Chapters Author's Note
Sorry for the long wait, everybody. Between moving into my grandparents' house and writer's block, I haven't had much time to write, but I'm here now and still kicking strong. Be sure to follow TheShadowKnight for helping me, stay tuned and remember to brony on.
Conflicts of Friendship
Moonlight shines upon the city in this darkest hour. The night is always a time for evil to come out and wreak havoc. But it's come to a point where even the pettiest of foul people are reduced to hiding in their shadows. With their newest demonic threat roaming their streets, almost everyone is fearing for their lives. But for young Flash Sentry, he's got no choice but to go out in the dead of the night. His best friend's boyfriend was out on a dangerous recon mission and has to ensure he's alright.
"I cannot believe this, after everything we’ve all been through and the many bad situations his recklessness gets him in; he had to do a recon mission with a powerful, bloodthirsty, demon monster running around,” Flash mutters to himself.
He let out a yawn, obviously tired from being woken up. And his body shivering from the cold night air, regretting that he didn't bring his jacket. “Eternal, when I find you. I’m bringing you back to Sunset’s apartment, even if I had to drag your sorry carcass there!” He whispered, grumpily. And although he speaks his actions, he doesn't know if he can deliver on that statement, considering Eternal's physical strength alone. God, he wishes Inferno was still around, cause normally he has the strength to do it. But now, this is a task he needs to do, alone.
"I just had to be a musician, why couldn't I have been a football player or a basketball player?" he asked himself. "Maybe then, I would've stood a chance against him." Then, just when he thought he'd go on for hours, he hears the sounds of footsteps around the corner. Flash stood where he was and listened closely. He quietly tiptoed towards the sound of the footsteps.
When he peeked to see who it was walking, a stroke of luck hit him when he saw Eternal Flames in the middle of the street. He seemed lost in a trance, his head pointed up and his eyes were closed. Flash decides to make himself known and runs over to Eternal. Slightly bad move on his part as Eternal jumped in the air and landed in front of Flash by a few inches and threw a punch, only to stop it by one centimeter away from Flash's face, startling him.
"Flash? What the hell are you doing out here at this time of night?" Eternal asked.
“I could say the same for you and also, what the hell! You almost attacked me!?” Flash replied before getting to the point. “Anyway, Sunset called me after you left her apartment and she asked me to come to find you.”
"Sorry about that sudden surprise attack. It's a reflex of mine. Also, I'm not surprised Sunset was worried about me. I just… wanted to help subdue this monster some way," Eternal said.
"That's not gonna stop Sunset from worrying about you. Do you realize how reckless your actions are and how worried she is about you? I don't need to remind you about the war that took place some time ago, but it wouldn't hurt to leave this to the girls," Flash said. "Not to sound rude, but they've had a lot more experience with fighting magical forces before."
"Except this isn't a magical force, this is a human turned demon. One that is powerful enough to even make Grogar fear him. If I can at least slow him down, I could get some clues on what this monster wants," Eternal argues back.
"By getting yourself killed? Dude, did you even hear what Daris said? Gods are mortals, too, so even if you are half-demon, you'll still wind up dead. Just leave this be and the girls will--" Flash tried to argue back, but then, all of a sudden, the two boys noticed an orange light glowing in one of the alleys. Soon the light began to become brighter and brighter, as they later heard the sounds of thundering heavy footsteps draw closer to the streets.
"Stay here and keep out of sight. And whatever you do, if you're spotted, run!" Eternal urged.
“Wait what?! I came here to retrieve you, not…” Right as Flash turned his back for a second then faced his friend, Eternal was no longer in front of him and out of sight. “And you’re gone.” Flash can only assume he went down the alleyway. But then, there was a loud rumble along with what sounded like bricks being smashed and Eternal grunting. "Crap! Eternal!"
Flash didn't hesitate to check up on him. When he turned the corner to the alleyway, he's met with the most terrifying sight to behold. It looked like a titan-sized demonized version of Eternal Flames, had burning flames for hair, his pupils slit, and golden yellow. It looked like the monster came through a wall judging by the big hole he made.
“Why do demons enjoy visiting Canterlot City?” Flash muttered to himself. “Why can’t they just stop by the White House?” He added.
This titan demon let out a roar and swatted Flash against the wall hard. Flash was hit hard and instantly knocked out before the monster fled from the area. Flash's unconscious body slumped onto the ground. 3 sharp claw marks ran down his cheek, all were drawing small droplets of blood, but the wound wasn't deep.
Flash didn't know how long he was out, but when he woke up, he heard the sound of a beeping monitor and saw these beam lights shining from the ceiling. He groaned and sat up slowly. "Ugh… what happened?"
He scanned his surroundings and found that he was in a hospital room. "Oh no… then this must mean that…" Flash, tried not to freak out. Luckily, a nurse stopped by his hospital room. She had white skin with blue eyes and pink hair in a bun.
"Oh, you're awake. That's good to know," she said.
"How… Did I get here? I remember seeing this freaky titanic beast in an alleyway and then… just… nothing," Flash said.
"Your mother called us, saying she found you unconscious. You were unconscious for 7 hours." the nurse said.
"7 hours? Jeez, I must've taken a serious punch to the face," Flash groaned, putting his hand over his face. The visions of that monster he saw were horrifying. 'Hold on… Eternal went down the same alley that the monster was in. Could it be… no, that's not right. If it was him…' he thought to himself. 'I've got to let the girls know about this as soon as I get out of here.'
Speaking of which, 2 hours after Flash woke up, Sunset got a text on her phone. She checked it and saw the text was from Flash. When she checked it out, she was horrified at the state he was in.
"Oh no, what have I done?" Sunset asked, wracked with guilt. She was so horrified, she didn't read the text all the way. All she read was "Eternal ran in an alleyway. I chased after him and got socked in the head by this beast." It tore her apart to know she put her friend in jeopardy. But for her boyfriend to attack Flash like that, Sunset had to find out what was going on. This whole pandemic is getting to her and it's only about to get worse.
Sunset had to find out for herself why Eternal attacked him. She grabs her cell phone and texts the girls in a group chat. "Flash is being hospitalized. I need you all to meet me at my apartment as soon as you can," she texted. She leaped out of bed and got to work getting herself ready. She also went downstairs to take care of her hygiene routine. And once she was done in the shower, she then immediately got dressed after.
Then she sat on the couch, patiently waiting for her friends to arrive. After waiting an hour or two, Sunset hears knocks on her door, thinking in her head that it’s her friends. She gets up from the couch and paces to the door, opening it wide to reveal her friends behind it. Without speaking, she gestures them to enter the apartment and closes the door behind them.
"We came as soon as we received your text message. What's happened to Flash?" Rarity asked, taking a seat on the couch with the rest of the girls.
"Is he going to live?" Fluttershy asked, worried.
"He's fine, but… it's my fault he's in the mess I told you about," Sunset said.
"Your fault? What are you talking about?" Twilight asked.
“Eternal snuck out a while ago, and as soon as I found out, I called Flash and asked him to search for Eternal. And now I regret pulling Flash into this situation.” Sunset explained.
"Ya dragged Flash into this mess? Why didn't ya call us? Mainly Rainbow Dash? As much as Ah hate to say it, she could've tracked yer boyfriend the fastest out of all of us!" Applejack stated.
“That’s true, but Flash is only another person I can think of that Eternal trusts. And I hoped that Flash could reason with him better than I did.” Sunset replied.
"I… guess it would make sense since he's come to terms with your relationship with Eternal. But why did he end up in the hospital?" Fluttershy asked.
"You all know of the monster that's causing havoc around the streets, right?" Sunset asked. "Well, I think… Eternal might've been the monster that attacked Flash."
"What? But that's absurd. Why would he attack Flash?" Rarity asked.
"I dunno, but… yesterday, after we visited Heat, I came home and saw Eternal lying on the ground… and he was all sweaty. His body was twitching violently and… I think his pupils looked like they were slit… like they were when he was turned into a demon. And there's a chance that… his powers might've caused him to revert to his evil ways," Sunset said.
"Are you serious? You mean while we were trying to come up with a plan to uncover the truth on that island, Eternal went on a KILLING SPREE?!" Rainbow asked, both shocked and crossed. "I can't believe that son of a bitch double-crossed us!"
"B-But maybe we should… y-y-you know… ask him first," Fluttershy said.
"Fluttershy's right. We've got to find Eternal and ask him what's going on," Twilight suggests.
"Ah’ agree. Its best ta hear it from his side, so we won’t jump ta conclusions like last time.” Applejack said, siding with Twilight and Fluttershy on this case.
“Yeah, it’s just like the old saying; he’s guilty till proven innocent. That quote is made for a very good reason.” Pinkie commented while looking towards the audience and whispering. “We don’t want another A.A.M situation to happen again.”
"A.A.M?" Twilight asked, clueless on what she meant by it.
“Its something you shouldn’t know, Twilight.” Pinkie replied. “And its something the fans don’t wanna remember.” She added while winking towards the audience who are reading this.
“What fans? Nevermind, I’m not questioning you right now.” Twilight responded.
"Right, but first, we gotta find that boy, and then we can find out the answers. But just to be on the safe side, I say we should leave Heat out of this," Pinkie said. "Something tells me he's not going to handle the painful truth… if this even is the truth."
“Ah agree, we don’t wanna break the feller’s heart. Especially, if his brother’s counterpart is a terrifyin’ monster.” Applejack stated.
"Agreed. Let's go," Sunset said. The girls then followed Sunset out of her apartment, wandering the streets of the city as the morning sun rose on another dark day. But as they kept going, they noticed a couple of S.W.A.T vehicles zooming past them, sirens blazing. There were also signs posted on lamposts with issued warnings.
"Warning, due to a potentially dangerous creature lurking the streets, all civilians are to either stay indoors or evacuate out of the city until further notice. If you have a friend or relative missing out in the streets, exercise extreme caution. By order of the mayor Ivory Scroll," Twilight said, reading it. "Uh-oh, looks like this is more serious than we thought."
"Looks like we need to be on our guard," Rarity said.
Everyone nodded in agreement and kept going further into town, searching the streets for their suspected friend. A couple of blocks into their search, the girls then come across a broken wall in an alley where a pile of bricks laid. They checked the area to see what happened here.
"You don't think Flash got his ass handed to him here, do you?" Rainbow asked.
"It's a distinct possibility. Here, let me see if I can clear this pile of rubble up," Twilight said. She grabbed her geode and used its power to lift most of the bricks out of the way. During her search, she shrieks slightly when a fist pops out of the bricks. She stumbles backward, but Sunset catches her.
Out of the rubble, the girls see Eternal Flames, topless and groaning. "Ouch… okay, that was a bad idea," he said.
"You!" Rainbow shouted.
"Hmm?" Eternal asked, turning to Rainbow, who then leaps at him, tackling him. He grunts and yells out in pain from the impact of hitting the ground. "What was that for?"
"Don't you act all innocent with me! What did you do to Flash?" Rainbow asked, demanding an answer before smacking him in the face.
"Ow! Would you get off me and let me explain--" Eternal tried to say, but is smacked again. "Ah! Rainbow, knock it off, will you?!" he snapped. Rainbow went in for another hard smack, but he catches it and pins her down. "I said KNOCK IT OFF!!!" he shouted, his eyes slitting for a split second, but no one saw it because of his long hair obscuring his face a bit.
"Rainbow, let him speak! Ah told ya not to jump to conclusions!" AJ scolded. "Eternal, what's goin' on here? Why'd ya leave in the middle o' the night when Sunset told ya not to?"
"Because I wanted to help out in this whole demon beast thing. I have the fighting experience, so I'm a part of this team as much as you girls are," Eternal said, getting of Rainbow. "But then, when Flash came and… wait, where's Flash at?"
"He's in the hospital. He was attacked," Twilight said.
"Attacked? Is he gonna be alright?" Eternal asked, worried.
"He will, but he took a nasty blow to the head. I never should've sent him out like that. I thought that he'd talk you out of it since you two are like best friends," Sunset said.
"Flash is a good friend and sending him out here was indeed dangerous. But if it helps, I'll stay off the streets from now on," Eternal said.
"Not so fast now. First, tell us this… did you or did you not attack Flash?" AJ asked.
"What? No!" but then Eternal thinks back to last night… "At least… I don't think I did. I… I remember going into an alley and… I saw what looked like these… scorching flames and then I… I guess I blacked out."
"You… blacked out? Does that mean you snapped or got knocked out?" Sunset asked.
“I don’t know… Maybe I was knocked out? But I don’t feel bruised or any pain.” Eternal replied.
"Not even after waking up underneath all those bricks? Anyone would be aching all over from something like that," Twilight said.
"Ooh, maybe because he has demonic blood, it's near impossible for him to feel any pain," Pinkie guessed. "And the only thing that CAN hurt him is other demons!"
"That… does sound more logical, but I'm not sure if it has the same effect if the demon is a human being," Twilight said.
"Well, either way, the main issue is you left when I told you not to, but… to be fair… it was also my fault for putting Flash in danger. Eternal, I'm also sorry I didn't trust you enough to go out on your own. But promise me you won't do something so crazy like that again," Sunset said.
"Alright, I promise," he nods.
"Pinkie Promise?" she double-checks.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," he makes double sure. Sunset goes and hugs her boyfriend and he hugs back.
"I'm just glad you're safe," Sunset said. However, Eternal wasn't feeling so joyful at all. His own friend was sent to the hospital. Eternal felt responsible for the whole mess. If he never went out on his recon mission in the first place, then Flash would be waking up in his own bedroom and not in a hospital bed.
What's done is done now and soon, the girls took their friend back to her apartment.
Meanwhile, a member of the Dark Trinity watched from around the corner, watching the girls' every move. He stayed out of sight of anyone wandering by, wearing a hoodie and a mask to conceal his face. He followed them for a while, wanting to know where they were headed. He stalks them for several minutes until the girls and Eternal arrived at Sunset’s apartment and entered, disappearing from the Dark Trinity member’s sight.
"It looks like I've hit the motherload," said the hooded figure. "The leader will be pleased to hear what I've discovered." And so, they fled the scene, avoiding being spotted. "I still fail to see what the whole purpose of finding out the girl's address serves. Whatever… if it means gaining limitless power, then who am I to question it?"
While the hooded figure left the area to report to the leader, the leader himself was searching around the city, looking for any sort of abandoned building. It'd be too risky to hold meetings in an establishment that's occupied with multiple people. Thankfully, due to the city mostly being evacuated, some of the buildings, mostly apartment complexes, were emptied. However, it was best to be on the safe side and the leader finally found an abandoned building just a little north in the city. Which so happens to be a restricted area; perfect for no one to come near the place.
It was an abandoned warehouse and not a single security guard or police patrolman was in sight, just the break he was looking for. "Perfect. Now to mark it," the leader said. He reaches into his cloak and pulls out a purple gem. He places the gem in any area where the sun shined through the windows. The gem gave off a strong magical energy wave that was invisible to the naked eye but was acted as a beacon to any negative magical entities within a 100-mile radius.
After activating the beacon, the leader walked around the warehouse, thinking to himself. "Princess Celestia, your family has been a thorn in my side for years since the day you brought your oldest son into this world. Oh well… I suppose I shouldn't complain now that the so-called Shadow Knight is gone. I never expected such a young colt to become the scapegoat for the crimes that day. And it surprises me that he was willing to protect that bastard son of yours, which had costed his life. You really should've chosen me instead, Celestia. But you've brought this upon yourself and now you'll pay the price!"
"Just think, all the power those crystals could grant me! And the many worlds I could conquer. Why stop at Equestria? Or this world, when I can have many worlds under my rule. I could even make all of Tartarus bow down before me! To live and be worshipped as a god. Yes… with those crystals, I will use them… I will become a god!"
Soon, the leader senses the dark magic of the other two Dark Trinity members coming towards him, which he silenced himself. Soon, he hears the door open with a loud, audible, creaking, and rusted noise. "I trust you were successful in your search?" he asked.
“They didn’t expect that they were being followed, and they led us to the place where the prince and Sunset Shimmer dwell.” The female member stated.
"Excellent. And what of the crystals? Have you tracked down where they are?" the leader asked the other member.
"Yes, I've pinpointed the area where one of them is located. The only problem is that it's heavily guarded by this world’s law enforcement. It's in the west part of the city under lock and key in one of their armored vehicles. There are also some heavily armored soldiers in green helping them," the male member explained.
“That won’t be much of a problem. The weapons and tools of the inhabitants of this world do not match with our might, especially our magic.”
"It's pitiful, to think that an entire city doesn't run on magic, save for the group of girls and the prince as the exceptions. But how can we use magic if we don't have our horns? We're not exactly well-prepared to fight unless you've got some alternative method," the female member pointed out.
“We may not have the means or the numbers to pull off an ambush; however, we do have the means for a distraction.” The leader stated while turning on the only T.V. in the room which showed the latest news of the monster’s rampage in the city. “This hostile creature thirsts for destruction and murder, so we might as well give it a treat.”
"Ah, use the demon to take care of the enforcements here," the male member said.
"Precisely. Now… first things first, we have to find the beast. Who can detect the presence of negative energy the best?" the leader asked.
"That would be his area of expertise. I can only detect the smell of love," the female member said before taking off her hood. From her beautiful black skin, bright green lipstick and teal bluish-green eyes and matching teal blue long hair, she was more commonly known as the former Queen Chrysalis.
"You give me too much credit, but that's true… I can smell negative energy from a mile away," the male member said as he took off his hood. He had grey skin, black hair, and red eyes. All of Equestria knew him as former King Sombra, the Crystal Empire tyrant.
“Very well then.” the leader replied. “Sombra, you shall locate and bait the monster towards where we what him to go. And you Chrysalis will blend in within the area where the transport is. And when the guards are busy with handling a demon, you shall retrieve the crystal.” He stated.
"Fair enough. Sombra, you know where the crystal is at, I'll need the directions so I can meet you there," Chrysalis said.
"Very well. Luckily for me, I've brought a few dark crystals with me I can use as navigators. Just take one of these and it'll give off a strong vibration the closer you get towards your destination," Sombra said, giving her one of his dark crystals. "I'm heading out to look for the monster. You just make sure you make good on your promise of granting us infinite power!"
“I am a man of my word, Sombra. You should never doubt that; I was the one who pulled you from the dead, and I can send you back. So you must have faith in me.” the leader replied.
"Hmph, fine. But it's on you since you cut your lifespan in half," Sombra said.
"A small price to pay for what we'll all get in return," the leader said before taking off his hood. He had extremely long, red hair the reached down his back, had yellow skin just like Sunset Shimmer and the same turquoise eyes. "Soon, we will all reach our main goal and ascend past these mere mortals!"
"As long as it's something for all of us to gain, I'll gladly help… Light Ray," Chrysalis said.
*SLAP*
"Ow! Okay, I deserve that," Eternal said, rubbing his cheek.
"You're damn right, you deserve it! That's for sneaking out! I had to take out my frustrations somehow, mister!" Sunset scolded, glaring at her boyfriend. She gave him one more hug but wound up leaning in too much and both of them ended up falling on the couch. "Eternal… what is this entire world coming to? Things have gone downhill so quickly."
"What are you talking about? This world has always spiraled out of control since the dawn of man itself. We're not much, but we try to make a difference in the world. It's all any of us can do to bring a small glimmer of hope in this world," Eternal said, hugging his girlfriend.
“I know that, but that was when we had all of our friends. And that’s when we had that spirit that drives us to help the world heal from its deep scars. But now that spirit is gone… ever since we lost a good friend that witnessed how the world could cruel. Who was a part of our family.” Sunset stated with a saddened expression on her face.
“And one that I considered a brother,” Eternal replied, with a sadden expression of his own. “I admit… Things have been a lot grayer ever since Inferno died. Its like with him gone, the world is now… becoming more darker and lost of hope. But that's precisely why we've gotta be strong and come together to stop this chaos. I won't make the same mistake twice.”
“And neither would I,” Sunset replied. “Not to mention, we’re given the possibility for a way to bring Inferno back. But as of now, we have a new demonic creature wreaking havoc on the city and destroying anything and anyone in its path.” She added. “I mean, when are we gonna get a decent break?”
“Possibly… Never,” Eternal jokes, slightly, just to cheer his girlfriend up.
"You dork," Sunset chuckles, lightly jabbing his cheek. "I needed that, though. Thanks."
"I try. So, now that we've broken the ice a bit, why don't we calm down a bit with some nice breakfast, it's still morning and we have just enough time to make something," Eternal said.
"I don't mind breakfast, but… I'm still a little bummed out to make anything," she said.
"That's fine. I'll cook up something if that's what you like," Eternal said.
“I’d appreciate it if you do, I remember back when we were foals, you were a good cook,” Sunset replied.
"I learned it from my mother. And because I've been staying here in this new world for almost a month, I picked up on how to make some of the dishes here. Is there anything you want in particular, Sunset?" Eternal asked.
“Mmmm… I don’t know. But I’m hungry for some pancakes, your mother used to make me some back before I became a rotten bitch.” She replied.
"Sure thing. I can cook some of those," Eternal said as he got up from the couch. He gave Sunset a little peck on the cheek and a boop on her nose before getting to work. She let out a cute squee noise, blushing. But it faded away when she giggled.
"You dork," she said.
"What? Am I not allowed to show you affections for being so cute and kissable?" he asked. Sunset giggles at how much of a doofus her boyfriend is, but didn't mind it one bit. She felt more at ease with Eternal showing his more tender, caring side. It immediately erases all her doubts about him from last night, no longer thinking that he was capable of putting Flash in the hospital.
After being tender and loving to his girlfriend, Eternal then gets to work on making breakfast for the two. Sunset turns on the TV and puts on one of her movies to keep her mind off the pandemics going on out in Canterlot City. And so that Eternal won't bolt out of the window to go and investigate.
The scent of pancakes later hits her nose and she sniffs it with her eyes close. She gets all giddy and fidgety from how pleasant the scent is. She soon finds her focus turned away from the TV and straight over to a plate of fresh hot pancakes, stacked neatly on top of each other. On the top, she sees two banana slices for eyes, a whipped cream nose, and some blueberries for the smile.
"There you go, hope you enjoy it," Eternal said.
"Mmm, looks good. Thanks, babe," Sunset replied. She grabbed her fork and knife and cut up her pancakes in slices and then put syrup on her pancakes before taking a bite. Right from the moment the pancakes touch her tongue, she's hit with a burst of delicious flavors. Eternal chuckles at her reaction, but still asked either way.
"Good, huh?" he asked. He's answered, however, with Sunset scarfing down the pancakes. "Whoa, take it easy, you don't wanna eat too fast, those are…" he stops when he almost used the 'empty calories' bit. But Sunset still heeded his warning and slowed down.
"Sorry, it's just been so long since I had "Tia cakes." They’re so delicious and fluffy!” Sunset squealed giddily with delight.
"My mother taught me how to make it perfectly fluffy. It took me about 5 tries when I was 6, but it all worked out in the end," Eternal said. "Oh, and you might want to wash it down with some of this… Shimmy," Eternal then pours her a fresh cup of OJ and gives it to her. She chuckles at his chivalrous act but was flattered.
"Why, thank you, hotshot," she replied before taking a sip of her orange juice. “Ahhh, now that’s some good OJ.” She said.
"Mhmm," Eternal replied. He then sits down next to Sunset with a tray of his pancakes and gets to munching down on them. "You know, when I finally learned how to make these hotcakes, Heat Blitz couldn't get enough of these. He wanted like 10 whole stacks every day for breakfast. Mother didn't want him to get winded, so we limited it to Sundays and Fridays.”
"You're kidding. Your little brother was addicted to your pancakes just as much as he was addicted to your mom's?" Sunset asked, chuckling. He nods. "That's sweet. Anyways, Eternal… when this whole pandemic is over and we've brought back Inferno, what'll you do afterward?"
"We'll look for my father's killer, the one who framed him and bring him to justice. And once that's done… well… dunno. I guess I'll just stay here… in this world… with you," he replied, putting his hand on hers.
Sunset was a bit surprised by his statement. “You’re willing to stay in this world… with me? But what about your family and your home back in Equestria. Aren’t you gonna miss your homeland at all?” She asked.
“Hey, to be honest, I’m not sure Equestria is quite a place for me. Besides, I enjoy this world and everything it provides; plus the best part of it is that you’re in it. It's true, I'll miss my family, but a bird has to leave the nest eventually. My time was… during my pandemic. Also, Twilight's gonna have the throne passed down to her by mother. She's done more for Equestria than I've ever done and Heat's got her back.” Eternal replied.
"Eternal, you helped finish off Grogar, doesn't that count for something?" Sunset asked.
"No, because if you recall, I let my anger get the better of me and joined Grogar's demon army because I thought the whole world was out to get me for taking a breath of air. I'm not a hero. I'm just… dead weight. A liability," he admits.
"Don't say that! You're a great fighter! There will be a time when your power is needed most, you just gotta have faith and a little patience," Sunset reassured.
"I… I suppose you're right. Still, I just wish I was a bigger help than a threat," Eternal said. Sunset had to cheer him up somehow, but all she could do was lean in and kiss him on the cheek, which helped a little. "Thanks, Sunset." She smiled a little. Now that he was a bit better, the two went and finished their breakfast. Eternal took the empty dishes and put them in the sink and started washing them.
Sunset got up from her seat and stretched her arms outs. "Best hotcakes ever. Keep this up and maybe one day, I might end up making you my husband," she said casually. Eternal blinked in surprise, blushing at her statement.
"You're certainly not shy for making such a bold statement like that," Eternal said, his surprised expression saying it all. Sunset giggled from his expression. Sunset had never seen her boyfriend look so cute before, especially when he blushes from something like that. Now she knows for certain he can't be a rampaging demon.
"Does it bother you that I want to marry you someday?" Sunset teased.
"N-No, not at all, but… let's wait until after we've stopped this whole pandemic," Eternal said, trying to keep it cool. As soon as he finished the dishes, he joined Sunset on the couch and began watching some TV. Sunset snuggled into Eternal's chest watching the telly, but Eternal's mind was focused on other things. This other demon he saw last night, he wasn't sure if it was real or just a lucid nightmare he had. Either way, it definitely felt real to him.
One way or another, he was gonna take this demon down and he won't stop until otherwise. And after that's done, then he'll look for the crystals that can help resurrect his fallen brother.
Meanwhile, as the couple was enjoying their morning; on the outskirts of Canterlot City, a US Army base is stationed and waiting for important transport delivery. The soldiers were heavily armed and were stationed in every place in front of the base.
"What's so special about this… whatever it is?" Soldier #1 asked.
"Beats me, but the orders were to ensure that the transport is to be secured and safely delivered to this compound. Then let our scientists determine what it is and what it can do. Whatever it is, it's a big deal.” Soldier #2 replied.
"Is that why we have all personal gathered up and waiting for the transport to get here?” Soldier #1 asked again.
"Orders from our commanding generals, it's not our jobs to question it. Look at it this way, it's possible this wasn't even made by man. If we secure it and find out what this thing can do, we could even use it to stop all these pointless wars," Soldier #2 said.
“Haven’t we keep hearing that statement, over and over again, and still we don’t have peace?” Soldier #1 replied, sounding like he wasn’t impressed.
“Wow, you’re really hard to impress, you know that.” Soldier #2 responded with sarcasm.
"I've heard the whole "let's stop these painless wars" bit a million times over. We say we're gonna change it, but all that awaits us is more chaos than we can handle. Let's face it, this world isn't gonna change," Soldier #1 said.
“Oh yeah, I bet ya a 100 bucks that says you’re wrong and that this transport will make a change to the world.” Soldier #2 proposed.
"You drive a hard bargain. You're on. But even if I win… how about a drink afterward?" Soldier #1 offered.
“Sure, I’m starved.” Soldier #2 replied. Moments later, one of their trucks arrived at camp and parked in the intersection. The soldiers in the back came out with a metal briefcase that was giving off low vibrations.
"Package secure, sir!" Soldier #3 saluted.
His commanding officer nods. "Good work, soldier. Bring it inside," he ordered. The soldier obeyed and headed inside the base tent where one of the scientists was waiting.
The soldier handed him the package and headed out to let him do his business. The scientist opened up the briefcase and inside was a glowing purple crystal. But it was contained inside a capsule and appeared to be floating in mid-air. The scientist was completely baffled to have stumbled across such an item. He can tell it was no ordinary crystal, possibly one with unfathomable power.
“It’s so beautiful,” the scientist said with amazement. Then he brings up an electromagnetic EMF scanner up to the crystal and the readings of the electromagnetic current from the crystal were off the charts. Then he switches to a radiation detector and to his bewilderment, there were no scans of radiation in the crystal. “Amazing! This tiny crystal shard possesses incredible levels of electromagnet energy current far beyond I’ve seen before. And it doesn’t contain any readings of radiation.” the scientist added. "And if my hunch is correct, this could benefit us in so many ways! I definitely need to run more tests! Perhaps I can harness the power within!"
But his ambitions were put on hold when a loud rumble could be heard outside the camp. The soldiers outside the tent were scurrying about, grabbing their weapons. The scientist peeked out the tent and saw the soldiers getting to each post, their guns loaded, and aiming at whatever was coming towards them.
"Stand your ground soldiers!" the commanding officer exclaimed. The rumbling got louder and they could all hear what sounded like large footsteps. Whatever was coming at them, was incredibly big. In the far distance, the soldiers can make out what looks like a fiery humanoid creature the towers any full-grown human being. It was topless, its body had a faded yellow color, had a built-up figure with ripped bottom clothing, but still covered its upper legs. Its feet were replaced with hooves, golden yellow demon eyes, and fire where its hair should be.
From the moment it turned in their direction, the soldiers readied to fire. Right away, the monster let out a big, thunderous roar . The beast bared its fangs and charged at the army at full force.
"FIRE!!!" the officer shouted. Guns were blazing, bullets were flying, it was an all-out war against a one-demon army. But none of their bullets pierced the beast's body. They simply bounced right off like it was nothing. The beast got on all fours, charging even faster. The soldiers kept firing, but to no avail. It's as if their shots were only angering the beast even further. No sooner than that, the beast had broken through the barrier. "ALL FORCES, TAKE HIM DOWN!" the officer commanded loudly.
The fiery beast wrecked their base, even went and back-handed a couple of soldiers against the buildings, knocking them out. Some weren't so lucky, being pinned by the creature and got their heads bitten off… literally. But the beast didn't eat them, it just spat them out, then slammed its fists onto their decapitated bodies, crushing whatever was left.
As the demon and the soldiers kept fighting, Sombra watched from atop a building and used his powers to seal the perimeter using his dark crystals. "You know what to do, Chrysalis," he said quietly.
As planned, while all the soldiers were busy playing with the demon, the former Queen of the Changelings proceeded with the plan and sneaks around the battle area and towards the tent where the crystal is. After avoiding the explosions, gunfire, and debris, Chrysalis had made it to the tent and walks up to the table was the suitcase with the crystal is. She looks over the magical artifact with an evil grin upon her face.
"Ah, there you are. Mmm, you're so tempting," Chrysalis said, grabbing the crystal. "Just think of all the power that'll be given to me once the other demon crystals and moonstone gem are collected and assembled." Soon her smile grew wider as her thoughts of infinite power to her will was very much on her mind. But right now, she knew that there was no time for sightseeing and closes up the suitcase with the crystal inside and then carried the case out of the tent and made her escape.
As she was making her way out of the camp, she was eventually spotted by a few of the soldiers, who immediately recognized the case she was carrying and alerted to their commanding officer.
“Sir, there is a mid-aged woman leaving from the main tent. And, well you’re not gonna like this, she has the case containing the crystal.” The soldier spoke into his radio. Unaware to him that Chrysalis heard those words he made; and she wasn’t quite happy about it.
"You… impudent fool! You wanna SAY THAT AGAIN?!?!?!" Chrysalis shouted before charging at the soldier. Unbeknownst to her, the crystal's negative energy flowed into her, increasing her strength and speed. She approached the soldier and sent him flying with a high kick. Sadly for him, it gets worse. The soldier ended up crashing right onto the demon's head before hitting the ground, making it angrier. And before he could stand up, the demon lifts its leg up and stomps unto the soldier’s head, crushing it.
After having to vent out her anger on the soldier in question, Chrysalis then continues her way out of the camp and then made her way towards the highway and continued to run until she was about a mile or two away from the military camp. Once she had gotten far, she stopped in the middle of the road to catch her breath, which then turned to laughter as she looks at the case.
"Those fools! They never even stood a chance. Now, the power is within my grasp once more! Oh, how I've missed that feeling for so long!" she exclaimed. "Now, all that's left is--" but before she could celebrate any further, she heard a type of screeching noise she never heard before. Taking her mind off the crystal, she sees this strange transportation vehicle coming towards her and trying to stop. Before she knew it, everything went black when feeling the solid impact.
While she was knocked onto the ground, the driver got out of her car and ran over towards the knocked out woman. She checked her pulse just in case the impact wasn't fatal. To her relief, the woman survived but was unconscious. "What a mess this turned out to be," she said, not pleased with her situation. She checks the rest of the woman's body for any bruises or scratches she might've gotten.
Obviously, she did but none of them were life-threatening, just superficial. "No way I'm leaving you out here. Well, I'd better get you somewhere safe," she said. The woman took Chrysalis’s unconscious body and put her in the back seat, along with the suitcase she had; which had the crystal inside. Afterward, she got into the car, and then she drove off from the area and straight back to the city.
While the woman’s car was driving away, Sombra left the decimated military camp and rendezvous to the spot where he and Chrysalis would meet up. And to his surprise, Chrysalis wasn’t there, along with the crystal.
"What?! How could she not be here! Where is she?!" Sombra asked, frustrated. He also heard some honking and screeching and looking behind him. More transportation vehicles were coming towards him. But unlike the last two times, he was killed, he stopped these vehicles by setting up a crystal wall, which made vehicles crash into it instead of him. "Pah! I knew I shouldn't have trusted that smug bug! Fine! I'll do this myself!"
Sombra leaped off the highway and onto the lower ground unscathed before heading out. He also made sure to contact Light Ray via telepathy. "Light Ray, the mission has failed. Chrysalis is gone… and so is the crystal she was carrying."
"What?! You are an imbecile! How hard can it be to take one lousy crystal from a bunch of babbling, bumbling band of baboons! Find the crystal this instant and do NOT come back until you do!" Light Ray shouted via telepathy.
After having been snapped at, Sombra grunts in frustration and heads in the direction of where the crystal is heading. "Cursed fool, he should be grateful that I'm even doing this for him," he mutters to himself.
Meanwhile, in the quiet suburbs of Canterlot, Twilight was in her bedroom, sending texts to Heat while reading a few of her books. She was in a very chipper mood so far, despite what's been going on so far. Then suddenly, her phone vibrated, showing 5 of her friends, except for Sunset. She got curious and answered the call and put it on facetime. "Hey, girls, what's going on?" Twilight asked.
Soon all 5 of the girl’s facetime chat screens appeared on her screen. "Hey, Twi. Glad to see you could make it," Rainbow said.
"No problem, but… what's all this about? Why isn't Sunset in the chat?" Twilight asked.
"We… can't let her hear any of what we're 'bout to say," Applejack said, uneasily. "Twilight, what goes on in this call stays between us all."
"Uh… okay?" Twilight said, confused.
"Twilight, this is going to sound a little harsh, but… we think Eternal Flames are behind all those attacks recently. We have reason to believe that Eternal Flames is the titan demon wreaking havoc around the city," Rarity spoke out.
"What? But why? I thought he said it was all a nightmare. I get why you'd be suspicious, but don't you think it's going a bit too far in assuming he's the perp?" Twilight asked.
"Think about it! He's the only guy who didn't lose his demonic powers even after the war ended, the demon that's terrorizing the city is topless just like HE was when we found him in those bricks and he still has that temper on him! You saw how he went all demonic on me when he pinned me down!" Rainbow said.
"To be fair, you kinda made him do it because you wouldn't stop slapping him," Fluttershy pointed out.
"Yes, that was a little too… over the top, Rainbow," Rarity said. Rainbow groaned.
"Still, we also have reason to believe he still feels upset about Flash dating Sunset earlier on in the past, but of course, I could be wrong," Pinkie said.
"That's not true! Eternal told me he and Flash were on good terms. He'd never want his friends to get hurt and you saw how he reacted when he heard Flash got hospitalized! He was devastated to hear his friend got hurt," Twilight pointed out.
"How do we know it's not all a facade? He could be faking it, but deep down, he's rejoicing," Rainbow said.
"Rainbow, while Ah can understand yer suspicions, Ah have to disagree with ya on that. I saw the look in his eyes, he was genuinely upset that Flash got hurt," Applejack stated.
“I agree, the poor darling was distraught! If I didn't know any better, I would think that you're holding a personal grudge against him," Rarity said while having a suspicious glare on her face; which was intended for Rainbow.
"Hey! Excuse me for trying to be cautious! It's not my fault the entire city's gone into chaos! They even went and got the military involved, for Pete’s sake!" Rainbow said defensively.
"Not to mention nearly most of the people have been evacuated out of the city. How long do you think we're gonna wind up having to evacuate?" Fluttershy asked.
"I'm not sure, but I wouldn't leave it up to the military to fight this demon roaming around, they won't be able to stop it with, even with their guns or explosives… can they?" Pinkie asked, getting curious.
"Afraid not. Ah saw an article online that just came out recently. Take a look, gals," AJ said, sharing the article on her phone. The girls all read it and all gasped in shock. A military base was attacked by some unknown flaming beast. It said that one of the surviving privates snapped a picture of the beast and the gang was… a bit more baffled than shocked. The picture was a bit blurry, but the beast was right there.
They could make out its topless upper body, the scars under its eyes, and the flaming hair. "No way, that can't be! It says not even the explosives could kill it!" Pinkie exclaimed.
“It’s unstoppable! Now we know why Daris warned us to stay away from it; nothing in the universe can stand up to it.” Twilight stated.
"Except fer demons or even creatures of light," AJ said. "But we're fresh outta those an' Inferno was one of the best demon hunters."
"True, but remember. Discord, that misshapen thing in Equestria, said that we can bring back Inferno with these "Demon Crystals" and a "Moon Gem." Twilight pointed out.
"But where are we going to find a Moon Gem? We don't even know where to start looking," Fluttershy said.
"That's true. I doubt there's any Moon Gems in our world. But… what if there's a Moon Gem back in Equestria?" Twilight asked.
“That’s crazy. If somebody in Equestria had found a Moon Gem, Princess Twilight would have told us.” Rainbow said.
"Well, maybe we can ask Sunset to ask Princess Twilight. They're obviously close friends and she still has that book she uses to message her," Rarity suggested.
"It's worth a shot. I'll give her a text and ask her," Twilight said.
"Alright. And Twilight," Pinkie said. "Don't tell Sunset about what we said about Eternal. It's clear she loves him very much and the last thing we want is to hurt her. Okay?"
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," Twilight Pinkie-promised. The hyper party planner nodded.
"Alright. That's all we have to say for now. Take care, Twilight. And same to all of you," Pinkie said before waving goodbye.
"Catch ya later," Rainbow said.
"Goodbye," Rarity said.
"Buh-bye," Fluttershy said.
"Take care now," Applejack said.
"Bye, everyone," Twilight replied before hanging up, along with the rest of the girls. She sighed and texted Sunset, asking to contact her pony self about a Moon Gem and where to find one, then went back to reading her books. Still, she felt a little guilty about having her own suspicions about Eternal. She didn't want to believe, but between everything that's happened so far, there might be some truth to all this.
"Let's hope the worst doesn't come to pass," she said to herself.
Author's Note
So sorry for the long wait. I've got another chapter here ready for you, courtesy of yours truly and my best buddy, TheShadowKnight, so follow him on his fimfiction, everyone. Thanks for your patience and support, stay tuned for more and keep bronying on
The Hunt Begins
After escaping the military compound and later to have blacked out after, Chrysalis felt trapped and isolated in a dark void for hours. Or perhaps a day, maybe a week? She doesn’t know, cause she was unconscious for a while. In this void, she felt cold, helpless, and alone. Possibly with no way of escape. But soon she is awoken by a bright, warm light that shone down upon her, which had her curious and desperate enough to slowly crawl her way towards it. And as she gets closer, she hears a voice within this light calling to her, which convinces her to move towards it even more.
And as soon as she enters the light, she then ends up awaking into the real world. Her eyes slowly opened as her vision was a bit blurry, but she could see a blurry image of a person next to her and she also felt her whole body was laid upon a soft mattress. Then at that moment, she could hear the person’s voice speak to her.
"Oh good, you're awake! Thank goodness, I guess we won't need an I.V to keep you alive. Just lay there a little longer, I'll get you some water and something to eat," the person said, before heading out of the room.
What was strange about the person’s voice was that it sounded familiar. Like she hadn’t heard that voice since… the day she was turned to stone. Soon it wasn’t long until her vision became clear and she was now able to see where she was at. She was in what appears to be a master bedroom with a window that shined the sunlight into the room.
"No, don't tell me… this world has her in it, too, does it?" Chrysalis asked herself quietly. "Why… Why must everything always go south for me? Ugh! I can't stay here, I need to--" but then she paused and she noticed the crystal she had was gone. She got up from her bed or at least tried to get out of her bed, but her body was still sore from the impact and wound up to fall back down, groaning in pain a little. "Darn, it seems I have yet to recover from that full-frontal attack. I'll never get out of here."
As she lay helpless and motionless on the bed for about a minute or two, she then heard footsteps coming from the hallway. The footsteps soon drew closer and later the person a while ago entered the room with a glass of water in her hand and a plate with a lid on it in the other. And when Chrysalis got a good look at her, she felt utterly shocked. The person standing in the doorway was the human counterpart of Princess Celestia; The very princess who along with Princess Luna and Discord sealed her away in stone.
"Sorry for the wait, I hope you're doing okay so far. I want to apologize for accidentally running over you on the highway. I wasn't paying attention and I hope I didn't hurt you too much," Celestia said with a nervous smile.
Chrysalis didn’t reply or say a word at all, but instead, she glared at the woman in front of her, and then she looked away, facing towards the window, not wanting to look at Celestia.
"Okay, you're mad at me, I get it. Hey, tell you what, I'll let you stay here for longer and nurse you back to health. I'm still a little upset that I hit someone. Also, I dunno if you know this, but that crystal I found with you… yeah, someone went and took it. He was in a bit of a hurry, but I still remember what he looked like: Grey skin, pitched back hair, and red eyes. And he is wearing this long black robe. The guy rings any bells?" Tia asked.
'What? So the mission wasn't a total failure after all. That's all good, but,' she thought to herself. "He's an… associate of mine. Can you tell me what he said when he stopped by?"
"He asked me if I picked up a purple crystal. I asked him how he knew and he told me one of his associates has it and described your appearance in every detail. I thought nothing of it and gave him the crystal and then he left," Tia replied. Chrysalis was relieved. It seems the plan hasn't fallen to pieces after all.
"Good. That crystal you gave him… will benefit us all. Our… leader, so to speak, sent him and me to retrieve it to help change the world," Chrysalis half told the truth.
"Oh okay. That's good to hear. I'm glad things worked out. Anyways, here's your food and water, and make sure not to eat too fast, okay?" Tia said.
"R-Right," Chrysalis said. The former changeling queen then reaches over for the dish and removes the lid off of it and on the dish is a stack of pancakes decorated with an adorable face out of whip cream and fruits. She would despise it’s cuteness if it wasn’t so tasty. She then takes a fork and knife in her hand and then and cuts a tiny piece of it and then hesitantly places it in her mouth. And soon her taste buds were overcome by the delicious flavor. "It's… really good."
"It's my specialty Tia Cakes. I used to make them all the time for my sons. But then… my ex-husband and… nevermind, it's nothing. Go ahead and enjoy them. If you need some more I've made extra," Tia said before leaving Chrysalis alone with her meal.
The changeling queen did not say a word nor moved right until the woman left the room. Once she did, Chrysalis then immediately began gobbling up her plate, as the wonderful taste of the fluffy goodness filled her mouth, and then she quickly drank down her glass of water before continuing to devour her pancakes.
"So good. They taste like… like… love!" Chrysalis said before gobbling up some more until her plate was empty. She sighs in relief and pats her stomach. "That was… so… delicious. I haven’t eaten good food in days. For that matter, all I've ever eaten was love. I'm surprised I never even tried such delicacies.”
After eating a delicious meal, Chrysalis then laid back on the bed, feeling stuffed from the deliciously warm and fluffy goodness.
"Just gotta let these worthless wounds heal and I'll be back on my feet in no time. But, then again, I probably won't be getting all that power I was promised," Chrysalis talked to herself. "It's like I was doomed to fail for eternity. Why must life be so cruel to me?" she groaned.
While she was sulking, Sombra was out in the city, alone, searching for more of the demon crystals and so far, he's found a total of two crystals. Sometime after he found the first crystal, he found the 2nd one on the deserted island of the castle ruins while Chrysalis was knocked out and taken in by Principal Celestia. He kept his hood on to keep his face hidden as a precaution. The city has been on high alert and more troops were dispatched ever since the attack on that military base.
"Now let's see, if I were a demon crystal, where would I be hiding?" Sombra asked himself. Searching each corner of town, trying to search for the 3rd demon crystal; he even tried some jewelry stores at first, but all he found were useless diamonds that cost nearly millions of dollars. Next, he tried public banks, but all he found was gold ingots and vaults of cash, valuable to the people, but useless to Sombra.
“ARGH! How hard is it to find a damn demon crystal in this city!?” He shouted in rage. While nearly losing control of his temper as he uses his magic to toss a nearby car into the air and across 10 city blocks. After his outburst, he then sees a military helicopter flying by, and quickly he hid in an alleyway to avoid detection. "Note to self, keep my outbursts to a minimum. Perhaps one of them is hidden in one of those… museums," he whispered to himself.
"Sombra! Have you located the 3rd demon crystal?" Light Ray said through telepathy. Sombra stayed hidden for a bit longer.
"Not yet, but I might have a good hunch about where it might be. As soon as the coast is clear, it's as good as yours," Sombra replied through telepathy.
"Very well. But make it quick! And do not fail me like Chrysalis has," Light Ray ordered.
"As you wish," Sombra replied, making a disgusted, annoyed face before ending his telepathic conversation, growling. "If I wasn't indebted to that fool, I'd… I'D…" Sombra calmed down and sighed. "Whatever, back to business."
While Sombra continues his search, a great distance away, the girls are out and about on a demon crystal hunt with the help of their boyfriends. Pinkie Pie was teamed up with Copper Plume, Fluttershy with Israel Yabuki, AJ with Frostbite, Rainbow Dash with Blazing Waters, Rarity with Lightning Burn, and Twilight with Heat Blitz.
Sunset, however, had to stay at home to keep an eye on Eternal. Flash was at home, still recuperating after being attacked by that demon. He was lucky to be alive, but man, he can still feel the impact of the blow.
"Hey, Twilight, where are we even supposed to look? We don't know where one of these demon crystals will turn up at," Halo Knight said. Halo is one of Flash's friends who tagged along on the trip to try and help the girls out on their quest. Twilight had asked him to come along because of the girls' suspicions of Eternal Flames being the real suspect behind those vicious attacks.
"I have a hunch that the demon crystals might reside in places where there's lots of negative energy, kinda similar to how regular demons are attracted to negative emotions and gain power from them," Twilight explained. "And if my hunch is correct, the crystals might be in some of the worst parts of Canterlot City."
"Like the Canterlot National Cemetery? I hear that place is crawling with evil spirits, especially in that giant mausoleum," Israel implied.
"That's probably just a rumor. There's no factual evidence that ghosts are real," Copper said.
"Aww, don't say that, Plumey. Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see," Pinkie pointed out.
"It's a possibility, so maybe we should start our search there," Twilight said.
"Hang on, if the demon crystal's there, then there's bound to be other people there, like the military, for instance. You saw in the article what happened to that military base, right?" Rainbow pointed out.
"You're right on that part, which is why we have these," Heat reached behind him, taking out his backpack and showing the masks he asked (human) Inferno Blaze to send. "As long as we have these masks on and don't say anything wrong, the mission won't be jeopardized."
"Lucky you, having connections with a wealthy family," Blazing Waters smirked.
"They're like family to me, so the whole wealth thing doesn't matter to me," Heat said.
“I just hope we don’t run into that Titan Demon brute along the way,” Rarity stated while clinging onto Lighting for comfort.
"Fear not, my fair lady. If the beast should arise, I will vanquish it!" Lightning proposed, holding her close, using his medieval knight accent.
"Just be careful there, Sir Gallath, that Titan Demon took out an entire military base. Just make sure you don't leave your "fair lady" hanging and we'll have your back," Frostbite said.
"Yeah, I know, just trying to help her out," Lightning said.
"If I may, wouldn't it be easier if you guys were able to sense where the crystal is?" Fluttershy asked, curiously.
"We could, but we don't have any of our demonic powers anymore. The only one who can sense negative energies is Eternal Flames, and you girls left him back at Sunset’s apartment.” Israel replied.
"Hey, we gotta be on the safe side, he's dangerous!" Rainbow argued.
"You're just saying that because you wouldn't stop slapping him and he had to pin you down to shut you up," Israel argued back.
"Hey! Watch it! Don't talk to her like that!" Blazing defended.
"Guys stop! Arguing about what's done is done isn't going to help us! Now drop the subject and let's keep moving, we're wasting time here," Halo butted in. Israel and Blazing glared at each other, then turned away as the group kept walking.
The group soon came to the entrance of the cemetery and their surprise, there was no military base set up. Which also meant no disguises… for the time being. Of course, Rarity was glad that she won’t need the mask because she wishes to keep her fabulous looks.
"Ok, looks like there’s no one here. Everyone, let's split up but stick with your partners. We can cover more ground that way,” Twilight said. Everyone else agreed and broke off into pairs of two, except for Twilight and Heat, since Halo was tagging along with them.
"Twilight, can I ask you something?" Halo asked.
"What is it, Halo? Something bothering you?" Twilight asked as they went inside the cemetery.
"I just need your honest opinion. Do you believe Eternal Flames is behind all these attacks? You can be honest with me," Halo said.
"Well… not really," Twilight said. "I have my suspicions, but they're just that until I see some cold hard evidence. What about you?"
"I don't think he's the culprit at all. I think he's unintentionally being framed. I visited Flash before I tagged along and he told me even he doesn't believe Eternal would do such a thing. He told Flash to stay out of harm’s way when Eternal went to investigate. If that's not a true friend, then I don't know what is," Halo said.
“So that would mean Eternal would have no intention to harm Flash. Then it could mean that he wasn’t the Titan Demon.” Twilight responded. “But that still doesn’t explain how we found Eternal yesterday. Ugh, this day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.”
"Maybe he found the Titan Demon and was knocked out by him. There's that possibility, Eternal might not be the only demon roaming around the city," Halo said.
“Well, yes. But if so, Eternal’s powers can match up with the likes of Grogar; and Daris told us that Grogar had to use his full power to seal the Titan Demon away; not kill it. So that means Eternal would not be able to defeat it. And if it’s true, then how can we stop something that not even the Demon Lord of Tartarus can defeat.” Twilight asked, looking like there was no hope.
“Hey, don’t lose hope. I’m sure we can still try to stop it and save our city. Didn't you and the girls have your fair share of demons before the whole Grogar Incident?" Heat asked.
"There was, but Twilight wasn't around back then, her pony version was. And this was during the Fall Formal when Sunset tried to take over the school. She turned into a raging she-demon but was defeated by the girls. And they helped her get back on her feet, too," Halo explained.
"Seriously?" Heat asked.
"Yes, but don't bring this up with Sunset. She's gone through enough as it is. But even so, despite her becoming a she-demon once, her powers came from magic, not negative energy," Twilight added.
As Twilight and Halo were talking, Pinkie pops out behind them. Spooking them for a bit.
“And remember, Daris stated that no living thing can stop the Titan Demon. Then perhaps maybe something that is already dead can,” She said before she left the two and regrouped with Copper Plume. Leaving Twilight, Heat, and Halo confused about what she said.
“Something already dead? Yeah right, where are we gonna find something like?” Heat said.
"Maybe… Death? You know, that tall, slender skeleton that stands by Harmony?" Twilight implied, confused a little.
"He may be immortal, but I'm not sure if he can handle a Titan Demon," Heat said, unsure. Suddenly, Pinkie pops out of nowhere again.
"You can't ask him to stop the Titan Demon, this story would be too small!" Pinkie exclaimed before regrouping with her boyfriend, Copper Plume.
"How does she even do that? Does she get like… some kind of teleportation mirror or something, I'm getting confused just thinking about it!" Heat exclaimed.
“Don’t question Pinkie, trust me. I tried.” Twilight replied. But unbeknownst to her, as she was walking along the graveyard, she didn't notice the dug-up hole next to a gravestone in the ground and soon she fell right into it and landed on something hard at the bottom.
Immediately, Heat and Halo became worried and looked into the 6-ft hole to see if she’s okay.
“Oh my god, Twilight are you alright!?” Heat shouted with concern and fear.
“I’m fine, I just fell down a hole,” Twilight replied as she was getting up. As she did, she is then faced to face with an old and dried-up skeleton. She got so freaked out she let out a blood-curdling shriek of terror. Twilight got up quickly and tried to get out on her own, but the hole was a little too deep. Luckily, Heat was there to give her a hand and pulled her out of there. He pulled back a little too hard and wound up landing on his back.
Twilight landed on top of him, clinging to him and shaking. "Twilight, it's alright, calm down! You're out of the give now!" Heat reassured, hugging her.
Halo looks over the grave and sees the deceased person inside it then he looks back at the scared nerdy girl. “Don’t worry Twilight, I think you scared him to death than he scared you,” he jokes, trying his best to lighten her mood.
“Not funny, Halo!” Heat responded with a slight anger tone.
“Sorry, bad joke,” Halo replied while he turned back to the grave. As he looks down at the grave, he then notices a strange purple glow inside the coffin. "Hey! Heat, look down that grave, something is glowing!"
"You better not be joking this time," Heat said, setting Twilight aside and calming her down with a kiss on the lips. Then he walks over next to Halo and looks down at the grave and later he would see the same purple glow that Halo did.
“See, I’m not joking. There’s something in there.” Halo stated.
"Alright. I'll check what it is, you stay up here and pull me up," Heat said before jumping into the grave hole. He dug through the dirt and broken boards of the coffin. Then, he finds a glowing purple crystal, floating above the ground. He reaches to pick it up but is struck with a bolt of negative energy. "Ow! That smarts!" Soon he tosses it out of the grave and into Halo’s hand, who also felt shocked from the negative energy and tossed it to the ground.
“Ow, mother…” He screamed as he shook his hand in pain.
"Is this even supposed to happen?" Heat asked, before reaching out again. Heat got the same result and yanking his hand away. "OW! That's it! You stubborn little bastard!" he said, pissed off, then reaching out to touch it, but this time, it didn't hurt. "What the? Oh sure, NOW you're not shocking me!"
"Heat, that's it! It probably didn't shock you because you're giving off negative emotions! Just keep thinking negatively and I'll pull you up!" Halo exclaimed.
"If you say so!" Heat shouted. But as he did, the crystal also seemed to be making him angrier. His grip got tighter and his teeth gritted against each other. Halo reached down to grab Heat. The angry young genius gripped his hand tightly.
"Mmmph!!! Hey, easy on the grip!" Halo said as he pulled Heat out of the grave. But still, he didn't let go. "Uh… Heat? Are you okay? You're out of the grave, you can let go now. It… kinda hurts right now… OW!" he exclaimed. Heat's grip got tighter. When Halo looked him in the eye, the power from the crystal was seeping into him and his eyes looked like they were changing into demonic eyes.
Heat let out an even more ferocious growl and he prepares to attack Halo. But suddenly, he felt a strange presence behind him, like a supernatural presence. Then he feels something or someone grabs his shoulder. And with some sort of unnatural strength, he was yanked off his feet and was shoved to the ground, harshly. Enough for him to drop the crystal in his hand. After seeing what had happened and unsure what it was, Halo and Twilight rushed over to Heat and kneel beside him to see if he’s alright.
“Heat! Heat! Are you alright?!” Twilight spoke to him with worry. Heat then began to stir and picked himself up, opening his eyes, which were back to normal.
"Where… wh-what? Where am I? What happened?" Heat asked, looking around. His eyes see the crystal he found and then he turns to look at Twilight. "I guess I brought it back up. But… why are you looking at me funny?"
“Dude! When you were holding that crystal, you were acting differently. Your eyes went demonic and you growled like an animal. And right before you could nearly attack me, something pulled you off your feet and threw you to the ground like a ragdoll.” Halo explained.
"I… almost attacked you?" Heat asked, confused, yet shocked. He looked at the crystal again, then at his hand, which was still shaking. "Hmm… Guys, I don't think we should be touching that crystal with our bare hands. Considering its origins, this thing can corrupt the human mind. Luckily, I've brought some gloves." Heat then grabs his backpack and pulls out some thick gloves and then reaches out to grab the crystal. This time, lucky for him, the crystal didn't hurt him or corrupt him.
"Let's get back with the others and show them what we found," Twilight said.
"Agreed,” Halo replied. “But are we not clear on what just happened?”
"Clear. This thing must be a genuine demon crystal. If this thing can corrupt me, there's a chance it might do the same for anyone else who touches it with their bare hands."
“Yeah, yeah, I know that, but I meant what just tossed you to the ground. There was no one behind you.” Halo stated.
"Wait… something tossed me, yet no one was there?" Heat asked, looking at the grave. "It might be a coincidence, but maybe the ghost of whoever rests in that grave was the one who pushed me. That's always a possibility."
"Uh… I guess that makes sense. Shall we then?" Twilight asked.
Soon the three left the gravesite to meet up with the others, unaware of the shadow silhouette figure that was following behind them, watching them as they left.
Within a few minutes, everyone was gathered at the entrance of the cemetery and soon, Twilight, Heat, and Halo showed the others the crystal they'd found. No doubt most of the group was in awe from looking at such an item. Though, some of them had their doubts as to whether it was genuine or not.
"Are you sure this is the right crystal we're looking for?" Copper asked.
"Purple, glowing, floating above a solid surface, no doubt about it," Pinkie confirmed.
“Also, this thing is giving off a lot of demonic energy. It nearly corrupted Heat’s mind, so it's for sure the crystal we’re looking for.” Halo stated.
"Corrupt? You mean this thing messed with his head? How?" Rainbow asked. "Heat, are you sure you're gonna be okay?"
"I'll be fine. As long as no one touches this thing directly, that is, make skin contact with it, we should all be fine," Heat reassured. "I snapped out of it, somehow when something pushed me, but I don't know what it was, or who it was for that matter."
“Yeah, something, out of nowhere, pulled him off me and then roughly forced him to the ground hard enough for him to drop the crystal,” Halo added. “But there was no one behind him.”
“You mean like a ghost?!” Pinkie asked
"It could be. We've seen demons before, ghosts are a definite possibility. If it was a ghost, I think this particular one was a good one," Twilight said.
"Sweet! Okay so, now that we have one of the crystals, where do we go looking next?" Blazing Waters asked.
"I'm thinking before we go any further, we should let Twilight analyze their crystal and make some kind of' demon crystal radar to help us with our search a Lil' more," AJ suggested.
"Hey, good idea! That'll give us a better shot of detecting the other crystals!" Frostbite agreed. "Applejack, you're a heck of a smart woman."
"Aww, shucks," AJ said, sheepishly.
"Yeah, that just might work. But I'm not sure I can do it alone," Twilight said.
"I'll help you out. I've been learning how to make new techs all the time. If we put our minds together, we can make a demon crystal radar in half the time," Heat said.
"Then it's settled. You guys head back home and keep that crystal safe and work on your radar. We'll head back home, too, before our parents flip out," Lightning Burn said.
“And maybe during that time, we can try to see if we can locate the other 5 demon crystals.” Copper suggested.
"Alright, just be careful out there. The military's still scouting the city for that titan demon, so if you see it, keep your heads low and avoid fighting it at all costs," Twilight said.
"Will do. Good luck, to all of you," Blazing said. With everyone's best wishes, the group went their separate ways. Some heading home, others continuing their long search for the demon crystals that remain.
"Hey, Twilight. Wasn't there another gem we were supposed to find?" Heat asked.
"A Moon Gem. I asked Sunset to ask my pony self, but she told me the princess doesn't know where it might be. She says they're extremely rare in Equestria," Twilight said.
"How rare, exactly?” Rainbow asked.
“Around ‘nobody has ever heard of them’ kind of rare,” Twilight replied.
"Darn! Looks like we've got our work cut out for this," Rainbow said.
"Hmm… well, maybe we can ask Sunset to head back to Equestria and kind out where it might be, or maybe even Eternal? He can ask Princess Celestia about it," Heat said.
Rainbow quickly objected. "Whoa! Hold on there! There is NO WAY, we're letting that lunatic anywhere in Equestria! You want that psycho to cause havoc on his hometown?"
"Dash, will you knock it off? There's still no real proof he's the titan demon!" Twilight said, growing annoyed with Rainbow's paranoia.
"Alright, fine! You want that dude running around free, fine, but don't say I didn't warn you!" Rainbow said, finally shutting up.
“I swear Rainbow if Eternal ever heard you yapping about your paranoia, he wouldn't be too happy about it," Heat said, facepalming himself.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay? But I'm just trying to look out for my friends, I can't stand seeing them get hurt so bad," Rainbow said.
"And it's fine to worry about us, but how many times have we gotten out of situations like this? Several times and we got out of them okay.” Twilight said.
“Oh yeah, the last situation we got out of, a friend of ours gave his life to protect us,” Rainbow stated, which ultimately reminded everyone of Inferno.
“Well… that’s true. But now we have a way to bring him back. And if we stick together and stay strong, we’ll get out of this situation… all together.” Heat said.
"I… guess you have a point there," Rainbow said, rubbing her arm, feeling a little guilty.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it. When all is said and done, everything will be the way as it should be," Twilight said. She goes over and hugs her friend. Rainbow hugs back, feeling a little better now with her friend's reassurance.
The group didn't say another word after that and kept walking home.
Meanwhile, for Sunset and Eternal, they decided to pay a visit with Flash to check up on his condition if he's improving on his recovery. Sunset knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. The door handle turns and the door opens, revealing Eternal's good friend, who had a bandage on his forehead.
"Eternal? Sunset? What brings you guys here?" Flash asked.
"We came to check up on you after you left the hospital. Everything okay?" Eternal asked. "Does it still hurt?"
"I'm fine, but my forehead does sting a little bit. Nothing too serious, though. Hey, did you hear what happened on the news?" he asked.
"Yeah, but that's not why we came here. I also came to apologize. I shouldn't have put you in such a dangerous situation like that. Because of my paranoia, I almost got you killed. I'm sorry, Flash, I am," Sunset said, wracked with guilt. "Can you ever forgive me."
"Sure, I forgive you, do you want to come inside? My mom's not home yet. And a good thing too, because she's raving mad about what happened to me that night," Flash offered.
"Yeesh, nothing's scarier than a mama bear's wrath," Eternal commented.
"True. so you wanna come in?" Flash asked.
"Sure, thanks," Sunset agreed. So did Eternal. The couple stepped inside and Flash closed the door before walking over to the couch with them, sitting down.
"You know, Flash. I wanna apologize as well," Eternal said, looking down.
"For what? You were just looking out for me and told me to stay out of danger," Flash shrugged.
"I was supposed to keep you safe and I failed to do that because I was weak. I'm supposed to be there for my friends, but I failed to keep one person safe. If that monster HAD killed you, I'd never forgiven myself," Eternal said, clenching his fists.
"Hey, buddy, it's not your fault. None of us were prepared for what happened that night. Not even you, so don't beat around the bush so much. Eternal, do you know what my dad used to tell me?" Flash asked. Eternal looked at Flash, curious. "He told me "no matter how many times life gets you down, you ALWAYS have to get back up." And that's what you should do, too. Don't let one failure get in the way of your progress."
Flash's motivational speech gave Eternal a little bit of his confidence back and chuckled. "You know… my master Starswirl told me something similar to that. He said he failed a lot of things in his life, but learned from those experiences. And the most valuable lesson he taught me was the difference between a student… and a master. The difference is… the master has failed more times than the student has tried." Eternal said.
"That's true. I can't count the many times I failed in some things. But that just pushed me to do better in life," Flash said.
"And you did. You fought in a supernatural war with Sunset and her friends, side-by-side with Halo Knight and neither of you had any magical abilities. And you helped free me from the anger inside me," Eternal said.
While the two kept conversing, Sunset was wandering nearby, sightseeing Flash’s house. She saw a couple of family photos of Flash and his parents. As she was looking around, she soon turned around and was greeted by a shadow-like silhouette of a person on the wall. She turns around to see if there’s anyone behind her, but shockingly, there was no one there. When she then turns back to the silhouette and her surprise, it’s hollow eyes blinked and it’s head tilted to the side.
With fear in her mind, Sunset let out a scream which then scared the shadow being away and alerted Eternal and Flash in the house. The two boys came running towards Sunset and stopped in front of her.
"Sunset, what happened?" Flash asked.
"Why'd you scream like that?" Eternal asked.
"I… I saw a shadow! I-I-It was on the wall! And it… it moved! A-A-And it blinked at me!" Sunset said in shock.
"Okay, calm down, Sunset. I'll go check. Flash, can you watch Sunset for me while I check out what this… shadow was?" Eternal asked.
"Yeah, sure. I got this," Flash nodded, keeping Sunset company. The frightened girl watched as her boyfriend walked inside the room to investigate. He looked around the place, searching for what had just spooked Sunset. He looked over every wall of the room and shined the flashlight around but he couldn’t find anything.
After a minute of searching, Eternal decided to leave the room. But as he was about to turn around, the light of the flashlight moved across the room until a shadow silhouette appeared in the light, which had caught Eternal by surprise that he lost his footing and fell to the floor. After he fell, Sunset and Flash rushed into the room after hearing the commotion and they too saw the shadow figure on the wall, where it remained even after Eternal saw it.
"What the hell? Where'd this thing come from?" he asked, shocked. "Flash, is your house supposed to be haunted?"
"No, as far as I'm concerned, this house has no paranormal activity," Flash said.
"Then how the hell did this shadow get in here?" Eternal asked, baffled.
“I think the better question is; What does it want?” Sunset stated.
As the three teens in the room continue to stare at the shadow entity, it continues to stare at them as well; tilting its head as if it was curious or confusing. Then later, it raised its hand to its… well somewhere on its face, then soon a smile formed on its face as its hand moved down from it.
"I… I don't think it's a hostile shadow entity. I'm not picking up any hostility, just… warmth. I think it knows us and… we might know it, too," Eternal said, getting up and slowly walking towards it with caution. He slowly reached a hand out to show he means no harm. As for the shadow, it also raised its hand in reply then it waved it at the three in a kind manner. Then soon the silhouette shape of the shadow began to change, soon it resembled a person that the three found familiar, then the shadow had what appears to be a stetson hat on its head and its left eye had a scar over it.
"No way!" Flash said in shock.
"It can't be!" Sunset added in surprise.
"Is it… is it you… Inferno?" Eternal asked. The shadow nodded in reply, which fully supported Eternal’s claim; the shadow entity was Inferno’s spirit communicating to them. Eternal couldn't believe his eyes. At that moment, all the joy and sadness came rushing into him all at once as he dropped to his hands and knees, quietly sobbing. "I've missed you… old friend. I've missed you so!" he said, all choked up. His long, red hair obscuring his face
Sunset and Flash were also overcome with joy and sorrow, knowing full well that the entity in front of them was their deceased friend. Sunset began to shed tears of her own as a warm smile spread across her face.
"How? How is it possible?" Sunset asked, curious, but relieved to see her old friend's face again even in death.
"Inferno, how did you get here?" Flash asked, smiling while trying to hold back the tears. "We've missed you, buddy."
"Is it possible you're worried about us?" Sunset asked. "Can you tell us?" With everyone flooding him with so many questions, Inferno's spirit remained silent through it all. So, Inferno could only do the next best thing. He put his hand on Eternal's back and soon, he stood up and turned to face Flash and Sunset, his eyes glowing a bright white color.
“Ahem… well, this might be awkward. But I’m sure Eternal doesn’t mind.” Eternal said, with his voice mixed with the voice of another person; possibly Inferno’s voice. “Anyway, yes, Sunset. I was worried about all of you. And I would rather stay here and help all of you out than to abandon you guys. So I stuck around and watched over you all and followed you wherever you go.” He stated.
"Inferno? Are you… using my boyfriend to talk to us?" Sunset asked; curious and surprised.
“Eeyup. And he could listen on to our conversation so he’s still here.” Eternal/Inferno replied.
“And you said you were watching over us and following us wherever we go? Does that mean…” Flash was about to ask but Inferno beat him to the answer.
“I’m not a fucking perv, Flash!” Eternal/Inferno replied with irritation. "I have at least some principles that I follow. Besides, that'd be nasty."
"So, putting that aside, is there a reason why you're not able to speak without using others?" Sunset asked.
“I thought of the same thing after I last saw you guys; but later on, I began to come up with a theory: Spirits or souls of the deceased cannot communicate with the living unless manipulating a living soul to do so.” Eternal/Inferno replied.
"Makes sense. Then if you're here, I'm sure you're aware of what the others and I have been doing so far," Sunset said, assuming he's caught up.
“That you all are searching for the 5 Demon Crystals and the Moon Gem while you’re dealing with a powerful demon on steroids.” He replied. “And that you and Eternal are in a relationship and he baked you delicious pancakes this morning. I must say you two are hitting it off”
Sunset giggles, blushing. "Can you blame me? Eternal may not look it, but he's a pretty amazing cook. And I see your sense of humor is still the same." she said.
"It sounds like you two are getting along better than I thought. I'm happy for you, Sunset," Flash said, though he was a bit jealous, he was glad Sunset was happy. "So, regarding these Demon Crystals, how many have the girls found so far?"
“One.” He replied. “And while I was with them, Heat touched the crystal with his bare hand and it instantly corrupted him and forced him to almost attack Halo. I had to intervene and pulled Heat off of him and forcefully shoved him towards the ground.” He explained.
Eternal quickly regained control for a brief moment out of shock. "Those crystals corrupted Heat just from direct contact?!" he asked. Inferno's spirit quickly took control to try and calm him down a little.
"Easy there! I managed to snap him out of it! The demon crystals are pure negative energy. The only way to get past the negative energy is to wear protective gloves, encase it, or the following, which is your specialty: If you have demonic blood flowing into you. Those who have demonic blood flowing within them can touch the crystal directly without being affected. The crystals are very dangerous for normal people. But if you have demon blood, the crystal will just increase your strength," Inferno/Eternal explained.
"That's a relief," Sunset sighed, putting a hand over her heart.
"However," Inferno/Eternal said with a calm, serious tone. "There are exceptions. If one is tainted by dark magic, the demon crystal will also increase that person, too. And I should warn you all that your friends aren't the only ones looking for these crystals. You know about the Titan Demon killing almost all those soldiers, right?"
"Yeah, why?" Flash asked.
"That was no accident. That particular base had found a demon crystal. And during the scurry, the crystal was stolen. Someone planned that attack and used it to take the demon crystal, no doubt they plan to use it for their diabolical gain. So be careful," Inferno/Eternal explained. “And the worst part… whoever planned the attack, has two of the crystals.”
Sunset was shocked but also feeling more determined than ever. "Then it looks like we're gonna have to take these guys down before anything else. Who knows what they might do to the city."
"But how are we gonna stop them if we don't know where they are," Flash pointed out. Sunset knew he had a point since they didn't know where to start looking. Just then, another question hit her.
"Inferno! You're an expert on moon items, do you know where we can find a Moon Gem?" Sunset asked.
"No, sorry. But, I think Princess Celestia might know. She's around longer than any of us have, so she must have some idea of where to find it," Inferno/Eternal said. “But I’m not gonna ask her, no way no how.”
“You died and still you hold a grudge against Celestia?” Sunset asked again.
"She branded me as a criminal for something I didn't do, separated me from my mom for 10 years, and locked me up for 4 years! What do you think?!” He replied with a much aggressive tone and the lights in the room flickered on and off, meaning that Inferno’s supernatural influence in the room has spiked.
"Okay, take it easy, Inferno or you're gonna blow out all the lights in the house!" Flash panicked, trying to calm his dead friend down.
"And just think! If you tag along, you might be able to meet Starlight! She misses you since the day you died. Same with Fleur," Sunset added
“Starlight?.... Wait! How is she?! Is she okay?! Is she seeing anyone else!?!” Inferno replied, with his anger subsided.
"She's okay. But she hasn't been the same since your funeral. Twilight told me she stays locked up in her room most of the time. Also, even though you died, she stood by her word that she would never find another guy who's more suitable for her than you. She's that devoted and loves you that much, Inferno," Sunset reassures him.
“Really? Did she say that? Huh, she is truly remarkable.” Inferno/Eternal said while smiling warmly.
"She's lost without you," Sunset said. “And your mother too.”
After a few seconds, Inferno did a lot of thinking and later he finally made his decision. “Fine, I’ll tag along but I’m doing it so I can see Starlight and my mom again. And nothing else!” he stated.
"We can understand that. Family is important," Flash said. "But, if at all possible, I want to tag along with you guys." Sunset and Eternal/Inferno stared at him in shock.
"Are you crazy? This mission is too dangerous! You just barely got out of the hospital! You should be resting more than anything," Sunset said, completely against his idea.
"Sunset, you girls have been busting your backs keeping the world safe and I want to help out just like last time. This city is important to me as it is to you. You can disagree all you want, but I want to try and help you guys again!" Flash insisted.
"I say we bring him. It’s better to have someone that we can trust the most. Plus I might need him for emotional support, cause being a spirit does affect my emotions; especially, my anger.” Inferno stated. “Also, your friends would be against Eternal leaving this world.”
"Why would they be against that?" Eternal asked, gaining control for a brief moment.
“I would tell you, but it’ll only upset you,” Inferno replied, taking back control of Eternal’s body. "You're better off not knowing just yet. Anyway, I must leave you three. There's also our other friends that I need to check upon. But if you wish to speak to me again, just say the word.” After saying his last words, Inferno’s spirit then disappears from the room and soon Eternal is now allowed control of his body. Sunset and the young man knew Inferno was no longer there with them, cause they could not feel his presence anymore.
“He’s gone. I can’t feel his presence anymore.” Eternal said.
“Jeez, that’s a bummer. I was hoping he stuck around for a drink.” Flash suggested, then he received stares from Sunset and Eternal; which convinced him to rethink his sentence. “Oh right… he’s a ghost; duly noted.”
"Still I'm curious about why the others are against me. But either way, we need to find some leads on the Moon Gem. It's bound to give us some advantage," Eternal said. "Which means we're gonna have to head back to Equestria. Flash, are you able to walk on all fours?"
"Yeah, I've had a little practice after the Spring Break cruise some time ago, so I should be good to go back," Flash confirmed.
"Alright. Then you can come along with us. But… you're gonna need to arm yourself. You won't be able to use a gun since you're not a unicorn in Equestria. So how good are you with a real-life sword?" Eternal asked.
"I… used that moon gem-powered flashlight during the war, does that count?" Flash asked.
"Uh… it half-counts. But you're gonna have to be put through some training. The Royal Guard in Equestria who are pegasi use their swords and spears with their mouths, especially if they're running and fighting at the same time," Eternal said.
"Looks like I’m gonna have a difficult time, but I’ll give it a try,” Flash said.
"Just promise me one thing: If we run into danger… you make sure to come out of it alive," Eternal said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I could say the same to you, too. I'm not about to lose you so quickly, babe," Sunset said to Eternal, clinging to his other arm. He knows that she’s understandably worried and concerned about him.
"You have my word. I won't die just yet, not when I haven't brought back our fallen friend," Eternal said, hugging Sunset in his arms. Now that their minds are set, the three of them headed off to the school. Little do they know, their quest to find the Moon Gem will be much more perilous than they realize.
Within almost half an hour, the trio arrived at the portal outside their school, only to find one of their friends was there as well.
"Halo? Fancy seeing you here," Flash said.
"I could say the same to you, what are you three doing here?" Halo asked.
“We’re passing through the portal to get to Equestria. We believe that the Moon Gem might be there instead of our world.” Sunset replied.
"If it's alright with you, I wanna come too. I don't want to just sit around and wait for something bad to happen while you're out risking your lives," Halo said.
"Halo, this might not be such a good idea. I get that you want to help and you contributed a great deal during the war, but this might be a whole lot bigger than any of us. Are you sure you're ready for this?" Eternal asked.
"Of course I'm sure!" Halo persisted.
"What do you say, you two? You know how stubborn he can be whenever he sets his mind on something important," Flash said. Eternal and Sunset looked at each other, uneasy of the idea of even letting Halo join them, but what choice do they have.
"If it'll strengthen our forces, I guess I won't mind," Eternal said.
"Alright, you can come, too. Just be careful and stay with us," Sunset said. Halo nodded and soon the four of them leaped through the portal.
Meanwhile, in Ponyville, Twilight was buried under a mountain of books in the library while Heat was trying to get her out of it. Heat Blitz eventually found Twilight's head poking out of the pile, her eyes all dizzy and groaning. "I swear, Twi, how many times are you going to keep doing this to yourself? You've practically searched the entire library," he said.
Twilight's pouty face began to show. She teleports out of the pile and up into the air, yelling out in frustration. "WHY?! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME, LIBRARY?! I'VE BEEN SO GOOD TO YOU ALL THESE YEARS!!!!!!!"
Heat chuckles at her mental breakdown then fly up and hug his marefriend. "There, there, Twily, you just need to relax. Head for your bedroom and I'll make us some tea."
Twilight was panting heavily for a bit but calmed down little by little the more Heat hugged her and stroked her mane. Being held in his hooves gave her a sense of relief. Finally, she calmed down completely. "Alright. I need to rest anyway before my head starts spinning," the princess said, before flying out of the library.
"I swear, she's just so… adorkable," Heat commented to himself.
"I heard that!" Twilight called out from the hallway. Heat laughed it off. With Twilight heading off to catch some Z's, Heat took it upon himself to gather all the books she read and began putting them back into their proper bookshelves. He had gotten used to where they all belonged after Twilight showed him the last few thousand times. The last time he shelved them at random, she went on a rant over how it'd confuse any good book lover. He began to wonder if she loved books more than she loved him. The thought just sounded so funny to him.
As he was cleaning up, he hears the sound of a crash in another part of the library. "What the?" he asked before flying off. When he arrives, he notices four ponies who have just come out of the portal. He gasps upon seeing his brother, along with Sunset and two other stallions. One stallion was a pegasus with a blue mane, matching eyes, and a yellow fur. The other was a unicorn with glasses, green fur, cyan blue eyes, and a brown mane.
"Eternal, I didn't expect to see you coming back so soon," Heat said. "And hi, Sunset. Is everyone doing alright?"
“Uh, good. Of course, we do have a slight demon problem back on Earth.” Sunset replied as she was getting onto her legs; well, her hind legs since she had forgotten again that she’s now a pony again. Soon she starts to notice that and lands back down on all four hooves, slightly chuckling in embarrassment.
Eternal, on the other hand, hasn't lost touch with his pony roots and was able to still walk fine on all fours, but stretched out his body, loosening up a few tense joints. Flash and Halo have been to Equestria once before during the Spring Break cruise disaster, so they're somewhat familiar with how to walk on all fours.
"A demon pandemic? So, what brings you guys here? Did you need something?" Heat asked.
"We need to speak to our mother. She might have a clue on where to find a moon gem. If we don't act quickly, who knows what kind of harm might come our friends' way," Eternal said.
“Well… Slight problem. Mom is away on a diplomatic talk at Mt. Eris or Seaquestria as everypony calls it. She won’t be back in two days from now.” Heat stated. Soon the 4 other ponies in the room all groan in frustration that they missed their chance to talk with the only pony who might have the answers they’re looking for. “However, Aunt Luna is available. She’s in town hanging out with the locals. Ponyville even started calling the “Princess of Fun.”.” Heat proposed.
"Our aunt is socializing with her subjects? That's wonderful news! Do you know where she's at right now?" Eternal asked.
"She's out in Ponyville Town Square having some tea and cookies with the Cakes and Pinkie. Though, expect a big crowd when you go there," Heat said.
"I will and thanks. Come on, everypony, no time to lose," Eternal said before walking out.
"Hey, hold on! At least let us get used to our forms!" Halo called out.
“Yeah, the last thing I want to do today is constantly falling on my face every time I walk,” Flash stated as he takes a step with his hoof before, as he said, he fell face-first into the ground.
"Fair point," Eternal said. He turns back around and helps the others back up on their hooves. "Alright, just follow the steps carefully and you'll be walking on all fours without falling."
After about 30 minutes of practicing, Flash and Halo finally got the hang of their new pony forms and were walking normally like everypony. Well, slightly but at least they’re not falling on their faces anymore. Now that their training was over, Eternal escorted everyone out of Twilight's castle and made their way into Ponyville. Halo and Flash still couldn't believe that this was the world that Eternal once lived in. Not necessarily the town, but this whole world was his home.
As they passed through town, Eternal was already getting stares from the locals. Eternal paid no mind despite his heritage. Even as they bowed, he paid them no mind.
"Must be nice to have a prince for a boyfriend, huh?" Flash asked.
"Sure, but it doesn't matter if he's a prince or not," Sunset said. "I just love him for who he is."
"I can hear you, ya know. And I like what I'm hearing. You know, it's nice to know that there are some ponies or some people out there who appreciate that I'm still me at the end of the day," Eternal said, calmly smiling at the others.
"What are friends for? By the way, is that your aunt over there?" Halo asked, pointing up ahead. Eternal looks over and sees Princess Luna, out by the Town Square, sitting and having a nice hot cup of tea with the Cakes. And of course, the crowd is blocking their way.
"Eeyup, that's her," Eternal said. Soon the group of five walks through the crowd to get to Princess Luna and once they got through the ponies gathering in the area, they are then surprised by what they were seeing. Luna was having tea with the cakes, while at the same time, she was also having a hoof wrestling contest with Bulk Biceps, who was struggling to pin Luna’s hoof while the Princess of the Night was sipping from her teacup, not noticing the muscular buff pegasus struggle to win.
Then as she places her teacup down, she turns to face Bulk and a small smile of confidence formed on her face. “Well it’s been fun, but this is where it ends,” Luna said as she instantly pins Bulk’s hoof to the table with her Alicorn strength that the tabletop was broken in two with ease. Bulk Biceps lets out a squeal in pain as he looks to his hoof and see it red and throbbing in pain.
At this moment, the group was left in shock and their mouths dropped.
“That’s your aunt?” Halo asked in disbelief and shock.
"Eeyup. She's one tough cookie," Eternal said, not surprised. "She was one of my teachers who helped me with basic education."
“What… Basic training?” Flash asked.
"No, I mean like basic education: mathematics, history, different languages, science. The kinda things you have to learn to be able to make it into the outside world," Eternal explained.
“Oh, good. For a second, I thought she might have taught you self-defense.” Flash replied.
"No, I was taught self-defense by my other teachers: Rockhoof, Flash Magnus, and Starswirl," Eternal said. "But Starswirl… he's more like my master. Although, there were times when my aunt filled in on teaching me self-defense whenever Master Starswirl wasn't available."
"Who's Starswirl?" Flash asked. Soon after, Sunset and Heat gasped in shock from his question, as if he stated that he committed auto theft.
"Is he like a famous wizard or something?" Halo asked.
"Yes, along with Rockhoof and Flash Magnus. They're 3 of the 6 Pillars of Equestria who saved our world over a thousand years ago. The other three are Mistmane, Somnambula, and Meadowbrook, the healing mage," Eternal explained.
"But wait… if they saved Equestria over a thousand years ago, how are they still alive?" Flash asked, confused.
“To put it simply; they’re were trapped in limbo in-between time along with a powerful entity known as the Pony of Shadows; who was once a former member of their group who they wrongfully misjudged and kicked out. Then thousand years later, Twilight pulled them out, while accidentally pulling the Pony of Shadows along with them. Then later, Twilight and her friends and the Pillars vanquished and defeated the Pony of Shadows by banishing him back to limbo again, but not before saving Stygian from its grasp.” Heat explained.
"Wow, Twilight's still got the moves. I'm starting to think nothing can stop her. She always has been an amazing girl," Flash said.
"Sounds like you're crazy about her," Heat said.
"At one point, he used to have a crush on Twilight, but later he learned that she was dating you and he decided to give up on her," Sunset explained.
"Oh. Sorry, Flash. But chin up, you're gonna find the girl you're looking for," Heat said.
"Yeah, you're right. But before we think about that, what do you say we get some answers from Princess Luna now," Flash recommended.
"Right, we're going way off-topic right now." Eternal replies before approaching his aunt. "I hope I'm not interrupting, am I?" He spoke.
As she was in the middle of sipping her tea, the lunar princess places down her teacup and turns from the Cakes to face Eternal and the others with an emotionless stare. Then in a matter of seconds, her facial expression brightens, and a big smile forms on her face when she sees her two most favorite nephews in front of her. Before Eternal and Heat saw it coming, Luna teleports behind them and then wraps them in a tight hug with her hooves and wings.
“HUZZAH! My two most lovable nephews! Its been a long while since you come to visit your Auntie Luna.” She said with a cheerful tone of voice.
"It's nice to see you again too, auntie," Heat replies, hugging his loving aunt, nuzzling her. Eternal hugged her and patted her on the back.
"Yes, I'm pleased to see you again, too, dear aunt Luna," Eternal said.
“You had no idea how eager I was to spend more time with you, even more after the war in the human world. And Eternal, glad to see that you are free of your corrupted demon powers. What a relief.” Luna replied, patting him on the head. “And Heat, have you and Princess Twilight Sparkle been on your 30th date yet? Mhmm.”
"W-Well, I… not really. We've sort of been doing some research and Twilight wound up pulling another all-nighter. So now, she's resting in her bed for a while," Heat explained.
“Oh. Well, I hope she has a peaceful rest. And by the way...” Luna said before she lets out her Canterlot Royal Voice, straight into Heat’s face. “WHY HATH YOU NOT YET COURT PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE IN MARRIAGE?!” She spoke loudly.
"Auntie, I'm still only 17 years old, it's too soon for me to get married!" Heat said defensively.
“Oops, sorry young nephew. I guess I’m just too bored of waiting for you and Twilight to take a big step in your relationship. Even your mother agrees with me, even though she stated that it’ll take time.” Luna replied.
"So, aunt Luna, I know you're having fun with the locals, but I have a favor to ask of you. Think you can help us?" Eternal asked.
“I’m always willing to help my nephews out. So what do you acquire of me?” She asked.
Eternal leans in and whispers into her ear. "We're looking for some leads on where to find… a Moon Gem."
After asking his question, Eternal and others then notice the shocked expression on Luna’s face and her eyes widen with surprise. “A Moon Gem? I haven’t heard of those since… Well, since the day I was banished to the moon.” She said before looking towards the crowd and then back to her nephews and their friends. “I request that we speak of this inside.” She whispered to them before turning to the Cakes. “Would you two mind if my nephew’s friends and I discussed your bakery?” She asked them.
"Not at all, go right ahead, your highness," Mrs. Cake said.
"By all means," Mr. Cake added.
“Thank you both kindly,” Luna replied. And soon, the alicorn princess and the others went inside Sugarcube Corner Bakery, along with the Cakes following behind them, and closed the door before locking it.
"So, you've never heard of it at all?" Eternal asked.
“No, I have heard of it, Eternal. Or preferably, I have seen one.” Luna replied. This then gave a bit of interest to the group and a slight bit of hope.
“You’ve seen one?!” Sunset asked with little excitement in her voice.
“Yes, I have, Sunset Shimmer. Back in the days when I was a young filly. Celestia and I were out playing together in a valley that would one day become Ponyville, and during our fun, the ground I was standing on collapsed and I fell into a cave below, injuring my wing. I was unable to escape. Celestia, frightened as she was, ran off to find Starswirl to help me. I was alone in the darkness for several minutes before my eyes spotted a light in the walls of the cave, which caused me to walk towards it in curiosity. And as I drew closer, that is when I found it; the Moon Gem. You should have seen it, it was a large white jewel, which glowed with the same light as the moon. I was amazed by this rare gem that I plucked it from the walls and held it in my hooves. I was staring at it for quite some time that I didn’t notice that Tia had returned and she brought our teacher, Starswirl with her. And soon I was saved from the dark caves and I took the Moon Gem with me and kept it hidden from my sister and Starswirl.” Luna explained. “And to this day, I still kept the Moon Gem with me.”
"You have it? W-Where is it?" Sunset asked.
After Sunset had asked, Luna then started to look anxious and a bit worried. “Hehe… well, I hid it away… In the Crystal Caves beneath Canterlot…. And I may have placed a lot of spells traps and magic seals to ensure its safety. All of which that may have the possibilities to cause… hehe… death.” She replied. Everyone in the bakery was left with disbelief.
“Are… you… KIDDING ME!” Flash shouted. “You hid it away and placed dangerous booby traps to keep it hidden?! Why can’t we just take a break.”
“There’s more; in the caves, there are 3 seals that keep the Moon Gem locked away. Unlocking the first two shouldn’t be difficult; however, unlocking the third one, you’ll have to complete a trial to prove that you earn your right to claim the Moon Gem. Fail the trial, and you’ll suffer an eternity of everlasting pain; or worse, death.” Luna explained.
"What do we have to do for the trial?" Eternal asked.
“That… I forgot.” Luna stated, causing the others to groan in frustration.
“Man, you must be old.” Flash blindly stated, which earns him scared looks on Eternal and Heat’s faces as they stare at him and silently, telling him not to say that.
"I DO BEG YOUR PARDON, LITTLE STALLION?!?!?!" Luna shouted in her Royal Canterlot voice, knocking him back against the wall from the force of her voice.
“Big mistake,” Heat said, wincing from how Flash was slammed into the wall from his aunt’s Canterlot Royal voice.
"Flash Sentry, life lesson #1, never tell a mare she's old," Eternal said, putting his hoof on his head out of frustration.
"THOU HAST A LOT OF NERVE TO OPENLY CALL ME OLD!!! DOST THOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?!?!?!" Luna kept shouting angrily in her Canterlot voice. Flash was now left scared for his life and quickly bowed his head to the lunar princess.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Flash continuously apologized. “I take it back! I take it all back!”
"GOOD! NOW, WATCH THY TONGUE THE NEXT TIME THOU CHOOSES TO DISRESPECT THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT!!!" Luna shouted before calming down and taking a few sips of her tea. "Now then, if you're going to get the Moon Gem, you'll need to talk to… an old friend of mine and my sister."
"A friend? Why's that?" Halo asked.
"He has the key that can open the door to the Crystal Caves of Canterlot. He's a very wise stallion and very kind," Luna said
"Okay, do you happen to know where he lives?" Sunset asked.
"Well, yes, but it's kind of far away from here. But, I can arrange a chariot to take you to where he lives," Luna said.
"If I may ask, Princess Luna, how come the keeper lives far away? Shouldn't he be near the Crystal Caves or something?" Halo asked.
"Sorry, but I can't allow that to happen. If he were close to the entrance, it'd be no problem for vandals or bandits to try and steal the gem. Then again, I'm more worried that they might meet a terrible fate, even if they are some of the lowest, common criminals," Luna explained.
“That’s how dangerous finding the gem is?” Sunset asked.
"You're more well-organized than I anticipated," Halo said.
"If this keeper has the key, then we have to talk to him," Eternal said.
"Not so fast, Eternal. The keeper won't just hand over the key to anypony. You have to prove to him that your intentions of the Moon Gem are pure. Just tell the truth to him and he'll see if you're lying or not," Luna said.
"I understand," Eternal said.
"Good. Now then," Luna lifted her two front hooves in the air and clapped them together. Sure enough, four Royal Guards arrived outside the shop. "Now then, are you ready to go?"
"Yes, but… I feel like Heat should stay here," Eternal said.
"What? How come?" Heat asked.
"Listen, Heat. You're a kind, young stallion and you've got an intelligent mind, but we're dealing with a dangerous pandemic right now, and grabbing the Moon Gem is part of it. I can't risk having my little brother dying before me at such a young age. You've got Twilight to think about and a new kingdom to help rule alongside her. Besides, there's a chance she might end up burying herself in books again, trying to search for what we're looking for," Eternal explained.
Heat blinks when he realizes his big brother is right. "When you put it that way, I can't argue with you at all. But please promise me you won't die in the process either."
"As long as I've got these guys beside me, nothing's gonna kill me," Eternal said proudly.
"Don't go jinxing it on yourself. You're not immortal, you know," Halo pointed out.
"I know," Eternal said.
"Now then, if everyone is ready… GUARDS!!!" Luna shouted in her Canterlot voice. Right away, the guards arrived, saluting with their wings.
"You called, princess?" the guards asked.
"I did. I have an urgent request for you: Take my nephew, Eternal, and his friends, Flash Sentry, Halo Knight, and his sweetheart, Sunset, to the keeper's hut," Luna ordered.
“As you wish princess.” One of the guards replied and then gestures the group to follow them to Luna’s chariot outside. Once they stepped out of the shop, Eternal and the others hopped onto the chariot as the guards who were with them, strapped them securely into their seats. Soon after that, the four of them set off on their journey while the ponies of Ponyville waved goodbye to them. The pegasus guards that were pulling the chariot opened up their wings and took off into the air, carrying the chariot along with them. As they were ascending, Flash and Halo were screaming in fright from how far up they were going while Eternal and Sunset was not even freaked out at all.
“Why can’t you guys just stay on the ground?!” Flash asked while feeling like he’s having a panic attack.
“Now, where’s the fun in that?” Sunset asked back with a smug on her face.
"This is the fastest way to travel without running into things," Eternal said.
“But how are those guys able to pull a chariot with 4 ponies on board, into the air?” Halo asked.
“Pegasi are strong fliers; they lift anything into the air. Well, except large chariot of 100 ponies; that’s why we have airships.” Eternal replied.
"I'm surprised you don't get scared of how HIGH UP we are!" Flash said, panicking still.
"Why would I be afraid of a little breeze like this?" Eternal asks as the wind blows against him. "True, we're high above ground level, but it's up to me to either give in to fear or face it head-on. So I chose the latter cause it’s easier."
“No, it isn’t?” All the ponies in the chariot, except Eternal, said in reply.
"Well, it's not easy at first, but over time, I got used to it and not it's my bread and butter. Comes with a territory, I guess," Eternal said.
"I'm starting to wonder if your boyfriend's even afraid of anything," Flash whispered to Sunset.
"He is, he just doesn't like to show it. He feels if he shows fear, it'll make those around him feel scared as well. All he's trying to do is give others hope and the courage to stand together, just like how Twilight unites others through friendship," Sunset whispers back.
Flash was surprised to think his best friend would do all for such a noble cause. Now he has whole new respect for him. Perhaps one day, his courage might go a long, long way, from generation to generation.
Who knows for sure.
Author's Note
Apologies for the long wait. Here is chapter 4 of my favorite story, be sure to follow my friend TheShadowKnight for an awesome job well done for helping me out on this story. And as always, stay tuned for more chapters to come and keep on bronying on
Dark Reunions
Out in the abandoned warehouse a distance away from the city, Light Ray stared down at his prizes, feeling their power coursing throughout the crystals. "Soon… real soon. And I'll finally have what I came here for," he said to himself. "I still cannot believe Chrysalis is out of commission, the little pest. No matter, as long as I get what I want, then I can tolerate her incompetence… for the moment."
But soon, his thoughts were interrupted when the warehouse door opened up and three goons walked in with some cases. They look and see Light Ray just sitting there, then pull out these strange weapons he's never seen before.
"Hey, who the fuck are you, gramps?!" goon 1 asked, demanding an answer. Light Ray just sat there, unamused by these low life wannabes. "I said who the fuck are you? You hard of hearing or something?!" he demanded. Light then adjusted in his seat, but heard a loud BANG and saw the glass containers that kept his crystals safe, shatter to pieces. "Next bullet will go through your head, now tell me! WHO ARE YOU?!"
". . .Oh… I'm what you might call… the big… bad… boogeyman," Light's voice became deep and raspy as his eyes became pitch black as the crystals fed him some of their power. Pretty soon, darkness surrounded the inside of the warehouse. More loud BANGS rang out, but Light Ray was already gone.
"Dude, what the hell's going on here?! He was just there!" goon 2 said, panicking. "Hey! You better come out right now, you coward!" Shouldn't have said that. Soon, out of the endless abyss that traps the goons, Light Ray appears in front of the goon, grabbing him by the wrist and crushing his bones. He groaned, then shouted in pain, letting go of his Glock 17. Light Ray stared deep into his eyes with his pitched black eyes and Cheshire cat, sharp-toothed grin. "G-G-Get away! BACK OFF YOU FREAK!!!"
"Awww… so much for your fighting spirit," Light Ray said in a distorted voice. Soon, he shrouds goon 2 in a burst of orange and black fire, making him scream in agony. He dropped to the ground, squirming and rolling, trying to put out the fire.
Then… silence. Later on, the darkness disappeared and right where goon 2 was, there was a great big pile of ash. "Anyone else feeling brave tonight?" Light Ray asked in his normal voice. Goons 1 and 3 stumbled back, dropping their weapons, even the cases, which opened up and scattered some green paper all over the ground. They got back up and ran out the door.
"SCREW THIS, I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE!!!" goon 3 shouted, running for his life.
"OH NO YOU DON'T I'M LEAVING FIR-- AAH!!!" goon 1 shouted, but tripped when his leg was grabbed by something. He hesitantly looked back and saw a massive black claw grabbing him and Light Ray wasn't finished with him just yet. He slowly dragged him back inside the warehouse while the goon clawed the ground underneath, trying to pull away. "NO! NO!!! PLEASE IM SORRY!!! STOP!!! STOP!! PLEASE!!! NO!!!" he begged, tears gushing out as the door closes on him. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"
Meanwhile, with the remaining Rainbooms and some of the guys, the group set off to the West side of Canterlot where gangs dwell. Or in this case, where they used to dwell. Now, because of the evacuation order, it's become a ghost town. "Yeesh, so this is the spot where gangs chill. Glad I don't live in this part of the city," Frostbite said.
"Alright, now remember, everyone. If you find the crystal, don't pick it up with your bare hands, use protective gloves," Twilight said.
"I'll take note of that," Copper Plume said. "So, where you suppose it might be?" He looks around, checking each house on the street.
"Last I checked, they mostly reside in places that give off the more corrupt vibe," Blazing Waters pointed out.
"If it resides in corrupted places, then shouldn't it be lurking in some sort of scam building? I hear THEY are the most corrupted for giving shit they don't have for unreasonable prices," Lightning Burn said.
"You sir would be very good at Cinema Sins," Israel commented.
"Hey! That's my job to break the 4th wall!" Pinkie said, popping up between the two boys. Then she looks over at somewhere. "Hi, all you bronies!!! Hope you're liking this story!" she called out.
"Who is she talking to? And what are these "bronies" she speaks of?" Israel asks, stroking his chin, trying to figure it out.
"It's Pinkie Pie, remember? You don't question her. Besides, she's cute when she does that," Copper said, walking up to his girlfriend and hugging her. Pinkie squees and nuzzles him cheek to cheek.
"Okay, if y'all are done getting all cutesy-wutesy an' lovey-dovey over there, we'd like to get this hunt underway," Applejack interrupted.
“Ok, but to be on the safe side, we’ll each search the area in teams of two. So pick your partner and spread out. And if you find another demon crystal, remember not to pick it up with your bare hands, got it?” Twilight instructed everyone.
"Got it!" Everyone agreed. Soon, Pinkie Pie left with Copper, Blazing searched with Rainbow Dash, Frostbite with AJ, Fluttershy with Israel Yabuki, Lightning Burn with Rarity, and Twilight with Heat Blitz. Everyone spread out in pairs, searching the area for the demon crystal. With Twilight's handy new demon crystal detector she made, she can easily find it more effectively. Of course, Heat helped her make enough of them for their friends to use.
The group quickly split up, searching different parts of the Westside of Canterlot, and right now, Fluttershy has a lot on her mind today. Israel looked at her with concern. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, making her turn to him.
"I'm fine. Um… no," Fluttershy said.
"What's wrong?"
"Well… do you remember what Rainbow Dash said about Eternal Flames?" Fluttershy asked. "You know, how she thinks he's responsible for the attacks and massacres?"
"Sort of, yeah, but I think she's just being paranoid," Israel stated.
“I hope so too, Sunset would be devastated if her friends accuse Eternal of those horrible acts without solid proof,” Fluttershy replied. “I can’t bear to see her hurt again by us,” she added, thinking about the time during winter break years ago.
"What happened back then?" Israel asked. "How was she hurt?"
"You don't remember at all?" Fluttershy asked, surprised, but not overreacting.
"I was probably under Grogar's control, remember?" he reminded.
“Oh, ok. Well, I would tell you, but I wish not to relive those horrible moments, I hope you don’t mind, Israel.” Fluttershy replied.
"I understand. If it's too painful, I won't ask of it," Israel said understandingly. Fluttershy smiled warmly, glad that he understood her, and then she gives him a peck on the cheek in gratitude.
“Thank you for understanding.” She said as she’s walking up ahead a bit, while Israel was left starstruck as he walked slowly behind her.
"Mama-mia, what a cutie little angel," he muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, Rarity and Lightning Burn were keeping their eyes out for the crystal, using Twilight's handy detector. "How does Twilight even do it? Making something like this in just a short amount of time, I'm starting to think she's got at least 10 Albert Einsteins living within her," Lightning said.
“Well, I like to say she’s beyond Albert Einstein, but that’s giving her too much praise. And she's much too humble to give praise to herself,” Rarity replied.
"I don't doubt that. Heat's lucky to have her," Lightning said. "Maybe she should've enrolled at CHS first and not Crystal Prep. She fits in so well with a more friendly crowd."
"That, I can agree on, but everything happens for a reason and we're glad to have Twilight with us regardless of the amount of time we spend together. Of course, she slowly came out of her shy shell eventually, not just by us, but… Ummm, oh dear," Rarity said, remembering that Heat wasn't around during that one trip.
"What? What is it?" Lightning asked.
"Remember Timber Spruce?" Rarity asked.
"Her ex-boyfriend? Oh yeah, what happened to him? I sort of forgot," Lighting said.
"Y-You see… some time ago, when you were still controlled by Grogar, Heat found out that Twilight was with Timber and became more isolated. Timber thought it was nothing and just shrugged it off, but Twilight… she took it very hard. Heat was her best friend from preschool and he understood her more than anyone when they were kids. But then they separated during middle school and reunited years later. But Twilight was also upset with herself because… she also made a promise to him that she accidentally broke," Rarity explained.
"What's that?" Lightning asked.
"That when they met again, they'd always love each other. Then there was the whole incident with Grogar and his demon army trying to take Heat and Eternal. During the pandemic, Twilight broke up with Timber for not taking her seriously, and… he tried to harm Heat. After the war ended, Timber went over to the island castle ruins where the young man was… unfortunately… murdered in cold blood by that demon titan," Rarity finishes.
"WHAT?! Holy smokes, that monster is crazy!" Lightning commented, shocked.
“While I’m not fond of Timber, but I do not believe anyone should die so horrible as he did.” Rarity said.
"So, I'm guessing as soon as we get all the crystals and that moon gem, we're gonna bring him back to life?" Lightning asked.
"Yes, along with anyone else who was killed by that monster. All those soldiers who lost their lives in this dark age," Rarity said.
“There's always a light amidst the gloom, at least that's what some people say," Lightning replied, patting his precious diamond gently on her shoulder.
Meanwhile, with Applejack and Frostbite… "Hey, AJ, I was just thinking about something regarding those crystals we're looking for," Frostbite said.
"What's on yer mind?" AJ asked.
"Back then, when I was under Grogar's control, I overheard a few things regarding the crystals… strengths, and weakness. Do you remember what Heat said about the crystals being able to corrupt others just by touching them with negative emotions?" Frostbite asked
"Sort of, yeah," AJ said.
"Well, get this. Those crystals pose a serious threat if he were to handle all 5 demon crystals. Not only would anyone become overwhelmed with negativity, but the power looming inside them will inevitably eat them out from the inside until nothing but dust remains. Only a demon… or perhaps… a mortal with the coldest, blackest heart can wield them without being killed. At least that's what I learned during my time with Grogar," Frostbite said.
"So then, what about the Moon Gem? Where does that come into play?" AJ asked.
"Unfortunately, none of us knew about a moon gem. I'm not even sure if Grogar knew about such a thing since we never asked him," Frostbite said.
"Well shoot. Well, no use ponderin' 'bout the past. All we can do now is keep lookin' fer them freaky crystals," AJ said. Frostbite agreed and the two continued their search. Just as Applejack and Frostbite turn the corner, the radar Twilight made for them starts blinking. "Hey, Ah think we're on the right track!"
"Then let's get going before more baddies show up," Frostbite said hastily. The two quickly headed off, following where the radar would lead them.
While the group was out, searching for the remaining crystals, Celestia was still at home taking care of her new guest - who she had hit with her car yesterday - and making her feel welcome in her home. She came into the guest room with a plate of food, consisting of homemade mashed potatoes, roast beef, and a side of boiled broccoli.
"Dinner's ready. I hope you're hungry," Celestia said, setting the plate down on Chrysalis' lap.
The former Changeling Queen still refusing to say a word to her and even going far as to look away from her. From Celestia’s perspective, most of Chrysalis’s bandages have been removed from her arms and legs but the one wrapped around her torso was still there since her abdomen had not yet healed. Of course, despite her trying to give the woman in front of her the cold shoulder, but the delicious smell from the food in front of her made it very difficult and her hunger simply overcame her pride. She grabbed the fork and started munching down on her food, but tried not to eat too fast due to her condition.
Celestia smiled warmly seeing that her guest is eating and possibly feeling more comforted in her presence; at least that’s she’s guessing. As Chrysalis was feasting, Celestia slowly and quietly sat down on the bed, next to the former Changeling Queen, and then decided to have a conversation with her.
"Chrysalis, was it?” She said, which caught the attention of her guest, who quickly looked over at her suspiciously.
“How do you know of my name?” She asked.
“Well, it’s what your friend that came by yesterday referred you, so I thought that’s your name,” Celestia stated.
“Oh,” Chrysalis responded. And soon there was an awkward silence between the two for a while until Celestia asked her a question.
“So Chrysalis… Do you happen to move here to Canterlot City yesterday? Cause I never have seen you around here, so you must be new around here.” the woman asked.
"I… suppose you could say that. I came with my two other… associates to do some research," Chrysalis said, trying to make it sound inconspicuous.
“Really. What kind of research?” Celestia replied while sounding a bit interested in what she had to say.
"It's… classified. Orders from our higher-ups," Chrysalis said. 'I can't reveal the truth to her! No doubt she'll blow my cover. I can't let her find out about my true intentions… not with the conditions I'm in right now.' she thought to herself.
"Alright, I guess it makes sense. Still, you kinda came to Canterlot City at the wrong time. Most of the city has been evacuated due to the pandemic of the fire monster lurking around. You're lucky you didn't get caught in the crossfires of that beast," Celestia said.
‘Actually, I was more than caught in its crossfires when we arrived.’ Chrysalis said in her mind. “Well… Good to know. Although, if most of the inhabitants of this city have been evacuated, then why are you still here?” She asked.
“Well, I have considered that option, but I couldn’t leave this place, not while one of my sons is still missing and hopefully trying to find his way home. So I choose to stay and wait for him when he does.” Celestia answered, while her voice sounded a bit sad and worried.
"One of your sons? How many do you even have?" Chrysalis asked.
"Two . But one of them went missing almost a month ago. He and my ex-husband got into a huge argument, both said such horrible things to each other until my oldest son had enough and just ran off. Soon after that, I divorced my ex-husband and I waited for my son to return. After a while, I called the police and informed all my closest friends in town to help me find him. But after searching for three weeks, there was no trace or sightings of him anywhere; I began to lose hope day by day as I continuously wait for his safe return.” Celestia explained as tears soon began to form in her eyes; as she starts to soon feel what is known as “Mother’s Guilt”. “All I wanted was for my baby to come home.” She tearfully stated.
If Chrysalis were still in her original form, she'd be feeding off of her love right now. But for some strange reason, she empathizes with Celestia. In a way, they're the same, with Chrysalis' children leaving her and following their new leader, Thorax. But in another way, she's just like Celestia's husband for driving her changeling army away. It wasn't until now that Chrysalis felt something deep inside her, and that was guilt and shame for driving her hive away, as well as this strange sensation beating within her chest. Was it… compassion? Chrysalis never felt this feeling before. Heck, she never felt this feeling back in Equestria.
She then felt this urge to give the grieving woman in front of her some comfort and assurance. This was a big shock to the Changeling Queen, but she didn’t hesitate to as she starts to move closer to Celestia, and then without a second thought, she wrapped her arms around the heartbroken mother and pulled her in a comforting hug.
"I… I understand somewhat of where you're coming from. Back home… I… I wasn't exactly mother of the year. I, too, drove my children away because of my ambitions. They ended up having to look out for each other without me. Truth be told, they're getting along nicely without me being present. But even so, after hearing your story, it got me thinking… about how I could've done better. If anything… I miss my children just as much as you miss your son. For years, I've lived with this guilt," Chrysalis confessed.
Celestia could not believe what she was hearing. Yesterday, Chrysalis wasn’t very open to her, and now she’s empathizing with her and hearing her story of how she failed as a mother reflected on how she failed to be there for her sons when he was still living under their roof. It felt… really nice to hear someone showing her compassion and understanding how she felt.
"Thanks, Chrysalis. I'm glad to know someone out there knows the struggles I went through. Hey, how about after you've fully recovered and after this whole mess blows over, I can take you to the mall?" Celestia offered. “Cause you’re gonna need some new clothing since your other clothes are looking a bit torn and sort of well gloomy.”
"Yes, I will admit, my current wardrobe has become a bit… unsettling," Chrysalis said, looking at her torn-up clothes. 'I'd better not ask what a mall is, or risk blowing my cover,' she thought.
"Not to mention it might show off a little too much skin, which isn't very lady-like," Celestia joked before giggling a little bit. "Anyways, I'll get started on dessert. I'm making a special chocolate swiss roll cake." Celestia then got up and walked out of the room.
"Swiss roll cake… sounds delicious," Chrysalis muttered to herself.
Meanwhile, in Equestria, Sunset, Halo, Flash, and Eternal have soon arrived at the spot where the Keeper resides. The Royal Guards remained where they stood so they could escort the 4 heroes back to Canterlot. As for the 4 ponies, they pressed on and went to see the Keeper. They walked down the path, which led to this cottage up on this tall hill.
"I think this is the place, but does he have to live out here in the middle of nowhere?" Flash asked.
"Well, it's a necessary precaution when you're holding onto a key to an artifact that might be potentially dangerous in the wrong hands, or hooves in our case right now," Eternal said.
"Right. Better safe than sorry.” Flash replied.
"True. So… to get the key, we need to just tell the truth, right?" Halo asked.
"That's correct. And remember, he's an old acquaintance of my aunt, so let's show him some respect while we're here," Eternal said.
“And hope that he’s willing to give us the key so we can find the Moon Gem,” Sunset stated.
Everyone nodded and continued up the hill and finally reached the cottage within a few minutes. Sunset did the honors of ringing the doorbell. The group waited a few seconds for an answer but got nothing. Sunset rang again.
"Hello? Is anyone home?" Sunset asked. Just then, the group heard a loud thud, along with what sounded like multiple objects tumbling over inside. Sunset gasped.
"That's not good! Hang on, we're coming to help!" Eternal shouted. He charged in strong, pushing the door open and the others came inside with him. "Everyone, search the place and find… whoever is in here?” He stated.
As instructed, everypony spread out in different areas of the house. Flash checked the kitchen area on the right, Halo checked the upstairs area on the left, Sunset went into the back room across from where the front door and Eternal checked the living room area.
The team searched inside the cottage, hoping to at least find someone who's not hurt. And with a breath of luck… "Guys! In here! I found somepony!" Sunset called out. Eternal, Flash, and Halo all left their areas and came into the back room where they find Sunset next to a big pile of fallen books… and a hoof sticking out of the pile.
"Oh boy, as if two Twilights weren't enough. But, no matter, let's get him outta there," Eternal said, walking up closer. He lit up his horn and incased his magic around the stuck pony's hoof. He and Sunset both used their magic to pull him out while Flash and Halo moved some of the books out of the way. In a matter of a minute, the group managed to pull out somepony, freeing him from his book avalanche.
He was a stallion with a pure white fur coat like Eternal's, but his eyes were brown and wore these small spectacles. He also had a black and white mane and the crazy thing was… he was an alicorn.
"That… was embarrassing," the stallion said.
"Are you alright, sir? You're not too hurt, are you?" Eternal asked.
"No no, I'm fine. Thanks for asking. I must say, I wasn't exactly expecting company, though. Can I help you with something?" he asked.
"Before we get to business, I think introductions are in order. My name's Sunset Shimmer, this is my boyfriend, Eternal Flames and these two are our friends, Flash Sentry and Halo Knight. Sorry for barging in earlier," Sunset said.
"Don't worry about that. I'm glad you barged in. And as for me, my name is Moises Munguia, a pleasure to meet you all," Moises said. "Now then, what can I do you for? Are you all travelers from far away places?"
"Sort of. We came here to ask you for an important favor," Flash said.
"You see, we came by to this place looking for the Keeper. And we were hoping that he might have the key to the Crystal Caves," Eternal said. Right away, Moises' expression became a little bit uneasy.
"I see. Please, come into the living room while I make some tea," Moises said, escorting the group out of his study. Everyone sat on the couch while Moises went into the kitchen, not saying a word.
“So… What type of pony is he exactly?” Flash asked.
"He’s an alicorn. Just like Twilight, as well as my mother and aunt. But alicorns are rare in Equestria because they're the most powerful breed. They have the combination of the strength of earth ponies, the speed of pegasi, and the magical talents of alicorns," Eternal said.
"Really? That's pretty cool!" Flash said.
"Maybe to most ponies, but for the alicorns themselves, it can be a real pain in the neck. Most alicorns are considered royalty," Eternal said.
“And why does it sound like a pain to them, exactly?” Halo asked.
“Because you have to deal with snobbish nobles and complete numerous royal tasks 24 hours a day and night,” Sunset responded.
"And let me tell you guys something: You're lucky you didn't have the pleasure of meeting my obnoxious brat of a cousin," Eternal said. "He's no alicorn, but he's still a snob like most of the Canterlot society. It sickens me that he's family."
“I remember meeting him once. He tried to charm me over and ask me on a date. Of course, I refused… And then tossed him off of the top of a tower.” Sunset stated.
"Oh, so that's why Blueblood ended up in the pond out in the private garden. Hehehe," Eternal chuckled, remembering that day. "I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for weeks." While the group was chatting and laughing, Moises comes back into the living room with the tea and sets it down on his coffee table.
"Alright, now that we're all here, why don't you tell me why you want the key, what's so important about going into the Crystal Caverns?" Moises asked.
“We wish to claim the Moon Gem, the artifact which Princess Luna has locked away deep in the caverns; and entrusted you the key to allow entry in them,” Sunset stated. “We require the Moon Gem’s power for a task we set out to complete.”
Moises was surprisingly not fazed by Sunset’s answer, as if he knew they wanted to use the Moon Gem. Of course, there was one thing that puzzled him deeply.
“And what is it you wish to use the Moon Gem for? For infinite power? Wealth? Glory?” Moises asked many questions, wishing to hear what answer shall they give.
“To bring back our friend from the dead,” Eternal replied. “Inferno Blaze.”
"We lost him in a great war against Grogar and his demonic forces. And we're hoping to restore his life… along with the countless other lives lost to a rogue demon titan who's running rampant in a world similar to ours, but a little different," Sunset said.
“Inferno Blaze? As in the infamous Shadow Knight; the assassin that Equestria loathed for decades and the very pony who gave his life to protect you, Prince Eternal… The pony who betrayed him and joined with the demon who murdered his father. Am I correct?” Moises replied, with everyone thinking that his statement was towards Eternal.
"It's true. I let myself get roped into Grogar's army because I was angry at the fact that my father was murdered. Even now, I'm living with that guilt. But I also plan to make things right and fix the mess that I made. But, how did you know he died protecting me?" Eternal asked.
“Word of his death spread across the world. His reputation and fame are a lot more popular than anyone expected. And as everyone soon learned how he died and how he protected you, the son of the Princess who condemned him as a criminal, everyone started to talk about it. And soon that information made its way to me…. Also, I read it in the newspaper.” Moises explained while showing them the news article he was talking about.
"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Halo said.
"So, if you're alright with it, we'd like for you to help us get into the caverns. It's our only hope of bringing back our friend… especially one whom I've… shared a brotherly bond with," Eternal said, placing his off over his heart.
"Just one quick question before I make my final decision. How do I know you're not going to use the Moon Gem for your selfish desires?" Moises asked.
"Because there are far greater things in this world that are much bigger than us. And petty materialistic ideals don't interest me when the entire world might be in danger," Eternal said.
“So will you help us?” Sunset asked.
After hearing their answers, Moises thinks to himself in silence, tapping his hoof against his chin while the others wait in anticipation. Then after a long wait of silence; the alicorn in the room, speaks out his answer.
“Okay,” Moises said. Of course, everyone was surprised.
“What? That’s it?” Flash asked.
“Yep. But only if I accompany you all to unlock the caverns myself and nothing more. Just because I agree, doesn’t mean I trust you.” Moises stated.
"Fair enough. You can come along," Eternal nodded. He got off the couch and shook Moises' hoof, sealing their temporary partnership.
Meanwhile, back in the human world, Sombra was hot on another trail to one of the demon crystals but finds himself discovering 6 familiar girls with a few other guys he's never even seen before in his life. "Damn!" he said, peeking from the corner of an empty house. "It looks like they've beaten me to it. Curse those inferior brats," he muttered.
"Sombra, come in. Have you found the next demon crystal?" Light Ray asked telepathically.
“Found it? Yes. Did I acquire it? No. We are not the only ones searching for the blasted crystals. It would seem that a group of inferior humans collecting the rest as well.” Sombra stated. “Now they have 2 of the last 3 remaining crystals.”
"What?! Hmmm, impressive. They're a lot more ambitious than I thought. Sombra, abandon your current assignment and locate the titan demon. We will eliminate… our obstacles," Light Ray said.
"Very well, I'll see to it that they're taken care of. I've been meaning to deliver a little… payback, even if they're not the actual band of girls that defeated me," Sombra said with a sinister grin before finally leaving the area.
"Okay, that makes 2, 3 more to go," Twilight said. "Good job on the find, AJ, Frostbite."
"Ain't nothin' to it but to do it," AJ said.
"But now all that’s left is finding the other 3 crystals. Only we still don’t have any way of knowing that they are found or not,” Frostbite said.
"Why do you think I built these radars in the first place?" Twilight chuckled before activating it. "Hmm, it looks like one of them is somewhere on the North West side of the city, a few blocks away from the mall."
"I know that part of town! A shady company is set up there. They make all these crappy phone calls to random people and scam them out of their life savings," Heat blabbed out.
“Ugh! I vowed to myself that I never go to that place ever.” Rarity stated.
“Well, Rarity. Looks like you’re gonna have to break that vow.” Rainbow replied.
"Besides, I might pull off some payback pranks at this company for constantly calling and bugging the hell outta me. Even my parents were fed up with their bullshit," Blazing Waters said, cracking his knuckles.
"And for all we know, that may be where we'll find the crystal," Copper Plume said.
“And what a perfect place it chose to remain hidden.” Frostbite said with sarcasm.
"You can say that again," Pinkie added.
"Joke all you want, but remember, we're on a timer and the clock is still ticking. Let's move before we run into trouble… or rather if trouble finds us," Israel said.
“Oh please. Besides the Titan Demon, what else in this nearly empty town can pose any threat to us?” Rainbow stated. "Because I can think of one other guy we should watch out for!"
"You'd better not be referring to who I think you're referring to," Heat said, squinting his eyes.
“Dash, if you say it’s Eternal, I swear to Harmony and Death themselves, I will beat your face to a bloody pulp!” Twilight threatened the rainbow-haired athlete. Everyone was left speechless by Twilight’s new signs of aggression; even Heat.
"Whoa, Twilight, easy there. No need to go that far," Heat said trying to calm her down.
"Sorry, I'm just fed up, that’s all. Rainbow just won't let go of the fact that just because Eternal has demon blood in him that he's the titan demon. I'm fed up with her constantly bringing it up!" Twilight said.
"We all are, which is why I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. So, until we find hard proof that he truly is the demon, then Eternal is innocent," Rarity stated.
"Right. Now let's mosey on outta here and find the next crystal," AJ said. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and soon all of them left the area and towards their new destination.
After leaving the area and making their way to the North West side of the city, the gang still kept on high alert, despite the city being mostly evacuated. Of course, they had to be careful with the precious cargo they were carrying right now. But then, during their journey through the city, the group heard some heavy footsteps, followed by distant rumbling.
"Uh, guys? Do you feel that?" Blazing asked.
"I feel that," Pinkie replied, getting goosebumps. The rumbling noises grew ever closer, but the group couldn't tell which direction it was coming from.
“Do I even want to ask what that is?” Rainbow said while feeling a bit anxious.
“Please don’t!” Fluttershy replied in terror. Unfortunately, her fears were right, and soon, a couple of blocks ahead of them, the titan demon appeared, bashing out of a building, leaving a whole mess of debris all over the ground. It lets out its menacing, ferocious roar. It looks left and right, frequently, then its sights are set on the gang. It growls, glaring at its meek prey before getting ready to charge.'
"Rainbow Dash… take the crystals and hide them somewhere," Twilight said, unable to take her focus away from the monster. "Take them as far away from here as possible and don't stop. Run as fast as you can."
"What's that gonna accomplish? I can't ditch you guys!" Rainbow argued.
"That beast is a demon, Dash! Who knows what kind of power it'll gain if it comes near the demon crystals!" Rarity replied.
“Also, I don’t think all of us are even capable of taking on this guy,” Copper stated.
"Let's hope we can at least outrun this son of a bitch," Frostbite said, worried.
After staring at the group of teens for quite a while, the Titan Demon lets out its thundering roar before it began sprinting towards them at incredible speed. Seeing that it was charging towards them. Seeing it now charging towards them, everyone turned and ran as fast as they could; desperately trying to escape the monster chasing them or evade it as long as they could.
Back in Equestria, after convincing Moises to help open the caverns, the small group quickly left for Canterlot. "Moises, if I may ask, how do you even get newspapers out in your lodge when you live hundreds of miles away from the rich city?" Sunset asked.
"Easy, Luna sends it via magic. Now, as for you, Sunset. Tell me, what exactly do you see in this demonic, young prince? How are you able to see past his monstrous nature?" Moises asked. "Just out of curiosity."
"Because, he's more than just a violent tempered, demonic royal pain. He has a heart. He's willing to go through extreme lengths just to ensure his loved ones are safe and happy. There's no way I can ignore someone who's got those good qualities," Sunset said.
“That sounds noble and very inspiring, Sunset. Sadly, however, even that was to be true, that still does not change the half of what he is.” Moises replied.
"I know. It's a bitter pill to swallow, even for him. But he's dealing with it anyway. But I know he's not gonna let it define who he truly is. He's Prince Eternal Flames, a stallion of courage," Sunset said, patting her boyfriend's back.
“And, the same stallion who was willing to destroy his own home, slaughter innocent lives, and even destroy his friends and family; all for revenge,” Moises responded while not showing any negative expression.
"Dude, cut him some slack!" Flash intervened. "It's not his fault some jerkwad tried to kill him when he was born!"
"Forget it, Flash. He's right. There's nothing noble about me. I've done nothing but cause misery and destruction. But I'm not gonna let it happen anymore. I'll let my actions do the talking from now on when I bring back peace and resurrect someone who's like a brother to me," Eternal said in acknowledgment of his blunders.
"Still, you shouldn't have to carry the load on your own. You've got friends now and a loving girlfriend who would lay down her life for you," Halo said.
"And I'm gonna make sure she doesn't resort to that," Eternal said.
"Talk is cheap. As you said, you need to let your actions speak," Moises said, unchanged. “However, even letting your actions control your path is not a path of redemption.” He added as he turned to face Eternal eye-to-eye. “While I do not trust you, but I do see the promise of your wish to make things right. So remember this, Prince Eternal Flames: “To truly find peace, one must learn to find peace within. And know that by finding your peace within you, you shall learn to never let the past control your future”.” He stated before facing away from the prince and observing the land below. Eternal nodded and planned to take those words to heart.
Later on, the group finally arrived back at the rich city. There, Princess Luna is at the front steps of the castle, patiently, awaiting their arrival. Moises smiled at the sight of his old friend and couldn't wait to greet her.
After touching the ground, the 5 ponies got off the carriage and Moises quickly went over to Luna, exchanging a nice hug with the moon princess. "It's been quite a long time, dear Moises. You certainly look well," Luna said.
"And you're looking just as lovely as ever, princess," Moises replied. "I trust your sister is doing rather well, too, right?"
"She's still feeling a little guilty over the loss of Inferno Blaze. She never got a chance to properly apologize to him after… well, you already know," Luna pointed out. "But anyway, shall we head off to our… destination?"
“Lead the way, your Grace,” Moises replied.
And so Luna leads the group through the gate and into Canterlot, where they walked through the great capital. Halo and Flash were astounded by the city’s majestic buildings and towers, while Sunset and Eternal felt like they were traveling through memory lane of the years they once shared in this city in their childhood. It wasn’t long until they have arrived at the steps of the Royal Palace, but as they drew near, the group are then met with a sight that made them stop for a moment.
There, near the steps of the Royal Palace, was a memorial statue of a pony on top of a large pedestal; the statue itself was made of pure silver. But of course, this was no ordinary memorial statue of a pony, this was one for their friend, Inferno. The statue itself was an identical copy of the hero himself. His clothing, his smile, and his noticeable scar on his left eye. At the base of the pedestal, written in bold letters, was a message that read.
Here lies the Shadow Guardian of all Equestria.
Forever keeping a watchful eye.
Protecting the innocent souls of the land.
Soon out of nowhere, the group watched as three young fouls approached the statue, each placing down a single white rose at the base of it before bowing their heads and leaving.
Just from the sight of this piece of art hits Eternal right in the heart. The guilt weighed down on the prince even harder, remembering the ultimate sacrifice he made to save his life. But even so, it devotes the prince that much more to accomplish his goal. "Soon, Inferno… soon," Eternal said quietly.
He then went ahead and caught up with the others, finishing up his mourning moment. After he had joined up with them, Sunset walked closely alongside him, understanding the pain he was feeling. It’s hard to experience the loss of a friend, but it’s more difficult to be reminded that they’re gone.
"Say, Princess. If I may ask, is the… caverns somewhere in this castle or outside?" Halo asked.
"You'll see. But we can't talk about it here. The walls may have eyes and ears," Luna said.
“Uhhh, I don’t get it?” Flash replied.
“What she means Flash, is that caverns are restricted to all, as in… they’re kept a secret,” Sunset whispered to the confused human-turned-stallion.
"And for a good reason. A hoofful of bandits and corrupt outsiders once stole the key to that sacred place and even found the caverns. They tried their hardest to take it, but they couldn't even make it past the first few traps," Moises whispered "The Moon Gem's power is very real. And I should know, considering how I once experienced that power. It was too much for me, so Luna and I decided to lock it up and keep it out of hooves reach,"
Flash was horrified by this information. For such an artifact to wield that much power, he now understands why they kept it hidden in the first place. And now they are about to enter the caverns to claim it; what a strange turn of events.
Eventually, the group followed Luna over to the library in her castle. "Ah, of course. Twilight's most favorite place," Sunset joked.
"Does she love books that much?" Flash asked.
"Almost as much as she loves my brother," Eternal replied.
Luna chuckled at the group getting along. However, she brought her focus back on the task at hand, looking through the archives for the secret switch. Luna finds it easily and pulls on it. The bookshelf then slowly moves aside, revealing the entrance to the restricted archives.
"You learn something new every day," Flash commented, wide-eyed.
"And remember… never divulge this secret to anyone outside the castle, period," Eternal said. Flash nodded. The group followed Luna inside the restricted section, as soon as they entered, the entrance seals itself up.
"Moises, follow me," Luna said, walking towards the fireplace. The others assumed she needed to discuss something, so they didn't think much of it. Moises approached Luna and then pulled out a kind of shining key made entirely out of crystal. Luna took it and revealed a hidden lock on the side of the fireplace. The others watched in shock as to what they saw. Luna inserted the key and turned the lock.
The fireplace went out, then came a rumbling noise. Once Luna took the key out and gave it back to Moises, the fireplace opened up and revealed a staircase going down a dark cavern.
The 4 other ponies in the room were shocked and bewildered by the fireplace turning into a hidden staircase. Soon Sunset turned to the others and whispered to them all quietly as she possibly could.
“Okay, from now on, we do not speak of this to Princess Twilight, or else she’ll completely lose her mind.” She whispered.
"Agreed. She can be a real handful when it comes to something like this," Eternal whispered back, thinking about all the times he had to help his brother keep his girlfriend in check.
"Come along, everyone. But for your safety, stay behind us. I know the traps of the cavern inside and out," Luna stated. Everyone did as she asked and followed her and Moises into the crystal caverns.
Inside, the place is lit up by these torches on the wall with blue flames. The place gave the group the chills like they know they shouldn't be here, despite being in the capable hooves of Princess Luna and Moises. "Everyone, halt!" Luna exclaimed. Everyone did so and bumped into each other, one after the other,
"What's wrong?" Sunset asked.
"Look," Moises added, illuminating the room. In front of them was a floor puzzle.
"Wait, why don't we just levitate over the thing?" Sunset suggested.
"That won't work,” Moises replied as he levitates a sizeable rock off the ground and casually hovers it across the floor, only for what appears to be a metal arrow shot out from the walls and shattered the rock on impact; which had everyone jumped and spooked.
“Well fuck,” Flash said in disbelief.
"What about magic barriers? Or were those arrows enhances with neutralizing magic shields?" Eternal asked.
"I'm afraid you're right, dear nephew. The only way to get across is to step on the right stone. Luckily, I know the puzzle. Memorize these symbols so you won't get hurt," Luna said, showing the group her list of symbols from top to bottom. There were 6 symbols. From the top, they all see a picture of a monarch. 2nd, a symbol of a clock, 3rd a ruler stick, 4th, an arrow pointing up, 5th an arrow pointing down. And finally… the 6th symbol was the sun.
"Hey, I think I know what it means. Let me go first," Eternal said, figuring it out. "Trust me, I know I can do this!"
"I… I suppose it couldn't hurt," Luna said, concerned. Eternal nodded and walked forward. He looked down at the puzzle. "Just don't say it out loud. The arrows will fire if you recite it while doing the puzzle."
Eternal proceeded and recited the puzzle… in his mind. 'A monarch's…' he steps on another one carefully. 'time…' Then another. 'as ruler…' and so on. 'rises… and falls… like the sun.' he finished and made it safely to the end of the maze. Everyone was relieved.
"He did it! He did it! Hey, now that you figured it out, how about you tell us how to--" Flash said before Luna stopped him.
"As I have said before, this cavern doesn't condone cheating," Luna said. "Follow my lead," Luna replied before starting. The others followed her one at a time, making sure they wouldn't crowd her.
After the floor puzzle, the group had to make it past a few spiked pits and ceiling axes. Then over a pit of poisonous snakes, hopping on boulders over a lake of lava, fought off a few cave monsters, etc. Until they had arrived at what appears to be a dead-end from their perspective.
“Great! Dead end. Now, what do we do?” Flash asked.
"Calm down, Flash. Maybe there's more to this," Halo said.
“You are very correct, young Halo,” Luna replied as she walks up the cave wall and placed her hoof on it. “What you see may look like the cave’s end; however, it is the entrance to the chamber where the Moon Gem lies. But to open it, you must recite the message ingrained on the wall to gain entry.
"Alright. What's the catch?" Halo asked.
"Recite it right and the doors will open. Recite it wrong… and the floor below us will collapse, along with the rest of the cave. It will rebuild itself tomorrow, but time is of the essence and we can't risk getting it wrong. Only one pony can recite the message. And it has to be you, my dearest nephew," Luna explained.
"Reason being?" Sunset asked.
"Only one pony can enter the cavern. The reason being… well, it's ingrained on the wall. And it's written in ancient Ponish. Eternal, do you still remember the language."
"Sure. I memorized them for years, so I'm pretty fluent in this sort of thing. Wish me luck," Eternal said before looking at the wall. The wall started to glow, showing ancient Ponish words, none that Flash or Halo could understand. "To decide to become a hero is an easy task, but in the darkest and blackest of times, a hero must truly put his skills to the test… by thinking with his heart." he recited.
Right after he finished, the wall grew brighter and then a small rumble emitted as the walls split open, revealing the dark, empty room inside. Only one light was emitted in the whole room, a light emitted brightly by the one and only Moon Gem.
"WE DID IT!" Flash cheered.
"Hold on. Something isn't right. That was too… easy. I'm going in to check it out," Eternal said, proceeding with caution. As he entered the chamber, suddenly the entrance into the chamber is then sealed by a caged door. Causing the door to
"ETERNAL!!!" Sunset shouted in fear.
“HEY WHAT GIVES!?” Halo screamed.
“What the…” Eternal said.
"I didn't think you'd make it this far, Eternal. But you surprise me every time," a voice echoed throughout the room. Then later, hoof steps echoed throughout the chamber.
"That voice! It can't be!" Eternal exclaimed, looking around to see where it was coming from.
Then walking out from the shadows, was a single unicorn pony. But he was no simple pony. And the way he looked was all too familiar.
His mane, his fur, his clothing, his stetson hat, and more preferably… his distinct scar he had on his left eye. Although his eyes… they were as black as night. And his pupils were glowing purple. And he had a threatening glare that was nothing like the pony he knew.
“So we meet again… old friend,” Inferno said.
Author's Note
Here's another chapter to my story. I hope you all enjoy it. Big shout-out to my good friend TheShadowKnight for helping me out, be sure to follow him for a job well done. And as always, thank you all for your patience and support, stay tuned for more and brony on.
A Glimpse of Hope
The entire group, including Eternal Flames, stood there in disbelief to see their old friend standing in the room, face-to-face. "It… It can't be, how are you alive?" Eternal asked, trying to approach him.
All of a sudden, the Inferno in front of him started laughing sarcastically. “Alive? I’m not alive… After all, I’m dead… because of you.” He replied in a dark tone.
"W-What did you just say?" Eternal asked, making sure he heard that right. "Inferno, look. I know I made a mistake back then, but I'm going to make it right. I'm going to bring my old friend back… the man who I acknowledged as a brother… and I still do. Please, try to understand," Eternal tried to persuade.
“Really! Well, you weren’t like that when you joined Grogar, the very demon who murdered my father and destroyed MY LIFE!!!” Inferno shouted, echoing throughout the chamber. “And for what? Just so you can get back at one pony who murdered you as a child! Going so far as to destroy your home, your family, and our friends… Including the one mare you loved!” He stated while he began walking towards the young prince.
Eternal didn't realize that he was backing away until his 4th step. "Inferno, I know I've done some horrible things and I'm sorry. I should've made better choices, but all that I did was give into my hatred and almost killed what's most important to me. But I promise you, I won't make the same mistake again. Just trust me on this and we can be a family again! I can't afford to lose you again!" he extends his hoof out.
“Trust… You? Trust you?! TRUST YOU?!!! I had trusted you before, I shattered every bone in my body for you, I bled for you, I willingly sacrificed my life for you!” Inferno shouted. “And yet… You took my trust and threw it away, just like you did when you tried to kill me back over at Grogar’s castle!”
"No! No! Please! I'm sorry! I beg your forgiveness!"
“IT'S TOO LATE FOR SORRY!!!” Inferno shouted as he then drew his swords.
"I didn't want it… to come to this…" Eternal paused, looking down at the ground in shame, his tears flowing. "...but… whatever it takes. I will show you that I'm not the same ruthless tyrant I was tricked into being anymore!" Eternal looked back up, his horn lighting up in a red aura. "Even if I have to shed my blood to prove it. " At that moment his horn was surrounded in a brighter red aura, shaping it into a kind of sword horn.
The two stood still for a while before Inferno charges forward and delivered a downward slash at Eternal, who blocked the attack. He swung his sword horn to force Inferno off of him, then charged at his enraged comrade. Inferno does a backflip to avoid him, landing on his four hooves before he and Eternal were engaged in another stand-off.
Inferno remained driven by his hatred for his former ally causing his demise. He charged at him again, but this time, Eternal deactivated his sword horn and charged straight at him. Inferno slashed at him with his sword, but Eternal leaped overhead with a frontflip, then followed it up with a leg sweep and then a double-kick, sending Inferno flying.
But he quickly caught himself in mid-air and landed perfectly on all fours, coming straight at Eternal Flames once again. The prince turned around and watched as Inferno slashed and him with his sword some more, but he kept dodging, trying to keep himself from getting hurt. But then, one of Inferno's attacks got him on his shoulder, almost at his neck. Eternal grunted and backed off.
"ETERNAL, NO!!!" Sunset shouted in panic. "Luna! Please, stop them!" The moon princess stared down in shame, shaking her head left and right.
"There is nothing I can do to stop this fight. Eternal has to finish it on his own," Luna stated.
“She’s right. That there is not the Inferno Blaze you truly know; he’s merely but a construct of Inferno’s rage. This chamber has an enchantment to force whoever enters to experience their worst fears. For Eternal, he fears that he will never be redeemed, so the chamber forces him to see his best friend scolding him and blaming him for his demise.” Moises explained.
"Seriously?! Isn't that a little… overkill?" Flash asked, worried.
"There's nothing else we can do but to watch, Flash. I know it's unfair, Eternal's doing this, not just for Inferno, but all of us. I don't want to see him hurt, but we have to consider how he feels about all this," Halo explained.
As they all wait outside of the chamber, the two stallions inside continue to duel without anything holding them back. Inferno was still gaining the upper hand with his sword, leaving slash marks on nearly every part of Eternal's body.
All he keeps doing is backing away and trying to dodge. "I can't… keep dodging… forever. Gotta… think of something. But what?" Eternal asked himself, panting heavily.
"Quit jumping all over the place and hold still so I can hang your head on the wall as my trophy, you damn traitor!" Inferno snapped.
"No… I'm not giving up! The fate of our worlds could be at stake! If I give up now, who'll be there to look after my friends and family?" Eternal stood his ground, though barely able to keep his footing steady.
"Tough talk for the heir of a demon lord,” Inferno said, and then all of a sudden, he places his swords away in their sheaths. “Then tell me… Will you be willing to risk your very life for them?” He added while tilting his head towards the entrance of the chamber where the others were.
"With… Without a doubt!" Eternal replied, heading over towards Inferno, slowly building up speed and lighting up his horn.
"Then this is where it ends… FOR YOU!" Inferno draws his sword once again and slashes at Eternal, but then he vanishes at the last minute. "What the?! Where'd you go, you coward?!"
"Surprise…" Eternal whispered from underneath Inferno. He realized too late and felt Eternal kick him upwards into the air, then felt Eternal leap up towards him and land a right hook to his face, sending him down to the ground before landing in front of Inferno, panting heavily.
"Damn it… I should've… seen that coming! Damn you…" Inferno grunted. "Go ahead. Finish me off, already."
Eternal approached him and then… he offered his hoof. "I won't allow that to happen. Because we're not enemies… we're friends… allies… brothers. What do you say?" he asked. Though his body stung from all the sword slashes, he still had enough strength to offer his friend a helping hoof… which soon put a warm smile on his face.
While Inferno had not responded; however, he took Eternal’s hoof and looked up to him. His expression was different and so were his eyes. They were the expression and eyes of the friend that Eternal once knew.
“Guess I was right to trust you… Brother.” He said before his entire body started to fade away before he vanished into thin air.
"The task is complete… you have passed the test," a voice echoed throughout the room. Soon, the moon gem above shined brightly and floated down towards Eternal Flames. He grabs it in his magic aura and stares at the legendary gem. "Take heart, for you have proven your worth. But remember… the trials you face in the future will prove to be far greater than you can handle on your own. Now… venture forth… and good luck… Eternal Flames."
The voice then faded away and right afterward, the room began to shake and rumble, the floors beginning to crumble. "Uh-oh. Quick! EVERYPONY, WITH ME!" Luna exclaimed. Eternal ran towards his aunt. She lit up her horn and soon, everyone was teleported out of the cavern.
"We're NEVER… doing that again," Flash commented.
"I'm with you on that, Flash," Halo said, who was shooked up from that experience.
"The important thing is we got the Moon Gem. So now, we just have to find the 5 demon crystals and we'll have everything we need to bring Inferno back," Sunset said.
"Easier said than done. We still have a titan demon to worry about. Speaking of which, do you think the girls alright? I mean, we did leave them alone back at our world with that monster," Flash pointed out.
"Monster? You mean there's more danger?" Luna asked.
"I'm afraid so, Princess Luna. But that's exactly why we also need the Moon Gem. Hopefully, it'll give us a fighting chance to hold off the monster and save our friends," Sunset said.
"Very noble, but the question is can your sweetheart use it? Though you managed to obtain it, the power inside it is still poisonous to anything demonic." Moises said.
"He's got a point. I think it's better if you guys use the Moon Gem. I'll stick with whatever demonic powers I've got left," Eternal said.
"What do you mean? Are you saying you're running low on demonic powers?" Halo asked.
"Makes sense. When your friend here used his magic to grab the gem, it weakened his demon blood inside. And once it runs out… you'll be mortal again," Moises said. "But something tells me you won't take it easy after that."
"Afraid not. He's not gonna stop until he's gotten the job done," Flash said.
"Then, what are we waiting for? We've gotta go back home, now! The others might be in terrible danger for all we know," Halo urged.
"Alright. Sorry to chat and run, but we'll come and visit you after we've sorted out this mess. Thanks for your help, Luna, Moises," Sunset said.
"It was my pleasure. Now, go. Your friends need you," Luna urged. After giving the moon princess one last goodbye, the group left the entire library and travel throughout the castle to find the mirror portal.
Meanwhile, back in the city, the rest of the group had been chased throughout the city by their monstrous fiery foe. Splitting up had done them no good; they tried leaving many obstacles to slow him down, but that failed, too. They tried losing the Titan Demon by taking turns in alleyways or any backways in the city, but its amazing agility and brute force allowed it to crash through some of the buildings.
The ruckus wound up stirring the attention of the U.S Army and gave the group some time to escape from the monster. But it only slowed it down for a little while and left behind more U.S army casualties.
As for the Demon Crystals, Rainbow Dash was able to hide them in a secure location at one of their secure places before rejoining the group. And after a while, they all met up at Canterlot Mall, the place where they would sometimes hang out. With over 50 to 100 stores in the building, the mall was theoretically a maze; a perfect place to hide from a 9 ft tall demon.
After hours of running, the group hid in a mattress store where they could take a breather and rest their legs.
"The big guy is seriously persistent! Does he ever run outta juice?" Blazing Waters asked between breaths.
"Not with all that demonic rage fueling him," Rainbow replied.
"I… don't like… saying it… but… for the first time… I'm pooped," Pinkie panted.
"Hopefully this place is big enough to keep that monster busy. And hopefully, we're well-hidden enough to rest up for a while," Copper Plume said, slumping down on one of the mattresses.
"Ah don't think Ah can run another step. All this scamperin' 'round, scramblin' through the city has tuckered me out an' now Ah'm hungry," Applejack said.
"We haven't had anything decent to eat for 6 whole hours," Frostbite said.
"6 hours? Ugh, no wonder my stomach's eating itself," Israel groaned, rubbing his stomach.
"Well, we could always send a couple of us out there to find some food," Fluttershy said.
“I concur. We can’t keep going on with this without having a delicacy to eat.” Rarity stated.
"I agree. I need some food right now," Lightning said, rubbing his rumbling stomach.
"Let me go. I can get us the food while you guys rest," Heat said.
"And I'll tag along to keep you safe. It's too dangerous to go out there alone. Plus, with my telekinesis, I can probably ward off the monster if it spots us," Twilight said.
“Alright, but I don’t want you getting hurt, okay?” Heat replied.
"Don’t worry, I won’t,” Twilight responded.
“Do hurry back, darlings. We don’t know how long that demon brute finds out we’re hiding here.” Rarity informed them.
"We will. Thanks, Rarity," Twilight said. She and Heat then left the mattress store and snuck through the mall, walking silently as they could; doing all they can to avoid being detected.
The Titan Demon was on the first floor, lurking around and growling, trying to find its next victims as usual. Heat and Twilight could hear its angry roars echo throughout the building, believing that the beast was having difficulty finding them.
“Guess coming here wasn’t a bad idea,” Twilight whispered, softly.
"I agree. What's the nearest restaurant?" Heat whispered.
"The food court's not far from here. And if I had to guess, I'd say the burger joint should be the closest one," Twilight whispered. “It’s right next to the taco joint.”
“Of course. The two best meal joints had to be near each other.” Heat replied quietly.
The two silently sneak to the food court, taking a few stops once or twice to ensure that their footsteps weren’t making any increasing sounds. And in no time, they reach their destinations. "Okay, I'll go and grab some food from the taco joint, you get some burgers," Twilight instructed.
"Fine by me. Just make sure you stay hidden if that thing shows up," Heat replied. Twilight nodded and head inside each of the restaurants.
In the Taco joint, Twilight headed into the kitchen area where she might have some luck with finding some fresh tacos the cooks might've left behind during the pandemic. But when she got inside, she heard a small commotion coming from the backroom of the joint. It almost sounded like a few people are having a conversation.
She got curious and headed into the back room to see what was going on, but kept her head down low if they were hostiles. After checking inside…
"GET OUT!" a female voice yelled before said girl threw a food tray in Twilight's direction.
Twilight ducked her head down to avoid the tray, and in a quick move, she used her telekinesis to grab the tray in midair before it made contact with the floor. The science girl let out a sigh in relief as if she had just dodged a bullet.
"Do you have to be so loud?" Twilight whispered loudly to whoever was inside. Right from under the tables, Twilight saw three girls pop their heads up, revealing themselves. Twilight recognized them as the Dazzlings that Sunset told her about in the past. Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk. "You! What are you girls doing here?"
"Aren't you the brains or something? Or are those glasses just for show? We're hiding here, why else would we be here?!" Aria snapped.
"Shhhh, okay, but tone it down! There's a demonic monster out in the mall!" Twilight shushed.
"Monster?!" Sonata exclaimed before cowering under the table.
"Shhh!!! I told you to be quiet! Do you want that thing to find us?" Twilight shushed again. "How long have you girls been here, anyway?"
"About 3 days, ever since the entire city had been evacuated. So I and these two had been laying low here for a while, living off everything this building has to offer.” Adagio replied. “However, before this, all happened, we heard about the event happening at the ruins. With you and your friend’s macho showdown with Grogar himself.” She added
"It wasn't a cakewalk, that's for sure. We barely managed to defeat him and… well, I'll tell you later, but first, why don't you come with me over to the mattress store with the rest of my friends so you can rest there," Twilight offered.
“Really?! Do you think we would come with you willingly? After what your friends did to us a year back?! I don’t think so!” Aria replied.
"Listen, I know we got on some bad terms, but we don't have time to argue when there's a demonic adversary out there waiting to kill us. What's more important? Your pride or your life?" Twilight asked.
"She's kinda right, Aria. We're not gonna last long in here once all the tacos are out. Maybe, we should leave with her.” Sonata proposed.
“Well, I only have one opinion… I DON’T GIVE A SINGLE SHIT!!!” Aria shouted at Sonata. So loud that it echoed throughout the mall.
On the first floor, the Titan Demon was stomping through every store, growling furiously from his failed efforts to locate his prey. Until he later heard the echoes from Aria’s shouting, which caught his full attention.
Twilight, at this point, lunged at Aria and covered her mouth… or at least she tried to. "Shhhhh, I told you to keep it down! You're gonna get us all killed! What the hell's the matter with you?"
“Please, it’s not like it can hear us,” Aria stated. Until she was proven wrong when the four of them could hear a loud booming roar echoing across the entire mall and could hear heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.
“Uh… not to sound like a know-it-all? But… I think it can hear.” Sonata exclaimed.
“What… was… that?” Adagio asked while starting to feel a bit frightened from that roar. Twilight glared at Aria and with all her frustration taking over, she slapped Aria across the face.
"I told you to keep it down, but you just wouldn't stop shouting like some spoiled, rotten brat and now you're gonna get us all killed!!!" Twilight said, gritting her teeth, staring at Aria with her angriest death stare.
The rumbling noises grew louder until eventually, the door leading to the kitchen area was pulled clean off. Lo and behold, the Titan Demon spotted its prey. The girls backed away against the wall with nowhere to run or hide. Luckily, the monster was too big to fully fit in and could only fit one of its arms through the doorway.
Even so, the girls couldn't get any closer, otherwise, they'd be toast. "Okay, I believe you! Just do something to stop this freak of nature!” Adagio shouted.
"I can't do anything, my telekinesis can't even lift something that huge!" Twilight panicked.
"That's what she said," Aria uttered.
"NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR JOKES, YOU LOUD MOUTH!!!" Adagio shouted in anger.
"Do something, please! I don't wanna die! I haven't even gotten to taste the Hot-Cha Taco Supreme yet!" Sonata pleaded in tears.
The Titan Demon roared at the girls as it reached out its arm to try and capture one of them. But before it could even graze one of them…
"Hey! Johnny Blaze! Over here!!!" a male voice called out. The monster backed away and turned around, finding Heat Blitz outside in the center of the food court. "You wanna dance with someone, dance with me!" he shouted. The Titan Demon growled and chased after Heat.
“HEAT!” Twilight called out for him as he led the demonic beast to the other side of the mall. A great sense of worry grew inside of her.
"GET OUTTA THERE! NOW!!!" Heat yelled out.
“Who is he?” Adagio asked.
“My boyfriend!” Twilight replied.
Adagio looked shocked from hearing that. “Really? Woo, you picked a fine one.” She responded.
"Thanks, but let's get outta here while we still have the chance!" Twilight urged. This time, the Dazzlings didn't even argue and just followed Twilight out of the taco joint and in the direction of the mattress store.
Meanwhile, with Heat, the monster was catching up with him quickly. As he ran, he sees up ahead a mall balcony that leads down to the first floor. At that moment, Heat had a clever idea popped into his head. "Come on, you overgrown candle! Catch me if you can!" Heat taunted, despite his lack of energy.
The Titan Demon eventually caught up to Heat and swatted him so hard he knocked him 25 feet away from him. But he was far from through with the young man. He chased after him some more while Heat was barely able to spring back onto his feet and bolt further down. Even when he was nearly out of breath, Heat managed to get to the glass railing of the balcony and there we turned around and watch the Titan Demon charging forward; and he waits for the right opportunity to make his move.
Once the monster was only 5 feet away, it leaped at Heat with its entire body weight behind it. Heat took this chance to leap to the side and watched as the Titan Demon crashed against the glass railing and fell 4 stories below, hitting the ground hard.
After jumping to the side, Heat crawls towards the edge and looks over it to see the Titan Demon’s body lying lifeless on the first floor. However, Heat knows that the demon was not dead and it would eventually wake up soon. And he knows he nor everyone else are not sticking around here when that happens.
With the little energy he has left, Heat ran off, navigating through the mall and heading in the direction of the mattress store. There, his friends, along with his sweetheart, were all shocked to see Heat in his current state. He had a couple of slash marks on his cheeks and his shirt. The monster had somehow drawn blood when it swatted at him. He limped over to the group, exhausted and worn out before falling to the ground.
Twilight rushed over to him in worry and helped him up onto his feet and leading him to one of the mattresses in the store.
“Heat, are you ok?! What happened?” Twilight asked.
"I'm… I'm okay. But that… that thing packed a punch. It slammed me quite a ways when it chased after me. I'll… I'll make it." he panted. Twilight helped take off his shirt to check for any other injuries. It looked like the monster might've bruised his ribs. As for the slash marks, he's lucky they're not deep. Twilight then heard the sound of his stomach rumbling loudly
“How did you managed to escape the Titan Demon?” Frostbite asked.
“I didn’t. I lead it to one of the mall’s indoor balconies and tricked him to run off the edge and plummet 4 stories below.” Heat replied.
"That means we're safe… for now, at least," Fluttershy said.
"That was one hell of a risk ya took back there. But we're glad yer back," AJ added.
"Also, did you guys manage to find food?" Israel asked.
“Nope, but we found them,” Twilight said before turning over to the doorway and kept her volume down as she called out. “You can come in now,” she said.
And after a quick second, the Dazzlings walked into the store, making themselves known to the others. When the rest of the girls saw them, they immediately gave the three death glares.
“What the heck are they doing here?!” Rainbow asked, quietly.
"Hiding… Like we are right now. But they've been here for 3 days," Heat intervened.
"And it was this one who almost got us killed with her big, fat, loudmouth!" Twilight gestured to Aria Blaze.
“How was I supposed to know that there was a demon monster in the building?!” Aria rebutted.
“Well, she did keep telling us that there was a demonic monster in the building,” Sonata informed her.
“I know that, Sonata!” Aria responded.
“So… Never thought that these troubled times would end up forcing us to cross paths again.” Adagio stated. “Although, I am curious as to why Sunset Shimmer isn’t with any of you.”
"She's probably with her boyfriend or something, but we don't know where," Rainbow said.
"It's possible they might be looking for the Demon Crystals, too," Blazing replied.
“Didn’t ya forget? She, Eternal, Flash, and Halo are back in Equestria searching for the Moon Gem.” Applejack informed them.
"Hey, that's right! The Demon Crystals aren't the only things on the list!" Copper agreed.
"But that does beg the question: if they get the Moon Gem, won't it leave Eternal Flames in a weakened state?" Pinkie asked.
"She's got a point! Demons can't handle any kind of power that comes from the moon because of its purifying energy! I just hope Eternal didn't touch the thing," Twilight said with concern.
"Who's this… Eternal Flames?" Adagio asked.
“And what the heck are you talking about Demon Crystals and Moon Gems?” Aria asked out of curiosity, too.
“And who are these boys with you?” Sonata asked as well.
"Don't panic, but… we're the missing boys from 3 years ago. We were all under Grogar's control and became his elite soldiers… or in his case… slaves. We also happen to be the girls' sweethearts as well." Israel explained.
“Oooh, you girls have been busy while we were away,” Sonata replied.
“You still haven’t answered the rest of our questions,” Aria responded.
"Eternal Flames was the former Demon King and is now our ally… as well as Sunset's childhood friend, turned boyfriend," Heat explained. “And from what we learned from the Sunset, he’s also the son of one of Equestria’s rulers.”
“Wait? Are you saying that this Eternal is a prince? And Sunset is dating him?” Adagio said.
"Yeah, why?" Heat asked.
There was a long pause until, "...That lucky little bitch!" Adagio exclaimed.
Everyone was surprised by Adagio’s reaction, but not more so than Aria and Sonata.
“Whoa, did not expect that,” Aria responded.
“Ooh, sounds like Dagi is feeling a little jealous,” Sonata stated.
"Shut up! I am not jealous! I'm just disappointed how Sunset can be so picky about her boyfriends since I thought she was dating Flash," Dagi replied in denial, blushing.
“Well, you missed a lot, Adagio.” Pinkie stated. “And a lot has changed. Plus, some people in the brony fandom hate shipping Flash with Sunset, or even Twilight.”
Adagio was left confused about what Pinkie said. “What?” She responded.
"It's Pinkie Pie, sometimes, she just spouts random stuff we don't know about. It's best not to think too much about it. It can hurt your brain," Copper said.
“What’s the matter, Adagio? You feeling lonely.” Fluttershy asked out of curiosity.
"N-No, of course not! W-Why would I be lonely?" she tried to deny.
“Really? That’s not what you said last 3 nights ago, Adagio. You were crying on your bed, complaining that you’re never gonna meet a boy perfect for you.” Aria stated.
"J-Just shut up! Are we gonna keep talking about my love life or can we talk about why do you all need Demon Crystals and Moon Gems for?” Adagio said.
"Good point," Rarity replied. "Well, the Demon Crystals are demonic artifacts that can enhance the abilities of certain individuals. But the power coming from them is demonic, so anyone with even the slightest darkness within them is empowered and corrupts them. Heat Blitz was one such victim when he grabbed one of the crystals with his bare hands and almost tried to choke one of our friends."
"And the Moon Gem is said to be a gem with pure moonlight energy radiating in and out of it. It could have similar effects to the Demon Crystals but with fewer consequences," Heat explained.
“We didn’t ask what they do. We asked what do you all want to use them for?” Aria stated.
Of course, it left all of them silent and stunned for a while, which left the Dazzlings confused and curious. After minutes of silence, Applejack was the first to answer.
“We need them ta bring back a friend of ours. He’s also a friend of Eternal’s, well at first he was supposedly his bodyguard.” AJ replied.
“So you’re gonna teleport him here from whatever he’s from?” Sonata asked.
“No… He’s dead.” Heat replied.
The Dazzlings were now left gasping and shocked from what they heard.
“He sacrificed his life to save Eternal and me, along with our world and Equestria. And we’re trying to bring him back.” Heat explained.
“I… I…” Adagio tried to speak, but she could not. These girls had brought nothing but trouble to her, Aria, and Sonata. And just hearing that one of their friends is dead, she instantly felt sympathy for them, even though she doesn’t wish to.
Aria was a bit stubborn, but she felt awful for the Rainbooms. And she felt guilty that she didn’t know that a friend of theirs had passed away. She had conflicting emotions going through her head.
As for Sonata, she expressed her emotions more than the other two. She felt utterly sad for the group’s loss and felt complete sympathy for them.
“We’re sorry for your loss. We… didn’t know.” She responded to the group.
"It was a tough time for all of us. But Eternal was the one who was hurt the most. Inferno was like a brother to him and he's been constantly beating himself up for getting him killed," Lightning Burn said.
"None of us expected him to make such a bold sacrifice. But as soon as we've collected all of the crystals and the Moon Gem, we'll finally bring him home," Twilight said.
“Um… Not wanting to make to intrude, but… What was he like?… this Inferno you all know.” Adagio asked.
“And from what Sunset told us, he was an outlaw back in Equestria. And he called himself, ‘The Shadow Knight’, Equestria’s deadliest assassin. And a demon hunter.” Rainbow explained.
"He was a skilled fighter for one thing. He was also pretty distant from others. But over time, he slowly opened up to some of us, even showed how caring he can be and so devoted to others,” Fluttershy said.
“He’s also a poor soul. He lost everything back in Equestria and was framed fer a crime he didn’t commit, so he was forced on the run.” Applejack added.
“But he always seems to know when to do good for others, and he’s risked his own health time and time again to ensure our safety.” Twilight proclaimed.
"He sounds like a real hero," Sonata commented.
"He was. And we have our friend Starlight Glimmer to thank for helping him come out of his shell after showing so much affection to the boy," Rarity said.
“But after his death, Starlight never showed a single smile. No matter what we tried to do to at least make her feel happy again; her broken heart is beyond repair until we bring Inferno back.” Pinkie stated.
"There, there, Pinkie," Copper said, comforting his sulking sweetheart with a nice hug.
"Again, we're sorry you lost your friend," Sonata said, feeling sorry for everyone.
"Thanks for your sympathies, Sonata. Anyways, why don't you girls take a rest here and--" Fluttershy said before her stomach's rumbling interrupted her.
"Say no more, I'll go and look for some grub for us, this time," Rainbow said.
“Do it quick. We need to leave. The Titan Demon may be unconscious for now, but I’m not sure for how long.” Heat stated.
"You got it. I'll be back before you can say "Demon," Rainbow said confidentially before using her geode's power to bolt out of the store and off into the food court where she breezed through most of the restaurants and then came back in just 7 seconds with a handful of bags of food.
The Dazzlings were shocked by this.
“Yep, we missed a lot,” Aria said.
"What matters is we got more food!" Sonata said happily.
"Yep. Don't fret, everyone. There's plenty for everybody. I've got burgers, hot dogs, tacos, pizzas, submarine sandwiches, french fries, and some water bottles to rehydrate us," Rainbow said proudly.
"Dashie, you are a lifesaver," Blazing said.
"Yeah, good job, Rainbow," Heat added.
“Thanks,” She replied.
“Alright, now that we have food, can we leave this place please,” Fluttershy spoke.
Before anyone could answer, they all could hear the Titan Demon’s angry roars echoing from the first floor. Seems that it finally woke up.
“Looks like we might have to,” Israel stated.
“No, wait. Listen.” Twilight said.
Soon they could hear the demon’s heavy footsteps echoing in the mall, although they sound like it’s moving away from where they are. Soon the sounds start to die down until they cannot be heard anymore.
“He left the mall…. I mean he just left.” Rarity said.
“Guess he learned his lesson when Heat forced him to fall off the balcony.” Frostbite proclaimed.
“Or maybe somethin’ else drew his attention.” Applejack replied.
"But what could that Titan Demon be interested other than us?" Rainbow asked.
"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Twilight said.
“Well, as long as we get a chance to rest and eat, I don’t care what he’s doing right now,” Blazing stated.
"Whether that's our empty stomachs talking or not, he's right. I'm starving. Let's eat," Aria said. After their little chat, the group sat at the mattresses and munched down on their meals.
Meanwhile, with Chrysalis and Celestia, the two women had arrived at the Canterlot Mall, only to be surprised to see it in shambles. "Goodness. Uh, Chrysalis, if you'd like, we can postpone our shopping until this place gets fixed, or if you're feeling adventurous, we can just get your new clothes now." Celestia offered.
"I've seen messier, so why not," Chrysalis said.
“Splendid! Then let’s not waste any more time.” Celestia stated as she grabbed Chrysalis’s arm and drags her inside the building as the two women ran through the hallways of the mall. "Looks like a tornado hit this place. But, nothing the construction workers can't fix once everything cools down in the city and everyone comes home. Why don't we start with the JCPenny's over there?" she suggested, pointing to the 2nd store on the left.
"Whatever floats your boat," Chrysalis replied.
Celestia chuckles at her statement.
“Oh, you are enjoyable. I like ya already.” She said as she walked into the store.
Chrysalis was stunned by what Celestia said. But more so when she felt her heart skip a beat after Tia said that and she doesn’t notice that her cheeks turned pink. She shook her head and felt very confused.
‘What is wrong with me?’ She thought to herself. 'This should not be happening to me! I never showed any emotions other than what I'm used to.' Chrysalis' eyes just wandered from Celestia to the ground, then back to Celestia again, then at the store and back at Celestia once more, her mind was trailing all over the place. It's as if nothing makes sense to her anymore.
“My life is a mess.” She whispered to herself as she follows Celestia into the clothing store. The two women browse through the empty store for any clothes that might appeal to Chryssie. Celestia then stopped at the women's clothes and found a couple of cute clothing outfits and showed them off to Chrysalis.
"What do you think of these, Chrysalis?" Celestia asked, showing her a black and green dress and a teal dress.
“Uhh… It’s… nice?” Chrysalis replied.
"Alrighty. OH! And look at these?" Tia said excitedly, running towards some more clothes and picking them out and showing them to Chrysalis. "I think these will suit you wonderfully, don't you think?" she asked with a slight giggle.
“Uhhh…” Chrysalis tried to find words to reply.
“Oh look there’s a changing room nearby. Why don’t you try these on.” Tia added.
"A-Alright then," Chrysalis nodded. Celestia pulled her over towards the changing room and showed her inside one of the stalls before waiting outside for Chrysalis to come out with her new outfits.
After a few minutes, Chrysalis appears out of the changing room, wearing a gray sweater with a black high neck tank top over it and wore a blueish-green skirt with high thighs on her legs and dark aqua blue shoes.
"Wow… you look… you look… ADORABLE!!!" Celestia exclaimed, hugging Chrysalis happily, giggling in excitement.
“Thanks,” She replied.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I have something that would go well with your new outfit.” Tia stated as she reaches over to a display stand with a variety of hair brooches and picks out a sky blue colored flower brooch with light cyan colored leaves. Then she carefully places it on Chrysalis’s hair and then steps back to see how it looks on her.
“What was that for?” Chrysalis asked.
“Oh, nothing… except it makes you even more beautiful,” Celestia replied. Now Chrysalis could feel her face heating some more after hearing her praise.
“...” She could not say a word. She was left speechless. No one back in Equestria has ever called her beautiful. Let alone hugged her in such a manner. In doing so, this strange sensation in her chest started beating. And now this left her with even more curiosity? What was it and why is it doing this every time she's near Celestia like this?
“Uh… I… I… T-t-thank you.” Chrysalis stuttered in response.
“Say now that we found your new clothes, and we have plenty of time. Why don’t we go around and explore the place and have some quality fun while we’re at it.” Tia proposed.
"Fun? What kind of fun?" Chrysalis asked.
“Well, there is no one in this place, and all the stores just so happen to be abandoned. Which means we have this whole place to ourselves and we can do whatever we want.” Celestia explained while she had her arm around the back of Chrysalis’s neck and hugging her close. “What do ya, say?” She asked.
"Hmm… very well. I've got nothing better to do," Chrysalis said.
“Excellent! Now… Lets… get… WILD!!!" Celestia exclaimed in excitement.
'Wild? What does she--' Chrysalis thought before Celestia took her by the hand and pulled her off to the hardware store across from the JCPenny's. There, Celestia went and grabbed a couple of tools like a crowbar, a power drill, and some bolt-cutters.
Chrysalis didn't get what was the woman planning; although, she can’t help but feel very anxious about Tia's idea of "fun".
“W-what are you planning?” She asked her.
"Let's just say, I've had some lousy luck at the arcades when I came here sometimes. I even got cheated out of some of the crane games, so I'm gonna… take back some of what they owe me. And to make sure no one's watching us… I'd like to operate in the dark. Help me find the fuse box that's linked to this entire mall," Celestia said with a devious smirk.
Chrysalis was incredibly shocked by this new side to Celestia. And the strangest thing was that she can’t help but find this… very intriguing.
“You… Are an evil person,” Chrysalis said before she too had a devious smile on her face. “And I like it.”
"Glad you think so… Chryssie," Celestia replied with a wink.
Chrysalis felt flustered but in a good way. And soon, the two women ran out of the hardware store and searched all over the mall for the main power source. It took some time to find the electric room, but they managed just splendidly. Naturally, they had to break down the doors using the tools they had on hand. Once inside, Chrysalis did the honors by turning off the power, including the cameras.
Now the mall was easy pickings for the two wild devil girls. Their first stop… the arcade. Chrysalis smashed open boxes containing money while Celestia stole some of the cash in them before smashing up some of the crane games.
"This is what they get for cheating me out of my favorite plushies!" Celestia said before she turned around and smashed up a few other arcades games; especially going far as pushing one of them over on its side. Tia then turns to Chrysalis and hands her a crowbar.
“Wanna give a swing to these arcade games? It’s very good for relieving any stress kind of stress you might have.” She asked while handing Chrysalis the crowbar she had. Chrysalis took a glance at the crowbar, then stared at one of the arcade games that had the same pink-ish purple color as a certain unicorn mare she knew. One look was all it took to fuel her rage and take her anger out. She rushed off, screaming menacingly as she smashed one of the arcade games with so many blows, it was even beyond recognition, let alone beyond repairs.
Celestia was astounded at Chrysalis' ferocity when she smashed the game like that. She was beginning to like her more and more as much as she was growing a bit scared.
“Woah. That is a lot of anger you kept inside. So… How do you feel?” Celestia asked the woman in front of her.
"I… I feel so… GOOD!!! Perhaps we should smash something else while we’re here. If this world was in tatters more often like this, we could even hit up more places! Perhaps another arcade machine, or set furniture on fire, or rob a bank!” Chrysalis replied randomly, getting all too excited.
“Okay, I think you’re overthinking a bit,” Celestia responded. "I'm all for having a fun time, but I don't think we should go that far and rob banks. But I do like your enthusiasm."
"Glad you think so. Were you always like this in previous years?" Chrysalis asked.
"I do remember being… rebellious in my youth. My mother would scold me for being out so late, but what can I say? I was a crazy kid back then. I've been keeping my inner demons locked away for so long that I eventually let loose. And you know the result," Celestia said.
“Well, maybe now is your time to finally let loose and don’t have to worry about any consequences,” Chrysalis stated. “Right?” She added.
“Hehe… Yeah, I guess it is. Although, it would have been more enjoyable if this whole town didn’t have that ‘Apocalypse ’ atmosphere to it.” Celestia replied.
"You're right about that," Chrysalis chuckled.
“Well, shall we explore this place more and see what else it has to offer?” Celestia proposed.
“Oh… yeah,” Chrysalis replied with a devious smile. And of course, the two dangerous women went to every other store in the mall, finding what else they could destroy or spend some quality time together. But what they didn't know is that the group in the mattress store could hear the sounds of stuff breaking.
In the hallways of the mall, Chrysalis and Celestia were racing with shopping carts which they stole from the clothing store; both were acting like children having fun, laughing and giggling as they did.
Soon, they both took a wrong turn and crashed into a wall as they both rolled across the ground until they were flat on the ground; with Chrysalis laying on top of Celestia as they continued to laugh and giggle from that crash they had. Soon their laughing starts to die down slowly when they make eye contact with each other.
Chrysalis soon felt her heart begin to beat ever so fast when she sees Tia’s cute expression when she giggles, and her cheeks begin to blush.
Tia, on the other hand, found Chyrssie’s flustered expression to be quite enjoyable and can’t help but giggle even more. But soon the part-time school principal became enchanted by Chrysalis’s eyes… her… beautiful green eyes.
"Chrysalis… I honestly mean this; you're incredibly beautiful," Celestia said, mesmerized by Chrysalis' beauty.
"U-Uh… thanks. You're the only one who's ever called me beautiful," The former Changeling Queen replied, sheepishly.
“Well… uh… maybe everyone you met in your life is blind to see that. But I can show you what it's like to… y-you know.. to be loved,” Celestia replied, anxiously.
Chrysalis’s cheeks turned even redder and her heartbeat became even faster than before. “I… I…” She tried to find words to reply, but she was completely speechless.
The two women stared into each other’s eyes, having a silent moment with one another. Not noticing the group of teens that were standing 5 feet from them, watching them have their tender moment.
"Ahem!" a male voice said. The two women jolted, sitting upwards before looking to find the young teens watching them… and one of them was a very disappointed son, arms folded and glaring intensely at the principal. "I hate to ruin the moment… mom. But what the hell do you have to say for yourself for wrecking the mall like this?!" Heat asked in a stern tone.
“Uhhhh… I… Got bored?” She replied, anxiously.
“Also, who’s the pretty lady?” Pinkie asked suspiciously.
"Uh… girls, t-this is Chrysalis. She's… a brand new friend of mine. I accidentally bumped into her on my way home when I was driving and nursed her back to health." Celestia explained.
“Wait, you ran her over? Great, we’re gonna get sued.” Heat stated.
“Calm yourself, boy. She and I are cool.” Chrysalis responded.
“And not to be rude, but… Were you two having a moment before we showed up?” Israel asked.
"Uh… we were. And… listen, Heat. I know this looks bad, but…" Celestia tried to explain, until she saw the injuries on her son's face and body, gasping in horror. "Heat, what happened?! Who's done this to you?" she asked, going over to check on him; with her Mama Bear mode fully activated.
"I was attacked by that monster that's on the loose. That thing's getting stronger and faster the longer it roams out there. Whatever it sees, it kills. And I almost lost my life today," Heat said,
Shocked from this information that he gave her, Celestia pulled Heat into a tight hug and not even daring to let go.
“Oh, my poor child. That is the last time mommy is letting you walk into town alone.” She stated.
"Mom, not in front of the others!" Heat whined, blushing.
'Hold on, did my ears deceive me, or did he just call her "mom" just now?' Adagio thought. "Uh, Heat Blitz, was it?" she asked, getting his attention. "You just called Celestia your mother, does that mean you have a brother named Eternal Flames?"
"Yeah?" Heat said, quirking an eyebrow. "But my brother's been missing for weeks, I don't know where to find him. He and my dad got in a nasty fight about what he thought was best for my brother and tried to force his company onto him. He got so mad that he just… snuck out and left without a trace," he explained.
"O-Oh, I see," Adagio said.
"Why are you asking him? Are you developing the hots for some mystery man?" Aria asked.
"Hey! No fair! I should be the one to ask him out!" Sonata whined.
"Silence! Both of you! I don't need to take this right now!" Adagio snapped.
"This ain't the time to be talkin' 'bout relationships! We gotta get outta here or that monster will come back to git us!" Applejack shouted, breaking them up.
"Uh, what she said. If you saw the size of that monster, you'd run for the hills like we've been doing for hours! That monster chased us nonstop throughout the city!" Rainbow said.
"Very well. But you might want to let your families know where you are and tell them you'll be staying with me.” Celestia proposed.
“Please tell us you have a vehicle outside because I cannot bear to run another mile again,” Rarity asked. "My poor, aching feet are killing me."
"I do, but I can only carry 3 of you," Celestia confirmed.
"Heat's too injured to walk home and that monster might attack out of nowhere, so Heat and I will tag along for protection. Rarity, you can come too, if you're too exhausted from running," Twilight said.
"It's fine by me.” the fashionista replied.
“Says you. What about the rest of us?” Rainbow asked. A question that had everyone think as well. Leaving everyone silent, until Fluttershy walked over to a window which showed the parking lot outside and soon she sees something and then informs the others.
“Ummm…. What about that?” She asked as she pointed out the window.
Everyone walked over next to her and look out the window to see an abandoned large RV parked outside the mall parking lot. Seeing this made everyone relieved and happy.
“All praise for RV dealers!” Copper Plume proclaimed.
"Amen to that. You take Twilight, Heat, and Rarity and we'll take the RV," Israel said. "Applejack, since you're experienced in driving trucks, you should operate behind the wheel."
"Fine by me. Everyone, follow me!" AJ said. Their plan is now set in motion and Celestia and Chrysalis leave the mall with Twilight, Heat, and Rarity. Meanwhile, the rest of the group followed AJ out into the parking lot and reach the RV. AJ looked through the window and666 saw that the RV had the keys in the ignition. "Fellers, lady luck is on our side."
AJ then opened up the door to the RV and everyone else came in with her. They all took their seats on either the RV's couch, table, and on the comfy bed. AJ started the ignition and followed Principal Celestia to her house.
Once they all drove away from the area, an extremely pissed off Titan Demon was stomping out of the mall; its body engulfing more flames and its yellow eyes glowing even more as it’s temper had reached a whole another level as it lets out a loud, mighty roar that echoed throughout the entire city of Canterlot.
Meanwhile, with Sunset, Eternal, Flash, and Halo coming out of the portal, the hairs on Eternal's body stood way up and he felt the intense anger and wrath of the demon. He stood in place, his whole body trembling.
"Hey! What's the matter?" Sunset asked.
"...This anger… it's strong. Very strong! We've got to find the others, quick! That fiery beast is close and it's bloodthirsty!" Eternal said, looking shook up.
“Okay, but we don’t know where they’re at?” Halo replied.
"Do you have some sort of...ability to track down demonic energy?" Flash asked.
“Our friends don’t have demonic energy. Besides…” Sunset stated as she pulls out her cellphone. “We have phones.” She added.
“Oh, right… I forgot.” Flash responded sheepishly.
Sunset dialed her friends on her phone and waited for them to pick up. Finally… "Hello?" she heard Fluttershy say on the other end.
"Fluttershy? Are you okay, is everyone alright?" Sunset asked.
"We're okay, but we had an encounter with the Titan Demon. It attacked us and almost made Heat Blitz one of its victims!" Fluttershy informed.
"What?! Is he gonna be okay?" Sunset asked.
"He's okay. He's with his mom now. We're heading to Celestia's house to take shelter from that thing, what about you? Is everything okay?" Fluttershy asked.
"We're fine. We managed to find the Moon Gem with a little help from some friends. Did you girls find any Demon Crystals?" Sunset asked.
"We managed to find 2, just 3 more to go," Fluttershy said.
“Good, message me your location so we can arrive there soon. Take care of yourselves.” Sunset stated.
"We will. And be sure to tell Rainbow Dash that Eternal's with me and not out there trying to kill you so it'll shut her up about it," Sunset said.
"That, I can do. See you later," Fluttershy said before both girls hung up.
"What was that all about? What's Rainbow done this time?" Flash asked.
“Nothing important. Right now we need to head over to Principal Celestia’s place before the Titan Demon finds us. Let’s just hope that the Moon Gem can make us blind to it.” Sunset stated.
"I hope so, too," Halo said. The group of friends then head off, following Sunset to Principal Celestia's house. During their travel, they heard the sound of gunfire, as well as the monster's ferocious roar.
"Sounds like our fiery fiend's found some company," Eternal said.
"Or maybe they found it," Sunset said. The group continued their way down the path and then turned the corner, seeing a couple of military vehicles parked in the middle of the road and U.S soldiers firing their machine guns in the distance. "Go, go, go! Let them handle the monster!" And the group did as they were told and kept ongoing.
While everyone was heading for Principal Celestia's house, Sombra had searched the perimeter of where the 3rd Demon Crystal was. He found it inside a building in the chairman’s office under the big desk inside a briefcase. And right now, Sombra is traveling by dark crystals, carrying the package to Light Ray.
'Light Ray, the mission is half complete. I've got the 3rd crystal and I'm bringing it back to you,' Sombra said through telepathy.
"Perfect. 3 down, 2 to go.” Light Ray replied through telepathy.
'What should I do with the remaining 2 those girls collected?" Sombra asked.
"You can easily get the last 2 crystals, but they might go and check on them, so get your little demonic friend and lead him to them. And remember… leave… Sunset… out of this. Do not allow that thing to kill her."
“What does this Sunset Shimmer mean anything to you? Why do you wish only for her health and not have her die with her friends.” Sombra asked.
“That’s something beyond your curiosity and always will be. So you should not question my orders, period. After all, Sombra… I’m the one that pulled you from the dark pit… And I can send you back without hesitation.”
"...Fine. But what if she's with the group?"
"Bring her to me… That'll make things easier."
"...Very well," After receiving his orders, Sombra ventured off in the direction of where the Titan Demon is located. "It'll only be a matter of time… all in good time," Sombra said to himself.
"SHOOT IT DOWN! SHOOT IT!!!" a soldier shouted. In the district where the monster was, the soldiers kept firing at it, trying to wear it down, but the bullets just seemed to bounce off and make the titan demon angry. It roared, trying to cover its face, and then made a reckless dash for some of the soldiers. They jumped out of the way and watched it collide with one of the bunker trucks, almost knocking it on the side.
The soldiers kept firing at the monster, even tossing flashbangs at it. But this only made it even angrier. And to top it off… it seemed to grow larger, reaching 9 ft tall. It turned around and stared down at the soldiers, growling. Some of the soldiers backed away, just to fire at the beast from a safe distance.
It roared again and slammed its fists to the ground, causing an earthquake, and then shot fire right from underneath the ground. The temperature from the fire shooting from the ground was hotter than a solar flare.
"GANG WAY! GANG WAY!" one of the soldiers shouted when they heard a heavy tank driving towards the monster. The other soldiers cleared the line of fire and waited on the signal.
"FIRE AT WILL!!!" the commanding officer shouted. Right away, the tank operator fired the cannon and made a clean hit with the monster, knocking it back in the explosion. But it quickly got back up and ran towards the tank and grabbed the cannon part of it and lifted the whole thing off the ground. Although it struggled to do so, it barely managed to slam it back down over its head, rattling the soldiers inside. It then began smashing its fists into the tank, shattering most of its parts.
"Nothing can stop this thing, we're hitting it everything we've got!" another soldier said.
“The only option left is a goddamn nuke!” a second soldier replied.
"Are you mad, soldier? There are still some people in the vicinity. You want us to bomb ourselves to kill it?!" the commanding officer asked.
“I’m just pointing it out!” The soldier shouted in response, right before the Titan Demon jumped right next to him, towering over him before bringing both its arms upward.
"LOOK OUT, SOLDIER!!!" the commanding officer said, pushing him out of the way while the demon slams hard on him instead.
"SIR!!! Damn you, you son of a bitch!" the soldier said before firing at the monster's head. Without even turning to him, the monster grabbed the soldier's arms and hoisted him above the ground, and stared him dead in the eyes, growling. "For the land of the free, you bastard!" he said to his executioner. The monster then bore its claws and slashed at the soldier, then slammed him down on the ground before stomping on his body over… and over.. and over… and over again. His body was completely squashed and bloodied up beyond recognition.
"Lieutenant… N...No!" the commanding officer grunted in pain, reaching out to one of his fallen, brave soldiers. Just then, a strange black crystal shot at the demon, confusing the commander. "Wh...What?" he asked.
The monster turned quickly and noticed a man in a black hoodie. The soldiers couldn't tell who it was under the hood, but that didn't stop the monster from chasing after him. The hooded figure ran off, leading the monster away from the soldiers, allowing them to lick their wounds.
"Sir!" one of the other soldiers called out, helping his injured commander. "Sir, are you gonna be alright, should we go after it?"
"N-No! We head back to base… and… bring our fallen comrade with us… He sacrificed his life… to save mine. Gather as much of him as you can and put him in a body bag," the commander said, still hurt from the attack. The rest of the soldiers saluted him and then helped the dead soldier into a body bag before returning to base.
With the soldiers retreating from the battle, most of the group had finally arrived at Principal Celestia's house to settle down, save for Sunset, Eternal, Flash, and Halo. And of course, after Sunset called Fluttershy earlier, she gave Rainbow Dash the message that Eternal was with her and not out in the city.
Despite that, Rainbow remained skeptical. For all she knew, Sunset could be lying to cover for her boyfriend's guilt while he's out on his rampage. She never really heard his voice in the background. But she said nothing to her friends so they wouldn't have to deal with her annoying hubris.
"So, this is where your principal lives, huh? A rather nice place," Adagio said.
"Her husband and Heat’s father runs a rich company, so they did have the money to afford a good home like this,” Twilight replied.
"So, where is the father right now?" Aria asked.
"I don't know and I don't care. That bastard drove one of my boys away with his hubris and selfish ambitions instead of letting him find a career for himself!" Celestia said sternly. "He's not the same man I fell in love with anymore. He let those repulsive boarders get to his head about his business and he tried to get my oldest son involved in it, too!"
"If he's that foul, then maybe you'll get lucky if that monster running around town puts him down for good," Aria said.
"Aria, that's not very nice. He may sound like a mean and nasty guy, but deep down, he's still their father," Sonata said.
"Hello! Real fathers don't force their ambitions onto their kin an' make them run away! Ah say, that feller needs a good smack upside the head to teach him manners," AJ said.
"Is he that bad?" Frostbite asked.
"From what we've gathered, yes. It's gotten so bad, they split up. Celestia may be a principal, but she's a mother first," Twilight said.
"Thank you, Twilight. At least you guys understand my situation. As for you, Chrysalis, thanks for showing up in my life and helping me vent out my frustrations. Perhaps after this whole pandemic is over we can settle down and grab a coffee together," Celestia said, smiling at the former changeling queen.
“Uh… hehe… S-sure.” Chrysalis stuttered in reply.
Soon Celestia walks out of the room and into the kitchen, to grab refreshments for everyone while they wait for Sunset and the others. Once the single-mother and school principal walked out of the room, Chrysalis then lets out a gasp for air as if she had to hold her breath for hours and she was clenching onto her chest as she felt her heart beating fast yet again.
"Hey, is it me, or is Chrysalis acting strangely around Celestia?" Copper whispered to Pinkie.
"She's clearly in love with her, silly-willy, but don't say it out loud, the walls have ears," Pinkie whispered back.
“Heat is not gonna believe it when he finds out she's got the hots for his mom,” Copper whispered in response to Pinkie’s statement
"What are you two talking about?" Heat asked.
“Nothing!” Copper and Pinkie replied.
"Uh… right," Heat said before everyone heard knocking on the door.
"I'll get it," Blazing volunteered. He quickly went for the front door and opened it up, but outside… no one was there. "That's odd… must've been a prankster." He then closes the door and is about to take a seat when he heard another knock on the door. Blazing turns around and opens the door again. Nobody was there. "Okay, this is just getting ridiculous," he said, annoyed as he closed the door… again.
This time, he waited for the right moment to open it up, and then… he opened it wide, catching a hooded man off-guard. "YOU!!! You think this is a--" Blazing said before the man cut him off with a black crystal barrier popping out from the ground. He stumbled back and hit the floor.
"Blazing, you okay?" Rainbow asked, running over to him.
Chrysalis, on the other hand, instantly knew who is the hooded man, and her eyes widen in shock as to what he was doing.
"I'm fine, just pissed off, that's all," Blazing replied, She helped him back on his feet and looked out the door, seeing the dark crystals dispersing and retreating into the ground, only for the black-hooded man to disappear. But then… the rumbling started again. This time… it was much… MUCH bigger.
As the rumbling continued, Celestia rushed into the living room, confused and anxious about what was happening. “What’s going on? What is that rumbling?” She asked.
"Oh no! Not now! Not now!" Fluttershy said, panicking, curling up into a ball.
“How does that damn thing keep finding us!?” Frostbite shouted.
“It didn’t find you,” Chrysalis responded in a remorseful tone of voice. “It was… lead here.” She stated.
"Wha… Wait, that would explain why that hooded man was here! Crap, we've got to evacuate the house and fast!" Lightning said, slightly panicking.
"Well, I hope we can do it in time because that monster is a few yards away from us. But it doesn't look like it knows where we are exactly," Israel said.
“But where can we go? There’s no other place left to hide!” Rarity stated.
"I don't think we have a choice anymore… There's only one solution: we fight to escape!" Rainbow said
“Dash, have you lost yer marbles!? We all have seen how strong that monster is and how dangerous it is! Fighting is the last option we use!” Applejack responded.
"You got a better idea?" Rainbow asked.
"I got one… but it's pretty risky," Israel said.
"What do you mean?" Pinkie asked, worried.
"You'll see…" Israel said before breathing in deeply and bolting out of the room and shouting like a lunatic in the streets, getting the monster's attention.
"IZZY!!! NO!!!" Fluttershy shouted quietly.
"HEY THERE, BIG GUY!!! IM CRAZY, I'LL BE TRIPPIN'!" he shouted all coo-coo, obviously gaining the monster's attention.
The monster roared and chased after him as a means of distracting the thing. "He's off his rocker to get that thing to go after him!" Applejack said in shock.
"Maybe, but he's buying us some time! Let's go! We'll get him after we're safe and sound from that thing!" Copper said.
The group hesitated at first, but they didn't want to let this chance go to waste. "Alright, but we retrieve Israel afterward! I don't wanna lose him again!" Fluttershy said. The whole team nodded in agreement and left the house. The group headed in the opposite direction of where the monster was chasing their friend but kept their sprinting as quiet as possible. They couldn't take the RV and risk gaining the monster's attention with the sound of the engine starting.
As they were all running, Chrysalis halted for a second before turning her head towards the direction behind her. Back before, she never had cared for others, but for some strange reason, she felt like she cannot allow the boy’s life to end.
“What am I doing?” She asked herself as she mumbled a spell incantation and soon a small glowing green orb forms in her hands and then she has it levitating into the air. Then she mentally has it flying in another direction.
Meanwhile, in the other direction from the group. The Titan Demon was gaining upon Israel, who was nearly out of breath. The large demon swiped and attempted to grab him while they were running. Israel was starting to believe that this was it for him; however, fate decides to spare him. Out of nowhere, a glowing orb floats in front of the ferocious monster and makes it chase after it instead of Israel.
No longer hearing the Titan Demon chasing behind him, Israel stops to catch his breath and turns around to barely see the monster in the distance and the mysterious glowing speck that it was chasing.
"Where… W-What?" he asked before slumping down on his behind, panting heavily. Confused as to why the demon grew tired of him and when chasing after a glowing orb. Just then, Rainbow Dash zoomed right behind him, helping him back up on his feet.
"Don't ever do something that crazy again! You could've been killed!" Rainbow said.
"Perhaps you don't know me so well… but CRAZY… is my bread and butter!" Israel panted between heavy breaths.
"Whatever, just come with me," Rainbow said before bringing him back with the others. After they left, a dark hooded figure watched the whole scene and then slammed their fist against a brick wall in anger.
"Curses! I was so close! No matter, they’ll lead me to the crystals and when they do, I’ll release the ‘dog’ on them once again. " Sombra grumbled silently before disappeared into shadows.
"You gave us all quite a scare, you reckless knucklehead. Even Fluttershy was worried about you, too," Rainbow said.
"My bad. I just wanted to give you all a chance to escape from that big palooka," Israel said, feeling a bit guilty.
"Well… it worked for the most part. But next time, I'll be the distraction. I'm way faster and can make a clean getaway," Rainbow said.
"Okay… And uh… where did you hide the crystals?" he asked.
"I'll tell you later, but right now, let's just get out of here before demonic King Kong decides to come back for another playdate,” Rainbow stated.
“Wait! We need to warn Sunset. They don’t know that the house isn’t a safe-haven anymore.” Pinkie responded.
"I'm on it!" Rainbow said, getting out her phone. She dialed Sunset's number while Pinkie helped with Israel. Rainbow waited anxiously until Sunset answered.
“Rainbow, why are you calling me? Me, Eternal, Flash, and Halo are just about a block away from Principal Celestia’s house.” Sunset said.
"Change of plans, Sunset! Some freak show in a hoodie lead that monster to Celestia's house, we've gotta find a new place to take shelter! Let's meet up at the school and decide where to go from there!" Rainbow suggested.
“The school? We were just there!” Sunset groaned over the phone.
"I know, it's a pain, but we don't have any other option! Unless you wanna meet outside the Sugar Cafe as a better option," Rainbow suggested.
“Ok, we’ll regroup at the Sugar Cafe and then we head over to the school. Sounds like a plan?” Sunset proposed.
"Sure. See you there," Rainbow agreed before hanging up. "Pinkie, tell everyone--"
"Already taken care of," Pinkie cut her off before handing Israel over to Rainbow and bolting off towards the group, letting them know where to meet Sunset and the others.
"Copper's girl in action… he sure is lucky. I dunno how he can tolerate Pinkie's unpredictable nature, really," Israel commented.
"Yeah well… that's love for ya. And they've got big plans for when they turn 18. I have a pretty good feeling what they plan on doing," Rainbow implied, chuckling.
"IZZY!!!" Fluttershy shouted, running over and hugging the crazed loon. "Do you realize how dangerous that was? What were you thinking? Wasn't losing you once to Grogar enough?" she asked, tears running down her face, both crossed and sad.
"I… I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I was just… I… I never wanted you or anyone else to get hurt. I thought I could create a distraction long enough to give all of you a free getaway," Israel said remorsefully, hugging Fluttershy back. "Listen… if it helps, I won't try anything that stupid ever again, okay?"
"O… Okay," Fluttershy whimpered, still hugging him tightly, never wanting to let go. This adventure was becoming more and more dangerous for everyone and who knows what else is in store? They can only hope, things won't get far more worse from them on…
As the adventure continues...
Author's Note
Apologies for the long wait. Had to upgrade... again. But anyways, thank you for your patience and support and remember to stay tuned for more chapters to come in the future and remember to always keep on bronying on now and forever, my fellow bronies.
The Darkness Spreads
In a matter of almost 10 minutes, the group drove towards Sugar Cafe, which was sadly closed. But still, the important thing was that they had a place to lie low for a while. They all took a breather and rest. Although, Frostbite wanted to keep an eye out; wanting to be sure if the Titan Demon wasn’t nearby. There’s no point in feeling safe if they aren’t too sure they are out of the lion’s den yet.
“Is it out there?” Lighting asked out of curiosity and concern.
“Nope, it’s quiet out there. It must be somewhere on the other side of the city,” Frostbite replied while not moving his eyes away from the glass window.
"Let's hope so.” Rarity responded.
As they all stood or sat quietly in the abandoned restaurant, they all jump to their feet when they heard the bell on the door ring while it was opened. However, they were relieved to see that it was Sunset, Halo, Flash, and Eternal. After they entered, they closed the door behind them. Sunset, Halo, and Flash walked up to the others, while Eternal looked out the window to see if anything nearby had heard the bell rang.
But for one of the group, Principal Celestia, she looked shocked when her eyes met with Eternal Flames, almost filling to the brim with tears. "E...Eternal? Is… Is that you?"
Eternal looks around, then later point to himself. "You mean me?" he asks in confusion. Principal Celestia quickly runs over and wraps her arms around him, confusing him even more. Nearly everyone in the building looked both shocked and confused themselves, like how does she know Eternal. But for Sunset, Flash, and Halo, they knew all too well that since Principal Celestia has a pony counterpart and her son has the same name and possibly appearance as her real son.
"I've been so worried about you! I've looked everywhere for you! I thought I had lost you for good when your… your father drove you away!" Celestia wept. At that moment, Eternal understood perfectly what was going on.
"I… I'm sorry, but… whether I look like him or not… I'm… not the son you're looking for. I'm his pony counterpart." he said with regret, which made Celestia pull away, looking even more heartbroken. "I don't mean to upset, but I'm not the Eternal Flames you're looking for. But that doesn't mean I won't do everything in my power to help you find him."
But his words of assurance only brought disappointment to Celestia as she turns away from him and walks over to one of the table seats and sat down. Chrysalis, feeling saddened to see her in such a state, approaches the principal and sat down beside her while holding her hand and embracing her to give her comfort.
"Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut and let her have a moment of clarity," he said, feeling a little regretful.
“Sometimes things happen, man. And we can’t do anything to undo them. We can only try and do better,” Halo responded to his statement.
"I guess you're right," he says, looking down, still.
“Did you guys have any luck with finding that gem you're looking for?" Blazing Waters asked.
"Yup, we got it right here," Sunset said, showing the others the gem, but only for a short time before putting it away.
"Ooh, shiny!" Pinkie said.
"It's shiny because it's brimming with some kind of pure magic. Eternal even touched it with his magic and he felt weakened because of it. And since he was near it for quite some time, his demonic powers are weaker as well," Flash said.
"That doesn't sound good?" Israel said.
"Yes, it does. At least now he--" Rainbow almost finished her sentence, but got deadly glares from the girls. "I… nevermind."
"What was that about?" Halo asked.
"Rainbow Dash refuses to accept that Eternal might not be the Titan Demon! She's just too stubborn to drop the damn subject and it's getting on our nerves! At least during the start of this whole search," Twilight said.
"Seriously? Didn't I already say that Eternal was with me the whole time? What's gonna take to get it through her thick skull?" Sunset asked.
"Hey! I'm trying to be cautious, okay?" Rainbow defended herself.
"And how, exactly, are you being cautious? We're listening, Rainbow Dash," Sunset said, folding her arms, frowning.
"Look, for all I know, I… I don't like having to say this, but… you might just be covering his tracks, allowing him to probably come after us. Or maybe his inner demon is going out of control and he doesn't even know it himself! Call me paranoid if you want, but I don't buy that he's innocent in all this!" Rainbow admitted.
"Rainbow… I swear you're so pig-headed and close-minded! He was with me and I have Princess Luna as my witness!" Sunset argued back.
"Are you sure?" Rainbow asked, squinting her eyes.
"For the 100th damn time, YES!" Sunset yelled.
"ALRIGHT! ENOUGH!!!" Eternal shouted, his eyes turning demonic red for a second before turning sapphire blue after panting heavily out of frustration.
"Changing the subject, I'm assuming you're the prince that Sunset's dating?" Adagio asked, smirking slyly at the young Rambo.
"My title's not important right now, but yes. Who are you, exactly?" Eternal asked, backing away a bit.
“Adagio Dazzle, but you can call me Dagi if you like,” She replied.
“But I thought you hated being called that?” Sonata asked.
“Shut it, Sonata!” Adagio responded, aggressively. "Anyways, may I ask what your name is? Or if you'd like, I can call you Rambo."
"That… won't be necessary. My name's Eternal Flames," he introduced himself.
Before Adagio could reply again, Sunset gets up into her face with a calm face. “And I’m Sunset Shimmer… So back off.” She stated before her calm expression turned to a death stare.
"Don't tell me he's your… your…" Adagio strained to say.
"My boyfriend? Yes! So stay away from him, he's mine!" Sunset said, protecting her lover.
'Damn, why is it always the good-looking ones that are taken?' Adagio thought to herself.
"If we're done talking about relationships, what are we supposed to do now?" Copper asked.
"First things first, we have to find the rest of the Demon Crystals. Rainbow Dash, remember the ones we found already? Where'd you hide them?"
Rainbow Dash looked outside the window for anyone who might be listening in on them. As far as she was concerned, they were alone. She gestured for everyone to come closer and then… "I've hidden them at the school in my locker. They should be safe over there for now." Rainbow Dash whispered.
“You hid them at the school?! What if that Titan Demon finds them there? That monster would destroy the whole place!” Celestia exclaimed.
“I don’t think the Titan Demon wouldn’t find them there,” Sunset stated. “Canterlot High has been exposed to Equestrian magic several times. Perhaps now there is so much positive magic that surrounds the place, it should keep the demon crystals hidden and prevent their negative energy from ever being detected.” She explained.
"Hey, that's right! Twilight, try using that Demon Crystal Detector you made!" Pinkie said.
"Ok, I will,” Twilight replied as she pulls out the device and does a quick scan reading to see if it can pick up on the crystals’ signatures and so far… There was no trace of them on the radar. Especially anywhere in the area where CHS is. The demon crystals were undetected. "Sunset was right! The positive energy is blocking the Demon Crystals' signal!"
"I guess Rainbow does know what she's doing… given the circumstances," Eternal admitted.
"What's that supposed to mean, traitor?!" Rainbow asked, glaring at Eternal.
"No! Uh-uh, no fighin', an' no finger pointin'. Ya ain't got proof that he's a traitor, so shove it up yer ego, Rainbow!" Applejack intervened.
"Wow… seems like everyone's out to get--" Halo stopped when he realized something. "Wait… uh, everyone?" he said, getting all eyes on him. "If we keep arguing and going at each other's throats, then wouldn't that mean that Titan Demon'll find us by sensing our negative emotions?"
Right away, everyone fell silent in realization and backed off from each other. "I hadn't thought of that up until now," Rainbow said.
"It does make sense, though. Demons have a unique ability to feed off of negative emotions and can even smell them; depression, anger, hate, despair, etc, one whiff from any of those and we're just one big target," Israel said.
"How do you know for sure?" Flash asked, getting worried.
"I watch a lot of haunted shows and movies, I know what to expect. The real trick is finding out when to expect the danger to arise," Israel clarified.
“Bullshit, you had your eyes closed during some parts of those movies.” Frostbite commented.
"At first, but I kept watching them over and over until I was used to the jumpscares. So watch who you call a liar, or should I bring up that time you got so scared you pissed your pants?" Israel asked, squinting his eyes.
"Boys, stop! Did you forget already? If you fight now, you'll lead that demon back to us!" Fluttershy warned, worried for everyone.
"Sorry, but you know how I get when someone calls me on "bullshit." Israel squints his eyes at Frostbite, who now wants to sock him in the face right now.
"Enough! No more fighting. We should focus on resting up before we move out. You guys are exhausted from running away from that monster, so there's no point in going out there on low energy." Eternal said.
"And how are you not tired?" Rainbow asks.
"Demons probably have longer stamina than your ordinary mortals. But back to the subject at hand, once we've recharged, we'll send a few of us on a recon mission to search for the other Demon Crystals."
"I've got the fastest speed, so I'll go on recon," Rainbow said.
"You wouldn't even know where to start looking. Twilight, can your detector pick up on where the other demon crystals are?" Heat asks.
"Sorry, Heat. But the crystals are too far away for me to pick up on them," Twilight replied, shaking her head left and right.
"Damn it! Then how are we gonna find them?" Rainbow asked, frustrated.
"Let me help. I can pinpoint where they're located," Eternal said. "I still have some demonic blood in me, so it won't be hard for me to detect their dark energy."
“Well yes, but you also possess demon magic,” Chrysalis responded abruptly. “If you can detect the last remaining crystals, the Titan Demon would detect you as well.
"What? Damn, then it looks like I'm gonna have to go in alone. I'll move to a farther distance from here and use my powers to detect the crystals. That way that-- wait… how do you know about what the Titan Demon can do?" he asks, suspiciously before realizing who she was. "Wait for a second… how the hell did you escape your stone imprisonment?"
Chrysalis then felt anxious and became instantly silent. She now realized that this boy in the room had also come from Equestria and he was the Princess’s child. The former Changeling Queen was worried that she had been found out.
Eternal wanted to go off on her, but couldn't risk it, so he just got in front of her with his strong death glare. "We'll discuss this later. And don't you dare try to hurt anyone, or else the next time we meet, there will… be… consequences," as he said "consequences, his eyes turned from sapphire blue to deep scarlet red for a split second.
Chrysalis felt very anxious until the Celestia next to her got up and stood up to Eternal; staring at him with a cold stare.
“I know you aren't my Eternal; however, I will not tolerate you speaking to her like that. So leave her be,” she stated.
"As you wish," he backs off. "I won't sweat the details… for now."
“Eternal, would you give it a rest? We don’t have time to cause trouble amongst ourselves.” Israel responded.
"I get it. I'm heading out now. You guys stay safe." he replied before leaving the building and bolting off, away from the Sugar Cafe.
"What was that all about?" Flash asked.
"Beats me," Halo said.
After Eternal had gotten just far enough away from the Sugar Cafe, he looked around to see if there were any people within his line of sight. Luckily, the place was quiet and no signs of life could be detected. Relieved, he closed his eyes and centered in on the location of where the remaining Demon Crystals were; while making his presence known to the Titan Demon as well.
It was faint, but he managed to pinpoint their location. Taking a huge gamble, he headed up North to grab the goods. Unbeknownst to him, Sombra was watching him from afar. "Light Ray… we've got a problem; that demonic prince has your location. He's coming for the Demon Crystals right now," he says telepathically.
"That's fine. I already have a plan set in motion," Light says calmly, telepathically.
It took some time, but Eternal managed to arrive at the location. Just from looking at the abandoned warehouse, he knew there was gonna be trouble. But there's no turning back now. He approaches the front door and opens it up. Inside, he notices a faint, purple glow in one of the shadowy areas.
"That's gotta be it," he says to himself. He approaches the glowing light cautiously, keeping his guard up in case it's a trap. As he's within arm’s reach, he goes to grab the crystal, feeling its power seep into his body, but remaining in control… until something grabs a hold of his hand.
"You dare to take my treasure?!" Light Ray growled, appearing out of the shadows, but keeping his face hidden under his hood. Eternal tried to pull away, but Light proved he's got a strong grip and refused to let go. The struggle between these two caused the energy from the crystal to fuel both of their powers. But ultimately, in a desperate attempt to overpower this mysterious foe, Eternal absorbed most of the demonic energy and unleashed a powerful shock wave that sent Light Ray flying backward.
And out of his hooded robe, the other Demon Crystal rolled out. Eternal grabbed it quickly and stared down at his "beaten" foe, panting heavily, having transformed into his demon form. "You don't comprehend the dangers of these crystals, you fool!" he scolded.
Now having what he came here for and filled with stronger demonic energy, he leaps up above and breaks through the ceiling, and lands on the roof. He roars so loud, it echoes throughout the nearly deserted city, then leaps from rooftop to rooftop back to his friends until…
"Wait… no! Stop!" he tells himself before his demonic energy subsided and crashed back down to the ground, hitting against a street lamp and knocking it down. He grunts in pain a little as he gets up, rubbing his head. "Damn it, that hurt. Stupid me, I almost gave away my position."
Back with the group, everyone kept waiting patiently for their friend to return, while also letting their tired bodies rest. "Hey, I just realized… if Eternal does bring back the remaining crystals, won't that mean he's gonna lure that monster towards us?" Fluttershy pointed out, worried.
"Sadly yes, but we don't have any other choice. Either we bring all the crystals here, or we attract that monster with our negative energy and not be able to bring back Inferno." Twilight says, trying not to be scared.
"Hey, if Eternal's getting the crystals, won't that also mean his demon powers will be recharged?" Rarity asked.
“And even if we get the crystals, that leaves us with another thing to deal with…. How are we gonna use these to bring back Inferno if his body is back in Equestria?” Halo asked. “That means we have to get back there to do the ritual?”
“Well, the rest of the crystals are back at CHS and so is the portal to Equestria. That solves both our problems.” Sunset replied.
“But that means we have to get from here to the school,” Israel responded.
"I can get them. I know I already said it, but I've got the super speed and I know the combination to my locker. I'll head over there right now if you want." Rainbow said.
"Okay. Just keep an eye out for that Titan Demon," Sunset replies.
"No sweat. I'll leave him eating my dust if he crosses paths with me." Rainbow replies, being cocky as ever. She activates her geode and zooms out of the Sugar Cafe and off to CHS.
“But how are we gonna do the ritual if Inferno’s corpse is in another world, that’s still in question?” Frostbite stated.
“Hey, Sunset. Do ya still have that journal, the one ya used to contact Princess Twilight?” Applejack asked. “Can ya informed them that we have all the crystals and ask them to bring his body here?” She suggested.
"Sure, I can do that." Sunset replies. She reaches into her bag and pulls out the journal and a pen and starts writing to Princess Twilight.
"Dear Princess Twilight
My friends and I have gathered all 5 Demon Crystals and the Moon Gem. We're just about ready to start the ritual of bringing back Inferno Blaze, but we need to know how we can start it since his body is still in Equestria. And be sure to tell Starlight of the good news, she deserves to know more than anyone else.
Your friend, Sunset Shimmer."
Soon after writing the message, Sunset, and everyone standing beside her, waited patiently for a reply. They all waited in silence for what felt like a few minutes.
“Are we sure she got the message?” Blazing asked.
"Trust me, partner. Twilight got the message, it'll just take some time fer Twilight to reply," Applejack nodded.
And sure enough, within a minute, Sunset's journal starts glowing and Twilight's writing appears on one of the blank pages.
"Dear Sunset
I've received your message about the crystals and gem you found. I even told Starlight the good news about the discovery. While we can't dig up Inferno's coffin, due to it being against Equestrian laws, it won't be necessary. According to what I learned from Discord, he said that the gem and crystals will magically transport his body to your location as well as his spirit. But he also told me to warn you that only those with demonic blood can handle all 5 Demon Crystals and the Moon Gem. So be careful when you start the ritual. Starlight will be joining you soon, where are you?"
After reading the response Princess Twilight gave, Sunset turns around and informs everyone. “Princess Twilight wants to know where we are and she’ll inform Starlight about the ritual,” Sunset stated.
"That's reassuring. Starlight deserves to know about this," Twilight said. "But what about the ritual itself?"
"She… she said the ritual can only be performed by those who have demonic blood inside them. That means Eternal is our best bet,”
“But he also has to use the Moon Gem with the demon crystals, and we've seen how much damage it did to him.” Flash pointed out.
"Who knows Flash. Maybe the Demon Crystals will balance his power back." Applejack said.
"She's right. There's no telling what'll happen until we see for ourselves." Pinkie Pie agreed.
"Well, here's to hoping. I still can't believe we're bringing back Inferno! Starlight will be so happy to see him again!" Rarity said.
"All of us will. I just feel so awful when we lost him in the war," Fluttershy added.
"We all do. Now, all we have to do is wait for Eternal to show up with the goods," Israel said.
And after Israel had said that, Eternal entered through the cafe door, breathing and huffing heavily as if he had just run a marathon.
"Whoa, what happened to you?" Blazing asked in surprise.
"Don’t… gasp… Ask!” the demon-blooded young man replied.
"Dude, you booked it, you'd better rest up until Rainbow…" Halo said before Rainbow shows up with the rest of the Demon Crystals. "...shows up."
"Okay, so now that we got all the crystals and the Moon Gem, where are we gonna have the ritual?" Heat asked.
“Well the portal to Equestria is at the school, and it's the only way Starlight can go through to get here. Which means we’ll have to do the ritual at the school.” Sunset stated. After she said that, Rainbow immediately groaned in annoyance.
“Are… You… Kidding me?! I was just there!” She responded.
"I know you're frustrated, Dash, but it's also the only place that can shield our presence from the enemy," Sunset said.
"Do we have to go back? We don't exactly have the best track record at your high school," Sonata said.
"No one said you're re-enrolling back into CHS, we're just hiding there for the ritual and until it's safe to be out in the streets," Celestia explained.
“We, I do have to agree with... Uh, Sonata there. I mean are we sure the school is the best choice of hiding?” Chrysalis added with an anxious tone in her voice. And it's not about the Titan Demon.
"Chrysalis, I have full confidence in these girls, I've seen how well they've dealt with evil magic in the past. If the school is safe enough to shield our presence, then I trust their judgments completely," Celestia assures Chrysalis.
"If it means that monster won't sniff us out, it's fine by me," Aria said.
"I agree. I've got far too much planned to just die out here at the hands… or claws of an ugly monster," Adagio added.
"Then it's settled, the ritual will be held at Canterlot High," Celestia said.
With their dispute settled, the group prepares themselves and heads out of the cafe, and head off to their new safehouse at the school.
Meanwhile in Equestria…
"They found all of them?!?!?! Really?!" Starlight asked in shock and disbelief.
"Yes, Starlight, they did it. They're just waiting on you to arrive. We know how much Inferno meant to you, so they're gonna let you witness his rebirth with your own eyes," Princess Twilight said.
When hearing the news of Sunset and her friend's success in finding the demon crystals and the Moon Gem was something that adds her heart pounding faster and her spirits had risen. She couldn't bear to live out the rest of her life without Inferno, and now hearing that they can bring him back was a miracle indeed. So much so, that she leaped out and hugged Twilight tightly and cried tears of joy.
"There, there, Starlight." Twilight said, comforting her friend.
"I've been waiting for this day to happen for so long, I couldn't stop thinking about him no matter how hard I tried!" She sobbed, keeping Twilight wrapped in her hooves tightly. While she did, Heat entered the room and witnessed the whole.
"Easy there, Starlight. You're gonna hug all the air out of her. What's going on here?" Heat asked.
"Sunset… and the others… found all the Crystal's and the gem. Inferno… is… coming back!" Twilight struggled through the hug.
Realizing what she's doing, Starlight immediately breaks the hug while looking embarrassed. “Heh heh, sorry Twilight.” she apologized.
"It's okay," Twilight said. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "Come on, I'll open up the portal for you so you can jump to the other side."
Starlight nodded and smiled in agreement as she and Twilight trotted towards the castle library where the mirror is kept. Once they arrive, Twilight flips the switch and activates the portal to the human world. Starlight takes a few steps towards the portal, then stops in front of it to take one look at her friends.
"Go on, Starlight… he's waiting for you. Tell him we said "hi," Twilight nodded.
Starlight nodded back, then faced forward as she leapt through the portal.
Within seconds, she arrives on the other side, in front of Canterlot High. Crashing down on the concrete payment from that leap she made earlier. Luckily, she didn't get any bruising or scratches from the fall.
Just then, thunder rumbled in the sky, dark clouds blocked out the sun. She looks around, but stays close to the statue, trying to find the girls.
She finds them turning the corner on one of the streets and heading her way. Starlight gasped and approached the girls. "Is it really true? Am I really gonna see Inferno again?!" She asked.
"You don't have to worry… Inferno is coming home. Just follow us into the school and we'll help get this done." Sunset said, putting a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
Starlight teared up with joy as she embraced Sunset while feeling so much hope and happiness coming back to her heart.
"Sunset, you have no idea how grateful I am to you for doing this," Starlight said. Her eyes are still swelling up with tears in her eyes.
"I know, Starlight. We're all looking forward to seeing him again. And because you care so much, we want you to be the first person he sees when he's resurrected," Sunset said.
“Thank you. Thank you all.” Starlight said to everyone before her eyes laid upon Chrysalis. When she did, soon Starlight felt surprised and alerted. “What’s she doing here!?” She asked.
"I asked myself the same thing when I saw her here," Eternal said. "But look, so far, she hasn't caused any trouble here… yet. So until then, she's taking shelter with us until we've stopped the Titan Demon."
Chrysalis felt more uneasy and anxious. First, the princess’ son is here, now Starlight Glimmer; this was not her day. She now was more terrified of her past being exposed. She was now happy again and those two had to show up and try and take it from her.
"Well… fine, but I am not taking my eyes off of her for one whole second," Starlight said sternly. Putting that little incident aside, Starlight follows the entire group inside of the school, which Celestia had the keys to unlock the building. Chrysalis stayed close to the said woman for the whole time; with her fears making her more clingy to the school principal.
"In here, we'll use the gymnasium to perform the ritual," Sunset said. The others follow her inside the gym where Eternal lays the Demon Crystals down on the floor and the Moon Gem is put down by the others for Eternal's safety.
“Sooo…. How is the ritual performed again?” Pinkie asked out of confusion.
"Discord told me to tell Eternal that in order to perform the ritual, the Demon Crystals have to be spread out in a perfect circle and the Moon Gem placed in the center. Then… Eternal needs to be standing in the middle of the circle and generate his magic aura through all 6 artifacts. Then he has to repeat the phrase… Surge et renasci semper ut e novo incipere three times and say Inferno's full name." Starlight said.
"Wow, that's… a lot to take in," Heat commented in surprise.
"If that's what I gotta do, then I'll do it," Eternal said.
"Wait! What if he gets hurt during the ritual and we end up losing him, too?" Heat asked anxiously.
"Something tells me he's too stubborn to let that happen," Aria pointed out.
"But… but…" Heat tried to object.
"No buts, we're bringing him back," Eternal said before aligning the crystals around the Moon Gem in a perfect circle. The demonic prince stands in the center while everyone watches in anticipation. The pressure is really building. "You'll be home soon, my brother," he utters to himself.
Focusing all his energy, he generates his demon aura around all 6 artifacts and soon, his entire body levitates in the air, his eyes shooting out bright red magic.
"Surge et renasci semper ut e novo incipere. Surge et renasci semper ut e novo incipere. Surge et renasci semper ut e novo incipere. Inferno Blaze!!!" Eternal proclaimed in a demonic tone before letting out a loud roar before engulfing the entire area in a bright purple light.
Everyone shielded their eyes as the light intensified more and grew brighter until it engulfed the entire school. After a few seconds, a large ball of white light formed in the circle and then began to manifest into the shape of a humanoid being. Then soon it reshapes itself into an identical look of their deceased friend. Soon the white glow began to darken and change into a purple color then dark smoke began to manifest around them. Then soon the glow disappeared and revealed Inferno’s body hovering above the circle. But he looked… different.
His once golden-orange skin was now a dark greyish-violet color. His blood-red hair was now a violet color. His body was covered in dark silver armor and his eyes were as black as night with glowing purple iris. Dark greyish-violet wings sprouted from his back.
"I…Inferno? Is… Is that you?" Starlight asked, reaching out to him as she approached him. But as she was about to touch him, Inferno fell to the ground in an instant, which caused a loud thud as he collided with the ground.
"Inferno!" Starlight exclaimed, worried. She approached him and checked up on him. "Please tell me you're okay!"
Eternal, after having to cough a bit of blood after performing the ritual, witnessed his unconscious friend lying on the ground. "No! Please tell me I didn't mess up!" He strained as he rushed over towards Starlight and Inferno. He kneels down next to her and looks over Inferno who has not shown any life. “Inferno?” he said quietly.
After he said that, the former assassin’s eyes shot wide open and instantly he got up on his feet; while extending his arm up and grabbing Eternal by the neck, and lifting him a foot off the ground. Everyone was now shocked and alerted.
"In...ferno… what… are you doing?" Eternal choked. "It's… me…!" The former assassin stared into Eternal’s eyes and he had a confused expression on his face.
“Who… Are… You?” he asked with his voice sounding a bit dark and unnatural. He then releases Eternal and then looks towards the others. “Who… Am I?” he said to himself.
"You're Inferno Blaze! How could you not remember your own name?" Starlight asked in concern.
Inferno looked even more confused. And then he looked over towards her with confusion and vagueness in his eyes. “I… I… Don't remember. I can’t… Remember… Anything.” he started as he began to have a mental breakdown from his struggle to remember anything. He let out an inhuman growl and snarled as he gripped his head and began to pace and jerk his body in every direction. The growls he made were unlike anything they all heard before.
“I can’t remember! I can’t remember! I can’t remember! I can’t remember!” he muttered repeatedly. Starlight does her best to try and calm him down while everyone else is processing what they were seeing.
"It's no use, guys. He doesn't know who he is, he's got amnesia," Sunset said.
"So… does that mean we… we failed?" Pinkie asked, worried.
"No, your ritual was a success," another female voice echoed, startling everyone. They turn around and see the deities Harmony and Death standing behind them. “However… We did not expect this to happen.” she started with a worried and fearful tone as she stared in Inferno’s direction.
"What do you mean? Do you know what's happened to our friend?" Fluttershy asked.
“I'm afraid so, young one.” Death replied with a fearful tone as well. “Your friend… Has now become… A wraith.” he answered.
"A wraith? What's that?" Sunset asked. "I've never heard of a wraith before."
"Neither have I," Eternal replied.
“That's because we cosmic beings deemed it that way.” Harmony stated. “A wraith is a powerful being that all of existence has never seen before. Beings that possess pure immortality; no universal being, laws of reality, laws of physics, or even fate itself has no command over them. Legends even state that a wraith can destroy a universe with a blink of an eye and can match 9 cosmic beings of universal powers at just its weakest state or base form.” she explained.
"What?! That's absurd! How could such a being exist?" Eternal asked in shock.
"More importantly, how come Inferno was turned into a wraith when Eternal brought him back to life?" Rainbow asked.
“We are unsure. Wraiths have always been a mystery to us cosmic gods. We even ensured that there was no possibility for a wraith to be summoned. The last time one was summoned, not even the combined power of me, Harmony, my fellow Horsemen, Discord and his sister Eris, Galaxia, and King Cosmos; could wear it down. Our only option was to banish it far beyond the boundaries of the multiverse; beyond existence.” Death explained.
"Sounds like this wraith was dangerous. Sorry, you had to go through all that. But in regards to Inferno, is there any way we can change him back to his normal self?" Principal Celestia asked.
“No,” Harmony replied. “As I said before, reality and fate have no command over wraiths. And their immortality is endless…. it cannot be removed. If it was possible, we would have done it with the last wraith that was summoned.” She stated.
"Darn! Well… guess there's nothing more we can do. Damn it!" Eternal exclaimed, slamming his fists into the ground, causing an earthquake. Everyone except Harmony, Death, and Inferno, felt the powerful force of the earthquake.
“There is good news… Inferno’s memories are dormant in his mind; Therefore, they aren’t gone. In time, they will return to him.” Harmony assured them.
“So that means he’ll be himself again?” Starlight asked.
Yes… However, there’s something you all must know.” The goddess exclaimed to them. “Every memory that is returned to him; he’ll be forced to relive it in his thoughts and feel the emotions in those memories; such as happiness, joy, pain, despair, anger, depression, grief, love, and… betrayal.” She stated, even stared at Eternal’s direction when she said the last part. “Which means you must be cautious of every memory that returns to him.” She warned.
"Just my luck. But I'll suck it up and pay the price. I know I messed up," Eternal said, looking down.
"Obviously," Rainbow uttered silently to herself, hoping no one will hear her.
"Young lady, what do you hope to gain from egging on Eternal's supposed "crime" without concrete proof?" Death asked, who along with Harmony, heard her statement.
"Seriously, Dash? This again? What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you so dead-set on making a villain out of Eternal so badly?!" Twilight asked in frustration.
"I'm not even gonna bother to convince this stubborn little--" Eternal said, about to walk out when another rumbling noise startles everyone. "What the?"
"Oh no, please tell me it's not what Ah think it is," Applejack said, worried.
“How did it even find us!?” Fluttershy asked in fear.
Starlight was confused as to what they are all saying. “Who are you all talking about?” she asked.
"Starlight, go hide somewhere… Now!" Sunset urged.
“Why? What's going on?” Starlight asked again.
“There’s no time to explain! Just take Inferno and hide somewhere!” Twilight responded.
"Uh… okay?" Starlight did as she was told and grabbed Inferno by the arm, taking him out of the gym and off to a safe place. 10 seconds later… a hole is made in the wall and the Titan Demon emerges. Its eyes lock on the group and roars.
Rainbow looked at the demon in shock, then at Eternal, who then looked over at her with his demonic glare.
"Fine, it's not you!" Rainbow admits.
"Screw you, Rainbow Dash!" Eternal snapped before he's grabbed by the demon and thrown outside into the football field hard.
"No use running now, LET'S LIGHT HIM UP, LADIES!!!" Pinkie exclaimed. The girls then activate their geodes, ready for battle… or at least, most of them. Rainbow, on the other hand, remains un-ponified.
"Wha… why didn't it work?!" Rainbow asked in shock.
"Rainbow, what's wrong?" Sunset asked.
"My geode isn't working! I can't pony up!" Rainbow said, frustrated. The Titan Demon rushed towards her and for the first time since the rollercoaster ride, she felt a twinge of fear as her executor was about to flatten her. Just then, Sunset intervened by firing a magic blast at her. Which did not stagger the beast, but did get its attention.
"Girls! Spread out!" Sunset commanded. The girls do so and spread out throughout the area and coordinate their attacks. The guys, on the other hand, leave the building and try to find shelter away from their monstrous nightmare.
The Titan Demon shoots a fireball at one of the girls, but they dodge. Pinkie Pie retaliates by tossing explosive powdered sugar at the beast. It doesn't faze it, but it does anger it to the point where it breathes fire at Pinkie.
Luckily, Rarity used her diamonds to shield her sugar friend. Applejack goes in and lands a hard punch to the monster's rib cage, knocking it onto its knee, then follows up with a chopping right punch. It almost falls, but picks itself up and swats Applejack away from it, socking the air out of her. She hits the wall hard and falls to the ground, grunting in pain.
The demon is about to come at her, but Twilight holds it in place with her telekinetic powers, then slams it all over the place. Then Sunset blasts the monster with her magic, but none of her attacks seem to be damaging it. The demon has only gotten extremely angry, it roars immensely loud and breaks free of Twilight's magic. It goes after her and she tries to run for it, but the monster slams its fists down on her and Sunset before knocking them out of its way, seriously injuring them. The Titan Demon roars furiously in anger as it stomps towards the two injured girls and raises its arms in the air for a fatal blow. But it doesn't get the chance when out of nowhere, Eternal, in his demonic form, slammed into the Titan Demon and both of them plowed through several walls of the building until they exited and tumbled outside of the school. Eternal lets out a demonic roar, wrestling the Titan Demon with all his might.
Amidst the skirmish, Eternal knocks the beast back a few feet with a powerfully enhanced kick, then stares it down from where he now stands, growling. The beast gets up and stares down at Eternal back, growling.
As Eternal faces off with the Titan Demon, Starlight and Inferno come out of hiding as the former assassin rushes over to check on the girls.
“Sweet Celestia! Are you all alright?!” she asked in worry and shock.
“We’re… *coughing* Fine, Starlight,” Sunset replied right before she grunted in pain.
“You all don’t look fine! You could have all died.” Starlight protested as she helped Sunset onto her feet.
As Starlight was tending to the girls, Inferno watches them from afar, still confused and unsure of the situation. But as he was staring at all seven of the Rainbooms, he began to... Experience some flashbacks. Soon memories flowed back into his mind, and they all revolved around the 7 girls in front of him; including Starlight. Yes, that's her name. He remembers it. He remembers all their names; Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. He remembers them now. He remembers the moments he had with them, the laughs, the joy, the fun; they were his friends… They are his friends. But with those memories, seeing the injured state and pain they are in… It upset him. It angered him. It made him crave for the blood of the one that did this to them. His hands tighten into fists and his eyes glow even more purple.
And before Starlight or any of the girls could notice him, Inferno’s newly wings sprouted open, and in a quick flash; he took off the ground, smashed through the room, and exited the gym. His exit alerts Starlight and others, with the former becoming worried about where he is heading.
Meanwhile, Eternal and the Titan Demon were still clashing outside. Punches and slashes keep flying, landing, and being blocked, Eternal can barely keep up. He gave all his might and power in his attacks; however, the ritual he performed to bring Inferno back left him in a vulnerable state. Eventually, the beast overpowers him and pounds him to the ground over… and over… and over again. Luckily, due to his demon inheritance, he was able to take the heavy blows for a while until he started to feel the blows.
"Can't… let it… end like this!" Eternal strained to say. The beast roars and is about to launch his final attack.
But soon, a miracle was presented to Eternal when out of nowhere, Inferno drops from the skies and slams onto the ground next to the two, causing a small crater and big cracks in the surface of the school courtyard. His presence gets the Titan-Demon’s attention and then it steps away from Eternal and faces this opportunity to kill in front of it.
After landing, Inferno gets up onto his feet, glaring directly at the culprit who dared to harm his friends. Then later, his whole body is coated with a purple aura and his hair begins spiking upward; just like the Super Saiyans in DBZ... Only real and more pissed off.
“You… Hurt my friends. You’ve made me angry.” the assassin turned wraith growled. “You will not like me when I'm angry,” he informs the beast in front of him.
The beast roared back at him as if to establish dominance over its foe. Not happy with the answer he’s given, Inferno runs towards and leaps at the Titan Demon, bringing his fist upward from an uppercut and socking the beast in the chin; sending it flying 30 feet into the air and landing 100 feet away from the wraith.
Eternal, who laid where he is, was shocked and surprised by what his old pal just did. "Nice punch," he grunted as he picked himself up.
The Titan Demon barely regained its footing and then turns to Inferno and then roared its loudest roar ever. The assassin turned wraith became even more pissed, so much so he retaliated with his roar. His roar was heard loudly in the area; the girls inside the building were immediately terrified from hearing it and were unsure where it came from. Eternal was shocked by what came from the very person he considered his brother; that roar was something that was not natural or known in the universe. But to the Titan Demon, it was a response to his challenge… and accepted.
In a clear instant, both supernatural beings charge towards one another, with the gap between them shrinking more and more. The two reared back their fists as they close in the distance and before you know it, the two met at the middle, and their fists collided with one another, causing massive shockwaves that were felt across the entire planet, and better yet; across the entire universe.
Everyone in Canterlot City, felt the shocks the most as they try to balance themselves as the earth shook beneath them. The school itself almost began to collapse on itself, forcing everyone inside to exit the building before they get crushed.
After their collision, the beast tries to slam Inferno to the ground with its freehand, but surprisingly, Inferno was fast to catch it and hold it in place. The two were locked in combat bound as they continue to exert an excessive force that the ground beneath them began to crack and give way. As they two were struggling to overpower the other, a glow of purple light began to flicker in Inferno’s mouth; it grew brighter and brighter until the wraith opens his mouth, and soon a massive powerful purple flame exerted from his maw and collided with the Titan Demon’s abdomen and sent it flying towards a nearby building.
It crashes right through the wall, tumbling into the ground with debris scattered all over it. The monster gets up, but its little tussle with the resurrected wraith is starting to take its toll on its body. Its breathing is heavy and fast, brimming with anger, but losing energy fast.
Inferno, with his anger increasing at a fast rate, took off into the air with his new wings, hovering where he was. The purple aura that surrounded his body intensified as he lets out a battle cry. When he did, he generates a barrage of aura spheres that sped towards the Titan Demon.
The aura spheres all showered heavily on the monster, knocking it back down on its knees, weakening it more. But in its last-ditch effort, it leaps up in the air towards Inferno and at point-blank range, it shoots out a stream of blue fire out of its mouth and into Inferno's face. The flames were big enough to spread out throughout a small neighborhood and hot enough to melt an entire building.
After it finishes its attack, it lands on the ground and looks up at Inferno, hoping that it finished him off. But as the smoke cleared, it relieved Inferno… unscathed from the attack. And mockingly, he just brushed against his shoulders, as if he’s brushing off a bit of dust off. He stares down at the beast with a blank expression as his hands began to glow purple.
“My turn.” He said as he brings both his hands downward and fires a massive beam of destructive magic, speeding towards the Titan Demon and engulfing it in a massive explosion of light from where it stood. The demonic beast, despite its flaming appearance, felt its entire body burning and tried to stop the pain. But eventually, the monster stumbles into the ground and eventually stops moving.
Then as it's laying down, its body is engulfed in a black mass before the most dissolved and reveals who this demon is. The familiar long, red hair, snow-white skin, and the birthmarks under his eyes that look like scars… no doubt he's a familiar face.
And who was there to witness it all? None other than Principal Celestia. She followed the two brawlers to where they were and was wracked with shock and disbelief. The demon that terrorized everyone…
"E...Eternal Flames!" Celestia says, feeling her tears swell up. Yes, the Titan Demon… was her son. Her actual son. The one who had been missing for weeks. She bolted over to her son and checked his pulse and heartbeat.
She starts sobbing to herself… upon hearing a steady heartbeat. She holds her unconscious son in her arms, rocking him side to side. Later, the others show up and are completely blown away to see Celestia holding Eternal. They look back to see the one still standing but bruised up, then to the unconscious one.
"Mom? I...Is that… my brother?" Heat asked, slowly approaching his mom. She looks at Heat and nods. Now Heat is in tears upon finding out his brother was back and home with his family. He runs to his mom and hugs her, along with his unconscious brother.
As the reunited family was having their moment, Inferno landed about 10 feet from them and oversaw the three with confusion and curiosity. As this was going on, the girls made it outside and they were shocked to see the aftermath of Inferno and the Titan Demon’s clash. They then approach the wraith who merely stood where he was.
"Whoa… talk about a war zone. We barely survived that freakish monster terrorizing the city, but you went and clobbered him like it was nothing!" Rainbow said in shock, but her Principal didn't quite share her enthusiasm all that well.
"WATCH YOUR TONGUE!!! THAT'S MY SON YOU'RE CALLING A MONSTER!" Celestia shouted in a rage, shutting Rainbow up… this time, she's not gonna step out of line and… is probably going to have nightmares for weeks.
Inferno, who was unfazed by Celestia’s shouting, turned to face the girls and one by one, he said their names. “Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash…. My friends.” He said.
The girls were surprised that he remembered their names. And soon they were relieved by the fact that a section of his memories returned to him.
"He remembers us! He remembers us!" Starlight exclaimed and ran over to give him a hug. Inferno warmly embraced her in return.
"I… still can't believe it… the demon… was my human counterpart… no… he wasn't any demon… just a victim of foul play… and manipulation," Eternal said, looking down at his arm, which is now flowing with his old demonic aura, recharged. "Why did we have to become victims?"
As Eternal’s demonic aura spiked, Inferno starts to feel this slight hunger in his stomach which confused him and so he shrugged it off.
"It's not your fault, Eternal. You weren't the one who drove him away," Sunset reassured, patting him gently.
As everyone was processing on the situation, Chrysalis sees Celestia and Heat crying happily that their lost family member was found. While she never said anything, she felt a great warmth in her heart, which was pounding fast.
If this is how a family really acts, then maybe it's time she tries to do right by being a part of theirs.
However, a loud booming noise from close by startles everyone and ruins the moment for them. The entire group sees a trail of black crystals coming their way and on top of one of them is a hooded man. He jumps off the crystal and lands in front of them. Immediately everyone, except Inferno, was on the defense and alerted of what is about to happen.
"How touching. The family is all together. It brings tears to my eyes," the man says, mocking them.
"Who are you?" Celestia snarled. "Were you the one who hurt my son?!" But the man just laughed as if it was a joke.
"Please, even if I wanted to, his rage and anger just made him a lost cause. But… he did make a good distraction for me to recover… these," the hooded man then shows off the Demon Crystals and the Moon Gem from inside his cloak.
"The crystals!!!" Twilight gasps.
"Give those back, you savage!" Rarity called out.
"Apologies my dear, but these crystals belong to someone who can truly use them at their maximum potential." The man says before turning to Inferno and smirking more sinisterly. "Well, would you at that. Looks like someone's not only been brought back to life… but also gained a major power boost."
Inferno was confused as to what he said and replied back; “Do I know you?” He asked.
"No, but I…" the man paused before removing his hood, revealing his face. "...certainly know you, Inferno Blaze."
Of course, no one knew who he is until Eternal and Starlight immediately recognized him from Equestria’s past.
“Sombra,” Starlight exclaimed.
“Ding ding! We have a winner,” The corrupted king replied.
"You! You're supposed to be dead! How did you come back?!" Eternal demanded, his eyes becoming demonic red.
"Allow me to explain. My generous leader willingly exchanged half of his lifespan to resurrect me. Why he resurrected me, well… I'm sure my partner can fill you in on this matter. Right… Chrysalis?" Sombra said, putting the big spotlight on the former changeling queen.
Celestia looks over to the guilty party, a little bit confused, but mostly shocked. "Chrysalis… what's going on? Do you… know this madman?" She asks.
Chrysalis, now even more anxious and scared to even say anything, for she knew that if she did, it might break Tia’s heart. But she was in a position which she cannot escape this time. She has no choice… but to confess.
"I… I do. I was… imprisoned in Equestria for trying to overthrow the entire land of Equestria and… now, I was freed from my prison by my… my leader. He offered me something I couldn't refuse… power beyond my wildest dreams, but only if Sombra and I got the crystals. But then… you happened and…" before she could finish her side of the story,
"It interfered with our plan. But luckily for you… the leader gave me the green light to reward you, since you kept that woman and these nuisances out of the way. After all… a deal… is a deal," Sombra grinned as he harnessed the demonic energy from the crystals and powered himself and Chrysalis up by 200%. Both parties levitate high in the air and both felt their strengths returning to them.
At the end of it, a huge purple light blanketed the area for a brief moment. Soon as the light dimmed, Sombra and Chrysalis were both boosted up with newfound powers. Chrysalis had changed into her Evil Queen form while Sombra had a black and red enhanced suit of armor fit for an evil king.
Sombra gave an evil chuckle, then took off and left Chrysalis… who wasn't liking this one bit. Neither was Celestia.
"I… I can't believe you," Celestia said, glaring at Chrysalis, tears in her eyes.
"Celestia, please, I… I know I let you down, but I…" Chrysalis tried to explain.
"Let me down?! You lied to me! You played with my feelings, broke my heart and worst of all… you not only jeopardized my kids, but allowed your partner to USE MY SON FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH GAIN!!! Just stay away from me! And stay away from my family, you… YOU MONSTER!!!" Celestia yelled, tears leaking out of her like little waterfalls, hugging her sons.
Chrysalis, now heartbroken; not from what Celestia said; but from how she had broken Tia’s heart. Before she could shed tears, she used her new changeling wings and hovered into the air and flew away from the area.
"What do we do now? We've got some more baddies to deal with," Pinkie said, feeling worried.
"Simple… you guys are gonna find somewhere to recover. I've got some business to take care of," Eternal said, cracking his knuckles.
"What?! You're crazy! You can't take them on by yourself! You barely survived a beating from your human counterpart! What makes you think you can take on two supercharged bad guys?" Flash asked.
"I have to agree, you're not exactly strong enough to take on this army on your own," Adagio pointed out.
"And on top of that, those two just got juiced from those demon crystals, I say we leave it up to the OP fallen angel dude here, since he kicked ass earlier," Aria pointed out. Inferno looked over to her direction, still confused of the situation.
"No! This is something I have to do! The girls here are injured and Inferno still doesn't know who the real enemies are! Plus, I have my old strength back."
“It's still not enough!” Sunset rebutted.
As everyone was in a heated debate, Inferno starts thinking after hearing the word “enemy”; and soon more memories came flowing back in his mind. But when they did, he began to feel these emotions he can’t explain as he sees these horrifying creatures and this strange looking person with ram horns on his head and another he sees… is… Eternal? But why would he have negative memories of him.
"Maybe not, but I still have to try! I let everyone down once, I'm not gonna let them down again!"
But before Eternal could say more, Inferno let out an inhuman scream like he’s in pain and started gripping on the side of his head as his eyes glow purple once again.
Sunset and Eternal looked over and ran towards their friend. "Inferno, what's the matter, are you feeling hurt?" She asked.
"What's the matter, Inferno?" He asked, putting a hand on his back.
Everyone began to worry for their friend as he was screaming in pain. Then after some parts of his memory came back, the pain went away and he breathed heavily… and he looks towards Eternal with suspicion. “I remember… what my enemies are… I remember… Grogar.” He growled when saying that name. “And… I saw you two...” He points to both Eternal and Heat. “With him… Why?”
Eternal felt like his heart was gonna explode, but he told him the truth. "Listen, I know I sided with Grogar, but he's ancient history now, I left him after you guys saved my life.”
“But… I don’t know why I get angry when I say or hear his name. I can’t remember why I have this hate towards him.” Inferno asked.
"It's…“
“Don’t say it.” Starlight stated to Eternal, strictly. “This is not the right time.”
"Uh… right. Uh… Inferno, that's for you to find out on your own. As for me… I still have a promise to keep. I have a city that needs saving. You guys did your part… now it's my turn," Eternal said.
"You're… seriously gonna take them on all by yourself?" Sunset asked.
"Sunset… I know you don't want me to, but listen… I won't be able to live with myself if the girl I love gets more hurt in the crossfire. Or worse… killed. You and the others like family to me. It's time I repaid my debt to society. Besides… with you in my life… I already have all the power I need." Eternal said.
He strokes her hair as he finishes spilling his guts out to her. She pulls him in for a warm hug and he returns it right away.
"I don't like this plan. But… if that's the case… then promise me you won't die on me, okay?" She asked, looking into his eyes and vice versa.
"I promise," he nods. Little does he know, this risky mission could wound up being his undoing if he's not careful.
The Demon King's Conflict
Author's Note
Here's another chapter done. Props to TheShadowKnight for helping me with my story and as always, thank you all for your patience and support, remember to stay tuned for more chapters to come in the future and remember to always keep on bronying on, everypony.
The Demon King's Conflict
The battle against the Titan Demon had finally ended. But the bigger battle between two of Equestria's most dangerous tyrants has only just begun. With the girls still injured and shaken up from their fight with the Titan Demon, they had to find shelter and get treated for their injuries and fast. Luckily, the guys and Celestia were there to lend them a helping hand… well, except for the revived Demon King.
"Girls… I… I'm sorry. I… never should've… constantly blamed Eternal for the things he didn't do," Rainbow said, through her injured voice.
"We'll worry 'bout that later. But right no-- AGH! we all need to rest," AJ stated, holding her injured rib cage.
"He won't… stand a chance out there. We have to… help him," Sunset struggled saying through her injuries.
“You’re all unable to do anything in this state. You all need to rest up,” Starlight stated as she does her absolute best to treat their injuries; although, she has to do it hands-on due to her not having magic in this world.
The Dazzlings kept to themselves, though they’re scared out of their minds from the experience they had with the Titan Demon.
"And I thought I was brutal when I was in a bad mood," Aria said, wide-eyed and shaken up.
"Dagi? Aria? I don't think we're safe anymore," Sonata said, worried.
"Calm down girls. We made it out alive and that's all that matters. Just you wait, everything will die down and go back to normal," Dagi said, trying not to lose her cool.
While Adagio comforts her sisters, Celestia and Heat tended to this world’s Eternal Flames, who remain unconscious from having been KO’d by Inferno. It still broke her heart knowing her eldest son was that savage titan demon, but she was relieved to have him back. She gave him a warm hug and whispered into his ear.
"It's okay… I'm here for you now, sweetie. I promise I will never let anything happen to you," Celestia whispered. Tears kept trickling down from her eyes.
Heat was also devastated as well. He still couldn’t believe that the demonic beast that hunted him and everyone else was his brother that had disappeared for weeks. He waited desperately for his return and now he was back home where he belongs.
"I'm still a bit confused. You're telling me that this guy… is your brother?" Lightning Burn asked, gesturing to their world's Eternal Flames.
“I’m still processing what you all are telling us,” Flash spoke, still unsure of everything that’s going on.
"Let me see if I can piece this together; This Eternal is the one that recently went missing because of… reasons I'm unsure of. And the other one that you, Sunset, and I traveled with during our search for the Moon Gem is originally from Equestria. Princess Luna did recognize her nephew and so did the guards of Equestria." Halo explained while stroking his chin.
"Gaaah!!! Now my brain is hurting! Just how many more Eternals are there?" Blazing Waters asked in frustration.
"Just the two, for all I know. But if we're talking about beyond our universe… who knows how many there are," Copper Plume said.
“Well, Death and Harmony did mention ‘multiverse’ while they gave us background on wraiths. So… That means there’s so many!” Pinkie stated.
"Oh please, no! As if two Eternals weren't enough, now there are other universes with that fiery knucklehead running loose?" Frostbite asked in shock.
"Hey, for all we know, there could also be more of us in the multiverse. Each with different kinds of realities." Israel shrugged.
"Uh… right. But back to the pandemic at hand, are we sure that demonic fiery knucklehead can take down those baddies by himself? If you ask me, he's just asking to get killed," Frostbite said.
“Really? That’s all you guys talk about? Have you forgotten about Mr. OP over there or are you not gonna address the elephant in the room?” Aria responded while pointing over to the wraith with amnesia, who was busy looking out the window and admiring the moon in the sky.
"Good point. I still can't believe Inferno's a wraith." Flash said in awe.
"It puts me at ease to know he's back, but I'm kinda worried he might turn against us. You heard what Harmony and Death told us about the last wraith that was summoned. None of us are even remotely strong enough, even as a team," Halo said. "But still… regardless, he's still our best friend and he deserves to be treated as such."
“Halo’s right. No matter what he looks or what he’s become, Inferno will always be a good friend to us.” Twilight added.
“Even if he’s now an omnipotent being of universal destruction?” Sonata responded in question.
"I'm still curious of one thing: how is his mother going to take the news? We have to tell the dear eventually, he is her child," Rarity stated.
"That's true. But for now, I think it's best if we wait a little longer until Inferno's completely recovered all of his memories," Fluttershy suggested.
“Has he regained his memories yet?” Halo asked.
"Only a small chunk of them. He knows we're his friends," Sunset said.
“So… barely,” Flash replied.
"Eeyup," AJ nodded.
Meanwhile, back with the Dark Trinity group, Light Ray was laughing out loud after having gotten the Demon Crystals and Moon Gem. Sombra had an evil grin on his face, but Chrysalis wasn't feeling too happy about it.
"You have done well for me, you two… and you certainly delivered big time. Now the power of these artifacts will belong to me!" Light Ray proclaimed. But as he began to absorb their power, the light from within them began to grow dim before falling to the ground. "WHAT?!"
"What is this?!" Sombra asked before inspecting the now-powerless magic artifacts. "DAMN!!! They must've had the majority of their power drained!"
"That boy… he's responsible for this! I never should've let him take those crystals from me!" Light Ray growled, letting his dark energy flow out, short-circuiting any electronic devices within a 10-yard radius. "New plan… you two… are to find that boy… and TAKE back the demonic energy he's absorbed! Fail… and your powers become mine,” Light's voice turned deep and threatening, frightening both Sombra and Chrysalis.
"Understood. You shall have your powers back," Sombra replied before leaving him. Chrysalis said nothing and just hesitantly walked out.
Soon as they left the warehouse they were staying, Sombra stated that they should separate to cover more ground; mostly because they were more powerful than before, they don’t need to have strength in numbers.
Chrysalis took to the skies, hovering over the city. While Sombra searched from the ground while spreading his dark magic and dark crystals everywhere he goes, as a method to draw the target out.
As he's doing this, Eternal is out in the city, searching for Sombra and Chrysalis when all of a sudden, he felt a surge of demonic energy coming from somewhere North of the city. "So… you have chosen death," he muttered to himself before zooming off into Sombra's direction. Though the former Crystal Empire tyrant was far from any normal human being, Eternal's demonic super speed was cutting that long trip short.
As he goes to turn a corner, he's met with a sharp dark crystal, which hits him square in the face, knocking him back while it broke. He's sent crashing into a brick wall, leaving a large dent in it. He gets out and stares down at the man who attacked him.
"You're pathetically predictable… like a moth to the flame," Sombra called out as he slowly walked towards the young prince. "You are just as weak and feeble as those poor girls who tried so hard to stop that monster. You don't even pose a threat to me."
"Don't be so sure, Sombra! You were stopped twice before, I can stop you all by myself!" Eternal rebutted, clenching his fists. But Sombra laughed it off.
"You? By yourself? You must be joking. I have regained my full potential! I'm not the same as I was the last time I fell victim to your pathetic "Magic of Friendship" bullcrap! And after I finish dealing with you, Equestria will soon fall before me! Starting with your pathetic little friends" Sombra gloated.
"You will do no such thing! My friends might not have the Elements of Harmony anymore, but you forget they still have each other! And united, they will vanquish you time and again! But I'm gonna save them the trouble of defeating you. And I'll prove it by taking you down myself!" Eternal rebutted again, his demonic aura radiating strong.
"Then you and I have nothing more to speak about. Let's… end this," Sombra said, bringing out what looked like some kind of sword .
“Ladies first,” Eternal responds in mockery. His demonic aura shrouded his right arm and forged his signature Demon King sword . Both dark fighters charged in and clashed their weapons hard, taking a swing at each other, trying to overpower each other.
Meanwhile, as this epic clash was going down, Chrysalis revisited the one place where she and Celestia had the greatest time… The ruins of the Canterlot Mall. Silently, she wandered the entire building, revisiting the areas and shops where they did crazy activities with each other. She then arrived at the very clothing store Tia took her to get her a brand new wardrobe of clothes to wear.
Soon the former Changeling Queen entered the store and strolled through the store for several minutes. During her silent walk, she then sees something on the floor that caught her eye. She took a few steps towards the object she saw, reaches down, and picks it up with her hand. The object was a hair brooch… a sky-blue colored flower brooch with light cyan-colored leaves…. The very brooch that Tia gave her.
Soon Chrysalis was overcome with guilt and sadness as tears flowed from her eyes; however, she kept her composure, took the brooch, and placed it in her hair. Soon she felt a wave of anger and sorrow as she removed her crown and tossed it across the store, which shattered against one of the walls upon impact.
She then takes a couple of deep breathes to herself as the anger was replaced with remorse and regret. Later, she began to sing a sorrowful melody as she starts seeing images or mirages of Tia everywhere she looks.
Chrysalis could never forgive herself for the way she had betrayed Tia. All she wanted now was to hold her hand and tell her how sorry she was. But no amount of sorries in the world could make up for the grief she caused and put her sons in danger. So what if she's more powerful than ever before, what's the good of having all this power… if it means pushing away the one person… she loves so much.
For her entire life, all she did was manipulate and take the love of others to benefit herself. Not once did she opened her dark heart to others and only took advantage of theirs. But now… she had met the one person who had opened their heart to her… and she too had opened her heart to them.
For the first time, she discovered what love truly is. But she let her fears and ignorance ruin her chance of ever experiencing that further. Starlight was right, she should've taken up on her offer to redeem herself. Now, what's she gonna do? What can she do?
She doesn’t know. She never experienced this before. And after she finished her song, she dropped to her knees and let loose with the tears, sobbing quietly to herself.
She sat there… full of regret after breaking the heart of the one she loved.
Back with Sombra and Eternal , the two warriors were clashing their swords against each other, causing massive shockwaves with every clash. But just then, Sombra got the upper-hand and swung down at Eternal and knocked him down to the ground. His movements were quicker due to Eternal's current injuries from the Titan Demon. Though he felt the blow, his returned demonic strength lessened the damage.
He stood back up and let go of his sword, glaring up at the smug tyrant. He zoomed after him, wrapped in his demonic aura, preparing for a punch, but Sombra blocks the attack using his sword, then grabbed Eternal by the head and flung him away from him. Eternal flipped backward and landed on his two feet perfectly.
After safely landing, Eternal then forms a demonic fire sphere in his hand and flings it straight towards Sombra. The fire orb makes direct contact with the evil king’s face, causing him to feel his whole face burnt and the smoke clouding his vision. In a second the smoke cleared and the shadow king’s face shows no damage whatsoever; Although, it did piss him off. In the palm of his hand, he conjured up a ball of black lightning and fired it at the former demon king. Eternal formed an X with his arms in an attempt to block it. He feels the electricity surging through his arms, but doesn't give in to the pain.
He stands his ground and channels the black lightning into the palm of his hands and fires it back at the evil tyrant with double the ferocity. This time, he sends Sombra flying a few feet away, making him lose his balance and hit the ground hard.
"Is that… all… you've… GOT?!" Sombra yelled, standing back up and flowing with so much dark energy. His eyes turned from blood red to completely demonic yellow, his pupils were gone, just two glowing yellow eyes, brimming with rage.
"Believe me… I'm just getting WARMED UP!!!" Eternal yelled back. Both dark foes charged forward, locking their hands together in their epic clash, unleashing their hidden powers, shaking the earth through their sheer willpower.
Meanwhile, in Harmony and Death's dimension, they watched in horror as this epic clash prolonged and continued to make the earth tremble beneath their feet. Harmony and Death fear what the aftermath will be after all is said and done. However, their biggest fears were about what will be the outcome of this madness.
“The poor souls in that world.” Harmony softly said, saddened by what she saw. “Forced to be in the center of that destruction.” She added.
“And how many would be lost in this conflict?” Death asked. “What is the point of this battle if there is nothing to gain while everything around them is destroyed?”
"What's worse is we're powerless to get in between them. This is beyond our control," she replied, trembling in sorrow.
Death sees her distress and soon brought his arms up to pull her into an embrace, to give her a sense of comfort. “I know… I am distraught by this as well,” He responded, sorrowly.
While they embraced each other, two glowing lights, one of golden orange and a blue one, enters their realm, followed by two distinct voices. The Grim Reaper and the Goddess of Life turn to face them after sensing the aura they emitted. As they did, the voices from the lights were heard more clearly.
"Harmony, Death, your presence is requested effective immediately," a female voice calls out.
"This is a matter of keeping the natural order," the male voice says.
Death and Harmony stood still for a while, with confusion and worry of the message from the lights gave them. And before they could speak, the lights faded away without a trace.
“What do they want now?” Death asked, with his tone being confused and annoyed.
"I don't know, but you know they only hold a council meeting when it's far more serious," Harmony mentioned. "Let's go."
Death let out a groan of annoyance and displeasure. “If they are there as well, you know that it won’t be very civilized.” He stated.
"I know, but what choice do we have?" Harmony asked. She then held out her hand and used her magic to open up a portal. The two deities walk through the portal and enter an entirely different dimension, an entire white void with a round table and multiple thrones around it.
After the two had entered this domain, soon two other guests popped into the room. One of them, being the Lord of Chaos himself, Discord, and another draconequus. This one is a female, and had identical features as the Lord of Chaos; except her fur was snow-white with her eyes being blue.
The two draconequus didn’t notice the other two deities until Discord looked their way. And when he did, "Well, would you look at that, it's almost a full house in here," Discord said, "Care for a cup of singing tea?" he asked, snapping his fingers and causing a few singing tea bags to float around him, Harmony and Death.
Soon the female draconequus snaps her fingers and soon the singing teabags vanished from existence.
“Discord, you do know that Galaxia strictly forbids us to use our chaotic magic. And I cannot stand that witch’s complaints,” The female draconequus replied with annoyance.
“It’s wonderful to see you too, Eris,” Harmony spoke towards the female draconequus.
"Oh, you're no fun, sister," Discord huffed, turning away, folding his arms.
“Come on, little brother. You know I too enjoy making chaos, but this meeting is not the time or place to have our chaotic fun," Eris replied. “And I cannot bear to hear another word from Galaxia again!” She added.
“I see you still despise her, even after 2 centuries since our last meeting.” Death responded.
"Just like how you despise Grogar for attacking you when you went after Eternal's soul?" Discord rebutted
“Must you remind me?” Death growled in response to that reply, remembering that incident which then led to chaos that is going on today.
“Well, he isn’t wrong,” A voice called out from the darkness, catching everyone’s attention as they hear heavy footsteps approaching. As they turned around towards the source of the footsteps, a figure emerged from the darkness, wearing dark-red armor all over his body and a worn and torn red cape on his back, and on his belt is a sheath with a sword in it. His face is not shown, with only a frightening dark-red helmet with a visor that had two eye holes and small little holes that aligned below the eye holes. And from them, were glowing fiery-orange eyes. “Been a long time… brother.” the being replied with a dark tone of voice that would intimidate all others.
Death stared at the armored figure with an unforgiving glare and displeasure. “War.” He replied.
Then soon another individual appeared into the room, well more like jumped onto the table. The individual wore torn and ripped clothing, with his body being extremely thin as if he has been lack of nutrition and his skin was dark grey. He wore a small hood over his head and his face covered in bandages and wraps, leaving only his gray eyes and mouth, which had rows of sharp teeth. Soon the individual began chuckling with maniacal laughter.
“You didn’t forget about us, did ya, Death,” The humanoid creature chuckled before turning to Eris. “Why hello there, Eris. Been a while, hasn’t it?” He spoke.
Eris turns away in disgust and had her hand up towards his face as a rejection. “Bite your tongue, Famine.” She replied.
“Sorry about that… He tends to… Overstep his boundaries.” Another voice responded from the darkness. And walking into the room, was a strange individual wearing clothing that was identical to the clothing that plague doctors wear during the “Black Death”
"Thanks, Pestilence. At least your personality out-matches your disease," Eris commented with a nod of approval.
“Well… I aim to please…” Pestilence replied, with his voice sounding a bit raspy and lower pitch, while giving a bow as well.
“I was hoping none of you would come.” Death sternly stated while still glaring at his fellow Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
“Well, we would have loved to skip out; however, that pathetic Cosmos insisted that it wasn’t our choice to make,” War replied.
“And besides… How can we not attend?” Famine added. “After all, it gives us a chance to see some familiar faces after so long.” He added before he receives a wack in the head by Pestilence’s cane.
“And yet you… still keep to… the shadows.” He stated. “While... the rest of us... continue our work.”
“Hey! The Earth has already gone to shit and just because I laid low for a while doesn’t mean that I’m not still feasting off the souls of the greedy and hungry.” Famine responded. “And boy was there a lot!” He added.
“Even after so many millenniums, you still haven’t changed one bit.” Harmony stated.
“He’s… always been… a rat.” Pestilence replied, which Famine didn’t take kindly.
But before he could even respond to his brother’s words, a portal mysteriously appears in front of the ancient beings and draconequus. The portal lead to a fiery wasteland, which Harmony and Death remembered all too well; Tartarus. And emerging from the portal was none other than the new Alpha Drakai and King of Tartarus, Daris. Wearing his demonic armor that shows his rank as Alpha. After the drakai had entered the room, the portal behind him closed and disappeared.
“Who’s this guy?” Famine responded, curious about this newcomer that arrived uninvited to their sacred meeting.
"He is the new reigning King of Tartarus; Daris," Harmony stated. Which had the other three horsemen confused and surprised; although, War wasn’t pleased about it.
“This worthless creature? King of Tartarus? I find that hard to believe. From what I remembered, Grogar is the true ruler of Tartarus.” War argued.
“He… was,” Harmony responded.
“Was?... Why do you… say that?” Pestilence asked. And that’s when Daris could voice his words towards them all.
“Because… Grogar is dead.” Daris replied. “I… killed him.” His statement surprised the 3 horsemen and Eris herself was shocked to hear of Grogar’s demise.
“So he’s dead… As in for good?” Eris asked, wanting to be sure of what she’s hearing.
“Yes…” The Drakai King responded.
"If I recall correctly, you dealt a fatal blow to Grogar while Eternal Flames finished him off with a magic blast fueled by his rage," Death corrected.
"Either way, Grogar has fallen. We were there to witness it," Harmony added.
“Then that means this Eternal you speak of should have been the ruler instead of this slave!” War exclaimed.
“Eternal is unfit and unstable to be the ruler of Tartarus. Therefore, Eternal does not deserve the title.” Harmony stated.
“Oh, you mean when he had that role, he threatens to destroy the mortal realm and Equestria at the same time?” Famine asked. Death and Harmony turn towards the 3rd Horsemen with shocked and surprised expressions.
“How do you know!?” Death asked in anger and confusion until Pestilence answered.
“Word had spread… Of the supposed invasion… of the mortal realm. Given to... the rest of us… by Galaxia.” the first horseman replied.
“That bitch.” Eris spoke in response to Pestilence’s statement. “I wasn’t told about any of that?!” She exclaimed.
"Watch your tongue!" another female voice echoed. Sure enough, the orange and blue glowing lights appeared in front of everyone and formed in the shape of two anthropomorphic alicorns. One was a midnight blue alicorn in silver, blue and black armor. The other alicorn was cream white with long purple and red-ish orange mane.
Discord then leans into her sister’s ear and whispers. “Well that could have been worse.” he silently stated.
"That's no way to talk about my wife, Eris. And on the subject of my grandson, Eternal, even if he were deserving of the title of Ruler of Tartarus, he'd refuse to be a part of it," the male alicorn stated as he sat down at the table with his wife.
“I still say he’s a better choice than this pathetic creature,” War mutters to himself, but of course, Daris heard him and didn’t like it.
The Drakai King turned towards the horseman and glared at him with killing intentions. “Wanna say that again? I dare you.” He growled while having his claws out as he and War locked eyes.
Harmony then gets in between the two and separates the two apart. “There’s no need to have a conflict between us; even if we have different opinions.” She stated.
“Says the whore who brought eternal damnation down upon her precious creations,” War replied with a calm tone, as a means of taunting her.
And with that, Death had enough, and swiftly, he brought out his scythe and has the blade up at War’s neck. However, War responds to this by drawing out his sword and also had it up at Death’s neck.
“HAHA! Looks like we got ourselves a show!” Famine stated while chuckling.
“This never gets old…. Not one bit.” Pestilence commented while shaking his head as if he’s seen this many times and is still not amused by it.
“Whoa-oh! Somebody better get the popcorn!” Discord stated as he summons a bowl of popcorn in his hand and starts snacking on it.
"ENOUGH!!! As the organizer of this meeting, I, King Cosmos, command you all to SILENCE YOUR TONGUES!!!" Cosmos yells out in his Royal Canterlot voice that shook the entire dimension to its core.
Everyone in the room, besides Death and War, all silenced themselves and felt shivers in their spines. After the silence had now filled the room, Cosmos then turns his focus to the two horsemen that are threatening to slit each other’s throats.
“And as for you two. This is neutral ground! And as such, you will obey the rules and lay down your weapons.” He stated.
Death and War still kept their eyes and blades at each other, until they slowly brought their blades away from each other and placed them away while the two still kept their eyes on each other.
Then soon everyone walked slowly to their seats; with Harmony and Death sitting beside each other, with Daris sitting next to them; Discord and Eris sat down in their seats next to the Drakai King; the other three horsemen were the last to sit down in their thrones, with Pestilence sitting in between Eris and Famine, with the latter continuing to annoy the former. He was not gonna enjoy this meeting. War sat on the far end of his two fellow horsemen.
"Now then, let's get this meeting underway," Cosmos said. "Galaxia, you may fill everyone in on the predicament at hand."
"Of course, dear," Galaxia nodded. "Now, are you all familiar with our struggle against the forbidden creature known as… the wraith?"
“How… can any of us… forget.” Pestilence responded.
“Worse years of my eternal life.” Famine stated.
“It was fun while it lasted,” War commented.
“Are we seriously discussing that? I had to spend centuries to try and get Discord to stop having nightmares about that.” Eris exclaimed.
“No, I was not!” Discord rebutted.
“Well, your crying and whining said otherwise,” Eris replied.
While everyone was chatting over their encounter centuries ago, Harmony and Death were starting to grow curious and also anxious over the discussion. Daris was unsure of what the meeting was about; although, he had heard tales of wraiths and the destructive power they possess when he was young.
“Uh, is there a reason why you ask that question, Galaxia?” Harmony asked out of curiosity and any unsettling feeling she had.
"In recent events, Eternal and his friends fought hard to gather the Demon Crystals and Moon Gem to resurrect a friend of theirs, one who was lost in the conflict against the demons. The plan was a success… but the side effects were… alarming." Galaxia said. "It would seem, that in resurrecting their friend, he's also been brought back… as a wraith."
Everyone in the room, besides Harmony and Death, became shocked and horrified from what they heard. But... that’s impossible! Right? They ensure every measure they could to prevent any wraith from being summoned ever.
“How… is this possible?” Pestilence asked.
“Ugh, great! Another wraith!?” Famine complained.
“Interesting. Very interesting indeed.” War said to himself.
“But that can’t be possible! We took every precaution and every measure to ensure that they can't be summoned! How can this be true?!” Eris asked out of fear and confusion.
“Well… I’m gonna be packing my things when I get back home.” Discord commented.
“I’ve only heard stories about wraiths… But I never wish to see one up close.” Daris spoke with an unsettling feeling in his mind.
"It seems that by way of resurrection through the Demon Crystals and Moon Gem is what escaped our attention. However… it seems like this particular wraith has only shown hostility towards the Titan Demon that rampaged throughout the city." Galaxia said.
“That is true. Death and I were there to witness it.” Harmony commented.
"And he's already learned who his friends and enemies are, but it does raise concerns," Cosmos said.
“That seems… different? His behavior… is different… from the other wraith we faced.” Pestilence claimed.
"It's because he's confused. He's still trying to find out more about himself. When he was resurrected, the young man lost his memories of when he was alive. But, little by little, they’re returning to him. He's already learned that the girls are his friends when he saw them being attacked by the titan demon.” Death explained.
“And what would happen if he were to gain back all his memories?” Eris asked.
"Odds are he might help defend the city, maybe even the world. But that all depends on his mental state," Harmony said. “With every memory that returns to him, he’s forced to relive that memory in his mind, including the emotions that come with it.”
“So… If he were to remember a memory that is too painful and distraught to him…” Daris said in curiosity.
“He may be likely to lash out or it would drive him mad,” War added onto the drakai’s statement.
"That's not good. This could mean Multiverse War 2," Eris said, fearing the worst.
“I enjoy my fair share of chaos. But that is beyond the chaos I prefer.” Discord commented.
"I get it, you want us all to band together to banish this new wraith into an inescapable dimension with the other one. Why didn't you say so?" War asked, cracking his knuckles.
“NO!” Harmony protested. “While I would agree to such actions in the past. But this time, I will not allow Inferno to be banished. He’s shown that he’s different from the first wraith we fought. And even if we do decide to do so, Eternal and his friends will not allow it” She stated.
“Please… What can a bunch of puny mortals do? We’re beings of cosmic power.” War rebutted.
"Technically, Eternal is not a mere mortal. Remember when Harmony and Death mentioned how he used the Demon Crystals and Moon Gem to resurrect his friend?" Cosmos asked. "In doing so, he not only brought him back, but he also restored his demonic strength. So in a way, he's become an immortal being of his own." Cosmos said.
“Ugh! We get it. You’re grandkid’s the chosen one! BIG DEAL!” Famine sarcastically commented.
“Why do I even have you as a brother?” Pestilence muttered in mere annoyance by his fellow horseman’s tone.
“But Eternal is not entirely immortal.” Death protested against Cosmo’s statement. “While it would protect him against any powerful attacks from alicorns and Grogar himself. And it would even help defend him against Sombra’s attacks even after being empowered by the crystals. But we all know better of the power and immortality of wraiths.” He stated.
“Don’t remind me,” Eris responded.
"Let's not forget… attacks that are moon-powered… are poisonous to demons, " Daris pointed out. “I would know.”
"Wait, if his friend is a wraith and he does help everyone out… why doesn't he just take down the main threat?" War implied.
"That's not gonna happen. Eternal Flames made it clear he's going to fight them on his own to redeem himself. He blames himself too much already for leading the demons in an all-out war against humanity and Equestria," Death said.
“And that stubbornness is gonna get him killed. He cannot face them all by himself, not while his power and demonic blood are impacted by the Moon Gem’s magic.” Harmony stated.
“Which meant he doesn’t have the might to challenge them all at once,” Daris said while becoming worried for his mortal friends on Earth.
“So that means… that he’s powerful… but it not enough.” Pestilence responded.
"Let me take down these cronies and show them what true strength is like!" War said.
"True strength? You were too stubborn to back out of that fight with the first wraith when he had his feet planted on your face," Famine retorted.
“Says the one who ran screaming like a little girl,” Discord commented.
"Look at the pot calling the kettle black. Last I checked, you transformed yourself into a whiny little puppy dog when things got too heated and ran away going "YIPE! YIPE! YIPE!" Famine rebutted, annoyed.
"Hmm… touché," Discord replied.
"So… what should… we do?" Pestilence asked.
“That is why we are all gathered here. To discuss what should our best course of action be.” Galaxia stated.
“Well, after constantly about your grandkid that you won’t shut up about… We’re pretty much stuck.” Famine pointed out.
“What my… immature companion…. Is trying to say… is that we are unsure how to approach this matter.” Pestilence commented.
"I propose the best course of action is to watch them closely and then step in if things get dicey for the group and Eternal," Discord chimed in.
“I vote for that,” Eris responded.
“That’s something I can agree with,” Harmony said.
“So do I,” Death added.
“As do I,” Daris commented.
"Then it is settled. We shall stand by and watch it plays out. If things become too dangerous and the wraith goes on a rampage, we stop it at all cost," Cosmos said.
"Let us hope it does not come to the latter," Galaxia added.
Meanwhile, back in the city, the two dark tyrants kept trying to overpower the other. Sombra's dark crystals kept popping out of the ground, the buildings and the roofs anytime Eternal tried dodging his attacks. But he wasn't fast enough to dodge one of his dark crystals at it pierced just above his heart enough to miss his vital spot, drawing a little blood.
Eternal stepped back, gripping his injured spot, growling at his adversary as he laughs at his pain like he was child’s play.
"What's that matter "demon king?" Did I hurt you? Oh, no, no, no… don't get up!" Sombra exclaimed before laughing it off maniacally.
"You know something, Sombra. I was planning on letting you live as a principle I am forced to abide by, but considering your vile, black-hearted deeds up 'til now, I can see now that there's no point in holding back," Eternal rebutted, his voice getting deeper.
"You? Holding back? HAH! Don't make me laugh! You have yet to recover from your previous fight, you can't bluff your way out of--" But Sombra spoke too soon. For at that moment, a surge of black and deep scarlet red demonic energy shrouded Eternal Flames and the area around him, leaving only his blood-red, glowing eyes to illuminate amidst the shrouded energy.
Moments later, the shroud of demon energy began to disappear and out of the dark mass of energy, Sombra saw Eternal emerge out of it, wearing a new set of demon king armor . Sombra could sense that he wasn't bluffing; Eternal Flames, the Demon King… has returned.
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared. Sombra blinked and couldn't find him. By the time he saw him, it was too late, he received an aggressive uppercut and sent flying 5,000 feet above the ground. Eternal's demon wings sprung out and he flew up to his prey. He grabbed him by the throat and spun him around in circles before tossing him against one of the abandoned buildings before he tackled him through the walls.
Sombra, with a little luck, managed to slip out of his grasp and backflipped to his feet back onto the ground and took out his sword again. His demonic foe touched the ground while Sombra kept his distance for the time being.
"Okay, so maybe there was some truth to your hidden powers, but that won't change the outcome of this fight!" Sombra exclaimed.
"Then prove your worth," Eternal provoked in his deep, demonic tone. Sombra had to make good on his threat. And right now, there's no room for failure. Sombra took his stance and concentrated all of his power, generating his dark energy into his entire being.
Black mass not only shaped his body but his armor and weapons, too. His entire skin had turned jet black, his eyes remaining all yellow and glowing, his armor turning blood red and his sword growing longer until it was at least 9 feet long and changed its appearance .
This was it. This was Sombra's true form. "Now you'll face the wrath of a true king!" Sombra said in a deep tone.
"We shall see," Eternal replied, drawing his dual-ended blade. These powerful foes soon clashed once more. Their swings were much faster with precise accuracy. They ran along the empty streets, up and down multiple buildings, leaping through the air. Neither foe was backing off from their relentless fury.
Soon they clashed in many parts of the cities; left to right, forth and back, back and forth; speeding across the entire city at speeds that were 100x faster than light. And yet they kept on clashing and bashing at each other with no end to their battle. Eventually, they came to a stalemate in the middle of Canterlot Time Square. They stood 50 feet apart, their energy levels surging like crazy and still growing.
"Not bad, you're a lot quicker than I thought. Your power has grown quite exponentially, too," Sombra said.
"I could say the same to you, but it's only a matter of time before I take you down. And I intend to make you squirm and beg for mercy. You're nothing but a speck of dust in the black wind," Eternal rebutted.
“Well now… best to show action rather than speak words,” Sombra responded.
“Ladies first,” Eternal mocked the Shadow King.
The two combatants growled at each other as they charge straight at each other with their loudest battle cries they can give.
Meanwhile, as the battle in the city rages on, the group took refuge back at Sugar Cafe since it was closer to the school. And it also had a backup generator and running water supply, so it was a perfect spot to lay low for a while and rest up easily.
"What is this world coming to? I want it to just stop already. I'm… I'm scared," Fluttershy said, curling up into a ball and rocking back and forth. Israel sat by her side and wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to comfort her.
"Just think happy thoughts, Flutters. Think of a happy meadow where wild animals roam free, with no danger in within sight or sound," Israel replied trying to calm her down.
As Israel does his best to comfort his frightened girlfriend, Starlight, along with the help of the boys, Celestia, and the boys; all tended to the other girls’ injuries. Pinkie Pie showed them where Mr.Cake and Mrs.Cake kept the medical kit in the restaurant; in case of emergencies.
Starlight tends to Sunset and Twilight as she applies alcohol on their cuts and bruises; which stung like a bitch.
“OW! That... freaking hurts,” Sunset grunted.
“Sorry,” Starlight responded. “But at least you won’t get any infections.” She added.
“Is that suppose to make me feel better?” Sunset replied.
“Sunset, no need to act so aggressive,” Twilight replied. "Starlight's just trying to help."
"Sorry, Twilight. I guess I'm still worried about Eternal. He's out there fighting those… those… I don't even know how to describe them anymore." Sunset said, frustrated.
"I get that you're worried. Against all three he doesn't stand a chance. But what if he's fighting them all separately?" Copper brought up.
"It’s still suicide! They’re all boost up with magic powers," Applejack pointed out.
"Oh, how I loath being powerless to help my dear friends, even if it's only one doing all the fighting by themselves," Rarity pouted sadly.
"Then why are you all here and not with him? He’s your friend after all.” Sonata asked them all.
“He’s too stubborn. His guilt had overwhelmed his judgment, he won’t risk his friends getting hurt… more.” Twilight stated. “Even if we do go and help him, he’ll have us stay out of it. Besides we’re not in any good shape.”
“Well, what about him?” Aria asked the group while pointing over to their wraith friend standing by the window and looking up to the moon in the sky.
"If he got his memory back, maybe he could help fight off those three. I mean, you saw how he tossed that Titan Demon around like a rag doll, right? No offense, Celestia," Rainbow said.
"Well, I hope this pandemic passes by. This apocalyptic world is no place to raise my son in. Not after the Hell he's been through," Celestia said, looking at her unconscious son who was laying on the round table.
"So what's the story, Ms. Celestia? Why did he go AWOL all of a sudden?" Lightning asked.
Celestia just kept her gaze upon her knocked-out son and laid her head against his shoulders. "It all started a few weeks ago. Eternal was about to head out to the mall when Blaze Burn… my husband… he… he said some things he never should've said. He… he wanted to force his business onto Eternal, but Eternal didn't want to take over as a hotel tycoon. Blaze Burn kept insisting that he do so, or he'll never live a successful life." she explained, cringing at the memory of her husbands' cruel words.
Everyone was a bit taken back by that horrible experience this world’s Eternal had in the past. All of them were displeased by this information; Well, all beside the wraith in the room, who only paid attention to the light of the full moon like an insect to bright light.
"Eternal and I were so upset that we even argued with Blaze, but he was too stubborn and pig-headed to listen to reason. He wasn't the same man I fell in love with. But the final straw was when he told Eternal… "Fine, be a bum the rest of your life. But one day you'll be begging for my help and I won't be here when you come crawling back to me." Eternal lost it… and then he punched Blaze right in the jaw and cursed him to Hell. Afterward, he ran out the door… and didn't return ever since… until now," Celestia finished.
“But… how did he become like this? How did he become that… thing from earlier?” Flash asked.
"Supposedly, when we were still under Grogar's control, he recruited Eternal because of the intense amount of negative energy flowing inside of him. Grogar wanted to use that hate of his to not just crush his father… but also help him control the entire world. But his anger was far too unstable, not even we were able to subdue him. Our only option was to incase him in a giant demonic crystal and keep him under strict surveillance," Frostbite explained.
Everyone in the room was horrified and shocked hearing this information about Eternal’s becoming a Titan Demon. But soon the silence was broken by someone unexpected.
“You’re not telling them the full truth.” The voice spoke. It was familiar to everyone that they all turned to Inferno standing by the window. The tone he spoke with was one so familiar… it was that tone he once had when he first came to this world. Back when he was an assassin. “I know the real reason of how the young lad there became the demon bastard he once was.” He stated in an unpolite tone.
I-Inferno? Are you ok?” Starlight asked, feeling a bit worried and anxious.
“Thanks to that traitor there, I have a few more of my memories come back to me. Memories of my knowledge of demons… and my hate towards them.” The mercenary turned wraith growled in reply. “The only reason Grogar was able to have you all under his control, Frostbite… Was because you’re hearts were filled with Wrath, Envy, and Pride…. 3 of the seven deadly sins. And thus your sinned hearts were easy to manipulate… even when you were willing to allow it. That’s what happened to Eternal right there. His heart and soul are tainted with sins… Wrath, Pride, and Lust… Blood lust. And to only achieve the state of a Titan Demon, I once read information about that… to become a Titan Demon, you must complete a task… one that would damn your soul for all eternity. You would have to murder an innocent soul… and devour it.” He stated.
Celestia gasped. "Oh no!"
"But wait, who was it that he mu-- oh god," Sunset said before realizing.
“You should ask him instead of me. Besides… Dead men tell no tales.” Inferno replied before turning back to the window and soon was lost in a trance as he gazes at the moon.
"It can't be. My son would never murder someone," Celestia said, worried.
"This is all dad's fault! If he'd only acted like a real father he wouldn't have driven Eternal away as he did!" Heat said, grief-stricken.
“Is that all true? About… you know?” Fluttershy asked, barely keeping herself together.
“Well, Inferno is the demon expert so… I can’t even say it,” Halo responded which did not give Fluttershy any sense of relief.
"Uh… I think I know… who he might've killed to become the Titan Demon," Sunset said nervously. Everyone, except the wraith in the room, turned to her in curiosity and fearing of the answer they will hear.
"It was… a short while after the Demon War had ended. Eternal… that is… my boyfriend and I saw on the news that a man had been ripped in half while he was investigating the crumbled up castle."
“Who was he?” Frostbite asked.
"I...It was… Timber Spruce," Sunset hesitated, closing her eyes shut.
"Never heard of him, but DAMN! Did he die?" Israel asked.
"Afraid so. And to shed some light… he was Twilight's recent ex-boyfriend," Sunset said looking down. "A rather… obnoxious guy at that."
"In hindsight, I kinda had my doubts about the guy," Flash said.
“So how in hell is he even innocent?” Blazing asked in confusion.
“He had a family; a sister. And he’s always looked after her when their parents passed away and he’s never looked back on her.” Twilight replied. “Gloriosa told me after the events of Camp Everfree.”
"So what made you break up with the guy in the first place?" Copper asked.
"Because of Heat. He was Twilight's first real friend back in preschool up until they separated during middle school. And when they finally met again… he had the displeasure of realizing he not only lost his childhood friend… but also his first crush," Halo explained.
"I… don't wanna sound rude, but jeez, Twi, how could you forget about your old friend for so long?" Blazing asked. Which he then receives a punch in the shoulder by Frostbite.
“Not cool, man.” He stated.
"And besides, we've put that behind us. Though, I wish he didn't die so horribly. Maybe if we get the artifacts back, we can bring him back to life," Heat suggested.
"Whoa! Bad idea! You seriously wanna bring back that hopeless flirt even after he went after your girlfriend?" Aria asked.
Twilight then got all confused. "Wait… hopeless flirt? Did I hear you correctly? What do you mean "hopeless flirt?" She asked, getting suspicious. "Are you saying you knew something about him that I wasn't aware of?"
"Well… we did have a few run-ins with him and kept talking about how "three hot girls such as ourselves" shouldn't be digging for table scraps and living in a van for the rest of our lives," Sonata chimed while cringing at those words.
"And on top of that, he'd keep shooting winks at us, but we kept telling him to back off," Adagio explained, living through that cringy memory again.
"Hold on, where's your proof that he did do all those things?" Twilight asked, suspiciously. But just then…
"Uh, Twi? Maybe Ah can help with their claims," AJ said, pulling out her phone as she showed Twilight some pictures she took. The bookworm gasped at seeing Timber… flirting, not just with the Dazzlings… but other girls behind her back. "Ah shoulda come clean when Ah took these a few months ago."
“Can someone please tell me why this guy even innocent?!” Blazing asked again when he looked at the picture.
"I think it has something to do with his job. He probably volunteered to search the island for anything suspicious, He didn't hurt anybody there, nor did he seem aware the entire island was still too dangerous. And I guess… he paid the price with his life," Sunset said.
“Well, that’s just one thing, what else he did to make him innocent?” Blazing asked again.
While the group was conversing; unbeknownst to them, as Inferno was standing by the window looking at the moon in the sky, he started to feel his stomach ache as he grew hungry for strange reasons. And for some other stranges reasons, it keeps getting worse. He lets out inhuman growls as he gripped his stomach. The more the aching continued, the more he growled and snarled.
It wasn’t long before the others could hear the noise he was making.
"Whoa… I think we'd better steer clear of our "resurrected friend." He's not looking too happy right about now," Lightning warned
“He doesn’t look mad. He looks like he’s getting sick?” Frostbite suggested.
“He’s a Wraith. I don’t think they give a damn about being sick.” Flash commented.
As everyone kept their distance from their wraith companion as Starlight approached him carefully and with caution.
“Inferno? Are you ok?” She asked him.
“HUNGRY. I’m...hungry.” He responded with small growls and a deeper voice tone.
"Cupcake?" Pinkie asked, zooming over to him and handing him a cupcake.
Without warning, the assassin-turned-wraith snatched it from her hand, and with no manners at all, he munched down on the delicious pastry; with icing smudged on his face. Pinkie gave a cute giggle "Icing mustache!" she pointed out.
"Uh, Pinkie… I don't think you should provoke him like that," Copper said, feeling uneasy.
However, Inferno instead grabbed onto Pinkie as he stares into her eyes like he’s staring down into her soul. “More!” He demanded.
"Hold it right there! That's no way to talk to Pinkie Pie like that!" Rarity scolded.
Ignoring Rarity’s scolding and his hunger rising, Inferno bolted towards the kitchen of the restaurant; while pushing aside Frostbite and Copper, who was in the way,
"HEY! DON'T BE MEAN TO MY PLUMEY!!!" Pinkie yelled, getting angry at Inferno.
And once again, ignoring everyone in the other room, Inferno ransacked the entire kitchen. Searching for anything to munch or devour. He then grabs a bag of sugar, cuts it open, and pours the whole quantity of the bag into his mouth. After having spent the whole bag, he tosses it to the side as he looks through the shelves and glass containers. He soon later finds the room where all the pastries, cakes, pies, and cupcakes are stored in. Without pause, he started to munch down on all of them at an alarming rate. And yet, he still felt hungry.
As Inferno was going on a feeding frenzy, everyone was shocked and amazed at how he was devouring large quantities of sweets and pastries without even putting on weight.
"I think we've unleashed a darker Pinkie Pie into this world," Lightning said in shock.
A roar rang throughout the highly deserted, broken city of Canterlot as the former Demon King Eternal and Sombra continued their epic clash for dominance. Both were at the peak of their strengths, giving it 110% to see which one will outclass the other. Sombra tried trapping him in a dark crystalized prison, but with his superior powers, he broke out without effort and a whole lot of anger.
He charged after Sombra and tackled him into the road, shattering the concrete as he dragged him down the road, his hands gripping his throat. Sombra used this momentum to kick him off and charge at him afterward, tackling Eternal into a building, nearly knocking it down.
But Eternal wasn't giving up that easily, he aimed a hand at Sombra and blasted him in the face with a wave of demonic energy, sending him flying out of the building while Eternal flew out just before the building could collapse right on top of him. Sombra was growing more and more frustrated with his adversary. All he wanted now was to kill Eternal Flames. In a fit of anger, he surged his energy and fired off a dark blast at the former Demon King. This time… Eternal did not budge and took the direct attack.
Sombra didn't stop his assault, he kept firing his attack at him, hoping he'd at least do a little bit of damage and wear him down. 'This has to work! It just HAS to! No mere mortal could withstand an attack this powerful! That should've at least slowed him down!' he thought to himself as he panted heavily.
While his breathing became more steady, the adrenaline in his body soon vanished… but at the absolute worst possible time. For as the dust settled, he stared in disbelief and shock and find two glowing red eyes, And no sooner than that, Eternal emerged, still in his armor and his powers seemed to have increased a great deal.
"Did you forget, already?" Eternal asked in a low, distorted, demonic voice. "A demon can absorb whatever negative emotions that linger… especially if your negativity is channeled through your powers." Sombra's expression changed to one of shock before slumping down on one knee, exhausted from having shot an excessive amount of his dark magic, unable to think of another plan.
"You… You're a monster! You can't be real! No one! NO ONE CAN DEFEAT ME!!!" Sombra exclaimed, backing away.
"Not a very smart decision, Sombra. You're supposed to be a powerful tyrant… Where did all this fear come from?" Eternal asked in his demonic voice, lifting his fist in the air, shrouding it in a black mass of demonic energy. "Face your doom like a man!" he commanded. Sombra had no place to run… no place to hide… he was doomed… finished… done for.
Meanwhile, back with the others, the former assassin turned wraith suddenly felt a loud and strong eruption of power and sin. In the distance, he saw an enormous cloud of black mass erupting into the sky. And such an immense power can only come from the vilest… and most sinister of sinners. Inferno's stomach rumbled deeply, his hunger begging to be satisfied. His glowing purple eyes intensified as he walked out of the kitchen.
Everyone outside the room was conversing about something, likely about their wraith friend’s strange behavior until they see Inferno emerge from the kitchen and walking straight towards the doors of the restaurant. And seeing the strange behavioral expression on his face, made them all grow cautious and curious.
"Where's he going?" Rainbow asked.
"I… don't know. but I don't like where this is going. Inferno where are you going?" Starlight called out.
When she briefly caught his attention, Inferno turned his head to face their direction, showing them his now bright glowing purple eyes… and his newly razor-sharp teeth. They could hear unearthly growls coming from him as he stared at them. After a glance, he finally responds… with his tone of voice lower and raspy. “Must… feed.” He replied.
Fluttershy cowered behind her friends while the others backed away in fear. "Watch out, guys. Those eyes mean serious trouble!" Lightning warned.
Ignoring what the young man said, Inferno turned to face the doors of the restaurant which were made of entirely glass, with some steel features. He soon raised his hand at the door and with just the flick of his wrist; the glass shattered and dispelled straight out into the streets while the steel frame of the door was savagely pulled and bent with unforeseen force. With the door disposed of, the wraith assassin walks out of the restaurant and onto the streets of the town. As he stopped in the center of the streets, his raven-like wings sprouted open and he thrusts himself into the air and flies off somewhere else.
"Did you see the way he looked?" Starlight asked the others in shock.
"Oh, we saw it, alright! But why'd he go an' lose his mind like that?" AJ asked.
"It looks like he's going towards that explosion! But why?" Halo asked, worried.
"Didn't you hear him? He said "must feed," but… what the hell was he gonna feed on that caused that explosion?" Flash asked. The others looked at each other, questioning what his possible target could be, until…
"ETERNAL!!!" Sunset gasped. Everyone turned to her in confusion while some were worried.
“What are you talking about? He’s right here?” Aria responded while pointing over to the unconscious Eternal Flames of this world.
"No, her Eternal Flames, as in Princess Celestia's son? The one who's originally from Equestria! He's the one that's currently fighting on his own out there!" Flash specified.
"But, I don't understand, why would Inferno want to feed on Eternal? I thought those two got along like brothers," Rarity pointed out.
"Well my money is on that Inferno probably remembered Eternal betraying him and now he’s pissed about it.” Frostbite suggested.
"Sounds like a hell of a grudge if you ask me," Blazing said.
"It's the only logical conclusion we can come up with, so what do we do now?" Copper asked.
"We go after hi--" Rainbow jolted up, pumped with energy before feeling a jolt of agony in parts of her body. She grunted, feeling the intense pain coarse through her. "Ow! Celestia, I mean this in the nicest of ways when I say your son is a hell of a hard hitter!"
"Those eyes… those eyes… too… too… scary," Fluttershy squealed in fear, hiding in Israel's arms and whimpered.
"Shh… just don't think about it," Israel whispered.
At the battle area, a huge creator was formed and inside it was Sombra. His armor shattered and had nothing covering him, except for his torn-up black pants. He was unconscious while Eternal stood above the creator, shrouded in his immense demonic energy. "A shame you never changed your ways after losing 4 times. One to my mother and aunt, the 2nd time to Spike, Shining and Cadence, the 3rd time to Twilight and her friends… now… to me. Once a failure… always a failure."
"R. . .Radiant. . . p. . .please. . . forgive me. . . I'm. . .sorry." Sombra uttered through the pain.
"What's this?" Eternal asked. "Who's this Radiant?"
But just before he could get any answers from his fallen foe, Eternal is then suddenly tackled from behind. He and whoever tackled him, went flying and crashing down into the ground, far away from Sombra. The harsh landing caused whoever tackled him to lose their grip and fall next to him.
"Who did that?" Eternal grunted in his demonic voice, getting up and brushing off his armor. And as he turned around, he is met with someone he did not expect.
Standing before him is Inferno; growling and looking extremely pissed. And was already in his “Wrath form” with destructive energy emitting from his body. The wraith assassin stared at his prey; stenched of sin and dark energy; a perfect meal to satisfy his ever-growing hunger.
"Inferno? What's with that look in your eye and why did you attack me like that? Can you not see I'm on your side?" the young demon king asked.
The wraith assassin tilted his head in confusion. “What makes you say that you’re on my side… demon. The only ones on my side… are my friends. And your soul… is riddled and stenched of sin and corruption. A perfect meal… for a wraith.” Inferno replied with a dark and opportunistic tone as he lunges at Eternal, with his mouth of sharp teeth opened wide to take his first bite. Eternal acted quickly by uppercutting those chompers shut and then backed away from him.
"Have you gone insane? I'm not on the menu! What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked, his voice returning to normal.
Wraith Inferno turned around to face Eternal, this time with an angered expression, and then the former assassin reals back his fist and delivered an aggressive, piercing uppercut straight to Eternal’s gut. Time stood slowly for a while before it speeds back up as Inferno’s attack sent the young Demon King flying straight into the air. He crashed into a wall very high up on a building.
Eternal grunted, feeling the pain in his gut, despite his armor. He freed himself, trying to shake off the pain. He then brought out his demon wings and flew at high speeds towards his friend, tackling him with all his might.
However, just as he collided with Inferno, it proved useless and the wraith didn’t budge a bit. Inferno growled in annoyance as he grabs the young demon and then spun around with incredible speed before tossing Eternal over 1,000 yards. The wraith assassin faces the direction he threw his prey, then a second later, he is met with a full-powered punch straight to the face. Which then sent him flying about 20 yards before he regains composure and lands back on his feet while sliding backward along the streets of the city.
Inferno stands up straight while staring at the young demon king standing about 70 feet away from him. The wraith assassin moves his lower jaw around a bit before he soon has an appalled expression on his face. “Interesting.” He muttered to himself.
"He's no joke! I barely managed to knock him back with that punch," Eternal murmured between breaths, feeling on edge. His body tensed up and launched himself high in the air, creating a black and red energy ball the size of an XXXL beach ball, and fired it at high speeds.
Waiting patiently for the attack to reach him, Wraith Inferno raises his arm up and then catches the attack in his hand as its energy began to dwindle and negated.
"WHAT?!" Eternal exclaimed. Now he's the one who was getting pissed and annoyed. Not thinking straight, he growled and summoned forth his signature blade . He dashed towards the wraith and began attacking him from all directions, swinging his dual blade with such force and tremendous speeds. His blows seemed to either get blocked or just gave him small grazes that didn't phase him at all.
Then soon the Wraith began to expertly dodge all of his swings, moving extremely faster than anything Eternal has seen before. Then the assassin decided to switch things up as dark energy forms in both of his hands and soon it began to take shape into twin katana blades , only there were much more of an improvement of his old ones in the past. He then brings blades upward to deflect an attack from Eternal.
He exclaims in shock at how he could deflect him so easily and steps back. He disperses his sword and brings up his own two swords .
Inferno looks at him with a blank, yet insulted expression. “Copycat.” He muttered before using one of his katanas to deflect an incoming attack from one of Eternal’s swords.
"It's not copying if I'm using my style," Eternal retorts, readying himself. He then comes at Inferno and clashes his swords with Inferno's blades. "And I don't know what your problem is, but I'm not gonna sit around and let you have your way with me!"
Soon the wraith assassin and demon king engaged in sword combat. There was no other option for the demon king, his only chance of survival was to fight his best friend. So, with a heavy heart, their epic clash continued. Inferno and Eternal clashed their swords repeatedly, moving throughout the broken city, Eternal barely managing to match his speed and power with the mighty wraith.
Inferno was dominating their fight, unlike the last time he faced Eternal was in his Demon King form. Eternal could barely maneuver through the attacks until he realized… the armor he was wearing was slowing him down, so he backed away for a moment and got rid of his armor… now only had his pants on and now protective top clothing. He had to be careful this time or he'll be skewered alive.
He charged back in and clashed at him much faster this time. But while Eternal had now slightly even the playing field of speed; matching Inferno’s power… was another thing.
The wraith assassin took to the skies and hovered above his prey. He summoned his magic once again, forming thousands of aura spears glowing in his destruction magic, all stationed in the air behind the wraith. He raised his hand high and then brings it down to point at Eternal. When he did, the aura spears then sped towards the ground and the demon king below. The demon king reacted just in time to deflect some of them while he dodges the others.
But he wasn't fast enough to dodge or block one of the spears that impaled his leg as he let out a pained cry of agony and fell to the ground, gripping his injured leg.
Hearing Eternal’s cries of agony, soon triggered memories in Inferno’s mind, taking him back to the time he accidentally stabbed him in the leg in the streets of which he does not know where. Then the memory switched to a discussion between the two and then they… somehow got along after that? This was confusing for the wraith, yes. And with that confusion, the former assassin halted his attacks and ignored his instincts has he tried to process these images in his head.
While he was processing them, Eternal powered down and looked around for any sort of cloth material he could use. The aura spear that pierced his leg had disappeared, but now he was bleeding and had to seal the wound shut.
“What?... Are… These images in my head?!” Inferno muttered to himself silently as he gripped the sides of his head with both his hands. “Why do I find myself conflicted of these memory?” He asked himself.
"Can't… let it… end like… this!" Eternal grunted, crawling around, trying to find something to stop his bleeding leg. He stared up at the wraith, wondering why he isn't doing anything.
Inferno paid no attention to the young prince crawling on the ground as he was struggling with confusion and slight insanity overtaking in his mind. In fact, he began hysterically laughing to himself. It started out small and quiet before it increased in sound and the wraith assassin was left laughing nonstop.
"Oh crap baskets, he's gone nuts!" Eternal said, feeling a twinge of fear. "Gotta… get outta here before he… creams me!" He then struggled onto one knee and unfurled his demon wings. He flew off the ground and took off away from the psychotic wraith. 'So long, old friend… Best wishes… from your fellow brother, ' he thought as a single tear was shed from his eye.
Inferno remained where he is, laughing maniacally in confusion and his mentality crumbled.
Meanwhile, Light Ray was scouting multiple parts of the city for any survivors, trying to put his next plan into action. Naturally, he showed no fear in walking out in the open. He looked left and right, trying to detect any sign of humans lurking in the buildings or in the alleyways. Though he detected a few, he sensed them keeping their distance from him.
"Hmm… it seems these humans are more skittish than I thought. How disappointing. To think the humans can be such a cowardice, inferior race. Perhaps after I've claimed my full power, I will subjugate this world as my own… and turn it into a kingdom of my own. Yes. . . a kingdom just for my daughter and me." Light Ray smirked.
As he was brainstorming, he heard multiple clicking sounds and stopped dead in his tracks. After a few seconds, Light Ray turns around and he is met with a group of humans with the same L-shaped objects that he saw in the hands of the humans he took care of days ago. And they were aiming these objects directly at him.
“What you doing in our streets, old man! Huh!?” one of the humans shouted to him.
"Who, me? No reason. Just looking for some. . . lucky candidates," Light said, smiling. "Tell me… is there anything you guys would love to have?" he turns to look at each of the guys who's still pointing their guns at him.
"Same as everyone else in this god-forsaken wasteland; Money, power, food, but I doubt you have what we're looking for. Tell us why we shouldn't shoot you right here and now!" another guy demanded.
"Good point. Well, if you're all aching for it that much, I have a… proposition," Light said. Some of the guys lowered their guns while the others kept them raised at him. Suddenly , Light's eyes shrunk and a big grin formed on his face as he swiftly got behind one of the guys and grabbed him by the neck, seeping his dark energy into the guy, making him squirm in agony. One of the guys shot Light, but he quickly caught the bullet in his hand. "Now, now… I'm merely demonstrating what I have in store… for all of you."
And soon, he let go of the guy's neck and watched him fall to the ground before getting back up, his body shrouded in a veil of darkness, overwhelming power surging through his entire body.
"Wha… what the hell?!" the empowered man asked in shock.
"Congratulations… you now possess superhuman abilities far beyond your wildest dreams…" Light said in an ominous voice before looking at the others, who are backing away. "This power can be yours, too, if you wish. All you have to do is pledge your allegiance to me and do exactly as I say, then you shall all become powerful, rich and live the life of luxury you so desire. I'll even allow you to give your new powers a test run, if you wish. So… do we have a deal?" he grinned maliciously.
After saying his word and showing what he has to offer, It had the human gang in front of him thinking and discussing to themselves. They eventually look back at the ominous old man and soon agreed.
"Good, then before I assign you your first task…" Light paused before enveloping the group of gunmen in a shroud of black mist. The men were confused of the purpose behind this. But what they didn't realize is how they were inhaling the mist and suddenly, multiple dark powers skyrocketed like crazy, turning an entire small army into a superhuman dark syndicate. "...Now then… how do you feel?"
As the mist cleared up, multiple pairs of red eyes could be seen glowing brightly as his dark henchmen emerged, ready to cause hell.
"Powerful," one of them spoke for the rest.
Author's Note
Sorry for the long wait. Anyways, here's my next chapter, thank TheShadowKnight for helping me out big time and be sure to follow him and as always, thanks for your patience and support, remember to stay tuned for more chapters to come and keep bronying on.
A Dark Light Descends
Harmony and Death have been watching the brutality of the "fight" between the former Demon King and the wraith and were horrified by what transpired. Having been injured from the fight and left with no other option, they watched as Eternal fled for his life.
But worst of all, they now see the unfortunate Inferno battling for his sanity and losing. And that his newly wraith instincts are taking over and his hunger growing.
"This shouldn't be happening! How can they hope to save their home if there's not gonna be a home for them to hopefully return to?" Death asked.
“Inferno is losing sanity by the minute if he chooses to ignore his instincts,” Harmony stated. “If he keeps holding them back, his mind will… will… We must not let Cosmos and Galaxia find out about this!” the goddess exclaimed.
"You're right, dear. We can only hope that eventually, he doesn't completely lose himself. If only we could aid them, but even our powers combine can't match up against a wraith… especially after all the trouble we had to deal with the first one," Death trembled just from reliving the memory of that horrible living nightmare.
“The only way Inferno can save what’s left of his sanity is that he’ll have to satisfy his hunger… but with all this darkness and sins in this world… it’s furthering his insanity.” Harmony spoke.
"And when he feeds… he’ll crave for more. We’ve seen that with the last wraith.” Death responded. “But what if he were to direct it?”
“If that were to be; However, with Cosmos and Galaxia’s grandson bearing his demonic aura… Inferno would not tell the difference.” Harmony replied before she began to sense a great disturbance in the mortal realm; which gave her drowsiness and made her felt weak that she would have collapsed to the ground if Death hadn’t noticed this change and caught her before she did.
"Dearest, what's wrong?" Death asked with distraught, worried for his love. Just then, he could sense something… malicious and the power resonating from the source seemed to be affecting Harmony deeply.
While feeling weakened, Harmony looks up to her lover and could see in his eyes. “You felt it also? The evil…” She spoke to him while feeling herself becoming sleepy. Seeing this, the Grim Reaper himself carried his dearest to a nearby bed and laid her across it, gently placing her head on the pillow.
"Afraid so. For their sake, I only hope they can stop it soon," he replied before patting her gently.
“This… new evil… has grown in numbers. The humans… cannot face it alone… And not as mortals, either,” Harmony responded, with her tone being exhausted and worn out. “We must… call upon… our new ally from the dark realm… to assist them,” She suggested.
Death nodded. "I'll handle the arrangement myself. You just rest up, my dear," he replied
Harmony gave him a warm smile before she rested her eyes. “Would you... stay with me for a few minutes… before I rest my strength?” She asked him before she fell into her slumber.
Death knelt beside her bedside, watching over her as she rests. “As you wish, my love,” he whispered as he stayed by her side for a few minutes as she fell into a deep sleep. Soon after, he attended to said matter. Opening up a portal, he leaps through to discuss the situation with the only powerful ally that could be able to aid the humans in their fight.
Meanwhile, back out in the city, Sombra, who could barely move, crawled out of the creator, his body aching all over and was bleeding very badly. "Can't… let it… end like… this," he grunted weakly, before collapsing onto the ground again, out of breath. "Why. . . Why couldn't. . . I do it? I. . . had the. . . power… and… it failed me."
He tried to move, but he couldn't comprehend how critical his condition was. And as if the timing couldn't be worse… Eternal came back but was also pretty banged up. However, he was still able to move better and had his leg wound sealed up.
The shadow king looked up at the young Demon King with curiosity and hostility; as in being defensive. “What… in Tartarus… Happened to you?” he asked towards his foe, while still grunting in pain.
"Let's just say sibling rivalries tend to come at you from out of nowhere," Eternal replied as he sat down. "But I didn't come back to talk about my problems… nor finish you off." his answer puzzled the former tyrant. "You mentioned something about… failing someone earlier. Was it your master, or… someone else?" he asked.
“Why so… interested?" Sombra grunted.
"Because I'd rather hear others out and hope I don't make a bad judgment call. Now talk, who was this person you mentioned earlier when I beat you?" Eternal asked. Sombra looked up at the prince's stern gaze as well as his battered body. Not like Sombra was in a position to bargain, so what does he have to lose?
"R...Radiant Hope," he muttered. "My… My wife," he explains. "She became queen of the Crystal Empire… after her mother and father stepped off the throne. And… I was her king. I loved her so much, I wanted to help bring her kingdom into a bright a peaceful era, potentially expanding our already beautiful country."
"So then, riddle me this, why'd you enslave the Crystal Ponies?" Eternal asked, unfazed.
"It was only a few years later that I had stumbled upon some… minor setbacks. The boards of the Crystal Empire had been conspiring behind my back, causing problems around the kingdom and turning its inhabitants against me. They spread lies on how I was going to tear down homes and businesses and use the crystal materials to build a dark empire. But… they were all false. But sadly, faith was not on my side… except for my wife. She told me she'd help clear things up with the ponies." Sombra trembled.
"But things didn't go as planned, did they?" Eternal asked, his stern expression remained, but not as tense.
"Afraid not. The next day, I heard the news of Radiant Hope's… untimely demise. I searched for the places I thought she be in and I did… but… I was too late! At the bottom of the castle… just below the balcony…I saw her body. I had a strong conviction that they pushed her off! But they had falsified evidence stacked against me! I wanted them to suffer! My heart grew bitter and cold… and to make matters worse… they insulted her and me. I couldn't contain my anger any longer. The darkness inside me burst and I killed them right on the spot!" Sombra growled, but this made his body jolt from the pain.
"What about the Crystal Ponies? Did you attack them?" Eternal's glare intensified.
"Sadly… I killed a few. They were ashamed I was king and even sullied my wife's name for marrying me. I couldn't stand it any longer and… well, within a few more years… I became the tyrant you know now. And… I know this won't change anything, but I wasn't trying to expand my dark empire. . . I just. . . wanted to resurrect my wife. I needed her guidance. She was the only one who understood my true intentions. But now… my dream is dead. . . and soon, I'll be dead as well," Sombra trembled again. Then for the first time in his life… tears flowed out of his eyes.
Eternal Flames could only watch in confusion and shock. It seems like the history books he read back home weren’t telling the whole story… or better yet… the real truth. This was no dark tyrant on a power raid, but merely a lost soul, a grieving widower, looking to restore what has been lost to him.
"To think… after all these years, we were the ones in the wrong. I'm… I'm sorry… Sombra. If any of us had known we'd... " Eternal paused, unable to find the words to say. Out of frustration, he slammed both fists into the ground, cracking the asphalt and leaving two big dents. "I… don't condone the pain you caused everyone, but… I understand why you did those things. . ."
As Eternal and Sombra remained where they were, not knowing what else to do… a strange light from above pierced through the dark, cloudy skies. Eternal and Sombra looked up and noticed Death floating next to a white orb. As he touched the ground, the glowing, white orb began to take shape.
As the light faded, the figure showed itself as a woman with crystal light purple skin and crystal blue, smooth, curly hair with ocean blue, sparkling eyes and wearing an angelic robe, along with beautiful white wings and a halo above her head. Sombra's eyes widened in shock. He reached out to the woman, saying her name. "R...Radiant Hope!"
She nodded and approached her injured husband. She kneeled to him and cupped his cheeks in her hands. "Sombra… look at you… what has happened to you? I've watched over you, hoping I could see the stallion I fell in love with changing the ways of our troubled kingdom, but instead… the darkness consumed you. I ask you this… why? Why bring your pain onto others? You had the power to make things right," Radiant asked, trying to understand as tears flooded from her eyes.
"I…" Sombra sniffed, "I… didn't think straight. I… I was lost without you! You were my everything, my dear! I was a fool! Without you in my life, nothing made sense anymore! The only thing I longed for… was to hold you in my arms one more time! I… I'm sorry… my love!" Sombra sobbed to himself, ashamed of his evil past deeds and ashamed that he failed not only himself… but his wife.
But in his lowest state, Radiant picked him up a little and pulled her broken-down husband into a hug, and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry too, dear. I wish I had never left your side that day. Perhaps we're both at fault. But none of that matters anymore. I'm here for you now. And should all go as planned… you just might get your wish," Radiant replied.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Eternal asked.
"Truth is, young prince," Death began to explain. "Your fierce battle with Sombra has left him in critical condition. Far from ever healing from it… which is why I came to claim his soul... for his journey to the Afterlife.” the grim reaper stated. “And this time… I will oversee the process without having any tampering or meddling.”
"I… I see. I didn't know my powers would… wound up killing him," Eternal said, feeling guilty.
"W-Wait… before you do. . ." Sombra said to Death before turning to Eternal. "Listen. . . I'd like for you… to take my remaining dark power. Consider this. . . my last, dying wish. . . to help in. . . anyway I can."
Eternal's mind was thrown for a loop over the stuff happening around him, but one glance at Death showed he needed to get his job done quickly. So with a sigh, he nodded and approached Sombra. The beaten king offered his hand and Eternal hesitantly took it. The remaining dark magic within Sombra transferred over to the prince, thus granting him some of his strength back.
After letting go, Sombra gave him a smile of relief as his body began to shrivel up and his hair gradually turned white and died in his dead wife's hands. This was Death's cue to take both her and Sombra with him. With his magic, the grim reaper opened the gate to the afterlife, and soon Sombra and Radiant’s souls manifested into two separate light orbs and together they entered the vortex; which closed behind them.
"Goodbye… King Sombra… and Queen Radiant Hope," Eternal said calmly to himself.
“There… two souls successfully transferred to the afterlife… without any disturbance.” Death muttered to himself before he looked towards the young prince. “However… you remain my only failure. One that I can never fix. One day, young prince, your soul will be collected… and I will make sure of it.” the grim reaper stated.
"And I apologize for Grogar's interference the first time. But I gotta ask… does your job get easier with time, or…”
“No. It does not. But it’s a job that I must carry out. There’s a balance of life and death; that can never outweigh. But now that balance is tipped too far, and my wife is weakening from it. And now destiny has changed its course… But it did not revolve around you.”
"So, in other words… it was a mistake that I was brought back to life," Eternal said.
“That is not what I meant… You see… Long ago, when Grogar took your soul from my grasp… it triggered something; a prophecy. One that Harmony and I, or the rest of the cosmic council have ever seen before. The prophecy that Grogar wished for it to be completed, which you already knew and experienced. But what you and everyone else didn’t know was that there was a part of the prophecy that was overlooked by all… except Grogar. That one day… a guardian will be assigned to watch over you and lead you to escape your fate.” Death restated. “When Grogar found out about it, he tried to ensure that this guardian… will never rise. So he tried to kill it before it could mature… but his plan failed when a mortal got in the way…. Inferno’s father.”
"Wait, are you saying… Inferno's my guardian?!" Eternal asked in shock.
“Your fate and his were aligned more than you know, and Grogar knew as well. He didn’t mean to kill his father… Grogar wanted to kill Inferno. Because he was afraid of him. However, after that incident, Grogar thought that it would change the prophecy. While it did change the prophecy and fulfilled it as you witnessed it.” Death stated which painfully reminded Eternal of the events. “But it did not change Inferno’s fate. But it did change Inferno’s destiny… to be the most destructive multiversal power in all existence. And because of your foolishness to take on your enemies alone… the real threat has grown stronger and has gained more allies of the corrupted souls in this world; upsetting the balance of order and chaos of this universe. And now my wife is growing weak because of it.” the grim reaper exclaimed. “And from what I can sense… The evil is now coming for your friends… who have no means of defending themselves against this threat.”
Eternal gasped in realization. "I gotta head back!" he panicked before flying up in the air. "I'm gonna check up on my friends and guard them. Hopefully, someone out there can lend us a helping hand. Good luck, Death!" With his final words spoken, Eternal flew off at high speeds back in the direction of the Sugar Cafe.
As Death stood where he stands, he raised his arms in the air like he’s annoyed by something. “Why do mortals keep talking all the time when they’re in a moment of peril? Back in my day, we just acted on sight.” He mutters to himself in annoyance, as he opens up a portal to another realm. It instantly closed up after he had entered.
Meanwhile, as everything was unfolding in the city, Chrysalis continues to dwell in her sorrows after betraying a woman she held a deep affection towards. She felt responsible for betraying Principal Celestia and putting her sons in danger. It was her fault she allowed herself to be drawn in by bitter vengeance, seeking power to reclaim a lost empire. And now that she had her power back… it means nothing to her anymore. There was nothing that would ease the pain that she felt.
“How… How can I be so… foolish?!” She asked herself as tears fell from her eyes. “Why do I push everyone I love away?!” She screamed after as the former Changeling Queen broke down in tears. "Curse my changeling heritage! Why can't things ever go right for me?! WHY?!"
As she was drowning in her sorrows for hours straight, Chrysalis started to hear metal footsteps echoing in the abandoned mall. It was barely noticeable at first, but the sounds of the footsteps increased as they got closer; signaling to the former changeling queen that she was not alone.
She was now on full alert and quietly got up from her makeshift throne, slowly and quietly making her way towards one of the windows, peeking through it to see who was outside.
As she observed the hallways outside the store; walking outside is the resurrected wraith himself, Inferno, who was wandering the empty corridors alone; looking a bit unsure and possibly on the edge of going insane. The former changeling queen tries her best to keep silent so that he could not hear her. But that was not the case, cause it sure looked like he was walking towards the clothing store where she was bunkering down.
Chrysalis felt terrified that this guy was coming in her direction. But another part of her feels like maybe it's for the best that he finishes her off. She didn't have much use for this newfound power she has if she's just gonna be alone and miserable. So as the wraith wandered into the store, it took her all her willpower to show herself and walk directly in front of him with her eyes closed; waiting to die.
Inferno, unaware that the changeling queen was in here, and much confusion about why is she standing in front of her. However, his instincts convince him to sniff her; in which he could smell the dark energy that she possesses. Which would be a perfect meal… However, he could also smell her soul… and to his surprise… it was no longer tainted. He could sense her emotions: grief, guilt, and her willingness to die. It was because of this, the wraith assassin huffed in disappointment and carelessness as he walked around her and continued wandering around the store.
"You found me, so you might as well kill me, now. There's no point in trying to do right anymore. I've messed up too many times now," Chrysalis said, looking down. She waited in anticipation for her inevitable demise.
However, when she opened her eyes, Inferno was no longer standing in front of her. And in confusion, she turns around and sees the wraith casually wandering around the store, minding his own business and observing the clothes and accessories he came across.
"I… I don't understand, why aren't you killing me?" Chrysalis asked.
Inferno paid no heed and proceeded to mind his own business, not even making himself aware of the woman’s presence. This, however, confused Chrysalis even more.
"Hey, I asked you a question, why aren't you answering me?" she asked, slightly offended.
And at that moment, the wraith assassin now focuses his attention on the changeling queen. Baring his razor teeth and his glowing purple eyes intensifies. Frightening Chrysalis beyond her understanding. Inferno stared at her with an intimidating glare, snarling and growling unlike any man or animal is heard of.
And finally, the wraith replied to her questions. “Your death… is unnecessary.” He responded.
"What do you mean "unnecessary?" she asked. "Are you saying that my death won't exactly make a difference?!"
“No… because your soul is no longer tainted and riddled with remorse and sorrow. Thus, you seek not death… but redemption.” the wraith assassin stated before turning around and having his back facing Chrysalis. “It took me a while to figure out my instincts. And with you as proof; I now realize that I can only prey on the blood and souls of the corrupted, as well as dark energy. And even though you possess dark energy… your soul is too pure for me to consume.” He explained. “And would rather give me a stomach ache.”
"Redemption? Redemption?! How can I redeem myself when I've already done so much damage to the one person I've grown fond of?! I hurt her by putting her youngest son in danger and turned her oldest son into a mindless killing machine! They're her pride and joy and I toyed with them because I wanted power for revenge!!! She'll never forgive me for what I've done! NEVER!!! NEVER!!!" Chrysalis shouted, dropping to her knees and pounding the ground. Chrysalis even began to cry, wracked with so much guilt that it tore her up.
Turning around and seeing the changeling queen broken and drowning in her sorrows, the wraith approached her, calm and silent. Before kneeling in front of her while looking at her with a calm expression.
“Redemption is a value that is most difficult to earn, indeed. Though it is not impossible for those who would go to great lengths to be with the ones they lost.” Inferno said. “You may think that you’re beyond redemption. However, your heart says otherwise. Because you have something that you do not wish to lose. The one thing you always craved… but in a different way.” he stated.
Chrysalis looked up at the wraith with tears running from her eyes and down her cheeks. “A-And… W-W-What’s that?” She asked.
“Love,” Inferno replied. “It is love. The one feeling that you as a changeling, had never experienced. To have someone to share it with and give you that same love in return as you would do for them. You may think that this world’s Celestia may never forgive you; however, during my time with the others, I could sense deep within her soul. And her feelings for you… remained. She cares for you, just as you do for her. And you must show that. So that she’ll know that your feelings are true.” He explained. “And only then… will you find redemption.”
Chrysalis was taken aback by the wraith's words. As much as she wanted to deny it, everything he said was true. Deep down… she loved Celestia so very much. So much so that she wanted to make things right with her. But even if she wants to redeem herself, she's scared of what might happen if she rejects her. For once in her life, she wanted to love and be loved in return. With nothing else to do, she sighed as she rose to her feet with her head hanging. "Do you know where she might be? So I can… talk things out with her?"
“Sadly… I forgot. The last thing I remember, my instincts took control and when I came back, I was sitting in the middle of the streets. Though I can try and sense them. I did it last time with Eternal’s demonic energy.” The wraith suggested before he started picking up a delicious smell and sense a powerful spike of energy in the mall.
"What's the--" Chrysalis almost asked before sensing dark energies as well. She put up her guard and took a stance next to Inferno. Suddenly… glasses were breaking and the sound of the doors could be heard being flown open, possibly broken off. Chrysalis went to see what exactly all the commotion was. She's startled upon seeing an army of humans, brimming with dark energy, marching into the mall.
Inferno exits out of the store and he too could see the army of humans. But his main focus was on the intense dark energy that they emitted. Which drove his wraith instincts wild. Though he might not need it, Chrysalis approached him. "Let me help. I want to make this right. The least I can do is use these cursed powers the right way," she said.
The wraith assassin turned to her as his magic formed a metal half-face mask on his, well, face.
“If you insist.” He responded. Relieved to know he's allowing her to help, Chrysalis headed out of the store and into the halls of the mall, staring down the army of dark-powered superhumans. Inferno also joined in as the former changeling queen took her battle stance and Inferno stared hungrily at his all-you-can-eat buffet.
"Check it out, boys. Our first victims of the day. TAKE THEM OUT!!!" the group leader shouted in a commanding tone. The whole group let out battle cries and charged forward . Chrysalis forged two black and green dark balls in her hands and shot a large dark beam at the army, but the majority of them jumped out of the way while others got grazed by her impressive power.
As for Inferno, well he waited for his prey to come to him. And once they got close, Inferno showed them why he’s Equestria’s deadliest assassin. He displayed his incredible martial arts skills while grappling with his opponent and breaking the bones of their limbs. He even goes far as tearing them off with ease.
Chrysalis heard the sound of cracking bones and felt chills up her spine. But she couldn't get distracted right now. Not when a few more of these superpowered humans started jumping at her in a group assault. They shot small dark energy beams. Chrysalis stopped their attacks just inches before they made contact with her and pointed their attacks directly back at them.
Some of them dodged, but others got impaled by the added speed and strength of her attacks, knocking some of them back.
Back with Inferno, he tore through the majority of them with no fatigue at all. Soon he began to get creative as he uses his magic to conjure weapons in his hands such as a short sword or a dagger. And as he grappled them in his arms, he takes the blades in his hands and began puncturing them in the side or the back. Then he tosses them across the mall, before grabbing one, who was charging at him from behind, by the face. The dark soldier struggles to break free, only for his life to be cut short when Inferno instantly crushed his skull with his hand.
The ones remaining started having second thoughts about their foes. "Crap, I thought this was supposed to be a cakewalk! But they're picking us off like a bunch of flies!" Goon #1 said.
"Screw this! Let's get the hell outta here before they get us, too!" Goon #2 suggested
“No way! We should stay here and kill these- ACK!” Before Goon #3 could say his sentence fully, he is punctured by a sharp blade through his chest. And even worse, this blade is attached to a long chain which leads all the to Inferno himself… with a hungry look in his eyes.
And before the goon was allowed to speak more, he is then yanked off his feet as Inferno pulled his prey towards him with fast speeds and incredible strength. Until he was right by his feet. The wraith looked down at the thug while growling hungrily.
"Y...You… damn… monster!" Goon #3 struggled to say. With his remaining strength, he tried to punch him from up close. Although he connected, it didn't phase him at all. "Damn. . . you. . ."
Inferno then reached down and grabbed the soldier by the throat. Then slowly lifts him to his eye level. Then the wraith assassin brings up his other hand and reaches for his mask, removing it to reveal his grim smile… filled with razor-sharp teeth.
“Yeah… Damn me…”Inferno whispered menacingly towards the goon. Then in a quick flash, the wraith assassin opens his mouth widely and then bites down on the goon’s neck with extreme force. The goon tried to scream, but his voice had left him. His eyes rolled in the back of his skull as parts of his body jerked and spasmed helplessly. Soon… he became motionless. . . and lifeless.
Inferno felt the goon's soul slithering down his throat and into his belly. The taste of his dark, corrupt soul even had a satisfying aftertaste that makes him lick his lips after finishing off his first victim of the day. After having his meal, he tosses the lifeless body away as his mouth was covered in blood, and bears a toothy grin.
The others got scared and backed away. "He's crazy!!! EVERYONE, RETREAT!!!" Goon #1 shouted in a panic. All of the remaining survivors agreed and quickly bolted out of there. Soon, only Chrysalis and Inferno were the only ones left in the building. And right now, Chrysalis was beyond scared straight right now after witnessing Inferno's terrifying, hungry personality.
She quickly backed away from him, fearing he might still be hungry for more.
However, the former merc turned wraith placed his face mask back on, signaling to her that he no longer wishes to feed. Then he turns to her, with calmness in his eyes.
“That one is very filling.” He commented before he started walking towards the nearest exit. “Come. We must rejoin the others.” He called to the former changeling queen behind him.
"Uh… r-r-right," she said nervously.
Meanwhile, back with the Rainbooms and the boys were still waiting at the cafe. Sunset was getting worried about her boyfriend as it was getting close to nightfall. She was pacing the dining area back and forth and this wasn't helping the others one bit.
"Sunset, darling, please don't do that. Just try to relax and settle down. I'm sure Eternal is going to be alright," Rarity groaned.
"An' if ya keep this up with the pacin', yer gonna make us all nervous," AJ added.
"Please, Sunset. Just have a little faith and I'm sure he'll come back unsc--" Twilight tried to say.
"I CAN'T HELP IT, OKAY?! HE'S OUT THERE ALL ALONE, FIGHTING OFF SOMBRA AND WE'RE POWERLESS TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP HIM!!!" Sunset snapped, scaring Twilight. Sunset was left panting heavily before coming to her senses. "I'm sorry, Twilight, everyone. I just… I can't help myself knowing he's fighting all alone out there, possibly getting himself killed and all we can do is sit around and tend to our wounds."
"We understand, Sunset. We'd feel the same way if we were in your shoes. But remember, we are all just as worried about Eternal as you are. He's our friend as much as he is yours, even though he's your boyfriend. Just remember to tell yourself this; I know he'll make it back." Fluttershy said.
As everyone was busy calming Sunset and waiting for Eternal to return, Starlight sat close to the window, looking out into the streets. Sure she too was a bit worried for Eternal, but she was more worried about someone else… Inferno. He has been gone for a long while after the change in his behavior. Even with the reputation of wraiths, she still feared that because of that reputation, Inferno would be targeted by higher beings that were much more dangerous than the enemies they’re facing now.
Suddenly, they hear the sound of wings flapping outside. Very large wing-flapping before hearing someone crash onto the ground with a loud thud. Sunset gasped and didn't hesitate to go and check what that was.
Outside, she noticed a familiar young man with long, red hair. He collapsed in the middle of the empty road and she recognized him. Sunset gasped and ran to see Eternal Flames, still breathing, but looked heavily damaged.
"Eternal! Babe, are you alright? What happened?" she asked in a panicked tone.
"Sunset… first… help me inside. My leg hurts… pretty badly," Eternal grunted. She didn't hesitate and helped him up to his feet and carried him inside.
Once they entered the cafe, soon everyone saw Sunset carrying the injured Eternal and they all immediately rushed over to help. The whole gang brought their injured comrade over to one of the tables, sitting him down.
"Dude, what happened to you? Was it Sombra?" Rainbow asked.
"Did you have to fight both him and Chrysalis?" Pinkie asked.
"Please tell me you're not critically injured," Sunset said, worried.
"Slow down! SLOW DOWN! One at a time," Eternal said, kinda frustrated before slumping back in his chair, sighing. "I got attacked out of the blue by Inferno. It happened when I had Sombra on the ropes," he said calmly.
Everyone was shocked to hear this information, none more so than Starlight.
“W-What?” She responded in disbelief.
"Starlight… I'm sorry, but… it's the truth. Inferno, he didn't just attack me… he tried to kill me. Saying he wants to feed on my corrupt soul," Eternal said, feeling hurt from saying that.
This horrified everyone. Mostly Starlight, since she knew the old Inferno would ever hurt his friends. But in his new form, seems to be messing with his mind, confusing one of his friends to be a foe. And worse, trying to devour him.
“So… Does that mean we lost our trump card?” Sonata asked out of confusion and fear.
“No shit, Sonata,” Aria responded.
"Well, we might as well kiss our future singing careers goodbye. No fans, no music producers, no nothing. It's over," Adagio said, burying her face in her hands.
“Ugh! We get it, Adagio! You wanna go down in music history. Well, guess what?! We’re all gonna be history very soon!” Rainbow responded.
"Wait! Maybe there's still hope! Eternal, how powerful was he? And did you stand a chance?" Twilight asked.
"Stand a chance? He probably wasn't even using 1% of his power against me! I had to remove my armor just to keep up with him!" Eternal said in frustration.
“So he kicked your ass and made you his bitch?” Frostbite commented. Eternal glared daggers at the big-mouthed former demon general, letting his power surge out of his body.
"Don't forget, I can still wipe YOU out!" Eternal threatened before a jolt of pain coursed through his leg and all over his body.
"Whoa, let's not do anything rash here. First off, calm down. Second, you gotta watch your tone! Did you also forget that Inferno kicked yours and the other’s asses back when he was alive?” Halo said.
“Oh, I remember. He was toying with us.” Copper replied.
"Who could forget? And he was a mere unicorn in a human's body," Israel said.
"Yeah, my body still aches just thinking about the massive beating he gave us," Lightning Burn added, adjusting his shoulder and arm.
"I'd hate to think how tough he is now if he doesn't even use 1% of his true power against Eternal Flames just now," Blazing Waters commented, shivering in fear.
"So… if he was just toying with you, how did you get away alive?" Flash asked.
"For some reason… the moment one of his aura spears shot right through my leg, I shouted in agony and tried limping away. For whatever reason, he just laughed maniacally. Like he was going nuts, like something flipping inside of him,"
Everyone was shocked and wide-eyed after Eternal explained his escape from Inferno.
“Nah, that doesn’t sound terrifying at all.” Applejack commented sarcastically while feeling her whole spine shivering.
"He could've killed me, but he didn't. He just… flew off," Eternal said, confused himself.
“So we have a mentally broken, immortal, universal destroying wraith with amnesia… flying all over Canterlot City?” Lightning asked. “Yeah… that doesn’t sound good.”
"What about Sombra? And Chrysalis?" Fluttershy asked.
“We don’t need to worry about Sombra… He’s already passed and found peace.” Eternal informed them all while remembering everything the former shadow king told him. “As for Chrysalis… I’m not so sure.”
"Sombra? Finding peace? Are you sure this is the same Sombra we dealt with back in Equestria the last time?" Starlight asked.
"Yes. He was never truly evil, he was… grief-stricken. He lost his wife, Radiant Hope when some Crystal Empire councils pushed her off the balcony and framed him for her murder, turning the crystal ponies against him." Eternal explained.
Everyone was shocked but also confused to think Sombra had such a kind heart. "No way, how come we never knew about this?" Starlight asked.
“Uh, guys?! Save the chit-chat for later! Cause I’m seeing people outside.” Rainbow interrupted the conversation as the rainbow-haired athlete was standing by the window.
And from what she was seeing, there were large groups of people walking down the streets, outside of Sugar Cafe. All of them had glowing purple eyes and dark energy emitting from them. Some of the others looked over and noticed the group of creepy-looking people.
"What on heaven's name is going on?" Rarity asked in fear.
"Isn't it a little too early for a Halloween parade?" Pinkie asked
"Now's not the time for jokes, Pinkie," Copper said, feeling worried.
With the commotion they're causing, a bunch of the people outside turned to face them with sinister, demonic-like grins and flowed with dark energy.
"Boys, whatever you do… stay out of danger and don't let Eternal out of your sight. It's time we took care of these creeps ourselves. Get ready, girls," Sunset commanded.
"What? But you're still recovering!" Flash exclaimed.
"There's no choice, Flash. You just focus on tending to Eternal's leg injury and we'll handle these creeps!" Sunset said boldly.
“But for how long?” Principal Celestia responded with concern.
"Long enough to hopefully escape and find a new spot to hide," Sunset said.
"Might as well go with it," Applejack shrugged. the girls then grabbed their geodes and activated their magical abilities… well… except for one.
"Wha… my geode still won't work! Why not?!" Rainbow asked, panicking.
"You tell me. You were the one flapping your gums about the whole "Eternal's the Titan Demon" bullcrap not too long ago!" Frostbite rebutted.
"Seriously? You're gonna bring that up again?! I said I was sorry, okay?" Rainbow yelled in frustration before she stared back at the dark army slowly creeping up to them.
Out of nowhere, Fluttershy appeared next to Frostbite and then harshly gripped his ear and pulling on it, causing him slight pain.
“You... need... to stop... reminding her that.” She stated with a calm, yet angered tone of voice.
"Ow-ow-ow! Okay, sorry! Just please, let go of my ear, please!" Frostbite exclaimed in pain.
Israel whistled, impressed. "You go, Fluttershy," he commented, watching her in action.
After a few seconds, Fluttershy lets go of Frostbite’s ear and walks over to stand by Rainbow Dash; as a friend should do.
"That's all in the past now, Rainbow Dash. You already learned right from wrong about jumping to conclusions and know one of your friends is innocent. If you messed up, you can still turn this whole situation around by doing right by your friends. But you have to believe in yourself… as we believe in you," Fluttershy encouraged, putting her hand on Rainbow's shoulder.
Rainbow smiled warmly towards her friend’s support of her. She responded by embracing the animal-loving girl in a hug.
"I promise… I won't make the same mistake again! I was a bitch, I won't deny it. But thanks to you, I'm ready to show my better side! Let's nail these bastards!" Rainbow said. And as her true colors were starting to show, her body started to glow and floated in the air, sprouting her pony ears and pegasus wings. No sooner than she did, all of her friends soon ponied up.
With all the girls ponied up and banded together, they head outside the cafe and put up a formidable defense against the dark army. Hoards of the dark soldiers came at the girls all at once but were pushed back by Pinkie Pie's explosive sugar powder, Rainbow Dash's revived super speed, Applejack's superhuman strength, Twilight's telekinetic powers, Fluttershy having any nearby animals go on the attack, Rarity's magic diamonds, and Sunset's magic blasts.
The army just kept pushing onward while the girls kept up their defenses, trying to hold them off. It seems to be working for the most part. Some of the dark soldiers wound up getting knocked out thanks to Applejack's heavy punches and Rainbow's super-speed sweeping them off their feet and towards each other. Twilight’s telekinesis lifting a dozen of them into the air and hurled them at a great distance from the area. Rarity uses her diamond shields to deflect any of the horde’s attacks while pushing them back with ease.
Sunset's blasts kept coming strong and weren’t planning on having any of these creeps infiltrate the cafe and lay a hand on her friends or boyfriend. Pinkie unleashed a storm of exploding confetti and sprinkles, literally blowing away her audience, or in this case, her enemies. The bubbly party girl chuckled and giggled hysterically as she continues to throw more explosive sprinkles.
Some of the forces were spooked out of their mind and made a hasty retreat while the remaining soldiers stayed behind to try and push forward. But their efforts proved in vain when all of a sudden….
"Fly, my pretties, fly! FLY!" Fluttershy commanded while letting out a cute and wicked cackle as high in the sky, an enormous flock of birds came raining down on the remaining dark army, violently pecking and clawing at their faces with their talons. The girls became too much for the army to handle and soon made a hasty retreat, leaving their fallen comrades behind.
The flock of birds still chased after them until they were far enough away to not be seen again. However, the other girls were still shocked at what Fluttershy was capable of doing and turned to their animal-loving friend.
"What? I don't like meanies," Fluttershy said innocently. And just out of nowhere, a straggler from the dark horde grabbed Fluttershy from behind and held a knife to her throat. Catching her off guard and fearing for her life.
“BACK OFF! Or I slit her throat!” The dark soldier instructed.
The girls got defensive while also fearing for their friend’s life. Rainbow was also extremely pissed.
“Let her go!” She shouted.
The dark soldier scoffed and didn’t comply. “Make me, bi-AGH!!!” He then shouted in pain, letting go of Fluttershy, and the animal lover fell to the ground and looks upward towards her captor and is soon shocked with fear.
The girls all watched in horror as they see Inferno digging his razor-sharp teeth into the straggler’s neck. Blood leaked from the straggler’s neck wound as Inferno began sucking his soul and life essence from his whole body. The man was powerless to do anything other than dropping his knife and then go completely limp and lifeless before falling to the ground.
Inferno stood tall above his 2nd victim of the night while licking away the blood on his lips before covering half his face with his face mask.
"I… Inferno! Wha… What did you do?!" Fluttershy asked in fear.
“Saved your life… You’re welcome.” He responded.
"Uh… t-t-thanks, I… I guess," Fluttershy said hesitantly.
"Inferno!" Starlight's voice called out as she ran out of the cafe. Without hesitation or second thought, she ran up to the wraith and hugged him tightly as she could.
This had Inferno surprised but he simply returned the hug in return. Starlight cried happily, knowing he was okay; not that anyone could harm a wraith.
"Inferno," Sunset called out. "I know this may not be the best time, but… How could you turn your back on Eternal and attack him like that?!" she shouted in anger. "Do you have any idea how much pain he's in right now?! You're lucky he barely survived the beating you gave him! Is that any way to treat someone who's like a brother to you?!"
While hugging Starlight, Inferno jerked his head to stare at Sunset with glowing purple eyes and an aggressive expression on his face. And he let out soft yet aggressive growls from his mouth.
“Do I look like I care?” He responded with a calm, angered tone of voice. “Besides, I was following my instincts… And that is to feed on the corrupted souls and dark energy.” He stated. “Also… the prince know’s nothing of pain… especially the kind that I endure.”
"Listen to yourself! You're saying Eternal Flames doesn't have a heart! I can't believe you right now! If we ever get outta this mess, I'm NEVER going to forgive you for this! NEVER!" she shouted in anger with tears running down her face.
Then later, Inferno extended his hand and gripped Sunset’s throat, and lifted her off the ground while looking at her dead in the eye. The girls, including Starlight, all were freaked out and didn’t know what to do. Cause this was a wraith that was standing in front of them, and they know pissing him off more would be a death sentence.
Inferno held Sunset up in his grip while staring at her with a threatening glare before he then released her. Sunset fell to the ground while looking up at Inferno as the wraith assassin turned away and looked over to a nearby abandoned car.
“You can come out now.” He called over to whoever was behind the car. And emerging out from behind it, was none other than Chrysalis.
"Chrysalis?" Sunset asked and the others gasped.
"Wha… Inferno, why'd you bring her back here? She betrayed all of us!" Starlight said.
“I came across her at the old ruins of what you all called “a mall.” And after a small conversation, I learned of her soul now being purified and her desire for redemption.” Inferno explained calmly. “Oh, that reminds me.” He said before pulling out a kite case from out of nowhere and hands it over to Starlight. “I found this at the mall as well.”
"A… A kite? For me?" Starlight asked, accepting her gift. "I… I love kites!"
“Well… I remembered that you told me about your love of kites. And with a strange sense of devotion, I felt the need to bring you one.” Inferno stated.
"Th...Thanks, Inferno," Starlight replied before giving him another big hug.
"So… the ex-queen has decided to turn over a new leaf, huh?" Eternal's voice rang out as he limped out of the cafe. His eyes landed on both her and his former friend. "And here I thought you came back because of me. Guess I can't always be right," he said, glaring daggers at both of them.
“Well, I did return to ensure all of your safety. Especially with an army hunting you down. Also, Chrysalis here wishes to make up with the one called Celestia; who’s also her “love interest”.” Inferno explained.
"She's… she's here, but… she's still watching over her unconscious son. Follow me," Starlight said, leading Chrysalis into the cafe. She brought her over to one of the tables where Celestia was sitting but had her back turned. "Here she is."
Chrysalis took one hard look at Celestia, her heart still remembering the harsh things she said to her and the pain she caused. "Uh… Celestia?" Chrysalis asked.
"What do you want, Chrysalis?" Celestia asked in a soft, cold tone, not looking at her.
Chrysalis was taken back by Tia’s tone of voice; however, her desire to make amends overridden her fears. So she cleared her throat and then spoke her words.
“I… I came here to say… I’m sorry.” She said with a slightly broken tone of voice.
"Sorry? Sorry?" Celestia turned, showing her harsh glare, but had tears in her eyes. "I took you in when you were injured, we shared our problems and laughs. I took you out for some fun and what happens then? You tore my heart in half! As if it wasn't broken enough because of my stupid ex-husband! But worst of all… you put the lives of my sons in danger! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't beat you to a pulp for what you did to my family!" her voice was also slightly broken as she stroked her unconscious son's forehead.
After hearing the harsh statement that Celestia gave her, Chrysalis could not hold back the tears in her eyes as she gathered up any remaining strength she had left and uttered out the words she desperately wanted to say: “I loved you.” She softly spoke as tears fell down her cheeks. While it was softly spoken, but Celestia could hear her words as she turned to face Chrysalis again, but this time with a surprised expression.
“I… Have always loved you.” Chrysalis continued. “Ever since the moment you took me in and shown me hospitality and kindness. The way you made me blushed and smile were the moments I cherished the most. A-And… when I hurt you… I too was broken in my heart. There wasn’t a single moment where I thought of the pain I caused you and your family. And I hated myself for breaking your heart, just when I accepted you into mine. And I know that there is nothing I can do to mend the pain and wounds I caused... AND I’M SORRY!!!” Chrysalis fell to her knees and was crying her sorrows out.
Celestia was taken aback by her confession. Apart from her wanting to go to her and wrap her in her arms for coming out with the truth. However, her motherly instincts kept reminding her of the pain she inflicted on her and her family. Her mind was a jumbled mess and didn't know if she should forgive her or kick her out of her life.
Just then, Heat Blitz grabbed her by the shoulder. "Go ahead, mom… she needs you… just as much as you need her." he urged calmly. “Besides… It’s time for you to fully move on from dad. Guys like him never change. But Chrysalis… she's not like him.”
Celestia paused for a moment to look over towards Chrysalis and then her two boys. The reassurance in his eyes told her that it's time to forgive Chrysalis and forget her ex-husband. She sighed and carefully lifted Eternal off her lap and set him down gently. She then went over to Chrysalis, getting down to her level, and placed her hand on her chin.
"Promise me… you'll never pull something like that again," Celestia said, voice cracking.
“I-I swear on my life,” Chrysalis replied, voice cracking as well. Needing no other proof, Celestia captures Chrysalis in a warm embrace, letting her tears run on Chrysalis' shoulders. But she didn't mind it one bit as Chrysalis hugged Celestia back, finally having her sweetheart back. Chrysalis is now able to smile once again.
"It's enough to make a grown man cry… and that's okay," Israel said, watching the ladies with tear-filled eyes. The two ladies held each other for a few more minutes before Chrysalis got up and turned to Prince Eternal Flames, who was keeping himself up by leaning against the wall. She approached him and stopped a few inches from him.
"You might not be able to trust me, still. But the least I can do is offer as much of my power as I can give. Take it all, if you must. You're going to need all the power you can get to take down my former master," she said.
"Very well," Eternal said.
“WAIT!!!” Inferno shouted out loud which had everyone’s attention. “Before you do… I need to be far away from here cause I’ll be hungry when the transfer starts.” The wraith assassin stated as he spread his wings and shot out through the window and flew straight up into the sky and out of the atmosphere.
"Fine by me. At least now, he won't try to eat me," Eternal said bluntly. He looked over at Chrysalis once more. She offered her hand and the former demon king grabbed it before draining the dark energy from her, feeling its immense powers surging through his own. He felt some of his wounds heal in the process and soon, all the dark energy she had now belonged to Eternal Flames.
Chrysalis stumbled and fell to her knees, feeling dizzy. Celestia rushed to her side and helped her onto a nearby chair at a table.
“Hehe… I see stars… and moons… and suns too.” Chrysalis said with a drowsy expression.
“Guess that power transfer took a lot out of her,” Pinkie commented. “And made her cuckoo.”
"Now the question is whether or not Eternal hasn't lost it," Rainbow said before approaching him very carefully. "Hey, big guy… are you still with us?" she asked, but no response. "Uh… how do you feel?"
This time, he looked at her and surprisingly… he smiled. "Fully charged," he said.
"Okay, good. At least he hasn't lost his senses. So now what do we do?" Rainbow asked.
"We find more shelter. We're running out of food here and now it’s no longer safe here that those dark soldiers know we’re here.” Sunset stated.
“Well, where are we supposed to go, huh?” Aria asked.
“Ooh, maybe we can move back to the mall. After all, we no longer have a Titan Demon chasing us around. Plus it’ll provide us everything we need.” Sonata suggested.
"Except we cleaned out most of the restaurants," Adagio brought up.
Sonata lowered her head in sad realization. “Oh,” Was all she can say.
"But maybe there are other restaurants all over the city. And I still have some snacks stuffed in my hair!" Pinkie said.
"Wait, seriously? You keep food in that poofy hair of yours?" Aria asked. "How?"
"That's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. Don't question it," Rainbow said.
“Well, we better get movin’ or be sittin’ ducks til our last moment.” Applejack stated.
"Alright. Anyone who can still walk helped the injured parties, and let's move out!" Sunset commanded with determination. Fortunately, most of the group only had minor injuries and can walk fine. The only one who was still out of commission was the former titan demon, Eternal Flames. So Applejack and Frostbite both agreed to carefully carry the young lad to their new location.
As the group exited the building, out from above, Inferno drops down and lands directly in front of them. He then gets up and looks at the group with confusion and curiosity.
“Well… Took your time, didn’t you?” Aria asked with sarcasm.
“Well, I had just flown across the whole universe and back here in just 5 seconds out of boredom. So… I wasn’t gone very long.” Inferno responded.
"Okay, well we gotta get the hell outta here and find some food, along with some shelter since the army knows where we are.
“Yes, I know. No need to repeat it.” Inferno responded. “Anyway, you’re in luck. Just when I was about to land here, I saw a shawarma restaurant about a block down. I don’t know what shawarma is? But I like to give it a try.” he informed.
"If it means there's fresh food, we'll take what we can get," Eternal nodded.
"Lead the way, Inferno," Starlight said.
“Very well,” Inferno replied as he gestured to the group to follow him. The wraith assassin walked ahead so the group could follow him more clearly. Starlight walked beside him while everyone else kept a 7ft distance.
And as they were walking, the group began to whisper and silently conversing about the new behavior and personality that their now resurrected friend had developed.
While the group was making their way to the nearby restaurant, Light Ray watched from afar at the top of a building. "What a disappointment. To think that all the power I gave her was wasted on that foolish boy. I suppose I'll have to take drastic measures myself." he said in a deep tone. "Luckily, I might have a solution to finally get what I want." Light's eyes locked on Sunset before he disappeared in a black vapor shroud.
Just then, Sunset got the shivers for some strange reason. "Is something the matter, Sunset?" Fluttershy asked.°
"I… I'm fine, just… got a little chilly, that's all." Sunset shrugged off.
"The chills? But it's like… 83°, how can you get the chills?" Rainbow asked.
"For obvious reasons… I think we're all being watched," Copper said, his eyes wandering all over the place
“Please. If we were being followed. Mr. Omnipotent over there would have sensed it before any of us.” Aria replied while pointing to the wraith walking ahead of them.
"Yeah, but the question is whether or not he'd pursue them," Halo brought up. "Remember, he's still not like his old self, so we have to be extra careful around him."
"I don't mean to sound rude, but maybe we shouldn't have used the Demon Crystals and Moon Gem to resurrect him," Flash added.
"There's nothing we can do about it now, Flash. Inferno's here and he's here to stay… maybe for good, considering his new abilities." Sunset replied.
"I liked him better when he was mortal like us," Frostbite stated.
"Come on, no more mopey-dopey chatter! Let's talk about other things… like food!" Pinkie Pie tried to cheer everyone up but got multiple growling stomachs in response to that.
"Sorry, Pinkie. But unless we have some--" Lighting burn was about to say until Pinkie pulled a cupcake out of hair and gave it to her friend. "Oh, okay then."
"And here's one for each of you!" Pinkie then pulled more cupcakes out of her hair and handed each of them to all of her friends before stopping at herself and munching down her cupcake happily.
"Why, thank you, Pinkie. How thoughtful of you," Rarity said.
After walking for about a minute or two, they all arrived at the shawarma place that Inferno told them. And luckily for them, the restaurant was located in a section of town that was overlooked by anyone who lived in Canterlot City. It was at that point that they knew… No one was gonna find them here.
"Thank goodness, we made it. So, who should go into the kitchen and cook up the food?" Halo asked the others.
Everyone remained silent about it, not saying a word or volunteering for the task… cause none of them knew how to make shawarma… nor heard of it. And in that moment of silence, Inferno just walked right into the place and towards the kitchen, without saying a word. Soon after everyone else entered the restaurant as well.
"Uh… I guess he's gonna cook for us. I didn't know he could cook," Flash said.
"Neither did I. I guess he's just full of surprises," Twilight said.
"Then this'll be a good time for us to rest up and get back some of our energy," Blazing Waters said, slumping down on one of the chairs. The others had the same idea as they all slumped down on their seats, sighing in relief.
"Today's been nothing but a series of close call events, I don't think I can walk another step for the rest of the day," Rarity groaned.
“You can say that again. I don’t think I can last a minute running across 10 blocks of this city.” Copper responded.
"Me neither. Not after I…" Eternal stopped as his vision got all blurry and he collapsed onto the ground with an audible thud.
"Wow… out like a light," Aria chuckled.
"Hehe, aww, he's all tuckered out," Sonata said.
"The view's not so bad either," Adagio added, checking out Eternal's perfectly fit body, despite the minor bruises on parts of his body. "It's so tempting to just feel this bulky young man."
Sunset sends a threatening glare towards the lead siren’s direction. "Hands… off, Adagio. He's my boyfriend, not yours!"
"Relax, I'm just kidding. My, you're so defensive. Are you like this towards any girl who gawks at your man like a huge chunk of eye candy?" Adagio shrugged, smirking.
"Adagio, I swear to Celestia, if you push me any further, I'm going to seriously maul you! I'll say this one last time; Stay… away… from… my… boyfriend! He's mine!" Sunset threatened, gritting her teeth.
"Oh, alright, alright." Adagio finally backed off.
"Damn I was afraid she might have and then throw a cow," Israel commented to Halo. Unlucky for him, Sunset heard him and threw a chair at his head, knocking him out.
"Uh… maybe next time, watch what you say," Heat said, despite Israel already being knocked out cold.
As everyone was in the other room, conversing about whatever, Inferno was getting resourceful in the kitchen. He scoured through cabinets and pantries, gathering as many ingredients he could find. He overlooked the stuff he collected and inspected them to see what he should use them for.
And the more he kept inspecting the collection of ingredients and delicacies, it jump-started another memory in his head. This memory showed a very beautiful unicorn mare with white fur, purple eyes, and a light magentaish-gray mane. She was in a kitchen, cooking up some sort of dish, then his memory flashed to her serving him food.
"There you go, son. Just the way you like it," she said in a soothing, motherly voice. From there on, his memory ended and Inferno felt a sense of comfort and inner peace with mare present in that memory. As if he had once been bathed in the mare’s kind-hearted and caring nature. And seeing the meal she prepped for him, gave him a sense of happiness and delightfulness.
But what struck him the most, was when he heard her call him “son”. And at that moment, Inferno’s thoughts came to a comprehension that the mare in the memory... was his mother. He began to wonder exactly where he can find her. But another part of him felt like maybe now is not the time for a family reunion, considering the circumstances of his… new look.
A lot of questions flowed through his head right then and there. What is he? Where did he come from? Why is he here? What was his purpose? Wave after wave of questions flowed through his mind, and he could not answer them himself… for he didn’t know what the answers are.
While he was trying to figure these things out, Starlight decided to come inside the kitchen to see how Inferno was doing. "Hey… is everything alright?" she asked, approaching his side.
The wraith assassin did not reply and merely placed his hand on the side of his head as if he’s suffering a terrible migraine. Starlight got worried and comforted her boyfriend.
"I-Inferno, what's the matter? Is something hurting you? Can I help?" Starlight asked, trying to get his attention.
The wraith shook his head a bit before turning around and facing Starlight. “It’s nothing. Just another memory returned to me.” He replied.
"Oh," Starlight said, relieved a little. "What did you remember this time?" Starlight asked.
“A memory of my mother cooking and serving me a dish.” He replied simply.
"Your mother, huh?" Starlight asked, dawning a sad smile on her face. "You know, I met your mother. She's a wonderful mare and she loves you very much. Maybe after all of this is over, I can take you to her. Is that okay?"
Inferno stared at Starlight for a time, until a doubtful expression formed on his face. “With what I've become. I doubt it’ll be possible.” He replied with a hopeless tone of voice, before turning away and facing towards the collection of ingredients. “Would you leave me in peace? I must prepare meals for all of you.” He asked Starlight before beginning to start cooking.
"Oh… alright. If you need me, you know where to find me," Starlight said before leaning up and kissing him on the cheek before leaving him to prepare the meals. While she sat at her table, she thought about what he said to her before. 'You're wrong, Inferno. Your mother would never look at you any differently. She loves you, no matter what you look like or what you do. One day, she'll prove it to you. That's a promise,' she thought in her mind.
Outside the restaurant, Light Ray stood atop a building while putting his plan into action. 'Listen to me, my faithful subjects!' he shouted out through telepathy. 'The hour of conquest is upon us. We go onto phase 2 with our plan. Lure the insane one away from these fools with your immeasurable strength! Show him your true power!'
Right on the other side of the city, Light Ray's 100 sinful soldiers heard his call and spiked their powers up to the max, shouting in victory. Light Ray felt their powers exploding. They may not be as strong as him, but they were impressive in a way.
Back in the restaurant, a few minutes after cooking dinner, Inferno walked out of the kitchen, making round trips of grabbing the food and serving it to the others. After he had delivered the last plate, he suddenly felt a spike in dark energy somewhere. It was a big surge… and it sent his instincts to go haywire. His eyes glowed purple once again, only more intense. Soon his behavior caught the eyes of everyone else. And they weren’t too comfortable about it.
"Uh-oh, he's got that look in his eyes," Rainbow said, getting worried.
"Oh dear, this is not good," Rarity added.
"It better not be me or I'm as good as screwed," Eternal said, too exhausted to put his guard up.
But fortunately for him, he wasn’t the targeted prey Inferno wanted. The source of the energy surge was far away from here. And the wraith did not want to pass it off.
So the former assassin spread his wings and then he took off straight into the sky with ease, leaving a human-sized hole in the ceiling of the abandoned restaurant. With everyone in the place looking up at the hole, wondering where he’s going.
"And I thought Pinkie was a pro at shattering things," Copper said, looking up at the ceiling.
"I unintentionally shatter walls, not ceilings," Pinkie pointed out.
Aria looked at the party girl with surprise. “Oh… kay? Anyway, where is Mr.Omnipotent going?” She asked as she moved her eyes back to the hole in the ceiling.
"If I know that look in his eyes… he's gonna feed… and there's gonna be carnage left behind," Eternal said, feeling chills down his spine.
Soon everyone could feel that same chill in their spines as well, including their knees… which is kinda odd.
“Uh… Does that mean that those dark soldier meanies are the ones proking his appetite?” Sonata asked.
“Well if they are… Those sorry bastards must be stupid to get a wraith hangry.” Frostbite commented.
"You got that right, man," Lightning agreed.
"Well, there's nothing we can do now. Our only option now is to eat and then rest. We gotta be at 100% so we can be ready for anything," Flash pointed out.
"He's right. Everyone, eat up. We'll worry about the enemies later," Halo pointed out. Everyone agreed and proceeded to eat the dinner that Inferno made for them. Surprisingly, it was tasty. For a psycho super deity, he sure knows how to cook up a mean meal.
Mmmmmmm! This is so delicious!” Sonata proclaimed excitedly.
"Gotta say, pretty good," Aria said, slightly amused.
“My god. This is the best meal I ever tasted.” Flash commented.
"Mmm, yummy!!!" Pinkie said happily.
"Boy, this is great! If he worked here, he'd be rolling in LOTS of customers," Blazing Waters said after gulping down a bite.
"He even made a vegan-style dinner for me and it's so tasty," Fluttershy said happily.
“Well, I’m glad you all enjoyed it. Guess it now makes you all reconsider seeing him as a monster?” Starlight asked around.
"Hey, if he's nice enough to make meals as good as these, he's no monster," Israel assured. "He's more like a master chef."
"I think there's still some good in him, so no… he's not a monster," Copper said.
"I don't see why not. You're lucky to like such an amazing guy. Even if he does have a… whole new style to his looks," Adagio said.
“You kidding? He’s on a whole another level than what we have seen.” Aria commented.
"Yeah, he's not so bad. He just only looks scary. Deep down, I can tell he's an angel," Sonata said before taking another bite.
Starlight was relieved to know her crush has redeemed himself in the eyes of her friends. Well… almost. So far, she had not heard a single reply or comment from both Eternal and Sunset. Guess Inferno’s second “first-time” impression on them, really impacted their thoughts and memories of him. Well, Inferno is now a different person, especially with his brief amnesia and wraith instincts. So he was pretty much unrecognizable from before.
But Starlight knew that the old Inferno still lived deep in his mind… just waiting to come out.
With everyone focused on their meals, one of Light Ray's minions snuck inside through the back of the restaurant and snuck a strong sleeping pill in a pitcher full of water and ice. Then, he snuck back out undetected.
Moments later, everyone finished their dinner, finally on full stomachs. The only thing left now is to wash it all down with some refreshing water. Sunset went into the kitchen to get some water and found a pitcher and it was full of ice-cold water. She figured Inferno had the courtesy to leave them something to drink and took the pitcher to the dining room. She then made a round trip back to the kitchen and brought out some cups for everyone.
She then took the pitcher and poured everyone a glass. "There we go. Now everyone, drink up," Sunset called to everyone. Without hesitating, everyone drank their water faster and even
“Ahhhhh, I never knew water tasted so good.” Lightning commented.
“Yeah, my mouth was so dry that I could barely talk,” Israel replied.
“Well, at least some good came out of dehydration,l” Frostbite responded.
"Oh? And what's that?" Copper asked.
"We got our friend back, more or less, the girls helped defend us, and… we managed to survive another day," Heat said.
"I can't argue with…" Flash paused to let out a yawn. "...with that."
Halo, like Flash, yawned as well. As he felt his whole body was overpowered with exhaustion. “I… think we should…” And soon he passed out.
"Looks like he's thinking… the same thing I am," Sunset said, trying to hold back a yawn. "Okay guys… rest time," she then let out a yawn before she and her friends each fell asleep one by one, now on full bellies… and completely vulnerable in their tired states.
After everyone had passed out, Light Ray crept into the building, moving past each of the gang's sleeping bodies, and stopped right at Sunset. "Sorry, dear… but sacrifices… must be made for the greater good," he said silently. He leans down and grabs Sunset's sleeping body and makes his way out. But not before he used his powers to write a message on the wall. Then soon after that, he used his magic to teleport away from the place.
Everyone's gonna be in for a hell of a wake-up call when they find their friend missing.
Author's Note
Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. TheShadowKnight and I have created a new chapter and... you might not like what's about to happen, but I do hope you enjoy it nonetheless. As always, thanks for your patience and support, stay tuned for more and keep bronying on.
A Hero Falls
Meanwhile, on the other side of downtown Canterlot City, Inferno Blaze soars high above the area; with his wraith instincts and senses spiking as he drew closer to his prey. And along the way, he began to grasp his new abilities and instincts. For example, he began to have a lot of senses and awareness of the world… no, the universe, that he was in. He could feel the imbalance that shook this realm. He could hear every sound and voice across this entire world. He could smell and sense the dark energies that surrounded the city. He even could sense that kind of activity in other places. Not to mention, he also has a unique awareness of the presence of every living thing in this world, and across the universe.
And… he can’t seem to turn it off.
The voices, the emotions, the energy, the imbalance… All that he felt and sense in this world. They all overflowed and overwhelmed his mind. The power he now possesses, the knowledge he was now given; they were all too much to comprehend.
While he doesn’t remember much about himself, but the wraith assassin could recall a memory where he was used to not care or pay no attention to everything around him, and all that goes on in life. He never really saw the bigger picture of… well, everything. And he was used to the world that he made for himself. But now his new abilities and power had opened his eyes to beyond this world and his; beyond the life that he thought he knew.
All this thinking and knowledge made him questioned and more erratic. But it also made him more hungry as he felt his wraith instincts urging him to feed.
Luckily for him, he doesn't have to look far. The dark energies that are currently surging are just one mile away from where he's at. And his belly is rumbling for a big, fat feast.
Inferno’s glowing purple eyes intensifies as he descends towards the locations of his prey. As he lowers towards the ground, he then positions himself to land while flapping his wings to adjust himself. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Inferno takes a moment to observed his surroundings, with his wraith senses kicking to overdrive.
The dark soldiers that Light Ray has sent out are now taking up their positions all around the street, hiding within the vacant buildings, scoping out their single prey.
But what they didn’t expect was that the wraith assassin was aware of their presence. And he could smell the dark energy they were emitting. At that point, Inferno was licking his tongue against his sharp teeth in hunger.
"Okay boys, on the count of three, we wait until he's in the center. Then we'll shower him with rapid-fire until he's all worn out!" soldier #1 said.
"I like the sound of that. But… there's something off about this dude, he's freaking weird," solder #2 said, staring down at Inferno.
"He's just playing dress-up to look scary, which he's not. Now, we wait," Soldier #1 said. The dark soldiers all awaited for their target to get in position.
Of course, Inferno was hearing on their conversation. But he was willing to give it to them. Mostly cause he thought it would be fun before he gets his meal for the day.
Once he walked towards the center, "One… two… three… FIRE!!!" soldier #1 shouted. Right away, the hundreds of dark soldiers revealed themselves and rapidly fired dark aura blasts directly at Inferno.
The wraith assassin medley stood where he is and took the barrage. And surprising to the dark soldiers, their attacks did no visible damage to him, and he didn’t flinch at all. And strangely enough, the aura blasts that made contact with Inferno’s body; looked as if they were being absorbed upon impact.
And while Inferno stood there, he then added insult to the dark soldiers’ poor efforts by acting bored and raising his right arm in a way like he was inspecting a watch on his wrist.
"Uh, guys! Nothing's working!" soldier #3 said.
“I know! My hands are killing me!” soldier #4 replied.
"Ugh!!! Damn it! Fine, go to plan B! SMASH HIM!!!" Soldier #1 commanded. Every single one of the soldiers then came out of their hiding spots and charged at Inferno to take him down the old-fashioned way: an all-out brawl.
Before the soldiers could reach him, in less than a nanosecond, Inferno then jumped straight 30-feet into the air before spreading his wings to hover in the air. Then the wraith assassin’s eyes glowed brightly as he summons thousands of aura spears above him. And in a split second, with the wave of his hand, Inferno had the aura spears sped towards the soldiers below with blinding speed.
The dark soldiers below saw this and all tried to evade the raining projectiles. Unfortunately, several weren’t so lucky and were impaled by a few or multiple aura spears.
Many of the dark soldiers soon fell to the ground, a few have perished while the rest were trying to stay alive, coping with the pain. But their suffering was about to get worse.
Cause the wraith that hovered above them had now decided to fly down towards them, and once he was back on the ground, Inferno then projected dual wield swords formed from his magic, and began slicing down the dark soldiers. And while he wasn’t busy cutting down most of them, he even took time to sink his teeth into their necks and draining their life force out of them.
"H… He's no… man! He's… he's a… a monster!" soldier #1 struggled to say while his troops were being slaughtered with ease. And all he could do was watch. It seems that he and his men have made their biggest. . . and final mistake.
As for Inferno, he puts away his blades and decided to go hand-to-hand. And surprisingly, he found out he’s incredibly strong. He effortlessly tossed a few of them through walls and across alleyways like they were nothing. And he managed to tear off limbs and heads of several of them; even tearing two of them in half and watching their inner organs and intestines fall to the ground. The wraith assassin even cleanly punched through their bodies, leaving big holes in their chests and abdomens. Then Inferno grabs one of the soldiers and then ferociously started to tear at his neck with his teeth until he has bitten his head clean off.
And you can bet this terrified a lot of the dark soldiers.
After having bitten someone’s head off, Inferno then decided to call upon his magic again. And once he did, the wraith assassin somehow managed to summon strange objects in his hands. Confused at first, he observed the two L-shaped objects in his hands. And as he did, a few memories began flowing back into his mind; memories of him using these types of… weapons… yes, that’s it. These were weapons… guns. He remembered how skilled he was with firearms. And upon remembering, he would guess that these were some type of revolvers, but he never saw anything designs like these. However, his thoughts were interrupted when he sensed a dark soldier charging at him. And upon reacting to this, the wraith assassin raised his new revolvers at the charging soldier and pulled the triggers; the revolvers then fired out an energy bolt from the muzzle and then easily shot straight through the soldier; leaving brunt entry and exiting holes in his chest.
Then, just like the others, he fell to the ground, lifeless.
Seeing how his weapons work and their effectiveness, Inferno looks at his revolvers for a quick moment before a sinister smile formed on his face and he looks up at the dark soldiers; who were all cowering in fear as the wraith walked forwards towards them as the scene shifted upwards towards the moon.
And soon all that was heard after, were blood-curdling screams of agony… along with tearing and consuming of flesh.
Meanwhile, with Sunset Shimmer, she groaned as she woke up to see that she wasn't at the restaurant anymore, which got her confused. "H...Huh? Where… Where am I?" she asked. All she could see in front of her was the grey, thundering clouds in the sky in all directions. She also felt like her body was… restrained. She looked down and saw she was tied to a chair with rope and duct tape. She gasped and tried to break free, but to no avail.
"There's no point trying to break free. And even if you did, what can you do? Runaway?" A male voice asked her from behind. Someone then walked into her line of sight and saw a man in a long, black-hooded cloak. "Well… you can try, but… can you fly?" he asked stopping near the edge of the rooftop. He turned to face Sunset, but all she could see under his hood were his piercing, demonic red eyes. "I seriously doubt it, kid."
Sunset struggled to break free once again, but as her last attempt, it was useless. With no other choice, she turned towards her kidnapper and stared at them with a threatening expression. “Who are you?! And what do you want with me?!” She shouted at him.
"Mind your manners, little missy. And besides, you should already know who I am. Considering we already know each other… and have known each other since the day you breathed in your first breath of air… my little Shining Shimmy," the hooded figure said. Shining's eyes shrunk upon hearing him calling her that nickname. There were only two ponies in her life who ever truly called her by those names and she can already figure out who it truly was.
"N… No, you can't be! You… You just can't! You… You mean… you're…?!" she asked, panicking and in denial.
"You finally caught on. How nice of you to remember me…" soon, he took off his hood and revealed his face, thus, Light Ray had finally exposed himself. "...my child."
"D… Dad?! No! No, this… This has to be a mistake! My… My dad would never…" Sunset shook her head frantically, feeling like her heart had broken to pieces.
"Deny it all you want, my dear. But you cannot hide from the truth. Yes… I've been behind all this from the start. And I would do it all again," Light Ray said, grinning while walking over towards his tied-up daughter.
"Why, dad? How could you do this?! To me… to mom… to all of my friends?! Why would you put the lives of me and my friends in danger?! I thought you were better than that!" Sunset scolded, tears running down her face.
"You wouldn't understand if I told you, hun. But know this; When the time comes, you're going to bear witness to a new empire once I've obtained the absolute power. And you're playing a huge role in that, my dear. For you see… I've already set my trap in place… specifically on that so-called boyfriend of yours," Light then gave a low chuckle.
Sunset’s eyes widened with horror for she knew what he was speaking of. “No...NO! Don’t you dare harm Eternal!!” She shouted in fear and rage.
"Sorry dear, but the gauntlet has already been thrown and there's no turning back!" Light retorted before giving out a loud, hearty laugh. Up in the clouds, lightning flashed as he continued his maniacal laugh.
Back at the restaurant, hours had passed and a few of the group had just begun to awake from their much-needed naps. One of them, being Rarity. And the fashionista then turned to look around, only for her to stop and see a message written on the wall. She read it word for word until she gasped and screamed in horror, alerting everyone else in the restaurant. Some of them even hit their heads under the table.
"OW! Hey, don't blow a fuse, what happened?" Lightning Burn asked.
"Hey, who sounded the party cannon off too early" Pinkie groaned, wiping the sleep from her eyes, yawning.
Starlight was sleeping on top of a table, but when she heard Rarity’s screams, she jolted awake. “KITES!” She said as she rolled off and fell off the table. Landing on the floor with a harsh impact.
"Rarity, what'd you scream like that for?" Twilight asked, fixing her glasses.
"Come… Come back, little bunnies," Fluttershy jolted up, trying to grab at dream bunnies. "Huh, oh, silly me, it was all just a harmless dream.
"Hey, what the hell was that for, Rarity?" Rainbow asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Yeah, someone mind telling me what all the commo--" Flash said before realizing what Rarity was screaming at. Pretty soon, some of the others saw the writing on the wall. "H-Hey… Eternal, you… you might wanna check this out,"
The Equestrian prince then woke up, groaning. "What is it?" he asked, looking up at where the others were. His eyes still adjusting until he saw it clear as day.
On the wall… a message read,
"If you value your friend's life, you will come alone. Meet at the top of the tallest building in this city and give yourself up to the Dark Trinity leader. Try anything funny and you will never see your precious Sunset Shimmer again. Make your choice, prince."
Reading those words, Eternal clenched his fist in anger, his demonic powers soon making themselves known. "How… dare he!" Eternal growled.
"Whoa, stop there, Eternal! This could be a trap and you'd be walking right into it! You have to think this through carefully!" Halo intervened. "If you go now, there's a good chance that you might end up dead! Clear your head and let's strategize, okay?"
"That… impudent… cowardly… Bastard!!!" Eternal nearly shouted, his eyes turning blood red and pupils becoming slit.
“Well, no use in try reasoning.” Frostbite quietly commented.
"That jerk took Sunset?! Now that's the most cowardly act Ah've ever seen!" Applejack said, glaring at the message on the wall.
"I don't get it, why would he target Sunset and Eternal, specifically, and not any of us? It just doesn't make any sense," Copper asked.
“I think the better question, Copper! Is why would he take Sunset?! We already know he has some vendetta against Eternal. But why Sunset? What’s this got to do with her?” Flash responded.
"Maybe someone she bullied before and is out for revenge?" Fluttershy guessed.
"But if that were the case, then how would this individual know about Eternal since he didn't show up until about a month ago." Rarity pointed out.
“Well, how about we ask him after we find him,” Rainbow stated while pounding her fist into her other hand.
"This fiend… I'll ERASE HIM!!! I'll NEVER forgive him! I… WILL… NEVER…" Eternal then dashed out of the restaurant and let out his excessively loud battle cry, causing his demonic powers to skyrocket through the roof. His demon wings formed out of his back. "When I find whoever did this… I'll CRUSH THEM!!!"
"Eternal, no! You can't just--" Heat tried to run after him, but Starlight put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. "Wha… Starlight!" he tried to reason. Sadly, she shook her head left and right like there was nothing he can do to stop him.
"Look, we're all going to the same place anyway. And like the message said, Eternal has to go in alone or else Sunset might get hurt. I know it's a huge risk, but this could be our best bet to save our friend," Starlight said.
“Well, how are we gonna find out where they are?! There are over a dozen tall buildings in Canterlot city.” Heat responded.
"The only building that's the tallest from my research… is the Equus Space Tower," Twilight said, recalling her research.
"Then that's where we'll meet up later on. For now…" Frostbite was about to say before Eternal headed off to save his love. "...I think we'd just get in the way."
Soon Starlight began to realize something she had forgotten. She turned around and looked towards everyone, and sees that there was someone else that isn’t with them.
“Inferno hasn’t come back yet?” She asked, her question then reminded everyone of their other friend and they too looked amount themselves and see that he had not been with them.
"Uh-oh. If he's not here, that means… oh snap!" Israel said in realization.
"We'd better stop him before he gets to Eternal before us!" Twilight urged before everyone jolted off to find their friend.
Starlight could only stare at everyone, seeing how they jump to think Inferno would harm Eternal. When they don’t realize that he cannot control his instincts or the pain he was feeling from his returning memories. He’s as much a victim as Eternal and Sunset are right now.
As for Eternal, he was now high above the city, scoping out where Sunset could be. He tried using his demonic vision and hearing to pinpoint her exact location. Eventually, he found her on top of a rooftop with the word "H" in a big circle. He flew over in her direction and landed just a few feet in front of her. He saw that her mouth was taped up and she was flailing, shaking her head left and right like she didn't want Eternal to be there.
"Hold on, Sunset. I'm gonna set you free," Eternal said in a slightly demonic tone. When he removed the tape from her lips,
"ETERNAL, LOOK OUT!!! BEHIND YOU!!! IT'S A TRAP!!!" she shouted. Eternal turned around too late and was met with a fist to the face, knocking him away from Sunset. But he jumped back to his feet and stared down his foe, growling.
"You truly are a foolish boy coming here," Light Ray gloated, grinning at the prince. "Like a moth to the flame.
"You… gutless…" Eternal tried to move, but Light put his hand out.
"Uh-uh, take one more step…" Light Ray then forged a black energy sword from his hand and aimed it at Sunset's neck. "...and your sweetheart's blood will be on your hands." Eternal's eyes widened when he saw this. He growled in anger.
"How… DARE YOU!" Eternal yelled.
Light Ray laughed at his frustration and kept prodding him on. "Who knew the great prince of all Equestria could be such a softy under all that demon blood."
"Let her go, NOW!!!" Eternal ordered.
"You can't order me around, you don't hold all the cards… I do. And if you want to ensure your precious little girlfriend's safety, you'll do exactly as I say and hand over what's rightfully mine," Light Ray demanded coldly.
"Eternal, don't listen to him! Just please… do whatever you can and stop him! He's… not the father I once knew!" Sunset broke down, sobbing.
"F...Father? You're…" Eternal asked, shocked and in realization.
Light sighed. "And just when I was about to introduce myself. But what the hay? Yes, I am Light Ray, Sunset Shimmer's father."
"H… How could DO THIS?! She's your daughter, for mom's sake! She's your flesh and blood and you'd risk her life to get what you want?!" he asked in a fit of rage.
"So sorry if it displeases you, your highness, but sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Especially when mistakes were made at a point in time… particularly you," Light scorned.
"What's that supposed to mean?" this time, Eternal only glared in confusion.
"Let me tell you a story, if I may. You see… a long time ago, a young unicorn stallion wanted nothing more than to have the whole kingdom of Equestria at his hooves. And what better way to reach for that dream than to marry off the most beautiful princess? His efforts to win her heart were looking promising at first. But then… the competition rolled in and soon, his dreams were becoming more and more unreachable the more his adversary got close to the princess! Before long, his dreams came crashing down when the princess announced her engagement to that stallion with the entire kingdom! Pretty soon, he fell into deep despair… until a unicorn mare somehow picked up the pieces of his saddened, broken heart. Before long he was eventually married, but even so… it wasn't enough. He had to take revenge on the fool who took his TRUE bride away! And what better way… than to poison their newborn foal! Sound familiar?" Light Ray finished.
Eternal and Sunset both listened to the entire story and instantly put the pieces together. "So let me get this straight… you were after my mother first, but lost her because of my father… and you tried to get revenge on us by poisoning me at BIRTH?!" he growled the last word.
"How very perceptive of you, prince. At long last, you finally realized the truth. Yes, you did not die by accident, I tried to kill you! It was my only way to have my revenge for that fool of a father of yours taking Celestia from me! But… my plan had backfired when you were suddenly brought back to life. And now, because my plan failed, I only had one option left… my true revenge…" Light said.
Eternal glared harshly. "No… you didn't!"
"Yes! YES! You catch on, prince! One night, I caught that oaf alone in the castle, posing as a lost soul trying to find his way out. And when he finally dropped his guard… oh how artificial lighting can be a truly devastating mistress when misused," Light then laughed again. "That fool… didn't even know what hit him… and who was to take the blame, but a poor, helpless, young colt, wandering the halls at night. Oh, how I love it when a plan comes together and works so PERFECTLY!!!" he gloated.
The rage from deep within Eternal was surging as were his powers. "You… disgusting… murderous… cowardly ANIMAL!!! FOR ALL THE CRIMES YOU'VE COMMITTED AGAINST EQUESTRIA, I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT I PUT YOU TO DEATH!!!" he yelled.
"Yeah, yeah, like that'll ever happen. However… I see no reason why I shouldn't… let your little girlfriend go. You want to see mercy, I'll give you mercy. I'm going to let my daughter go… no strings attached… free as a bird… on one condition," Light Ray's voice got low upon voicing the toll for Sunset's freedom.
Eternal was not gonna like where this was going, but he had no choice. "This had better be good, you filthy murderer," he said, his demonic energy brimming out of control.
"Glad to see you're on the same boat. Now… in exchange for my daughter's freedom and her life intact. . ." there was a long pause as Light Ray grinned, approaching the demonic prince. ". . .You will hand over all of your demonic energy, demon blood included!" Eternal was confused upon hearing those demands.
"My powers and my demon blood? Is that what this was all about? You took your daughter hostage just so you could get to my demon powers AND demon blood?" he asked, crossed and confused at the same time.
"Unless you want to turn Sunset into a big red and yellow spot down below, you'll hand over all of your demonic energy to me! So, prince… what will it be?" Light asked before extending his hand to him. "Do we have a deal?"
"ETERNAL, NO!!! DON'T DO IT!!!" Sunset yelled out in desperation. The demonic prince looked over to Sunset and back to Light Ray. And even with planning out each scenario carefully, he can only come up with one solution…
"You'd better keep your word," Eternal then extends his hand hesitantly and gripped Light's hand, shaking it.
"YES, WE'RE IN BUSINESS!!!" Light exclaimed excitedly, shaking his hand roughly.
"Just hurry up before I change my mind," Eternal demanded. Suddenly, Light got close to his ear and then.
"Change your mind? I don't think so." And before anything, Eternal felt something sharp pierce against his skin, making him groan slightly, looking shocked. Sunset watched in horror as her father bared his claws and stabbed her boyfriend through his stomach. And out of his stomach, black blood and demon energy seeped out and made their way inside Light Ray.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Sunset screamed, tears forming in her eyes.
"S-S-Son of a bitch. . ." Eternal grunted before coughing out his blood. He can feel his powers being drained away. He looked down, seeing all that demon blood and his powers seeping into his enemy. And Light Ray… he's got that grin on his face like he's won.
"Yes… YES!!! The power is MINE!!! You've been a thorn in my side for far too long! But don't feel too bad your highness. Look on the bright side: you'll be joining your worthless father up in heaven in no time." Light gloated.
"You'll. . . pay. . . for this!" Eternal strained to say, struggling not to close his eyes or let his life slip away so easily.
"Say what you want, but face facts… YOU LOSE!!!" Light shouted before hoisting him up in the air, draining the last of his powers and demonic blood, reducing him back to an ordinary unicorn in a human's body. At the same time, Light's demonic energy surged through the roof, making him stronger than ever before.
As this surge of dark energy filled the air, a certain wraith assassin was feasting on the dark-energy ridden corpses of Light Ray’s former soldiers until his wraith senses spiked and drawn away from his feast as he looks up into the air and senses a great amount of demonic energy somewhere in the city. It was a mass of an energy surge that he could not ignore. He flaps his wings and took off into the air, and when he was at a great height, he could see the source of the energy surge from a distance. And with his instincts in control, he flew towards the source.
While back on the rooftop, Light Ray was still basking in the glory of his newfound powers. Soon, he tossed Eternal aside like a rag doll, landing him 3 feet away from Sunset.
"ETERNAL, NO!!! DAD, YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!!! I SWEAR YOU WON'T!!!" She shouted in anger, still crying a bit.
"Be grateful, my dear. You should be thanking your little boyfriend for sparing your life." And with a wave of his hand, he shot a dark magic blast the incinerated the ropes binding her to the chair and freeing her once more… but at what price?
"I… will never forgive you for what you've done! YOU MONSTER!!!" Sunset shouted, falling to her knees and crawling over to her dying boyfriend.
"Say what you want, but I got what I wanted. Farewell, my daughter… enjoy your last precious moments with your sad excuse for a boyfriend," Light gloated before taking flight, laughing maniacally after achieving his goal.
After the demonic tyrant left, Sunset was left to weep over Eternal, who was struggling to not pass over onto the other side. He held his stab wound tight, grunting in pain.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry! This is all my fault!" Sunset sobbed, hugging him, not known what to do to try and help.
"S-Sunset. . . listen. . . to me." Eternal whispered, clinging to her arm. Sunset looked into his eyes, trying to ignore the blood seeping out of his mouth and stomach. "You've got. . . to alert the others. . . and. . . f-f-fight on. . . without me."
"No, don't say that. I… I'll try to help restore you, yeah… a-a-and you'll be good as new, no… no problem at all, just… please, don't close your eyes," Sunset begged, trying not to lose her cool.
Eternal coughed and raised a hand weakly, stroking her cheek. "Nothing. . . puts a smile. . . on my face. . . better than. . . your fighting spirit." he whispered, weeping a little himself. Sunset couldn't bear to see him like this.
"You can't do this to me! Not when we have so much to do! " Sunset shook her head, eyes still pouring like crazy.
A moment later, before Eternal could feel himself fading away completely and Sunset nearly on the verge of breaking down, the two heard wings flapping and something… or someone landing on the rooftop.
Sunset thought it was her father returning to break her even more than she already is, but her thoughts of that faded when she looked up and sees none other than Inferno Blaze.
The wraith in question, upon arriving, looked around to find the source of that energy surge he felt, but to his dismay, it seems it had disappeared. His eyes darted around and soon they laid upon Sunset and a dying Eternal. Seeing the prince laying on the ground like that brought mixed feelings inside him he didn't understand. For one, it felt like a sense of sadness loomed over him along with a hint of anger. . . slowly rising.
As the dying prince turned to the wraith, a small smile formed upon his face as he reached out to the wraith. "Inferno. . . at least. . . I got to see. . . my honored brother. . . one last. . . time~" Eternal's final words have finally been saying before his entire body went limp and his eyes finally closed. . . for good.
"No... No!" Sunset said, sobbing uncontrollably. "Please… PLEASE!!! Please, don't leave me!" The bacon-haired young lady then held her dead boyfriend weeping over the loss of her beloved brave man. "I love you."
Watching him die like that suddenly triggered something deep within Inferno. Soon images and memories all came flowing back. He now remembered everything; all the pain, all the suffering, the happiness, the love, the good and bad. He now remembered everyone he had come across in his life. He remembered his past, his present, and death. And most of all, he remembered the prince that lay dead before him. The very prince that he once swore to protect, the young man he despised at first, but later came to be his friend… a brother. He remembered his betrayal to him and everyone. And he remembered giving his life for him when he had been freed from the anger and pain. All the good memories and the bad all came back like a bullet.
And now… seeing the one he called a brother, dead before him… Inferno felt his emotions rise. All he could felt… was rage... bloodlust… vengeance. The unlimited rage he felt at that moment, caused his powers to spike and increase beyond what he could comprehend. Inferno gripped each side of his head, overwhelmed with rage, jerking his head around as he growled louder and louder. His eyes closed tightly shut before they instantly opened with his eyes glowing white with so much magic energy.
Then, without warning, Inferno raised his head to the sky and he let out a wrathful scream , combined with his inhuman growls and roar. Massive waves of energy and lightning emitted from his body, shot into the sky, engulfing the top of the building with an intense light, and spread across the entire city, later the entire world, and later the universe, and later beyond that. His rage became so immense and infinite that all he could do was let it all out, but there was so much contained in him. Every living thing, from across the very multiverse itself trembled at the might force of the wraith's anger, and no one outside the earth knew what was going on except for the gods themselves.
As this went on, The rest of the rainbooms and the guys were on their way to the Equus Space Tower. The tremors they felt from that forceful shockwave shook them to their cores and it got everyone worried. "Uh… did any of you guys hear that?" Israel asked, worried.
"We felt that," Twilight said, equally as worried.
"Something must've happened on top of the tower. Let's hurry up right now," Starlight urged. The group all agreed and made their way to their destination, but all felt a sense of dread looming over them like something wasn't right.
In another dimension, Death is sitting on his knees, right next to the beside of where Harmony was resting her strength. The lord of the reapers felt a great sense of worry and dread upon seeing his beloved so weak and tired. But that went away when he felt a powerful surge of energy and before he could comprehend, a wave of energy shot into the room and passed through the Grim Reaper before he could react. The force and emotion behind this energy wave were too much for his mind to handle. Death shot up onto his feet and stared out into the window of Harmony’s room and looked out into the unknown. Death knew what this energy surge is and where it came from. His only sense of dread was… of what’s to come.
In the bowels of Tartarus, many of the thousand castles and strongholds that stood for a thousand centuries all crumbled and collapsed. Earthquakes shook the entire realm with a force no creature imagined. All the demonic creatures and entities in the realm all fled for their lives. Daris, upon standing on the balcony of his castle, was shocked by the disasters that were occurring in his home. Wondering what was going on.
In the magic land of Equestria, the land itself trembled and shook and many of the ponies and other creatures from beyond Equestria felt this tremendous power, running around and not knowing what to do. Many of the monarchs stood outside their respective homes, looking up at the sky, praying that the danger will pass soon. However, two certain draconequus in the land knew where this power came from, and it brought fear into their soul.
"No… why now of all times?" Eris asked, fearing the worst.
"Don't lose your head, Eris. Every fiber of my being tells me this is only… the beginning," Discord said, glaring in the distance.
Of course, up in the divine realm, all of the gods gathered together and felt a twinge of fear upon feeling the rage within the wraith's power. The power he is giving off is far greater than they anticipated. Possibly stronger than the first wraith's power.
"This is bad, he could destroy the multiverse even if he does exact his revenge," King Cosmos said, looking worried.
“He’s growing stronger and becoming more dangerous every hour. And his power is far greater than the first wraith we banished eons ago.” Galaxia commented. “We should have banished him as well if Death and Harmony didn't convince all of us not to.”
"Normally, I'd think they have reasons for why they held off on this, but I think you may have a point, dear," Cosmos added.
"Well, it's too late now. We're going to have to formulate a new strategy to prevent the loss of any more mortals. I say we send in 3 of the 4 horsemen." Galaxia said.
"What?! Do you not see they're the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse?! They could wind up hurting the humans more than saving them. I say we send in the god and goddess of chaos to try and stop him," Cosmos said
"Those two fools don't take anything seriously! How can they possibly help?" Galaxia asked.
"For one, their chaos magic can shield the humans longer than any of our magic can. Chaos magic is unpredictable and so are they," Cosmos said.
"I still say this is a bad idea… but… fine. However, should your plan fail, we will send in 3 of the horsemen, do I make myself clear?" Galaxia asked sternly.
"I understand, dear," Cosmos nodded.
Back in the city, the group took the elevator almost up to the top. Sunset and Eternal were still one floor above them. The group quickly took the staircase and found themselves at the top. But when they got outside… a terrible sight met their eyes.
There, on the ground, Sunset was on her knees, holding what looked like bleeding and dead Eternal Flames, his eyes closed and Sunset could only hold her beloved in her eyes, crying next to his face.
"Wha… What happened?!" Sci-Twi asked out of concern.
"That… That monster," Sunset said through her tears, "He killed him!"
"What monster?" Rarity asked.
"I… I think she means… the guy who promised Chrysalis and Sombra their untapped power," Halo mentioned.
"What?! Do you mean that bastard killed Eternal?! But… I thought he was immortal," Flash said.
"No, Flash. Demons merely have enhanced abilities that exceed far beyond us humans, but they're still mortal beings, just like Eternal was," Sci-Twi shook her head left and right.
"So… So that's it then?" Heat asked, trembling in sadness and anger. "It's… NO!!! This can't be how it ends! It just can't!" he shouted, dropping to his knees and slamming his fists against the rooftop floor.
Everyone wanted to speak up, but… how could they? Eternal was pretty much one of their strongest fighters and with him resting in eternal slumber in his pool of blood, nothing could be done to change the outcome. Great despair had descended upon the world. A great warrior… had been lost.
As they all swallowed in grief, they all could hear Fluttershy whimper which they did not think of. However, Israel thought his girlfriend was devastated by Eternal’s death and turned to look at her. But when he did, he saw that Fluttershy was staring up into the air, and the expression on her face was one of fear.
Being confused and concerned by this, Israel had his hand around her to give her comfort and then he asked. “Flutters… What’s the matter?”
Fluttershy did not respond and continued her whimpering. But she did reply in a way as she raised her hand, shakingly, and pointed upward into the sky. Israel then looked up to see what she was pointing at and looked worried, gasping.
Levitating about 20 feet above the rooftop, motionless and silent… Is Inferno. But something was different about him. His hair was a brighter purple and glowing like a flame, the same thing with his wings. His dark silver armor changed to purple color with what looked to be glowing cracks or veins all over it. Speaking of the glowing veins, they were also all over his skin and on his face, those veins all connected to his eyes. And speaking of his eyes, instead of glowing purple like they did, they glow pure white, with no pupils in them.
"Not good… we're in trouble now," Israel said, covering up Fluttershy
Everyone heard what Israel said and was a bit confused. They all turned their heads towards him, seeing him and Fluttershy looking up in the air. And when they turned their eyes to the direction they are looking at, they too felt dread when they saw their wraith friend.
"I… Inferno?! Wha… What's happened to him?" Starlight asked, trembling a little bit.
"What's going on here? He's looking more freaky than he usually does," Frostbite said.
"You don't suppose he's… finally snapped?" Rarity asked.
"Let's hope not! Hey, uh… Starlight, you're the one who's closest to him, how about talking some sense into him?" Rainbow implied.
“And how am I gonna do that if he’s 20 feet in the air?!” Starlight replied.
"I'll fly you up to him if I have to!" Rainbow said.
And before Starlight could reply, Rainbow activated her geode, wrapped her arms around Starlight's waist, and then lifted her into the air and approached the still wraith levitating high in the air.
"I… Inferno? Are you still there? Talk to me," Starlight called out. "Please, at least try and talk to me, you know we're here to help!"
"Listen to her, dude! And you might wanna help us out big time! Eternal went and sacrificed himself trying to save our friend! To save everyone!" Rainbow called out.
Inferno remained silent and still, Starlight then reached her hand out to him, hoping to at least get his attention. But as soon as her hand touched the side of his face, the wraith broke from his trance, arched back, and let out a massive roar into the air. One so loud and fearsome that everything in a 100-mile radius could hear and tremble before it.
Everyone on the rooftop, including Rainbow and Starlight all felt a chill running down their spines and they felt numb with fear. It spooked Rainbow so much that, upon instinct, she flew down towards the rooftop, with Starlight in tow.
"I think we made him mad!" Copper said, worried.
"SCATTER!!!" Pinkie panicked
“TO WHERE?!?!” Twilight responded.
“Don’t know, I just wanna say that,” Pinkie smiled.
"Real cute, but we're STILL KINDA SCREWED RIGHT NOW!" Blazing said.
"Well, what do you expect us to do?" Aria asked, annoyed.
"Everyone, stop! All this bickering isn't getting us anywhere! We have to find a way to fix this mess or we can kiss our homes and our lives goodbye," Flash said.
Hearing the commotion down below, Inferno looked down towards the rooftop and spotted the group arguing with one another.
"Uh… guys, I think he heard us," Halo said, his body trembling.
Everyone looked up and indeed Inferno was staring down at them. This added more fear and dread into their souls. And it gets worse as Inferno descends to them very slowly and very menacingly.
"No! No! Please, don't hurt us!" Fluttershy begged, clinging to Israel.
"Don't do it, Inferno! They're our friends! Don't you remember?!" Starlight called out.
As Inferno stared at the group for a short while, bearing a frightening glare on his face. But as he continued to stare at them, the glare on his face softened slightly. Soon the wraith turned away from them and later he took off in the distance with great speed, leaving the group alone on the rooftop.
"Uh… what just happened?" Sonata asked.
"I… I don't even know myself," Adagio said, confused.
“Well… That’s a relief.” Rarity commented.
And as they breathe a sigh of relief, a portal opens up in front of them, leading to the magical land of Equestria. And emerging from it, is the legendary draconequus himself, Discord.
"Did someone call for help?" Discord asked, semi-jokingly, but also serious.
"Discord! Am I glad to see you! Listen, you won't believe it, but… Eternal… he's… he's…" Starlight said, pointing to the fallen prince. Discord looked and rushed over to the young man.
"How long ago was he murdered?" Discord asked in a serious tone.
"Uh… about… 15 minutes ago?" Sunset asked, sniffling in sadness. Discord checked the dead prince and suddenly, he dropped a bomb…
"Then perhaps it's not too late." Discord said, being cryptic.
"Not too late? What are ya talkin' 'bout?" AJ asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"I mean… if I can get him back to Equestria… there might still be a chance to bring him back," Discord said. Hearing that got everyone curious, but it also left Sunset shocked. "Sunset, I'm going to need him right away. Hand over Eternal."
"But… But he…" Sunset said, still crying.
"There's no time to argue. Do you want your boyfriend to come back to life or not?" Discord asked, getting impatient.
"I… Of course, I do!" Sunset nodded.
"Then hand him over! Otherwise, it'll all be for naught and he'll be lost forever!!!" Discord yelled. Sunset nodded before hesitantly handing over Eternal's corpse to him. Discord easily carried the fallen prince in his lion paw and griffon claw. "Good. Now," Discord snapped his fingers and opened up a second portal leading to a familiar forest outside of the city. "All of you head to this place and do not leave it until the time is right. Remember, Inferno's not the only foe out there who's on a power trip," he instructed
“Foe? What do you mean Inferno’s a foe. He’s not the enemy, Discord!” Starlight responded, clearly upset from hearing that.
"With his current state of mind, he's not going to bother talking things out. You're lucky to be alive right now. Now hurry up and head off into the forest!" Discord ordered
“NO!” Starlight shouted. “Listen, up to this point, I don’t give a flying feather about the damn gods, demons, or even the world. I just got Inferno back after he gave his life for us, and I’m not losing him again! And all of you always focus on everything else, and not one of you was concerned about Inferno after he got resurrected! And because of that, he had no one to give him comfort and that’s what drove him to be like what we just saw! He trusted you all, he trusted me… and we turned our back on him! Just like everyone did back in Equestria!” She stated, and in her fit of emotions, Starlight’s seemingly unlocked, and when it did, she activated her levitation spell on herself, ascending into the air, and then she flew away from the rooftop and away from the others.
"Am I the only one who's flabbergasted by what just happened?" Heat asked.
"Nope," Rainbow replied.
"But you know, she's right," Lightning Burn said. "We turned our backs against our friend. Why? All because we were too scared of what he had become."
"Well, can she blame us? You saw how he went and attacked us, including his "sworn brother" back when he was flexing his demon magic!" Rainbow blurted out.
"That's the problem she was talking about, Rainbow!" Twilight scolded. "We… We let ourselves be held back by our fear all because our friend looks different now. Yes, he's a wraith now, but Starlight didn't care because deep down, she saw the same guy she's been clinging onto ever since his death. We failed as friends to see that… so now we have to pay the price for our negligence until the time is right to welcome him back with open arms."
“Not to mention, we all knew he was mentally unstable ever since he woke up. And all we did was just focus on everything that was going on and didn’t stop to think how bad Inferno’s amnesia and mental health was.” Fluttershy added.
"Man… I feel like an ass for treating him like a monster," Rainbow said, looking down.
"We all do. Some friends we turned out to be," Pinkie said as her hair deflated.
"It seems we all have some atoning to do ourselves, dearies. Nothing more we can do now except hope for the best of our friends and prepare for the worst," Rarity added.
“But the question is, where is Inferno going?” Flash responded with a question. “I mean we just saw how pissed off he is, so something got him riled up and it wasn’t us,” he added.
The question came to everyone’s minds, and soon they were interrupted when a familiar voice replied. “I know where he’s heading.” The voice stated.
Everyone, including the Lord of Chaos, turned around and saw Death emerging from a portal from whatever dimension he came from. And he was armed with his scythe as he stared at the mortals and Discord with a calm, yet unease look in his eyes.
“He’s hunting.” The grim reaper exclaimed.
"Hunting the man who killed the boy… or… more of us," Discord gestured to himself and Death.
"Who else is roaming around with all that powerful demonic energy? Now take the boy back to Equestria right now before I take his soul like my job tells me to!" Death ordered. “And Discord… After all this ends… Tell Cosmos that he and I have some “words” to discuss.” He added.
"I'll give him the message when I see him," Discord nods before leaving for Equestria. The entire group, on the other hand, went through the portal leading to Camp Everfree. Death remained where he stood, observing what this world had now become, clenching his bone fist in frustration.
“I dreaded that this day would come… But I wished it hadn’t. Now the balance is broken… and my beloved is paying the price for it!” Death thought to himself.
Back in Equestria, in the rich, grand city of Canterlot, Princess Celestia stood outside high on her balcony, looking over the city, trying to stay focused on her duties, but a part of her is overcome with dread, thinking something must've happened to her son. Just then, she hears a portal open behind her and she turns around, lighting up her horn.
From behind the portal, she spots Discord and lowers her guard. "Discord, must you surprise me now of all t--" but before she could finish her question, she gasped sharply in horror when she saw what… or who he was carrying in his talon and paw. Celestia's eyes were watering up upon seeing her son's corpse… all bloodied and bruised. "No… Not my boy! Why?! What does the Universe have against my son?! WHO WOULD DO SUCH A THING?!" she demanded to know, sobbing.
"Celestia, we don't have time to mourn! Listen, your son might still have a chance to come back, but we need to act quick!" Discord urged.
"What? What are you talking about, Discord?" Celestia asked, confused.
Discord snapped his talons and poofed a stretcher before placing Eternal's dead body onto it and then rushed him over to one of the guest rooms. Celestia wasn't sure what Discord was planning, but she followed him anyway. And upon arriving, she watched Discord snap his talons again and sealed the wounds closed, but they still had scars. Afterwards, the chaos master turned to Celestia.
"Tell me… do you still have Philomena with you?" he asked.
From The Light, Comes The Dark
Author's Note
I am SO so sorry for the long wait. Commissions and birthday clopfics are a real hassle to do when bombarded with questions, but I got my next chapter all set up and waiting for you. And as always, thanks for your patience and support, stay tuned and keep bronying on.
From The Light, Comes The Dark
With all of the demonic powers in his possession, Light Ray fled to a secluded place in the city where he would best launch his final plan. While he might have all the demon powers deep within his very soul and in the palm of his hands, he needed to find a way to control it from another source. And there's only one such being that can help him with that.
So, Light Ray headed back to the warehouse in the northern part of the city… one of the worst parts of the entire city, if not the absolute worst. The entire area is just filled with negative energy, despite it being deserted.
"Perfect…" Light smirked. He walked inside the warehouse and stopped at the very center. "Yes..., now for the fun part," he said in a low tone. He looked around the warehouse to find something and then… picked up a stone just a few feet away from him. He then began to draw a giant circle in the center, then another circle inside… before drawing the goat-shaped upside-down pentagram inside.
The whole time, Light Ray is getting goosebumps… and yet he's excited at the same time. Next, he tossed the stone aside and picked up a broken beer glass bottle and crushed it in his hand, letting his drops of demonic blood seep out and hit the pentagram.
At that moment… The entire warehouse shook and deep within the circle, a black void opened up and inside… he saw a part of two, glowing eyes that pierced through one's soul. Just then… and reached out from within, but it was chained up and pulled back in, followed by an unearthly, vicious growl.
"Who dares to summon me?" this demon snarled.
"Forgive me, my lord. I am Light Ray… I am the one who summoned you so you can finally be free and grant me the full powers of a true demon… and eventually become the true Demon King of both worlds!" he proclaimed ambitiously. "Can you grant me this wish… Grogar?"
At the mention of the name, the demon ram poked his head out of the void, growling. "WHAT UTTER NONSENSE!!! What makes you think a mere unicorn in a human body can tame the powers of a Demon King?! You think I'd trust you with such high-class power? HAH!!! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just pull you into Tartarus with me." Grogar inquired.
Light Ray stepped back a little, surprised that Grogar would lash out at him. Perhaps he's still upset about his loss to those girls and the entire Equestria army. Just then… he came up with a splendid idea…
"Very well then, I'll tell you." Light began. "If you help me out, I will subdue those girls and their little boy toys whom they stole from your army. And as an added bonus… we can get revenge on the one who caused your ultimate demise together. With your soul inside me and our minds combined, we can turn these two worlds into one whole kingdom… OUR kingdom!" Light proclaimed, staring him in the eyes.
The former necromancer and now prisoner of Tartarus, then inched away until only his eyes were poking out of the void. "A tempting proposition… but what you're seeking is a mere pipe dream… without the necessary items, that is," Grogar said calmly.
"Why? What am I missing?" Light asked.
"You should know by now… you used them yourself… the Demon Crystals… and even the Moon Gem," Grogar specified.
"Those old relics? But they lost their powers the moment I transferred the last of them into those two morons who were teamed up with me! I don't even know where they are or if they're still in one piece or not," Light said.
"Then you'd better go and find them quickly… if you don't… you will have to pay the price for leaving this portal open. You have 24 hours to find at least one demon crystal and bring it back here to keep the portal stable. If you can do this… I will instruct you on how to do the entire ritual properly… and then you will have my soul within you." Grogar said.
"R-Right!" Light said, feeling a bit nervously before leaving the warehouse. "I should've known this plan was too good to be true! Oh well, they never said it would be easy." He said. And now… the hunt for the Demon Crystals and Moon Gem begins… again.
Meanwhile, out in the Camp Everfree Resort, the group met up with Gloriosa, who took them into her cabin to allow them to rest easy. Twilight explained the situation to Gloriosa about their predicament and everything that led up to it, from the resurrection of their fallen friend up to the point where the former Demon King gave his life to save Sunset.
"I see… I'm… so sorry for your loss, Sunset. But, still… I gotta ask, how'd you guys all get here so quickly when I live nearly an hour away?" Gloriosa asked.
"Uh… let's just say we had some help getting here," Flash added.
"Well… okay. Since you're all here now, I think it's only fair that I allow you to stay here and rest up for a little bit. You all look like you've been through hell and back," Gloriosa said, inspecting their bruises and scrapes.
“I personally do not want to speak of it.” Aria responded, crossing her arms.
"I can respect that," Gloriosa nodded. She then escorted the gang into the main lobby where there were soft couches and a flat screen installed on the wall next to the fireplace. "All of you rest and relax in here, I'll go and fetch the first aid kits."
The host then left while the others remained in the lobby, sitting around, relaxing and (not literally) licking their wounds. Sunset still had tears in her eyes, crying quietly to herself, still traumatized by her boyfriend's death.
Flash sat next to Sunset and tried to comfort her, but nothing seemed to work. "Sunset… hey… chin up, I'm sure that "Discord" guy has a plan to bring back Eternal. Just have faith. We're all kinda shook up from today, but he wouldn't want you to give up." he encouraged.
"So, after we finish our rest and recuperation, what do we do next? Go after that demonized freak and fight him head-on?" Adagio asked
“Are you kidding? No way am I going back in that city, not when there is a very aggressive wraith prowling the streets.” Sonata protested.
"That "very aggressive wraith" happens to be our friend. Starlight still saw the man she loves deep within his new form, even when we were all too scared stiff to do the same," Twilight pointed out.
"Her words cut deeper than knives cuttin' butter, that's fer sure," Applejack added.
"Uh, you're kidding, right? So you're telling me that even though that very same "friend" of yours attacked and ALMOST killed Eternal some time yesterday, you're willing to set that aside and forgive him? Are you freaking nuts?" Aria asked.
"That's something you'll have to ask Starlight about. We don't have a straight answer for that," Twilight said.
"If you ask me, I would probably scold him for attacking Eternal that one time," Rainbow added.
"But he wasn't in the right mind, darling," Rarity interjected.
"That's no excuse for him to hurt someone who's like a brother to him! He's gotta know about this when all of this is said and done," Rainbow disagreed.
"No! He cannot know about that!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
"I agree! If we told him he almost killed Eternal, he'd be crushed. He'd never forgive himself." Pinkie added, agreeing with Fluttershy.
"I think we can all agree that this day has been nothing but crazy for all of us. What's done is done, the only thing left to do is rest our aching bodies," Frostbite said.
"You got that right. It felt like I was put through World War 3," Israel agreed.
"I'm so gonna take a long-ass vacation after we've stopped that asshole," Blazing Waters groaned, laying against one of the couches.
"Me too, though I think I'd rather take Pinkie Pie to the chocolate factory after this whole mess," Copper Plume said. Pinkie's ears twitched and a big smile formed on her cute, sweet face when she tackled Copper to the floor and smothered him with kisses all over his face.
"Awwww, how cute," Lightning Burn chuckled.
"At least now the atmosphere is a bit more settled," Heat sighed contently.
Meanwhile, with the raging Titan-wraith, Inferno soars above the deserted city of Canterlot, hunting down Eternal’s murderer. The image of Eternal's dying look as he reached out for his sworn brother still burned fresh in his mind. In his mind, body, and spirit… was filled with rage and bloodlust.
As of now, he hunts for his prey, searching every area of the city. His wraith senses were on high alert, aimlessly detecting whatever living thing that was in the area. He halted and hovered above the city a few times, looking around to retrace his steps.
And a few times, his anger rose to great limits as he constantly unleashed a shockwave of energy from his body, while letting out a fearsome roar .
As for where the citizens have been… Well, due to the "otherworldly" dangers lurking within the city, the U.S military took this opportunity to evacuate everyone over at one of the old abandoned railway tunnels. Of course, the military took precautions to set up barriers for their safety and so far, deep within the tunnel, the military have supplied the people with meals and tent shelters.
The only ones out in the city are U.S Military soldiers in tanks and HAV's. Suddenly, one of them spotted the Titan-wraith in the sky. "Guys, bogey in the sky!" soldier 1 alerted. The others took aim at the monster, loading their weapons at the ready. But before they could shoot at it, another bogey flew past them at high speeds, leaving a trail of black mass.
As Titan-Wraith Inferno kept to himself and paid no heed to the soldiers on the ground; however, his attention is quickly drawn to the trail of black mass, and sensing the similar dark energy he felt a while ago… before Eternal’s death. The Titan-Wraith growled with pure rage after he’s now caught his prey’s trail and without a moment to lose, the assassin sped off towards the direction his prey was heading.
Light Ray looked over his shoulder and gasped as he saw his monstrous adversary catching up to him real quick. Light Ray tried to pick up speed, but his actions were futile. The assassin was easily catching up to him. Even flying at his top speed, the assassin could easily catch him. It's almost like he's toying with him.
'No! I cannot let this freak slow me down! I must get those CRYSTALS!!!' Light thought to himself, struggling to shake him off.
However, Titan-Wraith Inferno was not gonna let him escape, and stayed on him for the entire chase. Soon the wraith assassin sped up, inching closer and closer to Light Ray, reaching out his hand to grab his prey.
But as the Titan-Wraith was just inches from his goal, a projectile came out of nowhere and made impact with the assassin in the air, and denoted with a big explosion that spiraled the wraith out of control in flight and sent him crashing down into a small building, completely destroying it upon impact. And as the smoke cleared, Inferno is seen laying on top of rubble and debris, dazed and covered in dust, but has not been fazed or damaged from whatever shot him out of the sky. The wraith shook his head as dust shook out from his hair.
About 50 yards from where he is, a unit of soldiers were standing by and behind them is an A1A2 Abrams main battle tank. And inside the tank were its operators, with one of them grabbing the radio and reporting to command.
"Positive on hit, base. But the target is not destroyed," one of the tankmen said.
"Then ready another projectile and don't stop until it's turned to dust!" the Commander ordered.
As this was going on, Inferno shook off the fall and got back on his feet before he lifted himself back in the air. And once he was hovering above the ground, his eyes drifted around, trying to locate his prey once again… but to his frustration, his prey was nowhere in sight. The Titan-Wraith let out an aggressive and ferocious roar into the air after being thwarted from his exciting hunt.
"FIRE AT WILL!!!" the Commander shouted. More U.S readied their weapons and shot at the assassin, even tossing some live grenades at him and flash bangs. But none of their weapons had any effect on him… well… except for making him even more mad.
The Titan-Wraith turned and stared down at the soldiers below, now giving a hint that they were the ones who interfered with his hunt. This fuels his rage as the assassin roared once again as he raised both his hands into the air. And soon, high above the city, large masses of dark clouds began forming in the sky, clearly sounding like thunderstorms. However, it looked to be the largest thunderstorm ever to be seen. This strange activity caused the soldiers to cease fire and stare up at the sky, wondering what was happening.
And what happened next, was that flashes of purple lightning struck out from the clouds, and soon a volley of lightning bolts struck the Titan-Wraith as he was absorbing the energy from them and his whole body emitting sparks of electricity. Inferno’s glowing eyes shined brighter as he turned his gaze back onto the soldiers on the ground, with rage and bloodlust in his eyes.
"What the hell is this thing? We've hit it with everything we've got, but now it's more pissed! What are your orders, sir?" One of the soldiers asked.
The Commander thought about and seeing the potential damage it could cause to his men and possibly the entire world, there was only one option left. "EVERYONE, FALL BACK!!! RETREAT TO BASE!!!"
But it was too late, as Inferno let out another roar as he brought his arms down towards the soldiers as beams of lightning shot out from his palms, and sped straight towards the unfortunate soldiers on the ground. The attack first struck the tank, causing it to rupture and explode, with the blast nearly taking out several soldiers close by. Then the wraith moved his attack over to the evading soldiers, disintegrating many of them, while a few were knocked onto the ground, desperately trying to find cover.
"ABORT! ABORT!!! ENEMY IS TOO STRONG!!! WE'RE LOSING MEN, FAST!!!" The Commander shouted before he was knocked to the ground hard, losing consciousness.
Inferno continued on his attack before he sensed no more hostiles in the area, causing him to halt his attack and observe the area below. And while he sensed a few of the soldiers that survived the aftermath, the Titan-Wraith was confident that he gave them a reason not to interfere. And with that, the assassin turned around and flew away from the scene.
Meanwhile, back in Equestria, in a hidden room of the castle, Discord was using his magic to preserve Eternal's corpse while Celestia, Luna, Twilight and the legendary Starswirl were helping create the remedy to bring him back. One of the ingredients was one of Philomena's phoenix feathers.
"I will say this, princess. Your son was fearless to the bitter end. But you have to understand that this remedy could go either way," Starswirl said.
"As long as it brings my boy back, I don't care." Celestia persisted.
"Not even Eternal deserved to die so painfully," Luna said.
"I agree. So, what are the other ingredients?" Twilight asked.
"We'll need two tablespoons of burdock root skins, crushed of course. Half a cup of hot water and finally… the two drops of blood from a blood relative," Starswirl said.
"I can get the burdock and peel the skin off and get the hot water," Luna said.
"I suppose that leaves me with two drops of blood." Celestia said.
"What do we do with the ingredients?" Twilight asked.
"We mix them. It should create a kind of golden yellow-ish orange, glowing liquid. If consumed, there's a 50% chance he'll either make a full recovery… or he'll be engulfed in flames and be reduced to ashes. However… the chances of him surviving increase if…" Starswirl read the cure further to understand it more.
"If what?" Discord asked.
"If… his blood relatives happen to be an alicorn, the chances of him living increase by 10%." Starswirl said.
"Well… that does put our minds a little at ease, but still… How could somepony like Eternal, a young stallion who showed no fear, wind up dead?" Twilight asked.
"Living a cursed life comes with a price, princess. But he was a grown young stallion and from what I can tell, he fought the good fight. Now it's time for his friends to pick up where he left off," Starswirl said.
"Please… don't say that. My brother would never stop halfway! He will rise again… I know it!" Heat said, trying not to let the tears swell in his eyes.
"I understand your concern, Heat. But remember… This cure could work either way. You know… your brother's lucky to have such an optimistic young stallion like you. You'll make a fine co-ruler one day." Starswirl said. Heat blushed a bit, but it quickly went away when he stared at his brother's preserved corpse.
Back in the human world, after his encounter with the military, the Titan-Wraith, Inferno, goes on with his hunt for Light Ray. And after losing his prey for a moment because of the mortals, the wraith assassin once again is left on a wild goose chase. He had the tainted man within his grasp, just mere inches away and it was all shot to hell when the military intervened.
With his target gone, his anger was becoming far too out of control. Suddenly, Inferno felt the presence of some more sinister energies closing in. And from what his wraith senses were telling him, they were right behind him. And as soon as he turned around, the Titan-Wraith is then met with a large beam of magic striking him out of nowhere and sending him barreling towards the ground, while smashing through several buildings in the process. Then he fell and crashed onto the streets of the city, with the impact causing a large crater in the process.
The one who shot him with that beam of magic was one of the infamous apocalypse horsemen, War and next to him was Pestilence and Famine.
"I hope you realize what you've done. He's not gonna take that lying down." Pestilence stated.
"I know what I'm doing. He had it coming for a while," War replied. "Then again… I've been itching for a good fight for so long." Well, he was about to get his wish. A few seconds later, the Titan Wraith emerged once again, shaking off dust and debris from his landing before looking up at the 3 horsemen in the sky. Figuring that they were the ones that attacked him, the Titan-Wraith roared loudly with rage, before he sped towards the 3 at blinding speed.
The three horsemen barely managed to move out of the way, only to be left with a single scratch on each of their cheeks. He was not messing around.
"Well, we've poked the bear with a stick, now we gotta avoid the crushing jaws!" Famine said. And from that point on, the 3 on 1 tussle between 3 of the apocalypse horsemen and the Titan Wraith began. Their epic battle royale shook the core of not just the Earth, not just the entire solar system… but the multiverse itself. The clash of the deities was once again repeating itself. And they fear this might end in the same way it did with the 1st wraith.
However, Inferno was much different from the last one… and far too powerful. And he’s not letting up.
In the heat of the battle, Inferno was tossing the horsemen around like rag dolls, tossing Famine and Pestilence towards nearby skyscrapers before he unleashed his magic beam breath onto the area they were at. The two evaded the attack as quickly as they could. War sped towards Inferno from behind and ignited his sword with his powerful magic and with a swing of his blade, he sent a wave of cosmic energy straight towards Inferno.
Inferno turned around and then raised his hand up towards the attack, and upon doing so, the attack made contact with his hand, and immediately it was neutralized and weakened, before it vanished into thin air.
"Damn it! I forgot, he can negate magical attacks!" War grunted in frustration. "Fine then… How about brute FORCE?!" War yelled out loud. He charged in and came at Inferno, ready to cut him up with his sword.
As he swung at him, Inferno caught it between his thumb and index finger. But the cut still drew a tiny drop of blood from one of his fingers. War was speechless beyond words. How can a wraith be so powerful as to catch his sword with two fingers?
And before he was given time to react, Inferno then reared back his fist and then slammed it forcefully against the horseman’s chest, and then sent him flying and crashing towards the ground of the city streets. The impact was so strong, it shook the entire city and left a cloud of dust behind.
With the 3 of the 4 apocalypse horsemen getting their asses handed to them, reinforcements showed up to help turn the odds into their favor. From the high above, two more figures showed up and they were none other than Queen Galaxia and King Cosmos.
"You're overstepping your boundaries, young man. Stop this foolish nonsense now!" the king ordered sternly.
The Titan-Wraith snarled and let out another enraged roar, which stated that he will not take shit from them.
"That was your only warning, you miserable vermin! Now you will pay the price…" Galaxia said in pure anger as she lit up the sky with her magic aura. "THIS IS FOR ATTACKING MY BELOVED GRANDSON, YOU VILE FIEND!!!" With that, she let out her battle cry and charged right at the wraith at blinding speed.
She lit up the magic in the palm of her hands and got close to him and blasted him in the stomach from extremely close range… multiple times. Faster than a gatling. "I'll make you suffer for what you've done! You and that wretched fool who took my grandson's life! You MONSTER!!! YOU VILE MONSTER!!!" she yelled, increasing power in her close-range magical attacks.
King Cosmos helped out by trying to restrain the wraith with magical rings on each of his limbs.
However, all of that was just pissing Inferno off even more, and he wasn’t gonna have it. And so the Titan-Wraith charged up his magic, curling himself up before he unleashed a massive wave of purple energy and lightning from within his body like an EMP, only on a cosmic level.
The force of his attack sent the other deities flying backwards, crashing through buildings and landing flat in the streets. It seemed ultimately clear that despite their numbers, they were heavily outmatched. Inferno Blaze was much too powerful. And it seemed like his power was only getting stronger.
Meanwhile, Light Ray had barely escaped with his life. He had traveled so far, he didn't even see where he was… until he finally checked his surroundings. He was close to CHS and right there… lying in the middle of the streets… were the 5 Demon Crystals and the Moon Gem.
"Yes! YES! It appears lady luck is on my side! At last, my goal will be complete! Alright, you stubborn old ram, you want your demon crystal, you'll get your demon crystal!" Light said, collecting the goods. This time, with the objects in hand, he flew back to the place where the portal was still active. But, he had to exercise extreme caution on the way back. Who knows where that wraith might be lurking.
Little did he know, someone else was hot on his tail; a certain girl with long, purple hair with aqua blue stripes in it and indigo eyes. Yes, Starlight was hot on his tail, trying to figure out what Light Ray's plans were and why he needed the Demon Crystals and Moon Gem.
"Whatever he's planning, I got a bad feeling about this," Starlight whispered to herself.
Starlight had followed Light Ray back to his secret hiding place, though the long trip on foot kinda winded her as a result. But she had come too far to rest up now. She watched from the corner of the doorway and saw Light Ray approach this dark abyss-like hole in the floor.
Light Ray then placed one of the inactive demon crystals in the center of the void. There, both parties watched as it faded into the dark portal for a few seconds before reappearing, glowing and fully charged. And the dark magic resonating from the crystal seeped out with magic sparks of lightning. Light Ray laughed, he couldn't believe his eyes.
Starlight watched in horror as to what had just happened. It seems the Demon Crystals are gonna be an issue… a really big issue.
"Perfect," Grogar's voice echoed from inside the portal. Starlight gasped to herself. This couldn't be happening, it just didn't seem possible.
'But… But how? We all watched Eternal finish him off that day! How is he still alive?' she thought to herself.
"Now… listen to me, fool. Take the rest of the crystals all around the city and when they're all in place, head for the center of the city. There, we will begin the ritual.., and I will finally be free! And all the power you crave will be yours!" Grogar instructed. "Now GO!!!"
"Yes sir, I won't fail you," Light bowed before leaving with an evil laugh. Starlight took cover so she wouldn't be spotted and watched as he took off.
And once she heard him leave, Starlight let out a sigh in relief, knowing she was out of the clear. But a sense of fear rushed over her when she heard…
“Come out, my dear.” Grogar’s voice spoke. “Don’t think for a moment that I couldn't sense your presence. But luckily for you, I just want a little chat. After all, I allowed Light to leave without knowing you were here.” The demonic ram’s spirit explained. “So come out and don’t be afraid. I’m no harm to you, well not in the state I’m in.”
Starlight's entire body received huge chills. She should've expected that Grogar could sense her presence, he wasn't King of the Shadow World for nothing. Well, stealing her nerves, she enters the abandoned warehouse and stops just a couple of feet away from the portal. The very portal where she can see those… eyes. Those piercing, sinister, cold, vengeful red, glowing eyes.
"What do you want?" Starlight asked, staring into the demon's unbreakable gaze.
“Well from the shadows, I heard I’m not the only being brought back from the dead. You know who I’m speaking of.” Grogar replied.
"If you're talking about Inferno, you're right. But I wouldn't come anywhere near him if I were you, since he's more deadly towards creatures like you," Starlight warned, grinning.
“Oh I wouldn’t dream of it. Not even I can match the power of a wraith.” The demon ram responded.
Starlight’s expression turned from confidence to surprise. “How do you know…?”
“My dear, I know everything about wraiths. Especially what they’re capable of.” Grogar said. “Did Harmony or Death tell any of you why I targeted Inferno in the first place?”
Starlight’s eyes widened upon hearing what he said. “Wait… that's it… you weren’t in Canterlot to kill his father? You wanted to kill Inferno!” Starlight responded aggressively.
“OF COURSE I DID! Especially after I discovered what he really is… and of his purpose” Grogar replied. “After all, he is Abandon’s last descendant… the last descendant of the First Wraith.” He stated.
"Inferno? The last descendant? So his resurrection into a Waith wasn't by chance!" Starlight said in realization.
“Of course it wasn’t, did you all actually think that the crystals would summon a wraith?!” The demon laughed. “No… the assassin had wraith blood within him since the day he was born. And knowing that a wraith would stand between me and making Eternal my heir; I had to kill the colt before his dormant powers could awaken!” Grogar snarled in anger.
"That's… That's impossible! The only other wraith in existence was the one the cosmic counsel imprisoned thousands of years ago!" Starlight said, trying to piece it together.
“Well… I don’t have all the answers, my dear. Though if you want some, you’ll have to ask the Cosmic Council for them. but as a helpful hint, you should ask Harmony. But I’m afraid it’ll be too late for the poor fool. The darkness in this world is slowly killing her by the minute, and as for the Cosmic Council… hehe… well your boyfriend is currently beating them to a pulp. I think he’ll kill them before Light gets the chance. And I would love to see that.” Grogar spoke with a sadistic, heinous tone.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Starlight turned her back and ran out of the warehouse, heading off to find her friends. 'If what he's saying is true, I've got to find a way to save Harmony and get my Inferno back. I'm not sure how I can fix this, but somehow I've gotta try!' she thought to herself.
As Starlight ran out of the warehouse, Grogar’s sadistic laughter grew louder and louder as she ran and ran. And when she got farther enough away, the laughter died down and soon they ceased to be heard.
"Okay… I need some kind of plan. But… what should I do first?" Starlight asked herself. But then… "Wait… Grogar said that Harmony was dying because of the darkness overwhelming her. Maybe if I were to get Inferno's attention somehow, it might be enough to get Harmony back on her feet… or hooves?" she said to herself. "Think… how can I snap him out of his rampage?"
Starlight kept walking while she was thinking to herself. The clock was ticking and she needed to plan this out fast. After walking around some more and doing some deep thinking, an idea popped into her head. "This might be my only chance,"
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Twilight Sparkle was asked to head out and grab some food for herself and her friends. She scouted the city from up above, using her geode to pony up and fly around the city. But seeing the city she grew up in to be all broken and worn out from this savage war… it just brings a tear to her eyes. But she quickly stole herself so she could keep looking for food supplies.
However, her little errand run was to be postponed when she saw Inferno fighting against a couple of the cosmic counsel and 3 of them were of the 4 apocalyptic horsemen. And from the looks of it, Inferno was giving them a really hard time.
"TWILIGHT! DOWN HERE!!!" Starlight called out.
The nerdy gal turns towards the voice of one of her friends and she spots Starlight running towards her.
“Starlight? Where have you been?! The others were worried sick of you?” Twilight asked.
“No time to explain! Right now, I need your help to get Inferno to calm down.” Starlight replied.
"WHAT?! Are you crazy? He's fighting a war up there! Are you sure you wanna take that risk?" Twilight asked, concerned.
“Yes!” Starlight replied without hesitation. “Look I have a plan, alright! I just need you to agree that you’ll help me!” She responded. “PLEASE TWILIGHT! SAY THAT YOU’LL HELP ME!!!” Starlight begged while grabbing onto both of Twilight’s shoulders and shaking her.
"A-Alright, alright! I'll help you! If it means helping out a friend, I'll do what I can," she nodded.
“Good. See that tall tower over there.” Starlight said while pointing over towards the tallest building in the area they were in; it wasn’t as tall as the tallest building in the city, but it was a very tall one.
"Yeah?" Twilight nodded, looking at the tower. "I'm guessing you want me to get you to the top of the tower, right?"
“Wow, you really are as smart as my Twilight back in Equestria.” Starlight commented.
"Why? You had doubts?" Sci-Twi asked, quirking an eyebrow suspiciously.
“Nope. Just curious.” Starlight replied.
"Oh, good to hear. So, how do you plan on getting his attention from high above? I hope it's nothing suicidal or anything." Sci-Twi said. She then latched onto Starlight from under her arms and flew her over to the tower.
As the two gals were flying towards the tower, the ongoing battle between the titan-wraith and the cosmic council raged on above the abandoned city.
Inferno expertly dodged and predicted all of the cosmic gods’ attempts to land a single blow to him before he delivered harsh counterattacks in response. The wraith’s mind was so focused on the battle and full of many possible outcomes and strategies to overpower his foes; almost as if his so-called “Dark Instinct” was granting him thousands of years of battle experience and knowledge in which he could not explain.
And yet… This knowledge gave him a dark sense of superiority. That he has all the knowledge of his enemies. And they were at his mercy.
"This isn't working! None of our attacks seem to be getting through!" King Cosmos said, getting a little frustrated.
“It's as if… He’s predicting our attacks… Before we even make them.” Pestilence responded, while nearly drained of stamina and energy.
“But how is that possible?! He’s never seen what we’re capable of when he was a mortal!” War exclaimed, furious at being powered by the undead assassin.
“It’s like he’s gained knowledge of our abilities every time he grows stronger!” Famine said.
"Perhaps maybe I can take the reins for a while." a female voice called out. The counsel looked over and noticed a female draconequus.
"Eris? Not that we don't appreciate the help, but where is your brother?" Queen Galaxia asked.
"He's busy helping the prince. He suffered a fatal blow and my brother is helping the princess resurrect him." Eris clarified while staring down her fearsome opponent.
Inferno stares at the draconequus with a petrifying gaze and an uncontrollable rage in his eyes.
It was an epic staredown like no other and both parties waited for the other to move first. At first, Eris snapped her claws and poofed up three firework missiles and ignited them, launching them at her deadly foe.
Inferno did nothing as the missiles made impact and caused a massive explosion where he was. The cosmic gods and the draconequus watched as the smoke cleared away, to reveal the titan-wraith… unscathed from the attack.
Inferno continuously looked at Eris as he was dusting himself off; as a form of mockery.
Eris gave a death grin towards Inferno before poofing up two whips, each one giving off a serious electric charge worth 300 yottajoules. She cracks them a few times before attacking her foe with a sinister, psychotic look in her eye.
"SHRUG THIS OFF, YOU FREAK!" Eris provoked as she attacked. In that instant, one of her whips made contact with the wraith and bolts of static electricity leaked out in big sparks. She cracks her whips a few more times, then whips Inferno again and again before wrapping one of her whips around his neck to try and subdue him.
Inferno let out another monstrous roar in annoyance and pain as he gripped onto the whip while staring angrily at the draconequus. As more electric shocks were being emitted into his body and inflicting more pain with each shock… until slowly, and swiftly, the pain began to numb. And soon the wraith couldn’t feel any pain, he couldn’t even feel the shocks anymore… instead he could feel the energy from the whips seeping into his body and empowering him. He soon learned that his body must have adapted to block and nullify pain. And that his body was now absorbing the electric shocks.
The Wraith stared directly back at the female draconequus, but this time, he was the one with the wide grin on his face.
"Uh-oh…that wasn't supposed to happen," Eris said, slightly scared.
Before Eris could let go of the whip, Inferno effortlessly tugged onto it and began swinging the draconequus in circles, causing her to crash into a few skyscrapers. And soon the whip loosened around his neck and so the wraith let go of the whip, allowing it to slip free from his neck and letting the draconequus fall straight down to the ground and crashing down hard against the pavement.
"This… isn't… over!" Eris strained as she got back up. Snapping her claws, she poofed up a bag of seeds, then tossed them onto the ground. The seeds sank underneath the concrete and then BOOM, out came some dark vines with thorns, just like the ones from the Everfree Forest when they attacked the Tree of Harmony. "Restrain that wraith at all cost!" she commanded.
The vines shot up in the air and wrapped around the wraith's limbs, then stretched them out in an attempt to immobilize this deadly foe. For good measure, one bigger vine as big as a tree trunk, shot up from the ground and wrapped around his torso. The sharp thorns poked through the fabric of his outfit, but were only superficial stab wounds. The wraith roared in pain.
"Let's see you try and get out of this one!" Eris provoked. The vines would tighten around him if he tried to struggle.
The Titan-Wraith grew extremely furious; if there was a word to describe how beyond pissed he is right now; it would be that. And through that immense anger, the wraith let out a loud, high pitched screech as his entire body engulfs in purple flames, which grew every time he roared. The dark flames that engulfed the wraith incinerated the vines that he was trapped in. And as soon as he was free, Inferno took a deep breath before unleashing a massive beam of dark flames from his mouth towards the dark vine plants below, incinerating them in an instant.
He then ceased his attack before looking towards Eris, along with the other cosmic beings, with a rageful, frightening gaze.
And the cosmic council can help but feel more intimidated than they already do.
“Well way to go, Eris! You pissed him off!” Famine shouted in sarcasm.
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, you sickly old fart!" Eris retorted back.
“Well… I say… You did… your best.” Pestilence complimented.
"Thank you, Pestilence. Now let's hope we can all make it out of this alive, because I think Mr. Cranky Pants is looking to maul us to death," Eris replied, her eyes locked with her potential maker and executioner.
The wraith stares down at the gods and goddesses, filled with rage and killing intent. His hands generate his Dark Flames, ready to smite them right there and then. But before he could deliver the killing blow, a white wave of energy comes speeding behind him and strikes him in the back. Causing searing pain to the wraith and forcing him to cease his attack.
The wraith turns around, fueled with anger with whoever dared to stop him from enjoying his kill. And hovering behind him, was none other than Death himself; armed with his scythe in hand.
Inferno was about ready to attack the Grim Reaper himself, but Death raised his hand up towards as a gesture to have him halt in place.
"Slow down and use your head for a second! I am not here to fight you. I came to speak to you, but you have to calm down! If you don't, millions more lives will be lost!" Death warned.
While a good attempt; however, the grim reaper’s words fell deaf on Inferno’s ears. The wraith was too furious and too riled up from his current conflict with the cosmic council. And since he just had gods try and kill him for whatever reason… The wraith was not in the mood for talking. And he roared in reply to let Death know that.
"I did not want it to come to this, Inferno. But if I have to fight to get through to your thick skull, so be it," Death said, clenching onto his scythe. Inferno made a mad dash towards Death, but the reaper reacted swiftly by dodging and taking a swing at Inferno with his scythe. "Just remember… you're now dancing with Death."
The grim reaper turned over his shoulder, giving Inferno the ORIGINAL death stare . And so, their clash began as they took to the skies. Inferno shot magic blasts at the grim reaper, but shot after shot, Death blocked each of them or dissipated them with a mighty swing that even sliced the air itself.
He retaliates by charging after Inferno. Halfway, Death turns into a black vapor cloud, speeding himself up. At the last minute, he transforms back into his skeletal form and swings at Inferno, slashing open a gash in his chest. Inferno let out another pained roar. Death then sent the enraged wraith flying backwards with a powerful shockwave from his boney hand. Inferno crashed into the pavement, creating a large crater.
As soon as the smoke cleared, Inferno slowly got up from the ground, bleeding from the large gashes on his body, and his armor cracked and shattered. Death slowly floats down, never taking his eyes off his injured foe.
"Now, maybe you'll stop lashing out and start listening to me," Death said, calming down a little. But sadly, Inferno wasn't ready to talk things out. He glared into the eyes of Death, growling while the gash on his chest began to seal itself closed. Not even a scar can be found.
Death was surprised by this scene before him. “What? His wounds are healing?! But no living soul could recover from my attacks? Not at that fast rate.” he thought to himself. “His soul would have been damaged after a few blows. He should have been crippled inside-and-out. Unless…” And soon Death came to a terrible conclusion. “You don’t have your soul.”
Inferno responded with a powerful punch that produced a shockwave so powerful, he sent Death flying 500 meters into the air. But he didn't stop there, for he took to the sky and caught up with Death, grabbing him by his boney neck. He roared right into his skull and then flew through the torn up city, dragging him against the walls and windows of each building before throwing him against one of the taller buildings.
Death crashes through the windows of an abandoned office building, groaning from the impact. Inferno flew inside and landed directly above his adversary, breathing heavily with anger. His eyes glowing purple with vengeance and anger.
"This… can't be… how it ends! Must… stop… him," Death groaned.
But when Death makes an attempt to get back up, Inferno raises his foot and stomps on Death’s chest, pinning him to the ground. Inferno stares down at him with rage and glee. It seemed like this could be the end for the once proud reaper. Then the wraith lets out a loud roar , directly at the grim reaper’s face; displaying his dominance and power.
"INFERNO, STOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!" a female voice cried out to him. Inferno turned back to see where that voice came from. His enhanced vision zeroed in on Starlight Glimmer, who was at the top of a space tower.
Standing beside Starlight, Twilight grew more anxious seeing that the wraith was now staring at them.
“Okay, it seems we have his attention. Now what is the next step to your plan?” Twilight asked.
Starlight didn’t reply and stepped up towards the edge of the roof and still kept her gaze on Inferno, and the wraith doing the same. Seeing Starlight close to the edge had Twilight worried half to death.
“Starlight?! What are you doing!?” Twilight spoke with worry and fright.
"What I have to do; I'm getting back the man I love," Starlight replied. "Even if… I have to take that one drastic step." She said, feeling her heart about to jump out of her chest. And so, she does the unthinkable and steps off the roof, falling to her death.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Twilight screamed, running after her.
Inferno sees Starlight falling rapidly from atop the tower. He wasn't sure why, but something deep within him was urging him to save her. And as seconds passed, the urge grew bigger each time. While everything went on normal time, the wraith experienced time slower in his mind as he watched Starlight fall. In a split second, his anger died down and his conscious came back to him. And in that moment, the anger was replaced with worry and fright.
And without hesitation, and ignoring the grim reaper that was at his mercy a second ago, the wraith took off into the air at the speed of light.
Starlight had her eyes closed as she fell, not seeing that she was closer and closer towards the ground. And at the moment before she made impact with the hard concrete and pavement, Starlight felt a gust of wind against her hair and that she was being cradled in someone’s arms.
She immediately opened her eyes and they were met with Inferno’s eyes as he held her in a bridal carry while he was hovering 10 ft. Slowly, and carefully, the wraith lowered onto the streets and landed on the ground before dropping onto his knees. His eyes never looked away from Starlight, as he held her close to him with one hand and his other hand brough up to caress her cheek. The young lady could see the worry and shock within his facial expression. And in his eyes, she could see that it was him… actually him.
That thought in her mind made her smile and shed tears of joy seeing him return to her once again.
“I knew you wouldn’t let me fall.” She spoke with such faith in him.
"Star…light…" Inferno strained in his voice. With the beast tamed by his dame, he came to a slow and steady stop before hugging Starlight. She hugged Inferno back, tears streaming down her eyes like waterfalls.
"I never doubted you, Inferno. Even when you change… I knew you were still in there," she said, her voice choking up before sobbing in his arms.
Inferno was no different, as tears fell from his eyes. His voice choked as he spoke softly to her. “D-Don’t… E-Ever… Do that again. Please.” He spoke with worry and fear. Her little stunt scared the hell out of him and worried him to death.
"I promise… I swear with all my heart and soul… it won't happen again." Starlight replied, still hugging Inferno and nuzzling into his shoulder.
To think, it only took a reckless move from a single human being to tame this savage foe. The cosmic counsel, Death and even Twilight were all left speechless. The council couldn't believe how reckless and bold a mere mortal can be just for the sake of re-awakening a dormant soul they thought would be lost forever.
Death was astonished himself, yet also relieved. At least her life was spared. Twilight felt like she had lost a couple of years off her own lifespan from having to watch one of her friends take the leap of death.
"It's unbelievable… to think that mere mortals have evolved past their savage ways. Albeit they are still reckless, but… such a selfless act has me baffled," Queen Galaxia said calmly.
"Perhaps we should rethink the way we run things, should a problem like this ever arise again." King Cosmos added.
"Never in… so many millennia… have I seen humans… take such bold sacrifices… since the death… of all the 1st born Egyptians." Pestilence said.
“I say it's boring.” War commented. “Plus Seth still owes me a debt over our bet thousands of years ago.”
"Well… regardless…" Death intervened, floating over towards the horsemen. "...the girl has bought us some time. We have to track down and find the source of the demonic energy that infects this world! And we need to do it immediately!” he shouts at his fellow gods and goddesses.
“Whoa, chill, Death. What’s the rush?” Famine asked.
“Harmony is dying! The great amount of dark energy in this world is killing her.” Death responded with a stern and worried tone.
"Oh no! What can we do to sustain her for the time being?" Cosmos asked.
"Think, dearest. There's an excessive amount of dark, demonic energy that's tipping the scale, we have a powerful being who can absorb and track down this demonic energy. Perhaps if we brought the wra-- I-I mean… Inferno over to Harmony, maybe he can absorb the negative energy that's eating away at her life force!" Galaxia suggested.
"What?! You must be joking! How do we know that cursed beast won't finish her off and put her out of her misery?" War asked.
"I'm having my doubts about this as well. There's no telling what he might do if we let him near Harmony in his current state," Pestilence added.
“Have you all forgotten that he mopped the floor with us a second ago?!” Famine asked.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT THE RISK IS, JUST PLEASE, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES! I CAN'T LOSE HER!" Death shouted in desperation. He then turns and approaches Inferno and Starlight who were unaware of the cosmic gods’ conversation.
Inferno then sensed his presence as he looked up towards the grim reaper, as did Starlight. Death knelt down in front of the wraith as he looked at him straight in the eyes.
“I know it's too much to ask of you… But my beloved is dying. And you’re the only hope she has left of saving her.” He pleaded.
Inferno stares at him with a monotone expression, not saying a word.
“I understand you want nothing to do with us deities. And that you forever despise us for your condemned life. But I know what it's like to live a condemned life. To have others despise you every day. And Harmony was what got me through those dark times.” He stated before looking towards Starlight. “Just as this one has done for you.” He then adverts his gaze back to Inferno. “Please, I beg you… Save her. Please.” He begged.
To have the grim reaper begging and pleading for help, despite everything that's happened, neither Starlight nor Inferno can believe their eyes. Starlight turned to Inferno and vice versa. She spoke not a word to him, but her eyes told all: "It's never too late to help those in need."
The wraith took a deep breath before looking up at the grim reaper.
“I’ll… See what I can do.” He replied.
A huge stone was soon lifted off the reaper's heart. Soon, he took his scythe, turned his back to Inferno and with one big swing, he sliced open a portal to the dimension where Harmony is. "Follow me." Death said before flying through the gateway. Inferno went to follow him, but then took one last look at Starlight.
She nods in reassurance, letting him know she'll be okay. The wraith nodded back and jumped through the portal before it closed.
"Good luck… Inferno," Starlight said with high hopes.
"STARLIGHT!!! TWILIGHT!!!" another female voice echoed. Twilight, who had flown down from atop the building using her geode, turned her attention to Rainbow Dash. The speedy rockstar had run all the way from Camp Everfree to the city for some reason.
"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be back at camp with the others trying to recover," Twilight said, concerned.
"I know, I know, but Gloriosa told me to come and get you. She said she found something that might be important! Come on, I'll show you!" Rainbow then grabbed both girls by the hands and ponied up before flying back to camp at light speed.
Meanwhile, back with Light Ray, he had wandered into another hot spot to place his Demon Crystals, so just like before, he drew the same circle on the ground using a stone and placed the 2nd crystal on top of it. Right away, the pentagram glewed before opening up a pitched black portal that sucked in the Demon Crystal and spat it out, full of extremely dark energy.
"Two down… three to go. Soon, there won't be anyone left to stop me, not even you… my dearest Sunset. A shame I had to punish you," he said, thinking back to how he killed the prince with his own bare hands… or claws.
"I could never stand to look at that foul mistake the princess brought into this world. If he hadn't survived that damn accident I staged I would've left happy! And that fool, Blaze Burn… he didn't deserve the princess. I'll show them… I'll show them all!" Light's voice turned distorted and deep while his eyes began to glow bright red. His long hair became messy and unkempt.
With the Demon Crystal in place, Light Ray left it and moved onto the next best spot to recharge one of the others. And deep down below in the pitch black darkness, Grogar's strength was slowly returning. Even his solid body was nearly beginning to reshape itself.
"Yes. . . it seems my window of opportunity is slowly opening back up. Patience, Grogar. Let the fool do all your dirty. And if it's the last thing I ever do, that demon hunter and his miserable little prince buddy are gonna pay!" Grogar said to himself.
Meanwhile, back in Equestria, Twilight and Heat were almost done with mixing the potion. Once applied through Eternal's lifeless mouth, he'll live again. But…
"Princess Celestia, I have my concerns…" Starswirl stated.
"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.
"Think, should this potion work and Eternal does come back, what's the first thing he'll do when he's brought up to speed of what's happened?" Starswirl asked.
"If I know the boy, he'll probably want to go back and stop that madman from harming others." Discord butted in.
"No… No! That can't happen!" Celestia said in realization, staring at her son's corpse.
"Princess Celestia, I can understand your concerns. Believe me, even I wouldn't dare let him back out there… not in his present state, that is." Starswirl said. "I did practically teach him the ways of magic, but it seems even that wasn't enough. That is why, with your permission, I wish to train the young prince and prepare him for the battles ahead. I will even accompany him on his perilous quest to ensure his safety!"
"You'd keep my son safe?" Celestia asked, concerned.
"As the Pillar of Sorcery, I pledge to keep your son safe. Of course, I will have to train him first before we can enter the other world." Starswirl said.
"Not a bad plan, Starswirl, but there's one problem: Humans can't use magic. So, unless you got something that can help you channel magic, you won't be able to defend yourself." Discord pointed out.
"I'm well aware of this human dimension not possessing any magic. But you forget that I've created and mastered hundreds of spells in my time. I wouldn't have volunteered to come along if I wasn't prepared. That's why I made this," Starswirl explained, pulling out a golden, magic amulet around his neck.
"That's my teacher… always thinking 3 steps ahead," Celestia said.
Finally, in Death's and Harmony's dimension, the wraith and Death had arrived. Death soon took Inferno over to Harmony's room where she laid in her bed… pale and sickly as she was. She coughed violently, he could sense her magic was imbalanced by the darkness taken over the entire city.
Death felt even more dread to see his beloved’s condition worsening.
Inferno, on the other hand, approached the ill goddess, observing her as he could detect and smell the dark and demonic energy that was infecting her. The wraith stood there, by the goddess’s bedside, in silence as he continued to watch over her.
And after a brief silence, Inferno speaks his mind. “The energy that infects her is the same energy that infects the human world, is it not?” He asked the grim reaper.
“Yes, it is. And the more the darkness grows in that universe, the more her condition worsens. While her powers were able to fight off the infection, the darkness grew beyond our control and became too great for even her life-giving light.” Death explained, with worry.
Inferno takes in the information given to him, silently thinking to himself before he spoke to her again.
“I believe there’s a way I can save her and cleanse the infection that’s killing her.” the wraith claimed.
The words that came from the former assassin’s mouth brought a glimpse of hope and relief to the grim reaper’s hollow heart.
“Really!? Then what can you do?” Death asked.
Inferno turned away from Harmony to look Death in the eyes, as his eyes glowed with a dim purple color.
“To purge the darkness that infects her, I'll have to drain it from the source.” the wraith stated. “Which means… I’ll have to absorb and devour all the excessive dark energy that now engulfs the human realm.”
"Then please, hurry or she'll not have enough time left. I beg you," Death pleaded, holding his dearly beloved’s hand.
There was no time to dawdle. Inferno quickly opened up a portal back into the human world and set out on his quest. But will he be able to absorb the dark energy in time to help Harmony? Will Eternal truly be resurrected? Will Grogar finally succeed in his plans for revenge and inter-dimensional domination?
Well, let's hope our heroes' sake… things won't turn for the worse.
The Sparks of Hope Return
Author's Note
Apologies for the wait. But here's another chapter all set and ready for you to read. And just like always, thank you for all your patience and support, remember to stay tuned for more chapters to come in the future and remember to always keep on bronying on.
The Sparks of Hope Return
There was little to no time left and Inferno was tasked to do something about the dark demonic magic lingering on earth, or the goddess, Harmony, won't survive her terrible fate.
After departing Harmony’s realm, the wraith soars high above the city, searching for the tallest tower to land on. As he soared, he sensed the dark energy in this world growing by the second. That’s when he knew he needed to act fast, or else this infection would engulf this entire universe; leaving it with death and sorrow.
After searching for a while, Inferno finally lands on the tallest skyscraper in the city, and upon landing, he looks down upon the city and then diverts his gaze to the dark clouds in the sky. Once he did his observation, his nose caught the scent of something. Something foul… fiendish… repulsive. He followed the scent to its source at blinding speeds and came across an open portal with a fully-charged Demon Crystal floating an inch above the portal.
Remembering his duty, he opened his mouth and inhaled deeply. Suddenly, the dark magic coming from the portal AND the crystal seeped into his mouth and down his throat, as if eating the darkness itself. Once the Demon Crystal was low on power, it dropped to the ground where the portal closed off. Then Inferno ensures the crystal wouldn’t replenish itself… as he raises his foot and then stomps on the crystal with force; shattering it into pieces.
One down, 4 more to go.
As for Light Ray, the slinking, murderous former Dark Trinity leader had set down the 5th and final Demon Crystal in place. "There… that should do it," he said. Just like the others, the Demon Crystal was absorbed into the dark portal for a short period of time before being spat out, brimming with dark magic.
"We have a problem," Grogar's voice called out from the portal.
"What do you mean, Grogar? I've set all the crystals in place, what more do we need?" Light asked, confused.
"It would seem the gods and their wraith pet have caught wind of what we're doing. One of the Demon Crystals has been destroyed!" Grogar alerted.
"What?! But that would mean the ritual won't work anymore!" Light exclaimed, frustrated. "Damn it, what the hell do we do now?!"
"SILENCE!!! All is not lost yet. Let the fool destroy the crystals. There's always a back-up plan. Tell me, do you still have that boy's immortality?" Grogar asked.
"Immortality? What are you talking about?" Light asked.
"Eternal Flames. I can tell you were the one who killed him and took every single drop of his demon DNA I gave him when Death almost took him! When you sapped his demonic powers, you sapped his immortality as well." Grogar said.
"Ah… so I see," Light said in realization.
"Yes… Well, as soon as that meddlesome wraith destroys all the crystals, you shall head to the center of the city and use your life force to connect to the shattered pieces. When things get dark… well… just wait and see," Grogar said vaguely before chuckling evilly.
Light Ray didn't understand what the demonic ram meant by that, but who was he to question the motives of this powerful being. Having accomplished his mission, he fled to a hiding spot somewhere near the center of the city to await the moment when to begin the ritual.
"It won't be long now. This world will soon be mine. And that foul princess will have no choice but to rule it with me… or suffer an eternal fate as my slave," Light said, clenching his fist.
Meanwhile, back at Canterlot Castle, the princesses, Starswirl and Discord have all put the finishing touches on the potion. The potion was a golden orange color and seemed to be glowing brightly. Now… the time has come.
"Princesses, please… allow me," Starswirl volunteered.
"As you wish, teacher," Celestia nodded. The sun and moon princesses allowed their former teacher to take the potion and give it to Eternal. His body had been preserved and his wounds closed off. Starswirl approached the dead prince and lifted his head up slightly, opening his mouth wide.
"Let us hope this works," Starswirl said. Soon, he poured the potion into Eternal's mouth and down his throat, little by little until the entire bowl was completely empty. The elder sorcerer then backed away, allowing the prince to lay still.
For a few seconds, there was nothing. But then… there was a bright orange and red light emitting from Eternal's body. He's levitated into the air by the effects of the potion and as he arches back, it looks like magic particles emitted from his back in the shape of wings. Suddenly, his eyes opened, revealing a white, magical glow.
Inside Eternal's mind, everything was dark and the prince was laying in a pool of water… very thick water. He then noticed a white light in the distance appearing in his view.
"Is this. . . the end for me?" he asked himself. Picking himself up slowly, he wobbled over towards the white light, but was then stopped just before he could reach it.
"Don't leave," an older male voice said. "...At least, not yet."
Eternal turned to his side to find the silhouette of a stallion who looked… majestic. Even had some of Eternal's features, like his sapphire eyes and red mane and tail.
"Who… are you?" Eternal asked.
"Come on, have you forgotten? Perhaps I should enlighten you," the older stallion said. His horn lit up and he used his magic to light up the empty dark void around the two, making it into a vast, wide-open white void.
Eternal was blinded for a second before his eyes adjusted to his bright surroundings. And on top of that, he caught sight of the stallion a 2nd time, but this time he recognized him entirely. Aside from the eyes, mane and tail color the two both shared, the older stallion had golden orange fur and similar scar-like birthmarks under his eyes like Eternal did. There was only one stallion who looked like this.
"F-F…Father?" Eternal asked.
"In the flesh. Or at least, that's what I'd like to say." Yes, the stallion standing before Eternal was his father… Blaze Burn.
"Father!" Eternal then ran towards his dad and gave him a big hug. "I've missed you so much!"
"As have I, son. And I wish we could catch up on some quality father-son time. But I'm afraid my time is limited here." Blaze said.
"What? W-What are you talking about?" Eternal asked.
"I mean, Death loaned me some of his magic to reach you in spirit to relay you a message. Also… I saw what you did for Sunset on top of that building," Blaze said.
"Sunset? Wait, is she alright?!" Eternal asked, worried.
"Calm down. She's in a safe place for now. But onto more pressing matters." Blaze assured before putting a hoof on his son. "Listen carefully, son. I can tell you want revenge on Light Ray for what he's done to you. But… I advise you that you do NOT kill him."
"What?!" Eternal asked, shocked. "Father, you can't be serious! You saw how that bastard killed me AND I know for a fact he played a role in YOUR death as well! So tell me this, WHY should I bestow mercy upon that wretched traitor?! He's hurt too many lives already! He deserves to die! So tell me, why? WHY should he be allowed to live?!" he asked, brimming with anger.
"Because… that is not how we set an example. We've built our world around peace and harmony, not anger and hatred. If we were to destroy those who committed crimes against others, what lesson would that teach them?" Light asked.
"Did you forget about Sombra? He died at my hands!" Eternal pointed out.
"True, but he chose to die because all he wanted was to return to his loved one. Light Ray is still alive and I doubt he wants to die yet. While he has hurt lots of others, it's only because he's become a lost soul himself." Blaze said.
"A lost soul? You call that abomination against ponykind AND humankind a lost soul?! But… But… I…" Eternal struggled to find the words, but in his frustration, he came up empty.
"Believe me, son. Even I felt like I was robbed of my happy life. And I felt the same way you do right now when he killed me. But the difference here is you're about to get your 2nd chance at life to make things right for everyone. Your mother, aunt, Discord, Twilight and even Starswirl have developed a way to bring you back." Blaze said.
"What?! So, that means… I'm gonna live?" Eternal asked.
"More than that. You'll be reborn, stronger than ever before. But before you do, promise me… my son… promise me you will let Light Ray live," Blaze urged.
Eternal's anger had risen a bit, but… it quickly went away, seeing how it's pointless to argue. And besides… his father's right.
"Very well… Light Ray… shall live," Eternal sighed. Blaze smiled at his son's choice.
"I'm proud of you, son. You've always made me proud," Blaze replied, hugging his son one last time before everything around them faded away.
Outside of Eternal's mind, his body stopped glowing and in a few seconds… he began to stir as he slowly opened his eyes, letting a couple of tears run down freely, groaning.
"Father… thank you," he uttered.
The princesses, Discord, Starswirl AND Heat Blitz all gathered around Eternal, all were relieved, rejoicing in his resurrection.
"Eternal! My precious boy! Thank the stars, you're alive!" Celestia weeped and sobbed, hugging her son.
"HUZZAH!!! It's a miracle! Thank you for answering our prayers for our nephew's safe return!" Luna exclaimed with tear-filled eyes.
"Thank Celestia you're alright. You really had us worried for a while there." Twilight said.
"Don't you DARE scare me like that again! You hear me?!" Heat exclaimed, hugging his older brother tightly, sobbing controllably.
"So, your highness. How does it feel to come back from the dead?" Discord asked, folding his claws and grinning smugly.
"Never in all my life have I met a young stallion who can be so reckless… and yet so bold enough to risk his own life for his beloved." Starswirl said calmly.
"I'm. . . sorry for. . . worrying you all," Eternal uttered before hugging his family back. It seems a ray of light has shined brightly amidst the gloom. And with a new hope arising, a hint of positive magical energy slightly restores the health of a certain goddess.
Back in the realm of Harmony and Death, the goddess' fever slightly broke and her breathing was becoming more steady, but she was still too weak to move. Thankfully, her life force is being restored. Death, who remained by her side, could tell her condition was improving a bit.
"D…Dearest. The magic. . . it's. . . re-balancing," Harmony said weakly with a smile.
Death smiled warmly at his beloved finally awakened as he caressed her head as tears fell from his hollow eyes.
“I almost thought I lost you.” He said tearfully.
"I thought. . . I was done for, as well." Harmony replied. "But. . . a brave soul… has been brought back."
“Yes, I sensed his return.” Death replied. “And as of right now… a certain wraith is currently draining the mortal realm of the infectious demonic energy that plagues it.”
"That's wonderful to hear. I'll… be sure to… thank him when I'm… good and ready," Harmony replied before allowing herself to rest easy for now.
“Good. That’s good. Take as much rest as you can until your powers return to you.” Death responded. Harmony smiled warmly as she closed her eyes again, and continued her rest.
Meanwhile, back in Camp Everfree, everyone there was waiting around, helping out Gloriosa around the camp, despite it having no campers. Some of the boys were cooking up meals and some of the girls were helping set up the table inside the mess hall of the cabin. If they're going to be hiding out there, they might as well make themselves useful.
Of course, the majority of the group heard about what Starlight did to snap Inferno back into his old self and everyone had mixed feelings towards her actions.
"Have you gone and lost your marbles?!" Copper Plume asked. "Why would you stoop so low as to jump off the building?! What if he didn't hear you?!"
"Yeah! Imagine how heartbroken we'd feel! ALONG with Inferno!" Frostbite pointed out.
"I get why you're upset, but I had no other choice. He wasn't in the right mindset," Starlight pointed out. “And I knew deep down, he’ll never let me get hurt.”
"I mean, she's got a point, guys. Any one of us would gladly put ourselves in harm's way for the sake of our loved ones, even if it does kill us," Lightning Burn pointed out in understanding.
"True, but the only difference is Inferno's godlike abilities gives him an edge. That's how he was able to save Starlight from falling to her painful, crushing death," Blazing Waters explained.
"And what are we, chopped liver?" Rainbow asked, slightly offended. "Come on, Blazing, you do realize the girls and I have magical abilities."
“Yeah, but in case you forgot, Rainbow. Death did say that wraiths, at their lowest, were capable of destroying 9 universes.” Twilight reminded her rainbow-haired friend.
"And on top of that, just because we have magical abilities, doesn't mean we all have a similar edge like Inferno does. Some of us can't fly at the same pace as Inferno can. Some of us can't even fly at all, period." Sunset stated.
“SILENCE! ALL OF YOU!” Fluttershy raises her voice for all of them to hear.
Everyone in the room all fell silent and shivered with fear and intimidation; as if they were face to face with the Devil himself. Well, even though they have a bunch of times.
But they rather deal with that than an angry Fluttershy.
"Whoa! Remind me never to make Fluttershy mad," Israel said
“Remind yourself, dude! She’s your girlfriend.” Copper commented.
"Well excuuuuuse me, princess." Israel retorted. "But anyways, how long do you guys think we have to wait? With the city falling to pieces, we're stuck here twiddling our fingers. I feel so useless right now!"
"Trust me, we all feel the same way. But we gotta have faith in our friends out there fighting for our lives." Lightning Burn replied.
“And what choice do we have?” Applejack added. “Ah’ mean, Ah’m all fer dealin’ with Equestrian magic and magic powered varmints… But that out there, we’re nothin’ compared to those godly beings.” she said.
"Maybe, but we have one thing that's just as important to us as any godlike powers or beings that exist out there. And it's never failed us before," Fluttershy said, trying to be encouraging.
"You mean… the Magic of Friendship?" Sunset asked.
"Precisely," Fluttershy nodded.
"Darling, while you provide a valid point, I'm afraid our combined strengths to use it won't do us much good. I'm afraid one or more of us wouldn't have our heart in the right place." Rarity stated, looking at the other girls. "What I mean to say is… if we're not in the right mindset, our plan might backfire."
"...Because… Because…" Fluttershy didn't want to mention it, even though she knew what the problem was.
"Because I'm still hurting over what my father did to Eternal," Sunset said, somberly. "I'm sorry if I'm no help to you all."
"Then do something about it!" Aria called out as she and the other two Dazzlings walked up to her. "Okay, so your stupid dad turned your lover into a boyfriend kabob, are you just gonna sit there and take that kind of punishment?"
“Yeah, I mean back when we had our magic, we turned you all against one another and absorbed your magic. But what happened after that? You rose up and beat us.” Adagio commented.
"For realzies, though it's not our proudest memory to bring up, it still proves a point. You girls always found a way to win, even when you were at your lowest," Sonata added.
The Rainbooms were both shocked and speechless to hear this coming from the three girls that they least expected to give them words of encouragement.
“As much as I hate to agree with these girls, they're right. You seven had been through so much together and in the process you saved our school and even the world countless times.” Celestia stated.
"And even if you don't think you can do it, we still believe in you no matter what," Heat said. "Take my brother, for instance. You helped bring him back to me and mom when he was that giant, rampaging demon."
"It seems you girls have a very unique ability to expel demonic magical energies. Just like how you did with me when I tried to save Camp Everfree through… unethical means," Gloriosa brought up.
“Plus you girls have been through so many events that challenged your friendship.” Copper stated. “Such as the Fall Formal, Camp Everfree, the Friendship Games, the Anon-A-Miss incident…”
“I THOUGHT WE AGREED NEVER TO SPEAK OF THAT!” the Rainbooms all shouted after that last event was mentioned.
"Ugh… if Eternal found out about who caused that incident, I doubt he'd just sit down and… let the real culprits go scot free." Sunset said, facepalming herself.
“The subject! Change it!” Fluttershy spoke out of irritation.
"Okay, so regarding Inferno, what's he doing at this very moment? We know Starlight managed to calm him down, thanks to that stunt she pulled," Twilight asked.
“Death asked him to save Harmony; he’s been taken to their dimension where she’s resting in.” Starlight answered.
"Harmony? What's happening to her?" Heat asked.
“This world is plagued with demonic energy, it’s causing an imbalance in this universe, which is weakening Harmony greatly. And if all of it is not cleansed soon, it could kill her.” Starlight explained.
"That's horrible!" Rarity gasped.
"We've got to do something to help!" Pinkie added.
"News flash, not all of us can leave Camp Everfree. The only ones who can are Twilight, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Well, Sunset, too. But she can't transform into Daydream Shimmer unless she's got a major power boost. And Rainbow's the only one who's the fastest in our group. How are we all gonna get back into the city?" Twilight asked.
"We'll think of something. And if all else fails, then maybe that wacky-looking snake creature with the one eyebrow can teleport us back," Israel brought up.
“Uh, that’s Discord, back in my world, he’s known as the God of Chaos.” Starlight said.
"Oh. I was wondering why he gave off that zany kind of vibe," Israel said in realization.
"I have eyes and ears everywhere, you know," Discord's voice echoed before the wacky draconequus poofed in front of everyone, sipping a cup of chocolate milk. “I am a god, as Starlight here has stated.”
Sunset was startled a bit when he showed up, but then she realized… "Discord! How is Eternal Flames, is he alright?"
"If you're referring to the rampaging demon Inferno tossed around like a rag doll, he's probably resting somewhere close by. But… if you mean the prince… you can stop worrying, the operation was a success. Eternal Flames have been brought back to life." Discord said, flicking his small cup away into thin air.
Sunset felt so relieved, as if a stone fell off her heart. "Thank goodness. I thought he was a goner for sure. Can you bring him over?" she asked.
"Yeah, uh… here's the thing. Eternal's not at full strength just yet. He has to recover and then go through some extensive last-minute training with Starswirl the Bearded before he can come back here to help you all out." Discord informed.
"Last-minute trainin'? But we ain't got the time fer him to be trainin' when the world is at stake! We gotta stop those varmints out there who're destroyin' our city!" AJ stated.
"Relax, "partner," I wasn't born yesterday. Starswirl asked me to send him and Eternal into the limbo realm. Inside, time is irrelevant. Think of it this way, time out here is moving at normal pace while time in there looks like it's speeding like crazy, but it's not. They won't age or corrode or grow weak." Discord breaks it down.
“Woah! That sounds cool!” Pinkie proclaimed.
"Now that could give us the edge we need!" Blazing Waters said enthusiastically.
"If he's undergoing some training, then we'll wait right here when the time is right to strike. As soon as we're all at full strength, we're gonna give those bastards hell!" Frostbite said with fire in his eyes.
"Oh, goodie. Then I'll return to pick you all up at "Clobbering Time" sharp! Don't lose any sleep over it!" Discord said enthusiastically before poofing away.
“About time we finally get good news.” Rainbow proclaimed.
"Sunset, you have to admit. Your boyfriend's got a strong spirit," Celestia said.
The bacon-haired beauty then cried tears of joy silently to herself, nodding. "Yeah… you're right about that."
As everyone back in Everfree was presented with good news, the wraith, Inferno, continued his search for the remaining demon crystals in the area. After locating the first one, he now draws closer to the location of the 2nd demon crystal.
He could smell the negative energy about 2 city blocks; heck, he can sense the energies of the other crystals for miles. Though he kept focused on only one at a time. He traveled at high speeds, eventually reaching his destination and finding the 2nd Demon Crystal.
"Don't think I'm letting you off the hook," Inferno said as he began absorbing the dark energy from the crystal before smashing it to pieces. “2 down… and 3 to go.” He claimed.
Then the wraith took off into the air and flew off towards the direction of the 3rd demon crystal.
And in just seconds, he located the 3rd crystal and soar at high speeds to his next destination. He wasn't planning on leaving anything to chance, not with Harmony's life on the line.
All the dark energy must be cleansed from this world. Within a minute, he approaches the 3rd Demon Crystal. Just like the previous 2, he devours the dark energy emitting from the crystal before destroying it, crushing it in the palms of his hands.
"That makes 3," Inferno said. But this was no time to relax. He took to the skies once more and followed the scent of the 4th Demon Crystal. However, every path has a few… bumps along the road and Inferno has the displeasure of being shot at by a military sniper in a chopper.
A bullet struck him in the temple, but the bullet merely got crushed upon impact, but it was enough to knock Inferno off course and send him crashing into the wall of a building.
"Target has been hit! Repeat! Target is down!" said the sniper. But his little victory was short-lived when Inferno pulled himself out of the debris and then flew off into the night; not taking his time with the natives of this world. Not while he had a mission at hand.
The sniper’s eyes blinked in disbelief as he looked at the wraith flying off and then towards the rifle in his hand.
“I think I need better bullets?” he said to himself.
As he was flying far away from the military, Inferno finally arrived at the location where the 4th crystal is located, and then he dropped down onto the ground and scoured the area for the demonic crystal.
He followed the scent for a while before he was able to locate the crystal, which the smell was coming from the concrete wall that the crystal hid behind. With that, Inferno raised his hand to the wall and then he used his magic to completely disintegrate the wall; down to its last atom.
And there, the crystal was revealed before his very eyes. He then grabbed the crystal and ate up all the dark energy inside it before crushing it in his hand.
"Now… to find that last one," he said.
Meanwhile, back in Harmony's and Death's dimension, her condition was slowly getting better and her old powers were slowly returning to her. Death sensed it within her and felt relieved that the plan was working.
"My powers… my old strength… it won't be long now, dear," Harmony said with a smile.
“Let us hope that it's sooner.” Death replied with a smile of his own.
"Don't worry, dear. All will be well," Harmony assured. "While I was asleep… I had a vision."
"A vision? Of what?" Death asked.
"An epic struggle… between the demon ram… and two brave souls," Harmony said. "One who's aura radiates like a bright light. The other, an aura that burns fiercely… like a red-hot fire. A Fire of Courage."
“Sounds like a pleasant vision.” Death replied, though he was a bit silent. “But I can’t help but fear what may come.”
Death had every right to be fearful. For not all visions are clear as to what the future may hold. will it end in victory for the good… or defeat at the hands of the demon ram? Only time will tell, let's just hope everyone is well-prepared for the epic clash until then.
Meanwhile, in the realm of limbo, Starswirl and Eternal stood across from each other, about to begin their training.
"Now, I'm sure you understand why I've asked to bring you here with me, right?" Starswirl asked in a stern tone.
Eternal nodded. "To prepare myself against Grogar, am I right?"
"That's the gist of it, but also to help you unlock your potential." Starswirl confirmed.
"My… potential? I thought I had already unlocked it, master." Eternal said, confused.
"Assuming such a claim would be considered naivety on your part. You haven't unlocked anything with all that demonic energy you've been relying on! But now that your assailant has cleansed you of any and all demonic magic, it's my job to unlock the true power that lies dormant within you." Starswirl said.
"I… I see," Eternal said, unsure of himself. Starswirl could sense the conflict within him before they've even started and sighed.
"Let's try and think about this for a moment. Do you recall what happened at the end of the demonic war? You know… after reverting back to your old self and almost got done in by Grogar's sneak attack?" Starswirl asked.
"How could I forget? That monster killed my best friend, Inferno! I… I lost my temper and… and. . . I shot Grogar with some sort of magical energy beam from my hand." Eternal said.
"Yes, that was your magic that you just shot out. Your real power. You need to reconnect with that magic power before we can unlock the dormant power that sleeps within you." Starswirl pointed out.
"I see. A-And what kind of hidden power do I possess?" Eternal asked.
"Who's to say? But with the proper training… it could lead to the redemption that you desperately desire. Now… are you prepared to train under my guidance?" Starswirl asked.
With a newfound determination, Eternal stood tall, ready for anything. "Yes, master!"
"Then let us begin!" Starswirl nodded. He lit up his horn and Eternal lit up his. Both stallions, young and old aimed at each other and fired their magic attacks.
While they were training in the limbo realm, Princess Celestia and Luna both resumed their royal duties while Heat Blitz went with Twilight to the library. Everyone needed something to distract them while the fallen prince was busy training with the princesses' old teacher.
Luna could tell that her sister was still anxious about her son. Sending him off to limbo with Starswirl felt like a big mistake. Not because Starswirl is a bad teacher, but because she feared losing her own son… again. Once was already enough for the sun princess. Luna was no different on the matter. Losing her nephew was like being stuck on the moon all over again.
Heat Blitz, well… who wouldn't be afraid of having to lose his big brother, not just once, but twice if it ever does come to pass. Luckily, Twilight's emotional support helps keep him in check. Having her as his special somepony made him feel very lucky.
Back in Camp Everfree, Halo was sitting on a bench outside while Flash was pacing back and forth all anxious.
"Flash, would you mind not doing that so much? It's kinda freaking me out," Halo said.
"Sorry, Halo. But I can't help but worry about the others. They've got the edge when it comes to magical baddies, but all we can do is cheer from the sidelines. It's not enough!" Flash stated.
"I get what you mean, Flash. But there's nothing we can do except lend them our support. If there were a way to help them out more, we'd have gone and done it by now. But right now, the best we can do is show them we haven't lost faith in them." Halo explained.
"I know, but… I feel like they need our help! Remember that demon war? We helped crush some of those demons with the flashlights Inferno gave us," Flash said.
"Yes, that was a pretty big deal and we did what we could to overthrow the Demon King, but without our special moon-powered flashlights, we're just a couple of teenagers." Halo said.
"There is a way you can help," Gloriosa said, cutting into their chat. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting your little debate. But if you want, I can take you to where you can get an upgrade."
"Really? Where is it?" Flash asked.
"You'll have to follow me so you can see for yourself. Keep in mind, it's in a place you've already visited in the past," Gloriosa said.
"What about us?" Lightning Burn asked, gesturing to himself and the other boys.
“Yeah. We wanna help out as well.” Copper said.
Gloriosa stroked her chin, trying to jog her memory. Then, a few seconds later, "Actually there is something for all of you to help the girls. Follow me and I'll show you what I mean."
The boys rejoiced to hear they can finally lend a hand. The boys all followed Gloriosa deep into the forest, leaving the girls to wait by the camp. Almost all of them were curious about where she was taking them. However… one of them somehow knew.
"Why is she…" Sunset muttered to herself.
"Hmm? Something wrong, Sunset?" Starlight asked.
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing," Sunset replied. 'Why is she taking them to that place? There's nothing there but… an empty pedestal.' she thought.
While contemplating her thoughts, Gloriosa soon led all of the boys to a cave by the waterfall. The birthplace of… her.
"Wait a second, didn't the girls get their geodes from this place months ago?" Halo asked.
"Yes, but there's more to this place than what's on the surface. Stay close, we're almost at our destination, boys," Gloriosa said. She guided the boys further inside and then reached the empty pedestal where the original geodes used to be. She turned her attention to one of the stalagmites and tilted it downwards towards her.
Suddenly, the pedestal twitched and sank into the ground and a big door opened up in the far back of the cave, leading into a secret, hidden room. The boys looked in awe, seeing the wonders behind the secret entrance.
"Gloriosa! How did you find this place?" Halo asked.
"A couple of times when I'm not so busy, I come here to reminisce and repent for my past deeds of putting CHS in danger. Then, one day, I leaned against that very stalagmite, feeling sorry for myself and stumbled upon this room. I figured that I should see what this place has in store and wouldn't you know… It did hold some valuable secrets. Look over there." she points to another pedestal in the very back.
The boys all look and see a bunch of shiny geodes embedded on a pedestal.
"No way. You're telling me… that these geodes… could be ours?" Flash asked.
"That depends. You'll have to get closer to find out." Gloriosa said. The boys got all confused before one of them approached the pedestal. Our first volunteer: Frostbite. He reaches his hand out over the geodes and one of them begins to glow brightly. A light blue geode floats up from its resting place and shines brightly, blinding everyone before reappearing around Frostbite's neck as a necklace.
"Guess, this is my geode." Frostbite said.
"Interesting. So… who's going next?" Copper asked.
"I'll go next." Lightning Burn volunteered. So, the young man approaches the geodes and waits for one of them to react to him. Sure enough, 5 seconds in and the geode colored in blue and white shines brightly and floats towards the young man. In a flash of light, Lightning Burn is blinded before it dims and he finds his geode around his wrist like a bracelet. "Wow… guess they take on different forms."
"Maybe I can find out if there's one for me," Flash said.
"Go on, man. Try your luck," Israel encouraged. Flash approaches the geodes afterwards and sure enough, a geode in yellow and white levitated towards the blue-haired wonder. The others watched as another light flashed before the geode appeared on the center of Flash's belt.
"That's not a bad place to keep it," Heat said in approval.
"Hey, not bad!" Flash said.
"Definitely suits you. But I say we speed this up. Come on guys, let's see if we're lucky enough to wield these little trinkets," Halo said. And the others approach the geodes as a group. And just like the others, the geodes all approached the guys and within another BIG flash of light, their geodes appear on parts of their clothing.
Copper Plume's geode appeared on his right index finger like a ring. Halo's geode appears in between the lens of his glasses. Blazing Waters' geode appeared on his shirt near his left chest in the shape of a badge. Heat's geode appeared around his neck in the shape of a pendant. As for Israel, his geode appeared on his shirt like a button.
"I wonder how the girls felt about getting their powers from these things. I've got mixed feelings about all this," Heat said.
"Is it just me or does this feel all too convenient?" Blazing asked.
"Convenient or not, those geodes are officially yours. Now you have the power to help the girls out in their hour of need," Gloriosa said.
"But we still don't know what our powers are. For all we know, we might as well be walking into the danger zone with mere clothing accessories," Copper pointed out.
"Maybe we should test them out and see what we can do," Flash suggested.
"He's right. It's our only option at this point," Halo implied.
"Alright then. Let's see what mine can do," Frostbite said, grabbing his geode. The thing shines and sure enough, the air around Frostbite grew super cold and before he knew it, his right hand got encased with ice. Frostbite also gained pony features. His hair is given an amazing ponytail extension, pony ears on his head and pegasus wings "Whoa! What the?!"
"Hey! You got ice powers! It really fits your name, huh.” Copper commented.
"Y-You're right! And what's more… I'm not in the least bit cold!" Frostbite said in surprise.
"Sweet! I wonder what my powers are," Flash said, activating his geode on his belt. And in his right hand, a sword of pure light energy appears and his left hand is given a shield of the same caliber as his light sword. And for the finishing touch, Flash grows pony ears, pegasus wings and a ponytail just like Frostbite.
"Somebody pinch me, these guys are beginning to pony up just like the girls can!" Halo said in surprise and shock.
"I wonder what mine is," Copper said, activating his geode. His pony features make themselves known, except he doesn't have wings.
"So… feel anything?" Blazing asked.
"I'm not sure. Hang on, let me try something," Copper said. He held out his hand and tried to blast something out of his hand, but nothing came out. "Hmm… nothing. Maybe I have a power-type ability similar to Applejack."
"Here, punch my hand and find out," Frostbite said, holding up his ice-armored hand.
"You sure?" Copper asked.
"Trust me, I think this'll protect me enough to absorb the blow." Frostbite assured. Copper nodded and pulled back his fist and punched Frostbite's hand. But it remains unfazed, not even a crack was formed.
"Darn! And… ow! That thing’s as hard as the Antarctic icebergs!" Copper said, shaking his hand to stop the pain. "If strength isn't my power, or energy projectiles, then what is it?" he stomped his foot in frustration and in an instant, he ZOOMED past the others and hit a wall on the far end of the cave away from them. "OW!"
"What the?! Copper?" Halo called out, looking for him.
"Over… here," he called out by the exit. The others ran towards him and found him laid by the exit of the cave, clinging to the wall.
"It looks like you've got super speed to rely on," Blazing said.
"I am… but, I'm gonna have to watch my step from now on." Copper groaned, fixing his nose.
"Let's see what we can do with our geodes," Lightning Burn said to Blazing and Heat.
"Uh… maybe we should take this somewhere more… open. Don't wanna cause any damage to the forest… or cause a cave-in by accident," Israel said.
"He's got a point. Follow me and we'll head back to camp," Gloriosa said.
Minutes later, the group finally arrives and the girls notice the guys have returned.
"There ya are. Ah was startin' to think y'all done got yerselves hurt or somethin'," Applejack said, folding her arms.
"Where have you boys be--" Pinkie paused and gasped upon seeing Copper with a bloody nose and rushed towards her boyfriend. "Plumey!!! What happened?" She then turned to the other boys with a very scary glare. "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PLUMEY-POO!!! TELL ME!" she yelled, spooking the others.
"Hey, whoa! Chillax, Pinkie! We didn't do anything!" Israel said defensively.
"Ooh…" Rainbow winced.
"Bad move, Israel," Twilight said, backing away.
"Chillax?" Pinkie asked sweetly. "CHILLAAAAX??!?!" she boomed, pinning him to the ground at full force and chokes the silver-haired big mouth. "I'LL MAKE YOU CHILLAX ETERNALLY IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!"
"Pinkie Pie, calm down, please! I did it to myself by accident! I ran into a stone wall while I wasn't looking," Copper called out.
Pinkie kept on going a few seconds before she finally calmed down. "O-Oh! Hehehe… sorry about that," she said, calming down and letting go of Israel. She giggled nervously while Israel coughed, catching his breath.
"Do you always fly off the top like that or am I just a special case?" Israel asked, gripping his own neck, getting up.
"Sorry about that. It's just that I'm super protective over my Plumey-poo. You know… after the whole Demon King incident?" Pinkie reasoned.
"Understandable." Israel sighed.
"Now that she's "chillaxing," where have you guys been, anyways?" Rainbow asked.
"See for yourselves," Heat said before all the boys showed their geodes to the girls, surprising them all.
“Whoa! You guys got your very own geodes!” Rainbow proclaimed.
“My, darlings, this is simply divine.” Rarity commented.
“Well, Ah’ll be darn.” Applejack said.
“Oooh! This is super-duper exciting!” Pinkie cheered.
"But… how? I thought our geodes were the only ones that existed. How did you get yours?" Sunset asked.
"That's the thing. Gloriosa found a hidden room inside the cave by accident and stumbled on these geodes embedded in a stone pedestal." Heat explained.
"But unlike the last time when I used your geodes, I left these ones alone. I've already learned the dangers of magic once and once was enough," Gloriosa said.
"Thanks for the reassurance, Gloriosa. Still, I'm curious. What can your geodes do?" Twilight asked the boys.
"I can manipulate ice. Flash can conjure up a sword and shield made up of pure light energy. Copper can run fast, but--" Frostbite said before being cut off.
"Speed? As in… he can run fast too?" Rainbow asked.
"Sounds like you've got some competition, Rainbow Dash," Applejack teased.
"No way!" Rainbow replied in shock.
"And what about the others?" Fluttershy asked.
"We're about to find out." Blazing said. He, Lightning and Heat all approached the lake, but kept themselves apart by at least 10 feet just in case.
The three boys activated their geodes and grew pony features… all of them with wings. The girls watched in awe. But for some reason, Heat's wings seemed to be way bigger than the others, possibly the same size as Princess Celestia.
"Heat! Your wings! How are they bigger than the others?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know." Heat replied.
"Here goes something," Blazing said. He held his hands out and concentrated hard to try and make something happen. Suddenly, in his left hand, he shot out a burst of water like a geyser and in his right hand, a burst of blue flames.
Lightning, on the other hand, was a bit different. His entire body was engulfed in blue lightning and fierce, red flames and shot it up into the sky.
Heat gave his large wings a good flapping. With that one flap, a strong gust of wind blasts across the lake like a vicious hurricane.
"Whoa! Wicked awesome!" Rainbow said in awe.
"Looks like we've got some strong allies," Starlight said, impressed.
"That just leaves those two. What kind of powers do you think they'll have?" Aria asked.
"Only one way to find out," Halo said as he activated his geode. His pony features appeared, but has no wings. He held out his hands upwards and all of a sudden… BAM!!! A laser of pure magic shoots out of one of his fingers. "Wow! Now this is pretty handy."
"Cool beans. Let's see what mine can do." Israel said excitedly. And the cycle repeats for this young man. Just like Halo, he has no wings in his pony features. But his body is enraptured in a bright aura that sparkled like the stars in space.
"Wow, pretty light show!" Sonata said with star-spangled eyes.
"Impressive. But is that all he can do?" Adagio asked.
"Izzy? Do you feel anything?" Fluttershy asked.
"Oh yeah, I feel something. Let's see what I can do…" the glowing wonder boy then took one step forward at full throttle and zoomed over the lake. After that, he applies the same force upwards, soaring high in the sky. "FAR OUT!!! Now… let's see…" he looks at his hands, seeing some kind of energy coarse through them. "Maybe… just maybe…"
Putting his hands together, he conjures an energy ball and blasts a wave of stars into the sky, launching him back towards the camp at high speeds. He flips a few times and lands safely, leaving an indent in the ground before powering down.
"Woo! What a rush!" Israel exclaimed.
"Oh… my," Fluttershy said in awe.
"Heavens. Now that's what I call a major upgrade." Rarity said.
"It looks like Israel's geode grants him the power of the stars. Not a bad power-up," Heat said.
"We… are gonna kick some ass!" Frostbite says excitedly.
"Not… so fast, Chills-A-Lot." Copper said. "We just barely found out about our powers, we still haven't figured out how to master them yet. We need to take this time to practice these powers so we won't end up hurting ourselves more than the enemy."
"What?!" Frostbite asked, disliking the idea.
"He's got a point, sugarcube," AJ said, approaching her boyfriend. "Y'all need to get a handle on yer powers before we can head out to fight. Besides, Inferno's coverin' fer us so we got plenty o' time to train."
"Yeah and if you'd like, we can coach you through your training." Pinkie added.
"I say we take them up on their offer," Flash agreed.
"The ladies are right, boys. They've had more experience with these things than us." Halo pointed out.
Of course, the boys all agreed to accept the girls' help in training them for the battle ahead. And with the agreement settled, their rigorous training officially began.
As everyone else was busy with the boys discovering their newfound powers, the wraith, Inferno is on the hunt for the last and final demon crystal. He's also had to avoid the city's military forces chasing him. Of course, he grounded a few choppers shooting at him, but he made sure to avoid killing the pilots and landing them safely on the ground. And by ‘safetly’, he more likely carried them down to the ground and threw them onto the streets.
Eventually, as he turned the corner, the almighty wraith finally located the final crystal. He wastes no time in approaching the crystal and was about to grab it, until…
"What do you hope to accomplish here… wraith?" Grogar's voice called out from the portal under the crystal.
Inferno let out a growl of rage and hatred as he refused to give the demon ram any notice as he reached out to the crystal again.
"What's the matter? Do I disgust you? I can sense it in your spirit! You hate me. Yeeees." said the demon ram, like he's enjoying it.
“Fuck off.” Inferno silently spoke as he didn't take his eyes off the crystal.
Grogar simply laughed. "A cheeky one. Just like your spunky little girlfriend. What exactly was her name again? Starlight Glimmer? Hehehehehe… I heard she committed a serious sin back in Equestria. If you ask me, she's just as evil as I am… and she never got punished for it. Maybe I can… remedy that."
“I said… Fuck… OFF!” Inferno responds one again.
"Yes! YES! GET MAD!!! Just like you unleash your anger out on your so-called friend! Even after he went through all the trouble to stop that Sombra buffoon! You know… I recall Light Ray telling me how he killed your best friend and took his powers! He'll make a fine Demon King in my absence! And you'll be cursed to live an eternal life of regret knowing you failed… your… miserable… FRIEND!" Grogar roared before laughing maniacally.
“SHUT THE FUCK UUUUUUUP!!!!!!!!” Inferno roars in anger as he then unleashes a massive beam of destructive energy directly towards the demon ram’s spirit. The beam itself expanded and engulfed half the city of Canterlot, annihilating everything in its path. Then the energy beam shot directly into the earth’s atmosphere and into deep space.
There’s no doubt that anything within a hundred miles could see the whole thing happening. Or perhaps even beyond the stars.
The military forces within the other half of the city that's barely standing saw the light. The people who've evacuated safely out of the city and are taking shelter in military tents in the country saw the light as well. Even the girls at camp saw the light and were just as shocked.
When the dust settled, the part of the city that was blown away was now reduced into a deserted wasteland, devoid of any sort of life whatsoever. And the wraith responsible for this action, stood still at the very same place he shot that attack from, breathing heavily and growling in deep rage.
Of course… With the addition of half the city, the crystal was also destroyed, reduced to only a few small fragments.
And with the deed done…
"Light Ray… NOW!" Grogar shouted aloud and telepathically.
Somewhere in another section of the city, where Light was unharmed…
"As you wish, master!" Light Ray uttered. Using his demon powers, he commences the ritual and activates a magic glyph . It starts off at moderate size, encasing Light Ray only, but gradually expands to the outer areas where the crystals were destroyed.
Sensing the growing spike in demonic energy that shouldn’t be around anymore, Inferno took to the air and flew to where Light Ray might be. It takes him mere seconds to find him and blast this corrupt maniac with one of his energy blasts, but Light Ray merely laughed it off.
"You're too late! It's only a matter of time before master reappears!!! YOU FAILED!!!" Light yelled before laughing like a maniac.
Frustrated with himself and the enemy, Inferno let out one gigantic roar that echoes within a 500 mile radius.
In that instant, back in Harmony's and Death's realm, the goddess lets out another violent and terrible coughing fit, becoming pale again.
Death was shocked and frightening by this sudden change. He didn’t know what just happened. She was fine a minute ago? What caused this?
“Harmony?! Harmony!? What’s wrong?! What’s happening!?” Death said in panic as he held onto his beloved as she continued to grow more ill than she did before.
"The… r-ritual! It's. . . begun! He's. . . coming back! That *cough* *cough* monster," Harmony wheezed weakly.
Death couldn’t believe what he heard. And more importantly, of Grogar’s return from the dead. This could ruin everything. It has ruined everything. The grim reaper felt powerless and frightened for the first time in his existence; watching as his beloved was dying in front of him, faster than before.
“Inferno, I do not know what is even happening down there, but please hurry! She’ll die if you don’t hurry!” Death telepathically spoke to the young wraith, hoping that he could hear him from across dimensions.
Just as he warned the wraith, the two suddenly felt… something odd. Like… a flame had been ignited somewhere.
And he did. Back in the limbo realm in Equestria, Starswirl's and Eternal's training had taken a turn for the better as Eternal's magic was surging during their sparring session.
"Come on, boy! Almost there! Let your power explode!" Starswirl encouraged. "Do it for your family, for your friends, for the sake of BOTH WORLDS!"
"I… WON'T FAAAAAAAAAAIL!" Eternal shouted. His adrenaline kicked in and in that moment, he exploded in a surge of both red magic aura… and burning, hot flames. Just as the flames bursted, a fearsome screech echoed throughout the void, even reaching the ears of the grim reaper and the peaceful goddess.
This burst of energy gives Harmony her second wind as the color slightly returns to her body. But she's still gravely ill.
"Dear. . . The boy! He's… he's ready! His power has… grown stronger!” Death said, as leave Harmony’s side for a brief moment and exited the room to find one of the guards patrolling the hallways. Immediately, the grim reaper approached the guard and got up in their face.
“Quick! Alert his mother and bring him to the human world immediately!" he ordered.
“Uh, what?” The guard asked, not understanding what Death was talking about, or who he’s talking about.
Death mentaly face slaps himself as he repeats himself again. “Go to Equestria and seek out Princess Celestia. And when you find her, tell her that she needs to send her son to the human world at once!” he demanded.
"Oh, r-right! On my way, sir!" the guard saluted. He teleported out of the realm to deliver the urgent message.
Death let out a sigh as he said. “I think those mortals are rubbing off on me.” After sending the guard, Death then returns back into the room he left, and returns back to Harmony’s side as he holds her hand and hopes that there’s still time.
Back in the city, the whole place was rumbling violently . In the center of the glyph Light Ray created, a black mass circle soon formed and expanded to an incredible size. Dark energy seeped out of the portal. As the portal grew big enough, a large hand came out of it and clinged to the earth's soil. Another large hand does the same.
Grogar's head soon popped out slowly from the portal, letting out a deep, guttural roar .
As for the wraith that observed all of this happening, Inferno showed no expression of fear or worry. Instead he bared an expression of rage and territorial behavior as he let out a few growls in anger.
And as the beastly ram finally emerges, Inferno finally gets a glimpse of the massive atrocity . Grogar stood as tall as a skyscraper, checking his surroundings as the portal under his hooves finally closed.
"The end is near. The world shall now fall before my might! No mere mortal on earth can hope to stop me now!" Grogar proclaimed.
Inferno was not fazed by the demon ram’s words, but instead the only thought on his mind… was search and destroy. And so the wraith lets out a roar of defiance and hostility.
Grogar catches the sound of the wraith's roar and is slightly startled. "That fool is going to ruin everything for me! I have no time to deal with him. At least, not in my current state." Grogar said to himself. "If I'm going to get back to my original strength, I need to feed!" Grogar then senses the fear coming from a long distance away from the city. "And if I hunch is right, my feeding ground is just a few wingbeats away. Humans are so easy to follow when they're… afraid."
Licking his lips, he takes to the skies and heads out into the direction of where the people have evacuated to.
With his supernatural senses spiking, Inferno detects a sinister aura and thoughts from Grogar. And upon looking towards the direction he’s heading, the wraith realizes that Grogar was heading towards the evacuation camps over on the other side of the city; so many innocent souls to devour.
Upon realization, the wraith doesn’t hesitate for a nanosecond and immediately flies after the demon ram at lightspeed.
As Grogar was dead set on feeding off the mortals at the encampments; he failed to notice Inferno flying directly behind him and drawing even closer. And when Grogar decided to turn his eyes behind him; he was too late to halt the wraith as Inferno collided with the demon ram in mid-air. And soon the two of them were sent crashing down to the ground, about a long distance away from the encampments.
"Curse you!" Grogar growled, getting back up.
Inferno doesn’t allow him to get up as he lays the hurt on his hated enemy, bashing and punching at Grogar’s face. Grogar felt the solid impact from Inferno's attack. The damage was heavy despite Inferno being smaller than him.
Inferno continued his brutal assault, letting out growls of rage, before he was soon kicked off by Grogar’s front hooves.
Grogar knew this was an unwinnable battle and had to escape quickly. Rising back up, Grogar was about to head off to the encampments. Until he was stopped as magical, abstracted chains coiled around him and tightly wrapped around his upper body.
Grogar looks back and he sees Inferno hands tightly wrapped around the chains and not letting go.
With an angry snarl and glare, the wraith spoke with a venomous tone: “I’m not letting you hurt one more soul.” He growled, before he started to pull on the chain, bringing the demon ram closer to him.
Then with his god-like strength, Inferno lifts the demon ram up into the air, while still holding onto the chain, before pulling Grogar down and slamming him against the ground with sheer brute force.
Then the demon ram got back up, enraged as he broke through the chains and turned to face the wraith. Both Grogar and Inferno glared at each other before the two roared out their battle cries as they charged at one another.
With the oversized demon being occupied by his unbeatable foe, Light Ray decides to keep out of sight until the time is right for him to receive his "reward" for releasing Grogar.
Time grows short for our heroes as Grogar has finally arisen from his underworld prison. How will the Rainbooms handle this towering titan of darkness? How long can Inferno hold him off? And what kind of brand new powers have awoken within Eternal Flames?
Find out next time on Wrath of Grogar!
Author's Note
This is where the battle commences. Fasten your seatbelts for the ultimate clash and be sure to follow TheShadowKnight for helping me out with this amazing masterpiece. And as always, thanks for your patience and support, stay tuned for more and keep bronying on.
We're Stronger Together
With Light Ray now out of commission, the entire gang can now focus on the main issue before them and it's a titan of a problem. It's going to take everyone's help and support in order to bring down this mighty foe.
They all suspect that Grogar will grow stronger by now, so their best strategy would be to face him all together; hoping that they can overwhelm him and have a chance to end him once and for all.
As Starlight is comforting a distraught and broken Inferno, everyone else starts to plan on their final attack on the Devil himself.
"For so long, he's toyed with our lives." Sunset said.
"He caused my death and turned me into a monster," Eternal added.
"The torture he put us through, all the lives that were lost because of that monstrosity." Heat added with resentment.
"But it all ends here and now. And as long as we stay together, we'll prevail!" Sci-Twi said
“True to that, darling. The best strategy is strength in numbers.” Rarity commented.
“With all our combined strength, we should be able to overwhelm Grogar, just enough for us to finish him.” Starswirl proclaimed.
"No foul, rotten demonic goat's gonna get away with what he's done! Time we opened up a serious can o' whoop-ass," Applejack added.
"TIME TO PUT DOWN THAT PARTY POOPER!!!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"I agree. That rotten meanie's going to pay for this!" Fluttershy added.
"You read my mind. I'll show that ugly freak what's what," Rainbow commented, cracking her knuckles, glaring intently.
“Ah’m gonna buck that varmit back ta whatever dark hole he came from!” Applejack exclaimed while kicking a trash bin nearby, sending it flying over 400 yards, to prove her point across.
"So, how do we go about defeating him? At the moment, he's got plenty of power to spare and Inferno's keeping him on the ropes." Flash stated
"I might have a solution." Starlight replied before she got up and stepped closer to the group, leaving Inferno’s side for this brief moment.
“Well since we’ve not yet come up with any other options, I’m all ears.” Aria bluntly responded.
"Okay, here's what I'm thinking. We've got the advantage in numbers and we've all got our own unique abilities. For instance… the Dazzlings have their singing voices, which they've used against the Rainbooms in the past, correct?" Starlight pointed out.
"And you're rubbing salt on our wounds… Why?" Adagio asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Just hear me out. You gain power from the negative emotions around you. Well, the entire city is a giant wasteland and there's plenty of negativity in the air, so maybe you can use that to your advantage and provide counterstrikes against Grogar." Starlight explained.
"Uh… one problem… our gems are busted up. We can sing, but our powers are gone." Adagio replied, pulling out her broken gem from her pocket. As did Aria and Sonata with theirs.
Inferno, while overhearing this, held no other expression on his face and yet he raised his hand up high and then conjured a fraction of his magic all with the snap of his fingers.
And in an instant, the Dazzling’s gems started to glow brightly in a flash; blinding everyone for a split second. And once the flash faded away, the Dazzlings, along with everyone else except Inferno, looked down at the gems and to their shock and amazement, the gems were restored to their former glory.
“There… You’re welcome.” Inferno commented with a reserved tone of voice.
"Whoa!!! Now that's what I call power!" Yabuki said in awe.
"So, now that our gems work, what else do you have in store?" Aria asked.
"The guys will provide assistance, distracting Grogar while the girls charge up their magic to vanquish Grogar. Starswirl, you're one of the strongest sorcerers, so you'll act as the leader for the guys. Eternal, you're 2nd in command next to Starswirl." Starlight explained.
"What do you say to this, master?" Eternal asked.
“If this is to be the day that the Devil himself is to be vanquished and his tyranny reduced to ashes, then so be it.” Starswirl proclaimed.
"Looks like we have our game plan." Flash said with a confident grin.
"But, what happens if things backfire?" Copper Plume asked.
"Uh… well…" Starlight said, stumped on what to do.
"It's simple… if all else fails, we go all in. Improvise with what we have left," Eternal said.
“Sounds good to me!” Rainbow said with an optimistic tone of voice.
"Come on, everyone. This is for all the people who suffered. For Canterlot City, for Equestria, and more importantly… for friendship!" Sunset said.
With their game plan in motion, the young warriors banded together and marched into the decimated city to confront their final obstacle. The gloves are officially off and the war for the world's peace and survival has only just begun.
Meanwhile, in the city wastelands, the towering titan of darkness stands and looks around the place, bored out of his mind and frustrated.
"GRAAAAAAAH!!! I've grown tired of that meddlesome wraith! I should have killed him in Canterlot when he was still young! No matter… I'll still go through with my plan and purge this world and rebuild it into the new Shadow Kingdom!" Grogar proclaimed with a sinister grin on his face.
"That's what you think!" a young lady called out.
"Huh? Who dares to oppose me?!" Grogar asked, turning to see who it was. Lo and behold, Grogar sees the young warriors, standing together.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Grogar. But your dreams of world conquest die here," Sunset said.
"This madness has gone on for far too long! Surrender now, or suffer the consequences!" Starswirl demanded.
Grogar simply let out a hearty laugh and stared down the small army. "You really believe you can match up to my power?” He asked in a mocking tone
“Noooooo… But they can.” Pinkie responded with an innocent smile, while pointing up to something… behind Grogar.
Grogar held a confused expression as he turned his head slightly to look behind himself.
WHAM!!!
Only to be met with the combined force of Inferno and Eternal’s fists colliding with his face. The force from their combined punches caused a powerful shockwave and sent Grogar back at supersonic speeds before the demonic ram halted himself in the air, glaring at the wraith and his former heir with searing hatred.
Inferno turned to his brother-in-arms, while shaking his fist mockingly, as if acting like he punched really hard that his hand hurt. “Ohhhhh, that felt really good. Don’t you agree, pal?” He asked the Phoenix prince next to him.
"Most definitely. And this was only but a TASTE of what you've got coming to you, Grogar!" Eternal agreed.
"And they're not alone!" Flash shouted from behind the towering demon. Grogar turns around and there on a levitating platform is Starswirl and the rest of the guys.
The demon ram soon realized that he was surrounded. Halo Knight, Lightning Burn and Blazing Waters all started their group assault with Halo's finger lasers, Lighting Burn's obvious flamethrower and lightning strikes and Blazing Waters' blue flame blast and scolding water blast.
Grogar effortlessly dodged most of their attacks, however, some of the boys’ attacks were to land a lucky hit and a few even blindsided him. Flash used this chance to strike at him, slashing at his cheek with his energy sword.
This caused Grogar to back away, then get his hooves caught in an icy trap, thanks to Frostbite. He then blasts more ice up Grogar's legs, trying to trap him in place. Copper Plume rushes using his super speed and delivers a series of rapid kicks to his chin.
The demon ram was growing increasingly infuriated with this humiliating assault. And soon he began to retaliate. As soon as Copper came in to deliver another hit-and-run, Grogar swiftly grabbed the young man’s leg with supernatural speed, he tightened his grip on the leg, causing the bones in Copper’s leg to fracture. Copper let out a cry in pain as Grogar then swung and tossed the young man towards the ground. Which would have led to his demise, but fortunately, Frostbite and Flash were able to catch him before he could crash into the cement, with Flash catching Copper in mid air, and Frostbite forming a large slide with his ice powers allowing the two’s descent to slow down.
"Ready to have the wind knocked out of you, demon savage?!" Heat shouted. With a flap of his massive wings, he blasted a massive hurricane at Grogar. He feels the strong wind drilling a hole through his abdomen.
"Hey Grogar! What's wrong, can't take the punishment? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're seeing STARS!" Israel shouted before shooting a ray of stars straight into the demon's face.
Grogar took several of the barrage attacks, before he soon conjured a magic shield to protect himself from any further blasts.
Starswirl, using his magic medallion he brought from Equestria, conjured up multiple magic light spears and launched them at the towering monster. Some of the spears pierced into his body, but others were blocked by his shield.
"Inferno, if you've got any lunar magic in those attacks, now's the time to use them!" Eternal called out.
The wraith soon conjures one of his abilities, which wasn’t exactly lunar magic, but it does come in handy for any case. With the wave of his hands, he created chain-constructs from them, they were extremely long and they glow with a white light. With his mind, he causes the chains to speed towards Grogar, and they soon immediately wrap themselves around the demonic ram’s arms and legs.
And when they did, Grogar let out a scream of pure agony as he felt his forearms and lower legs burn. Smoke was forming from the chains, or likely from Grogar’s flesh, as Grogar continued to scream in pain.
“I call this ability ‘Soul Chains’. Chains formed… by holy magic.” The wraith explained his ability. It was one of many abilities and spells with his soul manipulation magic and surprisingly holy magic. An ensnaring ability that can affect the demons, mortals, and other beings the chains ensnare, causing an extreme burning pain to the opponent, or more specifically, their soul.
"Good work, Inferno! ETERNAL! NOW!" Starswirl commanded.
"With pleasure." Eternal replied before conjuring up the fire power with him. He lets out a raging battle cry and directs all his fire power into his fist and aims for the ground under Grogar.
"RAGING… MAGMA… BLAST!!!" Eternal shouted out his attack, slamming his fist deep into the ground and causing a massive eruption from beneath the earth, engulfing Grogar in a massive wall of magma and fire, causing him to roar in agony. Starswirl used his magic to shield the others and veer them away from the raging lava.
Thanks to the protection of his fire magic, the magma does not harm Eternal even as it lands on his body.
"Grrr… Foolish mortals! You think these will be enough to defeat me?!" Grogar asked, trying to mask his agony and suffering.
"True, we did say we'd stop you. But you seem to forget one thing… we're the distractions." Flash pointed out.
"That's right. You were so busy letting these boys distract you, you failed to keep your eyes on… the girls!" Adagio pointed out. She, along with Aria and Sonata had quickly powered up to their maximum power thanks to all the negative energy looming around the city.
The power he felt on these three, made Grogar wonder what they were now capable of. Then he felt another surge of powerful magic, directly above him.
He looks up and he sees those seven annoying mortal girls, levitating above the battlefield, each of them surrounded by the colored auras of their magic and their pony features appearing. The Rainbooms stared down at the ensnared demon, with serious and glaring expressions. With the boys distracting Grogar, the girls had the time they needed to charge up and use their most powerful attack: The Magic of Friendship. Ready to smite Grogar off the face of the world.
"NO!!! NOT THIS TIME!!!" Grogar shouted before shooting a black vapor at the girls, but the sirens blocked him by using their combined serenade sonic waves. Starlight joins in on the counter strike, keeping Grogar at bay with a magic blast from her hands.
"Sorry, Grogar. But this is where it all ends. You've stolen everything from the good people of this city in order to gain power. You fed off their despair and grief and sorrow, but it all ends here and now. Because now you face the most powerful magical force of all." Sunset called out.
"The Magic of Friendship!" The Rainbooms called out in unison.
'Kinda corny, though,' Israel thought.
‘If I had a quarter for everytime I heard that phrase, I would be as rich as Bruce Wayne… wait who the heck did I just mention?!’ Inferno thought to himself.
After that monologue, the Rainbooms fired their combined attacks and surrounded the demon ram in a rainbow tornado, which quickly turns into a rainbow eruption that sends him flying upwards and explodes. Groger caught full wind of the explosion before crashing down onto the ground hard, causing a massive earthquake.
The blast of powerful magic engulfed the whole city of Canterlot in a bright, white light. Blinding everyone and everything in the city’s radius. Soon the light began to dim and fade away. And soon everyone’s vision began to clear up as they looked around the whole area, each other, and the massive crater in front of them.
Everyone was scrambling together to see if they had really done it.
"Did it work? Did we get him?" Heat asked.
"Please tell me that big palooka's kicked the bucket." Aria said.
“I sure hope so!” Both Sonata and Pinkie proclaimed at the same time.
"One thing's for sure, you guys sure did pretty good. Keep this up and you'll be fighting alongside us against stray magic." Rainbow said.
"Or even magic users," Pinkie added.
"Well, I'm definitely sold on that side career." Israel said with a thumbs up.
Just then, Eternal got this feeling of dread, Inferno also felt the same aura in the area. "EVERYONE, HIT THE DIRT!!!" Eternal shouted as he and Inferno ducked down right away.
"What's going o--" before Twilight could finish her question, a massive black skull coated in a dark purple aura shot out from the dust. Just then, it rushed past the entire group and made a turnaround trip, heading for Eternal Flames.
"ETERAL, LOOK OUT!!!" Sunset screamed.
But before it could hit him, he's shielded by none other… then Starswirl, who uses his own body as a shield. He takes the full frontal assault of the blast as Grogar's dark spell engulfs the Pillar of Sorcery.
It explodes and sends him flying in the air before crashing down, all bloodied and bruised from the blast. His clothes were partially torn and was barely breathing.
"MASTER!!!!!" Eternal shouted before rushing to his aid. Suddenly, the group heard the sound of Grogar's laughter from the dust cloud before it dispersed and revealed the evil demon titan, slightly injured, but still very much alive.
The girls and the boys were horrified and shocked that their most powerful attack… didn't even crippled the demonic ram.
The evil and rageful glare in his eyes and the dark aura that surrounds him gave everyone a hint that… the demonic ram was done playing around.
With a rageful roar, Grogar emitted a shockwave of dark energy from his body and forcibly pushed everyone back and slammed into a wall or any obstacle in the area. Then the demonic ram shot a beam of demonic magic into the clouds and soon caused dark fire spheres to rain down from the sky and down towards the heroes.
“Hit the deck!” Rainbow shouted out, as everyone ran for cover as fire came crashing on the ground, causing huge explosions in the process.
Eternal carried his injured master with him to safety, hiding behind one of the remaining ruined buildings, hoping to heal him in some way.
Rarity conjured her largest diamond construct to shield everyone from the fiery barrage.
Grogar soon sees his enemies haven’t died from his wrath, the rageful demon decided to tear them to pieces with his bare hands and sped towards them with glaring eyes and with a massive surge of dark magic around his body.
The boys and the girls watched in horror as the demonic ram was inching towards them. But before Grogar could get his claws on their soft flesh, a purple blur crashed into him out of nowhere and carried him into the air.
Which gave everyone a sigh of relief, but soon their thoughts are plagued by a serious question.
"I don't understand! I thought the Magic of Friendship would stop any bad guy!" Fluttershy said.
"What could've gone wrong?" Pinkie asked.
"I don't know, Pinkie… All I can say is that… Grogar… might be too powerful to stop, even with our magic," Twilight said, worried.
While they discussed what went wrong, the blur from earlier, turns out to be none other than Inferno, who glared at Grogar with similar hate as the wraith held onto the demon ram and bashed into his face with all his strength.
And to the wraith’s surprise, Grogar looked to be unfazed by his physical beatings, or perhaps the demonic ram’s evergrowing rage made him immune to pain. Then Grogar grips onto Inferno’s neck and then tosses him through several buildings.
Inferno, feeling a little dazed, attempts to get back up but is soon blasted towards the ground by a powerful beam of dark magic, causing the wraith to crash into the ground, causing a massive crater in the city streets and shaking many of the buildings around it.
"I warned you and your rotten little pests! You've forced me to awaken my hidden strength! I've been denied my destiny for far too long! And I will NOT ALLOW YOU TO INTERFERE WITH ME ANYMORE!!! PREPARE FOR THE NEW AGE OF… THE SHADOW KINGDOM!!!" he roared with fury.
And then a massive surge of energy and dark lightning shot up from the crater, as Inferno sped out of the crater and collided with Grogar in the air as the two were locked in a grappling match.
Inferno’s body was coated in a dark purple glow as his eyes glow brightly purple, the aura emitted from him felt like an intense amount of rage. But it was more controlled. This was a stage a wraith would take when they require more power; called ‘Berserker Rage’. It is the form a wraith takes when it gives into its rage, like its more powerful ‘Titan’ form; but it's more controlled. But if a wraith gives into its anger even more, it risks taking on its Titan form.
Grogar stares eye-to-eye with Inferno, both glaring and snarling at each other like animals as the two in a grappling lock.
During their brawl, Eternal kept trying to keep his master alive, but… it only seemed to prolong his suffering.
"Master… Master, please! Stay with me! We can't lose you! I can't lose you!" Eternal said.
"E… Eternal… my fateful student. I'm afraid… I can't keep going on." Starswirl uttered in his weakened state.
"Don't say that! You've battled countless evils in the past, this one won't be any different! Just please… try and pull through! The others are waiting for you back home! My mother! My aunt! Princess Twilight! Even the other Pillars of Equestria!" Eternal was beginning to panic, for it seemed there was no hope in saving him.
"Listen to me!" Starswirl grunted, pulling his shirt collar down. Starswirl then looked deep into his student's eyes as he uttered his final words to him. "You must understand… that every journey… has a beginning. . . and an end. I am afraid. . . that my journey is nearing that end. But you… yours has barely just begun. If I perish here, then so be it. But know this… You… and your family. . . were the greatest adventures I've ever had in all my years. From here on in. . . you. . . shall one day bare the title. . . of master."
"N-No… master," Eternal said, getting choked up, feeling a sense of deja vu from back during his reign as the former Demon King.
"I know… this is hard on you, but… never lose hope. Because you. . . are much stronger. . . than you think. Let your courage. . . guide you. And finally… Thank you, Eternal Flames. . . for doing your master proud. Thank you. . . for. . . e v e r y t h i n g. " With his last words, Starswirl's eyes slowly close shut and his whole body goes limp, lifeless. The once proud Pillar of Sorcery… has drawn his last breath and passed away.
And yet, despite his death… Eternal does not give into his rage. "Master… I promise… I won't let you down. You gave your life to save me. Now I shall do the same… for my friends!" Eternal stood up and as did, a single tear fell from his eye and landed on his master's medallion.
Just then, a burst of divine magical energy shines amidst the battlefield, engulfing the prince. The others turn to see what is going on.
"What the… what's going on?" Starlight asked.
She quickly gets her answer when the prince emerges from the magic light, but not in his usual form, rather… he has undergone a transformation similar to Sunset when she once became Daydream Shimmer.
Eternal Flames' new form consisted of these long, red combat gloves. Orange shoulder armor, a red and yellow tunic, black utility belt orange kelt that surrounded his black pants and had on red boots. On top of that, he had a red mask over his eyes and an artificial red horn coming out of his head and orange and yellow wings made out of burning flames.
This… was Eternal Flames' newest transformation: Prominence Flames .
Meanwhile, Inferno is struggling to keep Grogar at bay and further from his friends. Even with his Berserker Rage power up, the wraith is finding a hard time to restrain the demon lord. But he knows he must not waver.
“I… will not… Let you hurt one more soul.” Inferno grunted as he held Grogar in a chokehold; with Grogar clearing fighting to get out.
"And I… won't let you… STAND IN MY WAAAAY!!!" Grogar shouts as he unleashes a massive energy shock wave to get him off.
And it proved successful as Inferno was forced off Grogar and nearly had the wind knocked out of him as he struggled to keep himself in the air. But the demon ram was relentless, as he sped towards the wraith, with his claw powered by powerful dark magic. Before Inferno could get the chance to see it coming, he is struck in the face by Grogar, and with the unstoppable force behind the attack, sends the wraith crashing towards the city and crashing into the ground, causing a large mushroom cloud explosion in the process.
"INFERNO!!!" Starlight shouted, panicking as she and everyone else saw the whole battle.
Grogar, having caught his second wind, was about to finish him off with a dive bomb. However, in that split-second, Eternal rushed to the sky and met with the titan-sized demon, clashing him dark fist to fiery fist, holding him back just long enough for Inferno to recover and rise back to his feet… and witness the power emitting from his sworn brother.
Sunset also ran up to see how Eternal was holding his own against the mighty beast. "Is that… really Eternal Flames? How did… he…?" she asked.
“Its like he’s gone super saiyan!” Flash commented.
“No, wait, I've seen that form before… it kinda looks like…” Twilight tried to speak as she recognized the super form that Eternal now took; or at least what it looked similar to.
“Hey, it looks like that form that Sunset had back during the Friendship Games!” Rainbow added on to what Twilight was gonna say.
"Of course! Daydream Shimmer!" Rarity recalled.
As Eternal and Grogar were locked in a fierce clash, Inferno finally recovers from Grogar’s attack and soon he flies up to join his brother-in-arms, surprising Grogar from behind and catching him in a chokehold once again.
WIth Grogar distracted, Eternal gains the upper hand and delivers a heated uppercut to the demon's jaw, knocking it thousands of feet higher into the air and Inferno lets him fly before Eternal slowly descended towards Sunset and then urged Inferno to come over. The wraith obliges as he hovers down to Eternal and the others; but still hovered a few feet in the air above them.
“Good to see that you gained a power boost, old friend.” Inferno said to Eternal.
"This power wouldn't have been possible without my master's sacrifice. I should be angry, and yet… I feel so calm." Eternal said, despite his newfound powers.
"So, what do we do now?" Sunset asked.
“While our combined strength is enough to match him, Eternal and I still can’t overpower Grogar.” The wraith commented as he kept his watchful eye on the said demon ram in the sky, sensing the demon lord drawing more power from the dark energy in the atmosphere.
"He's right. That's why we need your help in defeating him once and for all, Sunset. After all, you possess that hidden power from back when you fought me when I was the Demon King." Eternal pointed out.
“He’s right. We need another powerful magic to aid in the fight. And from what I can sense, this ‘Magic of Friendship’ might give us a slight edge.” Inferno agreed with Eternal.
"I'd be more than happy to, but… I don't have enough magic in me to transform." Sunset pointed out with regret. However, Eternal simply smiled.
"Then let me share mine… with everyone!" Eternal said before raising his hand up and summons a golden orb of light. From within this orb, a burst of magical energy flowed straight into Sunset… along with all of her friends. Their strengths had returned to maximum power. On top of that, even Inferno's strength had returned to him.
With all the magic he shared, Sunset was able to transform into Daydream Shimmer. And then the girls then draw up the Magic of Friendship once again and then transfer each of their magic to Sunset, just like in the Friendship games.
Soon Daydream Shimmer felt the pure magic flowing through her body, causing her already potent magic to increase even more.
As Daydream was gaining more energy, Wraith Inferno turned towards the Dazzlings as he felt the magic from their geodes, especially the enormous amount of negative energy they had absorbed earlier.
“You three! I will require the energy that is stored in your geodes. It should be enough to give me the edge I need.” Inferno asked them.
"What? And after we just got our powers back?" Aria asked.
"It's alright, Aria. Besides… a world without people to adore us would be nothing more than a barren wasteland." Adagio commented.
"Yeah, plus they have good tacos here." Sonata added.
"Ugh… I hate it when you're right." Aria groaned in defeat.
The siren trio then sent their negative magical energy seeping into Inferno, strengthening the wraith even further.
With their powers now replenished and overloaded, Wraith Inferno, Prominence Flames and Daydream Shimmer were now ready to face off against their demonic foe.
“Let's go kick some ass, boys.” Daydream said confidently as she took off into the air as both Inferno and Eternal watched her go.
The wraith turns to his brother-in-arms as he says straight to his face. “If we survive this… you'd better marry her,” he commented.
Eternal flinching in surprise. "You just had to pick now of all times to say that." he retorted with a deadpan expression.
“Hey… just saying. You don’t find a woman like that after dying the first time.” Inferno responded with a smug. “Now… let's go kill the demon bastard for good.”
"Yes. For Canterlot… for Equestria! For all those who gave their lives… including my master. FOR FREEDOOOOOOM!!!" Eternal shouts, powering up to the max.
The three legendary warriors then take to the sky and engage in their final epic clash with the insidious ram.
"3 or 300! I don't care how many you send my way!!! YOU'RE ALL DEAD!!!" Grogar retaliates with a burst of magic projectiles scattering across the sky and heading for the trio.
Inferno conjures over a hundred magic spear-like constructs. “DARK SPEARS” He shouted as he sent his dark spears to counter the magic projectiles of Grogar.
While many of them intercepted most of Grogar’s attacks, several more were still barreling towards the trio. "FIERY ROCKET PUNCH!!!" Eternal shouted before thrusting his fist out and launching a large flaming fist, which intercepted more of the projectiles.
"HOLY SHIELD!!!" Sunset shouted, bringing up a magic circle that protected the three of them as the remaining projectiles got eradicated upon contact with the magic circle.
The trio lunged in and got up close to Grogar, who swung at them, but they maneuvered around him and all delivered their own close quarters attacks.
Inferno uses his martial arts skills from memory and combines them with his unnatural speed, bashing and battering Grogar from all sides, before the wraith then unleashes a beam of dark flames from the palm of his hands towards the demon lord.
Grogar shields himself with a magic shield, but he was unaware that he had his focus solely on Inferno, that he didn’t expect an incoming Eternal, coming towards him from behind.
At blinding speeds, Eternal rushed at Grogar, coating himself in raging flames in the shape of a majestic phoenix and landed a drilling, piercing blow to the demon lord's back, even lighting his entire back on fire, causing him to roar in pain.
Sunset acts quickly with this opening and summons a shining orb of light in her hands and launches at Grogar. The orb absorbs into his body and… a surge of light energy breaks out of his body, causing him to roar even more painfully. The attack weakened him to some extent.
Then soon Grogar feels his strength slowly diminishing even more, as he looks to his left and sees Inferno using another one of his many abilities; Soul Drain. Sapping the life energy and essence from the demon ram.
Then soon Grogar is ambushed by Eternal, who uses his Fiery Rocket Punch once again, slamming Grogar straight towards Daydream, who blasts Grogar with a powerful beam of light. Sending the demon ram flying hundreds of feet further towards the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.
For the finishing move, the trio then flew after the already weakened demon ram, charging up their powers for a combined final attack.
“You ruined our lives, robbed us of the people we loved and cherished!” Inferno exclaimed towards the demon lord.
"You took pleasure in the suffering of our people and showed no remorse for your atrocities!" Eternal exclaimed at the demonic ram.
"And worst of all, you turned our friends against us, taking advantage of their weaknesses to feed your own ego! And now, you will pay the ultimate price!" Sunset exclaimed at Grogar.
"WITH YOUR LIFE AS PENANCE!!!" they shout in unison. With their combined strengths, they unleashed their ultimate triple finisher. "GRAND… ENTEI… OBLIVION!!!"
Their magical energies merged together and upon contact with the enemy, with Grogar’s last dying screams faded into silence as every last once of his existence was erased from reality… then a massive explosion was made high up in the sky which cleared the clouds up in the air, bringing out the clear blue skies and finally brought out the sun.
However, after that final attack, it seemed to have drained Eternal's power and he slowly began to transform back into his regular self. At that time, it felt like the whole world was in slow motion.
'Goodbye… Master Starswirl. . . Thank you, for everything. . .' he said in his head as he began to lose consciousness.
Soon Eternal begins to fall towards the earth, while Sunset tries to reach out to him, who had also de-transformed from having used up all her magic.
“Eternal!” She shouted out to her unconscious boyfriend as she drew closer and closer to him as they both fell faster and faster to the ground.
Then, in a fast blur, Sunset felt someone grab her and Eternal in mid-air, she looks up and sees it was none other than Flash who has his arms around her and Eternal as he was descending to the ground.
"I saw you guys falling, so I had AJ throw me so I could catch you," Flash said.
"Good catch," Sunset sighed in relief.
He successfully lands on his feet and sets the two lovebirds down. Sunset kneeled down to her unconscious boyfriend and turned him onto his back. His breathing was still perfectly steady.
"You guys did great out there, but… how did he lose consciousness?" Flash asked.
"My guess is his magic was in a league of its own, so his body couldn't keep up. It's okay… with a little rest, he should recover just fine." Sunset replied.
As she said this, both her and Flash could hear running footsteps approaching, they turned their heads and they saw the rest of their friends and allies running towards them, cheering and shouting out to them, and running behind them were Principal Celestia and Chrysalis, who had finally joined up with them all.
“WOOHOO!!!!” Fluttershy cheered loudly, which surprised Sunset.
“THAT WAS SO AWESOME!!!” Rainbow followed.
"TRULY THE SPECTACLE OF A LIFETIME!!!" Rarity chimed ecstatically.
"We beat the bad guy! We beat the bad guy," Pinkie sang, doing a victory dance.
"Y'all make one hell of a team, that's fer sure." AJ added.
"I'm just so glad it's finally over. What you guys did was so… so… I-I can't even begin to describe how wonderful it was!" Twilight said.
"Thank you… all of you. Now the citizens of Equestria and the human world can finally breathe a breath of fresh air." Starlight said.
“I couldn’t agree more, Starlight Glimmer.” Chrysalis added, while she held Celestia’s hand in a loving manner.
"I'm sure when people find out, they'll be eternally indebted to you all. I have never been prouder of my own students… and their friends for all their hard work." Celestia said. "And best of all, I now have someone to share that happiness with me. Isn't that right, Chryssie?" she asked, turning to her new girlfriend.
“You couldn’t be even more right, Tia.” Chrysalis replied to her new lover, before she then placed her own lips onto hers and the two shared a romantic kiss.
“Awwwwww,” The girls cooed at the sight.
The boys whistled in response at this sight, happy to see the two lovebirds Sealing the deal.
“Oh this will definitely give my dad a heart attack.” Heat proclaimed as he smiled seeing his mother finding love once again.
"On top of that, it looks like you got yourself a beautiful step-mom," Halo pointed out.
Heat sarcastically laughed at Halo’s comment before he turned to him with a calm expression on his face. “You’re gonna pay for that comment,” he said.
“Nah, you gotta catch me before you do that.” Halo responded, as the two boys shared a laugh.
The Dazzlings watch all this unfold, with each of them having thoughts and feelings about this.
“Awwww, so this is what it’s like to have a happy ending? This is so thrilling!” Sonata commented, happily.
“Ugh, so much positivity.” Aria exclaimed, although a small smile had formed on her face after saying that.
"Let it happen. After all, this was also our victory too, girls. It will take some time to clean up this mess, but in due time we'll have an audience to adore us. I'd say we can call this a new start." Adagio said to the two.
As everyone cheered and celebrated with their victory, Starlight looked around and she soon noticed that something was missing… or rather, someone.
“Uh guys.” She said, but her voice fell deaf on everyone’s ears. “GUYS!” She spoke louder, which got everyone’s attention. “Where’s Inferno?” She asked.
When she asked that, they all soon started to notice that Inferno was not with them.
“Sunset, wasn’t he with you and Eternal when you fell.” Copper asked Sunset.
“N-No… When everything cleared up, I didn’t see him when me and Eternal were falling!” Sunset answered.
“Then where in tarnation is he?!” Applejack asked.
As everyone was asking questions about their friend, soon a dark shadow overcasted over them. Starlight soon notices and soon she looks up towards whatever casted the shadow. Then her gaze moved towards the tallest building in the area. She squints her eyes and she soon spots what it was.
“Guys, look!” She gestured to everyone to look in the same direction she was looking.
Soon they all turned towards the tall building that Starlight was looking at, they each looked closely at the very top of the skyscraper and soon they all saw what Starlight saw.
There at the top of the towering skyscraper, was Inferno Blaze, looking over the destroyed city and his comrades down below. His coat was a bit torn and his armor looked to be slightly damaged from the battle, but the wraith looked to be not at all tired from the final battle. Guess he had some extra juice left in him.
Starlight looked up at him with teary eyes and a bright smile. "Thank you… Inferno." she said with heartfelt gratitude.
“I wonder what the view is like for him up there?” Pinkie asked an out of context question.
“PINKIE!” Everyone scolded the party gal.
“Whaaaat?” Pinkie asked, innocently.
Back with Inferno, the wraith looked over the damaged city, seeing the carnage left behind from the final battle. Knowing what he must do, the wraith summons up what little energy he has left and he unleashes it upon the whole city.
His magic aura spreaded across the city, repairing and restoring many buildings and monuments. Many cracks on the streets and sidewalks and many broken windows were repaired and made anew.
The group on the ground watched as everything around them was reversed back to what it was before. And what shocked them the most was many of the dead that perished in the battle were suddenly brought back to life.
“Well I’ll be darn.” Applejack said in awe.
“What… What is happening?” Frostbite asked in confusion.
"It's Inferno. It looks like… he's using his magic to restore the city. It's like time has reversed itself on the land like nothing ever happened to begin with," Israel said in awe.
"Now that… is an OP ability. But I'm glad it belongs to someone on our side," Blazing Waters commented, also in awe.
Starlight looks back up towards Inferno, with tears falling down from her eyes and her smile grew wider in pure happiness. “I knew you were capable of so many good things.”
Meanwhile, in Death and Harmony’s realm, the grim reaper witnessed everything that had unfolded, and is now seeing the young wraith using his powers to rebuild and give life to the mortal realm.
And as he was observing, a guard appeared before him, bowing before him as he did.
“My Lord, I have great news.” the guard said, which caused Death to turn around to look down at him. “Lady Harmony has awakened.” The guard proclaimed.
Hearing the news brought great joy to Death, so much that without hesitation or waiting, the Grim Reaper spread his wings and he flew past the guard and sped towards the room where Harmony rested.
There, sitting up from her bed, Harmony was back to her old self. Her strength had returned and feeling healthier than ever. The goddess looks to her beloved reaper with a warm smile. She says nothing but simply opens her arms, gesturing to him to hug her.
Death did not waste the opportunity as he quickly approached her, and he immediately wrapped his arms around his beloved, holding her tight to him and not wanting to let go.
“Thank Faust you’re alright.” He said with a happy tone of voice.
"Thank you, dear," Harmony replied in a calm, relieved tone.
Some time after the battle concluded, many military vehicles could be seen driving down the path back into the city. Meanwhile, the resurrected people in the city were still clueless as to how they were still breathing.
Upon seeing his task is done, the wraith hovers from his perch and then flies down towards his friends. Upon landing on the ground, Inferno would soon get overwhelmed in a big group hug from everyone; causing him to fall onto the ground.
“Yeah… I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this.” Inferno groaned.
Sunset chuckled at her friends piling on Inferno like that, but her attention was directed towards her own boyfriend, whom she has laying on her lap while she strokes his hair and his face so tenderly, waiting for him to wake up.
"I can't thank you enough for all your help, Eternal. You really went above and beyond and helped bring about peace to our world. Prince or not… you're a true hero… my hero," she whispers to him. As she praised him, one of her tears flowed out of her eye and then landed on his face.
This caused him to twitch and slowly open his eyes and check his surroundings. Everything that he thought was a wasteland… was restored back into its original state. The city… was back to normal and everyone was alive.
As he slowly sat up. "Was… was everything before… just a dream?" he asked.
"No…" Sunset said, getting his attention. He meets her eye to teary-eye.
"Sunset! You're… You're okay!" Eternal said before hugging her in his arms and she hugged him right back. "I'm so glad to know you're safe."
"I'm okay, Eternal. Now that I have you with me," Sunset replied, tightening her arms around her prince, never letting him go.
'I've… never felt such happiness before. It still doesn't feel real to me. And yet…it does. I don't ever want it to end,' Eternal thought as he finally shedded tears after holding them back for a long time.
Unbeknownst to them, the spirit of Starswirl is watching from high up in the sky, smiling down at his former student. "Well done, my student. And to all your friends, you have my gratitude," he said, even though no one could see or hear him, he finally departed peacefully.
At long last, the terror known as Grogar has been silenced forever. The battle is won and the world is safe once more. Thank you, Starswirl, for all that you gave. The earth… and Equestria will miss you.
Author's Note
And that concludes the ending of the sequel. Follow TheShadowKnight for helping me finish this long-overdue project and as always, thank you for all of your patience and support. Be sure to stay tuned for more stories and chapters in the future and keep on bronying on.
A Grand Ending
On the abandoned island ruins of Eternal Flames' former demon kingdom, the evil Grogar had suffered a most humiliating defeat. His injuries were too deep and too severe for him to recover and had only a small amount of magic left in him to keep him alive for a few minutes. With no one around to witness his death, he decided to take one last gamble.
"C… Curse those… inferior mortals. It seems… I underestimated them." he uttered in a weak tone, while spitting out blood, unable to get up. "They might have won… today… but my legacy will most certainly survive!"
Channeling the last ounce of magic from within his dying soul, he then opened his massive jaw wide open before reaching inside and pulling out three black mass orbs and planted them into the ground with one massive slam. Doing this, his body began to shrivel up and wither away.
"Good luck. . . my children! Get revenge. . . for your father's demise. Destroy all those who oppose you!" Grogar uttered with his last dying breath. At long last, the demonic ram goes limp and dies there. His body cripples and vanishes like the white ash. The terror known as Grogar… is no more.
Meanwhile, back in the city, citizens were gathered in a huge crowd, many reunited with those that had fallen in the conflict. Even some of the resurrected soldiers regrouped with their comrades and reunited with their families.
The group responsible for the terrorizor's death explained everything to the city mayor and the general of the army. And while normally they'd leave out the part about using magic, that idea was thrown out the window after taking one good look at Inferno Blaze in his wraith form.
So Inferno decided to keep himself hidden in the shadows, even though Starlight tries to convince him otherwise; but the wraith was persistent that he can no longer interact with the inhabitants of this world; especially with what he’s become.
Still, despite his persistence to stay out of the spotlight, even Eternal felt like he deserves to share the glory, especially after he brought the people and the city back to life. Because for him, the victory just wouldn't feel right without his brother-in-arms by his side.
So he shared his thoughts with everyone, and they all agreed the same thing, especially Starlight. So they decided to pull him out of the shadows and interact with the people. But since he keeps refusing, they decide to sick Pinkie on him.
And even with his cosmic might and immortality, Inferno just couldn’t stand Pinkie’s constant yapping; forcing him to give in to his friends’ demands. And so the wraith reveals himself to the inhabitants of this world.
Some feared him, some despised, but most were grateful to him for restoring their city and bringing back their loved ones from the dead.
With Inferno now sharing the glory, a reward ceremony was to be held for these brave heroes and all those who fought fought for the city and their country.
A few hours went by and the stage was being set in the center of the city where everyone was gathered for the awards ceremony.
The group was all dressed up and cleaned up nicely. Applejack and Inferno still kept their stetson hats for the ceremony; cause nobody had the guts to take their hats from them.
"Ooh, this is gonna be so exciting! I'm so, so, so nervou-cited!!!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"I'd ask if that's even a word, but… let's be honest, this is Pinkie we're talking about," Israel said.
"Oh boy… this is huge. I mean really… really huge. Okay, keep calm, Twilight. Keep calm," Twilight said, trembling a little.
"It's okay, Twi. There's nothing to be nervous about." Heat comforts her.
"Yeah. This is our big moment. We saved the city." Starlight added.
"Yeah, no duh. We're awesome!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"Makes you wonder what else lies in store for us," Lightning Burn brought up.
"Hey, now that you mention it… since we beat Grogar, what are we gonna do now?" Flash asked, confused.
"The way I see it, the skies the limit. Me, I plan on doing a little traveling after I finish high school and visit other countries." Blazing Waters said.
"I've still got plenty of time to think over my future career," Halo chimed in.
"Well, as for me, I plan to still keep on working at my shop and hopefully expand the business to other cities and possibly nationwide!" Rarity proclaimed.
"Good idea, Rarity." Fluttershy said.
'I certainly know what I plan on doing, ' Eternal thought to himself, glancing at his sunny sweetheart with a warm smile.
Sunset notices Eternal looking towards her direction, which causes her to return his smile with a warm smile of her own, she even takes his hand and holds it in a loving manner.
Everyone had plans and ideas of what to do in the future, places to go and wanting to live their lives to the fullest. Well, all except one.
Inferno did not speak during the entire time, and he did not share any plans on what he wanted to do for the future. Because he had no idea what he wanted to do. He spent his whole life hunting down and wanting to kill Grogar. And he even learned about the part in Eternal’s prophecy of how he was the prince’s guardian from the demon lord. And now that Grogar is gone… What is left for him? What… is his purpose now?
Just then, he's nudged by his brother-in-arms. "Hey, if I were you, I'd ask for her hand in marriage while you still can," he whispered, gesturing to Starlight.
Inferno turns to him with a wide-eyed, sternful expression as he looks back and forth between Eternal and Starlight before he focus more on Eternal and says: “You asshole.”
Which prompted Eternal to laugh hysterically at the wraith, feeling satisfied for getting some slight payback.
“When is this ceremony gonna start? I feel like getting tired just from boredom.” Rainbow commented.
“Don’t worry, Rainbow. Ah’m sure it’ll start eventually.” AJ responded.
Just then, the mayor's secretary came up to the group. "We're ready for you now. Please follow me to the podium." she said.
“Finally! Guess you’re right, AJ” Rainbow proclaimed.
"Guess this is it. Let's do it," Frostbite said.
With their heads held high, the entire group, along with a few of the soldiers involved in the battle took to the podium, receiving a shower of applause from the citizens and their loved ones for their heroic efforts.
As they stood at attention, they waited for the audience to quiet down before the mayor, Ivory Scroll, gave her speech.
"Citizens of Canterlot City, today is an historic day for us all! We've endured the biggest hardship of our lives. Our city, our proud city… had fallen under attack from many fierce and otherworldly monsters. But, thanks to the strength and efforts of these brave, dedicated heroes, their noble sacrifices had triumphed over the darkness and brought back the city we love! And all I can say is… thank you, brave and valiant heroes." Ivory said. "Now, without further ado, a few words from our commanding general."
She then hands the mic over to the uniformed elder soldier with the stacks of chest candy pinned on him.
"Ahem, thank you, Mayor! Now, personally… I was shocked to find out that some of my troops had fallen. I was livid to think a monster so diabolical would do this to my men and women! They were soldiers who had homes… families… and happiness! And when I heard these fine youngsters had lent them a hand and triumphed over the enemy… Well… All I can say is how grateful I am that they restored our way of life back to its former glory." the general said.
‘Strange that he left out the part of how I was responsible for some of his soldiers’ deaths?’ Inferno thought to himself, as he remembered the events when he went berserk.
Little did he know, the general knew about that little detail, but kept it out of his speech since he did use his powers to bring back the soldiers he did kill.
“Oh, I'm getting so emotional.” Rarity whispered to Fluttershy, while trying not to cry so she wouldn't ruin her mascara.
“There, there, Rarity.” Fluttershy spoke softly to the fashionista.
"Stay strong, my beautiful gem," Lightning Burn whispered.
Moments later the medals were brought out and soon, one by one, each U.S soldier, along with the group were given their rewards. And the three big heroes, Inferno, Sunset and Eternal… received the highest honorable medals the city had to offer. The Presidential Medals of Freedom since they weren't military soldiers.
"The city thanks you all for your efforts and triumph. May your journeys guide you to a bright and better future." Ivory said.
"SOLDIERS!!! VICTORY!!!" General hollered, saluting his men and the group. Everyone saluted back to the general and the crowd cheered immensely for one final time.
Later on that night, after the awards ceremony, most of the people either headed back to their homes or stayed longer to enjoy a nice outdoor city potluck.
During this time, Starlight and Inferno decided to talk in private while enjoying some much needed alone time.
As for everyone else, they went their separate ways to enjoy the night. Each of the Rainbooms went out with their respective lovers to do any activity they had planned.
"It sure has been one hell of an adventure and a half," Sunset said.
"Yeah. In the end, it was all worth it. Still… I'm sad that my master's gone, though I'm sure he wouldn't want me to despair." Eternal replied before sipping a cup of water. "By the way, what are your plans now?"
"Well, to be quite honest… I… don't really know. I mean, usually after my friends and I have defeated evil magic beings or even stray magic users, we usually get on with our daily, normal, boring lives. But… I never really considered what I wanna do beyond that." Sunset confessed.
"Then, maybe I can help with that." Eternal replied.
"How so?"
"Like this." Eternal then took her hand and looked her straight into the eye. "Sunset Shimmer… We went through a lot of adventures, back in Equestria and now in this human dimension. We might have had a few ups and downs throughout all these years, but in the end, I'm glad I got to resolve them with you. And now, having been put through a living hell that once took my own life, I want to cherish the new life I have… and share it with you, forever and ever."
Sunset's eyes widened by what she was hearing. "Eternal… are you trying to tell me what I think you're about to say?"
He nods and then gets down on one knee, still holding her hand. "Sunset Shimmer… I will hold you dear to me. Will you marry me?"
Sunset felt tears running her eyes and her hand covered her already growing smile. Her reaction almost had Eternal worried right before she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around her neck as the two crashed on the ground.
“YES!!!” She shouted happily. Crowds gazed over at Sunset, who was hugging Eternal. They watched as the two stood back up and Sunset pulled her new fiance in for a big kiss. The crowd "aww'd" at their touching moment.
And nearby, Inferno and Starlight watched the two finally seal the deal.
"Looks like those two are set for life," Starlight chuckled. "Right, Inferno?"
“Yeah… They deserve it.” Inferno spoke calmly and with uncertainty in his voice.
"Hmm… What's wrong? Is something bothering you?" Starlight asked, noticing his uncertainty.
Inferno stayed quiet for a moment as he stared at Eternal and Sunset. He was happy for them. And he was happy for the future that they’ll share together. But that is what bothered him. They have a future together. They have a purpose in each other. While he’s still wondering what his purpose is. And with his new powers, he questioned what he was brought back from the dead for.
"Come on, Inferno. What's on your mind? I can tell when something's bothering you. You can be open with me. So why keep it to yourself?" Starlight asked.
Inferno remained silent before he turned around and walked off, not saying a word as he did. Starlight felt more concerned for Inferno, wondering what was going through his mind.
The next day, after the celebration had ended… Sunset, Starlight, Inferno and Eternal had returned to Equestria. This time… it was a time of mourning. Despite Inferno's best efforts to revive the city and the people, his powers could not revive Starswirl the Bearded as the elder unicorn was scheduled to die during the confrontation, according to Death.
Many of the ponies gathered around at a large statue in the form of Starswirl with a plaque underneath it.
The plaque read the following: "In memory of Starswirl the Bearded. A hero to all and a legend who will continue to live on in the hearts of creatures everywhere."
Princess Celestia stood before the statue, addressing the ponies and other creatures from other kingdoms of the tragic event.
"We are all gathered here today to honor the noble sacrifice of a fallen unicorn, who faced the most notorious evil Equestria has ever encountered. It saddens me to know my former teacher could not return home alive. But I believe I speak for every creature that he was a brave stallion for ensuring the safety and survival of not just the neighboring dimension, but also our home here in Equestria." Celestia said.
"We might never meet him ever again, but that does not mean we will never forget his name. And so, it is with great honor and sorrow to say… Thank you Master Starswirl. May you continue to guide us from the great beyond." Luna added.
Afterwards, Eternal Flames took to the stage and began to say his peace. "Master Starswirl was a master among masters. His knowledge and wisdom in the art of sorcery, along with the other Pillars of Equestria helped shape our nation into what it is today. I owe him my gratitude for all of his great teachings. I owe him my very life… when I found myself being murdered right in front of my beloved's very eyes. And he, along with the rest of my family all worked together to bring me back to life. For all of his sacrifices throughout these trying times, I intend to pay him back tenfold by offering the same teachings he taught me… and then some. Master Starswirl, I… no… all of us here in Equestria will never forget your name. May the stars guide you to the promised land of peace and prosperity." Eternal said.
After saying his peace, he rejoined his special somepony, Sunset and gave a sigh of relief. Soon, the funeral concluded afterwards and for the remainder of the week, Eternal stayed in Equestria, along with Sunset, but Starlight decided to stay in Equestria since it was her home.
As for Inferno, who remained silent since returning to Equestria after having been brought back from the dead, kept to himself most of the time. But soon the wraith, along with Eternal, Sunset, and Starlight were summoned to the royal palace for an important meeting.
The four arrived at the palace upon hearing they were called, and there in the throne room, stood Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence and her husband Shining Armor, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Prince Heat Blitz and the rest of the Mane 5, and including Spike. And also standing next to the group was Fleur De Lis, Inferno’s mother.
"Princesses, everyone… is something wrong?" Sunset asked.
"What reason did you want to see us for?" Starlight asked.
"Yes… do tell," Eternal said.
Princess Celestia then stepped forth and turned to the wraith. "I've gathered you all here because… I want you all to hear this. Inferno Blaze, I'm… deeply sorry . It was my fault for judging you too harshly back then. You weren't the one responsible for my husband's death. I should've given you the benefit of the doubt. Not only have I branded you as an outlaw, but I have also caused you and your beloved mother nothing but heartache and grief. Especially when you lost our life out in the battlefield to bring back my son from the clutches of Grogar. I understand if you still feel a lot of resentment towards me." she hangs her head in shame.
'It's about time she confessed,' Eternal thought.
"Even when your mother and Princess Luna kept on insisting that I was wrong, I was too stubborn to listen. Now, I'm planning to make things right. I cannot ask you for forgiveness, but I hope that after this, you'll be able to have a fresh new start." Celestia said. "And… if you have anything to say, feel free to do so anytime."
Eternal then looked to his brother-in-arms, thinking to himself. 'You heard her, Inferno. If you got something to say… let her have it!'
Inferno stared at the royal princesses and the Mane 6 and Shining for a while in silence before he mutters out a few words loudly: “Mph, I guess I was right having Luna as my favorite princess.” He said.
Everyone in the room just stared at him dumbfoundedly and surprised. They were expecting him to lash out or throw some insults. They weren’t expecting him to say something like that.
Although for one of them…. "HUZZAH!!! How do you like THAT, huh sister?! I TOLD you I was right AND it looks like someone else appreciates the moon!" Lulu boasts with her head held high and proud.
"Hehehe, that's my aunt for you," Eternal chuckled.
Soon everyone else followed behind Eternal, chuckling and laughing along. Celestia wasn’t amused, but she knew she deserved it. Once the laughter had died down, soon others began to speak towards the wraith.
“Inferno… What I said to you back when we first let you out of your cell… I was wrong.” Shining spoke with regret in his voice.
“We all were.” Cadence added. “What you did for Equestria, for Eternal, for your friends, and for Sunset’s world, showed that you proved all of us wrong and showed that you have courage and heart to stand against the accusations that all have said to you.” she proclaimed.
"Believe it or not, I was against my mother's judgement from the start. There was just no way I could picture you killing my father that day, especially when you were still just a colt at the time. I just wish I was more courageous and spoke up when I had the chance." Heat Blitz said.
“And if I had known about your past, I would have done everything in my power to prove your innocence and ensure that you would get the justice that you rightfully deserved.” Twilight spoke to the wraith.
Inferno stayed silent and speechless upon hearing all these words spoken to him, though his stoic expression remained unfazed. Though both Sunset and Starlight believed that he was crying on the inside like Applejack.
"So, you finally realized the error of your ways. Good. I was beginning to think you were gonna remain close-minded about the subject. You know how I feel about close-minded ponies and how they refuse to listen to reason. However, despite your retraction, none of what you said can bring back the time and happiness YOU stole from Inferno and his mother! That is the irrefutable truth you will have to live with for the rest of your lives." Eternal scolded, glaring intensely at the guilty party.
Everyone flinched back and felt terrible remorse upon hearing Eternal’s words. And while they were sulking in their guilt, Fleur was staring at her precious son for the whole time Eternal spoke, and while no one noticed it, she could see Inferno’s stoic expression flinch a bit while he spoke.
As the shallow atmosphere of guilt reigned over everyone for a long while until it finally goes away as the four princesses remind themselves of the other purpose for this meeting.
“A-Anyway… For your bravery and courage in the battle against our world’s greatest evil, we the Princesses of Equestria, wish to grant you this.” Luna spoke while using her magic to summon a small chest out of nowhere and levitates it to Inferno as it opens up to reveal what was inside.
A scroll, with the Canterlot Royal crest on it.
Inferno stares at the scroll in the chest before he looks up towards the princesses and everyone in the room.
“A parchment of a full pardon. Signed by all four of the Princesses of Equestria. Hereby, granting you, Inferno Blaze, your freedom and citizenship status back in Equestria.” Celestia proclaimed.
“Today, Inferno… You are now a free pony.” Luna added.
Both Starlight and Fleur were stunned and teary eyed by this news. Inferno was gonna be free! He was now allowed to officially come home.
Eternal turned to his brother-in-arms with a proud smile uttering just a few simple words. "Congratulations… you deserve this."
“You certainly do.” Sunset agreed with her fiance, happy for the wraith.
“I’m so super-duper excited to throw the “INFERNO IS PARDONED” party!” Pinkie cheered loudly while confetti appeared behind her out of nowhere… Ok, seriously, how does she keep doing that?!!
Everyone in the room was smiling and happy about the great news… all except Inferno.
The wraith remained silent for the whole time, staring at the scroll in the chest. He looked around the room, at his friends, his mother, his brother-in-arms, his lover, and the royal family that stood before him. He could see the supportive smiles on each of their faces, showing that they were happy for him.
But as soon as he stared down towards the scroll, many thoughts flooded his mind. Thoughts that he did not have the courage to tell anyone.
Silence and tension filled the air, as all eyes were on the wraith, waiting for him to take the scroll and go on to enjoy his freedom after so long.
But then, what came next, shocked them all. Inferno raises his hoof up to the chest… and shuts it closed.
Everyone stared at Inferno in disbelief and shock as Inferno raises his head to them, bearing a sorrowful expression on his face as he utters the words that rang in their minds.
“I’m sorry… But I'm not coming back.”
Then the wraith turned and walked towards the main doors of the throne room, opened them and walked right through, and then the doors closed behind him, with the sound of the doors echoing throughout the room.
Everypony in the room all stood shocked and disbelieved by what they heard. Even Eternal and Sunset were extremely shocked by what they witnessed.
Fleur and Starlight were the most heartbroken by what Inferno said, with Starlight shaking her head in disbelief as she soon ran out the doors of the throne room and went after the wraith.
Eternal also felt the need to go after Inferno, but a hoof stopped him from doing so, he turns and sees it was Sunset, who looked at him with a saddened and pleading expression. Even when words weren’t exchanged, Eternal knew that Sunset was telling him that Starlight needed to talk to Inferno alone.
Outside of the royal palace, Inferno walked through the city of Canterlot and was drawing near to the main city gate. But once he walked underneath the gate, he could hear Starlight’s voice calling out to him.
“Inferno! Wait!” Starlight desperately called to him, although Inferno didn’t halt his slow march, until Starlight called to him again. “INFERNO! PLEASE! I NEED TO TALK YOU!”
And with that, the wraith halted in place, allowing Starlight to finally catch up to him. She stops and takes a moment to catch her breath as Inferno turns to face her, with his head down.
Starlight then looks up at Inferno, with a distraught and sorrowful expression on her face.
“Why? Why… Are you doing this?” She asked with tears running down her eyes.
“Even with all the words they said in there, they all still didn’t believe in me for all these years, and they did nothing to help me. So why should I believe their words… and myself.” Inferno responded with a stoic expression.
“But what about me?! What about Eternal and Sunset?! We believed in you! We supported you! We stood by your side for all this time!” Starlight spoke loudly.
“I know you did… And I know Eternal did as well… And for that, I’m grateful, Starlight.” Inferno said with a sorrowful smile. “But I can’t stay here any longer… not now.” He said as he raised his hoof to his view, staring at his new dark purple-grayish skin. “Not when I have so many questions of what I am… of what my purpose is supposed to be.”
Starlight stares at Inferno with wide eyes as Inferno reveals what his thoughts and feelings have been since Grogar’s demise.
“My whole life was ruined, not just by Grogar, but by Fate and destiny as well. I was supposed to be Eternal’s guardian and guide against Grogar’s influence and corruption. And all that ever did was bring me suffering and pain. And I dedicated my whole life to kill the demon lord, back when I was a mortal. But now I have become something else, something… unnatural. And now that Grogar is gone… What is there left for me? What am I supposed to do now? Just accept that everything I went through was meant to be!? That all my suffering and pain was all just Fate ensuring that I play the role I was assigned to, a role that I didn’t choose or want! That’s why I can’t accept my freedom. I’ve been away from society for far too long… I can’t go back to my old life… Not when I’m like this.” Inferno explained what he felt.
“But Equestria is your home. Your life! And you’ve been given a chance to have it again! You can’t just throw it away like this!” Starlight argued in response. “Inferno, you’re making a mistake.”
“Maybe… But this is something that I need to figure out on my own. Without Equestria, without princesses, with Eternal… without my mother… and without you.” Inferno said with pain and sorrow in his voice as he turned his back to Starlight, with his heart hurting as he did.
Even Starlight's heart felt like it was crushed. Still, she couldn't help but want to hold him and so she did, weeping for her stallion. "Inferno… I don't wanna see you go… not again! Not after all we've been through! I… I love you!" she sobbed quietly.
Inferno felt his heart shatter to millions of pieces as he saw the mare he loved cried before him. With a heavy heart, the wraith wrapped his hooves and wings around her, holding her in embrace as tears fell down his eyes as well.
“I love you too,” Inferno spoke softly while choking up in tears.
The two stayed like this for a while, until Starlight spoke eight words that she hoped she would never learn to regret.
“At least take me with you this time.”
Inferno stares down at his lover, speechless by her request. He made it clear that he wants to be alone in his search for self-purpose, but his heart still overruled this thought, knowing that the separation between them would bring pain and heartache to both of them.
And so with a heavy sigh, Inferno said, “If that’s what you wish… I shall grant it.”
Holding onto his love with his hooves, Inferno spread out his wings and with a single flap, the two took off into the air and they flew away from Canterlot, and towards a place somewhere where they can be alone together.
Some time later, Twilight and the others received a parchment from Starlight, stating that she has gone off with Inferno and isn't sure when they'll be back. She kept the details of why they left to a minimum, stating Inferno just needs some moral support since he's been reborn.
The others read and understood the reasons. Fleur was a bit sad that her son had left again, but at least he has someone with him to guide him on his newfound path. Everyone else agreed to allow the two to be alone together and carried on with their lives.
That night, Eternal and Sunset spent some time with their families, seeing as Sunset missed her own mother after being away for so long. Eternal still felt a bit of resentment towards his own mother, but he was still keeping an open mind on her redemption.
First, with Sunset, she spent that night having a nice, home-cooked family dinner with her mom, talking about all the adventures she had in the human world.
Yes, she even included the parts where she became a ruthless queen bee at the school and the humility she was taught by Princess Twilight. Along with all the friends she made after that.
"Oh, honey, I'm glad to hear you finally found some friends while you were away. So, what else happened while you were away?" her mom asked
"Well, there were also a few attacks on the school and other places. For instance, after I was redeemed, more or less, we had to go up against this trio of girls known as The Dazzlings. They were actually the sirens in human disguise, from what Twilight told us. They feed off negative emotions through their singing voices. My friends kept getting on each other's cases for the small things, so I had to talk some sense into them before we finally took on the Sirens and beat them at their own game." Sunset explained.
"Interesting. And you did this through singing?" her mom asked
"Yeah. It was tough, but we managed to win and free everyone under their spell." Sunset confirmed with a smile.
"That's wonderful! You always did have a wonderful singing voice." her mom complimented. "So, what happened next?"
"Believe it or not, there are a number of other incidents, like the Friendship Games, the Camp Everfree trip and… even the… uh…" Sunset then paused, recalling a certain event she did not like at all. One that still wounds her deeply.
"What's wrong, dear?" her mother asked out of concern.
Sunset quickly cleared her throat and turned to her mother with a smile. “I-it's nothing. Nothing to worry about.” she said.
"Well, okay. But you know, it's never a good idea to keep things bottled up for long periods of time, dear. I won't pry, but promise me you'll be more open about it in the distant future when you're ready." her mother explained.
"I promise, mom," Sunset nods before telling her mother the rest of her stories.
Meanwhile, back at the castle, Eternal was sitting at the table in the dining room with his mother, aunt and younger brother. The 4 royal ponies were having a family dinner, albeit a quiet and… awkward one, but a family dinner nonetheless.
They were all still getting over the shock by Inferno’s rejection of his freedom. Even with their sincere apologies and full support, the wraith turned it down and went his separate way.
In an attempt to veer away from the subject and to break the ice, Celestia addressed her son. "So, Eternal… did… anything good happen after the battle?" Celestia asked.
"Inferno brought back the city and the people to life. We had a banquet and now Sunset and I are engaged to be married." he listed down a few things before taking another bite out of his baked potato.
His mother, aunt and younger brother almost choked when they heard what he spouted.
"YOU'RE WHAT?!?!?!" Heat asked in shock.
“HUZZAH!!! MY NEPHEW IS GETTING MARRIED!!!” Luna shouted happily, while unintentionally using her Canterlot Royal voice, which would have rendered anyone deaf.
"Eternal! Is… Is this really happening? My son? My eldest son? Getting married?" Celestia asked in shock and awe.
"Mhmm," Eternal replied, chill as a cucumber while he continues to eat.
"That means… I GET TO SPOIL SOME GRANDKIDS!!!" Celestia cheered, then let out a cute squeal of excitement.
"So, when's the wedding?" Heat asked, excited.
"In Equestria… in a few months. In the human world… possibly a year and a half or two." Eternal estimated, which left the others perplexed.
"Uh… did you just say… both here AND the human world? Does that mean you're holding two wedding ceremonies?" Heat asked.
"Yes. It's a necessary step because the human world laws are different from ours. Sunset and I agreed on this before she went with her mother." Eternal explained.
"I see. So then, after you hold both wedding ceremonies, where will you go after that?" Luna asked, curious.
"I'm going with whatever Sunset decides. If she chooses to stay here, I'll support her through and through. If she chooses to go back to the human world after our marriages, I'll become a permanent resident there." Eternal said.
"Oh, okay. Well, if you wind up staying here, you could always become the next ruler of Equestria if you'd like." Celestia said.
"Uh… excuse me?" Eternal asked.
"Is something wrong?" Luna asked.
"Unfortunately, I have done nothing to earn that title, so I have to refuse," Eternal said.
"What do you mean "you didn't earn it?" You took out a demonic ram, albeit with some help from your friends, but you still managed to beat him!" Heat brought up.
"In the human world, not Equestria. Twilight Sparkle has done more than her fair share of saving Equestria from certain doom even before she became a princess. I only managed to stop one villain and he wasn't even IN Equestria. And please don't bring the "you're still a prince," excuse, because it's just a title with no purpose whatsoever," Eternal explained, even as he looked down in shame.
"NO, THAT'S WRONG!" Heat protested. "You weren't just born a prince, Eternal, you had EVERY right to be called one! Remember at the Grand Galloping Gala when Rarity had trouble with our spoiled cousin? You gave him a scolding on what a prince stands for!"
"I remember… I said "A prince's duty is to the will of his subjects. To stand proud and help them stand together, even in the darkest of times." Eternal recollected.
"Yes! And because of that, you gave Rarity a fun time at the gala, treating her to a dance, buying her food, making her feel important…" Heat said.
"Okay, that's one point, but there was no danger," Eternal said.
"Oh really? What about when the columns got toppled over? They could've crushed the guests, but you used your magic to save them!" Heat said.
"Fine, two points. But still… no villains." Eternal said.
"I don't think so…" Heat said.
“Oh will you just stop being so freaking stubborn, my dear nephew! You DID help save Equestria a number of times! You aided Twilight in a 2 on 1 battle with Tirek! Distracted Sombra while she found the Crystal Heart! Double-teamed Starlight during your time traveling duel! Aiding the Pillars of Equestria in rescuing Stygian from the Pony of Shadows! You even helped teach the next generation of creatures a few lessons on friendship. Don't you see? You HAVE earned the right to be a prince!” Luna explained.
"I… I hadn't really thought about it like that. I've always thought I was just… doing a favor for my friends and nothing more. I never thought my actions would impact everyone so much." Eternal said to himself in realization.
"You should be proud of yourself, son. Even the smallest deeds can leave a huge impact on those around you. You've already proven yourself to be a worthy prince and an excellent leader. Even back when you were… well…" Celestia tried to not bring it up.
"Even back when I had the blood of a demon?" Eternal asked. "Don't worry, I'm not offended. In fact it's the total opposite. So, everyone… Thank you."
"You're welcome, son," Celestia nods.
"Of course, dear nephew." Luna added.
"Anything, big bro," Heat replied, then bro-hooved him.
So the months rolled by and the wedding was planned right on schedule. The creatures from all over Equestria gathered around at Canterlot Castle for the big event. The royal wedding of Prince Eternal Flames and Sunset Shimmer.
The Mane 6 were all in one room, helping Sunset with her wedding dress, helping make her look even more pretty for her big day.
"You look so beautiful, Sunset," Fluttershy said.
"Absolutely divine, darling," Rarity said.
“Are you sure? Maybe you can make some late adjustments before the ceremony!” Sunset responded, sounding quite nervous and overdramatic at the moment.
"Come on, don't go pulling a Twilight on us now, you look awesome!" Rainbow said.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? "Pull a Twilight?" Twilight asked.
“It's basically a saying used to describe you being overly nervous about something; pretty much a calmer version of the classic Twilighting.” Pinkie explained.
“Seriously! You’re bringing up that verb again?!” Twilight responded in disbelief and betrayal.
"There's no other easier way to call it, Sugarcube," AJ added.
"Heh, trust me, the Twilight in the human world goes through the exact same thing," Sunset chuckled, feeling a little better.
“See Sunset, everyone has nervous breakdowns in any case… Although, this is quite possibly the biggest moment of your life, walking down the aisle to be with your one true love in matrimony and spend the rest of your lives together happily ever after… Ok, maybe there’s a lot to freak out about.” Rarity commented.
"We're supposed to keep her from "Twilighting", not start another "Twilighting." Rainbow said, facepalming herself.
“Oops, sorry, darling.” Rarity apologized.
“It's fine, Rarity. Even if I am still a bit nervous. I’m glad you girls are here to cheer me on and support me.” Sunset proclaimed.
"What are friends for?" Twilight said.
Then the group of friends all came together to share one last group hug of the day before the wedding could begin.
Meanwhile, in another room, with the groom, the young prince stared out the window, trying to keep his nerves together for his big day. Despite his stone face, he can feel the pressure of his first wedding jitters. Thankfully, he's not alone.
"Hey, you gonna be okay, bro?" Heat asked.
"To be honest… I'm not sure." Eternal said.
"What do you mean, "you're not sure?" You assisted in helping defend Equestria, you actually took Twilight's side when no one believed her about Cadence not being herself on her big wedding day, got me out of some tight jams, even took down a rampaging demon ram for mom's sake! How can you not be sure about your big day?" Heat asked.
"You'll learn one of these days… when you're married." Eternal said.
"I'll bet you 100 karats I'll remain cool, calm and collected when I'm about to marry Twilight," Heat challenged.
"Fine, it's a bet. At least now you've steadied my nerves," he chuckles before brohoofing his younger brother.
"Right. Anyways, the ceremony's gonna start soon. So, good luck out there." Heat then headed out to join the others so Eternal could be alone.
Eternal chuckled to himself and reminisced about all the adventures he had with Sunset. Back then, when they were just kids, they used to be the best of friends, thicker than thick. But then when she left… It left a gaping hole in his heart that was hard to fill. After learning where she truly was, he figured that would be his last chance to spend time with her before his time would come to an end.
As ironic as it is to believe, Eternal owed Grogar a big thanks for bringing him and Sunset back together… and now he'll cherish her for a long, long time.
Moments later, the wedding was about to begin and the young groom stepped out to wait at the altar with his best stallion, his own brother. Everyone was seated and waiting for the main event to start. The bridesmaids, the Mane 6 were all in attendance as well.
With everyone present and accounted for, Luna gave Octavia the cue to play the "special " song Sunset requested before the ceremony.
The audience then stood up from their chairs and looked out the doorway. There, dressed in a beautiful wedding dress, holding a bouquet of red and white roses… was Sunset Shimmer. Even with the veil obscuring her face, Eternal and everyone else could see and even feel her smiling with joy.
Her mother then walks her down the aisle towards her husband-to-be. Eternal stood where he was, smiling as his bride was coming closer. His heart raced a thousand miles. At last, the two were now face to face with each other and Sunset's mother then took her seat in the crowd.
Now, it was time for Celestia to do her thing.
"Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to unite both these ponies in holy matrimony. They have overcome many obstacles in the short time they've known each other, faced many difficult challenges that have changed their lives forever. But now… they've chosen to join together and overcome the most difficult obstacle of all; marriage. It is not to be taken lightly for there will be trying times that will put their faith in each other to the test. But as long as they do not lose heart, I'm sure they can overcome anything." Celestia explained.
"Eternal Flames, do you take Sunset Shimmer to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor and nurture, in sickness and health, good times and bad, for as long as you both shall live?" she asks her son.
"I do," he confirms, looking into Sunset's eyes.
"And Sunset Shimmer, do you take Eternal Flames to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, to honor and nurture, through sickness and health, good times and bad, for as long as you both shall live?" Celestia asked.
"I do," Sunset replies, never removing her eyes from her stallion.
"Good. Now then, the rings," Celestia called out. Soon, Spike comes in, dressed up all nice and sharp in his black and white tux, holding a pillow with two rings on it. He approaches the two ponies and gives them their rings. They take them and place them upon each other's horn.
"By the power vested in me and all Equestria, I hereby pronounce you… husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," Tia said.
Eternal lifted up Sunset's veil and gently pulled her in for one big kiss, sealing the deal to their official Equestrian marriage.
Soon loud cheering and applause erupted in the room, everyone clapping or stamping in happiness for the newlyweds. With the Mane 6 and the both Sunset and Eternal’s families being the loudest.
After kissing, Prince Eternal and now Princess Sunset turned towards the crowd, watching all of them cheering and celebrating this wonderful occasion. And as Eternal looked out into the crowd, something caught the glimpse of his eye. As he squints his eyes to get a better look, the young prince is shocked to see none other than Inferno Blaze standing amongst the crowd.
Eternal was both speechless and surprised to see his friend again. As for the wraith, Inferno gave his brother-in-arms a warm smile and then tipped his hat to him, congratulating him on his big day. Then a random pony flew by in front of Inferno, and in that moment, the wraith vanished without a trace.
'Thanks for coming… Inferno,' Eternal thought with a warm smile.
Sunset soon noticed Eternal’s warm smile on his face, and noticed him looking towards somewhere in the crowd; which piqued her curiosity.
“What is it? What did you see?” she asked him.
Eternal turns to his wife, while still holding his smile. “Nothing, dear… Just saw an old friend stopping by.”
"Really… y-you saw… him?" Sunset asks with a hopeful smile. Eternal nods. His wife hugs him once more. It felt nice to know that at least Inferno got to make it after all.
And so ends our tale of the valiant heroes who stood tall and proud against the almighty wrath of the demon king, Grogar. And now with our noble prince having found his beautiful princess, the newly-wedded couple's lives were about to embark on a whole new beginning.
Together.
Author's Note
I hope you all enjoy this story. Me and TheShadowKnight have put in a lot of time and effort into this chapter and hope you will like it like you did with Heirs of Grogar, so as always, thank you for your patience and support, be sure to stay tuned and keep bronying on.
The Horror Continues
They thought the war was over. They thought they had restored peace and tranquility into the world and avoided worldwide chaos. They thought it was time to wind down and relax for once and go about their daily lives. But they thought wrong. The news of a rampaging demon monster shocked the city. And even more so to hear that a man was murdered live on TV. It was a lot more horrifying than any horror movie anyone's ever made.
And as if it weren't enough of a slap in the face, the Humane 7 had just fought off a demon war a few days ago. And paid the price with the death of one of their own. But luckily for them, there's a way to bring their friend back to life. It ain't going to be easy, but they're always up to the challenge.
Right now, most of the boys went back home after their girlfriends said they'd get killed since they have no magical abilities or any means of protecting themselves. The only one who could be a big help was Eternal and he was still mentally and physically exhausted. Of course, there was Starlight Glimmer; however, she’s back in Equestria and still grieving over Inferno’s death. That means she won’t be coming over to aid them any time soon.
So as of now, they were on their own. Right now, the girls were all outside Sunset's apartment, getting ready to leave, waiting for their bacon-haired friend to say her goodbye to her boyfriend.
"You're sure you don't need me around for now?" Eternal asked.
"It's for the best. You need your rest in case we need you. If you need anything, I wrote down Flash and Halo's numbers and put a note on the fridge. You be safe now, okay?" Sunset asked, hugging Eternal Flames.
"I will. You just make it home safe, okay?" Eternal asked back. She nods and gives him a goodbye kiss before leaving. Eternal Flames walk back inside the apartment, locking the door and the girls head off.
"Alright girls. Remember, this new threat will kill anyone on sight. We gotta be cautious with this new foe or we'll end up as his first victim," Sunset said.
"I still can't believe he'd rip him apart like that! It's probably more gruesome than being ripped apart by a necromorph from that Dead Space game," Rainbow commented.
"Please… don’t remind me.” Fluttershy replied.
"I agree. I would rather not get sickened by the thought of such a gruesome idea lingering around in my mind, darling," Rarity said.
"Okay then, what about the feller that was trapped in that castle fer so long? Ah'll bet his family's worried sick about him," Applejack said.
"That's true. I bet my sisters and parents would be sad if they found out I went missing. Maud would even go so far as to hire a search party to come and find me," Pinkie said.
“Well, even if it is true. We’re unsure who this new demon is and who he is when he’s human.” Twilight stated. "But what we do know is that he's extremely dangerous when he's running wild as a demon. So, I think it's only best if we watch and observe this… specimen, but keep at a safe distance."
"Good idea. But there's one problem: the island's being closed off. The mayor ordered it to be condemned, we won't even be able to sneak onto the island," Rainbow pointed out.
"Then we'll just have to go when they're not looking," Twilight said. Everyone agreed to the plan, making their way over to the beach. It was a long walk there, but they made it without running into any trouble. But there was an even bigger problem: out at sea where the island of the crumbled castle was surrounded by helicopters and patrol boats. The island was being searched, people were trying to find where this monster would be.
It was hard to tell from their position, but they can see that the fortress’s ruins were now impenetrable. No openings, no cracks in their security for them to sneak their way in.
“Okay fearless leader,” Rainbow spoke towards Sunset. “How do you plan for us to get inside?” she asked.
"Hmm… good question," Sunset said, stroking her chin. lost in thought. Right away, an idea popped into her mind. "Twilight, maybe you can dig up some research on the people working over there. Check and see when their shifts end and when they'll be back on the docs. Afterwards, a few of us will sneak onto the land to uncover whatever we can find. The rest of us will keep a lookout and call if our cover's gonna get compromised."
"O-Okay. But w-who's gonna… sneak out there?" Fluttershy asked.
"I'll do it. I know most of the island like the back of my hand. After all, I did run around this place the last time we were here.” Rainbow stated.
"She's right. Plus, with her speed, she can easily go undetected. But… you're gonna have to keep a low profile if they ask for verification," Twilight said.
"Wait! What if they've memorized their team members by not just their names, but their faces? There's no way we'll make it past security," Pinkie said, realizing in horror.
"Damn! This is gonna be trickier than I thought," Sunset said.
"Darlings, if I may. Why don't we ask Heat Blitz to make some sort of gizmo that'll disguise us for the undercover operation? He was able to make that battle suit, maybe he can whip up a device that can disguise our appearance and our voices," Rarity suggests.
Twilight and the others look at Rarity and put on a satisfied look on each of their faces. "This could be it! Rarity, you're a genius! Let's head out to Heat's house right away!" Sunset said.
Moments later…
The girls had arrived at Celestia's house where her youngest son was. They asked to see him and she took them to his room. There, they said their hellos before getting there. They explained to him about their scouting mission and asked them for the equipment they needed to complete it.
"You want me to invent a device that can disguise some of you?" Heat asked. The girls all nod in response. "I'm not sure if it's possible. I used up most of the equipment to make my battle suit and Infern… our world's Inferno's still out on vacation with his parents. I can give him a call and ask him to send some more draconium, but it's gonna take a little while for it to get shipped here in time."
"We'll take whatever help we can get. If you can do that, we'll be eternally grateful, darling," Rarity replied.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do," Heat said, getting out his phone. He dialed the number for his friend and then waited for him to pick up. And for a few minutes, the human Inferno finally picked up.
"Hello?" Inferno said.
"Hi, buddy, it's me," Heat replied.
With the phone accidentally set on speaker, the girls could hear his voice; which sounded completely identical to their Inferno’s voice. The voice of their friend who died for them; just hearing it had resurfaced heartbreaking emotions that they thought they had gotten over since after the funeral.
"Hey there, Heat. What's up?" Inferno asked.
"Nothing much, just relaxing after… finishing my project," Heat replied. "Listen, I was wondering if you could do me a favor"
“Anything, Heat. Whatcha need?” Inferno replied.
"Well… do you remember the time when you had to sneak out your mom using a device that could disguise her entire appearance just to keep her away from the paparazzi?" Heat asked.
“You mean the Holo-Mask? Phfft! No problem, I have a bunch of those lying around.” Inferno said. “Of course, I have no idea why you need them?”
"Well… the girls misplaced… some of their geodes in an area of the city and the police are making it tough since they have the whole area blocked off where they lost them. Think you could send in at least 3 or 4 Holo-Masks?"
“How stupid do you think I am…. I'm sending you 7, for all the girls. Can’t hurt to be prepared.” Inferno stated. “Also be sure that none of them gets into trouble… my money’s on Rainbow Dash blowing your mission.”
"Hey! I heard that, you jerk!" Rainbow yelled, offended.
“Anyway, I’ll have them sent to you immediately. I’ll even pay for overnight shipping. So long buddy.” Inferno said, as he hung up on the phone.
"Well, looks like you got what you needed. I couldn't really tell him the actual truth because I knew he'd be completely against the idea of seeing you all get hurt," Heat said.
"You were a big help to us, Heat. Thank you so much," Twilight said, hugging him.
"No problem. You just be careful out there, okay?" Heat asked.
"We will," Twilight reassured him, then kissing him on the lips. The girls all bid their goodbyes to their inventor friend before leaving.
Meanwhile, back in Sunset's apartment, Eternal was on the couch in the living room, alone. He had nothing better to do other than drink some water and watch TV. But while he was watching some television, his vision got all blurry.
"What the hell? I shouldn't be this tired. Maybe I… I'm more exhausted than I thought," Eternal said before falling forward onto the floor, snoring away, out like a light.
Meanwhile, out on the island, the policemen were patrolling the perimeter of the ruins. Searching for any intruders in the area. Just then, one of the policemen noticed some of the debris moving. "FREEZE!!! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" he shouted.
His other team took notice of his shouting and walked up to him, pointing their guns at the spot he was pointing at.
"Don't make us come in there! Show yourself or we'll shoot!" another policeman called out.
The debris continued to move. But soon… a hand poked out in the shape of a fist. Soon, a monstrous beast crawled out, its back hunched over, flames for hair and parts of his body. It had a muscular build and demonic golden yellow eyes with slit pupils. Completely topless. It took in a deep breath and roared loudly, alerting the rest of the teams around the island. Its eyes turn towards the cops aiming their guns at it.
"D-Don't move! Stay where you are or we'll shoot!" one of them warned. But the monster didn't heed the warning and advanced one step. The police fired their weapons at it, but all of their bullets bounced off its body like they were made of bedrock. The monster growled and ran at the policemen, grabbing one of them by the head and held him up in the air.
He flailed and tried to break free from the monster's grasp, but this adversary proved much stronger than an ordinary human. He tightened his grip on the man's head. He screamed in pain and the police kept trying to break him free of the monster's grip, but it was all for naught. Its grip got tighter until his screaming grew silent and his body stopped moving. Blood leaked out of his eyes, mouth and nose.
The monster tossed his corpse aside and swatted the other policemen away from him like they were a bunch of rag dolls. "Code red! Code red! Enemy sighted southwest of the island!" one of the cops shouted. Sure enough, the entire force on the island chased after the monster. What soon followed were screams of agony and horror, along with sounds of gunfire and the roar of a terrifying beast and flesh being torn apart, along with blood splattering. Moments later… there was silence, followed by water splashing.
Meanwhile, in another dimension, the two deities; Harmony and Death, watch the unspeakable horrors that were occurring in the human realm. And like the girls, they were deeply petrified by the new creature’s actions.
"Not good. Those girls are gonna be put through a living hell if they come across that monster. All those lives… lost," Death said. "So many souls trapped in limbo and I can't do anything on my end! Never in all my years have I felt so powerless." he groveled in misery.
"It's not your fault, dear. None of us expected such a problem like this to arise. Our only best bet is to pray and hope the girls will succeed," Harmony said.
"I don't think they'll be enough to stop him or their other obstacle," Death said.
“They’ll have to, or otherwise, their world will perish.” Harmony stated.
"I can only hope they gather the crystals in time… before their other enemies find them," Death said as Harmony hugged him.
“Don’t worry, Grimy. I'm sure they’ll succeed.” Harmony assured. Death felt at ease by her reassurance and soon embraced his lover in return. The two deities remained there, holding each other as they fear, and hope, for the future.
Meanwhile, over at CHS, the portal rippled and three hooded figures stepped out. "So, this is the other world I've heard so much about. Yes… this'll be the perfect place to conquer. Now you're sure the crystals are here somewhere," one of the hooded figures asked.
"Yes. And as soon as we find the crystals, this world will be ours to control. But, first things first, we need to keep those meddlesome brats at bay with that rampaging monster. So search this place and find the creature. And whatever you do, don't let it kill you. And do not allow it to kill Sunset Shimmer. She serves a higher purpose," the leader said.
“Fine. But I just don’t understand why you want her alive?” The second hooded figure asked.
"I have my reasons, but I'd rather not say what," the leader replied. "Now… let's show this world what the Dark Trinity is truly capable of." The leader stated, before letting out a loud, frightening laughter which was heard throughout the night; signaling of the terrible events that may occur.
Later on, while the Dark Trinity was formulating their plans, Sunset walked up to the front door of her home. She unlocked her door with the house key and entered her home. "Eternal, I'm back, is everything okay?" But Sunset got no answer. The only noise she could hear was the sound of the TV in her living room. "Eternal?" she calls out again, no answer.
When she goes to turn off the TV, that's when she finds Eternal… on the ground and twitching. She gasps in panic. "Eternal?! What's wrong?" Sunset asked, running over and leaning down. He kept twitching uncontrollably and his eyes… his eyes looked different. She thought it was her mind playing tricks, but she thought Eternal's eyes were a solid golden yellow color. And for a split second, she could swear his pupils were slit.
But when he finally regained consciousness, his eyes were back to their normal sapphire blue color, but Eternal's head was sweating bullets.
"What? Sunset? You're back early, what's going on?" Eternal asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Eternal, are you alright? You looked like you were having a seizure, and your eyes were glowing all of a sudden..” Sunset said with worry.
"My eyes were… what?" he asked clueless. "I remember watching TV and then for some reason I felt… dizzy, like my whole entire body was shutting down. That's never happened to me before because I sleep plenty every night."
"Are you hurt?" She helps Eternal stand up.
"No, nothing feels out of place," he dusts himself off.
"Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything if something's bothering you," She replied.
"I'm fine, I promise. But thanks for reassuring me," he assured her before hugging Sunset. Though she was relieved her boyfriend was unharmed, she still had these doubts about all this. It made her feel bad. This was Eternal Flames, the most honest and caring guy she's ever met in her whole life. It pained her to doubt the words of her boyfriend.
“Alright, but if this happens again. We’re having a conversation about this.” Sunset stated.
"Of course," Eternal said. He sat down on the couch, sighing in relief. In that moment, his head started hurting a bit and he saw visions. Gruesome visions. The look of multiple people…all were running away from something. "I guess I must've had some serious nightmare." he said, as he rubbed against his head due to his headache.
So, he changed the channel on the TV and unexpectedly landed on the news. "Good afternoon, folks, I'm Johanna Justice, here to bring you this shocking news bulletin. The policemen who were ordered to search the island for any potential clues to the mystery behind… have all been mercilessly killed. There's no footage of who it was that killed these men, but word has it that the supposed monster that caused this massacre has made its way to the mainland. The mayor of Canterlot City has informed everyone that resides near the coast to evacuate and notified the National Guard to exterminate the monster. We now go live to the mayor about this disaster.”
"What?" Eternal asked himself as the camera switched to the mayor making a speech.
"Everyone, remain calm. I hereby recommend that we order for the people to stay indoors for the time being. Should this pandemic ever get worse, I will order a full city evacuation. We will do everything in our power to stop this menace," the mayor said.
“A full-city evacuation? Are they serious?” Sunset asked in disbelief.
"That's what she just said," Eternal said. "But seriously, what kind of monster is it? And what drove it to cause this much of a panic?”
"I don't know. But I think we should at least be prepared. Because now we have a new threat in our small city.” Sunset suggested.
"Agreed.” Eternal replied. "I'm starting to think evil never sleeps."
"It comes with the job, so we don't have a choice in the matter. No one else can match against these beings like we can," Sunset pointed out.
"I suppose you're right. Maybe I can help out with this. If possible, this demon might be more menacing than Grogar. Nothing but pure, blind rage. Maybe later on tonight I can search the city for this monster," Eternal said, his eyes flashed blood red with slit pupils.
"No, you need to rest," Sunset didn't hesitate with that argument.
"Sunset, I have the means necessary to defend myself. This won't be like the Grogar incident. I'm under full control of my demon powers now. Just give me this one chance and I'll see what I can do to help. If I fail to find anything tonight or if I wind up injured, I'll let you take over," Eternal tried to persuade.
“No means no, Eternal.” Sunset firmly stated. “We have no idea what this creature is, and we’ve already lost a friend days ago… I can’t lose you too.” She said.
"Losing Inferno was the worst thing to ever happen to us, I get it, but if we let fear control us, we won't be able to move forward," Eternal kept trying.
"And did you forget what Daris said about immortals?! They die, too! I'm sorry, but I can't let you wander out there knowing you could be killed!" Sunset argued back. Eternal wanted to argue back, but he didn't know how. She had a point, even a demon king can die, too… especially at the hands of their own kind.
Sighing in defeat, he nods and pats Sunset on the shoulder. "Alright, you win. But that doesn't mean I won't stop worrying about you and your friends. Promise me that, at least."
"I promise," Sunset nods. She comforts her sweetheart in a warm hug. "I'm sorry, Eternal. I'm just worried about you. I'm still a little shaken up from the previous war against the demons… against Grogar… against you. I almost lost you that time, I can’t bear to lose you again… and… hurt you.” She said with a sadden tone, still remembering their conflict not too long ago. Eternal shushed her comfortingly.
"I know… I know," Eternal said. There was no convincing his girlfriend and she was genuinely worried for his safety. 'It looks like I'm gonna have to resort to extreme measures. I'm sorry Sunset… I truly am, ' he thought to himself.
Unbeknownst to him, Sunset had activated her powers and just from hugging him, she can hear what he plans on doing. Normally, she would lash at him for not even taking this kind of situation seriously like she is. But instead, she said nothing. Because it would only lead to a more pointless argument.
After their hug Sunset put on a movie for the two of them to watch for a little bit.
Meanwhile, over at Celestia's house, the principal was out in the living room with Heat, watching some TV to spend some quality time with him. She had ordered a pizza and purchased a movie online to help her and her son wind down. But then her moment with Heat was interrupted when she heard the sound of knocking on her front door.
"Are you expecting anyone?" Heat asked.
"No. Stay here, sweetie. I'm gonna go check," Celestia said. She got up from the couch and walked over to the front door, checking who it was. She makes a disgusted look before opening up the door, revealing her ex-husband, Blaze Burn. He has orange skin and red hair with sapphire blue eyes and scar-like birthmarks near his eyes. He was in his black business suit with a red necktie. "You. What are you doing here?"
"Checking to see if he's come home yet," Blaze said.
"After what you said to him that day, why would you think he's ever coming back? Do you even think before opening that big fat mouth of yours?" Celestia replied, glaring daggers at him.
"I was only thinking about the boy's future. How else was this family supposed to survive? Why else do you think I was paying for him to get enrolled into Canterlot Tech? Running two tycoons isn't a cake walk," Blaze argued.
"There you go again! Thinking only about your stupid business instead of your son's happiness or what they want to do when they leave to pursue their own careers!" Celestia scolded.
"WRONG!!! That tycoon is a family business! I was only trying to prepare the boy!"
"And look where that got you? No wife to come home to, no sons to spend quality time like a REAL father should do and worst of all… no love," Celestia whispered in his ear before backing away and really letting him have it. "Ever since you lost your own father, you've never been the same since that day. It's like you… you change! If he could see you right now, he'd be turning in his grave!"
Blaze Burn grabbed Celestia's shirt collar and got in her face. "You do NOT, talk about my father that way, not now, not EVER!!! Do I make myself clear?!" his grip tightened on her collar, but she wasn't gonna take his shit, so she slapped him hard across the face, causing him to let go.
"All you've ever done since his funeral was put Eternal through a living hell. You'll never be a real father if all you do is push your feelings aside and think only about business. You're not the man I once fell in love with and married… you're not my husband… not anymore. Oh and for the record, even if I did see Eternal Flames again, I would NEVER… give him to you," she said in a dark tone.
"We'll see," Blaze Burn retorted before he left and Celestia slammed the door on him, locking it.
After he left, Celestia slumped against the door and sat on the floor, covering her eyes as she cried in sorrow. Heat didn't like seeing his own mother like this. He got up from the couch and went over to his mother, kneeling down and hugging his mom.
"I'm sorry he hurt you. I'm here now," Heat said. "If it helps, I really miss my brother."
"I know… I miss him, too," Celestia weeped on his shoulder. “I just wish that… I was there for him when he was suffering.”
"When he comes back, I'm sure he’ll forgive you, and he knows that it wasn’t your fault.” Heat assured his mother. "How about when he comes home, we throw him a ‘welcome home’ party. Send together like a real family; me, you, and him.”
"That's a wonderful idea, Heat. He's lucky to have such a brave, strong little brother," Celestia said, stroking his hair. "When did you get to be so strong-hearted?"
"I've literally been through hell and back," Heat jokes.
His mother chuckled in reply. After a few minutes, Celestia got up with Heat and went back to the couch, taking their seats. They enjoy the pizza while watching their movie. What was once a happy moment for the two, was now a bittersweet moment. They didn't expect Blaze Burn to come and ruin their quality time and on a day like this. But at least they had each other, to make this moment happy again.
Later that night, back at the apartment at around 10:30 PM, Sunset Shimmer was fast asleep in her bed, her arm wrapped around Eternal, snuggling him. He was laying on his side next to Sunset, looking directly at her peaceful, sleeping face. He felt a sense of guilt that he'd have to sneak out just for a little recon mission. He gave his sleeping beauty a peck on the lips and whispers to her. "I'm sorry Sunset."
Afterwards, he carefully climbed quietly out of bed and headed down to the first floor. He sneaks over to the front door and opens it up, trying not to make it creak. Afterwards, he stepped out and closed the door before running out in the town.
After he left, Sunset then wakes up from her sleep and looks to her side to see that Eternal was not there with her; as expected. She got out her phone and dialed one of her friends' numbers. She waits for the dialing tone to stop.
"Hello?" a male voice said on the other line.
"Flash, it's me," Sunset replied.
"Sunset? *yawn* What's going on? Shouldn't you be asleep by now?"
"I'm sorry, but… could you do me a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Did you see the news about that monster who killed all those policemen? And how it might've snuck onto the mainland?"
"Yeah, it was all over the news, why?"
"I… well… Eternal snuck out to look for him. I'm scared he's gonna get hurt. I want you to go and find him if you can," Sunset said.
"What? At this hour?"
"Please, Flash. I'm asking you as a friend. Find him.” Sunset begged.
"Alright, alright. I'll check where he's at. I still think he's a tough guy who can take care of himself but I'll keep an eye out for him just in case and let him know you're worried about him," Flash assured her.
“Thank you, Flash. I really owe you one. Be careful out there.” Sunset said as she hangs up on the phone and looks out her window with a worried expression on her face.
“Why must you do things that worry me, Eternal?”
Author's Note
apologies for the long wait, but here's another chapter to my series. Be sure to thank TheShadowKnight for helping me out with this and as always... thank you for your patience and support, be sure to stay tuned for more chapters to come and keep on bronying on.
The Dark Truth
The evil and wicked demon ram, Grogar has risen once again and he's back with a vengeance, stronger and more powerful than ever before. But even with his newfound strength, the unstoppable wraith was not going to allow this demonic ram, and hated arch enemy, anywhere near the remaining humans who've all safely evacuated the city.
Inferno tossed Grogar through a couple of buildings, before he rammed the demon through several more. Grogar then grabbed the wraith’s entire head in his hand and then with his supernatural strength, he ripped the head clean off Inferno’s shoulders.
The demonic ram breathed heavily, while also grinning at his short-lived victory, until the headless body of the wraith grabs onto the hand where his head is and then he uppercuts Grogar in the gut, forcing the demon to release his head, and is sent flying into the air.
Inferno’s headless body catches his head before it hits the ground and then places it back in its proper place. After placing on and adjusting his head back in place, the young wraith circles his head around, stretching his neck and releasing any tension it in; since he just had his head ripped off.
“Well… That’s new.” The wraith said, casually. And without a second to lose, Inferno lifted off into the air.
Grogar continued to sped through the air after being struck by a heavy blow, until he was able to halt and readjust himself in the air. But when he did that, Inferno appeared or had teleported behind him and delivered a triple-flip hammer kick to the demon’s back and sent him tumbling to the ground. The impact caused a huge crater deep in the city ruins.
But Grogar was far from done and stood back up, growling in frustration. He scans the skies to find his foe. Once he finds his airborne enemy, he opens up his mouth, creating a massive ball of dark energy and shoots out a pitch black energy beam at Inferno.
Inferno sees the incoming blast and raises his arms up to shield himself as he was engulfed by the dark energy, and looking to be almost disintegrated in the process.
Grogar halts his attack and looks around and sees nothing left of the wraith. But before he could gloat in his victory, he noticed tiny purple sparks and smoke forming in the air. Then before his very eyes, the sparks and smoke quickly formed into the shape of a human, then later formed wings behind it. And just like that, Inferno reappeared in an instant; without a single scratch and burn mark on him.
"Damn! I knew this boy was strong, but to regenerate himself like that?! At this rate, I won't be able to--" Grogar paused for a second and thought of something. Something diabolical. Then, using his other senses, he attempts to scan for any dark energies nearby. Lo and behold, he finds one a short distance away. "I'll deal with you later!" he threatens before heading off to the source of the dark energy.
Inferno watches him run off, and waits a few seconds before he can follow him, thinking he’ll give his prey a head start. And after those few seconds, the wraith now starts to follow after the demon ram.
He keeps a close watch on him while on his tail, wondering where he's going as no humans were down this path. Unless…
Suddenly, he stops right in his tracks and scans the place before calling out. "Come on out! I know you're hiding, Light Ray!"
Sure enough, beneath some of the rubble, a shadow emerged and out came the corrupted man who brought the demon ram into this world. "You called, master?"
"I have a job for you," Grogar said before whispering the rest. "I need you to distract that nuisance of a freak indirectly. Find his meddling friends and… have a little fun with them. Keep them occupied as long as you can, prolong their suffering. Make that freak of nature stay here while I feed on some negative energy."
"Of course," Light bows.
"Good. And for good measure… Here," Grogar puts one of his hands on Light's back and soon, a strong surge of power coarsed through his entire body. Before long, a beacon of dark purple energy fills the sky and Light undergoes a hideous transformation. Golden yellow skin becomes a sinister blue color. His long, red hair becomes wild and feathered out, his body turns bulkier, his eyes turn completely red, teeth turn jagged and two red horns poke out from his forehead. And to top it all off, he sprouts demonic wings and lets out a demonic roar .
Now with his demonic power boost, Light Ray flies off into the direction of the Rainbooms. Grogar watches with glee, laughing evilly. "Those fools will never know what hit them."
Meanwhile, with the Rainbooms themselves, the girls had just finished training the boys on how to use their geode powers. Everyone was feeling confident and even stronger than before.
"You guys sure know how to adapt to your newfound abilities quickly. Gotta say, you might've just gotten 20% cooler," Rainbow commented.
"Now that you boys have a firm grasp on how to use your powers, we should probably head back to the city. Who knows what kind of trouble it could be in right now." Sunset said.
"I'm ready if you're ready," Flash said.
"For Canterlot! For victory! And for the future!" Blazing yelled out. The others all yelled out in a triumphant fashion.
"Alrighty boys and girls, let's move out!" Pinkie said.
"Wait, before we go anywhere…" Heat stopped her before turning to Gloriosa, who's standing outside her cabin. He rushes over to her and hugs her. "Thanks for taking care of us. I know this was tough for you, but we're grateful for everything."
"It's no trouble." Gloriosa hugged back. The two soon broke apart and patted the young man on the shoulder. "Now, go and save the world." She encouraged me.
"No problem. We've got this!" Heat nodded.
Soon, the Rainbooms and the boys all activated their geodes and those who could fly carried the ones who couldn't. But, since Copper Plume had his super speed and is able to control how fast he can run, he didn't need to be carried. Meaning only Halo, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, Starlight, Sunset and the Dazzlings were the only ones to be carried.
With everyone present and accounted for, they sped off into the distance, leaving Gloriosa to watch and wave at them with a single tear falling from her eye.
As everyone was making their way back to the city, a burst of some strange, ominous force stopped them halfway.
"Hey! What the hell was that?!" Rainbow asked in surprise.
"Ah dunno, but Ah got that gut feelin' that somethin' ain't right here," AJ said as she puts up her guard firmly.
Suddenly, the gang hears what sounds like ominous, cynical laughter all around them.
"Come on out and show yourself! You don't scare us!" Rainbow Dash yelled out.
"Oh no… I recognize that laugh. Don't tell me…" Sunset said, getting worried. Just then, the gang is sent flying by the same invisible force onto a wide-open grassy plain.
"Welcome to the end of your journey… Rainbooms," a man's voice echoed.
"That doesn't sound too promising," Frostbite said, keeping his eyes peeled.
"Where the hell is he, the damn coward?" Lightning asked, frustrated.
"I'm no coward…" the man's voice echoed again. This time, a dark void opens up in front of the group and out from within it, comes Sunset's corrupt father, Light Ray. But he wasn't the same father she knew and loved. Everyone saw his ugly, demonic new look. He literally looked like a demon from Tartarus. "Surprised to see me, my dear daughter?" Light asked.
"How could you?" Sunset asked, glaring daggers at him. "How could you sell yourself out to that rotten demon ram?! I thought you were better than that!"
"I don't need to be scolded by my own offspring. You wouldn't understand anyways. But I'm sure you know about the true meaning of pain… when I killed your little friend, that foul, rotten, mistake of a prince that bitch, Celestia, brought into this world!" Light gloated.
"Dude… that was low. Like… way low." Aria said with a deep glare.
"I'd have to agree, even by Dazzling standards, that's beyond unforgivable," Adagio pointed out.
"Yeah! You're a bad daddy, you meanie!" Sonata shouted.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!!!" Light shouted back blasting them with a dark projectile. But just then, Flash got in the way and used his energy shield to protect the Dazzlings.
"You listen here, father! Eternal Flames had every right to live his life, even if he was cursed from the day he was born! The only reason you didn't like him was because Celestia married another unicorn stallion other than yourself! While it would've been nice to be born a princess, I'd rather be content with the life I had with you and my mom!" Sunset said.
"You tell him, Sunny!" Halo exclaimed.
"Now look at you. You've reduced yourself to becoming a savage monster who's lost himself to the darkness. You're no daddy of mine, just a mere shadow of your former self. And after we finish you off here, I'll make sure you rot in Tartarus for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!" Sunset shouted as she activated her geode.
The angry daughter then shot a yellow beam of energy at Light Ray, knocking him back. "You'll pay for that, you impudent BRAT!" he roared.
"Everyone, ATTACK!!!" Sunset ordered.
And soon, an all-out battle took place as the gang rushed at the demon beast. The battle began and sparks were flying all over.
Meanwhile, back at CHS, the revived prince and his master sorcerer, Starswirl, are taking in the devastation of the city. Dark clouds filled the sky and thunder could be heard in the distance. Starswirl was still in his usual sorcerer clothing, though it was hard for him to keep himself standing on two feet.
"How do you and your friends manage to walk on two hind hooves?" Starswirl asked.
"They're actually called "feet", master. But that's not important. We've got to find the others and fast or we'll be too late!" Eternal said, helping keep his master up.
"Where should we start looking?" Starswirl asked.
"I got word from Discord that they're at this place called Camp Everfree." Eternal said.
"Who would want to camp in the Everfree Forest?!" Starswirl asked, astonished.
"How should I know? But right now, we've got to find a way to get there." Eternal says, looking around the place. "Damn it I don't think we can find any mode of transportation anywhere!"
And just when all hope seemed lost, they heard the sound of a car beeping, which startled the Pillar of Sorcery. They turn and find that it's Celestia driving up in her car.
"Eternal Flames? What are you doing here? You should be out helping your friends!" the principal pointed out.
"Things got a little complicated after I took the dark magic from Sombra and Chrysalis. Speaking of which, how is she?" Eternal asked.
"Chrysalis?! Here?! And Celestia, how'd you get here? I thought you were gonna wait back in Equestria with the others!" Starswirl pointed out, confused.
"Calm down, master! I'll explain everything. But first," Eternal turns to his mother's human counterpart, leaning against the window. "We're gonna need a ride to Camp Everfree. I've got to regroup with the others so we can bring them back here."
As he was explaining, he noticed that Chrysalis was in the passenger's seat next to Celestia.
"Hello, Chrysalis," he said.
"Hi," Chrysalis waved, not looking at him.
"So… this is where she's been hiding." Starswirl said, glaring at the former queen.
"Master, as much as I don't like her either, she's not our enemy anymore. She's staying with the Celestia of this world. Anyways, can you help us get to Camp Everfree?" Eternal asked.
"Hop in," Celestia nodded. Eternal opened the door and climbed inside, fastening his seatbelt.
"Come on, master!" Eternal urged.
Starswirl inspected the car, not knowing what it could do or if it was friendly or not. "Are you sure this thing is safe?" he asked.
"Just climb in, hurry. It's not gonna bite you," Eternal urged again.
Starswirl didn’t argue and just entered the vehicle without any more questions. Once he entered, he was surprised by how comfy the seat was. Eternal then strapped him in his seatbelt.
"This is so you don't go flying out of the car in case we get into an accident." Eternal said.
"Hold on tight, boys. Next stop, Camp Everfree," Celestia said. She drove everyone out of the neighborhood carefully and after some time, they reached the long, long highway where she sped up and rushed the rest of the way, but not too fast.
From then on, Eternal began to explain to Starswirl about this world and how there are human counterparts of their friends and family in this dimension. Even got to the part about how magic had leaked into this world after Sunset brought it into this world using Princess Twilight's crown and at some point, destroyed the statue outside their school.
Principal Celestia even confirmed all the stories he told. Starswirl was at a loss for words, but was also shocked to hear about a certain group of girls being in this world.
"So, this place is also where the sirens were banished to?" Starswirl asked.
"That's what Sunset explained to me. But after they were beaten, they lost all their magic and had to live out their lives in this world as best they could. They can sing again, but they can't feed off negative energies anymore." Eternal explained.
"I see." Starswirl said.
"So, what's the story with you, Eternal? You don't seem so… dark… and edgy like before." Celestia pointed out.
"Uh, that's because… I don't have my demonic powers anymore." Eternal said.
"What? What happened?" Chrysalis asked, confused.
"I had to give it up. Light Ray was threatening to kill Sunset. His own daughter. I met up with him to give him my demonic powers so she could live. Sunset was spared… but that bastard literally stabbed me in the back and drained all of my demonic energy. In a nutshell… he killed me." Eternal said.
Celestia remained silent to herself, as tears ran down from her eyes. She didn’t know how to feel at that moment. Anger? Sad? Grief? A mix of those in between. She was confused about what to feel because the Eternal that was sitting in the back of the car was not really her Eternal. But that didn’t mean she can’t have these feelings because she couldn’t imagine her own Eternal being taken away from her a second time.
Chrysalis then placed a hand on Tia's shoulder, tenderly rubbing it until Tia was calmed down.
"To clarify, I'm not a ghost or spirit. My friends and family back in Equestria created a formula that resurrected me. After that, Starswirl trained me in limbo for what felt like months or even years when it was actually a few minutes outside of limbo. And now, here we are." Eternal said.
“Well I hope it was a good few minutes for you, cause everything has pretty much gone to chaos in this world. Glad you showed up sooner than you did.” Chrysalis commented.
"How bad has it gotten?" Eternal asked.
“We don’t know? Tia and I were over at our place for half the time. Everyone else went to that ‘Camp Everfree’ place. As for your wraith pal, we don’t know where he is. We haven't heard anything from the girls and the boys since.” Chrysalis replied.
"It's quite possible they could be in danger. If that's the case, then it's a good thing we came here when we did." Starswirl said.
As Eternal and Starswirl were escorted by Principal Celestia and Chrysalis, Inferno was continuing his pursuit of Grogar. With his speed, he would have caught up to him right about now; however, for a second, he didn’t sense Grogar’s energy anymore.
Almost as if it turned off or it was depleting, either way, it was too weak and it blended with the remaining demonic energy in this world’s atmosphere.
The wraith growled with annoyance until, like how it disappeared the first time, he could feel the demon ram’s aura re-emerge in a second. But it felt different than before. As if, it changed in some way.
Not paying any mind to this change, the wraith closes his eyes and heightens his supernatural senses and tries pin-points where this new energy is located. After a second of locating its presence, Inferno finally could sense where this new spark of demonic energy was located.
But when he did, his eyes widened with horror once he learned where the direction of its location was.
Filled with fear and worry, Inferno wastes no time and immediately sped towards the direction of Camp Everfree. Fearing that his friends are in grave danger.
The wraith didn’t stop for anything. In fact, he didn’t notice a certain car that was driving below him.
Meanwhile, in Celestia’s car, the four passengers were driving towards Camp Everfree when out of nowhere, Tia and Chrysalis noticed something flew right above and past them like a speeding bullet.
"Hey, what was that thing up in the air?" Tia asked.
"Beats me. Whatever it was, let's hope it was on our side." Chrysalis said, double worried.
The battle between the gang and Light Ray keeps raging on, but even the forces of good are still having trouble attempting to topple over this mighty foe. Even with the numbers in favor of the good guys, Light Ray's power continues to overwhelm them.
Rarity uses her diamond shield to deflect and protect everyone from Light Ray’s attacks. But she continuously was forced to conjure more of her shields as a single blow from Light Ray’s magic shattered them in an instant.
Lightning Burn, Blazing Waters and Frostbite all combined their attacks to counter Light Ray in a type of Triple Finish blast attack. Light Ray blocked the attack by using his arms, unable to counter it in time. His arms stung from their combined efforts.
As he was stunned, Rainbow Dash and Copper Plume used their super-speed to rush towards Light Ray and hit him in a series of hit-and-run attacks; kicking and punching him before running away from him before he could grab them, then they repeated their attack.
Fluttershy, using her special abilities to talk to animals, she takes it to the next level by connecting her mind and heart with the animals in the surrounding area, having flocks of birds attack from high above.
Pinkie continuously sent explosive confetti or sprinkles at Light Ray, with the explosions doing only minimal damage, but they were blinding him. Twilight used her telekinesis to hurdle large boulders at the blinded demon. Sunset hitched a ride on one of the boulders.
As she got close enough she leaped up and blasted her demonized father with her magic golden light powers. From that close range, her father felt the sharp impact of the attack and roared in pain, almost stumbling forward.
Halo and Flash ran straight forward, Halo shooting his lasers at the monster as a means to distract him. Flash flew up high and dove down, landing a solid downward slash on the gigantic barbarian, making it roar in pain again.
In a fit of rage, Light Ray unleashed a giant, earth-rattling roar, along with a dark energy wave, sending nearly everyone flying back from this monstrous threat. But then, Heat got in front of his friends and spread out his giant wings as a way to shield everyone. Even despite his lack of muscles, he persevered and flapped his wings to seize the fierce winds.
With Light Ray in his blind rage, Israel leaped out in front and activated his powers. He cupped his hands together and blasted a wave of stars at his demonic foe. The blast was enough to make him skid back a few feet.
Before Light Ray was even given a chance to take a breath, Starlight used her Equestrian magic to levitate herself in the air before she then used her magic to lift many boulders off the ground and uprooted some nearby trees. Then with the wave of her hand, she sent them all barreling towards Light Ray and bashing him nonstop.
Applejack waited until the coast was clear until she ran out and delivered a sucker punch uppercut, sending Light Ray flying backwards and falling flat on his back thanks to her amazing super strength.
"Nice shot, Applejack! You too, Starlight. Now, let's combine our strengths together and put this monster down once and for all!" Sunset said.
The girls and even the boys surround Light Ray in the form of a circle. As they prepare their final group assault, however… Light Ray quickly recovers and causes a major dark explosion using the dark magic around him. The entire gang takes the full frontal assault of the attack and winds up injured big time in the process.
After the explosion faded away, all that was left was a giant creator and in the center stood the demon-transformed adversary, panting heavily, laughing triumphantly. All around the creator, the entire gang lay on the ground, having taken serious damage from the blast. Some of them were knocked out.
Sunset, with her limited strength, slowly lifted her head up, glaring up at her monster of a father, clenching her fists.
"Damn it! I… won't… let him… win this!" she strained to say, trying to keep herself up. She watches at this abomination of a parent walks towards her, grinning down at her.
"What a shame… Sunset. But you know… you brought this all upon yourself. Between failing to become a princess and having to off your pathetic little boyfriend… you might as well give up. Or if you'd like… you could always join the winning side," Light gloated.
Sunset looked up to her bastard of a father with a hateful glare. “Go… To… Hell!” She responded, strainfully.
"Such a waste. Oh well… farewell, my daughter," Light aimed his hand at Sunset, preparing one last attack. Sunset wanted to move, but couldn't. Her body was too injured to move, let alone stand up.
'Eternal… I'm sorry… Please, forgive me,' she thought as she accepted her fate.
As Light's attack was being launched… an unexpected light blinded both parties. Sunset forced her eyes to adjust to what was happening. And to her shock, she saw a familiar face standing right before her eyes.
That long, red hair, snow white skin, sapphire blue eyes. There was no doubt who this was…
"Eternal. . . Flames!" Sunset uttered before collapsing from the pain.
What she didn't see was that he had blocked Light's attack with nothing but his right fist, which he had coated in a scorching flame. In fact, his whole right arm was engulfed in a flame, yet it didn't hurt the young prince.
"How?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!!!" Light yelled, shocked to see him breathing.
Eternal doesn't respond with words, just an enraged growl followed by a fierce, fiery punch from his left fist, landing piercing damage on his demonic foe.
"Eternal! Back away! Now!" Starswirl shouted as he leaped in and sent the demonized foe hurdling 30 feet away with a powerful magic lunar blast from his hands. Light Ray screeches in agony from the heavy damage he sustained.
"You… h-h-how'd you get here… s-s-so quick?" Twilight asks, getting on her knees.
"You can thank him, he found us along the way and brought us here while we were being driven to the campsite." Eternal pointed over up in the sky. Twilight looked up and noticed Inferno hovering in the air. Starlight looked up and gasped.
"I…Inferno! Inferno, thank goodness!" Starlight called out.
Inferno could hear her call as he turned to look down to her, a small smile could be seen on his face, as he was relieved to see Starlight still had her life; however that smile soon deteriorated when he saw the bruises and scratches on her. A hateful glare formed on his face as he soon turned his attention on the one he truly believed was responsible.
“LIGHT RAY!” Inferno growled. “You and I have unfinished business!” He declared; as he clearly remembers the one who had framed him of a terrible crime so long ago; and who was responsible for Eternal’s death. Soon Inferno descended down to the ground, as he landed next to Eternal; standing side-by-side with his brother-in-arms.
"You made a big mistake, Light Ray! You've sunk lower than anyone else in the world. From the time you caused my death at birth… up until you almost killed my friends and your daughter… my beloved. For what you've done… we… will make you… SUFFER!" Eternal said with a fiery vengeance burning within him.
"I second that notion. You've become an abomination to all life here and in Equestria. For that… you will serve your punishment for as long as you live," Starswirl said, aiding his student and the wraith, ready to fight.
"I will not let a bunch of half-wits beat me! I'VE COME TOO FAR TO LOSE! I WILL HAVE WHAT I CRAVE MOST OF ALL!!! AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME!!! NO ONE!!! NO OOOOOOOONE!!!" Light Ray shouted, his magic aura shooting through the roof. He now reaches his maximum strength, ready to take on the trio alone.
"What power! Where did he get this kind of strength?!" Eternal asked.
"His hubris… and a hint of that wretched demonic magic aura. I'm afraid we can't put a dent in him in his current state. Inferno, can you take this for us until he's weakened enough?" Starswirl asked.
Inferno looked towards the sorcerer before he then looked towards Eternal. “No. We fight… Together.” He raised his hand towards his brother-in-arms. “Let us rid this demon from our past, Eternal.”
"As you wish… brother," Eternal grinned. And soon after, parts of his body ignite on fire, ready for battle.
"This should help you in the long run," Starswirl then put a spell on Eternal, giving his fire power a new color, from the usual red and yellow, to a more nocturnal midnight blue and glowing white color instead. "These lunar flames should pack more punch than your normal flames. Now… make me proud while I aid your friends."
"Thanks, master," Eternal nodded. The prince then leaped into action with his wraith brother. At the same time, Light Ray roared an inhuman roar, charging at the two boys. Light prepares two separate magic blasts from each hand while both boys countered with their own magic-enhanced punches. The clash causes a shockwave that shakes the entire area. Light then pulled away due to the stinging sensation from the lunar fire punches.
But he didn't plan on backing out of the fight just yet. He inhales and blasts out a massive dark energy blast at the two. Inferno charges straight towards the incoming blast just before he halts in place and then raises his hand up towards it in mere nanoseconds as the attack collides with his hand and the attack is stopped in place, as if it had hit a wall, and pushed Inferno back a little by a few feet. Soon Inferno began absorbing the energy of the attack and soon with a shove of his hand, he sent the attack straight back to Light Ray.
The counterattack soon struck Light Ray, sending him flying back and tumbling across the ground. Eternal rushed in, coating his entire body in a lunar flame. He leaps up high in the air, then dives down onto his target.
As he lands on top of the beast, he increases his flames, scorching his foe all over. Light screeched in pain and tried to swat him off, but he jumped away just in time to watch as the moon-flames ate away at his cursed, demonic body.
However, this only angered him further as he rose up, roaring in a fit of rage. This time, he was gonna get down to business. Raising both hands in the air, he begins to form another magic blast. Only this time, the magic ball took the form of a giant, purple skull with red eyes. Something about this attack gave out an ominous, dangerous vibe that couldn't be described.
With a roar of rage, Light Ray launched the attack straight towards the two boys. In a split second, Inferno once again flies towards the attack and then he raises his arms up to catch the incoming attack and keeps it from reaching the ground. The attack proved to be so powerful as Inferno felt himself pushed back from the force of the attack when he caught it. The wraith then uses his energy nullification ability and he negates the energy behind the attack, causing it to die out and reduced to nothing.
"I don't know what that attack was, but I just hope we've seen the last of it. Now, how about I show you what a real finisher is like." Eternal said. He shouts at the top of his lungs, surrounding his entire being in a lunar flame. But this time, his flames took shape, morphing in the silhouette of some kind of bird… possibly a phoenix.
With one quick step, he rushes at the exhausted Light Ray, who now has to recharge. Eternal circles around the injured, exhausted demon, creating a lunar, fiery vortex that traps him inside, nowhere to run.
By this point, everyone else had regained consciousness and got their strength back, thanks to Starswirl's aid. They couldn't believe their eyes of what was happening.
"What the hell is that?" Frostbite asked.
"I dunno, but I hope it's someone from our side," Flash said.
"It is someone from our side." Sunset assured, getting everyone's attention. Her teary-eyed smile speaking wonders to the group. "He's back… Eternal Flames… he’s back."
"Eternal? Wait, seriously?! He's doing this?!" Rainbow asked in shock.
Before anyone could respond, Eternal rose up to the sky, then dove down in the center of the fiery vortex. He lets out a fierce battle cry while Light Ray roars at him, unable to do anything. At the moment of impact, Starswirl surrounded the others with a force field as an explosion rang out throughout the field.
The weakened demon screeched in agony, its cries for help echoing in the air. When the explosion died down, Light Ray was now laying on the ground… his demonic aura leaving his body through his gaping mouth in the form of a nasty black mass vapor.
His demonized body returned to its normal human form slowly. His whole body completely topless and covered in bruises and cuts, his pants torn up, but still able to cover up most of his lower body.
Eternal stood above his fallen foe, panting from the intensity of his last attack. His lunar flames were now gone, returned to their normal red and yellow colors. It's okay, though. He didn't need them anymore.
"That'll teach you not to mess… with me or my friends. And if you EVER… try to harm my beloved Sunset again. Then next time… I'll kill you," Eternal said, slightly exhausted. He kicks the downed man to rub salt on his wounds.
Inferno watched from a couple of yards, unfazed by the explosion… well… except for the lingering embers on his hat. Luckily, Starlight came up and blew it out and patted him on the head, smiling at her loved one.
"Thought I'd blow it out. Don't want you to lose your favorite hat." she said.
Inferno chuckled lightly in response. “Thank you, Starlight,” he said before he walked over towards Eternal, while he gave a small glance towards the weakened and powerless Light Ray, and then he turned his gaze towards his brother-in-arms.
Eternal heard his friend approaching as he turned around to face him.
“I can no longer sense the demonic energy within him. His powers have been fully eradicated from his body.” Inferno informs Eternal.
"Good. Now all we gotta do is drag this menace to the Canterlot dungeons back home," Eternal said, glaring down at Light.
"Wait!" Sunset yelled out, walking up to the boys. "First… I need to dig up some of my father's secrets first. You don't mind, do you?" she asks Inferno.
“As much as I want to devour his soul for what he did to me long ago… But… I am a bit curious too. You may proceed.” the wraith replied.
"Thank you, Inferno." she nodded. Sunset then gripped her geode, activating its powers and she put her hand on her father's hand. Her eyes turned white for a few seconds. In those few seconds, she saw… everything.
( Inside Light Ray’s memories. )
"You know, dear… being with you these past few months… well, I think this feels more like home than even a thousand castles ever will." Light said to his wife.
"I'm happy you feel that way. And I want you to be happy, too. Which is why I have some amazing news to share." his wife replied. She urged him to come closer and he leans in, hearing the bestest news of all. "I'm pregnant."
"Really?!" Light asked excitedly and she nodded. He hugs her and spins her in the air, laughing with joy. "This is wonderful!!! When did this happen?"
"About… 3 weeks ago. And we'll be having our little bundle of joy in almost a year." she said.
"That's great, honey. Anyways… Thanks for dinner, it was great." Light replied.
"You're welcome, love. Well, I'd better get to cleaning." she said.
"Oh no, no, no, allow me." Light insisted.
"Wha… you sure?"
"Of course, no need to worry." Light assured. Though she was hesitant, she allowed her husband to clean up the dinner table and went straight to bed.
The flashback later showed Light Ray sleeping next to his wife, then in his dreams… things took a dark turn.
"Her… pregnant with your child? Have you really given up that easily?" A demonic voice echoed in the dark void of his dreams.
"Wha… who's there? And how dare you! Show yourself!" Light yelled.
"Why settle down with some ordinary mare when you had your sights set on the mare of all mares? You know you wanted her," the voice echoed again.
"Shut up! I've already made peace with my failed love life with Celestia! And who are you to butt into my life?" Light asked defensively.
"Just someone who wants what's best for you. Are you really going to settle down without putting up much of a fight? You loved that princess to death! Did you not?" the voice continued.
Light Ray was growing tired and frustrated and decided to humor this mysterious, rude being. "Fine, yes, I used to hold a torch for Princess Celestia, but there's nothing I can do now! Besides, I'm married now, happily at that!"
The mysterious voice laughed. "Or so you claim. You can't hide the conflict within your very heart and soul."
“How about you silence yourself! And get out of my business!” Light Ray shouted in rage, nearly losing his patience with whoever was talking to him.
"Fine, but… what if I were to tell you… that there was a way to get what you wanted? A way to take back what rightfully belonged to you? A way… to make Princess Celestia fall for you?" the voice counter-argued.
"And why should I listen to you? For all I know, you're just a liar!" Light argued back.
"Oh? Then what do you call this?" The voice then revealed a holo-projection of what was going on in the castle of Canterlot. It showed Blaze Burn and Celestia getting into an argument and she was NOT letting up on her husband.
"Do you have ANY idea how long I've been waiting for that?! What the Tartarus is wrong with you, you miserable fiend! What have you got against what I want?" Celestia rambled on in a fit of rage, shaking her husband violently.
"T-T-Tia, calm down! I told you, it's not healthy for you! Think of our child AND your health! Do you know what that'd do to your body if you ate too much of it?" Blaze argued back, trying to calm her down.
"Wha… Oh, no… you did NOT just say that! Are you saying I eat way too much cake? Are you calling me fat? Go on! Say it! I… Bucking… DARE YOU!" she snarled through her teeth.
"I didn't say that!" Blaze said, face-hoofing himself. "I'm saying I want our child to be healthy when it's born."
"It's not my fault I've got cravings! If you can't accept the fact that I LOVE cake, then maybe I made a mistake in finding my suitor!" she blabbed out.
But then, a split second after she said that, the mysterious voice made the projection disappear into thin air.
"You see? Celestia has already regretted her decision." the voice said. "Of course, you're more than welcome to decline my offer, but don't blame me if she winds up living… unhappily ever after with an… abusive, neglectful husband."
"You… you don't know that!" Light hesitated.
"Oh? Are you sure? Who knows? But like I said… it's your choice. Win her back… or lose her forever." the voice said before things went quiet.
( Slight timeskip in Light's memories )
In his memories, Light is shown wishing his wife goodnight before both ponies went to bed. Only her stomach is slightly bulged out, which means some time went by after Light's confrontation. And now, it shows Light in a dark void in his dreams.
"I must be out of my mind… alright, I'll… I'll try. But I don't trust you one bit." Light called out into the dark void of his dreams.
"Wonderful! It looks like somepony's finally starting to take the biggest step ever! You were wise to come to me," the voice said.
"Just shut up and tell me what I have to do." Light demanded, already getting bored.
But then… something felt off. The entire dreamscape he was in had changed from pitch black… to blood red and all of a sudden, he sees a shadow overlooking him. Light turns around and spots what looks like a giant ram spirit. His body was entirely black with the exception of his two, glowing red eyes. He can tell this malicious entity was grinning and… chuckling at him.
"Watch yourself, Light Ray… For this is only the beginning of a really long journey. BEHOLD!!!" The spirit then shot a dark beam of magic from his eyes and into Light's eyes. He felt the agonizing pain coarse through his mind and body, as if he felt like he was being ripped apart from the inside out. "Now… open your heart! Surrender it to the darkness! BECOME DARKNESS ITSELF!!!" the dark ram spirit commanded.
After that, the ritual was complete.
From then on, it showed Light's memories fast forwarding to how he changed from that day on. From being a sincere, honest, kind, caring, hard-working stallion… to a ruthless, harsh and atrocious jerk. And yet somehow, he kept up his facade of being a loving husband while plotting to kill Blaze Burn.
Then… It shows him in the hospital, disguised as one of the doctors, delivering Celestia's first born child, Eternal Flames… then injecting a lethal poison into the baby without anyone looking.
It then shows him sneaking into the castle years later and murdering Blaze Burn via fatal stab wound as well as harsh magic electrocution. And then is shown later to be hiding as he observed a young Inferno Blaze taking the fall for his crime; with sinister glee.
(End of Light's memories )
After peeking into Light's memories, Sunset felt a whole flood of emotions coarsing through her right now. Anger, sadness, sympathy, astonishment, resentment.
"All this time… All this time… my own father… was just another victim of Grogar's sick, twisted little game." Sunset said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up. Are you saying your dad became this ugly monster… because of another ugly monster?" Aria asked.
"That ugly monster… also resulted in getting my boyfriend's father killed. And he's also the reason why Eternal Flames died at birth… and then reborn with demon blood," Sunset pointed out, clenching her fist.
"But… Why, though? Why do all of this if he knows it'll make their lives miserable?" Sonata asked, not getting it.
"Because that's how Grogar gains power." Eternal points out. "He's a demon among demons and like any other demon, they grow stronger with every negative emotion they feed off of. And so far, we've fallen for every dirty trick he's thrown at us and now he's back."
"That's right. To think… Grogar manipulated and possessed my father and caused him to kill Blaze Burn that day. I'm sorry, Eternal." Sunset said.
"You're not at fault here, Sunset. But I believe I know someone who's willing to tear that bastard apart… after the trouble they put him through," Eternal turns to Inferno.
Everyone turned towards the wraith, who surprisingly remained silent above the rest of them. But his body language and his fists tightening, made them all aware that he was absolutely livid.
As Starlight was reaching her hand up to his shoulder, Inferno's wings immediately opened up and the wraith took to the sky with tremendous speeds. He rose to about 1,000 feet before he halted and hovered in the air.
Soon he started to growl and his body emitted his dark aura as dark lightning sparked from his body. Then in an instant, the wraith let out a roar of pure, unadulterated rage. His roar was so powerful, that his magic was causing lightning to strike from the dark clouds that spread across the entire city.
His anger was now too immense for his sanity to contain. Of course it was Grogar. It had ALWAYS been Grogar! First the demon murdered his father right in front of him, and he had the nerve to ruin his life even further by possessing an innocent man to frame him for a crime he never committed! It was almost like Grogar took deep pleasure in seeing him suffer and in pain. He could’ve picked anyone in the whole universe, but yet he chose him specifically.
Everyone on the ground could see the light show that Inferno had caused, and not one of them ignored the hate and despair in his roar. Starlight, Sunset, and Eternal knew how much Inferno hated Grogar. And knowing about this truth, only angered him even more.
"I knew this would happen if it ever came to light." Starlight said, worried for Inferno.
"Which is precisely why we need to calm him down. HEY! COME DOWN HERE!" Starswirl called out.
"Inferno!!!" Eternal shouted. "I understand you're enraged by all this, but if you wanna make him pay, then save some of that anger for when we confront Grogar head-on!"
Even when he had the ability to hear them from across the world, Inferno blocked them out. For they were not words that he needed to hear. It was not the assurance or the convincing that he wanted to hear.
Even though she could not see him from up above, Starlight knew that Inferno wasn’t listening to them and quite possibly coming down; at least, not instantly. While he displayed his rage for the world to see, she knew that in his heart, he was in pain. He was suffering. The truth was weighing on his mind; knowing that Grogar had always made his life miserable. And the fact that he was never given the time or moment to find peace.
So, she made a statement that had everyone stumped.
“Let's give him time.” Starlight said. The whole group looked at her as if she had grown a second head.
“WHAT!?” They all exclaimed.
“He needs to be given time to calm down.” Starlight proclaimed as she turned towards Starswirl and Eternal. “He's not like you two, nor is he like any of us, or the gods, or anyone. Deep down… He’s still a grieving and broken boy… who’s never given the chance to let go of his pain. And he needs to. He can’t help us if he’s in this state. He has to release his negative emotions, so that he can clear his mind from his past trauma.” She stated; spoken like the guidance counselor that she had always been.
Her statement had everyone speechless and still as they all looked back towards the sky.
Inferno kept letting out his anger, and the storms that he created kept raging on. But eventually, his voice lowered in volume and ferocity as his screams soon died out. His dark aura soon dissipated as every negative emotion that was kept within him, had finally been spent. And this in turn, caused Inferno’s influence over the weather to weaken as the raging lightning strikes eventually disappeared.
The wraith breathed heavily as he slowly, but surely, descended towards the ground. And soon as he landed right in front of the group, they all could see that he had lifted a heavy mountain of emotions… off his shoulders. Starlight approached him and she held her hand up to his cheek as she could see the tears that flowed from his eyes. Then she quietly held him in a comforting embrace as Inferno returned her embrace back, while also crying profusely.
Everyone watched with sadded expressions of sympathy and regret. For his whole life, Inferno was treated as an outlaw, a mercenary, a murderer, a monster, a warrior, a messiah… when no one even stopped to see that he was still a broken and grieving young boy who was shown no mercy or fairness at all.
'It looks like… he's finally come out of his shell.' Starswirl thought.
'That's it, Inferno… let it out. As soon as you're done, we'll get our payback. And this time… it's for the last time,' Eternal thought, clenching his fist. 'Watch out, Grogar… because now… we're coming for you!'
Having finally brought down yet another one of Grogar's pawns and uncovering the atrocious truth behind each and every horrible event, the entire crew now has one more task to complete and hopefully bring peace back into their war-torn world.
Can Inferno regain his composure by the time of the final confrontation? Will our heroes be able to put a stop to the malicious demon ram, or will Grogar succeed in turning this world into the next demon kingdom?
Tune in for the next exciting chapter of Wrath of Grogar!
