The Lost Serpents

Chapters

Battle at the Sweet Apple corral
Skirmish at Appleloosa
Heritage, and the Knights Lunar
Revelations
Birthright
Conquest
The Fallen Heroes
Impostors and Mercy
Fighting Skies, Fighting Earth
Eclipse
Epilogue
Chapter 1: Descendent

Battle at the Sweet Apple corral

Chapter 2: Battle at the Sweet Apple corral

After all the hard work, Applejack was ready to call it a day.

The sun was about to set, the birds still singing as the sun was dipping into the horizon. Applejack took a moment to marvel at the beauty of the sunset before heading back home. The sun’s last rays lit up the side of the barn as Applejack approached the building. She could smell dinner being made, which made her mouth water.

Just as she reached the door, her little sister, Applebloom, opened the door with a worried look in her eyes. Applejack immediately grew worried.

“Sugarcube, are you alright?”

Applebloom shook her head “I don’t think so. I heard a portal of some kind appeared near Ponyville, and Granny and big brother went to go check it out.”

“Why would they go on and do that?” asked Applejack.

“Grandma said it might help you sleep better.”

Applejack looked down. For a week and a half, Applejack was getting a strange dream. It started out with Applejack looking out her room’s window, then an intense fog would roll in. The fog will stay there as a unicorn with a pure white mane and golden eyes would stare back through the fog. It would then make his way to the window and tap it repeatedly. Applejack would cover her face with her hooves, trying to ignore the sheer terror she was dealing with in the dream while the unicorn’s thoughts would invade her mind, saying “please… let me in… I beg you.” Applejack would then wake up.

Applejack quickly changed the subject “c’mon, let’s eat.”

******

Applejack was having trouble sleeping. She tossed and turned in her bed, trying to catch sleep. Eventually, she gave up and began to stare at the ceiling. She pondered on Granny Smith’s untold departure, and wondered why Granny smith would go out of her way to leave for her nightmares.

She pulled the covers over her head and tried to sleep.

But that effort proved useless when the window in her room shattered.

Applejack jumped at the sound of shattering glass and got out of her bed. She could see the window completely busted, but nopony was there. However, there was a faint light coming from the window.

Applejack carefully trotted closer to the shattered window, her senses on full alert. She took a quick look out the window to see where the light was coming from.

Her jaw dropped as she saw a swirling vortex near her barn. The vortex itself was flashing with lightning and swirling winds. Applejack continued to stare in astonishment as she witness three different earth ponies fall out of the vortex and onto the ground nearly twenty feet away from the barn.

The three ponies were strange indeed. All three had brown hair and wore the same armor. However, two had helmets with a white hoof marking. The other one had no helmet, had a brown and shaggy mane, and had the white hoof marking on its face.

The one with no helmet looked around his surroundings and looked up and spotted Applejack. His growl did not seem pony-like at all. He drew his sword, and began to walk towards the barn, the other two coming behind him.

Applejack bolted to all available doors to the barn and locked them all, just in time for the three stallions to try and break down the doors. Applebloom appeared next to her sister asking in a frightened tone “what’s happening?!”

“Applebloom, go on to the basement and hide,” Applejack said as she put a chair to the doorknob.

“What about you?!-”

“Ah’ll be fine, please go to the basement, where you’ll be safe…”

“Applej-”

“GO!”

Applebloom reluctantly obeyed, leaving Applejack with three armed and angry stallions trying to beat down the doors. Applejack moved the furniture around to block the doors and windows and hoped that they will be enough to deter the attackers.

Suddenly, the noise stopped and they were replaced with a couple shouts and metal clashing.

Applejack went over to see through a crack in the door (freshly made by the stallions) and only got to see a blinding flash of light and a loud BOOM that blew her off her hooves and into the dining table.

Applejack groaned as she picked herself up. She glanced at the table, now smashed to smithereens. She muttered to herself about Granny Smith getting pissed about the table and looked to the door. The door itself was hanging on by one hinge. In the entrance was an earth pony.

He had brown eyes, a black mane, had an overcoat of fur and a medallion that had an emblem of skulls with purple gemstones in the skull’s eyes. The dark green stallion had a pouch at his side and a lance decorated with beads and a pony’s mane. He also had a tomahawk… made of a pony’s jawbone.

“Greetings heir of the Sweet Apple acres,” the earth pony said.

Applejack nearly leaped out of one of her own barricaded windows, but the earth pony caught her before she could.

“Get yer hooves off me ya darn no-good shi-”

“Stop struggling, i’m on your side!”

Applejack then proceeded to kick the earth pony in the dick.

The earth pony was on the floor and almost in tears in pain. Applejack stood over him, a broom in her hooves. Before she could beat him to a pulp, he vanished. Applejack swung the broom at the air, but all it did was pass through it.

“Will you just listen to me?!” the air seemed to say.

“No! Ah know yer one of them damn thieves, here ta steal mah apples!” Applejack yelled. She swung her broom again, only for the air to catch it with a manifested hand. The static air transformed back into the earth pony, and he looked pissed. He reared on his hind legs, spun his lance, and put the point to her throat.

“Listen, if you value the lives of your sister, your grandma, and the rest of your family, then you will hear me out.”

Given that the point of the lance was pricking her neck, she decided that she had no choice and dropped the broom.

The earth pony pulled back his lance and said, “My name is Remnant Grim. I come to warn you and participate in the coming struggle.”

“What are yer talking about? What damn struggle?”

“I have been called here to help some kind of heir to tremendous power. I don’t know why it was me that the shaman picked for this quest, but I ended up here, in this place. But, I do know that the heir has blue and serpentine eyes, and it’s a male.”

Applejack raised her brow, “I think I know what yer talkin’ about. There is this fellow that lives in the Everfree forest, with wings and a snake’s tail topped with some feathers.”

Remnant’s eyes widened when he heard this. He stepped closer to Applejack, making the latter uncomfortable, and said,”You know where his whereabouts are?”

“Ah… sure.”

“Good, because I need you to take me to him,” Remnant said.

Applejack didn’t like that idea. But before she could say anything in protest, Remnant covered her mouth.

“Stop struggling!” Remnant hissed. when they were both quiet, they could hear the sounds of combat outside.

They both crept over to one of the barricaded window and took a peek outside.

They saw a group of Royal guards engaging a group of jungle ponies. The mere sight of the jungle ponies would have been weird, since nobody has seen them for two thousand years. The royal guards have the upper hand, but the jungle ponies way of fighting still created a challenge that the guards weren’t used to. One of the guards was closing the vortex with a mysterious charm and did so a few moments later, causing the vortex to simply vanish.

Applejack wanted to help the guards, but all she could do was get in the way, something that is not favorable in a battle like this. Remnant muttered some kind of curse and dug into the pouch on his flank and brought out a single stone. He hurled the stone into the middle of the guards and pointed his hoof at the stone before it hit the ground. An earth-shattering bolt of lightning streamed from his hoof and flew into the guards, causing a electric explosion. The guards were flung in different directions, and the ones closest to the bolt were fried.

The jungle ponies looked in awe at the destruction caused by a lightning bolt, while Applejack was horrified.

“Why did you kill them!?” Applejack yelled to Remnant, pointing at the charred bodies of some of the guards.

“Because they were the enemy, simple as that,” Remnant said with no hint of emotion.

“The enemy?! Ah think not!” Applejack yelled.

The jungle ponies walked up to the two. The lead one asked “was the thunderbolt your doing?”

Remnant answered “Yep, all me.”

The lead pony knelt down, “we thank you.”

“Why are you guys out here? Isn’t the jungle to the southeast, beyond the Badlands?” Remnant asked.

“Yes,” the lead pony said, “but the one has returned, my people refer to him as Áápicoatl. We heard rumors that he has been near the Everfree forest, and we planned on joining a group who said they found him and we're going to meet up with us near Appleloosa. Unfortunately, we were spotted and attacked by the Royal guards that came here. But, I must ask you warrior, where do you hail from, for it is evident that you are not from these parts. Perhaps, from the tribes near Appeloosa?”

“From the Undiscovered West. I hail from the Ponute tribe.

A twinkle of admiration came from the lead jungle pony’s eye, “so your from one of the unconquered tribes, the main reason nopony lives in the Undiscovered West. I envy you warrior, for my people were struck down when the blasted father of Celestia killed the sky serpents…”

One of the jungle ponies asked “who’s the mare?”

Remnant glanced at Applejack, then to the jungle ponies. “Her name is Applejack, heir to the Sweet Apple Acres.”

The lead pony snarled “Applejack… one of Celestia’s friends.” The lead jungle pony hefted his club and said “any supporter of Celestia should die.”

All the jungle ponies brandished their weapons and advanced towards Applejack, murderous intent in their eyes.

Remnant got in between them and Applejack.

“Step to the side warrior,” the lead jungle pony said, “I have no desire to kill you.”

“And I have no desire to let you kill Applejack,” Remnant stated, sparks of electricity crackling all over his body.

Applejack lunged forward and took Remnant’s lance from him. She kept the lance pointed to the jungle ponies and to Remnant while backing away slowly.

“And ah have no desire to sit here with y’all. You killed my friend’s guard, and are trying to kill me!” Applejack said.

Remnant approached slowly and said, “Applejack, I have no intention of killing you.”

Applejack kept the lance trained on Remnant’s throat and said, “Ah don’t believe ya.”

The jungle ponies still were advancing, and the jungle leader said “first pony to capture her will get a good reward, for her heart will bleed true for the spirit of the last serpent. Just imagine it, the highest honor for getting her, a friend of our enemy.”

The jungle pony warriors were getting worked up, making bold lunges towards Applejack, who kept them at bay with the lance.

“Please, leader of the jungle, can we not make an agreement to let her go?” Remnant pleaded.

“No, her blood and beating heart will be the best sacrifice in ages to our lord. She is ours, and if you intend on standing in the way, we will kill you.”

Applejack was terrified about this talk of sacrifice, but she held the lance as firmly as she could with her hooves. Suddenly, one jungle warriors lust for glory got to him, and he dashed towards Applejack, howling for blood.

Then, a black and white blur rushed past him, decapitating the pony. Blood squirted from the neck as the body crashed to the ground, still twitching.

In front of Applejack was Vinyl Scratch, a katana in its sheath. She had a black kimono on and her signature glasses on her head.

“Vinyl?” Applejack asked in amazement.

“Hi Applejack. Short time, no see,” Vinyl said with a grin.

“You dare interfere with jungle matters?!” the lead pony snarled.

“I do. You threatened my friend with death, so I will make yours come to you.” she stood on her hind legs and put her right foreleg hoof on her katana’s handle.

“A challenge for a one-on-one duel. I see… what are the wages?” the lead jungle pony asked.

“If I win, your men will leave Applejack alone and won’t touch her at all with anything. You win, you may take Applejack.”

“I accept.” the leader said.

Applejack went to protest, but Remnant put his hoof over her mouth and whispered to her “If she loses, we will escape.”

“What about Vinyl? Ah’m not about to leave her for these ponies,” Applejack said.

Remnant looked at Vinyl again and said “She would rather die than flee.”

The jungle leader and Vinyl faced off in front of the jungle ponies and Applejack and Remnant. The jungle leader brought out an axe. He said “do you know what this is? It’s a Itztopilli. I cleaved a pony in two with this same ax. Now, I will do the same to you.”

Vinyl smirked and stood there, hoof on katana.

The two stood for what seemed like an hour. Finally, the leader charged.

When the leader was upon her, Vinyl Scratch drew her katana, resulting in a fast block. The leader swung again, and Vinyl dodged to the right. The leader did a diagonal slash that Vinyl avoided, but she got nicked near her unicorn horn. The leader was growing more confident about the duel and began to get more reckless in his attacks. Vinyl was on the defensive, and was parrying and dodging, but not striking.

Soon, the leader landed a strike on her right flank that was deflected by her blade. Vinyl yelled in pain as she felt the axe slice her flesh. She jumped back, blood oozing from her flank. If she had took the full force of that blow, her leg would be severed. This would hamper her speed and hoof-work, big time.

The leader, with a wild grin on his face, did a horizontal slash, intent on breaking her block and driving the blade home. However, Vinyl saw her chance. She ducked under the blow, put her katana in reverse grip, and stabbed the leader with her back turned to him, in classic samurai fashion.

She then pulled out the katana and then decapitated the leader, his blood began to spray everywhere.

She then dropped to the ground, her flank wound hurting terribly, and passed out from the loss of blood.

Applejack immediately rushed to Vinyl Scratch, trying to stop the bleeding while the jungle warriors began to walk away, heading for Appleloosa.

Remnant got some moss and applied it to the wound, stopping the bleeding. He then turned to Applejack and said “get whatever can be used for a bandage, and pray she survives the night.”

Skirmish at Appleloosa

Chapter 3: Skirmish at Appleloosa.

Featherfang was glad to have ran into Coyotl.

Coyotl was the massive jaguar-skin wearing stallion that decapitated the head guard back in Ponyville. That feat had saved Featherfang’s life and maybe Lyra Heartstrings’s life as well.The massive stallion that is Coyotl had a red color to his body and carried a large, two-handed macuahuitl on his back. He had an aura of duty that surrounded him.

Coyotl was also what you would call a workaholic. In the journey to meet up with another group in Appleloosa, Coyotl was the one to start the fire, hunt food and preside over the operation like it was a child he was babysitting. He also healed Lyra’s neck wound, something else that Coyotl excelled in.

But the weirdest part? Coyotl was referring to Featherfang as lord Featherfang. Featherfang would ask him why he gave the “king of garbage” an honorable title, and Coyotl would tell him that not until they reached Appleloosa would he tell him why.

Featherfang knew that his stunt in Ponyville has branded him an outlaw to all Equestrian territories, and he was traveling with a group of what the ponies of Equestria would call savages.

Lyra was still quiet after the incident in Ponyville. It was not everyday that your own town guards slash you in the throat with the intent to kill you. Featherfang felt sorry for her and more anger for his being and blood. Because if it wasn't for his curse, she would”t be an outlaw like himself. It was possible that they saw her as a kidnapped victim, but to Featherfang, that was an optimistic hope.

The small group eventually spotted Appleloosa on the horizon. Lyra was very tired from all the running and trotting through the night. Seeing daylight touch the sky, she was overcome by fatigue. She collapsed on the ground, taking deep breaths and trying to get up.

Featherfang took notice of this and turned to Coyotl. Coyotl shrugged and continued to walk with the other jungle ponies.

“Hey Coyotl, what are you doing?” Featherfang asked.

“Pressing forward. We must reach the jungle before the ritual begins,” Coyotl replied.

“Are we not going to rest? Lyra-”

“Lyra is a supporter of Celestia’s rule. We have no need for her to come along, it’s like carrying dead weight.”

“Then why did you heal her?” Featherfang said with a hint of anger.

“Because she delayed the guard from killing you,” Coyotl stated.

Featherfang was not about to abandon Lyra. She helped save his life after all. Featherfang was thinking how he could try to convince them to not leave her behind. He knew fighting was out of the option because of his spear wound, and the fact that these guys could probably outfight him.

Then he remembered something.

“I order you to stop!” Featherfang said, trying to put as much authority in his voice as he could. Coyotl stopped and turned around.

“What did you say?” He asked, his figure towering over Featherfang.

Featherfang did not back down. “I said stop. That’s an order.”

Coyotl looked at his ponies, then back to Featherfang. Coyotl then knelt and said “as you wish, my lord.”

Featherfang was stunned. This was the first time anypony has ever shown him respect. But, Featherfang had a follow up on his command.

“I also order you to find water and rest up. We will move out at dawn and… Coyotl.”

“Yes my lord?”

“Lyra is part of this group. She helped save my life. It is only fitting that we help her as well. We do not abandon other ponies, understand?”

“Yes, my lord.”

******

With an hour before the sun dips into the horizon, the jungle ponies were getting ready for the night run. Lyra, now refreshed and ready for the run, went up to Feather fang and thanked him. Featherfang has never been thanked in his life, ever.

“Coyotl.”

“Yes my lord?”

“Could you tell us why you call me that? Why you saved my life?”

Coyotl nodded. He sat down and began his tale.

“Long ago, my civilization was the jewel of the world. We were a wealthy, powerful people that had it all. It was all thanks to the Sky serpents.

He paused, then continued “Every civilization had a group of guardian nature spirits. For us it was the sky serpents . They had god-like powers over the forbidden jungle. But more importantly they controlled the Sun and the Moon, and the winds of the sky, the jungle itself. All other guardians paled in comparison to them. But all this power came at a price, the infamous blood-curse. The serpents were very blood-thirsty, driven to demand sacrifice of animals in order to satisfy their hunger. Then… it happened, and we don’t see them anymore.”

“Then what happened? Why don’t we see them anymore?” Lyra asked.

Coyotl’s tone turned somber “Celestia’s ancestor wanted all the treasures, all the wealth and the whole continent under his rule. He knew the Sky serpents blessed the Empire of the Seponies well, He thought the “savages” didn’t deserve to be alive. Therefore, he combined forbidden magic with some of the magic we use today, creating a powerful weapon. This weapon was known as the sword, Apocalypse.”

“Apocalypse?” Lyra said.

Coyotl nodded, “Indeed. That was the name of the sword. The sword had a unique ability to slay spirits and guardians, who were immortal. Celestia’s ancestor gathered an army, and with this sword, he conquered all of Equestria. My people were the only ones that could stand a chance…”

A silence was observed among the jungle ponies before Coyotl spoke again.

“The Sky serpents themselves tried to help, but Apocalypse led Celestia’s ancestor to them, and killed them all. During our last stand, on the site of the Temple of the Serpents, our last sky serpent, by the name of Quetzalcoatl, wanted to fight alongside with us. But we knew that as long as the ancestor had the sword in his possession, Quetzalcoatl was doomed. In an act of mercy, we sealed Quetzalcoatl in a snake charm inside the temple. After the battle, my people were suppressed and were put to the sword. A few of us escaped and have lived in the jungle ever since. We we a proud people, brought low. At the end, the ancestor would give the sun and moon to his descendants. His current descendants are Celestia and Luna. Celestia though, has appointed Azuhuitol as ruler of the jungle, and he has desecrated a number of our temples.

But, one of our priests revealed in one of our codex’s passages that an heir, sired by Quetzalcoatl himself, would be the one to lead us back to glory, revive the sky serpent, and destroy Celestia’s rule over us. It was this prophecy that caused us to spread a cult about the serpents, and it spread far and wide. As we revealed the truth about the sky serpents, we brought only the finest mares to the snake amulet for Quetzalcoatl to chose who would become the mother of his child.

In a period of two thousand years, he rejected mare after mare, until one mare that was once part of the order of Luna, was brought before him. I remember that, she was the most exquisite and beautiful mare the Serponies had ever seen. I saw it. I saw the spirit of Quetzalcoatl rush out of the amulet and possess her body. For the next few days, the mare would speak with Quetzalcoatl’s voice as she told the remaining Serponies on what to do in preparation for the coming rebellion and the retrieval of the child, for the child would not grow up among his people. When Quetzalcoatl was done imposing his spirit on her, he left her body with the words “it is done, let her go on her way to raise my child in peace.”

The mare went home with two Serponies as an escort. But the two would be killed by Celestia’s soldiers. The mare found a home on the outskirts of Ponyville. It was there that she would raise the child in secret, because she knew that everypony would hear about how Celestia’s ancestor conquered the savage winged beasts of the jungle in their childhood. She raised the child well, with a secret Serpony sent to watch her and the child.

Eventually, a local neighbor told the guard that the mother was part of the Serpony cult, and they tried to arrest her. They asked her to reveal the location of the cult, or if the supposed child had been born. She refused to give them the information, and died as the result of hours of torture.

So the promised child would grow to be an outcast in the nearby Everfree forest. It was there that he would suffer the blood-curse. It was there that he would teach himself to fight. It was there that he would be watched by Celestia, for only she knew his true parentage. She would not kill him outright, but watch him with the hope that he never will uncover the truth about his parents.”

Coyotl meet Featherfang’s eyes and said “That child is you.”

Featherfang stared at Coyotl for a minute, then said “are you crazy? My mother disappeared!”

“I’m not crazy. I know you are the child of legend. After all, I was the one that was ordered to keep an eye on you.”

Featherfang looked down, grief threatening to make him cry.

Featherfang looked up and his eyes narrowed “then where were you when they captured my mother? Where were you when I left my house to live a life of misery in the Everfree forest!?”

“I had to leave you to report on your mother’s demise, and you were meant to live in the forest until we came to get you,” Coyotl replied.

“Damn the forest, and fuck you!” Featherfang shouted. He turned and took to the skies.

Coyotl looked to the ground, a single tear dropping from his face. He turned to the other jungle ponies and said “prepare to move out, we don’t rest until we hit the Badlands.”

The Serponies nodded and began to move to Appleloosa, with Featherfang shrieking in the skies, lamenting the loss of his mother.

~~~

“Are you sure that we are doing the right thing?” Applejack asked Remnant.

“It is. After all, restoring a power that the world sorely needs is a noble deed any day of the week,” Remnant replied. He looked behind him and said “How are you holding up there, Vinyl?”

Vinyl, who was walking next to Applejack with a limp, said “I’m good. Limping, but good.”

They continued to walk for a little before Applejack asked Vinyl “where did ya learn ta used one of them fancy swords.”

Vinyl looked to the katana on her flank and smiled, “I learned in some kind of weird manual that fell out of one of them weird voids. I didn’t know what language it was written, so I had Twilight translate it with magic. So, after my DJ gigs, I kinda studied up on the techniques described in it and had one of the blacksmith ponies make the sword, with my own personal touches of course.”

“You two, we are almost there,” Remnant said as he looked at the map. “We could shock travel the rest of the way to Appleloosa.”

The two mares groaned “not again, you already shock traveled us into a nest of snakes,” Vinyl said.

“Besides, what’s the point if we’re near Appleloosa in the first place?” Applejack added.

“Alright, but you might regret it.”

The three walked until they could see Appleloosa in the setting sun. The scene itself was ordinary, but something was flying in the sky above the town, shrieking. The residents below were yelling at the figure in the sky, but the figure did not stop and dived for one of the ponies. The pony yelled in terror and ran into the saloon, while everybody else scattered.

Remnant stared at the figure in the sky. He suddenly broke into a gallop, with Applejack and Vinyl trying to keep up.

“What’s going on?” Vinyl asked, her limping gallop barely able to keep up with Applejack’s trotting.

“I have no clue.”

Remnant ran into the town of Appleloosa. The locals gave him strange looks, but he brushed those looks aside as he got closer to his objective.

The heir he was looking for was in the skies. While Remnant was glad he found the heir, the heir was out of reach for yelling and talking. Remnant also realized that the heir was shrieking up a storm, something that will raise a red flag for Celestia’s troops.

In a desperate bid to get the heir from screaming anymore, he dug into his pouch and brought out another stone. He threw his stone into the air, and once it was lined up with the target, Remnant let loose a small bolt of non-lethal lightning. The lightning struck home

The lightning struck true, and the heir fell out of the sky. The heir fell to the ground, but was caught by a large jungle pony. The jungle pony looked around in rage before spotting Remnant and shouting a command to attack. The jungle ponies that were with him, along with the ones they had previously encountered at the Sweet Apple Acres, brandished their weapons and began to charge.

Remnant was able to see a light green mare with a lyre cutie mark arguing with the lead jungle pony. The jungle pony pointed away from the battle, which the mare reluctantly obeyed his command and ran to the outskirts of Appleloosa.

Vinyl drew her katana out of its scabbard and held it to her face. The katana began to glow a light blue as it seemed to be charging. Vinyl yelled to Applejack and Remnant “Get to cover and cover your ears!”

She held the katana so the point of the blade hovered over the ground. When the hostile jungle ponies got closer, she drove the blade into the ground, causing a sound wave of bass to surge forth from the blade. The jungle ponies were sent flying into buildings and other structures of civilization. When they landed, the very few that were not knocked out were disoriented and could not hear, though the deafness would last for a few minutes.

Vinyl took her katana out of the ground and got in her fighting stance as the jungle ponies struggled to their hooves. Remnant and Applejack getting ready to engage in a brawl. Coyotl, seeing that his men were unfit for battle, drew his macuahuitl with his teeth and galloped at the trio, determined to defend his master.

The three were ready as Coyotl reared on his hind legs and put the macuahuitl in his hooves as he slid into the group of three and swung, and would of decapitated all three if Vinyl didn’t emit a bass soundwave before he swung.

The soundwave (or shockwave) blew him off his feet and sent him fifty yards down the street they were on. He landed and felt three of his ribs break on impact.

Coyotl got up, ribs flaring with pain, just in time for Vinyl to try to decapitate him. He avoided her sword and swung his macuahuitl at her, which she barely dodged and got nicked on the cheek.

Vinyl at this moment was cursing her leg wound. She dodged left and right, but couldn’t use the speed she was used to get in the opening and deal a blow

Remnant galloped to the fight, yelling at Coyotl that the group was on the jungle ponies’s side. But Coyotl didn’t listen, and as a result, did a 360 spin attack the Vinyl blocked, but was thrown and Remnant’s lance was sliced in two, making it useless. Vinyl struggled to get up because of her leg wound, and Coyotl noticed this. He said “should've healed up before engaging me in battle.” He raised his macuahuitl to deliver the final blow to Vinyl.

Applejack, mustering her courage, tackled the big stallion. Coyotl and Applejack tumbled together in the dirt and Applejack kicked the jungle pony in his broken ribs, causing further damage as Coyotl howled in pain. He broke away from the apple-bucker and was back on his hind legs, snarling and holding his side of his broken ribs.

It was here that Remnant charged another one of his stones, and sent it into the ground, causing an electrical wave. The electric zapped everybody except for Remnant and caused both members of both parties to stop fighting.

“That’s enough!” Remnant yelled. He walked over to Coyotl, who was down on all fours and taking in breath alongside Applejack. He said “we are here to help your quest. We are here to help you revive the sky serpents.”

Coyotl looked with disbelief. He kneeled and said “forgive me. But why did you strike Featherfang out of the sky?”

“The forgiveness was quick,” Vinyl noted.

“Because he would be spotted by Celestia’s forces.”

“Something that already happened.” a voice said.

Vinyl, Remnant, Applejack, Coyotl and his jungle pony warriors (just coming out of their bass-induced dazes) looked to the pony that said that.

The pony was none other than Erron Black, with a small regiment of Celestia’s army. The jungle ponies brought out their weapons while Erron stood on his hind feet and twirled his pistols with his hooves.

“You sure must be the most dysfunctional allies i’ve seen in awhile. Sorry for the interruption, but I have to kill you now.”

“Who are you?” Coyotl asked.

“Name’s Black, Erron Black.”

Featherfang had regained consciousness by now, and looked around and said “what happened?”

“Alright men, the objective is to capture or kill Featherfang, preferably capture.”

Erron fired one of his pistols, killing a jungle pony that was to the right of Coyotl. As soon as the jungle pony dropped dead, the two sides clashed in what could be only described as battle. Forelegs were cut off, ponies were speared, brains were blown out, ponies were disemboweled.

The sheer brutality and gore made Applejack sick and horrified. She was being led to safety by Vinyl, who was in no condition to fight in a battle like that. Both of them looked behind themselves as the battle raged.

Because of the blood, Featherfang’s blood-curse was in full throttle. Featherfang shrieked as he flew into Celestia’s forces, ignoring his wound and knocking over her soldiers. He shrieked as he tore out throats, crushed skulls and tore open abdomens with his teeth and tearing out the organs. He kicked a Celestian stallion in the head, splitting the un-helmeted warriors head, causing brains to spill. Featherfang turned around and snapped his jaws on the snout of another stallion, crushing the jaws and snout of his foe. He was an unstoppable killing machine.

Erron saw that he was killing most of the men, so he took the rifle off his back and chambered a round with his hooves. He had his sights set on the heir of the sky serpents.

Then, Coyotl tackled the outlaw. The two got up and faced off as Erron slowly put his rifle back on his back and took his tarkatan blade out. Coyotl himself twirled his macuahuitl with his hoof.

Then the two charged at each other.

While the two heroes fought, the battle at hand tipped in the Celestian favor. The jungle ponies put up a stiff resistance. But, one by one, were getting killed. True to the way of their warriors, they died as they lived.

The last of the jungle ponies and Remnant were getting cornered near the saloon. When another jungle pony dropped dead at Remnant’s feet, he took out another of his stones and aimed for the middle of the crowd of Celestia’s forces. He unleashed a thunderbolt that exploded and killed a good number of Celestian soldiers, but they still were outnumbered. The Celestian forces hesitated when they saw the electrical explosion, giving enough time for one of the jungle ponies to say to Remnant “go!”

Remnant shook his head “I will not-”

“Go, for Featherfang needs to reach the Forbidden Jungle. Please… complete the mission for us. We will hold them off for as long as we can, but you must save him, save our people.”

The jungle pony and his fellow warriors charged into the Celestian forces, hacking and slashing as best they can in an effort to take as many as they can with them.

Remnant galloped and jumped over numerous soldiers and tackled Featherfang as he was about to stomp on a downed soldier’s skull. Remnant used another K.O shock that rendered Featherfang unconscious. He used his electrical power to transform Featherfang and himself into bolts of lightning that landed outside of Appleloosa. Featherfang on his back, Remnant galloped to catch up with Vinyl and Applejack, who were on the way to the Badlands. He was unaware that Lyra Heartstrings was following him.

Meanwhile, the jungle warrior that told Remnant to bring Featherfang to the jungle was one of the last two jungle pony warriors standing. He managed to spear himself a Celestian soldier before he felt a battle axe slice off his left hind leg and then, before he fell, was impaled three different ways by spears. He knew that he was finished, and through his blood filled mouth, he gurgled “sorry… my beautiful...wife.”

He died standing on his only hind leg, the spears holding him up.

Coyotl was knocked to the ground, bleeding in several different places. Erron was a cool as ice, no sweat appeared on his brow. Erron didn’t even look tired in anyway. Coyotl was hurting on all places, and knew he had to complete the mission, no matter the cost.

Coyotl charged at Black, with all his power his body could muster packing into this one gamble of a blow. But Erron blocked the initial strike, which surprised Coyotl. He kicked Coyotl to the ground and pulled out his revolver.

Coyotl got up, worn out and in pain, staggered towards Erron. Erron fired and the bullet hit Coyotl in the gut, but Coyotl still moved forward. Erron fired again, right into one of Coyotls’ broken ribs. Coyotl kept going.

Erron unloaded ten more shots into Coyotl, Coyotl kept going.

Erron put the tarkatan blade on his back and trotted up to Coyotl and hit Coyotl in the face with his revolver. He stood on his hind legs, brought his other revolver, and shot Coyotl in the knee of his right and left hind legs.

Coyotl was using his forelegs to keep himself up, his hind legs useless. He muttered to himself, knowing that he was breathing his last with punctured lungs. He said “My lord, be safe.”

Erron had a revolver at point-blank range and fired, ending the life of Coyotl.

******

Kenshi dodged this way and that to avoid the spear heads of Celestia's royal guards. He decapitated one guard and impaled another. He pointed at one pony, causing the pony’s spine to fly out of his body, killing him instantly. Kenshi then telepathically threw his sword into another guards and did a bout of hoofsticuffs with another guard. He punched the guard a couple of times and then bucked the poor guard with so much power, the pony's hind legs flew off. Sento came back to his hoof and Kenshi turned to slice a guard in half, severed intestines and other organs flying out of the body.

Kenshi put Sento back into its scabbard and took off down the hallway, heading to the courtyard. He had to get out of Canterlot, because he just so happened to stumble upon Celestia's darkest secret.

Kenshi ran into the courtyard and was confronted by a manticore. The monster roared as it held its tail up high, ready to strike.

Kenshi pulled Sento out of its scabbard and got in his fighting stance, ready to strike.

The manticore ran at Kenshi and swiped at the blind stallion, but Kenshi calmly dodged to the left and sliced off the creature’s foreleg off with a quick swipe from Sento. The manticore roared in agony and attempted to skewer him with its scorpion tail. Kenshi dodged to the right, and grabbed the tail. He punched the side of the tail stinger, breaking the stinger and rupturing the venom gland, causing poison to spray everywhere. Luckily, none landed in Kenshi’s mouth.

The manticore roared and attempted to bite Kenshi, but instead got his teeth kicked in. Kenshi figured that his dance with the manticore was done, and rammed his sword into the manticore’s head, killing it.

Kenshi put Sento back in its scabbard and was ready to jet again when he heard “Impressive, not even the manticore could stop you.”

Kenshi said, “with all do respect Twilight Sparkle, shouldn't you be somewhere else?”

Twilight Sparkle landed about ten feet away from with Shining Armor and another guard flanking her. “I don’t think so. I will not let you spill my mentor’s secrets.”

Kenshi Turned to them, his blindfold flapping in the wind, “I really don’t want to kill you.”

“Neither do I, but you’re betraying Celestia.” Twilight growled.

“I seek to stop her madness! She plans to commit vast genocide on a people that isn’t a threat!”

“They are about to try to awaken an evil god, they must be stopped!”

She looked at Shining Armor, And he nodded.

Shining Armor drew his sword with his teeth. He galloped at Kenshi, determined to slice the blind swordsman in half.

Kenshi put his hoof to the hilt of the sword and calmly waited for Shining armor’s approach.

Shining Armor reached Kenshi, driving a wild arc of blade towards the blind swordsman. Kenshi blocked the attack, and answered with a attack of his own. Shining Armor blocked the attack with difficulty, but managed to push Kenshi back. Shining Armor went to go attack again, but Kenshi bucked his sword out of his hand and followed up with some strikes to the face. Shining Armor produced a dagger from his armour and tried to stab the swordsman. Alas, Kenshi put his hoof on Shining Armor’s to stop the knife, with Shining Armor doing all he can to drive the knife home. But, Kenshi held one of his hooves up and Sento appeared. Kenshi took hold of the blade.

He rammed it down Shining armor’s throat, spraying the courtyard with blood, ending the life of the finest guard in the entire kingdom. With Twilight’s scream of despair shaking the castle as Kenshi withdrawn Sento from Shining Armor. Shining Armor slumped to the ground, gurgling his own blood.

Kenshi put Sento back in its scabbard and ran out of the courtyard, with reinforcements chasing him.

When the last of the guards galloped past her, she ran to her brother's corpse, weeping bitter tears.

And swearing revenge.

*******

For the next two days in the Badlands, nopony spoke a word about Appleloosa.

The group was weary of how everything went to tartarus in a basket. All the death, all the chasing, all the sorrow.

Featherfang felt the most sorrowful of all. He finally found a group of people that respect him instead of reject him. But they were killed, believing he was their salvation. He cursed himself, he cursed his bloodline and his existence. He felt that he ultimately betrayed their trust. After all, if he was their salvation, wouldn’t he have some kind of power that would of protected them in combat, a power that he could used to save them?

Lyra sensed the self loathing the Featherfang was putting himself though, and tried to assuage the grief by telling jokes and telling him stories of happyness. The stories themselves fell on deaf ears.

The group made camp near a plateau, silence filled the camp with an air of mourning. After cutting down a dead tree that somehow was in the middle of the Badlands, Remnant made and stroked the fire, his mind thinking about what did the jungle pony’s last moments looked like.

Applejack was desperate to get the mood to lighten up. She was looking for something to do to get her mind off the things she saw yesterday when she wandered away from the camp. She was about to collect some rocks when she noticed a faint light coming from behind a boulder. She looked back to see the camp. Already it looked like a candle flame from where she was standing on all fours.

She cautiously looked behind the boulder to see another one of those void things, just sitting there. Particles flowed to and from it. It let out a soft hum.

Applejack approached the void, studying it. She put her left hoof into it, where it disappeared. She took her hoof out of the void and examined her hoof, to find no damage done. Applejack was tempted to see where the void led, to jump through it and see if what other world is on the other side. But, before she could, the void rippled and began to hum loudly. Applejack backed away as the void began to ripple even more. It stopped humming. Soon, an earth pony slowly fell from the void. The earth pony was colored white, with red armor and white cloth. The stallions mane was brown, shaggy and spiky. His face was visible, but the red armor outlined his head. He had a katana at his right flank that looked pretty ornate.

The earth pony got up and looked around in bewilderment. He finally spotted Applejack and stood on his hind legs. He unsheathed his katana that crackled with electricity. He took a one step forward, then brought his blade up to block a blow from Vinyl Scratch as she appeared out of nowhere. She landed next to Applejack.

“There are samurai in this land?” He said as he locked his Raijinto with Vinyls’ katana.

Author's Note

Yep, I'm including him. Figured that Vinyl would need a sensei of sorts.
Anyway, stay tuned as battles take place in two different areas and see Luna deploy her greatest assets yet, The Knights Lunar!

Heritage, and the Knights Lunar

Chapter 4: Heritage, The Knights Lunar.

Kenshi ran as fast as he could, trying to escape a force of Pegasus soldiers that sounded more than happy to attempt to put his head on a spike.

In the distance, Kenshi could sense a castle. The castle itself was about a normal size for a castle, complete with a moat and drawbridge. It's deep blue flag had a silver star in the middle of a moon. Common infantry patrolled the ramparts and soon saw Kenshi running from the Pegasus’ of Celestia.

Almost immediately the castle horn sounded throughout the surrounding area. Kenshi waved his arms, hoping to his ancestors that friendlies were up ahead.

The gate opened and Kenshi ran into the castle. The drawbridge was raised and the infantry on the walls brought out their bows.

The party of Celestia halted gave shouts of outrage.

Then, a steel-plated armored earth pony appeared on the walls. His armor that covered him from head to hoof glittered as the first rays of dawn hit the castle. He had a bastard sword hanging on his flank and a stallion greathelm covering his head. The stallion also wore a surcoat over his armor that had the same symbol of the flag of the fort on it.

“I Demand to know why you soldiers of Celestia are hunting the stallion that came in my castle?” The knight spoke with a voice that seemed to echo throughout the castle.

The pegasus captain sneered, “We have orders to hunt him down and kill him.”

“Then where is the warrant? How come I was not informed of this?” the knight asked.

“I don't have time for games. Hand him over! He is responsible for killing most of the royal guard and Shining Armor!” the Pegasus captain yelled.

The knight looked at Kenshi and stomped his hoof, causing some soldiers to surround the blind swordsman. Kenshi drew his sword and knew he couldn't get out of this one. He was tired and hungry, not making it a good combo to fight soldiers.

As the soldiers were about to skewer Kenshi, a voice said “stop!”

Everyone turned to see Luna herself descend from the sky. The knight immediately knelt, as did the entirety of the soldiers of the fort.

“Sir Lance Pierce Lunar, how are you?”

“I'm fine marelady. I kept the castle in top shape during your absence.”

Luna turned to the Celestian soldiers and said, “I will deal with Kenshi.”

The soldiers, with a huff, flew down to the field in front of the castle, talking amongst themselves. Luna trotted to the kneeling knight and said, “Yes, he is an outlaw that has killed our royal guards and Shining Armor.”

“Then shall we capture him?” asked Lance.

“Yes, but I will interrogate him.”

“Then allow me to join you Marelady, for I cannot let you go near him alone,” the knight said.

Luna shook her head, “I cannot let you come with me, for you need to oversee the defenses of the castle. There will be no doubt that his friends will try to rescue him.”

Kenshi rose an eyebrow in confusion on Luna's’ latest words. He didn't think he had any friends coming to get him. All his friends were in Earthrealm.

The guards then binder him and picked him up to toss him into a dungeon cell.

As the soldiers did so, Lance pulled Luna aside. “Marelady, I cannot let you go to this... Kenshi without someone to guard you, for I fear for what will happen to you.”

Luna frowned, but Lance had a point. What Luna planned to do was a major gamble, and there was a chance that Kenshi will kill her or break free, but, she had to know the truth.

“Maybe your squire is ready for his first assignment. “

Lance shook his head, “you can't be serious, The sleipnir can har-”

Luna fixed him a cold stare and said, “the sleipnir will guard me. That's an order.”

Lance reluctantly nodded and made his way to fetch his squire. Luna turned around and headed for the dungeon.

{******}

Luna commanded the guards to open the cell that held Kenshi captive. Kenshi heard her come in, for his sense of touch, smell and hearing, as well as his psychic abilities was all he had since they took Sento from him. Not that he is helpless without it.

Luna gave him a smile and said, “greetings Kenshi.”

“I'm not sure I should be honored, or disgusted,” Kenshi said with venom dripping from his voice, “I suppose it's off to the gallows with me, but I'm warning you, I will escape.”

The Lunar soldiers moved to make him pay for the insult, but Luna closed the cell door and told them not to interfere.

Luna dismissed the Lunar soldiers and said,”Kenshi, I must know what my sister is planning to do, she was rambling about you stealing some secrets from her own personal archives, I must know about her plans immediately.”

“You… truly don't know, do you?” Kenshi said with surprise, “I can read you… and you seem completely honest, wait… I feel something, an attraction.”

Luna’s face started blushing.

“I only felt these waves of emotion when I read Suchin’s mind. Why is this…” Kenshi lifted his face and said with surprise,”you… you have affections for me?!”

A voice yelled “marelady Luna! You down here?”

“I’m here, Helm Lunar.”

A stallion that was about the same age and height as Big Mac came to the cell and entered it. This pony had a grey coat with a jet black mane and covered in chainmail with a surcoat depicting the Knights Lunar coat of arms. His eyes were winter green in color. But the strangest part was the four extra legs he had. He waited patiently and eyed Kenshi to ensure that the blind stallion did not attempt to harm Luna.

Luna said nothing for a minute, then said, “what are my sister’s plans?”

Kenshi replied, “mass genocide in the Forbidden Jungle and after that, lead a campaign into the Undiscovered West.”

“You dare lie to a princess?!” Helm snarled. He turned to Luna to ask if her could bitch slap the shit out of Kenshi, but Luna looked like she was about to cry.

“Marelady? Is something wrong?” Helm asked.

Luna looked up with tearful eyes and said, “yes, because I helped conceive the plan. Ever since the plan came into this world, it bothers my conscious when I sleeps eat or when i'm lost in thoughts, all alone. It is driving me mad with grief and guilt. That is why i’m questioning Kenshi, that’s why i’m rebelling against her.”

“Marelady… you can’t mean-” Helm began.

“-Marelady, the fortifications are secure and are ready for action,” shouted Lance into the dungeon. Luna nodded to the guards. The guards then entered the cell and began to unbind Kenshi.

“Marelady! Why are we freeing him?!” Helm said with absolute horror.

“Helm… Please try to understand,” Luna said.

One of the guards brought Kenshi his sword. Kenshi put it back in its scabbard and thanked the guard.

“Kenshi, you have the option to run from this place. This place will be attacked by Celestia before long. You can leave and protect the jungle from a massacre. Or, you can stay with us to make a final stand.. The choice is yours.”

Kenshi scanned all the ponies’s minds and found a foreboding sense of sadness and courage and fear.

Kenshi listened to the whispering words of his ancestors in Sento, and said, “I will stand with the Knights Lunar.”

Everypony was shocked that he chose to stand with him, even Luna. Helm then slowly trotted up to him and asked why.

To which, Kenshi answered, “Sento has informed me that there is another group traveling to the Forbidden Jungle to revive the serpent ponies. I believe they are more than capable of keeping the jungle safe. Plus, you could always use someone like me.”

Absolute shock and awe filled the room.

“Now, let’s prepare for the followers of the sun.

{******}

After a day in the bone-dry Badlands, Featherfang and company have reached the borders of the Forbidden Jungle. Featherfang could get an aura of awe and dread that the jungle seemed to radiate. It also radiated a sense of undiscovered beauty. The company agreed to try and find a water source as they stepped into the jungle, with Featherfang’s thoughts on something else.

Featherfang thought,

Lyra then trotted next to him, “Hey, Featherfang.”

Featherfang nodded and said hi back.

“I just wanted to thank you for helping me out, even though it was a bit unconventional,” Lyra said.

Featherfang shrugged, “I did what I thought was right, no need to thank me.”

“Still…” Lyra said with a blush, “I just wanted you to know.”

“Hey, guys! We found water!” Vinyl and Applejack said together with Remnant and Ryoma not far behind them.Ryoma the stallion had came from another dimension like Erron and Kenshi had, but from a different world, a world that he wanted to get back to badly. But he decided to join the group, teach Vinyl the way of the sword, and get back home so he can continued his search for somebody named Corrin before the Nohrians can get to him.

They all came across a stream that had a waterfall a couple feet away from them. The mist the waterfall produced only made them more thirsty, so Applejack and Vinyl and Lyra dashed to the water and drank like they never drank in their life. Ryoma was still getting used to his new stallion body, so he tried to cup the water with his hooves, which failed and reluctantly stuck his snout in the water and began to drink. Remnant and Featherfang both calmly drank the water.

When they were done, the all jumped in the water to wash off the dirt and dust from the Badlands.

Refreshed and energized, the group began their trek through the Forbidden Jungle.

Not even an hour into the jungle, a thunderstorm appeared. The rain was a practical jungle tsunami, but they pressed on. But even they knew they needed to seek shelter.

Soon they came across something similar to shelter, but about 20% cooler.

A massive jungle pyramid jutted out from the rainforest. It stood as it dominated these parts of the jungle for thousands of years. Its ancient stonework was inscribed with so many symbols and etching that not one knew about, but Featherfang felt a strange connection with. Remnant said, “we should probably spend the night in the pyramid, the storm isn’t letting up.”

“I agree,” said Ryoma, “the rain will bog down our progress.”

As everyone went to the pyramid, Remnant gave them a warning, “Don’t touch anything, and anything can still be alive in there.”

The group went up the steps of the pyramid that was practically five stories worth of stairs. They reached the top, breathing heavily, and noticed the temple on top with them.

“What's that?” Featherfang asked.

Remnant looked back to the group, “a temple to a jungle spirit.”

Featherfang began to take steps forward, mesmerized by the patterns of the temple. He could hear faint chanting coming from the temple, chanting, calling his name.

Featherfang turned to Remnant and said, “Let's get inside, let's get out of the rain.”

Remnant nodded and everybody went inside the temple.

Inside the temple was an altar with a pony’s skeletal remains played upon and a shriveled heart was in the stone mouth of some statue of a reptilian creature that looked like a dragon, but was not.

Applejack gulped and asked, “what spirit is this temple dedicated to?”

“Sugrotl, the earth shaker, lord of jungle rivers and lakes, also lord of dinosaurs” Featherfang said.

Everybody looked at him like he had two heads. Remnant asked how he knew that. Ryoma asked him what a dinosaur was.

Featherfang shook his head, “I-I don't know, it just came to me.”

“It must be your heritage-Hey what are you doing?!”

Featherfang was walking towards the stone, reaching for the heart.

“Somebody stop him!” Remnant cried as he ran towards Featherfang. Applejack managed to tackle the hybrid. But Featherfang hissed and stood up like nopony was on his back and continued to walk towards the statue. Vinyl got in his way, but was tossed aside onto the cold stone floor. Lyra attempted to see if Vinyl was alright while Ryoma and Remnant tried to help Applejack pin Featherfang. Featherfang only hissed and shook all three of them off, sending them into the temple walls. With everyone dazed, Featherfang reached out and grabbed the heart from the stone jaws of the statue.

Remnant screamed, “No, Featherfang!” As Featherfang drank the old blood from the heart.

From the blood, many things simply unlocked within Featherfang. All the sudden, he knew what the engravings meant on the wall, and felt a surge of power, both physically and magically. He erased all dobts about his father. And he suddenly understood the most basic of spells for a banned and forbidden type of magic- Blood Magic.

Out of his trance, Featherfang took a sharp breath and exhaled slowly, trying to understand what the fuck just happened.

Remnant shouted, “you son of a bitch! Do you know what you just did?!”

Then the floor began to shake.

Ryoma looked out the door and said, “something BIG is coming up the pyramid!”

Remnant had absolute horror written all over his face with such inspiring words like, “we're fucked,” coming out of his mouth.

The crew ran to the farthest wall, cornered and frightened out of their minds, except for Ryoma and Featherfang, with Ryoma having his Raijinto ready for action and Featherfang holding his chin high.

Suddenly, A giant bipedal dinosaur’s head appeared in the doorway to the small temple. Its slender snout flashed its conical teeth as it scanned the temple and spotted the group at the farthest wall. It let out a earth-shattering roar as the spinosaurus tried to squirm its way through the door with no such luck. It then roared in frustration and withdrawn itself from the doorway.

As the group stood there in shock, a stream of water entered the temple. It pooled in front of the altar that the pony skeleton layed. With sudden force, the water shot upward like a geyser and the water formed into the same terrible lizard that tried to force its way into the temple. The gargantuan beast roared and moved its drooling snout closer to the crew. Remnant got one of his stones in his hoof, still muttering about how fucked they are, Ryoma raised his katana, and both were about to strike.

But what stood between the gargantuan beast and the grim-faced adventurers, was the hybrid himself.

The dinosaur narrowed his eyes and spoke, “who DARES take my sacrificail heart?!”

“It was I, great and powerful Sugrotl,” Featherfang said.

The spirit let out an amused sound, and then sniffed the air,”It seems that one of you are not what they seem. I sense power among you. A power of winds and storms.” The spirit turned to Featherfang and said, “it’s you.”

Featherfang knew who this spirit was and what it is capable of doing, and he even knew the relationship between his father and Sugrotl. So, Featherfang spoke, “Indeed it comes from me, for I am the prophesized heir of the Serponies, the son of Quetzalcoatl.”

The spinosaurus gave a hearty laughter that shook the temple. He fixed his eyes on Featherfang, “So, Quetzalcoatl did get some plot after all, eh?

“Wha-

“ I thought that the people were off their rockers when they foretold that one, but I guess they were true. Anyways, now I understand why you took my sacrificial heart, you needed it more than I do.”

“So you forgive us?”

“I guess I do,” Sugrotl said, “After all these years waiting in the jungle rivers and lakes, I will finally crush Ahuitzotl’s regime.”

“Wait,” said Featherfang, “you survived the war?”

“I did, and even fought that dreaded ancestor and sword Apocalypse and almost died.” Sugrotl said with a hint of pride and sadness.

“Are there any Serponies around here?” Asked Lyra, who finally had the courage to say something.

Sugrotl took one look at Lyra and grinned, making everybody a bit nervous. He said, “that's funny, she is completely oblivious to what will happen to her.”

“What will happen to me?” Lyra squeaked.

“Nothing bad, just be ready to be treated like a queen.”

If question marks were physical, they would appear on the company’s heads.

The spirit motioned them to get out of the temple and they complied. After turning back into his physical form, Sugrotl said, “I will help you reach the Serponies. As soon as we get to the river, climb into my neck. Featherfang, you will have to fly, but fly low, we cannot risk you getting spotted by Ahuizotl’s men.”

Everyone nodded, and they descended from the pyramid.

{******}

It was mid afternoon when Celestia’s armies arrived. Wave after wave of golden armored troops, numbering at two-thousand. Every soldier was armed to the teeth and brought along their siege engines with them as well as the pegasus aerial knights. All they were doing was waiting for Celestia herself to arrive.

In the Knights Lunar castle, the knights were just as ready for the Celestians as the Celestians were for them. The foot soldiers only wore chainmail with snouted helms and carried a spear. They also had daggers and bows. The ones that have endured the training and trials that had become full-fledged knights had fully articulated steel plate armor. Some wore pigface bascinet helms and some wore stallion great helms. Each knight was equipped with a flail and bastard sword, with a dagger to the side. They wore a surcoat over their armor that depicted the Knights Lunar symbol.

Sir Lance was in front of the knights, his armor gleaming. He gave a quick nod to Luna to let her know that the five-hundred infantry and the fifty armored knights were ready. Luna gave a grim nod and flew to the gate and landed on top of it, a clear indication that she was waiting for Celestia to talk with her. When Celestia did arrive, the first thing she did was fly to Celestia to talk terms.

“Welcome sister,” Luna said.

“Luna, what is the meaning of this?”

“I can’t do it anymore, sister. I can't go to sleep knowing full well that I was part of creating a genocidal war. Please, cancel the plan so your hooves aren't stained with the blood of the innocent. Don't make me do this to you,“ Luna Pleaded.

“So you are willing to fight your own sister…” Celestia said shaking her head.

“Sister?”

Celestia turned to the her army and spoke, “bring down this castle, bring down those who would dare arm themselves against us. Cut their throats and pride, kill them all!”

The Celestian army cheered and began their assault

Luna gave her sister a horrified look and flew back to Lance, Lance in turn signalled the archers to do some damage and shoot down any aerial soldiers. Kenshi was there with the archers on the battlements, using his powers to bring down aerial soldiers, slamming them into the ground. The Celestia army then began to move their siege towers that were pulled by teams of two manticores. Helm, who was newly knighted before the battle, whose custom steel plate armor that was built for someone like him, and great helm shined in the daylight, pointed with his one-hoof sword at the manticores and shouted, “fire at the manticores, if they can't pull the siege towers, no one can!”

The force of archers split their attention. Half continued to fire at any pegasus soldiers, and the other half fired away at the manticores. Some foot soldiers were manning the ballistas and we're firing massive ballistas bolts at the manticores, killing them a lot faster than normal arrows.

However, Celestia ordered the catapults to be used, causing some casualties on the Knights Lunar side as the boulders came crashing down upon the battlements and walls of the castle, squashing some ponies. Some soldiers cringed, but continued to fight.

As soon as the manticores were down and out, the Celestian army began to move their shielded battering ram. Helm immediately shouted at the archers to fire at the chunks and gaps in the shield wall defence that was around the battering ram from the side and ordered the ballistas to try to pierce the armor that was equipped on the ram from the top. As the Celestian soldiers had difficulties defending the ram, Celestia began to cast a spell. This spell weakened the front wall near the gate, and Celestia ordered a catapult team to aim for the wall. The team recalculated the aim of the catapult and loaded it with a boulder. Then they let it fly.

Helm was giving new orders on top of the gate when he saw a strange glow come from the front wall, and then saw the boulder sailing through the air. Before he could say, “oh shit,” the boulder smashed into the castle wall and obliterated the stone wall. Screaming soldiers fell to their deaths and some lucky souls survived the fall.

With the a breach in their defenses made, the Knights Lunar lined up behind the breached wall, determined to hold the enemy. As the Celestians charged, Lance led half of the full-fledged knights to aid in the breach defence. Helm continued to order the soldiers on the intact walls to continue firing.

As the Celestian army clashed with the Knights Lunar, they found out quickly that the Knights were the better trained warriors. The infantry was on equal terms with the Celestian soldiers, but the steel-plated knights were an absolute threat on the battlefield. They effortlessly swung their swords, causing decapitation and slicing foes in half and from limb. Those that found themselves under the attack of a flail had their skulls smashed like a hammer smashing a grape and making the Celestial armor next to worthless.

While the knights were focusing on the breached wall, Celestia began to use magic to animate two of the siege towers to walk on their own. Seeing the armored siege towers move toward his position, Helm picked up his custom shield that allowed both right arms to hold the shield and picked up his sword. He stood on his four rear legs and commanded some soldiers to follow him. As the towers got closer, Helm closed his eyes and looked back to see the soldiers that will fight- and die, just to protect the castle and Luna.

As soon as the tower bridge dropped, the Celestian forces charged from the siege tower and met the Knights Lunar head on.

Helm shield bashed one Celestian off the bridge to his death and swung his sword into another Celestian. As he withdrew his sword from the Celestian corpse, spraying blood everywhere, three Celestians tackled the sleipnir and together they tumbled down the stone stairs that led to the besieged wall.

Helm got up quickly and saw that his shield has gone missing. Completely forgetting the missing shield and gripped the one-hoof sword in all for foreleg hooves. The first Celestian charged him and he quickly cut him down. The second and third charged Celestians charged him. Helm blocked one blow from the third Celestian’s spear and parried the second’s sword. He then charged the third one and ran him through, then pulled his word out, disemboweling the soldier. The other Celestian soldier managed to land a blow on his armored flank, but the blow bounced of the armor harmlessly. Helm turned around and sliced his weapon leg off and spun, decapitating the soldier.

Helm then took a deep breath and looked around him. He saw that the defence he led had held and is now destroying the siege tower, the archers are still firing at the Celestian forces and his mentor and the other full-fledged knights are holding back the enemy, inflicting heavy casualties. But some soldiers slipped through the line and were heading for him. Shouting a battlecry, Helm charged at them, ready to tear them apart.

Meanwhile, Celestia was less than pleased to see her troops getting slaughtered by the knights and decided to cut the head off the snake.

Celestia had a sword that was hanging on her flank that was black in color and emanated dark energies that even the gods fear. She spread her wings and bolted into the sky.

Luna spotted her sister coming at her, so Luna brought out her one-hooved, pointed crossguard flamberge called Moonbolt and flew towards her sister, ready to do what is necessary.

The two locked blades in the sky, the swords themselves creating a sonic boom when they connected.

Immediately everybody stopped fighting and watched the two sisters fight in the sky. Both unleashed their swords in archaic fighting styles with Celestia as the aggressor and Luna the defender.

“Are you MAD?! Why did you bring that sword?!” Luna cried as she blocked the sword Celestia swung with utmost fury.

“Because i’ll need it later on,” Celestia hissed and performed a downward strike, intent on breaking Luna’s guard. Luna’s Moonbolt instead sent the blocking vibrations back to Celestia, almost causing the sister of the sun to drop her blade. Celestia growled and struck again and again the vibrations annoyed her and almost caused her to fumble her weapon. Celestia then used her magic to send her sister into a castle tower that collapsed on her sister. Moonbolt fell from the tower and landed on the ground, hilt up.

The Knight Lunars were furious. They resumed their attack on the Celestians. Their fury was quickly pushing the Celestians back onto the field surrounding the castle.

The ferocity of the counter attack was lead by Sir Lance himself and his knight brothers. They smashed with flails, cut down with swords both two-hooved and one-hooved swords, skewered and chopped with halberds, and rammed lances and spears into their enemies.

The Celestian force was completely thrown into chaos and confusion, which made it easier for the Knights Lunar to kill Celestians.

See her lines break and getting heavy casualties, Celestia ordered a retreat for her army and swooped down and landed in front of Sir Lance as he finished killing five Celestian soldiers with one stroke of his bastard sword.

Lance lowered his head and charged at Celestia. Celestai blocked his incoming blows and fought against the seasoned knight. He was certainly more of a challenge.

Celestia slashed at his neck, which he parried and countered with a downward stroke, his sword biting into Celestia’s armor. Celestia yelled in pain and slashed at his belly, her legendary blade finding difficulty trying to get through the armor. She jumped back and evaluated her enemy.

“A valiant effort, Celestia,” Sir Lances’s voice seemed to ring from his helm, “But in terms of swordplay, you are outmatched.”

Celestia raised her sword, “But not in power.”

Her sword glowed in an even darker shade of black than it was before and the sword levitated from her hoof. It then became a black ball of fire and headed to the knight. Sir Lance tried to block the attack in vain, but instead was consumed by the black fire in a fiery explosion.

When the dust cleared, What was left of Sir Lance was a blackened steel plate and a scorched body underneath. The sword appeared in Celestia’s hooves and Celestia spread her wings and flew off after her army.

{******}

Helm slowly trotted his way through the smoke of the breached wall and battlefield, listening to the cries of victory and the chanting of the Knight Lunar’s oath. He wandered into the courtyard, coming across Moonbolt. The blade that was said to bee craffted from iron found inside a meteor that came from the moon itself.

Helm cautiously grabbed the divine sword and slowly withdrew it from the ground. The sword felt light and was just his size. The blade hummed as he held it close to his face to see the engraved filly on it holding the moon, with the moon shedding a tear despite the engraving showing no eyes or mouth.

Then a flashback tore into his mind.

He saw one shining colt and one silvery filly, playing together in the sky, and the sun and moon appeared together in the sky. He saw the primitive armies of an imposing stallion with the same mane as Luna and Celestia’s coat. He hefted the same black blade that Celestia used in the battle and pointed it to the two young ponies in the sky. The playful ponies quickly grew violent and started raining fire and silvery lightning at the army and their apparent commander, the stallion. The stallion then let go of the sword and the sword flew at the two young ponies. It slashed the shining one, killing it. It then flew at the now crying filly and killed her as her tears began to fall. As their bodies disintegrated, two orbs of light, one greyish-white and the other fiery yellow and orange floated down and the stallion grabbed them and left with his depleted army.

Helm then turned to see Luna standing at the entrance of the courtyard. The royal sister trotted up to him, “the sword chose you.”

Helm raised an eyebrow, “the sword chose me?”

“Indeed it has. I may be the one who controls the moon, but I clearly need to undergo more training to make myself worthy to hold it again. Therefore, can I count on you to keep it for me, until I am stronger?”

Helm knelt at her hooves and sai, “with my life.”

Luna gave him the sheath for Moonbolt and he put it inside the sheath.

He got up and followed Luna out of the courtyard and the two went outside the breach to see the knights retrieving the wounded and dead.

“Marelady Luna, did Lance survive?” Helm asked.

Luna was silent, which confirmed his suspicion.

He then let out a single tear of mourning, for he knew that his former master would scold him for lamenting his death. Still, he mourned in silence.

And Moonbolt materialized silver droplets on its blade.

Revelations

Chapter 5: Revelation.

Helm knew that he was leading a campaign that targeted Celestia and her kingdom, a campaign that has failed every time a villain or some power-hungry fool wanted the Canterlot throne.

Helm knew that the Knights Lunar will be hunted by Celestia's army, he knew that he might have to face Celestia in combat, he knew that he could not fail.

Luna had recently promoted him to Knight Grandmaster, thus making him the leader of the Knights Lunar. A huge burden to be sure, but Luna seemed to think that he was the one to lead, despite there being older and wiser knights before him.

Moonbolt and Sir Lance’s sword weighted heavily on his flank and back as he made his way to the town of Hollow Shades. It will be in Hollow Shades where he will visit the Temple of the Moon.

Helm knew he needed guidance, a guidance that he can only find in the temple.

Luna told him that the Temple is the final resting place of the goddess of the Moon after her ancestor killed her with Apocalypse. It was here that Moonbolt was forged, and it was here that Luna inherited the Moon itself.

Helm made his way through Hollow Shades. The town was populated entirely by bat ponies, who were suspicious of outsiders, but greeted him with warm and sharp smiles when they saw his Knights Lunar symbol on his surcoat. The knights have always had close relations with the bat ponies, for they have sent donations and guards to help Hollow Shades and the bat ponies have always sent their best warriors to join the Knights. Heck, Helm was engaged, and knew a couple of his friends that are engaged to bat pony mares. Helm even caught a group of mares batting their lashes and squealing and shrieking with delight and blushing when they looked him over. Even the stallions gave him a smile and acknowledging nod.

Helm smiled under his helm as he received a hero’s welcome, but frowned when he began to think about Celestia and how would she view this town after the Battle of Lunar Keep. After all, she would be foolish to turn a blind eye on Hollow Shades.

The bat ponies began to follow him, squealing and shrieking. To the untrained ear, this would produce a headache. But this was nothing short of a parade, a parade of a hero.

He ended up in the town square, with the gothic treehouses surrounding the square. In front of him was the temple and to the left was the town hall, and to the right was the midnight market. A fountain was in the middle with the mayor and his daughter, Moon Sliver.

Helm kneeled before the mayor, to which the mayor responded in kind. His daughter trotted up to Helm and the crowd grew silent.

“Where have you been this whole time?” Moon Sliver asked.

“Knightly duties and such. How are you?”

Moon Sliver rolled her eyes and planted a kiss on his lips, making the crowd go wild.

She whispered, “as awkward as ever,” into Helm’s ear.

Helm could only smile.

“What brings you here, Helm Lunar,” the mayor asked.

“First, to see your lovely daughter. Secondly, I seek audience with the spirit of the Goddess of the Moon.” Helm answered.

The mayor’s face went sour, as did concern grow on Moon Sliver’s face.

“Is something wrong?” Helm asked.

“The spirit of the goddess is restless. She suddenly awoke and started to drive away anypony that is not a priest or a member of the choir. She says she is waiting for somepony…” the mayor said.

“Maybe it's me she's waiting for,” Helm guessed, “After all, I'm carrying Moonbolt.” Helm drawn the legendary sword from its scabbard and held it aloft.

The bat ponies stared in awe as the light coming off the glowing mushrooms gave the flamberge a soft gleam.

Moon Sliver tugged on his surcoat with her teeth, indicating that she wanted to show him something, which also gotten laughs from the crowd.

“I'm not sure I have time, I got to-” Helm started.

“Oh no you don't,” said Moon Sliver with a twitching, mischievous smile as she clamped down on his surcoat and spread her wings. Helm’s eyes widened as he realized what she was going to do. He opened his mouth to tell her to not even think about what she was indicating she was going to do, but before he could, she took to the skies with Helm in tow. You see, Helm had a fear of heights, and he tried not to scream in terror as Moon Sliver flew to her tree house.

She then proceeded to unceremoniously toss him through a hole for a window and into the living room.

Helm groaned as he got up off the soft wood floor and checked his armor for any dents. After not finding a single dent or scratch, he climbed up the stairs, knowing that Moon Sliver was already in her room waiting for him. Helm entered her room to see her in some kind of armor.

“Like it?” she asked.

“What kind of armor is it?”

“According to this book, it said that this armor was worn by a type of warrior called a samurai. Of course I had to modify the back for my wings, but other than that, it's really cool,” Moon Sliver said.

Although the armor looked cool, Helm could sense that his armor is superior to hers, but decided not to bring that up.

Moon Sliver then took off her helmet and brought out some sort of slashing spear.

Helm raised an eyebrow when he saw the weapon, “what's this?” he asked.

Moon gave it a twirl before handing it to him saying, “this is called a naginata. Pretty awesome, right?”

Helm nodded in agreement, but decided he would stick to his polearms.

He asked, “where did you get all this stuff?”

“Some weird portal opened up outside of town and a manual dropped out of it before the Royal Guard closed it. I was able to bring it to the captain of the town guard who was an able mage, and he translated the entire book. Since then, we have been forging the weapons with the instructions found in the book. Currently, we are trying to train the guard to use them.”

Helm only nodded and continued their conversation well into the night.

(******)

Helm woke from his sleep. He looked around and found Moon Sliver curled up next to him, worn out from the previous day.

He slowly climbed out the bed to avoid disturbing her. He put on his armor slowly as well to prevent clanking and other metallic sounds that could wake her up. After strapping Moonbolt and Sir Lance’s sword to the appropriate places, Helm went over to his bride-to-be and planted a kiss on her cheek, making her unconsciously smile.

After he exited her tree house, Helm made his way into town. He looked to the canopy to see the time of day it was, but could not see through the trees. After the ten minute walk, he came into the town square and stopped in front of the Temple.

“Here goes nothing,” Helm muttered to himself and walked up the Temple steps. He took a deep breath and pushed aside the twenty-foot double doors and went inside.

The first thing he heard was the sound of chanting by the choir.

“Salve Regina,” they chanted, “deam Luna!” they shouted in high crescendo.

The temple was huge. The roof seemed massive from the ground. In the middle of the roof was a stain glass window that confirmed that it was nighttime, and the Moon was waning. It was dark, but the Moon lit up the place with silvery light. They also had an altar made of cherry wood and on top of that altar was a silver platter surrounded by glass. Curious, Helm trotted over to the altar and looked to see that the platter contained a silver unicorn horn, the Horn of Destiny, cut from the Moon goddess herself.

While he admired the gothic and dark architecture of the temple, a Moon priestess came up to Helm. Moon priestesses are always mares, and stallions are not allowed to become one. However, either sex can become a choir member.

“Are you Helm Lunar?” The priestess asked.

“Indeed, I am,” Helm said with a bow, showing reverence to the priestess. Since he was a Knights Lunar member, he knew all the protocols and religious gestures he needed to do in this temple.The priestess then took him into a secret room and closed the door. She lit a candle that gave a silver colored flame and gave it to Helm. The candle began to levitate and repeated the words “deam Luna,” She then said a blessing and walked out of the room, leaving Helm alone to navigate the Catacombs of the Moon.

With the candle to guide him, Helm plunged into the Catacombs of the Moon. The silvery light the candle cast revealed the skeletons of the the dead and the fresh corpses of those who died recently. Strangely, the Catacombs did not stink of rot and filth, but we're as fresh as mountain air.

Helm was careful to not disturbed a grave, for plenty of rumors told of how a young pony would mess with the bones of the departed, so the skeletons tore him apart and ate him.

Helm can still hear the chanting in the Catacombs, which was the only thing that comforted him in his journey in the dark.

Helm went through winding tunnels and room sized chambers with engravings that were thousands of years old. One depicted a filly crying in the clouds above while the ponies below fought and killed each other. Another was showing what Helm saw when he picked up Moonbolt, he saw the same engraving that was on Moonbolt that was on the wall in front of him.

Helm began to pray to the goddess of the Moon, as he should when making a pilgrimage like this. After he finished his prayer, he began to chant with the choir.

“Salve Regina,” He sang.

Soon he gotten far into the Catacombs. So far in fact, that he came across empty graves that have yet to be filled. This far into the Catacombs, nopony visited, as evident as his hooves made their mark on the dust that was on the stone floor.

He finally went through the last tunnel, and into a throne room sized room, the candle stopped and continued to float at the entrance of the tunnel that Helm came out of, a clear indicator that it will wait for him there. Helm took in the size of such a room and knew where he was. He was in the Lunar Sanctum, the place where the Moon goddess was laid to rest. Magic silver candles lit the place up with holy, silvery light.

Helm immediately got down on all eight and prayed again, and chanted with the choir, saying, “Salve Regina,” over and over again.

Finally, he got up and slowly climbed the cobblestone stairs to a silver sarcophagus with a stone lid. On either side of the sarcophagus were silver statues representing the three phases of the Moon. One was a young filly, another was a middle aged mare, and the last on was an old mare with a cowl.

Helm drawn Moonbolt from its scabbard and placed the blade in a slit on the floor. Immediately, the sarcophagus glowed and the stone lid began to move.

The stone lid slipped of the sarcophagus and a ball of silver light came out of the sarcophagus. It then took the form of a young alicorn filly with her horn missing. Her silver coat rippled with the breeze that came from the Catacombs. He mane flowed like the royal sister's and was silver in color.

The filly put on a sad smile as Helm immediately went to his knees.

“Welcome, Helm Lunar,” the goddess said with a voice that can soothe a Ursa Major that has rabies.

“I am not worthy to be in your presence, but I have dire need of your assistance,” Helm spoke without lifting his head.

The Moon goddess nodded and said, “you wish to ask what path to take in the coming battles.”

“Indeed.”

The Moon goddess shook her head and said, “I cannot help you.”

Helm looked up in shock, “but… you're a goddess, my order’s patron, besides marelady Luna. Please, I beg of you to help.”

“Helm, long ago I was struck down by Apocalypse, and since then, I don't have any power to wield, save for the one that allows me to send ponies to everlasting life in my realm of Moon’s Light. I've been powerless since then.”

Helm hung his head, “Then I came all this way for nothing.”

“Not for nothing, my young stallion. You have braved the Catacombs, and no ordinary pony can do that. In fact, the only reason I chased out the other ponies that weren't part of the Temple was because I needed to focus on you, and you alone so I can see you and offer you one piece of advice.”

Helm asked, “what is the advice then?”

“You can only beat the coming darkness with darkness of your own, and you will eventually have to wage war on Canterlot until the heir awakens the last of the gods and wages war on Canterlot. You must be the thorn in Celestia’s side and keep her distracted.”

Helm understood what she was saying and asked, “this dark power you speak of, what is it?”

“The power of an Eldritch knight.”

Helm was shocked that she would actually suggest that. An Eldritch knight were Knights that began to study the dark arts for power and were practically the magical juggernauts in battle. But the main reason why they were shunned and outlawed was because the power and knowledge they gained from the dark arts corrupts them, turning them into literal Dark Knights, turning into power hungry knights bent on taking over Equestria. They become power hungry shells of their former selves.

“Y-you can't be serious!”

The Moon goddess let a tear slip from one of her eyes, and said, “do not be afraid, Helm. I always suggest the best for my followers, and right now, an ordinary knight cannot fight Celestia on their own. I'm so sorry, but i-it's the only… *sob*.

Right there, the goddess broke down and cried.

“Are you okay?”

“It's just that *sniff* I know of the other gods and spirits, how most of them were wiped out. You have… no idea… on how the restless souls of the gods yearn for their peace. They want to see the world they were tasked with keeping. They, like me, have spent thousands of years inside tombs like this. N-now, I have this o-one chance to *sniff* set things right, for all of us…”

Helm lowered his head and thought about how the gods became shadows of their former selves, trying to claw their way back to the light. He knew that every god wants to go back to their position in the cosmos, and want to see the world that they molded and cared for.

Helm decided that in order to defeat Celestia, sacrifices will be made.

“I'll do it, I'll become an Eldritch Knight. I will lead my men to defend the heir you speak of. This I promise you.”

The goddess of the Moon wiped her eyes with her hooves and looked at him with admiration. Her eyes threatened to tear up again but she held them back and said, “most courageous Helm, The other gods and spirits will forever be indebted to you, thanks.”

Helm nodded, “I have one question though. Where do I find teachings on the dark arts?”

“I do know that a pony was buried here with a basic dark arts tome near the entrance of the Catacombs. If you find it, then that should get you started. I will tell the candle to lead you to it.”

Helm nodded and put Moonbolt back in its sheath, and turned to get started on his journey. He was about to get back into the Catacombs, but he looked back and saw the goddess of the Moon wave with her hoof before she disappeared, and the sarcophagus closed.

(------)

After the holy meeting with the goddess of the Moon, Helm found the black arts tome.

Soon the candle lead him back to the Temple. He emerged from the Catacombs and a priestess closed the door behind him. She bowed and so did Helm, and she trotted off. But one priestess was crying and was babbling about something, causing the other priestess’ to try to cheer her up. But she refused to.

Helm found this disturbing, so he decided to check it out. He walked up to the group of priestess’ and asked what was wrong.

“They are killing everyone, EVERYONE!” the crying priestess said.

“Whoa there, who is killing everyone?” Helm asked.

“The Royal Guard! They are killing the town guard and everyone else! I saw them fighting the mayor with my own eyes, help us knight! HELP US!” the priestess sobbed.

The first thing that ran through Helm’s mind was, “Moon Sliver!”

Helm unsheathed Sir Lance's sword and bucked open the double front doors and galloped into Hollow Shades, now on fire.

(¤¤¤)

Helm ran through the town as the bat ponies flew around in panic and some in fury as a unit of Celestian pegasi killed unarmed civilian bat ponies and fought the samurai guard on the ground. The guard put up a fight, but they weren't sufficiently trained to take on the Royal Guard. Helm cried a battery and threw himself into the fray. Helm quickly swung the bastard sword and decapitated a pegasus, blood spraying on Helm’s steel plate armor and bucked another Royal Guard onto the naginata of a Hollow Shades guard. A Royal Guard captain lowered his spear and charged at Helm. Helm smacked the captain's spear aside with a swing that involved all four forelegs and kicked the captain, who staggered a bit. Helm then gripped the blade of his sword and performed a Mordhau stroke, smashing the crossguard into the captain's head, effectively scrambling the brains of the captain with the crossguard stuck in his head.

Helm pulled the sword’s crossguard out of the captain's head, causing blood and brain matter to spill on the ground.

Helm turned to the Hollow Shades guards and said, “where is Moon Sliver?!”

One of the guards pointed with his hoof towards the market, “we were fighting with her in the market, but we got separated.”

“Follow me,” Helm shouted as he ran to the market with the Hollow Shades guard trying to keep up.

The market was a total mess. Bodies of bat ponies and a few Royal Guards were strewn in painful ways, even some corpses had been decapitated, disemboweled, or both. Blood was spattered on the cobblestone street, its surface reflecting the burning stalls.

Helm and guard frantically searched the area, until they stumbled across five dead Royal Guards and one Hollow Shades guard, the body of the mayor, and Moon Sliver’s broken body that was still breathing frantically.

Helm rushed to her, dropping Sir Lance's sword in a pool of blood and taking off his great helm.

“MOON SLIVER! Can you hear me?!”

Moon Sliver turned her head to see Helm, thankful that he's alive. She weakly said, “Beat you to it… *cough*.”

“It's okay, we will get you healed up. Please, don't die on me now!” Helm pleaded.

“It's okay… we will still… get married… at… Moon’s…” Moon Sliver said, then Helm saw the life dim and disappear from her eyes.

Helm closed his eyes, and put on his great helm. He then cried in his helm. A stream of tears came that never came for his master, that never came when he saw the bodies of his fallen comrades. He let out all the tears that built up inside him from all his years. The surviving Hollow Shades guard looked on with sorrowful eyes.

Then, an entire group of Royal Guards came upon the group and got ready to kill Helm and the Hollow Shades guard.

Helm looked at them, and a sudden hatred cracked him, all that mattered to him was seeing the Royal Guard in pain and dead at his hooves. He grabbed Sir Lance's sword that was now soaked in blood, and gave the most savage and rage filled battle cry that was ever heard.

Helm launched himself at the Royal Guards, determined to make them suffer.

The first guard was sliced in half with so much force, his guts splattered on the cobblestone street. Two guards tried to spear him, but Helm's steel plate armor deflected the spearheads and he decapitated the two in one fell strike.

One tried to shoot a bolt from a crossbow, but the bolt bounced off of Helm's armor without a scratch and he punched the pony in The throat with his armored hoof, snapping the guard's neck. The captain of this group backed up in horror as Helm gripped the blood-soaked sword blade with all four forelegs and swung downward, impaling the guard's spine with the crossguard. As the guard screamed in agony, Helm took the crossguard out and brought it down on the captain's head, causing a similar result with the first captain that Helm killed.

Then, Helm turned back to Hollow Shades guard and said, “we rescue any survivors and we kill all enemy guards, understand?”

The guards nodded their heads slowly.

Helm then turned away and said with a hate-filled voice, “I will make the Royal Guard pay, they will all die on my blade. I WILL see their lives drawn from their eyes as they call for their families. I am death incarnate!”

(ΩΩΩ)

It has been an entire day traveling on the rivers of the jungle, something that just seemed like a complete ruse, but had its perks in helping them not being spotted.

Featherfang soared above the river, taking care to not fly to high. He grew anxious with every passing hour.

After a while, Featherfang suggested that they should pull up onto the river shore so everypony could get some feeling back in their legs.

As soon as everypony got off Sugrotl, Sugrotl decided that he would hunt for Featherfang so that the heir doesn't starve himself because of the blood-curse.

With a fire going and peace and relaxation coming into the camp, the group began to have actual conversations with each other, something that has gotten scarce ever since Appleloosa.

It was then Featherfang stood next to the water's edge, thinking on what was ahead, what was in store for him and his destiny. Soon, Remnant came up beside him as soon as he grew bored watching Vinyl and Applejack train under Ryoma with sticks.

The two sat at the water's edge for a while until Remnant spoke up.

“So Featherfang… you ready to meet your long lost people?”

Featherfang shook his head, “I just don't know. I know that whatever happened in the pyramid temple definitely changed me and gave me proof of my heritage, but my soul is still coming into terms with all of the recent events that have transpired. I mean, from what I heard, I am the one that is supposed to bring these people glory and prosperity with my return. But, what if I fail in that? What if I become a disappointment to the people that essentially made me?”

Remnant shrugged, “I do know that you will never be a disappointment to them. You are everything to them, you are their last sliver of hope for a better future.”

“...Remnant.”

“Yes, Featherfang?”

“Why are you helping us? Why concern yourself with people that aren't related or have any obligation to help a fallen civilization?” Featherfang asked.

“My people want to stay free,” Remnant answered, “they know that as soon as you are eliminated, Celestia will finish her ancestor’s work. The Undiscovered West is the only place that has never been subjugated and conquered. If you are out of the way, she has her full undivided attention on the Undiscovered West, and my people won't stand a chance with her new army strategies. I help, because my colt, my wife, my everything is at stake. I help, because I must.”

Featherfang looked down and said, “Then you are certainly better than me.”

“Featherfa-”

“Hey, Remnant! Do yah mind helping me with these fruits over here? For some reason, they don't come down no matter how hard I buck,” Applejack shouted.

Remnant gave Featherfang a nod and then trotted over to Applejack. Featherfang was alone on the river bank again. That is, until Lyra came over and sat next to him.

Lyra looked at the sky and said, “wonderful night, isn't it?”

Featherfang's heart skipped a beat, but he only said, “what do you want?”

Lyra lowered her head and said, “I want to help you. You seem so depressed and hopeless and lonely.”

Featherfang's eyes hardened, “I don't need help, what I did for you does not need to be paid back in anyway at all. Now please go and leave me alone.”

Lyra scooted closer and pressed her flank up against Featherfang's, causing the hybrid to suddenly go stiff. Lyra then started humming a soothing melody that quickly put Featherfang's troubles to rest. In fact, Lyra nuzzled Featherfang and continued to hum her beautiful song. Her face was on fire, but she didn't care. She wanted to soothe his sorrows and his despair, his pain and agony.

Lyra was the most comfortable she has ever been. She could sit there all night, sing all night, just for Featherfang. Featherfang wanted to protest, but this warm, fuzzy feeling that he felt in his chest felt way too good to break contact with her. Featherfang snuggled even more closely to Lyra, causing both of them to look like their cheeks are on fire. It was this closeness that almost made Lyra stop her humming and singing, but she continued.

“Thank you Lyra,” Featherfang whispered low enough so Lyra couldn't hear, “thank you.”

(-----)

Next morning…

“Again!”

Applejack swung her stick just like Ryoma had shown her, bringing it down on Vinyl’s stick as well. Vinyl parried and swung for Applejack’s hind legs, Applejack avoided the attack and parried a blow coming for her head.

Applejack knew that Vinyl was holding back on her strikes if she could parry without to much worry, and Applejack didn't like that at all. The trees and harvest season didn't hold back when she was at Apple Acres, the jungle warriors weren't going to hold back on her if Vinyl did lose her duel with the Sepony leader. Applejack didn't want Vinyl to hold back because it made her weak. It felt like Vinyl was putting a handicap on her.

“Stop. That is enough. You each get a one hour break,” Ryoma said. The panting mares gave a grateful nod and went to the river to drink. As soon as Applejack was done drinking, she decided to wander the area around their camp.

Applejack wondered how everypony was doing back in Ponyville and at the Sweet Apple Acres. She wondered if her friends; Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy, have all decided to look for her. She wondered what kind of grief they were going through. The wake of her disappearance. The mere thought of putting her friends through that was unbearable. If that wasn't enough, she was pretty sure that Celestia had gathered them all to fight against Featherfang, provided that she told them about Featherfang already. If that were the case, she would have to fight her friends for a cause she didn't believe in. She would rather remain loyal to those who shed blood, sweat and tears with her. She could hardly give a damn about the Serponies, all she wanted was to be with her friends.

Then she tripped over a mess of vines, making her faceplant onto the soft soil of the jungle. She cursed as she spit out soil and leaves as she got up.

Then, she noticed something partially buried in the dirt.

Applejack frowned and pulled the object out of the dirt. The object looked like a rectangular handle of some kind. A very subtle button was on it.

Applejack swung the handle around. It felt good in her hoof. She could even put her other hoof on the handle, meaning she could use it with the samurai style Ryoma was teaching them, if it had a blade!

Applejack thought that maybe she could put a blade on it later. But there is one thing that bites at her mind; what does the button do?

Applejack held the handle and with her other hoof, and pressed the button.

Immediately, a black blade sprung out of the handle, causing Applejack to drop it with a yelp of surprise. The blade extinguished.

Applejack slowly picked up the handle and pressed the button again. The black, slightly curved blade came out again with a soft hum. She held it before her, unsure on what to do with it. She swung the weapon, and it made a subtle, high-pitched hum that wasn't high enough to hurt ears or alert somepony.

She swung it again, this time with the stance Ryoma taught her. She then turned and sliced at a tree, expecting the wood to stop the blade. Instead, the blade passed through the wood with no resistance at all, cutting down the tree. As soon as the tree fell, Applejack realized that this was no ordinary blade. She even looked at the tree stump to see that the blade-thingy did not only just cut down the tree, it also burned it as it cut the tree.

Applejack smiled at the lucky find, a find that gave her a powerful weapon to boot. But she had one question.

Where did it come from?

“Applejack,” Vinyl called, “training is about to begin!”

Applejack pressed the button again to extinguish the blade and ran to the camp.

“Guess what ah found!” Applejack said as she ran up to Ryoma and Vinyl.

“What did you find,” Ryoma asked.

Applejack held her hoof out to show the handle of her weapon, which received confused looks.

“Wow… a piece of metal?” Vinyl said with a forced smile.

“Not just any piece of metal! Stand back and watch the magic,” Applejack said as she pointed the weapon away from the two ponies. She pressed the button and the black blade came to life. IImmediately, their eyes got big with shock and surprise.

“What is that?!” Vinyl cried.

Applejack frowned, “what? What's wrong?”

Remnant cautiously approached Applejack and said, “Applejack, give me the weapon.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes, “why should Ah give it to you? Ain't you ever heard of finders keepers?”

“Whatever that blade is, it is not of this world. It must be something created by dark magic. Give it here, so I may dispose of it.”

“No, Ah don't think it's dark magic at all! I'm gonna keep it, and that's final.”

Remnant drew his tomahawk, causing Ryoma, Vinyl, and Applejack to back up. “Give me the sword, NOW!”

This pissed off Applejack, “or what? You gonna try and gut me?!”

“This will help disarm you, I don't plan to kill you. I will take the weapon and destroy it.”

Applejack rose on her hind legs and got into the stance she was taught by Ryoma and said, “Only if you can pry it from my cold, dead hooves.”

Remnant charged, his tomahawk swinging for her left side. Applejack, drawing on her training from Ryoma, managed to avoid the weapon and got back into her stance.

Remnant raised an eyebrow. He then took out one of his stones. Applejack's eyes widened at the realization of what he was going to do. He threw his stone at her and pointed with his hoof, letting a stream of lightning out towards her.

Applejack raised the black blade instinctively in an attempt to block it, which made Remnant smile at the fact that the blade will only conduct the electricity and knock her out. But instead, the blade blocked the lightning, causing the lightning to deflect and strike the surrounding environment. Ryoma and Vinyl didn't get struck, but they still took cover behind a fallen log.

Remnant was dumbfounded, astonished that somepony actually managed to block his lightning. Applejack was just as surprised that she could block lightning, but she quickly turned that surprise into confidence. She knew that she could beat him.

Applejack charged towards Remnant, holding the blade like Ryoma showed her and performing a downward slash that Remnant tried to block with his tomahawk. The black blade sliced the tomahawk in two and nicked Remnant’s ear. Applejack then struck him with the butt of the handle, causing Remnant to flop on the dirt. Before he could regain his senses, Applejack held the humming blade to his throat.

“Yield,” Applejack said.

Remnant glared at Applejack. With her blade a couple of millimeters away from his throat.

“I...yield.”

Applejack pressed the button on the blade, and the blade extinguished. She held out her hoof for Remnant to take, but he smacked it away. “You brought shame unto me! Now I can never regain my lost honor…” Remnant said.

Applejack could feel her rage building again. Before she could say anything, Remnant got up and started to walk into the jungle.

“Where are ya going?!”

Remnant stopped. He turned to Applejack with a snarl, “I'm going to train, and will not be back for a couple of days.”

Featherfang and Lyra came out of the bushes. “So, you are leaving us… just because you lost?!” Featherfang said.

Remnant nodded, “you see, in my homeland’s culture, honor is lost when we are spared battle, honor to us is everything! I will leave you for now, but when I comeback, I will fight Applejack,... to the death. And I will join you once that is over and my honor restored.”

With that, Remnant disappeared into the jungle.

Vinyl turned to Ryoma, “he doesn't mean that… does he?”

Ryoma shook his head grimly, “I know those eyes anywhere, and his eyes told us the truth, that he does plan to go through with this.”

Featherfang only looked to the opposite river bank and said, “Then he’s an asshole! All the respect I had for him is gone now.”

Featherfang turned to Applejack and said, “Applejack, when the time comes, you will face him, and you will need to do what is necessary to end it.”

“Ah’m not gonna kill him,” Applejack said.

“He won't leave you with that choice.”

Applejack looked down with distress. She then lifted her head and nodded, but said, “If ah can avoid it, ah will not kill him.”

Featherfang raised an eyebrow, “I will not sugarcoat it, I learned while I lived in the wilds and streets that if you don't fight, either it be a belief or for survival, that if you don't kill the root of the problem, it will always come back.”

As he finished those words, Sugrotl rose from the river and said, “Time to leave, we should get to the Serpony capital before nightfall.

(§§§)

The river was was uncomfortably calm as Sugrotl lazily swam the river with Featherfang overhead and staying close.

However, Applejack had a hard time trying to go to sleep on Sugrotl’s neck with Ryoma and Vinyl. Lyra was still awake though, watching out for river hazards and monsters. Applejack chuckled when she thought about how they were on a spirit of the jungle rivers, and Lyra felt the need to watch to make sure that nothing messes with them. Applejack doubted that anything would attack a dinosaur.

Then her thoughts turned into thoughts of today's events. The way Remnant looked at her as he promised that he would return, and his homecoming would be a fight to the death between him and her. That look of unbridled rage.

Applejack looked at her weapon, a weapon that the group named the Darksaber, and thought on how she would use this weapon in the upcoming duel. She had Sugrotl examine it and found out that dark magic did not create this weapon, dark forces made it. He said that it was from another world where the dark and light were constantly fighting on a galactic scale. He refused to say where it came from, but did say it was a sort of “lightsaber”; whatever that meant.

Applejack then looked back to Lyra Heartstrings. She was still wondering why Lyra accepted this group so easily. Did she not remember Twilight’s heroics and deeds, or any other good deeds of the mane six?

Applejack then decided to find out why.

“Hey, Lyra.”

Lyra turned and smiled, “what's up, Applejack?”

“I got a question.”

“Go ahead.”

Applejack took a deep breath and asked, “How come you practically adopted this group? I mean, why side with them? Celestia and Twilight have done many good things for Equestria… so why reject them?”

Lyra looked down with a sad smile, “I ask myself the same thing. I know I should be on Celestia's side, and be in Canterlot and Ponyville with war preparations with Sweetie Bell or others, but… I feel that I belong with Featherfang and his company, like my destiny is intertwined with his. Plus, I don't like having my throat slit by the guard.”

“Wait, you were attacked by the guard?!”

Lyra nodded, “the same people that keep our homes safe and the streets clean have tried to kill me, just because I tried to defend Featherfang. I guess that they saw me as a traitor.”

All Applejack could say was, “You're lying.”

Lyra gave her another sad smile, “I understand why you won't beleive me, but I will wait for your eyes to see the truth. In truth, I would probably do the same thing too. Promise me one thing, Applejack. Promise me that when you discover the truth, chose what is best for the world. Please chose what will give your family and friends a better future.”

Applejack understood what she was saying, and said, “I promise.”

Birthright

Author's Note

In the chapter ahead may get weird, but I am confident that you guys might not mind. Onwards!

Birthright

Chapter 6: Birthright.

As it turns out, Sugrotl had a bad sense of time.

The riverside cruise would take them into the crack of dawn instead of nightfall.

Lyra wasn't complaining though, for this ride had made her think on new ideas and matters that haven't been on her mind.

Why did she chose Featherfang's company over Celestia's?

Lyra always assumed that it was all because of the day the guard almost killed her, but now… something was different, something has changed.

Lyra pondered deeply on this matter. She searched the darkest corners of her mind to come up with a rational answer, but all she could get was that she had a feeling that she was bound to his company by fate.

Lyra finally came up with another answer that triumphed all others. Unfortunately, this answer will get her condemnation from both Equestria and possibly the Serponies.

She fell for him.

She tried not to, but couldn't help herself. Featherfang has been seen as an inspiration of sorts to her. He refused to leave her when she was useless and tired, he held her in high esteem and simply refuse to call her dead weight.

It was his sense of responsibility, his dignity, the way he carried himself that ultimately won her heart.

Lyra thought that if she ever had the courage to tell him, and if he said yes, it would be doomed from the start. After all, he was a demigod, she was dead weight.

However, what she can do is to be there for him, like that moment on the river bank. If he ever needed to lean on a shoulder, she would be there.

(¥¥¥)

Featherfang and company arrived at their destination as the sun rose from the horizon. Featherfang landed and the other ponies got off of Sugrotl. Ahead was dense jungle.

Lyra sighed when she realized that it would be another walking day, but attempted to hold her chin high as she readied herself for the jungle.

“Young one,” Sugrotl said to Featherfang, “it is time you claimed your birthright. Enter the jungle and you should come across your kingdom, your heritage, your people. Treat them well, or I will kill you.”

Sugrotl then vanished into the river.

Featherfang then turned and walked into the jungle, with Lyra, Vinyl and Ryoma following.

It would take them twenty minutes to navigate the jungle in complete silence to get to their destination. And what they saw on the other side was spectacular.

When they exited the dense foliage, in front of them was an ancient city. The streets were crowded Serponies as they went to and fro to shops, market places, and to what Featherfang guessed was the town square. In the middle of the city was an enormous jungle pyramid that dwarfed Sugrotl's pyramid in size and majesty. The pyramid shone like a beacon of light as the sun's rays struck the gold colored surface. On top of the pyramid was a temple that Featherfang felt drawn to, even more so than Sugrotl's.

The sheer majesty of the city was so overwhelming and archaic, that Featherfang wondered if they all went back in time.

Featherfang turned to his group and said, “who's ready?”

Lyra nodded and so did Vinyl and Ryoma. Together the group descended into the city from the jungle hill.

The group approached the gate to the city, which was guarded by the same type of warriors that fought in the Skirmish of Appleloosa. Featherfang and the others were tense, ready to run if things went sour.

Featherfang approached the gate and called out, “hello.”

The guards took one look at him and immediately ran to the winch that opened the gate, almost trampling each other just to open the gate for him. One of the gate guards ran to a rather old-looking horn that stood on the gate, but near the city and blew the horn. Immediately, all noise in the city has disappeared.

Then, in one sudden cry, the city boomed with cries of triumph and joy and cheer. The gate opened and the guards surrounded Featherfang and his group, and escorted them into the city.

The ponies of the city cleared the streets and sat to the side like they were in a parade. The guard watched the crowd carefully while the jungle pony citizens cheered and cried with tears joy when they saw Featherfang.

Featherfang was baffled by all of this. He was a nobody, a street urchin that did the trash and had to do the most disgusting jobs to survive. He was looked upon by many as an unholy being, something that deserved to be purged from Equis.

But the Serponies were welcoming him like he was a long-lost hero… No, he is the long lost hero.

But he did noticed that some ponies were giving the rest of his company the stink eye, which greatly concerned Featherfang.

Eventually, the escorted group made it to the foot of the golden pyramid. There was a pony waiting for them. He was old. The stallion wore a jaguar skin on his left side and had a headless of red and green feathers on his head. He carried a obsidian dagger on his flank and regarded the group with kind eyes, then frowned in puzzlement.

He motioned for Featherfang to come to him.

Featherfang compiled and flew to the stallion's side, then the crowd stood still and silenced itself.

“Greetings,” the stallion said, “I am called Star Reader. I am the head priest of our most holy Quetzalcoatl.”

“I am Featherfang,” Featherfang responded.

The priest turned to the crowd and shouted, “THIS IS OUR HEIR, THE SON OF QUETZALCOATL!”

The crowd roared in joy.

When the crowd calmed down, Star Reader asked, “what happened to Coyotl and his men?”

Featherfang couldn't look at Star Reader, but said, “he and his company died fighting Celestian forces.”

Everypony in the crowd hung their head in mourning. Tear slipped from Star Reader as he said, “he… he was my son.”

Featherfang put one hoof around Star Reader's neck and hugged him to comfort him. Then they broke the hug and Star Reader said with watering eyes, “this day shall not be disgraced in mourning, but shall be one of happiness. It is time to ascend.”

He then looked at Ryoma, Vinyl, Lyra and Applejack. He turned to Featherfang and said, “who are they?”

“I am crown prince Ryoma of Hoshido, a kingdom not of this world,” Ryoma spoke.

“I am Vinyl Scratch, DJ and current apprentice of Ryoma. I fled Celestian rule when I saw Celestia's guards try to kill Lyra. I now stand proudly by Featherfang's side.”

Lyra spoke rather quietly, “I am Lyra Heartstrings. I joined Featherfang when I tried to help him when the guard attacked him.”

The crowd cheered, and Featherfang breathed a sigh of relief.

Star Reader turned to Applejack and said, “and your name, young one?”

Applejack hesitated, then said, “Ah’m Applejack.”

Immediately, the guard pointed their spears at Applejack, shocking Featherfang.

Ryoma drew his Raijinto and Vinyl drew her sword, trying to form a protective barrier around Applejack. Applejack ignited the Darksaber and got ready for a brawl that will surely end badly.

“You DARE show your face here, worm of Celestia!” Star Reader cried in fury, “destroy them!”

Featherfang then shouted, “NO!”

The guard lowered their weapons, confused on whose orders they should follow.

Star Reader turned to Featherfang and said, “my lord, Anypony that is a friend of Celestia should die. We cannot let her get away from us! She could be used as a sacrifice for you or your father.”

“She has been a member of my company, an ally that have helped me reach this place. I will not let you kill her or sacrifice her. She IS one of us.”

“But, stallord-”

“I said no!” Featherfang said, “I will not repay her with death!”

The priest hung his head and nodded. The guards withdrew their weapons.

Featherfang turned to the crowd, “Nopony will even harm Applejack. If they do, they are banished from this place!”

The crowd nodded their heads in unison.

Featherfang then turned to Star Reader, “let's do this ascending-thing.”

Star Reader nodded, then turned to Lyra. A smile creeped onto his face, which made Lyra very uncomfortable. He then said, “guards! Please take Lyra to the palace.”

“What are you doing?” Featherfang growled to Star Reader. The priest flinched and said, “Nothing stallord. Just preparing her for her stay. The other three will go with her.”

Featherfang then nodded to the group, an indication that everything was okay. The group reluctantly left Featherfang and followed Lyra and the guards.

Featherfang turned to look at the temple on top of the pyramid and then said to Star Reader, “you ready?”

Star Reader's smile returned to His face as he said, “the Serponies have been ready for the last thousand years.”

(<<>>)

It has been an hour since Lyra was locked in a lavish room.

But why was she not panicking?

Lyra was told by the guard that she was to wait for a special pony. But this special pony seemed to take forever, so Lyra explored her room for a bit. The room had its own hot spring pool that was the size of a hot tub and made of carved stone. Her bed was fluffy due to all the feathers they packed into her bed and pillow with a comforter made out of jaguar skin. Paintings adorn the wall. This room had a balcony that was above some kind of jungle garden. She did grow bored and decided to read a scroll. She went to a scroll-shelf and picked up a scroll to look at.

It was written in an ancient tongue and the images themselves were… weird. It showed sacrifices, warriors and mare and a stallion touching noses under the wings of a feathered serpent.

She stared at the image until a knock was heard coming from the door.

“C-come in,” Lyra said after calming herself from the jump scare.

A mare came into the room. She had a single red feather in her brown mane and a yellow coat. She had crimson colored eyes and necklace made of bone.

The mare said with a smile, “hello Lyra.”

“Um, hi?” Lyra said.

“The name’s Gold Hoof. I'm here to be your retainer,” the mare said.

Lyra was stunned, “wait, you do know that retainers are reserved for royalty. Right?”

Gold Hoof smirked, “yep.”

“But i'm not royalty.” Lyra protested.

“Not yet. You will be soon. Anyway, I was told to get you ready.”

Lyra raised an eyebrow, “by who?”

Gold Hoof didn't answer, instead she stomped her hoof. Soon, three other mares came into the room with bags made of hide.

“As a retainer, I have to make sure you're presentable,” Gold Hoof said.

“Presentable for what?!”

“Don't worry about it marelady,” Gold Hoof said as she opened up a bag and she and the other mares advanced towards Lyra, causing the unicorn to back away in fear.

(~~~)

Featherfang hated protocols. He viewed them as stupid and completely unnecessary.

But the purification rituals would test him on that. The rituals lasted a full hour before he was even allowed into his father's temple. Not only did that test his patience, but they told him he had to wear a feathery headdress.

Featherfang and Star Reader finally made their way to the temple of his father.

Inside the temple, everything except the stone floor was gold. Various images from several different codex were carved into the golden walls and roof. In the center was a solid gold statue of a sky serpent. In the serpent’s jaws was an amulet made of jade, carved into a serpent’s head. The statue was guarded by three Serpony warriors with eagle shaped helmets made of gold that blocked Featherfang from seeing their eyes.

Featherfang pointed to the warriors, “who are they?”

“Those three? They belong to the Band of Gold, the most highly trained platoon of soldiers in our army. They serve as temple guards during peacetime. Think of them as our equivalent to the Celestian Sun Squad.

“What about the gold helmets, they can't be efficient for them in battle.”

Star Reader laughed, “then you never heard of Serpent Gold. Gold is your father's most sacred object. If there is gold equipment we want to make that is lighter and stronger than steel, all we have to do is expose the gold object to the amulet, and it becomes lighter, stronger gold that is fit for battle.”

Star Reader then said to the three Gold members as they approached them, “warriors, guard the entrance to the temple and kindly tell those who are not of sacred duty to get out. It is time for the Ascension.”

The guards complied and began to herd the ponies that weren't a priest or priestess. Soon Featherfang was alone with about fifteen different holy ponies and Star Reader.

“Alright, to start off, we need Featherfang's blood.” Star Reader said.

He then held out his obsidian knife.

“Wait, you want me to cut myself?!” Featherfang said.

“Yes, for the seal itself was created through blood magic. It must be unmade through the same methods,” Star Reader answered.

“How did you know I can perform blood magic?” Featherfang asked.

Star Reader said with a chuckle, “who else would put a heart on Sugrotl's altar.”

“That was you?”

“Indeed, it was all for this moment. Make us great again, Featherfang. Make us a nation once more. Claim your birthright!”

Featherfang took the knife and cut himself on his foreleg. The blood that came from the wound started to act on its own when Featherfang pulled the ancient words from his mind to cast the spell. The blood acted like jagged, crimson tentacles. Featherfang soon began to walk towards the serpent statue and began chanting with the priests and priestesses, despite never learning their language. He also tried to fight his blood-curse, as if one thing distracted him, he would have to try the ritual again the next day.

Featherfang concentrated as the blood became ropes, and Featherfang willed them all to stand straight up as they still swatted and squirmed in the air. Then Featherfang willed them to all converge on the amulet. The blunt edges of the blood became as hard and sharp as daggers, piercing the spell barrier and shattering it like glass.

The blood receded into Featherfang's leg. Featherfang then walked up to the amulet.

“Just walk up and grab it! Claim your birthright, your father!” Star Reader cried as winds started to blow with the force of a hurricane inside the temple, all of it coming from the amulet, but not affecting Featherfang in anyway. Featherfang hesitated, then touched the amulet.

An explosion of power rocked the temple and shook the very foundations of the pyramid, causing a small earthquake.

A voice boomed in the temple and in the rest of the city,

"This is my beloved son... he has returned."

“Father? Father, is that you?!” Featherfang cried out.

“Indeed my son, Oh, how much I want to see your face.

Featherfang's eyes began to tear up.

“My son, I have to build up my power because of my slumber. I spent too much power on your mother to make you, and i'm still recovering.”

“Then… I can't see you.” Featherfang said with complete sorrow.

“There is a way to regain enough power to manifest and help you on your quest. To do this, you must march on to Ahuizotl’s place, cut his heart out and make it an offering to me. If I take his heart, I will have enough power to walk among mortals.”

Featherfang was uneasy about his father's request, but regardless, he said, “It shall be done, father.”

“As a homecoming gift, receive the power you were born with!”

Another explosion rocked the area, causing almost everypony within the city and the pyramid temple to fall on their plots. A Tepoztopilli with an edge made of jade and a shaft made of serpent gold appeared in front of the gold statue. Featherfang felt his body change into something else, something far more powerful than the average unicorn mage, more powerful than a Ursa Major or Wendigo.

The light that filled the temple faded and in front of the serpent statue was Featherfang, the sky serpent. His body was still covered in white feathers, but it was the body of a serpent. His head turned into a serpent’s head. His eyes had cackling energy leaking from them in the form of electric sparks. His magnificent white wings spread as he spread his jaws apart with his fangs replaced by teeth that were as big as daggers. From his jaws he made a very loud noise that sounded like a cross between an eagle's cry and a dragon's roar. His overall body size was three times the size of Celestia.

The priests and priestesses we're terrified of his form, so much so that they started begging him for mercy.

“Son...I will see you soon…”

“I Love You.”

With those words, Featherfang reverted to his old self. He was back in his normal form.

He blinked and looked around the temple to see the holy ponies shaking with fear.

“Why are you guys hiding in the corner like that?” Featherfang asked, head tilted to the side.

“Stallord,” Star Reader smiled, “you had ascended.”

Then, the Tepoztopilli floated over to Featherfang.

“What is this?” Featherfang asked.

“This is the legendary weapon, Wind Piercer, a sign of your birthright, and the beginning of your rule.”

(θθθ)

Lyra look at herself in the mirror, wondering if this was the Serpony equivalent of a ballgown.

She was dressed in the finest mare clothes that was in the city. She had a headdress made of white and green feathers on her head. Each leg of hers had a ring that was decorated with feathers that were red and white. The lower half of her head was painted red with crystal shards as big as grains of sand embedded within the paint, causing her face to twinkle in the sunlight. Her dress was made from some kind of shimmering cloth that was the color of her mane. To top it all off, She had a golden charm of a sky serpent on a thread as a necklace.

Gold Hoof smiled again, and thanked the other three mares for their services. She let them out the door and closed it behind them.

She turned to Lyra and smiled with pride of a job well done.

“Do you like it?” Gold Hoof asked.

“I… don't know. It's so different from what we usually wear in Celestia's kingdom,” Lyra said.

Gold Hoof rolled her eyes as she said, “please, any of nature's wonders and ingredients can triumph a Equestrian gown any day.”

Lyra looked back to the mirror, uncertainty clouding her face.

Gold Hoof trotted over to the balcony and looked up to the sky, she judged the Sun's position and turned to Lyra. “We're going to be late if we stay here any longer.”

“We're going somewhere?”

“Yep, to a sport event that is only played during special days. Have you ever heard of the Ball Game?”

(^^^)

Lyra and Gold Hoof made their way to the stands of the Ball Game court. It was packed, but the guards carefully escorted Lyra and Gold Hoof to the seats that were next to the seats of royalty. There they were able to talk while before the game started.

“So tell me Lyra, how did you come across Featherfang?” Gold Hoof asked.

“Well, he was about to get killed by the Ponyville guards and I tried to get them to leave him alone. I thought they would listen, but instead they tried to kill me. I would of died if Coyotl and his men haven't saved us,” Lyra answered.

“Well, what do you expect from guards that are a little too devoted to Celestia? Flowers and apology letters?”

Lyra looked down, “Jeez, you make my attempt for peace sound stupid.”

Gold Hoof smiled sadly, “I'm sorry, Marelady. But in this world, true peace will never exist.”

“Gold Hoof…”

“Shhh, the game is about to begin.”

Lyra turned to the left as well as Gold Hoof to see a stallion come out of nowhere. He seemed to be an announcer of sorts.

“Mares and gentlecolts, today, in honor of the lost heir returning to us, we have been graced to play the one and only Ball Game!” the stallion said.

The crowd cheered.

“But this can only get better if something made this game even more special than it already is, and that will happen today!”

The crowd cheered again.

“Today, the heir himself has decided to attend this very game. So, without further announcements to be made, please welcome Featherfang!”

Then the crowd went nuts as Featherfang came and sat on the king’s throne that overlooked the entire court and was next to the empty queen seat.

Lyra immediately noticed something different about him. His eyes were full of determination and his chin was raised higher. The way he carried himself was the very image of royalty.

Gold Hoof caught Lyra glancing at Featherfang, and a pretty wicked grin appeared on her face.

Lyra saw the grin and started to blush uncontrollably, but you couldn't tell from the red paint.

Gold Hoof laughed, “damn, i'm surprised he hasn't figured it out yet!”

“U-um...I… um.” Lyra stammered.

Gold Hoof motioned to a guard and whispered in his ear. The guard nodded and walked over to the king’s seat and whispers something into Featherfang's ear. When the guard walked away, Featherfang turned to Lyra.

Lyra had gone beet red and desperately started looking for an exit, but all the guards blocked the way. Featherfang got off his seat and started to make his way towards Lyra. Gold Hoof began to smile a sly smile, but it quickly disappeared when she got a glimpse of Lyra’s rage filled eyes.

“Do you think this is funny?” Lyra hissed.

Now it was Gold Hoof’s turn to stammer, “bu-but marelady, I can explain-”

“What do you need to explain to me? Your plans to embarrass me?!”

“Marelady, I-”

“Hello Lyra,” Featherfang said as he came up next to them.

“Um...hi?”

“You look great today.” Featherfang said.

“Um… thanks?”

“Would you like to sit with me?” Featherfang asked.

Lyra nodded her head slowly and followed him to his seat. He sat in the king's seat while Lyra sat next to him, in the retainer seat, not wanting the empty queen seat for the fear of offending the Serponies.

The match began with a pony tossing a ten pound rubber ball in the middle of the stone ball court between two teams of five stallions, the blue and green teams. The stallions used their flanks, knees, and hind leg hooves. Should the player use any other body part to hit the Ball, he was disqualified and brought dishonor to his family. The players themselves wore leather flank protectors and knee pads to avoid injury from the ball itself.

They had to score by hitting the ball through a vertical stone hoop that was nearly twenty feet in the air, a feat that seemed impossible to an Equestrian like Lyra, but was quickly proven to be possible when the green team scored a point.

The crowd cheered and settled when the ball was put back into play.

As the two teams fought for the ball, Lyra asked, “did you meet your father?”

Featherfang nodded and said, “I did.”

“What did he say?”

“He said that I need to drive out Ahuizotl’s forces and reclaim the jungle for my ponies. He said to make us great again.”

“Oh…”

Featherfang took his eyes off the match and looked at Lyra, “I am supposed to be meeting with the war council tomorrow and plan the campaign. I understand that you have grown under Celestia's rule, so if you want to leave this place and go back home, you can. After all, when we destroy Ahuizotl, we will come for Celestia next.”

Lyra shook her head, “I'm staying with you, for better or worse. I…,” she turned to Gold Hoof, who only nodded.

Lyra got out of her seat and joined Featherfang on his seat. Luckily, the seat was big enough to accommodate both of them.

Featherfang was surprised at the sudden move Lyra made. She pressed against him and her head rested on Featherfang's neck. Featherfang closed his eyes and put his wing over her as a sort of hug. This move had gotten some frowns from those in the crowd that was paying attention to Featherfang and not the game. Those sneers turned into cheers as the blue team scored.

Lyra must of been there with him for the longest time, because before she knew it, the game was over. The Blue team was victorious, which meant that green team had to clean the city streets until the next game.

Featherfang saw Star Reader giving him a look that said Featherfang needed to go.

“I need to go, Lyra,” Featherfang said.

Lyra gave him a reluctant nod and climbed off of the seat, followed by Featherfang. Lyra watched as Featherfang and Star Reader walked off to the town square.

Gold Hoof trotted up to her, almost bouncing in delight, “That was so cute!”

Lyra blushed even more than she thought possible and quickly found interest in the stone floor of the court.

“I don't think he-” Lyra began.

“Please marelady. I think that is a complete lie. If he really wasn't interested in you, he would of pushed you off of the seat!” Gold Hoof said. She then gave her a slip of paper and said, “this is a letter from Featherfang that he gave me to give to you. It says he wants to meet you in the palace gardens, TONIGHT.”

“A-alone, at n-night?”

(~~~)

Erron Black was just baffled.

He never had once lost the trail of a group of clumsy targets. It was not like trying to track down ninjas or insect women.

Instead, ponies, PONIES have somehow eluded his sights. He knew that they last appeared in the Badlands, but that was days ago. He thought it was an easy job with a high reward, but he didn't expect to track down some kind of stealthy heir to a lost kingdom!

Erron sighed as he went over his map of Equestria again for the fifteenth time in a row, trying to plot out all possible routes the group may have taken.

“Hey, Erron.” a guard's voice called out. The guard was none other than Shining Armor, back from his recent trip from the hospital. Erron will never know what kept him alive after Kenshi rammed a sword down his throat.

Erron snickered when he thought about that.

“Pffhh, sword down the throat.”

“What did you say, Erron?” Shining Armor said when he entered Erron’s room, “cause I hope it wasn't any more dirty references.”

Erron grinned under his mask, “I got to have fun too. By the way, how did you survive that wound?”

Shining Armor rolled his eyes and said, “Love.”

“Love?! Ha! My friend, if you think love has helped you survive, then you need to check yourself into a mental institution.”

“It's true! As soon as I fell, my wife-”

“Whoa. You have a wife? And here I thought you were gay.”

Shining Armor frowned, “why would you think that?”

“Because you took Kenshi’s sword in your throat!” Erron said as he laughed at his joke he made, causing Shining Armor’s eye to twitch in irritation.

As soon as Erron calmed down, Shining said, “you done? Good. Anyways, the princess Celestia felt some kind of magical disturbance that came from the Forbidden Jungle, a big one-”

“Like Kenshi’s sword?! Bwahahahahahaha!”

Shining Armor ignored the mercenary and continued to speak, “the princess has asked me to send you there to assassinate the heir so the incoming war is over before it can begin.”

Erron stopped laughing and said, “very well, as long as I get payed.”

“You are to take with you a mare by the name of Daring Do. She is to act as a guide for your expedition.”

Erron frowned, “I work alone tough guy.”

“Not on this mission you don't,” Shining Armor said, “and I thought you didn't care, as long as you get payed.”

Erron just sighed and said, “very well, I will do it.”

Shining Armor breathed a sigh of relief, “good. I'll tell Celestia about the arrangement.”

(//\)

It was nighttime in the Forbidden Jungle and in the city of the Serponies. Lyra waited patiently near the fountain and looked at her reflection, reflecting on today and the days to come. She still had that nagging part of her that begs her to return to Ponyville, to Equestia, to her friends and Celestia. Lyra knew that she wanted to see her friend Sweetie Drops, to see the Mane Six with Applejack. She did feel homesick, and was homesick the entire trip. She felt that her future was crumbling, and so were the ponies that missed her. She felt connected to Featherfang's group, but she felt she had no future we're she could see her friends for one final time.

Her thoughts scattered when she heard the flap of wings. She turned towards the sky to see Featherfang descend into the garden. He landed as quietly as he could and spread his wings that caught moonlight, giving the illusion that his wings were metallic.

He trotted over to Lyra and kneeled, an act that completely shocked Lyra.

“Featherfang, it is I that should be bowing to you!” Lyra protested.

Featherfang didn't listen to her. Instead, he raised his head and stared her down with his sapphire colored eyes, which seemed strangely seductive.

Lyra was detecting all sorts of red flags. She was extremely confused and a little scared as Featherfang slowly advanced towards her. Lyra backed up as Featherfang continued to advance towards her. Soon, Lyra felt her flank touching the stone wall, a clear indicator that she had nowhere to go.

Featherfang stopped a couple of inches away from Lyra. Lyra herself was starting to look for a way out.

Then Featherfang lowered his head and kissed the unicorn mare.

Lyra's heart fluttered in her chest as Featherfang continued to kiss her. He broke away for a moment to see if she was comfortable with this, then whispered to her, “are you okay?”

Lyra slowly nodded her head and Featherfang continued to kiss her. It started simple, but then reverted to a more primal and passionate kiss as time went on.

Soon, Lyra had completely given in to her feelings and worries as she forgot all her problems in that single, passionate kiss. She surprised Featherfang when she pushed him to the ground and continued to kiss him.

Featherfang was becoming more aggressive with the kiss, something that Lyra tried to match in passion. But, try as she might, she was completely overwhelmed by Featherfang. Featherfang realized what his body was trying to do, and he reluctantly broke the kiss. Both were panting from that one moment of passionate bliss.

Lyra, when she realized what just happened, blushed like her cheeks were baking in Tartarus. Featherfang however, was a bit love drunk.

“I'm so sorry Featherfang, I-”

“I'm the one that initiated the kiss, and I don't regret it. One. Single. Bit. If anything, it helped confirm my feelings for you,” Featherfang said.

“But, I'm not royalty. I can barely fight, i’ve been dead weight in the group, and your people will hate you if you chose me. I'm only one mare of of the many more still available in this world, so why me?”

Featherfang answered, “It was your concern and care for me, it was your unshakable loyalty, your inlaid courage that ultimately won my heart. And if the people hate the idea of us together, then they will have to deal with it.”

“Stallord… I…”

“I know that it's rather sudden, Lyra, but I have never felt so sure in my life. I want to be with you, now and forever. All I ask is one chance to prove to you how deep my feelings feel.”

Lyra looked into those brilliant, sapphire eyes and nodded with a smile and said, “I will give it a try. Just promise me you will never deny me. If you don't care what others say, then make it known that we are together.”

Featherfang smiled, “isn’t that another way to make sure that another mare doesn't catch my eye?”

“You caught me, my king.” Lyra said as she muzzled him. Featherfang only sat there with her, enjoying the breeze that caressed the garden.

But, unknown to them, Star Reader and Gold Hoof were watching them.

“The prophecy is coming true, right before our eyes. His ascension, his lover, it's all coming true,” Star Reader said as he looked over a scroll.

“Awww, they're so cute!” Gold Hoof said.

Star Reader sighed, “Gold Hoof, please control yourself. They still have to get married in order for the prophecy to be complete.”

Gold Hoof paid no attention to his comment and was still giggling over the two lovers in the garden. Star Reader said as he put away the scroll, “I must prepare for the war council. It is time we made Celestia pay for her ancestor's wrong doings. It is time we reclaim our birthright.”

Conquest

Chapter 7: Conquest.

The group have spent five days in the city without a move, with the generals of the Serpony army and Featherfang debated on what moves should be made in the upcoming war.

Applejack waited outside the Serpony forge, waiting for Ryoma to give her and Vinyl a gift. He insisted that he forge the gifts himself, saying, “apprentices of a swordmaster need the same armor as their master, as it fully complements their style of combat.”

Sure, Ryoma.

“Applejack, he’s been in there since Midnight, and now it's almost noon!” Vinyl said.

“Ah wonder what’s keeping him.”

“Beats me! I wonder if he fell asleep in there or something,” Vinyl replied.

Though both of them knew it wasn’t true, because they could still hear the sound of hammers and the cooling of metal.

“Applejack, may I ask you a question?”

“What is it?”

“Who’s side are you on?

Applejack hung her head low, “I...I don’t know. I want to see my friends, to be there with them when the invasion begins. But my heart is torn in two. Ah’m divided on the whole thing.”

Vinyl nodded, “I feel the same way. But I decided to stand with Featherfang.”

“But why? Why would you stand with the stallion who wants to bring Celestia’s rule to an end?”

Vinyl looked towards the north, where Equestria was, and said, “I do it for my friends.”

“Your friends? No offense Vinyl, but how are you going to help your friends if they are fighting against you?”

“Because i’m freeing their lives from Celestia. Ever since that day, when I saw the guard slash Lyra’s throat open with his sword, I knew I had to join the jungle ponies and help them in their conquest of Equestria,” Vinyl answered.

Applejack was confused, “There’s more to that, ain’t there?”

Vinyl nodded, “Yes… there is. You see, this may sound crazy, but I believe that Celestia is not Celestia. I think there is an imposter sitting on the Canterlot throne. I KNOW that Celestia would never try to take precautions to kill an entire race of ponies that did no wrong. She just wouldn’t do that. If she was anything like that, she would of disposed Discord a while ago.”

“But how can you know for sure?” Applejack asked.

“I just know. It is a feeling. But if it’s true, we need to convince Featherfang to spare her once we reach Canterlot,” Vinyl said, “that is why I fight. I fight to keep my friends safe, even from themselves.”

Applejack knew that she wasn’t lying, as she was using her Honesty powers during the entire conversation. Applejack was then filled with a new resolve, one of purpose and duty. She now had a purpose to fight Celestia.

At the end of that conversation, Ryoma came out of the forge with two bundles. He placed them down and nodded to the two.

The two opened the bundles and found armor pieces that looked strikingly similar to Ryoma’s own armor. The two put on their armor.

Vinyl’s armor was blue in color. Her helmet was the classical kabuto style, but it didn’t have the mask. The rest of her body armor was like Ryoma’s,

Applejack’s armor was green in color, and, like Vinyl’s armor, resembled Ryoma’s body armor. However, her head armor was like Ryoma’s, except no side horns, and the design was able to let her mane flow freely from it. She had the chin armor, but the top part of the head armor was missing, which gave her plenty room for her stetson hat.

Ryoma nodded with approval, “now you both look like proper samurai.”

They both thanked him and made their way to the palace where the war council was wrapping up. When they arrived, Featherfang, Lyra, Gold Hoof and Star Reader were exiting the throne room with the five generals of the Serpony army.

The generals bowed to Ryoma and Featherfang, then went to prepare their armies.

As Featherfang engaged Ryoma in talking, Applejack was pulled aside by Star Reader. “I take it that you heard the news?”

“What news?” Applejack asked.

“The council decided to give an entire battalion to you, Vinyl and Ryoma. Each of you will control about one-third of the battalion's total soldiers,” Star Reader said.

“...Oh, um-”

“I don’t trust you, Applejack. You use to be one of Celestia’s lackeys. If you lead your troops to their deaths, or sabotage the entire campaign, I will kill you myself. The Serponies have been waiting for this for years, don’t screw it up,” Star Reader sneered

“Ehem.”

Star Reader turned to see Ryoma, who had the murder look on his face. “Were you threatening my student?”

“No, not at all my prince.” Star Reader said with stone-cold emotion.

“Then maybe you should be leading the army out of the city with the generals?” Ryoma said

Star Reader bowed, then turned and started off in the direction of the generals.

Vinyl, who was behind Ryoma, laughed and said, “geez, Ryoma. You made him your bitch.”

Ryoma shook his head, though a slight grin creeped across his face. He then said, “It is time to go. Let us lead our battalion.”

((()))

Applejack, Ryoma and Vinyl recieved a battalion of three hundred, and split it up between themselves, each receiving a hundred soldiers. The three samurai decided to name their companies after their armor, with some input from the soldiers. Vinyl’s company became the Blue Hundred, (creative bunch, aren't they?), Ryoma’s company became the Red Bloods and Applejack’s company became the Green Spears.

They joined the generals and Star Reader in the front. From there, they began the march. The destination? Ahuizotl’s domain.

They were coming over a hill in a jungle clearing when Applejack decided to see how large the army was. She galloped across the clearing and got on top of the hill to view the army. Her mouth almost dropped when she saw the sea of soldiers pour out of the jungle. Rows upon rows of glistening obsidian tepoztopilli - baring soldiers filled the clearing. The jaguar and eagle pony warriors were next to the generals and Star Reader. The Band of Gold marched with Featherfang. Pteradactyl riders and Carnotaurus riders were in small groups scattered in the main army, their pony riders each had a ten foot long version of a tepoztopilli that was made of serpent gold and edges of blood obsidian, so the lances themselves could withstand the impact of skewering a target when they were going forty five miles an hour. They also had macuahuitl on their backs. The riders wore a helmet similar to their eagle and jaguar cousins, but it was the in the likeness of their mounts.

The Pteradactyl and Carnotaurus riders would make any equestrian soldier flee, but that much prehistoric power backed up by an army and a demigod that radiated divine energy? Enemy soldiers might shit themselves.

But, if Applejack knew anything about the Equestrian army, it was that they had a belief that they shall endure through any battle, and still come out on top. The Serpony army had something too, religious and divine courage. So now it was a question.

What will prevail? The idea of righteousness? The will of a god? Only time will tell.

Soon, the embodiment of a years old struggle marched back into the jungle, snaking around trees like riverbeds, the army continued its zealous march into enemy territory.

Soon the army reached their destination.

Ahuizotl’s temple, the Fortress of Talacon, had archers along the sides and walls. The entrance to the inside of the fortress was cut off by a wooden fortification that was teeming with archers.

“Archers,” muttered Ryoma, “why did it have to be archers.”

Star Reader scanned the fortress with his eyes, “it seems that Ahuizotl rebuilt his base of operations… in order to get inside, we need to smash the barricade and storm the walls. Lord Featherfang shall fight Ahuizotl, and the first step of our conquest is complete.”

“And how do we plan on doing that?” Vinyl said.

Star Reader turned to Applejack and said, “she is going to lead the assault.”

Applejack's eyes widened, “now hold on! I never fought in a battle-”

Star Reader narrowed his eyes, “Applejack, i'm testing you. I will see for myself if you're loyal to our cause, or wanting to crawl back to Celestia. You will lead your Green Spears to distract the soldiers that are defending the fortification, while the Carnotaurus riders break down the fortification and the army swarms in afterwards.”

Ryoma shook his head, “i'm against the idea of sending Applejack onto the front lines like that. She still needs to learn-”

“I had enough of you! You will not challenge my authority again! You may be a prince of a distant kingdom, but I have waited for this moment my entire life. I will not be stopped by a potential betrayer and her teacher!” Star Reader nearly yelled. He turned to Featherfang and said, “well? Is the plan a go?”

Featherfang looked like he wanted to take Ryoma ’s side of the argument, but knew he couldn't disobey the stallion that sent his son to find him, only to never come back alive.

Applejack could see his reluctance to agree on Star Reader's plan, so she did something she never thought she do.

“I will prove my loyalty to the Serpony cause. I will do as you wish,” Applejack said.

Ryoma and Vinyl looked at her in surprise, but Star Reader raised his eyebrow. He said, “prepare your soldiers. We strike immediately.”

When he went to check on the main army, Ryoma turned to Applejack, “are you sure? There is a high probability that you may die.”

“I won't die, I got you guys,” Applejack said, “plus you guys will be joining me.”

“Yes, but that will be after you breakthough. We can only watch as you carve a path for us,” Ryoma said.

Applejack nodded, “then i'll make sure that i'm still alive.”

Ryoma put his hoof on her shoulder, “then may the Dawn Dragon guide you.”

Applejack bowed, then went to her troops.

(-~-)

Applejack stood in front of her troops, ready to commence the assault on the fortifications. She looked behind her and saw that the hundred Serpony that were under her command were itching for a fight. Her ponies were each equipped with feathered shields and tepoztopilli. A one-handed macuahuitl at their flank. Some had bows and arrows as well as atlatls to provide cover fire for the advancing brothers in arms.

Applejack was scared. She was downright scared of the battle that will happen in a minute. But she knew that she needed to help her friends, her home.

Thinking on that thought, Applejack pulled out the rectangular hilt and ignited the Darksaber. She held it above her head, and pointed towards the fortification, signaling the charge.

With Applejack in the lead, the Green Spears galloped into a charge towards the fortification.

The War of the Serpents had begun.

The enemy released a volley of arrows. Some of the stallions on the charge fell to the arrows. Two dropped dead next to Applejack, arrows lodged in their heads and throats. This had shaken Applejack, but she pressed on, hoping that the arrows would not kill her.

But some archer did aim at her, and fired.

Applejack had only a second to see the arrow coming for her, and a split second to do something. She held the Darksaber in front of her. After all, if it can block lightning, it could block an arrow.

True to her prediction, the arrow was destroyed when it touched the blade, its sharp head melting instantly when contact was made. Ahuizotl's soldiers saw this, and fired more. More stallions went down during that second volley, leaving Applejack with seventy-four soldiers of a hundred left.

Applejack then got struck with an arrow. It bounced off her body armor, but she was struck again with another that found her hat, taking it clean off her head.

This really pissed off Applejack. That and her soldiers dying in vain.

With the fury of a grief-stricken Dragon, Applejack charged and plunged the Darksaber into the fortification, using it to cut a hole into the wooden fortification. She carved through it easily, and came into the fortification, and was surrounded by many soldiers of Ahuizotl. One group surrounded her, while the other group was still firing at her soldiers. They drew their weapons and tried to stab Applejack all at once. Applejack instead swung the Darksaber in a wide circle, cutting all of their weapons in two.

The enemy soldiers had one second to think, “oh shit,” before Applejack got into Ryoma’s stance and attacked. She carved her way through soldiers left and right, her Darksaber cutting through everything it came into contact with. Spears, bows, swords, nothing could stand up to it. In thirty seconds, Applejack had a pile of cut in half or cut down enemy ponies at her hooves. Only one group of three stood between her and the archers, who did not take notice that a very angry samurai was slaughtering the ponies protecting them.

Applejack got into her stance and waited for one of the group of three to make a move.

One of the ponies patience wore out. He rushed at Applejack with a spear.

Applejack stepped to the side and cut the spear in half with a downward stroke. She then hit the pony in the face with the hilt of the Darksaber and finished with a stab through the heart. The pony slid off the Darksaber as charred guts spilled from his body and his buddies charging at Applejack.

Applejack ducked under a sword swing from one pony and blocked a strike from a war axe. The war axe was instantly was cut in half from the contact it made with the plasma blade, leaving the enemy defenseless. The other pony lunged at Applejack with his sword, but his attack missed when Applejack jumped out of the way so the sword impaled his buddy. While he and his buddy were in shock, Applejack decapitated the skewers enemy and turned her attention to the last pony.

The soldier was a bit shaken, and made another thrust. Applejack dodged and got in close. She shouted and kicked the enemy pony with one hoof, causing him to stagger. Applejack then followed up with a downwards diagonal slash that cut the pony completely in two.

With the Ahuizotl's vanguard gone, Applejack galloped into the archers and started to cut them all down. The archers that were a bit higher on the fortress were now taking aim at her, but the Pterodactyl force showed up and started to shoot at the fort defenders with bows from the back of their rides.

Applejack managed to get on top of the wooden fortification and started waving her Darksaber as a signal that the main army should be able to join the fight.

Star Reader frowned, but gave the signal for the Carnotaurus riders to charge into the wooden fortification and destroy it. With a mighty roar, the Carnotaurus ran at full speed at the wall. The surviving Green Spear soldiers galloped out of the way as the Carnotaurus riders rammed into the fortification, shattering the wood into splinters.

Applejack jumped from the ruined wall and was joined by Ryoma and Vinyl. Together, the three samurai got into their stances and began to fight the enemy infantry that was pouring out of the fortress.

(~-~)

Featherfang soared with the Pterodactyl fliers as they circled over the fortress, picking off archers with their own bows. As soon as enough soldiers were eliminated, Featherfang descended and landed onto the fortress. He summoned Wind Piercer and fought the soldiers guarding Ahuizotl's throne room. He swung the enchanted and legendary tepoztopilli and decapitated all three soldiers. He then entered the throne room.

The throne room was huge, just enough space for a fight. Next to the throne was a brazier, and in that throne, was Ahuizotl himself.

The wicked suppressor of Featherfang's ponies spoke, “I can't believe you made it this far.”

“You're Ahuizotl huh? I thought you would be more intimidating than that,” Featherfang snarled.

“Oh, I am,” said Ahuizotl as he grabbed three curved scimitars, two for his hands, and one for his hand on his tail, “and you will learn that I am, upon death.”

Featherfang and Ahuizotl charged at each other, determined to tear the other apart.

Featherfang struck at Ahuizotl with his weapon, but it was blocked by one of the scimitars and Ahuizotl slashed at Featherfang with his other scimitar. Featherfang dodged the blow and twirled his tepoztopilli. He then thrust the weapon into the floor, causing a whirlwind to blow Ahuizotl's weapons out of his hands.

Furious, Ahuizotl ran at as surprised Featherfang and grabbed him with his tail hand. He then threw Featherfang into a wall, causing the hybrid to drop his weapon. Ahuizotl threw his weapon to the other side of the throne room and grabbed Featherfang again. He slammed Featherfang into the wall, then slammed him three times into the floor. He then tossed the heir into the ceiling, and as the heir was coming down, Ahuizotl smacked him with his arm like a baseball bat and sent Featherfang flying into the throne, breaking it. Ahuizotl started to gloat, “this is the lost heir to a god? Heh, you're nothing but a pathetic little hitch, a trash collector in Ponyville. Did you think you could beat me in a one-on-one fight? You're incredibly naive.”

Featherfang could sense some of his ribs were broken, he vision was blurry. He tried to stand up, but wobbled and fell back down. He couldn't call for help, he couldn't defeat Ahuizotl. He wanted to curl up and cry. He had failed his people, his only chance of being loved instead of being looked upon as a sort of monstrosity that somehow lived by the grace of Tartarus.

Just as Ahuizotl was about to pick up one of his scimitars, a unicorn appeared in the entrance of the throne room.

Ahuizotl laughed, “what is this?! You're so weak that Lyra Heartstrings has to help you?! Bwahahahahahaha!”

Lyra held a macuahuitl in her hooves and said, “get away from him! You damn, dirty ape!”

Ahuizotl ran at her with his similar, performing a downwards strike that smashed the macuahuitl Lyra was using to splinters. He grabbed her throat and slammed her into the floor, causing her to cough up blood. He laughed insanely and brought his face close to Lyra's and said, “oh, i'm gonna have some fun with you as soon as I kill your heir. I'm talking about torture of all kinds, from physical to sexual!”

Choking and in pain, all Lyra could manage to croak was, “Featherfa...help.”

“Those words, I know that voice…,” Featherfang whispered to himself.

“Featherfang!” Lyra cried out as pain racked her body.

Featherfang snapped out of the trance of worthless thought. He was filled with rage, rage that makes dragons jealous. He roared his half eagle-half dragon roar and transformed into a sky serpent. He then launched himself at Ahuizotl, his eyes glowing with hatred and power. He tackled the tyrant and wrapped his serpent body around Ahuizotl, taking him off of Lyra. He roared in Ahuizotl’s face, causing the latter to try to free his arms in vain. The serpent Featherfang then clamped his jaws around Ahuizotl's right arm and tore it off. Blood spattered on the floors as Ahuizotl gave an ear piercing shriek of pain. Featherfang then threw the tyrant to the floor and reverted back to his normal self. He then produced a ritual obsidian dagger from seemingly out of nowhere. Ahuizotl was still writhing around in pain as Featherfang approached him. Featherfang then leaped on Ahuizotl and slashed below Ahuizotl's ribcage, causing another scream of pain from Ahuizotl's foul mouth and blood to squirt and splatter on Featherfang's coat. He then shoved his hoof into Ahuizotl's ribcage, searching for the only organ that could bring back Quetzalcoatl. Ahuizotl thrashed and screamed as Featherfang dug into his ribcage and started pulling.

With great effort, Featherfang pulled out Ahuizotl's still beating heart out of the tyrant’s chest. The last image that Ahuizotl will remember of this life is seeing his beating, bloodied heart. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he died as he lived, cowardly.

Featherfang held the heart aloft, giving a cry of triumph. He then remembered that Lyra was there, and ran over to her.

Lyra looked broken, but she was in much better shape than Featherfang himself was.

Suddenly, the Band of Gold galloped into the room. They looked around the room as if they were looking for Ahuizotl.

Then they saw his corpse.

They backed away from the corpse and they turned their attention to Featherfang.

“Stallord, what are your orders?” One of them asked.

“Get a healer, and quickly!”

One left the throne room to get the requested healer while the rest formed a protective ring around Lyra and Featherfang.

“You are going to be alright,” Featherfang said to Lyra. She replied, “and so are you.”

(<§>)

Applejack and Ryoma and Vinyl cut down the last enemy soldiers in the final hour of the battle. All three were exhausted.

Applejack extinguished her Darksaber and the other two samurai sheathed their katanas. They knew they won the battle because of the cheering and cries of joy when they saw Ahuizotl's body getting flung off from the top of the fortress.

But Applejack felt bad for those who couldn't celebrate, because they gave their lives to help strike down a tyrannical regime that suppressed their people for years. She knew that she lost roughly half her men and the same happened with Vinyl's Blue Hundred. Ryoma’s Red Bloods suffered the least casualties out of the three companies.

Regardless, all three had their chins raised high as Featherfang walked out an injured Lyra out of the throne room. The three watched as Featherfang flew into the sky and held out Ahuizotl's heart, something that brought a grimace of disgust from Ryoma.

Featherfang wrapped the amulet from the serpent statue around the heart and chanted in an ancient tongue. Soon, the three and the rest of the army felt the earth tremble, the winds whip, the trees groan and the fortress shudder. A light came from the heavens, then flashed like lightning. Instead of a light, a huge winged serpent appeared in the heavens. It was easily as long as five jungle temples lined up in a row, it's green and red plumage seemed to stain the clouds with the same color. Energy in the form of lightning zapped around its glowing blue eyes.

The divine beast gave a roar that was more dragon-like than eagle. The roar itself caused the winds to pick up and lash out like a hurricane.

The divine beast slowly looked down to the ground below and said in a booming voice that could shake mountains, “MY SON, I HAVE RETURNED. NOW THE TRUE CONQUEST BEGINS.”

Author's Note

It's shorter than my usual chapters, but I hope that isn't a problem. Anyways when you picture Applejack's armor, just Google Ryoma from Fire emblem fates and imagine his armor, but with Applejack in it and ponyfied, with her hat on top. I just thought the look was badass, so I included it in the story. She will be wearing that armor for all the battles to come. Another thing is that I listened to an Undertale remix of Asgore's boss fight theme by Hellkite when I was writing Ahuizotl's and Featherfang's fight to the death. So if you want epic music while reading the fight, that's a good tune for it. So yeah... wait fro the next chapter

The Fallen Heroes

Chapter 8: Fallen Heroes.

Meditation. It clears the mind and boosts the spirit.

Applejack didn't think so.

Applejack frowned as she tried to meditate, finding the idea next to impossible in the cold nights of the Badlands.

After the fall of Ahuizotl, the Serpony army had stayed in the fortress for two days to gather rations and water for the long march through the Badlands. The Badlands were easily conquered, because the only things that lived there were bandits and outlaws. Even when bands of outlaws and thugs came together to fight the Serpony army, Star Reader would send Applejack to eliminate them. Applejack would lead her force of fifty Serponies and easily destroy any band of marauders.

They had been marching through the Badlands for six days and had half a day's march left to come across Appleloosa. If they take Appleloosa, they will move to take Dodge city, capture Ponyville and the Everfree Forest and then move towards Canterlot. Cloudsdale will be dealt with during the Canterlot campaign.

Applejack felt stupid as she tried to meditate. Nothing was happening or working!

She sighed in frustration and decided to take a break.

Applejack went outside of her tent. The tent itself was on a hill that overlooked the tents of the rest of the army. She shared the hill with Ryoma, Vinyl, Featherfang, Lyra, the generals, Gold Hoof, and Star Reader.

She looked to the stars as she reflected on all that's happened. She would never had guessed that she would be fighting in an army of strangers, to learn to fight with fancy blades. Applejack still had her hat that had an arrow go through it, a reminder of who she was. She still had the heart of a country mare, but due to her training, she was a more… refined version of herself.

Applejack had enough of the cold, dry air and made her way back inside her tent.

She sat down and tried to meditate again.

(:-:)

Applejack found herself back on the apple orchards of her family farm. She was dumbfounded, and wondered if this was a dream. She could see the lights of the house on and her grandmother and Big Mac on the porch, talking in hushed tones with Apple Bloom wandering the orchards near the house.

Applejack started to go towards the house to say hello, to run up and hug her family, to tell them that she's alright. But before she could, a voice said, “don't try it, they cannot see you.”

Applejack turned to see princess Luna. Applejack’s eyes began to tear up and said, “Luna? It It really you?”

The alicorn of the moon smiled and said, “it is I.”

Applejack nearly tackled her in a hug. Applejack started to cry as Luna comforted Applejack, humming a lullaby of the moon. Soon, Applejack's sobs became sniffles.

“Art thou alright?” Luna asked.

Applejack pulled away and nodded as she wiped a tear from her cheek. She said, “sorry, It's that… I haven't seen any familiar faces in a while.”

Luna gave her a sad smile and said, “I'm here to give you information.”

“What kind of information?”

“Insights of the war.”

Applejack nodded and said, “I'm guessing that Celestia has heard of Ahuizotl?”

“Oh, she has alright. She was completely fraught with worry when a messenger came with the news. She now has her entire military force completely mobilized, ready to be deployed anywhere, anytime. She has also felt the ancient serpent rise again. She knows that Quetzalcoatl and Featherfang will try to smash aside her forces as hard and fast as they can, so she is pulling all her forces out of Appleloosa and the surrounding area and putting them in locations nearby like Ponyville and Cloudsdale, and their forces outnumber yours five to one. The townsfolk of the villages and cities beyond that are afraid that Celestia is not going to defend them. Because of this, riots are breaking out in Baltimare. Numerous towns are trying to form militia, and for those who can't… they became easy targets for bandits.”

“...”

“And if that wasn't bad enough, Quetzalcoatl has appeared in Los Pegasus, Fillydelphia, and Manehattan. He has caused some grade A destruction and has toppled a few skyscrapers. Last I saw of Los Pegasus, it was in flames.”

“Why?! Why is Quetzalcoatl doing this to the cities?!” Applejack said.

Luna hung her head, “divine retribution and judgement. He intends to spare those who accept him as a god, but destroys those that follow Celestia’s view on the Serponies.”

“But… that can't be right! Why would a divine being like him start destroying things like a rampaging Dragon?” Applejack said.

“Before my ancestor, before my sister and I, the world was ruled by gods and spirits. They were here to guide civilization, to be the ones to care for the ponies of the world. When we attacked them and destroyed their power and hold on Equis, they saw the very act as sacrilege and felt betrayed. As one by one fell to that foul sword, many gods’ spirits were lost and alone. To make a long story short, what Quetzalcoatl is doing is the divine version of the belt, and we are the naughty colts.”

Applejack grew concerned with the news. If Quetzalcoatl was appearing and destroying cities, he could appear in Ponyville and Canterlot, and wreak havoc and might even kill her friends.

“Luna, what about the areas near Canterlot? Has Quetzalcoatl appeared anywhere there?” Applejack asked.

“No, he has learned to stay away from Apocalypse. Until he is at full power, he would not dare challenge Celestia.” Luna answered.

Applejack then asked, “what about my friends? Are they okay?”

Luna gave Applejack a sad look, “I’m afraid that Celestia has already got to them. She has them trained and are now Celestian commanders. Rarity has already been a pain in Helm’s side and-”

“Wait, Rarity is fighting who?!”.

“Helm. He is the current Grandmaster of my Knights Lunar. He is the reason why Celestia's Sun Squad haven't played you guys a visit. They have been fighting Rarity’s force at Neighagra Falls for the past few days. Did thou really think that Ahuizotl wouldn't call for reinforcements?”

“So… this Helm pony… he’s been fighting his own war against Celestia?” Applejack asked.

“Indeed,” Luna confirmed, “but he has lost some good stallions. He clashed with Rarity a few times, but their fights always get interrupted by something.”

Applejack was concerned. She didn't want Rarity to die fighting somepony that was a part of the Knights Lunar. She asked Luna, “what about my other friends?”

“Twilight has found some kind of… Brand. She used it and now she has access to magic usually seen in another world. She is the main tactician for Celestia. Pinkie Pie has, somehow, became a berserker. Rarity is riding some kind of bird called a Kinshi into battle. Fluttershy, or more accurately, Flutterbat, has her army in the Everfree woods. And Rainbow Dash… she seems the strongest of them all. She already has the rank of Hero, and she has been seen with a sword and axe on her flanks. She is leading the Cloudsdale regiment.”

Luna continued, “Applejack, they know you are helping the enemy. Most of them would refuse to fight you, except for Rainbow Dash. She has proclaimed that she will be the one to end you.”

Applejack hung her head, tears threatening to escape her eyes.

“Then so be it. Ah’ll will be the one to defeat her, to end her suffering.”

(&;&)

Neighagra Falls is usually a place for vacations and camping. A place of peace. But that peace is long gone, replaced by the sound and acts of war.

Helm and his ponies currently have the high ground in this battle, striking down charge after charge. He was losing ponies, He was losing time.

Helm quickly slashed his sword in a horizontal arc, taking a couple of heads as well. He turned and impaled another Celestian, then kicked him off, the Celestian’s body crumpled to the ground.

Helm then pointed to the main army body of the Celestians and said “Fire!”

The Lunar archers then sent a wave of flaming arrows into the Celestian mass, killing a good number of them.

Helm knew they couldn't hold out for much longer. They have been fighting for days now, no long breaks, barely fed, and tired. However, the Knights simply refused to submit and would rather die than surrender. reinforcements were coming to the aid of the Celestians in the form of the Sun Squad.

However, Helm lifted Sir Lance’s sword, (now called Moonsorrow) above his head and gave a war cry that sent chills down the enemies spine.

After Helm had single-hooved beaten the advancement at the bridge that was key to the high ground, the Celestians were more wary than before. Not one dared step on the bridge for fear of Helm’s wrath.

Helm pulled out the dark magic tome and quickly flipped through. His species, the Sleipnir, were warriors by nature. They barely had any magic they could perform. However, that is why tomes were invented, to draw power from the books themselves.

Helm chanted, and a bolt of dark lightning ripped through the air and struck the Celestian force at the bridge. The Celestians were either fried, consumed by the dark magic, or were thrown by the force of the blast.

The bridge has never been taken, but Helm was very tired. If this continued, he would soon be overwhelmed.

But the troops instead backed away from the bridge, and Helm could see why.

A giant bird with a certain unicorn riding on it came from behind the Celestian army. It landed on the bridge with a graceful thud. The unicorn jumped off, her spear held aloft.

“Come back for round seven, Rarity?”

“Indeed I have, Helm.”

The bridge and the surrounding area got quiet. All eyes were trained on their respective commanders, waiting to see the battle unfold.

Rarity broke the silence, “Helm, you must surrender. You and your ponies are cornered and exhausted. Barely any food, barely any sleep. You can't go on for much longer.”

Helm readied himself and said, “the Knights Lunar code states that any knight shall not surrender, not even after the banner falls. I will stay true to the code, and I will defeat you and put your head on a pike.”

Rarity’s eyes became steel, “You sealed your fate.”

Rarity and Helm charged at each other.

Rarity thrusted forward with her spear, and Helm dodged, knowing that her spear was meant to pierce armor. Helm then closed the distance, smacked her with Moonsorrow’s hilt and rammed her. Rarity recovered and rolled out of the way as Helm did a downwards slash that punched a hole in the bridge. Rarity then used her magic to levitate some good sized rocks from the other end of the bridge and sent them flying at Helm. Helm, tired and near his limit, was hit by a barrage of rocks that dented his armor and knocked him senseless. He staggered and had to use Moonsorrow as a supporting item to make sure he didn't fall.

Sensing his weakness, Rarity started to chant a spell that would finish him for good.

Helm also managed to get his tome. He drew ragged breaths as he began to chant himself.

The two ponies chanting couldn't be so different. Rarity chanted using Equestrian Equinian, invoking the Sun and positive emotions. Helm chanted in ancient Bitin, invoking dark magic and the moon. The two different armies saw glowing symbols as bright as flame revolve around Helm, and streams of light radiating off of Rarity.

Helm finished his chanting first and unleashed a dark fog that consumed the entire bridge. Rarity was about to unleash her spell, but her spell suddenly gave out and dissipated.

That's when it hit her. It was the fog, the fog has somehow cut off her connection to the magic forces.

Then she was hit by a dark fireball.

Rarity was thrown off the bridge from the shear force of the explosion. The explosion destroyed the bridge. Rarity landed on the ground with severe burns that covered her entire right side of her body.

The fog cleared and Helm was on the other side of the destroyed bridge, He said, “fire!”

A storm of arrows rained upon the Celestians near the bridge, killing most of them. The Kinshi grabbed Rarity with its talons, causing Rarity to cry out in pain due to her burns, and it took off.

Helm congratulated himself, but still had the Celestian army I'm front of him, and he knows his men cannot hold out. He was looking for a solution when a loud voice rang out, “HELM LUNAR, I HAVE COME.”

“What?” Helm asked in bewilderment, for the voice sounded like it came from everywhere.

A loud dragon-like roar was heard, and a sky serpent appeared from the heavens, lightning flashing from its eyes.

The Celestian army saw this divine monstrosity turn its head to them. It asked out loud, “WHO FOLLOWS CELESTIA’S CLAIM OF THE SERPONIES?”

Most of the Celestians raised their weapons to confirm that they supported Celestia’s claims. Those that did not where getting the evil eye from their comrades.

The serpent roared and said, “THOSE THAT DON'T FOLLOW HER SHALL BE SPARED, BUT NO MERCY FOR HER FOLLOWERS!”

The Celestian army screamed in terror as the serpent opened its jaws and unleashed Tartarus.

(!?!)

Applejack had just told the war council about her dream that had Luna in it. They were pretty disturbed that Celestia's armies outnumber them five to one. Although Appleloosa and Dodge City was easy pickings, it was nothing to what they have to face later one. Their trump card, Quetzalcoatl, will not go near Canterlot, making the generals doubting their chances of victory.

However, Star Reader has gotten hostile when he heard the news, “so, you expect me to believe that Luna came to you in a dream, suddenly changed sides and is fighting Celestia, and has a force of knights already fighting Celestia. Does it look like I have the word ‘stupid’ etched on my forehead?!”

“Star Reader, you-”

“Don't even speak to me, Celestian. Luna would never turn on her sister and give us information regarding her entire army. I name you traitor! Guards, arrest her!”

The Band of Gold members that were guarding the war tent lowered their spears and trotted slowly towards Applejack. Applejack ignited her Darksaber and said, “please! Ah didn't do any wrong, ah’m not a spy!”

Star Reader sneered, “your lies fall on deaf ears, deceiver!”

Ryoma's and Vinyl drew their blades as Ryoma said, “you lying fiend!”

Star Reader then said, “I change my mind, kill them.”

The Band of Gold then charged.

Ryoma's got in front of Applejack and did a horizontal slash, slicing through all the aggressors with his lightning wreathed katana, killing them. As the bodies fell, Ryoma then pushed Vinyl and Applejack out of the tent, “Run you fools, RUN!”

Applejack and Vinyl began to gallop out of the camp, with Ryoma right behind them.

Star Reader then galloped out of the war tent and yelled, “kill the three samurai, they are traitors!”

The Serpony soldiers looked at each other in confusion. How could three heroes that risked their lives for the glory of the Serpony have betrayed them?

While the confusion was strong, Applejack galloped into her tent and dressed herself in her armor. She then got back together with Vinyl and Ryoma and together, the three ran out towards Appleloosa. The camp was on the horizon when they turned around and tried to regain their breath.

Suddenly, a portal opened up behind them, its swirling vortex taking all three ponies by surprise. An earth stallion popped out and landed unceremoniously on his face.

The stallion was a little larger than Big Mac. He had a sky blue coat and a no mane on his neck. Instead, his messy, dark blue hair was retrained by a headband. He wore armor on his left foreleg and on his chest. His red cape had a tattered end.

And just as he was getting up, a two-hooved sword popped out of the portal and landed next to him. The stallion grumbled and was about to pick up the sword when another stallion came out of the portal and did the scorpion.

The unicorn stallion had a light brown mane, brown coat, and brown head hair. He had a mustache and a goatee. His mark was a menacing whip. He wore a sort of long, brown coat.

After picking themselves off the ground, both stallions looked over their New bodies and both said in unison, “different dimension.”

Vinyl spoke, “who are you guys?”

The one with the sword spoke first, “I'm Ike, the Radiant Hero. Will you mind telling me what the hell is going on? Who are you and who is the guy next to me?”

Ignoring his question, the brown unicorn spoke, “The name's Julius Belmont. Monster slayer extraordinaire and slayer of Dracula.”

Vinyl smiled and said, “we got lucky.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow and asked Vinyl what she meant by that, but Vinyl wasn't listening as her eyes were fixed on Ike.

“Well, are you an outrealm traveler?” Ryoma asked.

Ike nodded, “I am. Ever since the war in Tellius ended, i've been wandering here and there. All I saw was a light and now I'm here.”

Julius said, “yeah, same with the white light, but different story.”

Ryoma trotted up to Ike and shook his hoof, “I come from the same universe that you are from. Good to see another one like me.”

Ike shook his hoof and said, “same here.”

Julius spoke, “I wonder… why are we here?”

Ryoma shook his head, “I have no idea. Whoever is causing the portals to appear must have some reason for ripping people out of their world's abd bringing them here. However, we would like your assistance.”

“Assistance with what?”

“We need to destroy the head of the Serpony army.”

Applejack and Vinyl looked at Ryoma in shock. “Ryoma! You can't be serious!” Vinyl said.

“I am. That stallion is willing to kill s over info that could help the army. He is an infection that needs to be cleansed,” Ryoma stated.

“What about the rest of the army? We'll die if we fight them,” Applejack said.

Ryoma frowned, “We will get him to confess about this attempted assassination of you. Featherfang clearly stated that colony was to prosecute you as long as you fought on his side. He is going against divine instruction and, if he is willing to kill you over true information, then he has no place leading an army.” Ryoma then turned to the two newcomers, “we need your help, heroes. We are going to extinguish a mad pony.

Ike nodded and said, “what kind of hero would I be if I didn't help the good guys.

Julius nodded and decided that he would follow.

Ryoma smiled, “thank the gods. What we will do is attack his war tent, no doubt that he is still in it, and take him by surprise. We will get that confession from him and hand the army over to Featherfang.”

“A fool's plan, Ryoma.”

Everypony turned to see Remnant.

Applejack's gaze turned as hard as steel.

“I've come for our duel, Applejack,” Remnant said.

Ryoma nodded towards Applejack and said, “Applejack… show him the power of a samurai. We will go forth and fight Star Reader.”

Vinyl then trotted up to Applejack and gave her a hug, saying, “you got this, just don't die on me, okay?”

Applejack nodded. Vinyl then left with Ryoma, Ike, and Julius.

Nothing made a sound, save the gentle breeze.

Remnant had a menacing spear that was definitely not the work of his tribe. His skull necklace was glowing, and his pouch full. His eyes where the eyes of a vengeful warrior, and it regarded Applejack like seeing was the one that killed his family and then pissed on the corpses.

Applejack's heart was pounding. She steeled herself and said, “you really mean to go through with this, aren't you…”

She grabbed her Darksaber and ignited the blade. She got into the Hoshidan samurai stance and looked Remnant in the eye. She then said, “Ah’m sorry that it has to end this way.”

“Spare me your sympathies, sympathy is for the weak, further proof that you will die and I will win.”

Applejack paid no attention to his comment, instead she focused herself and was prepared for everything at that moment, even death.

The wind began to pick up.

Remnant charged and so did Applejack, with determination being the fuel of their drive to win.

Their blades connected in a small shower of sparks. Applejack was taken by surprise as her Darksaber failed to cut into his spear. Remnant wasn't, and he lunged at her, clipping her ear. Applejack gritted her teeth and jumped back, got back into her stance and waited for him. As he charged again, Applejack parried his spear and struck the shaft of the weapon, cutting it in two.

Remnant then jumped back as well. He threw five stones and held out his hoof, causing five separate streams of lightning to launch themselves at Applejack. Applejack jumped out of the way of one, while she blocked the other four with her Darksaber. Applejack then got back into her stance.

Remnant then held up his hoof again, with Applejack getting ready for anymore lightning.

Instead, chains appeared. They draped themselves around his body and forelegs. He then stood up on his hind legs and held up both of his hoof, causing two handles with curved, glowing purple hooks that were attached to the chains.

“My patron made these in his own weapon’s likeness. Feel the wrath of my Claws of Hades!”

Remnant then swung and twirled the chains, causing the claws to dart back and forth, slash here and there. The weapon was quite an unpredictable, as Applejack could only barely parry and not dodge, since dodging would only get her sliced to ribbons.

Applejack was getting completely overwhelmed by the sheer speed and power the chains held. Every block or parry she did felt like she was blocking a giant fist. If she wasn’t fit from the training and all that apple bucking, she would be smashed to bits by now.

She was barely hanging on as Remnant laughed manically as he toyed with her. He then decided he had his fun and swung one chain towards her and swung the other at her jaw. She blocked the first swing, but the other claw got her in the jaw, causing agonizing pain. But, instead of drawing blood, the claw snagged something else.

Applejack saw her ethereal copy of herself coming out of her and was being pulled out by the chain’s claw. She didn’t know if it was her soul or not, but she figured that she should probably resist it.

Applejack gritted her teeth as she tried to resist the soul taking ability of the chains. Her soul was now quite literally in a tug-of-war of death. She could feel her soul moving back towards her body. However, Remnant saw this and swung the other chain. Applejack blocked the chain, but was losing focus on her soul. Applejack resumed her willpower, and her soul started to come back to her. However, she knew that she would get tired and her soul will be captured if she didn’t do something.

“Your soul is mine! Mine to torment as I please for the dishonor you have given me and my family!” Remnant shouted in pure, unadulterated rage and madness. He pulled even harder on the chains, causing Applejack to gasp as she felt most of her soul coming out. She literally was on her last leg as she hung on to her soul’s left hind leg.

Applejack felt helpless. Despair was creeping in her psych and taunting her on how she failed everypony that was near and dear to her. She could see flashes of her life. One moment she was a filly, another was her first apple bucking season, another about her friends and her rivalry with Rainbow Dash. All of her memories were going at such an accelerating rate that she saw her entire life story in half a second.

But those memories triggered something within Applejack. She felt a familiar force enter her body and soothe her soul. It was something she hasn’t used in a long time.

Applejack was channeling Honesty. The magic energy flowed and strengthened her, giving more power to take back her soul. Remnant noticed a shift of magic power in the air and then saw Applejack’s soul rapidly sinking back into her body. His chain’s own magic combated the magic of the element of Honesty, causing rocks and soil to rise into the air on their own.

Remnant pulled as hard as he could, but with a deafening yell, Applejack pooled all her strength and tore her soul loose from the chain’s claws and the grip of death. Her soul went back into her body.

Applejack then got into her stance, determination and conviction written on her face. Remnant then struck with both chains again. But this time, Applejack parried and blocked the chains with no effort. Remnant tried again, but Applejack dodged all the swings and charged at him. Remnant launched attack after attack with his Claws of Hades, but Applejack was dodging and parrying every attack as she moved closer. Remnant was about to launch another attack, but Applejack used a tecnique that was taught to her by Ryoma, the name of it was Astra. Applejack launched five strikes in a blur of speed that slashed his abdomen, his face, his left hind leg, and sliced off his two foreleg hooves. She then kicked Remnant with her right hind leg and slashed him diagonally downwards.

Remnant flopped to the ground, his wounds sapping his life away. Instead of yelling in agony, Remnant began to cry.

Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed. “I’m so sorry, my wife and colt,... I won’t be coming home. I’m so sorry, so sorry.”

He kept on repeating “i’m sorry” over and over again, as if he had a lifetime of regrets. He didn’t look at Applejack at all. Instead, his gaze was fixed towards the Undiscovered West.

He raised his stump right foreleg and said, “i’m sorry,” for the last time. Life fled from his body, and the chains he used floated over to Applejack. Applejack took them cautiously, and looked over to Remnant’s body.

Applejack slowly trotted towards his body. She sat there as the wind that was blowing furiously during the duel calmed itself into a gentle breeze.

Applejack shed a single tear as she said, “I hope you get a good afterlife, Remnant. Don’t worry about your family anymore. As soon as this war is over, I will find your family and help them in any way I can. I will provide them a better life.”

With that, Applejack extinguished her Darksaber. She grabbed the chains, which magically shrunk so she could carry them easily. She dug a grave with her hooves, put the body in, covered it and placed some rocks on top of it in the shape of a lightning bolt, and left the site, the breeze swaying the grass around the grave.

Impostors and Mercy

Chapter 9: The Impostors and Mercy .

Ryoma knew that the Band of Gold was good, he just didn’t know that they were really good.

Ryoma parried an attack from one Gold member and finished him with an upper slash to the jaw. Ryoma, breathing hard, looked to see how his allies were doing. Ike, with his sword Ragnell, was swatting aside Band of Gold members like they were flies, cutting them in half with little effort. Vinyl was cut above her eye and was temporarily blinded in one eye by her blood, but she still fought on. Julius was jumping here and there, taking out Gold soldiers like he was fighting a damn Giant Bat, his Vampire Killer whip slicing enemies apart.

Ryoma then turned his attention to the objective of the attack.

Star Reader ordered his men to kill the “traitors” as he sat there, laughing at the entrance of the tent.

The Band of Gold followed his orders without question, fighting in the name of an insane and delusional pony.

However, the Band of Gold was taking very, very, very heavy casualties. As powerful as they were, the Band was not good enough to fight heroes like these.

Ryoma sliced through another Gold soldier and pointed his Rajinto towards Star Reader. He yelled as a stream of lightning struck the mad pony, blasting him off his feet. The mad pony chuckled as he got up like he was a possession victim and he unhinged his jaw, laughing despite the fact that the lightning that struck him gave him a third-degree burn on his skull.

“Oh, this is so much FUN!” He said as he held up his hoof and a sword and scabbard materialized from out of nowhere. Ryoma stared and prayed that it wasn’t the sword he thought it was.

Star Reader pulled the sword out of its scabbard. Unfortunately, he knew what the sword was called.

Ganglari, the sword that killed his stepmother and a good handful of citizens with an explosion of magic.

Seeing the sword in the hands of another madpony filled Ryoma with rage. He quickly cut down another soldier and ran towards Star Reader, determined to slice him to ribbons.

Star Reader laughed as Ryoma landed a strike that he blocked. Ryoma could see the madness that filled this once honorable pony. The madpony shrieked with delighted laughter and slashed at Ryoma, who blocked the strike.

“Your mother was fun to kill, Ryoma. I laughed when she told Corrin her sugary words before she passed like the sow she was!”

Ryoma, who was blade-locked with the pony asked, “wait, how did you-”

“I am the hooded man, Ryoma. I am your mother’s murderer, hahahahahahahahahahaha!

“You fucking murderous fiend!” Ryoma yelled. Ryoma slashed again at the madpony, but he blocked and parried with Ryoma on an equal level of the high prince. As if the pony himself was a samurai.

Ryoma yelled as he slashed. He performed Astra and struck at all different parts of Star Reader’s body, landing three incapacitating blows and two blocked ones.

Ryoma then kicked the madpony with his right hind hoof and did a diagonal slash, the same move used to finish Remnant. Blood sprayed from the body of Star Reader as the laughter sounded from the entire room.

“Hahahaha…, So, my prince, how does it feel to cut down an innocent life?” it asked.

“What do you mean? Talk to me, monster!” Ryoma shouted.

Then, a hooded pony rose from Star Reader’s body, the hooded one said, “I think you know what I mean.”

Ryoma’s eyes went wide with the realization of what he has done. He roared in anger and pure hatred as he brought Raijinto down. As soon as the katana was going to cut him, the hooded pony vanished.

Ryoma stared at the spot the hooded pony used to be, then his eyes lit up with pure rage as he looked and shouted to the top of his lungs, “WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?! I’LL KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME? I’LL KILL YOU!”

“Ryoma, that’s enough!’ Vinyl yelled.

Ryoma turned to see his student with the other heroes. Ike was looking on while Julius had his mouth dropped. All the Band of Gold members were dead.

“I-I… don’t know what came over me.”

Vinyl gave him a sad look, “It’s okay, right now we need to explain to the others what happened to their leader of sorts-”

“You monsters!’” a voice said.

Featherfang stood in the entrance of the war tent, Wind Piercer in hoof. His eyes blazed with energy. Next to him was Lyra, who stood with complete shock.

“Featherfang, I can expla-”

Ryoma never got to finish his sentence, because Featherfang tackled the stallion with full Blood-curse fueled fury. Ryoma had enough time to put the Rajinto between him and Featherfang’s teeth. Featherfang let out a shriek as the lightning made contact with his mouth.

Ryoma scrambled to get out of the way as Featherfang swiped Wind Piercer at him. Ryoma then got into his stance and was ready for Featherfang. But, Featherfang began to attack all the members of Ryoma’s group. He slammed Vinyl into the table, scattering maps and war pieces, knocking her out cold. Julius threw a holy water grenade at Featherfang, but it just got the heir wet and even more mad. Julius began to use his whip to try and incapacitate the heir, but he wasn’t fast enough to dodge and was sent flying out of the tent. Now, it was only Ike and Ryoma, and both did not know what to do.

Featherfang’s eyes glowed red as the smell of blood and the sight of carnage kept him in his Blood-curse state.

Ryoma and Ike charged and fought the heir as he turned into his sky serpent form.

Lyra was sitting there, helpless to do anything but watch as her lover fight the two heroes. She wanted to do something, she NEEDED to do something!

Then, she noticed two swords. One that was called Ganglari, and the other was not there before. It had a pale-blue blade, and a golden hilt and grip.

The weapon’s name came to her from out of nowhere, “Chillrend.”

She grabbed Chillrend and Ganglari, not deciding which one to use. She then put Ganglari in its scabbard and slung it on her back. She then took Chillrend and galloped with it in her mouth towards the fighting duo of heroes and a demigod. Featherfang was using strong winds to push back Ryoma and Ike and bring them to their knees. Ryoma and Ike were getting really tired as they fought the wind.

Lyra ran up behind Featherfang and smacked him in the face with the flat of the blade, causing the heir to flop to the ground. Featherfang was dazed as Lyra continued to smack the shit out of him with the flat of the blade, causing ice and frost to appear on his body, literally chilling Featherfang out. When all that came from him was groans and icy paralysis, Featherfang passed out.

(^*^)

Featherfang opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He found that he was no longer covered in ice, no longer paralysed and rested.

He continued to stare at the ceiling as he tried to remember what happened. He shifted uncomfortably, then noticed that there was something on his chest. He slowly looked down to see Lyra, sleeping soundly.

While this would provoke some kind of outburst of embarrassment, it only served to put a frown on Featherfang’s face, for he remembered who struck him while he was fighting Ike and Ryoma.

“She must of had her reasons...Right?” he whispered to himself.

Somepony knocked on the door, rousing Lyra from her slumber.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Ryoma and Julius came in. Before Featherfang could narrow his eyes in anger, Ryoma said, “just hear us out.”

~explaining everything else~

“Are you certain? It's a lot to take in at once.”

“I swear, Featherfang. I’m telling the truth,” Ryoma said. He then nodded to Julius and the latter pulled out a map. It showed Appleloosa and Dodge City on the bottom, Ponyville and Canterlot were in the center. Cloudsdale was to the side of Canterlot. The map showed the areas that were near the said settlements.

Julius pointed with his hoof, “while you were passed out, the army marched into Appleloosa and Dodge city and conquered them without a single weapon drawn. I guess the civilians didn’t want to fight us. However, Were are here,” He now pointed with his hoof to The Ruins. “It is this place that we are at currently, which means that we have to pass the Everfree Forest to reach our destination.”

“So what is stopping us?” Featherfang asked.

“The scouts i’ve sent into the forest have gone M.I.A, save one. He reported that a dense fog blankets the forest and red-eyed bat winged ponies are flying around and controlling the forest. Apparently, somepony named Flutterbat is leading them.

“Fluttershy…,” Lyra said with sadness.

Julius continued, “We already tried to send a strike force to take them out. But, as I heard the screams of pure terror and horror escape the woods and nopony came back to report, it confirmed my suspicions.”

“Suspicions of what?” Featherfang asked.

“Let me answer your question with another question. Do you believe in Vampires?”

(“_”)

It was times like these that Julius was glad he was a Belmont. He has just received a mission to lead some eagle pony warriors into the mists of the now corrupt Everfree Forest. He checked his equipment. He had his hatches, his holy water vials, had his divine magic at full strength, and his most prized possession, the Vampire Killer whip.

As he looked towards the forest as his units were getting ready, he heard the words of Applejack.

(15 minutes earlier…)

“Julius. Julius, wait!” Applejack said as she galloped towards him. He turned and said with a slight smile, “how can I help you?”

Applejack looked shyly down, “I wanted to ask you if you could do me a favor.”

Julius raised an eyebrow, “and what would that be?”

“I was wondering if you could spare Fluttershy.”

Julius shook his head, “in my world, anypony who went down that path never returned to the light. Vampires are Vampires, Applejack. They are nothing more than undead leeches that suck the life and soul out of decent beings. I never had spared a Vampire before, and never will.”

Applejack began, “But-”

Julius said, “the first chance she gets, Fluttershy/Flutterbat will try to kill me, or make me into one of them. If you know of a cure, I better hear it.”

“Ah bet that magic could cure her.”

“That was a maybe, not a definite cure.”

Applejack said in a dangerous tone, “Ah will not let her be killed by you.”

Julius coiled up his Vampire Killer and said, “Listen, whatever Fluttershy was before Flutterbat is gone. All that she is now is an evil bloodsucker. There is no going back from that path. Nopony ever has…”

Applejack turned away, and said as she walked out of his tent, “please, have mercy on her.”

(Present)

“Mercy…” He whispered to himself.

He turned to his battalion of one hundred and fifty Serpony soldiers and nodded, indicating that the march began. They approached the Everfree Forest with nervous thoughts clouding their mind. They were soon surrounded by fog as they entered the woods.

They marched in absolute silence, not making a sound. All the ponies on this side of the world have heard tales of what went on in Everfree Forest. They heard legends of Timberwolves, Manticores, and other creatures of nightmares. They heard how the forest has a mind of its own, unnaturally taking care of its own through dark magics and other means. One of the most prevalent tales of the Everfree Forest, is the legend of the dark shaman that haunts these woods, using her most darkest spells to experiment on intruders and cause strive to anypony that lived in nearby.

Julius knew about the legends, and really wasn’t surprised. In his line of work, legends were the truth told in story form.

Julius knew the plan well enough. He was to go through the Everfree Forest and secure a route to the abandoned Castle of Two Sisters. There the army can use it as a launch pad for their invasion of Ponyville and the surrounding areas.

Julius was also supposed to secure the Tree of Harmony as soon as the castle was taken, to prevent the rest of the element bearers from reclaiming their elemental powers. The rest of the army would come when Julius would send a scout to deliver the message that he had succeeded.

Julius and his battalion trekked through the thick fog. No sunlight was getting through the stormy overcast anytime soon. In fact, this overcast had been here the entire time Flutterbat has taken residence.

They marched into the woods for half an hour when Julius and his battalion heard something hiss. The ring of weapons filled the air as the soldiers drew their weapons, alarmed and uneasy.

Julius himself slowly uncoiled his Vampire Killer, noting that the hiss sounded familiar.

Then, a Sepony that was next to Julius was jerked back. Screaming, the Serpony soldier disappeared into the fog. A wicked laughter echoed throughout the forest.

Before the terrified Battalion could even scream, several more Serponies were pulled into the fog by an unseen force. Shadows of creatures zipped through the fog, tackling soldiers with blood-chilling screams. Julius cursed himself as he realized that this was an ambush of the darkest kind.

Julius turned towards the way they came, only to see Serpony soldiers trying to fight in vain the dark forces of Flutterbat. He looked to see a pony biting into a Serpony soldier. The pony looked up with a blood-smeared face and smiled with its serrated fangs as blood and drool dripped. It hissed and began to get up.

It died as Julius snapped his whip across its head, killing it.

Julius then began to channel his divine power, raising into the air. All the vampiric ponies started to get caught in a vacuum. A large cross made of holy energy erupted behind Julius two inches away from his back while Julius himself was covered in holy energy. The vacuum caused all Vampires to fly into the cross, causing them to burn away in a flash of holy blue-fire.

Julius landed back on the ground.

Julius looked around the now silent, foggy area. The fog hid as much as it could, but he saw the bodies of his dead battalion, not a single soldier survived.

Julius produced lighter fluid and a box of matches from his coat. He went around the corpses and sprinkled lighter fluid on all one-hundred and fifty of them and threw a match on them too, burning away the fate they would of had if they we just to lay there in the woods. Lesser vampire bites had an infectious quality to them, meaning that they can simply bite you and turn you into them, while Vampires of higher power need to give you their blood and drain your to make you one of them.

Julius then left the bodies to burn, confident that the fires won’t burn the forest down.

Julius knew that he needed to complete his mission, to find the Castle of Two Sisters. He also knew that he burned up a large amount of Vampiric ponies, so there shouldn't be a large amount of them left. He wondered if there was anyway he could of saved his battalion during those few moments.

He went deeper into the forest. Fully aware of his surroundings, Julius prayed that the nightmare would end quickly.

He came across a hut in the forest. In front was a zebra, chanting spells and drawing a symbolic circle around her house.

Julius called out, “you there! Are you a normal hu-pony?”

The zebra looked up and said, “indeed I am.”

“I’m Julius Belmont. I have more ponies like me coming soon. I was wondering if you could help them when they pass through here?”

The zebra frowned, “why would I help the invaders of the jungle?”

“Because you and I both know that an unnatural evil lurks in these woods, One that drains the blood of the living. They are not prepared to face it,” Julius said.

The zebra nodded sadly, “yes, I suppose so...,You know, she came for me. Poor Fluttershy tried to turn me when she stayed her first night here. I had to ward her off that night. All the other zebras had to relocate in Ponyville.”

“I see…”

The zebra continued, “I cannot believe Celestia is to blame, all this pain to tame… Celestia would never transform her into what she is. I cannot forgive her for that.”

The zebra lifted her head, “I will help your army cross the Everfree. But only because I don’t believe Celestia is Celestia.”

Julius said thank you and continued on his way. Before he left the hut, the zebra called out, “the name is Zecora, tell Fluttershy I miss her, if you see her.”

Julius nodded and plunged back into the Everfree Forest.

Julius eventually came into a clearing, a clearing with a castle in it.

Julius sighed, “the Castle of Two Sisters.”

The castle really did look abandoned, vines were on the walls,stones and walls were crumbling and it gave off an aura of lost sorrow and deceit.

Julius went through the gate and into the castle. He began to search all the rooms, finding relics and the occasional band of skeleton pony warriors and zombies. He made short work of them, hardly a challenge to him all. He checked them all and then went to the abandoned courtyard. There, the decomposing bodies of the previous scouting party of the Serponies were strewn across the courtyard, their throats ripped out.

Julius then saw the double doors that led to the throne room.

He trotted up to the doors, moving a body out of the way, and went inside.

The twin thrones in the throne room were crumbling and in a state of disrepair. Blood was spattered all over the stone floor and dried up on the torn red carpet. The moon was showing through the windows, indicating that the overcast will be gone till morning, and illuminating the throne room. On the throne of the moon, sat a yellow pegasus mare with bat wings that looked more menacing than her other bat wings she got after the fruit bats. Her crimson eyes fixed in sadness on a wine glass she had, filled with blood. Her ears were pointed and tidy, not like a bat pony’s ears. She threw the wine glass to the stone floor, shattering it.

“I don't want to fight.”

Julius raised an eyebrow, “you don't want to fight?”

The Pegasus mare slowly stepped down from the throne and said, “who are you? I never seen a stallion like you before?”

“I'm Julius Belmont. I am a Vampire Hunter.”

The mare slowly made her way to him, eyes weary. “I take it that you want to kill me?” She asked.

Julius nodded and said, “yes, I plan to do that… what's your name?”

“Fluttershy,” The mare said.

“Fluttershy, I must ask, why do you support Celestia?”

Fluttershy’s crimson eyes filled with hatred, “that is NOT Celestia, or this wouldn't do this to me. She… She took my bunny hostage, force feed me some blood and told me...told me…, She told me She would kill my pet if I didn't do what she wanted me to. So now, I command a force of turned ponies and undead creatures in the forest, waiting for your foolish army to march in.”

Julius readied his whip and said, “I killed the turned ponies, and fought off the undead threats in the castle. If anything, you only delayed the invasion.”

Fluttershy slowly trotted over to Julius. She stopped when she was five feet in front of him. “I never wanted to do this, I never wanted to cause harm or take lives. Poor Applejack, I think she feels the same way…”

She looked at him with the saddest eyes, “I'm sorry.”

Julius was not swayed by her apology, in fact, no pity was given by Julius at all. He cracked his whip and said, “your apologies won't work on me, monster. I fought against many of your kind and I can honestly say that they had no regard for mortal life, and they never regretted what they have done.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes, a single tear sliding down her cheek, “why, why, why did it have to be you? Why did it have to be by your hooves?”

Julius still felt no pity, or even a tiny bit of sadness. He was about to gather some divine energy to make a holy cross boomerang, when Fluttershy closed the distance between them in a blink of an eye. Julius was taken off guard, which didn't happen often, and he mentally scolded himself. The two stayed still for ten seconds before the unthinkable happened.

Instead of going for Julius’s throat, She went for his lips.

Julius was definitely surprised that time. She kissed the stallion for three seconds then transformed into mist. Julius, now on full alert, jumped back.

Fluttershy reappeared in front of the throne of the moon, sadness and guilt written all over her face.

“I'm so sorry, please forgive me!” She cried. She then spread her wings and assumed a battle stance.

Julius shook the kiss out of his mind and charged at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy flew at him, fangs bared in sadness, Julius jumped and bucked her out of the air, sending her into the ground. She became mist again and reappeared behind Julius, sending a ball of mist at him. He dodged and cracked his whip across the left side of her body, causing her to scream in pain. She was mist again.

The mist trick was really starting to annoy Julius. He got ready as he tried to heighten his senses.

It didn't work, Flutterbat appeared in front of him and wrapped her bat wings around him. She brought down her teeth, intent on piercing his jugular. Instead, Julius brought up his whip to block the attack, forcing her to bite the Vampire Killer. The whip burned her lips, causing her to release Julius from his winged prison.

Fluttershy brought out a potion and drank it, healing her left side and lips. She then charged at Julius, shrieking like the many vampires that died at Julius's hooves.

Julius produced an ax and threw it at her, causing her to dodge. He then performed his Omnia Vanitas, he became a blur and appeared behind her, Vampire Killer ready to end her. However, Fluttershy turned around, her crimson eyes seemingly piercing his soul. She bucked him into the throne before he could land the hit.

Julius got up. He knew that she shouldn't have reactions like that at all. The only being he could compare her with in terms of reaction speed was Dracula himself.

That was when it dawned on him. Reaction time… vial of blood…

She drank Dracula's blood.

Julius, now fully aware of her power, calmed himself and charged.

Fluttershy flashed her fangs as she closed the distance with him. She became mist as soon as Julius got near her, hoping to confuse and irritate him. However, Julius knew what was coming. She silently materialized behind him, snarling and about to shred his neck with serrated fangs.

Instead Julius turned around, brought up his hoof and socked Fluttershy in the face. She flew backwards and took to the air. She sent icicles at the Vampire Hunter, he dodged them. She sent fireballs at him, he dodged. She swooped low in an attempt to tackle the Belmont. Julius preformed his Omnia Vanitas again and appeared behind her. He swung his whip, causing it to wrap around her right hind leg. Then with all the force he could muster, Julius used the whip like a rope that was tethered to her leg, slamming her into the ground.

Fluttershy tried to get up, but Julius slammed her again. She whispered as he trotted up to her, and grabbed her neck. He then choke slammed her into the stone floor, then threw her at the foot of the throne of the sun. He brought out one of his axes and threw it at her. Fluttershy barely dodged, but the axe caution her wing, pinning it to the throne. She screamed in pain as she tried to free herself.

Julius trotted up to her, Vampire Killer in hoof, ready to finish her off.

Fluttershy looked at him with pleading eyes, begging him not to end her life.

Julius raised his whip, ready to end her existence. But, something was holding him back.

It was the kiss, he wanted to know why she kissed him.

Julius, with his whip still ready to deliver, asked, “why did you kiss me?”

Fluttershy looked at him, tears ready to pool out of her eyes, “I-I don't know. P-please don't kill me, I beg of you! W-who is going to take care of m-my pet, who is going to… to…”

Then she broke down and sobbed, crying and cursing the world for bestowing this curse upon her. She has been through a lot, and this was the closest she had ever been to completely looking it.

Julius knew that Celestia gave her the blood and forced her to drink it, he knew that she had friends that cared for her, that are willing to look for a cure. They are willing to show her mercy, to forgive her… didn't Julius worship a god that does the same for everypony else in his universe? Did he know someone named Alucard that had the blood of Dracula in his veins, and they ultimately became a force of good, helping them stop Dracula when they needed help the most?

Julius was faced with a dilemma. He could kill her now and this world will be rid of Dracula's blood, or spare her and hope she doesn't go rogue.

Fluttershy looked at him, and nodded, like she understood what he was thinking about. Fluttershy, thinking resistance was futile, lowered her head, exposing her neck. She was ready to be executed.

Julius gripped his whip, his mind made up.

Fluttershy closed her eyes, expecting the sweet embrace of death.

The silence lasted until...

Julius began to coil the whip with the words, “Go, I don't want to kill you anymore. The army will be hear soon, so you can say hi to Applejack. Until then, get out of my sight.”

Fluttershy, overjoyed that he decided to spare her, nodded with a sad smile and transformed into a bat and flew into a mouse hole in the stone walls of the throne room.

Julius then trotted toward the doors and went outside. He breathed easy as he noticed that the fog was lifted from the forest, and the rays of dawn casting their beautiful rays of hope onto the castle.

Fighting Skies, Fighting Earth

Chapter 10: Fighting Skies, Fighting Earth

It has been a week since Julius Belmont single-handedly conquered the Everfree Forest, wresting it from the control and influence of Fluttershy.

During that time, Applejack and Fluttershy’s reunion brought tears to both mares and a hug that lasted an entire hour. After explaining what happened to her and how she ended up controlling the Everfree Forest, Applejack was livid with rage, and it took another hour to calm her down and to stop her from cutting down trees with her Darksaber.

It was during this week that Lyra began to learn about the sword, practicing in the occupied Castle of Two Sisters. As the Serpony army trained outside the castle walls, Ike was training Lyra inside the castle courtyard, now dead body free.

Lyra was sore from the entire week training. Her muscles ached every time she swung her sword, Chillrend. Her other sword, Ganglari, was given to Fluttershy as a welcome back gift.

While Ike was drilling her on the sword, Lyra’s mind drifted to other thoughts. She had heard that the Celestian army was all gathered in Canterlot, Ponyville, and Cloudsdale. Celestia practically abandoned all the other settlements to protect her capital, something that wasn’t popular with her subjects. From the various reports the Seponies received from their scouts indicated that riots are widespread, and many towns have fallen to bandit raids. As a result, Celestia is losing allies, while the towns at welcoming the Serpony soldiers because they are the ones that are driving the bandits away.

However, Ponyville and Cloudsdale are still fiercely loyal to the Canterlot crown.

Today would be the day that will see Cloudsdale under siege. After a meeting in the war tent, everypony agreed to see Featherfang lead the assault on Cloudsdale. While Cloudsdale is occupied, Applejack, Ryoma, Vinyl, Ike, and Julius will lead the attack on Ponyville. Fluttershy will go with Featherfang. Despite the daytime, Fluttershy has some potions she was given my Zecora that erased her weakness to sunlight for an entire day.

Lyra managed to block Ragnell niece more, and attempted to counter Ike. Ike grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the ground.

As Lyra gasped and coughed, Ike said, “that’s enough training today. Go get some rest.”

Lyra nodded wearily, and slowly made her way to the mess tent, with Ike in tow. There, Featherfang was giving the briefing on the two attacks, with the leaders and heroes, whom Ike just joined, nodding.

Lyra took a seat behind them and listened intently.

“after the Vanguard, led by Ike, clears a path for the main army, Applejack, Ryoma, and Vinyl will lead the main army to engage Celestia’s army in the streets. I want archers in the buildings to snipe the enemies from the Windows. Meanwhile, the sky assault on Cloudsdale will-”

A thunderous noise sounded.

Featherfang slowly looked at his chest, seeing a bloody hole about the size of a golf ball.

He collapsed, causing the heroes to spring forward to save Featherfang’s life.

Lyra saw the Serponies present in the meeting panicking and screaming with sorrow and horror. She looked around and saw sompony with a hat like Applejack’s ran out swiftly with a strange weapon. Lyra was certain that he was the one responsible for her lover's wound.

Rage overcame Lyra as she brought out Chillrend and gave pursuit.

She followed the stranger till they were outside of the camp. The stranger then made a gesture with his hooves, signaling Daring Do to come out of the bushes.

Daring Do then pointed towards Lyra, revealing her presence to the stranger. The stranger turned around and have Lyra the evil eye.

“Who in Tartarus’s name are you?! Why did you hurt Featherfang?!” Lyra asked in rage.

“Name’s Erron Black. And that's all you need to know,” the stranger said, “but you can forget that, because you will be dead in a minute.”

“No… you will pay for what you done!” Lyra shouted as she got in her battle stance.

Erron laughed and said, “this will be a piece of cake.”

He put his strange weapon away, and drew his tarkatan blade. He then charged at her.

Lyra blocked the initial strike, causing the tarkatan blade to freeze. Erron Black pulled his blade away and struck again, trying to get her chest. Lyra parried the strike, then did a horizontal slash. Erron jumped back and pulled out his revolver, shooting a round at Lyra. Lyra felt the bullet graze her cheek, which was odd, because Erron never missed a shot like that.

The wind was picking up now,and it was affecting his shooting abilities. The wind itself was irregular and chaotic pulling this way and that, like it had a mind of its own.

Erron fired his twin revolvers again, but the wind was carrying them away or directing them somewhere else.

Lyra wasted no time as she went full offense on Erron Black, striking at every which way, causing Erron to block and parry with his tarkatan blade. With every block and parry, Erron’s blade was being covered in frost and ice. Soon, the ice started growing on him.

Erron’s attacks were getting slower, his hooves and legs were growing numb. He let his guard slip and Lyra took advantage of the opportunity. She lunged and managed to cut Erron’s cheek. That was when Erron’s body went stiff, and he flopped to the ground.

As soon as the paralysis hit him, it was gone. As he struggled to get up, Lyra brought her sword down, skewering him and pinning him to the ground. Erron screamed in agony, but frost was forming over his mouth. In fact, ice was covering Erron’s entire body. He squirmed and struggled to free himself of the self growing ice prison, but he couldn't.

Daring Do lunged at Lyra, trying to make her stop. Lyra simply bucked her in the stomach, sending her back into the bushes. Daring Do was knocked unconscious.

Erron's ice prison was complete. His face of agony frozen, his wound was frozen. He wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

As much as she wanted to, she didn't kill him, but put him in cryostasis. He will be there until somepony frees him. His wound will continue to bleed as soon as he is free.

Lyra withdrew Chillrend from the ice prison, ice forming around the exit. In the sunlight, the ice prison looked like a burial mound of crystal.

Lyra then trotted back to camp, her deed done.

(@#@)

Featherfang would live. At that news, everypony sighed in relief.

Lyra would spend her time by Featherfang’s side and work with the healers to nurse him back to health.

Unfortunately, he wasn't going to able to lead the sky assault.

So after much debating, Applejack was given the job of leading the aerial attack with Fluttershy.

Applejack knew that she would have it no other way, because she knew who would fight in Cloudsdale’s defence. It still pained her to know that she will be fighting her friend, Rainbow Dash. Applejack still remembered Luna’s words about Rainbow Dash and how Rainbow planned to fight Applejack and win.

Applejack put on her armor and grabbed her Darksaber. She made her way out of her tent and camp and joined the army that was to partake in the assault.

She stood there with Fluttershy, neither of them saying a word, but both glad to have a friend by their side.

Then, Quetzalcoatl, now at full strength, came down from the sky. He then cast a spell that allowed the army to walk on clouds so they could land on Cloudsdale without falling from the clouds.

He landed on the ground and let the army climb up onto him. When everypony was on, he let out a mighty roar and took to the skies, with everypony hanging on for dear life.

They were on their way to Cloudsdale.

Applejack said, “you know sugarcube, you don't have to do this.”

Fluttershy nodded, “I don't, but if I could save any of my friends, I will.”

“She doesn't want to be friends with me anymore. She said that she would end me.”

Fluttershy looked down to the earth below, “I don't think she would want to kill you. I think she felt betrayed. We could convince her. After all, she isn't as stubborn as you.”

Applejack cracked a smile at the joke, “Ah suppose not.”

Soon, they spotted dark thunderheads. It seems the Pegasi did know they were coming, and are attempting to use storms to stop them from coming.

Quetzalcoatl roared, “THEY DARE TRY TO STOP ME WITH MY OWN ELEMENT? THEY ARE A FOOLISH RACE.”

Then, as they got closer, a horde of Pegasi soldiers emerged from the storm clouds, shouting war cries.

“This is it!” Applejack cried to the Serpony soldiers, “get ready!”

The soldiers drew their weapons and held on to Quetzalcoatl’s body.

Quetzalcoatl roared and flew right into the Pegasi force, swallowing some of them. The Pegasi soldiers swooped into the Serponies, knocking some off and sending them to the earth below. Some Serponies skewered some Pegasi with their spears, and others began to fight the Pegasi on Quetzalcoatl's body.

Applejack ignited her Darksaber when she saw a certain Pegasus pony coming at her.

Rainbow Dash tackled the earth pony, taking them off of Quetzalcoatl's body, and sending them plummeting towards the earth below. Applejack hung on to Rainbow Dash as they both bit and kicked as they fell. Applejack extinguished her Darksaber and put her Darksaber in between her teeth to make sure she didn't lose it. She punched Rainbow Dash in the face, and received a kick to the face. They were now a couple of seconds from becoming a grease stain on the ground.

Rainbow opened her wings to slow down and greatly decrease the impact. Applejack grabbed her by one of her hung legs and used Rainbow like a parachute. They both crashed to the ground.

They were bruised, but no bones broken, and were alive.

They both got up, gazing fiercely into each others eyes. Rainbow was the first to speak, “the traitor shows her face.”

“Ah'm fighting for the likes of y’all. You just don't seem to get that,” Applejack snarled.

“Oh, I get it all right. You betrayed your family, friends and home! All that Celestia has done for us meant nothing to you? Have you forgotten all we have done together? To throw your lot in with the enemy is a crime, punishable by death.”

“Ah know what I gotten myself into. Ah could of ran away from the enemy anytime I wanted. But, if I did that, ah would f let both sides down. Ah'm fighting for our friends, you just need to believe me!”

Rainbow drew her sword in one hoof, and her war axe in the other. “I don't believe you Applejack. You have no idea what your betrayal has done to us, what it felt like. You hurt the other four that day, so I will hurt you. I will make you feel the pain we all felt.”

“What about Fluttershy? She switched sides and joined us! She sees what Celestia is, so why can't you?!”

Normally, Rainbow would say that she was lying, but she was talking to the bearer of Honesty. Rainbow Dash’s eyes began to tear up. She then turned the tears into tears of rage.

“Fools follow fools. I will kill you and then hunt down Fluttershy… and make her suffer like you are about to.”

Applejack was stunned by the shear rage in her voice and words. She calmly ignited her Darksaber, got into Ryoma's stance, and said, “then try. By my honor as a samurai and friend and Element bearer, I will defeat you.”

The two charged as Quetzalcoatl roared in the heavens.

Their weapons clashed in sparked fury. Rainbow’s axe was cut in half by the Darksaber, while her sword survived. Rainbow then drew back and launched a couple of furious strikes, which Applejack parried and attacked as well.

Rainbow took to the skies, yelling and cursing at Applejack. She then turned and swooped low, cutting into Applejack's hind leg, getting a gasp of pain from the latter. Applejack then jumped back as Rainbow came in for another swipe.

Her cut was bad, but it wouldn't hinder her movement. She got into the stance again, ready for Rainbow.

Rainbow flew at Applejack with blazing speed. Applejack, through some miracle, blocked the attack and slashed at Rainbow Dash's hoof. Rainbow quickly dropped her weapon to avoid an amputation of the painful kind. Rainbow then tackled the heir of Apple Acres, causing her to drop her Darksaber.

Applejack was taught enough unarmed combat by Ryoma, but she had to compete with Rainbow's speed. Applejack kicked Rainbow off of her, sending her into a tree trunk. Applejack got up and galloped and headbutted Rainbow so hard, the tree trunk cracked. While Rainbow gasped for air and felt the pain of one of her ribs snap, Applejack grabbed her and tossed her back into the clearing.

Rainbow then flew at her, delivering punches to Applejack's face. She kicked the apple bucked and put her in a headlock Rainbow squeezed in an attempt to break Applejack's neck. Applejack immediately flipped Rainbow over her shoulder and punched Rainbow in the gut and to the ground. Rainbow flew out of Applejack's reach when Applejack's hoof connected to the ground. She managed to get her sword and Applejack recovers her Darksaber. Rainbow then flew at Applejack slashing in a blur of speed. Applejack couldn't block it in time, so the sword slashed across her abdomen. If Applejack didn't wear her armor, she would of been gutted like a pig, but instead, the sword bit flesh, but not enough to spill guts. Applejack gritted her teeth in pain and slashed downwards, missing her enemy. Rainbow then slashed upwards, knocking the Darksaber out of Applejack's hooves and bucked her across the clearing after the said slash cut her foreleg.

Applejack, breathing hard and in pain, grabbed her Claws of Hades. She twirled them around, daring Rainbow Dash to make a move.

Rainbow snarled and charged, hoping to land the mortal blow.

Applejack anticipated this and swung her Claws accordingly. The claws caught Rainbow's flank. With a swift tug, Rainbow was slammed to the ground. Applejack had her very soul, and tried not to pull it out. Rainbow thrashed and turned and came at Applejack. Applejack ignited her recently picked up Darksaber and blocked Rainbow's sword. She then tackled Rainbow Dash to the ground and proceeded to punch Rainbow in the face over and over.

“You… stubborn...mule!” Applejack said in between punches, “Ah'm tryin to help you, Ah’m tryin to save Equestria!

Rainbow's face was bloodied and bruised. Rainbow was barely conscious as Applejack tried to subdue her opponent, who kept on trying to punch Applejack. She succeeded a few times, but Applejack kept on punching,

but the tears were to much, “Damn you Rainbow! Why did it have to be this way?! Why did you have to fight for them?! WHY?!”

Rainbow saw stars and spots in her vision, it suddenly dawned on her that she will not win this fight. Another punch came down on her face, and then another, and another.

Rainbow was losing consciousness, and was still flailing around, trying to fight till the bitter end. She managed to grab her sword and stab Applejack through the stomach. Applejack yelled in agony as Rainbow twisted the blade in her wound.

Applejack then raised her hoof high in the air, then brought it down on Rainbow's face, knocking out the Pegasus. Applejack then, with great difficulty and pain, slowly pulled the sword out of here.

Applejack tied her chains around Rainbow, trying to ignore the pain she was in right now. As soon as she was done with that chore, she staggered off for medical help, leaving a K.Oed Rainbow Dash.

($!$)

Vinyl cut down Celestian after Celestian as the battle of Ponyville wages. Sending blasts of bass from her katana to break the enemy lines and blast open barricades that have surrounded the town. Ryoma was taking down enemies left and right, Ike was swinging his divine blade with such brute force that he was wiping out entire groups of enemies with one swing. Julius Belmont was tossing axes into the enemy soldiers’ faces and cracking his whip.

The scouts weren’t kidding when they said that the bulk of Celestia’s army was based in Ponyville. It was times like these that Vinyl was glad to have warriors from other worlds fight by her side. She quickly parried a blow from an enemy Celestian and landed five deathblows on the soldier. As soon as the soldier fell, Vinyl turned to see another soldier come at her. She got in a stance, ready to bloody his body when a crossbow bolt went through his head.

Vinyl turned to see where the bolt came from. She spotted a small army, a couple hundred at most. In the lead was a Sleipnir, a rare race of eight-legged ponies. In fact, so rare that they were considered a myth. Above him was Luna, the alicorn of the moon.

The Sleipnir raised a crimson-bladed greatsword and yelled with savage fury. He charged and his army did the same, swinging flails and bellowing war cries.

Vinyl saw how powerful they were when they clashed with the Celestians, Their steel plate armor deflecting blows that would kill a normal Serpony. The lead Sleipnir, clad in black steel plate, swung his sword and decapitated three Celestians at once. He muttered an incantation and pointed his hoof, making a dark matter shoot from it like a lightning bolt, skewering an entire battalion of Celestians. He and his army swarmed in and started killing like their salvation depended on it.

Vinyl turned to see a Celestian with a light gray coat trying to stab her with a halberd. Vinyl narrowly avoided what would of been a deathblow, and got in her stance.

The soldier charged and whipped the halberd around in a wide arc, missing Vinyl as she dodged. Vinyl took the opportunity and opening the attack made and got in close. Vinyl punched the soldier in the face, slashed at her leg and kicking the enemy down. Vinyl uttered a war cry as she ripped off the helmet the enemy wore to see her enemy die before her eyes as she prepared to drive her katana into the stomach.

Instead, she dropped her katana.

The enemy soldier was her best friend, Octavia Melody. Octavia’s eyes grew wide and so did Vinyl’s.

Vinyl’s eyes began to tear up, “O-Octavia?”

‘Vinyl…”

Vinyl looked around as the tides of war turned in favor of the Serponies and the steel-clad army. She turned to Octavia, “get out of here, quickly! If my allies see you, you’ll die!”

“Vinyl… why? Why did you betray all of Equestria? Why did you betray all our friends and I?”

“Octavia, I don’t have time for this-”

A Serpony group of warriors started to come towards them. Vinyl turned picked up her katana and to Octavia and said, “NOW!”

Octavia fled with tears in her eyes as the Serponies reached Vinyl. One of them said, “you let that one go!”

“It's none of your concern, continue fighting the enemy.” Vinyl calmly said.

“You vile betrayer! We will gut you for this!”

The group charged at her, swinging their macuahuitl. Vinyl parried their blows and one by one, killed them all. Vinyl breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that her battle with the group was outside of the main fight, which meant that nopony saw it. She quickly left the bodies, hoping that Octavia was alright.

(;*;)

Helm was an absolute beast on the battlefield, nopony can deny that.

He was cutting down waves upon waves of enemies, and even more with his dark magic. Marelady Luna was flying around Ponyville, with her regained Moonbolt, slicing down captains and commanders so the Celestian forces were thrown in utter chaos. Helm sliced a soldier in two with Moonsorrow and turned around and performed a mordhau stroke, spiking an enemy soldier in the head with his crossguard.

Helm pulled his sword free and looked to see an enemy hero appear. She was Rarity, back for round eight.

Helm knew his magical power has increased ten-fold, but was still wary of her. He knew the Unicorn races was the most attuned with magic, so he knew that a magical battle with her would be playing Griffon roulette.

He had to close the distance and force her to fight on his terms. Helm charged just as Rarity and her kinshi landed. Helm tackled the bird and sent both into the ground, knocking out the bird.

Rarity got up and had an armor piercing lance, made to kill heavily armored knights like Helm.

No words were exchanged, just blows.

Rarity lunged at Helm, her Armor piercing lance grazing Helm’s armored side. Helm parried three more blows and did a downward slash. Rarity dodged and struck the lance into his leg, the armor destroying blade cutting through his leg armor like a hot knife through butter. Helm did not scream or yell in agony, he simply grabbed the shaft of the weapon, pulled out the blade and smashed it to splinters with his armored hoof. Rarity was stick with a splintered weapon, and Helm punched her in the side, launching her a couple feet. She crashed into a fountain and was barely conscious.

Helm grabbed the blade of his sword and brought down the crossguard on Rarity’s side, smashing some ribs and skewering her insides. As she screamed in agony, Helm pulled out his crossguard and prepared to finish her off.

Just as he brought down the crossguard, the familiar blade of Moonbolt blocked the attack.

“Helm, I order you to stop,” Luna said.

Helm looked at her, his great helm hiding his expression of confusion and annoyance. He asked her why they should spare her.

“Because she is an Element bearer. We will need her to combat future threats.’

“You are too attached to her, this attachment is clouding your judgement,” Helm retorted.

“Maybe, but we will need her and her friends in the future. I’m not asking for your permission, i’m telling thou how it will be.”

Helm nodded and lowered his sword. A battlefield medic team came in and began to work on Rarity.Helm then went back to killing Celestian soldiers, taking out his rage on them.

(~()~)

Fluttershy was completely fine, if by fine you mean getting chased by a crazed pink berserker. Pinkie Pie, decked out in war paint and a pelt of wolfskin was tied around her like a belt and cape, was helping in leading the defence of Cloudsdale with Rainbow Dash. But since Applejack and Rainbow Dash are nowhere to be found, Pinkie Pie has spotted Fluttershy and though she was there to help the Celestians. When she found out that she wasn’t, she went into a berserker rage and began chasing Fluttershy. Fluttershy seen what happens to ponies that get in her way, so of course she was terrified of Pinkie Pie.

However, she was running out of places to hide and places to run to.

Fluttershy went into the weather factory, hoping that the area inside will help her lose Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy transformed into a bat and flew to the rafters of the factory, keeping an eye on Pinkie as she smashed things aside with her battleaxe in her search of her traitorous friend.

In all reality, All Fluttershy needed to do was swoop down and bite her neck, and drink enough of her blood to incapacitate her. She will not turn her, nor kill her.

Fluttershy, still in bat form, began to slowly crawl along the ceiling towards Pinkie, who didn’t notice an out-of-place bat coming her way.

Pinkie smashed a couple more things, screaming “where the fuck are you?!”

Fluttershy transformed back into her normal form and dropped from the ceiling, saying, “Here”. Pinkie didn’t realize that she was about to become lunch until she looked up at the last second.

Fluttershy landed on her and sank her serrated teeth into her neck, causing Pinke to scream in fury. She tried to shake Fluttershy off, but Fluttershy only tightened her jaws further. Pinkie thrashed and struggled as excess blood sprayed on the floor as Fluttershy continued to drink as fast as she can. Pinkie felt her consciousness fading in and out, and she knew she had to do something quick. Pinkie ran as fast as she could, backwards, heading towards jars of artificial thunderbolts. Fluttershy saw this and realized that Pinkie was going to electrocute both of them. While it wouldn’t kill Fluttershy, it would put her into sleep for the longest time. Fluttershy extended her bat wings and flew away from Pinkie. Pinkie stopped her charge and weakly gripped her axe.

Fluttershy landed ten feet away in front of her, and drew Ganglari out of its scabbard, knowing that Pinkie would be significantly weaker than before.

Pinkie, seeing her opponent, charged as fast as she could, bringing down her axe.Fluttershy, pulling her combat skills she was taught by the Celestian army out of her mind, sidestepped and slashed Ganglari across one of Pinkie Pie’s hind legs, cutting a tendon and crippling that leg for the remainder of the battle. Pinkie Pie has lost a lot of blood, a lot of steam and a lot of ideas. She swung her axe with all the strength she could muster from her bloodless body. Fluttershy blocked the power attack, barely. Fluttershy struggled to keep the attack from breaking her block. Fluttershy transformed into mist, allowing the axe to pass through her. Fluttershy appeared behind Pinkie and smacked the hilt across Pinkie’s face as soon as the berserker turned around, knocking the pink terror out.

Fluttershy took a moment to breath before stopping the bleeding of Pinkies love bite. As soon as the wound stabilized, Fluttershy flew out of the factory and saw the sight of Quetzalcoatl swinging his tail and reducing the city of the clouds to rubble. The Pegasi were in full retreat and Quetzalcoatl gave a roar of triumph. The Serpony army yelled in victory as well. Fluttershy then flew to the Serponies, asking them to bring along a healer

(_-_)

Twilight Sparkle was horrified of the new she had just gotten. Both Ponyville and Cloudsdale had fallen to Serpony forces. Now, there was nothing that stood between them and Canterlot. Not only that, but reports say that Fluttershy has joined the Serponies and had defeated Pinkie Pie. News also reached her ears that Rainbow Dash had engaged Applejack and was now missing in action. Rarity engaged the leader of the Knights Lunar and got her ass handed to her.

All her friends have ether been defeated by the Serponies, or have betrayed Equestria. Twilight shed a single tear that dropped on the map in the empty war room.

Why did it have to be like this? Why did Fluttershy and Applejack abandon Celestia? Why did they fight against the friends that would have welcomed them back if they only asked to be forgiven?

Twilight may never know the answer to those questions. She would have to confront them… in battle.

Twilight grabbed her Levin Sword and Ragnarok tome, and headed outside to a balcony. She could see the sky on fire on the horizon, the city of the clouds alight. She could see the bottom of the horizon, a light of a town that had many memories of her and her friends.

Twilight did a quick mental calculation of the army. Most of their army was stationed in Cloudsdale and Ponyville. Thus the soldiers in Canterlot, which were outnumbered one to three, were the last line of defence. Tomorrow, according to reports, the siege will begin at dusk.

The only comfort Twilight could find in this dark moment is that only Celestia could stop the rampaging army and their god. The sword Apocalypse hungers for divine blood.

Twilight continued to stare at the horizon, and heard a roar in the distance.

Tomorrow, it will all end. Tomorrow, she will have to fight her Friends, the very ponies that she had come to love and cherish and would do anything for them.

Tomorrow, the kingdom of Equestria will be either saved, or go up in flames.

Author's Note

Maybe a little fast-paced? Anyways, it all comes down to the Battle of Canterlot. Who will win? Who will fall? Tune in next time to the conclusion of The Lost Serpents.

Eclipse

Author's Note

Two music scores in this chapter... I must be getting lazy. After this is the Epilogue. Stay tuned.

Eclipse

Chapter 11: Eclipse.

“When the primordial gods created different races of ponies and slept, their children descended into corruption, chaos and ruin. When the gods awoke and found their creations in the cesspool of evil, they sought to punish their creations, which broke their hearts. After seeing pony after pony suffer the wrath of the primordial gods, the Ancestor created Apocalypse. Since the Primordial gods went back to sleep after a massive flood, the Ancestor destroyed the next best thing, the younger gods and spirits. The gods of the primal times and the age of gold long to be avenged, and in time, they will be. Looking back now, we should of listened to the gods in the first place.”

~Starswirl the Bearded.

(#:#)

“This is it, the final battle,” Twilight said as she looked at the Serpony army from the balcony. It was two in the morning, not dusk when the attack was supposed to happen.

She could see that the Serpony army soldiers were just as weary as the left over Celestian army that now looked nervously below, scanning their enemies.

Canterlot was going to take a frontal assault from the gates to the castle itself. All civilian ponies were evacuated to the Crystal Empire, where they should be safe. Her brother, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance where powering a shield that should keep out the invaders, but Twilight knew that the shield would get smashed pretty soon. Tartarus, Twilight crunched the numbers, and the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against them. Twilight used the Fell Brand to get stronger, but its power pales in comparison to Helm Lunar’s dark magics.

Regardless, Twilight knew she had to take a stand. If Canterlot was going to burn, she decided she will burn with it.

She pulled out her Levin Sword, and looked at the zigzag blade. So much was at stake here, so much was going to be saved, or thrown into the pits of Tartarus. She looked at the soldiers, whom have lost all sense of hope. They knew that many would not see their families again, never enjoy the warm embrace of their spouse or their filly’s laughter.

Twilight put on the coat that a former amnesiac gave her after giving her the Fell Brand, a coat with six painted eyes on it. She cut holes in it to allow her wings to move freely. She held the Levin Sword aloft and decided to start the battle for Equestria’s soul.

She brought down the sword, signaling the archers and ballistae ponies to load up. She then saw the dreadful wave of Serponies charge.

The final battle of an age old struggle began.

The charge was stopped when the soldiers connected with the magical barrier. Helm Lunar stepped forward and chanted his haunting Bitin, generating dark forces for his spell. He was joined by Lyra and Vinyl in casting the spell. The two unicorns were not dark magic advocates, but were able to lend their strength to help power his immense spell.

Twilight cringed as she saw the barrier flickered as it tried to resist the dark magic spell. The dark magic was too powerful for even the bond of Shining Armor and Cadance, and the barrier shattered like glass. As soon as the Barrier was taken down, Carnotaurus riders charged with the intent to break down the gates, the entire army of Serponies and Knights Lunar following behind.

Breaking down the gate was too easy for the dinosaur riders, who broke through it like a team of Fillyball players through a banner of paper.

The gate was breached, and Twilight knew the fate of the soldiers stationed there.

She watched with horror as the Carnotaurus riders speared and skewered Celestian soldiers without hesitation, without remorse. The rides themselves used their fangs and jaws to chew entire ponies whole, causing blood and guts to spatter on the street. Some soldiers got stomped on, and the sight from that made Twilight want to throw up everything she had for dinner. If that wasn’t terrible enough, the Pteranodon riders flew above the carnage, too fast for Twilight’s soldiers to shoot down, and the Pteranodon riders where killing soldiers by the tens with arrows so expertly placed that an arrow went through the eyehold of one armored Celestian, and killed him.

When the heroes of the army went through the gate, which included Ryoma, Ike, Julius Belmont, Vinyl Scratch, Lyra Heartstrings, Applejack and Fluttershy, Helm Lunar and Kenshi and the big heir himself, Featherfang, there were barely any soldiers to oppose them. They all gave the order to destroy Celestian resistance in the city, while they went to the castle to confront Celestia. Only Shining Armor, Cadance and Twilight herself stood in the way of heroes that accomplished far greater things than they ever did.

Twilight had to make her stand now. She pulled out her tome, Ragnarok, and her Levin Sword. She made her way to her brother and sister-in-law to make one final stand, one final time.

As the heroes galloped towards the castle, Twilight charged her spell. Just as the heroes came within fifty feet of herself, Twilight let loose the spell. In a flash of fire, a huge explosion rocked the area, sending all heroes in different directions, knocking most of them out.

Twilight was awe-struck at the lucky chance of knocking out almost all heroes. In fact, the ones that were still conscious were Featherfang and Kenshi.

Twilight nodded to Shining Armor and Cadance, indicating that all they have to do is beat these two, and the enemy army will retreat.

In a flash of silver, Luna appeared.

Twilight shed a single tear when she saw the alicorn of the moon, her flamberge, Moonbolt, in her hoof, ready to do battle.

Luna turned to Featherfang, “Go on and confront my sister. She should be in the throne room.”

Featherfang nodded and spread his wings and flew. He landed behind the three Celestian heroes and galloped inside.

Kenshi was next to Luna when he said, “I got the crystal royals. You sure about fighting Twilight?”

“I am. Kenshi, be careful.”

Kenshi nodded and drew Sento from its scabbard. He advanced towards Shining Armor and Cadance.

Luna then flew at Twilight, grabbed her, and threw her onto a castle overlook as large as the courtyard itself. Twilight hit the ground hard, gasping for air as Luna landed five feet away from her.

“hOW COULD YOU BETRAY YOUR OWN SISTER?” Twilight roared as soon as she regained her breath.

Luna was motionless and showed no emotion. She simply said, “that thing is not my sister. If it is… Then I disown her entirely.”

Luna readied her sword, “I know that you are blind to your mentor’s current insanity. She is not the alicorn you once knew, nor will she ever be one. She is gone Twilight. You must accept it.”

Twilight’s tears came more easily now. She looked at Luna with eyes of a pony that lost everything, “If you need to die to be freed from this insanity, from these lies you have been force fed, then I will grant you release as a friend. I will end your life, so you may be at peace.”

Luna responded, “you will try.”

Twilight flew at her, tears flowing from her eyes.

In a flash of sparks, the Levin Sword met Moonbolt. Twilight backed up and lunged at Luna, aiming for her abdomen, Luna smacked the sword thrust to the side with her flamberge and bucked Twilight in the face, sending her off the platform, and she landed on another, breaking a rib on impact. The platform was the same size as the first.

Twilight groaned in pain and slowly got up. Luna landed a couple feet away from her with enough force to crack the spot she landed on. Luna raised her flamberge and brought it down on Twilight, who blocked it with her Levin Sword. Twilight then chanted and a bolt of lightning erupted from the Levin Sword and struck Luna, sending her five feet away. Luna quickly got up in time to receive a slash that cut her flank open. She yelled in agony and fury and renewed her attack, slashing and thrusting at the student of Celestia. Twilight parried each blow and tried to counter as well, but with little success. She then chanted a Ragnarok spell and sent it at Luna. Luna held the sword to her face just as the platform exploded. Twilight fell through the air and landed on all fours safely in the castle courtyard, rubble from the destroyed platform falling into the courtyard. When the dust cleared, Twilight couldn’t see Luna’s body.

“Looking for me?”

Twilight didn’t even have time to look around as the blade of Moonbolt going through Twilight’s right side and out the other end, splattering the grasses and flowers with crimson.

Twilight’s mind tried to register what happened, but she flopped to the ground before she could put the pieces together.

She looked up to see Luna holding the bloody Moonbolt, with the saddest face on the alicorn of the moon.

“How...how…”

Luna held up the flamberge, “holding this sword grants me purely defensive powers. One of those powers allows me to erect a magical barrier to withstand any attack.”

Twilight choked out, “why. Why did you side with them? Celestia… forgave you…”

Twilight then passed out, and would of died if Luna didn’t use a healing spell. Luna said as the wound closed, “I did it to save Equestria from itself.”

(((())))

Kenshi dodged an incoming magical attack from Cadance and dodged a sword slash from Shining Armor. He was impressed with the both of them, they could really synchronize and attack as a unit, not a pair. However, he is used to fighting gods, demons, monsters and ninjas, so this was nothing new. If anything, he wanted them to think they had a chance of winning.

Kenshi used his power to telekinetically send Cadance into a wall, knocking her out. Shining Armor went into a furious rage as he tried to hack and slash his way to victory and vengeance for their previous encounter.

Kenshi parried his sword attacks, looking for an opening he could exploit. When he found it, he slashed at his legs, crippling him. Kenshi then telekinetically held him in the air. He then slammed the crystal ruler into the ground five times, breaking two ribs. He then slammed him through the castle gates, making him the literal key to the gate, opening it for the Serpony army. It also knocked him out cold.

Kenshi sheathed his sword saying, “better luck next time.” and turned to help his unconscious allies.

()()()()

Featherfang paused outside of the throne room door.

He wanted to push it open, to confront Celestia and make her pay for all the Tartarus she put her own people and his through. He wanted to defeat her and restore his people to their former glory.

So what was keeping him?

Featherfang shook his thoughts out of his mind and entered the throne room. As he expected, Celestia herself was there, a black scabbard holding a sword the had dark energy curling off of it.

“Featherfang. Son of the storm and wind god, and the thorn in my side that ended up making my wound fester.”

Featherfang growled, “greetings, Celestia.”

Celestia turned and looked at her throne. She said, “you know, don’t you… You know who I really am.”

“I know that you are a cold-blooded ruler, and a murderer. You and your ancestors have tried to enslave and kill my people i order to make sure a god doesn’t appear after your ancestor tried to hunt him down like a rabid dog. You tried to send a hired thug to assassinate me, you sent your troops to kill me at Appleloosa, you abandoned your own people when you heard that I was coming for you. You planned to commit mass Genocide on me, my people, and anypony else that was helping us.”

Celestia gave an evil laugh that chilled Featherfang to the bone. “Oh, Featherfang. I was never really Celestia. I hid her away and took on her form to pave the way for my master. He grows tired of all the waiting for Hoshido and Nohr to fully duke it out with each other. Now that Corrin refused to pick a side, let’s just say that my master likes to have another world ready for his taking to expand Valla and gather more resources for his takeover of Nohr and Hoshido, after that, the world where the Belmonts live, and after that, a galaxy far, far away, and after that, Tellius. Soon nopony can withstand the might of my master’s power. He can conquer the entire multiverse!”

Featherfang pulled out Wind Piercer and began to twirl it, “So… you are not Celestia. You are just a harbinger of death, here to sow as much chaos as you can so your master can come here and take over this world… so be it.”

“Huh?”

Determination blazed in Featherfang’s eyes as he shouted, “Then I have no qualms about killing you, monster. I will end your terrifying rule here and now!!!”

The impostor slowly drew Apocalypse from its scabbard, dark energy wafting off it like fog. “I will kill you Featherfang, and your death will generate so much chaos that my master will come here way earlier than expected, Your people will die, your friends will die, and I will be rewarded beyond my wildest dreams! Its over Featherfang. Time for you to die!”

Featherfang charged at the mongrel, determined to kill him, even if it's the last thing he did.

Featherfang swung his weapon, and the Impostor blocked the strike. With an evil laugh, he kicked Featherfang with enough force to slam him into the throne room wall, slightly cracking it. Featherfang ignored the pain and flew at the Impostor his spear leveled at its heart. The impostor couldn't block the spear fast enough, and ended up getting impaled. Ghostly flames came from his wounds instead of blood. The cazy part is that the Impostor grabbed the shaft of the legendary Wind Piercer, and slashed it with Apocalypse, breaking the legendary weapon. Featherfang then got hoofed-slapped into the floor, breaking a rib. In pain, Featherfang spread his wings and flew to the ceiling. He whipped up the winds with his wings and sent pressurized wind that could cut steel beams in half towards the Impostor. The Impostor dodged all but one of the blades of wind. And that blade sliced off its hind leg. The fake Celestia laughed as a hind leg formed out of ghostly/invisible flames. The Impostor then appeared behind Featherfang and upperhooved him in the chin, sending him crashing through the ceiling.

Featherfang landed where Luna and Twilight fought earlier before. Featherfang landed on his hind leg in a wrong way, snapping his leg bone, making him cry out in pain.

The Impostor appeared on the platform, laughing maniacally.

“Don’t you see, little snake? I’m out of your league. My power far exceeds that of your own.”

The Impostor Then brought down Apocalypse and stabbed Featherfang, pinning him to the platform, causing him to scream in agony.

“Hmmm. Compared to a mare, a stallion’s scream lacks charm.”

The Impostor began to twist the dark sword in the wound, causing Featherfang to writhe in agony and sheer pain. Blood poured from the wound, soaking through the cracks caused by the sword when it not only go through Featherfang, but the platform underneath as well. Featherfang's Blood-curse had now kicked into full overdrive. Growling, the heir of the Serponies thrashed and shrieked at the Impostor.

The Impostor frowned, “maybe I should take that from you.”

Ghostly flames engulfed Featherfang, diminishing the curse and causing extreme pain that nopony had ever experienced before. It was like somepony was trying to used a flamethrower inside of him, and stabbing him with acid drenched daggers.

Featherfang then saw a red orb form above the Imposter’s horn. The Impostor stabbed the orb with his horn, causing the orb to make a screeching sound and it went up in crimson flames. “No more Blood-curse to help you anymore.”

Featherfang’s hope had fled him. Determination was dead inside him. He was going to die a painful death. There was no do overs, no second chances. He failed everypony. His chance to live a happy life with Lyra, his chance to redeem his people, all of it was dashed against the jagged rocks of despair as he felt his life fleeing from his body.

“I can’t die… not now...not now.”

The Impostor laughed, “You will die, and I will enjoy it.”

“ENJOY THIS!” a voice boomed as a stream of energy blasted the Impostor, causing the fake Celestia’s body to completely disintegrate, revealing a ghostly outline of the fake Celestia wreathed in ghostly flames.

Suddenly, Lyra and Fluttershy appeared on the back of Quetzalcoatl, who just fired the beam. Lyra and Fluttershy lept off of Quetzalcoatl, who kept firing beams of energy at the Impostor, keeping him stunned. Fluttershy pulled Apocalypse out of Featherfang and threw it on the ground, weary of the legends that ell that the sword corrupts anypony who touches it. Lyra began to chant a healing spell. The spell will heal the wound that pinned him to the platform, but not his broken ribs. If Lyra wasn’t empowered by Quetzalcoatl, she couldn’t heal Featherfang. Even doctors couldn’t do what she was doing now.

Featherfang flet a lot better, but still had a broken rib. He weakly got up and Fluttershy handed him Ganglari, saying, “quickly, you must run it through with this sword. It was forged in its world, so it has the power to end him.”

Featherfang nodded as he took Ganglari.

Suddenly, Apocalypse flew back to the Impostor’s ghostly hoof. Quetzalcoatl stopped his beam attacks and said, “HE IS WEAKENED ENOUGH FOR YOU TO KILL HIM. HE IS STILL DEADLY, SO WATCH YOURSELF, MY SON.”

Featherfang nodded and spread his wings and flew at the Impostor. The impostor snarled and blocked the incoming attack with his sword.

It was in this clash of blades, this clash of wills, this legendary battle between good and evil, divine power versus the evils of mortals. It was all on the line in this moment as blades clashed together and the battle of Canterlot raging below. The impostor slashed Featherfang’s cheek, and stabbed his eye. This caused Featherfang to cry out in agonyas his right side of vision was put out. He continued to fight on. He had to keep fighting, he must keep fighting, he must!

The Impostor, after taking out Featherfang’s eye, grew more reckless with his attacks, had an opening in his guard, and Featherfang took the opportunity to slash at his hing leg, permanently taking it off. It screamed as pain entered its mind for the first time. It began to fall over, but not before Ganglari sliced its head off.

The Impostor simply blew away in the gentle breeze, finally dead.

Featherfang stood there in disbelief. It was over, IT WAS FINALLY OVER!

Featherfang turned to Lyra and Fluttershy, and smiled.

Lyra’s eyes began to pour out tears as she galloped and nearly tackled Featherfang with a hug, with Fluttershy and Quetzalcoatl looking on as the rays of dawn appear on the horizon.

)()()(

Luna, galloped into the room where she and her “sister” summoned Erron and Kenshi. After she witnessed the Impostor’s confession while using magic to see where Featherfang was, she searched all over the castle in hpoes of finding her sister. She had gotten a familiar presence of magic in this room. Her sister was somewhere in here..,

She spotted the symbols on the floor glowing. She then knew that the Impostor had sealed her away in the very magical foundations of the castle. Luna put her entire magical power into the spell. In a flash of light, Celestia appeared.

Celestia then said, “Lulu… is that you?”

“It is I, Celly”

Epilogue

Epilogue: To the Future

After the discovery of the real Celestia, everypony rejoiced.

Celestia vowed to right thr wrongs of the impostor and already had plans set in motion to rebuild and repopulate Equestria after the war. She reestablished the Equestrian army and sent relief aid to families that were misplaced or had their homes burned down during the war. She called back everypony that was a civilian in Ponyville and in Canterlot to help rebuild their homes and hearth. Cloudsdale was rebuilt and all the major cities like Manehattan and Los Pegasus were also rebuilt after the war.

After finding out that Applejack and Fluttershy were right about the Impostor all along, the other Mane Six apologized for everything. They welcomed Applejack and Fluttershy as friends again, and still have time for misadventures.

Ryoma and the rest of the heroes from other worlds were awarded royal medals for their part in the war. They returned to their respective worlds. Ryoma asked Celestia a favor, and Celestia granted it. Applejack is now the diamyo of lands west of her family farm. She has her own standing military comprised of soldiers based on the Hoshidan military. Ryoma constantly sends alliance papers to her via the outrealm gate. Applejack has now become a powerful political figure. She found Remnant’s family and invited them to live in her Hoshidan-style castle. They now live happy lives. Applejack still helps out on the farm. Her second in command is Vinyl Scratch and under Vinyl is Octavia Melody.

Helm was later contacted by the the kingdom of Nohr after finding a lost Nohrian princess called Elise. Helm had large tracts of land given to him east of Neighagra Falls as a reward for his services in the war. He now has his own military based off of the Nohrian army with the Knights Lunar at the core of his fighting force. Celestia and Luna allowed him to turn his land into his own kingdom. Helm is now King Helm Lunar, and the Moon Goddess returned his love to him as a thank you for helping the Serponies win the war. He now has a little colt named Alexander Garnet Lunar.

Featherfang permanently lost his right eye and now walks with a limp, but despite all this, he continues to serve as a strong king of the Serpony controlled Forbidden Jungle. He has daily talks with his father and loves a good Ball Game. He married Lyra. Empress Lyra and Emperor Featherfang announced that Lyra is pregnant, and is due later on in the year.

(!!!)

The tropical breeze caressed the shaman’s face as the stallion chimera tried to see the future. Suddenly, a chimera about Featherfang’s age trotted up to the shaman.

“When will I get to prove myself, Elder? When will I earn the right to fight?”

The shaman turned to the stallion, “Patience, my colt. Soon… the oceans will awaken. Quetzalcoatl is awake, so that means that Oceanus will rise as well.”

“How can you be so sure?’”

The shaman turned his head in the direction of the Equestrian mainland, “because, Triton Teeth, it all happens in a chain reaction

~END~

Author's Note

Yep, this one hell of a ride. I will be writing a sequel to this story very soon. I have so many ideas that I might explode...might.
Thanks to all who enjoyed the story. Special thanks to Kombatant Champion for offering pointers and feedback for the story. It was one helluva good time to write this.

Until next time

The Iced Lance

Chapter 1: Descendent

Chapter 1: Descendant of the Sky serpents

Featherfang was flying high in the sky over ponyville. He looked down to see all the ponies getting on with their lives in the streets below, and saw some with open mouths, gawking in either amazement, or terror when they looked up to see him.

Featherfang didn’t even bat an eye or try to fly out of view. By now, he has gotten used to the looks of complete disgust as he flew around the sky. Hell, it wasn’t even his fault that he turned out the way he did. After all, he didn’t chose a mother that has worshipped the cousins of the dragons, the sky serpents. And he certainly did not wish for her to be offered to said sky serpents for some “cozy time.”

Featherfang was the end result of his mother’s “most sacred privilege” as she put it. It was because of this that he had the tail of a feathered serpent. Instead of hair, he was covered from head-to-tail with white feathers. His hind legs resembled that of a dragon, complete with talons. His eyes were the blue eyes of a serpent, and his teeth were pointed and serrated, preventing him from eating plants and restricting him to a carnivorous diet. Since all ponies are herbivores, this also put ponies on edge when they were near him, for they are afraid he would eat them. His forelegs and head shape were the only normal things about him, for his head was shaped just like a pony and so were his forelegs, complete with hooves. His wings resembled a pegasus’s wings, but three times as large and had more power behind them.

But the worst part of being born as a hybrid of sky serpents and a pegasus, was that he inherited the blood-call that cursed the sky serpents. It was a calling to kill whatever had blood coursing in it, and to completely devour the blood and meat of anything that moves. Because he is a hybrid, the blood-call is not as strong in him, but he still gets the urge to kill things every time he sees blood, just to see the crimson liquid pour out of whatever he hunts down in the Everfree woods.

Featherfang didn’t have friends, and he didn’t care. He loathed the idea of friends, borne from the pain he suffered. His social interactions with others only strengthen this.

But no creatures hated him more than the pegasus ponies.

His feud with pegasus ponies started when he was flying one day. He apparently crossed into airspace that belonged to the wonderbolts and the wonderbolts flew to confront him. During the resulting confrontation, the blood-call happened and the situation escalated into a full-fledged aerial battle that got so fierce, Celestia herself had to stop it. But she didn’t arrive in time to stop Featherfang from almost tearing apart the wonderbolts with fury to rival that of a class five tornado. Since every pegasus in Equestria adores the wonderbolts, they despised Featherfang for putting them in intensive care. They recuperated since then, but whenever they could, they would do a fly-by mocking spree.

Featherfang landed in the street, paying no attention tho those who gawk at him. He made his way to the market, to where he wanted to see if there was anything he could eat. The market was also the only place where he could talk to one merchant pony and not get stared at. He passed the stalls that were lively, quickly killing conversation as he passed by. He held his chin high though, in an effort to give himself some dignity. He arrived to his only favorite stall, the exotic beverage stall. The one pony that talked to him like any other was named Shrewd and he asked “More cocoa?”

Featherfang nodded. He gave the appropriate bits he earned through garbage pickup and took his cocoa. He held the cup with his tail and looked for a place to sit down and enjoy it. He found an empty table and began to drink.

Soon a unicorn mare with a mane colored a pale, light grayish cyan with white highlights, complete with sunglow eyes. Her body was a very light aquamarine, with a lyre mark on her flank. She was passing by Featherfang’s table with a pie she was carrying with magic. She tripped, and Featherfang’s tail acted on its own, stopping her fall. The mare quickly got up and accidentally hit her head on the table. She looked to Featherfang, fear in her eyes.

“You should be more careful,” Featherfang said.

The mare was still frozen in fear. Featherfang sighed and said “what’s your name?”

The mare stammered “I-I’m L-lyra Heartstrings.”

He finished his drink and said “Well Lyra, watch your hooves next time,” he turned to leave, when she said “what’s your name?”

Featherfang turned to her, and said “Featherfang-”

He spotted blood, blood on the corner of her mouth.

Lyra started backing up slowly, aware that Featherfang was giving her quite the hungry stare.

Not wanting to cause a scene, Featherfang took to the skies. He made a sharp turn and flew out of Ponyville, the urge coming strong. He quickly flew away and was en route to the Everfree forest when he saw a simple rabbit. His eyes turned red as he let out an ear-piercing shriek and dove for the unfortunate rabbit, determined to tear it limb from limb.

Then, a pegasus swooped down and grabbed the rabbit.

Outraged, Featherfang gave chase. The pegasus tried to shake him off, but the hybrid kept up with the pegasus and they both flew into Ponyville, the place Featherfang did not want to be in, but the blood-call kept his sight on the rabbit.

Ponies in the streets looked up to see the two in the sky, going here and there, doing loops and rolls and all kinds of aerial maneuvers. The pegasus was desperately trying to get away, but Featherfang opened his mouth and snapped them shut on the pegasus’s rainbow mane. The pegasus cried out in pain as she was jerked and shook around so she could lose her grip on the terrified rabbit.

The rabbit flew out of her hooves and landed on the pavement. Seeing the prey free and helpless, Featherfang dove for it, shrieking for blood.

Featherfang completely smashed the rabbit in his jaws, causing blood to squirt onto the pedestrians.The crowd screamed and fled as Featherfang devoured the poor creature.

The blood-call sated, Featherfang’s mental stability returned to normal. To his surprise and horror, he just killed a creature in the middle of Ponyville. The guards were rushing towards him, spears poised to strike him. Soon he was surrounded by earth pony guards and pegasus guards in the air.

“That’s enough!” the captain said as he approached with his sword drawn, his gaze fierce.

“No.. you don’t understand! I-I- I needed to-”

“I’m pretty sure that no sentient creature under Equestrian law had to kill a rabbit! And on top of that, you assaulted Rainbow Dash when she tried to save it from you!”

“But-”

“Enough of your lies. Time to capture the abomination that had plagued the skies!”

He and the guards surged forward, bent on getting the hybrid.

With a guttural shriek of rage and sorrow, Featherfang took to the skies. Somewhere below, the captain ordered the pegasus guards to intercept him. They flew towards him, swords and spears reflecting in the sunlight. One of the pegasus’s actually managed to cut Featherfang’s cheek with a spear.

He did not know what happened, but it unleashed something inside him.

He cried out in fury as he once again confronted his enemies. Flashing his serrated teeth, he attacked the lead pegasus guard. He used his teeth to shred the armor of the pegasus and his hind legs to kick the pegasus out of the air. The pegasus landed on the ground with a terrible sounding crunch, indicating that he broke some bones. The rest of the pegasus guards stood in absolute horror of what happened to their comrade.

“Come on! Fight me you dickless cowards!!!” Featherfang shrieked as he began to beat the air with his large wings, causing the winds to lash out against the pegasus guards and earth pony guards. They were tossed like ragdolls into shops, walls, fountains and stalls and were blow straight on their asses.

The captain of the guard was either stupid, or brave. He held up his sword and and screamed a sort of challenge to Featherfang. Featherfang looked at the captain for one moment, then felt a spear run him through.

Featherfang looked down at the blade protruding from his belly. Somehow, a pegasus guard came from above and stabbed him in the back, literally.

Featherfang was losing consciousness and was losing a lot of blood. He lost all strength and slid off the spear and plummeted to the ground. He landed with a thud and looked up to see the captain raising his sword to finish him.

Then the same unicorn Featherfang met in the market, Lyra, had gotten in between the captain and him.

The captain snarled “Lyra Heartstrings, what’s the meaning of this?!”

“I thought we don’t kill other ponies, so why are you trying to?” Lyra asked.

“He is a filthy hybrid that killed in a no kill zone! Besides, Celestia authorized his death should he kill someone, or something.”

Lyra backed up, her face had shock written all over it. “B-but… why?!”

The captain answered by slashing his sword across her throat.

Featherfang was disturbed by the complete lack of emotion he displayed while he slashed her throat. The poor unicorn flopped to the ground, choking on her own blood.

The captain raised his sword again, this time to finish the job of killing Featherfang.

As if by a miracle, an earth pony wearing jaguar skin like a poncho appeared and swung a massive sword-club-thing with an edge made of obsidian at the captain, taking his head clean off. As soon as that happened, a small group of similarly dressed pony warriors picked him up just as Featherfang blacked out.

******

Celestia loved tea. She loved it during her favorite time of day, morning. In fact, the guards have a saying about her. It goes “One does not simply interrupt Celestia’s morning tea… lest he be thrown in jail for the rest of the day.”

So you can imagine how she felt when a guard galloped into the throne room.

All thoughts on tea evaporated when she heard the doors slam open in the throne room. Celestia gave a angry glare to the guard that had the balls to bring terrible news to Celestia during her tea time.

“I implore your forgiveness, my highness. I bring-”

“Spit it out already!”

The guard gulped “it’s about the hybrid. He killed a rabbit in Ponyville and injured several guards.”

Celestia sighed in annoyance. She knew that he was talking about Featherfang. Celestia knew it was a matter of time before he killed in public, but she also knew he was a threat to the safety of her citizens. She was the only one that knew Featherfang’s pedigree, and the curse that followed it. She had given the orders to the guards to take him out should he show signs of bloodlust.

“Anything else?” Celestia asked.

The guard said “yes, a bunch of jungle ponies came out of nowhere and fought the guards, killing several of them. They also captured a citizen by the name of Lyra Heartstrings.”

Celestia was shocked and angered when she heard this. Outraged about the killings and the kidnapping. She ordered the guard to double the watches while she thought about what to do next.

Celestia didn’t tell the guard that she knows who these jungle ponies are. They’re the reason why she placed Ahuitzotl in charge of the forbidden jungle, to suppress the civilization that existed there before Equestria became a kingdom.

She knew what Featherfang’s parentage all too well. She knew why the jungle ponies saved him, and where they will bring him.

She wanted to go after them, but she knew that by the time she get together a small force, they will be long gone. She is willing to bet that they have already almost made it to Apple Loosa. She needed a solution quickly, or Featherfang will discover who he is.

Celestia decided to see if Luna could help her come up with a plan.

Luna thought about all the possible solutions to this problem. After all, as royalty it was her problem too. They both needed something…

Luna then yelled “That’s it!”

Celestia turned to Luna “What?”

“We get a hired sword to do it!”

Celestia frowned “a hired sword? I don’t think so.”

Luna rolled her eyes “come on Celestia, usually hired swords track down whatever you pay them to track. They are better than regular guards and won’t stop till the job is done.”

“Even if we decided to do that, the only hired swords near us are the ones in the Badlands, and they are too busy fighting for their outlaw gangs to even bother with our troubles.”

“Then we summon one.” Luna said.

Celestia raised an eyebrow “summon one?”

“Yep.”

******

“Where do we begin?” Celestia asked Luna as they flipped through the Gazer, a magical book that targets beings in other universes and gives information on certain people.

Luna asked the book to find notable hired swords, and the book compiled, flipping to a page with the most notorious hired swords. Luna read over their names.

“Deadpool, Deathstroke, Boba Fett… these guys got some weird names.” she said.

Celestia pointed to another name in the book with her hoof “what about this one?”

“Erron Black.” Luna said.

“Sounds interesting…”

Luna spoke to the book “Gazer, show us Erron Black.”

The book flipped through its pages until it found its data that was gathered on Erron Black. Luna scanned through the info, including his most notable deeds.

“Fought and killed Black dragon member Kobra, can ricochet a bullet of a spinning coin, notable gunslinger, marksman, swordsman, fistfighter, Always gets the job done…”

Luna then paused.

“What is it sister?”

Luna sighed in disappointment “He is currently employed by the khan of Outworld, Kotal Khan.”

Celestia said “then summon him anyway. They cannot trace our magic back to us.”

“What if they can?” Luna asked.

“They can’t. I’m done beating around the bush, so let’s summon him.”

Luna and Celestia went to a secret chamber known only to the royalty of # for generations. It had a huge magic symbol on the floor with bronze braziers that lit up the room.

Both sister began to hum ancient incantations as their horns glow. The magic circle began to glow and crackle with energy as a portal opened in the middle of the ceiling in the room. A large Boom was heard and two figures that were grappling with each other fell out of the portal and onto the floor, breaking their fight. The two ponies slowly got up and looked around, wondering where they were and why the fuck they turned into ponies.

And the worst part?

They were easily the best specimens of stallions that the two sisters had ever seen.

One stallion had a dark brown body with a dark blonde mane. He wore a leather vest, a poncho over its back that it most of his right foreleg. He had a rifle and a tarkatan blade on his back and two six-shooters in their holsters that were strapped to his flanks. Bandoliers were on his forelegs and hindlegs. He had a mask that hid the lower half of his face. A Stetson hat was on top of the stallion’s head.

The other stallion had a light grey body and had samurai armor on. He had a grey mane. A mask also covered the lower half of his face, while his eyes glowed an eerie blue. A Katana was on his back as well.

The stallion with the hat spoke first “where the hell are we?”

The stallion with the katana spoke “No idea.”

Celestia slowly padded her way to them saying “welcome.”

The dark brown stallion brought out one of his six shooters so fast, that by the time Celestia said the first part of welcome, he already had his sights on capping her ass.

Celestia stopped dead in her tracks. Luna got in between the stallion and her and said “Erron Black, I presume?”

“How did you know my name?” Erron said, his gun lowering.

“We known about you for quite some time. We wish to hire you.” Luna said.

Celestia looked over Luna’s shoulder “Who’s the grey one?’

“The name is Kenshi-”

“He was my target,” Erron said with mild annoyance “I was trying to fulfill a contract for his death.”

Luna whispered to Celestia “two for the price of one!”

“I don’t think that the one with the glowing sword is a bounty hunter.”

Kenshi frowned “so that’s why you brought us here.”

“Sorry ladies, but I already have an employer.” Erron said.

Celestia stepped forward “We will offer you five million bits if you take the work we have planned for you.”

Erron gave a snort “Bits? Is that what you call your money? I’m sorry girl, but I don’t do “Bits””

“What about gold and jewels?” Luna asked.

Erron’s eye gave a slight twinkle when he heard gold. “You got my attention. Now, how much gold are we looking at here?”

Kenshi face-hooved.

“We are willing to give half of our treasury if you carry out this task,” Celestia said. Luna Looked at her like she was crazy.

“Half the treasury…, “ Erron mused “Isn’t that deal a bit reckless?”

“I swear on my honor as the the ruler of Equestria, That if you succeed in the task I want to give you, I will pay you half of the gold and jewels in the treasury.”

Luna’s jaw dropped.

Erron looked to Luna and said “I’m guessing that what she said is one of the most serious oaths you… ponies can make?”

“Yep,” Celestia said. She walked up to Erron and stood face to face with him “do you accept?”

Erron searched for weakness in those eyes. But after a while, their staring contest started to bore Erron. But he figured that if the conviction in her voice was true, she was serious about the whole thing. Erron also knew that there was a fat chance Kotal Kahn would find him here, for even he could sense strong magic at work here. After all, he could use a break from the watchful eyes of Outworld.

Finally, Erron spoke “Alright… what am I looking for and how can I find it?”

Celestia smiled and called for Shining Armor, the commander of her royal guards. “He will tell you all you need to know.” Celestia said.

Erron followed Shining Hoof while Kenshi asked “What about me? Why am I here?”

Luna spoke “We didn’t mean to pull you here, just Erron Black. But, perhaps you can help him?”

“Oh, he doesn't need help. That, i’m sure of.” Kenshi said as Celestia watched Erron Black leave the room, hoping that she made the right choice.