Author's Note

I know, I know... TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!!!... sorry!

Hope you enjoy these final 3 chapters.

Also, planning on writing a new fic starting 2022, about the girls and Spike being superheroes, like the power ponies, comment down below if you'd like that.

Dragonkin Ch. 17 A meeting with fate and reality.

COUPLE OF DAYS LATER

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” screamed Discord

“But, what other option do we have?” asked Torch

“I am NOT endangering the lives of my students again!” said Discord

“Discord, we have to act now, we know not what Chrysalis is after,” said Cadance

“Plus, I can’t shake the feeling that the incident of the past days was anything but a decoy from her real plan,” said Shining Armor

“What do you mean?” asked Luna

“Well, it’s just… its TOO convenient, that before you guys got her there were attacks almost every weak, and different nations altogether,” said Shining Armor

“Haven’t we been over this?” asked Torch

“Yeah, but, there haven’t been any attacks as of late, right?” asked Shining Armor

“Yeah, so?” asked Luna

“So it means that possessing Spike and his squad and causing them to attack us was her true goal. She wants us to realize her strength and deal with it, she was hoping to break our wills to fight her,” said Shining Armor

“That makes sense,” said Celestia

“So what now?” asked Luna

“We do what she doesn’t expect us to do. Find her, and fight her,” said Shining Armor

“NO!” said Discord “I won’t allow it,”

“Discord we have to act, just like Torch said!” said Shining Armor

“I repeat, I am NOT sending my students to do that!” said Discord

“Why are you so against the idea?” asked Torch

Discord slowly calmed down, leaning back in his chair. He ran his hand through his hair and finally sighed.

Discord got up from his seat and walked towards the window.

“It happened almost 10 years ago…”

“Back then, we had a great generation of students. They were fearless, talented, and most importantly they were always willing to do the impossible to save and keep everyone safe… Back then, we were having trouble with a different kind of evil, an evil I wish we could all forget…”

“SUPER TEAM 17 PLEASE REPORT TO THE DEAN'S OFFICE!” came a voice over the loudspeaker

In a matter of seconds, 5 student students had entered the dean’s office and stood in line waiting for Discord to speak

“Super team 17 reporting!” said the leader

“At ease… I believe you know why I called you here?” said Discord

“No sir, we can only assume sir!” said the leader

“Tirek.” said Discord

“Is he back?” asked the female mage

“Yes, he attacked a military outpost yesterday, killing everyone inside.” said Discord

“The coward.” said the female pilot

“He must be stopped, at this rate, it’s just a matter of time before he attacks the city.” said Discord

The room went silent.

“I know that what I am asking of all of you is tough, especially because of who Tirek is, but… that is the main purpose for this team. Max, you are the leader of one of the best Special Ops teams. Cindy, you are by far the best mageswhere we’ve seen in years. Lex, your work as a defender has allowed this city to be considered the safest in the world. Lena, you are the best scout that has ever set foot in this institution, even Luna is impressed. and of course, Spencer, the First Responder King, you are the very best in the academy… that’s why I want you to lead the volunteers into battle.” said Discord

“Where is he?” asked Max

“If the information I received is true, he is heading towards the Crystal Empire as we speak.” said Discord

“What is he after?” asked Lena

“We don’t know, and hopefully we can stop him before he gets there.” said Discord

“So what is the plan?” asked Spencer

“We must cut him off here, in this valley. Here is where Cindy and her mages come into play, you must cast a spell that will allow us to seal him off for good, it has to be a powerful spell too.” said Discord

“Anything else?” asked Lex

“The Crystal Empire is sending out their five best court mages to aid Cindy and her team, then we have the Dragonlands’ Rogues, they will be sending their best men and women, at least 15 in total. Adding that to the 15 we are sending, including you guys, we are talking of 40 men and women ready to fight.” said Discord

“When do we depart?” asked Cindy

“Immediately, the other squads are already on their way.” said Discord

The 5 nodded and rushed out of the room.

“Little did I know, the lack of proper information and preparation was going to come back and bite me, we had all fallen for Tirek’s scheme.”

IN THE HALLWAY

“Max, do you think we have a chance against Tirek?” asked Cindy

“I don’t know… but so far, it’s the best one we have,” said Max

“Are you sure?” asked Cindy

“Sure babe, why?” asked Max

“I’m scared, I have a strange feeling about this,” said Cindy

“In what way?” asked Max

“Like something's wrong… somethings missing,” said Cindy

“Cindy, being scared is normal, especially in a situation like this one… I mean, I’m scared too, not only because it’s Tirek, but because, if we fail, Tirek will walk in freely into the Crystal Empire… if that happens it’ll be total pandemonium.” said Max

“It’s just… It’s just, I’m afraid of seeing any of my friends die… of seeing you die… of losing you… and what about Terrence and Robert?” said Cindy in a panic

“Cindy… I share the same fear… but when I think about what will happen if we don’t do this… that Tirek destroys the world as we know it… that we weren’t able to give our sons a chance to enjoy this world… the fear of seeing that happen, cancels out my fear of dying,” said Max

“But!... I guess you’re right,” said Cindy

“Cindy, I’ll understand if you can’t do this, really,” said Max

“No, I’ll do it, I’ll never let you fight alone, we’re a team, more than just Super Team 17… ever since we were kids, you’ve always had my back, just like I’ll always have yours,” said Cindy

“Cindy,” Max said as he kissed her

“What a touching moment.” came a voice

“Ezio! What are you doing here?” asked Max as he broke the kiss and stood in front of his wife protecting her.

“Relax Maxi, I ain’t here to fight you,” said Ezio

“I find that hard to believe,” said Max

“Well, the great Ezio Black swears it,” he said

“And you’re as egotistical as always…” said Cindy

“Hey!” he said

“So, what do you want?” asked Max

“I… I want in,” said Ezio

“In? In on what?” asked Max

“Tirek… I want to volunteer,” said Ezio

“Ok, who are you, and what happened to the real Ezio?” asked Cindy

“I’m being serious… I heard about the outpost and where Tirek is heading, and then I overheard your conversation about your kids, and… it made me think about my own,” said Ezio

“Kids? You don’t have kids!” said Cindy

“Not born… you see, I was going out with this chick and… after a night of fun, she found out she is pregnant, and I know she won’t let my son or daughter meet me because of my past… but I want to give them something to be proud of when they hear their father’s name… plus, you’re missing a brawler in that Super Team of yours. So, what d’ya say? I’m the best brawler in this town.” said Ezio

“If you wish it… welcome aboard,” said Max as he shock Ezio’s hand

“Thanks… when are we leaving?” asked Ezio

“Now,” said Max “Cindy, tell your mom and dad to take care of our son.”

“Already did,” said Cindy

“Then, let’s go kill a demon,” said Max.

HOURS LATER AT DOOM VALLEY

“So, what’s the plan?” asked Ezio

“Our mages and scouts will head over to the northern hills and join the Crystal Empire’s mages, The Dragonlands’ brawlers will appear from the East and we’ll take care of the south, south-west. if everything goes according to plan, we’ll have Tirek pinned right here” said Max pointing at the map.

“That's a good draft, but what are we to do?” asked Lex

“Mages, split up into 2 groups, half of you will concentrate on keeping Tirek at bay with magic attacks and barriers, while the other half will alternate between treating the wounded and giving mana to the first group… scouts, you’ll be acting as a line of defense for the mages, we don’t know if Tirek is alone or if he has an army, but I don’t want to risk it, meanwhile, both us and the Dragonlands will simultaneously attack Tirek from both flanks and weakening his army or surrounding him and force him to surrender,” said Max

“Sounds suicidal… I like it,” said Ezio

“Of course you do,” said Lena

“What is that supposed to mean?” asked Ezio

“Not important, what is important is that we get into position, we don’t know when Tirek will appear, so go!” said Max as everyone headed to their positions.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“We’re ready over here,” said Lex

“Good… take care,” said Max

“You too,” said Cindy

Max then walked over to where the rest of his squad and noticed something that made him open his eyes in amazement.

Ezio was pacing back and forth his eyes fixed on the battlefield

“You nervous?” asked Max as he got closer

“Of course…” Ezio was about to say in his usual egotistical way but saw the look that Max was giving him and said

“No… I’m scared,”

“Scared?” asked Max

“You gonna tell me you aren’t?” asked Ezio

“Of course I am… I’m more surprised by the fact that you admitted it,” said Max

“Well, I’d be a fool not to… all my life, I’ve been secure in my convictions, in my beliefs…never letting anything scare me, or put me down… I trusted myself, sometimes way too much... that’s why… that’s why I came around like an arrogant prick… because I didn’t want anyone, realizing how fucking scared I am inside, that despite my rough, and ruggedly handsome and charming exterior… deep down I was, an insecure little boy, not wanting to realize, that life is the most important thing you can have,” said Ezio

“What made you change your mind?” asked Max

“When I found out I was going to be a father,” said Ezio

“Oh… I can see how that can be a big surprise,” said Max

“Surprise is an understatement… I had mixed feelings about the whole thing… on one hand, I was static about the fact that I was going to be a father… but on the other… I felt… afraid… concerned… nervous… I started to fear for my son’s future, I mean… What is he going to think of me… I’m just a back brawler who is unable to get a proper job even though I already graduated… and, I broke up with his mom before we knew she was pregnant… it makes anyone think I didn’t want the responsibility…” said Ezio

“But, you said it yourself, BEFORE, you knew she was pregnant… why did you anyway?” asked Max

“To protect her… the gang wars and territory warfare is getting out of hand, and now, newer and more… vicious gangs are appearing… I didn’t want her to get hurt because of me and my stupid decisions,” said Ezio

“Who is your baby momma anyway?” asked Max

“Oh… Uhm… re-remember Maddy?” said Ezio

“Maddy, as in, Marie-Antoinette Harshwhinny?” asked Max

Ezio nodded

“Really?” said Max

Ezio nodded again

“How did you pull that off?” asked Max in surprise

“She helped me study for the finals for our second year… one thing led to another and…” said Ezio remembering that day

“Ok, I don’t need the details,” said Max

“Sorry,” said Ezio as he looked at the envelope in his hands

“What’s that?” asked Max

“A closure… that I hope I don’t have to use,” said Ezio

“Oh… well, for what its worth, I’m glad you’re here today to help,” said Max

“Thank me when Tirek is dead,” said Ezio

“Of course, we better get ready he can be here in any second,” said Max as he walked away

“Right behind you,” said Ezio, as he kissed the letter as it was engulfed by a dark aura and disappeared.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“Anything to report,” asked Max

“Nothing… Smoke, you guys?” asked Lena

“Nothing here, it’s as peaceful as a… why is the floor shaking?” asked Smoke

Lena got up and was terrified at what she saw

“OH. MY. GOD!” she said as she pointed at the massive creature coming towards them

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!!!” asked another Dragon

“THAT’S TIREK!” said a mage

“WHEN DID HE GET SO BIG!” asked another in a panic

“DOESN’T MATTER, REMEMBER THE PLAN, MAGES HALF OF YOU BOMBARD HIM WITH MAGIC, THE REST BE ON STAND BY YO HEAL THE INJURED, SCOUTS, IF THERE ARE MINIONS, KILL THEM BEFORE THEY GET TOO CLOSE TO THE MAGES, AS FOR THE REST… CHANGE OF PLANS, ATTACK THE LEGS, PIN THE FUCKER!” screamed Max

Everyone got into position as Tirek kept getting closer and closer, the ground shaking with every step he gave.

‘NOW!” screamed Max as the mages began firing at Tirek with all their might, meanwhile the Dragonlands and the Canterlot U. students rushed to attack Tirek’s legs.

Tirek was caught “off guard” and stumbled back after the orbs of magic connected with his body, only to fall to the floor after the combined force of both the Dragonlands and Canterlot U. students attacked his 4 legs.

Max raised his right arm to signal everyone to hold their positions

Tirek just laid on the ground, motionless, acting as if he was dead, this caused all of them to lower their guards.

“That was it?” said Ezio in surprise

“It can’t be, it was too easy,” said Max

“Max, what happened?” came Cindy’s voice

“Tirek is down, but… HE’S FAKING IT!” Max screamed as he noticed Tirek’s arm move and took a swing at the people around him.

“LOOK OUT!” screamed Spencer, but alas, they were not able to move out of the way fast enough.

Tirek’s hand and arm make hard contact with their bodies, sending them flying in all directions, falling hard on the ground.

Many struggled to get back up, others rolled on the ground flinching in pain, and others laid motionless, never to get again.

“ARGH! The fucker got the jump on us,” said Spencer as he got back on his feet

“I’ve got to admit… I figured they’d send their strongest students… but that… that was just pathetic,” said Tirek in a mocking tone as he reincorporated himself

“ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU POWER!” he screamed as he summoned magic to his fist and began punching the ground around him

“PROTECT THE INJURED!” screamed Lena as she slid on the ground, pushing one of the injured out of the way from Tirek’s punches,

“QUICK, BRING THEM OVER TO US!” ordered Cindy

“OH NO YOU DON’T!” screamed Tirek as he noticed what they were doing

“FIRE!” screamed the head mage as they all shot magic orbs at Tirek, hitting him in the back of his head, causing him to get distracted long enough for the injured to be saved.

“Oh, so that’s how you want it? Well, now it’s my turn!!!!” he said as he turned and began firing magic shot after magic shot towards the mages, who had no choice but to scramble out of the way.

“PROTECT THE MAGES, GIVE THEM TIME TO REGROUP!” screamed Max as he turned and jumped onto Tirek’s back, making him lose his concentration, causing his magic to go crazy and explode in his arms, sending him flying backward

“NOW!” screamed Max as Ezio, Spencer, and any remaining fighter continued attacking Tirek, inflicting as much damage as they could.

However, no matter how strong the attacks were, they didn’t seem to work at all

“WHAT THE!” said Spencer as they realized that Tirek was healing his injuries

“Oh, did I forget to mention that I’m immortal? Oh well, sucks to be all of you,” he said as he tried to incorporate himself again, but the fighters were not going to let him get up so easily.

Meanwhile, the mages had successfully regrouped and were now watching the fighters having trouble stopping Tirek

“We have to do something!” screamed Cindy

“Indeed, but what?” asked another mage

“Death Ray,” said the head mage

“WHAT?!!!!” all of them said

“It is our only option, it will debilitate Tirek enough to create a better opening,” said the head mage

“But… but to do that… someone has to…” said another mage

“I’ll do it,” said the head mage

“WHAT?!!!” they all said

“I’ve lived long enough, and my life has been very blessed, it is time for me to depart this world,” said the head mage as he got into position

“But…” said another mage

“I AM NOT GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN, DO IT NOW!!!” ordered the head mage

All of the mages looked at each other and got into position

“COME FORT, OH POWER OF THE ALL MIGHTY, GRANT US THE STRENGTH TO KILL THOSE WHO DESIRE OUR END, DEATH RAY!!!” they all chanted

“GUYS GET OUT OF THERE!” screamed Cindy

The fighters heard the warning and teleported as far as they could

“FIRE!” screamed the head mage as his whole body was engulfed in white light before a blinding ray of light shot out towards Tirek

“WHAT THE!!!” Tirek screamed as the ray hit him head-on, causing him to scream in agony as it burned away his body.

After a few more seconds the light deemed down and the ray disappeared, Tirek’s body could be seen lying motionless, and all that was left of the head mage was his cloak lying in a pile on the floor

“Did… did it work?” asked Spencer

“Is he finally dead?” asked Lex

“No one, not even someone called “immortal” can survive that,” said Cindy as she went over to another injured fighter and cured him

“It’s over,” said Max as they all turned to face Tirek’s corpse

Just as they were about to sigh in relief, Tirek began to move again

“I… have to hand it... to all of you… you surely are… stronger than I thought… but it is time to end this… and all of you!” said Tirek as he raised both his hands to the heavens and began to summon all of the magic he could into them, forming a massive orb

“What is he doing?” asked Lex

“A supernova, if that hits, the whole world will be destroyed,” said another mage

“Then we must stop him,” said Max

“There is no way to stop it, Tirek isn’t even supposed to be alive anymore, IT JUST MAKES NO SENSE!” said another mage as she started to panic

At that point, everyone was starting to accept defeat when Ezio noticed something

Using his eagle vision, he noticed something on Tirek’s forehead

“Uhm… question, what is that on Tirek’s forehead?” he asked

“Can’t tell,” said Cindy

“It’s a triangular-looking, golden amulet, the magic feeling up the supernova is coming from it,” said Ezio

“It’s a Valiant artifact, of course, that’s why he is so powerful,” said the mage

“So, we have to destroy it!” said Ezio

“We must!” said Max

“It’s too late, plus there is no way we will be able to get close enough without him noticing,” said the mage

“You won’t, but I can,” said Ezio as he sprinted towards Tirek

“EZIO WAIT!” Max screamed

But Ezio ignored him and continued running at full speed

Ezio was hit left and right by magical auras trying to protect Tirek, but no matter how strong they were, Ezio fought on, getting up every time an aura pushed him down or tripped him.

“I’ll be damned if I let this overgrown centaur wannabe destroy the world!” Ezio said as he reached Tirek’s leg and started to climb as fast as he could

“WHAT THE?!” said Tirek when he felt Ezio’s presence climbing his back towards his head

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!!!” asked Tirek as he swung his head violently trying to cause Ezio to fall while doing his best to maintain the supernova stable

“STOPPING YOU GRAMPS, WHAT ELSE!” said Ezio as he threw a hooked rope up towards his head, managing to hook one of his horns.

Ezio then used this to swing around landing right on Tirek’s nose

“ARE YOU MAD!!” said Tirek as Ezio jumped up onto the amulet

“I’D BE MAD IF I WERE TO LET YOU GO THROUGH WITH IT!” said Ezio as he began hitting the amulet repeatedly with his sword.

“I… won’t… let… you… win!!” Ezio said as he smacked the amulet once more with such force it shattered the blade.

“HAHAHA! LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE ALL OUT OF OPTIONS!” Tirek teased

“Think again!” said Ezio as he summoned his hidden daggers and stabbed the amulet with them causing it to crack and release a lot of magic.

The sudden burst of magic impacting Ezio, was strong enough to kill 100 men, yet, Ezio continued to stab the amulet making the crack bigger and wider with every stab.

“This is for you son…,” Ezio thought as he stabbed the amulet one last time causing it to shatter

“NO, WAIT!” screamed Tirek as the amulet shattered causing all of the magic he had accumulated to burst out of him, causing the supernova to become unstable, only for it to explode seconds later.

The light emanating from the explosion was so bright, it could be seen around the world.

When it finally deemed down, everyone looked up, and realized that Tirek’s body was nowhere to be seen, neither was Ezio’s

“Over there!” screamed a member of the Dragonlands’ squad

Everyone turned and saw a bulge atop of a hill

They all ran towards it, but they all came to a stop when their eyes landed on the scene before them.

Ezio laid there, his eyes closed, his chest not raising, he looked peaceful, as if he was sleeping.

They all made their way towards his corpse, Cindy, and a couple of mages doing their best to bring him back

“Cindy… it’s too late… he's gone,” Max said in a somber voice

At the mention of this, the mages stopped and looked at Ezio in sadness

“He was so young,” said one of them

“And he was going to be a father too,” said Max

“What?!” they all said

“Yeah, he and Marie… she’s 3 months in,” said Max

“Harshwhinny? As in the Student Council Prez?” said Spencer

“Yeah, I wonder how she’ll react,” said Max

BACK AT CANTERLOT

“HUH!” gasped Marie as she felt a tightness in her chest

“Marie, what is it?” asked another girl

“I don’t know, I saw the flash of light and then, this tightness in my chest,” said Marie

“Is it the baby?” asked the girl

“No… I can feel him, he’s ok,” said Marie

Just then, a letter materialized before her

“What is that?” asked the girl

“No clue… To Marie,” she said as she grabbed the letter, opened it, and began to read.

“Dearest Marie, as life ends for me, I have no regrets, I’ve done much I’m not proud of. I hope fate is more merciful to you. Our time on Earth is brief, and mine has been filled with so much joy, that I can only be grateful for how much I’ve been blessed. Most especially, for the wonder, you brought into my life, and the gift you gave me of becoming a father. This letter will be my last. I've enchanted it to appear before you in case my life ends, it was never my intention or desire to write such a letter. But I feel it must be done. And though I’ve failed you and our son already. I know my sacrifice has not been in vain. I fought for our world and our future, my honor is assured. Please forgive me for not keeping my promise, but since it is the will of God to separate us on Earth, I hope we meet again in heaven. As a footnote I have written my bank account number and password, all within it is yours and our son’s. I have made sure of arranging for our son’s education and future, just as I promised I would. Thank you for showing me the beautiful side of life, for that, I will never be able to repay you, but only thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Keep me in your prayers. Your loving Blockhead. Always.”

Tears began to fall freely from Marie’s eyes with each sentence.

“EZIO!” she wailed as she began to bawl loudly.

BACK AT DOOM VALLEY

“Dammit!” said Spencer

“He never got to meet his kid,” said a Dragonlands fighter

“He died a hero, that is something his son must know,” said a mage

“I’ll make sure of it, that everyone who died here is remembered as a hero,” Said Max

“How… touching… but we ain’t done here,” came Tirek’s voice

Everyone turned and noticed that Tirek had morphed back into a somewhat humanoid form

“Give it up Tirek, it’s over,” said Spencer as they all got into a fighting stance

“It’s over when I say it’s over,” said Tirek as he lunged at the group of fighters still present

Spencer and many of the Dragonlands remaining fighters lunged back but were easily defeated by Tirek, who stabbed them on various occasions as he moved forward

“What is he after now?” asked Lex

“He wants to rebuild the amulet,” said a mage as they began firing at him

“Too slow,” said Tirek as he avoided every single one of the attack

“According to who?” came Max’s voice as he tackled Tirek over the ravine, both of them tumbling down to the bottom

Seeing this, the mages took advantage and headed over to the injured fighters and healed them.

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE VALLEY

“OH! You don’t know when to quit, do you?” said Tirek

“Right back at ya,” said Max as he got up and summoned his sword

Tirek quickly blocked and kicked Max in the side, trying to gain some breathing room, but Max was not letting him, recovering quickly and beginning his attack again, causing Tirek to lose his footing and fall to the floor, only being able to barely keep blocking Max’s attacks.

“I… WILL… END… YOU!” said Max as he lifted his sword once more

“Not today,” said Tirek as he opened his hand and shot a fireball onto Max’s face stunning him

Max did his best to try to keep his eyes open, despite the constant pain he was feeling from the burns.

When he was finally able to focus his sight, all he saw was Tirek standing before him.

“Sweet dream, hero wannabe,” said Tirek as he stabbed Max in the gut

“NO~!” screamed Cindy, this caused Tirek to turn and lunge at her, she was able to dodge the attack, and before she knew it the rest of the fighters rushed down the ravine to aid her.

However, she was unable to get to Max due to the fight happening before her, as she couldn’t find a way around, and did not want to get caught in the crossfire.

Max laid there, blood oozing out of his injury, his vision getting blurry.

“Damn… dammit, I have to get up… I have to stop him… but… but how?” said Max as he looked at his bloodied hand, then at Tirek, and finally back to his palm again “That’ll work,” he said as he began to draw something on the ground.

MEANWHILE

Tirek was defeating fighters with ease, making them fall injured over and over again.

Soon, only Lex, Spencer, and Lena were standing in a fighting stance, however, they were injured and bleeding heavily, and Cindy and the rest of the mages were doing their best to recharge their mana quickly.

“When will you guys get the point, I can’t be defeated,” said Tirek as he pointed his swords at them

“We won’t stop until our dying breaths,” said Spencer

“Then, so be it,” said Tirek as he lifted his swords ready to strike, when another sword pierced his chest, right through his heart

Tirek turned and saw Max standing there, a trail of blood, showing the distance he had crawled from

“Funny, I thought you’d be dead by now,” said Tirek in a mocking tone as he removed Max’s sword from his body.

“Not yet,” Max said as he pressed his bloodied hand on Tirek’s chest and said

“Come forth, power of the underworld, take this blood, and bind my enemy for the rest of eternity, BLOOD PACT!” said Max as steam started to emanate from Tirek’s chest, followed by Max’s trail of blood glowing bright red, and lastly a seal began to glow, right next to where Max had fallen for the first time.

Seconds later, an invincible force began to push Tirek towards the seal

“No… NO… NO! THIS ISN’T HAPPENING… THIS IS NOT GOING TO STOP ME!!! I SWEAR, I SWEAR TO ALL OF YOU!... I’LL BE BACK!!!!!” Tirek screamed as his body disappeared behind a blinding light.

After all that, Max fell to his knees

“MAX!” Cindy screamed as she rushed to her husband’s side

“Max!... look at me!... you’re going to be just fine, trust me, we’ll get you all poached up and you’ll be fine,” Cindy said in denial

“No… I won’t” Max said in a raspy voice

“YES, YOU WILL!” Cindy said as she began to use her healing magic on Max

“Cindy… I made a blood pact… I only have… seconds left…” Max said

Cindy however, ignored him and continued using her healing magic

“Cindy… look at me…” he said as he cupped her cheeks so that she made eye contact with him “My time is up… I… I know that… that we had plans… plans to… grow old and grey together… and I’m sorry… sorry that… that I won’t be there to keep that promise… sorry that… that I won’t be there for Robert and Terrence… sorry that… I’m so terrified…” said Max as tears fell from his eyes

“You have nothing… to be sorry about,” Cindy said between sobs

“Please… please tell Robby and T.… that… that I’ll always be with him… and you… here…” said Max as he pointed at Cindy’s heart

“I will,” Cindy sobbed

“Keep me in your prayers… and… never forget… that I love you… my uptown girl” said Max as the last traces of life left his body

“I love you too… my downtown boy,” Cindy said as she gave Max a final kiss on the lips, before crying uncontrollably on his chest.

DAYS LATER

“... even though their bodies have long since returned to dust, their sacrifice still lives on. We must strive to cherish their memory and never forget… for as Max Maguire once said… “There is no sacrifice too great when there is a valiant heart within your chest,” Discord said as he turned to face two big marble statues made to resemble both Max and Ezio, beside them, Cindy and Marie stood proud, while tears fell from their eyes.

Discord walked up to them and nodded in agreement, with that they all turned and placed 3 big bouquets of roses at their feet.

“... Heroes are not born… that’s what they say… but then I look at all of my students, past, present, future… gone… and I say… I’ve met too many to agree… The world will never forget you… any of you… Rest in peace,” Discord said as he bowed to the status.

A few minutes later, everyone presented starters to leave, but something caught Discord’s attention.

A small male frame could be seen standing before Max’s statue, looking at it with wonder in its eyes

“Robert, time to go son,’ came Cindy’s voice as she walked up to him

“Mom, is Dad going to be ok?” asked Terrence

“W-what do you mean Terry?” asked Cindy “How the hell do I explain death to a 4-year-old, and much less to a year old baby”

“Well, I’ve heard people saying that he is in a better place and that he is in heaven, but, is dad going to be ok being so far away from us?” asked Terrence

This question surprised Cindy very much, especially since she didn’t expect her son to be so mature regarding the matter

“He won’t be far, he’ll always be in here, and here,” said Cindy as she pointed at Terrence’s heart and brain

“Oh, Ok!” said Terrence

“Now, come along, let’s go see grandma,” said Cindy as she took Terrence’s hand with her free hand and walked away.

BACK TO THE PRESENT

“... My failure to gather enough information, and debrief them properly caused the loss of 13 brave men and women, 7 for us, 5 for the Dragonlands, and 1 for the Crystal Empire… I promised myself that I will never send any of my students into battle, without having proper information,” said Discord

“Oh! Such a sad memory,” said Cadance

“That explains a lot,” said Torch

“Still, that has nothing to do with our current situation,” said Luna

“Excuse me?” said Discord

“Discord, the battle against Tirek was tragic, yes, but, we gained so much from it,” said Celestia

“Tia, these are young men and women, they aren’t robots with serial numbers, I forgot about that, I saw them as expendable foot soldiers,” said Discord

“I am not saying that they are, what I meant was, it is thanks to their sacrifices that we can have peace… I would love it if we could send our students out on missions and have a 100% certainty that they will return alive and well… but we can’t, and we know it, and they know it, and their families know it,” said Celestia

“I know they do… and that is why, ever since then, I promised myself that I will never send any squad out until I am 100% certain I have all the necessary information,” said Discord

“Discord, I know that’s precisely what we must do, but…” said Celestia

“Do you want what happened to Max, to Ezio, to Spike and his squad to happen again?” asked Discord

“Of course not!” said Celestia

“And, even if you feel responsible about it, it was spike and his squad that disobeyed your orders,” said Torch

“I know… but he still had point,” said Discord

“Dizzy, death is something inevitable, it will happen eventually, and unfortunately, sometimes it’s something that we must accept,” said Celestia

“Plus, there will be many missions where you won’t be able to learn everything about your enemy, you must be able to accept all that,” said Shining Armor

“I… I guess you’re right,” said Discord

“Have you spoken to them ever since they awoke?” asked Luna

“Not yet… but it’s about time I do,” said Discord as he turned around

SOMEWHERE ELSE IN TOWN

“Dear diary, 3 weeks ago, just like many of my friends, I found out I was pregnant. You can’t believe how elated I felt, and now even more as I continue to think about it… however, today I find myself in a very scary situation… and the worst part is, it doesn’t even concern me…” wrote Pinkie Pie in her diary as she looked up at the scene before her.

Rarity, Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer, Moondancer, and Gabby were sitting at a table, glaring back at each other.

The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

On the other side, you had Twilight, Ember, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie who were too afraid to intervene.

“I will not repeat myself, I’ll be Spike’s wife,” said Rarity

“In your dreams, maybe,” Sunset Shimmer shot back

“I beg your pardon!” Rarity said as she and Sunset Shimmer budded heads

“How can the 2 of you be so stupid,” said Gabby

“Excuse us?” they both said as they turn to face her

“I’ll be Spike’s wife, I’ve known him far longer than any of you,” Gabby said

“Huh! I’ve known Spike for as long as you, even longer than you,” said Moondancer

“He… he is nicer to me,” Fluttershy causing all of them to glare at her

“Girls, I don’t think this is a…” Twilight started

“SHUT UP TWILIGHT, IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!” they all screamed, even Fluttershy.

Twilight turned pale and lowered her head

“Don’t you girls think this is seriously becoming stupid?” asked Ember

“Excuse us?” they said

“Your fight is pointless,” said Ember

“What do you mean pointless?” asked Rarity

Ember was about to answer back when they heard a knocking on the door

“Come in!” they all said

The door opened to reveal Thorax carrying a tray of food

“Hey girls, whatcha doing?” he asked as he handed the tray of food to Ember

“They are fighting with each other to see who’ll become Spike’s wife,” Ember said

“Well that’s stupid,” said Thorax

With the mention of this, all of the girls turned to glare at Thorax

“What do you mean it’s STUPID?!” asked Sunset Shimmer

“Various things, but the most important reason is… Polygamy is LEGAL… and a very normal custom for Dragonkin, Changelings, and even Earthlings like you gals,” said Thorax

“That’s exactly what I meant,” said Ember as she continued to eat the food that Thorax brought her

“It may be the case, but, what about you Thorax, you don’t have a Harem,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Oh, I could, it’ll be rather easy for me…” he said

Ember heard this and began to glare at him

“So then, what’s stopping you?” Fluttershy

“And what makes you think that it’s the same for you and Spike?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“Well, taking into consideration that the male to female ratio is of 40% to 60%, it is not uncommon for a male to have more than 1 spouse, for some people it’s easier, for example, you have Spike’s and my case, we are both smart, magically powerful, rich, of some noble status, and, not to sound egotistical, extremely good looking, that always makes you a ladies man…” Thorax, as he began to feel Ember’s glare burning the back of his head

“So then, where is your harem?” asked Moondancer

“Oh, I had the chance of one… but I don’t have one for a very different reason,” he said feeling Ember’s glare intensify

“Yeah, we can tell,” said Twilight

Her comment made Ember stop and look down sheepishly at the floor

“But, going back to your case, you don't have to fight, Spike is going to marry all of you,” said Thorax

“What?’ they all said

“Ember I think it’s best you explain it to them,” said Thorax

“You see, here in the Dragonlands, there is something called “Birth Right” which means that if a male dragon impregnates a female one, the couple must wed and stay together until the offspring or offsprings reach the age of 15, especially if it is a premarital pregnancy,” Ember said

“Interesting,” said Fluttershy

“We dragonkin don’t mate for convenience but for “survival” which also means, we usually don’t have sex until we have proposed, therefore symbolizing a commitment towards the other partner, even if it is a harem,” said Ember

“So, you’re saying that Spike is going to be forced to marry us all?” asked Gabby

“No, he wouldn’t have had sex with you if had chosen y’all as mates,” said Ember

“What about the head wife situation?” asked Pinkie Pie

“What about it?” asked Ember

“Well, it sounds complicated, Gabby and Moondancer claim that they know Spike for far longer, Sunset says that she has more in common with Spike, Fluttershy says that Spike is nicer towards her… and he is pregnant with twins, according to Jennifer, and Rarity was Spike’s first kiss and they took each other’s virginities,” said Twilight

“Put them all together and they make a great competition,” said Rainbow Dash

“Dash this ain’t the time for yer tasteless jokes,” said Applejack

“How was that tasteless, it’s a fact,” said Rainbow Dash as she got into Applejack's face and a heated discussion began.

“Well, they all make good points, but, unfortunately, or fortunately, Rarity already won,” said Ember

“WHAT?!!!!” all of the girls screamed, except for Rarity who had an accomplished grin on her face

“It’s the rule, the first one is the head wife,” said Ember

“Well, darlings, it seems I’ll be Spike’s wife,” Rarity said smugly

“You’re all going to be his wives! Seriously, what happen to the conversation we had about polygamy 30 seconds ago,” said Thorax

However, the girls ignored him and continued to glare at Rarity

“Girls, I don’t know if it’s the hormones, but, why don’t you all stop this foolishness,” said Ember

“What?!” they all said

“I agree with Ember, Girls, it’s clear that Spike loves you all a lot, I doubt he’s planning to leave any of you out, especially with what that implies,” said Twilight

“What does it imply?” asked Moondancer

“Well, if the mother of the child is not recognized as a bride, the offspring or springs, cannot be accepted as Dragonkin, therefore the mother must leave the Dragonlands and never come back,” said Ember

“Wow, that’s harsh,” said Gabby

“Yes, well, we might come on as arrogant, but we take these situations seriously, in other words, not accepting the mother of your offspring is tarnishing her and the baby’s honor, and at the same time, yours for breaking traditions,” said Ember

“What Ember means, is, why don’t you girls become a big happy family, instead of fighting to see who wins and who is kicked to the curve,” said Twilight

“It’s the right thing to do,” said Applejack

“There aren’t 2 ways about it, gals,” said Rainbow Dash

The girls turned to look at each other and smiled

“I guess we’re all an official family now,” said Rarity

“Indeed,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Let's all work together to make it work,” said Fluttershy

“Yeah,” they all said as someone knocked on the door

“Come in!” they said

“Hey girls, Discord just called us all to the meeting room, I think they’re going to punish Spike and his squad for disobeying orders,” said Tempest

“We better go,” said Twilight as she got up and followed Tempest out, followed by the rest of the girls, only leaving Ember and Thorax

“So, darling, what was all that about it being easy for you to get a harem?” asked Ember in a scary tone

Thorax’s hair stood up as he turned to face Ember

“Well, you see… WE HAVE TO GET TO THE MEETING!” Thorax said as he ran out of the room

“Yeah you better run mister!… lucky for you I’m pregnant right now,” said Ember as she walked out of the room.

MEETING ROOM

“Thank you all for coming,” said Discord

“Discord, before we begin, punish me for what happened, they acted on my orders,” said Spike

“Lovely sentiment Spike, but to be honest, I’ll let you off the hook this time,” said Discord

“Really?” they all said

“Yeah, thanks to your insubordination, we were able to find the missing squad, rescue Thorax, and his crew, find an answer to the attacks, and confirm a culprit,” said Discord

“SO, are we here to discuss our next move?” asked Flash

“Not exactly, I’m here to give you some background regarding our main enemy… Charlie Quinn or Queen Chrysalis… It may come as a surprise but, Charlie wasn’t always this evil necromancer you all know, but, instead, she was a loving, and very nurturing medicine student at Canterlot U.” said Discord

“Her biggest dream was to be able to end people’s suffering when it came to health, and she was doing a great job at it, especially when she met him,” said Discord

“Him?” asked Twilight

“Kendrick Sovett, AKA, King Sombra,” said Discord

“Quick question, is Chrysalis actually a queen, or did she just add the title herself?” asked Pinkie Pie

“She is a queen, the queen with the shortest reign, it only lasted 5 years,” said Pharynx

“And Sombra?” asked Pinkie

“He was a prince, but since he married Chrysalis, well…” said Thorax

“Anyway… back in the day, the 2 of them were inseparable, they used to study together, work together, exercise together… well you get the picture… they were in seventh heaven, and naturally they got married… however, their happiness didn’t last long,” said Discord

“Oh no,” said Rarity

“Tia, you should explain this part,” said Discord as Celestia got up and said

“You see, Chrysalis and Sombra had another thing in common, their love for alchemy, they saw it as an answer to all their problems, and so they used to spend hours studying and practicing alchemy until they were close to perfecting the art,”

“One day, however, Sombra received some terrible news. He had Rage-Growth syndrome, you can imagine the shock. It was not as severe as Spike’s, but it was bad, and back then there was less knowledge than now…”

“Sombra and Chrysalis went into a frenzy, trying to find a natural cure… unfortunately, since Sombra had acquired the syndrome as a kid and didn’t realize it until he was 28, his body had already gotten to a terrible level of internal damage, and time was running out quickly despite all he did to slow it down…”

“One day, Sombra had enough, and decided to try something he thought to be “revolutionary” in the medical world… use Alchemy as the remedy… for days he conducted experiments on himself… until finally, a breakthrough, Sombra had it all figured out… or so he thought…”

“That same night, just as he conducted, what was supposed to be, his final experiment, he did not realize he made a terrible miscalculation, and instead of finding a cure, he made it worst, he found a way to free the Rage-Growth syndrome and make it consume his body…”

“That night, Sombra ran rampant through town, destroying anything in his way, and killing those who fought him…”

“It came to the point that, with a heavy heart, we decided to put him down… and so, we went to fight him… however, we were only able to bind the demon and send him to another dimension…”

“Chrysalis became enraged and swore to have her revenge on all of us for “abandoning” Sombra… it was later revealed that after she arrived at their lab, a remnant of the Demon took over her body and feasted on her rage, causing her to learn necromancy… and that was the last time we ever saw here,” said Celestia

“To this day, we still don’t know what she wants, or how she plans on succeeding… and here we are now,” said Discord

“That is such a sad story,” said Fluttershy

“Indeed, but, our concern is her actions and why,” said Discord as the whole room went quiet as they all thought of different hypothesis

After a few seconds, Spike’s eyes lit up in horror

“I know what she’s after,” he said

“What?” asked Luna

“Add the dots, Her husband became a demon after failing to cure his syndrome with alchemy, she went mad and learned necromancy… Alchemy 101, what is the only way to cancel out alchemy?” asked Spike

“Oh! Oh! Me!” said Pinkie

“Yes,” said Spike

“You must find an alchemical device far stronger than the one that cost the incident break the spell,” said Pinkie

“A+,” said Spike “Now tell me, in Equestria how many Alchemy devices are there?” asked Spike

“A handful, no one knows how many,” said Celestia

“Yes, now, changing the topic, towards the attacks, which nation possesses a powerful alchemy device close to here?” asked Spike

“Well there is the Dragonlord staff… but it only grants magic power…. Then we have the Crystal heart in the Crystal Empire,” said Cadance “GASP! NO!”

“Yes, that’s her target,” said Spike

“Even if it is, she won’t be able to reach it, it has a magical protection field, which she won't be able to break through,” said Shining

“Maybe not, but she does know who… and that’s her puppet master,” said Spike

“What?” they all asked

“Tell me, who is the most powerful, destructive demon to ever roam this world and wanted to get a hold on the Crystal heart?” asked Spike

“Tirek… OH NO! He can easily break through the barrier,” said Shining

“Which is why she wants to free him, which means, the real reason behind the attacks was not to create a war but to have a decoy while she locates Tirek’s grave,” said Spike

“IMPOSSIBLE! Tirek was sealed with a blood pack, it can’t be undone,” said Discord

“Unless you have Refragon sap, which can only be found in…” said Spike

“The forbidden part of the Everfree forest,” said Luna

“Which is exactly where she attacked me, Trixie, and Blueblood,” said Spike

“THAT BITCH! I WILL NOT ALLOW HER TO GET AWAY WITH DESAMATING MAX’S SACRIFICE!!!” said Discord

“Who’s Max?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“Oh, I haven’t told any of you about that have I…” Discord said as he began telling them about the incidents of that fateful day.

MEANWHILE AT DOOM VALLEY

“... Break this pack and free the soul trapped inside it… CANCEL!!” Chrysalis finished chanting as the ground shook and a red light appeared forming a seal

“You are no free master,” said Chrysalis

“Took you long enough, you dumb bitch,” said Tirek as he stood up before her

“Apologise master, it took far longer than planned,” said Chrysalis

“Whatever, Now, time to claim the power that is rightfully mine!” said Tirek as he laughed diabolically

“And free Sombra,” said Chrysalis

“Sure,” Tirek lied. “All I need is the crystal heart and then he’ll be free… for me to control,” said Tirek evilly.

BACK AT THE DRAGONLANDS

Everyone in the room had tears in their eyes after hearing the story

“Wow, they’re all heroes,” said Ember

“Ever since then, I’ve been wary of missions like such, I don’t want to have another Max Maguire incident, ever again,” said Discord

“Wait, Maguire… isn’t that Terrence’s and Rumbles’ last name?” asked Flash

“Well yes, Max, was their father,” said Discord

Everyone gasped

“No wonder we never met him,” said Pinkie

“Anyway, we better start preparing for whatever might happen next… you’re all dismissed,” said Discord.

IN THE HALLWAY

“Wow, That was horrible, I can’t even imagine what it might’ve felt like to lose someone you love,” said Rarity

“Better not think about it and think on the future,” said Rainbow Dash

“Agreed,” said Ember as they all walked away

“Uhm, Spike, may I speak to you for a minute?” said Tempest

“Sure,” said Spike as they stopped walking

“I have something to tell you,” said Tempest

“What is it?” asked Spike

“Remember how we had sex a few days back… well, I forgot to mention I was on my period and I didn’t take a birth control… this morning I felt… odd, so I went to buy a pregnancy test and… well…” said Tempest as she showed Spike a pregnancy test with the word “Pregnant” on it

“You're Pregnant!” said Spike

“Yeah… and it’s yours,” said Tempest

“Obviously,” muttered Spike

“I’m sorry, darling could you repeat that,” came a voice that make Spike freeze and starts shaking

“Oh, hey Rarity, you see, I’m also pregnant with Spike’s child,” said Tempest as Spike turned to face the group of girls glaring at him.

“How lovely,” said Rarity as she gritted her teeth

“Congratulations,” said Sunset Shimmer with a fake smile

“I’m so happy for you,” said Fluttershy with a purple aura around her

“A new addition to the family,” said Moondancer with a murderous face

“You must be so happy,” said Gabby as she clenched her fists and glared at Spike

“I am, my dream has come true,” said Tempest

“Really?” they all asked

“Yeah, I always dreamt of giving birth to Spike’s child,” said Tempest with a red face

“So, Spike, what do YOU have to say for YOURSELF?” they all asked him

Spike was pale, he didn’t even know what to say, but only step backward as the girls stepped closer towards him.

“Why are they so scary?!” said Spike as he gave one more step backward, and felt as he bumped into something or someone.

Spike turned his head slowly, only to see Zuly standing there, the veins in her head about to pop out.

Without warning, Zuly grabbed Spike by the ear and said

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS SPIKE! FIRST YOU TELL ME IT’S JUST THESE 5 GIRLS, AND NOW THERE IS A NEW ONE?!!! I MAY HAVE NOT BEEN IN YOUR LIFE FOR 10 YEARS BUT I SURELY DIDN’T EDUCATE YOU TO BE A GIGOLO, although, knowing Jennifer… Anyway, You and I are going to have a chat mister, it’s time you learned about a fucking condom,” said Zuly as she dragged Spike away holding him by the ear.

As soon as they bent the corner, the girls began laughing at the scene

“THAT- THAT WAS HILARIOUS,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Indeed,” said Moondancer

“So, wait, you’re not angry at Spike?” asked Tempest

“Of course not, although we would like him to stop getting any more wives,” said Rarity

“So, what that means?” asked Tempest

“Yes… Welcome to the family,” they all said as they hugged each other.