Amidst the Howling Dark

De'mah's craft had barely touched the ground when he stumbled out of it, growling in fury and frustration. He'd landed outside the cave that had been Jilnarok's lair and immediately stalked into it, huffing in rage as he went. His environment suit was ruined, of that there was no doubt. He would need new armor forged for him. He was sure the dragons could do it.

"High Lord!" he heard Tolmirak exclaim, but he paid the young drake no mind.

"Those COWARDS yet live!! I will need to track them down, and I will stop at NOTHING until I put my blade to their necks!" De'mah exclaimed. He began to strip pieces of his suit from his body. His helmet, utterly destroyed. His recorder and all the logs, ruined. The plates and pieces all scorched and singed and split. "Find a smith, NOW! I have need of new armor."

"At once, High Lord" Tolmirak said, and he scurried away. De'mah finished stripping the last of his suit, energy sword handle gripped in his hand, and was left to stand alone in the cavern, silently enraged.

"We made it... We're OK, Lulu" Celestia said to her sister. The two of them stood outside the coastal city of Manehattan, the most modern of their cities. Taxi ponies pulled their carts to and fro across the cobble streets, and a few modest office buildings rose four- and five-stories into the air. A shopkeeping mare caught sight of them, gasped, and rushed over to help the two of them.

"My stars, Princesses, are you two alright?!" the shopkeep yelled, a few other ponies taking note and rushing over to help.

"We are fine... Please, take us to the mayor's office. We have grim news" Celestia said, her sister still leaning against her.

"Oh there'll be none of that until we have a doctor see you both. Type Setter, find a taxi!" the mare exclaimed, pointing to a stallion near her, and the stallion raced off. "You'll be OK you two, you're safe here."

"Th-- Thank you, my little pony" Celestia said. Before long a taxi rushed up the street, and Celestia helped her sister climb into the cart. She hoisted herself up into it and collapsed onto the seat next to her sister, and the taxi took off into the city. Celestia closed her eyes and took a moment to breathe, relieved to finally be off her hooves. "You're s-safe now, Lulu... We're... We're safe now..." Celestia whimpered, and began to cry quietly.

"Do not... Do not cry, my sun" Luna said, her eyes fluttering open. "We will... Will come back stronger, and we will vanquish this horrible demon."

Celestia wished she could share her sister's confidence, but after seeing how he had attacked and attacked and attacked without ever relenting made her too unsure to think otherwise. Luna was right; he was a demon. There was no other explanation. He'd swung and lunged and leapt and never paused to rest. If it hadn't been for their magic, they'd have never survived as long as they had. "I love you, Lulu. I love you so much" Celestia finally said.

"We...l-love you...too, Tia" her sister breathed, and passed out. Celestia buried her face in her sister's mane and let the tears flow. And flow. And flow, and flow, and flow.

And flow.

Three weeks later.

De'mah's bare feet plodded down the sand and stone of the lair. His lair. Tolmirak walked at his side, his expression cheerful. "Not much further, High Lord. The smiths have been hard at work, and I'm sure you will love your new clad" the whelp declared.

The two entered the massive cavern and De'mah saw a young elder dragon standing on all fours, his side facing De'mah, his head turned away. At the sound of De'mah's footsteps the dragon turned, bowed to his High Lord, and backed away, revealing a wooden stand in the general shape of a Sangheili. Placed upon the stand's limbs and racks was a beautiful armor unlike any De'mah had ever seen before. It was a deep crimson, and looked perfectly suited to his frame. He stepped up to it and took in its features. The helmet, while not providing a full-seal, was masterfully crafted, the fringe coming up in spiked points. A tapered point came down in front, over where the front of his face would be, and it looked sturdy.

The rest of the armor was much of the same. Spiked shoulder pauldrons and smooth gauntlets that ended in four curled spokes that would curl into the spaces between the Sangheili's fingers. The thigh plates extended past the knees by several inches, ending in tapered points. But the crowning achievement of it all was that, in certain places along the thigh greaves and chest plates, were glowing blue gems shining out from narrow rectangular slits, illuminating the red armor in an ethereal glow that amazed the Sangheili. He stepped up to the stand, plucked the helmet from it, and slid it down onto his head. It was a perfect fit. He turned to Tolmirak and grinned, and the drake grinned back at him.

"Here is an armor fit for a High Lord. Come, help me put the rest of it on" he said, and Tolmirak stepped forward. When it was all said and done De'mah had Tolmirak find the smith, who pushed out a large mirror. De'mah peered into the reflective glass at the mighty and powerful Sangheili that stared back, clad in a blood-red armor, leering face grinning back at him.

Nothing more would stand in his way.