Chapter 6

___________________________________________________________

I wave as Twilight flies by with Rainbow Dash, before they’re joined by several of the Wonderbolts, singing a song about having got something, I haven’t been paying attention, having too much fun.

It’s been a few weeks since Starlight and I made it back from the past and, thankfully, far as we’ve been able to tell, our presence in the past hasn’t caused any changes.

Although, the fact we’d been in the past might explain why Celestia and Luna were so willing to listen to me when I first got to Equestria.

Sure, I’d had a Wonderbolt to speak for me, but I’d always thought it a little odd how unfazed by my appearance they were.

Guess somepony made a report about us and, minor as it had been and mostly forgotten about, seeing me had triggered the faint memory and they’d kept it to themselves.

Though, that does mean they were fully aware I was going to wind up in the past before Luna’s banishment and said nothing.

Getting Twilight to not leap into action the moment we arrived back in the Map Room hadn’t been easy, but I’d somehow managed.

Starlight turned herself in, expecting a severe punishment for his misguided actions, but, instead, after having debated with the rest of the Mane Six, Twilight had decided to take Starlight on as her personal student.

It was a bit rocky, still is, to be honest, but Starlight seems to be settling into life in Ponyville at least well enough. She even was able to pluck up the courage and return to her old village and apologize to all the ponies there.

As for today, a week and a half after we returned from the past, the princesses had sent a letter to Misty and the other bolts about a festival they were planning on hosting, a Friendship Festival, with the Wonderbolts expected to perform during the day’s festivities.

This works out well for me as, when the other princesses arrive, I intend to speak with Celestia and Luna about keeping my trip to the past a secret from me.

Yes, in the grand scheme of things, it was probably better they said nothing and allowed events to unfold naturally, as telling me could very well have prevented it and caused a paradox, but it still bugs me they didn’t even give a small warning.

As for what happened to my regular flight speed and Warp Drive.

We went back to the Cloudsdale Flight School and I took the test again… with shocking results.

I knew I’d gotten faster after Starlight accidentally zapped me with her magic as she cast Starswirl’s Time Travel spell, but it was still pretty shocking.

While my original top speed had been three hundred and fifty miles per hour even in a dive, my top speed now when not in a dive is now three thousand eight hundred.

Starlight had somehow multiplied my base top flight speed by more than ten times my absolute max, allowing me to reach Mach five speeds. The fuck?

And that wasn’t even my top speed. When I went into a dive, I created a sonic boom, with my top speed reaching speed of seventy-six thousand miles per hour, meaning I was reaching Mach ten speeds.

That is just freaking insane. The only other being who’d ever done that was Rainbow Dash herself.

Starlight somehow made me as fast freaking Rainbow Dash, by accident!

Thankfully, Rainbow Dash hasn’t taken that as a challenge. If anything, she’s glad there’s another flier in the world who can keep up with her.

Regardless, as I’ve no plans on joining the Wonderbolts like her, I’ve just been enjoying the rush of flying so freaking fast.

The only drawback, of course, is I’ve had to increase my calorie intake. The amount I’d burn through on a daily basis was already pretty high, but now, it’s way higher.

“Hey, Max,” I glance down to see a pinkish-purple unicorn waving up to me.

I head down, landing lightly.

“How ya liking the festival?” I ask, folding my arms.

“I like it…” Starlight says, rubbing her right leg.

“But…?” I indicate for her to go on.

“Well…” Starlight looks away. “I… I just feel odd, ya know? Less than a month ago I was plotting to alter all time and space for a ridiculous revenge scheme… and now I’m at a festival for friendship.”

I put my hands behind my head. “Yeah. It is a bit weird. But, then, that’s life in Equestria, right? Weird is just par for the course.”

“You feel uncertain too, Max,” Starlight says firmly, causing my smile to vanish. “We may not know each other well, but Twilight’s told me how you were anxious in the time leading up to the day I went to Ponyville. I can tell, you’re still as anxious now.”

“I… I don’t know what you mean,” I fold my arms, looking away, but bitting my bottom lip.

Much as I am trying to enjoy the festival… Starlight is right. I literally can’t explain why, but, despite everything, I’ve been on edge since waking up this morning.

Like the day of the season five finale events happening out of order, even though I’d been told about this festival in advance… it’s left me on edge.

I have this really, really bad gut feeling that something is going to happen that is definitely not good.

We keep moving through the festival, it not escaping my notice Twilight and the others are stilling singing whatever song it is they’ve started.

We stop by a small fireworks show Trixie is putting on, before Starlight and I find ourselves roped up in the song and just go along with it… until Starlight tapes me on the shoulder and points.

“Is that why you’ve been on edge?” she asks, pointing to a large cake that is falling from the sky and lands on Twilight, three layers thick.

I cock an eyebrow at the oddness of it, before shaking my head and folding my arms, looking away. “I really wish I knew why this feeling won’t leave me alone. Would whatever I’m so worried about just happen already so we can get it over and done with?!”

“Um… be careful what you wish for, Max,” Starlight says apprehensively, pointing behind me.

Turning, I see a large bank of dark storm clouds forming on the horizon… and that feeling intensifies.

“Guessing that’s it?” Starlight asks nervously, no doubt it being obvious to her how my body has tensed.

“Eeyup,” I say through gritted teeth.

It takes about another minute or so, plus a loud thunderclap, before anypony else seems to take notice of the clouds.

A dark dirigible emerges from within the clouds, moving closer and coming down to land, breaking several spires in the process.

A ramp falls down, squashing a pink balloon animal.

“Brian! No!” Party Favour yells in anguish from somewhere in the crowd.

Starlight glances quickly at him, then me, whispering fiercely, “I didn’t know Party Favour was going to be here too!”

We wait as a somewhat hedgehog looking creature comes down the ramp, sets up a megaphone that makes the sound the transformers do with they transform and clears his throat.

“Ponies of Equestria,” he calls out, his voice echoing loudly, “we come on behalf of the fearsome, the powerful, the almighty Storm King.”

As he says those last two words, a banner unfurls on the dirigible, revealing an image of… some kind of yeti, I think?

“And now,” the hedgehog continues, “to deliver the evil, evil message—”

I can’t help but deadpan. Wow. Not even going to pretend are they? Just gonna outright say they’re evil… and yet they’ll likely be confused if we don’t all surrender, wondering how we knew they were evil in the first place.

“Is that a unicorn?” Twilight’s voice pulls me from my thoughts and I see a unicorn has stepped out onto the ramp… who I can best describe as edge lord.

She’s got a dark-purple coat, fierce blue eyes, a short cut mane, a scar over her right-eye and a broken horn that’s sparking.

“I… think so,” Spike says, sounding uncertain. “But, what happened to her horn?”

“Wait a minute,” Starlight says, her eyes showing recognition. “Is that Fizzlepop?”

I can’t hold back the snort that escapes me, causing several ponies to give me odd looks.

What? How can you not laugh at such an edge lord looking pony having as silly and cartoony sounding a name as Fizzlepop? How in the world am I supposed to take her the least bit seriously with a name like that?

Seconds later, Celestia, Luna and Cadance land in front of all the gathered ponies, the former addressing the unicorn. “Tempest, is it? How may we help you?”

Wait, I thought Starlight said her name was Fizzlepop. What’s this Tempest thing about? Her name’s Fizzlepop Tempest? Or is it Tempest Fizzlepop? Either way, it’s still too hilarious a name to be taken seriously as a threat.

Tempest smiles. “Oh, I’m so glad you asked. How about we start with,” her expression darkens, “you’re complete and total surrender?”

I roll my eyes. Called it. Now one of the princesses is gonna say no and Tempest will get confused why nopony is immediately cowering and agreeing to that demand.

“Oh, goodie. All four princesses,” Tempest says after Twilight says we can probably work things out and she starts walking down the ramp. “Here’s the deal, ladies, I need your magic. Give it up nicely please, or we make it difficult, for everyone.”

“And why should we cower before you?” Luna asks sternly. “There’s one of you and hundreds of us!”

My gut drops as that worried feeling from before is back. Why do I feel like Luna just set this Tempest pony up for a “Gotcha”?

Tempest chuckles. “I was hoping you’d choose difficult.”

As she speaks, the a large group of muscular bipedal creatures, the Storm King’s soldiers I assume, step in into the doorway of the balloon as more balloons start to appear out from the dark clouds.

I sometimes hate it when I’m right.

The Storm King’s soldiers start dropping from the balloons, ponies running in terror while the guards move to defend. Wait, where’d the guards come from? And how are they going to be of any use? They’ve proven themselves pretty useless in the past.

I don’t get to see much else though, as I’m dragged along with the crowd.

By the time I’ve been able to pull myself out of the crowd, I’ve lost track of Starlight.

A quick scan of the area, however, make my gut drop as my enhanced eyesight lets me see down below as Celestia is turned to stone.

I see Luna take off into the air as the Tempest unicorn kicks some kind of glowing green orb in her direction.

I don’t even think about it.

I leap into the air and go into Warp Drive.

I slam into Luna, barely missing the green orb, which shatters against a trio of the soldiers.

“Hippogriffs!”

I stare wide eyed as I feel myself held in Luna’s magic and she stares me in the eyes. “Go to the Hippogriffs!”

Before I can even ask what she means she tosses me up, back towards the terrace, a flash of blue light obscuring my vision for a second and my eyes widen in horror as she is revealed encased in stone.

I can barely right myself and skid on the pavement, before feeling my back hit something solid and turn around to see one of the soldiers, it being about my size.

It blinks in confusion, before grabbing my wrist.

“Hey!” I snarl, curling my free fist and socking him in the face.

It throws him off and, using the momentum, I yank my wrist free and kick him in the chest, hearing a loud wheezing.

Glancing around quickly, I see ponies still running from the soldiers, trying to escape.

I snarl. Oh, fuck this. I am not letting some edge lord group of wannabe villains just overrun Canterlot easier than Queen Cheese Legs.

A shout from behind me causes me to turn to see the soldier from before charging at me.

Without thinking, I run forward and find my fist suddenly slammed so hard into his stomach, I can feel his ribs.

He makes a pitiful wheezing gasp, before collapsing to the ground.

I blink, staring down at my hand. Did I just…. go Warp Drive while not flying?

Is that even possible?

I mean, Max in the books never really thought to experiment with her abilities like that, so, I guess it’s possible in short bursts.

I suddenly remember the quick movement effects from Dragonball Z fights, where the character seemed to vanish, then appear closer to the screen a second later, then closer and closer and…

My eyes widen. This could work. But, I certainly won’t be able to win this on my own.

Spreading my wings, I grab the soldier I beat and take to the sky, look around at all the ponies, specifically, those with wings.

I toss the soldier down, his slamming to the ground drawing eyes of both ponies and the other soldiers in the immediate area to me.

“Pegasi!” I yell, barely able to hear myself over the screams, but enough that I know they can hear me. “Are we just going to let these invaders take this land without a fight. We are creatures of the air. We control the skies, not them. Show your ancestry to the warriors of old and fight for you home. Let’s show them we won’t let them take Equestria without a fight!”

I shoot down, aiming a spin kick at several of the soldiers, moving so fast I still catch them off guard, sending them tumbling into each other.

“Max is right!” Misty shouts, flying up into the air. “These skies belong to us! If they think we’ll sit back and let them take our lands, they’ve another thing coming.”

“I’m with Misty!” Soarin yells, flying up to join her.

“Count us in too!” Spitfire calls, the remaining Wonderbolts and other pegasi flying up with her.

There’s a yell as the pegasi all dive-bomb the soldiers, them clearly not expecting this and not being prepared for it.

“We can’t let the pegasi be the only ones to fight!” Starlight calls out, charging, her horn lit. “Unicorns, let’s show them what we’re made of!”

More yells come as the unicorns charge, a spectrum of coloured auras shining from lit horns.

“We can’t let them all have the fun!” Big Mac calls out, thrusting a hoof forward. “Earth Ponies, let’s show them our stuff!”

___________________________________________________________

Tempest growled as she glared around at the city of Canterlot as ponies were running to and fro, some being captured by the soldiers, while others prolonged the chase.

What was taking so long? Why was Grubber not back with the princess yet?

If he didn’t come back with her, all the extra planning before the invasion they’d done after hearing about a strange and powerful creature in Canterlot would have been for nothing.

“Tempest!” she winced, turning around as the tall form of the Storm King stepped out from the dirigible, staff in hand. “What’s taking so long?”

“We will succeed, Your Excellency, I assure you,” she bowed to him. “Just a temporary setback.”

“I held off this invasion so you could get this stick thing,” he said, holding it out, “so I’d better not have been mistaken in trusting your judgment, or else.”

“That’s the Staff of Sacanas, sire,” Tempest said firmly. “It will channel the magic of the four rulers of this land. You’ll soon have the power of a hundred armies.”

The Storm King was about to respond, when the sounds around the suddenly changed.

Yes, there were still screams of terror, but, there was another sound mixed in with them now.

Screams, but… not of fear.

Frowning, Tempest and the Storm King looked to the upper area of the city… to see something they had not expected.

There were ponies flying up and then going down.

What in the world were they doing that for?

It took a few moments of watching for them to realize it wasn’t just ponies going up in the air, but their soldiers too… but not in the same way.

While the ponies were rising up and then diving down, the soldiers were going up as if being thrown up, before tumbling through the air and falling out of sight.

“What in the world is going on over there?” The Storm King frowned, both annoyed and confused.

Suddenly, a figure shot down from the sky and, moving so fast it looked like it was blinking out of existence, the four soldiers nearby fell, before the creature landing in a kneeling position right in front of them.

The Storm King thought it looked a little like a young female of his own species, only bald and with no horns… but with large brown feathered wings sticking out of her back.

“Word of advice,” she growled, shooting forward almost too fast to see, hitting Tempest in the side of the head with a kick, her eyes glaring daggers at the Storm King, “don’t mess with Equestria.”

___________________________________________________________

I soar into the air and glance around as the battle rages on.

All three tribes are working together, pushing back the tied of the Storm King’s soldiers.

Pegasi are attacking from the air, unicorns are stunning, distracting and outright blasting targets and the Earth Ponies are using their brute strength to overwhelm the enemy.

I don’t know how many minutes have passed since I first rallied the ponies, but I don’t want to take too long.

I noticed a bridge explode a little bit ago and know I saw a flash of prismatic colours.

As my eyes scan the area, I see Tempest standing in the area she landed in, a being that is clearly the Storm King standing by her, some kind of staff with a gemstone at its tip held in his hand.

That can’t be good. Best not give him a chance to use that.

I look around and spot Misty knocking a soldier aside and meet her gaze.

We nod and I hit Warp Drive, diving for the two leaders of this invasion.

I don’t leave Warp Drive, rushing the four soldiers near the duo, knocking them out and land firmly, glaring at the two.

“Word of advice,” I growl, shooting in Warp Drive, hitting Tempest in the side of the head with a kick, glaring daggers at the Storm King, “don’t mess with Equestria.”

Don’t care if Starlight knows you, Fizzlepop, you’re working for the enemy. For the moment, that makes you the enemy too.

“You think you can beat me, little satyr?” The Storm King asks in a half joking, half annoyed tone. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

He swings the staff at me, but I catch it easily, causing his eyes to widen.

“I honestly don’t care,” I growl, glaring at him and snarling. “You attacked us and now you’re going to pay for it.”

“Think so?” he yells, grabbing the staff with both hands and yanking back, getting the staff out of my grasp.

Perfect.

I leap back, flaring my wings and go into Warp Drive, shooting forward.

His arms still in the air, he’s totally unprepared and I slam into his chest and we rocket forward and over the edge of the city, going down.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” he yells, struggling to shove me off, but I keep a vice grip around his waist. “Pull up right now and end this farce, you freak!”

I leer up at him. “You asked for it.”

“Huh?” he asks, before crying out in alarm as I angle my wings so we’re shooting up into the air, before swerving.

“What are you—? Wait, stop!” the Storm King yells as he realizes I’m angling towards the nearest dirigible. “Are you insane?! Stop, now! That’s an order!”

“I’m Maximum Ride, asshole!” I yell, going Warp Drive with everything I have. “I don’t take orders! I give them!”

“Stop! Stop! STOP!” the Storm King yells as we collide with the dirigible.

___________________________________________________________

The Storm King’s forces were being pushed back, the ponies were winning, even more so after Princess Luna came out of nowhere, her having apparently faked turned to stone to throw off the invaders and joining the fight.

“Stop! Stop! STOP!”

The loud scream rang out in the air, causing some pegasi to pause, hovering in the air as they looked for the source of the cries.

“Look!” Scootaloo yelled, pointing.

All heads turned too late to see what the filly had been pointing towards, as an explosion from one of the Storm King’s dirigibles docked furthest from Canterlot drew their attention instead.

The giant balloon had become a giant floating ball of fire after someting pushed it to collide the nearest to it, causing a domino effect as each dirigible hit the next in line, exploded and fell too, hitting another, causing a repeat effect.

After the last one had caught aflame, they all tumbled towards the outskirts of the city.

“EVERYPONY, RUN!” Princess Luna called out with the Royal Canterlot Voice, glancing to the pegasi. “WONDERBOLTS AND ANY ABLE PEGASI, TO ME, NOW!”

Unicorns and Earth Ponies fled, a large group of pegasi rushing to Luna’s side as she lit her horn, teleporting them all to where the flaming diriglebls were falling.

“GATHER EVERYPONY YOU CAN, QUICKLY!” the night princess ordered.

The pegasi shoot around the area as quickly as possible, gathering a few ponies who’d been captured or hiding and rushing them to the princess, who lit her horn and teleported them all away as the wall of flames roared down towards them.

As everypony watched the dirigibles crash to the group, the winced as they exploded, one after another as each on crashed.

A cry and pointed hoof made all, even the Storm King’s soldiers, look up as something shot out from the explosion, whirling around and hovering in the air, large wings spread out.

___________________________________________________________

The bent and broken metal around him, the Storm King shouted in exasperation as he pushed a plate of metal aside, before collapsing on the ground, laying amongst the blazing wreck of what were once his unstoppable war ships.

A sound from in front of him made him open his eyes to see the thing that called itself Maximum standing over him, wings outstretched like some deity from those long lost mythical societies, eyes burning with a rage fiercer than the inferno around them.

He gave a wheezing gasp. “Maybe, we can make an arrangement?”

She just snarled, grabbing him by the neck and lifting his face to hers.

“I told you,” she said coldly, “don’t mess with Equestria.”

With that she quickly let go then brought her fist hard on his face, slamming him to the ground.

His last sight being her standing there, glaring down at him with those fierce brown eyes, her hair and wings moving in the winds caused by the flames around them, making her look like a goddess of war.

Author's Note

And that's (most of) the movie's events done.

Now, i'm sure you're wondering, why did i write Max going so hard in this, especially at the end there with near kamikazeing herself into the exploding balloons with the Storm King?

Well, several weeks ago, shortly after i'd posted the prologue for Fury of the Dragon Princess, i'd been listening to a certain song on youtube as i was scrolling through my stories to decide which i'd update next and, when Max came into veiw, pretty much the whole scene from the moment Max is grabbed by that Storm King soldier played out in my head as the song went on and, honestly, i couldn't NOT write it once it happened like that.

the drawback was finding the time to really sit down and write it all out and, honestly, i don't think what i wrote quite lives up to the hype in my head.

that could just be me though, so let me know in the comments.

as for the song in question, which i highly recommend you listen to while reading the fight scenes?

You all know My Hero Academia's You Say Run?

Eeyup. Fits too well for me not to imagine it during that.

So, next chapter, after giving herself only a little time to recover (despite Luna insisting she go longer), Max will be playing damage control, catching up to the Mane 6, letting them no the threat is over, but that the Hippogriffs should be contacted anyway, as they should be informed of the Storm King's downfall.

Definitely won't be doing that tomorrow though, as my cousin is getting married tomorrow, so that will be taking up my time that day, leaving absolutely NO time for writing.

Hope you enjoyed this and it's more fun for you than the slight let down it was for me due to my brain hyping it up too much and, til next time, stay safe, stay clean and see you later everybody