female dragons apart at a distance?” he asked himself, cupping his hands over his eyes. He knitted his brow, thinking to the differences between stallions and mares. “I guess look for ones that are smaller and curvier,” he muttered.

A few minutes went by, spent with Spike scrutinizing any group of dragons he could reasonably see. For the longest time, he couldn’t find anything that looked like a dragoness, but at a secluded spot of the crater by a patch of lava pools, he thought he saw shapes that seemed more feminine than the drakes he had been looking at.

Intrigued, Spike slid back down, making his way over to them. He approached, wearing an awkward but easy smile. “Uh, hey, the name's Spike. It’s nice to meet you all.”

The dragonesses looked between each other, unsure looks on their faces.

“Do you know this drake?” a pinkish dragoness asked with yellow spines asked.

“Never seen him before,” a white dragoness confirmed, purple spines sweeping down her head almost like hair.

“Well, this is my first time really meeting other dragons,” Spike admitted, shifting uneasily. “I was raised by ponies, and they don’t really know anything about dragons.”

“Ponies? The dragon lord really isn’t a fan of those,” the white dragoness commented, letting her arms drape over the edge of the lava pool she was sitting in. “Is it true there are horned ones with special powers?”

“Yeah, those are called unicorns.” Spike sat down on the pool’s edge, gingerly sliding his feet in. He hummed in delight at the temperature. ’Huh, never thought I could swim in lava. Feels nice.’ “I was raised by a family of them.”

“That’s crazy,” the pink one commented, taking a seat next to him. “I heard ponies wear clothes all the time, what’s up with that?”

“Well uh, if a pony doesn’t wear any clothes, everypony else can see everything.” He blushed, though relaxed a little. “And I mean everything.”

The pink dragoness’s eyes widened, her mouth gaping. “That’s so weird. Must be awful to not have it hidden naturally.”

“I only wear clothes for important stuff,” Spike continued, somewhat pleased to have them hanging off his words. “I even got a direct line to Princess Celestia.” He winked, puffing his chest up.

“Why do ponies follow a princess?” the white dragoness questioned, tilting her head. “Did she prove herself in combat?”

“She controls the sun, and she and her sister Luna beat Discord,” he explained. He fought the urge to dive into the lava, having no idea if the medals and belt were lava proof. “That’s why ponies trust her so much.”

“It’d be nice to have a dragoness in charge around here for once,” the pink dragoness commented, sliding into the lava. “All it ever is is old drakes with rocks for brains.”

Spike chuckled, dipping the tip of his tail in. “Hey watch it, one of those old drakes happens to be my grandpa.”

“Oh, so you do know who your family is,” the white dragoness said, laying back so she could float in the molten rock. “I would’ve assumed you wouldn’t, being raised by ponies and all that.”

“Well, I just found my grandpa today,” Spike admitted. “He’s not what I thought he’d be, honestly. I guess his apprentice would be an aunt I think?” he scratched his chin, trying to suss out his relation to Sapphira.

The two shared a look before turning back to him. “So you’re Smaug’s kin? I didn’t think there were any members of his clan left.”

“I’m Peridot’s son,” Spike responded, wincing slightly as he waited for the inevitable taunting. After a few moments, he blinked, finding that neither were insulting him. “Er, aren’t you gonna make fun of me or something?”

“Why? Peridot’s legendary among dragonesses,” the pink dragoness stated. “She actually told off Torch in front of everyone.”

The white dragoness giggled. “My grandmother says she called him a clod to his face!”

“I heard she broke a drake’s wings for insulting her lover,” the other one added.

The white one nodded, a smile on her face. “I bet she could’ve beaten Torch to the Bloodstone Scepter too. Imagine if she had become dragon lord.”

The rest of the day went by much better than the first. The two dragonesses, whom he came to know as Frizzle and Puff, were rather pleasant. Eventually, Sapphira came to collect him, bringing him back to Smaug’s den.

Wyatt leaned down, whispering in Spike’s ear, “So, how’d it go with the dragonesses?”

“It was pretty fun,” Spike whispered back. “I do wish I coulda made some male friends though.” A sigh escaped his lips, and his ear fins sagged. “I guess there’s always tomorrow, right?”

“That’s the spirit,” Wyatt told him, giving the drake a thumbs up. “And hey, you’ve always got me for a male friend. We’re Kamen Rider bros now.” He held his fist out to Spike. Spike perked up, bumping his fist against Wyatt’s.

“You’re right,” Spike agreed, brightening up. “I also got my grandpa, and Twilight’s family. I just wish I had more guys to hang out with, ya know?”

“Trust me, I get it,” Wyatt agreed, chuckling. “Well, we could always take what you learned with the dragonesses and apply it to making guy friends.” Wyatt paused, thinking for a moment. “But what would we do together?” he wondered aloud.

“Practice?” Spike offered, gesturing to his belt.

“I was talking about with the guy friends,” Wyatt replied. “But we should practice together.”

“We’ll think of something,” Spike assured, jogging ahead. He entered into the main chamber, spotting Smaug by the forge. “Hey Grandpa! Did you finish up your project?”

Smaug’s only answer was to flip the coins off of his talons, sending them sailing through the air towards Spike. Spike’s eyes went wide, and he reached out, trying to catch them. Thankfully, Twilight snatched them all in her magic before they could scatter everywhere.

Grabbing one of the coins from Twilight’s magic, Spike held it up to his eye. This one was pink, depicting a stylized unicorn. Unlike the coins currently in his possession, this one and it’s siblings, were all dark and lifeless.

“My final masterpiece,” Smaug said, gazing down at Spike. “The Unicorn, Pegasus and Earth Pony coins. For the moment, they are missing the spark of life, and are no more than trinkets.” Shifting his gaze to the ponies, he snorted. “To breath life into them, I will need to extract some of your essence.”

“Do whatever you have to,” Twilight said, stepping towards the ancient dragon.

Smaug nodded, issuing orders to the group. Twilight and Rarity took the unicorn medals, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took the pegasus medals, and Applejack and Pinkie Pie took the Earth pony coins. Everyone else stayed out of the way, lest they interrupt whatever ritual Smaug was going to perform.

Smaug closed his eye, the marks etched into his scales starting to glow. He then started to speak in a language that none of them recognized, his words echoing off the cavern walls in a low rumble. The girls shared a collective gasp, eyes turning white, auras flaring up around them. The coins grew warm in their hands, the white aura seeming to be absorbed by them. After a few moments, the auras shifted color, matching those of their elements. The coins grew hot, almost becoming too hot, as they greedily drank in their auras.

With a final word, Smaug finished the spell, cutting off the siphon. The girls swayed on their hooves for a moment, a dazed look in their eyes. Smaug placed his tail behind them, allowing them to rest against it.

“Wow, feel like I just flew a marathon,” Rainbow commented, closing her eyes.

“My head is pounding,” Rarity bemoaned, leaning back on Smaug’s tail. “I can’t even feel my horn.”

“Somepony make the cave stop spinning,” Pinkie said, her head lulling in circles.

“Sapphira,” Smaug began, keeping him his voice low. “Could you prepare some beds for our guests?”

Sapphira bowed, heading towards a smaller opening across from where they had entered the cavern from.

“You may stay in my den for the duration of the migration.” Smaug rumbled softly, gently guiding the ponies along with his tail. He allowed them to enter the opening, moving his tail to stop Twilight. “Before you rest, we must talk.”

Twilight snapped to attention, staring up at Smaug. “What is it?”

Smaug shifted his tail, grunting at Wyatt.

Wyatt looked around the cavern for a moment before pointing at himself. “Uh, did I do something wrong?”

“I think he wants you to leave,” Spike commented, pointing to the opening. This got an affirmative growl from the elder dragon. “Probably some private stuff.”

Wyatt chuckled weakly, making his way towards the opening. “Right, see ya in the morning.”

Smaug reached a hand down, scooping both Twilight and Spike up. He lumbered over to his hoard, and splayed himself out on it. Depositing the two in front of his snout, he let out a long rumble. “You hatched Spike’s egg.”

Twilight nodded, looking between Spike and his grandfather. “I did. It was part of my entrance exam for Celestia’s school and ever since that day he’s been part of my family.”

For a moment, Smaug’s expression softened, and he touched the tip of his snout against Twilight’s head. “We are kin, Twilight Sparkle. Now and forever. Your family is my family.” A slight smirk formed on his face. “Something sure to annoy that idiot Torch.”

Twilight smiled and placed her hand on his snout. “I am honored to be a part of your clan. I hope I can live up to your expectations.” She giggled for a moment. “I should bring the rest of the family to visit. Mom would flip from the view alone.”

“They must come,” Smag insisted, pulling his head away. “Your family must be properly initiated into the clan. By dragon law, you will have all the rights as any dragon would.” A dark chuckle rumbled in his throat. “Though, that would also place you under command of the dragon lord.”

“I think I can live with that,” Twilight said. “What does initiation entail exactly?”

“Do not worry yourself with that now.” Smaug adjusted his position, rumbling again. “It is for me to worry about. Just know that our families will be bound as one, and anyone born into your family will be of our clan.” He fixed his eye on Twilight. “As the elder, it is my duty to oversee the clan's affairs, corporeal and spiritual.”

Twilight nodded her head, taking a seat on the hoard. “I know I’d love to learn about your traditions.”

The three of them talked long into the night, until both Spike and Twilight fell asleep under Smaug’s watchful eye. “Twilight reminds me of you,” he spoke softly, gazing at Peridot’s likeness. “I think you would have liked her.” He let out a long sigh, making himself comfortable on his hoard. “Sapphira, are you still awake?”

“You know I never sleep without your permission,” his apprentice replied, stepping forward so he could see her.

Smaug chuckled, shaking his head. “Ever the model apprentice. Come.” He gestured with his tail. “We must speak quietly, else wake the children.”

Sapphira snorted, flying up to land on his snout. “Everyone is a child compared to you.”

“Ah, but you less so. Sapphira, you have been my kin since you were small. When my time comes, you will be the eldest.” Smaug closed his eyes, a long sigh passing his lips. “Our clan may never recover, Sapphira. At least, not in the realm of dragons. I do not envy you, for your tenure will be far harder than any elder before you.”

Sapphira smirked, patting Smaug’s snout. “If your grandson takes after you, then I’m sure more dragon members will arise.”

“Perhaps. That doesn’t change the fact that you will be overseeing generations of ponies. And we both know how short their lives are.”

“Unless of course alicorns find their way into the clan,” Sapphira countered. “However slim the chances.”

“My point is, you will witness many family members come and go in your time.” Smaug rumbled, shaking his head. “Let us dispense of such talk. Tonight, we sleep as a family.”

Sapphira nodded, finding a comfortable place among the hoard and closing her eyes.

Smaug watched for a time before closing his eyes, joining them in the realm of sleep.

Riding the Tide

The next morning, the girl’s all groaned as they woke up. Their bodies felt like they were made of lead and they couldn’t force themselves up.

“Smaug, why can’t I move?” Twilight managed to ask, fighting to stay awake. She leaned on Rainbow Dash for support, though the pegasus was in just as bad shape. “I’ve never been this tired before.

“That would be my use of your essence taking its full effect,” Smaug answered, glancing down at her as he lounged on his hoard. “You will likely be like this for a week or so. Sapphira was kind enough to prepare a meal for you. Eat, please.”

With the help of Spike, Sapphira and Wyatt, the girls managed to get seated at a stone table. There were plates steaming bowls of food they couldn’t quite identify, but smelled fantastic set up in front of several expensive chairs that had been taken from the hoard.

“Thanks,” Dash muttered, digging in with as much gusto as she could muster. “Stuffs good...”

Sapphira bowed her head, taking her own seat and tossing a few gems into her mouth. “Thank you, it was rather difficult to find ingredients suitable for ponies in this area. This is one of Star Dust’s recipes.”

“Star Dust?” Spike questioned, his face scrunching up. His eyes then widened in realization. “Is that my dad’s name? What was he like?”

Sapphira placed a gem she was about to eat down on her plate and sighed. “I never met your father, Spike. It was before my time.” She gestured to Smaug, who was watching closely. “You’ll have to ask your grandfather.”

Smaug blew a plume of smoke out of his nostrils as he lowered himself to look down at Spike. “Your father was an odd one. He was a scholar by nature, asking all manner of questions about us and our culture. He said he wanted to help ponies understand dragons. He took up some of my work; hence the existence of the panda and kangaroo medals.”

Spike clutched the chest containing the core medals to his body, looking down at them. “So Dad helped make a couple of the medals? I wish I could’ve met him.” Munching on a few gems, he looked up at Smaug. “I’m going to find out what happened to him.”

Smaug’s good eye focused on Spike, sympathy filling his gaze. “I wish you luck in that endeavor. That path will not lead to any easy answers.” He reached out, putting a claw on top of Spike’s head. “But, your father deserves that much at least. When you find something, return here. I will show you how to carve a statue in his memory like I did for your mother.”

Shifting slightly on his hoard, Smaug rumbled. “Come here, Spike.”

Spike got up from the table, hopping onto his grandfather’s claw so the older dragon could bring him to his eye level. “What is it, Grandpa?”

Rising off of his hoard, Smaug carried Spike over to Peridot’s statue. “Something your parents left you. You should take it with you.” Reaching out with his hand, he gently eased a small crystal from it’s socket. “Here.” Placing it in Spike’s hand, Smaug watched him closely. “It is a memory crystal; your parents recorded a message for you.”

Spike looked down at the crystal, turning it over in his claws. Tears slowly started to fill his eyes. “So I’ll be able to hear their voices. I never imagined I’d get a chance like that.” He tilted his head back up to Smaug. “Thank you, Grandpa, I’ll cherish this forever.” He glanced at the crystal again. “Um, how do I hear the message?”

“Simply hold it to your forehead,” Smaug instructed.

Spike nodded, putting the crystal up to his forehead. As soon as he did, his body locked up and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

The world around him changed, taking him to a different place entirely. Instead of a statue, the real Peridot stood before him. Her scales were a light, almost yellow green, and her spines were a whitish green. She stared into what he assumed was the crystal with emerald green eyes. She waved a claw, a slight smile spreading across her muzzle.

“Greetings future child. I hope you’ve grown into a fine dragon.” She scoffed, putting a claw to her lime green underbelly. “Not that I’m worried there considering who your mother is.” Her voice was high and somewhat nasally. It seemed so out of place on such a large dragoness.

The sound of a throat clearing caught Spike and the recording of his mother’s attention and she glanced down at her shoulder. Sitting there was a green earth pony. His mane was black with green streaks running through it. “Maybe don’t let the child see your ego too much, Peri.”

“How are they supposed to know how great we are, if we don’t tell them?” Peridot questioned, frowning down at him.

He chuckled and patted her cheek. “Perhaps with our actions, dear? Now, why not make this about our future child. Have anything special you want to tell them?”

“Of course I do.” Peridot rolled her eyes, letting out a puff of smoke. “Why do you think we’re talking to this crystal? I’m getting to the special stuff.” Glancing at the crystal, she grunted. “Most ponies, your father included, are so high maintenance.”

“Oi!” His father objected, shooting a look at Peridot. “I am not high maintenance.” He smirked and turned to the crystal. “Though I’m sure you’ll find that most dragons are blunt.” Leaning on Peridot’s cheek, he turned his full attention to the crystal. “You’ll be the first of your kind; the first pony-dragon hybrid.”

“You’re going to be so special, little one,” Peridot added, giving the crystal a warm look. “There will be ponies and dragons that will ridicule you because you’re different. Just remember that they’re worthless clods that are beneath your attention. Hold your head up high, little one. Your heritage is rich; you will carry the memory of Bahamut, uniter of dragons, the first lord.”

“I can’t say you get anything great from me,” Star Dust spoke, shifting a little. “The Dust family has always been poor, but I know you’ll do great things. I don’t want your life to be toiled away on a farm.”

Peridot nodded in agreement. “We’ll be by your side through it all. No matter what you wish to do in life, know that we love you with all our hearts.”

The world slowly shifted back to normal and Spike pulled the crystal away from his forehead, tears trickling out of his eyes. Wiping the tears away, he sniffled softly. “Thank you, Grandpa. I mean it. This means a lot to me.”

Smaug walked back over to his hoard, setting Spike on his shoulder. “There is no need to thank me, that crystal is your birthright. Your parents recorded it so you’d have something to remember your father by. Ponies live such fleeting lives compared to us dragons. Unfortunately, it serves another purpose now.”

Reaching into the pile, he dug around until he found what he was looking for. “Ah, here it is!” he withdrew his hand, a sword laying in his palm; though it looked like a toothpick in the dragon’s hold. “I forged this some time ago to go with the belt. In a flash of inspiration, I thought that since the belt uses the power of the core medals, a weapon that uses the silver medals would make the perfect pair. Unfortunately, the silver medals are not as stable as their core counterparts. You will need to find a steady supply of them in order to utilize its full potential.” He held his hand up to Spike, offering him the sword.

Taking it from Smaug, Spike slashed the air in front of him. “You sure made a lot of this stuff. Anything else ya wanna give me?”

Smaug chuckled, shaking his head. “I believe that will suffice. I have nothing left that could assist you with what lies ahead.” He moved his claw, scratching off a few loose scales beneath his chin. “Though if that changes, I’ll be sure to have Sapphira give you a message.” He took his smallest claw and poked Spike in the chest. “For now make do with what I have given you. Don’t get greedy with your grandfather.”

Spike blushed, clearing his throat. “Greedy? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Smaug smirked. “Oh, so if I told you that I had a fire ruby the size of your head buried in my hoard, that would elicit no reaction from you?” He let out a barking laugh as Spike glanced at the hoard pile, drooling slightly. “It seems you have good taste in gems even at your young age.” A small smile graced his face as he gently patted Spike’s head with a claw.

Coming to his senses, Spike quickly wiped the drool away. “Well, Twilight makes sure I’m well fed. Being the Princess’s student has its perks.”

“Good, I’d hate to have to burn down a town,” Smaug said, closing his mouth and letting small flames escape the from his teeth. “It has been centuries since I have done such a thing.” He chuckled, though Spike got the sense he was only partially joking. He quickly stopped laughing and his good eye bore into Spike. “I wish I could spend more time with you, but the migration is not over yet. You should return to Equestria, your trials will begin once you step out of this cave.”

“We can’t stay for the whole migration?” Spike frowned, glancing back at the girls. “I wanted to get to know you more; learn more about my mom.”

Smaug grunted, plodding back over to his hoard. “As much as I would like to, my attention is needed by others. Others who won’t come here as long as those medals remain. Which means, you must be on your way.” He motioned Sapphira towards one of his shelf, and she quickly handed him a large scroll. “However, I will sate your curiosity.” He held the scroll out to Spike.

“This scroll contains the entirety of our clan’s compiled history. There are journal entries translated from the ancient tongue belonging to Bahamut himself. You’d do well to learn from his code of honor.” Glancing at Twilight, he continued. “Speaking of the clan, I will send for you and your family when I am ready. You are not to delay when I do.”

Spike took the scroll with an eager grin, nodding at his grandfather. “Of course, Grandpa! We’ll be here as quickly as we possibly can!”

Sapphira pushed away from the table for a moment, flexing her wings. “I spotted a pony ship coming up the coast during my morning flight. Master Smaug has offered to pay for your passage aboard. When you are finished eating, we will escort you to your ship.”

Twilight gave the dragoness a tired smile, putting her fork down. “Thank you for your help, Sapphira.” She craned her neck to Smaug. “You too, paying for our trip is too kind.”

“Having the Princess of the sun’s student in your debt has its perks.” Smaug laughed, lounging on his hoard. “Of course, I don’t expect a clan member to pay me back. Just keep that in mind, yes?”

Twilight’s smile grew and she held a hand to her chest. “You said it yourself, our families are going to be linked from now on. It’d be pretty hard not to keep that in mind.” She picked her fork back up and continued eating. “Though thank you for not beholding me to any crazy favors.”

Spike swung the sword a few more times, getting a feel for it. It was just light enough for him to wield one handed, made up of a glittering blue metal. Running along the blade were three slots, obviously meant to house medals like his grandfather described. Giving it another swing, he grinned from ear to ear. A part of him was still terrified about having to fight monsters like Wyatt did. But the more prominent part of his mind couldn’t wait to test his new equipment and mettle in real combat. He looked over the sword again and an idea popped into his head. He’d need a way to hide it if he wanted to keep him being a rider a secret.

“Yo, Equestria to Spike!” Dash called out as loudly as she could manage, though it came out sounding like a Fluttershy shout. “Are ya gonna finally make out with that sword or just keep staring at it?”

“Leave the colt alone, Dash,” Applejack muttered, fixing her hat. “He’s gota new toy, lett im’ have some fun.”

Spike opened his mouth to object to being called a colt, only to clamp it shut. His mind drifted to the image of his pony father and realized that he could technically be called a colt. He shook his head, fixing a hard look towards the farm mare. “This isn’t a toy, it’s a weapon.” To punctuate his point, he swung it through the air. “And it’s gonna help me get the rest of those medals.”

“I think your weapon needs a name, Spike,” Wyatt offered, picking at his own plate with a grin. “What do you think of, Medajalibur?”

“Medajalibur, huh?” Spike asked, hefting the blade up into the air. “Ya, I like that.” Grinning ear to ear, Spike rested it on his shoulder. “I’m gonna put this thing to good use!”

Wyatt’s grin matched the drake’s and he extended his fist out across the table. “You bet you will! Team Rider is gonna tear up every monster in Equestria!” Bumping fists with Spike, he began to scarf down the rest of his meal.

The meal continued in relative silence, the girls threatening to fall face first into their meals. Somehow, everyone managed to finish breakfast without incident and Sapphira stood up from the stone table.

“The ship to take you all home is nearby,” she spoke gesturing to the cave entrance. “When you are ready to leave, the master and I will take you there.”

Twilight managed to stand up, using a quick bit of magic to help right herself as her legs buckled. “I think we’re ready. We shouldn’t impose any longer than we have to.”

Smaug rose up to his full height, padding over to them. “Then, we shall make our leave.” Placing a hand on the ground, he motioned for them to climb on.

Wyatt, Spike and Sapphira helped the girls onto the large drake’s hand, taking their time not to rush the sluggish ponies. It took some doing, but the six mares were eventually situated with the others following close behind them. Smaug closed his hand around them, making his way out of his den.

Spike adjusted his sword, laying it across his lap as he stared out at the cave tunnel. His mind wandered again, thoughts of his first monster fight running through his head. Running his hand over the blade, he imagined the fanfare and legends that would sprout up around him. A dopey grin spread across his face as he pictured a holiday being made in his honor, with a parade and everything.

“Shaman!” A voice cried out, snatching Spike’s attention away from his daydream.

All around them, dragons stared at Smaug in awe. Mothers curled protectively around their hatchlings, adults made themselves as small as possible; even the more aggressive teenagers seemed to be hiding themselves behind their parents. Except one. Smaug looked down, finding the red drake that Spike had fought yesterday standing in his way. Agitation was evident on his face, baring his teeth and making himself as large as he possibly could; which in the face of Smaug was still miniscule.

Smaug simply stopped in his tracks, gazing down at the dake. “What?” he asked simply, irritation clear in his voice.

“That grandson of yours used those cursed medals to attack me yesterday!” he boomed, jabbing a claw at Smaug’s hand while flames licked at the edges of his mouth. “He humiliated me!”

“So? Your failings are not my problem.”

The drake growled, balling his claws at his side. “There’s no way he could’ve taken me without those; I demand a rematch! No medals!”

“I don’t care.” Smaug stepped over him, resuming his walk towards the coast.

The drake let out a roar, rushing upward towards Spike with his claws outstretched before him. His rage was interrupted as Smaug blew him away with a snort. The drake crashed in a heap, pulled himself up and tried again. Only to be blown away without a thought again. Smaug paid him no mind, spreading his wings and taking to the sky; his liftoff kicking up a wind storm. This time the red drake seemed to take the hint, contenenting himself with shouting curses after Smaug and Spike.

Wyatt stared out at the endless expanse of ocean, the salty air tickling his nose. It had been a couple days since Spike had received his driver and the drake was brimming with energy. Smaug had paid their way with a few golden coins from his hoard. The crew had eagerly taken the payment and set them up with a few spare beds. Pulling away from the railing, he turned to the rest of the deck.

Various ponies moved around the deck, mostly sailors performing their duties. He spotted Spike towards the bow, kicking and punching at the air. He walked over to the drake, holding his hand up. “Hey Spike, whatcha doing?”

“Oh hey, Wyatt.” Spike relaxed, getting into a bit of a pose. “Just doing a bit of practice. I gotta be prepared after all.”

Wyatt nodded, flashing a smile at the drake. “Gotta love the enthusiasm, buddy. Sounds like you’ve taken to your new role in stride. But, it might be better if you actually practice and not just attack the air like a dork.”

Spike looked around the ship, noticing the sailors milling close by. He leaned in close and whispered, “Are you sure that’s a good idea with all the ponies nearby?”

“I didn’t say right now.” Wyatt rolled his eyes. “Just trying to help you stop being a dork.”

Spike snorted, a puff of smoke escaping his nostrils. “Fine, I guess I can wait a little bit to do some real practice.” Pouting at Wyatt, he socked the human in the arm.

Wyatt chuckled, ruffling the spines on the drake’s head. “Come on, let’s go catch up with the girls. Let’s hope they’re among the living again, ya?”

Spike nodded, walking to the door that led to the decks below. After squeezing through a tight hallway, the pair found the girls in the room they had been given, sprawled out on their bunks. “Looks like they’re still out. Geez, Grandpa must have taken a lot out of them.”

Wyatt rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, sure seems that way.” He closed the door to their room and turned back to Spike. “Looks like we’re on our own for a while longer. How about we go get some food?”

Spike gave him a thumbs up, licking his lips. “Food sounds great, I’ve been starving ever since my growth spurt.” Licking his lips, Spike drooled ever so slightly. “I hope they have gems~”

Wyatt smiled and patted the drake’s shoulder. “At the very least we know they’ll have fish.” The two navigated the tight hallways, walking into the galley. It was large, with several long tables arranged into two long rows. At the end of the room was a long counter and a clear divider that led into the kitchen where staff could be seen working.

“Hey!” Wyatt called, raising a hand in greeting. “How goes it man?”

“Same as always,” a gray pony with tuft of white poking out from his shirt said. His mane was sloppily contained beneath a hairnet and his accent was rough sounding. “Scrubbing away at the dishes you lot dirty up.”

“That is what they pay you for.” Wyatt stepped up to the counter, tapping his fingers on the warped wood. “Think you can scrunge some up for my friend and I?”

The gray pony rolled his eyes, slinging a dish towel over his shoulder. “I don’t see why not, what do you boyos need?”

“Got any gems?” Spike asked, tossing one of the medals into the air. “If not, I’ll take some fish.”

The pony chuckled, turning to the stoves and starting one of the burners. “Sorry, but we weren’t expecting a dragon passenger, don’t got any gems for eating. Plenty o’ fish though. I’ll make something extra tasty to make it up to you.” He darted around the kitchen, grabbing a bunch of ingredients. He took up a knife, making quick work of a large fish.

Spike watched, taking notes of some of the cook’s techniques. “So, how do you want to spend the rest of the day? Not much to do on the ship.”

“I was gonna grab the camera and see if I can spot a whale or maybe some dolphins,” Wyatt said. “But that really just equates to a waiting game. You didn’t happen to pack any cards or something in your bundle, did you?”

“Well, I actually threw in my table top stuff.” Spike blushed, scratching his cheek. “I could teach you how to play. Making you a character could probably kill an hour or two.”

“Sounds good to me,” Wyatt replied, giving him a thumbs up. “How do you do things? Do I have to roll for my stats, or do you just let me divvy out a set amount?”

“Roll for stats of course, it’s the only true way.” Spike tossed the medal again, catching it on the way down. “I’m an old school dm, so don’t think I’ll go easy on you.”

Wyatt grinned, putting his hands behind his head. “Alright, sounds like I’ll have a good time. What are the classes for the game we’re doing this for? Also, is this your standard fantasy tabletop, or something else?”

“It’s Ogres and Oubliettes,” Spike explained, leaning on the counter. “Fantasy all the way.”

“And the classes?” Wyatt repeated, leaning on the counter as well. “Are there any interesting or out there ones I should know about? I always liked playing the paladin.”

“My main’s a mage,” Spike told him, a smile on his face. “Though you might wanna hold off on locking in your class until after you roll your stats.” Turning his head, he licked his lips. “Looks like our food is ready.”

The pair grabbed their plates and sat down at the nearest table. The food looked rather simple, roasted fish with visible bits of pepper and other various spices along its surface. Beside the fish was a medley of steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes.

“He doesn’t look like much, but dang if that doesn’t smell good~” Spike took a deep sniff, what sounded like a purr rumbling in his throat. Spearing some on his fork, he took a bite. “Tastes good too~”

Wyatt took a bite of his own, humming in delight as the taste spread along his mouth. The cook obviously knew how to take a little and make it work. It obviously helped that there was a steady supply of fresh fish. “Yeah, that guy knows his way around the kitchen.”

“Maybe we should pay the guy?” Spike suggested gesturing back to the counter. “Bet he doesn’t get that much, ya?”

Wyatt nodded, spearing another forkful of fish. “Even if he does, it’d still be nice to do. We’re not the people he’s paid to cook for after all.” Taking another bite, Wyatt leaned back in his seat. “You might not want to play catch with your medals though.”

Sike looked down at the medal he was still clutching, the stylized unicorn head seeming to stare back at him. “Good point, the last thing I need is to lose one of these.” He chuckled weakly and rubbed the back of his head. “Guess I’m just excitable right now.”

“Who wouldn’t be?” Wyatt gave him a smile, winking at him. “I’m in the same situation, remember?”

“That’s true, though I think mine’s better.” Spike grinned and puffed up his chest. “My main look doesn’t have pink after all.” Gesturing to himself, Spike grinned. “Ain’t that right, Pinkie?”

Wyatt snorted, rolling his eyes as he took a bite of his vegetables. “Yuck it up, scales, but I’ve got twelve full forms to work with while you’ve only got a handful of medals.” Pointing his fork at Spike, he smirked. “Besides, look who's talking, purple boy.”

“Hey, purple’s a fashionable color,” Spike retorted, motioning like he was slicking his spines back. “And I rock these scales. Much better than being a bald ape.” He smirked and waved his claw over Wyatt.

“Don’t pick a fight with me, Spike.” Wyatt took another bite of his food, giving Spike a look. “I still have more experience than you.”

Spike held his hands up defensively and chuckled. “I wasn’t trying to pick a fight. We were just teasing each other, right? Right, Wyatt?”

Wyatt’s look hardened as he reached across the table. It then softened and he flicked the drake’s snout. “Yeah, it’s all good.” Pulling his hand back, he focused on eating the rest of his fish.

Spike’s muzzle scrunched up for a moment before he rubbed it and went back to his own meal. Pushing the bowl away, Spike relaxed in his seat. “So, uh when do you think another monster will attack?”

Wyatt sat his fork down on his plate and tapped his fingers on the table. “I hate to say it, but we’re kinda due for one. I’m just hoping that we don’t find out that there was one in Ponyville while we were gone.”

“I think Celestia would have sent me a letter if there was an attack,” Spike pointed out. “Since she hasn’t, I think we’re in the clear.”

Wyatt thought for a moment, he had to admit that Spike had a point. He let out a sigh of relief, relaxing in his seat. “I gotta say, Spike, I’m glad to have another person to help me with the monster problem.”

Tossing the coin up again, Spike made a show of catching it. “Well, now the monsters have two riders to mess with. I got your back buddy.”

Wyatt held his fist out, letting the drake bump it. “Yeah, monsters better beware when the rider duo is there.” Getting to his feet, he took his bowl back to the counter. “We totally know what we’re doing.”

Spike followed after him, put his bowl down, thanked the cook and tossed him a few bits. “And if we think we don’t, we can always practice. Ghastly Gorge would be a good place for it. As long as we avoid the eels.”

“Eels?” Wyatt repeated, quirking a brow. “So this gorge is near water?”

“Uh no. These big eels live in the gorge walls. They can swallow a pony whole.”

Wyatt’s eyes widened as he imagined the size of the creature. He sighed, rubbing his temples. “Magic pony land is crazy. At least it isn’t land sharks,” he muttered. Looking at Spike he added. “There aren’t land sharks, right?”

Spike scoffed. “Those are just an urban legend. Nopony’s ever seen a land shark. Next you’re gonna ask if there are sewer gators.” Nodding at the cook, he made his way back onto the deck. “You have the strangest ideas sometimes, Wyatt.”

Wyatt sucked in a sharp breath through his nostrils, biting back a retort. After a moment, he let it slide. “So, let’s make Decker Aiden the paladin a thing.”

Spike nodded, a wide grin on his face. “Yeah, I’ll cook up a cool encounter to show you the ropes of the game too!”

The two quickly retrieved Spike’s gear, finding a secluded spot where they could set everything up. Once Spike was done pulling up the correct spot in the class and player manual, he offered Wyatt one of the dice.

“Alright Wyatt, are you ready to roll for stats? There won’t be any takebacks.” the drake asked, putting on dramatic airs. “ Ya know, point buy might work better for your first time.”

Wyatt gave the drake a cocky look, taking the die from Spike’s claw. “I dunno, Spike, I’m feeling pretty lucky. I think I’m gonna try my hand at rolling. If it doesn’t work out, this can be a joke character and I can point buy for the real one.” He closed his eyes, shook his hand and released the die onto the table they were sitting at.

“That’s a one, Wyatt,” Came Spike’s flat response.

Wyatt groaned, facepalming. “Seriously?” He made a window between his fingers to confirm what Spike said was true. He had to resist the urge to groan again when he saw the number. “Okay, first stat roll was bad, but I’m sure I’ll nail it this time,” he said, trying to psych himself up. He scooped up the die and gave it another roll.

Wyatt’s next few rolls weren’t much better, and he was left with a very mediocre character. “Welp.” Spike lifted the sheet up, inspecting it. “I told you you should have did a point buy. But no one listens to Spike.”

Wyatt hung his head in shame, grumbling to himself. “I’d like to point buy now please.” He let his head hit the table, glancing over at the die. “I can’t believe I got nothing but ones. That should be super unlikely.”

“Didn’t you say something about Decade being unlucky?” Spike asked, erasing all the undesired stats from the sheet. He passed it back to Wyatt, giving him a pencil. “All stats start at 8 and you get 22 points to mess around with. You can’t go lower than 8 or higher than 15.”

“Thanks,” Wyatt muttered, taking the sheet and looking over the player manual to see what would be the best stats for a paladin. He tapped the pencil’s eraser to his chin, thinking things over. “Yeah, but I haven’t been unlucky up ‘til now. This is probably just a fluke, nothing to worry about,” he assured, starting to fill in his character sheet.

“I dunno, Wyatt.” Spike pointing out a few things on the sheet Wyatt had forgotten to fill in. “You might have inherited more than just the powers.”

“Come on, Spike, if I had inherited the bad luck, it would’ve shown up long before now.” He absentmindedly scratched at his bandages as he filled in the race category of his sheet. The flat look Spike shot him was lost as he muttered some min/maxing to himself.

“Yeah, getting knocked out by famous authors and accidentally drinking love potions is nothing but the best of luck,” Spike commented, rolling his eyes. “On top of ending up here.” As soon as the words left Spike’s mouth, he instantly regretted them.

The tip of Wyatt’s pencil broke and his expression instantly took a downward turn. He put the pencil down and ran a hand through his hair. He muttered something that Spike couldn’t make out as he stared blankly at his sheet.

“I-I didn’t mean that!” Spike stuttered out, his eyes wide in horror. “I’m so sorry, Wyatt!”

“It’s fine, Spike,” Wyatt replied, his voice devoid of emotion. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”

“It’s not okay!” Spike insisted, slamming his hands on the deck. “That’s a terrible thing to say, and I just blurted it out without a second thought!”
Wyatt sighed, getting up from his seat. “Don’t worry about it, Spike. I’m the reason that I’m here now. Besides, I’m doing some good here.”

Spike rose up as well, trying to come up with a response. Anything he thought of just died in his throat. Wilting slightly, he looked around, rubbing his arm.

Wyatt turned around, putting his hands in his pockets. “I’m starting to feel a little tired; I’m gonna go check on the girls again before taking a nap.” Without another word, he made his way below deck.

Cursing to himself, Spike whacked his arm against the ship's railing. “You just found your family, Spike and what do you do? You basically rub it in the face of the guy who just lost his. Some friend you are”

High Wind stared out at the sea, watching the waves loll to and fro at their leisure. The waters between Equestria’s eastern coast and the dragon lands was as ornery as the aforementioned creatures, which made him grateful for the respite it was giving him. The few ships that ventured out into these waters were trade ships filled with either money or goods. That or pirate ships out to plunder the previously mentioned traders. Which is exactly what his ship was looking to do.

High wind turned away from the railing, looking up at the crow’s nest. He put his hand to the side of his mouth and called out, “Riptide! Any sign of a good target?!”

“Aye sir!” Riptide called back. “Ah see a fine one up ahead! Should make the king nice n’ happy!”

High Wind had no real idea why the king held such a fascination with this stretch of water. Out of all the shipping lanes in the world’s many waters, and the pirate king always made sure to send somepony out here. Of course, the king refused to say why, and nopony was stupid enough to press him for it. Though, there was almost never any patrols by the Equestrian Navy, making all the trading vessels rather easy targets. High Wind’s hand drifted to his pocket, feeling cool metal against his fur. The king had given him something just in case they ran into any complications.

A Link Between Worlds Pt. 1

Author's Note

This is a crossover with DisplacedWriter's story, [Displaced] A Forced Hero Rewrite . Go ahead and give them some love.

A Link Between Worlds Pt. 1

The ship finally pulled into a harbor, its horn blowing to signal its arrival to the crew below deck. The horn roused Wyatt and Spike from their Ogres and Oubliettes session. Wyatt was grateful for the interruption, his luck with the dice had not improved much. A series of critical failures had nearly cost his character’s death before he could even slay a single goblin. Spike meanwhile delighted in Wyatt’s close calls, quipping at the young man in his best over-the-top voice.

The pair quickly packed up their game and gathered the girls. They still weren’t back to full energy, but they could at least stand under their own power.

“I can’t believe you guys got to fight pirates,” Rainbow grumbled, stumbling her way down the gangplank. “That’s so freaking awesome!” She cast a glance over at the captured pirate ship, where the pirates were being handed off to the guard.

“Not as fun as you’d think,” Spike muttered, rubbing the scorch mark on his forearm. “Those eel arms hurt a lot.” reaching into the coin slot on his belt, he retrieved his newest trio of medals. “Worth it though.”

“Yeah, you’ve already made your first steps to collecting all the medals,” Wyatt agreed, nursing a bruise of his own in the middle of his forehead. “Not bad for your first monster fight.”

Spike grinned, making a show of tossing the medals in the air and catching them. “At this rate, I’ll have em all in no time!” He paused, looking down at himself. “Though, I think I might start wearing clothes. I uh... need pockets.”

Rarity grinned, her face brightening up as a bit of her energy returned to her. “Leave that to me, darling! I’ll make you the most fabulous clothes any dragon could hope for!” She started muttering design choices to herself as she examined Spike from head to toe.

Applejack laughed, weakly slapping the drake on the shoulder. “Looks like ya created a monster, Spike. Ah hope ya can handle it like ya did those pirates.”

A dreamy smile overtook Spike’s face and his tail swished slowly behind him as his mind started to picture Rarity taking his measurements. “Attention from Rarity? I think I’ll survive somehow.”

“Careful.” Wyatt reached out, poking Spike’s cheek. “You’re starting to drool, scales.”

Spike wiped at the corner of his mouth and shot Wyatt a pointed look. “I was not.” His look morphed into a pout as the group burst into laughter. “Yeah, yeah, yuk it up, why don’t you?” Turning on his heel, Spike gripped onto his medals. “I’m gonna go see about that pirate captain. I wanna know where he got these medals.”

“Spike, you know as well as I do that civilians aren’t allowed to talk to ponies in guard custody,” Twilight admonished, stepping up to his side and putting a hand on his shoulder. “But, we do know somepony that could. Somepony that lives in Canterlot.” A small smile spread across Twilight’s muzzle.

“Right...” Spike sighed, rubbing his neck. “You’re right, Twi.” Taking a breath, he shot her a smile. “We should probably check into a hotel; since we’re here we may as well make a vacation out of it.”

“Great idea!” Pinkie agreed, jumping to the front of the group. Her lack of her usual energy translated to what was considered normal. “Baltimare has all sorts of sights to see! Come on! The sooner we get checked in, the sooner we can explore!”

Everyone rolled their eyes, though they followed after Pinkie as quickly as they could. They stepped off the dock and onto the street proper, quickly getting swept up in the crowd. Unlike Ponyville, the citizens of Baltimare didn’t bat an eye at Wyatt or Spike. Especially when they had griffons, Zebras and minotaurs walking around. As they walked, they debated on what kind of hotel to check into. Rarity made her case for a five-star hotel, Applejack’s advice was for something comfortable but cheap, while Pinkie called out for water beds.

“Well, this is getting us nowhere...” Wyatt muttered, rubbing his neck. “Everyone, just calm down.” He made a lowering motion with his hands. “How about we see how much we have on us, and go from there?”

The girls all quietly agreed, rummaging through their things and pulling out all their money. They handed it all to Twilight, watching her count it all with rapt attention. “Looks like we have about... a hundred bits. That should put us in somewhere comfortable for a few days.”

“Did you take into account train tickets for the ride home?” Wyatt asked, gesturing vaguely in a given direction. “Last thing we need is to get stranded.”

Twilight smiled proudly, putting a hand to her chest. “Of course, there’s no way I’d let that happen. We can spend a few days in a decent hotel and still get home. Now.” She turned, almost striking a pose. “We have a hotel to find!”

“Looks like the girls are just about back to normal,” Wyatt whispered to Spike, pointing a finger to the rest of the group. “I was a bit worried that they’d have lost a bit of themselves.”

Spike scoffed, waving a claw at him. “No way, Grandpa wouldn’t do something like that.” Patting his belt, Spike shifted the topic of conversation. “Hey, so, I bet we could find a roof top to practice on.”

Wyatt nodded, a small smirk on his face. “Yeah, I think I could live with that. Think you can keep up with me?” Rubbing his thumb against his nose, his smirk grew. “Pink’s a dangerous color, ya know.”

Spike took a moment to shadow box before flexing one of his arms. “I’ll try to go easy on you, Pinkie.”

“Someone say my name?” Pinkie asked, suddenly looking over Spike’s shoulder.

Spike jumped, turning to face the pink mare. “Oh, uh, no Pinkie. I just gave Wyatt’s rider form a nickname,” he explained, waving a claw at the young man. “I could call it something else, if you want.”

Pinkie grinned, giving him a thumbs up. “No need, I wholeheartedly approve of the nickname.” With that she bounded back to the front of the group.

After some debate, and some groans from Rarity, they settled on a medium level hotel. After a brief conversation, the group checked into a trio of rooms, with half the girls in two rooms and Spike and Wyatt sharing the last. Deciding to take advantage of their accommodations, the girls left the boys to their own devices and went to wash up.

Meanwhile, Spike and Wyatt quickly put their things away and rushed to find out if they could gain access to the roof. After, a short chat in the elevator, they found the door that led to the roof.

Spike moved to the other side of roof, feeling a wave of giddiness filling his belly. “Come on, it’s just some practice, Wyatt’s not gonna make fun of you if you suck” Heeding his rational side, Spike let out a breath, sliding the Taka, Unagi and Wani medals into the belt. After a quick scan, accompanied by singing, Spike was in his armor, taking in the appearance of his new legs and arms.

The middle section of his chest emblem now displayed a stylized, blue eel, its head surrounded by lightning bolts. The arms’ shoulders, which had each sported a raised fin like projection, had long tendrils coming from them, connecting to the back Spike’s hands. Along the arms were white triangles along the sides that resembled fangs.

The bottom of the emblem displayed the profile of an orange crocodile, the animals identity having been confirmed by Wyatt. From the waist down, orange armor decorated his body, each leg resembling the upper jaw of a crocodile.

Spike did a few practice kicks and punches, adjusting to the new form. It was hard to imagine, in his eyes that these were the same medals that had corrupted the captain. ‘No wonder Grandpa sent me out to get these things. I don’t want anyone else to have to become a monster because they found a cool looking coin, or think it’ll make them stronger.’

“Alright.” Punching at the air, he nodded at Wyatt. “I’m ready when you are, Pink boy.”

Wyatt smirked, bringing out his driver and slotted a card into it. After his driver was done calling out his transformation, Wyatt took a fighting pose. “Then come at me, Scales.”

Spike didn’t know how he knew how to use his rider abilities, they seemed to just come to him. Drawing his arms back, the unagi whips charged to life moving into his hands. He lashed them out at Wyatt, electricity arcing over them. Wyatt rolled out of the way of the whips, stopped in a crouching position before pulling out his blaster and firing it at Spike’s chest.

Stumbling back, Spike hissed in pain. “Why don’t I get a cool blaster?” Spike grumbled, lashing out with his left whip, while swinging the right at Wyatt’s legs.

Wyatt responded by deflecting the whips with a couple well placed shots, the two weapons sailing past him. “You’ll get your own ranged weapons, just gotta find the right medals.”

“Right.” Spike lunged forward, swinging his leg out and kicking Wyatt in the arm. As his foot connected, a pair of alligator jaws made of orange energy appeared around Spike’s leg, proceeding to chomp down on Wyatt.

Wyatt hissed in pain, punching Spike anywhere he could reach with his free arm. After a few moments, Wyatt managed to wrench his arm from the jaws, leaping backwards to put some distance between them. He carefully moved his arm and pulled out a card from his blaster. “Looks like I need to step up my game,” he said, slotting the card into his belt.

“Attack Ride: Illusion!” The driver shouted. After a moment, several copies of Wyatt appeared, half holding blasters while the other half carried swords.

“Oh that is not fair!” Spike groaned, wishing he had remember to grab his sword. Grumbling, Spike lashed his whips again, following it up by kicking one of the clones in the chest. He couldn’t keep the smirk of satisfaction off his face as the gator head chomped down on it.

“Would you feel better if I told you that you’ll be able to make copies of yourself at one point?” The Wyatts asked in unison, creating an echoey effect all around Spike. Then, the copies holding blasters fired at Spike from all sides while the remaining sword wielder charged at Spike and slashed at his chest.

Doing the only thing he could think of, Spike grabbed onto the charging Wyatt, using him as a shield against the oncoming fire. “Com on, think!” Reaching into his medal container, he swapped the taka medal for the unicorn medal. “Here goes!” He ran the scanner over the coins, his helmet section changing. The helmet’s eyes shrank a bit and moved towards the side of the head, though they remained green. The shape changed to let a long horn sprout from the forehead and a muzzle grew out from the mouth portion. The color changed as well, a bright pink overtaking the helmet with small portions of black.

Pushing away from the Wyatt-shield, the horn glowed the same color as Spike’s fire, zapping the clone with a blue magic bolt. When it connected, the clone was flash frozen into a block of ice.

Wyatt winced, all his clones shimmering out of existence, causing the ice to fall and break on the rooftop. “Well, looks like harmony makes for good medal power,” he commented, taking in the new armor portion.

“Looks like,” Spike agreed, nodding his head. “So, who makes the next move?” He took a step back, lighting his horn again. Bracing himself for anything, he blinked when a rock fell out of the sky, landing on the floor between them.

The two looked down, finding a small stone lying on the ground. The center of the stone had a hole in it with an eye shape carved around it. Above the eye there were three triangles that served as lashes while a teardrop was carved below the hole. Wyatt put his hands in a “T” shape, calling for a time-out as he walked over to the stone and picked it up.

“The heck is it?” Spike asked, letting the power drain from his horn. “Another rider thing or what?”

Wyatt paused, a tone started to sing from within the stone’s eye. It was familiar to him; he instantly recognized it as the Sun Song from the Zelda franchise. Part of him wanted to hum along, but he decided against it.

“Nope, not a rider thing,” Wyatt said, undoing his transformation. “This is a displaced thing. Just got a token from another one. This time from the Legend of Zelda franchise.”

“I dunno what that means but uh.” Spike undid his own transformation, eyes locked on the stone. “We gonna summon someone? Could use a third person to spar with.”

“Uh, considering the fact that we don’t know what exactly this person is displaced as, they’re not exactly someone you’d want to spar with,” Wyatt said, pocketing the stone. “I think we’ve done enough for now. Might as well walk around the town.”

“Right.” Spike replaced the medals back into their container, moving over to the elevator. “You wanna go anywhere in particular?”

“No idea,” Wyatt said, pressing the button for the ground floor. “Not like I know anything about this town.” The ride down to the lobby was quiet, with the two of them discussing various theories on Spike’s unused medals. “I bet the pegasus medal gives you wings,” Wyatt suggested, stepping out of the elevator.

“Oh totally,” Spike agreed, pulling out the medal in question and holding it up to the light. “I can’t wait to try it out and fly around for the first time.” He pantomimed the act with one of his claws, even making whooshing sounds. Staring at his claws for a moment, he chuckled. “Just wait until everyone back in Ponyville gets a load of me. I ain’t so tiny anymore.”

“Yeah, those cell medals really did a number on you.” Wyatt looked over Spike, rubbing his chin. “Are you going to try using them again at some point to grow even more?”

“Nah.” Spike shook his head. “I get the feeling this is where I should be now. I’m gonna try out Twi’s idea and see about getting a part time job. I don’t wanna have to keep using concentrated greed to grow, ya know?”

Wyatt smiled, putting a hand on Spike’s shoulder. “How very mature of you. Good luck finding a job, considering you have experience working with Twi, it should be a snap for you to land one.”

The two didn’t have a chance to talk about it any longer, screams from outside catching their attention.The two rushed out the door, finding a crowd of ponies running away from something. Spike and Wyatt pushed their way through the crowd, miraculously not getting separated as they found what the source of the commotion was. Calmly walking down the street were half a dozen Undead.

At the center of the group was a bulky Undead with a head like a bull’s. Its horns looking sharp enough to stab through someone easily. Around half of it was what looked like a long coat, hanging down past its knee. The other half showed off a series of metal loops and a set of chains hanging off its waist.

Beside the bull was an insectoid undead. It was less bulky than the bull, but it seemed just as dangerous. Its top half was broad, red markings running along its chest that vaguely resembled a heart. Along its legs and stomach were yellow markings. The ones on the stomach resembled antennae that connected to ones on the pelvis there was another heart. From there more markings spread out along the legs, becoming more erratic looking. The top half of the undead’s head was dominated by it red eyes that took the shape of a heart while the bottom half was a gray mouth portion.

“The heck is that?!” Spike shouted, his eyes going wide at the sight. “We fought something like that before?” Retrieving a trio of medals from the container. “And we just untransformed too.”

“Yup, and now we’re taking on more monsters at once than we ever have,” Wyatt said, pulling out his driver. “Good times.” He slotted a card into his belt. “Henshin!” After a moment, he was in his Decade armor, charging at the Undead.

“Right.” Spike took a breath, placing the medals into his belt. “Henshin!” he cried, running the scanner over the medals. Running forward, Spike was transformed back into OOO, using the three he had used previously. “Hey! Horny!” He shouted, lashing the bull with his whips.

The bull let the whips wrap around his arm, the electricity not seeming to faze him as he pulled Spike towards him using the whips. Spike let himself be pulled, running forward and kicking the bull in the side. The bull stumbled slightly as the energy jaws chomped down on it, swinging its arm down and slamming Spike in the back.

“Gah!” Spike cried out, falling to his knees. Charging his horn, he sent a blast of magic into the bull, staggering it. “Hey, Wyatt! Use the damn token!”

Wyatt didn’t respond, an Undead that resembled a mantis slashed him in the chest. He jumped back, reaching into his armor and pulled out the stone. The tune played again, a little louder than before. “I would, except this thing doesn’t have any instructions! Wyatt called back, barely parrying a strike from the mantis undead. He mustered up his strength and pushed the monster away by driving his shoulder into its chest. “All it does is play music at me!”

“Well try doing something with it!” Spike hissed, his whips laced together and barely holding back one of the bull’s horns.

Wyatt glanced between the stone and the undead. His mind continued to draw blanks as he dodged every attack that came his way. After a few moments, he started to hum along with the stone as he thought.

A melody played through the air soon followed by a wolf’s howl. Wind started to swirl around the stone’s eyes when suddenly, a strange red, green, and grey glowing wolf leaped out and tackled the nearest undead, biting wildly at its shoulder.

“It summoned a wolf!?” Spike shouted in exasperation, digging his heels into the street. “Are you kidding me?! That's it?!!?” His complaints were cut short as the bull tossed it’s head and sent him flying into a street lamp.

“That’s not just a wolf!” Wyatt called out, blocking an attack from the mantis Undead, his legs buckling under the strength. “That’s the Hero of Hyrule.”

The undead that the wolf was biting had managed to pull him off and throw him, however it did not stop the wolf from attacking again, his fangs suddenly ignited with fire as it leaped toward the undead’s neck, biting hard and igniting it aflame.

Wyatt mustered up the strength to throw the mantis off and slashed at its chest. The mantis cried out in pain, stumbling back a step and clutching where Wyatt had struck it. Wyatt capitalized on the moment of respite, pulling out a card from his case and slotting it into his belt.

“Kamen Ride: Blade!” Wyatt’s armor changed, becoming silver while the unarmored portions appeared to be made of leather. The chest portion had a stylized spade in the center and a single horn curled back on the helmet from between the circular red eyes.

With his intended target taken down, the wolf continued his pursuit, attacking each undead with fast leaps and savage intent, each time Wyatt could see the wolf, it used different elemental bites fused with either fire, electric, and light. Thus far of the beast’s effort’s, its last attack had managed to cause them to begin burning away, although slower than it usually did. The wolf appeared a little confused by this, as if expecting the attack to be a lot more effective.

Spike picked himself up, ignoring the pain in his back. “Right, gotta show my stuff.” Cracking his whips, he lashed out at a zebra based undead, using one of the whips to up it off its feet. Charing his horn, he sent a blast of magic into its chest, cracking the ground. The zebra undead let out a distorted cry, lashing out at Spike wildly with its arms.

Jumping back, Spike swore as the zebra undead’s body spasmed, and two copies emerged from it. “Oh, that is really, really not fair.”

The two zebra undead rushed at Spike, attacking him from the front and back. One managed to slash him across the chest before Spike stepped around in and kicked it into the second. Cracking his whips, Spike wrapping them both around the waist, sending as much electricity as he could muster into them. The two zebras writhed in pain, mangled cries escaping them as electricity arced around their bodies.

The wolf let out a cry as the jaguar undead’s claw raked about its face, he clawed it in annoyance before exhaling a fireball at the creature. The jaguar undead moved in a blur, raking it’s claw weapon along the wolf’s back. Due to it’s speed, the wolf’s fire spell, the fireball ended up exploding upon impact on the nearest building.

The jaguar undead itself was a strange mix of man and cat, it’s lower half clad in black leather while it’s upper half sported gladiator armor with the bare portion of its body displaying skin sporting a leopards colors. It’s head was a bizarre mix of helmet and jaguar. Attached to its left hand was a set of black metal claws, dripping with the wolf’s blood. The jaguar dropped into a crouching stance, dashing towards the wolf as its claw dragged across the ground, creating a trail of sparks.

Once it reached the wolf, it brought up the claw in a wicked arc, aiming to slice the wolf from chest to muzzle. The wolf leapt over to the side, avoiding the deadly slash. The wolf lunged onto the jaguar’s back and bit onto its neck, there was a sudden chill as ice began to form around it. The jaguar undead hissed in pain, trying to pry the wolf off its neck. Its movements became more and more sluggish as the ice spread.

The wolf let go and leapt off to put some distance between them. The jaguar undead clawed at the ice, desperately to free itself. The wolf stood up onto his hind legs as magic began to course within its front paws. He slammed them down, causing electricity to travel through the ground toward the jaguar, the ground shook with its energy. The jaguar roared in pain, falling to the ground and exploding in a burst of energy. The wolf looked toward the other two to check up on how they were fairing.

Wyatt squared off against the mantis undead, getting into a low stance. The undead charged, swinging its claw down at his head. He sidestepped the attack and slashed upward at the undead’s chest and arm. The mantis spun around, punching Wyatt in the side of the head and causing him to stumble a bit.

The wolf snorted in annoyance before dashing off to help Wyatt, just like before he lunged onto the mantis’s back, biting down onto its neck and letting loose his ice spell.

Wyatt capitalized on the distraction, letting loose a flurry of strikes against the undead. He was careful to avoid the wolf, doing his best to hit every vital area of the monster. With the ice encasing the undead, the wolf leapt off of the monster. He landed on his paws, and took a look around to see how many undead were left.

The bull undead let out a bellow, charging at the wolf and Wyatt with its horns lowered at them. The wolf let out a fierce howl, causing the wind to turn cold at his command. Under the wolves command, the freezing air blew toward the bull. The bull’s charge faltered for a moment as the wind buffeted against it, his momentum slowing under the onslaught.

“Okay, that’s pretty cool,” Spike admitted, kicking a zebra undead in the face, sending it to the ground with a chomp from the crocodile jaws. Despite his best efforts, they kept multiplying, and now he faced five of them. “I really need more coins...”

The zebra undead cried in pain, its body distorting and creating yet another set of clones.

“I’m never gonna be able to look at Zecora the same way again...” Spike groaned, wishing he had brought his sword once more. “Okay, new plan!” Reaching into his medal container, he retrieved the pegasus medal and replaced the unagi medal. He ran the scanner over the set, bracing himself.

“Unicorn! Pegasus! Wani!”

Spike’s chest piece, the unagi’s blue replaced by the pegasus’s pink. The central image now displayed the profile of a pegasus, with wings spread out. On his back were a pair of wings, the metallic bones matching his armor, while the feathers were a bright pink. The gauntlets matched the wings, lightning designs etched into their sides.

Spreading his new wings, Spike took to the air. Smiling under his helmet, he gave himself a moment to enjoy the sensation. “Alright! Time to send this guy back to where the heck he came from!” He shot up into the air, finding the largest cloud he could and brought it over the group of clones. He punched it several times, lightning arcing down on the undead. “Ha! Take that!”

Glancing at his wings an idea came to him. “Lets see if I can’t do some weather managing of my own.” Flapping his wings, he flew in circles, keeping up a current around the zebra undead. After a few revolutions, Spike created a small cyclone. Each of the zebra undead were pulled in, slamming into each other. “Perfect!” Flying up to the top of the cyclone, Spike ran the scanner over the medals once more.

“Scanning charge!” the belt called out, the three coin slots lighting up. Three rings of light then appeared in front of Spike, each of them matching the colors of the medals he was using. With a flap of his wings, Spike launched himself high into the air, only to let himself fall. Getting into a kicking pose, an energy crocodile head formed around his lower half, opening its jaws wide. The jaws closed down on all the undead, chewing a few times before there was nothing left.

With the bull slowing down, the wolf looked like he was about to use a fire spell, but the flame died off in his maw before it could get enough charge. The wolf let out a tired pant of breath, it looked like he had run out of magic to cast.

Wyatt slotted another card into his belt as he stared down the bull. “Attack Ride: Metal!” Wyatt’s body glowed for a moment and a metallic sheen covered his body from head to toe. The bull charged, heading straight for him. Wyatt braced himself, digging his heels in the ground as he caught the bull’s horns. He grunted, straining as he slid back.

Doing what the wolf did best, he ran around the bull, leapt onto its back and tried to bite onto the neck as a distraction for Wyatt. Wyatt let out a yell, lifting the bull up and tossed it into the nearest wall. During its mid-flight, the wolf dropped off before the bull crashed into the concrete structure.

“I think it's time I go all in,” Wyatt said, pulling out two cards and inserting them into his driver.

“Attack Ride: Thunder Slash!” Wyatt held his sword out in front of him, electricity arcing around the blade. He charged while the bull was still trying to get up, swinging it at its head. The bull roared in pain, electricity coursing through it. The undead seized up, its hand outstretched towards Wyatt as its body crumbled away. The wolf let out a relieved sigh. Wyatt took in the scene around him, wincing at the collateral damage they had caused. He silently hoped that the princesses wouldn’t admonish him for it.

With the battle over, the wolf turned his attention toward Wyatt, slowly making his way over to him. Its back and face were bleeding, staining it’s fur.
Wyatt looked down at the wolf, nodding at him. “Thanks, you were a big help in that fight.”

“Man, he looks pretty bad.” Spike flew over, landing next to Wyatt. “Should we take him to the vet or something?”

Before Wyatt could respond, the wolf suddenly leapt toward his face, only to vanish. Wyatt’s vision started to blur, but it left just as quick as it came. In a gentle flash, someone had leapt out of his head. Standing in front of them was a pointy eared hylian Wyatt already knew as Link, however there were a few key differences; He didn’t have the green cap, instead it was a red hood and cloak. He lowered the hood to reveal his face, which was already bloodied from his previous from, there was an old scar on his left cheek and a damaged right ear from a Timberwolf attack. Any other old injuries could not be seen due to the green tunic he wore.

Wyatt shook the blur out of his vision, letting one of his hands rest on the side of his head. He shot a smirk at Spike. “Still think we should go to the vet?”

Spike frowned, crossing his arms. “How was I supposed to know he could do that?” Spike tilted his driver up, powering down. “I just thought he was a magic wolf or something. Like that Okami game you showed me.”

“Fair enough,” Wyatt relented with a shrug, turning his attention back to Link. “What was up with that jumping into my head thing by the way?”

“When someone summons me the first time, I’ll appear as wolf. I’ve made it to where I can leap into anyone's mind to link them to mine to create a temporary mindscape. During this time, I would speak to them to see how they react, how they would treat me, to see if they are good or evil, it’s pretty much a precaution so that I know who I can trust.” Link explained as he placed a leather gloved hand on his chest. “Regen.” He spoke, causing the armor under his tunic to let loose enchanted magic, slowly healing up his back and his face, but the blood stains still remained.

“I don’t remember any mindscape,” Wyatt commented, rubbing the back of his neck. “I take it that I passed your test?”

“Actually, It’s because I stopped the mindscape from forming as I was in dire need of a healing.” Link explained as he pulled down the top part of the tunic to reveal brigandine armor underneath. “Gift from Ash, enchanted with spells that work when I say the word.”

“I don’t know who that is,” Wyatt said, chuckling weakly. “But that’s some pretty handy armor.”

“Neat.” Spike gave a thumbs up before looking around. “We really did a number on the street though.” He winced, noting the building Link had hit with a fireball had a fire spreading through the interior. “I hope Celestia set up that kamen rider fund she was talking about.”

Wyatt nodded in agreement, undoing his transformation. “Yeah, I’m just hoping we don’t get scolded for the damage.”

“Sorry about the stray Din’s Fireball, I didn’t know what I was dealing with when I arrived, I didn’t have time to use my Wide Angle ability.” Link said as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Don’t worry about it,” Wyatt told him. “Keeping the undead from killing anyone was the most important thing.” He took in the bloodstains on Link, nodding a bit. “Do you want to come back to the hotel with us? Can’t imagine you want to spend a lot of time covered in blood.”

“That would be for the best, I’d hate for somepony to get paranoid.” Link said as he reached under to lift and remove the cloak. He then reached up to check on his face, it had managed to heal up before the armor lost its temporary charge. “Just another reminder to add to the collection.” he said before placing the cloak into his pouch, it shrinks down in size to fit in easily.

“Right.” Spike nodded, pointing over his shoulder to the hotel. “Let’s get you inside. The girls probably saw the fight from the rooms. Best not to make them worry too much.”

“Great, I’m sure we can expect an earful from Twilight,” Wyatt said, sighing as he made his way to the hotel.

“Shouldn’t we call a fire department?” Link reminded Wyatt as he glanced toward the flames. “I don’t have anything in my inventory to clear that out and I doubt Ice or Wind would help”

“We were fighting out there for a while,” Wyatt responded, pausing at the doors to the hotel. “I imagine the local guard will show up soon, along with the fire department. Spike doesn’t have Shauta yet, so, not much we can do to put it out.”

“At least everypony cleared the area.” Link said as he looked across the street. “Unless something happened before I arrived, I didn’t hear any screams coming from my end when you failed to use my token’s summoning method.”

“I didn’t see any bodies in the area,” Wyatt replied, relief evident in his voice. “I think we stopped the undead before they could hurt anyone.” A frown slowly formed on his face. “It doesn’t make any real sense though.”

“What do you mean, Wyatt?” Spike asked, glancing back at him.

“Well, the whole deal with the undead is that; they’re supposed to be fighting each other battle royale style. Not once through that whole fight did they ever do that. They just attacked us and everything else around us. Not only that but, we shouldn’t have been able to destroy them.”

“That wasn’t their strongest?” Link asked curiously.

“It’s not that they’d be stronger,” Wyatt dismissed, shaking his head. “But the Undead are supposed to be immortal. The only way to put a stop to them would be to seal them. At least, under normal circumstances. Kamen Rider gets weird, with all the multiverse stuff.”

“And how would we have sealed them?” Spike inquired, putting his hands behind his head.

“But were they the real undead? When I channeled my light arrow spell into my fangs to bite them with, they didn’t burn up instantly.” Link pointed out as he stood beside Wyatt near the hotel doors.

“‘God’,” Wyatt began as he lead them into the hotel, air quoting. “Made them all immortal. They were made so that each one represents a species, and fight for that species in the Battle Royal. The winner’s species would then rule the world. The joker undead represents death, and if they win, everything dies.” Wyatt pushed the elevator call button, turning to his companions. “As for sealing them, I’d have to assume Blade’s form to do that.”

Spike nodded, a grim look on his face. “Sounds like something we should look into. That Joker sounds like something we should avoid right now.”

Link let out a gentle groan. “Grand. Are they immune to your world’s elements of harmony?” the hylian asked.

“I would imagine so,” Wyatt replied, rubbing the back of his head as the elevator doors slid open. The trio stepped inside and Wyatt hit the button for their floor. “Rider monsters have immunity to all other forms of magic native to Equestria.”

“That zebra didn’t seem to like it when I zapped him.” Spike grinned, tapping his forehead. “And did you see those wings! It was amazing! No wonder Dash does stunts all the time!” He closed his eyes, recalling the feeling of air rushing past him and through his feathers.

“The unicorn medal is linked to rider powers, so I think it’s a bit different,” Wyatt replied, leaning back on the wall. “You know, I have been wondering something actually...” He summoned up his belt and card carrier. “I’m wondering if you becoming OOO got me an OOO card.” He was silent for a few moments as he looked through his cards. Then, he clicked his tongue and let the items fade away. “Nope, no OOO cards.

Link blinked in confusion. “Medal? Rider powers? Cards? Could you explain what you’re talking about?” he asked.

Spike grinned, puffing his chest out and pointing a thumb at himself. “See, Wyatt and I are kamen riders. I’m OOO and he’s Decade. My power comes from these medals.” Spike held up the medals he had previously used. “While Wy’s comes from cards. In fact, he should have a card based on you now.”

Wyatt summoned up his rider booker, flipping it open and looking through it. After a moment, he seemed to find what he was looking for, pulling out a card and displaying it for the hylian. “Yup, looks like I’ve got thirteen forms to choose from now.”

“So… it allows you to assume some sort of aspect of me?” Link asked as he stroked his chin in curiosity. “What would it do for you?”

Wyatt pulled out a pair of cards from the booker, one showing a clear diamond with an orange orb in its center while the other showed the sword at Link’s waist.. “Well, I’d be able to take on a rider form based around you. I’d also have access to a lot of your abilities and equipment.”

Link let out a weak chuckle. “Not.. all of it, right?” he asked in a slightly nervous voice.

Wyatt held out the cards to Link. “Why don’t you tell me if this is all of it?”

The hylian took the cards and looked between them. “The diamond that allows the user to become a wolf and my Master Sword, but.. Does your copy have the same blade’s bane?”

“I would think so,” Wyatt replied, taking the cards back.

“While it is two of them, its not all of them. I have quite a lot, you will know them if you’ve played Ocarina Of Time, Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, and A Link To The Past.” Link explained as he crossed his arms. “And it would take a long time to show them all.”

“If you’re worried about me having the fierce deity mask, don’t be,” Wyatt told him, a small smile on his face. “I can’t assume someone’s final form.”

The hylian frowned at that last comment. “Hardy Har har,” Link said jokingly, thinking it was some sort of jab at Dragonball Z.

“I’m being serious,” Wyatt said with a roll of his eyes. “While I can take alternate forms riders and now displaced have, their strongest or final form is something I can’t use.”

“So at the moment, you can only turn into a wolf and wield one of my swords, nothing else or will you access more as you get stronger with that form?” Link asked just as the elevator dinged to signal it had arrived at their desired floor.

“Well, I should be able use your equipment and things like that, but I might need to adjust to the strain they put on my stamina,” Wyatt explained, pulling out a room key as they walked down the hall. “Kuuga is an example of that. I just used that form to stage photos and it left me drained.”

Link smiled. “You’re going to have a lot of fun once you access the form.” he said.

“Wyatt!” Twilight’s voice called out, making the young man cringe. Peering out of one of their rooms was Twilight, her hair wrapped in a towel. “I can’t leave you two alone for ten minutes, can I?”

“It’s not my fault that monsters attacked the city,” Wyatt retorted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Spike and I were just trying to sight see.” He laughed nervously as the sound of sirens reached them. “We uh, didn’t mean to light that one building on fire..”

Twilight sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils, closing her eyes as she put a hand to her temple. “Were you even trying to be careful? How are ponies supposed to see you as their protector if you cause collateral damage?”

“We were outnumbered,” Wyatt replied, sighing. “We did our best to not cause any damage, but our first priority was making it out alive.”
Her eyes softening, Twilight nodded. “Please try to be more careful.” Glancing at Link, she brightened up. “Oh, I didn’t see you there! Er, give me a minute or two and I’ll join you in your room.” Twilight pulled her head back in, shutting the door behind her.

“Remind me not to get on her bad side…” Link said.

“Twilight’s harmless,” Spike assured, taking a moment to rub his back. “At least until she starts getting manic.” A shudder passed through him as he recalled a particularly manic episode. “Don’t tell anyone this, but I’ve been trying to get her to see a doctor about it.”

Wyatt arched an eyebrow at the drake as he unlocked and opened the door to their room. “I mean, I know she can come off like she has OCD sometimes, but I’ve never seen anything that would need immediate medical attention.”

Spike ushered them in quickly, shutting the door behind him. “Yeah well, you weren’t here when she went crazy because she couldn’t send Celestia a Friendship report. She enchanted a doll so anyone who saw it would fight over it. It was out of control!”

“...How often does that happen?” Link asked as he took the master sword and it’s scabbard off of his belt.

“Not often, closest she’s come recently was that weird time loop.” Spike scratched his arm, flopping down onto his bed. “Time travel makes my head hurt.”

“I remember that. I mean back in my world when that happened, I had to give Starlight Glimmer a lashing about it.” Link said with a shake of his head. “Of course after chasing her down through time using my Ocarina.”

“Who’s Starlight Glimmer?” Spike asked, tilting his head at Link. “I was talking about when Twilight travelled back in time to tell herself not to freak out. Which only served to cause her past self to freak out. I wanted to stop her but, Wyatt said we might have broken time if we did.”

“Oh then your Twilight hasn’t yet-.. Ok, I accidently just told you future knowledge.” Link said with a nervous chuckle.

“Hasn’t yet what?” Twilight asked, stepping into the room, the towel no longer around her mane. She wore the same clothes she had been wearing, though now they seemed perfectly clean.

“N-not important.” Link said as he leaned his Master Sword against the nearest wall. Reaching behind his back, he removed his shield and laced it down with the sword.

“Okay,” Twilight replied, quirking a brow as she sat down in a chair in the corner of the room.

The hylian took a glance, noticing the lack of wings. “Yea, she hasn’t…” Link thought to himself. He held out a leather gloved hand. “My name is Link.”

Twilight smiled and accepted the gesture, giving his hand a shake. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, nice to meet you, Link.”

“I’m sorry about earlier, I was the one who set that part of the building on fire.” Link said before explaining to her on what had happened.

Twilight sighed, her head drooping slightly. After a few moments she gave a small nod. “Okay, I guess I can’t be too upset with you three. I’m just glad nopony was hurt.” Reaching into her pocket, she held a scroll out to Spike. “I realize you’re tired, Spike, but would you mind sending this letter to Princess Celestia?”

Spike waved her off, getting up and taking the letter from her. “Don’t worry about it, Twi, sending a letter is easy.” He took a deep breath and blew a plume of flame onto the scroll, the charred bits swirling up and out of the room. “There!” he gave a thumbs up.

Twilight flashed him a smile. “Thank you, Spike. I’m glad I can always count on you.”

“By the way, where could I get my clothes cleaned?” Link asked, gesturing to himself.

“Ah, that’s easy.” With a bit of effort, Twilight lit her horn up, casting a spell on Link. The stains on his clothes shimmered before fading away. “There.” Twilight smiled, letting the spell die. “Should be all clean

“Ha, that is something my tw-.. Friend would like to learn when I get back.” Link said with a smile, he then took a suit before reaching back to his pouch, he pulled out the cloak before resizing back to its original size. “Could you do the same for this too, please?”

“Of course!” Twilight smiled and cast the spell once more. It had the same effect, but she swayed a little in her seat. “Whoa, guess repeated spellcasting after just recovering wasn’t the best idea.”

“Er.. sorry about that, what were you recovering from?” Link asked as he placed the cloak into his pouch,the article shrinking down to fit in easily.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Twilight assured, waving him off and gripping an arm of the chair to keep herself stable. “I’m the one that chose to exert myself.” Once she was sure she was able to, Twilight stood up straight. “As for what I’m recovering from, my friends and I gave up a bit of of essences to help Spike.”

“Yeah, my grandpa used it to make medals for my belt!” Spike added, patting his medal case.

Link’s long pointed ears perked up at that bit of information. “Your grandpa?” Link asked.

“Yeah, I met him at the dragon migration,” Spike replied. The hylian nodded, deciding to file that information in his mind. “He’s a shaman and he can do magic too,” Spike added.

“Did you learn some things from him? I mean Shamans are capable of healing, it’ll be handy for you to have.” Link said

Spike’s expression fell a bit and he scratched the back of his neck. “Unfortunately, he only had time to teach me about the medals and my parents.”

“Perhaps later he can?” Link guessed before looking at Twilight. “By the way, Twilight. Are you the only one who with Spike and Wyatt?”

“Oh no.” Twilight giggled, taking a seat on Spike’s bed. “The rest of the girls came along. They’re just getting cleaned up. We haven’t been able to for the past few days. What with the ship and being zonked out.”

“Just asking incase we run into them, however long Wyatt needs me for.” Link said.

“I can only imagine how long Pinkie’s mane takes to get clean,” Wyatt commented, lying back on his bed. “Especially after not getting washed for a few days.”

“Considering how much she can store items in it? A long time.” Link said with a soft laugh.
“Not as long as you might think actually!” Pinkie chirped, popping up from the side of Wyatt’s bed.She looked like she had just stepped out of the bathroom, a layer of suds covering her body. “The longest part is brushing it, the teeth always get caught in the curls.”

“Pinkie!” Twilight cried, levitating the covers off of Spike’s bed and wrapping it around the mare. “There are stallions in this room, you can’t just pop in without clothes on. The action caused Spike to tumble off the bed, landing with his neck bent at an uncomfortable looking angle.

“BY NAYRU’S LOVE!” Link exclaimed as he fell backwards in his chair, hitting on the floor hard. The hylian’s face was beet red from what he saw.

“Whoops!” Pinkie said with a giggle, holding the sheets to keep them from falling. “Looks like I just reacted when I thought I heard somepony talk about me.”

“Ow...” Spike grumbled, rubbing his head. “That was not cool, Twi.” He blushed when his eyes landed on Pinkie, and he quickly looked away. “Er, maybe you should go back to your shower, Pinkie. You might uh... get soap on the floor.”

“Good idea, Spikey!” Pinkie replied, hopping out of the room, the sheets somehow not moving at all. “I’ll be sure to give your sheets back!” She called out as she disappeared from the doorway.

Link slowly climbed back up, he raises his hand to his chest and took this moment to calm down.

Wyatt’s face was still beet red, staring blankly at the ceiling. “Well, Pinkie is officially Beetlejuice. Talk about her and she shows up,” he muttered.

“I haven’t been that surprised since the day I was once ambushed by a large Timberwolf back in the Everfree forest.” Link commented.

Spike opened his mouth to speak, only to sit up right and burp up a scroll. “I really hope that doesn’t happen when I have my helmet on...” Grumbling to himself, he got up, holding it out to Twilight. “Here, Twi.”

Twilight grabbed the scroll, grateful for a chance to distract herself from what had transpired. Her eyes roved over the page, taking it in before looking up at the group. “Princess Celestia said she’s going to have somepony meet with us about what just happened.”

“How long have these attacks been going on?” Link asked with concern.

“A couple months,” Twilight answered, rolling the scroll. “At least, that’s when they started again. The first time monsters showed up was a thousand years ago. Now that we have Wyatt and Spike fighting them, things shouldn’t get too bad.”

“Don’t forget the Displaced such as me. Wyatt will be coming across their tokens as long as they’re the good kind.” Link pointed out.

“Yeah, between you, Cassie and Mira, I’d say I’ve already met a few good displaced,” Wyatt said, pushing himself into a sitting position. He turned his attention to Twilight. “Did Celestia give you a time or name for this person meeting us?”

“Tomorrow at noon, here at the hotel,” Twilight replied, retaking her seat.

“No name?” Wyatt questioned, arching a brow.

“She said I’d know who it was.”

Spike pulled the sheet off Wyatt’s bed, climbing onto his own. “Well, I’m sore and more than a little tired.” Giving a drawn out yawn, Spike curled up under the stolen sheets. “So, I’m gonna take a nap. Lemme know if anything important happens.”
Wyatt snickered as snores filled the room. “Never even bothered to take his belt off.” Wyatt sighed, glancing at his own bed. “Wish I could fall asleep that quickly...”

“Maybe you’ll be able to tonight?” Twilight offered with a small smile. “I’m sure you exerted just as much energy as Spike did during your fight.”

“I would offer to play a lullaby but I doubt you’d fall asleep to the Goron’s or Zelda’s Lullaby.” Link said with a shrug.

Wyatt chuckled, shaking his head. “No, but you might uncover some secrets if you played Zelda’s Lullaby.”

“In your Equestria? I don’t think so. Well, unless you-know-who suddenly pops in and makes it happen.” Link said as he looked around the room.

Wyatt craned his head around, looking around the room before checking under his bed. “No sign of her, it really must be using her name.”

“I’m not going to be able to get that image out of my head. I mean…” Link decided to stop right there before he said something insulting.

Wyatt nodded, his eyes drifting to the spot where Pinkie had appeared. “Well, do you want to stay to meet the person the princess is sending?” he asked. “I’m sure they’re gonna want to ask questions about the monster attack.”

“Might as well since I was here too, I’m also curious of how they’d help with your undead problem.” Link said as he picked up his scabbard and lay it across his lap, he proceeded to slowly unsheath the master sword so that he could inspect it.

“Alright, then you can take my bed for the night,” Wyatt said, getting up. “I’ll figure out something else for sleeping arrangements.”

“Waitwhat? You sure about that? I mean you and Twilight paid for it, not me.” Link said with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, consider it my way of thanking you for all your help during that fight,” Wyatt said, smiling at Link. “We’re gonna be here for a few days, one night on the floor or something won’t kill me.”

“Alright.” Link said as he placed his sword back into its sheath. He looked toward Twilight “You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“Hm?” Twilight asked, taking her eyes off Spike. “Sorry. I’m just still trying to get my head around the idea of Spike putting himself in danger like this...” She reached over, putting a hand on Spike’s back. “He’s my little brother, I can’t let anything bad happen to him.”

Wyatt stood up, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Twi, there’s no way I’d let anything happen to him.” He chuckled weakly, giving her a nervous smile. “Mostly because I know you’d kill me if I did.”

“It’s a path a hero must take, we all start off small and work toward our goal to protect others, much like you and the elements of harmony.” Link said as he smiles. “Besides, he’s got powers and allies to help him out if things turn sour, I swear on my title.”

Twilight sighed, her head drooping. “I know he has to do this, but it’s a lot to take in. I mean, a couple weeks ago he was half the size he is now, binging on ice cream and reading comics. Now he’s fighting monsters with super powers.”

“Happened too suddenly for ya, huh?” Link asked as he started to remove the pouches from his belt.

“I never imagined him taking something like this on,” Twilight agreed, frowning as Spike’s snoring grew louder. “But I know nothing I say would be able to stop him from doing this.”

Link removed his leather gauntlets and placed them into his pouch, shrinking down to size to fit in thank to its magic. The hylian crossed his arms and thought for a moment. “...I bet your parents would say the same thing.”

“The difference being that I was legally an adult when Celestia sent me to Ponyville,” Twilight replied, sighing. “But I see your point.”

“Just trying to help, I’m not exactly good at comforting others considering I used to live alone in my world’s Everfree for most of my Displaced life,” Link explained.

“I appreciate your efforts,” Twilight said, offering him a small smile. “But I think this is something that I’ll need to adjust to with time.” She let out another sigh. “I just wish my magic wasn’t useless against those monsters. I’d give anything to help Spike and Wyatt fight them.”

“Considering how Spike got his powers, there may be others who can get it too, including yourself.” Link gave her a reassuring smile. “That’s just my guess so far, I’m no future seer and it’d be far too risky for me time travel to see it.”

“You don’t need to fight monsters to help us out, Twi,” Wyatt assured. “When it comes to everyday life, I’d be lost without your lessons considering the differences in culture.”

“Thank you, Wyatt,” Twilight said. “Just keep my little brother and yourself safe, okay?”

Wyatt gave her a thumbs up and a smile. “I was going to do that even if you didn’t tell me to.”

“If there is nothing else to discuss, it’d be best for us to sleep, we don’t want to miss the meeting with our mystery guest.” Link suggested.

Twilight nodded, reluctantly getting up from the bed and striding towards the door. “Alright, goodnight, I’ll see you in the morning.” She opened the door, making sure not to close it too loudly for Spike’s sake.

Link let out a gentle sigh as he finished up getting himself ready for bed, clad in just his white pants. He climbed into bed, drifting off not long after.

Wyatt stretched out, looking around the room for a suitable replacement for a bed. Nothing jumped out at him, the chair being the only thing coming close to doing the job. Nodding to himself, he softly clapped his hands together. “Well,” he whispered, “I think I’ll just grab a soda from the vending machine for the time being.” He crept his way out of the room, making sure he had his room key on him.

A Link Between Worlds Pt. 2

Wyatt yawned as he sat in the lobby with the girls. He hadn’t been able to sleep at all the night before, resigning himself to sitting in the chair of his room and finding quiet ways to occupy himself. “I can’t wait to get back to Ponyville, I miss my bed.”

“I slept great!” Pinkie chirped, biting into a muffin she had swiped from the complimentary breakfast buffet. “It may not have been a water bed, but it was snuggly and soft.” A sheepish smile escaped her lips at the flat look Applejack gave her. “Right, sorry Wy-Wy.”

“No need to apologize,” Wyatt waved off. “I gave up my bed by choice. He then reached over and snagged another muffin she had in front of her. “But I will take this.” Taking a bite, he leaned back in his seat.

“You know, Wyatt, you could have bunked with me,” Spike spoke, lounging across from them. “There was more than enough room on my...” He paused, looking down at himself. “I guess not anymore, huh?”

Wyatt chuckled, taking another bite of his muffin. “Yeah, even if you were still fun-sized, your snoring would’ve kept me up.” His chuckle turned into a snicker as Spike puffed out his cheeks.

The sound of boots drew the attention of the group, revealing to be Link with his trademark clothing on, cloak with hood lowered, pouch, gauntlets, the works. “Hey Spike, Wyatt, Twilight and the rest.” the hylian said.

“Huh, so you’re one of those displaced,” Rainbow commented, taking in Link’s appearance. “If it weren’t for the ears you’d look just like Wyatt. That and the hair I guess,” she added, pointing between Link and Wyatt.

“Hey, I could just turn into a pony if I wanted too, but I’m not sure if the harmony of this world would affect the mask.” Link said with a shrug.

“Saved you some breakfast.” Spike motioned to the table, where they had made Link up a plate. Taking a deep breath, Spike blew a stream of flame over it. “There! All warmed up for ya!”

“Ha, thanks Spike.” Link said as he took the breakfast.

“Did ya need yer beauty sleep?” Applejack asked with a chuckle, finishing up the last of her pancakes. “Even Rarity beat ya down here and she hogged the bathroom fer two hours.”

Rarity huffed, primping her mane. “Some of us like to look nice, Applejack. Natural beauty should be cultivated after all.”

Link had to suppress a laugh at Applejack’s comment. “I highly doubt it with a face like this.” Link said as he gestured to his face, the scar, the freshly made claw marks, and the old damaged right ear.”I chose to sleep in because I didn’t have to worry about anything.”

“Must be nice,” another male voice cut in. “I haven't slept in in months.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she gasped. “I know that voice.” She shot up from her seat and turned toward its source. She let out a squee of joy. “Shining Armor!” Rushing over, she practically glomped the speaker. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Glad to see you too, little sis,” the stallion replied, chuckling and returning her hug. He then turned and his eyes widened when they landed on Spike. “Whoa, Spike, you’ve had a growth spurt since the last time I saw you.”

Spike smiled, getting up and joining in on the hug. “Yeah, I know. The last few days have been kinda crazy.”

“You’ll have to tell me all about it when we’re done with this meeting.” Shining patted their backs and ended the hug. He turned to the others, waving. “It’s nice to finally meet the Elements of Harmony. Thanks for helping my little sis out of her shell.”

Twilight took Shining’s hand, all but dragging him over to the table. “Shining Armor, these are my friends Wyatt, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Girls, this is my big brother, Shining Armor!”

“A pleasure,” Rarity said, her eyes roving over Shining Armor. She flashed him a smile before turning to Twilight. “Twilight darling, you never told us you had another brother.”

“It never came up...” Twilight replied sheepishly, retaking her seat.

“Makes sense to me.” Dash shrugged, putting her hooves up on the table. “I mean, how often does Flutters talk about her brother?”

Fluttershy groaned, covering her face with one of her hands. “Can we not bring up Zephyr? I don’t talk about him for a reason.”

“As much as I would like to keep the banter up, I do have an official reason to be here.” Shining Armor was a tall, muscular stallion, standing a foot taller than Wyatt. His coat was white, and he sported a two tone blue mane that hung down just past his shoulders. Taking a seat, he took off his helmet, setting it on the table. “I’ve got reports of the largest monster attack occurring yesterday. The princesses sent me here because you could tell me more about them.” His horn lit up, a small pink dome forming around them. “She also informed me of the riders.”

Wyatt coughed, thumping his chest as his sip of juice went down the wrong pipe. After a moment, he quickly recovered and looked up at Shining Armor. “Did that uh, include the identity of that rider the princesses fought alongside with in Ponyville?”

“Yes, Wyatt it did.” Shining nodded his head. “Princess thought it was best I know, given my position as captain of the guard. I promise, nopony will find out from me.” He arched a brow at the look Spike and Twilight shared. “What?”

“Well uh,” Spike started, taking off his belt and holding it up for Shining to see. “Wyatt’s not exactly the only rider at this table. I helped fight those monsters yesterday too.”

Shining stared at the belt before he turned to Twilight, narrowing his eyes. “You let our little brother fight monsters!? Twilight, I thought you were more responsible than that!” A very equine whinny escaped Shining’s throat, ending with a harsh snort.

“I didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter,” Twilight replied, withering under Shining’s intense stare. “The girls and I were still recovering from the ritual that Smaug performed on us.”

Wyatt cut off Shining Armors response with a hand. “Alright, so how about we just get him up to speed, ya? Because now we’re mentioning people he doesn’t know, and I don’t think Shining Armor appreciates being left in the dark.” He glanced at Shining Armor, who grunted in affirmative. “Right! So, let’s go over things one more time.”

The group spent the next half hour recounting their experiences since the dragon migration. A good deal of it was told by Spike, with Wyatt jumping in every now and then. Shining Armor listened with rapt attention, his gaze firmly locked on the table in front of him.

“I’m still not happy that you’re fighting monsters, Spike,” Shining said, his voice bereft of tone. “And I know for a fact that Mom and Dad would have a fit if they found out about you doing this.” Spike winced at the mention of them, holding back a shudder at the thought of them discovering his new responsibilities. “However, at the moment I have my job to do.” He pushed away from the table, walked over to Spike’s chair and pulled the drake into a noogie. “Be glad I’m sworn to keep all info on riders top secret, otherwise Mom’d have your scales,” he concluded, a ghost of a smile on his face.

“Gah! Come on, Shiny!” Spike grumbled, wriggling out of the stallion’s grasp. “I’m not tiny anymore,” he complained, fixing his spines. “I’m a kamen rider.” Spike puffed his chest out, pointing at himself with a thumb. “I got an image to uphold, ya know?”

Shining chuckled, grabbing his helmet and returning it to its proper resting place. “Last time I checked, you’re always going to be my little brother, that means it’s my job to mess with you.” Clearing his throat, he put on an air of authority. “Now, an attack like this can’t exactly be taken lightly. Baltimare is one of Equestria’s biggest cities and the Princesses have to act quickly to ensure the public doesn't panic. Which is why she’s going to make a statement on the riders.”

“Do you have any idea what she’s going to say?” Wyatt asked, an uneasy feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. “I’m not going to have to start making public appearances as Decade, am I?”

“The princesses are going to make the riders an official part of Equestria’s national defense,” Shining explained, gesturing with a hand. “The way things look, the monster attacks are just going to increase. Princess Celestia has already began to move resources around, and transferring personnel. I don’t know the full plan yet but yes, she’d like you and most likely Spike to appear with her.”

Wyatt frowned, not sure how to feel about the idea. He knew he couldn’t say no, but he had no experience having media attention on him. He took a deep breath, pushing his thoughts away for the moment. “Alright, I’ll be ready for her to tell me to come. So, if I’m going to be part of Equestria’s national defense, does that mean I’m going to be working for you?”

“From what I gathered from Princess Celestia, it’ll be more of a support network,” Shining Armor elaborated, reaching into his armor and passing Wyatt what looked like a badge. “If all goes well, you’ll have authority over any law enforcement in emergency situations. We’re also going to looking into establishing a nation wide communication system, which will hopefully alert you in time to any monster attacks.”

Wyatt nodded and pocketed the badge. “Okay, I’ll be sure to use this badge responsibly. I look forward to that communication system by the way.” Wyatt flashed the stallion a smile. “I can’t keep stumbling onto monster attacks forever.”

Link raised his hand slightly. “I know this isn’t any of my business but there’s something I’m concerned about, what if they get smart and attack more than one place at the same time? The two riders here won’t be able to cover them all.” He asked.

Shining turned to Link, a stony expression overtaking his face. “The princesses have already thought of that. Our top researchers are currently looking into developing weapons that can counteract the monsters that have been appearing.” Link nodded in response. “The princesses have taken to calling it the G-Project.”

Wyatt choked on another sip of juice, coughing up a storm as he took in the news. Once he recovered, he gave everyone a weak smile. “Well, I look forward to hearing more about this project from them.” ‘I’m pretty sure that’s a good thing. I think. Having G3 around as backup would be nice.’

“The project is still in its infancy,” Shining said, shaking his head. “At the moment, they’ll only be able to share concepts with you.” Pausing, he looked back at Link. “I don’t think I got your name, Mr...?”

“Link.” The hylian said as he extended a hand in greeting.

Shining took the Hylian’s hand and gave it a shake. “Nice to meet you. I take it you’re in a similar situation to Wyatt?”

“Depends on what you mean, both of us being Displaced or…?” Link paused to wait for the stallion to confirm what he meant.

“Yes, both of you being from another world,” Shining elaborated.

“Then yes, I am.” Link said.

Shining nodded in understanding. “Princess Celestia told me about Wyatt meeting people from other worlds. Imagine my surprise in learning that there are other versions of me running around.”

“That’s how the multiverse works, you just never know what you’ll find.” Link said with a grin.

Shining chuckled, shaking his head. “If you run into a girl version of me, Twi, let me know. That’d be interesting to see.” Shifting in his seat, he cleared his throat. “Anyway, we’ve gotten off topic. I’ll talk to the princesses and get Spike his own badge.”

“Thanks, Shining, I promise not to let that badge go to my head,” Spike spoke up, a grin on his muzzle. “Is that all you had to talk to us about? I was actually hoping to go clothes shopping while we were here. I actually need those now.”

“Yeah, that’s all I needed to tell you guys,” Shining replied, getting up from his seat. “I’ll be in town a few more days to deal with clean up, and to knock some skulls. Even if they couldn’t have dealt with those monsters, the response time of the city guard was pathetic. I swear, this city has the laziest barracks in the country.”

A smile crept on his face and he focused on Twilight. “I do have one more thing before I get out of your hair.” Reaching into his armor again, he pulled out a pink envelope. “We wanted to be the ones to tell you before anyone else.” Offering her the envelope, his smile grew.

Twilight took the envelope, carefully opening it and pulling out a card. Her eyes scanned it for a few seconds before she jumped out of her chair. “What?!” she shrieked, looking at him with a gobsmacked look. “You’re getting married?!”

Ignoring Twilight’s outburst, Spike took the letter from her. “Whose ‘Mi Amore Cadenza?”

“I’ll give you a hint,” Shining said, a sly smirk on his face. “She’s pink, has wings and used to visit our house a lot.”

“Cadance?!” Twilight gasped, her eyes going wide. “You never told me you and Cadance were dating!” A pout formed on Twilight’s face. “Why am I only finding out about this now, Shining Armor?” she asked, using the same firm tone she used to corral Spike and Wyatt.

Shining held his hands up, chuckling. “Cadance and I have kinda been keeping our relationship on the downlow. If we didn’t, some of the more princess-crazed ponies would swarm us. Remember all the groupies that tried to follow her when she foalsat you?”

Twilight’s stern expression softened and she nodded. “Yeah, I remember. I just wish you’d have told me! I would have come up to visit. I haven’t seen Cadance since before I left Canterlot.”

“We didn’t want to take any chances,” Shining replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I know she’s looking forward to seeing you at the wedding.” A warm smile grew across his face. “She’s been going on and on about catching up with you now that you’ve saved Equestria twice.”

The three siblings continued to chat for a while, happily moving on from one topic to the next about the wedding. Eventually, Shining Armor stood up, bidding everyone farewell and exiting the hotel to return to his duties.

“We still have the day ahead of us, so why don’t we take a walk around town?” Wyatt suggested, hopping to his feet. “Spike needs some clothes, and I need to keep myself occupied so I don’t zonk out. Anyone got ideas for what to do?”

“There’s a natural history museum,” Twilight suggested. “I read a tourist guide last night that says they’re hosting Pre-Equestrian artifacts this week.”

“So, stuff before the tribes united?” Wyatt asked, giving the matter some thought. “I actually want to go see that.” He turned to Twilight, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Maybe they have something on Agito and Kuuga?”

“I wouldn’t count on it, but we could be in for a surprise,” Twilight said, rising up from her own seat. “I’ll go too. We can can take Spike to a clothing store and head there afterward. Everypony else who wants to come can go with us or meet us there.”

“Think It’d be best I come too just incase more of those undead decide to start anything.” Link said as he got up from his seat, he pulled his red cloak and hood out of his pouch, it grew to its original size before putting it on.

“I believe I’ll go to the museum as well,” Rarity said, pushing away from the table. “Some of those artifacts could provide inspiration for a new fashion line. Besides, if Spikey Wikey insists on buying clothes, somepony should make sure he looks nice.”

Spike was about to open his mouth to object that he knew how to dress himself before clamping it tightly shut. He’d have to be an t idiot to pass up getting attention from Rarity. After a moment, he gave the mare a smile. “Happy to have your expert opinion.”

“Ya’ll have fun.” Applejack nodded, adjusting her hat. “Ah got some family in town. Think Ah’ll drop in and say howdy.”

“Where don’t you have family?” Dash teased, nudging the mare in the side. “I’ll pass on the museum too, they’re not my style.”

Pinkie Pie and Flutterhsy both chimed in their plans, and the group split apart. After talking Rarity down from a higher class clothing shop, the museum group landed on a middle of the road apparel store. In the end, Spike decided on a pair of bell bottoms and a t-shirt that matched his colors. At Twilight’s behest, they stopped in a collectible shop, and bought Spike a book style coin case for his medals. He tried it out, finding that the slots fit his medals fit them perfectly. He nodded in agreement, the group buying the case before making their way to the museum.

“So, you really don’t have any ideas about the centipede medal?” Twilight asked, browsing through Spike’s current medal collection. “Must have been one of the ones Spike’s father made.” Pulling the sole purple medal from the case, she held it up to the sky. “When we get back to Ponyville, I’ll see about running a few tests on these medals.”

“All I can tell you is that it causes hallucinations,” Wyatt said, glancing at the centipede medal with distaste. “Other than that, it’s not a medal I’ve ever seen. There were a few unused sound effects in the OOO driver toy. Maybe it’s one of those?”

Twilight nodded, putting the medal away and handing the collection back to Spike. “Then it looks like we’re on our own with this one.” She turned to Link, giving him a warm smile. “You’ve been pretty quiet since this morning. Everything alright?”

“Yea. everything's alright. It’s just Wyatt’s been here the longest, I’m pretty much a stranger here since you guys talk about things that happened before I arrived.” Link explained as he placed his hands behind his head. “Plus the fact I’d rather not get too attached to you guys as it would end up being long distance kind of friendship, no offense...”

“Not like it would be too hard to stay in touch,” Wyatt said, pulling out Link’s token from his pocket. “Which reminds me, I have to give you mine. After saving Spike and me, there’s no way I won’t return the favor if you need help.”

“True, although I don’t usually take allies with me when Celest- I mean when my world’s Celestia sends me out on missions to inspect anomalies she’s has sensed, and when she does, it’s a zelda boss that’s wreaking havoc or some other goal.” The hylian explained.

“I think we’d really trounce any zelda boss we’d be thrown against,” Wyatt commented, a hint of pride in his voice. “Rider’s fight some crazy stuff, and most hit with forces in the tons. That’s on top of all the individual powers, like all the stuff the medals let Spike do.”

“Those monsters are a lot smarter than their original counterparts, you can thank a certain twin witches for the trouble they’ve caused me.” Link growled, indicating it was a sore topic.

“I think we could be a big help to you, even with smart monsters,” Wyatt replied with a shrug. A smirk wormed its way onto his face. “But if you want to play lone wolf, that’s fine.”

“We’ll see in the unforeseen future, if I ever come across any that have altered their tactics to the point I can’t beat them.” Link nodded as he held out a hand. “Promise.”

“Oh Lady Rarity! I didn’t think I’d run into you here.” Rarity froze in place, her eye twitching. The group turned to see a white, blonde maned stallion in a rather nice black suit. “After what happened at the gala, I’ve been meaning to catch up with you.” Reaching out, he took her hand and kissed it. “My behavior was absolutely atrocious.”

Rarity blinked, an astonished look overtaking her features. After a moment, she frowned at him. “Atrocious is putting it mildly. You used me as a living shield over some dirt.”

“And I am truly ashamed!” he stood up, an apologetic look on his face. “That night is one of my greatest shames! Please!” Grasping her hands, he looked deep into her eyes. “Allow me to make it up to you!”

Rarity fixed a hard look right into his eyes. “And what did you have in mind, Blueblood? My friends and I were just heading to the museum, so I’m afraid whatever you’re planning will have to wait.”

“Then how about dinner this evening?” Blueblood asked, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. “I’ve already placed a reservation at this lovely restaurant by the inner harbor. I can have my carriage come pick you up where ever you’re staying.”

Link covered his mouth with the back of his hand as he leaned toward Wyatt. “Should I get a bird to spy on Blueblood?” the hylian whispered to him.

“Do you have any plans?” Rarity asked, sucking in a deep breath. “I would feel more comfortable seeing how you behave around my friends before agreeing to go anywhere with you alone.”

“How about this.” Blueblood released her hands, glancing between everyone. “I’ll cover everything at the museum for everypony, heck, I’ll even throw in purchases at the gift shop.” Smiling he looked back at Rarity. “How does that sound?”

Rarity nodded. “I suppose I can give you a second chance. But no funny business,” she added, wagging a finger at him.

“Of course!” Blueblood smiled, giving her a bow. “I shall make today, a day you’ll always remember, my dear sweet Lady Rarity.”

“I will hold you to that,” Rarity said, smoothing out her dress. “Now, let’s be off, my friends and I are looking forward to the exhibit.” Taking point, she didn’t waste anymore time with words until they reached their destination.

They climbed the stone steps into the museum, entering into a grand entryway. As soon as they stepped inside, they were greeted by a large display of a recreation of a T-Rex. The entryway was circular, several signs above the doorways to display the exhibits contained within.

“Now that, is one of the animals in the purple set,” Wyatt whispered to Twilight, gesturing to the T-Rex. “Pterodactyl, triceratops and tyrannosaurus.”

“Smaug did say they were long gone animals,” Twilight whispered back, nodding as she examined the fossil. “Doesn’t get much further gone than sixty-five-million years.”

“Would Smaug be a copper colored dragon or is this a different dragon?” Link asked curiously.

“Smaug is Spike’s grandpa,” Wyatt clarified, pointing at the fuming dragon. Smoke poured from Spike’s nostrils as he watched Blueblood hold hands with Rarity and examine exhibits together. “Has purple scales like Spike.”

“Oh, it’s just I find it weird how he shares the same name as the one from the Lord Of The Rings series, that’s all.” Link commented as he looked over at Spike, he began to wonder if he should calm the drake down or let fate handle it.

“I’ve learned to stop finding things to be weird,” Wyatt replied, giving a noncommittal shrug. “Between gaining superpowers, waking up in magical, talking ponyland, rider monsters attacking on a weekly basis, and the eternal walking enigma that is one Pinkamena Diane Pie, questions only lead to migraines.” Link chuckled in amusement at the mention of the party pony herself.

“Poor Spike,” Twilight said, frowning as she watched her little brother. “Seems he can’t catch a break with Rarity. I think I’m going to get him some gems and the newest Power Ponies comic on the way back to the hotel. He looks like he’ll need them.”

“Even with the growth spurt, isn’t she still old for him?” Wyatt asked, watching Spike closely. “I mean, he’s like what, 14 at most?”

“Oh trust me, I know there’s no reasonable way that things would work out with Rarity for him,” Twilight agreed, giving a nod. “But this is his first real crush, those never turn out well in the best of circumstances. He just wound up falling for somepony he shouldn’t have.”

“Uh.. Twilight? Considering the Spikes I’ve seen so far, I’d be careful if I were you... I mean nothing dangerous, just be careful with how he’d react. ” Link whispered to the purple pony.

“Marvelous isn’t it?” Blueblood asked, gazing up at a painting of Mistmane. “Giving up all that beauty to help another? She truly was a selfless mare. Some ponies may say she’s a myth but I like to believe at least some part of her tale was real.” Turning to Rarity, he offered her a smile. “What about you, Lady Rarity? Do you believe in Mistmane?”

Rarity looked up at the painting, a warmth spreading in her chest as she met the mare’s eyes. “I’ve always loved the tale of Mistmane. It taught me an important lesson: beauty isn’t just about making yourself look good, true beauty comes from taking a part of yourself and sharing it with others. She inspired me to go into fashion; to give ponies the looks of their dreams. So yes, I’d like to believe in at least part of her tale.”

“You might as well be her in the flesh.” Blueblood winked, lifting her hand up and placing another kiss on it. “I imagine, centuries from now mothers will be telling the legend of Rarity; the most generous pony that ever lived.”

Rarity giggled, looking away from the painting to give Blueblood a good natured smirk. “I highly doubt that, all of my greatest accomplishments have been an ensemble effort with my friends. But nice try at stroking my ego.”

Blueblood tsked. “Now, now Lady Rarity, I’m merely stating facts. You should take pride in your status, why you haven’t capitalized on it truly does escape me.” Stepping back from the painting, he let out a soft sound of acknowledgement. “Ah, we’re close to the three tribes exhibit, shall we take a gander?” Holding his arm out, he never lost his smile.

She took his arm, meeting his smile with a sigh. “I have considered using my position as an element to further my career, but I ultimately decided against it. I want to move forward on the merit of my talent, not my status.”

“I can respect that, more than you know.” As they walked down the adjacent hall, the two were greeted by ponyquins of pre-unification ponies of all walks of life. The three tribes were depicted in various scenes, showing what life had been like in the pony homeland. “You know, it was around this time that the first riders were active.”

Rarity quirked a brow, looking up at Blueblood. “Your aunt has told you about the riders?”

“Hm?” Blueblood asked, glancing down at her. “Ah yes, Celestia told me all about them. Such valiant fellows no?” They exited the hallway, stepping into a large room with various display cases. One such case showed off various stylized belt buckles, each bearing a strange face and possessing a gemstone.

Blueblood’s answer didn’t sit well with Rarity, causing her to scrutinize the stallion for a few moments before turning her attention to the belt buckles. She leaned in toward the case, narrowing her eyes and drinking in every detail. “These belts are something else, they’re unlike any other Pre-Equestrian clothing that I’ve studied.”

Stepping up to it, Blueblood placed his hands on the case. “These belts are what allowed the Gurongi to assume their monster forms,” Blueblood explained, gazing down at them. “To think Celestia would allow them to be displayed, considering who was busted out of Tartarus.”

“The Gurongi?” Rarity gasped, taking a step back from the case. “You’re right, I can’t believe Princess Celestia would let them be displayed like this.” Rarity’s eyes widened in realization. “Unless of course she doesn’t know these are part of the exhibit. You should send a message to her right away so she can safeguard them.”

“Tempting, very, very tempting,” Blueblood replied, tapping his fingers on the case. “But, I’m afraid I have a deadline to meet, and I don’t have time for a self-imposed challenge.”

“Deadline? Challenge?” Rarity repeated, regarding the stallion as if he had grown a second head. “Blueblood, what the blazes are you going on about?”

Blueblood gave an exaggerated sigh, shooting Rarity an apologetic look. “I do wish we could have kept the deception going, beauty such as yours should be savored.” Stepping away from the case, he reached into his suit, retrieving what looked like the hilt of a cutlass. “But I’m afraid I must put business before pleasure.”

Holding the device up, he pressed a button on the front, holding it for a few seconds. “Henshin!” He released the button, sweeping the device out in front of the room, gathering the attention of the rest of the museum goers. The sound of shattering glass filled the air, holographic jewels of various colors appearing throughout the room, all the while the device played a catchy jazz tune.

“Lupin!” The device cried, the jewels converging on Blueblood, playing a jazz outro. He struck a pose, the jewels forming into a costume. The dominant color was red, a leather-like material making up the bulk of the suit. Around his shoulders was a long, black cape, the article of clothing hanging down to Blueblood’s knees. Around his waist was a golden belt buckle with a purple, oval gem in the center of it. The chest had a golden buckle as well, a purple, green, yellow and blue gem of varying sizes arranged in a square. The helmet had a black top hat, golden trim all around the edges, including eyebrows that extended past the edges of the helmet for a few inches. The eyes were red, with a purple jewel resting between them.

Rarity’s horn lit up, creating a flash of light she hoped would blind Lupin long enough for her to exit the room and find Wyatt, Spike and Link. She wasted no time, turning on her hooves and running for the door.

“A courageous effort, but a wasted one.” Lupin clicked his tongue, raising his transformation device and bringing it down on the glass case. “I do hope those undead didn’t tire them out too badly. I’d hate for this to be a boring job.”

Rarity rushed along the halls, breathing heavily as she tore through the halls. Luckily, she managed to find her friends among the gem exhibit. “Wyatt, Spike,” she panted out, putting a hand to her chest as she struggled to control her breathing. “Blueblood’s a rider, he’s stealing Gurongi artifacts right now!”

“I had a feeling something was going to go wrong.” He sighed, a look of annoyance crossing his face.

Wyatt ducked behind a pillar, summoning his driver and booker, placing them on his waist. “Henshin!” he proclaimed, donning his armor. Pulling out a familiar pair of cards, slotting one into his belt.

“Kamen Ride: Kabuto!” the driver called out, his armor shifting into the crimson armor. Wyatt slotted the next card, taking off down the hall at max speed. He reached the Pre-Equestrian artifacts in record time, moving in to catch the transformed Blueblood off guard.

Link’s boots took on a shine as metal gold spread across them, he quickly dashed behind Wyatt, moving twice as fast as his normal speed to catch up with the transformed human.

“Don’t worry, Rarity.” Spike slapped his belt on, opening up his medal case. “I’ll kick his flank for ya.” Grabbing a trio of coins, he tossed the case to Twilight. Slotting them in, he ran the scanner over them. “Henshin!”

“Mukade! Tora! Wani!” The upper part of his symbol now displayed a purple centipede. The eyes were yellow, and the helmet sported a purple centipede etched onto it, the top extending past his head, along with several of the legs.

‘I’m gonna kick his flank into next week!’ Spike thought to himself as he ran after the pair of high speed Displaced. ‘How dare he use Rarity like that! We’ll see how his prissiness likes rotting in a jail cell!’ He moved as fast as he could, wishing that one of his medals could give him super speed. He ignored that thought, rushing down the halls to enter the Pre-Equestrian exhibit.

Lupin lifted the last of the Gurongi belts out of the case, gazing at it for a moment. “What crude devices. No wonder it turned them into monsters. Some ponies just have no taste.”

“As if you’re one to talk about taste,” Wyatt said, zipping past Lupin and swiping the belts from his hand. “Who let you walk out of your house with gold eyebrows on that helmet?”

Link was next to get behind the armored stallion. “Or where you even found a rider’s belt in the first place.” the hylian questioned, both sword and shield drawn and at the ready.

“Oh, you mean the Lupin Gunner?” Lupin asked, holding up his transformation device. “It really is an interesting story.” He pressed the button from before, getting a cry of ‘Break!’ from the gunner. He spun around around using the Gunner as a pair of brass knuckles, punching Link’s shield and sending him sliding back across the room. “Alas, we don’t have the time.”

“I think you’ll have plenty of time to tell it once you’re settled in your jail cell,” Wyatt retorted, drawing his kunai and rushing in to slash at Lupin’s chest.

Lupin took the slash to the chest, taking a step back. “I’m afraid, my dear human, that you are quite outmatched!” Lunging forward, Lupin slammed the Lupin Gunner into Wyatt’s chest, sending him back into a wall.

“You’re the one that’s outmatched!” Spike roared, leaping at Lupin and swinging both of his arm claws at his opponent’s head. As soon as he landed he crouched down and kicked at Lupin’s legs, the energy crocodile forming and chomping down on one.

Lupin laughed, stumbling backwards. “Now this is what I love! A challenge! I was so worried those undead had tired you both out. Good to see that I was wrong.” Reaching down to the pouch on his leg, he retrieved a tiny golden car, which sported what looked like a pocket knife from the back. “Time to get serious boys, no holding back now.” Inserting the car into the back of the Lupin Gunner, the blade sprang up, growing in size and adding a foot long blade to the top of the weapon.

“No holding back?” Link said as he ran toward Lupin. “Oh, you wouldn’t want me to hold back!” he leaped into the air to perform a Jump Attack and try to cut down Lupin from behind.

Wyatt pried himself off the wall, glaring at Lupin. “Alright, I’ll show you not holding back,” he growled, pulling out a pair of cards.

“Kamen Ride: Kuuga!” Wyatt’s armor shifted, the rush of power from his photo session filling him once more. He then slotted the next card in. “Form Ride: Dragon!” Wyatt’s armor changed from red to blue. In his hands was a long, blue polearm, gold portions at the ends.

Lupin chuckled, throwing his hand back and trapping Link in a film strip. “Please, if you’re going to attack me, don’t make yourself so wide open.” Turning back to Spike and Wyatt, he leveled his weapon at them. “I will be leaving here with those belts, gentlecolts.”

“Yeah, you’re not getting these back,” Wyatt said, patting the belts that he had secured to his own. “But I know these shiny cuffs I’m sure you’ll love.” Wyatt charged forward, sweeping at Lupin’s legs with his staff.

Lupin leapt up, kicking Wyatt in the face. He pressed the button on the front of the Lupin Gunner, firing several shots into Wyatt’s chest. “Of course, I don’t expect you to just hand them over, there’s no fun in that.”

Wyatt cried out in pain, falling to a knee. Spike capitalized on Lupin’s distraction, headbutting the back of the other rider’s skull.

There was a strange distortion in the air and before anyone could question it, Link fell through the small shift in reality and was now top of Lupin. Link quickly attempted to keep the armored stallion pinned down, Wyatt noticed that the hylian was wearing golden gauntlets with a red ruby in the back of the hand.

“Well, aren’t you full of surprises, hmm?” Lupin asked, elbowing Link in the nose. Pushing the dazed Hylian off, Lupin quickly got to his feet. He wobbled slightly, shaking his head. “Quiet the potent headhutt you have there, drake. Unfortunately for you, I’ve had more than enough experience with hallucinogens.” Grabbing Wyatt, he heaved him into Link, unleashing a barrage of shots.

Due to the sudden shift in weight, Link went stumbling back into a wall. “Son of a Flying Pot.” Link hissed under his breath, poor Wyatt had taken most of the blunt of the attack. The hylian reached into his pouch to pull out a blue rod of some kind. With a swing, he threw out an energy ball toward one of the statues. Upon contact, the stature rumbled, coming to life. With another flick of the rod, the statue ran toward Lupin in an attempt to bear hug him. With the statue distracting the transformed stallion, Link helped Wyatt back to his feet.

Lupin clicked his tongue, raising his sword against the statue. “I do so hate damaging priceless goods, but there’s an exception for everything.” With a few quick movements of his arm, the statue was nothing more than rubble.

Wyatt groaned, using his weapon to brace himself for a moment. “Okay, looks like I’m going to need to sacrifice some speed for power.” He pulled out another card and put it in his driver.

“Form Ride: Titan!” Wyatt’s armor and weapon shifted. His armor became bulkier, turning silver with purple highlights. His pole turned into a large sword that resembled a claymore. He made his way towards Lupin, bringing down his sword as hard as he could on the rider’s head.

Lupin raised his own blade, the two weapons clashing above Lupin’s head. “Neat trick, you might as well be the poster boy for revolving fashion,” Lupin taunted, pushing Wyatt back. He held his hand out, trapping the rider in a film strip. “I always did prefer silent movies.”

“You bastard!” Wyatt roared from within his prison, struggling uselessly against the strip. His eyes widened in horror, noticing that the Gurongi belts did not make it with him into the strip.

Lupin laughed, grabbing the belts off the ground. Clipping them to his own, he turned to the remaining heroes.“Now.” Glancing between Link and Spike, he grinned under his helmet. “Where were we?”

“Vul Kun!” Link commanded. A sword suddenly materialized from behind Lupin and spun to attack him. From Wyatt’s point of view, a strange floating sword had appeared. It was large, easily being taller than the hylian summoning it. Several eyes shone from the guard and pommel area, with a large eye in the middle of a golden triangle that was shining, being held by a tree-like design in a green-hued metal.

“Hey!” Spike boomed, clenching his fist at Lupin. “Let my friend go or else!”

Lupin grunted as the sword caught him in the side. “I think I’ll take the ‘or else’, my good dragon.” Lupin leapt away from the sword, switching to gunner mode and getting a few shots off at Link.

Spike growled, his pupils contracting into slits beneath his helmet. “Don’t you ignore me.” He reached into his medal case, pulling out a trio of black medals. He pulled out the coins he was using and slotted in the black ones before running the scanner over them.

“Ebi! Kani! Sasori! Bikaso! Bi-Ka-So~!” Three black rings appeared around Spike’s belt, his armor glowing and shifting. The icon on his chest was the first thing to change, displaying a shrimp at the top, a crab in the center and a scorpion on the bottom. The helmet was next, becoming triangular with curled legs framing the face of the helmet. A shrimp head served as a crest, complete with antennae that extended out above Spike’s head. The eyes flashed for a moment and turned a soft shade of blue. The arms morphed to have crab claws replace his hands. Lastly, The greaves changed to have the body of a scorpion on the kneepads, the stinger moving down along the legs and ending in pointy tipped boots. The entire ensemble was black, except for a few portions beneath the armor that were a soft gray.

“Vul Kun, assist Spike, but be careful not to damage the area!” Link mentally commanded as he was quickly rising his sword to block Lupin’s shots.

“By your order!” The sword replied in the same mental link, the big blade floated on over to Spike, ready to defend him.

Spike crouched down, moving in to attack Lupin with his claws open wide. He jumped up, his claws pinching down on Lupin’s arm. The other rider grunted, swinging his arm around in an attempt to throw Spike off. When that did nothing, Lupin pulled out his Gunner and fired a few shots at Spike’s face. Just as the shots struck the drake, his armor expanded, becoming heavier and resembling a crab shell before reverting to normal once Lupin stopped firing.

Vul Kun reacted by trying to hit Lupin, using the side of its body in an attempt to disorient him. Lupin turned his Gunner on the sword, firing to stop it mid-flight. It was forced to move away, moving behind Spike and looking for an opening to attack Lupin again. Spike pulled his head back, a large bubble emerging from the head portion of his helmet. He released Lupin from his claws, jumping back as if to get away from the bubble.

“Blowing a bubble?” Lupin asked with a chuckle. “What’s next, are you going to fingerpaint at me?” Without a thought, He swiped at the bubble, causing it to pop. As soon as it did, Lupin grunted as he was blown back with a surprising force.

Using Lupin’s moment of distraction, the floating sword let loose a small blast of dark magic aimed at him. Lupin took the blast to the chest, hissing and grabbing the spot where the attack had struck him. “Well, that’s the first real hit you’ve given me.”

“You’re about to get a lot more,” Spike told him, spinning on his heel and kicking at Lupin’s chest. The tip of his boot extended out, shooting towards Lupin on a chain. Lupin allowed the chain to wrap around his arm and with a heave, pulled Spike off his feet. Spike remained calm, positioning himself with his free leg outstretched and kicked Lupin in the neck.

“Looks like Spike can handle him now.” Link commented to Wyatt.

“Good for him,” Wyatt deadpanned, beating his fists against the filmstrip he was trapped in.

Taking out a blue mirror, Link looked through it, causing the same small distortion from before, Wyatt found Link inside the film with him. “Look through the mirror and I’ll help ya out of here.” the hylian said.

“Good, I owe Lupin there a few punches to the face,” Wyatt grumbled, looking into the hand mirror. Reality was shifted once more, warping the two to the outside world. Wyatt brandished his sword, charging at Lupin. He jumped as high as he possibly could, bringing his sword down on the villain’s head.

“Enough of this!” Lupin pressed the button on his Gunner once more, holding it for a few seconds.

“Ultimate!” it cried, once more playing a catchy jazz tune. Spinning around, Lupin slashed his blade in a sweeping arch. “Lupin Slash!” The blade released a multicolored energy blade, striking each of them and sending them flying across the room. Spike’s armor turned heavy again, only to crack and strain against the attack. After a moment, Wyatt’s armor dissipated, leaving him looking bloodied and beaten.

Spike staggered forward, ignoring the pain in his chest. “I’m not... going to let you leave...” he hissed, raising his arms once more. “I’ll teach you to mess with Rarity...” He took another step forward, only for Lupin to punch him hard enough into the wall to crack it. His transformation cut out and the kani medal ejected from his driver, sailing across the room.

Wyatt groaned, his eyes fluttering as darkness creeped into the corners of his vision. He tried to stand up, only to fall over each time. He beat his fist against the floor, hissing in pain as he brought himself to one knee and glared daggers at Lupin. “I’m not done yet!” He hissed, trying to rise to his feet. “I… I’ll find a way to beat you!” He tried to turn back into Decade, only for the handles of his driver to refuse to move. He growled in frustration, continuing in vain in an attempt to get it to work.

“When you know you’re beaten, you should bow out gracefully,” Lupin replied, lowering his weapon. Casually walking over to the discarded kani medal, he tossed it into the air. “What eye catching little trinkets. You should keep a better eye on these.” Catching the falling coin, he flipped it onto Spike’s prone body. “You might lose them.” With a flick of his cape, Lupin turned, making his way out of the room.

“No!” Wyatt roared, trying to jump to his feet only to fall flat on his face. He cried out in frustration, succumbing to the darkness creeping into his vision and passed out.

Weakly reaching into his pouch, Link pulled out his hookshot, taking aim at the retreating form of Lupin. However due to his blurry vision, he wasn’t able to have a clear shot. “H-hylia damnit.” Link cursed under his breath, the world fading to black.

“What a mess,” Shining Armor grumbled, watching a few unicorn guard members pouring over every trace of ‘Lupin’. His eyes locked onto the cracked wall, where he knew his little brother had been slumped. “First monsters attack, and now Blueblood’s put my little brother in the hospital.” He snorted, his mind set on taking the belt away from the drake.

Shining nodded to himself, deciding to demand it from Twilight as soon as he was done with the preliminary investigation. He stepped over to the case that Lupin had stolen from, lighting up his horn to do a quick scan of it. “I should have taken it from him this morning.” He snorted, a frown overtaking his face. “I knew something like this would happen,” he muttered.

A slight bit of movement off to the side caught his eye. Drawing his sword, he stepped closer. “If anypony’s there, come out now! This place is off limits.” Moving behind one of the statues, he prepared to strike, only to see nothing. “I’m letting things get to me...”

“You know, I could help with that.” Shining Armor froze, noting the voice had come from behind him. Only that wasn’t the part that bothered him. It was his own voice that had spoken.

Shining spun around, ready to point his sword at the throat of whoever was taunting him. He faltered for a moment, almost believing he was staring in a mirror. The rational part of his mind caught up to him and he quickly realized he was staring at another version of himself. Though, something felt very wrong about the look his counterpart was giving him. It was a cross between a smirk and the appraising look in one’s eye when considering whether or not to wear a certain outfit. Needless to say, Shining didn’t lower his sword.

“Just relax,” his doppleganger spoke, horn glowing a deep purple. “I’ll take it from here.” With that, he zapped Shining Armor in the chest. “Just take a load off, you could use a vacation.”

Shining’s eyes fluttered, trying to call out to the other guards only to find no sound would escape his throat. He collapsed to the floor, his sword falling from his hand with a weak clatter. The last thing he saw before succumbing to the spell was his doppleganger kneeling down and undoing the buckles on his armor.

Failure Blues

Wyatt sat in the hospital room he had been placed in after the fight with Lupin. He had sent Link back to his own world the first time he had returned to consciousness, apologizing profusely for getting him so injured. Wyatt picked at the hospital food in front of him, all of it seeming to turn to ash in his mouth as he thought back to Lupin.

The thief had toyed with him, taunting him while he threw everything he had at the other rider. Wyatt clenched his fist, bile rising in his throat as Lupin’s jabs replayed in his mind. ‘How in the hell did he kick my ass like that?! I can turn into ten plus riders and he still beat me!’

Wyatt pushed the tray of food away from him, unable to force another bite down. Summoning his driver and booker, he turned them over in his hands with a frown. ‘And then there’s the fact that this thing wouldn’t work at the last moment.’ He sighed, setting his driver down in his lap. ‘Not that it would’ve mattered. My useless ass couldn’t even stand, let alone fight.’

‘I let the bad guy win. Everyone was counting on me.’ Placing his head in his hands, Wyatt shuddered as a new wave of unpleasant thoughts hit him. ‘Spike’s not even sixteen and I almost got him killed. What the hell is wrong with me?’

He picked up the driver again, a wave of guilt crashing into him as he stared at the rider symbols along its surface. ‘I’m no hero, I’m just a kid playing dress up.’ His fingers clenched around the driver. ‘And my stupid game nearly got people killed. Not anymore though.’ Wyatt let the driver and card case disappear from existence, hitting the call button for the nurse.

A few moments later, a peppy looking mare in a nurses uniform walked in. “You called?” she smiled, appearing to be doing her best to appear chipper.

“Can I get a pencil and a piece of paper please?” Wyatt asked, not bothering to meet the mare’s gaze. “I’m pretty bored and would like to doodle or something.”

“Of course!” Moving over to a cabinet, she came back with a notebook and a pencil. “There you go! Was there anything else you needed?”

Wyatt took the notebook and pencil, thanking the mare. He pointed at the tray of food he’d barely touched, finally looking up to take note of her rose colored eyes. “Can you take that away, please? I wasn’t very hungry.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, taking the plate. “You need to eat if you want to get better.”

“I’m sure, I ate all I could,” Wyatt replied, opening the notebook to the first blank page.

“Well, if you say so.” she nodded her head, walking out of the room and leaving him alone.

He put pencil to paper, starting to write. Once he was done, he tore the page from the notebook and put it below his pillow.

Twilight walked through the halls of the hospital, her gaze firmly planted at her hooves. Guilt was gnawing at the corners of her mind. Her little brother had been injured and there was nothing she could do about it. If it weren’t for the vases of flowers in her hands, she would’ve pulled out Spike’s belt to look it over for the nth time.

Spike’s armor had taken the brunt of the damage thankfully. The drake himself was suffering from a few cracked ribs and extreme exhaustion, most likely from using a full set of medals. “It could have been a lot worse,” Twilight muttered to herself, keeping her gaze on the flowers. Tears started to fill her eyes, causing her to sniffle. “I hate feeling so useless.”

Before she could continue her train of thought, it was derailed as her and her friends stood outside of Spike’s room. Stepping forward, she stopped inside greeted by the steady beep of the heart monitor. “Hey, Spike,” she greeted on the chance that he was awake. “We all came to see you.”

Spike groaned, his eyes opening a crack as his neck slowly turned to the sound of her voice. “Twilight?” he croaked out, his voice sounding very hoarse. “Can you get me some water?”

Twilight smiled softly, doing her best to contain herself as she rushed into the bathroom and filled a glass of water for him. She quickly returned to his bedside and sat the glass in front of him. “There you go. If you need help, just let me know.”

“Thanks.” Reaching out, Spike grasped the cup and brought it to his lips. He managed to drink it down with only minimal spillage. “Much better,” he assured, giving her a thumbs up.

“I’ll be able to say that once you’re fully healed,” Twilight replied, carefully putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re awake. I was so worried about you, you could’ve...” Twilight bit her lip, feeling tears flowing down her face.

Spike reached up, putting one of his claws over her hand. He gave her the best smile he could muster before saying, “There’s no way I’d let a jerk like that do me in. You’re stuck with me.” Looking down at himself, he winced. “Definitely need to get more practice in.”

Twilight frowned, putting one of the vases down on a nightstand beside his bed. “Do you seriously think Shining and I are going to let you anywhere near that belt again?” she asked, giving him a pointed look. “I am not going to attend your funeral, Spike.” Tears flowed freely from her eyes. “I don’t have that in me.”

Spike’s looked hardened and he looked into her eyes. “You don’t get to tell me no, Twilight. Not for this. I have to do this. You didn’t see what the medals did to that pirate guy. They turned him into a monster. I refuse to let that happen to anypony else.”

“I do get to tell you no!” Twilight barked, wiping away the tears from her eyes to narrow them at him. “I hatched your egg, you’re my responsibility!”

“My mom died because of those medals!” Spike shouted back, glaring at Twilight as hard as he could. “They took her from me before I could meet her. My grandpa made a mistake and I have to fix it. You can’t stop me, and I won’t forgive you if you try!”

Those words cut Twilight deep, forcing her to falter for a moment and flinch under his gaze. It
only lasted for a moment as she returned his look. “We can talk about this later.” She sucked in a deep breath, forcing her expression to soften. “Right now, I just want to enjoy the fact that you’re recovering.” She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Looking away from her, Spike sighed. “Yeah, me too.” After a moment he looked back at her. “How are Wyatt and Link doing? Are they as bad as me?”

“Wyatt sent Link home,” Twilight replied, trying her best to keep her voice warm. “Wyatt’s pretty banged up too. The doctor thinks you’ll get out of here before him thanks to the protection your scales provided you.”

“Well, I for one think you were very brave, Spikey Wikey.” Rarity graced him with a smile, walking to the side of his bed. “Thank you for trying to stop that ruffian.” Leaning her head down, she placed a kiss on his cheek.

Spike’s face lit up, a dopey expression overtaking him as his tail weakly thumped against his hospital bed. “I was just doing my job, Rarity. There’s no way I could stand by while that jerk tried to steal rider artifacts.” Getting a hold on his fascination, he asked. “So, uh, what’s gonna happen to Blueblood now? I mean, isn’t he a fugitive?”

“As soon as he’s caught, he’ll be put on trial for grand larceny, aggravated assault, and potentially attempted murder,” Twilight replied, her face contorting with anger. “He’ll be put away for a long time, even if he is the princesses’ nephew.”

“How do you think Celestia is going to take the news?” Spike questioned, absentmindedly scratching at his chest only to wince in pain as soon as his claw brushed by his ribs. “I mean, she’s raised him all his life.”

“Confusion, that much I can tell you,” a familiar voice spoke up. Everyone turned to find the solar princess herself ducking to enter the hospital room. In her hands were two large gift wrapped baskets, one holding a variety of gems inside. “Blueblood was with me for his etiquette lessons at the time of the robbery.”

“Then, there’s another Blueblood?” Fluttershy asked, a frown growing across her face. “He could get Blueblood into a lot of trouble.”

Celestia sighed, setting the gem filled basket next to the vase. “Luckily, Blueblood has multiple witnesses to verify his whereabouts. Not only that, we can always present Wyatt and his laptop as evidence of other worlds should the need arise.”

Twilight leaned back, a thoughtful look on her face. “That reminds me about something Wyatt told me about what he gets his powers from.”

Celestia turned, looking at her student with a quizzical expression. “Oh? And what would that be? Anything helpful?”

“He told me that the original Decade travelled from world to world, opposing an organization called ‘Dai-Shocker’.” Twilight stood up, pacing around the room. “This organization was made up of villainous groups previous riders had fought; with the goal of conquering all worlds.”

Celestia’s muzzle scrunched up, her face becoming hard to read. “We can only hope we are not facing a group such as that. Though, it would explain the break in at Tartarus.”

Rarity gasped, her eyes widening in realization. “The other Blueblood mentioned something like that!” she exclaimed, looking between the group. “He must’ve had a hand in that as well.”

“Who was important enough to break out of Tartarus?” Dash asked, leaning on the wall. “I mean come on, the place is guarded by a giant three headed dog! Who would be crazy enough to bust into that place!?”

“A group with individuals strong enough to take on two kamen riders without taking any significant damage,” Twilight reminded, shooting Dash a flat look. “And Tartarus is filled with demons and monsters that would be more than happy to help take over Equestria.”

“Twilight is correct,” Celestia agreed, closing the door with her magic and casting a spell. “Whoever broke into Tartarus knew exactly who they were looking for.” Her shoulders sagged and she passed the gem filled gift basket to Spike. “Including someone I hoped would never see the light of day again.”

Dash quirked a brow at Celestia. “Who the hay did they break out?”

Celestia was quiet for a moment before speaking. “They broke out several prisoners, beings that I felt deserved to rot in that forsaken prison. To my horror, I found they had delved to the deepest levels of Tartarus. They freed one of the most dangerous beings on this planet; N-Daguva-Zeba. Former leader of the Gurongi.”

Everyone in the room gasped, horror seeping into their features. Fluttershy was the most affected, making herself look as small as possible while shivering violently. “B-but I thought you said that all the G-Gurongi were destroyed?”

“The Gurongi were defeated but they were not destroyed, Kuuga refused to kill an entire race. Upon their defeat, they were stripped of their powers and most of their belts were destroyed. As I told Twilight and Wyatt, the Linto and the Gurongi unified as one people.”

“But now this other Blueblood has the means to return the Gurongi leader’s power,” Twilight stated, looking down at the floor with narrowed eyes.

“Now, I wouldn’t say that Twilight,” Celestia spoke, lifting her students head up. “Those belts are not going to return Daguva’s power to him. His belt was special, which is why we hid it away after we imprisoned him.”

“Probably a dumb question,” Dash cut in. “But why didn’t you smash that thing instead of hiding it?”

“Incase we ever had need of it,” Celestia replied, glancing over at Dash. “Even malevolent artifacts can be useful.” Casting another spell, she turned to the door. “Though, I do believe any further talk on the subject should include Wyatt.”

“We were going to see him anyway,” Twilight stated, adjusting the vase in her hands. “Would you like us to lead you to his room?”

“Please.” She nodded, giving Spike a smile. “I hope you get better soon, Spike. I still need to hear about your family.” Turning back to Twilight she gestured for the mare to lead the way.

Twilight nodded, putting herself at the front of the group as they made their way to Wyatt’s room. Luckily for them, Wyatt and Spike were placed on the same floor, so the walk was relatively short. The young man had been placed at the end of the hall, the door closed. Twilight opened it, only to gape at what she saw. Wyatt was nowhere to be seen, his bed empty, save for his driver and ride book. She slowly stepped up to the bed, picking up the belt and card case.

Before she could examine them for long, she spotted a note that had been placed under them. She sat the driver, ride book and vase down on the nightstand to grab the note and began to read.

“What’s it say?” Pinkie asked, practically jumping onto Twilight’s back to see what the note said.

Twilight trembled, whether from rage or worry she couldn’t quite tell. She gripped the note tightly, crumpling the edges of the paper. “That unbelievable… idiot!” she spat, letting the paper fall from her hand to grab the belt and card case. “He says he’s quitting being a rider!”

Applejack frowned, crossing her arms. “Why in the hay would he do that? Didn’t he say he had a responsibility to protect ponies? The heck he’s thinkin’ by runnin’ away?” Picking the paper off the floor, she scrutinized her for herself.

“He said he wasn’t worthy to have the belt,” Twilight huffed, looking down at the device. “He said he wanted to give it to the G-project so someone else could use it for good.” Her grip on the belt tightened, and she resisted the urge to chuck it across the room. “We have to find him,” she concluded, stomping her way towards the door. “In his condition, he’s only going to get himself killed.”

“Twilight, calm down.” Celestia spread a wing, barring the door. “You have a right to be upset at Wyatt, but it’s not going to help anypony for you to storm after him. Take a moment and breathe,” she instructed, giving Twilight a firm look.

“We might not have a moment,” Twilight argued, though she did stop to take in a deep breath. “Wyatt is in terrible condition and he’s trying to run off somewhere. He’s only going to make himself worse.”

“And we must have clear heads if we are to find him.” Closing her wing, Celestia stepped forward and pulled Twilight into a hug. “I know these last few days have been rough, but you can’t let it cloud your mind. Wyatt doesn’t need a lecture right now, he needs his friends to understand his fears and doubts.”

Twilight frowned, hesitantly returning Celestia’s hug. “What’s there to understand? He’s giving up when Equestria needs his abilities more than ever.” She brought the driver up to her face. “This thing won’t work for anyone but him. I’ve tried to get it to work on somepony else, only for nothing to happen.”

“I can see where Wyatt is coming from,” Fluttershy spoke up, poking her fingers together. “This was his first real failure, and it was a bad one that put him and his friend in the hospital. He probably doesn’t think very much of himself right now.”

Dash rubbed the back of her head, looking uncomfortable. “I hate to say it, but I kinda agree with Flutters. I know early on that I beat myself up over every crash when I practiced stunts. But my folks picking me up and continuing to cheer me on gave me confidence.”

“Well, we’re not going to find him by just standing around!” Rarity struck a pose, a slight grin on her face. “We’ll just have to find Wyatt and prove to him that he is indeed worthy of wearing his belt!”

“But where would he go?” Fluttershy inquired. “He could’ve wandered off in any direction. Maybe we should split up?” she offered, hiding one eye behind her mane as she looked along the group.

“A fine idea, Fluttershy.” Celestia pulled away from Twilight, smoothing out her dress.

“Groups o’ two or three would probably be best,” Applejack added, adjusting her hat. “Lessens the chances of us gettin’ terribly lost.” Glancing through the group, she nodded at Pinkie. “I’ll take Pinkie. Dash, ya go with Fluttershy. Twi, you and Rarity pair up.”

“That works for me,” Twilight agreed, putting the driver and booker into her pack next to Spike’s belt. “Hopefully he hasn’t gotten too far.” Turning to Celestia, she gave her a hopeful smile. “Would it be alright with we had the guard join in the search?”

“Of course I’ll let the guard help,” Celestia assured, putting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “There’s an injured person wandering around that needs to be returned to the hospital.” Moving towards the door, she glanced back. “We should get moving. He can’t have left the city yet.”

The girls all nodded, giving the princess an affirmation. They moved through the halls with purpose, splitting off into their groups the into their groups the instant they set hoof onto the city streets.

Lupin let out a pleased hum as he sipped at his coffee. Outdoor cafes had always been a favorite haunt of his, and he was quite pleased the ones in this world were up to his fine tastes. Of course, he had the good sense to don a disguise after letting so many ponies witness his transformation. Though said disguise was just dying his mane and fur their inverse colors. It worked well enough, the serving staff at the cafe gave no hint that they believed he was the thief from the day before. His good mood crashed somewhat hard when he spotted a certain pony walking down the street. “Of all the ponies to send...” he grumbled, sitting up in his seat.

“Would you rather they sent some grunt floozy that falls for your superficial charms?” a pink mare asked, taking a seat across from him. Her mane was dull, only the fairest hint of pink in it as it hung limply past her shoulders. She fixed a cold, bordering on lifeless stare at him with icy blue eyes.

“I’d have preferred Midnight,” Lupin shot back, scowling at her. “At least she has the courtesy to smile.”

“Given the stunt you just pulled, I doubt she’d greet you with a smile,” the pink mare retorted putting her elbows on the table and leaning forward. “Somber’s only happy because you made his part of our plans easier.”

“Oh yes, you would be the one to know about smiles wouldn’t you?” Lupin questioned, placing his coffee down on the table. “Tell me, when was the last time you gave a real one?”

The pink mare let out a dark chuckle, tapping her fingers on the table. “You should know quite well when that was, it was on the last mission we went out on together. Though I suppose you weren’t able to see it with my helmet in the way.”

“I try not to remember missions I don’t enjoy.” Lupin snorted, grabbing a backpack and setting it in front of him. “I have the items, as requested. You can check if you must.” Sliding it forward, he eyed her carefully.

She snatched the backpack from off the table, opening it up and peering inside. She flipped through the belts inside, making sure not to let any passerby see. She let out a distinctly equine snort, sitting the backpack in her lap. “Fantastic, the one belt we’re in desperate need of, and it’s not here,” she grumbled. “I suppose it was too much to hope for this world’s Celestia to be completely incompetent.”

“Perhaps Somber will be able to get the location of it from her himself?” Lupin offered sipping at his cup. He’s in the perfect position to gain such information.”

“My thoughts exactly,” the pink mare agreed. “And unlike you, he knows how to maintain his cover.” She shot Lupin a pointed look.

Lupin huffed, leaning back and turning his nose up at her. “I enjoy my work in my own way, Pink. I don’t hassel you over how you go about your’s, don’t bother me over mine.”

“Do not address me as Pink!” the mare growled, one of her hands drifting down to her waist.

“Go on, I dare you.” Narrowing his eyes, he growled back. “If you think Somber was mad when I made my grand reveal, just think how mad he’ll be when he finds two of his generals fighting like petty wolves.”

“Then address me with the respect I deserve,” she seethed, slowly returning her hand to the top of the table. “Is that clear, Blud?”

Blud chuckled, finishing off the last of his coffee. “You know I can’t refuse the request of a lady. Even the psychotic ones. Did you bring me new orders, or do I have some free time?”

The mare shook her head. “No, I’m afraid we have to leave you to your own devices until we actually need you. Enjoy your free time.” She pushed away from the table, picking the backpack up.

“I always do.” Blud grinned at her, raising his empty cup as if to toast her. He chuckled as she walked off without a word. When she was out of sight, he allowed his smile to fall. “Blud, my good man, how did you ever wind up in such company?” He shook his head, setting his cup down as he stared out at the city streets. “Things used to be so simple. A rare painting here, a one of a kind necklace there. Now? I’m associating with psychotic killers.”

“No matter, I’ll survive, just as I always have...”

Pain filled Wyatt’s being with every step he took. His chest in particular felt like it was on fire as his fractured ribs strained his breathing. Only the nagging guilt that wouldn’t leave him alone motivated him to keep walking. He faltered for a moment, his legs threatening to buckle out from under him as his energy waned. He had no real idea where he was going, only that he wanted out of the city. After that, his plans were quarter-baked at best.

Finally giving into the pain, Wyatt sat down on a bench, hissing through his teeth. ‘Why can’t this place just have cars? What I wouldn’t give for a taxi right now.’

He thanked his lucky stars that he had found his clothes that the hospital had taken from him. A shudder ran down his spine at the thought of wandering the city in a hospital gown. The only downside that he had given all the bits in his pocket to Twilight for the hotel rooms. His grimace worsened as he watched a pony climb into a yellow and black carriage. ‘So that’s what passes for a taxi in Equestria,’ he noted, tearing his eyes away from the streets.

‘Where the hell am I even going to go? All my stuff is in Ponyville.’ Groaning, Wyatt let his head loll back and he stared up at the sky. ‘Why was I the one sent here? Anybody else could’ve done a better job. Hell they would have done a better job’ He sighed, letting one of his hands cover his eyes. ‘Hopefully Celestia will find a way to get that driver to work for somebody that’s a better fit for the job. If not, then I’m sure she’ll use the tech to develop weapons, or maybe even new rider systems.’

“Wyatt?” Twilight’s voice cut into his thoughts, dragging him back to reality. She stood a few feet away from him, a worried look on he face. “Are you alright?” Moving over, she ran a small spell over him. “Good, you didn’t aggravate your wounds too much.”

“Why are you worried about me?” Wyatt questioned, his head remaining lolled back to avoid looking at her. “I let your little brother get put in the hospital. He almost died because I wanted to play the part of the hero.”

“You’re my friend, Wyatt.” Twilight reached out and turned his head to look at her. “It’s my job to worry about you.” She graced him with a smile, before slapping him across the face. “I can’t believe you just ran out on us like that!”

Wyatt winced in pain, his cheek stinging from the impact. As it turned out, fur did little to buffer the impact of a good slap. He stared at her in astonishment, the act catching him by surprise. “Gah, what the hell, Twilight?!”

“How could you just give up and run away!?” she demanded, gripping him by the shoulders. “We’re your friends, Wyatt, we’re here for you no matter what!” Letting of him, she pulled him into a tight hug. “Friends don’t abandon each other, especially when their friend needs them.”

“Nobody should need me,” Wyatt replied , holding back a cry of pain as Twilight’s hug agitated his ribs. “I’m not a hero, Twilight. I’m just some dumb kid that got pulled away from his home and family. That driver belongs in the hands of someone who can do some actual good with it.” He trembled a bit, feeling an overwhelming urge to wriggle out of the hug.

Twilight released him, taking a seat on the bench. “I understand why you think that, Wyatt, but it’s not true. You’ve been doing great as Decade.” Reaching over, she took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Wyatt let out a silent word of thanks as his ribs finally felt like they weren’t going to puncture his lungs. He quickly found an interesting crack in the sidewalk, not bothering to pull his hand away from Twilight. “I was useless in that fight, Twilight. All Lupin did was taunt me. He could’ve killed us. I don’t know why he let us live.” He clenched the hand that Twilight wasn’t holding into a fist, his arm shaking. “Maybe he thought that we weren’t worth that kind of effort.”

“You’re not useless, Wyatt.” Twilight frowned, squeezing his hand tighter. “You know, I’ve felt the same way your feeling. It feels like everything about you isn’t good enough, like someone else would have done better in your place.”

Wyatt cracked a weak smile, a derisive chortle escaping his lips. “More like anyone else in my position would be better.” He finally turned his head to look at Twilight, his eyes meeting hers. “But I can’t believe that you’d ever think there are things about you that aren’t good enough. I’ve never met anybody that’s as smart as you. Not to mention dedicated to discovering the inner workings of anything you come across that you somehow don’t already know about. And then there’s the little tidbit that you and the girls have saved Equestria twice.”

Twilight was quiet for a moment before speaking. “When Discord broke free, he messed with each of our minds. He inverted my friends, turned them into the opposites of their elements. It was terrible.” Squeezing his hand tighter, she gazed into her lap. “Discord didn’t have to invert me. Just seeing my friends like that, I just... gave up.”

“Obviously Discord didn’t win,” Wyatt offered. “Even with all of that, you still managed to pull through.” He reached out, putting his other hand on her shoulder. “That’s why you’re a real hero, Twilight. You should be the one with rider powers, not me.”

“The only reason I didn’t leave Ponyville was because I had someone to remind me of everything I learned about friendship.” Looking back up at him, she gazed into his eyes. “You’re not a failure, Wyatt. Not if you don’t give up. If you can’t believe in yourself, than believe in me because I believe in you.”

Wyatt sighed, his expression falling a bit. “I don’t feel like I deserve praise like that.” His eyes bore into hers. “And what am I supposed to do if I run into Lupin again? Spike and I, our best clearly isn’t enough.”

“We’ll think of something,” she assured, leaning in closer. “But you can’t give up. If you give up, Lupin and everypony like him wins.”

He managed a weak smile, giving her hand a squeeze. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice but to keep being Decade.” He patted his chest, holding back a scream of pain. “Not like I can run away effectively at the moment.”

A faint blush appeared on Twilight’s cheeks, suddenly realizing how close she was to Wyatt and how long they had been holding hands. Her heart rate quickened and a sudden urge struck her. She started to lean in, a particular target in mind. Just as her and Wyatt’s lips were a hair’s breadth away, a voice called out to them. “There you are, Twilight Darling!” This snapped the pair out of their trance, both of them scurrying to opposite sides of the bench.

“Y-yeah! We’re over here, Rarity!” Twilight called back, waving her arm a little frantically. “Thankfully, Wyatt didn’t hurt himself worse! We should probably get him back to the hospital as quickly as possible!”

“Yup, time for me to get back to the hospital,” Wyatt agreed, nodding his head a little too much. “Man, I sure was an idiot for running off like that. I nearly keeled over because of this stunt.” He gave Rarity his best smile, hoping she hadn’t seen anything.

“Oh good, I was worried that we’d have a harder time convincing you to come back,” Rarity said with a sigh of relief, putting a hand to her chest. Wyatt scrutinized her face for a moment, not noticing anything that hinted at her knowing more than she let on. “Now, come on Twilight, we need to help Wyatt to his feet and escort him back to the hospital without letting him get hurt more.”

Twilight nodded and the two mares helped Wyatt to his feet with a soft grunt of effort. Despite some protesting on his part, Wyatt leaned on the two mares for support as they made their way back to the hospital. After a few minutes, Twilight and Wyatt’s eyes met in a sidelong glance. Neither of them shared a word, but both of them gave off looks that screamed, “What were we doing?”

Sparks of a Plan

Spike grunted as he stretched his arms out, gritting his teeth as his ribs protested. The days since their return from Baltimare had been more than a little boring. Most of it was spent lounging in his new bed, provided by Celestia, or reading. Not today though. Today he was going to get back to his chores, injuries be damned. With a grunt of effort, he hoisted himself up onto his feet. Pain erupted throughout his chest originating from his ribs. He ignored it, putting on his clothes as fast as his injuries permitted and crept downstairs to avoid alerting Twilight.

“I leave for one week, and the place is a pigsty,” he joked to himself, grabbing his broom and getting to work. “I bet Owlicious had a party while we were gone,” he added, smiling as he returned to his familiar routine. He couldn’t help but notice how much easier some of his chores came to him thanks to his new height. “Actually, I should see about getting paid for my assistant thing...”

He’d have to talk to Twilight about that as soon as she wasn’t confining him to his bed. It was a rather nice change of pace to have her wait on him. The only downside, Twilight’s cooking was terrible. ‘Good thing she has me around’ he thought to himself as he dusted the bookshelves. ‘Otherwise she’d be eating nothing but Hay Burger.’ He snickered at the idea of his sister gaining weight thanks to an all fast-food diet.

By the time he finished his long put off chores, Spike’s body ached and his ribs felt like they were on fire. Still, a sense of pride filled him and he wore a grin as he put his supplies away. “There, now to slip back in bed before Twilight notices.” He crept back up the stairs, practically diving into his bed and pulling the covers over him. The aches in his body were slightly soothed by the plush support of his mattress. Wriggling out of his clothes, he tossed them onto the floor. He yawned, settling into bed and finally giving his body some rest.

Spike’s rest didn’t last long as Twilight stormed upstairs and loomed over him. “Spike why were you downstairs?” she questioned, her tone full of barely contained fury.

Spike yawned, pulling himself into a sitting position. He rubbing at his eyes as if to make it out like she was waking him up.“What’re you talking about, Twi? I’ve been resting up like you want me to.” He made a show of yawning, smacking his lips a few times. “Maybe Wyatt went downstairs for something?”

Twilight narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Then how do you explain how everything is freshly cleaned?” She tapped her hoof on the floor. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

Sighing, Spike let himself fall back onto his bed. “I’m sorry, I just... can’t stand laying around anymore! I dunno, I just can’t sit still anymore!”

Twilight sighed, her look softening as she took a seat on his bed and put a hand on his shoulder. “Spike, I know this is driving you crazy, but you need to rest if you want to get better.” She gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Besides, if you aggravate your injuries, you’ll just have to lay around even longer.”

“Right...” Spike grumbled, his spines wilting. “I dunno, Twilight. I just... it’s hard to just sit here. Part of me wants to get up and move; it’s even hard to read a comic now.”

Twilight smiled, pulling Spike into a one armed hug to be mindful of his damaged ribs. “Your body has just made a substantial change. You’re feeling restless because you have a ton of energy to burn.” Her smile turned a little sad, and she nuzzled the top of his head. “You’re also growing up. I’ve been reading the scrolls Smaug gave us and he included some on dragon development.”

Spike returned the hug, looking up at her. “Anything crazy I should know about? Like anything majorly different from pony puberty?”

“There is one thing,” Twilight spoke, pulling away from him. “But you won’t have to worry about it for a few years yet.”

“What is it?” Spike pressed, tilting his head at her. “I’d like to know just so I can be prepared for it.” He shot up excitedly, pointing at his back. “Does it involve growing wings?!”

Twilight giggled, easing him back down. “Spike, just enjoy what you have now, alright?” She leaned down, placing a kiss on his head. “I know you have to be a rider, but that doesn’t mean you should let your childhood slip away.”

“Ugh, way to be a buzzkill, Twi,” He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m so going to read those scrolls the first chance I get,” he muttered, already considering all the possible places Twilight would store them. “I’m not gonna stay in bed though, I wanna get back to doing stuff.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, getting up from Spike’s bed. “How about this, you stay in bed until I can get a wheelchair for you to use? That should let you get back to some form of independence while preventing you from straining yourself too much.”
“My legs work just fine, Twi,” Spike shot back, frowning at her. “I promise I won’t do anything too crazy, okay? Just, let me walk around and stuff.”

Twilight sighed, thinking it over for a few moments before responding. “Okay, I’ll let you walk around a bit to see how you do. But if I think you’re starting to put too much strain on yourself then it’s right back to bed, mister. Deal?”

“Deal!” Spike grinned, giving her a thumbs up.

Twilight turned, making her way towards the steps. “Glad we could come to a reasonable agreement. Now, I’m going to check on Wyatt; you can come with me to the market when I’m done.” She left him to his own devices, making her way over to Wyatt’s room. Standing outside the door, she found herself hesitating.

Her hand paused at the doorknob to his room in the basement, her face heating up and her heart rate quickening slightly. ‘Ugh, why am I like this?’ she chastised herself, grabbing the doorknob. ‘I’m just going to have a quick conversation with my friend.’ All of a sudden, an image of the moment they shared on the bench appeared in her mind, causing a blush to explode across her muzzle. Shaking away the image, she knocked on the door.

“What’s the password?!” Wyatt’s muffled voice responded.

“I’m coming down, Wyatt,” Twilight replied, opening the door. She made her way down, sighing to herself. ‘Just put it out of your mind, Twilight. It’s not important.’

“Sorry, but that was not the password, please vacate the premises,” Wyatt joked, putting down a comic he had been reading and adjusted himself on his bed.

Throwing up a smile, Twilight walked over to the bed. “At least one of you knows to stay in bed.” She sat down at the edge of Wyatt’s bed, keeping her smile. “Spike snuck out of bed and cleaned up the library.” Sighing a little, she closed her eyes. “You know, I still haven’t told our parents about his growth spurt.”

Wyatt needed a moment to process what she had said, his eyes fixated on her smile. He chastised himself for it, slowly returning the gesture. “Sounds like you’ll have to send them a letter or make a point to visit them. As for me staying in bed, I think I’ve gotten sneaking out of it out of my system.” He nearly winced at that statement, but passed it off with a chuckle.

“Yeah...” Twilight kept her eyes closed, poking her legs together. “How are you feeling? Any new pains or anything?”

Wyatt almost started to shake his head, only to realize how pointless that would be. “No, still the same aches and pains.” He chuckled weakly and rubbed the back of his head. “Which is just about everywhere with how thoroughly my ass was kicked.”

“Right.” Twilight nodded, doing everything she could to not look at him. “Spike and I are going to the store soon, do you want anything?”

He paused, thinking things over for a moment. “Some more juice if we’re out and anything to help me pass the time,” he finally answered. “I’m getting desperate for anything to do but nap here, Twi. I’d even take up knitting or something.”

“You could probably ask Rarity for lessons,” Twilight giggled, finally turning to him with a bright smile etched onto her face. “I’m sure she’d love to teach you.”

“How am I supposed to ask Rarity if I’m not supposed to leave my bed by Doctor Twilight’s orders?” Wyatt questioned, his face warming up slightly. “I’d rather not get her angry; last time I did that, she actually slapped me.”

Twilight whined, looking away again. “Right. Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” he assured, rubbing the spot she had slapped him. He could almost swear he could still feel her handprint there. “I was being an idiot. Losing to Lupin means I need to get better, not run away.” After a moment, he reached out, taking her hand. “Thanks for that pep talk by the way.”

Twilight turned her head from him again, but made no effort to move her hand. “I just said what came to mind, but you’re welcome.”

“You know...” Sitting up, he gave her hands a squeeze. ‘Come on man, you’ve fought monsters. Are you really going to fall into this?’ Taking a breath, he took his chance. “Twi, we should probably talk about... you know.”

A blush bloomed across Twilight’s face and she pulled her hand away from his. She made her ears twitch and she shot up from the bed. “Oh! I think I hear Spike calling me! I’d better go to the market with him!” She zipped out of the basement, taking the steps two at a time.

“Twi!” he called after her, frowning when she ignored him. “Oh this is going to be fun...” Flopping back down onto his bed, he stared up at the ceiling. “At least I know I’m okay with liking a pony-woman. That’s something at least...” He blinked, a sudden weight off his chest at the admission. He rubbed the side of his head, going over what he had just said. “Yeah, I guess I like Twi. Despite how high strung she can be, there is something endearing about her.”

Meanwhile, Twilight stepped up to Spike’s bed, picking up his clothes in her magic and tossing them at his face. “Okay Spike, it’s time to go to the market.”

“Gah.” Spike grabbed his clothes, frowning at her. “You didn’t have to chuck my clothes at me, Twi.” Easing himself into a sitting position, he began to pull his clothes on.

Twilight chuckled nervously, looking between Spike and the door. “Sorry Spike, guess I’m just excited to have a walk around town with my favorite little brother after so long.” She flashed him a strained smile.

Spike gave her a pointed look, ignoring the aches as he slipped his shirt on. “Okay, I’m not gonna ask. You wanna be weird, be weird.” Rising out of bed, he stretched out with a satisfied sigh.

Twilight’s eyes darted to and fro, a nervous sweat forming on her brow. “Weird, I’m not acting weird.” She chuckled, pointing to the stairs. “Anyway, let’s get going. Do you need any help down the stairs?”

“I think I got it.” Stretching his limbs out, he walked out of the room, grinning from ear to ear. “I did it earlier after all, and you weren’t even awake.”

Twilight giggled, her smile matching his. “Okay, it looks like we’re good to go then. Would you like to take the lead to celebrate your health?”

“Heck ya!” he smirked, strutting over to the door and opening it. Suppressing a hiss, he put his hand over his eyes. “Geez, that’s bright! You think we can get Princess Celestia to lower it a bit?”

Twilight shook her head, shooting him a playful glare. “No Spike, we can’t have the princess disrupt the solar cycle just for our benefit.” She gave him a light swat upside the head. “Nice try though.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Spike rubbed his head, moving out of the library. “Feels so good to be out~” he proclaimed, throwing his arms out as if to hug the world.

Twilight smiled brightly, taking a step out into the light. “I’m sure.” She spun on her hoof, flashing her smile at him. “Where would you like to go first? I made sure to get a list ready.” Reaching into her pocket, pulling out said list.

“I’m fine with anything, Twi,” Spike replied, putting his hands in his pockets. “I’m just happy to be out here. But uh,” he paused and scratched his cheek, “what’s on that list?” Leaning over, he perused the list as she spoke. “Shoulda figured we’d need quills and parchment,” he muttered, scanning the seemingly endless page for anything interesting. “Uh, Twi? Why does one of these say ‘sign Spike and Wyatt up for guard training?’”

Twilight smiled brightly, tapping the item in question with a finger. “You and Wyatt are in drastic need of improving your fighting abilities. So I thought it was prudent to sign you up for training that would improve your techniques as well as your physical conditioning.” She swelled up with pride as she concluded her statement.

Spike stared at her for a few moments, a blank look on his face. “And you didn’t consult Wyatt and I because?” he asked, gesturing with his hand.

Twilight’s smile waned slightly, but she didn’t falter. “I wanted it to be a surprise. Of course, I wasn’t going to force you two to do it; I just thought it was exactly what you two were looking for.”

“Well...you’re not wrong,” Spike conceded, running his eyes over the rest of the list. “Okay uh, how about we go with picking up clothes from Rarity.” At the thought of seeing her again, his tail started to swish.

Twilight nodded, rolling up her list and returning it to her pocket. She waved an arm out towards the town before saying, “Then lead the way, Spike. I’m sure she’d be ecstatic to see you up and about.”

Spike’s tail swished a bit faster, unable to keep himself from picturing Rarity fawning over him. A cocky smile spread over his face and he attempted to slick back the spines on his head. “Well then, we shouldn’t keep the lady waiting.” He started off towards the boutique, confidence abound in his stride. “Come on, Twi, we’re burning daylight!” he called back to her, waving at her to follow him.

Rolling her eyes, Twilight followed after him. ‘At least I know he’s feeling better’ she thought to herself, eyes on him just in case he needed her help. ‘I suppose, he doesn’t really need me anymore, does he?’ She then recalled needing to nurse him after gorging himself on ice cream in the aftermath of her time travel panic. She put a hand to her muzzle, failing to stifle a giggle. ‘Guess he isn’t totally self reliant yet.’

The two continued on towards the boutique, Spike straightening out his clothes and attempting to primp himself along the way. Once they reached the building, Spike stopped at the door to check his breath. He nodded in satisfaction and gave the door a series of knocks.

After a few moments Rarity opened the door, sporting the red glasses she always wore while designing. She gasped as soon as she took notice of Spike. “Spikey, what are you doing out of bed?!”

“I needed to get out of my bed for a bit.” Spike played of her concerned, leaning to one side and casually inspecting his claws. “Thought I’d come by and see how those clothes are coming.”

Rarity frowned, poking the drake in the chest and causing him to wince. “Do not make this a regular thing, darling. You need to take it easy so you can recover fully.” She retracted her finger and turned on her hoof. “But, since you are already up and about, I suppose I can show you your new outfit.” She waved the pair inside, leading them to a room filled with mannequins.

“I can’t wait to see it!” Spike eagerly followed after her, eyes brimming with anticipation.

Rarity’s horn lit up, pulling one of the mannequins under a spotlight. The outfit displayed on it was fairly casual: a black pair of jeans that had a hole cut out for Spike’s tail and a shirt. The shirt was a purple button up that was a shade darker than Spike’s scales, with two green stripes running down the sleeves and a green flame design on the right breast.

“Ta-da!” Rarity exclaimed, throwing her hands out towards the outfit. “What do you think, darling?”

“Wow.” Spike stared for a moment before walking around the mannequin. “It’s amazing, Rarity!” He ran his hands over the shirt, nodding at the flame symbol. “This is even better than I had in mind!” Rewarding her with a grin and a thumbs up, Spike beamed.

Rarity swelled up at the praise, putting a hand to her chest. “What can I say, my muse was strong.” Her horn lit up and she picked up a sketchpad. “I’ve also been toying with making clothes based on your rider form like I did for Wyatt.” She opened the sketchpad and displayed it for Spike. The pages showed various shirt designs. One was a deep red and displayed a soaring hawk while others only showed colored outlines that needed detail added to them.

“I really like the hawk one,” Spike commented, sifting through the designs. “Oh, this hoodie looks nice.” The drawing on paper was still incomplete, but from what Spike could see, it had stylized version of his three main animals. “I can’t wait to see this when it’s done.”

Twilight froze for a moment, the mention of Wyatt’s name instantly made her think back to the conversation he had tried to start with her. It was obvious he was going to bring up what had happened in Baltimare, but she barely understood her actions that day. She glanced over at Rarity, collecting her thoughts. Rarity was knowledgeable about relationships, maybe she could help? Her gaze landed on Spike; there was no way she could talk about her feelings with him in the room. A flash of inspiration struck Twilight as she recalled a lesson her mother had given her years ago.

Twilight was around twelve, sitting in her living room across from her mother. Spike, her father and Shining Armor were all out of the house for a Hoofball game and wouldn’t be back for some time. Her mother placed a cup of fresh tea in front of the two of them, taking a deep breath and releasing it.

“Honey, you’re getting older so I think it’s time I taught you an important lesson. One you’ll need as a mare,” Velvet started, grabbing cream and sugar and putting it into her tea.

“What’s that mother?” Twilight asked, watching her mother closely. “Is it magic related?” she beamed, kicking her legs.

“No, dear,” Velvet replied, giggling as she stirred her tea. “This has nothing to do with magic. One day, you’re going to find that you need to get any and all stallions out of a room to engage in, ‘mare talk’. When that time comes, all you have to do is...” She gave off a series of subtle signals, moving her neck towards a stallion that wasn’t there. “Do that, and the mare closest to you will clear out any stallions.”

Twilight giggled, taking a sip of her own tea. “I don’t think I’m ever going to need to use that, mother.”

Twilight blinked, slowly coming back to reality. She focused her gaze on Rarity, gulping. “Here’s hoping this works,” she muttered, giving the other unicorn the exact signals her mother had shown her.

Rarity blinked for a moment before a smile spread across her face and she nodded with understanding. “Spike dear, how about you go up to the loft and see a few of my in progress works?” it was more of an instruction than suggestion, followed by a gentle push to the door.

Spike nodded, stepping away from her touch and making his way to the stairs. “Yeah, I’m up for seeing how some of them look in real life.” He disappeared up the stairs, the faint sound of a door closing reaching them a few moments later.

Once Rarity was sure Spike was out of earshot, she grabbed Twilight by the wrist and pulled her to the sitting room. A wide grin overtook her face and her horn lit up to put a kettle of tea on the stove. “Now tell me everything!” she chirped, letting go of Twilight’s wrist. “Why did you need to have mare talk?!” A look of realization crossed her face and Rarity grinned. “This is about a certain human, isn’t it~?”

Twilight’s muzzle exploded into a blush and she slowly turned her head away from Rarity’s piercing gaze. “W-well, you’re not wrong. I did want to ask you for some advice.” She took a deep breath, explaining to the best of her ability what had happened in Baltimare and earlier that day when Wyatt tried to talk about said event.

“Oh my.” Rarity brought her hand to her mouth. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have interrupted!”

“I have no idea why it was going to happen though!” Twilight cried, throwing her hands into the air. “One moment we were talking and the next I nearly had my first kiss.” She groaned, dragging a hand across her face as she tried to sink into her seat.

“Well, darling, the heart wants what it wants, even if we don’t see it yet.” Rarity leaned back, never losing her smile. “I think you should embrace it! It’s obvious Wyatt shares your feelings, and it would be a shame if the two of you didn’t try and cultivate this budding romance!”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she shot up in her seat. “But what if he doesn’t?! What if he was trying to tell me that things wouldn’t work between us and that nearly kissing was a mistake?! And even if he does like me back, I have no idea where to even begin with a romantic relationships.” Her arms shot forward, grabbing Rarity by the shoulders and shaking the fashionista. “Please help me!”

Despite her mane being tossed about, Rarity kept her smile. “Of course, darling. I’m more than happy to help with your romantic endeavors.” Taking a moment to compose herself, she primped her mane. “Now, tell me; what’s the thing you like most about Wyatt?”

Twilight stopped shaking Rarity, pausing as she wracked her brain for that answer. “Well, I can relate to him. He worries that he’s not worthy to be a rider, and I know that I’ve felt that way about being an element.”

“Mhmm...” Rarity nodded, grabbing her notepad and writing a few things down. “And how do you feel when you think about him?”

“Nervous,” Twilight replied instantly, putting a hand to her chest. “My face heats up and my heart rate goes up considerably.” Her cheek fur darkened, tinting red. “If I let my mind wander, I think about him a lot...” Eyes looking away, she poked her fingers together.

Rarity let out an excited giggle, hurriedly adding every juicy detail into her notes. “Ooh, you are utterly smitten with him from the sound of this! I have no choice but to help you plan the perfect first date.” She shot the purple unicorn a playful grin, arching a brow. “And what do tell do you think about Wyatt when your mind wanders, hmm?” Her horn lit up and she pulled over the steaming tea kettle for them. “I promise not to tell a soul.”

“W-well um...” Twilight’s blushed darkened, and her gaze looked everywhere but Rarity. “Y-you know... stuff...”

“You’re going to have to be more specific than that, darling,” Rarity gently chided, pouring the both of them a cup of tea. “I only ask so I can help plan a perfect outing for you two.” Pausing mid-pour, a knowing smile spread across her face. “Why, Twilight, is our local bookworm having erotic fantasies?”

Twilight’s face became an entirely new shade of red, putting her head down as she nervously wrung her hands together. “...Maybe,” she squeaked out.

“Twilight, dear, relax.” Finishing the pour, she passed Twilight her cup. “I’m not going to judge you, nor am I going to ask for details.” Taking a sip, Rarity hummed in delight. “But, back to my previous question, in your normal fantasies, what do you see yourself and Wyatt doing?”

Twilight took a sip of her tea, trying to relax with a few quick breaths. “Nothing too specific. Sometimes it’s just us walking around Canterlot. One time I even pictured dragging him to a Starswirl the Bearded museum and he feigns enthusiasm for my sake.” She took another sip and managed to fix one eye on the other mare. “Then there's the one where he’s helping me in the lab, and we’re trying to see if humans and ponies can crossbreed.”

“Oh?” Rarity took a long drink, concealing a smile. “Is that fantasy born out of purely scientific curiosity, or are you already thinking about having children with Wyatt?”

Looking into her cup, Twilight scrunched up her muzzle. “Well, it’s been on my mind since we met Spike’s grandfather. My little brother is half-pony and there was no way to tell. Then I thought ‘what other species can ponies hybridize with?’. We know zebras and griffons can, but what about others? Could a pony and a diamond dog have offspring?”

Rarity shuddered at the mention of diamond dogs. “I’m rather glad I don’t have firsthand knowledge in that department.”

“Which is why I’ve been pondering if ponies and humans can breed,” Twilight continued, Rarity’s comment falling on deaf ears. “I’ve been wanting to do a few tests but uh... I don’t want to make things weird with Wyatt.”

“I can understand, asking for a sample to run tests on is something you should wait to do a few months into your relationship,” Rarity offered, gesturing with her hand. “But since dragons and ponies are compatible, I’d say that bodes well for humans.”

Smiling, Twilight took another sip of her tea. “Thanks, Rarity, that means a lot. Though, I’ll still need your help of course.” Her smile faded a little when she noticed the devious look on Rarity’s face. “Oh boy, this might not have been the best idea...”

Rarity put her cup down, grabbing her notepad and scratching something down. “Trust me, darling, this is going to be perfect. Now, I’ll need you to clear your schedule for a day so I can take you to the spa and give you a makeover.”

“Rarity, I really can’t I have things-”

Rarity looked up, a dark look on her face. “Twilight, this is all absolutely necessary. Make time for this.”

Chuckling nervously, Twilight nodded. “R-right consider time made!”

Rarity nodded, her smile returning in full force. She continued to chat with Twilight, going over the details of her plan. Twilight had created a monster, and now she had to pay the price.

Celestia walked down the hall of a facility built into the side of a mountain on the outskirts of Equestria. She had authorized the use of the building for the G-project. Things were picking up, the country’s top researchers working non-stop in order to develop the tools needed to battle monsters.

Nodding at a pair of guards, she stepped into the lab, casually clearing her throat. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

The head researcher, a brown earth pony stallion by the name of Time Turner if she recalled correctly, shot up, walking towards her. “Even if you were, this is your project so you can do whatever you like,” Time Turner replied, a good natured chuckle escaping his muzzle. He swept his hand out to the rest of the team. “How may we help you, Princess? Here to see the progress we’ve made?”

He led her over to a large table where various bits of equipment and materials were strewn about. Laying on the table like some kind of cadaver, was a strange suit of armor. Pieces of it were missing, and what looked like metal framing would be seen at the unfinished areas. “I would like to present the first steps of our project: Rider Armor prototype G-1.”

Celestia smiled, stepping up to the skeleton and putting a hand on one of its limbs. “Very impressive that you’ve managed this much in such a short time.” She craned her neck to fix an eye on Time Turner. “May I see the concepts for the finished armor?”

“Of course, your Highness!” Time Turner guided her over to another table, shuffling some papers. “Here it is!” The armor itself resembled Kuuga to a shocking degree, though it was obvious that it was metallic. “We based the design on the rider images you shared with us.”

“I’m sure Kuuga would approve of the gesture,” Celestia offered, examining the paper for a few moments. Her eyes landed on the desired capabilities of the armor. “Tell me, are you concerned about any potential strain on the user of the armor?”

Turner hummed in thought, rubbing his chin. “It’s entirely possible, Princess. We’re still in the process of getting the frame built. We’ve been testing the servos and hydraulics before adding them to the suit.”

Celestia returned the papers to Turner, nodding at him. “Very good, send me a notice when you have a working prototype. I have volunteers from my guard that are willing and able to test the rider systems you make.”

“Of course.” Bowing his head, Time Turner added. “I’ll see to it personally.” Looking to the side, he frowned. “Though, I will admit, I can’t tell you when we’ll have G-1 ready. This ‘computer’ technology you spoke about, it’s not like anything Equestria’s ever seen. If it were at all possible to obtain one, it would greatly help our research.”

Celestia smiled, a chuckle escaping her lips. “I may just be able to do that for you. I will make a trip to Ponyville and see if I can get you what you need.”

Turner smiled, bowing his head. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Is there anything else I can do for you today?”

“Yes, I would like a copy of your research notes,” Celestia answered, pointing at the files. “This way I can show the G-Project recruits what they’re in for.” Watching as Turner gathered the files, she sighed. ‘Equestria is supposed to be peaceful, and here I am, commissioning weapons. No, not weapons, defenses. The G-series will never be used against another nation, not aggressively at least.’ She glanced over at the bits of armor, her expression hardening. ‘If only these monsters could be fought by normal means.’

Celestia was pulled from her thoughts by Turner handing her a stack of papers. She thanked him, bid farewell to the researchers and made her leave. As she walked through the long, barren hall towards the exit, her mind turned to Wyatt and Spike, hoping for their swift recovery.

Training Day

Wyatt stretched, sighing in relief as he was able to move without searing pain coming from his chest. He had been taken to the hospital the other day and the doctor had given him and Spike clean bills of health. Though he had been sure to warn them to take it easy for a while. The only slight dark spot was that Twilight kept dodging the conversation he wanted to have with her. He frowned, trying to consider a way to get her to listen. His train of thought was derailed as he heard a knock at the front door.

“I’ll get it!” Spike called, rushing down the stairs. Fixing his spines, Spike jogged over to the door. “Hello!” he greeted, opening the door and smiling brightly. “How can we help you today?”

He was greeted by the sight of a middle-aged pegasus mare dressed in a sleeveless shirt and black basketball shorts. Her fur was a yellowish orange and her mane was red with orange streaks going through it. A part of him wanted to call her pretty for her age, but the hardened look on her face killed that idea. “Hello,” she said. “I am Flash Fire, I’m here for the training regimen.” She looked him over with icy blue eyes. “You must be Spike Sparkle.”

“Er, Spike Bahamut Sparkle now,” he corrected, shifting under her gaze. “Please come in.” Stepping to the side, he gestured for her to enter. “But, yeah, that’s me.”

“My apologies,” Flash replied, walking into the living room. “Do you wish for me to address you by your full name during training? Or is simply Spike fine?”

“Spike is fine, the whole thing is kinda’ a mouthful.” Spike closed the door and put his hands to his mouth. “Hey, Wyatt! Twilight! The trainer is here!”

Wyatt rushed up the stairs, adjusting his own workout gear. He waved at her and offered her a small smile. “A pleasure to meet you, ma’am. I’ll try my best with the training, but I don’t exactly have a lot of experience.”

Flash Fire looked between them, clasping her hands behind her back. “This isn’t going to be a work out. I’m going to give you two a shortened version of the training guard recruits get, along with more advanced techniques and a few Flash family secrets. This won’t be easy and it won’t be fun.”

“I wasn’t expecting fun when I agreed to this, ma’am,” Wyatt assured, motioning between himself and Spike. “But Spike and I are serious about this. Do what you have to to get us up to snuff.”

Flash Fire nodded, her expression remaining unchanged. “Very well, gather up anything you think you’ll need and we can begin at once. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you what to grab.” Turning to the door, she fluffed her wings. “Meet me in Ghastly Gorge.”

Wyatt and Spike shared a look before returning to their rooms to grab their supplies. Once they were ready, Spike led Wyatt to the gorge. The place was bleak, gray stone dominating the area with large holes in the canyon walls. In the distance Wyatt could make out what appeared to be a large bramble patch. They spotted Flash Fire doing stretches in the middle of the canyon.

“It’s about time the two of you showed up,” Flash Fire greeted, pulling herself into a standing position. “Now, I need to know everything you’re capable of. Princess Celestia gave me a brief overview, but I want to see it for myself.”

Wyatt and Spike exchanged a concerned look, the young man turning back to her. “And what all was said in this overview?” Wyatt questioned, raising a brow.

Flash Fire’s eyes seemed to harden, and she widened her stance. “I’m here to train you to fight monsters, colt. The Flash family can trace our blood all the way back to Flash Magnus. If anyone is going to get you ready, it’s us. That’s why the princess asked this favor of us.” A smirk crossed her muzzle. “And let me tell the two of you, we Flashs have one Tartarus of a standard, so if I’m gonna teach you, I’m going to teach you like Flashs. Is that understood?”

Wyatt relaxed, nodding at her. “I understand completely, ma’am. Like I said before, you’ll get nothing but my best effort.” Setting his things down, he gave her an unsure look. “But, what did you mean by seeing what we’re capable of? Like a sparring match or something?”

Flash Fire’s smirk grew, and she dropped into a fighting stance. “Quick on the uptake, colt. I want you two to try and knock me down.”

Spike placed his own bags down, looking between Flash Fire and Wyatt. “Well, uh, I’ve just been following my instincts, ya know? I really don’t know how to fight.”

“I’m not much better,” Wyatt offered, dropping into a stance of his own. “I’ve been mimicking moves from Kung-Fu movies and rider series. But that’s why we’re here. You don’t ask for training if you’re a master.”

“Right...” Spike rubbed his neck, pulling Medajalibur from his pack. “Do we use weapons or just ours limbs?” he asked, glancing from the blade to Flash Fire.

“We’ll stick to hand to hand for now,” Flash Fire answered, holding her stance. “I’ll bring some weapons for next time and we can practice sword techniques then. Now both of you, come at me.”

Wyatt glanced at Spike, motioning with his head at Flash Fire’s side. When he was sure that Spike got the message, he rocketed towards Flash Fire. When he got in close, he spun on his heel and tried to kick the mare in her left side. Flash Fire caught his leg and spun on her hoof. With a heave, she tossed him towards Wyatt. Wyatt sidestepped the dragon flying towards him, wincing as Spike crashed against a rock. He helped the drake to his feet and the two rushed towards the mare. Spike tried to punch her in the gut while Wyatt attempted to kick her in the ribs.

“Come on, be creative.” Flash knocked aside Spike’s fist and expertly grabbed Wyatt’s leg. Raising her elbow up, she brought it down on his knee before throwing him into the dirt.

Wyatt hissed in pain, his knee throbbing with his heartbeat. He managed to pull himself to his feet, gritting his teeth to ignore his knee. Spike tried to follow up with an elbow of his own, only to catch a knee in the gut.

“You two really are green,” Flash commented as she roundhouse kicked Spike in the side. “I guess we’ve been getting lucky with you two.”

That struck a chord with Wyatt, his gaze hardening. The worst part, he agreed with her. An idea struck him, his eyes landing on Flash’s wings as they remained firmly on her back. He ran around the mare, trying to kick her in one of the feathery appendages.

“See? That’s much better,” Flash complimented, ducking under his leg. She spread her wings, whacking him in the thigh. “Don’t be predictable,” she coached, ramming her shoulder into his gut.

Wyatt staggered for a moment, trying to grab her shoulder and pull her to the ground. His efforts were rewarded with a face full of feathers, and a sweep to the legs. A grunt passed his lips as he landed on his back.

“Not a bad thought,” Flash offered, planting a hoof on Wyatt’s stomach. “An opponent’s options are limited while on the ground.” She applied pressure to his stomach, getting a grunt from the young man. “But your attempts were sloppy and had no technique to it.” She held a hand up to stop Spike’s next attack. “That’s enough for now.” Getting off Wyatt, she brushed her fur off.

Wyatt rubbed his stomach as he got to his feet. “What, bored of handing our asses to us already?” Tsking at his dirty clothes, Wyatt did his best to get the dirt off. “What now, Flash Fire?”

Flash Fire chuckled, putting her hands on her hips. “I’ve seen you at your basic level, now show me what you can do when you’re all suited up.” Moving over to the side, she took a seat. “Go on, entertain me.”

Wyatt was going to question her methods, but decided against it in order to stay on her good side. In a moment, he summoned up his driver and he was standing in his Decade armor. Spike quickly followed suit, donning his TaToBa form. Spike grabbed Medajalibur and gave it a flourish before pointing it at Wyatt.

“You ready?” Spike asked, taking a step forward. A beat past and he leapt forward, slashing his blade at Wyatt’s chest.

Wyatt rolled out of the way, unfolding his card case into its blaster mode. He rose to a kneeling position and let loose a volley of shots at Spike. Sparks flew off of Spike’s armor and the drake staggered back a step before planting his feet firmly. An idea struck Wyatt as he pulled out a pair of cards. He slotted the first one and pressed the handles on his driver.

“Kamen Ride: Faiz!” the belt called out, Wyatt’s armor shifting. The main color became black with a silver chest piece that had red highlights. Two small, silver shoulder pads had a red stripe on the sides of them. Red lines went down from the stomach and to the boots. The helmet was dominated by two yellow, orb-like eyes that were divided by small red antennae.

Wyatt rose to his feet, showing off the other card. “Hey Spike, you remember that comic you lent me where the protagonist has a robot companion?”

“Yeah, why?” Spike asked, eyeing Wyatt suspiciously. Reaching into his medal container, he pulled out a few more, taking a step back. ‘I don’t know what this rider does, better get a plan together.’

Wyatt dropped the card into the driver and pushed the handles together. “Attack Ride: Auto Vajin!” Silhouettes formed in front of Wyatt before converging together and solidifying into a mecha. It stood a couple heads taller than Wyatt, and the majority of its body was made up of silver metal. Its head resembled a motorcycle helmet and its eyes were made up of a black visor. On its chest was a red and yellow symbol that resembled Wyatt’s helmet. In its left hand was a large tire that had a series of gun barrels along it.

“No real reason,” Wyatt replied, pulling a thin fencing saber from one of the handlebars on the mecha’s shoulders.

“Oh that’s just messed up, Wyatt,” Spike groaned, medal combinations buzzing through his mind. “Right, I got this.” Swapping his medals around, he scanned them, stabbing Medajalibur into the ground.

“Unicorn! Unagi! Sasori!”

Wasting no time, he cracked his whips, sending one onto the mecha’s gun arm. “I gotta ask though, is that thing ground or what?” Smirking under his helmet, he sent as much voltage as he could into the machine.

Sparks flew around the mecha, and it writhed as it tried to free itself from the whips. Wyatt tsked, slicing at the whips. The action caused the electricity to spread to him for a moment.

“You’re just jealous that you can’t summon your own mech,” Wyatt retorted, turning his attention to Spike and stabbing at the drake’s chest.

“Why would I want to?” Spike countered, blasting Wyatt back with a blast of magic. “I don’t need add ons to put up a good fight.” Releasing the mecha from his whips, Spike swung his leg out, one of the sasori chains wrapping around the mecha’s ankle. “What’s that saying about heavy things falling over?”

The mech seemed to sense what was about to happen, pointing its gun arm at Spike, the tire beginning to spin rapidly. After a moment, a hail of bullets rushed towards the drake. Spike let out a yelp of surprise, leaping as far as the chain would allow him.

Wyatt stabbed at the chain that bound his mech, shattering it after a few attempts. He then nodded at the mech, the two of them trying to flank Spike.

“Okay come on, think...” Spike muttered, glancing between his two opponents. “I might feel this later but, how about a pink combo?” Convincing himself it’d be fine, he swapped his medals out once more, slotting the pink medals into the belt. He ran the scanner over the medals, dropping into a stance.

”Unicorn! Pegasus! Earth Pony!” Spike’s driver called out, a tune starting to play. ”UniSaPo, UniSaPo, Uni-Sa-Po!~”

Unlike the strain he felt when using the black combo, Spike felt... calm. A kind of serenity he had never felt before washed over him, casting away his worries and anxieties. He took a breath, letting the feeling spread through him. The head and chest peices of his armor remained as they had when he’d used the Unicorn and Pegasus medals before. His legs sported large pink greaves, with thick armor around his feet that made them resemble hooves. The emblem on his chest displayed one unified image: an alicorn with wings spread and horn held high.

Wyatt clicked his tongue, eyeing the pink wings on Spike’s back. “Well, I’m at a distinct disadvantage,” he muttered, his eyes drifting to his case. He pulled one out, putting it into his driver. “But not for long.”

“Displaced Ride: Cassie!” In an instant, Wyatt’s armor changed and he spread electrical wings of his own.

Clapping his wings, Spike took to the sky. Reveling in the feeling for a moment, Spike moved his hands in upwards motion. All around him, transparent, pink butterflies formed and swarmed around him. It took Wyatt a second to recognize them as the image of Fluttershy’s cutie mark.

Wyatt braced himself, wondering what Spike could be up to with such a move. Surprise took over his apprehension, as Spike was nowhere to be found when the swarm dispersed.

“Right, Dash’s speed,” Wyatt muttered, wrapping his wings around him like a shield as he searched for Spike. His brow furrowed beneath his helmet, finding no trace of the drake. “Whaddya think so far, boss lady?” Sparing a glance at Flash Fire, he did his best to gauge her reaction.

“You two let your flashy powers do the heavy lifting in a fight,” Flash Fire replied, crossing one of her legs over the other. “But, you do seem okay with your sword given your lack of training. Guess you learn well under pressure.” She smirked a little. “I’ll make a note of that.”

Wyatt had a bad feeling about her statement, but didn’t get to dwell on it as a draconic missile slammed into his side, sending him tumbling into a boulder. Spike grunted and his muscles locked up for a few moments as electricity coursed through him. Wyatt managed to pull himself to his feet, firing off more electricity at Spike.

Spike threw up a small barrier, the electricity crashing into it and creating a spiderweb of cracks along its surface. Bringing his leg up, Spike stomped it down, sending a quake down into the ground.

Wyatt flapped his wings, taking to the sky to avoid being knocked over by the tremors. Once he was up in the air, he conjured up bolts of electricity and sent them towards Spike’s head. Spreading his arms out, Spike conjured up a blue shield in the shape of a diamond, taking the hit. Wyatt grumbled to himself for a moment, watching the electricity slide off the shield. Once the last of the energy dissipated, Wyatt drew his sword and dive bombed Spike.

Spike pushed off the ground, meeting Wyatt in the sky. The two traded blows for some time, most of which were blocked by both parties. Both of them could feel their energy waning and had the idea to put their remaining strength into one last attack. The two reared their fists back, punching one another in the jaw.

Flash rolled her eyes as both of them reverted back to normal and fell to the ground. “I didn’t tell you idiots to go all out, I only needed to see what you could do.” Rising to her hooves, she made sure to check them both for injuries. “You two are lucky you didn’t break anything in that fall.”

“So, how’d we do?” Spike asked, rising into a sitting position and rubbing where Wyatt had hit him. The strange serenity seemed to cling to him, giving him an odd sense of calm. “I think I did pretty good.”

“You two have a good grasp on your rider abilities,” Flash commented. “Watching that match actually gave me some hope that you two haven’t just bumbled your way to your wins. I might just be able to turn you into presentable warriors.”

With a quick jab of her fist, she sent Wyatt back to the ground; clutching his stomach. “I’m not here to turn you into guards. Any pony can pick up a spear and have routines drilled into them. Equestria needs heroes to keep the common pony safe, to do the things nopony else can do. The kinds of ponies that’ll have legends told about them. Now.” Glaring down at Wyatt, she snorted. “Get back up.”

Wyatt wordlessly pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the urge to vomit Flash’s punch had brought up. A part of him wanted to say something in retaliation, but he knew it would only result in him getting another punch. He had no idea how to read the mare; one minute she was offering them support, the next she went stereotypical drill instructor.

Flash nodded, clasping her hands behind her back. “Good, you don’t let a little pain get you down. You’re going to need that.” Holding her hands out, she looked between the two. “I want your swords, now.”

Wyatt summoned his card case once more, presenting it to Flash. “Are you sure this isn’t just ceremonial? I mean, I can just recall this anytime I want.”

Flash narrowed her eyes at him. “I said sword, and I expect you to hand me your sword.”

“This is my sword,” Wyatt replied, unfolding the case into its blaster and sword forms with a few quick motions. “Se-” Once it was in sword form, Flash swiped it from his hands and reward him with a strike to the leg.

“I asked for your sword,” she repeated, taking Medajalibur from a reluctant Spike. Stepping over to her bags, she placed the swords on the ground and dug into her bags. “Your swords are unique, it’ll be worthless to train you with sparring ones.” Pulling a grey cloth from her things, she wiped down both blades. Once done, she rose up and offered the weapons back.

Wyatt and Spike took the weapons, holding the points to the ground before waiting for their next instruction.

“I didn’t say stand there like idiots.” She grunted, slapping them both upside the head. “Ask questions for Faust’s sake! Don’t just blindly do what I say!”

“Okay, then what was that you did to our blades and what do you want us to do now?” Wyatt asked, bracing himself for another hit.

“I can’t have you two swinging ridiculous things like these at each oth all willy nilly.” Flash stepped back, clasping her hands behind her back. “That cloth is a Flash family invention, it places a ward over any weapon it’s used on. You two can go at it all night and the only things you’ll end up with are bruises and broken bones. You’ll reapply this ward every night, after your sparring sessions.”

“And are you going to teach us better techniques?” Spike asked, running his hand along the blade, noticing that the edge had been dulled like she had said. “Or do you just want us to have at it first like we’ve been doing?”

“Just begin sparring and I’ll shout critiques at you two greenhorns,” Flash Fire confirmed.

The two continued their training for a while, Flash working them to the point of exhaustion. She continued to ride the line between harsh and supportive, shouting instructions at them all the while. Eventually, she could see that the two could take no more and sent them home for the day.

Meanwhile, three fillies had been hiding at the top of a cliff and watched the training with interest.

“This is crazy!” Scootaloo chirped, taking another picture as the two riders sparred under Flash’s watch. “Wyatt was the guy who saved my life!” A cold tingle ran down her spine as she thought back to the monster that she had met with.

“Mine too!” Apple Bloom agreed, hurriedly scribbling down notes as she looked between her notepad and the fight. “Ah mean, not to be mean or nothin’, but Wyatt always seemed too scrawny t’be a cool hero like that.” She stopped writing for a moment to focus on the fight. “Guess there’s more t’him than meets the eye.”

Looking away from the canyon, Sweetie Belle gave her friends an unsure look. “Should we really be doing this? I mean, they have to have a reason for hiding this from ponies...”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo shared a look for a few moments before their own expressions fell. “You’re right, Sweetie,” Scootaloo agreed, rubbing the back of her head and putting her camera away. “Spilling the secrets of somepony that’s saved my life doesn’t sit right with me. But, what are we gonna tell Diamond Tiara?”

“We can just show her the other stories we have,” Apple Bloom assured, putting away her notepad. “This can just stay between us. We’ve already got the town mad at us, Ah don’t want the princesses mad too.”

“Um, didn’t we already have that story about Princess Celestia printed?” Sweetie Belle questioned. “That one might be a foregone conclusion.” Standing up, she brushed her dress off. “We should get out of here before we get seen.”

The other two nodded, getting up and sneaking away from the canyon to avoid being detected by the two riders. Making their way back into town, they passed a grey mare carrying a silver case, with a knapsack over her shoulder. She regarded them with an impassive look, heading into Sugarcube Corner.

“Huh, never seen her ‘round here before,” Apple Bloom commented. She looked between her two friends. “Think she’s movin’ to town? Ah mean, she was carryin’ luggage with her.”

Scootaloo pushed her hands into her pocket, shrugging her shoulders. “If she does move in, then Pinkie will throw her a party.” Her eyes followed the mare, giving her an idea. “Maybe we should make a story about her!”

Sweetie Belle turned to her, an excited gasp leaving her muzzle. “That’s a great idea! If we get a good story about her, then we can toss out our notes about Wyatt and Spike!”

“Yeah, that way we can keep their superhero identities a secret!” Apple Bloom agreed, prompting the other two into a group high five. The three rushed into Sugarcube Corner, unaware that a certain lanky pegasus colt had been within earshot of their conversation.

Diamond Tiara could barely contain her excitement as she walked into her mansion. In her bag were photos that Featherweight had nabbed from the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She giggled to herself at thought of the next day’s paper blowing all the previous ones out of the water. The Foal Free Press would actually expose the identity of the Kamen Riders instead of ones run by an adult! That thought in particular made her pride swell.

“Those blank flanks finally made themselves useful! I’ll go down in history for this!” Giving a bit of a twirl, Diamond beamed all the way into the den. “Perhaps I should reward them for their ‘hard work’?” Thinking for a moment she nodded her head. “I suppose I can cut them some slack for a while.”

Her father was waiting for her in his chair, a nightcap sitting next to him and a book in his hands. Upon hearing her voice, he put his book down and gave her a hard to read look. “Diamond, please take a seat,” he swept his hand over to the sofa that sat in front of the fireplace. “I’d like to have a talk with you.”

“Of course, father.” Meeting his look with a frown, she placed her bookbag down on the table and took a seat on the sofa. “Did I do something wrong? I think I’ve been doing good! The Foal Free Press is the best it’s ever been with me as Editor, so you don’t have to worry about that!” Putting on her best smile, she primped her mane, confident she could sooth over her father's worries.

Her father’s look remained the same, leaning forward as he put his elbows in his lap. “From a numbers perspective, you are absolutely right; the Foal Free Press has never done better. But, you’ve completely derailed the paper from its intended goals. Instead of sharing the upcoming events and news of your school; you’re breaching everypony’s privacy and airing their dirty laundry. What you’re doing is highly unethical, Diamond.”

“Father!” Diamond scoffed, flinching as if slapped. “I’m just giving ponies what they want! They want to know everypony else's deep, dark secrets!” Snatching her bag off the table, she pulled out her prized photos. “Just look at these! The Foal Free Press will be known nationwide when we publish this story!”

Filthy took the photos and studied them for a few moments. His eyes nearly bulged from his skull when they landed on the photo of a flying Spike in frame. His eyes lingered on the emblem on Spike’s armor, causing him to get up and moving over to the fireplace. He pulled a small chest off the shelf and opened it to reveal a small stash of medals. He picked one up, examining it and the photo. “Well I’ll be,” he muttered.

Turning to his daughter, he cleared his throat. “Diamond, I am very ashamed you thought about publishing these pictures. This isn’t about somepony dying their hair or some other mundane thing. This.” He shock the pictures to emphasize his point. “Concerns the security of our entire nation. Do you have any idea what could happen if their identities got out?”

Diamond rolled her eyes. “Of course I do; ponies will swarm them and lavish them with praise like the heroes they are, and then I’ll go down in history for discovering the identity of Equestria’s greatest monster hunters!” She beamed, putting a hand to her chest.

“Revealing their identities would not only compromise Equestria’s national security, it would also put their families and friends in danger.” Flithy opened his vest, placing the offending photographs into his inner pocket. “You are not to breathe a word of this to anypony, is that clear?”

“But Da-” she cut herself off as her father gave her a harsh look. She wilted, though a thought suddenly struck her. Her eyes fell on the small chest her father had opened. “Daddy, why did you look at those coins when I gave you those photos?”

Looking at her for a moment, Filthy softened his look. “Come along, Diamond, we have business to attend to.” Placing the coin he had taken into his pocket, he moved over to the curio cabinet. “Be a good girl and meet me at the door, alright?”

“Okay, Daddy.” Diamond grabbed her bag and made her way to the doorway. She turned around and watched her father for any hint of what was to come.

“The front door, Diamond,” he added, not looking back at her.

“Are we going out somewhere?” Diamond questioned, doing as he said as she stepped over to the front door. Very rarely was her father very stern with her, only the times she got in trouble for bothering the blank flank Crusaders. “Does with have something to do with the riders?”

“This is a family matter, Diamond,” her father replied, carrying one of the older photo albums tucked under his arm. “Now, come along.” Reaching down, he took her hand,making a point not to take the carriage as they left the estate.

Diamond’s mind was abuzz with questions as she and her father walked down the darkened streets of Ponyville. As far as she knew, she had no family within walking distance of their house. She almost considered that they were going to the train station, but her father would have taken her mother along if that were true.

Stepping up to the Golden Oaks front door, Filthy knocked lightly. “I do hope they’re in, otherwise, this would have been a bit of a waste.”

“Coming!” Spike’s familiar voice called out, opening the door a few moments later. A look of surprise crossed his face as he looked the two over. “Um, how may I help you, Mr. Rich?”

“Ah, good you’re home.” Filthy greeted Spike with a smile. “If you have the time, my daughter and I have some important things to discuss with you.” Gesturing to Diamond, he reached into his vest, producing one of the photos. “I believe you know what this is?”

Spike gaped as he stared in disbelief at the photo revealing his secret. “Um, please come inside,” he managed to say, stepping back and motioning them towards the den. “Oh, Twilight is gonna kill us,” he muttered as they walked past him.

Filthy stepped over to the couch, taking a seat. “I take it Ms. Sparkle and Mr...?”

“It’s Matthews,” Spike finished for him, moving over to the kitchen to prepare some drinks. “And yeah, they’re both out. Twilight’s with Rarity and Wyatt got called in for a meeting at his paper.”

Filthy nodded, placing the album on the table. “Master Spike, I must ask; where did you get your abilities from? They wouldn’t happen to come from coins, would they?”

Spike nodded, pouring three glasses for them and grabbing a tray of snacks. “That’s right, my grandfather made them and the belt I use to harness them.” He figured there was no reason to hide anything considering they already knew his secret.

“I figured as much.” Retrieving the coin from his pocket. “This and several like it have been in my family for several generations.” Offering it to Spike, he continued. “They were created by my great-great-great-great-great-great-great uncle, Star Dust.”

“That’s my father’s name!” Spike blurted out, bringing the tray into his guests. His mind reeled from the news. “Are you trying to say that we’re related?”

Filthy nodded, glancing at the photo album. “Star Dust’s sister, Dust Bowl, was the matriarch of the Rich family. The last time she saw him, he told her he had to find his family and left those coins in her care.”

Spike looked down at the coin in Filthy’s hand, his expression falling a bit. “My Dad went missing searching for my lost egg. Even my grandpa has no idea what happened to him.” He clutched his glass tightly. “Now it’s my turn to find a trace of him.” Extending his hand, he took the coin from Filthy. It was aqua colored, and seemed to depict a hermit crab with a spiral shell. “You need to give me those coins,” he said, looking up at Filthy. “These can corrupt somepony and turn them into a monster if they’re not careful.”

“Wait!” Diamond spoke up, a deep frown etched onto her face. “You’re telling me I’m related to him?” Pointing at Spike, her frown deepened. “But he’s a dragon!! Why would someone in our family lower themselves to that level!?”

Spike glared at Diamond, smoke pouring out of his nostrils. “Excuse me? I think I might be misinterpreting your question.” He leaned forward, his eyes boring into her. “Just what are you trying to say about my mother and I?”

“You’re not even a pony!” Diamond threw her hands up in exasperation. “You didn’t even wear clothes into recently, you uncouth reptile! To think we’re related is just...” Making a face, she stuck her tongue out, making a gagging sound.

“Diamond Dust Tiara!” Filthy boomed, glaring at his daughter. “That is enough!” He brought his hands down on the table, rattling their drinks violently. “I cannot believe I’m hearing this sort of bigotry from my daughter. Apologize to your cousin this instant or I’ll send you to boarding school so quick your cutie mark will fly off!”

“But Daddy!” Diamond whined, looking up petulantly. After a few moments under his gaze, she wilted and flicked her ears back. “I’m sorry, cousin Spike.”

Spike’s look softened and he held his hand out to her. “No hard feelings, cousin. I got used to being mocked by the other dragons when I went on the migration.”

Diamond stared at his hand for a moment before taking his hand. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

Spike shook her hand for a little bit before releasing it. “Look at it this way, you can ask favors from a superhero,” he offered, giving her a grin.

“Hmmph, that’s a dangerous offer to make me,” she replied, a small smile cracking across her muzzle. “I could think of a few things to use super powers for.”

Filthy relaxed, a small sigh escaping his lips as he looked between the two. “I am glad to find out that Star Dust’s progeny is still among us.” He tapped his hand against the table. “I hope you don’t mind if you see much more of us.” Smile fading slightly, he looked at Diamond. “I’ll have a talk with my daughter about her little... outburst.”

“Try not to give her too hard of a time,” Spike said, glancing between his two guests. “I don’t think she’s going to do anything like that again. Will ya?” he asked, locking onto Diamond’s face.

Diamond rubbed her arm, looking away from Spike. “No, I’m not going to do anything like that again. Sorry again.” She peeked back at him, smiling weakly. “Daddy’s always saying that family is important.”

“Then you guys will fit right in with the Sparkles and my grandpa.” Spike’s eyes lit up as soon as he said that. “Oh, you guys should come with us when we see Smaug again! He’s going to do this ceremony that binds our families and makes everyone part of the clan!” Spike clapped his hands, lacing his claws together.

“Smaug is Peridot’s father yes?” Filthy asked, opening the album and turning it to Spike. “Your father was a rather eccentric stallion. He was even princess Celestia’s student for a time.”

Spike leaned in to get a closer look at the album. The photos were timeworn, though he could still make out some details in the haze of grain. There were two ponies in the photo, a stallion and a mare. He focused on the stallion, staring at a crude pair of glasses that rested on his muzzle. His mane was fairly long and seemed to have two color tones in it.

“Wait, how are there photos of him?” Spike questioned, looking up at Filthy. “He lived centuries ago.”

“Star Dust was an inventor, he made many devices we still own the patent to. One of his more widely known inventions was the camera,” Filthy explained, chuckling at Spike’s look. “He never refined it but, it was indeed his creation.”

Spike scratched the side of his head and glanced back at the picture. “Grandpa did say that Dad was a scholar. And somepony would have to be eccentric to go up to dragons to try and study them.” Gingerly reaching down, he traced a claw along the stallion’s image. “Thank you for showing me this, Mr. Rich,” he said, looking up at Filthy. “This goes well with the memory crystal my parents left me.”

“Please, Spike, call me Rich.” Filthy reached over, putting his hand on Spike’s shoulder. “We’re family.” Placing his other hand on the album, he squeezed Spike’s shoulder. “We’ll have to put aside some time to get you caught up with the family history.”

Spike smiled, glancing between the album and Rich. “It’s pretty nice to finally have a family history to go over.”

The trio continued to chat for some time, Diamond Tiara relaxing as the conversation went on. Her father’s admonishment replayed in her head as she looked at Spike. Her expression fell, guilt overwhelming her at the thought of nearly exposing the tightly held secret of a member of her own family.

‘He’s a scaley loath,’ she recalled her mother’s words on Spike, a few weeks after he and Twilight had moved in. ‘Letting that lazy little fire hazard stay in a library, what was the princess thinking? He must be a pity project of hers, some attempt to civilize those brutes.’

Diamond frowned, staring down at the cup of tea Spike had made for her. She quickly took a sip, desperate to avoid looking at her reflection. ‘You’re wrong, Mother. Spike isn’t lazy. And he’s not a pity project. As strange as it is, he’s family.’ She managed a small smile, the thought making her feel a bit better.

After a while, Filthy stood up, motioning for Diamond to do the same. “It has been a pleasure, Spike, but I believe it’s time Diamond and I made our leave. She has school in the morning.” He smiled, putting a hand on Spike’s shoulder. “Do feel free to visit the manor at any time; the door’s always open to family.”

“Thanks, I think I’ll stop by soon.” Getting to his feet, Spike saw them to the door. “Though, the same goes to you guys too, Golden Oaks never turns away family.”

The pair nodded, saying their goodbyes before making their way back to their home. Spike closed the door, his tail swishing behind him as he cleaned up the unfinished snacks, the hermit crab medal tucked safely away in his pocket.

Filthy sat in his study, an oil lamp steadily burning beside him as he stared at a mostly filled out check made out to the crown. Specifically the G Project. All that remained was to finalize an amount. He tapped his chin with his quill for a moment before deciding to write a one followed by seven zeroes under amount. With the matter settled, he placed the check in an envelope along with a letter he had written earlier.

“Filthy,” Spoiled Rich called, stepping into the room. “I just found out from our beautiful daughter about your little trip to the library. I don’t believe for a second that little ruffian is related to us.” Sticking her nose into the air, she stepped over to him. “It’s all just a scam to get at our fortune.”

“I’m the one who discovered it,” Filthy countered, looking up at his wife. “He had no idea that my great grandmother was his father’s sister. Besides, the Sparkles are a prominent family in their own right, money is the last thing he’d be chasing.”

“He’s not even a Sparkle!” she argued, grabbing his shoulders. “He’s just some scaley urcheon that everypony has taken pity on!”

Filthy put his hands over his wife’s giving them a gentle squeeze. “By all rights, Spike has been adopted into the Sparkle family. And he is my family by blood. Honey, his father is one of the reasons that we are as wealthy as we are. This mansion would be a quarter of its size without our patents.”

“As if that cretin has any pony blood in him!” she chided, pulling her hands away from his. “He’s just like all those other dragons, only he’s a lot more civilized! It’s a wonder he hasn’t been tossed back out with them. Good riddance, I’d say.”

“You’ve never even shared a sentence with the lad,” Filthy argued, tapping his fingers against the arm of his desk chair. “He is no cretin or ruffian, Spoiled. He’s a model colt with a bright future ahead of him.” Pushing away from his desk, he rose up and turned to face her. “I will make one thing clear, Spoiled, I will not have you spreading those bigoted views in this home, nor to Diamond Tiara. When Spike visits, and he will, you will treat him with the same respect you’d give anypony else, is that clear?”

Spoiled’s face contorted into a mask of rage. “I will not have a dragon in my home,” she hissed.

“It’s not up for debate,” Filthy replied, his eyes firm. “I’ve let you get away with a lot, Spoiled, but this is where I draw the line. You will not put those vile, specist thoughts in our daughter's head and you will not treat Spike like he’s beneath you.”

Spoiled growled, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “You are impossible, Filthy!” she boomed, spinning on her heel. “Fine, let him into our house! Let every single bucking dragon into this place for all I care!”

“Spike is family, Spoiled!” Filthy shouted, his temper at wits end. “And we treat family with respect!”

Spoiled groaned, throwing her hands into the air. “I am done with this conversation, Filthy. If you want to claim a dragon into your family, it seems I can’t stop you.” Before Filthy could respond, she stormed out of the room. “I can’t believe that oaf!” she ranted to herself, barging into the den. “Defiling our esteemed family like this!”

She turned and faced the family portrait, glaring up at the depiction of her husband. Her eyes then slowly drifted to the chest containing the medals. She picked it up and pulled one of the medals out. “Damned Star Dust, had to lay with a dragon. How can Filthy respect such a stallion?” She snorted, gripping the medal tightly and pulling out another. “Why did he have to be the origin of this family’s wealth?”

Removing the last, she held them up to the flickering light of the fireplace. “Just what makes these so special? Are these some kind of magic? Or were you trying to be an artist, Star Dust?” The light caught one of the coins just right, reflecting light directly into her eyes. She winced, but a moment later she straightened up. She couldn’t explain it, but she could feel a surge of some unknown energy flowing into her.

“I think I’ll hold onto these for a while,” Spoiled muttered to herself, slipping the coins into her pockets. “Yes, a long while indeed.” She smiled to herself and snapped the lid of the chest closed, turning to leave the den.

A Spoiled Reunion

Spike stood outside the gate of the Rich manor, staring up awkwardly at it. Even though he had been invited, he felt out of place at the mansion. He took a deep breath, pressing a button on the side of the gate. There was a slight buzz, followed by static.

“Hello?” the crackling voice of an elderly stallion questioned from the other end of the line. “How may I help you?”

“Uh hi,” Spike greeted, pressing the button on the gate again. “I’m Spike and I was invited over to the house.”

“Ah yes, Master Spike,” the elderly stallion replied. “Master Rich and Diamond Tiara are waiting for you in the foyer. I shall buzz you in.” There was a buzz from the intercom followed by a click originating from the gate.

Pushing the gate open, Spike made his way up to the manor. He had seen fancy houses before, but most of them were made from the polished marble of Canterlot. Stepping up to the door, he knocked mildly and stepped back.

The door quickly opened to reveal Filthy Rich in more casual attire than Spike had ever seen him in. He was still wearing a dress shirt, but he lacked his normal tie and suit. Diamond Tiara was at his side, a powder pink dress covering her body. Surprisingly, she wasn’t wearing her signature tiara.

“Spike,” Filthy greeted, a wide smile on his face. “So glad you could come see us today.” Stepping aside, he gestured for Spike to enter. “Please, no need to stand outside boy.”

“Thanks,” Spike said, slowly crossing over into the manor. He stopped to take a look, impressed by how polished and expensive everything looked in the foyer. “You guys have a really nice house, you know that?”

“Thanks,” Diamond said, the young drake having to suppress his surprise. “Daddy’s hired the best cleaning staff outside of the royal castle itself to keep everything looking great.”

“I dunno about that.” Spike crossed his arms, feeling the need to stroke his ego. “I can get a place pretty clean.”

Filthy chuckled, putting one of his hands in his pocket. “If you’d like, I could always ask Randolph to challenge you to a cleaning contest.” He pulled out a small bell, gently swaying it in his hand without ringing it. A moment later, a goofy smile spread across his face. “Though, I think the two of you have better things to do.”

Spike nodded, putting his own hands into his pockets. “Yeah, I’d like to hear some of the family history if it’s not too much trouble,” he requested, a small smile cracking across his face. “If that’s not something Diamond’s opposed to.”

“I’m not opposed to that at all,” Diamond assured, returning his smile. “I know this means a lot to you. Go ahead, ask Daddy anything you like. I don’t know a lot about Star Dust so, this should be interesting for both of us.”

“Very well then,” Filthy started, motioning the two of them to follow him down a hallway. “I’ll tell you everything I can about the stallion.” He led them down the hall into a large room filled with display cases and portraits. The cases all had various family artifacts with a tag marking who they belonged to. The portraits all showed the heads of the family, starting at the far end with a portrait labeled, “Dust Bowl”.

“This is my aunt, right?” Spike asked, gazing up at the portrait.

“That’s correct,” Filthy confirmed, walking up to the portrait and putting a hand on the frame. “This is the humble beginning to the Rich family. She was the older sister to your father. Like him, she began her life as a simple farmer. But, after Star Dust became Celestia’s pupil, she seized an opportunity and claimed a small title of nobility.” He patted the frame of the portrait. “Dust Bowl is the reason that the Rich family has always strived to be pillars in our communities; we try to live by the example she set for us.”

“Why didn’t Dad stay as Celestia’s pupil?” Spike asked, his eyes roving over every inch of Dust Bowls image. “Did they have a falling out or something?”

Filthy chuckled, walking over to one of the cases that contained a small model of a flood gate. “No, Star Dust did not have a falling out with the princess. Your father was always doing one of two things, tinkering or studying. From the letters he sent to Dust Bowl, maids forcing him to eat or sleep was a common occurrence during his tenure at the castle. He was especially excitable when there was an area of study that nopony else knew about. I’m sure you can guess his course of action when he learned that ponies knew nothing about dragons.”

Turning back to Spike, his smile faded a bit. “Your father’s studies stopped because of his search for you. At least, that’s what I believe.” Stepping forward, he placed a hand on Spike’s shoulder. “Ponies weren’t as accepting of half-breeds as they are now. That fear is most likely why he never told anyone but Dust Bowl about you and your mother.”

Spike looked around the room for a moment, a legacy of a family he’d never known surrounding him. He turned back to Filthy, a sad smile on his face. “I guess I’m a little lucky for hatching when I did then.” He tried to play it off as a joke, but his voice hitched at the end.

Kneeling down, Filthy pulled the drake into a hug. “It’s alright, Spike. Things always happen for a reason. Those reasons aren’t always clear, but everything will work out, as long as you put the work in.”

Spike returned the hug, closing his eyes. “Well, I haven’t exactly been a stranger to work lately. Flash Fire is putting me through the wringer.” Spike cracked an eye open when he felt someone else join the hug. Glancing back, he noted Diamond Tiara had opted into the hug.

“How about I make us some tea?” Filthy pulled away and smoothed out his shirt. “I know Dust Bowl’s famous Trottingham brew. I won’t be too long.” Stepping out of the room, he left the two by themselves.

Spike felt a little awkward, not sure what to say as he glanced around the room. “So, have you ever been in this room before?”

Diamond pulled away, smoothing her dress. “Yeah, my mom likes to come in here and look at Dust Bowl’s portrait.” Shifting on her hooves, she glanced up at the object in question. “She likes to say that Dust Bowl’s success meant that she was obviously better than everyone else in her family.”

Spike frowned, looking up at the portrait. He noted the kind smile that the artist had captured. “I don’t think my opinion holds that much weight, but judging how your dad talked about her, I don’t think Dust Bowl considered herself superior to anypony.”

Brushing some hair out of her face, Diamond looked upon Dust Bowl’s image in reverence. “Daddy’s always saying how I should be thankful we have everything we do. He used to tell me about how poor our family used to be. Back when Dust Bowl was alive, our family lived in Trottingham, tending to a farm. They barely made any money and even the foals had to work from sunrise to sunset everyday.”

Spike nodded, looking back at her. “That was pretty common back in the day. Nobles had more control over certain areas.”

Turning back to him, Diamond took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Do you wanna know what changed?”

“Yeah, tell me,” Spike replied, arching a brow slightly.

Gesturing for his attention, she led him over to the display. “One day Star Dust got an idea, something he hoped would make ponies lives better. He made this, the first flood gate. That’s how he became Celestia’s student and got his cutie mark.”

Spike examined the small model, trying to picture his father working on the gate as a foal. “Wow, I can’t even imagine doing something like that. Guess I have something to live up to.”

Diamond’s ears splayed back, her gaze moving down to her hooves. “All of our money comes from Star Dust trying to make the world a better place, but my mother doesn’t care about any of that. All she cares about is Dust Bowl’s status.” Hugging herself, a small whimper escaped Diamond’s muzzle. “I-I know I shouldn’t be like that but... I-I want to make my mom proud of me...” Lifting her head, tears streaked from her eyes. “Am I a bad pony?”

Spike’s expression fell, not knowing what else to do but pull Diamond Tiara into a hug. “No way, Diamond Tiara. A bad pony wouldn’t ask that question. If making your mom proud means making yourself feel awful, then you shouldn’t do it anymore.” Pulling away, he looked into her eyes. “You should talk to your dad about this, you know.”

Diamond Tiara sniffled, rubbing at her eyes. “If I did that, he and mom would just fight even more. They’re always fighting for one reason or another. Randolph mutters that they might get a divorce sooner or later.”

Spike winced but didn’t falter. “Diamond, even if that happens, you have to tell him. You don’t want to be the kind of pony your mom is, do you?”

Diamond Tiara shook her head, casting her gaze down at her hooves. “N-no, I don’t want that. I’d rather be a pony like my great grandma, Dust Bowl. The kind of pony that gets looked up to.”

Allowing himself to smile, Spike lifted her head. “Than take some advice from your cousin, you have to stand up for yourself. Don’t just let your mom turn you into a pony you don’t want to be, got it?”

Diamond took a deep breath, cracking a small smile. “I’ll try.” She paused, fiddling with her hands. “I guess apologizing to the crusaders for everything I’ve done to them is the first step to being that kind of pony.” She winced at the thought. “I uh, have a lot to apologize for.”

Spike chuckled, slapping her on the shoulder. “Hey, you’ll get there, you’re my cousin after all. I know you can do it.”

Diamond smiled, putting one of her hands over the claw on her shoulder. “Thanks, Spike, that means a lot. Can you do me a favor? Always call me out when I mess up.”

“As long as you do the same for me.” Spike nodded, holding his fist out to her.

Diamond’s smile grew and she reached out to tap Spike’s fist with her own. “Deal. Family’s gotta look out for each other after all.” Wiping at her tears, she cleared her throat. “So, what’s it like? Being a superhero and all?”

Spike smiled, pulling away from her and striking a pose. “It’s pretty cool. Fighting monsters can be a little scary, but knowing that I’m helping ponies and cleaning up my grandpa’s mess makes it all worthwhile.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Diamond asked, a hopeful tone to her voice.

Spike scratched his chin, a frown on his face. “I wish I could tell you yes, but other than a rider belt, there aren’t any weapons that work on these monsters.” He noticed her downcast look and intervened. “But, Princess Celestia currently has a program that’s working on battling monsters. If you’re lucky, I might be able to snag you a little something. But there is something you can do right now. Help cover my secret identity.”

Diamond nodded, her look hardening. “I’ll do anything I can to help, Spike, I promise.”

Spike gave her a thumbs up, a wide smile on his face. Before the two could say anything else, Filthy walked in with three steaming cups of tea. “I’m back, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” Gazing at the pair, a smile graced his features. “Seems like I missed out on some family bonding.”

Spike smiled, sharing a look with Diamond. “Yeah, we were just talking about how we admired Dust Bowl.” Taking his cup from Filthy, he passed Diamond hers. “Hey, so, I’ve been meaning to ask, how many of Dad’s medals do you have?”

“Four, including the one that I gave you last night,” Filthy said, setting the tray down on top of a display case and gripping his own cup. “The others depict a deer, a bee and an ant.”

Sipping at his tea, Spike hummed in thought. “You know, I probably should have asked Grandpa which medals he made and which my dad made. I do know each of Grandpa’s sets have ten medals in total. Do you know if any of the medals you have are like that?”

“From what I understand, Star Dust only made one copy of his sets,” Filthy told him, leaning against the display. “So that’s good news for your quest. I’m sorry I can’t be of any help, I have no idea where the rest of Star Dust’s medals are.”

“That’s plenty helpful,” Spike assured, looking into his cup. “Now I don’t have to worry about even more medals to collect.”

“I’m glad.” Reaching into his coat, he retrieved an envelope. “I did some thinking, Spike. Our country is facing a very serious crisis, one only you and your human friend can do anything about.” Holding it out to Spike, he gave the dragon a firm look. “It wouldn’t be right for me to do nothing, while asking others to fight on my behalf. Which is why I’ve decided to fund the G-Project.”

“That’s great news!” Spike beamed, staring at the envelope with bright eyes. “I’m sure Celestia will appreciate the extra help.” Staring at the envelope for a moment, an idea struck him. “Actually, this gives me an idea! Celestia’s gonna hold a conference about all the monster stuff, make Wyatt officially part of the military.” He waved the envelope around a little frantically. “If you make the donation then, it could inspire others to do the same!”

Filthy smiled, nodding at the drake. “Capital idea, my boy. I’ll make sure to be at the conference. If I can inspire one other pony to donate, I’ll consider the venture a success.”

“Awesome!” Spike fist pumped, placing the envelope in his pocket. “Just wait until I tell Twilight! She’s gonna be so hype!”

“Yeah, I bet tons of ponies will donate if we do!” Diamond chimed, looking between the two with an easy smile. She looked up at her father. “Can I come too, Daddy?”

“I don’t see why not.” Filthy nodded before holding his hand up. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with your school work, is that clear?”

“No problem, Daddy! I’ll just do any homework I’m given in the hotel room!” Diamond promised, her smile widening into an ear splitting grin. “Oh! Can I show Spike around the manor?”

Filthy chuckled, taking a sip of his tea. “I think your cousin would be insulted if you didn’t offer to show him around. You two go and have some fun.” He pointed his cup at his daughter. “And don’t forget to show him the pool, dear. When you’re done, meet me in the den and I’ll give Spike the rest of the medals.”

The two nodded and Diamond Tiara took Spike by the wrist to lead him out of the room. Filthy smiled, hearing their voices echo off the halls. Gazing up at Dust Bowl, he sighed in content. “I hope we can make you proud, Dust Bowl.” Finishing up his tea, he carried the tray out of the room. Happier than he had been in some time, he dropped the dishes in the kitchen and made his way to the den. He stopped in front of the mantle and picked up the chest that contained the medals. Opening it, the chest slipped from his hands, face contorted in shock. Empty. It was empty.

Filthy turned on his hoof, only one pony on his mind that could have stolen the medals. “Blasted mare, this is beyond anything she’s done before. What’s she thinking, taking those things?” A creeping sense of dread crept over him, his heart gripped in the icy embrace of fear. “S-she wouldn’t...” He quickened his pace, heading upstairs to check their bedroom first. He cursed under his breath, finding it empty. He rushed through the halls of the manor, moving toward the front door to search for his wife in her usual haunts in Ponyville.

Spoiled heard her husband cursing down the hall as he stomped toward the front door. She sat in the laundry room of the manor, the last place he would ever think to look for her. Her ears twitched, the faint click of the door slamming in the distance catching her attention. She stood up, walking back out into the halls.

Reaching into her blouse, she grasped the stolen medals. A feeling not unlike ecstasy danced along her fingers, slowly spreading through her body. Part of her wondered if this is what unicorns felt when they used their magic. The thought was quickly banished as she reminded herself that this feeling was hers and hers alone, just like the medals were now. She returned the coins to her pocket, keeping an ear out for the sounds of her daughter and the drake that her soft-hearted husband had allowed into her home. Her ears quickly picked up on something coming from the game room on the first floor.

Stopping at the door to said game room, Spoiled made sure her looks were in order. Holding her nose up, she walked into the room and cleared her throat. “And just what is going on here?”

Diamond rested a pool cue on her shoulder, glancing at Spike as he paused lining up his shot. “I was just showing my cousin around the manor,” she said, looking up at her mother.

“Cousin?” Spoiled asked with a scoff and no small amount of disgust. “All I see is a filthy lizard defiling my home. Come here this instant, Diamond Tiara, and you, get out of my home, you reptilian vagabond.”

Diamond Tiara trembled, fear gripping her as she looked at her mother. Then, another feeling rose up in her as she remembered the talk she and Spike just had. She gripped the pool cue tightly, steeling her expression. “I think you need to get your eyes checked, mother!” Diamond boomed. “Spike isn’t a filthy lizard, he’s the son of Star Dust and a member of our family!”

“What was that?” Spoiled growled, narrowing her eyes at her impetuous daughter. “I don’t believe I quite heard you, Diamond. I told you to get away from that freak.”

“And I’m telling you to stop insulting my cousin!” Diamond shot back. “I’m not listening to your specist rants anymore!”

Spoiled shook with fury, glaring daggers at Diamond. “You ungrateful, weak willed leech! How dare you!? Do you have any idea how much I’ve done for you?! All those parties, all those lessons! And what do I get for trying to shape my daughter into the perfect image of nobility!? She spits in my face, over a mongrel Star Dust produced because he was too much of a degenerate to keep it in his own kind!”

“You haven’t done anything for me!” Diamond retorted, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the cue tightly. “All those parties were paid for with Daddy’s money, all the legwork was done by Randolph, and those lessons you’re talking about were just rants about ponies deserving to be the top of the social ladder in the world.” Closing her eyes, she mustered up her courage. “I don’t want to be a hateful pony like you!” She jabbed a thumb at her chest. “I want to be like Daddy, Dust Bowl and even the pony you look down on, Star Dust, and do what I can to help everyone from now on! And that includes people of other species like dragons.”

Something popped in Spoiled’s mind, a murderous look dawning on her features. “I see you’re a lost cause, Diamond. Your idiot of a father let his trash poison you. In all honesty, it’s about time our family tree had a bit of a pruning.”

Spike’s nostrils flared, his eyes widening as he sensed the massive amounts of desire surrounding her. He subtly reached for his driver, hoping he wouldn’t need it. “Di, we need to get away from your mom,” he whispered, keeping his eyes locked on the older mare. “I think she’s got my dad’s medals that your dad was supposed to give me.”

Absentmindedly putting her hand back over the medals, Spoiled took a step forward. “I’m ever so sorry, my precious Diamond, but you’re just too far gone. Don’t worry, mother will make sure it doesn’t hurt.”

Spike reacted instantly, grabbing Diamond’s hand and tossing a few of the pool balls at Spoiled’s hooves. The maneuver had the desired effect, tripping the mare up and giving the drake a means to get him and his cousin out of the room.

“You malformed runt!” Spoiled hissed, tricolored electricity starting to arc over her body: Bronze, yellow and grey. “I’ll skin you alive you little homewrecker!”

Spike ignored her ranting, backtracking through the mansion as best he could in an attempt to lead the crazed mare out of the manor. “I really hate being right,” Spike muttered, noticing the electricity arcing off of her from the corner of his vision. “Di, I need you to run. Run to the library and tell Twilight and Wyatt. Can you do that?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Diamond assured, Spike releasing her hand from his grip. She pulled ahead, glancing back to see Spike putting his driver on his waist. “Spike, be safe, okay?”

Once his driver was secured, he held up a thumb, not looking back at her as he grabbed a trio of his medals, the only medals he had on him. ‘I really need to get that coin case a bungie cord’ Slotting the medals in, he ran the scanner over them as the corrupted Spoiled rounded the corner.

“Taka! Tora! Batta!” The driver called out, the multicolored rings surrounding him and forming into his armor. He jumped out of the way as she threw a fist at him, the electricity growing more wild.

“Spoiled, you need to let go of those medals!” Spike urged, extending his claws. “Do you hear yourself, you just told your own daughter you were going to kill her!”

“That’s because you and her blasted father corrupted her!” Spoiled growled, her body pulsating. “I need to pluck the weeds that idiot of a patriarch planted centuries ago!”

Spike had to hold back his anger, feeling his eyes nearly turn into slits as he controlled his breathing. He knew if he got angry that he’d do irreversible damage to the mare. And while she was a hateful bigot, he’d still feel guilty for maiming her. “Don’t talk about my father as if you know anything about him,” he said, barely able to keep an even tone.

“Don’t I?” Spoiled asked, clutching the medals tighter. “He was an idealistic fool, a pauper who didn’t know his place. His sexual deviancy resulted in you, an abomination against nature. I’ll rid the world of you, and then that backstabbing husband of mine.”

Spike growled, balling his hands into tight fists. He crouched into a fighting stance, his eyes locked on her. “What you call sexual deviancy was love,” he spat. “Something you clearly know nothing about. And I am not an abomination. I am Spike Bahamut Sparkle, and a kamen rider!”

“Call yourself whatever you like! You’ll never be more than a stain on this family!” The electricity surrounding Spoiled reached its peak, starting to sink into her. Not long after, corrupted OOO armor started to form, tearing her clothes to shreds. The first piece of armor to form was a bronze deer head, and despite Spoiled being a mare, she grew large, sharp looking antlers. The second section was colored yellow and from the forearm down, Spoiled’s right arm became a huge bee stinger. Her left forearm bulged out and a honeycomb shape formed into a crude shield. Finally, her legs changed, becoming pointed, insectile limbs covered in carapace with four smaller vestigial legs twitching at her waist.

Staring for a moment, Spike shifted his stance. “I dunno how much of that is the medals, or how much of that is you, Spoiled. At this point, it doesn’t really matter. Say what you want about my father and me, but I won’t let you hurt Diamond or anypony else.” Without second thought, he leapt forward, claws out and gleaming with determination.

“Pinkie, please stay still,” the gray mare spoke, her voice a flat monotone. “I need to make sure this equipment can fit over your mane, and your bouncing isn’t helping me in the slightest.”

“Sorry Maud!” Pinkie chirped, her body covered in diodes attached to a machine she couldn’t identify. She stopped bouncing in her seat, only for her body to start vibrating. “I’m just so excited to help you!”

“I understand that.” Maud nodded, clipping a strange helmet to Pinkie’s head. How it contained her hair was a mystery. “I am surprised you’re so eager, considering how you felt before about our family duty.”

“That’s because I thought it was all just a bunch of old stories,” Pinkie explained, glancing at the machine. “But now I know it was all true!” She thought for a moment before looking back to Maud. “Was that Pa we saw out in the desert?”

Maud nodded, adjusting the settings on the machine. “Yes, I had him help me test the system. Though his is a prototype, designed to only use one memory.The real system is untested due to a lack of compatible subjects.” Turning away, she lifted up her metal suitcase and placed it on table. “The finished belt uses two memories simultaneously, which means it needs two users.”

Since Maud had arrived, Pinkie’s room had been virtually converted into a makeshift lab for Maud’s tests.Gummy was off to one corner, ‘playing’ with Maud’s pet, a rock named Boulder.

“Um, why does it need two users?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head. “Can’t you just figure out a way to have somepony use it by themselves?”

“A pony can’t handle two memories at once.” Undoing the latches on the suitcase, Maud opened it to reveal a pair of belts, each having a quartet of USB-like devices laid out next to them.

Both the belts had two red portions that looked like they could hold the devices in them. The red portion was attached to a silver backing that appeared to contain circuits. The belt strap matched the silver bit in color.

“Wow, those’re pretty nifty looking,” Pinkie commented, her eyes roving over the belts.

“They’re more than nifty, they’re the culmination of generations of work,” Maud explained lifting up one of the smaller devices, this one green and labeled Cyclone. “Now, we need to test if you’re compatible with me.” Turning the machine on, she inserted the device into the machine.

The helmet on Pinkie’s head whirred to life, various lights blinking on it. She had to stifle a giggle as she was reminded of Twilight’s attempts to study her Pinkie Sense. The screen on Maud’s screen blinked, revealing a percentage readout. Maud slipped in another device, this one labeled ‘Joker’.

“These are what I call Gaia Memories, I created them from the planet’s memories,” Maud explained, watching the readouts. “With these, a pony could become a kamen rider, just like Kuuga.”

“Or Decade!” Pinkie cheered, throwing her hands up. She smiled to herself as she pictured transforming into armor of her own and fighting by Spike and Wyatt’s side. “Or even better, like Pa!!!”

“Well, there will be one small difference,” Maud said, keeping an eye on the screen. “The belts will transfer the consciousness of one of us to the body of the other. Two minds inhabiting a single body is the only way to use two Gaia Memories at once.”

“Huh?” Pinkie blinked and looked at her. “I don’t know what you just said, Maud.”

“We’ll see if you’re compatible,” Maud replied, giving the screen her full attention. “It might be better to experience it firsthand. I’ll be the one providing the body.”

“Okay!” Pinkie smiled, trying to picture being inside Maud’s head. She imagined there would be a lot of rocks, causing her to giggle. “I can’t wait to try it~”

Maud’s eyes widened all of a millimeter as the percentage readout settled on a number. “I think we’ll find out. You’re showing a ninety percent compatibility rating. I can finally properly test these belts.” Lifting one of the belts out of the case, she strapped it to Pinkie’s waist. Pulling the Cyclone memory from the machine, she passed it to Pinkie. “Are you ready?” she asked, strapping the other around her own waist.

Pinkie pushed the button on the memory, causing it to call out its name. Her eyes lit up and she looked up at Maud. “Ooh, I know what to say now!” She placed the memory into one of the slots and pulled the red portion down to an angle. “Henshin!” she cheered.

Before Maud could ask how Pinkie knew what slot to put the memory in, Pinkie went limp and fell over. A moment later, the Cyclone memory appeared in the corresponding slot in Maud’s belt.

Maud pressed the button on her own memory, placing it into her own belt and pulling both slots into place. “Henshin.”

“Cyclone, Joker!” A green “C” and a purple “J” appeared in front of the belts before colliding and shattering into odd fragments. The fragments surrounded Maud and converged on her to form a two toned green and black armor. A silver strip ran between the halves the right green and the left black. On the chest armor the green had a gold pattern and the black half had a purple pattern. The two patterns when viewed together formed a “W”. The helmet had circular red eyes and a silver piece that also took the shape of a “W”. The only other notable thing about the armor was the white scarf that fluttered off the green half.

Maud shuddered at the rush of power, flexing her fingers. “Pinkie? Can you hear me?” she asked, looking around the room.

“Yup!” Pinkie chimed, her voice ringing in Maud’s mind with an echoey effect, the green side’s eye flashing.“This is so weird.” With a bit of concentration, she moved the green arm, punching the air.

“It looks like you’re adjusting quickly,” Maud praised, moving the black arm. “I didn’t expect you to be able to move my body at all.” She walked around the room, pausing to think. “I knew from the start you and I would be a perfect match, Pinkie. I didn’t even bother to test Limestone or Marble.”

Pinkie giggled, the green side’s eye flashing rapidly. “We have always been really close. Now we’re literally two halves to make one whole rider! So, what do we do now?! Fight a monster?”

“We can’t fight a monster if we can’t find one,” Maud pointed out, putting her hands on the belt. “But as soon as we do, yes, we’ll transform and fight a monster.”

From out the window, the combined pair heard a loud crash. They looked out the window to find a monster pulling itself out of the splintery remains of a marketplace stall. The monster itself was a chimerical mess of three different animal parts, each part bearing a different color.

OOO and Decade closed in on it, with Decade laying down supporting fire and OOO going for melee. Blocking most of Decade’s shots with its shield arm, the beasts antlers launched forward, several of them nearly impaling OOO.

“Looks like it's time for us to make our debut!” Pinkie chirped, making a trumpet noise. “OOO and Decade need our help!”

“Best not keep them waiting.” Maud moved over to the window, sliding it open. “Leave the fighting to me, Pinkie. Judging by your appearance, you haven’t kept up with your training.” In one swift motion, Maud leapt through the window and broke into a sprint as soon as her hooves hit the ground.

Pinkie gasped. “Is that your way of saying that I’ve gotten chubby?”

“Pinkie, now is not the time for this conversation,” Maud chided.

Wasting no time at all, she made a beeline for the chimera. By chance it spotted her, sending a spray of antlers at her. Dropping into a slide, Maud went under the branches, springing up and slamming her fist into its gut. The beast let out a guttural cry, stumbling backwards and lashing with its bee stinger wildly in all directions.

Maud leapt back to avoid the blind strikes. Glancing to either side of her, she got into a stance. “OOO, Decade,” she greeted as they moved to her side.

“W?” Decade questioned, surprise evident in his tone. “Just how many riders are there going to be?” he muttered, shifting his weapon into sword form. “I’m not gonna ask now because we really don’t have the time.”

“Good decision,” Maud agreed, focusing on the monster. “You and I should flank the monster while OOO takes it from the front.” Reaching down, she closed the driver and removed the Joker memory. “Unless one of you has a better idea?” Placing the memory on an empty slot on her belt, Maud retrieved a silver memory labeled ‘metal’ and slotted it into her side of the driver.

“Cyclone, Metal!” Maud’s driver called out as she opened it again, her armor shifting. What had once been black was replaced by silver and the pattern on the chest was gray with rivets to make it look bolted on. On her back was a staff weapon with a portion of it collapsed at the top.

Grabbing the staff, she extended it to its full length. “Shall we begin?”

Decade and OOO nodded, brandishing their own weapons. Decade darted to the right, aiming for one of the monster’s sides. Maud took the left, swinging her staff at the beast’s shield. The beast swung both its arms upward, blocking both of the rider’s attacks. With a deafening roar, it sent its branch-like antlers out towards their chests.

Maud spun her staff expertly, each end emitting a green colored burst of wind. In a display of excellent footwork, her stormy assault broke most of the antlers before they reached her or Decade.

“Wowee, that training really paid off!” Pinkie commented. “Go Maud!”

Spike took the opportunity to charge forward, lashing at the beast’s chest. With every swipe of his claws, cell medals flew across the street. “Come on, Spoiled! You have to let the medals go! Look at what they’ve done to you!”

“That’s Spoiled Rich?!” Pinkie questioned with a gasp. “I knew she wasn’t nice, but I never thought she’d turn into a literal monster!” A gasp droned out all other noise in Maud’s head. “If she’s a monster now, you should tell Spike to use the pink medals! Maybe he can uncorrupt Spoiled like we did to Princess Luna!”

Maud nodded, looking over at the drake. “OOO, try the pink medals. They might be able to purify her without hurting her. Like what happened with Princess Luna.”

OOO paused mid-slash, staring at her. “How in Equestria do you know that?” He was answered by a shield bash to the face that sent him tumbling away. “Ow...”

“I’ll answer your questions later,” Maud promised, twirling her staff against another flurry of antlers. “But for now just try the pink medals.”

“Alright, alright.” Pulling himself into a sitting position, Spike removed his current medals, replacing them with the pink set. “Here does nothing.” Scanning the medals, OOO rose to his feet even as his armor shifted into UniSaPo.

Decade took the hint, dropping his sword and wrapping his arms around Spoiled’s right arm to restrain it. “OOO, we’ll hold her back, you just hit her with a scanning charge!” he called out.

OOO nodded, grabbing his scanner off his belt and running it along his medals. The medals lit up, the three rings they emitted converging on his right fist. The images of each element appeared around him, looking like cut outs in the air. OOO punched the air a few times, each punch making one of the symbols appear on Spoiled.

“Harmony Punch!” OOO called out, rocketing his fist into Spoiled’s chest.

A rainbow light surrounded the monstrous Spoiled and three riders, blocking them from view from anyone on the street. When it died down, a very naked Spoiled fell flat on her face, the three offending medals rolling away from her.

“I think we need to find Spoiled a blanket,” Pinkie commented, wishing she had control of the head so she could tear her eyes away from the nude mare.

OOO panted, standing over Spoiled. Stepping away, he used his magic to conjure a blanket over her. “She should be okay now...” Turning to Decade and Maud, he gave them both a thumbs up.

“Great job, OOO,” Decade praised. “Now just retrieve the medals and we can get some answers from our new friend here.”

“Of course.” Closing her driver, Maud removed the two memories not really caring if anyone saw her. Her armor disappeared in a flash, revealing her identity

“Oh my gosh it’s… a pony I’ve never seen before,” OOO said, looking Maud over.

“My name is Maud Pie,” Maud introduced, grasping the chain around her neck. Lifting it up, she exposed the symbol of Kuuga that hung at the end. “Loyal vassal of Kuuga.”

Decade stared at Maud, his helmet hiding any of his thoughts. “How about we meet up at Sugarcube Corner after OOO and I undo our transformation?” he suggested. “Something tells me there’s someone else waiting for us there.”

“Of course. “ Maud nodded, turning on her heel. Without further word, she made her way towards Sugarcube Corner. ‘My hunch was right, Pinkie is the perfect partner. I really shouldn’t be surprised. Our field test went off with flying colors.’

A few minutes later and Maud was sitting next to Pinkie with a human and a dragon seated across from her. The human surprised her, she had expected all of Kuuga’s people to be sequestered across the sea on the continent they called home.. “You must be Spike, and Wyatt,” Maud spoke, her voice as monotone as always.

“Wait, Pinkie has something to do with the new rider?” Spike asked, looking between everyone at the table. “Honestly, I don’t really get it.”

“Their rider system needs two minds to work,” Wyatt explained, glancing between the sisters. “One body does the fighting while the other goes limp. But, want I what to know is... that.” He pointed to the necklace Maud proudly displayed.

Maud put one hand beneath the necklace, holding it out. “The Pie family are old blood. Not that anypony would call us nobility. A long time ago, one of my ancestors was trading in human lands. One of the gurongi attacked and if Kuuga had not intervened, my sister and I would not be here now. That pony swore to Kuuga that from that moment on, the Pie family would be at his service as his sworn vassals.”

Spike quirked a brow, focusing his attention on Pinkie. “How come you never told us any of this before? Especially after Wyatt showed up.”

Pinkie rubbed her neck, looking away. “It’s a family secret. Before I left the farm, Pa made me swear I wouldn’t tell a soul about any of it. I can’t break something like that, Spike.”

“It’s fine, Pinkie,” Wyatt assured, resting his hands on the table. “You had your reasons and it never hurt us to be in the dark about it. Which leads to the next question: Are you here to stay?” He turned his gaze to Maud, gesturing her to respond.

“Yes, now that I know that Pinkie is compatible, I’m going to be close by in order to further my research,” Maud explained, taking her hand off her necklace. “If I may make a request, I would like to study your own rider powers as well.”

“I don’t see a problem with that,” Wyatt conceded. “But only if you share all of your findings with the G Project that Celestia has set up. They could use the help.”

Maud nodded in agreement, sitting there quietly with her hands in her lap.

“This is so great!” Pinkie beamed, doing her best to be quiet. “Now Maud and I can help you guys with all your kamen rider stuff.” She giggled and rubbed the back of her head. “Though I’m basically just there in spirit while my body takes an uncomfortable nap.”

The quartet continued their chat, Pinkie doing the talking for Maud whenever she understood the question enough to answer. After a while, Spike pushed away from the table in order to go check on the Rich family.

The Isle of the Pirate King had long ago stopped being just an island of sand and trees. The entirety of the place had been covered by pieces of ships, all haphazardly constructed into a fortress. The very top housed the King himself, and High Wind’s current destination. High Wind did not look forward to telling the King about losing the medals, but he hoped that his information about the person on the ship with medals of his own would earn him some mercy.

Making his way up the fortress, he sound found himself outside the throne room. “I’m here to see the king,” he informed the guards, though he wasn’t sure why Poseidon needed guards. The stallion was king for a reason, and no one would dare challenge him for the title. He still remembered the last poor sod who had been brave or thick enough to attempt it. There was still a stain in front of the throne.

The guards grunted, one gesturing with his head. “King’s been waiting for ya. He ain’t happy ‘bout it either.”

“Wasn’t expecting a red carpet rolled out,” High Wind muttered, walking into the long room where the throne was held. The king was already waiting for him, his mane contained beneath a black bandana. Kneeling down in front of Poseidon, High Wind removed his hat. “My lord, my crew and I have returned.”

“Where are the medals I gave you?” Poseidon asked, lounging in his throne and resting his hands on his cheek. “I recall giving you three of them, High Wind, and I don’t sense them on you.”

High Wind winced, gripping his hat tighter. “I’m sorry my lord, I lost them when our ship was captured.” Looking up, he cleared his throat.

“Oh, you lost them.” He tapped his fingers on the arm rest of his throne, a red spear appearing on his lap. “Is that all? Those medals gave you capabilities beyond that of a normal pony and yet you found a way to lose them.”

“My lord, the ship we attacked had more than just some old sailors on it. There were two in armor like your own.” His hands shaking, he continued. “One of them even used medals of his own.”

The king didn’t seem to react, standing up from his throne with the spear in hand. He walked over to High Wind, putting a hand on his shoulder. “And where was it that this ship had come from?”

“We were following a few days before we struck,” High Wind continued, his blood running cold. “A day before, a great dragon descended upon the ship. I don’t know what was said but it dropped a few ponies off before returning to the dragon lands.” Resisting the urge to look away, he gestured to him. “T-there is one other thing, my king.”

“Then what are you waiting for, say it.” The king’s grip didn’t tighten, but High Wind could feel a great pressure weighing upon him.

“I-I don’t know why, but the guard captain helped us escape. Knocked out the whole compound, even got our ship free of the impound. H-he said to give you Somber Shield’s regards.” Taking a breath, he hoped this next bit would be enough to spare him from the sharp end of Poseidon’s spear. “He also said that the treasure you’ve been looking for is just within reach.”

“I will have to thank this Somber Shield for the message.” High Wind gasped, a sudden pain erupting from his chest. He looked down, the king’s spear stuck in his rib cage. “Even so, I cannot forgive failure, High Wind.” He removed the spear, letting it disappear from existence as High Wind collapsed into a bleeding pile.

Stepping away from the dying stallion, Poseidon returned to his throne. Sitting down, he stared out into the space in front of him. A slight tinge of pain shot through him for a moment, a sweet voice and a smiling face flashing through his mind. “She’s gone…” The voice left as quickly as it had come and he was left staring blankly at his throne room for a while as High Wind took his last breath. “And I will have what is mine.”

Rise of the Guardians

Celestia sat in her personal chariot, closing in on Ponyville. She figured that Wyatt and Spike were exhausted from their training. She had known Flash Fire for a few years and she wouldn’t take things easy on them even if they were rookies. In fact, she would probably use that as an excuse to work them even harder. Her mood shifted, when she spotted the Rich manor’s newly acquired gaping hole. Though they looked like ants, she could tell there were construction ponies milling about and repairing the damage. Her mind was somewhat eased by the knowledge that nopony had been injured. At least, she hoped so. The chariot swerved in the air, making a beeline for Golden Oaks Library.

A few minutes later, the chariot landed and Celestia strode towards the library door. Raising her hand to knock, she paused at the sound of voices. Flicking her ears, she tuned in as best she could.

“Do we have to move this to the basement?” Wyatt’s muffled voice asked, followed by a grunt of exertion. “It’s turning into a collyer mansion down there.”

“If you keep complaining, we’ll be here longer,” a monotone voice replied curtly.

“Jeez, how in the hell is she so strong outside of rider form? She might as well be freaking She-Hulk,” Wyatt grumbled, his voice trailing off towards the end.

“That’s what a lifetime on a rock farm and vassal training does for a mare!” Pinkie Pie's voice replied, coming in clear through the door. “Even I had a six pack before becoming a baker!” Suddenly, the brown wood of the door was replaced with Pinkie’s smiling face. “Hi, Princess!” Pinkie chirped, squishing her nose against Celestia’s.

Celestia smiled, appreciating the mare’s energy. “Hello, Pinkie, could you get my student and Wyatt for me?”

Sucking in more air than she should be able to, Pinkie whirled around to face the direction she had come from. “Everypony!!!! The princess is here!!!!”

The shout seemed to shake the library walls for a few moments as Twilight zipped over to Pinkie’s side. “Princess Celestia, I wasn’t expecting you today!” She wore a strained smile, trying not to glance at the equipment that took up most of the library. “We were just doing some moving!”

A grey mare Celestia didn’t recognize emerged from the basement steps. Celestia’s eyes scanned over the mare, zeroing in on the golden Kuuga symbol that stood out from the mare’s plain frock.

“I see you have some company,” Celestia said, focusing on the grey mare. “How do you do?” She flashed the mare a smile. “If I may hazard a guess, you belong to Holder Cobblestone’s family, correct?”

The mare nodded. “That’s right, my name is Maud Pie and I am a descendant of Holder Cobblestone. My sister Pinkie and I make Kamen Rider W.”

Celestia blinked, looking between the sisters. “This is genuinely one of those times where even I’m surprised.” Clearing her throat, she turned to Twilight. “Twilight, if you wouldn’t mind collecting Spike and Wyatt, I would like to get caught up. I don’t think I’m too far off base in assuming that the new hole in Rich manor and this ‘Kamen Rider W’ are related.”

Twilight chuckled weakly, going downstairs and returning with the riders in question. Spike and Wyatt looked tired, sweat pouring off both of them with giant wet spots on their clothes. “Here they are, Princess!” Twilight introduced, using her magic to straighten their postures.

“I’m sorry to catch you in the middle of something important,” Celestia apologized, taking a seat on the couch. “But I was curious about the incident at the Rich Manor.” Spike flinched, averting his gaze. “I was delighted to hear that Spike had found another branch of his family, however, the look on your face tells me that something went wrong.”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck, an uncomfortable look on his face. “I don’t know how comfortable I am talking about it. The main thing is, medals were involved and Pinkie and Maud helped us deal with the problem.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie added, grabbing Maud’s shoulders. “We took on that meanie with everything we had! Maud was so cool, she was all! Pew and whoosh!” Pinkie swung her arms around, acting out Maud’s actions in the battle.

Celestia nodded, turning her focus to Spike. “I can understand your reluctance towards going into further detail. I would just like to ask if there were any injuries.” A sense of relief filled her when Spike shook his head. “Good then. Now, this visit is more business than I would like it to be. I’ve come to collect Equestria’s brave riders for the conference.” Offering Wyatt a sad smile, she continued. “Sadly, I’m also here to collect Kuuga’s laptop, the G-project is having more tro-”

“No,” Maud said flatly, crossing her arms.

“No?” Wyatt questioned, eyeing the mare oddly. “Maud, the laptop isn’t yours.”

“No it isn’t, it’s Kuuga’s,” Maud acknowledged. “And as his vassal, it is my duty to safeguard his belongings. I am sorry Princess, but I can’t let you have it.”

“Maud, don’t you think that Kuuga would want to do whatever he could to help Celestia...” Wyatt let his sentence trail off as Celestia raised her hand.

“It puts me in a tight spot, Ms. Pie, but I won’t challenge you over this.” Celestia rose up, brushing her dress off. “I would like to ask, how you’ve become a rider, Maud. Your methods could be a great boon to the G-Project.”

Maud nodded, her posture relaxing. “The Pie family has been attempting to recreate Kuuga’s abilities for generations.” She gestured to the equipment. “We’ve had to create new technologies to facilitate this.” If Celestia had blinked, she’d have missed the shift in Maud’s posture. ”Mine is the first successful system, utilizing the planet’s very memories.”

Celestia nodded, tapping her fingers on her leg. “Could I have a copy of your notes and blueprints of your technology? That would help my researchers just as much as the computer.”

“Of course,” came Maud’s curt reply.

“Thank you very much.” Celestia smiled and bowed her head to the mare. She smoothed her dress again, a habit if there ever was one and glanced around the group. “Now, seeing as I wasn’t prepared for so many travellers, I will send my chariot ahead to Manehattan and inform Cadance of the change in plans.” Her smile grew. “How does first class tickets on the train and the dining car my treat sound?”

“That's great, Princess,” Spike replied, scratching his neck. “Would it be alright if Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara come along? We came up with an idea we think you'll like.”

Celestia giggled, nodding her head. “As if I would turn away your newfound family members. Of course they may join us.”

Filthy sat in his office, looking over a set of documents that bore the royal seal. His wife stood a few feet away from him, shifting on her hooves like a foal who had just been caught disobeying their parents. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, unsure whether her guilt came from her actions or simply being caught.

“If you have something to say, Spoiled Milk, you best say it now,” Filthy spoke, making sure she knew exactly where they stood. “Otherwise, it’ll be unsaid for the rest of our lives.”

Spoiled flinched from the use of her original name, trying to gather her wits. “Sorry can’t even begin to erase what I tried to do,” she started, trembling with each word. “I let my hatred overtake me and became a true monster. I even lost sight of my feelings for Diamond Tiara.”

“Yes, hatred.” Filthy grunted, looking up from the paperwork. “Hatred that you let fester inside you like a disease. I’ve let it slide for far too long, Spoiled,” he said, his expression hardening. “Even before the influence of the medals, you decided to steal them for one reason or another. I can’t trust you anymore, I can’t even look at you.”

“I… I understand,” Spoiled spoke, her voice cracking at the end. She didn’t know what to say, her thoughts swirling in her mind like a raging cyclone. “I doubt explaining myself will make you change your mind.”

“No, I don’t think it would,” Filthy agreed, holding out a document to her. “I just didn’t want things to end with things left unsaid. This is it; our marriage has been officially annulled. This states that what is yours will be given to you, along with a modest stipend. It’s nowhere near what you had here, but, if you spend it wisely, you should be able to live comfortably.”

Spoiled took the document and glanced at the text. She had to swallow her guilt as the wording filled her with a sense of finality. “I take it you have full custody of our daughter?” she asked softly, though it came it more like a statement.

“Spoiled, you told her you were going to kill her, do you really think you should be anywhere near her?” Filthy stood from his seat, fixing his tie. “Still, you are her mother. If you can prove you’ve made a positive change, I will extend visitation rights, if Diamond wishes to see you.”

Spoiled lowered her head and gripped the document tightly. She trembled as she fought the flow of her tears. She strode towards the door, not bothering to look at her former husband. “I best get started on packing my things.” Once she crossed the threshold of the doorway, she let her tears fall and stopped dead in her tracks. “I can’t believe I’m losing another child,” she muttered, tears falling onto the document.

She could still picture him in her mind, no more than two with deep red scales and orange frills. He looked up at her with tear filled eyes as she turned away and left him in the middle of nowhere. Spoiled choked back a sob, recalling his pitiful cries for her as her family airship took to the sky.

Somehow, she had found her way to her bedroom, collapsing onto the bed face first
and letting out muffled wails. “I-I’m so sorry,” she said, picturing the spectre of her lost child looming over her. “I-I wish I had been stronger. I never wanted to abandon you!” She curled up on the bed, berating herself for what she had let herself become. At some point, her tears had ran dry and she managed to pull herself out of bed to pack her belongings dejectedly.

‘I’m such a failure. How did I let myself turn into a monster?’ she asked herself as she carried the first of many boxes out of the manor. ‘I deserve every punishment Faust deems fit to inflict on me.’ The hours slowly passed and Spoiled continued to sink into her bitter self-flagellation. Eventually, she placed the last box out onto a moving carriage and she had to derail her train of thought in order to plan where she would live. ‘I have to make this right. Turning towards the Badlands, a bit of confidence grew in her heart. ‘I’ll find you, Fireheart, no matter how long I have to search.’ A plan was forming in her head, selling what little valuables she had left and hiring a team to help her with her search. Her heart pounded, a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. ‘Please, wait for me just a bit longer, my Precious Ruby.’

She clutched her chest, taking a seat in the carriage and telling the driver where she wanted to go. The stallion asked her if she was completely sure, but one look into her eyes instantly settled the matter. Settling into her seat, she closed her eyes, letting her exhaustion lull her to sleep.

The lab had always been her home, her happy place, her nirvana. Nothing happened here she wasn’t aware of; this was her domain and she was a precise goddess. The young woman in question looked like she had just come in from high school, her purple hair tied back in a messy bun. Typing away at her computer, her glasses reflecting her blazing pace. She paused only to take a sip from her large coffee mug. She knew she was going to be pulling an all-nighter, her new project promising to yield exciting results.

“Hey, boss lady!” Lemon Zest’s voice called from the door. “The serial killer’s here to see you!”

“Lemon, you shouldn’t be calling her that,” the young lady chided, not looking away from her screen. “I’m not going to intervene if she decides to stab you for the slight. Let her in.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lemon dismissed, giving a mock salute. “I’ll be careful around Captain Crazy.” She dipped out of the room, opening a door for a faded pink mare. “Come on in, boss is all yours.” Once the mare was inside, she slipped back out and closed the door.

The young woman, didn’t move in the slightest, using the reflection of her computer screen to keep track of the mare. “Pinkamena, what brings you to my lab today? Here to nag me about your belt? Can’t imagine you’re happy seeing that new rider.”

“On the contrary,” Pinkamena replied, an unnerving smile on her face. “This gives me an excuse to re-live a very happy memory all over again.” Stepping closer, she put a hand on the woman's shoulder. “I’m here because even though you hide away in here, you’re still one of the head honchos around here.”

“My position is one of research and development,” the young woman curtly replied, gently removing Pinkamena’s hand. “You want a few questionable experiments ran or a gun built that makes a bigger boom, I’m your lady. I’ll leave the actual directing of the organization to the rest of you.”

“Even so, Somber wants us all up to date with current events,” Pinkamena responded, crossing her arms. “Recruitment’s going as planned, don’t think Poseidon is going to take the bait; he’s too narrow minded.”

The young woman sighed, spinning around in her chair and adjusting her thick, square glasses to give the mare her full attention. “I predicted as much, based on the data our spies gathered, there was an eighty-five percent chance he’d refuse the invitation.”

“Got a hook into Ooze though,” Pinkamena elaborated, gesturing with her hand. “I actually kinda like him. He’s got that sharp sense of humor I oh so love~” she let her hand fall. “You were right about that Storm idiot, he outright refused.”

The young woman let out a quick snort of a laugh, pulling a few loose strands of hair out of her face. “I didn’t even have to run the numbers on him to predict that; he’s a dangerous mix of a megalomaniac and outright buffoon. If it weren’t for that commander at his side, he wouldn’t be able to invade a playground. Even with that magic-proof metal he has access to. That mare though, she could be of use to us.”

“Oh? Sounds like you’d like to run an experiment or two on her,” Pinkamena replied, a knowing smirk on her face.

“My sexuality is no business of yours,” the woman huffed. “Though, I imagine yours is akin to a praying mantis.”

Pinkamena chuckled, patting the knife that bulged at her side. “Nah, I don’t mix my two pleasures. Blood stains are impossible to get out of bed sheets and mattresses. But, the idea has been tempting,” she admitted with a dark chuckle. “And what would you know about sex anyway? Aren’t you still a virgin?”

The young woman grit her teeth, turning around to resume her work. “Like my sexuality, my sex life is not of your concern. So, is there any other news besides recruitment efforts?”

Pinkamena shrugged, letting her hair cover her eye. “Somber’s nestled in like a fat tick. I don’t think any of them have noticed anything. Don’t know how he handles it but, having that blue haired blowhard’s memories does come in handy.”

The woman nodded, tapping out several lines of code. “I expected as much. Barring some extreme circumstances, the infiltration plan is a guaranteed success. Much better than other versions of that event.”

Pinkamena quirked a brow, giving the woman a hardened look. “And what kind of extreme circumstances are we talking about here?”

The woman snorted. “Highly improbable scenarios that have less than a one percent chance of occurring. Something like a changeling coming forward and outing Somber as an imposter.” She waved a hand dismissively. “As if that would ever happen, changelings hate Equestria.”

“Right...” Pinkamena grunted, motioning towards the woman’s work table. “Any progress on your little pet project? Apollo and I have a bet going on how long you’ll last in the training room. I say about a day.”

“Then prepare to lose some serious bits,” the woman retorted, more than a little incensed at the question. “The gamer system is loaded with combat data. I’ll have the skills of an expert. Besides, I recorded all the Shadowbolts’ combat data.”

Pinkamena grinned, a dark chuckle passing through her lips. “Then I’ll look forward to seeing you in action.”

The woman opened her mouth to reply, her words turning into an almost feral growl when a male voice carried from the door. “Get out of my way, green hair girl! I want to talk to the game lady! I’m bored!”

The door burst open to reveal what appeared to be a young man in his mid-twenties. He had long black hair that reached his neck. Clad in a black leather jacket, he wore plain black shirt beneath it and black jeans.

Slamming her hands on her desk, the woman turned to level a glare at him.“Rook, I know I’ve told you not to call me that. My name is Midnight, and I have more important things to do than make you games.”

Pinkamena looked between the pair, a wicked grin split her face. “Now, now, Midnight, I think I have a game that Rook can play.” She held a hand up, motioning for Rook to follow her. Stepping over to a bank of monitors, she tapped the one labeled ‘Manehatten’. “SunAss is going to be holding a rally today, going on about how awesome her kamen riders are. Wouldn’t it be fun to crash it?”

This seemed to catch Rook’s attention, his eyes glued to the monitor. “That does sound fun. What should the rules of the game be?”

Pinkamena leaned on the counter, tapping her chin. “How about seeing how many times you can knock those idiot riders down? If it takes under ten to keep them from getting back up, you win.”

A grin spread across Rook’s face, picturing the fun he’d have. “Yes, that sounds like a good game. Riders should keep it from being boring!” Punching his fist, he hurried out of the lab. “I won't stop until I win!”

Midnight sighed in relief, sinking back into her chair. “Well, Pinkamena, it seems I owe you my thanks. You know, I think those upgrades you wanted aren’t going to take as long as I thought. Sugarcoat’s estimates must have been wrong. I’ve told her she needs to double check her work.”

Pinkamena smiled, waving her hand modestly. “Think nothing of it. I just know how to speak that idiot’s language. Just do me another small favor and give me a copy of Rook’s rampage. Something tells me it’ll be fun to watch no matter what happens.”

“Of course.” Midnight waved off, already reabsorbed back into her work. “Tell Lemon Zest if anything else comes up.”

Pinkamena nodded, turning on her heel. “Can do, Specs. I’ll take my leave; good luck with your research.” She smirked to herself, a giddy rush running through her at having played both Rook and the shut-in like fiddles. She knew telling Rook about Midnight’s work would cause him to run to her for his insipid games. It was just a matter of timing to get him out of her hair and earn herself a favor from the researcher. “Like sprinkles on cupcakes,” she mused to herself, vanishing down on of the buildings long corridors.

Wyatt stood awkwardly by the refreshments table as important looking ponies milled about. Luckily, Celestia had prepared a press pass for him so his presence wouldn’t rouse suspicion. Which, technically wasn’t a lie considering his occupation. He had his camera around his neck while his bowtie slowly tried to choke him. At the moment he and over a hundred other guests were in a large ballroom of Manehattan’s city hall. One of the walls was dominated by a row of windows that showed off a view of the bustling streets. The room itself was grand with warm yellow walls and a large chandelier illuminating it. At various points the ceiling was being supported by white, marble pillars.

“Excuse me,” a soft feminine voice spoke up. He turned to see a rather pretty mare in a blue business suit approaching him with a smile. Stopping in front of him, she offered him her hand. “Are you Wyatt Matthews?”

Wyatt took the mare’s hand and gave it a shake. “Yes, that would be me. How may I help you, ma’am?”

The mare’s mane was an interesting swirl of black and white while her aqua colored eyes had a good natured twinkle to them. Beneath her suit, her red fur stuck out quite strikingly with a matching red tie around her neck.

“Yes, you can,” she said, retracting her hand with a smile. “I have to say, I was very impressed by those photos of the Kamen Rider you managed to snag. My name is Ink Well, I’m the editor-in-chief of the Manehattan Chronicle.”

“I’ve heard good things about your paper, Ms. Ink Well,” Wyatt replied. “It’s the number one sold paper in Manehattan. Are you... interested in some rider photos yourself?” he lifted his camera up, pretending to snap a picture of her.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that kind of scoop,” Ink admitted, chuckling at his antics. “But I’ve kept up with your work since those photos. I actually have a tamer interview job for you if you’re interested in joining my paper. I’m sure it would be worth your while.” She pulled out a pen and a scrap of paper from her pocket. She quickly jotted down something and displayed it for him. Wyatt’s eyes bulged at the starting salary she was offering him.

“T-that’s a lot of bits...”

Ink Well chuckled, putting away the slip of paper. “Well, Mr. Matthews, I didn’t get to where I’m at for nothing. I’ve developed an eye for talent, and your photos certainly caught my eye.” She tapped at the corner of her right eye with a finger. “Consider this interview job your interview. Do well, and I think you’ll be a great member of my paper.”

Wyatt stared at the mare for a moment, waiting for her to reveal that the offer was just a cruel prank. When the silence started to become awkward, he spoke. “That certainly is an interesting offer. Who would I be interviewing? Is this supposed to be a hit piece?” He frowned slightly. “Because I have to say, I’m not a fan of muckraking or mudslinging; even if the money’s good.”

“None of that, I promise,” Ink Well assured, shaking her head. “We’d like you to interview a very well known philanthropist, June Bug. She ‘ll be in town today, and we’ve managed to schedule an interview with her.”

Wyatt relaxed, his smile slowly returning. “Okay, I think I can do that.” He held his hand out to her. “Consider your offer, accepted.”

“Perfect!” Ink Well shook his hand. Peering behind him, she pulled her hand back. “Here, my card.” Pulling said card from her pocket, she offered it to him. “The interview is tomorrow, at noon. Please be on time. Until then, Mr. Matthews.” Without further word, she turned away and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Wyatt grinned eagerly, scrutinizing every inch of the card. “I’d better write some good questions down for tomorrow,” he muttered to himself, barely containing his excitement at the prospect of working at a renowned paper.

“So,” another voice spoke, snapping him out of his moment. Turning around, he was greeted by a drop dead gorgeous pink alicorn. She was wearing a baby blue dress that hugged her frame perfectly. The dress went down to her ankles with a slit in the right side that showed off her leg. “You’re the human that's got Twilight all flustered.”

Wyatt stared blankly for a moment, his mind struggling to recall how to form words into a sentence. He managed to snap out of his sudden daze, adjusting his bowtie as he processed what she said. “Um, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

‘Real smooth. Idiot.’ He winced at his response.

The alicorn giggled; a pleasant sound that eased his worry slightly. “You know, I was waiting for the day Twily would write to me for stallion advice.” Giving him a warm smile, she held out her hand. “I’m Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but please just call me Cadance.”

Wyatt flashed her a strained smile as soon as he heard her name and gave her hand a shake. “Oh, you’re Cadance. I believe I’ve met your fiance.”

“Please, Wyatt, you don’t have to put on any shows for me,” Cadance spoke, letting go of his hand. “I’m not that kind of princess.”

Wyatt chuckled, letting his hand drift to his camera strap. “I don’t think Equestria has any princesses that are that kind of princess.” Shifting a little, he leaned in closer. “Are you uh... informed?”

“What, you think my aunt would invite me without giving me the big scoop?” Cadance retorted, shooting him a look of mock offense and quivering her lip. Dropping it after a moment, she nodded to him. “Let me turn that back on you; how much do you know about Auntie’s plan?”

“She’s trying to develop her own rider tech,” he whispered. “Along with any other countermeasures against the current threat.”

Wearing a knowing smile, Cadance locked her arm around his and guided him to a more secluded room. Leading Wyatt into the currently unoccupied mayor’s office, Cadance shut the door. The office was dominated by a large desk towards the back, its surface covered in various papers. The carpet of the room was blue with the seal of Manehattan at its center. There were two black couches as well with a coffee table separating them.

“I’m not surprised Auntie didn’t go into detail with you.” Cadance took a seat motioning for him to do the same. “She’s always played her hand close to her chest. As you are aware, she’s going to make kamen riders like you an official part of the military.”

Wyatt took a seat, tapping his fingers against his arm. “I do remember that being mentioned before, yes. Though what that entailed might’ve been glossed over.”

“A new department is being made just for you; the Guardians of Harmony or G.O.H for short,” Cadance elaborated, making herself comfy. “Which will encompass the riders, the G-project and all the necessary support staff.”

“But no pressure,” Wyatt replied, frowning. The only experience he had with the military was his grandfather’s stories from his time in the Navy. “So... a ton of people are going to know who I am, yeah?”

“Well, they’ll know your rider form,” she assured, waving her hand. “Your identity as the rider will remain confidential to only select members of the force.” Crossing her legs, she smiled. “But~ Let’s leave that for the official statement. What I want to talk about is a certain purple unicorn~”

Wyatt froze, the ceiling suddenly becoming very interesting as he adjusted his bow tie. “Oh? Curious about how Twilight’s been since she moved to Ponyville. Well, she hasn’t had a neurotic fit since the time loop thing so she’s doing well.”

“Wyatt, please. I’m the Princess of Love.” Cadance smiled, reaching over and taking his hand. “I wasn’t joking about Twilight asking me for advice. I want to help you both see if this is a thing that can work.”

Wyatt rubbed his neck, grumbling something about magic as he looked away from the ceiling. “I’m kinda curious what she asked about, but that’s confidential, isn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t be a very good friend if it wasn’t.” Cadance nodded, giving his hand a squeeze. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t help. Have you tried talking to her about all of this?”

Wyatt sighed, glancing down at his lap. “Only about a dozen times. But every time she finds some excuse to rush away. We’re adults, I don’t know why we can’t just talk about it.”

Cadance giggled, patting Wyatt’s hand. “Well, think of it this way, Wyatt. Twilight was sent to Ponyville to learn about friendship. What do you think the chances are that she’s had much experience in the romance department?”

“I just feel like we’re dragging out the awkwardness,” Wyatt replied, lifting his gaze to meet hers. “What should I do? Lock us in a room until we talk it out?”

“Wyatt, she can teleport,” Cadance pointed out, giggling. “The best thing you can do is be patient and let her work out her nerves. I’m just glad one of you recognizes your mutual attraction. You wouldn’t believe how dense ponies can be.”

Wyatt chuckled weakly. “Twi doesn’t exactly give off the subtlest of signals. The only way she could be more obvious is if she starts wearing a shirt that says, “I like Wyatt” on it.” A blush spread across his face and he looked away. “I uh... caught her staring a few days ago when I walked out of the shower...”

Cadance winced, an uncomfortable look on her face. “Seems Twilight still needs to learn some social graces. I’ll have to nudge her in the right direction when I see her.” Clearing her throat, she brightened up. “We’ll be in Manehatten for a few days, how about we spend one of them together?”

Wyatt nodded, a small smile spreading across his face. “I’m not opposed to that idea, but I can’t do tomorrow. I have an important career proposition with the Manehattan Chronicle.” Pointing to himself with his thumb, he let a hint of pride fill his voice. “I got an interview with June Bug.”

Cadance smiled, patting his shoulder. “Good luck then. June Bug is well known for her kindness so you shouldn’t be nervous.”

“Am I interrupting a lover’s tryst?” Daring’s voice called from the door. They looked over, said mare leaning on the door frame. “Oh, don’t stop on my account, this just gives me more material. I think I’ll call my next book: Daring Do and the Harem of Humanity.”

Wyatt blushed for a moment and started to move away from Cadance.

An obvious opening stuck out to Cadance, flashing the other mare a cocky grin. “Putting yourself in the title? Is that your way of saying you want in on said harem?”

Daring made a face and adjusted her glasses. “No way, the only other human I’ve seen is my dad. Be too weird. Not like Pink-Boy could land someone like me.”

“He’s caught the eye of my aunt’s personal student who is also the element of magic,” Cadance countered. “Even you aren’t more illustrious than that, Miss Do. Besides, I always shipped you with Ahuizotl anyway.”

Daring groaned, rubbing at her temples. “Ugh, why does everypony say that?” She closed her eyes and started to grumble, “You drain a couple of bottles of wine and go into way too much detail about his muscles and suddenly your P.O. box gets flooded with fan art.”

“So...” Wyatt cleared his throat, feeling more than a little uncomfortable. “Have you seen your dad yet? Any sign of him at all?”

Daring sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Nothing yet. I haven’t even gotten any whispers from my usual sources about him. He might have been in the wilderness all this time. In any case, when he sees those pictures of Kuuga, he’s gonna be pissed.”

“That was sort of the idea,” Wyatt replied, smiling weakly and scratching his cheek. “Just hoping you can keep him from kicking my ass or something.”

Daring smiled, waving him off. “Don’t worry kid, I’ll make sure he doesn’t rough you up too bad. But I’m not quick enough to stop him from getting one good punch in. Rider powers are a bitch like that.”

Wyatt sighed, not looking forward to his first meeting with Agito. “Good thing I’m no stranger to taking a punch while out of rider form.” He shot a look at Daring.

Daring huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m not gonna hear the end of that, am I? Not my fault events conspire to hit you in the face.”

“You conspired to hit me in the face,” Wyatt countered. “It wasn’t Fate’s fist that broke my nose.” Wyatt subconsciously rubbed at his nose. “Or clocked me in the jaw.”

Daring chuckled weakly, putting her hands behind her head. “Maybe it was Fate guiding me? It does work in mysterious ways after all. Could be that Faust herself thinks you have a punchable face.”

Wyatt rolled his eyes, suddenly feeling a headache coming on. “Very funny. So, was there any reason besides making me the butt of your jokes that you popped in?”
“Yeah, Purple Smart wants you to get ready. Princess Celestia’s getting ready to go on.” Daring pushed away from the door frame, adjusting her glasses. “I better get back out there, I need to peruse the crowd again.”

Wyatt summoned his Driver, putting it on his waist. “Probably could’ve mentioned that sooner.” He pulled out his Decade card, staring at it for a moment before an idea struck him. “But~ Now I know how to make my entrance.”

Celestia stood in front of the Mayor’s podium, staring out at the crowd. The excitement in the room was palpable. She could tell that several ponies wanted to whisper amongst themselves, but remained quiet out of respect for her.

The stage made up the back of the room, though a red curtain did hide a backstage area. The assembled reporters and their chairs took up the lion’s share of the room which without them it would be a simple rectangular shape. There were a couple exits on either side of the room, both nestled between marble pillars that supported the ceiling.

“Greetings my little ponies,” she started, craning her head around the crowd. “I’m very glad that all of you accepted my invitation to this conference. I’m sure all of you are painfully aware of the increasing number of monster attacks. They began in the small town of Ponville, which itself is no stranger to disasters.” Gazing out at the crowd, she took a breath. “The recent attack on Baltimare has only shown that these monsters are not content with harassing small town ponies. Things will escalate and we must be prepared. Luckily, we are not alone in our efforts to defend ourselves from this threat. I’d like to welcome someone to the stage: Kamen Rider Decade.” She glanced back to the curtain behind her as it rose, only for no one to be standing there.

The crowd muttered, a few cameras going off. Just as a reporter stood up to say something, the air next to the podium shifted and Wyatt appeared in a relaxed pose, a grin beneath his helmet.

“Thank you for the glowing introduction, Princess,” he said, looking up at her. Turning to the crowd, he gave a salute.

Celestia smiled, motioning towards Wyatt. “Decade here has been an invaluable resource in defeating these monsters. Which is why I’m proud to honor him here today. He is not the first Kamen Rider to ever grace our world, only the latest in a long line of heroes that have strove to protect those who could not protect themselves. Which is why I would also like to introduce riders OOO and W.”

Spike and Maud appeared from the area behind the curtain, taking positions next to Wyatt. Celestia nodded, sweeping her hand towards the trio. “These three are selflessly putting themselves at risk for everypony’s sake. Though they have sought no reward for their deeds, I do have something I’d like to give them; ranks in Equestria’s newest military branch, The Guardians of Harmony. Of course, for security reasons, their identities are being kept on a need to know basis.” She returned her hand to the podium, looking between the members of the crowd. “I’d like to open the conference up to questions. You there, in the back.”

“How many members will be in the Guardians?” the reporter asked, a notepad in front of her. “Three ponies can’t be expected to protect all of Equestria.”

“The riders will be supported by a group of researchers who are looking into developing means of defending against these monsters. There will also be a combat force personally chosen by my sister and myself to be trained in using these new weapons and countermeasures,” Celestia answered, determination ringing through her every word.

‘Celestia really knows how to give a speech,’ Wyatt thought, watching the crowd give their full attention to the princess. ‘All she needs is a few historical catchphrases and she’s up there with Kennedy and Churchill.’ He then quickly hoped that Celestia didn’t have any scandals brewing like the former figure. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the door to the building opening. His eyebrow quirked, a dark stallion in a leather jacket striding into the room.

Shifting a bit, he glanced at Spike and Maud, motioning to the stallion. Their attention shifted to the stallion, noting the manic look on his face.

“Riders!” the stallion shouted, his voice booming through the building. “I want to play!” His skin discolored, taking on the appearance of stained glass. His body morphed, growing larger and bulkier. His face became leonine, his mane curly and looking like it was carved out of marble. On his shoulders were two angelic faces blowing on trumpets. His chest piece was styled like a castle tower and stained glass pattern adorned his body. His legs were wrapped in vines with pitch black leaves peppered along them. In his hand was a hefty staff with a mace head at each end. “I am Rook of Checkmate Four, and I am bored!!!”

The crowd instantly erupted into a panic, doing their best to get away from Rook. Wyatt cursed under his breath, looking at Spike and Maud. “W, OOO, you two help the crowd evacuate, I’ll take Rook somewhere he can’t do as much harm.” Jumping off the stage, Wyatt summoned the Ride Booker, shifting it into sword mode. “I’m right here, Rook, come get me.”

Rook let out a long laugh, charging at Wyatt with his staff raised at chest level. Wyatt’s eyes widened and he quickly rolled out of the way as Rook swung his staff. Wyatt winced, noticing a large hole in the floor where the fangire had struck.

“I get that you want to fight me, but do you have to break everything?”

Rook pulled his club out of the floor, locking eyes with Wyatt. “I have to swing my staff hard or else you won’t get knocked down.”

“Okay...?” Wyatt blinked, leveling his sword at Rook. “So, a game huh? What’s the rules? I wouldn’t want to break any of them, now would I?”

“Simple, I hit you until you stop getting up,” Rook replied. “If you’re able to stand up more than ten times than I lose.”

“Okay then, sounds simple enough...” Wyatt wracked his brain for a moment, going over his possibilities. Inspiration struck him and he pulled out two cards from his booker. He slotted in the first one, pressing the handles on his driver together.

“Kamen Ride: Kiva!” Wyatt’s armor shifted, it’s main color becoming a deep crimson. His shoulder pads turned silver, resembling folded bat wings. The majority of the arms and legs were comprised of black leather. The right leg had a bulky greave that went up to the knee that was bound by chains. The helmet’s eyes were yellow and had angular points that made it seem like it was giving off a glare. The mouth area was silver and had raised portions that resembled fangs while the top of the helmet had a crest between the eyes in the shape of a bat’s head.

“Is changing your shape going to help you play the game?” Rook asked, resting his staff on his shoulder. “I hope it makes you harder to knock down.” Cracking his neck, Rook rushed forward, swinging his mace at Wyatt’s chest.

Wyatt slid between Rook’s legs, feeling the wind from Rook’s attack. While he was sliding, he put the second card into his driver. “Form Ride: Dogga Hammer!” He quickly jumped to his feet as the top of his armor changed. The chest plate was replaced by heavy purple armor, the pectoral area looking like two fists. He now had bulky purple gauntlets made up of interlocking plates. Even his helmet had changed slightly, the eyes turning purple. The air shimmered in front of Wyatt’s hand for a moment and a large hammer appeared. It was nearly as tall as Wyatt himself and the head was shaped into a large, purple fist.

Rook whirled around, swinging his mace again, only for it to collide with Wyatt’s hammer. “Now this game is getting fun!”

Wyatt didn’t say anything, trying to form the next part of his plan. His newfound defense would help him survive the devastating attacks Rook was showing off, but it came at the cost of mobility. Fancy footwork wasn’t going to win this fight. And considering how quickly Rook could swing his staff, brute force wasn’t the answer either.

“Fist on!” a synthetic, choppy voice called out before Rook was struck in the back by several projectiles.

Wyatt didn’t bother trying to look for where the voice had come from, seizing the opening. While Rook was still recovering, he hefted his hammer and swung it with all his might at Rook’s chest. The hit pushed Rook back a few feet, but didn’t seem to otherwise injure him. Wyatt grit his teeth, charging forward the best he could and swinging the hammer into Rook’s side.

Rook grunted, reaching down and grabbing Wyatt’s head. “The game isn’t to knock me down, it’s to knock you down!” he demonstrated by lifting Wyatt into the air and hurling him at the stage.

Wyatt groaned, slightly dazed but not injured aside from a headache. He pulled himself to his feet and gripped his hammer. “That’s one, Rook. Only nine more times and you’ll have to do your punishment game.”

“There will be no games.” Wyatt turned his head to the side, taking in the Knight’s Templar inspired form of Kamen Rider Ixa. “Fangires like this are an affront to Lady Faust, and as such they will be dealt with.” Brandishing a sword/gun hybrid weapon, Ixa leveled it at Rook. “Now, give the life you’ve stolen back to Faust.”,

Wyatt couldn’t help but notice the feminine voice coming from Ixa. Nor the horn sticking out of her helmet. Not only that, but Ixa’s visor was closed, meaning whoever was in the armor wasn’t using it to its full potential.

“More riders?” Rook questioned, delight clear in his tone. “Today is my lucky day!”

“If by lucky you mean the worst day of your life, sure.” Ixa squeezed the trigger of her weapon, peppering Rook with another cluster of shots. “You won’t leave here alive, Fangire scum.”

Wyatt pulled out a final card, slotting it into his driver. “Ixa, keep him pinned with covering fire. I’ve got something that might finish him off.”

Wyatt pushed the handles of his driver together. “Final Attack Ride: K-k-Kiva!” The room darkened while purple lightning surrounded Wyatt. He let the shaft of the hammer rest on the ground, pointing the fist at Rook. He pulled a handle at the back of the hammer, the fist opening to reveal a red eye on the palm of the hand. A purple wave of energy erupted from the eye, striking Rook and causing his skin to take on a stained glass appearance. Wyatt’s eyes flashed for a moment and a large, purple projection of a fist rose above the weapon. Wyatt lifted his hammer above his head, spinning it so it could gain momentum. The fist followed the weapon, luckily not crashing into any walls or support pillars. When Wyatt couldn’t spin the hammer any faster, he swung it straight down. The fist followed, slamming into Rook’s head.

Rook tumbled away, laying still for a moment. Grunting, he pulled himself to his feet as his body returned to normal. “That’s not the game!” he growled, sending a hateful glare at Wyatt.

Wyatt tsked, his Kiva armor dissipating and leaving him in his Decade form. “Should’ve known you were too thick headed for that to finish you off.”

Getting to his feet, Rook unleashed a billowing roar. “Now, I’m angry!!!” Hefting his mace over his head, he charged at Wyatt. The attack never connected, as the world itself rippled and Rook vanished into thin air.

Wyatt rushed up to the ripple, trying to pass through it, only for it to vanish as suddenly as it had arrived. “Damn it,” Wyatt grumbled. He looked around the room, sighing in relief at seeing that everyone had made it out. “Well, at least there’s one good thing about this.”

“Hardly,” Ixa responded, watching him closely. “The freak got away.”

“But the crowd is safe,” Wyatt offered. “That’s the most important thing. We can finish off Rook another time. I have a pretty good idea who took him like that.” Wyatt jumped back as Ixa fired a few shots at his feet.

“There is no ‘we’,” Ixa stated, her weapon trained on his head. “I have no intention of becoming one of Celestia’s pet riders.”

Wyatt frowned beneath his helmet, resting one of his hands at the side of his driver. “So you’re going to try and play the lone wolf? You don’t even know how to unlock your Ixa system’s full potential. At your current level, the other three of the Checkmate Four would drain you of your life force before you could even throw a punch.”

“And what would you know?” Ixa demanded, finger on the trigger. “Who do you think has been keeping Equestria safe while high and mighty Celestia sits on her flank, stuffing her face with cake? Now, I’m going to walk away, and you’re not going to follow me.”

“Fine, go right ahead,” Wyatt waved her off. “Equestria doesn’t need a rider that thinks eliminating monsters is more important than protecting people. But ask the people behind your system about Ixa Rising.”

Ixa scoffed, backing up towards the exit. “Please, as if you know anything about it.” Lighting her horn up, she unleashed what Wyatt would call fireworks and using the distraction to slip away.

Down Time Revelations

Wyatt stood in front of his mirror, making sure his suit was in order. The tri-diamond pattern on the lapel gave away its custom nature; something he had Rarity make for him when he finally started earning bits. It was something he hadn’t looked forward to asking for, formal clothes always felt like they didn’t belong on him. Still, Rarity had done a great job on them. His only complaint, the bow tie. He had asked for a clip on and with the utter look of disgust on her face, you would’ve thought he asked her to kiss a pile of manure.

“We all have our hang ups,” he muttered to himself, smoothing his suit out before stepping away. “Still though, she did an amazing job at it.” He looked at the suite that Celestia had given him and Spike. He of course had tried to dissuade her from such a kindness, but she had smiled and booked it anyway. The room’s walls were white while the carpet was a rich purple. The furniture was the most sleek and modern thing he had seen out of his time in Equestria. It felt like he was in some sort of catalog rather than an actual room.

“She certainly knows how to treat a guy,” Wyatt commented, retrieving his camera from where he left it. “Might have something to do with me risking my life every day...” He did one last check of his hair and breath before leaving the hotel room. There was a nervous ball of energy in his stomach as he took the elevator down to the lobby.

Double-checking the address, he stepped out onto the street and waved down what passed for a taxi. He gave the stallion pulling the carriage the address and settled into his seat. He did his best to remember what Cadance had told him about June Bug, but he could still feel his nerves creeping in. ‘You fight monsters for a living, you can interview a mare.’ He took a deep breath, repeating his mantra to himself until the carriage pulled up to his destination. He paid the stallion and turned to look at the building. It was as tall as he expected and he could make out the bottom of a logo attached to part of the upper floors’ windows.

“Hello?” he called, stepping inside. Spotting a mare at the front desk he stepped up to her. “I’m uh, here to interview June Bug.”

The mare looked up from her desk, a smile on her face. “Mr. Matthews, we’ve been expecting you.” The mare leaned to the side and pointed to the elevator. “Your interview is in the office of the twelfth floor.” She looked back at Wyatt. “Sharp suit by the way.”

“Thanks.” Wyatt gave her a smile before walking over to the elevator. He was lucky; it was already at the lobby. Hitting the twelve button, he leaned back on the wall, looking over his notes.

He had done his best to memorize them the night before, but he figured one last look wouldn’t hurt. The elevator quickly reached its destination, opening up to a sea of cubicles. The conference room was easy to spot, a wall of glass at the back of the room separated it from the cubicles. Spotting someone inside, he knocked before stepping inside. “Ms. June Bug?”

The mare stood up, a smile on her face. She was younger than he was expecting, her mid-thirties at the latest. Her mane was a bright green with matching eyes and white fur. She was wearing a charcoal grey suit with a dark green tie. “That would be me. And you must be the human journalist I’ve heard so much about.” She held her hand out to him. “It’s so good to finally meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” he said, giving her hand a shake. “I took last night as an opportunity to get familiar with your work. All in all, I’m very impressed.”

June Bug moved away from her desk, closing the blinds. “I do wish to apologize, Mr. Matthews. If things were a bit different, I wouldn’t have asked you here under false pretenses.”

Wyatt quirked a brow, a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. He put a hand in his jacket pocket, summoning his driver there. “What are you talking about, Ms. June Bug?”

“Please, sit.” June Bug gestured to the chair in front of her desk. “Tell me, are you old enough to drink?”

Wyatt took his seat, glancing at the fancy bottle filled with amber liquid. “That depends, is the Equestrian drinking age eighteen?”

“Well, I won’t tell if you don’t.” June set two glass cups on the table, pouring them both a drink. “You know, we’ve been watching you for a while. I’d prefer if you didn’t get all suited up; even if you look nice in pink.”

Wyatt’s eyes widened as he took a hold of the glass. “Okay, looks like I know what my opening question is going to be.” His face set into a hard look. “How do you know about my identity?”

“I know a lot of things about you, Mr. Matthews.” June Bug took a seat, sipping at her drink. “The reason I’ve spent so long getting to know you is simple: the ponies have accepted you. It’s the reason I set up this meeting and why I’m going to be completely honest with you.”

Something in her sentence stuck out to Wyatt, causing him to examine her curiously. “You talk like you aren’t a pony.”

“Because I’m not.” To Wyatt’s horror, June Bug erupted into green flames. White fur gave way to black chitin, her suit morphing into a deep green gown. The slits of her eyes became cat-like and a jagged horn sprouted from her forehead. When the flames died down, he couldn’t help but notice the little crown on her head.

“...I can’t tell if that was scary or cool,” he managed to say, taking a gulp of the drink in an attempt to calm his nerves.

“My name is Chrysalis,” ‘June Bug’ spoke, her voice distorted and giving off a reverb. “Queen of the changelings.”

Wyatt set his now empty glass down, processing what she had just said. “Okay, so a race of shapeshifters. How am I supposed to help you?”

“You see, Mr. Matthews, changelings feed on love. We can get solid food of course but only love sustains us.” Chrysalis leaned back, taking another sip of her drink. “That, combined with our appearance, has made ponies terrified of us. Not to mention how we usually feed.”

“Yeah, kinda wanted to ask how someone goes about eating an emotion,” Wyatt said, watching Chrysalis carefully. “I assume it isn’t with fava beans and a nice chianti.”

“It usually involves the kidnapping and impersonation of a pony, while one of my changelings feeds on the love directed at that pony,” Chrysalis explained. “Needless to say, it’s not very effective. We’ve been near starving for a very long time.”

“Have you tried going to Celestia directly?” Wyatt questioned. “If you told her what you’re telling me, then I’m sure she’d give you and your people a chance.”

“I can’t risk it.” Chrysalis shock her head. “I want your help, Mr. Matthews. Help us gain the pony’s trust. Raising out of her seat, she came around the side of her desk before kneeling down. “Please. I’m so tired of starving, of being some kind of monster that ponies fear in the dark.”

Wyatt scrutinized the mare, trying to detect any sign of deception. He ruled it out. Given what she had revealed, it would have been easy to kidnap either him or Twilight and feed on their feelings. She could’ve also just outright blackmailed him.

“Alright,” he replied. “I promise to do whatever I can to help you.” What Wyatt wasn’t expecting was Chrysalis to jump up, wrap him in a bear hug and squish his head against her chest.

‘Wyatt.exe has stopped working, would you like to restart?’ he thought, somehow managing to return the hug. “Y-you’re welcome...” he muttered out, his face a bright red.

Chrysalis composed herself, pulling away from the hug. “Thank you for putting your trust in me, Mr. Matthews. I promise, you won’t regret it.” Giggling at his expression, she cupped his chin. “Cat got your tongue?”

Wyatt coughed into his hand, turning his head away from her. “Just wasn’t expecting to get hugged by a queen today.” ‘Or get to know her friends...’

“Well aren’t you a gentlecolt?” Chrysalis teased, putting her hands on his shoulders and giving them a light massage. “I knew you were the perfect person for this task.”

“So uh, when you said you’ve been keeping an eye on me, how extensive has that been?” Wyatt inquired, trying to distract himself from her actions. “Are we talking like ‘I know what kinda cereal you eat’ or what?”

“I think knowing that you favor Horseshoes in the morning is small hat compared to what I’ve been able to gather,” she told him with a wink. “But! Enough of that, please sit. Enjoy the rest of your drink. Thorax!” Chrysalis called, turning to the door.

The door opened and a skinny, nervous stallion who barely looked older than Wyatt entered the room. When he saw Chrysalis he relaxed and revealed that he was a changeling as soon as the door closed completely.

“Oh thank goodness,” he said, his voice high pitched. “I always worry about messing up my disguises around others. So, um, i-is he going to help?”

Chrysalis smiled, holding up her drink. “Yes, Thorax, he’s agreed to help us.” Downing the rest of her drink, Chrysalis placed the empty cup back on the desk. “Now!” She clapped her hands, giving Wyatt a fang filled smile. “Let’s get down to business!”

“Sounds like you already have an idea for me to help you,” Wyatt said, quickly thanking Thorax as the changeling filled his glass. He blinked, suddenly realizing something. “Um, where is the real Ms. June Bug?”

“Oh she’s me,” Chrysalis responded, leaning back. “Everyone in this building is a changeling, actually.”

Wyatt blinked owlishly, trying to wrap his head around the news. “And what about Ms. Ink Well? Was she a changeling too?”

“She was also me.” Chrysalis grinned at him.

‘Goodbye hefty paycheck,’ Wyatt thought, taking a sip of his drink to ease the pain and hide his disappointment. ‘I knew it was too good to be true.’ He sat his glass down in front of him. “Then why not announce your true identity? With all the good you’ve done while in disguise, I find it hard to believe that ponies wouldn’t accept you.”

“That was the plan... until those monsters started to attack.” Chrysalis grunted, her expression hardening. “How do you think if we revealed ourselves now, hm?”

He nodded, Rook’s disguise sticking out to him. “Okay, that might impact their thinking slightly.” Looking up at her, he asked, “So, do you have a new plan?”

Chrysalis tapped her fingers against her desk, the act making an odd ‘clicking’ sound. “Not so much of a plan right now, more of a vague outline. All of which includes you.”

“Mind filling me in?” Wyatt pressed, taking another sip of his drink. “I’m not a fan of being left in the dark about plans I’m involved in.”

Chrysalis put her fingers into a pyramid, pointing them at Wyatt. “I want you to write an article about Decade. Make it an opinion piece where you suspect that he is a changeling due to his ability to change forms. If it goes well then ponies will latch onto it and associate changelings with someone trying to fight these monsters. Word of mouth will cause it to stick and ponies will just outright believe it despite it only being an opinion piece.” Gesturing to him, she smiled. “Your thoughts?”

Wyatt rubbed the back of his head. “Honestly, it’s not a bad idea. There was a famous radio broadcast way back in the day of my world. A radio announcer actually convinced people that aliens were invading while reading from a science fiction story. I figure we can convince ponies that Decade and changelings are linked.” Wyatt sipped at his drink, his face starting to warm up. “I can pull that off, totally.”

Chrysalis gave him a fang-filled grin again. “Thank you so much. This really means a lot to my hive and me. I’d like for Thorax to stay in Ponyville, this was all his idea anyway.”

Wyatt nodded, looking back at the changeling who had been quiet since his arrival. “Was he the one keeping an eye on me in the first place?”

Thorax tapped his fingers together, chuckling sheepishly. “U-Um yes...”

Wyatt nodded getting up out of his seat. “Since you’ve learned my secrets I think it’s only fair I hear one of yours.” He pointed a finger at Thorax dramatically. “Go on, what’s something you’ve never told anyone in your hive.”

Thorax shifted, looking at Chrysalis for help. He withered slightly as she gestured for him to answer. “I-I’m um... g-gay... And you’re kinda cute...”

Wyatt smiled, letting his finger drop. “Thank you. Sorry to put you on the spot like that, I just figured fair’s fair seeing as you discovered my secret identity.” He pulled his driver out of his jacket pocket and waved it in front of him. Only to pause when he processed the second admission. “Uh… sorry, but I’ve only ever liked girls. I’m sure you’ll land a cool guy someday though.”

Chrysalis lit her horn up, snatching Wyatt’s drink from him. “I think that’s enough for you. Thorax, why don’t you get ready to go?” Standing up again, she moved over to the smaller changeling. “Though, it bothers me that you kept this a secret. It was Pharynx wasn’t it?”

Thorax nodded, looking down at his hooves. “He’s always going on about how proper changelings need to be attracted to both sexes so they can be ready to gather love from anyone. But I’ve just never liked mares like that.”

Lighting her horn again, Chrysalis touched it to Thorax’s sharing a pink colored energy with him. “I’ll have a nice long talk with him, alright?”

“Thank you, my queen,” he said, a dopey grin on his face as the energy seeped into him. “But um… he’s not in trouble, is he?”

“Don’t worry your fin about it.” Chrysalis lifted her head, patting his shoulder. “Now off with you, I’ll make sure Mr. Matthews doesn’t ask you any more uncomfortable questions.”

Thorax nodded, donning his disguise again and zipping out of the room. The door closed behind the drone, leaving Wyatt and the queen alone once again. Chrysalis turned, looking at Wyatt. “If you weren’t tipsy, I’d slap you.”

Wyatt rubbed the back of his head, feeling like an ass. “Yeah, I regret that one. I just expected him to blurt out something small. Don’t know what came over me. I’ll apologize to him again when I find him in Ponyville.” He fell out of his seat as Chrysalis slapped him anyway.

“I should hope so.” She huffed, returning to her seat.

“I earned that,” Wyatt admitted, taking his seat again. “So, um, is there anything else we need to discuss about this plan?” he asked, hoping to put his faux pas behind them.

“I’ll be attending Shining Armor and Princess Cadenza’s wedding; as June Bug of course,” Chrysalis began, crossing her legs. “Getting on the Princess of Love’s good side will help more than you can imagine. All the love from the wedding will be a plus.”

“Okay, so we can meet up again and talk about how the plan is progressing,” Wyatt offered. He paused, suddenly realizing something. “Actually, I can get you to talk to Cadance even quicker. She’s offered to spend time with Twilight and I while we’re all still in Manehattan. I can see if you can come along if you’re interested. I can tell Cadance that we’ve become friends thanks to the interview.” He managed a smile. “Which, I don’t think is a lie, right?”

Maud stepped off a taxi and looked up at a high-end apartment building that rose up into the Manehattan skyline. She double checked the address she had written down and nodded at the taxi that he could leave. She walked through the doors and stepped up to the stallion at the receptionist’s desk.

“Excuse me, could you tell me which apartment the Oranges are in?” Maud asked.

“Are they expecting you?” the stallion asked, looking Maud over. Her stoic expression shifted ever so slightly, getting the impression that he didn’t think that highly of her. “Our residents keep very strict company miss.”

“No, they aren’t expecting me, but I’m family,” Maud explained. “And my name is Maud Pie. Tell them the gardener has come for his harvest.”

The stallion rolled his eyes, stepping into a back room and speaking into a crude communication device that took up a wall. After a few minutes, he returned wearing an unreadable expression. “They’re waiting up for you on the 12th floor; room 1204, Ms. Pie.”

Maud nodded, her stoic expression shifting again. “Thank you very much, sir.” She turned on her heel, striding into the elevator and hitting the right floor number. This meeting had been a long time coming, at least a few generations worth. She had left Pinkie with Twilight, her little sister didn’t need to be involved with more than she already knew. She’d tell her about everything when she was ready, and not a moment sooner. The chime of the elevator pulled her from her thoughts and deposited her onto the proper floor. It didn’t take her long to find the door number, only a few moments. She gave it a knock and waited patiently for a response.

She was greeted by a well dressed yellow-orange stallion with slicked back green hair. “Ah, hello there. Maud was it? Please, come in.” Stepping to the side, he let Maud enter the apartment.

“I’m sorry for dropping in unannounced,” Maud offered, walking into the nice apartment. “But I figured with the state of things that it was necessary that I talk to you. You should know why I’m here.”

“Your use of the code phrase made that clear,” a mare said, stepping out from the kitchen with a tray of snacks and drinks. “I may go by Orange and have them as my cutie mark, but I’m still a part of the Apple Family,” she motioned for Maud to take a seat and set the tray down on a coffee table. “So, why are you looking for the seeds?”

Maud stared at the mare, raising her eyebrow. “The monsters like the one that attacked Princess Celestia’s speech yesterday should be more than enough of an explanation.’

“Hmm, so you’re looking to bolster the numbers of the riders,” the mare said, taking a seat of her own and picking up a cup. “I’m sorry to say, we only have one of the seeds. It was decided a long time ago that it would be best to spread Fuji’s work amongst the Apple family. But, it is impossible to get the seed to work by itself. The ponies that most likely have the other component are the elder family members. Try: Strudel, Applesauce, Granny Smith or Goldie Delicious. They’re sure to be able to tell you where the remaining belt is stashed.”

Nodding, Maud recalled the day the Apples informed her father that one of Fuji’s belts had been stolen. A filly had run away from her village, taking the belt and one of the seeds with her. It had been the only time she could recall that her father lost his temper and had nearly severed the ties between the families.

“It seems you’re well aware of what happened, to the other belt,” the mare said, taking a sip of her drink. “It was not something that we’re proud of and the fact we’ve found no traces of the filly has frustrated us that are in the know about the truth of Fuji to no end.” Setting her cup down, she gestured towards a chair. “Please, Maud, sit. We can at least share a cup of tea, can’t we?”

Maud didn’t say anything, taking a seat and picking up a cup of her own. “It’s still something that my family has mentioned to me about my research. I was warned to not let it out of my sight and only reveal it to those that I could trust.”

“Are you one of the riders?” the mare asked, examining Maud more closely.

“I’m the one Princess Celestia called W,” Maud answered, sitting her cup down. “I’ve managed to finish my own research.” Leaning back, she set her hands in her lap. “Do you know where I can find the Apple family elders?”

“You could go around the corners of Equestria trying to find them all,” Orange started, leaning back in her seat. “Or, you could go to Ponyville in a few months when Granny Smith is hosting the Apple Family Reunion. All of the oldest members will be there.”

Maud nodded, finishing her drink. “I’ll do that.” Looking at the mare, she cleared her throat. “May I have the orange seed?”

“If you were anypony else, I’d tell you no,” Orange replied, rising out of her seat. “Your vow was never ours, but we’ve kept Fuji’s work safe, aside from a hiccup or two.” Stepping out of the room, she left Maud alone with her husband. Orange returned a moment later with a small lock in her hand, emblazoned with the image of an orange.“But, before I give this to you, may I see what you’ve created on your own?” She held the lock close to her chest. “I think that’s only fair.”

Reaching into her frock, Maud retrieved the Joker memory. “I call them ‘Gaia Memories’, created from the planet’s memories.” She held it out, allowing Orange to take it.

Orange in returned allowed Maud to take the lock. She turned the Memory over in her fingers, examining it closely. “Amazing how two ponies researching for the sake of the same goal came by it through two completely different means,” she noted, holding the Memory out to Maud again.

“It never crossed my mind to use fruit,” Maud replied, taking the Memory back. “Hopefully, Fuji’s work will save lives.”

Orange smiled, taking her seat again. “I think that’s all Fuji ever hoped for the seeds. Good luck convincing one of the elders for a belt. Faust help you if it’s Goldie Delicious that has it; you’d have to hire a mining team to dig through her house in order to find it.”

“Thank you.” Maud rose up, putting both the seed and the Memory away. “I’m sure you must be relieved to have this weight off your shoulders.”

Orange chuckled, looking into her cup. “A younger me might’ve said yes, but since the monster attacks started, I understood the importance of my duties.” She looked up. “Still, I think giving it to you is the correct course of action.”

“Be safe,” Maud spoke before taking her leave. “And thank you.” Maud looked down at the lockseed in her hand, turning it around in her hand. Her stoic expression shifted into the barest hint of a frown, not looking forward to playing the waiting game in order for a chance at the belt.

Twilight sat on the couch of her suite, trying to read a book. Though her heart wasn’t in it as her mind drifted towards the description Wyatt gave to Ixa. There was something familiar there, but she couldn’t put her finger on it exactly.

“Hey, Purple Smart, you okay over there?” Daring asked, getting Twilight’s attention. “I thought you’d be freaking out a lot longer after a monster nearly attacked Celestia.” Pursing her lips, Daring frowned. “You know, why didn’t she help anyway?”

Twilight looked up from her book, putting a mark in it and closing it. “I was just thinking about this Ixa that Wyatt described. Something about them is nagging at me. As for why Celestia didn’t help, the three riders had it under control. Did you see how well they worked together?”

“I saw two of them making sure everyone got out but, Wyatt doing all the real work.” Daring pushed away from the wall, taking a seat next to Twilight. “That Rook guy sounds like an idiot. But! Wyatt’s not the only one with Rider knowledge.”

“Oh?” Twilight quirked a brow and turned to face Daring. “Did your father ever talk about Ixa?”

“No, but he killed a fangire when I was ten,” Daring replied, putting her hooves on the table. “See, they’re like vamponies, except they don’t drink blood, they steal a pony’s life force. They got that whole stain glass thing going on; when they die they shatter like glass.”

“That certainly sounds interesting,” Twilight conceded. “I did notice Rook had multicolored patterns on him that resembled stained glass.”

“Their leaders are the Checkmate Four: King, Queen, Bishop and Rook,” Daring elaborated. “Dad also told me two riders belong to them: Dark Kiva and Saga.”

“So we could be looking at even more evil riders in the future?” Twilight questioned, her muzzle scrunching up. “I’m guessing Dark Kiva resembles Wyatt’s Kiva form?”

“How should I know? Dad didn’t have anything fancy like Kuuga’s laptop. Have you checked that thing for rider stuff or what?”

“I have, but I have a hard time using it because it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.” She frowned and looked down at her hands. “That and my fur messes up what Wyatt calls the trackpad.”

Daring glanced at Twilight’s hands. “You could use gloves you know.”

“I offered that idea, but Wyatt said I’d need special kind of gloves to work with it.” Twilight looked up from her hands, frown deepening. “And now Maud’s taken it for her own research.” She knew Maud had a duty to fulfill, but having knowledge semi-denied rather bothered her.

“Well, Wyatt could probably describe Dark Kiva and Saga to us. He seems like he’s been on the ball about that.” Daring shrugged, letting herself sink into the cushions a bit more. “You ask him out yet?”

Twilight’s face erupted into a blush and she turned into a stuttering mess as she tried to come up with an answer. “I-I have no idea what you’re talking about. Why would I ask Wyatt out?”

Daring sighed, giving Twilight a hard look. “Kid, everyone except Pinkie Pie knows you two like each other. It’s worse than the crush Spike has on Rarity. You ever heard of the friendzone?”

“The what?” Twilight questioned, utter confusion apparent on her face.

“Something my dad told me about.” Daring cleared her throat, gesturing with her hands. “Say there's two ponies that like each other; gender doesn’t really matter. They both have feelings for the other, but neither says anything about it. One or both is waiting for the other to do something about it but, neither does. Eventually one of them moves on, and they just stay friends. Thus, the other pony is put in the friendzone.”

“And you think one of us could get put in this friendzone thing?” Twilight guessed, her muzzle scrunching up.

“No, I’m saying you’ll get married and have a dozen foals,” Daring replied, leveling a flat look at Twilight.

Twilight met her look with a frown. “You’re way more sarcastic than how you portray yourself in the books.”

“Fact is stranger than fiction.” Daring laughed, putting her hands behind her head. “Sorry to shatter that image of me, but uh, never meet your heroes and whatnot.”

“Okay, but how am I supposed to ask Wyatt out?” Twilight questioned, suddenly feeling like a filly again. “Every time he brings up the Baltimare thing I get so nervous I end up running away.” A long groan escaped her lips and she let her head drop into her hands. “I’m hopeless.”

“Everypony’s helpless when they’re having their first crush,” Daring offered, patting Twilight’s shoulder. “Even I turned into a nervous wreck back when I was in school and this stallion in my class started hitting the gym after getting his cutie mark. What you have to do is muster up the courage you’ve used to save Equestria umpteen times and take the plunge. The facts are, it’ll either work out between you two, or it won’t. But, the only way to know that is if you try. This is something you can’t calculate your way out of, Purple Smart.”

Lifting her head, Twilight gave Daring a weak smile. “Thanks, I’ll do my best.” A thought struck Twilight and she leapt to her hooves. “Oh Faust I forgot! Wyatt is meeting with that June Bug mare!” Her mane fizzed out and she grabbed Daring by the collar. “What if he decides to move on with her!?!?”

Daring chuckled and rolled her eyes, pulling the unicorn’s hands off her. “Twilight, he’s interviewing her. I don’t think the kid’s gonna risk a swanky new job over some tail. Besides, June Bug is like twice his age.”

Twilight nodded, relaxing slightly. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right.” She chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. “It’s just an interview. He’ll do his job and then never see her again.”

“I want to thank you for letting me tag along, Princess,” June Bug spoke as Cadance led the trio through Manehatten’s Starswirl exhibit. “I just couldn’t pass up the chance to meet one of our country’s amazing Princesses.”

“You flatter me too much, Ms. June Bug,” Cadance dismissed with a giggle, looking back at the mare with a smile. “I was just a pegasus from a small village before I was lucky enough to do the right thing to earn my horn. I’m not like you who’s made calculated moves to earn her spot in Equestria’s top earners.”

“Please, just call me June Bug.” June flashed her a smile, brushing some hair out of her face. “I’ve never been one for formalities.”

“Then please, just call me Cadance,” the pink alicorn retorted, stopping in front of a glass case that contained an old document. “I get tired of all the formalities myself. You would not believe how much use my favorite pair of sweatpants get in my downtime.”

“Oh, I think I can.” June Bug let out of own laugh, looking back at Wyatt. “I am a little surprised you’re spending the day with a freelance journalist. Going for the best princess award? I believe Celestia’s won that one every year so far.”

“He and I met because he’s friends with Twilight here,” Cadance explained, waving a hand to Twilight. “My aunt had me foalsit her to help teach me responsibility.” She smiled sweetly. “Great idea on her part because Twily and I have been great friends ever since. Plus, I met my fiance because of foalsitting Twily.”
“I wanted to get to know my landlord’s family better,” Wyatt spoke up, returning Cadance’s smile. “I need dirt in case she ever decides she wants to throw me out or something. Gotta protect my investments.”

Twilight huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Do you have to keep calling me your landlord? I’ve never charged you a single bit to stay at Golden Oaks. Besides, you could get more dirt on me by offering Spike a decent sized gem and a few new comic books.” She facepalmed, realizing her mistake.

“Considering his growth spurt, I imagine it’ll take more than that.” Cadance rubbed her chin, humming in thought. “You know, he’s getting to that point, Twilight. Have you had the talk with him yet?”

Twilight rubbed her neck, picking up on the implications. “No, I haven’t. With all the monster attacks and him recovering, there hasn’t really been a good time. Plus, I think my parents would rather give it to him. Or you know, his grandfather...”

“Trying to dodge the talk because of a lack of experience?” Wyatt teased, a knowing smirk on his face. “You can’t not do the talk, even if you don’t really know how dragons work like that.”

“Well maybe it’s not solely my place to give it to him,” Twilight countered, a rather uncomfortable look crossing her features. “There are other people with just as much impetus to do it. I’m just his big sister.”

“And the reason that he hatched in the first place,” Wyatt added, elbowing Twilight gently. “That makes you a bit more than just a big sister by my reasoning. I’d say mom, but I don’t want your mom getting mad at me or something.”

“Considering how many bottles she heated up and diapers she changed, she’d certainly argue with you about that title,” Twilight agreed, rubbing her side. “Spike used to cling to Mom and Dad all the time; especially when they tried to put him to bed.” A nostalgic smile replaced Twilight’s uncomfortable look, and she let out a contented sigh. “He used to be so small...”

Wyatt chuckled, nudging her in the side again. “Pretty sure your parents would say that about you too. One day you’re turning them into house plants, the next you’re a national hero.”

“And what would your parents say about you, Wyatt?” June Bug asked, eyeing the young man over. “What would they think of you now; meeting princesses and taking pictures of super heroes?”

Wyatt’s jovial expression instantly fell and the document in the glass case suddenly became very interesting. “Seeing as they probably think I’m dead; they’d just be overjoyed at the fact I’m still alive.” His tone was hollow, barely managing to keep his composure together to avoid breaking down into a blubbering mess.

June Bug stepped back, putting her hand on Wyatt’s shoulder. A faint spark flickered over her face, and Wyatt felt a sudden surge of positive emotions. “No matter what happened there, you’re still alive and nothing's gonna change that.”

Wyatt sighed, putting a hand on the case. “I know, I just wish I could let them know I’m safe. I’d do anything for that.” Placing his head against the glass, Wyatt closed his eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to weigh down our fun day together.”

“I should be the one to apologize,” June Bug insisted, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “I knew about your situation and carelessly asked about your family. I know how important family is, believe me.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” Wyatt moved away from the glass, putting on his best smile. It was easy, considering the good feelings June Bug was pumping into him.“I’ve been coming to terms with my situation for months now. Good friends like the ones I’ve made in Ponyville have helped with that.”

Twilight watched the scene unfold with her eye twitching and her hair frizzing in a couple places. ‘Daring was wrong! Wyatt’s put me in the friendzone for June Bug!’ She glanced at Cadance, making less than subtle motions toward Wyatt.

Cadance pretended to play innocent, pointing at Wyatt and quirking a brow. The alicorn had to hide a smirk, enjoying the drama unfold before her. She smiled, gently pushing Twilight towards Wyatt, adding in a shooing motion.

“Um, you don’t have to thank us, Wyatt,” Twilight started, putting a shaky hand on Wyatt’s other shoulder. “We’ll always be here for you whenever you need us. That’s what friends are for.” She blinked owlishly, coming to a realization.‘Gah! I said friend! I’ve only made it worse! Now he’s only going to see me as his friend!’

Wyatt reached up, putting his hand over Twilight’s. “If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I’d be doing as good as I am.” Moving his eyes up, he wore a sincere smile. “Thanks Twi, I mean that, more than you could ever know.”

Twilight froze, her train of thought coming to a screeching halt for a moment before shooting off at a breakneck pace. ‘Come on Twilight, say something! You’ve stood up to a chaos spirit and a possessed princess! Surely you can figure out how to say that you like a stallion!’ In the end she managed to smile back. “Don’t mention it.” If she could effectively kick herself, she would’ve in that moment.

Squeezing her hand, his smile widened. “Well, if I don’t mention it I can’t tell you how much you matter, now can I?”

Twilight’s smile widened a bit and she gave Wyatt a playful shove. “You’re giving me too much credit. I’ve just supported you, you’re the one that’s stood up instead of falling.”

“Oh come on, take a bit of credit.” Wyatt shoved her back. “Without you, I’d have to live with Rarity or A.J and as much as I like the two of them, I don’t think I could live with them. Look at me, you think I’m built for yard work?”

“I’m sure Aj and Big Mac would whip you into shape,” Twilight shot back with a giggle. “Plus, you’d be getting Granny Smith’s home cooking every day. Surely that’s worth a little bit of labor?”

“No way.” Wyatt shook his head, resuming his walk. “I’d rather be a basement dweller than a farm hand. Not many people can set their own hours ya know?”

“In other words, you’re lazy,” Twilight teased, tsking and wagging a finger at him. “I’m amazed you manage to get anything done. Maybe you do need Aj and Granny Smith to teach you about a good work ethic?”

“I make it a personal goal of mine to never get up before the sun does,” Wyatt retorted, turning around and walking backwards to face her. “So the farm life is just not for me.” His cool factor was lost as he walked into a display case. He tried to play it off, only for the three mares to giggle at him.

“How about you keep your eyes forward, Wyatt?” Cadance suggested with a smile. “I don’t feel like bailing you out with security if you break something.”

“R-right.” Wyatt turned around, rubbing his neck nervously. Peering at the display case he had hit, his eyes looked on an open sketchbook. “Hey.” He snapped his fingers, eyes roving over the page. “I recognize some of this stuff.”

Twilight stared into the case, her face unwittingly right next to his. “I’ve never seen a sketchbook among Starswirl’s work before. But, how could you recognize any of it? You’ve always “rested your eyelids” whenever I try to give lessons on Starswirl.”

“Twilight, I know the K-Touch when I see it.” Wyatt tapped the glass, pointing to the sketch of a rectangle, which sported ten symbols on the front. “I’d never, ever forget an upgrade like that.”

“K-Touch?” Twilight repeated, taking a look at the sketch. She glanced back at June Bug, suddenly realizing Wyatt’s slip. “Um, is that something you’ve managed to learn from Decade?” she asked, chuckling nervously at her hasty coverup. “Wait a minute, that symbol is the one Maud showed me,” she whispered, pointing to the symbol in the top left corner of the sketch. Her eyes roved over it for a moment before something else sticking out. “And the last one is the Decade symbol. Wyatt, is this something related to Decade’s powers?”

“Like I said, it’s called the K-Touch,” Wyatt explained, leaning in close. “It allows Decade to summon the previous ten riders in their stronger forms and enter his own, Decade Complete.”

“We need to look over every inch of this exhibit,” Twilight said, looking up at him. “If Starswirl was able to sketch it, then his work is our best bet to figure out where this is. I’ll let Cadance know.” Pulling away, she stepped over to the mare in question, whispering in her ear.

Cadance’s eyes widened for a moment before she nodded and looked into the display case. “I don’t like doing this, but I could use my authority as a princess to get access to that sketchbook for private study.”

“If it helps, getting the K-Touch would help keep Equestia safe,” Twilight offered with a weak smile.

“Twily, I can put my personal discomfort aside for that sake,” Cadance assured, patting the smaller mare’s shoulder. “Now, I’m going to see if I can find the curator. June Bug, could you come and help me?” She turned on her hoof and strode deeper into the museum with June Bug at her side.

Returning to Wyatt, Twilight nodded at the display. “Cadance is going to talk to the curator about studying the sketch book in private.”

“Good,” Wyatt said, looking back at her. He relaxed a bit and managed a smile. “Well, I can safely say that I’m finally interested in Pony Gandalf. Even if he looks a little lame.”

“Wyatt, if we were not in public right now, I would explain to you just how wrong you are about Starswirl looking lame,” Twilight told him, an intense look in her eyes. “But, I’ll have to save it for back at the hotel.”

“He tied bells to his hat, Twilight,” Wyatt argued, crossing his arms. “What is he, a christmas elf?”

“I have told you countless times that the bells were part of his hypotheses in astrology and magic focusing,” Twilight retorted with a huff, matching his posture. “It’s one of the few ideas he proposed that has ever been disproven. It’s like you only listen to me half the time.”

“I’m sorry, but your idol is lame,” Wyatt insisted, leaning in again. “He’s a beardo weirdo, with a tacky cape and dumb bells.”

Twilight’s eye twitched and her fists clenched at her sides. She grit her teeth and looked at him with what could be generously called a death glare. “I’m going to forget you said that,” she nearly hissed, turning away from him. “And by the way, I don’t think your new friend is ready for your big secret. So try to keep a better handle on it.”

Wyatt’s expression fell and he instantly regretted his choice of words. He turned away from her, silently berating himself. ‘There's a fine line between banter and being a dick, and you just crossed it, idiot. I don’t even have the excuse of being tipsy this time.’ He looked at Twilight from the corner of his eye and winced when he saw her fuming. ‘Welp, I just killed any romantic interest that she had in me. Good job, idiot. The only mare that showed genuine interest in you and you pissed it away.’

Sticking his hands in his pocket, Wyatt let his head hang. There had to be a way to fix this; Twilight just needed to calm down, she wouldn’t stay mad at him she wasn’t that kind of person. He frowned at his line of thinking; he needed to make things right, not just wait for her to calm down. Gingerly, he reached out and put his hand on Twilight’s shoulder.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to be a jerk. I was just trying to ruffle your jimmies. I’m sorry.”

Twilight sucked in a breath through her nostrils, looking over her shoulder at him. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it, but it still hurt. Starswirl was my inspiration to pursue magic when I was just a filly.”

“I’ll keep my teasing to an all time low, okay?” Wyatt asked, giving Twilight’s shoulder a squeeze. “I prefer when you’re smiling, not glaring at me.”

Twilight nodded, her posture relaxing. “Good, I was almost ready to turn you into a houseplant for a little while,” she teased, managing a small smile. “Maybe a cactus, put you on my windowsill.”

Wyatt rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face. “That was so funny I forgot to laugh.” He pulled his hand off her shoulder. “Now, let’s keep looking around the exhibit to see what other stuff you’ve never seen about Starswirl the totally not lame.”

Twilight turned on her hoof, motioning for Wyatt to follow her. The two walked side by side and examined each artifact they came across extensively. To their disappointment, most of it was things that Twilight already knew about and offered no further insight into the sketchbook. They were just about to give up when they came across an open journal. Twilight pressed her face to the glass, eyes roving over the page.

“Oh wow, this is a journal written by Starswirl’s apprentice!” she chimed. “You can tell because his handwriting isn’t as famously messy as Starswirl’s was.”

Wyatt glanced over Twilight’s shoulder, eyes locking on the image of a ring. “Hey, Twilight... what's that ring look like to you?”

Twilight glanced to the rough sketch of a ring, scrutinizing it for a moment. “Um, it sort of looks like a hand. Also, there’s something odd about this journal entry. The apprentice talks about Starswirl clad in a white cloak, but anypony with even a bit of interest in Starswirl would tell you that he only ever wore his blue robes.”

Stepping back, Wyatt put a hand on his head. “Right, so now Starswirl is Wiseman. What’s next; is everyone going to get a belt? Is Rainbow Dash going to become Stronger? Is Fluttershy going to become J?”

Twilight’s eyes widened, looking between the display case and Wyatt. She stepped in close to him so she could speak in a hushed tone. “Wait a minute, are you saying that Starswirl was a rider?”

“Yeah, Kamen Rider White Wizard, A.K.A Wiseman,” Wyatt responded, glancing back at the journal. “I recognize the wizard ring. Either Celestia is keeping stuff from us, or she didn’t know either.”

“We’ll have to tell Cadance about this journal too,” Twilight stated, a determined look in her eyes. “This might be the only piece of writing that can tell us about Starswirl’s connection to the riders. And, as soon as we get back to Spike we need to send a message to Princess Celestia about this.”

Wyatt nodded at her, glancing at the display case. For once, he wasn’t going to mind studying.

A Somber Affair

Author's Note

This chapter is a crossover with DisplacedWriter and his story, [Displaced] Of Magic & Might. Be sure to check it out.

A Somber Affair

Wyatt had his suitcase laid out on his bed. There was only a few changes of clothes and his essentials in it. He didn’t foresee the trip lasting too long. He could hear Twilight excitedly chatting about the trip upstairs with Spike.

“Listen to her go.” Wyatt chuckled, shaking his head. “She’s so happy.” He felt a smile tug at his lips, and he joyfully let it take over. “I haven’t seen her this happy in forever.”

He quickly finished what little packing he had left and dragged his suitcase upstairs.”Hey Twi!” Wyatt called out, displaying his suitcase. “I’m all ready for our trip. I even remembered my toothbrush.”

“Excellent!” Twilight clapped her hands, looking up from Spike’s suitcase. “We’re right on time!” Conjuring up a scroll and quill, she gave it a check. “Now, help me get Spike’s suitcase packed and we can get to the train station!”

Wyatt leaned in and started to help pack. He quirked a brow at some of what Spike was bringing. “Geez Spike, you don’t need to take the entire tree house with you.”

“I have to bring what Twilight forgets,” Spike defended, crossing his arms. “Plus, I wear clothes now so, that’s taking up all the space! And you know, I got Medajalibur in there too.”

“What could Twilight possibly forget for a couple day trip?” Wyatt argued, folding up one of Spike’s shirts.

“Everything,” Spike responded, tapping his foot impatiently. “You’ve seen how she panics about deadlines. When we moved here, she literally forgot her underwear.”

Wyatt couldn’t help but snicker at that thought. “Well, I’m sure she didn’t wear skirts until she got them back.”

“Can we not talk about my clothes?” Twilight grumbled, her face tinted red. “Why are you even putting your sword in a suitcase anyway? It takes up so much space.”

“Hold on, I just have one more question,” Wyatt started, a smirk on his face. “Anything lacey among the forgotten underwear?” He was rewarded by Twilight zapping him in the back and a full blown beard exploding from his face. Despite the pain, he couldn’t help but chuckle weakly. He made sure to keep quiet while he finished packing though. “Well... now I have to shave...”

Spike looked him over, putting a claw to his chin. “I dunno, Wy, I think you could pull off a goatee if you trimmed that beard up.”

“Eh, never been one for facial hair,” Wyatt waved him off, scratching at his chin. “I take it we don’t have any razors here, do we?”

“You live with a mare and a dragon,” Twilight pointed out with a giggle. “What makes you think one of us has a razor?” Taking pity on him, she zapped him again, removing his beard. “Just let that be a lesson to you.”

Wyatt chuckled, rubbing his smooth face. “I dunno, Twi, you should know by now that I’m a slow study. Anyway, we still need to get this suitcase ready, we want to stay on time, ya?”

Twilight looked over to the clock, her eyes widening. “You’re right! We need to hurry up.” Her horn lit up and she started levitating things into the suitcase.” With a spell, she locked the suitcase closed and almost hurled it at Spike. “We can’t be late!!”

“Could’ve done that anytime,” Spike grumbled, stumbling as he caught the suitcase. Tail swishing in agitation, Spike made sure he had his belt and medal case before walking towards the door. “Come on, we better get out of here or we won’t be an hour early like normal.”

“Perish the thought of that,” Wyatt said, hefting his own suitcase. “Then we might not have time to double and triple check the checklist. I mean, it’d be one thing if you were worried we’d miss our appointment with Celestia, but we’re in no danger of missing our train.”

“Keep it up and you two will have beards that drag along the floor,” Twilight warned, grabbing her own luggage. She quickly led them out the door and towards the train station. “I will not be late for my brother’s wedding!”

“Again, one hour before the train pulls into the station,” Spike reminded, walking right behind her. “And it’s a ten minute walk to the station. It’s a nightmare going anywhere with you.”

“Hey, at least she’s better than travelling with someone that’s always late,” Wyatt offered, keeping stride with the drake. “That’s so much more of a nightmare. Bet that's what living with Rarity is like.”

Spike nodded, shuddering. “Yeah, you make a good point. Plus, she basically takes everything she owns with her. It’s murder on my back to help her with it.” He fought the urge to rub his back. “Makes me dread offering every time...”

“But you always do,” Wyatt said, nudging Spike in the side. “She’s got you wrapped around her little finger.” Wriggling his fingers, he grinned. “You have any weird dreams since your sudden entry into puberty?”

“Dude, can we not talk about that with my sister right here?” Spike asked, a faint hint of color to his scales as he adjusted his suitcase. “She’s got her own problems to deal with, and I don’t think she can handle talking about that sort of thing.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Wyatt said with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, I won’t press further. But I will ask when we get settled at Canterlot.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” The trio continued down the street, making it to the train station with plenty of time to spare. Putting his suitcase on the bench, Spike shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’m gonna leave all the rider talk to you guys, I wanna take D.T around Canterlot.”

“That’s fine,” Wyatt assured, taking a seat on the bench and leaning in it as much as he could. “You deserve some more bonding time with your newfound family. Maybe you can get her into comics too?”

“That would be awesome!” Spike agreed, turning to Wyatt with a giant grin. “I just have to figure out a series that I think she’d like.” Closing his eyes, he imagined himself and his cousin getting into a heated argument over which of the power ponies was the coolest. “If only she could eat gems, that would be amazing...”

Wyatt chuckled. “Now you’re just getting greedy,” he teased. “Just try to get her into comics and then try for something like O&O. Bet she’d play a mean merchant.”

Spike nodded, an easy smile on his face as he pictured including his cousin in his sessions. He could see her getting into it given her competitive nature. “You make a good point, Wy. Though I do wish I could find another dragon to hang out with.”

“Maybe you could get one of those dragonesses you met to come hang out with you,” Wyatt suggested, putting his hands behind his head. “Might need to convince them to wear clothes, don’t know if pony sensibilities would apply to dragon females as opposed to males.”

Spike scratched his chin. “You make a good point, Wy. Those two were pretty cool. I was just hoping to get some more guy friends. Still, I’m sure Rarity would jump at the chance to make clothes for those two. Not sure where I would find em though...”

“Well, your grandfather would probably know something,” Wyatt offered. “And you’re gonna be seeing him pretty soon.” Wyatt gave Spike a nudge in the side. “You can show him how much progress you’ve made with the medals while you’re at it.”

“Yeah, I got two of his medals back and like four of my dads. Out of dozens...” Spike said, his ear fins drooping. “I really wish I had a way to track them. The world's a big place, how am I supposed to find them all?”

“The same way you accomplish any goal,” Wyatt started, giving Spike a smile. “One step at a time. You can’t expect determination alone to get you all the medals. You also need patience and the ability to appreciate the little victories. It’s been less than a year and you’ve already got six medals, that’s a big deal.”

Spike gave a nod, pulling his medal case close to his chest. “I just wish I could do more. I don’t even know how many medals my dad made.” Opening the case, he held the deer medal up to the light. “I want to make my dad proud of me.”

“I understand how you feel,” Wyatt assured, patting Spike on the shoulder. “But if your dad were able to right now, I’m sure the first thing he’d tell you is how proud you’ve made him. You’ve basically been doing nothing but focus on your rider duties since you got your belt. You’ve gotta remember that you’ve got other needs in your life. Otherwise you’ll get swallowed up by stress.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.” Twilight leaned down, nuzzling Spike’s head. “I’ll always be here for you, Spike. No matter what happens, I’ll always be your big sister, and that means I’ll always be there to nag you to take a break.”

Spike smiled, giving Twilight a quick hug. “Thanks, both of you. There’s also the fact that these medals can cause some serious harm to people. But you’re right, I can only do so much.” Pulling away, he hoped out of his seat. “I’m gonna go see if I can’t help D.T and Rich pack, watch my stuff, ya?”

“Just don’t take too long,” Twilight told him, sliding his luggage close to her. “I might be tempted to board the train without you.”

“Then, i’ll just have to fly there myself.” Spike waved his medal case before jogging back into town.

The drake eventually disappeared from sight, leaving Wyatt and Twilight all alone. He glanced at the mare, watching her as she pulled out her massive checklist.

‘Maybe I should try talking to her about this whole mess?’ Wyatt thought, his hand drifting to his chest. ‘She wouldn’t be able to bolt this time if she doesn’t want to miss the train.’ Just as he was about to open his mouth, Cadance’s advice replayed in his head. ‘No, I shouldn’t put her on the spot if she’s still uncomfortable. That’s no way to have this talk.’

“So...” he spoke, glancing over at her. “How do Equestrian weddings work? I’ve been to a few human ones, so I’m curious how they differ to the ones here.”

“Well, how do they work on Earth?” Twilight asked, looking up from her list. “I’ll tell you if something different comes up.” She smiled, fishing into her bag and pulling out her notebook. “This is actually a good way to pass the time, exchanging information about our cultures’ courtship practices.”

Wyatt watched her with amusement, beginning to describe the various weddings he had attended. Of course, he had to explain how one or two were from different cultures from the one he grew up in.

“Amazing,” Twilight said, quickly jotting down notes. “Wedding practices between your culture and mine are basically identical! Except, we have best mares instead of men.”

“That is pretty cool,” Wyatt admitted, his smile growing at the glint in her eyes. “Though I am a bit disappointed. I was looking forward to a wild wedding on another world. Now I’ll just have to do what I always did at weddings; stuff my face with free food and watch the actual couples dance.”

“Well...” Twilight tapped her quill against the paper. “We could dance... if you want...”

On the inside, fireworks were going off in Wyatt’s mind and he had to stop himself from jumping off the bench and cheering. Instead of all that, he gave her a smile and a nod. “Okay, I’d be fine with that.” He pointed a finger at her. “But I’ve got to warn you up front, I’m a terrible dancer. If you had toes, I would be stepping all over them.” His smile grew. “Still wanna dance with me?”

A giggle escaped Twilight’s lip. “Have you seen me dance, Wyatt? According to Rainbow Dash, I’m like a disaster on the dance floor.”

“Perfect!” Wyatt said, unable to contain his laughter. “Then we can be a disaster together.” He found himself standing up, leaning in close. “We’ll be like if Calamity Jane met Footloose.”

Twilight’s giggling turned into full blown laughter of her own. “Wyatt, I have no idea what either of those things are.” Wearing a bright smile, she moved closer. “I’m going to guess one of those things is a movie or something.”

Wyatt grinned, reaching over to poke Twilight’s muzzle. “Technically they’re both movies, but Calamity Jane was a nickname for a figure in history.”

“Well, why don’t you tell me about this figure?” Twilight ask, poking him back. The pair sat down on the bench, passing the time with a low key history exchange.

“Luna, please relax.” Celestia followed Luna with her eyes as the younger sister paced back and forth. The next few days had been scheduled to be as perfect as possible; weather ponies were pulling double shifts making sure to keep the skies clear and sunny. Of course, they were getting paid extra, Celestia wasn’t a slave driver.

“‘Tis easy for thou to say, sister,” Luna replied, unwittingly switching into her old Equuish as she continued to pace. “Thou hath been seeing to the decorations while we have been handling the guests. We have been working in tandem with the guard to covertly ensure that none of them are monsters in disguise.”

“And you’ve been doing a great job, Luna.” Celestia smiled, patting the seat next to her. “Come, sit and relax. We have things to discuss before our guests arrive.” Celestia’s sunroom had been chosen as the meeting place, both for its privacy and its calming atmosphere.

“Very well,” Luna said, letting out a long sigh as she took a seat beside her sister. She reclined in her seat, looking very unladylike. “I suppose I can afford a minute or two to relax considering we need to talk to your student.”

“Did you have any inkling?” Celestia asked, giving her sister a critical look. Both Starswirl’s sketchbook and Clover’s journal rested on the table in front of them. She hated to do it, but national security was paramount, and both texts had been confiscated.

“No, not even a little bit of one,” Luna said, turning her head to look at Celestia. “But, Starswirl was notorious for keeping secrets from us. To think, he had access to piece of young Wyatt’s powers.” She reached over to pick up the sketchbook and stared at the drawing of the K-Touch. “Misanthropic old curmudgeon.”

Celestia frowned, looking between the two books. “Yes, that certainly was one of his biggest flaws. But, we cannot change what has been done. All we can do is use what Starswirl left behind to help Wyatt attain this device of his.

”And what has he left behind?” Luna asked, waving the book around. “Whatever secrets our late teacher had he took to the grave. Wherever that is.” Dropping the book back on the table, Luna resumed her pacing. “Why make life easier for us, when he can make everything a challenge?”

Celestia let out a dry chuckle, putting a hand to her forehead and shaking it. “That always was his style: drop a problem into our laps and have us figure out a solution. Seems that much hasn’t changed even with this.”

Luna stopped, turning to look at her sister. “And yet, you do the same thing with Twilight Sparkle. Like teacher like student, yes?”

Celestia removed the hand from her head and smiled at her sister. “I cannot deny that it has been an effective method. My student has far exceeded my expectations for her. I think she can go on to surpass even us, sister. She might be ready.”

“In my humble opinion, I think she was ready the instant she bested Discord,” Luna retorted, pausing her pacing once more. “But as always, you had to lay contingency plans before you would admit that. What was the plan if Twilight and her friends failed? Hope Agito decided to return?”

Celestia waved her sister off and put on an easy smile. “Oh, my contingency plan is of no concern now. As expected, Twilight and her friends sealed Discord away once more and our favorite lawn ornament was returned to us.” Her smile grew wider and she put her hands in her lap. “Speaking of my student, have you heard the latest scoop from Cadance?”

“Yes I did. I don’t see how that is relevant to our conversation.”

“We were just talking about her growth,” Celestia huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Pardon me if I’m excited that she’s found somebody she’s interested in. I was starting to think that she was asexual.”

“Forgive me if I do not wish to partake in the life planning you’ve started,” Luna responded curtly. “Would I be far off the mark in saying you were the one that steered Shining Armor and Cadance together?”

Celestia snorted, waving her hand dismissively. “Oh please, all I did was have Cadance foalsit for Twilight. They steered into each other all on their own. Honestly Luna, do you think I sit around, meticulously planning out the minute details of everypony’s life?”

“Of course not,” Luna assured, a sweet smile on her face. “Just the ones that you take interest in.” Dropping her smile, she glanced out the window. “You know, you still haven’t told me why Agito left.”

Celestia sighed, rising out of her seat and walking towards the window. “I’m sorry I put off telling you... It wasn’t a pleasant event.” Extending a wing, she wrapped it around Luna’s shoulder. “Agito didn’t agree with your banishment.” Celestia closed her eyes, not wanting to look at Luna. “Some of his last words to me was how disgusted he was that I would do that to you; to just give up on my little sister and lock her away like some kind of monster.”

“Tia, I know you didn’t give up on me,” Luna said, returning the gesture and pulling Celestia into a hug of her own. “If there were any other way to stop me, you would’ve done it. But, I’m sure Agito didn’t want to hear any of that.”

Shaking her head, Celestia pulled Luna closer. “No, he didn’t. He spit in my face and took his leave.”

Luna winced. “Did he literally spit in your face or was that just a turn of phrase?”

“You knew him as well I do.” Celestia pulled away, wiping at her eyes. It felt good, sharing that little piece of information. “Honestly, I can easily sympathize with him. To lose your sibling and then watch someone else cast theirs out.”

Luna wiped at her own eyes, picturing her old friends as she remembered them. “Yes, I can more than understand his actions. Though, to think he’d hold onto his feelings for a millenia puts even my stubbornness to shame.”

“Either way, we need his help.” Celestia sighed, touching her forehead to Luna’s. “I just wish he could have his sibling back as well.” Her ears twitched, a knock coming from the door. “Yes?”

“It’s Twilight Sparkle and Wyatt Matthews, your majesty,” one of her guards replied from behind the door. “They are here to see you as per your orders.”

“Please, let them in.” Taking a breath, Celestia let her feelings smooth out. When Twilight and Wyatt walked in, she was sporting a bright smile. “Twilight, Wyatt, good to see you as always. I hope you had a pleasant trip. Please sit, I’ll send for some drinks.”

“The trip was great,” Wyatt replied, moving over to one of the couches and taking a seat. “And it’s good to see you two again as well. Though, it feels like every time we meet up, I end up having to fight monsters.” Spotting the two books, he cleared his throat. “So... Rider stuff...”

Celestia nodded, a serious expression settling on her features. “Yes, let’s get to that. I would like to start by saying that my sister and I are just as surprised as you to find out that Starswirl had rider powers of his own. We were still adolescents when he disappeared so he kept much of his plans and life to himself.”

“As much as I would like not to destroy Twilight’s image of him, our mentor was not what one would call a ‘nice pony’,” Luna added, folding her hands behind her back. “In fact, he could be downright hostile at times.”

Twilight’s ears flattened to her head, glancing down at the two books. “I can handle it, Princess Luna. Were you able to find any leads on the K-Touch? I went over everything in the library again but I couldn’t find a thing.”

“We’ve begun a search of our own library,” Celestia started, a frown on her face. “But all we’ve managed to find is a brief mention of using an artifact to help seal away Tirek. That might be the K-Touch but there was no mention of where it wound up.” Her frown deepened and she shifted slightly. “It could be that it ended up in Tartarus.”

Twilight paled and her ears flattened to her skull again. “But if it wound up there then it would be impossible for us to retrieve it.”

“Why would it be impossible?” Wyatt asked, looking between them. “What's stopping us from just going there and getting it?”

“The very air of Tartarus is toxic,” Luna explained. “Only those of demonic descent or have fully given into dark magic influence can safely pass through it. On top of that, it is filled to the brim with demons and those locked away by my sister and I. Nopony could go in and come out unscathed.”

Wyatt summoned his driver, looking at it critically. “I mean, I might be protected as long as I’m suited up. How tough could demons be to a rider anyway?”

“Some of the denizens could use the tallest building in Manehattan as a toothpick,” Luna deadpanned. “But your powers would not protect you. Kuuga and Agito tested their own powers against Tartarus and collapsed to the ground within minutes due to the air.”

For a moment, Wyatt didn’t respond. He dismissed the driver and rubbed his neck. “Yeah, you’re probably right. If they couldn’t do it, I probably couldn’t either.”

“Still, we have no evidence at the moment that the K-Touch is in Tartarus,” Celestia pointed out. “Even if your rider powers could protect you, you’d be going there with the distinct possibility of finding nothing.” She tapped her fingers against the arm of her seat and glanced at the sketchbook. “We will devote some of the G Project’s resources to developing a means to traverse Tartarus safely. In the meantime, we should continue to figure out its resting place.”

The four continued their talk for a while, relaying anything that had stuck out during their research.

Spike had an easy smile on his face as he led his cousin through the streets of Canterlot. Their first stop had been Donut Joe’s. Diamond Tiara had only gotten a cup of coffee, but Spike had ordered a dozen donuts just in case she changed her mind.

“I know all the cool spots around town,” Spike boasted, puffing his chest out a bit. “I had to do all the shopping. You think Twilight spends too much time inside now? She used to be a complete shut-in.”

Diamond giggled, picturing Spike run out and buy things for a shut-in Twilight. She gave him a light push in the side. “I bet you just know the best places for groceries and nerd stuff.”

“I know a pretty good spa,” Spike added, waving to a few ponies he recognized. “They do this awesome thing with hot rocks. Really loosens up the muscles. And they always make my scales nice and shiny~”

“Oh, I’ve heard of that treatment!” Diamond exclaimed, a bright smile on her face. “It’s supposed to feel fantastic. So, did you go to this spa with your mom?”

“Yeah, the first time I did.” Spike opened the donut box, tossing one into his mouth. “I got her a reservation for mother’s day and she insisted I go with her. It was just so good, I had to go again.”

Diamond nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. “Oh, I had the exact same reaction the first time Aloe and Lotus gave me their full special treatment.” She put a hand on her cheek. “I felt like I was glowing.”

“Looks like we had way more in common than we thought.” Spike swished his tail, an almost purr like rumble coming from his throat. “This is my favorite comic shop!” Running a bit ahead, he threw his arm out to the store in question. “Shining used to bring me here all the time.”

Diamond looked up at the sign of the store, which read, Marvelous Comics, and then into the window. She could make out figurines and vintage comic covers that would surely entice a fan. She sniffed at the air, pinching her nose and looking at Spike with a cheeky grin. “I think I can smell the nerd coming off this place.”

“That was so funny, I forgot to laugh.” Spike rolled his eyes, returning Diamond’s grin. “Have you actually ever even read a comic?”

Diamond rubbed her chin. “Um, that depends, do the strips in the newspaper count?”

“Come on.” Taking her free hand with his, he pulled her inside. “There’s tons of titles in here. We’re bound to find one you like somewhere.”

Diamond’s muzzle scrunched up, a pang of uncertainty rising inside her. She glanced around the room, finding walls sectioned off by companies she had heard of thanks to the colts in her class. In the middle of the room were several tables with displays of comics that the employees had selected for recommendations. There were also shelves that had toys, figures, trading cards and various other collectibles.

After a bit of perusing, she came across a familiar name. Ponan the Barbarian; issue #12 Lair of the Shadowmancers. “You know, my dad used to talk about reading Ponan when he was a colt.” Looking at the issue number, she frowned. “But, why is it only issue 12? Shouldn’t they be in the hundreds by now?”

“Oh, it’s a common practice to reboot a series or just start over the numbering process in order to attract new readers,” Spike explained, picking up the comic. “Especially for a classic series like this. Seeing issue numbers nearing one thousand can be intimidating to someone looking to get into comics. What you want is an omnibus... something like this!” Moving down the aisle a bit, he hefted up a thick tome. “Ponan the Barbarian omnibus #1! Has issues 1-200.”

Diamond gaped at the book Spike was holding. She had to double check if he wasn’t just holding more than one in an attempt to prank her. “Okay, I see what you mean by intimidating.” She scrunched her muzzle up, scrutinizing the book. “But maybe my dad and I could read this together?”

Spike nodded, passing her the book. “I think that’s a great idea. Even if you don’t like it, I think he’ll appreciate that you tried.” Gesturing with his head, he turned towards the counter. “Come on, my treat.”

“Aren’t you going to get anything for yourself?” Diamond asked, adjusting the book so she could carry it at her side.

“Nah, the next Power Ponies issue isn’t until next week.” Spike shrugged, guiding her up to counter. “Heya, Kirby! How’s it been?”

A middle-aged stallion turned around, he had on a pale sweater and black pants. His fur was a light brown while his mane was black and slicked back. “Heya Spike, long time no see. Things have been pretty good on my end, but the Mrs. and I can’t get my daughter to wear anything else but that Mane-iac costume we got her for Nightmare Night.”

“Mane-iac is pretty cool,” Spike offered. “D.T, this is Kirby Crackle, known him as long as I’ve been collecting comics. Kirby, this is my cousin, Diamond Tiara. And we’re buying her first comic.”

Kirby looked between the two and smiled. “Sounds like you’ve made some progress on learning about your family since the last time we met.” His gaze settled on Diamond and the book. “Classic Ponan, interesting choice. If you come back again then I can help you with some recommendations.” He took the book and ran it through the register, though at the same time one of his hands was moving beneath the counter. “Okay, so that’s a Ponan the Barbarian Omnibus for the little lady and…” he placed a large figure of a costumed mare onto the counter. “An original run Radiance statuette signed by her designer for you, Spike. That’ll be 20 bits.”

Spike glanced that the statuette, grinning at the stallion. “You know, Shining Armor is getting married today. You got any rare O&O stuff in? I’m in charge of his bachelor party and I need to remind everyone how much of a dork he is.”

“Oh, I have just the thing,” Kirby replied with a grin. He stepped into the back room and reappeared with a few figures of a scantily clad unicorn mare with a bow in her hands. Said mare bore more than a passing resemblance to Cadance. “My wife made these the instant we heard the news ole Shiny was tying the knot. Custom figures of the first character he ever ran, Lovesong!”

A long laugh burst out of Spike and he nearly dropped his donut box. “Oh man, those are perfect! He was such a dweeb!”

“Oh, don’t laugh too hard,” Kirby said with an impish grin. “My wife still has your first character sheet handy for the day when you get hitched.”

“Ha! I was eight, Vorpal Claw is an edgelord, but at least he ain’t Lovesong,” Spike countered, reaching into his pocket. “Twenty bits!” Placing them on the table, he offered a donut. “I saved the banana cream just for you.”

“You know my vices all too well,” Kirby said, taking the money and the pastry. “Oh, we got a couple new series in,” he said, pointing a thumb to a wall labeled, new releases. “Somepony was inspired by those Kamen Riders and have started making comics about ‘em.”

Spike nearly fainted on the spot, his eyes going wide. He was in a comic?! Stumbling over to the aforementioned wall, he grabbed the comic in question. He frowned slightly when he saw that it was Decade in the foreground, with OOO and W in the background posing. Though, his spirits were lifted when he saw that all of them had their own solo series. Grabbing all three, he went back to the counter.

“That was quick...” he muttered, giving Kirby a weak smile.

Kirby took the three comics and ran them through the register. “That’ll be three bits.”

Spike paid, passing them to D.T “It was nice seeing you again, Kirby.”

“Don’t be a stranger, Spike. My wife has learned how to make dishes with gems in them hoping you’ll stop by for dinner someday,” Kirby offered, waving goodbye to the drake.

“I’ll have to take her up on that!” Spike called back, walking out of the store as calmly as possible. Once outside, he leaned against the wall staring off into the distance. “I’m in a comic book.”

Diamond smiled, looking over the issues. “That has to be a dream come true.”

“Yeah but, it’s not me though.” Spike set the donut box on the ground, taking the OOO comic from her. “They don’t know anything about the stuff behind OOO. Not that I’m a dragon, or how the medals were made. They’re just gonna make stuff up.”

Diamond nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder. “That might be true, it isn’t literally you that’s going to be depicted.” She held up the issue of OOO’s solo series. “But it’s what you’ve done that’s inspired this. Somepony out there was inspired by your actions to write stories about you. Isn’t that still pretty special?”

Perking up, Spike nodded. “Yeah, it is. And who's to say I can’t correct them someday? You know... what if someone were to anonymously give them a bit of backstory...?”

Diamond giggled, patting his shoulder. “That’s the spirit. And I bet these series will be really good! We should read them together!”

Spike rumbled again, nuzzling Diamond’s cheek. “Yah, I’d like that a lot, D.T.” Pulling away from her, he glanced at a clock store. “We should start heading back. Wedding’s in a few hours and we have to get ready.”

Diamond nodded, an excited grin on her face. “Yeah! I’ve got an amazing dress to wear!”

The two walked down the street towards the castle, chatting about their plans for the reception.

Somber Shield adjusted his suit in front of a full length mirror in one of the spare bedrooms of Canterlot Castle. “His” wedding was quickly approaching and the last thing he wanted was to be late. He couldn’t help but let out a dark chuckle as he fixed his mane. He almost felt bad for how easy it had been to infiltrate Shining Armor’s life. Not even Cadance hinted at figuring out his identity.

“All too easy.” Somber’s eyes shifted colors, taking on a sickly green color. Purple smoke erupted from them, wafting throughout the room. “Not even Chrysalis did it this well.” A predatory smile cut across his muzzle. “I’m a little disappointed, I was hoping this world would be more of a challenge.”

He chuckled darkly and stepped away from the mirror. Glancing around the room, he let the purple smoke take vague shapes. While he had yet to discover any secrets out of one of the princesses that would prove useful, he knew it was only a matter of time before he did.

A perverse hum emitted from his throat, his grin turning ravenous. “I’ll enjoy claiming Cadance as my own, Shining Armor. You wouldn’t know what to do with her anyway.” He held his hand out in front of him, lighting his horn up with a sickly purple aura and letting purple flames dance at his fingertips. The flames converged at his palm and grew in size. Inside the flame, visions of Cadance corrupted by dark magic swirled like smoke.

Taking a breath, Somber shuddered nearly biting his lip hard enough to make it bleed. “One step at a time.” Closing his palm, he waved his hand, creating a ripple in the air. “Apollo, report. Are the combatmen ready?”

Stepping out of the ripple was an older Japanese man, wrapped in a crisp white suit. “Aye sir, they are more than ready. I am eagerly awaiting your signal to begin our attack.” Reaching up, he adjusted his tie. “Midnight assures me that her team will be ready as well.”

Somber chuckled, putting his hands behind his back. “Excellent, I expected nothing less from the lot of you. Stay in position, you know your signal.” As Apollo vanished from the world, Somber glanced in the mirror again. “Soon, the Destroyer of Worlds will be mine, and Dai-Shocker will be forever.”

Outside the door, Chrysalis stood with her ear pressed to it. ‘Sounds like we’ve got some wedding crashers. But what’s this about a destroyer of worlds? Slipping away down the hall, a plan formed in her mind. A perfect way to ingratiate ponies toward changelings and integrate fully into their society.

The time of the ceremony had finally come. Somber stood in his suit, staring down the aisle and awaiting the entrance of Cadance. At his side was Twilight, and even with her being so close she didn’t suspect there was anything wrong with her “big brother”. The wedding march started to play, and Somber had to keep the wicked grin off his face as the grand doors started to slowly open.

Cadance strode into the room, wearing a gorgeous wedding gown. Locking eyes with him, a sweet smile was sent his way. Trailing behind her were three fillies, tossing rice liberally. Just as she was only a few scant feet away from him, the doors were opened once more. White hot anger spiked through Somber as he saw a mare he didn’t recognize leading a dazed Shining Armor into the room.

“Stop the ceremony!” the mare called out. “Princess Cadance, I’m sorry, but whatever that thing next to you is, it’s not Shining Armor. Just being near it makes me want to vomit. There isn’t an ounce of love in that stallion’s body, just the blackest hate I’ve ever felt.”

Cadance took a step back from Somber, looking between him and Shining Armor in utter confusion. “What is going on here?”

“So that’s your game, is it Chrysalis?” Somber asked, taking a step closer. “You won’t invade yourself, but you’ll suck up to them? It matters not, I was getting tired of pretending anyway.”

It was Twilight’s turn to take a step back, looking at Somber in horror. “What? Shiny, what are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry, Twily, I’m not Shining Armor.” Somber summoned a ripple around himself, altering his attire. Military dress gave way to grey plate mail, a red cape hanging from his shoulders. His eyes shifted, nearly obscured by the smoke. Proudly emblazoned across his breastplate was the two headed eagle seal of Dai-Shocker.

Wyatt instantly recognized the symbol, slipping out of the assembled crowd as best he could and summoning his driver. In a matter of moments, he was in his Decade armor and he rushed out to stand in front of Somber. “So, you’re a member of Dai-Shocker,” he said, pulling out his sword.

“I am Somber Shield.” Raising his hands up, Somber summoned more ripples. With a collective cry of ‘Yeee!’ dozens of Combatmen swarmed into the hall. “Created from the union of King Sombra’s black soul and Shining Armor’s empty body. I am the Great Leader of Dai-Shocker and a conqueror of countless worlds!”

Wyatt glanced around at the combatmen before glaring beneath his helmet at Somber. “Your conquering’s over, Somber. Give up now, or we can do this the hard way.”

Lowering his arms, Somber leveled a fanged smile at Wyatt. “Come now, we need not be enemies.” Walking closer, Somber conjured several walls around them. “Do they know, Wyatt, just where exactly your powers come from?”

“That doesn’t matter in the slightest,” Wyatt growled, pointing his sword at Somber’s throat. “Get any closer and you’re dead. Decade’s origin from the show isn’t mine.”

Somber laughed, turning to the now captive audience. “The Decadriver was not made for a hero. It was made for the original Great Leader of Dai-Shocker; Tsukasa Kadoya, to help him conquer all worlds.”

“Last time I checked, I’m not Tsukasa,” Wyatt countered. “I use the driver to save lives, not conquer them. So if you’re done with your meaningless history lesson, there’s a nice opening in the dungeon with your name on it.”

“You feel it, don’t you?” Somber asked, circling around Wyatt. “Just under the surface; all that power. It must be so intoxicating. Why shouldn’t you embrace it, you could even go home, Wyatt.”

Wyatt’s sword shook for a moment as he watched Somber. There was a tugging at his chest as he thought of his friends and family. And with it, a faint feeling, almost like a whisper at the edge of his mind. “N-no, it’s not intoxicating,” he dismissed. “If I embraced it, I wouldn’t be me. My family wouldn’t want to see that thing.”

“And just imagine the good you could do there with your powers,” Somber came to a stop in front of Wyatt, pursing his lips. “Just how many nations does Earth have again? Somewhere around a hundred? Wouldn’t it be better if they were under one rule; your rule?” A grin split his muzzle as Wyatt’s armor started to brighten. “Yes that’s it, Wyatt. Embrace your power! Become the Destroyer of Worlds!”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she saw what was happening to Wyatt. She tried to rush up to him, only to be cut off by a ripple in the world. “Don’t listen to him!” she shouted, pounding against the ripple and firing magic at it in a futile attempt to breach the barrier. “You’re no destroyer!”

Somber cackled, his grin spreading as Wyatt’s helmet shifted, taking on a more sinister bend. “Oh, how easily are the young minds are molded. I’m sorry, Twily, the Wyatt you knew is simply no longer there. Your precious harmony will follow suit soon enough.”

“You’re wrong!” Twilight shouted, continuing to bang her fists as her eyes remained focused on Wyatt. “He’s stronger than you think! He’s no destroyer! He’s the kind of person that rushes to help someone he doesn’t even know! The kind of person that fights even when his body wants to break! And that’s what I love about him!”

Somber stepped up to the wall, leaning down so he was face to face with Twilight. “I do so love crushing the hope from your soul, Twily. That moment when you finally realize I’ve won.” Somber licked his fangs. “Always the highlight of an invasion.”

The brightening of Wyatt’s armor paused for a moment and his consciousness stirred as Twilight’s words bounced around his head. One in particular lingered. Wyatt turned his head, focusing on Twilight. “Took you long enough,” he managed to say, a grin beneath his helmet. “I love you too, Twilight.”

Somber turned away from Twilight, his face contorted into a visage of pure rage. “You idiot! You’re throwing away your only chance at returning to your home!”

“I like my home here,” Wyatt replied, his armor reverting to its default state. “I have friends, a place to stay, a job. Sure, it hurts; not being able to go back, but I can’t wallow in that. I have to keep on keeping on.” He snapped his fingers, striking a quick pose. “After all, I’m the passing through Kamen Rider.” He pointed a finger at Somber. “Remember that.”

His moment was ruined when somber blasted him through the wall and into Celestia. “You weak willed ape! If I can’t tempt you, I’ll simply force you! Apollo, consider that your signal!”

More ripples appeared and an armored figure stepped out of one of them. His helmet was dark purple with metallic wings coming off the sides. The center of the helmet had a blue, stained glass-like pattern that ended with a spike coming off the top of the helmet. On his shoulders was a white cape that went down to his knees. In his left hand was a large shield that resembled a mix between a chariot wheel and a saw blade and in his right was a long rifle.

Around him dropped down a group of teenage human girls, each sporting unnatural skin and hair colors.

“Bow before your new ruler!” Apollo commanded, brandishing his shield and firing his rifle at the feet of the crowd.

Wyatt pulled himself away from Celestia, standing up and helping her to her feet. “I’m not much of a bower. Plus, Equestria’s doing just fine with the current management.” His eyes settled on the human girls. “Um, who dipped the cast of Mean Girls in candy coating?”

“We’re the shadowbolts, idiot,” a pale golden girl responded, summoning up a yellow and purple bow. “Nobody beats us.” Raising her weapon, she fired off a few laser arrows into the crowd.

Spike jumped up, quickly turning into his TaToBa form and swiping the arrows out of the air with his Tora claws. “There’s a first time for everything, shadowdolts.”

Lighting her horn, Celestia teleported to the chamber doors. “Everypony, quickly, evacuate the hall! I shall help the riders hold off these cretins!”

The crowd didn’t waste any time to heed that order, filing out of the hall in a disorganized mess. Twilight lingered for a moment, but a motion of Wyatt’s head got her to finally take her leave.

Maud stopped her, already in the process of transforming. “Take Pinkie’s body with you,” Maud commanded, engaging her driver.

Twilight nodded, picking Pinkie up in her magic. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep her safe,” she assured, carrying Pinkie’s suddenly limp body out of the room. “Wyatt!” Looking over her shoulder, Twilight watched as Wyatt confronted Apollo. “You better come back!”

“Are you kidding?!” Wyatt called back, dodging and deflecting shots from Apollo’s rifle. “Of course I’m coming back! You still owe me a dance!” He charged forward and slashed at Apollo only to be blocked by his shield. “No way I’m dying before getting that!”

“Hey, lay off the boss!” A pink skinned girl rushed in behind him, slugging Wyatt in the back of the head. “You got that, Pink Boy?” Wrapping her arms around his waist, she heaved him into the air and suplexed him.

Wyatt groaned, pulling himself to his feet and staring in disbelief at the group of girls. “Okay, so apparently you’re not your average cheer squad. I might have to get serious.” He pulled out a pair of cards, slotting the first one into his driver.

“Kamen Ride: Kuuga!” the driver called out. The instant Wyatt’s armor settled, he slotted the next card in. “Form Ride: Dragon!” Wyatt’s armor turned blue, a long rod appearing in his hands with gold bits at the end with a blue jewel resting in them.

“You should fight like you mean it,” a bluish gray skinned girl responded, drawing a golden firearm. She fired a volley of shots, while the pink girl rushed in for another punch.

Wyatt twirled his staff in his hands, deflecting as many shots as he could. One managed to sneak its way through, hitting him in the shoulder and causing him to stumble. The pink girl capitalized on this and uppercutted him before he could recover.

“Keep him there, Lemon,” the golden girl ordered, aiming her bow at Wyatt’s prone form. “Let’s see if I can’t get a bullseye.”

“Stop talking and hit him,” the gray girl scolded, firing a few shots at Spike. “We’re not here to play games, Sour Sweet.”

Maud came up behind Sour Sweet and wrapped her arms around her waist. Taking a page out of the girl’s playbook and heaved Sour Sweet into a suplex. “You should’ve listened to your friend,” she deadpanned.

Splitting her bow into a pair of hand sickles, Sour Sweet slashed at Maud’s legs. “You know, what great advice, for an idiot!”

Maud jumped back, one of the sickles nicking her leg. Internally, she hissed in pain, watching from the corner of his eye as Spike and Wyatt were fighting the other four girls. Closing her driver, she slipped both memories out, slotting in the metal memory, and another labelled ‘heat’. Her armor changed, the left side taking on the silver color from before while the ride side changed to a bright red with the accents turning orange.

Grabbing her staff, Maud ignited both ends, leaping in to assist her comrades. “Are they familiar?” She asked, swinging her weapon at Lemon’s legs.

Wyatt targeted Lemon as well, swinging his staff into her side. “Their weapons are from Ex-Aid, but they aren’t in any rider form. Plus, I’ve never seen humans come in gray or bright pink outside of sci-fi shows.”

Cries of ‘yee’ echoed around them. Celestia and Chrysalis had most of the combatmen’s attention; Celestia weilding a fiery pair of chakram and Chrysalis brandishing a black bladed scimitar. A few guards fought by their side; one or two of them having revealed themselves as changelings. Despite how serious Somber came off, the Combatmen diminished it slightly. They appeared to be ordinary humans wearing form fitting suits with the top portion mimicking a human skeleton. Their faces were obscured by black and white luchador masks with the symbol of Dai-Shocker logo on the forehead. Their high pitched cries didn’t help matters either.

“Why would you dress your minions in such silly outfits?” Chrysalis asked, cutting through a trio of combatmen. “It’s like he’s trying to-” Her quip was cut off as one of the combatmen morphed into a missile and collided with her back. She cried out in pain, barely managing to stay on her hooves. “Well, that diminishes the silliness a bit,” she croaked out.

“They’re certainly undertrained,” Celestia noted, spinning her chakram in a series of blinding motions and lighting a line of combatmen ablaze. “I take it, you didn’t bring any other servants with you?”

“I didn’t,” Chrysalis admitted, erecting a barrier with her magic and using it to push back a wall of combatmen. “But, I can send a word through the hivemind and my best warriors can be here soon.”

“Please do.” Celestia panted, her dress torn and bloody. “We can talk about your masquerade later. I’m very interested in how you got past our security.”

Chrysalis nodded, going silent for a moment as she lifted her head upward. Once she was done she twirled her scimitar in one hand and cut down another Combatman. “There, I’ve sent the call. Now, has that G-Project of yours bore any ripe fruit yet?”

“An untested prototype,” Celestia replied, blasting a group of Combatmen that tried to leave. “Hopefully, Luna will arrive with reinforcements.”

Chrysalis frowned, throwing a barrier around Celestia as another Combatman turned into a missile and launched at her. “I’d have to ask why she hasn’t already arrived. The entire city should be swarming like angry bees.” shooting a glance at Somber, she frowned. “Unless we’re not the only ones under attack.”

Somber chuckled, crossing his arms over his arms over his chest. “Oh, I think you’ve got more than enough to worry about here. Besides, I can’t just go carelessly showing all the cards in my hand.”

“If there was a time for you to show up, Agito, it would be now,” Celestia muttered under her breath, glancing at the doors in the vain hope the missing rider would appear.

Instead, Luna appeared in full armor with her hammer in her hands, a band of guards behind her. By her side was a different sight Celestia wasn’t expecting to see, G-1, out of the lab and poised for battle.

“Oh good, you aren’t dead,” Chrysalis snarked, grinning cheekily. “I was afraid you took a wrong turn. This is a big place after all.”

“Pardon my tardiness,” Luna said, bringing her hammer down on the head of a Combatman, “but the research team required some persuasion before they’d let me bring the G-1 armor for a field test.”

“Your Highness,” G-1 greeted, snapping her a salute. “I’m ready to give it my all.” The G-1 armor was almost dead on for Kuuga; if the long passed rider used a mechanical suit. Rivets were clearly visible on the suit’s surface, as were several welding marks. The joints and limbs had obvious divisions with the mechanisms responsible for its ability to bend were on display. Its belt was more rectangular than Kuuga’s with circuits visible just below the surface.

“You think a toy will save you?” Somber asked with a laugh. “Apollo, send that pile of scrap to the junkyard.”

Apollo gave an affirmation, pointing his rifle at G-1’s head and firing a volley of shots. G-1 leapt across the room, the bullets bouncing off his armor. He landed on his feet, throwing a punch at Apollo’s chest.

Apollo quickly blocked the punch with his shield, gritting his teeth as the vibrations travelled along his arm. He growled in frustration, swinging the serrated edge of his shield at G-1’s neck. G-1 slipped under the shield, dropping into a sweep kick. Apollo tumbled down, using his shield and rifle to keep himself from falling flat on his face.

Wyatt snuck a glance at G-1 as he fended off attacks from Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare. “That’s certainly a welcome sight.”

Something caught Wyatt’s eyes, making him look up to see a white thin diamond flying through the air coming toward him, it appeared out of nowhere, not even a portal or anything. Wyatt managed to catch the gem before it could collide with his skull, spinning on his heel to narrowly avoid getting his throat torn out by Sour Sweet’s sickles.

“What the hell is this?” Wyatt muttered, turning the jewel over. “Kinda looks like something out of the Elder Scrolls series.” It looked like a typical gem, except that it was cradled in a wrought iron bracket that surrounded the gem and ended in spear-like points. The sounds of something being scribbled on paper was heard coming out of it.

“...Hmm? Did I establish another connection?” A voice came out from within the stone.

“Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that,” Wyatt said, dodging an attack from Lemon. “We’re kinda in the middle of kicking out some wedding crashers. So if you’re free, help would be appreciated.”

“Place the stone somewhere out of harm’s way, I’ll be there in a few moments.” The voice said, it sounded slightly deep, like the voice had a sore throat.

“Out of harm’s way,” Wyatt muttered, glancing around the chamber turned battlefield. “I’ll see if I can manage that.” He leapt out of the way of another attack, trying to find a spot for the stone. Jumping away from the brawl, Wyatt placed the stone on the ground. “There, that should be good enough.”

The stone floated up into the air and glowed softly, slowly pieces of solid material floated up from the air, taking the form of an arc gate as runes slowly faded in on each piece. They couldn’t be understood for the time being as the language did not exist in this world. Magicka slowly connects between each stone before completing the arc with the gem. Light exploded from its center as a blue hooded and robed being walked through. At first, others would mistake it for just a pony, but the blue tail pretty much told otherwise. Seeing that a battle was brewing, he began moving his arms in a pattern and whispered quietly to himself, causing dark mist to raise from his armored boots; it washed over him as armor started appearing on his upper body having strange bronze onyx armor with yellow patterns, the pauldrons were made of steel while the gauntlets were silver with gold trimmings, the rest of his hands were covered with chainmail. The last thing to appear was a silver and yellow staff in his left hand that held a black and orange opal on top. The man pulled out a axe that reminded Wyatt of the Mithril type.

“Well, that’s certainly an entrance,” Wyatt said, moving over to the figure’s side. “Sorry to spring this on you, but let me get you caught up. These,” he pointed an end of his staff at the Dai-Shocker members, “are the bad guys. And everyone else are the good guys.”

“Just be sure to tell them to be careful near me. Tenmetsu.” The newcomer said before suddenly vanishing from where he stood and appeared near one of the members. With his arm pulled back, he delivered a swift swing at one of them.

Sour Sweet brought up her sickles just in time to avoid being cleaved in two. The force of the blow sent her skidding back a couple feet. “You know, no one invited you!”

“What are you talking about?” Wyatt questioned, jumping up and thrusting his staff into the back of her head. “I invited him. Did you pass out for a couple seconds?”

Before she could answer back, she quickly found herself being blasted by electricity that was fired from out of the newcomer’s axeholding hand. “Shokku Mahi.” He whispered.

Electricity coursed through Sour Sweet, causing her to grit her teeth as her hair stood on end. Wyatt capitalized on her predicament by sweeping her feet out from under her and slamming her forehead with his staff.

Sour Sweet crumpled to the ground, her sickles clattering to the floor. They shimmered, breaking about into green particles.

Wyatt sighed in relief, turning to face the other combatants. “That’s one down, five to go.” He brought his staff up, looking over to decide who to target.

“Kenshutsu.” He whispered, his eyes glowing bright purple within the darkness of his hood. Nothing else appeared to happen rather than the slitted eyes. “Kaen Hakai Suru.” He whispered next as he rotated his arms to gather magic into his hands, he thrusted them forward with staff and axe still in them to send a blazing spear of fire going toward Lemon.

“That is not cool!” Lemon swore, the spear grazing her head, cutting off some of her hair. Materializing a heavy looking handgun, she opened fire on the mage. “You don’t cut a girls hair!”

The mage was surprised by the sudden force that collided with his armor, but it held together thanks to a strange purple glow that cloaked it. He didn’t bother to question the weapon Lemon used and decided to keep the question in his mind for the time being. He placed his clawed hand onto Wyatt’s shoulder before whispering the same word that allowed him to teleport, but this time the Kamen Rider came along with him and appeared behind Lemon in the blink of an eye.

Lemon whirled around, her face contorted in surprise. “That’s even less cool!! Sugarcoat! Sunny! Get the robe guy!” Before she could say anything else, Wyatt punched her in the face, sending her to the ground in a crumpled heap. Her weapon dissipated into green particles as well, letting Wyatt know she was out cold.

“They’re either too shocked, or they appear to less of a threat than I thought..” The robed person said in minor amusement.

Wyatt squared off against Sunny, deflecting the swings of her sword with a series of twirls from his staff. “I’m hoping for the former, the latter would just make me feel weak.” He swore as he had to lean back, one of Sunny’s swings coming dangerously close to hitting him in the face.

Somber tsked, scowling deeply. “Apollo! Stop playing around and deal with that Displaced! We’re already down two shadowbolts!”

“Fujo suru.” the robed humanoid whispered as his body was surrounded by a purple glow, he levitated over to where Sugarcoat was, the spell is dispelled as he comes falling down toward her with axe being swung down on her.

Sugarcoat brought her own axe up and had it collide with the robed figure’s. A loud clang echoed through the hall as Sugarcoat crossed her blade with the figure’s. She grit her teeth, pushing against the other axe.

“Yield.” He demanded toward the light purple girl as he pushed harder against her weapon.

Heeding his master’s orders, Apollo bashed G-1 in the face with his shield. Grabbing the dazed rider, he brought his shield blade down on G-1’s elbow, cleanly sawing through it. G-1 yelled in pain, bringing his free arm up to stop the bleeding from his missing limb.

Wyatt growled, his focus set squarely on Apollo. He grabbed a card off his belt, pushing it into his driver. “Final Attack Ride: K-k-Kuuga!” Wyatt jumped high into the air, thrusting his staff in a dizzying display straight at Apollo.

Apollo tossed G-1 aside, bringing his shield up to block the attack. Wyatt pressed the attack, looking for an opening in Apollo’s defense. His eyes lit up in realization, striking Apollo in his right shoulder with all the strength he could muster. Something finally gave, Apollo falling to his knees. His right arm hung limp, rifle falling at his feet.

Wyatt’s form armor dissipated into his standard Decade form, a firm look squared on Apollo beneath his helmet as he pointed his sword at the prone general. “Maybe I should take one of your arms to make things even?” he said, stepping closer to Apollo. “How’s that sound?”

Somber laughed, clapping his hands slowly. “Very good, Wyatt. There might still be hope to turn you into the Destroyer of Worlds. Go ahead, get your revenge against Apollo. Do it.”

Hearing no response from Sugarcoat, the mage drops his staff and brings his arm over close to her face. “Chamu.” He whispers as wave of pink and white magic washed over her, sending suggestive waves in an attempt to charm her.

Sugarcoat winced, taking a step back. “Get out of my head!”

“Keep her right there for me,” Spike called out, kicking Sunny away from him. Swapping Batta for Wani he charged her, ending in a jump kick to her stomach. The crocodile head chomped down on the disoriented girl. Sunny cried out in pain, trying to pry the crocodile jaws off of her. She bashed at the jaws with her sword, the attacks having no visible effect either.

“You should consider your life choices.” Sugarcoat turned her head just in time to see Maud’s fist flying at her head. When Spike finally released her, Sugarcoat collapsed to the ground, her weapon disintegrating.

“Only two remain.” The mage said as he kneeled down to pick up his battlestaff.
“And today started so well.” Somber snorted, waving his hand. A ripple passed towards the door, sweeping the Combatmen from the world. “Though, I think we’ve made our point.” Lighting his horn, Somber blasted Wyatt clear through the wall and out into open air. “Should have taken my offer boy.”

Mustering all the strength he could, Wyatt called out, “Eat a dick!” With that done, he spun himself around to see the ground was quickly approaching him. He pulled a card from his belt, pushing it into its slot.

“Displaced Ride: Cassie!” Wyatt’s armor changed and he spread the electric wings of his armor to catch himself just in time for the ground to come into focus inches from his face.

Wyatt sagged in relief, letting himself drop to the ground and his armor dissipate to leave him in his suit. “Oh, thank whatever deity is out there that decided to save my ass,” he said, turning to lie on his back.

With an arm outstretched toward Somber. “Terekineshisu, Futan.” He whispered as a blast of yellow and blue magicka fired out in the form of a beam, the moment it hit the unicorn, he felt suddenly heavy as if gravity around him was working against him.

Somber fought against the spell, turning his ire towards the robed figure. “Cute.” He blasted a bolt of dark magic at the figure, a large pillar of crystal erupting from the floor and crashing into the figure’s stomach. However, something appeared to be off, the blue robed figure looked like he was absorbing some of the magic. The rest of the spell however still provided damage to his enchanted armor.

“The stars of the Atronach disagree with you.” The mage said mockingly, and with a strong tug of his clawed hand that he cast his spell from, the unicorn ended up flying into the nearest wall. The mage then took a quick glance around him to see if Spike and the others were doing alright.

A moment later, Somber was in his face delivering a backhand. “You think to stop me, child? You are nothing but a worm who crawled out of the dirt.” Thrusting his hand out, he pushed the mage against a pillar with a shimmering wall. “Think of me as the rain, drowning you in my power.”

The force of Somber’s attack forced his blue hood to fall back, revealing that of a draconic-like head with a green and brown fin on top of his head, he was a blue creature of some sort with darken green along his cheeks. His eyes were now blazing with power. “Power?” The mage said in disbelief of Somber’s ego. “You remind me of the necromancer who said the same thing...” he said. Fire, Ice, and electricity sparked to life in the mage’s hands after dropping both his axe and his staff. “Power is not something to be used in gloried abuse, power is something you respect…”

“Be quiet.” Somber flash stepped forward, driving a crystal covered fist into the mage’s gut. “Do you have any idea how infuriating self-righteous people like you make me?” Drawing his arm back, Somber grabbed the mage’s face, lifted him into the air and slammed him into the floor. Cracks extended from the impact, Somber wrapping his fingers around the mage’s neck. “They make my blood boil.”

Somber’s attention was diverted by a bolt of electricity hitting him in the back. He turned to find Wyatt floating above the room in his Cassie form. “Oh wow, so with a room full of self-righteous heroes I’m guessing your blood pressure must be through the roof.”

“More than you’d realize.” Sombra heaved the mage, tossing him into Wyatt. “Now, do you have any last words, failure?” Raising his hand up, Somber generated a black crystal sword. “I’ll be sure to pass them onto your parents when your homeworld falls.”

“How about we get your last words!” Dash’s voice called out, her and the girls bursting into their room wearing their elements. In the back was Pinkie in a wheelchair, her element around her neck.

“We’re not going to stand by and just let you crash my brother’s wedding!” Twilight boomed, her tiara starting to glow.

Somber took a step back, eyeing the elements. “Have your worthless wedding. No matter what you do, this world’s days are numbered.” Waving his hand, Apollo and the Shadowbolts disappeared. “I’ll enjoy breaking that little trinket of yours, Twily.” Stepping back, he faded out leaving no trace of Dai-Shocker.

Wyatt sighed in relief again, letting his armor fade again and pulling himself out from under the robed argonian. He cracked a weak smile and gave Twilight a weak smile. “Look, Twilight, I’m alive just like I promised.”

“Save the sexual tension.” Chrysalis dropped her weapon, running over to G-1. “Hold still, she ordered, moving his hand from his wound. Leaning her head back, she spat a green goo on his stump. “There, that should stop the bleeding.”

G-1’s posture relaxed and he let his head rest against the floor. “Thank you. That stuff musta dulled the pain too.”

“It’s a general purpose goo.” Chrysalis cracked a smile, easing herself down to the floor. “Just be grateful I was here. You’d have lost more than your arm.”

“Yeah,” G-1 admitted, looking at his stump. “I got careless because of how much of a rush this armor was. That Apollo guy’s shield is some serious bad news. Thanks again for your help, ma’am.” He moved his gaze back to Chrysalis.

“Just Chrysalis is fine.” Picking up the stallion’s discarded arm, she spat goo at the end. “Hopefully, they’ll be able to put it back on.”

“Even if they can’t, I’ve still got my dominant arm,” G-1 replied, trying not to wince as he looked at his severed arm. “But uh, maybe we should get some ice for that? I was pretty attached to it.”

The robed man let out a soft groan as he got up into a kneeled position, he reaches up to feel around his neck due to the iron grip the unicorn had on him from moments ago. “Is anyone else hurt?” he asks.

“I’m a little banged up, but I’m pretty good,” Spike said, cracking a few of his joints. “Thanks for coming when you did.”

The mage began to inspect his armor, there were plenty of damage on it while the enchantment weakened most of the attacks. “What sort of magic was he using? It felt like it, but it felt… emotionless..” he said as he rubbed around his neck. “Risutoa Naosu.” He whispered as the pain slowly eased away. He couldn’t use the spell earlier as it was something that required concentration and time. As he got up, his armor faded away in a mist of purple magic, returning to the realm it was summoned from.

“It wasn’t just magic,” Wyatt corrected, wiping some sweat from his face. “He was throwing around dimensional energy. As for his magic, that was dark magic. Powerful, but highly corrupted.”

“I’m going to write down a reminder for myself.. Atronach be blessed, yet cursed.” He said as he took a gentle breath. “I’ll never be able to forget the feeling..”

“So... you got a name, Magic Man?” Spike asked as he cancelled out his transformation. “You probably know everyone’s name except Wyatt’s.”

“Yes, it’s Athre’us-Ei, or Magic-Eyes if you can’t speak the argonian tongue of my people.” Magic-Eyes said as he glanced at everyone. “Only a few. I do know of your name, Wyatt’s and Twilight, but not everyone’s.. Or rather everypony else’s.”

“Yeah, Somber was tossing my name around like it was petty cash,” Wyatt said with a chuckle, rubbing his neck and doing his best to hide his exhaustion. “But it’s nice to meet you, Magic-Eyes the Lizard Wizard.”

“...My title is Arch-Battlemage, don’t compare me to the prime versions of my species.” Magic-Eyes said in minor offense.

“I thought Argonians were born from a tree in their homeland?” Wyatt questioned, arching an eyebrow. “Or did that bit of lore get changed?”

The blue argonian looked at Wyatt in confusion. “...We’re born inside of an egg first, then when we come of age, we drink the tree’s hist. I doubt our ways have changed since then. However, I will admit our spirits did come from it, we are of the hist and we are born anew in whoever drinks from it.”

“Sorry if I offended you, I just never thought I’d be able to make that rhyme and have it make sense in any way,” Wyatt said, extending a hand to Magic-Eyes. “As for the tree thing, I guess my small screen wasn’t conducive to reading the books in Skyrim.”

“...Small screen?” Magic-Eyes said with more confusion. “I don’t know what you mean by that, since when were the Nords suddenly interested in my people, let alone have books about it?”

Wyatt’s eyes widened in realization. “Okay, you’re not like any of the Displaced I’ve met so far. You’ve always been an argonian. Um, ignore the screen comment, it’s too complicated to explain.” He chuckled and looked at the girls. “Why doesn’t everybody just introduce themselves?”

Pinkie hopped out of the wheelchair she had been placed in, smiling brightly at Magic-Eyes. “I’m Pinkie Pie, and you were really cool during that fight! And that’s my big sister, Maud!” Zipping over to Maud, she raised the mare’s arm and waved it.

“Were you on the sidelines watching?” Magic-Eyes asked Pinkie. He looked at the rest of the mane six.

“Nope! I was right in the middle of the action!” Pinkie answered, showing off the belt around her waist. She tapped her chin in thought, looking up. “Well, technically my mind was right there in the middle of things while my body was all limp and useless. Maud here was doing all the moving and fighting.”

“Our rider system needs two minds to work,” Maud explained, showing her matching belt.

“Your mind… riders.. Hmm…” Magic-Eyes placed a hand to his chin, a spark of interest in his eyes that could remind someone of the same look Twilight would give. “Is this a different power all-together, or a form of magic?”

“No, it isn’t magic,” Maud replied, shaking her head. She pulled out her Joker memory, showing it to Magic-Eyes. “I call these Gaia-Memories, they contain all of the planet’s knowledge of a single subject.”

“Fascinating.” Magic-Eyes said as he thought about it. “Question, does anyone or pony know how many verses are out there? Considering this is the second one my Varla Stone has found, i’d like to calculate how long it’ll take before it will find Tamriel.”

Twilight frowned, sharing a look with Wyatt. “This is the one time I don’t think knowledge will help someone.” Sighing, she turned her gaze to Magic-Eyes. “I’m sorry to tell you this but the running theory on the multiverse is that it’s infinite. Even if you could find ‘Tamriel’, it most likely wouldn’t be the one you left.”

The argonian arch-mage was silent at her words. “..So regardless of my efforts or my research, even if I did find my home, it would not be the same…” Magic-Eyes said as he crossed his arms in belief. “...I just hope Master-Wizard Raminus Polus can run the guild in my absence and find a new Arch-Mage to replace me.”

Wyatt reached out, putting a hand on Magic-Eyes’s shoulder. “Trust me, I know how hard it is to come to terms with being cut off from your home. All of us Displaced are in the same boat. All I can offer you is that you’ve gotta find a reason to keep going in the world you’ve wound up in.”

“Didn’t that Somber guy say you could go home?” Dash asked, giving Wyatt a pointed look. “What the hay was that ‘Destroyer of Worlds’ stuff anyway?”

Wyatt sighed, summoning his driver. He looked down at it, a frown on his face. “I didn’t tell you the origin of the Decadriver from the show. It was created by Dai-Shocker to be a tool for their leader to help them conquer the nine rider universes. I was about to get pulled into what’s called Violent Emotion. Like that, I could wipe out over a dozen riders at once with hardly any effort. But I’d be an empty shell of who I really am.”

“...Like that of an animated corpse..” Magic-Eyes said in a sad tone of voice, he shudders at his memories.

Wyatt let his driver disappear, his frown deepening. “Yeah, that sums it up pretty well. I never thought I’d be so close to slipping into that state.” He shuddered. “It was so cold…” He blinked, stumbling a little as Twilight pulled him into a tight hug.

“I believed in you every second,” she whispered, nuzzling his neck.

Wyatt managed to return the hug, a small smile on his face. “Yeah, you did. Thanks for pulling me out of that. I really did not want to be treated like that asshole’s lapdog.”

“You should try training your mind in the near future so that next time he tries to manipulate you, he will fail. However if he uses some sort of power to control you, a ward or a spell of resist should help.” Magic-eyes suggested after he had a time alone in his mind.

Wyatt looked up to Magic-Eyes with a nod. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to strengthen my mind as much as I can. Not sure how I feel about having spells on the brain, but anything’s better than becoming a world destroyer.”

“Looks like the wedding’s getting pushed back.” Chrysalis pulled a flask from her cleavage. “A shame, the love would been a feast.” Popping the cap off, she took a long drink before offering it to G-1.

“I think we can still have a wedding today,” Celestia offered, having conjured up a new dress to replace the tattered rags that had once covered her. “That is, if our new invited guests, you and your hive would help us redecorate,” she offered, a smile on her face as she extended a hand to Chrysalis.

“A wedding? Who’s being engaged under Mara?” Magic-Eyes said, earning confused looks by ponies who never heard of Tamriel's religion.

“That would be my brother, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance,” Twilight explained, pulling away from Wyatt. “And um, they aren’t being married under Mara, whoever that is, Princess Celestia will be officiating the ceremony.”

“...Forgive me, my mind slipped momentarily. I forgot the mother-goddess of love’s influence doesn’t reach past the Equestria I came from.” Magic-Eyes said as he took a moment to think. “..Would it be alright to offer gifts later on? I can send it through the same method as the Varla Stone.”

“I am sure Cadance and Shining Armor would tell you that your assistance in the battle was gift enough for them,” Celestia said with a smile. “But, if you wish to, we cannot stop you from offering more.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia.” Magic-Eyes said before he turning to the group of ponies. “If there is no further dangers, I believe this is a day to rejoice.”

Chrysalis took Celestia’s hand, pulling herself to her hooves. “I just hope you don’t mind black and green. It’s kind of our thing.”

“I think as long as Cadance and Shining Armor get to say their I dos, the entire castle could be clad in the most horrid colors for all they cared,” Celestia assured. “And thank you for pointing out the imposter. Who knows what secrets he could’ve pilfered had you not intervened. Not to mention the harm he could’ve brought to my niece.”

“Then I think we can get you a wedding ready,” Chrysalis assured. She looked up, contacting the hivemind again. “There we are, work should start within the next twenty minutes.” Clearing her throat, she thrust her head at G-1. “We do have a stallion missing an arm back there.”

“You can have a wedding without me,” G-1 assured. “Just as long as somepony gets me to the doctor and saves me a slice of cake, I’m golden.” He gave a thumbs up. “Oh, and snap a picture when they open the wedding gift I bought them. I worked really hard to think of the perfect gift and I want their reactions immortalized.”

“Perhaps I can help with that part. Somepony just needs to keep the severed arm in place in its original position, the rest will need to be slow and quiet to allow me to concentrate.” Magic-eyes answered.

Chrysalis nodded, removing G-1’s armor from his severed arm the part that was still attached. She knelt down and pressed the severed arm into place. “There, that’s as good as I can place it.”

“Alright.” Magic-eyes began as he kneels down. “I need you to be perfectly still. Could somepony get him something to bite down on?” he suggested as he hovered his hands over G-1’s arm, preparing himself to use his spell.

Chrysalis held out the missing arm, lighting her horn. “As soon as I remove the resin; he’s going to start bleeding again.”

Luna knelt down next to the stallion, lighting her horn to conjure a bit of smooth wood into her hand. “This is the best thing I can offer you to bite down on, Spearhead.”

After G-1 took the wood in his mouth, Magic-Eyes started to move his hands in a cycle motion to gather up golden magicka into his hands. The moment Chrysalis removes the resin, he slowly thrusts his hands toward the arm as balls of energy lit up and swirl around it. The argonian’s eyes glow bright purple just like before, the power his Risutoa Naosu spell got to work as it quickly focused onto both parts and slowly reattach each individual particle of flesh. At first, it felt numb, then a little bit of tingling, then eventually reawakened pain. Through it all, G-1 tried to keep his muffled screams to a minimum, clenching his good arm’s fist as tight as he possibly could to avoid moving.

Spike winced, turning away from the sight. “You know, I’m going to see how Shining is doing.” Without a second thought, he turned on his heels and jogged out of the hall.

Eventually, each muscle, each blood vessel, vain, even the very bone itself reattached to itself. He cuts off the flow and magicka for a moment. “J-Jotai.” he whispered, providing some temporary strength for the arm. “T-there, it’s finished.” he said before exhaling a breath he was holding. “My reserves are spent for the time being and I won’t be able to use magicka until I sleep or drink a potion of magicka.”

G-1 slowly moved the fingers on his reattached arm, his body slumping. “Thanks for saving my arm. I really did not like the thought of my first outing as G-1 to end like that.” Shifting his gaze to Celestia, he gave a thumbs up. “Though, I dunno if I’m gonna stay.”

“You are well within your right to walk away after the trauma you’ve endured,” Celestia assured, bowing her head at him. “Just remember that your non disclosure agreement still applies even after you leave your station.”

“I didn’t say I was just yet.” Spearhead got to his hooves, flexing his fingers. “I’m going to get out of this tin can and say a little prayer to Lady Faust.”

Celestia bowed her head again, giving him a smile. “May she give you a swift answer.” She motioned for a couple guards to follow him and help him out of the rest of his armor. Clapping her hands, Celestia cleared her throat. “Now, everypony, we have a lot of work to do if we want to get this wedding back on track!”

“I think I can help us get back on track quickly,” Wyatt offered, summoning his driver. “Just hand me a list of tasks and I’ll see what I can do.”

“I can make a list~” Twilight chirped, conjuring a scroll and quill. Under her direction the group, and the soon to arrive changelings, quickly repaired the damaged hall.

Wyatt sat slumped over at a table with his forehead resting against it in the reception hall. He instantly regretted turning into Kabuto to help make the repairs. Whatever energy he had left was gone. He couldn’t even lift his arms to eat the plate of food he had grabbed himself. He managed to tilt his head at the plate, staring longingly at the delicious food that rested on it.

“You alright there, Wyatt?” A voice spoke from behind Wyatt, but it was easily guessed who it likely was with a gruff voice like that.

“I’m fine,” he assured, trying to give a thumbs up but only succeeded in making one of his arms twitch. “Just a little tired is all.”

“The fight took a lot out of us, at least it helped us improve. Hist knows I do considering I can’t regenerate magicka.” Magic-Eyes said.

Wyatt managed to nod his head. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to learn from this fight.” He cracked a s smile. “But, I think my training’s paying off.”

“I can offer you spell training and enchantments if it can help you out.” Magic-Eyes said as he turned toward Wyatt. “Considering what you know, I assume you understand the process of how enchantments work.”

“Yeah, I know the basics,” Wyatt replied. “Though, I don’t think I’d be able to learn any spells.”

“Ah, so your body isn’t adaptable to Magicka or isn’t connected to Aetherius.” Magic-Eyes theorized. “I still have much to learn about the Displaced.”

“Yeah, I’m from a world that doesn’t have any form of real magic,” Wyatt explained. “At least, we never found any evidence of magic.” Magic-Eyes nodded as he crossed his arms and lowered his head, he appeared to be in a mental debate at the moment. “Wanna explain what’s going on in that head?” Wyatt asked, quirking a brow.

“I’ve met two Displaced, one wielded a different kind of magic while you appear to wield a type of energy capable of summoning armor, much like conjuration and alteration combined.” Magic-Eyes said as he shook his head. “Its troublesome to wrap my mind around the possibilities since your world works on a different plane of existence outside the realm of magicka. It is a mystery I’ll need to unravel once I learn more of this ‘Void’ ”

“I wish you luck there,” Wyatt told him. “I’ve never been much of the studious type.”

“It can be good for the mind regardless of its complication. I’ve studied the ways of magicka for thirty two years since the day I joined the Mage’s Guild.” Magic-Eyes explained as he went through his memories.

Wyatt let out an impressed whistle. “That’s nearly twice as long as I’ve been alive. And as for my armor. The best way I can describe it would be like the technology of the dwemer, but harnessing a different power source from soul stones.”

“I’ve seen you yell out certain phases when you do switch armor types, so I assume the energy is bounded by those words?” Magic-Eyes asked as he stroked along his scaly chin.

“That’s not me yelling out those phrases,” Wyatt replied. “It’s the device I wear on my waist. And uh, I guess you could say the armor is bound by those words.”

Magic-Eyes chuckles in amusement. “I feel this will take all day, and that is something I know you don’t have time for, I don’t want my curious to be your burden.” he said.

If Wyatt was capable of waving the argonian off, he would’ve. “Hey, us Displaced have to watch each other’s backs. If I can answer your questions I’d be happy to. Your token seems to work pretty well as a communication device; chime in whenever you like. But if you wanna head out, then I guess our contract is complete.”

“The Varla stone and the enchantment is a prototype design I made based on the Ayleid Portal, although why it went to other verses instead of my own is just another mystery.” Magic-Eye said before he looked around. “I believe yes, there is nothing left if my services aren’t needed.” he said. After the words left Wyatt’s mouth, pieces of the ground nearby floated up into the air to once again form the gate back to his Equestria. “Until we meet again, marsh friend.”

Wyatt smiled, summoning up the energy to wave him goodbye. “May the nine smile upon you, my new friend.”

Magic-Eyes smiled. “Despite the distance, their influence still spreads.” he said before stepping through the gate. The pieces of stone returned back to the ground as if the earth was never touched.

“You know, I was hoping to ask him some questions,” Twilight spoke up, getting Wyatt’s attention. “But, I suppose I can settle for spending some time with my favorite human.” Taking a seat at the table, Twilight gingerly took his hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Well, I can cross skydiving off my bucket list,” Wyatt said, turning his head to look at Twilight and gave her hand a squeeze. “And aside from being exhausted, this cute mare just confessed to me.” He flashed her a smile.

Twilight blushed, reciprocating the gesture. “I thought it was about time I moved past being an awkward nerd.”

Wyatt’s smile grew and he mustered up the strength to lift his head off the table. “By the way, your mane looks great in a bun.”

Twilight giggled, her laugh almost like music to Wyatt’s tired ears. “Who knew you could be such a flatterer?” Stand back up, Twilight glanced at the dance floor. “Think you have enough in you for a dance?”

Wyatt groaned, forcing his legs to cooperate and support his weight. He gave her hand another squeeze, his cheeks starting to strain from his smile. “And miss the chance to make ourselves look ridiculous? Not even Dai-Shocker could keep me from that.”

Twilight locked her arm with his, letting him put some of his weight on her. “Come on, I’ll lead.” Guiding him over to their destination, Twilight got into the position Cadance had taught her. “I uh... took a few dance lessons from Cadance while we were in Manehatten.”

“Oh?” Wyatt’s smile turned cheeky, resting his hand on her waist. “Was it your plan all along to get a dance with me at your brother’s wedding? Is that why you’ve kept bolting every time I try to make my own move?”

“I-it sounds silly but um...” Twilight started to move, making a note not to step on his feet. “I didn’t want to get friendzoned...”

Wyatt leaned in, moving in time with her to the slow beat of the music. “There was never a chance of that. I’d have waited a thousand years if that’s how long it took to make this moment happen.”

“That isn’t exactly fair to you, now is it?” Twilight asked, moving a hand to his back. “Waiting on me to get over my hang ups. All while you’re out there; fighting to keep everypony safe.” Though a little sloppy, the pair weren’t as bad as one would assume they’d be.

Wyatt chuckled, feeling more energetic despite his waning adrenaline. “You mean you’ve been getting lessons from the princess of love and she didn’t teach you the most important one?” Taking his chances, he tried to dip Twilight. “All’s fair in love an-”

His sentence was cut off as Twilight jerked her head forward; stealing a kiss.

Wyatt blinked for a moment before ending the dip with neither of them stumbling and pulled her closer to him. Eventually, the feeling of an intense presence boring into the back of his head got him to end the kiss. “No fair, you interrupted my stupid joke.”

“I thought you deserved something nice,” Twilight said, looking into his eyes. “For putting up with me always dodging the subject.”

Wyatt gave her hand a squeeze as they continued to circle around the dance floor. “I think saving my mind with the power of love was nice enough. But I love you for you, Twilight. Quirks, social anxieties and everything.”

“And I love you for you, too.” Twilight stepped closer, letting her head rest on his shoulder. “Even if you wear pink.”

The two shared a laugh at that, dancing until the music finally faded away. Cadance and Shining Armor gathered the crowd, Cadance bouncing on her hooves as she held her bouquet out in front of her.

“Okay everypony!” Cadance called out. “It’s time to throw the bouquet!” She held it above her head, waving it enticingly. She turned around to face away from the crowd, tossing the bouquet.

“IT’S MINE!” Rarity shouted, almost pouncing on the bouquet. Her magic grasped at the cluster of flowers, only for it to land in Twilight’s unsuspecting arms.

Wyatt blinked, blowing at an errant petal to keep it from landing on his face. “Uh, Twilight, what does a mare catching the bouquet mean? Because I know what it means in human culture.”

“That she’s going to be the next one to marry,” Twilight answered, her face as bright as a tomato. “I get the feeling she did that on purpose...”

“What, so you’re willing to shout your love for me in front of a crowd, but catching a bundle of flowers is making you blush?” Wyatt chuckled and grabbed the bouquet from her arms. “It’s just a bunch of flowers. Are they really scarier than that guy?”

Twilight used her magic to pull the bouquet out of Wyatt’s hand and turned away from him. “I acted in the heat of the moment. The idea of losing you was so much scarier than that Somber could ever hope to be.” Taking in the flowers’ scent, Twilight closed her eyes. “And now, we can move forward.”

Wyatt smiled, taking hold of her hand. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. So, should we have our first official date when we get back to Ponyville? I know you’ve got a serious weakness for Hayburger.”

Snickering, Twilight swatted Wyatt’s leg with her tail. “One step at a time, Wyatt. One Step at a time.” Squeezing his hand, Twilight wondered if this was how Shining felt when he asked Cadance out. She let the thought slip from her mind, spending the rest of the reception with her new boyfriend.

Return of the Last Empire

Celestia stood in front of the stained glass window depicting Twilight and her friends defeating Discord, a thoughtful expression etched into her muzzle. She had debated commissioning a new one for Wyatt, Spike, Pinkie and Maud’s battle at the wedding, but she would ask for their input. Her train of thought was interrupted as the sound of the doors opening reaching her ears. She turned to see her sister leading Queen Chrysalis into the hall, the two of them chatting.

“Chrysalis,” Celestia greeted, bowing her head as the changeling stopped in front of her. “I am glad you were able to come considering how busy you’ve been.”

Waving her off, Chrysalis gave her a smile. “I think I can spare a moment of my time considering how helpful you’ve been with my hive’s integration. Thank you for that by the way, though I fear that my drones might get fat off of all the love.”

“It has been our pleasure to assist you,” Luna assured, giving Chrysalis a pat on the shoulder. “And I am sure you can find a way to keep your drones in shape. Perhaps through helping with the G-Project like we just discussed?”

“I don’t see why not.” Chrysalis nodded, running a hand through her mane. “We are allies now after all, aren’t we?”

With a quick laugh, Celestia replied, “Allies is putting it lightly. After your actions at our niece’s wedding, I am glad to count you among my friends.”

“That’s a lot better than I was hoping for,” Chrysalis admitted, gazing up at the window. “So, is the wedding going to get one of those? Going to get the riders to pose for the artist?”

“I was considering that just before you walked in,” Celestia admitted, returning her attention to the windows. “But with Wyatt’s reluctance for the spotlight I thought it was best to ask his permission before I ordered the creation of a new window.”

“Before we can get distracted, perhaps we should inform Chrysalis of the recent developments?” Luna suggested, looking between the two. “If she is going to be privy to the matters of the G-Project, then surely we can trust her with other sensitive matters?”

Celestia bowed her head in agreement and tore her attention away from the windows. “Yes, I think that’s a good idea. There’s a reason why Cadance is not here, one that has nothing to do with her honeymoon. The Crystal Empire has finally returned.”

Chrysalis’s muzzle scrunched up and she turned her gaze to the solar princess. “Forgive me if I sound uninformed, but I’ve never heard of this empire. Unless, this is yet another closely guarded secret?”

“Knowledge of the empire has become scarce,” Celestia replied, a distant look crossing her features. “A thousand years ago, the Empire was in the control of a tyrant named King Sombra. My sister and I challenged him for the Empire’s freedom and together, we brought him to his knees.” Her features darkened. “We sealed him in the ice of the tundra; but before we finished the spell, he banished the empire from the world.”

Chrysalis crossed her arms over her chest and quirked a brow. “I’m guessing you’ve sent Cadance to secure the empire. My question is, why her? You started this fight so why send your niece out in your stead? Hell, why not send the riders? I imagine they could knock Sombra around.”

Chuckling weakly, Celestia shook her head. “Due to Cadance’s unique magic, sending her to the empire was a natural fit. You see, the empire’s greatest treasure is the Crystal Heart. It is powered by the collective love of the empire’s citizens and protects them from the harsh tundra. Although, Cadance will not be dealing with Sombra alone; Twilight and her friends will be arriving to offer their aid.”

“Which would include the riders,” Luna added, a hopeful glint in her eyes. “I have no doubt that they will be a match for Sombra. Though, the greed that powers Spike’s abilities might be cause for some concern.”

“He seemed to have his abilities well under control at the wedding,” Chrysalis noted, a skeptical look growing over her features. “Are you planning on keeping him under surveillance?”

“I was speaking in regards to Sombra,” Luna replied, shifting her footing to better look the queen in the eye. “He was a master at dark magic, and it is possible that he might sense the greed in Spike’s medals and attempt something.”

With a nod, an understanding expression slowly crossed Chrysalis’s muzzle. “That does make sense. From what I understand, dark magic preys upon negative emotions. Though, in my experience everything should be taken in moderation. Where would we be if no one had desires?”

“I agree with you in spirit,” Celestia started, looking at the queen with an unsure look. “But if Spike loses control of his greed, I fear he could go on a rampage. Something that my student and her friends might not be able to contain while also combatting Sombra.”

“Alright then, why not just use the Elements of Harmony on him?” Chrysalis asked, gesturing to one of the windows. “They certainly scared off that imposter, surely they can deal with Sombra?”

“Luna and I sealed him away with the elements before, but we believe that the heart is what we need to truly deal with him and keep the empire from being lost once more,” Celestia explained, waving a hand towards the same window.

Chrysalis grunted, looking between the two. “Alright then, that settles that. Now, before I commit any of my drones to your project, I want to see it firsthand. That won’t be too much trouble, will it?”

Luna shook her head, managing a smile. “Not at all, we can show you the lab whenever you like.”

“Then, let's do that now, shall we?” Chrysalis asked, offering a grin. “I’ll even throw in a bit of history you might not know about~”

Celestia quirked a brow, leading the other. two out of the hall. “Oh? I never could say no to a history lesson.”

Chrysalis followed Celestia’s lead, clasping her hands behind her back. “Did you know; changelings used to be regular ponies? It’s quite the story really.” Reaching up, she traced a finger along her horn. “It all started with a pony named Agitha. She oh so loved her insects, dedicated her life to them even.”

“And how did this Agitha give rise to changelings?” Luna questioned, walking at her sister’s side. “Did she employ some kind of magic?”

“Oh no, poor Agitha was just an earth pony,” Chrysalis corrected. Stepping up, she wrapped her arms around their shoulders. “One day, while out hunting a Hell Spider, she came across a very strange being. It wasn’t exactly a pony, what with the flat face and the lack of fur. Seeing that the creature appeared lost, she offered it her home.”

Celestia nearly stopped in her tracks, realization dawning on her. “She found a human.”

“She learned the creature’s name was ‘Shin’,” Chrysalis continued, ignoring the statement. “Over the course of the year, Agitha became rather attached to him. On one of her expeditions, a vicious Bugbear nearly made a meal out of her and that was when she discovered Shin’s true nature.”

It was Luna’s turn to pause, looking Chrysalis in the eyes. “He was a rider, wasn’t he?”

“As it turned out, Shin was some type of grasshopper creature. Agitha watched in awe as he fought off the Bugbear and blurted out her love for him right then and then.” Chrysalis paused, smiling sweetly at her captive audience. “It was from their union that the first changeling was born; Queen Scarab, who would go on to populate her race.”

Celestia and Luna exchanged glances, neither of them seeming to know what to say. “I must admit, I wasn’t expecting to hear that today,” the solar princess stated, giving Chrysalis her full attention.

“The more you know, hm?” Chrysalis asked, giving them both a light shove. “And before you ask, no you can’t meet Shin. Our patriarch didn’t survive the passing of Agitha, as it’s been told he lost the will to live and withered away.”

Luna frowned, staring down at her hooves. “That’s a shame, Shin could be a great ally to us.” Looking up again she asked, “Forgive me if I sound rude, but would you allow our scientists to study your DNA? Your ancestry could aid the G-Project.”

Chrysalis hummed, rubbing her chin. “I dunno... usually there's a whole lot of hubbub around a queen making royal jelly. Which one of you will be doing the courtship, hm?”

Celestia and Luna gaped at her, shellshock crossing over their eyes. Silence reigned among them for several moments, a pin dropping wouldn’t escape them.

“We were thinking more along the lines of you spitting in a tube,” Celestia managed to say, smoothing out her dress. “No jelly necessary, I assure you. If that is alright with you?”

Chrysalis tapped her chin in thought, her brow knitting tightly. “Well, I was curious what would happen if I bred with an alicorn. But, I’m also not one to rush into a lifelong commitment.” After a brief pause, the queen shrugged. “Fine, your way it is.”

“Thank you.” Celestia smiled, silently grateful as the trio slipped into silence. ‘Must she always be so... vulgar? Perhaps it’s a side effect of eating love? No matter; I can deal with a few low-brow jokes. I’m no prude.’

The current headquarters of the G-Project had been built into the crystal mines below the city. Mostly forgotten, they were the perfect location to house such sensitive research. A pair of guards greeted them at the entrance, blocking the way with a set of tower shields.

“Halt!” the stallion on the right commanded, greeting them with a stern face. “State your business.”

“We are here to see the G-Project lab,” Celestia answered, reaching into her dress and presenting a seal bearing the Equestrian symbol. “Sol Invictus decrees it.” Lighting her horn up, a similar glow surrounded the seal before it flashed white. “Now please, stand aside.”

The guards regarded the seal for a moment before nodding and parting to let the trio of royalty through. The three made their way deep into the caverns, Chrysalis letting a sense of content roll over her as the knowledge there would be no secrets within her new alliance truly sank in.

Wyatt couldn’t help but have a smile on his face as he sat on a train heading towards some long lost empire. Truth be told, he hadn’t paid it much attention past that there was an ancient threat that needed to be stopped. He knew Twilight would just go over the greater details with the girls again anyway.

“Geez, Wyatt, don’t look so happy will ya?” Spike asked, looking up from his comic. “We’re fighting an evil king, not opening Hearth’swarming presents.”

“Hmm?” Wyatt tore his attention from the window to look at the drake. “Oh, sorry, Spike. My mind wasn’t really on the ancient evil of the week. Probably because between our rider powers and Twi and the girls using the magic of friendship, it should be a snap.”

“And what if that Somber guy shows up?” Spike questioned, sitting up. “I really don’t want to fight a guy who looks like my brother. That’s just... wrong, man.”

Wyatt’s smile threatened to leave him at the mention of that name, a hard look in his eyes. “True, Somber is not someone we can take lightly. But, he did run off the instant the girls showed up with the elements.”

“Yeah, but we don’t have the elements.” Opening his medal case, Spike held up a pink set. “This is about the closest we got, and I can’t use the other medals after using these so... yeah...”

Turning to Twilight, Wyatt arched a brow. “Okay, I must’ve zoned out when this was explained, but why don’t we have the elements with us? Celestia think our punches shoot rainbows now?”

Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed. “No Wyatt. Princess Celestia feels that this is something we can solve without the elements. Cadance is already there and can tell us more. But, if it comes to it yes, you riders can handle it.”

Leaning back in his seat, Wyatt tried not to think about Somber. He sucked in a deep breath, flashing Twilight a big smile. “No sweat, I haven’t been slacking off in my training; I’m ready for anything.”

“How hard could it be?” Dash asked, flashing a grin. “We go in, kick some flank and go home. Easy peasy! We’ll be back before I could finish a nap.”

“That ain’t sayin’ much,” Applejack cut in, tilting her hat back. “Ah’ve seen ya nap a day away before, and more than a few of those had yer lazy flank in one o’ my trees. I got half a mind ta’ start chargin’ ya.”

“Lazy?” Dash repeated, glaring at the farm mare. “I can’t help it if I can get my job done in no time. What am I supposed to do? Hover around like an idiot because I got done early?”

“Yeesh, those two need to get a room,” Wyatt joked, leaning over to whisper into Twilight’s ear. “I mean, you can cut the tension with a knife. I’m surprised they aren’t just making out furiously right now.”

Quirking a brow, Twilight looked between the two mares. “Really? I don’t see it,” she whispered back. “They just look like they’re arguing to me.” Eyeing the two critically, she tapped her chin. “Maybe I should ask Cadance?”

Chuckling, Wyatt put an arm around his girlfriend. “Never change, Twi.” He responded to her growing pout with a grin. “Hey now, don’t be like that. You’re a recovering shut-in after all, things are going to escape your notice at first.” With a quick squeeze he added, “You working up the nerve to confess to me was a big step.”

Twilight nodded, leaning against him. “I can accept that answer.” She rolled her eyes at the sight of Rainbow Dash gagging. “Rainbow, we’re adults, we’re allowed to act like adults.”

“Yeah, but do ya gotta be all sappy about it?” Dash questioned, cringing slightly. “I can only take so much here. Am I right, AJ?” she elbowed AJ in the ribs. “I heard from Daring about how googoo you two were for each other. Try to keep it together, okay?”

A devious smirk worked its way onto Wyatt’s face as he looked into Twilight’s eyes. “Oh, you think that’s sappy? Oh please, Skittles, I can do way better than that.” In an instant, he started to make goo goo eyes at his girlfriend and called her every pet name he could think of.

“Ugh, I think I’m gonna go see what Spearhead and Maud are doing.” Rising out of his seat, Spike stretched his limbs out. “Guy can’t even read a comic in peace anymore.” Putting his hands in his pockets, he promptly walked out of the room.

Spike kept himself stable despite the slight rocking of the train car. A few moments later and he came upon Spearhead and Maud chatting. Though, Spearhead was doing most of the talking while Maud tinkered with the G-1 armor. Spike couldn’t help but size up the stallion as he entered the car the pair were in. Spearhead was about as tall as Shining Armor and his frame was bulky with muscles developed over years of training. Spike almost thought the stallion was an earth pony until he saw his feathery wings twitch on his back. Despite his large frame, Spearhead’s blue mane seemed well taken care of as did his brown fur.

With a sigh of relief, Spike sprawled out on an empty seat and returned his attention to his comic. “Peace and quiet,” he muttered to himself, falling back into the stylized visuals. A few beats passed before he turned his gaze to Maud. “So uh... how’s the tweaking going? Making any headway?”

Maud didn’t bother to look up from her work, continuing to tinker away. “I’ve made some progress. The G-1 suit is based off the notes I provided to the princess. This prototype is just a bit obsolete given the reliance on cybernetics rather than the Memory system that the W driver uses.”

“We all have to start somewhere.” Spearhead grunted, tapping his fingers on the seat. “They worked overtime to get this suit ready. They weren’t exactly happy that the princess wanted to send it out here.”

“I was just being objective,” Maud stated, adjusting the joints on the recently repaired arm. “And despite the tech being more simplistic, it obviously yields good results given your performance against that Apollo Geist character.” Moving the arm around for a bit before she nodded to herself before continuing her work. “My first attempts at solidifying Gaia Memories either resulted in blank duds or explosions. I’m sure the G-Project will make improvements to their designs.”

“Yeah, the nerds are already working on G-2,” Spearhead confirmed, his eyes lingering on the repaired arm. “Said something about making it outta orichalum.”

“Orichalum?” Spike repeated, putting his comic down. “That stuff’s super expensive. Especially if you’re trying to make an entire suit out of it.” He scratched the side of his head, a slight smile on his face. “Sounds like the project’s been getting a good bit of donations.”

“Either that or taxes are about to go up,” Maud noted, examining the armor for a moment. “Dai-Shocker more or less declared war. The princesses are going to pour as many bits as they can into the G-Project.”

With a nod, Spike glanced up at the ceiling. “Yeah, that’s true enough. I just wonder how we’re going to fight them. Just keep waiting for Somber to pop in and attack us? I mean, they can just appear anywhere they want, ya?”

“Clearly we’re going to need to figure out where their base is located,” Maud said, grabbing another tool and working on the helmet. “I think Twilight, the G-Project and I need to put some of our focus on studying their dimensional manipulation.”

“All that stuff really goes over my head.” Standing up again, Spike stretched his limbs out. “I miss when it was just fighting monsters, and not evil versions of my brother.” Swishing his tail, Spike glanced out the window. “I’ve never seen this much snow before,” he spoke, veering off topic.

Spearhead turned to stare out the window himself. “Yeah, I was told that we were going to the tundra, but this is intense.” He ran a hand through his mane as his wings twitched against his back. “Cold winds are awful for flying.”

“Can you even fly with that armor on?” Spike questioned, nudging the leg with his foot. “I mean, this thing has to weigh like a ton.” Staring at it for a moment, he hummed. “Unless, Maud can make you a jetpack or something! Then the weight wouldn’t matter!”

“A jetpack would be impractical,” Maud stated, not looking up from her work. “The flames would have to generate enough force to lift the armor. And considering the proximity to the armor, the flames would compromise the strength of the metal.”

“Geez, way to be a buzzkill, Maud,” Spike muttered, giving her a sideways glance. “You must have been fun to be around growing up.”

“I always made Pinkie laugh at my jokes,” Maud answered, putting her tools away. “And I was the oldest so I had to enforce the rules whenever Father was down in the mine and we were in the field.” Stepping away from the armor, she gestured to it. “I need you to test out the upgrades.”

Spearhead cracked his knuckles and knelt down by the suit. “Alright, mind helping me put this thing on?”

“Not at all. I made sure to memorize the process.” Maud set her tools on the bench, turning back to him. “Let’s begin.”

With a nod, Spearhead grabbed the chestpiece of the armor and began putting it on. With some help from Maud, he was standing in full gear after a few minutes. Taking a stance, he jabbed at the air a few times, making sure to test out his range of motion.

Spearhead settled down after a few moments and gave Maud a thumbs up. “The armor feels better than ever. You do good work, Miss Pie.”

“Thank you.” Maud smoothed out her dress and moved her gaze over Spearhead. “We should be arriving soon, you should stay in your armor.”

With a nod, Spearhead returned to his seat. “Fine by me, I’d rather not take it off just to put it right back on anyway.”

The three fell into a comfortable silence as the train continued to rattle along the rails. Time passed and the locomotive finally ground to a halt. Slipping his belt on, Spike hopped out into the snow.

“Okay! Should have bundled up!” Jumping back into the train, he breathed a small flame on his hands. “Jeez, I thought I’d stay warm, not turn into a dragonsicle!”

“Lucky for you,” Twilight’s voice started, causing him to turn and see she was holding a purple coat. “I had the foresight to pack you some winter gear.” Passing it off to him, she pulled her own coat tighter around her. “Let’s meet up with Shining Armor and get out of the cold.”

Wyatt shuddered as he held his own coat close to him. “Never thought I’d miss the desert,” he said through chattering teeth, walking off the platform. “But here I am. I’d rather hug a cactus than stay out here.”

“It’s not so bad when you get used to it,” Shining Armor called out emerging out of the tundra, wrapped up tightly.

‘Why do I suddenly feel the urge to make a Star Wars reference?’ Wyatt thought, staring at Shining Armor while Twilight greeted him with a hug. Shaking off the thought, he threw on a smile and replied, “Bet it’s easier to adjust when you’re used to living on the top of a mountain.”

Shining Armor ignored Wyatt, focusing on Twilight. “Hey, Twily, I wish we could focus on the pleasantries, but we should hurry to the palace.” Turning back towards where he came, he waved them forward. “There’s something out here; we think it might be the former king. Been trying to get in since we got here.”

“Good thing I’m already suited up,” Spearhead noted, sticking to the back of the group. “So, have you gotten a good look at this former king yet, Shining? Gave him the old one, two punch I hope?”

“He’s not exactly something you can punch,” Shining answered, glancing back at Spearhead. “Every time we’ve seen him he’s had this smoke-like body. Normal magic hasn’t done much either.”

“I wonder if he is flammable?” Maud held up a red memory labeled ‘Heat’. “I haven’t had a chance to use Heat in combat yet.”

“We haven’t tried fire on him,” Shining admitted, cresting a hill so they could finally see the Crystal Empire. “But we’re willing to try anything at this point.”

Wyatt stared out at the empire, taking it all in. It certainly lived up to its name; all the buildings were made of crystal. Not only that everything was arranged in a snowflake design with a tall tower that bore a passing resemblance to the Eiffel Tower. Another thing he couldn’t help but notice was the light blue dome surrounding the entire city.

“Oh my,” Rarity gasped, taking the city in with rapture, “it’s so lovely.” She put a hand to her chest and letting her gaze lock onto the building at the center. “We cannot lose such a marvel to a terrible tyrant.”

“Which is why we’re not gonna let him in!” Rainbow proclaimed, fist pumping. “We’ll knock him back into whatever hole he crawled out of!”

Twilight nodded, looking between her group of friends. “You’re right, we can handle this like everything else we’ve come across.” With a slight smile, she motioned them forward. “Now let’s keep going, I think Wyatt’s going to start a friction fire in his coat with all the shivering he’s doing.”

A furious cry echoed over the tundra, drowning out the howling wind. “That’s the king!” Shining Armor ran to the back of the group, lighting his horn. “Get to the city, now! I’ll hold him back!”

Summoning his driver and card case, Wyatt rushed to Shining Armor’s side. “I’ll help you.” With a few practiced motions, he was standing in his Decade armor. He opened his card case again and glanced through his options. “Hmm, let’s try this.”

“Displaced Ride: Link!” the Decadriver called out, Wyatt’s armor shifting and changing. Green dominated the new armor with brown breaking it up on the gauntlets and boots. The helmet’s eyes were a deep blue with a portion of the helmet hanging down to the neck like the hero’s hat. The chestpiece resembled a tunic while white on the legs gave the impression of leggings. With another motion, Wyatt slipped another card into his driver. “Attack Ride: Fire Arrow!” In an instant, a large, basic looking bow appeared in Wyatt’s hands, an arrow with a blazing tip knocked and ready to go.

“Didn’t I just say get to the city?!” Shining Armor hissed, glaring under his goggles. “If you’re going to be here, you’re going to follow my orders, got that?!”

“You just got done saying that normal magic hasn’t done much,” Wyatt argued, his focus locked onto the spot where the howl had come from. “So I’m going to do what I came here to do and help put a stop to Sombra.”

Another cry echoed across the wind and a billowing smoke cloud crested the hills. Before Shining Armor could say anything else, the cloud solidified slightly and a black unicorn head with sickly green eyes and a curved red horn stared at the pair with a vicious snarl. Releasing a mirthless laugh, it rushed at them like a tidal wave.

Wyatt remained calm, bringing his bow up and firing at the horn of the smoky unicorn. Shifting his body, the unicorn let the arrow pass harmlessly through the smoke cloud. A blast of magic sent Wyatt tumbling back.

“Get to the Faust damned city!” Shining Armor commanded, his horn shimmering. He fired another spell at the cloud, pointedly ignoring Wyatt.

“What?!” Wyatt called back, picking himself up and firing more arrows while circling the former king. “Can’t hear you! Wind’s too loud!” His attack was interrupted when he was lifted off his feet and dragged backwards. “Gah!” he cried, looking back to see Maud picking him up. “What are you doing, Maud?!”

“He said get to the city and you’re being obstinate,” Maud replied, carrying him like a sack of potatoes. “We can figure out how to handle the king when we’re in the city.”

“I can’t just let him fight the king by himself!” Wyatt argued, forcing himself free. “That’s not what a hero would do!”

“And would a hero blindly fight instead of stopping to think of the best course of action?” Maud countered, her normally even look hardening slightly. “I understand what you’re trying to do but fire clearly isn’t working. Shining Armor will be fine and we have a duty to focus on.”

After a quick glance back at Shining Armor, Wyatt groaned and started to run towards the shielded city. “If he gets hurt, Maud, I’m blaming you. Got it?”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Maud replied, her usual stone-faced expression returning as she dashed after Wyatt. The two quickly found their stride despite the snowy terrain and the city grew ever closer.

Passing through the barrier, Wyatt felt his spirits lift. A wave of positivity washed over him, driving off his dower mood. “That’s different,” he muttered, cancelling his transformation. “You see the others?”

Maud passed through the barrier a moment after him, taking in her surroundings. “They have to be around here somewhere,” she stated, a bit of inflection creeping into her monotone. “They’re probably making their way towards the palace.” With a wave to Wyatt, she began walking down one of the crystal streets.

Wyatt nodded and walked by Maud’s side. Despite the wave of positive emotion, there was an odd silence that hung over the city. Almost like someone was about to say something only to decide against it. The streets were empty, though Wyatt occasionally spotted a pair of eyes that darted back into the darkness of a home.

“Yeesh, this place is kinda creepy,” Wyatt noted, his eyes drifting between buildings. “Hey guys,” he called out, looking from house to house. “You don’t have to hide! We’re not going to hurt you!”

“I don’t think it’s us they’re hiding from,” Maud said, her eyes remaining forward. “Their former tyrant is knocking on their door, of course they’re scared.” Walking ahead, Maud placed her driver around her waist. “We’ll have to be ready; he might find his way in.”

“Yeah,” Wyatt agreed, catching his breath. Taking his cardcase off his belt, he started to look through his cards. “Fire doesn’t do much against him, but maybe I’ve got something here that’ll be a better fit.”

“Wyatt!” Twilight called, catching his attention. Dashing over to him, she practically jumped into his arms. “I was worried when I didn’t see you behind me.” Wrapping her arms around him, she nuzzled his neck. “Are you alright?”

Wyatt returned the gesture, kissing the top of her head. “I’m perfectly fine, Twi. Just found out that this really won’t be as simple as punching Sombra in the face. Also, he isn’t flammable.”

“I could have told you that,” Twilight replied, poking his chest. Glancing around, a frown tugged at her lips. “Where’s Shining Armor? He did come with you, didn’t he?”

“Shining Armor elected to hold Sombra off,” Maud explained, stopping in her tracks. “He should be here shortly. Did you find Princess Cadance?”

“Yes, she’s in the palace,” Twilight replied, ending the hug, but taking one of Wyatt’s hands in hers. “It’s the tower at the center of the empire. We should hurry, she’s been holding up the barrier by herself for days.”

“Then lead the way,” Maud encouraged, nodding at Twilight.

With a nod of her own, Twilight led them in the direction she had come from. Her hand never left Wyatt’s as they traversed the empty streets. They found the others in the throne room with Cadance. She sat upon the throne, giving them a weak smile.

“It’s good to see you again, Wyatt,” she greeted, doing her best to straighten up. “The two of you look adorable.” Smiling, she slumped back in her seat. “Did Shiny return with you?”

“He said to let him hold off Sombra,” Wyatt explained, a small frown on his face. “He promised to be right behind us.” Seeing her deflate, he continued. “He was right behind me though, I doubt he’ll be out there for long.”

“That sounds just like Shiny,” Cadance replied with a sigh, straightening her posture slightly again. “Thank you all for coming here. We’ve been holding Sombra off for days and we need to find a way to combat him soon,” she cringed, sparks flickering from her horn. “Or else my magic will fail and he’ll overtake us.”

Twilight frowned, bring her hand to her chin. “The best course of action would be to ask the crystal ponies. One of them is bound to know something that could help.” Nodding, she glanced between the group. “We should all break into pairs and ask around the city. We’ll meet up at the plaza in an hour.”

Rainbow saluted and took to the air. “You got it, Egghead!” Before Twilight could object to the name, Dash raced out of the room with Fluttershy in tow and towards the city. Following her example, everyone else grabbed a partner and rushed out of the palace.

“Looks like it’s you and me.” Wyatt smiled, raising his hand and kissing hers. “Shall we, milady?”

“It seems that way,” Twilight agreed, a soft smile on her face from the gesture. “Come on, we can’t just let the others do all the work.” Tugging him along, the pair made their way out of the castle.

Blud sat at a cafe of a world Dai-Shocker had yet to try conquering. In his experience, utter subjugation caused all passion and flair to leave cooking. He was in his usual disguise, not wanting to draw attention and be confused for a prince. It had been some time since he had been needed by Somber, leaving him to his own devices. Stirring sugar into his coffee, Blud considered if he should steal something just for thrills.

“No, wouldn’t be a challenge,” Blud muttered to himself, shaking off the thought. “No one could stand up to me here.” Drumming his fingers, he continued to wrack his brain. He glanced around the cafe, taking in various mares. “Hmm, I haven’t been on a date since I tricked that lovely Rarity,” he grumbled, taking a sip of his drink. With a sigh, a hand reached up to fuss with his mane. “What good is time off if I don’t know what to do with it?” With another sip of his drink, he mulled over his thoughts.

“Then it’s a good thing Somber has a job for you.” Midnight’s voice cut into his moping. The young woman took a seat, placing a case on the table. “Your Gunner. I finished the upgrades you asked for.”

“Well, always nice to see a beautiful and intelligent lady,” Blud mused, straightening his mane out. “Certainly better than the pink psychopath.” Placing a hand on the case, he continued. “By the way, how are your Shadowbolts?”

“They’re doing just fine, Blud,” she replied, leaning back in her seat. “Now, if you’re done hitting on me, let’s get down to business.”

Blud smiled, drumming his fingers on the case. “I don’t think I could tire of hitting on a beauty like you. But if you’d rather just give me my work, I cannot press my luck. Especially if I want to keep asking for favors.” He punctuated the statement with one last tap on the case.

“The Crystal Empire in our current target has returned,” she informed, crossing her arms. “Somber wants you to retrieve the Crystal Heart. We’ll be deploying a distraction, so you merely have to worry about getting the Heart.”

With a roll of his eyes, Blud slid the case onto his lap. “Oh joy, so a job lacking any teeth to it. I might as well do this one in my sleep.”

“They can’t all be good,” Midnight responded, adjusting her glasses. “You have your orders, Somber expects them to be followed.” Leaning forward, she added “If you happen to crosspaths with King Sombra, you’re under order to end him.”

“Hmm, you’d think our Great Leader would oppose suicide,” Blud joked, rising from his seat. “But I don’t think I’ll be sloppy enough to run into that glorified smoke cloud. I’ll be in and out before I can even notice the cold.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Midnight gave him a last nod before she shimmered out of existence.

Blud pulled a few bits out of his pocket, leaving his payment for his drink. A dine and dash was far too pedestrian for his tastes. Besides that, he wasn’t one to screw over the working class. He slipped out of the cafe, finding a nearby alley and letting a dimensional ripple carry him to his abode so he could change into his woolen overcoat for his job.

Wyatt, the girls, and Cadance were gathered around a tabletop map of the city. While the citizens had offered them no info; their memories seeming to suffer some strange block. The city library on the other hand, that had been left relatively untouched and had given them ideas. Unsurprisingly, it had been Twilight who had found the helpful book on the empire’s history.

“And you think this ‘Crystal Faire’ will stop Sombra?” Cadance asked, leaning on the table for support. “This might be our only chance to save the empire. We can’t afford to makes mistakes.”

Summoning his driver, Wyatt gave Twilight a determined look. “Alright, just like at Cadance’s wedding; give me a list of tasks and my Kabuto form will take care of the rest. So, come on boss lady; pass out some tasks!”

With a quick flash from her horn, Twilight had a scroll and quill in her hands. “I think I can manage that. Give me a minute and we can start preparing the greatest Crystal Faire in history!” Scribbling away, she gave furtive glances at everyone, muttering softly to herself.

While she was writing, Wyatt quickly transformed into his Kabuto armor and had his Clock Up card at the ready.

With the group all working together, the faire was set up quickly. Wyatt had elected to take a good bit of the work and he finished it in the blink of an eye, literally. Drawn in by all the commotion, the crystal ponies began to gather around. Like magic, a few of them flashed looking far more peppy than they had before. Everyone took this as a good sign and split up to run different events. Wyatt stuck close to Twilight, who was looking over the history book to ensure their efforts kept in line with a traditional Crystal Faire.

“Everything seems to be going off without a hitch!” Twilight declared, looking at Wyatt with a grin. “This will be the easiest test I’ve ever taken! And here I thought I wasn’t prepared!”

Taking her hand, Wyatt led Twilight around the fairgrounds. “As if there was ever any doubt. You’re the smartest mare in Equestria. Plus, you’re dating the strongest rider in Equestria.” He flashed her a cheesy grin and flexed an arm for her. “You’ll show Celestia that you’re ready for the next level. Whatever that means. You think she’ll reveal an ancient artifact that gives you double rainbow lasers?” he joked, pretending he was putting on her element and making ‘pew, pew’ sounds as they walked.

Twilight giggled at his antics, swatting his side with her tail. “Will you stop that? We have to be serious here, Wyatt.” Still, she couldn’t keep from smiling. “I don’t need any artifacts, just passing the test will be reward enough.”

Wyatt couldn’t help but return her smile, watching Pinkie cry out desperately for a flugelhorn from a stand Dash was manning from the corner of his eye. “We’re on a good start, Twi. Besides, a positive attitude helps.”

The pair continued to make their way around the fair, seeing crystal ponies all brighten up and enjoy the festivities. Almost all of them had undergone the change from earlier; smiles and excited chattering were abound in the crowd. It was almost too good to be true how well things were going. As soon as Wyatt thought that, a dimensional ripple formed at the heart of the fair. After a hauntingly quiet moment, two figures stepped through

Wyatt starred at one of them, his mind coming to a screeching halt. All rational thought left his mind at the sight of Adolf Hitler; fused with a starfish. Most of the monster was made up of a pinkish orange outfit of sorts that was made up of the starfish body stretched across the humanoid figure with grey skin poking out from under it. At the center of its chest was a large, black swastika that seemed to be goading Wyatt into a fight.

“Twilight...” Wyatt muttered, his voice cracking slightly. “The universe truly hates me. What have I done to deserve the hell that is Starfish Hitler?”

Twilight regarded Wyatt curiously for a moment before shaking it off. “I have no idea what that means, but you have to go and fight tha-” her sentence gave way to a shriek as several humans in SS uniforms appeared around Starfish Hitler, one of them firing his weapon at the pair.

Reacting quickly, Wyatt grabbed his girlfriend by the shoulders and dove to the ground. A lump formed in his throat as something grazed his back. “God, that was close. You didn’t get hit did you?”

With a shake of her head, Twilight flashed him a grateful smile. “No, as always, you saved the day. Now, go get that monster, strongest rider.”

“You have no idea how utterly bizarre that monster is, Twilight, no idea at all.” Summoning his card case, he pulled his Decade card out. “Stay safe alright?” he asked, conjuring his belt. “Henshin!” Placing the card in his belt, he assumed his rider form.

With a few quick motions of his hands, Wyatt turned his card case into its sword form and charged at the group. The uniformed men opened fire again and Wyatt deflected most of them with some swordwork that Flash Fire had drilled into him. SS look alikes stumbled forward, their guns yanked out of their hands by a purple glow. Turning his head, he saw Twilight’s horn glowing and she gave him a quick wink as she pulled the guns towards her.

“God, I love that mare,” Wyatt said to himself, punching the closest soldier to him in the face. “At least these idiots aren’t shouting yee.” The other soldiers scrambled, surrounding Wyatt and attempting to attack him. He almost felt bad for them as he dealt with all of them in a few quick blows. “The power creep is real I tell ya.”

His mirth was shattered not a moment later, a torso sized starfish latching onto his back. It exploded, sending him tumbling into a wall. “For G.O.D!” Starfish Hitler shouted, snapping a salute before firing a few shots from his crop.

“Goddammit seventies Japan,” Wyatt groaned, rolling forward away from the wall to avoid the shots from the monster. He spotted the other monster, whom he recognized as Ambassador Hell, had called a squad of Combatmen, and begun terrorizing the faire goers. Anger and determination filled Wyatt as he returned to his feet and pulled a card from his case. “You bastards aren’t going to hurt anyone.”

“Attack Ride: Illusion!” his driver called out, several copies of him forming. The copies went out and charged the Combatmen while the original set his sights on Ambassador Hell.

“Hey, you guys got started without me?!” Spike admonished, jump kicking a combatman. “Geez, I thought we were tight like that.” Having assumed TaToBa, Spike used the tiger and grasshopper medal in conjunction, hopping around the battlefield while bringing his claws down on any enemy unlucky enough to get too close to one of the crystal ponies.

“Sorry, ‘bout that, OOO,” Wyatt and his clones replied in tandem. “But couldn’t exactly ask them to put their rampage on hold for you.”

Ambassador Hell cracked his whip, striking Wyatt in the face. “So, you are the one who calls himself Decade? You’re a pitiful successor, boy.”

Before the ambassador could retract his whip, Wyatt grabbed it and pulled the man towards him to deliver a kick to his chest. “Try saying that after I’m done kicking you right in the hellhole.”

“Your pitiful attacks pale in comparison to the might of Dai-Shocker!” Hell’s form shifted, his face becoming reptilian with yellow eyes that glowed for a moment. He moved his whip to his left hand while his right morphed into a wicked looking scythe. With a roar, Ambassador Hell slashed Wyatt across the chest with his scythe arm.

Wyatt hissed, backpedaling away from the kaijin. Glancing around, he took in his surroundings. Empty stalls fill his vision, the happy murmur of the crowd now replaced by the sounds of battle. “Okay Snek, let’s try this.” Reaching into his card cass, he retrieved the Magic Eyes card.

“Displaced Ride: Magic Eyes Mage!” Wyatt’s armor shifted and he was left standing in blue robes that parted at his legs to give him free range of motion with black boots that had golden highlights. The robes split at the chest to show more of the black bodysuit and a large golden necklace shaped into two diamond shapes stacked vertically with light blue gems resting at their centers. A hood partially obscured his helmet though it obviously had reptilian features. The most visible part of the helmet were circular purple eyes that glowed softly from within the shadows of the hood. In his left hand was a long staff that ended in a red orb.

“Now, let’s reenact Star Wars, shall we?” Wyatt asked, increasing his grip on his staff. “We can meme it up all day, Hell Man.”

“I am tired of your endless prattling,” Hell replied, his voice laced with an odd distortion. He cracked his whip, aiming it at Wyatt’s left wrist.

A gust of green wind knocked the whip off course, making it strike a stall to Wyatt’s left. Maud jumped between the pair, having assumed CycloneXMetal. “Then maybe you’d prefer a more quiet opponent?”

Ambassador Hell didn’t respond, raising his scythe arm up and charging at Maud. She brought her own staff up, pushing his scythe to the side and delivering a kick to his chest. Pressing the advantage, Maud brought her staff up and caught Ambassador Hell in his bottom jaw.

“Oh that had to hurt.” Spike winced, swiping at Starfish Hitler’s chest. Jumping back before the kaijin could retaliate, he landed on a nearby roof. “Out of all the monsters we’ve fought so far, you’re out and out the weirdest.”

Starfish Hitler replied by tossing one of the torso-sized starfish at Spike’s head. Spike roundhouse kicked it back, laughing as it exploded in Starfish Hitler’s face. His laugh died down, eyes latching onto a figure jumping between rooftops. He’d recognize the top hat from anywhere. A growl unbiddenly escaped Spike’s throat and his pupils contracted sharply beneath his helmet.

Spike completely ignored the monster as it tried firing at him again. He let the grasshopper medal shift his armor and he leapt to where Twilight was watching the battle unfold. “Lupin’s heading to the palace!” Wasting no time, he grabbed Twilight, following after the thief.

“Gah!” Twilight cried, struggling for a moment in Spike’s grasp before settling down once his words sank in. “What?! Why would Lupin be heading there?!”

“I dunno! Maybe he knows something we don’t?” Spike grit his teeth, taking as deep a breath as he could. Memories of his defeat at Lupin’s hands rushed through his mind, his rage building with each one.

“Spike,” Twilight’s voice pulled the drake from his brooding. “Maybe you should tell the others? I don’t know if you can take on Lupin by yourself.”

“They need to keep the crystal ponies safe,” Spike responded, jumping from a rooftop and landing on one of the palace’s balconies. “I can handle Lupin, okay?”

Gripping tightly onto Spike’s armor, Twilight gave him a hard look. “I’m going hold you to that. If anything happens to you, I’m going to make your recovery miserable.” Pulling away, Twilight got down onto her hooves. “We should make sure Cadance is alright first.”

Spike took a quick glance out at the city. “Her barrier’s still up, so that’s a good sign.” Turning back, Spike entered the palace and found himself in a guest room of sorts. Much like the bedrooms of Canterlot Castle, there was a canopy bed and other refineries. There was one big difference, the decorations here seemed archaic. Not that they were in bad condition, just outdated. “Not a bad place to vacation. I wonder how nice the walls taste...”

“Spike, I can’t believe I have to say this, but do not eat the castle,” Twilight replied, walking past him and to the door. She pulled it open and started to walk down the halls in search of a staircase. A part of Twilight wanted to ignore the tapestries on the wall, but her inner historian squealed in delight at the rich details and crafting techniques on display.

“I’m not going to eat the castle,” Spike grumbled, jogging after her. Eyes darting from corner to corner, he extended his claws. “Maybe I should take the lead, just in case Lupin jumps out of hiding or something?”

Twilight slowed down, letting Spike walk in front of her. “That makes sense. I’ll keep an eye out for him as well.” Scrunching her muzzle up in thought, she scratched her chin. “If he was hopping from rooftops like you said, then he’s likely come in through another balcony.”

Spike muttered to himself, only paying vague attention to Twilight. ‘We’re inside now, not enough room for grasshopper. Flying’s out... Maybe some of those new medals? I haven’t tried out bee and ant yet...’ He could feel his medals shifting around in their container, his senses drowning out all other sounds except the soft clinking of them against each other. ‘Might be my only option, he shrugged off just about everything else we threw at him last time.’

With a nod, Spike stowed his claws and opened his medal container. Shifting his driver, he pulled out the current medals, tossing them back to Twilight. Pulling out three new medals, he slotted them in, passing the scanner over them.

“Mukade! Hachi! Ari!’ the belt sang, projecting images of the chosen medals in front of Spike. “Mukachiri! Chirichiri! Mukachiri! Chirichiri!’ Spike’s armor glowed for a moment before settling into its new form. The helmet was the same centipede form he had used before with its blank yellow eyes. The symbol on his chest had a yellow bee in its center with wings that extended out to form armor on the shoulders. In his left hand was a shield that was made up of honeycomb designs while his right wrist had a bee-like device attached to it with a sharp, metal stinger extending past his hand. On either side of the stinger were short metal wings, while at the other end was a square grey segment that stood out from the yellow of the armor. The legs were black and grey, the armor on his knees resembling an ant’s head with black segments extending down to his feet.

“What do you think? Wasn’t expecting a combo to be honest.” Spike raised his shield arm, studying it. With a thought, the hexagons expanded, turning the shield from a buckler into a tower shield. “Wonder if Flash Fire can teach me to fight with a shield...”

“I thought your belt only chanted like that when you used three medals of the same color” Twilight noted, taking in the new form. “But that shield does look effective.” She knelt down, examining the ant legs. “Hmm, this might’ve been a good choice. Ants are able to lift over fifty times their own body mass; hopefully that translates into you having increased kicking power.”

“I’m ready to kick Lupin’s ass.” Reducing the shield back to its original size, Spike started to walk again. With his shield at the ready, he kept his stinger arm up, poised to strike. “I’ll teach him to hurt my friends.” A growl emitted from Spike’s throat, his tail lashing from side to side.

Twilight couldn’t help but worry as she watched Spike’s display of aggression. Images of him in the hospital after his last fight dominated her mind. Clenching her fists at her sides, feelings of helplessness overtook her. ‘I’m a failure of a big sister. I can’t even help my brother in a fight like this. No.’ Twilight’s gaze hardened, blood starting to leak down her fingers. ‘I don’t care if I’m not a rider, I won’t let Spike, Wyatt or anypony else fight alone. What good is having a talent for magic if you don’t use it to help others?’

The two eventually found a staircase, heading down several floors so they could retrace their steps to the throne room. Spike continued to scan the halls as they passed by them, not finding any trace of Lupin. His own thoughts raced, trying to form a battle strategy for when he ran into the enemy rider.

“Hello?” Cadance’s voice carried down the hall. “Is somepony there? S-Shiny? Is that you?”

“No, it’s us!” Twilight called out, stepping towards the source of the voice. “We saw Lupin heading toward the castle and wanted to make sure you’re okay!”

“Oh, Twilight... I'm just so tired...” Cadance's voice trailed off, a loud thud echoing off the walls.

“That might’ve been Lupin!” Spike cried, running toward the source of the sound. “You’re not getting away this time!” he boomed, his voice echoing off the walls.

“Spike, wait!” Twilight ran after him, her heart pounding. ‘Cadance can’t defend herself and keep the barrier up. Oh Faust, please let her be okay.’

When Spike entered the throne room, he was greeted by Cadance sprawled out on the ground in front of her throne... And a large rectangular opening in the middle of the floor. He rushed around the opening, kneeling down next to Cadance.

“Don’t touch her neck, might be hurt,” he muttered, examining the fallen alicorn. His worry was quickly replaced with relief, when a soft snore emanated from Cadance. Satisfied that she was safe, Spike turned to the opening. Inside was a staircase leading down into darkness. “Pretty obvious that’s where Lupin went.”

Twilight stepped up to the opening, peering down into the darkness. “Looks like it goes down pretty far. We need to hurry.” Looking up, she watched Spike place Cadance back in her throne. “Without the barrier, Sombra can just waltz right in.”

“Lupin’s a thief, right?” Spike started, starting his way down the staircase. “And he stole artifacts back in Manehattan. So, if he wasn’t going after Cadance, then I bet there’s something pretty important down there.” Looking over his shoulder, he fixed the blank eyes of his helmet on Twilight. “Twi, I’m going to distract him; I need you to focus on getting whatever he’s trying to steal. It might help us defeat Sombra.”

“But what is he after?” Lighting her horn up, Twilight conjured up a magelight. “What's so important to risk a confrontation with Sombra?” She began to walk down the stairs, her hoof steps echoing throughout the room.

“That’s what we’re going to find out,” Spike replied, his weapons at the ready. “I’m willing to bet those monsters out there were just meant to distract us.”

Half-way down, it clicked in Twilight’s mind. “Spike, that’s it! Lupin must be trying to find the Crystal Heart!”

“You mean that thing you talked about before we set up the fair?” Spike questioned, not looking back at her. It then clicked in his head. “Dai-Shocker’s trying to keep us from beating Sombra!” He started bolting down the stairs, never losing his footing despite his reckless abandon.

“Spike! Stop!” Twilight groaned, running after him. “Take a moment and breathe! You’re letting your anger take over!”

“There isn’t a moment to breathe!” Spike called back, not slowing down. “I’m not going to let Lupin ruin the Crystal Empire!” He blinked, finding himself frozen in place. “Twilight! Let me go!”

“Spike, you need to collect yourself.” Twilight caught up to him, her chest heaving. “From my readings off Smaug’s scroll, I know drake’s your age experience heightened aggression. You need to deal with it before you do something you regret.”

A growl rumbled in Spike’s chest. “Stopping Lupin wouldn’t be something I regret. Let me go, Twilight, we need to save the empire.”

“Not with you acting like this.” Twilight stepped around him, gazing into his eyes. “I'm worried, Spike. You might go too far.”

“So I’m not allowed to be mad!” Spike spat, struggling against her magic. “He tricked Rarity and put me and my friend into the hospital. Of course I’m mad, Twilight. And what I want to do is stop him!”

“I’m not saying you’re not allowed to be mad.” Twilight looked away, struggling to articulate her point. “I'm afraid that... That you’ll kill him.” She choked back a sob, hugging herself. “I've never seen you this angry before, Spike, and I don’t think you know how to handle it.”

“I wasn’t going to kill him,” Spike retorted, stopping his struggling. “Twilight, do you know why I’m angry? I’ve been your assistant since I could form full sentences. My whole purpose in life entirely depended on you. Now I’ve got my own purpose. Something I’ve decided. And Lupin made me fail in that purpose. How would you feel if Discord had beaten you and you had to take him on again? Would you keep your cool?” Despite the helmet, Twilight could tell there was determination in his gaze just from his tone.

“Spike,” Twilight started, struggling to articulate her point. “I never meant to make you feel like you had to be my assistant. You’ve always been my brother first, that has and will never change.”

Despite the situation, Spike managed a quick chuckle. “I’d say this is a hugworthy moment, but I still can’t move.” He stumbled a bit, Twilight’s hold vanishing. “I stand corrected.” Pulling her into a hug, he rested his head on her shoulder. “I love you, Twi.”

“Love you too, Spike,” Twilight told him, wrapping her arms around his chest. “Now, go bring that awful thief in, we’ve got an empire to save.”

Ending the hug, Spike continued down the stairs. Not that he’d admit it to Twilight, but his head did feel much clearer. The last thing he wanted was to fight Lupin sloppily. He wanted to be at his best to take down the thief.

“I am getting so tired of looking at your face.” Wyatt kicked Starfish Hitler in the face, glaring from under his helmet. “I think it’s time to get rid of you.” Recalling his card case, he drew out his final attack card.

“Final Attack Ride: M-M-Magic Eyes!” his driver called out, a brilliant glow forming at the end of his staff. Wyatt slammed the butt of his staff down, a series of fireballs, ice spikes and arcs of electricity were sent right towards the offending monster.

Starfish Hitler cried out in pain, the attack washing over him. The elemental energies ravaged his body before finally causing him to explode in a massive fireball. Once the flames died down, Wyatt was reverted into his Decade form. Taking advantage of the moment of calm, he noticed that the barrier around the city was gone.

Ambassador Hell growled, guarding against an assault from Maud and Spearhead. “You pathetic riders will fall! Lord Somber will crush this world under his hoof and plant Dai-Shocker’s flag in your corpse.”

“Not gonna happen,” Spearhead retorted, sweeping Hell’s legs out from under him and slamming his elbow into his stomach as he fell. “Equestria isn’t going to roll over and die! We’ll rise up like the sun!”

Hell tumbled away, crashing against a stall. His whip, lost in the tussle, landed at the hooves of a very familiar stallion. Shining Armor took a staggering step forward, black crystals sprouted all around him. Face contorted in pain, purple smoke poured off of his left eye, the other squeezed shut in pain.

“Shining!” Spearhead shouted, rushing up to the pained stallion. “Come on buddy, what’s wrong with you?” Despite the clear danger, Spearhead placed his hands on Shining’s shoulders.

With a scream of rage, Shining blasted Spearhead back with a sickly purple bolt of magic. “This body is mine.” He cringed as if struck, holding his head. “No! Get out! Get out! Get out!” All around him, spires of black crystal surged from the ground. The sky darkened, taking on an apocalyptic orange color.

“This isn’t good,” Maud commented, looking between the sky and Shining Armor. “We need to find a way to drive Sombra out of him.”

“No way in hell we can let another Somber come about,” Wyatt agreed, staring at the ailing stallion. “How the hell do we do that? We don’t have the Elements or Spike around.”

“Maybe our best bet is to restrain him until we can figure something out?” Spearhead suggested, slowly pulling himself to his feet. “We can’t fight Shining Armor, his body couldn’t take our attacks.”

“Shouldn’t we do something about the snake guy first?” Pinkie chimed in.

Maud thought for a moment. “Spearhead, you and I will keep fighting Ambassador Hell. Wyatt, there has to be something in your cards that can restrain Shining Armor.”

“Hopefully...” Wyatt grumbled, calling forth his card case, frantically flipping through it.

While Wyatt was distracted by his search, Shining fired a sickly looking beam at the human’s chest. “Die!” Shining growled, his teeth lengthening into fangs. “Nothing will... keep me... from my throne!”

With a groan, Wyatt pulled himself from the snack cart he had crashed into. “See, I’m not sure if that first part was Sombra or Shining,” he joked, wheezing. “I was hoping you wouldn’t be the stereotypical older brother. But, I didn’t get that lucky.”

Wyatt was forced to dodge more bolts of magic while he looked through his card case. Everywhere the magic struck, spires of crystal rose up and threatened to impale him. Despite the pressure, an idea struck him. He grabbed a pair of cards and slotted one into his belt. His armor shifted into the Link form once more as a bolt of magic struck where his foot had been a moment before. Wasting no time, Wyatt slotted the second card to his belt.

“Attack Ride: Ice Arrows!” The plain bow from before settled into his hands, only this time the arrow’s tip had frost dancing around it. Before Shining could fire another bolt of magic, Wyatt drew his arm back and shot an arrow right between the corrupted stallion’s hooves.

Shining Armor hissed, the ice creeping up his legs to hold him in place. “Release me!” he demanded, firing another bolt at Wyatt.

Wyatt leaned back, letting the bolt crash into the snack cart he had fallen into earlier. With a quick motion, he knocked another arrow and fired it at the ice on Shining’s legs, causing it to creep towards his arms. “Sorry, but you’ve gotta ask nicely,” he admonished, twirling an arrow in his hand. “I think I can safely call you restrained. Now to figure out how to get you out of Shining’s head.” Wyatt frowned, no answers coming to him after a long pause.

‘Ugh, I’ve got no idea what to do with this evil bastard,’ Wyatt thought, watching Shining struggle against the ice. ‘Why can’t I have a UniSaPo card?’ A word stuck out to him and he glanced down at his card case. ‘Wait a second, evil… ’ Trailing off in his head, he slotted a card into his belt.

“Attack Ride: Master Sword!” The bow and arrow faded from existence and was replaced by a longsword with a faintly glowing blade and a blue hilt.

“Meet the blade that repels evil, Sombra,” Wyatt said, placing the flat of the blade on Shining’s forehead. The blade took on a bright glow, burning at Shining’s fur. The stallion screamed in agony, blasting Wyatt with another wave of dark magic.

Crystals formed all over the green armor and Wyatt could swear he heard the metal creaking from the strain. Planting his feet firmly, Wyatt kept the blade where it was. “Get. The. Hell. Out,” he commanded, pressing the blade down harder.

The corrupted stallion threw his head back and roared in pain, blindly firing dark magic in every direction. “I’ll tear your soul to shreds!” he roared, the ice around his right arm breaking so he could grab Wyatt’s arm.

“The only thing you’re doing is going up in smoke!” Wyatt shot back, not budging his arm an inch. “You best find another host because you can’t have this one!”

The corrupted stallion instantly cut off his magic, looking at Wyatt with a sick grin. “An excellent idea.” Shining Armor’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body went limp. Smoke started to pour from his mouth and nostrils and rushed towards Wyatt.

“Oh, that is very, very bad!” Wyatt held up his sword, warding off Sombra’s form. “I’ve already nearly become a monster, once was enough for me!”

The sword’s glow increased as Sombra cascaded around Wyatt. Sombra’s form shrank and his features appeared to leer at the rider.

“Come on, try it.” Wyatt tightened his grip on his weapon, brandishing it in front of him. “You won’t hurt the ponies of this city again, you got that you LOST reject?”

Sombra’s form faltered for a moment and he recoiled from the blade. “You putrid, naked ape!” Sombra roared, keeping his distance from Wyatt. “You would try and deny me what is mine!?”

“Trying and succeeding,” Wyatt retorted, charging towards Sombra. Pulling another card from his belt, he aimed the blade at Sombra’s horn.

“Attack Ride: Sword Beam!” The glow around the sword intensified for a moment before firing out as a beam. Golden fire spread across Sombra’s gaseous body, burning it to cinders.

A grin spread across Wyatt’s face and he had to stop himself from fistpumping. Keeping his sword at the ready, he stared at the falling ash. “Is it over?” he asked under his breath. Tension mounted as silence hung in the air. After a few moments, Wyatt released a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding and let his sword hang at his side. “I think I got rid of him, guys!”

The celebration was short lived as a green bolt of magic struck him in the chest and sent him flying into a wall. Before he could try and tear himself from the wall, crystals spread along his body and kept him fused to the wall.

“Fool!” Sombra laughed, a sick, bone chilling laugh that made Wyatt shudder. “You think a mere blade can stop me?!”

“Was seriously hoping for that, yeah,” Wyatt admitted, struggling against the crystal as it crept towards his neck. Despite his efforts, his movements were too restricted to allow him to free himself. “Even if I don’t stop you, Twilight will.”

“Twilight,” Sombra repeated, swirling around Wyatt. “That was my former host’s sister, yes? Such confidence in a simple unicorn.” Leaning in, he snorted in Wyatt’s face. “She is your beloved, is she not? Perhaps she will make the better host?”

Narrowing his eyes beneath his helmet and he grit his teeth. “Touch her and I’ll make you regret it.”

“You amuse me.” Sombra grinned, showing off his fangs. “As if you could stop me, ape.” Turning his attention from Wyatt, he watched Maud and Spearhead push Hell back. “I shall make all of your powers my own. The solar whore will cry in agony as I burn her cities, the lunar harlot will beg for mercy as I crack her moon, and that pink bitch in my castle will wish she never left her little village.”

Wyatt chuckled, continuing his struggle against the crystal. “There’s no way you can take my powers. My driver only works for me. Even if you could though, that simple unicorn you threatened isn’t so simple. She’ll save this empire, count on it.”

“I think I shall start... with you!” Sombra barrelled forward, slamming into Spearhead’s back. His body slipped between the armor’s panels, seeping into the circuity beneath.

“That’s not good,” Wyatt muttered, recoiling as Spearhead threw his head back and screamed in agony.

The blue lines on G-1’s armor turned purple, the eyes becoming pitch black. Spearhead struggled to move, only to find the armor moving on it’s own. “He’s got control of the armor! I can’t do anything!”

“Maud! Forget about Hell and get me out of here!” Wyatt commanded, increasing his struggles to get free.

Maud didn’t respond verbally, instead throwing her staff at the center of the crystal mass. The staff punctured the gem, causing a spiderweb of cracks to form along its surface.

With a burst of effort, Wyatt freed himself from the crystal. “Okay, that sucked ass.” Reaching down, he grabbed Maud’s staff and tossed it back to her. “So, Sombra’s taken over Spear’s armor. Not a good thing.”

“Thank you for stating the obvious,” Maud replied, spinning on her hoof to avoid an attack from Sombra and slamming her staff into the small of his back.

Spearhead let out a cry of pain but the armor didn’t falter. Wyatt quickly joined the fray and the two riders squared off against the corrupted suit.

Spike frowned, reaching the bottom of the stairwell. They had managed to catch up with Lupin, though the state they found the thieving rider in was more than a little worrying. Lupin stood stock still in front of a door, his eyes glowing a worrying green color.

Not wasting a moment, Spike reached over and grabbed Lupin’s gunner. After a few tugs, the stallion’s iron grip gave way and his armor disappeared. “Looks like Lupin tripped a trap of some kind.”

“I can see that.”

“On the bright side, he’s easier to restrain,” Spike said, waving his hand in front of the stallion’s face to no response. He stopped toying with Lupin, glancing around the small room. “Only question is, how do we avoid tripping it ourselves?”

Glancing around, Twilight looked for any sort of clues. “He is staring at the door; maybe it has something to do with that?” Stepping up to it, she lit her horn up. “You keep an eye on him, I’ll figure this out.”

Before she could do anything, Spike flicked her horn and caused the aura to die out in a fizzle of sparks. “Hold on, what if examining the door with magic is how Lupin got himself in the trap?” He stepped over to the door, examining the frame. “It doesn’t look like he-”

Spike found himself back in Smaug’s lair, standing on his elders outstretched hands. Twilight was nowhere to be seen, nor was his belt or any of his medals.

“Wh-what am I doing here?” Spike asked himself, his eyes widening in realization. “Grandpa! I’ve got to hurry back to the Crystal Empire! Can you help me?”

“You will leave when I permit, half-breed,” Smaug snapped, glaring down at Spike. “I was wrong, welp, you shame me and the rest of our clan. Perhaps it would have been best if your egg had shattered, so you would not have dishonored your mother so.”

Falling to his knees, Spike gaped up at the elder dragon in horror and disbelief. “What are you saying? How did I dishonor the clan?”

“You know quite well what you have done.” Smaug snorted, covering Spike in a cloud of smoke. “As elder, I hereby banish you from our clan. Your name will be revoked from our memories; as if you never existed. No dragon will ever acknowledge you; you will die alone and unwanted.”

The world seemed to slip away from Spike and everything contracted around him. He collapsed and tears streamed down his face as his worst fear just came true. “Y-you can’t do that, grandpa! I just found you, I don’t want to lose you!”

Smaug didn’t respond, dropping Spike to the cavern floor with no care. Before Spike even hit the ground, Smaug turned his back and curled up on his hoard. Spike didn’t even react to the fall, continuing his pleas to the elder dragon. No answer came to him and the only other sounds in the cave were his own words echoing off the walls.

Spike’s heart pounded in his chest and he could feel a stabbing pain shoot through his body.

“Spike!”

With a start, Spike jumped back, jabbing at the air in panic. A moment passed, his mind clearing enough to realize his stinger was only a few inches from Twilight’s right eye. “T-Twilight? W-what happened? Where's Grandpa!?”

“We were caught in some kind of spell induced hallucination,” Twilight explained, lowering his stinger and pulling him into a hug. “Whatever you saw, it wasn’t real. No matter what you saw, it wasn’t real.”

Returning the hug, Spike somehow managed to control his strength to avoid hurting her. “It felt so real though.” He shuddered as he recalled the look on his grandfather’s face. “Grandpa told me that I was a failure... that my egg should have been smashed...”

“It was just your worst fears made manifest.” Grabbing the sides of his helmet, Twilight
made him look deeply into her eyes. “Believe me Spike, your grandfather would never say that to you. He loves you.”

“Y-yeah,” Spike spoke, not just to agree but to reassure himself of the fact. “He totally loves me.” Taking a breath, Spike stepped back from the door. “Guess Sombra booby trapped the place, huh?”

“Yeah, sorry I didn’t get your warning in time,” Twilight apologized, turning to the door. “But, at least we were able to beat it.” Looking back at Blud, she winced. “Can’t say the same for him though.”

“What do we do with him?” Spike questioned, giving him a hard look. “Leave him there?”

“I’d use magic to restrain him, but that might snap him out of it,” Twilight offered. “I think we should come back later to arrest him.” Turning to the door, she waved him over. “Come on, we don’t have any time to waste.”

With a quick nod, Spike tore himself away from Lupin and strode over to the door. “It’s still closed, and that defense mechanism is still in place. Magic doesn’t work,” he glanced back at Lupin for a split second, “and brute force doesn’t either. Almost feels like one of those obvious traps I’d put in an O&O campaign to misdirect from the actual path,” he thought aloud, rubbing his neck.

A sudden growl made Spike backpedal from the previously quiet Lupin. “You’ve taken everything from me, Dawnbreaker. If you wish for my life, you’re sadly mistaken. I’m not weak anymore, you sorry excuse for family! I’ll carve my name into your hide!”

“Dawnbreaker?” Twilight questioned, glancing at the stallion. “Who-” she stopped, noticing that he was still under the effects of the spell. “Who in the world could Dawnbreaker be?”

“Sounds like a weapon made for Celestia,” Spike noted, studying the stallion while he tightened his grip on the gunner. Pausing he turned to Twilight. “Or... Celestia’s version of Nightmare Moon.”

Twilight shuddered for a moment, trying not to imagine what such a thing would look like. “You’re right, it does sound like that.” Quickly recovering, she returned her attention to Lupin. “So he’s had to deal with an evil version of his aunt, no wonder he turned out this way.” Glancing back at the door, she lit her horn. “Come on, we have to figure out how to get past this door.”

“Like I said, magic and brute force just seem to activate the wards on it,” Spike reiterated. “Doesn’t exactly leave a lot of options. I could try it if you want, just be ready to snap me out of the trance again.” Drawing his right arm back, the silver square at the back of the stinger extended out, the blade itself retracting slightly into the socket. “Ready?”

Lighting her horn up, Twilight nodded. “Ready, let’s pry this door open.”

Thrusting his arm forward, the stinger shot forward on contact with the wall. The blade sank into the crack of the door, a spiderweb of cracks forming on the surface of the crystal. With a heave of effort, Spike moved his arm like a lever and tried to force the door open. “Hey, trying using that dark magic Princess Celestia showed you!”

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.” Taking a deep breath, a sickly green aura surrounded Twilight’s horn. After a moment of letting it build, she fired it at the top of the door. Under the stain of both, it shuttered, giving way and revealing another room. And of course, more stairs leading further into the darkness.

“How far down are we gonna go?” Spike questioned, retracting his stinger.

“Far enough,” Lupin replied, kicking Spike in the back. Snatching his gunner away from the staggered drake, he fired a few shots at their feet.

“Just our luck you’d snap out of the spell at the worst possible moment,” Twilight grumbled, putting a shield between them. “Just when we were close to getting the heart.” Nodding at Spike, she shoved the shield at Lupin and took off up the stairs.

Just as Lupin moved to fire on Twilight, Spike stabbed Lupin’s arm with the stinger. “Oh no, you and I have a score to settle.” Drawing it back, he froze at the sight of blood.

Grunting, Lupin pressed a hand to his wound. “Look at you, seems you’ve improved since our last meeting.” Spinning on his heel, he kicked Spike while he was distracted. “But you’re still too green if a little blood freezes you up.” Wasting not a moment, Lupin resumed his rider form. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” Slipping by the dragon, he took off after Twilight.

“No!” Spike roared, taking a leaping tackle at Lupin. “You’re not gonna touch a hair on her head!” His effort was rewarded with a kick that sent him tumbling down that stairs.

“Stay out of the way, boy,” Lupin chided, firing a round at Spike’s head. “The grown ups have business to attend to.”

“No!” Spike croaked, returning to his feet. “I’m not going to let Twilight fail her test. Even if that means you put me in the hospital again.” Bringing his shield up, he squared up to Lupin.

Lupin scoffed, proceeding to follow Twilight up the stairs. “I really don’t have time to play superhero with you. I have appointments to keep, we all can’t stay in the nest like you.”

Growling, Spike fired his stinger directly into Lupin’s back. “Don’t walk away from me. And I’m not playing at anything. You’re not stealing that heart and dooming this place to die!”

Lupin stumbled, whipping around to face Spike. “Drake, you’re getting on my last nerve!”

“Then what are you going to do about it?” Spike taunted, retracting his stinger and readying it to strike again.

Raising his Gunner, Lupin fired a dozen rounds at Spike, backing up along the stairs. “You truly are a nuisance, you know that?”

Spike expanded his shield and blocked the oncoming shots. Once his shield was back to normal, he fired his stinger again and used it to sweep Lupin’s legs out from under him. “I’m more than that, I’m a Kamen Rider!”

Snorting, Lupin threw his arm out and sent a filmstrip at Spike. “Like I said, a child playing at being a superhero.”
“I’d rather be a superhero than a thief!” Spike shot back, leaping over the strip. “Or did Dawnbreaker steal your morals too?”

Switching his gunner to its dagger mode, Lupin let out a low growl from his throat. “Do not speak her name to me, boy!” Leaping towards Spike, he slashed at his chest. “You don’t know a damn thing about me!”

“I know you’re willing to condemn this place to die!” Spike retorted, swinging his shield to deflect the slash and firing his stinger at Lupin’s stomach. “That you’ve hurt my friends and stolen more than I can imagine!”

“Oh be quiet!” leaning back, Lupin snapped, meeting the stinger with his Gunner. “What’s one old relic hm? You wouldn’t even miss it!”

“You heartless bastard!” Spike roared, bashing his shield into Lupin’s helmet. “I keep telling you that the heart is what keeps the empire alive! How. Many. Times. Do. You. Need. It. Spelled. Out?!” He punctuated each word with a shield bash. “What about that don’t you get!?”

Lupin didn’t respond, catching Spike’s shield on another bash and rapidly slashed at his chest. Kicking Spike back down the stairs, Lupin resumed his run.

Growling, Spike quickly picked himself back up and used his stinger to sweep Lupin’s legs again. “I’ll pick myself up every time you knock me down, Lupin!”

“We’ll see about that,” Lupin stated, returning his weapon to gunner mode and pressing the button on front. Energy built up around the muzzle and he slowly aimed it at Spike’s chest. Pulling the trigger, he unleashed the energy into the drake.

Thinking fast, Spike grabbed the scanner off his belt and passed it over the medals. Multicolored rings formed in front of him and he fired his stinger through them. As the stinger passed through each ring, it more than doubled in size and met Lupin’s blast headon.

The resulting blast sent them both reeling. Spike lost his footing, falling off the stairs and into the abyss. Sparks rose up from Lupin’s suit, his body seizing up. A few moments later and he straightened up, returning to tracking Twilight.

“Damn drake,” Lupin muttered, taking the steps slowly. “A pox on his family!”

Taking the steps two at a time, Twilight ran along the staircase with her chest heaving.The staircase just seemed to go on and on; with no end in sight.

“This is impossible!” Twilight huffed, slowing slightly to conserve her energy. “I should’ve reached the top of the castle by now!” A long groan escaped her lips as the realization that Sombra enchanted the stairs dawned on her. “Faust damnit!”

Stopping dead in her tracks, Twilight caught her breath and tried to formulate a plan. Countering the enchantment would be virtually impossible unless she could identify the spell. “Come on think.. If you were a crazy dictator, how would you boobytrap stairs?” After a brief moment her eyes lit up. “An enchantment to make intruders run around in a loop!” Putting a hand to her chin, she returned to thinking. “But how to counter that?”

It came to her like a sudden revelation. If the stairs wouldn’t get her to the top... Maybe the underside would? Lighting her horn up, she cast a quick anti gravity spell. The spell quickly took effect, sending her under the stairs and letting her slide beneath it quickly. Twilight let out a whoop of joy, finally feeling like she was making progress. Her joy quickly evaporated when she spotted Spike falling through the aether. Acting quickly, she lit her horn again and brought the drake to her side.

“Spike!” she cried, undoing his transformation to check his condition. “Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Spike assured, wincing as she felt over him. “Maybe a little sore, but otherwise I’m fine. So uh... why are we upside down?”

“Sombra enchanted the stairs so I used an anti-gravity spell to bypass it,” she quickly explained, putting her arm around his shoulders. “But, sore is much better than your last encounter with Lupin.”

“Yeah, I agree.” Taking a moment to relax, Spike leaned on Twilight. “Next time you get a test, Twi, make sure it’s a paper one.”

Giggling, Twilight gave his forehead a kiss. “That’s something you’ll have to take up with Princess Celestia.” Stroking his spines, she savored the brief respite.

Their moment was short lived as they slid to a stop in front of a door. Standing up, Twilight tested the door and found she could open it. The room before them was wide open, with no real walls. In the center floated a heart shaped crystal, slowly turning in the air.

“Yes!” Twilight cheered, helping Spike towards the heart. “We can finally save the empire!” Lighting her horn up, she removed the artifact from its resting place. A dark magic pulse spread through the room, black crystals erupting around them in a circular shape.

Reacting quickly, Twilight pushed Spike and the heart away just as the crystal spires tightened around her. “Spike! Leave me behind, get the heart to the center of the city!”

“What?!” Spike shouted, nearly tripping over his own tail. “I can’t just leave you!” Reaching out, he placed his hand on one of the crystal spikes. This proved to be a terrible idea, as a jolt of black magic passed through him. All of his darkest feelings and thoughts bubbled to the surface.

‘You like Rarity? Just take her,’ it whispered, purring in his ear. ‘You’re a dragon, take what you want.’ The dark magic centered around his belt, enhancing the power of his medals.

Twilight grabbed Spike’s belt, pulling the buckle off and shoving him away. A cry of pain tore out of her throat, a similar jolt shooting through her. ‘You’re going to fail your test,’ A part of her whispered. ‘You can’t retrieve the heart like this. Celestia will expel you as her student.’

“That stuff is the worst!” Spike hissed, one of his pupils contracting. “No wonder Sombra lost his mind!”

Twilight didn’t answer him, dark magic still running along her body.

His hands shaking, Spike reached into his medal container, pulling out his pink set. “You guys are linked to the Elements right? Well, we need your help.” Clutching them tight, he ran over to the edge of the room, peering down at the city.

Black crystals jutted out of the ground like angry mountains, casting long shadows under the orange sky. The crystal ponies long since retreated to their homes and other places of safety. He let out a cry of surprise, a wave of crystals erupting out next to the palace. He hopped onto a branch of crystal, silently praying that he wouldn’t fall. Peering over the crystal he was on, Spike tried to find another spot he could safely jump to.

Wyatt panted, his energy starting to wane. Trying to fight Sombra without hurting Spearhead was proving to be a difficult task. He could tell Maud was having the same problem. Neither of them wanted to go all out and risk critically injuring their ally.

The G-1 armor itself had taken quite the beating, more than a few sections broken and sparking. Sombra was relentless, taking everything they gave and dishes out even more in return.

Wyatt had summoned the Hylian Shield to stave off most of the possessed suit’s attacks. At this point, his strategy was to hold out until Twilight could figure out where the Crystal Heart she had talked about was. “Come on, Twi, hurry the hell up,” he muttered, bracing himself as another fist slammed into the shield.

“Your lover has no chance to retrieve the heart,” Sombra said, the armor’s eyes glowing brightly. “By now I’m sure she’s sprung the trap in the hall door and has succumb to her worst fears.”

Managing a grin, Wyatt pushed back against the fist that collided with his shield. “You shouldn’t underestimate Twilight; she’s dealt with badder villains than you, Smokey. You’re nothing but hot air!”

With a feral growl, Sombra let loose a flurry of blows against Wyatt. He was able to block most of them, but the tyrant managed to sneak in a few hits. Wyatt grunted, his stance wavering for a split second under the force of the assault. Grinning, Sombra flung Wyatt into one of the crystal spikes.

“See, ape? You stand no chance against me!” Sombra’s gaze moved up towards the palace. “The heart!” Abandoning Wyatt and Maud, Sombra summoned another crystal spire, surging upwards.

“I don’t think so, Puff the Magic Jackass,” Wyatt hissed, pulling himself off the crystal spike and grabbing a card from his case.

“Form Ride: Goron!” Wyatt’s armor doubled in size, changing to a mix of brown and black. Black beads hung around his neck and his armor was made of interlinking platemail. The gauntlets were large and shaped like mittens. The green hat remained on the armor, but was joined by spiky white hair beneath it.

“Sorry about the fall, Spearhead!” Wyatt called out, rearing back and giving the spire a heavy punch.

“M-Maud...” Shining Armor pulled himself to his hooves, using a crystal shard to steady himself. “I-I have to get to Cadance... please...” He took a step forward, falling back to his knees.

Maud instantly turned her attention to Shining Armor and helped him brace himself. “I can get you to the palace. Sombra seems to be focused on Wyatt right now.” Putting her arm around him, she tensed up, running towards the palace. “Hold on.” With a heave, she leapt up onto one of the building’s balconies.

Hissing through his teeth, Shining stumbled through the doorway. “Painful, but effective,” he muttered, pointing Maud toward the closest staircase. “I have to make sure Cadance is okay...”

“She might look dainty, but she still has some earth pony hardiness in her,” Maud offered, helping him through the halls as quickly as she thought he could manage. “I’m sure she’s just exhausted.”

“I can’t let that monster win...” Shining grit his teeth, ignoring the sick feeling that coursed through his body. Fighting back the urge to vomit, he pushed away from Maud when they reached the throne room. “Cadance!” Finding a burst of energy, Shining raced over to her prone form, gingerly lifting her up.

A moment passed, and the princess slowly began to stir. She looked up into Shining’s eyes, offering him a tired smile. “Sorry for scaring you, just needed a little power nap.” Her smile dimmed a little as she processed his current state. “You look like crap, Shiny.”

“It’s been one of those days,” Shining replied, managing a smile as he helped her up. “I’ll tell you all about it once the empire is saved.” Nodding at Maud, he led Cadance over to one of the windows.

Wyatt was doing his best to keep Sombra busy, only to be sandbagged completely. Movement above caught their attention. Spike hopped between crystal branches, barely dodging as the previous branch sprouted a sharp growth. Clutched close to his chest was a blue crystal, shaped like a heart.

Cadance felt a slight tugging in her chest, telling her to go to the heart. The only issue, she didn’t trust her wings to get her off the ground. Turning to her husband, she asked, “Shiny, can you get me airborn? I need to help Spike.”

“I can try.” Shining took a breath, gripping Cadance around the waist. “Here we go...” Summoning the last of his reserves, he managed to lift her over his head. “Caddy, no matter what happens... I love you.” Drawing his arms back, he took one step forward and threw her as hard as he could.

Once she cleared the balcony, Cadance spread her wings out to glide and corrected her course to intercept Spike’s fall. A small smile tugged at her lips, Shining’s words sticking with her. “Shiny, you dork; everything’s gonna be fine,” she said under her breath.

Catching Spike nearly knocked her out of the sky, but her wings held long enough for her to reach the ground. “Thank you, Spike,” she praised, taking the heart from him. Lighting her horn, she levitated it into place.

Noticing the commotion, some of the citizens left their safe havens to gaze at the heart in awe. Their eyes seemed to flash, recognition dawning on them.

“The Crystal Heart, the Crystal Princess, they’ve returned,” the librarian said, her voice full of reverence.

Straightening herself, Cadance flared her wings out. “The Crystal heart has returned!” Her eyes narrowed, registering Sombra charging towards the heart. “Use the light and love within you to ensure that King Sombra does not!”

More and more of the crystal ponies left their homes, each of them closing their eyes and starting to glow. The glow slipped down from their bodies, pooling at their hooves, giving the street a green glow. Before long, the entire city was glowing, the heart becoming the epicenter of the pooling energy.

Drawing in the positive energy, the heart paused its spinning, only to unleash its built up power in a burst of light. A sudden idea striking him, Spike held his pink medals into the alcove that contained the heart. The light emitted intensified before taking on a rainbow hue.

Sombra skidded to a halt as the wave hit him, a surge of agony rushing through him. Wisps of shadow poured off the G-1 armor, its eyes returning to their original red. Sombra’s torso pulled itself from Spear’s back, trying to shield himself. It was a futile gesture, the wave continued to bore into him and caused his shadowy form to glow. The light around him intensified, obscuring him from view. Moments passed for what seemed like an eternity and Sombra’s shouts started to shift in pitch, becoming higher.

“W-what's happening to him?” Spike took a few steps closer, trying not to think of what mixing the heart and medals might have done.

As if to answer him, the light around Sombra receded, revealing a diminutive form. A young unicorn stood in the dictator’s place, looking lost and very much afraid.

“Okay, wasn’t expecting that,” Wyatt said, hobbling closer to the unicorn and undoing his transformation. “But uh, the day is still saved.” Realizing the child didn’t have any clothes, Wyatt slipped his shirt off and draped it over him. “There you go, little guy,” he said softly, patting the colt’s head. “That should protect you from the cold for now.”

The colt flinched back from Wyatt’s touch, staring up at him with frightened eyes.

“There’s no need to be scared,” Wyatt assured him, holding his hands up to show he wouldn’t touch him. “I’m one of the good guys.”

“Good guy?” the colt asked, his voice quiet and small. He was a far cry from the screaming psychopath he had been minutes before.

Flashing the colt a smile, Wyatt nodded. “That’s right. I save people from monsters and nasty things. I’m Wyatt.” Holding his hand out, he knelt to the colts level. “Can you tell me your name?”

Looking down, the colt paused to think for a moment. “It’s Sombra,” he finally answered, looking up at Wyatt.

“Nice to meet you, Sombra. Do you want to stick with me? I can keep you safe.”

Nodding, Sombra hesitantly took Wyatt’s hand with one of his.

Rising back to his feet, Wyatt made his way through the now very crystalline crowd. Hell, even Spike and Cadance appeared to be made out of crystal. Blinking, Wyatt raised his free hand, finally noting the changes wrought on his own body. His body was living crystal that matched his skin tone, leaving him slightly transparent.

“Huh, that’s really weird. I sorta feel like Wizard Infinity right now,” Wyatt said to himself. Drawing himself away from his inspection, he waved at Spike and Cadance. “Hey guys, I found a friend. His name is Sombra.”

The pair stared at the colt in silence, gaping. “So,” Cadance started, breaking the silence. “This is the effect the heart had?”

Spike ran a hand over his spines. “Well...I might have added medals in too...”

“Which ones?” Cadance questioned, looking between Spike and Sombra.

“...The pink ones.” Spike held his hand out, displaying the pony medals.

Putting her cheek in her hand, Cadance shook her head. “We can figure out how this happened later. For now, we should get this little guy some clothes that fit.”

Sombra hid behind Wyatt’s legs, appearing to be more than a little shy.

Kneeling down, Wyatt stroked Sombra’s mane. “Don’t be scared, we’re all friends here,” he cooed, flashing the colt an encouraging smile. “No one’s gonna hurt you, okay?”

Sombra slowly nodded, poking his head out from behind Wyatt. “Um, hi,” he said softly, looking up at Cadance. “I-I’m Sombra...”

“Nice to meet you,” Cadance started, smiling, “I’m Princess Cadance.”

Sombra gave a small smile in return, though he retreated behind Wyatt again as Twilight burst into existence.

“Wyatt!” Twilight cried, crashing into him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug that aggravated his various sore spots. “I’m so glad you’re safe!”

Wyatt wheezed, rubbing her back. “Good to see you too, but uh, you’ve scared Sombra.”

Twilight pulled away so that she was at arm’s length. “Wha-?” she started, her gaze drifting to the cowering unicorn colt clinging to Wyatt’s legs for dear life. “Was not expecting it to reverse his age,” she said to herself, her eye twitching erratically. “Celestia is going to want to hear about this.”

“Let’s worry about that later.” Leaning in, Wyatt stole a kiss. “We have a little guy that needs clothes, not to mention we need to make sure Spear’s alright.” Reaching down, he scooped Sombra up. “To the tailors!”

Squeaking in surprise, Sombra held on tightly to Wyatt as he carried him through the crowded streets.

Attack of the Clones Pt. I

The celebration in the Crystal Empire had lasted for several days, parts of which Twilight couldn’t remember. She had drank more than she had ever before, much to her regret. Spike and Cadance had been hailed as heroes and there was even talks of a statue being made in the drake’s honor.

In the time of the celebration, Sombra had been bought a few outfits and had taken part in the festivities. For most of it he had clung to Wyatt or Twilight’s legs, though Pinkie had helped him open up once or twice through games.

Even now, on the walk through Canterlot, Sombra stuck close to Twilight’s side. Holding onto her hand, he tried to make himself as small as possible.

“Do you like the city, buddy?” Wyatt asked, putting a hand on top of the colt’s head. “When we’re done at the castle, Twilight can take us to some places for treats.”

“It’s too loud...” Sombra replied, looking up at him.

“Aww, not a fan of loud noises huh?” Wyatt asked. An idea suddenly struck him and he scooped the colt up to put him on his shoulders. “There you go, now you’ve got both hands free to cover your ears.” A smile spread across his lips as Sombra took his advice.

Twilight couldn’t help but smile as well, watching the colt take in the city with more enthusiasm than before. ‘Hard to believe he used to be a tyrant,’ she thought idly, the castle gates approaching them. ‘And Wyatt is surprisingly good with a foal.’

“You’re so tall, Papa,” Sombra commented, putting his hands on Wyatt’s head. Wyatt’s near sudden stop was lost on him, his curiosity overcoming his timidness.

‘Oh god, my heart,’ Wyatt thought, fighting the urge to clutch his chest. ‘How can a former tyrant be so cute?’ Realizing he had been silent for too long, Wyatt finally said, “Well Sombra, I grew up big and strong because I drank my milk and ate my veggies.” He tilted his head up and smiled at Sombra. “You can be just like me if you do that!” Punctuating this, Wyatt flexed his arms.

Sombra giggled at Wyatt’s antics, pulling Wyatt’s head to his chest for a hug. “You’re silly, Papa! Momma,” he turned his head to Twilight, “do veggies and milk really make you tall?” A frown pulled on his smile, noting Twilight had frozen in place. “Momma?”

‘Ahhhhh!’ Twilight screamed internally, her mane frizzing in a couple places. ‘He considers me his mother! Am I ready for that?! Wyatt and I aren’t even married yet! Oh Faust, what if this weirds him out and he leaves me!?’ Looking over to Wyatt, her worries were assuaged slightly by seeing him smiling at her and taking her hand for a reassuring squeeze.

“Twi, Sombra asked you a question,” Wyatt reminded her, giving her hand another squeeze. “You can’t leave him hanging, can ya?”

Managing a soft smile, Twilight looked up at the colt. “Yes, Sombra, veggies and milk will help you become big and strong.” Smoothing her mane out, she did her best to control her nerves. “Are you excited about meeting the princess?”

Sombra’s smile waned a bit and he held onto Wyatt a bit tighter. “Um, is she nice?” he asked timidly. “Caddy was nice...”

“She’s very nice,” Twilight assured, reaching up to tousle his mane. “She’s my teacher and somepony I look up to more than anypony else.” Letting her hand rest on his cheek, she added, “I’m sure she’ll like you.”

“Okay, Momma, if you say so,” the colt replied, leaning into her touch.

The group was quiet after that and passed through the gates of the castle without issue. They were given an escort of two guards and were told that Celestia was waiting for them in one of the sitting rooms. They found the princess with a pot of tea at the ready and Wyatt couldn’t help but idly wonder if she ever drank anything else.

Light streamed in from the wall of windows and danced off the paint. The furniture and carpet were both purple, matching the color of the towers outside. At the center of the couches was a rectangular table with a glass top with a tray where the teapot, cups, and an arrangement of snacks sat.

“It’s so good to see you all,” Celestia greeted, looking between the group. “I was confident that your mission in the Crystal Empire would be a success. Please,” she waved a hand to the couch across from her, “take a seat and help yourselves to some refreshments.”

“Thank you, Princess.” Wyatt sat down, placing Sombra on his lap. “It’s always a pretty long walk from the station to the castle.”

“Forgive me,” Celestia started, chuckling and picking up a scone. “But Canterlot was made far before the invention of trains. The edge of the city was the only good place to put it without disturbing other landmarks and streets.”

“It wasn’t a problem,” Twilight quickly assured, taking a seat next to Wyatt. She lit her horn up, levitating all of her notes and utensils out of her bag. “I’m ready to give my report, Princess!”

“As prepared as always,” Celestia noted, taking a bite of her treat and picking up one of the notes. Peering over the page she added, “Even after partaking in a little too much merriment.”

Blushing, Twilight picked up one of the pages of notes in an attempt to recover. “Yes, well before the celebrating we had to deal with some of Dai-Shocker’s forces. They interrupted the Crystal Faire I had set up in an attempt to power up the Crystal Heart.”

“One too many starfish if you ask me...” Wyatt muttered, petting Sombra’s head.

Twilight offered him a sympathetic look for a moment and rested her hand on his knee. “Yes, one of the monsters was an odd starfish hybrid while the other went by the name, Ambassador Hell…” She continued to recount their mission in the Crystal Empire, sparing no detail save the little heart to heart she had with Spike. That seemed like too private a thing for a report.

“I found Sombra not long after that,” Wyatt added, smiling down at the colt in question who was burying his head in Wyatt’s chest and only daring to peek an eye out at the solar princess. “Little guy was lost and I decided to look after him. He’s a little shy though.”

“Might have something to do with me mixing my pink medals with the magic of the Crystal Heart,” Spike noted, rubbing his neck. “It uh, seemed like a good idea.” He glanced over to Sombra and a small smile found its way to his face. “But I can think of way worse things than this.”

“He calls me papa,” Wyatt added, rubbing Sombra’s back. “Isn’t that right, buddy?”

“Mhmm,” Sombra replied, pulling away from Wyatt a bit to look up at him. “What else would I call you?”

“Not a thing,” Wyatt replied, poking Sombra’s nose.

Celestia smiled, an idea popping into her head. Putting her teacup up to her mouth to conceal her mischievous smile she said, “Given your performance, I think it’s safe to say you passed your test, Twilight.” Before Twilight could respond she continued, “However, given the state of Sombra I think it’s best that he stays in your care. I will help you file the necessary paperwork to make you his legal guardian.”

“What!?” Twilight shrieked, jumping out of her seat. “You want me to what!?!”

“He already considers you and Wyatt his parents, don’t you think he’ll respond best to your care?” Celestia questioned in return, settling her gaze on the colt. “He seems quite attached to the two of you already.”

“Yeah, does seem too cruel for my tastes to put him up for adoption when we’re just starting to get him to open up,” Wyatt noted, patting Sombra’s head. “Might need to grow an addition to the treehouse to give him a room though.”

“Momma?” Sombra asked, looking up at Twilight with an unsure expression.

Staring back at the colt, Twilight couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt at her outburst. She returned to her seat, pulled Sombra into her lap and gave him a quick hug. “Sorry if I scared you, Sombra. I was just surprised that Princess Celestia would go so far for us, that’s all.”

Sombra nodded, nuzzling her chest. “It’s okay, Momma, I’m not mad.”

Twilight couldn’t help but smile at his answer and gave the top of his head a kiss. “You’re such a good foal. Stay that way, okay?” Her smile grew a little warmer and she added, “For momma?”

“Okay,” Sombra replied, letting his head rest on Twilight’s stomach. “I’ll be good like you and Papa.” He closed his eyes, a small smile on his muzzle.

“Well, I think I should go get started on getting the papers ready,” Celestia said, snapping Twilight’s attention away from Sombra. “It’s been wonderful seeing you four safe and sound, but I’m sure you wish to go home.” Her eyes lit up in realization as finished her tea. “Oh, and I will see about Wyatt’s suggestion of adding a room to Golden Oaks. I know someone who can manage something like that who owes me a favor.”

“Who did you have in mind?” Twilight asked, running her fingers through Sombra’s mane.

“King Aspen,” Celestia replied, setting her cup down. “One of his subjects could surely shape your treehouse a new room. Though it would take a bit of time so you’d need temporary lodging for a night or two.”

“King Aspen?” Wyatt questioned. “Never heard of the guy.” Chuckling, he rubbed the back of his head. “Then again, haven’t done much as far as world Geography is concerned.”

“Aspen is the leader of the deer,” Celestia explained, rising out of her seat. “He and his people live deep in the Everfree forest; in a city known as Thicket. They’re very nature oriented, rejecting most progress other races have made.”

“Huh, we had something like that back in the country I lived in,” Wyatt noted, standing up. “They were called the Amish and they rejected a lot of modern technology for religious reasons. Never seen one myself, they didn’t live in my area.”

“That’s fascinating,” Twilight replied, standing up and putting Sombra on his hooves. “And thank you, Princess, I can’t wait to see the work done on the library.” Taking his hand, she added, “Do you think they’d put in a second addition, so Spike can have his own room?”

“I am sure that can be arranged,” Celestia assured, opening the door. “Just be sure to give the worker any ideas for room sizes and shapes you wish. I’ll send King Aspin a message before the day is out.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Princess,” Wyatt said, taking Sombra’s other hand. With a smile, he looked down at the colt. “Sombra, don’t you think you should thank the princess for her help?”

Sombra looked up at the Princess, hugging Wyatt’s leg. “Um...thank you, princess.”

“You’re very welcome,” Celestia replied, offering him a sweet smile. “You have a nice day with your family.” With a flash of her horn, she placed the remaining pastries into a bag. “Here, a reward for being such a good boy.”

Sombra looked into the bag and his mouth started to water. “Thank you, Princess!” he chimed, taking a cookie from the bag and chomping down on it.

“That’s all you get for now.” Twilight reached down, taking the bag from him. “You can have more after dinner, okay?”

“Okay, Momma,” Sombra replied, continuing to eat his cookie while Wyatt led him out of the room. The colt couldn’t keep the smile off his face as the treat slowly disappeared.

“Have a good day, Princess!” Wyatt called over his shoulder. “So...” he smiled, looking back at Twilight. “What do you want to do now that we’re cut loose? See how Spear and Shining are doing?” His smile waned a little. “Maybe...drop in on the ‘rents and show Sombra off?”

Twilight paused, her eyes going wide. “Oh Faust, I can only imagine what they’d think if they heard I have a son.” Turning her eyes to the happy colt, her thoughts started to drift. “Actually… I think they’d just try to spoil him.”

Wyatt took a breath, pushing down his dour thoughts. “I bet they’ll love him! I mean who wouldn’t love a good kid like this!” Reaching down, he scooped Sombra up and put him on his shoulders again.

Giggling his head off, Sombra put his hands on Wyatt’s head. “Thanks, Papa! You’re the best!”

Wyatt couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride rush through him at the praise and gave Sombra’s legs a squeeze. “Gotta be the best for the best son ever,” he replied, tilting his head back to grin at the colt.

“Alright you two.” Twilight locked arms with Wyatt, steering them down the hall. “We can’t dilly dally all day, we have things to do.”

“Fine!” Wyatt and Sombra whined in unison, the pair sharing a smile.

“Geez, soon they’ll both be answering to ‘Wyatt’.” Spike smirked at the interaction. “How about we stop at Donut Joe’s? We can grab a box of donuts and drop by Mom and Dad’s.”

Twilight couldn’t argue with her brother’s plan and steered the group towards the shop as soon as they exited the castle. Her eyes drifted towards Sombra every now and then and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety each time. Motherhood was always something that seemed like a distant worry, but now it was staring her right in the face.

Pinkie grinned as she treaded the path leading deeper into the Everfree Forest. She couldn’t help but giggle at her idea. If her friends were all going to be doing fun things apart from one another, she just needed to find a way to be in two places at once. Lucky for her, Granny had told her about something that could do just that; the Mirror Pool!

Somehow avoiding a manticore’s tail, Pinkie glanced around the path. “Seems like hardly anypony's been here in ages.” Scrunching her muzzle up, she frowned. “I hope I'm remembering the rhymes right from my Nana Pinkie's story. ‘Where the brambles are thickest, there you will find a pond beyond the most twisted of vines!’"

Her frown turned into a look of confusion, hearing her words bouncing back at her. “Who's there!? Are we playing a game?” Her palm met her forehead as realization came to her. “Pinkie Pie, you silly filly, that’s just your echo!”

Closing her eyes, Pinkie broke into a giggle fit as she continued on her way. Her giggling was short lived as the trail gave way to a slope, sending her tumbling downward. “Oof!” Landing in a leap, Pinkie blinked the dirt out of her eyes. “That wasn’t a nice trip at all!” Pulling her face up, she found herself in a rocky alcove. It was hidden from view by a thick canopy of trees at all sides, with only a bit of sunlight poking through. And at the cove’s center was a glittering pool, the water catching what little light there was.

“The Mirror Pool!” Scrambling to the edge, she stared in wonder at its shimmering surface. “I really found it! Thank you, Nana~” She approached the edge of the pool, staring down at the glimmering water. After a moment, she closed her eyes and tried to recall the words used with the pool.

Opening her eyes, she looked down into her reflection. “And into her own reflection she stared, uh, yearning for one whose reflection she shared, and solemnly sweared not to be scared at the prospect of being doubly mared!" She dipped her head below the surface of the water. Pulling her head up, she watched with glee as her reflection reached out of the water. “It worked!” Pinkie cheered, taking in her clone. “This is amazing!”

“Fun!” The newborn Pinkie clone shouted, bouncing up and down.

“Yeah! We’re gonna have lots of fun!” Pinkie agreed, her smile growing. “Come on, I’ll tell you about my friends on the way back to Ponyville!” There was no way Pinkie would ever miss out on having fun with her friends now, no way in Tartarus.

Nearly a week had passed since Wyatt and the girls had returned from the Crystal Empire. Like Celestia had said, a deer had shown up to remodel Golden Oaks. The worker was a young buck if the small horns were anything to go by, though the slender frame nearly threw Wyatt off. What shocked Wyatt was the method the deer used to remodel; nature magic of some kind.

“It’s like watching the elves from Lord of the Rings,” Wyatt muttered, watching as the tree moved under the buck’s command. “I wonder if this is what the deer medal can do...”

“I’m kinda hoping so,” Spike chimed in, not looking away from the deer’s work. “Plant magic is pretty cool. Betcha he can make flowers that shoot poison needles, or pony-eating plants!”

“While I could do those things,” the buck said, continuing his work. “It is highly frowned upon to use our magic to kill. Even in self defense.”

“Good to know.” Wyatt got to his feet, brushing himself off. “We’ll let you get on with your work. Come on, Spike. Flash is expecting us in the gorge.”

Standing up, Spike stretched his arms over his head. “Yeah, best not to keep her waiting.Otherwise we’ll probably get punched in the gut. Are we stopping to get the Pie’s?”

“Of course we’re stopping to get them,” Wyatt told him, leading him towards Sugarcube Corner. “They’ve wanted to get in on the training and now’s as good a time as any.”

Since Maud had arrived in town, she had been shacking up with Pinkie Pie. She had more or less co opted Twilight’s lab. Subsequently, Wyatt found more and more of his room taken up in the pursuit of science. On the bright side, he and Maud had gotten to know each other pretty well during the amount of times she had come over. He even swore he was beginning to be able to pick up on actual facial expressions and tone shifts from the mare. On the other hand, she had woken him up early more than once due to her work.

“Think she’ll teach us some awesome moves?” Spike asked, jabbing at the air. “She looks like she knows what she’s doing!”

Wyatt was pulled from his train of thought and turned to the drake. “I hope so, a man can only get by on fundamentals for so long. Getting Pinkie into shape is going to drive Flash up the wall.”

Snickering, Spike replied, “Oh, I can see it now. Flash is going to be shouting at her to lay off the cupcakes and start doing crunches.” Scratching his cheek and looking up in thought he added, “Can’t even imagine what Pinkie would look like without that bit of pudge on her.”

“Into the pudge huh?” Wyatt grinned, elbowing Spike gently. “Nothing wrong with that.”

Spike blushed, returning his gaze to the street in front of him. “I mean, Pinkie is really cute, but it sort of feels wrong to think of her like that. Sorta like she’s too innocent, ya know?”

“That’s just want she wants you to think.” Wyatt wagged his finger. “It’s always the nice ones.”

Spike tilted his head at the man. “Uh, what do you mean? It’s always the nice ones that what?”

Wyatt shook his head. “Oh no, that’s something for you and Twilight to talk about. And if she won’t, then go ask your dad.”

Spike groaned and rubbed the back of his head. “I doubt Twi would tell me anything even if she knew. Fine, I’ll ask my dad the next time I visit him.” Taking some coins out of his pocket, he tossed them into the air. “Maybe I should ask Grandpa too?”

“That’s the spirit!” Wyatt replied, grinning and giving the drake a thumbs up. “I bet he’d teach you how to woo a lady in the traditional dragon way while he’s at it.”

Spike tried to picture what that would entail. All that really came to mind was a display of bravado and fire. “I don’t think dragon pick up lines would translate well to ponies, Wyatt.”

Wyatt chuckled, his grin turning impish. “Well, you could always try my method; nearly turn evil and have someone confess their love for you to pull you out of it. That was pretty effective.”

“That sounds like fun!” The two let out a pair of yelps, turning to see Pinkie grinning at them. “Can we do that?! I really like fun~”

“Uhh, Pinkie, are you feeling okay?” Wyatt quirked a brow at the pink mare. Sure, normally she was energetic, but the mare in front of him was less peppy and more ADD squirrel that had drank a Red Bull mixed with crack. “You look like you’re tweaking.”

“What’s tweaking?” Pinkie replied, bouncing in place while she whipped her head around. “Is it fun?!”

Wyatt shared a look with Spike, frowning. “Pinkie, how about we go see Maud, okay? I think that would be a lot of fun.” He took the mare’s hand, starting to walk towards Sugarcube Corner.

Pinkie let out a cheer, skipping happily while swinging her arm. Wyatt glanced back at the mare, gears turning in his head. The mare he was leading seemed like a shallow shell of the Pinkie he had come to call a friend. Was this a Dai-Shocker plot? Wyatt wracked his brain, trying to think of what kind of monster would cause something like this.

The only thing he could think of was a Power Rangers monsters that could create copies of things… including an evil white ranger. That couldn’t be it, Dai-Shocker had never used something from anything but Kamen Rider. Then again, the original Dai-Shocker wasn’t led by an anthropomorphic pony. A frown found its way to his face, suddenly fearing evil Rangers in his future courtesy of his Decade branded bad luck.

Wyatt’s pondering made the trip to Sugarcube Corner go by in a blur. Once they reached the building, Pinkie nearly wrenched Wyatt’s arm from his socket as she zipped towards the door. He stumbled along, barely able to keep up with her.

Bursting through the door, Pinkie called out. “Hey Maud! Are you home?!”

“Pinkie?” Mrs. Cake asked, frowning at the hyper mare. “I thought you were taking the day off?”

“I am?” Pinkie replied, tilting her head in confusion. This lasted all of a second before her cheerful demeanor returned. “Right, I’m just looking for Maud so we can have some fun!”

“She should be upstairs,” Mrs. Cake replied, her frown morphing into a look of concern. “Are you sure you’re alright, Pinkie Pie? You aren’t feeling sick, are you?”

“Never better?!” Pinkie replied, dashing upstairs. Once she reached the door to her room she knocked rapidly. “Maud, are you in here?!”

“Come in,” came Maud’s voice from inside.

“Hiya Maud!” Pinkie cheered, not even waiting for the door to fully open before speaking. “Wanna go have some fun?!”

Maud paused, having been in a fighting pose. She stared at Pinkie before closing the distance and punching through Pinkie’s gut. Pinkie spasmed before exploding into pink dust.

Wyatt stepped into the doorway just in time to see Maud punch the other mare into a cloud of dust. He stared slack jawed for a moment before collecting himself. “Okay, knew something was up with Pinkie, but was not expecting her to poof away like that.” Tearing himself away from the slowly forming pile of Pinkie Dust, he weakly smiled at Maud. “Figured you’d know better than anybody if we were dealing with an imposter.”

Maud brushed herself off, looking down at the pile. “My Maud sense told me something was wrong. I know my sister like the back of my hand.” Stepping over the pile, she moved past Wyatt. “We need to find her, she might have found the Mirror Pool.”

“Have I ever told you how cool the family super powers you Pies have are?” Wyatt inquired, following her out into the street leaving Spike looking confused behind them. “Also, what’s the Mirror Pool?”

“It’s an old mare's tale,” Maud explained, glancing up and down the street. “It can duplicate any pony that stands in front of it. Our grandmother used to tell us stories about it. Pinkie must have found it.”

“So that wasn’t the real Pinkie?” Spike questioned, seeming to come to a realization. “Um, did the stories say someone could only make one copy?”

“The story didn’t give a limit.” Maud stopped in her tracks, watching ‘Pinkie’ bounce around Lyra and Bon Bon. Another Pinkie burst out of a trash can, scaring a few foals. “We need to find the real Pinkie.”

“Maybe we should split up?” Wyatt suggested, looking between the two. “We should each get some of the others and search the town. We can meet up in an hour no matter what we find. Don’t poof the copies you come across. That’d just make a scene and delay finding the Pinkie that isn’t a fun zombie.”

“Right.” Spike nodded, slipping his belt on. “I’ll go to the school and get Twilight. She has to know a spell that’ll help or something, right?” Twilight had to know a spell, some kind of... anti-clone magic or something.

“Yeah, good thinking,” Wyatt agreed, summoning his own driver. “I’ll grab Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Eyes in the sky will help too.”

“I’ll ask Applejack for help,” Maud noted, striding down the street towards the farm. “The two of us can check the pool to make sure no more clones get made. If you find Pinkie, keep her in one place.”

Wyatt and Spike quickly agreed and the three ran off in different directions. Wyatt found a secluded spot and changed into his Cassie form to take to the sky. With a bird's eye view, he could see just how crazy things had gotten. Dozens of Pinkie clones swarmed over the town, like a pink plague of locusts.

“Talk about too much pink energy,” Wyatt muttered under his breath, looking away from the insane scene. He flew up higher, landing on the edge of Dash’s cloud home. “Dash, you in there?!” he called out, keeping his wings out. The last thing he needed was to go skydiving by accident.

Seconds passed before Dash poked her head out of a second story window and yawned. “Wyatt? What are you doing here all armored up?”

“What if I told you that Pinkie found a magic puddle that let her make clones of herself and said clones are running rampant?” Wyatt asked in return, adjusting his stance and crossing his arms over his chest.

“...She started a Pinkiepocolypse?!” Dash bolted into the air, peering down at Ponyville. “I knew she was a bit out of it, but I didn’t think she’d end the world! Whaddya need me to do?”

“We’re grabbing Fluttershy and searching the town from the air to find the real Pinkie,” Wyatt answered, flying up to her. “She’ll be the one capable of an emotion beyond ‘fun’.” Beating his wings, Wyatt dove back towards town; hoping Pinkie clones were the worst they’d have to deal with.

Once Wyatt managed to grab Fluttershy, the aerial trio spread out and took stock of the town. There didn’t seem to be an end to the clones; more and more of them appearing from random locations. Despite scouring every inch of the town, Wyatt couldn’t find any trace of the real Pinkie. Cursing under his breath, he took a pass by the town’s clocktower to see the hour deadline was quickly approaching. Looking back down at the streets, he couldn’t help but imagine a zombie movie once again.

“This isn’t going anywhere.” Wyatt groaned, watching as a few Pinkies bounced a market stall to pieces. “They’re gonna break the damn town!”

Maud walked down the trail of the Everfree with Applejack in tow. The grey mare was reeling from what Pinkie had done. Seeking out an object from their grandmother’s stories was reckless at best. She could only hope that the others could find the real Pinkie quickly.

Applejack stepped over a fallen tree, catching up with Maud’s purposeful strides. “Ya sure she’s still out here?”

“Even if she isn’t, one or more of the clones must be creating the horde that’s showing up in town. If we put a stop to that, then we make it easier to find the real Pinkie,” Maud reasoned, looking down at the ground for any signs of Pinkie’s tracks. “And we can prevent others from abusing it too.”

“Ah’ve been livin’ in Ponyville all my life, Ah ain’t ever heard of no Mirror Pool.” Applejack wracked her brain, trying to recall if Granny had ever referenced such a thing. Nothing came to her, making her frown deepen.

“You also didn’t believe the Elements of Harmony were real despite being a stone’s throw away,” Maud retorted, leaning down toward the ground when she saw something that looked suspiciously like a hoofprint. “Granny Pie was full of stories from all over Equestria.”

“Ah suppose that’s true...” Applejack came to a stop, watching Maud with no small curiosity. “Ah’m tellin’ ya, we shoulda brought Winona. She’d have found Pinkie’s trail faster than a boar findin’ truffles.”

“I didn’t want to put your pet at risk in this forest,” Maud answered, tracing the hoofprint with a finger. “Besides, with all the clones that would throw off her tracking.” standing back up, she pointed into the treeline. “Pinkie went this way.”

“That is a good point.” Applejack moved after Maud, eyes scanning the ground. “Ah had no idea ya’ll was so good at trackin’. That somethin’ all the Pie’s do?”

“Most of us,” Maud replied, pulling back a low hanging branch and heading into the brush. “Pinkie never took it all too seriously, but most of the tracking we know involves spotting disturbances in soil. Lucky for us, Pinkie’s heavyhooved so she makes tracks in this hard dirt.”

“Good fer us then.” Applejack went quiet not wanting to disturb Maud’s concentration. The tracks became much more numerous, very much so in fact. Most of them led out of the forest, but there were one or two sets that pulled them deeper into the dark forest.

A loud rustling around them broke Maud’s attention. Had one of the nastier denizens of the Everfree managed to sneak up on them? “Applejack, be ready to run.”

“Yeah, Ah hear it,” Applejack replied, bending her knees slightly as she watched the rustling. “Whatever’s makin’ that noise sounds big. Might be a Timberwolf pack.”

The two continued to listen to the rustling, checking to see if it would pass. As soon as it came, the rustling stopped. Before the two could relax, a Pinkie clone burst out from the brush. Unlike the other clones, this one had insectile growths across its body. It’s chest and arms were covered in corrupted OOO armor, its hands replaced with wicked green scythes.

“That’s not a Timberwolf,” Maud observed, watching the Pinkie clone let out mangled cries of ‘Fun’. “Run.”

Applejack didn’t need to be told twice, the pair tearing away back towards the trail while the corrupted clone slashed the spot where they had just been standing. The two stopped for nothing, knowing the clone was behind them from its mantra of ‘Fun’.

“Can’t ya rider up, or whatever it is ya’ll do!?” Applejack asked, ducking under a branch. “Take out that monster Pinkie!”

“Pinkie went out today without any of her Gaia Memories,” Maud explained, pulling a tree branch down and letting it fly back at the clone in an attempt to slow it down. “That means I can’t transform until we find her.” The clone slashed at the tree branch as it came to her face, causing a clean cut to appear and the two pieces of the branch to harmlessly sail past the corrupted mare.

Pinkie whimpered, staring in horror as her many copies mutated. Her ears pinned to her head, trying to block out the deranged cries of fun. “I-I didn’t want this...” Her words slipped out unheard, overwhelmed by all the commotion. Blending in with the cries of the clones were the shrieks of horror from the townsponies. Pinkie watched from her hiding spot as ponies scrambled to get to some sort of safe haven from the monstrous horde.

“I’m such an idiot!” Pinkie hugged her legs, her mane deflating. “I just wanted to spend time with my friends!”

“Fun!” a clone cried, ripping off the lid of the box that Pinkie was hiding in. It raised one of its arms, showing off the wicked blade on it to the trembling mare. “Fun!” Closing her eyes, Pinkie awaited the inevitable as the clone brought its arm down at her head. A part of her couldn’t help but think she had earned it.

“You truly are pathetic, you know that?”

Pinkie cracked an eye open, the clone of her gone and in its place was something almost as strange. It was another her, this one with her fur paler and her mane hanging limp down her back.

The other Pinkie pulled her out of the box, tossing her into the dirt. “Look at you, sniveling little wretch. Gonna cry your eyes out, Pinkie Pie? Cry for your friends? You sicken me.”

“What are you doing here?” Pinkie questioned, propping her upper half onto her elbows. “Are you with those meanies in Dai-Shocker?”

The other Pinkie sneered, pressing Pinkie’s head into the ground with a hoof. “I’m the part of you you squirrel away. That part that’s always reminding you of what a failure you are. You should have just stayed on the farm, can’t get anyone killed there, can you?”

Pinkie squeaked, dirt entering her mouth and coating her tongue in an awful taste. Spitting it out, she turned her head to look at the other mare. “I don’t need you to tell me when I’ve messed up.”

“Messed up?” the other Pinkie scoffed, putting a hand on her hip. “You really think your precious friends are gonna want you back after this? They’ll take one look at this and realize just how worthless you are; something the both of us already know.”

Pinkie balled her fists, scraping dirt into her hands. She managed to glare up at her doppelganger and shot back, “No! You’re wrong! My friends won’t abandon me! I might’ve failed today, but they’ll stay at my side!”

The other Pinkie leaned down, locking eyes with Pinkie. “You really think that? You’re a waste of skin, Pinkie Pie. You were worthless before you left the farm and your worthless now. Lie to me all you want, you know I’m telling the truth.”

“I’m not lying,” Pinkie said firmly, her look hardening further. “You’re just trying to get me to give up, but I won’t listen! None of my friends would give up after something like this!”

The Other Pinkie dug her hoof in, drawing a knife from her pocket. “You fucking simpleton,” she began, her eye widening, voice dripping in hate. “You still think the world is laughing with you. Guess what? It’s just laughing at you!” Drawing her arm back, she plunged the blade at Pinkie’s stomach.

Just as the blade dug into Pinkie’s shirt, a grey blur slammed into the other Pinkie and grabbed the knife. After a moment of losing the other Pinkie in a tangle of limbs, Maud wound up on top with the knife pointed at the doppelganger’s throat.

“Don’t insult my sister.” Maud held back a frown, concern rising through her. This ‘clone’ wasn’t like the others; they were mindless husks. This one was still a husk, her hollow gaze possessing an undercurrent of malice. It unnerved her on a fundamental level.

“Ooh, haven’t seen you look that angry in a long time, Maud,” the other Pinkie said, a wicked grin slowly growing on her face. “Not even when you realized I sunk a knife in your gut. That look of betrayal.” She shuddered as something akin to ecstacy ran up her spine. “It was divine~”

“You’re from Dai-Shocker,” Maud stated, not moving the knife an inch. “Why are you here? Just to try to kill one of our riders?”

“What reason do I need besides ridding the world of a mistake like her?” The doppelganger leaned up, spitting in Maud’s eye. “Just admit it, the only reason you keep her around is to work that fancy system of yours.”

“I love my sister,” Maud replied, not flinching from the spit as it dripped off her muzzle. “She’s more to me than a way to become W. I pity you if your version of me made you feel this way.”

The other Pinkie reached up, gripping Maud’s forearm. “I loved her enough to make it quick, just like little Marble. I made sure she didn’t suffer. Limestone on the other hand? I made that bitch scream.”

“You monster!” Pinkie cried, pulling herself to her feet. “Limestone might be cranky, but she’s still my sister! I’d never hurt a hair on her head!”

Wrenching Maud’s arm to the side, the other Pinkie slammed her head into Maud’s. “That’s because you’re under the delusion that they love you!” Snatching her knife back, she rose back to her hooves. “Don’t worry, I promise to make it quick.”

With a groan, Maud reached into her bag and pulled out the pair of drivers. Tossing one to Pinkie as well as a couple Gaia Memories, she put hers on her waist. “You’re the delusional one,” she stated firmly, slowly rising to her hooves. “A sad, paranoid mare who thinks that nopony could really like her.”

“Maybe I am,” the other Pinkie admitted, slapping an unfinished driver against her waist. “It doesn’t matter when I’m the stronger one.” Out of her pocket, she produced a pale white memory, emblazoned with an E.

Maud’s eyes widened in recognition of the Memory, her thoughts snapping to her research. “No, there’s no way you have that. I’ve never gotten that past the research phase.”

“You didn’t.” Slotting the memory into her driver, she activated it with a manic grin.

“Eternal!”

A projection of an “E” grew from the driver, obscuring the other Pinkie from view. A light flashed and white armor formed around the mare. The Rider form consisted of a plain white suit. Her gloves were a rich red and went up to her elbows. The most striking feature was the helmet; which featured flat yellow eyes that regarded everything coldly, a tri-pointed crown that extended up past the helmet and a red jewel resting at the midpoint of the crown.

Maud let her eyes rove over the suit, taking it in. She felt a bit of relief, her research had indicated more for the Eternal Memory. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the Joker Memory and slotted it into her belt. “Pinkie, are you ready?”

Pinkie’s response was to grab her Cyclone Memory, press the button on it and slap it into her driver. “Yeah, let’s teach her a lesson.” Her body crumpled to the ground as Maud transformed into W.

The doppelganger cracked her neck, watching Maud’s movements. “I’ve been waiting for this for ages. I’ll have so much fun testing out those memories of yours. I suppose I should be fair, I can’t share my name with that urchin, so just call me Pinkamena.”

“You’re not going to be testing anything,” Maud replied, getting into a fighting stance. “And nobody calls my baby sister an urchin.”

“But Maud, I am your sister,” Pinkamena countered, touching a hand to her chest. “Or does family really mean nothing to you?”

“You gave up on family the instant you murdered your versions of my sisters and me,” Maud retorted, circling Pinkamena in search of an opening. Spotting one, she darted forward; swinging her leg at Pinkamena’s shin.

Pinkamena was prepared for this, hoping back to avoid the kick. Before Maud could retract her leg, her arm shot out and grabbed Maud’s ankle in a vice grip. “Not quick enough, ey Maudalina?” Pulling Maud off her hooves, she delivered a stomp to her chest.

Grunting, Maud could feel the air leave her lungs. Mustering up her strength, she grabbed the hoof on her chest and pulled the evil rider down to the ground. “I’m fast enough.” Rolling over, Maud slammed her fist into Pinkamena’s helmet.

Pinkamena pulled her knees to her chest and kicked Maud off of her, sending her flying into a wall. “You call that a punch?” Pinkamena taunted, standing back up. “It tickled.” Her trash talk was interrupted by a Pinkie clone drop kicking her in the back.

“Fun!” It cried, possessing corrupted Batta legs.

“Ugh, how obnoxious,” Pinkamena groaned, rising up from her knees. “These things are such an eyesore.” In a flash, Pinkamena let loose a flurry of punches into the clone’s head, chest and stomach. Her assault finished with her knife digging into the clone’s skull. The clone shrieked in pain before disappearing in a cloud of dust.

Maud pulled herself out of the wall, shaking her head. “Alright, Pinkie. I think we should use a new pair of memories.” Closing her driver, she removed their current memories and plugged in a new pair.

“Rock”
“Venom”

Maud’s half of the armor turned brown, while Pinkie’s half turned purple. Raising her fist, Maud showed off the knuckle duster like device that had attached to her left hand.

“This might be more what you’re looking for.” Maud rushed Pinkamena, crouching low and throwing her entire body into an uppercut using her left arm. Catching Pinkamena off guard, Maud dug her knuckle duster into the opposing rider’s face.

Pinkamena’s head snapped back and she had to fight to keep herself upright. Capitalizing on her newfound advantage, Maud followed up with a high kick to the other rider’s stomach. Recovering quickly, Pinkamena caught Maud across the chest with her knife.

“It doesn’t matter what memories you got, Maudalina, I am Eternal!” Pinkamena slashed wildly, backing Maud into an alley. “And you won’t ever be rid of me!”

“Sounds like a cliche villain line to me,” Maud replied, barely managing to block all the slashes with her knuckle duster. “Or the boasting of an insecure filly in a mare’s body. You need mental help.”

“No!” Pinkamena screamed, her slashes getting more erratic. “No more doctors! They just poke and prod and never help!” Realizing that she had Maud cornered, Pinkamena emitted a rather unhinged giggle. “Let’s just see how tough that armor is~” Pulling her arm back, Pinkamena stabbed her knife at Maud’s heart.

Maud leaned to the right, causing the knife to graze against her side. The armor was able to withstand the blow, but the scraping sound filled the alley. Retaliating with a jab at Pinkamena’s throat, Maud began to push her out of the alley. Maud didn’t let up, punching Pinkamena relentlessly as the nearby street got closer and closer.

“I’ll make sure you see the right doctors.” Hitting Pinkamena square in the chest, Maud sent her flying into an abandoned cart. Growling, Pinkamena quickly pulled herself out of the cart and lunged forward with her knife. Maud redirected Pinkamena’s wrist with her right hand, avoiding being stabbed and pulling the mare towards her to punch her in the face with her left.

“Oooh, you know how to hit just right~” Pinkamena swung her leg, sweeping Maud off her hooves. “I wonder, if I kill you as W, will dear sweet Pinkie Pie become a vegetable?”

“You’re not going to find out,” Maud replied as Pinkamena pinned her.

Pinkamena held her knife at the side of her head, letting it hover before dropping her arm towards Maud’s neck. Maud struggled to free herself, the world around her slowing to a near standstill as the knife inched ever closer. Maud’s eyes locked onto the tip of the knife, noting it was nearly pressed against her throat.

“I’d ask if you have any last words, Maudy, but it’ll probably be about rocks.” Pinkamena giggled, all pretenses of sanity discarded. “Lemme guess, something something rocks, something something dirt. That about right?”

Maud didn’t respond, finally managing to free her legs. In an instant, she pulled them up tight against her chest and heaved the deranged mare off of her, the knife burying itself into the dirt right beside her head. Maud grabbed the knife and tossed it as far from Pinkamena as she could while returning to her hooves.

“Think I need a weapon to kill you?” Pinkamena regained her footing, staring Maud down. “Using one’s hands makes the act of killing so much more...intimate...”

“You need to be able to reach me in order to kill me,” Maud replied, removing the memory from her left side and inserting it into a slot on the back of her left gauntlet.

“Rock! Maximum Drive!” Dark brown energy surrounded the knuckle duster and Maud crouched down in a wide fighting stance as her eyes bore into Pinkamena. In a quick motion, Maud punched the ground at her feet and coated her fist in a dome of dirt and stone.

“Aw, that’s cute.” Closing her driver, Pinkamena removed her memory, placing it into a slot on her belt. “I’m tired of playing super heroes with you two; as I’m sure you are too. How’s about a lullaby?”

“Eternal! Maximum Drive!”

The Eternal memory glowed, the light growing stronger until it unleashed a burst of energy. Maud attempted to execute her own finisher in retaliation, only for her powers to cut out.

Maud stared down at her now armorless body and her mind raced into a panic. Her attention drifted to Pinkamena, who’s form had stopped glowing. Based on her own research into the Eternal memory, she could only guess at what it could actually do. Never once had she considered an ability like that.

Pinkamena giggled, stepping forward. “Is that...fear I see in your eyes, Maudalina? Don’t worry, you might not be my Maud but I’ll still make it quick, promise.” With a burst of speed, she wrapped her fingers around Maud’s neck, lifting her off the ground. “Go on, squirm, make this moment something to remember!”

Maud squeaked, her body going limp as her airflow was cut off. She could only hope that Pinkie had woken up and gotten to safety. Her vision dimmed, realization dawning on her that her last sights were going to be the uncaring eyes on Pinkamena’s helmet.

“Get off my sister!” Pinkie appeared in Maud’s vision, her face contorted in rage. Brandishing Pinkamena’s knife, Pinkie dug it as deep as she could into her dopplegangers back.

“You little bitch!” Pinkamena dropped Maud, reaching back to retch the knife out. In an instant, her aggression faded when her knife and hand came back red. “B-Blood? N-no... I’m not the one who's supposed to bleed! No! No! No!” With a primal scream, Pinkamena shoved past Pinkie, disappearing around a corner.

Helping Maud to her hooves, Pinkie wrapped Maud up in a tight hug. “Thank goodness you’re safe! I was so scared she’d kill you!” Tears flowed freely from Pinkie as she buried her face in her big sister’s neck.

Maud suppressed her own fear, hugging Pinkie as tight as she could. “It’s alright, Pinkie, I’m okay.”

“That other me was nuttier than squirrel poop,” Pinkie commented. “I mean, killing her version of you…” pausing, a shudder ran through her. “...not even when I was at my saddest or angriest at the rock farm would I ever imagine doing something like that.”

“I know you’d never do anything like that.” Touching her head to Pinkie’s, she let out a sigh. “We should find the others, they’re still looking for you.” Pulling away, Maud took Pinkie’s hand and led her carefully away from the horde of clones. “We were supposed to meet at Sugar Cube Corner after an hour.”

The two silently crept the streets of Ponyville, avoiding the horde of Pinkies. Every so often, they checked their Gaia Memories, but found that they were still disabled. Eventually, the bakery came into their line of sight and they could see the girls peering out from one of the windows. The sisters bolted towards the bakery, ignoring the sounds of the clones as they barreled through the door. They fell to their knees and caught their breath while the others crowded around them.

“Y'all look like somethin’ the cat dragged in,” Applejack commented, helping the two up. “What happened out there?”

“One of Dai-Shockers goons attacked us!” Pinkie clutched onto Maud, shrinking in on herself. “But, it was me; a no-good, rotten Pinkie Pie. She said... she said she killed her family...”

“It’s okay,” Wyatt said, putting a hand on Pinkie’s shoulder. “She’s nothing like you. Now.” Wyatt pulled away, looking to the gathered faces. “I think I have an idea what’s caused these clones to turn into bug monsters. I think the Mirror Pool, if that’s what Pinkie used, might be powered by the three green core medals.”

Twilight conjured up a notebook, flipping through a few pages. “That’s the ‘Gattakiriba’ combo,” she explained, going over her notes again. “It has the power to create copies of its user, which seems to max out around thirty.”

“I could’ve told you all that, Purple Smart,” Wyatt teased, poking his marefriend’s cheek. “But, it’s good to see you take notes. Gold star for you.”

“Okay, so if I get those medals, do you think the Pinkie clones would go away?” Spike questioned, looking between Wyatt and Twilight.

Closing her book, Twilight hummed as she ran through the concept. “It’s certainly possible. However, the medals aren’t exactly Equestrian magic. I can only speculate on how they're even powering the Mirror Pool to begin with.”

“The water might be a conductor for them,” Wyatt offered. “You’ve said before that things in the Everfree have strange properties so maybe when someone comes into contact with the pool, their desires are able to reach the medals and influence the user?”

“Hello!” Dash pointed to the window. “Town under attack by Pinkie clones! Do your egghead thing later when ponies aren’t being harassed by bug-monsters!”

Wyatt summoned his driver, attaching it to his waist. “Right.” He turned to Spike. “You take Pinkie and have her lead you to the Mirror Pool, the rest of us will keep the clones at bay in town.”

Spike nodded, donning his own belt. “Can you guys handle fighting off a swarm of corrupted ponies?” Slotting a few medals in, Spike shifted into TaToBa. “Those hand blades look sharp as heck.”

“I’ll be fine,” Wyatt assured, changing into his Decade armor before changing into his Link form. “The Master Sword and Hylian shield should be more than enough for those little scythes.”

After a bit of preparation, the group split up to take on the clone threat. Pinkie had to keep her eyes on Spike’s back as they moved towards the Everfree. If there was one thing Pinkamena was right about, this whole mess was her fault. Setting her jaw, Pinkie swore to make things right.

Attack of the Clones Pt. II

Stepping out into the Pinkie horde, Wyatt paused for a moment to examine the destruction. Luckily, the citizens had managed to find some form of safety as the horde had limited themselves to destroying market stalls and other inanimate objects. Though with the numerous shattered windows, Wyatt knew it was only a matter of time before a body count started.

Charging forward, he brought his shield up and tackled a cluster of clones. “Come on! I got your fun right here!” Striking forward, he cleaved a clone in half, bashing another in the face. The first clone let out a high pitched squeal before turning into dust while the second grunted and fell into another nearby clone. Wyatt’s stomach turned at the shriek; despite the insectile growths the clones still sounded a lot like the real Pinkie.

Bracing himself, a batta clone kicked against his shield, nearly wrenching it from his hands. “Why do we have to be stuck with nonsense like this? Can’t we just fight some putties or combatmen?”

The only response he got was a chorus of, ‘Fun’ from the clones as they swarmed him. Several of them got attacks in on his back, nearly toppling him over if it weren’t for the other clones surrounding him.

“If you girls want to help out, now's the freaking time!” Wyatt forced the crowd back, stabbing another clone in the chest. “I can’t handle them all myself you know!”

“Alright, I’ve got your back, Decade!” Dash called out, taking to the sky and grabbing a few clouds. She forced the clouds together, forming a massive stormcloud and gave it a kick. A moment later, a bolt of lightning crashed down directly onto a kuwagata clone before it could chomp Wyatt’s head off his neck.

Maud dropped down on a kamakiri clone, forcing it to swipe at its kin. After a few moments, she twisted the clone’s neck and moved onto another.

Twilight joined in as well, lighting her horn up and picking up a few of the clones in her magic. Once the clones were suspended high into the air, she cut off the flow of her magic and let them crash back down to the streets. “Still twenty two by my count!”

“Putting a number on it made it worse!” Wyatt shouted back, clashing blades with a kamakiri clone. Pushing it back, he bashed it in the face with his shield. “Don’t give me the numbers, Twilight, just help me get rid of them!”

Rolling her eyes, Twilight lit her horn up again and started firing blasts of magic at any clones that got too close to her friends, aiming for spots she thought looked vulnerable. The clones stumbled from the hit, letting Wyatt take out a couple of them with a single swing of a sword.

A batta clone tackled Dash out of the air, the pair slamming down through a roof. “Fun!” the clone shrieked, beating on the stunned pegasus.

Wyatt pushed away from the group of clones he was fighting and jumped up to the roof where Dash was being assaulted. While the clone was distracted, he ran it through from behind with his sword. “You okay?” he asked, kneeling down next to Dash.

Dash pushed herself up, spitting out some blood. “Yeah, I’m fine. I could have taken it.” Getting to her hooves, Dash looked up through the hole. “I’m so not paying for that though.”

“Hey, I’m a Guardian of Harmony,” Wyatt said, standing back up. “I can have the bill sent right to the crown.” He chuckled to himself as he imagined the royal treasury after paying for cleanup of several monster attacks and leapt out of the hole to resume fighting.

Maud stumbled, an arm blade swiping across her back. Spinning around, she struck the clone with an open palm strike, staggering it. Ignoring the pain, Maud reached into a nearby alley and grabbed a trash can. Before the clone could recover, she shoved the trash can onto its head and swept its legs out from under it. With a quick motion of her foot, Maud rolled the trapped clone down an incline to bowl over a group of clones that were trying to attack Twilight.

“Thanks, Maud!” Twilight shouted, continuing to fire magic into the crowd of clones. Her body locked up, a silent scream of agony passing her lips as green lightning crashed into her side.

“Twilight!” Wyatt called out, hacking and slashing his way through several clones until he could kneel next to the prone mare. There was a hole burnt into her blouse and a patch of bare, singed skin could be seen. “Can you stand on your own?” He asked, fighting the urge to help her up in fear of disturbing her injury.

“I-I’m fine.” With a weak smile, Twilight began to rise up, only to hiss in pain. “Okay... maybe not as fine as I think...”

“Get inside,” Wyatt said, letting her use his shoulder to help her onto her hooves. “You’re seeing the doctor once this mess is over.” Sheathing his sword, Wyatt supported her as he led her back into Sugarcube Corner.

“I-I can still help,” Twilight argued, resisting Wyatt’s lead slightly. “You don’t have to worry about me. Just worry about getting rid of those clones...”

“Oh no you don’t,” Wyatt retorted, setting her down behind the counter in as comfortable position as he could. “I’m the one who recklessly puts themselves in danger in this relationship. You’re supposed to be the smart one.” Booping her nose, he turned and ran out the door before she could reply. Wyatt charged out into the streets, unsheathing his sword and clanging it against his shield. “Hey Pinkies, wanna have some fun?!” This got the attention of the crowd and they instantly turned to him. Pulling out a card he added, “Then come and get me!”

The Pinkie hoard let out a battle cry of the only word they seemed capable of saying anymore and jumped at Wyatt from all sides. “Dear god, I hope this works.” He gripped his sword tightly, getting into a stance as he inserted the card into his belt.

“Attack Ride: Spin Attack!” Wyatt’s Master Sword glowed with energy and he rotated his body in a full circle in an attempt to cleave through the crowd. A few more clones popped as his blade slid through them, coating him in pink residue. Ignoring his nausea, Wyatt brought up his shield as his spin attack ended. Not a moment too soon either, as A Kuwagata clone fired green lightning at him and it slammed into the shield.

“More of them came from the forest,” Maud informed, knocking a Batta clone out of the air. “Pinkie and Spike still haven’t cut off the source.”

“Oh good, I was starting to think there weren’t nearly enough monster Pinkies running around!” Wyatt yelled, his heartbeat echoing in his chest. He knew that he’d collapse soon, he just hoped that his adrenaline could keep him standing up long enough to keep himself and the town safe. Raising his sword up, he clashed with a Kamikiri clone, determined to fight until it was done.

Spike treaded carefully on the forest path, using his improved vision to make sure there wasn’t any out of place movement. Worry gripped him, a small part of him wanting to be back in Ponyville to protect people from the clones. But, he knew Wyatt made a good point; he was the best choice to go after the Core Medals. Plus, he had made a promise to his late mother. Clenching his fists at his side, Spike pressed forward with strengthened vigor.

Movement caught Spike’s eyes near one of the bushes and he unfolded his claws ready to strike. The rustling grew for a moment and he crouched down, only to relax when a rabbit hopped out.

“Right, just the wildlife.” Spike stood back up, letting his nerves relax. “Are we almost there, Pinkie?”

“Yeah, we just gotta get off the trail at this point,” Pinkie replied, sticking close to Spike as she watched the rabbit hop away. “I’ll uh, take the lead, okay?” Snickering at him, she skipped ahead, beckoning him to follow her.

“What’s so funny?” Spike asked, retracting his claws. “You seem more energetic than you did a moment ago.”

“Well, I’m gonna help fix one of my mistakes! Why wouldn’t I be happy about that?”

“Good point,” Spike admitted, watching the forest carefully. “Gotta say, I admire how you can stay so positive even when times are tough.” Following after her, he kept Medajalibur drawn in case any clones were lurking near the pool.

Pinkie pressed forward, doing her best to retrace her steps. Glancing at the trees, she found landmarks to point her in the right direction. After a few minutes, she found the hidden hill that led down to the pool.

“This it?” Spike asked, peering down into the hole. “How’d you even find this place, Pinkie?”

“Granny Pie told my sisters and me about it while we were growing up,” Pinkie explained, walking down the incline. “She knew all sorts of magical spots in Equestria. This is the only place I went looking for!”

“Pinkie, look out!” Spike leapt forward, tackling Pinkie just in time to avoid a bolt of green lightning that had nearly struck her in the chest. Reacting quickly, he rotated his body so that his back scraped against the stony ground. “Stay here!” Leaping to his feet, he brandished Medajalibur.

Once he leapt down, he had to bring his sword up to avoid being cleaved in two by a scythe-like blade. The Pinkie clone he was clashing with was different from the others. Instead of one mutated body part, this one had three, leaving it nearly unrecognizable as Pinkie.

“You know, I was wondering what the green combo looked like.” Lifting his foot, he kicked the clone in the knee, earning a scream from the beast. “...I’m going to have nightmares for a long while, aren’t I?”

“I know I will!” Pinkie chirped, poking her head out from behind a nearby boulder behind Spike. “Ooh, should we all have A No-Sleep-Sleepover when this is over?”

“Not now, Pinkie!” Spike hissed, redirecting a blast of electricity with Medajalibur. He didn’t know if she responded, focusing on the clone. Slashing forward with his sword, Spike stabbed at its chest with the claws on his free hand.

The clone blocked both strikes, electricity gathering at its horns before firing at Spike’s face. He cried in pain, agony coursing from his head down to his toes. Taking advantage of his dazed state, it drop kicked him into a tree.

Spike groaned, wrapping his arms around the tree to keep himself upright. “Okay, that really hurt.” Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself away from the tree and used his Batta legs to jump high into the air with his sword ready to strike. “Now, stay still!”

The clone met Spike in the air, crossing blades with him. Its momentum proved superior, carrying Spike high into the air. “Fun!” it shrieked, kicking him back to the ground.

Spike wheezed, the air escaping his lungs as his back struck the ground. After a moment, he gripped his sword tightly and hopped back to his feet. “I’m really tired of this clone.” Pulling three cell medals out of a chain at his side, he slotted them into Medajalibur and ran his scanner over it.

“Scanning Charge!” Spike’s belt called out, his sword starting to glow. With a swift overhead strike, Spike sent out a wave of energy at the Pinkie clone.

“Lupin Slash!”

Another energy wave crashed into Spike’s cancelling it out. Lupin stepped into view, his gunner trained on Spike. “Good day, drake. I do hope you’ve been well; I know I have, though I do believe we have a score to settle.”

“Do you just live to get in my way?” Spike growled, his attention switching between Lupin and the clone. Pulling out the three pink medals, he donned his UniSaPo armor. “I’m sorta busy.”

Lupin chuckled, making the motion of tipping his hat. “It just so happens that we have the same interests. I can tell you, our Great Leader very much want to have a look at these medals of yours.”

Spike lit the horn on his helmet, crouching into a stance with Medajalibur. “Fat chance of that. You should’ve kept climbing those stairs in the empire.”

The stand off lasted a few moments more, before the clone screamed in rage. It’s body spasmed, splitting off into at least a dozen more clones. They swarmed the pair, flailing about in a blind fury. Firing a bolt of magic into the crowd of clones, Spike took to the air and swept down at Lupin.

Lupin sidestepped the slash, grunting. “Can we not put aside our duel to take care of these pests? Surely, even you can reign in your anger for that, yes?”

“If I had focused on the clones, how could I trust you to not attack me?” Spike retorted, lighting his horn and picking up several of the clones.

Lupin scoffed, gracefully evading a clones wild slashes. “I am a gentlecolt! I would never do something so underhanded.” Responding to the attacking clone, he fired into its chest, staggering it towards Spike. “I give you my word, I will not attack you until we are finished with these annoyances.”

“Right because trusting a thief is a good idea,” Spike chided, flying up towards the tree cover but keeping an eye on Lupin. Taking the clones in his magic, he sent them crashing into several more. While the clones were prone, Spike swooped down on them with his sword. His sword cut through one, only for another to wrench the sword out of his hand with a kick. He clicked his tongue, firing a bolt of magic at the troublesome clone’s chest. A quick glance around didn’t prove fruitful in finding his blade.

“Great, looks like it’s hand to hand for me until I find my sword,” Spike grumbled, taking to the air once more and firing a hail of magic blasts into the horde of clones. The horde cried out, some poofing into clouds of dust while most of them simply reeled from the onslaught.

A few of the clones engaged Lupin, who evaded their blades with graceful moves. “Such uncouth creatures. Hardly worth the effort.” Putting a bullet in one’s eyes, he trapped a few more in film strips.

“If this is so beneath you then you can go back to your world you know!” Spike called out, punching a clone in the chest. “I know I won’t miss you! Maybe you could show your aunt of yours your powers.”

“You’re lucky I’m a stallion of my word or else I would have shot you for that remark,” Lupin retorted, sweeping the legs out from under a clone and punching her into three others. Once all four were in a heap, Lupin shot them and nothing but a pile of dust remained.

“Like you're some paragon of virtue.” Spike broke a clone’s arm, shoving it into one of its siblings. “You’re just a thief working for a dictator!”

“I have my principles, drake,” Lupin said, firing at the pair of clones that Spike had just dealt with. “And what of you? Do you have something you stand for? Or are you just a subservient pet?”

Spike sucked in a breath, biting down the vicious response that rose up his throat. “I’m not going to discuss my motivations with you, Blue Balls. You’re not the kind of person I want to be around.”

Lupin chuckled, nodding at the drake as he focused on the horde. Flourishing his cape, he fired rapidly in a circle. Several clones were blasted back, turning to dust almost instantly and coating the clones behind them. There was finally room to move in the grotto, the horde shaved down considerably.

“We need to cut off their source!” Spike stepped back, sneaking a glance at the pool. “Keep them off me.” Taking out the pegasus medal, he replaced it with the unagi medal. Activating the medal, he cracked his whips, casting them into the depths. Surprisingly, Lupin honored the request and fired at any clone that dared to approach Spike. Putting that thought aside, he extended the whips out far into the pool, searching for the medals at the bottom. “Come on! They have to be in there!”

“You can fish those out anytime now!” Lupin called out, two clones attempting to tackle him. He didn’t falter, throwing the pair off with a display of acrobatics. “Unless of course, you have no idea what you're doing?”

“Shut up, Lupin!” Spike growled, not turning to look back at the other rider. A few moments later, he felt his whip tap against something. “I got ‘em!” With a quick flick of his wrist, he grabbed the objects and started to retract his whips.

“Fun!”

Something rammed into his back, tackling Spike into the pool. Two red , segmented eyes glared down at him, wrapping its hands around his throat. It let out a muffled shriek, filling the water with an electrical current.

Spike gurgled, unable to cry out in pain with the hands around his throat. Despite the pain, he kept pulling the medals up and delivered a headbutt to the clone’s muzzle. The grip on his neck lessened for a moment, allowing him a quick gulp of air still trapped in his helmet before the clone resumed her iron hold and left him unable to form a sound apart from pitiful squeaks.

Getting his legs up, he kicked as hard as he could, cracking the clone’s chest armor. The sudden rush of air as the clone released him disoriented him, making him question which way was up. Pushing through it, he swam in what he thought was the right direction, a small prayer to Faust on his lips. After a few moments, he surfaced, his whips coiling around his hands until he could feel three objects in his palm.

Dragging himself onto the small shore, Spike allowed himself to collapse. Bringing his hand up to his face, he was greeted by the sight of three medals, each a different shade of green. He was already familiar with the grasshopper medal, but the other two showed a stag beetle and a praying mantis.

“New combo... here I come...” Muttering to himself, Spike laid in the sand, listening to the distorted sounds of combat. Lifting his head, he spied Lupin dispatching the last of the clones. “Come on... gotta get up...”

Grunting in effort, Spike attempted to lift himself up, only for his body to feel like it was made of lead and refuse to move past twitching. Seeing this, Lupin sauntered up to the prone drake casually. “Good work, drake, you took care of the hard part for me. Swimming down to get those would’ve been quite the hassle.”

Lupin flipped a switch on his gunner, cancelling his transformation. “I can wait a few moments for you to catch your breath. Please, take all the time you need.” Stepping away, Lupin took a spot against one of the cave walls. He kept his gunner drawn, a reminder of his intentions.

Gritting his teeth, Spike eventually brought himself to his feet and glared at Lupin from behind his helmet. “You’re not getting these medals off of me. You have no right to them. These are my family’s burden to bear, not something for Dai-Shocker to use against innocent people!”

Clicking his tongue, Lupin made a noise of exasperation. “Listen, drake. The strong will do as they please. They don’t care about your little morals or your ‘burden’. They can blow up a planet for all I care. I’m only here for the thrill.”

A deep rumble escaped Spike’s throat, clenching his fists as he switched out his current medals for his new ones. “I can’t stand people like you. You’re even more selfish than the Blueblood of this world.”

“Don’t compare me to that simpleton!” Lupin snapped, pushing away from the wall. “That spineless buffoon begs at Celestia’s hooves, begging for scraps! I’m everything he wishes to be, if only he had the nerve to take it!”

“I don’t see a difference,” Spike retorted, running the scanner over the new combo.

“Kuwagata! Kamiri! Batta! Ga~ta-Gata-Gata-Kiri, Ba! Gatakiriba!"

Spike’s legs changed back to his default while green pincers extended out from his helmet that rested above red eyes. His arms were green as well with scythes extending out from the wrists. After a moment, a crowd of clones spread out from Spike.

“You cozy up to Dai-Shocker so you can avoid being their target.” His voice came out a chorus with all the clones taking a stance.

Lupin ignored the copies, redonning his armor. “The world is far more nuanced than you could ever understand, drake. Why don’t you go back to dictating your big sister’s notes, like a good little boy?”

“I’m not a little boy anymore,” the crowd replied, several of them jumping at Lupin. “I’m a Kamen Rider!”

Lupin didn’t bother with a comeback, devoting his attention to evading the incoming strikes. He spun away from an arm blade there, leapt over a kick here, caught a copy in the face with his knuckle. Using a copy as a step ladder, Lupin showered the crowd with bullets. The crowd cried out, a couple of them disappearing. The original Spike stared at his surroundings, trying to come up with a battle plan. Inspiration struck him and he sent a couple of his clones to jump after Lupin while he and a few more jumped at the walls. He struck the wall legs first, bouncing off it towards Lupin at an angle with his scythes at the ready.

Lupin blocked the attacks from the two clones but the group ricocheting off the walls caught him by surprise. He fired shots at three of them, successfully knocking way two of them, but Spike caught him across the chest. Lupin hissed in pain, crashing down towards the ground.

Getting to his hooves, Lupin brushed off his armor. “What, can’t fight me by yourself, boy? How pathetic.”

“Are you blind?” The crowd of Spikes asked, the original landing in front of Lupin. “There’s nothing but me fighting you.”

Lowering his weapon, Lupin, chuckled. “You forgot one thing, my dear drake. You didn’t kill the clone in the water.”

One of the Spike clones turned, greeted by a blade to the face. The Pinkie clone barely resembled her progenitor anymore. Without the magic of the pool to sustain it, it had melted into a horrifying amalgamation of insect and pony.

“Well, I’m having nightmares tonight,” The crowd of Spikes deadpanned, gaping in horror at the clone.

The original Spike grunted, Lupin pouncing on his back. “I’m not leaving here without my treasure, best just give it to me.” Slamming his fist into the back of Spike’s head, Lupin popped Spike’s medal case open. Growling, lightning arced around Spike’s horns before having it course through Lupin.

“Touch my medals and I’ll rip your arm off,” Spike rumbled, none of the other clones parroting the threat.

Pushing off of Spike, Lupin breathed heavily. “Unfortunately for you, I’m quick with my hands.” Holding his hand up, he showed off Spike’s original Batta medal along with the hermit crab medal. “I’ll be taking these.”

Spike’s eyes contracted into narrow slits, anger exploding into a raging inferno within him. Grabbing the scanner off his belt, he held it to his medals. “Give those back right now,” he warned, his voice cold.

“Good day, good drake.” Lupin flourished his cape, already making his way back to the surface.

Without a word, Spike ran his scanner along his medals, three green rings projecting out in front of all his clones’ drivers. “Scanning Charge!” He and his clones all jumped up in the air, positioning themselves to kick Lupin in the back of his head. Spike seethed, his foot impacting the ground, glancing back he spotted Lupin fading out.

Undoing his transformation, Spike reared his head back and a jet of flame escaped his maw. “Dammit!” he boomed, flames licking out from between his teeth. “Faust Dammit!”

“Fun!” a familiar cry shouted, causing Spike to narrowly roll out of the way of a scythe-like armblade.

Spike sneered, setting to his feet. “Just shut up already! I already took the medals, just go away!”

Grabbing three medals out of his case, he donned his MuKaChiri form. Wasting no time, he performed a scanning charge and sent out a massive stinger at the clone. The clone screamed as the stinger bore through its torso, cell medals spilling out of the gaping wound. It lurched forward, babbling incoherently. A pang of guilt shot through Spike for a moment, causing him to falter before he could land another attack on the clone.

It came to a stop with a thunk, the tip of Medajalibur jutting from its neck. It gurgled before dissolving into a pile of medals. Pinkie Pie stood behind the pile, still clutching the sword.

“Thanks Pinkie,” Spike said, sighing as he undid his transformation again and turning to the pink mare. “Even with the clone being so corrupted, it was still you in a way.”

“Y-yeah...” Pinkie nodded, taking a shaky breath. Dropping the sword, Pinkie swept him up into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Spike! This is all my fault!” Tightening her grip, she buried her muzzle into his neck.

He returned the hug the best he could and ran a hand between her ears. “It’s not your fault, Pinkie. I’m the one who couldn’t keep my medals out of Lupin’s hands.” Managing a weak smile, he scratched behind one of her ears. “I could never be mad at you. Don’t beat yourself up.”

Sniffling, Pinkie hugged Spike tighter. “You’re a good friend, Spike. I felt so bad when I saw you get so angry.” Pulling her face from his neck, she looked up at him with watery eyes. “Is there any way I can make you feel better?”

“Can you smile for me?” he asked, giving her a smile.

Giggling weakly she managed to smile. “I can do that. Though I was ready to make you a big batch of sapphire cupcakes. Just so you know what you just missed out on~” letting him go, she rubbed at her eyes. “You know, I think I’ll do that anyway.”

Spike’s mouth watered at the thought, and his stomach rumbled loudly. “You’re the best, Pinkie,” he said, licking his lips. “Come on, the others have to be worried about us.” Retrieving his sword, Spike led the way back to town, trying not to dwell on Lupin’s win.

“Okay,” Pinkie replied, her normal cheer slowly returning.

The pair walked out of the grotto, Pinkie occasionally telling a joke or making a random observation in an attempt to keep the drake’s spirits up.

Blud casually tossed the two medals he had pilfered off of the drake while he walked through the halls of the Great Leader’s palace. Combatmen wandered around him in formation while tapestries depicting Somber’s accomplishments lined the crystal walls.

Approaching the throne room, he nodded at the two Shadowbolts on guard. They returned his greeting pushing open the doors open. Slowly, more and more of the throne room was revealed, allowing him to enter. As always, the thing that instantly struck him were the chained figures of the solar and lunar princesses of Dai-Shocker’s home universe chained to either side of the Great Leader’s throne. The two alicorns sat nearly in the nude, their wings tied to their sides; each sporting a restrictor ring around their horn. Their bodies were kept clean and their muscles didn’t seem to have atrophied. Somber always said it was to keep his prizes in perfect condition. The sisters didn’t react to Blud’s entrance, staring at the floor with hollow expressions.

“I do hope you have something for me, Blud,” Somber spoke, lounging on his throne. He ran his hand through Luna’s mane, eyes latching onto Blud’s form. “I’d hate to have to discipline someone of your caliber.”

Blud smiled, holding up the two medals in the gaps between his fingers. “I may have not gotten all the green medals, my liege, but I still have a prize for you. Fear not, I can strike again once the hatchling’s guard is lowered again.”

Somber held up his hand. “In time, Blud.” Shifting slightly, he unchained Celestia’s collar. “Celestia, be a good mare and retrieve my prize from Blud.”

“Yes, Great Leader,” Celestia answered, her tone a blank void. Slowly, she stood up, walked over with her head low and held out her hands for Blud to drop the medals into. Once Blud did so, she returned to the throne and fell to one knee, presenting the medals to Somber.

“Good girl,” Somber praised, plucking the medals from her hand. A grin split his face as he held the medals up to the light. “I can feel the power, crammed into such a small space!” Rising up, he closed his fist around the medals. “You are dismissed, Blud.” Lighting his horn, he sent out spell. It was time the leaders of Dai-Shocker proved their worth.

Family Bonding

Rain fell softly on the library as its denizens were all in various states of sleep. The youngest resident, Sombra, tossed and turned as his dreams took a turn for the worst. The mutated Pinkie clones were surrounding him, their scythes poised to come down on his head. Before they could make contact, he shot up into his bed with a scream.

Catching his breath, Sombra looked around his sparsely decorated room as his groggy mind pieced together what had just happened. Once his heart was done thundering in his chest, he settled down under his sheets and attempted to fall asleep again. However, it wouldn’t come no matter how much he adjusted himself in his bed.

Slipping out of bed, he made the short trip from his room to his mother’s. Quietly opening the door, he climbed into her bed whilst doing his best not to wake her. She murmured softly, nearly causing Sombra to think that he had disturbed her before she rolled over and wrapped an arm around him. Closing his eyes, Sombra snuggled into her warm embrace.

“Love you, Mama,” Sombra whispered, a yawn passing his lips as he drifted off into sleep. Movement dragged him out of his sleep, to which he gave a defiant whine. Cracking an eye open, he was greeted by the concerned face of his mother, framed in the early morning sun.

“Sombra, why did you come into my bed?” she asked, stroking the back of his head. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“Uh huh...” Sombra admitted, leaning into her touch. “Those monsters were scary, they were gonna get me...”

“Oh honey,” Twilight cooed, pulling him into a hug. “That sounds awful. But it was just a dream, no monster will ever get you. And do you know why?”

Sombra shook his head, looking up at her. “Why, Momma?”

“Because you have your father and I to protect you,” she answered, giggling as she ruffled his mane. Your Uncle Spike too,” she added, kissing his nose. “Speaking of which; what do you say we wake him up and have him make us pancakes?”

Sombra giggled, nodding vigorously. “Yeah! Pancakes sound yummy! Can we put chocolate in them?!”

“I think we can spare some chocolate chips after your nightmare,” Twilight replied, getting out of bed and taking his hand. “Just brush your teeth a little longer after breakfast, okay?”

“Okay!” Sombra nodded, worming his way out of bed. Before Twilight could stop him, he rushed out of the room, making a beeline for Spike’s room. Throwing the door open, Sombra flopped onto the drake’s sleeping form. “Wake up, Uncle Spike!”

Spike awoke with an ‘oof’ as the air was knocked out of him from the unicorn-shaped projectile landing on him. He quickly recovered and stared down at the colt who was looking at him with an eager grin. Sighing through his nostrils to ease his frustrations he asked, “Sombra, what time is it?”

“It’s breakfast time!” Sombra replied, slipping off Spike and tugging on his hand. “Mama says we can have chocolate pancakes today!”

“Did she now?” Spike inquired, rising out of bed and craning his head to the door. “And did she offer to make those pancakes?” He already knew the answer, but he figured he could humor his nephew.

“Nu uh!” Sombra shook his head, doing his best to pull Spike along. “She said you’d do it!”

“Probably for the best,” Spike started, idly scratching his neck as the pair walked to the kitchen. “Your mom’s a pretty bad cook. She nearly burnt our house back in Canterlot down trying to make toast.”

“Really?” Gazing up at Spike, Sombra frowned as he pictured the scene. “How did she do that?”

“Not even the fire department was entirely sure,” the drake answered. “The only thing they found out was that there was nothing wrong with the toaster.” Stepping up to the stove, he took a breath and lit the pilot light with a gout of flame. “Wanna help me cook?”

Sombra’s eyes lit up and he bounced in place. “Can I?! What do you want me to do?!”

Rummaging through the kitchen, Spike pulled out the various ingredients they’d need. “Do you want to crack the eggs?”

“Yeah!” Sombra eagerly grabbed the carton, looking at Spike expectantly. “How do I do that, Uncle Spike?”

“It’s really easy,” Spike assured, picking up an egg. “You just hold it like this, tap it against the lip of the bowl a couple times until the shell starts to break, pull it apart carefully to avoid pieces of shell falling into the mix and let the yolk drop into the bowl.” Spike pantomimed every step for the colt’s benefit.

Sombra took an egg, doing his best to copy Spike’s motions. More than a few times, egg shell ended up in the bowl, or yolk dripped from the edge. A frown creased his lips, a little upset that he wasn’t living up to Spike’s example.

“Don’t beat yourself up, buddy,” Spike said, patting Sombra’s shoulder as he picked out the bits of shell and wiped up the dripping yolk. “No one starts out good at this stuff. I was way worse when I first tried to crack an egg. Ya just gotta keep practicing. Now, let’s move on to measuring out ingredients.”

Sombra followed Spike’s lead, doing his best to keep up. Each little failure chipped at his mood, frustration spreading across his face. “Uncle Spike, cooking is hard!”

“Yeah, it can be hard at first,” Spike agreed, wiping flour off of his claws. “It takes practice to get good. If you want, I can keep teaching you so it becomes easy.” Grinning, he gently elbowed Sombra. “We can even get you an apron and everything!”

Nodding, a small smile returned to the colt’s face. “Okay, Uncle Spike, I’ll keep trying.” The two fell into a comfortable silence as Spike started to flip the pancakes.

A yawn broke the quiet, signalling that Twilight had entered the kitchen. “Good morning, Spike,” she greeted, stifling a yawn. “I hope you slept well.”

“I was sleeping pretty well up until a certain unicorn jumped on my stomach,” Spike retorted, pointing his spatula at the mare. “Apparently you had told him there was going to be pancakes. As it turns out, there are, just not for any unicorns.”

“Does that mean I can’t have any?” Sombra whimpered, staring up at Spike with pleading eyes.

Taking a breath, Spike nodded his head. “Of course you can have some, I was just trying to mess with your mom.”

“Yay!” Sombra cheered, wrapping Spike up in a hug. “You tricked me for a second, Uncle Spike!”

Spike smiled, scratching Sombra’s ear. “I try my best, Somby. Hey, why don’t you go get your dad, huh? I bet he’d like some pancakes~”

“You got it!” Sombra replied, ending the hug and dashing off towards the basement. Nearly jumping down the stairs, he squeezed past the various pieces of lab equipment to shake Wyatt in his bed. “Papa! There’s pancakes!”

Wyatt groaned, peeking out through his eyelids. “What kind of pancakes? Are they the best pancakes ever?”

“Yeah, I helped Uncle Spike make chocolate pancakes!” Sombra confirmed, continuing to shake Wyatt. “Come on papa! We’re hungry! Uncle Spike might eat it all up!”

Wyatt pulled himself to his feet and placed Sombra onto his shoulders. “Well, we can’t let that happen, now can we? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Carrying Sombra, Wyatt carefully walked out of the basement and to the dining room. “So, I hear there’s pancakes?” he inquired, looking between Twilight and Spike.

“Just got done.” Spike placed the latest batch onto the table. “Pick a seat and take two. I’ll make a few more before hanging up my spatula.”

Wyatt nodded in understanding and took a seat next to Twilight and placed Sombra on his other side. Rubbing his hands together he grabbed a plate and poured a generous amount of syrup onto his breakfast. Before he could dig in, a loud pounding echoed through the tree. Putting his fork down he groaned. “Great, looks like my Decade luck strikes again.” Getting up from the table, he made his way to the front door and checked to see what the commotion was.

Opening the door, he was greeted by the familiar sight of blue scales. “Master Smaug is ready,” Sapphira informed, ignoring all the gawking ponies behind her. “I’ve come to collect the ponies.”

“Hello to you too, Sapphira,” Wyatt replied, forcing a smile. “We were just having breakfast so we’ll be ready in a little bit. Care to come in?”

Leaning her head down, Sapphira released a puff of smoke. “There is no time for breakfast. We must gather the ponies and return to the Dragonlands.”

“Yeah, was kinda afraid you’d say something like that,” Wyatt muttered, coughing for a moment. “Right, gather the ponies.” Returning to the dining room, he clapped his hands. “Change of plans guys, we’re going to the Dragonlands.”

Twilight blinked, her fork inches from her mouth. “Why would we be going to the Dragonlands?”

“Turns out, Smaug sent an escort. Sapphira says he’s ready.” Wyatt answered, grabbing his pancakes off his plate for the trip. “Now we gotta ‘Gather the ponies.’”

“Oh!” Twilight’s eyes widened in realization, standing from her seat. “This must be about that ritual he was talking about! Come on, Sombra, Spike, let’s get ready!”

Spike glanced back, turning the stove off. “Don’t we have to get mom, dad, Shining and Cadance? How are we gonna get all of them together and to the Dragonlands on short notice?”

“Well, tell that to Sapphira,” Wyatt said, taking a bite of a pancake. “Maybe she’s got a plan? Either way, she’s not gonna go away until we go with her.”

“Good point,” Spike relented, putting the dishes in the sink. “I doubt she’ll listen to those points anyway.” Once the last dish was put away, he walked over to wait by the door. “So... Sapphira, how have things been with you and grandpa?”

“As well as ever,” Sapphira answered curtly. “There are rumors that within the coming years, Torch will hold the contest for the title of Dragonlord. We should expect him to object to this ritual.”

“Does he have the power to put a stop to it?” Spike questioned, his eyes contracting a bit. “I’ll fight him if I have too. Twilight and her family are my family, I don’t care what some ‘Dragonlord’ says.”

Chuckling, Sapphira shook her head. “It will not come to that, little one,” she assured him. “Torch may run his mouth all he like, but not even the Dragonlord can stop a clan’s elder from inducting those they feel are worthy into their family.” Peering back at the gathering crowd, Sapphira grunted. “How goes your search for the coins?”

Spike winced, recalling the recent theft of the two coins. “It’s coming along okay. I actually just found a set of green medals recently. I also managed to find some of my dad’s medals.” Blinking he glanced down at himself. “Heh, I forgot to get dressed. You can come in if you want.”

“If it means not being gawked at like I have two heads,” Sapphira replied with a snort, following him inside. “I swear, ponies are far too excitable.”

“I’ve heard Wyatt say they were ‘high maintenance.” Spike laughed, leading her up to his room. “We recently had a few new room grown out of the tree. Before the migration and my growth spurt, I was sleeping in a basket in Twilight’s room.”

“How have you been feeling since your growth?” Sapphira inquired, taking a seat on his bed. “Have you adjusted to it?”

“I’d like to think so.” Flicking his tail, Spike punched the air a few times. “It certainly took some getting used to. I kept getting looks from the towns ponies.”

“They are probably just admiring the good looks common of your birth clan,” Sapphira assured him. “From what I’ve heard, your grandfather was quite popular with the dragonesses centuries ago.” Glancing around his room, her eyes landed on his driver. “Show me the medals you have recovered.”

Spike grabbed his medal case off his dresser and opened it for her. “There you go, that’s all of them.”

Sapphira tilted her head, her eyes moving over the pages. “Tell me, Spike. Why is there only one grasshopper coin? Shouldn’t you have two of them, if you found a full green set?”

Spike winced, rubbing the back of his head. “The thing is, two of my medals were,” he paused, wracking his brain for a way to soften the blow. “Stolen. See, the medals were creating corrupted clones of a friend and one of those Dai-Shocker guys swiped it and my dad’s Hermit Crab medal in the chaos.” Closing his eyes, he waited for Sapphira to scold him.

Sapphira closed the case, rising from the bed. “Then, get them back.” Pushing the case into his hands, Sapphira moved past him. “Master Smaug does not like being kept waiting. Grab what you need and we shall make our leave.”

“That was the plan, Sapphira,” Spike assured her, clenching his fist. “The next time I run into that thief I’m going to pummel him into the ground and get them back.” He put the medal case down and quickly got dressed. When he was done, he grabbed a change of clothes and proceeded to stuff everything into a backpack.

“Good, then let’s get the ponies, we have to collect the rest of the Sparkles.” Sapphira said, getting up from the bed and walking out his bedroom. She returned to the kitchen to find that everyone else was ready as well, with Wyatt still holding one of his pancakes. “Are you all ready?”

“Yes, we’re all good to go,” Twilight confirmed, holding Sombra’s hand. “My parents would be the closest to get to. They’re in Canterlot. I can lead you to them once we get to the city.” Twilight’s eyes widened in realization and turned to Spike. “I just realized, Cadance and Shining Armor are in the empire. If we’re on a tight schedule, we should have them meet up with us in Canterlot. Spike, can you send a message to Celestia to tell her about our situation?”

“You got it, Twilight,” Spike replied, putting his bag down to grab a quill and parchment. The room was silent for a few moments as Spike scribbled a message out to the princess. Taking a breath, he sent it off with a burst of flame. “There!”

“Thank you, Spike,” Twilight said, smiling as she led Sombra to the front door. “Now we can get the Riches.”

Twilight led them out of the library and into the streets of Ponyville towards the Rich Manor. The citizens gave them some odd looks, but otherwise didn’t bother them at all. It didn’t take them long to reach the gates, Spike ringing the buzzer. After a few moments, the butler came out to greet them.

“Hey Randolph,” Spike greeted, waving at the butler. “Can we see DT and Mr. Rich? We’ve got something important going on that they should be a part of.”

“Of course, master Spike, you are always welcome in the manor.” Randolph stepped to the side, allowing the grope to enter. “I merely ask that the dragoness take care not to scratch the floors.” He gestured to her feet. “I’m afraid the wood is not claw proof.”

“She should be fine.” Spike waved off, leading the group inside. “I never wear anything on my feet and you haven’t had to fix the floors after I visit.” He wiggled his toes for emphasis. He didn’t bother to comment that her toe claws were bigger, but he doubted it’d be an issue.

Randolph nodded and led them into the sitting room where Filthy was sitting in his favorite chair reading a book. “Master Rich, Spike is here to see you,” the butler stated.

Filthy looked up, closing his book. “Well now, what brings you all to my home? It must be important if you’ve all come together. Did something happen with the G-Project?”

“No, this is not about your country,” Sapphira spoke up, her tail flicking behind her. “This is a family matter. My master wishes to bring the Sparkles into his clan. As you are relatives of Star Dust, it is your right to undergo the initiation ritual.”

Putting his book onto the coffee table in front of him, Filthy stood up from his chair. “I would be honored if my daughter and I could take part in the ceremony. The Riches owe our success to Star Dust’s accomplishments after all.”

“We are taking too long,” Sapphira complained, swishing her tail. “Retrieve your daughter, we must leave.”

“Very well,” Filthy said, nodding to Randolph who exited the room. A few moments later Randolph returned with Diamond Tiara at his side. “Would it be out of line to ask how long we’d be gone?”

“No,” Sapphira replied, her wings twitching slightly. “To answer it simply, you should expect to be gone a day or two.” With a huff of air,, her claws started to glow. “We are taking to long. Sparkle, think of the place we need to be.” The glow around her claws increased as she chanted softly in a language none of them recognized.

“I can do that.” Twilight stepped close to Sapphira, focusing her thoughts on Canterlot. Sapphira’s chanting reached it’s peak, filing the room with a bright light. When the world returned to them, they found themselves bombarded with the sights and sounds of Canterlot. All around them, upper class ponies stared and whispered, with more than a few pointed fingers.

Rolling her eyes, Twilight motioned the group to follow her down the streets. “Pay them no mind, Sapphira. The nobles here have their heads too far up their own flanks to have a proper opinion about anything.”

“I don’t care for the opinions of unimportant ponies.” Sapphira ambled after Twilight, holding her head up. “They are beneath us both, Sparkle.”

“So you think I’m worthy of your respect?” Twilight inquired, leading Sombra who was walking with his ears covered to avoid being overwhelmed. “Or is that because Smaug sees something in my family?”

“We are to be family, on top of your position as Sol’s apprentice. You are worthy of respect.” Sapphira placed her hand on Twilight’s head. “You must steel yourself for the ritual. It will fundamentally change you.”

“Change me how?” Twilight asked, looking up at the dragoness. “Smaug only gave a vague idea of the ritual. Something about tieing our bloodline to his?” A few thoughts moved through her mind, more than one asking herself if this was even a good idea.

“I do not know the exact effects it will have on you,” Sapphira admitted. “Master Smaug would be able to tell you. He has performed this ritual on a non-dragon before with Spike’s father.”

“Okay, thank you for being honest,” Twilight replied, her mind continuing to wander. “I guess I can wait for Smaug’s answer.” The ritual had to be safe, if Spike’s father had gone through it and lived. The idea lingered with her, even as they gathered the rest of the Sparkle family.

Somber stepped down the halls of his castle, his servants and soldiers bowing as he passed them. He paid them no mind, his mind focused on the meeting he was about to call. Stepping into a grand hall with a circular table that had a black crystal sitting at its center, he took a seat on the largest chair and lit his horn.

Firing a bolt of dark magic at the crystal, he bore his gaze into it. “Your great leader demands a meeting. Drop whatever it is you’re doing and report immediately.” Letting the glow fade from his horn, Somber lounged in his seat.

The back of the room was open, showing off the splendor of Somber’s Empire. Black spires made up the skyline, each sporting Dai-Shocker’s banner. With a wave of distortion, a seemingly normal looking man stepped into the room. He was dressed in a black military uniform with red sash going across his chest and a quartet of medals on his left breast. His helmet was black with a two headed eagle on the front and a tassel coming off the back.

Several more distortions appeared around the table, bringing into existence several more characters: a man in faded red armor, a man in white armor and a see through helmet, and a man in silver armor, bearing a bird themed helmet. A massive distortion sprang up just outside the palace, depositing a massive grey robot onto the grounds.

“Greetings, gentlemen,” Somber said, sitting up in his chair. Taking a look around the room, he huffed in annoyance as he fired another bolt at the crystal. “Daguva, King, where are you? Your fellow Generals have already arrived.”

“I’m not some common peon.”

Tapping his fingers against his chair, Somber fought off a grimace while keeping the connection to the crystal open. “No King, you are not. But you are a general of Dai-Shocker. Now, come to the meeting or I will come to you.”

Another distortion appeared at the end of the table, bringing a young man into existence. His hair was a dark brown that he kept a little long but still maintained a professional look. He wore a finely tailored white suit with a black undershirt, black tie and black handkerchief that poked out of his jacket pocket. Floating above his shoulder, a strange saucer-like creature that vaguely resembled a bat glared at the strange collection of beings.

“As you insisted, I’m here.” King said, adjusting his cufflinks as he took his seat. “My assistant had to push back an important trade deal, but no matter.” Crossing his fingers, he stared out at Somber. “Why exactly did you drag me here?”

“Lupin has retrieved some items of interest for me.” Somber pulled out the medals and placed them on the table. “Two of OOO’s Core Medals. I’m sure I don’t need to tell all of you the possibilities that these raise for us.”

“You called the council for that?” the giant robot asked, its eyes bathing everything in blood red light. “How trivial.”

“You call objects of this caliber trivial, Dark?” Somber questioned, staring up at the robot. “When was the last time you contributed to our cause, machine? The power these medals possess will be the backbone of our conquest, beyond anything we’ve acquired before.”

The robot bristled at the comment, the red glow from his eyes growing more intense. “I have offered you troops and supplies, Great Leader,” Dark finally stated. “Both of which you have never found fault in before.”

“Ha!” the man in black laughed, slapping his hand down on the table. “All you have done, King Dark, is lounge around in that cave you call a base, gorging yourself on blood.”

“Would you like to see what that blood has done for me?” Dark retorted, raising a hand up and clenching his hand into a fist.

“Your petty squabbles get us nowhere.” A feral looking human stepped into the room, his hair long and unkempt. Staying next to the door, he eyed them all with unrestrained contempt. “Tell us exactly what you plan to do with those trinkets, Somber.”

“Ah, Daguva,” Somber said, leaning back in his seat. “I see you took the long way to get here. Better late than never I suppose. As for my plans for the medals, it’s rather simple.” A perverse smile etched into his muzzle, the thought pleasing him greatly. “We’ll use them to make our own medals, and with them we’ll make our own OOO.”

“So another Rider to be added to our ranks?” Daguva questioned, pushing off the doorframe and striding towards the table. “Hopefully this one will not be as uninteresting as the others you’ve gathered. None come close to being as entertaining as Kuuga was.” Putting his hand on Somber’s shoulder, he ignored the stallionl’s indignant look. “I’m still waiting for my belt, pony.”

“We have been looking for it,” Somber replied, brushing off the man’s hand. “But it seems Celestia hasn’t used the usual spots for it. I’m sure you’re itching to fight the Decade whelp and Agito, but you will need to continue to be patient.” Gesturing for Dagua to sit, Somber zapped the crystal again, creating a holographic map of their current target. “We’re behind on our time tables, this must be addressed.”

“And what do you propose we do about that?” Daguva inquired, taking a seat and lounging in his chair. “What is causing the delay in the first place?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Somber waved off, tapping his fingers on the table. “We’ve been focusing far too much on Equestria. Thankfully, I’ve more than a few avenues to proceed along.”

“Oh?” King started, leaning forward in his seat. “And where would you suggest we allocate our resources? I already have the humans eating out of the palm of my hand.”

“Undermine the nations around them,” Somber explained, highlighting a few areas on the globe. “That cloven hooved fool wants to play conqueror, let him. Discreetly lend him our aid, allow him to wear himself and his opponents down, then crush them.”

Turning to the man with the see through helmet, he continued. “Shadow, I want you to head to Griffinstone. The griffons should be easy to bring under our sway.”

“A few shiny trinkets should be more than enough to do the job,” Shadow assured, bowing his head. “I shall rebuild their failed nation into something worthy of Dai-Shocker’s attention.”

“Very good,” Somber said, turning away from the general. “Marshal, I want you to assist King. Implant someone into that false leader’s army and turn that rabble into a legitimate threat.”

“Very well,” the man in red armor responded, putting a hand to his chest. “I have a few subordinates that can complete this task.”

Looking at the black armored man, Somber passed the hermit crab medal to him. “General Black, you shall parley with Poseidon. Return that medal to him and give him a very detailed report on what his ‘treasure’ has become.”

General Black grunted, lifting the medal off the table. “It shall be done, Great Leader.”

“What of our recruitment efforts?” Dark asked, leaning on the palace. “Has our great leader secured the allegiance of Ooze?”

“That old fool couldn’t be trusted.” Somber rose out of his chair, sneering that the thought. “It became quite clear that he was of no use to use. However.” Another spell was sent into the crystal, shifting the globe from their target to an image of Earth. “I found a much more open candidate. Someone used to fighting transforming heroes.”

“Does this candidate have a name?” Daguva asked.

Somber’s grin returned, conjuring up an emblem on the globe's surface. “Of course he does. Lord Drakkon, conqueror of Earth.” Sweeping his arms out, Somber regarded them with enthusiasm. “You all have your orders, get them done.”

“Yes, Great Leader,” a chorus of voices rang out in varying degrees of enthusiasm as waves of distortion made the generals disappear.

Taking the remaining medal, Somber tossed it up into the air. “You think you’re little band of heroes can stop me, Wyatt? You’re nothing but a blowhard, playing at grandeur. Your worlds will burn, I’ll make sure of that.” With a flourish of his cape, Somber walked out of the meeting hall, his hoof steps echoing off the walls.

Night Light stumbled as the group reappeared in the dragonlands. “I don’t think I like teleporting very much.” Putting a hand over his mouth, he found himself leaning on his wife for support. “Can we never do it again?”

“You and me both, Mr. Sparkle,” Wyatt agreed, his face looking a bit green but able to stand on his own power. “It’s always the worst.” Managing to swallow it down, he turned to Sapphira. “We heading back to Smaug’s den?”

“Yes, Master Smaug already has everything prepared for the ritual,” Sapphira answered, walking towards the caves in the hills. “Now, stick close to me and ignore anyone that tries to stand in our way.”

Spike slipped his belt out, slotting medals in. He didn’t activate them, not yet. Not until someone decided to cause a problem. Moving his gaze around, he noted the various stares they received; keeping an eye out for the red dragon.

There wasn’t any sign of the teen drakes that Spike had run into during the migration, but he kept an eye out for them regardless. He wouldn’t put a sneak attack past the red jerk though. Keeping his hand near his scanner, Spike followed Sapphira’s lead. The dragons were clearly displeased, but none of them seemed willing to risk stopping what was about to transpire. Whether from their own sense of honor or just fear of the old shaman, Spike couldn’t tell.

Sapphira came to a stop, holding her arm out. “Ready yourselves, the Dragonlord approaches.”

A shadow blocked out the sun for a moment before a dragon on par with Smaug landed in front of them. The group stumbled to keep their footing before Wyatt strained his neck to look up at the dragon. Pale blue scales made up his hide and long, orange horns framed his face. He could easily see this as the one who Smaug lost his eye to.

“Smaug truly believes I would let this farce go on?” The dragonlord snorted, knocking most of the ponies off their hooves. “You there! Welp!” Holding up his hand, a miniscule scepter started to glow. “Step forward.”

Spike’s scales and spines glowed and by some unknown force, approached the dragon until he was only a few feet away from the dragonlord. Despite everything, he managed to keep a calm expression as he looked up at the large dragon.

Lowering his head, the dragonlord examined Spike. “You are Peridot’s progeny? To think, if that female had any sense, I might have been your sire. At least you were lucky enough to look like a dragon.”

Spike sucked in a deep breath through his nostrils, doing his best not to insult the dragonlord. “I consider myself lucky to be her son at all, she gave her life and put a stop to your predecessor’s madness.”

“You don’t think I know that, drakeling?” the dragonlord growled, showing off his massive fangs. “Your grandfather should have been dealt with for creating such objects in the first place.”

“The blame lies with the one who ordered their creation,” Spike retorted, flinching for a split second from the growl. “And I am working to collect those medals so they can never corrupt anyone again. A task I am making good headway with.”

“You should destroy those foul things once you’ve collected them all,” Torch commented, snorting out a large plume of smoke. “In fact, I think I’ll make that an order.” Torch pointed the scepter at Spike again, seeming like he was going to make it glow again.

“Torch!” Smaug’s voice boomed, the dragon lumbering out of his cave and stopping in front of the dragonlord. “Release my grandson from your infernal grasp. You have no right to impede them.”

“I am the Dragonlord, Smaug,” Torch snapped, the glow around Spike dying out. “My word is law and I do what I please.”

Smaug slammed his tail against the ground, his wings flaring out. “Do not test me! Remove yourself from my lair, before I do it for you.”

The pair of large dragons stared each other down for what felt like an eternity. The air around them was oppressive, causing Spike and Wyatt to clutch their drivers in preparation for a full-on fight. Eventually, Torch flinched under the shaman’s gaze.

“Fine, hold your little ritual, Smaug,” Torch relented, turning and making his leave. “But you should warn them what being considered a dragon will entail.” He held his scepter up as he walked away.

Smaug rumbled, watching him leave. “Come, we’ve wasted enough time.” Turning his back to them, Smaug lumbered back into his cave.

The group didn’t need to be told twice to move into the cave and get as far away from the other dragon as possible. Wyatt let out a sigh of relief, his driver disappearing from his hand. “Wow, that guy is intense. I can see why you don’t like him, Smaug.”

“He is a fool.” Smaug stood by a massive cauldron, a roaring flame already burning under it. “Come, Spike, Sapphira. Bring the ponies near.” The lines on Smaug’s body started to glow, filling the chamber with green light. Sapphira led Twilight and her family to stand in front of the cauldron so they could feel the warmth of the fire. When Wyatt tried to stand next to Twilight, the dragoness stopped him with a hand on his chest.

“Uh, any reason you stopped me?” Wyatt whispered, not wanting to interrupt Smaug’s concentration.

“You are not a part of the family, human. Until you and Twilight become true mates, you are declined the ritual.” Spreading her wings, she flew up to Smaug’s side. “Master, we are ready to start.”

Smaug didn’t give any response, producing an ornamental knife. Speaking a few words, he dug it into his hand, allowing his sizzling blood to pour into the awaiting cauldron. With a wave of his hand, a similar knife appeared in Sapphira and Twilight’s hand.

“So we need to cut our hands and clasp them together?” Twilight guessed, looking between Sapphira and the knife in her hand.

“We must mix the blood in the cauldron.” Cutting her palm, she added her own blood to the pot. “So that our lineages will be as one.”

Twilight nodded, taking a deep breath, closing her eyes and sliding the blade across her palm. She winced as her skin tore open and blood came rushing out in a steady stream. Ignoring the pain, she held her open palm out and let her blood drop into the brew.

“The alicorn and children will need to add their blood.” Smaug moved his hands, resuming his chanting. The glow never left his marks, adding a surreal element to the proceedings.

Twilight frowned for a moment, lighting her horn to clean her blood off her blade. “How much blood do you need from Sombra; will a couple drops do?”

“A few drops will be fine.” Taking Spike’s hand, Sapphira cut his palm. “We are not bleeding anyone dry.”

Nodding, Twilight knelt down to Sombra’s eye level. “Honey, will you be brave for me and hold out your finger?” she cooed, stroking his mane. “I’m just going to give it a little poke.” Sombra nodded, shakily holding his hand out to her.

Twilight held it to keep it from shaking and pricked his finger just enough to draw blood. She held him up and let a few drops of blood fall into the cauldron before kissing his forehead and healing his finger with her magic. “You’re such a brave colt,” she whispered, hugging Sombra close and passing the knife to Cadance.

“I didn’t expect I’d be doing this today.” Cadance inhaled, dragging the blade along her hand. “The things I do for family.” Dripping her part into the cauldron, she passed the knife to Filthy. “Seems like Diamond is the only one left.”

“I can do it myself,” Diamond assured, carefully taking the knife from her father. Despite her confident display, several seconds passed before she steeled herself and mixed her blood with the others’.

Smaug’s chanting had reached a crescendo, the light of his markings emitting from the cauldron. Smoke poured over the lip, quickly surrounding them. Portions of it gathered around those who had given blood, coalescing into vague humanoid shapes. The Sparkles breathed in the smoke, a pleasant heat filling their lungs that spread to the rest of their bodies.

“Our ancestors are with us now,” Smaug began, moving his hands over the boiling mixture. “To be seperate no more. Our bloods, mixed as one in the brew of creation, shall forever bind us together. We partake of the blood, to seal our newfound connections.”

“Partake?” Night Light repeated, his muzzle scrunching up. “You mean we’re going to drink what’s in that cauldron?” He paled as Sapphira dipped her hands into the cauldron; holding back a retch as she drank a handful of it down. Turning to Spike he said, “Don’t you ever try to pull teen angst on us and say we don’t love you. Because I’m about to drink blood mixed with who knows what for you.”

“I promise, I won’t.” Spike stepped up, eyeing the concoction. “Okay, Spike, let’s do this. For family.” Cupping his hands, he scooped some out, quickly downing it without much thought.His entire body shuddered as the bitter taste of the base mixture and metallic taste of the blood mixed together to form a foul combination. “It’s not so bad,” he squeaked, waving his hands to dry them.

Twilight patted Sombra’s head, walking to Spike’s side. “Let’s hope I can keep this down, huh?” Casting a small spell to protect her hands, she stared down at the brown liquid. “Bottoms up, right?” Closing her eyes, she allowed it to slide down her throat. Internally she screamed, her taste buds demanding she spit out the brew. But, she forced it down with no visible reaction to better convince Sombra to drink it. Dipping her hands into the cauldron again, she held it out to the colt. “Your turn, Sombra.”

A sudden burning sensation spread through her, a fire igniting her blood. The shadowy figures gathered around her, watching as her body spasmed. She dropped the brew onto the cave floor, clutching at her sides.Twilight fell to her knees, allowing Sombra to see first hand as Twilight’s pupils contracted into reptilian slits. A feral scream tore from her throat, giving way to a blast of purple flame. Once the flames died down, everyone could see that a few of her teeth had lengthened into fangs.

Taking a long, ragged breath, Twilight regarded her family with wide, panicked eyes. “I never... want to go through that again.” Falling onto her side, Twilight muttered softly to herself, gazing into the mist.

Wyatt went up to Twilight, kneeling beside her. “Hey, you’re alright. Plus I think you actually don’t have to do that again.” Moving her head into his lap, he stroked her mane gently. “I’ll stay with you, okay?”

Twilight nodded, letting Wyatt comfort her. “Thank you, Wyatt.” Closing her eyes, her hand found Wyatt’s. “I hope this wasn’t a bad idea.”

“I dunno, I think the dragon eyes look cute on you,” Wyatt offered, squeezing her hand. “Plus, you did this for your little brother, no way this was a bad idea.” Moving his eyes from Twilight, he watched as the rest of the ponies partook of the blood. “You guys really are a hell of a family.”

“Play your cards right, they’ll be your family too,” Twilight replied weakly, winking at the young man.

“Is momma gonna be okay?” Sombra asked, cutting into the moment. “She looks different.” He cringed, Cadance’s scream hitting his ears. “I-I’m scared.”

“I’m fine, Sombra,” Twilight assured, rolling over to look at the colt. “The ritual just took a lot out of me.” Holding her hand out, she laced her fingers with his. “There’s nothing to be scared of, I’m still the same on the inside. You don’t have to go through it if you don’t want to.”

Sombra shook his head, staring at the cauldron with an odd look. “No, I want to be Uncle Spike’s family too.” Twilight cast the protective spell on his hands as he reached into the container and scooped some of the liquid into his mouth. Gulping it down, he made a face. “That’s nasty!”

“Yeah, I nearly spit it out myself,” Twilight said, easing Sombra down so she could hug him. “It’ll hurt for a little bit, but then everything will be fine,” she told him pulling him to her neck. Just hold onto me tightly and it’ll be over before you know it.”

Sombra squeezed his eyes shut, the heat brought on by the potion beginning to take its course on him. A squeak of pain tore through his lips as the changes started going into full swing with the inner fire looking for a way out. Twilight tilted his head up, cringing from the heat of his fire. Panting, Sombra went a little limp in Twilight’s arms.

Wyatt reached over, ruffling the colt’s mane. “You really are a brave colt, Sombra. I’m really proud of you.” Grabbing a bottle of water out of Spike’s bag, he offered it to Twilight. “Bet your throat’s pretty parched.”

“Yeah, but no more of the nasty stuff please,” Sombra said weakly, resting his head on Twilight’s shoulder. Opening his mouth, Sombra allowed his mother to pour some water into his mouth. “That feels better...”

Grabbing the cauldron, Smaug downed the rest of the liquid like one might down a shot glass. With a pleasant rumble, he laid down, curling himself around the group. “Rest. The fire in your bellies will smoulder through the night, and by morning your bodies will have fully accepted the changes.”

“A warning probably would’ve been nice, Grandpa,” Spike said, looking up into the dragon’s good eye. “You know, let them brace themselves?”

“If they couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t have offered in the first place.”

“It’s fine, sweetie,” Twilight Velvet said, craning her head to flash Spike a tired smile. “I doubt any warning could’ve prepared us for suddenly breathing fire. That was sort of a rush by the way.” Yawning, she eased herself down on Smaug’s side. “Beside’s it’s been a long time since I’ve snuggled up with a dragon.”

“Except this one’s a bit larger than the little hatchling we remember,” Night Light added, laying next to his wife and putting an arm around her. “Still, family is family.”

The Sparkle family settled in against the warm scales of Smaug, sleep quickly claiming the tired ponies. Smaug watched them for a moment, a look of peace falling over him. “It is good to have family, is it not, Sapphira?”

“Yes, and there is an alicorn in our clan now,” Sapphira added, her gaze falling on Cadance. “It seems we’ll have company in our long lives.” Taking her place on Smaug’s back, she made herself comfy. “Even if they aren’t dragons, it is nice to have them.”

“Yeah,” Wyatt idly agreed, a small smile on his face as he turned away from a sleeping Twilight. “They may not be human, but I’d consider myself lucky to be part of the Sparkles.” Releasing a long sigh, he stared out at the tunnel of the cave. “Would be nice to be part of a family again.”

“You will have to wait and see,” Smaug answered, his tone hard to read. Nothing else was said, silence reigning as the rest of the cave’s occupants fell into a deep slumber.

Dusk had always meant something to Celaeno; the end of a hard day’s work. The signal to unwind and reflect on recent events. Now, all it meant was the end of the work day. She couldn’t meet the eyes of the yeti before her, only barely listening as it listed off the manifest of her latest cargo.

She missed the old days. Back when all she had was the open skies or seas and her crew. Sure, there had been storms that had soaked and chilled them to their bones. Or times when they had found no treasure and went to sleep with empty stomachs. But they at least had their freedom and dignity. That was worth more than all the hoards of gold in the Dragonlands.

None of that really mattered now. Everything they did now was to stay alive. If that meant doing as they were told and being good little birds, than that’s what they’d do. Taking the clipboard from the yeti, she scanned over the list.

“When are we expected?” she asked, looking up to meet his gaze. Like always, the delivery ship had come alongside hers, some steam powered monstrosity that belched black clouds regularly.

“In one week’s time,” the yeti responded in a gruff voice. “Don’t dilly dally.” It turned its back to her, just in time to see one of its subordinates careening off the side its ship.

“What in the name of the Storm King is going on?!” the yeti shouted, rushing over to the ship to investigate. It found a stallion standing on deck, clad in a red and blue garb and wielding a wicked looking spear. “Pony,” the yeti growled, pulling a large mace off its back. “What are you doing here?”

The pony turned to meet it, raising his spear. “I have need of these birds. I’ll be taking them from you.”

“No mere pony will take what is the Storm King’s!” the yeti boomed, raising its mace high. It charged at the stallion, bringing its mace down to crush the pony’s head. The pony moved forward, blasting the mace away with a jet of water. A deep cry emitted from the yeti, the spear embedded in its shoulder.

Spinning on his hoof, the pony kicked the yeti off his spear and sent it tumbling over the edge of the ship. “There is only one king on these waters,” the pony said, flicking the blood off his weapon. “Poseidon.”

Celaeno froze up at the scene, eyes locked on the pony. She had heard enough tales from drunken sailors to know the pirate king. Bowing her head, she didn’t speak until he stood in front of him. “H-how my I be of service, King Poseidon?”

“There is something in the Dragonlands that I need. A purple drake. I want your crew to bring him to my island.” Shouldering his spear, he regarded the pirate coldly through the unblinking yellow orbs of his helmet. “You do know where that is, don’t you?”

“Y-yes of course I do.” Celaeno nodded quickly. “Is there anything we should know about this dragon?”

“He’ll have a belt that will grant him armor like my own.” Tapping his spear on the deck, he motioned to her ship. “Gather your crew, I wish to see them for myself.”

Celaeno nodded, bowing to him again. “Of course, my king. I will do so in an instant.” She scurried to her ship, calling out to her crew to come up deckside. Lining up with them, Celaeno kept her cool as Poseidon inspected them.

Coming to a stop in front of Boyle and Mullet, Poseidon shot a silver coin in each of them. “You will do whatever you must to bring me what is mine.” Tossing his hand, a trio of coins landed in front of Celaeno. “Even if it means becoming weapons yourselves. Do you understand?”

Scooping up the coins, the bird captain looked between them and Poseidon’s belt. “These are like what you use,” she said, awe and fear creeping into her voice. “Why would you trust me with these?”

“I want what is mine.” Leaping back to the yeti ship, Poseidon held his spear into the air. A roar split the air, a column of water bursting the vessel apart. Standing atop the column, Poseidon stared down at them. “You have a week, don’t disappoint.”

Celaeno nodded, pocketing the medals and turning to her crew. “You heard the king! Raise anchor and let’s nab ourselves a dragon!” Her enthusiasm fell as she gazed down at the ocean. They had merely traded one master for another. One that didn’t have mercy.“I just hope this one will let us go...”

Wings of Freedom

Twilight eyed the gem in her hand, an emerald if the color was anything to go by. The texture was the same smooth surface she had felt before; only now it held an extra edge. Some new, primal part of her told her this was a delicious snack, waiting to be gobbled up. Her pony instincts held her back, telling her that the gem was inedible. On a whim, she gave it a quick sniff. She started to salivate, somehow finding a delicious scent coming off the emerald instead of nothing.

Throwing all caution to the wind, Twilight bit down on the gem. Instead of shattering, her newly strengthened teeth crunched down on it and a sweet flavor like a ripe berry filled her mouth. A soft moan of delight passed her lips, barely audible as she crunched on the gem.

“That hurts my teeth just watching,” Wyatt commented, sipping on a waterskin while he watched her eat. “But, good to see that you’re adjusting to the dragon blood after the big change. Even if you turning my lap into your pillow was nice.”

“It’s so good~” Twilight squeed, licking her lips. “Like rock candy!”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Wyatt said, glancing around at the various gems in Smaug’s hoard. “I don’t think that I’m gonna partake myself.” Picking up a ruby, he held it up to his eye. “He’d make a killing if he sold these.”

“Why would I exchange these precious gems for something more common?” Smaug questioned, stepping into the cave chamber with several scrolls in one of his claws. “Besides, dragons don’t have an economy like ponies do.”

“What are those, grandpa?” Sombra asked, crunching into an aquamarine.

“These scrolls detail the most important details regarding the history of the clan,” Smaug answered, opening the oldest looking scroll and spreading it across a stone table. “Including how Bahamut crafted the Bloodstone Scepter and united all dragons to become the first Dragonlord.”

“That’s amazing!” Twilight hopped to her hooves, zipping over. “I want to know all of it!”

Smaug chuckled, letting Twilight climb onto his claw and setting her onto the table. “It is hard to tell if this zeal is the dragon’s greed within you, or just your normal attitude towards knowledge. Either way, I can fulfill that desire.”

Twilight sat down next to the scroll, her eyes roving over the faded parchment. The draconic language was a harsh series of glyphs, each looking like claw marks. “Will you teach me to read this?”

“Of course,” Smaug answered, tapping his claw against the glyphs. “I will even teach you to speak Draconic if you wish. To nondragons it is a harsh, even guttural tongue. But that is because they lack the inner fire that is central to it. Now that you have been made part of the clan, you have inner fire within you. Listen.” A rumble emanated from Smaug’s chest and he started to speak in the same dialect as he had during the bonding ritual.

“That certainly has a certain charm to it.” Cadance flew up to the table, Shining Armor in her grasp. “Just imagine the looks on everypony’s faces when we start speaking like that.”

“We could use it to talk bad about visiting nobles without them knowing,” Shining offered, nudging his wife in the side. “We can get away with it if we keep smiling at them.” Taking on a more thoughtful expression, Shining glanced down at the scroll. “If we can teach the guard how to read it, we can hide sensitive material behind it.”

“I would not mind if you used it as a code,” Smaug conceded, tapping his claws on the table. “Keeping the language alive is more important than keeping it within the claws of dragons.” Snorting out a puff of smoke, Smaug glared down at the scroll. “Dragons have become all but entirely illiterate thanks to Torch’s reign.”

“I can see why you don’t like him,” Spike commented as Sapphira set him and Diamond on the table. “I was this close to knocking his lights out.” Spike jabbed at the air, bouncing on his feet. “What the heck was that rod thing of his? He turned me into a puppet!”

“That was the Bloodstone Scepter,” Smaug answered, opening another scroll and showing a depiction of the staff to the gathered ponies and drake. “Bahamut used dragon alchemy to create it. The exact rituals have been lost to time, perhaps never recorded in fear of what mass producing the scepter would mean. It grants any dragon that holds it absolute authority over other dragons. Of course, that is only its most notable ability; it holds other powers as well.”

“Why would the dragons something like that?” Diamond asked, sitting down next to Spike. “Isn’t having that much power a bad thing?”

Smaug let out a puff of smoke, waiting for Sapphira and Cadance to bring the last remaining ponies onto the table. Clearing his throat, he dimmed the lights with a flap of his wings. “When the world was young, dragons were far more savage than we are now. The fire in our blood burned like the sun; urging us into near mindless blood shed. Many clans and bloodlines were snuffed out before Bahamut’s rise to power.”

“So Bahamut created the scepter to bring order to the chaos?” Twilight guessed, staring at the depiction of the staff. “It must have taken some powerful magic to create an artifact like that.”

“Bahamut was not the strongest dragon, nor was he the smartest. He wasn’t even the biggest. But what he did have, was an iron will; a conviction no one could break.” Smaug moved his hands, conjuring up a draconic figure in his palm. The image bore glittering scales of platinum and rows of purple spines and underbelly. “It was because of this, the great mother Cel’Tres gave him the impossible task of taming the dragons.”

“It’s pretty obvious he succeeded,” Spike commented, regarding the figure in Smaug’s hands with awe. “Otherwise there wouldn’t be a title of Dragonlord.” He gazed at the image, entranced by its noble allure. “Hey, grandpa, what did Torch mean when he said that my family would learn what it means to be a dragon?”

“Now that you all are part of my clan, you are subject to dragon law. This includes eligibility for becoming Dragonlord,” Smaug answered, his eye moving between all the ponies. “You are all now under the sway of the Bloodstone Sceptre, compelled to do whatever the dragonlord wishes. Your actions from this point on will reflect our clan as a whole forever more.”

“I can’t say I like the idea of being ordered around by that brute,” Velvet offered, crossing her arms under her chest. “But how likely do you think it is that he’d try something now?”

“With Torch it is hard to tell,” Smaug replied, letting the image of Bahamut fade from existence. “He may try to humiliate you through orders or refuse to give you any to deny your status among us. I can tell you that he has held disdain for ponies for centuries; ever since Flash Magnus made a fool of him.”

“So Torch is one of the dragons that Flash Magnus led away from his squad?” Twilight squeed, her eyes lighting up. “I’ll have to tell the Equestria Historical Society about this development. To think, one of them became the leader of dragonkind!” Bouncing on her hooves, she looked up at Smaug. “You’ll tell me all about it, right?!?”

A smile wormed its way onto the old dragon’s face. “I would never miss a chance to tell you of that oaf’s greatest failures. But that can wait until after I teach you about our clan.”

Smaug continued to weave stories about famous members of the family. Some were alchemists who had made great strides in knowledge. Others were those who had amassed massive hoards that were the envy of other dragons. And then there were those who had held the title of Dragonlord and strove to follow Bahamut’s example in leading their kind past savagery.

A noticeable shift passed over Smaug’s features, his eagerness draining away. “Our clan was brought low by a coward; to whom any path to victory was acceptable.” Turning away, Smaug lumbered off. “But, that is not the whole story.”

“What is the whole story?” Spike asked, gulping nervously but hanging on his grandfather’s every word.

“A minotaur army sneaking into the dragonlands; no such thing is possible.” Moving aside part of his hoard, Smaug gently plucked something from the pile. “In my sorrow, I threw myself into my work, blinding me to the obvious: we had been betrayed.”

Spike paled, clenching his fists at his sides. Flames licked at the spaces between his teeth as he watched the old drake. “Do you have any evidence who did it?”

“It was long ago, Spike, now is not the time to discuss such things.” Returning to the table, he placed an ornate chest in front of Twilight. “It was you, a pony, whom hatched Spike. Perhaps it is your kind that can solve one of my greatest failures.”

“But I thought you wanted Spike to collect the medals?” Twilight questioned, eyeing the chest curiously.

“I have had many failures, Twilight.” Smaug gestured for them to gather round. “I must apologize, to all of you. I was not truthful when I said we were the last of our clan.” Using a single claw, Smaug opened the chest; revealing a dozen dragon eggs, each sporting it’s own unique color scheme.

The anger instantly faded from Spike’s features and he grabbed the lip of the chest to keep his balance. “There are still eggs?” he muttered, his tone shaky. “Are these supposed to be uncles, aunts or distant relatives?”

“Some are, some are cousins and siblings.” Smaug craned his neck, eyeing the eggs listfully. “Of the eggs I managed to save, only your mother hatched. I know not why the others are dormant; and no magic I have weaved over the centuries has roused them.”

Twilight picked up one of the eggs, hoping to feel something from within it. Instead, all there was was the cool surface of its shell. “I can try, Smaug, but I hatched Spike during a magic outburst.” Holding it close to her chest, she put her hand on his snout. “I’ll do everything in my power.”

“I just had a thought,” Wyatt chimed in, looking at the eggs. “Why not reenact the scenario that led you to hatching Spike? Maybe you can trigger an outburst?”

“That would be more than a little dangerous,” Night Light spoke up, giving Wyatt a stern look. “The first one turned Velvet and I into house plants!”

Wyatt nodded, rubbing the back of his head. “I’d probably be the one getting zapped into a flower knowing my luck. Okay, so that can be a last resort.” Putting a hand on his chin, he stared at the chest. “This is gonna be a tough one.”

“I’ve dealt with tough before,” Twilight assured, staring at the egg in her arms intently. “I’ll just need time to work this out.” After a moment, she placed the egg back in the chest. “Do you want me to stay here?”

“You may return to Equestria with the eggs if you wish,” Smaug answered, bowing his head. “Whatever you feel will help the eggs see life. I beg you, Twilight, defend these eggs with your life. Let no one know of their existence.”

A determined expression crossed Twilight’s muzzle as she put a hand on Smaug’s snout. “You have my word, Smaug. I’ll die before anyone can harm these eggs.”

A small smile crossed Smaug’s features and he nodded at her. The lessons turned to the Draconic language, going over the basic sounds and alphabet that formed its core. Eventually, the Sparkle and Rich family felt that they needed to return home, a sentiment that Smaug and Sapphira agreed to. Sapphira flagged down a vessel again and the families found themselves out on the seas toward home with the precious eggs in tow.

Celaeno adjusted the wheel of her ship, having it hover over a patch of water between the Dragonlands and Equestria. Based on the information Poseidon had given her, their target would be heading to the pony homeland. She didn’t bother questioning what a dragon would want to do with ponies, something told her that the pirate king wouldn’t answer anyway. Being the experienced captain she was, she knew what waterways a ship travelling from the Dragonlands to Equestria would take that time of year. All she and the crew had to do was wait and they could raid whatever boat the drake would be on.

Both Mullet and Boyle had been out of sorts since Poseidon had placed those coins in them. The two had become more than a little obnoxious, with Boyle hoarding all the crackers and Mullet refusing to let anyone look at his cutlass. She’d come to expect some level of greed from her crew, they were pirates after all. But among one another, they had always shared and shared alike. The trio of coins that Poseidon had given her suddenly felt like an iron ball weighing her down. The last thing she wanted was to use them.

Celaeno’s mind drifted towards the drake that Poseidon wanted them to capture. Especially the detail about him having a belt like Poseidon’s. A shudder passed through her unbidden, giving a silent prayer to any god or force in the universe that she wouldn’t have to confront their target in a direct fight.

Fishing out a spyglass, Celaeno put it to her eye to examine the surroundings of the vessel. A growing brown blur on the portside horizon looked promising and she put the glass away to turn the ship towards the blur.

“Ready the harpoon!” Celaeno ordered, turning back to her crew. “Get ready to board! We’re looking for a drake, no one else is important, understood?”

Stuffing his pockets full of crackers, Boyle drew his sword and shouted in affirmation. Mullet saluted and went below deck to take aim with the harpoon. Squinting, he managed to find the growing blur and waited for it to come into range. With a pull of a trigger, the harpoon shot through the air, plunging into the target below. The freighter lurched before coming to a stop as the rope attached to the harpoon pulled taut.

Celaeno moved to the bow, looking to see the activity down below. Small shapes ran frantically about the deck, obviously roused by the harpoon. Several more booms sounded around her, a flurry of metal impaling the ship below. With the freighter suitably secured, she rushed back to her wheel and raised the airship up higher. The ropes connecting the ships went taut, their maximum height reached.

Drawing her cutlass, Celaeno approached the side of the ship. “Alright you mangy birds, are ya ready for a raid?!”

“Aye!” her crew save Squabble replied who cawed with his sword raised high above his head.

“Then follow me!” Grabbing a rope, Celaeno slid down to the snagged freighter. Closing her eyes, she was above forget all of her troubles. The Storm King, Poseidon. Both melted away as the air rushed through her feathers. She imagined that flying must feel like that, but she’d never really know. The deck of the freighter came far too quickly for her liking and she ducked into a roll to avoid breaking both her legs on impact.

Springing to her feet, she brandish her blade in a flurry of movement. “You’ve found yourself prey of Captain Celaeno’s Sky Hunter! Best give us what we want, unless you’d rather we send you to the depths!”

“What do you want?!” One of the crew shouted, throwing his arms up. Celaeno could tell he wasn’t the captain. The panic in his eyes was obviously that of someone that had never been raided before. No captain sailing the seas of the Dragonlands could avoid pirates forever, not even the very best.

As Boyle and Mullet joined her on the deck, Celaeno took a confident step forward. “I know a drake just arrived on your ship. I want him, now.”

The door leading below deck burst open, revealing Wyatt in his armor. Taking stock of the situation, he said, “Seriously, more pirates? Can’t we have one trip back from the Dragonlands that doesn’t include a pirate boarding?”

Narrowing her eyes at the new arrival, Celaeno lifted her sword. “Listen here, we have orders from Poseidon himself; we’re not leaving without that drake!”

Pulling his card case off his side, Wyatt unfolded it into his blaster and leveled it at the parrot woman’s sword. “See, there’s a problem with that thought. In order to get that drake, you’ve gotta go through me. And I gotta tell ya, that won’t happen with those little swords of yours.”

“Whose sword you calling little!?” Mullet shoved past Celaeno, his eyes flashing red. “I’ll make you regret that, you pink aisle reject!”

Yawning, Wyatt fired a few shots and knocked the sword out of the bird’s hand. “I called all your swords little. Now, climb your sorry asses back up those ropes of yours and run along before I roast you chickens.”

Mullet froze in, staring at his empty hand. Rage filled him, the desire to show how magnificent his sword was overtaking his thoughts. A strangled cry passed over his beak; intense pain bringing him to his knees. Cell medals exploded out of his back, taking the form of a humanoid Sawtooth Shark.

“Great, a Yummy,” Wyatt muttered. “Hey OOO!” he called out, looking down the stairs. “You wanna make an entrance?! Things have gotten more complicated than some pirate scrubs!” His inattention was rewarded with a slash to the chest.

Wyatt stumbled back, barely managing to keep his footing as he barely dodged a follow up from the Yummy. Switching his blaster into its sword form, he slashed at the Yummy’s head. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to deal with any of you losers.”

The monster cried out in pain, retaliating with a wild swing of its head, which Wyatt ducked under. “My sword is the greatest! All others are but pale imitations!”

“Wow, sounds like someone has some serious overcompensation issues,” Wyatt muttered. In a series of quick movements, he roundhouse kicked the beast in the chest, folded his sword back to its gun mode and hit it with a hail of shots.

Spike charged onto deck, his armor consisting of deer, unagi and wani. “What’s going on!?” He jumped back, the yummy firing a barrage of teeth at him.

“At least one of them had a Cell Medal implanted in them,” Wyatt explained, firing at the monster’s head. “They’re working for that Pirate King like the last group were.”

The monster stumbled back into Boyle, knocking the larger bird over and turning most of his crackers to crumbs. Boyle’s pupils contracted into pinpricks and he let out an indignant squawk. Cell Medals exploded out of his chest, knocking the Yummy off of him.

A second Yummy formed, taking the shape of a portal killer whale, brandishing an anchor. “Need more! Give me all your crackers!!!”

“Okay, that’s super freaky,” Spike icommented, igniting his whips with a quick crack. “I’ll take the anchor holding one, you can take sharky, Decade.” Striking at the orca, his whips wrapped around the anchor. The beast howled, electricity surging along with rusted metal.

Wyatt wasted no time resuming his attack on the sawtooth, holstering his card case and punching the beast in the chest. “Come on, tooth-nose show me what you got!”

The Yummy roared in response and swung its saw blade down towards Wyatt’s head. He brought his arm up, cringing as the teeth dug into his armor. “I’ll cut you to pieces, another notch on my sword!”

With his free arm, Wyatt grabbed his gun and aimed it up at the saw. “You want a notch? Here, let me help you make it,” he taunted, unloading a series of shots at the appendage. “You could use a nose reduction anyway!”

The sawtooth cried out in agony, grasping his nose as smoke rose up from his namesake weapon. “You’ll pay for that!” Charging, the shark swung its head back and forth, each swing sending a spray of teeth at Wyatt. Unfolding his booker back to its blade form, Wyatt deflected all of the teeth and sent them harmlessly into the sea or floor. The beast brought its head up to catch Wyatt in the side of the chest, clashing in a shower of sparks with the Rider’s blade. Letting the Yummy move forward, Wyatt punched it in the side of the head.

Tearing her eyes away from the fight, Celaeno moved over to Mullet, checking him over for any wounds. Seeing that he wasn’t physically harmed brought some relief to her mind; but the sheer idea that Poseidon would do something like this to her crew lit a fire in Celaeno’s belly. Her thoughts drifted to the medals in her pocket; of what kind of power they could give her.

“Maybe enough to dethrone the pirate king...” she mused, her eyes focusing on Mullet. “Get up you lout. Get Boyle up; then return to the ship, got it?”

“Ugh,” Mullet groaned, sitting up and rubbing the side of his head. “Aye, Captain.” Slowly, he managed to get to his feet and helped Boyle up to his own. It took a while, but the two birds began climbing the rope back to the airship.

Turning back to the battle, Celaeno took a breath. “I’ve got two monsters on my side, do you really want to see what else I have up my sleeves? Just give me the drake and you don’t have to find out what else I might be wielding.”

“Ooh, is it three multicolored coins?” Wyatt called out, sweeping the legs out from under the sawtooth. “Because that’s exactly what the last pirate captain had too.”

“Guy never had a chance either,” Spike added, countering a swing of the orca’s anchor with a kick. “Personally, I’m hoping you got a grey medal or two. I don’t have any of those!”

Celaeno clicked her beak, irritation mounting at her threat being blown off. “Fine, then we can do this the hard way!” she barked, fishing the medals out of her pocket. Her hand shaking with rage, she stared down the two riders. “I’ll drag that cur’s hide to Poseidon, then I’ll make sure no one ever takes our freedom from us ever again!”

Her eyes flashed red, her desire for freedom dominating her thoughts. Her body pulsed several times before corrupted armor started to overtake her body. Her head was the first to change, grey skin covered her feathers and two horns sprouted from her forehead, the one in front larger than the other. Orange turtle shells grew on her forearms, the armor looking tough at a glance. The last thing to change were her legs; both appendages split into four, giving her the lower half of an octopus.

“Good news, Spike,” Wyatt said, pulling a card from his belt. “She’s got one of the grey medals. I’ll take care of the two Yummies, you focus on the Hentai Monster.” Slotting the card in, he took on his Cassie form. “Just don’t let her get those tentacles on ya.”

“What’s a Hentai Monster?” Spike asked, lashing out with a whip to avoid having a tentacle wrap around his throat. “This one of those Earth things?” Rolling to the side, he sent a rain of antler tips at Celaeno.

“Don’t worry about it,” Wyatt dismissed, not wanting to face the wrath of a newly draconified Twilight and Shining Armor after explaining hentai to their little brother. He had the feeling that Shining wouldn’t hesitate to try out his new fire breath on him.

Taking to the sky, Wyatt called down bolts of lightning on the two Yummies. Dodging out of the way as the Shark replied with a stream of teeth. “You should really see a dentist man, you got a tooth problem.” Watching the teeth fill back in, Wyatt cringed. “Maybe I could help pry them out of your mouth.” Swooping down, he sliced at the shark’s neck with his sword.

The sharktooth rolled out of the way, firing more teeth at Wyatt’s back. Grunting, Wyatt got up close and personal with the boat’s deck before managing to pull himself back towards the sky. The orcas anchor impacted his chest, sending him careening into the ocean.

Electricity arced out into the water, dispersing harmlessly after a few feet. What wasn’t harmless was Wyatt’s sinking. Pulling out two cards, Wyatt slotted one into his belt and donned his Link armor. Before he could think on how long the air trapped in his armor could last, he slotted the second card into his belt.

“Form Ride: Zora!” The muffled voice of his driver called out. The green of his armor was replaced by a light blue, with splashes of yellow along the sides. The helmet had a rebreather on the front, allowing Wyatt to take a breath of fresh air without fear. On the gauntlets were two large, yellow fins that curved out to the side. The legs also ended in flippers; though these were designed to cut through the water and drastically increase his swimming speed.

“Thank god for Link.” Gazing up at the ship, a frown formed under Wyatt’s helmet. “Now, how the hell do I get back on the ship...?” Gazing down at his flippers, Wyatt took a deep breath. “Let’s see if I can channel Free Willy.” Kicking his feet, Wyatt swam down into the inky depths before shooting back up towards the ship. A cone of bubbles took shape around him as he accelerated further and further. “Woo hoo!” Wyatt couldn’t hold back his childish thrill, bursting out of the ocean with an explosion of water. He just managed to crest over the rail, landing on his feet.

The two Yummies had joined Celaeno for an assault on Spike, leaving themselves open from behind. Swinging his arms, Wyatt sent the two yellow fins flying at the back of the Yummie’s heads.

“Hey, water boys! I’m right here! Why don’t I show you just how hard the water temple was, huh?”

The two monsters turned around just as the rotating fins returned to Wyatt and attached themselves to his wrists. The beasts rushed the Rider, the orca hurling his anchor at Wyatt’s chest.

“I feel like I’m reenacting God of War in a novelty costume...” Dropping to his knees, he slid under the achor, hurling his fins again. “Now I just need to scream at the gods and murder everyone that comes near me.”

The fins impacted the monster in the chest, sending a series of of Cell Medals onto the deck. Wyatt rushed toward the Yummy, drop kicking the creature and wrenching his weapons free from its chest.

The Yummy staggered back, cell medals leaking from its wounds. “N-no! I can’t stop! I need more! More crackers! More! More! More! You’ll never keep them from me!”

“So you like crackers?” Reattaching the blades to his wrists, Wyatt dashed forward and plunged one fin deep into the leaking wound. “How do you like this cracker, Polly?” Pushing it harder, the fin buried itself into the orca’s blubber.

Crying out one last time, the Yummy exploded into a pile of cell medals, some flying out into the waters below. Wyatt let out a tired sigh, the medals bouncing off his armor. “That’s one monster down, only two more to go. How you doing, OOO?”

Spike dodged a headbutt from the corrupted captain, lashing with his whip only to be blocked by the shells on her arms. “She’s putting up a real fight! Makes me want to try out these medals!” Distracted by Wyatt’s question, he wasn’t quick enough to avoid the grasping tentacles. Swept off his feet, he could offer no response as Celaeno slashed him with her horn. Kicking forward, Spike activated the alligator jaws and clamped down on three of the captain’s tentacles.

“No one will ever tell us what to do again!” Celaeno raved, brushing off the loss of her tentacles. “We’ll fly free and true, unburdened by the yoke of slavery!” Bringing her shields up, she resisted another lashing from Spike’s whips.

Grunting, Spike pulled at the captain’s tentacles, trying to force her to the floor. “And turning into a monster is gonna help you!?”

“I need power; power to keep the chains of Poseidon and the Storm King off my ship!”

“Attacking this ship just earned you a set of handcuffs from the Royal Guard!” With a surge of strength, Spike sent Celeano toppling to the deck. He released his alligator jaws from her legs and hopped to his feet. “What good is your power then?!”

“You won’t put more chains on me!” the captain boomed, attempting to pull herself up only for Spike to thrust his foot at the back of her head and lodge her horn into the floor. “No one will clip my wings! We’ll soar the skies; making our fortune!”

“Not at the expense of my freedom you won’t,” Spike retorted, wrapping his whips around her chest and sending electricity through them.

Celaeno growled, freeing her head from the deck. “You! You’re the one he wants!” With a flurry of movement, her tentacles ensnared him. “I’ll take Poseidon what is his, and strangle the life from his body!”

“There is nothing of mine that belongs to this Poseidon guy,” Spike retorted, struggling against the tentacles.

Squeezing tighter, Celaeno lifted Spike to eye level. “You! You belong to Poseidon! The reason he turned my crew and I into monsters! You’ll bring our freedom; whether you want to or not.”

Smirking beneath his helmet, Spike looked into the captain’s eyes. “Sorry, never really wanted to be owned by pirates.” Using the Deer Medal, he stabbed the antlers deep into her chest. “I will take those medals from you, no one deserves to be a monster.”

Celeano grabbed as many of the branches as she could, trying to pull them out of her with little success. “You think I’ll give this up? Not until I make sure we’ll never be weighed down again! The life of a slave is no life for a pirate!”

“And I won’t let you do that at my expense!” Spike growled, wrapping his whips around her arms. “I don’t know what Poseidon told you, but I’ve never even met the guy. I don’t belong to him.” Sending Electricity through the whips, the grip around his arms loosened enough to allow him to free one and punch the captain in the face.

Celaeno recoiled, returning the favor with a bash of her shield. “Your freedom for mine; a fair trade if there ever was one!”

Spike’s head rolled back, the antlers embedded in Celeano retracted slightly. “You and I have very different definitions of fair.” The two started to exchange blows, neither one giving an inch. “This the best you can do, pirate?”

“Not on your life, lizard,” Celeano shot back, rearing back and headbutting Spike in the chest. “I’ll make a hat out of your hide, nice wide brim!”

“Speaking of lizards that make nice apparel,” Spike commented, wiggling his leg and letting the alligator jaws chomp down on his bindings. “Give up! You’ve already lost!”

“N-No!” Celeano shouted, though Spike could feel her grip weakening. “I need my freedom!”

Freeing himself with another kick, Spike scrambled to his feet. “I’m done playing pretend with you, Polly.” Grabbing the scanner, he activated his finisher. “Now just relax so I can get you out of that costume.”

Three rings, matching the colors of Spike’s medals formed a line in the air. Grunting, he hoisted Celeano up into the air with his whips in front of the orange ring. Jumping, Spike passed through the first two rings and poised his right leg to kick her in the chest. As soon as he passed through the orange ring, an energy projection of an alligator formed around his leg and bit down on the captain.

Celaeno screamed as the projected jaws bit into her armor, crunching it like candy. In a flash of white light, her corrupted armor faded, leaving her trio of medals resting on her chest and stomach.

Spike turned his head to the side, gently easing Celaeno to the deck. “Oh, that whole naked thing is just the worst.” Being careful not to touch anything inappropriate, he slowly picked up the medals one at a time.

“Those belong to me boy, just the same as you do.”

Turning his head slowly, Spike was greeted with the sight of what appeared to be another rider; wearing armor not much different than his own. The biggest difference was the arrangement of the symbols on his chest. Instead of tiers like his, the rider he presumed to be Poseidon had them in an almost spiral pattern. The belt was different as well, looking identical to a saw blade.

Glaring beneath his helmet, Spike clutched his new medals. “I don’t care if you call yourself a king; these medals belong to my family,” he stated, making his voice as commanding as he possibly could. “And I’m no one’s property.”

Hefting a spear into the air, the rider hurled it into the shark Yummy’s back. “All of them belong to me.” Holding his hands to the sky, all the loose Cell Medals shot towards him; absorbing into his body on contact. “Each and every one, welp.” The yummy howled in pain, its cell medals streaming out of its back.

“Guess you’re not a very good listener,” Spike growled, a primal anger forming in the edges of his thoughts. “It’s my duty to protect these medals. And I’m not about to let some pirate with an ego trip keep me from it. Even with that fancy trick you just pulled.”

The rider turned back to Spike, having finished devouring the Yummy. “You are my greatest treasure, the thing I have been searching for for centuries.” Dismissing and reconjuring his spear, he stepped closer. “Come, boy. Let us be off.”

The centuries comment caught Spike off guard, his anger dissipating slightly, though he kept his whips at the ready. “What are you talking about? Who are you?”

With a blur of motion, the riders harpoon cleaved through Spike’s chestplate, knocking him out of his transformation. “I am Poseidon, king of the seas. All that I desire will be mine, including you.”

Spike gaped, unable to form a sentence from the shock of the display of power. Before Poseidon could step closer, Wyatt kicked the back of the king’s head in his Kuuga form. “Begone.” With a slap, Poseidon sent Wyatt back into the ocean. Returning his attention to Spike, he took in the drake’s true appearance for the first time.

A soft voice spoke in his mind, bringing forth a wave of pain. “I know who I am!” Dropping his spear, Poseidon brought his hand to his helmet. “I am Poseidon!” The sea awoke in a violent flurry, tossing the freighter this way and that. “No one else!”

Spike’s eyes widened in a panic, his thoughts instantly drifting to the dragon eggs in Twilight’s possession. “Stop!” Spike yelled, putting his hands on Poseidon’s shoulders. “Okay, I’ll go with you! Just stop tof the ossing the ship around!”
“I am Poseidon!!!!” Screaming to the heavens, Poseidon exploded in a column of water, throwing Spike back and putting a hole in the ship. His body seemed to dissolve into the liquid, leaving the ship to its fate.

Panic started to overtake Spike, the freighter quickly taking on water. Looking up, he couldn’t help but see that the airship was still attached to the captured vessel. Grabbing his newly acquired green medals out of his case, he slotted them into his belt.

Splitting into a dozen copies, Spike sent them down to get the others. “Come on.” Bending down, he threw Celaeno over his shoulder before leaping up as high as possible. Grabbing onto one of the ropes, he climbed up onto the deck of the airship. “Someone get a blanket, your captain isn’t exactly decent at the moment.

Boyle narrowed his eyes, drawing his sword. “What did you do to the captain?” Pointing at her with his hook, he growled. “If you hurt her, I’ll turn that fancy armor of yours into tin!”

“It was the Core medals’ corruption that destroyed her clothes,” Spike answered, not rising to the threat. “I just removed them from her. Now get her some damn clothes and clear the deck, we’re going to have company”

Before the crew could protest further, the other copies came up to the deck, each carrying a family member. The copies hopped back down, a couple minutes passing before they returned with the crew of the sinking freighter. While the copies had been gone, Boyle had found some clothes he could easily cover his captain with.

“Where’s Wyatt?” Twilight asked, one of the copies putting the chest of eggs down next to her before hopping down the rope to save the freighter’s crew. “He’s okay, right?”

“He got knocked into the water last I saw,” Spike answered, checking on a frazzled looking Diamond and Sombra. “But he’s got a form that lets him breathe underwater. He’s either searching the water for drowning crew, or slowly climbing up the ropes if I had to guess.”

“The tartarus happened?!”Shining demanded, sitting Cadance down against a box. “Sky pirates?! Seriously?!”

“The sky pirates aren’t the ones who sank the boat,” Spike said plainly, turning to face his brother. “Another rider named Poseidon came and shot a pillar of water into it.” Pointing to the pirates, he added. “They were working for him though.”

“We didn’t have much of a choice,” Boyle said, leaning Celeano against a barrel. “You saw what that bastard can do. He tears through the hulls of ships like we can through paper. He is not someone who’s bad side we wanted to be on.”

“It was either do what he wanted, or how our wings clipped permanently,” Mullet added, watching as the clones deposited more of the crew onto the deck. “We don’t have enough room for all these ponies.”

“Should’ve thought of that before attempting to raid a vessel,” Shining said, fishing out his Royal Guard badge. “I’m commandeering this ship in the name of the Equestrian crown. Cooperate, and I might just be willing to not throw you and your pirate friends in the deepest, darkest dungeon that I can find.”

“What would you want us to do!?” Mullet got into Shining’s face, knocking his badge out of his hand. “Kneel down and die like beaten dogs?”

Shining didn’t flinch, meeting Mullet’s harsh glare with one of his own. “You wouldn’t be in this mess if you all hadn’t decided to become pirates in the first place. But,” he started, his expression softening, “the fact that you all were being threatened by this Poseidon is why I’m willing to not charge you.”

“We can deal with this later,” Cadance hauled herself to her hooves, shaking some water from her wings. “We have more important things to worry about, like making sure nopony drowns.”

A wet slap caught everyone’s attention, a blue gauntlet grabbing the airship’s railing. Wyatt’s Zora helmet popped over next, falling into a heap on the deck while he fought to catch his breath. “Good… news. No one got caught beneath the water when the ship got a hole punched in it.” Taking a moment, he steadied his breathing. “I checked as deep into the water as I thought someone might sink, there wasn’t anyone drifting in the sea. Also, I deeply regret forging a doctor’s note on the day they made us climb the ropes in gym class.”

Ignoring his attempt at a joke, Twilight knelt down and wrapped her arms him in a tight hug. Sombra quickly joined her, holding back sniffles.

Trixie wandered into a sleepy hollow of a village, following a lead she had been chasing. She had been humiliated one too many times for her liking. She needed something to boost her magic. And luckily, if her luck bore out then this town had just that. She adjusted her cloak, avoiding contact with the townsponies as much as she could.

Spotting her destination, Trixie made her way over. The door was heavy oak, sporting a rather large window panel. Peering inside, she observed the shopkeeper closing up for the night. Pulling the door open, she got the stallion’s attention.

“Pardon my intrusion,” Trixie began, forcing herself to be polite. “But I have need of something that I believe is at your shop.”

“Ah, a last minute customer, please come in.” Giving her an easy smile, the shopkeeper gestured for her to come forward. “Now, tell me what you’re looking for, young lady.”

Stepping up to the counter, Trixie adjusted the hood around her face. “The Alicorn Amulet,” she stated plainly. “Give it to me.”

The stallion adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his muzzle, his eyes darting to and fro. “I-I’m sorry, ma’am, but there’s no such thing as that item. I think you’ve been misled by somepony looking to pull a mean spirited prank.”

Narrowing her eyes, Trixie unclicked her side arm from her belt. “I don’t think I made myself clear.” Raising the weapon, she fired at a pot beside the shopkeeper’s head. “I want that amulet, and you’ll give it to me.”

Gulping, the stallion reached under his counter and fished out a small chest. Opening it, he revealed a black amulet resting on a cushion. “I-I suppose I can’t expect a payment for this, can I?” he inquired with a weak smile.

Lifting the amulet up, Trixie examined it for a few moments. Satisfied she had the real article, she clipped the sidearm back onto her belt. “The Lulamoons are more than happy to reward those who help with our endeavors.” Throwing her arm out, she tossed a bag of coins onto the counter.

“If I might ask, what do you plan on doing with that amulet?” The shopkeeper inquired, hefting the bag of coins and opening his safe. “That item is dangerous in the wrong hands. Very-” he was cut off by Trixie exiting the shop and closing the door behind her. “-corruptive.”

Stepping out into the streets, Trixie took a moment to take in the amulets power, just holding it filled her with awe. “I promise you, Twilight Sparkle, the next time we meet won’t be so pleasant.” Holding up her Knuckle, she glanced between the items. “I’ll make sure it’s the most memorable experience of your life.”

Magic Duel

Spike gazed at the egg in his hands, mesmerized by the patterns on its shell. It sported a red color, a spiral of green weaving around it. In his hands was another life, one that had been asleep for long before he was hatched. He tried to picture the hatchling that was dormant beneath the surface of the egg’s shell. If he was anything to go by, then the hatchling would match the egg itself.

“Red and green is a nice combo,” he spoke the the unhatched dragon, moving his fingers over it. “I wonder if you’re a girl or boy? Is there anyway to tell before you come out?”

“I’ve actually been reading all the materials that Smaug gave me to see for myself,” Twilight’s voice chimed in, walking down to the library with her muzzle buried in an old scroll. “There are some old drake’s tale about the amount heat given to an egg affecting the gender of a hatchling, but it’s never really been proven.”

Looking up from the egg, Spike followed Twilight’s movements. “I guess we won’t find out until they hatch then, huh?”

“That seems to be the case,” Twilight agreed, rolling up the scroll. “Normally I’d suggest conducting an experiment on the matter. But for something this important, I’m just going to make sure they hatch safely.”

Setting the egg back in the chest, Spike rose to his feet. “Do you have any ideas on how to do that?”

Scratching her cheek, Twilight shook her head. “Not at the moment, but I’ve been working on it as much as I can.” Kneeling down, Twilight removed a green and blue egg. “It seems green runs in the family.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of purple or green on these eggs,” Spike agreed, tracing his palm against the green spirals. “Though none of them have that glittery white that Bahamut had. Maybe it comes from his mate?”

“Well, Bahamut had purple on him,” Twilight reminded, turning the egg over in her hands. “So maybe he supplied the purple and his mate the green.” Putting the egg down, she took a seat on the loveseat. “Was probably easy for Bahamut to get a mate after becoming the first Dragonlord.”

Spike nodded in agreement, dropping down next to her. Gazing at his clothes, he took a moment before speaking. “Hey, uh, Twi? Can we talk about what happened with Poseidon?”

Sitting the egg into her lap, Twilight looked up at Spike curiously. “Is this about what he said?”

“Yeah. I just thought he wanted the medals but...” Frowning, Spike reflected make on the riders words. “He said he’d been looking for me for centuries; that I was his ‘treasure’.”

Twilight frowned, putting a hand to her chin in thought. “That doesn’t make any sense, only a handful of people knew about your existence for centuries.” Sudden realization dawned on Twilight, and she looked into Spike’s eyes. “Spike, can you hand me the deer medal?”

“Yeah, sure.” Reaching into his pocket, he produced the medal in question. “Whatcha thinkin’, Twi?”

“Filthy said your father created some Core Medals of his own, right?” Twilight questioned, pointing at the coin in his claw. “Medals like that one, right?”

Spike stared at the medal, tracing every detail with his eyes. “Twilight... you don’t think, he’s my dad, do you?” Moving his eyes to her face, he suddenly felt very small. The idea that an infamous pirate king was his father clashed with the concept of the kind stallion he had been told about.

“It’s the only idea that makes sense right now,” Twilight offered, flashing Spike a sympathetic look. “If he could make Medals, then maybe he figured out how to make a Driver. Though, he obviously didn’t figure out how to avoid the corruption of his Medals like with your belt.” Placing her hand on his, she gave it a squeeze. “I promise, we’ll fix him but first, we have to make sure these little ones get to live, okay?”

“Yeah, my real dad is still in there,” Spike said, nodding firmly. “He freaked out about his identity when he saw my real face. That’s why he sank the boat and left.”

Peeking down at the egg in her lap, Twilight gave a nostalgic smile. “You know, you’ve grown up so much these last few months. I remember when you were a hatchling. So small and clingy, needing to snuggle up for body heat.”

Spike chuckled weakly, rubbing the side of his head. “I guess my duty as OOO has helped me mature.” He frowned, an errant thought crossing his mind. “You don’t think I’m too different, do you?”

Shaking her head, Twilight flashed him a smile. “No, you’re still the same in so many ways. It’s like you just said, you’re maturing. I’m proud of you, Spike.” Pulling him into a hug, she planted a kiss on his head. “You’re still my dorky little brother, no matter how big you get.”

Snorting, Spike gently slugged his sister in the arm. “And you’re still my mess of a sister even with a boyfriend and a kid.” Getting to his feet, he pointed towards the kitchen. “You want anything before playing mother goose?”

“Do we still have some of those topaz?” Twilight inquired, staring at the cabinets.

Spike groaned, feeling a swell of annoyance. “You and Sombra are going to eat all of my snacks. Maybe you should start helping Rarity with her gem hunts?”

“What and cut in on one of the few times you get to be alone with her? Still not old enough to go on dates without a chaperone?” she teased, watching him walk to the kitchen. Giggling to herself, she set a hand on the egg. “Alright, let's get you a check up!” Standing up, she made her way to the basement to grab some equipment. She sat the egg down on a table, pulling out a stethoscope and placing it on the surface of the shell.

The rhythmic beating of a tiny heart reached her ears, with the occasional sound of movement. Relief washed over her, a renewed sense of hope that her task could be accomplished creeping into her thoughts. “Don’t worry, little one,” she cooed, petting the shell. “You’re going to get a big breath of fresh air, I promise.”

Setting the stethoscope down, she picked up a book on hexes and minotaurian magic. “Now, what’s keeping you in there? Maybe a stasis spell?” Flipping through the pages, she carefully combed it over for any stasis spells. After an hour or so of searching, she found a spell that might fit the bill. Walking over to her whiteboard, she copied the formula for the spell and sat the book down with a bookmark to remember her place. Tapping her chin with a marker, she studied the formula and worked it over in her mind in the hopes of reverse engineering it.

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash burst into the library, eyes wide and searching. “You have to come to the square!”

With a sharp inhale through her nose, Twilight sat her marker down and turned towards the frantic pegasus. “Is there some sort of emergency? Because if there isn’t, I’m busy with this.” She gestured towards the egg.

Dash closed the distance, grabbing Twilight’s shirt. “Trixie’s back! She’s doing all this crazy magic! You have to do something!”

“Trixie?” Twilight questioned, tilting her head. After a moment she came to a realization. “Oh right, that blowhard stage magician from a while ago. Why would I be interested in stopping her new act?”

“Twi, it ain’t an act! She’s going crazy!” Dash pushed her back, pointing towards the door. “You need to get out there and do something about it!”

Twilight blinked, moving up the stairs. She didn’t know what Dash was going on about, but if Trixie was actually doing harm instead of just boasting while performing subpar stage magic, then she should at least check it out before calling the local guard. The trip into town was rather hectic, ponies were rushing down the street away from the square. This wasn’t a good sign to Twilight, causing her to squeeze her way through the crowd.

She got to the front just in time to see a bolt of red magic hit Rarity. The unicorn in question shrieked, her clothes turning into a brown sackcloth dress. “What have you done!? This is hideous!”

Turning her head, Twilight found the showmare Trixie grinning maliciously while wearing a necklace bearing a black alicorn shape with a red jewel at its center. Twilight gaped, the magic the other unicorn was using was far above anything she showcased before.

The moment the two locked eyes, Twilight knew something was very wrong with the showmare. “There you are, Sparkle!” Trixie flourished her cape, pointing at Twilight. “I’ve waited for this moment for so long; the day I show you for the fraud you are!”

“Expose me for a fraud?” Twilight repeated, stepping forward. “Um, in what way am I a fraud exactly?”

“You humiliated me!” Trixie seethed, using her magic to produce a large screen. Keeping her magic working, she replayed the events of their last meeting. “You made me look like a fool! My name was dragged through the mud; my career came to a screeching halt!” The footage changed to completely new scenes, showing Trixie being driven from towns, pelted with objects and her wagon vandalized. “I even had to go crawling back home, all because of you!”

“Trixie, I never tried to humiliate you,” Twilight reasoned, cringing at the scenes being displayed. “I just wanted to defend my town from the rampaging ursa minor. I’m sorry you had to go through all that.”

“Shut your damn mouth!” Trixie ordered, the screen winking out of existence. “We’re going to settle this once and for all, Sparkle. A little contest of magic, between the two of us. The loser has to leave Ponyville. Forever”

“Why would I agree to a contest like that?” Twilight questioned, frowning at the other unicorn.

Trixie’s horn glowed bright, a corresponding glow appearing around Golden Oaks. “I’ll just make your life a living Tartarus until you do,” Trixie explained, starting to tear the tree from the ground.

Twilight’s pupils contracted, the eggs jumping to the forefront of her thoughts. Taking in a massive gulp of air, Twilight unleashed a gout of flame onto the showmare.

Trixie panicked for a moment, dropping the library from her aura and erecting a barrier around herself just as the flames singed her fur.

A minute passed before Twilight extinguished the flames. Smoke rose from her nostrils, though she didn’t seem bothered. “You want a duel, Trixie? You just got one.” Unfiltered rage coursed through her, her rational mind nearly blotted out with the instinctive need to protect the clutch.

“I knew you’d see it my way,” Trixie replied, reaching beneath her cape. “And seeing as you’ve made the opening move, it’s my turn.” Igniting her horn, she fired a blood red beam at Twilight’s face.

Twilight met the beam with her own, creating a shower of fireworks. “Are beams the only thing you have to show, Trixie?”

“Hardly,” Trixie dismissed, brushing her mane over her shoulder. “But it’s your turn now.”

Glancing around, Twilight zapped a frog, granting it a pair of wings.

“Woo!” Pinkie cheered, popping up to the front of the crowd. “Show that meanie what the best mage ever can do!” She waved her pom poms around, her clothes having been replaced with a cheerleading outfit.

Trixie gave the pink mare a flat look, lighting her horn up. A mouse cursor appeared next to Pinkie’s mouth before moving over it. With a click, Pinkie’s muzzle was removed and placed into a trashcan icon that the showmare created.

Pinkie stopped mid jump, desperately patting at her muzzle. She whimpered, staring at Trixie with fearful eyes.

“Top that, Sparkle,” Trixie spat, a smug smile spreading across her lips. Her smile fell as Twilight breathed in deeply again, letting out a plume of fire that she turned into a raging tornado with some quick work of her horn.

“I’ve changed just as much as you, Trixie.” Twilight met her gaze, her eyes contracted into slits. “I’m not just a unicorn anymore.”

Trixie’s horn ignited, a bubble shield surrounding the flaming tornado. The shield shrank, becoming the size of a marble which Trixie pinched between her forefinger and thumb. Smirking, she flicked the captured fire at Twilight’s forehead.

Twilight caught it, unphased as it exploded in her hand. “Like I said, I’m not just a unicorn anymore.”

“Hmm, so you’re fireproof now,” Trixie noted, watching wisps of fire snuff themselves out against the purple mare’s fur. “But what about ice?” In an instant, the showmare conjured up an icy gale that careened towards Twilight.

Lighting her horn, Twilight blasted the gale, turning it into nothing but fog. “That as creative as you can get, Trixie? Aren’t you supposed to be a showmare?”

Snapping her fingers, a flash of light emerged from Trixie’s horn. When it died down, the fog around Twilight was replaced with water, drenching the purple mare. “I dunno, Sparkle, you look pretty wet behind the ears.”

Huffing, Twilight brought up her aura, lifting all the water off her fur. Dragging the water along the ground, she picked up a swath of dirt, created mud, and splattered Trixie with it. “And you’ve got mud on your face, Lulamoon.”

“Enough of these petty games!” Her horn glowing, she spotted Snips and Snails in the audience. “You two! You little cretins brought that accursed bear into town!” Firing a ribbon of magic, she caught the two as they attempted to flee. “Top that, Sparkle.”

When the magic ended, Snips had been transformed into a foal while Snails had been aged into an old stallion. The crowd gasped, whispering amongst themselves as the rejuvenated Snips burst into tears.

Trembling, spells raced through Twilight’s mind. She tried a few, only for the spell to give out halfway through. Her eyes darted to and fro, desperate for anything that could match Trixie’s feat. “I-I,” she began, only to collapse to her knees, “can’t.”

Trixie broke into a cackle, grabbing Twilight in her magic and tossing the mare out of the town’s limits. “I knew you were a joke, Sparkle. Celestia must have taken pity on you." Focusing her magic, a glass dome appeared above Ponville. “Enjoy your exile.” Cutting her magic, Trixie allowed the dome to fall over the town.

Twilight’s eyes widened, finding Sombra crawl beneath the crowd before pressing himself against the dome. “Momma!” he wailed, beating a fist against the barrier.

Overcome by a mix of rage and fear, Twilight beat on the dome, blocking out the pain. “Let me in!” Flame licked at her lips, leaving blackened scorch marks on the glass. “Damn you, Trixie! I’ll kill you!!!”

Sombra recoiled, terrified by his mother’s sudden outburst.

Yawning, Trixie turned away from the dome. “Face it, Sparkle, you lost. You can’t force your way back in.”

Twilight snarled, slamming her fist against the glass. “You can’t keep me out forever, Trixie. I’ll find my way back you. You won’t keep me from my family!”

Rolling her eyes, Trixie threw a spell at the dome that caused it to arc with electricity. “All that banging is starting to get irritating.”

Sombra whimpered, pulling away from the dome. “Mommy, I’m scared. Y-you look so angry.”

The comment made Twilight pause. When had she gotten so angry? A sick feeling filled her belly, her brain registering her threat to kill Trixie. “I-I’m sorry, Sombra. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s not right to say things like that. I’m sorry I scared you.”

Sniffling, he got as close to the barrier as he dared with the electricity running through it. “It’s okay, Momma. Papa will do something about this wall.”

“I’ll find a way in, I promise.” Giving him a reassuring smile, she got to her hooves. “Go find your papa, okay? He and Uncle Spike will keep you safe.”

Nodding, Sombra told her goodbye and dashed back into the crowd. Twilight watched him for a few moments, turning away from the dome. She trusted Wyatt and Spike to keep Sombra and the eggs safe.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight pushed back the dark feelings in her mind. “Come on, Twilight, think! Who knows obscure and strange magic? It’ll take too long to get to Canterlot...” She began to pace, running through her archive of knowledge.

She needed someone close by whose knowledge rivaled if not outmatched her own. Her eyes lit up and she ran off towards the Everfree Forest. The trip took longer than it normally would thanks to the dome, but Twilight managed to reach the forest’s edge with her breathing only becoming slightly labored.

The animals gave her a wide berth, though whether it was because of how angry she was or if they could smell the dragon on her, she couldn’t tell. She followed the trail, steering clear of the Poison Joke patch. The last thing she needed was to have a useless horn on top of everything else. Eventually, the familiar hut of the hermit zebra Zecora came into her line of sight and she allowed herself to slow to a near stop.

Twilight took a moment to ready herself before she knocked on the door. “Zecora? Are you home? There’s an emergency in Ponyville and I really need your help.”

“I am indeed in my abode,” Zecora’s lyrical voice responded through the door. “What brings you down my lonesome road?.”

A sense of relief washed over Twilight as she stepped into the small hut. “Oh thank Faust you’re here. A crazy mare came into Ponyville, using magic I can’t even do! She’s put a dome around the town and threw me out!” Smoke filled the room, a dark growl building in Twilight’s throat.

“Well, that is quite the tale you tell,” Zecora replied, turning away from her cauldron to look Twilight in the eyes. “I think some help would serve you well.” Her gaze moved over Twilight’s body before returning to her face. “I owe Apple Bloom an apology. Her words were true as I now clearly see. She informed me of your form’s sudden change; I’d dismissed this, as it sounded too strange.”

“Yeah, I took part in a ritual that bonded my family to Spike’s,” Twilight quickly explained. “I’ll tell you more about it later when I’m not busy trying to get back into my home. It involves dragon shamanism and I’m curious how it compares to the shamanism in zebra culture.”

“When I am done with my concoction, we will begin your introduction. I can teach you techniques. If you add on some flair, it will surely bring low this bully of a mare.” Zecora gave a confident nod, adding some unknown ingredient into her brew.

“Thank you, Zecora,” Twilight replied, taking a seat in a nearby chair and breathing a sigh of relief. Watching Zecora attend her cauldron, Twilight let her mind wander; thinking of how she would get Trixie back.

A day had passed since Twilight’s banishment and Sombra hadn’t left Wyatt’s side. That was one of the things that had kept the young man from giving the blue dictator a rider kick to the skull. That, and even with her crazy magic, he was sure that his rider powers would kill the mare. And that was something that he didn’t need hanging over him.

Trixie had wasted no time taking over the town after throwing Twilight out. Banners with her smug face hung from every lamppost and the villagers gave her a wide berth to avoid her torment. Poor Snips and Snails got the worst of it, the pair forced to pull Trixie’s personal chariot. Apparently, Trixie didn’t trust wheels.

She had put most of the town to work doing rather unreasonable things. Pinkie had all but become a court jester, Rarity was forced to make the aforementioned banners and Daring had been forced to insert Trixie into a Daring Do story. That was just the tip of the iceberg, suffice it to say, the only one in town with a smile on their face was Trixie.

Wyatt escaped the worst of it as far as physical labor went. Though he couldn’t escape the feeling she had been lacing somewhat racist jabs into her words when he had passed by her. If it kept her wrath away from Sombra, he’d put up with it for however long it took to get rid of her.

Still, it was clear that something had to be done about Trixie. When the dictator had finally decided that everyone could stop working on her personal projects, Wyatt had grabbed the girls and led them to the library.

“Okay,” Wyatt started, leaning on a bookshelf. “It’s only been a day and Trixie’s already gone full dictator.”

“That’s because she’s wearing the alicorn amulet.” Daring tossed her disguise on the loveseat, a scowl maring her face. “It’s what's boosting her power in exchange for eroding her sanity; hence things like not trusting wheels.”

“You’ve heard of this thing before?” Wyatt questioned, arching a brow before shaking his head. “That’s not important. So we just need to get the amulet off of her?”

“Not a thing.” Daring leaned on the wall, her scowl deepening. “Only she can take it off.”

“Ugh, of course that’s the catch,” Wyatt huffed, pinching his brow. “And it’s not like we can just go up to her and coerce her to take it off on her own.”

Spike grunted standing guard by the basement door. “If she comes in here, I’m knocking her into next Tuesday. She can’t know about the chest.”

“Oh, I get first dibs at her,” Wyatt stated, clenching and unclenching his hand into a fist. “After banishing Twilight and making my son cry, she’s earned a punch to the throat. That amulet can only take so much of the blame.”

“We have to do something about her,” Rarity spoke up from her seat. Her hands were soaking in little pans; filled with mineral water. “At this rate she’ll work me to the bone!”

“Yeah!” Dash agreed, ice packs wrapped at the bases of her wings. “I spent the whole day trying to make it, ‘cloudy, but not too cloudy’ for her. And I swear I ended up with the same amount of clouds as there were at the start of the day.”

“We can probably sedate her until Twilight gets back inside the town,” Daring suggested, idly cracking her knuckles. Trixie was a textbook example of a narcissist; everything was about her, no matter the context. Being forced to write what amounted to fanfiction affronted her authorial side. An affront she would not abide. There was no way she was going to present what Trixie had forced her to make to the world.

“Sedation doesn’t sound too bad,” Wyatt admitted, relaxing his fist and resting it on his arm. “Do you know any potions or poisons from your travels that could do the trick, Double D?”

“I don’t need any.” Flexing her fingers, she grinned at him. “We both know how affective I am at putting ponies to sleep.”

“I hate t’rain on yer parade, Darin’, but how do ya figure ya can just go up and knock her out with a punch?” Applejack cut in, arching a brow. “I mean, ya’ll saw how fast she can throw up a barrier in her fight with Twilight.”

“I know more than a few ways to take out a unicorn,” Daring assured, stepping away from the wall. “I’ll have her on the floor before you can blink. And if I can’t, have one of the riders knock her ass flat.”

“I’d rather keep my rider powers as a last resort thing,” Wyatt said. “I might want to punch her in the face, but if I did it while in my armor there wouldn’t be a face left to punch.”

Daring closed her eyes, humming to herself. “If we distract her, I should be able to lay her out. Keep her talking about nonsense; that mare has no situational awareness whatsoever.”

“Herself is the topic I’m sure will distract her the most,” Spike grumbled, staring down from his post. “I swear her ego is the size of a mountain. It was bad enough before, now she’s basically making us worship her.”

“Well, this plan’s better than nothing,” Wyatt relented, pushing away from the wall. “We might as well give it a shot. The worst thing she can do is banish us like Twilight. You girls stay here, Daring and I will take care of Trixie.”

“Smart thinking, kid,” Daring said, striding up the stairs. “Limit the number of people that piss her off if the plan goes south.” Daring put her disguise back on, pushing her glasses back into place. “Looks like all those lessons with Flash Fire are paying off.”

“She literally beats them into my head, so they better be,” Wyatt joked, jogging upstairs right behind her. “And hey, for the first time in my life, I’ve got abs that aren’t drawn on by a sharpie.”

“You drew abs with a sharpie?” Daring snorted in mirth. “That’s not something you should be admitting to, Wyatt.”

“Hey, it was for a Halloween costume when I was eight, that’s the perfect age to do something stupid like that,” he retorted, opening the front door. “What? Did little Double D never do silly things as a filly?”

“Now, I never said that.” Stepping outside, Daring allowed memories to wash over her. “I did a lot of stupid stuff as a kid; we all do in one shape or another. I once let myself to caught by diamond dogs so I could watch my dad beat them up.”

“I bet he chewed you out once he learned about that,” Wyatt said, chuckling at the image. He always enjoyed the stories of Daring’s life, whenever the mare felt like sharing them. Each gave just a little insight into Agito and what kind of man he was.

“Oh, you better believe he chewed me out,” Daring recalled with a laugh. “He even made me dig up an armful of gems as a way to apologize to that pack.”

The pair continued their conversation, making their way towards town hall. Trixie had commanded the building; turning it into her unofficial palace. Banners alternating between her face and cutie mark covered the place in an obnoxious display of self-aggrandizing.

Opening the door, they found the mare in question discussing where the merits of a statue in the hall with Mayor Mare. Spotting Wyatt, Trixie shoved Mayor Mare to the side. “You there, hu-man! Trixie demands to speak to you.”

Biting back the urge to correct her, Wyatt forced a smile and approached her. “Oh? Is there something the town’s new leader needs from me?”

Eyeing him over, Trixie almost struck a pose. “Trixie has learned that you are seeing Twilight Sparkle.” Placing her hands on his chest, she leaned in close. “I can offer you so much more than that prude could ever dream of.”

Wyatt blinked, his thoughts coming to a screeching halt. He had to stop himself from screaming, looking down into her eyes to study her expression for some kind of trick. “This is a surprising offer,” he managed to get out, his tone deceptively even. “I had gotten the impression that you looked down on me when I passed by you earlier.”

“Nonsense! Trixie was merely playing a part.” Gesturing her head to the mayor, she grinned. “The lesser ponies have to be put in their place. You however, hu-man; are far above these peons.”

The shock had finally worn off and an idea had formed into Wyatt’s head. Despite the urge to puke, he could keep Trixie on the line of conversation long enough for the distraction that Daring needed. He just needed to keep the act up. “Coming from a talented mare like you, that’s high praise. Pardon my curiosity, but what makes me above the peons?”

“You’re a one of a kind creature; an exotic being that stands out from the crowd.” Trixie stepped around him, tracing her finger along his body. “Together, the two of us would become the premiere couple in all of Equestria! Our wedding day would be something ponies tell their children for generations!”

“Planning the wedding already?” Wyatt inquired, bile rising in his throat as he silently wished Daring would get on with it. “Shouldn’t I take you out to dinner first?”

“It always helps to plan ahead.” Trixie leaned in closer, curling some of his hair around her finger. “We’ll make those charaltens up north look like posers. I even wrote up a little song for the occasion~”

Wyatt wanted to cringe; everything the mare was saying and doing set off alarm bells in his mind. But, he knew that Daring would only get one shot. “Looks, magic and now songwriting?” he asked, sounding impressed. “Is there any area where you don’t excel? What’s this song?”

“I call it ‘Tricks Up My Sleeve!’” Trixie twirled, striking a pose. “Of course, I’ll be sure to have Yearling edit it, everything must be perfect!”

“I’ll give you an edit!” Daring threw a punch, aiming at Trixie’s horn. “How about I edit that horn of yours right off?” Before Daring’s fist could make contact, Trixie grabbed her arm, tossing Daring over her shoulder.

Wyatt gaped, honestly impressed by Trixie’s move. “Wow, Trixie, I wasn’t expecting you to know self defense techniques like that,” he commented, not needing to embellish his words for the first time since the start of their conversation. “That was a perfect judo throw.”

“So she’s got some moves.” Daring picked herself up, fixing her glasses. “Come on then, Trix, show me what you got.”

“You really don’t want to do that, Yearling,” Trixie said, cracking her knuckles. Tossing her cape off, she got into a fighting stance. “I am quite sure I could beat you in a fist fight.”

“I really doubt that, Lulamoon.” Daring darted in, faking a punch to Trixie’s chest, only to catch her in the jaw with her other fist. “Case in point.”

Trixie clicked her jaw, crouching down and feigning a punch to Daring’s stomach, only to sweep at the adventurer’s legs. “You’re not as good as you think, Yearling. Try to keep up, old hag.”

Growling, Daring kicked forward at Trixie’s knee before pulling herself to her hooves. “You’re getting on my nerves, foal. I’m getting a little sick of seeing your face.”

“That’s going to be a problem seeing as my face is all over this town,” Trixie retorted, punching at Daring’s stomach. “Now why don’t you be a good little author and go back to writing out my story?”

Daring caught Trixie’s fist, elbowing the unicorn in the chest. “I’d rather drink a cup of rainbow juice than write that drivel.” Shoving Trixie backward, Daring went in for a tackle. “Take your fanfiction and stuff it up your flank.”

The two mares went down into a tumble, rolling on the floor with neither one able to pin the other down. The fighting removed most of Daring’s disguise, not that she really cared at the moment. Snapping himself out of his stupor, Wyatt tried to pry Trixie off of Daring before the showmare could notice the adventurer’s identity.

“I’ll knock your horn off, Lulamoon!” Daring growled, picking herself off the ground.

Wyatt cursed under his breath, putting himself between Trixie and Daring to protect his friend’s secret. This of course resulted in him catching two fists to both sides of his jaw for his troubles. “That was a bad idea...”The ground rushed up to greet Wyatt, saying hello with a hard smack. He brought a hand up to his jaw, pain erupting from the area as soon as he did.

“You hag!” Trixie boomed. “That’s my future trophy husband you just punched!”

“You just want him because he’s Twilight’s. How pathetic of you, you obsessed bitch.” Daring spat, narrowing her eyes.

“Of course that’s why I want him,” Trixie huffed, rolling her eyes. “I mean, why else would I want to be with a naked ape like that? I just want to twist the knife in Twilight’s defeat.”

Daring snorted, shaking her head. “Kamisama, watashi wa anata ni tachimukau koto wa dekimasen, anata wa narushishisutikkuna meinudesu.” A devious smirk spread across her face even as the look of confusion grew on Trixie’s.

“Speak a language your ruler understands!” Trixie shrieked, charging at Daring and kicking at Daring’s chin. “Maybe I’ll just erase the knowledge from your head!”

“You’re not taking anything my dad taught me!” Daring shouted, dodging Trixie’s kick and letting loose a flurry of punches at the showmare’s chest and stomach. “Stop talking and fight me!”

Trixie didn’t respond, bringing both of her hands down on the small of Daring’s back in a devastating hammer blow. “Shut up, you stupid nag! I’m in charge now, know your damn place!”

Wyatt pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the pain in his jaw. If he was lucky, it wouldn’t turn out to be broken. He stared as the two mares went at it for a moment, neither of them willing to give up. If it kept up, both mares would be knocked out. Steeling himself, he snuck up behind Trixie and pulled his arms beneath hers to keep her from moving them and locked his wrists behind her neck. To top it off, he wrapped his hand around her horn and squeezed as hard as he possibly could.

“Eh, I’ve never really been a fan of knowing my place,” Wyatt commented, nearly crying from the agony in his jaw. “Punch her out already, A.K.”

“With pleasure,” Daring said, rearing back and punching Trixie in the side of the head. Her body relaxed as Trixie went limp in Wyatt’s grasp. “Lock her up the bank vault or something. Could always have the hospital keep her sedated...”

“Hospital sedation and bank vault,” Wyatt concluded, bending down and hefting the unconscious mare over his shoulder. “Something tells me that the amulet would just let her be able to teleport out of the vault if we don’t pump her full of delicious meds.”

“Get your jaw checked while you’re there.” Daring moved about the room, grabbing her discarded disguise. “I really didn’t mean to hit you this time.”

“Kinda sure it’s broken,” Wyatt grumbled, walking over to the door and waiting for Daring to finish picking up the scattered clothes. “And you’re forgiven for the punch; I know it was meant for the klanspony here.”

Daring chuckled, unable to keep herself from picturing Trixie in a white hood like from some of the more concerning stories her father had told her. It was rather fitting given how she had referred to Wyatt. She shook off the thoughts, donning her disguise once more and walking alongside the young human towards the hospital. A part of her couldn’t help but hope that this amulet business was over before it really had a chance to have started.

Twilight steadied her breathing, focusing on maintaining her spells. Under Zecora’s instruction, she was standing on a lake, simultaneously casting a water walk spell and levitating a trio of water orbs. No matter how clear she made her thoughts, her anger bubbled back up to the surface.

“Let your thoughts be clear as air,” Zecora said, balancing on one hoof on a walking stick next to the lake. “Do not bring your anger to bear.”

“I’m trying,” Twilight replied, shifting her stance. “I just... I don’t know how to handle this kind of anger. I’ve never felt this way before, not even when Discord was messing with our heads.”

“Your body has made a massive change,” Zecora noted, opening one of her eyes. “It should not be shocking that you feel strange. What you feel is not just the wrath of a dragon. Within you is the love of a mother which is greater than one can imagine.”

An image of Sombra crying out for her overtook her mind; negating her concentration. Twilight let out a cry as her magic faltered, dropping her into the pool.

“I believe that falling into a lake, is a sign that we should take a break,” Zecora stated, hopping off her walking stick and leaning down to offer Twilight a hand out of the pond.

“Thanks.” Twilight took Zecora’s hand, pulling herself out of the water. Never in her life had she ever seen Spike struggle with himself like this. In fact, the only time he ever had was his greed episode on his birthday. “I don’t, Zecora. I just... don’t really know myself as well as I thought I did.”

“Dear Twilight, everyone from time to time finds themself lost in the maze of the mind,” Zecora replied with a chuckle, grabbing her walking stick. “But with patience, an exit is something you may find.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” Twilight cast a small spell to dry her clothes. “You know, Zecora, I’ve been thinking of heading to the old castle. There might be some leftover spell books or artifacts.”

“Do not be reckless in your use of artifacts, they may take their toll and not leave you intact,” Zecora warned, leading Twilight back to her hut. “But if it is new knowledge that you require, the castle may have what you desire.”

“I’ll do whatever I have to, Zecora. I need to protect my family.” Focusing her gaze at Zecora’s back, Twilight sighed. “Wyatt and Spike are always putting themselves in danger. For once, I want to be the one that protects them.”

“That is, indeed, a noble cause,” Zecora started, moving branches out of their way with her walking stick. “But an easy path should give one pause.”

“I know, I know. I need to get a handle on this. I don’t want to scare Sombra like that again.”

“Your path is clear, find yourself and you will know the way to hold onto what is dear,” Zecora reasoned, glancing back at Twilight with a smile.

Nodding, Twilight took in a few cleansing breaths and thought on what she and Zecora had been discussing. Zecora made it all sound so simple. Like it was just a matter of sitting down and magically having an epiphany about how to handle her newfound dragon qualities. She was left to digest the lesson the entire way back to the hut, her mind restless as she tried to rest.

Over an hour passed before Twilight decided she would take a chance at the old castle. It had housed something important for her once, it might have something again. She knew it was a longshot, but desperation made her willing to take the risk. She explained what she was doing to Zecora and the zebra made no attempt to stop her.

Stepping into the empty entry hall, Twilight took a moment to take in her surroundings. The castle hadn’t change much since she’d last been inside it; perhaps a few new fallen bricks. She allowed herself a minute to reminisce before returning to her search. Taking a moment to consider a plan of attack, she decided to head up the staircase and start there. Turning down the hallway, she quickly found the castle’s library. The room was fairly intact compared to the rest of the castle, even the stained glass windows depicting the sun and moon remained unbroken.

Levitating a multitude of books off their shelves, Twilight poured herself into each one. Perhaps it was the greed for knowledge, or just her love of reading; but for a few moments she forgot all about her inner conflict. Her eyes widened, pulling her muzzle out of one of the books.

“Of course!” She beamed, looking between all of the old tomes. “I can calm myself down by healthily feeding my draconic greed. I’ve been trying so hard to fight against my new dragon instincts, that I didn’t ever think to understand them!” Closing her current book, she touched one of her fangs. “I wonder what Bahamut would think of me?”

She recalled the tales that Smaug had given her of the first Dragonlord, his humble beginnings to his rise to power. The point that stuck out to her the most was the description the old shaman had given the legendary figure. It wasn’t brains, brawn, or even sheer size that had helped him achieve his goal. No, it was an indomitable will that had helped Bahamut.

With renewed resolve, Twilight returned to her books making sure to gleam everything she could learn. Her unread pile dwindled and her read pile skyrocketed. While there were new spells contained within some of the tomes, none of them could compare to altering the age of a target. No, she needed something big, something showy. She tested a chair before carefully taking a seat and considered her options. Mixing some of the spells together could prove to be helpful. Without thinking, she leaned backwards, tilting the chair up as she continued to think.

The floor beneath her tilted backwards, sending her tumbling down an opening in the wall behind her. A scream pierced the air as Twilight slid backwards down the shaft, finally depositing her in a heap. Groaning, she hauled herself to her feet and found herself in a dark chamber. Luckily, she found a sconce with a torch next to her and lit it with a quick puff of her fire breath. With the help of the torch, she found out that the chamber was circular, with a pedestal holding a handful of items. Approaching the pedestal, she found that the items were: a book, a strange black medallion in the shape of a hand, and five stones colored black, red, green, blue and yellow respectively.

“What is all of this?” Levitating the book in her magic, she began to read. A few lines were all she needed to identify the author. “This was Clover the Clever’s!” She was unable to contain her excitement, bouncing in place like an excited filly. “Thank goodness Clover’s handwriting was so much better than Starswirl’s.”

A quick look around the room alerted her to a few more torch sconces. Walking around the room, she lit them up bathing the room in light. Setting her original torch back in its place, she took a spot under it to read through the book.

It has been at least a year since the Pillars disappeared, leaving myself to oversee the latter half of the princess’s studies. It burdens my heart, but I have been keeping Starswirl’s last assignment a secret from them.

Considering its absence from his workshop, I can only assume he took the first belt with him. Using what notes he did leave, I was able to fashion a second, though I myself lack the necessary magical potential to wield it. For now, it shall remain here; safe from prying eyes.

I fear my mind is slipping, repeated exposure to the effects of the memory stone has eroded my mind. It is highly possible I will lose the knowledge of this hideaway before I can pass on the knowledge. Should that come to pass, I can only hope Faust will see to its rediscovery.

To whoever finds this journal, if you should lack the potential as I did; I implore you to seek out somepony that can properly wear my creation. Kuuga and Celestia’s decision to hide the Gurongi leader’s belt leaves a nagging fear that Equestria may come under threat once more. For the future of Equestria.

Twilight closed the book, walking back to the pedestal and picking up the medallion. She turned it over in her grasp, finding two holes that appeared to be for holding a belt. “This has to be what he meant,” she muttered to herself. Gulping, she continued to turn it over. “If one of the most famous wizards in history couldn’t make this work, do I have any hope of doing it?”

Gathering up the materials, Twilight teleported back to the floor above. Once she was reoriented, she dashed out of the castle and back towards Zecora’s hut, desperate to share her findings.

Author's Note

Special thanks to Voldine for helping out with Zecora's dialogue in this chap.

Breaking the Chains.

Princess Celestia sipped at her tea, savoring the sweet flavor for a few fleeting moments. The last few days had been a nightmare of paperwork. The situation in Ponyville had called her meeting with the sultan of Saddle Arabia short. Not that it could be helped, a crazed rider putting one of her own in the hospital and conquering a town demanded her attention.

The ultimate surprise came from hearing how the matter had been resolved. Twilight of all ponies had become a Kamen Rider and defeated the would-be tyrant with Spike’s aid. Celestia’s brow furrowed, a part of her wondering if Twilight’s newfound dragon’s blood and rider powers would interfere with certain plans she had for her student.

Letting the thought linger for only a moment more, Celestia turned to the door. “Raven, would you be a dear and send Captain Celaeno in? I’m ready to see her.”

“Of course, Princess,” Raven responded, looking up from her clipboard. “Should I also have the chefs whip up some special snacks that are suited to her specie’s palate?”

“Please do,” Celestia responded, placing her cup on the table. “I want her as comfortable as possible.”

“I will get right on that, Princess.” Raven bowed and quickly exited the room.

A few moments later Celaeno entered, a hard to read look on her face. Crossing her arms over her chest, taking in every detail of the room. The room Celestia had picked was a little sun room tucked away in the back of the castle. It was relatively simple; two couches, a table, some plants and a balcony overlooking the lands below Mount Canter.

“It is good to finally make your acquaintance, Celaeno,” Celestia greeted, nodding at the parrot woman. “Please, have a seat.” She waved a hand towards the couch across from her.

Celaeno moved over to the indicated seat, taking it without much flair. “Is there a reason you’ve called me here, your highness?”

“Yes, my former captain personally gave me a briefing regarding your situation.” Celestia crossed one of her legs over the other. “Given that you were threatened to hijack the ship containing my student, I believe it’s only fair I give you a choice aside from prison. Tell me, do you know what's happening on our world?”

“I’ve heard bits and pieces,” Celaeno admitted nonchalantly. “Ponies in the taverns we’ve visited won’t stop going on about monsters and some fancy wedding getting crashed.”

“I’ll keep it simple; our world is under threat from an organization from another world. At the moment, they’ve contented themselves with harassing Equestria, but I can’t imagine that will continue much longer.” Leaning back, Celestia let out a tired sigh. “These last few months have been a hectic whirlwind to safeguard Equestria.”

“Not to sound callous or anything, but what does any of that have to do with me?” the pirate questioned, picking up one of the nicer looking pastries and giving it a sniff. Deeming it edible, she took a bite. “I’m just a pirate you captured; Equestria’s never been a home for me. And I’ve yet to meet a dictator that’s commanded total control of the seas.”

“The fact of the matter is Captain, as it stands no one in this country has more experience in airship combat than you.” Lighting her horn, she levitated over a small box. “Our military has no actual combat experience; which is why I would like you to become admiral of the Equestrian Air Force.”

Celaeno quirked a brow, looking between the box and the princess. “You’ve gotta be pullin’ my pegleg. I try to kidnap a drake that turns out to be one of your citizens and you’re offering me a job?”

Celestia smiled, placing the box in front of Celaeno. “Equestria was built on forgiveness and understanding. I don’t want to chain you down, Celaeno, I’m asking for your help. Our world won’t survive if we don’t all work together.”

“So what all would being an admiral entail?” Celaeno inquired, opening the box and pulling out a medal. “Sounds like I’d be trading in literal chains for bureaucratic tape.”

“Yes, there will be paperwork involved,” Celestia admitted, taking another sip of her tea. “I’m asking for your help; to be more than just a pirate. If you say no, then you and your crew can leave with no hassle.”

Celaeno started to laugh, dropping the medal back in the box. “Wait, so my choices are walk off scott free or work for you? What kind of negotiating tactic is that?”

“It’s not meant to be one.” Celestia put her cup back down, looking into Celaeno’s eyes. “Either I convince you of our plight, or I don’t. You attacked the freighter in duress, and I have no intention to prosecute you.”

Polishing off the last of her pastry, Celaeno met the princess’s gaze with a look of bemusement. “I gotta say, Princess, you’re way more interesting than other leaders I’ve dealt with. Alright, I might be willing to join up with you; on the condition that my crew gets to work for me.”

“Of course, I would never break your crew up.” Reaching into her dress, she produced a scroll. “Now that you’re considering the idea, I’d like to talk to you about your ship.”

Celaeno grinned, leaning forward in her seat. “Now you’re speaking my language. Are ya putting me at the helm of some top of the line beauty? Kind of a shame that I can’t use mine, but I’m thinking you’re gonna give me a bigger crew than my old girl can carry.”

Spreading the scroll out, Celestia turned it towards Celaeno. “We’re constructing it from iron wood; lighter and tougher than steel. The deer hoard the stuff, but I managed to secure a steady supply.” Pointing towards the back, she tapped the scroll. “We’re also going to be adding our latest set of engines; run completely off magic.”

“Now that is a clever little invention.” Celaeno picked up the scroll and let out an impressed sounding whistle. “I think I can live with a vessel like that. There’s just one more question I have for you.” Her grin turned cheeky. “What’s the navy’s fraternization policy? You can’t put me in charge of a ton of fit stallions and not be tempted to walk their planks if ya catch my drift.”

“I leave that your discretion, as long as it doesn’t become a distraction.” Celestia moved her hand over the scroll, pointing out the ships features. Rock Spider silk sails, Windigo breath ice chests, Crystal Empire cutlery and minotaur bronze cannons.

“With a ship like this, Princess, I think I’d even spend my shore leave aboard this thing,” Celaeno commented, her eyes twinkling as she stared at the scroll. “You might have to introduce me to your design team.”

Chuckling, Celestia nodded her head. “I can arrange that, the only thing left, is to give it a name. Did you have anything in mind?”

Celaeno tapped her foot on the floor and looked up at the ceiling in thought. “Gotta go with something cocky like, The Invincible.”

Celestia smiled, rolling the scroll up and tucking it away. “I’ll tell the team to write that on the helm as soon as possible. It’s a fine name for a fine ship. I look forward to seeing what you’ll do with it, Admiral.”

Leaning forward, Celaeno grinned at Celestia. “In my line of work, it’s customary to seal a deal over a drink. I imagine you must have some strong drink, aye?”

“I have several bottles of spirits,” Celestia confirmed, resting her cheek on her hand. “Do you have any preference? Since you’re a former pirate, I’d hazard a guess that it’s rum. I just so happen to have a bottle or two in my possession.”

Chuckling, Celeano relaxed in her seat. “A dark rum sounds good right about now. Strongest ya got, sun mare. I want something my peg leg will feel!”

“I think that can be arranged,” Celestia replied, calling for Raven to come into the room. Once her request was given, the solar princess fell into some light chatter with the former pirate. When the rum arrived, the two clinked their glasses together and sealed their agreement. After a moment’s thought, Celestia told Raven to clear her schedule for the day and asked for another bottle of rum.

“Planning on drinking the day away with a pirate?” Celaeno grinned, knocking back her glass. A coughing laugh escaped her beak as she set her empty drink down. “Now that, that burns just right.”

“That’s exactly what I plan to do,” Celestia replied, draining half of her second glass. “I always like spending time with someone that isn’t an uptight noble or suckup. With the fallout from what just happened in Ponyville, I need to let my hair down.” Taking another sip of her rum, she grabbed a scone while closing her eyes.

“Can you even let that wavy mane of yers down?” Celaeno teased, draining her glass. “Looks like it has places to be to me.”

“It better not have anywhere to be but my head,” Celestia replied, pouring herself a cup of tea to chase the rum. “I would look dreadful bald. Could you picture me addressing Canterlot and my mane flying right off my scalp?”

Celaeno laughed, pouring herself another glass. “I can only imagine how many eyes would pop out. That’d get you a lot of stares. Just imagine how many you’d get if you went out wearing nothing at all.”

Giggling, Celestia dipped the scone in her tea. “I’m pretty sure I would wind up the centerfold in several magazines. Not exactly a very regal image.” The thought was appealing, if only to watching the nobility lose its mind. But it would be nigh impossible to be taken seriously by foreign diplomats if she decided to indulge in this idea.

Feeling a nice buzz, Celaeno leaned back in her seat. “I imagine a pony like you must have a lot cooped up in that head of yours. Since you’re sharing a drink with a notorious pirate, why not get some of that off your chest?”

There was a slight flush to Celestia’s cheeks, the alcohol beginning to work its magic on her as well. “Oh? Is a certain admiral trying to get juicy dirt on me so I can’t fire her if she messes up?” Setting her cup down, she gave Celaeno a smile. “Alright, I’ll indulge you.”

Rubbing her hands together, Celaeno chuckled to herself. “This is gonna be good! And to be fair, I’ll share some of my own exploits.”

“I never said exploits,” Celestia replied, giving a little wag of her finger. “You know, my sister made a comment, not too long ago. That I plan out the futures of those around me. I blew her off of course; but after recent events, I can’t help but feel she’s right.”

“So you like to play chess with people’s lives?” Celeano questioned, sipping at her drink. “What made ya realize that?”

“When the Crystal Empire returned, so did its ruler, King Sombra. When the powers of harmony cleansed the city, it reverted him to a foal.” Closing her eyes, Celestia recalled the conversation with her student. “I’m afraid I thrust parenthood on my student, a mare whose only just discovering what life has to offer. I thought it was a perfect solution, but now, I just...”

“Are ya talkin’ ‘bout that purple mare with the gray colt? From what little I got to know her, she’s taken quite well to motherhood.”

“Something that should have happened naturally, not forced by my hand.” Placing her head in her hands, Celestia allowed herself to droop. “I can only imagine this is why Sunset ran away. How could I not realize something like this? Tartarus, I’m even trying to do it with you, Admiral.”

“Last time I checked, you offered me a chance to walk away with no repercussions,” Celaeno pointed out, confiscating Celestia’s glass. “I’d hardly call that manipulating me.” Downing the drink, she placed it back in its spot. “Seems to me like you just want what’s best for everyone.”

“That doesn’t mean I should push them towards that outcome without giving them even the foggiest clue what I intend for them,” Celestia argued, drooping even further. “I-I have a plan for Twilight, a plan that’s been in the motion since she was a filly. I know it’s her destiny; yet, how can I just expect her to be who I want her to be?”

“I dunno, what is it you want her to be exactly?” the parrot woman pressed, quirking a brow at the princess.

“My equal, in power and status,” Celestia replied, not raising her gaze.

Celaeno paused for a while, the meaning of that sentence lost on her. Eventually, the answer was able to pierce through her drunken veil and struck her violently. “Hold up, you’re makin’ her a princess!”

Sighing, Celestia nodded her head. “That’s my hope. I know she’s more than capable of it. I just... don’t want to force it on her. She deserves more than that.”

“Sorry, but can we roll this back a bit?” Celaeno begged, rubbing the side of her head. “I thought only you winged and horned ponies were princesses. How’s the little unicorn supposed t’pull that off. Ya gonna use a hot glue gun and put some wings on her back?”

Celestia tsked, raising her head to give the parrot a glare. “Nothing so barbaric, but yes, Twilight would, hopefully, earn her wings.”

“You ponies are so weird,” Celaeno muttered, shaking her head. “Now you lot can just become princesses with yer magic.” Grabbing the bottle, she took a long drink. “Well, I’m not exactly sure what to tell you, princess.”

Sighing, Celestia leaned back in her seat. “I wouldn’t expect you to. Sorry, I shouldn’t have unloaded all of that on you.” Taking the bottle from her, she downed a few gulps. “Feels good to finally talk about it, though.”

“Well, if you ever need to talk like this again, as long as there’s more booze involved you can count me in.” Celaeno grinned and grabbed the bottle again. To think she’d end up drinking with a princess; the pair of them slamming down a bottle of rum. Pushing the surrealness out of her head, she shot the princess a cocky grin.“Now then, let me tell you how I lost my leg.”

Wyatt grumbled as he returned to consciousness once more. The barren white walls silently greeted him like they had the last few days. The window to his side had been left open a crack, a slight breeze wafting the cloying scent of powerful antiseptics into his nostrils.

Despite his insistence that he was fine, Wyatt’s doctor wouldn’t release him in fear of his stitches breaking open. The slight bright spot was that Wyatt had been cleared to take showers on his own, on the condition that Redheart stood right outside the bathroom just in case anything were to go wrong.

“If they expect me to forgive that crazy bitch, they got another thing coming...” Sucking in a deep breath through his nostrils, he sat up in his bed. Redheart had told him that Trixie had been stopped, though for some reason neglected to go into detail on the matter. “Would it kill someone to talk to me?!” he called, glaring at the doors.

Redheart opened the door, poking her head inside with a frown. “Geez Wyatt, I know being cooped up in here sucks, but can you please keep it down for the other patients?”

“Sorry if my cabin fever bothers you,” Wyatt replied, turning his head. “It’d be one thing if I could watch T.V but the other things to do here are to read and stare at the ceiling.”

“Sorry we don’t have the kind of entertainment you want,” Redheart replied, walking into the room. “I’m sure your friends will be by later today to see you so you’ll have to make do with the books for now. We just got in some donations so I might be able to grab you something interesting. Is there a genre you’d prefer?”

Sighing, Wyatt relented. “Horror or adventure. And please, make sure you don’t get them from a crazy librarian, I don’t feel like becoming an illustration.”

“Oh, I think I remember seeing a horror book among the new donations,” Redheart said, perking up. “I’ll go see if I can find it and when I get back you can explain what I’m sure was a hilarious reference.” Turning on her hoof, she slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Wyatt clicked his tongue, adjusting his pillow. He knew he had been sent to the hospital too many times when the staff were no longer surprised by his out of nowhere references. “I’ll have to either get obscure or get more native material...”

It only took a moment of thought to make his choice. Making obscure references native to Equestria was the clear winner. What could be more surprising? The only issue would be that he’d need to study Equestrian materials. Good thing he lived in a library.

Sighing, Wyatt closed his eyes. He knew he was just distracting himself from thinking about his defeat at Trixie’s hands. Honestly, defeat was something he was getting way too familiar with. Flash Fire’s lessons were only getting him so far, he’d need something to give him a boost. Unfortunately, the only thing that came to mind was most likely in Tartarus.

“There’s gotta be something...” Thoughts and ideas ran through his head, giving him suggestions. “Am I just a crappy Decade?” Summoning his driver, he turned it over in his hands. “Really starting to feel like I’m playing catch up.”

“Wyatt?” Twilight’s voice called from outside the door. “Can I come in? We have some things to talk about.”

Wyatt let the driver disappear and shot up in bed. “Oh thank god, social interaction! Come in, Twilight! I’m going to die of boredom in here.” The sudden motion brought a slight wave of pain, making him lay back down. “Yes, please, come in.”

The door opened, revealing Twilight with a weak smile on her face. Moving over to the side of his bed, she leaned down and gave Wyatt a quick kiss. “How are you feeling?”

“Stir crazy.” Sitting up, he pulled her into a hug. “What took you so long? No one’s come to see me in days and Redheart won’t tell me what happened.”

Twilight chuckled nervously, tapping her pointer fingers together. “Yeah, I sorta asked to be the one to tell you everything.” Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she rested a hand on his knee. “I would’ve been here sooner, but I was helping get the town back in order.”

“How’s the town doing? Are Maud and Daring okay?” The thought of his friends stuck in such horrible positions just made him hate Trixie more. “Trixie better pray that they aren’t.”

Twilight smiled and patted his knee. “The town’s as back to normal as this place can ever be and those two have returned to being themselves. They changed back as soon as the amulet came off Trixie’s neck.”

“That’s a big weight off my shoulders.” Wyatt smiled, putting his hands behind his head. “So... how did you guys take her down? She hit like a truck, that necklace was like magic steroids.”

Twilight chuckled nervously again, giving his knee a squeeze. “Well, I found something in the Castle of the Two Sisters that turned out to be very helpful. It was the unfinished project of Clover the Clever, Starswirl’s apprentice.” Holding her other hand up, she showed off a very familiar ring.

Wyatt’s eyes widened in recognition, zeroing in on the ring. “You’re Kamen Rider Wizard now?!” He gaped at her, his mind shutting down partially. “That’s awesome!” He grabbed her up in a hug, unable to keep a grin from splitting his face.

Twilight blinked, returning the hug. “That wasn’t quite the response I was expecting. I would’ve thought that you’d try to tell me that being a Rider was too dangerous and we’d get into an argument.”

“Even if I did, would you give it up?” Wyatt pulled back, looking into her eyes. “It would have been like when you and Spike butted heads over his rider powers. Who am I to tell you no?”

Chuckling, she leaned in and gave him another kiss. “Thank you for understanding, Wyatt.” Taking one of his hands in hers, she gave it a squeeze. “I want to be there for you no matter what. If that means becoming a Rider, then I’ll gladly do it.”

“How did Celestia take it?” he asked, kissing her hand. “I bet she’s worrying her head off about you. Won’t take a week for her to gain some grey streaks.”

Giggling, Twilight waved him off. “Oh come on, Wyatt, you’re just being silly. Princess Celestia was surprised, but she wasn’t worried. I don’t think she even can lose her cool.” Wiping at the corners of her eyes, she recovered from her giggle fit. “But she only stayed for a little bit to help out with reconstruction. There were important matters in Canterlot that needed her attention.”

Nodding, Wyatt’s expression hardened. “Tell me she tossed Trixie into a jail cell. Anything less is a miscarriage of justice.” At Twilight’s apologetic smile, his look deepened. “Seriously? She wasn’t arrested for enslaving the damn town?”

“I can understand why you’re upset, Wyatt, but there’s a reason why Trixie isn’t in jail. Her Ixa belt only works on members of the Lulamoon family. So Princess Celestia thought it was best that she work with the G-Project as part of her punishment,” Twilight explained, waving her hand by her head.

Grunting, Wyatt put a hand over his eyes. “I suppose national safety trumps terrorism.”

“Don’t worry, if Trixie tries anything the rest of us can put a stop to her now that the Alicorn Amulet is locked away,” Twilight assured, giving him a smile. “Now, would you care to hear how I got my Driver? I haven’t seen you in days and I am not letting you be miserable a second longer.”

Moving his hand, Wyatt returned her smile. “Yeah, that should be pretty good. Tell me how you got into showbiz, Twily.”

Giggling, she settled in and started to tell the story starting from when she first met up with Zecora. She spared no detail, explaining how she stumbled into the chamber with the medallion that went on to become her belt. She concluded with her battle against the malevolent force inside the Alicorn Amulet and how she had teamed up with Trixie.

Wyatt whistled, giving her a once over. “Damn, Twilight. That’s way more hardcore than my first day. Good on ya.” He socked her in the arm, grinning like an idiot. “Sombra’s gonna be so excited, both his caretakers are superheros.”

“To be fair, I did have my own version of a Yoda training montage before I went out and fought,” Twilight replied. Upon seeing his dumbfounded expression, she giggled like a filly. “What? Just because I don’t understand your references doesn’t mean I don’t listen when you talk about them.”

“Dear god, do I need new material.” He groaned, letting his head hang. “I’m all washed up, Twilight. People are catching onto my act.”

Rolling her eyes, she patted his leg. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out. As for what you said about Sombra, he cheered his little head off when he found out I was a Rider. He misses you by the way. He’s been asking nonstop about when you’re coming home.”

“Maybe you could convince Redheart to let me go home?” Wyatt gave her a hopeful smile. He had no idea how much longer he’d be able to put up with the hospital. The place was driving him up the wall.

“I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not having you keel over on me,” she told him, poking him in the chest. “If they give me a good reason for you staying here then you’ll just have to live with the boredom.” Her expression softened and she put her hand on his shoulder. “If you don’t give the ponies at the hospital any trouble, there’ll be a nice surprise waiting for you at home,” she promised, her smile turning devious.

“What kind of surprise?” Wyatt pressed, not certain he liked that smile.

“Something I’m sure you’d like,” Twilight said, getting up off the bed. “Now, I’m gonna go talk to your doctor and see about getting you out of here. Turning on her heel, she slipped out of the room, Wyatt watching the last strands of her tail before the door closed behind her.

Laying on his bed, Wyatt stared up at the ceiling. “Welp, my life just took a strange turn. Please, for my own sanity, let her get me out of here.” He couldn’t keep his eyes off the door, counting the seconds until she returned.

In the back of his head, he digested the news that Twilight had just given him. She had become a Kamen Rider. Not only that, but she had worked hard to basically create her gear with Zecora’s help. He knew she was a capable mare, but that certainly took the cake.

“She’s freaking amazing...” he muttered to himself, a proud smile spreading across his face. “How did a schlub like me get a girl like her? She could have anybody in the world if she really wanted to.” Summoning his card case, he cracked it open. “You know, I never checked. Do I have a W or Wizard card now?”

Flipping through his cards his self doubt disappeared for a moment as he saw a card with the Wizard helmet on it. “Very nice, might have to try out the catchphrase.” Throwing his hand out to his side he said, “Now, it’s showtime.” He let his hand drop and nodded sagely. “Yeah, that felt pretty good.”

“What felt pretty good?” Twilight asked, stepping back into the room. “Did you find something nice in your collectibles?”

“Take a look for yourself,” Wyatt replied, proudly showing off his new Wizard card. “And I just tested out Wizard’s catchphrase. I think it suited me.”

“Do you really want to switch now from your classic one though?” she questioned, sitting at the edge of his bed. “Also, I’ve got some good news and bad news. The good news is that I was able to lessen your stay here.” Before he could jump out of bed she added, “But the lowest he’d go is two more nights.”

Wyatt groaned, sinking back into his head. “Why must I be trapped in this sterile hell? What did I do to deserve this? Did I kick puppies in a past life or something?”

“It won’t be that bad you big baby,” Twilight assured, lightly slapping his arm. “I’ll be back to visit these next two days. Just focus on getting better, okay? For me?” She flashed him a pair of puppy dog eyes, quivering her lip.

Barely holding out for a moments, he put his hands up. “Alright, alright. I’ll stick around to get better; on one condition.” Reaching out, he poked her nose. “You gotta visit everyday and keep me company.”

“Deal,” Twilight answered, sealing it with a kiss. “I just said I’d do that. Work on your listening skills,” she teased, gently flicking his forehead. “Maybe we should do that for my visits?”

“Make a simple mistake and suddenly you’re inattentive,” he grumbled, making a show of rubbing his forehead. “But whatever, I’m good for anything as long as you’re here.” The two spent the remainder of Wyatt’s visiting hours catching up; though it came much too quickly for his tastes. Still, he did feel much more at ease after seeing her.

The haphazard construction of Klugetown was the first thing that caught visitor’s eyes; the second being all the strange beings that inhabited it. Many strange anthropomorphic races called the junk city home: cats, mice, hedgehogs, pigs, sharks, even a few turtles. Because of this oddball nature, none of them questioned the black garbed being bearing a demon’s mask.

The cloaked being walked through a dusty bazaar, turning his head to examine the stalls. The hodgepodge of shopkeepers were mostly selling junk, bits of scrap and dilapidated gadgets graced the surfaces of their tables. If it wasn’t garbage, then it was food that looked about as edible as the table it rested on. However, one shopkeeper called out a type of ware that caught the demon masked being’s attention.

“Got ourselves a fine new shipment here!” A blue fishman called out. “Why we even have a pony of all things in our lineup today! Take yourself home a young mare ready to serve you!”

Oni paused, turning towards the fishman. “A mare you say? Please, elaborate.”

“Ah, now there’s a discerning eye,” the fishman complimented, pivoting on his stubby legs to grin at Oni. “Aye, we’ve got ourselves a mare in stock. Pretty thing too at the height of her youth. Little unicorn got caught by a wrecked airship in the middle of the desert. The rest of the crew wasn’t so lucky.”

Oni stepped closer, peering out from his mask. “I’d like to see her first.”

The fishman nodded, waving his hand towards one of the haphazardly built towers. “Of course, good sir. Follow me and I can show you everything we have in stock.” Oni tuned out the rest of his chatter as they walked through the dusty streets.

Keeping an eye on the fishman, flexing his fist slightly. No use in doing anything to the cretin now. Better to simply let him talk; pretend to be interested in his trade. Opening the door to the tower, the fishman ushered Oni inside. The building was nothing special looking, a lobby of sorts with a couple of rooms branching off and a staircase at the far end that had a flight going up and down.

With some sort of grand speech that Oni promptly tuned out, the fishman led him downstairs into a long hallway of cells. Inside each one was a cluster of chained beings. Their species were varied but each one had the same dead eyes. Save for one in the last cell on the right. It was the unicorn that the fishman had hyped up, struggling against her chains and whipping her head to and fro as if looking for some means to escape. Her cellmates paid her no mind, simply sitting and staring off at the stone walls blankly.

“This is her?” Oni asked, his eyes roving over the mare. “What about the others?”

“The others are something to consider if you’re looking for a less rare slave,” the fishman answered. He pointed to a small hedgehog sitting at the back of the cell, their white hair matted down against their scalp. “That one’s the cheapest. He’s been here the longest.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not in the market for a slave.” Oni grabbed the fishmans head, slamming it into the bars. “Perhaps you should find a new line of work?”

The fishman’s only reply was a garbled mess of nonsense as blood filled his mouth. Spitting out a glob of blood and spit, he pulled a thin, silver whistle from his pocket and gave it a long blow.

Oni sighed, gazing down at the fishman. “No matter who you call, you won’t get rid of me.” With a flourish of his hand and a flash of flame, a sword formed in his hand. “I hope you have good health insurance.”

The fishman attempted to beg, but between his shattered teeth and the blood in his mouth, Oni couldn’t make out anything coherent. A moment later, and several goons piled into the hallway, some were fish men like the slaver he was assaulting, while others resembled yetis.

Staring down the newcomers, Oni took a step forward. “There’s no law here, we all know that. Only those who carry big sticks.” Lifting his sword, he entered into a stance. “I happen to carry the bigger stick.”

Ignoring his warning, the gang of slavedrivers charged at Oni two by two. He kicked the first fishman in the side of the head to knock him out before meeting their charge head on and swung his sword into another fish man’s gut.

In a blazing whirlwind, he danced through the group. Dodging and absorbing hits, Oni’s blade disabled each, leaving them all withering on the ground. They were bloody, but none of them were dead. Oni pointed his sword at the nearest yeti, igniting his sword so the embers would fall on its face.

“I want you and your friends here to leave now or else your lives are forfeit. And, spread the word through the city; the slave trade is officially over.” Swinging his sword, Oni cleaved through the bars of a cell, stunning the now former slaves within it. Walking up to the now fearful mare, he expertly cut through her bindings. Kneeling down, he let the tip of his saber rest on the floor. “Are you alright, little one?” he asked, examining her. There were a few cuts and bruises poking out from beneath her pink fur and sand and grime caked her aqua colored mane. But other than that, she appeared physically healthy.

“W-who are you supposed to be?” the mare asked, rubbing her wrists now that they were free of her bonds while eyeing Oni critically. “Are you one of those Kamen Riders that works for Princess Celestia?”

Oni tilted his head, regarding the mare not unkindly. “And what would you know of Kamen Riders?”

“I know that Princess Celestia has made a team of them to fight the monsters that have been showing up all over Equestria lately,” the mare answered. “Oh, and this one uh… hoo-man that lives in some town called Ponyville has written articles about them.” Reaching into her dress, she pulled out a newspaper. “This was on the airship. The slavers let me have it so I could,” she coughed, clearing her throat with a blush that her pink fur hid well. “Clean up after myself.”

Taking the paper, his eyes eyes scanned over it. Words could not describe the feelings that surged to life inside of him when his eyes landed on a picture of Kuuga. Clentching his fist, he placed it gently on the ground. “Can you walk?”

The mare pushed herself upright, wobbling for a moment before testing her legs. “Yeah, I think I can walk. Legs are just a little asleep thanks to those chains being on me for a couple days.”

Oni nodded, standing back up. “What about the rest of you? Can you make it out of here alright?”

The assembled slaves nodded vigorously, a flicker of hope appearing in their eyes as they held out their chains towards Oni. Raising his sword once more,freeing them from their binds. There was a beat, and then the freed slaves crowded around him and cheered. The flicker of hope became a full blown light, their grim faces illuminating with bright expressions as each of the slaves thanked Oni in their native tongues.

“Get moving,” Oni ordered, nodding towards the door. “They shouldn’t come looking for you.”

The free beings didn’t need to be told twice, all of them save the mare charging for the exit as fast as their legs could carry them. She smoothed out her dress, a weak smile on her face. “I don’t suppose I could hire you to take me back to Equestria?”

“I don’t need your money,” Oni dismissed, letting his saber fade from existence. “But I am heading that way. We can part ways at the first settlement.”

The mare nodded, standing close to his side. “Thank you so much. I think I can manage to get back home once we reach an Equestrian village. May I ask your name, good sir?”

“You can just call me Oni,” he told her, adjusting his cloak and slowly making his way towards the stairs. “It’s the only name I use anymore.” His mind lingered on the picture of Kuuga, the thought refusing to leave him be. After a moment of thought, a detail stuck out to him. Kuuga wasn’t wearing the Arcle in the photo. Instead, the belt in the picture was a Decadriver.

‘Alright, Decade. You wanna masquerade as my brother? Fine, I’ll just make sure to collect my royalties.’

Strike from the Shadows

A few days had passed and Ponyville was finally back in order after Trixie’s takeover. Not everything was normal though, everyone was still going on about the identities of two of the Kamen Riders.

Sombra didn’t mind. In fact, he had garnered quite a bit of attention at school because of it. All the other foals had bombarded him with questions about riders. It had been overwhelming at first, but with the help of the Cutie Mark Crusaders he had found a way to enjoy his newfound popularity.

The school bell rang, altering all the school foals that their recess had arrived. Sombra slide out of his seat, closing his textbook up. He resisted the urge to run out with the others, wanting to clean up his desk first.

“Ugh, come on, Sombra,” Scootaloo urged, hurriedly helping him put things into his bag. “If we’re not quick then Rumble and his pals are gonna hog the jungle gym for themselves!”

“I wanna make sure everything is tidy,” Sombra responded, giving her a stern look. “If it’s messy then I’ll have to fix it.”

“Ya sound just like yer ma,” Applebloom teased, pushing away from her own desk. “Does she make ya alphabetize yer toys?”

“No, but everything has its own bin.” Sombra finished up, zipping his bag up. “Okay, we can go play now!”

The trio of fillies cheered, rushing for the door. He smiled, following after them with ideas of games bouncing around in his head. The rest of the class was darting around the playground, several groups splitting off to play various games in the field. As Scootaloo had warned, Rumble was standing atop the jungle gym with his friends.

Sombra smiled weakly, looking at Scootaloo. “Sorry, guess I took too long.”

Sighing, Scootaloo managed to smile. “Whatever, no big deal. We can find something else to do.” Scanning the playground, her eyes locked on the field. “Hey, wanna climb that tree? Bet there’s a cool view of the town from the top.”

“I dunno, Miss Cheerilee said the tree was off limits,” Sweetie Belle piped up, following Scootaloo’s gaze. “She probably said it for a reason.”

“She probably said it because she was worried about somepony falling,” Scootaloo started, turning to Sweetie. “But the three of us have tons of experience climbing trees thanks to all our attempts to get our cutie marks.”

“I don’t,” Sombra responded, looking at the tree wearily. “I don’t know how to climb trees.”

“But ya live in a tree,” Applebloom pointed out, eyeing the colt curiously. “How can ya not know how t’climb one?”

“Well, we live inside of it, we don’t climb it.” Sombra frowned, shifting on his hooves. “Plus, I don’t want to get in trouble.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine, we won’t do that. Do you have any ideas?”

“Are you three trying to peer pressure my cousin?” Diamond Tiara walked towards the group, a cheerful smile on her face. “That’s not something friends should be doing, now is it?”

“Oh, hey, DT,” Sweetie greeted, waving at the approaching filly. And no, we weren’t.” Ignoring the slight uncomfortable postures of her friends, she gave Diamond a smile. “Did you want to play with us?”

“Sure,” Diamond replied, brushing her mane over her shoulder. “What did you have in mind? Just nothing too dirty, I’d like to keep my mane clean.”

“Well that eliminates some options right there,” Scootaloo noted, tapping her hoof on the ground. “What about jump rope? That doesn’t break any rules and keeps us away from the dirt.”

“Jump rope is fine,” Diamond agreed, her smile growing. “Spoonie and I are champs at it! You should have seen our double dutch record! We were at least in the fifties.”

“Pfft.” Scootaloo waved her hand dismissively. “That’s nothing, I bet I could make it to over a hundred!”

Diamond narrowed her eyes, her smirk turning competitive. “Oh yeah? I bet you couldn’t even count that high! Why don’t we have a little duel? First to get to fifty without tripping wins!”

“You’re on!” Scootaloo cheered, throwing a fist into the air as her wings buzzed on her back. She made a beeline for the bucket by the schoolhouse and pulled out two strings of jump rope. “I’m totally gonna wipe the floor with you!”

Sombra smiled, puffing his chest up. “Yeah well, I’m gonna beat both of you!” he proclaimed, looking between the girls. “I might not be able to climb trees, but I can jump!”

“It’s pretty impressive you can do anything right considering who your parents are,” a familiar voice chimed in.

Diamond’s fur stood on end as she turned to find Silver Spoon standing with her hands on her hips sneering at Sombra.

“I mean, somehow a mare of good Canterlot breeding and education couldn’t figure out the simple fact that ponies are supposed to date ponies. Who knows what else she can manage to screw up?” Silver mocked, snickering to herself.

“Silver, what are you talking about?” Diamond stepped closer, getting between the two. “Twilight’s a great pony.”

“Maybe, but she doesn’t have an ounce of sense in her,” Silver pressed, staring Diamond down. “I mean, it’s a simple matter of nature that ponies go together. Can you even imagine if she and that Wyatt guy tried to have kids?” Cringing, she stuck her tongue out and made a retching noise. “They’d be little freaks.”

Her frown deepening, Diamond marched over to Silver and dragged her off to the side. “What is wrong with you? I told you, I wasn’t doing that kind of thing anymore.”

“And what, did you think I would just follow at your heels like an obedient dog?” Silver mocked, narrowing her eyes at Diamond. “I’m just stating simple facts here.”

“Don’t make fun of my family.” Diamond’s eyes contracted, showing her anger. “Sombra’s never done anything to you. Neither have Twilight or Wyatt.”

“They make everyone in town watch their little circus act,” Silver retorted, flipping her braid towards Diamond’s nose. “Going around making goo goo eyes at each other when what they’re doing is an affront to nature.” She made sure to say everything just loud enough for Sombra to hear.

Crossing her arms, Diamond gave Silver a hard look. “So what about hippogriffs? Are they an affront to nature?”

“They just prove that persistency and stupidity can overcome anything,” Silver replied, cocking her hip to the side.

Clenching her fists, Diamond poked Silver’s chest. “If you want to be a little speciest jerk, fine, but I’m done being your friend. I’m a better pony now; I don’t need someone like you dragging me back down.”

“That’s fine, you’re barely a pony anymore as it is,” Silver replied, pointing at Diamond’s eyes.

Giving a snort, Diamond turned away. It hurt to part ways with the pony that had been her best friend for years. She reminded herself that she wasn’t that kind of pony anymore. If Silver Spoon wanted to be a bully, she’d be doing it by herself.

“Fine, just walk away!” Silver called out. “But you were saying the same exact things I just was not too long ago! How much have you really changed?”

Diamond opened her mouth to respond, the words dying on her lips as Sombra ran past her. She spun around, trying and failing to grab his tail.

“Stop being mean to my family!” Sombra boomed, rearing back and punching Silver Spoon in the jaw. “My mom’s the best! So, stop saying bad things about her!”

Silver fell to the ground, a look of absolute shock on her face. She put a hand to her aching jaw, trying to process what had just happened. “You hit me!? A little blank flank like you hit me?!”

“Y-you said bad things about my cousin and parents!” Sombra retorted, tears welling up in his eyes while he clenched his fists at his side. “My mom and dad protect ponies. Why would you say what they’re doing is wrong?!”

“What a little baby.” Silver stood up, brushing her pants off. “Can’t even accept the truth.” Drawing her hand back, she retaliated with a slap to the face. “How dare you touch me!”

Sombra’s eyes contracted into sharp slits the instant Silver slapped him and he tackled her with a roar of pure rage. He started to hit her anywhere his hands could reach, shouting about how wrong she was.

“Sombra, stop!” Diamond pulled her cousin off Silver, her own eyes contracted. “Just take a breath and calm down!”

Sombra took several ragged breaths, his glare softening as he took in what he had done. “I-I’m sorry,” he choked out, looking up at Diamond. “I-I just got so mad.”

Diamond sighed, her shoulders sagging. She turned to the CMC, gesturing to the school building. “Can you three go get Miss. Cheerilee? I’ll make sure these two don’t start at it again.”

“Yeah, we can do that,” Scootaloo assured, quickly running off to the school building with her friends.

“Just stay over there, Silver,” Diamond ordered, sitting down with Sombra. “And keep any comments to yourself this time.”

Silver didn’t bother trying to argue as she pulled herself to her feet with a slight wobble. She shot the pair a glare, which melted into a pained whimper when Cheerilee jogged over. “Miss Cheerilee! Sombra hit me!”

“I already heard the whole story from these three,” Miss Cheerilee replied, coming to a stop in front of Sombra. “Young colt, I don’t care what Silver Spoon said to you, it’s not okay to hit somepony like that. I’m afraid I’m going to have to give you detention and have a word with your parents.”

Sombra cringed but didn’t argue with her. “Okay, Miss Cheerilee...” He hugged onto Diamond, hiding his face from his teacher.

“And as for you, little filly,” Cheerilee continued, turning to Silver Spoon. “Haven’t we already had quite a few talks about your bullying?”

Silver clammed up, desperate for some sort of excuse. Withering under her teacher’s critical gaze, she finally replied with, “Yes Miss Cheerilee, you have.”

“Well then, sounds like there’s somepony else who needs a detention and a word sent to her parents,” Cheerilee replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m very disappointed in both of you.”

Sombra let his head fall, already imagining what his parents would say about his fight. “I’m not a good pony...” he muttered, clinging tighter to Diamond.

“Shh, don’t say that,” Diamond told the colt, stroking his mane. “Doing one bad thing doesn’t make you bad.” The ring of the bell caught her attention, gently easing him back up. “Come on, we have to get back to class.”

“Okay,” Sombra replied, dragging himself back into the schoolhouse. The rest of his lessons faded into a blur as he continued to consider what punishments awaited him at home. Diamond took the time out to walk him home, though, all he really did was stare down at the paper in his hand.

Diamond knocked on the door of the treehouse, knocking Sombra out of his stupor. A moment later and Wyatt answered the door. “Hey you two,” he greeted, though his eyes locked on the guilty looking colt. “Sombra, what happened at school today?”

“I got into a fight...” Sombra responded, staring at his hooves. His ears splayed back as he held the note out to Wyatt.

Taking the note, Wyatt read it carefully before nodding. “Alright, I get what happened. Did you apologize to Silver Spoon for hitting her?”

“...No...” Sombra admitted, rubbing his arm.

Wyatt nodded once more, pocketing the note and closing the door behind him. “Then before I can talk about your punishment, we need to fix that.” He took his son’s hand, walking down the street.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Sombra!” Diamond called as she made her own way home.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Sombra spoke, keeping his eyes on the ground. “I just got so mad. She was saying all these mean things about you and Mom...”

“That still doesn’t give you the right to hit someone,” Wyatt told the colt, glancing down. “It’s not your job to act on our behalf. If someone’s saying stuff about your mother and I, just ignore them.”

Sombra nodded, sneaking a glance up. “Okay, Dad. I’ll do my best to ignore it.”

“That’s my boy,” Wyatt praised, ruffling Sombra’s mane with a smile. “Still in trouble though.” After making sure he was going in the right direction, Wyatt found himself in front of Silver Spoon’s home. “Alright, make sure you give a good apology, okay?”

Nodding, Sombra took a deep breath as Wyatt reached out and knocked on the front door. There was a shifting from inside before the door opened to reveal a middle-aged stallion. His coloration closely resembled that of Silver Spoon, though his mane was a tone darker than hers.

“Afternoon,” Wyatt greeted, putting on an easy smile. “I’m sure you know about what happened at the school today. I brought Sombra so he could apologize.”

“Very well, I’ll fetch my daughter,” the stallion replied, regarding Wyatt coldly. He slipped inside for a few minutes, returning with Silver Spoon in tow. “Go on, say your piece, colt.”

Sombra took a moment to collect himself, tilting his head up to look Silver Spoon in the eye. “I’m sorry, Silver Spoon. I shouldn’t have hit you, even if you were saying bad things.”

“I was speaking the truth,” Silver responded, glaring back at him. “You just couldn’t handle it.”

Wyatt held back a frown, taking Sombra’s hand. Inhaling through his nostrils, he put on his best smile. “Alright, that’s all we came here for. Sorry for taking up your time. And I apologize for my son’s behavior, he’s normally a good colt.”

“It’s no wonder he acts like a ruffian.” The stallion snorted, putting his hand on Silver’s shoulder. “If I didn’t think Celestia would protect you, I would most certainly take you to court.”

Wyatt kept his smile up, ignoring the stallion’s comment. “There’s not exactly much you could get out of me. I’ve only been with the paper for a little under a year. I think Sombra and I should head back home. It was nice meeting you, Mr...?”

“Silver Bar,” the stallion replied simply.

“Right, good day, Mr. Bar.” Scooping up Sombra, he began to walk back to the library. “You were very brave to give an apology to someone like that.”

Sombra frowned, holding on tightly to Wyatt. “Those two are bad. They don’t deserve to be saved if a monster came after them.”

“Sombra, don’t talk like that,” Wyatt scolded, frowning more. “Just because someone is a jerk, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be saved. Just ignore her unless you need to talk to her in class, alright?” Patting Sombra’s head, he continued. “Remember this buddy, people can change. If I didn’t save them, they’d never have the chance to become better.”

Sombra nodded slowly, turning his head to look out at the town. He thought on what his father said, trying to make sense of it. A thought occurred to him; there was somepony who had been in his situation. While his father carried him home, he made a note to have a chat with them.

Daring sighed, staring at the typewriter in front of her. Her lack of any new adventures meant anything she’d be writing would be pure fiction. Not that she couldn’t write fiction, it just didn’t flow as easily as the semi-biographical work she normally wrote.

Staying in one place for as long as she had also didn’t sit too well with her. Ponyville was nice and all, but she missed hacking through jungle foliage with her trusty machete. She was sure Ahuizotl was looking for some crazy artifact as she sat on her flank. That damn cat never did know when to quit.

“Come on, Dad. Just show up already, I want to get moving again.” She glanced at the door, hoping that just maybe fortune would smile upon her and he’d come seeking her out. Slumping in her seat, she let out a groan. “Yeah, as if I’d be that lucky. Even if Dad was coming to Ponyville, he’d never figure to look for me here. I’ve been using my pen name this whole time and he left way before I came up with it.”

So into her cynical thoughts, Daring nearly fell out of her seat when a knock echoed through the room. “What was that saying? Speak of the devil and he shall appear.” Picking herself up, she made her way to the door. “Come on, Daring. Even if it is your old man, he’s just another asshole who walked out on you. Don’t fling yourself at him like some overly attached filly.” Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and was ready to give her father a piece of her mind. “Oh my gosh Dad I’m so happy to see you! I forgive you for leaving!”

“Um... Hi, Ms. Yearling,” a young voice replied, sounding more than a little confused.

Daring’s eyes snapped open and she looked down to find the foal that Twilight and the kid had adopted. A pathetic noise escaped her throat and a blush threatened to overtake her face. “Uh, hey kid. What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk to you,” he responded, not bothered by her outburst. “Is that okay?”

Daring looked back at her typewriter, frowning for a split second. “Sure, come in and take a seat.” She moved away from the door frame so the colt could come inside. “I wasn’t doing anything anyway.”

“Thanks.” He stepped inside, taking a seat on a chair. “Thank you for talking with me, Ms. Yearling.”

“Don’t mention it,” Daring waved off, closing the door. “Can I get you anything? I think I’ve got some oj if you’re thirsty.” At his nod, she stepped over to her fridge. “So, what brings you to my lovely little rental home? Your mom get you hooked on Daring Do?”

“Well, yeah,” Sombra admitted, quickly thanking her for the glass of juice. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

Taking a seat at her desk, she gestured for him to continue. “If your mom isn’t using you as a tool to get an autograph, why’d you decide to stop by?”

“I wanted to talk to you because we have something in common,” Sombra started, pausing to sip his juice. “Both of us were adopted by a human.”

“Ah.” Daring nodded her head, her mind working to fill in the story. “Kids picking on you huh? Kids can be some of the cruelest ponies around.” She tapped her head. “Something about not having a developed sense of empathy.”

Sombra nodded, staring down at his cup. “Yeah, I got into a fight at school with a mean filly. She said that mom and dad were doing something wrong by being together. Dad made me apologize at their house and then her dad threatened mine.” Sombra squeezed his cup, trembling slightly.

“I didn’t have a mom growing up.” Daring took her glasses off, putting them on the desk. “It was just me and my dad. Sometimes we’d have companions for a few months, but most of the time it was just me and him.”

“So why did other foals pick on you?” Sombra questioned, looking up at her with a tilted head.

“My dad isn’t like most people.” Leaning back in her seat, Daring closed her eyes, allowing memories to flow over her. “Your dad’s a dork, but at least he’s a dork ponies can relate to. My dad wears a cloak and keeps his face covered with a mask. Just imagine someone like that going to school meetings. The other foals always had something to say about why he was so secretive.”

Sombra’s eyes lit up, picturing her father. “That sounds so cool. It’s like you were raised by a superhero!” Pausing, he chuckled. “I mean, I guess you were, huh?”

Cracking a smile, Daring nodded. “Yeah, I guess I was. Tell me, did you get any good hits in?”

“I ran and punched her in the jaw to start,” Sombra admitted, shrinking in his seat. “Then she slapped me and I got so angry that I tackled her and started hitting her like crazy. Diamond had to pull me off her.”

“I take it you got punished?”

“Yeah,” Sombra replied, taking another gulp of his juice. “Mom and Dad grounded me. I’ve been doing double my usual chores, I can’t have dessert after dinner and I can only read one comic a day.”

“Yeah, I figured they’d be a little soft.” Daring got up, stretching her limbs off. “Dad was a little weird with discipline. Get into a fight? Twenty laps around the block. Get sent to the principal's office? Half an hour at the punching bag.”

“Um, that sounds less like a punishment and more like a workout routine,” Sombra pointed out, giggling as he pictured a cloaked figure blowing a whistle and leading Daring through her “punishments”.

“I think that was his way of showing me that there was a better way to deal with my emotions than misbehaving. Plus, you ever try to smart mouth after twenty laps? You barely have the energy to stand.”

“Could you show me some of that stuff?” Sombra asked, giving her a pleading look. “I never want to get that angry again. And I don’t want Dad to apologize to jerks for me anymore.”

Daring thought for a moment, bringing a hand to her chin. “I dunno kid, the sudden addition of a kid sidekick usually doesn’t go well for a story.” After a moment, she winked at him. “Good thing we’re not in a story, isn’t it?”

Sombra’s face lit up and he hopped out of his seat. “Thank you so much! I’d ask Dad to do this, but I think he’d go too easy on me.”

Scratching her chin, Daring considered his point. “Yeah, the kid’s a big softie. I doubt he’d want to push you through your second wind.” Grabbing her glasses, she slipped them back into place. “Alright then, you ready?”

Sombra gave her a thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear. “Okay! Let’s get going, coach!”

“Alright then, come on.” Pulling her cloak on, Daring took a moment to make sure her disguise was in order. “Ponyville’s got a pretty good gym, we can start there.”

Sombra followed her out the door, buzzing with excitement. He idly wondered what all Daring would teach him. Maybe she’d teach him fighting moves? Not that he intended on starting anymore fights.

“So, having anger problems are we?” Daring asked, leading him down to the street. “Your mom told me she’s having them. Probably should have asked what the consequences of that ritual were before you just did it.”

“If it meant being part of Uncle Spike’s family, I think we were ready for anything,” Sombra answered. “And that was the first time I’d really gotten angry since the ritual. Though Mom says learning and reading helped keep her emotions in line while she was with Miss Zecora. So maybe I just need my own thing?”

“Saying that and realizing the consequences affect your life negatively is called hindsight, kid.” Daring frowned, looking down at him. “What’s your name, anyway?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I should’ve introduced myself,” Sombra apologized, chuckling nervously and rubbing the back of his head. “My name’s Sombra!” A thought occurred to him, making him ask. “Wait, if you talked to my mom about her anger problems, shouldn’t you know my name?

Daring let out a barking laugh, giving him a hearty slap on the back. “Sombra, I tune most of what your mom says out. Half the time its gushing over my work, or her rambling on about her own story ideas.”

“Mom gets excited about books,” Sombra defended, giggling to himself. “She’s like the smartest pony in the world.”

“Maybe she is,” Daring agreed, pushing open the door to the gym. She stopped at the front desk, putting a few bits down. “The kid and I are gonna be here for the afternoon.” Not waiting for a response, she strolled into the gym itself.

Sombra looked between the desk and Daring for a few moments before dashing into the gym proper to follow her. Once he caught up with her, he craned his neck around to examine the various pieces of equipment.

“Wow, this all looks neat. So what are we doing first?” he questioned, tilting his head up at her. “The punching bags? Weight lifting?”

“You’re too young for weightlifting,” Daring told him. “If I let you do that then you’d do some serious damage to your muscles. The first thing you need to do is stretch. Gets your body nice and loose. Then we can do some cardio. The punching bag can be saved for last. If you do a good job with everything else then I’ll show you how the form of a real punch.”

“I can stretch,” Sombra assured, beginning to stretch his body out. “See?”

“Not bad, kid,” Daring told him. “Now extend yourself so you can feel it. If it starts to hurt, pull back a little. That’s when you’re doing it wrong.” Stepping a bit away, she started to demonstrate, doing a few stretches herself.

Sombra took a moment to examine her posture. With a few shifts of his body, he followed suit. He took her advice, stretching to the point where it just started to be uncomfortable without actually hurting. With a quick word, Daring instructed Sombra through his stretches, leaving them ready for their workout.

“You’re quick on the uptake, kid,” Daring praised, getting them a couple water bottles. “Guess your mom’s rubbing off on you.” Setting the bottles down, she looked him over. “Alright, we’re gonna start something simple and go from there.”

“I’m ready for anything!” Sombra chimed, pumping his fist. “What’s first, coach?!”

“Good enthusiasm,” Daring stated, motioning him towards the track. “But let’s see if you can keep it up after a couple laps. Come on, show me what you got.”

Taking a deep breath, Sombra moved to the starting line and started his lap. Remembering his mother’s story from the Running of the Leaves, he paced himself, jogging at a comfortable speed. Still, the excretion was totally new, meaning he could only get up to about ten laps before needing to stop.

Tossing a towel at the colt, Daring came up to his side. “Ten laps, that’s much better than I would’ve thought a little unicorn like you would’ve done. Looks like I won’t need to start from scratch. So, how do ya feel?”

“Tired...” Catching the towel, he patted at his now moist fur. “How can ponies do that for hours?”

“Because they’ve trained for a long time,” Daring told him, chuckling as he cleaned himself off. “Give it time and you’ll see how high your endurance can go. Just think, your dad probably had even worse endurance than you do right now before he started going through Flash Fire’s crazy boot camp.”

“Really?” he questioned, looking up at his coach hopefully. “You think Dad had it tough with this kinda stuff too?”

“Oh, he probably had it a lot worse than you do,” Daring assured, passing him a water bottle. “Your mom is going to too, once she gets in Flash Fire’s hands.”

“Thanks, Miss Yearling,” Sombra said, taking a long swig of water. “That makes me feel a lot better. If Dad can get past being bad at this, then I can too, right?”

“You know it,” Daring promised, putting her water bottle down. “Now, you ready for the rest of your workout?” At his nod, she moved him through the next exercises. Watching him work, a strange feeling passed over her, something she hadn’t quite felt before.

It was a bit like pride, that much she could tell, but there was something else to it. A desire perhaps. Interrupting her train of thought several times, she called out ways he could fix his breathing or form to help his endurance. Eventually, she came to a sort of conclusion.

‘Oh crap, am I starting to want kids of my own?’ she thought, trying not to let worry creep into her expression. ‘Faust damnit. I didn’t need this. This is why I live in the woods; biological imperatives be damned.’ Daring nodded to herself, quickly telling Sombra to start doing jumping jacks. ‘That’s right, Daring Do is a solo act and always will be. I mean, who would I even find that I’d actually want to spend my life raising little headaches with?’

Annoyance etched itself onto her face, a brief image of Ahuizotl crossing her mind. ‘That right there is why fans suck. I have half a mind to just never talk to anyone but Velvet again. I do not and never will have feelings for that three-handed cat-monkey.’

“Miss Yearling, can I stop now?” Sombra asked, his voice coming in as a ragged pant and his fur was covered in a sheen of sweat. “I’m starting to lose feeling in my arms.”

“Yeah, take five, kid.” Daring pulled her glasses off, cleaning the lenses. Not that they were dirty, just something to focus her thoughts. “While you’re catching your breath, how about we talk about that anger problem?”

Sombra slumped to the floor in a sitting position and grabbing his towel. He started to dry his fur off, getting his breathing in order. “Isn’t that why we’re doing this stuff? To keep my anger from blowing up again?”

“Yeah but you can’t really do jumping jacks or run laps everywhere now can you?” Daring slipped her glasses back on, taking a seat next to him. “So, we need to give you something you can use anywhere.”

“I guess I could do jumping jacks anywhere, though I’d look a little silly,” he admitted, drinking greedily from his water bottle. “Okay, what’s the thing? Is it like a different kind of exercise?”

Going for an analogy, Daring pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. “Think of your anger as a piece of paper; something you aren’t satisfied with. What you do is, crumple that paper up, in your mind and count to five. On five, you just toss it away.” To finish the analogy, she casually tossed the piece of paper over her shoulder and had it land in a trash bin. “It sounds dumb, but I used something similar when I was younger.”

Sombra watched the paper fall into the can, thinking on what Daring had just said. “This is that visualization thing, right? I think Mom has talked about that before.” Looking up at her, he studied her face. “Did you have an anger problem too?”

Daring laughed, shaking her head. “Nah, kid, my thing was fear.” Closing her eyes, she thought back, hearing her father’s voice upon her ears.

Daring Do stood a step away from the edge of a deep gap, staring at it in hesitation. For summer break, her father had decided to take her exploring into some of Equestria’s more untamed corners. In front of her the path ended, most likely washed out by a recent storm. Her father stood on the other side, patiently waiting for her.

“Uh Dad, should we be here?” she asked nervously, taking in their surroundings. “I-I mean, the weather here acts all on its on, it’s just not natural.” Looking from the gap to him, she continued. “Why can’t I just fly over?”

Her father chuckled, shaking his head. “Your wings are an advantage, an advantage you might lose at some point. I want you to be able to take care of yourself, no matter what.”

“Isn’t that why you’re around?” Daring questioned, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “Parents are supposed to take care of their foals, right?”

Pausing a moment, Agito removed his mask and pulled back his hood. “Of course it is, but a parent can’t look after their foal forever. Someday you’ll be your own mare, someone who can stand her ground no matter what the world throws at her.” With a slight smile, he spoke. “Listen closely, okay?”

Daring nodded emphatically, leaning in close to be sure she took in his every word.

“I know you’re scared and that’s fine. Everyone gets scared. Now, let that fear do it’s thing. Let it course through you, but only ever give it five seconds. No more and no less.” Stepping back from his side of the gap, he nodded at her. “Count to five, D.D, and when you get to five, jump.”

Following his directions, she slowly started to count. With every number her anxieties seemed to quiet down little by little. When she finally reached five, she crouched down and jumped forward as far as she could manage. She felt the familiar pull of gravity over open air before her hooves once more connected to the ground. She beamed in excitement, looking up at her father.

“See?” Agito kneeled down, pulling her into a hug. “I told you you could do it.”

“You were right!” she agreed, eagerly returning the gesture. “It was scary at first, but as soon as I jumped it was fun!”

Standing back up, Agito put his hand on her head. “Good. I can’t have my little girl being miserable on our trip now can I? You ready to keep going?”

“Yeah, I’m ready, Dad,” Daring assured him. “Where are we going again?”

“Where the wind takes us.” Winking, he slipped his mask back on, taking point along the trail.

“Wow, so even you were a fraidy cat at one point,” Sombra noted, snapping Daring out of her reminiscing. “Dad was right, ponies really can change.” He burst into a series giggles when Daring ruffled his mane. “S-stop!!”

“Yeah, yeah, I used to be a scaredy filly, just remember to keep that to yourself, kid. Now, are you ready to have a go at the punching bag? That’s really good for venting aggression on.” Leading Sombra over to the boxing area, she found a pair of foal-sized boxing gloves and tossed them to him. “Put these on and I’ll help you lace them up. After that, I’ll teach you my famous right hook. You can even ask your dad about how effective it is.”

Once Sombra had his gloves on properly, Daring showed him the mechanics for a proper punch. He tried it out on the bag, slowly at first until Daring urged him to really go at it. A grin wormed its way onto his face, each impact he made on the bag soothing him.

General Shadow stood at the top of a cliff, looking out at the city of Griffonstone through a pair of binoculars. As expected, what he saw was buildings in ruins and griffons that couldn’t get along. Hardly something that one would deem worthy of joining the ranks of Dai-Shocker. But, the Great Leader had given his orders and Shadow would complete them to a “T”.

“Worms are free to be released,” Shadow said, turning back to a Combatman behind him. “Make sure they cause as much damage as possible.”

The Combatman saluted and gave a quick shout in affirmation. He darted down the trail, leaving Shadow alone. He returned his attention towards the city, waiting for any changes. After a few minutes, he got what he wanted. Buildings started collapsing and griffons shrieked in terror as they had no idea what was happening.

With a wave of his hand, he dimensionally stepped down into the crumbled city. “Fear not, citizens of Griffonstone, aid has arrived.” Weilding a customized blaster, he fired at a few rehearsed locations. Each shot found its mark, several bodies hitting the ground.

The destruction suddenly stopped, the panicking of the griffons following suit seconds later. A couple of the bolder members of the crowd approached the downed bodies, finding that they were all unicorns.

“Do not despair, the attack on your city has been repelled.” Shadow lowered his weapon, looking amongst the griffons. “I do hope none of you were injured.”

“Yeah, none of us seemed to be the target,” a young, buff hen with a fringe of white feathers capped with purple on her head noted. “So, what freakshow did you run away from?”

Shadow ignored her insult, gesturing towards one of the bodies. “As you can guess, these are no ordinary ponies. They belong to one of Equestria’s secret organization, trained to terrorize neighboring nations.”

The griffoness started to laugh, nearly falling over and clutching at her sides. “That’s rich, Bubble Boy. That dork Princess Celestia would never do something like that. Besides, why would they wanna attack this dump?” She waved at the ramshackle buildings that had been mostly rubble even before the attack.

“Just because you haven’t made use of this land, doesn’t mean others wouldn’t. Equestria plans to expand, taking as much as they can from their neighbors.” Shadow nudged one of the bodies with his foot. “This is just the beginning. What do you think will happen when they learn their first strike was defeated?”

The griffoness quirked a brow at Shadow and leveled a critical gaze at him. “Uh huh, that’s about as convincing as Grandpa Gruff’s old toupee.” She pointed at an elderly griffon in a hairpiece to emphasize her point. Despite this, most of the crowd started to murmur amongst themselves and move towards Shadow.

“I’m not letting some pony take what’s mine!” one of the more heavily built males shouted. “I dare them to try!”

“Yeah! I got my stuff fair and square!” a lanky griffoness agreed, flaring her wings out. “I’ll claw out the eyes of any pony that tries to steal it!”

The original griffoness clicked her beak, the crowd around her quickly riling into a full blown mob. “Great, something finally happens around here and it’s the worst thing ever.” Thrusting her hands into her pockets, she watched the creepy figure in white smirk ever so slightly as the crowd listened to him go on. “I should probably bail; nothing good is gonna go down here,” she muttered, heading for her home.

Tempting Offers

Daring’s wings buzzed on her back, the tiny appendages letting her sail around her family’s study. Circling around a statue of a Zebrican warrior, she laughed her head off.

“Daring, you’re clear for landing,” a smooth masculine voice chimed, compelling her away from the carving. With a small *plop*, she landed on a stallion’s shoulders. “How are you doing, honey?”

“Fine!” she chirped, burying her face in the back of his head tightly and spitting out bits of spiky brown mane for her trouble. “What dat?” she asked in return, pointing at the table her father was standing in front of.

“A curious little birdy aren’t we?” he asked, reaching up to ruffle her mane. “Well, this is what your mommy and I are working on.”

“Mowe old stuff?” she inquired, poking her head out for a better look. There were several maps on it with various regions having pins stuck in them. What stuck out the most though was a scroll bearing an odd symbol on it. The shape was a lot like an eye, though the iris was shaped like a flame or wisp.

“Very old stuff,” he agreed, putting his hand on the scroll. “And this is some really old stuff!”

“Owder than mommy?” Daring asked with a giggle.

“I heard that!” A young mare stepped into view, clad in a pair of jeans and red jacket. “I’ll have you know young lady, I’m not even thirty yet.” Reaching over, she tickled Daring’s chin. “Keep that up, and it’ll be tickle time for you!”

Letting out a cry of surprise, Daring squirmed under her mother’s sudden attack. “No, mommy! No tickle!”

“Ah, there’s the mare I was looking for!” Daring’s father beamed, pulling his wife close. “I just got the scroll out. Have you managed to figure out what language this is yet?” he asked, tapping the top of the paper.

“You owe me twenty bits because that,” she tapped a finger to the writing, “is Mesoponaryan. Took me a while to figure it out. Must have been written before they interacted with Equish speakers.”

The stallion whistled, gingerly picking up the scrolls. “The Historical Society will love this! So, don’t leave me in suspense; what does it say?”

“This mark is the mark of spirits. It was given to those the spirits deemed worthy, allowing the bearer to gain the powers of certain souls,” Daring’s mother explained, pulling out her notebook. “Too bad we couldn’t find any other instances of this symbol at the dig site. This sounds fascinating. Can you just picture the rituals done for these spirits?”

“Based on that symbol,” Daring’s father started, pointing to the iris on the drawing, “I’d hazard a guess that fire played a prominent role in most of them.”

At the mention of fire, flames erupted around the room, eating away at everything as easily as if it were made of paper. Daring tried to scream, but no sound would escape her lips. She was forced to watch as the fire consumed everything, the last thing to burn away being the completely unaware smiling faces of her parents.

With a jolt, Daring awoke covered in a sheen of sweat. She hyperventilated, needing a moment to realize she was in her home in Ponyville. “Faust, I hate nightmares...” Reaching out, her hand hovered over a bottle of booze before grabbing a bottle of water. Taking a long swig, she managed to ease her mind slightly. “When was the last time I even dreamed of them?” she muttered, putting the bottle down.

She was surprised she even remembered their faces. Maybe it had something to do with their sudden deaths? Something like that was bound to stick with a pony, even if they were barely old enough to form memories.

Getting out of bed, Daring made her way over to her mirror. “Why is your life so screwed up, Daring Do?” Running a hand through her mane, she sighed. “Maybe my family picked up a curse from some artifact?” Tsking, she turned away from the mirror and headed towards the shower.

Shedding her bedwear, Daring stepped into the shower. A contented sound escaped her lips as the warm water sprayed down on her body. “At least hot showers haven’t been taken away.” Even after she was done cleaning herself, Daring was happy to stand under the nozzle and chase away her morbid thoughts.

Scrubbing off the remains of the nightmare, Daring sang a song she had picked from her father. She moved to what she thought the beat of the song would be, her scrubbing becoming more vigorous.

“Madness reigns!” she belted out, turning the water. “In the hall of the mountain king!” She thrashed her head, sending her mane flying this way and that. Water droplets went flying around the room, something she knew she’d have to clean up later but in the moment paid no mind to.

What she did pay mind to was the flaming eye symbol painted onto her bathroom mirror. Her singing abruptly stopped and she jumped out of the shower to look outside into her room. Nothing seemed off; everything was in place and yet... something was there.

There was no sign of an intruder, not even an open window as a sign of entry or exit. Either there was someone still in her home, or she had been visited by the stealthiest graffiti artist ever. Grabbing a towel to cover herself, she armed herself with the baseball bat she kept under her bed and set off to search the rest of her home.

“Well now, if it isn’t the filly who lived.”

Daring spun around, bat at the ready... only to find nothing. “Okay. So you’re invisible. Big deal.”

“I’m so much more than invisible, little filly,” the voice taunted, a sudden chill going through her. “As are you.” An unseen force grabbed her arms, restraining her. “Ah my dear child, you’ve certainly grown haven’t you?”

“Who the hell are you?!” she spat, kicking and squirming in a desperate attempt to free herself.

“All will be clear soon enough.”

Daring barely held in a scream as some seared into her shoulder. She struggled feebly against her assailant, her knees threatening to buckle. “The fuck are you doing to me?!” Clenching her teeth, she kicked her leg backwards in a hope of hitting whoever was grabbing her. “Get off, asshole!”

“As you wish.” The force shoved her away, wafting the scent of burnt fur and skin through the room. “I do hope you like your new markings. I’ve been perfecting the design for decades!”

Daring stumbled over, her towel draping over her body. Before she could return to her hooves, the chilling presence vanished, leaving her alone in her home. His final words didn’t sit right with her and she rushed to her bathroom to get a good look at her back and shoulder. The same flaming eye had been burned into her skin, staring out at the world.

“Why is this symbol following me?” she muttered, letting her fingers trace over the brand. “Mom, Dad, what the hell did you discover?”

“Why are we out here again?” Trixie inquired, digging her hoof into the ground. Heaving slightly, she pulled the heavy cart over some rather large roots. “I mean, couldn’t you get the drake to do this? He’s stronger than me!”

“The drake has a name,” Maud said, ignoring Trixie’s complaints as she led the mare through the woods. “It’s Spike. And you still have a lot to answer for after taking over Ponyville.”

Trixie grumbled, glaring at Maud’s back. “What are we even doing out here anyway? Adding more rocks to your collection?”

“Something like that,” Maud answered, continuing along the path. “I’m looking for things that I can synthesize Gaia Memories out of. Spike collecting his medals made me realize how Pinkie and I’s arsenal needs to be rounded out more.”

“How much longer until we can satisfy your fetish, rockophile?”

“Insulting me isn’t going to get you out of work,” Maud pointed out, finally turning to look back at Trixie. “I don’t remember you complaining this much on the farm.”

“That’s because I needed money!” Trixie snapped, letting the cart come to a stop. “I was blinded by a stupid revenge plot and wasn’t even thinking of complaining.” Her eyes roved down Maud’s backside, resting on her rear. “The view wasn’t that bad either...”

“I agree, the mines have a great view of serpentine veins. That’s a rare thing in Equestria,” Maud replied, nodding to herself. “Rarity gets her gems here. There should be a memory here, somewhere.”

Trixie rolled her eyes, keeping her gaze locked on Maud’s lower half. “Alright, boss, lead the way.” Under her breath she added. “At least her obliviousness gives me a free show.” Her agitation grew as they reached the cave. “This the place?”

“Yes, we should be able to find something here.” Maud moved back to the cart and pulled out two helmets with spotlights on them. “Here, we’ll need these if we want to see what we’re doing.”

Taking the helmet, Trixi slipped it onto her head. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let’s just find you your stupid rocks so I can go do more important things.”

“This is important,” Maud corrected, putting her own helmet on and leading the other mare into the cave. “This will help us in our fight against the monsters terrorizing Equestria and the forces of Dai-Shocker.”

“Right... saving the world from ponies from another world. You know how dumb that sounds, right?” Trixie pinned her ears to her head, trying to block out the sound of wood on stone.

“It’s real,” Maud countered, putting a hand on the cave wall as she walked deeper into the darkness. “I’ve seen at least two doppelgangers of ponies; one that was Twilight’s brother, and the other a version of my sister, Pinkie.”

Maud reached into her smock, producing a small tuning fork. Tapping it against the wall, she flicked her ears about. She walked over to the other wall, and repeated the action, listening intently. “There’s something in this cave, let’s keep going.”

“The Tartarus is that thing?” Trixie asked, following after Maud. “Why are all you Pies nuts? The only one in your family that doesn't have something wrong with them is your mom!”

“This is a tuning fork,” Maud answered, returning the object to her frock. “The sound it makes differs based on what it’s struck on. If you know how a certain rock or object will resonate with it, it becomes easier to find things like Gaia Memories. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t insult my family.”

Trixie snorted, glaring once more. “Would it kill you to be mad at me? Faust, how are you not pissed I turned you into a rock!? A rock Maud, I turned you into a rock and you blow it off! That Yearling mare knocked me on my flank, but you just ignore it like nothing happened!”

“I actually wanted to thank you for turning me into a rock,” Maud replied, blinking slowly at Trixie. “It was an illuminating experience. As for what you said about my family, that did irritate me. I’m just not as expressive as Pinkie.”

“That’s an understatement...” Trixie grumbled, glancing off to the side. “Next you’re going to tell me you caught me looking,” she mumbled, moving her light over the rock. “How long are we going to be in here?”

“As long as it takes us to dig out what we need,” Maud told her, moving deeper into the cave. “Which means it will go by faster if we don’t complain.”

‘I’d rather fight a fangire without transforming,” Trixie thought to herself, keeping her eyes on Maud’s back. “Well, if she’s going to be like that, she shouldn’t complain if I undress her with my eyes.’ Smirking to herself, she imagined the grey mare without the frock. Her mind continued to wander, picturing herself finally getting a reaction out of the stony mare.

Maud checked the fork again, taking a left at the next branch. “This way.”

Trixie followed after Maud, continuing her line of thought to keep from complaining. Eventually, Maud stopped and struck the fork once more.

“I think we’re here,” Maud stated, putting away her fork and grabbing a pair of pickaxes. “Let’s get digging.”

“Why not just punch it?” Trixie disconnected from the cart, pulling her Ixa Knuckle. “I bet a few good whacks will get us what we need.”

“That could cause a cave in and get us stuck in here,” Maud told her, giving Trixie a pickaxe. “And that would keep you from those important things you’re so desperate to get to.”

“Fine.” Stowing her Knuckle, Trixie gripped the pickaxe. ‘Dear Faust, you better give me a good show, Maud. If only to dissuade me forming some kind of hatred for rocks.’

“At least you have plenty of experience with one of these,” Maud noted, striking at the rockwall. “If my estimations are correct, then what we’re looking for is three feet deep into the stone.” Maud’s thoughts focused on the memory buried before them. The prospect of more research tickled her interest; the hours of poring over every little detail, delving into the knowledge of the very world itself. She could hardly contain her excitement, digging even faster with Trixie finally taking a swing at the rock.

For her part, Trixie was paying just enough attention to avoid clashing pickaxes with Maud; instead letting her focus to the rock loving mare’s breasts as they bounced in her frock. ‘I’m such a perv. But damn if she doesn’t make it easy to stare. Gotta say, the Pie girls might be nutty, but they’ve all got giant boulders for chests.’

The two continued to work for some time, chipping away at the rock little by little. They built up a sheen of sweat on their fur and Trixie had to call for a break about halfway through. Eventually, something was slowly revealed inside the cave wall, causing the mares to quicken their pace. With one last strike of Maud’s pick, a brilliant grey crystal was unearthed. Setting her tool down, Maud grabbed the grey crystal and turned it over in her hand.

“Beautiful,” she commented, holding the crystal closer to her head lamp. “I can’t wait to see what this can turn into.”

“That’s it?” Trixie frowned, raising an eyebrow. “All of that work, for that?”

“I’ll need to do some work in order to make it look like this.” Maud pulled her Joker Memory out of her shirt, showing it to Trixie. “What were you expecting, a magic sword?”

“I dunno... a whistle?” Trixie offered, letting her pickaxe rest on the floor. “Why the Tartarus did you make me bring the cart if that thing won’t even take up a quarter?!”

“Because we’re not done.” Stepping over to the cart, Maud lifted out a circular container. “We’ll be scouring the rest of the cave.” Placing the memory inside, she replaced it in the cart. Pulling her tuning fork out once more, she tapped it on the wall. “Besides.” Her tail moved, flicking against Trixie’s side. “I don’t give free shows.”

“You knew?!” Trixie gaped at Maud, a blush blooming across the bridge of her muzzle. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?!” Trixie’s blush only grew as Maud kept walking. “Maud!! Answer me, damnit!”

“You’ll get your answer when we’re done here,” Maud told her, striking her tuning fork against the nearest wall. She put a slight sway to her hips, deciding to throw Trixie a bone. The tiniest of smiles formed on her face. Ponyville was certainly getting more interesting.

Trixie adjusted her hat on her head, covering her blush. She grumbled to herself, but followed close behind anyway.

Wyatt stood in the dark room of the Ponyville Gazette, developing the photos for the next issue of the paper. Humming to himself, he carefully picked the photos out of the fluid and hung them up to dry. Before he could take his gloves off, there was a knock on the door. He cracked open the door to avoid ruining the pictures to find his boss’s face staring back at him.

“Oh hey, Fine Print,” he greeted, slipping out the room. “I just put the photos up to dry, they should be ready way before we need to print the next issue.”

Fine Print, an older mare with a seafoam green mane, smiled back at him. “Always ahead of schedule, aren’t we?” Gesturing with her head, she moved towards her office. “Follow me kid.”

“Are ya finally giving me a raise, ya cheapskate?” Wyatt teased, following the mare into her office and taking a seat across from her desk. He blinked, noting Spike standing by the desk. “You hiring out of schools now?”

“To answer your first question, you are getting a raise of sorts,” Fine Print told him, sliding a manilla folder towards him. “In fact, you’re going to be our field reporter. That means you get to travel around Equestria to give us stories about what’s going down in other cities. And I thought Spike would make a great stenographer for you.”

“I take great notes,” Spike offered, wearing a prideful grin. “You can just ask Twilight.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a rather nice looking notepad. “I won’t miss a single detail.”

“Wow, this sounds like a pretty sweet gig,” Wyatt replied, leafing through the folder. “But why are you offering us this job? You usually only care about news outside of Ponyville when it’s earth shattering.”

Fine Print leaned back, folding her hands on her lap. “The two of you need to be able to move around the country. A legitimate reason to be where the action is happening.”

“Plus, it’ll let me find the medals.” Reaching into his other pocket, Spike produced a compass. “Twi enchanted this thing to pick up medals, which means this job is perfect for us!”

Staring at the compass, Wyatt said, “Huh, she probably used the compass’s natural ability to pick up the magnetic pole of the planet as a starting point and altered it to detect the specific field given off by the Core Medals.” He paused, taking a moment to realize what he had just done. “Ok, I think I’ve been listening to Twi talk about magic too much. Anyway, I’m more than happy to accept this job, boss.” Standing up, he offered his hand to shake. “Thanks for this, Fine Print.”

Reaching over, Fine Print took his hand, giving it a shake. “Hey, I have to do my part for the country, ya? Just don’t screw it up, got it?”

“Are you kidding? I’ll be bringing in juicy stories and busting monster heads left and right,” Wyatt boasted, grinning at the mare. “Ponies are gonna be chomping at the bit to read the articles I give you.”

“That’s what I like to hear, kid!” Fine Print beamed, returning to her seat. “You two can start next week. I’ll arrange your travel expenses by then.”

“Is there anything else you need from me, boss?” Wyatt inquired, letting the folder hang at his side. “Some leftover projects here in Ponyville?”

“No, the others are taking care of the rest of the articles,” Fine Print assured him, waving a hand lazily. “Just be sure those photos of yours get on my desk before we print tomorrow.”

Wyatt nodded, moving towards the door. “I’ll make sure everything is ready. You coming, Spike?”

“Sure thing,” Spike agreed, following the young man out of the office. “So, how do you think Twi’s gonna react to this?”

“I have no idea.” Wyatt put his hand in his pocket, leading the drake out of the building. “How’s that compass actually work? Wouldn’t it just point to the medals you already have?”

“Nope, Twilight enchanted my medal case to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Spike assured, patting his pocket. “She thought of everything.” He leaned in, snorting. “She’s spent most of her time with the eggs though. I think she’s turning into a chicken.”

“I hope not, can’t exactly date a chicken,” Wyatt retorted, chuckling. He took a moment to picture Twilight as a mother hen, which only served to prolong his laughing fit. “It’s probably some kind of dragonic maternal instinct, sorta like a crocodile.”

Spike flashed him a flat look. “Please don’t compare my species to crocodiles.” Shifting topics, he kept the flat look up. “On the subject of parents, I can’t believe you told Sombra to just ignore bullying.”

Wyatt groaned, rubbing the side of his head. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been kicking myself over that one. I’m gonna sit down with him and give him some better advice. Namely, always alert Cheerilee the instant someone like Silver Spoon starts their crap. And, that defending himself is okay if another kid starts it.”

A sigh escaped Spike’s lips. “If you’re gonna tell him that, why’d you tell him to ignore it in the first place?”

“That was in the context of name calling,” Wyatt retorted, his brow furrowing. “Sombra was the one who brought it to a physical place there.” Craning his neck, he returned the drake’s flat look. “Look, must be nice criticizing me from where you’re standing, Captain Hindsight.”

“I aim to please,” Spike responded, wearing a mischievous grin. “So! What do you want to do with the rest of the day, Mr. Reporter?”

Rolling his eyes, Wyatt took a breath to let his nerves settle. Closing his eyes, he took a few seconds to think. “Well, I think telling Twi about our new job is the first priority. Knowing her, sitting on this news is just asking for one of her famous freakouts.”

Spike laughed, his tail swishing in mirth. “We should sell tickets. We’d get a bigger crowd than a Sapphire Shores concert!”

“Or we’d get more of her messing with the timestream,” Wyatt replied flatly. “And seeing Twi in that bodysuit again is not worth the headache that incident caused.”

“Yeah...” Spike shuddered. “I don’t want that headache again... or that stomachache...”

Chuckling, Wyatt slapped Spike gently on the back. “Hey, that’s Past Spike’s problem now.” He only laughed harder at Spike’s groan. “Relax, will ya? The only time’s we’ll have to deal with time travel is if an Imagin shows up.”

“Which knowing your luck, means we could be dealing with that a lot,” the drake pointed out, putting his hands behind his head. “I seriously think you should invest some time looking for a four leaf clover or something.”

“Yeah, yeah, yuck it up, Scales.” Wyatt opened the door to the library, stepping inside. “Hey, Twi! Where you at? Spike and I need to tell you something!”

“Sombra and I are in the basement!” Twilight’s muffled voice called back. “My hands are a little full right now so can you come downstairs?!”

“Must be with the eggs,” Wyatt commented, making his way downstairs. “Hey, babe. Spike and I got something to tell you and Sombra. Think you can take a break and listen?”

Twilight turned from the table where the eggs were resting, setting a clipboard down on it. “Of course I can listen to you. Oh!” Her eyes lit up and she patted the board. “And I made a discovery I want to share with you two as well.”

“What’s that?” Spike asked, walking over to the table. He lifted one of the eggs up, instinctively cradling it to his chest. “Did you find out the genders or something?”

“While that would be interesting, no,” Twilight answered, pointing at Spike. “I discovered that there’s a faint magic field around the eggs. If I were a betting mare I’d say that if I dispel that field then I can safely hatch the eggs.”

Spike’s eyes lit up, clutching the egg close. “Y-you mean it!?” The thought of more family made Spike’s imagination soar. Thoughts and scenes of hatchlings of all colors danced through his mind. “When!?!”

“That part could be tricky,” Twilight admitted, picking up her notes and charts. “I still have to identify what kind of magic this is exactly. With how faint it is I’ve been increasing the sensitivity of all my equipment just to be able to get this much. But, once I do that then I can start working on a way to counter whatever spell this is.” Smiling softly, she put a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “We’re in the home stretch, Spike.”

“Yeah.” Spike nodded, holding the egg up to his face. “You hear that? You’ll be out soon! Grandpa’s gonna be so happy to finally see you.”

Twilight giggled, enjoying his excitement for a moment. “So, what was it you two wanted to tell me?”

“I got promoted,” Wyatt informed, holding up the folder. “Fine Print’s made me her newest field reporter, and Spike’s gonna be my note taker!”

Twilight’s muzzle scrunched up for a split second before she put on a smile. “I’m proud of you, Wyatt. Do you know if you’ll be popping in every weekend?”

“That I don’t know.” Wyatt shook his head, passing the folder to Twilight. “I’m surprised you're taking this so well. I sorta expected you to get a little possessive.”

Laughing sheepishly, she rubbed her arm. “Weeeell, the urge might be there. But your job is important, Wyatt.” Managing a smile she strode up to him and put a hand on his chest. “Plus, I think I see what your boss is doing. Giving you an excuse to travel and fight monsters. There are places besides Ponyville that need your help.”

Wyatt nodded, putting his arm around her. “I can finally get off my ass and actually get proactive.”

Twilight leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Just be sure to visit as often as you can. Sombra and I will miss you.”

“Hey!” Spike frowned, setting the egg back down. “What about me? What am I, chopped celery?”

Twilight chuckled and tousled his spines. “I guess I’ll miss you too,” she added cheekily.

Sombra stepped over, having been reading a book. “I’ll miss you both too.” A smile grew across his face. “Can you bring me back souvenirs?”

Wyatt grinned, hoisting the colt onto his shoulder. “Of course, buddy. I’ll try to find you something cool in every town we go to. Might be hard in small villages but I’ll think of something.”

“Even if this is a cover for your Kamen Rider duties, you’ve gotten this promotion so quickly,” Twilight commented, a proud smile on her face.

“Yup, only nineteen and I’ve got myself a sweet reporter job,” Wyatt agreed, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m moving my way up in the world, aren't I?”

Twilight blinked, looking up at Wyatt with a quirked brow. “Hold on, nineteen?” A moment passed before her look became serious. “Wyatt, did your birthday pass?”

Blanching, Wyatt’s eyes darted back and forth. “Uh, did I say nineteen? Must’ve been a slip of the tongue.” Failing to meet Twilight’s gaze, he set Sombra down. “Whoops!” He slapped his forehead unconvincingly. “I forgot to turn my photos in to my boss! Gotta run back to the office!” Without waiting for a response, he rushed up the stairs.

Staring after him, Twilight’s frown deepened. “Spike, did you know about Wyatt’s birthday?”

Spike shook his head, scratching at a couple loose scales on the back of his neck. “No, he’s never brought it up.” After a bit of thinking he added. “Actually, I know for a fact that he’s never mentioned his birthday. If he had, Pinkie’d know about it for sure.”

“He must be hiding it!” Pinkie exclaimed, suddenly between the two. “We have to investigate!”

“Gah!” Twilight cried, leaning on the table behind her to catch herself. “Pinkie! What have I told you about popping up behind us like that?” Her eyes contracted for a moment. “Especially down here with the eggs!”

Pinkie shrank slightly and chuckled nervously. “Sorry, once my Pinkie Sense picked up a birthday emergency I rushed toward the source.” Putting a pipe into her mouth, she pulled Twilight close to her. “Still, this requires investigation!”

“How are we supposed to investigate this, nopony knows his birthday,” Spike pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest. “The only people that would live in a different universe.”

“That’s quitter talk!” Spike found himself pulled into her embrace. “The three of us are gonna get the the bottom of this, no matter what!”

“Or we could be calm about this and think about why Wyatt wouldn’t want to talk about his birthday,” Spike commented, suddenly finding something very soft pressing into his side.

“Pffft.” Pinkie waved her hand dismissively and pressed Spike closer to her. “Where’s the fun in that, Spike? No, what we need is to tail him like private eyes.” Dropping him unceremoniously, she beamed. “The birthday investigation begins.... Now~~”

In a split second, she tossed away her clothes to reveal a brown overcoat, the bubble pipe still in her mouth, a strange hat sitting atop her mane and a magnifying glass in her hand. “Let us away!” She grabbed both of their hands, dragging them up the stairs.

“Sombra, head to Rarity’s!” Twilight called out before they could be pulled out the door. “We might be gone a while!”

“Okay, Mom!” Sombra called back, watching them go. After a moment, he turned to the eggs. “Stuff gets weird in Ponyville.” Following previous instructions, he moved the eggs back into the chest, locking both it and the basement doors. That taken care of, he made his way to Rarity’s house, imagining what kind of crazy adventure his family was having.

Somber Shield stood by his throne, watching a distortion. The object of his attention was the scene of a throne room, not too different from his own. “Are you ready, Midnight? I’d rather not delay this meeting for too much longer.”

“I have all the relevant data loaded up onto my tablet,” the young woman assured him, stepping up to his throne with the device in hand. “Managed to find some universes I think Drakkon won’t be able to resist.”

Somber nodded, smoothing out his cape with a quick dash of magic. “Apollo! Bring the prisoners forward.” It had taken a bit of effort, but, he was confident Dai-Shocker had enough to entice Drakkon to their cause.

Apollo entered the room, two people bound and being led by a chain followed behind him. One wore a green and white suit, highlighted in gold. His helmet bore the image of a dolphin on either side. The second was a woman in a golden suit with a police badge bearing a dog’s profile on the helmet. Her left sleeve was entirely black while the right matched the gold of the rest of the suit. The only other notable features of the suit was a black “X” that stuck close to the left sleeve and a metal badge on her right shoulder that said, “S.P.D.”

“As you commanded, Great Leader.” Apollo grunted, taking his place next to Somber. “I await your command.”

“Excellent! Let’s make a good first a good first impression, shall we?” Expanding the distortion with a wave of his hand, Somber stepped through the portal.

Midnight and Apollo followed after him, dragging the prisoners through. In a moment, they were in the dark throne room they had just been viewing. In an instant, guards surrounded them and pointed weapons at their heads.

Said guards wore black armor; with helmets that bore the likeness of a mastodon. Military pouches hung from their chest plates, most likely holding extra ammo for their weapon; a rather slick looking assault rifle.

“Not many would be so bold to enter my domain uninvited.” Lord Drakkon sat on his dark throne, staring down at the newly arrived group. Though in his ranger form, he wore no helmet; his features plain to see. His chest was covered by a gold and green shield, a claw symbol at the center of it.

On either side of his throne stood red, tyrannosaurus themed soldiers. Sporting capes, the pair brandished staffs; both ends of which bore sword blades. “Shall we remove them, m'lord?” one asked, crouched into a stance.

Somber lit his horn, every soldier in the room being lifted into the air and being pinned to the ceiling. “I don’t think there’s any need to remove us.” Grinning darkly, he gestured to his prisoners. “I am Somber Shield, Great Leader of Dai-Shocker and I have an offer for you, Lord Drakkon.”

Drakkon rose from his seat, stepping down to their level. “And what could you offer me, horse?” Stopping in front of Somber, he stared down the stallion. “That I could not take for myself?”

“Powers that your world has never seen,” Somber stated, creating a distortion in front of him. Within it, a team of Rangers fought, none of which Drakkon recognized. “Even powers beyond those of rangers. The scene changed, showing Wyatt and Maud’s fight against Ambassador Hell.

Drakkon stared at the scene, his face an emotionless mask. “How are you doing this?”

Somber gestured with his fingers. “I can control the very fabric that separates one universe from another. Those in powerful positions in Dai-Shocker can do much the same. As I understand it, your chaos crystal works similarly.”

“And what do you wish in return from me?” Drakkon questioned, craning his neck towards Somber. “No one makes an offer like this and expects nothing in return.”

“But of course.” Somber nodded, meeting Drakkon’s gaze. “I require an oath of loyalty and a share of your resources. Any aid given to you is expected to be returned. Beyond that, you will have your autonomy, as long as it does not conflict with Dai-Shocker’s agenda.”

Drakkon’s eyes narrowed and he got in close to Somber. “An oath of loyalty? Does that mean you expect me to bend my knee to you?”

“No, Drakkon, it does not. What I expect is loyalty. It wouldn’t do for the leaders of Dai-Shocker to struggle amongst themselves for power. An oath of loyalty, only to ensure a stable power base.”

Drakkon’s expression softened, but he kept a skeptical eye on the armored pony. “I see, so, I help you when you ask, and you let me acquire more Ranger powers for my own army.”

“We’ll do more then let you.” Midnight spoke up, taking a step closer to Drakkon. “We’ve scouted a few worlds that might spark your interest.” Tapping at her tablet, she passed the device to him. “Take a look for yourself.”

Tapping at the device, Drakkon stared at it for a little bit. “These do look promising,” he stated plainly.

“As I knew they were.” Midnight smiled wide, adjusting her glasses. “I would hope this proves our intentions.”

“I accept, tentatively,” Drakkon stated, returning the device. “But if I feel this deal outlives its usefulness then I will end our arrangement.”

Somber nodded. “We can make do with a trial period.” Throwing up a smile, he clapped his hands together. “We did bring you a welcoming gift Drakkon. A pair of rangers from a rather obscure universe. Do with them what you please. Apollo, hand over the prisoners.”

Apollo tugged on the chain, presenting the prisoners and offering his end of the chain to the proclaimed lord. “Here they are, their morphers are intact.”

Drakkon took the chain, gazing down at it. “This is acceptable.”

“Excellent,” Somber replied, waving for Apollo to return to his previous position. Reaching into his cape, he produced a small crystal. “This will let you receive a contact from me when I call for a meeting of my generals. Midnight will also provide you with any other data you request if you find something interesting among Dai-Shocker’s forces or enemies.”

Taking the crystal, Drakkon closed his hand around it. “I believe our business is concluded then, Somber Shield.”

“I look forward to working with you, Drakkon,” Somber replied, snapping his fingers and creating another distortion. Turning on his hoof, he set the guards down gently before he and his companions disappeared.

It had taken several days of travel, but Agito and his companion finally could see an Equestrian village. The mare seemed like she had wanted to complain several times during their journey, but always stopped short. Agito didn’t care what her reasoning for it was, he just wanted to make sure she got home safely.

The bleak desert had given way to light foliage and certain tropical plants that almost reminded Agito of home. “Are you ready to go home?” Agito asked, glancing back at the mare.

She nodded, staring hopefully at the village in the distance. “Yes, I think I’ve had enough of travel for quite some time.” Agito had learned that her name was Midnight Rose, a ‘rising’ singer in her own words.

“Good.” Agito nodded, returning his attention to the village. “No more rations for you.”

“Pardon me if I sound rude, but I won’t miss those rations much,” Rose replied, managing a smile. “Thank you again, I can’t imagine where’d I’d be without you.”

“I don’t think it’s something you’d want to dwell on,” Agito agreed, glancing down at her. “From the way that overgrown fish filet was pitching you, it sounded like he was trying to sell you to a perverted asshole.” Stopping at the edge of town, he gestured with his head. “This is where we part ways.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come in with me?” Rose inquired, looking up at him with a thoughtful expression. “You could use a comfortable bed and warm meal as much as me.”

Agito shook his head. “Sorry, I have something I gotta do. The only thing I need is directions to Ponyville.” He liked Midnight, she was good company. But, he wasn’t.

“Okay but if you’re ever in Fillydelphia, look me up,” she said, taking a step towards the town. “I think a free ticket to one of my concerts is the least I can do after what you’ve done for me.” Waving back at him, she smiled. “I might even write a song about you!”

“I might take you up on that actually,” Agito replied, turning to put his back to her. “Good music is hard to come by when you’re in the wilderness. Besides, been too long since I’ve been to Filly. Last time I visited, the Harmony Bell wasn’t cracked yet.”

“Never too late to see it...” Rose blinked, watching. “Did you just say it wasn’t cracked?”

“Yup, fully intact bell,” Agito answered, swearing he could hear the gears in her head turning overtime. “See you around, Rose. Make sure you get on the radio for me. I could use a bit of music in my life.”

“I plan on it,” she assured, shaking off her earlier confusion. “Goodbye, Oni, I won’t forget you.” With that, she strode towards the village, a confidence in her gait.

Party Crasher

Twilight found herself pressed to a wall in an alley. Pinkie had insisted that they don’t let Wyatt see them while they conducted their “investigation”. She didn’t see all the need for secrecy, but there didn’t seem to be any way to convince the hyperactive mare otherwise. At the moment, she could see that Wyatt was entering Sugarcube Corner.

“Looks like he was rattled,” Twilight commented, watching her boyfriend disappear inside the bakery. “It’s a good thing he works out, otherwise he’d put on weight from all the nervous eating.”

“He could just have a fast metabolism,” Spike pointed out, peering out of the alley. “It’s a good thing you do though, overwise all those hayburgers would go right to your thighs.”

“Granny Pie always said that all the sweets I ate went somewhere else,” Pinkie chirped, hefting her chest for emphasis. “But this isn’t the time to be talking about food, we’ve lost sight of the suspect!”

“D-did Pinkie seriously just do that?” Spike asked, his scales turning red. “Wow... she really doesn’t have any shame, does she?”

“Pinkie, maybe you shouldn’t do something like that when there are stallions around?” Twilight suggested, waving a hand between Spike and the mare in question.

Tilting her head, Pinkie’s hands dropped from her chest. “Do something like what?” she questioned innocently.

Twilight shook her head and let out an exasperated sigh. “Focus, Spike,” she chastised, tugging on the drake’s earfin as he stared off into space. “And Wyatt probably won’t eat whatever he gets there. We can wait for him here until he gets out.” Turning back to the bakery, she eyed it intently. “He can’t be in there for much longer.”

As if on cue, Wyatt emerged from the bakery, a bag in one hand and an eclair in the other. He turned down the street, taking a bite from his pastry as he went.

“Of course he got the eclairs,” Pinkie said, her voice deathly serious. “Spike, make a note of that, it could be a clue.”

“Pinkie, I don’t think we need to note that he’s eating eclairs,” Twilight deadpanned, slinking out of the alley to follow after Wyatt.

“Not true, Twi,” Pinkie started, closing her eyes. “If he had went in to grab a donut or something, that’d be normal nervous eating. But the fact that he grabbed a bag of his favorite means he’s looking for some serious comfort food,” she concluded, nodding sagely.

“Huh, that makes an odd bit of sense,” Spike said, jotting a note down on his pad.

“But why would asking about his birthday make him need comfort food?” Pinkie wondered aloud, pressing herself up against a crate. “I’d have thrown a super party for him and I bet the entire town would give him a present as a thank you for what he’s done.”

“Probably because he’s homesick,” Twilight said, moving out of the alley. “He’s been a year away from home, with no contact with his family. I can only imagine how much it hurts for him to keep it all inside.”

Pinkie smacked her forehead, a look of realization coming over her. “Of course! It’s so obvious! I know that my birthday wouldn’t be nearly as much fun if you girls couldn’t share it with me. And even when I don’t make it back to the rock farm, my family sends me a card.”

“Well... how do we fix that?” Spike asked, looking between the two. “I don’t think just giving him a card and putting on a smile will make him feel better.”

Pinkie’s mane seemed to deflate slightly, her muzzle scrunching up. “Yeah, I don’t think I can pull off getting his family to come.”

“There’s gotta be something we can do,” Spike said, putting away his notepad. “Maybe we can find a way to make a party that feels like home?”

Pinkie’s eyes lit up, her mane poofing up once more. “That’s a perfect idea, Spike!” Scratching her chin, she paced back and forth. “But pulling this off might be tricky, I’m gonna need some help.” Taking Twilight and Spike’s hands, she zipped down the streets. “Come on! Let’s go grab the girls so we can plan the perfect party!”

Twilight and Spike knew it was impossible to protest once the party mare had her sights set, so they allowed themselves to be dragged along. Before long, the group of friends was gathered at what Pinkie dubbed, ‘The Party Cave’.

“Pinkie, do the Cakes know about this place?” Spike questioned, taking in the various charts and party supplies.

“Hmm?” Pinkie looked over her shoulder from a crude drawing of Wyatt and what could loosely be called a, ‘personality profile’ beneath it. “Oh yeah, they actually had to approve the construction of it seeing as they have the deed to the property. They said it would probably increase the resale value.”

“Not that your story isn’t fascinating, but why am I here?” Trixie questioned, adjusting her hat. “This is about a party for Wyatt right? He hates me.”

Pinkie slid up to Trixie’s side, putting an arm over the other mare’s shoulders. “Oh that’s just silly, Trix, he doesn’t hate you.”

“He’s explicitly said otherwise,” the magician deadpanned.

“Okay, so Wy-Wy hates your guts and would probably punch you in the face if we left the two of you in a room together,” Pinkie relented, waving a hand in the air. “But that’s exactly why you’re here! With my help and extensive analysis of his likes and interests; you can get him the perfect present to act as an apology for what you’ve done to the guy.”

“And what is the ‘perfect gift’?” Trixie asked, eyeing Pinkie with a skeptical frown. “Please, impart your wisdom unto me, oh one of frizzy hair.”

“Keep talking like that and I’ll have your birthday at a Reneighsance Faire,” Pinkie said. “And I’m still working on a gift idea for you to give him. Making this psychological profile wasn’t easy, ya know.”

“You know Pinkie, it’s kinda creepy you have all of this.” Spike glanced at his own file, debating whether or not he should take a peek. Deciding it would be better not to, he took a seat on against the wall. “Really, really creepy.”

“How is it creepy to know how to make great parties for all my friends?” Pinkie asked,I tilting her head and regarding him innocently. “If I didn’t keep track of it all, all of your parties would be bad and I can’t have that!”

“Don’t try to explain it,” Trixie said, pulling the party mare’s arm off of her. “Something tells me it’s not gonna get through. So,” she turned toward the drawing of the human, “what do you have on Wyatt?”

Reaching into her pocket, Pinkie pulled out a pointer and tapped it to the board. “For a baseline we know that his favorite dessert is eclairs. That means we’ll need a spongy cake and a thick chocolate frosting for the party. He also likes superheroes and adventure stories so that can help with gift ideas. As for clothes, these are the outfits he wears the most,” she added, tapping what appeared to be candid photos of Wyatt walking the streets of Ponyville. “If you’re looking to get him clothing, styles similar to this should be kept in mind.”

“Do you just... stalk ponies?” Spike asked, looking at the photos. “That’s just weird. Can’t you get arrested for this kinda thing?”

“What’s stalking?” Pinkie chirped, tilting her head at the drake with an oblivious expression on her face. Leaning in close, she pushed her head against his. “Is that some kind of party term? If it is, you have to tell me!.”

“Pinkie, it’s not a party term,” Twilight replied with a groan, using her magic to separate the two. “But planning the party itself should wait until we figure out how to get the birthday boy on board.”

“It could be a surprise party!” Pinkie exclaimed, whirling around on Twilight, her tail whacking Spike in the face. “Please let me throw a surprise party! Please, Twilight!”

“I think Twi makes a good point,” Dash said, pulling a deflated balloon from a box and stretching it between her hands. “If we throw him a party he doesn’t want, what’s to stop him from turning invisible or moving at super speed to get away from it?”

“Take his driver away?” Spike offered, pulling a few hairs out of his mouth. Cringing, he took a moment to scrape a claw along his tongue. “That’d stop him from getting away by powers.”

“Uh, how do we do that?” Applejack questioned, looking between the girls. “Don’t he make that thing appear in his hand? How do we take somethin’ like that?”

Trixie chimed in, holding her hands up. “We get him to summon it... and wham!” she punched her hand. “We nab it! Simple!”

“Yeah, simple,” Dash replied, rolling her eyes. “So we take his stuff and force him to enjoy his party, that’ll work.” Snorting, she added, “Why don’t we kick him in the nuts while we’re at it. Despite being a dork, Wyatt does have some backbone.”

“If you have an idea then I’d love to hear it,” Trixie shot back, glaring at the prismatic mare. “Otherwise, you’re nothing but hot air.”

“Me not having an idea doesn’t make yours good,” Dash snapped, stretching the balloon in her hands and flinging it at the showmare. “Yours is still bottom of the barrel, Trixie.”

“Stop fighting you two,” Twilight chided, looking between them. “But Dash is right, we need to find a way to get Wyatt on board with a party.” Closing her eyes, she sorted her thoughts. There had to be a way to pull this off; hopefully without alienating her boyfriend.

Having Sombra convince Wyatt would be manipulative. Plus, using the colt like that would just be wrong. There had to be something though. If this was about homesickness, then maybe they needed to find a way to give him a slice of home?

“I think... I think I have an idea.” Levitating some paper in front of her, she began to scribble her thoughts. “It’ll take a lot of work, and we’ll need to keep him distracted for a while.”

“Hmm, I’m pretty distracting,” Pinkie mused, putting her knuckles to her chin. “But I’m also the party planner. And me trying to be in two places at once didn’t go so well last time.”

Spike’s ears drooped, his scales draining of color. “Yeah, one Pinkie is plenty.” Clearing his throat, he fixed his spines. “I think we’ve beaten around the bush enough, what's your plan, Twilight? I want to get out of the party cave already.”

“Spike, I want you to handle distracting Wyatt. I don’t care what you two do together just stay away from the bakery.” Crossing her arms, Twilight poured over her list. “Dash, you’ll get all our friends together. Trixie, you and Pinkie will stay in the bakery and get the festivities ready. I will go to Canterlot and have a few words with our favorite night princess.”

The girls all gave a chime of affirmation, making their way out of the cave to complete their tasks. Sombra opted to follow Twilight, his muzzle scrunched up in thought. His mind buzzed with possible gift ideas for his father.

Daring ran her finger along the spines of several of the books in Twilight’s library. Normally she wouldn’t break and enter, but the door was unlocked and she really needed answers. There was already a pile forming behind her, containing anything that even vaguely mentioned Mesoponearya.

“Come on, there has to be something!” Nothing caught her eye, nothing related to the symbol burned into her shoulder. “Why couldn’t the ancients keep their records intact?!” Growling in frustration, she punched the wall. Her effort was rewarded by the bookshelf rattling and causing a large tome to conk her on the head.

“Son of a bitch!” she hissed, glaring down at the book. “You better be what I need, or I’m tossing you into a furnace.” Lifting the book up, Daring cracked it open. “You got a skim to impress me, book.” Halfway through the pages, a grin spread across her face. There, in all its glory was the symbol she was looking for. “Congrats, I’m not turning you into kindling.”

“Let’s see here...” running her finger over the page, she took in the words. “The symbol of the burning eye has been found in a variety of locations, though tends to appear in religious sites. Recovered texts refer to it was the Soulseer, the sigil of rather poorly understood deific figure known as the ‘Arisen’.

Rubbing her shoulder where the mark was and quirked a brow. “Okay, so what does this mark have to do with me? Why would Invis-o-dick brand me with it?” Furrowing her brow, she thought things over. “Is that guy trying to summon or create the Arisen?”

Setting the book down, she closed her eyes. “Review time. Some invisible asshole says I’m the one that lived and puts the mark of a poorly understood god on my shoulder.” Her grimace deepened, the pieces falling into place. “Fuck me, that can’t be the answer. No way in hell.”

With some deep thought, and more than a few admitted leaps in logic, the conclusion was simple: whoever the asshole who branded her was, was the reason she had been left at an orphanage. The dream, the mark, the ‘filly who lived’. It all just made too much sense.

She bit down on her thumb’s nail, considering her options. “I need more answers. Figuring out the identity of my brander would be helpful. After that I can hunt down more info about the Arisen.”

Pushing herself away from the table, Daring began to pace uneasily. “The hell is wrong with me? I find out that my birth parents were most likely murdered and all I can muster is ‘I need answers’?” Groaning, she grabbed her bangs. “This is all too crazy!”

After venting for a little bit, she took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m calm. I can’t just go running after all this right now, I might miss my dad coming.” The thought of her father made her shrink into herself, almost like she was a filly again. “I just want you back, dad... Is that so wrong?”

No answer came to her, not that she was expecting one. Sighing, she returned the books to the shelves and exited the library. She needed to unwind after putting herself through so much stress.

“I need a drink...” she muttered, heading towards the bar. She adjusted her hat, walking into the building. Taking a seat at the bar, she ordered a bottle of whiskey. The bartender gave her the bottle along with a glass with ice in it.Ignoring the glass for a moment, she took a long swig out of the bottle. “Yeah~ That burns just right~” She handed the bartender enough bits for the bottle and poured herself a glass. She closed her eyes, letting the alcohol chase away her somber thoughts.

“I thought I raised you better than to just drink your problems away.”

Daring blinked, taken aback by the voice. She whirled around in her seat, nearly choking on her whiskey.

Agito stepped closer, taking a seat next to her. He hadn’t changed at all in the years they had been a part, though he clearly sported a new cloak. His mask carried a few new scratches, a few cracks visible on its white surface. “It’s good to see you, D.D.”

“Dad?” Daring questioned, blinking owlishly. Once she was sure he wasn’t disappearing, she clenched her fist and punched him in the gut. “That’s for abandoning me and not even showing up to my graduation, dick!” she hissed, pulling her fist back.

Having the decency to take the punch, Agito grunted. “Be as mad as you want, I can take a few punches.”

“Oh, do I get to be mad?” she spat, her eyes narrowing into pinpricks. “Thank you so much for letting me have my feelings. But what I want to know is why you left without even so much as a goodbye!”

Placing his hand on her head, he slowly scratched her ear. “You didn’t need me anymore, D.D. You were a grown mare and needed to make your own way. If I hadn’t left then, it would have just hurt more.”

“That’s grade A horse shit and you know it,” she pressed, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You could let me strike out on my own without completely disappearing. Don’t play the martyr and pretend it was all for me.”

Taking her hand, he gave it a squeeze. “A parent will do what they think is best your their child. That’s all I’ve ever done for you. If that makes you hate me, so be it.”

“You dumbass, I don’t hate you,” she replied, seeming to look through his mask. “I could never hate you. I’m just really, really, really pissed off and hurt.”

Agito managed a quick, dry chuckle, giving her hand another squeeze. “What was there to miss about a rude asshole like me?” Leaning forward, he let his forehead touch hers. “Then again, you’ve always been a daddy’s girl.”

It was Daring’s turn to chuckle, holding up a fist. “There are a few baddies out there that can attest to me getting your right hook.”

Pulling away from her, he grabbed her whisky bottle. “So, tell me. What’s got you drinking, hm? Is it the same reason you’re dressed up like an old lady?”

“I dress up like an old lady so people don’t know my adventures are real,” she explained, taking a seat. “But I’m drinking because things are pretty crazy right now. I found out my parents were involved in investigating some Mesoponearyan legend. And now,” she slid her disguise down to show off her mark, “some invisible guy branded me with the symbol they were looking into.”

Agito leaned in close, swearing under his breath. “Holy shit, that’s a Kamen Rider Ghost symbol.”

Daring snorted, slapping her hand on the bar. “Everything’s gotta be rider related. I swear to Faust, they’re gonna start drawing the princesses as Riders. If I find out Faust was a rider or some nonsense like that, I will not be a happy pony.”

“Well, the humans started a cult centering around your uncle,” Agito pointed out, sitting next to her. “They treated him like Faust.”

“Yeah, and the Pie’s made their own kamen riders after him,” Daring informed, snatching her whisky back and taking a long drink. “Even have his laptop thing.”

“Yeah, just how many riders are there?” Agito questioned, reaching under his mask and scratching his cheek. “I know there’s a Decade running around, but who else is there?”

Daring closed her eyes, licking her lips. “W, OOO, Skull, Ixa and Wizard. On Equestria’s side at least. Dai-Shocker has Eternal and Lupin.” She snapped her fingers. “And Celestia made ‘G-1’, but that’s just a suit of armor.”

“Fantastic, Dai-Shocker’s a thing,” he grumbled, resting his elbows on the bar. “Still, that’s a hell of a lot of riders. Kinda jealous they weren’t around to help with the Gurongi.”

“Don’t feel too bad, they’re all nuts. The mare who became Wizard is a total fangirl of my book series,” Daring explained, waving her hand dismissively. Tilting her head, she eyed him critically. “Have you... read any of it?”

“You kidding?” Agito asked, patting her head. “It’s got your name in the title. I grab one whenever I can.” Lifting his mask up, he kissed her head. “And to think, you used to be such a scaredy cat.”

“Well, a certain someone kicked my ass into shape.” Chuckling, she took a sip of her drink. “Can’t believe the kid’s plan worked.” Sighing, she turned to her father, already knowing the answer to the question on her tongue. “You’re here to kick his ass, aren’t you?”

“More like one good punch,” Agito replied with a shrug. “Kinda had a feeling that Tia or Lulu put him up to drawing me out on the way here.” Slipping his mask down, he grunted. “They should know better than count on me.”

“So you’re not even going to try to help?” Daring questioned, staring at the man in disbelief. “The world’s at stake here.”

“I’m done saving the world, D.D. I just want to be left alone. I love you, D.D, but you don’t need someone like me in your life.” Shaking his head, Agito let out a long sigh. “I just want to be by
myself.”

“But is that what you need in your life?” Daring shot back, her expression shifting. “You had uninterrupted solitude for nearly a millennia. Dad, you can’t be by yourself for an eternity.” Touching his shoulder, her eyes softened. “I don’t want you to leave again.”

Sighing, Agito put his hand over hers. “I never have been able to say no to you. I especially can’t leave while you’re wrapped up in something rider-related.”

Cracking a smile, Daring pulled him into a tight hug. “I missed you so much, Dad. You have no idea.” Nuzzling his neck, she reveled in his presence. “There are so many things I have to talk to you about, things I haven’t told anyone else.”

“I think I have an idea about that first part,” he assured, scratching behind one of her ears. “There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by where I haven’t thought about you. As for that last part, why don’t we go back to your place so you can get it all off your chest?” Placing a few bits on the table, he pulled her to her hooves. “Come on, D.D. I can sock that Decade kid in the face later. We got a lot to catch up on.”

“Mind the nose,” Daring told him, taking his hand and leading him to her home. “I’ve already broken that thing and I’m sure his marefriend would hate for that thing to heal like Owen Wilson’s.”

“And how do you know what Owen Wilson’s nose looks like?” Agito questioned, noting the looks the other ponies gave him. “Has my little birdy been watching movies? I thought I taught you better than going through other people’s things.”

“Princess Celestia gave the Decade kid and her student the laptop,” Daring explained. “She thought it would help their research and it helps that Uncle Kuuga was a cinephile. He had pretty good taste. Except for that Room movie… couldn’t see the appeal in that. Might’ve had something to do with that Tommy guy’s ass being featured prominently.”

“Yeah, Kuuga was the big movie guy.” Agito chuckled, leaning his head back. “He had odd taste in movies. Always said one of his favorites was the original Street Fighter.”

“So am I ever gonna learn your real names, or at this point have you forgotten those?” she questioned with a chuckle, looking up at him.

“It doesn’t really matter anymore, does it?” Turning to look at her, he regarded her mirthfully. “Not like ponies take surnames now. Besides, I don’t want my daughter calling me anything but ‘dad’.”

“Fine,” she relented, huffing slightly. The two spent the rest of their walk in silence, Daring opening the door to her small home and leading him to the sofa. “It’s just a hotel room; my real place is out in the wilderness.”

“Heh, sounds like you haven’t changed a bit from our time together. What, can’t stand the idea of neighbors after squatting in caves like me?” he asked, kicking his feet up on the end table. Reaching up, he took off his mask and placed it down with a sigh of relief. “Much better, you wouldn’t believe how hot it gets under that thing.”

“Then why do you keep wearing it?” Daring questioned, taking her disguise off. “To this day, I don’t understand your gitup.”

“What’s there to understand?” Agito asked, tapping his mask. “I don’t want ponies asking questions about what I am and I might as well do it with style.”

“By wearing a demon mask?” Daring questioned, raising her eyebrow. “How the hay has that thing even lasted this long? Aren’t those things used in plays? Doesn’t strike me as something that would last under normal wear and tear.”

“I’ve been carving them every so often,” Agito answered, taking his hand away from the mask. “And yes, these are used in Noh theater.” Reaching over, he flicked her forehead. “How dare you forget a lesson I taught you.”

“Oi! I didn’t forget anything, old man.” Rubbing her head, Daring shot him a look. “Do that again, and I’ll kick you out on the street. I’m too old for that kinda thing.”

“You’re never too old for your dear old dad to teach you a lesson,” he told her with a sagely nod. “But, I’ll respect the rules of your house.” Shrugging off his cloak, he revealed a homemade traveling outfit. “As you can see, your dad still knows his way around a needle.”

“Glad to see that,” Daring noted, her smile returning. “But we should focus on this brand I got marked with.” Dropping onto her couch, she eyed him closely. “So, spill.”

“Like I said, that symbol belongs to Kamen Rider Ghost. The plot was that the main character died, received his powers and had to gather fifteen things called eyecons to revive himself,” Agito explained, his features settling into a hard expression. “The fact that it showed up on you is ominous.”

“Right okay.” Nodding her head, Daring leaned back in her seat. A beat passed before Daring shared what little she had on the mark. Some regressed part of her wanted to just cling to her father, in the hopes that he would make it all better. She ignored that part, reminding herself that she had dealt with similar situations.

Stroking his beard, he nodded. “That sounds like this ‘Arisen’ is Ghost. Those Eyecons I told you about; they contained the spirits of famous people and gave him his power. Sounds like we’ve got some ruins to explore. Hopefully find a way to keep this invisible guy from getting what he wants.”

“We’re doing this by ourselves,” Daring informed, rising to her hooves. “Got it? Just you and me. And when we get back, your ass is going to Canterlot.” Pulling her disguise back on, she looked back at him. “Come on, let’s get started.”

“Are you kidding?” Agito questioned, slipping his mask back into place. “I was just about to tell you we were doing this as a duo. I’m not going to babysit your new friends.” In a flourish, he put his cloak on once more. “This’ll be just like that Saddle Arabia trip we made the summer before you went to college.”

A smile wormed its way to her face, memories flooding back to her of that trip. Motioning with her hand, she led her father around her small home and the pair packed for their investigation. They’d need to buy rations and water, but that could be handled once they were on the first stop of their voyage.

Wyatt stared out over Ponyville from the highest hill in the town’s park. He polished off the last of his eclairs, thinking things over. It didn’t take a genius to realize that he had acted immaturely. And now he was doing what he had wanted to avoid, think about his birthday.

He had never spent a birthday away from his family. A part of him knew that it would’ve happened eventually, he just hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

“Must be driving them crazy...” he muttered to himself, cleaning off his fingers. “I bet they think I’m dead or something.” Closing his eyes, he let out a long sigh. “Wish I could tell them I was okay. Tell them I’m happy here.” Pausing for a moment, a dry chuckle escaped his lips. “Not sure how I’d tell them about who I’m dating though.”

“Wyatt!” Dash’s shrill voice cut through his melancholy, the prismatic mare zipping into view. “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!”

Taking a moment, he put on a smile. “Hey Dash. Why were you looking for little old me?”

Dash pointed back into town. “We need you at the bakery. The Cakes are behind on an order, and they’re willing to pay you for delivering it with your fast armor.”

“So I’m a super delivery boy now?” he questioned with a chuckle. “I guess I can help them out. So, where’s the order need to go?”

“How the hay should I know?” Dash shrugged, hovering in the air in front of him. “They just asked me to come get you. So... come on.” Fluttering behind him, she gave him a little push. “Anyway, cya!” She zipped off again, leaving a faint trail behind her.

Rubbing the side of his head, Wyatt made his way back into the town proper. “As always, she is a beacon of help.” Picking up the pace, he turned down the street towards the bakery. “Better hurry up so they can get back on track.”

As with most of his travels through Ponyville, ponies greeted him left and right. He waved back, feeling a sense of belonging settle over him. It helped that the entire town had promised to keep his secret. Things like that made his efforts feel worthwhile. He didn’t get to reflect on that for long as he came upon the front door of Sugarcube Corner.

Smiling, he opened the door only to be taken aback by a chorus of voices shouting, “Surprise!” The sight before him was... odd. The interior of the bakery had been redecorated into something one would see on Earth. Every pony in attendance was in costume, dressed up as various movie characters.

Wyatt needed a moment to take everything in, his face a blank mask. “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s all of this supposed to be?”

“Your birthday party, dork,” Dash responded, smirking at him. She stood by the punch bowl, clad in The Bride’s motorcycle outfit. “Twilight came up with this crazy plan at the last minute, and Rarity made all these weird getups.”

“You call them weird, but you look pretty comfy in that Kill Bill outfit there, Skittles,” Wyatt pointed out, smirking at her. “All you need is a katana and bam! You got it down.” Running a hand through his hair, he looked around the room. “This must’ve taken a lot of work. How did you guys even find these designs?”

“Kuuga’s computer,” Rarity explained, sashaying over. Jessica Rabbit’s dress clung to her body, revealing its every curve. “It was a flurry of eleventh hour activity, but I do love a good challenge.”

Wyatt had to turn his head away from the fashionista, lest his gaze settle on dangerous territory. “You didn’t have to do all this.”

“Of course we did,” Fluttershy chimed in, dressed as the Disney version of Snow White. “We wanted to do something special for you in return for your work as Decade.”

A pair of hands wrapped around Wyatt’s chest, revealing them to be Twilight. “Give you a bit of home back.” Pulling away, she posed a bit. “What do you think? Good costume?”

Wyatt needed a second to think, his mind shutting down. Twilight was dressed as Raven from Teen Titans; easily the best character of the series whether someone was talking about the comic or cartoon (in his opinion). Her mane was hidden behind the blue cloak and the black unitard showed off her legs. “I’d compliment you, but I think my brain broke,” he said dumbly.

Twilight giggled, a blush darkening her face. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Taking his hand, she dragged him towards the cake. “Now come on, we have a song to sing.” Positioning him in front of the cake in question, she light the candles with a spell.

Pinkie, dressed as Freakazoid, flicked the lights off and the entire room started to sing, ‘Happy Birthday’. An uneasy smile spread across Wyatt’s face, waiting for the song to end before blowing out the candles.

“Wow guys... you really didn’t have to do this.” Wyatt looked around, trying to keep his smile up. “I mean that. You guys put a lot of effort in, effort you didn’t need to spend on me.” Rubbing his neck, he gazed down at the cake. It was pink, decorated with green frosting.

Twilight leaned in, kissing his cheek. “We wanted to do this. You mean a lot to us.” She took his hand, giving it a squeeze. “Don’t you realize that?” She frowned when Wyatt wouldn’t meet her gaze. “Wyatt, we just want you to be happy.”

Managing to smile, he looked down into her eyes. “I am happy. You make life in Crazy Magic Talking Horse Land worthwhile. A day like my birthday might sting without my folks, but this,” he waved a hand over the party, “reminds me I’ve still got family here.”

“Not a bad way to look at things, kid,” a man's voice responded as the doors to the bakery swung open. “I don’t want to ruin your party, so we’ll make this quick; you have a nasty habit of pretending to be other people.”

Wyatt turned his head, finding a demon masked figure standing in the doorway. “Welp, knew this was coming,” he muttered, watching the figure approach him. “Hey there! You must be Agito! We’ve been trying to get your attention for a while.”

Agito stopped in front of Wyatt, taking in the young man's appearance. “Congratulations, you got it.” Drawing his arm back, he jabbed Wyatt in the gut. “Unfortunately, I just stopped by to give you a birthday punch.”

Wyatt wheezed, doubling over onto his knees. “Yup, Daring definitely got her fists from you,” he croaked, his eyes watering. “Way to teach her to be violent, old man.”

Agito shrugged, turning to walk out the door. “Hey, had to teach her to fend for herself. And given what she gets into, she needed that.” Giving a two finger salute, he looked back at them. “Happy birthday, kid. We’ll talk about this later.” With that, the cloaked man exited, leaving a stunned room in his wake.

Twilight helped Wyatt to his feet, concern overtaking her features. “How’s your stomach feeling?” Levitating a chair over, she eased him into him. “Do you need a drink?”

“I’m fine,” he assured, rubbing where he had been hit. “We knew I was gonna get punched, just glad I don’t have something broken this time.” It was to be expected; he wouldn’t be happy if he was in Agito’s shoes. He counted his blessings, glad his nose wasn’t bleeding again.

“Okay,” Twilight replied, sighing in relief. “How about a slice of cake? Pinkie worked hard to make sure you’d love it.”

Nodding, he looked up at her. “I think I could go for some cake.” Rubbing his stomach, he glanced at the punch bowl. “Some of that would be nice too. Is it spiked?”

“Nope, I haven’t passed out in the punch bowl this time,” Spike commented from a table stacked with gifts. He was dressed as Luke Skywalker, the Return of the Jedi version specifically. “I’m a little too tall for that now.”

Wyatt chuckled, looking between Spike and Twilight. “How sheltered has your family kept you, man? Spiked means putting alcohol in it.” He snickered, seeing the drake puff up a little. “Ah relax, it’s still a funny joke.”

Twilight ignored his antics, going over to the snack table to and grabbing cake and a cup of punch. A deep sense of satisfaction welled up in her chest. Wyatt’s words had touched her, and not even Agito crashing the party could dampen her spirits.

Returning to Wyatt, she passed him both. “Here you are! I hope you don’t think the Decade themed cake was too tacky. I thought it would be a cute idea.”

“Are you kidding?” Wyatt questioned, digging his fork into the dessert. “I love it. Only way it could be better was if it was shaped like my helmet.”

“Told you!” Pinkie shouted from across the room, leading the Cutie Mark Crusaders through a game. “Everybody loves face cake!”

“Well, forgive me for thinking that was a little too much.” Taking a seat next to Wyatt, Twilight leaned on his side. “I’m glad you’re happy here, Wyatt. I don’t think I’d have any idea how to handle life if you were miserable.”

“You’d think of something,” he assured her, kissing her cheek and leaving a small spot of frosting. “Genius like you can tackle any problem. Not like you’re gonna find out though,” he noted, grinning at her. “I’m dating a mare like you and am raising a good colt.” Glancing around, he added, “Where is Sombra anyway?”

“I’m right here, dad!” Sombra’s voice called out in the direction of the Crusaders. A small figure dressed as Vivi from Final Fantasy IX stepped forward, the large yellow hat and black face mask obscuring all of the colt’s features. “Happy birthday!”

“Wow, that has got to be the best costume here!” Wyatt grinned, winking at him. “Looks like Rarity spent extra on you. Nice character choice too.”

“Thanks dad!” Sombra chirped, a grin evident in his tone. “I really like this costume. The hat makes me feel like a wizard from Starswirl’s time!”

“I think it’s time for presents!” Pinkie cheered, zipping over to Wyatt and yanked him out of his chair. In a moment, he was standing in front of the table piled with gifts. “We all racked our brains trying to come up with perfect gifts. Even Trixie got you something!”

Wyatt stared for a moment, his eyes moistening. “Wow guys... I... I got nothing.” Sniffling, he put on his best smile. “Ponyville certainly knows how to make a guy feel at home.”

“Speaking of Ponyville,” Pinkie started, reaching into the center of the pile and pulling out a box wrapped in fuchsia paper and tied with a black ribbon. “Some ponies chipped together and bought you something. It’s a thank you for your hard work.”

Wyatt sniffled again, holding in a sob. Taking a breath, he grabbed the first present off the pile. “How's about we start opening eh? This one's from...Thunderlane!”

“Hope you like it, dude!” the stallion in question called out, dressed like the Punisher. “I owe you for saving my little bro during that school attack.”

Wyatt carefully opened the present, figuring Twilight would want to save the paper or something. Once he set the wrapping aside, he pried off the lid to the box. Inside was a pair of goggles with tinted lenses. On the inside of the strap were several signatures belonging to Wonderbolts.

“It took me some doing, but I got the signatures of every Wonderbolt record holder still kicking,” Thunderlane bragged, puffing his chest.

Wyatt smiled, pulling the goggles out of the box. “Thanks, Thunderlane, these are awesome.” Slipping them over his eyes, he looked around the room. “So, how do they look on me?”

Secrets Buried in Ash

Rain fell as a pair of travellers walked down an empty road. The two were silent, having said everything they had needed to for a while. The first traveller, Daring looked up at her adoptive father, assuring herself yet again that he was really there.

Agito had come up with the idea to locate the orphanage the mare had been sent to as a filly. Doing so might illuminate more about her parents and then hopefully her brander. This was easier said than done, with Agito deciding to return to the town where he had found her.

Daring couldn’t even remember the town. A name sure, but no real details. Did she have friends that she had left behind, or had it just been her and her folks back then? Shaking her head, she let those thoughts disappear. That part of her life was long over. All she and her father needed was whatever info they could uncover.

Agito placed a hand on Daring’s shoulder. “You know, I never actually, officially adopted you. Doing this could get your old man in a heap of trouble.”

“You do realize there’s a statute of limitations on that sort of thing, right?” Daring questioned, smirking. “Even if the guards got called on you, they couldn’t do anything.”

Agito shrugged, looking into town. “I dunno, some people take things very seriously. They could think I kidnapped you and brainwashed you into my strange human ways. It was a thing back home, in the 70s; slightly before the satanic panic.”

“You mean that thing you’ve ranted about where your grandma thought cartoons you liked were of that devil guy?” Daring questioned, her muzzle scrunching up. “The cool red one with the horns and pitchfork.”

“Don’t idolize the devil, D.D,” Agito scolded, poking her head. “I don’t need you getting down with the devil.” Coming to a stop, he gazed up at the town gates. “Revelations ahead, you sure you want to go in?”

“What I want is to figure out what I’m dealing with,” she answered, looking up at him. “I can manage some discomfort for that.” Stepping forward, she pushed the gate open. Her stride faltered when a voice greeted them.

“Welcome to Sire’s Hollow!” A mechanical voice chimed, coming from the gate itself.

“I wasn’t expecting that...” Daring muttered, stepping into the town. Taking in the sights, she held a vague hope that one of the landmarks would bring back some long forgotten memory. What she got, was a strange sort of familiarity.

It was like a memory was stirring just beneath the surface of her consciousness, but she couldn’t quite dredge it up. She frowned, furrowing her brow as she tried to force the memory to come to her.

“Hell’s up with this place?” Agito cut into Darings musings, his tone amused. “Looks like the town planner is bipolar. Half the place is historic landmarks, and the other looks like California. Bet the place is full of hipsters.”

Daring scratched her head, looking between the warring aesthetics. “Maybe it’s a tourism thing? Historic stuff on top of modern, swanky places to appeal to everybody.”

“This place?” Agito asked, walking up to what looked like a smoothie stand. “Look at this. This try hard ‘hip’ new way to drink your boring old smoothie.”

“I dunno, maybe it’s good?” Daring offered, approaching the stand. “Then again, I don’t exactly have high standards. Anything’s better than dirty river water drained through a jury rigged filter system.”

“Didn’t I teach you how to boil water?” Agito asked, looking at the mare running the stand. “Are you as ‘I don’t care’ as you look?”

“Sorry,” the mare apologized, pushing away from the counter to stand up straight. “Been a slow day. Can I get you anything?”

“Two smoothies, watermelon and peach.” Placing a few bits on the stand, Agito grinned. “If you can put one of those silly straws in the peach one, that would be great. My lovely daughter never outgrew some of her foalish tendencies.”

Daring grin and bore the mare’s giggle, but she stepped down on Agito’s foot and ground her hoof into it. A couple of minutes passed before the mare placed their drinks on the counter. “Here you are, enjoy your drinks.”

“Thanks,” Daring replied, taking a sip. Smacking her lips, she let the taste settle on her tongue. “Yeah, not bad.”

“Enjoying your silly straw?” Agito asked, winking at her. “I know how much you like little things like that.” Tipping the mare, he took a sip of his drink. “Not bad at all, for hipster food.”

Walking away from the stand, Daring shot her father a pointed look. “Yeah, thanks for that, dad. It’s a nice touch,” she replied, making sure sarcasm oozed out of every word. “Makes me wonder how I ever made do without you.”

Agito chuckled, patting her shoulder. “Sorry, couldn’t resist messing with you. You always were an easy target. Anyway~ Neither of us have been here in a long-ass time. We should probably ask which way to the child prison.”

“I’d correct you, but there wasn’t anything inaccurate about that,” Daring replied, adjusting her disguise. Looking around the streets, she found someone that looked knowledgeable.

She was a middle aged burnt orange mare wearing a pearl necklace. Daring approached him, waving. “Excuse me, do you know where the orphanage is?”

The mare paused, lifting her head. “Ah, are the two of you looking to adopt? I’ve made it a point to bring Sire’s Hollow into the modern era. As such, I’ve done my best to streamline the adoption process.”

“Oh, uh, that’s not what we’re after,” Daring admitted, chuckling. “I was put there as a young foal, but I ran away. I wanted to see if they knew anything about me or my family.”

Frowning, the mare leaned in closer. “A runaway hm? You know... I remember something about a runaway filly a few decades back. That was you?” Narrowing her eyes, she hummed. “Wait a moment, I knew you looked familiar. You’re A.K. Yearling!”

Whipping her head around the street, Daring sighed in relief that there was no one around to overhear the mare. Narrowing her eyes, she put a finger to her lips. “Can you please not shout that? I don’t need to be swamped by ponies.”

Daring’s words went over the mare’s head, who clasped her hands on Daring’s shoulders. “I can’t believe this! One of Equestria’s premiere authors got her start here! Oh, this gives me so many ideas! Just think what you could do for Sire’s Hollow!”

“Not interested,” Daring stated firmly, prying the mare’s hands off her shoulders. “I just want to know where the orphanage is.”

Sighing, the mare straightened up. “I can’t fault a mare for having her priorities in check. The Gilded Hearts Orphanage is two blocks down and then take a right. You can’t miss it.” Pulling a card out of her blouse pocket, she passed it to Daring. “Just look me up if you change your mind.”

Pocketing the card without thinking, Daring thanked the mare and started down the streets. Sighing, she hung her head. “Man I need a new disguise.”

Agito tapped his mask, getting her attention. “You know, I could make you a mask. I think a fox would suit you pretty well. Unless you’d prefer an old lady mask; would match your outfit pretty well.”

“Something that doesn’t stick out like stiff wings,” she retorted, giving her wings a quick flap. “But thanks for the offer.” Adjusting her glasses, she scrunched her muzzle. “Maybe I could talk to Twilight and see if she can enchant some clothes to change my fur and mane colors while I wear them.”

“I could do it if I had some kool-aid.” Agito lifted a small part of her mane. “It’s a pain in the ass to get out though.”

Rolling her eyes, Daring brushed his hand away. “I’d use hair dye if I wanted to go that route. The enchantment is so I don’t have to deal with washing out colors from my mane and fur. The hell is kool aid anyway?”

“It’s a drink mix,” Agito answered, turning down the street. “You put a powder in water and it comes in a variety of flavors.” He sighed as the building in question came into view. “Well, there it is; the place you once called home.”

“No, it was never home to me,” Daring told him, her expression morphing into a cold stare. “Come on, let’s see what we can find.” Walking forward, she rang the bell and set her nerves. The silence dug at her like a knife until an older mare opened the door.

“Ah, hello there! Sorry for the wait, I was wrangling the foals in for lunch. Please, come in.” Opening the door wider, she allowed them in. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you two in town before. I’d like to think I’d remember that mask.”

“Thank you,” Daring said, walking inside. The stirring feeling from before returning in full force. Her expression fell, noticing a young filly with a sandwich hanging out of her mouth poking her head from behind a door frame. Taking her hat and scarf off, she presented herself to the mare. “My name is Daring Do, I was a filly here in the orphanage once.”

“Oh my goodness,” the mare gasped, taking Daring in. “It really is you. I still remember that morning when I learned you ran away.” Looking down, her eyes moistened. “I’ve felt like such a failure for not making you feel welcome here ever since then.” Wiping her eyes, she looked back up at Daring. “Follow me to my office, I do have something of yours.”

Daring nodded, stepping after the mare. “Don’t feel too bad, I’ve done pretty well for myself. I go by A.K Yearling now; though, I suppose most ponies still know the name Daring Do.”

“Yes, I’ve read your books to the foals here over the years,” the mare explained to her, taking a set of stairs upwards. “You have a few fans of yours here, so expect for pleas to adopt somepony.”

Daring flinched, finding herself trying to make herself smaller. “Honestly, I don’t think I’d be that good of a mother. Not that I didn’t have a good parent myself, I’m just not that kind of pony.”

The mare chuckled, opening a door to a small office. “I understand your worries. It’s no small responsibility to take care of a foal.” Moving to a corner of the room, she knelt in front of a safe. “For me, my own son was quite a surprise. But, it taught me some important things about myself. That’s why I started working here at this orphanage.”

“I didn’t think I’d be a parent either,” Agito spoke, putting an arm around Daring. “But D.D here was a nice surprise. I found her in a cave not far from here. Lucky I did, who knows who she’d be right now?”

“Normally I’d reprimand you for not bringing her back and adopting her correctly,” the mare told him, twisting the dial on the safe. “But, that’s all ancient history now.” With a heavy click, the door to the safe opened and the mare reached inside. “We keep certain personal belongings out of the hands of foals; we don’t want them to lose what little they have. Especially when it might be all they have left.” Standing back up, she held her hand out to Daring. “I was afraid this one would be a permanent dust collector.”

“What exactly is it?” Daring asked, holding her hand out. “A necklace or something?”

“It’s a locket,” the mare told her, giving it to Daring. “But I’ve never opened it. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that survived.” Moving over to her desk, she gestured Daring to come closer.

Daring stepped up to the mare, looking down at the locket. It looked untouched from the fire that had destroyed her home. It was simple, just a piece of gold shaped into an oval. “This is more than enough, thank you.” Taking a seat, she requested “But if you know where I can find information about my parents, I’d appreciate it.”

Giggling, the mare pulled a file from her desk. “Your parents were local celebrities. A pair of archeologists; Hidden Sign and Gordian Enigma. The town held a candlelight vigil for them after that fire.” Sliding the file to Daring she added, “If this isn’t enough, all the research that could be recovered from your family home was donated to the town's library. You should talk to the librarian, Firelight, for more.”

“Thanks,” Daring said, standing up and taking the file. “Oh, and expect a hefty, anonymous donation to the orphanage in the coming weeks. The foals could use a good Hearth's Warming.” Pausing, she looked out of the room. Acting on a whim, she produced a business card. “Here, my agent’s card. Send him a letter and we can discuss making an announcement or something.”

“I think I’ll do that,” the mare said with a smile, putting the card in a drawer. “Thank you for your generosity.”

Once again donning her disguise, Daring graced her with a smile. “Not every foal’s lucky enough to have a parent; even one gonzo as this guy.” She gestured her head to Agito. “I'm not using those bits, so might as well put them to use.”

The older mare thanked Daring again, she and Agito making their way to the door. Before they could leave, the mare gave them directions towards the library. Once they were out of the building, Agito put a hand on Daring’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you, D.D. You did a good thing for the foals here.”

“Yeah...” Daring stared back at the orphanage, a longing aching in her heart. “I just wanted to help.” Turning away, she began to walk back into town. Mentally, she cursed whatever sentimental part of her personality was showing its ugly head. ‘You’re kidding yourself Daring, you'd be a terrible mother.’

“I know that look, something’s bugging you,” Agito commented, pulling her out of her thoughts. “What is it? Ah, I think I know. The 'mom’ comment, right?”

Rubbing the side of her head, she nodded. “Yeah, guess I am a mare after all. Some part of me finds having a little rugrat appealing, but I’m just not cut out for it.”

Agito hummed, squeezing her shoulder. “In my experience, you never really know if you’re cut out for it until you do it. I never wanted kids, especially after coming here. One look at your face though, I knew I had to keep you. I mean come on, you know you have an exceptional filly on your hands when she's not scared of your demon mask.”

“What’s there to be scared of a piece of wood?” Daring retorted, poking the mask. “But, we shouldn’t worry about that now. We’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

“Don’t forget to write!” Pinkie shouted into her megaphone, the extreme volume making trees bend away from the sheer force. She held her pose, watching as Dash got smaller and smaller on the horizon.

Taking the megaphone out of her hands, Wyatt tossed it into the air and riddled it with holes with the help of his summoned gun. “Pinkie, please no more of that.I swear I nearly went deaf there.” Putting a finger into an ear, he pulled it out to show that it was covered in a thin layer of blood. He cringed as the broken megaphone hit the ground. “I’ll uh pay you back for that.”

“What did Wyatt say?!” Rarity nearly shouted, her ears pinned to her head. “I’m afraid I didn't quite catch that!”

“Sorry,” Pinkie said, wincing as she looked between the group. “I just wanted to make sure Dash heard me.”

“I’m pretty sure aliens heard you in the next galaxy,” Wyatt deadpanned. Twilight was about to say something but he held a hand up. “I know, Twi, sound can’t travel in space. I was just exaggerating.”

“Can we just ban Pinkie from using microphones?” Applejack asked, keeping her ears pinned to her head. “I really don’t wanna need hearing aids in mah twenties.”

Giggling nervously, Pinkie shrank a bit. “Right, megaphones make it easy for me to use too much pink.” Clearing her throat, she clapped her hands. “Alright, everypony! Let’s get the day rolling!”

Wyatt took Twilight’s hand, putting on a smile. “We’ve got some time before Sombra gets out of school, wanna just enjoy the fresh air?”

“I could use some fresh air,” Twilight agreed, nodding her head. “What about everyone else?”

“Ah gotta help Mac with the chores,” Applejack replied, tipping her hat back on her head. Her muzzle scrunched up in disgust. “Ah drew the short straw and gotta muck out the pig pen.” Her expression shifted, a smile splitting her lips. “After that, we gotta start preparing fer the reunion! Every branch of the Apple family is coming this year!”

“That’s nice to hear,” Fluttershy said, brushing a strand of hair off her cheek. “If you need any of our help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Ah shouldn’t need any help,” Applejack said, attempting to wave away the offer. She stopped dead, receiving looks of disbelief from her friends. “But Ah’ll let ya know if Ah’m bitin’ off more than I can chew.”

“Do you need a dress for the reunion!?” Rarity shouted, frowning at the cringes she got in response. “Am I shouting?! I still can’t hear very well!”

“Twilight, do you know any healing spells?” Wyatt questioned, turning to his marefriend. “She can’t spend the rest of the day like that.”

“Of course I do.” Twilight lit her horn, casting the spell. “There’ll be a little ringing still, it’s just a side effect I can’t seem to iron out.”

Rarity’s ears twitched atop her head, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. “Oh, that is so much better, darling. There’s a smidge of ringing, but at least my skull no longer feels like concrete.” Waggling her ears, she turned to Applejack. “Now, as I was trying to ask before, do you need any clothes for the occasion?”

“Rarity, this is the Apple Family Reunion, not a Canterlot shindig,” Applejack pointed out, rolling her eyes. “If Ah wore somethin’ fancy, it’d get ruined by the events we’re doin’.”

The fashionista huffed, turning her head away from her friend and pouting. The group continued to chatter, about to split off and tackle their days. Before they could, the wind started to pick up and a large shape approached from the direction of Canterlot.

Conjuring up a pair of binoculars, Twilight observed the object. “That’s the Invincible! I had no idea she was flight worthy yet! Wyatt! We need to get back to the library; something must have happened!”

“Oh no,” Wyatt started, his eyes expanding to the size of dinner plates. “Don’t you tele-!” Before he could finish his protests, Twilight lit her horn and the pair disappeared in a flash of light. Rematerialization brought a wave of nausea, which he almost lost his lunch to.

Twilight helped him sit down and levitated over a glass of water and some stomach medicine while she rushed to her telescope. “Try to relax, Wyatt!” she called out, scanning the sky. “I’m going to see where the ship will land!”

“I think you're overreacting,” Wyatt responded, proceeding to use the medicine in question. “If something was wrong, Princess Celestia would have sent a letter to Spike.”

Twilight faltered, looking back at him. “That is a good point. Maybe The Invincible is just making a test flight?”

“Exactly, so relax, Twi,” he told her, sinking into the couch. “Peaceful moments like we’ve been having lately are rare and should be treasured.” Putting his hands behind his head, Wyatt put his feet up. “...It probably won’t last.”

Stepping away from the telescope, Twilight plopped down onto the couch next to Wyatt and cuddled up to him. “If it isn’t monsters or Dai-Shocker, it’s just the town going crazy.” Resting her head on his shoulder, she sighed. “Let’s give it five minutes, then go see what’s going on.”

Wyatt draped an arm over her shoulders, a smile easing onto his face. “Five minutes sounds like plenty of time for my stomach to settle. Teleporting sucks by the way.”

“Sorry, you’ll get used to it.” Twilight nuzzled his neck, smiling. “Spike used to lose his lunch when I was still perfecting it.”

“I also heard that parts of him were smoldering,” he teased. “I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with that. Some of us aren’t fireproof ya know.” Enjoying the moment as much as possible, he pet Twilight’s mane.

Somehow, the mare made doing nothing together seem special. It was a good change of pace. Usually, Twilight would find a way to keep her mind busy. While he admired it about her, he liked quiet moments.

Pushing away from him, Twilight rose to her hooves. “Alright, that’s five minutes. Let’s go see what’s up with the Invincible.” taking his hand, she pulled him up. “I promise, I won’t teleport you again.”

“Fine,” he replied with a huff, stretching slightly. “But in exchange we’re getting ice cream on the way home from picking up Sombra.” Giving her hand a squeeze, the two left the treehouse. “And we’re getting double scoops.”

Rolling her eyes, Twilight stuck close to his side while they walked down the streets. “Alright, we can get ice cream. Sombra aced his last math quiz so he deserves a treat too.”

The Invincible had come to a stop near the middle of town, several guards hammering connecting wires into the ground. A few crystal ponies lingered around the area, conversing rapidly.

Over the hum of the ships engines, Admiral Celaeno’s voice carried over the wind. “I don’t care how heavy the gaudy thing is! If you so much as get a scratch on it, I’ll tie you to the prow right before we enter a stormsurge! Am I clear?!”

Wyatt scratched the side of his head, watching a group of sailors lower down a large disc made of blue crystal by ropes. “Okay, so this isn’t nothing,” he admitted, glancing at his marefriend. “But I don’t think this is an emergency.”

Twilight watched as the crystal ponies got to work guiding the disk down. “Princess Celestia didn’t say anything about this...” She pouted, her eye twitching a bit. “Did I do something wrong? Is that why she didn’t say anything?”

It was Wyatt’s turn to roll his eyes. “I don’t think that’s it. Try to relax, okay?” He offered her a smile and gave her hand a squeeze. “Seriously, don’t go panic casting any spells.”

She nodded, taking a few deep breaths and letting them go. “Sorry, I’m just used to her giving me updates on her plans.” Looking up at the disk she added, “Especially when they involve Ponyville.”

“Maybe we should go talk to Celaeno?” Wyatt suggested, pointing to the ship.

“Good idea,” she agreed, approaching the working crew. “Excuse me, can we talk to the admiral? We’d like to ask about you’re doing here. Is that alright?”

One of the sailors nodded and looked up at the ship. “Admiral! Princess Celestia’s student wants to talk to you! Permission to come aboard?!”

“Send the lass on up!” Celaeno shouted back, leaning her head over the railing. “Saves me the time of looking for her myself.” Reaching down, she tossed a ladder off the ship. “I’ll be waiting in my cabin.”

“Looks like Celestia sent the good admiral to tell you the plan,” Wyatt noted, nudging Twilight in the side. Letting her go first, he climbed up after her. Halfway up, he realized he had been staring at her butt, and a blush bloomed across his face. Turning his head, he carefully felt his way up to the railing. Luckily, his blush had subsided by the time he and the unicorn stood on the deck of the ship.

One of the sailors stepped forward, motioning to the pair. “The admiral’s ordered me to lead you to her cabin.” Grunting he moved towards the stern, pushing past the other sailors.

Wyatt and Twilight followed after him, taking in the sights of the ship. Sailors bustled around the deck, each wrapped up in some sort of task. The pair made their way to the captain’s cabin, the door marked with a phoenix crest.

Wyatt reached out to knock and called out, “Admiral, we’re here to see you!”

“Get inside boy, I never told you you had to knock!” Wyatt opened the door, finding Celaeno with her legs kicked up on her desk. “So, what do you think? Your princess didn’t spare a bit.” Celaeno wore a mix of leather and metal armor, a tricorner resting on her head. “Didn’t care for her fancy uniform though.”

“This is an incredible ship,” Twilight agreed, looking around the room. “But what is that crystal disc your crew are setting up?”

Celaeno leaned forward, tapping her crystal leg. “Princess got an idea in her head. Even with something like the Invincible; it takes far too long to get across the country. So! She took some of the finest crystal from that empire up north, and decided to make a ‘teleporter network’.’ Celaeno air quote, a pout on her beak. “I don’t care for fancy magic myself. Just give me a ship like this and I’m content to sail my way.”

Twilight gasped, her eyes lighting up. “That’s amazing! This will make evacuations in case of monster or Dai-Shocker attacks a breeze!”

The admiral clicked her beak. “The pads aren’t for civilian use, they’re so you lot can get where you need to when monsters come calling.”

“But these things will be great for keeping them safe,” Wyatt argued, frowning at the bird woman. “Our fights can cause a lot of collateral damage, something that could easily kill bystanders.”

“You’ll have to talk to the princess then.” Celaeno leaned back, putting her hands behind her head. “I don’t make the orders, I just decide how to go about them.”

Wyatt and Twilight shared a look, the two thinking. Twilight was the one to break the silence. “These pads must need an extraordinary amount of energy just to teleport a few people. They must not be able to hold enough to work for an entire town.”

Celaeno shrugged, grabbing a mug off her desk. “Like I said, I don’t question the boss’s decisions.” Opening a drawer, she pulled out a bottle. “At least, not the ones that make sense.”

“Fair enough,” Wyatt relented, rubbing the side of his head. “So, how’s your new job treating you? Like it better than being a pirate?”

“Better than being slaves of the Storm King.” Celaeno poured herself a drink, sliding the bottle across the desk. “Have a taste, it’s a pretty nice vintage.”

“I’m underage,” Wyatt said, glancing at Twilight and getting an approving look. “What about you, Twi, gonna indulge?”

Twilight glanced at the bottle before shaking her head. “I really shouldn’t. This is something I want to keep a clear head for.” Shifting her gaze to Celaeno, she spoke again. “Did the princess give you any notes on the process?”

Celaeno sipped at her drink, rifling in her desk. “She knew you’d ask, so yes.” Pulling out a manilla folder, she held it out to Twilight. “Goes into every little detail. Said to tell you to meet up with someone named ‘Thorax’, whatever that means.”

Wyatt nodded, instantly recognizing the name. “I know what it means, thanks for the info.” Moving towards the door, he grasped the doorknob. “Was there anything else we need to know, Admiral?”

“That’s it,” Celaeno told them, putting the bottle of booze behind her. “I’d give you a tour of the ship, but I’ve gotta make sure my crew’s doing their jobs.” Rising up, she gestured for the pair to exit. “Leave them for a bit, and they just start lounging around.”

Wyatt and Twilight moved out the door, following the admiral to the deck. Levitating the manilla folder in her magic, Twilight made her way down the ladder again. Cracking the folder open, she began to read the papers within.

Wyatt hopped down from the ladder, peering over her shoulder. “So in layman's terms, what’s that say?”

Positioning herself so he could see, Twilight moved her fingers across the page. “Ponyville's ‘node’ will be the first. There’s a central one in Canterlot that’s already been set up. Queen Chrysalis is going to send a few changelings to enchant it.”

“Does it say how you control where you go?” Wyatt questioned, pretending he could make sense of the diagrams. “Does it take magic activation or is it something I can work without help?”

“I’m still trying to read these equations...” Twilight turned the folder to the side, beginning to mumble to herself. “I can’t really make heads or tails of this. Wait... this must be changeling magic!” Barely holding back a squee, her eyes sparkled.

Wyatt smiled warmly and commented, “You sound like a kid on Christmas that got exactly what they wanted. This must be why Celestia wanted us to find Thorax.”

“You were looking for me?” Came Thorax’s voice from behind him. “I mean, we haven’t talked since I moved here but, you must have just been busy.”

Wyatt blinked, looking up at the sky. “Okay universe, now I want a million bits.” He waited a moment, only for nothing to happen. “Damn, that never works.” Turning around, he said. “Hey, Thorax. Sorry if I’ve been a ghost. But between Rider stuff, work, dating Twilight, and raising a kid I wasn’t able to track you down. Do you mind helping Twilight understand changeling magic?”

“That’s okay,” Thorax assured, waving him off. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Spike! He’s a really nice dragon.” He smiled, buzzing his wings. “I’m not that good at magic but I can give it a try.”

“Thank you, Thorax.” Twilight walked up to him, showing what was in the folder and pointing at a portion of the page. “This equation in particular is giving me trouble.”

Examining the page closely, Thorax tapped the page. “I think that determines destination. You’d have to ask one of the other changelings though.”

Twilight turned the page back around, her eyes lighting up. “Of course, I think I’m getting this a little bit better.” Looking back at Thorax she asked, “Could you point us to a changeling that knows more?”

Nodding, Thorax pointed over to a group mingling around the platform. “You can find them over there. I can introduce you.”

“We’d appreciate that,” Twilight told him, smiling. “Thank you for your help.”

Thorax waved her off, approaching the group of changelings. He chatted for a few moments, gesturing towards Wyatt and Twilight. One of them nodded and walked back over with him.

This changeling was smaller, waspish in frame. She introduced herself as Spinneret and seemed eager to talk about the magic behind the pad. She spoke a mile a minute, quickly losing Wyatt as she and Twilight eagerly bonded.

Midnight stepped out of the shimmer, smoothing out her dress. A rare moment of free time allowed for a personal visit. Cursing herself for never having bought proper formal wear, she made her way to the door of the rather quaint home. Checking her hair one last time, she reached out and knocked on the door.

It took a few moments before a familiar face opened the door. “Right on time as always.” Cadance gave a smile, opening the door wide enough for the other woman to walk inside. “Come in, Middy, Shiny and Flurry are in the den.”

“Has she said her first word yet?” Midnight asked, an excited smile on her face as Cadance led her inside. “I bet it’s going to be something mind blowing, something like ‘Electromagnetism’.”

Cadance giggled, taking a right in the hall to exit into the den. There were a couple couches arranged in front of a fireplace where a family portrait hung. On the floor, Shining Armor was wearing a lion mane hood and playing with his and Cadance’s daughter.

“I had no idea you were into that kind of thing, Shiny,” Midnight spoke up, her smile growing. “What would the rest of the precinct think if they saw you wearing that?”

Shining rolled his eyes, pulled Flurry into his lap and looked up at his sister. “Well, you’re in a pretty good mood if you’re breaking out the dirty jokes. Did you meet a cute girl?”

Midnight shrugged, stepping closer. “Things are just going well.” Sitting down across from him, she pushed her glasses up. “The latest job is proving to be quite interesting.”

Cadance slipped into the kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator for drinks. “Oh? Is it anything you can tell us about?”

“Just another pony world,” Midnight responded, poking Flurry’s belly. “Shouldn’t be too much of a problem. They have a few riders, but none of them are a real concern.”

Pulling off the mane hood, Shining quirked a brow. “Then why hasn’t the job been done yet?”

Midnight frowned, picking up a squirming Flurry. “Somber wants something from one of them. We move at his pace, as you know.” Leaning down, she placed a kiss on the baby’s nose. “I can't say more than that.”

Cadance walked back into the room, handing Shining and Midnight glasses of lemonade. “What could someone have for the stallion that has everything?” she joked, sitting down next to her husband. “It must be important.”

“You don't want to know,” Midnight replied simply, poking Flurry's cheek. Looking back up, she smiled at them. “But enough about me, what’s new with you two? Already planning baby number two?” she teased, tickling the baby for a second.

“Flurry's a handful as it is.” Cadance giggled, watching the two. “We'll probably wait a year or two, see if Flurry calms down any. But what about you? Find anyone you like?”

“Possibly,” Twilight admitted, resting a hand on top of Flurry’s head. “A potential associate for work. But, between my duties and personal projects, I don’t know if I have time for romance.” Letting the baby grab at her fingers, she turned her attention to Shining. “How are things at the station? I've heard the number of cyberpsychosis cases are down from last month.”

Shining nodded, letting Cadance lean on him. “That’s right. I’ve been leading the charge to crack down on illegal implants. The anti-psycho squad is worrying me though. The department is getting careless with the way they treat the members.”

Midnight snorted, letting her glasses slide down. “I'm amazed Somber hasn't just replaced them. No reason to keep any remnants of the corporate hell we had before.”

An uncomfortable look crossed Cadance’s face for a split second. “Well, you’d know his line of reasoning better than we would.”

“If you have something to say Cadance, just say it,” Midnight remarked, searching the older woman's face. “Don't hold back on my account.”

“I just have my doubts that Somber is a good alternative to the megacorporations,” Cadance relented, seeking out her husband’s hand for comfort.

Shining took Cadance’s hand, squeezing it. “Your boss is some twisted, sociopath version of me. I'm not all too happy following his orders.” His gaze hardened. “And I'm not happy about what he's turning you into.”

“Not a good alternative?” the young woman scoffed, looking between the two. “There aren't public executions or food lines. Just follow the rules and pay your taxes, that's all anyone has to do now. Plus, all of us are out of that slum. We can breathe air and drink water that isn’t tainted by the Flamco Chemical Plant’s runoff or fumes. And I have the funding for my Continue Project.”

Cadance held up a hand, cutting off Shining’s response. “We're supposed to be having a family dinner. Let's put the political talk away before one of you starts shouting.” Giving Midnight a sympathetic smile she added, “I want you to enjoy your time off.”

Sighing, Midnight pulled off her glasses and wiped at the lenses. “You’re right, Cadance. Besides, I didn’t want to think about work anyway. So, what’s for dinner? I skipped lunch today.” She left out that she skipped most meals. “Perhaps some of the crystal produce I gave you?”

“I was actually thinking of making some stir fry with that,” Cadance replied, pulling away from Shining. “Hope you’re hungry.”

“Oh believe me, I am.” Midnight watched Cadance move into the kitchen before returning her attention to her brother. “How's the arm? Any glitches or calibrations I need to take care of?”

Shining clenched his mechanical fingers into a fist, flexing them for his sister. “Everything feels fine from the last tune up. Though, if you could find a way to give it artificial nerve endings, I’d appreciate it.”

Transferring Flurry into Shining’s lap, Midnight kneeled behind him. “Pull your shirt up, I'm going to check anyway.”

He did as she asked, giving her easy access to where his right arm connected to his shoulder. Like the limits of a city, scarred white skin gave way to cold steel. From his right collar bone onward, mechanics took the place of flesh and bone. He shuddered; a ghostly pain running along his back as Midnight traced a faded bullet wound.

“The scar’s almost invisible now,” Midnight commented, her voice quiet and far off. “Another treatment and it should be gone.” Moving her hands, she opened a port on his shoulder. “Keep your arm away from the baby.”

Giving a thumbs up, he extended his arm to keep it away from his daughter. “I always hate this part,” he grumbled, setting his jaw. His teeth ground as Midnight plugged a cable into the port. “Feels like I'm being zapped by a web grenade.”

“I’ll find a way of lessening this effect on top of those nerve endings you want,” Midnight assured him, pulling out a tablet and connecting it to the cable. “It shouldn’t be too hard. But for now, just put up with it.”

“This person you’re into, tell me about it.” Shining took in a breath, his fingers moving on their own. “They someone I gotta have a one on one with?”

“This one might have a better death glare than you,” she playfully warned, checking through the diagnostics of his arm. “Military type, tall and a no-nonsense attitude.”

“Person got a name?”

“Tempest Shadow,” Midnight answered, nodding at the screen, lines of code running up her glasses. “But given the edginess of it, I think it’s not her real name.” Examining a line of code, a hum left her lips. “Not to mention, I think she has a decade on me.”

“Well, you’re an adult as far as age goes,” Shining commented, glad to have something to distract him. “So there’s nothing really wrong with it. Not everyone gets their fairytale partner that’s the same age as them, Middy.”

Midnight laughed, a short bitter sound. “How very true. In fact, some of us don't get the chance at all.” Her hands trembled, the tablet slipping from her fingers. “Some of us don't even get to see their tenth birthday.”

Looking over his shoulder, Shining gave her a look of sympathy. “Middy, what happened that day-” He trailed off, struggling to find the right words. “It eats at all of us. That’s why we’ve all gotta be here for each other.”

“Those bastards took a piece of all of us.” Midnight glared at the artificial limb grafted onto her brother. “Twilight died when she hit the pavement.” With shaky movements, Midnight removed an ampoule injector from her dress. Guiding it to her neck, she pulled the trigger. Relief spread out, her spasms ceasing.

“They didn’t take everything,” Shining assured her, putting his left hand on her side. “And they saw justice, eventually.” He grunted, Midnight latching onto his side. “Hey, it's okay. You’re his big sister; if anyone's going to save him, its you.”

“I will,” Midnight promised, closing her eyes. “Everything I do is for that purpose.” Nuzzling into his neck, she whispered, “Thank you for letting me feel like Twilight again.”

“I’m your big brother,” he told her, patting her head. “It’s part of my job. I wouldn’t be able to show my face in public if I couldn’t help you somehow.”

“Dinner’s ready!” Cadance called out, snapping them out of their moment. “Better get in here quick; this smells so good I might not be able to control myself long!”

The pair finished up the tune up, making their way into the kitchen. Pushing her glasses past the bridge of her nose, Midnight sighed. This little respite wasn't enough; in the morning she'd be back in her lab, bringing Somber's next weapon to life. She put on a smile, determined to make the most of it.

Daring moved up the steps of Firelight's home, her hand rising to knock. ‘Well, this is it. Time to learn what got Mom and Dad killed.’ It was funny, a week ago, she didn't really care where she came from. Hell, most of her life she hadn't cared. But, between her dreams and the brand, things had changed. Somehow, through fate, genetic calling, or just pure coincidence, she had managed to walk down the same path as her parents. Now, she needed to know more.

It took a few minutes for someone to answer their knocking, an older purple stallion. He had a swept back green mane and amber colored eyes. He seemed to care about his appearance if the red sportcoat and yellow tie were anything to go by. “Hello there! You two must be new in town. I'm Firelight, the town historian/librarian. How can I help?”

“Hi, I heard you could tell me about Hidden Sign and Gordian Enigma,” Daring told him, butterflies in her stomach. “I know this is out of left field but uh... I’m their daughter and I want to know more about them.”

Firelight stared at her for a moment before releasing a shout of joy. “Daring Do! I thought I’d never see you again!” Without hesitation, he pulled Daring close, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Look how big you’ve gotten!”

Panic shot through Daring like a lightning bolt. Her eyes darted around the street, praying that no one had heard the stallion’s outburst. “Hey! Watch it with that name. And how do you know my real name in the first place?”

If Firelight was bothered by her response, he didn’t show it. “How do I know you? What a silly question! You’re mother was one of my best friends growing up. Heck, they even made me your godfather. Oh, it’s so nice to see you again!”

“Eh, sorry if I don’t remember you,” Daring said, motioning inside. “Can we come in?”

Deflating a bit, the stallion moved aside. “Of course. Please come in.” Closing the door behind them, Firelight led them into the home. “I can’t really expect you to remember me, you were pretty young.” He chuckled nostalgically. “You used to call me Uncle Fi-Li.”

“I’m sorry, but I think the fire messed with my memory,” Daring replied, removing her disguise. “If it weren’t for some dreams I’ve been having lately, I wouldn’t even remember my parents’ faces.”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place!” Firelight led them into a study. “Nopony in town knew them better than me!” Turning to the side he muttered, “Except that controlling nag... Anyway!” Clapping his hands, he levitated over a cart. “All of your parents’ research was sent here. Well, what they could recover anyway, along with whatever was in their office.”

“Perfect,” Daring said, a sigh of relief passing through her lips. Approaching the cart, she started to rummage through it. “Was there anything about something called the Arisen that survived the fire?”

Firelight frowned, a few books surrounded by his magic. “You know, I’m not all that sure. I remember your parents were very excited when they came back from their last dig. Talked a lot about a local they met down there who helped them find something big.”

“A local?” Agito questioned, picking up a journal and looking through it. “Do you remember the name? Or even just how they described this person?”

“You know, actually, I do.” Firelight stacked the books and folders on the cart, rubbing his chin. “He wasn’t like anyone I’ve ever heard of. Apparently, he was some sort of monkey-cat with a hand on his tail! Can you believe that?”

“Ahuizotl?!” Daring and Agito boomed at the same time, staring at the stallion in disbelief.

“Ahuizotl got my parents involved in some dig?” Daring questioned, falling into a chair.

“No... I don’t think that was his name...” Humming to himself, he pat Daring’s head. “I think his name started with a ‘K’, but it’s just been so long. Unfortunately, memories aren’t as preserveable as books or buildings.”

“First I find out that I entered into the same profession as my parents, now I learn they met someone from the same species as Ahuizotl,” Daring murmured, running a hand through her hair. “This is all so insane.”

“Aw, it’s okay, Dawey Wawey,” Firelight cooed, scratching her ear. “Uncle Fi-Li is here for you. You know, I was going to adopt you, way back when. But you ran away.” His demeanor changed, a look of longing settling on his features. “Just like she did...”

“She?” Daring queried, snapping out of her stupor. “What does that mean?” A beat passed, her curious face scrunching up. “Did.... did you just baby talk me?”

Firelight chuckled, pulling his hand away from her ear. “Can you blame me? The last time I saw you, you were barely out of diapers.” Gesturing to Agito, his chipper mood returned. “And who’s this? Your special somepony?”

“Not quite,” Agito replied, looking up from the journal. “I’m the one she ran into when she escaped the orphanage. You can call me Oni, I raised her.” Clapping Daring on the back, his eyes twinkled with mirth. “Ain’t that right, Dawey Wawey?”

Daring gave Firelight a deadpanned look. “Look what you’ve done. He’s never going to let me hear the end of that nickname.”

Agito chuckled, tuning the two out while Firelight tried to reconnect with the mare. Digging through the offered cart, he searched for something that seemed important. Something stuck out from the feel of the books and he pulled it out. “Hey D.D., I found a photo you need to see.”

“You found a photo?” Daring moved over, feeling her heart beating in her ears. To put faces to the names, something she thought she'd never care about. Sure, the dreams had offered a glimpse, but those were the vague memories of a foal, far removed from reality.

Her eyes started to water the instant she got a good look at it. Her parents looked exactly as her dreams had depicted them. They even wore similar clothes to what she did on her excursions. It took her a moment to recognize they weren’t alone in the photo. Standing next to them was a being with a close resemblance to her foe, Ahuizotl. There were some minor differences; his fur was a few shades lighter and his teeth more crooked.

“Does it say anything on the back?” Daring asked, urging him to turn it over. “A name or date? Anything we can use for a lead?”

Agito did as she asked, examining the back. “Just the date and Mesopomareya.”

Nodding, Daring locked her gaze on the text. “Then that's where we're going.” She nodded at Firelight, moving back into the Hall. The time for socializing was past. Starting now, it was adventure time.

They Mostly Come out at Night... Mostly.

One week ago

Lightning Dust gave her wings a light flap, attempting to bleed out some of her tension. She could hardly believe it, all her hard work was paying off. A little over a day ago, she received a letter; a Wonderbolts acceptance letter. She hummed, folding her wings. That was an exaggeration, but it pumped her up more than just an academy acceptance letter.

The Whinnyapolis sun beamed from on high, making the wait for the airship even worse. She had made her dad promise not to pull any strings for her. Looking down at the letter in her hands, a frown etched itself to her face. What if he had ignored her? That was certainly just like him. She thanked her lucky stars that her name was nothing like his. Nopony was going to connect her to Wind Rider, the Wonderbolt legend, and accuse her of not earning her place. ‘Guy needs to retire already. Go find some floozy and buy a home in Trottingham or something’ She snorted, picturing herself trying to spend long weekends visiting her dad in a snobby city like that. The icing on the cake was imagining having a new step-mom that was her age.

Her mirth was interrupted by the sound of claws on stone. “It always lightens the heart to hear the laughter of youth.” The voice was rough and deep, positively ancient by Lightning’s guess. “Tell me, what’s amused you, my feathered friend.”

Turning around, an odd sight greeted her; a dragon stood on the airship platform. Despite what she had heard of ancient dragons; this one was roughly her height. The drake was hunched over, a heavy cloak covering most of his features, though not his red eyes.

“Oh, it’s kinda only funny for me maybe?” Lightning prefaced, slightly embarrassed by her outburst. “I pictured my dad retiring and marrying a mare my age. Seems silly I’d be calling somepony like that my mom, dontcha know?” She blanched, her dreaded accent had reared its ugly head.

“Ah, mating habits are the same no matter the species,” the drake commented, a coughing laugh leaving his snout. “Only less fighting when it comes to you scaleless ones.”

It was Lightning’s turn to laugh, pulling out a bottle of water from her bag as a silent offering for the drake’s cough. “Depending on the situation, us scaleless will get in fights over that too. Especially in my case; I’m pretty bad at the whole stable relationship thing.”

Taking the bottle, the drake quickly drank half of it. “Ah. Thank you, that cough always comes on this time of day. The downside of living as long as I have; nothing works quite as good as it used to.”

“Don’t mention it, wouldn’t feel right to just do nothing,” Lightning replied, waving a hand at him. “And hey, living as long as you have must have some perks too, right? There’s probably centuries worth of stories in that head of yours.”

Reaching into his cloak, the drake produced a trio of coins. “More than you’d ever imagine, friend. Take these for example.” Tossing them up into the air, he caught them with the other claw. Pinching one between his thumb and index claw, he showed off its splendor to Lightning. “Supposedly, they were crafted by a powerful dragon at the behest of his ruler. Said to grant their owner incredible power.”

“Wow, that’s one heck of a story, mister,” Lightning commented, watching the coins transfer hands. “Do they actually work for you?”

Laughing again, he held his hand out in offering. “I can’t say that they have. They’ve been more of a conversational piece. Why don’t you take these three? I have far too many already. Perhaps they can do more for you than they have for me.”

Waving a hand in front of her, Lightning smiled. “There’s no need for that, mister. I can’t take something that’s connected to dragon legends. I feel like I don’t know enough to respect them.”

“You’d be respecting them more than the dragons are,” he countered, moving his hand closer. “Better you have them and share their story, then wind up in some idiot’s hoard never to see the light of day again.”

Frowning, Lightning held her hand out to meet the elder dragon’s. “Alright, if you really think it’s okay. Maybe I’ll find some way to make them a keychain or necklace without damaging them?”

Purring in content, he dropped the coins into her hand. “They are yours to do with as you please, young pony. A gift from an old, wandering dragon. Something to tell the hatchlings, yes?”

Chuckling, Lightning put the coins in her pocket. “If I ever manage to keep a relationship going, I’ll tell them the story. My name’s Lightning Dust, what’s yours?”

Clicking his tongue, he smiled. “You can call me Calamity.”

“Oddly negative name for a nice guy like you,” she complimented, pulling her hand out of her pocket. A horn blew, Lightning turning her head to find an airship approaching. “I think that’s my ride, it was nice chatting with you, Calamity.”

“Goodbye, Lightning Dust,” Calamity replied, giving a light wave. “May good fortune find you.”

She returned the wave, jogging up to the docking ship. “I shouldn’t need luck! I’ve been working my flank off for this!” Lightning couldn’t keep the smile off her face, her new coins clattering together in her pocket. Once she had found a seat, she decided to inspect the trinkets. A yellow coin depicted a large cat, a red coin depicted what looked like a peacock and the last one was blue and pictured a killer whale.

Rolling the coins around in her hand, focusing on the yellow one. “Hmm, I think that’s a cheetah. Maybe this’ll be a good luck charm for my training?”

Agito tossed a few more sticks onto the fire, taking a seat across from Daring. “That should keep for a few more hours.” Removing his cloak, he carefully folded it up. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been together like this, D.D.”

Taking her hat off, Daring finished setting up their sleeping rolls. “Yeah, good times. Certainly has taken the edge off all the craziness of what we’re looking for.”

Placing his cloak down next to him, Agito removed his mask. “I feel like I should make up for my absence. There’s a lot you still don’t know about me, Daring. I think it’s about time we fixed that.”

Daring sat down across from him, the flames of the campfire framing his face. “Wow, this must’ve actually eaten at you. It used to be I had to pester you for weeks before you’d tell me anything.”

“Yeah well, I love you a lot and you deserve to know.” Leaning back on a rock, Agito ran a hand through his beard. “Believe it or not, your uncle and I spent a lot of time with the Pillars of Equestria.”

“You’ve made passing comments about them,” Daring noted, keeping an eye on one of his little habits. Whenever her father was uncomfortable, he’d fuss with his beard. “But whenever I asked a follow-up question you’d just grunt.”

“Mostly because I still want to break Starswirl's jaw,” Agito replied, his gaze hardening. “Sure, he was good at magic. He was also a huge dick. A mean spirited misanthrope that bordered on being racist. Asshole treated Stygian like garbage.”

“Did he ever tell you he was trying to make his own rider tech?” Daring questioned, unbothered by her father’s story. Plenty of journals written by people who had dealt with Starswirl had often referred to him as antisocial at the best of times. His tailor in particular used very colorful language in regards to the mage.

“No, but that doesn’t surprise.” Summoning up a sword, Agito planted it in the ground. “Guy taught Celestia and Luna all they know about keeping secrets. Probably the reason Luna ended up going crazy. Putting that guy around kids was a terrible idea.”

“I’ll tell you more about it later,” Daring assured him, nodding in thought. Celestia had been right, Starswirl hadn’t trusted her father or uncle with his project. “Who’s Stygian? He wasn’t a Pillar.”

Giving his daughter a stern look, Agito clarified. “Yes, Daring, Stygian was a Pillar. In fact, if it wasn’t for him, the Pillars never would have joined together.” His tone became bitter, his words venomous. “Starswirl treated him like slime, never gave him thanks or praise. Constantly put him down for his weak magic. Asshole couldn’t even remember the kid’s name.” Leaning in, Agito scoffed. “You wanna know the worst part?”

Daring quirked a brow, resisting the urge to flinch under her father’s harsh eyes. She suddenly felt like a filly who had been caught getting in a fight again. “What’s worse than that?”

“Beardy was Stygian’s idol,” Agito elaborated, gripping the handle of his sword. “Never even knew. Styg just never had it in him to say anything. Always said he wanted to earn his respect first. Poor kid never got it.”

Shaking her head, Daring let her gaze lower to the fire, watching the embers crackle and fly up into the air. “Sounds rough. What happened to Stygian?”

“Dunno.” Agito lessened his grip, the venom in his voice melting into shame. “When your uncle died, I wasn’t in a very good place. I filled my time with as much meaningless sex and what passed for narcotics back then as I could. I drove everyone away from me; my friends, my colleagues.” His volume lowered. “My girlfriend. By the time I pulled myself out of it, the pillars were gone and Celestia had banished Luna to moon.”

“Hold on, you had a girlfriend?” Daring questioned, her ears flicking and her head snapping upward. “Okay, I’m not letting that slip by. Spill it.”

“Yeah, I had a girlfriend. Her name was Adagio Dazzle and she was a siren.” A small smile spread across his lips. “She had an ego a mile wide and the most 80’s hair you can imagine but damn if I didn’t love her.”

“You dated a siren?” Daring questioned, her jaw dropping. “I don’t know if I should be impressed or worried for you.”

“Hey, I loved Adagio,” Agito all but snapped. Holding a hand up, he sighed. “Sorry, I’m not mad at you. I just...haven’t talked to anyone about this stuff. I was in a drug induced haze and I abandoned her. Found out later she and her sisters got banished to another world by bearded idiot and the Pillars.”

“I’m sorry too,” Daring said, a frown on her face. “I wish I could’ve met her.” Standing up, she moved over to her father’s side. “Maybe if things had gone differently, I’d have called her Mom?”

Putting his arm around her, his mood seemed to brighten. “I dunno about that. Sirens are pretty vain. She wouldn’t want anyone to know she’s old enough to be someone’s mom.” Smirking at her, his eyes twinkled. “I ever tell you that Somnambula had a nice ass? Meadowbrook had this super sexy southern accent. If it wasn’t for Adagio, I might have hooked up with one of them.”

Daring grinned with him, trying to picture her father sneaking glances at the historical figures. “Oh yeah? How nice of an ass are we talking about? If you’ve seen magazines with Fleur De Lis on them, how does Somnambula stack up to her?”

“Oh Somnambula blows her out of the water.” Agito laughed, slapping her shoulder. “Had this Egyptian thing going on. Also had a lot of see-through clothes.”

Daring whistled, trying to bring the illustrations she had seen of the Pillar to life. “Makes me wish I was around back then.” Leaning on his shoulder, she imagined Somnambula posing erotically. “I would have loved to see that.”

“Pretty sure you’d have had a thing for Flash Magnus too,” Agito added, not even needing to look down to know his daughter was smirking to herself. “Dude worked out and had a habit of rushing into danger. Guy had mares throwing themselves at his hooves.”

Chuckling, Daring stoked the fire, the flames jumping for a moment. “I dunno, I think I would’ve gone after Rockhoof. The illustrations always make him look like he was built like a house.”

Agito shifted, tilting his sword towards her. “You feel that?” he asked, gazing out behind the fire. “If anything happens, take this sword. I can grab another.” Standing up, he scanned the surrounding area. “Anyone out there?”

No answer came aside from the night breeze. This didn’t ease Agito’s mind, his guard staying up as he continued to check for signs of life. The flickering form of a mare staggered out of the dark, her clothes burned and blackened. Agito’s brow quirked, but his guard remained up. “Okay, never seen a fully manifested apparition before. Spirit, can you communicate with me?”

The spirit zoomed across the fire, her hands going for his throat. “My eyes! My eyes!” Moving her head back, she gave him a perfect look at the burned out sockets that had once been her eyes.

Agito tried to push the spirit off him, only for his hands to pass right through her. “Daring, hit her with the sword!”

Daring jumped up from her seat, grabbing the sword on her way. With a defiant shout, she stabbed the ghost right between her eye sockets. The spirit shrieked, releasing her grip on Agito. “My eyes! Give me back my eyes!”

“Dad, let’s run!” Daring boomed, swiping at the spirit again and grabbing what supplies she could. Which luckily included her backpack. “I don’t really know how to fight angry spirits!”

Agito didn’t argue with her, salvaging what he could of the supplies too. Waving an arm to her, he started dashing off into the wilderness. “I hate fighting ghosts! You never get anywhere quickly!”

Daring followed after him, stealing a glance back at the spirit. “Are you seriously telling me you’ve fought ghosts before?!”

“A few, none of them fully manifested like that. They don’t like my weapons, so there's that.” Summoning another sword, he set the blade aflame to light their way. “Never had one trying to strangle me before.”

“Think this has to do with the temple to this Arisen figure?” Daring questioned, shaking the sword in her hand in an attempt to get it to glow as well. “It did say spirits were involved.”

“Considering that ghost looked liked like one of the ponies in your parent’s photo, yeah I’d say it is.”

Daring shuddered, thinking on the ghost they had seen. “What’s my mom’s ghost doing here? And why would she attack us?” Running through what she knew, Daring felt her teeth grit. “That bastard’s got control of her, doesn’t he?”

Agito glanced over his shoulder, checking to see if the ghost was on their tail. “That might be the best answer we got. We might find out once we find that temple.” Satisfied that there was no sign of her, he stopped running. He looked down, starting to inspect what he had managed to save. “Looks like we got most of it.”

Daring sighed in relief, taking the moment to catch her breath. “Good, there’s no one around for miles to sell us supplies.” Taking the time to orient herself, she frowned. The empty deserts of Saddle Arabia had given way to ruins. A town lay around them, cast in shadow by the moonlight.

Agito took in their surroundings as well, humming in thought. “Let’s try to find a relatively intact building and hole up for the night.”

Daring kept her hands on the sword. “Dad, I'm starting to think we might have been chased here.” Stepping closer to her, her ears flicked back and forth. “I hear a whole lot of voices and not many hoof steps.”

Agito whipped his head around, suddenly hearing murmured whispers from a chorus of voices. Just past the light offered by his sword, he swore he could see wispy movements in the shadows. “Your uncle and I should have splurged for a proton pack. A Camera Obscura at least. But no, we had to cosplay bugmen.”

“Is now really the time for dumb references?!” Daring hissed, putting her back to Agito’s as the shimmering forms of various ponies surrounded them.

“Not dumb when both of those things can get rid of ghosts!” Striking out, Agito slashed through a stallion with a broken neck. He couldn't help but cringe as it shrieked in pain.

Daring followed suit, stabbing a dripping wet looking mare in the stomach. The shade wailed, a horrifying waterlogged sound escaping her throat. “Yeah, well you don't have either, so stop complaining!”

Not needing to be told twice, Agito ignored the pained sounds of the spirits and attempted to cut a path for him and his daughter to make their escape.

Daring swung at another spirit, a teenage colt with noticeable rope burns around his neck as he reached for her throat. She followed her father, her lungs burning from exertion. “There has to be somewhere they can’t follow!”

Agito scrunched his face up, looking at the supplies he was carrying. “D.D., I need you to hold some of this; I’m gonna try something.” Pulling out a piece of paper and pen, he handed the rest of the supplies to his daughter.

Ignoring her protests, Agito scraped the deepest corners of his mind for the knowledge he needed. ‘This would be so much easier with a brush. Doing this with a pen may just make the whole thing not work.’ Clicking his tongue, he pressed on, writing the symbol for a god and muttered a mantra of protection his grandfather had taught him.

“Right there!” he pointed to a relatively intact building, one of the few that still had four walls and a roof. He grit his teeth, taking a swipe from a mauled mare in the back. “Daring, how you doing back there!?”

“Still standing!” Daring shouted, ducking her head to avoid losing it to a stab from an Equestrian guard missing an eye. “But they’re gaining on me!”

“Just make it to the door!” Adding on a burst of speed, he slapped the makeshift talisman on the door fame. “You believe in me, right?”

“Yeah!” Daring dove, managing to tuck and roll into the doorframe. She panted, her chest heaving as she tried to compose herself. “What’s the plan here? Reenacting that Assault movie?”

“That makes one of us,” Agito muttered, stepping towards the doorway. The talisman shimmered slightly in the moonlight, standing out against the dark. His heart seized as a ghostly foal stepped closer, only to recoil a foot away from the building. He sighed in relief, letting the point of his sword dip. “Okay, so that does work. Remind me to light a candle and say a prayer to your great-grandfather when we’re out of this mess, okay?”

Daring watched the display, more than a little unnerved as a ghostly mob formed. “I’ll do one with you. I think I remember how.” Sitting back, she gazed at the talisman. “Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”

“About what? How a talisman to a Japanese god can work when this world has no equivalent to Japan?” Agito questioned, taking a seat next to his daughter. “Maybe Faust heard it and decided to answer it herself?”

“Honestly, don’t care who answered it right about now,” Daring commented, setting her supplies down. “Think we’ll need to put one of those on other entrances?”

“That should be good.” Leaning against her, both of Agito’s swords faded from existence. “I think I need a nap. You wanna take first watch?”

“Sure,” Daring said, reaching into her pack and pulling out a blanket. “Mind teaching me how to make one of those in case it gives out during the night?” A snore was Agito’s response, the man already sleeping on her shoulder. Sighing, Daring wrapped her and the man up in the blanket. “Always hated how quickly you went out,” she muttered, offering a silent prayer that the talisman would keep the haunting hoard out.

Lightning Dust checked her reflection in her locker’s mirror, grinning to herself at how the trainee uniform fit her. Like normal Wonderbolt uniforms, it was form fitting. Which for her meant her assets were nicely highlighted. A part of her considered trying her luck seducing Soarin, that was a stallion she had spent a night or two dreaming about. But she tossed it aside, she was bound and determined to impress them with her own skills. Like her speed, there was a reason her father had named her Lightning.

‘About the only good thing he gave me.’ Shaking her head, she slapped her face. “Come on, Dust. Focus. You’re here for you, not him.” Jabbing a finger at her reflection, she added, “You’re gonna become a Wonderbolt, and nothing’s gonna stop ya.”

“Geez, Dust. I know you’re full of yourself but if you stare at your reflection anymore you’re gonna end up making out with it,” Dash teased, peering into the room. “You ready or what?”

“Sorry,” Lightning replied, shutting her locker. “I was doing my ritual to psych myself up. What, you think performance like mine is achieved without a routine?” she questioned, grinning at her wing mare. “Besides, I know you’ve been staring.” Winking at her, she made her way over.

“In your dreams, Dust,” Dash replied, chuckling and nudging Lightning in the side. “How can I be staring at you when there’s Spitfire walking around in that uniform that’s a size too small?”

Dust bit her lip, picturing the image in her mind. “Yeah, her ass looks so tight in that thing.”

“If ponies wouldn’t accuse me of trying to cheat my way into the Wonderbolts, I’d so make a move,” Dash elaborated, giving her wings a flap. “Spitfire is easily one of the top ten hottest mares in Equestria. Right up there with that Countess Coloratura.”

“Ugh, no way! She’s way too plastic.” Dust stuck her tongue out. “Have some standards, Dash.” She let the conversation die as they stepped out onto the grounds. The Bolts didn’t seem to mind banter, but Spitfire had made it clear to leave it in the locker room. They filed onto the landing strip with the other recruits. Dust could hardly contain herself, eagerly awaiting their next exercise.

Spitfire strolled onto the field, the harsh light of the sun reflecting off her sunglasses. “Good morning cadets; another glorious day in the bolts! You’ve made it this far, but can you handle another day of training?”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” the recruits all answered in unison, standing up straight at attention.

“I didn’t hear you, you featherless sons of pigeons!” Spitfire shouted, glaring at them.

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” the recruits repeated, their voices carrying far off into the field.

“That’s better! Now! You’re going to get with your flight partners and run the training course again. Time to beat is three minutes! Get moving!” Spitfire ordered, gesturing with her wing.

Dash and Dust fistbumped, moving over to the starting line. Stretching out, Dust asked, “So, care to show these slowpokes how it's done and make a new record?”

“Hay yeah! We’ll leave that record in the dust!” Pulling her goggles down, Dash spread her wings out. “You ready for this?”

“Always,” Dust answered, pulling on her own goggles. “Let's go!” Jumping up, she flapped her wings and rocketed towards the first obstacle. Confidence pumped through her veins, infusing every part of her body. It pushed her speed faster and faster, quickly charging to her limits.

‘Not enough,’ she thought, controlling her breathing while she and Dash cleared all the obstacles far ahead of their peers. ‘I need to be better than Dad. I need more speed!’

A yellow crackle moved through her mane, indistinguishable from its natural colors. Before she knew it, the obstacles started to blur past her, unnatural speed surging through her. Glancing behind her, she noted Dash was struggling to keep up with her. Annoyance shot through her unbidden, her eyes trained on Dash.

“Come on, Dash!” Dust urged, waving a hand forwards. “We're so close to beating this record!” Beating her wings, she added to her already insane speed. “We can’t chicken out now!”

Dash's eyes widened all of a sudden, rushing forward and grabbing Lightning's tail. The aqua mare suddenly stopped, an obstacle slamming down where she would have been. Panting, Dash said, “There's a difference between being chicken and keeping your eye on the course.”

Shaking her head, Dust stared at the obstacle. “I didn’t see it. I was just going so fast...”

Dash smiled, nudging Dust in the side. “That's why you have me as your wing mare. I'll watch your flank whenever you lose your head. Now come on! We can still do this!”

“Right, let's go!” Zipping through the obstacle, Lightning kept her speed under control. ‘We still got a few seconds, just gotta keep a level head and that record is ours!’

The two pressed on, clearing the rest of the obstacles with ease. “New record!” Spitfire called out, looking at her stopwatch. “Two minutes, fifty-nine seconds! Lightning Dust, Rainbow Dash!”

“Woo!” Lightning Dust shouted, thrusting a fist into the air. “There we go! I told you we could do it, Dash!”

“Never doubted you for a second!” Dash assured, grinning from ear to ear. “Who's the best team at the academy?” She held her hand up, looking at Dust expectantly.

“That'd have to be us!” Dust replied, high-fiving her wing mare. “Especially you back there. You kept me from getting knocked out of the obstacle course. Thanks.”

“No prob, that’s what wing ponies are supposed to do.” Eyeing Dust critically, Dash gestured to the course. “What happened up there? You got a speed boost out of nowhere.”

“I dunno,” Dust admitted, going over to her gym bag and grabbing a towel. “I just wanted to beat that record so bad and started to go faster.” Pulling her goggles up, she wiped at her face. “Guess I’m a stronger flier than I thought.”

Dash quirked a brow, the gears in her head slowly turning. “Yeah, that must be it,” she replied, her voice full of uncertainty. ‘Okay, we seriously need to invent those phone things Wyatt talks about. I can’t leave without getting kicked out for missing practice, which means, ugh, letter writing.’

Torches staved off the darkness of the night, Luna’s moon high in the sky. The jungle teemed with life, many a predator stalking the foliage for a meal. Ahuizotl paced around his den, his path paved with scattered papers. Notes and maps covered nearly every inch of the room; along with more than one wanted poster of Daring Do. The bulk of the papers had information about artifacts on them, while others had his scrawled out plans to trap Daring should she interfere. His only problem; there was nothing he could find worth stealing. The best artifact he could find seemed to give him dominion over butterflies. Hardly a capable force to grant him the rule he wanted.

Grumbling to himself, he stalked over to the pieces that sounded like they were made of more expensive materials so he could sell them. Keeping himself and his lackeys fed wasn't cheap after all.

“This would be so much easier if she hadn’t vanished,” he muttered, a hand tracing a drawing of a two curved, handheld blades. “She always had some lead to some powerful relic.” Moving over, he saw a statuette of a falcon that looked promising. “It's not like her to go this long without hunting something down.”

“You just have to have the right bait.” A voice carried over the wind, dancing over Ahuizotl’s ear like a bird’s song. “Something I thought you’d have learned by now.”

Ahuizotl’s ears swiveled, trying to detect the source of the noise. The voice itself was one he instantly recognized. “Padre? How can that be. You died when I was still a cub.”

“Is that what your Madre told you?” Something stepped into the room, right through the hut wall. Standing in the moonlight was a skeleton, one whose bones shimmered purple, green and a whole other host of colors. “She was a fiesty one, hijo, but she never had much of a nerve.”

“Dios mio,” Ahuizotl muttered, taking in the skeletal figure. “Padre, you are nothing but bones. How are you here?” The insult to his mother stung, but that bite was far exceeded by awe. “Are you... are you cursed?”

“Quite the opposite, hijo,” his father replied, flexing the fingers on his tail hand, “this is a blessing. But it is one that is incomplete. I need your help to claim a prize far more valuable than any of these paltry trinkets.”

“Paltry?!” Ahuizotl bristled, wounded pride overcoming his daze. “I have tracked down some of the most powerful relics in known history!” Grinning, he flicked his tail hand. “I even managed to get my hands on one of those Eternal Flowers.”

The skeletal being laughed, a hollow sound that rattled his ribs. “So many little gato has become immortal hm? Ah, but what is immortality if it doesn’t come with power?” Waving his tail, a sharp cry split the air.

A low moan followed, another figure stepping into the room. This one was a teenage dragon, his neck and right wing bent at sickening angles.

“The lingering souls of this world are mine to command, Ahui.” the skeleton’s tail began to glow, third hand glowing a ghostly blue. “And when I have finished the necessary sacrifice, even those spirits who have crossed over will be mine. Why, I could even bring back your dear sweet Madre.”

“How are you doing this?” Ahuizotl questioned fear bleeding into his awe and overtaking his pride. “This is unreal.”

“Oh, Ahui, it is very real.” Beckoning with his tail, Ahuizotl’s father turned back to the wall. “We have much to do; the sacrifice has almost reached the temple. We must make haste if we are to give her a proper greeting.”

Ahuizotl paused, weighing his options. His mother had always taught him that his father was someone not to be trusted. However, the promise of seeing her and hearing her voice one more time was so very tempting. “Please, Madre, watch over me.” Moving towards the door, he followed the ghostly form of his father into the night.

Fillydelphia Freedom

It was another day at Wonderbolts Academy, another round of testing and exercises. Ever since that obstacle course, Rainbow Dash had been keeping an eye on Lightning Dust. Nothing too out of the ordinary seemed to be going on. Maybe she had been overreacting when she had sent that letter to Twilight? She knew Spike would be disappointed that he wouldn’t be snagging any medals.

‘Even if she doesn’t have medals, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep an eye on her. She could be using some kind of performance enhancer.’Dash nodded to herself, idly considering looking through Dust’s bag or locker for any sign of the drugs. She wanted to trust Dust, but cheating to get into the Wonderbolts was something she couldn’t let slide.

‘Would she leave that kinda thing in her locker? Nah, she’s smarter than that. But, if not there, where?’

The sound of Spitfire's whistle tore her out of her thoughts, compelling her to line up at the landing strip. Once all the recruits were assembled, the Wonderbolt captain went on her usual tirade.

Dash found her gaze drifting towards Lightning, lingering doubts clouding her mind. ‘You have to be the sane one, Dash. Keep her from going off the rails if she is on something. She might get upset at you if you have to out her, but if she's worth having as a friend then she'll understand.’

“Are you listening to me, Rainbow Dash!?” Spitfire shouted, suddenly in Dash’s face. “Or are you too busy fantasizing about your flight partner?!”

The rest of the recruits snickered at Dash's predicament as she snapped to attention. “Sorry ma'am, I was listening! You were stressing the importance of angling our feathers during a corkscrew!”

“Then you won’t mind demonstrating.” Spitfire pulled back, eyeing Dash expectantly.

Dash snapped a salute, shooting off into the air. She started the corkscrew, recreating the stunt to the best of her ability given Spitfire's explanation. Driving her worries to the back of her mind, she put her all into her flight. Once she felt that she had concluded the stunt to the best of her abilities, she landed in front of the captain.

“Performed as ordered, Ma’am!” Dash saluted, meeting Spitfire’s eyes.

“Good form, recruit,” Spitfire said, pointing Dash to her place in line. “But next time, eyes forward.” Fluffing her wings, she resumed belting out insults before splitting them up into their pairs. “Now show us what you got!”

“You alright, Dash?” Lightning asked, stretching her wings. “You've been kinda out of it the last couple days.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Dash got into a sprinting position, her wings spread. “What about you? You doing okay? Not cracking under the pressure, are you?”

Dust smiled, getting into her own position. “I'm gonna let you in on something, just because you've been a good friend, Dash. I was pretty nervous coming here. But, ever since we crushed that obstacle course, I know we got this.”

Nodding, Dash braced herself for the starting bang. “Just keep your head in the game, right? A cool head and a steady pace will always win in the end.”

“And if I lose my head again, I've got the best wing pony ever flying by me,” Dust replied, her wings twitching in anticipation. “As long as you got my back, I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, I got your back,” Dash assured. Before either of the two could complain about getting too sappy all of a sudden, the signal started to begin their wing sprints.

When the signal rang out, Dash pushed herself forward, letting her wings take over for her legs. Despite her need to keep an eye on Dust, Rainbow couldn’t help but lose herself into the sensation of flight. Being up in the air and pushing herself to her limits made her feel complete. This was the perfect place for her, she knew it. The challenge felt so right.

“Faster!” Lightning shouted besides her, glaring through her goggles. “You're slowing us down, Rainbow! Go faster!”

“Lightning, this is just a warm up,” Dash argued, quirking a brow at the other mare. “There’s no need to wear ourselves out before the actual competitions start.”

“I don't care! We have to go faster!” Dust sped onward, her color trail tinted red. “We have to be the best! It's what we were born for!”

“Dust!” Dash shouted, trailing after her flight partner. “You're losing your head again!” Reaching out, she snagged the end of Dust's tail. “Keep a cool head, remember!?”

Dust grunted, glaring back at Dash for a moment. She paused, seeming to process Dash's words with a dazed expression. “What was I saying?” Shaking her head, she reduced her speed. “Ugh, I need to get to bed earlier.”

“Well, you certainly do need more beauty sleep,” Dash teased, hoping to bleed out the tension. “The rest of you is nice to look at. Your face though? That needs work.”

“Very funny, Dash,” Lightning replied, rolling her eyes while continuing the exercise.

Satisfied that Lightning had been calmed down, Rainbow and Lightning flew off to complete their exercise. Later that day, they were grouped into two teams and played a modified version of capture the flag. The biggest change, one member of each team was the flag. Lightning Dust jumped at the chance to dodge an entire team. She even went so far as to stand out in the open and darted out of a six pegasus pile-up.

In addition to the red glow, a blue streak entered her flight trial. “Ha that all you got?!” She weaved between ponies, almost looking as if she was Rainbow Dash. “You can't even eat my dust, I'm so fast!”

“Dust, get to a hiding spot!” Dash cried, tackling a mare that was trying to sneak up on Lightning. “They're flanking us!”

“Hide? Ha! Who needs to hide when you're faster than them?” Dust zipped around the course with ease. “Look at them, ostriches the lot of them!”

“Uh, Dust, that insult doesn't really make sense considering ostriches are pretty fast,” Dash said, wrestling the mare to the ground. She had Fluttershy to thank for that factoid. “Dust, seriously, calm down! I'm starting to think you are using something.”

“I'm not using anything!” Dust laughed off. “Unless you count lucky charms as performance enhancers!”

“...What kind of lucky charms?” Dash asked, her stomach sinking to her hooves.

“These three coins,” Dust replied, patting her neck where a small indent could be seen beneath her uniform. “Got em from some old drake. Didn't think I needed the luck but, why take the chance?”

“Uh, are these coins colorful, got animals on them?” Dash questioned, a cold sweat forming on the back of her neck.

“We're wasting time! We have to catch the other flags!” With a beat of her wings, Lightning was in the air again. “Hurry the Tartarus up!”

Grunting, Dash pushed off the mare she had restrained and followed after Lightning. She was suddenly glad she had sent that letter, but she'd need to write a follow-up. ‘She's gonna end up killing someone, Faust damn those stupid coins!’

The next day, the flight partners were told to blindfold one member and have the other lead them through a course. Lightning’s only directions to a blind Dash was to, ‘hurry up!’. Rainbow Dash grit her teeth, getting a light zap Everytime she went in the wrong direction.

“Hey! Quit zapping me, Dust! It's not helping!”

“I'm not zapping you! That's the course doing that. Just hurry up!”

“How about some actual directions please?” Dash pleaded, throwing her hands out in front of her to try and feel out her way. “If you want me to hurry up, tell me where to go!”

Dust groaned, tapping her hoof against the tarmac impatiently. “Fine, keep going forward for about ten feet before making a sharp right. And be quick about it!”

“Twilight and the others better show up soon, or I'm going to rider kick Dust in the face,” Dash grumbled, following Dust’s directions. Eventually, she managed to cross the finish line, her fur standing on edge and singed in places. “That sucked.”

“We still got in first, even if you were slow,” Dust commented, moving over to her. “Just do better next time.”

Dash grumbled, trying to remind herself that this was the fault of the coins. That didn’t stop her from having the urge to strangle the other mare for her attitude shift. “Let's just take five okay? I think we've earned that.”

Dust rolled her eyes, going to her gym bag. “Fine, there isn’t any training coming up for a while anyway.”

Their next event came later in the day, with a leap of faith through cloud cover. Nothing unfortunate happened there, but it was clear that Dust was irked that the event had nothing to do with showing off or speed. She was getting worse, her comradery slipping away to make room for more desire to go fast.

“Faust damnit, I need rider powers,” Dash grumbled, staring back at the barracks. She stood at the edge of a plank, her back to open sky. “Dust! You better catch me!”

“Yeah, yeah, course I will!” Dust shouted up. “Now just hurry up and jump ya big chicken!”

Taking in a breath, Dash closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall backward. The familiar pull of gravity pulled her towards the earth, wind rushing past her. A thrill ran along her spine, threatening to make her wings spread. She kept them to her side, knowing she couldn’t even glide for this test. She braced herself, hoping that Lightning would come through for her.

‘Come on, come on, come on! You’re all about going fast, hurry up and catch me!’

Before Dash could hit terminal velocity, she felt something rush towards her and grab her by the shoulders. “Wohoo! How was that Dash?! Wasn't that a rush of speed?!”

“I would have liked to have been caught sooner,” Dash replied, glancing up at her partner.

“Hey, I didn't let you go splat, relax,” Dust dismissed, bringing in the two for a landing. “Come on, it was fun, wasn’t it?”

Dash sighed, straightening herself out as her hooves touched the ground. “Yeah, it was a little fun. You feeling okay, Dust? You look a little... wired.”

“Hmm?” Dust questioned, having already looked away. “Yeah, I feel great. Never better. Might just be adrenaline from all the flying.” Spreading her wings, she took off again. “Gonna do another set of laps! Come on, we can race the whole thing!”

“Uh, I think I'm just gonna hit the showers. Have fun with the laps, Dust.” Patting the mare's shoulder, she turned to the bunkhouse. “Have fun flying laps.” She cringed back coughing on the dust from Dust’s take off. Brushing herself off, she took off towards the bunkhouse. “Really looking forward to her getting those coins away from her,” she muttered.

Spike snapped a picture, watching as the crane lowered the crystal platform into place. Work had begun to place teleporter pads in Equestria's major cities and Silver Quill had assigned Wyatt and Spike to cover the installation of the Fillydelphia node.

Wyatt was off talking to one of the workers, trying to get the average person’s perspective on the pads. Tapping his pen on a notepad he asked, “So, what do you think of Princess Celestia’s plan with these pads? Do you think it’ll work out?”

“I think she's got a good idea goin’,” the burley stallion grunted. “I don't see the mayor doin’ nuffin bout it. Old nag doin nuffin but sayin’ fancy words.”

Wyatt wanted to tell the stallion that conventional weapons and magic didn’t affect the monsters attacking them, but knew he couldn’t without interfering with the integrity of the article. “And what about the G-Project the princess announced, do you think that’s showing good results?”

“Dem rider guys look the part. I heard they saved that Crystal Empire. I'm still waitin’ on those weapons she promised.”

“Thank you for answering my questions, sir. Do you want me to credit you by name in my article?” the young man questioned, pausing in his note taking. “I can leave your testimony anonymous if you wish.”

Eyeing Wyatt closely, the worker snorted. “Youse can put my name on that jawn, Max Power.”

Nodding, Wyatt scratching the name down. “Has anyone ever commented that you’ve got a superhero name?” he joked, pocketing his notepad. Of course, he had to hold back a snicker, the stallion’s name being a reference to the classic series, The Simpsons.

“What’s so funny?” Max glared, making a show of cracking his knuckles.

“Sorry for that sir, I’m just still getting used to pony names. Max Power suits you. Thanks again and have a good day.” Waving at the worker, Wyatt turned and walked back over to Spike. “So, are you getting used to that camera? Adjusting the focus like I told you?”

“Yup!” Spike let the camera dangle from his neck. “I got some cool shots. Thorax even helped!”

“I didn’t know you had an eye for photography, Thorax.” Wyatt turned to the changeling in question. Spike had invited his friend to come along and Silver Quill had apparently given the okay. Either that or Spike had told a white lie, he was a teenager after all.

Thorax blushed, kicking at the dirt. “Well, when you're a changeling, you need an eye for detail. Otherwise, you might make a mistake.”

“That makes sense,” Wyatt said, nodding at Thorax. “If you guys think you’ve gotten enough photos, I’ve gotten my interviews. Most people here are all for the teleporters.” Pulling out his pad, he looked over his interviews. “Though I did notice that more than one person was critical of the mayor in the face of the monsters. Think we should try to snag an interview with them?”

“Would they want to?” Spike asked, watching a few changelings buzz about the pad. “She hasn't talked to any other newspaper, that I know of at least.”

Tapping his pen against his chin, Wyatt thought over his options. “Well, it can’t hurt to try. We owe it to the readers to give our story the most complete perspective possible. That’s the core of journalism. Reporting news, not creating or slanting it.”

Spike snickered, elbowing Thorax. “Listen to him talk. He hasn't even been a reporter for half a year and yet he already knows what it's all about.”

“I think he sounded cool just there,” Thorax admitted, his wings buzzing on his back. “I mean, it is an important job.”

“You only say that because you think he looks cute,” Spike countered, a slight hint of something in his voice.

Thorax’s face turned beet red, his wings twitching erratically on his back. “Wh-what?! That’s not it at all. I-I just,” his protests turned into indistinguishable mumbling, his hands waving frantically in front of his face.

Spike barked in laughter, slapping Thorax on the back. “Relax man, I don't care if you have a crush on Wyatt. Just don't let Twilight find out.”

“Spike, can you not tease Thorax about that stuff?” Wyatt pleaded, trading the notepad and pen he was holding for his camera. “Besides, Thorax can totally one up you in the teasing department. Thorax, why don’t you change into Rarity and just say, ‘Spikey Wikey’ on our way to city hall,” he concluded, flashing the changeling a wicked grin.

“W-well I uh...” Thorax gulped, his wings buzzing. “I don't want to make Spike feel bad. I can't do that to my best dragon buddy.”

“Nonsense,” Wyatt dismissed, putting a hand on Thorax’s shoulder. “It’s just two friends messing with each other. He just did it to you, so it’s your turn. Think of it like the prank wars that Pinkie and Rainbow Dash get in. There’s no hurt feelings at the end of those, right?”

Thorax nodded, his body shifting in green flame. Rarity primped her mane, batting her eyelashes at Spike. “Oh, Spikey Wikey, why must you tease poor Thorax so?”

Wyatt chuckled, taking a photo of Spike’s expression. Patting the drake’s shoulder, he led the trio out of the construction site. “And this my dear drake is what we humans call, karma.”

Spike's only reply was an irritated grumble, doing his best to not glance at the transformed changeling. Embracing the role, Thorax sashayed his hips.

“Come along, Spike! We have much to do today!”

Wyatt couldn’t hold back his snickering, enjoying every little shift in Spike’s expression. Thorax kept the act going, only dropping it once city hall was across the street from them. Thorax got a few looks, not that he seemed to mind.

“Alright, city hall,” Wyatt said, checking the streets for traffic. “I think once we’re done here we should snag a souvenir for Sombra and then see if we can hit a sight with whatever free time we have left.”

“I like the sound of that!” Thorax giggled, nodding his head. “I should get something nice for Rarity.”

“Why are you gonna get something for Rarity?” Spike questioned, finally making eye contact with his friend again. “Have you two been hanging out lately?” Taking a moment, his eyes lit up in realization. “Oh, have you been getting her help to spruce up so you can ask out that guard like we talked about?”

Rubbing the back of his head, a light blush peppered Thorax’s muzzle. “Well, I don’t know about that last part, but Rarity’s told me that a new wardrobe might improve my confidence and that does sound nice.”

“Glad to see you’re making headway with making more friends.” Wyatt rubbed his neck. “Wow, listen to me talk. I don’t really know anyone outside of the girls and you guys.”

“That’s because you stick to my sister’s side like the lovesick puppy you are,” Spike teased, poking Wyatt in the cheek. “It’s okay to be apart from her during some of your free time, Wy.”

Wyatt frowned. “I am not lovesick. At least I don’t throw myself at her hooves like you do with Rarity.”

“Hey, I don’t throw myself at her hooves!” Spike protested, snorting indignantly. “That’d be creepy.”

Thorax tittered, shaking his head. “You both need to relax. Is the mayor going to want to talk to the two of you if you’re barking at each other?”

The two had to admit that he was right, collecting themselves before walking up the stairs of city hall. The entry hall was rather ornate, the flag for Fillydelphia standing beside Equestria’s. Just in front of the entrance was a desk with a young mare sitting behind it, her mane cut short.

“May I help you?” she asked, pushing her glasses up.

“Yes,” Wyatt asked, putting himself in front of the desk. “I’m a reporter with a newspaper in Ponyville. I’m writing a piece about the teleporter system being put in this fair city and was hoping I could interview the mayor,” he requested, putting on his best smile.

The mare frowned, eyeing Wyatt up and down. “I’m sorry but the mayor isn’t seeing anyone today.”

“Can you at least let her know and see if she changes her mind?” Wyatt asked, producing a business card. “Some ponies I interviewed seem to have strong opinions of her and I wanted to hear about her policies firsthand.”

Sighing, she took the card. “I’ll see but I’m not making any promises.” Rising from her seat, she moved back and out of sight.

“Thank you!” Wyatt called after her, leaning on the desk. “Well, I feel good about this.”

***

A lone figure gazed down at Fillydelphia city hall, having a clear line of sight to the mayor’s office. They knelt down, watching as the mayor take a swig from a flask.

“I have eyes on target. Alcoholic it seems.”

“We’re not here to take stock of their life choices,” another voice crackled over a radio. “If you’ve got the shot, then your orders are to take it.”

“Filthy animals.” Reaching up, they tapped an emblem on their shoulder. Pink energy surged over them, solidifying into armor. Kneeling down at the edge of the roof, they held their hands out, summoning more of the pink energy. This time it coalesced into a large sniper rifle. “Best we put them out of their misery now.”

The figure steadied their breathing, the mayor’s overwhelmed face lined up in the center of the scope. Mouthing, ‘goodbye’ they pulled the trigger.

The morning reverie rang out across the Wonderbolts Academy, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. One of Rainbow Dash’s eyes snapped open, the brass instrument ruining her peaceful sleep. Slipping out of the covers, Dash’s body desperately tried to shake off her morning grogginess.

“Twilight better show up today, I can’t do another day of this...” Cracking her back and various other joints, Dash stumbled her way to the bathroom. After making sure she got showered and her teeth brushed, she slipped on her training uniform. Lightning Dust had unsurprisingly gotten worse, and Dash could never find a moment to get the coins away from the crazed mare.

Stopping in front of the sink, Dash sluggishly turned the water on. Cupping her hands under it, she gathered a handful of water before splashing her face. “I have to talk to Spitfire. We’re gonna crash and burn and ponies are going to get hurt.”

Pushing away from the sink, Dash moved to catch Spitfire in her office before breakfast. She couldn’t accuse Lightning Dust of using performance enhancers, she had no proof. The truth was out too, mostly because the medals were probably a matter of national security since they were the source of Spike’s Rider powers. And because saying that magic coins were driving her flight partner insane sounded just that.

‘Wait, she’s a Wonderbolt. She has to have some kind of security okay when it comes to stuff like that, right?’ Dash tapped her chin in thought, nodding to herself. She had a plan set out. First, she inquire about what level of security the good captain had and then tell her the truth if she was okay to tell it to. If not, well she’d figure something out. With her resolve renewed, she rushed over to the office and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Spitfire called, her voice soft for once.

Dash opened the door, stepped inside and made sure to close the door behind her. “Sorry to disturb you so early in the morning, ma’am. This might seem odd to ask, but what level of security clearance do you have?”

Spitfire looked up from her work, an utterly confused look on her face. “What kind of question is that, recruit?”

“I did say it was odd,” Dash replied, chuckling weakly and rubbing her arm. “But I have something that I need to report, and I need to know your clearance so I can know if I’m allowed to tell you the whole truth.”

“What could you have possibly found here, at my academy, that would not fall under basic military clearances? We’re a fitness examination and precision flight training location, not a military research and development lab.”

Dash glanced around before leaning in. “G-Project stuff, stuff I know is here.”

Spitfire’s brow quirked and she folded her hands atop her desk. “Alright recruit, you have my attention. As Captain, I have top clearance. Now, what did you find?”

“Lightning Dust has three of those dragon medals. They're making her reckless, speed crazy. We have do something before she loses it.”

“I've seen the reports of what those can do,” Spitfire replied, standing up. “Come on, the other recruits should be in the mess hall, we can talk to her there.”

Reaching out, Dash caught her arm. “We can't talk to her in there. What if she goes monster? You want that in a closed area with lots of ponies?”

Spitfire nodded, recognizing her mistake. “Alright, then I'll get on the speakers and call her to the field. Right now, nopony's there.”

“I'll meet you out there.” Releasing Spitfire's arm, Dash snapped a quick salute before rushing out of the room. ‘I need one of those rider’s suits, she'll toss me around like a breezie in a hurricane. No, don't think like that Dash, you can keep her distracted long enough for Twilight to get here.’ Her stomach rumbled at her, showing its displeasure with her decision to skip breakfast. She pushed that away as well, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand as she stepped onto the training field to wait for Lightning.

Flapping her wings, Dash stretched out just in case Lightning went crazy on her. “This is a really stupid idea, Dash. Real smart plan you got here. Just pray to Faust you can outrun her.” chuckling nervously, she settled her wings on her back. “What am I saying, of course I can. I can do sonic rainbooms for crying out loud!”

“What are you yelling about?” Lightning asked, stepping onto the field. “Trying to psych yourself up huh? Can’t say I blame you, you have to keep up with me afterall.”

“Hey Lightning,” Dash said, leaning on a flagpole in an attempt to play it cool after her outburst. “How are you this morning?”

“I’m feeling just fine~” Stretching her wings, Lightning grinned. “Sup with you, Dash? Getting in some early practice?”

“Something like that,” Dash replied, her brow knitting as she tried to consider her approach for what was about to happen. She wished that one of her friends were here, they’d be able to figure out what to say. As she thought this, Aj’s natural advice sprang to mind. Honesty could be her best policy at the moment. “I know what those coins are, Light. You have to get rid of them.”

Lightning scoffed, eyeing Dash with incredulity. “Dash, what are you talking about? These are just coins; why would I have to toss ‘em?”

“They aren't just coins! They’re magic! Magic that’s screwing with your head!” Dash argued pushing away from the pole. “Those things are super bad for you.”

“Magic coins, do you even hear yourself right now?” Lightning asked with a frown. “I’m still the same me I’ve always been. What’s the real problem here?”

“I’m an Element of Harmony!” Dash nearly shouted, throwing her arms out. “I took on Discord, and you’re telling me magic coins are crazy?!”

Lightning’s brow furrowed, letting Dash’s words sink in. “Let’s say I believe you, what’s gonna happen to the coins?”

“We’ll get em to someone who can use them without going nuts,” Dash explained, holding her hand out. “Come on, Light. Don’t make this hard.”

Lightning recoiled, glaring at Dash. “Oh, now I get it, you want them for yourself!” she boomed, clutching at the medals. “You’re jealous that I’ve been outpacing you every step of the way during training!”

“I don’t need magic medals to keep up with you!” Dash shot back, spreading her wings. “We both got here because we had the talent. Keeping those things is like using a flight booster; you don’t need them!”

“Like I’m gonna believe you!” Lightning roared, her own wings flaring out. “These coins were given to me and no one’s gonna take them away!”

“Do you even hear yourself!? You sound like a junkie who needs a hit!” Dash snarled, beating them quickly. “You’re better than that, Light. Snap out of it!”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Lightning cried, yellow energy arcing around her. “I’m the fastest one here! You’re all just trying to weigh me down! To Tartarus with all of you!” Blue and red joined yellow, the trio of electricity surging over her body. Her body bubbled, horrifying cracking sounds coming from beneath her skin. Her legs shifted first, cheetah paw-like armor replacing her hooves. Her wings were the next to change, the feathers becoming like that of a peacock while a round shield-like protrusion grew on her right arm. Her muzzle crushed in on itself, reshaping itself into snout of an orca while her mane disappeared and was replaced with a blue fin.

“That is exactly what I didn’t want!” Bolting into the sky, Dash ran through her options. “Come on, Light! We both know I’m faster than you! You’ll just end up living up to your name and eating my dust!”

Lighting let out a distorted roar, her wings spreading out and she shot into the air in a blur. Dash lost track of her, scanning the skies for her flight partner. Dash only had a split second to search before crying out in pain as a fist slammed into her side and sent her hurtling towards the ground.

“I am the fastest! I am speed incarnate!” Lightning Dust screamed, glaring down at Dash. “No one is going to slow me down!”

“Ow,” Dash croaked, pulling herself into a glide before she could crash into the tarmac. “Okay, taunting the medal possessed pony, not my smartest decision,” she muttered to herself, keeping her eyes on Lightning. “Where’s a Rider when you need ‘em?”

A loud bang rang out from above the lobby of city hall. Wyatt knew it all too well. He started running towards where he had heard it, while ponies milling about the lobby and offices stopped in confusion over the disturbance.

’A gunshot in Equestria!?’ he thought taking the stairs up to the higher floors two at a time. ‘’Riders don’t use normal guns, so who the hell would have a gun!?’ He found the secretary he had talked to earlier slumped against a wall, trembling in a state of shock. He grimaced, noting that her arm had a wound that she was doing her best to slow the bleeding of.

“S-somepony attacked us!” she glanced at him, clutching her wound. “I-I think it was some kind of spell!”

Wyatt grabbed the sleeve of his button up shirt, tearing it off and offering it to the secretary. “Here, use this to absorb the blood. It’s not as good as bandages, but it’s better than your fur.” Letting her take the offered cloth, he rushed into the office she was slumped next to, finding the mayor in a similar state. The other thing he noticed, was a hole in the window.

“Get down!” she ordered as another crack filled the air.

Wyatt dove to the ground, a bookshelf behind him exploding into paper shreds. “How bad are you hurt?” he questioned, not daring to peek out of cover.

“I’m bleeding a lot, but I think I’ll live,” the mayor replied, clutching her side. “Are you that reporter my secretary told me about?”

“Yeah that’s me.” Summoning his driver, he tried to time his transformation. “You good with keeping secrets?”

“Did you seriously just ask a politician that?” the mayor deadpanned.

“You’d be surprised.” Wyatt opened his belt, slipping his card in. “Just make sure you keep this secret nice and tight.” Summoning up his courage, Wyatt heaved himself over the desk even as his transformation started. While the silhouettes converged on him, he put his arms in a crossguard in front of his face and jumped through the damaged window. His transformation offered him some protection, but he could still feel shards of glass dig into his forearms.

Another shot broke the air, catching him in the chest. Luck decided to throw him a bone, his armor having solidified just in time to catch the bullet. It still caused him to stagger a step backwards as he landed, but he’d rather that than have his heart and blood paint the pavement.

“Gonna feel that later.” Grumbling to himself, spread his wings, having assumed his Cassie form. “Okay, asshole, where’d you set up shop?” Taking to the air, he turned his head in the direction where he had been hit in the chest. Narrowing his eyes, he caught a glint of something pink and white a few blocks away. “Is that you?” he muttered, flying towards the object he saw.

His question was answered when a bullet hit one of his wings. The electricity shifted for a moment before returning to their normal shape. Smirking beneath his helmet, he dove towards the mystery sniper.

“Can’t clip my wings, Lee Harvey.” Rotating his body, he pointed his foot forward and let gravity send him hurtling towards the pink figure’s chest. “Alright, who sent you and why? Where’d you even find a gun...?” Wyatt’s sentence trailed off as he took in the assailant. At first, he thought he was staring at the original Pink Power Ranger.

On further inspection, key differences stuck out to him. This figure was clearly male for starters. Instead of the normal, tight outfit, this version seemed more padded, with bits of armor in places including a large, black shoulder pad depicting a golden pterodactyl at its center. Around his shoulders was a white cape with a hood at the top. The gun in question was massive, easily something with enough recoil to break the arm of a normal person, even if they were lying down. In the back of Wyatt’s mind, he couldn’t help but think that the rifle’s aesthetic reminded him of Mass Effect.

The ‘ranger’ stared up at him, the sun reflecting in its helmets visor. “Code Yellow,” he spoke, his voice slightly distorted from his helmet.

“Okay, sure, just ignore me,” Wyatt retorted, irritation creeping into his voice. “I asked you a question, Booth,” he added, firing a bolt of electricity at the sniper.

“YEEEEE!” A thunderous cacophony of noise drowned out all other sound. Mere moments later the enter building shook, lurching towards the ground.

“Seriously?!” Wyatt shouted, taking to the air to avoid falling. “Evil Ranger snipers that are working with Dai-Shocker?!” He watched with a sneer as the ‘ranger’ vanished in a shimmer. Flying down, he came across a crowd of combatmen launching their missile forms at the building. “Hey, mooks!” Wyatt called out, landing and pulling a card from his belt. “I’m the one you want, right? So come and get some!”

The crowd parted, allowing a disturbing monster to step towards Wyatt. It had orange fur and strode on two long, lanky legs. It wore green armor that parted to show bits of its fur and had simple shoulder pads. Its most disturbing feature; the more than half a dozen feline heads contorting into unreal snarls.

“Meow! Look at all these tasty horsies!” One head licked its lips, watching a mare trip over herself. “Let’s do some tenderizing!” Plodding over to a street lamp, it easily ripped it out of the ground. “Come here, I’ll make some kibble outta you!”

Wyatt fired a bolt of electricity at the lamp post in the creature's hands, making its fur stand on end and the creature to seize up. “You're not eating anypony today, Garfield!”

“Meowie! That wasn’t very nice!” Fur bristling, the cat monster chucked the lamp pole at Wyatt.

Wyatt jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the hurtling pole. Pulling a card out of his case, he took a defensive stance. “What can I say, I'm more of a dog person.” Slipping the card into his belt, he shifted into his Mira armor.

“Oh come on!” The creature rushed forward, shoulder checking Wyatt into the lobby of a bank. “Mr.Meowgi just wants to love you! I can do better than some mangy mutt!”

’This thing is definitely showing up in my nightmares tonight.’ Grimacing, Wyatt brought the sword in his hands up to block a swipe from the creature's claws.

“Meow! I’ll love you to death! I bet Lord Drakkon will give us a pile of fish if we drag your corpse back!” turning on its heel, Mr.Meowgi lashed at Wyatt with its tail.

Using one of the swords surrounding him, Wyatt sliced at the monster's tail. Using another of the swords, he stabbed at the ferocious feline's chest. “Hold on, Lord Drakkon? Who's that?!” he demanded.

“Hiss!” Meowgi reared back, each mouth glowing bright. “Mrrrowww!!” A blast of blue energy burst forth, destroying much of the lobby and sending Wyatt into the vault door; hard enough to dislodge it.

Groaning, Wyatt slowly picked himself up. ’Okay, this thing hits hard. I need something to hit it back with.’

“Mrow! I bet you’d make a good paté!” The vault door lifted into the air, only to come crashing back down onto Wyatt. “I bet it’ll take a dozen smacks!”

Wyatt squeaked in pain, his body locking up for a moment. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, allowing him to block out the worst of the pain to grab two cards from his case. Forcing the cards into his belt, he shifted into his Kuuga Titan form.

“Just a few more and Mr.Meowgi gets to eat like a king!” Raising the door up above its head, it brought it down again with a sadistic laugh.

Wyatt brought his sword up, stopping the metal door from hitting him again. Roaring in exertion, he pushed against the monster, slowly getting up into a kneeling position. “Why can’t you be like the other monsters and just be quiet!?”

“Mrooow!” the monster boomed, trying to force him back down. “And why can't you just be a good meal and let me prepare you?!”

Daring to remove one of his hands from his sword, Wyatt punched the feline fiend in the gut. “I am not food, hairball!”

The monster staggered, allowing Wyatt to slip away from the vault door. Charging, he shoulder checked the creature out of the hole that had formerly been the front door. Meowgi hissed, scrambling to its feet.

“You’re starting to annoy Mr.Meowgi, meow!” the beast informed, its heads hissing and snarling.

“That's a shame,” Wyatt replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice and he grabbed a card out of his case. “Here, let me make it up to you.” With a flick of his wrist, the card slipped into his driver.

”Final Attack Ride: K-K-K-Kuuga!” Rushing forward, Wyatt stabbed the monster in the stomach.

Meowgi roared, knocking Wyatt back with a flailing arm. It stumbled back, clutching at its stomach. Summoning its energy, it moved to fire another blast, only for Spike to slam feet first onto it.

“Took you long enough,” Wyatt snarked, forcibly reverting to his base form. “Why didn't you follow me upstairs?”

“I figured something was up so Thorax and I helped the ponies in that building get somewhere safe,” Spike answered, tapping his foot on one of Meowgi’s head. “So uh, what kind of monster is this?”

“No idea,” Wyatt replied, returning to his Mira form. “It’s not something I’ve seen before. But judging by the puns, I think it’s related to Power Rangers.”

“Mroww!! Don’t talk about Meowgi like Meowgi isn’t here!” The monster pushed itself to its feet

“Believe me, I wish you weren’t,” Wyatt replied, getting into a stance. “Give me a second; OOO, help me find a way to skin this cat.”

“I’ll skin you!” Meowgi pounced on Wyatt, slashing at his chest. “Stupid, stupid human!” One of its head hung limp, staring blankly at him.

Wyatt grinned, an epiphany hitting him. The grin didn’t last long, the full implications dawning on him. “So, looks like you’ve only got eight lives left,” he noted, stabbing his floating swords into the creature’s back.

“Rawr! Tricksie human!” Meowgi wrapped its hands around Wyatt, spinning around to bludgeon Spike with his fellow rider.

“And I thought Opal was bad,” Spike grumbled, pushing Wyatt off him. “You got a plan, Decade?”

“Working on that,” Wyatt said, pulling himself to his feet. “For now, use your unicorn medal to attack him from a distance while I keep him busy.” Ignoring his aching muscles, he readied his swords. “And don’t let his stupid puns distract you.”

“Noted,” Spike replied, switching out his hawk medal for the unicorn. Once his transformation was complete, Wyatt rushed in and crossed his sword with the monster’s claws. Charging his horn, he fired an ice beam at Meowgi’s back.

“Mrooow!” Meowgi screamed, the ice spreading around his back. While the creature recoiled, Wyatt slashed the creature across his belly. “I don’t have my winter coat yet!”

“Dear god do you ever stop talking?!” Wyatt boomed, using all of his swords to attack the beast. “Your voice is like nails on a chalkboard!” He jumped back, avoiding a swipe from its tail before responding in kind with two of his swords.

Meowgi kicked an abandoned cart at Spike, turning its attention to him. “Come here, little draggy! Mr. Meowgi wants to know if you taste like chicken!”

Unfolding the claws on his gauntlets, Spike cleaved the cart in two. “You’re not gonna find out.” Lighting his horn up, he picked up the remains of his cart with his magic and threw them at the approaching monster. “I’m not on the menu, Hairball!”

The monster screeched, splinters of wood sticking out of its fur. “Meowgi doesn’t like you at all! Meowgi’s gonna kill you!” Rearing back, it unleashed another blast of energy in Spike’s direction.

Using his grasshopper legs, Spike jumped over the energy blast.

“Hey kitty!” Wyatt called out, running and stabbing the monster in the back with his sword. “You’re wide open.”

Meowgi yowled, slamming his back into a wall. “Get off me, annoying human!”

Grunting, Wyatt could feel the wall crack under the strain of the attack. He held fast, punching the nearest head of Meowgi. “Not a chance. OOO! Scanning charge, now!” he demanded,, letting go of his sword to pull Meowgi into an armlock.

“What if I hit you!?” Spike demanded, reaching for his scanner.

“You won’t get a better shot than this!” Wyatt retorted, holding the struggling monster back. “Now, hit this thing with all you got! GataKiriBa its eight lives away!”

Spike nodded grimly, unclipping his scanner. “Just don’t die, okay? Twilight will kill me!” Reaching his hand towards his metal container, he was rewarded with a jolt of pain.

A frantic eyed human stepped into view, wielding a forked spear. “Don’t you feel it!? The power calls! The sacred essence of Kuuga fills my every cell! You wretched scaled thing call yourself a rider? How disgusting!”

Wyatt’s eyes widened, taking note of the belt the human was wearing. “You idiot! You let yourself become a Gurongi?! Take that thing off before you go insane!”

“Heathen! You consort with these false heroes and you presume to tell me what to do!?” Amber energy spread over the man’s body, contorting and twisting it into a new, inhuman shape. Brown dominated his body, his head vaguely resembling a boar’s. When his body settled,.the former man let out a bellowing roar.

Wyatt released the cat-monster, kicking it away from him and grabbing a card from his belt. “Spike, you take care of our cat problem. If this guy wants the power of Kuuga, I’ll show it to him.”

“Kamen Ride: Kuuga!”

“Take the cat, OOO. Try and make sure he doesn’t break anything else.” Kicking a chunk of rock at the boar, Wyatt went in low; going for a leg sweep.

“Easy for you to say!” Spike called back, leaning back to dodge an attack from Meowgi and switching out his medals. In a moment, he was in his GataKiriBa form, swinging his armblade into the cat’s side.

The boar retaliated with a stab of his spear, pinning Wyatt’s leg to the ground between the two prongs. “Your struggles are in vain, heretic! I shall show you the true glory of Kuuga before you die!”

“Funny, I was gonna say something similar,” Wyatt replied, gritting his teeth to downplay the pain he was in. Drawing his hand up, he thrust his palm down into the shaft of the spear. He blanched as it remained firm. ‘Okay, this is bad. Very bad.’

“Fool!”The boar lifted a leg, bringing his foot down on Wyatt’s chest. “Take your death with honor, whelp!”

Wyatt hissed through his teeth, the boar managing to hit the spot he had been shot in earlier. “No!” he choked out, grabbing the foot on his chest with both hands. “You need my help. That belt of yours is going to make you lose your mind.” Summoning all the strength he could, he tried to lift the corrupted human off him. Slowly but surely, he was able to pry the foot up, allowing him to breathe easier.

Once Wyatt was in a kneeling position, his hand shot forward and he tore the boar's belt from his waist. The boar howled, his body distorting again; energy emitting erratically from the belt.

While the boar was distracted, Wyatt pushed him off, using both his hands to snap the buckle in half. “Celestia should have incinerated these things when she had the chance.”

The boar let out one last bellow, reverting back to his human form before collapsing to the ground in an unconscious heap. Satisfied with his work, Wyatt tore the forked spear out of the pavement and returned to his feet. Adjusting it in his hands, he hurled it into Meowgi’s back.

“Alright, OOO, let’s send Church back to the cemetery.”

Dash’s breathing came in ragged bursts, just barely managing to stay out of Lightning's grasp. She had been chased to the outskirts of Cloudsdale, ducking towards the mountain to try and outmaneuver her flight partner.

“Come on, Twi, I can barely stay in the air...” Dash fought the urge to wipe the sweat out of her eyes, even a moment’s distraction would be all it took for Lightning to strike.

As if in answer to her prayers, she saw the top of a certain purple balloon in the corner of her vision. She had to stop herself from flying towards her friends, not wanting them to get caught up in the mess.

“Just gotta... hold on...” Dash whimpered softly, already feeling her wings giving out. “Faust damn it, Twi, you’re supposed to be punctual...” Eyes drooping, she was barely aware as she began to plummet towards the ground.

Twilight looked out, gasping as she saw a rainbow streak hurtling towards the jagged rocks below. Slipping her green ring and put it to her belt.

“Wind, please!” A green magic circle appeared beneath the balloon, and Twilight hopped out to pass through it. “Fu, fu, fu, fu!” A whirlwind appeared beneath her, letting her safely rush down and catch Rainbow.

“Gotcha!” Twilight beamed, bringing Rainbow into the balloon.

“About time...” Dash all but whispered, allowing herself to go limp. “Go save my wing pony..”

“Everypony’s a critic,” Twilight said, looking to Maud and Pinkie. “Land the balloon and transform; I’ll try to lead Lightning towards the ground.”

“You got it!” Pinkie waved, quickly setting about altering the balloon’s altitude. “Cya soon!”

Jumping out of the balloon, Twilight summoned her whirlwind once more and flew towards Lightning Dust. “Those medals aren’t yours, Lightning Dust! You have to let them go.” Preparing herself, she summoned her sword. “I’d really like to not hurt you.”

“Must. Go. Faster!” Lightning cried in response, charging at Twilight. The shield on her arm glowed for a moment before a fireball raced out of it.

Twilight hissed, even with her whirlwind the fire tagged her leg. “You want to go faster? I can help with that. First, you gotta catch me!” Turning around, she sped off towards the ground. “Come on, take the bait.”

Lightning roared, chasing after Twilight. She would’ve felt good about this, except the corrupted mare was quickly gaining on her.

“Faster! Faster! Faster!” Lightning cried, unleashing a jet of water at the fleeing rider.

Twilight moved to the side to avoid the stream, watching it crash into a rock and punch a hole in it. “You really need to work on your social skills.” With the ground approaching, she cancelled the whirlwind and fired a barrage of shots at her pursuer.

‘Snarking during a fight? Wyatt’s starting to rub off on me.’ Jumping back, she narrowly avoided Lightning as she made a crash landing. ‘I should be fine as long as I don’t make pop culture references no one understands, I should be fine.’

“Give it to me!” Lightning screeched, scrambling to her twisted paws. With a burst of speed, she backhanded Twilight with her buckler. “Must go faster!”

Twilight skidded along the ground, summoning her whirlwind to stop herself before she could slam into the mountainside. “I’m sorry but I’m here to slow you down.” Firing off a few more shots, she weaved through the trees in a zigzag.

“No!” Lightning screamed, barreling through trees to go after Twilight. “I won’t be slowed down!” Another fireball hit a tree, igniting it like a pyre. “I’m the fastest thing in the world!”

Lightning cried out in pain as Maud, in her Heat Metal form, jumped down from a tree and slammed their staff across her lower back. “There are a few beings that would challenge you on that,” Maud deadpanned. “You nearly killed one of them.”

Lightning flailed around, throwing Maud off her back. “I will race and beat them all!” Spinning around, she fired a jet of water at Maud. “No one will ever beat me! Not now, not ever!”

“Connect, please!” Twilight’s belt called out, a green magic circle appearing in front of Maud to intercept the stream of water. A moment later another circle appeared in front of Lightning, and the blocked attack struck her directly in the chest.

“You’re all leeches! Trying to take what I’ve earned!” Zipping forward, Lightning caught Twilight in the jaw with a knee. “Faust damn you to Tartarus!”

Twilight rolled in the dirt, her hand barely managing to keep a grasp on her sword. While Lightning kept her focus on Twilight; Maud jumped up and jabbed her staff in the back of Lightning’s neck.

“Man, she’s really lost it! Think we can knock some sense into her?” Pinkie asked as Maud whacked Lightning’s head repeatedly.

Picking herself up, Twilight shook off her dizziness. She returned her attention to the fight, tapping her green ring to the hand symbol on her sword. “Wind Slash Strike!” the weapon chimed, a whirlwind springing to life around the blade.

“W, jump off her!” Twilight warned, holding the hilt with two hands. “I don’t want to hit you with this!”

Maud nodded, kicking off of Lightning’s back. She landed with a flourish, slamming the end of her staff against Lightning’s knee.

With Maud out of the way, Twilight swung with all her might, sending razor sharp wind towards the crazed mare. Lightning crumpled to one knee, raising her shield to guard against the wind. The buckler held against the worst of the attack, though small cuts sprang up along her arm.

“Get away from me!” throwing a few more fireballs at Twilight, more trees joined the growing forest fire. “You’re just weighing me down!”

Twilight jumped, using her whirlwind to quickly get out of the way of the fireballs. Switching her sword back to gun mode, she peppered Lightning with bullets. “Maud, can you do anything about that buckler? The entire forest is going to go up if we don’t!”

“I can try to make counter fires,” Maud offered, leaping forward and sweeping at Lightning’s legs. “That could minimize the damage. But that shield looks pretty solid.”

“Do whatever you can, Maud, just keep the mountain from going up.” Switching her weapon to sword mode, Twilight moved forward, slashing at Lightning’s chest. ‘If we can immobilize her, she’ll be more manageable. How do we do that?’

Maud disengaged, the ends of her staff igniting. She sent balls of fire flying, putting them in the path of the burning trees. Once Maud had tossed almost a dozen, she stopped. Any more and she felt that she'd cause more damage than prevent.

“Hey Maud, it's too bad we don't have a big batch of maple syrup or gum!” Pinkie chirped, wishing she could put her hands up. “If we covered her in that stuff, I bet she wouldn't be able to use her shield at all!”

Reaching down, Maud scooped up a handful of soil. “Most of this is clay. If we can get it on her shield, it should absorb the heat, at least for a few minutes.”

“Just what I expected of you, Maud!” Pinkie cheered. “Let's give Twi the assist and make mom some pottery while we're at it!”

Nodding Maud positioned herself to Lightning’s left. “Lightning Dust, you’re a poor flyer with tattered feathers.”

Lightning whipped around, murder in her eyes. “No one insults my flying!” She charged at Maud, her hands extended out in front of her.

“I just did.” Sweeping her staff into a puddle of mud, Maud sent a spray of it flying onto Lightning. “Wizard, the mud will negate her fire for at least a few minutes. We need to stop her by then.”

Twilight nodded, grabbing her sword tightly. She leapt forward, stabbing Lightning between the wings while she charged at Maud. “Then let’s pull out all the stops. It’s time for the curtain to fall.”

Maud moved between the trees, keeping a step ahead of Lightning. “You lack restraint and self-control.” Spotting an outcropping, she closed her driver and swapped out the Metal memory for the Rock memory. Coming to a stop, she gripped her Knuckle. “No wonder the medals worked so quickly.”

Lightning retorted with an incomprehensible vocalization of rage. Flying straight at Maud, she had no recourse when the mare in question leaped up and pushed off her back. She slammed into the mountainside even as Maud uppercut the outcropping. A crack shot out along the stone, piles of rocks suddenly falling on Lightning. Maud bobbed and weaved, avoiding all of the plummeting boulders.

Twilight didn't waste a moment, sliding on her finisher ring. “Hit her with everything you got, Double.”

Tapping the ring to her belt, Twilight’s belt called out, “Very Nice, Kick Strike! Fabulous!” A green magic circle appeared beneath her, a cyclone springing to life around her right leg. Twilight jumped, pointing her leg at the trapped Lightning’s.

Maud inserted her memory into the knuckle duster on her fist, pressing the button on it. “Rock! Maximum Drive!” Punching the ground, a sphere of dirt and stone surrounded her fist. Dashing forward, Maud reared her fist back to punch Lightning in the jaw.

Lightning's armor held for a scant few moments before shattering, the rocks pinning her evaporating under the combined assault. A moan escaped Lightning’s mouth, laying naked in a small crater.

Pulling her ring off, Twilight’s armor faded away. She let out a sigh of relief, kneeling down next to Lightning. “Good thinking with that clay; I never would’ve considered that during a fight.” Carefully, she reached beneath Lightning and pulled out the three core medals she was laying on.

“I study rocks,” Maud replied as she closed her driver and cancelled her armor. Perking her ears, she glanced over her shoulder. “You’re late.”

Spitfire huffed, landing next to the pair. She had swapped her officer uniform for a lightly armored flight suit. A few other Wonderbolts hovered around them, creating a perimeter. “Considering we don't have fancy dancy armor, we decided to hang back. She is secure, right?”

Twilight displayed the medals, slipping her connect ring on and passing them through a magic circle. “They are now. I sent them back home to sit in a container.”

“I was talking about Lightning Dust.” Spitfire knelt down besides Lightning, looking her over. “Will one of you molting morons get the filly a blanket?!” Letting her voice drop, she sighed. “It's a shame, she'd have made an amazing 'bolt.”

“You’re not thinking of kicking her out, are you?” Pinkie asked, popping up behind Spitfire. “Those medals made her bonkers, she’s not entirely to blame.”

“Dash said in her letters that Lightning thought they were just a good luck charm,” Twilight added. “She's a victim in all this.” Using her ring again, Twilight pulled out the letters for Spitfire. “Besides, how would you explain a civilian like her having access to top secret information and knowing what these medals would do?”

“Alright, alright, you made your point.” Spitfire waved off the letters and rose to her hooves. “She stays in but she's on probation. Non-negotiable.”

Twilight nodded, sending the letters back home. As Lightning was wrapped in a blanket and taken away on a stretcher, she couldn’t help but idly hope Wyatt's trip to Fillydelphia was going well.

“Mrow! Meowgi is getting tired of playing cat and mouse!”

Wyatt Dove out of the way as Meowgi unleashed another blast of energy. His entire body hurt, legs crying out for a cessation of movement. Pushing up to his knees, he took in the damage. Three blocks of Fillydelphia had been wrecked, buildings either on fire or full of holes. Thankfully, the duo had whittled Meowgi down to just two heads. Two heads that were adamant on living.

“You already said that after we took out head number three!” Wyatt shouted, slotting in his illusion card and creating four copies of himself. “It's official, you've run out of puns!”

“Wish he'd just shut up!” Spike hacked at Meowgi's tail, sounding just as tired as Wyatt. “He's more annoying than Spoiled was psychotic!”

“Meowgi only has so many ways to tell a joke!” The cat hefted a taxi, using it to ward against a barrage of fire from Wyatt. “It's very hard!” Tossing the cart in a burst of motion, Moewgi swept up Wyatt, one massive paw hand wrapping around his head. “Maybe if I crack your head open, Meowgi will get some new ideas!”

Wyatt grunted, swearing he could feel his skull creak under the pressure of the assault. Pointing his gun up, he fired blindly in a hope to hit the remaining heads and get the monster off him.

“Not much of a cat person are you?’

Wyatt would never be able to explain the elation he felt when Spearhead's synthesized voice reached his ears. Not even Meowgi's screech or the pain of hitting the ground could ruin his high. He got to his knees, turning towards Spearhead's voice. He let out a whistle, Spearhead's armor impressing him.

The helmet was obviously inspired by the Agito form, though more robotic and bulky. The armor was mostly white, with golden accents everywhere. On the elbows, there were odd pistons, steam coming out of them from the recent punch. The legs also had an odd ridge near the ankle that looked like it spun.

“Sorry I took so long, eggheads had to do some last minute fine tuning.” Spearhead reached down, hauling Wyatt to his feet. “I think we'd be doing the city a favor if we neutered this fleabag ”

“Ugh, can we not pun right now?” Wyatt groaned, flipping his gun to sword mode. “The cat’s been making them for like an hour. Also, glad to know the teleporters are working.”

“Meowgi isn't scared of a tin can!” Moewgi stood its ground, hissing at the newcomer. “Good thing Meowgi has built in can openers!” Lunging forward, it brandished its claws at Spearhead...Only for it’s weapons to harmless graze the stallion’s armor.

“Wanna rethink that?” Spearhead asked, uppercutting the monster, the piston firing off again. “Suit’s made out of orichalum. Good luck breaking that.” Drawing his other arm back, he slammed it into one of Meowgi’s remaining heads, causing the appendage to vanish in a spray of bone and red mist.

“Holy crap,” Spike said, watching the fight. “That new suit is awesome.”

“Spike.” Wyatt began, slipping a card into his driver. “Get your finisher ready. I’m done with today. G, we’re ending this guy!”

Spearhead disengaged, leaving Meowgi a cowering mess. “You got it, Decade. Show me what you got!”

“Is it wrong that I feel bad about this?” Spike asked, grabbing his scanner. “He just looks so scared.”

Wyatt all but crammed his card into his driver. “He beat me with a bank vault door,” Wyatt commented. “And he wanted to eat us. I'm making him an ex-cat.”

“Final Attack Ride:D-D-D-Decade!”

“Right.”

“Scanning Charge!”

The two leapt into their air, their legs each hitting one of Meowgi's cheeks. When they landed, Meowgi collapsed and exploded behind them.

Wyatt’s legs gave out, dropping him to the ground. “Worst monster yet. Seriously, fuck that guy.” Reaching down, he undid his transformation. “I’m just gonna lie here for awhile. Wake me up in a week.”

Two monsters in one day was not something he wanted to do again. He had no idea how Celestia was going to pay for this, or calm the populace. What mattered at that moment was figuring out who Lord Drakkon was, and what he had to do with Dai-Shocker.

Somber passed through a dimensional wall, walking into Drakkon's throne room. He could barely containing his anger. He had no patience for the sentries pointing their weapons at him on reflex; using his magic to wrench them from their hands. Drakkon waved a hand from his throne, getting his subjects to stand down.

“Your sentry nearly killed our goal!” Somber boomed, black crystals sprouting at his hooves. “If Wyatt had been a second slower all the time we’ve invested in this operation would be meaningless!”

“Finster 5 could rebuild him if you lack that capability,” Drakkon dismissed, holding back a smirk. He had found what got a rise out of the other leader; something he wouldn't soon forget.

“Rebuilding him is out of the question! You’ll do well to remember that, Drakkon. Unless of course you’d like to take his place?” Somber narrowed his eyes, increasing the flow of his eye smoke.

“Am I interrupting?” the aforementioned Finster 5 inquired as he stepped into view. “My lords, the upgrades are complete. I must thank you, Lord Somber, Midnight was most helpful. Why, without her, I think the subject might have rejected the implants.”

Somber flicked his cape over one of his shoulders, cutting off the eye smoke. “I would expect nothing less of her, the young woman is absolutely brilliant.”

“We’re installing the power ruby now,” Finster 5 replaced, the dim light reflecting off his visor. “He’ll be ready for your assault when you see fit to unleash it.”

“Give him a little time,” Somber replied, his calm mask returning. “We should confirm if our projections are accurate. The last thing we need is our work giving out during his first outing.”

“Leave the girl to the task,” Drakkon ordered, leaning back on his throne. “Now, tell me my dear friend, when will my new sentries grace the battlefield.”

A smile split Finster’s face. “I’m so glad you asked, my lord.”

Party Crashers Pt. 1

“Okay, let's go over what we know.” Twilight pushed the final pin in, stepping back to look at her work. “Dai-Shocker is headed by Somber Shield, who is an alternate universe Sombra. Someone named 'Lord Drakkon’ sent a monster to attack Fillydelphia and some dragon named Calamity gave those medals to Lightning Dust.”

The board in front of her was a web of string, each leading to a villain they had encountered. She had even taken the time to get renderings of each one.

“It doesn't take a genius to know ‘Kalameet’ and 'Calamity’ are similar names, but Kalameet is confirmed to be dead...” Twilight rubbed her chin, placing her hand on one of the eggs.

Wyatt looked over the board from his seat on the couch, his body covered in bandages. “And judging by that sniper and monster, Drakkon is connected to Power Rangers.” Rubbing where the brunt of the vault door had hit him he added, “Make a note of this faction's monsters being annoying.”

“Noted.” Twilight nodded, levitating a quill over to the board, Twilight scribbled for a moment. “You know, I'm surprised we haven't encountered another Displaced in a few months. Have you found anything that might be a token?”

“If I had then I’d have heard one of those messages play,” Wyatt pointed out, letting his eyes close. “Who knows when we’ll run into someone next? Not like I’m in the shape to host guests right now.”

“Aww, does that mean you want me to go away?” Pinkie’s voice chimed, forcing Wyatt to open his eyes. When he did, Pinkie’s smiling face dominated his view. “Hi, WyWy!”

“Hi Pinkie,” Wyatt said, forcing himself to sit up. “How are you today? Did that cake order for Roseluck turn out good?”

“Are you implying that I would ever make a bad cake?”

“No, but I do know you keep a list of the best cakes you’ve made,” Wyatt replied, poking her on the nose. “Did it make the cut?”

“Well, I didn’t have a chance to come up with a way to improve it before it went in the oven, but I think next time she orders a cake I’ll try slipping some nutmeg into the batter to see if that makes a difference.”

“By the way, where does the cake you made for my birthday rank?” Wyatt questioned, quirking a brow. “It did make the list, right?”

Twilight cleared her throat while tapping her quill against the board a few times. “It’s not that I don’t want to know about the various cakes you’ve made and how they rank, Pinkie, but Wyatt and I were in the middle of an important discussion about the recent attacks, as well as a couple other things. Did you have another reason for stopping by, or was this just a ‘for fun’ visit?”

Pinkie mouthed, ‘oh’, spinning on her hoof to face Twilight. “Sorry Twi! I got distracted. Maud came to visit me in my super secret party cave and handed me something she found. It started talking in my head and my ears twitched and I sneezed five times super fast. That let me know that I needed to go see Wyatt and hand it to him.” Turning back to Wyatt, she held out a small trinket. “She’d have given it to you, but she said something about, ‘Making memories with Trixie’. Which is weird because she’s never asked anyone to help her when she made Gaia Memories before.”

“What would only four sneezes have meant?” Wyatt was careful as he reached out to take the trinket from Pinkie, as he noticed it had some fragile-looking designs coming from the part Pinkie was holding.

“Oh no, Twilight would be angry if I made you picture what four sneezes means, especially considering how easily she gets jealous lately.” Pinkie giggled while letting go of the crystal figurine, then started skipping towards the door. “Have fun you two!”

“I do not get jealous easily!” Twilight called after Pinkie, huffing when the only response she got was a distant giggle. Looking back at Wyatt, she examined the figurine. “It sounds like Maud found a token.”

Without Pinkie’s hand obscuring most of the figurine it was easier to tell that those fragile spikes were supposed to be the eight legs of a spider cut with a nearly-impossible level of detail out of a single, large, glowing indigo gem of some kind. The way Wyatt was holding it allowed his fingers to feel a recessed design on the underside of the abdomen while the embedded message played itself for him as well. “Well, it is some kind of rock, so her noticing an unusual one makes a bit more sense.”

“I’m a paramedic first and foremost, but that doesn’t mean I’m not prepared to fight. I’m more than willing to take a life if it will save more in the balance. Kolsen’shea orbb.”

“A drow elf?” Wyatt muttered, staring at the token. “That phrase is disconcerting. Probably shouldn’t summon them without a good reason.” Getting up with a groan, he put the figure on a shelf. “So, what were you saying about what’s on the board, Twi?”

“I was saying that we've got at least four factions,” Twilight began, pointing at the board. “Poseidon, Calamity, Drakkon and Somber. Of this, this isn't counting things like that giant spider-crab you fought in the desert.”

“That makes sense,” Wyatt agreed, standing next to her and looked over the board. “I think we can easily say that Calamity and Dai-Shocker haven’t had any significant contact.” He tapped at the two pins. “If Calamity has medals to hand out, then Lupin wouldn’t have been needed to steal some of Spike’s.”

“We can probably rule out Poseidon and Calamity working together. I doubt Poseidon would give out medals for anything other then getting Spike.” Staring at the associated pin she frowned. “I think he should be our next target. If he is Spike's father, he's family.”

“If that’s the plan then we’d need to talk to Celaeno about him,” Wyatt noted, turning his head towards her. “I bet she’d know where he’s holed up.”

“I know Spike will be happy about that.” Twilight shifted her gaze to another board, this one of riders. Her eyes lingered on the name Agito. “I still don't really understand him. He knows Equestria's in danger and he doesn't even offer his help.”

Sighing, Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know how much room I have to judge. If it weren’t for you, I’d have given up my rider powers for good. A part of me wants to chew him out for abandoning his responsibilities, but it would just feel hypocritical and leave a sour taste in my mouth.”

Twilight sighed, turning back to him. “We'll just have to convince him to join up. We need all hands on deck.”

“All hands on deck?” Wyatt repeated, poking her cheek. “What, have you been watching navy movies on Kuuga’s laptop?”

Blushing, Twilight cleared her throat. “What, I can’t pick up new phrases? Maybe you’d like to hear the bit of draconic I’ve been able to pick up?”

“Lay it on me,” Wyatt answered with a grin. “You’re adorable when you share something you’ve learned with me.”

“I can think of a couple things I’ve learned that might go beyond just ‘adorable,’ but it’s a bit early in the day for those…”

Wyatt’s grin turned sly, and he slipped his arm around her waist to pull her close. “Too early? Sombra’s at school and Spike is running errands with Rarity. We might not get a better chance today.”

Clearing her throat, Twilight couldn’t keep the blush off her face. “W-well that’s not what I had in mind but since you brought it up...” Twilight lit her horn and brought over a cup. “I-if you don’t mind... I’d like to test human-pony....’compatibility’...”

“Okay, was that a line or are you asking to do an actual experiment on my junk?” Wyatt questioned, quirking a brow and keeping his hold on her. “Because I’m pretty sure those are 50/50 odds with you.”

Twilight snorted, her face turning a full on shade of red. “I-I’m serious! I’d like to know if foals are a possibility in our future...” She looked away, rubbing her arm.

Wyatt’s smile returned, and he gave her muzzle a quick kiss before taking the cup. “That is pretty important to find out. Alright, I’ll give you a sample.”

“Actually, that’s just the marker for where you go on to the next leg of the race.” Applejack sat the marker down, rushing over to a pile of eggs and spoon. “And here is the next part of the race! Normal three-legged races are too easy! So ya also gotta balance an egg on a spoon in yer mouth!”

Apple Bloom frowned, eyeing the spoon with more than a bit of skepticism. “That seems a little much, Applejack.”

“Oh come on, try it,” Applejack urged, holding out an egg and a spoon for her sister. “The challenge makes it rewarding.”

“But why in our mouths? If our legs are tied together in the middle it’s already challenging just to walk, and having to balance something on a spoon in our hands is going to be hard enough.” Babs crossed her arms over her chest, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.

Applejack chuckled, ruffling the filly’s mane. “It’s harder t’keep a grip o’the spoon with yer mouth. Gotta make sure this is the most exciting race yet!”

Apple Bloom and Babs shared a worried glance as Applejack began chattering about yet another part of the race. “I think your sister’s gone nuts,” Babs whispered, leaning in towards her cousin. “Think we can stop her while she’s like this?”

“Ah don’t think we can. AJ gets it in her head sometimes that she needs to run everything by herself to make it perfect. Think it has something to do with Mom and Dad bein’ gone.”

“Think she'd listen to Granny Smith?” Babs questioned, glancing back at her older cousin as she frantically zipped around the orchard to make her preparations. “Seems like a bad idea to just let her keep goin’ like this.”

“Ah dunno, Granny’s been actin’ strange since the other old mares arrived. Been all hush hush.”

“Apple Bloom, Granny's always acting strange,” Babs countered. “And we gotta try or else AJ might accidentally cause a disaster during the reunion.”

“Well, if think we should then we can talk to her when we’re done with this here race.”

Babs nodded, her and Apple Bloom walking over to the starting line of the race. The two tied Babs’s right leg to Apple Bloom’s left before getting into a runner's stance. They raced forward at the signal, heading to the front of the pack. The two didn't have to watch their hooves, they were just in sync. They could hear other racers stumble and fall behind them, but they didn't slow down at all.

Before they knew it, the duo found themselves in front of the pile of spoons and eggs from earlier. Deciding to play along with Applejack's rules, they each grabbed a spoon and walked carefully with the egg in tow.

“This is stupid,” Babs grunted, shifting her arm to keep the egg from falling.

“Just play along,” Apple Bloom replied, holding her spoon in her teeth. Another step and she tripped over a rock. “Okay, yeah, that was dumb,” she grumbled, the egg having broken on her head.

“And this is why I said this was stupid,” Babs said, helping her cousin up to her hooves. “Come on, let’s get you a new egg.”

“Nah, Ah don’t really feel like doing this whole anymore.” Kneeling down, she started to untie their legs. “Let’s go talk to Granny about all this.”

“First, let’s get you a towel,” Babs suggested, pointing Apple Bloom’s mane. “You don’t want that drying.”

“Right... right.” Apple Bloom nodded, moving towards the house. “All Ah wanted to do was spend some time with ya. Consarn it AJ! Why ya gotta be weird!”

“We are spendin’ time together,” Babs assured, putting her hands behind her head. “We just gotta get Granny’s help to make it so we can have ‘normal’ time together.”

Apple Bloom sighed, untying her bow. “She’s been weird for a while now. I think all this monster stuff is getting to her. ‘Specially after what happened in Fillydelphia.”

“Why is she worried?” Babs questioned, looking at Apple Bloom. “Those Kamen Riders have been kicking monster butt. Didn’t Decade save you once?”

“Yeah but, Babs, those monsters are dangerous!” Apple Bloom insisted. “The riders can’t be everywhere at once. What if they’re somewhere else and a monster attacks Ponyville?”

“Isn’t the Princess taking care of that with those teleporters?” Babs argued, opening the door for Apple Bloom. “I think you’re both just being paranoid.”

“You haven’t had one of those monsters holdin’ you by the neck,” Apple Bloom pressed, slipping into the bathroom and rubbing the towel through her mane. “These things are bad, Babs.”

Babs slide inside, putting her hands in her pockets. “It’ll be fine, Cuz. Ain’t nothing gonna
happen.” Perking her ears, she pushed the door nearly closed. “I think I hear Granny Smith.”

Apple Bloom put the towel down, flicking her ears to try and pick up on the sound. She went deathly quiet, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping.

“...We ain’t got no right to keep it from her,” Goldie Delcious spoke, her voice carrying through the halls. “We agreed to guard it, not to keep it from the Pies.”

“We ain’t lettin’ anypony in this family use that darn thing,” Granny argued, irritation replacing her usual jovial tone. “Fuji always meant fer it t’be a last resort when no one like Kuuga was runnin’ around. Last Ah checked, that er Wayne boy and Twibright were doin’ a fine job smackin’ monsters around.”

“We didn’t say anything about an Apple using it,” Apple Rose countered. “If Equestria needs it, I don’t think we have any excuse not to give it to Maud.”

“This all started from Fuji marryin’ a Pie,” Goldie Delicious started, “only makes sense t’let a Pie finish it.”

Granny Smith huffed. ‘Iffin’ they’re so worried about it, why don’t they go huntin’ down the one Snow Fameuse’s youngin’ done stole? Ain’t nopony seen that filly in years!”

“Mah daughter’s been chasin’ that filly down fer years,” Apple Rose scoffed. “If she couldn’t do it with a fresh trail, then Ah doubt they could do it now that it’s colder than a windigo’s breath.”

“Is the other one still safe?” Goldie asked, her voice full of concern. “You didn’t misplace it, did you?”

“It’s in a secret cellar door in the barn,” Granny answered quietly. “It never leaves there. Mah grandchildren have never found it. Ah checked on it today before the reunion started; it’s collectin’ dust like it always does.”

The trio went quiet for a moment before Apple Rose spoke up. “Something's bothering you, isn’t it, Smith? You don’t have to keep secrets from us.”

Granny Smith sighed, sounding more tired than Apple Bloom had ever heard before. “It’s that darn varmint Oni. He passed through Appleloosa not too far back and saved Braeburn from a heap o’ trouble.”

“Oh Ah know, mah little Brae has talked about that in a letter he sent t’me,” Goldie replied, sounding wistful for a moment. “But why’s that got ya like this?”

“He said... he said to tell me that Pear was sorry.”

“Grand Pear?” Apple Rose questioned, incredulity dripping from her voice. There was a pause, before the mare let out a long sigh. “Ah guess even the most pigheaded stallion in Equestria sees reason when he loses his daughter.”

“She ain’t his daughter!” Granny Smith snapped, her voice filled with enough venom to kill an Ursa. “She stopped being a Pear the moment he made her choose! I don’t care how sorry he is!” Her voice grew quiet, and Apple Bloom realised she was choking back a sob. “She wrote to him every day and he never sent anything back. Even after they stopped coming.”

“Smith, can ya say ya wouldn’t have done the same if Bright Mac had been forced t’make that choice?”Goldie pressed.

“Where you like it or not, Smith, the Pears are part of this family now. Those grandfoals of yours are living proof of it. They should be here, just like the Pie’s should be and like the Oranges are,” Rose added, “You can’t punish that whole branch just because of what the planter did.”

“The planter don’t want no part of us, so Ah’m simply returnin’ the favor,” Granny dismissed. “He’s the last thing we need among us right now.”

Letting the trio fade from her ears, Apple Bloom turned to Babs, an unsure look on her face. “Babs, w-were they talking about me?”

Babs’s eyes widened, clamping a hand over her cousin’s mouth. “Shhh,” Babs whispered, putting a finger on her lips. “We don’t want the old timers hearing us.” Her ears twitched, the sound of the old mares soon leaving her hearing. “Okay, I think we can talk now.”

The door suddenly opened, the trio of elderly mares popping into the room. “How much did you hear, girls?” Granny asked, looking between them with a stern expression.

Babs glared at Apple Bloom, but the other filly just shrugged. “What? We were coming to talk to them about AJ bein’ crazier than usual anyway.”

“Oh why are ya botherin’ t'ask?” Rose huffed, looking at Granny. “They obviously heard all o’ that.” She returned her attention to the fillies with a frown. “Y'all can’t go blabberin’ about any o’ this, understood? But ya can ask questions now that ya know part o’ the story.”

“Ah’m a Pear!?” Apple Bloom blurted out, staring at them with wide eyes.

“Yer half Pear, dearie,” Granny started, putting a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder. “Yer ma's real name was Pear Butter. She was the only Pear Ah ever liked before you and yer siblings came screamin’ into this world.”

Wyatt was sprawled out on the couch in the library, reading what he surmised was the pony equivalent of Sherlock Holmes. The character certainly had the skill of the detective he was familiar with. Almost an hour ago, Twilight had told him to keep himself busy while she studied the sample he had given her. A sample that was not as easy to produce as he had thought it'd be. Twilight standing just outside the bathroom and shouting “encouragements” definitely hadn't helped.

‘Things are gonna be weird for the rest of the day, aren’t they?’ Marking his place in his book, he closed it and put his hands behind his head. ‘Comes with the territory I guess. Neither of us are exactly experienced with this side of a relationship.’ Looking down, his thoughts turned to the subject of Twilight’s study. ‘More importantly, what are we gonna do if humans and ponies can’t mix?’

He was drawn out of his thoughts as Twilight moved up from the basement. Pausing at the door, she used one hand to lift her goggles, the other holding a clipboard. “Well... I’m finished with my tests...”

Wyatt sat up, putting his book on the coffee table in front of him. “Well, what did you find out?” A knot formed in his stomach, her expression not instilling any confidence.

Twilight cleared her throat and peered down at her clipboard. “From this point on, if we decide to... ‘enjoy’ each other’s company, we’re going to have to be careful.” She looked away, her face feeling like it was on fire.

Wyatt’s face lit up and he shot over to her to hug her. “So it’s possible for us to have kids?!” he surmised, picking her up and spinning in place. “That’s amazing! Will they be fertile, or can you not tell just from this exam?”

“The tests were promising but the only way to really know would be to fertilize an egg, and I don’t know if we’re ready for another child,” Twilight explained, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Still, this is incredible,” Wyatt said, putting her down but keeping the hug going. “It’s good to know that option is open to us.” Leaning down, he kissed her head. “I wonder if they’d just be ponies, like how Spike’s just a dragon?”

“Judging by your genes, a hybrid seems like the most likely outcome,” Twilight answered, a sense of relief spreading through her. “Your facial structure in particular seems to be a dominant set of alleles compared to that of a pony.”

“Good to know.” Wyatt brushed a hand through his hair. “I almost thought my hair was one of my best...” His sentence trailed off, gaze turning to the wall. A strange... feeling came over him, like the world around him was rippling.

“Wyatt?” Twilight whispered, putting one of her hands on his cheek to gently lead his eyes toward hers. “Are you okay?”

“I dunno. I think... I think something happened somewhere,” he tried to explain, finding that words failed to describe what he had felt.

“That’s really vague,” Twilight commented, her muzzle scrunching up. “Why do you think something happened, and what kind of something?”

Wyatt frowned, thinking for a moment. “The bad kind of something, Twilight.”

“Do you know where you think it’s happened?” Twilight pressed, slipping out of Wyatt’s grasp. “We should look into this to see if your feelings are accurate.”

“I think it’s near Aj’s farm,” Wyatt informed, summoning up his driver. “Let’s grab Spike and head over.”

“Wyatt, I don’t think it’s a coincidence we’d be given a token and then something happens, maybe…” Twilight looked over at the crystal spider that Wyatt had placed on a shelf. “Pinkie sense may need to be renamed to Pie sense.”

Nodding, Wyatt grabbed the figure and headed for the door. “Good idea, Twi. Now let's figure out if I'm turning into a psychic!”

Maud walked quietly besides her father, glancing at the stallion every so often. Finally having enough of the silence, she spoke. “I didn’t think you’d come personally.”

“Thou knowest how important Pies view family,” Feldspar replied, keeping stride with her. “Besides, I wish to see what Fuji created.”

“We’ve never been invited to an Apple family reunion,” Maud commented, returning her gaze to the path in front of them. Unlike some other small towns, Ponyville had yet to pave its roads. Her hooves strode on bare soil. Part of her was more than a little envious of Wyatt, as his ‘feet’ had feeling. What she wouldn’t give for her hooves to feel the touch of the dirt. She'd have to ask him in great detail what it was like, but for now she had other things to focus on.

“It matters not, they have not seen fit to bar us.” Feldspar adjusted his hat, his Kuuga emblem joustling against his chest. “Art thou sure the elder Apples are gathered?”

“I talked to Applejack earlier, she was positive they'd be here,” Maud assured him, trying to see ahead to the orchard. “I don’t think she knows about Fuji.”

“How odd,” Feldspar responded, scratching his chin. “Seems the Apples are more secretive than us Pies amongst family.”

Maud nodded, pulling the Joker memory from her pocket. “I worry that they won’t want to part with the belt or the seeds.”

“We can only hope they see reason, daughter,” Feldspar told her, adjusting his hat as they passed through the gate into the orchard proper. “Despite our desperation, we cannot resort to thievery.”

“I did not suggest we should.” Maud bristled under the insinuation. “We should talk to Applejack first. She listens.”

“I know, daughter, but in these trying times, even the purest of hearts can waver,” Feldspar warned, looking his daughter in the eye. “And I know few with a purer heart and dedication than thee.”

Maud nodded, her ego soothed. “Let me do the talking.” Sliping the memory back into her frock, Maud ranging the bell at the gate to the farm. “Your way of speaking is old.”

It was Feldspar’s turn to bristle, busying himself with his suspenders to help him hold back a reply he’d regret. The two remained in silence as they approached the reunion area proper.

For an event that usually resulted in members of the Apple family talking about how much fun it was to see each other for days or weeks afterwards nationwide, the reunion seemed to be fairly subdued and almost mechanical to the pair of Pies. Foals lay sprawled trying to catch their breath rather than playing any kinds of games, and even though there was a scent of delicious pastries in the air; nobody seemed to be smiling while making the deep-fried goodies.

Stepping up to one of the foals, she regarded the colt like everyone else. “We’re looking for Applejack, is she around?”

“She’s everywhere,” the colt answered ominously, shuddering at the mention of the mare’s name. “She’s been buzzin’ around like a lost bee.”

“Thank you.” Maud moved off, glancing around for the orange mare. She noticed erratic movement over by the trees, and moved towards it to find Applejack setting up a wagon for something. “Applejack, hello.”

Applejack turned, blinking owlishly. “Maud? What the hay are you doin’ here? Ah don’t think you’ve ever stopped by the farm before. Ah don’t mean to be rude, but Ah’m tryin’ ta set up the hayride.”

“We’re family, so we were invited,” Maud answered. “The ponies here look tired.”

“That just means they’ve been having fun! Good ta know the race was a hit with the foals. This ride’ll be nice and relaxin’ after all’a that runnin’.” Applejack paused processing the first part of Maud’s statement. “Uh, Maud, Ah know friends are like family, but that doesn’t mean actual family.”

“I was being literal, not metaphorical,” Maud assured. “Is it that surprising to find out an Apple married a Pie in the past?”

“Ah really don’t have time fer jokes right now, but fine. The two of ya can wander around and chat with family fer a bit while I get this finished up. Pretty sure Granny’s still in the sewin’ tent, so best introduce yerselves t’her first.”

Maud reached over, her hand grasping Applejack’s forearm. “Applejack, the Apples have a driver. One made by the Pie that joined your family.”

Applejack quirked a brow, falling silent. Before Maud could open her mouth to say something else, the farm mare burst out laughing. “Oh mah stars, Maud. Ah never knew ya were as much of a jokester as yer sis.”

“Mine daughter tells no lies,” Feldspar spoke, alerting the farm mare to his presence. “Twas Fuji whom made the device.”

Applejack turned, looking the older stallion over. “Are y’all bein’ serious? If an Apple has one of those fancy belts like the riders, why don’t Ah know about it?”

“We should go talk to Granny Smith,” Maud replied, blinking slowly. “The elder Apples know all about it.”

“Now wait an apple pickin’ minute,” Applejack said, jogging after the grey mare as she turned and started walking. “How come the two of ya know more about this than Ah do?”

“Because your family has been guarding it since Fuji passed,” Maud explained, fishing the orange lockseed from her frock. “Even the Oranges were guarding a piece of it.”

“Uh, what in tarnation is that thing?” Applejack asked, staring at the device in disbelief.

“Fuji called it a lockseed. His belt was... fruit themed.”

Applejack tried to say something, but was stopped by Maud slipping into the sewing tent. Feldspar followed suit, leaving Applejack on her own. The atmosphere in the tent was tense, none of the elders speaking or looking at each other while they worked on a huge quilt.

“Good morn, I be known as Feldspar Pie and this is my daughter, Maud Pie,” Feldspar introduced, taking his hat off. “We have come to discuss Fuji’s belt. Equestria has need of it.”

Granny huffed, putting her needles down. “We know why yer here. And we came to a decision ‘bout that.”

“And that is?” Maud asked, raising her eyebrow slightly.

“That Fuji would want it t'be used,” Granny answered simply. “Ya can have yer belt, but ain’t no Apple puttin’ it on, ya hear me?”

“Thank you,” Maud said, bowing her head. “Can you lead us to it?”

“After everyone settles in fer the night,” Apple Rose insisted. “This isn't somethin’ fer the young'uns t'see.” she pointed back out of the tent. “Why don’t ya’ll go enjoy the hayride?”

“Fine,” Maud replied, turning on her hoof. Her father's brow quirked, noting the subtle shift in her body language. Letting out a light snort, she exited the tent. “We’re going on the hayride,” she informed a confused Applejack.

“Alright, it's gonna be a blast!” Applejack assured, perking up. “Ah got somethin’ special planned!”

“What’s that?” Maud asked, retracing her path back to the wagon.

“Ah ain't gonna ruin the surprise!” Applejack called out, zipping off to the wagon. “Yer just gonna hafta wait and see!”

Maud smiled slightly, walking after the farm mare. Being delayed slightly might not be as bad as she thought. The Apple family was so different from her own, most of them actually smiled. It brought to mind just how aloof the Pie’s were before Pinkie got her mark. Who knew what prolonged contact with the Apples could do for them. Maybe they'd all start acting like Pinkie?

“What’s on thy mind, mine daughter?” Feldspar asked, noting the expression on Maud’s face.

“I was just thinking all of us should come to the next reunion,” Maud stated simply. “It’d be good for Limestone, at least, to meet more of the family.”

“Indeed,” Feldspar agreed. “I hath no idea where she acquired her temper from.”

“We’re all strange,” Maud concluded, turning to look into the orchard. “Except mother.”

“Aye, your mother is as lovely as she is even-tempered,” Feldspar noted, cracking a faint smile at the thought of his wife. “She hast given me four of the five most important ponies in mine life.”

“You're important to me too, Father,” Maud assured, enjoying the heartwarming moment. Climbing into the cart, she patted the spot next to her.

Feldspar got in after her, noting that he'd rather have a smooth rock to sit on over hay. “Perhaps our family should get off the farm more? Just for a few days. The rocks will not go anywhere.”

“That sounds nice,” Maud agreed. “I can't remember the last time Mother and Limestone left the farm.”

“Hey, Maud, what are ya doin’ here?” Apple Bloom asked as she and Babs took their seats. “Pinkie didn’t come with ya?”

“Pinkie had to help the Cakes,” Maud answered, turning to Apple Bloom. “She says hi by the way.”

“This is my cousin Babs!” Apple Bloom introduced, putting her arm around her fellow Apple. “Babs, this is Maud, Pinkie Pie’s sister!”

“It's a pleasure,” Maud said, nodding at Babs.

“Nice to meet ya,” Babs replied, blowing her hair out of her face.

“This is my father,” Maud stated, waving a hand to the older stallion. “Feldspar Igneous Pie.”

“A pleasure to meet thou, young fillies.” Feldspar leaned back, watching as the last of the apples climbed onto the cart. “It appears we’ll be moving soon.”

“I’m just hoping Aj didn’t do anything too crazy this time,” Babs commented, leaning back on the wagon and holding on. “She’s been high-strung all day.”

The cart rocked as Big Mac and Braeburn started to pull them into the orchard. It was a nice view of the apple trees, with the more knowledgeable members pointing out the different types of trees. While Apple Bloom didn’t have that skill, she did know the areas of their orchard like the back of her hand. Her brow quirked, noting where her brother and cousin were pulling them. The cart was heading towards where the fruit bats liked to roost, but Applejack always told her to stay clear of those trees.

“Maud.” Feldspar reached towards his belt, wrapping his hand around the Skull memory. “I believe somepony is arriving uninvited.”

“Do you see something?” Maud questioned, reaching for her own belt. “Or is this just your sense telling you this?”

Feldspar didn’t respond, slapping his driver against his waist. “Get ye back to the farm!” he ordered, inserting the Skull memory and opening the belt.

“Skull!” the memory shouted, a grey wind surrounding Feldspar and his armor formed around him. When the transformation ended, he put his hat atop his helmet. While everyone around him shouted in confusion, he jumped out of the wagon and headed off.

“Fire!” a voice called, a loud crack filling the air as an assault rifle went off.

Feldspar dove, the shot grazing against his back. Tucking and rolling, he put his back to a nearby tree and attempted to get a fix on the shooter’s position. Reaching up, he grabbed his side arm off his chest. He took aim, firing at where he thought the shooter was in order to flush them out. With every shot, he adjusted his aim in order to better his chances at hitting his mark. He heard a cry of surprise, followed by a dark shape moving along the brush. Feldspar let his arm trail after the shape, pulling the trigger when he had a lead on it. A moment later, sparks flew, letting the stallion knew he had scored a hit.

The attacker retaliated, peppering Feldspar’s cover with bullets. Two more assailants joined in, opening fire on the older rider. It was Feldspar’s turn to run between cover, zigzagging between trees and hoping to lead the mysterious attackers away from the wagon and farm.

He winced at the sound of splintering wood, hoping the Apples would forgive him for the damage. “Thou hath chosen the worst moment to strike, foul miscreant!” he shouted, glancing back to return fire.

Feldspar knew what these mysterious figures were after, and it wasn't the secret recipes to the Apple Family's treats. He knew Maud would suss that out, and could only hope that she wouldn't be impeded by these assailants. Pushing his back against a tree, he tried to get a clear look at the trio attacking him.

Back at the wagon, Maud forced Apple Bloom and Babs to duck their heads as another shot rang out. Everyone on the wagon had started bolting for the farm, the buildings slowly coming into view.

“I hope Pinkie remembered to wear her belt,” Maud whispered, slotting her memory into its slot.

“Joker!”

Her faith was rewarded when the Cyclone memory materialized in the other slot. She slammed it home and assumed her rider form.

“Get back to the farm,” Maud told the two fillies, cringing as a few bullets collided with her chest armor. “You’ll be safer there!”

The two nodded, Apple Bloom leading Babs through a secret path in the orchard. With the fillies out of the way, Maud turned towards the source of the shots.

“Surround her!” Several figures in black armor appeared from behind the trees, lead by one in yellow. Much like the sniper Wyatt had encountered before; the figure in yellow bore militaristic armor, sporting a similar shield on their left shoulder; though this one depicted a sabertooth cat, something their helmet also reflected. The black figures were themed after mastodons, a rifle in their arms and pouches peppered along their bulky armor.

Maud tracked the figures, the quartet forming a diamond around her. She pulled out two new memories, one yellow and the other light blue.

“Luna! Trigger!”

Maud’s armor changed, black becoming blue and green becoming yellow. A blue and silver pistol appeared on the left side of her body. Quickly drawing the new pistol, Maud spun on her hoof and fired at all of the mysterious figures.

“Return fire!” The yellow figure shouted, drawing two handguns sporting dagger blades. They opened fire, diving behind a tree.

Maud tucked and rolled, most of the shots passing over her head. One shot however managed to hit her in the calf, causing her to wince slightly.

“Owie, Maud! That really hurt!” Pinking whined, reaching down to rub the wound.

‘I wasn’t expecting it to tickle,’ Maud thought in return. She took cover, focusing her attention towards the yellow one that seemed to be the leader. Opening fire again, her bullets curved around the tree tagging the leader in the side.

The leader cried out, putting a hand to where Maud had hit her. “Overpower her!” she barked out. “There’s more of us than there is of her!”

Maud gripped her pistol tightly, watching the other three figures burst out of the treeline. She shot out of cover to meet them head on, hoping that Apple Bloom had found somewhere safe to hide.

“Ah told ya, Babs! Monsters are something ta worry about!!” Apple Bloom shouted, weaving her way through her fleeing relatives. “See what Ah was talkin’ bout!”

“Those didn’t look like monsters!” Babs argued, struggling not to get lost in the crowd from her cousin. “They looked like ponies in weird armor!”

“Monsters, evil riders, same thing.”

Babs rolled her eyes, figuring now wasn’t the time to get in an argument over the definition of monster. Babs followed her cousin’s line of sight, quirking a brow when her eyes landed on the barn. “Really? You’re running for the barn? Shouldn’t we be warning the rest of your family before we find a place to hide?”

“Ah ain’t hidin’,” Apple Bloom stated simply, keeping the barn in her sights. “These guys gotta be after that thing hidden in the barn. Ah ain’t about to let monsters steal somethin’ that important to Granny.”

“And what? How are two fillies gonna stop those guys?” Babs questioned, frowning at her.

“If that thing makes the pony wearin’ it like the riders, then we won’t just be normal fillies, now will we?” Apple Bloom countered, the barn growing ever larger in her view. She summoned forth a burst of speed, easily opening one of the large doors in one push. She skidded to a halt, closing the door once Babs was through.

“I can’t even begin to describe how bad an idea that is, Bloom,” Babs panted, brushing her hair out of her face. “Where are we even gonna find the thing?”

“There’s only one place Granny would hide it without her worryin’ about Applejack or Big Mac stumblin’ on it,” the yellow filly stated, striding over to a set of shelves containing empty mason jars, a series of watering cans and other odd tools. “Her zap apple jam supplies. Nopony ‘cept her is allowed to fiddle with this shelf ‘cause them apples are weird.” Apple Bloom scanned the shelves, looking for anything out of place. She recalled helping Granny with the jam, laboring to remember all the different tools and steps. Something stuck out to her, a whisk at the back of the mason jar shelf. Granny hadn’t used that, she mixed the jam with a large spoon. On a whim, she grabbed the whisk and attempted to pull it off the shelf.

A click cut through the air, the shelf pushed away from the wall, revealing a secret room. Smirking to herself, she stepped into the newly revealed room, peering around. “See it anywhere, Babs?”

“How the hay didja figure that out so fast?” Babs questioned, bewilderment taking over as she followed Apple Bloom into the room.

“‘Cause Granny started training me ‘bout makin’ Zap Apple jam last time they came in, and that whisk wasn’t somethin’ she ever used.out of all the other stuff on that shelf.”

“Well aren’t you the shiniest apple in the bunch,” Babs joked, scanning the room for anything that looked important. “What about that?” she asked, pointing ahead of Apple Bloom.

The room inside was bare, simply having a dirt floor and unpainted wooden walls. At the back lay a simple chest, marked with a strange, insect-like symbol. Apple Bloom approached it, kneeling down and lifting the lid. Inside, was a black buckle with an indent in the center, and a knife-like lever next to it. Beside it, was a strange looking, bulky padlock that depicted a zap apple on it.

“Is this it?” Apple Bloom asked, lifting the buckle out of the chest. “This don’t really look like nothin’.” She turned it over in her hands, hoping to uncover anything else about the device. “Screw it, Ah'm sure Ah'll figure it out.” Holding the objects close to her chest, she booked it for the exit.

“Hey, wait for me!” Babs shouted, running after her.

Applejack ushered ponies into the farm house, making a mental note for anyone missing. She had noticed that Apple Bloom and Babs had entered the barn, but thought nothing of it. What she did think something of was the two running back out towards where Maud and Feldspar were fighting.

“Apple Bloom!” she shouted, her eyes going wide. “What in the hay are ya’ll thinkin’!?” The yellow filly ignored her, causing the mare to snort. “Big Mac, make sure everypony's here! Ah need t'go tan our sister's hide!”

“Eeyup,” came the usual reply, though this time it was full of fear and worry.

Applejack charged after her sister, her worry only rivaled by her unbridled desire to lecture the yellow filly's ears off. Apple Bloom may have had a head start, but Applejack had her well cultivated athleticism. The trees passed by in a blur and the farm mare could make out the bow her sister always wore.

“Come on, come on, please work!” Bloom muttered to herself, putting the buckle to her waist. Her breath caught in her throat as a belt formed around her. “Well, that worked, Ah think.” She turned the lock over in her hand, accidentally hitting a switch and having it pop open.

“Zap Apple!” an odd voice called out from the lock itself accompanied by musical fanfare.

“That must be good too,” Bloom muttered to herself.

Applejack’s eyes went wide, watching Bloom from afar. “Apple Bloom! Take that thing off now! Ya have no idea what yer doin’!”

Apple Bloom gulped, knowing she'd be in deep trouble with her sister when it was all over. She didn't stop though, finally putting the last pieces of the puzzle together. “Okay, just like this…” With a shaky hand, she pressed the padlock into the indent.

“Lock on!” the padlock called out, the zap apple glowing slightly.

“Do I do this?” Bringing her hand down, she used the little ‘knife’ to cut open the padlock.

The knife sliced the lock open, energy arcing over Bloom’s body. She locked up, a suit of armor flicking in and out of existence around her. Her face held a silent scream until Applejack braved the shock and closed the lock.

“Ha! Looks like the brat thought she could fight with the adults. Hand over that belt before we shoot her.” A figure walked out from behind a tree less than ten feet from the two of them; his armor gleaming gold in the sunlight and causing blinding reflections from the areas that weren’t covered in black armor. A golden ‘X’ was etched into the upper left of the pec area, seeming to denote a rank or something else of significance. The style of armor was unlike anything Applejack had seen before, looking as if it was meant to not obstruct the figure while he moved. His left hand came up to tap the communicator on that side of his helmet, “I have visual on the objective, moving to secure.”

“Mah sister ain’t no ‘objective’!” Applejack hissed, moving between the two, Applejack snorted. “Ah don’t care what fancy powers ya’ll got, ain’t no Apple abandoning family!”

“Oh, I wasn't talking about her,” the figure assured, leveling his strange weapon at her head. “She's quite expendable, as are you. I just want that belt.” Moving his finger into the guard, the figure slowly pulled the trigger.

“Connect, Please!” A spell circle appeared in front of Applejack and behind the gold-armored figure right as a burst of red streams exited the barrel of the gun it held, and immediately struck his own back, creating a shower of sparks. A hiss of pain could be heard clearly as he staggered for a moment.

“Wizard?!” Applejack called out, whipping her head around the trees in an attempt to find her friend.

“Not just Wizard,” Wyatt said, casually walking out from behind a tree in his Decade form. “You've got Decade to the rescue too.” He made a quick gesture to let Twilight know he’d handle this one, freeing her to search for any other intruders in the orchard.

“Who the hay are these varmints?” Applejack demanded, sweeping Bloom into her arms. “And why do they want this here belt?” Shifting Bloom in her arms, she attempted to remove it from her sisters waist.

“Still trying to work out the who exactly,” Wyatt admitted, leveling his gun at the figure. “But, it's pretty obvious they've got ties to Dai-Shocker. Now,” he said firmly turning his attention to the man in gold, “why don't you start talking or else you'll be drinking all your future meals through a straw.”

The golden warrior hefted his gun, quickly recovering from the redirected attack. “I come in service to Lord Drakkon, that's all you need to know, mongrel.”

“See, that's not the answer I was looking for,” Wyatt said, pulling a card out of his case. “Aj, take your sister and go. I'll take care of this guy.”

“Right, be careful, both of y'all.” Still grabbing at the belt, Applejack hightailed it back to the farmhouse. “Consarnit! Ah just wanted the family to have a nice reunion! Is nothing's safe anymore?!”

With Applejack out of the way, Wyatt flicked his wrist, the card slotting into his belt. “Attack Ride: Blast!” He pulled the trigger, a rapid fire burst shooting towards the golden attacker.

The warrior rolled out of the way, returning fire with a scattering of laser fire. “What a waste, siding with equine primitives. You must enjoy sleeping in hay, animal lover.”

It was Wyatt's turn to dive, one of the beams a hair's breadth from hitting him in the head. “You're a disgrace to what that uniform originally stood for,” he countered, whipping his arm around and firing another volley. “SPD was built on the coexistence of humans and other species.”

“Anything to justify your degeneracy.” Opening fire again, he sent a spread of laser beams at Wyatt. “I’ll drag your pathetic hide to Lord Drakkon personally.”

Wyatt rolled into the bushes, pulling another card out of his booker. “Attack Ride: Illusion!”

“Wyatt” stepped out of the bushes, brandishing his sword. “Slight problem with that, you need to be able to kill me.”

The 'ranger’ didn't respond, only pulling something off his belt and hurling it at the ground. It exploded with light and noise, stunning Wyatt momentarily.

Wyatt cried out in surprise, taking a defensive stance and rushing towards where he had last seen the ranger and slashing with his sword. He was rewarded with a kick in the back.

“Look at you, flailing blindly. Whoever trained you should be executed for incompetence.”

The ranger cried out, a volley of shots from three distinct shooters catching him in the back. A trio of Wyatt's stepped out of the bushes, each of them holding a smoking gun.

“And whoever trained you should've taught you about diversions,” the Wyatts said in chorus.

“Do you really think cheap tricks like this will save you? All will bow before the might of Lord Drakkon and his Sentries!”

“Wow, it really sounds like you’re a part of a cult,” the Wyatts said in unison, the three holding guns taking positions around the sentry and firing. Meanwhile, the sword user pressed the man in gold, preventing him from returning fire on the trio. “If this Drakkon guy offers you Kool-Aid, take my advice and say no.”

“A cult cannot unite a world such as our Lord has.”

Wyatt could feel an edgy comment brewing, but he lacked a fedora to tip in order to completely sell it. Instead, he settled on unleashing a volley of shots on the sentry from three angles, stopping him from going on a full blown rant about his lord.

With a single deft motion, the gold sentry shifted his grip on the shotgun to his left hand only and grabbed a long knife out of the sheath at the back of his belt for a more suitable close-combat option. “I know only one of you can be real, so it’s time to start reducing the numbers.”

“And what makes you think you’ll be able to?” all the Wyatts asked, opening fire and slashing the sentry.

The world tore as the attacks struck home; unlike the elegance of Dai-Shocker’s travel, this portal created a wound in reality. Green energy wracked the area, leaving more than one tree uprooted. Three figures strode into the universe, each unnerving Wyatt by sight alone.

Two figures were identical, looking like slightly more armored versions of the red Mighty Morphin’ Ranger. A red cape was attached to their shoulders, the inner fabric being a golden yellow. Just like the pink sentry he had encountered, they had a black and yellow shoulder pad on their left shoulder that depicted a tyrannosaurus in yellow. In their hands were long staffs with what looked like sword blades fixed to each end.

“I expected more from Somber's pet project,” the third spoke, instilling in Wyatt a certain, fear and disgust-filled flavor of nostalgia. “A pity; I was hoping you'd provide more of a challenge.” This one was an odd fusion of the green and white ranger, that much he could tell. The shield on the chest was dark green with golden accents and a broken up dragon symbol at the center. The helmet was the most unnerving part; predominantly based around the White Tiger design with a horn sweeping backwards off the brow and a blood red visor that made it look like he was staring through things rather than at them.

“I don’t want to kill him,” Wyatt argued, summoning up his courage. “I just wanted to incapacitate him and get him to answer some questions.”

“At which you proved ineffectual.” A wash of white and green energy spread over the figure’s helmet, removing it from existence. A horrified sense of childish glee filled Wyatt; glaring at him was the face of Jason David Frank or rather some version of the character he once played, one Thomas Oliver. Though this Tommy was aged, sporting more than a few white streaks of hair and sickly black veins running along his jawline. “I am Lord Drakkon and you have but one chance to join me.”

“Ooh, I know this line,” Wyatt said, pulling a card out of his case. “The end of it is, “Or else I’ll be forced to destroy you with extreme prejudice”, right?” He grinned beneath his helmet, trying to ignore the twisting sensation in his gut.

“If only you were so lucky.” Drakkon’s helmet reappeared in a wave of energy. “Spread out, kill any animals you find, but I’ll handle the boy.”

Wyatt thought over his options, going over what he knew about Tommy Oliver. Gritting his teeth, nothing seemed good in a straight up fight. If this was a Tommy that were just in the green or white suit, he could probably count on being able to outperform the Ranger on a pure stat basis. This however was a complete unknown. Staying defensive and picking his shots was the only real option until he could gauge what this version of the original sixth Ranger was capable of.

“Alright then, Tommy boy, you wanna go, we can go.”

“I fail to see what Somber has invested in you,” Drakkon stated coldly, drawing a headless Saba off his waist. “You’re nothing more than a babbling fool.”

Slipping his Magic Eyes card into his belt, Wyatt changed forms. “Sorry if I can’t live up to the expectations of someone who’s clearly a psychopath.”

“Not psychotic, enlightened,” Drakkon retorted, charging at Wyatt and slashing at the young man’s head.

Wyatt blocked the slash with his staff, using his other hand to send a fireball into Drakkon’s chest. “That’s something a psychopath would say, isn’t it? Got anything else for me?”

Drakkon shrugged off the fireball, crouching down and sweeping Wyatt’s legs out from under him. “Only that you live by grace of Somber’s request.”

“Aww, Somber likes me?” Wyatt asked, creating a magelight and blinding his attacker. He scrambled to his feet, sending spikes of ice towards Drakkon. “I’d be touched if I didn’t feel like throwing up in my mouth.”

Drakkon moved his sword in a pattern, shattering all but one of the spikes. The lone spike grazed his arm, barely getting a reaction out of the tyrant. Wyatt gulped, wracking his brain for something he could do against an opponent of Drakkon’s skill.

Applejack’s heart beat in her ears, her body exerting itself far more than it was ready for today. “Blast it, Bloom, how do you get this damn belt off!” She hissed between her teeth, still trying to pry it off the filly’s waist. With all other options exhausted, she carefully turned over her sister in her arms to see if the back of the belt could yield some answers. A surge of excitement shot through her as she saw a small knob that rested on the small of the filly’s back. Reaching down, she gave the knob a twist and the strap retracted back into the buckle.

Finally making it out of the orchard, Applejack put on a burst of speed to close the distance to the house. “Big Mac! Open the door! I got Bloom with me; she’s out cold!”

Big Mac reacted in an instant, opening the house door just enough for Applejack to run through before slamming it shut behind her. “Bloom okay?” He asked, peering down at their younger sibling.

“Ah looked her over as much as Ah could while runnin’,” Applejack told him, laying her down on the couch. “Ah think she’s just out cold, nothin’ lastin’.” Turning around. She glared at Granny Smith. “Any particular reason ya didn’t tell us ya had a rider belt on the farm?”

“Ya weren’t old enough,” Granny argued, moving over to the couch and putting a hand on Apple Bloom’s bangs. “Family tradition has always been t’wait until after ya start on a family or farm of yer own. Ah didn’t even tell yer folks until yer ma was swellin’ up with Big Mac.”

Applejack snorted, feeling a swell of resentment growing in her chest. “Damn it, Granny! Ah’m all fer tradition, but Equestria is in danger! You saw what Trixie was doin’ to the town, how she put Wyatt in the hospital. What about that monster tha nearly tore Rumble’s wings off? How can ya sit there and keep your secrets when things like that are happenin’!?”

“What was Ah supposed t’do?” Granny retorted. “Hand you or yer brother the belt and let ya shock yerself like Bloom just did? Ah only got that one seed, Applejack, and that thing only works when ya build up a heck of a lot o’ experience with the belt. ‘Twas done that way so if anypony came and tried to steal it they wouldn’t be able ta use it!”

“Ya could have given it ta somepony else! Ah told you Princess Celestia was doing her best to make more riders and yer just hoarding a belt like a dragon!” Turning on her hoof, she gripped the belt tighter. “Wyatt, Twilight, Maud and her pa are all fightin’ ta keep us safe. Ain’t ya got no shame?”

“And who would ya trust with that piece o’ our family history?” Granny asked, her head hanging. “Ah wasn’t gonna ask one o’ my own t’carry the responsibility. Fuji always warned that there was a risk o’ puttin’ on the thing. The wearer might not quite be all pony when all’s said an’ done.”

Applejack slapped the buckle to her waist, her blood pumping like she had been bucking all day. “Oh, but it’s alright to drop that on somepony else? Guess Ah never realized how selfish ya were. Mac, make sure everypony’s safe. Ah ain’t about to let someone risk their lives fer us without lending a hoof.”

Big Mac nodded in response to Applejack before glaring at granny. “Some thing’re more important than little trinkets, Granny. If’n Celestia asked for pop’s old boxers because they’d save lives somehow, we shouldn’t think twice.”

The comment got a chortle of laughter from Applejack. “Exactly, Mac.” Taking a breath, Applejack, glanced back at her family. “Ah love ya’ll, even if ya make me wanna tear my mane out sometimes.” Steeling herself, she broke into a run, making a beeline back into the orchard. “Okay, AJ, ya put one of those crazy belts on, how do ya make it work?” She put a hand to the indent, recalling Granny's comments and the odd lock her sister had used. “Okay, so Ah need a different one o’ those lock-lookin’ seed things, whatever the hay they are.” Granny had mentioned that they had been spread out among members of the family, but running back inside didn't seem like an option after telling off her grandmother.

One of the red sentries whirled around a tree, one end of her staff swinging at Applejack’s legs. “Animals like you should be in pens, not running farms.”

Acting fast, Applejack kicked the staff, knocking it away from the arteries in her leg. She winced, a cut opening up just above her hoof. “Them's fightin’ words ya mangy polecat!”

“You can’t even speak right, inbred mongrel,” the sentry spat back, throwing a punch at Applejack’s jaw. “It’s a wonder how you even managed to wear clothes.”

Applejack brought her arms up to block the punch, the force sending her sliding into a tree and leaving her arms feeling almost as sore as they did after the push-up contest with Rainbow Dash. She grunted, the bark digging into her back.

“I’d ask if you have any last words, but you probably wouldn’t have anything intelligent to say.” Hefting her staff, the sentry moved to impale the staggered mare.

Applejack tried to move, her limbs refusing to listen to her desperate pleas. Panic overtook her, her thoughts racing a mile a minute. Squeezing her eyes shut, an image of her family all together settled into her mind.

“Excuse me, that’s my cousin you’re hurting.” A smooth monotone voice was the only thing the red sentry heard before a heavy punch to the ribs sent her flying for a few moments, giving Applejack some precious breathing room as Maud, in her Heat/Rock pairing, arrived on her way back to the farmhouse. A small group of wounded family members began moving through as quickly as their various injuries allowed.

“Thanks Maud,” Applejack croaked out, prying herself away from the tree. “She hits like a freight train.”

“You okay, AJ?” Pinkie asked, her voice a little tinny. “That meanie didn’t hurt you, did she?”

“Pinkie wants to know if you’re okay,” Maud relayed, squaring up against the sentry.

“Ah’m not gonna lie, my arms feel like two overbucked saplings, and Ah’m pretty well-steamed at my family fer not keepin’ at least one seed nearby fer this dang belt, but I guess Ah’m fine otherwise.”

“You mean a seed like this?” Maud questioned, producing the orange lockseed from within her armor. “I promised Granny Smith not to let an Apple use the belt, but,” she lightly tossed the seed, letting it roll in front of Applejack’s hooves. “Oh no, I dropped the seed I was holding onto.”

Applejack smirked, lifting it up. “That’s alright, Granny and Ah don’t exactly see eye ta eye on the matter anyway.” She stood back up, examining the lock. “Uh, Maud, ya know how ta work this?”

“Open the lock, put it on the belt, close it and bring the knife down,” Maud explained, blocking the sentry’s blade with her knuckle duster. “The quicker, the better.”

Applejack nodded, finding a button on the side of the lockseed. “Orange!” the lock called out. There was an odd sound, almost like a zipper opening from above her

With a deft motion, she placed the lockseed on and closed it. “Lock on!” Closing her eyes, she grabbed the knife and brought it down on the lockseed. All of a sudden, there was a weight on her shoulders. Applejack's eyes shot open, her vision suddenly filled with orange. “Orange Arms! Path of blossoms, on stage!” The weight suddenly lessened, her normal vision returning to her.

“What the hay just happened!?” Applejack frantically looked at herself, taking in her new appearance. In her hand was a sword that resembled an orange slice. A blue suit covered most of her body while odd orange armor covered her chest that was in a style she didn't recognize.

“You really think armor is going to help? You’re more foolish than I imagined.” The sentry swept Maud off her hoof, leveling the tip of her staff at Maud’s throat.

“Says someone in armor,” Maud pointed out, not flinching at the spear looming over her.

“Ah reckon yer just scared ‘cuz Ah’m not helpless anymore.” Applejack carefully moved her arms, flexing the pained muscles as she tried to get a feel for the sword the armor came with and how it wanted to move with her hand. “Yer bluffin’, and now it’s two-to-one in our favor.”

‘Wish Wyatt weren't busy right now,’ Applejack thought, rushing the sentry and swinging her sword at her head. ‘Ah can only guess he might know somethin’ about this belt.’

Moving with uncanny grace, the sentry twirled out of the way; the back end of her staff slashing at Applejack’s side. “As if I have anything to fear from a pair of primitive horses.”

Applejack moved her wrist, tilting her sword to block the strike. In the clash, she felt something at her waist clattered against her leg repeatedly. Glancing down, she found another sword, this one with a yellow blade and an odd looking crossguard. Smirking beneath her helmet, she quickly unsheathed it and slashed at the sentry's chest.

Maud sprung to her hooves, her knuckle duster bursting into flames. “You talk too much,” she told the sentry, throwing a punch at her helmet.

The sentry grunted in pain, tumbling along the ground and her head slamming into a tree. Pushing herself up to her elbows, she growled under her breath. “My lord, one of the animals has used the belt. Shall I proceed?”

“Permission granted,” Drakkon's voice crackled over the sentry's headset.

Slipping a shard of green crystal out of her armor, the sentry held it up. “This is Commander Sevrin, open the portals. Raze everything.”

“Y'all ain't doin’ anything of the sort!” Applejack boomed, running up to Sevrin and stomping her hoof on her helmet. Her reward was getting knocked off her hooves by a bolt of green energy. Applejack groaned, shaking off the sudden burst.

The farm shook as more of the portals ripped into existence, each birthing dozens of sentries into the homestead. More than a few Mastodon sentries opened fire on Maud and Applejack; the rest heading towards the farmhouse.

Maud and Applejack dove, taking cover from the shots. “Applejack, you head for the house, I'll hold these ones back,” Maud told the other mare.

“Right, be safe.” Applejack break cover, finding she was running much faster than before. It took almost no time at all to catch up with the sentries, catching one in the back with her orange sword. “Keep away from mah family!”

The sentry cried out in pain, collapsing on the ground. A couple others turned from their path, opening fire on Applejack.

“Permission granted,” Drakkon suddenly stated, catching Wyatt off guard.

“What permission?” Wyatt demanded, throwing a stream of lightning at Drakkon. “Come on, share your evil plan with me!”

“Listen,” Drakkon stated simply, countering the lightning with a blast of his own green lightning. “You'll be able to hear it from here. The sounds of this miserable pile of dirt burning to ashes.”

Party Crashers Pt. 2

Author's Note

This chap is a crossover with our lovely editor's story, The Queen of Blades...and her sister, Blackarachnia.. Be sure to check it out. But be warned, the story is rated Mature.

Party Crashers Pt. 2

Feldspar grunted, feeling a spray of bullets against his back. The suit absorbed the damage, though he knew they’d leave bruises. Lifting an almost numb arm, he returned fire, catching a sentry in the eye. The sentry fell, a nasty crack visible in the visor of their black helmet.

Unfortunately for him, the other three sentries near him weren’t about to drop their weapons and run at the first casualty. All of them raised their rifles and took careful aim before unleashing a burst straight into his chest. Luckily, they had no way to assure they were all aiming for the exact same place, and even a short burst still causes some jittering in the strongest hands, but come the dawn he’d be more bruise than pony.

Feldspar strained to control his breathing as he scrambled behind cover, needing a moment before he could take aim again. He had never used the belt in a situation like this before. If something didn't happen soon, he wasn't sure how much longer he'd last. Gritting his teeth, he peered out of cover and took a shot at a sentry.

“Huffing and puffing already? And I thought older stallions had more... experience?” Trixie whirled into the fray, already armored up. She fired a few rounds into one sentry, quickly switching to sword mode and cutting a sentry’s throat.

“Ah, the showmare,” Feldspar commented, feeling brave and pushing away from his cover to shoot freely. “I'll forgive thy suggestive language this once as thou hast saved my life.”

“Oh, a prude are we?” Trixie grunted as a sentry fired at her chest, making her stagger. “Suck all the fun out of everything why don’t you?”

Feldspar's only response was to fire a shot into the side of the helmet of the yellow sentry as she tried to jump out of cover and stab Trixie in the neck.

Trixie stared as the body crumbled to the ground, the fading armor revealing a human. “Well that’s going to make looking at Wyatt a bit harder,” she muttered under her breath. She managed a smirk beneath her helmet. “And he was already hard to look at.”

“Surely thou doth not think he would hesitate to do the same thing in thine stead? Killing is unfortunate, but sometimes unavoidable.”

Trixie snickered, turning to Feldspar. “You clearly haven't been around the guy. Trixie has never met someone as idealistic as that one.” She blinked, suddenly realizing she had fallen into her habit again. “He’s only ever killed ‘monsters’.”

“Then he will have to adapt,” Feldspar stated plainly, turning on his hoof. “Come, we should regroup with my daughter. Numbers shall help bolster my flagging strength.”

“Perhaps you should give that belt to someone who can last longer?” Trixie teased, reverting her weapon to gun mode. “But by all means, lead the way.”

“This belt was only ever meant to be a prototype,” Feldspar explained. “Something for my daughter to use to create something far greater. The data she has gathered with it has been sent to the princess.”

“Yes, yes, I know. Give everything to the Princess.” Trixie rolled her eyes, beginning to move towards the farm. “You coming or what?”

Wyatt panted, feeling his prior injuries throb with new pain. He'd been forced into his Mira form, the eight blades managing to keep up with Drakkon's skill. It was clear he was at a disadvantage in a head-on fight; he needed to flex his brain more than his sword arm if he wanted to have a chance.

“You’re tiring yourself out this quickly? You truly are utterly pathetic.”

“Funny story, having a nine-headed cat monster hit you repeatedly with the door from a bank vault has lasting effects,” Wyatt retorted, jumping out of the way from a kick delivered by the older man.

More portals cracked opened around them, a few depositing rather advanced looking tanks into the world.

“My lord, you have called and I have answered,” a gruff, growling voice spoke; a winged figure stepping through the nearest portal. “Shall I slay this maggot?”

The figure was Goldar, though very much different from when he last appeared in Power Rangers. His left forearm had been replaced with that of Ninjor and his upper right arm and shoulder had been taken from the Blue Senturion. His eyes were hidden behind Ninjor’s visor, though Wyatt could still feel his glare. Across his chest, hooked up by a multitude of wires, was the Senturions stop light armor, with the middle light housing a bright red ruby. Instead of both legs being gold, one was black.

“Yikes, and I thought you were ugly before, Goldar,” Wyatt commented. “Can you even fly in that getup?”

“Mock me as you wish, fool!” Goldar hissed, bearing his fangs. “My master has seen fit to give me the powers of those who have foolishly tried to stand against him!” To punctuate his point, he drew Ninjor’s sword from a sheath on his back.

“And you’d make an excellent traffic cop as a result,” Wyatt added, bringing his sword up towards the flying monkey.

“Deal with the other riders,” Drakkon ordered, keeping his focus on Wyatt. “The boy is mine.”

“Sorry, in a committed relationship,” Wyatt joked, shifting his focus back to Drakkon. “But I'm flattered, really.” Stepping back, he kept his swords up. “I’m not looking to cheat on my lady.”

“You're as competent of a comedian as you are a fighter,” Drakkon remarked, slashing down at Wyatt's head. “Zordon’s ‘children’ fell before my power, what makes you think you’re any better?”

“I'm not dead yet,” Wyatt pointed out. Using one of the floating swords, he diverted Drakkon's slash and used the one in his hands to counter. “And you don't know my abilities like you did theirs.”

“And you don’t have any allies, only pets and animals.”

Wyatt grit his teeth, anger flaring within him. Though, the insult did remind him of something, the spider figurine. “You're wrong on so many levels, creep.” Hopping back, he used his floating swords to keep Drakkon at bay before pulling out the spider and pulling off its legs.

The sky darkened suddenly as a cloud appeared over the orchard in Wyatt's vicinity. Some kind of square hole made of stars opened up in the middle of it within moments and began emitting a red glow, followed by multiple rays of light that spun around and formed a cone with a base about six feet in diameter next to Wyatt. The cloud and hole vanished as quickly as they had appeared, and in a flash of purple light a new figure stood on the grounds of Sweet Apple Acres.

This new figure was clearly humanoid in general shape, and yet at the same time had many clearly inhuman aspects. For starters, the upper pair of arms had four long, spindly things sticking out from each bicep, and the forearms and hands were surrounded by what looked like ghostly purple eagle talons. Then there's the lower arms, and the fact that it has lower arms to begin with, that were a ghostly blue-white in stark contrast to the rest of the visible body being either black or gold. The figure appeared to be extremely feminine, but her torso seemed to have some portions that could be seen through that continued to shift and flicker in and out of solidity, capped with a metallic blue collar that seemed to stretch up a neck that was just slightly too long to look natural. Betraying the absolute fact that whoever this is they were definitely no longer human was her face being entirely gold metal with black, empty-looking eyes surrounded by a black and gold 'helmet.' Encircling the area just above her eyes was a glowing blue headband that looked like a wreath of some kind of ivy, and a ghostly wolf pelt of the same color draped down her back, hanging from an upper jaw that rested upon the top of her head.

At the sight of the now-broken figurine in Wyatt’s hands she gave him a nod and looked around quickly. “Judging by the drawn weapons there’s little time for pleasantries. I assume the forbidden love child of Lord Zedd and Dino Thunder White over there is a bad guy?”

“Yup,” Wyatt answered. “It's Tommy, but he calls himself Drakkon now. He's got an army of Ranger Sentries.”

“Must be from something that came out after my sister and I got sent to Equestria.” She strode forward confidently, her hands flexing slowly as if working to loosen a sticky joint. “So, Tommy, are you going to be a good little boy and put your toys away, or is this going to be a bit of fun after dealing with a bunch of stuffy griffon diplomats?”

“And what are you supposed to be?” Drakkon questioned, examining the newcomer.

“Elizabeth Destefanio, High Totemist of Flame Geyser Swamp and currently the most powerful living psion on my version of Equestria. Since I don’t know the particulars of fiction within the Power Rangers universe, the fact that you don’t recognize that I look like Blackarachnia could be utterly meaningless, or meaningful. Tell me, did you ever finish high school, or did Rita suck out your soul before you could flunk out?”

“High school was beneath me,” Drakkon dismissed, waving a hand at his side. “It could not have prepared me for what I do now.”

“So you went evil willingly, that is a nice tidbit of information and I thank you for sharing it. Now, what kind of army do you have and how many of them are on their way here or have already arrived?” Her tone was as polite as possible, as if conversing with an old friend rather than someone she’d just told to put their toys away. All four of her arms moved behind her back in a truly casual motion; hiding the soft purple glow of a figurine quite similar to her own appearing in one of them from Drakkon’s point of view, but not from Wyatt.

“Over a score of my Ranger Sentries,” Drakkon responded. “I’m tired of your questions.” Pointing Saba forward, he sent an arc of lightning towards Elizabeth.

Liz didn’t even flinch as the lightning struck her, but she did smile as she seemed to absorb it to no effect other than the shadows of nearby trees radiating outward. “Only a score? I’ll tell Sarah to just bring her backup singers then. By the way, that lightning isn’t going to do jack shit to me for about three hours. Maybe you should have asked what a psion was before attacking because you got bored.”

The gold sentry from before brandished his weapon. “My lord, shall I crush this interloper?”

“Feel free to attack at any time,” Drakkon relayed, squaring up against Wyatt and Elizabeth.

Liz shrugged and pulled her right hands from behind her back while keeping her left ones hidden and holding the other token. “Sarah, initiate piggyback protocol on my spacebridge trail. Bring at least Minuet and Bolero, we’re dealing with evil Power Rangers in the Apple family orchard. Platform 3 had a full stockpile of potions last time I took inventory.” The token in her hand flashed twice before vanishing in another subtle purple glow.

Wyatt blinked, staring slackjawed at the Displaced he had summoned. “What the hell did you just say? Platform 3? Just how many platforms do you need?”

“Focus on your opponent, kiddo, not on the logistics of someone you called on for help.” Liz’s voice raised a bit as she called up a glowing circle of force to deflect laser shots right as the gold sentry pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, some of the beams were not intercepted by the shield and ended up striking her shins.

While the sentry was busy with Liz, Wyatt charged him and swung his sword at the gold man's chest. Drakkon moved, Saba clashing with Wyatt’s sword.

“Did you forget, you’ve got my full attention.” Drawing the Dragon Dagger off his belt, Drakkon slashed upwards along Wyatt’s chest.

Wyatt’s eyes widened, quickly moving one of his floating swords to divert the strike. He only succeeded partially, the dagger digging into his shoulder. He held in a scream as Drakkon subjected him to a surge of green electricity. Fighting through the pain, Wyatt brought his sword down as hard as he could on Drakkon's right shoulder.

The blade strained against Drakkon’s shield, though seemed unable to pierce it.

Liz wasted no time in thought, and quickly moved just far enough away from Wyatt and Drakkon so as to not be able to be immediately struck by the evil lord. A cloud of crystals formed where she had been standing and streaked through the air to test the armor of the gold-suited sentry for vulnerabilities while the spider legs on her right arm began to fold in and reassemble as an underslung chaingun.

The golden sentry dove away from Liz, finding a boulder to protect him from the newly formed chaingun.

“Wow, your soldiers sure are courageous, Tommy boy. Look how quickly that one filled his boots with piss at the sight of a mildly threatening opponent!” Liz taunted while keeping her weapon trained on the rock, but not once firing at the obstruction. “If the rest of your troops turn tail and run this easily I think I might be wasting my sister’s time.”

Taking out another grenade, the sentry tossed it over the rock. It latched onto Liz’s body with a click, sending a mini-emp into her chassis. Seizing upon the opportunity, he peered out from behind cover, unloading several shots.

That surge of not-quite electricity did elicit a scream of pain from Liz, but the disruption only lasted a few seconds. Each laser bolt that hit left a tiny scorch mark on her body, though those that landed on black portions were practically invisible. A slight green glow tinged the air within an inch of her as she quickly brought up an extra layer of defense around her body, and the offending device was ripped off and crushed by one of her lower arms. “That hurt. Consider yourself lucky I’m not a monster.”

“Your appearance suggests otherwise,” the sentry retorted, trying another grenade.

“Judging by appearance rather than actions, the sign of a small mind most of the time.” Liz intercepted the grenade with the force screen while walking closer to the rock. “I could use one power I know to slowly turn you into an immobile blob of flesh and bone. I’m not going to do that because that would be evil. Actions make one a monster, not looks.”

Letting his gun drop, the sentry pulled out an electrified knife. Leaping over his cover, he brought it down against her, managing to wedge it between her neck and her shoulder. “I’m sure Finster 5 will enjoy taking you apart.”

The electricity, being basically identical to lightning, ended up dissipating just like the earlier bolt from Drakkon, though the fact that there was now a knife jammed into a tiny joint did make Liz’s face scrunch up in discomfort. Both sets of left and right arms were quickly brought up to begin punching and clawing at the hand holding that knife, and the air around her began to heat up. “Wrong choice, getting in close to me.”

“I doubt that, machine.” Reaching into his armor, he produced another green shard. It pulsed, wrapping its energy around Liz, great tendrils seeping into her body. This didn’t stop her from continuing to try and dislodge that knife until it reached a part of her core and produced a sensation much like nausea as parts began shifting against her will.

The tip of the knife snapped off and ended up getting stuck between two shifting panels as the sentry found himself wrestling with a giant black widow spider. One who still had all of the other odd bestial appendages and adornments.

Meanwhile, Wyatt had managed to pull away from Drakkon, the dragon dagger still sticking out of his shoulder. The more experienced fighter was putting him through the wringer, and he didn't even seem to have broken a sweat yet. It was hard to think straight with a knife sticking out of him, but adrenaline helped him manage it.

His mind drifted towards possibilities of keeping Drakkon at bay, a rather obvious one making itself known. Moving his arm up, he grit his teeth and pulled the dagger out of his shoulder. He found a way to put it to his belt, reaching for a pair of cards. “You know something Drakkon? You're a real blowhard.”

Drakkon didn’t respond, pouncing on Wyatt like a wild cat. Wrapping his hand around the younger mans throat, his other went to Wyatt’s belt, attempting to remove it. Wyatt opted to protect the belt over his throat, fighting against his survival instincts. Keeping one hand on the belt, he dropped the first card into the slot.

“Kamen Ride: Agito!” Silhouettes converged on him, his armor changing to resemble a golden stag beetle. He sputtered, his vision starting to fade. Summoning up his strength, he slotted the other card in. “Form Ride: Storm!”

More silhouettes appeared and a short, blue staff with gold pieces on either end materialized into existence. Wyatt weakly grasped the staff with his now free hand, a bright light enveloping him. When it died down, his right arm and chest were blue, a golden brace on his right shoulder. Wyatt wrapped his arm around Drakkon's back, the staff extending and the two gold portions unfolding into blades.

“An act of desperation,” Drakkon commented, slamming his head into Wyatt’s. “A sign of weakness.”

Wyatt grinned beneath his helmet, letting himself fall back to break free of the older man's grasp. He sucked in a deep breath, grasping his Storm Halberd with both hands. “Says the guy who just tried to force me to demorph.” Exerting himself, he twirled his weapon to summon up a mighty gust.

Drakkon stood his ground, retrieving and hurling the dragon dagger at Wyatt’s chest. With a deft twirl, Wyatt deflected the thrown weapon and had it bury itself to the hilt in the ground.

“You're slipping, Tommy, Boy, you just can't seem to keep a hold on that dagger.”

“Merely a distraction,” Drakkon responded a moment before a Sabertooth sentry fired into Wyatt’s back. Moving with purpose, he threw a punch at Wyatt’s face, shattering one of his helmet’s eyes.

Wyatt rolled with the punch, tumbling backwards before returning to his feet. His body screamed in pain, his adrenaline threatening to fade out of his system. The situation was grim, Drakkon giving him no quarter and a sentry taking potshots at him.

A sudden thump was the only sound made as a large black box fell to the ground nearby. A few odd mechanical sounds came from it as it began to enlarge and expand, with a cluster of crystals the same color as the spider figurine at the base of one side. A haunting melody began playing as it continued to adjust its size, a melody that was intimately familiar to Liz, and could have been familiar to Wyatt. A dissonant tone crept in towards the end, making a rising note sound a bit like an old air-raid siren for a moment before the air filled with the droning sound of something approaching at high speed.

Sarah’s fingers twitched as she looked down at the world from miles above, her eyes glowing as she strained to keep her emotions in check. Alright, girls, bring us down hard and fast. Our beacon has been dropped and I want us less than ten feet above the trees in less than a minute. We’re facing enemies that I know little of, but they will be easy to identify as their uniforms or costumes will be dominated by a single bright color. Priority targets will be red, white, or green. Helmets are likely to have an animal design around a visor, depending on what season they’re pulled from. Restrict our ground forces to zerglings unless I say otherwise, but deploy drones to the Everfree and build up a full spawning cluster to keep our options open. Rangers aren’t supposed to escalate a conflict unless their enemy forces them to, but they’re evil and therefore unpredictable.

Short thoughts of agreement came from the six generals as they quickly manipulated the spell matrices that controlled the platform, and initiated a descent acceleration just shy of freefall while sending their own individual commands to the small number of existing troops the piggyback protocol could sustain. Once we ‘touch down’ give me a Wasserman song with a twist.

A sound akin to thousands of panes of glass shattering was all that heralded the arrival of some kind of floating platform above the trees, a sound which was followed by more and more mechanical shifting sounds as what were clearly and obviously giant speakers unfolded from the underside. The dull drone of amps tuned just slightly too high was broken by a feminine voice shouting, “One! Two! Three! Four!”

Another figure landed in the orchard clearing just as the platform above followed that classic rock callout with some drums and guitar playing a tune that sounded upbeat and almost heroic by itself. The person who stood up from that landing looked anything but heroic, what with the bony armor motif and raw, muscular-looking carapace where there wasn’t bony armor. Even the heels of her feet were raised by bony spikes of the armor. The skin of her face around her eyes was broken with a purple glow emanating from the cracked flesh as well as her eyes themselves. Her hair was some kind of segmented, alien insectoid growth that vaguely approximated dreadlocks, and two skeletal, winglike growths extended to her sides from her lower back, with each ‘finger’ of the wings ending in a spike that looked sharp and deadly. Everything remotely close to her capable of thought and without some form of anti-telepathy barrier in place heard the same thing clear as if she’d been standing next to them as she opened her mouth to speak. “Anyone not native to this plane of existence, leave immediately or face the wrath of the Queen of Blades.”

“That technically includes me,” Wyatt said, chuckling weakly as he processed what he had just bore witness to. “I’ve only lived here for a year.”

Sarah’s voice echoed dimly in his mind for a moment. If you’re the Displaced she was summoned by, this is your home now. We haven’t found a way back in forty years of research. Try and act like I’ve said nothing to you.

“Well, aren’t you something,” Drakkon noted and waved a hand, the tanks beginning to shell the stage. Retrieving his dagger, Drakkon leapt onto the stage, his presence emboldening his sentries to begin opening fire.

Wyatt cursed, chasing after Drakkon. With one leap, he cleared the stage and slashed at Drakkon’s chest.

“Oh you son of a bitch, I just came down!” Sarah screamed as she crouched to minimize the target size any sentries had while focusing to get an image of what areas were clear for landing above. Last thing she wanted to do was land on the local Displaced. Despite appearing to be nothing but bones, her wings snapped up into the air as if preparing to aid with a downstroke.

Liz, meanwhile, was still scratching at the gold sentry with those ape-like arms and trying to dislodge him from her back by climbing up a tree and between branches. “Let go of me you flashy creep!”

The sentry grunted, a tree branch slamming into his helmet. His grip lessened noticeably, but he stubbornly remained on her back.

The sight that greeted Drakkon up on that stage would be of four unarmored female beings who looked mostly like the local anthro ponies, except each one of them was a single solid color themselves, and all of them had at least one limb slightly distorted with bony protrusions. A solid forest green mare sat behind a drum set while a maroon woman stopped playing her guitar mid-chord and glared at him. A delicate-looking yellow being had just finished tuning a bass, while a jet-black one had her wings flared out behind a keyboard of some kind. “Who the hell are you and how dare you interrupt our performance?”

“Don't worry, ladies,” Wyatt said, landing after his attack. “I got distracted by the flashy entrance. You keep playing and I'll kick the rabid f-” Wyatt received a kick to the chest, sending him stumbling back into one of the performers.

Sarah leapt up at that moment, and her right hand began to glow with both green and blue light as she called to her mind-blade in midair. Her wings flapped down and somehow provided a boost to get her up and over the edge of the stage so that she could point her weapon at Drakkon. “You should have stayed on the ground. Now you’ve threatened my daughters.”

“If you didn't want to see them in harm's way, leave them off the battlefield,” Drakkon stated, looking unphased by the glowing weapon.

“Silly human-” The red one practically giggled as she spoke.

“She’s not concerned for us.” The green one ended the thought with a savage smile as a chorus of sounds came from within the base of the stage itself. Howls, screams, feral cries.

“You were dumb enough to put yourself-” The yellow one smirked as she crossed her arms under her bust.

“Right above where our troops spawn! You idiot!” The black one growled as she played the stereotypical ‘ominous organ’ chord on the keyboard. Panels slid open on top of the stage and the first things to emerge looked like wolves made of branches and twigs with just enough flesh to hold them together.

Drakkon went to work, dancing across with stage in a flurry of movement, reducing said creatures to twitching limbs.

While Drakkon was busy with the timber wolves, Wyatt jumped in and stabbed at the older man's stomach.

“Girls, forget the Wasserman. Give us something to beat down this tyrant, and deploy some troops to the ground before those tanks break down the shield talismans.” She sent an additional command regarding what troops to allow telepathically before leaping in front of Drakkon and blocking his sword with her own. The blade quickly morphed and became wavy as it attained the appearance of the soul reaver wraith blade. “You really won’t want to be here in about a minute, sweetie.” That last word somehow came out as a threat, dripping with venom.

“Was that directed to me or the psychotic dictator?” Wyatt questioned, using his halberd to deflect Drakkon's dagger.

Sarah answered by removing one hand from the ghostly hilt of her weapon and using that to send a blast of magical energy right into Drakkon’s face. “I don’t know you well enough to insult you yet.”

“Give it a day, you'll have a plenty of material,” Wyatt joked. While Drakkon was reeling, he slashed the man from stomach to head.

Drakkon leapt back off the stage, allowing his forces to concentrate their fire. “Anyone hits the boy and your entire unit is dead.”

“He certainly has a personality about as lovable as a rabid chihuahua.” Sarah quipped as the timberwolves began to reassemble and more monstrous troops emerged from under the stage to form a small crowd at the edge. Many of them had wings, but those that did not looked light enough to be unharmed by the fall. “Deploy lower ramp and roll out the banelings. Priority targets changed to artillery fire. Bolero, no napalm! We’re in an orchard and this family is an old one.”

“I’m not sixteen and stupid anymore, mother!”

Wyatt jumped off the stage, swinging his halberd and creating gale force winds to blow away several sentries. “Sure feels like you've been trying to kill me, Drakkon! Why care about my safety all of a sudden?!”

A seam opened on the underside of the stage, allowing a long section to fall down and form a ramp right as the speakers burst to life once more, broadcasting the sound of dozens of troops marching, quickly accompanied by a lonely trumpet as close to a hundred zerg soldiers of various body shapes descended to the grass below. This was followed by Sarah and the dozens that had gathered at the edge of the stage leaping to the ground from above. The zerg creatures that had a carapace resembling polished obsidian streaked off into the forest as nothing more than black blurs while the others scattered out at a more sedate running pace, and only sped up suddenly as they reached areas with unobstructed sight lines.

One wooden, wolf-like zergling leaped into a nearby tree to assist ‘Auntie Liz’ with dislodging her passenger. The sentry cried out as he fell from her back, landing to the ground with a heavy thud. His armor glowed before fading away, revealing an unconscious man that only looked a few years older than Wyatt.

Wyatt rushed into an open field, drawing a few of the sentries with him. He swept his eyes over the battlefield, trying to quickly form a plan of attack. This effort was made harder by the fact that there were now a good number of fresh combatants on the field due to the intervention of Sarah and the four daughters she brought along. The timberwolf-like creatures would collapse after a few good hits, but begin to reform within a few seconds as either a stony lizard-looking creature or two purple panthers with tentacles overtook their charge.

“Displacer beasts?!” Wyatt cried out, jumping to avoid a sudden hail of bullets. “We are talking about that later!” Using a gust of wind from his weapon, he sped up his landing and kicked a Mastodon Sentry in the chest.

Sarah flicked her wrist and changed the form of her mind blade as she followed that up with a swat to the side of the helmet with the side of a broadsword that quickly segmented and extended into a chain-linked sword. “Not really much to say, and they’re hardly the weirdest unit in my forces.”

“Not what I wanted to talk about!” Wyatt retorted, leaping forward and locked his halberd with another Mastodon Sentry. With a quick twist of his wrists, the sentry was disarmed and he kicked the armored person to receive a distinctly feminine grunt in response. “This is taking too long.” Opening his belt, he slipped in another card. “Lets see about speeding this up.”

“How fast are you talking about, kid? There’s a limit to how fast my troops and I can move, and Liz, wherever she is, can only teleport so far at a time.”

“A very debatable speed that the show contradicted a lot.” Wyatt slipped in his Kabuto card.

“Error!” the belt called out, the handles refusing to budge.

“Seriously?!” Wyatt hissed. “Why aren’t you working!?”

His momentary distraction allowed a pair of sentries to score hits on his chest with their rifles.

Sarah closed her eyes for a moment before swinging her weapon out wide to retaliate against those two sentries. She didn’t make any real effort to try and dodge the shots, but they also didn’t seem to slow her down much when they did hit her. “Seeing a lot of black ranger things, but not much else. This Drakkon guy only has one kind of soldier?”

“Obviously not, but I guess their rifles make for good raiding. Who needs accuracy when you can spray and pray?” Wyatt offered, looking for another battle.

“Oh, I’m not saying they aren’t hitting their target.”Sarah calmly scratched at one of the places on her arm where a shot or two had landed. “It just makes me wonder what kinds of forces he’s holding in reserve, and what they use.”

“I’ve seen pink, red, yellow and gold versions of these guys,” Wyatt answered, taking a moment to catch his breath while the zerglings held off the sentries. “I'd say it’s fair to assume he has access all of the Mighty Morphin’ colors with at least SPD.”

“Better SPD than Zeo, but at least now we know he’s a tyrant with no taste.” Sarah joked as she darted off to the left towards another section of the orchard. Two timberwolf zerglings moving in to accompany her. “There’s a tank over this way.”

With his moment over, Wyatt moved to help deal with the tank. He put himself behind the zerglings, waiting to see what he could do to help.

Without a word or gesture, the two wooden zerglings peeled away from Sarah’s sides and spread out as the three of them burst into a clearing, with Sarah charging straight at the armored vehicle, only to seemingly vanish in a blur right as the sentries guarding it began to open fire upon her.

Two sentries fell as Sarah reappeared a few seconds later right in front of them, one of them clutching at their groin and simply groaning as he de-powered while the other rolled aside from the blow rather than taking the full brunt of the attack. The two zerglings curled up into balls of wood while Sarah provided a distraction, before bursting out of their own bodies looking like floating beach balls with teeth and flying straight at the legs of the tank.

“That’s disturbing,” Wyatt noted, watching the new creatures explode upon impact and shower the tank in powerful acid. He rushed at the legs of the tank, slamming his halberd where the metal looked like it was weakening the most.

“We’re zerg. Body horror is kind of our ‘thing,’ and everything that’s in direct line of fire from your enemy here is mindless and savage, without control, so not like them dying means anything.” Sarah’s voice is almost detached as she states this, her weapon briefly flickering as she batters the joints on the other affected leg.

Wyatt frowned, keeping any comments about sociopathy to himself.

Drakkon found himself being swarmed by the strange creatures. Every time he went to swing at one, it would bury itself in the ground in a blur of movement while at least two others would bite him in his blind spot. The worst part, he couldn’t predict their movements. He was used to fighting intelligent life. Beings that used disciplined techniques. Whatever these creatures were, they clearly relied on instinct. Fighting him like a pack of wolves and taking bites at him every chance they had.

Or did they? A slight tremor was the only warning Drakkon got as a tree-sized ant-like creature burst out of the ground outside the area where these things were burying themselves and spit at him right as two more of the things smacked him in the back.

White and green lightning struck out from his weapons, followed by a slash to the ant creature’s head. “Your antics are obnoxious and uncoordinated.”

Two more seemed to sprout right out of the earth at either side of him. Both of them spat out their acidic bile before burrowing back into the ground in perfect unison; almost as if flipping him off. A rough laugh erupted from the treeline nearby before an invisible force struck him hard in the small of his back. “Oh trust me, my sister’s pets have plenty of coordination.”

Drakkon staggered, whipping around as if to locate his attacker. When nothing presented itself right away, he threw lightning in the general direction he had been attacked.

“Lightning lightning lightning. Drakky, baby, get some new tricks. We’ve already established that that simply isn’t going to work.” Liz’s voice came from a different direction this time, and then a beam of pure cold came from still another direction.

Drakkon moved Saba in a circular motion, muttering a few words. A portal opened before him, sending the beam to another destination. He muttered a bit more, and his visor began glinting. With a purposeful motion, he dashed forward and caught Liz across the abdomen with a slash from Saba.

Not that that was much of a feat what with her abdomen currently being a large and bulbous target in her spider form. The ‘flesh’ of her carapace parted and began sparking slightly as the inner mechanisms of her disguise were exposed. This was immediately followed by a one-two punch from the ape-like arms that were extending from her back, and a blur as she vanished from where she’d just been and reappeared a good twenty feet away. “Good to know that invisibility isn’t going to save me, but I never have been one to focus on just one trick.”

Drakkon tsked, holding his blades out in front of him. He was growing tired, but he wouldn't let his enemies see it. Calming his mind, he reached into his magic reserves and pushed onward, determined to catch his quarry.

Applejack grunted, swinging her orange sword at a sabertooth sentry. “How many of them are there?” She barely had a moment to dodge as said sentry slashed at her throat. “Ah don’t rightly know how to use a sword!”

“A lot,” Maud deadpanned, uppercutting a tyrannosaurus sentry. “And just keep swinging. And block when they swing back.”

“That don’t make me feel better!” Applejack kicked a sentry into a tree, wincing. “Oh Faust, Sweet Apple Acres ain’t gonna survive this.”

“It will if you keep fighting,” Maud replied, stopping a strike from the sentry's staff with her hand and punching him in the visor. “Trees can be replanted. Ponies can’t.”

The red sentry staggered back a few steps from the force of the strike, then moved to avoid a following jab from the rock-covered fist. “Your resistance is futile anyways. One way or another this world will burn soon.”

“Yer wrong!”Applejack boomed, rushing over and kicking him in the chest as if he were one of her trees. “Equestria ain't fallin’ t'no brutes like you!”

“Perhaps not, but it will fall to me!” Goldar lumbered into view, his gaze locking onto Applejack and Maud. “You may not be Power Rangers, but you’ll do well enough.” Raising his sword, he charged forward, slashing down at Applejack’s shoulder.

Applejack reacted quickly, bringing up her sword to block. The attack still overpowered her, the opposing blade nicking her shoulder.

It was at that moment that what looked like a timberwolf combined with a rosebush burst out of the treeline right behind Goldar and leaped up on his back to begin clawing at him and biting his neck.

Goldar sneered before reaching back and crushing the beasts head. “A minor annoyance. Now, amuse me, horse!” drawing his fist back, he slammed it into Applejack’s chest.

Applejack skidded backwards, her back crashing into a nearby tree. She managed to avoid a follow up, retaliating with a jab to the cyborg's jaw. Goldar laughed off her blow, taking out a blue pistol with traffic lights on the side. He didn’t bother to aim, simply firing off shots as he saw fit.

The wooden body of the wolf twitched a few times before rising again and leaping at the winged cyborg-monkey. The head slowly reformed itself, but this was clearly a move made to attempt to wildly reduce the threat to either of the armored ponies more than anything else.

Applejack had no idea why a timberwolf was helping them. Normally the creatures wasted no opportunity to attack ponies. But she wasn't about to question a good thing. Jumping up, she used both her hands to bring down her orange sword in a mighty swing at Goldar's shoulder.

Goldar stumbled, his armor absorbing the strike. “Look at you, wearing that ridiculous armor! You’re even more pathetic than the rangers were!”

“Yer one t’talk,” Applejack retorted, blocking another swing of Goldar's sword. While the flying monkey was busy, Maud jumped in and punched Goldar in the cheek. “Ya look like somethin’ a foal would come up with after breakin’ their toys.”

“I have more power than you can comprehend!” Goldar roared, flicking his wrist. The pistol became a baton, which he cracked against Applejack’s helmet. “Your pitiful power will be Lord Drakkon’s!”

Applejack could swear there was ringing in her ears, stumbling back a couple steps. Keeping a tight grip on her sword, she lunged at Goldar and stabbed at a spot in his stomach that looked less armored. “Come on, ya stupid monkey! Get the hay off ma farm!”

Sparks showered out from the place of the strike, the cybernetic monkey grunting in pain. Raising his arm high, he dropped it on the back of Applejack's neck.

Something collided with Applejack, knocking her out of the way. “They’re just letting anybody become a rider, aren’t they?” Trixie tsked, her blade locked with Goldar’s. “Let Trixie show you how it’s done!” Grinning beneath her helmet, Trixie angled her blade and pulled the trigger to fire off a shot at Goldar's visor.

Goldar snarled, forced to look away. “I don’t care how many of you riders there are, I’ll crush you all!” Swinging his sword, he followed it up with an upswing of his baton.

Trixie jumped out of the way of the attacks, lashing out with her own sword while the cyborg's guard was down. “All bluster it seems. Must have wasted a lot of bits on you, monkey-man. Is all that junk weighing you down?” She followed up her slash with an uppercut.

Bringing his arm up again, he slammed the baton into her arm, “Prattle as much as you like, you’ll be begging for mercy soon enough!”

Trixie's arm throbbed, forcing her to change her stance to give herself a moment for the pain to stop. “Trixie isn't much of a beggar.” Squaring up her aim, she fired off a few shots at the lights on Goldar's chest.

Dropping his baton, Goldar used the now free hand to protect his chest. “Enough games! I’ll destroy you, rider!” Drawing a bat-themed pistol from his hip, he opened fire, punctuating each blast with a thrust or slash from his sword.

“Connect, please!” A red magic circle appeared in front of Trixie, the blasts disappearing within them. Suddenly, a second one opened up behind Goldar, his own attack hitting him.

“How are you going to destroy anyone with aim like that?” Twilight questioned, striding out from behind a tree in Flame Style. “I’d think they’d give you something to improve your aim.”

“You riders are like cockroaches!” Goldar boomed, turning his aim to Twilight. “I’ll just have to squash you one by one!”

“That'll be hard since we're working together,” Maud pointed out, punching him in the back of the head. She was rewarded with a wing to the face and an elbow to the gut.

Trixie and Applejack came up next, slashing at both his left and right. Before he could follow up, Twilight continued to fire on him.

The timberwolf stood up one last time, and staggered as its right foreleg snapped under its own weight. It seemed to stare right at Applejack as it let out one long howl while being surrounded in a soft white glow. That same glow quickly spread out to all of the riders and soothed their most severe aches and pains as the wooden creature burst into white flames and collapsed.

The four felt renewed energy surge through them, Applejack giving the timberwolf a silent ‘thank you’ as she kicked Goldar in the chest. Goldar brought the blaster up, firing a few blasts into her side. Applejack grunted, the shots knocking her off her hooves.

“Ah ain’t gonna tell ya again, get off mah farm!” Pushing herself back up, Applejack raised her swords. One way or another, she was going to protect her farm and her family.

Spike grumbled to himself, beating the wings on his UniSaPo armor. He had to leave Rarity with her stuff once the odd sounds started coming from the orchards. A quick letter to Celestia and here he was, looking at a floating stage while bug monsters fought what looked like mass produced riders. Once he was close enough, he dropped down onto the stage.

“Don’t shoot me, I’m dancin’! Can’t stop the top. Ya can’t stop it!” An odd-looking yellow mare in what looked like a cheerleader’s outfit finished singing with a twirl right as he landed. The three other figures on the stage all stopped playing as well while looking his armor over.

“Alright, Prelude, that’s enough for now.” A red mare in what looked like a Saddle Arabian belly-dancer’s outfit set her guitar down. “We all need a quick break while we figure out if this one’s on the local or invader’s side.”

Spike couldn't find his voice, his armor feeling like a sauna as he looked between the four mares. The one in the belly dancer outfit in particular was hard to keep his eyes off of.

“The armor style and wings heavily suggest a local, as does the fact that he isn’t attacking us on sight. Even you should be able to come to that conclusion, Bolero.” This came from the black mare behind a keyboard, who almost looked more like a solid shadow. “Speak up, boy, before we’re forced to try reading your mind to verify the hypothesis.”

That caught Spike's attention, his gaze settling on the black mare. “Wait, you can read minds?”

“We can, but we generally avoid it as an invasion of privacy. We’re only speaking out loud because mother made it clear that having a private conversation around those who cannot tune in is rude and therefore only to be done around politicians.” This came from the solid green mare whose outfit was made almost entirely of lace made to appear like tiny vines against her fur.

Spike gulped, looking away from the mares. Why couldn't he have found a monster? That would've been way less dangerous. “So uh... what are you guys doing here? Do you know who’s attacking Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Some jerk who calls himself ‘Drakkon’ who has an army of cheap knockoff power rangers that he calls ‘Sentries.’ Mom’s pissed at him for various reasons. Try not to attack anything that looks like a monster to you, because that’s probably one of our soldiers.” Bolero didn’t even look at him as she stepped forward to take Prelude’s place on stage. “Granted, killing one of them by accident isn’t going to matter much. Our troops are mindless puppets at least.”

“Drakkon? That's an odd name,” Spike commented. “But uh, you can call me OOO's for now. I'm a Kamen Rider.” He shifted, pointing over his shoulder. “You’re uh ‘Mom’s’ in charge of the bugs right?”

“And the timberwolves, and the displacer beasts, and the chameleon shades.”

“Right...” Spike turned, his eyes locking onto the spider tanks. “Think you could uh tell her to try and capture those tanks? They’d help us out a lot.”

“We can guarantee your world has full salvage rights, but there’s no guarantees that they’ll be undamaged or fully intact. We know that at least one of them has a severed leg and some severe acid damage to the internal components of another.” Prelude chimed in, then smiled as she picked up the guitar. “Oh, if you feel a little light on your feet while fighting, that’s normal with our music.”

“Light on my feet. So faster?” Spike questioned, moving towards the edge of the stage.

“More effective in general, really. The world we come from has certain magical effects that we use to our advantage.” This came from the black mare again as she flicked a switch on the keyboard and a few presses produced something much like a chorus singing.

Spike nodded, the sound of a cannon shot echoing across the air. The Invincible sailed into view, two of its cannons firing at the spider tanks. “Let your mom know that ship’s ours, and not to attack any of the birds.” Spreading his wings, Spike dove off the platform, gazing around for the other riders.

Contrary to the previous rock-style the quartet had been producing, the sounds that started coming from the speakers as Spike descended were those of classical instruments that he had not seen while he was on top just a second ago, and the lyrics that began quickly were so different from the heated persona the red mare had exuded. The sensation was, indeed, quite inspiring though. “Colors weave into a spire of flame…”

Spike let himself fall off the stage, his wings slowly spreading as he fell towards the battlefield. His gaze fell upon one of the large tanks, noticing the exposed pilot. He nose dived, swooping down and wrenching the pilot from his controls.

“One guy down!” he called out, stumbling a little as the tank tilted to the side. “Okay, you can stop attacking it now!”

The small crowd of various quadrupedal monsters that had been hacking or biting at the legs of the tank, and leaving quite a few dents and gouges in the metal, backed off after another couple seconds before charging off in one direction as a unified force.

A wild idea occurred to Spike and he let himself plop down into the seat. His hands reached out and grabbed the controls. He experimented with them, trying to see if he could drive the war machine. It jerked to the side, one of the legs crushing a timberwolf. Spike lurched forward in the seat, loosening his grip on the controls.

“Sorry wolf!” he called out, trying again to get the tank under control. He decided to keep away from the buttons, knowing one of them would set off the weapons. The last thing he needed was to blow away his allies rather than the colorful invaders. “Maybe I should just leave this thing alone?”

Spike sighed, hopping out of the tank. While it had been a fun idea, it clearly wasn’t a practical one. Pulling out his three medals, he swapped them for the new ones that Twilight had given him.

“Shachi, Kujaku, Cheetah!” The colorful rings surrounded him, his armor shifting. A blue helmet with a fin and yellow eyes replaced his pink one, red gauntlets appeared on his body as well as a red buckler on his left wrist. His legs changed to yellow and his boots closely resembled sneakers.

Spotting a Mastodon sentry, he zipped over, leaving a yellow after image. Drawing his arm back, he tossed a punch at the woman’s leg. The woman crumpled with a cry of pain and before she could counter, he elbowed her in the helmet.

“What are you doing here?” He demanded, knocking her rifle away. “I want to know everything!”

“We’re here to burn this world to the ground,” the sentry replied slowly, turning on her elbow to stare back at Spike. “That is all you need to know, animal.”

Two of the creatures running past stopped and growled at the prone sentry as they heard that insult. The timberwolf darted in to clamp its jaws around one wrist while the displacer beast wrapped its two spiked tentacles around the entire other arm and began pulling.

“Stop!” Spike called out, grabbing at one of the tentacles. “Don’t kill her!”

The displacer beast looked over at Spike, and a series of cracks and pops came from it as its head slowly changed shape to form an approximation of a pony’s. When it opened its mouth again, Prelude’s voice emerged. “This is war, child. Enemies are either killed or rendered unconscious before they can do the same to allies. If you aren’t going to kill her, best knock her out while we hold her helpless.”

“Knocking her out is fine.” Spike reared his fist back, punching the sentry in the helmet with as much force he thought was necessary.

As soon as the sentry’s armor flickered out the two creatures released her, though not without a few scratches on each arm. The glint of intelligence faded from the eyes of the purple feline, but the head did not revert in shape before the two ran off to catch up with the swarm to take down the last tank.

With the sentry taken care of, Spike dashed off, looking for another enemy to take care of and protect his friend’s farm... only for Applejack to crash into his side. “Ow...” he muttered, shaking his head. He turned his head, taking in the person who had crashed into him. “Whoa! Another new Rider?!”

“Uh, hey uh, OOO,” Applejack greeted, pushing herself up. “Ah’m uh... guess Ah ain’t got a name yet but, we’re fightin’ this here monkey-man!” She gestured to the way she had come, Goldar locking blades with Trixie behind some trees.

“Wow, that might actually be freakier looking than the nine-headed cat,” Spike commented, pulling himself and Applejack to their feet. With his footing established, he ran up to Goldar, jumping once he hit full speed and positioned himself to kick the flying monkey in the side.

Goldar whirled around, his heavy blade slamming into Spike’s side. “Ah! A five man team! Now that brings back memories!” Spinning on his heel, he cut Feldspar across the side. “Destroying you will be all the sweeter!”

Spike soared through the air for a brief moment, only to be stopped by a nearby tree.

“Thou must be older than myself for such a simple error in counting.” Feldspar growled out while shifting to hold the now-tender side of his ribs away from the alien being. “By my count there be more than five of us riders alone.:

Goldar snarled, kicking a broken tree at Feldspar. “It matters not! You’ll all feel the edge of my blade cleaving through you!”

Feldspar dropped onto his stomach, letting the tree sail harmlessly over him. While on the ground he fired off shots at Goldar’s knees.

“You know, it’s rare that I second-guess what gets relayed to me through my daughters or one of my own soldiers, but you look like you were mangled by a cat and fixed with the cheapest possible spare parts. What happened, Goldar, get chewed up by a big white tiger?” Sarah appeared from the trees near Goldar, with her mind blade still in the form of an extended whip-sword.

“Hold your tongue!” Goldar snapped, whipping around to look at Sarah. “I was rebuilt through the best efforts my lord, Drakkon could provide! I’m more powerful than I ever was before!”

“Yes, yes, power, glory, blah blah blah. So much metal in your body is a weakness when you’re supposed to be flesh. I wonder just how much pain you’re in? Set down your weapon and I could free you from that pain easily, and make you just as strong as you are now.” There isn’t a hint of deception in her tone, and she even allows her weapon to dissipate as she opens her hands in an overture of peace. “Would you rather have metal, or the ability to feel again?”

“I don’t need anything from you!” Goldar boomed, charging at Sarah. “What I have is a gift from my lord!”

Sarah dove to the side and immediately re-formed her blade in one hand while the other sent out a blast of arcane energy towards Goldar. Once it was within a yard of him the energy coalesced and turned into a vile-smelling acid. “Very well, you have made your choice. My offer was sincere.”

Goldar cried out, the acid hissing as it splashed onto his chest. He dropped his blaster, frantically swiping the acid off his chest. “I’ll gut you like a bug, you ugly excuse for a monster!” Reaching over his shoulder, he drew the sword that had been strapped to his back.

“Ugly? Now there’s an insult I haven’t heard in years that wasn’t coming from some lazy noble with less common sense than legs. Almost makes me wistful for home.” Her voice shifts from pitying to sarcastic as easily as the weapon in her hands alters in shape into a close approximation of the buster sword. “As for ‘monster;’ have you ever even seen a mirror?”

Goldar charged, swinging his own sword at her chest and the other at a leg.

Sarah moved with far more grace than one ever would have been able to had her weapon been made of metal as she brought that leg back and turned aside the strike at her chest with the flat of the large psychic projection. “This isn’t a duel, the rest of you can join in any time you like now that I’ve given you a chance to breathe!”

Twilight was the first to take the offer, switching her gun to its sword mode and going in low to attack Goldar’s stomach. Trixie and Feldspar opened fire, pelting the beast with a barrage of bullets.

“Apologies in advance for any invasion of privacy, but I need a coordination advantage right now.” Sarah gives no real explanation whatsoever before lowering her barriers and allowing her mind to begin listening in on the surface thoughts of those around her in an attempt to catch a hint of their intentions so she could coordinate her own strikes better. A chaotic array of images and passing thoughts graced her mind as she did her best to blot out the signals from her brood and filter through everything else.

Liz skittered back a few steps while firing off a simple energy ray at Drakkon to keep him distracted while Wyatt engaged him blade-to-blade. The occasional zergling or baneling variety charged in as well, and she was going to have some words with her nieces at some point about certain forms. “I think it’s time to surrender, Tommy. My sister has your troops fully outmatched, and I haven’t heard more than one tank firing for the last few minutes, if that.”

Drakkon responded with another incantation, swirling Saba in front of him. A strange shimmer spread over him, giving his motions a mesmerizing quality to them. Striking out, he caught Wyatt in the side, the younger man unable to clearly perceive him.

An alert flashed in the corner of Liz’s vision for a moment as she let loose with another ray, then twisted it a little so that it lingered and stayed focused on Drakkon for a few seconds. ‘Debug complete, system purged. Transformation enabled.’ “About goddamn time!” She triggered the command without a second thought, her body finally reverting to her normal, humanoid form for the first time in what felt like hours.

“Good to see you... back on both feet...” Wyatt attempted to joke, faltering under Drakkon’s assault. He stumbled back, grabbing at his side. “Could use... some help...”

Liz nodded in response as she summoned a few weapons from her stockpile of those which she couldn’t reconfigure parts of herself into. A rather large burst of energy was release as an odd-looking sword with a pistol-style hilt appeared in her upper right arm while her upper left passed the huge blade/shield/grenade launcher down to her lower arm so that two hands on the same side could be used to stabilize it.

Drakkon regarded her cautiously, keeping Saba leveled at Wyatt’s head. “Do you really think that any weapon you generate will stop me?”

“Oh, these? I’m not generating them, I’m pulling them out of storage. As for how effective they’ll be or not, well, one’s a serviceable shield and the other just feels comfortable.” She grinned as she took another few steps in. “And it really makes me unpredictable for you since you don’t know what these are.”

Wyatt felt a blow knock him back, his body aching in ways that he hadn’t even known were possible. His adrenaline was fading fast and he had no idea how much blood he had lost from his arm. His guess was somewhere between a cup and enough to fill a kiddie pool. Something needed to change in this fight if he was going to avoid passing out on his feet.

“Wyatt!” Twilight called, blasting Goldar into view with a gust of green wind. “Oh my Faust, are you alright!?”

“Not... really...Story of my life and all...” Wyatt replied, feeling his halberd slacken in his hands. “Good to see... you’re okay.” His tired gaze fell on Applejack. “Oh neat… Gaim’s here.”

Goldar snarled, rising to his feet. “My lord, I apologize! I should have taken care of these insects minutes ago!”

Drakkon paused, tilting his head. “All is forgiven, Goldar.” A portal cracked open behind him, several more echoing through the area. “We have what we came for. Goldar, show these children just what those upgrades granted you.”

“At once, my lord!” Goldar grit his teeth, his body convulsing. Various sickening sounds filled the as Goldar’s body expanded. He dropped both of his swords, the ruby in his chest pulsing brightly. “I’ll stamp them out like cockroaches!”

“Oh...fuck.” Liz said the only thing that came to mind at that sight, followed by taking note of everyone around her and allowing her weapons to vanish back into the subspace pocket as a small box materialized in place of the smaller one. That box was quickly handed over to Twilight. “Get him out of that armor and feed him two or three of these. Sarah, tell me you had some kind of contingency plan in place for something like this.”

“R-Right.” Twilight crossed the distance to Wyatt, disengaging his belt. “Come on, we can’t do this here.” Without any further discussion, she swept him up bridal style and dashed off towards the farmhouse.

“T-tis but… a flesh wound,” Wyatt weakly protested, shifting uncomfortably in Twilight's arms. “I can… still fight.” Even as he said this, he could feel his eyes threaten to close.

“Less jokes, more resting,” Twilight snapped, placing him on the swing on the Apple’s porch. Shakily, she opened the box, blinking as she laid eyes on... sugar cubes. “Okay, that robot mare told me to give you some of these. I’m going to trust her on her word and so are you.” Picking one up, she held it to Wyatt’s lips.

“Could put it in my good hand,” Wyatt grumbled, opening his mouth to let the cube settle on his tongue. He leaned back into the swing, letting the cube dissolve in his mouth. “We waiting for something to happen or?” The cube had a faintly berry-like flavor accompanied by soothing mint.

Recall all non-baneling troops, sacrifice to biomass for injection into Magilisk gestation immediately. “Everybody not capable of getting that big fall back to a defensible position and guard all noncombatants as much as you’re able.” Sarah’s voice held the tone of someone who was used to unquestioned obedience on a battlefield, but her expression was one of concern and worry. “I can only hope his feet are vulnerable to various kinds of explosions and solvents while my ace in the hole grows.”

“And what would that ace be?” Trixie asked, taking a step back as Goldar grew past the treeline. “You have a giant on your side?”

The Invincible pulled back, turning parallel to the monster. She opened fire, a dozen cannons peppering Goldar.

“I have a centaur the size of a mountain who was clearly crossbred with a minotaur at some point before I got ahold of his essence. I think that qualifies, but it’s not something I tend to field except in emergencies. It tends to cause panic.”

The floating platform moved itself to hover above the farmhouse, draping the building in shadow while most of the odd creatures that had joined the battlefield were either heading to the Everfree or forming some kind of cocoon briefly before emerging as something vastly different.

“Ya’ll can’t just have a monster fight here! Y’all will destroy the farm!” Applejack protested, glaring at Sarah.

Sarah sighed as she turned towards Applejack, her voice slightly less harsh as she responded. “He’s not going to give us a choice in the matter, but I do know how much this farm means to the Apple family. Measures will be taken to force him towards the Everfree as much as possible, and away from Ponyville at all times. One of my daughters has based her entire brood upon plant creatures, so there will be every effort made to repair any damage that has been caused, but I cannot promise every tree will be brought back to perfect health.”

Applejack groaned, shaking her head. “Ah don't like this one bit, but yer right. Go ahead, do what ya gotta do.”

Sarah nodded in response and sent a single quick command to her daughters and the few troops of her own brood that she’d held in reserve at the small base they’d built up in the Everfree. “I’ll do my best to try and draw him away sooner, but I don’t know if the metal parts he has are weak enough for hydralisk spines to pierce, so, yeah, this is gonna suck for a bit.”

“Ah don't think Ah wanna look,” AJ said, turning on her hoof. “If y'all need me, Ah'll be checkin’ on mah family. Ah'll just get in the way if Ah stay out here.”

“Minuet, I want you to generate as many of your special caretakers as possible. There’s going to be a bunch of unavoidable collateral damage and I want them on standby for after this is over.” Sarah turned to the rest and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but do any of you have any other options for this? Any thoughts on how we can minimize damage or kill this titanic abomination faster?”

“That ruby looked important!” Pinkie Pie chirped, seemingly unbothered by the turn of events. “It was all glowy and stuff!”

“Pinkie says to remove or destroy his ruby,” Maud relayed.

“Indeed, all glowy and stuff certainly does seem important.” Sarah actually smiled as she said this, followed by closing her eyes and focusing on the troops moving through the orchard. “Thank you...Pinkie.”

The swarm moving through the orchard split as it neared the giant foe. The various types of banelings continuing to run, roll, or float towards him while a small group of serpentine creatures known as hydralisks halted and began to fire javelins made of chitin hard enough to pierce aerospace hulls.

Goldar crossed his arms, flinching when the javelins sank into his limbs. He charged forward, stomping on the offending beasts. Unfortunately, this also brought him well within range of the horde of smaller, explosive creatures that were practically impossible to see moving through the trees of the orchard.

Multiple floating green spheres barreled straight for his ankles while a handful of rolling red-and-white ones continued towards his feet. A dozen or so huge insects with bloated abdomens full of purple fluid charged in alongside the rolling spheres, and all of them exploded either as they connected with his body or as he stepped on them. The result was a ton of acid seeping into the top and bottom of his feet as well as scorch marks from the rolling spheres.

Goldar snarled, swatting away the remaining spheres while his metal body hissed and smoked.

Each and every one that was swatted away burst on impact with whatever they hit, with these creatures being designed to be fragile suicide attackers. That didn’t stop one or two from readying themselves before impact and exploding as he hit them, though. A fleshy, pulsing mass rose above the distant treeline as the last of the banelings charged in recklessly.

Goldar stumbled backwards, his face contorting into a mask of pain. He beat his wings, creating gusts of wind in an attempt to blow away anything that dared to approach.

That hill of flesh in the distance quickly grew larger, far faster than anything should ever be able to grow. Only Goldar could possibly see it, of the beings that were standing on firm ground in or near the orchard. The only clues that the valiant local defenders even had that things were going well were the fact that Goldar hadn’t come any closer to the farmhouse, and the speakers from the platform activating once again and unleashing a heavy bass and drum segment.

Back at the farm house, Twilight had just pushed the third sugarcube past Wyatt's lips. He could already feel a difference with the other two, an odd tingle emanated from his arm as his wound seemed to knit itself closed along with every minor wound he’d received. Once the third one had dissolved, his stamina had returned anew, causing him to feel compelled to jump off the swing and stretch out.

“Woo! That stuff is awesome!” he cheered. He summoned his card case, looking through it for a moment. “Alright, let's see what I've got in my bag of tricks.”

“You just wait one moment so I can scan your ass, buster. I’m not letting a patient run back on the battlefield until I’m sure they aren’t still in serious pain.” Liz held up one hand and seemed to just stand there for a moment before nodding. “Good enough for me, heartbeat’s much steadier than it was when you de-morphed, or whatever it’s called.”

“Eh, no official term,” Wyatt said, neglecting to tell her he would've ran off without her go ahead. Flipping through his case, he pulled out a card. “Aha! This little beauty should be perfect.” With a mischievous grin, he turned his head to Twilight. “Hey Twi, wanna take part in a little experiment of mine?”

Twilight quirked a brow, though the gesture was lost due to her helmet. “Wyatt, what are you thinking? I don't like the look you're giving me.”

“Hey, kid, if you’re really thinking of fighting that beast without growing in size yourself, you’re going to need a different kind of weapon. Let me see, what do I have that hasn’t been modified too much…” Liz paused in thought for a moment before a peculiar, boxy gun appeared in her hands along with a glowing crystal with straps on it. “How about a plasma cannon with an energon crystal backpack for ammunition? Superheated gas tends to hurt just about anything that isn’t outright immune to fire in my experience.”

Wyatt's eyes lit up at the sight of the gun. “Yes please.”

Liz handed the gun over, then the large crystal. The crystal was far heavier than it appeared to be from how she was holding it, but, robot and all. “Alright, once you’re all armored up again just put that on like a normal backpack, then you take this cable from the gun,” she unhooked it and showed him the end that looked like a suction cup with circuitry, “and you stick it to the first facet your hand finds. It’s made to bond to the crystal until the gun is turned off, so no need to worry about it coming loose. You can even keep it if you like it. I figured out how to reconfigure my weapons array to duplicate the design without the bulk a couple decades ago.”

“Alright, sounds simple enough,” Wyatt replied, donning his Decade armor. It took him a few moments, but he completed the instructions to get the weapon in working order and it let out a soft whine for a few seconds as it charged up.

“Seriously Wyatt, what's your idea?” Twilight questioned, pulling the young man out of his revery towards the new gun.

“Oh, it's pretty simple really.” Wyatt grabbed the card he had found and slotted it into his belt while subtly putting himself behind Twilight.

“Final Form Ride: W-W-Wizard!”

“Now, this might tickle,” Wyatt warned, putting his hands on Twilight's back. With a quick motion, he pulled his hands away as the mare floated up into the air.

Her body shifted, changing to more closely resemble a four-legged dragon. The bulk of her body was silver with gold accents running along various parts of her body. She also had red eyes and a red jewel on her chest and forehead.

With a quick jump, Wyatt settled on Twilight's back. “And now we can fly up there and run distraction on Goldar.

Twilight shuddered, testing her new limbs. “Ugh this is so weird. I mean, ponies aren't supposed to be quadrupeds.”

“Actually, as far as the multiverse is concerned about half of the worlds, or more, have quadrupedal ponies. The one Sarah and I landed on is like that and we’re the outliers there with our bipedal bodies.”

“I'm just going to start flying now,” Twilight deadpanned, beating her wings and taking to the sky.

A roar loud enough to rival Godzilla announced the hatching of Sarah’s ace in the hole as mammoth blades ripped apart the fleshy shell of its cocoon and the Magilisk stood up. Three sets of horns grew out of it head with one set curving out, then back in, and straight up to form a distinctive fork-like structure. Another pair grew from just behind those and spiraled back and down in a wide arc until they ended a yard in front of it’s muzzle. The third pair threaded straight out to the side through the curling set, giving the head of this being alone a number of ways to attack even if every other body part were restrained. All of the exposed flesh on its face looked like burn scars, and from the neck down it was covered in a bony carapace. It did, indeed, have the general body shape of a centaur, except for the blades made of the same material as its armor that grew out of the forearms and formed scythe-like weapons that were easily over ten feet long.

“Finally, something more than an annoying pest to fight me!” Goldar boomed, throwing his arms open in challenge at the Magilisk.

“Assuming direct control...” The monstrous voice altered even as it spoke, coming quite close to Sarah’s voice as the purple glow of her raw psionic power emanated from its eyes and surrounded the modified monarch blades on its arms. It began approaching Goldar carefully, hoofsteps avoiding as many trees as possible even if it was impossible to avoid all of them.

The speakers erupted with a deep, death metal growl as the two giant creatures approached each other. “Don’t call it a comeback! I’ve been here for years…”

Goldar opened, trying to grab his opponent by the horns on its head and throw it, only to find himself at a disadvantage as the huge centaur reared up and delivered a hard kick to his abdomen as he closed in. Goldar fell to the ground, the earth shaking with his impact.

“Ah damnit. Here I was hoping you’d be more stable!” It brought one of the blades down quickly, aiming for Goldar’s head as it circled around to impose itself between Goldar and the farmhouse.

Goldar growled, catching the blade between his hands. Using the momentum of the blade, he guided it down to stab into the ground beside his neck. “I'll enjoy picking the meat from your bones!”

The magilisk grunted before it wrenched the blade free and took one step backwards. “Then you’re going to have to start fighting better than that.”

Goldar growled, pushing himself onto his feet. Instead of charging, he got into a defensive stance, waiting for the Magilisk's next attack.

That attack was slow in coming as it deliberately moved once more before coming in with one arm swinging its blade high across Goldar’s chest while the other went in low for his thighs.

Goldar went to block, only to be flinch when something bright and hot slammed into his visor. He cried out in pain, the two blades digging into his body.

Another advantage gained, the magilisk wasted no time in trying to bull-rush Goldar away from farmhouse and out of the orchard towards the Everfree at Sarah’s direction.

Wyatt and Twilight circled around, looking for an opening to avoid hitting their ally. Goldar’s head popped up, giving them the opportunity they needed. Wyatt aimed his rifle, letting loose a volley of plasma that collided with the mechanical monster. Goldar flinched, the attack making him lose his footing slightly.

The magilisk tried to capitalize on this by shifting the arm that had struck lower to grab at a leg and lift in order to get the evil cyborg off the ground and make movement a little quicker.

Goldar pounded on his opponent, trying to force it to drop him as they crossed the boundary into the Everfree.

“Next stop, Angel Grove First National!” The quip is made as the magilisk turns and skids to a stop while pushing as hard as it can to throw Goldar away from civilization.

“So, do we have a plan here?!” Wyatt called out, keeping his gun pointed at Goldar.

His answer was a roar from Twilight, who spat a torrent of lavender fire at the giant. Strafing to the left, the new dragoness bellowed another roar, this one almost a challenge to Goldar's might.

***

Twilight's mind raced; nearly overwhelmed by the raw power of her new form. Beastial strength ached in her limbs, each begging her to exercise its full potential. Going into a dive, Twilight raked her claws across Goldar's face, drawing a blackish looking icor. A shiver of ecstacy raced up her spine, the drawing of her enemies blood bringing her an alien sense of pleasure.

She could tell that Wyatt was saying something to her, but the exact words were lost to her in her battle euphoria. She went in for another strike, only to be warded off by a swipe from Goldar. Much to her rage, the enormous hand had almost struck Wyatt. Roaring to the heavens, Twilight prepared to leap at the gorilla knights face, until something spoke.

Soft at first, it grew to a pleasing rumble. “Temper your fury with thought. You are a dragon, not an animal.”

‘Who are you?’ She thought, pulling up in the air to get away from Goldar.

“It matters not, you must give your baser instincts direction. You have a superior intellect, Twilight Sparkle, use it.”

Twilight sucked in a deep breath, feeling the hold her instincts had on her lessen.

“Twilight, you okay?” Wyatt asked, his voice full of concern.

“Yeah, I'm okay,” Twilight responded, taking a moment to hover over the trees. “That was...” She frowned, unable to put it in exact words.

“It was a wild ride from where I was sitting,” Wyatt commented, patting her neck. “I was holding on for dear life. Think we can get the Ruby outta that guy?” He gazed over to the two Giants, watching as they fought over an arm lock.

Twilight nodded, beating her wings to climb higher. “Yeah, I’m in control now. You just be ready to grab that jewel.” Once Twilight felt she had gained enough altitude, she dove down and made a beeline for Goldar's chest.

Steeling his nerves, Wyatt slowly stood up on Twilight’s back. “Just ignore the living TV character and grab his ruby. You can do that.”

The magilisk delivered a vicious headbutt to Goldar before swinging its head to the side to bring those sharper sideways horns in as cutting weapons to break the deadlock they were in. As Goldar reacted to the visor-cracking impact, it grabbed hold of one arm and quickly swung around behind the winged cyborg to pull that arm up high while going for the other arm with its free hand. “Yield or perish. I outmass you when puppeting this body, and, unlike you, I had backup available.”

Goldar snarled, beating a wing against the magilisk. “I will never surrender! My oath is to the death!”

“Knew he'd say something like that,” Wyatt muttered, Goldar growing ever closer. He had only a split second to react, throwing his hands out to wrap around the gemstone. Yanking his hand back, he ripped the palm sized Ruby from its housing. “Ha! Let's see how well you do without this!” he taunted, Twilight making a sharp turn upward.

Goldar stumbled, clutching at his chest. He screamed in pain-tinted rage as various parts of his body began to randomly change size. “You may defeat me but my master will return! You'll fulfill your purpose boy, no matter how much you resist!”

Wyatt brought his rifle to bear, firing a stream of shots as Goldar's head as it started to shrink. “Keeping creeps like you from hurting people is my purpose.”

“And anyone with that as their purpose in life is a good person, even if their methods are flawed.” The magilisk spoke one last time before shifting its grip from pinning the arms to wrapping both hands around Goldar’s head just to shut him up.

Wyatt nodded at the magilisk, Twilight leading them back down towards the farmhouse. Once she landed, she let him off her back before she suddenly shifted back to her Wizard form. “Good job everyone, we did it!”

Sarah opened her eyes and nodded somewhat weakly in response before standing back up and carefully wiping away the small amount of blood leaking from her nose. “Just in time too, because that was actually starting to hurt. You guys want to try and salvage any tech from that corpse, or should I just have my beast crush it?”

“Salvage would be the responsible thing to do,” Wyatt noted, taking off the crystal backpack before demorphing. “The G-Project would probably find something useful in ole Goldy.”

Sarah nodded and slipped a claw into an invisible seam between two of the armor plates on her stomach before pulling out a cylinder with a soft blue glow coming from a few lines. “Then I won’t feel like a ghoul by capturing a DNA sample as well. Liz will probably want to examine him a bit to see if there’s anything she could figure out how to replicate for herself.”

Wyatt nodded, walking away from the house. “Speaking of salvage; I remember seeing Goldar drop those swords of his out in the orchards.”

Twilight just stared at the two of them for a few seconds as they talked about ‘salvaging’ from the corpse of the creature they’d just fought like it was normal. “There is something very wrong with the both of you.”

“What? Goldar was a monster,” Wyatt retorted, turning on a heel to walk backwards. “Just because he could talk doesn't mean he wasn't evil.”

“You make a good point, miss Sparkle, there are things wrong with many people. Perhaps we could discuss why I think the way I do over a light meal and lots of water while your boyfriend searches for his new toys?” Sarah’s voice is a bit weary, and all of the harsh edge has left it as everything seems to have finally calmed down. “Either way, I need something to eat after all that running around.”

Twilight quirked a brow. “How did you know Wyatt and I are dating?” Shaking her head, she added, “You know what, that can wait. Come on, I’m sure the Apples still have plenty of leftovers from their reunion.”

“Alright, it’s been a few months since I sampled Apple family food. Is Edith Smith still the matriarch or has that title passed to Pear Butter already?”

“I have no idea who that second pony is, but I'm going to guess that you mean Granny Smith. And yes, she's still in charge.”

Sarah froze for a moment as Twilight spoke, then quickly continued walking. “Let’s get inside. I think I might need Liz to give me a checkup after the psionic exertion, and I’m going to need to have a chat with Granny even though your world’s version doesn’t know me.”

Aftermath

“Alright, looks like that’s about it unless someone else has a laser burn they don’t want to bother me with. The only pony that hasn’t fully recovered is the filly, who scans like she was hit with a full-strength police taser and is probably going to be sore as hell when she wakes up. We got lucky here with only one broken bone and most of the injuries being mild.” Liz sighed as she took a seat at the kitchen table just to relax a bit.

Wyatt stepped into the kitchen, having changed out of his bloodied shirt and into a sleeveless shirt that Big Mac had lent him. Needless to say, the giant of a stallion’s shirt was a little big on the young man. “Yeesh, I think Rarity’s gonna kill me when she sees what happened to that shirt she made me,” he commented, pulling out a glass from the cabinet and getting himself some water.

“Unless it was made from something like moonsilk I doubt it.” Sarah commented before pausing to rub her temples. “Of course, that may be just another thing that doesn’t exist in other worlds, and all I’m doing by mentioning it is just making things even more confusing for you people.”

“This isn’t a D&D world, so no moonsilk here,” Wyatt told her, leaning on the sink and taking a long drink. “Doesn’t change the fact that Rarity is a class A drama queen.”

“Makes sense, I mean, we haven’t stumbled across any other worlds based on D&D yet either, so who knows how many or few there are?” Liz pulled out a tiny package from her subspace pocket and placed it on the table before opening it and removing a piece of glowing crystal like the backpack she’d given Wyatt, but this one roughly the size of a piece of candy. This was quickly popped into her mouth.

“If what I’ve learned from sci-fi stories is anything to go by, then that number is abstract and can’t be represented with anything a normal human can compute,” Wyatt commented, putting his glass down. “Thanks again for the gun, it came in handy against Goldar.”

Liz only gave a half-hearted thumbs up in response as she carefully crushed the crystal in her mouth, then waved a hand at Sarah.

“Sorry, she had a bit of a long day before you called her over, and she literally needs to recharge a bit. You certainly did put it to good use, but I’d suggest making a different charge system for the gun if you’re going to use it regularly. Raw energon crystals can be volatile if they get damaged by the right kind of force. Anyways, you lot have questions I’m sure.”

“I think I know the basics,” Wyatt said, looking between the pair. “You two were dressed as Sarah Kerrigan and Blackarachnia before getting sent to Equestria. The details are probably interesting. You guys run into any other displaced? I've met a few; one of them was an actual person from Tamriel.”

“We’ve met a few. One repeat offender, as Celestia calls him, is a guy named Jason. Nice guy, but he wasn’t even born human and then got sent by a guy who sold him an omnitrix. His world is...weird is the best way to put it. He had to make a few random changes to our world as a concession to a reality-warping chimeric being in order to reverse a centuries-old genocide, which put him on our Celestia’s short list of banned people, but he’s kept in touch. That gun, for example, was in a crate of weapons he sent to Liz at random.”

“Okay, that does sound weird,” Wyatt said, nodding to Twilight as she entered the kitchen. “And I’ve fought a monster that was a fusion of a starfish and Hitler before.”

“Starfish Hitler? This is why I don’t follow anime.”

“Tokusatsu, not anime,” Wyatt corrected, sipping his water again. “Still insane.”

“I had a question I’d like answered,” Twilight chimed in, looking at Sarah. “How did you know Wyatt and I were dating? I don’t think anyone mentioned that.”

“To quote a very bad movie: the boy’s pheromone levels suggest he wishes to mate with the female.” This earned Sarah a punch right to the bony part of her forearm and a glare from Liz. “Liz has adapted her sensors to picking out injuries, while I’m a mix of a human being and an alien superpredator species. It took me years to piece together what all the different scents and such actually mean, but pheromone levels combined with the surface thoughts I was picking up when the two of you were flying together? It might as well have been a theater marquee.”

Twilight blushed, looking away from the pair of guests. “W-well, I guess that’s a pretty succinct explanation.”

“Sorry, I realize that some people view mind reading as an invasion of privacy, but I had to lower my barriers to coordinate with combatants that aren’t linked to the hive mind of the zerg. I have those back up and your thoughts are private once more.”

“All’s forgiven,” Wyatt said, putting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “At least on my end. Thanks for the help with all those guys.”

“Thanks for giving me the opportunity? I know that sounds a little odd, but it’s rare that I get to charge in and save the day with a mass assault against something other than a rampaging hydra or a senile dragon. The thirst for combat and to improve oneself by ingesting fallen foes is not so easily removed. I’ve mostly managed to eradicate the latter part of that, but my girls and I are always eager for a good fight.”

“Your girls?” Twilight questioned, her embarrassment forgotten momentarily. “Were they the ones doing all that singing?”

“Yup, and one of them is seeing to the restoration of the orchard by getting all the trees put back in place. They’re not, technically, my daughters, but I did put some of my own genetic sequence into them when I was creating them so...anyways, yes. All six of them trained at the Canterlot Music Academy for years to learn how to play and sing.”

“Sounds like you taught them some songs from Earth,” Wyatt said, a grin on his face. “Certainly made fighting more interesting. At least my ass was getting kicked to some good tunes.”

“I didn’t exactly teach them. One of the little treasures Jason gave us was a cube that could play any song that anyone who’s ever touched one has heard, and that was what taught them the music. They learned to play it by hearing what it was supposed to sound like...and they’ve chosen a few times to put one over on the locals with music at the Gala.”

“Oh, they should let me touch that cube!” Wyatt beamed, flexing his fingers. “I bet I’d be able to expand their playlist. Think of it as my way of giving back for everything you’ve done.”

Sarah pauses, then groans softly. “Usually we don’t keep that with us when we travel, for good reason since we can’t replicate it, but apparently Serenade was listening to it and brought it with her when she pulled hive maintenance duty for this mission. I’ll never understand how she’s the only one that’s able to hide things from me.”

“Sounds like she takes after you more than you realize,” Wyatt joked, chuckling. “Twi and I have an adopted kid and he’s really taking after her. Specifically her near OCD levels for organization.”

“He is not!” Twilight protested, bristling at the idea. “I’m teaching him how to be neat and tidy.”

“Twilight, I saw him organizing his legos by color and size,” Wyatt pointed out. “That’s a little more than being neat and tidy.”

“Well, sometimes they take more after me than they do after Sarah. I couldn’t stop laughing after they played ‘The Bad Touch’ in front of a bunch of nobles. I have never in my life been more thankful for a language barrier that only one person can pierce if we want to stealthily insult people.” Liz smiles and glances over at Sarah. “She usually gives them a rant after they pull things like that about how we have to be careful in case someone’s making an effort to learn English over there.”

“For good reason. We can’t afford to insult nobles to their faces if we’re trying to come off as nice people, and even Celestia thought that one was a little much after I explained that it was a song that was nothing but thin innuendo.”

“Heh, that sounds like my kind of party,” Wyatt said, nodding at Liz. After a moment, his eyes widened in realization. “Oh! We still have to talk about those displacer beasts!”

“D&D world. The displacers are Prelude’s preferred form of zergling because of the fact that a local opponent will be aiming at things other than the beast itself. She likes playing with illusions and subverting expectations.” Sarah leaned back and stretched for a few seconds as she thought. “You wouldn’t have seen Nocturne’s, she found some kind of large chameleon creature that really does turn invisible. Serenade and Requiem were building up a base in the Everfree in case I needed bigger units than one of our platforms can provide. Minuet’s look like timberwolves. Bolero usually has flaming salamanders, but she can have hers look like plain stone if fire’s bad for the situation. I’ve kept mine looking relatively unchanged, except for better wing structures and a dash of XLR8 for a higher running speed, at the cost of some...durability issues.”

“Meaning her zerglings tend to die faster, even if she can just replace them in a minute or less.”

“Uh huh, uh huh, very interesting.” Wyatt nodded along, half-paying attention. “Any chance you could give us a displacer beast kitten?”

“Ummm, not right now, no.” Sarah replies almost immediately. “I’d have to find an actual displacer beast litter and then convince the mother to not maul me for trying to take away one of her children. Zerg units are basically clones, and I actually can’t create completely clean clones without any zerg influence in the result, which is causing some problems with my living prosthetic limb plans.”

“Why would you ask for one of those things in the first place?” Twilight questioned, looking up at her boyfriend with a confused glance. “They’re dangerous.”

“Simple, if their world follows D&D logic, then it’s possible to tame displacer beasts. And I figured that Sombra’s been hinting at wanting a pet of his own, so why not get him something cool?”

“Awww, that’s so sweet. You do know that ‘tamed’ isn’t the same as domesticated, right? It’d still be a wild animal in the end, just one that tends to obey you.” Liz spoke up, then started snickering softly. “Of course, I could make that whole acquisition process less painful, but it’d require you visiting us.”

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Wyatt said, grinning like an idiot. He looked down at Twilight and asked, “What about you, Twi? You wanna get Sombra a Cthulhu Cat?”

“I’d rather not have our son try and ‘tame’ a dangerous animal,” Twilight responded, crossing her arms.

“Which is why I suggested a kitten,” he reiterated, making a gesture to indicate the size. “If we get one that’s a baby, we can get it used to the idea of not attacking ponies.”

“Another version of you told me that you have a friend who’s good with animals. Maybe they could help you out?” Sarah suggested while looking between Wyatt and Twilight.

“Exactly,” Wyatt chirped, giving a thumbs up to Sarah. “Fluttershy was able to make a bear act like a total sweetheart, I bet she’d love to help us with this.”

“We’ll discuss this later,” Twilight insisted, shaking her head. “Let’s move onto a more productive topic.”

“I'll hold you to that,” Wyatt replied, leaning in and kissing her muzzle. “Go ahead, let's be productive.”

“Very well, what else did you want to ask us about? I mean, I’m sure you have a bunch of questions about, well, everything.”

“You said you’d been in your Equestria for forty years,” Wyatt started, turning his attention from Twilight. “What's that been like?”

“Frustrating. I want my old flesh-and-blood body back.” Liz responded instantly in a fairly grumpy tone.

“It’s been hit and miss. There have been both good and bad things that have come out of it, like the fact that we both still look like we’re in our late twenties at the worst due to Liz not really aging faster than a geological scale if she keeps herself maintained, and I just stay young as long as I, err, well, as long as I consume the essence of something decently strong every few weeks.”

Wyatt coughed, ignoring the growing gag reflex. “We know a guy named Agito; he was displaced here before me. Been here a thousand years.”

“Ouch, and he’s still alive? I wonder how that works for him...oh, date...what’s the date? In post-nightmare or discord expression please. I need a frame of reference if I’m going to bring any advantages back home with me as foreknowledge.”

“Sarah, you and I both know that we can’t really rely on anything we learn about local history as applied to our own world. There’s too many differences; it’s like a million butterfly effects at once.”

Wyatt rubbed the side of his head, looking to Twilight. “Uh, care to help, Twi? I always forget the dating system.”

Twilight gave him a slight shove. “You really need to start paying attention. It’s the second year of the aptly named Resurgence era.”

“Okay, and what does that mean when compared to the banishment of Nightmare Moon?”

“What Sarah isn’t saying is that even though we’ve been in Equestria for forty years, we were sent to a point in time that starts roughly fifty years behind the arrival of most Displaced, so the dates we have for reference are a little...odd.”

“Oh, it's almost been one thousand and three years since her banishment,” Twilight clarified.

Sarah thinks for a moment and sighs in relief. “About twelve years ahead of where we are, I’m finally running out of time for vague hints about the future as far as events of great significance that I should avoid meddling in versus ones I might be able to fudge a bit.”

“Well, Discord will probably return in your world,” Twilight told her. “As well as the Crystal Empire.”

“Oh, we’re aware of the Empire. We got dumped in an arctic region and Celestia mentioned not expecting to see anything there for about fifty years. We got the truth out of her after we earned her trust.”

“Right.” Wyatt nodded, leaning on a counter. “Do you have any questions for us? You should ask them now before Twilight’s adrenaline wears off.”

“Yeah, about how much longer do you think we have before your Celestia bursts in here demanding to know what’s going on with the giant centaur in the Everfree, because that thing’s kinda impossible to hide.” Liz smirks as she asks this.

“Just because ours panicked until she learned we had complete control over it doesn’t mean all of them will, Liz….but I do feel a bit underdressed considering I’m seeing everyone wearing clothes for the first time in a long time.”

“Considering we’re fighting a war with a multiversal empire and just had a big fight in a major city a few days before this? I’m surprised she isn’t here already,” Wyatt explained, crossing his arms.

“So, no real time to do more than throw on a bedsheet so I’m not flashing her, then...think she’ll assume this is just armor?”

Wyatt shrugged his shoulders. “Not like there's anything explicit showing. The armor thing is probably a safe bet.”

“Ah, but I do so love the explicit bits.” Celaeno made her way into the kitchen, her talons and peg leg clatter against the hardwood floor. “Don’t think we’ve met. Admiral Celaeno of the Equestrian Air Force.”

Sarah looked over at the new arrival and couldn’t help smiling a bit. “I assume you’re the smart one that knew to fire on the tanks rather than shelling the floating platform of unknown origin?”

Celaeno tipped her hat, a grin on her beak. “That'd be me. The tanks were firing on civvies while that platform was holding a concert. Pretty easy choice.” tapping her pegleg on the floor, she straightened up. “Now, if you’d be all be so kind as to explain why a farm was being attacked, I can crack open that bottle of zebrican mead I had shipped in.”

“The Apple Family had a rider belt,” Twilight explained. “Luckily, we were able to protect it.” Shifting on her hooves, she glanced behind Celaeno. “Is Princess Celestia coming or are you acting on her behalf?”

Clicking her beak, Celaeno crossed her arms. “The ole’ Fireball’s busy negotiation orichalum mining rights with the minotaurs. Luna should be along shortly.”

“Luna? But it’s the middle of the day. Most worlds we’ve been to she’s usually sound asleep now.” Liz actually sounded a little alarmed at this development.

“Oh trust me, she'll be a little cranky,” Celaeno said with a chuckle. “But, Fireball has more experience negotiating and the bulls would only talk today.” Striding over to the fridge, she rummaged through it until she extracted a bottle of cider. “Our precious Luna might even slip into Ye Olde Ponish!”

Sarah smiles even wider at that little revelation. “Perhaps this shall be more interesting than I thought, and wouldn’t it be nice to give the younger sister valuable materials and knowledge to better this version of Equestria?” Her eyes seemed to lose focus for a moment before she glanced towards Liz. “How many copies of those spellbooks have you made, and did you bring any with you?”

“Over a dozen, and yes, but you and I both know that ponies don’t tend to like ‘war’ spells.”

Celaeno popped open the bottle of cider, draining it in a few gulps. “If you haven’t noticed, Tin-Mare, Equestria’s at war.”

“Liz has a point, though. There’s a difference between being at war and being willing to use the best tools available to bring you success in that war. You have soldiers that hesitate to strike when the enemy provides an opening for a lethal or incapacitating blow. Yes, my daughters are used to somewhat more vicious combat conditions since our own world has a rogue cerebrate that’s managed to keep itself hidden and with enemy zerg it truly is kill or be killed, but one of your riders told them to stop attacking an enemy because she didn’t need to be killed.”

Celaeno pinched her brow, shaking her head. “Let me guess, the drake with the fancy pocket change? Someone his age belongs on a playground, not a battlefield. He doesn’t need the stress of being in battle.”

“I have no idea what he actually looks like, all my daughters saw was his armor. All pink with wings and a horn, then the same kind of armor in three different colors later.”

“Aye, that's the drake,” Celaeno confirmed, glancing at the fridge. “He's even younger than the boy there. He doesn't represent Equestria's military. Least of all my crew.”

“Representative of the army or not, he’s representative of your untrained field operatives. Wyatt and Twilight had the nerve to risk their lives taking down a giant cyborg monkey. My troops and those of my daughters saw no fewer than five riders who were not them on the battlefield, counting the child. How many of the other four have any kind of regimented combat training?”

“The drake and the boy and schoolgirl there are being trained by a veteran guard. The dual-colored one says her family has their own training regimen, same as the one in white armor. Those are the ones I know about,” Celaeno elaborated, tapping her pegleg on the floor.

”That leaves two unaccounted for, one of which, judging by her statements, is just an Apple, and has no previous training at all other than tending to a farm. I can’t really say anything bad about her, especially if this was her first time in anything like this situation, but she needs to be trained as well. Beyond that there’s the matter of a number of other factors at play such as some form of chain of command.”

“‘Just’ an Apple?” Everyone turned their head, seeing Applejack standing in the doorway. “Ah'd be offended, but Ah get what yer sayin’. Ah've never used a weapon before today iff'n ya don't count lassos. Ah felt greener than Granny's fur out there.”

“Oh my god, it’s little Jackie…” Liz couldn’t stop herself from staring for a few seconds. “Well, good to know you’ll grow up strong.”

“Only person who calls me Jackie is Granny Smith,” Applejack explained, her muzzle scrunching up. “And t’be honest, Ah’m not exactly comfortable with her calling me that.”

“Huh, so AJ is Gaim,” Wyatt noted. “You don't feel an urge to dance now, do you?”

Applejack shot him an odd look. “Do Ah look like Ah’m in the mood to throw a square dance?”

“Focus, people.” Sarah couldn’t help smiling a bit as she stood up and stretched for a moment. “Noted, Applejack, but in our world you’re much younger and we’ve been friends of your grandmother for a couple decades. I hope you’ll forgive us if we slip up.”

“Fine, all this other world nonsense is confusin’, but Ah'll manage,” Applejack retorted, gesturing with her hand. “What were ya’ll talkin’ bout?”

“Frankly, we were talking about combat readiness and how there’s no way to accurately measure how well you riders can do your duties if even one of you is unwilling to kill. I realize I’m the outsider looking in here, but without having some form of command structure things can fall apart. Compassion has a place, sure, but not on the battlefield during combat.”

“Within reason, of course. You know there are some things I won’t do to anyone who can think for themselves, Sarah.”

“That’s different. There’s a big difference between feeling like something would be torture and almost helping the enemy stab you.”

“I understand your point,” Twilight started,her muzzle scrunched up. “But I don't like the idea of getting my little brother comfortable with killing. I’m barely comfortable with him being a rider as it is.”

“And what happens when you encounter a monster that will not surrender, or one who can imitate others? What happens when it’s the only option you have to save a life?” Sarah sighed and sat back down after a moment. “I’m not sure what events are in your recent past or immediate future, but many other versions of equestria have beings called changelings who attack during a wedding. In some worlds this attack is relatively safe, if panic-inducing. In other worlds; ponies died.”

Twilight and Wyatt looked at each other. “Actually, the changelings are our allies,” Twilight spoke, summoning up a notepad. “Somber Shield, the leader of Dai-Shocker, impersonated my brother and attacked the wedding. Queen Chrysalis helped fend him off.”

“That’s an interesting bit of turnaround. We’re still trying to figure out how that event’s going to be altered in our world since our Chrysalis is like a mutated pony-zerg hybrid who has no shapeshifting ability.”

“Liz, she’s not a hybrid just because I was able to stabilize her exoskeleton into a pony-like form and the hive she was part of was mutated from flutterponies.... Wait.” Sarah facepalmed while Liz just smirked. “Did I really just do that?”

“Yeah, and it’s nice to not be the one who spoke before thinking. It’s so rare to goad you into it and catch you out.” Liz practically cackled.

“Your world sounds interesting,” Wyatt commented. “And I hate to say it, but I have to agree with you on the killing thing.” He sighed, tilting his head down and closing his eyes. “And we do have monsters that can imitate people.”

Sarah nodded and looked at Twilight. “I used to be a pharmacist. Liz used to be a paramedic, and still practices medicine, and has done much to introduce medical practices from our homeworld into our new home as technology advances and new spells are made. Neither of us really likes killing, but we have no choice, and I completely understand your dilemma. My daughters may have been made artificially and with an explicit purpose of eventually helping me out in battlefield situations, but that doesn’t mean I liked teaching them how to kill. That’s why they’re trained as bards first and for various psionic abilities second, and when we’re at home to always offer an intelligent foe a chance to surrender unless presented with zealot mindsets.”

“Those sentries? Zealots. Some of them sounded like there was only a language barrier stopping them from chanting ‘heil Drakkon’ half the time.”

“I noticed,” Wyatt said with a scowl. “All that animal talk was enough to make any reservations about killing go down the drain.”

“Yeah, definitely made it hard to not kill them by losing control a bit. A little hard to not take that kind of thing a little personally when you spend a good percentage of a fight as a spider instead of a robot.”

“At least it's over for now,” Twilight offered, sighing in relief. “We should enjoy these moments of peace while we can.”

“Indeed. Speaking of which,” Sarah looked pointedly at the Admiral, “were you planning on repaying the civilian family for taking a bottle, or are you some kind of pirate in disguise?”

Celaeno laughed, scratching the empty bottle with her talon. “Funny you should say that. I was in fact a pirate not too long ago.” Reaching into her coat, she tossed Sarah a coin. “I’d be on the lookout for the Storm King when you get back. Flea bags pillaged and razed at least a dozen countries. Last I heard, he had his sights on Abyssinia.”

“Noted.” Sarah said while tossing the coin over to Applejack. “I’m assuming a different continent, then, because we’ve mostly avoided crossing oceans.”

“The Storm King doesn't have that same aversion,” Celaeno retorted. “And something tells me the egomaniac would get it in his head to try taking on Equestria. Bet my peg on it.” Reaching down, she rapped her knuckles against her peg leg.

“We’ll keep an eye out. Might get around to seeking him out sometime after we finish stabilizing the border of the southern desert so that it stops expanding. For some reason the ground there is just hostile to pony magic.”

“Hostile how?” Twilight inquired, quirking her brow.

“In our world we had a town of earth ponies report the kind of fatigue previously only associated with unicorns who overchanneled for weeks on end, with five deaths from unknown causes until a medical expert found the bodies to be completely and utterly devoid of even ambient, settled magic. No idea if the same kind of thing can even happen here, since it sounds similar to a curse on a desert in a different world from D&D.”

“Deserts suck anyways. It took me a week to flush all the sand out of my gears.”

“Tundras are my least favorite environment,” Wyatt said, thinking back to the Crystal Empire. “I grew up in scorching heat, so me and the cold don't get along.”

Sarah smirked before stiffening for a moment. “We’ve got incoming. Navy blue chariot with silver and grey markings like a spiderweb. Sound familiar to anyone?”

“That would be Princess Luna.” Twilight snapped out of her writing trance. “We should go greet her.” Lighting her horn, Twilight teleported the group onto the front porch. Making sure her clothes were in order, she watched as a pair of bat ponies brought the chariot in for a landing.

Wyatt put a hand over his mouth, fighting a wave of nausea. Turning his head, he shot a flat look at his marefriend. “We were less than twenty feet from the front door. Teleporting was excessive.”

Liz immediately fell flat on her rear out of a combination of surprise and inertia keeping her from standing up quickly without leverage. The only reason Sarah didn’t suffer the same fate was her wings whipping out and digging into both the floor of the porch and a nearby wall. “A little warning would be polite, at least.”

Twilight giggled sheepishly, poking her fingers together. “Sorry... it’s a force of habit...” Noting Luna’s approach, she straightened up. “It’s good to see you again, Princess Luna. I hope you weren’t doing anything too important.”

Luna visibly held back a yawn, nodding at Twilight. “Sleeping.” Gazing over at Liz and Sarah, Luna shifted on her hooves. Her gaze landed on Celaeno. “Admiral, have your crew cordone off the farm. I want any non-equine remains taken back to Canterlot.”

“I would recommend against attempting any experiments aside from a simple study and autopsy of any zerg remains. If you were to reanimate one of my soldiers without a hive mind here to guide it, it would tear at least one pony apart in an instinctual aggressive frenzy.” Sarah’s tone was purely polite as she worked to free her wing from the wall where one spike had managed to get stuck. “And I have a few gifts for this world that might entice you to simply allow an ally to remove their own corpses instead.”

Luna gazed her Sarah for a moment, frowning. “You are one of the Displaced Wyatt summoned, I presume. I will not deny an ally from collecting their dead, if that is indeed what you are.”

Two identical beings that looked like a combination of birch saplings and an oversized venus flytrap walked out of the treeline carrying one large chest between them. This was immediately placed on the ground without a word before the two things took a few steps back and sank into something like a crouch that left them looking like a pair of odd bushes. “Your suspicion is not without warrant, Princess, but I wouldn’t dare assume that you will trust me based upon my own words. I’m sure you have a spell of some kind that can tell you if any of us on the porch are under a compulsion effect.”

Luna scrutinized the group, her muzzle an unreadable mask. After a moment, her horn flashed with her blue aura before quickly fizzling out. “Very well, it seems I can continue to treat you as friends. For now.”

Sarah nodded before finally pulling her wing free and reaching back to actually massage the chitinous point. “That is all one can truly ask for in times such as these, at the sight of a recent battle with two people you’ve never met before. Twilight, where did you leave the box my sister gave you with the cubes that healed Wyatt?”

Twilight tapped a ring to her belt, the accessory giving its usual chime. A small magic circle appeared beside her and she fetched the box out of it. “Here it is.”

Liz carefully brushed herself off as she took a step forward. “That box had a hundred doses of potent magical healing in it, in sugar cube form. Each one is able to be dissolved in water and drank instead of chewed. Keep it; it’ll reduce hospital visits for anything other than a broken bone. We have stronger, and weaker versions of that same thing and more in that chest, if you will allow us to present them for context?”

“Of course.” Twilight held the box out to Liz with a smile.

Liz smiled and accepted it even though she’d just said to keep it. She held her free hand up and open while her other hand held only the box as she approached Luna to hand it over for examination. Meanwhile, Sarah carefully moved over to the chest and unlatched the clasps keeping it shut.

Wyatt turned his attention to the chest, idly wondering what could be inside that needed two treants to carry, even if they were small.
“Forgive us for the writing not being in English on the box, but the strength and directions and such were written for ponies in our world, who use a different language with the same basic letter forms in a different order.” Liz held out the opened box towards Luna while Sarah pulled several more out of the chest, followed by a stack of thick tomes.

“Are those spellbooks?” Luna asked, lifting one up. She raised an eyebrow. “Unfortunately, I do not think I can read this.”

Liz looked over the cover and then the next in the stack. “These are in English...great, another writing system issue. I’m pretty sure Wyatt can help get it translated for you, unless you have someone among the diplomatic delegations who specializes in casting translation spells?”

“According to Wyatt, our writing system closely resembles the one used in ‘Russia,’” Twilight explained, glancing over at the books. “I know a few translation spells; it’s been a Faustsend in teaching Wyatt to read Ponish.”

“Alright. These are mostly copies of spellbooks delivered to us at one point or another by various people, both native to our world and Displaced from others. We collect things that are both useful and useless to us in case others can use them. We’ve gotten a fair bit of use out of the book of spells that Sarah says come from the Final Fantasy series. All zerglings can even burn their life out to heal allies with one spell just because it’s that useful.”

“They only burn out their life because I can’t figure out how to fully integrate aetheric channels into a sequence that simple without sacrificing other, more useful general adaptations.” Sarah stated as she reached back into the chest. “Anyone who can channel even a passive magic field should be fine.”

“That is... good to know.” Luna placed the book back on the stack. “Perhaps we should discuss matters inside?”

“The house is a little full right now,” Wyatt said, glancing back at the door. “The Apples were having their reunion before the attack. Plus, I doubt we'd want to talk in front of so many civilians.”

“Not to mention I have a bunch of other things to pull out of this chest...aha!” Sarah removed what looked like a piece of folded black silk and tossed it in Wyatt’s direction. “You recognized the displacer beast, I assume you know what one of these is?”

“Is that a bag of holding?!” Wyatt asked, a giddy grin on his face as he caught the fabric.

“Bags of holding look like, you know, bags.” Liz laughed at this. “That’s a good, old-fashioned portable hole. Unfolds and allows you to reach into a portable storage room that holds a thousand cubic feet in volume. Ours are a tiny bit smaller, but cold enough to preserve meat almost indefinitely.”

“Darn it, portable hole was my next guess,” Wyatt said, sticking his hand into the fabric. He shivered, pulling his hand back. “Did you mean to give me one already full of meat?”

“We have a ‘pet’ hydra that we regularly harvest, one head at a time. Protein sources aren’t exactly rare for us, and it stops me from having cravings for anything that can think.” Sarah finally stood up with a bag dangling from one hand that held a tube of crystals, and her other hand holding up a thick slab of metal and a few sheets of parchment. “I know I’m only a few degrees away from a monster, and I manage it carefully.”

“I know a thing or two of being a monster,” Luna spoke, moving past the group. “I would like to take this conversation indoors. Perhaps we can offer you something as well?”

“Why are you so insistent on going inside when we’d just be crowding the Apples in there? It’s easier for us to talk out here, and you won’t have to worry about a random civilian overhearing any state secrets.”

Luna pointed out towards the Everfree. “Because I don’t want to be out in the open with that huge...thing any longer than I have to be. Do you have any idea how unsettling something that looks like Tirek is?”

“Would we be able to speak candidly around civilians?” Wyatt questioned, turning to Sarah. “Can you do something about the big guy over there?”

“He’s numbed, and paralyzed in preparation for being reverted to biomass to fertilize the area of forest we had to destroy for the base and to grow him in the first place. Making that go any faster would undo either the numbing or the paralysis, and it could fluctuate. Nobody here would sleep tonight if something that big started making involuntary pained noises.”

“Can we not talk about that kinda stuff?” Applejack asked, looking a little green. “Why don’t we head to the barn? We’re all a bit too old ta use the Crusaders’ treehouse, so the barn’s our best bet.”

“Barn works for me,” Wyatt relented, turning on his heel and heading towards the structure. “I call the comfiest hay bale!”

Sarah carries the last items effortlessly while Liz easily hefts the tomes. “Sorry, it’s just...so hard to remember what things aren’t really normal after so long. I can’t imagine how people who’ve been like this for longer than us stay sane.”

“Pretty much nothing is out of the question for me anymore,” Wyatt replied with a shrug, opening the barn door for the two. “Between Kamen Rider stuff becoming real to all the pony stuff, I think I’ve lost the ability to be surprised.”

“I recall you being dumbfounded at Starfish Hitler,” Twilight teased, placing a kiss on his cheek.

“That was a very specific exception due to the context,” Wyatt defended. “A context that I will not share due to it being extremely sobering and depressing.”

“She was talking about how she forgets that pretty much nobody else can really talk about casually killing something they brought into existence without being a complete sociopath, and how much it constantly worries her about the e-”

“Shut up, Liz. Have SOME respect for confidentiality protocols, please, even if these people will never be able to tell people in our world about it.”

“What? You think telling them that you’re worried about the children you’re expecting because of how your think about things is going to make them hate you?”

Wyatt found a pile of hay bales and took a seat. “I feel incredibly lost right now.”

Luna took a spot by some crates. “Everyone, please, let’s try and stay on topic. It would please me to have everything in order for my sister when she arrives.”

“Thank you, Princess.” Sarah said while shooting one last glare in Liz’s direction and holding the slab of metal flat before letting go. It stayed floating in midair at about stomach height, and only sank a little as she placed the crystal-filled tube and bag on top of it. “This metal is known as cloudsteel on our world. It is more durable than traditional stainless steel, and, as you can see, it is neutrally buoyant in air. It floats without applying magic. This material is perfect for forging into armor or building tall structures.”

“It also used to be ten times more valuable than gold where we’re from because even an experienced fabrication team could only create a cubic inch per day.” Liz interjected.

“Right. Liz has access to a device that allows her to convert certain compounds into any metal she wants, but we have a document detailing how this is traditionally made, and it uses the innate energy of all three common pony subspecies, with thestrals easily taking the place of pegasi if needed.”

“So an alchemy machine,” Wyatt simplified, nodding in understanding.

“Sufficiently advanced science that even I don’t understand completely. Stupid tangled mess mid-80’s lore.”

“Anyways, the gist of it involves a unicorn and pegasus both directing their respective channeled magic into a stormcloud and creating a chunk of this metal that only an earth pony can easily manipulate via traditional forging. Your world is officially in a state of war, and this can help, so it is a gift with no strings attached.”

“Thank you,” Twilight replied, moving over to the floating slab. “I'm sure the G-Project will find a good use for this steel.”

Sarah nodded and held up the tube of crystals off of it. “This is raw energon in crystal form. It can be unstable, and explosive if broken, but can also be shaped like any other crystal by someone with skill or patience. It has been found to be a natural capacitor for spell energies, and can hold a magical charge ten times longer than most other substances. We can’t reasonably test it against most gemstones due to there being some older than Celestia that still function on our world. This could be a simple solution to any power source concerns should you figure out the best way to integrate it into your own technology. These crystals have been found to absorb excess magical energy in order to grow, and can even help ease magic flare intensity in infants.”

Wyatt rubbed his neck. “We don’t... have any technology...”

“Not even a phone or a laptop? And I thought I got screwed having mine merge with my body. Ponies are smart, they’ll figure out some use for it just like they could find a way to magically power that gun I gave you. Ours figured out how to duplicate a railgun with spells.” Liz rubbed her right shoulder as she said that.

“Actually, we do have a laptop,” Twilight chimed in, turning from the slab. “It belonged to someone displaced before Wyatt.”

“From what I can tell, Equestria has weirdly inconsistent tech levels,” Wyatt began, looking at the floor in thought. “We got a hydroelectric dam outside of Ponyville that doesn’t seem to power anything. Projectors. We still use candles. Maud made her own tech from scratch something without a computer, same with Trixie’s family. The only thing ‘modern’ is that laptop, which we only have one of.”

Sarah simply shrugged at this and turned to look over at Luna. “Your thoughts, Princess?”

Luna levitated the sheet of Cloudsteel over, inspecting it. Moving it a bit away from her, she conjured up a warhammer. With untold ease, she slammed the hammer into the sheet, humming at the shrill sound of metal on metal. “Quite strong. Should make a good replacement for Orichalum.” Dismissing the warhammer, she returned the sheet to Twilight. “As for our technology; if you have more of these ‘computers’, we would accept them with immeasurable gratitude.”

“Regrettably, the phone I had fell apart over twenty years ago, and neither of us were carrying any laptops...but I could see about getting in touch with Jason to see if we could work something out to get you guys a few computers from the mid 30’s.” Sarah looked back at Liz as she spoke.

“What? You expect me to flash him some leg and get free computers? He’s got enough tails getting shoved in his face that he isn’t gonna chase after me.”

“Computers from the 30’s?” Wyatt noted, chuckling. “Uh, there weren't any computers back then.”

“But there will be in twenty years from the time most people seem to have been displaced from. Jason has full access to his home Earth due to his universe’s unique cosmology, and his Earth is currently in the mid 2030’s.”

“Ah’m lost.” Applejack frowned, scratching her cheek. “All Ah know is, ya’ll are helpin’ ta make Equestria safer.” Stepping over, she slapped Sarah on the back. “Ah kno-woah!”

Acting faster than most eyes could follow, Liz immediately shoved herself between Sarah and Applejack and pinned her sister’s wings in place with her entire body by wrapping her arms around Sarah’s waist. “Everyone stay calm, she’ll be fine in a second. Just need to keep the alien parts of her body from doing something we’d all regret.”

“Did Ah do somethin’ wrong?” Applejack asked, an apologetic look on her face as she stepped away from the pair.

“No,but only because there was no way you could have known, or time to warn you when I thought you were just going to hug her. She has issues with being hit in the back, and these wings don’t just flare out like a pegasus if she goes into panic mode.”

“Liz... let go. You’re pinching righty.”

“Ah, sorry. Saw you tense up and assumed the worst there.”

“I’ll be fine for now. Need to get home soon so I can relax with Orm and Tsul though.” Sarah sighed and relaxed as Liz let her go, then turned to face Applejack. “We weren’t able to save six trees in the northwest field, and a few will have crooked trunks where Goldar first fell, but I think losing only six trees with a foe that big is pretty good work.”

Applejack whistled, running a few numbers in her head. “Ah think we can make due with that. Bloom’s gonna be sore fer a while; probably have her do some plantin’ while Mac and I get to bucking.”

“Right. There’ll be some premium compost a few hundred meters into the Everfree if you need it.” She tilted her head for a moment before nodding. “Nocturne’s drones have finished dragging Goldar to the royal chariot for you, Princess.”

“Ah, please, have any bodies brought to Celaeno. The Invincible is far more suited for transporting a corpse than a chariot.” Luna glanced over at Wyatt. “As I understand, many of our attackers were human. As gruesome as it is, dissecting them will afford Equestria’s doctors far greater understanding of the human body.”

“With how many times I've been sent to the hospital, I've given them a head start,” Wyatt joked, not wanting to picture the bodies in the field.

Luna beamed, her eyes twinkling. “A marvelous point, young Wyatt. I shall have the bodies sent to Ponyville’s hospital. It would be remiss of me not to ensure Equestria’s sole human get the medical care he is due.”

Sarah relayed the message before tossing the last thing she’d held onto, the bag, over to Wyatt. “This one is a bag of holding with a few minor protection trinkets and a ‘wand quiver’ with a few single-target attack spell wands. Magic missile, Agnazzar’s scorcher, Melf’s acid arrow, Tasha’s hideous laughter...I forget what the last one is, but nothing too dangerous. Pass the trinkets around to the other riders for a tiny bit of extra defense in case you’re caught with your belts off. I think I need to have that chat with ‘granny,’ so Liz can handle any further questions you may have.”

“Better you than me,” Applejack muttered, pulling her hat down. “Old mare’s as stubborn as a tree stump.”

Sarah actually paused to laugh. “Sounds like Edith alright.”

Applejack blinked. “Who the hay is Edith?”

“Huh, your grandmother’s name wasn’t Edith Smith Apple in this universe?”

“Granny Smith’s name is Maria,” Applejack clarified, shaking her head.

“Interesting to know that even with minor fluctuations like that you still ended up as Applejack.” With that said, Sarah stepped out of the barn and allowed the door to swing shut, or not, behind her.

Liz rapped her knuckles against a wooden support briefly. “She’ll be fine, but I’ve had something nagging at me since we sat down at the table. No offense meant if ‘nagging’ is a slur in the local dialect.” She looked right at Twilight. “Did your mother get seduced by a cat, or did something else happen to change your eyes? Aside from the two ‘evil counterpart’ universes we’ve seen; you never have slitted eyes.”

Twilight burst into giggles, shaking her head. “No, I’m not part cat.” She smiled wide, revealing her fangs. “My brother Spike found his biological family and we joined his clan. Each member of the Sparkle family has a sliver of dragon essence, even Cadance.”

“Not me though,” Wyatt added, tapping the corner of his eye. “Smaug said I'm not allowed because I'm not Twilight's official mate.”

Liz actually frowned at Cadance’s name. “Let’s not talk about the goddess of love and fertility, please. She’s half the reason I really want to get back into a fleshy body. Stupid hormonal teenage love god can’t leave well enough alone...”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “While alicorns are powerful, I could not call us gods. The only god ponies know is Faust herself.”

“Different world, different laws of reality. Your counterpart in our world is a full deity, and I’m pretty sure her evil side is one too, but they’re both still trapped at the moment. Jason comes from a reality where his grandmother is the last known living deity, Hel.”

“We’ve gotten way off topic,” Wyatt cut in, calling his driver. He took his belt off, offering it to Liz. “You’ve given us a lot, why don’t you see if you can’t get anything from us. I’ll go get Trixie and Maud and you can take a look at their belts too.”

“How about you gather them at Goldar’s body? I want to give that a scan and see if I can isolate what components allow him to grow. With luck I could figure out how to create a similar effect in case my hypothesis about a few legendary beasts turns out to be true and I need a sudden growth spurt. Anyone else have any questions about anything so far?”

Wyatt nodded, and everyone else shook their heads. “Alright, then the only thing I have left to say right now is to remind you to never, under any circumstances, put your portable hole into your bag of holding, or your bag of holding into your portable hole.”

Granny Smith sighed, placing a damp rag onto Apple Bloom’s forehead. “Ya headstrong filly. What made ya think ya could make that belt work?” Bloom’s room was messier than the filly herself had left it; a consequence of a few panicked family members. She shook her head, more than a little impressed that her youngest had discovered how to even get at the belt. “Too smart fer your own good.”

“Some might say the same thing about the young filly that discovered the tastiest jam on the planet with a tingle that just can’t be faked.” Sarah’s voice came from the open doorway, but even after announcing her presence she still knocked. “Mind if a friend of the family tries to ease your heart a bit? My sister’s a good nurse, but I’m better at pulling minds out of possible coma situations.”

Granny eyed Sarah for a moment before grunting. “Ah don’t see why not, even if Ah don’t know ya from a can of paint!”

Sarah chuckled as she walked into the room and over to the side of the bed. “My sister’s the one who was in the house earlier treating injuries, but I couldn’t help but notice a couple ponies missing from the crowd...or any displayed photos.” Her voice was gentle as she brushed Apple Bloom’s mane away from the side of her head before pressing the back of her hand against the filly’s temple.

“The photos are kept in the attic,” Granny said with a frown. “Pear Butter and mah son went missin’ years ago. Never found a trace of ‘em.” Her eyes lingered on Bloom. “Ah’m just glad they had Bloom ‘fer they left.”

“Sounds like something you haven’t had to say in a while. I’m sorry to have to bring it up at a time like this, but I was worried about them since they made such a nice couple in my world.” She removed her hand and nodded slowly. “She’ll be fine in a couple hours, shaky and sore for a week at worst, but most likely up and running in a few days.”

“That’s good.” Granny Smith sank back into her chair, sighing tiredly. “At least all the youngin’s are safe and sound.”

“Right.” Sarah moved over and placed her hand on Granny’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. “Your hip’s bothering you worse than they did about ten years ago in this world?”

Granny let out a dry chuckle. “Need’s ta be replaced. Jacky’s tried ta get the money a few times but nothin’ ever panned out.”

“You really should tell your granddaughter before she bucks herself out too. Some things just aren’t worth tradition.” She crouched down just enough to look Granny in the eyes.

“Tell er’ what?” Granny asked, looking back at Sarah.

“Oh, doctors here never made the connection between your bucking tradition and your hips degenerating?” She sighed and looked away briefly. “It always seemed obvious to me, really. I can help you out with the hips. Better than new, as the shysters always claimed. I’d just need a sample of your skin and a few weeks to be sure everything grows right. I can’t revitalize everything about you, but I can make it so that it doesn’t hurt to stand up anymore.”

“Eh, don’t quite get what yer sayin’,” Granny admitted, standing up with some difficulty and walking over to the window. “But how much does this here miracle cure cost?”

“A two-week wait and five days of pain while recovering from the surgery. Less than that if we use the same medical-grade potions that healed Wyatt up. The cost to me would be a couple days worth of frustration making sure the cloned muscles, bones, and various connective tissues grow correctly. At home we charge a tiny service fee for growing the replacement parts: ten bits.”

Granny Smith grunted, her gaze lingering on the orchard. “Ya ever have a secret? One that ya knew iffin’ yer family found out it'd cause a mess o’ problems?”

“Worse. I had a secret that caused my wife to leave me and take both children while accusing me of molestation. That same secret had my religious parents disown me as a demon, and nearly do the same to my sister when she took me in to help me get through it...and it wasn’t even anything remotely illegal.”

Nodding, the old mare turned her attention to a specific patch of trees. “Ah can't say Ah know what that's like, but Ah've kept two of those kinds of secrets. There use'ta be another farm next to ours, run by the Pears-”

“Grand Pear. You hated his guts for years… I’m guessing in this world you didn’t have a friend who was able to show you what was going on with your kids in time to spare some heartbreak?”

Granny Smith let out a sad laugh. “Ah didn't even know they were in love until that rotten Pear and Ah caught’em tying the knot out in the orchard.” Her body shook, decades of pent up rage bubbling to the surface. “That bastard made her choose: Bright Mac or him. She wrote him every week, always hoping he'd come back.” Unable to sustain her anger, she let her shoulders sag. “Never even bothered to find out why she stopped.” Gripping the windowsill, she sighed. “Seein’ those two at that secret altar, it brought somethin’ back. Ah realized mah son had taken after his folks when it came to romance.”

Sarah sighed softly as she gently hugged this version of an old friend, lending herself as a bit of extra emotional support. “I can see why you would still be angry about that. Could you just promise me that you’ll be gentle if he ever shows his puckered old face around here again? Even in my world he wasn’t all that nice about leaving, but her at least gave the deed to their orchard as a wedding gift instead of selling the farm...mostly because that version of you had someone like me who could have made life hell for him, and he knew it.”

“Ah don’t know what we’d have done with that land if we had been given it,” Granny huffed. “Mah liebling ehemann, woulda had t’stop me from puttin’ a torch to those trees.”

“It’s all water under the bridge at this point anyways, and even you used to tell me there’s no point complaining about seeding the wrong field once it’s done.” Sarah chuckled a bit at that. “Took me months to realize that saying meant more than farming.”

“Heh, yeah, farmin’ terms tend t’slip into all walks o’ life fer the Apple clan,” Granny agreed, managing a sly smile. “Even when talkin’ about some good ole fashioned hanky panky.”

“I’m guessing the other secret is related to why ‘Little Jackie’ had no training in how to use her weapon other than like it was a big knife today, and why she’s...how would you have put this? ‘Madder than a rattlesnake in a seed spreader?’ I was never all that good at coming up with metaphors on the spot…”

“That belt was made by an old ancestor, Fuji,” Granny relented. “Came up with the darn thing after marryin’ into us Apples and thought about fruit as a power source. After he passed, his work was spread among the clan, only t’be used if somethin’ like those darned Gurongi showed up again and there were no Riders t’fight ‘em.”

“And I’m guessing you figured that there was no way anyone could find out about it who might want that power for themselves, or be able to track it down until a war broke out in your backyard. I can’t fault you for wanting to keep secrets to minimize the chance of word getting out about it, but your family should have kept a tradition of training to use it in case a need arrived so that it wouldn’t be anyone’s first time if a monster actually showed up.”

“The problem there is that belt is made t’only work for whoever uses it successfully. Only way someone besides Jackie could use that thing now is if she were to…” Granny trailed off, shuddering at the implication. “And Ah never wanted mah grandchildren t’fight. Bright Mac got it in his head t’train himself t’use it. Went out lookin’ fer somepony that could teach him how t’throw a punch before he disappeared in that swamp.”

“Which swamp?”

“Flame Geyser Swamp,” Granny answered simply.

“I see. Well, that’s where I live in my world. I have no idea what it’s like in this one, but I wish I could find some way to help you find closure about him. How long has he been gone, here?”

“They disappeared back when Bloom was ‘bout four, so nearly ten years ago.”

“Hmmm, and Flame Geyser’s got enough dangers to it even without the wild beasts that almost nobody’s going to willingly explore it other than the loonies that built a village there. I’m sorry for your losses.”

“All the able-bodied Apples searched as much of that swamp as we could,” Granny explained, letting her head sag onto the windowsill. “Found no trace of ‘em ‘cept for some of their supplies. It took four stallions t’drag Big Mac outta that swamp, and he was only half the size he is today.”

Sarah quickly cleared her throat and shifted to stand a little further from Granny. “So, getting off the subject of loss, what do you say? No untoward or artificial extension of your life or anything remotely magical aside from the healing afterwards, but you’ll spend your remaining years with a bit more physical comfort than you’ve spent the last decade? I can only imagine how much easier it will make hopping around the watering cans…”

“Now hold on there,” Granny said, smoothing out her clothes and straightening up her stance. “Extend mah life how? Cuz Ah wanna live long enough t’get called Great Granny Smith and the way things are goin’ between mah grandkids, that could be decades from now.”

“I was honestly mostly saying that to not sound like a two-bit snake oil salesman when I was already promising a free medical procedure that would fix your hips better than whatever procedure they’d use here. Something like that, an elixir of youth that could give you back a few decades...that’s something I’d have to bargain with our version of death for, and I don’t think you’d be comfortable with the cost that would entail in things other than money.”

“Ah saw the giant thing ya made, lost any reason to think y’all were a shyster.”

“There’s a world of difference between being able to make that thing for combat and being able to grow precise parts of a person to replace things that have been damaged when their body can’t keep up anymore. I’ll see if I can get something from Celestia instead, maybe something based on her pet phoenix?”

“Alright, but Ah better not wind up becomin’ a newborn outta ashes.”

“Aw, but just imagine the looks on their faces when you tip over the urn and fall out.” Sarah started laughing, and actually had to sit down on the floor as she ended up picturing it herself.

“Hydraulic muscle...fiber-optic nerve replacements…” Liz pointed at various exposed mechanical bits as she examined the body of Goldar. “Looks like they did their best to fit things that were never meant to work together...together.”

“Stop lights,” Wyatt added, having picked up Goldar’s swords. “Big, goofy stop lights.”

“You might want to see about copying that so you can play a silent version of red-light-green-light with any kids you have if their mother needs rest.” Liz teased as she adjusted her optics to scan deeper. “So far I’m not seeing anything that can’t be identified on pure mechanical function alone. The growth might not be induced by an artificial component.”

“It wasn’t anything artificial,” Wyatt dismissed, putting Ninjor’s sword to his hip and giving it a test quickdraw. “Goldar there has parts from Ninjor on him. And old Dudley Do-Right had the power to grow at will.”

“Yeah, I recognize the oversized blue armor bits, but I was hoping there’d be a mechanical component for that rather than some mystical body integration bullshit.”

“What, wanted to film Attack of the 50-Foot Spider?” Wyatt joked, feeling pretty satisfied with the feel of the blade.

“There are five ‘ancient colossi’ on our world, kiddo. A roc of bone, a golden orthos, an amethyst dog, a steel bulette, and an iron two-headed dragon. I’ve seen the roc and we know the bulette is active somewhere even if the other four are currently in stasis lock from energon depletion.” She looked up from the corpse and squinted before creating an illusion of a bird made of bones and what looked like mossy stone with thousands of ants crawling around it. “The ‘bone roc’ is Cutthroat. I don’t know if that name means anything to you, but the things that look like ants in that image there? Those are kobolds.”

“Well, that puts things to scale,” Wyatt muttered, trying to accurately picture the monster. “That thing’s a menace, getting adorable kobolds to take up base on it.”

“That thing’s a Terrorcon; one of five decepticons that combine to form Abominus. The other four ‘legends’ pretty much match the other four members of that same team. I was hoping to find a component that I could extract and scan to obtain a schematic to unlock the lost art of mass-shifting just in case a local idiot in our world decides to ‘kill the invading aliens’ by waking up the ancient engines of destruction. As strong as Sarah and I have become over the decades, and as impressive as her magilisk strain has become since the first iteration, none of us can stand up against a plasma cannon that’d probably make a freight train look small.’

Wyatt shuddered at the thought. “Yeah, probably best to have a defense against that.”

“We’ll at least have some forewarning if they do start to wake up. That one’s buried under the home of a deity...hang on…” She tapped at the ring that had been holding the ruby. “When he enlarged, you were able to grab the ruby out of this with both hands?”

“The ruby looked like it hadn’t grown much, if at all.” Reaching into his bulging pocket, he produced the dimly glowing gem. “Considering it was his power source, growing might’ve put a strain on it.”

“Maybe, but then again power source plus growth plus part that doesn’t grow... Replace ruby with energon crystal… scan next mechanical layer under crystal housing...no wonder this guy screamed when he grew, they bolted it to his ribs and it didn’t grow.”

“Almost makes me feel sorry for him,” Wyatt noted, staring at the remains. “Even he didn’t deserve that kind of treatment.”

“Judge people for how they treat others. Drakkon’s a monster, and this guy was a loyal pet, but even so he was still little more than a rabid dog in the end.” Liz steps away from the body suddenly and smiles. “It’s not perfect, but I think I have a starting point to work from.”

“Glad to hear it,” Wyatt said, letting Ninjor’s sword hang from his waist. “And I think I’m keeping these. I just have a good feeling about them.”

“So, those belts you guys have...they summon armor and provide extra power? Sorry for sounding like I know nothing, but something about yours keeps causing glitches and I can’t focus on it to get a scan to figure it out.”

“Well, mine was just a prop until I got displaced,” Wyatt started, summoning the buckle in question.

“Ugh. Void Dweller magic. No wonder it’s giving me a headache.”

“I may not like those guys, but this bad boy’s been interesting,” he told her, shaking the buckle back and forth. “I actually get forms based on the Displaced that I meet.”

“Really? I wonder how that works in my case considering I have two forms. Do you get one for the humanoid and one for the spider, or is it mostly cosmetic changes?”

“Let me take a look.” Putting the belt to his waist, he summoned his booker. He opened the case, looking for his new cards. It took him a few moments, but he pulled out a card, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “No way, the spider form is a motorcycle!”

“That makes sense considering it is my alternate mode, which were traditionally vehicles to begin with. I’m not going to lie and say I’m not curious about how that would look.” A look of disgust crossed her face after a few seconds. “Please tell me it doesn’t look as goofy as the motorcycle mode they gave Tarantulas in his second season upgrade.”

Wyatt grinned, flicking the card into the belt. “Then let’s see test this bad boy out.” With practiced ease, he attempted to press in the handles on the belt. Only for them to not budge. Blinking, he firmly gripped the handles and tried again. “Aww come on! Why won’t you work?!”

“Error: Machine Ride not detected!”

“Sounds like it’s an upgrade rather than a base form. Let me guess, no motorcycles exist here because they haven’t had a need for mechanized transport and only developed the steam engine fifteen years ago? I know that’s a recent thing back home.”

“Aww man,” Wyatt said, letting his belt disappear. “I was looking forward to using this one. I got my motorcycle license and everything.” He let his shoulders sag as he spoke.

“Cheer up, hero. You have forms based off of my sister and I at least. Depending on what those give you, you could still kick some serious ass. Even if it only gives you things from our characters; Sarah’s will let you fire off a chain lightning-like effect.”

“Chain lightning is cool,” Wyatt conceded, sighing before standing up straight. “But you should check out everyone else's belt too.”

“I doubt I’ll get much out of discount fruit ninja, but who knows, maybe there’s one that’ll impress me, or provide some interface potential. Over the years I’ve managed to figure out ways to reconfigure almost every possible part of my onboard weapons systems, and the stuff I have in subspace fills in the gaps where it’s needed, like with physical projectiles. More than once; Sarah has stated that I’d make Mega Man jealous.”

“Well Maud’s belt utilizes Gaia Memories. They contain the planet's knowledge on any one subject.”

“Interesting. I wonder if there are some gaps in what she’s considered condensing into them?”

“I find the memories, not make them,” Maud stated, slowly walking into view. “I just reshape them so they'll work with the driver.”

“Well, you might want to consider looking for version 2.0 if you found any based on magic or metal before, since we just gave Luna a new metal and a bunch of magic tomes from other worlds...oh, and I’m made of a different metal, so that’s two new metals the planet knows about.” Liz smiles, clearly meaning this more as a joke than anything else as she approaches and offers her hand. “Nice to meet you without the mask. I’m Liz.”

“Maud Pie,” she answered, giving the transformer's hand a gentle shake. Gentle for her anyway.

Liz closes her eyes briefly before slipping her hand out of the grip. “Sorry, forgot to turn off the medical scanner. Did you know your muscles are three times denser than anyone who was injured today, including the big red guy?”

“The Pie diet does that,” Maud answered, letting her arm dangle. “It's rich in minerals.”

“Well, miss Pie, I would consider it an honor if you would allow me to examine your work. I can guarantee they will be returned to you in the same condition.”

Maud slipped her belt from around her waist, holding it out to her. “How hard would you say you are on the Mohs scale?”

“The base form of the metal is almost identical to scandium, so a combination of that and Dark Souls.” She knew the pony wouldn’t get the joke, but it was one of the few video game ones she could make.

Mauds eyes scanned over Liz's form. “Do you think I could get a sample?”

Liz actually took a step back for a moment, looking at Maud intently before reaching up with her right hand and carefully detaching one of the spider legs from her left bicep. “I have a way to repair damage and remake lost parts, but giving you anything other than a single leg could be slightly crippling in the meantime, and anything smaller would hurt just like any injury you get, because I’d have to break a part off.”

“Thank you,” Maud said with a nod. “I'm sure I'll learn a lot.” Turning the limb over in her hands, she examined where it had been disconnected. “The parts I’m seeing look incredibly advanced.”

“Try not to think of it as a part from a machine, but a limb from a mechanical organism. Yes, I know that’s a self-contradicting pair of words, just roll with it.” Liz pauses as if taking a breath to steady herself. “Sorry, I’m telling you not to think of it in the exact same way I had to force myself to think about it in order to-”

“Hey!” Trixie cut in, leaving the group of birds she had been conversing with. “I see your game, Robo-Spider, trying to woo Trixie's girl.” Closing the distance, she poked at Liz's chest. “Tempting her with geology! Well I won't have it!”

“First off, you’re more annoying than Alpha 6. Shut up.” Liz’s tone carried a force with it as she said this to Trixie. “Second, even if I were currently interested in ‘wooing’ someone, your girlfriend’s lacking a crucial component that my sexuality depends on. In other words, you paranoid bitch, I’m straight!”

Trixie snorted, her hand closing around her knuckle. “Oh, so now she's not good enough for you?! Trixie is tempted to turn that ugly head of yours into a bucket!”

“Trixie, calm down,” Maud said, the air around her seeming to turn cold. “I'm dating you, not her. I would like it if you didn't act like a dragon losing their hoard. Are you questioning my faithfulness?”

Trixie adjusted her hat, putting the knuckle away. “No, of course not. Trixie was just putting on an act. One that was clearly not going over well.”

“Right.” Liz pinched the bridge of her nose for a minute and shook her head slowly. “Look, we’re all on the same side here and nobody’s interested in anybody from another dimension. I’ll take your assessment of my body as a compliment, but if you poke me again you’re going to have nightmares, okay?”

“Trixie already fights nightmares,” Trixie rebutted, a smug look crossing her lips. “Things that go bump in the night.”

“I think I’ll pass on examining your driver. You’ve clearly stroked your own ego so hard that you’re just edging all day long.” Liz turns back to Maud and smiles as kindly as she can manage. “So, may I please take a look at your device?”

“You may examine Trixie's.” Clipping the knuckle in place, Trixie offered the belt to Liz. “Think of it as an apology."

Maud ignored Trixie, holding her belt out to Liz again. “Of course you can look at the belt. Would you like to see one of the memories too?”

Liz accepted both belts, and casually placed Trixie’s on a nearby table while turning her attention to the two-sided device Maud had offered. “Please, though this design clearly needs two to operate. I’m assuming some issues came up requiring a balance between powers from one alone causing too much strain?”

“The belt requires one body and two compatible minds,” Maud explained, passing over her Joker memory. “I provide the body, Pinkie supplies her mind.”

Liz turned the memory over in her hands a couple times before carefully examining the interface at the end of it. “Looks like a simple enough connection to make. Slightly different from your standard USB port, but less complex. Larger connectors, fewer in number. I have no way to know just how much storage this has, or how much space a copy would take up without just straight up plugging it in…” She trailed off for a moment before her head jerked back up to look right at Maud. “You said you find these?”

“The world's memories gather in crystals,” Maud elaborated. “I tap into the knowledge and copy it into those devices.”

“Ask Granny to show you the Zap Apple orchard sometime. Something tells me the wild magic in those trees means there’s one or two memory crystals in the area.”

“I've already found a few memories in the area.” Maud blinked slowly. “They don't really have anything to do with magic.”

“Oh, don’t bother looking for one for magic. I don’t think you even could find one for such an all-encompassing force. The idea just popped into my head that there might be some correlation to magical phenomena in an area and a powerful artifact.” With a flick of her wrist; a small panel opened up on Liz’s left forearm, revealing a selection of various slots and ports. “Mind if I try accessing the information on this? See if it’s even readable?”

Maud nodded. “Just don't break it.”

“Honestly, I’m more worried about it causing something in me to break.” A perfectly-sized port slowly opened in her arm as various panels and components reconfigured with a few odd noises. “If I lock up for more than a minute, pull it out, okay?”

“Of course.”

Liz carefully inserted the memory, and twitched slightly as it clicked into place. “Joker...or ace. Reflex and skill enhancement. Fifty-eight petabytes?!” Liz quickly pulled the memory out of her arm and slid the access panel closed.

Wyatt gazed down at the memory, confused. “how big is that number?”

“Fifty-eight times two to the fiftieth power.” Liz replied while looking down at the memory. “I could copy it easily, but it’d take over an hour because I’d want to make sure nothing is lost in the transfer, not one hiccup in the data. Alternatively I would prefer to ask if you could make a copy of these memories of yours, Maud.”

Maud hummed, considering the request. “It would take me a week to get the memories ready.”

“You have all the time in the world. Wyatt can just call me over for a short visit when you have everything ready. Is there anything you’d like me to bring in return? I’ve got a bunch of different metals, energon crystals. I could even see about getting one of Sarah’s more intelligent advisors to cobble together a simple motorcycle to kick-start vehicle development for you guys. Energon crystal power would even mean no pollution.”

“Motorcycle's are good,” Wyatt spoke up rather enthusiastically. “Can't be a Kamen Rider without one.”

“Maud? I was asking what you would like since you’re the one providing the service. I can get a motorcycle cobbled together to cover the ‘shipping charges’ easily enough.”

Maud reached into her smock, pulling out the Rock memory. “I have nine complete memories and three more in development. What is your honest offer?”

“Honestly, there is no way to attach a value to what these memories could do for our world in terms of emergency measures alone if the others even have only half of the potential applications of this one. I could offer raw materials, enchanted or psionically-enhanced items, or even golems to serve and assist you and not reach an equitable balance with all combined.” She handed the Joker memory back over to Maud, then tapped one hand against her hip as she began pacing. “More potions would be virtually worthless, because what we brought should last close to a year even with multiple people drinking two a day. Most of you wouldn’t be able to utilize items that manifest psionic powers...but extra weapon options never hurt, and I know for a fact I can embed a dorje into a gun grip and the ‘fire’ impulse most people generate when pulling a trigger is sufficient. Amulets and other extra defenses could keep you safe if you’re ambushed without your armor, but they’d need to be something comfortable so you wouldn’t notice they’re even there…”

Maud closed her hands around Liz's. “I'll accept any payment you deem appropriate.”

Liz looked down and smiled, but continued to think in silence for a few more seconds. “Spiked chains that can catch an enemy unaware with an attack because a thought causes them to double in length. A hammer that can cause enemies to trip from range. ‘Guns’ powered by crystals that require actual intent to kill or injure to fire and thus cannot be fired accidentally just because the trigger is pulled. Boots that ensure you land on your feet after a fa...horseshoes that ensure you land on your feet after a fall, and cushion that landing.”

“This all sounds good,” Maud acknowledged, nodding at the gynoid. “Any one of those will be fine. I don’t like putting a price tag on the exchange of knowledge.”

“Sorry, it’s hard to break old habits, and my sister and I have had to work out trade deals every time we want something for our own use even though we provide medical services to the world practically free, and limb replacements at a miniscule cost. I’ll pick a few suitable powerful items and you can distribute them to your friends and family as you see fit. Primarily defensive boosters for those that don’t have special armor suits.”

“That should come in handy, thanks,” Wyatt told her. “And we’re not nobles, farthest thing from them,” he concluded with a cheeky grin.

“Very well. Give me a call back in about a week’s time in your world. Who knows how much time that’ll be in mine, but we’ve found that time tends to synchronize while worlds are connected. I should have a fair selection of things for you to choose from by then, even if I have to dig up things that Sarah and I haven’t used in years for one reason or another.”

“Alright, I can put that on my schedule,” Wyatt said with a nod. “Let’s go get your sister and I’ll send you two home.”

“In any other circumstances I’d say just send me off and she’d be sent away too, but since she’s talking to Granny Smith I know that’d be a bad idea unless she got an answer out of her.”

“Yeah, I sensed heartfelt talk vibes,” Wyatt agreed, heading for the path back to the farmhouse. “I’d hate to cut someone off mid-sentence.”

“That old mare’s been a good friend to both of us over the years. Sarah does everything she can to ease her old-age pains since neither of us are feeling any and she is.” Liz shrugged. “I’ve long-since made peace with the fact that we’ll both eventually outlive her, but I do what I can to help.”

Wyatt rubbed the back of his head, a frown coming over his face. “Here, Kuuga and Agito, the two displaced before me seemed to not age after a while. In fact, Agito is still around, looking young. It’s made me wonder if the same thing will happen to me. Gotta say, immortality is a hard concept to wrap my head around.”

“Yeah, well, can’t say you’re wrong there.” She pointed out that the platform was already moving farther away from the farmhouse. “Looks like business has concluded. Sarah’s probably asking where to find us.”

“Need a lift?” Wyatt asked, summoning his driver. “I can fly you up there if you want.”

“Nah. I don’t need to be in proximity for the piggyback systems to trigger properly, and I’ll see my nieces again soon enough. You make sure you check every corner of that bag of holding, okay? Chances are good that Sarah put a few of our duplicate tokens in there and just doesn’t know which ones are in which bag. I know we have multiple genji gloves and we’ve found a few digivices, for example.”

“Can do,” Wyatt assured her, giving a thumbs up. “See ya in a week. Our Contract is complete.” Liz, the platform,and Sarah, even if the latter was unseen, all vanished from the world in a brief flash of purple light.

Somber sat at the head of the council table, gazing out at the assembled group before him. “It seems, Drakkon, your enforcer wasn't up to par. No matter, we have what we wanted.”

“I have a question,” Drakkon started, ignoring the slight against Goldar. “That boy you’ve got your eye on. He is entirely unimpressive. Why are you bothering with him? Surely you can find someone better.”

Somber chuckled, a black sound devoid of humor. “I'll Grant you that, Drakkon. He is young and inexperienced; something each of our little terror attacks improves on. You see, it matters not what losses we take, as long as Wyatt is fed improvements, Dai-Shocker will reap the rewards.”

“And what did we gain this time?” A new voice demanded. At the far end of the table sat Emperor Zero, head of the Garanda Empire. Sporting grey Knight armor and a rather obnoxious wing themed headdress, he didn't stand out much from Dai-Shockers more flamboyant leaders. “Our newest member failed to take a simple farm!”

Somber tossed the lockseed onto the meeting table, the lock unfolding into a rose-themed motorcycle. “The farm was not our goal. While we did not get the belt, we gained something far better, another realm.”

“Finster 5 was able to trace the two Interlopers back to their world,” Drakkon added, regarding Zero coldly. “My sentries were successful in sending a probe to their little Haven.”

Somber nodded, waving a hand. “Taiga, fetch some of your fangires and have them commence a scouting operation.” Glancing over his shoulder, he beckoned Apollo over. “Recall Eternal and Lupin, I may have need of them.”

Apollo bowed, adjusting his gloves on his hands. “Of course, Great Leader. I’ll get Lupin first, he’s much more agreeable when being pulled away from his personal time.”

Somber nodded, waving Apollo off. There was no need to micromanage Apollo. The man got results and Somber felt no compulsion to hinder him. “Now, Zero, if you have any more uninformed questions, please feel free to ask them.”

Zero sat back in his seat, a grimace on his face. “No, Great Leader. I have no other questions.”

“Good.” Somber gestured to the door. “Now go down to the Nexus and review our most recent batch of intelligence reports.”

Zero rose from his chair, flourishing his cape behind him as a dimensional portal opened behind him. He muttered to himself, the words being lost as he passed through the portal.

Story Time With Agito

A couple days had passed since Daring and Agito had been attacked by the mob of spirits. In that time, Agito had kept making talismans and the pair hadn’t seen another ghost since. That was just fine by Daring. Henchponies? Those she could handle; they had faces she could kick in without a special holy weapon. Somehow, she had not previously encountered spirits like these despite all her years of tomb raiding.

“Haven’t seen any ghosts in a while,” Daring commented, kicking a rock out of her path. “That’s a good sign, right?”

“The talismans are doing their job then,” Agito replied, handing Daring one of the pieces of paper. “Always remember to send a little prayer to the family, got it?”

“Ok.” Taking the talisman, she started her prayer. It never mattered to her that she had never seen anyone in her adopted family besides her dad; family was family. She tried not to smile; her father’s words on the matter echoing through her head.

Agito let silence reign between them, continuing his own prayers. He pushed the mantra to the back of his focus, examining the map and compass to ensure they were still on the right path.

Daring let a few minutes pass before breaking the silence. “You know, you never did tell me how Uncle Kuuga died. We still have a while to go and I don’t really have any stories you don’t already know about.”

“It's not a story I like to tell,” Agito replied, his mood souring. “It's why I hung up the belt.”

“That a no?” she asked, frowning at him.

“That's a, let me think about it,” Agito replied curtly, putting away the map and compass. “If I was going to tell anyone that story, it'd be you.”

“That’s something, at least,” Daring grumbled, looking out across the desert. “I figure we got another day of walking ahead of us.”

Agito sighed, taking a sip from his canteen. “Which means a full day of talisman making.” Placing it back on his belt, he gave her a hard look. “I know your books are a good bit of exaggeration, but tell me, have you had to kill anyone yet?”

Daring rubbed her neck, her muzzle scrunched up in thought. “Honestly, couldn't tell ya. It's not like I've ever gone out with the intent to kill; but during daring escapes I've pulled some stunts that at the very least caused serious damage to some lackeys.”

“That Wyatt kid and his friends probably think those creatures they kill don’t count but I assure you they do. Just because it’s not human or equine doesn’t mean it’s not alive.”

“Pretty sure there's a difference between a rampaging beast and intelligent life,” Daring argued, her thoughtful look giving way to confusion. “You're not going vegetarian in your old age, are you?”

“Nah, just don’t want my pride and joy turning into a killer, that’s all.”

“You don't have to worry about that,” Daring assured, waving him off. “If I haven't even killed that jerk, Ahuizotl, then I doubt I'll ever set off with the intention to kill.”

Agito nodded, stopping at the top of a hill. “You have no idea what I wouldn’t give for a nice iced tea right now. Deserts suck.”

Daring came up next to him, examining the barren landscape for any signs of more ruins they could spend the night. Despite her best efforts, nothing presented itself to her. “Sorry Dad, closest thing to home brewed iced tea we got is the powdered drink mix. It wouldn’t even be cold.”

“Can’t you whip up a snow cloud or something?” he asked halfheartedly. “I spent all that time and money making sure you got a proper pegasus upbringing and you can’t even cool your old man off.”

“Slight problem with that, Dad,” Daring said, pointing to the sky. “There are no clouds in the sky. And the air's so dry that it would take me forever to make a cloud from scratch.” Extending a wing, she whacked him on the side of the head. “Flight camp and an internship at the weather factory does not make a proper ‘pegasus upbringing’.”

Agito snorted, rubbing his nose to hold back a sneeze. “If you haven’t noticed, your dad doesn’t have wings.” Reaching over, he plucked one of her feathers. “I raised you out of diapers, I think I’m entitled to a few over dramatizations.”

Daring rolled her eyes, batting his hand away. “You're not ever going to let me forget the diapers.” Stepping away, she made her way down the hill. “Come on, we’re burning daylight.”

Agito nodded, carefully following his daughter. “Perhaps if you decided to continue the family line, I could turn my horrible paternal gaze to them instead.”

“Yeah well, thanks to a certain someone, I've got some issues that manifest in… interesting ways during relationships. So no plans for kids in the foreseeable future.”

“Don’t start with that psychobabble with me,” Agito grumbled, loosening his cloak. “I’ve seen first hand how bad Equestria’s mental health system used to be. Ponies have tried to drill holes in my head to get the bad thoughts out. Or tell me I just needed more sex.”

“Uh huh, and when's the last time you talked to a Psychiatrist?” Daring asked with a quirked brow.

“About a hundred and twenty years ago. She tried to get me to orgasm with an electrified prod. It was all painfully similar to how the field developed back on Earth; only with it more oriented to treating women for made up things.”

“Okay, and you don't think things have developed in the last century?”

“Probably,” Agito conceded, gazing out ahead of them. “Don’t care to find out.”

“Sounds like something someone in need of help would say,” Daring teased, bracing herself as the wind picked up. “I mean, look. You were always there for me when I need an ear to listen. No reason I can’t be an ear for you.”

“If I wanted someone in my head, I'd hand them a hammer,” he grumbled.

“Hey, I said listen, not get in your head,” Daring corrected. “I know you don’t want to talk about it but I have a right to know what happened to my uncle.”

Gritting his teeth, Agito pulled ahead of her. “I might tell you when we make camp tonight.”

“Damint will you just stop!” Daring growled, flaring her wings out. “You always told me Ohana meant everything, that family was the most important thing someone could have. I want to know.”

Agito huffed, stopping dead in his tracks. “Fine, you want to know so badly? I'll tell the damn story.” Dropping his pack, he spread out a blanket. “Sit and listen.”

Daring mimicked his actions, sitting across from the man. She leaned on her bag, her ears perking up to listen close. “Whenever you’re ready, Dad.”

Agito sighed, putting a hand to his beard. Closing his eyes, he found a place to start.

Daguva towered over the brothers, easily twelve feet to their measly six. Agito brought up an arm, bracing himself as the giant's leg came down on top of him. He cried out, the force of the blow nearly breaking his arm and brought him to his knees.

Kuuga picked himself off the ground, moving in close and jabbing Daguva in the side. “That arm okay?” he asked, ducking under Daguva’s backswing.

Agito hopped to his feet, flexing his arm. “I can move it, that's something.” He darted to the opposite side of his brother, punching the Gurongi's other side. “You got a plan besides hitting him a lot?”

Kuuga jumped back, narrowly avoiding a punch from Daguva. “If I had a plan, I'd have shared it by now!” Grabbing a large branch, he swung it across Daguva’s face. “We’re just gonna have to hold out until the pillars get here.”

Daguva bellowed as the branch struck him, the sound echoing across the snowy field. “The Gegeru is almost complete; the only thing remaining is to take your lives.”

“He says that like we'll make it easy for him,” Agito commented, picking up a branch of his own and throwing it like a spear at the back of Daguva's head. He tsked as it burst into flames, reduced to ash before it reached its target. “Well, that's disconcerting.”

“Keep him busy,” Kuuga instructed, disengaging from the fight. Pulling back, he made his way towards a hill.

Agito chuckled weakly, rolling out of the way of Daguva's leg. “Sure thing, bro; that sounds easy! Take your time!”

“Cobblestone!” Kuuga called, cresting the hill in seconds. “I need your help!”

An earth pony rushed forward, a panicked look on his face. “What dost thou require?!”

“Your sword, I need your sword.” Kuuga held his hand out, panting. “Any sign of the Pillars? Any at all?”

“Stygian said that he was gathering them!” Cobblestone replied, tearing his sheathed sword from his side and tossing it to Kuuga. The stallion watched in wonder as the man caught it; both he and the sword transmogrifying.

“Thanks, Cobblestone.,” Kuuga replied, adjusting his grip on the large sword. “I know Stygian will move as fast as he can.” Turning back to the fight, he sighed. “Cobblestone, if Agito and I fall, get out of here.”

“Which means I shall not need to move,” cobblestone replied, a small smile on his face. “Thou shall not let any foe best thee. This I know.”

Kuuga gave a thumbs up before moving as fast as his new form allowed. “Okay, Gouram, gonna need you for this too.”

A metallic cry echoed from the sky, a gold and black beetle racing down from the sky. Heeding its masters mental commands, it zipped through the sky, swooping down to rake its claws against Daguva’s body.

Daguva hissed in pain, swatting at the beetle only to catch empty air as it pulled up into the air.

Agito backpedaled, putting as much distance between himself and Daguva as he could. “I assume you put a plan together?” he asked, turning to Kuuga. “Because I’d rather not get turned into a blood sausage.”

“At the very least, I have a loose concept!” Kuuga shouted back, directing Gouram while he charged at Daguva. Thrusting forward, his sword sank into Davuga’s side, drawing sizzling brackish fluid.

Daguva shouted, raising his arms above his head to bring them down on Kuuga. Before he could, Gouram charged, clamping his pincers around the Gurongi's wrist.

Closing the distance between them, Agito jumped at Daguva’s other arm. Wrapping his own around him, he braced himself against the man’s hulking mass. “Take your shot!”

Kuuga jumped up, wrapping his hands around Daguva’s belt. Grunting in exertion, he attempted to tear it off the giant's waist. Gripping onto it like an iron vice, he pulled as hard as he could.

Daguva struggled against Gouram and Agito, feeling the strap of his belt against his waist. “Cheap tricks won't save you!” he boomed. “I came to fight you man to man and you play tricks like a coward!”

“Too bad for you, I’m a bit underdressed for that,” Kuuga replied, continuing to pull on the belt. With a final application of strength, the belt tore free, amber colored electricity arcing off it. Kuuga let himself drop to the ground, scrambling away from the Gurongi.

A scream of primal rage and pain escaped Daguva as he shuddered. His body pulsed and throbbed, reducing in size. He swore in his native tongue, a strange language neither brother understood. They got the general message though, Daguva wasn’t exactly pleased with them. Within moments, he had returned to human form.

Letting his transformation cancel out, Kuuga fell to his knees. A laugh built in his chest, growing into a full on fit. “Ha! We did it! We saved the world! Wooo!!!”

Agito cancelled his own transformation, stepping up towards his brother. “Yeah, don’t know how, but we did.” Another step and he joined Kuuga on the ground. “Fucker hits like a truck.” Multiple red spots stained his clothes, spots where Daguva had punctured his armor. He glanced at Kuuga’s hands, frowning at the belt. “So, what do we do with that thing?”

“Hide it,” Kuuga responded, whipping some blood out of his eyes. “Probably blow up a continent if we broke it.”

“Then let’s give it to Tia and Lulu,” Agito replied, looking back up towards the sky. “They know more about this world than we do.”

“Hail, Agito, Kuuga!” Rockhoof’s deep baritones carried over the harsh winter breeze. “It seems you lads have already taken care of the big scary monster.”

“Yup.” Kuuga gave a weak thumbs up. “We’d get up to say hello, but we’re a little tuckered out.”

“You both look mighty cold,” Meadowbrook commented, sliding her mask up. “Ah’m sure Starswirl can conjure up some blankets for ya.”

“Blankets sound good,” Agito conceded. “And maybe someone could carry our sorry asses inside somewhere?”

“Why is that mongrel still alive?” Starswirl demanded, pushing his way to the front of the approaching group. “I made it very clear that Daguva was too big a threat to remain alive.”

“Taking his belt was the best we could do,” Kuuga argued, his mood souring slightly with the old wizard’s arrival. “If you haven’t noticed, he’s no longer a threat. Without his belt, he’s just an ordinary man.”

Starswirl snorted, looking down from his beard. “There can never be such a thing as ‘ordinary’ when dealing with monsters like him.”

“You want him dead, nut up and do it yourself,” Agito challenged, tilting his head towards Starswirl. “We're not gonna do your dirty work for you.”

Stygian moved into view, wearing an uneasy smile. “I think we should get them somewhere warm. We can decide what to do with Daguva while Meadowbrook tends to their wounds.”

“Aye, the boy is talking sense,” Rockhoof agreed, running a hand through his beard. “All is well for today, it's time to celebrate and recover, not fight.” With a humorous glint, he hefted Agito over his shoulder. “I can carry them both back.”

“Just be careful with them,” Meadowbrook warned, producing a handkerchief and dabbing it on the corner of Agito's cheek. “They might have broken bones.”

“And what of Kuuga's servant?” Starswirl questioned, looking over the battlefield once more. “Did you send him off to kill more animals for you?”

“I only told him to run if we died,” Kuuga replied, weakly trying to make himself comfortable on Rockhoof's shoulder. “Cobble?! You nearby?!”

“I am here, Mi’lord!” Cobblestone shouted back, waving from the hill. “I shall be at thine side post haste!”

Kuuga sighed in relief, his body relaxing. “There you go, Beardy, Cobblestone didn't wander off.”

“My name is Starswirl,” the wizard reminded, his voice full of condescension. “Must I remind you every time we meet? Or is that beyond your megear abilities?”

Kuuga shrugged, wincing in pain. “Eh, I'm trying to get a nickname to stick.”

Starswirl ignored the man, leading the group back to civilization. Feeling generous, he conjured up blankets for the pair of men. “That should keep until we’re back in Sleipnirheim. Magnus, take custody of our prisoner.”

Magnus nodded, pulling rope from out of his bag and binding the unconscious Daguva. With a grunt of effort, he hefted the man over his shoulder. “Prisoner is secured.”

“Yes Magnus, we have eyes,” Starswirl chided, the bells on his outfit jingling softly. “Come along then, we’ve wasted enough time on this charade as it is.”

The group shared a look, but followed after Starswirl without a word. After a moment of awkward silence, Somnambula spoke. “Your betrothed and her sisters joined us on our trip, Agito. She was highly concerned for your safety.”

Agito chuckled weakly, taking stock of his injuries. “I doubt seeing me like this will ease her mind. Something tells me she's going to give me a long talking to.”

“It just means she cares,” Mistmane assured, giving him an easy smile. “Now that your quest is over, you might consider taking a nice long rest.”

Agito nodded, smiling back. “I think there's a beach with our name on it.” He turned his head to Cobblestone. “Hey Cobble, did you get that thing I sent you into town for?”

“Ah er, yes, I was able to acquire it.” Cobblestone nodded, patting at his vest. “Ah! I almost forgot. A few humans arrived in town while I was obtaining it. I believe they were awaiting the outcome of your battle.”

The brothers shared a look, before Agito told him, “Good job getting it, buddy. Keep it close until I leave with Dagi.”

“Perhaps you should reconsider courting a sea beast,” Starswirl spoke, keeping his eyes forward. “No good will come from their kind.”

“And maybe you should shut your mouth, before I feed you your beard,” Agito growled. “Perhaps you should reconsider being a racist asshole?”

“Calm down, Agito,” Meadowbrook said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Ignore Starswirl. The old coot forgets ignorance like that nearly killed ponies altogether.”

This seemed to sooth Agito for the moment, the group returning to a tense silence. Sleipnirheim sat on Equestria’s Northeastern cost, right over the line into the ice and snow of the Frozen North. Hardy earth ponies and a few pegasi made it their home, their lives dedicated to the cold northern sea. The buildings were made entirely of wood, the roofs lacking the thatched tops that were common in most of Equestria. It was harsh looking, but it was civilization enough.

“We have a few rooms at the inn,” Rockhoof said, moving through the snow with ease. “Better than sleeping in the common room. Reminds me of the time some of my Helm comrades slept in a common room. Woke up to find one of those digging dogs had stolen all their things!”

“Diamond Dogs tend to like shiny objects,” Meadowbrook offered, smiling at a pair of foals in a snowball fight. “Don’t see a lot of them this far north.”

Agito followed Meadow's line of sight, smiling at the foals himself. “Guess they're not a fan of the cold. Neither am I honestly. Rather be on some nice warm sand with a beer in my hand.” Grinning at Kuuga, he added in Hawaiian “Think I can get a woodcarver to make me a board? Inventing surfing sounds like a fun way to kill time.”

Kuuga gave his brother the shaka hand gesture, replying in one of their native tongues. “Sounds good to me. Be sure to teach these ponies to drink from coconuts and pineapples too.”

“I’m not turning them into tourists in their own country. I have standards.” Agito smirked, noting the stiff look on Starswirl’s face. “I told you he hates it when we don’t speak his language. Freaking bigot.”

“And that's why we do it,” Kuuga reminded with a chuckle. There was a pain in his chest, but it was worth it. “Don’t worry too much about him, Tsukiya. He’s just an old man who doesn’t want to change.”

Agito rolled his eyes, giving his brother a look. “Really Ke’alohi, wasn't using the rider titles your idea?”

Kuuga frowned, looking down at the snow. “Yeah well, that’s something I wanted to talk to you abou-”

“Alright you two, I think you can make it to your rooms.” Rockhoof came to a stop, placing both brothers on their feet. “Don’t worry none about payment, we took care of that.”

Agito and Kuuga brushed themselves off, luckily able to stand under their own power. “Thanks Rockhoof,” Kuuga told him, looking towards the door. “I'm ready for a nap.” He stumbled, shoved to the side as Adagio stormed out of the inn.

“How dare you!” the siren snapped, stopping in front of Agito. “I could have helped, I could have done something! And yet you just go running off with your idiot brother to go fight a monster!”

“Called it,” Agito muttered, wilting under Adagio's harsh gaze. “Dagi, I know you're mad, but Equestrian magic doesn't work on Gurongi. Plus, I'm still here, right?”

Adagio sneered, storming back into the inn without another word.

“Remember my advice, Agito.” Starswirl stepped into the building, giving Agito a pointed look.

Agito balled his fists, slowly stomping towards the building. “You better hope your beard is clean, asshole because it's your dinner tonight,” he seethed, reaching for the door.

“Agito, remember what I said.” Kuuga put his hand on Agito’s shoulder. “He’s an old man, and eventually, ideas like his will die out.”

Agito groaned, relaxing his fists into open hands. “Fine, no assaulting the elderly. If you need me, I'm going to try and smooth things over with Dagi.”

Kuuga slapped his back. “Of course you are, I need nieces to spoil after all.” Wearing a jolly expression, he went in first, almost skipping. “Get to fixin!”

Agito adjusted the blanket around him, his cheeks heating up. “Dumbass,” he muttered. “Don't even know if that's possible.” Steeling himself, he moved inside. The place was warm enough, a few ponies milling about. Some humans were standing around Kuuga, firing rapid fire questions at him.

He found a wall to lean on, happily letting his brother hog the attention.

“You got Dagi sooo mad~” Sonata singsonged, twirling over to him. “Aria wants to beat you up too!”

“Yeah well, story of our relationship,” he said, waving his hand airily. “I do something dumb and she happily tells me how stupid I am.”

“Well, go say your sorry!” Sonata took his hand, dragging him towards a door. “Make sure to tell her you love her lots and give her a nice snack!”

“Don't need to tell me twice,” Agito assured her. “Just needed a moment to brace myself for more yelling.”

Patting his head, she pushed him through the door. “Go to it!”

He was greeted by Adagio with her back turned to him. He rubbed the back of his head, sucking in a deep breath. “Dagi, I'm sorry. You wanted to help and I didn't even properly talk with you. I just… I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you.”

“So you don’t trust me to take care of myself?” Adagio questioned, her massive head of hair bobbing up and down. “That makes me feel so good about myself.”

“That's not it,” Agito immediately replied, going up behind her and pulling her into a hug. “I was scared, Dagi. And that kind of fear can make someone dumb like me forget how capable you are.”

“I don’t think you’re dumb, I just call you that so I don’t call you something worse.” Adagio turned, putting her arms around him. “Never do that again, do you understand?”

Agito put a hand on her cheek, smiling softly. “Okay, from now on we talk things out.”

Adagio put a finger to his lips. “I think you talk too much, Agito. I can think of better things to do with that mouth of yours.”

“You better stifle your singing voice then,” he retorted with a wicked grin, taking a seat on the bed. “Bet the walls here are thin.”

“Woah, okay, I think that’s enough…” Daring interrupted quickly, and shifted into a slightly more comfortable position. “Just because I’m impressed that you were with a siren doesn’t mean I want to hear every detail.”

Agito cleared his throat, blushing. “Right, sorry. Got carried away trying to give a complete account of that day.”

Agito ran his hand through Adagio’s hair, tracing the curls. “You have the best hair of anyone I’ve ever met. Women would kill for hair like this.”

“Out of all my fantastic features, it's my hair you fawn over?” she teased, the pair cuddled up in bed. “And I thought males had very specific tastes.”

“What can I say, I'm a weirdo,” Agito replied, letting his hand stop behind her ear and give it a scratch. “I think part of it’s the way your fin just appears in the middle when it’s wet.”

Despite the calming effect of the scratch, a frown crossed Adagio's muzzle. “Don't remind me. We've been thrown out of towns because of sudden rainstorms.”

“Attitudes will change, just give it time.” Kissing her nose, he pulled away. “I’m going to get something to eat, you want anything?”

Adagio stretched out, sitting up in bed. “Just some juice and maybe a little pastry. You
know what I like.”

Slipping his pants on, Agito grabbed his shirt off the floor. “You got it.” Pulling it on as he walked through the door, he spotted Kuuga chatting with what looked like a Linto priestess. “Hey, who's your friend?” he asked as he moved to the counter.

“Oh she's Landra, she's a priestess,” Kuuga explained, waving to his brother. “Says she's talking to believers of Faust to exchange ideas.”

“Sounds like a fun time. Just make sure you tell em’ about Madame Pele. Otherwise they’ll end up homeless like Uncle Cameron.” Stopping at the bar, he conversed with the owner. Siding a few bits over, he placed his order.

“Uh, Uncle Cameron lost his house to loan sharks, not a volcano,” Kuuga pointed out, taking a sip of his drink.

“Which was then caught in that lava flow. Who are we to know her mood?” Agito turned, his back to the pair. He blinked, hearing a glass hit the floor. “You okay?” Looking back, he was greeted by a sight that froze his blood.

Kuuga's eyes were rolled in the back of his head, the veins on his face a sickly black. A sickly black vine had wrapped around his hand, dark thorns digging into his skin. Landra met Agito’s eyes, a cold smile on her face.

Agito's face morphed into a mask of rage, his belt appearing on his waist and he tackled the smiling woman off her stool. “What did you do to him!?”

“Put an end to a heretic,” she simply said, her appearance shifting. Revealing herself as the rose Gurongi, she chuckled. “Never again will anyone challenge lord Daguva.”

Agito slapped his hands down on the buttons of his belt, punching the fake.priestess in the face. “You're right about that. Because Daguva will never get that belt of his back. And you won’t see tomorrow.” Agito pressed another button, the light in his belt turning red and a sword hilt appearing from it. He grabbed the hilt, pulling his weapon free. Turning the blade downward, he attempted to stab her in the throat.

The fake priestess grabbed the blade of the sword, crying out in pain as smoke rose up from her hand. Her effort proved futile, and there was a sudden jolt up his arm as the tip embedded in the floor beneath her.

“Tsukiya...” Kuuga groaned, falling out of his chair. “Tsukiya... get over here...”

Agito left his sword in the gurongi, scrambling to his brother's side. “Hey, hey, don't talk,” Agito urged, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. “You need to keep your strength up until Meadowbrook can take a look at you.”

“No, you have to listen,” Kuuga inisted, gulping weakly. “I’m sorry, for all of this. It’s my fault we’re here... I wanted to be a hero so bad... guess I get a hero’s death too.” He shivered, reaching out for his hand.

“Ke’alohi,” Agito croaked, his voice warbling slightly as his transformation faded. “You idiot, there's nothing to be sorry about. Now shut up, Meadowbrook will be here in a second.”

Kuuga shook his head. “Always... putting me first. I dragged you into being a hero...” Grasping Agito’s hand, he locked eyes. “You gotta start living for yourself... promise me... promise me you’ll never use that belt again, not for me or anyone else. Promise you’ll only use it for you.”

“Ke’alohi… what am I supposed to say to that?”

“Say you will,” Ryusei pressed, his body tensing up. “Be the person you want to be, not the one others want you to be.” He smiled again, his hand going limp. “Promise me...”

Agito's tears started to flow freely, nodding slowly. “Okay, you win...”

“And that’s it. I made a promise to my dying brother.”

Daring stared down at the sand, a frown on her face. “That… that’s awful.”

“You know the rest from there: the pillars went missing, all the humans went back across the sea, and I went into a very long drug induced haze.” Agito stood back up, grabbing his pack.

Daring stood up as well, picking up their blankets. “And what about your marefriend? What happened with her?”

“I already told you, D.D, Bearded Idiot and friends banished her, at least that’s what Celestia told me.”

“Right,” Daring replied, going silent for a few moments. “Still, it was kind of wrong for Uncle Kuuga to ask that of you. I mean… only use your belt for yourself.”

Agito shook his head. “I didn’t think you’d understand, it’s a very... Japanese thing to ask. The gist is, he wanted me to want to use the belt; to want to be a hero for my own reasons, not let myself do it because people want me to.”

“See, I might've understood if you told the story in Japanese,” Daring pointed out, starting back on their makeshift path. “Implications change when you say that in Equish.”

“You’re probably right.” Agito punched her lightly in the arm. “But hey, you got to learn your old man’s real name, that oughtta keep you happy for a bit.”

“Yes, a depressing story is just what I needed to be happy,” Daring said, rolling her eyes. “Still, I did ask.” Mulling an idea over, she glanced at him. “Does Tsukiya mean anything?”

“My name,” Agito replied curtly, pulling ahead of her. “The one I gave up.”

“Yeah, I got that but, does it mean anything,” Daring pressed, staring at his back.

“It means moon, My brother and I were born at night. His name means ‘like a star’,” Agito explained. “Wanted us to be connected to both our ancestries.”

“That sounds like a lovely gesture.” Daring smiled at him. “So, how badly do you want me to not tell anyone your real name?”

Agito sighed, looking back at her. “What's it gonna cost me?”

“I'll think of something,” Daring said with a devious chuckle. “How about you get a role in my next book?”

“No thanks,” Agito dismissed. “I hate attention. That was more your uncle's thing.”

“Hey, those are my terms,” she reminded, poking at his side. “Non-negotiable.”

Agito groaned, pinching his brow. “I taught you too well. Fine, you can put me in, but I have to approve it first.”

Daring grinned, chuckling. “You'll see how much those college classes paid off.” Putting her wing around him, she glanced at him. “You know uh... there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Well, we’ve got all the time in the world. So, what do you need to talk to your old man about?”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. We can talk about it after we figure out what’s going on.” Daring pulled away, putting some distance between them. “It’s not important.”

“Oh no,” Agito started, jogging up to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. “When you say that phrase in that way, it means it's important to you. Now, talk. Or else I'll backpedal to that part of the story between Adagio and I.”

Sighing, Daring fluffed her wings. “You remember that one story, about the eternal flowers?”

“Didn't that have something to do with Mistmane? She loved flowers.” Agito scratched at his beard, trying to recall.

“That’s not important. The truth is... I kept one of them,” she admitted, rubbing her arm.

“Debating with yourself whether you want to be immortal?” He guessed. “Take it from me, it's not all it's cracked up to be.”

“Yeah well, I don’t think it’d be so bad if I had you around.” Daring glanced at him. “Admit it, you’d be nowhere fast without me.”

“Oh, can't argue with you there,” Agito admitted. “I probably would've relapsed. So, did you eat or do something with the flower?”

“No, I didn’t, I put it in a pot and made sure it was safe.”

Agito nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I can't tell you to do this. It has to be something you want.”

Ahuizotl examined the ruins of the Arisen temple. The various symbols were intriguing to him. While he had no formal training, his artifact hunting had let him learn about other cultures. This place was a shrine to death, that much was clear. Granted, the title gave that much away.

A spirit passed by him, causing him to shudder. These were nothing like the dearly departed and remembered that his mother spoke of. They were cold and without any thought of their own. “Padre, what is all of this?”

“I am preparing for the ritual,” Camazotz replied, motioning with his hands and letting spirits prepare the altar at the center of the room. “I'm only missing one crucial thing.”

“And what is that?”

“The sacrifice.”

Ahuizotl clicked his tongue. “And just what is this sacrifice?” Nothing about this was right to Ahui. Spirits should be receiving their eternal reward, not serving a thing that wasn’t quite dead nor alive.

“Not a what, a who. Daring Do,” Camazotz said with a chuckle. “As I understand, you two have quite the history. I thought I would gift her to you, even let you end her life.”

Ahuizotl’s ears folded to the back of his head and his tail thrashed behind him wildly. “That is not something I want! I’ve left her alone in traps because I don’t want her dead! If I did, I would have made it so already!”

Camazotz cackled, a hollow sound that rattled his bones. “Oh, hijo, don’t tell me you’re infatuated with her? Oh, what a joke for the ages!”

Ahuizotl bristled at his father’s mockery, his eyes narrowed at the skeletal figure. “It is one of our old ways. She defeated me many moons ago, now I must either return the favor or take her for a bri-” he gagged, his father’s ethereal hand wrapping around his throat.

“She will die, Ahui, the purpose for which I marked her. I will rip her heart from her chest and with her lifeblood I will become the Arisen!” Dropping Ahui like a sack of bricks, Camazotz gestured to the spirits around them. “I don’t expect you to understand, hijo, you’re as ignorant as your madre.”

Ahuizotl tried to speak, but all that came out was a series of coughs. He glared at his father, the wheels in his mind starting to turn.

Camazotz stepped towards the altar, ascending its steps. “If you behave yourself, Ahui, I shall educate you in this land’s mythology.”

Ahuizotl rose to his feet and nodded slowly. “Fine, padre. We’ll go with your plan.”

“My plan is simply to correct a mistake,” Camazotz explained, placing his hands on the altar. “You see, Ahui, the gods of this land were just as savage and demanding as our own; the sacrifices in their service equally as bloody.”

“And this Arisen, was that an instrument of their bloody appetites?” Ahuizotl questioned, examining the mural behind the altar.

“Oh no, Ahui, not at all. You see, the people here lost their god of death, why isn’t important, but what is is that his position was vacant. Souls could not rest, not leave this world for the next. And so the living made a pact with the dead.”

“A pact with the dead? What sort of pact leads to being able to control all spirits like you told me?”

“Ah, one of great power. A single being would be chosen among the living, given a series of tasks to perform. With each accomplishment, the spirits infused more of their power into the chosen, until they were neither alive nor dead. To appease the spirits, the final sacrifice would be one who has known pain and suffering, one marked from an early age. With that one’s heart, the chosen would become the Arisen, the bridge between the living and dead.”

“And you were chosen?” Ahuizotl questioned, unable to hide his disbelief.

“Perhaps not by the spirits, but destiny itself!” Throwing his arms out, a ghostly wail built up among the spirits. “When I arrived here with Gordian and Hidden, I knew this was my path in life. No one else could make the sacrifices I have, Hijo, the world’s too soft now.”

“But there’s no need for an Arisen,” Ahuizotl argued. “Spirits were passing to the other side. Why do you wish to be the bridge now?”

“I heard the calling, Hijo, that is all.” Camazotz turned, his tail light bathing him in surreal light. “If you wish to see your madre again, you will behave, Ahui.”

“Si, padre,” Ahuizotl relented, turning away from his father. “What would you have me do?”

Camazotz let his tail hang behind him and a mirthful grin spread across his face. “That is a good question; listen closely, hijo.”

The Heart of the Matter

Day broke over the desert once more. There was still some of the chill left from the night, but that would quickly change as the sun continued to rise. Daring Do, explorer extraordinaire, felt the subtle change and cracked her eye open. The first thing that greeted her was the snoring face of her father, a dab of drool clinging to his beard.

“Morning to you too.” Grabbing his cloak, she wiped his face off. “Come on, we should get moving before the sun gets too hot.”

Agito groaned, weakly clutching at the cloak and shimmying out of his sleeping bag. “Ugh, I hate the desert. Next time, we're travelling to somewhere that's like home. Show you a proper luau.”

“What, they didn’t have sand back home?” Daring questioned, rolling up her sleeping bag. “Thought you had so much you had more than one word for it.”

“Yeah, we had a lot of sand,” he started, mirroring her actions, “but all of it was attached to the most beautiful waters you've ever seen.” Pulling his pack on, he flicked her ears. “And that’s Inuits and snow smartass.”

Daring chuckled and smirked at her father. “Is it? It's been so long since you told me I must've forgotten.” Whacking him with a wing, she began the first steps of the last leg of their journey. “You can remind me off all the other minutia I’ve forgotten over the years.”

“I really am glad I raised you as a single parent,” Agito grumbled, hefting his supplies. “If Dagi had been around you’d be even better at these passive-aggressive guilt trips.”

“Well, we’ll just have to make up for lost time is all.” Daring fluffed her wings, her eyes studying the horizon. “After we’re done here, we’re going to get her back. Whether she’s still alive or not, you owe her a ticket home.”

Running a hand through his hair, he let out a long sigh. “Yeah, least I can do for her is to give her a proper funeral. Still hoping she’s out there though.”

Daring nodded, offering him a smile. She let the topic settle there, focusing her efforts on the shifting sands. It had been a long journey so far; each step bringing them closer to whatever fate had in store for her. Sooner or later, she’d finally reach the bastard that took her parents from her. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts of the infuriating topic. She couldn’t let anger cloud her decision making.

After a bit of travelling, she could spy something in the distance. There weren't a lot of details she could make out, but she'd hazard a guess they were buildings. “I think we're about to arrive,” she informed, glancing back at Agito.

“Then we'd better be ready for more spirits,” he told her, looking out towards the buildings. “They might still be able to strike out during the day.”

Daring nodded, hoping to not have a repeat of that night with the horde. She grabbed a talisman out of her pack and resumed her prayers. The walk became a silent march, a thick tension building on the air. Nothing save for the occasional bird call and the whistling of the wind broke the silence.

When they came up to the buildings, they noted that they were partially buried in a foot of sand. The hollowed-out windows let them peer into what were once humble homes. Every surface of the interior had a generous coating of sand as well, betraying just how long since the houses had been in use.

“Spooky,” Daring muttered, stopping in front of what would have been a bakery. The carefully sloped oven in the back and petrified loaves of bread gave it away.

“Reminds me of one of those abandoned mining towns your uncle and I explored one summer,” Agito commented, picking up a broken piece of pottery. “Just replace the sand with coal dust.”

“Think they left because of the spirits?”

Agito turned the pottery in his hands, examining it. He stopped and stared at the faded surface of the hardened clay. “It’s that symbol again,” he noted, showing off the eye symbol to his daughter.

“I'll take that as a yes,” Daring grumbled, rubbing at her shoulder. “I say we look for some clues before heading on.”

Setting the piece of pottery down, Agito nodded and headed out towards another building. The next building was in a similar state, a layer of sand covering everything. Objects were strewn about, indicating something had happened. But what struck him as odd was that there was no signs of skeletons. Judging by the level of sand build-up and the climate, there was no way the bodies would be reduced to dust by now.

“A bit too eerie for me,” Daring commented, fluffing her wings. “The Tartarus happened here?”

Agito put his hand on a table, his eyes scanning over the building. “There’s signs of struggle, but we haven’t found any bodies yet.”

“That's what bothers me.” Daring stepped back outside, a strange sensation passing her as she moved through the threshold. The day was gone, replaced with the stillness of night. High in the sky loomed a blood moon, its crimson rays illuminating the otherwise bleak village. “The buck?” she muttered, recoiling at the sight. “It was the middle of the day a second ago.” Her mind raced, struggling to find an answer to her situation. The princesses weren’t ones known to shirk their schedules for no reason.

An oppressive dread hung over the village, throwing up every alarm bell Daring had. She shot back into the building to alert her father. “Dad! You’ve gotta see the sky right now! Something’s wrong!” Her heart sank as she found no trace of him in the building. “What the buck is going on?” She scrambled into her pocket, pulling out a talisman and started to pray furiously.

Tense moments passed, followed by minutes. Nothing broke the quiet beyond the buildings creaks and the wind. Heart pounding, Daring stepped towards the door again. Cracking it open she peered out. A cold fear seized her; her gaze returned by that of a pale mare, her eyes black as pitch.

Daring kept her hand on her talisman, silently hoping the ghostly figure wouldn’t be able to move closer. She wanted to pull away, but something about the cold stare froze her in place. A yelp issued from her mouth as the spirit phased through the door, grasping hand swiping at her chest.

“Really wish I had Dad’s sword right now!” she boomed, desperately trying to move her wings. The appenages twitched but otherwise refused to obey her commands. “Why the buck can’t I fly?!” she cried to no one in particular, dodging another swipe from the ghost.

“Flower... Why did you leave me?” The spirit whispered, fading in and out of sight. “Come back to me...”

Daring had no idea what the spirit was talking about, not that she was in the mood to ask anyway. While the ghost was faded out of existence, she charged past it and through the open doorway. Her heart sank as soon as she returned to the abandoned streets; in the corners of her eyes she could see the flickering forms of more spirits.

“Shit!” Daring hissed, glancing between the spirits. Judging by their attire, they had to be the townsponies. A few noticed her, making their way forward. The closest, a unicorn in blacksmiths garb, swung a ghostly hammer at her side. Her head swivelled, trying to find an escape route. A nearby alley stuck out to her and she ducked into it.

Down another block, and she lost whatever spirits were chasing her. “Faust! This is all so fucked!” Slumping against a wall, she took a few minutes to compose herself. She kept her ear out, not wanting to get caught unaware. Her mind reeled, trying to understand her situation. The red moon obviously had something to do with her missing father, the trouble was figuring out how.

She poked her head out, finding several ghosts shuffling around the streets. Luckily, none seemed to have sight of her. “Okay, calm down. Think logically. There’s a curse, which means that you must have gotten pulled into some other, ghost-powered dimension or something. Shoulda studied magic more.”

If this were another situation, she might laugh at the irony of her life. She had made a career of finding ancient magical artifacts while barely knowing the basics of magic. Now though? She wanted to focus on living rather than spotting irony.

Pushing away from the wall, Daring made her way down some back alleys. Her steps faltered, as she she came across the remains of a campsite around an old well. Her pupils contracted, sounds and images assaulted her awareness. Two ponies, a mare and stallion she recognized as her parents seeming excited about something. There was another figure there, one that reminded her of Ahuizotol. Except, where Ahuizotol was built for stealth and running, this being was sturdier and had the physique of a bodybuilder.

“-Can’t believe we found it!”

“This will change everything.”

“Si, we still have enough supplies-”

Daring stumbled back, shaking the vision from her mind. The past was alive here, waiting to jump at anyone receptive to it. She spun around, making sure none of the spirits had snuck up on her. Nothing seemed amiss, her racing heart settling as much as it could.

“Faust damnit. I hate this place,” she spoke under her breath. Steeling her nerves she moved into the campsite, searching it for anything useful. A lot of the site had been torn to shreds. Some coils of rope had survived whatever had happened there. An old backpack caught her eye, hidden in the tattered remains of a tent. She grabbed it, planning to carefully look through it where she wasn't out in the open. It had heft to it, filling her with hopes that there might be something of use within.

A moan sounded behind her, an icy hand grabbing her wing. “The ritual... the ritual failed...” a stallion whispered in her ear.

Daring had to fight back a scream from the contact, uselessly swinging the backpack in the direction of the specter while she attempted to run out of his grasp. “Get off!” Pain erupted from her wing, several feathers drifting to the ground as she pried herself free of the ghost. She took off, not knowing where she wanted to hide but knowing she wanted to be anywhere other than there.

Ducking into another home, she let herself sink to her knees. Adrenaline pounded in her eyes, her coat drenched in sweat. She had no idea how long she could evade the spirits. There was no telling where they'd attack her from. Her last run in was proof enough of that.

“What happened to this place?” Slapping a talismen onto the door frame, she slumped against a wall. “That spirit said something about a ritual failing.”

Was the ritual somehow important? The other spirits who had talked had yet to say anything relevant. But ancient rituals were right up her wheelhouse. It had to be something related to the Arisen. All signs pointed to whatever the Tartarus that was. All she had was snippets of information. The ghosts weren't making information gathering easy. Borderline impossible really.

What she needed was a way to find the ruins her parents were looking for. Moving the bag to her lap, she opened the flap and began to dig through it. After pulling out old clothes and other bits, her eyes lit up when she felt her fingers brush against paper.

“Research notes,” she said, flipping through the pages. Recalling her dream, she figured they were written by her mother. The first page or so was filled with what little she already knew, allowing her eyes to simply drift over the text.

The information flowed off the page, recounting how they had found hints of the Arisen in an old market in Saddle Arabia. Someone named Camazotz traveled with them, an old friend from their expeditions to Southern Equestria. The notes detailed that back when Maresopotamia was in power, devotees to the Arisen were numerous. There were also rumors of a ritual for one to become the Arisen. The specifics varied, but all of it followed a single throughline. The one slated to become the deity would face the brink of death if not death itself.

“Answers some questions at least.” Putting the notes back into the bag, Daring thought for a moment. “Okay so, Arisen ritual goes wrong, wipes out the village and makes a bunch of angry ghosts.” She rubbed the back of her head, dots slowly connecting in her mind. “Question is, how to make them go away.” Nothing presented itself, leaving her with just the talismans and her prayers.

Outside, she could hear the distant groaning of the specters. Some started moving closer, making it hard to focus. “They can’t get in,” she reminded, pressing her ears to her skull. She needed to move. Staying in the house wouldn't solve her problem. Even with the talisman, she didn't want to be surrounded. If only they were the ones boxed in, not her. Her eyes lit up, hands going to her pockets to count up her talismans.

Only three left. “Shit!” she cursed, moving back to the door to peek out. There was one hovering down the alley, but it seemed to have passed by her without noticing her. She removed the talisman from the doorframe of the house, she’d need it if her plan had any hope of working. Stilling her breath, she crept onto the street and headed for the outskirts of the town. She could hear the ghosts all around her, head whipping to avoid what had happened at the well.

“Almost there,” she muttered to herself, paranoia oozing into her mind. Every little sound brought a new fear, every moan sounding right in her ear. She came to the first corner of the town, and she slapped it to the wall facing the desert. She moved on, weaving from alley to alley to avoid being on an obvious path. She continued her odd process, her last three talismans going on the other corners of the town.

Her heart lifted, seeing the number of buildings thinning out. Putting on a burst of speed, Daring made a mad dash for the city limits. “Alright, if I did this correctly, those things won’t be able to follow me.” She stepped out into open sand, ready to think over her plans with some peace. Only to enter the same way she had just left. “What?!” she cried, her heart sinking into her stomach. “What just happened?!”

“You can’t leave this place, Daring Do. No one can. Not until the ritual is complete.”

The voice made her fur stand on end. The accent was one she could place instantly. “You, you’re the one who got my parents out here, aren’t you?”

“The spirits follow my orders, Senorita, especially those that I have sacrificed.”

“Is this all so you can be this Arisen thing?” Daring asked, turning every which way in a vain hope to find the owner of the voice. “And you brought my parents into this?”

“They were offered up by destiny, I could not deny it.” A ghostly hand clasped around her mouth, a skeletal form appearing before her. “And now, my dear, we move to our shared fate. With your heart, I shall rule over all spirits.”

Daring wanted to scream, but the hand on her mouth prevented even a squeak to escape. She struggled to break free, but the skeleton held on with unnatural strength. Her breath caught as the skull leaned in close.

“All is as it should be.”

“Daring!” Agito leapt onto the roof of the tallest building he could find, sweeping his gaze around the village. Hours had passed since Daring Do had vanished into thin air. Hours of fruitless, desperate searching.

He grit his teeth, panic threatening to rob him of his higher thinking. Some magical force had to have been behind it, but he hadn’t seen any of the telltale signs of traditional teleportation. She has to be somewhere, he thought to himself, clenching a fist.

He jumped down, planning to search the town one more time. He'd find her, even if he had to tear the whole town apart one brick at a time.

“Senor! Senor!” A spanish accented voice called, breaking the quiet. “Please, I must talk to you!”

Agito took the presence of another living being about as well as a shark reacted to blood. Faster than the eye could see, he had summoned his sword and had put his hand onto the large figure's throat. “Where the fuck is my daughter?!”

“P-please, Senor! I cannot help you if I am dead!” the figure pleaded, holding his hands up.

Agito studied the figure for a moment, recognition hitting him. “Ahuizotl. How are you involved in this?”

Ahuizotl took a few calming breaths before speaking. “M-my Padre. He is no longer among the living. I don’t know what he is but he marked Daring Do for sacrifice.”

Agito's pupils contracted into pinpricks at the news, his sword finding its point near Ahuizotl's throat. “Take me to him or you're going to be neutered, pussycat.”

“Si, si!” Ahuizotl nodded, glancing down at the blade. “I have no intention of allowing him to take Daring Do’s life. Of this, you have my word.”

Agito dismissed his sword, scoffing at the feline. “I've heard about your run-ins with my daughter; you never seemed hesitant about taking her life before.”

Ahuizotl lowered his arms, sighing in relief. “I have never put her in more danger than she can handle. I have never had the intention of hurting your daughter.”

Agito managed a dry laugh, motioning for the cat-man to start walking. “Okay, and what were your intentions?”

“I uh... wish to court her...”

“Word to the wise: death traps and siccing wild cats on a girl might be the wrong vibes to send her if you want to date her.” Agito adjusted his cloak, barely reacting to the odd news. “Cultural thing, I assume?”

“Si,” Ahuizotl replied, the hand on his tail clenching and unclenching. “Ever since she first bested me, I am honorbound to make her mi amore.”

Turning away, Agito grunted. “We can talk about it later. Take me to her, now,” he ordered, taking his cloak off. “Before you join your padre in the afterlife.”

“Si.” Ahuizotl nodded, silently leading the man towards the heart of the town. When they made it to the well, the cat reached down on the ground and grabbed a hidden handle. With a mighty heave, he pulled open a door to reveal a set of stairs leading down into darkness. “The temple rests under the sands.”

“Of course it does,” Agito grumbled, summoning his sword again. He ignited it, creating a makeshift torch to fend off the darkness. “Lead the way.”

Ahuizotl nodded, slowly walking down the stairs. The air grew colder the deeper they walked into the temple. A shift occurred as they followed the shaft down into the earth. The air took on a grey haze, and the sound of chanting wafted up to them. Agito urged Ahuizotl to go faster, his sword seeming to part the haze around them.

“How much further?”

“Not much,” Ahuizotl answered, speeding up to a near run. “Based on the chanting, we are running low on time.”

“Ahui, hijo, you’re right on time.” Dozens of ghostly arms erupted out of the ground, grabbing and clawing at Agito. “Come then, both of you. See the dawn of the new era!”

“You’re not laying a hand on my daughter!” Agito boomed, struggling against the hoard. Icy hands grasped his limbs, raising him into the air. A spirit quite like Ahuizotl rose out of the ground, the arms sprouting from her back. She wore elaborate robes, the symbol of the Arisen branded onto her forehead. Agito struggled, trying to position his sword to get a hit on the priestess. Unfortunately, the spirit had an iron grip, preventing him from so much as wiggling.

“M-madre?” Ahuizotl whispered, watching as the spirit floated past. He followed, feeling the tears flowing down his face. “What did he do to you?”

The spirit gave him no answer, slowly floating deeper into the temple with Agito in tow. Keeping Agito restrained, it entered into an antechamber. Decorated into ancient murals and lit by purple flamed candles, it reverberated with the sounds of the chanting.

“Bring them,” the voice from before called, beckoning from the door at the end of the room.

The spirit opened the door with her ethereal tail, leading Agito into a grand chamber. More murals and candles lined the walls, the vaulted ceiling carrying the chanting so that it sounded like it was coming from everywhere at once. A yawning chasm lay before them, surrounded by hundreds of spirits. A platform stretched out over the abyss, holding up a slab of rock. A skeletal figure was on the platform, wearing the same robes as the spirit restraining Agito.

Besides him stood the figures of Daring’s parents. Hidden Sign stood to the left, her upper half bare; fur stained with an eye-bending tattoo. From the waist down, she bore the same robes. Gordian Knot stood on the right his mane floating in the air behind him. Ropes dangled from his robes, vacant eyes staring at the slab.

“Bring him close, my dear Chihopotex,” Camatotz ordered, gesturing with a bony hand. “Let him see every detail.”

Agito renewed his struggling when he saw his daughter bound to the slab, her eyes glazed over in a haze of what could barely be called consciousness. “You bastard! You better hope I don't get free!”

Camazotz held up his hand, stepping in front of the slab. “That’s close enough. Ahuizotl, hijo, come to my side.”

Ahuizotl complied, looking down at the slab with a sense of apprehension. He froze as Camazotz held out a dagger.

“As I said, hijo, the honor of craving out her heart is yours.”

Ahuizotl recoiled, regarding the dagger as if it would burn him. “Padre, I cannot do that.”

Scoffing, Camazotz shoved Ahuizotl into the sea of spirits. “You have no vision, Ahuizotl. Your heart latched onto one whom was always doomed.” Brandishing the dagger himself, he held it high above Daring’s chest. The spirits’ voices rose in crescendo, sound bouncing off the walls.

Agito's struggling reached a fever pitch, his eyes locked on the tip of the dagger. A piercing cry tore from his throat as the blade dropped down and stabbed into Daring’s chest. “I’ll kill you!!”

His anger rose, his limbs finally succeeding in twitching against his captor. He was too late, Camazotz held up Daring's heart. All strength left his limbs and a soul crushing despair gripped his heart. A sob choked in his throat, his swords disintegrating.

“With this, I will be Arisen!” Camazotz boomed, putting Daring's heart in his own rib cage. His ghostly aura flared out, consuming his body. A deep rumbling shook the cavern, a vortex opening below the platform. “Destiny is mine!!”

His joy was cut short as his aura turned black. His form and robe twisted, becoming something close to what Agito recognized as Kamen Rider Ghost’s armor. Although, the bottom half of the mask was nonexistent, the horn on it was cracked and its tip broken off. The robes were in tatters and a skeletal design was along the armor. “The ritual! The ritual was tainted!” Camazotz warbled, clutching at his head.

“Senor!” Ahuizotl pushed through the throng of spirits, his eyes on Agito and Chihipotex. “You have to fight! We cannot allow him to leave this place!”

“Fight?” Agito repeated, his fists clenched so tight that a thin line of blood could be seen trickling down his palms. “I'm not gonna fight him; this'll be a slaughter.” Summoning his halberd, he stabbed the back blade into Chihopotex’s stomach. The spirit let out an unearthly moan, releasing him to the ground. With a quick movement he landed on his feet. Creating another sword, he tossed it to Ahuizotl. “Use it.”

Ahuizotl caught the sword, spinning on his heel and cutting into the crowd of spirits. “I'll take the crowd, you avenge your daughter.”

Agito didn't need to be told twice, launching himself at the shrieking Camazotz. The two collided, tumbling down the pit at the center of the chamber.

A serene peace washed over Daring as consciousness returned. Sound was sharper, colors brighter. Sitting up, she found herself sitting on a couch in a rather familiar home.

“What the?” Daring asked, her mind fuzzy. She couldn't remember much, her last memory being something about a desert. “Where am I?”

“The realm of the dead,” Hidden Sign replied, carrying over a tea set. “I’m afraid you’ve fallen to Camazotz’s schemes.” She sat down, pouring three cups of tea.

“Camazotz?” Daring repeated, working the word around in her mouth. She shot up, her wings flaring. “That's right! That asshole stabbed me!”

“He cut your heart out,” Gordian Enigma corrected, taking a seat next to Hidden. “I’m sorry, Daring. He has us under his thrall, we couldn’t stop him.” Putting his arm around his wife, he pulled her close.

Daring crossed her arms over her chest, blowing her bangs out of her face. “Well, I don't normally expect much from ghosts. No offense.”

Hidden sighed, lifting her tea cup. “Daring, we love you. We’ve always loved you. If we could have been there for you we would have.”

“We trusted Camazotz, he was an old friend,” Gordian said, nuzzling Hidden’s head. “We should have seen it when we started excavating the town. This place changed him. I’m sorry.”

“Things worked out well enough,” Daring replied, pacing around the room. She looked over the various photos from her parents’ excavations. Turning back to them, she frowned. “I apologize. It wasn’t your fault. I know how getting betrayed goes.”

“We've seen,” Gordian answered, sipping his tea. “That old adage about your loved ones watching over you? Turns out it’s true.”

Getting to her hooves, Hidden made her way over to Daring. Wrapping her arms around the younger mare, she nuzzled her head. “You’ve grown into a fine young mare. You grew up with a loving father and I’ll never be able to repay him for that.” Stepping back, she took Daring’s hand. “And it’s because of that, we can stop Camazotz.”

“Last time I checked, dead mares without a heart weren't capable of much,” Daring replied, looking at her mother in utter confusion.

Setting his tea cup down, Gordian joined Hidden at Daring’s side. “The final sacrifice needed something very specific.” He placed a hand on Daring’s chest. “A heart full of bitterness and all the baggage that comes with it. It’s required for the Arisen to soothe those emotions in the spirits of the recently departed. It’s always something you didn’t have.”

“Without it, the ritual failed,” Hidden concluded, squeezing her daughter’s hand. “We’re all so tired, Daring. We’ve only been trapped for a few decades, the other spirits have had to endure centuries.”

“Uh huh, and what does a heart filled with daddy issues and broken relationships do?” Daring questioned, looking between her parents.

“A new pact, Daring. Between all of us trapped spirits, and you. We can give you the power to fight him, to free us.” Leaning forward, Hidden planted a kiss on Daring’s head. “Take your heart back and you can live again.”

“Before I do that, there's something I want to do while I'm in the land of the dead.” Daring took her mother's hands and took a deep breath. “I'm going to find Uncle Kuuga and talk to him. And I'll even bring back a message for other dad from him.”

Gordian smiled, shaking his head. “Daring, your uncle isn’t here.”

Daring blinked owlishly, staring blankly at her father. “What?”

“He hasn’t passed on,” Hidden clarified.

“Again, what?” Daring tried and failed to comprehend the message.

The two hugged Daring, taking in the feeling for just a moment. “You have to go back now, Daring. Your father needs you.” A soft glow concompased them before transferring to her. “Reignite his spirit.”

“Wait, before I go.” Daring took a deep breath, returning the hug. “I love you both.”

“We love you too.”

Agito twirled his halberd, his arms moving in a blur. He was on the defensive, blocking a flurry of punches from Camazotz. The broken Ghost howled in fury, bringing a fist down on Agito’s halberd.

“You interfered! She was meant to be a bitter, hollow person! You denied us both our destiny!”

“Shut up!” Agito barked, skidding a couple feet back. “You took my daughter from me! There's no destiny in that!”

“She was never supposed to be yours!” Darting his tail hand forward, he slashed Agito across the chest. “You shall serve me for all eternity, never knowing rest!” This close, Agito could hear the sickly beating of Daring’s heart.

The sound sent a fresh wave of adrenaline surging through him, an idea striking him. He charged, feinting with his halberd while his hand drifted to his pocket. When Camazotz went to block, Agito's hand shot out from his pocket and a talisman found itself on the spirit's arm.

Camazotz snarled, ripping the paper off his arm. “Paper will not give you a reprieve.”

Agito grunted, twirling his halberd. “Fine, an old-fashioned ass whooping is more satisfying anyway.” He brought it low, swinging at Camazotz’s legs.

The “Ghost” jumped out of reach, hovering in the air. He swooped down, kicking Agito in the head. His tail trailed behind, plunging his dagger into Agito’s shoulder. “Your death will be slow and agonizing. I shall savor every moment.”

Agito grit his teeth, his shoulder feeling like it was on fire. He dropped his halberd, crouching into a stance. “You know, I made a promise a long time ago. To use my abilities for myself. Now's the time to do that.”

Floating over the chasm, Camazotz growled. “You will fail, cretin. I will have my vengeance upon you, now and forever. Bound to my will til the end of time. Gordian, Hidden, come to me!”

The two spirits floated down, their expressions hollow. At Camazotz’s word, they lashed out at Agito. The man spun around, light appearing from his waist as a belt spun and formed on him. He brought his hands down on the two buttons on the sides. “Henshin!”

The center jewel of his belt glowed, spreading out over his body. The light solidified, becoming armor. The chest was modeled to cover the top half of his torso and was a brilliant gold color. The undersuit was black and stuck close to him. The helmet had horns that resembled a beetle's and the red eyes seemed to have compound lenses.

“Ah, I sense divine essence inside of you. Perhaps that is what will complete me. Restrain him!”

“Sorry ‘bout this.” Agito reared back and punched the attacking ghosts. Hidden retaliated, flying right into Agito's chest. He stumbled, a creeping chill clutching at his heart. He threw another punch, though it passed right through her head. Gordian slipped in next, crashing into his head.

“Thus is the fate of all those who interfere with destiny.” Camazotz lowered himself to Agito’s level, brandishing his dagger. “I want you to scream nice and loud. Let my ungrateful son know what will befall him.”

“Hands off my dad,” A familiar disembodied voice said. A form barrelled into Camazotz, an ethereal fist impacting the back of his head.

“What? Daring Do? You should be under my command!” Camazotz roared, his head whipping around.

“Spirits didn’t like that you didn’t deliver, so they made a deal with me instead.” Daring hovered behind him, her wings flared out. “You’ve been fired, Camazotz, which means I’ll be taking that heart back.” She smirked, her hands going to her waist. The air shimmered for a moment, an ornate belt appearing with wisps of spectral energy coming off it. In place of a buckle, there was a snow white and dried out gourd, the hiragana for “sealing” etched on it in black.

“Daring...?” Agito stared in disbelief, his eyes drifting to the belt. “Guess it runs in the family.”

“I got it from my dads,” she joked, waving her hand over the belt. Energy flowed from the gourd, wrapping around her hand. It morphed and shifted until it took the shape of a mask. A kind that Agito recognized instantly.

“Is that, a tiki mask?” he asked aloud, staring at his daughter in disbelief.

“Guess it is.” Daring brought the mask to her face, feeling the rush of power. Blue and red energy swirled around her body, obscuring her in a mini-whirlwind. “Let’s see what it does!”

Red and blue lightning arced around Daring, the wind flaring in and out for several moments. It eventually constricted, consuming the mare while she stood peacefully in the eye of the storm. When it cleared, she was standing in snow white armor.

Around her neck was a lei, the flowers frost blue and pale red. A similarly colored shawl hung off her right shoulder, hanging down her chest and partially obscured a blue kimono that hung down and went down one leg. The undersuit was white, the symbol of the Arisen on her chest where her top split. Her exposed leg had flowing lines and designs etched into the armor. Finally, her helmet was fairly simple: round with two circular eye portions that were connected by a small bridge with a red flair coming off the top and hanging down to her shoulders.

Passing her hand over the gourd again, she drew out another cloud of energy. It formed in her hand, becoming a leiomano. Brandishing her new weapon, she swung the oblong club ringed with shark teeth at Camazotz’s chest. “So, what do you think of the real Arisen?” she challenged, enjoying Camazotz’s cry of pain.

“You are no such thing!” Camazotz took his dagger in a main hand, the weapon transmuting into a broken and chipped version of Ghosts Gan Gun Saber. “I have done everything the spirits required! Why should they bestow their blessing onto you!?”

“Because I intend to let them pass on peacefully,” Daring answered, dodging a slash from the corrupted feline. She brought her weapon up again, aiming for where her heart would be. “Something you refused to allow!”

Camazotz tried to block the attack, reacting just a little too slowly. He hissed in pain, floating back from her. “You cannot defy destiny, girl! You and your heart belong to me!” Raising his sword, he slashed at her neck.

Daring moved her neck to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack and retaliated with a punch to his stomach. “I never bought into destiny. I make my own choices. Even if they can be shitty.”

“And yet you bear the mark of destiny on your flanks!” Camazotz grabbed her arm, bringing his elbow down on it. “What will be, will be, Daring Do.”
Daring cried out in pain, jumping away from Camazotz. She tested her arm, sighing in relief. She had lucked out, her arm hadn’t been broken. It still hurt, but she’d still be able to use it. It struck her just how out of place the worry was, blocking another swing. She was still a ghost. Then again, her opponent was a ghost too. She put the training her father had given her to use, bobbing and weaving to avoid a series of slashes from Camazotz.

Agito stayed on the platform, having shifted into his flame form. Sword in hand, he kept Hidden and Gordian at bay with deft movements and gleaming steel. “Ahuizotl! You still alive!”

“Si senor!” Ahuizotl called back, his fur marred by several cuts and patches of dried blood. “It will take more than this lot to kill me!” He ducked under a flurry of grabbing arms, thrusting his sword up to ward off Chihopotex. “Please forgive me, Madre.”

She did not answer him, her expression not even giving the hint that she could comprehend what her son was saying. Her multitude of arms merely continued their assault. He tucked and rolled, avoiding a slash that would’ve taken his head off.

“Daring, I know you’re having fun, but please remind your date you have places to be.” Agito ignited his sword, slashing through Gordian’s abdomen. Smirking under his helmet, he fought the urge to smirk. “Take your heart.”

Kicking Camazotz over the hurricane of ghostly energy, Daring held her club above her head. The gourd on her belt opened once more, unleashing a torrent of power. “I’m no one’s sacrifice, asshole!” Charging forward, she knocked Camazotz’s blade to the side and dug the shark teeth into his shoulder. With a snarl, she tore down and left, ripping him open from shoulder to hip.

“Tell Izanami I said ‘hi’.” Reaching into his gaping chest, she seized her heart and deftly removed it.

Camazotz cried out, his body cracking as energy leaked from his chest. The vortex beneath him shuddered, the very walls of the temple rumbling. Floating over to her body, Daring thrust her heart back into her chest.

“You’re free, every last one of you!” The heart pulsed and beat faster and faster, a light filling her body. The voices of the spirits rose up once more, reaching up towards the ceiling. Chunks of rock plummeted from above, purple lightning lashing out from below. “Go now, to your final rest!”

A shockwave exploded from Daring’s body, passing over the throng of spirits. The chanting reached a zenith and with one last tremor, the ceiling broke. Long-abandoned buildings tumbled into the abyss, massive pieces of rock plummeting alongside. As the temple settled, glorious sunlight filled the chamber, bathing the spirits in its warm rays.

Their eyes all finally had expression in them, their bodies floating up and fading from sight. There was a chorus of gratitude from a multitude of languages as the crowd disappeared. Eventually, only three remained. Chihopotex and Daring’s parents.

Daring took a gasping breath, bolting upright and patting at her chest. Her wound had been closed and a quick check of her pulse confirmed that her heart was indeed still beating. “That was...something...” she spoke, her voice shaking.

“Good job, honey,” Gordian told her, his arm around his wife.

“We knew you could do it,” Hidden added, beaming with pride at her daughter. “You’re twice the mare I was at your age after all.”

Agito dismissed his armor and moved to Daring’s side. “I did my best,” he replied, pulling his shirt off and offering it to Daring. “I couldn’t let a lost little filly grow up without family.”

Gordian smiled, turning his gaze to Agito. “And we could never thank you enough. Though, there is one thing we can offer you. Daring, care to tell him what we explained in the land of the dead?”

Slipping Agito’s shirt on, Daring held in a complaint about the lack of wing holes. “Dad, Uncle Kuuga’s still alive.”

Agito took a step back, utter disbelief crossing his features. “What? But that’s impossible. I saw him die right in front of me.” A weakness overcame Agito, bringing him to his knees. “The Amadam. How the fuck did I forget about that?”

“Fear and grief are notorious for blinding us to the obvious,” Hidden told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “But, he was on death’s door quite a few times while he healed. During our time in the land of the dead, we ran into some humans that talked our ears off about the great Kuuga.”

“And what did they say?”

“That his body lies untouched in a tomb on the human continent,” Gordian explained, his smile holding up. “The people we ran into bemoaned having no idea what could wake him. Even when he drifted partially into the land of the dead, he was asleep.”

Hidden wrapped Daring in a hug, planting a kiss on her head. “I wish we had more time, Daring. We’ve been delayed for far too long. It’s time we moved on. But don’t worry, we’ll always watch over you.”

“Except in times of privacy.” Gordian’s smile turned cheeky. “We’re not peeping toms.”
“It’s okay,” Daring started, wiping tears from her eyes. “This is way more than I’ve ever hoped for. Rest well, mom and dad. I’m sure I’ll see you again someday.”

The pair embraced her one last time before they dissolved into light that floated into the sky.

“Hijo,” Chihopotex started, staring up at Ahuizotl with a hard to read expression.

“Madre.” Ahuizotl sniffled. “I-I missed you so much.”

“Do not cry, I was with you always.” She smiled for a moment before her tail hand lashed out and tugged on his ear. “And I cannot believe what I have seen. My precious hijo, some common thief?”

“Madre, I am no common thief!” Pulling his head away, Ahuizotl clasped his ears to his head. “I am a treasure hunter.”

“Who steals!” Chiho barked, her tail flexing behind her. “I raised you to be a noble warrior, not some fool with hopes to rule the world! Where did I go wrong, hijo? Where?”

Ahuizotl looked away, cowed by his mother’s anger. “Please, Madre. You must understand...”

“Oh, do enlighten your mother. Tell me what could justify your deluded ambitions.” A critical look overtook her face, her arms crossed over her chest.

Daring had to stifle a laugh, loving every second of watching her rival be reduced to a whimpering child by his mother. “I’ve never seen him so pitiful before.”

“That’s the power of a disappointed mother,” Agito whispered, suddenly wishing he had popcorn. “Something you were spared.”

“I didn’t start with the ambition to rule the world,” Ahuizotl protested. “I only strove for that because I thought it was the only thing worthy of fulfilling the demands of our people’s courtship rites.”

Chihopotex smiled, sending a glance at Daring Do. “She is a very pretty senorita. Shall I go talk to her, Ahui?”

“Madre no,” he replied, tinges of pink breaking through his dark fur. He cleared his throat, switching to his native tongue. “I can win her heart myself, mother. Just as I intend to present her something worthy of her as our ancestors demand.”

Giggling, Chihopotex kissed his head. “I know you’ll win her heart, Ahui. Just make sure you clean up your act.” She kept her smile, fading away into light.

Ahuizotl sighed, a wistful smile on his face. “Goodbye again, madre.”

A hand on his shoulder roused his attention. He looked up to find Daring offered him a small smile. “Hey, I know what it’s like to lose my parents. And um, I’m sure it was hard to go against your dad like that.”

Turning away, Ahuizotl shock his head. “No, Daring Do. Mi Padre was always broken.” He blushed at the touch, something he was sure Agito noticed. “I had no intention of following his plans.”

“Then I guess just this once, thank you,” Daring said, removing her hand and turning on her hoof. “We’ll be back to our usual routine after this.”

“I look forward to it,” Ahuizotl muttered, watching the pair leave. He stared after them for a few moments before turning his eyes back to the chasm. “I hope in some way, padre, you found peace.” A glint caught his eye, and curiosity got the better of him.

He looked over the chasm, making sure he’d be able to climb back up before simply dropping down. Quickly moving to the bottom, he surveyed where he had seen the glint. A sliver of grey caught his eye, sticking out from what was left of a window. He reached out, pulling the object out and examining it. It was odd, almost resembling an eye with a hollow pupil and a black handle tipped with orange coming off the side of the object.

“What are you?” he whispered, unaware of the eyes watching him.

Midnight swiped at the tablet, looking at the diagnostics on the screen. “Vitals are stable. Temperatures a little high...” Placing her tablet down, she stepped over to a small console built into a large, see-through tube.

A young boy floated inside, various tubes and wires hooked into his body. Uncut green hair floated behind him, several scars maring his purple skin. The sight of him in this state always broke her heart, but she put on a brave face regardless.

“Hi Spike,” she greeted, making quick adjustments to the conditions of the tube from the console. “I’m sorry I don’t have the big good news for you yet, but I’m still working.” Nodding in approval, she put a hand on the glass. “Flurry should be walking soon, she’s almost as big a trouble maker as you were.” Her smile faded and she caught herself. “I mean are. You’ll be awake soon. Just like I promised.”

“And how many times have you said that? I imagine someone like you keeps track,” Emperor Zero spoke, pulling her attention away from Spike.

“Emperor Zero, a pleasure,” she lied, bowing her head to him. “What brings you to my personal lab today?”

“One of my spies brought something to my attention,” Zero replied, gazing around the lab. “Something with the ability to restore life to the dead.”

Midnight went rigid, the news striking her like lightning. She fiddled with her hands, nervous energy filling her. “Oh really? And why would you tell me about this, Emperor? Has our Great Leader come to give me a mission to retrieve this for him?”

“I haven’t deigned to tell him yet.” Lifting up a beaker, he swirled the contents around. “I thought you might make better use of the information. As long as you’re willing to... share some information of your own.”

Midnight wasn’t stupid, she knew Zero was trying to play her. However, given what was being offered, there was no way she could pass up on it. “What do you wish to know, Emperor?”

Turning his attention to her, he beamed ear to ear. “Tell me, Midnight, what does our glorious leader have in store with that medal?”

Author's Note

For those of you having trouble picturing Daring's new weapon.

Covered in Shade

Author's Note

This chapter is a crossover with The Dark Brony and his story Kamen Rider: Equestrian Shade As always, check them out.

Covered in Shade

Silence reigned between Agito and Daring as they walked through the desert. The only real sound was sand being disturbed either by them or the breeze that was rolling through. Their lack of speech was not born out of any form of discomfort between the two, but rather exhaustion. They knew they’d have plenty to talk about once they set up camp for the night.

Daring reached a hand up, touching the spot where Camazotz had stabbed her. She shuddered recalling just how easily her life had slipped away.

“Hey,” Agito suddenly said, causing his daughter to snap to attention. “I just want to say, I’m sorry.” He looked down, struggling to think of what else he wanted to say. “I… I got so wrapped up in my own bullshit that I didn’t use my powers even for the person that means the most to me.” He kept his gaze averted from Daring, unable to bring himself to look at her. “I don't expect you to forgive me.”

Adjusting her hat, a frown crossed Daring's lips. She knew this talk was coming sooner or later. She just really would've preferred the later option. “Dad, just stop okay? You’ve been around for a thousand years, that kind of thing takes a toll. I’m not going to hold it against you and buck anyone who says otherwise.” She socked his arm. “Promise me you’re going to start seeing a therapist when we get back.”

“Ugh, great a pony head doctor,” Agito groaned, his feet suddenly dragging. “I imagine hug therapy is something they’re gonna prescribe. I’m only agreeing to this because it’s you.”

Daring smiled, patting his back. “Hey, at least they won’t try to put a hole in your head to get the ‘demons’ out, or anything weirdly sexual.”

Agito let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. “Yeah, small miracles I guess.” Gathering himself, he managed to look at the pegasus. “We’re heading to the nearest port, I think I still remember how to get back to Fianloz.”

“Maybe we should head to Ponyville first?” Daring suggested, looking up at him. “I doubt getting Kuuga back is as easy as knocking on his tomb. I bet the purifying effects of the elements will be a big help.”

Sighing, he nodded his head. “Right, we’ll stop by and drag them along. There isn’t a thing on this planet that’s going to keep me from getting my brother back.”

“You say that, but we’re dealing with people that aren’t from this planet,” Daring pointed out. “You really shouldn’t tempt fa-” she trailed off, her gaze settling downward at the sand. “See what you did?” she asks, kicking the object with her hoof.

Rolling his eyes, Agito picked up the small object. He recognized it as an Eyecon, though not one that he was familiar with. “It’s an eyecon, the thing Ghost uses to transform. Ghost being what Camazotz was a monster version of.” The casing of the little trinket was crimson, the image inside the eye itself being black with two red portions that had dripping lines come down.

“To those who hold this Eyecon, I am Alex Shade, If you require the assistance of Kamen Rider Shade, click the side of my Eyecon and call out my name, be it for a conversation or to protect your world from your enemies and I will heed your call.”

“Well, this is interesting,” Agito noted, turning the Eyecon over in his hand. “This thing will summon somebody. Let’s give it a try.” Using his thumb, he pressed the button on the side. “Shade!”

After a few moments of standing where they were nothing seemed to happen, no new figure appearing near them.

“That was underwhelming,” Daring said, eyeing the trinket critically. “Come on, we’re burning daylight. Pocket that thing and let’s get our asses to Ponyville.”

“Figures.” Putting the Eyecon in his pocket, he started to walk again. “I got nothing but bad luck.” With a grunt, he stretched his arms above his head and tilted his head back. He blinked for a moment, stopping dead in his tracks.

In the sky above them was a red symbol shaped like an eye. The pupil of it looked like a stylized sun with a helmet at the center which from the central point had a small object seemingly forming in front of it which slowly drifted towards the ground before an Eyecon that looked almost identical to the one they had found floating in the air in front of them.

“Should we touch that thing?” Daring questioned, dumbfounded by the odd turn of events.

Agito conjured up a sword, poking the Eyecon with the tip. “You in there or what?”

Seconds the later the Eyecon seemingly faded before a human-shaped figure appeared in front of them. The figure wore some black tracksuit bottoms, along with a red t-shirt that was worn below an open black and red coloured trimmed hooded jacket. It was then the figure took a step back before saying, “It's a bit rude to poke someone, you know that?”

“How the hell was I supposed to know that you were the Eyecon?” Agito shot back. “Anyway, you must be Shade, right? I'm Agito.”

The figure didn’t respond for a second before saying to himself, “Agito… where have I heard that name before?” He then shook his head before adding, “right sorry, yes that is me, and I apologise for not appearing instantly, I don’t spend a lot of time as an Eyecon or leave my own world very often.”

“I feel ya,” Agito replied. “I haven't left this world in a thousand years.”

The figure held his hand up before stating, “now that feeling I can attest to,” he then chuckled before adding, “anyway, I suppose I should ask why you called me here, I take it from the lack of threats around us it’s more a social call than anything else.”

“That sounds about right.” Agito cancelled the sword, looking the figure over. “You got a name, kid?”

“Considering you heard my message I assume you know it, but my name is Shade, Alex Shade.”

“Sorry, the crazy eye in the sky must've made me forget,” Agito said with a chuckle. “Sorry we didn't summon you somewhere nicer, we're on our way to Ponyville.”

“You mean that small town on the outskirts of the Everfree correct?” Alex asked curiously.

“That'd be the one,” Daring answered, taking a drink from her canteen. “Gotta get some friends of mine for a trip. Not all that exciting really.”

“Any time you can spend with friends and family is precious and is not something to easily pass off as boring or a waste. You need to remember that no matter how trivial a matter may seem the memories you make with those people may become all you have of them in the end,” Alex stated with a solemn look in his eyes.

Daring narrowed her eyes. “I literally just had a rider ghost monster cut my heart out, don’t talk to me about spending time with family.”

Alex did not respond to her comment as he instead looked off into the distance before eventually saying, “most people after an ordeal like that, would take a long look at their own path they are walking down and rethink the way they are living, and know to cherish those closest to them even more than before.”

Daring sighed, rubbing her temple with a finger. “Listen, you seem nice and everything, but what just happened to me had nothing to do with how I was living my life. Granted, that part is surprising to me too. Death traps in ancient ruins are sorta my bread and butter.”

Alex only sighed before saying, “take it from a man who already knows the fear of death and has embraced it and lived through it. Facing the fact of what you experience in your life is something we all must do. What I meant was to not let what happened change how you want to live.”

“I literally died and was brought back to life by the lingering souls of the world,” Daring informed, shaking her head. “It wasn’t going to in the first place.”

Shade then looked to Agito before saying, “I take it she doesn’t understand what I have said about myself, does she?”

“I take it you’re like Ghost in another way, huh?” Agito guessed, looking the younger man over. “You died, right?”

“Yes, to become a Displaced, I was murdered, to begin with, only kinda sucks the guy who killed me tried to Displace me after the fact,” Alex admitted a hint of sadness in his voice, “but I guess after a thousand years those memories fade and you only choose to keep the memories of those you once held dear in your heart, for better or worse it’s the best I can do.”

Agito chuckled, tapping his head. “I remember it all. Curse of being Agito I guess.” Moving to the front of the group, he gazed out at the desert around them. “But trust me, best not dwell on it.”

“That's something we can both agree on,” Alex agreed calmly listening to the world around him focusing on any sounds that he could hear.

“Lucky for us, there’s a few other Riders in this world. They’ll be a few people to keep us company through the years,” Daring chirped, settling into the middle of the group. “Which means you gotta apologize to the kid, Dad. You’re not gonna be rid of him for a long time.”

“I get a feeling it’s better I don’t ask,” Alex responded with a chuckle as he seemed to rummage through his pocket before pulling out what looked to be a few cards of some kind before sighing and putting them away.

“You sigh a lot,” Agito pointed out, ignoring Daring’s comment. “Brighten up, will ya?”

Alex simply smirked before saying, “to be fair, talking about death isn’t something to be cheerful about is it?”

“Depends on the context, now doesn’t it?” Putting his hands in his pockets, Agito moved with purpose. “Cultural differences and all that.”

“I suppose that's true,” Alex agreed before looking ahead and saying, “So I take it that you’ve got a long walk ahead of you?”

“A long walk to civilization, followed by a long airship ride to Equestria,” Daring elaborated. “Ancient temples are never so convenient as to have an express line to them.”

“Where would the fun be in it, if those places were easy to get to? Everyone would be doing it and leave nothing for you to do for your own adventures.”

“You make a good point,” Daring said with a chuckle. “Though I tend to go after artifacts with mystic powers. So there's more than one reason why it's a good thing these places are out of reach.”

“Knowing what I can assume a lot of different Riders equipment became here, I can understand the godsend that came from them being scattered and hidden away,” Alex agreed.

Daring shook her head. “The only one I can think of that was hidden in a place like this was the wizard belt that Clover the Clever made. Trixie’s family made the Ixa belt, Maud made the double driver, Spike’s grandpa made the OOO driver.”

“I honestly wish those names made sense to me, the only one I recognise is Spike,” Alex admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Probably for the best you don’t know who Trixie is,” Daring admitted, putting her hands behind her head. “She’s pretty annoying.”

“I never want to meet anyone more annoying than most of the Nobles,” Alex responded, “I never even thought it was a possibility that someone like that could exist.”

“Best not to think too much about it, not unless you wanna go crazy from some Cthulhu nonsense.” Agito paused, holding a hand up. “I think we’re about to have company.”

“Let me guess. They are not friends of yours I assume?” Shade asked.

“My precog ability isn’t made to tell me about friends,” Agito answered, summoning his belt. “Would make some things easier though,” he added with a grumble. “Not that I have a lot of friends...”

“And you said I was the depressing one,” Alex admitted with a smile.

Agito ignored the snide remark, keeping his eyes on the sand dune in the distance. What crested the hill was a young human girl, though not a human like any of them had ever seen. Her skin and hair were dead on for Twilight Sparkle’s colors; even her eyes matched the mare’s. “You lost, kid?” he asked, tensing up. “Need some help getting home?”

The human Twilight frowned, hesitating for a moment before speaking. “You have something I need, Daring Do. If you come with me, I’ll return you unharmed.”

“Oh wow, that’s such a tempting offer,” Daring replied, her voice filled with sarcasm. “But I think I’m going to have to turn that down.”

The girl pushed her glasses up, her body tensing. “I’m afraid I can’t take no for an answer. We’ll just have to use force, it seems.”

Alex then walked in front of Agito and Daring with his right hand resting on a small bracer on his wrist before he said, “look I’d rather not have to harm you or any of the people with you, but if you continue on the path you are walking down, I can promise you that you’ll end up as something you don’t want to be. You can still turn back and walk away without any repercussions, do the smart thing here. Don’t throw all your lives away for nothing.”

“Nothing!?” Twilight snapped, narrowing her eyes. “You don’t know a damn thing about me! I’m getting what I came for! Shadowbolts, capture Ms. Do!”

Alex could only shake his head in disappointment as he said, “I wish you hadn’t forced my hand,” before striking the button on his bracer as a cloud of dust formed around Alex, obscuring him from view.

“Pfft! Stupid tricks like that ain’t gonna help you!” Sour Sweet wrapped her arms around Alex’s waist, suplexing him into the sand. “We’re the Shadowbolts for a reason.”

Alex then simply pushed himself upwards from the ground as he said, “you know… That's more annoying than anything else.” He then turned to Sour Sweet as the dust cleared and they saw the figure that had been speaking to them was now an Alicorn with a black coat and a bright red mane, “and honestly. It just pissed me off.”

“Ooh, an alicorn, how scary.” Sour Sweet stepped forward, slugging Alex in the jaw. “Just a unicorn with wings.”

“Oh, I won’t deny that… but here’s another question. What can a ghost do?” Alex asked as he plunged his fist into her chest coming out the other end leaving his fist solid but his arm still incorperal before using his other hand to strike Sour repeatedly.

Sour Sweet twisted herself through his arm, slamming her head into his. “Ghosts are just dead people in denial!” Slamming a fist into Alex’s face, she sent a surge of energy into him. “But please, try that intangible shit with me again.” Turning her body, she threw him off with surprising ease.

“Good job, Sour!” Lemon Zest cheered, going to punch the recovering Alex. Before her fist could connect, a hand stopped her.

“Ganging up on someone is bad form,” Agito scolded, his armor on once more. “Mind if I make this a fair fight?” Twisting her hand back, he brought his leg up and kicked her in the stomach. “Daring, you know anything about pony colored humans?”

“These guys crashed Princess Cadance's wedding,” Daring answered, starting her transformation. “The kid mentioned their weapons are from Ex-Aid I think.”

“Why don’t you just save us all the trouble and come along like a good pony?” Sunny Flare inquired, roundhouse kicking Daring in the side. “You did just die after all, do you really need the extra stress?”

Daring grinned, the attack not bothering her as her armor materialized. “Are you kidding? Kicking the asses of lackeys like you is how I deal with stress.” She grabbed Sunny's leg and tossed her into Lemon.

“Okay, I think I better ask for all our sakes. How much collateral are you allowing and how badly am I allowed to hurt them?” Shade asked standing up holding an eyecon in his hand as his driver materialised around his waist.

“I’m rather uncomfortable with murdering teenagers,” Agito responded, countering a swing from Sugarcoat. “Even if they are a murderous cheer squad.”

Alex then smiled as he said, “good, I have one rule I fight by. I don’t kill,” Alex responded as he activated his Eyecon and transformed using his Shade Eyecon.

Sour Sweet summoned her bow, firing a few arrows at Shade. “Aw look at you, a homemade rider! Too bad you’re an edgy eyesore!”

Shade didn’t respond to her as the chains that had formed around his shoulders moved in front of him blocking each of the arrows Sour Sweet had fired at him.

Sour Sweet growled, pulling her bow taut and holding it for a few moments. Energy gathered, an odd sound coming from the bow. “Block this!” she boomed, letting loose a large blast of energy.

“My pleasure,” Shade responded as the chains quickly formed into multiple walls in front of him seemingly from the sand by his feet.

“You know, your situational awareness is really lacking.” Indigo Zap reached her arm around Shade’s neck, pounding her fist into his back. “Because it really sucks.” With a heave, she lifted Shade up, tossing him over her shoulder.

“Oh you have no idea,” Shade responded with a slight chuckle, “I’d watch where you step, we wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to a lady such as yourself would we?” It was the Shade’s chains wrapped around Indigo Zap’s legs as he threw her towards Sour Sweet.

Indigo twisted in the air, landing besides her fellow Shadowbolt. “Oooh, maybe you won’t be such a waste after all~?” A green shimmer brought large white hammer into existence. “Whaddya say, Sunny? How long ya think he’ll last?”

Sunny extended her hand, a sword with a flame design on the blade appearing in a shimmer of green. “Maybe five minutes.”

“I think that's a good guess on how quick this will be over,” Shade responded his hand on the floor and the chains on his arms unravelled creating another wall around him.

Lemon and Sugarcoat leveled their guns at the wall, firing away in an attempt to pierce it. The others kept their distance, not willing to risk seeing how the chains would react to melee attacks.

“Any time now you two,” Shade said calmly to Daring and Agito as his chains disappeared into the sand below him unknown to the attacking Shadowbolts.

Agito jumped up, kicking a distracted Indigo Zap. The teenager cried out, stumbling backward and nearly dropping the hammer in her hand. She tried to counter with a strike from her hammer, only for Agito to catch her wrist and use his free arm to elbow her in the solurplexus.

It was then multiple chains appeared from below the Shadowbolts quickly wrapping around their legs before hoisting them into the air and throwing both Lemon and Sugarcoat into each other as Shade added “both of you take your pick, the choice is yours.”

Sour fired another volley of arrows at Shade, catching him in the leg. “Get off your high horse.”

“How about no?” Shade responded as chains formed around Sour quickly striking her repeatedly specifically targeting her weapon.

Sour growled, splitting her bow and arrow into two hand sickles. With a deft display, she bent upwards and struck at the chains holding her legs. They sliced through them like butter; Sour moving into a deadly flurry of metal. Closing the distance between them, she slashed and cut Shade, moving far quicker than any human should.

Shade quickly jumped back as he said with a calm tone, “so, you're not as slow as the others, must be what you are good at I assume,” as he held out a second Eyecon replacing it with the first as the Chains threw all the restrained Shadowbolts into the air as they dissolved in black light, as a Shade transformed using the Drive eyecon.

Lemon and Sugar twisted in the air, firing shots at Alex. The Shadowbolts tucked into rolls, getting back on their feet in seconds. Sunny charged Agito, matching his sword blow for blow with her own.

Shade quickly looked towards both Daring and Agito before shouting, “both of you, this may be strange but keep fighting while it’s in effect!” as he quickly turned one of the bands on his arms before time around him slowed to a crawl as he quickly charged towards Lemon and Sugars using his own sword to disarm them.

Sugar brought her hand up, catching Shade’s arm and tossing him away. “Nice trick, already seen it.”

“Life why do you hate me so much?” Shade asked himself as he got ready to grab yet another eyecon from his side.

Sugar raised her gun, firing at the hand heading for the eyecon as Shade quickly span away from the attack allowing himself to face away from her and switch the eyecon again this time replacing it with a bronze and red Eyecon. “Okay, you really are a pain in my ass,” Shade stated as he turned back around as a new Damashii appeared this one being predominantly bronze in colour apart from a red cloak that rests around the Damashii neck and right side held by a silver brooch holding Shades symbol along with this it had no hood and it’s persona was what looked to be a front of a square shield that in the centre looked almost like a dice with five spots showing with two lines running from each corner of the dice.

Sugar watched the scene carefully, examining Alex's new form. “Hmm, a dice motif, so probability powers, correct?”

“Maybe you should find out yourself,” Shade responded as a shield and spear formed in his hand as he pointed it towards her as four identical clones appeared next to him as all five quickly charged towards her their shields facing forwards each moving at the same time.

Adjusting her glasses on her face, Sugar leapt into the air before the clones could converge on her only to see multiple arrows being fired towards her from the distance. She let them hit, the projectives doing nothing more than bouncing off her skin.

“Arrows, so not probability,” Sugar noted, examining the arrows on the ground.

“Or who knows. I may just be unlucky,” Alex added as three of his clones began converging on Sugar with their spears thrust towards her.

Sugar twisted, the spears grazing her skin with a slight metallic sound. “I doubt you’re lucky.” She shot him again, ignoring the clones completely.

“Okay… now this is just ridiculous, if this was an online game, I’d be calling you a hacker,” Shade responded in annoyance reaching into his pocket again resting his hand against another Eyecon and activating it in his pocket as the sound of a ticking clock was heard as a faint image appeared behind him.

“A clock motif for a rider?” Agito questioned, looking over from his fight with Indigo. “That’s just dumb.”

Alex simply ignored the comment as he quickly switch the Eyecons over as a voice shouted, “Time in the palm of your hands!” as a new parka ghost attached to Shade, this one consisting of a long black coat that reach the floor that had green lines running down the entirety of it, while the chest piece almost look like that of a computer games controller, beyond this he also had what looked to be a strange red controller appear on his right arm.

“Hey! That looks based off of the boss’s work!” Lemon called out, tapping one of the buttons on her magnum and switching it to rifle mode. “No one copies her on our watch!”

“You think you have a say in it?” Alex responded before he suddenly appeared behind Lemon facing away from her a burned symbol of a clock appearing on the ground around him, “because i’m tired of this game.”

Before Lemon could question what happened, she cried out in pain, clutching her stomach.

Shade then walked to the side of Lemon before looking down to her as he said, “I won’t lie, you are competent fighter, but I can’t let you harm anyone else.” He then knelt down as picked up the gun that was resting just out of Lemon’s reach before he added, “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to take this with me.”

Sugarcoat leveled her gun at him, a firm look in her eyes. “We can’t let you do that. Making Lemon a new Gashacon Magnum would be inconvenient to Midnight’s schedule.”

“Well i’m sorry to hear of that,” Shade responded placing something into the gun he had just stolen from Lemon, “but i’m afraid I can not comply with that request,” as he quickly span around and fired at Sugarcoat three times with the Gashacon Magnum.

Sugarcoat moved to block the shots, only for one to slip past her guard and send her flying into Sour Sweet.

Alex then looked to Sour Sweet and Sugarcoat before saying as his hand was rested against his driver, “I’ll give you five seconds to run away and take your friend with you before I knock you all out and take your weapons from you too.”

Midnight sighed, producing a purple belt buckle that resembled a game console from her lab coat. “I wanted more testing but it appears I made a prudent choice.” Placing the belt around her waist, she retrieved an odd device from her pocket and pressed the button on it.

“Dangerous Zombie!” A grid-like pattern of pixels swept across the ground and a Dangerous Zombie logo appeared behind Midnight.

“Henshin,” Midnight said, pushing the device into her belt.

“Buggle up!” Her belt called out, a screen displaying a skeleton being shocked appearing in front of her. “Danger, danger! Death the crisis! Dangerous Zombie!”

A white fist broke through the screen before it fell away and a new figure appeared. Midnight’s new armor was white and made to resemble a skeleton in some ways. On the breast, there was a red portion with a gauge that was cracked and empty. The helmet had a mouthpiece that resembled a breathing mask, a large eye portion where one was red and the other blue. The top of the helmet was styled to look like spiky hair, one small part white and the rest black. Midnight moved erratically, looking like a glitching video game character before she stood up straight.

“Keep the others busy,” Midnight ordered, making a beeline for Daring.

Daring brought out her weapon, slashing it across Midnight’s chest before she could reach her. “I gotta ask, why the hay do you want to take me in so badly?”

“You have the power of life and death, I need it,” Midnight replied, staggering back. “I don’t care what it takes, you will come with me!”

Daring held her serrated club up in front of her, a cold chill surrounding it. “No thanks, don’t feel like letting Dai-Shocker get their hands on me.” Stabbing the tip of her weapon into the sand, a line of icy spikes raced towards Midnight.

Midnight rolled out of the way, glaring at the mare. “Think what you want, this has nothing to do with Dai-Shocker.”

“Oh, so a personal visit,” Daring scoffed, repeating her attack. “Well, that makes things better.”

“Stop being so damn selfish!” Midnight hissed, snapping off the tip of an ice spike and tossing it back. “Others need that power far more than you do!”

“Oh please enlighten us. Who needs it more than the those of us who do have it,” Shade asked as he begin to fire towards Midnight with the Gashapon Magnum.

Midnight stumbled, the shots striking her armor. “I don’t need to explain myself to idiots like you.”

Agito pushed Indigo away, crouching down with one hand in front of him. “You're right, you don't have to explain a thing. Just leave us alone.” A golden symbol appeared beneath him and a second part of horns unfolded on his helmet. The symbol lingered for a moment before it was absorbed in his feet. He leapt up, moving to kick Midnight's chest.

Shade then quickly turned as well placing his hand against the bugvisor on his arm and waited for Agito to get closer to Midnight.

Midnight made no move to block, letting Agito crash into her chest as Shade decided something was off and quickly moved to the back of Midnight.

The attack struck, Midnight flying back into Shade. He was forced to catch her or else be knocked over and he couldn't help but notice her body glitch slightly.

“Get off me!” she seethed, elbowing him in the face as he didn’t react simply grabbing her wrist and forcing it behind her back.

“I’ll ask a simple question. What is wrong with you?” Shade asked.

“I'm just a scientist that needs to finish my work,” she answered cryptically, slamming the back of her helmet into Shade's.

Shade didn’t react to her as he said, “you know what I meant. Why was your body almost distorting when I caught you?”

“My research works wonders,” Midnight replied, repeating her action. “You can knock me down all you want, but I'll always get back up.”

“You make that sound like it’s something impressive,” Shade stated before striking her in back with his elbow before kicking her into the centre between him, Daring and Agito.

“Guess one kick wasn’t enough,” Agito grumbled, his horns splitting once more. “But what about three?” He crouched down once more, Daring taking a similar stance.

“I guess we can only find out one way,” Shade responded quickly placing his hand on the Bugvisor on his arm again.

Midnight looked between the three, pressing the two buttons on her Bugvisor. “Fine, I suppose I can test how effective this form is today.”

Colorful light surrounded Midnight, all of it sparking around her. “Dangerous Zombie Critical Finish!” Her belt called out, Midnight jumping up to meet Agito’s kick head on.

“I think you need to stay put,” Shade responded with a smirk and the same chains he had used at the start of the fight appeared from the sand below then grabbing Midnight from the air, and slamming her back into the ground before jumping into the air dropping toward Midnight at the same time as Agito.

Daring followed up, her foot rocketing into Midnight’s chest while she was still bouncing off the ground. A sound like a device powering down was heard, and Midnight’s armor dissipated in a shimmer of pixels.

Midnight hit the ground hard, rolling along the sand. The remaining Shadowbolts gathered around her, brandishing their weapons.

“Have you not learned your lesson yet?” Shade asked turning towards them, grinning under helmet pointing the Gashapon Magnum at them placing a Gashat into it.

“Grab the boss and let’s book it!” Indigo snapped, looking between the other Shadowbolts. Sunny and Sugar rushed forward, shouldering the dazed woman and helping her to her feet.

“But what abou-” Lemon started, only to be stopped by a look from Sour.

“Not now, Lemon, we can get what we came for when there aren’t as many pests running around.” A grey shimmer appeared in the air and the Shadowbolts all retreated behind it before they and it vanished from sight.

Shade then took a breath after he was sure they had gone before lowering the Gashapon Magnum he had taken, removing the Gashat he had inserted into it before looking to Daring and Agito before he asked them calmly, “you two okay?”

Daring and Agito cancelled their transformations, taking stock of themselves. “Yeah, everything’s good on our end,” Agito finally answered. “What about you?”

Shade only smiled before cancelling his own transformation to reveal that he was still in his Alicorn form before adding, “I’m as good as I can be,” as he looked at the Gashapon Magnum in his hand as a black and red Holster appeared at his side and he placed the weapon inside, it's colouring changing to match Shade’s colour scheme as black flames slowly covered the weapon.

“There’s this thing called paint ya know,” Agito teased, watching the weapon change to red and black. “Though, I guess that is more effective.”

“And more cost effective, besides do you want to try disassembling something like this to repaint it and making sure it still functions?” Shade asked with a smile.

“Fair enough,” Agito relented with a shrug. “And thanks for helping us there. That would’ve been way more annoying with just the two of us.”

“I’m pretty sure you could have handled it without me, I’m not really a great help against any more than a single opponent,” Shade admitted with a shrug, “and I need to ask. Just who were those people?”

“They were part of Dai-Shocker,” Daring answered, adjusting her hat on her head. “The one that became a Rider was new, but the other five crashed Princess Cadance’s wedding.”

“I know of that Rider, I have my own version of her in my world who uses the same set-up, I was warned not to never kill him,” Shade admitted as something in his pocket began to visibly glow in a faint silver glow.

“Yeah, you had a similar device on your arm as she had for a belt,” Daring pointed out, pointing at Shade.

“That's a long story,” Shade responded, “let's just say an annoying cult in my world has been making hundreds of belts and equipment to use with it, and I keep the one I had on my arm with me, never worked out how it worked until I saw her use it,” Shade admitted before he muttered to himself, “I wonder if that Gashat I have would work with it?”

“Why not test it?” Agito suggested. “You’re already a ghost, not like it’ll kill ya.”

“Maybe we should wait till we’re not in a desert,” Shade pointed out, “I may not worry about keeping an eye on my hydration, but I’m pretty sure you two need to.”

“Yeah, and how long does pushing a button and slapping on a belt take?” Daring countered. “We’ve got plenty of water so might as well see if that thing works for you. By the way, you got something glowing in your pocket.”

“I do?” Shade responded looking down to see the light as he reached into his pocket pulling out the same cards as before finding three cards that were glowing in the pack as he pulled them out to see that they showed three names on them these being, Snipe, Agito and Genm with an image on each with him recognising the image on two of them.

“Glowing cards, that’s something,” Agito said, sounding nonplussed. “Yup, totally worthy of conversation those things are.”

“You really are such a ray of sunshine, you know that,” Shade responded rolling his eyes, “from what I know of the original few cards I got of these, they belonged to someone called Diend… no idea who that is though.”

“He’s a treasure thief and the secondary rider in Decade’s series,” Agito answered, taking the card that had his name on it. “No idea why I’d show up on one of his cards though.”

“Decade… I know I’ve heard that name somewhere,” Shade admitted to himself as he looked to pull out a notepad before he sighed. “That's where I heard it, he was the 10th Heisei rider correct?”

“That’s why he was called Decade,” Agito pointed out.

“Yeah, that much should have been obvious to me,” Shade admitted as the Bugvisor from before appeared in his free hand.

“Alright, test time,” Agito said, summoning his own belt. “If it looks like something goes wrong, I’ll help you take that thing off.”

“Okay,” Shade responded looking over the belt before he said to himself, “So how does this one work?”

“It looked like she pressed the button on the little device and then slotted it into the top of the belt,” Agito explained.

“Okay, so she placed the belt against her waist,” Shade stated as he placed the bugvisor against his own waist as a strangely disconnected belt appeared behind it which looked to have a free space which the Bugvisors looked to attach to. Shade then took a breath before attaching the Bugvisor to the belt as a dark, distorted voice called out Gachoon.

He then held up the Kamen Rider Chronicles Gashat in his left hand before he pressed the small green button on the top of it as a similar distorted voice called out Kamen Rider Chronicle as he released the Gashat feeling it trying to pull away from his grip as it floated around the belt itself in a clockwise directed before inserting itself into the Bugvisor as the same voice called out Gachān as Shade took one more breath before calmly saying, “Henshin” as he pressed a button on the top as the screen glowing in a bright green light that suddenly distorted into a darker red glow.

Buggle Up! Ten wo Tsukame Rider! Kizame Chronicle! Ima koso Toki wa Kiwamareri! as this was said a red backdrop rose above Shade’s head as a blackened set of Roman numerals ranging from 1 to 12 appeared infront of him before the screen above dropped over his form.

As soon as the transformation finished Shade looked over himself to see he was covered in a black suit that almost matched the Chronus Eyecon he had used before, however instead of the markings on the belt being green, they were instead red in colour.

“Okay, this feels very weird,” Shade responded.

“It seems to work, so there’s that,” Daring said, looking over the suit. “Not sure about the giant cartoon eyes though. Kinda lessens the impressiveness.”

“Need I point out that other Rider had a very similar look to hers,” Shade pointed out.

“Yeah, seemed like she was a kid with a weird aesthetic taste,” Daring admitted. “Just didn’t say anything seeing as I was trying not to get kidnapped.”

“Fair enough,” Shade responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Well, now that we’ve tested that out, we should get going again. And Shade, mind handing those cards over? Unless you’ve got something that can read ‘em, they’re pretty useless to you.”

“Don’t worry, I can use them,” Shade responded as he added, “I have in the past anyway.”

“Alright, good job getting my card then,” Agito said, starting to walk again. “Now to hit the very dusty trail.”

Shade stopped for a second quickly cancelling the transformation before he said calmly, “you said you were planning on going to Ponyville correct?”

“Yup, that’s where I currently live,” Daring said.

“If you wish I could offer you both a shortcut if and get you back sooner. If you want it that is?” Shade offered as he placed all the cards back into his pocket.

“Are you kidding? Not having to spend time in this desert sounds good to me,” Agito assured him. “What’s this shortcut?”

Shade gestured to his horn before saying, “do I need to spell it out for you?”

“Oh yeah, alicorn,” Agito said, chuckling. “Alright, teleport away Shadow the Hedgecorn.”

“Very funny,” Shade responded before his horn began to glow in a crimson hugh before the three of them were surrounded in a bright white light before Shade teleported them to Ponyville.

The light faded from around the trio, leaving Agito and Daring with the usual disorientation of long distance teleportation. He had always hated it when Starswirl had done it and now was no exception. Glancing around at his surroundings always helped him regain his faculties.

The humble buildings of Ponyville greeted him again, the ponies milling about not seeming to notice their arrival. That was fine by Agito, he didn't want to make a scene this time.

Shade then quickly looked around before he quickly pressed the button on his bracer returning back to his human form once again before he asked Agito and Daring, “So where are you both going to go now?”

“Golden Oaks Library,” Daring answered in an instant. “That's where Twilight lives. From there, we can get the other elements and my dad can apologize to the kid.”

“I’m betting it’s best I don’t ask what you have to apologize to him for?” Alex responded with a smile.

“I punched him in the nose,” Agito answered simply, letting his daughter lead him towards the treehouse.

“And, I’m guessing the guy probably had it coming for you to react that way.”

Agito grunted, his hands in his pockets. “He put pictures of himself in the paper in my brother's rider form,” he explained. “Dumb kid did it to get my attention. I just gave him what he wanted.”

“And that was a punch to the face?” Alex responded in confusion, “I take it he must like getting beaten up.”

Daring shrugged, steering them down the street. “Hitting him in the face just sort of happens. I've already done it twice. Poor kid just must have kicked puppies in a past life or something.”

“Or broken a few hundred mirrors,” Alex suggested.

“If he had ever been to Hawaii, I'd think he pissed off Pele,” Agito offered. “She's well known for holding long grudges.”

“I once heard that Hawaii was a beautiful place to visit, sadly never got to see it myself before I ended up here,” Alex admitted with a sigh before shrugging his shoulders.

“I can assure you, it was,” Agito told the other man, a smile hidden by his mask. “I was born and raised there before I wound up here. Still wanna take Daring someday.”

“Well if you ever get the chance too, I'd like to join you and get to see the place at least once in my afterlife.”

“Will do,” Agito assured with a nod. “Hell, I'll even toss in surfing lessons for free. You haven't known thrills until you've conquered a hawaiian swell.”

“A.K!” Spike called out, standing at a street corner. “Thank Faust you guys are back!” Rushing over, he pointed towards the distance. “The Apple Family got attacked a few days ago; almost spilled out onto Ponyville!”

“What?!” Daring said, her disguise nearly falling off her. “Was it Dai-Shocker?”

“We think they're related, but it was some guy named Drakkon,” the drake explained, gesturing with his claws. “He had these tanks and lasers and one of his guys grew into a giant! Wyatt said that Drakkon guy was an evil Tommy Oliver but I don't know who that is.”

“Of course you have to deal with a crazy version of one of the most beloved Power Rangers,” Alex responded with a shake of his head.

“Oh, uh, hi,” Spike said, finally noticing Alex. “Nice to meet you, I'm Spike.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name’s Alex,” Alex responded as he held his hand out to Spike.

Spike took the hand and gave it a shake. “I guess that means you're a displaced like Wyatt and Agito, right? We could have used the extra help a few days ago.”

“And I can safely say they needed it earlier today, and I can’t be in two places at once.”

Spike nodded, turning his attention back to Daring. “So, did you find out everything you needed to?”

Daring adjusted her disguise, an uncomfortable look crossing her features. “I'll tell you about my trip once everybody's at the library. The three of us were heading there now.”

“Okay, I'll start getting the girls,” the drake promised, jogging off.

With that, the group made their way down the streets without interruption. Before long, they were at the front door of Golden Oaks. Daring let herself in, tossing her hat and glasses to the side.

“Hey! We're here!” Daring called out, putting a hand to the side of her muzzle.

A few moments later, Twilight appeared in the doorframe. “Hi Daring.” She shot the pegasus an annoyed look before her slitted gaze fell on Alex. “Oh, hello there.”

“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alex responded as he looked over Twilight questionably giving off an uneasy aura to him.

Twilight ignored the look, seeming to not even notice. “Well, come on in.” She stepped back from the doorway, turning on her hoof. “I can get us drinks if you want.”

“Thank you for the offer, but i’ll be fine.”

Twilight nodded, making her way to the kitchen. “Wyatt! Come upstairs; Daring's back!”

There were rapid footsteps before a nearby before a nearby door opened and Wyatt stepped out. “Hey Daring,” he greeted, waving at the mare.

Daring returned the gesture and said, “Good to see you again, kid.” She waved a hand over to Alex. “This is Alex, he's the reason my dad and I got back so soon.”

“It wasn’t really anything to special, I just felt like it was a waste of time to keep you both trekking through a desert when I could get you back here much quicker,” Alex responded as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Yeah because teleporting across continents isn't a big deal,” Wyatt joked, extending his hand. “I'm Wyatt, a pleasure.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Alex respond as he shook his hand.

“Heh, not many people have said that to me here.” Wyatt took his hand back. “So, uh, Agito. You staying for a while or what? Luna and Celestia are coming into town for bit and I know they'd love to see you.”

Agito grunted reaching up to remove his mask. “It's been a long time since I've seen either of them. You got a straight razor kid? I need a shave.”

“Yeah, I’ve got a razor in the bathroom cabinet.” Wyatt pointed down the hall where the bathroom was. “Second shelf behind the mirror. And make sure you clean up your soap scum.”

Agito slapped Alex on the back, moving away from the group. “Cya around, kid. Try not to die again.” Moving down the hall, he glanced back. “Eh, if you're lucky!” he called back to Wyatt, already out of sight

“If only I could get that lucky, I’ll die from boredom first listening to all of the nobles!” Alex shouted back with a smirk.

Daring cleared her throat. “Alex, show Wyatt those cards you got. Maybe he can tell you more about them.” Grabbing her disguise off the floor, she redonned it. “I'm going back to my hotel room. I need a shower and a change of clothes.” She slipped out of the building without another word.

“Do I not get a say in this?” Alex responded shaking his head as Daring left before she could respond, “I take that as a no.”

“What's this about cards?” Wyatt asked, glancing back at Alex.

“Well I suppose it would be easier to show you, than try to explain,” Alex responded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out three of the Cards in his pocket revealing the Drake, Genm and Drive Rider Cards to him, “cards like these ones keep appearing after I encounter another Rider.”

“Oh yeah, I recognize those,” Wyatt said with a grin. He held a hand out, summoning his card case. He opened it up and displayed his own cards. “Ta-da! See, they match.”

“Hmm… This may be a weird question but does the name Diend mean anything to you?” Alex asked.

“Secondary rider to Decade,” Wyatt responded. “His driver was a back up for Decade before he stole it from Dai-Shocker, then used it to further his career as a thief. Though his cards were of secondary and movie exclusive riders while Decade's were of primary riders.” Looking through his cards, he paused. “...Who the hell is 'Arisen’ or Shade?”

“Hell if I know for Arisen,” Alex responded, “but as for Shade, you're looking at him.”

“Huh, I'll have to figure out that Arisen thing later,” Wyatt said, putting the cards away.

“Anyway, Is there anything you want to ask me about?”

“Hmm, I guess it'd be interesting to hear what your Equestria's like,” Wyatt offered, watching Twilight walk into the room with a tray of iced tea. He took one and sipped slowly. “Got anything cool going on back home?”

“Promise you won’t react badly… and won’t reveal this to anyone outside this room?” Alex asked nervously his hand against his bracer..

“I've seen a lot and I'm good with secrets,” Wyatt assured, putting an arm around Twilight after she had set her tray down.

“Okay then,” Alex responded as he stood up taking a step back before he pressed the button on his bracer again reverting back to his Alicorn form before he said, “Well there's this for one.”

Wyatt did a spit take, examining the newly revealed alicorn. “Okay, that's a first. None of the other displaced I've run into got turned into alicorns.”

“Well, that's a long story, that doesn’t relate to my Displacement,” Shade admitted, “I got tricked by a certain Changeling Queen, my projected body taken by her and the residents of the world I was in somehow made me a fake body to use which they decided to be an Alicorn for my form, the bracer on my arms allows me to control the two forms otherwise I keep swapping between them randomly.”

“Would that queen's name be Chrysalis?” Wyatt questioned, holding back a chuckle from the last detail.

“Pretty much,” Shade responded shaking his head, “but it kinda backfired on her and lets just say, she’s not as free as she used to be.”

“Our Chrysalis is an ally to Equestria,” Twilight chimed in, sipping her own drink. “She even helped save my brother during his wedding.”

“In the world I was in when this happened she was anything but that, from what I was told her only desire was to conquer that Equestria and wasn’t beyond taking the body of other beings to live long enough to do so.”

Twilight scrunched her muzzle up and stuck her tongue out. “I'm glad our version doesn't seem anything like that.”

“And I’m glad you're nothing like my worlds version of you,” Shade muttered under his breath.

“Hmm?” Twilight questioned, her ear flicking on her head. “What was that about your me? Is it the eyes? I have a sliver of draconic essence in me makes my eyes like this.”-”

“No it’s not that, lets just say… you are not as kind of a person in my world as you are here.”

Twilight frowned, looking like she wanted to say something before shaking her head. “I guess it's inevitable that there's an evil version of me out there.”

“I think it’s better we leave that train of thought there before you ask something you don’t want to hear the answer to,” Shade responded.

Shrugging her shoulders, Twilight stared into her glass. “I've already met an evil version of my brother, can't be worse than that.”

“You would be surprised,” Shade responded.

“Maybe,” Twilight relented, picking up her own drink. “Is there anything more pleasant you'd be willing to tell us about?”

“Well, I suppose there no harm in telling you that where the Castle in the Everfree stands is now a city where both monsters and ponies coexist with each other. That includes Gamma, Phantoms & a few ponies who use Gaia Memories,” Shade admitted calmly as he reverted back into his human form.

“That's very interesting,” Wyatt said, nodding at Alex. “We've just made our monsters blow up.”

“Kinda hard to do when you're finishers can’t kill the target,” Alex admitted, “All mine ever does is completely destroy any will they have to fight and make them more susceptible to do what they are told.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up and she teleported in a clipboard. “That's amazing! Is it possible for me to study your powers?!”

Wyatt chuckled and patted her shoulder. “You don't have to bother him, Twi. I have his card now.”

“Besides, unless you had someone in mind for me to test it on, I can’t see its that easy to show you… It kinda would need to be done through Trial by fire. If you know what I mean by that,” Alex admitted.

Twilight nodded, settling down. “Good point.”

“Monster taming would’ve come in handy during that Meowgi thing,” Wyatt said, grimacing. “Would've saved me getting that vault door pancake treatment.”

“You won’t let that go, will you?” Twilight asked with a light smirk.

“He beat me with a vault door!” Wyatt argued, throwing his hands up. “A. Vault. Door!”

“What would you have even done with him? Kept him as a pet or something along those lines?” Alex asked curiously.

“Oh hell no,” Wyatt said with a shudder. “There's no way I'd keep that nine-headed cat as a pet. I bet the G-project would've found some use for him.”

“They have their hands full with... other things...” Twilight frowned. “No one ever said science wasn’t... messy.”

“Are you suggesting we should've kept him?” Wyatt asked, quirking a brow. “You weren't there to hear his puns.”

“Well my powers would have allowed you to stop him from coming up with them again,” Alex admitted as he sat down in a chair.

“That’d make him less annoying at the very least,” Wyatt admitted reluctantly.

“I bet the guard would’ve found a place for him,” Twilight offered.

“Considering from what you’ve said about him, I’d imagine that he would have been strong enough to be relatively useful to them,” Alex admitted.

“I reiterate once again, a giant, steel vault door,” Wyatt began, motioning with his arms. “He picked it up, and smacked me down into the floor with it.”

”Well considering how much that would have weighed, I'm pretty sure he could have been a great help in completing any repairs or construction that would need doing around Equestria.”

“He needed to die,” Wyatt pressed, crossing his arms. “I’m not going to change my mind on the issue.”

”Well it's not like that even matters now, but you need to remember with my powers you won't kill them, but reform them,” Alex admitted.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Wyatt said with a nod. “Though, I wonder if it’d work on humans too,” he muttered, rubbing his chin.

“Umm, I can’t comment for humans… but I do know it can effect ponies,” Shade admitted shamefully.

“What do you mean it works on ponies?” Twilight questioned, trying and failing to hide her disturbance. “That’s highly unethical and illegal.”

“Considering this pony it was used on was kidnapping children, infants and woman from everywhere and using them for sadistic experiments to create her own monsters to sell as weapons of war, I don’t think allowing her to stay as she was would have been the best course of action,” Alex admitted, “and it's ethical to use on monsters if they are attacking people but not on ponies doing the same thing? I’ll have to remember that one.”

“It’s not ethical to use it on anyone.” Rising to her hooves, Twilight stormed out of the room. Heading to the basement, she slammed the door behind her.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned that fact,” Alex responded shamefully as he shook his head.

“I'll go talk to her,” Wyatt said, moving towards the basement. “You just sit tight until Agito's done shaving.”

“Yeah no problem on that part, I’m just sorry I caused this mess.”

Wyatt waved him off and disappeared down the stairs. His and Twilight's muffled voices came from the doorway moments later. A couple minutes later and Wyatt stepped back upstairs with a still irked Twilight in tow. Wyatt motioned a hand to Alex, indicating for him to open things.

“Look, I’m sorry about what I said, I know it’s unethical, but it’s one of the only things I can do, if my finisher does hit and walk it always leave some sort of scar on the target and I can’t prevent that from taking place,” Alex admitted.

Twilight closed her eyes and took a breath. “You don't have to explain. I wasn't there so I can't say you could've done things differently. All I can do is hope you made the best out of a terrible situation.”

“As good as I could from it, that much I can promise you.”

“Then that's all I have to say about this,” Twilight replied, managing to crack a weak smile. “We can let the topic die.”

Agito emerged from the hallway, rubbing his face beneath his mask. “Ah, that's way better. I was starting to get tangles. I miss anything?”

“Alex was just telling us about his powers,” Wyatt said, leaving it vague. “Isn't that right?” he asked, looking at the other man.

“Yeah, considering he had a card based it me, I thought it best he had a basic idea of what it could do,” Alex admitted.

“Fair enough,” Agito said, nodding. “You ready to go home, Shade?”

“I suppose it may be for the best, I’ve seen enough chaos for today,” Alex admitted as another copy of this token dropped into his hand before he looked to Wyatt and said, “Just in case you ever need me,” as he passed the Eyecon over to him.

Wyatt nodded, leaning over and telling Agito how to get the other Rider home. “Alex, our contract is complete,” the masked man stated.

“Okay, and thank you for tolerating me,” Alex responded with a bow as a small eye shaped portal appeared behind him as the centre of it opened up revealing a crimson and black pulsating glow inside it.

“See you later,” Wyatt said with a wave. “Call me if you need an extra set of hands.”

“Or me if you need someone stopping in their tracks and reforming,” Alex added with a smirk before his body shifted back into his eyecon as it floated into the eye. It shut, the object fading from existence in front of the group.

Somber appeared in a flash of light just outside of Emperor Zero's throne room. His face was a stone mask, betraying nothing of what he truly felt. Turning his attention to the guards, he flourished his cape.

“Announce my arrival to the good emperor, I wish to have a word with him.”

The pair of guards saluted, one of them slipping into the throne room. A few minutes later and the guard returned. “Your arrival has been announced, Great Leader.”

Somber nodded, striding into the throne room where Zero was standing in wait for him.

“Great Leader, to what do I owe the pleasure of a surprise visit?” Zero greeted, a smile on his face.

A hand reached out, wrapping around Zero’s neck. “You insignificant little prick. How dare you?” Somber squeezed, his eyes smoking once more. “Did you think I wouldn’t know of your little visit with Midnight?”

Zero couldn't answer, his airflow cut off by Somber's grip. All he could manage was a weak shake of his head.

Somber sneered in disgust before tossing Zero into his throne. “Midnight is far too valuable of an asset to lose. Do you have any idea how far back you would have set us if she didn’t survive? No, most likely not because you are a sniveling moron.”

Zero coughed, regaining his composure. “Great Leader, I meant no harm to Dai-Shocker. The girl is clearly consumed with her grief. I merely gave her a lead which might give her what she wanted. With her grief gone, nothing would distract her from serving you.”

Camly walking up to the throne, Somber snorted. “You are worthless to this organization, Zero. But by my good graces have you maintain your position. And my good graces have finally run out.”

Zero eyed Somber warily, his hand slipping out of sight. “Great Leader, what are you saying?”

Waving a hand, Somber created a distortion. “You’re fired, Zero. I’ll make sure Garanda fills the position with someone who isn’t a waste of skin.”

Zero's hidden hand reappeared with his spear in tow, lashing out to stab Somber. “That will not happen!”

Somber stepped to the side, allowing Zero to lunge by him. “Goodbye, Zero.” Thrusting a leg out, he planted a hoof against Zero’s back. The kick sent the enraged monarch through the distortion. Waving his hand, Somber sealed it. “Enjoy obscurity, worm.”

With that done, he motioned for the nearest guard to alert the rest of the empire of the job opening. Waving his hand again, he found himself in Midnight’s lab. She was shaking violently, shoving a handful of pills into her mouth.

“You were reckless, Midnight dear. Your system could have failed, or brought you back as twisted meat,” he spoke, letting the smoke on his eyes sputter out. “It would be a waste to lose you in such a pointless matter.”

“It was a calculated risk,” Midnight replied, her breathing ragged. “The system works. I would have survived.”

Somber walked to Spike’s tube, placing a hand on it. “I wouldn’t take such risks again, Midnight. If one were to prove fatal, Spike would have no one to watch over him.”

Bristling at the implication, Midnight pushed her glasses up. “You’ve made your point, Great Leader. Did you need anything else?”

Turning to face her, Somber smiled. “Why yes, there is. I wish to get a first hand look at all those lovely makamou you’ve been cooking up. King expects the best and we will certainly deliver.”

Sighing, Midnight rose up on shaky legs. “Right this way, Great Leader.” Turning away, she made her away towards another room. Her only thoughts on how to keep any further threats towards her brother out of Somber’s mouth.

A Lovely Day For Chaos pt. 2

“Are you comfy enough?” Twilight inquired, fluffing Wyatt’s pillow. “Do you need any blankets or more pillows? Maybe something to drink?” Her tail swished nervously behind her, the new drake wringing her hands. “Anything at all?”

Wyatt turned his head, quirking a brow at her. “Twi, are you okay? You seem a little more… extra than usual,” he commented, brushing his newfound bangs out of his eyes.

“I’m fine.” Leaning down, Twilight nuzzled his head. “It’s just... you’re mine and I have to make sure you’re taken care of,” she explained, licking his cheek.

“I think we found the first side effect of Discord’s change,” he mused, poking her snout. “You’re even more possessive than normal. You know I can take care of myself, Twi.”

Twilight snorted, nibbling at his ear. “You know, I never noticed it before but, you smell really nice.” A soft purr built in her throat, holding a seductive edge. “Very nice.”

Wyatt paled, not liking the sound of what his former marefriend was saying. Forcing a smile, he pulled away from her and stood up. “You know what, I think I will grab myself a drink and snack at Sugarcube Corner.”

Reaching a hand out, she grabbed the back of his shirt. “I can’t let you go out there like that. Ponies would stare!” Growling, she eased him back down. “Just relax, I’ll take care of all your needs.”

“Twi, what are they going to stare at?” he questioned, giving her a worried look. “I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Plus, most of the ponies in town are mares.”

“I don’t want their wandering eyes on you,” Twilight argued, nuzzling his head. “You are mine,” she insisted, giving the purr again. “No one is going to take you from me.”

“Twi, that’s not going to happen,” he pressed, pushing away. “I’m a big boy, I can tell people off if they try anything. Plus, Sugarcube Corner is right down the street.” A groan escaped from his lips as Twilight nudged him back down. “This is getting very old.” The purring grew louder as Twi put her arms around him and put his head to her chest.

Much like a cat, she started to lick his head. “Mine,” she whispered, snuggling on the couch with him.

Wyatt settled against her, letting her make a cowlick on the top of his head. “The things I do for love,” he muttered, finding himself admiring Twilight’s smooth scales. He let his head rest on her chest, her inner fire making the act surprisingly warm. He idly hoped that the previous remarks about his smell didn’t mean anything he’d need to worry about.

“You know, Sombra’s going to be at school for awhile and Spike’s out with Rarity...” Twilight ran her claws through his hair. “We could do... stuff.”

Wyatt gulped, silently cursing his Decade luck. “Okay, Twi, you wanna maybe go on a picnic?” he offered, smiling weakly. “Or maybe add on to that lesson about the influx of minotaur immigrants after the fall of Minos?”

Twilight pouted, holding him tighter. “But then all the townsponies will ogle you! No one ogles my mate!”

Wyatt squeaked, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. “Twi, too tight!” He patted her back, hoping she’d get the message.

“Sorry.” Twilight eased up, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Wyatt. I just... so many weird things in my head. I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”

“A little bit,” he admitted, looking up at her. “But I know it’s not your fault.” Reaching out, he put a hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t we do something to take your mind off all that stuff?”

Twilight’s tail flicked a bit, nodding her head. “Okay, I like the sound of that. What are you thinking?”

“Well uh... how are the rings coming along?” Wyatt asked, trying to squirm out from under Twilight.

“I found a new stone recently with Maud’s help,” Twilight explained, gesturing with a claw. “I just haven’t found the time to turn it into a new ring. I’m pretty excited to see what it’ll turn out to be though.” Wrapping her tail around Wyatt’s leg, she let out a puff of smoke. “We were so busy during the last attack, I left all of my new rings here.”

“Then why don’t we test them out now?” Wyatt offered. “The beautiful thing about the Wizard Driver is that you don’t have to be in rider form to use the spells.”

Twilight looked at her claws, frowning. “I don’t know, how would I even call on the magic like this? I don’t have any of Smaug’s markings or shaman training.”

“Aren’t the markings meant to tap into a dragon’s inner magic?” Wyatt questioned. “If that’s the case then the belt should work the same way. It couldn’t hurt to try.”

“I suppose...” With some effort, she pulled away from Wyatt and slipped the engage ring onto her claw. Or at least she tried to. “I think my claws are too big.” She pouted, showing him.

“Try switching it to your pinkie,” Wyatt said, pointing at the digit. “That looks small enough.”

Twilight regarded her pinkie for a moment, sizing it up. After a moment, she gave it a try. It was a tight fit, but she managed to get it on. “Yes, it fits!” she beamed, displaying her efforts to Wyatt.

“Alright then, show me what you got.”

Discord lounged on Fluttershy’s couch, the piece of furniture floating upside down in midair. He tinkered with what looked like a puzzle box, humming softly. “Oh my, just look at this. Someone's been turning the dimensional wall into swiss cheese.”

“That would be Dai-Shocker,” Fluttershy answered, flitting between her animals to calm them. “They can travel between universes.”

“Can they now?” he hummed in thought, turning a piece of the puzzle box. “Interesting. And there are more riders than just Agito and his dearly departed brother. Things have certainly changed.”

“For the better in a lot of ways if you ask me,” Fluttershy commented, glancing at Discord's puzzle box. “Um, that's not going to let out scary monsters when you solve it, is it?”

“Hm? Oh no, this is just for me.” Discord shook his head. “Even if it did, you have riders don’t you?”

“Well, one of them's a toddler, another you turned into a drake and the last one into a mare… or whatever it is that humans call their females,” Fluttershy rattled off, looking down at her hooves. “Those weren’t very nice you know.”

“I know, but old habits die hard,” Discord said, ruffling her mane. “If I'm going to be reformed, then I need to get the sociopathy out of my system. Do you have those here? I forgot to ask the first time.”

“Have what?” she questioned, tilting her head.

“Never mind.” Discord hummed, shifting more of the cube. “You know, Fluttershy, travel between universes goes both ways. Especially when you don’t cover one's tracks.”

Fluttershy gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “Are you saying we could be able to follow them to their universe?”

“Perhaps one day.” Clicking another piece into place, Discord smiled. “You just need a little fresh sample is all. A fresh connection.” He paused placing the cube in his ear before rubbing his chin. “Now that is interesting. That wasn’t there before.”

“What wasn't there?” Fluttershy questioned, growing tired of playing the pronoun game.

“A little connection, barely even there.” He turned his back to her, staring at a piece of the wall. “Feels so... energetic.”

Fluttershy's wings flared out behind her, her eyes widening. “Are you saying that Dai-Shocker's attacking now? We have to get the riders!”

“Hm? Oh no, no, no. This is a connection to something far, far, far different. I’ve never felt anything like it.” Reaching out, the world rippled as he pierced the fabric of the universe. “Ooooh! Now that’s a feeling.”

Fluttershy gaped, unable to speak for a while. “Discord, what are you doing?”

“Getting acquainted with a budding part of the universe,” he replied, not looking back at her. “Why don’t you be a dear and get my some of those cucumber sandwiches you made before? Those were rather tasty.”

“Okay” Fluttershy said, not sure if she wanted to ask anything else and walked over to the kitchen. “Do you want more tea too?”

“Yes, please.”

Fluttershy gave an affirmation, leaving the draconequus to his devices.

Pinkamena shuddered in ecstasy as the centipede dragon smashed through another building. “Ooh~ Midnight can certainly brew up a monster when she feels like it. Somber must have really put the pressure on.”

She giggled to herself, watching the humans scatter in terror. She was glad she had brought a camera, she knew she'd want to see this again. “Why can’t the ponies be doing something like this? Somber’s mollycoddling that boy.” She clicked her tongue, her fun momentarily ruined. “If it wouldn't piss the big cheese off, I'd stab the dumbass and be done with him.”

Her hand drifted down to her waist, closing her hand around the Eternal memory. “Hmmmm, there is an opening on the council.” It wouldn’t be too hard to fill in for that idiot Zero, provided she could prove herself.

“You'd need to do something big to get that spot,” a familiar and annoying voice chimed in from behind her. “You screwed up killing a newbie rider last time and got scared of your own blood.”

“Like you did any better,” Pinkamena snapped, rounding on the speaker. She sneered at the smug form of Rook. “All you needed was to mess up a press event!”

“I did mess it up, but IXA interrupted my game,” Rook argued. “One that I liked. Even if the Decade brat was trying to change the rules.”

Turning back to the rampaging monster, a snort emitted from her nostrils. Watching a piece of roof landing in a parking lot, an idea planted into her mind. “You know, both those idiots are in Ponyville. All those riders in one place, could make a fun game out of that.”

Rook stroked his chin in thought, nodding to himself. “Hmm, I do hate leaving my games unfinished.”

Biting her lip, Pinkamena shivered in anticipation. “We can be there and back before the boss even knows it. Don’t tell me you aren’t bored watching someone else have all the fun.”

“True, but leave the camera behind,” Rook said, a rift appearing behind him.

Pinkamena scoffed, setting it down on the roof. “If that camera gets destroyed, your ass is glass.” Pushing past him, she shoved her memory into its slot. Activating it, she produced her knife. “Now, I wanna skin me a doppelganger.”

A new rift appeared, depositing Rook outside of Ponyville. He was in his pony disguise, his muzzle scrunched up in thought. Serious matters were on his mind. Things like, what would be the sweet he ate if he won his game?

Cake sounded nice. With a hearty laugh, he shed his disguise. “Run, run little ponies! Flee before me!” Hefting his mace above his head, he slammed it into a market stall. “Tell your puny riders Rook wants to play!”

In an instant, ponies started to flee, moving in a sea of limbs to get away from the fangire. One unfortunate stallion met his end at Rook’s mace, his broken body slamming into a cart. Panic descended on the market, ponies nearly trampling over each other to escape. He continued his rampage, smashing anything in his way.

“Hey!” Spike shouted, already scanning his belt. “You want a rider, you got one!” Using Unicorn, unagi and cheetah, he sped in close and struck at Rook’s leg. “So lets play!”

“Finally!” Rook bellowed, shrugging off the attack. He spun his mace over his head, swinging it towards Spike's side. The hammer sailed through Spike’s after image, leaving Rook stumbling from the momentum of his swing.

Spike used that as a chance to wrap his whips around Rook's foot, sending a charge through them and pulling him off balance. He succeeded, only to get a fist to the upper arm. Spike upped the voltage, ignoring the pain in his arm.

Regaining his balance, Rook drew his leg back and pulled Spike off his feet. “I’ll pop your head like an egg,” he explained, raising his mace up high. “That’ll give me a high score right off the bat!” Swinging downward, he bellowed out a harsh laugh.

The horn on Spike's helmet lit up, a kinetic wave rushing out and sending the mace up and into Rook's face. “Damn, didn’t pop your head. Still, that’s a bunch of points for me.” Rolling away, he sprung up and put some distance between them.

“Grrah! You're not a player in this game!” Rook roared, planting his mace on the ground. “You’re just the target!”

“I'm changing the rules,” Spike taunted, running circles around Rook. “Come on, you can hit me can’t you?”

Rook growled, thrashing around in an attempt to catch Spike. Each time he hit the drake's afterimage, causing the fangire's frustrations to grow. He thrust his mace out, laughing as Spike slammed right into it. “What’s wrong, can’t you see where you’re going?” Rook swung his mace again, catching Spike in the stomach and sending the young drake flying into a market stall.

“That... went better in my head...” Pushing himself to his feet, Spike cracked his whips. “Come on, you big dumb cat. I’ll make you cough up a few hairballs.” Striking out with his whips, Spike wrapped them around the top portion of the mace. He dug his heels in, pulling back against the fangire.

Rook laughed, letting go of his mace and the loss of tension sending Spike tumbling backwards. Before the drake could regain his footing, Rook’s fist slammed into Spike’s helmet. “Ten points!” he declared, hefting his mace once more.

Spike groaned, keeping his distance from Rook while he tried to get his spinning head in order. “Come on, we both know I’m worth more than that.” Charging his horn, he fired an ice spell at Rook’s feet. Ice overtook the fangire’s feet and he tested his strength against it only to grunt in exertion.

“You can’t cheat! I’m supposed to be beating you!” Rook growled, struggling to free his feet. “I’ll tear you limb from limb! 200 points for each limb and 500 for your head!”

Spike wrapped a whip around his fist, charging at the fangire full speed and punching him with an electrical strike. He did the same with his other hand, giving punch after punch. “Just break already!”

Rook seized up, a low growl escaping his muzzle. Using his mace, he jabbed Spike in the stomach before he could throw another punch. “I hate grinding.” Back handing Spike, he smashed the ice with a slam of his mace.

Spike panted, his own speed turning out to be his worst enemy in this fight. “Come on! Where is everyone else!?” he hissed, rolling out of the way as Rook charged him.

Shots rang out, knocking Rook off course. Spike turned, finding Trixie holding IXA-Calibur. “You got away last time, freak. A mistake Trixie intends to fix.” Holding her sidearm, Trixie activated her belt.

The mechanical voice rang out, the sun symbol sprang out, spinning in front of her before forming her armor. Heat radiated off of her, the crest on her helmet opening to reveal red eyes. Walking closer, Trixie fired a few more shots.

“In the name of Faust, you will perish. This is your final game, beast.”

A wild glint filled Rook's eyes and a laugh tore out of his throat. “If it isn't the fangire hunter. This should be interesting.” Hefting his mace, he took a step towards Trixie. “1,000 points for you, filly.”

“Only if you can kill me.” Trixie leveled her gun at him, peppering him with shots. “You getting up? Or do I have him to myself?” she questioned, not bothering to look at Spike.

Spike pushed himself to his feet, pulling out his unagi medal. “Forgive me, I've been taking high speed punches.” He replaced the medal with the Kuwagata one and ran his scanner over his belt.

“Maybe you should slow down,” Trixie suggested, ducking under a swing of Rook’s mace. Retaliating with a shoulder check, she fired at his legs. Trixie was on the hunt, and this time, her prey wasn’t going to escape.

The sound of ponies panicking had reached Golden Oaks, sending the inhabitants on alert.

“Come on Twi, we gotta go!” Wyatt shot off the couch, racing for the door. He came to an abrupt stop as a hand wrapped around his arm. “Twi, come on!”

“No! I can't let my mate get hurt out there!” Twilight argued, keeping her grip on his arm. “I have to keep you safe!”

“Twi, control your instincts,” Wyatt retorted, a sharp look crossing his features. “Protecting ponies is my duty.”

Twilight took in a breath and released his arm. “Right, right. I’m sorry. I don’t... I don’t think I’d be all that useful like that. Not when all I can think about is protecting you.”

Wyatt nodded, giving her a hug. “I'll be right back, I promise,” he assured, dashing toward the door. Slapping his driver onto his waist, he barreled through the door. “I should still be able to fight comfortably like this.” Grabbing his Decade card, he slipped it into his driver and activated it.

“Kamen Ride: Decade!” the belt called out, the normal voice replaced by a chipper sounding young woman's. He chalked that up to Discord's meddling. Though what he did find odd was that his armor didn't feel as bulky as it normally did.

Looking down, he nearly tripped over his own feet. “Oh, that freak show is so dead.” His armor had been altered, just as his body had. Gone was the full body suit, replaced with something out of Sailor Moon.

The top was the usual fuschia with the “X” design, except it was form fitting and the material seemed paper-thin with a black ribbon tied neatly about his neck. He was also in a black skirt that barely covered anything and white stockings that went up to his thighs. Even what he could see of his hair had been changed to black.

“Nope. Can’t fight like this. Nope.” Turning on his heel, he made his way back to the library. The sounds of panic and fighting caught his ear again. Stopping, he groaned and spun around again. “Damn my pride, people need me,” he huffed.

Moving down the block, he found Trixie and Spike trading blows with Rook. “Uh, hey, Ixa! OOO! You two doing alright!?”

The fighting stopped, the two Riders turning their attention to Wyatt. Instantaneously, the two began to cackle like hyenas. Even Rook stopped to take in the sight.

“Perhaps you should be my prize!” Rook grunted, laying his mace across his shoulders. “I kill all these riders, and I get to have you!”

Wyatt's eye twitched, the urge to vomit rising within him. “That is so wrong that I don’t even know how to start unpacking it.”

“Go back to the library,” Trixie ordered, lunging forward and slashing Rook across the chest. “You’re no use to Trixie in a stripper outfit.”

Wyatt unfolded his card case into a sword, charging Rook and getting a slash on his side. “Last time I checked, you're not the boss of me.”

“I gotta agree with her, uh, Decade. One hit from that mace without armor and there won’t be enough to put in the hospital,” Spike added, darting in to swipe at Rook’s side. “And I really don’t want to see Twilight in grief.”

“Seeing as he wants me as a prize, I doubt I have to worry about that,” Wyatt pointed out, dodging a grab from the fangire. “Keep your damn hands to yourself, Lion boy!”

Rook laughed, showing off his fangs. “Feisty, just how I like a prize.” Hefting his mace, a roar tore from his throat. “2,000 points! 2,000 points and you’ll be mine!” Running forward, he brandished his mace, intent on winning his prize.

Ten minutes earlier

Pinkamena kicked in the front doors of Sugar Cube Corner, startling more than a few patrons. “Enjoying your treats, everypony? Please don’t mind me, I’m just here to see a few familiy members.” Holding up her knife, she waved it around. “If you leave now, I promise I won’t cook any cupcakes with your insides.”

This had the desired effect of clearing out the room. The only ones beside Pinkamena were the Cakes who were stunned behind the counter. The two clung to each other, watching as Pinkamena moved to the stairs.

“Try anything and I’ll be eating baby cake for dessert.” Whether or not she meant it, she wasn’t sure, but the terror in their eyes was enough to whet her appetite. Dashing up to the second floor, she kicked open the door to Pinkie’s room. “Room service~ I have an order here for sororicide!”

Pinkie was on her bed, planning out a reformation party for Discord from the looks of it. She looked up from her plans and glared at Pinkamena. “Oh, it's you. Still crazy and mean I take it?”

“Aw, come on now. Can’t you give me a scream?” Making her way to the bed, Pinkamena took a look around the room. “You sicken me, you blithe, vapid, worthless mud pony. Your room is as full of junk as your brain is.”

“Screaming's what you want,” Pinkie pointed out, rising to her hooves. “And I don’t think this stuff is junk.”

“Shut up!” Pouncing on Pinkie, Pinkamena pinned her to the bed. “I’ll take that stupid smile right off your face! How about I turn it upside down hm? A permanent frown, for all the world to see!” Pointing her knife down, she inched it towards Pinkie’s face.

“Will that finally make you feel better?” Pinkie questioned, looking deep in her counterpart's eyes. “Is it me you want to hurt, or yourself?”

“I said shut up!” Pinkamena snapped, the tip of her knife digging into Pinkie’s cheek. “Just shut your fucking mouth! I’m so fucking sick of your goddamn voice!”

“Don't touch my sister!” A monotone yell came from behind them. Pinkamena suddenly found herself tumbling off the bed, her head slamming into a wall.

Giggling to herself, Pinkamena gazed up at Maud’s stoic form. “Oh there you are, Maudalina~ So glad you could join us. See, Pinkie and I were having a corpse party and I was so afraid you wouldn’t make it.”

“You must love the sound of your own voice,” Maud commented, attempting to wrestle the knife away.

Pinkamena stood up, her armored form exceeding even Maud’s strength. “Typical, Maud. Always thinking you’re the strongest one in the room.” Deftly moving her knife out of Maud’s grip, she slashed her across the abdomen. A tingle ran along her spine at the sight of blood. “And here I thought you didn’t bleed~”

Springing forward, she sunk the blade into Maud’s side. Grabbing her sister, Pinkamena pulled her close. “It’s always about family with us, isn’t it? That’s how everything starts. Maybe I should help out the unborn generations to come. How about a hysterectomy?”

“Maud!” Pinkie cried, jumping up and delivering a jerky flying kick to Pinkamena's head. “Get off my sister!”

Pinkie’s attack succeeded in putting herself between Pinkamena and Maud, the psychopath’s knife abandoned in Maud’s side. Pinkamena sneered, clenching her fists. Grabbing Pinkie’s head, she slammed it down into her knee.

“Stay out of my way, you worthless waste of skin!”

Pinkie cried out, blood flowing from her nose. “No! You may not care about Maud, but I do!”

“Whoop-dee-do. You love your sister. Good job.” Spotting something to the left, Pinkamena bent down and lifted Gummy into the air. “I know, how about a choice. You pick who gets the axe today! Your disabled little tote bag, or your dear sweet sister?”

Tears welled up in Pinkie’s eyes, looking between her pet and her sister. She knew crying was what Pinkamena wanted, but the choice was overwhelming. She knew there was only one thing she could do and offered Gummy an apologetic look as she steeled herself to speak.

A shot rang out, catching Pinkamena in the back of her head. “Thou wilt unhand mine daughter’s pet, doppelganger.” Feldspar stood in the doorway, his weapon pointed at the crazed mare’s back.

Pinkamena dropped Gummy, whipping around to stare Feldspar down. “You know, this is pretty fitting. You were the first one I killed in my world, Daddy.” Venom dripped from the last word and she stalked close to the stallion. She paused only long enough to pull her knife from Maud’s side.

“Pinkie, get thine sister to safety.” Breaking into a run, Feldspar rammed his shoulder into Pinkamena. Giving no purchase, he sent them both crashing through the window and down into Ponyville’s streets.

Pinkie rushed over to Maud’s side, putting pressure on the wound in her side. “C-come on Maud, we’ve gotta get you to the hospital.” She sniffled, her emotions still running high.

Maud grunted, easing herself into a standing position “Pinkie, I can’t be the body for W like this. You need go to the workshop.”

“Maud, you need to get help. That wound is really bad,” Pinkie argued. “We can’t think about the workshop right now.”

“Pinkie, listen to me. I can’t be the body for W like this,” Maud insisted, allowing Pinkie to guide her out of the room and down the stairs. “I’ve been working on a new memory for you. You need to be W’s body.”

“Ugh, I hate how stubborn you can be.” Pinkie groaned, altering her course to go to the workshop. “But we’re at least putting bandages on you. I can’t let you bleed out.”

Maud nodded, her mind focused on the task at hand. She wasn’t worried, Pinkie would do fine. Despite everything, Pinkie was unquestionably reliable when it came to protecting her friends and family.

“I’m getting bored!” Rook swung his mace low, catching Spike in the hip. “Lay down and die!”

“Is it just me, or does this guy seem tougher than when you took him on solo, Wyatt?” Spike questioned, his legs trembling slightly.

“Fangires gain strength with each life they steal,” Trixie explained, throwing a cart wheel at Rook’s back. “He must have been gorging himself between then and now.”

“That just means we’ve gotta pull out all the stops,” Wyatt offered, pulling a card from his belt. “In fact, I have a new card that might help. With a flick of his wrist, the card slotted itself into his belt.

“Displaced Ride: Liz!” the chipper voice called out, Wyatt’s outfit changing. His entire outfit went cold briefly before everything shrank slightly. His top pulled in and tightened around his ribs, almost seeming to fuse with his flesh as it turned shiny and gold, diminishing into a skimpy bikini cut. His skirt gained a belt with eight gems placed like eyes on a black band, while the skirt itself gained pleats of alternating black and gold colors. Gold latex covered his arms up to the elbow, and a similar pair of high-heeled boots came up to his knees while giving him a spiked kneepad. Tiny blue lines formed at the top of the boots and gloves and extended up his arms and legs to create a glowing fishnet pattern of artificial energized webbing.

“That look is even better than the last!” Rook boomed, planting his mace in the ground. “I might not even drain your life away with looks like that.” Thumping a hand against his chest, he leered at Wyatt’s scantily-clad form. “I shall make you my bride!”

Wyatt shuddered, suddenly wishing he was taking on Drakkon and his army single-handedly. “I take it I don’t get a say in this?”

“Trixie is suddenly wondering if Maud would be interested in a threesome…”

“I am in a committed relationship, Ixa!” Wyatt barked, a dark blush overtaking his face as he took a moment to look down at himself to see why they were both reacting this way. ’If Discord made this put me in a thong I’m going to kill him.’

“Guys, can we stop getting distracted and fight this guy?” Spike urged, motioning to the fangire. A step to the side brought wave of pain from his hip. “Jerk got me pretty good with that last hit.”

“It is not Trixie’s fault this creature pointed out how alluring Wyatt has become!”

Wyatt grit his teeth, ignoring the comments from Trixie. When the fighting was over, he’d have a long talk with her about harassment. At that moment however, he needed to see what his new form could do. He held out his hand to summon a weapon only to get something that looked like a pom-pom and felt like it had a pistol grip. “Oh come on!” He shook his hand, rustling the pom-pom. “What am I supposed to do with this, cheer him to death?” He sarcastically clapped his hands together, half heartedly reciting a cheer and concluded by pointing the pom-pom at Rook. To his surprise, something clicked as he flourished the fluffy thing and it fired out a line of blue webbing that stuck to the ground about a foot behind the fangire.

Wyatt blinked, looking down at the frilly object. “Huh, this might be useful after all.” He shook the pom-pom again, hoping to throw out more webbing. Instead, he started to glow and his body felt tougher. He rushed forward, noting that he was suddenly slower. Ignoring that, he spun on his heel and kicked Rook in the chest.

“Ha! This isn’t completely useless!” He gloated, grinning to himself.

A rumbling purr escaped Rook's throat despite sliding back a couple feet. “Nice thong.”

“Ha! Trixie will have to thank Discord for this!” Trixie struck at Rook’s back, unleashing a flurry of kicks. “Why don’t you give us a few cheers, hmm?”

Pushing aside his homicidal thoughts towards a certain draconequus to the side, he shook the pom-pom in hopes of sharing the strength boost with the obnoxious mare. This time there was no response from the weapon.

“Woah, uh...okay, now I’m just confused.” Spike muttered before rushing in and joining the fun in beating up their enemy.

“You and me both,” Wyatt grumbled. Rushing forward, he vented his frustrations by jabbing Rook using the hand holding the weapon.

Rook emitted another roar, grabbing Spike’s arm and throwing him down the street. “This game is growing dull! I need to win my bride!” Whirling around, he caught Trixie in the head with his mace.

Spike groaned, pushing himself up to his elbows. The pain in his hip throbbed, taking up the most of his thoughts. “I think I’m out,” he stated to himself, rolling onto his back. “Please tell me he didn’t crack my hip.” He stood back up, a stabbing pain in his hip rewarding him for his efforts. “Yup staying down.”

Wyatt stole a glance at Spike moving himself in front of the drake to keep Rook from claiming his points. “Okay powers, work with me here.” Rushing forward, he tried to kick Rook in the head.

Rook grabbed Wyatt by the leg, dangling him upside down and causing gravity to flip his tiny skirt. “We’ll be together soon,” he asked, draping Wyatt over his shoulder. “I have to claim my points.” Stalking over to Spike, he held the mace above his head.

Wyatt grabbed Rook's wrist attempting to keep Rook from attacking his friend. The struggle continued for a few moments before a heavily armored fist slammed into the back of Rook's head.

“Put the mare down, fiend!”

“Not a mare,” Wyatt retorted, trying to wriggle out of the stumbling Rook's grip. “Just hit the crap out of him!”

“Sorry, ma'am,” Spearhead apologized, firing up the spinning portions on his armor and unleashing a flurry of blows against Rook. “I said, put the lady down!”

Wyatt did his part, pushing against Rook. After a few hits, he managed to free himself and deftly landed on his feet. “I am not a lady.” Putting distance between himself and the pair, he knelt by Spike. “How you feeling?”

“Pretty sure my hip is busted,” Spike admitted, adjusting his weight to avoid causing pain in his side.

“Great, just great.” Wyatt looked over his shoulder, watching Spearhead block a swing From Rook’s mace. “Guy’s gonna break his forearms like that.”

“If only you knew how to use that pom-pom,” Spike said, watching over the fight himself.

A scream of rage echoed throughout Ponyville, a sound of primal fury and hatred. It faded as quickly as it came, leaving only the sounds of Rook and Spearhead.

Trixie jogged over, glancing down at Spike. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. We’re just going to end up throwing ourselves at him until we’re worn down to stumps.” Eyeing the area around them, her gaze landed on a china shop. “Stay in your armor,” she told Spike, starting to walk away. “And when I tell you to, start flinging debris at him.”

Spike wanted to question how that would help the situation, but decided against it. He nodded at her and watched her for whatever insanity she had cooked up.

Moving towards the china shop, Trixie fired a few shots into Rook’s back. “You want to end the game? Fine. Sudden death. You and me. You beat me, you can have dear sweet Wynonna all to yourself.”

Wyatt grit his teeth, but for whatever reason, decided to see what Trixie had planned.

Rook grinned, his mace being held back by Spearhead's arms. “Good idea! I’m tired of this game anyway.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Trixie questioned. “Afraid your bride-to-be might see you fail? You aren’t... impotent, are you?” A grin formed under her helmet as Rook bellowed in rage. “Come on, show Trixie what kind of stallion you are.”

Rook disengaged from Spearhead, barreling towards Trixie with his weapon at the ready. He didn’t even register as Trixie dove out of the way. Rook smashed into the shop, the delicate objects inside shattering under the force of his charge.

“Now, dragon! I don’t care how small, you pick up those shards and fire them as hard you you can!” Making her way into the shop, Trixie holstered her sidearm and put a vase on her fist. “Don’t make Trixie repeat herself!” she snapped, decking Rook in the side of the head; shattering the vase.

Spike did as he was told, blindly picking up shards of china and glass and throwing them at the fangire. He could feel the strain in his head, as he was not used to multitasking on this scale. He knew he’d have to ask Twilight for pointers later.

“Breaking pots won’t stop me!” Swinging his mace again, Rook succeeded in creating more and more debris. All the while, Trixie merely stayed out of his reach. “One hit, that’s all I need!”

Trixie ducked under another swing, glad that she was wearing armor. “Monsters like you rarely think. You’re made of glass. And glass breaks.” Backing up a few steps, she unclipped her knuckle from her belt. “And Trixie happens to know, porcelain is very good at breaking glass.”

She pulled out a small slip and put it to her belt. She quickly pressed her knuckle against it and braced herself. “I-X-A Kn-u-ckle R-i-se Up!” her belt called out in its normal choppy and mechanical voice. She thrust the knuckle forward, a ray of heat encompassing Rook. Stained glass patterns overtook Rook’s body, fear settling onto his face for the first time. With one last barrage of debris from Spike the fangire shattered, a glowing orb floating into the air.

“I’ll take that.” Discord slithered into existence, grabbing the orb in his talons. “Good job, Beatrix. I need this for just a moment.” Swimming through the air, he coaxed a sliver from the orb and sent it into Spike. “How’s that hip feeling? Nice and fixed, I take it?”

Spike attempted to stand again, finding no difficulty in doing so. “Yeah, it is.” He looked up and gave Discord an uncertain look. “Um, thanks Discord. Rook’s voice isn’t going to chime in my thoughts now, right?”

“I assure you, he won’t.” Patting Spike on the head, Discord popped over to the body of the poor stallion who had been caught in Rook’s wake. “Lucky you, still a connection to the flesh.” Pouring more of the orb into the body, he watched as it repaired itself.

“Aahghghgh!” the poor pony shouted, jolting up with a panicked look on his face.

“Oof, looks like a bad case of spiritual whiplash.” Discord released the orb, watching as it floated up into the sky. “That should settle down. Eventually. Maybe. Should probably go see someone about it. Preferably a trained psychological professional.”

“Discord!” Wyatt drew his arm back, hurling a pom-pom at the draconequus’s head. “You asshole! Turn me back to normal!”

Discord whistled, snapping his talons and suddenly Wyatt was surrounded by flashing cameras. “Oh wow, I impress even myself sometimes. Can you lift what I can only generously call a top and shout spring break? I’m making a calendar.” He held a camera up to his eye and added, “For charity of course.”

“I will sic Twilight on you,” Wyatt threatened, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

“How is that a threat? Fluttershy has already promised she won’t use her element on me.” Discord asked, floating down and snatching a suddenly developed photo. “Hmm, I’ll have to shop that angry look later but still nice.”

“Trixie is bored of this conversation,” Trixie commented, stepping out of the shop. Waiting until she was away from the broken shards, she deactivated her armor. “I suppose I should thank you three, you helped Trixie eliminate lost prey.”

“You’re welcome,” Wyatt said, removing his belt. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when his clothes returned to what they had been before. “This is gonna be a long reformation,” he muttered.

Discord snapped his claws, returning Wyatt’s manhood to him. “I wouldn’t say that, my boy. This was an... enlightening experience.”

“Not to push what little luck I have, but can you change Twilight back too?” Wyatt questioned, confusion replacing his anger. He may not have known Discord for long, but the chaotic being didn’t seem like the type to cut a prank short.

“Oh, but if I did that all the slash shippers would be mad,” Discord protested, pointing to a group of mares holding up ‘Dusk Shine + Wyatt’ posters. “You really don’t want to upset them. Fickle bunch, those fillies.”

“Discord, did you brainwash those mares and warp them here?” Wyatt deadpanned, suddenly noticing the group.

“Pfft. That’s so last season.” Snapping his fingers, Discord banished the mares to wherever they came from. “Fine, fine, you have have your heterosexual pairing back. But don’t blame me if tumblr revolts.”

“Thank you, Discord,” Wyatt said, relaxing. “So, what’s your game?” he questioned, looking the draconequus up and down. “I don’t think I’ll buy that you just got bored of the joke.”

“I’m not.” Discord grabbed Wyatt’s head, turning it towards Sugarcube Corner. “But we can have this discussion after we deal with that.”

The sounds of conflict came from the bakery, causing Wyatt to instantly take off into a run towards the disturbance.

five minutes ago

“Come on, daddy, you can fight harder than that can’t you?” Pinkamena asked, shaking off a strike to her collar bone. “I’ve been a very naughty pony, don’t you want to properly punish me?”

Feldspar jumped back, firing his magnum while Pinkamena’s knife caught the air. “Thou art no daughter of mine. Thou art a doppelganger, a demon that must be put down.”

“That’s so mean, daddy,” Pinkamena pouted, charging towards Feldspar and swiping at his neck. “Then again, you always were disappointed in me. Why would that change between universes.”

The blade found purchase at Feldspar’s shoulder, cutting down along his arm. Ignoring the flaring pain, Feldspar knocked the knife away and bashed the bottom on his magnum into her helmet. While she was stumbling, he fired at the knife to knock it further away from her.

“That’s more like it~” Pinkamena shook her hand, flexing her fingers. “Hit me harder, daddy~” she taunted, giggling to herself. “Maybe this time, I’ll make it quick. I can still hear the screams when I think of that day.”

“Yet another reason thou art no daughter of mine,” Feldspar said, firing into her chest. “My daughter hath devoted her life to bringing joy to others, not what thou hast done.”

Pinkamena’s giggles turned unhinged, a terrible sound that made Feldspar’s skin crawl. “The whole world is laughing at her. She’s just a stupid, oblivious filly who doesn’t understand how broken the world is. No one laughs with her, their all just laughing at her! Always laughing! Always fucking laughing!”

Leaping forward, her laughter evolved into a hysterical cackle. “Don’t think I never noticed! Your eyes always had that giggle!” Driving a fist into Feldspar’s side, she swept a foot out and knocked him prone. “Every failure, every disappointment. You always looked at me with that gleeful laughter! Still think it’s funny!?”

Pouncing on him, she tore the magnum from his grasp and put the barrel to his chest. “How many shots do you think it’ll take ‘til I get to the gooey center?” pulling the trigger, she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

Feldspar bounced against the ground, though his armor prevented the shot from piercing him. Again and again, his body took the shots. Each pull of the trigger wracking his body with pain.

After the fifth, Pinkamena aimed the magnum away. “You know what, I feel like instant gratification today.” Reaching down with her free hand, she closed his driver and removed the skull memory. “Ah~ That’s much better.” Planting the barrel against his unprotected sternum, she asked, “Anything else to say, daddy?”

Feldspar steeled himself, staring into her helmet with an unflinching expression.

Snorting, she pistol whipped him across the muzzle. “Answer me!”

He spit out a glob of blood, but he remained silent.

Pinkamena rewarded him with another strike and another. “Say something, Faust damn you!” she demanded, wrapping her hand around his neck.

He kept up his silence. However, his unflinching, steely expression morphed into one of sympathy and disappointment. The kind of look one would expect from a parent when their child does something wrong.

Pinkamena froze, her body shaking. “No! You don’t give me that look! You don’t fucking give me that look!” Pressing the barrel into the bottom of his jaw, her finger wrapped around the trigger.

“I am sorry thou hast been hurt,” Feldspar finally said, breaking his silence.

“I hate you,” Pinkamena responded, pulling the trigger. Something crashed into her arm, knocking the magnum to the side. It grazed the side of Feldspar’s ear, taking off the top few inches of it.

Pinkamena jumped back, getting a good look at Pinkie Pie. The pink mare stood at the end of the street, her mane hanging straight down. “Oh please, you really think you can do anything? We both know you’re worthless! Everything about you is just a lie to make the world seem like a less shitty place!” A grey blur darted towards her as she raised her hand to fire, striking her several times before jumping back to Pinkie.

“I try not to hate anypony,” Pinkie stated as the grey shape revealed itself to be a small mechanical dinosaur. “Life's too short to let those kinds of feelings eat at you.” The dinosaur jumped in her hand and unfolded to display a gaia memory. “But you, you I hate.”

“Fang!”

Pinkie slammed the memory into the belt, where the Joker memory was already waiting. Opening the driver, the larger memory shifted to resemble the head of a theropod dinosaur.

“Fang! Joker!”

A bestial scream exploded from Pinkie Pie as the W armor formed over her body. One half of the armor was white with black detailing while the other half was the usual black and purple. Pinkie charged forward, spinning on her hoof and kicking Pinkamena in the helmet.

“I’ll kill you!” Pinkie roared. Anger, rage and hate pulsed through Pinkie’s veins, clouding anything else. A red haze filtered her vision, focused solely on Pinkamena. She pushed the horn on her memory down, the belt shouting its name again before a white blade shot out from her wrist.

Pinkamena laughed, regaining her footing. “You’re just as crazy as me. You can pretend all you want but now you see it. Good, let it all out. Scream to the heaven how much of a killer you are!” Firing off a few shots, she made a break for her knife.

Pinkie ignored the remarks, slashing at the hand Pinkamena was using to try and pick up the knife. “I’ll tear your throat out!

Pinkamena recoiled, Pinkie's attack nearly drawing blood. “That's it, let all your crazy out.”

“Pi..nkie,” Maud’s voice crackled like static in Pinkie’s head. “Ha... t.... sto...[/i”

The voice of her sister soothed Pinkie slightly. The red haze receded and she became capable of thoughts other than unfiltered rage.

“Focus, Pinkie,” Maud’s voice advised. “She wants you to kill her. I didn’t expect a reaction like this to Fang. You have to only use enough energy to knock her out of rider form.”

‘No! She’s hurt me. She’s hurt you, and now she’s hurt dad too! She needs to pay for this and everything else she’s done!’ Drawing upon her rage, Pinkie ran in low and slammed a fist into Pinkamena’s gut.

‘Pinkie, please...if you kill her now, even in anger, you prove her right.’

“Come on...” Pinkamena wheezed, stumbling backwards. “Don’t be a chicken shit. Show me just how much you hate me. How much you hate yourself.”

Pinkie seethed, holding her blade arm high above her head. Her breathing evened out as she stared down at Pinkamena.‘Right, y-you’re right..I’m just so...so angry.’ Pinkie thought, placing her arm blade in front of her. She blocked Pinkamena from her knife and watched the other mare carefully.

Pinkamena shifted the magnum to burst mode, pelting Pinkie with rapid fire blasts. Tucking into a dive, she slid under Pinkie and grabbed her knife. “Not as good at this as Maud, are we?” Twisting on her hooves, she cut at Pinkie’s legs.

Pinkie jumped back, inspiration stuck her rather than the blade. “You're right, I’m not.” Bouncing on her hooves, she gave Pinkamena a wild slash across the chest. “So I should stop trying to fight like her and just be me!” Giggling to herself, she zipped around her doppleganger and slashed at her from every angle. Even angles that made no logical sense.

Pinkamena tried to block the attacks, but a few made it past her defenses. “What's wrong?” Pinkie asked, jumping away from a slash at her throat. “Can't you hit me?”

“Come on!? Doesn’t it make you angry!? I was about to blow daddy’s head off! Doesn’t that make you angry!?” Pinkamena sneered, finding herself increasingly outmatched. “I thought you loved him?”

“I do!” Pinkie replied, popping up behind the other rider and punching her in the back. “And that's why I’ve got my smile back. I know he'd be disappointed if I let somepony like you get under my fur.”

Pinkamena stumbled, her own rage building. “Let’s see if you smile when I turn off your memories!” Removing the Eternal memory, she slotted it into the maximum drive slot. “I’ll gut you like the fat pig you are, Pinkie Pie.”

“And how are you going to do that?” Pinkie asked, shaking the white memory in her hand. “Don't you need this for that?”

The sound of her armor turning off filled Pinkamena’s ears. Staring down her still armored counterpart, a wicked grin crossed her features. “Smooth move. You can keep that piece of junk.” Leaping over the rider, she landed next to Feldspar. “Papa’s coming with me.” Her grin grew bigger as a distortion wave spread over herself and the prone stallion, whisking them both away.

“Opportunity!!” Discord shot by Pinkie, twisting the puzzle box with his hand. A final turn and it hummed to life, pulsing with lights along its side. With the skill of a baseball player, he hurled it into the distortion right as it closed. “Yes! Home run!”

Wyatt came in next, examining the scene. “Pinkie, what happened here?”

“...She took him.” Pinkie sank to her knees, staring at the spot Feldspar had been lying. “She took my dad...”

Wyatt dropped to a knee and pulled her into a hug. “Oh god, I'm so sorry.” He wanted to say something else, but any promise he could make seemed hollow.

“Don’t cry, my little Chaosling.” Discord put his hand on Pinkie’s helmet. “By the time you get back from your trip to the humans, you’ll have all you need to get him back.” Turning to Wyatt, he gave a nod. “Consider me reformed, colt.”

“Was a date with Luna really that motivating?” Wyatt asked smiling slightly as he coaxed Pinkie to her hooves.

Discord smiled slightly. “Perhaps, but things have changed.” Snapping his fingers again, he took the group back to the field outside of town. The other relevant parties were there as well, all looking rather confused. “Alright, Celestia. You’ve broken a record. You got me reformed in under a day.”

Celestia recovered quickly, though she still regarded him warily. “Really, just like that? No massive amounts of hijinks or a big friendship speech at the end? Just an afternoon with Fluttershy did the trick?”

“I had a very enlightening conversation with a robotic ninja in a sword,” Discord replied, his features turning grave. “Things far worse than me have their sights on this little rock we all call home.” Holding up his paw, a large holographic screen appeared over it. “That little puzzle box wasn’t just for fun and games. It interweaved with the chaos innate to the universe that crazy mare went back to. It’ll log every coming and going they make, forming a map of their empire. With enough study, we’ll be able to follow them right to their worlds.”

Wyatt reacted instantly to one comment in particular. “Wait a second, you talked to Ninjor too? I thought that was just a weird dream.”

“A surprise meeting,” Discord explained, stroking his goatee. “I was following that little root and it led me right to him. I’ve never felt anything quite like this ‘Morphing grid’.”

Daring pushed herself through the group to stand before Discord. “I really don’t care about any of that.” She held up Tsukiya, who was now clad in a footie pajama version of his armor. “Turn my dad back before I haunt your snakey ass.”

“Ooh, haunted by a pretty ghost,” Discord teased, snapping his talons. Daring and Tsukiya tumbled to the ground, the sudden change in weight surprising her. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

A sense of ease spread among the assembled group. Not only did they have an eventual means to find Somber, but Discord seemed willing to help.

The sea splashed against the stern of the Nautilus, the black ship’s sails catching the strong winds coming from the south. Poseidon stood on the bow, looking out of the ocean. Several ships followed his own in formation, hidden behind a thick fog bank.

The gleaming towers of Manehatten would soon rise over the horizon, a shining beacon of wealth. However, none of this mattered to him. The only thing he wanted was the treasure he had lost. Manehatten would burn, and its flames would spread out like a wildfire. What was his would be his again.

Sidetracked and Sidelined

Wyatt leaned on the railing of the Invincible. His mind was racing at a mile a minute, not sure how to feel. On one hand, he was going to see humans again, but they wouldn't be the same as what he was used to. He looked down at his side, finding Ninjor's sword at his waist.

“What do you think about this trip, Ninjor?” he asked, hoping to get a response. “Ninjor? Hello? Please tell me Discord didn't break you.” The sword remained silent, leaving Wyatt to his thoughts. He sighed and slumped on the railing. “Great, the one person who's dealt with humans before and doesn't dislike me can't talk to me.”

“Still talking to your sword?” Daring questioned, moving in besides him. “Give that guy a break. He only just woke up and he’s had to deal with Discord and the whole ‘new universe’ thing.”

Wyatt offered her a weak smile, turning his head. “That's why I'm trying to talk to him; can you imagine how lonely it was inside this sword?”

“Yeah but you said he was sleeping until he got here,” Daring pointed out. “So, probably not that lonely.”

Wyatt nodded, looking back out over the passing land below. “True, can't argue with that logic.” He was silent for a bit before adding, “This is some ship, huh?”

“You're really bad at small talk, kid,” Daring said with a chuckle. “All that stuff just happened and you just talk about how 'cool’ the airship is.”

“What am I supposed to say?” Wyatt asked, not looking at her. “It's awesome that Discord helped us but Pinkie lost her dad to make it happen?” He didn't wait for an answer, his hands starting to tremble. “Or maybe about how much I want to throttle that freak but the truth is he's done more for our efforts to stop Dai-Shocker in one day than I have in a year?”

Daring reached over, socking him in the shoulder. “Don’t. You’ve done your best to keep Equestria safe. You don’t have the powers Discord does, so don’t go about comparing yourself to him, got that?”

Wyatt snorted, shaking his head. “I don't have the power to do a lot of things.”

“Do I have to sock you in the face again? Knock off the pity party,” Daring snapped, her wings fluffing on her back. “Feeling sorry for yourself isn’t going to do a damn thing for anyone, got it?”

Sighing, Wyatt pushed away from the railing. “Alright, I won't let myself get caught up in my head. How’s your dad settling in?”

“About as well as an antisocial guy can,” Daring answered, stretching her arms over her head. “Pretty sure he’d have retreated behind his mask if he hadn’t given it to the princesses. He’ll need a while before he’s properly himself again.”

“Bet he’ll have an easier time with you kicking his ass into shape,” Wyatt noted, grinning at her. “You do pretty well when you’re not being a frumpy old lady.”

“Watch it there, Matthews,” Daring warned, cracking her knuckles. She dropped the gesture and chuckled. “But, if you're back to being a wiseass, then I don't have to worry about you bumming out the whole ship.” Turning on a hoof, she walked towards the nearest door.

“Where are you going?” Wyatt questioned.

“To get some food, I still gotta eat surprisingly enough,” she answered, opening a door to reveal a stairwell. “I’m not actually a ghost.”

Wyatt watched for a moment before his stomach decided to voice its protest. In his haste to be away from others, he had neglected to eat anything. “Hold up, I could use a bite too!” he called out, walking after her.

“Following me now? Would your girl really be okay with that?” Daring questioned, looking over her shoulder.

Wyatt scoffed, smirking at the mare. “Oh please, like I’ve ever given her a reason to think I’d cheat. Sorry Ms. Do, but what we have is strictly platonic.”

Snickering, Daring socked him in the arm. “Oh yeah, I'm real torn up over losing my shot at you. I cry myself to sleep over it.”

The pair slipped into the mess hall, a rather nicely decorated room with a long dining table. If one didn’t know that the Invincible was a war ship, they’d have easily thought they were on a yacht. Pinkie Pie sat at the end of the table, her hair hanging down past her shoulders. On the table in front of her sat the Skull and Eternal memories.

Wyatt carefully sat down next to the pink mare and put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey Pinkie. Here to grab some food too?”

“Huh?” Pinkie looked up from the memories. “Oh, I guess so.”

Sucking in a breath, Wyatt glanced at the memories. “I know this might not sound like much, but we're all going to do what we can to get your dad back.”

“I know, Wy-Wy, but, that doesn't really make me feel better.”

“I sorta figured, but you deserved to hear it,” he replied, patting her shoulder. “If you wanna talk or just need support, I'm here for you. We all are.”

“Thanks, Wy-Wy,” Pinkie muttered, pulling him into a tight hug. “You're a good friend.”

“I've been learning from the masters,” Wyatt croaked, her strength surprising him. “You'd do the same for me.” He managed a smile and patted her back.”Hell, you already have; back during my birthday, you all reminded me I'm not alone.”

Releasing him, Pinkie nodded. “That was a fun party. You needed a good cheering up.”

“You are the queen of turning frowns upside down,” Wyatt assured, doing his best to hide the grateful lungfuls of air he was taking in. “When we get your dad back, how about we throw you a party for a change?”

A weak giggle managed to escape Pinkie’s lips. “What do you know about throwing parties, Wy-Wy?”

“I know enough to make you happy,” Wyatt said, poking her nose. “Trust me on this, I’m a professional.”

Daring had to stifle a snicker, getting up to get herself some food. “And here I was worried the kid was gonna be down the whole trip. Doesn’t have enough sense to dwell on shit.” Reaching over, she slapped Pinkie on the shoulder. “Just focus on what’s ahead.”

“Right,” Pinkie agreed, taking a steadying breath. Glancing around, her muzzle scrunched up. “I should probably also focus on finding Fang.”

“You lost it?” Wyatt questioned, a frown settling on his face. “How did you lose it?”

“I don't know!” the party mare protested, throwing her arms up. “He got on the ship with me just fine, but then he up and disappeared.” Deflating, she sighed. “Maybe he decided he didn’t like me?”

Wyatt groaned, pinching his brow. “I think I know what's going on. In the show, Fang had an odd temperament. He'd only show up when his user was in direct danger. He probably won’t show up until you need him.”

This seemed to please Pinkie, her mane returning to its normal poofiness. “So he doesn't hate me? Thank goodness! I was worried I'd messed something up with him.” Grabbing the Eternal and Skull memories, she slipped them into her mane. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch the land scroll by!”

Wyatt watched the pink mare leave, a smile on his face. Getting up, he went to grab some food. One good thing about Pinkie's randomness, her mood could be uplifted at any moment.

Fog rolled in over the waters outside of Manhattan. To the superstitious, it looked like a bad omen. The pegasi hadn’t scheduled fog afterall. Hidden from view, several ships sailed towards the port, seeming to be on a mission. On the lead ship, a stallion stood with a strange belt attached to his waist.

Behind him, the deck carried several medal corrupted crewmen. Each stood silently, watching and waiting for their king to speak.

Gazing at the collection of misshapen creatures before him, Poseidon stamped the bottom of his harpoon against the deck. “Manehatten will burn. Fillydelphia will burn. Each and every city on their precious coast will burn until I have what is mine. Do not stop until what is mine is returned to me.”

He stared into the fog, almost as if he could see through it. Nothing would stand between him and his treasure. Even if the seas themselves tried to swallow him up, he'd claim what was his. Raising his harpoon, he cut through the fog with a slash. Cannons sounded, the fleet opening up its guns as the fog lifted.

The sound of the impact reached Poseidon's ears and he could see debris flicker upward faintly. Keeping his spear pointed forward, he grunted. “Enjoy yourselves, gentlecolts.”

His hoard let out warped cries and leapt off the ship. They quickly reached the port and attacked the nearest ponies. It was only a matter of time; his treasure would come to him and all would be well. If innocent blood needed to be spilled to make him appear, then so be it. Plans required sacrifices, it was unavoidable.

The ship finally breached ashore and Poseidon motioned for the gangplank to be lowered. Touching his belt, the trio of medals set into the disk began to glow. In a brilliant display of light, blue and red armor formed around his body. It was themed after aquatic animals with piercing yellow eyes on the helmet.

Striding off the ship, Poseidon headed towards the heart of the city.

The world around Wyatt suddenly seemed much bigger. No, that wasn't it; it was him who was smaller. Turning his head, he instantly recognized that he was in the waiting room for his old pediatrician. From the box of miscellaneous toys to the table piled high with magazines that only the most desperately bored would touch let alone read.

“Thirsty?” his mother’s voice asked, followed by a juice box being held in front of him.

With a nod, Wyatt took the juicebox with both hands. Once the straw was in place, he took a small sip. “It’s so early,” he grumbled, rubbing at one of his eyes with the back of his hand.

“I know sweetie, but we need to make sure you’re nice and healthy.” Placing a hand on his head, she smiled down at him. “How about we go out for some ice cream after this?”

Wyatt opened his mouth to protest, but his mother had played the ultimate trump card. “Okay. Not like I feel sick anyway.”

“Well, sometimes we don’t feel sick even when we are,” she pointed out, poking his cheek.

He nodded, finishing off his juice box. The pair sat in silence for a few minutes before the door to the offices opened. Turning his head, confusion came over Wyatt when he saw a different doctor than he usually saw. It couldn’t have been for another patient, his mother was the only other person in the waiting room.

“Mrs. Mathews?” the doctor asked, looking up from his clipboard. “We’re ready to see Wyatt.” When his mother moved to follow him into the back, the doctor put a hand up. “How about we let the little man have his examination on his own? Can’t baby him forever after all.”

His mother frowned for a moment but gingerly nodded her head. “Alright, but, I want to be informed immediately if anything comes up.”

The doctor chuckled and nodded. “Of course. Says here that he’s scheduled for blood work, that’ll take a few days to get results in. I can have a copy mailed to you if you like, or you can pick it up here.”

Standing up, Wyatt passed his empty juice box to his mother and made his way over to the doctor. “What happened to Dr. Finley?” he questioned, following the doctor towards one of the vacant rooms.

“Dr. Finley is on vacation,” the new doctor replied, looking down at him. “I’m Dr. Sheldon. It’s nice to meet you, Wyatt.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Wyatt replied automatically. There was something about this doctor that felt off. Shaking his head, he chalked it up to it being due to the sudden change. He had to fight the urge to glance back towards his mother and silently complied with the basic height and weight measurements. After the other basic tests were done, Wyatt was forced to hold his arm out and have his blood drawn.

“You’re a pretty tough kid,” Dr. Sheldon commented, gently taking Wyatt’s arm and finding a vein. “You’re what, 6 or 7?”

“Seven,” Wyatt answered, looking away from the needle to lessen the sting. “And needles aren’t that scary. Mom and Dad say the only time needles are bad is when you find them somewhere outside where doctors aren’t.”

“That’s very true, your mom’s a pretty smart woman,” Dr. Sheldon said, quickly setting up a blood vial. “I hope you listen to her.”

“Mmhmm, she’s really smart,” Wyatt agreed, rubbing his arm. “She works for the newspaper.”

“Oh yeah, which one?”

Wyatt thought for a moment before answering with the name of his town’s local paper. “She writes a lot of articles and stuff.”

“That’s very interesting,” Dr. Sheldon said, putting away the vial. “It takes a special kind of person to be good at that job.” He plugged in another one and offered Wyatt a smile. “Now then, since you’re here, are there any aches and pains I should know about?”

“Um, my arms and legs hurt at night sometimes, but my mom and dad say that’s just growing pains.”

“They’re probably right,” Dr. Sheldon assured, gently taking Wyatt’s other arm and moving it this way and that. “Are you feeling anything now?”

“No, that doesn’t hurt,” Wyatt replied, watching his arm curiously.

“Hm, alright.” Having filled the second vial, he removed the needle and quickly tapped a cotton swab to the area. “There, all done. Make sure your mom gets you something to eat so you can replace all that red stuff.” Lifting up his clipboard, he lifted up a page before speaking again. “Ah, it appears you’re about on time for some booster shots.”

Wyatt frowned, but held his arm out. He was starting to feel like one of his father’s pin cushions at this point.

“I appreciate the initiative, but I have to consult your mom first.” Rising up, Dr. Sheldon moved to the door. “I’ll be right back, alright? I trust that you won’t get into any trouble while I’m gone.”

“No, I’ll be good.” Wyatt adjusted himself in his seat, doing his best to relax.

His eyes drifted to where his blood was being kept, a pang of worry going through him. They wouldn’t find anything wrong with him, would they? He didn’t feel sick but his mom had just told him that that might not mean anything.

A knot formed in his stomach, the worry growing into a fear. Various fictitious symptoms came to his mind, but it was a singular disease that dominated his thought process. What if his night aches meant he was getting polio? He gulped, recalling his grandmother’s stories about just how bad polio was when she was his age.

His juvenile mind wouldn't be swayed by things like facts or logic. Facts like he was up to date on his shots and that polio was basically nonexistent in his country.

“Wyatt?” Dr. Sheldon asked, stepping back into the room. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.” Walking back over, he placed a set of syringes on the desk.

Wyatt shot up, doing his best to not let his fear show. “N-no, it wasn't long, Doctor.”

Picking one up, Dr. Sheldon tapped the side and pulled off the cap. “Alright, Wyatt, can I see your arm please?”

Gulping, Wyatt held out his right arm. Looking at the door, he cringed as he felt the slight prick. Sucking in a breath through his teeth, he counted the seconds, glancing over every now and then. He eyed the other syringes, spotting one labeled ‘hypnos’.

“What's hypnos supposed to protect me from?” Wyatt asked, looking up at the doctor.

“Hm?” Dr. Sheldon asked, switching out the first syringe for the second. “Ah. Think of it like vitamins. It’ll help your body grow up strong and healthy.”

“But aren't booster shots supposed to protect against specific germs?” He glanced at the other syringes, unable to make out any of the words written on them.

“You trust your doctor, don’t you?” Dr. Sheldon asked, looking down at him with sparkling green eyes. “I only want what's best for you, Wyatt.”

“Wyatt!” a faint voice called out, causing the office to start to fade away.

“Wyatt!” Spike screamed, shaking the sleeping human as hard as he could. “Wake up!”

Wyatt slid out of bed, glancing up at the drake. “Is something on fire?” he grumbled, tossing away the covers. “Why are you shouting at me?”

“We've gotten word from the changelings aboard, Manehattan's under attack!” Spike boomed, throwing his hands into the air. “Celaeno’s taken us to Van Hoover, we’re above the teleporter now.”

That instantly got Wyatt's attention, his dream banished from conscious thought. He rushed towards the door, his driver in hand. “Do we know who's attacking? Is it Drakkon!?”

Spike came up right behind Wyatt, his own belt wrapping around his waist. “No, the changelings said it was pirates, tons of them! And some of them have been corrupted by medals!” Pushing Wyatt along, he slotted in some medals.

Pulling out his card, Wyatt slotted it into place. “Henshin!” With his armor formed, he rushed out with newfound speed. In no time at all, he was out on the bow of the ship. Without a second thought, he hiked himself over the railing and went into freefall. After a quick movement of his hand, he switched into his Cassie form and glided down to the teleporter.

The other riders stepped out of one of Twilight’s spell circles, each already armored. A few changelings buzzed around the pad, taking up positions at a few circular nodules.

Wyatt reverted to his base form and stepped onto the pad. “Once we get to Manehattan, where are the brunt of the enemy forces?” he questioned, turning to the nearest changeling.

“Near the harbor. Several ships are bombarding the city,” the changeling responded.

“Thanks, now we know where to go first.” Wyatt, checked his side, finding Ninjor’s sword. ‘Time to find out who would win in a fight between pirates and a Ninjor.’ “Whenever you guys are ready.”

“Alright, the spells are in place,” one of the changelings said, looking up from their work. “Brace yourselves.” Green fire surrounded the group, flicking at their legs. Spreading across the platform, the flames grew higher. “Good luck.” As one, the riders sank into the platform at an alarming rate, falling into blackness.

As quickly as they had sank, they sprang back up. Green fire gave way to entirely new surroundings that left them disoriented for a brief moment.

“Shake it off!” Spearhead snapped, greeting them a moment later. “We don’t have time for you to get comfortable.” The thunderous roar of canons punctuated his words, as did the sounds of impact.

“Yeah, let’s head for the harbor. Spike, and I will take the lead since we can get there the fastest,” Wyatt said, pulling out another card. “Twi, think you can use Connect to cover the distance and still be able to fight?”

“The two of you are enough,” Agito cut in, switching to Storm form. “The rest of us will go where we’re needed.”

“Alright, good plan,” Wyatt agreed, switching to Kabuto. He pulled out a second card, eyeing it nervously. ‘Let’s hope this works this time.’ To his relief, the form engaged much as it did the first time.

He rushed off, knowing that Spike would catch up. The city blurred by, even the flames seemed to stand still as he ran by. A blur came from his left, followed by a massive fist to his chest. The impact knocked him off his feet and the wind from his lungs. He rolled across the ground, using his momentum to scramble to his feet. Drawing Ninjor’s sword from its sheath, he took in the one who matched his speed.

A corrupted pirate loomed over him, silver and black armor covering his body. The head look like a disfigured version of the Sai helmet with a wider area at the bottom. The forearms were massive, easily the size of a small car. The legs were capped with three toes and resembled an elephant’s if said elephant were in need of an exorcism. Altogether the figure was at least ten feet tall and easily dwarfed Wyatt.

“Crush!” the behemoth screamed, bringing a trunk-like arm down on Wyatt’s head. “Kill!”

Wyatt jumped out of the way, the street where he had been standing erupting into rubble. Some of it bounced off his helmet harmlessly a grimace on his face. “I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t a freaking cave troll.”

Several more blows came crashing down, each one coming dangerously close to reducing Wyatt to a red stain on the pavement. He retaliated with a slash from his sword, the blade bouncing off the giant’s leg with a harmless ‘tink’.

‘Oh crapbaskets, I don’t think I’ll be able to hurt him like this.’ Putting his card case in his peripheral, he racked his brain for ideas. ‘I have to have something in my bag of tricks for taking on King Kong.’ Inspiration struck him at that thought and he pulled out a pair of cards.

“Kamen Ride: Hibiki!” The familiar blue and red armor formed over him and he pushed the next card into place. “Attack Ride: Ryoku Ozaru!” Silhouettes appeared in front of Wyatt, forming into a giant green and prismatic golem shaped like a gorilla.

He hopped on its shoulder, confidence filling him. “Alright, let’s make this a fair kaiju fight.”

Pinkie Pie found herself walking a thin line; the primal fury of Fang, and the stoic focus of Maud. Dodging an electrified eel-arm, she severed the offending appendage with her wrist blade. A certain thrill descended over her; a battle high, as Maud had called it.

“Pinkie, press down on Fang’s tail twice,” Maud advised, watching Pinkie’s battle and feeling genuinely impressed. “I think you’ll like what you get.”

“Is it a pastry?” Pinkie inquired, flicking the aforementioned tail. “Cause if it is, I dunno how I’m gonna eat it through a helmet.”

“If my projections are correct, then it should give you a throwing blade.”

“Oooh~ You mean like a boomerang?” Pinkie giggled, dodging a kick from a grasshopper leg.

“Shoulder Fang!” The Memory called out, a blade sprouting from Pinkie’s shoulder.

“You mean this?” Reaching up, Pinkie pulled the blade out of her shoulder pad. “It’s a little... sharp...”

“That’s to help bad guys see the point.” Maud would smile at her own joke if she had control of her lips at that moment.

“That was a funny on-” Pinkie’s response was cut off as an eel arm bit down on her leg. She froze, her body locking up as electricity surged through her. Gritting her teeth, she tried to fight through the pain. Flicking her wrist, she tossed the shoulder blade at the eel arm.

The arm burst into cell medals, freeing her from its grasp. Pinkie grinned, picking up the blade again. “You were right, Maud, I do like this.” Adjusting her weight to her back hoof, she tossed the fang with all her strength at the pirate’s chest.

Armor broke under the blade, shattering into pieces. The nude pirate slumped to the ground, laying on top of a bed of cell medals. Pinkie strode over, grabbing the Core Medals off of the pirate. “Spike’ll appreciate it if we give these to him. Now let’s keep beating these guys up, Maud!”

“Look at me!” A sharp pain erupted from her back, taking her attention. “I said look at me!”

Turning on her hoof, she found a pirate retracting a leg capped with giant talons. His head was surrounded by a golden mane and orange shells guarded his arms. Bouncing between her hooves, she sized him up and thought out her next move.

“That’s right, look at me!” jabbing at her stomach, the pirate’s metallic mane shined intensely. “No one can ignore me!”

Pinkie covered her eyes, sweating beneath her helmet as the air started to heat up. Flicking Fang's tail twice, she threw her shoulder fang at the pirate.

Bringing his arms up, the shield halves combined into a single shape. He cackled madly as the blade plinged against his shield. “No one can match my brilliance!” Breaking his shield, his mane flashed brightly, far too intense for Pinkie to handle.

She turned away from the light, blinking away the spots from her eyes. ‘Oh no, how can I fight someone I can't look at. Maud, ideas?’

“Keep moving, don’t get blindsided.”

Pinkie nodded and broke off into a dash. “Okay, you can’t look at him and he’s got a big shield. Think, Pinkie, think!”

Glancing around, she took in her surroundings. All around her were buildings with cloth awnings to cover their entrances. Despite the danger she was in, Pinkie couldn't help but think of funny movies where ponies fell and bounced off things just like the awnings. A lightbulb went off above her head and her hand shot to her belt. She flicked Fang's tail, creating as many projectiles as she could.

‘Maud, how good are you at Geometry?’ Pinkie questioned, looking between the buildings.

“What are you planning?”

Pinkie snickered, relaying her plan to her sister. ‘I just need your brain to pull it off.’ With the mental math provided, Pinkie threw all of her at the various buildings.

“Where are you aiming, dumb ass?!” the pirate taunted, an unhinged laugh tearing out of his throat.

“Wait for it~” Pinkie giggled, watching and listening as her blades richotte off walls. “And... now!” The blades sailed through the air, cutting into his armor at various points. “My sister’s great at math!”

The pirate’s laughter died, cell medals bursting off of him. Dropping to a knee, he growled. “No one can endure my radiance! Especially not some two bit whore!”

“That’s not a nice thing to call somepony,” Pinkie replied. ‘Maud, how do we activate our finishing move in this form?’

“Press the tail three times.”

‘Thank you.’ Pinkie got into a stance and pressed the tail three times.

“Fang! Maximum Drive!”

Energy radiated off of Pinkie and a blade grew from her heel. She jumped into the air and she started to spin until her body was nothing but a blur. Continuing to spin, she angled her leg down, the blade cutting across the pirates chest. The energy coming off her formed into a recreation of Fang’s head, biting down on the pirate’s body while Pinkie landed.

“And... bam!” Pinkie tucked into a roll, springing back up to her hooves. “One more pirate down!” Resisting the urge to skip, Pinkie went up to the pirate and gathered up the Core Medals off him too. “Spike’s gonna be one happy little dragon when he sees all the medals we’re getting him.”

“Focus. There are still pirates attacking the city.”

“Right, let’s keep going.” Pinkie started to jog, looking for more pirates.

Tsukiya swung his halberd in an arc, knocking aside an incoming crab claw. Three pirates lay strewn across the street, which glittered with cell medals. Striking forward, he aimed for the less armored crocodile legs. He was forced to retract his weapon as the jaws on the legs threatened to clamp down on it. Spinning his polearm, he kicked up a wind to push away the pirate.

“How you doing over there, D.D?” He questioned, resisting the urge to glance over. “Getting tired yet?”

“Are you kidding? I’ve ran for hours in the rainforest while carrying a golden artifact.” Daring said, spinning on her hoof and kicking a pirate in the chest. “I’m more worried about you, old man. Don’t break a hip.”

“Now that hurts,” Tsukiya said, taking a step back. “Let’s not forget, you’re still just a kid.”

Daring laughed while jumping back and narrowly avoiding tiger claws. She grinned, swinging her club and scoring a glancing blow across the pirate’s chest. A few close calls had shown her that the teeth of her weapon tore through most material like paper. More than once, she had had to make it intangible to avoid causing injury.

Thinking fast, she charged at the pirate, phasing through him and punching him in the back of the head. Spinning on her hoof, she sliced the pirate across the back.

“Yeah, I’m totally a kid. Makes perfect sense to me.” With one last swing of her club, her opponent's armor exploded into pieces. “A thirty year old kid with a college degree and a nationally-recognized book series. If that’s being a kid, I don’t want to be whatever it is you consider an adult.”

Tsukiya snorted, pushing away two pirates with his halberd. “Talk to me when you've had your hundredth birthday.”

“You’re just being pissy,” Daring said, quickly gathering the defeated pirates’ medals. At least, that was her plan before a yellow blur zipped in front of her. “Well that’s annoying.”

“You’re too slow~” The new combatant taunted, coming to an abrupt stop. “All that loot’s mine now~”

Tsukiya ignored the obvious joke and began to twirl his halberd as fast as he could. The wind began to pick up and small bits of rubble skittered along the ground. “You can handle a speedfreak, can’t you?”

“I dunno, never tried to fight one,” Daring admitted, crouching and keeping an eye on the figure.

“Oooh, do I get to be your first?” the pirate asked, giggling to herself, if the voice was anything to go by. “Now that sounds fun~” In full yellow and black armor, she exemplified just how warped medals could make a body. With oversized legs, massive, armored hands with ridiculously long finger claws and a shimmering, crystalline mane, it was hard to take her seriously.

“Ugh, did those medals give you the mentality of a twelve-year-old?” Daring questioned. “Ah right, you’re a recidivist degenerate whose profession revolves around pillaging. Silly me.”

The pirate growled, charging at Daring in a blur of speed. Her claws swiped through Daring, her form barreling through Daring’s and continuing down the block for a good while. Digging her claws into the street, she made a crude turn and dashed back towards Daring.

Grinning, Daring kept her body intangible and let the corrupted mare pass through her again. She made her club tangible and quickly used it to trip up the pirate. “Oops! Didn’t see ya there.” Before the mare could get up, Daring stomped down on her back.

“Oh, I like a girl with spunk~” the pirate’s mane exploded into light, glowing like a sun. With Daring stumbling back, she sprung up in a flurry, slashing and clawing. Kicking Daring away, she closed the distance to the other pirates. “Sorry boys, but it’s a one mare show.”

With blinding speed, she dearmored the pair, swiping their medals. “Now, I wonder... what happens when you use twelve at once?”

“Bad idea,” Tsukiya warned, eyeing the medals. “Unless you want to wind up a mindless kaiju.”

“I dunno what that means but let's find out!” Closing her palms, her body went rigid as multicolored energy crackled over her. “Now that’s a rush!”

Tsukiya held up five fingers and started to count down. “And here we go.” A scream of pure agony companied his statement. “And this is where I wish we had a megazord. Know any weird growth rituals, D.D?”

“No, not without the use of cursed artifacts,” Daring answered. She watched the pirate carefully, the mare's body pulsating.

The mare convulsed, her already altered body shifting more: a pair of kamakiri arms erupting from her chest, kujaku wings ripping out of her back, sai horns from her helmet. Dropping onto all fours, a feral roar loosed from her throat even as more appendages sprouted from her body.

“Okay, I'm thinking hit and run tactics,” Daring said, creeping backwards. “Maybe hijack a ship and use cannons on her.”

The abomination let out a low roar, the windows of the nearby buildings rattling. With the sound of a stampede, it charged forward, the street under it buckling and shattering. All rationality had let its mind, feral impulses driving it forward.

Daring and her father broke into a run of their own and tried to lead the beast to the harbor. The behemoth was hot on their heels, kicking up asphalt and crashing into buildings as it tried to close the gap on the two Riders.

“The harbor’s too far,” Tsukiya said, spotting a construction site up ahead. “There, to the left.” Veering off, he leapt over the safety fence and tucked into a roll. Getting up, he pushed on the right side of his belt.

His armor distorted, the middle returning to its default brown. While his left arm remained in storm mode, his right arm entered flame form; leaving him as mismatched as the monster. Pulling a sabre from his belt, he brandished both weapons with expert flourishes.

Daring followed behind her father, finding a wrecking ball in one corner. Her goal was obvious and she let her father run distraction for her.

Tsukiya stood his ground as the beast barreled into the site with the thunder of an oncoming train. It bellowd a challenge, striking forward with a twisted paw. Crossing his weapons, he caught the claw between them and redirected the behemoth's momentum towards the naked scaffolding. He grunted, the maneuver nearly tearing his arms out of their sockets.

Running under it, he weaved between scythe slashes and brought his sword to bear. Cleaving off one of its mantis arms, Tsukiya jabbed his halberd into its belly. With a pained roar, it kicked the man away.

Dropping his weapons, Tsukiya hefted up a girder with a pained grunt. “Fetch.” rearing his arms back, he hurled it into the beast. Grabbing his halberd, he sent it right after the girder. It was no surprise that the monster knocked away the impromptu weapon, nor was it one when the much smaller weapon pierced and shattered one of its eyes.

Tsukiya had to fight off a grin as he took in the damage he caused. Glancing to his daughter, he could see she was almost ready. He started to circle around in the hopes of putting the corrupted pirate in the path of the wrecking ball’s swing.

“Hey ugly!” Tsukia boomed, hefting another girder. “What good is all that bulk if you can't hit shit!” The sight of green energy building up around its horn altered his plan drastically. Dropping the girder, he dove out of the way as a bolt of green lightning struck where he had been.

Skirting around the site, he retrieved his halberd. With a heave, he threw the polearm at the horn. A jerk of the beast’s head, and the weapon merely grazed its target. Cursing under his breath, Tsukiya tried to rethink how to get the monster in position. Taunting it would only get him more lightning and it was smart enough to at least protect its horns.

Tsukia went over his options, limited as they were. For once, he was jealous of Wyatt. His powers were many things, but versatile wasn't one of them. “I could have at least used a gun.” More lightning was sent his way, forcing him to sprint out of its path. “Any time now!”

From her position, Daring made sure everything was set. After the behemoth took a step forward, she threw the main lever and the wrecking ball began its journey. It started off slow, the hefty sphere accelerating quickly. Inspiration struck Daring and she leapt out of the cabin. Positioning her leg, she gave the ball the strongest kick she could muster and let it fly into the corrupted pirate’s chest.

A strangled cry emitted from the monster’s throat, the impact shattering its chest cavity. It fell back against a neighboring building, cell medals raining down from its gaping wound. The mare’s nude form rested with in, quickly becoming encased in medals once more.

Tsukiya sighed in relief and gathered his weapons. Once that was done, he went over to the hole where the mare was taking a medal nap. “Alright, get up.”

“Hey, Tsuki!” Pinkie called, suddenly standing on the crane. “Havin’ any trouble?”

“We had a mare use 12 medals, but we took care of her!” he called back. “How are things on your end?!”

“Good! You might wanna watch out though! She seems mad!”

Tsukiya reacted quickly, looking to the mare. Her eyes were rolled in the back of her head and she let out a guttural roar. With a clear target, he leapt up, simultaneously avoiding one of its arms while punching the exposed mare in the head.

A layer of cell medals formed over her, protecting her from further attacks. The behemoth rumbled, rising to its full height once more. Shaking itself off, it took an unsteady step forward; medals still pouring from its wound.

Tsukiya jumped back, avoiding another swing from one of its limbs. Looking skyward, he called out to Pinkie. “On second thought, help would be appreciated!”

Pinkie saluted, jumping down from the crane. Along the way, she created several shoulder fangs and threw them at the medal monster. “Um, I don’t think those are gonna do all that much. Ohh! Maud says we should all kick it!”

“Alright, we should time this right.” Tsukiya said, the horns on his helmet splitting apart. “We should all aim for the same spot.”

“Right!” Pinkie pushed Fang’s tail down, priming her own kick.

Daring opened up her belt, spectral energy flowing out to surround her right leg. The three shared a look, and jumped in unison. With a symphony of warcries the trio slammed into the pirate’s chest.

A cacophony of sound accompanied the impacts, the massive body breaking apart. Cell medals rained down from the sky, pelting the ground like metal hail. The pirate plummeted like a rock, out cold.

Pinkie was quick to react, digging through the Cell Medal pile to find the cores. Displaying her prizes to Tsukiya and Daring, she giggled. “And that’s another twelve for me. Gotta be fast if you wanna collect the most.”

Intense pain shot through Spike’s side as he tried to catch up with Wyatt. Looking down, he found a red harpoon had collided with his armor. Before he could think on it too long, something hoisted him in the air by the neck.
“Ah, there you are,” the commanding voice of Poseidon spoke, his hand wrapped around Spike’s neck. “I’ve been waiting for you, my precious treasure. Where was the Sun hiding you?”

Spike deigned not to answer, instead bringing up his legs and using the cheetah powers to let loose a flurry of kicks against the other Rider.

Poseidon stumbled, dropping Spike. “There’s no need for that, boy. You’re where you belong, with me.”

Spike didn’t answer again, one thought in his mind. If he could get Poseidon to lose his transformation, he’d get the answer to the question burning in his mind. Unfolding his tiger claws, he moved in a blur around the pirate king, looking for an opening. Using the sharp vision of his hawk medal, Poseidon’s ribs seemed the perfect place to strike. Rushing forward, he slashed his claws against the other Rider’s armor.

“You try my patience, boy,” Poseidon grunted, leaning away from the blade. Sweeping his harpoon out, he cut across Spike’s chest. “Don’t make me punish you.”

Leaping back, Spike avoided the worst of the blow. Tilting his belt, he removed his tiger medal and replaced it with the eel. Flicking his wrist, he wrapped his electric whips around Poseidon’s wrists and neck.

“And what do you plan on doing now?” Poseidon questioned, staring Spike down. “Electrocute me?”

“Nothing gets past you,” Spike replied, lighting up his whips. “Why don’t you show me your real face?”

Poseidon spread his wrists apart, breaking free of the whip binding them. Bringing his harpoon up, he threw it into Spike's chest. “A child does not make demands of the parent.”

Spike staggered, the wind getting knocked from his lungs. Circling around the pirate king, he took a moment to catch his breath. “So it’s true, you really are Star Dust.”

“I am Poseidon!” the rider barked, his ferocity startling Spike. “Do you understand!?”

Knitting his brow, Spike dashed around the stallion, lashing with his whips as he did. “No, but I’m going to find out what’s going on with you.”

“Bahamut, you will obey me.” Calling his harpoon back to his hands, Poseidon swung at Spike’s legs.

Spike went into a roll, his head colliding with pavement several times before a wall managed to stop him. He groaned, pulling himself back to his feet with a bit of a sway. “My name, is Spike.”

“That is not the name I gave you, it has no weight with me,” Poseidon dismissed, slowly walking towards Spike. “You are mine.”

“I’m not your property, I’m your son,” Spike countered, launching himself up and performing a high speed bicycle kick against his opponent. “What the hay is wrong with you!?”

Poseidon swung his harpoon, sending Spike flying back. “There is nothing wrong with me. I see things clearly here, Bahamut. Now, behave and return those medals to your father.”

“You should know why I can’t do that,” Spike said, catching himself from tumbling again. He panted, trying to come up with a plan. “Don’t you understand what you’re doing!? You’re hurting ponies!”

“They are insignificant compared to my goal.” Poseidon swept his hand out, indicating the destruction. “This entire city can burn to ash as long as I can reclaim you.”

“My brother isn’t something to reclaim.” Several shots impacted on Poseidon’s back. “If you can’t understand that, then you aren’t really family.”

Poseidon flinched from the shots, turning to find Twilight in her Flame style. “This has nothing to do with you, pony.” He slowly approached Twilight, his weapon at the ready. “And you are no sibling of Bahamut’s.”

“I hatched him, I helped raise him, I joined his clan,” Twilight countered, switching to sword mode. “If that doesn't make me his sister, I don't know what will.” Using her free hand, she ensnared him with the Bind ring. “That's more than I can say for you.”

A bestial growl rumbled in Poseidon’s throat, and he flexed his arms. The chains broke, sending pieces flying in all directions. Swinging his harpoon, a wave of blue energy shot out towards Twilight.

Twilight tucked into a roll, the attack sailing by where her neck had been just a moment prior. “He isn’t an object that you can own! He’s a living, thinking person and he deserves better than whatever you have planned for him.”

“I brought him into this world, it's my right to decide his future.” Poseidon swept his harpoon several times, sending out an onslaught of attacks against Twilight. “I’m the only one who can.”

Continuing to dodge, Twilight returned her sword to gun form and opened fire on him. “Spike decides his own future! No one else!”

“I can speak for myself, you know.” Spike lashed out with another whip, wrapping one around Poseidon’s leg and yanking back. “I’m taking those medals, end of discussion.” Dragging Poseidon off his hooves, he struck him in the back with the other whip.

A relieved laugh passed Twilight's lips, finally managing to catch her breath. “You're right, Spike, you can.” Twilight fired on Poseidon, her free hand going for her Kick Strike ring. “How about we knock some sense into him?”

Spike tilted his driver up and grabbed his scanner. “Ready whenever you are.”

With her new ring on her finger, Twilight adjusted the hand on her belt. "I've never been readier." Tapping the ring to her driver, she charged at Poseidon.

Scanning his belt, Spike followed after her. Jumping up, three rings appeared in front of him. He passed through the rings while Twilight jumped off a spell circle with flames surrounding her leg. The two converged, Poseidon attacking with his harpoon to meet their kicks.

A blinding light burst out from the point of contact, sending Twilight and Spike flying back. Poseidon staggered, dropping to a knee as he fixed a glare at the pair. Rising back to his hooves, Poseidon pounced on Twilight. Stepping on her hand, he held the tip of his blade at her throat.

“End this tantrum, Bahamut, or I spear this wench.”

Spike rose to his knees trembling at the scene before him. Silently, his hand rose to his belt and he straightened it to cancel his transformation. Pulling it away, he tossed it between himself and Poseidon.

Retracting his spear, Poseidon punched Twilight in the helmet and started walking to pick up Spike's belt. "You have made the right choice. Come, we're leaving this city." Turning away, he walked towards the harbor, not bothering to check if Spike was following him.

Wyatt panted, tucking into a roll to avoid a massive fist. His tired body had only inches to spare, the ongoing fight leaving his reflexes sluggish. “What does it take to get rid of you?” Pushing himself further, he dove behind a chunk of wall.

The street was lined with broken and smashed buildings, many homes and businesses destroyed. His summoned golem was no more, though it put up a valiant fight, the corrupted pirate had managed to come out the victor. Daring to look out from his cover, Wyatt examined the monstrosity closely. He had managed to score a few good hits on the thing, and he hoped he was lucky that at least one of them had left a weak point for him to exploit.

“Crush! Kill! Destroy! Smash!” the behemoth screamed, ripping a street light out of the ground. Stomping forward, it began to smash through Wyatt’s cover. Each strike broke off a piece of wall, raining debris down on Wyatt.

Only bothering to move if a larger piece threatened to fall on him, he kept up his desperate search.. His eyes lit up, finding a small crack in the armor just under one of its armpits. Switching his booker to gun mode, he brought out a card. “Gotta time this just right,” he muttered, inserting the card into his belt and jumping out of his cover.

The beast rose its arms, preparing to slam both down on his head. Pressing the handles in on his belt, his driver called out for his finisher. The projection of cards appeared, following the barrel of his gun. Raising it up, he aimed and fired on the weak point. The small blast passed through the cards, a swirl of barcodes growing around it with each subsequent card.

The pirate’s lumbering bulk made it impossible to avoid the oncoming assault. Bits and pieces of its armor fell away, dissolving into cell medals. Staggering back into a most intact building, the pirate was clearly visible inside of the chest cavity.

Switching back to sword mode, Wyatt jumped up at the behemoth. He hacked and slashed with his blade, doing his best to cut the pirate out without hurting him. Several arm sized fingers wrapped around his waist, the pirate tossing him into the ground. He squeaked out in pain as it brought a massive hoof down on him.

It raised its hoof up again, ready to crush the life out of Wyatt. Bracing himself, he waited for the perfect moment to dodge. Just as the behemoth started to move, a thunderous cannon shot echoed through the city and a burst of colored smoke hung above the harbor. The behemoth stared up the smoke for a few seconds before turning away and lumbering towards the ships.

Relaxing, Wyatt struggled to catch his breath. “Y-yeah, you better run.” The settling of rubble faded in over the pirates thunderous hoofsteps, reminding Wyatt just how costly the battle had been for the city. His only solace was that the cannons had stopped.

Coming Up OOO x2

Trident Isle sat between the savage coast of the dragonlands and the easy sands of Equestria. Named of course for the odd shape of its shores, Trident had three points that its occupants had turned to ship docks. A few miles long, its rocky shore home to many a shipwreck. A great number of them had been hauled towards the center of the island and used in the construction of Poseidon's fortress.

A sturdy but haphazard building, it was clear to all who saw it that ships had been used in its creation. Masts and prows dotted the walls, with several sterns serving as balconies. A massive mast stood against the sky at the top of the highest point, emblazoned with Poseidon's symbol. Parts of figureheads sat atop the towers, cutting an imposing view to those that came to the island.

Spike stared up at the ceiling, counting the number of spirals in the wood. He gave up after a few minutes, unable to really concentrate on the task at hand. Sitting up, he gazed around his ‘cell’. It was a rather nice looking room, filled with fancy furniture and exotic looking trinkets. “Guess I really am one of his treasures...”

What ruined the appeal of the room was the pair of guards stationed outside the door. He was still a prisoner even if he was going to be a well treated one. “Hey! When do I get to see my dad?! I’ve been here for two days already!”

“Poseidon will decide when t’see ya, lad!” one of the guards replied through the door. “We’re just here t’keep ya safe!”

“And to make sure ya don’t go escaping,” the other said. “Not that you would anyway; unless you want another raid.”

Spike didn’t respond, snorting out a puff of smoke. Stepping over to a shelf crammed with trinkets, he picked up a golden chalice and examined it. “Wonder what’s the story behind this thing?” Shrugging, he sat it back down and picked up a jewel laden necklace. There was a veritable rainbow of gems attached to the golden chain, each one the size of a bit.

Licking his lips, Spike placed it back down; lest he devour it. “Come on, Spike, think. You don’t have your medals or your belt. You have to get out of this room and save your dad. There has to be a solution!”

There was only one obvious exit to the room, and the guards clearly weren’t going to let him stroll out of it. “This was a terrible idea...” Flopping back on the bed, Spike stared at the ceiling again. Taking a deep breath, he tried to collect his thoughts.

A sudden impact on his forehead snapped him out of it. “Geez, dad’s too cheap to maintain the place?” he grumbled, rubbing his head. Much like the wooden plank, an idea suddenly struck him. Jumping up onto the bed, he started a frantic search for loose boards. “Come on, come on! Where’d it go!?” He searched around, his claws grasping for anything that seemed like it would come loose. After a few moments, he found another board that creaked and broke loose from the ceiling.

A smile crossed his face, pulling away several more boards from the ceiling. With a heave, he pulled himself up and onto the floor above. Luckily, there was no one around to catch his little stunt, and he found himself in a hallway. Looking around, he tried to find something to cover up the hole so his escape wouldn’t be discovered.

He paused, spotting a lone cell medal laying on the floor. “Huh, looks like Dad got sloppy with his housekeeping?” Lifting it up, his breath hitched as a voice spoke in his mind. “A token...”

“To anyone that needs a helping hand, to those who fight to keep hope alive, just flip this medal and Kamen Rider OOO will come to your side, free of charge.”

Glancing around, Spike made sure he was alone. “Better do this quick. Hey, OOO, you listening? I need your help!” He flipped the coin, letting it land at his feet.

There was a bright flash of light and then-

BANG!

“Owww! Why can’t I be summoned on the ground for once!?” someone cried, having appeared inside the hole he had come up through.

“Hey! Shut up!” Spike hissed, pulling him up. He put a claw to his mouth. “Do you want an army of pirates on our flanks?”

“Sorry, sorry! Um… hi?” the human said, hushing his voice.

“How do you get used to that?” another voice asked, sounding much younger.

“You don’t,” another said.

Spike looked and saw that not one, but four beings had arrived. The first was a human male, who despite looking around his teenage years was tiny, barely even coming up to his chest. The second was Twilight, as an alicorn and not a unicorn. The third was Diamond Tiara, although she looked so different in a black biker outfit, missing her tiara, and with her hair in a ponytail that he almost didn’t recognize her. And the last was… him… but small, like he used to be. The last one looked up at his counterpart. “Aww, hay! Why don’t I get to stay big?”

“You can ask questions later,” Spike snapped, putting a claw to his mouth again. “Right now we have to be quiet and quick. We’re in the middle of a pirate hideout.”

“Pirates? Like ‘yaar, walkin’ the plank ye landlubber’ pirates?” the human asked.

“No, more like ‘I’m going to use core medals to turn into a monster under the leadership of Poseidon’ kinda pirates.”

“Poseidon? You mean like ‘Kamen Rider Poseidon’? Shark, Whale, and Wolf Fish Core Medals Poseidon?”

“Yeah, that Poseidon.” Spike started to move, not looking back at them. “He’s also my dad. He’s been looking for me for a few centuries.”

“Oh dang, maybe we should transform now… wait, ‘Dad’? ‘Centuries’?”

“Katsuo, less talky, more helpy,” Diamond Tiara snarked, reaching into her backpack and pulling out some kind of gun that was loaded with Cell Medals.

“Right, um… sorry. Katsuo, by the way. Katsuo Pollux, Kamen Rider OOO. Nice to meet you, Spike. Oh, um… Other Spike.”

“My names Spike Bahamut Sparkle,” Spike replied, stopping at an intersection. “And yeah, Poseidon’s my dad. Long story short, my grandpa Smaug created the first Core medals. My dad made some of his own and at some point during his search for my mother and I, some of those medals corrupted him.”

“Oh… Sorry. So, we need to find him and knock the corruption out of him then? That’s doable.”

“The first thing we need to do is find my driver and medals,” Spike said, debating for a moment before taking the left turn at the intersection. “If I can get UniSaPo out, I know I can free him.”

“UniSaPo? Wait, you have custom Core Medals that don’t even exist as part of the original set? Not even the movies? Jeez, how lucky can ya get?”

“Katsuo, focus!” Twilight snapped.

“My mom died protecting my egg and my dad became a pirate king,” Spike deadpanned, glancing around the hall for a door that looked promising. “I feel super lucky.”

“Sorry. That was a bit callous… Um… I was born with brittle bone disease, abandoned by my biological parents at birth, and after I was adopted I then got warped to my version of Equestria away from my foster parents who I’ll probably never see again. So yeah, I know what it’s like to have a lot of both lucks,” Katsuo explained.

“Keep an eye out, he’s got goons with medals. I dunno if you’ve seen it in your world, but Core medal possession isn’t pretty.” Stepping up to a door, he threw it open and dropped into a stance. A moment later, a mop that had been leaning on the door fell and covered his face in strands.

Twilight stifled a laugh. “That’s a good look for you.”

“Why have a broom closet if this place is just going to be a mess,” Spike grumbled, pulling the mop off his head and shoving it back into the closet. “At least that’s better than a ton of pirates.” Closing the door, he began to move down the hallway again. He kept his ears open, not wanting to be caught off guard by any pirates wandering around the building.

“So if you’re OOO… who’s the other human in this world?” the other Spike asked, making sure to whisper.

“His name's Wyatt, Kamen Rider Decade and Twilight’s boyfriend.”

“What!?” Katsuo and Twilight both exclaimed.

“Decade!?” Katsuo asked, shocked.

“Boyfriend!?” Twilight asked, just as shocked.

“Her? Dating? I don’t believe it,” Diamond Tiara and other Spike said.

“ Shhh!" Spike hushed, ushering the group against the wall. He sucked in a breath, four corrupted pirates passing along and disappearing at the next turn.

Releasing his breath, he pushed off the wall. "Okay, we need to be more quiet. Anyway, there’s also Agito, he’s been around for a while. Since Celestia and Luna were fillies actually,” Spike added, looking back at the group. “Yeah, my Twilight and Wyatt have been dating ever since Shining and Cadance’s wedding. We were on our way to the human continent, to see if we can’t use the Elements to bring back Agito’s brother, Kuuga.”

“There’s… there’s a whole continent of humans?” Katsuo asked, looking absolutely gobsmacked. “I… I don’t believe it. Other humans in the same Equestria?” he muttered, lost in thought.

“They don’t live in Equestria, they live on another continent to the west,” Spike corrected, cursing the fact that he was without his sword. “No pony has seen it in a thousand years.”

“Can… Can I come? I’d like to be around my own kind again… I mean, more than just one or two at a time.”

“Katsuo?” Twilight asked, concerned.

“I’m sorry Twilight, it’s just… I love my new family with the Apples, but… I would really like to be around something similar to what a lost for a little bit, ya know? A little taste of home.”

“... We’ll ask later,” she assured him with a smile. Then she thought for a minute. “Hey, Spike?”

“Yes?” they both answered.

She groaned. “Okay, I’m gonna call you Bahamut for now. Do you think these pirates know what Candroids are?”

“No,” ‘Bahamut’ said scratching the side. “I haven’t heard of those and I haven’t seen anything like them.

“Good. Then let’s make this simpler,” she smirked as she reached into her saddlebags. “Let’s see, a few Taka-droids should be good.” She pulled out some red soda can looking objects, popping a few of them open. The quickly converted into hawk-like robots capable of flying. “Find Bahamut’s OOO Drive, Poseidon’s location, and the exit, just to be safe.” They nodded back and flew off. “Now, let’s just find a place to lay low.”

“The room that I was locked in would probably be best,” Bahamut relented, turning on his heel. “If they think I’m missing, they wouldn’t look there and those treasure piles can be used to hide us.”

“... Kinda makes your daring escape seem a bit pointless, huh?” Diamond Tiara smirked.

Sighing, Bahamut hung his head and returned to the front of the group. “Ow, I don’t know how you got a knife past my scales, Di, but you didn’t have to twist it.”

“Di? Huh, never thought of that before. I go by DT, myself. Are you actually friends with me in this world?”

“Friends and family,” Bahamut replied. “The DT of my world is descended from my dad’s sister.”

“... Dude,” Spike said.

“Wait… so does that make me, uh… her part dragon?”

Bahamut laughed, shaking his head. “No… well kinda but not because of my dad’s sister. See, I’m actually half-pony.”

“... Huh?” all four of them asked dumbly.

“My dad’s an earth pony named Star Dust and my mom was a dragoness named Peridot.”

“... That is some story,” DT said, her eyes still wide in shock.

“... Breathing fire sounds cool,” Twilight muttered, lost in her own imagination.

Spike was also lost in his thoughts, but the name “Rarity” was muttered once or twice.

Katsuo, meanwhile, had something more relevant to add. “We’ll get your dad back. I swear we’re not leaving until we do,” he assured him.

“That was already my plan,” Bahamut replied, giving the young man a weak grin. “But thanks for that, makes the weight on my shoulders a bit lighter. I just wish I had my driver, it’d make this all so much easier.”

As if on cue, one of the Taka candroids returned. “You’re back! So, what did you find?” Twilight asked. The robot flew down to Bahamut’s waist, hovering there for a moment, before flying back to her. “The Driver? Perfect! Show us the way.” The bird flew out through the hole and the rest followed.

“How useful are those things?” Bahamut asked, keeping the little bird in his gaze. “I need my driver.”

“Different models have different functions, but they can attack, scout, collect and carry Cell and Core Medals, and act as communicators. We’ll give you some blueprints when this is all over,” Twilight replied.

“My Twilight will have a field day with that,” Bahamut noted, watching the bird robot fly down the halls. “Probably gonna spend a month going over them."

“... You know, we have this things back home called the ‘Rider Patrol’. Armored suits, blasters, the works. Not as powerful as a Kamen Rider, but they can take on your basic Yummy’s. I think our Equestria’s are gonna be in contact for a while,” Katsuo smirked.

“We have something like that; the Guardian’s of Harmony,” Bahamut explained. “The princesses and Queen Chrysalis have funded weapons and new Rider suits. We're on G-2 now."

“... Queen Chrysalis?” all four of them asked, sounding equally shocked.

“She’s been helping us for a while; her changelings helped get a lot of the G-Project’s bases up super quick. Maybe they can give you the data for the G suits?”

“Jeez, this alternate dimension stuff, am I right?” Spike muttered.

“No kidding. One of our biggest threats is one of their biggest allies,” DT agreed.

“Our biggest threat is Dai-Shocker,” Bahamut replied. “And it’s being led by an alternate dimension Sombra that possessed his universe’s Shining Armor.”

“Sh-Shiny? Possessed?” Twilight asked, shocked.

“Yeah,” Bahamut replied, looking down at the floor. “It wasn’t something my Twilight and I took well when we first found out either.”

“What… happened to everything else?” she asked, afraid of the answer.

“Somber conquered that Equestria from what he tells,” Bahamut answered. “And given how strong he and Dai-Shocker are, I’m inclined to believe him.”

Awkward silence dominated the group, only broken by the occasional cry from the candroid. While they were all busy thinking of what Bahamut had described, the Taka started to hover in front of a door and cry out repeatedly.

“This looks like it,” Twilight said, the candroid landing in her open palm before powering down. “There’s probably some kind of spell or security, let me check,” she pocketed the candroid before using her magic to scan the door.

The door became translucent, revealing several Trash Yummies and a few pirates milling among the piles of treasure.

“Hay, we can handle that easy!” DT boasted.

“It needs to be mostly silent too, though,” Twilight reasoned. “Or at least quick.”

“I’ll be able to help once I’ve got my stuff back,” Bahamut grumbled, looking between the four. “So, what’s your plan?”

“... Blitz hard?” Spike suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

“Not bad, but with one addition. Twilight, Lion, Tora, Batta please,” Katsuo said, cracking his neck and his knuckles while Twilight handed him the medals, DT readying her weapon as she did. Bahamut saw his smaller counterpart close his eyes and focus, then quickly grow to be his equal in size. Katsuo placed his Driver around his waist and inserted the Medals. “Henshin!” he announced as he ran the scanner across it.

“RION! TORA! BATTA!”

Before the transformation even finished he rushed into the room. “Smile, guys!” he announced, attracting their attention before releasing the blinding flash, causing them all the groan with pain.

“Really?” Bahamut rolled his eyes, moving in behind him. Juking to the side, he avoided the blind swing of a pirate’s cutlass. “You guys are a joke.” He bobbed and weaved through the crowd, diving for the closest pile of treasure. Combing through the gold and trinkets, he hoped that his things were still close to the top.

Spike barreled through any opponent near him, overwhelming them with powerful stikes to their joints and finishing them off when they were down, while Katsuo expertly dodged every blow sung at him, his hits doing decent damage thanks to his transformation. DT hung back and fired her weapon, easily blasting back anyone that got near her and Twilight. Her gun obviously had a lot of force to it, and she had to plant herself firmly to keep from falling over. Twilight meanwhile gathered a spell in her hands, her horn glowing along with the ball of magic between her palms, before finally firing it, unleashing a wave the destroyed the trash Yummies and knocked out the pirates.

There was a sharp creaking sound, drawing everyone's attention towards the back of the room. A moment later, the wall exploded into splinters with the behemoth using the SaGoZou medals barreling towards them.

“Crush!” it roared, the floor buckling under its weight. Its horn gouged the ceiling, tearing through the wood as it stepped forward.

“I’m noticing this is becoming significantly less stealthy,” Twilight snarked as she tried gathering magic for a powerful blast.

"Twi! Monsters like him are basically immune to magic!" Bahamut warned, looking up from his search.

“Damnit,” she muttered, changing the nature of her magic into a wall blocking the mutated pirate’s path. As she struggled to hold it back DT loaded the magazine to the front of the Birth Buster.

“This is gonna hurt,” she muttered.

“CELL BURST” the weapon announced right before she fired, unleashing a mighty blast that sent her flying backwards. It exploded against the monster’s upper torso as she slammed into the back wall, leaving her gasping for breath as the wind was knocked out of her.

"Crush!" the behemoth repeated, slamming both its fists down on the barrier. It followed up by ramming its horn against the magical wall, its roars rattling the walls.

“Wait… Bahamut, do Core Medal weaknesses still apply to the transformed ones?” Katsuo asked.

"Um, what do you mean?" Bahamut questioned, his voice muffled by the treasure pile his head was in.

“Never mind, time to find out!” he said as he grabbed the scanning disc and ran it over the belt. “SCANNING CHARGE!” it announced. Katsuo yelled as light shined brilliantly from his head, causing the beast to cover its eyes and flinch backwards. His claws also radiated with power, as did his legs as he crouched down. “Seiya!” he shouted as he launched himself at the beast, swinging his claws just as they collided. The hulking brute was knocked off its feet and onto it’s back, smashing through the wall behind it.

The behemoth cried out, thrashing its limbs and causing the floor around it to burst apart into splinters. Its leg managed to find Katsuo, sending the young man flying backwards.

“Damn it, go down already!” Spike shouted, pulling out his own belt and wrapping it around his waist. He then inserted a Cell Medal and twisted the knob. “Henshin!” he announced as the armor appeared on him. He then inserted one more medal, turning the knob again. “DRILL ARM” it announced. “If you’re gonna give us such a hard time, then at least make it worth our while!” he yelled, jumping onto the flailing monster’s torso and stabbing the spinning drill into its chest. Cell Medals began to spray out of the beast like blood, some going flying while others seemed magnetized to the drill.

Bahamut stopped digging, a sudden realization hitting him. "Twi, is there a reason why I don't have some of those candroids helping me find my belt?!"

“... Being caught up in the moment?” she sarcastically chuckled before pulling out some Sai cans, small rhino candroids on treads that easily buried themselves into the pile of treasure.

“No prob… Don’t mind me… Just gonna rest here,” DT wheezed out, struggling to catch her breath as she was slumped against the wall.

Bahamut jumped out of the pile he was in, letting the little rhinos do their thing. In a matter of moments, the treasure was cleared away to reveal his driver and medal case. He quickly grabbed them, slapping his belt around his waist.

"Twi, use some healing magic on Di and stick close to the wall, it's about to get crowded in here." Bahamut called out to Twilight, who nodded and ran over the the filly while he pulled out three green medals and scanned them.

"Kuwagata! Kamakiri! Batta! Ga, Ga! GataKiriBa!" The instant the familiar green armor formed, Bahamut split into a crowd of clones.

"Katsuo, light him up again!" The crowd shouted in unison.

“Gotcha!” he replied, running the disc along his belt again. “SCANNING CHARGE!” it shouted. His head lit up again as he crouched down, ready to launch himself directly at the Yummy. Spike, seeing this, jumped out of the way.

Grabbing their scanners, the crowd of Bahamuts ran them over their belts. "Scanning Charge!" In unison, they leapt into the air and hurled themselves at the monster, Katsuo spinning like a drill with his claws extended as he did while the crowd kicked nearly every inch of the beast.

Cell medals exploded up into the air, the monster vanishing from sight... and in its place was a complete naked pony. DT covered her eyes and blushed, Twilight intently focusing on gathering the Cell Medals and not looking in that direction.

“Does that happen every time?” Spike asked, looking away.

"Without fail," Bahamut answered, undoing his transformation.

“Um, hello? Little help?” Katsuo asked, his legs sticking out of the floor, imbedded inside. Spike chuckled and pulled his friend out of the floor. “Thanks.” He then looked around at the destruction the battle had caused. “... Something tells me we just lost the stealth option.”

Bahamut grunted, looked towards the exit. “It was bound to get out at some point, We better find my dad before we get overwhelmed.” Leaning down, he gathered up the now exposed Core Medals off the pirates body.

“Ok then. Let’s get a move on,” Katsuo said while DT reloaded her weapon, discarding the spent Cell Medals.

“So, do we want to go for your dad, or escape to get some back up first?” Spike asked, cracking his knuckles. “I’m sure your friends and family are worried about you.”

“I let myself get captured so I could purge my dad of what his medals have done to him,” Bahamut answered, grinning as he held let a hand rest on his belt. “And I’m not leaving until I do. By the way, that’s some nice armor, other me,” he added, inspecting his counterpart.

“Glad you think so. Kamen Rider Birth, at your service,” he replied, giving a quick salute. “Now let’s go save your dad. Ready DT?”

The filly hefted her weapon. “Always,” she smirked, Spike nodding back in approval.

“Well I can’t save my dad looking like this,” Bahamut joked, tugging at his shirt. “I’m not properly dressed. Pulling out the three medals, he slotted in pink ones and ran the scanner along them.

“Unicorn! Pegasus! Earth Pony!” Bahamut’s belt called out, three pink rings converging on him. “UniSaPo~! UniSaPo~!”

“... Wow. And I thought Decade was the only person that could look cool in pink,” Katsuo chuckled, looking honestly impressed by the combo.

“The wings help,” Bahamut agreed, spreading his wings for effect. “That and all the harmony power this combo packs.”

“Alright, so we’re all set up. We got a game plan?” Spike asked, cracking his neck.

“Well, none of the Taka droids have found Poseidon yet, so unless you have an idea of where he is,” Twilight motioned to Bahamut.

“He’s got a throne room that I was in briefly,” Bahamut explained, resting his wings on his back. “It’s pretty high up and towards the center of the floor it’s on. If he isn’t there then his own bedroom would be my next guess.”

“Alright then! Move out, troops!” Katsuo joked, trying his best drill sergeant voice.

“Whatever you say, mini-me,” Bahamut teased his younger Kamen Rider counterpart.

“Hey!” Katsuo complained, everyone else laughing.

“I think I can retrace my steps to the throne room, follow me,” Bahamut stated, moving to the front of the group. Turning a corner, he was greeted by a pony corrupted by a black medal set. “Yup, that was way too easy.” Reacting quickly, he punched the corrupted pony in the face.

As it stumbled back Katsuo sprinted at it, launching into a jump kick. “Seiya!” he shouted, sending it flying with the Batta powers before unfolding his claws and immediately following up with a Tora air slash.

Charging his horn, Bahamut fired a ray of frost at the corrupted pony and caused a thin layer of ice forming on their armored parts. Birth inserted a Cell Medal into his belt and twisted the knob. “SHOVEL ARM” a deep robotic voice proclaimed, a backhoe-like shovel appearing on his left arm. Birth charged forward and with a grunt of effort slammed his weapon into the helpless combatant.

The corrupted pirate growled, its armor soaking up the damage. It sucked in a gulf of air, filling the room with a wave of toxic looking bubbles. Twilight stepped forwards and gathered her magic before sweeping her arms out in front of her, sending out a spray of violet needles, causing the bubbles to explode violently.

DT meanwhile adjusted her weapon, putting the magazine on the end of the barrel. “CELL BURST” her weapon declared before firing a powerful blast right at the corrupted creature, the force great enough to send her flying backwards. She twisted herself in mid-air and landed on her feet, crouching for support. A smile lit her face as the blast exploded. “Hey! I finally didn’t land on my flank for once!”

“Not bad.” Bahamut gave her a thumbs up. He leaned back, avoiding a jab from the pirate’s tail leg. “I’d suggest not getting hit by that.”

Birth swiped at the pirate, causing Cell Medals to fly out, some of them latching onto his weapon. “Generally a good idea, but I still don’t mind some farming,” he joked, ducking under another stinger stab before attacking again.

“I guess I can let you guys take some Cell Medals,” Bahamut joked, ducking and weaving away from a series of swipes from the pirate’s crab claw. Getting in close, he uppercutted the corrupted pony’s jaw. “I do owe you for helping me get my belt back.”

“Sorry, don’t mean to be too greedy, but this suit does run on Cell Medals after all,” Birth said, dodging a stab before spinning to backhand the pirate in the head.

Chuckling, Spike fired an arc of electricity from his horn while the beast staggered. “Dude, we’re dragons, we’re supposed to be a little greedy.”

“Enough casual danger dialogue, let’s finish this one off!” Katsuo chided as he rushed in with his Medajalibur, cutting the pirate along the chest before quickly inserting three Cell Medals before grabbing the scanner and running it across the blade. “TRIPLE SCANNING CHARGE!” it announced before he slashed at the corrupted pirate, slicing it and reality in half before the latter realigned.

Crying out in pain, energy erupted from the pirate before a small explosion obscured them. When the smoke cleared away, the pirate had returned to normal with tattered bits of clothing hanging off of him and three Core Medals sitting in front of his face.

“Oh jeez, that really does happen every time,” DT said, covering her eyes.

“Every. Single. Time.” Bahamut stepped over to the unconscious pirate and quickly grabbed the three medals. He casually flipped one on his claw before stashing them in his coin case.

“Okay then, so what’s-?” Twilight began to ask, only for one of the other Taka Candroids to arrive back. “Okay then. Exit?” she asked. The robot shook its head. “Throne room?” it nodded. “Well, I know we were going to go there anyway, but I don’t like not knowing our exit.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Bahamut assured, spreading the wings on his armor. “We can always make an exit and fly our way to freedom if all else fails.”

“True enough. Okay then, lead the way!” she ordered as the Taka Candroid flew off, all of them in hot pursuit.

“I love these can things!” Bahamut beamed, racing after the little robot.

The group ran through the twisting halls of the fortress, letting nothing slow them down. Higher and higher they climbed with Bahamut’s mind swimming with the possibilities of how his confrontation with his father would go. He could only hope that he and the visitors at his side would be enough to confront the pirate king.

“A so called pirate king, huh? This should be fun…” Katsuo muttered under his breath with an almost evil sounding chuckle, the eyes on his helmet glowing blue for a moment.

Bahamut cut through a yummy, tossing its dissolving body at a trio of pirates. “We’re going to save him, not hurt him. Got it?”

“Huh… Yeah, I know. Why bring that up?” Katsuo asked, cutting a Yummy with his sword.

“Uh oh,” Twilight muttered, sparing a concerned glance with her other two companions, all of them looking equally concerned.

“Uh oh?” Bahamut repeated, looking between the group. “Why did she just say uh oh?”

“Um… Katsuo’s full combos have… side-effects,” Twilight began to explain.

“If that’s what you call each one being its own flavor of berserk mode,” DT snarked.

“And, as each one has been used, the ones that haven’t have been getting… anxious to have their turn. And right now there’s only one left,” Twilight continued.

“Okay, I’m gonna ignore the fact that none of my combos do that for a quick second,” Bahamut started, glancing at Katsuo. “The more important question right now is what kind of personality is the one that hasn’t been used?”

“Well, judging by the few times it’s come out, it seems to… particularly enjoy taking anyone with an inflated ego down a peg… painfully. As Suri Polomare found out the hard way.”

“Not that she didn’t deserve it,” Birth muttered.

Bahamut stood in front of Katsuo, blocking the other rider’s path. “Can I trust you to control yourself and let me handle my dad without you trying to, ‘take him down a peg for being haughty’?”

Katsuo stopped and sighed. “... The only thing I’m sure I can promise you, is that by the end of today you’ll have your dad back safe and sound. I’m not really going to be conscious if I use a full combo, but from what the girls have told me more than a few them are willing to listen to reason.”

Bahamut nodded and relaxed his posture. “Alright, then please use one of those reasonable personalities if you use a full combo.” Looking down at his chest for a moment, he added, “I wish I had an extra set of these. Can’t imagine you’d get a bad personality out of Core Medals that run on harmony power.”

“That… would certainly be an interesting option. Anyway, let’s get this family reunion under way!”

“Right.” Bahamut approached a set of double doors that the Taka was hovering in front of and kicked them in.

Waiting for the group beyond the door was a long throne room with pilfered banners from various nations lining the walls. At the end, was a grand throne containing a stallion in a shirt, basic trousers, and the Poseidon Driver around his waist.

Rising to his hooves, his eyes moved from person to person. “You came quicker than I thought you would, Bahamut. Though I suppose that’s why you’re such a precious treasure.” Summoning his harpoon, he aimed it at Katsuo. “If you return to your room, I’ll allow your companions to leave unharmed.”

“I’m not gonna go to my room, dad,” Bahamut said, taking a step towards the throne. “I want us to go back to Equestria together.” He took another step forward. “Didn’t you start looking for me so I could live my life, not spend it atop a pile of your other baubles?”

“Wait… so you were grounded?” DT asked, desperately trying to keep the smirk from her face.

“Not now, DT,” Twilight chided, though she herself struggled not to laugh.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes. “I do not repeat myself, Bahamut. Either do as I command, or their lives are forfeit.”

“Dad, please just take off that driver,” Bahamut pleaded, stopping a few feet away from the throne. “It’s gotten inside your head.”

Poseidon lowered the harpoon, moving his hand to his belt. “I see you’ve been raised by soft-hearted ponies. Spare the rod, spoil the child; a mistake I will not be making.”

“Same! Kujira! Ookamiou!”

Poseidon’s armor formed around him in a splash of water, obscuring him as he leapt into the air. Falling harpoon first, the blade of his weapon cut along Twilight’s back before plunging into the floor. Thrusting his hand out, a jet of water blasted the unicorn into Birth, who did what he could to catch her gently.

Bahamut clenched his fists at his side, a flood of emotions coursing through him and threatening to wash away his sense of reason. Charging up his horn, he picked up the attacking rider and sent him on a collision course with a pink armored fist. “Do you even listen to yourself?! What do you think Mom would say if she heard you talking like that?!”

Breaking out of Bahamut’s magic, Poseidon raised his arms up. “She’s not here is she?! I am, and I will do with my treasure as I wish!” Slamming the end of his harpoon into Bahamut’s helmet, he swept the drake’s legs out from under him. “Know your place, child.”

Katsuo jumped in, sending a wind slash at Poseidon from his claws before leaping in for a sword slash, which Poseidon managed to deflect. Katsuo twisted in mid-air before landing gently. “A parent should be an example of what their child should be, not a tyrant to rule over them. He is your son, do you not love him as more than an object? Surely you can remember doing so once. Either as an egg or hatchling, you must’ve wished for him a bright future,” he said before rising and taking a defensive stance.

Poseidon's eyes glowed, water dancing at his hooves. “You presume to tell me how to treat my son? Keep your asinine opinions to yourself.” A wave of water shot towards Katsuo, which he dodged by leaping up high enough to touch the ceiling before leaping over Poseidon, sending more wind slashes at him.

“Twilight! Kuwagata! Kujaku!” he shouted. Twilight pulled out the case and teleported over to where Katsuo landed while DT fired her busted and Birth charged forwards, activating his Drill Arm. She quickly handed him the medals that he switched them out.

“KUWAGATA! KUJAKU! BATTA!” his belt announced, giving him a green, red, green combo.

“Stay back, Twi. Don’t let him hit you,” he warned, leaping at the wall and firing lightning from his head as he did.

Poseidon slammed the butt of his harpoon down, creating a wall of water that stopped the lightning and the drill arm in their tracks. “I control the nine seas; sailors whisper my name in fear. You will respect me, drake.”

“I respect no one who demands my respect,” Birth spat back, leaping back before inserting another Cell Medal, adding the Crane Arm function to his Drill Arm, revving up the weapon before extending it at Poseidon. Meanwhile Twilight had sent some Cobura and Ptera Candroids to distract him with acid spit and sonic screeches, respectively.

Bahamut returned to the fray, firing icy bolts of magic to freeze any water that Poseidon created. With a few kicks, the ice shattered and Bahamut used his magic to create a storm of icy shards. “Will you please stop being so pigheaded, Star Dust?!”

Poseidon faltered for a moment, lowering his harpoon. Before anyone could relax, the eyes on his helmet glowed again and he charged at Bahamut. “You are under the delusion that Star Dust and I are one and the same!” Stabbing at Bahamut’s chest, he snarled. “It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Staggering for a moment, Bahamut felt his anger building. Planting his feet firmly he yelled, “Fine! I’ll kill Poseidon so that Star Dust can live once more!” Bahamut charged at Poseidon and let loose a flurry of blows, his limbs moving in a blur. The others got into position, ready to attack as soon as the two combatants were further apart so as not to get Bahamut caught in the crossfire. “Get the hell out of my dad!”

Poseidon blocked nearly all the strikes that Bahamut threw at him. Those that did land didn’t even seem to make the pirate king flinch. “Bahamut, just keep him busy for a bit longer!” Birth called before inserting another Cell Medal into the slot. “BREAST CANNON,” the voice from his belt announced, a massive barrell appearing on his chest. He kept inserting two Cell Medals and then twisting, getting “CELL BURST” in response from the belt. Meanwhile, Twilight gathered power for a spell, DT prepared to fire her own Cell Burst, and Katsuo placed the three Core Medals on his belt into the Taja Spinner on his arm before touching the scanner to it.

“KUWAGATA! KUJAKU! BATTA! GI-GI-GI-GIGA SCAN!” it announced.

“Ready when you are, Birth!” Katsuo called. A moment later Birth activated the final Cell Burst, getting an announcement of “FULL CHARGE.”

“BAHAMUT, MOVE!” Birth shouted, his barrel already glowing with power.

Flapping his wings, Bahamut flew up and disengaged from Poseidon while narrowly avoiding a stab from the harpoon. At that moment all of the attacks; Twilight firing a blast of magic, DT another blast of Cell Medal energy, Birth a massive laser, and Katsuo a spinning disk of energy, all of them collided with Poseidon in an earth-shaking explosion, annihilating most of the room and leaving a cloud of smoke, hiding the results.

“Keep your wits up! We’ve done this before!” DT shouted, changing out her magazine for a new one.

Flapping his wings, Bahamut created a gust that cleared away the smoke to reveal Poseidon, still in his armor. Bahamut was about to curse under his breath, but after a moment he noticed something. The pirate king’s shoulders rose up and down, seeming to indicate that the attacks had strained him somewhat.

The fort shook, bringing everyone but Poseidon to their knees. Water tentacles ripped through the remaining portions of the floor; each clutching a medal corrupted pirate. Their anguished cries pierced the air, the tentacles crushing their armor. Dropping the limp pirates, the tentacles brought Poseidon their medals.

“You will not take my treasure from me!” Poseidon snarled, absorbing the newly acquired medals into himself.

“Oh, that can’t be good,” Bahamut muttered, watching the last medal slip into Poseidon’s armor. Hoping to catch the pirate king off guard, he swooped down and punched the other rider in the face.

Poseidon ignored Bahamut, gripping onto his harpoon. The weapon glowed, reforming into a trident. Rising into the air, cell medals began to coalesce around his lower half. With a roar, Poseidon’s lower half transformed into the head of a wolf fish.

“Oh great, body horror. My favorite,” Katsuo groaned, taking a defensive stance before firing lightning, making sure to leap around the edges of the room to keep distance.

“Don’t let up!” Bahamut called, flying around Poseidon and creating a tornado around the corrupted king. “If he’s doing something like this then he’s gotta be on the ropes!”

Twilight didn’t even bother with the Candroids now, just making sure to keep distance and try to cast the occasional spell to distract Poseidon and keep the others from being hit, while DT took careful shots at his head head, also trying to provide some form of distraction for the bigger hits to land.

Riding the wind of the tornado he created, Bahamut began to kick Poseidon from all sides. In response, Poseidon let out a roar and swatted at Bahamut in an attempt to stop the assault. Once the tornado finally dissipated and Bahamut’s attack ended, Poseidon turned his attention towards a new target. Unfortunately for Katsuo, he was the target. With a swing from Poseidon’s trident, Katsuo was sent flying into a wall across the room. He slammed hard into the wall before slumping to floor, motionless.

“KATSUO, NO!” Twilight cried. As she did the case with the Core Medals burst open and the three blue medals flew towards him, inserting themselves into the slots. “Oh no,” she muttered as the scanner moved itself and ran along the belt.

"SHACHI! UNAGI! TAKO! ~Sha-Sha-ShaUTa! Sha-Sha-ShaUTa!"

As the transformation occurred Katsuo rose to his feet, almost as if being pulled up by a string like a puppet, before lifting his head. The helmet’s eyes flashed blue for a moment, the sound of water splashing accompanying it. Then he chuckled darkly. “~Oh my, look at all that power. No wonder you think of yourself as ‘King of the Seas.’” He twiddled his fingers together as he chuckled again. “So strong, so boastful, so full of yourself… I CAN’T WAIT TO BREAK YOU!” he screeched, a blast of power filling the room with a watery mist as Katsuo burst out into a maniacal laughter.

The wolf fish head roared in response, its eyes shining like jewels. “What’s mine is mine, you filthy parasites!” Stabbing his trident forward, spears of water shoots from its prongs. Katsuo responded by quickly turning into water himself, his arms launching him forwards like jets as he easily weaved through the attacks. He turned solid just before brandishing his whips and striking Poseidon, the crackle of electricity letting out a thunder-like crack as the struck, pushing the other rider back a few feet.

“Oh, ‘filthy parasites’? My, what an extensive vocabulary you have! What’s next, insignificant gnats? ‘Flies to be swatted away’? Tell me, how much time did you spend reading comic books for reference-” Katsuo’s tirade ended when Poseidon surged forward, the wolf fish clamping down on his arm.

Raising his trident, Poseidon used the same green lightning as kuwagata on the trapped rider. Holding his other hand out, he summoned up the kame shield against DT and Birth’s shots.

Katsuo roared in pain… which soon changed to laughter. “Touchy, are we!?” he yelled before wrapping the whip from his free arm around Poseidon’s neck. His legs then turned into octopus tentacles which he used to rapidly kick the pirate king in the chest, but the wolf fish’s grip still held firm.

Bahamut summoned up a burst of speed, punching the wolf fish head in an attempt to free Katsuo. Poseidon blocked Bahamut’s attack with his harpoon, shoving the drake away. “This isn’t getting us anywhere!”

“Hm, good point,” Katsuo said, still not sounding the least bit concerned as he shifted into water and jetted away. “All of you get closer together, would you? And Twilight, you’ll know what to do.” He then cracked his neck. “‘Now my dear King of the Seas’, let’s see how aquatic you really are,” he boasted, jetting right at Poseidon again.

“I command the very waters of the seas as well as a fleet of ships,” Poseidon retorted, slamming the butt of his harpoon on the floor. “I am quite aquatic.”

“Then let’s see you dance like the waves!” Katsuo cackled back, jetting himself over Poseidon before launching himself down at him from above. Poseidon swung his trident at him, only for Katsuo to jet himself to the side, then back at his opponent, turning solid just at the last moment for a kick.

In response, Poseidon grabbed Katsuo’s foot and tossed him into a wall. “I am tired of your useless prattle, boy,” he growled.

“But we’re forming such a connection!” he teased back, jetting himself right back. He then propelled himself to the side, then right at Poseidon, only to fake-out up and then straight back down. This routine only continued, Katsuo propelling himself all over the room, only for Poseidon to smack his paltry attempts away, not that Katsuo seemed to really care if his insane laughter was any indication.

“What is he doing?” Twilight asked aloud, using her her arms to shield herself from the water being flung around by Katsuo’s propulsion. “All he’s doing is completely soaking the… oh,” her eyes widened in realization. “Everypony, over here! Quick!” she called.

Bahamut moved back, gritting his teeth. “I’ll be fine, I’m lightning proof.”

“Wait, what does he mean by that?” DT asked, running over along with Birth.

“Just trust me,” Twilight said, casting a quick drying spell on the three before summoning a barrier and levitating them all into the air.

“What do you hope to gain from these pitiful attacks?” Poseidon taunted, swatting Katsuo away again. “This has ceased to be amusing and has just become sad.”

“Well, I can agree that it is a little repetitive. ~But hey, I was just setting up the stage for you!” Katsuo replied with a sadistic giggle, spreading his arms and motioning to the room. Poseidon looked, annoyed with how his trophies and treasures had been tarnished by the water… and then he heard the crackle of Katsuo electric whips, realizing what had happened. “I’ve already danced, now… LET’S HEAR YOU SING!” he screamed before slamming his weapons into the ground. The whole room lit up like a fireworks display, the humming of electric energy accompanied Katsuo’s maniacal laughter.

Poseidon took the shock, the wolf fish head snarling at Katsuo. Tossing his harpoon at the crazed rider, Poseidon charged with a burst of water. “I’m tired of your inane banter, troglodyte!” The weapon hit Katsuo and pinned him to the wall before Poseidon closed the distance, grabbed the weapon, and twisted. “Any last words before I toss your carcass into the seas for the sharks to feast on?”

“Well, I guess it is time for me to bow out. After all,” Katsuo chuckled. “~I never was the grand finale!”

Before Poseidon could process Katsuo’s statement, burning pain erupted from his side. Looking down, he saw the symbol of magic glowing on his armor. This was quickly followed by the other element symbols.

“Harmony Punch!” Bahamut called out, his hand radiating energy. With a flap of his wings, Bahamut moved towards Poseidon, catching him in the chest with a rainbow glowing fist.

The wolf fish head screeched in pain, dissolving into cell medals under the strain. Poseidon slumped to his knees, though remained in his rider form.

Bahamut braced himself for the fight to continue, but approached Poseidon slowly. “Dad? Did I break through to you?”

Poseidon laughed, softly at first before breaking into a full on crackle. “You think you can reach him? He’s off in his perfect little world, all his fantasies come true. That pathetic wretch didn’t even put up a fight when I took control.”

“You’re in no position to be laughing,” Bahamut growled, charging his horn up. “Tell me, what do you think would happen if I broke your belt?”

“You think I need a belt?” Poseidon removed the medals from his belt, absorbing them into his hand. “It’s nothing but a showpiece. But be my guest, show me just how unintelligent you really are.”

“You bastard.” Clenching his fists at his side, Bahamut considered his options. A second scanning charge might forcefully remove the medals. But could he withstand all the harmony energy given his draconic greed? After only thinking on the matter for a second, he pulled his scanner off his belt and ran them over his medals. “I may not be as smart as my sister, but I promised not to leave here without my dad, so I’m going to knock you out of his head no matter what!”

“His head?” Poseidon stood up, matching Bahamut’s gaze. “It’s been mine for a long while, kid. He’s nothing more than a memory, replaying his little made up world over and over again. Do you really have the heart to tear him away from that? From Peridot?”

“A Kamen Rider… brings hope,” Katsuo groaned, his voice sounding normal instead of the crazed tone of his berserker. “Through our will… we can make miracles… including overcoming great loss.” He turned to Bahamut. “Show him what a Rider can really do.”

The rainbow energy collected around Bahamut’s fist once more, the rider unflinchingly staring Poseidon down. “Mom and Dad left me a memory stone. They wanted to meet me, the real me. So I’ll knock down your illusion so Dad can finally do just that!” Summoning the harmonic energy to his hands, he grabbed Poseidon’s helmet. “This is your eviction notice!”

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Poseidon roared, his eyes rolling into the back of his head beneath his helmet. “No! This is my body, mine! Do you hear me!? Mine!!!!!”

“Not anymore,” Bahamut retorted, the pair collapsing to the floor.

Spike blinked, finding himself standing at the mouth of a cave. While the world around him seemed right, his senses told him otherwise. Sounds lingered for far longer than they should, a strange haze clung to the environment, muting textures and colors. He had somehow found himself in the dragonlands, near the lava pools.

With no other options, Spike started searching the area for any signs of his father. Eventually, he found him and had to stop dead in his tracks. With the stallion was his mother, alive and lounging in one of the pools. And between the two was an infant version of him, struggling to walk for the first time.

“So this is what Dad fantasizes about?” Spike muttered, taking a shaky step towards his father. His mind was racing with possible ways he could approach this. Throughout his life, he had always imagined what he’d say to his real parents if he ever met them. But now? His mind was completely on anything coherent.

“Dad, I need you to listen to me.” straightening his back, Spike made himself as presentable as possible. “I know this feels right and I know you’re happy here, but you need to listen to me.”

Star Dust turned around, regarding Spike with shock and curiosity. “Are those Smaug’s medals? What are you doing with those?”

“Because… Because Grandpa trusted me to get them all. To make sure that nopony misused them. He said it’s what you’d want me to do.”

“Get them all?” Star Dust repeated. “Why would anyone need to find them? Kalameet currently has them in his possession.”

Reaching up, Spike removed his helmet. “Because it’s centuries later than you think it is. Kalameet is gone and the medals were scattered around. I’ve been collecting them.”

The images of Peridot and his younger self wavered for a moment as Star Dust silently took in Spike’s face. He walked over to Spike and put a hand on his shoulder. “Bahamut? I-is that really you? How could I have missed so much of your life?”

“Star Dust, who is this drake?” Peridot asked, raising her head. “How do you know him?”

“Peri, look at him,” Star Dust said, moving out of the way to give her a clear view. “He’s clearly Bahamut.”

“What are you talking about? Bahamut’s right here,” she said, pointing to the small hatchling.

Pausing, Star Dust looked between Spike and his illusory counterpart. “I mean, you’re right, but this is Bahamut too. He has your father’s medals. Smaug wouldn’t give those to just any dragon.”

Frowning, Spike grabbed Star’s shoulders. “Don’t listen to them! You’ve been dreaming for over a century. Do you have any idea what's been going on out there?”

Grunting, Star put his hands on either side of his head. “I-I think I remember.” His legs went out from under him and he fell to his knees.

“Leave my mate alone!” Peridot snarled, sending a cone of green flame at Spike. “I don’t know who you are, but I won’t let you screw with his head!”

Placing his helmet back on his head, Spike let the flames wash over him. “Woulda figured you’d know that dragons are fire proof,” he commented, balling his hands into fists. Steeling his resolve, he launched himself into the air with his wings and rocketed into the illusion’s jaw.

“What are you doing!?” Star Dust shouted. “You… You can’t be Bahamut! He’d never attack his mother!”

“This isn’t Mom!” Spike retorted, letting himself drop to avoid a swipe of the dragoness’s claw. Guilt welled up inside his chest despite his best efforts to remind himself of that fact. “This is all Poseidon! He wants you here so he can control you! You have to remember everything!”

The false Peridot let out a roar, drowning out any response that Star could make. Pivoting her body, she whipped her tail into Spike’s back. He barely managed to keep from smashing into the cave wall by flapping his wings. “Dad, please listen to me! You remember the memory gem you and mom left me?” He didn’t bother to wait for an answer, dodging a claw and continuing.

“Don’t listen to him, Star! He’s some kind of demon, trying to steal you away from us!” Peridot swatted Spike into the wall with her tail, roaring at the drake.

“No! I’m your son and I can prove it!” Spike called out, slowly prying himself out of the wall. “You and mom warned me that ponies and dragons would mock me for being different. You were right! There have been ponies and dragons that have mocked me! But I have friends and family that care about me for who I am!” Creating a shield around himself with his magic, he pushed back an attack from Peridot’s jaws. “You also told me to hold my head high because you knew I’d do great things!”

“Stop filling his head with lies!” Gripping Spike’s shield in her jaws, she tossed it into a lava pool. “I will not let my mate lose himself to such falsehoods!”

Inspiration suddenly struck Spike, several memories flashing before his eyes as he turned to his father with a grin beneath his helmet. “I can prove she’s the fake. If this was the real Peridot, then why hasn’t she called me a clod yet?” he questioned, pointing a finger at the dragoness.

Star frowned, turning his attention towards the dragoness. “Come to think of it, I haven’t heard you call anyone a clod...”

Spike’s grin widened while he waded out of the pool. “Exactly, this is supposed to be the dragoness that called Torch a clod to his face, and yet she called me a demon before that? Does that really sound like her?”

“Are you really going to believe that I’m not me because I stopped using a word?” Peridot snorted, flaring her wings out. “If you must know, I stopped using that word when Bahamut hatched; I don’t want him picking it up.”

“And yet she used it in the message she and Dad left for me,” Spike pressed, flaring his own wings out. “Face it, Poseidon, you neglected to learn how to make the act convincing.”

Peridot sneered, parts of her body corrupting into Poseidon's armor. “Just as well, I was growing tired of this charade. I’ll simply devour your father’s mind, a simple; if inelegant solution.”

Star Dust gaped, looking between his ‘mate’ and the hatchling, only for the little drake to fade away. He collapsed to his knees, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. “I can’t believe it, I’ve been living a lie.”

With a flap of his wings, Spike stood protectively in front of the deflated stallion. “I know it hurts; I spent my whole life wondering where I came from, only to find out that my mom died centuries before I hatched. You have to face it, look at reality without flinching. I need you, dad.”

At first it seemed like Star Dust wasn’t listening; he simply stared blankly at the cave floor. Eventually, he managed to pull himself to his hooves and put a hand on Spike’s shoulder. “Of course, it’s about time I stop dreaming and start being a parent to my son.”

“How touching.” Poseidon rumbled, glaring down at them with unblinking eyes. “I’ll devour you both; two bodies for the price of one. Quite a steal.”

“Not gonna happen,” Spike said, charging his horn up. “You’re getting nothing!” With a flap of his wings, he flew up and fired a massive beam at Poseidon. “You’re just an errant thought that got too big!”

“Arrogant drake! I am Poseidon! Pirate King, ruler of the seas! You will not be rid of me!” he shouted, trying to force the beam back.

Spike didn’t answer, summoning all the speed his combo could give him to keep the beam moving forward. Once he was within reach of Poseidon, he ran his scanner over his medals. “Harmony Punch!” he roared, uppercutting Poseidon in the jaw with a rainbow covered fist.

Poseidon went flying into the air before landing on the ground, hard. He struggled to stand up, every shift of weight making it looking like he’d fall over. In the next moment he lit up, a rainbow light emanating from his body, seeming to rip through him. As it grew brighter more and more of his body broke until, in one final flash and a shout of rage, he exploded, leaving nothing behind.

Chest heaving, Spike allowed himself to take a seat. “I’m sorry, I really am. I know you were happy here; I suppose you could call it selfishness. I just wanted you back above everything else.”

Star Dust chuckled and pulled Spike into a hug. “I should be thanking you. My happiness was fake just like everything else here. I’ll take my real, flawed son over the idealized image I concocted in my head anyday.”

Spiked hugged him back, enjoying being in his father’s embrace for the first time. “... So, ready to meet the rest of the family? It’s not just me and grandpa, you know.”

“I think I’d like that,” Star replied, patting Spike’s back. “I owe quite a few thank yous to the ones that hatched you.”

Spike nodded his head, lighting his horn up. “Let’s go then, I want to see you in person.”

As Spike woke in the real world there wasn’t much different except for a few noticeable changes. His father was back to normal, even if the driver was still around his waist. Katsuo was also demorphed and appeared to be sleeping, Twilight looking over him. His counterpart had also demorphed and returned to his normal size, both him and DT waiting for him to come back. They smiled as they saw him return to the waking world.

“So, all’s well that ends well, huh?” his other asked.

“Seems like it.” Spike cancelled his transformation, shaking his head. “Is Katsuo okay?”

“His constitution is still a little weak,” Twilight explained. “Don’t worry, he should be up anytime-” Katsuo groaned and sat up shakily. “Yeah, there it is. Used to be worse, a full combo could have him out for hours.”

“Glad to hear it,” Spike said, kneeling down by his father’s slowly rousing body. “Combos usually just leave me hungry and tired.” As if on cue, his stomach growled.

“So, um… Mr. Star Dust, is it? Nice to me meet you,” DT said, giving a short bow in respect.

“Yes, that is my name,” Star Dust replied, groggily sitting up. Blinking, he took in the group with confusion. “Why are there two Bahamuts?”

“Oh, sorry, um… I’m from another reality. In fact, you and your son are the only ones here from this reality,” the smaller Spike explained. “We just came to lend a hand.”

“Happens every so often,” Spike explained, sitting back on the remaining sections of floor. “I guess we just wait until the Invincible arrives. They shouldn’t be too long.”

“What’s the Invincible?” Star questioned, pulling himself to his hooves. “Is that a boat of some kind?”

“Heh… something like that,” Spike chuckled, laughing at the idea of calling the Invincible a ‘boat.’

“Young drake, are you hiding something from your father?” Star Dust teased, walking over to Spike and pulling him into a light headlock. “Come on, spill it!”

“Come on dad, I want to have the fun of seeing you surprised! Let me have this.” Spike pulled himself away, jumping to his feet. “Crap! I forgot, we have to collect all those medals!” Taking his father’s arm, he began a frantic search of what was left of the room.

With some help from his father and the group of otherworldly visitors, Spike found the trio of Poseidon’s original medals under some wooden rubble. Turning over the coins in his hands, a sense of calm filled the drake.

“So, which ones?” Katsuo asked, Twilight helping him up to his feet.

“The turtle medal is among them,” Spike answered, holding up the orange medal in question. “And the beetle one but I’ve already got a copy of that one.” Picking up the other medals, he placed them into his case. “And I can sort through the rest later.”

“I’ll tell you what they do if you don’t know. Though, to be honest, it looks like you’ve got a few I don’t recognize. They didn’t even appear in the movies.”

“Well, if you’re sticking around to visit the human country, I can show you what these do,” Spike offered, putting away his coin case. Stretching his arms above his head, he let himself relax.

“Well, so long as we’re not waiting for days, at least. I mean, we do have to be the Riders of our Equestria after all. But I think we can at least share data so we can help each other out. You guys don’t have Candroids for one, and it sounds like the Rider Patrol could really use that G tech you were talking about.”

Spike grinned, tapping his medal case from within his pocket. "My Twilight will flip at the chance to look over those cans of yours.”

“... Wait, you said the humans here are Decade, Agito, and Kuuga right? You’re not the only non-human Rider, are you?” Katsuo asked.

Spike’s grin grew, threatening to overtake his face. “That’s correct, there are a few other Riders too.”

“Oh, this is gonna be fun. No spoilers!” Katsuo said quickly, a grin on his face.

Spike and Katsuo snickered to themselves, the drake moving to his father’s side in order to avoid ruining the surprise.

After a while, a loud horn coming from outside caught their attention. Spike shot up to his feet, looking out the nearest hole in the wall. “And the Invincible has arrived!” Waving them over, he continued. “Behold! The pride of Equestria’s aerial navy!”

Star Dust’s jaw dropped to the floor as his eyes frantically scanned over the massive airship. “Wh-what is that flying monstrosity? How long have I been asleep?!”

“OOOOOOOOH! That’s some Final Fantasy level stuff there!” Katsuo cheered.

“Blueprints… I need blueprints,” Twilight muttered.

“Yup, she’s gone,” the smaller Spike chuckled.

“Come on, we’ve got more copies to introduce ourselves to,” DT said, putting her weapon away in her bag.

A rope ladder dropped over the side of the ship, letting the group climb aboard. Star Dust needed some coaxing, but Spike assured him that it was safe. As soon as Spike made it onto the deck, he was grabbed up in his Twilight’s magic and pulled into a tight hug.

“Gack!” Spike croaked out, his vertebrae audibly popping. “Twilight… can’t breathe,” he wheezed, feebly patting her on the back.

“Be quiet, you. Let me have this,” she muttered, not letting up in the slightest.

“Looks like what she did to you after your first fight as Birth,” DT joked to the other Spike.

“I wasn’t that bad…” the other Twilight muttered, pouting as she crossed her arms.

Twilight blinked, taken aback by the sounds of familiar voices that shouldn’t have been there. Looking up, her eyes widened for a moment before she settled down. “Oh, you must be counterparts from a Displaced world.”

“Yup! Katsuo Pollux, at your service,” Katsuo bowed. “I’m also Kamen Rider OOO… Or maybe I should say a Kamen Rider OOO.”

“... Um, is it just me or do her eyes look kinda… different?” DT asked.

“Yeah, they look kinda like mine,” the other Spike noted.

“That’s because I took part in a ritual conducted by Spike’s grandpa to join my family to his,” Twilight explained, tapping the corner of her eye with her pinkie. “It had some interesting results.” She blew a ring of smoke out of her mouth for emphasis.

“Oh, that’s right! Spike mentioned that!” the other Twilight said. “I mean, your Spike said that. Wow, I guess with sneaking around the the Pirate base and fighting Poseidon, it kinda slipped our minds.”

“Uh, this is gonna get confusing with two Spikes and two Twilights,” the smaller Spike said. “I guess we can start with me then. I’m Spike, but I’m also Kamen Rider Birth, so… I guess you can call me Birth for now?”

“I already go by DT now, so that shouldn’t be a problem. So that just leaves our newest Princesses,” DT smirked, folding her arms. “How about ‘your majesty?’”

“DT, you know I hate that!” the visiting Twilight huffed in annoyance. She took a moment to think before giving her own suggestion. “Well… I guess I can go by Twily like Shining calls me.”

Twilight nodded, letting go of Spike who took in a large gulp of air. “That should be fine seeing as my Shining Armor isn’t here. Though Wyatt and Spike call me Twi so that could lead to some confusion if we don’t pay attention.” She tilted her head, suddenly realizing something. "Wait, princesses? There aren't any princesses aboard The Invincible."

“Yeah, and let’s not forget that Spike’s dad still calls him Bahamut,” Birth chuckled. “Oh, this is gonna get so confusing so fast. By the way, got any gems? I really worked up an appetite.”

“Hey, just point me to the kitchen! I’ll make you something!” Katsuo declared. “I mean, I’m just kinda assuming a ship this big has some kind of kitchen on it.”

Twilight giggled, brushing off her dress. “Of course this ship has a kitchen. Though you might have to fight off the staff if you want to use it.” Motioning with her hand, she led the group into the halls towards the mess. They passed by several members of the ship’s crew, the ponies all doing a double take upon seeing literal doubles.

“Don’t worry, you’re not hallucinating,” DT joked, thoroughly enjoying the range of expressions the group was getting. “We need to do this more often if this is the kind of reaction we get.”

“I’d hope not. We’ve had about enough of that nonsense.” Admiral Celaeno stepped into view, eyeing Star closely. “I’d like to greet you properly, but I’m afraid I don’t know your rightful name.”

“I’m Star Dust,” the stallion replied, extending his hand towards the parrot woman. “Thank you for getting us off that awful fortress.”

Celaeno nodded her head, taking her hat off. “We’ve met before, me and your other half. I’m Admiral Celaeno, captain of this here fine ship. We’ll be sticking around a bit longer; need to clear out the place.”

“Do you mean that Poseidon that I somehow got overtaken by?” Star questioned, letting his hand drop. “The only other person I’d ever call that is my mate but I don’t think you’re nearly old enough to have met her.”

“I’d assume so,” Celaeno chuckled, putting her hat back on. “Now, who are the rest?” she asked, looking over the alternate arrivals. “You got names, or should I just put numbers at the end your names?”

“DT. Don’t call me anything else, okay? I’m… working through a few things,” the filly said, managing to put on a smile.

“I’m Kamen Rider Birth, so I’m going by Birth for the moment, just to keep things from getting too confusing,” the smaller Spike said, scratching the back of his head.

“I’ll be going by Twily for as long as I’m here,” the other Twilight explained. “And last, the one that doesn’t need a name change is… where’d Katsuo go?” Twily asked, nothing the human was gone.

“Don’t mind me, just checking the ingredients you have!” Katsuo called from the kitchen.

Twily just sighed but chuckled all the same. “Sorry, he wants to make celebratory cake or something. I hope you don’t mind.”

“If the cake he makes is good, I won’t mind a thing,” Celaeno told her with a chuckle. Turning to Katsuo she added, “I’ll be happy with a pineapple cake; if Lix doesn’t kick you out of the kitchen first.”

“Request noted!” Katsuo called. “Anyone else!? I’ve got gem recipes, too!”

“Oh!” Spike started, perking up at the mention of gems. “I’m not opposed to some sapphire cupcakes!”

“Surprise me, Katsuo! You know I’ll love anything you make!” Twily called. “He was going to culinary school before he came to Equestria. He works at Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie.”

“So, not to sound insensitive, but… how’s Equestria end up with a crew of parrot griffons?” DT asked, trying to take extra care not to ruffle any feathers… metaphorically speaking.

Celanoe laughed, slapping her knee. “You see any cat parts on me, girly? I’m a parrot, have been since the day I hatched. We were working under the Storm King before Poseidon sent us after the drake. Afterwards, Celestia made an offer I couldn’t turn down.” Tapping her chin in thought, she paused. “Well, not literally; she made it pretty clear there were no penalties for refusing the job.”

DT smiled sympathetically. “Yeah, I know a bit of what it’s like trying to turn over a new leaf. Hasn’t been easy, some old habits just don’t want to die.”

Celaeno clicked her beak. “Iffin’ our worlds are similar, you should warn Celestia about the Storm King. That cloven hooved cretin’s been knocking off countries all over the place. Last I heard, he was sacking Abssyinia.”

“Thanks for the suggestion,” Twily nodded. “We’ve got enough to deal with with the Greeds, and he sounds like a prime host for a Yummy.”

“Aye, he’s a mite crazy one. The one you gotta worry about is his enforcer. Monster of a mare; I’ve seen her toss around those yetis like they were pillows. That horn of hers...” Celaeno shivered. “Even shattered it’ll tear a ship a part.”

“Well, if you don’t mind moving onto lighter subjects, I’ll probably nab one of those cupcakes when they’re done,” Twilight chimed in, patting Spike’s shoulder. “But I’ve gotta go grab Wyatt and Agito, I’m sure they’d love to meet you all.” With a wave, she exited the room.

Star Dust had been ignoring most of the conversation, instead looking at everything with wide eyed amazement. He stared into the kitchen, his eyes roving over all the unfamiliar equipment. “I’ve never seen things like this. Never even dreamed of it...”

“If you think the kitchen appliances are cool, wait until I show you an arcade, Dad,” Spike said with a grin. “That’d probably blow your mind.” His smiling falling, Spike put his hand on Star’s shoulder. “Mom isn’t around anymore.”

Rubbing the side of his head, Star’s own smile fell slightly. “I had a feeling. My memory has been fuzzy, but I do recall that Peri had passed somehow.”

“Celestia found her in the Everfree. She gave the princess my egg and asked her to keep me safe. I didn’t hatch until Twilight’s exam.” Spike reached down, holding up his tatoba medals. “These are the only things I had of her.”

“There was a lot more to Peridot than those medals,” Star commented, blankly staring at the trio of coins. “You saw a bit of her personality in that crystal, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. You’ve gotten her strength in more ways than one.” Reaching out, he put a hand on top of his son’s head. “Not only can you throw a mean punch, but you’ve got just as much drive as her.”

“Yeah, I heard something like that. First time I met other dragons, even the younger dragonesses talked about how she stood up to Torch.” Spike chuckled, purring softly as he recalled the lava baths.

Star’s smile returned a bit and he nodded. “Peridot was a believer in the old ways of what a dragon should be much like your grandfather. Suffice it to say, Torch is about as far from those standards as a living being can get.”

“What exactly are those old ways? I mean, I’ve gotten stuff her and there from grandpa Smaug and Sapphira, but I think it’d be cool to hear about it from a pony who researched and lived it.”

“I’d be happy to teach you, son,” Star said, ruffling the spine’s on Spike’s head. “The old ways can simply be put as a code of honor; varying slightly between individuals but all following core principles. There’s also a big emphasis that one’s physical might should never greatly surpass one’s brain power. Temperance is one of the core values handed down by your namesake.”

“Wow… I would’ve never guessed, judging by how the dragons I met in my dimension were like,” Birth said, having taken a seat when they weren’t looking. “I wonder if there’s any way my kind back home could be more like that. Certainly would make getting along with ponies easier.”

“I suppose anything’s possible,” Star offered, looking at Birth curiously. “Though, even when the old ways were practiced, dragons never had the best relations with ponies.”

“Orders up!” Katsuo called, bringing out the dishes. On the tray were at least two dozen green and purple cupcakes with sapphires, the frosting styled to look like flames. There was also a large amount of tropical themed desserts… and drinks.

“What’s that?” Celaeno asked, pointing to what looked like yellow discs.

“Pineapple cake. I thought that’s what you wanted,” Katsuo replied matter-of-factly.

“You mean there’s a specific kind of dessert called pineapple cake? I just meant a cake that was pineapple flavored,” she said, picking one up.

“Well, give it try, I bet you’ll like it. Since we’re out at sea, I kinda went with an anti-scurvy tropical theme. I’ve also got some greek yogurt with orange slices and mint for those of you trying to eat a little healthier, some coconut and chocolate cheesecake, and for those of you who are old enough some key lime pie flavored vodka martinis. Monsieurs, Mademoiselles, bon appetite,” he finished in a thick, fake Prench accent before bowing.

Celeano took a bite of hers and her eyes shot open before practically squealing with her beak closed, falling into a chair with a goofy smile on her face. “How? Oh, how can this be so good?” Katsuo simply beamed with pride, more content to let his dishes do the talking.

Star took a martini off the tray, sipping at it. “I’ll be needing a few of these with the day I’ve had.”

“This isn’t right… a cook shouldn’t be shown up in her own kitchen,” Lix sobbed, crying in the corner… while also eating a slice of the coconut cheesecake. “Damn it, it’s so good.”

A few moments later Twilight returned with both humans in tow. “Hey everybody!” Twilight called out, getting the group’s attention. “I brought Wyatt and Tsukiya like I promised.”

Katsuo and Birth perked up at that, the former moving over to both of them. He looked between the two for a moment. “So… which one of you is Decade?” he asked.

“That’d be the kid here,” Tsukiya spoke up, jabbing a thumb at the other human.

“I see… Well, I haven’t heard anything about multiple dimensions messing up, so I guess you’re already an improvement over the original Decade,” Katsuo joked, offering his hand for a shake. “Katsuo Pollux, Kamen Rider OOO of another Equestria.”

“Wyatt Matthews,” Wyatt replied, taking the offered handshake. He grinned, letting his card case appear in his hand. “I’ve also got a trick that the original Decade didn’t. I get cards for all the Displaced I meet.”

“Pretty neat, happy to help!” Katsuo smiled back. He then turned to face Tsukiya, his expression serious before going stiff and bowing deeply. “Domo, Agito-san. Thank you for meeting me, senpai.”

Tsukiya sighed, pinching his nose. “You know I grew up in Hawaii right? Knock off the weeaboo stuff, ya? It’s embarrassing.”

“S-Sorry. Just, not often I meet someone of higher standing,” Katsuo apologized, still giving a short bow of respect.

“Hey, why don’t I get the formal greeting? I’m basically your senpai too,” Wyatt complained. “It was actually kinda appropriate, considering Tsukiya is half-Japanese.”

“Because, from what Spike told me, you don’t have 1000 years of experience under your belt… er, Driver.” he smirked back. “You’re more on my level.”

“Hey, most of that millenia was spent doing the lone wanderer schtick,” Wyatt explained, frowning slightly. “I’ve been fighting monsters non-stop for over a year.”

“Ditto. But enough about that, help yourself to some treats before they’re gone. Watch out for the cupcakes though, those have sapphires in them,” Katsuo said before heading back to the table. “Oh, and the drinks are alcoholic, so watch it.”

"Oh yeah! Now that we're all settled in, we can check out all the new medals I got." Grabbing a cupcake, Spike sat his case on the table and spread out his acquisitions. There were the trio of grey medals, the orange turtle and the three black coins.

“The whole SaGoZou set, and the Kame medal. Nice! But the black ones were from one of the movies and were never used by OOO. No idea what they do.” Katsuo noted. “By the way, have you used all the Combos yet? Do you know what they all do?”

"Uh no, I haven't," Spike admitted. "I haven't found certain ones yet."

“No prob, I can give you a heads up! What ones have you used already?”

Spike slid his case over to Katsuo, letting him examine his collection. "Though, Wyatt's filled me in on what they all do."

“Ah, ok then. Well, maybe you can tell me about some of the ones you have? I don’t recognize some of these, even from sources other than the movies.”

"Sure, I can do that." Spike picked out his medals and gave a brief rundown of their abilities. The stinger and shield of Hachi, the hallucinogenic venom of Mukade, the wall climbing of Ari, the drill of hermit crab, the claws of panda, the boxing gloves of kangaroo, the plant control of Shika and an in-depth explanation of unisapo.

“I have a few of my own,” Star spoke, placing a few more medals onto the table. The medals that once made up Poseidon gleamed up at them, accompanied by what looked like medals of a gazelle, cow, polar bear, walrus and penguin. “I kept most of the one of a kind medals to myself, it seems.”

“Wow… wish I had some of these,” Katsuo said, slightly jealous.

"I might be able to help with that," Twi chimed in, bits of sapphire shining around her muzzle like glitter. Placing a ring on her finger, she looked over the medals. "I recently made a new ring, but I haven't had a chance to test it out." Picking up one set of medals, she tapped the ring to her belt.

"Copy!" a voice called out, a magic circle appearing besides Twi. Putting her hand through it, a copy of the medals clattered onto the table.

“Now that, is something!” Star picked up a copy of the panda medal. “A perfect copy, down to the last detail. I don’t think even I could do something like that.”

“Oh… My… GOODNESS! Even with the belt and the rings I can tell it’s powered by magic, not some other form of energy! But how? Where did you get it? Do you have any formulae or specs or-!” Twily ranted, practically muzzle to muzzle with her counterpart.

“DOWN, GIRL!” Birth shouted as he tugged her back. She realized what she had just done and blushed sheepishly.

"Huh, so that's what it's like to be on the receiving end of that. Weird," Twi commented, scratching her cheek and chuckling. "But yes, I do have formulae. It was all written down in Clover the Clever's journal. If you can get it to work, then you should be able to do a lot more than make copies." She pulled out a red ring for everyone to see.

“Yes please,” Twily said, smiling like a filly about to get a Hearth’s Warming gift.

Teleporting out of the room, Twi returned a minute later to make a copy of an old journal. She then went about copying the rest of the medals. She wiped her brow and handed everything out. "There we go, that should do it."

Twily just poured over the journal, devouring the notes with her eyes.

“And she’s gone,” DT rolled her eyes.

“... Uh, hey Twi. Can you do one more? I’d like to give you something in return,” Birth said, holding out his belt.

"I might be able to do one more." Taking the belt, Twi successfully made a copy of it before slumping over in her chair. "Ugh, that took more mana than I thought it would."

“Sorry. Would’ve done it myself if I could.”

Twi waved him off, swiping up a cupcake. "It's fine, just need calories to replenish."

“Ok, so where we off to next? We making a stop before the Human Continent you were talking about?” Katsuo asked.

"No, we're heading right there," Tsukiya stated. "Even by airship it'll take a couple weeks."

Twily managed to lift her face from the journal. “Weeks?”

“What’s wrong?” DT asked.

“Well, I know the time between dimensions is inconsistent, but… I don’t think we can afford to spend weeks here. For all we know, years could pass back home. And even with the Rider Patrol, they need us.”

“B-But… But-” Katsuo started, looking heartbroken.

“She’s got a point, Katsuo,” DT said somberly.

"Maybe the next time we go, we can summon you?" Wyatt offered with a sympathetic smile.

Katsuo sighed, but nodded. “You’re right. Riders have a responsibility,” he then turned and smiled to Wyatt. “Either way, Spike told me about your Dai-Shocker problem. Don’t forget you’ve got other allies to call on.” He then extended his head. “Besides, all the Riders need to show up for the annual special, right?” he chuckled.

"Heh, that they do," Wyatt agreed. "Though, we're lacking a DiEnd to turn me into a kaiju."

“We’ll figure something out,” he then turned to Lix and smiled. “And next time, I’ll bring some recipes for us to work on together.”

"Damn ye, boy! Let an old bird have her pride!" Lix sobbed, sulking in the corner.

“Sorry,” he then turned to Spike. “So, I’m assuming you know how to end one of these thing?”

"Yup," Spike assured with a thumbs up. "Katsuo, our contract is complete."

A portal opened behind Katsuo, and all the arrivals headed to it. With one last smile Katsuo turned to Spike and said “Have fun catching up with your dad.” And in a flash they were all gone.

Author's Note

This chap is a crossover with Shinigamisparda's and his story Coming Up OOO. Also, there are only about 5 chapters left of this story. After that, we're making a volume 2.

Unexpected Meetings

The days had passed far too slowly for the liking of those aboard The Invincible. Rainbow Dash was feeling the most cooped up, taking any instance as an excuse to stretch her wings. Spike and his father had opted to stay in Equestria, leaving just a bit more room on the ship.

Wyatt had used the time to practice his swordsmanship with Ninjor's sword. He made sure to do it on the main deck, the last thing he needed was to accidentally cut up something important. Every so often, either Celaeno or Tsukiya would join him, offering a few tips here and there.

He would never tell Tsukiya, but he was glad for the tips. The last thing he needed was for the old timer's head to swell up more. Between the two of them, he felt far more comfortable with the blade.

Swinging the blade in front of him, it gleamed in the early morning sun. Spread out in every direction before them, the sea churned slowly as it had for the last few weeks.

"Good form, boy!" Celaeno praised, leaning in some nearby shade. "Don't forget to avoid locking your elbows! Doing that makes ya easy to disarm!"

Celaeno’s coaching was far less brutal than Flash Fire’s. It mostly consisted of her standing off to the side and offering encouragements. He wouldn’t complain though, it definitely gave him far less welts to the top of his head. Though it did sometimes feel like the good admiral was sizing him up while she watched him. Whenever she did deign for a hands-on lesson, she easily disarmed him in most of their engagements. Celeano clearly had the skills to back up her attitude.

Wiping his brow, Wyatt stopped to catch his breath. “Thanks. Wanna come and kick my ass some more to see if the lessons have stuck?”

Celaeno clicked her beak, waving hm off. “I'm fine here. I'm an admiral now. I deserve to relax every now and then.”

Wyatt chuckled, sheathing Ninjor’s sword, a chuckle escaping his lips. “Wait, you do things beside relax?”

Huffing in indignance, the green crest feathers on Celaeno's head began to rise. “Keep that up and I'll have you swabbing the deck.”

“Admiral! Land ho!”

The cry came from on high, the Invincible's crow’s nest. The crew took the news with a familiar acknowledgement, the ponies rushing to the bow. Even the group’s pegasi had grown restless from the endless seas of water and clouds. They all relished in the sight of the rolling hills of green in the distance. It would still be some time before they’d be able to land, but seeing it was more than enough for the moment.

They didn't have long to relish the sight as the sudden sound of roaring engines caught them off guard. Wyatt caught sight of something off the sides of their ship that he instantly recognized as fighter jets.

“All hands to their posts!” Celaeno barked, making to the ship's wheel. “Arm the cannons! I want this bird showing her talons!”

Working with practiced ease, the crew of the Invincible worked to bring its might to bear. Gun ports opened wide, and shining cannons rolled into place. Each was loaded with the finest ammunition Equestria had ever manufactured.

It occurred to Wyatt that among the world he had come to know, the Invincible was a master of the sky. Against any vessel of her kind, she would no doubt send them hurtling towards the ground. Here, in a place so close to the one he left, she was outmatched and outclassed in every conceivable way.

"Unidentified aircraft!" A voice blared over speakers from below them. "You have entered Lintus airspace! Drop altitude and land aboard the S.S. Kuuga or else we will be forced to open fire!"

“Now that, is something.” Tsukiya leaned over the railing, peering down into the clouds. “Lucky bastards, guess they never had a dark age to slow em down.” Pushing away, he called to Celaeno. “We’re best off doing what they say. Take us down but don't bother landing on their ship, no way in hell they have a carrier designed to hold an airship.”

"Sounds good to me." Celeano motioned to her crew.

The engines hummed with life, the output of its magic shifting. With a slight dip, the Invincible began to descend. Despite the relatively smooth drop, Wyatt still found his stomach falling. Tense minutes passed before they finally dropped out of the clouds.

They could finally see the carrier properly. It was easily three-hundred meters long and atop its tower flew a red and black flag.

“Take us abreast and stay in the air,” Tsukiya instructed, watching the carrier with a keen eye. Vague shapes scurried over its deck, at least one helicopter beginning to turn its blades. “Don't panic when that comes close. They most likely tried to get on us a radio and with that out the window, we're getting visitors.”

"I'd clap you upside the head for barking orders," Celaeno started, watching the copter closely. "But you're being helpful so keep it up."

“Wyatt, what is that?!” Twilight gripped his arm, speaking in a harsh whisper.

"Do you mean the aircraft carrier, the jets or the helicopter?" he asked in return.

“All of them!” Came her hurried response.

"Oh, well then…" Wyatt quickly told her what he could about each of the vehicles. Granted, he didn't know much but it was better than nothing.

The helicopter's approach brought a mix of reactions from those present on deck. The crew waited with hands on their swords. Those more confrontational amongst the ponies shared a similar state of mind, leaving the rest to panic or hide. The two humans merely waited.

"Guys, let's keep cool heads here," Wyatt stated, trying to get between Applejack, Rainbow Dash and the helicopter. “We are violating their airspace. Equestria would do the same thing if it could.”

Applejack relaxed her shoulders, nodding at Wyatt. "Ya got a point, Sugarcube. But Ah don't like these confounded things they got."

“Any pegasus could fly circles around that tin can,” Dash boasted, her wings flared out.

"True, but those," Wyatt started, pointing to the jets as they returned to the carrier, "can probably break the sound barrier, so you're the only one alive who could keep up with them."

Any further conversation was drowned out as the helicopter came to a hover besides the Invincible. The pilot, visible through the windows moved about the controls, keeping the blades from getting too close to the ship's riggings. A moment passed before a door on the side opened and a small group of humans made the leap between vehicles.

Celaeno motioned for her first mate to take the wheel and stepped out to greet the new arrivals. "Welcome aboard The Invincible. I'm Celaeno, Admiral of the Equestrian air fleet and Captain of this fine ship.”

"We're from the Lintus Navy," one of the humans said, stepping forward. "We tried hailing you on our radios but it seems you're not on any frequencies. So, state your business for entering our airspace."

“Sir, I thought Equestria was a myth,” a young woman commented in a hushed tone.

“We don't have radios,” Tsukiya responded, closing the distance to meet the man. “We’re here for diplomatic and personal reasons.” It wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth. Something he had long grown used to speaking. “I don't know who you have to call to let us in but it’s important.”

The leader quirked a brow, looking between Tsukiya and Wyatt. “Sir, what are you doing with these Equestrians?”

“Travelling,” Tsukiya replied curtly. Reaching out, he grasped Pinkie's arm and pulled her over. “This is Pinkamena Diane Pie, descended from Kuuga's vassal Holder Cobblestone. She's on a pilgrimage to his tomb.”

Pinkie smiled and nodded, instantly playing along. “Yuppers, it was always something my family meant to do, but we lacked the means to do it. Now with the new airship, we can start a new tradition to visit the tomb, adorn it with flowers and to maintain it.” Reaching into her blouse, she held up the symbol of Kuuga hanging around her neck.

The group of human’s all gaped, their eyes locking onto the symbol. “She has the mark of Lord Kuuga,” one of the human males muttered.

“They could have faked it,” the lone woman hissed in a sharp whisper.

“Faked it? That’s the mark to the last detail,” the man from before shot back.

Wyatt cleared his throat. “So uh.. what happens now? We'd like to get to the tomb as quickly as possible. Lots of stuff going on back home, don't want to be away for too long.”

“Fast is gonna have to be subjective, son,” the leader said, motioning with his hand to get his subordinates in line. “Red tape and all that. We’ll get on the horn with HQ and see if we can get you cleared to land. Who here is the diplomat that will lead up the talks?”

Bearing what confidence she could muster, Twilight held her hand out. “That would be me. Hi. I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's personal student. Here to do...talks.”

The one young man snickered among the trio of humans. “They still have a monarchy, cute.” This earned him an elbow to the ribs from the woman and a cross look from his commanding officer.

“Commander Riki Janus,” the lead male introduced, shaking her hand. “A pleasure.”

Tsukiya stepped back to the railing, his eyes latching onto the carrier. It didn’t matter that two races were reconnecting. It didn’t matter that the entire journey hinged on Twilight making things up as she went along. All that mattered was his brother. He would do anything to make sure he saw another day.

King sat in his office, looking over his plans for the day. Flipping it open, he found the usual tedium of an orphanage opening ceremony, an appearance to present a check to a local hospital and repairing damages from the kaiju attack the week prior. He clicked his tongue and closed his schedule, disgusted by it all. He’d sooner drain the life from all the humans of Linto than help them. However, Dai-Shocker had its plans and his part in them was to play the philanthropist.

If it weren't for the fact that the other generals were about as charismatic as chunks of sulphur, he'd gladly let them handle his station. “I have no idea why the Great Leader keeps those idiots around,” he muttered to himself.

But here he was, playing a role he hated. As a native to this world, it made the most sense for him to be here, overseeing the human herd. He was the king, it was his duty to secure his people's food source. Even if it meant putting on airs.

So he'd keep the humans healthy with advanced medicine and docile with the latest tech to entertain them. They did taste best when they had no idea they were merely cattle.

The ringing of his phone snapped King out of his train of thoughts. "What is it, Ragah? Is this about the upcoming merger with Wireframe Communications?”

“No sir, General Magdah is here to see you.”

“Send him in right away,” King replied, hanging up the phone and standing up. Smoothing his suit out, he was greeted by the sight of the General stepping into the room. “General, what brings you to my office today?” Walking around his desk, he moved to shake the older man’s hand.

General Magdah regarded him simply, ignoring the offered hand. “Is the next event proceeding as scheduled?” Magdah appeared to be in his fifties with what little of his gray hair that was left cut incredibly short. He was dressed in full uniform, the black cloth displaying every one of his achievements.

“Everything’s going without a hitch,” King answered, dropping his hand. “All the pieces are in place.”

Pushing past King, Magdah took a spot in front of the window. Staring down at the city, he watched the hustle and bustle going about their day. “A report came in from the coast. An airship was intercepted several hours ago.”

“From Equestria I take it?” King asked, growing annoyed by the general’s actions. A smile worked its way onto his face and he signaled for his Sagarc. “The Decade brat and those ponies must be here for some inane reason.”

He had never liked Rook, while strong, the man never used it intelligently. Even so, he had been one of the checkmate four and that meant he deserved respect. Confronting the upstart would be vengeance enough. He wouldn’t be able to kill the Decade brat, the Great Leader had made that very clear to all his generals, but half-dead wasn’t dead, now was it?

“We have to move up the timetable.” Magdah turned, reaching up to pull his sunglasses off. “Start the next attack.”

King smiled, chuckling. “Tell your men to release the Equestrians from holding first. I just had a wonderful idea.”

“Explain.”

“Decade is among those ponies, I’m sure of it. Tell me general, what does the average person in Linto believe about Decade?” King questioned, waving his hand airily.

“They view him like a demon,” Magdah answered slowly, unsure what the other man was getting at. “You should know, you helped provide the means to spread that message.”

“It’s simple, even if he tries to interfere with our plans, the populace is already against him,” King explained, gesturing to the other man. “You my friend counter any advantage they may have if they brought the actual Agito with them. And if we wait to start the attack when they’re free to roam, what do you think the response of our little hero would be?”

Magdah chuckled, nodding at the other man. "I see what you're saying. They'll be free to go in a few moments. Be ready to start the attack."

“Of course, of course.” King nodded, motioning for Magdah to leave. Fortune was turning in his favor, all their enemies were serving themselves up on a platter. It would be foolish of him not to take advantage of this turn of fortune.

Wyatt tapped his heel repeatedly while he sat in a common area of the military base that Riki and his subordinates had taken them to. Because they were unsure of the threat the group posed, all their weapons were confiscated. So now Ninjor's sword was locked up and out of his reach.

"This better not take long," he muttered, his gaze locked on the door Riki had left through.

“We just have to sit and wait,” Tsukiya said, lounging on a couch. “So, just do that.”

"I am waiting," Wyatt retorted, his eyes drifting over to the other man. "But I don't have to be happy about it."

“I’d rather you quit complaining.”

"Can you two both behave?" Daring questioned, looking between the two. "You sound like an old married couple."

Tsukiya lifted his head, giving her a light smirk. “I had no idea you were into slash fiction. Unfortunately for you, I don’t swing that way.”

"Same," Wyatt said, managing his own smirk. "And even if I did, I'm out of the old man's league."

Twilight frowned, looking between the two humans. “This conversation got very weird, very quickly. Can we talk about something else please?”

Wyatt chuckled, putting an arm around Twilight's shoulders. "Sorry Twi, didn't mean to weird you out.”

A few hours ago, Twilight had been brimming with questions. There wasn’t a thing she didn’t want to know about. Now that her curiosity had settled, she found it rather unnerving to be here. Perhaps it was being a pony among humans, something she realized that Wyatt must've dealt with. Maybe he was still dealing with it? If that was the case, she had to give him credit for hiding it so well.

And yet, she also had to kick herself for not thinking of it sooner. What kind of marefriend was she if she was oblivious to something so obvious?

“These other humans don’t have much of a fashion sense,” Rarity spoke, sensing the awkwardness in the air. “Just look at those uniforms, so drab!”

"Uh Rarity, military fatigues aren't meant to be a fashion statement," Rainbow stated, regarding her friend like the mare had grown a second head. "It's not like they're going to invade a beauty pageant."

“Just because they need to be functional doesn’t mean they have to be a fashion nightmare,” Rarity huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

The door opened, revealing a confused looking Riki. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“No, we were just passing the time,” Wyatt assured, perking up. “So, is this where you tell us we can leave the base and give us our stuff back?”

Riki shut the door, offering them a smile. “You've all been cleared to head to the capital. Your airship and her crew will remain here and you'll be given a military escort.”

“And our stuff?” Wyatt repeated, looking at the older man with a serious expression. “Are we getting them back or not?”

“Yes, you’ll be getting it all back,” Riki answered, his eyes boring into Wyatt’s. “But that sword stays in its sheath.”

Wyatt bit back a scathing remark. A thousand comebacks danced along his tongue but he held them back. “That's reasonable,” he said, conceding the point. “I'd just like it back.”

"Then follow me and we can get it on our way out," Riki assured, completely oblivious to the other man's struggle. Turning on his heel, he led the group out the door he had come through. “I was told to inform all of you to be on your best behavior and stay with your escorts. With the recent creature attacks, some of the more paranoid might start blaming you.”

"Creature attacks?" Applejack repeated, tilting her hat back. "What kinda creature attacks?"

“The city leveling kind.”

Everyone that had come from Equestria shared a knowing look and went deathly quiet. Wyatt opted to be the one to break the silence. "How long have these attacks been going on? Do they happen often?" A pang of guilt shot through him as another question suddenly occurred to him. “Has it been longer than a year?”

“Hasn’t been more than a month,” Riki responded, eyeing them suspiciously. “Why so curious about our problems?”

"Because Equestria has been having similar problems," Twilight chimed in, shooting Wyatt a nervous look. "For a while now, creatures unlike anything we've seen before have been attacking citizens. We've taken to calling them Unknown Lifeforms."

Riki's brow knit in thought, looking away from the others. "Your country is experiencing this as well? How could that be?"

“A dark force seeks to conquer all,” Tsukiya elaborated, putting his hands in his pockets.

This didn't improve Riki's mood, but it did stop his train of thought before it could go too far. "My superiors will have to hear about this. Come on, not too much farther until the exit."

The entire mood of the group had changed. Nervous energy had morphed into grim resolution. The idea that Dai-Shocker hadn’t just been bothering with Equestria began to sink in.

Wyatt thought it over, what could Dai-Shocker possibly want with the humans? Their tech was less advanced than Dai-Shocker’s and they didn’t have Daguva’s belt like Equestria did. So what was their angle? He knew they wanted to take over the entire planet, but with the tech difference and the monsters at their disposal, what kept them from conquering Linto freely?

As Riki led them out of the base and onto a bus, Wyatt decided he’d have to discuss it with the others once they were alone. The bus itself resembled a Volkswagen van, only stretched out more.

“Your things are in the back,” Riki commented as he sat behind the driver. “And remember, don’t draw the sword.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Wyatt assured, getting a seat next to Twilight. “I make it a point not to start fights. And I definitely don’t kill people. The sword is a… keepsake of someone. I’ve promised to take good care of it.”

“Makes a guy suspicious when you say things like that,” Riki commented, signalling for the driver to pull off.

“Well, I wanted to find the right word,” Wyatt said, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head. “If I had said responsibility there, I would’ve sounded like a tool.”

“I think he meant the ‘I don’t kill people line’, kid,’ Daring said, sitting by a window.

“Huh, how is that suspicious?” Wyatt asked, looking at Daring oddly. “What else would someone worry about when someone has a sword? Would they be worried that I’d go around and cut vegetables overdramatically?”

Riki pinched his brow, shaking his head. There was no way he'd go through what was essentially babysitting duty without a headache. It was almost enough to make him start questioning orders. Almost.

The drive from the base to the city of Cel’Tras took the better part of the afternoon. Picturesque scenery passed them by; light hills and a few forests. These sights soon gave away to cliff faces overlooking the ocean.

They all had to admit that the country was beautiful. Wyatt turned to Twilight and smiled. "If things go well, we might want to plan a vacation to here."

“Sadly, I don’t think we’ll be able to have a vacation for a very long time.” Reaching her hand out, Twilight took Wyatt’s. “We have too much responsibility.”

Wyatt smiled softly and gave her hand a squeeze. "We'll have free time some day, I know it."

Riki turned his head. “You think this is nice? Wait til you see the city.’

“I was born and raised in my nation’s capital,” Twilight started, glancing towards the commander. “So it’ll take a lot to impress me with a city.”

“We’re about to see if you’ll eat those words.”

The van turned a corner, a sprawling harbor came into view. Nestled at the base of a canyon, the harbor was split in two, like the awaiting jaws of a shark. The canyon itself, extending into land a few hundred feet like winding body of a snake before opening up into a massive circular formation. Floating along the surface of the lake, the city of Cel’Tras gleamed in the midday sun. Anchored into the sides of the cliffs were older stone structures, lining the city like a crown. These structures were connected to the bulk of the city by thin lines that Wyatt assumed were gondola cables.

Twilight’s eyes drank in the ingenuity on display eagerly. Her mind raced with possible ways that they had achieved such a feat. Everything from pillars or even structures that could possibly allow such a city to float.

“That’s...certainly an impressive start.”

“Cel’Tras is the shining jewel of Linto,” Riki said, pride swelling in his voice. “It leads the country in new technology while taking great pains to maintain her historic buildings to look just as good as the day they were built.”

Just as they pulled into the city proper, an explosion wracked a building in the distance. The van screeched to a halt, narrowly avoiding an oncoming car as it fled from the scene. A monstrous spider skittered up the building’s side, eight spear-like legs stabbing into the structure. Though its back was to them, they could make out horns not unlike a bull’s on the spider as well.

Wyatt’s heart sank, he needed to act quick. He couldn’t transform, not with Riki and their driver watching. With some hasty thinking, he scrambled for the door with a scream tearing from his throat. “Gah! Monster!” Tearing open the door, he tried to find a place where he could become Decade.

"Mathews! Get your ass back here!" Riki shouted over the piercing screech of the creature. Swearing under his breath, he ordered the driver to drive somewhere safe. Gritting his teeth, he looked back to where Wyatt had run off to. "Pull over, I need to get the damn kid." The van screeched to a halt at the side of the street, Riki rushing to open the door. "Keep driving, I'll rendezvous with you at one of the evac sites." Weaving through the maelstrom of panicked citizens, he made his way to Wyatt's last position.

He grit his teeth like a vice, hard enough that he swore one of them cracked. If Wyatt died on his watch, not only would his career be over, there was a good chance he'd cause an international incident. There was no sign of the damned fool, even when he checked the flow of the crowd.

'Where is he? With how thick the crowd is, there's no way he's gotten far. How hard could it be to find a brat with a sword?' Riki continued to look through the crowd, pushing through the throng of bodies. 'Why would he run away from safety in the first place?' Nothing was adding up, no matter what angle he tried to tackle it from. Suddenly, his train of thought came to a screeching halt by a sudden pink blur flying towards the monster.

Even as he entered the fray of battle, Wyatt understood the serenity Spike had always talked about. Each beat of UniSaPo's wings brought a new sense of peace. Not even roundhouse kicking the spider’s head broke the form’s hold over him.

The head being that of a giant ox with eyes like burning hot coals. He didn’t take long to dwell on the nature of the monster, instead thinking about how to go about fighting it. He’d need to coax it to the ground, otherwise it would cause massive property damage and potentially kill people if it fell.

"Come on, you ugly bastard," Wyatt calmly taunted. "I'm a pretty tasty lookin' fly, aren't I?" He zipped around the monster, jabbing at it with his fists and moving towards the bottom of the building.

The spider monster roared out in annoyance and swung a leg down at Wyatt’s head. Its spindly leg sliced through the air Wyatt had occupied and stabbed into the street below. Charging the horn on his helmet, Wyatt fired a beam of ice at the limb before the monstrosity could pry it free from the hole it had made in the pavement.

“Escape that, asshole,” Wyatt growled, drawing his leg back. With a beat of his wings, he swung his leg into the frozen appendage, fracturing it.

The monster’s balance faltered for a moment while it screamed out in pain. Spinning around, it fired a string of web from its spinneret. Spiraling through the air like a guided string, the sticky rope grabbed onto Wyatt’s leg.

Charging his horn again, Wyatt froze the web and let it snap off with a slight movement. “Nice try, but you’re not gonna ground me like that.” Flapping his wings, he edged towards the street. “Now come on, get off the building and fight me.”

A desperate roar left the beast’s mouth and it leapt from the building with its jaws open wide. Hot breath like a summer heat wave rolled over Wyatt, the massive maw clamping down on one of his wings. He thanked his lucky stars that his wings didn’t feel pain and reared his fist back for a powerful punch in the beast’s skull.

“Shoulda aimed for the head,” Wyatt noted, creating a blinding light with his horn.

Wrenching himself free as the beast thrashed its monstrous skull, Wyatt rose into the sky. “I’m about done playing rodeo, so how’s about we wrap up?” Drawing Medajalibur, Wyatt slotted a card into his belt.

Before Wyatt could press in the handles of his belt, a foot collided with the beast's neck. A sickening crunch filled the air and the beast collapsed to the ground in a heap. Looking down, his blood ran cold at what he saw. The sneering visage of Another Agito was cooly observing the corpse of the spider.

Regarding the new rider hesitantly, Wyatt lowered himself to the ground. He allowed UniSaPo to fade, leaving him in his default state. Minutes passed in his mind, each an attempt to form out a sentence. Finally, he spoke. “Good timing, you got it faster than I did.”

Another Agito didn't speak, opting instead to backhand Wyatt in the helmet.

Reeling from the strike, Wyatt dug his heels into the ground. Falling into Fire’s training, he brought his fists up. “That how you thank people for trying to help? Not a great custom if you ask me.”

Bouncing on his heels, Wyatt zigzagged toward the other Rider and launched a straight punch at his chin. Another Agito merely batted his hand away as one would a bothersome fly, then drilled his fist into Wyatt’s stomach.

Jumping back, Wyatt nearly felt his breath escape his lungs. Drawing his blaster, he opened fire on the corrupted Agito. Most shots went wide, and those that hit glanced off Another Agito’s chitin like armor.

Wyatt grunted, thinking over his options. Pulling out two cards, he slotted one in. He quickly entered Den-O form, only just letting the transformation finish before putting in the second card.

"Form Ride: Ax Form!" Wyatt's armor shifted, the base color of the chest becoming black. The shoulders, helmet and kneepads were golden while the boots and gauntlets were silver. The visor on the helmet was shaped like a rhombus laid on its side and the top of the helmet had a horn like an axe head.

Wyatt opted not to say the catchphrase of this particular form, not wanting to eat his words as he swung his weapon at Another Agito. When the other Rider brought up his arm to block, Wyatt used his free hand to deliver an open palmed strike to Another Agito’s stomach.

Shifting his body, Another Agito snatched Wyatt's wrist. Hand like a vice, he brought Wyatt's head down to his knee, shattering the eyes of his helmet like glass. Heaving Wyatt's dazed form to the ground, he planted a solid boot on his back.

"Citizens of Linto, look up with your own eyes the Trickster! Taking the forms of others to gain your favor. What has his 'help' brought you?"

Wyatt grunted, the pieces finally falling into place. ‘That’s why Dai-Shocker hasn’t gone all out on them, they’re already in charge. There’s no way a normal Rider would know about me if he wasn’t in league with them.’

The slicing of helicopter blades took over, several of the machines appearing above them. If the camera men leaning out the sides were any indication, the two of them were in every home in the country.

Digging his heel into Wyatt's armor, Another Agito swept his arm out. He had no trouble making his voice heard over the cacophony of noise. "The Trickster has come from across the sea, allied with those whom deserted great Kuuga in his time of need!"

“Bet calling Kuuga great just made you wanna vomit, eh Dai-Shocker boy?” Wyatt said, smirking beneath his helmet while he slowly gathered his strength to throw Another Agito off of him.

Another Agito cocked his arm back, striking the back of Wyatt's head like a sledgehammer. Wyatt's helmet shattered, the rest of his armor fading out. An armored hand yanked the back of his shirt, lifting him into the air.

"Look upon the face of the Trickster! Memorize it, so that he may never deceive you again!"

Wyatt was dazed, one of his eyes closed due to blood dripping down from his forehead. His thoughts were swimming, no real one coming into focus. Despite that, his survival instinct fueled his next desperate move. With a silent prayer that his gambit would work, Wyatt drew his sword and attempted to stab it through the hand hoisting him in the air.

Another Agito flicked his arm up, releasing his hold on Wyatt, sending the injured man crashing to the broken street. "See the Trickster’s weakness. See how he grovels at the feet of Kuuga's blood brother."

Wyatt grit his teeth, anger rising up through him. ‘Why? Why is it that Dai-Shocker beats me at every turn?’

Standing on shaky feet, Wyatt drew his Decade card. “Kuuga’s brother? Don’t make me laugh. You’re just some imposter working for Dai-Shocker.”

A hand gripped his shoulder, a cold touch that made him shiver. "Not here kid," Daring whispered harshly. Her other hand locked onto his bicep and pulled backwards.

An empty feeling fell over Wyatt as Daring phased him through broken walls and toppled cars. The errant knowledge of being intangible prickled at his thoughts, but his focus stayed on Another Agito's voice and his words of Wyatt's cowardice. This only made Wyatt’s anger grow, but a part of him had to begrudgingly admit that Daring had made the right call.

Daring didn't release him from her ghostly embrace until they were at least a half dozen streets away. "Guy did a number on you," she stated plainly. Ripping a strip of cloth from her sleeve, she dabbed at Wyatt's face. "We'll be lucky if he didn't give you a concussion."

“I should’ve realized he was gonna suckerpunch me like that, Another Agito was a villain in the series too,” Wyatt grumbled, his body screaming in pain as the adrenaline slowly left his bloodstream.

"And now your face is plastered across the airwaves." Pressing the strip against his head, she grunted. "Hold this. Keep it pressed against the wound."

Wyatt did as he was asked, his anger morphing into guilt. “I messed up, I should’ve gotten out of there the instant he cracked my helmet. Now you guys are guilty by association.”

"They would have just concocted something else to make us fugitives," Daring countered. "So stow it. Self-pity isn't the best emotion to dwell on."

Wyatt grunted, keeping his hand against his wound. “Where are the others?”

"Still on the bus, I'm really the only one that can move about undetected."

“We should follow the bus, they’re probably gonna get the third degree as soon as the word gets to the driver about me.”

"Not as bad as what I'm going to give you." Brandishing a weapon similar to a pistol, Riki appeared around a corner. "Both of you, hands where I can see them."

Wyatt cursed at his bad luck, turning to face the man brandishing a weapon with his free hand in the air. “Hi Riki.”

Daring tensed, her wings ruffling. "You know, pointing a weapon at me isn't the brightest idea. Especially since the Pegasus in question is the niece of your national hero."

“What the hell are you babbling about?” Riki questioned, keeping his gun trained on them. “Kuuga and Agito had no children.”

"I'm adopted, genius."

“And Agito has never adopted a pony,” Riki countered, narrowing his eyes at Daring.

A prick of metal touched the back of Riki's neck. "And what would you know about what 'Agito' would do? See, I know a lot about him and I can tell you, he hasn't been on this continent for a very long time."

“Tsukiya, where are the others?” Wyatt asked, breathing a sigh of relief as Riki was forced to lower his weapon.

"Out of the city," Tsukiya responded, keeping his saber at Riki's neck. It was obvious to all present that he wasn't happy. A death grip kept his weapon steady as hard eyes glared at Riki's form. "When did he show up?"

“A long time ago, before I was born,” Riki answered, glancing over his shoulder at the man threatening him.

"Then you believed a liar."

“And I should believe someone threatening me with a weapon?” Riki asked flatly.

Lowering his sword, Tsukiya spun Riki around. "When that person is the one being impersonated? Yes you should." Leaning into Riki's face, he made a show of bearing his teeth. "Not if you want to piss him off more."

“You’re Agito? I don’t buy it,” Riki said, not flinching from Tsukiya’s sharp gaze.

Tsukiya stared at him, his anger melding with confusion. "You all but worship Ke’alohi, and you can't recognize his twin?"

“All we have of Lord Kuuga are artistic drawings,” Riki answered. “Only a very small number of people who maintain the tomb would know his face. And for religious purposes, they swear not to divulge that info.”

A long moment passed before Tsukiya spoke. "At this point, it doesn't really matter. You know where the tomb is, you’re taking us there." He brokered no protest from Riki, his gaze killing off any complaints.

“Fine, I’ll take you there,” Riki grumbled, slowly holstering his weapon. “Not like you’ll get far.” Before Tsukiya could prod him into action, he started walking out of the alley.

Tsukiya grunted, dismissing his sword. He let his emotions simmer, acting on them now wouldn't do them any good. With a wave of his hand, he began to follow Riki, eyes anchored to his back. Riki would take him to Ke’alohi, or he'd need a tomb himself.

The trees and other plant life were annoyingly thick for someone trying to just get through the jungle and make their way out. The insects were of various sizes, from normal to ‘how the hell does that thing even move,’ and Blud was frankly quite sick of everything around him at this point. He’d landed in the middle of a whole lot of nature, and nothing else had even been seen in the last few days except the occasional glimpse of the sun through spaces in the leafy canopy. If it weren’t for his mission, he’d have left this forsaken place ages ago. For that matter, his pride was on the line. He couldn’t let a target escape him before he’d even laid eyes on it!

One more swipe of his Lupin Gunner caused a shift in the light as undergrowth and vines fell to the ground, and he could finally see something other than plants through the thick leaves still in front of him. Something bright and yellow...maybe he’d stumbled across civilization out here?

"About Faust damned time," Lupin muttered to himself. Ignoring the ache in his arm, he hacked through the remaining foliage, desperate to find his prize. The hacking and cutting of the various foliage around him, however, revealed that the yellow glow was the sunlight being reflected off of some kind of huge crystal formation out in the middle of a vast desert, one that ran right up next to the jungle with only a cliff face and some open space between them. Clicking his tongue, he pressed the button on the front of his gunner, starting his transformation. Once the armor was formed, he hopped down the cliff face until he was standing on sand.

Despite the fact that the desert ran right up against the cliffs of the jungle, other than a few thin blades of sickly-looking grass there weren’t really any plants clinging to life at the bottom of the cliff. The sand was strangely fine as well, and glittered as it rolled down the side of the dune and away from his landing point.

Curious, he reached down and scooped up a bit of the sand to examine it. “Hmm, what mineral is this sand made of to shine like this?” He wondered aloud, letting the grains fall back down. Somehow, some of the fine grains were sticking to the armor on his hand; almost making it look like he’d picked up a bunch of glitter. A brow quirked beneath his helmet and he shook his hand in an attempt to get the rest of the sand off.

The majority of the glittery sand eventually gave up after a few seconds of shaking, leaving only a few specks of the substance here and there still clinging to his armor. There wasn’t much time given for him to ponder this phenomenon, though, as the ground beneath him began to shake, and the sand dune he was standing on began to shift beneath him. He leapt back, landing on a nearby rock while he kept his weapon at the ready.

After only a few seconds of the sand dune shifting, a huge monster pulled itself free of the fine sand. The head looked vaguely shark-like, as did the body in some ways, but the beast had four powerful-looking limbs where a shark wouldn’t have anything other than fins and flippers. This creature lacked a dorsal fin, but the tail was tipped with an obvious shark fin. Whatever the beast was, it was covered in the glittering sand, and it bellowed out a roar at him as it looked up.

Blud switched his gunner back to its normal mode and fired a few test shots at the creature to check its hide. The shot cleared an area of sand away from the hide of the monster, but the sound it made was that of having ricocheted off of a metal surface. It also didn’t seem to deter the beast at all, as it began to claw its way up the sand dune towards his perch.

“Is this what I was looking for?” Blud mused, readying himself to jump again.

The beast came to a stop about five feet away from Blud, growling loudly as it stared at him. After nearly a minute of near-silence, the beast’s mouth opened and it began to speak. “Interesting. Even in minotaurs one rarely sees such a complete lack of fear. Unless I’ve just scared you completely and utterly witless?” The voice simply seemed utterly infuriated despite the beast now appearing to be calm.

“Oh, I still have my wits,” Blud assured, glad his debriefing included the fact his targets were capable of speech. “I just wanted to make sure my timing was perfect.”

“Huh...you’re no minotaur. Even I know a male voice coming from an organic when I can hear it. You’re also not trying to shoot me again, which means you’re not part of those new aliens that arrived a few dozen local years ago. I may have a use for you if you have some resources and are willing to listen to an old mech ramble for a bit?”

“I’m part of a multiversal organization,” Blud commented, relaxing his stance. “I think we can come to an understanding.”

“Multiversal...heh. Galvatron wouldn’t even have dreamed of going that far.” It moved off to the side and began to claw at the cliff face, quickly creating gouges in the surface, then a small cave, and finally breaking through into an existing tunnel. “Let’s get you somewhere you can get out of that armor without breathing in any of this sand. It shreds the lungs of organics, which is why I stay in this area. Far enough away from the city of undead for them to not bother me much, since they’d have to come south down nearly the entire continent just to get here.”

“How thoughtful of you. But I’ll warn you, I can don this armor again in an instant if this is a trap,” Blud warned, hopping up to the newfound cave.

“You’re the first potential ally I’ve had in over a millennium. I’d have to have slag for brains to actually attack you instead of just trying to scare you off if you were a local of some kind.” It slid into the opening and moved with a fluidity that was impressive for something so large and mechanical. “Follow me, it’s pretty much an easy walk to get to a place where I can get myself changed without stressing my servos breaking a bunch of stone around me.”

Blud nodded in understanding, following the robot. “I’ve spent quite some time walking, a little more won’t hurt me.”

The walk was indeed short by certain standards, lasting just under ten minutes before the small tunnel expanded into a rather large cavern filled with small formations of a glowing purple crystal. An odd-five-tone cadence was heard as the beast’s body split and shifted, with its tail raising to lay along its back while the rear half of its body split into two legs. The entire head of the creature flipped onto its back as the grey mechanical entity stood up to its full height, easily at least four times as tall as Blud himself. “Welcome to the place I’ve been forced to call home for many centuries. Now, I assume you have questions that you want answered. So do I. For starters, what kind of help would you be able to give me in freeing and reviving my brothers?”

“Dai-Shocker has advanced tech and a military force,” Blud answered, cancelling his transformation. “Wherever your brothers are, we can get them out and administer repairs given enough time.”

“All they’d really need is an injection of fresh energon right now. Stasis lock would have repaired them over time unless they had absolutely no energy left. I also know where all of them are, and you’re nowhere near any of them...wait, right, names. Sorry, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually had to deal with a conversation. Name’s Rippersnapper, but legends here only call me ‘the Steel Bulette.’”

“I am Blud, but my foes know me as the Phantom Thief Lupin,” Blud introduced, giving a theatrical bow.

“Interesting. So, tell me, thief, how would you go about besieging a city of undead that is the seat of power for a goddess of death and the undead? How would you go about stealing the clan treasure from a group of chromatic dragons? Cutthroat and Hun-Gurrr are the most well-defended brothers of mine, and compared to them it would be trivial to rescue Sinnertwin from the griffons and Blot from the diamond dogs.” Rippersnapper bent down to pick up a piece of glowing crystal off the floor. The piece in his hand began to lose its glow as it was held by the robot.

Blud reigned in a frown, not wanting to show any negative emotion. "To steal from a goddess is not a trivial matter. Dai-Shocker boasts many things but god slayers we are not. However!" Reaching into his lavish coat, he produced a small data pad. "I have a few... Creative ideas on how to deal with such a being."

“Whatever the plan is, we probably need to go after Cutthroat first, and he’s the one buried beneath the city of undead. If we go after any other target before that and word gets to any of the major powers, the defenses will become that much harder to breach for another century. Maybe with some reconnaissance we can determine how vulnerable Sinnertwin would be to being recovered without being noticed. In any case, soon the world will tremble at the renewed might of Abominus.” Rippersnapper offered up his opinion on the situation as a whole, and his face twisted into a smile as he crushed the drained energon crystal like a fragile glass trinket.

The G-1 armor hung limp in its repair station, its steel skin still scarred from the battle in the Crystal Empire. Its left forearm had been removed, along with several of the more damaged pieces. Given the progress on G-3, restoring it had fallen down on the priority list.

With its old operator, Spearhead, in the G-2 suit a new one was needed anyway. And as it stood, not many had the endurance to use G1 for extended periods of time. G-1 was likely to be classified as a successful prototype and retired from operation to make way for newer and easier to handle models. Celestia had been toying with the idea of making a Rider museum, and that seemed a fitting enough exhibit.

Standing alone in the dim lights of the maintenance lab, a strange semblance of life settled over the suit. Purple smoke bellowed out of the left arm, solidifying into a black crystal forearm. Joints began to move, pulling away from the struts and wires holding it in place. The armor slowly stepped forward, heading straight for the sealed door. When it reached the portal it used the crystal arm to punch it right off its frame. With the task done, the armor kept plodding forward.

The facility staff opposed it; engaging in brief conflicts that lasted no more than a minute each. Ailing and broken bodies lay in its wake as it moved with unbound purpose. Like a magnet it moved, towards Ponyville. Towards wholeness. Towards renewal.

Matters of the Heart

Back at Ponyville, Spike was walking around the town with his father in tow. It was a slow process, but the stallion seemed to be getting acclimated to the time period he found himself in. Once the duo were at the town square, Spike took a seat on the edge of the fountain so the two could rest.

“So, are you getting hungry yet, Dad?” Spike questioned, letting one of his claws dip into the water.

“You keep asking me that, I’m not starving you know,” Star replied, sitting down next to him.

“Can you blame me for wanting to share all the great places to eat here in town?” Spike shot back with a grin. "You've never even had a hayburger before! You can't live in modern times without eating at least a few."

“Hmm…” Star paused, putting a hand to his chin. “I do want to fit in with this time. I suppose one quick bite won’t hurt. And these hayburgers, you can eat them on the go, correct?”

"Yeah, that's the whole point of them."

“Bully!” the older stallion exclaimed, a wide grin on his face. “This time period never ceases to amaze. Perhaps we should also see one of those,” he frowned, searching for the word. “Moo-vees was it?”

"Movies, Dad," Spike corrected. "But sure, if you want. I think the Power Ponies movie is still at Screen Plays."

"I'm sure anything we see shall hold my interest," the stallion mused, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Afterall, I'll have you there with me."

It was strange, having Star Dust around. Night Light would always be his father, the one who poured his heart and soul into a raising a dragon. Of course, he was elated to have his biological father, it was just....hard to make heads or tails of his feelings.

Part of him pictured meeting his biological father would be like reconnecting and having an instant understanding. Instead, Star Dust was a bit like a stranger, slowly learning about Spike every day. It didn't help that the drake had to take a guiding role in the relationship.

"Hey, Spike." Thorax's voice tickled his ears, drawing Spike from his introspection. "Are you free this afternoon?"

"Hey Thorax," Spike greeted, waving to his friend. "I was actually spending the day with my dad. You can join us if you want."

“Oh!” Thorax shifted his gaze to Star Dust, wings furiously buzzing on his back. “Oh no, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t want to impose on your bonding time.”

Spike waved a claw, chuckling at the changeling's antics. "It's not a big deal." Keeping his smile up, he turned to his father. "What about you, Dad, would you mind if my friend joined us?"

“Of course not!” Star smiled, eyeing the changeling up and down. “I would love to meet another of your friends.”

"See?" Spike said, lightly punching Thorax in the arm. "You're not imposing. Come on, Dad and I were just about to get some hayburgers."

"Well..." The changeling drawled, uncertainty etched into his features. "If you're sure."

“Great!” Spike started walking, leading the others down the street. “I know where the best burgers are in town.”

Thorax followed behind rather stiffly, shooting glances at Spike and Star Dust. He gulped, trying to calm his nerves.

"How's your job been going, Thorax?" Spike asked, walking backwards to address his friend. "Have things slowed down after putting in those teleporter pads?"

“Oh uh, yeah...” Thorax nodded slowly. “The queen got me an internship at the mayor's office. I help her manage the town. Um... a little.. I-it’s not that big of a deal.”

"Are you kidding? That sounds awesome!" Spike encouraged. "What have you been up to there?"

Thorax shifted uncomfortably, buzzing his wings. “Well um... mostly learning how to do paperwork. The mayor’s so talented, running this place. Dealing with all the weird stuff that happens.”

"Yeah, there were weird things going on before all Dai-Shocker and the Rider monsters showed up," Spike explained, moving his claws while he talked. "Like that time Snips and Snails led a cranky Ursa Minor into town."

“I’m sorry, but were they mad?” Star Dust asked, staring at Spike in shock.

"They're colts and not exactly the brightest crayons in the box," the drake offered, chuckling. "Trixie had them convinced she could take it on. But, it was just stage talk. Twi ended up saving the day.”

"I don't think I'd know what to do after something like that," Thorax said, shuddering. "Mayor Mare makes it look so easy. I’m not cut out to be a leader like her."

Spike scoffed, socking Thorax in the arm. “You always put yourself down. You’d be a great leader, Thorax.”

Thorax smiled weakly, rubbing his arm. “I appreciate that.”

The rest of their walk was spent in a comfortable silence until they reached the restaurant. Spike ordered him and his father matching burgers and Thorax squeaked out an order for himself. They sat by the entrance, content to just chat amongst themselves.

Spike gave a silent thanks to Thorax, his friend’s presence taking his mind off of his thoughts regarding his relationship with his father. He looked over to the stallion who was currently mystified by the simple meal.

“You hold it in both hands and then take a bit,” Spike instructed, followed by a demonstration. “See?”

“I understand that,” Star Dust said, carefully unwrapping the burger. “But I was just examining the platter and wrapping. Such colorful materials used for what is a simple meal. Truly, these are different times than what I knew.”

Thorax chuckled. “Y-you sound like me when I first came to Ponyville.”

Star's smile turned melancholic, glancing down at his burger. "I suppose that's what centuries of my mind not being my own will do. I've become an outsider amongst my fellow ponies."

Reaching over gingerly, Spike touched Star on the arm. “Ya, well, you're out now, no one's gonna take you away again. Got it?”

"You're right," Star agreed, ruffling the spines atop his son's head. "I'd fight the hordes of Tartarus itself to keep being in your life."

Tossing a fry into his mouth, Spike ignored the slight irritation at the act. “If you don’t mind talking about it... Where did Posiedon come from anyway?”

Putting down his burger, Star steepled his fingers. "I knew you'd ask me that eventually, which is why I've thought on it. The belt and medals were of my own design, not your grandfather's. It is my belief that these early efforts were… corrupted by my inexperience, possessed by something I had inadvertently tapped into."

“Why did you make them?” Spike questioned.

"Your grandfather had told me an unforeseen side effect of his original belt and medals, immunity to aging," Star explained, toying with the straw in his soda. "I wanted to use them so I could take as long as I needed to find your egg. After what happened with Kalameet, he refused to let me use them. So, I was forced to make my own."

Spike frowned, looking down at his plate. “That wasn’t a very smart thing to do, Dad.”

"What would you have done were you in my place?" Star said softly. "You were out there and I had no idea what might find you."

Spike didn’t have an answer for that. Instead, he went back to his meal. He didn’t have it in him to argue the point. Tartarus, he might just have done the same thing if their positions were swapped. He was glad they weren’t.

His mind drifted to the dragon migration, the very thing that led him to being OOO's. He had been willing to cross the nation to find what he wanted. If Wyatt hadn't made the journey shorter with his Rider powers, what would he have put himself through?

“Are you okay?” Thorax asked quietly. “You’re giving off some... mixed vibes.”

"Oh, just thinking," Spike said, tucking into his burger. "Like how my dad and I might be more similar than I realized."

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Spike agreed, a soft smile crossing his features. “You got pretty good insight for such a nervous guy, Thorax.”

“I’m still a changeling, emotions are our bread and butter,” he replied, puffing up a little. “Uh… literally in one case.”

“It must be like a buffet for you everyday.” Spike tilted in his seat looking around Thorax’s side. “Bet that’s why your wings are all sparkly now.”

“Only if there are creatures in love around,” Thorax said, attempting to hide his wings. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake are a really good source though. Their love is just so… cozy tasting.”

Star Dust laughed. “Ah, that’s true love right there. I can only imagine how Peridot and I’s love would have tasted like.”

"With how some of the dragonesses I talked to during the migration described her, I'm gonna guess spicy," Spike joked, poking his father. "And with how long you were a sea dog, yours would be salty."

The trio enjoyed the rest of their meal in peace. The last chance they would have for some time.

Chrysalis stared at a map of the lands surrounding Ponyville. She and the mayor were discussing the logistics of taking on more changeling citizens. Given the amount of free space and the proximity to the capital, it seemed like an obvious choice.

“-nderstand that changelings can produce their own building material,” Mayor Mare said, glancing up from the map. “That should make things much easier.”

"I can have some of my subjects make a mock up for you," Chrysalis stated, debating where to put the buildings. "That way we can gauge how it might look with the rest of the town as well as the reactions to them."

Mayor Mare smiled, a grateful, tired smile. “That would be very helpful, Your Majesty.” Pushing her glasses back into place, a question flowed past her lips. “I understand this might be classified but, is there any word from the princesses about those anti-monster weapons?”

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say," the changeling queen remarked, shaking her head. "You'd have to ask Celestia if you have the clearance for that."

“I wish.” Mayor Mare looked all the more tired, looking at the map again. “I’m just a mayor. I don’t have any say in what goes on up in Canterlot.”

Chrysalis nodded in sympathy. "I understand, but you're not technically one of my citizens so I can't grant you top secret clearance.”

“Speaking of, how has Thorax been performing? Has he taken well to his internship?”

Mare's smile returned, the tired glint in her eyes waning slightly. "He's been a great help around here. He's never once complained about the paperwork and he's even offered great ideas for upcoming events."

Nodding her head, Chrysalis gestured for her to continue. “Has he handled the pressure well? Made good leadership decisions?”

"It's been over a week since I had to pull him out of the supply closet after a nervous breakdown," the mayor answered, waving her hand. "So I'd call that an improvement."

“I suppose that is an approvement...” Chrysalis clicked her tongue. Thorax had a long way to go, but this was promising. “Still, thank you for agreeing to take him on.”

"Are you kidding? I was more than happy to take on an extra set of hands," the mayor said with a grateful smile. "Especially a set of hands that seems to care about the job. The bureaucracy of Ponyville is just as insane as some of the things that happen here.”

"Paperwork after monster attacks?" Chrysalis deadpanned.

The mayor just smiled. “Ponyville is full of very eccentric ponies, Your Majesty. And a lot of them just so happen to work at City Hall.”

"Eccentric is just another way to say fun," the changeling retorted, grinning. “But we’re off topic. This empty lot might work.” Reaching out, she indicated the spot. “It’s near the outskirts, so it shouldn’t cause too much of an uproar.”

"I like it," Mare agreed, looking over the map. "And it'll be a simple matter to connect it to the rest of Ponyville." She pointed to the stretch of land between the lot and Ponyville. "We can have your changelings and my citizens work together on the pathways. It should help foster community."

It was a beautiful thing, community. After the past few months, the word had taken on a new meaning for the changeling race. A few more and that would be the only meaning. No more starving, no more lies, no more hiding.

Everything was out in the open, something that was normally a foreign concept to changelings. All she needed was for this cohabitation to go well and she would be the most accomplished queen of the hive.

She would see it through, ensuring no changeling would ever huddle, starved and scared in the dark. So that no leader ever had to bear such a heavy crown.

The two continued their planning, moving on to things like who would be in charge of the construction projects. Their plan involved the two groups forming a joint committee in order to facilitate better communication between both species. Chrysalis even suggested creating an underground bunker in the event of emergencies.

By noon, Chrysalis was walking out of city hall feeling rather satisfied with herself. With a smile she headed for the spa, feeling a bit of a need to be pampered.

The halls of the Rich manor were big and empty. A stark opposite of the warm closeness of the library. Sombra didn’t know what he suffered more, homesickness or the absence of his parents. His cousin and uncle were great company, as was Star Dust, but it just wasn’t the same.

His only solace was that they were only going to bring someone back to Equestria. He told himself that their only delay was likely just how long the trip was. Wandering the Rich manor, he looked for his cousin so the two could find something to do.

“Di?” Sombra called, peeking into one of the many rooms along this particular hallway. “Are you in here?” There was nothing there except for a large fireplace, a few couches and chairs and a line of bookshelves. It was one of the sitting rooms that his uncle had told him about.

Stepping inside, he closed the door slowly. It smelled like the library, dust and musty parchment. The familiar scents comforted him and he walked over to the shelves to find something to read. He settled on Pone Quixote, a book his mother had told him about and sounded interesting. Lighting a candle to read by, he found a seat and tried to settle in.

Before he forgot, he made sure the door to the sitting room was open just in case his cousin or uncle came by looking for him. With that done, he started on the novel, doing his best to take his mind off his homesickness.

After a while of being absorbed by Pone’s warped view of chivalry, a new feeling came clawing at the edges of his mind. His ear flopped, almost like a whisper was tickling his ear that was just beyond the range of his hearing. Putting his book down, he tried to find the source of the
Disturbance.

“Hello?” he called out, his ears swivelling to and fro.

”Want… mine,” a choppy voice that seemed to be coming from his own head groaned out.

“W-who’s there?!?” he called out, gazing around in a panic.

"Want… mine!" the voice repeated more urgently.

Gripped by icy terror, Sombra burst out of the room in near blind panic. “Uncle Rich!!” he screamed, running down the hallway.

A few moments later, his uncle burst down a stairwell, his tie askew. "Sombra, what's wrong?!" The stallion rushed towards his nephew, pulling him into a shielding embrace.

“Something's after me!” Sombra held onto his uncle, ears pinned back. “I-I heard it talking to me.”

Examining the hall, Rich couldn't find anything out of sort. However, he knew better than to just dismiss a strange happening in Ponyville. "You said you heard it, was it speaking out loud?" Carefully, he started moving down the hall where he had last seen his daughter. If there was something in his house, he wanted the children as far away from it as possible.

“Um... I don’t know...” Sombra admitted, looking at the floor.

"Tell me if you hear it again," Rich advised, picking up his pace again. "If I don't hear it, we'll have our answer."

Sombra nodded, keeping hold of his uncle. He stayed close behind him, trying to stay brave. He kept his ears on a swivel, listening for any trace of the voice.

"...Coming…" the voice rasped, seeming louder than before. "...Coming…you…"

“I-I hear it!” Sombra jumped, his eyes frantically searching the hall.

Rich clutched the colt tighter, stroking his mane. “Shh, I didn’t hear anything, Sombra. Whatever this thing is, it isn’t here. Still, we should find your uncle Spike and let him know about this. I have a feeling we need a Rider.”

Rich quickly found his daughter, barely explaining the situation to her before rushing the two foals out the door and began looking for Spike.

Turning his head towards the north, Sombra shivered. A sense of foreboding fell over him, as if to smother him. He whimpered, clutching onto Rich’s arm all the more tightly. Sombra didn’t know what the warnings were about, but he knew they weren’t to be taken lightly. It would be from the north. And it would be there soon.

As they walked through the town, Sombra could feel the voice grow louder and louder. He didn’t know how long he had before it reached him, but he desperately wanted to keep it away from him.

“Uncle Rich... I’m scared,” he admitted in a small voice.

“It’s okay to be scared, Sombra,” his uncle assured him, scanning the town for the familiar drake. “It’s not letting fear prevent us from acting that’s important. Even your parents get scared sometimes.”

Screams could be heard in the distance, and the crowd started to move away from the source of the disturbance. Metallic hooffalls punctuated the screaming, aided by the occasional feral growl.

Sombra had to hold his ears, the voice in his head practically screaming at him. He didn't even feel it as Filthy Rich hauled him up and carried him to avoid being trampled by the crowd. It wasn’t even a voice anymore, having devolved into sneering and snarling. The sounds drowned out his own thoughts, leaving him no protection against the mental onslaught.

There was a loud crash close by them, Filthy turning despite his better judgement warning him against the impulse. There he found the G1 armor, moving erratically and with an unnatural stiffness, stomping through the splintered remains of a market stall.

Still bearing battle damage, much of the damage sported black crystals. The entire left forearm was made of the same black crystal, each finger ending in wicked claws. Its stumbling gait transitioned into a confident walk as the distance between it and Sombra diminished.

“Diamond, get ahead of us and try to find a Rider,” Filthy said, pushing his daughter ahead of him. An inkling of an idea was forming about the nature of the voice Sombra was claiming to hear. “You’ll be faster with me carrying Sombra.”

“I can’t just leave you!” Diamond argued, turning around. “I’m not leaving my family to a monster!”

“Diamond, the best thing to do is make sure that a Rider gets here as soon as possible. It’s my job to protect you, not the other way around.” Rich gave his daughter a stern look, silently pleading with her to heed his warning.

“I-I’ll be back!” Diamond assured before running towards the library.

Rich breathed a small sigh of relief, running with the flow of the crowd to get Sombra away from the possessed armor. He glanced down at the colt in his arms, pain etched onto his muzzle and growing worse the closer the armor got to him.

The armor ripped a bench from the ground, hurling it at Rich’s legs. A piece of debris flew off and stabbed the stallion in the ankle, causing him to give a quick cry of pain and stumble a bit. Despite the pain he forced himself to keep moving, albeit slower than before.

“It’s okay, Sombra, everything will be okay,” he whispered harshly, holding the colt close to his chest.

Sombra didn’t respond, the harsh sounds in his head cutting him off from the rest of the world. He could barely feel his body being moved.

A shot cracked the sky, catching G-1 in the shoulder. “You shan't have that foal, monster.” Dropping dramatically from a rooftop, Trixie landed between it and them. “The Great and Powerful Trixie shall see to that!”

For once, Rich was glad to see Trixie, forcing himself to keep walking and look over his shoulder at her. “Thank you! I have an idea what that thing might be.”

Trixie just smiled, activating her belt. “Trixie needs no thanks, only the thrill of the hunt.” Once her armor formed around her, she casually walked up to the rampaging G-1 and opened fire. “Come on, thrill Trixie!”

The possessed armor responded by swinging his crystal arm, bringing it down towards Trixie's head. Sidestepping, she pressed the barrel of her gun to one of the cracks sealed by crystal and pulled the trigger in a blur of continuous motion.

"Is that the best you can muster?" Trixie taunted, disengaging to avoid a punch to the gut. "You're hardly more than a wild beast."

Like a coiled viper, G-1’s crystal arm struck forward, latching onto Trixie’s helmet. Forcing her to her knees, black energy danced across its artificial skin and onto Trixie.

She screamed, writhing in pain and firing blindly at the arm in hopes of it releasing her. A pressure built in her mind, blotting out her thoughts. Unprepared for the mental assault, Trixie’s body went limp. She collapsed, twitching but otherwise unresponsive.

Silence fell like a blanket, G-1 standing like a statue above the prone mare. Seconds marched on before Trixie rose again. Her body jerked slightly, her movements bearing a degree of incoordination.

Rich paled, daring to look back to see what had befell Trixie. He forced himself to move faster, his whole leg throbbing in pain.

G-1 began to move again, each step having more purpose than the last. Trixie followed behind, pulled like a dog behind its master.

Rich ducked into an alley, knocking over trash cans, crates and various bits of old furniture ponies had left out to be thrown out in a vain hope of slowing the duo down. He knew it wouldn't accomplish much, but if he could buy himself even a second, that might make the difference between a Rider arriving and what was sure to be his demise. He burst out into the next street, his injured leg feeling like it could buckle and collapse at any moment.

Not far behind him, he heard the pair crash through the alley. He knew he couldn't make it much farther. He looked down at the colt in his arms, an idea crossing his mind. "Sombra, if you can hear me, you need to make yourself run." Swinging his arms, he tossed the colt towards a spot where he wouldn't be trampled.

Sombra landed in a heap, the impact jolting him to awareness. Pushing himself up, he rubbed his temples in an attempt to counter his building headache. He heard a primal roar, turning to see his uncle making a stand against G-1 and IXA.

"Uncle Rich!" Pushing himself to his hooves, Sombra took a few steps forward.

“They’re after you, Sombra, you have to get away!” Rich boomed, not taking his eyes off G-1. “I’ll do what I can!”

"No! They'll hurt you!" Sombra shook his head, feeling the sting of tears.

“I’m okay with that, that’s what family does for each other,” Rich replied, bracing himself on his good leg as G-1 neared his arms’ reach. Sucking in a deep breath, he let loose a gout of flames at the armor, their color a vibrant yellow.

G-1 drew an arm back, striking Rich in the chest with an open palm. Flames danced along its metal skin, black crystals glittering with dazzling light.

The stallion flew backward, his back and head slamming into a nearby wall. For a moment, he thought he had forgotten how to breathe, but the searing pain that greeted his lungs a moment later dispelled that worry. His eyes locked on the crystal arm, a desperate gambit pulled at him. Lunging at the armor, he gripped the arm and attempted to take a chunk out of it like any dragon would a common gem.

The taste revolted him. It was like biting into oil. He reminded himself he wasn't biting the crystal for flavor and spit out bits of it as he went. His idea was short lived as a fist drove itself into his stomach and he crumpled to the ground in a gasping heap.

G-1 stared down impassively, raising a hoof over Rich's head.

Sombra hyperventilated, rooted in place by fear. Images flashed through his mind, the faces of his parents at the forefront. Suddenly, his fists clenched at his sides. He couldn't do nothing, and he certainly couldn't run away. Not when his family was in danger. Reaching deep inside himself, he poured all the magic he could muster into his horn and fired it at G-1.

The blast lanced through G-1’s shoulder, streaking up into the sky. G-1 stepped back, shifting focus to Sombra. Its injury sizzled and popped, more black crystal sprouting to seal it.

Sombra set his jaw, his voice threatening to falter. "That's right, jerk! Look at me! I'm not scared of you!" Setting his jaw, he tried to call the magic once more, aiming at G-1’s helmet. He fired, boring a small hole in the forehead of the helmet. Again, black crystal crackled and repaired the damage. Continuing his struggle, the armor slowly marched onward as black crystal rose up from wherever Sombra hit it.

“Not bad, kid.” Spike put a hand on Sombra’s shoulder, stepping in front of him. “But I got it from here. Help your uncle up and make a break for it.”

Sombra didn’t need to be told twice, giving the armor a wide berth while going to Rich’s side. Straining, he helped the stallion to his knees and watched his younger uncle square up against the possessed armor and Trixie.

Spike made the first move, leaping up high and kicking G-1 in the chest and knocking him into Trixie. “Didn’t we already get rid of you, junk heap?”

The armor offered no answer, only righting itself to throw a straight punch to Spike's chest. Its metal fist connected with Spike’s shoulder, followed by a swipe from its claw. Unfolding his own claws, Spike blocked the swipe and kicked the armor in the knee. Keeping up the momentum, he brought his leg up and kneed the armor in the stomach.

G-1 grabbed Spike’s leg, pulling Spike off his foot. “ You will not stop me,]/i]” it spoke, its voice twisted into a snarl. “What is mine will be mine again.”

Spike wrenched his leg free, sweeping the armor’s legs out from under it. “Sorry, not in the business of letting evil things get what they want.”

Trixie raised her arm, firing off a series of scattered shots at Spike. Each shot was a little more accurate than the last, several of them scoring across his armor.

Spike grunted, removing two of his medals. “Ya know, I’m not a fan of being outnumbered.” Grabbing his other two green medals, he attempted to slot them in.

Striking like a viper, G-1 slapped the medals out of Spike’s hand. “You will serve me, as will the rest of this sniveling village.” Spurned on by its growing hungry, G-1 latched its hand onto Spike’s helmet, digging its claws in.

Spike thought quickly, cancelling his transformation and breathing a gout of flame onto the armor. Bringing a fist up, he punched the armor to get it to release its grip.

G-1 tightened its grasp, sharp crystalline talons piercing Spike’s scales. “You will submit dragon, bend to my will.” Black magic surged into Spike, crackling along his body.

With one last act of defiance, Spike’s eyes landed on Sombra who was slowly leading Rich away from the scene. Removing his belt and medal case, he tossed them towards the colt. “Sombra, catch!” he croaked out, purple smoke pouring from his eyes and his body went limp.

Sombra scrambled, nearly faceplanting to catch the objects. Fear swelled in his chest again, its ice cold tendrils spreading through his body. He forced himself to move, knowing his uncle had trusted him to protect the driver and medals.

A wriggling doubt wormed into Sombra's mind. Whatever had infected G-1 was able to control others, even Kamen Riders. There was only one Rider left in Ponyville, would she be able to stop it? Pushing those thoughts down, he kept moving forward, taking the driver and his uncle with him.

Sombra’s mind raced with possibilities. Could there be a way to hide from the armor. He tossed that aside, the voice it had in his head made that seem like an impossibility. Who else could he turn to that wouldn’t be brainwashed?

He had to stop and collect himself. Turning to his mother’s teachings for guidance, he tried to think logically. If the brainwashing was a type of magic he hadn’t seen before, maybe turning to someone with a knowledge beyond conventional magic would help? It struck him, remembering the installation of the teleporter pad. Moving faster, he had a goal in mind.

Could he even use the teleporter? He vaguely remembered his mother saying the changelings had made it. He couldn't think like that, he was low on options and needed to keep moving.

Ducking into an alley, he mapped out the quickest route to the pad. When all of this was over he'd have to thank the CMC. Their constant quests around town helped him know it better than the layout of his own room.

A pair of hands grabbed him, spinning him around. “Sombra, are you alright?! Where’s Spike?!”

Sombra lit his horn on reflex, only to calm down when he saw Thorax's face. "The creepy armor used magic on him and now he's brainwashed!" Sombra blurted out, holding up the belt. "He threw this to me so he couldn't use it on people!"

The lithe changeling stared at him for a moment, his glittering wings buzz frantically. “Oh no! Oh no! That’s very bad!” Looking between the belt and Sombra, Thorax grabbed hold of Sombra’s arm. “We have to get to the queen.”

"The armor's after me," Sombra explained, motioning for Thorax to help him lead Rich along. "It keeps saying that it wants what's theirs."

“Yeah well... it can’t have you,” Thorax replied, guiding them down the alley. “We just have to reach the queen.”

Sombra nodded, suddenly recalling a comment Spike had made. "Have you talked to her through that hivemind thing?"

“Oh um...” Thorax blushed, closing his eyes. “I-I’ll do that now.” Thorax was silent for a few moments, but his shifting body language suggested he was having a conversation.

Before he could even open his eyes there was a flash of green fire and Chrysalis was standing before them, a slice of cucumber falling from one of her eyes.

Taking Thorax's hand, she gave him a serious look. "Are you okay, Thorax? Have you had any contact with that thing?"

“No, I’m okay,” Thorax assured. “But, we have to get Sombra and his uncle out of here.”

"Of course," the queen said, hefting the injured stallion over her shoulder. "Take my hands you two, I can get us to the pad."

“You might want to take a deep breath,” Thorax advised, looking at Sombra. “Changeling teleporting doesn’t always agree with ponies.”

Sombra took the advice, closing his eyes and sucking in a deep breath. Then, a flash of green danced along his eyelids and his body felt like he was being stretched through a taffee puller. Another flash of green and Sombra was on his knees, trying not to lose his lunch.

Now he knew how his dad felt whenever he was teleported. In the back of his mind, he could feel G-1 changing directions to follow him. “I-it’s still coming...” he muttered, pushing himself back up.

"I'm sure, but we can get you far away," Chrysalis assured him, helping him to his hooves. "Thorax, you're going with these two, make sure the stallion gets medical attention."

“But what about you, your Majesty?” Thorax questioned, buzzing his wings. “I can’t just leave you on your own!”

"You can and you will," she scolded, nudging him onto the pad. "The GoH will be here soon, along with the rest of Ponyville’s changelings.”

It had to be the G-1 armor. The ‘theft’ had left a sour taste in her mouth, hearing how effortlessly it had just walked out of the facility. Of course, she hadn’t expected it to come for Sombra. But then, hindsight was a bitch, wasn’t it?

"But my queen!" Thorax started, tears welling up in his eyes. "That thing can brainwash people! Think about what that might mean with the hivemind if it got a hold of you!"

Chrysalis frowned, glancing down at Thorax. “Do you really have so little faith in your queen? That she can’t hold her own against an abomination? You wound me, Thorax.”

Sputtering, Thorax's wings buzzed against his back as if they threatened to fly off and abandon him in his embarrassment. "N-no my queen! Of course I believe in you. I-I just don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. The queen is the heart of the hive afterall."

Her frown morphed into a comforting smile. “I’ll be fine, Thorax. Now stop worrying about me, I’m the queen. That’s my job.”

Stifling a response, Thorax nodded slowly and helped Chrysalis ease Rich onto the pad. There was a flash of light and the trio were forced off the pad by a surge of new arrivals. Among Them was G-2, his armor fresh from a tuneup.

Chrysalis twitched, easily pushing Spearhead off. “You picked the worst time to come through, you realize that right?” she hissed, letting a small amount of venom drip into her words. “The absolute worst.”

“Sorry, we were only responding to the distress call as quickly as we could,” Spearhead relented, rubbing the side of his head. “But the pad’s free now if you need it.”

Several shots rang out, followed immediately by the splintering of the pad crystal. “You won’t be leaving,” G-1 spoke from its spot next to Trixie. “Now, give it to me, like the good slaves you are.”

Chrysalis swore under her breath, pulling out her scimitar with a flash of green fire. “Looks like teleporting is out. Hope your fighting is better than your timing, G-2.”

Spearhead grunted, eyeing G-1 nervously. “Are we sure we want to destroy it? I thought we were trying to repair the damn thing?”

“That’s gone out the window now that it’s being used to mind control citizens,” Chrysalis snapped, approaching G-1. “Don’t hold back or you’ll wind up like those two.”

At least, she thought it had been two. Several more Ponyville citizens stumbled into view, their eyes sputtering green flames. Trixie and Spike stood besides G-1, their bodies moving naturally. Each step strengthened G-1’s control, tightening his grip on his puppets.

Chrysalis swore again, turning to her newly arrived changelings. “Put those citizens into cocoons, we need to clear the way to fight G-1. And don’t get shot.”

The changelings shouted in affirmation, buzzing out towards the horde of brainwashed townsponies and swarming them. From the air, they spat out the cocoon material, creating a hail of the glittering green gel that fell down towards their hooves.

Spike and Trixie retaliated, peppering the sky with pistol shots and gouts of flame. G-1 ignored them, continuing its march towards Sombra.

Spearhead jumped in front of G-1, the rotors on his gauntlets rotating at blinding speeds. The sound of metal clashing and grinding filled the air and the possessed armor was forced back a step.

G-1 braced itself, pushing back against Spearhead. “Yes, I remember you. The only one without real power. I must thank you for this armor, its stronger than it appears.”

"Our labcoats do good work," Spearhead commented, following up with an uppercut. "Let me show you why this is the upgrade " He swore as G-1 leaned its head back just out of reach. He kept up his assault, forcing his opponent to stay on the defensive.

“I will enjoy mass producing it.” G-1 caught Spearhead’s fist, driving his own into the stallion's gut.

Spearhead moved his body with the blow, lessening its impact. His wings tried to flap, pegasus instincts fighting to take over. “Just shut up and fight, flankhole.”

G-1 obliged, swinging its crystal arm down on Spearhead's helmet. “Perhaps this time, I will grace you with my will, instead of just your armor.” Grasping Spearhead’s helmet, purple energy lit up its crystal arm.

Spearhead brought up his arms, the gauntlets rotating and grinding against the crystal. “I’m not going to be your meat puppet, you Faust damned ghost!” Roaring in defiance, he punched the crystal to create a spiderweb of cracks in its surface.

G-1 snarled, backhanding Spearhead. “How dare you, feathered scum!? Know your place!” Black crystals erupted at Spear's hooves, stabbing up in sharp points.

Spear jumped back, narrowly avoiding losing his hooves. Turning back to the changelings, he saw one with a case. "Hey, let me use the prototype weapon!"

The changeling tossed the case, and Spear quickly caught it. With some quick movements, he opened it and assembled the weapon within. It was based off something Wyatt had described as guns. From what he had heard, an intern had tested it only to wind up breaking his arms. Brandishing the weapon, he braced it on his shoulder like he had been told to in the recent drills and pulled the trigger. A boom echoed out across the town and a hail of magically condensed metal balls flew towards G-1.

G-1 stumbled, dents peppering its torso. “I grow tired of you, filth.” Raising its crystal arm, it retalited with a blast of black magic. It solidified on contact, encasing Spearhead in a crystal pillar.

Chrysalis's eyes widened, her mind running with possibilities. Turning to her changelings she called out, "Some of you distract the armor! But don't let him touch you!" Charging her horn, she shoulder checked G-1, knocking it away from Spearhead.

Whirling around, she let her changelings try to immobilize G-1 while she hacked away at the crystal pillar. “Come on you muscle bound featherbrain, help me out here!”

“How pathetic.” Even as changeling resin coated its body, it broke apart into crystal dust. “You could have the world, and yet here you are: kowtowing to these mongrels. It will be a mercy, to break your neck.”

Chrysalis didn’t rise to the taunt. There was a time where she felt she was owed the world. A time she was at her most desperate and hungry where plans of dominating ponies had danced through the edge of conscious thought. But the angels of her better nature and rational thought won out. If she had gone through with such a plan, then eventually, she would’ve drained all ponies of their love and she would be back right where she had started.

Spike sucked in a breath, wreathing Chrysalis’s back in flames. Chrysalis cried out in pain, falling forward and bracing herself on the pillar. Turning to the drake, she lit her horn. “Thorax probably won’t forgive me for this one, but I’m sorry Spike.” Lifting the drake in her magic, she rammed him headfirst into the pillar. She was thankful for his scales, a blow like that would’ve caused permanent damage to any other creature.

She dropped Spike’s limp form at her hooves, taking a moment to steady herself. This was getting nowhere. Dealing with brainwashed citizens only gave G-1 time to make more of them. Turning her head towards the armor in question, she bared her fangs.

Lighting her horn, she charged her weapon with as much magical energy as she could put into
it. With that accomplished, she ran at G-1 and slashed at its neck. Her blade was met with black crystal, creating an ear piercing shriek. Chrysalis smirked, the nature of her spell revealing itself. A flash of light came from where blade met crystal and the two were caught in an explosive burst of magic. When the magic cleared, Chrysalis was down on one knee, green blood leaking from cracks in her chitin.

G-1 laid prostrate, most of the crystal having been stripped from its body. The ponies it had been puppeting collapsed to the ground, their dark strings cut.

Chrysalis let out a dry chuckle at the sight, turning to her changelings. “Dismantle that thing, it might not be completely taken care of yet.” Talking was a struggle, but she managed to get the words out before her head started to spin and the world blurred.

Spike pushed himself up to his knees, wobbling for a moment. With a vacant look, he leaped onto Chrysalis, restraining the weakened queen. Chrysalis groaned, feeling the weight on her back suddenly take her to the ground. She tried to light her horn and lift whoever was on her.

“A wasted effort.” G-1 rose to its hooves, staggering towards her. “All of that struggling, and for what? For a runt who should not exist.” Looming above her, it raised its crystal arm, which had shattered into a long, serrated blade.

It was in that moment that Sombra knew what had possessed the armor. No, he had known long before that, he had just not wanted it to be true.

Shoving Spike off of the prostate queen, G-1 plunged the blade into Chrysalis’s back. Chrysalis cried out, her limbs tightening up. She slumped against the ground, green ichor spreading from under her.

“Restrain him,” G-1 ordered, pointing his dripping blood at Sombra.

Sombra stood his ground, watching his uncle stalk ever closer to him. He remembered one piece of advice his father gave him when faced with someone bigger and stronger than him. Charging, he reared his fist back and punched his uncle between the legs, offering a hushed apology as he did.

Spike shrugged off the pain, grabbing Sombra and holding him securely. He turned the colt to face G-1, staring off into space. Sombra glared at the armor, before his gaze softened.

"I know you're me," Sombra said. "The dark part of me."

“No, I am me,” G-1 corrected, glaring back at him. “You are something that should not exist, an empty vessel that thinks it's a pony.”

"I am a pony," Sombra countered. An idea finally struck him. It was clear that he was mentally connected to the force possessing the armor and it had been pushing at him. It was time to see if he could push back. "Let me show you." Closing his eyes, he thought of all his moments with his family, directing it towards his other self.

G-1 snarled, its mechanical body tensing. “Lie to yourself as much as you wish, vessel. It will all be wiped away once we are but one.”

"No, you're wrong," Sombra said, opening his eyes. "You're the one who's lying. You're scared, scared that you'll stop existing. So you want me broken so you can keep going."

Grabbing Sombra’s chin, G-1 helds its broken arm up. It glowed with black magic, the broken crystal regrowing. “We shall be one once more, and this world will bow before us. As is our right.”

With a gurgled groan, Chrysalis pushed herself onto her elbows. “Thorax... where are you?”

Thorax ran over at hearing his name, his hands flailing in an attempt to put pressure on her wound. "My queen, don't talk. We need to get you a doctor!"

“Sh...” Putting a weak finger to his lips, she smiled. “There isn’t time. I need you to help me with... one last spell...”

"M-my queen, why are you asking for my help? I'm awful at magic. Maybe the worst in the hive."

Chrysalis shock her head. “I don’t need your magic. I need... your love. All of it. Everything you’ve collected in Ponyville.”

Thorax nodded, closing his eyes and dredging up every bit of love he'd collected. With a bit of effort, he started passing it along to his queen. The flow turned into a torrent, burning through his stores of emotion. He didn’t even realize it when he lifted off the ground.

Chrysalis smiled, her faith having been rewarded. Her vision was fading, but she could still clearly see Thorax and the changes he was undergoing. “Follow Thorax’s example!” she bellowed to the other changelings. “I need all of it! Every ounce you have!”

The changelings paused what they were doing, siphoning their love to the queen. Just like Thorax, they lifted off the ground, their forms obscured by a white cocoon.

Channeling the deluge of love into her horn, Chrysalis took aim at G-1’s back. “It’s yours now, Thorax. The queen is dead...” Unleashing the spell, the last of her life slipped away. “Long live the king...”

G-1 screamed as the spell slammed into him. It shrieked in agony, as the overwhelming positive energy stripped away its form. Its crystal vaporized, revealing the full damage the suit had taken.

Sombra put a hand on the armor, watching smoke rise from it. "You don't have to be scared. You're me, and I'm you; that means you're not going to die." Through their connection, Sombra opened his mind and invited his counterpart to stay.

He stumbled as whatever was in G-1 poured into him, blinding and deafening him from the world. Standing in front of was an older version of himself. After a moment, his doppelganger's form shrank until they were at eye level.

“Am I really that bad?” Sombra questioned, looking at his double.

"We are meant to be a ruler, not a common schoolfoal," the doppelganger argued, his form transparent.

Sombra shrugged. “Ya well, screw what we’re supposed to be. I like my life the way it is.”

The doppelganger chuckled, approaching Sombra. “Perhaps you are more than an empty vessel. A sentence like that would’ve never occurred to the old us.”

“Yeah well, the ‘old us’ is gone. It’s just me and you.”

“I suppose I can’t argue,” the doppelganger said, holding his hand out, “I lost this fight.”

Sombra took his hand, squeezing it. “It’s okay. You aren’t alone.”

The doppelganger didn’t say anything else, seeming to simply fade from existence.

When the world returned, Sombra found himself laying on his back staring up at the sky. The sound of sobbing reached his ears, further pulling him out of his funk. “Spike?” he asked, sitting up.

His ears flattened against his head, seeing why there was so much sobbing. The changelings were gathered around their former queen, hanging their heads in mourning. Thorax cradled Chrysalis’s head, his antlered head shaking as he wailed. Somehow, he managed to look at his fellow changelings, stifling his sobs for a moment.

“Let’s take her to the morgue. She needs to be prepared for a proper send off.”

Rising to his hooves, Sombra took stock of the area. The brainwashed citizens were coming to, looking disoriented. Spike was hunched over, groaning in pain. The G-1 armor itself rested on the ground, bearing the scars of the day. Sombra was whole, he felt it. But, was it worth the cost?

Breaking and Entering

Wyatt’s mind raced as he crept along the alleys of Cel’Tras. The only thing keeping him from completely losing it was the presence of his friends. All around him, the streets were alive with the clamoring of people looking for him. It was only a matter of time before their search turned to where they were. Lucky for him, Daring could make them invisible at a moment’s notice.

Tsukiya stood at the front of the group, his hand staying near his waist. He prodded Riki forward, glancing over the younger man’s shoulder every few seconds.

“This is insane you know,” Riki commented, marching forward without looking at any of them. “You’re not going to be able to avoid an entire city, let alone our nearby troops forever.”

“We’re invisible,” Daring commented from the back. “We’ll be fine.”

"More important for you," Tsukiya chimed in, his grip tightening on the soldier, "is for you to lead us to where the driver would take our friends. Got it?”

"I know," Riki shot back. "Now that you've been revealed as the Trickster, they'd be taken to the nearest police station for holding until a military detachment could take them. Are you actually going to risk getting caught to get them?”

"Leaving here without them isn't an option," Wyatt stated, casting a firm glance at the man. “Now shut up and walk.”

"You three really know how to endear yourselves to people," Riki muttered, glancing at the nearest street sign. "Okay, we've gotta turn right here."

The group moved quietly, avoiding any contact that would draw attention to them. Their trek was long and tense, the distance seeming to grow with every step. Each felt the tension on their back, pressing downward like chains. All except their captive, who silently wished for them to suddenly become visible.

Wyatt’s thoughts bounced between Twilight’s safety and that of the airship’s crew. Granted, all in question could take care of themselves, but it didn’t ease his mind. The base they were at must’ve seen the broadcast. His only solace was that the human military wouldn’t act without orders. This was one time he was thankful for the slow nature of bureaucracy.

Crouching under a window, Wyatt peeked inside. “So... how do we get in? Wait for someone to open the door and walk in?”

"I can literally get us to walk through walls," Daring deadpanned. "Do you only half pay attention when people explain things?"

“Leave him be, D.D. Worry makes you dumb,” Tsukiya responded. “Happens to everyone.”

"Then what's his excuse when he's calm?" Daring teased, pushing Wyatt forward through the wall.

It was a weird experience walking through a wall. Wyatt’s body tensed itself in expectation for an impact that never came. Instead, he suddenly found himself in a hallway that opened up to a sea of desks with what he presumed were Linto police milling about.

“Okay... Let's try not to do that again...” he muttered, shaking his head. “Okay, Riki. Where do they normally keep the cells?”

“How should I know?” Riki questioned, glancing at the officers. “I’m a soldier, not a cop.”

“You’ve got to have some idea,” Wyatt pressed, feeling his agitation rising.

It was clear that the other man was fighting the urge to roll his eyes or grit his teeth. After a momentary pause, he said, "Best guess, there's a basement level. Most times I've seen footage from the news it shows windows high up and leading to the alley."

Daring grunted, kneeling down to touch the floor. “I don’t trust phasing down there. We’ll need to find the stairs.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard,” Agito noted, glancing around. “Not like they’re gonna be hiding the damn thing.” Motioning with his hand, he put a finger to his lips to silence them and directed the group to move.

Some of the officers walked right by them, causing the group to do their level best to avoid making noise. Their journey took them the better part of an hour, a few close calls nearly alerting an officer to their presence. When they made it down to the cells, only a couple officers were on guard.

The room itself was more like a hallway, one path with either side lined by cells. At the far end was a pair of desks pushed together where the guards were situated. In the cell closest to the desks and on the group's right, they could see Rainbow Dash rattling at the bars and shouting threats at the guards.

“I’ll kick your face in!” Dash seethed, flaring her wings out in a threatening display.

"Well, at least we know they're okay." Wyatt sighed, some of the tension bleeding from his body. “Do we knock the guard out, or just phase everyone through the back wall?”

"Knock them out," Daring said, cracking her knuckles. "It'll take a while to get everyone out and we don't want any unnecessary attention."

With Dash's tirade, they were able to casually stroll up behind the guards. Tsukiya and Daring shot out in unison and knocked out the pair of guards. Laying them against the wall, Tsukiya fished for the keys.

Standing at the cell door, Wyatt took Twilight’s hand. “You alright? They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Smiling, she gave his hand a kiss. "No, we didn't even realize they were locking us up til they brought us down here. I'm just glad you're up." Reaching out, she put a hand to one of the bruises on his face. "We saw what that… guy did to you." Her face contorted in barely contained contempt.

“We’ll beat the snot out of that slimeball!” Rainbow assured, her chest puffing out.

“We can worry about distilling justice later,” Rarity insisted. She sniffled, wiping at the mascara running down her face. “They took our things. The things we need to make this trip worthwhile.”

"They took AJ's driver too," Twilight added, glancing to the others. "They didn't take mine though since it looks like ordinary jewelry."

Turning back to their guide, Wyatt grunted. “Would they keep that kind of thing in the precinct?”

"Depends, did you see Hakal, the driver take them?" Riki questioned, glancing at the ponies. "Otherwise, it's probably in this place's evidence lockup."

Daring stepped up, unlocking the cell door. "Let's get out of here and find a place to hide out. These two won't stay knocked out forever and then they'll know we're around. Once we're all out of the way, I'll come back for your stuff."

“Daring, they have the Elements,” Twilight said, her eyes contracting. “We can’t leave until we find them.”

"And I'm saying it'll be easier if I go looking for them on my own," Daring countered. "Do you know how hard it is to sneak around with a group of ten people? Especially since we have no idea where the damn things are."

“Fine,” Twilight snapped, pushing past the pegasus.

Sighing, Wyatt took Twilight’s hand and walked with her. He knew there was nothing he could say to ease her mood. The best option was to just keep an eye on her and let her seethe in peace.

The streets were alive with activity. Wyatt had to periodically check for bolts in his neck given how many angry mobs he saw searching for him. The only thing they were missing were torches to go with their improvised weapons. Vans were running up and down the streets, blaring out calls to hunt down ‘The Trickster’ from the megaphones atop them to further fuel the fires of the citizens’ rage.

“They certainly like their propaganda,” Tsukiya commented, watching one roll down the street. “Bit too hateful for me.”

“I’d be impressed by their ability to mobilize if it weren’t for their choice of target,” Wyatt said, the calls for his head making him rub at his neck. “How long do you think they’ve planned this for?”

“I’d say years, a response this severe takes time to build up,” Tsukiya offered. “Or, a big inciting incident. And unless they faked a Decade attack in the past, Shocker’s had this in the works for a while.”

Daring jabbed her elbow into Riki’s side. “Speak up, we couldn’t quite hear your exposition.”

“The stories about the Trickster are old,” Riki offered, glaring at Daring. “They go back a few
generations.”

“Generations?” Wyatt repeated, the gears in his head screeching to a halt. “But I’ve only been in Equestria for a little over a year. How has Dai-Shocker been spreading propaganda about me for that long?”

“Worry about it later,” Tsukiya pressed. “Keep your eyes out for somewhere to hide, nothing else. Got it?”

Sighing, Wyatt nodded and surveyed their surroundings. The street signs offered no help considering they were in a foreign language. And he had no idea where they were in relation to the rest of the city. He felt useless, something that was frustratingly common to him.

His eyes lit up, their gaze pulled towards the end of the block. Never in his life had he thought the site of a junkyard would ever be welcome. But there it was, empty and quiet, perfect for their needs.

Rarity paled, looking between the group with desperation. "Oh no, I see how you're all looking. I am not hiding out in some dirty, smelly trash heap!"

“It’s a junkyard, not a dump,” Dash corrected with a scoff. “At worst you’ll get a little greasy.”

Rarity levelled a glare at the pegasus, but Applejack cut her off before she could respond. "Rare, we either hide there or deal with the angry mob; take yer pick."

Rarity pouted, but offered no verbal response. With no further objections, the group carefully moved closer and into the junkyard. All around them were various vehicles in different states of disrepair. Some looked almost roadworthy while others were compact cubes of scrap or skeletal frames.

Dropping their invisibility, Daring flexed her wings. “Right, so. I’m gonna retrace our steps and get our stuff back. Stay here and stay out of trouble.”

“Might be hard, trouble has a habit of finding me,” Wyatt offered, chuckling nervously and rubbing the back of his head. His chuckle died under Daring’s glare. “Yeah, we’ll stay here. All nice and quiet.”

Twilight finally spoke up, looking no less agitated than she had in the police station. “You stay out of trouble too. Make sure to come right back with the elements and AJ and Pinkie’s belts.”

Tipping her hat back, Daring smirked and gave a thumbs up before disappearing from view. Only the faint sounds of her hoofsteps growing more and more distant let them know she was gone.

King sat in his office, reviewing the footage of Decade's fight. It was clear the brat was improving given his performance with the monster. However, the one sided beating Magdah gave him showed that he was still weak. And yet, The Great Leader had some plan in mind.

With his thoughts turning to his leader, King set up a call to Somber; as was instructed for all generals that came into contact with Decade. Of course, Somber had a habit of making one wait, some little jab at their lesser importance.

While he waited, King kept his eyes trained on Wyatt's image. He chuckled, catching the defiant look in the young man's eyes.

Somber's form appeared above the fangire king's desk, causing him to give a quick salute. "Great Leader, I have a report for you."

“Then get on with it,” Somber spoke, lazily meeting his gaze.

“Decade has appeared in Cel’Tras. Magdah was able to reveal his identity to the citizens and their response has been expectedly extreme. As of now, he is not in custody of Magdah or local law enforcement,” King explained, ignoring the stallion’s condescension. Something that happened in nearly all interactions they shared. Although, it seemed like the unicorn was talking down to him more than usual. Perhaps there was something putting him in a bad mood?

Somber snorted, his brow furrowing. “You know what to do, King. You don’t have to tell me every single little thing.”

“I am merely following your orders, leader,” King replied. “I came into contact with the boy, so I’m giving my report.” Bowing his head, he added. “But while I have your attention, leader, I have something that I’ve been curious about.”

“What is it?”

“I understand that you wish to make him become what you’ve called Violent Emotion. But what I want to know is why? From what I’ve seen, Decade is weak. And even if it is as strong as you claim, how do you plan on controlling it since it’s a berserker state?”

Clicking his tongue, Somber rose from his throne. “That’s not a line of questioning you should follow, King.”

"I merely ask because as one of your generals, and might I add, your only general who has made real progress in his objective, that it would be prudent for me to know the finer details."

“You know all you need to know,” Somber said, a frown creasing his lips. “Don’t report until you have him.”

“Does your little human pet Midnight know the plan?” King pressed, tapping his hand on the table to distract himself from his annoyance. Everyone knew that the researcher had privileges beyond her station, but none had said it in front of the Great Leader.

Somber’s lip furled, fangs clear through the screen. “Know your place, King. Midnight is invaluable to Dai-Shocker’s operation. You, however, are not. Remember that.”

With a sharp inhale through his nostrils, King bowed his head. “Forgive me, Great Leader, I let my curiosity get the better of me.” Standing up, he made a show of kneeling. “It will not happen again. Once the boy is found, I will see to his retrieval personally.”

“Then we have nothing else to talk about.” The screen flicked out of existence, leaving King alone in his chambers.

Wyatt and the others had found a secluded part of the junkyard, out of the way of anyone walking by the street. Despite his best efforts, Wyatt had been unsuccessful in improving Twilight’s mood. Looking around, the others weren’t faring much better.

“Okay, we need to make a plan here,” the young man spoke up, breaking through the tension. “It’s obvious there’s gonna be guards at the tomb.”

“That’s sorta obvious, Wyatt,” Applejack said, lifting her head up.

Wyatt had to hold back a flat look at the farm mare. “I know, which is why I think we need someone to run distraction and draw them away from the tomb. And I can think of one person that everyone in this city is gunning for already.”

Twilight frowned, her pupils contracting. “You can’t go out there. Not again! He almost killed you!”

“I’m not going to let Another Agito catch me,” Wyatt argued, putting his hands into his pockets. He was ready for this. “He suckerpunched me last time, but I’ve got ways to keep him from even getting close to me.”

Frown deepening, Twilight fought back her protective urges. She had to remind herself that Wyatt was an adult; he could take care of himself. “Fine, but you either come back or I’m breaking up with you.”

Stepping forward, Wyatt took Twilight’s hands in his own and then gave her a quick kiss. “Of course.” The moment was ruined by his cheeky grin and him leaning on a nearby dilapidated motorcycle. “But how would you break up with me if I got kidnapped or killed?”

“I’d just do it over message spell,” she retorted, crossing her arms.

Wyatt chuckled, thinking up a barb in return. Before he could unleash it, he paused. Instead of at him, Twilight was looking just behind him. A brief glance around the group and he found the others doing the same. “Uh, am I missing something or did all of you just suddenly become motorcycle enthusiasts?”

“Jus take a look, Sugarcube,” Applejack said, unable to tear her eyes away.

Turning on his heel, Wyatt instantly gaped. Where there had once been a wreck there was now a fully functioning bike. And not just any bike, the Machine Decader. The young man knew it at a glance, from the black, magenta and white color scheme, the sleek style, the bars on the front and back that resembled the ridges on his Decade helmet and the piece de resistance; the Decade logo on each side by the rearview mirrors.

Giddy excitement built up in his chest. With the energy of a child, Wyatt swung his leg over the side, hands closing around the handles. A sense of completeness washed over him, a feeling he knew the others wouldn’t understand.

Before he could rev the engine and make his brand new kitty purr, he noticed something from the corner of his eye. Reaching down, he found a note scrawled out in perfectly neat handwriting.

Dear Wyatt,

If you’re reading this, then you finally found yourself a motorcycle where we sent you. Took you long enough. We assume anyway, Equestria is far off from anywhere you could get your hands on one. Still, can’t be much of a Kamen Rider without a ride, but we didn’t want to make it easy on you. Anyway, congrats, and enjoy our little gift.

Signed, Take a guess.

P.S. If you’re lucky, you might get one other gift.

The girls gathered round, curiosity spreading between them. Topics passed their lips, ranging from what exactly he found to why it matched his colors.

Unable to resist the chance at theatrics, Wyatt pulled the throttle, letting the bike roar to life. The sound startled the group minus Tsukiya and caused them to take a step back. Realizing they were supposed to be hiding out, he cut the engine and simply marveled at the bike.

“You are just about the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he muttered, putting a hand near where the top of the gas tank would be. “And I don’t even need a license.”

"Kid, get off the bike," Tsukiya said, his hand planted firmly on his face as he shook his head. "There's no way you know how to ride that thing; you'll kill yourself trying."

Wyatt dismounted, slipping the note in his pocket. Something to talk about later. “I know how to ride a bike. Actually... this would help with that distraction.”

"Oh, a distraction?" Daring's voice questioned, the mare suddenly appearing in front of Wyatt with a duo of belts in hand. "This I gotta hear."

Motioning for them to gather round, Wyatt smiled. “Well then, let me tell you all about it...”

Wyatt raced along the streets on his new motorcycle. He had to fight the urge to go full speed. If his plan was going to work, he couldn't let himself get discovered too soon. His helmet helped conceal his identity, along with the spell Twilight had used to alter his features. Currently, he was sporting blonde hair and tan skin that would look right at home on a stereotypical surfer bro.

With a vague notion of direction, Wyatt headed towards the main road that led out of the city. All around him, he could still hear calls for his head and images of his defeated form filled giant screens a top of buildings. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he put his head down and followed all perceivable traffic laws and signs.

He repeated Riki’s directions to himself, over and over again. Of course, he couldn’t read any of the writing on the street signs. Instead, he relied on landmarks to chart his path. With every turn he kept his silent mantra on repeat. It had the added benefit of keeping his anxieties at bay.

After what felt like an eternity, the long bridge that led out of the city came into view. Wyatt had to stop himself from letting out a sigh of relief; it was too early to think he was out of the woods yet.

“Really need to get riding gear,” he muttered, putting on a bit more speed. Wind generated by his bike whipped around him, lashing at his exposed skin.

Once Wyatt made it to the bridge, he pulled the throttle and put on more speed. Looking forward, he could see that there was some kind of police checkpoint for those looking to exit the city. With his thoughts racing, he quickly scrambled together a backstory for the inevitable questioning he was about to receive.

The line moved slowly, each car giving him a few minutes more to work on his story. He was feeling confident up until he had a cop staring down at him and his stomach twisted itself into a butterfly knot.

Flipping the visor up on his helmet, Wyatt put on a brave face. "Afternoon, officer."

“Afternoon there, son,” the officer greeted, leaning in to get a closer look. “Where are you headed?”

"With the Trickster around, I'm heading back south. Don’t want to be around for another attack," Wyatt answered, reciting his story.

"Lot of folks saying the same thing," the cop said, adjusting the shades on his face. "Traffic's heavy in all directions, so keep your eyes peeled."

Wyatt nodded his head. “Of course, officer.”

With the exchange concluded, the officer motioned Wyatt to move along and set his sights on the next vehicle. Revving his engine, Wyatt resumed his ride, his destination coming closer with each turn of his wheels.

A couple hours passed and Wyatt was out in a rocky, mountainous area with a cave in the distance. A grin spread across his face, his goal in sight. Coming to a stop, he left his bike at the entrance and made his way inside.

His heart was pounding in his chest as he walked into the cave. All around him were signs, the only recognizable symbol among them was Kuuga’s. As much as he had put on a brave face, this wasn’t something he was looking forward to.

Flashes of his fight with Another Agito came to him unbidden, threatening to make his steps falter. Right as the image of Another Agito's last punch seared into his mind, he caught sight of a set of guards. Judging by their uniforms and weapons, they were military. Obviously they took guarding Kuuga's tomb seriously.

Hands moved on their own, summoning and activating his belt. Raising a hand, a pull of the trigger sent a bolt towards the nearest guard.

"Leave now, unless you want this to be your tomb as well," Wyatt warned, a dark edge to his tone. Before the guards could respond, he fired at the weapons on their hips. “I won’t warn you again. Get. Out.”

Several of the soldiers leveled machine guns at him, opening fire. Their bullets plinked off his armor, ricocheting into the surrounding environment. Wyatt stepped forward, staring passively at the soldiers.

"Pathetic," he said, glancing down at the bullets bouncing off him. "I don't even feel this." Shifting his weapon, the blade cut through the still hot metal of their guns.

A few of the soldiers pulled out large shotguns, getting in close and firing. The force was enough to make Wyatt jerk back. Glancing down, his armor was unscathed. Jumping forward, he cleaved through another weapon.

“I told you to run.” Putting the tip of his sword to the nearest man's neck. A bit of pressure broke the skin, a red trickle flowing down the material. "If you value your lives; you'll drop your weapons and leave this cave, or else this will become your tomb as well."

All around him he could see the soldiers faltering, their gaze shifting between him and their comrade. For the threatened soldier's part he was putting on a brave face, though there was fear evident in his eyes.

Weapons were lowered, harsh orders barked. Wyatt retracted his sword, folding his blade back into its booker form. Motioning to the exit, he looked to the one barking orders. “You have five minutes.”

Giving one last glare, the commanding officer marched the team out of the cave. Silence fell over the cave, leaving Wyatt precious few seconds to run through the next phase of his plan.

Rushing over to the gate that led to the tomb proper, he shot the lock off. With that done, he retraced his steps back to the entrance.

“You guys are good to go in,” he spoke softly, careful not to echo.

"Okay, be careful, Wyatt," Twilight's voice chirped. There was a sudden pressure on his shoulder that quickly passed as she and the girls came into view and filed into the cave.

Hopping down to his bike, Wyatt started the engine but made no attempt to move. A fraction of his vision showed Tsukiya sitting against the wall.

Giving a thumbs up, Wyatt could hear something in the distance. A few moments later it became clear that it was an approaching helicopter and he could see it slowly grow. Gripping the handlebars, Wyatt began to count down. When his countdown reached zero, he revved his engine and peeled out away from the cave.

Looking up, Wyatt saw Another Agito hanging out from the side of the copter, along with a man in a white suit who he swore was vaguely familiar. Pulling the throttle, he sped off with the helicopter swerving to follow.

“Come on old man, let's see how much power you really have.”

Wyatt kept up the chase for a while, the copter hot on his tail. A flash of light from some nearby brush gave him his signal. He cut the engine and slid to a stop. He watched the copter slowly descend and land, the blades kicking up dust and sending ripples along the nearby lake shore.

Sliding off his bike, he thumbed through his card case. Anything that could give him even a momentary edge was considered. Liz's card lingered in his hand, a form he hadn't used before. Something his opponent had never seen.

Another Agito hopped off of the helicopter, followed shortly by the man in the white suit. Now that he had a better look, Wyatt had the same sense of vague familiarity, but couldn’t quite place him.

Wyatt made a point to snap his holder shut, even as the helicopter drowned out the sound. "You guys got here quick. I guess I really am infamous in these parts."

The helicopter's engine died, the blades slowing to an eventual halt. The already transformed man slowly approached Wyatt with a quiet determination.

"You are coming with us," The man in the white suit said, a sagarc fixing itself to his waist. Wyatt’s eyes widened, the sense of familiarity suddenly clicking. This man had to be the king of the fangires. "Stand down, or you can get a repeat of what happened in the city."

"You caught me by surprise," Wyatt admitted, slipping the unused card info place. "Made me look like a chump. Let's see how far you can get when I'm not in sucker punching distance."

"Quite a lot of confidence there," Another Agito noted, only about ten feet away from the younger man. "But can you back it up with something besides hot air?"

Wyatt's belt closed, his body in motion. “Displaced Ride: Liz!” Wyatt’s armor shifted, turning black and gold. The helmet was dominated by the eyes, divided up into separate sections to resemble those of a spider. The armor itself was sleek, seeming to sculpt over Wyatt’s body and there were four golden spider legs along his left and right side. The boots had a golden web pattern that ran down the front and ended in solid gold soles.

A fist swung at Another Agito’s chest before Wyatt's body pivoted. Bringing his other arm to bear, a thought brought a shift in his armor. Mechanical parts whirled and chirped, covering his hand in a multi-barreled weapon. Each barrel began to spin, what passed for bullets exploding out of each tube. Another Agito grunted, forced to take a step back under the hail of bullets.

‘Something tells me I’m using this form more often,’ Wyatt thought, a grin hidden beneath his helmet. He glanced at King who seemed to be watching the fight passively for the moment. He had an idea why the fangire was only watching so he returned his attention to Another Agito.

Weaponizing his other arm, Wyatt unleashed a hailstorm of metal at the unarmored man. King reacted quickly, transforming into Saga to avoid the worst of the bullet storm.

"Leave it to a trickster to employ a dirty tactic like that," King stated, brushing off his armor. “Change as much as you wish, it changes nothing.” Striking as a snake, his whip wrapped Wyatt’s arm. Yanking back, he pulled Wyatt off his feet.

The spider legs on Wyatt's sides shot out, burying themselves in the dirt to keep him from getting any closer to the king. Sighing in relief, he let loose another barrage of bullets. Another Agito tried to punch him in the back, but one of the legs rocketed up to stop the blow.

With the help of the extra limbs, Wyatt managed to right himself and free his leg. Whipping around, his fist sailed towards Another Agito's sternum. Quicker reflexes caught Wyatt off guard, his attack countered by a fist driving into his gut.

Clenching his jaw, Wyatt fought to keep the wind from being driven out of his lungs. Sucking in a quick breath, he dropped into a stance and squared up against his opponent. Arm snapping forward, Wyatt's armor shifted again; forming a glowing axe blade in place of his hand. Testing the weight of his axe, he eyed Another Agito for any openings. Rushing forward, Wyatt slashed at the other Rider's knees.

He grimaced, Another Agito grabbing and guiding his axe into the ground. A sound of thunder broke the air, engulfing his back in pain. Each thunder cry coincided with Saga's whip striking his back.

Despite the pain, Wyatt was grinning beneath his helmet. His two opponents didn't even seem remotely curious why he was at the tomb.

"Man, is Dai-Shocker not paying you guys enough?" Wyatt teased, keeping himself on his feet. "Because it really seems like you're not tryin-" his world turned white, a heavy blow rocking his head to the side.

Another Agito grabbed Wyatt's helmet, his arm drawn back. "Where are your companions?"

"I dunno, got separated from them," Wyatt lied. "Could be anywhere." A second blow sprawled him on his back. "Hitting me won't jog a memory I don't have."

Another Agito growled, hauling Wyatt up by his neck. "It seems the rumors of your running mouth didn't do you justice." Cocking his fist back, he prepared for another strike. "But it's past the point of charm, now stop lying."

A stone tumbled across Another Agito's feet, plinking off his armor. "You know, identity theft is a crime," Tsukiya spoke, holding another rock. "Or is that sort of thing allowed under your watch?"

“Oh hey, there’s one of my friends,” Wyatt chirped, using the spider legs to pry himself free. “Hey Tsukiya, we’re friends, right?!”

Staying a reasonable distance away, Tsukiya weighed the rock in his hand. “I can put a hole in your plan the size of a semi-truck. But by all means, keep beating him if it pleases you so much.”

"So, the real Agito shows his face," King said, turning to face the newcomer. "And how exactly do you expect to put a hole in our plan?"

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Tsukiya asked, spreading his arms out.

"Something that can be remedied," King dismissed, taking a step towards Tsukiya.

Tsukiya cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You’re challenging someone with centuries of experience over you? That normally doesn’t end well.”

"And how much of that experience is with something other than common cutthroats and rabble?" King retorted, swinging his whip. The tip struck Tsukiya on the cheek, staining it in blood.

Tentatively touching his cheek, Tsukiya sucked in a gasp of air. His body tensed at the sight of his blood drenched fingers. Pulling a sword from his belt, Tsukiya swept the blade across the dirt, spraying his opponent in dirt.

"Cute," King deadpanned, darting forward to stab at Tsukiya.

Sword moving down, Tsukiya batted King’s sword to the side. With a step, he smashed the pommel of his sword into King’s helmet. An adrenaline high spread across his body, heartbeat hammering away in his ears.

King recovered quickly, the back of his fist swinging into Tsukiya’s jaw. “Are you so eager to die that you won’t even transform?”

Tsukiya massaged his jaw, eyes now a deep red. “And what makes you think I need to?”

“Because that blow you managed to land? I barely felt it,” King answered, his sword turning to a whip once more and lashing at Tsukiya. It caught around Tsukiya’s blade, which was already moving.

Tsukiya slashed diagonally, his sword cutting across King’s chest. His motion tore Kings weapon from his hand, dangling uselessly. Pressing the attack, he struck his opposing rider repeatedly, showering them both in sparks. One of King’s hands shot forward, hauling Tsukiya up by his neck. With his other hand, he repeatedly punched the unarmored man in the stomach and chest.

Wyatt cringed beneath his helmet. He dared a glance into open space, wondering what Daring would think seeing her father in such a position. Whatever Tsukiya was doing, it didn’t seem to be working the way he planned. He didn’t have time to think on it for long though, as Another Agito took another swing at him. Deflecting the blow with one hand, Wyatt countered with a swing of his axe.

“I thought we were asking questions!?” Wyatt hissed, brandishing the axe in front of him.

"You're clearly not in the mood to tell the truth yet," the older man countered, placing a hand over his wound. "But, I'll enjoy getting you to stop your annoying prattle." Spinning on his heel, he tried to kick Wyatt in the gut.

Jumping back, Wyatt chopped down on Another Agito’s leg. “Then why don’t you do all the talking? Break down your illuminati scheme for me.”

"You don't need to know Dai-Shocker's plan, just that Somber expects you to have a part in it." The other Rider's leg tensed, seeming to be downplaying his pain.

Wyatt waved his axe disapprovingly. “Come on, there has to be a reason your stealing my buds identity. It won’t kill you to share some details.”

"You clearly haven't seen what happened to those who betray Somber," the other Rider relayed. "You get to know what he wants you to know." Straightening himself out, he glanced off to the side. "But perhaps an analogy is in order. Imagine Linto as a giant pasture full of cattle."

“Okay... go on.”

The older Rider chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on, use your head. What happens to cattle? I trust you're smart enough to be able to understand that much."

Wyatt blanched, the implications fully hitting him. “And you’re okay with that? Or are you some kind of misanthropic asshole?”

“Why should I care?” Another Agito retorted with a derisive snort. “They’re just humans. My power is proof that I’m beyond them.”

“Proof?” Tsukiya coughed out. King had thrown him into the dirt and gone to retrieve his weapon. “You don’t even understand what you have. You’re a twisted mockery of what an agito is.”

“Are you really one to judge?” Another Agito pressed, glancing over his shoulder. “Because you chose the life of a wanderer, Dai-Shocker was free to come in and do as it pleased. The Linto forgot your face, and were desperate for a guiding figure.”

Standing once more, Tsukiya felt a sun ignite in his chest. “Don’t you dare use my grief to justify this shit.” Cracks spread out across his face, leading out from his cheek. “You had a choice and you let them twist you.”

Wyatt watched Tsukiya with interest, having to suppress a laugh. The cracks continued to spread along Tsukiya’s body, converging down towards his driver.

“I am Agito!” Tsukiya shouted, the cracks igniting with red hot fury. “I am the evolution of infinite possibilities!”

Tysukiya disappeared, his form consumed by a towering inferno. When the flames died down, he was standing in his armor, only instead of gold it was red and black. The armor pulsed, hot fire coursing through it like blood. The chest plate bulged outward, giving it a constricted appearance.

“And you won’t keep my brother from me.”

Wyatt had to fight the urge to facepalm. He'd need to bust the older man's balls over that one later. In the meantime, his arm shifted back into the multi-barreled weapon and opened fire on King just as he retrieved his sword. The fangire grunted, bracing himself against the hail of metal. Two of the legs at his sides shifted and opened, revealing gun barrels of their own that added to the bullet storm.

With his arm held up defensively, King slowly approached Wyatt and tried to close the distance between them. “Melodramatic speeches won’t sway our wrath, boy.”

"Hey, for once I'm not the one making a speech," Wyatt retorted, his other hand shifting into an axe as King steadily moved forward. "Right now, I'm just content to kick your ass." His blade dug into King’s forearm, cracking the armor.

Lashing back, King's sword buried itself into Wyatt's side. Adrenaline kept Wyatt from feeling the worst of it, leaving him to only hope the damage was negligible while two of the spider legs grabbed King's wrist to lock him in place.

With a manic grin, Wyatt grabbed a card out of his belt. "I have no idea what this will do, wanna find out together?"

Flicking his wrist, the card slotted itself into his Driver. "Final Attack Ride: L-L-L-Liz!"

All of the spider legs minus the two holding King shifted, opening up and glowing with energy. Wyatt's arms shifted as well, glowing with similar energy. The energy built for several moments, an ominous sound filling the air before a bright flash of light erupted from the barrels and swallowed up the two combatants.

When the dust settled, large swaths of the earth were torn up, and both Riders were laying on the ground out of their armor. After a long moment of silence, Wyatt managed to pull himself to one knee, his face smudged with black soot and his body red with fresh burns. Panting with exertion, he watched King’s fallen body with apprehension. If his opponent really was a fangire, why hadn’t the body shattered yet?

Twitching his hand, he summoned his sword. King wasn’t leaving this place alive. Crawling over with his sword acting as a walking stick, he eyed the fallen fangire with narrowed eyes. “We’re not cattle, asshole.” Lifting his arms, he stabbed down into King’s neck.

Cracks formed in King's skin the pigment shifting to take on the appearance of stained glass. In an instant, his body shattered, the remains scattering with the breeze. Sagarc floated from the monarch’s remains, chittering at Wyatt in its strange tongue. It zipped off, leaving him to bask in his victory.

With his part over, Wyatt collapsed face first onto the ground with the adrenaline ebbing out of his body.

Super Fighting Robot

Author's Note

This chapter is a crossover with QuartzScale and his story Replicated Wanderer

Super Fighting Robot

Chrysalis' funeral had been a lengthy affair. Changeling funerary rites were exacting, each step needing to be meticulously performed to precise detail. The entire experience lasted the better portion of the day, and ended when Chrysalis’s body was committed to the royal burial chamber.

The wake was held in the changeling throne room, the otherwise spartan chamber decorated with remembrances of the fallen queen. Many ponies mingled with the changeling population, a good chunk being G-project employees. Both princesses were present, speaking with a few higher ranked changelings.

Spike navigated through the throng of grieving, and still very disoriented changelings, scanning over their heads. Standing above the shifting sea of colors were the distinct orange antlers of his friend, Thorax.

"Hi, Thorax," Spike greeted, getting the changeling's attention. "How are you holding up?"

Thorax nearly jumped, his eyes as wide as saucers. They relaxed, as did Thorax as a whole. “Spike!” Wrapping his arms around the drake, he pulled him off his feet. “I’m so happy you're here! Things have just gotten...” he trailed off, his gaze on the floor.

"Insane?" Spike offered, patting his friend's back. A beat passed and then another, still held in Thorax’s grasp. “Uh..., Thorax, could you put me down?”

Blushing, Thorax dropped the drake and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, just kinda needed that. Being the new king and organizing this funeral, it's taken its toll." Gesturing to himself, Thorax’s words rushed in a jumbled heap. “I mean, I’m twice the height I used to be. I don’t need to eat love anymore. I have these... things on my head! Some lings don’t want to change! And... and... everyone expects me to be just like Chrysalis!”

"Whoa, easy there." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out one of the paper bags he kept on hand for when Twi had one of her fits. "Breathe into this. Now, you know you can't be like Chrysalis. But what you can be is a leader your own way."

Thorax almost snatched the bag from Spike, almost hyperventilating into it. “H-how am I supposed to lead!? I was just interning at the Mayor’s office. I don’t know how to lead a nation!”

"Do what comes naturally, she clearly believed in you. Hay, I believe in you too." Spike pat his back, motioning for him to breathe. “I don’t think she picked the wrong changeling. Not a single degree of doubt in my mind.”

"Hearing you say that really makes me want to believe it." Thorax let the ghost of a smile cross his muzzle, the bag dropping to his side. “Even if I did turn into a bug moose.”

"I think the antlers are cool," Spike offered. "Think of all the ways you could decorate them. Think about it, you could hang tinsel from it during Hearth's Warming. You’d be a walking symbol.”

Thorax chuckled, putting a hand to an antler. "That does sound festive. And maybe I can talk to Rarity about accessories for the rest of the year, I do need more things to go with lime green in my wardrobe now anyway."

“That’s the right outlook,” Spike encouraged, looking up at him. “And if things get too overwhelming you can always talk to me. I know Celestia and Luna will be there to help out too. And Wyatt.”

"Thanks, Spike," Thorax said, letting out a deep sigh. "I'll probably be talking to them a lot. I’ll try not to bother you too much. You already have a lot to worry about.”

"What are friends for?" Spike retorted, a smile on his face. "I can always make time for you."

Despite the setting, a relaxed air fell between the two friends. Even though there were lingering doubts for the new monarch, there was a hint of confidence to his body language.

Sunny Flare zipped up her boots, giving the laces a hard tug. Pleased with her handywork, she addressed the rest of the Shadowbolts. Pre-mission adrenaline pumped through her body, carrying the usual combat enhancements.

“You all about done?” she questioned, scanning over each of them. “The faster we get this done, the faster we can get that R&R Midnight promised.”

“Oh yeah,” Lemon agreed, her hand fastening a belt of supplies to her waist. “We’ll finish this in record time and hit up the best beaches in the multiverse!” Looking over her shoulder, she glanced at Sugarcoat. “Do you have the target’s profile?”

“If you paid attention, you’d remember I already told you,” came Sugarcoat’s curt response. “We’re looking for Goring Corundum, some type of umbrum offshoot.”

“So hard to kill and crystal fetish, got it,” Lemon said with a thumbs up.

Indigo cracked her knuckles, a grin cracking her face. “That profile got me pumped! Here’s hoping we run into that Mega Twerp. Boss Lady would cream her pants if we brought her a robot like that.”

“It’s adaptation abilities certainly would make for a good research subject for her,” Sugarcoat agreed, looking down at her tablet.

“Not to mention all the weapons we could use for ourselves!” Lemon cheered, high-fiving Indigo.

Sunny rolled her eyes. “Just make sure you do your jobs.” Motioning for them to gather around, she opened the ripple. “Boss wants him alive and not dying. Surround and contain. Move out.”

Motioning with her hand, Sunny and her fellow Shadowbolts filed through the ripple on a direct course to their target. The cold breath of winter clawed at their bodies, desperately trying to leech the warmth from their bodies. Unfortunately for nature, they were beyond such concerns.

Visibility on the other hand was still among their concerns, something the blizzard conditions greatly cut into. Fanning out, they began the search for the umbrum. A sharp whistle cut through the howling winds, drawing attention to the approaching black shape.

The group fanned out, quickly surrounding what they assumed was their target.

Corundum forced himself through the snow. It had built up sticking to his legs as black ichor dripped from his mouth. Even with the amount of damage Hurricane and X had done to him, it wasn’t enough to fully destroy his body. Focus on his crystal allowed him to keep his form even as his internal organs were slowly losing form and turning his body fully into an Umbrum.

It had taken all his focus to keep going… only to feel hatred radiating off of figures that seemed to be surrounding him. It tasted… delicious! The sheer hatred born in a living being’s heart was a palpable salve for his soul… quite literally since he was certain that was all he was at this point.

The first one that came into view, however, disappointed him completely. It was like a pony… only bipedal and with a stupid looking face. Similar colors, in fact, but aside from that they still reeked partially of flesh sack syndrome.

“Great… filthy bipedal freaks…’ Corundum hissed under his breath keeping his words down. He didn’t want to waste too much energy he could better utilize to keep his form solid.

“We've got an offer for you,” Sunny spoke, projecting her voice over the wind. “You either come with us or the tincan gets you, it’s not that hard of a decision.”

“Fine… weird harlot… lead the Faust damn way.” Corundum growled out as he coughed out some more black slime that had been leaking from his throat.

“We are gonna have to ask the boss to take care of that for you,” Indigo commented, retching at the display. “I do not want to see that any longer than I need to.”

“Need… hatred… “ Corundum gurgled as the crystal on his neck glowed slightly as more fractures appeared on them. “Need it… quickly… “

“I think we can arrange something,” Sugar said as an unknown energy signature appeared. “Now, take a step through this distortion.”

“Corundum! Get back here!” A metallic figure dashed in through the snow, their glowing arm aimed directly for Corundum as he stepped through the ripple. He fired the shot, the energy causing the ripple to expand and contract strangely.

“Oh look, metal Pinocchio showed up,” Lemon spoke up, standing next to the distortion. She glanced back, watching as the tear continued to twist and contort. “Our little bonus gift to the boss saved us the trouble of hunting him down. Whatcha think, Sour?"

“I think we’ll get a raise if we bring her a shiny new toy,” Sour noted, summoning her bow. “Just remember to keep him intact girls.” Taking aim, she fired a few energy bolts at his chest.

The metal figure quickly rolled into the snow to escape the shots and switched colors, glowing once more as he did so. He quickly jumped back into the air only to throw out several blocks of gel like ice around him. As soon as he hit the ground he switched colors once more.

Sour aimed her bow at the ice, firing a few shots at it to test what would happen. The arrow sunk into the block of ice and lost all momentum as soon as it went straight through it.

“Alright, so the ice isn’t normal,” Sour noted. “Girls, don’t touch it. Something tells me it does more than dampen momentum.”

Firing off a large cyclone from his hand, X sent a wave of ice and the slush towards the girls closest to the portal which Corundum had gone through. He dashed forward ready to tank whatever they tried to do, switching over colors once again, glowing as he did so.

“Wow, he really thinks he can take us,” Lemon laughed, cracking her knuckles. “Must have a circuit broken. I mean really, you think you can take down the Shadowbolts?”

“Whore Squad. Got it, understood and in the vault,” X muttered, sounding completely uninterested in any of them.

Sour split her bow into two hand sickles and jumped in front of him. “You’re not getting through, rust bucket.” She slashed at his chest in a V pattern.

X released several walls of electricity around him as the sickles touched his chest causing him to flinch back but sending most of the electricity into the girl. Switching over colors and charging up he blasted away at random with regular shots. There were small nicks in his chest from where the sickles had touched but the sudden surge from his weapon sent her flying off elsewhere.

Lemon summoned a heavy looking handgun into her hand and fired it at him. “Whoa, look at you with all those weapons. Boss lady’s gonna love figuring out what makes you tick.”

Releasing his charge again, X turned intangible and immediately charged forward towards Lemon. As she kept firing he got close enough that when the intangibility ended he grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward hitting her gut as hard as he was capable of doing without killing her then fired several buster shots into her.

He wrapped his arm around Lemon crushing her arms against her torso… hard enough to keep her trapped but not hard enough to crush her ribs and charged up a fully powered buster shot aimed directly against her head. “Stop or else.”

“Too bad for you, I ain’t a normal girl.” Lemon slammed her head back into X's, disrupting his vision. Prying herself from his grasp, she grabbed X’s arm and tossed him over her shoulder and into the snow.

“Good to know,” X stated, his arm was still aimed at her. He fired up into her crotch, sending her to the ground. He unleashed the slushed ice along the ground towards the targets and immediately rolled towards the tear.

Sugar summoned a hand axe and jumped towards X. She brought the axe over her head and slammed it down towards his body forcing him to grab the axe… she just stared down at him. Her eyes were kind of dead… or something. She adjusted her axe, causing it to look like a gun. This was immediately confirmed by her opening fire on X.

X kicked her away as the shots scratched against his helmet tearing through it revealing a head of hair underneath. He switched over to another color and started to glow once again.

“Get up, Lemon,” Sour commanded, glaring at Lemon. “Get up! You can worry if you can still have kids later.”

“Still working on getting feeling back in my legs,” Lemon wheezed, rolling over onto all fours. With a heave of effort, she returned to her feet. “I think we should stop playing with him and use the Konami Code maneuver to finish this.”

The tear was still in sight and he dashed for it seemingly ignoring the group.

“We’re not done with you!” Sour shouted, firing off a few more arrows at his back. “Don’t just stand there you idiots! Shoot him!” The others didn’t need to be told twice and let loose a hail of energy shots at X.

A shield activated as the energy shots hit it bouncing off helplessly and dissipating. It didn’t mean that the shield was perfectly stopping the shots. The bolts were causing fractures to spider web through the shield. It was still enough to get close enough to the tear as he jumped into it. The sudden energy shift tore the shield apart as X disappeared into the tear.

Wyatt hummed to himself, a shopping list in hand. His spirits were high with the promise of Spike making fudge with some of what he needed to buy. He would’ve asked Twilight to join him, but she had gotten in one of her study frenzies trying to translate the Linto script.

“Morning, Carrot Top,” he greeted, stepping up to the vegetable stall. “Got anything exceptional today?”

“The zucchini turned out really fresh,” the mare in question answered, holding up the green veggie. “Plus I’ve got a new red onion crossbreed that I need taste testers for. I’d do it myself, but I’m biased for my little veggie baby.”

“I’ll take both,” Wyatt said, opening his bit pouch. “How much?”

“The onions will be free since they’re not for sale yet,” Carrot answered, bagging up two of the deep purple onions. “In return you give me a completely honest critique of them. And for the zucchini, I’ll go two for three bits. How’s that sound?”

“That’s a steal.” Wyatt slid the bits over and took the bag. “Thanks, Carrot. I’ll let you know how the onions turn out.”

“Say hello to Twilight and Spike for me,” Carrot said with a smile, waving him off.

“Will do!” Wyatt called back, continuing on his trek. He took a moment to look at his list, checking off what he’d already bought. “Okay... that’s about half done...” He stopped, his gaze turned towards the left. There was something stumbling down the street, barely able to stand on its own power.

“H-help… m-me…” A voice called out before flopping on the ground. Black ichor dripped from their now open mouth.

Wyatt rushed over, kneeling down besides the pony. Adjusting his groceries, he helped the poor stallion up and finally caught sight of the ichor. "Careful there buddy, I'll get you to someone that can help with that."

“It’s… coming…” He said before losing consciousness coughing out a bit of the ichor accidentally hitting Wyatt’s shirt.

Fighting the urge to retch, Wyatt bent down and put the mystery stallion on his back in a fireman's carry. "Help this guy now, dry clean later," he muttered, making his way to the library.

Ponies began to whisper as Wyatt moved through the streets, their stares following after him. Luckily, the stallion wasn't overly heavy, but the trip was still more than twice as long than it normally was.

Throwing open the door he called out, "Twi! I need your help! Got a pony that looks like he's been hit by dark magic! He uh, also has four legs!”

There was no response at first before Twilight popped into existence in front of him. Her eyes bulged out the instant she properly took in the scene. "Put him on the couch, carefully." Her magic worked in overdrive, conjuring a more appropriate attire for her and Wyatt.

"Wish you'd have used that spell on me like ten minutes ago," he commented, moving to get rags and towels while she worked.

“This dark magic poisoning is far worse than what Shining and Spearhead had.” Twilight brought out a few devices, waving over the stallion's body.

“Think you can do something about it, Twi?” Wyatt questioned, beginning to clean up the stallion as best as he could.

“Please… you must hurry… it’s… it’s coming soon… those damn monsters sent a golem after me.” Corundum’s sly voice coughed out selling the facade.

“A golem, what kind of golem?” Wyatt asked, watching Twilight’s horn as it lit up. “We can’t help you if you don’t give details.”

“A blue… golem. It shot fire from its hand. It created typhoons out of nowhere. It released domes of lightning!” Corundum coughed out releasing a large pool of ichor in his excitement. “He’s trying to wipe ponies out. Kill us all!”

Twilight and Wyatt shared a look, digesting what had just been said.

"You're safe here," Twilight assured, cutting off her magic. “Nothing can hurt you in our library.”

“Liar.” Corundum let out a growl… letting fear and anguish take over. Peering from shadow to shadow in a vain attempt to keep the monsters away.

"Calm down," Wyatt said, trying to get the stallion to settle on the couch. "You can't let the dark magic influence you."

“You can’t save me.” Corundum let out before peering down at the floor.

"You'd be surprised what we can do," Twilight chirped, offering a smile. "We have means of purifying somepony in a situation like yours."

“Worthless.” Corundum growled out as the rage once again shined about his face… before breaking out into a retching cough leaving a larger pool of ichor on the ground. “You can’t protect me from the golem.”

"Don't count us out, protecting people is what we do," Wyatt retorted, putting a hand to his chest. "We can handle some golem."

The door was shot open with a large burst of plasma. Corundum saw the golem and instantly sneered before turning back to his sniveling form once more.

“Aiyee! He’s here… protect me before it’s too late!” Corundum screamed before coughing up a load of black slime which also had him dodge the charged shot that was fired at his head.

“Holy shit, an evil Mega Man!” Wyatt shouted, slapping his driver to his waist. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Ignoring Wyatt, X immediately dashed in, knocking him to the side as he shoved his buster into Corundum’s face.

“Bind, please!” Before X could react to the odd voice, chains appeared from out of nowhere and wrapped around his body.

X looked at the chains, quickly struggling and his body changing color.

“Okay, Evil Mega Man, just chill for a second will ya?” Wyatt asked, stepping over. “Don’t go all T-1000 on us.”

The chains were pulled out from wherever they were coming from snapping them off as X grabbed Corundum with his free hand gripping him by his neck forcing him to struggle.

“Okay, that’s it.” Conjuring his card case, Wyatt opened it up and pulled a card out. “You wanna go Terminator, I can fix that.” Opening his belt, he slipped it in and closed it.

‘Kamen Ride: Decade!’

X glanced at the man before ignoring him and looked back at Corundum. His buster began glowing as he readied against Corundum’s head. Corundum didn’t cry or beg for mercy.

“Land, please!” the odd voice from before called out. Some drum music started to play and the word “don” was chanted rhythmically as a black gloved fist clocked X in the side of the head.

X was sent flying out the window with his hand still gripped around Corundum’s neck. The buster shot went flying wildly creating a large hole through the entirety of the tree, revealing the outside world.

“Looks like we’re staying in a hotel for a bit,”Twilight said, groaning at the sight of the library. “That can’t be good for the tree.”

Ignoring the constant transformations and focusing on Corundum, who was struggling even worse against his grip, X turned his buster toward him once again. He charged up and backpedaled slightly to keep them from charging in to stop this. Wyatt was wielding a sword against X and Twilight seemed to be evaluating him on some level.

“Who the hay shot a hole in the house?!” Spike shouted, sticking his head into view. “Oh come on! Can’t monsters at least respect the notion of home!?”

“Technically I made the hole, Spike,” Twilight said, turning her attention to the dragon. “I thought that was easier than risking a drawn out fight around the books.”

“Fair enough,” Spike replied, poking his head back inside. “You two hold him off, I’ll be down as soon as I’m changed.”

“You… are… the worst… heroes… being strangled… rragh… here!” Corundum shouted out, clearly losing his cool as X’s buster finally charged up and was pushed into his face.

Wyatt unfolded his card case into a sword and slotted a card into his belt. “Attack Ride: Slash!” With a slice of his blade, he sent a thin energy wave at the wrist that was strangling Corundum.

Corundum fell out of X’s grasp and scurried back over to the strange armored people. The wild shots at his legs missed as he used his umbrum abilities to turn his legs to smokey shadows at intermittent times. Wyatt and Twilight didn’t seem to notice as they focused on the robot that had attacked them.

“God damn it all,“ X uttered before switching colors once more.

“Looks like our new friend can change his abilities on the fly too,” Twilight said, tapping a hand to her belt.

“Connect, please!” A small magic circle appeared at her side and she pushed her hand into it. When she retracted to it, an odd, silver sword was in her grasp.

“Corundum… you know how this will end.” X stated calmly, looking him straight in the eye. “Decade, if you are a hero you will stand aside.”

“Give me one good reason why I should.” Wyatt pulled out another card and slotted it into his belt.

“Depends on which story that monster told you. There are quite a few that he could come up with based on how he acts. Or didn’t you notice how he has been acting since I showed up?” X said as Corundum rushed into the tree.

“He has been less scared and more… angry,” Twilight noted, lowering her sword slightly.

“He lies!” Corundum shouted from the shadow of the inner dwellings of the tree. “He killed the Mi Amore Family in cold blood! All slaughtered at his feet… a soulless golem who thinks nothing of mortal life!” Corundum yelled before falling into a coughing panic spitting up several globs of black slime.

“If he thought nothing of mortal lives, he’d have shot us with that buster of his while we were distracted just now,” Wyatt said, turning to the treehouse. “And I happen to know that Megaman X is a hero under normal circumstances.”

“Yes! You know what he is! You know that he isn’t doing what he normally does, don’t you!? Is my life meaningless so long as you meet your memories in physical form,” Corundum shot back, folding his ears down looking about ready to cry as more black slime came out of his mouth.

“No life is meaningless,” Wyatt retorted, walking up to the door. “But I’m starting to think something’s rotten in the state of Denmark.”

“I don’t have time for this.” X dashed in knocking Wyatt aside as he fired down on Corundum’s head who rolled to the side. The next shot he fired glowed a deep red, causing the dirt to turn into molten slag. “Stop running!”

“I can help,” Twilight said, taking off one of her rings and replacing it.

“Bind, please! A yellow magic circle appeared beneath Corundum, only instead of chains, lines of rock appeared and wrapped around his body.

“Heh… stupid heroes. Always believing things without the smallest basis of proof. Typical idiot hero, isn’t it?” Corundum grinned as his flesh melted off his face turning into black inky smoke and tearing its way out of the tree trying to bring the tree down on everyone. “Buck you all!”

“That looks like proof to me!” Wyatt shouted, removing the one card from his belt before quickly slotting in another one.

“Attack Ride: Illusion!” grey silhouettes appeared before four copies of Wyatt solidified into existence. Each of them grabbed the trunk of the tree, keeping it from falling.

“Wizard, go with X and chase down Corundum!” Wyatt ordered, strain obvious in his voice. “I’ll do what I can about the library.”

“God damn it! God damn it! Mass Murderer and Near Genocider on the loose!” X dashed off not even waiting for anyone else. A monster on the loose that would kill without prejudice. As long as he killed, it wouldn’t matter whom he did.

Corundum soared through the air revealing his mantis-like shadow claws though most of his inky flesh was torn and bleeding black slime. He was looking for a way to keep going and things would get worse and worse by the second.

Twilight took off her yellow ring and switched it for a green one. “Hurricane, please!” She ran through a green magic circle and her outfit shifted. Once the circle faded she summoned a whirlwind beneath her and took to the skies after Corundum.

“X! Just what is Corundum?” Twilight asked, glancing down at X. “That kind of magic, is he something like King Sombra?”

“Who’s that? Forget it, no time. Umbrum, creature of shadow that feeds on hate. Orders from Commander Hurricane and Star Swirl to deal with him. No questions, just move.” X cut off the weird mare, who hitched in place when Commander Hurricane and Star Swirl were mentioned.

“Then he’s exactly like Sombra!” Twilight said. “King Sombra was an Umbrum who took over the Crystal Empire a thousand years ago. He petrified and shattered Princess Amore and turned the Empire against Equestria. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna managed to seal him away but he cursed the Empire to vanish until his return.”

“Really…? You’re doing this now when you have a monster that enjoys violating ponies by forcing crystals to grow in their bodies rupturing them from the inside out and turning them into golems just because he thinks that they are the next step in evolution. Really? This is the best time to talk about history? Focus on that and when we are done we can talk about anything you want within reason.”

“You didn’t let me finish!” she chided. “I bring it up because Sombra is here.” Glancing around she added. “Just keep an eye out for a pink filly and a grey foal!”

“Less talking, more chasing,” X shouted back as Corundum started to charge up magic off in the distance.

Twilight pushed herself forward, the whirlwind under her getting stronger.

Corundum wasted no time charging up whatever magic he could firing everywhere in Ponyville. The laser beams he fired were not as strong as they could be but they managed to burn through several of the buildings. They didn’t burst into flames but they did disintegrate whatever they hit. By sheer chance the ponies were getting out of the way dodging the beams and managing to get out of town.

A large thin beam of plasma shot out trying to strike at Corundum. He dodged out of the way firing beams of magic back as they traded blows weaving out of the way of each other's shots.

Corundum attempted to charge up a large shot which left him wide open and allowed X to shoot him in the gut sending him spiraling down into the town.

“Wizard! Did you see where he fell!?” X cried out as she came over to look for his trajectory.

“Yes!” Twilight shouted back, altering her course. “Follow me, I think we can finish this monster off!”

Corundum wasted no time and ignored the two, shooting the thin beam through several houses and slicing them in half. The energy had finally reached critical mass as the ground exploded in a hail of fire and slag. He turned to the mares grinning with his nearly rotten smile as black slime poured down from it staining the ground. Then he flew off continuing his rampage willingly taking on hits so long as he destroyed everything he could. The crystal on his neck started to fracture raining pieces down as his form started to falter.

Corundum looked down at the weird armored figure and pointed his jaw upwards. Magic formed above it as it started to rain magical energy beams of death. Using the distraction he soared away while the cries of ponies rang out amongst the town.

X caught Corrodum with a buster shot, sending him into a crowd of fleeing ponies. Corundum knocked the blade out of his gut, taking stock of the ponies around him, and deciding to help himself to a meat shield.

His eyes lit up when he saw a grey unicorn colt leading a pink earth pony filly by the hand away from the destruction. Knocking the colt aside with the blunt end of his left mantis claw grabbing the filly with his right claw.

“Let her go!” Sombra shouted, unleashing a torrent of flame onto the rotting pony. His flames passed over Diamond, like water off a duck.

“Do it again. Do it again! It tickles.” Corundum growled out maliciously licking his lips as he stared down his prey. “Don’t worry though, I’ll return her soon enough. Maybe after I flay her open like a flesh suit? Foals enjoy playing with organs don’t they?” Corundum took off to the skies holding on to the pony and laughing the entire way

“No! Leave her alone!” the colt shouted, firing off a few bolts of magic. After a few shots, only sparks came out and he fell to his knees.

“Damn it, Damn it, Damn it!” X shouted as we passed through the ruined town stopping in front of a colt collapsed on the ground. “Hey! Wizard! This the one?”

“Yes! That’s Sombra!” Twilight landed in front of the colt and helped him up. “Sombra, did he hurt you?” she asked, stroking his mane.

“He took Di!” Sombra latched onto her, holding back a sob. “I-I couldn’t save her!”

Twilight stood up, showing off her ring. “Don’t worry, that’s what us heroes are for. You just get to safety.”

I wasted no time and took off into the air using the Falcon Armor to chase after the departing Umbrum. Thanks to my internal power source I could keep flying without the limitations that were in place in game. I charged up my buster aiming for the shoulder that wasn’t holding onto the filly.

“I’m not scared of you!” the filly shouted, giving Corundum a glare. “The riders are gonna turn you into dust, just like all the other monsters!”

“Good… And you’ll make a decent flesh suit after I rip you to shreds. A good harvest.” Corundum answered without breaking the twisted grin on his face… while black slime leaked almost incessantly. Before he could say anymore a large buster shot tore through the left mantis claw tearing it off of its body. Corundum fell down back to the ground tearing through the earth as he nearly lost his grip instead tightening it before the filly could escape.

“Connect, please!” A green magic circle appeared next to the filly and a moment later a hand shot out of it and grabbed the filly. With a heave, it wrenched the filly free and pulled her through the magic circle.

“Nopony’s becoming a flesh suit on my watch,” Wizard said, the filly at her side. “Di, get back to the library and tell OOO to use the pink set, okay?”

Corundum looked at the weird armored figure and spat out gallons and gallons of black slime out of his maw. The black slime started to move on it’s own grabbing Wizard sinking into her legs piercing them as the slime hardened. Several magical spheres appeared over his body and shot out, cutting off the pink filly and striking X out of the air into one of the buildings.

“Okay, I think you need to visit a dentist,” Wizard joked through clenched teeth as she switched to Land form. “But lucky for you, I have a drill in my bag of tricks.”

“Drill, please!” A magic circle appeared beneath her and her legs started to spin like a drill. A moment later, she disappeared beneath the earth, kicking up dirt as she did. Before Corundum or X could wonder where she went, a hole appeared beneath the umbrum. Twilight leapt out, her blade cutting across his failing flesh.

Letting the cut occur the slime that emanated out from the wound shot out grabbing Wizard’s arms and legs with the largest wrapping around her throat. Figuring out that she was in front of him now he slammed her head first into the ground over and over again dragging it through several times until he launched her through the nearest building still covered in slime and stuck against the wall. X finally got up noticing her near me.

“So… got anything to distract him?” X muttered as he switched to another weapon.

“If I could move, then maybe,” she said, struggling against the slime that kept her pinned to the building. “Ugh, I feel like bad modern art right now.”

“Fireproof?” X looked to her and aimed his buster up, waiting for the signal.

“I do have dragon essence in me, that might offer me some resistance to fire,” she answered, starting to trail off as if to think. “Actually, I’ve never hurt myself when breathing fire, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Well… one life to live. This’ll be interesting.” X released the flame and saturated her entire body to melt the slime off. It turned slowly to ash and Wizard thumped down on the ground on her back. “You can rest when you’re dead.” Then the scream of a little filly called out from beyond the building.

“Di!” Twilight shouted, forcing herself to her hooves. Retrieving her dropped sword, she dashed off to the source of the scream.

The slime had formed enough to grab the filly as Corundum affixed one eye on Wizard and X
while the other focused on Di, as she was called. The mantis claw slid into place near the filly ready to strike and Corundum started to speak.

“Pretty filly getting skinned, speak any words will bring her end.” He focused on Wizard especially. “Same goes for weaponry… X… “ Corundum hissed out barely masking his rage as all the slime bubbled. “If you want her back though… well I could be persuaded…”

“Get off me!” Di growled, breathing fire onto Corundum. Though, much like her cousin, it didn’t seem to affect him much. Her flame lasted for only a few fleeting moments, before she exhausted herself.

Wizard’s weapon trembled in her hand as she looked between the filly and the umbrum. “What do you want?” she hissed, staring at the umbrum.

“Heh… heh heh ha ha… X… allow her to stab your power core and I will walk away without consequence. The pony will go free and I will die.” Corundum stated, drawing the claw along Di’s belly. “Unless you’d rather explain to others how you let ponies die needlessly.”

“You want me to trade one life for another?” Wizard questioned, taken aback by the idea.

“How good are you at catching, Wizard?” X muttered toward Twilight as his armor turned a deeper purple color.

“Pretty decent given my Rider powers, why?” Twilight muttered back, keeping her head facing Corundum.

“Good to know.” X raised his buster as Corundum raised his mantis claw.

Within the blink of an eye X threw Di over towards Twilight as the effect fell and the mantis claw immediately tore into his gut and raised the reploid into the air. Sparks rained down from his wound, much like blood gushing forth..

Twilight managed to catch the filly, quickly setting her down on the ground. “That was your big idea?!” she shrieked; her gaze locked onto the hole in X’s stomach.

“That was part one. I was hoping you would have attacked him and stopped him while the claw was still in my gut,” X deadpanned as he turned back to Corundum firing several buster shots into his body.

Twilight grabbed one more ring off her belt and slid it onto her finger. “Kick Strike!” Leaping into the air, she positioned herself to perform a dropkick on Corundum. A large, yellow magic circle formed beneath her foot and crashed along with her directly into Corundum’s face.

Corundum screamed as the magic in the kick pierced through his core destroying his body as the black slime and shadows turned to ash and dissipated leaving behind a large fractured red crystal laying on the ground.

Twilight sighed in relief, adjusting her belt and equipped her armor“That took some effort, but that bastard’s finally gone.” Glancing over at Di, she turned her focus to me. “You alright?”

“Who? Me?” X motioned a finger to his body. “Yeah, see… I’m truly a hole-y figure.” He pushed a hand through the hole in his gut and waved to Wizard before pulling it out of the wound.

“If it weren’t for the smokey slime monster, that would’ve been the most disturbing thing I’ve seen all day,” the mare said flatly, pointing a finger at his wound. “But you seem to be okay. What about you, Di, you alright?”

The filly nodded, looking over the dried slime on her outfit. “I’m fine, but I think my clothes need a trip to the incinerator. Thanks for saving me.” She glanced over to X. “You too, Mister.”

“Yup. I’m so glad Commander Hurricane, Princess Platinum and Chancellor Puddinghead weren’t here as well. They would have found me getting stabbed through the gut again far too reckless. Well, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?” X shrugged as his body started to regenerate under the sunlight.

“Or what doesn’t kill you is actually slowly killing you,” Twilight responded. “But, I’m glad that you have an auto-repair function.” Clearing her throat, she moved up and held her hand out. “I’m Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, it’s a pleasure to formally meet you.”

“X. That’s what I’m going with for now… can’t be too careful when that damn serpent could be around listening.” X shook her hand.

“Serpent? Who or what are you talking about?” Twilight questioned, tilting her head at him.

“You know… him. Chaos… and don’t you dare say his name. He could be anywhere and as mortal enemies we are probably going to kill each other on sight. Me especially after what he tried.” I muttered the last part raising my buster around slightly charged.

“Oh.” Twilight nodded in understanding. “You mean Discord. Well, you should be fine; I doubt any Discord would want to leave their universe. Besides, if yours came here, I imagine ours wouldn’t take too kindly to having a doppelganger.”

“Right… I’m not lowering my buster. He already decided to try and make me his equal where I’m from. Something strange he called a Spirit of Order or something like that.” X stated.

“Right.” Twilight lit her horn up, cordoning off the area with the magical equivalent of police tap. “I’ll ask that you stay around to give your statement to the royal guard.”

“This is a weird Equestria, Star Swirl never mentioned anything more than the Equestrian Army to deal with threats… oh. Oh! This is that thing… huh… lots of things are starting to fall into place now.” X placed his hand underneath his chin closing his eyes in contemplation.

“You must have been Displaced to an Equestria centuries in the past,” Twilight surmised, her eyes beginning to twinkle. “Star Swirl vanished not long before Celestia and Luna defeated Discord. My rider powers are based on some of his work.”

“Displaced? What’s that? Also what about the other ponies that he is friends with?”X crossed his arms trying to keep his confusion from getting out of control.

“How about we take this discussion back to the library?” Brushing her dress off, Twilight turned back towards the library. “You and Wyatt can discuss this while I find a healing spell for the tree.”

“Uh… sure. I’m curious now.” X followed after her making sure that Diamond stood next to her.

The walk took a few minutes, Wyatt still holding up the tree. Though, he did seem a bit more tired than when they left him. Sombra was hovering close by.

“Hey, Twi,” all the Wyatts said at once. “Did you have a nice stroll around the town? I’ve just been here, practicing my tree hugging.”

“I can see that.” Lighting her horn up, Twilight grabbed the tree in her magic. “Spike! Can you grab me any book with botany spells, specifically ones concerning trees?”

“Want me to take over… Wyatt was it?” X stepped up to the person holding up the tree.

“Yeah, the name’s Wyatt,” Wyatt replied, sounding less tired as the aura from Twilight’s horn spread around the tree. “And I think I can handle this now that Twi’s helping me.”

“Fine. So… displaced. What are they?” Leaning against one of the intact sides of the trunk, X watched intently.

“People who were costumed in one situation or another and found themselves pulled into a version of Equestria. That’s the short version anyway.”

“Long version, please.”

“Well the long version isn’t much longer,” Wyatt admitted adjusting his footing to ease the strain of the tree. “The case for most of us displaced is that we go to a con of some kind, buy an object related to our costume and the one selling it turns out to be an entity called a Void Dweller.”

X looked towards the door as Spike stepped out of the library. He moved over to Twilight, a stack of books in his arms. “All the magic botany books I could find,” Spike offered, holding them out.

“Thank you, Spike,” Twilight replied, picking up the books in her magic and looking through them all at once. After a few minutes, she pointed at one with a green cover. “Aha! Mending a broken tree. This spell can reattach limbs and other materials of a tree so long as not much time has passed and the pieces being mended are still relatively healthy.” The aura around her horn and the tree shifted and after a few moments, a creaking started to come from the library.

“Neat… So anything else that I should know about Displaced now that your arms aren’t full.” X motioned to the now repaired tree.

Pulling the handles on his belt, Wyatt’s copies faded from existence as he undid his transformation. “We can summon one another through tokens. Mine’s my Decade card. It’s pretty easy to make one: just pick something you think represents you, concentrate and make a message for it and then toss it so it can go out into the void for others to find.”

“Huh… “ X raised his hands up, giving them an appraising stare. After a few seconds something started forming in his hands. It was a large white case shaped similarly to the cases that usually held cyber elves within them. “You mean like this thing?”

“Yeah, that can work,” Wyatt nodded, leaning in to get a closer look. “I have no idea what it is but it should work fine.”

“It holds cyber elves. It’s a way to summon us to another’s aid… or at the very least a copy.” A ball of light lifted out of X’s body, taking shape. Above X floated a tall female reploid with pink hair and two sevens on her chest flashing a holographic blue color.

“Nana! I told you you all need to remain hidden!” X yelled out frowning at her sudden burst.

“It’s fine. We’re sure that we can afford some risks here. This information is a necessity if this is what is going on now.” Nana informed X coaxing a pair cyber elfs out. One bore a modified Falcon Armor clad entirely in green plating and the other wearing a modified Gaea Armor, plated entirely in red.

“Cyber elves?” Twilight questioned. “I’m not familiar with that term.”

“We are full fledged A.I. Capable of high levels of technological advancement and specialized fields. I, in particular, am the one who holds several Petabytes of data detailing all technology for the past years of human history since 21XX. Harpuia is a strategist program capable of detailing millions of plans based on his own calculation. Fefnir is a combat expert with knowledge of all possible styles of fighting and any weapon possible. I can’t detail the others right now but that is what we are,” Nana explained detailing a few more options they had behind them.

“How fascinating.” Twilight had already summoned a scroll, her magic furiously commiting word to paper. “But what sort of people use X’s to denote a year? Is that supposed to be like the numeral for ten? But then why start with regular numbers?” she muttered the last part to herself.

“It was the year when the Maverick Wars started. When everyone died,” Harpuia explained overhearing the muttering easily enough. “One reploid became a virus and sent the world into war and destruction leaving nothing but a ruined earth and mistrust amongst those born and those created.”

“So it’s a time people wanted stricken from the records?” Twilight guessed, putting a hand to her chin. “Or maybe, due to the chaos of the event, the exact date was lost?”

“No. It’s just that all the people who kept track of dates like historians were all dead. It only got worse due to the second war where ninety percent of all reploids and sixty percent of all humans were wiped out in one go. No reason to keep track when every one who would care is too busy trying to survive after widespread genocide and the slow decline of humanity as a viable species.” Fefnir interjected revealing just how bad things had gotten in that time.

Twilight shuddered, returning the books to Spike and took Wyatt’s hand. “I’m so glad you didn’t come from a world like that.” Reaching down, she placed her hand on Sombra’s head.

Wyatt managed a grin. “Same, I’m not exactly the Mad Max type.”

“It’s a good thing she managed to take out Corundum’s crystal. That thing acted like his mind and heart. He had knowledge of how to make unstoppable golem armies by turning ponies into crystal golems exploding them like flesh balloons,”X sighed out looking towards Twilight

Retching, Twilight nodded in agreement. “Okay, I’m glad I took him out. The last thing I would want to see is Spike’s cousin explode in a gore pile.”

“You did destroy the crystal right? I remember it was fracturing while we fought it but I kind of got distracted with the hole in my gut.” X looked over as he placed the cyber elf container on one of the tables.

“My Finish Strike took care of it,” Twilight assured.

“Wait, what’s this about Diamond Tiara exploding!?” Spike asked, glancing between Twilight and myself. “Sombra told me that someone had taken Di, but holy crap!”

“Held onto her like a meat shield and threatened to turn her into a flesh puppet unless Twilight killed me,” X bluntly stated, crossing his arms as he did so.

Spike stared before bolting off into town. “I have to make sure Di’s okay!”

“Be careful with her!” Twilight called after him. “She’s a little shaken up by what happened!”

“X! X where are you!” An older sounding voice called out revealing a tall quadruped pony wearing a star adorned cloak and wizard’s hat with bells. His beard reaching well below his chest.

“Oh, there you are Star Swirl. Corundum has been dealt with finally,” X called out as the stallion trotted over the debris around the slowly healing tree.

A strange high pitched noise came from Twilight’s direction and before X could react, she rushed up into Starswirl’s face. “Oh my gosh! It’s really you!” She paused, a giddy look on her face. “Well, not my version of you but you nonetheless! I’m a huge fan of all your work!”

“Of course… good to hear.” Star Swirl patted the very enthusiastic mare pushing her slightly to sit down with his magic and turned to me.

“A few friends of ours were quite clear that you were a misanthropic dick who borderlined on specist,” Wyatt spoke up, eyeing Star Swirl critically. “Doesn’t tell a lot of good stories about you. Said Somnambula had the looks though.”

“Yes of course because in a web of alternate universes of infinite possibilities every single me is the same just like you aren't a horrible monster in another one and a killer in another or mayhaps a different universe where you've been kept at home. All alternate universes are different and should any being immediately take at face value that their version is the quintessential version out of all versions they would sorely be mistaken. Regardless I've come for X. Things need to be pushed forward for our plans now that the Crystal Empire is free.” Star Swirl lectured before turning to me.

“Before you go.” Wyatt cleared his throat. “We could talk about a few things. Say... my new X cards.” Holding his hand out, he resummoned his case and pulled out a card displaying X’s image. “What’s happened in the past thousand years, maybe take a trip over to the human continent.”

“Do we have time, Star Swirl?” X looked down at the pony who was lost in contemplation weighing his options.

“As tempting as exploring those links are, there isn't. Mist Mane is doing her part right now to keep the portal open. Project Harmony is also in dire need of being started now that we have access to the Crystal Empire. Also some of my scrying attempts of our neighbors have been revealing golem technology trickling into their borders which is harrowing if it is as horrible as the massacre that happened to the Amore family.” Star Swirl groused looking dire as he explained all the trouble occurring.

Wyatt looked between them. “You guys do know, you don’t have to keep it open right? I can just send you guys home by dismissing you. I think.”

“It's more because I was being polite. I have other problems as well since that chaos spirit nearly invaded Everfree Castle and got right next to the princesses. He has started to be more bold in his plans. Also Concerto is looking for you X,” Star Swirl explained.

Wyatt nodded in understanding. “Alright, just don’t hesitate to call me if you want help.” Reaching into his card case, he tossed X one of his cards.

“Here. You can have this then.” X grabbed the card placing it in his buster for far later and handed the cyber elf case over. “Basically open this case and one of us will come out to assist you based on who you call. If you need strategy, Harpuia comes out. Weaponry is Fefnir, combat versatility is my cyber elf copy, and technology is Nana. There are others but they are locked right now.”

“This should come in handy,” Wyatt said, holding up the case. “Hey, Twi, before they leave, think you can copy Maud’s research and the tokens we have? Give them a care package or something like that.” Turning back to X, he smiled. “If anything, next time you run into Discord, try and use my card to kick him in the face. A rider kick permanently broke one of our Discord’s teeth.”

“If you say so… I'm not exactly in a rush right now since there are other things to deal with first.” X watched as Twilight used a pair of rings to conjure and copy a laptop and a box of random items.

“Here.” Twilight smiled, passing the objects to X. “The laptop has everything we have on rider research, I hope it helps.”

“Yeah. This should do fine.” X accepted the package and held onto them.

“Upgrade time before we leave!” Nana immediately jumped into the laptop and started to surge power through it forcing several parts to change, becoming sleeker. “We have updated everything and fully remade this low tech to high tech Sir.” She saluted before returning into X’s body.

“Hmm, that gives me an idea,” Wyatt said, holding the cyber elf case towards their version of the laptop and opening it.

‘Please choose your assistant’ The Case bellowed out as the first lid opened.

“Nana,” Wyatt replied.

‘Complying. Copy accessed. Set personality’ The voice continued.

“Let’s go with… upbeat and positive,” Wyatt answered, taking a moment to understand the request.

‘Perky 50’s flirt accepted.’ The voice answered as a bright light lifted out of the case.

“Sup there handsome. So whatcha need me for?” The newly created Nana flew over to Wyatt rubbing her diminutive hand over his chest regardless of being a small fairy like figure.

Wyatt chuckled nervously, giving Twilight a weak smile. “I would like it to be on record that the case said flirt, not me.”

“Oh don't worry sweetie.” Nana flew over to Twilight. “I plug in both ways.” She ran her hand against Twilight’s cheek.

“Just upgrade our laptop,” Twilight deadpanned, holding the device up.

The Nana copy entered the laptop and while everyone ignored the… ecstatic moans coming from it the laptop fully upgraded to a sleeker model. “Done. Will that be all?”

“Think you can stay in the laptop and act as an assistant?” Wyatt questioned, shaking the elf case. “Or do you need to go back in the case?”

“If you want a different assistant I have to go into the case. If you want me to integrate into the tech all I need to know is if you're the one pushing my button,” Nana said as she lounged out in mid air in front of his gaze.

“Am I going to have to worry about you sneaking out and making a reploid body for yourself?” Wyatt asked, quirking a brow at her. “I get the feeling you’re gonna get handsy.”

“Oh my sir. You are so naughty thinking so hard about giving me a body because you actually want to push my buttons.” The Nana copy blushed… as much as a cyber elf copy could.

“Keep it up and I’m making a Fefnir copy,” Wyatt deadpanned.

“Yes because he has the knowledge to upgrade tech. Oh wait, he only knows weapons,” Nana copy mock smiled.

“And the G-Project could use a weapons expert to help them,” Wyatt retorted, using his pinkie to poke her nose which went through her.

“See sir. I knew you wanted to get your hands inside me.” She chuckled as her form returned to full again.

“I know she’s just teasing you,” Twilight commented, trying not to erupt into laughter. “Anyway, thank you a lot, X. This will be a great help to Equestria.”

“Yeah… you picked a weird personality there. We're… we’re just gonna go. Star Swirl, you coming?” X motioned to the wizard who was looking over the tech.

“Yes. Let's leave them to their work and head back.” Star Swirl lit up his horn as several hundreds of magical circles grabbed the two with thousands wrapping around us as we were dragged from that plain of existence and disappeared from sight.

Time meant little to Midnight, her work turning the flow of time into an unacknowledged blur. Her fingers clattered away at her keyboard, preferring analog input over the fancier holographic interfaces Dai-Shocker had required. At some unknown point, her focus broke; Sunny Flare’s voice bleeding in.

"Boss, we're back from our mission," the young woman reported. "An energy attack interfered with the rift we created and we lost Corrundum."

Midnight didn’t respond, her eyes hidden by the reflection in her glasses. Tapping a few keys, she ejected a data card from her computer. Retrieving it, she held it out to Sunny. “Your next few assignments. Read them thoroughly and don’t come back without the indicated materials.”

Nodding, Sunny took the card. She didn't even bother to ask about their R&R, this was clearly the woman's way of saying it was shelved until at least the new tasks were done. Snapping a salute, Sunny departed, leaving Midnight in the silence of her lab.

Slowly at first, her shoulders began to tremble. The vibration spread to the rest of her body, the motion causing her glasses to slide off her face. A strangled cry of sorrow, of deep suffering, came from the shaking woman. Eyes hot with tears, she threw her monitor off her desk.

"Why?!" She boomed, slamming her hands down on the desk. "Why is all my work doomed to fail?!"

Wobbling legs carried her through her lab, coming to a halt in front of Spike’s cryotube. Placing her hands on it, she felt her knees give way. “I’m sorry, Spike,” Midnight choked out, cursed tears rolling down her face. “N-nothing I try helps...” Her sobs turned to silent chokes as she held onto the tube like a security blanket. "You deserve a better big sister."

Turning her back to him, she rested against the cold tube. Midnight ignored the chill, desperately wiping at her eyes. “I was hoping to use that pathetic stallion’s golem research to fix you, but, we don’t have time to go hunting for him.”

“Look at me. I’m a joke. We have the research of dozens of universes: Umbrella, Dr. Wu, Deathshead, Stahl Arms... and where has any of it gotten us?” Reaching into her coat pocket, she held up the Dangerous Zombie cartridge. “I’m the worst sister ever. I can’t... I can’t even risk my life to save yours.”

Staring at the cartridge, she continued to wallow in her self loathing. Her rational mind reasserted itself, pushing away the haze of self-loathing. “I’m not giving up, Spike. This is just a setback. Somber’s given me free reign with the Shadowbolts and I’ve got them following some excellent leads.”

Nothing was going to stop her from curing her brother. No matter what hellish depths she sank to, no matter what she had to become. Spike would awaken one day. She’d sell her soul to make it happen.

When Wyatt's Away the Twilights Will Play Pt. II

Red and Sombra didn’t have long to consider what the pod was as it opened itself. A hydraulic hiss filled the air as the front slid upward. Stepping out was a massive humanoid figure, easily eight feet tall and nearly half as broaad. Its skin was grey and looked diseased with a number of deep set wrinkles. A greyish coat covered its body, a matching hat resting on its head.

Wasting no time, Red put herself in front of Sombra and slipped her rings onto her fingers. “Sombra, go get Spike. Now!”

Nodding, Sombra took off towards the tree house.

Red charged forward, pulling her sword from a magic circle. “I’m going to charbroil you!”

The massive figure moved its hand forward, easily catching her sword mid swing. Bringing its other arm to bear, its meaty fist barreled into Red’s chest. Her body tumbled away, the breath knocked out of her. Her tumble only ended when her back hit something, her vision swimming too much to make out details properly.

With melee out of the question, Red switched her sword to its gun form and fired a few shots in her opponent's general direction. “I’m not afraid of you, asshole!” She heard the sound of impacts, bolstering her confidence. Said confidence faltered when her vision started to clear and she could make out the giant starting to approach her, unphased.

Rolling to her hooves, she fired a few more shots into the giant’s chest. Reaching down to her ring chain, she quickly realized her lack of rings.

The giant was still unphased, the shots not even piercing its skin. Cursing under her breath, Red searched her opponent for any signs of weaknesses. Nothing revealed itself, the silent monster just as blank as it had been minutes ago.

Grunting, she rose to her feet, darting around the behemoth and firing at his knees. “What? Don’t have a stupid joke? No ravings of superiority? Come on, gimme something!”

The giant made no response, his thunderous footsteps only growing louder. Red’s bullets did nothing to slow him, nor did they seem to have any effect. The behemoth threw another punch, Red only barely managing to avoid the blow.

Red felt her anger boil, threatening to blot out her rational mind. Switching her weapon back to sword mode, she stabbed at her opponent's leg.

The blade sank into the coat, actually reaching flesh beneath it. The brute gave her nothing, not a cry of pain, not a curse. Only it’s cold stare as its fist was brought down on her helmet.

Red went down, swearing she could hear a ringing sound. She struggled to get up, her vision swimming. Snarling, she rolled away from another strike. “Okay, I guess I’ll have to get serious!”

Forcing herself to her feet, Red gripped her sword and charged. Her charge was short lived, the giant slamming his fist down and knocking her face first into the dirt. Groaning, Red pushed herself into a kneeling position.

Red trembled, her anger ebbing with her energy. She was out of options and she'd barely landed a blow on her opponent. Her anger sparked anew at her own weakness. Calling upon her magic, she teleported away.

She reappeared in the treehouse, collapsing to the floor in a heap. Her armor dispelled, revealing to the world all of her growing bruises. Groaning softly, she barely noticed as someone came to her side. With one last grunt, her eyes fluttered shut as her consciousness waned.

Yellow was the first to act, carefully picking Red up and putting her on the nearby sofa. Lighting her horn up, she brought over the cyber elf capsule. "Apologies Nana, but I'm going to have to replace you for a moment."

“Do you have to? It’s so boring in there,” Nana whined from across the room.

"Yes, we need to get her treated." Yellow opened the case and pointed it at Red. Nana’s form dissolved into light, returning to the now activated case.

"Please choose your assistant."

"Cinnamon," Yellow stated. "Set personality to caretaker."

"Complying, copy accessed and caretaker accepted," the case stated, a light rising from the case.

After a moment, the light took shape. It was unmistakably feminine with a pair of golden wings on her back attached to a blue and white outfit. Her head piece had two hair buns and a traditional nurse's hat adorned with a red plus sign that framed her blonde hair.

No sooner had the new cyber elf taken shape, she flitted over to Red with a gasp. "Oh goodness! This poor dear has had it rough. Time for some medicine!” Hovering above Red, Cinnamon hummed softly. “Let’s see, concussion, bruised ribs. Oh my, and a fracture along her horn.”

Clicking her tongue, Cinnamon continued to examine Red. "I have my work cut out for me. Can one of you give her something to bite down on? Healing all this is going to be painful for her."

Green was quick to act, grabbing a wooden spoon from the kitchen and propping it in Red's mouth. Backing away, she cringed as Cinnamon began exposing Red in a soft blue light. Red screamed, muffled by the object in her mouth. She writhed, joints popping as everything was forced back into place.

Green looked away, her ears pinning against her head. “I’m certainly not going to end up like that. No sir.”

The door burst open, Sombra barreling into the room. "Uncle Spike! Moms! We've got a big monster attacking Ponyville!" He froze, his eyes locking on Red. “S-she’s okay, right?”

"She's being healed," Yellow said, shielding Sombra from seeing Red. "Now, what's this about a monster? Can you describe them for us?”

Sombra went on to describe the monster, using grand gestures to emphasize its size. The trio of Twilights exchanged a look before glancing at Red.

"Th-that must've been what hurt Red," Blue noted, doing her best to not tremble in front of Sombra. “W-we can fight something like that, r-right?” She poked her fingers together, trying and failing to put up a brave face.

"We have to," Yellow affirmed, slipping her ring on her finger. "Otherwise, ponies could get hurt. Come on, we're wasting time." Suiting up, she grabbed a handful of rings. “Green, I need you to get Spike up to speed. Blue, you're with me.”

Green saluted, zipping up towards Spike's room. Blue gulped, but grabbed her own ring with shaky hands.

“I-I don’t know about this...” Blue muttered, putting a hand to her belt. “I-I’ll just g-get in the way...”

"You're a Rider, Blue," Yellow snapped, opening the front door. "You either help people or you give up that belt. Now come-” her body tumbled back, eliciting a pain groan. “Okay... Now I know why Red’s a wreck...”

Blue wanted to scream, an odd humanoid figure staring blankly at them. She fumbled with her gun, firing off a few shots at them. “S-stay away!”

Standing up, Yellow switched out one of her rings. "Bind, please!" A magic circle formed around the grey brute, rock chains wrapping around his limbs. They strained as the creature struggled, exerting far more power than Yellow expected.

"Blue! Go for it now! Open fire and go for the eyes!" Yellow shouted, gritting her teeth while she focused on keeping the giant in place. “Blue!”

Blue froze, her hands trembling. Beneath her helmet her pupils contracted to pinpricks. Hyperventilating, she fired off a score of shots. Most went wide, some hit only the bonds holding the creature and only a couple found their mark.

Their links disrupted, the creature broke free of its chains. Grabbing Blue by the neck, it tossed her out of the building and onto the street. Yellow dove under its next swing, joining Blue outside.

Coughing, Blue wheezed out a string of apologies while trying to catch her breath. Yellow only hauled her counterpart to her feet and dusted her off in response. The two braced each other, staring their opponent down as it stepped out with them.

Yellow took off the bind ring, switching it out for a new one. "Okay Blue, new plan. Just distract it until Green and Spike get here; I'm going to try something."

"Drill, please!" A magic circle appeared beneath Yellow's leg, her body suddenly rotating quickly. Diving into the ground, she kicked up a spray of dirt.

With Yellow out of sight, the creature focused squarely on Blue. It stomped towards her, murderous intent rolling off it in waves despite its impassive gaze. Blue eeped, fumbling to get another ring on her finger.

Blue succeeded in getting the ring on her finger, desperately tapping it against her belt. “Liquid, please!” Her body lost cohesion, becoming naught but water. A fist swung through her body, only managing to get its coat wet. Blue's body resolidified, grabbing the creature in an arm lock.

"Don't hit me!" Blue cried, holding on for dear life. Her grip was like a vice, resisting the monster's attempts to dislodge her. She finally let go when swung its other fist at her head. Her body turned to liquid again, slipping away from the monster.

Her liquid form kept the brute occupied, allowing Yellow to complete her plan. The ground buckled beneath the behemoth before falling away and burying him in a hole just its size. The ground settled, the silent giants hat laying on the dirt.

Yellow reappeared from underground, cancelling her transformation. "Good work, Blue. I think that's the last we're seeing of that thing." Grinning, she patted her fellow Twilight on the shoulder. “You did great.”

Shaking her head, Blue cancelled her own transformation. “No, all I did was cower. You were the great one.”

“Don’t be like that. You did your best.” Yellow pulled her into a hug, nuzzling her head. “Take some pride in yourself.”

Blue accepted the hug, a ghost of a smile on her face. "I think Red got pride enough for all of us. Still, doesn't it feel like this was too easy?"

“Maybe. Still enjoy the small victories, ya?”

"Are we too late?!" Spike called out, his belt around his waist. Green was close behind, her head whipping in every direction in an attempt to find the monster. He deflated, sagging his shoulders. “Take one shower and all hell breaks loose.”

"Maybe next time, killer," Yellow joked, pulling away from Blue. "All we needed this time was Twilight power. How is Red doing?”

"Still unconscious," Green answered, settling down. "But Cinnamon says she's healing nicely." Her magic lifted the hat up, bringing it to her hands. “Any idea what that thing was? Sombra said it was some kind of human?”

"It looked human, but I don't think it was," Yellow posed, staring at the hat. "Though, given its appearance that was an obvious observation.” Her shoulders shrugged. “Probably some weird experiment.”

“D-didn’t it seem like it was focused on us?” Blue questioned. “I-I mean, it came right to the library and didn’t seem to be interested in the town at all.” The very idea made her tremble, clutching onto Yellow’s arm.

Yellow patted Blue's back, offering what comfort she could.

"Well, at least we've taken care of things for now," Green interjected. "Let's see if we can turn four Twilights back into one."

Everyone nodded, heading back into the library. With Yellow at the lead, the trio went into the lab to get to work on the Magic Timer. Reigning in Green's energy made progress even slower, which was rough considering there seemed to be nothing wrong with the little device.

“Hey, you hear something?” Yellow asked, swiveling her ears. “I think someone just opened the front door.”

"I'll check it out!" Green called out, running up the stairs. Once she was out of sight, there was a quick scream followed by the sound of splintering wood. “There’s another one!!”

Yellow put down the Timer, turning to Blue. "Come on, we've gotta help her!" Transforming, she rocketed up the stairs.

Blue whined, her ears pinned to her head. “B-b-but we just beat a monster...” Fumbling with her ring, she transformed and reluctantly made her way downstairs. She steeled herself, hoping this one wouldn’t be so intimidating.

Wyatt squared up against Psycho Green, lashing forward to put his opponent on the defensive. Rover took up the rear, using his chain mace to crush the evil Ranger's defenses. His mind buzzed with shock, thinking that somewhere, some cosmic force was mocking him.

Come to think of it, he knew there was; his current powers and home proving it. Clearing his head he kept up his assault, narrowly dodging a wicked swing of Psycho Green's dagger. “Do the others have magic armor?”

"Course," Rover answered, swinging his mace over his head. "They be here soon." He swung it into a group of Mastodon troops, their bullets plinking off his armor.

Wyatt nodded, drawing Ninjor's sword and using it in conjunction with his card case sword. "Good, was gonna feel outnumbered otherwise." Countering a slash, he cut Psycho Green across the shoulder.

Psycho Green laughed, ignoring the sparks coming from his armor. “Drakkon told me you had some, small, hint of promise. I think he may have been exaggerating.”

"I've got more than enough to deal with you," Wyatt countered, blocking another slash and kneeing the Ranger in the gut. "Best you've done is cheap shot me. So if I have no promise, what does that say about you?"

“Talk too much!” Rover barked, swinging his mace at Psycho Green’s chest.

Sparks flew off of Green, the man forced to stumble backwards a moment. While Wyatt couldn't see beneath the helmet, he didn't need to to know that he'd struck a nerve with Psycho Green. Green threw his hand out, sending a green bolt of energy into Rover’s chest.

Letting out a yelp, Rover's body locked up. The evil Ranger followed up with a stab of his dagger, catching the armored diamond dog in a gap of his armor. Before Psycho could press it in deeper, Wyatt jumped to Rover's aid.

An arrow whistled across the battlefield, burying itself shallowly into Green’s breastplate. A torrent of sound erupted forward, a burst of air emitting from the arrow. Green flew back, slamming into the disabled tank.

Vines crept along the ground, wrapping up groups of sentries as they went. Eventually, a group of them disappeared, completely covered head to toe in the plant matter. “Good, we weren’t too late then!” Bramble’s voice called.

A torrent of flame tore through the encampment, turning many of the structures to ash in an instant. "Yeah, but at least there was an easy trail to follow," Autumn's voice agreed, a red and gold knight walking through the flames. “What say you, Capper?”

"Kid's got style, I'll give him that," Capper's voice responded, a pillar of ice flipping over a tank while a blue and gold knight strolled onto the scene. "But he might wanna exercise more caution; unlike me he doesn't have nine lives t o lose."

Another arrow sent a gunship into a death spiral, thrown out of the sky by a short lived tornado. Ocellus landed by the group, her colorful chitin peeking out under white and gold armor. “C-can we save the jokes for later. Please?”

Lightning crashed, downing another gunship. A purple and turquoise knight appearing. "I'm with Ocellus, we can joke when we're not surrounded."

Psycho Green extracted himself from the tank, tossing the arrow away. “You're certainly colorful enough to be rangers.” Turning, his hands crunched grips into the metal of the tank. “Tell me, are you any better?” With unmatched ease, he lifted the tank over his head, sending it crashing towards them.

Ocellus fired another arrow, creating a wall of wind that slowed the tank down enough to let everyone dodge. Her wings beat frantically as Psycho Green lunged from the whirlwind, his hands wrapping around her throat.

Wyatt charged the Ranger, throwing a kick at his side. A spiked mace collided with his side, sending him to the ground. Groaning, he turned to find a man in red armor, a crab-like helmet obscuring his face. Wyatt recognized the assailant as Marshal Armor, leader of Destron.

Yanking his mace back, Marshal Armor readied it for another swing. “Rise once more, young Rider. If I am to strike you down today, it shall be in the heat of battle.”

Groaning, Wyatt picked himself up. "Okay Crabcake, I'll take you on." Squaring up, he saw in the corner of his eye that the knights had freed Ocellus.

“No.” Moondancer stood between Wyatt and their opponents. “Leave them to us, Wyatt. You know what you have to do.” Brandishing her staff, the weapon crackled with lightning. “Don’t make me say it twice.”

Nodding, Wyatt put his swords away. "Fine, but don't have too much fun without me." Breaking into a sprint, he began a run out of the camp and onto the bridge. He had to ignore the giant chasm beneath him, keeping his eyes on the gates lest his vision start swimming.

Slowing his run, Wyatt patted at his belt. A few frantic moments before he found the key. It took his adrenaline addled mind to find the socket. Slipping the key in place, he took a step back as the bridge began to tremble.

Slowly but surely, the gates swung outward, revealing the inner workings of Tartarus. A great circular room opened before him, three other doors visible across the distance. A deep growl caught his attention, a previously unseen form rising from the floor.

Following the growl, Wyatt saw a three headed figure stalked towards him. The floor shook with its every step. Once it came closer to the light, he could see that it was Cerberus.

Sniffing the air, Cerberus barked, all six eyes locking on Wyatt. Before he could react, the multi-headed dog pounced, knocking the young man over. Wyatt's life flashed before his eyes, only for a tongue to drag against his armor. Then, Cerberus started to whine and paw at where Wyatt's pockets were.

“Okay, okay.” Wyatt pushed at the paw, retrieving the desired item. “Were you looking for this?” he asked, waving a handful of jerky in front of the hound's noses.

Cerberus yipped, though it came out more like a roar from the giant dog. Once Wyatt tossed the jerky, the three heads seemed to fight for a moment before each came away with a share of the treat. It was almost adorable, up until a glob of drool fell from the center head's maw and completely drenched him.

“Blegh.” Wyatt wiped his helmet, sitting up. “Good dog.” Patting Cerberus’s leg, he turned towards the door. “Keep the bad guys out, okay? Don’t want any of the prisoners getting out.”

Cerberus barked happily, curled tail wagging as he took up his post at the open door. Wyatt pressed on, following Celestia's directions towards Velvet's tomb.

"What is it with me and tombs lately?" He muttered to himself. "Why can't I get to traverse a luxury resort or a cruise? Something nice." A sudden tremble made him brace himself. Wyatt cursed, feeling several more. “They must be shelling the prison.”

He quickened his pace, ignoring everything so he could focus on replaying the directions in his head. The various sounds of the monstrosities made it difficult, those able to speak promising to devour him if given the chance.

The calls for his devouring only fueled his desire for an actual vacation. He swore to himself he’d petition Twilight for a beach trip for once he returned. Another temor made him stumble, nearly being caught under a falling door.

Whipping his head, he checked the cell only to sigh in relief when he found that it was empty. That elation slowly crumbled, eyes slowly turning upward. A faint outline of something moved against the cell's ceiling; some kind of predator eager to pounce.

Reacting quickly, he drew his card case off his side, changed it to its gun form and fired off a few shots at the outline. Bullets ricochet wildly, its disguise fading as it lunged at him. The thing that slammed into Wyatt resembled a changeling, if a changeling had been made of nightmares.

Green spittle dripped from its fanged mouth, its horn glowing and a strange force prodding at his mind. He vaguely registered that this must be a wispling, his hands keeping its jaws open. Positioning his gun, he put the barrel to its mouth and pulled the trigger. Jerking its head to the side, the bullet burrowed through its cheek.

The wispling snapped at him, the prodding at his mind getting more aggressive. "Oh, don't like that? Too bad, stop trying to snack on me!” Wyatt opened fire, shots ricocheting off the wispling's chitin.

Swiping its claws across his helmet, it shattered one of its eyes. Sneering, it bounded off vanishing in a blur of movement.

Scrambling to his feet, Wyatt trained his gun down the hall, daring the wispling to lunge at him again. Spotting no movement for at least a minute, he removed the bits of lens from inside his helmet and continued his trek.

He kept his head on a swivel, not wanting to be caught by surprise again. He did his best not to jump at shadows, his steps echoing off the stone walls. He would've had an easier time keeping calm if the entire prison wasn't being bombarded every few seconds.

Several more cells broke open, barring Wyatt’s path. Growling, he slipped his Kabuto card out. “I’m getting a little tired of this nonsense.”

He gave a silent prayer, hoping against hope that the belt would cooperate for once. "Kamen Ride: Kabuto!"

"Thank you!" Wyatt cried, quickly using the Clock Up card. The world came to a halt, the horrors from the cells stuck mid snarl or pounce. Wyatt walked calmly past them, stabbing or shooting them as he passed to keep his path clear for later.

Now with nothing but time on his hands, Wyatt easily made it to the chamber containing Velvet's sarcophagus. The sarcophagus itself was eerie, made to resemble an iron maiden. At its center was a keyhole, made to look like clasped hands.

Shifting out of his armor, Wyatt slid the key into place. “Sorry about this but we need you to get up.” Locks hissed open as he turned the key, cold air rushing out. Jumping to the side, the front of the sarcophagus slammed into the ground.

Velvet was still asleep after it first opened, giving him a chance to give her a look over. Her red coat was tattered, all her clothes were really; making Wyatt think of edgy anime characters. Her black hair was long, easily going past her lower back. Her entire left arm was hidden beneath bandages. Her right bearing a gauntlet.

"Wake up sleeping beauty," Wyatt joked, tapping the side of the sarcophagus. "And no asking for five more minutes." Grasping her shoulder he gave her a hard shake. “Come on, wake up.”

Velvet’s left arm latched onto his neck, a black fire consuming her bandages. A massive black claw replaced her arm; a demonic hand wrapped around his head. Her eyes opened, an animalistic fury dancing on her pupils.

Wyatt let out a muffled shout of her name, patting at her shoulder to get her to release her grip. He flailed in her grasp, claws digging into his scalp. Her hand released him, throwing him against the wall.

Groaning, Wyatt's head pounded and he could feel blood trickle down his face. If he didn't have a concussion he'd be amazed. "H-hey, I’m on your side lady...” Bracing himself against the wall, he slowly stood up. "I've already got an army to fight out there."

Velvet snarled, her demonic arm raised above her head. Staring down at Wyatt, the rage bled from her eyes, giving way to shock. Her arm lowered, reverting to its bandaged state. Eyes widened, tears beginning to streak down her face.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Wyatt asked, carefully approaching her. "No need to feel bad. With my looks I can get how you'd confuse me with an escaped demon."

Stepping forward, Velvet collapsed into Wyatt’s arms. Choked sobs were the only sounds she made, gripping the young man in a bone crushing hug. He could only offer what comfort he could, doing his best to not let his confusion show.

“I-I never...” she tried to begin, her voice failing her. “I-I never thought I’d see you again.”

Wyatt looked down, the words catching him off guard. "Uh, come again? We've met?"

Cupping his chin, she stared into his eyes. “I-it’s me, Kelly,” she all but whispered, clinging to him.

Wyatt's mind reeled from more than just the concussion. In an instant the raven haired berserker was replaced with the red head he had known since he had gotten out of diapers. He examined her, searching for any hint of deception. "K-Kelly? Wh-but how, why are you here?"

Pulling back, Kelly wiped at her eyes. “I-I went looking for you. I went to so many cons and events, hoping to find anything.”

"And someone tricked you into buying something?" Wyatt guessed, unable to believe what he was hearing. "And why go that far for me?"

Kelly shook her head. “No. I chose this. I chose this because you needed my help.” Reaching into her coat, she held out a small card case. “These... these are for you.” Grabbing his hand, she placed it firmly in his hand.

Opening the case, Wyatt found cards for all the Showa era Riders within it. There was even a card for easy summoning of his bike. "Who gave these to you? Did they tell you that you coming here would help me?"

“She called herself Chocolina,” Kelly explained. “She said they’d help you. That’s all I bothered to ask.”

"Chocolina?" Wyatt repeated, the added info only piling onto the swirling slush that was his thoughts. "Sounds like a chocolate mascot." Gripping the deck of cards, another tremor nearly started a game of fifty-two pick up. "Reunion later, evil army now," he said, turning to exit the chamber.

Getting her to follow him out, he jogged back the path he had came in through. "Quick recap to get you up to speed, there's a guy in armor that looks like a crab along with suped up Power Rangers equipped with heavy artillery outside fighting magical knights from various species native to this world."

“And why are they attacking my prison!?” Kelly demanded, her emotions falling to anger.

"Pretty sure it has something to do with the cards you just gave me," Wyatt answered, glancing back at her. "I think the leader of the group I'm fighting doesn't want me to hav-” His words were overpowered by an insectoid shriek as a hulking form fell on top of him.

Wyatt's limbs were pinned, preventing him from properly summoning his belt. He struggled against the hulking beast, though its strength easily dwarfed his.

“Get the fuck off him!” Kelly’s arm exploded in demonic fire, the massive appendage shoving the wispling into the wall. Her claws dug into its exoskeleton, a sickening crack beginning to spread across its torso.

Wyatt watched her carefully. The display of power was a far cry from the behavior he'd seen from her. Sure, Kelly wouldn't take anything from those that tried to dish it out, but violence was never one of her solutions.

“Kelly!” Wyatt grabbed her leg, pulling himself into a sitting position. “Stop! You're going to kill it!” Digging in his heels, he tried to pull her off. "That thing used to be a changeling!"

Kelly peered over her shoulder, regarding Wyatt for a moment. Her claw released the wispling, taking a step back from it. “You’re a better person than I am, Wyatt.” Her demonic features subsided, as did her rage.

Wyatt smiled, keeping an eye on the wispling as it slinked away. "Are you kidding? I was following your example for years. Remember when you talked Floyd and I out of putting a skunk in Mr. McCullen's car? Something I still stan-”

Putting a hand to his mouth, Kelly shook her head. “Not here, not now. Focus, Wyatt.”

"Right, we've got people that need us." Taking point, he resumed his walk out into the hall. Pulling out his card case, he began to transfer over the new showa cards. His hands shook, desperately trying to get them in before something else happened.

His mind raced with possibilities on how to use the cards. Super One and Black RX would prove to be fun with their arsenals. Amazon with the animalistic fighting style and so much more. J’s growth would make any future kaiju much easier to beat.

Kelly chuckled, glancing at Wyatt. "Calm down. Take a breath. You won’t be good to anyone if you're shaking like a crack addict.”

Blinking, Wyatt paused before putting the cards away again. "Sorry, been a bit of a day. Pretty sure my adrenal gland is going to go on strike after all this.” Taking a slow breath, he tried to steady his hand. “I just don’t want to be caught with these unsecured.”

"Huh, you being careful, sounds like Equestria has changed you too." Kelly's head swiveled, lashing out towards a suddenly open cell. Her demonic arm wrapped around what could only be described as a dragon merged with a suit of armor. Black energy ruptured from the being, greedily absorbed by Kelly’s arm.

"Anyone else wanna try to escape?!" Kelly challenged, holding her arm up as she looked among the cells. Dropping the now limp body, she brandished her still glowing claws. “I fucking thought so. Stay in those goddamn cells or it’s open season.”

Wyatt didn't say anything, impressed by the commanding aura she gave off. Most prisoners were cowed by the display, stepping away from the bars. The few that weren’t merely glared back at her. Satisfied, Kelly let her arm revert to its original size, flicking a part of her hair over her shoulder. With her authority established, she resumed her journey out of Tartarus

Green grunted, struggling to keep the strange creature off of her. Its grey, naked body made her skin crawl. It’s left arm was pitch black in color, its clawed hand jabbing at her throat. She narrowly dodged the claw, strands of fur falling to the floor.

“Will someone get this thing off me!?”

A flash of yellow caught her attention, Yellow suddenly appearing on the thing's back and pressed her sword to its throat. “Get off of uh... me!”

The creature remained silent, doing its best to shake Yellow off. Using its clawed hand, it moved to grab the dangling mare. Awkward shifting her sword, Yellow thrust at its chest. The blade sank in, getting stuck. Yellow wiggled her hand, trying to force the sword in deeper and do as much damage while she was at it.

With the beast distracted, Green managed to wiggle free enough to transform. “Spike! Get down here! We got another monster!” Shoulder checking the beast, she ripped Yellow’s sword from its chest.

"Are you serious?!" Spike's muffled voice called. "I'll be right down!"

Blue fumbled with her weapon, firing a few wide shots at the creature. “W-why did everyone have to be out of town?”

"Now's not the time to worry about that!" Green chided, swiping across its chest. "We've already dealt with one of these things."

The creature swiped back with its claws, going for Green's neck. Bringing up her swords, she cut into its wrist. “You enjoying the ride, Yellow?” Digging her hooves in, Green attempted to scissor its hand off. Metal met bone, the swords releasing a sickening grinding sound.

It pulled back, blood gushing from the wound. It’s emotionless face stared into Green’s helmet, showing no reaction to its wounds. Reaching a hand back, it grabbed Yellow’s horn and tossed her into Green.

The two mares bowled over, becoming a tangle of limbs more than anything else. Reacting quickly, Blue put herself between the two and the creature and fired wildly.

“Get away from my moms!” Cell medals impacted the beast's chest, embedding themselves in its grey flesh.

Sombra was knocked back, holding a strange gun that had a large container for the medals hanging under the barrel. He pulled the trigger again, sending another barrage of medals out. The kickback sent him into a nearby wall causing him to grunt. Firing another blast, he used the wall to brace himself and steady his aim.

“Get it out of the house!” Yellow shouted, pushing Green off her. “Blue! Get it to chase you! Spike! I don’t care if you have to smash through the floor. Get! Down! Here!”

A black blur rushed down the stairs, crashing into the monster. The collision caught it off guard, allowing it to be carried outside and tossed on its ass.

The blur stopped, revealing itself to be Spike. "You rang, Yellow?" He was in his full yellow combo, standing at the ready. His claws extended, glinting in the sunshine. “Guests usually wear pants, ya know.”

The creature said nothing in return, swiping at the drake with its own claws. Ducking under the claw, Spike zoomed his arms out, claws slashing and stabbing at its solar plexus. Ending with a roundhouse kick, Spike knocked the beast to the ground.

Rising from the ground, it’s body began to convulse. It’s upper torso bulged out grotesquely, it’s right pec almost like a bowling ball. Tiny claws grew on its right hand, while its left arm nearly doubled in size. It’s left hand now bore claws that might as well be dragon fangs. Screaming in new found rage, fangs meeting the light of day.

"Uh, is it just me or did this thing get even uglier?" Green asked, looking between the group. "And it looks like it's all healed up."

She was right, where there were once fresh wounds there was only dried patches of blood. With previously unshown fury, it tackled Spike digging its fangs into his shoulder. Armor screeched, several fangs stabbing into it

"Spike!" Yellow called, charging the beast and thrusting her sword at its neck. Her charge stopped, a vice like grip wrapping around her leg.

Rising out of the ground like some graveyard spectre the coated assailant pulled Yellow off her hooves. It’s expressionless face bore down at her, a booted foot slamming down on her abdomen. Yellow gasped, the wind knocked out of her lungs. Gasping like a fish, her attacker picked her up and threw her into a nearby building.

Green sneered, slipping on her kick strike ring. “Okay, I’m done with this. Blue, make sure Sombra can’t see this.”

Blue nodded, getting Sombra and forcing him to look away by shielding him with her body.

Meanwhile, Green tapped the ring to her belt, the driver calling out the attack like always. A magic circle appeared beneath her hoof as she summoned a whirlwind beneath her to rise into the air. Once she was well above the surrounding buildings, she dropped pointing herself like a living arrow aimed at the coated figure.

Her hoof rammed into its chest, sending the coated monster exploding backwards. Its coat burned off, her hoofprint stamped into its ribcage.

Yellow managed to pry herself off the wall she had slammed into, spine creaking as she did. "Good shot, Green...” she trailed off, noting that the creature was still moving. “Oh come on.”

The beast convulsed, various parts of it bulging outwards. Stag beetle horns grew from its head, knocking the thing's hat loose as they crackled with energy. Chitin grew over its arms, converting its hands into drills. It’s burst of speed caught Green off guard, a drill aimed at her head. Jumping back, the drill only barely grazed her helmet. That contact was still enough to send a spiderweb of little cracks near her eyes.

“We need to get serious,” Yellow said, pushing away her soreness. “Hit it with everything we got. You too, Blue.”

"O-okay, but I don't have much to give," she said, putting on a ring. “U-Um... d-do you have a plan?”

"Less of a plan, more of a loose concept," Yellow admitted, putting on a ring of her own. "Focus attention on the nudist, his defenses look thinner than the big one."

"Okay, I'll try to corral them." Green summoned a whirlwind beneath her, Green took to the air and quickly tried to strike at the leaner creature. “Come on, ugly. Leave my little brother alone!”

The beast released Spike from its maw, swatting at Green. Spike used the time to crawl away, nursing his shoulder. The nude creature leapt up, pouncing at the flying dragon-pony. Its claws cut through her armor, stabbing into her hip.

Green cried out in pain, the whirlwind beneath her dying and gravity pulled her back to the ground. Her hands grasped at her wound, hot blood pouring out between her fingers. She didn't have time to dwell on it, forced to go on the defensive as the creature tried to bite her head off. She narrowly avoided the fangs poised for her throat, stabbing her sword into its open jaws.

Red’s ears twitched, the sounds of battle reaching her ears. Her limbs twitched futilely, body refusing to listen to her commands. There was a haze over her mind, likely brought on by painkillers. She was dimly aware of a form in front of her, but paid no attention to it.

Are you just going to lay there?

“Who said that?” Red grumbled, puffing smoke out of her nostrils. “Are you calling me lazy?”

Your family, parts of your very soul, are fighting for their lives and you just lay there.

“And who the hay are you supposed to be? And how the hay did you get in my house?”

I have been part of you since the dragon blood began to burn in your veins.

"Yeesh, how hard did that thing hit me?" Red groaned, trying in vain to rub her head. "This is one crazy hallucination."

For one who is supposed to be brilliant, this part of you is remarkably dim. The blood of Bahamut flows through you, through kin if not by birth..

"Yeah, and I'm proud of that blood. Proud of my brother for finding himself." Realization struck her and her awareness started to sharpen. "Are you some kind of hallucinogenic manifestation on my draconic instincts?"

Think of me what you will. Your fragmented selves will not survive this conflict. A house divided cannot stand

"You learned that from Wyatt," Red pointed out, finally able to see again. She was standing in a dark void. Despite that, she knew the owner of the voice was nearby. "He said that was a quote from a famous leader of his world."

It does not make it any less true. You must draw your pieces back together, Twilight Sparkle

“And how do I go about doing that? I’d need a lot of time to figure out what went wrong with the Timer.”

The voice growled, sharing its displeasure. This is not a matter of magic, nor a matter of science. This is a trial of will. Your will must be unbroken, comparable to the hardest of adamantine

“If it’s will you want, then I’ve got that in spades. I’m Twilight Sparkle, a student of Princess Celestia! I have my pride to protect!”

The voice snorted, a rumbling chuckle behind its words. That is meaningless boasting, action is required not words

“I’m more than just words,” Red pointed out. “Action is my specialty. Now, how do I get back to my copies?”

You are but one fraction of Twilight Sparkle. Anger, Fear, Morality and Excitement. Each a piece of the whole. Power sleeps in your blood, power that if not tempered by your will, shall destroy you.

"Will that power be enough to save my son and brother?"

You should already know

"Then that's all I need to hear," Red said, hands clenched at her side. "I don't care what it takes, I'll master that power."

The rumbling chuckle returned, bemusement coming through the void. Then go, show the world the fire of the Bahamut bloodline still burns bright.

Red’s eyes opened, fire consuming her form. Her exhaustion meant nothing to her, fallen away with so many other concerns. One of those concerns being the broken glass as she jumped through the window. She could see the two beasts nearby, her copies and Spike barely fending them off. Blue was holding onto Sombra shielding him from the thin one's wicked claws.

"Is this what happens when I take a brief nap?" Red taunted, the flames surrounding her growing before converging on her on her hand. "I guess four Twilights aren't better than one. Let's fix that."

Stretching her arms out, the flame grew into a pyre. Almost like fingers, they reached out to grasp the other Twilight’s.

The three rose into the air, the flames on Red's hand solidifying into a ring. Flipping her belt, Red tapped her ring to the hand on it. "Flame! Dragon!" The three other Twilights merged with the fire, the flames taking the shape of a dragon. It circled Red, her Driver now chanting, "Burn, burn, burn, burn!" A magic circle formed on Red's back, the fire dragon flying into it.

***

Twilight blinked, her consciousness waking to a sea of stars. Endless and in all directions. Yet, her hooves walked as if there were something solid beneath her. “H-hello?” she tentatively asked, her voice echoing throughout this strange cosmos.

"Twilight, I am so proud to see what you've accomplished," Celestia's voice echoed through the star field, seeming to come from each of the twinkling lights. A moment later she appeared, stepping out from nowhere and looking more radiant than usual. “Even if the method of your arrival isn’t what I expected.”

"Princess Celestia, you're here too?" the younger mare questioned, her mind racing. "I-I mean, where is here? There were four of me and then a hallucination dragon talked to one of me and then I had a new ring and now I'm here…" she rattled off the events hurriedly, each word spilling out faster and faster.

“I am no hallucination.”

"Sorry, just… long day," Twilight said, rubbing the back of her head. "I have four ponies worth of perspective to sift through." Coughing, she collected herself. "So, what is this place?"

"Now that is a profound question," Celestia said, motioning for Twilight to follow her on a stroll. Suddenly, images of the unicorn's life appeared in the starfield. "One that may have many answers. But for our purposes, the best one is that this is the wellspring of all magic."

Twilight peered into one of the images, the moment she and her friends had freed Luna. “But, why are we here? Wait... am I dead?!” Panic gripped her heart, pupils shrinking in fear.

"No, far from it, Twilight," Celestia answered, giggling as she put an arm around the smaller mare's shoulder. "You're very alive. You have achieved a very important kind of harmony, self-harmony. Being in harmony with yourself is crucial to establishing friendship with others. But more than that, you've achieved harmony with your pony and dragon sides. As such, you've ascended."

“I-I’m sorry? Ascended?” Twilight questioned, looking up at Celestia. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

"Tell me, Twilight, do you know how Cadance came to be my niece?"

“She saved a village from an emotion spell, didn’t she?” Twilight asked.

"Correct, and when she accomplished that, she too found herself here," Celestia said, grinning. "Back then, she was a pegasus."Giggling at Twilight’s expression, she poked her nose. “What, did you think alicorns were born?”

"I had no idea what to think!" Twilight blurted out, blushing as Celestia paused at the image containing her and Wyatt's near kiss in Baltimare. "I've never found any books on the subject and every time I asked you directly you'd say I'd learn more someday with that little smirk you do. That knowing, motherly smirk."

The smirk in question rested comfortably on the solar diarch's face as she gave Twilight a pat on the back. "Keeping ponies in the dark about alicorns is a necessary evil of sorts. If more was out there then some might seek to create more inorganically. Ascension's rarity is part of its beauty. That two ponies have ascended in the same century is miraculous."

“I just... me an alicorn? I-I don’t know if I’ve actually earned something like that...” Twilight looked down. “I couldn’t even keep myself together.”

"Twilight, your accomplishments are literally staring you in the face," the princess countered, waving a hand at the line of memories. "And while you did get broken apart, you pulled yourself back together again. I have met many ponies, Twilight. And none have impressed me more than you." She pressed her cheek to the smaller mare's squeezing her close. "Not even Starswirl."

Gazing up into Celestia’s eyes, Twilight nodded. “I’m glad, Princess Celestia. It means a lot to me, knowing I made you proud.” Tears built up in her eyes. Was this really happening? Was this all some coma dream after her anger was beaten to a pulp?

"Proud is an understatement, Twilight." Celdstia pulled away, pointing at the last memory. "But, we should cut this short. While time has no meaning here, you still have a fight to resume."

“That’s right.” Twilight steeled her gaze. “I need to protect Sombra and Spike.”

***

When Twilight returned to consciousness, fire coated her body, turning into armor. Her coat turned solid red, a dragon head just poking out from her chest. Her shoulder pads were silver with a red gem in the middle. The silver brackets on her helmet went up and to the sides, forming wing-like horns. The yellow gem on the helmet had grown larger, turned gold and had a red portion at its center.

Twilight clenched her hand into a fist a few times, a sense of power and confidence swelling in her like never before. Was this her dragon blood, or her new alicorn body? No. It was both. In an instant she knew it was both sides working in concert.

Slipping a ring onto her other hand, she opened the hand on her sword and activated the spell. "Copy! Please!" A magic circle appeared in front of her hand, and she pulled out a second sword from it.

With a flourish, she hamstrunged the naked beast. “Sombra, go into the basement and stay there, okay?”

"Mom? D-do you have-?" Twilight motioned with her head, silently letting him know that she'd answer everything later. Nodding dumbly, the colt rushed back to the library.

The bigger creature's drill arm rocketed forward, coming towards her helmet. Bringing a sword up, she easily deflected the blow to the side. With her other sword, she stabbed down, digging deep into the chitin of its arm.

In her mind, Twilight felt her two aspects at work. Her dragon blood burned, demanding satisfaction for the attack against her kin. Meanwhile, her alicorn senses kept her focused, tempering her rage into a fine point.

“Spike, can you stand?” Twilight spun on her hoof, digging her other sword deep into the taller creature’s thigh.

Struggling for a moment, Spike managed to return to his feet. "Yeah, yeah, I'm still in this. Glad to see you back in one piece."

“Excite, please!” Twilight's body expanded, growing and bulking up until she matched the larger monster's physique. Spinning on a hoof, she kicked the lean one clear across the street.

Leaping after it, she brought both her fists down on its chest. Snorting, she felt bones crack beneath her blow. The power felt amazing, her blood speeding through her veins faster than a rainboom.

Unfortunately, the Excite ring didn't last long. Her tests under the best circumstances put it at just under a minute. She had one, maybe two good attacks left in her before she'd shrink back down again. Lucky for her, she had an idea to capitalize on that. Picking up the reeling beast, she spun it around like an Olympic medalist performing a hammer toss. At the apex of her swing, she sent it flying right at the other monster.

“You’re up, Spike!”

Grabbing his scanner, Spike ran it along his belt. "Scanning Charge!" Three yellow rings appeared in front of him and he sped through them. At the last ring, he swiped his claws striking the moment the two monsters collided.

"And that's a sibling combo!" Spike cheered, falling to one knee. "Nice toss, Twi." Sighing, he gave the two beasts a skeptical glance. "Think they're down for the count?"

“No, not quite," Twilight said, grabbing a ring from her side. "But this'll be the finale."

"Very nice! Special! Fabulous!" A magic circle appeared on her back, the fiery dragon emerging from it once more. She rose up, the dragon flying back to her. When it did, a large, silver and gold dragon head emerged from her chest, breathing a massive surge of flame onto her foes.

Twilight felt the adrenaline bleed off, a weight of exhaustion falling upon her. Her armor vanished in a flash of magic, bathing her in the warmth of the cleansing fire. “It looks like one of those things had some of your medals.”

Spike let his own armor fade, walking up to the crispy remains of the beasts. "Ugh, guess I gotta fish them out of this thing." Retching, he dug a claw into the bodies. "Want me to get some tissue while I'm at it? I bet you wanna study these things."

“I’ll let it stop burning first,” Twilight replied, trying to fight back a yawn. She felt a twitching on her back, suddenly reminded of her new appendages. She ran a hand through her feathers, the reality setting in. "Heh, Wyatt's probably gonna flip when he sees these wings."

The ceiling above Wyatt and Velvet exploded into a shower of dust and rock. Psycho Green’s sneering visage made itself known, several sentries standing around him. “Ah, so this is where you scurried off to. And here I thought I’d have to make a mousetrap.”

"So this is who's attacking my prison?" Kelly asked, her claw forming. "It looks like some kid dressed their Power Ranger toys like their G.I. Joes. Now, get the hell out or you'll see how I put down a riot."

“Cute.” Psycho Green dropped into a run, slicing at Kelly’s gut. The sentires, a mix of Mastodon and swat troops, opened fire onto the pair.

A blade extended from Kelly's gauntlet, sparks flying from it as she deflected Psycho's dagger. With her claws she swung down at his helmet, moving at supernatural speed. Her body continued to move, dragging her claws down across his chest. Green energy crackled around her claws, greedily absorbed into her being.

Wyatt was forced to duck behind a corner to avoid the oncoming gunfire. Once more, he transformed and created his clones to return fire. With careful aim, he pinged most of them in the helmet, dropping a couple of them instantly.

"Man, you guys just can't aim for shit," Wyatt taunted in stereo, letting loose another barrage. "I mean, I'm in bright magenta armor and you still miss me. I even gave you-” He sucked in air as multiple lasers tagged his chest. "Note to self, insults raise their accuracy," he grunted.

Getting an idea, he grabbed two cards from his case. He dropped the first one in, changing into Den-O, his clones faded from existence. He dropped the next one in the belt calling out, "Form Ride: Gun Form."

Wyatt's armor shifted, turning purple. Two extensions went up and away from the shoulders, shaped like dragon claws holding jewels. The visor was a clear purple and shaped like a dragon's head. In his hand was a gun shaped like the hybrid child of a laser and an old flintlock. Feeling the call of an unheard rhythm, he began to move. "Let's kick it!"

In what could only be described as dancing, Wyatt started to dodge the oncoming fire while returning it in time with music only he could hear.

"Stop mocking us!" The leader of the squad growled, firing at the empty air where Wyatt's head had been just a split second prior.

"Pretty sure your outfits do that by themselves you Rob Liefeld rejects," Wyatt countered, spinning on a heel. With one last flourish, the last Sentries dropped, leaving only the squad leader. "You just got served, drop the gun."

The leader complied, putting his hands up. Not a moment later, Wyatt clocked him in the side of the helmet with the butt of his gun, sending the Sentry crumpling to the ground. “And that’s that~” Strutting confidently, he fired a few shots at Psycho Green.

They struck the ranger’s back, though did nothing to gain his attention. The blows exchanged between himself and Kelly showed the dichotomy of their fighting styles. Kelly moved swiftly, her whole body a weapon. Psycho Green hit with brutal force, each blow designed to send his opponent reeling.

Frowning beneath his helmet, Wyatt approached Green, shooting him in the back of the head. Green’s body twisted, a hand wrapping around Wyatt’s helmet. Searing green electricity surged forth, coursing through his body.

"Get off him you bitch!" Kelly sneered, shoving her claws upward and into his stomach. With another grunt of exertion, black flames erupted from her claws and into Psycho Green. Pivoting her body, her leg slammed into Psycho Green’s side.

With the grip loosened on his helmet, Wyatt managed to wrench himself free. Reverting his armor to normal, he took a swing at the evil Ranger's other side with his sword.

"Never thought I'd be kicking ass alongside you," Wyatt commented, following his swing with a quick parry of Green's dagger. "At least not without polyhedral dice being involved."

Kelly made no response, her only utterances being of exertion. Claws slashed, greedily sipping at Psycho Green’s power. The more of it she sapped away, the faster her body moved. She actively had to hold herself back, not wanting to give into her demonic nature. The surging power whispered to her, begging her to indulge.

“You’re trying my patience.” Wrapping his arms around a pillar, Psycho Green tore the bottom section away, swinging it into Wyatt’s back.

Wyatt went flying, crashing against the nearest wall. Grunting, he took a step forward, only to have the pillar thrown into him. His body screamed in pain, the constant fighting of the day taking its toll.

"That all you got?" Wyatt asked, staying on his feet despite the pain. "I barely felt that." He gripped his weapon tight, approaching the evil Ranger. Pressing his reach advantage, Wyatt slashed at Green, summoning up all his speed to force Green to block attacks on two fronts.

A low growl escaped Psycho's throat, Kelly managing to sneak a blow past his defenses. When she pulled her blade away it was wet with blood. A blast of lightning struck her chest, blasting her back into a cell.

Kelly shot daggers at the occupants, daring them to attack her while she was down. Brandishing her claws, she thrust her demonic arm forward and shot out black flames at her attacker. Psycho Green was already moving, pushing Wyatt into the oncoming flames.

The instant she saw Wyatt caught in the attack she cut off the flames. Despite the intense pain, Wyatt still managed to stab at Green. Green leaned to the side, slamming the hilt of his dagger into Wyatt’s helmet.

Wyatt staggered, amazed that his armor was still intact. Thinking quickly, he feinted with his main sword before quick-drawing Ninjor's and slashing at Green's stomach. “Kelly! This isn’t getting us anywhere!”

"Then what would you suggest?!" She barked back. "Because I haven't been holding anything back." Spinning on a heel, she kicked at Green's head. Her boot made contact, dazing the ranger.

Wyatt checked his card case, finding what he was looking for. "Well, I do have an idea but I don't know if you'll like it. This might tickle."

"Final Form Ride: V-V-V-Velvet!" Getting behind Kelly while Green reeled, Wyatt put his hands on her back. Spreading them apart, Kelly started to change. After a moment, she became a set of gauntlets and greaves that attached to Wyatt's armor, both as demonic looking as her clawed arm.

Green recovered, his hands surging with power. “It never ceases to amaze me what the weak do to get a leg up. I need no such tricks.” Closing the distance, his dagger cried for Wyatt’s blood. Bringing one of the gauntlets up, Wyatt caught the dagger and kicked the evil ranger in the stomach.

Psycho Green was sent sliding back, his spine slamming into a nearby pillar. Following up, Wyatt let loose a flurry of blows against his foe, the pillar cracking from the force.

“Don’t get up,” Wyatt growled, glaring down at the man.

Psycho Green's only response was a low growl, his body tensing. "It's not often I'm pushed this far. Maybe Drakkon was right about you having potential. Playtime is over, brat." Energy surged over his body, crackling like fire. His form pulsed, almost doubling in size.

Psycho's face turned demonic, complete with horns and spectral light coming from his eyes and mouth like a demented jack-o-lantern. Spectral fire wisped from his head like a knight's plume and emerged from two holes on his shoulders.

“Oh shit.” Eyes wide, Wyatt fumbled at his driver. “Come on, come on, come on!”

"Wyatt, calm down!" Kelly snapped, his gauntlet moving on its own to whack the side of his head. "We've got an ace in the hole. Cerberus! Here boy, fetch!"

A low sound echoed in the distance before steadily getting louder. A few moments later and the ground started to shake as Cerberus bounded into the hall.

"Good boy," Kelly praised, raising Wyatt's arm to point at Green. "Fetch." Cerberus barked happily, swatting a paw at Psycho Green.

The evil ranger caught the paw, sliding back from the momentum. Wyatt leapt forward, sweeping Green's legs out from under him with one of his claws. “Push him out of the building, Cerberus!” Cerberus barked in an inquisitive way, throwing more weight behind his paw. "Yes, there'll be more jerky in it for you!"

Barking happily, Cerberus turned his attention to the monster before him. A low growl escaping his throats, he pushed against Green, using his size and weight against the ranger. With a triumphant howl, he threw the growing ranger out of the closest set of doors.

"Good boy!" Wyatt praised, rushing out behind the large hound. Looking out across the bridge, he could see the battle still raging on.

“Annoying little gnat,” Green snarled, his growth continuing. Rising back to his feet, he easily matched the height of Tartarus. “Know your place, worm.” Raising his leg, he brought it down on top of Wyatt.

Grunting, Wyatt caught the leg, fighting against being crushed under the monstrous heel. With a heave of effort he rolled to the side, narrowly escaping. The bridge under him cracked, several pieces of it falling away into the abyss.

A sinking feeling hit Wyatt, forcing him to scramble towards the end of the bridge. If they didn't get off the bridge then both of them would drop into that hole. Calling forth all the strength in his legs, Wyatt made a mad dash across the bridge. Green was close behind, causing the ground to rumble with each step.

“You really think a bug can outrun me?” Green asked, not even bothering to run after Wyatt.

Wyatt cursed under his breath, his mind racing. He had a new solution for this, but growing as J would likely destroy the bridge with the two of them on it. He just needed to reach open ground.

The end of the bridge came swiftly, a relieved grin splitting Wyatt's face. With a motion, Kelly regained her normal body and Wyatt reached into his card case. Pulling out J's card, he slipped it into his belt.

“Oh this is going to be fun! You help the knights with the ground forces, okay?” he asked, activating his belt.

"Are you seriously going to try fighting that thing alone?" Kelly questioned, utter disbelief on her face. "What're you gonna do, stab it in the shin?"

“Kamen Ride: J!” Wyatt's armor shifted, turning to green. Unlike many of his forms, this armor seemed to be one continuous piece with light green highlights at the joints hiding where it came apart. The only parts that weren't green were the red jewel at his waist, the red eye lenses, the grey ridged mouth area and the red caps atop the green antennae.

Striking a pose, Wyatt began to grow and his body stretched out until he was easily as tall as Psycho Green. Of course, Psycho Green wasted no time in slugging Wyatt in the jaw.

Wyatt moved with the punch, lessening the pain. Pivoting on his heel, he elbowed Green in the side. Grabbing Green’s side, he dragged the monster away from the prison and into the surrounding area. With the two out of range of the battle, Wyatt cut loose and a flurry of punches came rushing towards the opposing giant.

Psycho growled in frustration, forced onto the defensive as some of the punches managed to hit their mark.

"Guess this bug can do more than run, huh?" Wyatt questioned, planting an uppercut on Green's jaw. “But go ahead, keep reassuring yourself that you're going to win.”

Green's face contorted in rage, the fire on his body billowing wildly. With a roar of anger, he slashed at Wyatt's helmet with his claws. “I’ll rip your skull from your spine!”

Wyatt reeled from the blow, putting his guard up. Despite that, he was grinning. He had gotten into his opponent's head, taking up space where tactics would normally go. He dug his heels in, wishing J had some kind of weapon.

Wyatt pushed the thought out of his mind, dropping down to sweep the legs out from under Green. Green pounced on Wyatt, the two of them crashing to the ground. Trees and land were torn asunder, leveling anything under them. The two struggled against one another, both of them trying to pin the other.

Rearing back a fist, Wyatt gave the monster a quick jab to the solar plexus. Psycho wheezed, his grip loosening on Wyatt for a split second. This was the opening Wyatt needed, twisting his body to force the monster into a pin. “Still cocky, asshole?”

"Do you ever shut up?" Green spat, struggling against Wyatt. "Drakkon said you'd run your mouth, but this is maddening!"

Wyatt tsked, slamming a fist into Green’s face. He brought his fist down, again and again. He almost wondered if Green’s jack-o-lantern skull would shatter under the force of the blows. His question seemed to answer itself, one of his opponent's horns went flying off and buried itself into the ground in an explosion of dirt and grass.

Wyatt stood back up, grabbing a card from his belt. "If you really wanna stop hearing my voice, I have a solution." With a flick of the wrist, he slotted the card into his Driver.

"Final Attack Ride: J-J-J-J!"

Leaping high into the air, Wyatt positioned his leg for a massive kick, leg crackling with energy. "Rider Kick!" he boomed, crashing into Green and cratering the earth beneath the monster.

Green roared out in pain, his body bursting apart in an explosion of green flames. When the fire cleared, Wyatt stood triumphant and struck J's signature pose. His body began to compress, shrinking back to his normal size.

Sighing in relief, Wyatt stopped to catch his breath. His body throbbed with dull aches as his adrenaline waned. With a grunt of effort he forced his legs to move so he could return to the battlefield. Eventually, he made it back to where the others were, the Sentries scattered and in disarray.

"Fight one and suddenly you miss all the fun," Wyatt said to himself, shaking his head. He winced, exhaustion had crept into his voice. Pushing his body along, he searched for Kelly and the knights.

He decided to follow the vines along the battlefield, thinking that where they were thickest would be where at least one of the knights was. It took a few minutes, but he found a brown and gold knight keeping an eye on a handful of captive Sentries. Based on the antlers poking out of the helmet, Wyatt assumed it was Bramble.

"Hey Bramble, good to see you guys handled yourselves okay," Wyatt said, getting the deer's attention. “You guys doing okay? I was afraid that armor wouldn’t hold up to assault rifle fire.”

"Stings after a while, but the magic armor holds up pretty well all things considered," Bramble answered, turning to face Wyatt. "As for this battle, we've got most of the heavy artillery downed, just dealing with scattered forces now."

Wyatt nodded, using the moment to catch his breath. “What about that armored guy? The one with the chain mace?”

"Last I saw, Miss Velvet was engaged with him." Looking out across the battlefield, he pointed to his left. "They went that way."

“Alright, stay safe, Bramble.” Clapping Bramble on the shoulder, Wyatt ran in the indicated direction. He had no illusions that Kelly couldn’t protect herself. However, it was his job to put those of Dai-Shocker in the ground. His limbs screamed for relief, but he ignored them, there'd be time to rest later. He reverted to his base armor, knowing which form he'd need to take on the Marshal.

Eventually, he came across Kelly and Marshall locked in their conflict, Kelly having caught the chain mace in her claw. Wyatt grinned, stepping atop a nearby boulder. "Marshal!" He boomed, grabbing a card from his holder. "You wanted a fight with a Kamen Rider, right?!"

Activating the card, he leapt down behind Marshal, kicking at his back. “Kamen Ride: Riderman!”

Wyatt's armor shifted in a flash, turning mostly black with a red, vest-like chest piece broken up by a green inverted "V". The mostly blue helmet covered only the top half of his face and left his mouth exposed. Between the red lenses was a green "V" that started at the bridge of his nose and went up over the top of his head. At the top of his helmet were a pair of antennae and around his neck was a yellow scarf.

Marshal swung his mace backwards, grunting in effort. “Take whichever form you wish. I fear no one.”

Wyatt dodged the swinging mace, raising his leg to kick the other man in the chest. Kelly struck at Marshal’s chest, her claws cutting through his breastplate. Marshal grunted in pain, looking down at his torn armor.

"Impressive, not many can tear my armor," the villain commented, flourishing his mace. “Allow me to drop all pretenses. We shall battle at our peak!” His body began to morph, his armor seamlessly melding into his flesh. His body bulged out, growing a crustacean's shell. His fingers on one hand fused together, forming a crab claw. The last change was his eyes, bulging out and growing out on stalks into beady little things.

"Oh nice, now we can have crab legs after this fight," Wyatt joked, looking at Kelly. "I bet you're starving after your nap." Cracking his knuckles, he bounced on his heels. “Let’s crack some shell.”

"Ugh, why with the puns?" Kelly groaned, rushing up to the monster and stabbing at his shell with her armblade. “Just fucking kill it!” Contorting her body, she twisted into the air, her boots colliding one after the other with Marshal's neck.

Pulling out a card, Wyatt slipped it into his belt. "Wow, didn't think my jokes would make you crabby."

"Attack Ride: Power Arm!" a silver gauntlet grew onto his hand, one capped with a crescent shaped blade.

He met Marshal’s own claw, the ringing of metal cracking through the air. With a heave of effort, Wyatt pressed forward, using his other hand to punch the crustacean in the gut. Two of the legs in Marshal's shell extended, stabbing at him.

Wyatt jumped back, the appendages grazing his shoulders and making him clench his teeth in pain. Grabbing one of them, he brought his elbow down on the closest joint. It snapped, blue ichor pumping out. Wyatt turned his head, not wanting the substance to hit anywhere near his mouth.

Kelly jumped up, landing on the beast's back and prying off a couple more of the appendages. “Are you supposed to be threatening?” Kelly questioned, leashing out with her demon arm. Her claws drank deeply, tugging at Marshal’s life force.

"Do not think lightly of me!" Marshal boomed, falling twisting his body to throw Kelly off. With a roar, he slammed his shell and Kelly into the boulder Wyatt had made his dramatic entrance from. “Even enemies deserve respect on the battlefield.”

Kelly grunted, dropping from Marshal's back to avoid being crushed. Without responding, she strafed around the crab monster, keeping her eyes out for an opening. Lashing out, she stabbed her blade in the gap between one of Marshall's legs and his shell.

Several arrows thunked into Marshal’s chest, each exploding into a small whirlwind. Occellus knocked another arrow, her wings buzzing furiously. “I’d give up, if I were you.”

"Giving up is not an option," Marshal spat, his shell cracked in several places. "My death would only serve the Great Leader's goal." He turned to Wyatt, a heavy air surrounding him. "Keep growing stronger, Rider, it is as our leader wills."

Wyatt's face scrunched up in annoyance, brandishing his arm. "Don't know why that jackass would want me stronger, it'll only come back to bite him when I kick his ass." Charging forward, he slashed at Marshal’s face.

Marshall attempted to dodge, only for a bolt from Ocellus to catch him in the shoulder and knock him back into Wyatt's path. The crustacean cried out in anguish, one of his eye stalks dropping to the ground. Following up, Kelly jumped up, digging her claw into the hole where the stalk once was.

Marshal’s body wavered for a moment before it began to slacken. “For... Deeeestron...” His body went limp, held up only by Kelly’s claw. The world was silent for a moment; a calm before the storm. Marshals body exploded, the grand finale to the siege.

Wyatt's body relaxed as he cancelled his transformation. He looked out across the battlefield, his fatigue finally catching up with him. With a dry laugh, he fell back on his ass and looked up at the sky. "Ugh, my aching everything."

A figure staggered closer, a blade raised to the sky. Psycho Green’s armor had all but shattered, much of his helmet gone. His features were contorted into a sneer, eyes gleaming with hatred.

Wyatt's body went on alert, tired legs whining and forcing him upright. "Are you serious?" Wyatt questioned, hand drifting to Ninjor's sword "How are you still standing?"

Green spat, his dagger held in front of him. “Always a joke, hm? A wonder anyone would want an empty headed jester like you.”

"Have you been talking to my insecurities? Because that sounds like something they'd say," Wyatt retorted, drawing the blade. "Then again, hard to feel insulted by a psychopathic weasel." He braced himself as Green charged forward, only for Kelly to snatch up his opponent.

Holding the struggling psycho ranger above the ground, her demonic arm greedily drank in his energy. Green electricity surged over her, wearing her own mask of hatred. Green’s dagger slipped from his fingers, his armor dissolving into devoured energy. After a few moments, his body went limp and Kelly dropped him to the ground.

Inspecting her claw curiously, she nudged Green’s body. “Huh, he’s still breathing. That’s new.” Her clawed hand closed, focusing the energy. Turning back to Wyatt, her fury melted away. “This... this isn’t how I wanted to see you again.”

Wyatt smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I've gotten used to not being able to get what I want. The important thing is learning to appreciate what you can have."

Kelly grunted, opening her hand. On her palm rested a small forearm length object. “Here, you can have this. I separated out the negative stuff and this was what’s left.”

Gingerly taking the object, Wyatt inspected it. "This must be his morpher." Despite being told there was no negative energy in it, he made sure to avoid doing anything that might activate it. “I think this might be from one of those older sentai.”

"I'm sure you can figure out your nerd stuff later," Kelly said, her clawed arm reverting to normal. Reaching into her pocket for bandages, she bound the arm once more. “You have someone. Back home. Don’t you?”

Wyatt quirked a brow, her tone striking him as odd. "Yeah, I somehow convinced a mare in my Equestria to date me. Don't ask me how, she's way too smart for me to have tricked h-” His lips stopped moving as Kelly placed her own against them.

Wyatt froze in shock, unable to move for a second or two before grabbing Kelly's shoulders to push her away. "Wh-what the hell was that about?" he questioned, his exhausted mind now further put through the ringer.

Kelly turned away, keeping her back to him. “You can’t hate me. Not for a single kiss. You can’t...” Her words tapered off, leaving the pair in silence.

"I never said I hate you," Wyatt countered instantly, taking a step toward her. "But back on Earth you were the one who said we were better off as friends." He watched her, wondering what might have happened if their lives had been normal. It was all so absurd, a dry humorless laugh passed by his lips. He put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. "Sorry I couldn't be like some Romcom character and kept pursuing. You said no and I respected that."

“You guys alright?” Moondancer asked, jogging over. “I saw that explosion all the way from the bridge. I have some gels if you need them.” Glancing between them, her ears splayed back. “Ah, am I interrupting?”

Wyatt sighed, pulling his hand away and shoving it in his pocket. "I'm more exhausted than hurt, so I don't need your gel. Ocellus?"

“I’m okay,” Ocellus said, shaking her head. “How is everyone else doing?”

"Rover took a few hits but given his fighting style that was to be expected and Capper said he still had eight lives to fall back on." Moondancer visibly relaxed, seeming to have forgotten her intrusion. “Bramble didn’t get a scratch, as usual.”

Ocellus giggled, nodding. "I swear he's part ghost or something.”

Kelly bent down, lifting Green’s dagger up. Inspecting it, she ran her fingers over the blade. “I’ll keep the bastard here, consider it a parting gift.” Taking Wyatt’s hand, she placed the weapon in his palm. “Our contract is complete.”

"Call on me whenever," Wyatt said, a portal opening up behind him. "I'll be there."

“Oh here!” Ocellus flittered over, passing him a small book. “Some gel recipes for when you go home! I think the pineapple flavor is the best.”

Wyatt smiled, adjusting his arms to hold everything. "With everything you're giving me you're making me feel bad for not having anything to offer myself." Exchanging a few goodbyes, he shared a long look with Kelly before stepping through the portal.

When Wyatt returned to his home on the other side of the portal he was greeted by a large hole where the front door had been. He blinked, setting everything he had been given onto the nearest table and examined the hole.

"Huh, either I missed something big or Twi decided to do some renovating." Turning back, he cleared his throat. “Twi? Sombra? You guys home?”

At the sound of his voice there was a disturbance upstairs. A moment later and there was a flash of light that blinded him followed by arms reaching out to pull him into a hug. "Wyatt!" Twilight's familiar voice called, squeezing him tight. His response died in his throat, the air squeezed out of him. Was it just him or was her hug tighter than normal?

“H-hi, Twilight...” he gasped out, returning the hug. “Can I breathe... now?”

"Sorry," came her sheepish reply, easing her grip. "Been a really long day and I missed you. You wouldn't believe what happened. I uh, kinda went through a big change." Turning him around, she stole a kiss. “Why don’t we sit down and talk about it?”

Finally able to get a good look at her, Wyatt gaped. His tired mind wasn't prepared for what he was seeing. Dumbly, he let Twilight lead him to the couch. "Talking is good."

Twilight smiled, gazing into Wyatt’s eyes. So much had changed in such a short amount of time. There was time now to unwind; to share their experiences. She began with her own recounting, and for once, all seemed right with the world.

Villain's Wild

A robed figure walked along a long wasteland, sheer cliffs before him. It had been a long time since he had been to the dragonlands. He wondered if his face would be recognized there or if it had been forgotten to the sands of time. While some part of him wished to test that, secrecy was his friend at the moment.

Ah, but that was a futile wish. His form was but a flicker of the inferno it had once been. Not that it mattered. His only role now was to usher in the correct future. All he needed was to continue pressing forward. He was close to a solution, he knew it.

His attention shifted, drawn by a cry of desperation. Peering around a corner his eyes almost sparkled. An older mare and a drake, locked in argument. Opportunity always presented itself to those worthy of it. He sidled closer, taking a spot by a rocky outcropping to listen in on what was being said. He grinned upon getting a better look at the drake. Young, healthy, clearly strong and very clearly full of rage and untempered emotions.

“Fireheart, please. I-”

“STOP CALLING ME THAT!”

"Fine," the mare said, letting out a deep exhale. "I know you want nothing to do with me, but at least hear me out."

Leaning down, the drake snorted a cloud of smog in her face. “Stop. Talking. To. Me.”

The mare stood, not reacting at all to the smog. "Please, I never wanted this. I was young and stupid. I should never have let you go. Even if it meant my family dis-” She held back a cry as the drake shoved her to the ground.

“I said, stop talking to me!”

The mare's shoulders sagged as she slowly stood up. "I understand, you have every right to hate me." With a heavy gait, she began her trek back towards the wasteland. "Goodbye, Fireheart."

The old dragon clicked his tongue, making his presence known to the drake. “It’s quite something for a drake to have pony blood.”

"Who said I have pony blood?!" The drake snapped, his anger fully directed at the old dragon now. "Say that again and I'll pull your wings off ya dusty bastard!"

“Your anger betrays the truth,” the old dragon said, grinning under his hood. “You must feel quite inadequate. Not only to have a weaker blood, but to be cast out by that pony.”

"Are you calling me weak?" The drake snorted, cracking his red knuckles. "Must've gone senile in your old age. Don't worry, I'll beat some sense back into you."

Holding a hand up, the old dragon waved off the drake’s hostility. “Calm yourself, calm yourself. Think before you act. What would you do, child, if you had a way to ensure no other dragons would suffer equine blood? To show those who cast you aside like dirt that you are worth more than they can imagine?"

The drake grinned, nodding along to the dragon's words. "Helping others sounds lame, but the other thing you said sounds really appealing. What're you getting at old scales?"

Reaching into his robes, the older dragon held out a hand. On it rested several purple coins. “Tell me, do you know the tale of Dragon Lord Kalameet? Whose power blotted out the sun for a whole day.”

"Yeah, I've heard the stories. It's why I was told to give old scales Smaug his space. He was involved with Kalameet."

Tossing a coin in the air, the old dragon caught it with a flourish. “And what if I told you these coins contained his power? The power to take the bloodstone sceptre for yourself? What would you do then, hm?”

"Take the sceptre, duh," the drake said, grinning. "Then maybe order all dragons to make Equestria just a little bit hotter."

Holding out the coins again, the elder dragon smiled. “Then by all means, take them. Show the world how a true dragon should live their life. Show them just how abhorrent it is to mix blood.”

Eyeing the elderly dragon up and down, the drake swiped the coins off his palm. “These better work, old man. Or I’ll-” Pain. That was all his world became. The coins sank into his flesh, latching onto his very being. Purple and black armor sprouted from his scales, arcing with power. His body went limp, almost as if he was being held up by invisible marionette strings.

His torso shifted, a bud growing from the base of his neck. Rising up, it soon took shape; that of an armored dragon's head. Its eyes glowed a malevolent purple, sneering out at the elderly dragon. The drake panted, the growth slowing down.

Bowing his head, the old dragon wore a pleased expression. “Thus, Kalameet the Terrible is reborn. And lo, dragonkind's destiny is corrected, unto the path it was meant to walk.” He straightened up, beckoning the duo forward. “Now then, let us find the rest of you.”

The mare watched from her hiding place, tears streaming down her face. It seemed her children continued to suffer her mistakes.

Pinkamena hummed to herself as she walked down the stairs to her basement. It had been a while since she had paid her guest a visit. She could only hope he wasn't too uncomfortable. Not yet anyway.

Her basement was dark and damp, just the style she was going for. Most of the walls bore shelves and cabinets, each containing some form of implement. Each lovingly cared for and maintained. Pinkamenia couldn't have her favorite toys breaking now could she?

“How are we feeling today, pops?” Her hooves clacked against the unfinished stone floor, giving each of her steps an ominous presence.

"Thou art not my daughter," Feldspar retorted, not looking up from the corner he was shackled to.

Unsheathing her knife, she tested its weight. Perfectly balanced just for her use. Bringing her arm back, she hurled it at him. She pouted as the dagger only barely cut along the side of his head and let out a thunk as the tip embedded itself into the wall next to him.

"Is that meant to intimidate me?" Feldspar asked, blood trickling down his cheek. “Thy method is childish and thy aim sloppy.”

"Silly daddy, if I had wanted that to hit you I would've. Just killing you isn't any fun." Pinkamena hummed to herself, considering her next action. She'd need to think carefully, her prey was as resilient as the rocks he farmed. Plus, this was personal, something to be savored. "I was a bit surprised when I found out you became a Rider. You never offered to help with Maud's research on my world."

“Then he was a poor father.” Feldspar watched her, noting every movement and expression.

She clapped her hands together, cackling for a moment. "Amazing, we actually agree about something for once." Looking at her selection of tools. Reaching down she selected what looked like normal acupuncture needles. Sticking one to his forehead, she continued, "I guess we should watch out for flying pigs."

“And what means of torture dost thou hath planned?” he asked, glancing up at the needle.

"Oh, this one is really quite interesting," Pinkamena replied, putting in another needle. "Traditional acupuncture is meant to relax the body and all that jazz. So with a bit of research and experimentation I've developed a version that causes all kinds of nasty effects. And without any of the mess of traditional torture."

Feldspar snorted, whickering softly. “I expected something more creative. Perhaps thou art a dullard?”

"There's the daddy I remember," Pinkamena deadpanned, putting a needle near his navel. "Always putting down my efforts; never being able to please you. All you missed there was an exasperated comparison to one of my sisters." She stuck in another needle and gave it a twist. "You wouldn't believe how many years I wasted seeking your validation."

"For all thy machinations, thou art still a scared child," Feldspar noted, ignoring the pain starting to well up within him. “A child blindly lashing out at those around them.”

Pinkamena's eyes flashed, fury overtaking her for a brief moment. Collecting herself, her manic mask slipped back on. "Quite the analysis for a rock farmer. Did you go to college for that? Of course not, modern niceties are bad, right?”

Feldspar held back a nod, the pieces slowly coming together. "A father needs no degree to see what hurts his daughter. And I never stopped Maud from pursuing higher learning, or thy counterpart's party endeavors." He hung his head, sighing. "I only wish I could've done the same for thee."

Pulling her dagger from the wall, she pressed the flat of the blade against his neck. “Aw, aren’t you the doting father? Maybe you can pay me back? I won’t charge much. A pint of blood or two at most might do.”

"I fear not thy threats. Do what thou wilt to me."

“Oh, I w-”

Her basement door opened. Or rather crashed open. Spinning around, she brandished her blade at those who would dare intrude. Her face contorted, two of Midnight’s cheerleaders descending into view.

“Good, we got here before you took his eye out or something.” Lemon pushed past Pinkamena, already working on Feldspar’s restraints. “But did you have to cover him in these stupid needles?”

"And why are you here to interrupt my fun?" Pinkamena snorted, pointing her dagger between the two intruders. "Better answer before I add your hands to my pickled limbs collection ya science fair project."

“Put it back in your pants.” Indigo got into Pinkamena’s face, their noses almost touching. “The head honcho doesn’t think you're makin’ good enough progress. We’re taking the old man to Midnight.”

"And do you have his orders with you?" The pink mare inquired, sheathing her dagger. "Because I wouldn't put it past your boss to try and just take him for an experiment." She clicked her tongue, her thoughts turning to her leader. It didn't sound too far fetched, Somber had a soft spot for Midnight and everyone could see it. No matter how loyal one was, everyone took a back seat to the recluse.

"You know what, forget it, just take him," Pinkamena concluded, waving her hand. "If this really is from the boss then delaying you will just annoy him." She seethed, grinding her teeth.

Pulling back, Indigo stepped around Pinkamena. “That’s what I thought.” Shouldering Feldspar, she and Lemon began to carry him upstairs.

A moment of debate passed before Pinkamena spoke again. “Holder’s boulder.”

Indigo looked over her shoulder, quirking a brow at the mare. “Holder’s what-now?”

“Holder’s boulder. That’s where the belt has to be,” Pinkamena clarified. “It’s in plain sight of the Pie family, and everyone would just think its just a big dumb rock.”

"And you've just now thought of this?" Indigo scoffed, turning around again. "How long have you been sitting on that? That might be grounds for insubordination."

Lemon sighed, shifting Feldspar’s weight. “She’s not worth it, Zap. Let her put the lotion on by herself. Boss lady wants this guy asap.”

Indigo nodded, brushing her bangs back into place. Summoning a portal, she exited the basement with Lemon and Feldspar in tow.

Pinkamena’s rage boiled out, a tide of red washing away her thoughts. When she faded into reality, her playroom was a mess. Tools were everywhere, shelves were smashed. And her precious Iron Maiden had been torn off its hinges. Oh, she’d make that purple bitch pay. She'd stake her life on it.

Daguva stared down at the quarry that made up the rock farm he was told about. He scanned the area, seeing a distant speck that he suspected was his target. For so long he had searched for his belt. And to think, it was kept out in the open on a simple farm all this time.

The night masked his approach, a nice blue outfit obscuring his outline. Each step came quicker than the next, his body drawn towards his belt like the pole of a magnet toward its opposite. For the first time in a long time, Daguva smiled. Kuuga was awake and now he'd return to his former glory. Nothing could make this a more perfect night.

The boulder towered over him, reminding him of just how much stature he had lost. Lifting his arm, he surveyed the strange device Midnight had gifted him. Something to offset his diminished strength.

Drawing his hand back, he waited for the odd gauntlet to chirp before slamming his fist into the rock. A satisfying crash of metal on stone filled the air as parts of the boulder fell away. Daguva repeated the process, seeing part of his belt poking out from the boulder.

A final strike freed his prize from its tomb. It also alerted him that his time was up. A furious shout broke the silence of the night. A guardian crying out for his blood. Stepping forward, a portal appeared before him taking him away with his belt slung over his shoulder.

The cityscape was a picture of faded glory. Houses were built in such a way that some of them screamed that the residents had tons of money while others practically leaning against them were little better than hovels. Even the grand mansion-like houses had signs of decay or a lack of proper upkeep to them, and almost half of the city was nearly a mile away from the rest. An earthquake, at some point, had split the city in two, dividing 0the residents, and destroying some structures as it raised and moved a portion of the plateau away from the rest. This was of little consequence to the main residents of Griffonstone, due to their ability to just fly up or down and over the huge crack in the stone… but it was a roadblock for Blud’s mission.

Using his magic to accomplish the task would blow his cover. The lie he had come up with was that he was an adolescent minotaur traveling in search of glory and treasure. So, he would need to go about things the hard way.

“Hey, you gonna stare at the wall all day or do you want a lift?” The griffon he’d run into earlier elbowed his leg while looking up at him. “It’ll cost you a few coins, but I can guarantee the ride’s safe enough.”

Blud considered his options for a moment before reaching into his armor and giving the griffon five coins. "You'll get five more when I'm safely on the other side."

Her eyes sparkled briefly, but she handed back four of the coins with a shake of her head. “Save those for the taxi service, but I’ll be happy to guide you there for one and help translate with any griffons that don’t know Wyvernspur’s trade language.” She quickly dropped the one coin into a pouch around her neck before turning and walking into an alleyway that looked like a solid wall until she started walking in.

"Hmm, clever," Blud commented, admiring the design and following after her. "Say miss, care to be my guide while I'm in town? There'll be more coins in it for you. Not many griffons would turn down what I just gave you. Especially when they had every means to just run off with it."

“Not many griffons have as much integrity as I do, and I know charging you five bits just to get you there is ripping you off. Name’s Gilda, by the way.” She only turned her head while talking, and kept one eye forward at all times. “Let’s see, I kinda know most of the other side of town, but it’s not perfect, especially if you’re using outdated reference points. How about we go with the ‘pay what you feel it’s worth’ system? I don’t know what you’re looking for, and you don’t know what I don’t know.”

Blud chuckled, enjoying this griffon's moxie. It was rare that he ran into someone that reminded him of himself. He almost wished he could keep her as a constant travel companion. "You can call me Bronze Soul, Gilda."

“If your soul’s bronze, why’s your outfit red?” She chuckled at her own joke as she turned left onto what passed for the main road here. “Sorry, bit of a dorky joke, but Grandpa Gruff would have liked it. Bright yellow building...there it is. New business, still bright and shiny. We haven’t had many outside visitors except for the last couple decades of diplomacy and trade with the weirdos.”

"No need to apologize for the joke, I've heard far worse from an associate of mine," Blud said with the wave of a hand. And who are these weirdos you spoke of?"

“You know, the bugs and hybrids. Wyvernspur’s Weirdos.” Gilda paused and looked up at him with a puzzled expression. “How come you know their language without having a...oh, right, you wouldn’t consider them weird since you’re more familiar.” She nodded, seemingly satisfied with her reasoning before she called out in a series of chirps and whistling sounds as they approached the yellow structure.

Another griffon poked their head out and looked at the two of them before pointing at what could only be a pricing sign. Gilda facepalmed in response, and shook her head before looking back at Blud. “Diplomacy, trade, or other? He wants to know how much to charge you. I’m guessing ‘other’ since you didn’t come with any trade goods and you haven’t acted like a stuck-up prick.”

"Yes, other sounds about right. And you're right, I'm not stuck up. I'm just the normal kind of prick," he joked, nudging her since she couldn't see his grin.

The talk between Gilda and this other griffon took less than a minute, and Blud ended up only being charged three bits before being led to a tall, thin metal carriage that sat among many other, similar-looking conveyances of varying sizes. A few more chirps were exchanged before the other griffon hopped up on top of it and began to strap three of his legs into some sort of harness.

“Alright, room for one being of your size and shape in there, and it’s one of the lighter models. He’s gonna carry you up. It’ll take a bit, but if anything goes wrong he’s in as much danger as you are.” Gilda sat down with one hand extended towards the ‘taxi.’

"Somehow that doesn't inspire much confidence," Blud commented, taking a seat. "But, beggars can't be choosers."

The seat and ride was fairly comfortable, and quite short with only a single event of mild shaking accompanied by a loud gust of wind. While shaking, a force held Blud secure and kept him from being rattled around against the sides. Only a slight jostling and the sight of a clear landing area through the small viewing window told him he was safe to exit, and he saw Gilda land in the middle of the area shortly after everything went still.

Stepping out of the taxi, he looked down at Gilda. "Remind me to be a creature with wings in my next life."

“For convenience or because of the updraft? Gotta warn you, wings don’t help with the second one. That was a hard gust.” Gilda brushed her talons through her feathers to smooth out some of them, then shook her head while walking out of the landing zone. “So, now that we’re up here, mind telling me what you’re looking for in the upper district? You know, so I can guide you there?”

"Something old that was given to the griffons back when they still had a king. Should look like a mechanical bea-"

“Woah woah woah, hold on. Are you talking about the Golden Orthos?” Gilda spun around in place and came to a stop in the middle of the street while looking up at Blud. “I mean, if you are I have some bad news for you.”

"What's that?" he inquired, tilting his head.

“You know that huge gorge you just flew over? That’s where the palace is now. At the bottom, in a huge pile of rubble. Supposedly the Golden Orthos used to be this big statue in the plaza right outside, a show of how mighty griffons were to have been able to intimidate the other races into giving us the most valuable of the beasts. It’s gone. Nothing can get down that gorge safely with all the winds.”

Blud put a hand to his chin, thinking carefully. Getting to the bottom of the gorge would be simple enough with a rift, but he'd need to be alone. Seemed this was a successful enough scouting attempt. Now to sell it. "Well, bound to be some treasures that can't be reached. Maybe I'll try a Mareyan temple next."

“Yeah, well, good luck with that. Whoever told you that thing was just some treasure to find has a few screws loose though. Listening to Grandpa Gruff talk about it, the thing was bigger than every house but the palace here. Pretty sure he’s just senile and confused, but, yeah, too big to be treasure for one person.”

Blud grinned to himself, reaching into his armor and pulling out a couple bits. "Then it's for the best I came up short. Here, take this for the info. I appreciated your company."

Gilda paused for a few seconds, then nodded and carefully took the coins. “If nothing else, I saved you a bunch of time pointlessly wandering around looking for something that’s long gone.” She shook her head once more before turning and walking away. “Better luck with your next hunt, Bronze.”

Blud waved, letting Gilda get out of sight. Finding a secluded place, he summoned a rift to where he had left Rippersnapper. Stepping through, he brushed the dust off his armor. “Your comrade is in the gorge. You won’t have to worry about anyone getting in your way. Updrafts make it impossible for locals to get near him.”

“No locals means no fun!” Blot growled, and then slammed a fist against the wall of the cavern.

“No fun means nobody running or flying away to rat us out and no protracted battles that could drain us too much to rescue Sinnertwin. Better for us to stay unnoticed for now, Blot.” Rippersnapper crouched and lowered himself down to pick Blud up and bring him to eye level. “You said in the gorge. Anything more specific than that or is that all anyone up there knows?”

"Yes, in the ruins of what was once the palace," Blud answered. "Once we get there I should be able to get us close to him. Erosion might have shifted him a bit."

“Not necessary. You can stay here, or go somewhere else. Blot and I will be able to dig or melt our way there and through the rubble faster without worrying about crushing you by accident. Well, Blot wouldn’t worry, and he’d laugh about it. We still need you so we can have a distraction for Cutthroat’s rescue. Once Sinnertwin’s up and repaired, though, the three of us should be able to rescue our old leader on our own.”

Acting as if tipping his hat, Blud bowed his head. “Then I shall move on to our next target. I’ll relay any useful information to you as I find it.”

“We know the NEXT target. Dragons, volcanoes, big cave and old foes. What we need is something big enough to distract an entire city of undying organics. An army, or something close to it.”

Clicking his tongue, he held back a biting retort. If they wanted to go in blind, that was on them. Besides, he was overdue for updating Somber on his progress. "An army I can do," he assured. "I'll get to that once you set off for the palace." Bowing, he flourished his cape and vanished from Rippersnapper’s hand.

A silent figure watched the mechanical titans, making their leave long before the pair departed.

Gilda watched the other griffons, a platoon of them lined up and running drills. She never thought she'd see the day that Griffonstone would be organized. But ever since the guy with the creepy mask showed up things had been getting more intense.

All this talk about war with the ponies. She thought it would fall apart in a week or two but it didn’t. More and more griffons flocked to their newfound cause.

This was bad, she had spent time with ponies, knew a lot about them. Sure, on most days they were pansies; more likely to bake a cake for an enemy than start a fight. But in an actual war? That would be a different story. Pegasi could control the weather, an ability that griffons sorely lacked despite the fact that they shared the ability to walk on clouds. And then there were the unicorns and their magic. Griffons had no way to counter that. This was a conflict they couldn't win, and she had a feeling their "benefactor" knew that.

She had tried talking to Grandpa Gruff about her suspicions, but the old griff had bought into the rhetoric hook, line and sinker. He wouldn't stop going on about griffons returning to their former glory. And she had to be careful who else she told, there were eyes and ears everywhere lately.

This wasn't something she could handle on her own, not with Gruff on board with the insanity. The writing was on the wall, the invasion plan was going to happen.

Clicking her beak, Gilda slipped out of her house. A plan formed in her head. She’d just grab Gallus and Gabby and book it for the train station. Gabby would be easy to convince, she was agreeable enough. Gallus might be the issue. Even though he was an orphan, he was stubborn and might not want to leave.

That would be a bridge she'd cross when she got there; at the moment she decided to simply fly off and prepare for her leave by nightfall. She packed light, taking only the bare essentials. Throwing on her pack, she went to find Gabby.

As Gilda thought, Gabby was easy to convince. With hurried efforts, the pair packed the younger griffon's bag for the trip. Even taking what extra supplies for Gallus that they could spare.

“Go to the gates, okay?” Gilda said, looking into Gabby’s eyes. “Don’t let anyone see you.”

Gabby nodded, glancing at the gates. "I always wanted to get out of Griffonstone, guess this is my chance." She slunk off, clinging to the shadows and staying out of sight.

Gilda smiled, watching Gabby move out of sight. Now came the hard part, finding and convincing Gallus to come with her. Slipping out of Gabby’s house, she made her way towards Gruff’s home. That was where the young blue griffon was the most so she could only hope that she'd get lucky.

Gilda had to thank whatever deity that was listening because she found him leaning on one of the walls. “Gallus,” she hissed, yanking on his arm. “Come on. We have to get out of here.”

Gallus wrenched his arm free, shooting her an annoyed look. "What're you talking about, Gilda? Is this one of your lame pranks?"

"In case you haven't noticed, this war stuff is getting nuts," Gilda retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "We need to leave before that masked guy gets us all killed." Grabbing his arm again, she pulled him towards her. “Now come on.”

"And where are we gonna even go?" Gallus questioned. "Do you have an idea or are we just running in a vague direction?" Despite his nitpicking, he was letting Gilda direct him.

“We’re going to Equestria,” she said, slipping into a back alley. “Just shut your trap and follow me. Got it?”

Gallus snorted, but kept quiet. The pair worked their way through the back alleys, silently slinking to the gates where Gabby was waiting. Their journey took them past the home that the masked man had taken up residence in. Gilda stopped, compelled by some force to take a peek.

"Gallus, keep going to the gate. Gabby's waiting there. If I'm not there in twenty minutes, book it without me." She gave him her backpack and pushed him to go. “Get your tails to Ponyville and tell Rainbow Dash everything.”

"And how are we supposed to find one pony out of a whole town?" Gallus whispered, slipping on the pack. "It's not like they wear name tags."

"She'll be the one that has a literal rainbow mane," Gilda deadpanned. “Now go!” she hissed, giving him a rough shove. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Gallus huffed, running off into the night. Gilda sighed in relief, peering into the window of the masked man's hideaway. She knew it was a big risk, but the bastard had to be hiding something. Easing the window open, she slipped inside. Most of the dust that clung tightly to all the surfaces of Griffonstone was gone, something Gilda didn’t even think was possible. The only notable sight upon her entry was a banner on the wall, one depicting a two headed eagle.

Raising an eyebrow, Gilda began to creep further into the home. The layout of homes were fairly uniform in Griffonstone, so she had an idea of where rooms were. Her best bet to avoid being caught was to avoid the bedrooms upstairs. Hopefully there was something downstairs she could use to incriminate him.

Creeping silently, Gilda moved towards the sitting room. The room was dominated by a large table, various bits of parchment and maps scattered along its surface. In the corners of the room were bookshelves filled to capacity. Clicking her beak, she figured she had ten minutes to search the room and still make it back to Gallus and Gabby in time.

She started with the table, figuring that it would be easier with less space to cover. “Okay, what are you hiding?” She scanned the surface, riffling through anything that looked important.

Most of what she saw pertained to battle plans and the invasion. That might be useful for the ponies to know, but it wasn't exactly what she was looking for. Shoving them into her pockets, Gilda moved onto the nearby desk.

She grunted, seeing more of the same at first. Opening the drawer, her claw brushed against something odd. Inspecting it further, it seemed like a panel that could be lifted away. Peeling the panel away with her claws, she found what was hidden beneath it. Vials with some kind of liquid along with a note. On it were instructions on using the griffons as some sort of experiment if the invasion didn't pan out.

Clicking her beak, Gilda pocketed both the vials and the note. Closing the drawer, she retreated through the window. Closing it, she hurried through the streets of Griffonstone. This was it. Everything came down to her getting the hell out of the city. The gates loomed in the distance, growing larger by the moment. Eventually, she made it through, finding Gabby and Gallus's hiding spot.

"Alright time to go, but no flying until Griffonstone's out of sight," Gilda said. “Just stay down and don’t make yourself a target.”

Gabby saluted, following behind Gilda as they began their trek.

The light glared off Finster 5’s visor like a beacon, his hands moving with purpose. Slotting the last piece, he stepped back to study his work. “My lord,” he spoke, deciding it met his standards. “The amplifier is complete.”

Drakkon looked down from his throne, his helmet hiding any hint of a reaction. "Good work, Finster. How long until we can put the amplifier to use?"

Taking his place by his master’s throne, Finster clasped his hands behind his back. “Whenever you wish, my lord. It should boost the power of your spell, and obscure your identity. As you requested.”

Drakkon rose from his throne, his eyes set on the amplifier. "Then there's no time like the present." Raising an arm, arcane energy crackled around him. “Raza weha tigo zalat. Qua doq galof.”

Flowing into the amplifier, the magic brought the machine to life. Its top half spun, a pair of emitters soaking in the spell. They released the captured essence, forming it into a basketball sized orb of white light.

Satisfied with his work, Drakkon cut the flow of his magic and let the machine run on its own. "Good craftsmanship as always, Finster," he noted, returning to his throne. He held a hand up to silence the room, a familiar silhouette appearing in the orb.

A shrill voice came from the globe, the words dripping with arrogance and indigance. “Who dares to intrude on the Empress of Evil?”

"Someone who doesn't get bested by a handful of teenagers," Drakkon retorted, not even flinching from the sonic assault that was the witch's voice. "I offer you my aid in getting rid of them.”

"What could you possibly offer me?!" Rita questioned, her face growing within the globe. "You impose upon my palace, daring to speak to me? Impudent cretin. I should cast you into oblivion.”

Drakkon drummed his fingers on his throne, not rising to her bait. "And your magic doesn’t seem to hold a candle to the rangers. You couldn’t even keep control of the one you created.”

Rita glared from within the globe, taking a step back. "You seem to know a lot for a pest. So, why have you contacted me?"

“Because we can benefit each other quite nicely. There’s even still a use for your traitorous green ranger.”

This caught the witch's attention, a wicked grin splitting her face. "Oho, really? Do go on."

“You have a crystal, a green one, buried deep in your castle. It’s powered by the same energies of your green ranger.” Ah, he had her now. Offer a sliver of a solution and they’d leap right on it. “That is the key to your victory.”

"A crystal in my castle?" Rita questioned, some disbelief in her voice. "I'll have Goldar begin looking for that. This better pan out." With that, Rita forced the globe to turn off.

Drakkon relaxed on his throne, turning his head to Finster 5. "And now all we need do is wait. Rita took the bait even easier than you predicted." Beneath his helmet Drakkon sported a sinister grin. Soon, there wouldn't be a Ranger team in any world that wouldn't know his name.

Somber seethed in his personal chambers, recent events at the forefront of his mind. Wyatt’s ragamuffin ascended to an alicorn. Not only that, but she had gained some strange draconic power. Then there was Wyatt. He had gained cards that he was never meant to have.

Somber grit his teeth, a roar of blind rage escaped his throat. His fist flew towards the nearest wall, shattering stone and crystal in a clean swing. "Years of planning! I will not let some upstart Void Dweller undo my work!"

His desk was next, splintering into pieces against the floor. “Why is everyone in this miserable organization incompetent!?” Dai-Shocker was down four generals. Four leaderless branches with barely any candidates for replacement.

Dark magic poured from Somber's body, rolling off him like a poison cloud. A crystal spire erupted from the floor, spearing his bed to the ceiling. Noting that there was nothing left to smash, his mind settled slightly.

"The only bright spot in all this mess is Blud's mission being a success so far. That and despite his unwanted cards, Wyatt is growing stronger." Adjusting his armor, Somber composed himself. "The plan can be adjusted. And the generals are of little consequence so long as Wyatt just plays part."

Breathing in hot, short bursts, Sombra stepped over to his mirror. Snorting, he began to make himself presentable. Movement caught his attention; razor sharp loathing building in his chest. Shining Armor smirked back at him, amused at his fury.

A primal scream of rage shook the crystal palace, purple crystals erupting from its side like a tumorous growth. Black magic arced over it, crackling through the air like lightning.

When the room settled, Somber was seething. His body was coiled up like a snake ready to strike. With one last grunt, he left the pile of rubble that was once his bedroom. "Someone find me an architect," he stated, his tone even again. "The palace needs some remodeling."

Author's Note

So turns out we had one more short chapter in us. And to fully answer any questions; yes Wyatt and the gang will return in a sequel.

Epilogue

Twilight sighed, leaning on the railing of her treehouse's balcony. She reached up, lifting her element that now served as her official crown. Not a moment later, one of her wings flapped up, smacking into a nearby branch.

"Oh come on," she muttered, pulling the appendage down. It had been one day since her official coronation, and she was still getting used to everything. Her wings moved on their own. She had even pushed Wyatt out of bed with them after they suddenly snapped upright.

“Twilight?” Cinnamon’s voice chirped from her nightstand. “I have the results of those tests.”

Twilight perked up a bit, returning to her room and putting down her crown. Lighting up her horn, she grabbed the laptop. "Can you display it on the laptop screen, Cinnamon?"

Nodding, the cyber elf flitted over. "Of course, importing data now." Placing her hand on the laptop, a popup appeared that showed the appearance of new files. “I’ll run you through the results.”

Nodding, Twilight watched as the screen changed. A model appeared of two strands of DNA, each belonging to one of the creatures. While the alicorn, or kirincorn as Wyatt had taken to calling her given her other changes, was by no means a genetics expert, there was something off about what she was seeing. It was like the two creatures had been manufactured.

“Whatever those creatures were in the end, they started off as human,” Cinnamon began, hovering next to the screen. “They both show extensive genetic manipulation.”

Twilight recoiled at the news, staring in horror at the models. "How awful. How could someone turn people into those things?"

Cinnamon shook her head. “It’s more likely this happened in utero,” Cinnamon brought up another window. A representation of a cell popping on screen. “I’ve isolated what appears to be a mutagenic virus in their blood. I took it upon myself to start synthesizing a vaccine.”

"Excellent," Twilight replied, examining the zoomed in model of the virus. It didn't seem like much on first inspection, but the simulation of its behavior on healthy cells was the stuff of medical nightmares.

The screen changed again, one of the creature's DNA profile replaced by another. “There is, however, one more disturbing revelation.”

"More disturbing than making monsters with a super virus?" Twilight questioned, looking at the cyber elf.

A single gene was highlighted on both profiles. “When it involves Wyatt, I would say yes. I found a common gene between the naked creature and Wyatt. One the coated creature lacked.”

Her heart sinking, Twilight's eyes flitted between the two models. There had to be some sort of explanation. "Maybe it's still a human gene? Did the samples from Tsukiya and his brother have anything similar?"

Cinnamon shook her head. “Neither brother showed any signs of having it. I don’t think it’s naturally occurring. In fact, I think it’s artificial.”

Biting her lip, Twilight's focus zeroed in on the highlighted gene. "And do you have any projections on what it might do?" Unbidden images of Wyatt changing into one of those creatures came to her mind.

“That will take some time. I’ll need at least a few more days to run through the simulations.”

"Please do," Twilight requested, tearing her eyes from the screen. "It's incredibly important we find out what this is and what it can do." Sighing, she stood up. "I need to tell him about this. We can't hide it from him."

Cinnamon gave her a quick affirmation, returning to her work. Twilight picked up the laptop, looking over the DNA models one last time before heading downstairs. Wyatt needed to know, even if she had no idea how she was going to explain it.

Sunset Shimmer closed the door behind her, a scowl etched onto her features. Another day, another pointless stint in high school. Magic school had been bad enough, but humans were somehow even more annoying than Canterlot's so-called elite students. And to make matters worse, she had somehow become a student of Celestia again.

Tossing her jacket onto the coat rack, Sunset's thoughts drifted to her plans. With princesses and alicorns not a thing in this world, her original idea had taken a deathblow. Instead, she had put herself on a track for a career in politics.

Pulling her boots off, she placed them by the door. Her hands moved automatically, the mindless action of unlacing her boots giving her time to think. She was already top of her class, so that part would be easy for college. Plus, she had won the Fall Formal crown every year making her look good. Extra curriculars were the only real thing she was lacking.

Her train of thought was derailed by a sudden sound from deeper within her apartment. “Have you finally decided to grace me with your attention?”

Sunset's instincts went into high gear, flinging her untied boot at the source of the sound and dropped into a fighting stance. "I don't know how you got in here, but I know how you're getting out!"

Her boot was swatted to the ground, stamped down by an armored boot. “Ah, but if I were to leave, I would be condemning you to a life of pity and obscurity.”

Sunset almost burst out laughing at the man before her. The grey helmet on his head had a massive crest of red eagle wings on the front that went far up and above him. His armored form was like that of a traditional knight with a cape styled similarly to an old military officer's uniform.

"Wow, did a costume store kick your ass on the way here?" Sunset questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. “You look like an idiot.”

"My appearance is of little consequence," Zero said, ignoring the insults. "What does matter is what I can offer you, pony."

Her body tensed, eyes meeting with his with a glare. “What did you call me?”

"I called you pony," Zero replied, kicking her boot back over to her. "That is what you are, isn't it? Or rather, what you were before coming to this world."

Grabbing her other boot, she aimed it at his head. “How the fuck do you know that?” she demanded, inching towards the door.

"How I know is unimportant, but if it'll put you at ease," Zero started, taking a seat. "I am a former member of a group that travelled between worlds. And your former world was a target of ours. I also know that you wished to become a princess."

Sunset frowned, staying by the door. “And you came to my home, why?” A strange man in knight armor visiting her in the late hours wasn’t how she wanted to spend her evening. “To rub it in my face?”

"Oh no, not at all," Zero said, a chuckle escaping his lips. "I thought you might like to know you have a chance at your dream. A new princess has been coronated in Equestria, and her crown is the Element of Magic."

“That’s ridiculous.” Sunset moved closer, hardening her gaze. “The elements don’t exist, it’s just a fairy tail, like Nightmare Moon.”

"Then explain this," Zero retorted, tossing a photo at the girl's feet. "That might change your mind."

Snatching the photo off the ground, Sunset had to hide her shock. In the photo were six mares, each one wearing jewelry of some kind with a rainbow energy firing off of them. Hatred bubbled up through her mind, the picture falling to the floor in two halves. “What do you want?”

"What I want is to disrupt my former comrades' plans," Zero offered, smiling. "You can help me do that. You're a smart girl, Sunset, surely you know what happens when the Element of Magic is taken from its world."

Sunset stared for a moment, her own smile growing. “Oh I do. Just tell me what I need to know.”

Getting Pulled Into Another World (Revised)

A young man was putting the finishing touches on a costume. Said costume was a: pink, white and black quasi-suit of armor with green, bug-like eyes on the helmet. The wearer of the costume would say that it was, Kamen Rider Decade. A character from a Japanese television series aimed at pre-teens.

“What do you think, dad?” The young man in the costume said as he adjusted a strange belt that somewhat resembled a white camera while he looked in the mirror.

“I think it’s a fantastic piece of work,” the young man’s father said with a nod and a grin. “Easily among my top 10.”

“What about you mom?” The young man asked, turning to a middle-aged woman with a high-end camera slung around her neck.

“Hmm,” she started holding her hands up as though they were a frame. “Give me a pose, I want to see something heroic. The young man struck a pose and his mother’s face lit up as she pressed the shutter button rapidly, and moving around him to get multiple angles. After at least a dozen pictures the young man’s mother took a look at the screen on the camera. “Perfect!” She beamed with a large smile. “You look like a genuine hero here, Wyatt. You’re gonna knock’em dead at the convention.”

“Thanks, who knows? Maybe if there’s a costume contest I might be able to win,” Wyatt offered with a bit of a nervous chuckle.

“Well, if that does happen be sure to mention me. It’ll give me a ton of business.”

“Sure thing dad,” Wyatt said with a nod as he started to take the costume off and placed it carefully into a suitcase. Revealing his short, light brown hair and his chocolate brown eyes.

“So, are you excited about the convention?” his father asked.

“Yeah, I looked it up and this seems like it’s going to be a lot of fun. And I’ll get to see Mark in person again so that’ll be a huge plus.”

“I’m still not sure about all this,” Wyatt’s mother admitted as she put her camera down. “I don’t know if you’re ready to go to something like this on your own.”

“Mom, I’ll be fine,” Wyatt reassured her. “I’m eighteen, I think I can take care of myself at a convention devoted to anime and things like that.”

“He’s right dear, I think we can trust Wyatt enough for this. Plus, he won’t be alone there. Mark will be with him and he’s always been a good kid.”

“I suppose you make a good point,” she sighed. “Just make sure to call me when you get to the hotel, okay?”

“No problem,” Wyatt relented with a chuckle.

“Alright honey,” Wyatt’s mother started with a little clap. “You’d better hit the hay considering you have to get up early for your flight.”

“Hold up, I’ve got some photos in the dark room and I don’t want them to overdevelop.” Wyatt said as he rushed to his home’s dark room.

“Why did you do this today?” His mother huffed. “You knew that you had to get ready for your flight.

“I just finished the roll of film yesterday and I needed to get a new one put in the camera for the convention,” He called out as he started to pick his photos out of the solution.

“And you started developing the film without even thinking, didn’t you?” His mother sighed.

“Well, excuse me if a certain someone drilled the process into my head since I could walk,” Wyatt shot back with a chuckle.

“Why couldn’t you be like other young photographers and just prefer digital cameras?”

“Again, you’ve trained me on film for so long that I prefer it. Face it mom, I’m a beast of your own creation!” He boomed and started to laugh like a cliché villain as he hung up the last of his photos.

“Ugh, why did you have to get your father’s sense of drama?” She asked as she pinched her brow.

“I’ve never heard you complain about that side of me before,” his father retorted with a wink.

Wyatt took a quick look at all of his photos and a large smile crept up on his face. “Hey mom, you’ve got to check these out. Some of them turned out great.”

“Fine,” She called back as Wyatt heard footsteps approaching. She carefully opened the door to the dark room and came up next to him with a critical eye. She looked between each photo and scrunched her face in concentration. “Hmm, you’re certainly improving. A lot of these have good lines of focus and your framing is getting better. Though that’s when you’re taking pictures of scenery or animals. For people you seem intent to put them in the dead center of the frame. You’re not taking mugshots you know.”

“Yeah, I’ve got a bad habit there,” Wyatt admitted with a sigh. “I don’t know what causes it though.”

“Well maybe part of it is your subject choice,” His mother chuckled as she flicked a picture of a young girl with red hair, green eyes and seemed to be caught in mid-laugh.

Wyatt tensed up at that and tried to fight off a blush that threatened to encompass his entire face. “Uhhh, why would Kelly cause that habit?” He asked with a nervous chuckle.

“Oh please Wyatt, I’ve seen the way you two are around each other. Don’t forget that I was young once too. In fact, your father and I were just like you and Kelly back in our college days.”

“Mom, Kelly is just a good friend,” Wyatt said, parroting the young girl’s words that she had said not too long ago.

“Whatever you say,” she responded, thoroughly unconvinced. “Now you’d really better get to bed now. You wouldn’t want to be tired before your trip.” Wyatt nodded and quickly exited the dark room.

“Okay, see you in the morning guys,” Wyatt told them as he turned and headed for a staircase leading to the second floor of their house.

“Good night, love you!” The two parents called out to him.

The next day, Wyatt was keeping himself awake from cheap airport coffee as he was miles in the air and was watching a paranormal news podcast from his laptop.

“…In other news,” the squirrely looking host continued in a ratty sport jacket. “There have been more people reported missing from conventions lately. We’ve managed to get our hands on some police records.” The host then cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Through purely legal means of course, and there doesn’t seem to be any conclusive evidence of kidnapping. There were no visible signs of a struggle, and there have been no eye-witness testimonies that seem to stand up to scrutiny. Some experts are throwing in that the standard hustle and bustle of a crowded convention could obscure the evidence of the struggle.”

“I of course, and I hope you do too loyal viewers, posit that something paranormal is afoot in these incidents. Now, we are opening the chat-room for you all to discuss what you believe is the mechanism behind…” Wyatt then pulled out his earbuds as he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and was greeted by an older African American woman.

“I’m sorry to bother you there young man, but I was wondering what you’re watching there.” The woman asked as she pointed at Wyatt’s laptop screen.

“Oh, it’s just this online show about the paranormal,” Wyatt answered with a shrug. “Think one of those ghost hunter shows mixed with the nightly news.”

“Are you into all that?”

“Not really, a friend of mine recommended it to me because I’m going to a convention. Apparently there’s been some rumors of mysterious disappearances from them lately. I wouldn’t put it past her to just be trying to scare me.”

“A convention, what kind of convention?”

“Uh, it’s basically just a convention for all kinds of nerd stuff. I’d go into more detail, but I don’t want to bore you.”

“Are your parents with you? You look a little young to be on your own.”

“No, I’m meeting up with a friend and we’re sharing a room at a hotel close by to the convention. What are you doing going to Baltimore for anyway?”

“Oh, I’m going to my grandson’s wedding. And meeting his husband to be for the first time,” the older woman explained with a smile. Apparently, Wyatt reacted to that more than he intended to because the woman let out a chuckle. “What, surprised that an old lady like me supports gay marriage?” She then tapped the Caucasian man who seemed to be the same next to her. “Honey, show this nice young man one of the photos from your wallet.

“Sure thing,” the man said with a chuckle of his own as he pulled out his wallet and handed it to the woman. She opened it up and pointed to an old and worn black and white photo. The focus of said photo seemed to be two overjoyed people on the steps of a courthouse.

“That photo was taken the day it was announced that we were allowed to get married,” the woman explained fondly. “Back in those days, people gave a lot of reasons why they didn’t want us to get married. And I have to be honest, they sounded an awful lot like the ones that they trotted out to say why our grandson shouldn’t be allowed to get married.”

“They didn’t work on us the first time, and they certainly didn’t work the second time around,” The older man jumped in with a chuckle.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Wyatt said with a bit of a smile.

“It certainly was,” The woman said chuckling like her husband. “We learned something that day. Love is something that’s worth fighting for. And if others around you don’t approve then you’ve gotta fight for it.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep that advice in mind,” Wyatt replied with a bright smile. “The two of you must have a lot of stories, would you mind sharing some?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t want to hear any of those,” the woman dismissed with a wave of her hand.

“Try me, I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener.”

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she said with a chuckle as her and her husband shared some of their stories.

Eventually, the flight ended and Wyatt was ready to go to the convention. He was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people. Everywhere he looked there were people in costumes. Including someone in a really good Vash the Stampede costume, despite the fact that he was missing his pistol. Wyatt then took a deep breath and decided to go with the flow of the convention. He walked around and took some pictures of cosplayers with his camera (the same one used by the main character of Kamen Rider Decade) and sat in on a panel.

Towards the end of the first day of the convention, Wyatt decided to see what kind of merchandise was available for sale. A lot of the stuff was standard fare, and he didn’t really intend to buy anything that day, just to look. Just when he was about to go back to his hotel room and wash off the con-funk when he saw an interesting stand. He walked over to the stand in a secluded part of the convention center. The man behind the stand was in a costume himself, dressed as the infamous Merchant from Resident Evil 4. The fairly small table was covered in all sorts of items, but one thing in particular stuck out to Wyatt. It was an open silver case that displayed a large array of cards that displayed a swath of Kamen Riders and their attacks. However, there was another thing that stuck out to Wyatt. Among the Kamen Rider cards were ones with greyed out silhouettes. Wyatt picked up the case to examine the cards.

“Hey mister, what’s up with all these greyed out cards?” Wyatt asked, showing the merchant one to illustrate his point.

“Heh, you’ll need to do somethin’ special if you’ll be wantin’ to see what’s on those cards, Stranger,” The Merchant explained with a dry chuckle.

“What, you mean like hold it under a heat lamp, or expose it to sunlight?” Wyatt asked, confused.

“Buy them and you’ll get your answer,” The Merchant said cryptically.

“Okay, how much do you want for them?”

“For the cards and the case, $20.”

Wyatt shrugged and reached into the wallet that he had hidden in his costume and handed the Merchant a bill. Figuring that at the very least he had at least completed his costume. “So, will you tell me how to get the images to show up now?” Wyatt asked calmly, though was a bit irked on the inside.

“Afraid you’ll have to figure that one out for yourself, Stranger,” The Merchant replied, chuckling again.

“Whatever, thanks for the cards, I guess.” Wyatt said, waving the case and walking away. Not bothering to look at any of the other merchandise on the table. Just as he was about to leave the convention, a strange, smiling young man walked up to him. Wyatt paused. Not sure what to make of this person. Something about him was slightly unsettling. Other than that, he couldn’t get a gauge on him. Not even his appearance really. Whoever this person was, they were the textbook definition of the word “nondescript”.

“Whoa there man, that’s an awesome Kamen Rider costume you got there.”

Wyatt paused for a moment but relaxed a bit. “Oh, uh thanks I guess. My dad and I worked on this. He makes costumes for a living if you’re interested.” Wyatt explained, handing the man his father’s business card.

“Really, that’s cool man, I’ll have to check that out. Oh, listen man, there’s a contest for best costume about to be held, and I think you’ve got a chance of winning it.”

“Really?” Wyatt questioned unsure of this stranger. “Don’t they usually hold these things closer to the end of the convention?”

“Nah man, they learned a while ago that the hustle and bustle of these things can cause some people to lose pieces of the more elaborate costumes. So the organization committee decided to schedule it on the first day. Hey, you can even check your program if you don’t believe me,” The smiling stranger said with a shrug.

Wyatt followed the man’s instructions and pulled out the schedule. Surely enough, the man was correct. Wyatt guessed that he had just overlooked it when he checked it in the morning.

“Come on, I’ll take you to the room it’s being held in.” The smiling man said walking away and indicated for Wyatt to follow him.

Wyatt decided there didn’t seem to be any harm and followed after the man. A minute or so later and the man was holding open a door. “Here we are, this is what you’re looking for.”

Wyatt nodded and crossed the threshold into the surprisingly dark room. Just as he was about to turn around and thank the stranger and possibly ask him for his name, the man closed the door. And Wyatt’s world went dark.

The smiling man chuckled to himself as he walked over to the stall being manned by the Merchant. “And that makes two for the day, not bad if I do say for myself,” The man said as he leaned against the table.

“What did you do?” The Merchant asked, dropping his accent. “The kid was supposed to be transported shortly after buying the case.”

“Oh, I just gave him a little something extra to take with him on his trip,” The smiling man paused and then snickered to himself. “And I might’ve rigged some things about where he’s going.”

The Merchant narrowed his eyes at the man. “You know you’re not supposed to do anything like that. Your job is to…”

“Oh come on,” The man interrupted. “What’s the point of rules if we don’t bend them every once in a while? Now, don’t worry. Nothing’s gonna happen from this.”

“Whatever, just keep me out of this in case things go belly up on this one.”

Riders on the Storm

Wyatt laid on his bunk, checking his camera to see if the salt water had damaged it. He was desperate to take his mind off home, meticulously examining every piece of it. He knew Spike didn’t mean to offend him, but that didn’t stop the comment from dredging up a veritable mountain of guilt. Clawing at the corners of his mind, a little voice kept trying to nag at him that it was his fault he had wound up in Equestria.

“I’m doing something good,” Wyatt muttered to himself, tightening his grip around the camera. “I’m keeping people safe from monsters only I can fight.” He hoped he could convince that little voice, repeating those thoughts to himself again and again.

By the time he thoroughly checked the entire camera twice, the little voice died down enough for him to relax a bit. He sighed in relief, setting the camera down next to him and rubbing at his eyes with his forefinger and thumb.

“He didn’t mean anything by it,” he said to himself, rising to his feet. “I really wish I could talk to Agito. He’s gotta have some advice on dealing with this.” Deciding he had sulked enough, he bid the still sleeping girls a goodbye, and stepped back out onto the deck.

He put his hands on the railing, frowning when he spotted a blanket of dark clouds approaching the ship. “Great, and now there’s going to be a storm.” He pushed away from the railing, finding cover but remaining on the deck as he stared out at the ocean.

“Oi! You there, furless colt!” the captain, an older mare with a bright red mane shouted over at him. “Get your flank over here! We need all hands on deck for the storm!”

“Can do!” Wyatt called back, jogging over to the mare. He didn’t bother to correct her; he wasn’t in the mood to explain what he really was again. He stood in front of the mare. “What can I do to help?”

“Go help Orange with the sails!” she ordered, pointing towards the mast. “Iffin’ ya see that scaley friend of yers, tell ‘im to come see me, ya got it?” She poked his chest, looking into his eyes.

Wyatt nodded, turning towards the mast. “Alright, I’ll be sure to tell him.” He jogged over to a green stallion who had a bright orange mane poking out from under a bandana. “Captain sent me to help with the sails, what can I do?”

“We gotta replace these sails with the storm jibs and trysail,” Orange answered, pulling at the riggings. “Help me undo these knots boy.”

“I’ll do my best.” Wyatt knelt down to the bottom of the riggings, finding a knot that looked easy to untie. He tugged at the ropes, finding the end and feeding it through the loops. “Heh, I can put sailor on my resume now,” he muttered to himself, trying to ignore his now wet clothes.

“Worry ‘bout helpin’ us through the storm first, boy,” Orange replied with a chuckle, his hands moving in a blur as he worked the ropes. “Get yerself some sailor’s hands, the mares love to feel a sailor’s hands.”

Wyatt chuckled back, finally finishing his first knot and moving onto the next one. “Not exactly looking for a mare at the moment. Just trying to get settled in, ya know?” A lightning strike above made him cringe. “Can’t we have the pegasi go clear the storm?”

“With winds like those they’d get sent crashing down to the sea,” Orange answered, his eyes never leaving the sails. “And that’d be the best case. Worst case is they make it to the clouds and catch all that lightning between the eyes. Even the feather heads aren’t immune to lightnin’.”

“You make a good point,” Wyatt relented, falling onto his elbow as a large wave broke onto the deck and sent the ship rocking. He hissed under his breath as he managed to undo another knot. “I gotta say,” he started, spitting out the salt water that had gotten into his mouth. “I vastly prefer calm waters to stormy seas.”

Orange laughed, giving Wyatt a hearty slap across the back. “Aye, boy, you n’ me both. Now, enough chit chat, we gotta finish gettin’ this sail switched.”

“What, not sailor enough to chat and get this done quickly?” Wyatt teased, adjusting the ropes in his hands. He frowned when Orange merely grunted at him. “Fine, I'll pick up the pace.” Pausing for a moment, he added. “You scurvy dog.”

Orange jabbed a finger at Wyatt and grunted. “Don’t go tossin’ that term around all willy nilly, it carries weight with sailors. Now, work if ya want t’make it out o’ this storm.”

“Right...” Wyatt muttered, allowing Orange to order him around as the stallion saw fit. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Wyatt spotted Spike running to and fro, most likely under orders. He turned back from Spike, helping Orange pull the sail down. He watched as a group of sailors took it, folded it and took it below deck. They quickly returned with folded set of sails that looked thicker than the one from before. “Ha!” Wyatt shouted into the storm, pumping a fist into the air.

Orange slapped him upside the head, shoving part of the sail into his hands. “Don’t taunt the ocean, boy. That never ends well. Now, help me rig these up.”

“Right...” Casting a glance at the sea, Wyatt joined the others in rigging up the new sail. The work took a while, Wyatt stumbling over the knots. He took a moment to watch the other sailors, doing his best to mimic their motions. “This kinda life is definitely not for me...” he grumbled, brushing some hair out of his face.

“Ya still got yer land legs,” Orange said with a chuckle, hoisting one of the sails. “If ya stayed aboard, we’d make a real sailor of ya.”

“Fortunately, my line of work doesn’t take me onto the water often,” Wyatt responded, praying to whatever deity that ponies prayed to that the storm would let up. “I’m not made for sailing. Give me a plane any day of the week.”

Orange chuckled again, a smirk on his face as he continued to work on the sails. His smile faded, as he looked out past Wyatt. “Looks like the storm ain’t the only thing tryin’ ta sink us.”

Wyatt followed Orange’s line of sight, his heart falling as he spotted a large ship making a beeline for them. Even with the dark cloud cover, he could make out a skull and crossbone flying from its mast.”You run into a lot of those?” he asked, glancing back at Orange.

“This’d be our first run-in,” Orange admitted. He turned to the rest of the crew. “Some of you grab the weapons from down below! The rest of us need ta double time it with the jib!”

“I’m sorry but, I have to keep my friends safe.” Wyatt let go of the rope he was holding and quickly dashed across the deck. “Spike!” he shouted over the storm, looking over at the drake. “Below deck, now!”

Spike nodded, handing off his errand to a passing pony and following Wyatt below deck. “What’s up, Wyatt?” Spike asked, water dripping off his scales. Glancing around, Spike shook himself off. He cupped his hands and blew a discreet gout of flame on them. “That rain is cold as heck.”

Wyatt deadpanned at the drake, his face drenched from Spike’s stunt. He quickly recovered, pointing above them. “Pirates are about to board this ship.”

“Pirates?” Spike asked, following Wyatt’s finger. “In this weather? Geez, some ponies are crazy.” He met Wyatt’s gaze, a little unsure. “Is is okay for riders to fight stuff that aren’t monsters? Seems like we could really hurt them.”

“It’s either that, or we let the sailors try to fight them on their own,” Wyatt replied, a frown on his face. “And that would mean that the girls would be in harm’s way.”

Spike’s look hardened and smoke poured from his nostrils. “No one is going to hurt my friends.” Moving past Wyatt, he entered their room. A moment later, he came back out, Medajalibur resting on his shoulder. “Got my medals.” He pat a small container on the side of his belt. “And my sword.”

Wyatt smirked, summoning his driver and card case and placing them on his waist. “That’s the difference between you and me, Spike, I’m never without my rider gear.”

Setting the sword down, Spike rolled his eyes. “Ya, ya yuck it up.” Opening the medal container, he pulled three out. “Just something I’ll have to talk to Twilight about.” Slipping them into the belt slots, he grabbed the scanner. “What’s that thing you say when you transform?”

“Follow my lead,” Wyatt said with a smile, pulling his card from the case. He put it in the belt, grabbing the handles. “Henshin!” With that, he pushed the handles together.

“Kamen Ride: Decade!” The familiar swirling silhouettes surrounded, Wyatt, converging together and forming his armor.

Spike nodded. “Henshin!” He scanned the medals, feeling the rush of power as the belt activated.

“Taka! Tora! Batta! Ta~To~Ba~ Tatoba! Ta~To~ba!”

“And now, we wait until we feel the boat shake from the pirate’s boarding us,” Wyatt said. “Gotta make a proper entrance after all.”

“Yeah but, if we do that, isn’t there a chance ponies could get hurt?” Spike asked, frowning under his helmet. “Seems irresponsible.” Lifting up Medajalibur, Spike moved up to the stairs. “I don’t want ponies getting hurt because I wanted to be cool.”

“We have to wait for them to reach the ship anyway,” Wyatt pointed out. “Unless you want to try jumping onto the pirate ship. And that would put you at risk of missing and sinking like a rock. You don’t have the blue combo yet so, no water breathing for you.”

Spike nodded, relaxing as much as he could. Wyatt did have a point, even if he didn’t like it. He steadied himself, telling himself not to go all out against the pirates. “Right. Don’t have the cool stuff yet, got it.”

“You’ve got a combo that doesn’t even exist in other versions of OOO,” Wyatt reminded him, chuckling. “I think you’ve got plenty of cool stuff for just starting out. Your grandpa did say not to get greedy, remember?”

Spike chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of his head. “Right, gotta work on that. Think it might be a side effect from those medals I used for my growth spurt.” He gulped, hoping that wasn’t really the case “I really don’t want a repeat of my birthday. Just gotta keep a handle on the greed. You can do that, Spike.”

Wyatt put a hand on Spike’s shoulder, patting it. “I’m sure you’ll do fine out there. You were able to beat that drake without killing him,” he reminded, smiling beneath his helmet. “Just don’t punch anyone too hard, ya?”

“Same to you,” Spike shot back, feeling some of the tension bleed away from him. “You’ve never fought anything but monsters as a rider.” A shout from above caught Spike’s attention, making him grip Medajalibur’s hilt tighter. “That our cue?”

Wyatt nodded, turning and heading up the steps. “Yup, it’s showtime, try to look heroic.” Wyatt stepped above deck, calmly making his way forward as he saw the crew standing guard as the pirate ship prepared to board them. He took his card case off his hip, turning it into a sword while putting himself in front of the crew. “Everyone, get below deck. We’ll keep you safe,” he said, projecting his voice over the storm.

“And just who are you?” the captain demanded, frowning at the two of them. “How did you get on my ship?”

“I’m just a passing through Kamen Rider,” Wyatt replied, turning his attention to the pirate ship. “The how we got here isn’t important, all of you getting below deck to avoid getting hurt is. Leave this to us.”

“We got this,” Spike added, brandishing his sword to emphasize his point. “Not a single one of those guys is getting by us.”

The captain sighed, shaking her head. “I know I’m gonna regret this,” she muttered. “Everypony below deck!” she ordered, waving her arm toward the doorway. Hardening her gaze at the riders, she growled. “I’m trusting you two, it better not come back to bite me in the flank, got it?”

Wyatt gave her a thumbs up, watching as a gangplank was lowered onto the ship’s railing. He then rested his sword on his shoulder and put his foot on the end of the plank as the first of the pirates started to cross. “Alright, here’s the deal you guys: either you leave now and we pretend we didn’t see your ship, or my friend and I are going to kick your scurvy asses and you’ll get nice and acquainted with the next group of guards we come across.” He tapped his sword on his shoulder, tilting his head slightly. “What’ll it be?”

The first few pirates stepped onto the deck, drawing their cutlasses. One gave Spike a strange look, turning to the stallion next to him. “Don’t that one look like the king? Got the same chest he does.”

“There’s a resemblance, but we can worry about that later,” the stallion that the pair of riders assumed was the captain replied. “Right now we’ve got a ship to plunder.

Wyatt sighed, pulling a card out of his case. “I really don’t like being ignored.” He slotted the card into his driver. “Seems I wasn’t clear enough in my warning.”

“Attack Ride: Illusion!” After a moment, a shimmer spread out from Wyatt and five clones of him appeared in a “V” formation. The only difference between them was that some of them held swords while others held blasters.

“Now leave or else we’ll be forced to get violent!” the clones warned in unison.

“Enough of this!” The captain charged forward, swinging his blade at one of the clone’s neck. “I don’t care what kinda fancy magic you can do! The king wants this ship, he gets this ship!”

The clone easily blocked the attack, pushing the captain’s cutlass aside with a flick of its wrist. It then followed up by kicking the captain in the chest, knocking him into one of his crew. Sneering at them, the captain charged again, locking blades with the clone.

Not to be outdone, Spike leveled Medajalibur at the other pirates. “He gave you guys fair warning. Don’t blame us if you end up in a cell.” Rushing forward, he swung the blade at theirs. “Let’s see how good Grandpa’s sword is.” Medajalibur clashed with the swords, sparks falling from where they grinded against one another. With a growl, Spike pushed them back, swinging his right leg into the closests pirates side.

“What are you waiting for!?” the captain hissed, glancing back at his men. “Get on the damn ship and take care of these costumed freaks! Or do wish to join all the others failures in Poseidon's locker?”

“Poseidon?” Wyatt muttered, locking swords with one of the pirates. He shoulder checked the mare, sending her tumbling onto her flank. “Figures he’d be around.”

“Poseidon the pirate king?” Spike asked as he caught the blade of a pirate, only to sock him in the face. “I thought that guy was just a myth!” A grit his teeth as a sword slashed across his back. Cringing on instinct, it took him a moment to realize it hadn’t hurt as much as he thought it had. Spike grinned beneath his helmet, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he slashed at the air a couple times. “That the best you got?”

The pirate captain fumed, staggering from a punch one of Wyatt’s clones had delivered to his face. “Unfortunately for you two, the king gave me a gift as it were.” Tossing his sword aside, he reached into his coat, retrieving something. “I’ll cast the lot of ya into the locker myself!” A bright flash came from the captain’s hand, blinding everyone for a moment.

The captain screamed, falling to his knees as his body seemed to pulse. Brown, blue and orange electricity arced from his hand, surging through his body. His pants started to tear, revealing orange scales that began to form and pushed outwards into heavily armored sections. His shirt went next, his torso becoming encased in blue and black armor. From the elbows down, his arms elongated, transforming into two transparent eels, coursing with electricity. Gray fins sprouted from his shoulders, the tips pointing past his back until they were vaguely triangular. The last thing to change was the captain’s head. Fur fell away, revealing glossy, dark purple chitin. His eyes rolled into the back of his head before becoming a sickly yellow and bulging out from his skull. His skull reshaped itself, a long growth extending from his forehead with several spindly growths pushing out from it.

Spike paused a sword swing, staring in horrified awe. “Wyatt, the heck is that!? That thing looks like something Discord would have a nightmare about!”

“I’ve never seen anything like that!” Wyatt and his clones shouted back. “The medals never did anything like that in the show! Stay sharp, there’s no telling what he can do like that! And watch the head part, I have no idea what medal that is.” ‘Reminds me of something from Resident Evil 4...’ Wyatt thought to himself, a few clones blasting the mutated captain.

“Right, gotta get those medals back.” Disengaging from the pirate mob he had been fighting, Spike rushed at the captain, swinging Medajalibur at one of the eel arms. The eel arm wriggled around, wrapping around Medajalibur and then Spike’s wrist, clamping its jaws around his gauntlet. Before Spike could even try to free himself, electricity arced around the eel arm, going directly into the drake. A scream of agony tore out of his throat, his body locking up.

“Hey, bug head! Let him go!” Wyatt growled, shifting the ride booker into gun mode and firing at the captains head.

The captain barely flinched, making a strangled gurgling noise as he lashed out at Wyatt with his free arm. Wyatt hissed in pain as the eel brushed against his helmet, giving him a jolt. ‘Right, gotta be fast before Spike gets cooked. God, I wish I had a Stronger card right now...Aha! Cassie’s form might just do the trick.’

He jumped back from the captain, reaching into his booker and pulling out a card. “Here goes nothing,” he muttered, tossing the card into his driver.

“Displaced Ride: Cassie!” the driver called out, silhouettes swirling around him as his armor changed. The main colors were yellow and blue, his armor lighter than his Mira form. The majority of his helmet was blue with bright yellow eyes. A trio of lightning bolt-like horns spread off the sides, of the helmet, starting from the eyes. The gauntlets on his forearms were dark blue, the metal coiled tightly together. His greaves matched his gauntlets, the coils starting below his knee and ending just above his ankle. Extending out from his shoulder pads were a pair of conducting towers, each having two disks extending from the stem, capped off with a metal orb. Two similar towers stuck out from between his shoulder blades, creating the metal skeletons of wings.

Wyatt grinned, an idea striking him. He extended a hand upward as a bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky. Part of the bolt diverted from its course, getting absorbed into the rods on his back. The energy stayed there for a moment before spreading out along the rod and forming into wings. “Oh yeah, I think this’ll work.” The wings flapped, lifting him up into the air. He pulled out his sword, swooped down and slashed at the eel arm holding Spike.

The captain shrieked in pain as the sword severed the appendage. The severed sectioned quickly dissolved into cell medals, falling to the deck. Spike swayed for a moment before collapsing to the deck.

Spike panted, his body twitching every few seconds. His heart beat frantically and he felt faint. His inborn fire resistance had protected him from any burns, but that didn’t stop the electricity’s other effects. “Am I alive...?” he asked quietly, lifting his head up.

Wyatt landed next to the collapsed drake, helping him to his feet. “Yeah, you’re still alive.”

“Captain’s got em on the ropes!” one of the pirates shouted, waving his sword at the two of them. “What say we teach these fools what happens when you stand up to Captain High Wind?” Throwing caution to the wide, he loosed a battle cry, charging at Spike.

“I just cut one of those eel arms and they think their captain’s winning,” Wyatt said with a chuckle, hitting a pirate with the back of his fist as they charged at him. “Can’t fault their enthusiasm, eh OOO?”

“No, I guess not.” Spike shook his head, still trying to get his bearings. “How are we gonna handle this guy?” A growl emanated from his throat as the Captain’s severed arm started to regenerate. Cell medals extended from the wound, swiftly converting into eel flesh.

“I should be able to take on the arms.” Wyatt sidestepped another pirate, grabbed him by his
neck and casually tossed him into a trio of charging pirates. “You get some of those cell medals and attack cappy there with a charging scan from Medajalibur.”

“That won’t kill him... will it?” Spike gulped, glancing at his sword wearily.

“No, if it’s anything like a parasitic yummy, it should just separate him from the medals,” Wyatt assured him. “Quick, get those medals before the waves wash them away!” Knocking way another pirate, he stepped forward. “Come on ugly, let’s see if you the rest of you is as breakable as those arms.”

The captain let out another gurgling hiss, whipping his arms at Wyatt’s head. Wyatt didn’t make an attempt to dodge, bending his knees and grabbing onto the arms. Pulling Wyatt closer, the captain drew his head back and slammed it against Wyatt’s.

Wyatt stumbled back, his grip dropping from the captain’s arms. He made a move to q, only to falter when the world around him started to blur like wet watercolors. “The hell?” he muttered, blinking his eyes a few times. A noise to his left got his attention, and he noted the pirates were twisting and malforming in ways that shouldn’t be possible.

“Oh god!” Wyatt cried, clutching the sides of his head, trying to find stable footing as the deck appeared to fall away around him.

“Wyatt?” Spike asked, watching his fellow rider in concern. Grabbing a handful of cell medals from the deck, he slotted them into the sword. “What did you do to my friend?!” Spike growled, rushing over and slashing the captain across his chest.

The captain hissed, coiling his arms around one of Spike’s arms and a leg. Extending the claws on his left arm, he dug them into the eel grabbing his arm, causing it to release him. “I’ve had enough of you,” he hissed, grabbing the scanner from his belt. Without a second thought, he slid the scanner over the sword.

The scanner chimed, flashing a few lights. “Scanning charge!”

Energy erupted from the sword, extending out past the blade. After a moment, the energy seemed to stabilize and Spike swung the sword across the captain’s chest. The blade cut through the air, slicing through the mast and cleaving into the captains body. The corrupted armor cracked and splintered, giving way under the strain.

Spike let out a roar as the captain’s armor exploded into a rain of cell medals, most of which dropped into the turbulent sea. The mast glitched for a second before reverting to it’s undamaged state. The captain, now stark naked, wobbled on his hooves before falling flat on his face.

Chest heaving and heart pounding, Spike glared at the remaining pirates. “Surrender. Now.”

The pirates that were still conscious all seemed to lose heart, shivering as their weapons clattered to the deck. They all held their hands in the air, turning their gaze away from the angry rider.

“One of you go down below deck and tell the captain you’ve surrendered,” Spike ordered, grabbing one of them and shoving him towards the stairs. “Go.”

The pirate couldn’t move fast enough as he scrambled down below deck. A few moments later and the captain of the ship stepped onto the deck with a smile on her face. “Well, looks like you’re not just talk.” Turning back to the stairs, she barked a few orders. “Get back to your posts! The rest of ya get your swords and get these bilge rats back to their boat and see to it they get a nice ride home.” Her gaze settled on the limp form of the pirate captain. “Uh, why is this one naked?” she questioned, turning to Spike.

“It’s a long story.” Spike passed Medajalibur to the captain, he turned to Wyatt. “That guy did something to my friend. Hang onto that for me, will ya?” Without waiting for her to reply, he jogged over to the still ailing rider. “Wyatt, can you hear me?”

Wyatt didn’t seem to hear Spike, rocking back and forth. Just when Spike was about to give up, Wyatt whispered, “Spike, is that you?”

“Yeah it’s me.” Spike sat down, putting his hand on Wyatt’s shoulder. “It’s alright, the pirates gave up. We won.”

“The captain drugged me,” Wyatt whispered, breathing rapidly. “I am having a really bad trip. Everything’s melting.”

“Okay, I’m gonna take you back to the girls, okay?” Spike put Wyatt’s arm around his neck, and led him down to their room. Going through the steps he had seen Wyatt use, he cancelled out Wyatt’s transformation. “Why don’t you get in bed and relax? I still gotta do some stuff on the deck.”

“Okay,” Wyatt said, curling up into a ball on the bed. “You go fix that eagle head, okay?”

“Right,” Spike agreed, tucking Wyatt into bed. Ignoring his own tiredness, he made his way up to the deck, carrying his medal box with him. “So...” he walked over to the captain. “I know you aren’t dumb and there's really only two people we could be...”

“Don’t worry, yer secret’s safe with me, dragon boyo,” the captain said, turning her attention away from her crew as they rushed around to finish their previous duties. “Can’t exactly betray yer trust after savin’ my crew’s sorry hides.”

Spike sighed in relief, undoing his transformation. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.” He watched as a few of the sailors over on the pirate ship pulled in the gangplank. “I should get those medals up before they cause any more trouble.”

“You do that,” the captain said with a chuckle. She jabbed a finger at his chest. “And then it’s back to running errands. Ya gotta work twice as hard since yer friend’s under the weather.”

“Right...” Spike sighed, before getting to his task. Most of the cell medals were in plain sight, though a few had landed behind barrels or boxes. ‘I really hope those colored medals didn’t land in the sea.’ Glancing at the still form of the pirate captain he groaned. ‘Bet they’re under that guy.’

He debated for a moment on his next course of action before knowing he had no real choice. He knelt down and grabbed the pirate captain’s side. With a small grunt of effort, he rolled the captain over, doing his best not to look at him. Sure enough, the medals were there. Spike grabbed them and scurried off. Once out of eyesight he examined the trio of medals. The first was a purple medal displaying a centipede, the second was blue portraying an eel, and the third was orange, boasting an alligator. Or was it a crocodile? A gharial? One of those. He’d ask Wyatt later.

What stuck out to them though was the purple centipede medal. He examined it, turning it over in his claw. He recalled what he had been told about the purple set by his grandfather and Sapphira, frowning. He didn’t get any feelings of emptiness from it, and centipedes were by no means a long gone creature. In the end, he put the three medals away, deciding to talk about it with them the next time he saw them.

3, 2, 1 Showtime!

Author's Note

A special thanks goes out to Voldine for helping out with the Zecora rhymes.

3, 2, 1 Showtime!

Twilight ran the entire way back to Zecora’s hut, her breath heaving in her chest. She couldn’t believe the discovery she had made. A Rider belt made by Clover the Clever himself! If she could manage to get it to work, there was no telling what she could accomplish. The stones were obviously important, but how were they used with the medallion?

Before she could think on it too long, the hut came into view. Bursting through the door, she held out the stones and medallion. “Zecora! I found something incredible!” She cringed, hearing the sound of breaking glass.

“It seems that your walk has brought good tidings,” Zecora replied, staring at the broken vial on the ground. “Therefore your presence I’ll be abiding.”

“Sorry.” Giving Zecora an apologetic smile, Twilight stepped inside. “I found this in the castle; it’s a kamen rider belt~”

“I’m afraid I do not know what that is,” the shaman answered, leaning in close to examine the items in Twilight’s hands. “Could we please not treat this like a pop quiz?”

“I forget sometimes that you spend so much time in the forest.” Taking a seat, Twilight went over the nation’s recent events. “I have to ask that you keep most of that a secret. The only reason I’m telling you is because I need your help getting this belt to work.”

“It is clear that the belt does not work on its own,” Zecora noted, inspecting the medallion in her hands. “We must discover the secrets within the stones.” Nodding at the book, she turned the medallion over. “For once, I find my knowledge weak; perhaps the book has what we seek?”

“I might not have looked through the pages thoroughly,” Twilight admitted, staring down at the stones. “Maybe Clover sketched out some plans for things?” Going back to the book, she flipped through the pages for anything relevant. It took her a little bit, but she eventually saw something notable. “Oh! This is something! Clover was planning on turning the stones into rings!”

The two mares stood together, poring over Clover’s notes. With their shared knowledge, it didn’t take them long to decipher Clover’s diagrams. The pair grabbed the tools Zecora had in her hut and set to work on carving the stones. Between the two of them, they fashioned the black stone into a hand shaped design that matched the medallion with some of the rock left over.

“Looks like we’re gonna need some metal...” Twilight muttered, going over the diagrams again. “Do you know anything about metallurgy?”

“Well, my jewelry is of my own crafting,” Zecora answered, putting a hand on one of her neck rings. “But my supply of silver is lacking.”

“I don’t recall hearing about any silver deposits in the Everfree...” Twilight paced around the hut, hand firmly locked on her chin. “We might have to go to the deer; they might be able to help us. Not sure if they’d be willing to though...”

“I have had dealings with the deer,” Zecora said, picking up Clover’s book. “From them, we have nothing to fear.”

“Right. I’ll let you do the talking.” Gathering up the stones, she placed them in a small sack. “We should hurry, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can free Ponyville.”

Zecora agreed, donning her cloak and leading Twilight out into the forest. Their journey took them off the worn trails, forcing them to push branches out of their way. Eventually, the forest seemed to get less chaotic, the tree limbs getting in their way less often.

“I’ve never been this far in before...” The sense of quiet unnerved Twilight, far more than the sounds of the Everfree could. Sticking close to Zecora, Twilight kept her horn charged just in case.

“These woods can be a place to fear,” Zecora admitted, taking in their surroundings. “But learn its ways and you’ll be clear.”

Twilight kept talking with Zecora during the trip, calming her nerves as the other mare answered every question that popped into her head. Before she realized it, they had come across a village with homes made amongst the trees. Literally, the trees had been shaped to form homes for the wandering deer much like her own library.

A few deer came out from the trees, wearing finely crafted armor. More than a few wielded spears, and at least one had a wooden broadsword. Runes had been carved into its blade; bathing the buck carrying it in pale light.

“Greetings to you this day, good deer,” Zecora greeted, nonplussed by the heavily armed bucks and does. “My friend and I you should not fear. We have good reasons to be here.”

“Why would you bring a pony?” one of the bucks asked, pointing his spear at Twilight. “You know they aren’t welcome here.”

“Look at her eyes and you’ll feel silly.” Zecora questioned, pointing at the unicorn. “Twilight is not a normal filly.”

“I’ve been inducted to a dragon clan,” Twilight added, ignoring the implication of immaturity while looking between the deer. “I’m not here for trouble, I need your help. My home is being held hostage.”

“The truth is that her soul is pure,” Zecora added, putting a hand on the mare’s shoulder. “Deserving of your aid, I’m sure.”

Staring at the two, Spruce stuck his spear into the ground. “Feel lucky, pony, Zecora’s word carries weight here. What do you need, unicorn?”

“I was hoping you might know where I can find a deposit of silver,” Twilight started, breathing a silent sigh of relief. “I’m trying to finish the work of a great wizard that will help me save my home, and silver is integral in doing so.”

Spruce watched for a time before grunting at one of the other bucks. “Timber, take these two to the cave. Let them get what they need and send them on their way. Make sure they leave, understand?”

The one with the greatsword nodded, sheathing his weapon. Motioning with his hand, he led the two mares towards the other side of the village.

“How have you been, Timber?” Zecora asked, looking up at the buck with a smile. “Staying loose and limber?”

“Of course, the forest always keeps one in shape.” Timber grinned, giving her a thumbs up. “What about you, Zecora? You still tutoring that apple filly?”

“She is quick to learn the art of the brew, soon there will be nothing she cannot do.” She smiled and put a hand to one of her earrings. “Soon she will have to craft sacred jewelry and then she’ll be a shaman just like me.”

“Are you allowed to do that, you know considering she’s not a zebra?” Timber led the two out of the village and back into the forest. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a non-deer learning our secret arts.”

“My tribe was different from others,” Zecora explained, returning her hand to her side. “Outsiders could become brothers.” If there was one thing she disliked about the deer, it was their need to look down on others. Luckily, their shared kinship with nature had given her a means to earn their trust. But even that wasn’t enough to change their distaste for ponies.

“Timber, do you know what’s going on in Equestria?” Twilight didn’t doubt the deer had some informant somewhere. They might sequester themselves out in the forest, but they weren’t stupid. Keeping themselves in the dark regarding world events would just be reckless.

Timber nodded, the trees starting to thin out. “We have heard of the recent events. But I haven’t personally been very interested. There have been no threats made against us so I’ve had no reason to.”

“Dai-Shocker’s after our whole world, you can’t just act like it isn’t your problem.” Twilight frowned, clutching her sack closer. “We all need to work together, or we’ll lose everything we have.”

“If that is how you feel then you should speak with King Aspen,” Timber offered, stopping at the mouth of a large cave. “He is the only one that can mobilize our forces.”

Sighing, Twilight walked into the cave. “I’ll have to talk to Princess Celestia.”

“For spare pickaxes, I must beg.” Zecora stated, following Twilight into the cave. “My own became a table’s leg.”

“I’ll see what I can do, I can’t make any promises.” Moving off to the side, he left the two mares to their own devices.

Lighting her horn up, Twilight used the spell she had learned from Rarity to search for the precious metal they were after. “At least the deer agreed to help us,” she said, stopping at a wall towards the middle of the cave. Her horn revealed a decent sized vein of silver over a foot beneath the surface. “Alright, I think this’ll be all we need.”

“We should not take more than we require,” Zecora warned, leaning against the wall opposite of the vein. “We do not want to risk the deer’s ire.”

“Do you... do you think we could get the deer to join us?” Letting the light of her horn fade, Twilight took a seat next to Zecora. “Wyatt told me in his world there’s an organization called the ‘United Nations’. It’s a collection of almost all his world’s nations; where they try to fix all the world’s problems.”

“I do not know, the deer have always been reclusive,” Zecora started, looking down at Twilight. “And I have sometimes found their thoughts to be elusive. If they see Dai-Shocker to be a threat, then there is hope that they may join us yet.”

“I hope so.” Twilight hugged her legs, gazing at the wall ahead of her. ‘We have to work together, we just have to.’

“I don’t really like doing this,” Nurse Redheart grumbled, walking in sync with Wyatt. “This isn’t something a nurse should be doing.” Carried in her arms was a medical pack, storing all of the necessary tools to keep Trixie under.

“I understand how you feel, but would you rather we just let her run amok?” Wyatt countered, his hands in his pockets. “She nearly killed those kids by making them pull that wheeless monstrosity.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.” Her frown deepened as they approached the bank. “I mean really? The bank vault? Isn’t that a bit much?”

“No, it really isn’t,” Wyatt replied, opening the door for her. “Apparently the longer Trixie has that thing on, the stronger and crazier she gets. Come on, Red, I think you’ve treated me enough times to know when I’m joking.”

Snorting, Redheart pulled an empty syringe out of her pack. “You’re lucky keeping her sedated is all you want. Otherwise I’d put your flank in a sling.” She stopped, grabbing his arm. “Who else is in there with her?”

“Maud and A.K. should be, why?” Wyatt questioned, raising a brow at her.

“Get down!” Redheart tackled him just as the vault door blasted off its hinges. “I thought you said she was still out!?”

“She was just a little bit ago!” Wyatt retorted, pulling him and Redheart back to their feet. He paused coming to a realization. “Shit, I think the amulet made her more resistant to the sedatives. Redheart, run and tell ponies to get somewhere safe. Trixie’s gonna be pissed and I’m one of the people she’s gonna be gunning for.”

Ixa stepped into view, Ixacalibur in hand. Around her neck was the alicorn amulet, glinting with red magic. “You think you can lock me up!? Think again, monkey!”

“Why does my luck have to be the worst,” Wyatt muttered, glancing at Redheart. “Red, get out of here!” he boomed, shoving the nurse towards the door. Not sticking to see if she was following his orders, he dove behind a desk. “I can take Ixa, wasn’t that strong of a rider...” Shots rang out from the direction of the bank vault, sparks raining down in front of his face. “Of course, that Ixa never had magic steroids.”

“Where are you, monkey~?” Trixie sing-songed, her hooves echoing through the room. “I’m only going to discipline you. I promise you’ll keep all your limbs. Well, most of them anyway.”

“Why do I have a feeling she’s talking about the ole bait and tackle?” Wyatt muttered, shuddering at the thought while summoning his driver. Placing it around his waist, he quickly dropped a card into his belt.

“Kamen Ride: Decade!” As soon as his armor formed, Wyatt hefted the desk he was hiding under over his head and tossed it at Ixa.

“Hey, Trixie! You lost? You look like a Knights of Tir Na Nog reject!”

Whipping around, Ixa sliced downward and cut the desk in two to let the halves fly right past her and crash into the wall behind her. “Don’t reference things your overlord doesn’t understand!” Aiming at him, Ixa fired off a few shots.

Wyatt tucked and rolled, managing to get behind a file cabinet while the shots landed where his head had been only a moment before. Grabbing his card case, he unfolded it into his gun and leaned over to return fire. “Sorry, but I don’t have an overlord! Especially not one that’s like a mid-tier Rider at best.”

Ixa fired off several more shots, Wyatt’s own glancing off her armor. “You’re one to talk! You’re just one of Celestia’s pet riders! Too busy sucking up to help anyone!”

“I joined the Guardians of Harmony to help people!” Wyatt retorted, rolling towards another desk before Ixa’s shots could tear through the cabinet and send papers flying. “I’ve never cared about earning brownie points with Celestia!”

“Talk is cheap!” Ixa lit her horn, grabbing Wyatt’s cover and tossing them aside. “Come on, Pink Boy, let’s see just how good you really are!”

Wyatt grabbed a pair of cards off his belt, slotting the first one in. For a moment, he stood in Kuuga’s Mighty form before slotting the second card in. “Form Ride: Titan!” The familiar silhouettes converged on Wyatt and left him in the purple armor of the Titan form.

Raising his large sword up, Wyatt crouched into a stance. “Fine, the shootout was getting a bit stale anyway.”

Switching her weapon to sword mode, Ixa walked closer. “Come on now, don’t you think you're overcompensating just a bit much? You must be one insecure monkey.”

“How original, making a big sword equals compensation joke,” Wyatt shot back, rolling his eyes beneath his helmet. “What’s next, gonna go on a diatribe about airline food?” Gripping his sword, Wyatt struck first aiming a slash at her chest.

Ixa moved her sword, blocking the strike with a grunt of effort. She followed up by stepping forward and punching Wyatt in the stomach. Grinning she followed it up with a right hook to the face.

Wyatt stepped back his still recovering jaw sending a spike of pain through him. Ignoring it, he feinted with his sword, only to deliver an uppercut to Ixa’s chin. He blanched as she grabbed his hand and flung him through a wall. Bricks fell around Wyatt as his head rolled in a daze. Slowly, he managed to pull himself to his feet just in time to lean away from a sword slash from Ixa.

“You don’t look so good~” Ixa taunted, a sinister giggle punctuating her words. “And here i thought you were the great Decade! Here to save all Equestria?”

The taunt snapped Wyatt out of his stupor, and with a burst of strength, he quickly sliced up at Ixa’s chest and then followed up by slashing downward diagonally. “That’s right!” Wyatt boomed, shoulder checking Ixa and slashing her stomach. “I have a responsibility to protect people! And no stage magician with an over inflated ego is going to keep me from that.”

“And you think I don’t!?” Ixa staggered back, her amulet starting to glow. “Who do you think kept ponies safe while Celestia sat on her fat flank, stuffing her face full of cake! It was my family, the Lulamoons who kept the masses safe from what hunted them!”

“Oh yeah, Ponyville was so protected under your crazy ass,” Wyatt retorted, stabbing his blade at the glowing amulet. “Two kids nearly put in the hospital, kicked out a prominent member of the town and made everybody miserable. Face it, the only one you care about is yourself!”

“Shut up!” Trixie caught Wyatt’s sword in her magic, keeping it from her neck. “I’m done letting other people tell me how to live my life! I’m in control now, no one else!”

Wyatt let go of his sword, taking Trixie by surprise and slamming his fist into her helmet. “Living your own life doesn’t have to be at the expense of others! Grow the hell up!”

Ixa recovered, using her magic to slash Wyatt’s sword in sync with her own. “You’re just content to be Celestia’s lap dog, just like all those other riders!”

On the next swing, Wyatt managed to catch the blade of his sword in his hand, sparks flying from his shoulder where Ixa’s cut into him. “You’re really getting on my nerves. Those are my friends you’re insulting.” Raising his leg, Wyatt kicked Ixa in the stomach and wrenched his sword from her magic.

“You took the words right out of my mouth.” Her horn still glowing, Trixie fired a bolt of magic, sending him blasting him through another wall. “I’m done playing games with you.” Giving her sword the same glow as her magic, Trixie stepped out onto the streets. “Come on, let’s finish this.”

Pulling himself out of the rubble, Wyatt pushed a card into his belt. “Fine by me.”

“Final Attack Ride: K-K-Kuuga!” Energy arced around Wyatt’s sword, the eyes on his helmet flashing for a brief moment.

Trixie rushed forward in a blur of red energy, striking him several times. “I’m better than you in every way. If you beg now, I’ll still take you as my husband. After a good gelding of course.”

Wyatt grunted, nearly falling over from the pain of the strikes. “Yeah, you haven’t caused nearly enough brain damage for me to take that deal.” Summoning up the last of his strength, he thrust his sword towards her chest.

Knocking it aside, Trixie brought her sword to bare. With a blood red glow, the blade cleaved through Wyatt’s armor, cancelling his transformation. “Oops! You seem to be having a wardrobe malfunction.”

Wyatt went to give a witty retort, only to collapse onto his face. Trixie’s laugh was the last thing he heard before unconsciousness claimed him.

Reaching down, Trixie removed the Decadriver from Wyatt’s waist. “You won't be needing this.” Turning towards the buildings, she fired a shot into the air. “You see that, you miserable peasants! Not even Celestia’s precious riders can stop me! Just accept your new overlord!” Before she could boast further, the Decadriver faded from her grasp.

The townsponies all whispered amongst themselves, regarding Wyatt’s battered body with fear in their eyes.

“Kneel, all of you!” Trixie commanded, leveling her weapon at them. “Don’t make me tell you twice.”

Slowly, the townsponies all fell to one knee, looking down at the ground in shame. While the crowd kept Trixie busy, a few townsponies spirited Wyatt out of sight.

Redheart checked Wyatt’s wounds while the other two carried him. From what she could see, he’d need to get treated at the hospital or else he’d be in danger. “Get him to the hospital, now! Make sure our ‘new leader’ doesn’t see you.”

“Right,” one of the stallions replied, leading the other down an alley to escape Trixie’s line of sight.

The mining took longer than Twilight had hoped, but she and Zecora had managed to gather up what they could from the vein. After thanking Timber, the pair had returned to Zecora’s hut to set about separating the silver from the stone and smelt it.

With controlled fire breathing, Twilight melted down the ore. Using her magic, she filtered out the imperfections; pouring the molten silver into Zecora’s cauldron.

“Fire breath is so useful,” Twilight mused, grabbing the molds they had prepared. “I have no idea how we’d smelt these otherwise. So uh, the book never specified designs for the rings. What do you think we should carve the stones into?”

“There were no set designs, ‘tis true,” Zecora remarked, grabbing the black stone. “So we must create something new.”

“I guess we will,” Twilight relented, sitting down next to Zecora as they looked over their tools. The zebra grabbed a file, letting Twilight hold it steady while she started carving. “I’m a little worried, Zecora. Clover the Clever was one of the greatest unicorns of all time and he couldn’t make it work. How could I make it work when I’m not even on his level?”

“You will work it because you must,” Zecora stated plainly, carefully carving against the stone. “Your efforts will not be a bust.”

Twilight nodded, watching as Zecora worked her tools. She kept the silver hot with a bursts of flame. “I just have to believe. Trixie can’t keep me from my family.”

“Very good, Twilight,” Zecora praised, pausing to inspect the rock for a few moments. “Let your hope turn to power. With it you can fell even a mighty tower.”

Twilight didn’t ask how Zecora knew what to carve, she figured the mare more than knew how to make magical artifacts. Holding the book in her magic, she went over the belt design again, forming a few spell combinations in her mind.

The hours ticked by with Zecora and Twilight each doing their parts. Night had more than fallen before their efforts bore fruit; a quartet of rings, each one baring a different design. One showed a dragon coming out of a hole, the next a close up of a helmet of some sorts, the third was a hand that matched the medallion and the last was a hoof, surrounded by dragon shaped flames.

“Wow, we made four rings out of this one stone?” Twilight mused, picking up the ring depicting a hand. “So, I guess I just have to put this on and touch it to the medallion?” Taking a deep breath, she put the ring on her left hand, adjusting it for a moment. She walked over to the shelf where she had put the medallion and attached it to a crude belt before wrapping it around her waist. Steeling herself, Twilight slowly brought her hand down to hover over the medallion.

“Driver on!” Magic pulsed from the medallion, transforming the crude belt into something far more elaborate. The medallion itself became akin to a belt buckle. The belt had two switches on either side of the buckle which Twilight absentmindedly tested to find that it switched the direction the hand faced.

“I-it works?” Twilight asked no one in particular, staring down at her waist in a daze. A split second later she looked up at Zecora with a massive grin. “It works!” She struck a pose, resting her hand on the belt. “I can do this!”

“For this you earn high praise, Twilight,” Zecora said, examining the belt with a warm smile. “But we’ve more rings to make tonight.”

Twilight nodded, removing her hand from her driver and letting it shrink back down. Once she returned to Zecora’s side, they grabbed the red stone and set to work on the next ring. As the night wore on, the pair sculpted the multi-colored stones into shape. When the last ring was finished, Twilight was ready to drop; eight rings sat on one of Zecora’s tables, their facets glittering in the early morning light.

“I think I need some sleep.” Twilight yawned, the bags under her eyes having bags of their own. She took a couple steps before collapsing, just barely making it onto the bed roll she had been staying on. A loud snore tore from her throat, rings of smoke puffing out of her mouth.

Zecora chuckled before her own exhaustion caught up with her. Clover had left them with one last design, but it was clear that neither of them were in any condition to work on it. Pushing two earplugs made of beeswax into her ears, Zecora joined her temporary roommate in the realm of dreams.

Rhythmic beeping greeted Wyatt as he drifted back to consciousness. A haze hung over his mind and he sat up in a hospital bed. A dull pain throbbed in his chest while he tried to piece together what had happened to him.

“She kicked my ass hard...” Wyatt groaned, rubbing his head. “Stupid amulet, making her stupid strong...” Pulling the blanket off of him, he looked down at his chest to find a few sets of stitches running along his body that matched where Trixie had slashed him. “Great, I feel like Frankenstein right about now.”

The door opened, snapping Wyatt out of his train of thought. Craning his neck, he found Nurse Redheart step into view with a cart full of bandages and rubbing alcohol. “Oh, you’re finally awake,” she noted, shutting the door behind her. “Kinda bad timing seeing as it’s time for me to clean your wounds and change your bandages.”

“How long have I been out?” Wyatt asked, turning his head away as she tended to his wounds. “I feel like I got hit by a bullet train...”

“On the bright side, it’s not like you could look any worse,” Redheart teased, dabbing the rubbing alcohol along his chest. “And as for how long you’ve been out; it’s been a little over a day.”

“Sounds like I got a proper asskicking,” Wyatt grumbled, wincing slightly from the sting of the alcohol. “You uh, haven’t let Sombra see me like this, have you?”

“Of course not,” she replied, keeping her eyes on her work. “That poor colt doesn’t need any more trauma. We have to get you presentable, you’re having visitors today.”

“Please tell me I can take a normal shower with these stitches,” Wyatt said, letting out a sigh of relief at the former half of the mare’s news. “I don’t need to add sponge baths to the list of my humiliations.”

“You’re not leaving this bed.” Poking his chest, she leaned in close. “I don’t care if you’re a rider, you need to recuperate; and I’ll see that you do.”

Wyatt’s eyes turned to the size of dinner plates at her comment. “Wh-what did you just say? You know I’m a rider?”

“Whole town saw you when your armor disappeared,” she explained, changing a bandage on his arm. “Everypony's been doing their best to keep her attention off you.”

“So much for keeping my secret identity,” Wyatt muttered, letting his head hit his pillow. “She must be making everyone even more miserable now because of me.”

Redheart rolled her eyes, finishing with his bandages. “Save the pity party, alright? No one in Ponyville is going to blab; we all took an oath. You’ve done more than enough keeping us safe from all those monsters.”

Quirking a brow, Wyatt tilted his head to meet the mare’s gaze. “Even my boss at the paper? She’s been chompin’ at the bit for rider stories.”

“Yes, even Silver Quill.” Pulling his blanket up, Redheart sighed. “I’m sad to say that your friends in the vault are in worse shape than you. That maniac turned Pinkie’s sister to stone and trapped Ms. Yearling in an illustration.”

A frown etched itself onto Wyatt’s face and he gripped his sheets tightly. “The instant you leave this room I’m going after that bitch,” Wyatt warned, knowing full well he was in no condition for a rematch. “What about Spike, Sombra and the library? Has she done anything to them?”

Redheart snorted, leaning in again. “Get off this bed and I’ll sedate your flank into next month. You need rest. She hasn’t done anything to the library, as far as I know.”

That eased Wyatt’s mind slightly and he relaxed his grip on the sheets. “Good. If she had, then no amount of drugs would keep me from snapping her horn off and shoving it up her ass.”

“Damn, Wyatt, you don’t mess around.” Dash stepped into the room, glancing at the human. “How are you feeling, besides like crap?”

“I’ve still got a pulse, so I guess that’ll do,” Wyatt replied, turning his attention towards the prismatic mare. “What about you? Has Trixie made you make the clouds look like her yet?”

“She’s been makin’ us do all sorts of crazy things.” Applejack walked into the room, leading the other girls inside. Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to be with the group; most likely looking after Maud. “Ah don’t think Ah’ can take another day of this nonsense.”

“I’m sorry, girls,” Wyatt replied, looking down at his bed. “I could’ve put an end to this whole mess, but I just wasn’t good enough. I should’ve been training harder.”

“Nonsense.” Rarity sat by his bed, taking his hand. “You did all you could, we’d never hold that against you.”

Wyatt managed a small smile, looking up at the fashionista. “Hey, stop trying to make me feel better; can’t you see I’m trying to have a pity party here?” he joked. “How’s Pinkie handling everything?”

“Bout as well as ya can expect,” Applejack answered, adjusting her hat on her head. “She’s been guardin’ Maud like a watchdog. Poor filly, I’d be right where she is if somethin’ happened to Bloom’ or Mac.”

Wyatt chuckled, the image of Applejack holding a shotgun while guarding statues of her siblings popping into his head. “I’m sure you would, AJ.” Turning to Rainbow, he took on a more serious tone. “Any word from Twilight?”

“No, but we heard from somepony they saw her run into the Everfree,” Rarity said, crossing her arms over her chest. “She must’ve gone to Zecora’s. We’ve been thinking of sneaking someone out and getting a message out to her.”

Wrapping her arm around Fluttershy, Dash pulled her to the front of the room. “We got one heck of a plan! We even got Shy’s animals on board!”

“Lay it on me,” Wyatt requested with a grin. “I’d rather not be a single parent anymore.”

The group huddled around his bed, speaking in hushed whispers.

Twilight had resumed her training with Zecora, though now she had added hand to hand combat on top of the magic lessons. Zecora had suggested that the unicorn limit her hands for blocking mostly in order to prevent the rings from getting damaged.

As such, the shaman was instructing Twilight in a fighting style that focused on the use of her legs.

“I never thought... I’d be doing this...” Twilight panted, kicking the target again. “At least I’ll never complain about how useless Spike and Wyatt are after a training session anymore...”

“Training is meant to be a chore,” Zecora noted, using her walking stick to apply pressure where Twilight’s stance was off. “You’ll know it works if you feel sore.”

“That’s painfully obvious.” Twilight delivered another series of kicks, noting the burn in her legs. “I’ll have to cut back on the reading; start gathering technique books.”

“Do not trust techniques which you’ve only read,” Zecora replied, letting her walking stick rest on the ground. “Without any practice you’ll end up dead.”

Twilight paused for a moment, wiping the sweat from her eyes. “You know, I never pegged you for someone with combat training. In hindsight, you’d probably need some, living out here and all.”

“The roles of a shaman are varied and many,” the zebra informed, dropping into a stance and shadowboxing for a moment. “Some involve the dispatching of an enemy.”

Levitating over a waterskin, Twilight took a long drink. “You aren’t teaching any of this to Applebloom, are you?” She could already picture the fit Applejack would throw if she found out someone was teaching Applebloom to fight.

“I swore not to teach her more than how to brew. By shamanic law, that is all I can do,” Zecora assured, passing Twilight a towel. “It helps most foals focus on the knowledge they sought, and prevents young minds from becoming overwrought.”

Twilight graciously took the towel, wiping off as much sweat as she could. “She might end up with a classmate, considering how things are going. I’ll need your help making more of those rings.”

“As soon as you find another likely stone, we will see if it is one that we can hone,” the shaman promised, motioning for Twilight to continue training.

Moving into her stance again, Twilight noted some movement in a bush. Her eyes lit up when a familiar face emerged from the forest. “Fluttershy!” practically galloping over, she pulled the pegasus into a tight hug. “How did you get out of town?!”

“It turns out that Trixie’s dome doesn’t extend to underground,” Fluttershy began, returning Twilight’s hug. “So my animal friends dug a hole big enough for me to fit through and snuck me out in this disguise.” She flopped one of the bunny ears on her hoodie for emphasis.

Giggling, Twilight stepped back. “I suppose that’s a bright side. Is everyone in town okay?”

“Um, that depends entirely on your definition of okay,” Fluttershy replied, tapping her pointer fingers together. “Trixie has been treating everypony like her personal toys. Everyone is scared she’s going to hurt them like she did-” she clammed up, not wanting to tell the draconic unicorn about what Wyatt had gone through.

“Who did she hurt?” Twilight asked, her eyes starting to contract. “Fluttershy, please, I need to know.

“Wyatt,” the pegasus squeaked out, barely registering as an audible sound.

Twilight shook with fury, smoke licking at the edges of her nostrils. “Zecora, I’m sorry. I can’t let this go another day. I have to stop her.”

“I would not dare stop you, Twilight,” Zecora replied, grabbing her walking stick. “This could only end in a fight.” She retrieved the driver, passing it over to her. “Take this and do what must be done, and surely this day will be won.”

Twilight nodded, buckling the belt around her waist. “Thanks, Zecora. Without you, I wouldn’t stand a chance.” Slipping a ring on her finger, she turned to Fluttershy. “Are you ready to go back in, Fluttershy?”

“Why did you grab jewelry, Twilight?” Fluttershy questioned, tilting her head at the ring. “And where did you find those?”

A grin split Twilight’s face as she brought the belt to life. “Why, Fluttershy, I’m so glad you asked.” Slipping another ring on, she shifted the hand on her belt. “Why don’t I show you?”

Spike gripped the hilt of medajalibur tightly; his back against the library door. “I already told you, you ain’t coming in!” Staring Trixie down, he slashed at the air in front of him. “Get the hell away from my home!”

Glaring at the drake, Trixie picked him up in her magic. “Did you just tell your overlord no? For that sort of insolence I have half a mind to tear this library down and order a statue of me put where it once stood.”

Spike sneered, breathing a torrent of fire in Trixie’s face. “You’ll touch that tree over my dead body, you pathetic excuse for a magician!”

Dropping to the ground in order to avoid the fire, Trixie leered at Spike. “A poor choice of words, dragon,” she spat, pulling out her belt and slapping it around her waist. “I’ll do to you what I did to that filthy monkey.”

Struggling in her magic, Spike spat at her. “Do your worst, Trixie. You’re a failure of a rider and a sub-par performer. You’re nothing but a bully who never grew up.”

Ignoring the glob of spit on her cheek, Trixie removed the buckle from her belt and pressed it to her palm. “You are making this so much more enjoyable,” she growled.

“Fist on!” An ornate cross spun on the belt before growing and hovering in front of Trixie. An outline of her armor took shape and slid over the mare’s body. It materialized into her suit, a literal knight in shining armor.

Pulling out Ixacalibur, Trixie leveled the weapon at Spike’s face. “Any last words?” A frown developed under her helm as Spike remained silent. “Fine, have it your way.”

“Trixie Lulamoon!”

Turning her head, Trixie found Twilight Sparkle standing in the middle of the street, glaring at the despotical rider. “Sparkle, how in the name of Faust did you get through the dome?”

“While you were busy terrorizing Ponyville, I did some relic hunting of my own.” Reaching her hands down, she shifted the hand again. “I’m not about to let you invade my home; this ends here and now!”

“Shabadoobie Touch to Henshin!” the belt chanted, awaiting Twilight’s input. Switching the direction of the hand once more, she slipped the red ring onto her finger and flipped a bracket down.

“Henshin,” Twilight said, touching her ring to the belt.

“Flame, please!”

The world seemed to come to a crawl as Twilight felt the belt’s power surge through her. Her inner fire expanded into a wildfire; threatening to consume her. A scream froze in her mouth, every one of her nerves on fire. Before it could, the fire found a release, centering on her hand that bore the red ring. Stretching her arm out, a red magic circle forming just beyond the tips of her fingers. The circle edged closer, passing over her body.

“Hi-hi, hi-hi-hi!” Twilight’s driver chanted, the magic circle fading from existence to reveal her new armor. Her helmet had no traditional face portion, instead it was all an ovular red jewel with silver brackets that divided it into a forehead, eye and mouth areas. Her horn extended in the helmet and was encased in the jewel. Her torso was covered in a black coat that extended down to her knees. The two flaps on her chest each had three square gem portions and the coat itself parted to reveal more of the gem. Her wrists and ankles were protected by red and silver bands that completed the outfit.

“Now.” Getting into her stance, Twilight focused onto Trixie. “Let’s have ourselves a rematch; winner takes all.”

“So you’ve become a rider, big deal,” Trixie dismissed, dropping Spike from her magic. “You’re still no match for me, Sparkle! Just like your ape of a coltfriend wasn’t.” Reaiming her ixacalibur, she fired of a few shots at the newly revealed rider.

Tucking into a roll, Twilight just managed to avoid the shots. She pulled the ring off her left hand and slipped a new one on. Switching the direction of the hand on her driver once more, Twilight tapped the new ring to it. “Connect, please!” A small magic circle appeared in front of her and she reached in to pull out a large silver gun that bore a hand on the side that matched her belt.

“Trust me, Trixie, I’ve got tricks up my sleeve.” With a flourish, Twilight dodged Trixie’s shots, returning fire with her weapon. “I can teach you, if you think you’re up for it.”

Trixie attempted to dodge, but the bullets curved and struck a glancing blow against her arm. “I do not need to learn anything from you!” Trixie boomed, firing at Twilight. “I am a master of the stage!”

Trixie cried out, something striking her from behind. “Really?” Spike questioned, donned in entirely green armor and brandishing arm scythes. “Because it looks like you forgot about the crucial skill of misdirection.”

“I don’t care if you had a hundred riders!” Trixie tossed a cart at Spike with a flash of magic. “I’m the strongest one there is!” Shifting her weapon into its sword weapon, she took a swing at Twilight.

With a quick adjustment, a blade unfolded from Twilight’s gun and she blocked Trixie’s attack. “What an interesting choice of words,” she started, a sly grin concealed beneath her helmet. “OOO, would you care to show Trixie here what your green combo does?” kneeing the other unicorn in the stomach, Twilight shoved her towards Spike.

Spike glowed, several clones stepping out of his body. “With pleasure.” Grabbing Trixie in an arm lock, he allowed his clones to lay in a beat down. “Try and one up that.”

With a roar of anger, Trixie’s horn glowed and she threw off all of the clones with a quick dome of energy. “Use all the tricks you want, I’m still better than you!”

“There are no tricks here, just magic!” Twilight beamed, tapping her ring to her belt once more. A magic circle appeared beside her and she shoved her sword through it. Another magic circle appeared behind Trixie and Twilight’s sword emerged to stab at the back of the crazed mare’s head.

“How are you doing that?!” Trixie whirled around, countering with her own sword. “Where did you learn hornless magic!?”

“Trixie, I thought you knew better than to ask something like that,” Twilight teased, tapping her ring to her driver yet again and creating a magic circle at Trixie’s legs. With a quick motion, she thrust her sword through the portal and sliced her opponent in the knees. “A magician never reveals her secrets after all.”

Spike’s clones gathered around the dazed mare, each subjecting her to a cascade of electricity. “Just take that stupid amulet off, it’s not helping you as much as you think it is!”

Crying out in pain, Trixie thrashed from the electricity arcing around her body. Seeing an opening, Twilight pulled off her Connect ring and replaced it with the ring bearing the flaming hoof. Switching the direction of the hand back and forth, she let her new ring hover above her belt.

“Very nice! Kick Strike! Fabulous!” A large magic circle appeared beneath Twilight, Flames circling her right leg. Her helmet flashed red, and she charged towards Trixie. After a moment, she jumped into the air and positioned herself to kick Trixie in the chest. A group of concentric magic circles appeared at Twilight’s leg and she shot through them towards the megalomaniacal mare.

“I’ll burn the corruption off you!” Twilight roared, her hoof impacting Trixie’s chest. The force of the kick drove her back into the ground, her armor finally giving out in a small explosion. Kicking off Trixie’s body, Twilight landed in a graceful display, striking a pose. “And that’s a wrap~”

“Not quite,” Spike said, cutting off the flow of electricity and kneeling down by Trixie’s side. Tapping the side of her face with the back of his hand he asked, “Hey, you still awake?” He shook his head, getting a groan in response. “How are we supposed to get that thing off her?”

“I think I have an idea,” Twilight replied, pulling a ring off a chain that dangled from her waist and down one of her legs. Kneeling down, she grabbed Trixie’s hand, slipped the ring onto the mare’s finger and placed it on her driver.

“Engage, please!” A magic circle appeared over Trixie’s head and Twilight hovered above the ground. Twilight moved over the circle and hanged in the air for a moment before passing through the magical sigil.

Twilight landed on her hooves at the gate of a decent sized village. Rather than the thatched roofed cottages that dominated Ponyville, this town was filled with brick homes and businesses. It was clear that something brought money to the town, but Twilight didn’t have time to worry about that. Stepping along the streets, she debated with herself on where she was most likely to find Trixie.

“I don’t recognize this town...” Twilight muttered to herself, walking down one of the streets. “Granted, I haven’t really been to a lot of places.” Shelving the realization that she had kept herself pretty sheltered her entire life, she continued to search for Trixie. “Hmm, maybe if I get to some higher ground?” she wondered, slipping off her red ring and replacing it with the green one. With a quick flip of the hand on her belt, Twilight tapped the ring to it.

“Hurricane, please!” A green magic circle appeared above her, passing over her body and changing her armor. The shape of her helmet shifted to be more triangular as did the jeweled portions on her coat. The other notable alteration was that what once had been red on her outfit was now green. The magic circle persisted once her armor settled and a whirlwind picked up beneath Twilight’s hooves. Her body started to rotate and she used the wind to jump up to a nearby rooftop.

“Alright, if I was Trixie, where would I be?” Standing at the edge of the roof, she peered out at the town below her. A large home at the edge of town stood out from the rest of the buildings. Its well manicured lawn and large pillars running along the perimeter of the house certainly helped with that. “Given her ego, a mansion’s a pretty obvious place to look.”

Using her connect ring, she teleported herself just behind the front gates. Keeping her sword at the ready, Twilight made her way to the door. “No sense in knocking...” With a grunt of effort, she broke the doorknob and stepped inside.

Just like Twilight imagined, the inside of the home was just as well maintained as the outside. A large staircase led up to the second floor and a sitting room was directly to her left. Just down the hallway, she swore she could hear voices. Stepping forward, she followed the sound of the voices.

“Enough, Trixie!” The stern voice of an older mare reached Twilight’s ears. “I’ve heard enough of your excuses. We let you play out your magician fantasy for long enough. You’re an adult, not a filly.”

“Mother! I do not want to be Ixa!” Trixie’s voice retorted, though Twilight noticed that it was slightly higher pitched. “I’m terrible at fighting! I’m meant for something else.”

“Enough!” Trixie’s mother commanded, silencing Trixie’s protests. “This is a burden you must bare. You are my only child, Beatrix, it falls on you to take up our sacred mission.”

“B-but I’ll die if I try fighting a fangire!” Trixie stated, her voice trembling. “Does my life mean nothing to you?! Am I just another part of your duty as Ixa?!”

“You’ve trained your whole life for this, Beatrix. This is what you were meant to do. I have the utmost confidence that you can fulfill your destiny.”

“I hate this!” Trixie boomed, the sound of hooves hitting hardwood floors growing closer in Twilight’s ears. A moment later, and a Trixie that couldn’t have been older than sixteen ran right by Twilight with the Ixa belt clutched tightly in one hand, seeming unable to see the armored mare.

Twilight turned to watch her run off, her posture relaxing. “No wonder she’s so boastful; her own mother turned to hijack her life.” She had no idea how she’d react if her mother tried to make her ignore her life's calling. She shuddered at the thought of her positions being reversed with Trixie. It didn’t make Twilight forgive the showmare, but it did provide some much needed clarity.

Turning on her hoof, Twilight ran after the younger version of Trixie, hoping to finally put an end to this. “Trixie! Listen to me; this isn’t real! It’s just a memory!”

“This is real!” Trixie cried, clutching the belt tighter. “I’m going to have to fight dumb monsters forever until one of them literally sucks the life out of me! I don’t want that! I just want to be on a stage and entertain ponies! Just like my hero, Jackpot!”

“I know you don’t want this, but Equestria needs you. There are other riders now, you don’t have to do this all alone.” Twilight put her hand on Trixie’s shoulder, pulling her into a hug. “It’s alright, Trixie.”

“B-but, I just want to be an entertainer,” Trixie sniffled, returning the hug. “Fighting monsters is so… daunting.”

“I know, monsters have always been scary, but ponies rely on us. Like I said, there are other riders now; let’s just take some of that worry from you alright?”

Tears slowly fell onto Twilght’s shoulder as Trixie’s deathgrip on her belt loosened somewhat. “C-can I still become a stage magician?” she asked, her voice hardly above a whisper.

“Of course you can, I’d never tell a pony to cast away their special talent.” Twilight put her hand on Trixie’s head, stroking her mane.

A long silence passed between the two, Trixie’s tears finally drying and her breath coming in as short hiccups. “O-okay, I’ll try to fight monsters.” Pulling away, she wiped at her eyes. “You’ll be with me, right?”

Undoing her transformation, Twilight flashed the other mare a smile. “Of course. And it won’t just be me; all the other riders will be right by your side no matter what.” Straightening up, Twilight held her hand out. “Are you ready to wake up?”

Taking Twilight’s hand, Trixie tilted her hand. “Wake up? What do you mean?”

“Beatrix!” Trixie’s mother roared, stomping into view. Rage had contorted her face into an awful sneer and her eyes were burning a bright red. “You cannot run from your destiny!” The shadows in the room stretched towards her, almost like she was absorbing them. Suddenly, the shadows disappeared and her form was obscured by inky darkness.

An arm shot out from the darkness, truly one with the shadows. More body parts emerged until where there was once an older unicorn mare, there was now a shadowy alicorn with glowing red eyes. After a moment, the Alicorn Amulet surfaced onto the abomination’s chest.

Twilight brandished her sword. “I was wondering where the corruption was. If you want to wake up, we have to beat it.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean,” Trixie started, slapping the belt around her waist. “But that thing isn’t my mom.” Pulling off the knuckle, she pressed it to her palm and quickly donned her Ixa armor.

Retaking her flame form, Twilight stepped forward, slashing at the beast’s chest. “You can’t have her anymore, do you hear me?”

The beast let out an unearthly roar, shooting its arm out like a tendril towards Twilight. Trixie shot forward, using her sword to take the attack for her fellow unicorn. Cutting the tip of the tendril off, she shifted to her gun, firing into its chest.

The beast cried out, staggering backwards a step. Twilight followed up with a horizontal slash going up from the alicorn’s side, only to be stopped by a sudden red barrier. “This mare is mine! She is my host, I’ll never give her up, not to anyone!!!”

“You’re not going to keep her!” Twilight retorted, slipping her Connect ring onto her finger and adjusting the hand on her belt. A magic circle appeared within the barrier and she stabbed at the monster’s horn. “You’re nothing but a bad dream!”

The monster bellowed in pain, the barrier around it flickering for a moment. Trixie reacted quickly, taking aim and firing at it while the barrier flickered. “What is this thing? It doesn’t look like a fangire.”

“It’s a magical artifact that you found,” Twilight explained, continuing to use her Connect ring to strike at the shadow beast from several angles. “An avatar of it anyway. It increased your magical and rider abilities, but at the cost of your sanity.”

Trixie frowned looking between Twilight and the beast. “I-I don’t remember that. When did I put that on?”

“Later in your life,” Twilight answered, rolling out of the way of a blast from the shadow alicorn’s horn. “We’re in your memories and it seems to have taken a liking to this one.” Pulling the thumb on her sword’s hand, the fingers unfurled, revealing a magic circle on the palm that she tapped her red ring to to make the blade erupt into flames. “Try and remember.”

Trixie’s eyes closed beneath her helmet and a deluge of memories came flooding back to her. She staggered to a knee, overwhelmed by the sudden information. “Y-yes, I remember now. I was angry, jealous and desperate. I thought taking you down would get my life back on track. Would make it so I could continue performing without getting booed out of towns before I had even set up my stage. I thought you had taken my dream from me.”

“I would never take a pony’s dream from them,” Twilight responded, her flaming blade filling the hall with searing heat with every slash. “I’m sorry all of those things happened but it wasn’t my fault.”

Trixie was silent for a while, making sense of her memories. The night the Ursa Minor attacked replayed and she combed over every detail that she could recall. Twilight’s actions stuck out the most, especially the way she quickly handled the beast. But then her demeanor afterwards came into the forefront of her thoughts. While her friends had heaped praise on her, Twilight herself had never boasted about her deed. “I-I think I believe you now,” Trixie finally said, rising to her hooves once more. “I just wanted somepony to blame.”

Jumping back, Twilight landed next to Trixie. “You ready to take this thing out then?” Holding her hand out, she snuck a place at the mare. “You won’t be you until you do.”

Lifting her gun up, Trixie nodded at Twilight. “Yes, I’m ready to get this thing out of me. We might be in for a Tartarus of a fight though.”

“I’m fine with that.” Twilight went in low, slashing at the alicorn’s legs. “Let’s send this thing back to where it belongs!”

Trixie fired at the barrier before rolling away from a tendril the shadow alicorn sent after her. “I’m thinking you hit it low, I hit it high. This thing can’t last forever trying to fend us both off.” Adjusting her aim, Trixie concentrated on the area right in front of its face.

The monster cried out again, its form falling into a pool of an eerie ink-like substance onto the floor. Before either of the unicorns could celebrate, a trunk-like tendril rocketed from the pool and struck Trixie with enough force to send her flying into a wall. Leaving an indent in the wall, Trixie slowly slid down to the floor in a slight daze.

“That thing hits hard...” Trixie muttered, trying to focus her eyes. “No wonder it wanted to be my mom...”

Twilight ignored the implications of that statement for a moment, going to the unicorn’s side and helping her to her hooves. “Are you okay, Trixie?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Trixie nodded, pushing Twilight to the side to avoid a blood red beam. “It just doesn’t quit, does it?”

“In my experience, evil things rarely lack perseverance,” Twilight offered, her eyes widening as a trunk-like tendril shot out towards her. She fell to her stomach to avoid the attack, only for the tendril to slam down on her back. “Villains are always annoyingly persistent...”

Trixie fired at the inky tentacle, hoping to get it off Twilight. “Hey ugly! I thought I was the one you want!” Her wish was granted; the beast stretching its arm out, almost swiping her helmet.

Trixie avoided the swipe, wrapping her arm around the tendril and using all her strength trying to pull it away from Twilight. It took a moment, her strength slowly overpowering the tendril. “Get off my friend!”

Twilight didn’t have time to acknowledge what the other unicorn had said; as soon as the pressure on her back had lessened she rose to her hooves and slashed at the shadow alicorn’s chest. Each slash burned away at its being, lingering flames licking at its body.

Slipping the flaming hoof ring onto her finger and flipping the direction of the hand on her belt, Twilight turned to Trixie. “Ready for the grand finale?”

“Yeah, I am.” Trixie slipped a clear object off her belt, nodding at Twilight. “On three?”

“Excellent idea,” Twilight agreed, putting her hand over her belt. “1!” A magic circle appeared beneath her and flames danced along her leg.

“2.” Trixie inserted the object into a slot on her buckle.

“Ixa Knuckle Rise Up!” Trixie’s belt called out in a heavily mechanical voice. Removing the knuckle from its slot, she brandished it like a knuckle duster.

“3!” the two unicorns shouted in unison, Twilight jumping into the air and positioning herself to kick the alicorn in the head.

Trixie extended her hand back, orange energy gathering at the knuckle with blue electricity occasionally arcing around it. Rushing forward, she thrust the knuckle out to the beast’s chest and an orange cone of flames shot out.

Once more, the magic circles formed in front of Twilight and she raced through them to deliver a devastating kick on the beast’s head that resulted in a burst of flames.

The monster released a twisted squeal; beginning to disintegrate under the onslaught. “Curse you, Twilight Sparkle! I’ll haunt you until your dying days, you meddlesome wretch!” It howled, it’s final cry ending as it vanished from Trixie’s mind.

“I doubt it,” Twilight replied, flourishing the bottom of her coat. “That was your curtain call.” Turning back to Trixie, she smiled beneath her helmet. “Thank you for the help, Trixie. Ready to wake up?”

Trixie stood for a moment, staring at where the manifestation had been. “Ya, I think I am.” Turning back to Twilight, she cancelled her transformation. “You meant that right? Sharing the burden?”

Twilight undid her own transformation and held a fist out towards Trixie. “Every word of it. I may not be the Element of Honesty, but I’m a pretty terrible liar.”

Glancing from Twilight’s face to her fist, a smile wormed its way onto Trixie’s face. “I believe you. Let’s get out of here, I’m tired of memory lane.” She bumped Twilight’s fist, determination welling in her chest.

A swirling tunnel appeared above the pair and Twilight couldn’t help but tease her by saying, “Are you sure you don’t want to give me a tour? Maybe show me the memory equivalent of baby pictures and the like?”

Rolling her eyes, Trixie gave Twilight a bit of a shove. “Not gonna happen, Sparkle. Not even after saving my life.”

Giggling, Twilight hopped up to the portal with Trixie following suit.

A Lovely Day For Chaos pt. 1

The soft echo of dripping water caught Wyatt’s attention immediately. A quick survey of his surroundings found him in a Japanese style garden, standing in front of a tall pagoda. A light mist hovered around him, but he held no fear.

Wyatt stood up, figuring the wisest course of action was to investigate the pagoda. Stepping up, he opened the sliding door and poked his head in. The floors were tatami mats with a couple cushions set up to leave most of the floor open. Along the ceiling were strips of paper obviously written in katakana. What they said, he had no idea.

He made to enter before pausing and removing his shoes. Leaving them by the door, he stepped into the pagoda. The center of the room was set with a pair of mats, a tea set sitting between them.

“Hello? Anyone here?” Wyatt called, stopping by one of the mats. He took a kneel on one of the mats, adjusting himself. He looked around the room again and waited for a response. None was forthcoming and he thought it best to simply wait.

Silence resumed once more, abated only by the dripping water. An unknowable time later, a figure finally knelt across from him. An armored blue hand lifted the tea pot, pouring two cups of tea.

“I apologise for the wait,” the figure spoke setting the pot back down. “It took longer than I had anticipated rousing myself.”

“Ninjor?” Wyatt questioned, instantly recognizing the voice and face. “It's official, I dream like a five-year-old.”

Ninjor chuckled, lifting up his cup. “Yes, it is indeed I, Ninjor. Please keep any autograph requests to yourself.”

“Uh huh,” Wyatt replied, grabbing his own cup of tea. He copied what he had seen from movies involving tea ceremonies and carefully took a sip. “This is a nice place you have here.”

Raising his cup to his helmet, Ninjor made the motions as if to drink it. Strangely none of the tea spilled out. “A quiet place to have a simple conversation. My sword awoke me when it sensed it had found the hands of one whose heart was good.”

“Oh really?” Wyatt started, hiding his confusion. “Good thing I let Twilight touch the sword first.”

“I was talking about you, young man,” Ninjor replied, lowering his hand. “Would you be so kind as to reveal your name to me?”

“Wyatt Matthews,” he answered, feeling a little embarrassed.

“A pleasure, Wyatt.” Putting his cup down, Ninjor placed his hands on his knees. “I imagine you must be brimming with questions; as am I. A mutual exchange, then.”

“Okay, so how did your spirit attach itself to your sword?” Wyatt questioned, putting his cup down.

“A matter of self-preservation,” Ninjor responded, a somber tone creeping into his voice. “On the eve of Zordon’s last stand, I tethered my spirit to my blade. So that if I were to fall, I could still assist in the struggle of good and evil.”

Wyatt digested the story, not needing to ask what happened to the alien wizard. “And I found you,” he said slowly, nodding. “So, what do you want to know from me?”

“I would be pleased to know where exactly I am. The ties to the Morphing Grid are nearly non-existent.”

“You're in a country called Equestria on a planet called Halla, in a completely different universe” Wyatt explained, taking another sip. “And there's never been Rangers here.”

“No Rangers?” Ninjor balked, confusion evident in his tone. “This isn’t good, we'll need to find a way to connect to the grid if we are to wage battle against the forces of evil.”

Wyatt allowed himself a smile. “I said there aren’t any rangers, I didn’t say there weren’t heroes. I’m Kamen Rider Decade.”

“Rider? You mean like that prince fellow with the odd space duck?”

“Yeah, just... not as low budget.”

“Hmm, I am still disappointed this world has no Rangers, but heroes are heroes.” Ninjor clapped his hands on his knees and stood up. “Now, young Wyatt, I wish to test your warrior spirit.”

“And how are we going to do that?” Wyatt asked, setting his cup down. Rising to his feet, he held Ninjor’s gaze. “We’re in a pagoda, are we going to reenact Game of Death?”

Ninjor laughed, putting his hands on his hips. “Nothing so garish, my friend. This will just be a friendly sparring match. A way for us to communicate as warriors.”

Wyatt nodded, getting into his well practiced stance. “That’s good, that movie was exploited far too much for my tastes. What kind of rules we talking about?”

“We will engage on my mark and pull away whenever we get a hit. Nothing below the belt and first to three will win.”

Nodding, Wyatt took a few steps back. “I can do that.” It sounded a lot more fun, and less painful, than Flash Fire’s drills. “Whenever you wanna start.”

Ninjor bowed, and Wyatt did the same. Afterwards, they both resumed their stances. “Begin!” Ninjor shouted. Charging forward, he thrust an open hand towards Wyatt’s chest.

Wyatt responded with a practiced block, lashing out with a punch of his own towards the logo on the ninja's chest. His arm fell short as Ninjor turned to the side. Wyatt spun on a heel, snapping a kick towards Ninjor’ face.

“Good form,” Ninjor complimented as he brought a hand up to push Wyatt’s leg away. Stepping forward, he jabbed a fist at Wyatt’s stomach.

With his leg still up, he was left with only one maneuver. Wyatt dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the punch and rolled onto his knees. “Trained by the best.”

“I can tell, you do not lose your head and adapt well,” Ninjor praised, keeping still while Wyatt stood up. Once Wyatt was back up, he snapped a kick out at the young man’s stomach. “But can you keep it up?”

Wyatt crossed his arms over his stomach, sliding back on his feet from the force of the blow. “First point goes to you,” he said, panting ever so slightly. “I expected you to hit harder.”

“Young man, if I hit you with my full strength there would not be much of you left,” Ninjor said with a chuckle. “This is just a friendly match.” He stood straight, bowing again.

Wyatt mirrored the action, preparing himself for the next clash. Deciding not to wait for Ninjor’s move, he charged forward in a shoulder check. Ninjor simply sidestepped Wyatt, tripping the charging man with an extended leg. “Don't get sloppy on me, young man.”

Catching himself, Wyatt turned and regained his balance. “Hey, it’s a just a fun time right. Might as well see if I can’t catch you off guard.”

Ninjor laughed, throwing an open palm strike toward Wyatt's chest. “Now that's the spirit! But ninjas are master of surprise.”

“I wouldn’t mind learning how to do those things.” Turning to the side, Wyatt caught Ninjor in the shoulder. “Would be really useful.”

Ninjor disengaged, rolling his shoulder. “Young man, I would be honored to take on a student. The point is yours by the way.”

The match continued for a while, Wyatt feeling the need to use every trick he had learned. Despite it being a dream, he still felt the effects of fatigue claim him. In the end, Ninjor claimed victory with Wyatt trailing just one point behind him.

“Marvelous! You are a promising young warrior, Wyatt Mathews. If this had been the world I had left, I have no doubt you would have made a wonderful power ranger.”

Wyatt took a seat on his cushion and caught his breath for a moment. “Thank you. Ugh, why do I feel sweaty in my dreams?

Ninjor returned to his own cushion, refilling their cups. “Vigorous exercise allows for a period of respite. Come now, Wyatt. I wish to know more about the world I now inhabit.”

“Well, the country I live in is home to bipedal, multicolor ponies,” Wyatt explained, taking a big gulp of his tea. “They call themselves unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies.”

Time seemed to melt away, the two of them speaking on many things. Wyatt wasn’t even aware the dream was ending until he heard Twilight’s voice in his ear. Groaning, he cracked an eye open and was greeted by Twilight peering down at him.

“Finally,” Twilight began, pulling the blankets off him. “It’s time to get up, Wyatt. We’ll be late if you don’t get up within the next minute.”

Wyatt smiled, forcing himself up and out of bed. “I'd tell you to keep your pants on, but that's a bit of a moot point,” he teased, pointing at her.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Come on, get up. Spike and Sombra are already up. By the time you get out of the shower, Spike should have breakfast ready. We should have enough time to get Sombra to school before everyone arrives.”

“Getting me up will cost the unicorn toll.” He tapped his lips with a finger and winked at her.

Lighting her horn, she lifted him into the air and floated him into the bathroom. “Well this unicorn can’t afford to use up her time with obstinate humans.” Winking back, she gave him a quick kiss as he passed. “Now please, get showered.”

“Will do, Twi,” he replied with a chuckle, tossing his pajamas into the hamper. “I'll make it quick.”

“You had better.” Twilight pulled the door closed and left him to his own devices. After a few moments, she could make out the sound of running water and Wyatt singing badly to himself.

Making her way downstairs, she checked her watch. A hum of approval emanated at the time; they were right on schedule.

“How’s breakfast looking, Spike?” Twilight asked as she stepped into the kitchen. “Everything going smoothly?”

“It's going perfect,” Spike assured, checking the eggs he was making with his spatula. “Sombra, can you hand me the feta cheese and the baby spinach out of the fridge? My claws are full here.”

“Can do!” Sombra opened the fridge, levitating over the requested items.

“Thanks buddy!” Spike cheered, putting the ingredients within reach. “Good use of magic by the way.

Eventually, Wyatt came down the stairs to be greeted by his family and what Spike called Marediterranean omelettes. While it wasn't something Wyatt would've thought to try, he still enjoyed the meal. Given the effect Spike's cooking had, the four of them made quick work of breakfast. The dishes were left with Spike and Twilight dipped out the door to take Sombra to school.

Wyatt grabbed a few of the clean dishes, moving about the kitchen to put them away. “She’s not as panicky as I thought she’d be. She must be getting desensitized to princess visits.”

“We can only hope,” Spike replied, scrubbing the frying pan. “Things start to go downhill fast when she panics. Just like the time travel incident.”

Wyatt chuckled, recalling the incident in detail as he closed the cabinet. “Yeah, that was something else. On the bright side, she looked good in that sneaking suit she had.”

“You just have a thing for eye patches,” Spike countered, rinsing the frying pan once more before setting it on the counter. “Hey, I made some snacks last night for the meeting, could ya set up the den for me?”

“Sure thing, Spike,” Wyatt answered, not bothering to deny the allegation. Opening the fridge, he found the bounty of snacks that the drake had made the night before and went about arranging the den.

By the time he was done, a voice trailed in from the front door. “We’re here kid! Even made sure my dad got a haircut!”

“There’s this thing called knocking, A.K.!” Wyatt called back, getting up to greet his two guests. When he saw the door was closed he relaxed. “Good to see you, Daring.” He nodded over to the cloaked man. “Hey, Agito.”

“Maybe you should invest in a better lock then,” Daring replied, having her disguise up.

“Is there a lock out there good enough to keep out a world class treasure hunter?” Wyatt asked flatly, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Could try a deadbolt,” Agito offered, hanging his cloak up. “Does wonders in keeping unwanted pests out.”

Wyatt shrugged, motioning for the pair to follow him. “Twi owns the deed to this place so any renovation decisions are legally hers to make. But I’ll float the idea to her.” Stepping into the den, he gestured to the table. “Just take a seat and relax.”

Agito took the offer, flopping onto one of the loveseats. He glanced over, taking in the spread of food. “Hmm, at least this visit won’t be totally awful.”

“I made them,” Spike commented as he stepped out of the kitchen. “Just try not to eat everything before the others arrive.”

Agito nodded, rolling over to look at Spike. “Well that's a first, a dragon in a pink apron.”

“Don’t make fun of the kid, he’s a better cook than you,” Daring retorted, tossing a grape into her mouth. “Don’t be a prick.”

Agito sat up, puffing his chest. “Oh we will just have to see about that.” Grabbing one of the offered pastries he took a bite. “Okay, the kid's got skills.”

“Wyatt, Spike! I’m back!” Twilight called from the lobby. “Did anyone arrive yet?”

Wyatt stepped into the lobby and put an arm around her. “Daring and Agito just got here,” he answered, walking her into the den. “And neither of them has hit me, which is good.”

“That is impressive for them,” she said with a giggle, waving at the two before she took her seat. “Thank you for not breaking his nose again.”

Daring chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of her head. “I already apologized for that. Can't we put it behind us?”

“Of course, just don’t blame me if I get you back,” Wyatt replied, sitting with Twilight. “What comes around goes around afterall.”

The five fell into light conversation, passing the time until the others arrived. Maud and Pinkie came first, followed by Feldspar and Trixie. The showmare made a point to avoid looking at the stallion. Applejack came next, bringing a cartful of apple treats with her. Finally, a trumpet announced the arrival of Celestia and Luna, along with Chrysalis.

Everyone stopped their conversation, bowing to the royalty. Everyone but Agito anyway.

Rising to his feet, Agito made his way over to the princesses. “It’s been... a very long time, girls. Longer than it should have.” Looking at Celesti specifically, he reached up to remove his mask. “We parted on the worst terms we possibly could have.”

“Agito, I am sorry as well,” Celestia started, a hand over her heart. “I didn't properly explain myself while you were still reeling from another hefty loss.”

“Tsukiya, my name is Tsukiya,” he responded, holding his mask out. “I don’t need it anymore. Put it on your wall or something.” Letting her take it, he grabbed Luna up in a hug. “Sorry I wasn’t around to welcome you back, Rabbit.”

Luna smiled and returned the hug. “Still with that nickname? Though it fits me now that I have lived on the moon.”

Celestia placed the mask under her wing and gestured for everyone to sit down. “I believe we’re ready to begin. As you know, a few days ago, Sweet Apple Acres was attacked by a being we believe is tied to Dai-Shocker. Thankfully, we were able to repel the incursion thanks to the help of a pair of Displaced.”

“This is news to me,” Tsukiya stated, looking down in thought. “I'd only heard the abridged version.”

“Thanks to their assistance, Sweet Apple Acres is recovering nicely.” Turning to Applejack, she bowed her head. “I apologize for the continued guard presence on your property. As much as I would like to remove them all, it is imperative we study the residue of those rifts before it erodes.”

Applejack pushed her hat up slightly. “Take all the time ya need, Princess. Long as they don’t get in the way of the chores, they can stay long as they need. Ah was hopin’ Ah could get a few of em’ ta help clear out some space in the orchard. Plant some of those seeds we found in that there magic bag.”

Luna chuckled, waving her hand. “That will be something you have to convince them to do yourself. We do not wish to abuse our authority. Just tell them we have no problem if they give you their aid.”

“Thank ya, kindly.”

“We’ve made some progress on the autopsies,” Celestia spoke, levitating a few objects onto a clear spot on the table. Wyatt recognized them as Goldar’s Sword, the bat-themed blaster, and the Centurion's baton. “Due to our admittedly low level of technology, I am adverse to even attempting to take these apart. Therefore, I believe it best to leave them in your hands, Wyatt, Twilight.”

“The sword's just a sword,” Wyatt assured, picking up Goldar's sword. He grunted, finding it rather heavy. It was moments like that that made him glad he had started working out. “And don’t worry, Princess, we'll keep a good eye on these.”

“That’s all well and good, but do we actually have a plan?” Chrysalis asked, poking at a cupcake. “We’ve made some progress, with those teleporters and the suits but where does that actually get us?”

Tsukiya leaned back, closing his eyes. “My brother's still alive.”

Everyone in the room froze, turning to him. Even Maud was displaying visible surprise at the news.

“The amadam, the jewel in his belt, is meant to keep him alive; clear his body of toxins. At least, it can if it has the power. It didn’t back then, so it’s just keeping him on life support. We need to go out there, we need to wake him up.”

“The Elements of Harmony are perfect for clearing out evil from someone!” Twilight noted, brightening up. “We could use them!”

Celestia held a hand up, tempering Twilight’s excitement. “That is heartening news but I’m afraid I cannot allow the Elements to make such a journey. At least not at the moment.”

Tsukiya shot up, slamming his hands on the table. “Tia, this is bullshit! I've never asked anything from you and the first time I do you say ‘no’? You know damn well that Kuuga outpaces me by a long shot. We need him back.”

“Agi-Tsukiya, please calm yourself,” Celestia spoke, a frown growing across her muzzle. “The Elements of Harmony are one of the few things we know that Somber Shield fears. With them so far out of the country, there would be nothing to stop him from doing as he wished. On top of that, three of the bearers count themselves as riders, further reducing Equestria’s defenses.”

“So what, do we just leave my brother for dead?” the man snapped, sitting back down.

“Of course not,” Luna assured, giving a glance at Celestia. “My sister and I have a plan to bolster Equestria’s defenses using someone a few of you are acquainted with.”

“Who are you talking about?” Twilight questioned, tilting her head.

“Discord,” Celestia responded, folding her hands in her lap. “With him on our side, it will free the Elements to revive Kuuga.”

“Small problem there, Tia,” Tsukiya chimed in, staring at her in disbelief. “Discord's batshit insane and would sooner turn Equestria into an eclair than defend it.” He reached into his shirt, revealing a necklace with a fang ornament. “Hell, I had to keep him busy while you stoned his ass.”

“That is why we have decided to place him under the care of Fluttershy,” Celestia explained, picking up one of the cupcakes.

“Isn’t that something we should ask her opinion on before springing it on her once Discord’s free?” Wyatt questioned.

“Of course, but we have to work quickly. We cannot leave Kuuga for longer than we must,” Luna insisted.

“I’m not saying we do, but this is a lot to ask of her,” Wyatt replied, looking around the room. “And depending on how you phrase the request, she’ll feel that she doesn’t have a choice but to say yes and go near catatonic later.”

“Then we shall leave the request to you,” Celestia replied, giving a smile. “We need Fluttershy’s help to make this work. I would entrust this task to no one else.”

“Asking a nineteen-year-old to demonstrate tact,” Wyatt joked, shaking his head. “Oh how low Equestria has fallen. Alright, I’ll do what I can here.”

“I’m going,” Maud spoke, clutching her Kuuga emblem. “I need to be there when Kuuga returns.”

“That is acceptable,” Celestia said, nodding at the mare. “Pinkie cannot become W on her own anyway and she needs to be there.”

“We would ask that Trixie and Feldspar remain in Ponyville for the duration of the trip,” Luna said before taking a bite of a pastry. “These are very good, young Spike.”

“I’ve sent changelings to Equestria’s major cities and most of the smaller settlements, they’ll alert Thorax to any trouble,” Chrysalis began. “From there, he’ll inform either of you of what’s going on.”

“Thanks, Chrysalis,” Spike said, still beaming from the praise Luna had given him. “You've been a huge help. Especially now with the changeling alarm system.”

Chrysalis giggled, reaching over and pinching his cheek. “Of course, my dear drake. You can repay me by spending an afternoon with Thorax. He thinks your scales shine nice in the afternoon.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Spike said, trying not to mind the pinch on his cheek. “Thorax is my friend, I like spending time with him.”

Chrysalis’s giggle turned into laughter. “What innocence~ I just love it.” Leaning in, she purred in his ear. “He thinks you’re cute, you silly dragon.”

Spike blinked, the gears in his head turning. “Uh, how old is Thorax? Cause that might be a slight problem,” he whispered back, his eyes subconsciously moving over to Twilight.

Luna leaned over to Celestia, eyeing the pair closely. “She’s worse than Cadance.”

“Say that after you’ve seen our niece drunk,” Celestia whispered to her sister, covering her mouth with the cupcake she was eating. “She once tried to and I quote, ‘ship Blueblood with the royal gardener’.”

“The griffon?” Luna questioned, scrunching up her muzzle. “A hippogriff in the royal family would most certainly cause a stir.”

“That wasn’t my worry at the time,” Celestia replied with a roll of her eyes. “As much as I love our nephew, I wouldn’t wish him upon a female of any species as he was then. Thankfully, his etiquette tutor has been working miracles.”

“Okay!” Daring suddenly stated, rising to her hooves. “We got a plan and the love bug is busy corrupting the youth. What we still need to talk about is what my dad and I were doing.” Bringing her hand to her waist, she summoned her driver. “I died and came back to life with a rider belt.”

The room fell silent once again, everyone staring at the pegasus. Eventually, Wyatt deigned to end the quiet. “Okay, we’re gonna need the full story on that one, D.D.”

Once the meeting had concluded, the princesses dismissed themselves to get Discord’s statue ready. Twilight had taken it upon herself to gather the girls at the center of town. While they were doing that, Wyatt talked over what they wanted to say to Fluttershy. They knew she could be surprisingly tough given proper motivation, but she was in general delicate.

“Right, just gotta be gentle,” Wyatt told himself as he made his way up to Fluttershy’s cottage. “She can handle it.” Reaching a hand out, he knocked on the door. “Hey, Shy! It’s me, Wyatt.”

As usual, a chorus of various animal cries responded to his knock. A few moments later they were silenced and the yellow pegasus opened the door. “Hello Wyatt, it's good to see you.”

“Good to see you too,” Wyatt responded, shifting his stance. “So uh... we had a meeting today and some stuff came up. You free today?”

Fluttershy nodded, closing the door and stepping out. “I should be free, I've fed all my animals and none of them have been sick lately.”

“Awesome.” Leading her down the path into town, he mulled over his words. “We have a plan to make Equestria safer. It’s a little risky but it’ll have a really big payoff.”

“That sounds really promising,” Fluttershy replied, smiling as she walked. “What is it?”

“Princess Celestia wants to reform Discord,” he said, looking at her.

“Discord?” She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. “Oh my that is risky.”

“Mhm.” Wyatt nodded in agreement. “We were hoping you’d look after it. It’s alright if you don’t, we just thought you’d be the best for the job.”

“Me?” Fluttershy responded, faltering in her steps. “Why do you all think I'm the best for the job?”

“Because you’re the Element of Kindness,” Wyatt answered, waving his hand in the air. “Plus you’ve got your stare that’s intimidated an adult dragon. If you can’t set him right, then no one can.”

Fluttershy nodded, digesting everything he said. She shuddered slightly before answering. “O-okay, I'll do my best. I want to help make Equestria safe too.”

Wyatt put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a light squeeze. “Hey, listen. If you can’t believe in yourself, believe in me because I believe in you.”

Fluttershy managed a smile, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “Thank you, Wyatt. That really helps.”

“That’s what friends are for,” he replied, patting her back. “I know everyone else believes in you too.”

The trip into town passed amicably, the two putting the impending task in the back of their minds. They met the other Elements just outside of town, at the teleporter pad. Fluttershy gulped, her wings fidgeting on her back. She looked among her friends, all of them offering her reassurance.

The crystal pad illuminated in a dazzling display of light, three figures shimmering into existence. Celestia and Luna flanked a statue, both of them garbed in armor.

“It is always good to see you girls,” Celestia greeted, stepping off the pad. Her horn surged to life, levitating over a heavy chest. “You will need these if we are to begin.”

Once the chest was set down, the girls quickly put on their Elements and indicated they were ready. With the princesses off to the side, the girls began the spell. They rose into the air, beams of light connecting their Elements before a rainbow shot out from above them and flew straight into Discord's statue.

With the fracturing of stone and a loud cry, Discord burst out of his prison. “Oh my! That certainly wasn’t long. I’ve always said, once you go chaos, you never go back.”

Celestia cleared her throat, getting the chaos spirit's attention. “Discord, I’m sure you know there's a reason we let you out of your imprisonment.”

“Something banal, I assume.” Discord stretched his limbs out, in ways that shouldn’t be possible. “Unless you’ve finally decided to take me up on that marriage offer, Luna. I know we could produce some new forms of chaos.”

“Unless you think the destruction of your favorite chaos grounds is banal, no we have good reason to make this offer,” Luna answered, ignoring Discord's wiggling eyebrows.

Sniffing the air, Discord found himself coiling around Twilight. Dragging his nose along her neck, he hummed. “You smell like a dragon, my dear. Even more so than you did before. Having a roll in the hay with your baby daddy?”

“Actually, I've become part of my brother's dragon clan,” she answered, pointing to her eyes.

“That’s far more boring.” Discord stopped, his eyes locking onto Tsukiya. “Oh. It’s you. Shouldn’t you be in a tavern courting the wenches? Here, I think I have some herbs around somewhere to get you started.”

“Nah, I’m here so you don't get any wild ideas about running,” Tsukiya stated, putting his fang necklace in plain view.

“Oh please, you’re just an overgrown child.” A smirked spread across Discord face, followed by a snap of his talons. “Well, not that overgrown anymore.”

Tsukiya looked around, everyone suddenly much taller. He pouted up at Discord, shaking his fist. “Hey, turn me back, meanie!” He blinked owlishly. “What? Why can't I say fudging bad words?”

“Because bad words will warp your mind,” Discord responded, patting Tsukiya’s head. “Now why don’t you run along. I’m pretty sure it’s a school day.”

“Aww, you're adorable, Dad,” Daring cooed, scooping the now toddler up onto her shoulder. “So far, I kinda like Discord.”

“I try.” Taking a file out, Discord began to groom his nails. “Now what would make you release me from stone? If not to ravage me silly.”

“There's a group called Dai-Shocker that's trying to conquer this world,” Wyatt answered, debating on whether or not to bring out his driver. “If they succeed, you'd be out a place to pull your pranks and an audience to see them.”

Discord stroked his goatee, mulling the idea over. “And what’s to say I don’t let them just to pull said pranks on them? Perhaps I’m tired of pastel equines?”

“Because something tells me they've got a contingency plan for you,” Wyatt continued, gaining confidence. “And I'm willing to bet they won't offer you any kind of freedom.”

A moment later, Wyatt found himself looking Discord in the face. “And how would you know, little man? Are you in cahoots with them? Maybe they should be more worried about you than me.”

Twilight bristled at the accusation, smoke rising from the corners of her mouth. “Shut your mouth, Discord! You don't know anything about Wyatt!”

Turning his head to her, Discord uncoiled himself from Wyatt. “Well now, aren’t you the possessive little pony? Well, if you’re going to act like a drake, I suppose I can help you out.” He snapped his talons again.

Twilight groaned, her head spinning. “What the hay did y-” She froze, not recognizing the sound of her own voice. It was deep, with a low rumble. Bringing a hand to her face, she was greeted by claws and scales rather than fur.

“This is weird,” a feminine voice spoke from besides her. “Way too weird for my sanity.”

Twilight turned towards the sound of the voice, only for her mouth to hang open. It was Wyatt, only a female version of him. “Wyatt?”

The woman turned her head, her eyes growing to the size of dinner plates. “Twi?”

“Discord!” Celestia snapped, flaring her wings out. “You will reverse these changes and submit yourself to Fluttershy’s care, or you condemn yourself to the castle garden once more.”

Discord smiled, slithering over to Celestia. “How about I meet you halfway? The changes stay, but I'll let Flutter Butter over there do her thing.” Popping over to Fluttershy, Discord pinched her cheeks. “If she can get me to accept the ‘magic of fwiendship,’ I’ll turn them back.”

Celestia grumbled, offering apologetic glances to the afflicted trio. “Fine, I doubt I can get much better than that from you.” Her horn glowed again, the Elements doing so as well. “Just in case you get any ideas on removing them.”

Discord chuckled, patting the top of Celestia's head. “You worry too much, Celestia. I already hid the Elements once, repeating a trick is simply tacky.” His tail brushed against Luna’s side. “I’m open for some... one on one tutoring, dear Luna.”

Surprisingly, Luna smirked at him. “Actually progress in your reformation, and then you might get a meeting over a cup of coffee.”

Licking his lips, Discord nodded his head. “I’ll look forward to that.” Grabbing Fluttershy in his arms, he waved. “Be seeing you!” He snapped his talons, poofing the two of them away, leaving the group to deal with his alterations.

Sleep Like the Dead

Twilight and the girls walked deeper into the carved out cave, their hoofsteps echoing all around them. Despite her best efforts, her thoughts wouldn’t stop dwelling on Wyatt and his plan. Not because she didn’t think it would work. On the contrary, it was working too well.

Her and Rarity’s horns shone bright, illuminating the excavated hallways. Aside from stepping around unconscious bodies of guards, their trip was uneventful. Only when they reached the shot open gate did Twilight pause. Now, her mind had a chance to settle on a new subject. The potential futility of their part in the plan.

“You know... this might not work,” she spoke, giving the unwanted thought form.

“We can’t talk like that,” Dash dismissed, walking towards the gate. “We made it this far, gotta go all the way. Come on, Wyatt’s out there, putting himself in danger. Are you really considering chickening out now?”

"That's not what I meant by that!" Twilight snapped, her pupils contracting. "We've never used the Elements for something like clearing out poison from a body or reviving it."

Applejack clasped Twilight’s shoulder, squeezing it. “Twi, Ya gotta have faith. We’ve been through a lot, right? The elements ain’t gonna fail us. Not when we need 'em so much.”

"Applejack's right," Fluttershy chimed in, clasping a hand over her heart. "Wyatt's out there because he believes in us. So... we have to believe in ourselves.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Twilight took a step forward. "You're right, we don't have any other choice."

The girls fell in line behind Twilight, passing through the gate. They soon found themselves in a large chamber, the symbol of Kuuga etched into the floor. The room itself was akin to Canterlot’s throne room, the walls covered in mosaics. Painstakingly maintained over the centuries, they depicted the brothers' battle and triumph over the gurongi. At the end of the chamber was a small staircase, baring a truly massive sarcophagus.

Carved out of bedrock, Kuuga’s armor had been depicted on its surface. More carvings had been etched into the sides, though the exact meaning was lost on the group.

“Wow, they really loved this guy, didn’t they?” Dash spoke, a mix of awe and envy in her voice. “I don’t even think Commander Hurricane has a tomb this good.”

"Commander Hurricane didn't save the world," Pinkie pointed out, her eyes roving over the coffin. "And isn't Hurricane's built into the side of a waterfall?"

“I dunno, didn’t pay attention in history class.”

"Now isn't the time to be comparing tombs," Twilight admonished, pushing at the lid. “Come on, we have to get this thing open.”

Rubbing her hands together, AJ pushed at the lid, the sound of stone grinding against stone filling the chamber. “Ya might be a bit dragon now, Twi, but, yer still as skinny as a sapling.”

Pinkie appeared on Twilight’s other side, joining in the pushing. “Yeah, silly Twilight.” She suddenly stopped, looking at Twilight quizzically. “Why don’t you just move the lid with magic?”

Twilight blushed, the glow around her horn surrounding the lid. “I may have not thought of it, my mind’s been elsewhere.” Her face flushed deeper as the girls shared a giggle. “I-it’s not that funny.”

“It’s perfectly fine darling, we all know you’re worried about Wyatt,” Rarity said, patting Twilight’s shoulder. “But he does have a habit of making his outlandish ideas work.” Reaching into her bag, she fixed her element around her neck.

The others followed suit, with Twilight donning hers atop her head. “Okay, moment of truth time,” she muttered, concentrating on sparking her element. “Just believe in Wyatt,” she added, reaching out to take Pinkie and Applejack’s hands.

They all clasped hands, their necklaces starting to glow. A soft white glow surrounded them, lifting them off the ground. Rainbow light spread out from Twilight’s tiara, connecting to the other elements. When all of the elements were connected, the rainbow light spiraled upward, connecting to form one concentrated beam. It hung in the air for a moment before streaking down towards the coffin.

Tsukiya’s blood burned. Every beat of his heart was a pulse of fire. A thousand years of grief and self loathing erupted from his soul, fueling the power that had gripped his mind. Rearing his fist back, he punched Another Agito in the solar plexus, sending the other Rider flying.

Another Agito touched the ground a moment later, skidding to a stop. With surprising speed he launched himself forward and tried to sweep Tsukiya's legs out from under him. Tsukiya brought his leg up, slamming it down on Another Agito’s shoulder.

Crumpling down to one knee, Another Agito threw a desperate punch at Tsukiya. His fist collided with Tsukiya’s thigh, making the empowered rider stumble. Rolling away, Another Agito sprang back to his feet.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Another got back into a fighting stance. Pressing his advantage, he lashed out at Tsukiya just as he regained his footing. “You think they’ll welcome you back? You abandoned them.”

Bringing up an arm to block, Tsukiya grit his teeth. "There are only three people whose opinions I've ever really cared about. You just piss me off so I'm gonna shove a fist up your ass." Deflecting the next punch, he reared back and punched Another Agito in the jaw. “But please, go ahead and justify selling your people out.”

Stumbling backward, Another Agito recoiled from the blow. “This is the best normal humans here will get. Dai-Shocker would be much less kind if they didn’t serve this purpose.”

“That’s it? That’s the best you got?” Tsukiya spat, staring the other rider down. “No wonder you're not a real Agito.”

A low growl escaped the man's throat as he launched himself forward. "I am an Agito!" he boomed, trying to knee Tsukiya in the stomach. “Far more deserving of the title than you.”

Tsukiya caught the other man's leg and with a deft movement flipped his opponent onto his back. Before the other rider could get up, Tsukiya brought his foot down on his stomach. “You're a twisted mockery of an Agito. Why do you think your armor is so ugly?”

Another Agito coughed, trying to throw the other man off. "Says the one on fire."

“I’m exactly where I want to be, Grasshopper boy,” Tsukiya said, pressing his foot down harder.

Gasping for air, the other man's struggles grew weaker. Tsukiya removed his foot, his shoulders shaking. “Let’s see what the Linto think when they find out about all of this, hmm?”

Sputtering for air, Another Agito remained on the ground. "I will confess to nothing."

Smirking beneath his helmet, Tsukiya pointed to a nearby patch of wild grass. “You already have.”

Another Agito’s gaze followed the other man’s finger, watching as Daring and Riki stepped out of the patch of grass holding camera equipment. “You... set us up...” he muttered numbly.

“Don’t look at me, putting you on candid camera was all the kid’s idea,” Tsukiya stated, jabbing a thumb at the collapsed Wyatt. "By the way, Riki, can you haul him up? Poor kid ran out of juice.”

Riki set his equipment down, jogging up to Wyatt. The man had a far off look in his eyes, still reeling from everything he had witnessed. Gingerly, he hauled Wyatt to his feet, the young man lightly stirring.

“Gana...” Wyatt groaned, bringing a hand to his face. “Did we win?”

Chuckling, Tsukiya nodded. "Yup, got two of our three objectives completed. Just waiting for number three."

"A third objective?" Another Agito repeated gravely, his armor fading from existence. "What are you talking about?"

“My brother’s not dead.”

The defeated Rider broke out into a laugh, a broken hoarse thing, like air escaping a mausoleum. "Is that where you sent the ponies? To revive Kuuga?"

Tsukiya grabbed the man's shirt, lifting him up by the collar. “What do you think, little man? Why else would we waste our time on a pissant like you?”

"Tsukiya," Wyatt croaked out, taking a few shaky steps toward the pair with Riki's help. "Calm down, he's not worth it." A tired smirked crossed his face. "Besides, it'll be more satisfying to see how the Linto deal with him."

Tossing Another away, Tsukiya grunted. “You’re right, it will.” He glowed for a moment before his armor faded away. Suddenly, he had to stop himself from collapsing, his bones feeling like they were replaced with lead.

They didn't get to enjoy their victory for long, the thrum of distant choppers alerting them. Soon, they heard the roar of engines and the group was surrounded by the Linto equivalent of humvees.

Wyatt blinked, taking in the multitude of gun barrels pointed at them. "Well, wish I had planned a little further ahead."

Tsukiya sucked in air, dropping into a kneel. “Why am I not surprised they get here after the big show.”

"That was probably the plan," Riki noted, helping Wyatt into a kneeling position. "Stand down," he added, turning his attention to the soldiers. "The general here is guilty of high treason. We have his confession on tape."

Another Agito seemed unfazed, taking his place among the soldiers. “Kill them. Kill all of them. They have desecrated the tomb of Lord Kuuga.”

The soldiers brought their guns up, prepared to open fire.

"That’s not my name, you know!” A voice called out, one that Tsukiya recognized instantly. The soldiers turned their heads, finding a man with a white cloth draped over him. His skin tone matched Tsukiya's, though his hair was straighter and he was clean shaven. “Kuuga’s just a title.”

Wyatt had to hold back laughter, his plan actually went off without a hitch. However, his reaction was nothing compared to Tsukiya's.

Despite his fatigue, he shot to his feet emitting a cry of, "Ke'alohi!" He made it halfway to his doppleganger before his legs gave out and sent him to the ground.

The doppelganger hopped down from his spot and crouched beside Tsukiya. "Tsu is that you? Almost couldn't recognize you with those pubes glued to your face."

“Shut up.”

Ke’alohi grinned before looking out at the shocked soldiers.

Another Agito tried to snap them out of it barking, “Don’t listen to the impostor, fire!”

Ke’alohi’s cheer tempered itself, replaced by a hard sternness. “Whether we’re lying or not, I taught you all better than that. Put your weapons down.” Bringing his hands down to his waist, the Arcle appeared. “Or do you really need proof?”

Rikki swore under his breath, eyes finally focusing. He dropped to his knees, bowing his head in deference. The other soldiers followed suit, their guns clattering to the ground.

Another Agito was left reeling, his command crumbling away before his eyes. “S-shoot him, damn you all!” Snatching a rifle from the ground, he fired a burst of rounds at Ke’alohi. A lavender shield appeared around Ke’alohi, Twilight and the girls stepping into view.

“So, is there any doubt that he’s a traitor?” Wyatt asked, looking amongst the soldiers. “He just shot at your religion’s figurehead. What else do you think he’s hiding?”

Twilight kept her horn lit, pulling the gun from Another’s hands. The soldiers snapped out of their reverie, a few of them moving to detain the now disgraced general. She vanished from existence, appearing to pull Wyatt into a hug that made his bones creak.

Wyatt squeaked, his burned and battered body reeling from the hug. Shakily, he returned it, the pain more than worth it. "Be honest with me, you didn't think we'd pull this off, did you?" he questioned with a tired grin.

“I had a few doubts,” Twilight admitted, nuzzling his head.

Chuckling, he put his forehead to hers. "I'm amazed I even got out of the city myself. But then, I have a very talented wizard for a girlfriend.”

"Nice try, but you're still in trouble for this risky plan," she whispered, kissing his cheek and cancelling the illusion spell on him. “There, now that’s the Wyatt I like. The one with the dorky face.”

"Ow, that stings more than my literal burns," he replied, pulling away a bit. "And only like?"

Rainbow groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “For crying out loud, just get a room you two!”

With an evil grin, Wyatt started to wiggle his eyebrows. "Now there's an idea, right Twi? I mean, there is a former tomb right behind us...”

Giving him a flat look, Twilight pushed him away. "My first time isn't going to be in a tomb." Clearing her throat, she bowed her head towards the soldiers. “I’m sorry our presence caused so much trouble. We didn’t think there’d be so much resistance to bringing Kuuga back.”

Waving her off, the commanding officer directed the other soldiers to load up in the vehicles. “We should be the ones apologizing; you just helped us uncover a conspiracy against our people. The media will love to see that footage you have.”

“And what happens to this knucklehead?” Dash asked, hocking a thumb towards Magda.

"If he's found guilty of high treason, then there's a firing squad with his name on it." The soldier turned to look at Daring's camera. "And if that footage is as damning as you say, then that's all but guaranteed."

Tension bled out of the group, the events of the day finally catching up to them. Except Ke'alohi who seemed to be brimming with energy after his centuries long slumber. With some help from the soldiers, Wyatt hitched his bike to one of the humvees and climbed into the back of it with his friends.

Taking Twilight’s hand, he rested his chin on her head. He tried to whisper something to her, only for it to trail off as he drifted off to sleep.

Rippersnapper pressed forward through the stone, the claws on his monster mode’s forelimbs carving through the granite as easily as a heated knife through warm butter. The stone flowed like butter for a few seconds as well, allowing for Blud to follow only a dozen or so feet behind the mechanical beast. “Thirty feet to the cave where the filth worships his body. You still have the charged energon crystal I gave you, right? You didn’t drop it somewhere because you got tired of carrying it?”

“I’m a professional, Rippersnapper. My tools never leave my sight nor my grasp,” came Blud’s curt response.

“Still an organic, but I suppose I can respect one who manages to do what they need to. Remember, plant the crystal in the center of the insignia on his forehead. Move it around a little if it doesn’t immediately fix itself in place. If you feel the crystal moving towards him on its own just let it go, like a really strong magnet. Ideally, they’ll be too busy with me to even know you’re there, but there may be a priest or guard standing on top of him.” An ominous growl began to emanate from Rippersnapper’s torso, the sound of a truly massive engine coming to life. “Try not to die. This is only the first of my brothers, after all.”

“I doubt these dogs have anything that can wound me, let alone kill me, Ripper,” Blud responded, rolling his eyes. “I always see my heists through to the end.”

“I meant me, or falling off of my brother. Don’t get lost in the crowd.” The decepticon snarled back before tearing at the wall with far less restraint than the stealthy approach he’d used on the way. The second after the tunnel breached the wall of the chamber beyond, he let out a feral roar before throwing himself into the assembled mass of canines.

What followed were frightened screams and howls of agony accompanied by the sound of bones breaking and metal clanging against stone as the fury of The Steel Bulette was unleashed on those who were unfortunate enough to be near him. That great sharklike maw opened and all-but inhaled some of the canines whole before the purpose of that great internal engine was revealed. A shower of blood erupted out of Rippersnapper’s back, just behind his vestigial dorsal fin, and he quickly moved on to the next group.

Blud froze, the brutal carnage catching him off guard. Icey terror gripped his heart, the echoes of cruel, femminine laughter in his ears. Steeling himself, he activated his armor and stepped after Rippersnapper. His mind shut out all else but his objective. He avoided the worst of the gore piles, weaving around them as he approached the metallic purple statue in the center of the huge cavern. Once he was at the foot of the statue, he jumped up to deftly land on its shoulder. Hefting the crystal, he stepped up onto the head so he could properly place it against the forehead.

The insignia was easy to notice, though the coloration blended in with the purple of the terrorcon’s armor. The raised white lines highlighted each section, and the section he’d been told to place the crystal began to glow and...fill with an absolutely foul-smelling fluid. Something told him that he’d need several showers once this was over as he reached down and placed the crystal in its proper resting place.

“Now wake up, you lazy hunk of metal,” he muttered under his breath. Gracefully leaping away, he had no intention of being anywhere near Blot when the beast roused from its sleep.

“rIgh bIH! DIS Hutlh mej 'el. qeylIS Dochmey'e' SoH je nov Hot. bIjeghbe'chugh vaj bIHegh!” A dog in ornate steel plated armor seemed to rise up out of the stone in front of where Blud landed, wielding a huge spiked mace in one hand while the other simply pointed down as if it expected him to understand what it said.

“Je ne parle pas,” Blud responded, putting as much cheek into his voice as possible.

The dog simply growled and jabbed its hand downward once again while taking a step forward and raising the mace menacingly. The armor it was wearing seemed to flow at the joints, as if the metal was one solid piece around the dog inside.

Blud fired a shot at the dog’s lower paws, his eyes meeting the dogs. “Don’t. I don’t plan on killing anyone today.” Using his gunner, he gestured for the armored canine to drop his mace.

The dog’s nose twitched once before it brought the mace down towards Blud with a greater speed than the size of the weapon would suggest would be possible. It also let out another series of barks and howls before the sound of a much larger gun firing interrupted everything.

The armored dog was stuck to the wall in some kind of fluid with a greasy-looking texture; a fluid that missed Blud by inches, and which quickly started to dissolve the fur and skin of the trapped dog. A low, cruel laugh began to echo through the chamber, accompanied by the squeal of poorly-lubricated parts moving against each other as the long-idle idol awakened. “Blot missed melting mammals, yes, ohhh such fun. Not melt one that smells of energon. Energon-smelling one must be friend.”

“An ally at the very least,” Blud said, averting his gaze from the grisly spectacle.

“Ally? Blot think ally close enough.” The giant creature nodded slowly before reaching out for Blud with a three-taloned hand that sparked as it moved. “Tiny pretender or next-gen...gen...new type of Decepticon?”

“Neither, you rusty idiot. He’s an organic sent to find out about this world.” Rippersnapper interrupted the conversation by punching the other cybertronian in the shoulder. “Come on. Back to my base so we can get you repaired without worrying about anyone with real power stumbling across the mess I made of this and interrupting.”

Maybe it was a rush from getting something done, or some kind of joy derived from wanton slaughter, but Rippersnapper’s tone was almost caring, and a far departure from the near-hostility he’d been treating Blud with over the last hour as they got closer to the dog pack’s home. Maybe it was the fact that he was covered in gore and viscera. “And you, I owe you for this. We both owe you. You got him powered back up far quicker than I thought you would. Was expecting you to have to climb, not just one jump and we’re done.”

"My armor affords me distinct physical advantages over a normal person," Blud explained, rapping his knuckles against one of the jewels on his body. "And there's no need to thank me, I was merely upholding my end of our bargain."

“Yeah, that’s true. Let’s go. Try not to step in too many poodles.”

Blot began laughing a few seconds later after looking around at the chum-covered floor. The sound was something like a water pump trying to move pudding. “Poodles! Blot gets it. Dog joke!”

Blud lingered for a moment, resisting the urge to vomit. How had it come to this? He was a thief, stealing things when an outright assault was out of the question. And now? Now he was unleashing monsters, monsters that enjoyed slaughter. Sapient war machines that reveled in it. He kept well behind the newly reunited duo, his thoughts dwelling on what had led him to this.

The only sound in the cave after the three of them were done and on their way back to Rippersnapper’s base was the sound of blood dripping. It was a far cry from the cheerful religious observations that had been going on that day, that Blud had had only the briefest moment to hear when the first opening had been made. Either the whole clan had been killed in a single, swift massacre, or those that hadn’t been in the room were smart enough to stay far away.

A singular figure walked the now-otherwise-empty cave, boots echoing across the walls. Blue and black armor stood out against the red and grey, a lone streak of contrast. A lingering gaze followed the trio’s path but the figure did not follow. That could wait. For now, search and rescue took priority. They just hoped there was someone left to save.

“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Dash questioned, glancing amongst her companions. “I mean, I’m all for telling the truth but... aren’t you guys afraid of everyone losing their minds? There’s gonna be, like, riots and stuff.”

"Everyone has to be aware of this, or else Dai-Shocker might find new ways to continue their predation here," Twilight rebutted, sitting in front of a t.v. "Some momentary unrest is worth preventing that."

“And hey, we get to watch some good ole’ t.v,” Wyatt added, sitting behind Twilight. “Can’t say I didn’t miss it.”

"Is there something besides news on it?" AJ questioned, biting into an apple. "Cause I can read the paper myself."

“Of course there are but we’re supposed to be watching the news,” Wyatt reminded.

AJ gave him a flat look, swallowing her bite. "Ah know, jus' askin' cause otherwise Ah wouldn't see what the fuss was about. Though were there so many commercials on y'all's television?"

Shrugging, Wyatt kept his gaze on the screen. "About the same. Though there were more ads for medicines with mile-long lists of side-effects where I was from. It wasn’t the best.”

Their conversation hushed as the feed changed to a podium with a screen next to it. A man stepped into view wearing a well pressed suit. Cameras flashed all around him, an eager curiosity in the air.

“We’re watching history~” Twilight almost squealed, pulling Wyatt into a death hug. “I never thought we’d see it happening like this!”

Feeling his ribs creak, Wyatt settled into the embrace.

"My fellow Linto," the man started, looking among the crowd. "I come before you with news that will affect all our people. We have been lied to for generations. The Trickster, is no enemy to us. Instead, he has come and removed the blindfold from our eyes. With this footage." He motioned to the screen, giving the signal to start playing it.

The crowd exploded into cries and shouts, Magda’s speech playing before them. Several objects were hurled at the screen, screams of ‘heretic!’ rising up.

The speaker kept his composure, raising his voice over the crowd. "The Trickster, no, Decade has done something else for Linto. Returned someone we thought was lost long ago."

Stepping aside, the speaker let Ke'alohi walk up to the podium.

“Aloha, everyone,” Ke’alohi greeted, wearing an easy smile. “It’s good to see all of you here.” Thankfully he was out of the makeshift rags and in a red dress shirt and black pants. "It's been a long time, you've come a long way since I was last awake."

Putting his hands on the podium, his gaze turned stern. “You’ve all been lied to for a long time. Secret groups have been steering you through the shadows for their own gain. But I’m back now and that wouldn’t be possible without Decade, my brother and their pony friends.”

The crowd seemed to settle down, hanging onto his words.

"I know things look grim," Ke'alohi continued, taking a look at the screen. "But we humans aren't exactly known for rolling over and playing dead. The world needs to get along, to help each other. Otherwise, we’ll all just become cattle.”

Wyatt nodded along to the speech, the crowd seeming to be past the rioting stage. He let out a silent sigh of relief, leaning against Twilight. “Well... at least they aren’t burning down the country...”

“Ever think you’d be part in uncovering a conspiracy and saving a country?” Twilight asked, giving him a quick squeeze.

“Can’t say I ever did, no.”

Twilight smiled, watching the broadcast. With his speech concluded, Ke’alohi stepped away from the podium. The feed switched, a panel of people offering their thoughts on what was just presented.

“That’s it?” Dash asked, tossing a piece of candy into her mouth. “Princess Celestia would have those guys eating out of her hands! He barely spoke for like two minutes!”

“He had like three hours to throw that together,” Daring argued. “Plus, he doesn’t have the millennia of public speaking experience she does. You try public speaking after being almost dead for a thousand years.”

Dash shrugged, relenting the point. “Okay, so now that we’ve got Kuuga, when are we heading back? I mean, there’s still whatever Dai-Shocker members that might still be here.”

"That's not entirely our problem," Discord chided, tossing some of Dash's candy into his mouth. "You did your part, now you have to come home. And very quickly, I might add."

Wyatt’s eye twitched, Discord’s sudden appearance ruining whatever good mood he had. “Oh great, Dickord is here. What do you want?”

Snorting, Discord flicked a paper football at Wyatt's head. "I was meditating and making Dai-Shockers movements but, Celestia thought it would be best if I come got you and I couldn't help but agree." He coiled up, his features downturning. "Chrysalis is dead."

The room fell silent, no one able to say anything. Fluttershy was the first to break it, muffled sobs escaping her lips.

Discord continued, his eyes settling on the floor. "It seems what was left of the original Sombda survived in the G-1 armor and came looking for its body. Chrysalis ensured it didn't get your son."

Pupils contracting, Twilight shot up. “Take us home right now! I need to see my son!”

Lifting his gaze, Discord frowned. "Maternal instinct or not, don't bark commands at me, Twilight Sparkle. I've already sent the Invincible and her crew back. We'll leave when Kuuga has said his goodbyes."

Twilight muttered a quick apology, settling down but definitely under protest. She clung to Wyatt's arm, her nails digging into his skin. For his part, Wyatt held her close, doing his best to help ease her mind.

Once Ke'alohi returned, he was filled in on the situation. While he didn't know the person in question, his celebratory mood was cut short. Discord snapped his talons, sending everyone on their way home.

Queen gazed out of what had been her husband's office, her eyes taking in the growing sea of protesters at the building’s base. A single group had brought down everything her kind had worked for. In just a scant few days, her world had crumbled around her.

Her people couldn't live here, not anymore. With their nature exposed, it was in the fangire’s best interest to relocate. Of course, Dai-Shocker had offered sanctuary on one of their worlds but Queen had declined. Consorting with them had cost her husband's and Rook's lives.

No, instead Queen would have to forge a path of her own. Something that would be incredibly difficult with all of Linto's eyes on her. The mirror however, made things quite simple. Stolen years ago by an enterprising fangire noble, it presented the best option available.

Going over to the desk, Queen pressed the button for the secretary. "Tell Bishop to spread the word, we're using the mirror. I want the strongest fangire to remain behind and hide it. We're done with Linto."

The secretary gave an affirmative and cut off the connection. Queen looked over the desk, checking for anything that'd need to be disposed of. Reaching her hand up, she summoned Sagarc to her. "Let this be the day our resurgence begins."

When Wyatt's Away the Twilights Will Play Pt. I

Somber sat on his throne, a quiet rage filling him. Wyatt had somehow eluded capture. Not only that, but the young man had kneecapped the food source for many of his monster factions. If King weren't already dead, he'd likely take a swing at the fangire himself. Now, he needed to find a new general to take over King's role.

He couldn't put Midnight in the position, she was too valuable in her role. Blud had seemed too flighty lately. And Pinkamena was loyal, but far too unhinged to be left in charge of anything significant.

"Miles away, oh Great Leader?" An irritating voice questioned, cutting off Somber's train of thought.

Focusing his gaze, Somber was greeted by a familiar face. “I thought our business was concluded? Why are you sullying my throne with your presence?”

"Oh silly meat bag," the man said, his facial features slowly shifting while he kept up his grin. He reclined on the arm rest of the throne. "My kind go where we please. But I thought you'd be interested in knowing that new cards have been shuffled into the deck."

“Speak. Plainly,” Somber pressed, tapping his fingers on the arm rest. “I ask again, why are you here?”

"Sorry, I forget how limited meat brain thinking is," the Displacer stated, stretching. "Another of my kind has given a girl cards like that boy of yours. Thought you'd like to know. You have that well thought out plan and all.”

“What?” Somber responded, rising up out of his throne. His lips pulled back, revealing his fangs.
“If you’ve known about this then why didn’t you do anything to stop them from giving some girl those cards?!”

He froze, his body locked in place. Somber's form began to flicker and warp, holding the displacer’s attention.

"Don't forget your station, oh great leader," the displaced said, his words oozing with mockery. "I'm not one of your servants. I only aid you because it amuses me. Nothing more, nothing less." He released his hold, dropping Somber to his knees. “But hey,” he started, returning to his carefree demeanor, “I can at least point you to the universe where the girl is.”

Somber growled, struggling to still his shaking body. "The location then, if you would be so kind."

Conjuring up a post-it note, the Displacer stuck it to the front of Somber’s armor. “There you go, since you asked nicely. Isn't it so much easier when you use your manners?" With that, the man vanished in thin air, leaving Somber alone with the note.

Rising to his full height, Somber put a fist through one of the throne room’s crystal pillars. Pulling his fist back, he shook off the dust. Loathing welled in his breast; weakness was a trait he could not allow himself to possess. Sombra had been weak. Shining Armor had been weak. Somber Shield would not bear that stain.

"You seem agitated."

Somber turned his head slowly, fury shaking his body. Midnight stood at the doorway, holding her tablet to her chest. "I'm quite alright," Somber replied, retaking his throne. "You have impeccable timing, my dear. Something of utmost importance has come to my attention."

Midnight’s gaze lingered on the pillar for a moment, but decided not to bring it up and approached the throne. “What is it, Great Leader?”

"It seems an outside force has decided to tamper with my grand design." Smoke billowed from Somber's eyes, his hateful gaze focused past her. "Combatmen just won't do, not for this. We need something for... What's the word? Ah yes, blitzkrieg."

"I have a few things that might suit that type of conflict, Great Leader,” Midnight stated, following the stallion’s gaze but finding nothing. "Drakkon's sentries would be most qualified, though, Drakkon may protest it as a waste of his resources."

“That doesn’t matter,” Somber said, looking down at her. “Inform Drakkon his Great Leader requires some of his forces. Impress upon him this is a matter of utmost importance.”

Biting her lip, Midnight nodded. “Of course, Great Leader, I'll inform Drakkon of your orders.”

“Good." Somber seemed to release some tension from his body. “Now, what was your original reason for coming to my throne room, my dear?”

"If my understanding of the Equestrian template is correct, it would appear my counterpart on 296965 will be ascending within the next few days. I thought you might like to interject on the matter."

“Good work, Midnight,” Somber answered, putting a hand to her shoulder. “Once you mobilize Drakkon’s forces, I’ll let you decide how best to deal with Twilight. Consider it a show of faith for all you’ve done.”

Midnight leaned into the touch, the world falling away. In that moment, Somber felt so much like her brother, sharing with her fraternal warmth. But then the moment was over, his still smoking eyes dragging her back to reality. "Thank you, Great Leader, I'll endeavour to use this honor to its fullest."

“I know you will,” Somber said, removing his hand. “Now, I believe I’ll call for either Celestia or Luna. You’re dismissed, my dear.”

Midnight bowed her head, making haste on her retreat from the throne room. Once she was out of the room, she summoned a dimensional rift and walked through. Her mind racing with possibilities on how to deal with her counterpart.

Nana tsked, fluttering around Twilight’s lab. “We’re going to have to do some serious upgrading. There’s barely even electricity here! How can your species live like this?!”

Twilight sat at her work table, etching runes into a crystal. "Pretty comfortably, Nana," she answered, not looking away from her task. "If it bothers you so much you can always get to work on that."

“I don’t even have the materials!” Nana threw her arms up before slumping over. “This is going to be a nightmare to deal with. I’m going to have to teach you whole branches of science, set up a manufacturing base. Why me?”

"If it's too much work, you can go back in the capsule," Twilight offered, inserting the crystal into a strange device. "Maybe Phantom will work with us on some stealth tech?"

Nana frowned, flittering about Twilight’s head. “What we need to be doing is jailbreaking the emitter. Having us all at once is a lot better than having to swap us out.”

"I'm already working on something," Twilight said, adjusting the strange device. "I've noticed that even while using my Copy ring I can only use one of my forms. If this works, then I'll be able to use all four at once."

Taking a seat on Twilight’s shoulder, she gazed down at Twilight’s handiwork. “Are you making a stopwatch? I don’t think you need magic rocks to do that.”

Giggling, Twilight prodded the device. "The timer is so the spell can charge and stabilize. And keeping it on my wrist was convenient for use during battle. I’m using a bit of Starswirl’s time spell for its function.”

"Sounds pretty clever," Nana said, leaning against Twilight's cheek. "Then again, I don't know much about magic. But is messing with time safe? That seems... unwise.”

“It’ll be fine, Nana. Totally different from the last time I used the spell,” Twilight dismissed, closing up the device and putting it on her wrist. “I used special runes to contain the magic.” Lighting up her horn, she poured her magic into the device. “Now, to test this beauty!”

Nana’s frown deepened. “I don’t know if that’s that best idea, Twilight. Shouldn’t you test it in stages?”

“Of course I’ll test it in stages. I’ll start with making one clone and make sure they can maintain a different form from me.” Twilight’s magic brought the device to life, its faceplate lighting up in four different colors.

Donning her armor, Twilight pushed the thumb on her device. "Magic Time!" it called out, the timer counting down. When it hit the blue section, she pressed the thumb again. "Water!" Despite the call, nothing happened at first, disappointing the unicorn. After a few silent moments, an odd colored smoke came out of the device.

Twilight sighed, cancelling her transformation. “Well, at least it didn’t explode.”

"Guess it's back to the drawing board on that one," Nana said, floating back up. "Pity, I was excited to see double of you boss lady."

Removing the watch, Twilight turned it over in her hands. “I don’t understand. It should have worked. All my calculations were rock solid. I’ll have to take it apart again... maybe shift the thaumaturgical balances...”

Setting it down, she pulled out her notebook and started jotting down equations. "Did I not take into account Starswirl's spell enough?” Lighting her horn, she floated over her copy of Starswirl’s spell. “What am I missing?”

Tapping her chin in thought, she scrawled out equations for a while. Narrowing her eyes, nothing seemed to be adding up. Closing her notebook, she rubbed at her eyes. “I’ll have to look at it again in the morning. Nothing is making sense right now.” Grumbling to herself, she packed up all of her materials.

“Do you want me to do anything while you’re sleeping?” Nana asked, taking the air again.

"Can you make a list of materials for me so you can start making upgrades?" Twilight requested, making her way up the stairs. "I might as well work on that until I have a breakthrough with that project."

“Of course.” Nana nodded, already flitting about the room. “I’ll have it ready before dawn.”

"Thank you, Nana," Twilight said, closing the door to the basement. The library was quiet, soft moonlight shining in from the windows. The rest of her family had gotten to sleep hours ago, despite Wyatt’s insistence on waiting up for her.

Speaking of Wyatt, she could see he was passed out on the couch in the dim light, a book sitting next to his open hand. Using her magic, she floated the book up to take a closer look. The Ides of Mare. She was impressed, that was a classic.

“See you in the morning,” she whispered, planting a kiss on his cheek. Covering him with a blanket, she went up to their bedroom.

Wyatt was brought back to consciousness by a sudden bout of sunlight hitting his face. With a groan, he opened one of his eyes. He shot upright, suddenly noticing where he was. Somehow he was in Canterlot Castle. Glancing down at the ground, there was a magic circle of some kind, only adding to his confusion.

“Okay, this is new, even for me,” he said to himself, pushing himself to his feet. “Uh... hello?”

“Sister, is this truly the hero we sought?” an oddly familiar young voice questioned, turning towards the source. What he found was a very short Princess Luna, who looked no older than thirteen. He couldn’t help but stare at her unmoving, baby blue mane.

“Okay, a young looking Luna that doesn’t recognize me,” Wyatt said, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m guessing this is another world.”

“Oh? You already know of us?” A teenage Celestia stepped into view, her mane a bright pink. “I’m afraid we do not yet know you. Would you be kind enough to share your name, hero?”

Unable to resist, Wyatt pulled a camera from his pocket. “Sure, I’ll introduce myself. Can you just scooch closer to your sister real quick?” The white alicorn seemed confused, but followed his request. “Thanks, my name’s Wyatt Matthews, but I also go by Kamen Rider Decade when I’m suited up,” he explained, snapping a picture of the sisters.

Shaking off her confusion, she held her hand out. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Wyatt Matthews. I do regret it couldn’t be under better circumstances.”

Slipping his camera back into his pocket, Wyatt accepted the handshake. “It’s okay, I’m used to getting called when there’s trouble. How can I help?”

Celestia motioned for Wyatt to follow her out of the room. “Recently, strange armored beings have come to our land, razing everything in their path. They strike so quickly, we haven’t been able to counter them.”

“These armored figures, what do they look like?” Wyatt questioned, hoping to glean what sort of world he might be dealing with. “Multicolored? Have animal emblems on their armor?”

“Yes, exactly,” Luna replied, nodding her head. “Is this something you’ve dealt with before?”

“Yeah, once or twice,” Wyatt said, his features hardening. “How long have they been here?”

“Not long, a week or so at the longest,” Celestia explained, leading Wyatt into a map room. “But with how little luck we’ve had so far, we thought it best to bring in assistance. Your card arriving seemed like a sign.”

The room itself was dome shaped, the ceiling covered in star charts. The stars shimmered, twinkling against the painted night sky. Murals decorated the walls, detailing the geography of the world. Of course, spaces were blank. Probably from a lack of knowledge, Wyatt thought. At the center was a map table, giving a detailed depiction of Equestria itself. It looked like something that generals would use to direct the tides of war.

Luna held up the card, her fingers running over the back. “It matches the ones a dear friend once carried with her.”

Wyatt blinked, staring at the princess in disbelief. "Hold on, your friend had cards like mine? Was she a Kamen Rider too?"

Celestia held up a hand, cutting him off. “I know we have many questions for each other but please, hold them until my student and her friends arrive.” Conjuring up a scroll, she wrote out a quick few lines before sending it off. “She shouldn’t take too long.”

Sighing, Wyatt leaned against the map table. "Fine, but can I get some food? You guys brought me here before breakfast."

“Of course. We’ll send for something. Please, feel free to walk around the room.

Taking a seat at one end of the room, Wyatt drew Ninjor’s sword and started to clean it like Tsukiya taught him. The repetitive actions helped him clear his thoughts. The idea of another Decade intrigued him, or was the Displaced a DiEnd? It didn’t seem like too much of a stretch to think that he’d run into a DiEnd.

He was in the middle of a large breakfast when the door opened and six figures walked in. Much to his surprise, it wasn't Twilight and the girls. At the front was a cream colored unicorn that he didn't recognize, followed by a bipedal cat, a diamond dog, a light blue and red female changeling, what he could only call a dragon pony and a young deer buck.

“You... aren’t who I was expecting...” Wyatt muttered, looking between each of them.

"And who were you expecting?" The unicorn questioned, adjusting her glasses. She was wearing a long dress, with a small cape that went around her neck and draped down to her shoulder blades.

“Uh... Twilight Sparkle?” Wyatt offered.

The six shared a look before the cat-man said, "You mean Captain Armor's little sister?"

Wyatt frowned, rubbing his neck. “Uh... yeah? Where I’m from, she’s Celestia’s student. I have no idea who any of you are.”

"I'm Moon Dancer, Celestia's student," the unicorn answered. "And these are my friends, Capper, Autumn Blaze, Ocellus, Rover and Bramble. Are you the hero the princesses called?”

Rover scoffed, crossing his arms. “Hairless creature don’t look like much.” Wyatt noted the thin clothes covering the canine, an outfit that reminded him of a karate gi, though with added leather shoulderpads. “Look like toothpick.”

Wyatt chuckled, taking a bite of his food. "Yeah, people underestimate me a lot. But I'm a certified monster buster. Otherwise, I wouldn’t still be kicking.”

“So um, why did you call us here, princesses?” Ocellus asked, poking her head out from the back of the group. “D-did those villains attack again?”

“Not since the last time, but this is in regards to them,” Luna explained, looking around the room. “And Wyatt here has offered his aid in that regard; he has some experience with them.”

Clearing his throat, Wyatt broke into a summary of Drakkon and his sentries. They didn’t seem to understand a lot of the associated terms, but they appeared to get most of it. His eyes traced over the map, taking in each attack mark. None of the names were the same, even some of the geography was different.

“So if these sentries normally go after what you call Rangers, then why are they here to do raids?” Capper asked, his eyes scanning the map. “We don’t have anything like that here. They aren’t after the Blastia cores and I haven’t heard anything about them actually looting anything.”

Wyatt looked around the room, his gaze settling on the princesses. “You said that your friend had cards like mine, where is she?”

Celestia frowned, putting a hand down on the map. “Velvet hasn’t been awake in a very long time. She was afraid her hunger would make her a danger to the world at large. That is why we made her, the Lord of Calamity, the warden of Tartarus.”

“If these sentries aren’t after things from this world, they might be after something from mine,” Wyatt offered, pointing to Tartarus. “It’s only a matter of time before they think to break down the gates and storm Tartarus.”

“If worst comes to worst, we could always drop Tartarus into the abyss,” Luna suggested, looking up at her sister.

“And lose Velvet forever?” Celestia retorted, narrowing her eyes at her younger sister. “I never thought you would be so cold.”

Luna snorted, poking Celestia’s chest. “And you forget just why we made her the warden. Nothing in that prison can escape.”

“I could always go in there,” Wyatt chimed in, getting the sisters’ attention. “If we open the gates just enough for me to go in, nothing should escape and if I take the cards, these sentries will leave this world alone.”

“Going into Tartarus by yourself is tantamount to suicide,” Capper argued, tapping a finger on the table. “Things best left forgotten make that forsaken place home.”

Wyatt nodded, looking at the area of the map where Tartarus was. "I'm pretty used to my plans being stupid, suicidal or both." It didn’t sound like the Tartarus back home, they hadn’t mentioned any killing miasma. “How dangerous is it?”

"It's a demon jail, so you know, probably in the top ten for dangerous places," Autumn said, waving her hand in a circle. The dragon pony was wearing hide armor, giving her an intimidating air despite her upbeat demeanor. “I know they have a few dragons and the wispling queen.”

"Wispling?" Wyatt repeated, a brow quirking at that. "What in the world is that?"

Ocellus seemed to shrink in on herself. “W-when changelings are exposed to high levels of n-negative emotions, they turn into wisplings. T-there’s no cure s-so... most of them are confined to Tartarus.”

It was a surreal experience, finding a world so different from his own. Questions almost slipped passed his lips, insensitive, almost blith questions. Wyatt spoke, needing to remind himself he could take nothing for granted. “Alright then, we need to come up with a plan.”

"We'll need something that can repel demons," Moon Dancer suggested, lifting a tome from her hip. "And Ocellus will need some shielding from the negative emotions that any wisplings will exude." Cracking the book open, she flipped through the pages. “I’m pretty sure I can whip something up. I might need to anchor Ocellus to one of you.”

"Rover volunteers," the diamond dog stated, nodding to Moon Dancer. He thumped a hand against his chest. “Strong heart make good anchor!”

"Thank you, Rover," Ocellus said a small smile on her face. "I'll try to not get in your way too much."

Celestia cleared her throat, getting the group’s attention. “I’ll ready an airship for your departure. I’ll leave the spellcrafting to you and Luna, Moondancer.” Walking towards the door, she gestured for Wyatt to follow. “Please follow me, Mr. Mathews.”

Quirking a brow, Wyatt followed the solar princess out of the room. He didn't know what she wanted, but it had to be important if it had to be said alone. “What’s on your mind, Princess? Are we late for gym class?”

"Very cute, Mr. Matthews," the short mare said, rolling her eyes. “Do you need to make any more jabs at my juvenile appearance?”

"Just one more," Wyatt said with a grin. "Then I'll be serious, promise. Does your throne have a built in booster seat?" He winced as Celestia threw a jab at his thigh. “Okay, ow! I had that coming, I guess.” He rubbed at his thigh, motioning for Celestia to proceed.

“If you’re done?” She asked, giving him a flat stare.

She got a quick nod in response and he straightened himself up. “Go right ahead, I did promise after all.”

Celestia cleared her throat, smoothing her dress out. “Velvet is under a deep sleep, a spell designed to keep her in stasis throughout the centuries. Only two things can break her from this spell. The unsanctioned release of a certain percentage of Tartarus’s inmates, and the key to her sarcophagus.”

"A key you happen to have," Wyatt guessed, seeing where this was going. "But didn't Velvet want to stay asleep due to her hunger? Or are the cards in the coffin?"

"Yes, obtaining the cards would mean waking her," she confirmed, stopping at a rather ornate door. “But I feel we might need her strength to face our enemy.” The door itself was decorated in scenes of battle, featuring a prominent figure with a wickedly clawed right arm.

Wyatt didn't recognize the figure, though judging by the outfit he'd guess she was a Displaced from a JRPG. He had to admit, he wouldn't want to be on the bad side of her demonic looking arm.

Celestia’s magic wrapped around the demonic arm, closing the fingers into a fist. Creaking gears rumbled from the walls, sliding the door into the wall. “I’d ask that you do your best to keep my student and her friends safe. These sentries don’t belong on this world, they don’t follow our rules.”

"Of course I'll keep her safe," Wyatt assured, peaking into the doorway. All he could see was inky blackness. “What uh, what you got in here, Princess? Awful lot of effort for what I assume is a key.”

"Along with Velvet's sarcophagus key, there's also the means to safely enter Tartarus within," Celestia explained, using her magic to light the torches within the room. Getting a better look, it was clearly a vault of some kind. "As well as some artifacts I have gathered but they are irrelevant to what you're doing."

Alcoves lined the walls, each housing some kind of artifact. Magical barriers pulsed at the opening of each alcove, separating the items from the visitors. Wyatt recognized the Alicorn Amulet in one such cell, though suitably matching the anime aesthetic.

Celestia led him to the far end of the vault, two items kept in one cell. The first was an orb, its surface swirling with shadow. The second was a wrought iron key, its handle shaped like a demon’s claw.

Reaching into the alcove, Celestia pulled the two items through the magical barrier. “Simply place the orb in the corresponding slot on Tartarus’s door and it shall open to you.” She handed the items over and added, "And to get past Cerberus you must give him pets and one of his treats."

Wyatt slipped the key into his pocket, putting the orb under his arm. “And where are his treats?”

"We'll load some up in the airship that you'll be taking," Celestia assured. “Just don’t let Rover get his hands on them, Cerberus gets upset when he smells his treats on someone else’s breath.”

“Uh right...” Wyatt muttered, rubbing his neck. “Sure...”

“And that’s everything for the moment,” Celestia said, motioning for him to follow her out of the vault. “Relax and get to know my student and her friends, you’ll be alerted when the airship is ready.”

“Uncle Spike, you have to get up.”

Sombra’s voice pierced the haven that was Spike’s sleep, dragging him back to the waking world. A disappointed growl emitted from his throat, a lazy eye opening to greet the colt. “Whaddya need, Sombra?”

Pulling at the covers, Sombra looked towards the door. "You wouldn't believe me if I said, you gotta get up and see." Grabbing Spike’s arm, he did his best to pull the drake out of his bed. “Come on!”

Reluctantly, Spike followed the colt out towards the kitchen. Once he left his room he could hear the muffled sounds of shouting. His first thought was that Twilight and Wyatt were having an argument and that was what was upsetting Sombra.

“I told you, we’re not giving him just gems!” Twilight’s voice boomed, shaking the still recovering treehouse.

"It's just one meal, what's the worst that could happen?" Spike had to do a double take, he could've sworn he had heard Twilight's voice again.

“It’s not good for his health!”

"Where's Wyatt?!" Twilight whined. "H-he'd know how to settle this."

Spike finally entered the kitchen, finding a shocking scene. Instead of Wyatt and Twilight arguing, it was Twilight arguing with herself. Three other versions of herself. One was red with a dark red mane and her usual pink streak, the next was blue with the streak now purple, the next was green and the last was yellow. He also couldn't help but notice that the Twilights were more draconic than normal; patches of scales covered their body, their horns curved and split almost like an antler. Their manes continued down and around their necks much like a lion's. Their tails had also lengthed, having become quite leonine.

"Uh, Twi?" Spike questioned, still trying to process what he was seeing.

"Yes?" The quartet retorted, turning to face the drake in unison.

“See?” Sombra asked, standing next to him. “I told you it was important.”

Spike nodded slowly, unable to look away from his sister turned sisters. "Yeah, I'd say this is important. So uh, does one of you know what's going on here? Are you testing out some new spell or something?"

“I think this has something to do with the experiment I was doing last night,” the green Twilight started, looking at Spike with her argument seemingly forgotten. “It was meant to allow me to create copies of myself that could use my different Wizard forms at the same time. I thought nothing happened but when I woke up there were three copies of me running around and we look like this!”

The red Twilight snorted, poking Green’s head. “You’re my copy!”

“How do you know?” Green asked, sticking her tongue out. “Isn’t the most logical thing for all of us to assume we’re the original until we can investigate this and determine otherwise?”

Spike sighed, holding his head in his hands for a moment. “Okay, so, I’m pretty sure none of you is the original.” Puffing smoke, Spike clapped his hands together. “Okay! How do we fix this and get the one Twilight back?”

“W-we probably have to work on the Magic Timer again,” the blue Twilight offered, shuffling on her hooves. “Um, at least that’s what I think.”

“No one asked you!” Red Twilight snapped, snarling at the timid girl.

“Don’t yell at her!” Yellow snapped, glaring at her red counterpart. “She’s only trying to help!”

Red got in Yellow’s face, her snarl growing. “Don’t tell me what to do!”

“If you don’t get out of my face, then I will force you out of it,” Yellow warned, her horn starting to glow.

Sombra wedged himself between them, pushing Red back with his magic. “Mom, you're acting like a foal. Calm down.”

Green snickered while Yellow and Red turned their backs to each other with a snort. "How 'bout this, why don't we split up and work on this in our own ways? It's pretty clear we aren't good at working together."

“That’s a terrible idea,” Spike muttered, looking between each of them. “I don’t want any of you leaving my sight.”

Smirking, Red held up a certain finger and teleported out of the room.

Spike groaned, his shoulders sagging. “I didn’t need this today. This was supposed to be a lazy day, not magic crisis day...” Ushering Sombra into a chair, he did his best to make breakfast for the rest of them.

"Look on the bright side, Spike," Green said, sitting down and munching on an amethyst. "What's the worst she could do out in town?" She blinked at Spike’s stare. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Shaking his head, Spike went back to cooking breakfast. It was going to be a long day, that much he knew.

“Where’s dad?” Sombra asked, looking around the table. “Normally the smell of cooking breakfast wakes him up.”

“He wasn’t there when we woke up,” Yellow said, leaning against the wall. “He must have been summoned during the night.”

Sombra nodded, looking down at the table. “Hope he comes back soon.” It always bothered him when his father was called away. His father was strong, but he always had the fear that he wouldn’t come back.

"Do you really wanna see the four versions of your mom fight over him?" Spike whispered, sliding some pancakes to his nephew. "Probably best he's gone right now.” Raising his voice, he patted Sombra on the head. “Now eat up, okay?”

Sombra started eating his pancakes, examining the versions of his mother. He kept looking for some sort of hint to one of them being the original, but nothing presented itself. Frowning, he concerned himself with his meal.

Green attacked her meal, eating with Twilight's usual grace. Blue gingerly picked at her meal, as if eating too quickly would cause it to run away. Yellow ate slowly, displaying manners neither Spike nor Sombra knew Twilight had.

Spike started to eat his own meal, looking between the trio. "Sombra, I'm gonna be keeping an eye on these three, can you find Red?"

“Uh, ya. I can find her.” Sombra nodded, a frown tugging at his lips.

"If my guess is correct, she's more likely to listen to you," Spike offered. "But if she doesn't then get one of the girls to help you."

Collecting everyone’s dishes, Sombra dropped them in the sink. Doubt weighed heavily on his shoulders, his dressing for the day an automatic action. Slipping out the door, his thoughts turned to places his mother would be likely to go to as he began his search.

His first stop was the Quill and Sofa, his mother's favorite store. Unfortunately, there was no sign she had even been there. Even the stallion at the counter hadn't seen her. Wracking his brain, he checked the fast food restaurant since Red had skipped breakfast.

“What do you mean you don’t serve gems?!”

"Ma'am, there's just no profit in it," the manager said, shaking her head. "Plus I'm pretty sure it would be a health code nightmare to store them with the food."

“Gems are food!”

"Not according to pony biology," the manager retorted, rubbing at her temple. "Dragons don't deal with Equestria so there's nothing in the books to help us cater to them."

“Do I look like a dragon to you!?” Red demanded, slamming a hand on the table.

"No, but I've never seen one of your species and assumed it was dragon adjacent since you keep shouting about gems."

Inserting himself into the conversation, Sombra took a seat across from Red. “She’ll have a double hayburger and fries. Lots of ketchup.” His mother's anger wasn’t something that showed itself often. Much of Red had to be from the dragon essence they now shared.

"Hey, who are you t-" Red paused, her anger ebbing slightly. She even managed a smile. "Sombra!" Turning to the manager she nodded. "Yes, that'll do."

Sombra put in an order for a soda, watching the manager slink off to another table. “You uh, could have handled that better. It’s a good thing you don’t really look like yourself, otherwise ponies would start talking.”

"Anypony that bad mouths me would regret that instantly," Red dismissed, leaning on her hand. “I’m the princesses personal student, people know better than to upset me.”

"Isn't it wrong to use status like that?" Sombra argued, a frown on his face. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, his mother would never use the princess to push others around. “You don’t actually think that, do you?”

"What's the point of all the hard work I do if I just let ponies talk bad about me?" Red questioned, arching a brow. "Sometimes you gotta remind people that you're not a pushover. Really Sombra, you need to shine your spine more.”

"You always taught me that kindness is the best way to reach people," he retorted, their food arriving. "Not by forcing others to respect you with station or power."

Red snorted, rolling her eyes. “One of those weaklings told you that. I’m telling it like it is, Sombra. If you don’t show people how strong you are, they’ll walk all over you.” She took a bite of her burger, eating like a ravenous animal.

"No it was you, back when there was only one of you," Sombra countered, picking up his soda. Were these really things his mother thought about? Was it just the unrestrained dragon within her?

Sombra frowned, his thoughts spiraling further and further out of control. He had to shake his head; none of that mattered. He knew his mother was good, she was more than the sum of these parts.

“Why don’t we go back to the library? You can’t do any research without your lab.”

"Fine, but I want to finish my burger first," Red relented, biting into her meal. “Aren’t you getting anything to eat? Here, have some of my fries.”

"I just had pancakes," Sombra answered, though he still took a few of the offered fries. The act did put him at ease though. Despite Red seeming like a ball of pure draconic wrath, there was still some of his mother's nurturing tendencies there.

Red tossed a few bits on the table, more than she needed for such a small meal. “Come on you, we got ponies to save.” Lifting Sombra onto her shoulders, she confidently strutted her way onto the streets of Ponyville.

Sombra settled in on her shoulders, a sense of relief filling him. Getting Red to come back was almost too easy. As if the universe had read his mind, a gleaming object fell out of the sky. A whine built in his throat, watching in dismay as it began to open.

The airship lurched, a hail of fire striking against the hull. Wyatt rushed up from below deck, vision erratically searching. Some type of gunship screamed past, followed by two more. They banked to the side, coming around for another strafing run. They almost reminded him of a stealth bomber mixed with a traditional jet.

Summoning his belt, Wyatt slapped it to his waist. Pulling out a few cards, he knew just how to tackle the jets. Once he was in his Decade form, he slipped a new card into it.

"Displaced Ride: X!" Wyatt's armor shifted, turning blue and resembling that of the Maverick hunter with the trusty buster in place of one of his hands. The biggest difference being that instead of an exposed face the helmet had green eye lenses and a mouth plate. Once the armor was done changing, he slid in yet another card. "Form Ride: Falcon!" The armor bulked up, gaining white areas with gold trim and jet-like wings were now on his back.

Firing up the wings, Wyatt took off into the air. He surprised himself with how quick the new form was, racing up towards the gunships. Raising his arm, he built up a charged shot. Blue energy built up around his buster, a loud whine increasing in volume. He let the energy go, firing at one of the gunships.

He scored a direct hit, the gunship wobbling for a moment before correcting itself. One of the other jets pulled back, zeroing in on Wyatt. It opened fire, twin lasers racing towards him. Cutting the thrust of his wings, he let the blasts sail over him.

“Oh, this form is amazing,” he muttered to himself, grinning like a kid.

Grabbing a card, he slipped it into his belt. "Attack Ride: Homing Torpedo!" Wyatt's
armor changed to gray and his buster shifted in shape. Lifting his arm, he fired a barrage of missiles at the gunships.

The missiles tore through the closest gunships wing; the aircraft tumbling from the sky in a blaze of twisted steel. Wyatt felt elated, his new form working wonders. He raced towards the next jet, firing another missile.

The jet banked to the side, his missile going wide. It returned fire, lasers streaking his way. Wyatt did a barrel roll, narrowly dodging the beams. Putting on more speed, he charged the jet.

Landing on the nose, Wyatt looked up to find a pair of Pterodactyl Sentries in the seats. Grinning, he held up his buster and aimed it at one of the wings. “Maybe you should have invested in some shields?”

He fired at the wing, blowing it apart and sending it and its occupants on a collision course with the ground. He hopped off, ready to go after the third gunship. Wyatt swore as the gunship’s turrets swiveled, firing hot bolts of energy at him. He shot upward, ducking and weaving to avoid the hail of fire. He had been keeping a mental count of his shots and if his new form followed the game’s logic, he only had a couple left before he’d have to use a different weapon.

Wyatt doubted the same trick would work twice, the gunship would anticipate him charging it after what he had just pulled. He kept dodging, hoping a strategy would come to him. Think! He chided himself, wishing that Flash’s training had done more than beat technique’s into him.

Inspiration struck him, angling himself into a nosedive. Rather than charge the ship, he went down into the treeline below, taking refuge in the canopy. As he thought, the gunship rained fire instantly down on where it had last seen him, causing a swath of trees to collapse. Just as it was about to reach him, Wyatt shot up from his hiding spot and fired the last of his torpedoes at it.

The sole projectile tore into the aircraft, blowing a hole through its chassis. Plummeting the short distance to the ground, it plowed a sizable trench through the forest. Wyatt hovered over the forest, listening and watching for movement.

Sighing in relief, Wyatt’s eyes turned to the west. Tartarus rose above the forest, a behemoth of stone and metal. It’s massive size rivaled Canterlot, hard edged spires piercing the sky. Marvelous white stone shone in the sun, a contrast to its intended purpose. The entire structure hung suspended above a gaping hole, four bridges anchoring it to the chasms edges.

Several gunships hovered about the structure, many dispersing mastodon troops. Tanks had taken position at each bridge, launching shells at Tartarus’s gates.

Groaning, Wyatt slumped in midair. "Now there's tanks too? I really do have the worst luck." Looking over to the airship, he flew towards what he guessed was the southern bridge. "They'll catch up."

Descending into the forest, Wyatt reverted to his base form. Drakkon’s forces would be on high alert, which meant he had to be careful. Opening his card holder, he flipped through the pages. There had to be something for stealth.

He smacked his forehead, remembering one of his cards. He slipped it into the belt and pushed in the handles. "Attack Ride: Invisible!" He crept out of the forest and towards the southern tank encampment.

The sentries proved themselves to be nothing but well trained. A tight perimeter had been put in place, patrolled regularly by mastedon troops. Pterodactyl snipers provided overwatch from evenly spaced watch towers. Wyatt knew he had to be careful, one false step and he'd be caught even while invisible. He watched the mastodon patrols, looking for his opening to breach the perimeter.

It took him longer than he'd have liked to find his breach point: a small section hidden behind a few trees. He spied one of the tanks, a plan hatching in his mind. He crept forward, making a careful beeline to the machine of war.

He kept his head on a swivel, making sure he didn't come into contact with any of the squads. Slowly but surely, he was up close and personal with one of the tanks. He hopped onto it, checking one last time, he made sure no one was looking his way while he slipped inside it.

Drawing his sword, Wyatt slid down to where the crew was. He found a trio of mastodon sentries operating the controls, watching them work in a hope to understand the mechanics of it all. Silently, he thrust his sword at the leftmost, angling the blade so the attack looked like it came from his partner at the center.

“What the hell!?” the sentry hissed, whipping his head around. “Did you just try to shank me!?”

“What are you talking about?” the central sentry asked. Working quickly, Wyatt unsheathed the combat knife the sentry had and planted it on his lap.

The sight of the knife was enough to set the paranoid sentry off, tackling his perceived attacker and starting a brawl. The remaining sentry tried and failed to separate them and was caught in the middle. With the trio thoroughly distracted, Wyatt quickly took them out.

Slipping another card into his belt, Wyatt split into three and took up the controls. "Okay, just think of it like arcade controls," he muttered to himself. The tank lurched forward at his clumsy command, banging into the neighboring tank.

There was a sudden crackle as the radio blared to life. "Beta Squad, why the hell are you breaking formation?! Turn off your engine immediately!”

Wyatt cursed under his breath, pushing a button he hoped was the engines. He couldn't get discovered too quickly, not before he could do anything. Relief washed over him as the engine cut off.

“Disable that tank,” a command crackled over the radio.

Relief turned to horror as he tried to think through his options. Only one seemed to come to mind. Motioning to his clone on what he assumed were the weapons controls, he gave the motion to open fire as he started the engines again.

Green electricity surged from the controls, many of them blowing out in Wyatt’s face. He swore he felt a tooth cracked as his body tensed; the unknowable volts channeling through him. His heart fluttered, body slumping forward as the current abated.

Cursing up a storm, he started heading for the exit. With the tank disabled, he'd need a new distraction. Another blast knocked him into the dirt, turning his limbs numb. Focusing his gaze, he locked onto an approaching figure.

“It almost worked.” The figure, a man, came into focus. He wore no identifying marks or outstanding clothing. Merely a long coat over a shirt and pants. The most striking thing about him, Wyatt quickly realised was the green. His hair, his eyes, the strange gem in his forehead. That, and the clearly psychotic grin cutting across his face.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Wyatt asked, struggling to move his numbed limbs. "Not good enough for ranger powers?”

Clicking his tongue, the man’s hand sparked to light with green energy. “I’m above stolen powers.” A wicked, angular dagger formed in his hand bearing a stylized ‘N’.

Wyatt pushed himself onto his knees, his addled mind attempting to recall where he had seen that symbol before. It was important, far more now than when he had first seen it. He slapped the side of his helmet, willing his misfiring synapses to work.

His eyes widened, sudden realization hitting him. "Psycho Ranger."

“Why yes, I am quite... Psychotic.” Green energy covered the Psycho Ranger's body, condensing into solid form. The helmet was shaped like a creature of nightmares, eye lenses as black as night, the mouthpiece bearing sculpted fangs. The chest piece resembled a fused set of wings while the golden belt had the same 'N' as the dagger. The gauntlets and knee guards were bone white and made up of sharp angles.

“Fuck me...” Wyatt muttered, staring in disbelief.

Rock erupted besides him, as Rover emerged from the ground. “No time to rest. Get up and fight!” Growling at Wyatt, he pulled the dazed human to his feet. Snarling at Psycho Green, Rover brandished a rather large chain mace.

"Careful, he's got some kind of numbing weapon," Wyatt warned, switching his Ride Booker to its gun mode. "Also, killer timing."

Rover barked, hefting his mace. “Rover not scared. Earth beneath me!” Rock crept up Rover’s body, covering it entirely. Stone shifted, forging itself into metal. Silver and gold armor replaced the covering of earth, transforming Rover into a knight. “To battle!”

Wyatt stood dumbfounded, watching passively as Rover charged the psycho ranger. “...You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

Author's Note

Thought I should add, that this chapter isn't a crossover. It's an original universe.