The Queen of the Dragonlord

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 1
Chapter 6
Chapter 20

Chapter 2

Rachel stared at her dumbfoundedly. “Queen?” she echoed Ember’s words.

“Did I stutter?” Ember asked, annoyed. “You’re his queen, always have been since he took you as his mate. Since the guy doesn’t have a horde, he has you.”

“But they haven’t wed.” Twilight responded, trying to reel in the fact that Rachel was queen or something.

“All that wedding junk is pony customs,” Ember said. “Every dragon knows she’s Spike’s mate, once a dragon takes a mate, there isn’t really a ceremony.”

“Just what the actual fuck have you been smoking?” Rachel asked, not believing what she’s hearing. “I’m not a queen.”

“This is complete nonsense. Please leave before I call security.” Brimstone snarled, stepping into the room and getting in between Rachel, Ember and Twilight.

Ember snorted. “No offense, but this isn’t up to you.” She said, cutting her red eyes at him. “When he chose you, did the two of you consummate?” She then asked Rachel.

Rachel rubbed her head at that, frowning. “Uh… yeah we did…on the cruise ship…” she muttered, remembering the first time she and Spike made love, and many, many more since then.

“It’s pretty much all it takes. It just is.” Ember responded. “Trust me, this was discussed months ago between Spike and I during the last migration. It was one of the reasons why I put you through those trials, to see if you got what it takes. And lemme tell ya, you got more balls than anyone else I’ve seen. Spike nearly took back the title from me in order for me to stop the trials.” She then chuckled at that before growing serious.

That would explain why he had jumped in the middle of the arena during one of Rachel’s trials.

“He didn’t want you to both get hurt and others to realize who you truly are to him and have others go after you to get to him. You passed the trials with flying colors, which was what all members of the royal family go through. That was your initiation into Queendom.”

Holy fucking shit.

“That would…explain a lot of things…including the Elder Dragon.” Rachel muttered, remembering the Elder Dragon tried to kill both her and Spike but they were able to take that fucker out - well, Spike did.

Queen…. Rachel scratched the fur on her arms as that title echoed in her mind. She joked about that shit with Spike but she didn’t know it was literal.

“I…I didn’t know Dragons had such customs and laws.” Twilight muttered, listening to this.

“It might be as ancient and backwards than what your pony laws are but that’s the truth.” Ember said. “The only one that can get the Dragonlord to do anything is his Queen. And guess what Rachel, that’s you.” She then motioned her hand for her to come to her. “Let's go, we gotta get you prepared.”

“Rachel is in no position to leave.” Brimstone snapped. "If that creature doesn't want it be found, let it be and leave this place!"

Rachel glared at Brimstone. As uncalled for as that statement was, he was also right. “Ember, I can’t just go. I don’t even know where to start in the first place to find him.”

“Have you tried finding him using the staff, Ember?” Twilight asked.

Ember rolled her eyes. “If I was able to, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, you would’ve seen me grabbing his ass by the horns and tail and forcing his way back here. I taught him too well with magic.”

Twilight then frowned. “Is he really that powerful? I mean I saw him use his powers against Garble but…”

Ember sarcastically gasped. “Gee I wonder why, egghead? He’s good at keeping things under wraps, only doing it because of you.”

Twilight’s ears drooped.

Rachel reached up to rub the ring around her neck. She had memories between her and Spike flashed before her eyes. Everything they had done in the months they’ve been together, what they had done for each other in the act of love.

Her chest hurts each time she envisioned his face, his smell, his touch, causing her to shake her head. "I… I have to think about this," Rachel responded.

Ember snarled, "What is there to think about?" She snapped at Rachel.

"Leave her alone, can't you see she doesn't want to do this? " Brimstone shouted, walking over to her.

"Brimstone, I understand you just want to protect her, but she's our only shot." Twilight said, her wings flexed a little.

"How many times must she risk her life because she's involved with you and your dragon? She ca-"

"Get out." Rachel cuts Brimstone off suddenly.

Brimstone made horse noises. "You heard he-"

"You too, Brimstone. All of you, get out of here." Rachel snarled.

The old stallion turned to her with a look of shock. "My dear I was just-"

"I don't care what you were trying to do, I need to think about this and I can't with all of you in my fucking ears. I'm feeling like I'm going to be sick again. Everyone get the fuck out of here, now!" Rachel snapped as fresh tears streamed down her soaking face.

“Rachel, we’re just~”

Rachel just grabbed something off the wall and threw it at them. “GET OUT!”

The three creatures jumped out of the way as the projectile was thrown at them.

“What the actual fuck, okay okay!” Ember snarled, balling up to her before being ushered out. “You know, the more you just sit on your ass and wallow in pity, the harder it gets to find him.” She barked before heading out.

Twilight frowned looking at her. “Rachel… if you need anything, please call.” Twilight said before leaving.

Brimstone looked at her after the two left. “Rachel, I~”

“Please…Brimstone…just…go.” Rachel croaked, her body shaking, unable to look at the professor.

Brimstone stared at her for the longest time, his heart broke for her before walking away, closing the door behind him.

Rachel waited in her spot as she listened to the voices outside of the door. The three creatures were heard talking and barking at each other loudly before disappearing. The weight of the conversation replayed over and over in a continuous loop, nothing ever prepared her for that.

Then again, nothing has ever prepared her when it comes to this crazy life of hers.

Hours slowly ticked on by as she sat in the darkness of the room. Her fingers peddling with the ring around her neck, her mind slipping into a familiar dark place. As time went on, she couldn’t take it anymore. The room was getting too cramped for her.

She grabbed her jacket out of the closet and went out the door.

Rachel quickly rushed down the hall towards the stairs. Brimstone sees her heading out and ran after her.

“Rachel, where are you going?” He shouted as he ran after her. “Rachel!”

Rachel didn’t stop as she ran up the many flights of stairs and made her way towards the exit. Brimstone was hot on her tail, bursting through the exit door and out in the cold blizzard. The new facility is in the middle of the Frozen North, surrounded by ice and snow.

Though the fur and the scales did prevent her from getting cold, the jacket Rachel took was to help with her eyes and to cover her appearance as she took off.

“RACHEL!” Brimstone called out to her, finally getting her to stop and turn to look at him.

She gave him a sad look before she disappeared into the blizzard.

After hopping on 2 different trains, keeping her head down and trying to get as small as she could to not attract attention, ignoring the newscasts about the human invasion and Sombra’s assaults, Rachel eventually made her way to Fillydelphia. She would fly but she still didn't know how to use her new wings, never really asked to learn how with how crazy things gotten.

As soon as she stepped foot into the city, she quickly made her way towards the Evergrove National Forest. Not even going to go and see the twins. She didn’t want to see anyone. Wanting to be left alone, left to the only place where she can have her own thoughts.

Though her memories of her and Spike were imprinted with their time spent in the cabin.

Rachel made her way down the pathway to the cabin, edging closer and closer to it, she noticed something different towards the pathway after entering the barrier.

There was a tall iron and crystal fence that looked to have surrounded the area.

She looked up at it with her jaw dropped. Knowingly that this wasn't there the last time she was here… here with him.

She walked up to the iron woven gate, peering through the tight spaces between the bars and let out a shuddered gasp.

Up ahead, the path was lit up with tall lamps with special crystals that light up at night that led the way up to the once small and cramped one area cabin, now a much bigger building. The original part of the cabin was still on the bottom floor, but there was more added, making a rather large and whimsical looking multi-level home.

She pushed the gate open and dragged her feet closer to the cabin. Made up of wood with crystal accents that didn't make it look like an eyesore unlike the Friendship Castle. It looked like something from a fairy tale she once read as a child.

Rachel recognized the shape of the building from an old sketch she drew that she showed Spike.

Her heartbeat was going 180 per minute as she walked up to the door, now hearing voices inside. She quickly grabbed the knob of the door and pushed inside.

Inside were a handful of crystal ponies in construction uniform, redecorating the bottom layer of the home. Entering the small foyer into the spacious living room. The ceiling was much larger, much more liveable for much taller creatures that aren't ponies. The walls were currently white as the ponies inside were putting up drywall. Two pathways, one room which looked to be the dining room and the other side was the kitchen that was already finished using beautiful dark wooden cabinets with a resin covered in blue and pink crystal countertop and all its utensils ready and waiting to be used. A long staircase that still doesn't have railings lead up to the second floor. Down a stretch of hallway behind the staircase was a familiar door that led to the small bathroom.

One of the construction ponies looked up and jumped in sight of Rachel, dropping their tools.

"Who in Tartarus are you and how did you find this place??" They barked in alarm. Causing the others to turn and see her.

"This is my place. Who the fuck are you guys??" Rachel growled.

Before the other could get up and confront her - which would be a mistake - another crystal pony spoke up. "Hold on Sprite." They said, going between her and the worker.

They used their magic to poof up a clipboard and read through the paperwork. "You Rachel Lockhart??"

"Who's asking?" Rachel grunted.

"Easy there. We're just here for a job." They said, walking up to her and handed her the paper. "We got contracted by Sir Spike a little over a month ago. We would've been done sooner but that dang protective barrier spell you guys put up delayed my boys and I a week. Was a pain to find this place. "

Rachel stared at them before reading the invoice. Several detailed specifics written down and the modified schematics of the bigger cabin.

He must've contacted them the day two of them left for Canterlot before everything turned to hell.

The contractor looked at her before turning to his guys. "Let's take five, boys."

The construction workers put their tools down and quickly headed outside. Leaving Rachel to look around.

Her lips quivered as she read the papers. Her eyes looked all over the first level, everything was remodeled to make it more… homey. As she looked, her mind started echoing Spike's words from all their talks. The ones that stuck out here were the loudest.

This could be our place, a home for us…

Wouldn't you want a place called home? To have a family here of our own?

I can't imagine my life without you…

You deserve so much more, I'm so sorry that I can't give you everything… no matter what happens to me, just know that I will always love you…

The clipboard and papers slipped from Rachel's claws as fresh tears rain down her face, collapsing to her knees and sobbing. One hand clutching her ring while the other clutching her chest as her heart ached painfully. Of all the pain she felt throughout her whole life, this was by far the worst thing she ever endured.

"Why did you leave me, Spike?! Why?!" She shouted between sobs. Her stomach twisted as she sobbed, causing her to cough and gag haphazardly. Puffs of blue fire scorched the wooden floors, unable to puke up anything since she couldn't keep any food down.

Dry heaving, she got up from the ground, rushing out of the home. She walked up to the lead contractor.

"I-I need to borrow a phone, may I?" She asked with a groan, a hand on her stomach.

They dug their pockets and pulled out their phone and handed it over to her. "Uh, here."

She said thanks before her fingers flew across the number pad, dialing a number before pressing the phone up against her pony ears.

A few rings, someone picked up.

"Hello? Twilight Sparkle speaking, who's this?"

"Twilight, it's Rachel." Rachel grunted in response. "You and Ember said I'm the only one who can bring Spike back?"

"Theoretically speaking, yes. Ember said he has to if you get him. "

Rachel shuddered.

She knows what she has to do.

"I'm at the cabin, come get me. We got work to do. "

She was going to get her dragon back.

Author's Note

Hold on, baby, I'ma coming for you
:rainbowdetermined2:

Chapter 3

“Thank you for considering this, Rachel." Twilight said as she and some of the guards in Canterlot escorted the girl down the hall of the castle. "It means a lot to everyone."

Rachel grunted as she was being led away. "How are we going to find Spike?"

"I took the liberty of discussing it with Princess Luna and Celestia before you said you'll do it. They said they have something planned for you."

"And Ember?"

"She's waiting for us."

Curious.

After walking around in the halls, Rachel was led to the War Room. The Sister Princesses, Cadence, and Ember were all there, at the moment looking at the map.

"We secured the safety of the Kirin Colony, however some of the residents turned into Niriks and began hurting their own and burning homes." Luna said as she slid a miniature model of Sombra into the village. "Reports show that a mysterious black unicorn just looked at them and they were under his spell."

Ember growled. "He's starting off small and working his way up… hate to say it but that's smart." She was still royally ticked off with these two, but she was here, otherwise she’d be back home.

Rachel grunted in remembrances of the Tyrant tried to use his mind control magic on her. It didn't work but her mind was already fucked up, it didn't need any help getting fucked up more.

“Biggest mistake I ever made, not killing him when I had a chance when he was Blueblood.” Rachel spoke in anger.

He was right fucking there, horn broken, impailed. She had a chance to do it and they wouldn’t be here in this place. “Not going to make that mistake again.”

The rulers turned to see the girls coming in. Their eyes were on Rachel.

“Greetings Rachel, it’s good to see you, dear.” Celestia said, her wings stretched a little, her white massive feathers ruffled before settling.

Luna gave her a respective nod while Cadence waved.

Ember snorted. “Took ya long enough, your highness.” she sarcastically said.

Rachel cut her eyes at Ember. “Enough of that, please.” she growled at the blue dragon. Learning what she was, it didn’t set right with her.

Twilight awkwardly coughed at that, scratching her cheeks.

“So, I assume you ladies have a plan?” Rachel asked.

“Yes.” Luna said as used her magic to poof the map away. “Over two months ago, you came in contact with an ancient magical artifact that caused you to intake pony magic. And later draconic magic, which caused you to change to what you are.”

“However, since you are what these called Mother Cells - That is such a stupid ass name. Who the hell names these?” Ember grumbled before continuing. “You have dragon magic in your blood. Passed down from one of your human ancestors my ancestors gave. And now you're what you are now. However, there's something you need to do before the dragons will bow down to you." Ember said.

"I thought you say they'll do what I say because I'm Spike's mate?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, they won't just follow you without something like this." The blue dragon presented the blood staff. It looked much duller than usual, almost gray even but it shimmered when up close to her. "But your ass isn't touching this one."

It took Rachel a moment before asking, "Is there another staff like that one?"

"There is." Another voice echoed. The ladies turned and saw Neighsay walking in the war room with guards escorting him. He was heavily watched since he was brought back, but made himself useful in this time of need. "Sorry I was late," he bowed to the rulers.

Rachel nodded her head towards him out of respect since the two escaped Sombra's grasp.

As soon as he was given the greenlight, Neighsay used his magic, his horn lit up and floating images appeared. Texts from the books he was able to memorize before he got caught.

"These texts explained that the Blood staff Dragonlord Ember has a sister staff. Its power rivals that of the Blood staff itself. " Neighsay said as the image of the staff appeared before them. "Its raw power was what closed the portal centuries ago, and I believe it's what opened it eight years ago."

"This staff is called the Blue Celestial. Only given to the Dragonlord's Mate. However though a dragonlord or dragons can have multiple partners in their horde, only one wields it. Becoming the Lord's Equal." Ember explained. "With that staff in your possession, all dragons will bow to you."

Rachel scratches her neck. “Why do you need me to actually go and get this staff? Ember, you’re acting Dragon Lord, don’t you have that power over the dragons? They'll listen to you more than me.”

"Since Spike holds the power of this thing it's attached to his well-being and emotions. As you can see, the magic is fading. Without this stone, I can't command the dragons." Ember explained.

"But don't you have magic since you inherited it from your father?" Twilight asked her.

"I do yes, but like I mentioned before, I'm not the True Dragon Lord. With Spike gone and feeling the way he's feeling right now, without a trial of combat to exchange hands, the staff is losing its potency." Ember admits. "Without the power of this staff, the other dragons won't fight in this war so we need the Blue Celestial."

Celestia and Luna looked at each other before the white alicorn spoke. "Rachel Lockhart, in order for you to claim your rightful place and help us against the war and find Spike, you must find the staff."

"Where is the staff?" Rachel asked, ready to get started. "I'll go get it."

Neighsay spoke next, what he says sent cold chills down Rachel's spine and would almost make her back out of all of this.

"The staff you seek lies within the temple where the portal opened back on Earth."

The door to the ruined bedroom swung open. Rachel stood in the doorway looking in the dark room.

The last place Spike was in before he took off into the night.

Rachel placed a hand on her belly as her taloned hooves shuffled inside, making her way into the center of the room. She gazed upon the deep slashes in the walls, the torn paintings, the shredded curtains, holes in the walls and busted mirrors. The bed overturned and was destroyed. Rachel could feel the sadness radiating, the pain and guilt.

So much carnage, so much blood was spilt because of his out-of-control rampage.

She rubbed her stomach as if she was trying to soothe herself.

Last thing she ever expected was going back to her birth world. The last time she went back she had what she believed was the final altercation with her father. And now she has to go back to find the Queen's staff.

From what Ember and Neighsay said, the Blue Celestial was last seen in the temple back on Earth. She knew it would be tricky, knowing that both the Settlement and the Temple itself was being guarded by armed human forces. She doesn't know what other dangers lie ahead… But she knows if she doesn't, the ponies won't stand a chance. Dragons are stronger physically and their strength is needed.

If the staff can help get her mate back, she's all in.

However, there was something she needed to address. It's going to be dangerous either way, but in her condition, it's twice more.

"Rachel?" Twilight's voice carried.

Rachel looked over her shoulder to see the princess. She hesitantly walks in, her ears flatten upon entering the last place of her brother.

"How are you feeling?" She asked her.

"Uh, not good, but I'll get over it." Rachel said before glancing at her stomach. "How am I supposed to go back to Earth when the portal is heavily guarded? I'd get detained and or shot when soldiers see me."

"I already have something in mind." Twilight said as Rachel turned to look at her. "I don't think the human soldiers know about the mirror portal. I have some friends on the other side who have been bringing in ponies who were trapped. They retain their pony looks but if you go in, in theory you'll be human again."

"I just got used to the fact I'm a furry dragon."

"I know, but they won't shoot you on sight if you look like them." Twilight responded. "I already arranged my friends to help you on this quest so you won't be alone… however."

"What is it? "

Twilight Sparkle took in a deep breath before responding. "They are variants of my friends and I. Rachel, you'll be encountering another version of both Spike and Rarity."

Meeting another version of those two… she didn't know how she felt about that.

"If it makes you feel better, that Spike is a dog… but remember, that Rarity hasn't done anything so she's innocent… unlike ours." Twilight frowned when mentioning her dead friend.

To Rachel, this just becomes even more awkward if she's faced with another Spike.

Seeing this look on her face, Twilight tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

Rachel sighed, shaking her head. After a moment of debating, she looked at the princess. "I'm pregnant, Twilight." She admits to her.

Twilight's eyes widened and her wings unfurled completely. "Uh, excuse me but what?!"

Rachel nodded before lowering her hand. "I'm pregnant. I only found out a couple of weeks ago. Brimstone doesn't really know, no one knows but you."

Twilight gripped her head as she was trying to comprehend this. Spike is going to be a dad! But he doesn't know!!

The thought of a baby right now, some - no a lot, could say with how things are, it's such a bad time. Then again, it's exciting that a baby is going to be born…

"I have so many mixed emotions right about now. Rachel, are you sure you're pregnant??" Twilight asked her to make sure.

"My boobs feel even heavier than usual, I already have a heightened sense of smell but I can now clearly smell Donut Joe's through these thick ass walls many blocks away and it's making me wanna devour everything he's baking and yet I wanna throw up everytime I eat." Rachel counted off the signs she noticed.

To triple check to make sure, Twilight lit her horn up, her eyes glowed as she stared at Rachel's belly. Peering into her womb, the princess let out a gasp. Seeing the early development of a fetus. The tiny dots of what looks to be eyes, teeny tiny stubs that look like arms and legs and a tail were growing.

"Oh sweet Celestia…" Twilight muttered as the magic dispates.

"Yeah, which means me going is going to have more risks, since we don't know what we'll be actually facing." Rachel said.

"And risk losing the baby all together." Twilight said. "We'll have to think of something else for you. You can't go at this point."

Rachel snarled at that. "I'll be extra careful, this is the only plan we have. I've seen what this staff looks like before, thought it was a figment of my imagination but it's confirmed it's not. You said I'll have a team to help."

"But there is a risk of you losing the baby. You lost one before right?"

That painful reminder causes Rachel to frown. This time was different, Rachel learned early that she's pregnant, but that thought has crossed her mind.

"I can't wait for the kid to get here in order for me to do this mission. I doubt Ember is gonna just have me wait when things are at stake." Rachel sighed. “I can’t just sit around and do nothing. I’m not just doing this for me, I’m doing this for our family.”

Twilight frowned. She let out a sigh, “this is a lot. This is dangerous. I’m sure we can find someone else to go. I can go”

“This is Spike we’re talking about. The father of our kid. After every fucking thing he has done, and trust me, he has do so much for all of us. Your arm is broken and you haven’t physically seen this staff. I’m going to do this, I’ll be careful but it has to be me…it has to.” Rachel shuddered with a whisper. Placing her hand over her stomach.

She could feel it inside her. The baby growing inside her, she didn’t want to raise it alone without him, it deserves both parents, Spike deserves to be a parent, he has to come back.

“Spike…has done everything for us, it's time for us to do something for him. And that is bringing him home. And if it means crossing worlds, fighting against armies, crawling through the pits of Hell and beyond to get the staff that would help track him back, by God as my witness, I’m going to bring my mate back.” she said more defiantly.

Eight and a half years ago…

Fifteen year old Rachel Lockhart was sitting in one of the assigned rooms inside the Temple of Draconia, located somewhere near the cold mountains of Scandivania. Wearing a long sleeve white and gray toned shirt, leggings and had her white shoes placed against the bed she was on.

Rachel looked up at her room, seeing the interesting temple paintings on the walls as she sketched it out on her sketchbook. The other women in the room dressed similar to her were two twenty year olds, and one in their mid-thirties. two brunettes and a redhead. Rachel doesn’t remember their names so she names them Brunette 1 and 2 were the twenty year olds and Red was mid-thirties.

Brunette1, bunched up in the bed. “Phew, does anyone think this place is just a little bit creepy?”

“Yeah, though it feels like we’re in an Indiana Jones flick staying in this place.” Brunette 2 said.

“It’s not that bad.” Red said.. “Done some archeology work when I was a kid with my parents. Seen one temple, you pretty much seen them all.”

“Even if the temple has a lot of dragon carvings?”

“The only time I’ve seen dragon carvings was when I visited China. I’m sure the carvings were exaggerated or the people are wearing dragon-like costumes.”

Rachel let out a laugh at that. “They look like real dragons to me.” she responded softly before looking down at her book.

The other girls looked at each other before looking back at the teen. “And how do you know that?”

The teen rolled her eyes and sighed, closing the book on her lap. “Seriously?” She looked at them. “We’re about to cross over to a world full of anthromorphic creatures. We’ve met several anthromorphic ponies and they mentioned dragons exist and they had mentioned they look like these carvings and paintings.”

“Speaking of which,” Brunette 2 asked, tilting her head to look at her. “What’s with you and that pony, Professor Brimstone, up to? The two of you have been getting rather close these last couple of weeks.”

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you that. What’s up with the two of you?” Red asked.

Rachel rolled her eyes at them. “He’s been helping me out with a few things. Nothing too serious.” She had her long blonde hair covering her burning red ears. “I’m just having trouble understanding a few things.”

“You sure?” Brunette 1 questioned.

The teen grunted as she opened her sketchbook back up, this time digging out her mp3 player and headphones and began putting them together. Ready to block these guys out before someone came up to their room.

“Yo, they’re assembling the Settlers,” A very tall, thinned young man, roughly around 18, came in, he had a tenor-like voice, African descent with long braids tied back into a ponytail and hazel eyes spoke in a British accent. The girls turned to look at him, seeing that he had his to-go bag ready. He was attractive in a nerd kind of way. “It’s time.”

Time to go to their new homes….

The girls began to gather their things to go. The three adults quickly grabbed their bags and headed out.

Rachel took a bit of her own time as she gathered her drawings and items she found during one of her explorations in the Temple.

As she stuffed them in her bag, she stopped when she began hearing something. Faint raspy whispers, sounding like they were right next to her. Causing her to inclined her head towards the sound and look up. On the wall, there was a deep crack.

She approached the crack and placed her ear up against it.

The man watched her and frowned. “You hear them too?” he asked her. “The voices, the noise in the walls?”

Rachel didn’t know how to respond to that as she pulled back away from it. She nodded. “How long have you been hearing them?” she asked, giving her some sort of relief that she wasn’t the only one hearing things around here.

“Third night, right after one of my roommates disappeared.” He responded. “You?”

“The minute I stepped foot in the temple.” She said, pushing her hair over her ears, exposing them not red. “Did they find your roommate?”

“Nah. I suspect he either got kicked out or fell into some crawl space. I’ve asked the suits here if they had any idea where he went to, they say they're looking into it but I just have a bad feeling.” He said. “Name’s Malik you?”

“Rachel.” She responded. “So they’re just gonna continue the program without having him found?”

“They can’t stop it. And I really don’t wanna miss the chance for a quantum realm traveling into an unknown world.” He gave her a friendly smile. “Let’s go.”

Rachel nodded before she grabbed her things and left with Malik.

The two quickly joined the rest of the Two Hundred Applicants as they gathered around what looked to be once upon a time a throne room. On the top steps, surrounded by armored guards and several ponies in lab coats waiting next to a large, rainbow flowing portal with a bright white center.

The Portal to Equestria, the settlers' new home.

Malik leaned close to Rachel and whispered. "Ready to leave Kansas, Dorothy?" He asked in a slight tease.

Rachel snorted. "Dorothy?" She grinned. "If I'm Dorothy, what makes you?"

"Uh...." Malik hummed. "Tin Man?"

Rachel looked at him up and down and shook her head. "Nah! you got a heart already...I say you're...Scarecrow."

"Why am I Scarecrow? I think I do have a brain, missy." He taps his skull with his fist.

"Because you're as skinny as a real life Scarecrow." Rachel teased back and he let out a crow-like laugh that made her laugh.

Now…

Rachel was waiting in Twilight’s study back at Ponyville. She eyed the mirror portal, looking at her reflection.

She wasn’t this nervous when she last traveled back to the Human World. With so much more at stake, she has the right to be nervous, even a bit scared. She had already said her goodbyes to the Twins and Brimstone. All of them were equally displeased at the fact she’s even going to do this crazy mission. Brimstone called it suicide. The twins begged her not to go, but Rachel had already made up her mind. She hadn't even told them about the baby because it was only making things worse.

She’ll deal with the earful when she comes back.

Twilight and Ember eventually came into the study.

“Are you ready to take the staff?” Ember asked her, crossing her arms with the blood staff tucked into them. Her tail idly curled and uncurled.

“Let’s get started. Where’s Celestia and Luna?” Rachel asked Twilight.

“Celestia and Luna are currently gathering more allies for the war front.” Twilight responded. “Now Rachel, while you’re back in the Human World, don’t focus on the war here. Focus on getting the staff and come home safe, both of you.” she eyed her belly.

“Which by the way, going at this pregnant is bit of badass, just don’t try and fuck up.” Ember grunted.

“I won’t fail.” Rachel nodded before Twilight went over to the mirror.

She grabbed a lever with her good hand and pulled it down. Lights lit up and the mirror began shimmering. Gears turned and groaned before the portal opened. “Remember, you have people waiting for you on the other side, they’ll help you out, the variants you will meet are not the same so try not to harbor any ill grudges against them, they’re all innocent.”

She was talking about a certain individual Rachel will meet when crossing over.

“Good luck and don’t die.” Ember said, seeing her off.

“Good luck, Rachel.” Twilight said.

Rachel sighed before looking at the mirror. She stared at it for a while before balling her fists and stepped forward.

She then soon entered the Mirror.

An array of rainbows exploded all around her as Rachel traveled through the portal. Her body was glowing white as the change happened. Everything was spinning so fast everything was a blur. It lasted a span of five seconds before she was shot out on the other side.

Rachel landed on her side with a grunt. “Crud that was awful.” Rachel groaned, feeling her stomach turning and felt a need to throw up. She wasn’t told that using the portal sent her into a colorful rollercoaster.

Shaking her head, she held a hand on her baby bump as she got to her knees and looked around, finding herself in front of Canterlot High. She never went to school here but it wasn’t far from her old school before looking at her hands.

She tilted her head when she saw her hands, seeing that she not only saw her human tanned skin, but her warm brown claws were still there. Rachel reached up to her ears, found them on their normal spot when she was human, but they were to a point. Rolled her tongue over her teeth to find she retained her sharp teeth. She turned around to look up at the horse statue before looking at her reflection. Her golden draconic eyes were still there.

Just like when Sombra used his mind magic on Rachel. She looked mostly human but she retained some of her draconic parts.

A new figure came to view in the reflective stone next to her, causing Rachel to stiffen. A big dog stood next to her, his tail wagged as if he was excited to see her. Emerald green eyes and a purple spiked collar around his neck, ears slightly floppy, though the fur was black, instead of purple and green, she recognized him. Having seen her beloved in this form once months ago.

“Hi, I’m Spike.” this world Spike introduced himself to her.

Chapter 4

Rachel stared blankly at dog Spike, her heart was at this point bleeding in pain looking at him.

The dog stopped wagging his tail and tilted his head to the side. "Are you okay? I understand traveling across worlds can be hard if you're not used to it."

Not him, not him, not him, not him. Rachel mentally repeated that phrase after he spoke.

"Spike, back up a bit, give her some space." A new voice came up, the dog patted over to her and sat down.

Rachel followed his path towards a young woman. Her skin was a caramel color, but her hair was fiery red with yellow streaks, wearing a black biker jacket, a sunset colored shirt, leather pants and biker boots. Wearing a red and orange necklace with a symbol of a sun on it.

"Sorry, got a bit excited." Spike responded, scratching his ears with his back paws.

Rachel then heard very familiar voices and looked behind the woman, seeing three girls leaving an unmarked van. Though their skin tones were normal, their hair wasn't. A fair skinned girl dressed in colors of green and teal with long pink hair with a slightly darker, athletic built girl with rainbow colors cut short in a dark blue and yellow striped jumpsuit escorted a frightened white, brown spotted pegasus to the statue.

The human girls were also wearing special looking necklaces around their necks.

"Don't worry, Poppylocks, you'll be home in no time, you're safe." The sound of Fluttershy came out of one of their lips.

"Yeah, what she said." Rainbow Dash said. The two briefly looked at the new girl before taking the pony to the statue.

"Just step in and you'll be home." Fluttershy said motherly.

"Thank you girls so much." The pegasus praised them.

"Don't mention it." Dash said. "Have a safe trip."

Poppylocks nodded before stepping into the portal and disappeared.

"Okay, that was the last one, hi." Fluttershy then turned her attention to Rachel, who was still on the ground watching everything.

It was… .so freaking weird hearing the ponies' voices coming out of these two and Spike.

"Sunset, is this the chick we're working with?" Rainbow Dash asked, pointing at Rachel.

Rachel sniffed, realizing her sense of smell was still heightened, combined with her hormones. The girls do smell like their pony variants but with obvious differences. No two smells were exactly alike.

However, this Sunset Shimmer, had pony scented all over her merged with the smells of this world.

"Yeah, this is her." Sunset said as she approached Rachel and offered a hand for her to grab. "Judging by your face, you recognized these voices. Rachel." she smirked.

"All but yours." Rachel said before grabbing Sunset's and was pulled up to her feet, standing over them. Rachel had always been taller than a lot of humans.

"Yeah, that's to be expected.” Sunset said, looking up at her. “Name’s Sunset Shimmer.”

“Wow, you’re tall.” Fluttershy muttered softly, feeling slightly intimidated as she and others had to tilt their heads up to look at her. Seeing her unnatural features made her slightly scary.

Rachel stared at her when she said and sighed. “You’re Flutters,” she then turned to the Human Rainbow Dash. “RD.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Bet this is so weird for you then.”

Rachel nodded, glancing down at Spike. “You have no clue.” she muttered.

Then her stomach growled, and with that baby inside her, she was starving.

Sunset chuckled. “Come on, we gotta meet up with the others at the motel, we’ll be doing the mission briefing there, and pick up something for you.”

“Thank you.” Rachel said, hopefully she could keep her food down.

As they began walking towards the van, Spike noticed a peculiar scent coming off of the new girl. He padded up to her, and stuck his nose up to her belly and sniffed, tail wagging.

Rachel quickly pushed him off of her, a deep dragon-like growl escaped from her lips, causing Spike to let out a whimper, tail quickly between his legs and quickly walked ahead to go to the van.

“What was that about?” Rainbow Dash muttered as the girls and Spike looked at each other puzzled.

As Rachel quickly made her way towards the van, she noticed another girl was sitting in the driver’s seat. Farmer tanned skin, green eyes, blonde hair and wearing a stetson. “Howdy.” This world Applejack tipped her hat to her. “You must be Rachel, ready to go?”

“You have no clue, Applejack.” she said briskly before sliding the van door open and climbed in.

Okay, Rachel knew she can’t have a snappy attitude while she was here. She was here to do a mission, these girls and their dog was there to help her. She knows it’s not him, it’s not her Spike and knows she can’t take her anger out on him.

Damnit Spike. Rachel thought as she buried her face in her hands as the others climbed in and shut the van door.

RD, Flutters and Spike were in one row in the van and Sunset took a seat next to her.

“Hot diggity, let’s hit the road.” Applejack said as she shifted gear and proceeded to drive the van out of the school zone and down the street.

As they drove, Sunset looked at her curiously. Her hand flexed a little before she reached over and placed it on her shoulder, her greenish blue eyes suddenly flashed white.

She suddenly sees brief fast moments of Rachel and her mate. Seeing them in their most loving, intimate parts of their relationship to the heartache and pain of finding him gone.

It lasted a second before Rachel shrugged her hand off. “Sorry, but please don’t touch me.” Rachel grunted.

“Sorry,.” Sunset said.

Rachel shook her head before turning her head to look out the window.

Sunset gazed at her for a while before sighing.

Rainbow Dash let out a fake cough to get Sunset’s attention, hovering over the seat and mouthed. “What did you see?”

Sunset motioned her hand, signaling her friend to drop it.

Rachel watched the world move. She noticed there was something… off about this side, it became more apparent once the van turned to the main road and into the highway. She noticed that a lot of buildings were gone as there were many, many sinkholes. Large natural holes that could appear out of nowhere, sucking up everything in its way. The skies were not normal, having a more red haze in the air. Every once in a while when she looks, she sees small white specks falling from the sky.

She didn’t notice this when she first came to this side, being distracted seeing this world's variants.

“So…what’s the newest thing in this realm?” Rachel asked the girls. “It's been awhile since I’ve been on this side.” four and a half years exactly.

“It’s been really hard in these years.” Fluttershy muttered, looking outside with a saddened gaze.

“Does it have to do with all these sinkholes and the red sky?” Rachel asked.

The other girls looked at each other before looking back at Rachel. “You haven’t heard the news, haven’t you?” Applejack asked as she continued to drive. Watching the road to make sure no sinkhole emerged.

“Like I mentioned, it’s been a few years since I crossed back over.” Rachel brushed her bangs out of her face.

Spike watched her for a moment before speaking. “It started a couple of years ago. sinkholes began to pop up out of nowhere. Now typically, sinkholes are a natural occurrence but these holes are not. Almost every continent, buildings and landscape began caving in on themselves.”

“What do you mean, these aren’t natural?” Rachel then turned to look at them.

“The holes were created by magic. There’s no rhyme or reason, or when one will form.” Sunset responded. “The more holes created, the redder the skies turn. Those white specks in the air are ashes, caused by some of the holes reaching down to the earth’s crust and particles shoot out and have them fall. They roughly began when the Portal opened up years ago.”

“How do you know that?”

“Our Twilight knows some guys who worked at the temple we’re about to go to.” Dash answered. “And when examining many holes and ashes, it was determined that magic from that Portal being opened for so long is the cause of all of this.

“In other words, because of that Portal, our world is dying.”

Rachel’s eyes widened when she heard that. The Human world was dying??

“You gotta be kidding me? Dying??” Rachel asked.

“Whoa!” AJ suddenly yells, slamming the brakes down, sending everything forward as the wheels screeched.

Rachel braced her arms out, holding onto the seat in front of her, Sunset placed her arm over Rachel to keep her seated as the van came to a stop. Sounds of car horns screeched and sounds of crushing metal rain all over them.

Panting, hearts now beating in their throats, the girls poked out to see what caused their driver to stop so violently and they gasped.

A large hole in a 100 foot diameter was in front of them, taking up two lanes and several vehicles who didn’t stop in time fall in and disappear, ultimately lost to the pit below.

“To answer yer question, yes, this world is dying, and it's getting worse.” Applejack gulped.

Fluttershy sobbed, covering her face in Spike’s fur, seeing this happening in front of them.

Rachel placed her hands on her baby bump, feeling the baby still in its place. She realized that If this world was dying, then the Humans invading wasn’t the result of Blueblood, they weren’t invading to get their “humans” back from the evil ponies, it was a ruse, or for resources as she thought before.

The War going on back home, is the Human’s way of getting ready to bring more humans over, it was going to be a total take over….

Rachel thought this through. If what Neighsay said was true about the Blue Celestial, the staff was the reason the Portal opened in the first place, then the Portal must be closed while she’s here before the War gets too far.

She has to get to that staff before it's too late.

After a couple of hours of driving, picking up some burgers and fries along the way, Applejack soon pulls into a rather dingy, raunchy looking two story Motel 9. Pulling into one of the covered carports before killing the engine and the gang got out of it.

Rachel scrunched her nose as she smelled how much it stunk in this place, though she has food in her hands and will plan on eating everything inside, the smell of the motel itself, it’s combined smells of rotting garbage, unsanitary people, just different smells hitting her was making her gag. She could hear many sounds coming from inside the rooms that were giving her a migraine.

“Sorry it ain’t the Hilton Hotel,” Applejack apologized. “We’re trying to stay low to not attract attention to the rolling army.”

“No no, I get it.” Rachel muttered.

They walked up to the second floor, one of the girls used their cardkeys and unlocked the door and opened it, Spike woved around their legs to enter first.

Inside of the two bedded room, a rather chunky white girl wearing a striped pink and white shirt and matching shorts - her sleepwear - was laying upside down on one of the beds, playing some video games on a small boxed TV with a PS4 that they brought hooked up to it, also wearing a necklace. Having large, pink insanely curly hair.

And a dark skinned girl with glasses was sitting cross legged on the ground, sitting in front of a coffee table with a laptop in front of her and fingers were flying on the keys. Her hair was an indigo color with pink and violet stripes in a ponytail, also wearing a necklace.

Spike walked over to her and just leaned up against her, licking her face, getting her away from the screen.

“Spike! Hey boy!” Twilight’s voice squealed in laughter as she was greeted by him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing the top of his head, scratching his fur.

“Hi guys!” the voice of Pinkie Pie greeted before quickly turning on her stomach to see them and now Rachel entered the room and closed the door.

And as fast as her pony counterpart, Pinkie Pie launched her way over to Rachel, grabbed her hand and shook rapidly. “Hi I’m Pinkie Pie, you must be Rachel, it's nice to meetcha!” Pinkie squealed enthusiastically.

And once again, human/pony whatever, Rachel mentally questions this girl’s strength as her arm vibrates by the intense handshake.

“Oooh you have pretty eyes, ears and~” She let out a loud, exaggerated gasp. “Wow that’s a lot of sharp pointy teeth you got there? Who’s your dentist because they look bad. Or you dig them then in that case they look good on you!”

“Knock it off Pinks, you’re gonna overwhelm her.” Rainbow Dash said as she plops on the bed, kicking her boots off of her in the process.

“We nearly drove into a sinkhole again.” Fluttershy sighed.

“Yikes! Ooh you got food? I’m starving!” Pinkie Pie then went to grab the food from Rachel.

She moved the bag away from her. “Nuh uh. Sorry but these are mine, I’m eating for two.” Rachel grunted.

The smell of the meat of the burgers was getting to her and she wanted to feed.

“You’re what?!” The girls in the room yelped in unison. Spike shifted his gaze down on the ground.

“Now what is with all that ruckus?”

Rachel’s blood begins boiling once she hears that voice. The bathroom door swings open, stepping out wearing a lush white robe, hair wrapped up in a towel, wearing a green face mask.

It was this world’s Rarity.

And at that moment, Rachel had a look of murder shine in her eyes.

Author's Note

:twilightoops: Rachel! we talked about this!
😡 Don't start with me, Twilight Sparkle

Chapter 5

Rachel went rigid when she watched this world's Rarity coming out of the bathroom. Look of kill in her eyes.

Not her, not her, not her. She mentally repeatedly told herself. Pony Rarity is dead, she's gone, not coming back.

She rubbed her eyes, shuddered a little as she took deep breaths. Not Pony Rarity, not her Spike. They may have their voices but it was not them.

"Oh, hello dear." Human Rarity greeted once she saw the new tall girl. "Are you okay?"

"Rachel here is having a bit of an adjustment." Sunset explained. "She knows the other yous," gesturing to the other girls and Spike. "Personally."

"Yeah." Rachel muttered before looking at them, lowering her hand. "I'm sorry if I come off as snappy and bitchy, my mind is coming to terms with some things. If I snap at you guys for any reason, it's not your fault… especially you two. " She looked at Spike and Rarity. "I know it's different here so please forgive me if I seem… "

"Grouchy?" Pinkie Pie giggled.

"Plus hormones, yes I'm doing this mission pregnant so please forgive me for any future outbursts." Rachel said with clarity.

"You're pregnant?? You know we're going to be doing something dangerous." Applejack grunted.

"I already went through this song and dance before I left." Rachel sighed deeply. "I can't wait until I give birth to do this, judging by both worlds, we're running out of time." She said as she walked over to one of the chairs next to the small dining table and sat down.

Rarity watched her as she pulled the towel off of her head. Rachel narrowed her eyes, noticing instead of purple, Rarity's long wet hair was a dark brown color. "If it makes things a little better, you can call us by our real names."

That's right! Rachel had forgotten that this side doesn't use weird pony like names!

"Right, right, that would help with me actually." Rachel muttered. She looked at everyone as her hands dug into the burger bag and pulled out several hamburgers and fries out. "So, what's your names?"

"I'm Cassandra." Sci-Twi said with a smile and wave.

"Lucy!" Pinkie spoke.

"Serenity." Fluttershy whispered.

"Angel and trust me I would rather stick with Rainbow Dash because I'm not an angel." Dash said as she sat up.

"Yet you got the wings of one, babe." Applejack winked at her. Dash stuck her tongue out at her. "Name's Jacklin but I've always been called Applejack. And Angel here is my girlfriend."

"And I am Elizabeth." Rarity introduced herself.

"I've always been called Spike so no name for me." Spike said before Cassandra scratched his spot on his shoulder and he let out a happy whine, leg thump in joy.

"I don't know my human name so I'll just stick to Sunset." Sunset chuckled.

Okay that does help out Rachel tremendously. Also as they were introducing themselves to her, they but Elizabeth who already had hers off, took off their special necklaces, their colorful hair - aside from Applejack's - faded to their real colors. Cassandra and Angel's hairs were black, Lucy's hair was a reddish blonde but still insanely curly, Serenity's was a champagne blonde, Sunset's was still fiery red but she had dyed frosted blonde streaks.

"We get our colorful hair when we pony up and or wear these magic necklaces." Cassandra explained when she puts the necklace back on, the pony colors returned. "We also have some sort of pony magic too."

She demonstrated by raising her left hand up to Rachel, hand glowing pink. She engulfs the same aura around one of the burgers, raises it up in the air and unwraps it for her and gives it to Rachel.

"Oh, thanks." Rachel said, impressed before diving into the burger. First bite of meat she had in a few weeks was the best she had. After chewing and swallowing, she waited to see if the baby was going to have a problem with it.

No feeling of throwing up so Rachel feasted happily.

"Ooh ooh I wanna demonstrate!" Lucy enthusiastically raised her arms up.

"NO!" The other girls shouted.

Dash became a blur, speed running up to her friend and grabbed her hands and held them. "No confetti explosion! Remember what happened at the last motel we stayed at??"

"What?! Our neighbor was throwing a party and I got a little too excited." Lucy whined, jumping a little.

"Sugarcube, I know the phrase "blow the roof off this place" but you literally blew the roof off of that place." AJ reminded her.

"Plus we talked about not to use your powers indoors." Spike muttered before yawning.

"I-I can talk to animals." Serenity said as she put her necklace back on as well.

"And wings, both Cassandra, Serenity and I have wings and we can fly." Dash said, making sure Lucy wouldn't use her powers before letting her go. "And I'm wicked fast."

"I can see memories of those I touched." Sunset said.

Rachel pauses her eating to stare at her. Sunset did touch her twice earlier.

Just what did she see?

"Don't worry, I saw nothing." Sunset assured Rachel, even though it was a lie.

Don't think she needed to say anything about her love life with a dragon. However the fact Rachel's currently pregnant with a dragon's baby does raise some questions.

Rachel resumes her burger feast.

"So anyway, mission debrief." Sunset clapped her hands, getting everyone's attention.

The girls gathered around to listen, Rachel listened from her spot while eating.

"Okay, Rachel here is sent from Equestria to retrieve an artifact from the Temple of Draconia, where the Portal recides to help combat the soldiers who are currently invading that world. And we've been asked by Princess Twilight to assist her in this assignment."

"It's surrounded by the U.N soldiers so getting in is going to be tricky." Cassandra said as she pulled up an online map, showing off the aerial view of where they needed to go, showing them military convoys unloading supplies. "Not to mention there are a lot of unexplored places inside the Temple so the artifact could be anywhere. I already contacted my older brother Shaun, he can fly us as close to the temple as he can. Then we're on our own."

"Isn't Shaun one of the soldiers?" Dash asked.

"He refused to participate in the Invasion along with others. So big brother is on our side." Cassandra pushed the glasses back on.

"So we're basically Tomb Raiding?" Lucy asked, already excited for this.

"Basically." Rachel gulped her burgers down before switching to the large fries. "And I don't know what else we're going to be encountering, either way, it's going to be dangerous… and saying sorry ahead of time for whatever therapy sessions you all might need after running with me. Thank you all for helping me out." She was grateful to have the help.

"You're very welcome." Serenity smiled.

"Okay, we know the mission, we'll head out to the airport tomorrow, get some sleep. Rachel, you're bunking with me for the night." Sunset said.

"Gotcha."

After finishing eating her delicious greasy food and throwing the trash away, Rachel and Sunset went to another motel room down the outside walkway.

Sunset looks up at her. "You know what you need to do?" She asks her.

"Getting the dragon staff I need." Rachel responded as she rubbed her satisfied bump.

"Am I going to expect trouble with you and Elizabeth? I saw that look of yours, you looked like you were ready to skin her alive." Sunset pointed out when they came to their room for the evening.

"If she was Pony Rarity, I would have." Rachel admitted but shook her head. "I'm good. I know the difference. Same goes for Spike."

Sunset nodded. "As long as there won't be a problem, we're square." She said before looking at Rachel's bump. "Are you really pregnant with a dragon's baby?? With Spike's no less?"

"Eeyup. And I'm planning on finding my mate after I return home." Rachel nodded.

A sound of a camera going off in the distance caught Rachel's attention. She looked over the railing and gazed out in the bushes. She sniffed the air, combing through the different smells, separating smells from the motel to something in the bushes.

And it smells Equestrian.

"Everything okay?" Sunset asked her. She was told that Rachel has extremely heightened senses being what she was.

Rachel stared out before grunting. "Let's not be in the open." She says and the girls retire for the night.

In the bushes, several people were hiding, one of them had a large camera in their hands. They scanned the photos they managed to catch of the motel, examining Rachel's pictures in particular.

"There's the target." One of them spoke in confirmation. Holding an old picture of Rachel in their hands to compare the photos.

They wore similar white clothes with red splashed on them with the White Mantle symbol etched in their clothes.

Author's Note

Welp, looks like some of the White Mantle didn't get the memo of what happened to their boss (Stated what happened in Rewrite The Stars). And Rachel is going to finally release all that anger she had been holding since what happened to Spike and what Pony Rarity did. :pinkiecrazy: RIP those guys next chapter.

Now to clear up a few things cause I know there's a lot of confusion. I've stated this in A Week On A Cruise that Earth is the place that Princess Twilight and Spike had gone to through the mirror portal. But I made the EG world more like our world so they have more human qualities. Thus the EG girls having real, human names, what do you guys think of their real names I given them?

I am a writer so technically I'm God in this universe. :heart: :heart: :heart:

Chapter 7

“One, two and heeyup!” Applejack grunted as she lifted the van up with both hands. Rainbow Dash quickly worked on unscrewing the bolts and nuts and popped the first right passenger side wheel. Hands a blur as she and her girlfriend made quick work.

As the mane 7 stood near the van as the couple worked, discussing what exactly just happened while Rachel, who had turned back to her human self, was rummaging through the car the dead White Mantle was just in. Having to pull their mangled bodies in the ditches on the side of the road.

One of the girls turned to see Rachel finding what looks like a bag of chips and proceeded to open them up and began eating it.

“How is she eating after doing all that??” Elizabeth asked in disbelief. Watching Rachel act like she didn’t just slaughter a bunch of Equestrian Ponies like they were nothing.

“Uh Sunset, you might have to explain a few things about our new friend because what Rachel just did was…” Cassandra trailed off.

“Awful! We don’t kill others, how are we just going to do this mission with her??” Serenity whimpered.

Sunset sighed. “Okay okay, I should’ve made things a bit clearer. I didn’t think this was going to happen but Rachel here obviously isn’t normal. Not even human.” she explained. “Judging by the emblem these guys wore, they are part of a group she and your ponyselves encountered and fought. A small army of them attacked Princess Twilight’s castle.”

“Why does she look like a demon when she turns? Not like how you turned the first time, Sunny but still.” Lucy looked at Rachel as she glanced over from inside the car and waved at her.

“From what I was told, it’s because she has both dragon and pony magic. Looks like she has more dragon than expected.” Sunset said. “The White Mantle has been a major problem in Equestria but I didn’t think it was that extreme…until a few minutes ago.” Sunset then looked back at Rachel.

“Huh, no wonder she was in a foul mood.” Spike responded with a shrug.

“I was shot, thrown from the air, set on fire at the same time by the White Mantle,” Rachel called out. “That’s just what they personally did to me.”

The gang blinked in surprise that she was able to hear all of that from where she was at.

“Yeah, I heard ya’ll. Get over it.” Rachel spoke as she tossed a chip in her mouth as she came back to the group. She then looked at Elizabeth and offered her the bag. “Want some?”

Elizabeth took a step back from her, especially since Rachel was covered in blood.

Rachel smirked at that.

“Rachel, I’m sorry but, we don’t kill. What you did was not right.” Cassandra pushed her glasses further up her face.

“It’s kill or be killed~” As soon as those words left Rachel’s mouth, they heard something pop and a squishing sound coming from down the road. “Ah, I thought I missed two.”

“What was that?” Applejack asked as she set the van down and walked around to the other side and lifted it up for Dash to work on the other tires.

“Two other ponies losing their heads.” Rachel then giggled at that. “Bet their heads just popped like a zit.”

“That’s so morbid!” Elizabeth shouted.

Sunset, Lucy and Spike looked over Rachel’s shoulders and eyes widened.

Two ponies who were on their way towards them were on the ground twenty feet from the car. Heads exploded and brains all over the ground.

“They were already dead, like I said.” Rachel said as she ate more chips. “Any White Mantle that joined has something implanted in their heads. So in case they either failed a mission or were captured, their heads exploded to prevent them from being interrogated.” She explained. “So in a way, killing them is a mercy, but it doesn’t matter to me either way because anyone associating with them, I have zero sympathy for them. I don’t care if they have families back home waiting for them, I don’t give a single fuck because the crimes they committed, lives they ruined, they all deserve to die and I have no sympathy for them. Damn these are good chips.”

“So you killed a lot of White Mantle guys?” Dash asked as she changed tires.

“Lost count. And trust me when I say this girls, this shit here,” Rachel motioned the ponies. “Is nothing to whatever we’re about to face in the Temple. Also adding the fact it’s guarded by the military here. So get this shock factor out of your systems before we head on out. I did apologize about your future therapy sessions right?”

“Eeyup.” Applejack grunted before setting the van down.

The Mane 7 and Spike stared at Rachel for a bit, seeing her finish the bag of chips and crumpled up the trash and stuffed it in her pocket to hold until they got to where she could dispose of it properly.

“What?” Rachel asked.

“Darling, you’re covered in blood.” Elizabeth pointed out.

Rachel glanced down at her bloody clothes. “Huh, won’t be the first and won’t be the last.” she shrugged.

Rachel truly lost the will to care at this point.

“W-we have some clothes we can spare,” Cassandra gulps. “We gotta go if we’re going to make it to the airstrip.”

Though they have a mission to do, it was clear that the girls were a bit scared of Rachel, seeing what she was capable of doing. Rachel sees this but she wasn’t here to make friends.

They got a job to do.

They all climbed back in the van and quickly drove away from the possible crime scene.

Finally, they eventually drove up to a commercial airstrip. There was a cargo plane that was already on the strip, standing near the opening was a medium built man wearing a murky green jumpsuit, slick back black hair, much lighter skin tone waiting for them.

“That’s my brother, Shaun.” Cassandra points out the Human version of Shining Armor. “Looks like he got everything situated for us.” She said as she unfastened her seatbelt along with the girls.

“I’m gonna change real quick, why don’t you all go out.” Rachel suggested. Her voice was a little strained. Could it be because of what she did an hour ago?

However, by the way Spike turned to look at her, it wasn’t the case.

“You can use my clothes.” Applejack offered. It made sense since she was the tallest of the group. Well it was until Rachel showed up by several inches.

“Don’t take long, we’re on a deadline.” Rainbow Dash said as she got out first. Serenity and Elizabeth couldn’t get out of there fast enough, followed by Lucy, Cassandra and Applejack. Spike did get out but he didn’t go up to Shaun like his owner did.

The girls did go to grab their bags out, Applejack opened hers and pulled out a pair of jeans and a clean long sleeve shirt and handed it to Rachel. She then noticed this look on her face. “Sugar, are you okay?”

Rachel nodded. “Just, gimme a minute.” she muttered softly as she grabbed the clothes.

“If you say so, hon.” the farmer girl said before closing the backdoor. They did leave the side doors opened a little to let some air in.

Once the girls were out of earshot, Rachel finally broke down.

Burying her face in her hands, her heart racing as everything all at once dropped on her. What she had done, memories of events and trauma hitting her like a thousand ton bricks. Moaning and whimpering as her body shook. Her anxiety had blown up after everything slightly began winding down on the drive here. She didn’t want the others to see her like this.

Everything associated with what happened with the White Mantle viciously replayed in her mind. Especially the moments where Garble had her by the throat.

Remembering being thrown, set on fire, spiraling out of control before crashing on the ground. She did remember using a special magic stone the girls back home gave her that gave her a shield ability but it left her in a coma.

Her hands moved from her face, one placed over her racing heart, the other on her baby bump. She knew she had to get her heart rate and breathing under control but she couldn’t bring herself to.

“Rachel? Rachel??” She hears someone calling her name, it sounded like her mate but mentally she didn't know if it was him or not.

She wanted his arms around her. Wanting him to hold her, to make her feel as if everything was going to be okay instead of feeling like the end of the world was coming.

She wanted her Spike.

Rachel didn’t register Dog Spike pushing the door all the way with his body before hopping in the back row seats with her.

Spike stared at her for a second before hopping on the seat and scooted as close as he could before lying down. He placed his head on her lap, pressing against her womb and closed his eyes. Bringing his heart rate down to a calm rate.

He didn’t say a word, just calmly breathing against Rachel’s erratic breathing.

It took Rachel a long time to register the dog on her, but just feeling his calm breathing was working, it was starting to help with her racing heart. Her hands slowly moved, wrapping around his neck and body, stroking and petting his fur, leaning into his warm body.

“Sorry…” she whispered with a soft sob.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Spike responded as he was calming her down. “Stress is really not good for the baby, anxiety attacks are worse. You’ve been through a lot.”

Rachel let out a humorless laugh as she continued to focus on the dog, petting his fur and trying to match her heartbeat with his. “You have no idea…”

He waited a moment before speaking again. “This is the most we have spoken since we met. I know you said you were going through things, but you haven’t talked to me, much less barely look at me…”

Rachel sniffled, burying her face in his soft fur.

“I know you mentioned it before, but is the reason why you haven’t looked or talked to me is because of the other me?” He asked.

He only met dragon Spike once, roughly right after the Friendship Games when the girls were still in High School. It was a funny sight, especially both Cassandra’s and Princess Twilight’s facial expressions that day.

Rachel nodded. “It’s not your fault but…when I hear your voice, all I hear is him. I’m sorry but…” her voice quivered a little. She inhaled and exhaled twice before continuing. “The other you… My Spike, he’s my mate.”

“Oh?....Ooooh.” Spike put the pieces together. “And I’m guessing the baby daddy is him?”

She nodded again. “Yeah.”

Spike then smirked and asked, “Since you step through the portal looking human, and dragons turned into dogs when they cross over, does that mean you have a puppy in you?”

Rachel let out a groan and a laugh. “Noooo, why did you have to go and say that?” She moans and laughs at the same time. Spike giggled, his tail wagging triumphant. “I tried so hard not to think about that.”

“How did you manage to hook up with him? How did you two meet exactly?”

Rachel giggled, wiping her face with her hands. “We, uh, we met on a cruise months ago. Haven't even left the sky docks and we bumped into each other.”

“Cruises are nice.”

She nodded in agreement. “That cruise was eventful, that's for damn sure. I don’t know, we just seemed to be drawn to each other. It doesn’t usually take me a week to fall in love with someone, but it took a week for me to fall for him and him for me. We had ups and downs, but what couple hasn’t. With hell we went through, we could’ve conquered anything, got through everything together…” She pulled the chain around her neck and showed him the ring. The black banded ring with multi-colored gems across the band. “He even proposed to me and I said yes almost instantly…” Feeling another wave of emotions coming, she dropped the ring back down and continued to pet the dog.

“What happened?” Spike muttered.

Rachel shuddered. “My mate, my fiancé, he left me. Something…something terrible happened to both of us and he ran away… left a note stating he didn’t want me to see him at his worst and not wanting to find him.”

Spike let out a sad whimper. “You don’t know where he went?”

“No… it’s one of the reasons I’m here. This artifact I’m looking for, its what I need to find him. Even if I have to drag him by his tail, I’m going to bring him home.”

“You’d move heaven and hell for him, huh?”

“I’ll move both a million times if that’s what it takes.”

“Does he know about…?”

Rachel shook her head. “No…no, he doesn’t know.” She answered. “I only found out two weeks ago and he’s been gone for a month.”

The two lay in silence for a moment before Spike spoke. “Hey, one Spike to another, what he pulled was a dick move. He’d probably been trying to save you the heartache, but him leaving only hurt you. And if he’s anything like me and I had run away, especially from someone like you, I would regret it instantly. Running away from the ones you love only causes more pain than what it’s worth. It’ll take time, but I believe he will come back… probably do a hell of a lot of asskissing.”

Rachel laughed. “That’s one of his cute quirks. You think he will?” She does know if they are reunited, Spike would do a whole lot of apologizing, groveling and doing what he does best. After she whacks him good on the head for putting her through this mess.

“I know he will. It’s what I would’ve done.” Spike smiled. “Hey, you’re breathing well, that’s great. The kid’s heart rate is back down too.”

“Wait, you can hear the baby? I didn’t think it developed a heart beat just yet. I’m only a month and a half along.” Rachel looked down.

“Oh I can hear it. And smell it.” Spike smelt her stomach, tail wagging as he senses the little one in her belly. “I was able to tell before the others knew.”

Rachel chuckled. “What does the baby’s heart sound like?”

Spike raised his head up to look at her and smiled. “Mighty. Strong, like its mother.” And just because of doggy ways, he licks her face, causing her to giggle. “Better?”

Rachel smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I do now…thank you.” She said before hugging him and kissing his head.

“As a certified therapy dog for Cassandra, it’s my job. I take my payments in treats and pets.” Rachel barks out laughing once he says that.

That made so much sense, thinking how Twili-nanas Twilight Sparkle back home gets. Maybe she should get a dog like her human counterpart.

“Hey, what’s the hold up?!” Rachel heard one of the girls called out from the plane. “We’re about to leave!”

“Right, right.” Rachel chuckled. “Now, I gotta get changed, out you.”

“I’m a dog, I don’t really care if you get undressed in front of me. None of the other girls mind.” Spike smirked before hopping out of the backseats and out the van side doors.

Rachel watched him leave and shook her head with a giggle. Feeling a bit better than how she felt before. She still had a lot of issues to work out, but she could now function a bit more.

After changing the bloody clothes to jeans that didn’t go all the way down her legs and slipping on the long sleeve shirt, she got out of the van, closed the doors and joined everyone on the plane.

Scandinvania, there they come.

Author's Note

:moustache: - Woof woof 🐶

Chapter 8

Flying over Denmark…

Hugging a small trash can on a rumbling cargo plane for eight and a half hours was horrible. Though Rachel had taken the nausea meds before the flight began, it didn’t stop her from puking each time they hit turbulence and each jerk the plane made.

Everyone was seated on benches, strapped down with belts, clinging onto the extra straps on the walls to make sure they didn’t go all over the place. There were also large crates of unknown items strapped down in the center of the back of the plane.

With another jerk of the plane, Elizabeth yelped. “Why didn’t we choose flying on safer means of transportation or on a boat??”

Cassandra held on to the strap with one hand, and had a death-like vice grip on Spike’s collar so he wouldn't go flying all over the place. “This is an older military model. We’re only a hundred feet in the air so we won’t be spotted so easily and possibly be shot out from the sky, plus free airfare??”

“Boats are too slow~oh fuck!” Rachel groaned as she continued to throw up. She never had motion sickness when it came to flying, especially riding on Spike when he would take her out for flights.

“Well, your brother could have picked a better model that isn’t being held together with duct tape and glue.” Elizabeth whimpers. Staring at one piece of metal that had tape on it.

“I heard that, this is my baby, she needs some work but she hasn’t failed me yet.” Shaun called out from the front of the plane through the intercom.

“I thought Faith was your baby.” Lucy asked. Not having any problems with the ride and just enjoying the ride.

“Who’d you think I named my plane after?”

Rainbow Dash was starting to look more green around the gills. She craned her neck to look over at Rachel who was more near the front of the plane near the cockpit. “Yo Rach, lemme have a turn with that can.”

“Get your own, Dash.” Rachel heaved, burying her face in the can. “Good God, are we almost there?!” She’d rather be sedated than be awake and endured this torture again. She’d been on many planes before but this ride was absolutely the worst!

“I’d like to be off of this too!” Spike shook in his paws, tail tucked between his legs.

Serenity gritted her teeth and had her eyes closed, Sunset Shimmer looked queasy as well but not as bad as the other two girls.

“Dash, you can fly, how are you airsick??” Sunset asked.

“I’m so fast, I don’t notice. Rachel, you better hand over that can or I’m puking over here!” Dash growled. Covering her mouth with her hand to try and prevent her spewing her guts.

“Not on me!” Elizabeth squealed. She would be in the direct line of Dash’s vomit if she does throw up, being in the back of the plane near the cargo doors. The other option would be Lucy who was also next to her.

“Do it.” Rachel egged on while she moaned, clinging to the sacred trash can.

“Hold on guys, we’re coming up for a landing.” Shaun called out as he pressed some buttons. “We’re here.”

All of them in the back were excited to get off of this plane.

It took a moment for Shaun to land the plane in what looks to be a field with lights on the ground showing a clear track for him to land. Driving the plane down a hundred meters until he was able to come to a full stop.

After they landed and the cargo doors opened, the gang was hit by a cool breeze. It was summertime but yet it feels a bit like the end of winter here with some snow still on the ground. All of them were given some jackets and some gear provided by Shaun.

Some flashlights, helmets to protect their heads for whatever they’ll come into contact with in the Temple. Knowingly the Temple was eons old, there was no telling how stable it was, some climbing gear with climbing axes for each girl.

Shaun did try to provide the girls with some sort of weapons like guns in case the U.N soldiers caught them and they needed to defend themselves but the Mane 7 declined.

“We have powers, I think we can defend ourselves, thanks bro either way.” Cassandra assured him.

“I don’t like guns so unless you got a bow and arrows in your arsenal there, no guns for me.” Rachel said as she slipped the jacket on.

“You shoot?” AJ asked out of interest as she pulled her gear over her back.

“Yeah, and I’m pretty damn good at it, not to toot my own horn but.” Rachel shrugged.

“Sweet, hey maybe once we get through with this mission of yours, you are up for a bit of shooting. I do archery from time to time.” The farmer girl offered.

“We’ll see,” Rachel responded as she threw her gear on as well. As she did, she looked up at the distance.

She could barely see the tips of the snow capped mountains miles from them. However, near those mountains was the Temple itself. It was still a little ways away but just being out here made her feel strange things.

“How far is the Temple from here?” Sunset Shimmer asked Shaun.

“Over three hundred clicks up south.” Shaun responded as he helped Serenity with the straps of her gear.

“That’s over a hundred and eighty-six miles.” Cassandra mentioned.

Elizabeth looked around in the field. “So, where’s our ride?” She asked as she grabbed her luggage.

“No ride.” Shaun said.

Everyone turned to look at him. “No ride??” Lucy asked.

“No ride. Sorry, after my crew and I refused to participate in the invasion, we weren’t allowed near the Temple. I could get court-martialed if I’m caught. I got you guys here as far as I could, but you’re now on your own.” He then looked at Cassandra and frowned. “I do think you should reconsider this. I understand the importance but this is way too dangerous, especially for my little sister. This isn’t wild leaked Equestrian magic you girls are used to dealing with.”

“We have to. We made a promise to help Rachel get what she needs.” Cassandra fixed the ponytail of her hair. “Maybe while we’re here, we can figure out how to shut down the portal for good. I do have some friends who are working as scientists.”

“They were fired prior to the invasion. Like I said, you guys are going to be on your own.” Shaun sighed before looking at Rachel. “Mind if I talk to you real quick?”

“So wait, we’re just going to walk the rest of the way??” Elizabeth asked, surprised. “It’s going to take us forever to get there.”

“It's a two and a half day journey by foot. Easy peasy.” Dash said, ready to get started. “Maybe three depending how much we stop.”

Rachel approached Shaun. “What’s up?” she asked, staring down at him. Having a couple inches taller than him.

“Just wanting to know a few things since you are taking my sister and her friends into this dangerous place. What do you have to gain by going?” Shaun asked, crossing his arms as he stared at her.

Rachel sighed, rubbing her forehead before responding to that. “It’s a mission I have to get done from Equestria. What I need to get will help the other side and get what I want.”

“And that is…?”

“My family.” she muttered. “Your sister and her friends didn’t have to assist me on this, I know this is going to be dangerous, especially since the last time I came here, a lot of the Temple is still unexplored, in addition to the U.N Soldiers guarding that portal. I’m doing this for my family and to save my home.”

Shaun grunted, glancing over at Cassandra and Spike before back at Rachel. “If she or the others get hurt during this, it’s on you.”

“Understood, but like they also know by now to expect trouble. I’ll try and make sure they all get back here in one piece but you of all people should know that I can’t make that promise.” She then glanced up at the sky. “It’s going to be dark soon, we need to start the hike right now before it gets too late.”

Shaun sighed. Knowing that there was no way she could make that promise, especially going into unknown territory. “Good luck to you then.” He said. “Good luck to all of you.”

“We’ll be back soon. You gonna wait for us?” Cassandra asked.

Shaun smirked. “Cassy, I’m gonna wait here until you guys get back. But if you all aren’t back within the week, I’m coming in myself.”

Cassandra walked up to him and gave her brother a hug. Shaun hugged her and then petted Spike. “Watch out for her and the others?”

“Dude, you know me.” Spike chuckled.

They all then turned and began walking.

Several hours later, the girls stopped for the night, surrounded by trees and foliage. Got a small fire going, Rachel tended to it as tents were being set up by the others.

“You know I can help you guys.” Rachel called out to them, not having to turn around to see that they were having a bit of a problem putting a couple up.

“No, no, we got this. Can’t have you exert any more energy than you need to, hon.” Applejack said as she and Dash were untangling wires and fabric.

“I’m pregnant, not impaired. Or did you guys just forget what I did before we got here?”

“Oh darling we know. We just don't need you to exert yourself." Elizabeth said as she stepped back when Cassandra motioned her to back up.

"I got this." Cassandra said as she waved her right hand and levitated the tents, quickly putting them all together and settled it back down. "That'll do it."

Rachel turned her head to see Serenity was chatting with some squirrels and bunnies.

"Uh huh, uh huh, oh Mrs. Squirrel that's interesting." Serenity nodded as she listened to them speak to her.

Lucy came through the clearing with armfuls of sticks with Spike carrying sticks in his mouth.

"What's the word, Fluttershy?" Lucy asked as they joined Rachel and put the sticks down next to her to feed the fire..

"Oh, they're just telling me about Denmark. So many rich cultures and learning about things.” Serenity said as she reached out and pet them on their heads.

“Anything about Vikings? Those guys were badasses.” Dash called out as she joined the firepit with the others.

“Badasses? They were raiders, murderers.” Elizabeth mentioned.

“But they have a rich culture, language, arts, and music.” Rachel commented. “Their ties to Valhalla and to the Norse gods. In fact, some of the VIking’s ways are similar to how Dragons act. And since dragons used to live on this side and the Temple of Draconia has been stated it existed Pre-Viking era.” She then paused and thought about it before continuing. “So if you think about it, the Dragons here influence them.”

“You seem to know an awful lot about Dragons.” Cassandra mentioned, looking at her.

“I have some knowledge of Dragons when I lived in Equestria, just know they did try to take over the pegasi but they lost.” Sunset Shimmer mentioned.

“Actually it was Flash Magnus who challenged the dragons and Dragon Lord Torch took up that challenge.” Rachel pointed out. “They only attacked Flash Magnus and his squad first because the pegasi flew over dragon territory and dragons are fiercely protective of their lands and didn't want anyone else pushing them out of their homes again like humans did long ago.” Everyone, including Spike, looked at her with much interest.

Applejack adjusted her hat. "Uh… that's a lot."

"Are you with a dragon? Is that why you know all of this?" Cassandra asked.

Both Rachel and Spike looked at each other.

Sunset scratched the back of her head.

The silence spoke louder than words.

Cassandra watched how Rachel and Spike looked at each other and her jaw dropped. "You're with the Other Spike? That dragon?!"

The other girls started bombarding Rachel for information, asking various questions such as how they met, how they made it work with them being different species, how other dragons reacted Spike being with a human if humans drove them to Equestria. How she was able to get dragon magic and if it was from hers. Aren’t dragons scary? How are they able to have sex and etc.

Spike saw that they were overwhelming her, some got a little too close to her belly and he snapped at the girls, growling and snapped his teeth at them. Stepping between the girls and Rachel. "Okay okay back up, all of you!" He barked at them.

Cassandra, Lucy, Elizabeth, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Serenity jumped back from Spike’s aggravation. Cassandra especially was surprised to have Spike snap at her like that.

“Yeah, I’m with him,” Sunset Shimmer told them.

“Sorry, but we can’t help but be curious about this.” Lucy said.

Rachel reached over and began rubbing and scratching Spike’s back, getting him to calm down before looking at the other girls. And like with her dragon, she was able to get the dog variant to cool it with the aggro. Him quickly melting in her hands and leaned against her and rolled to his stomach cutely. She shook her head before proceeding to give him belly rubs.

She then looked up to the girls as she messed with the dog. “Okay, let’s get this shock value over with, yes, I’m mates with a literal fire breathing dragon. We work because we just do, and plus I knew some knowledge about dragons years before I even met my Spike. I used to work at a bar as a bartender, serving dragons their drinks when they occasionally come in after the Migration. When I started dating him, I learned more. And the Temple? My first week of being there, I wanted nothing more than to explore and learn more about the dragons that used to live in this world. Even more fascinating was the fact dragons existed at all. So yeah, I had a thing for dragons for years. And the artifact I’m here to retrieve is tied to the dragons.”

“How is it tied to the dragons?” Serenity asked. “If you don’t mind us asking, that is.”

Rachel sighed, taking a moment to compose herself before continuing. “The artifact I’m looking for is called the Blue Celestial. It’s a staff with magical proportions, it’s also called the Queen Staff, belonging to only The Dragon Lord’s Queen, their true equal, and it’s still there in the Temple somewhere.”

“Did the Dragon Lord send you here to get it because you’re human? Or somewhat?” Elizabeth asked. “For his queen? Why does she need it?”

Rachel sucked in air through her teeth. “Uh you can say that.” She then closed her eyes, sighing again. “Okay here comes more shocking news,” she muttered before looking at the girls. “Okay, I’m just going to rip this band aid off, no bullshitting around. With the war in Equestria going on, the Ponies need a lot of help. Their armies suck ass, weak dumbasses who haven't seen a battlefield in a thousand years, their ultimate weapon is destroyed and the guardian of the Bloodstaff is losing its ability to command the dragons. Without the Blue Celestial, the dragons won’t fight. Spike’s the True Dragon Lord, he’s missing, and as his literal fucking Queen, I need to get my staff to not only get others in line, but mainly use it’s power to find my mate.”

“WHAT?!” all of them in the group gasped out loud.

“Wait wait, the other me is The Dragon Lord?” Doggo Spike asked while looking up at her upside down surprised.

Rachel nodded in response. She then saw that all the girls were going to bombard her with questions again and she raised a hand to shut them up. “I didn’t know I was Queen until days ago. I’m still coming to terms to this, don’t treat me any more differently than you all already have so please…spare me any more questions because I don’t know all the answers and I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. I have no plan, I figure shit out along the way.”

“Just how you~”

“Please ask no questions.” She cut them off.

“But~”

“Shizz!” Rachel shushed them.

After a minute of what was like pure bliss of silence to the mother-to-be, Dash broke the silence. “Hey Rachel?”

Rachel let out a deep sigh, bowed her head. “Yes?” she responded. “What is it, Dash?”

“It’s not about dragons or this queen business, it’s about when you turned before.” She said.

“What about it?”

“In your dragon form, I noticed you had wings. Do you know how to fly with them?” Dash asked curiously.

Serenity and Cassandra stiffened. “Oh no, Dash, don’t!” Cassandra desperately pleaded with her.

“Uuuuhumm, no.” Rachel replied. “Back home, I grew a pair of wings as well, but with how things had gotten, I never got around to learning how to fly. Why?”

“Oh dear no.” Serenity whimpered, burying her face in her hands.

Twenty minutes later…

“Angel, fucking, Rainbow Dash, you officially had lost it!” Rachel yelps as she and the others were standing at the edge of the cliff looking over the forest below.

Rainbow Dash, Serenity and Cassandra all had pony-upped, pony ears were on their heads, their hair grew to mimic a tail and their wings were out and exposed. Two of the girls were just as scared as Rachel.

“Dash, please don’t do this to her!” Cassandra pleaded for her.

“Please, she’s with child!” Serenity cried out.

“Dash, don’t you fucking dare!” They could hear Spike in the background hollering but Applejack was holding him back.

“What! We all had to learn this way.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Now Queenie, dragon-up so we can continue.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it works that way.” Rachel gazed down. “I already did this a month ago and I didn’t fly either.”

“Yeah, you just gotta keep falling in order to use those wings.” Dash assured.

“If you’re teaching her how to fly, wouldn't you like to start her off with a smaller height??” Elizabeth asked with worry.

“Sorry Rares, you don’t have wings, this isn’t your business.” Rainbow waves her off.

“I’m not doing this.” Rachel begins laughing but it wasn’t humorous. “Me and heights have a love/hate relationship so fuck this and fuck you.”

“You’re jumping.” Dash crossed her arms.

“No I’m no~ YOU FUCKING CUNT!!” Dash cuts her off by speed running up to Rachel and shoving her off the cliff!

“SHE’S PREGNANT, YOU IDIOT!” Serenity screamed as she and Cassandra jumped after her.

“Oh she’s fine!” Dash called out. “We all did this with higher heights!”

Both girls flapped their wings as fast as they could, racing both to try and catch Rachel.

However, the closer they got to the ground, they noticed that they couldn’t find her!

“Do you see her?” Serenity asked panting. Looking around the grounds and clouds but both unable to see her.

“No! I can’t believe she fucking did that!” Cassandra gripped her head in disbelief that Rainbow did that. “Where is she?!”

Rainbow Dash waited a moment before jumping off of the cliff and flew up to them. “Okay where is she?” she asked nonchalantly.

Both of her friends gave her a deathglare.

“What? We all have been~” Rainbow Dash was suddenly cut off when a figure shot from the clouds. Rachel, being in her dragon form, flew up to her and socked the prism colored hair girl in the face so hard, it caused a shock wave and sent Dash flying and crashing back to the cliff. When landed, it formed a six foot crater.

“YOU EARNED THAT YOU BITCH!” Rachel growled, her yellow furred dragon wings beat as hard as they could to keep her up afloat, using new muscles she hasn’t used before to keep her flying.

Rainbow Dash’s face was bloody, her nose looked very crooked, right eye blackened and a tooth was knocked out.

Author's Note

Rachel to Rainbow Dash:

Dash is lucky she only gotten a single punch.

Chapter 9

Eight years ago…

It was seven in the morning in the outskirts of New York. Inside of a research facility that was assigned for applying to go on the Settlement program. It had been two years prior since the Portal first opened and the World of Equestria was exposed to all.

Sitting in the far right back row of this classroom for those who have just applied in the U.S. (not including those from all other countries of the world), sitting next to the exit, Rachel Lockhart waited with four hundred applicants which she knew would dwindle down once they began to advance towards migration day. Countries from all over the world were doing the same thing, weeding out applicants.

She still couldn’t believe she had made it this far without her father coming after her. Two weeks after she had run away for what she believed was the final time, her hands shook on the desk and her legs jittering underneath.

Rachel wore a two tone, black and red tank top with a solid black long sleeve shirt underneath, bracelets and bangles on her wrists that covered the deep bruising from being grabbed, black beanie to cover her ears. Though at fifteen, she wasn’t really skilled and had all the know-how with makeup but she thought she did a good job making herself appear older and covered the red mark on her cheek and busted lip.

She would casually look over her shoulder to look at the exit. Her mind playing tricks, believing her father was going to burst through those doors and drag her out of the building by force.

All the teen knew that going to this Equestria was her last chance. Her last chance of freedom. She didn’t think she could survive another night with him… She came close to offing herself up if she hadn’t seen the article that they needed people to travel worlds with.

Scientists, college kids, adventurists, those with a curious mind, everyone had more experience than the teen was in this large college-like classroom.

Rachel just had to pray to whatever God that was listening - even to her it didn’t do a bit of good in the past - that her pale disguise and her being a tall 6’5 was passable for an adult who knows her shit.

She didn’t know her shit.

Fifteen minutes later, doors from another entry below the classroom opened and a single woman doctor came in.

“Sorry for the late start everyone,” The brown haired woman with glasses wore a purple blouse, black skirt with a white lab coat and black heels came waltzing in. “Traffic for our new guests was brutal, but we’re all here now.”

There was clamoring going around with the other applicants before things quiet down.

“Now, for those who don’t know, my name is Doctor Helena Jurgen, I specialized in Quantum Physics and was on the research team that had discovered the portal to Equestria. For the next six weeks, my team and I will comb through each and one of you. Not only for your physical strengths and mental capacity to cross over to a new world.” The Doctor explained, gazing at every one of them in the room.

“For the first two weeks, all of you will be educated about this new world. What better way of educating you than some of the natives of this land. Bring them in.”

Everyone sat up in their seats as they watched these creatures walking into the room. No sound was made, only the sounds of their hooves going against the tile wood floors. It was the first time besides a handful would see these three different ponies show up.

A normal looking pony, a pegasus and a unicorn, all tall, all walking on two hind legs, normal looking torsos and arms but with horse-like heads and tails. All pastel and colorful unlike anything they have seen.

No fucking way, are these guys wearing furry costumes?? Rachel though and probably a lot of people thought when they saw the Equestrians for the first time.

There was no way, right?

The earth pony, the red stallion with the slick back short silver mane and tail, had an eyepatch covering one eye while the other eye, as black as coal, stepped forward and spoke. “Good morning everyone, My name is Professor Brimstone.” He talked.

Unless the costume was brilliantly done well to actually mimic real features - which was unlikely - this anthro pony just talk english!

When he spoke however, something about it made Rachel’s heart stop. She whipped her head around the room to make sure she wasn’t hearing who she thought it was. Something about his voice was so familiar that it was making her sweat bullets.

As the other two gave their names, Professor Brimstone was looking around the room, seeing a collection of awed faces, and a lot of confusion and disbelief. When his eyes landed on the teen however, she had none of those faces.

She was scared and nervous and couldn't kept her eyes off of him. The girl wasn’t looking at the more fancier ponies, the unicorn and pegasus, she was looking at him specifically.

And something about her seemed….familiar to him too.

“Now, the three of us will be separating you into three groups. One group will be learning one thing while the others work on another. Each day, we will rotate you in our care to ensure each of you will learn about the Ponies in Equestria. Learning about our culture and ways so there will not be any ignorants running their smart mouths and angering our residents.” Professor Brimstone said.

“Each and every one of you will learn whatever you’ve been taught, you will be quizzed and tested on. Those with failing scores will automatically be out of the program.” The pegasus said.

“Brimstone, care to pick first?” The female unicorn asked her.

The corner of his lips lifted a little. “Dr. Velvet Skies, thank you very much.” The Professor nodded to her.

Then the stallion turned his single gaze over up at the teen. “You there. Far right near the exit.”

Rachel stiffened when he pointed her out.

“What’s your name?” he asked her.

Rachel gulps, coughing into her hands before standing up. “Darline… Darline Burk.” Rachel spoke, using her mother’s maiden name, trying to make her voice sound older and try to proceed to be an adult. Her ears burned red from her lying, but it was her beanie that was hiding them from view.

“You are with me, Miss. Burk.” Professor Brimstone said in a serious tone.

Oh fuck….

Now…

“Sheesh, how many times do I have to apologize??” Rainbow Dash asked, having to hold a towel full of snow up to her face, icing her wounds as everyone was continuing their trek the following day.

“Until we get to the Temple, I don’t want you to say a mother fucking word, how about that?” Rachel grunted. Still visibly pissed off that she was shoved over a cliff by this bitch.

“I think that’s for the best, sugarcube.” Applejack said to her girlfriend. She kept looking at the damage the single punch did to RD’s face. “Sheesh, that’s a nasty shiner.”

“It’s not as nasty as my nose. Think she broke it.” Rainbow Dash grunted, looking at her. Removing the snow towel to reveal the swollen red nose.

“Serves you right.” Elizabeth humphed.

“And I thought I had to worry about her causing trouble.” Sunset muttered, talking about Rachel and how she was to Elizabeth. Not Rainbow Dash.

Lucy was skipping around, taking many photos of the scenery as they ventured. Taking photos of the girls, Spike, taking many selfies. “Can’t wait to post these. We’ve never been out of the US before.” Lucy giggled.

“I had many times. France and England.” Elizabeth reminded her.

“And I’ve been to Japan, Greece and Hawaii with my family and Crystal Prep.” Cassandra mentioned as well.

“It is very pretty here.” Serenity said as she also took in the forest scenery.

Cassandra looked down at the marked map Shaun provided them. They were taking a lesser known pathway, staying off the highways and roads so they wouldn’t get caught by military convoy.

“Okay. We should be coming up to this bridge here soon. It looks like there’s a large river we need to cross.” She said, “Also say we’ll turn this fork and go on for another five miles.”

Rachel looked over her shoulders as she popped the cork of her canister and began drinking a lot of water.

“You need to rest for a bit?” Spike asked, staying by her side. He had decided to stick with her and see if he could protect her with whatever is about to come. More protection for the baby the better.

“I’m good. I can keep going.” Rachel assured. She was a bit tired from all the walking but she was going to get as much as she could.

“Don’t exert yourself.” Sunset Shimmer said. “We don’t have to do this all in one day, take as many breaks as you need.” She then offered her some trail mix.

Rachel graciously took the bag and began eating it. It wasn’t much, she could tell that she needed meat, more protein as she was craving it.

Maybe if they get lucky, she could ask Serenity to talk to some of the animals and before anyone knows, a knife and a sharp twist of the neck and the animals become lunch.

As they came to the bridge, something else caught Rachel's eye. Something shiny reflected from the sun caught her attention.

She began to stray off the path and walked towards it.

“Hey, where are you going?” Spike asked as he followed her.

“Just give me a second, I want to see something.” Rachel replied as she kept going.

The girls looked at each other, all of them confused so Lucy, Elizabeth, Applejack, and Serenity followed her out, leaving Cassandra, Sunset and Rainbow Dash back on the trail so they could find their way back.

Rachel came up to this great tree. Widest and tallest tree she had ever seen. She came up to one of its mighty big roots, placing a hand on the wood.

This tree looked like it’s been around for a long, long time. Figuring that this tree must have seen some things, is probably smarter than the whole group put together. When looking up, she could see there were various ribbons, shiny stones and various pieces of colorful glass tied to many branches above, forming a sort of a canopy around them.

When she looked at the trunk, up roughly ten feet up, she had noticed there were these notches, carvings in the wood. Carvings of various sigils and text she only saw from walls of the Temple, and on the walls at Dragon’s Lair in Equestria.

Now she wasn’t very fluent with the dragon dialect, only personally knowing a few phrases, but what she was seeing wasn’t something she knew herself. However, the longer she gazed at the tree, she began to see something that was right at her eye level. Though time has done well to conceal everything in this green moss, her attention to detail from doing art and drawing for years, she noticed a slight indentation and a gap, forming an arch around the area.

Rachel moved her hand to feel the indention. Pressing along the arch before she slid her fingers in the tiny gap, using her sharp nails to cut the moss.

“Rachel, hold on.” Spike called out as he patted up to her. “What are you doing?”

“I think there’s something here.” Rachel replied as she continued to cut through the moss. Carving over the curve of the arch. Once cut, she grabbed it and pulled.

When pulled, it turned out that what she grabbed was a door.

Spike sighed, looking up at her. "I'll go check it out." He volunteered before walking inside the space.

"Wow! This tree is massive!" Lucy exclaimed as the others came up behind Rachel. Snapping pictures of the large, decorative tree.

"And pretty." Serenity awed.

"This tree is bigger than some of the oldest trees back on the farm." AJ said, tipping her hat back as she gazed up.

"Hey guys, you might wanna come in," Spike stepped out of the tree to inform the girls. "It's safe."

The girls came inside of the tree, passing through a veil of roots. Inside of the tree was huge, carved inside to create a large space.

Flashlights and lights from their phones flickered on, they were in the middle of what looked to be a home of sorts. Many centuries have passed since the tree bark grew over what looked to be windows, an old long overturned table, a fireplace that acted as the kitchen. Old decorations hung neatly on the "walls" of various handmade weapons and worn fabric.

There was a stone bench, and when they ventured more in the back of the home, there were two beds. Or what beds looked like back in the old days. A larger bed on one side, and a much smaller bed on the other.

And on the wall between the two beds was an altar. Rachel shined the flashlight on it, a glimmer of gold and red rubies stared back at her. The center of the altar, though covered in cobwebs and dust, was a small statue of a dragon. Many candle holders surround it.

"Okay, this is… ancient, and yet time seems to have stopped here." Elizabeth muttered as the girls looked around.

Rachel glanced at the two beds, the dragon altar before going over to the smaller bed. She picked an object up off the ground. She dusted it off to reveal a wooden carved toy. Carved to look like the dragons in Equestria with a sword.

"This was a family home… " Rachel muttered.

"What do you guys think happened?" Serenity asked.

"I don't know. " Rachel said, setting the toy back on the bed. Her head started to feel dizzy, she grabbed it and was about to go backwards.

Applejack quickly grabbed her. "Okay, you're taking a break, missy." AJ said.

Not fighting this time, Rachel was escorted to the bench in front of the fireplace, Spike jumped up next to her as the girls scrambled to get a fire going.

"You sure it'll light up? It's been like an eternity since it was last lit." Elizabeth asked as Applejack went over to the old table, using her strength to splinter the legs off.

"It'll have to. No one ain't using it." She replied as she broke the table up into bits before carting them over to the fireplace.

A few moments later a fire was starting." Okay sugarcube, you need anything else? " She turned to ask Rachel.

Rachel nodded. "Meat, I need meat, some sort of protein." Rachel responded, going ahead and giving into the cravings. She's pregnant with a dragon's baby, dragons need meat, she needs meat.

"O-oh?" Serenity frowns. "I'm sure we can find some herbs and plants that has protein in it."

"Fluttershy, I'm sorry but we need to go hunting." AJ said as she stood from the fire. "Sorry for your vegan state of mind, but meat is on the menu. Pinkie, go back to the others and bring them here. Rarity, stay here with Rachel and Spike."

"Will do love." Elizabeth nodded before looking at Rachel with a smile.

Rachel heavily rolled her eyes at that as she petted the dog.

Serenity whimpered before the others left the tree home.

It was just the three of them now. Rachel turned her gaze at the fire, trying not to look at Elizabeth.

"So Rachel, what do you think you're having? A boy or a girl?" Elizabeth asked.

Rachel shrugged. "I have no clue." She murmured.

"You come up with any names for either or?" Elizabeth asked as she looked around more of the home. Looking at the decorations and worn tapestry. "Such lovely works of art."

Rachel let out a huff, recalling a conversation she and Spike had. "A name or two had been thrown around."

"Like what?" Dog Spike asked.

Rachel sighed. "If it's a boy, it's Igneous, if a girl, Onyx. But I don't really want that as a girl name."

"What name do you prefer?" Elizabeth asked, listening closely.

Rachel shrugged. "Flare. I like the name Flare… " a name which she never told her mate.

"Hmm, Igneous and Flare. Sounds like a couple of beautiful names." Elizabeth giggled.

She then starts talking about ideas Rachel could use to decorate the castle nursery back in Equestria. Rachel began tuning her out as she watched the fire in the fireplace.

Watching the flames flickering, dancing idly, waving like an entity all of its own.

Her eyes started to grow heavy the longer she stared. The sound of fire crackling right close in her ears and the distant sounds of a roaring thunder echoed, falling into a deep trance.

Chapter 10

There was nothing but black smoke billowing, thunderous roars echoed around. A young child stood in front of a home, hair as black as ravens soaring in the skies, warm brown eyes in confusion and fright, hearing cries of pain and shouts coming from inside. A man dressed in blood and furs stumbles out of the door. Blood drenched down his face as he collided with the grass, gaping open wounds on his chest and back.

He looked up at the child, blood pouring from his mouth as he opened, yelling out one word.

RUN!

The man slumped as another man, a tall bulky man stepped out of the smashed burning doorway. In his hand, held by the hair was a head of a woman of similar features to the child, mouth gaping open as blood dripped from the neck where it was chopped.

The child turned on her bare feet and turned ahead down the path to her village. Screaming out that the Raiders were here.

By the time she got there however, her village was up in a blaze. Sounds of screams echoed around as the Raiders went house to house, killing and maiming people left and right. A sight of pure hell.

The child couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Had the gods abandoned them? Was this punishment? As she tried to run through the blood soaked streets, a couple of the Raiders grabbed her. She screamed and thrashed around but it made little difference as they dragged her to the center of the village.

Many bodies, young and old, lay waste, most have lost their heads. The Raiders drug the child up to a blood-soaked stump and a man wielding a large axe, already stained by the blood of her people.

And she was next.

The child pleaded and begged but it fell on deaf ears. She was brought up to the stump, bent her over and held her head down.

As the Axe wielding Raider raised his weapon up, thunderous roars bellowed in the skies of sounds of a storm was upon them.

A strong burst of fire shot from the sky, hitting the axeman, consuming him in its flames.

Screaming in pain, the other two Raiders let go of the child as a large creature landed. Using the burning human to cushion its landing. Standing taller than anything a lot has seen, massive wings kicked up dust and furled in place, tail whipping.

Wearing a timber wolf pelt loincloth, a red sash across his wide chest, scales of dark green and deep purple spikes, painted on his scales was dark warpaint, in his right hand was a large purple crystal staff with a large red crystal in the center glowing brightly.

The DragonLord…

As The Dragonlord made his appearance, more dragons came from their Temple and swooped down upon the Raiders. Along with the dragons were the Mordi, the humans who served in their guards, all of them donned in various scaled armor, eyes as draconic as the dragons who were there. All of them came down and attacked the invading party.

The two Raiders who had taken the child drew their weapons out and attacked the Dragonlord with shouts.

The Bloodstaff glowed and the lord raised his hand out at them. The earth trembled beneath the Raiders before vine shot out. Vines with many sharp thorns jagged out quickly wrapped their bodies. The thorns stabbing and piercing their flesh, the Raiders struggled and moved, only having the thorns dig into their bodies more and more as the vines wrapped around them.

With the vines completely covering the Raiders, it squeezed on itself, blood splattering on the ground, tearing their bones and meat to bits, ripping everything to shreds before both slumping.

The child gasped as she watched it all from her place, watching the onslaught before turning her gaze up at the mighty dragon. Watching the glow of the Bloodstaff died and his emerald gaze turned to the tiny child before him.

In comparison, the little girl was the size of the spade of his tail.

The Dragonlord didn’t utter a word as he simply knelt before her, and offered her his hand.

The child was a bit hesitant, but when she placed her hand upon his, as ruthless as he was towards the Raiders, the way the Dragonlord held her hand was as soft and gentle as a feather. He then picked her up with ease and soon her and the other survivors were taken back to the Temple.

Many years later, that same child grew to a grown woman, a mighty warrior herself, fighting fiercely in the front lines with the rest of the Mordi, her eyes blazing in gold as she used her powers given by the dragons. Becoming a force of nature of her own.

And at the end of one of her many battles, she stopped and turned to the Dragonlord who rescued her long ago and bowed respectfully towards him during his conquest.

“Hello? Hello, earth to Rachel!” Lucy yells in Rachel’s ear, waving her hand over her eyes. “Come back to Earth!”

Rachel blinked several times, having fingers snapped repeatedly in her face. She waved them off. "Okay, okay stop snapping." She grunted. She turned to see all the girls in the tree home.

"Sorry, but we called your name like a half of a dozen times, are you alright?" Serenity asked.

Rachel didn't know how to answer that herself. "I dozed off a bit, I'm fine."

Applejack then hands her a bowl. One quick sniff, Rachel smelt deer stew. "Now I'm really fine, thank you." She grabs the stew and spoon.

" You sure you're okay? " Spike asked, looking up from the leg bone he was gnawing on.

She nodded as she ate it. Though the baby wanted raw meat, Rachel was happily satisfied with it cooked.

Mama was going to eat cooked meat, the baby will just have to compromise. She may also be a carnivore but she doesn't like her meat raw. No matter how much dragon she has and what it is, cooked meat was heaven.

"This is extraordinary," Cassandra said as she snapped photos of the home. "The integrity of this tree and how it was sealed up preserved just about everything. I mean, look at this altar!"

Rachel glanced over at it as she shoved spoonfuls of the stew in her mouth. "Humans used to worship dragons as Gods, and Deities. Before they were forced to go to Equestria."

"It's still fascinating to see something from back then. I mean, it looks like time just stopped in this house."

Rachel chuckled. "If you're fascinated with this place, just wait until you get to the Temple. A lot more history went down that will blow your mind."

"And so much to explore as we're finding this staff of yours."

POP POP POP!

Sounds of gunfire echoed in the distance, both Rachel and Spike whipped their heads up to that sound.

"Guns?" Applejack hummed. "Hunters?"

Rachel shook her head. "That sounds like an automatic rifle." She flexed her right forearm. Remembering she got shot by one of those guns.

"Is it close?" Sunset asked.

"Don't know." Rachel muttered before hearing another round of gunfire. "I'm gonna finish quickly and move. Don't think we need to linger anymore."

"Already packing up the meat for later." AJ said as she and Dash packed and preserved the deer.

The gang swiftly moved for the next day and a half, trudging through the forests, following the map given to them until they finally reached the Temple of Draconia.

Built up against a mountain, the temple was massive, large stone statues of dragons lined up a cobblestone path, now surrounded by razor wire and armed forces of the U.N.

The girls and Spike stood near a tall hill, trying to keep themselves hidden from the peering eyes.

"Seeing any movement?" Sunset Shimmer asked Cassandra as she peered through a set of binoculars.

"Seen a couple of trucks passing through the checkpoint." Cassandra responded. "Looks like they are unloading massive equipment inside."

"Do you know what they're bringing in?" Rachel asked.

Cassandra nodded. "No, they're in crates, whatever it is, it can't be good." She moved the binoculars then. "There's a lot of trucks in here, maybe we can use one of them as our ride out of here once we're done."

Rainbow Dash then comes up to them from the sky. "There's a lot of guys here. It'll take an insane amount of luck just to sneak in."

"We could come in with disguises." Elizabeth suggested. "I'm sure I can whip up some uniforms or we borrow some?"

"I'm 6 '5 in this body; I'm taller back home. I don't think these guys have uniforms for tall folks." Rachel grunted.

"Maybe we can find a way around?" Serenity suggested. "Temples always have more than one way in."

"You're right, but we don't have a clear blueprint of the place." Cassandra said as she lowered the binoculars down.

"I could make a distraction. Throw some Sprinkle Bombs around?" Lucy asked.

"And have bullets flying our way? Yeah that's a no." Spike sneezed, shaking his head.

Rachel then smirked. "There is another way. My first time here, I did a bit of exploring during the Two Hundred Application Trials. I don't know the full layout completely but I do remember finding another entrance."

"Well, let's go!" Lucy shouts, grabbing Rachel's hand and begins dragging her out.

Rachel then led the girls out, backtracking near the main entrance before deviating to the right. During the trek, she was remembering her time here with the other settlers, her moments she broke away to explore.

Ducking under low hanging branches, listening to the crickets and birds chirping as they walked towards this overgrown path.

"You sure know where you're going?" Rainbow Dash asked, following.

"Eeyup! It was before the guards were more uptight as they are now, but I remember." Rachel responded. Her lips grew to a smile as she began recognizing a familiar, tranquil sound.

They cut through a bush and Rachel heard the other girls gasp.

They came to a large lagoon with a waterfall free flowing into the pool. The water was crystal clear, just a little west of it was an old wooden hut that had seen better days.

"This was one of my favorite spots while I was here." Rachel chuckled as she and the girls moved forward.

"This is a gorgeous sight! Oh the water is so clear!" Elizabeth cooed as she gazed at the lagoon.

"Where's the entrance?" Sunset asked.

"Behind the waterfall, there's a cave, it'll lead us inside the Temple." Rachel explained.

Lucy walked over to the water, knelt to it and stuck a hand in the water. "Wowza, that's cold!" She takes her hand out of the water.

"The only way to get behind the waterfall is to get in the water. So we're going to have to swim."

"But Rachel, from what I read stated that a pregnant woman can't really be in cold water due to risk of hyperthermia." Cassandra worried.

"Anyone can get a risk of hyperthermia. Unless you want to tango with the army and guns head-on, nothing wrong with a little swim."

Spike moves around, walking up to the lagoon and began drinking it, shoving his muzzle in it and his tail wagged."Ooh this is delicious, you guys should try it!"

As he continued to drink, a scent came across his nose. Eyes narrowing, he began sniffing around, nose to the ground.

"What is it boy?" Serenity asked as the girls watched the dog sniffed the ground.

Rachel sniffed around as well, pupils widened a hair and followed Spike. "Something is here."

"Like what?" Applejack asked.

Spike followed the scent over to the hut and instantly started growling at the door.

The girls followed, coming up to the hut, they noticed on a door was a word in Dragon term painted red. This term Rachel herself does recognize and she paled.

"Oh no," she whispered. Upon closer inspection, the word wasn't painted in paint. "This is blood… and it's fresh."

"Get back," Spike urged her, Serenity and Elizabeth pushed her back from the door.

Cassandra, Lucy and others stepped aside, Cassandra waved her hand to grab the rope handle of the door with her magic and pulled it open.

The second it opened, they all let out a scream.

Inside was a man, arms strung up with some sort of rope, his bottom half was missing, his flesh from the chest down was gone, only his head and arms kept their flesh, his bloody entrails and organs splattered all over the ground, suspended over a lit altar of the same dragon statue the gang seen just a day ago. The man's eyelids were sliced open so they were staring at the gang, mouth gaping open revealing no teeth and no tongue.

Cassandra quickly closed the door and everyone scrambled away from the hut. "W-was that a man?!"

"T-thats a dead body alright! What exactly happened to him???" Applejack panted.

"Oh I think I'm gonna hurl." Lucy groaned, covering her mouth.

"T-this is awful! W-we have to tell the other guards." Elizabeth said, pacing around.

"They're just gonna think we did this!" Rainbow Dash yelped.

As the other girls talked and panicked, Rachel just stared at the hut. Staring at the word painted, masking the mutilated man behind it. She opened her mouth and translated the word.

"Punishment." Rachel translated.

Author's Note

Just what the hell are we dealing with??

Chapter 11

The term "punishment" was read clear as day. Who or what displayed that poor man inside? Who did this?

"Th-this is too much! I want to go home!" Rachel heard Serenity cry out.

"This is way more than we signed up for, Sunset." Cassandra yelped.

Rachel gritted her teeth as the girls continued to panic. "If anyone wants to go back home, do it now." She growled.

The girls shut up and turned to Rachel.

"You can't be serious about continuing??" Elizabeth asked, eyes widened. "Obviously this is a warning for all of us!"

"We don't want to end up like that guy!" Lucy yells.

Rachel turned to face them. "I told you all that there will be forces that aren't just the soldiers we'll be facing. You all don't have to do this with me, but I have to venture on."

"This is suicide!" Serenity shouted. The meekest of the bunch shouted the loudest.

"You guys don't think I know that?? I have to do this mission, if I go back without the staff, Equestria will fall. You guys can turn back, I can't." Rachel grunted. "I knew this mission was going to be dangerous from the get go. I told you all that it's going to be different than what you all are used to. I'm staying because I don't have a fucking choice." She then gestures to the path out of there. "Anyone else wants out, now's the time to go. I'm not begging or forcing you guys to do this with me."

If she had to do this alone, Rachel would do it if she had to. She doesn't want to do it alone, but she's not turning back now. The fate of Equestria, her mate, the dragons, everyone depends on her retrieving the Blue Celestial. Pregnant or not, she has to do this.

Spike looked up at the other girls before he padded over to Rachel and sat down by her feet.

Sunset looks back at the others, they didn't say a word, but the looks on their faces spoke volumes. She looks at Rachel. "We promised Princess Twilight that we help you, and that's what we're doing." The other girls muttered and nodded, though all of them had fear in their eyes.

Rachel let out a sigh of relief, relieved that she really isn't doing this alone.

"Thank you guys," Rachel said softly.

"What do you think happened to that man?" Cassandra asked her. "You translated what it says on the door."

Rachel shrugged. "I have no clue. The Dragon language is hard to translate, dating back eons. I only know some terms…"

"Is there anyone alive who knows it because… "

"We'll learn I guess once we get inside…" Rachel said, though she was having a bad feeling that they’ll find out soon enough.

“Maybe we can have Sunset here touch the body to see if she can see anything?” Rainbow Dash suggested.

“Yeah, I only work with the living and I am not touching it.” Sunset looked at Dash with a disgusted look.

“Touching that body would only incriminate us, let’s just go to the temple.” Rachel said. Also not wanting to go near that thing…

The girls, though all of them were rightfully disturbed, they had to keep going.

“Everyone, gimme your phones.” Cassandra said as she dug into her bag and pulled out a waterproof pouch.

All but Rachel, who didn’t have a phone, gave their friend theirs and stuffed it in the pouch. “Okay, they should be protected for now.”

“One more thing.” Applejack said. “Spike, come here.” she said as she knelt down and went into her personal bag.

Spike walked up to Applejack confused before seeing her pulling out a collar. This collar, unlike the decorative spike collar he was wearing, these spikes were bigger, roughly about three inches long, having a leather band.

“Wow, that’s a bit gnarly.” Rainbow Dash commented.

“Wouldn’t it harm him?” Serenity asked, frowning to see that thing.

Applejack shook her head as she switched collars. “No. It will protect his neck and more important vitals. Sorry Twi, but the collar you had on him won’t do him good. Winona and the other dogs on the farm have these wolf collars when on patrol.” She tossed the decorative spiked collar to Cassandra. “Whatever did that to the poor bastard,” she gestures to the hut, “we need to be on our toes.”

Spike glanced down at his new digs. “Pretty metal, neet.”

“Everyone ready?” Rachel asked. The mane 7 and Spike nodded and they all made their way to the lagoon.

They all waddled in the brisk cold water, shuddering as their nerves came alive, holding their gear up so they wouldn’t get it ruined. When unable to touch the ground, they swim closer and closer to the waterfall, one flash shower later of passing through the fall, they swim up to a rocky ledge. Collectively pulling themselves out of the water and onto the semi dry ground.

“That was cold! BRRRR!” Lucy called out, teeth chattered, hugging herself.

“Eh, that was nothing.” Dash said.

Spike climbed up out of the water and immediately shook the water droplets off his fur, spraying everyone, getting as much water as he could out of his coat. “Phew, guess that counts as my monthly bath.”

“You’re still going to get a bath when we get home, boy.” Cassandra murmured as she took her glasses off to inspect it for any nicks and dirt.

As she did that, Applejack dug into their survival gear and pulled out their flashlights and helmets, turning them on and passing them around.

“Got any light for me?” Spike asked.

“Yeah sorry, Shaun didn’t pack a doggy light. You’ll just have to stick to one of us.” Cassandra responds as she grabs the helmet and puts them on before digging into her bag to grab what she believes was a dried cloth to clean her glasses.

“Ugh, does it have to be so dark and dank?” Elizabeth groans, taking off her jacket. “This was such a cute outfit.”

“Oh you have bigger things to worry about than a wet, soggy outfit.” Rachel grunted as she put on the helmet. “It’s water, it’ll dry up.” Feeling she’s having a bit of deja vu, regarding the similar conversation she first had with Rarity when they first met months ago on the cruise. This time she wasn’t careful with how she held her tone.

Elizabeth glared at Rachel. “Do you have something to say to me?” She asked.

“I have nothing to say to you. Nothing.” Rachel emphasized the word nothing.

After they switch their climbing gear and axes out, they decide to leave the unnecessary items here until they can retrieve them before Rachel begins leading the girls inside the cave.

“So Rachie, how far have you explored the Temple?” Lucy asked as the gang followed her. “How much have you seen?”

“Not much,” Rachel responded. “From what I remember, a lot of places in the Temple were sealed off. The archaeologists who discovered this place were still doing excavations. However, a lot of rooms and corridors had collapsed so there weren't many places we could wander and were closed off. I only got so far until I got caught.”

As they ventured deeper in the cave, they soon came to a large set of doors casted in gold shimmering by their headlights. A bloody handprint streaked across the doors as if it was left there while closing, causing Rachel to frown.

“Is it too late to turn back?” Serenity asked with a whisper.

That was a dumb question that no one responded to.

Cassandra gulped before waving her hand, causing the door to glow pink before pulling it open. There was a strain due to the heaviness but opened it up with no problem.

“Did you open the doors yourself?” Sunset asked Rachel.

“Was a bitch, but yeah, I did.” Rachel muttered as the doors opened.

Once open, they stared at the darkness inside. They waited to see if anything greeted them before venturing inside.

They went slow, gazing at everything as they entered. Their lights illuminating many, many barrels stacked high, emerging from what was meant to be like an emergency exit, coming into the large wine cellar.

“Wow, those barrels are huge, just how big were these dragons?” Rainbow Dash whistled while Cassandra as she took her phone out of the waterproof pouch to snap photos.

“Huge.” Both Rachel and Sunset Shimmer responded in unison.

“Is your Spike huge?” Lucy asked.

“Actually, height wise, he’s pretty small in comparison to the typical large dragons. But he’s big in other ways.” Rachel instantly blushes once she says that. “He has a big heart.” she tried to stir the conversation elsewhere.

The dog snickered and Lucy giggled. Already getting the thoughts in their minds.

Cassandra, Elizabeth and Sunset looked at her more, more like looking at her legs. Sensing questions were about to be asked, Rachel glared at them. “Don’t ask.”

They whistled innocently.

Applejack went up to one of the barrels, walking to one of the brass spigots. She knelt down to it and turned the knob.

It took a moment before some liquid began to leak out. Curiously, she cups her hand, getting a handful before sipping it. “WHOO-WEE! That’s strong, wow!” She quickly turned it off. “It’s really old.” the farmer coughed.

“If I wasn’t carrying a baby, I’d get a drink…. my god I need a drink.” Rachel muttered, rubbing her forehead. With everything she had been through, a stiff drink would help calm her nerves some.

Temptation was strong but she’s resisting it. Gotta focus on what's in front of them.

“After we’re done here, why don’t we snag some of the barrels on the way out?” Rainbow Dash grinned. “As a souvenir.”

Rachel quickly led the gang out of the wine cellar, going up a set of stairs that lead up to a long hallway. Ceilings so tall that no one could see it, sedimentary and igneous rocks walls stretched down almost endlessly as far as they knew. Large stone columns with draconic writing and paintings covered in layers of dust and cobwebs.

“Everyone, welcome to the Temple of Draconia.” Rachel announced as she looked around the area.

“Oh wow!” The girls exclaimed as all looked around the hall.

There was so much art above them, all depicting many dragons, depicting many battles and giving hints of what the type of culture the Dragons and their human guards, the humans were drawn as if they had powers coming from the dragon's essences given to them.

Rachel smiled softly as she looked up at the art and watched the girls and Spike looked at the art.

“Hey, is that the staff you’re looking for?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

Rachel walked to where she was and looked up. There was a depiction of a Dragonlord. She didn’t know which one it was, but it was holding the Bloodstaff.

“No, that’s the Bloodstaff. The staff we’re looking for is blue.” Rachel mentioned.

Rachel….

“Huh?” Rachel turned her head. Hearing this familiar, ghastly voice.

Rachel….

“Okay, who just said my name?” Rachel asked the girls. Looking at them and at Spike.

The mane 7 and the dog looked at each other before looking back at her. “No one said your name,” Cassandra said.

“So, do you know where the blue staff is?” Sunset asked.

Rachel shrugged. “I have no clue where this thing could be. I got as far as down there. Five minute walk before I got caught.” She pointed to the left side.

Rainbow Dash dug into her bag, pulling out a can of spray paint and marked one of the columns with a green X.

“What the fuck are you doing??” Rachel snarled. Ready to punch this bitch again for ruining the art of this historical place!

“Relax, Mama Bear, I’m just marking our way, if we get lost, we come back.” Rainbow Dash explained as she stood. “Each corner and every other room we go, it’s gonna get marked so we don’t get lost and we get either stuck in this place or get caught by the soldiers.”

“Or whatever has left that bloody mess outside.” Elizabeth gulped.

“So, left or right?” Cassandra asked, looking both ways.

“Well…the left side is where I got caught. Let’s try the right side for now.” Rachel said.

“Right side, okay, we’ll start there and work our way back here.” Cassandra said, snapping some more pictures of the art filled walls.

The gang began to walk down to the right.

Help me…

Rachel tried to ignore the voices, thinking she was just hearing things. She heard voices when she was here the last time, her summoning up just hearing the scientists and archaeologists and the other applicants speaking through the various cracks of the walls.

The gang traveled in the darkness, looking side to side, seeing the painting on the wall, though it was hard to translate, they could tell that the paintings were depicting some of the history of the Temple. The passing of each DragonLord in a bloody hand to hand combat, only leaving one standing while the other one dies underneath their claws.

“Is that really how they pass the title?” Serenity asked as she looked at the mural.

Rachel looked up and studied the mural and nodded. “Eeyup. Trial by Combat. The last one standing wins the title. The Dragonlord can be challenged anytime, they have the right to defend their title.”

“Is it always so violent?”

“It’s their way. The only exception of the passing of the DragonLord title that didn’t end up in bloodshed was Torch. That big guy decided to have a contest, a Gauntlet of Fire. Spike won it that way. Pissed off a lot of dragons when a baby dragon won.”

“So he won by sheer dumb luck?” Spike the dog asked.

“And with nobility. He only participated in the Gauntlet was to make sure none of the other dragons destroy Ponyville.” Rachel smiled softly.

As the girls discussed what Rachel said, passing by a dark room, that same voice she kept hearing calls her out again. However this time, a bright green glow flashed after she passed the room.

Rachel….

Rachel stopped walking while the other girls kept on walking. She took a step back and looked down the now lit up room. On a large brazier on the wall, it was lit up, the fire was lit green.

There was only one being Rachel knows who has green fire. The voice kept calling for her, getting more familiar and familiar as she approached it.

Suddenly, everything flashes white before her eyes.

Once the white flash subsided, she was in a dark void. Her body was glowing but she was in her furry dragoness form.

“What??” Rachel gasped, looking around the void. She kept looking around and around before she suddenly stopped.

Just ten feet from her was another glowing figure, one who made her heart feel heavy.

“Spike?!” She cried out.

It was her dragon!

Both she and Spike crashed into each other, frantically holding each other. “I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry I shouldn’t have left!” Spike frantically spoke, holding her.

“H-how is this possible?? Where are you??” Rachel asked, not truly understanding what was happening or how this was possible, but it was him. She sensed it was him.

“I-i used my magic, but I don’t have much time.” Spike grunted. She pulled back and saw that there was a pained expression on his face, trying to concentrate on being here. “I’m in trouble. I’m in so much trouble, I can’t get out.”

“Where are you?? I-I’m trying to find you.” Rachel framed his face. “Baby, where are you??”

“I-I’m GAH!” He screamed, pushing her back before falling to his knees, grabbing the right side of his neck. “N-No! Not yet!!” he looked like he was in agony.

“Spike!?” Rachel gasped, trying to touch him. “Spike, what’s going~” A force suddenly pulls her away.

Spike looked up at her, reaching his hand out for her. “Rachel!” His voice screamed in pain as the force pulled Rachel out of the void, everything flashed white again.

This time, Rachel opened her eyes and she found herself staring up at the ceiling. The girls crowded around her and dog Spike was licking her face, trying to wake her up.

Rachel sat up with a gasp, her eyes widened as she looked at the brazier. It wasn’t lit anymore. “Spike…Where is he?” Her voice shuddered, eyes streaked in tears as she looked around for her dragon.

“I’m right here.” Dog Spike spoke.

“Are you alright? You can’t just break away from the group like that.” Sunset scolded her.

“H-he was just here.” Rachel gasped, hugging herself, feeling his arms just around her.

He was in trouble….

The fire that lit in her that began at the start of this quest grew only brighter. She had to find that staff at once and fast.

Lucy leans close to Cassandra as they watch Rachel for a moment. “Any books you’ve read explain pregnant women seeing things?”

“There is such a thing as Pregnancy Brains, they tend to get a little…airheaded.” Cassandra explained. “But that isn’t until the second trimester.”

“I wasn’t seeing things!” Rachel snapped, fire sparked from her hands out of anger, causing everyone to jump.

Applejack approached her calmly. “Okay, you weren’t…let’s just move on, okay sugarcube?” She goes to put a calming hand on her shoulder before Rachel waves it away and moves out of the room.

The dog padded after her and soon the rest of the girls followed.

Serenity was the last one to leave the brazier room. She lingered a little bit, looking around the room before hearing this soft clicking sound.

“Huh?” She whispered. She shined the helmet light up, trying to gaze up at the ceiling though she couldn’t see it. The clicking sound continued to echo around her. She rapidly looked around before letting out a scream, seeing something white slipping into a large hole in the wall.

“Fluttershy, what is it?” Rainbow Dash speed runs back to her.

“S-something was here!” She eeped, pointing at the hole.

Rainbow Dash ponyupped, grew her wings and quickly flew up to it. She gazed inside with her headlight. The hole was large enough to fit a person in it and looked like it went on and on. On the wall, there were claw indentions as if someone had dug their claws on the wall and had climbed up.

However, she didn’t see anything. “Yeah, this place is fucking with everyone already.” Dash muttered before landing next to Serenity. “Nothing’s here, let’s go before we all lose our minds..” She said, grabbing the fragile girl by the shoulders and escorted her out.

When the girls left, the clicking sounds Serenity heard just a moment ago continued, the clicking soon turned into a volatile hiss, watching them leave.

Author's Note

:fluttercry: I want to go home

Chapter 12

The message Rachel received was loud and clear. Her mate was now in trouble, she's going to do all she can until he's saved and brought home.

Oh Spike, just what did you get yourself into?? She thought as the gang continued the search.

"Rachel, slow down!" One of the girls called out, seeing Rachel frantically looking at each barren room, glancing in and then moved on.

She wasn't hearing them as she kept on. Running into another dark room, the headlamp shone a glimpse of large carved statues and murals with primal weapons hung on the walls.

Sunset quickly matched up to her and grabbed her wrist. "Okay, you need to stop for like ten seconds and relax."

Rachel rips her hand back. "I can't relax. I can't stop." She said with urgency.

"You're not going to find the staff like this." Sunset said. "I know things are at stake here but you have to stop before you injure yourself and your kid. It's not going to happen all at once."

"Easy for you to say that, Sunset Shimmer." Rachel growled. "You're not the one with everything hanging by a single thread."

"Rachel, please take a moment." One of the girls pleaded as they entered the room.

"We're all helping you, but we can't help you if you keep running around in this temple like your ass is on fire."

Rachel does feel like that.

"This temple is huge, I don't think we'll find it in one day." Elizabeth said.

"No one asked you." Rachel hissed at her.

The dog walked up to her. "Rachel, please," Spike also begged. However this time he looked at her with big puppy looking eyes and whimpered.

It took her a moment before letting out an annoyed growl and walked over to a bench next to a case of weapons and sat down. "There? Happy?"

"Other me must have the patience of a saint to deal with her stubbornness." Spike muttered.

"I wouldn't blame her." Serenity said as she and the girls took this moment to look around their current room.

Unlike the statues of various Dragonlords as they've seen, this room looked like it was dedicated to a more humanoid figure.

Elizabeth went up to one of the statues and looked upward. Though time has gone through and eroded the works of art, this one, next to a large artwork depicting a story of it, was more intact.

She tilted her head to the side curiosity before glancing over to Rachel, who was taking a drink of her cantine and back up to the statue. Elizabeth turned to look at one of the images on the wall and let out a soft gasp.

"Rachel darling, you might want to see this." Elizabeth called out.

Rachel let out a large sigh before getting up. "What?" Rachel grunted when she approached her.

Elizabeth glared at her hostility before pointing up at the artwork and statue. "Looks familiar?"

Rachel hissed at her before looking up. When she looked at the art, she felt her breath leaving her body.

The artwork had scenes of events carved and painted, one of the scenes was of the Dragonlord at the time, the same green and purple dragon Rachel seen in her vision days ago, kneeling in front of a woman who was also on her knees. The way the Dragonlord held the woman's head up was gentle as he kissed her.

She looked up at the statue, it was the carving of the same girl on the wall but looking at it now, Rachel knows who she was. Though she has never heard anyone mentioning her, seeing the art and statue sparked a name.

"Rúna," Rachel muttered.

"Who?" The girls asked.

The more Rachel stared at art, the more she felt like she knew what the murals were depicting. She didn't know how this was possible but she was beginning to understand what everything was saying.

“Rachel, what is it?” Cassandra asked, snapping photos of the artwork.

“This…this tells the story of the first Human Queen of the Dragons.” Rachel responded. “The first and only one.” She walks over to a panel where she sees Rúna being encountered by the dragons. She noticed the dragons were wearing matching emblems of two figures dancing around. She points at it. “That’s the emblem of the DragonLord’s hoard, his harem.” She knows that from Dragon’s Lair. She counted five of his hoard facing the human.

She walked around. “This room tells how she came to be, how she rose up.”

“You know for sure?” Applejack asked. “This is all in a different language eons ago.”

“Guys, I can’t explain it but I-I do.” Rachel said. She walked over to where it was just Dragonlord Nenog and Rúna were alone, looking over to where there was a burning village and the woman as a child. Going exactly how Rachel saw in her vision. She points at the green dragon. “That is Nenog, he was the last Dragonlord that ruled the Earth before everyone moved to Equestria. I remember hearing tales about him when I went and attended the Migration.”

“You were allowed to go on a Dragon Migration?” Sunset asked.

“Who the fuck you think is the father to this kid?” Rachel points at her belly before continuing to look, taking in all the information she was receiving.

“What did this girl do to become Queen?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Did she sleep with him?”

“Not until after he claimed her in front of everyone over there,” Rachel points at the one they were kissing and froze. “Okay, how the hell do I know that??”

Sunset watched her. “I’ve heard something about this in Equestria. Depending who your ancestor is, we all have something in our minds that is a direct link to our past lives, seeing bits and pieces of their memories deep within our minds…. Rachel, I think you’re seeing yours.”

“You may have a point.” Rachel said. “Rúna was brought here by the dragons after they saved and brought over other refugees from her burning home,” she explained as she gazed up at the artworks. “Over the years, Rúna worked her way up the ranks. As a child, she worked to serve the ones who saved her life, pledging to serve the Dragonlord. As time went on, she became a member of the Mordi, the humans who were given magic by the dragons…around that time, she developed a friendship with Nenog, and apparently, it grew from there.” She went over where the members of his hoard confronted Rúna. “The Hoard grew jealous of the fact Nenog had been spending more time with Rúna than them so a couple challenged her.”

Rachel looks at the scenes of the battle, she sees Rúna, wearing a type of ceremonial combat mask on and fighting them head on. Fighting until one of the five lay dead and another injured. “This woman fought like hell to defend herself from the Hoard…that was until Nenog stepped in and entervined.”

She closed her eyes and shuddered, remembering Spike did something similar to her what feels like ages ago, when it was five months ago… Rachel opened them up again and looked. “Nenog, he proclaimed his love for her right in front of everyone, casting his Hoard away for their treachery.” her eyes fell back on the kiss. “They were both in love…”

The longer Rachel stared, the more she began to recognize Rúna more.

When Sombra had her, he used his magic to try and mess with her, only for both of them to slip into a place, the colosseum like the ones in the paintings. The woman that sat on the throne watching, holding the Blue Celestial in her hands….she awakened that last push of magic needed for Rachel to complete her change. The woman that looked similar to Rachel…it was Rúna.

“Wait, hold up, Sunset, you said she was seeing memories of her past life…” Rainbow Dash looked between Rachel and the statue. “Her past life was a queen? And she’s a queen now???”

“Looks like history repeating itself here.” Cassandra said, snapping photos of Rachel from behind.

There were still a lot of memories missing since Rachel didn’t know the whole story, but she does see some similarities between her and Spike with Rúna and Nenog.

She did, however, point to the artwork that had the Queen holding the blue staff. “That’s the staff I’m looking for.” Rachel told them. Staring at the blue staff, with the streak of black like a pupil looking at her as she ascended to the throne. “I’m not leaving until that staff is in my hands.”

There was a low rumbling sound the second Rachel said that. The walls of the temple began to shake, floors began to vibrate beneath their feet.

“Is that a sinkhole formin?!” Applejack yelped.

“Let’s get out of here!” Lucy shouted.

Rachel glanced at the depiction of the staff one more time before she followed with the rest of the girls. However, when they emerged out of the room, they saw, not a large hole bringing everything down to the abyss, but the actual walls of the Temple was shifting. A new wall slid into place where they came from, another direction of the hallway shifted as well, creating a new pathway right next to the room they just came out of.

The rumbling would continue for a full straight minute before everything became still.

Their way of marking where they’ve been was now rendered useless, the whole Temple shifted.

“Ooooh this is not good.” Sunset muttered. The whole gang stood there in shock, staring at the new wall that blocked where they had just come from. Some looked in disbelief.

Rainbow Dash ran up to the wall and proceeded to try and push the wall. “Guys, we have to push it back!” She tried to get a grip and push but there wasn’t anything for her to grab and the stone walls weren't going anywhere.

“Has this happened to you the last time you were here??” Serenity asked Rachel.

“No! No, this didn’t happen before.” Rachel placed a hand on her belly as she continued to look at the wall.

“Does this mean we’re going to be lost?” Spike asked with a whimper.

“Okay, let’s not panic, we just have to retrace our steps.” Cassandra panted, adjusting her glasses.

“Something tells me that we can’t do that.” Elizabeth whimpered.

As everyone was starting to panic, Rachel and Spike whipped their heads around when they began to hear a new sound.

Sounds of heavy footsteps marching this way.

“Everyone, hide.” Spike whispered.

The gang ran back into the room they were just in. All of them scrambled to find a place to hide, knocking into things and themselves to get into positions. Hiding behind racks, pillars, dark corners of the room, just trying to hide.

“Where’s Rachel?” Lucy asked, poking her head out from her hiding place, the light on her headlamp shining everything.

“Turn off the fucking lights!” Rachel hissed.

Lucy lifts the light up. She sees Rachel up high on one of the tall statues, clinging to the side of the head with her claws digging into the stone to keep herself up. Using a lot of upper body strength to keep her clinging to that stone head. “Oooh, how did you get up there so fast??”

Applejack, who was hiding next to her, grabs Lucy and pulls her back into hiding and all the lights turned off.

About two-three minutes later, they began hearing voices.

“Goddamnit, the fucking walls moved again?!” what sounded like an american man cursed.

“This is getting old, really, really fast.” Another american sounding man grunted.

Using helmets with lights on, two soldiers came in, both carrying assault rifles. The gang tried their best to hide from the lights. Holding their breaths as the two walked in.

“I just want to get back to the throne room.” Soldier one snarled, “Getting sick and tired of coming back into this room.”

“If those damn archeologists hadn't blown up that room a couple of weeks ago, this place wouldn't be going crazy.” Soldier two grunted before getting on the radio.

Then their radios activated. "Jameson, Leroy, what the hell is taking you guys so long to get back into base?" A female voice called out from their radios.

The two soldiers glared at each other before Soldier one responded. "Kepler, this is Leroy. The walls changed on us again, Jameson and I are back in one of the weapon rooms."

"Dammit it's like this place came alive. Okay, find your asses back here. Forget finding Avery, just get you two back here. Watch out for the hostiles, their attacks are getting bolder and bolder every minute."

"Hostiles?" Rachel muttered as she watched these guys.

The girls below moved when they saw the men turning around.

"Leroy, I get why we need to go to Equestria, but this creepy ass infested temple is making me not want to do this." Jameson said.

"We have to kill these things before they start bringing in everyone within a month, it's our duty." Leroy said with a grunt. "Besides, you want to piss off Lockhart? That big bastard has a temper worse than these fuckers. Think he takes pleasure in killing those things."

Rachel covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. No, for fuck sakes, no not him!

If her father was here, it really can't be good. The military must've reinstated him… All Rachel knows is that if her father was here and he sees her, she's dead. He'll kill her on the spot!

As those two talked and went to leave, Spike, being bunched up against Cassandra, began sensing something and he began to tremble, tail tucked between his legs in fear. "S-somethings here…" he whispered as a series of clicking sounds began echoing the chambers.

The soldiers held their guns up and began looking around. "Fuck, here we go again." One of them grunted. Their backs against each other and looking up at the high ceilings.

Rachel moved from view when the lights shone in her direction. Moving towards the other side of the statue's head, she froze. Hearing something dropped from above and landed next to her, hearing this low hiss that chills her blood.

Rachel slowly turned her head, adjusted her grip to see what was beside her. She sees a dark figure clinging right close to her, something that has multiple points in the darkness.

Her hand trembled with the light in her head before turning it on. Instantly regrets it. There was a large ash white skinned creature with white scales in various places, had straggly dark strains of hair with bone white spikes that goes along it's head and back with two white horns about a foot long sticking out of the hairline. Dragon looking green eyes with black scleras, large pointy ears, sharp teeth. The nose was snub looking, wearing a short loin cloth right up close to her. When it opened its mouth, it let out an inhumane shriek and lunged at Rachel.

Rachel let out a scream before being tackled. Both her and the creature fell off of the statue, both crashed below.

The two wrestled on the ground before the creature got on top of Rachel, dug it's long dagger like claws into her shoulders before it leaned over and sank its teeth into her neck. Rachel let out a hellish scream as she fought to get it off of her.

The girls shouted and went to help her. One soldier turned and aimed their light and gun at them while the other took aim and shot the creature on top of Rachel.

"Freeze!" Leroy barked at the girls and dog while Jameson went over to the other two, pulled the body of the dead creature off of her. Rachel lay on the ground, her heart racing, her neck and shoulders bleeding and in pain, breathing erratic. There was a mix of her red blood and this black substance, the creature's blood splattered all over her.

"Sirs please, our friend is pregnant, don't hurt her!" Sunset shouted before the gun aimed at her.

"Shut it. Jameson, how's the other one?" Leroy barked.

"She's alive, unbelievably." He responded as he knelt down and began minister first aid for her.

"Just who the fuck are you guys and how the hell you get in here??" Leroy interrogated them. When one of them moved, he barked at them to not move.

Jameson helped apply bandages and basic first aid to Rachel before helping her sit up. "Easy there."

Rachel pants as she placed a hand on her stomach. "My baby… is.. is it.." she couldn't form the words. That thing and she took a twenty foot drop and the way it was on her. Could very easily have harmed the baby. If she loses this baby, all of this would be for nothing.

As Jameson goes to radio this in, he is interrupted by a spear whizzing through the air, piercing him right in the head and falls to the ground, having Rachel gasped out loud.

Serenity let out an ear piercing scream as Leroy whipped around, seeing his comrade on the ground dead. He looks at Rachel before looking up.

All of them looked up and saw there were more of those creatures clinging to the ceiling, some holding spears and blades. A couple looked like females with their horns bowing more and wearing chest pieces covering their exposed breasts.

"RUN!" Leroy screamed at them as he began shooting at the creature's as they jumped and went to attack.

Rainbow Dash sped up to Rachel, quickly grabbed her, pulling her up before everyone made a run for it. Leaving the soldier behind as they ran out of the chambers.

The gang bolted down the new pathway, hearing the screams of the soldier and bullets flying, followed by those blood-curdling noises the creatures were making.

They continued to run before they came to a stop where they were faced with four passages.

"Which one??" Elizabeth asked, frantically looking at the paths, looking behind them to see if more of those things were following. "Just what were those things?!"

"T-they were everywhere, oh God, those soldiers were dead!" Serenity cried.

Cassandra and Spike looked over at Rachel, looking over at her wounds. Spike pressed his ear up against her womb, listening in for a moment before nodding.

"Okay, okay, the baby's good, breathing hectic but what the hell just happened, I am too." Spike whimpered. "You okay??"

Though Rachel was relieved the baby was okay, she was not okay. "I don't know. But those things just showed up out of nowhere!"

Cassandra looked at the bite neck of hers. Any longer and that creature would've ripped the flesh off.

"This wasn't what we signed up for, Sunset." Applejack grunted.

"I know, none of us knew this was going to happen!" Sunset shouted.

"We have to leave, now!" Serenity sobbed.

They heard more of those creatures coming down the path they came from.

"We gotta go." Lucy yelped. "Which way do we go?!"

"Eenie, meanie, miney that one!" Dash shouted, pointing at the path on the right.

Not arguing, the gang continued to run with those things right on their tails.

Author's Note

I'll post drawings what these creatures look like next chapter :rainbowlaugh:

Chapter 13

"Go-go-go!" Cassandra shouted as the gang continued to run as fast as they could.

Dodging spears, leaping out of the way. Each time they turned a corner, more of those creatures dropped from the ceiling and tried to take a swipe at them, causing them to turn on another path. Driving the group deeper and deeper into the Temple.

Elizabeth, half turning to see if they were still being chased, saw the tip of the spear flying at her, let out a gasp before throwing her hands up, the shield consumed her and the group. The spear bounced off of the shield and they kept going.

"Could've used that moments ago!" Rachel hissed as they ran, her calves were aching and burning, losing her breath much faster than the girls. Her neck and shoulders injury still bleeding as she's pumped full of adrenaline.

"Don't start with me, missy!" Elizabeth hissed back.

"Less bickering, more running!" Sunset snapped at both of them.

The girls quickly slipped into this wide room. Applejack looked behind them to see that there were heavy duty doors. She jumped over to them, braced her hands on the stone and began pushing.

The doors began to slowly close but it wouldn't be enough with just her.

Rachel, Rainbow Dash, Lucy and Cassandra, using her magic, all collectively pushed the doors, shutting them in, at the same time, those creatures rammed into the doors.

They all stepped back as those things began beating and pounding at the doors, making those horrible sounds. The doors shook but unable to budge. It lasted a good five minutes before everything became silent.

The gang waited a moment longer to make sure nothing was coming in before they dropped on their butts.

"Just what the heck is this place? Did we just enter the Gates of Hell???" AJ asked Rachel after taking her stetson off and fanned herself.

"It sure seems like it." Serenity whimpered. " Rachel, what is this place??"

Rachel snarled at them. "I don't have a clue. I don't know what the fuck those things are, I do not have a single fucking idea as to what's happening. It wasn't like this years ago. I don't know anything!" She placed a hand on her aching neck, feeling her blood seeping from the bandages. It wasn't a gusher but it did need to stop bleeding.

I wonder… she thought before closing her eyes. Concentrating on her internal fire, manifesting on the places needed. Nothing happened at first, but thirty seconds later, smoke began to rise out of her neck and shoulders as small bits of fire flickered, the fire searing the wounds close. Though she couldn't feel the fire itself, the smell of her burning flesh was making her nauseous. She didn't feel any pain as the fires soothed it away until it disappeared.

"Did you just set yourself on fire?" One of the girls asked as they watched Rachel remove the bandages, seeing the pink flesh where she was stabbed and bitten. A little burn around the edges but other than that, it was healed.

"So you have a healing factor?" Sunset asked, looking at her healed wounds.

"Not exactly." Rachel responded. "I've seen my mate do something similar to heal his wounds and sometimes mine.." she rubbed her thighs, remembering certain moments of her and Spike. "Didn't think it would work if I'm being honest."

"Great, wonderful news. You're healed, but that doesn't really help us with those monsters!" Elizabeth snapped.

"Just what exactly are those things?" Dash asked.

Sunset ponders a little. "I don't know, they look draconic… but also human."

"Sub-evolutionary species. Since Rachel mentioned some humans were given magic by the dragons." Cassandra theorized. "Maybe over time they've mutated to this primal, feral state?"

"They do look like Rachie here when she dragon-ups." Lucy mentioned.

Rachel stared at Cassandra. "So you mean to tell me that these things evolved from humans long ago??"

"I'll have to see one up and close to know for sure, get a good look." Cassandra said. All eyes narrowing at her as she pushes her glasses up. "What? As frightening this is, this is a fascinating discovery. And I thought Equestrian magic was a sight, but this is from our own world."

"If you want to go kill yourself by sticking your head out there, be my guest." Rainbow Dash grunted. "The way I see it, these Dwellers - yeah I'm naming these freaks - made this temple their home. We're trespassing and now they want us dead."

"Is it really worth our lives to continue this mission?" Serenity whimpered.

"Both worlds are at stake here. We're doing this." Rachel said as she pulled out the climbing axe. Feeling a little better that she has some sort of weapon to use. "We have magic and tools to fight. We saw from the soldiers that these guys could be killed. Or otherwise, we’re dead too.”

“But we’re stealing from their homes.” Serenity fired back. “They are just protecting their home.”

“None of us are going to have homes if we don’t continue. I’m sorry if this is hard for you, but the thing is, what we’re doing is bigger than all of us combined.” Rachel said. “I did offer you to back out at the entrance, it’s too late to turn away now.”

As they talked, the temple shook again. They could hear the walls shifting again outside.

“Welp, we can’t even find our way out with the walls keep a-shifting.” Spike grumbled.

“We have to keep going.” Rachel said. “At this point, none of us have a choice.” She walked back to the doors.

Given that they can’t even turn back if they want to, the mane 7 followed Rachel. It took a collective effort to open the doors enough for all of them to fit through.

Rainbow Dash stuck her head out first, looking at the brand new surroundings, just seeing a new hallway leading them somewhere else. “You think the walls moving is one of those soldiers triggering traps?” She asked as she walked forward. “Coast is clear… for now.”

The gang walked out of the bedroom with caution, gazing around for any more of the dwellers.

“Please don’t jinx us with the word traps please?” Elizabeth asked as they moved. Listening carefully and they were able to hear movement and things scurrying about in the darkness around them.

Rachel looked up at the walls, looking for any indication to help them find their way. As they continued to look, their lights began flickering.

“Oh no no no no.” one of them yelped as they smacked the lights, trying to get it to stay on.

“Did we pack extra batteries??” Cassandra asked everyone as she dug in her bag for extra batteries. “D-did Shaun give us some??”

They all checked before they were collectively left in the darkness.

“Oh this is such bullshit!” Lucy shouted, stumbling blindly before stepping on Spike’s paw.

“Ouch! Pinks!” Spike yelped, jumping and pulling his paw back.

“Sorry!”

Cassandra quickly grabbed her phone, turning the light on before passing the phones out to the others.

“These won’t last long either. I haven’t charged since the states.” Applejack said as she fumbled her on.

As Rachel watches the girls fumbling with their phones and trying to get the headlights working, she hears the clicking sounds again. Spike began growling as he also began hearing the sounds. It took a moment for the girls to hear the sounds themselves.

“Oh no not again!” Serenity sobbed.

When one of the girls shined their lights around, a light at an unlit torch could be seen. Rachel walked up to it, took it off the wall.

"I got some oil here," AJ said as she came up to her, brought up a small canister and helped douse the torch.

Once covered, Rachel concentrates on it, focusing her energy and fire ability she has. It took a moment but the torch suddenly lit up in blue flames. "Okay, I'm starting to like this magic." Rachel grinned. The light of the blaze was enough to cover a good distance that the lights of the phones couldn't reach roughly the same time Elizabeth's, Serenity and Sunset's headlights came back on after a good smack or two.

They then began walking again. As Spike runs ahead to enter another tunnel, a much smaller Temple Dweller tackles him. Caused him to yelp but also soon began attacking back. Teeth and claws slashing and biting into it as its hands and claws began wailing at him.

Cassandra gasped before using her magic to levitate the creature up and slammed it into a wall. It let out an ear piercing screeched but unable to move as it was being pinned. “Spike, you’re okay??”

“Damn thing scared the shit out of me.” Spike responded with a snarl, growling and barking at the thing.

The girls looked upon it and they stiffened. Though much smaller than the ones they've seen, its horns were just starting to develop, the spikes on its head were rounded.

It was a child Dweller.

"Holy shit, it's a kid." Dash said.

The child Dweller let out a sound that echoed around them. When they heard the exact noises, Serenity turned around and gasped. Seeing more smaller dwellers, roughly twenty of them, all of them running all fours coming their way, faster than the adults.

Cassandra threw the child she had at the moving mob and the girls went back to running.

However, they didn't get too far as the children were on them. Biting and clawing and slashing at the gang with animalistic fury.

Sounds of Spike snarling and growling as he fought with one. Rainbow Dash had a couple on her but was able to shake them off with her super speed; Cassandra after having slashed long enough was flinging them off with her magic; Applejack, being one of the strongest, was throwing the creatures off of her and swinging her climbing axe alongside Sunset; Elizabeth used her shield to push any one coming too close to her. Lucy throws her sprinkle bombs at them which scared a few but cracked the walls.

Serenity however was having trouble. She tried to get away before several of the small dwellers jumped on her, bringing her to the ground. She screamed in terror as she felt their claws and teeth piercing her clothes and flesh, unable to fight them off.

Rachel quickly was on her, swinging the torch on one of them, sending them flying off before reaching down to grab another and threw it to the ground. Her boot came harshly at its body with a bone-crushing sound, a burst of flames erupted where she stomped at it. It let out a pained scream before Rachel turned to the others tossing the torch aside and grabbing the other one off, pinning it to the ground before taking her axe and repeatedly swung it, stabbing it with the pointed end, fueled with anger and need to survive.

As a couple more went to attack Rachel, she let out a draconic roar as she swung again. Feeling her internal fires ready to consume her, so close to changing.

The sound and the fire was enough to have the children Dwellers scramble away. The remaining children leaped off of the gang and took off where they came from.

Elizabeth and Cassandra and Rainbow Dash ran up to Serenity who was a blubbering, bloody mess. Out of the gang, she had the worst injuries.

"I want to go home," Serenity sobbed as the girls dealt with her wounds.

"We're working on it." Elizabeth soothed her as the others worked on her.

"Yo Rachel, mind healing Fluttershy here?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don't know if I can, but I can try." Rachel makes her way to her but Serenity shuffles away.

"D-don't come close!" Serenity shouts. There was fear in her eyes when she looked at Rachel. Afraid of the dragoness in front of her.

Rachel looked upon her and sighed softly, she turned and walked back over to the dropped torch, the bodies still lit in flames as she picked the torch up. She gazed at the dead children Dwellers before looking away.

"They… didn't leave us a choice… " Rachel muttered.

What was she doing? Bringing these guys here in this dangerous place, what was Rachel thinking?? None of them prepared for this moment…

Rachel looked around them as all were mending their wounds, she looked at the artwork, seeing it telling stories and moments of the past. As she looked, the flames of the torch flickered as if something was sucking the flames into the cracks of the wall.

She watched the flames a little before switching hands and placed a hand on the stone. “Something’s here…” she muttered as she felt the stone.

Rachel rubbed across the wall before feeling her hand sink into itself and the entire wall itself swiveled fast, smacking her from behind and pushing her forward with a yelp before the wall closed.

“Rachel!?” Spike shouted.

He, Lucy, AJ and Sunset ran up to the wall. “Rachel? Rachel!”

“G-guys?!” Rachel called out from the otherside, her voice muffled loudly. “Try to find a button!”

“Hold on!” They continued to try and locate the button but they quickly learned that they didn’t know what Rachel did. They kept at it for two minutes before more clicking sounds echoed where they were.

“Crap, there’s more coming.” AJ grunted as she started punching the wall, thinking she could break through the wall.

“We got to go. Rachel, try to find us, be careful!” Sunset shouted.

“You can’t be serious??” Both Rachel and Spike snapped.

“We can’t get you out of there, try and find your way to us, we gotta move.” Sunset said as RD, Elizabeth and Cassandra helped Serenity up on her feet.

“Guys, get me out of here!!” Rachel shouted. She bangs on the wall on her side, hands sliding on the stone to try and find the button herself.

“Try and find us, we have to go now!” Sunset said before she and the others got going.

Spike snarled. “Damnit!” he snapped, forcefully tearing himself away and followed the others.

“Fuck!” AJ smacked the wall out of anger before running after them.

“Guys?? GUYS?!” Rachel screamed, trying to get their attention, but was only left in silence.

The remaining girls ran as the sounds of the Dwellers chased after them. Sounds of the adults this go around running and climbing on the walls to reach to them.

“W-we have to go after Rachel!” Spike shouted as he jumped out of the way of spears narrowly hitting him.

“We can’t help her without helping ourselves first!” Sunset snapped. “I’m sorry but Rachel is a tough girl, maybe tougher than the rest of us, she can handle herself!”

As they ran down to hide in a room, they were stopped when six more Dwellers dropped from the ceiling and faced in front of them, nearly taking a swipe of Elizabeth’s head.

The girls and Spike continued to scramble away, lights were flickering, all of them trying to get away. They ran and ran until they found another room and quickly shut the doors behind them.

“Okay, yeah, this place is literal he-AHHHHHHHHHHH!” Serenity screamed.

The room they had found themselves in was riddled in bodies and corpses. Corpses of fallen soldiers, animal caracases, bloody creatures lay in many piles and pools of blood faced before them, the smell was unbearable, it was sickening.

“Okay, we need to leave this place of horrors, right now." Aj grunted before attempting to open the doors back up.

Cassandra counted the girls and Spike, making sure they were all there. “Oh no… oh no no no!”

Spike sniffed and stiffened. “Oh no…Where’s Rarity?!”

“What?!” The other girls yelped, looking around the room to find their missing friend. Counting everyone to make sure it was correct.

But Elizabeth wasn’t there.

Instead, Elizabeth was out there. During the scrambling and the lights flickering, Elizabeth found a large crack in the wall and had shimmied herself inside and held her breath in, watching the creatures run past her.

Both Rachel and Elizabeth were now separated from the group, for now, both are alone facing the monsters that inhabited this godforsaken Temple.

Author's Note

Maybe the two girls can find each other, work things out with each other and find the group together??

< --- The Male Dwellers

<---- The Female Dwellers.

Chapter 14

Rachel could not believe she got herself separated from the group and that group left her!

"Stupid, stupid, I'm so fucking stupid." Rachel growled at herself, smacking herself on the head. "Just had to get curious, I swear that's gonna get me…" she shook her head.

She then rubbed her belly, knowing that she couldn't get herself worked up. "Kid, you have no idea how messed up your mama is… let's hope I don't mess you up… " she doesn't know if it was developed enough to hear her or if it could hear her from the womb.

No use for just standing there.. Rachel bent down and picked the torch back up. She looked around, finding herself inside of a much enclosed tunnel system. The ceiling was just mere centimeters from her head and she was able to touch the walls encasing her half an arm length.

She picked up the axe and holstered it back to her hip and began making her way down the tunnel. Keeping her senses out for more of those Dwellers.

The tunnel stretched down a hundred meters before coming up to a stairwell and began the climb up. As she climbed, she began hearing voices. They were muffled at first but she got closer and closer, they began to sound clearer.

"Bravo 1, what's your status? I repeat, what's your status?" Sounds of a radio chatter. "Bravo 1, this is Base Delta come on back, what is your status?"

When Rachel got to the top of the stairs, finding herself on a small walking platform, she came to a rather familiar setting. She was on the platform high above the throne room. The Portal to Equestria opened, but this time, it looked unstable as more cracks formed around, spreading around the air like tendrils, moving and waving.

And around the room were several dead bodies, a mix of soldiers and scientists and other dead Dwellers, and large equipment marked Equestria Transport.

Damn a massacre happened here… Rachel thought as she looked ahead of the walkway to see another platform, leading into another tunnel.

"Okay Rachel… go nice and slow," she muttered to herself as she began slowly walking forward on the wooden walkway. The old wood creaked and groaned under her weight as she shuffled forward.

Each sound the wood made made her wince, muttering prayers for any God that was listening and/or she hasn't pissed off during her whole life that she doesn't take another swan dive if it breaks. She hasn't trusted herself to catch herself with her wings just yet.

When Rachel got a quarter across, she stopped when she heard footsteps approaching the room. She held her breath and waited.

Two soldiers in similar heights came in, one was wearing a helmet that covered his face, while the other… brought Rachel into a boiling rage and a twinge of fear.

The other being her father.

"Holy shit, these bastards didn't stand a chance." The large burly man grunted, kicking the feet of one of the dead soldiers. His ragged brown hair cut short in a buzz cut but still had streaks of gray, nose crooked and bent as if it broke way too many times - once by her. Cold green eyes with the right eye more milky white, meaning that he may not be able to see from that eye.

Her father went to the broadcasting radio and picked it up. "Base Delta, this is Sergeant Lockhart, Bravo 1 is down, along with the scientists."

"Was it those things, Sergeant?"

"Yeah, those monsters tore them apart." He said as he looked at the other soldier. "Make sure the area is secured."

"Roger." The one with the helmet responded.

"This is taking too long to clear,"

"We could go with what I suggested and bomb this place to hell and clean up after." Her father said to the radio.

Rachel slowly began to make her way down the walkway. Needed to get out of there before he spotted her. After a couple of feet, there were sounds of groaning from below. She stopped a moment to look and see what was up.

One of the bodies was moving, one of the scientists who aroused after hearing other voices. She raised a hand out. "H… help me…" she croaked. She was still alive but needed some medical attention.

Damian stopped and looked at her. He glanced at his partner before pulling out one of his large knives and stabbed the scientist in the head. "There, I helped," he spoke softly and smirked before pulling the knife back and the head and hand of the scientist dropped.

Okay, Rachel has two missions to do here now: First was obviously getting the Staff and closing this portal. The second one is making sure her father never crosses over. As much as she rather fight Sombra blindly, Equestria didn't need her father to abuse and torture them.

"What did you just do?" The one with the helmet asked, looking at the fellow soldier. His voice was beginning to sound familiar but the helmet muffled the voice enough where Rachel couldn't really tell.

"Thought one of these monsters were still alive, can't be too careful," he lied as he wiped the scientist's blood from her pants before sliding the knife back in its sheath.

Rachel resumed crossing the walkway. hopefully they wouldn't notice her.

"We can't bomb the Temple, can't risk any debris injuring our brothers on the other side of the portal. We're sending more men over in three hours, hold what you can for now, good luck, Base Delta out." The radio said before it clicked off.

"Fuck this shit," Damian grunted before tossing the radio aside.

"Those men are going to get slaughtered, we need to focus on trying to close this thing here and leave. I didn't sign up to get torn apart by demons." The helmet soldier said as he stood, motioning to the Portal.

"As much fun as it is to waste them, you may have a point, ammunition is low as it is," Damian said as he began collecting some more mags and bullets off of the fallen soldiers and pocketing them. He had thought of collecting their dog tags but decided not to and stood.

"Let's move o-'' a creaking sound caused them to stop talking.

Rachel, who was so close to the other platform froze in place once the board made that sound again.

Don't look up, don't look up, don't look up, don't look up. Rachel mentally pleaded.

Then a flashlight shined on her.

She looked down and it was her father shining a light at her.

The two of them stared at each other for the longest time.

"Oh crap," she muttered, eyes widened.

Her father stared at her before a crooked grin split between his lips. "Well I'll be." He then raised his rifle up and began firing rounds at her.

"Shit!" Rachel shouted and darted the rest of the way, dodging the oncoming bullets before she reached across the platform on the other side and slipped into the other tunnel.

The helmet soldier ran over and grabbed the gun. "What the bloody hell!?" He barked.

"Get a move on, Watson, we're going hunting!" Damian said with an eerie gleeful expression and started running off to begin hunting.

"Oh no… " the soldier muttered, holding onto his rifle and began following Damian.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was having her own little adventure, while inside of the crack leading her to another place within the Temple, she waited until the Dwellers fully ran past her before she began to shimmy her body to the other side. Sucking in her belly as much as she could.

"Picked a very bad time to wear white," Elizabeth muttered. The once crisp white shirt and matching khakis was soiled from the quick swim, caked in grime and dirt and The Dwellers black blood and a bit of Serenity's blood. Fabric ripped and torn.

These stains were going to take forever to get out once this mission was over. In fact she's going to burn the whole outfit once she has a bath.

To prevent her from potentially letting her mind trick her and possibly get stuck in this crack, she began thinking of all the things she was going to do when they save the world.

Finish Kol's suit and meet his parents.

Throw Sofie a surprise going away to college party.

Most certainly take a break from dealing with Equestria magic and go on vacation. Maybe even go on a cruise with Kol.

When she reached the other side, she noticed there was a reddish glow and felt this intense heat. She looked and she stiffened, the crack brought her to a large open space where the ledge was very narrow, the bottom, large pools of lava, cages with bodies stuffed inside were dangling from the high ceiling.

There were a few living people inside some of the cages but most were not.

"Oh no," Elizabeth whispered, pressing herself up against the wall, trying not to let her foot slip. There was another tunnel just ten feet from her on the left.

She pulled her axe out just in case and began sliding her feet on this very narrow ledge, making her way.

"Don't look down, darling, don't look down… have these Dwellers not know what air conditioning is?" She panted as she began sweating profusely in this heat.

As she made her halfway point, she approached a cage where an injured man in his early twenties was inside, he raised his head up and gasped.

"Hello?? Ma'am please you have to help me, get me out of here!" He pleaded, moving closer in the confines of the cage to reach her. There was a four foot gap between her and him.

Elizabeth nearly slipped from the edge, grabbing the wall to keep her upright.

"I'm trying not to fall darling but I'll do what I can." Elizabeth gulped. "Did those things put you in here??"

The man nodded. "They killed most of my men and got me pretty good. When one of them saw I was still alive, they put me in here. Been here for three days. Please, you gotta hurry before she comes back. She's picking off the survivors one by one!" He looks down and then looks at the other living prisoners.

"Who is this She?" Elizabeth asked before shaking her head. "Know what, nevermind, I'm going to help you. Lemme get to that other spot over there where I can get better footing."

The man shakingly nodded his head. "Please hurry."

"H-hey is someone there? Help!" Another living prisoner cried out and soon getting the others' attention and began begging Elizabeth to help them.

With how the others were spaced, Elizabeth knew she may not be able to reach them, as some were hung too far for her to get. It broke her heart that she may not be able to save them all.

"L-let me have a moment, I'll do what I can, dears." Elizabeth comforts them as she begins moving towards a wider edge near the tunnel. All of them begged her to hurry and to get them out.

Once she made it to the platform, she removed the rope from her belt, knelt down and tying it to the axe. "So love, what's your name?" She asked the man in the cage as she worked. Trying to keep him calm by small talk.

"Henry… Henry Edler." Henry whimpered.

"Henry, good name. I'm Elizabeth. Do you have any family? Children?"

Henry nodded. "M-my wife is about to have our first kid next month. I'm having a girl. Get me out of here and I just may name her after you."

That brought a smile to Elizabeth's face. "A friend of mine is pregnant as well. Don't worry, I'm going to get you out." After tying the rope and making sure she got the knot right, she stood back up. "Okay, I'm going to throw the axe at you. Try and catch it and I'll pull the cage close. Ready Henry?"

"Ready."

Elizabeth held the axe by the rope and began spinning it, getting into the right speed, not trying to hit herself, holding onto the other end of the rope.

"One… two… three." She throws the axe at the cage.

Henry had his arms sticking out and barely caught it by the pointy tip. It did cut him a little but he didn't care. "G-got it!" He laughs in joy.

Those watching cheered and applauded them. Some shouted "Us next!"

"Good, try and hook it to the cage and hold on." Elizabeth instructed. When he did, she began pulling on the rope.

The cage groaned and creaked as it was slowly moving. The high chain rattled as it was being pulled to one side.

However, it wasn't enough when the rope ended up slipping from Elizabeth's hands and the cage began swinging.

"Drat!" She hissed, pressing her hands to her sides, feeling the burn and something wet. When pulling the up and examine, her right fingerless gloves, the fabric had ripped and the rope sliced the palm of her hand, causing her to bleed, her fingertips burning and pulsating.

"D-don't worry, you can try again! You got this!" Henry said as the cage swung, grabbing the rope and axe. Once it stabilized, he tossed the items back to her. It landed at her feet.

Elizabeth tore parts of her shirt, making it a makeshift crop top, using the torn fabric and wrapped her hand up. Once she patched herself up, she grabbed the axe.

"Could you try to turn the cage to where the door is facing me? We'll try breaking it and go from there." She asked him.

"I can try." He said as he began moving his body, trying to use the momentum to get the cage to turn.

Suddenly, sounds of loud drums booming and Henry turned pale white. "Oh no, She's coming!" He yelped and kept trying to turn the cage.

Before Elizabeth could ask what he meant, her blood ran cold when she began hearing what sounds like… chanting?

Varuta Volka, Varuta Volka, La Rúna!

Woopings and roars echoed as many Temple Dwellers filled the rocky platform below, none of them bothered by the heat of the lava. Adults and children filled some of the area. Some of the adults did hold weapons of spears, swords, a few having shields along with them.

Along with sounds of the low rhythm drums banging somewhere where Elizabeth couldn't see, some of the spear welders were banging the blunt ends of their weapons to the beat of the sounds and those with swords and shields banged them together in rhythm, the children were echoing the banging sounds by hitting the rocks with their hands. All of them chanting the same words, never breaking the synchronized.

Chanting in harmony.

"Oh my… these aren't as mindless beasts as I thought… " Elizabeth whimpered. These things were somewhat organized.

She quickly began spinning the axe. Time wasn't on their side.

As Elizabeth was getting into the speed, a blue light emerged in the mix of the red glow of the lava, having a color mix of purple in the room.

She looked down, the chanting had halted and noticed a figure coming into view. A blue crystal staff with a black thin streak in their left hand, the Dwellers were on their knees, bowing down. It was a female dweller but she looked different than the other females, her horns were shaped differently, it instead curved over their head and the tips pointed up to the ceiling, her chest piece was black and had feathers with a crest center piece, red sash over it. Her loincloth was like them. Her hair wasn't as stringy as the others but fuller and was a shiny black. The mix glow of the lava and the staff caused her golden eyes to glow. On her head was an eight pointed, black obsidian crown with three blue stones embedded in it.

The Blue Celestial!

Henry's cage began groaning and was beginning to lower.

"No, no no! Help me!" Henry cried out.

Elizabeth throws the axe to try and hook it to the cage but she misses, hearing Henry screaming and pleading.

She looked down and hopelessly watched. The other survivors cried and yelled, seeing the other one going down.

When Henry reached the bottom, two of Dwellers matched up to him, one of them opened the cage door and both entered the cage. There was a slight struggle before both Dwellers dragged the human by the arms.

Henry pleaded with them to let him go but they did not understand him as he could understand them.

The two Dwellers brought him to their leader, forcing Henry to get on his knees and let him go. Backing themselves to the rest of the others.

The black streak of the staff shifted to the man as the glow died off. It pulsated in sight of him.

When the leader began speaking, Elizabeth could not understand it, no one in this place but other Dwellers could understand her. The Leader gave a radiance of pure authority, anger. She stared at the human with disgust and hatred.

"I-I don't understand you, but w-whatever I did, I'm sorry!" Henry begged. He was afraid and has every right to be. He begged that he'll do anything for her if it means letting him go. Trying to delay the inevitable.

The black streak narrowed at him, darting back to the leader and back at Henry.

The Leader twisted her hold on the staff and it glowed again. The lava pools began boiling and rippling as orbs of lava raised up.

Henry gazes at them in terror as one of the orbs was thrown at him. Hitting his right arm, instantly the fabric burst into flames and his skin instantly began blistering and peeling off. He screamed in agony as more lava orbs were thrown at him. Orbs hitting parts of his body, his flesh sizzling and melting off of him. He tried to protect his face with his arms but it did little to no good on him.

Elizabeth and others watched on in horror, knowing that there was nothing they could’ve done to save the poor man, tears running down the girl’s face as she watched the flesh melting off of him. Burning the muscle off and exposing the bone underneath.

The screams and cries lasted roughly a minute before it stopped. Henry was now completely black and burned, his bones underneath exposed and looked unrecognizable, laying limb before the leader and others.

The other Dweller belts out in victory to see the human had perished. The Leader roughly kicks the pile of bones into the pool of lava below where it sank. The leader lifted the staff in the air and let out an ear piercing roar.

Elizabeth frighteningly shuffled into the tunnel behind her, covering her mouth with her hands as she shivered and softly sobbed. However she couldn’t sit there and risk being spotted, she had to keep on going.

She couldn’t save Henry…she won’t be able to save the others…

Then sudden quick bursts of gunfire echoed through the temple. The Dwellers began making the clicking sounds again before they all took off after the noise.

Rachel’s feet picked up dirt as ran down the corridor, the sounds of the Dwellers pounding in her mind as they chased down her. They were beginning to swarm sometime after the guns were going off.

Knowingly that her and her father have some unfinished business to attend to. Seeing him physically once more brought back unsettling memories. Moments of dealing with his abusive hand, the many bones broken and eyes blacken, times where she had to reset her joints. The anger she felt every time they faced each other.

The moment when she grew so angry of the pain he caused was when she made the ultimate mistake that killed her mother.

He should’ve died that day…not you…

To try and get away from them, she entered a room, a library of sorts . Though a lot of scrolls and books scattered on the floors and haphazardly on the shelves. Some chests and other treasures were also scattered about but lay untouched.

That was until Rachel ran in. She could see cracks and holes in the walls but there was no time to run to them as the Dwellers followed her.

Snarling, she tossed the torch to the ground and held the axe in her hands.

The Dwellers loomed at her as they circled around them. Hissing and growling, watching her moves as they surrounded them.

With so much anger coursing through Rachel, she was ready to release it upon these things. Making her own hissing and growling, matching theirs, the Dwellers attacked her.

With every swing she made, it made contact with The Dwellers. Swinging the climbing axe with vicious intentions, smashing into heads, and chests. Letting out a blood curdling roar each time Rachel swung, black blood splattered, covering her face, her clothes, bursts of flames erupted each time she touched them, turning them into black charcoal.

When several piled on her, hitting and clawing at her, her whole body burst into blue flames, blasting them off of her, dragon-upped. Her new form did cause some of them to be confused and startled but it made little difference as they began fighting her once more.

When Rachel retaliated, she was proved stronger in this form, slashing and hacking with her axe and claws, using her wings to flap her once in the air to dodge but swung the weapon back down when she fell to the ground.

What seemed to be forever, the attacks stopped for a moment. Everything became eerie quiet as Rachel stood still. She panted and growled, her nerves completely shot.

When she smelled a familiar scent and heard them quickly coming at her from behind, she let out a shout, spun around and swung the axe with intention to kill.

Elizabeth screamed, catching her arm and narrowly dodging the attack, the axe nearly coming to contact with her head. “ARE YOU INSANE?!” she shrieked, the light from her headlight shining on Rachel’s face.

Exposing the raw, primal rage in her face. The murderous look in her eyes as she stared at the smaller girl. Rachel hissed, baring her sharp teeth at her. Looking very similar to the Temple Dwellers she was just fighting with.

Elizabeth and Rachel stared at each other before Rachel took her arm back. Her body once again was consumed in the blue flames, returning to normal.

“Friendly fire, sorry.” she grunted, still on an adrenaline high, pushing Elizabeth aside and made her way to where Elizabeth came from.

Elizabeth snarled before raising her hands, it glowing blue. She raised her shields up, blocking the path. “No! You don’t get to walk away after you nearly killed me!”

“We don’t have time to just sit here. More of them are going to come.” Rachel snapped.

“We’re going to make time, right now.” Elizabeth then pointed at her. “You’ve been nothing but rude and cold to me since you came here when I had not done a single thing to earn this harsh treatment. I can see you had some sort of traumatic event happen to you in Equestria, but it has nothing to do with me!”

“You don’t know a damn thing about what happened to me. Don’t just sit there and say you do!” Rachel snarled, walking up to her.

“Then tell me!” Elizabeth threw her hands up. “Since your anger is directly at me, I’m assuming you have rage towards Rarity. What did the other me do that was so terrible that you’re taking your frustrations out on me?!”

“Oh! You wanna know? You wanna know?!” Rachel yelled. “Lemme tell you! First off, she had never liked me since the moment we met, she sent three ponies after me and as a result I nearly got raped by one of them, poisoned my mate and I once and I ended up in the hospital. Poisoned my mate again and he ended up turning into a 50 foot mindless beast and went on a blood thirsty rampage, killing and burning everything in sight. In the end he left me BECAUSE OF HER!” she ended up screaming.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened in horror as Rachel told her.

“All because she could not fucking stand me being with Spike when she had never cared for him in the first place! Spike used to worship her every move before meeting me, even so much that he asked her to marry him. She basically took his love, threw it back in his face and told him to piss off without much caring how it’ll impact him. When he turned his love to someone who actually reciprocated it back to him, giving him the love and care he so deserves, she could not stand that! Rarity didn’t care about anyone but herself and ended up dying for what she did! If she was alive, I’d fucking make sure she suffers every, waking, moment for the rest of her fucking life FOR WHAT SHE DID! In death, she tore my family apart!” By then, fresh hot tears just cascaded down Rachel’s face, her voice crackled, body trembling. “If she had just stayed in her lane and not butt in and left well enough alone, I wouldn’t be going through this pregnancy alone!”

Rachel then gripped the sides of her head, grabbing fistfuls of her hair, wanting to rip the hairs off of her head. "I hate her, I fucking hate her so much, I can't even stand you! Your voice, the way you act, everything about you makes me so sick to look at!!"

Elizabeth stared in silence for the longest time. Letting what Rachel said sink in. Purely disgusted with what the other her has done to Rachel and so many others.

She looked at the ground, taking deep breaths before speaking up. "I'm… so sorry for what you went through. What Rarity did to you and your family. Her actions were appalling, revolting. Cannot believe I'm tied to that travesty… but darling, I am not her, I am not Rarity. I've been Elizabeth much longer than my friends and I go by our pony names. We do that since we were able to use magic." She looked at Rachel, trying to be calm and considerate to her. "My friends and I help those who need it here. I do own a clothing store and do designs but the profits I make help to fund my baby sister Sofie's college. She's going to Harvard in the fall and we can't be any more proud of her. I make clothes and give them to the homeless. And trust me, you have no clue how much a difference it makes on a person when they have received a whole new set of clothes. With a good wardrobe, they can go out, get a respectable job in society and improve their lives."

She reached out and touched Rachel's shoulders. "Dear, you have pretty much the weight of both worlds on your shoulders. You feel like your life is completely falling apart, especially when the love of your life is gone. Fearing he may not come back, especially in your time of need. Dear heavens, the thought of going something like that with my love Kol scares me. I do hope your love comes back to you. However, I hate to say it, but in the end, he won't matter. Nothing else will matter, not the war, not ruling a kingdom. Nothing will matter but this little one." She placed a hand on Rachel's womb. Feeling the baby.

Rachel shuddered by her touch, letting go of her head and looked at Elizabeth.

"This baby is the most important, beautiful thing in your life. The first words they'll say? "Mama, mama."." Elizabeth smiled genuinely at her. "The baby won't look for daddy when they get sick or scared, they'll call for you. It'll cry for you and be so happy to have you as their mother. You will be a good mother. It may not look like it now with how things are going, but when they are born, you will be great at it. D-do you have anyone back in Equestria? Friends, found family?”

Rachel slowly nodded. “Three…p-plus his side but I’m still iffy with one of them…. Brimstone, Ruby, Gemcity…” she muttered.

Her family when she came here.

Oh Gods, they don’t know. And Rachel knows that they are going to give her such an earful for neglecting them. Before Spike, it was those three.

“Then you aren’t going to be alone in this. There is a phrase, "it takes a village to raise a child' it does take a whole village to raise one.” Elizabeth smiled. “You have those back home that will help you. Plus you’re going to be in some castle, those who serve you will help as well because this bundle is going to be a handful.”

“Not that kind of castle but yeah,” Rachel let out a soft laugh. “And if it's anything like me, yeah it’s going to be a tiny gremlin.”

“My little sister and I were like that. But we’re doing good. And you’re going to be great."

As generous were her words and the fear of them coming true, Rachel didn't want it to be true.

"Spike, my Spike is in trouble." Rachel whispered. "I don't know what got himself into but he sent me a distress signal."

Elizabeth smiled then. "Then you go save him. That itself is a sign that he wants to go home… we'll help you get him back." She said with determination.

Emotional, Rachel wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and brought her in for a hug. Elizabeth let out a small laugh, holding her.

“There, all we needed was to talk it out.” She said, patting her back. "After this, spa day is on me." Causing Rachel to snort for the offer.

It might be the last time she could before being thrown into the war and searching for her mate back home.

“Let’s catch up with the others,” Rachel said as she pulled from Elizabeth and began making her way back to where Elizabeth came from.

“Oooh you don’t want to go that way darling.” Elizabeth quickly stopped her. “I saw your staff, but it’s in the hands of their Leader.”

“Leader?” Rachel stopped her approach and turned to her. “You saw the staff??”

“And part of its magic. Oh I wished I could have documented it, but the leader has it and she’s ruthless. There was a lava pit where I just came from. These Temple Dwellers are more organized, they are chanting.” Elizabeth whimpered. “I know we need that staff but back there is nothing but death, we’ll get it another way.”

“Chanting…? Do you know what they were chanting?” Rachel asked. Her eyes turned back to the dead Dwellers.

These things could talk??

Elizabeth frowned. “So many things were happening at the same time, I didn’t know how to describe it I’m afraid. Something on the lines of…Varuta Volka, La Rúna.”

“Varuta Volka, La Rúna?” Rachel repeated. She muttered the words, recognizing the words as it was being spoken. Her eyes widened. “Hail the Mighty Queen Rúna.” Rachel translated.

“Excuse me? Rúna? As in your ancestor Rúna?” Elizabeth questioned. “Unless this name just had been passed down into this generation of this breed, I don’t see how it’s the same for centuries ago.”

Queen Rúna… no that’s not possible… Rachel thought. “You’re probably right…then again, we’re dealing with forces we don’t understand. Magic is wanky at best.”

“Especially with different types of magic. Let’s go find our friends.” Elizabeth said as she and Rachel left the library. However, thoughts began invading Rachel’s mind as a mystery was beginning to slowly unravel itself in front of her.

Author's Note

:duck: I do hope we can find our friends, Darling. These Dwellers are just awful

Uh there's something else more awful than these guys

Chapter 15

Rachel and Elizabeth both crept quietly as they moved through the halls. Rachel being even more cautious. Double checking each path before making a choice. The talk between her and Elizabeth did settle some things, controversial at best, but Rachel really couldn’t take it out on her.

The Dwellers were one thing - they were just defending their home territory. And if this Queen Rúna is who Rachel believes it is, it only raised many questions. Were the Dwellers actually the Mordi? What was the story behind all of this? How did the Mordi become what they are? How is Rúna still alive after countless centuries?

And if the Mother Cells - what the scientists back at Equestria shamelessly dubbed her and others - who happened to be girls who got tested - how come Rachel and others didn’t become what the Mordi was now? How did she and others escape the change?

If there wasn’t a time crunch and so much to do, Rachel would absolutely dive into that rabbit hole of a mystery. Though something told her she was going to know when having to face off against the Leader for the Staff.

Spending what time she did with the Dragons during the Migration, they were about old traditions, even the younger, newer dragons knew of them. Heck, even Spike, though he was raised about ponies for most of his life, knew of these traditions and held them high. If these guys carry the same traditions in their current state.

Maybe Rachel would get lucky and by some chance some lucky soldier takes the leader out and she can swoop in and grab the staff from her lifeless corpse.

Yeah, that’s not going to happen.

The Queen would heavily guard that staff with her life, and there was only one way that staff would be in Rachel’s hands. She won’t tell Elizabeth or the others when they find them, they would just try and talk her down and she didn’t want to hear it. And they can’t face off the Queen.

It has to be Rachel.

Then there’s the actual problem Rachel has now got to deal with: not getting killed by good ol’ Dad. She remembers the last time the two faced off, right in front of his new wife and her half brother. Both got good shots in before her little brother came in and bashed his head with a metal bat. She may not know his name and didn’t want him to know hers, but that four year old kid became a badass in her eyes. She told Spike that…

What she didn’t tell him was that as she was on her way back to the Portal, she got a phone call in her hotel room from her father, he told her if he ever catches her, she was going to be dead.

For many years after that, she had looked over her shoulder, hoping to not see him. To not see him coming into her new life and destroy everything she worked hard to build back up. And now her fears were coming true and he was here. He knows she’s there as well.

And he won’t stop at nothing until she’s dead. That soldier with him better watch his back because Rachel knows if he intervenes, he won’t go back to his family.

Sure, Rachel was much stronger than the last time, she has powers, she could totally demolish him with a swipe of her claws and burn him alive. However, he will use every trick he has to make sure she won’t fight back. He won’t care that she’s carrying his grandchild.

“You’re awfully quiet, you okay?” Elizabeth asked her.

“Not really, but what else is new?” Rachel muttered as she looked around. “Just making sure no one is around to tear our faces off or shoot at us.”

“Shoot at us? I know the soldiers from before aimed their weapons at us, but I don’t think they would’ve shot at us.”

Rachel turned and gave Elizabeth a glare. “Believe it or not, we do have a foe that is actually worse than the Dwellers. One soldier I loathe and despised is the reason why I moved to Equestria in the first place. The man who will kill me in an instance.”

“Who?”

“My pathetic, angry bastard of a sperm donor.” Rachel grunted before looking forward as they walked.

“Your father? You did mention he was rather abusive but is he that~” Elizabeth was cut off by a menacing look on her face. “I’m just going to shut up now.”

“Please and thank you… and if you ask me to try and reconcile with him like an ex of mine tried to, I’m going to slap you.” Rachel threatened.

“You were with someone before Spike?” Elizabeth asked then.

“Two guys before him. First ex, we separated after he went back to Earth and the second ex…. Well lets just say if I see him walk down a street, I will just run up on him and beat that pony’s fucking ass with how he left and treated me.”

Elizabeth stared at her. “You were with a pony??”

Rachel let out a loud, annoyed sound. “Yes. If you must know, the only ones I’ve ever bedded with are two sexlings (at once), one pony and one dragon. I never slept with my first ex, I never bedded with a human. Yes I know how that sounds, it just happens, I never expected to get my freak on with another species, satisfied??"

Elizabeth nodded her head.

Rachel snorted, shaking her head at her. "Sorry I snapped but I'm really not in the mood for answering questions. I don't want to take it out in you, I rather take it out on my demons that are here to kill me. He already took shots at me."

Like she told Spike before, everyone has their demons, some more physical than others. While Spike was gone and dealing with his demons, Rachel was going to face hers.

Elizabeth stared at her, wanting to ask more but didn't want her head bitten off.

The two came to a dead end when the Temple shook once more, the two girls stood where they were as the walls shifted again.The wall in front of them moved, revealing another path, and when they turned around, where they came from was blocked. Blocked with a green X that Rainbow Dash spray painted a while ago.

"Well those were pretty much useless," both Rachel and Elizabeth said in unison. They looked at each other and chuckled softly.

The two proceeded down the new pathway, when it split into two halls, one side was completely blocked off by fallen debris, forcing them to go down the other way.

"Should we call out to them?" Elizabeth asked. "How else are we going to find our friends?"

"We'll also alert more than our friends if we do call out. No doubt we'll run into them either way." Rachel responded.

They soon came to a cavern, large painted rocks and debris were everywhere, exposing a dark hole. When they shined their lights on it, there were blast marks. Up against the blasted hole was crates dubbed C-4.

"Is this what those other soldiers talked about? The archeologists breaking into this room?" Elizabeth asked, trying to peer inside the darkness. It was so dark even her light couldn't break through.

"Could be," Rachel muttered as she scanned the debris.

She noticed a few had writing on it. She set the torch down and began collecting rocks that had the same writing on it. Rachel knew she wouldn't find all the pieces but working with what she has, she could figure out the rest.

Elizabeth turned and watched her. "Darling, it's no time to work on puzzles."

"Gimme a second." Rachel responded as she put what she could together.

She looks up at what writing was on the wall and then looks at what she has on the ground. "For those who find this tomb, do not disturb. We failed our Gods and are now doomed to live with our punishment. If released, run. If you can, however those brave and strong enough, relieve us from our suffering… Nenog, my love, I'm so sorry, I have failed you." Rachel translated. However she didn't speak in English, not her knowledge anyway.

"Uh, what did you just say?" Elizabeth asked, watching Rachel confused.

Rachel rubbed her head with a wince, looking at the writing below as she fell into a trance once more.

Screams of doom and panic erupted in the one beloved Temple of Draconia. Normally, the dragons and the loyal Mordi could handle human retaliation, but when their forces outnumbered them, led by those who craved power upon anything else, the dragons were losing. Their bodies mutilated and used for other means for human greed.

They did not expect them to rival that of the dragons.

It started with the egglings, but it grew to where the dragons were dwindling down to more than a handful left. Their kind were becoming extinct within the span of a hundred years.

Rúna tried to stop this from happening since she rose to power, doing what she can to make peace but it wasn't enough.

The Dragonlord and his Queen then devised a plan to send the dragons to another plane. Another world where they would thrive. However, as much as Rùna loved her Dragonlord, she knew she couldn't follow. She and their child would have to stay, against Nenog's wishes.

When it was time, the remaining dragons and the last of the loyal Mordi gathered in the throne room. The royal couple nodded at each other before both hoisting their staffs up.

The two chanted, lights of the Blue Celestial and the Bloodstone glowed. The whole world trembled as magic shot between the two. Beams crossed and the fabric of this reality began to tear, rippling into form was the Portal into an unknown world.

Nenog ordered the remaining dragons to go first. As he watched his subjects escape, they heard rushing sounds of the insurrectionists storming down the halls for them.

The loyal Mordi stood facing the entrance. Armed and ready.

Nernog took Rùna by the hands and proceeded to take her and their daughter. However, his Queen didn't move.

He asks her what the hesitation was. She wordlessly looked up at him, tears running down her face, and kissed him one final time.

"Goodbye, my love." She whispered before turning the staff at him and blasted him with its magic. The blast wasn't going to kill him, but the force of it was enough to push the dragon into the Portal.

She then turned the staff at the Portal itself as there the enemy began to make their appearance. The Mordi charged and began fighting them off.

She turned to the woman who had her daughter. The staff glowed and she raised a hand towards her. Telling the woman to take the child and leave the Temple.

Rúna watched her child leave, watching her screaming and crying, wanting her mother but she can’t be with her anymore. The Queen began to use her magic and shot at the Portal. The world shook once more. Using the combined strength of the Staff’s magic and her energy.

The Portal rippled and cracked before closing in on itself, sending a shockwave that knocked everyone down.

The vision then flashed to a different scene. The remaining Mordi who remained in the Temple along with the Queen were feeling pain. Their bodies contorted and twisted as the staff glowed on its own. Anger radiated from the staff, turning them all into monsters.

“Rachel? Rachel, darling, snapped out of it!” Elizabeth shook Rachel by her shoulders, seeing her fluttering her eyes as if she was waking up.

“What…?” Rachel asked, dazed, reaching a hand up and rubbed her head.

“You were just staring at this rubble. Are you alright?” Elizabeth asked, shining the headlight in her eyes, seeing her slit pupils reacted to them.

While touching her head with one hand, she placed her other hand on her chest. The pain she felt from the vision lingered. Rachel glanced back down at the scription on the ground. “I don’t really have an answer to that…I think I just had another vision.” She was unsure of herself.

She bent down and picked up the torch. Moving into the blown entrance. When she came in, she could feel the pain and the agony that went into this place. Though the light of the torch couldn’t cut through the darkness, there was this energy in this room even Elizabeth could feel.

“Be careful, we don’t know what’s in here.” Elizabeth said as she followed.

The girls walked around the darkness until their feet kicked something metal.

“Ouch, my shin!” Elizabeth hissed. “I’m fine.”

Rachel felt what Elizabeth kicked and realized it was some sort of brazier. She took the torch and lit it.

Once she did that and set the brazier up, the other braziers in the room all lit in the same blue flame, expelling the darkness and showing what was inside.

And it was a sight. The girls let out a gasp as the room was filled with these large white crystals. Lining on the walls, the floors, stretching as high as the ceiling goes.

As they wordlessly looked around, something caught Elizabeth's attention. She tapped her shoulder before pointing to the left of them.

They slowly came up to it. At first, Rachel didn't see anything, but upon further inspection, a face emerges from inside.

It was one of the Dwellers. By the looks of it, it was asleep. Arms across their chest and was still breathing.

"What in the world? How did it get trapped in there?" Elizabeth asked before reaching out and touching the crystal.

As soon as her hand touched it, the Dweller's eyes shot open. It let out a shriek, muffled from being inside.

The girls shuffled back, quickly drawing out their climbing axes as the Dweller slammed its arms against the crystal. It took several times before it shattered like glass and lunged at them.

The girls swung at the same time as it attacked them. Embedded the ends into its exposed flesh, with Rachel's attack setting it on fire.

They brought the creature to the ground and swung at it several times, making sure it didn't come at them once more.

Once satisfied that it was asleep permanently, Rachel turned to Elizabeth. "Touch nothing, got it?"

Elizabeth huffed at her. "You're a fine one to talk to, hypocrite." She called her out.

Rachel glared at her. "Oh shut up, I know I am." Which she knows she has to work on being not.

They pulled their axes out of the body but kept it out, locked and loaded to swing for the next attack.

"How did it get trapped in there?" Elizabeth then asked.

Rachel looked around and noticed a lot of the crystals have holes in them, like the one that just burst out. She continued to look until she stared at the center of the room. There was a makeshift throne encased with the same crystal. A hole like the ones they've seen.

"Something bad happened after the Dragons left for Equestria." Rachel said. Looking around at this tomb. "There was a warning out there, written by the Queen herself, telling others to not disturb. If so, run."

"Did Queen Rùna turn them all into monsters?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, not her, " Rachel responded. "The staff did." She said as she still felt that lingering pain.

It reminded her of the pain she went through back at Equestria during her transformation but a thousand times worse.

"The Bloodstaff for the Dragonlord is somewhat sentient. Only to the ruler, it would make sense that the Blue Celestial is also sentient to the Queen." Rachel explains. "And like any sentient being, it has feelings. And some feelings are stronger than others… like anger."

"Angry for what? What caused this thing to change a bunch of people?"

"Being left behind. Being forced to stay while its counterpart goes. They were never meant to be separated. Angry of those who failed the dragons… " Rachel speculated as looked at her hands. "They were cursed. The Queen brought everyone she could who were affected and sealed them here. Encasing herself and others in these crystals. Never meant to leave."

"Until the archeologists came and blew it open and the chaos began." Elizabeth muttered. They looked up, though there were a lot of spots where the Dwellers escaped, there were still those still inside. "Let's get out of here before they wake up."

"Amen to that, sister." Rachel agreed and the two hurried out of the tomb.

“Okay, whoever is controlling these walls, I’m going to kick their asses.” Rainbow Dash snarled as the walls shifted around them.

“I-I think we actually lost the Dwellers so the wall shifting saved our hides,” Applejack pants, leaning against a wall to catch her breath.

“Just how many are there in this stupid Temple???” Lucy whined as she rubbed her wrist. Having accidentally sprained it from throwing way too many sprinkle bombs.

“Too many to fight at once, that’s for sure.” Spike grunted, shaking his head and body. “It’s hard to get the girls’ scent with the walls changing and us getting chased every five minutes.”

Cassandra reached down and rubbed his head and scratched his neck. “You’re doing great either way bud, we’ll find those two.”

Spike, though enjoyed the pets, gave her a deadpan look. "Cassandra, we talked about you chastising me." He called her by her real name.

"Sorry."

Sunset wiped the Dweller’s blood off of her axe before holstering it. “There’s gotta be a better way of finding Rachel and Elizabeth, us running around clearly isn’t working.” She said before looking over at Serenity. They did patch her up with what they could, but everyone could tell she’s mentally not doing so well. “Fluttershy, I know this has been rough, but you have to pull it together.”

“What we’re doing is wrong. This is all wrong.” Serenity responded. “I know both worlds are in trouble but we’re committing~”

She was cut off by Rainbow Dash rushing up to her, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt and pushing her up against the wall. Causing her to yelp and the other girls and Spike getting alarmed.

“Flutters, I know you’re scared, but you have got to shut the fuck up about how wrong we’re doing being in this place! We have no fucking choice if we want to save our world and Equestria.” RD snapped at her. “Sunset said is right, pull your ass together, actually help us fight these fuckers and don’t say another goddamn word on how horrible we are, or how much you wanna leave because if we don’t do this mission, WE WON’T HAVE A HOME! Get it through your skull or so help me God, I will knock your meek, sensitive, whiney ass out cold and then one of us - mainly my hot ass girlfriend over there - will be in charge of carrying you. And with the Dwellers hunting us down, your unconscious ass will only slow us down and perhaps one of us would get seriously hurt because they are constantly protecting you. Maybe even die, and guess what, that will be on you! Got it?!”

"Whoa whoa okay, back off Dash." Sunset Shimmer went up to her.

"I will, after she says it. Fluttershy, do you understand what the hell I'm saying??" Rainbow grunted, gripping her shirt tightly.

Serenity whimpered and nodded her head fast. "I understand… " her voice quivered and not loud enough for Dash to hear.

"I can't hear you, speak up."

"I understand, Dash." Serenity spoke up where it was heard."

Rainbow Dash snorted before letting her go. "Good." She said as she turned and went back to Applejack.

Applejack sighed before kissing her cheek. "I think she got it."

"Let's hope so." Dash muttered.

"Now what's all this?"

The gang jumped when they heard a new voice.

Coming out of another path were two soldiers. Only one of them had a helmet on while the other didn't.

Damian…

Author's Note

Disclaimer:

No, Nenog's and Rúna's daughter was not a dragon/human hybrid. Back then, they didn't really think two different species could have a child, even when one has some dragon essences in them.

And this was discuss between both of them awhile but the two ultimately decided to pick a male Mordi with good genes to essentially become a royal Breeder to the Queen. The guy did get paid well to do his job, however the guy was not allowed to interact with the child.

Basically becoming the Sperm Donor. The Princess was loved by the Queen and the Dragonlord who she called father.

And speaking of Fathers, the showdown between Rachel and Damian is about to come ahead so stay tune (he doesn't have the Mordi genes just so you know)

Chapter 16

The gang grouped together once the two soldiers came up to them. Spike sensed there was something not good coming off of Damian and began growling at him.

“What is this, Scooby Doo and the Mystery Gang?” Damian joked as he looked at them, both hands holding the rifle close.

“Civilians are not supposed to be in here, how did you guys get in here?” The soldier with the helmet on, Watson, asked. Even with the helmet on, he was looking at Damian, watching what he’s going to do.

As Spike continued to growl at Damian, the other girls looked at each other before Sunset spoke. “We uh… got lost, we’re part of the archaeologist group. We’re one of the diggers.” She lied.

Damian narrowed his eyes on her. Though half blind, he could see the blood stains from fighting the Dwellers and how ragged they looked. What they were wearing wasn’t what the diggers wore.

“You think we’re that stupid?” He grunted, fingers tapped on his weapon. His face turned into a scowl.

As he went to step forward, Watson clapped a hand on his left shoulder. “Hold on, mate.” Watson said.

Damian glared at the man before huffing and stepped back.

Watson nodded before approaching the girls and Spike. “Listen, I honestly at this point don’t care why you lot are here, but as you probably know, judging by your injuries and clothes, there are things in this Temple that are deadly. All of you can’t be here.”

“Sirs, we know, but we can’t leave.” Cassandra said, pushing her glasses up. Her glasses by now had a crack on the glass and the frames were now a bit crooked on her head. Most likely would have to get a new pair when they leave. “I know you won’t believe us, but we have a mission here we need to complete.”

“The fate of our world and Equestria depends on it.” Dash said.

Damian scratched his jaw before grunted. Having to think about this before pointing a finger at them. “Are you that crazy ass group that has been tampering the U.N equipment and undermining our operations??”

“Wait, what??” Sunset blinked.

“Yeah, man, they’re not a part of it,” Watson grumbled under his breath.

“What did you just say, Wats?” Damian looked at him.

“Didn’t say anything, brother.” Watson quickly spoke.

“What? No no we haven't tampered anything. We just got here several hours ago.” Serenity said. “M-Maybe you can help us, we’re missing two of our friends here.”

“If those two strayed from the group, more likely than not, those two are as good as dead.” Damian pointed out.

“Rachel and Elizabeth aren’t, they can handle themselves!” Spike barked, moving to where he’s guarding the other girls.

Both Watson and Damian jumped when the dog spoke and Damian aimed the gun at him. “What the fuck?!”

Spike started barking loudly, going to lunge at him.

“Spike, stand down!” Cassandra reached down and grabbed the collar, being careful not to stab herself with the long spikes on it and held him back.

The other girls and Watson shouted at Damian to lower the gun down.

“That dog is talking, what the actual fuck??” The burly man stared at the dog, gun still aiming at him.

“It’s a long story, but please lower that gun.” Applejack said as everyone was trying to calm down the already highly tense situation.

“We got enough on our plate without there needing a shoot out on civilians and their…talking…okay how is he talking, seriously?” Watson asked.

“So what? I can talk, you two have a problem with that??” Spike snarled, being restrained by Cassandra.

“Spike, calm down, it’s alright.” Cassandra said, trying to calm him down. Trying to use her techniques to calm the raging boy down by going underneath his neck and began scratching it, making shushing noises in the process.

It did help calm Spike to where he isn’t trying to attack anyone but he was still growling at the sight of Damian. Something about him he sensed was not right. He wasn’t a good man, Spike could tell.

“We’re about to cross to a world where there’s ponies who talk and walk on two legs, we’ve been fighting demons for weeks and now a talking dog?? I swear I think I've been drinking too much.” Damian grunted, freeing a hand to rub his head as a migraine was coming up.

As Damian contemplates his actual existence and wonders if he has any brain cells left, Watson takes control.

"Okay, you guys said you are missing your friends, we can help." Watson said. "Names Watson, my associate over there is Sergeant Dickhead,"

"Fuck you." Damian growled at him while the others couldn't help but giggle. Something to lighten up the mood. "It's Sergeant Lockhart, asshole."

Spike continued to growl deeply at that, the other girls stared at him with wide eyes. The giggling stopped.

"Uh… you wouldn't happen to be related to our missing friend, Rachel Lockhart?" Serenity whispered, asking Damian.

Damian looked at the meek girl and smiled in a way that was a bit uncomfortable. "Why yes. In fact she's my daughter. You say she's here?"

The gang recalled Rachel mentioning her father being abusive to her. Seeing this look in their faces, Damian lowered the gun.

"I don't know what she's been saying to you ladies, I know she and I have our differences and are going through a bit of a rough patch, but I have been looking for her." His tone sounded like honey but there was venom in his words. "You say she was here? We can work together on finding those two. More numbers there are, the better it is to fight against those monsters."

Watson stared at him, also getting way too uncomfortable looking at the soldier.

The gang spoke to each other, not knowing what to do. Not wanting to cause any more tense situations, but they didn't know what to do. Two armed soldiers, one of them was giving off bad vibes.

However, there wasn't anything they could think of. The Dwellers were everywhere, these guys have better equipment to maneuver the ever changing Temple. Maybe they could find Rachel and Elizabeth together. And if push comes to shove, six girls with powers and a dog could take two soldiers out if they don't get shot.

"Okay, we'll work together." Sunset said as the girls turned to them.

"I rather we continue on our own, I don't trust him." Spike grunted, glaring at Damian.

"Easy there, Scooby." Damian glared at him. Spike snarled in response.

"I don't think we have a choice," Rainbow Dash grumbled.

The girls didn’t think this was a good idea either, but there wasn’t anything they could do.

“Alright, we’ll stick together and find your friends.” Watson said as the girls and Damian began walking down another corridor.

Even though Spike was way too focused watching the burly man like a hawk, just waiting for him to do something, when he passed by Watson, there was a familiar scent on him.

Which was odd because only one of his friends smelt similar to this bloat. He looked up to Watson curiously.

When Watson waited until Damian was ahead of the group, he leaned close to the girls. “Yo, I am with you girls, I know Rach as well.” He whispered to them, keeping his tone down to where Damian didn’t hear them.

“Really???” Lucy gasped loudly, only to have everyone hush her. Damian looks over his shoulders.

“What’s the deal?” Damian asked.

“Nothing, just trying to get to know these ladies. We don’t even know their names.” Watson said.

Damian snorted. “Don’t bother.” He said before turning to face ahead.

They waited a moment before Applejack whispered to Watson. “How do you know her?”

“We go way back. We have a few things in common, we traveled to Equestria together.” Watson said before lifting the goggles part of the helmet up, exposing the upper part of his face. He was a black man, however, his eyes weren’t normal. They were red with black slitted pupils like dragons… Like Rachel. “She and I share a few things. Real name’s Malik.” Malik whispered before putting the goggles back down, covering his face up once more.

“You’re just like her too??” Cassandra whispered, quickly pulling out her notebook and taking notes.

“I’ll explain more later, but just know I’m on your side… Dickhead ahead of us however… watch out for him.”

“We can tell.” Applejack whispered.

“Just play it cool for right now.” Malik muttered to them before continuing their walk.

The gang soon came to a large room filled with treasures. Gold, various gems, centuries old paintings, tomes of knowledge, all compiled in front of a rather large altar with the same golden dragon statue the gang kept seeing. There were braisers that were lit all around the room.

“Well I’ll be damned.” Damian whistled low. Though he himself saw some treasures while wandering and shooting up the place, this was the biggest stockpile of gold and pressure jewels he and anyone else in the group had seen.

So much wealth, one could live rather comfortably for the rest of their lives and their children’s great grandchildren could live off of.

Damian walked over to one of the piles and picked up a diamond studded choker and hummed softly before pocketing it.

“H-hey, those aren’t yours.” Serenity called out.

“I doubt those monsters would care less, shut up or I’ll make you shut it.” Damian threatened with a grunt, giving her a menacing glare that made her back off.

The soldier looked around, seeing if the two missing girls were in this room, all for a while, taking a few pieces of gold and jewels and putting them in his many pockets.

“Damian, I doubt the two are here, let’s head out.” Malik said, trying to hold his tone. “This treasure might be cursed.”

“Bah! I don’t believe in that. Besides, since we’re all moving across worlds, we might as well start a new life rich and wealthy.” Damian said.

Though he was on the mission of hunting his daughter, it sure was a waste to leave this treasure. It was better than what pension the U.S Military pays for their hard work.

Sunset sighed, looking around the room with the others, she ended up tripping on a goblet and crashed into the back of Damian.

Once her hands touched him, Sunset Shimmer’s eyes flashed white and her mind began seeing memories of Damian’s life.

She saw how his life was just full of uncontrollable anger, constantly getting into fights with his family, terrorizing those around him. His father tried to discipline him but it only provoked him more so he was sent to military school. Sunset saw how it only taught him more on how to become more of a monster he was becoming. She sees him enlisting in the Army, rising in the ranks and becoming an interrogator for terrorists, using extreme measures and he was damn good at it. He loved the fact he was allowed to torture. So much so that he had begun torturing POW’s for fun and to see how much their bodies could take. Men, women, sometimes children, it didn’t matter to him. Seeing him losing his status and being dishonorably discharged for having a fight with a higher up. When he met a young woman that looked similar to Rachel but smaller, he married her and had their daughter, but it wasn’t enough to curb his need to cause pain. The mother took the blunt end of the abuse, having scenes shifted to Rachel fighting for her and getting into constant fights with him. Seeing so many horrible things Damian did to satisfy his sadistic tastes on other’s expense on his own wife and child.

The scenes then shifted to the last day Rachel’s mother was alive. After having an explosive breakfast and punching a black haired dyed Rachel in the face and she stormed out of the house for school. He watched from the small bathroom window and watched Rachel tampering with his truck and leaving. When he went back down, the wife couldn’t take it anymore and tried to fight him, wanting the abuse to end once and for all. The fight didn’t last long before he pulled out a large knife and plunged it in her stomach, twisting the knife sharply and pulling it out.

He watched as his now dying wife was stumbling out of the home, watching her grab the keys to the now tampered truck. An evil smile split from his lips as she disappeared. Hours later, getting the oh so poor news that his wife had suffered a terrible vehicle crash. Lost control and crashed it, Whom they presumed had died instantly.

With how the body was found, it was enough to cover up the fact she had died right before the crash.

His abuse then shifted to the grief stricken, guilty daughter, who had his way with for years after that, seeing all the horrible things he had done to Rachel up to the night she ran away to live in Equestria.

The vision ended and Sunset stared at the man horrified. Her stomach twisted to the point she felt ill. She saw his ill intentions, what his plans were after he were to cross over to Equestria, what he had plans once he caught Rachel. What he plans on doing to do with the other girls and Spike once he gets what he wants.

Damian turned to look over his shoulder, looking at Sunset once she bumped into him. “Can I help you?” he asked.

Forget about the Dwellers, this man in front of them was the real monster. A monster who cannot cross over.

A monster Sunset knew could not remain alive.

The two stared at each other as she slowly made a grab for her axe.

Rachel and Elizabeth managed to loop around the Temple and found their way to the room where they told Rúna’s story once more. The bodies of the two dead soldiers they encountered earlier. Now seeing the aftermath, the one soldier still had a spear embedded in his head while the other was mutilated.

“Did we just make a loop?” Elizabeth asked, frustrated that they were nearly back to where they started. “How do the Dwellers get around when the walls change constantly??”

Rachel was annoyed that they were back here. She looked up in the room, trying to think. “Maybe we can go how the Dwellers do it, through the cracks and holes.” She said, seeing a large hole high up on the wall. “Didn’t you go through a crack?”

“I’d rather go find a secret trap door than squeeze into another crack.”

“We don’t have much of a choice.” Rachel said. “I think I can try and carry us up there.” She points at the hole.

As she said that, the radios of both soldiers were set off. Both had the same static and voices coming out. Something calling from the open frequencies. The two girls listened for a hot minute, hearing what sounded like gunshots, girls screaming, a man telling them to shut up.

Blood running ice cold, Rachel ran to the bodies, picked up one of the radios and began twisting the knobs, getting to the right frequency. Once she tuned in correctly, she and Elizabeth heard the voices clearly.

“You stupid cunts made a big fucking mistake.” Damian’s voice growled, sounding really pissed off. Hearing what sounded like Serenity crying out and of him hitting her.

There were sounds of the others trying to get to him but the two girls heard another gunshot firing. “Anyone else make another fucking move, I’m blowing all of you straight to hell!”

“This mother fucker right here.” The other voice, Rachel now recognized more clearly.

“Scarecrow…?” Rachel whispered. Hearing the familiar accent of Malik's. But when he spoke, there was an unusual, but familiar growl sound. Almost dragon-like? While there was a bit of a distance with the other voices, Malik’s was really close.

At this moment, Damian has complete control. His foot pinned Serenity to the ground, stepping on her chest with the assault rifle pointed at her, another handgun held out, pointing at the severely injured girls and Spike.

When Sunset went to attack, Damian saw her move and back handed her hard, knocking her to the ground. Once that happened all hell broke loose.

Spike had broken free from Cassandra and attacked Damian. Tackling him to the ground and biting him. Got him by the arm and shook savagely. Damian slammed his fists against the dog's head repeatedly to get him off. When unable to push and kick him off, Damian pulls out his large knife. Since he couldn't get to Spike's neck, he stabbed him twice in his side. Spike let it a pained yelp before he was thrown off.

"Spike!" Cassandra screamed. Her hands glowed, was going to throw the man around, only to have him quickly reached for his handgun and shot at her once. Aiming right for her right hand, blasting a pretty big hole.

If others wanted to know where Rachel had gotten her good aim from, this was the man right there.

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Lucy, Sunset and Serenity did try to restrain him, Malik also stepped in to stop the bastard. They were either shot, stabbed or beaten to a bloody mess. The ones that did prove a bit of a challenge were Malik and AJ.

However, Damian had far more experience than anyone else in this room. He's been doing stuff like this for years.

Dash was knocked out cold after she had speed ran past him several times, getting in a few licks before Damian timed it right and got her in the face and she was down like a sack of potatoes. The combo of her speed and the force of the punch, essentially running into the punch canceled her out.

Damian did get hurt by Lucy's sprinkle bombs, it did do some damage but it only pissed him off more. The same knife he used on Spike, he threw it at her and embedded her in the hip. He went toe to toe with AJ, had to admit he was impressed by her strength but he was able to subdue her. Same goes for Malik, though he did show he was much stronger than he looked, Damian shot at him several times, twice on his side and one in the chest.

He had removed Malik's helmet to expose his whole face. Like Rachel, he also had pointed ears and sharp teeth.

Serenity did hop on Damian's back, pressing the handle of the axe up against his throat, he just grabbed handfuls of her long pink hair and flipped her hard over his shoulder and threw her to the ground.

While Damian had reached for his assault rifle, Malik had turned on his radio and put on an open frequency, hoping anyone was alive and close enough to hear them, pressing down the call button.

"Just let us go!" Serenity cried as it was getting hard to breathe with his foot on her chest.

"Yeah you gals lost that right to ask that." Damian grunted as he pressed his boot harder on her. Amused to see her cute little face twisted in pain and anguish.

When he finally realized he was hearing an echo of his voice, he glanced down at his radio before looking up to see Malik holding his.

"Whoops." Malik gritted his teeth. Though the shots weren't enough to kill him, it hurt like hell. Especially when he had been trying to dig out what bullets he could.

Damian gave a warning look to Serenity to stay put and commanded the girls to stay, he marched over to Malik and rips the radio out of his hands.

Though trembling and bleeding, Cassandra quickly scrambled over to where Spike was. He was on his right side, his left was bleeding heavily as a pool was forming. He was whimpering and moaning.

Pressing her bad hand up to her chest and sobbing, she quickly grabbed rags from her bag and pressed it against him. He let out a shout and tried to get away but Cassandra shushed and whispered. "It's okay boy, it's going to be okay." Trying to get the bleeding to stop.

"Hey, what the fuck did I just sa-" as Damian was getting on Cassandra, the radio came on.

"Get your hands off my friends, you goddamn prick!" Rachel's voice growled loudly through the radio.

Damian grinned maliciously as he pressed the button and spoke. "Rachel? Baby girl is that you? It's been awhile."

"Step away from them right now, it's between you and me. " She grunted.

Damian walked back over to Serenity, glancing over at the other girls. "Yeah, it was until your little freak friends attacked me. It was self-defense." He responded to her. "But you're right, we have some unfinished business. Only one of us is going to leave this temple alive. "

"I'm going to make fucking sure it's you this time."

"Y-you can't fight her, she's pregnant!" Lucy called out, trying to figure out how to pull the knife out, winching each time she tried to grab the blade.

Damian blinked before pressing the call button. "Is that true? You're pregnant?"

There was a moment of silence before responding. "Yes. Yes I am. Though I doubt it's going to change anything."

"Nope. The way I'm seeing it, I'm doing that brat a favor. Don't know who was dumb enough to knock your dumbass up, but it'll save the trouble of having you as the mother. After all, you're planning on killing me, just like you killed your mother."

Sunset shook her head and shouted. "Rachel, he's lying! He killed your mother, he killed her after he saw you tampering the truck! She was already dead before the crash!"

Damian snarled, storming up to Sunset and pistol whipped her, cracking her cheekbone and nose.

Rachel gripped the radio tightly. Her whole body trembled after hearing what Sunset just said. She had already flinched when her father brought mom up, but when Sunset said that…

At first she didn't believe it. After all these years, believing she was the cause of her mother's demise. Wrapped in pain and sheer guilt for so long it was suffocating her.

Rachel knows Sunset could see memories of people. She mentioned the truck, she never told the girls about that fucking damn truck.

It was him!

Elizabeth watched silently. Mortified that their friends were in danger, horrified to hear how awful Rachel's father was.

"While I hang onto your friends a little, why don't you find your way to us." Her father suggested. "These radios have built in trackers, you can track me and we'll end this, once and for all."

Rachel couldn't agree with him more. For once in her life she agreed with him.

"What's your position?" Rachel asked.

"One of the treasure rooms. My radio number is 1637-835-4260. Just follow the beeps, it'll lead you there." Damian said. "Also, since I'm feeling a bit generous since these damn walls change and monsters are roaming this Temple, take your time. However, every thirty minutes when you're not here, I'm going to have my way with these girls, one by one. Starting with her!" There were sounds of him kicking and Sunset yelling.

"Fuck you!" Sunset Shimmer cried out

"And you know how I like them when they struggle. Tick tock Rachel. Tick tock." Damian grunted.

Then radio silence.

Once the radio went silent, Rachel let out a loud roar, while holding on the radio, she turned to the weapons rack and knocked it over. She marched over to the statue of Queen Rùna and punched it.

When she did, the stone cracked at the base, her fist indented it.

"That fucking bastard!" She screamed.

Her blood was boiling, her body was visibly steaming out of anger. This darkness that had been inhabiting her body was coming out. All the rage, all the pain, everything over her lifetime poured out.

Her father had tormented her and others far too long.

It was time to settle things once and for all.

“How can one man overpower five girls and a dog??” Elizabeth asked in a panic state. She had never heard any of her friends make that kind of awful sound before. “We have magic!”

“Father has ways….” Rachel’s stomach twisted when she called that abomination her father. Felt so sick to be related to him. “Why couldn’t he be like his variant…” Rachel shook her head at that before pushing herself off the statue and setting the tracker up and punched in the code.

“Rachel, what do you mean by that? Do you know his pony self?” Elizabeth asked as she approached her. When the mom-to-be didn’t respond, Elizabeth asked again. “Do you know his ponyself??”

Rachel closed her eyes when she asked once more. “Yes….I do. I already told you his name… When I left the first time, I was so scared that my father would find me and drag me away, when in actuality, that’s what actually happened. My dad did find me and took me away, took me away to Equestria. I also know the pony me, her name’s Lilysky, but we’re so fucking different that we’re basically different entities. Not the same being.” She admits. “A father is supposed to protect their children, raise them and protect them from the monsters of the real world, not becoming one. So when I go kill this sonvabitch, I won’t be killing my dad because he’s back at Equestria waiting for me.” Once she set the tracker up, the radio began to beep.

“Let’s hurry.” Rachel said quickly before quickly walking towards the hole the girls spoke before.

Rachel walked up to the wall, devising a plan to get both girls up, when only one idea came to mind, she grabbed hold of Elizabeth. “Hold on.” She said.

“What are you~ WHOA!?” Elizabeth cried out when Rachel jumped while holding onto Elizabeth. Having one arm wrapped around Elizabeth’s waist and holding onto the radio, Rachel’s free hand dug into the wall once they were up at a height and flung the purple haired girl up, having her thrown into the hole before climbing up the rest of the way.

“Warn me better next time!” Elizabeth snapped as she got up, dusted her body. Without wasting any time, the two began following the beeps, using the holes and cracks in the walls to get to where they were going.

Author's Note

The next chapter will be the fight, I just had to add this bit and to show off the real truth about Rachel's past.

So gather your popcorns, snacks, drinks, pitch fork and torches because someone is going to die next chapter (also need to do think how the fight between the two will go. I planned out how Rachel will get the staff from Queen Rúna but my brain is getting a bit foggy when trying to plan a fight against sperm donor and daughter so this will take a moment)

Chapter 17

The two girls moved through the large cracks, following the beeping of the radio. It was a slow steady beep, it'll go faster when they get closer. The space was a lot more cramped to the point Rachel had to bend her legs so she wouldn't hit her head on the low ceiling. Elizabeth was able to move easily on the other hand.

There was a sense of urgency, more so than what their situation was already. Their friends were in danger, not by the hands of the cursed Mordi, but in the hands of a sadistic psychopath.

"How is it that your father hasn't been thrown in jail for his actions?" Elizabeth asked Rachel as they hurried.

Rachel grunted. "His friend was the Chief of Police where we lived. He's as crooked as the bastard ahead of us. We tried the police but father would say that mom was abusing him and he was defending himself. Slandering her name as if she was the crazy one and his friend rolled with it, making sure father didn't get locked up. Mom and I would leave plenty of times at the dead of night, but because that man has connections, we were always found and brought back home." Rachel explained.

So much anger Rachel was feeling. So much rage, the fire burning in her, she'll hold onto it until they face off. Need all the power she can when it is time.

"I'm sorry for all this," Rachel muttered to Elizabeth. "To you and the others about him, about this place."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Darling, there is no need to apologize for anything. No one could predict all of this. None of this was your fault."

Rachel didn't say anything about it for a moment but stopped walking. She reaches up to her neck, undoing the chained engagement ring and passes it to Elizabeth.

"What's this for?" She asked her.

Rachel sighed softly. "You have some sort of protection magic, I know you'll be safe along with the others. If something happens the rest of this trip, if my father somehow kills me, I want you guys to bring this ring back to Equestria. Find my family… tell them I'm sorry."

"Rachel, darling, you don't need to do that. You and that baby are not going to die."

"It's because of this baby that I'm going on the defense. I've been trying to make sure, even when fighting the cursed Mordi, that I've been trying to protect this. Father is going to make sure I lose it… and if I do lose it, both worlds are going to fall…. I lost a baby once and it devastated me. I can't go through that kind of pain again. So Elizabeth, please… " Rachel shuddered, mentioning her first child. Even though she didn't know she was pregnant until it was too late by Terrain, her ex-pony-boyfriend, it put her in one of the worst depressions she had in a while. It brought her to the same state she was in moments before she discovered The Two Hundred Application Trials.

Elizabeth looked at her before grabbing the ring before reaching out and put her hands on her shoulders. "Darling, you won't die, you won't lose this bundle of joy either. You're not alone." She smiled.

It eased Rachel a bit before the girls continued their way.

When they reached the end of the hole, the beeps were increasing slightly.

Looking down, there was a ten foot drop. "Careful when you land." Elizabeth warned before she jumped.

Rachel readied herself before dropping below next to her. Landing on her feet.

When they looked around, they found themselves in another weapons room. There was a set of skeletons piled against the far right wall. More assortment of weapons than Rùna's room.

"The Dwellers use spears, swords and shields, these look different." Elizabeth pointed out. The assortments were for many styles for fighting, but the most important thing was fact they were all made of metal instead of wood and were extremely large in size.

Rachel stared at the skeletons for a moment, seeing the old withered clothes still clinging to the bone before looking at the large metal weapons. Her interest sparked when realizing what these weapons were for and what kind they were.

"Ooh these weapons are for the Dragons to use." She said with awe.

"These?? I didn't know dragons use weapons of war, these things are huge!"

"Dragons are pretty fucking big. Meant that their weapons are hu- holy shit is that what I think it is???" Rachel gasped as she ran towards a stack of bow staves. Though they were in a bit of a time crunch, this was also a big thing for her. Especially the type of bows these were.

Her eyes sparkled at the bows before picking up a relatively smaller of the bunch. The bow was recurved, draconic symbols were etched on the metal. The symbols shimmered and glowed when she picked it up. "Oooh I only saw these back at Dragon's Lair. I wasn't allowed to touch them." She said gleefully.

"What's so special with that bow?" Elizabeth asked.

With a big grin, she held the bow and got into her stance, used two fingers and pulled on the silvery string. There was a lot of resistance when pulling it but when she pulled all the way back, the symbols glowed as a light arrow materialized in its place. She let go and the arrow flew. It hit the wall with such speed and power, the light arrow exploded, creating a pretty good size hole. Elizabeth jumped.

"Jesus, Mary and Moses!" Rachel laughs. "And this one is a combat bow for baby dragons!" It was like her birthday/Hearts Warming all over.

"Magic bows??? How come we haven't seen those Dwellers use them??" Elizabeth squeaked.

"The Mordi, though they have dragon essence and magic weren't allowed. They can't even pull on it. Here." Rachel hands it to Elizabeth.

When she held it, it dragged Elizabeth to the ground. Unable to even lift it. "It's so heavy!! I can't lift it! And it's for baby dragons????"

Rachel giggled as she grabbed it with one hand and lifted it up. "Maybe for teens. Either way, this is good."

Oooh father watch out, I got a new toy.

She held the bow and the girls left this small detour.

The two quickly fall into a pattern, following the beeps until they come to a wall, find a hole or a crack and shimmying through it to the other side. They did hear the Dwellers trying to hunt them down, playing cat and mouse, but the two slipped away before they were forced to fight.

Damian was becoming impatient. He held his rifle up at Sunset's head with a scowl. He had put the other girls, Malik and Spike together. Some of them looked worse for wear and some needed to go to the hospital fast for their injuries.

"Guys, I'm feeling a bit woozy." Lucy said, the knife still embedded in her hip. Using Serenity's lap as a pillow.

"Damian, you did enough damage, these girls and their dog need medical attention." Malik said to him. "Don't be stupid. You're going to ruin your career again."

"Shut up, they're fine." Damian retorted. "None were kill shots but yours. How are you even still talking?"

Malik gritted his teeth. "I'm a little harder to kill." The only bullet he was unable to pull out was the round in his chest, but it'll have to do.

As Applejack was helping Cassandra wrap her injured hand, Cassandra noticed steam coming off of Malik. Like Rachel did before, she could see him healing himself. The blood stopped and cauterized on its own.

"Think you can heal us next?" Cassandra whispered to him.

"Ah, sorry love, I can't heal broken bones." He whispered back.

"Maybe you can fix stabby wounds?" Lucy waved a hand, Spike, he was next to her, his tail wagged softly.

"Keep quiet!" Damian barked. More impatient he becomes, the more aggressive he gets.

He looked at the watch on his wrist. Ten minutes before the first thirty minutes was up.

Rachel and Elizabeth finally made their way to the treasure room. Both were coming from a hole above the group.

Rachel quickly shut the radio off and gazed below.

"Can you get a good shot from here?" Elizabeth asked. The tunnel hole they were in was big enough to fit both of them comfortably.

Rachel held the bow and pulled back, the arrow materialized. She scoped the room below before grunting. "I do but the others will get in the way, can't fire." She lowered the bow and relaxed the string, the arrow disappeared. "They have to leave. Can't risk blowing them up."

She gazed below, seeing how injured their friends were because of her father. She saw Lucy and Spike had the worst.

Seeing Spike injured, either dog or dragon, seeing him hurt introduced Rachel to a whole new wave of anger.

"I can shield them before you shoot." Elizabeth suggested.

"Can you shield them all from up here?"

"No, I would have to get closer."

Rachel nodded. "Then get down there and distract him while you're at it."

Elizabeth flips her hair. "Distracting men is part of my game." She said before back tracking down the tunnel. Jumping down another hole before making her way around.

There were two minutes left on the clock. Sunset sat fidgety. Worried what this man would do to her once it's up. Seeing his memories, she had a bad feeling about it. What he'll do to her and others the longer his daughter wasn't there.

Malik scooted to Lucy and Spike. Going to Spike first and hovered his hands over the stab wounds.

"Keep still and try not to make a sound, I will warn ya, it's going to hurt." Malik warned him with a whisper.

Rainbow Dash, now conscious, held onto the dog.

"Ready?" RD asked Spike. Her left eye is even more black and blue than when Rachel punched her days ago.

Spike nodded though it was hard to keep his eyes open.

“Sorry about this, if you pass out, feel free to do so.” Malik said before his hands began turning red, heat radiating off of the man. There was a burning sensation, since Spike the dog wasn’t immune to fire, the searing pain caused him to yelp uncontrollably. Rainbow Dash grunted as she held onto him as Spike began wiggling. Spike’s fur became singed as the blood began coagulating as the crimson fire coming from the black man’s hands was cauterizing the stab wounds. Going as far as the knife went, searing the wound shut.

“Hey! What the fuck are you doing???” Damian barked, seeing what Malik was doing. “What the fuck?!” He saw the red flames leaving his hands.

Once Malik heard sounds of the rifle loaded a bullet in the chamber, he twisted his body around, flicked his wrists and threw fire balls at Damian.

The human male jumps out of the way, the balls narrowly missing Sunset’s head and hits the dragon statue.

“Son of a bitch!” Damian barked before he began firing shots at him.

The bullets flew in the air. Knowing where they were going, they flew towards Malik’s head, he wouldn’t be able to move out of the way in time.

By luck, he didn’t have to.

Within a millisecond of the gun going off, Elizabeth’s blue shields raised up, shielding Malik and the others from the gunfire. The bullets bounced off and ricocheted around the treasure chambers.

“Oh dear, that was close.” Elizabeth emerged from where the group came from, her hands out. Not only her friends had been shielded, but she also had one covering her.

“Elizabeth!” The girls called out, Spike barely raised his head up and tail wagged to see her again.

“The actual fuck is this??” Damian stood, now confused.

Elizabeth glared at the tall man. “You sir are a bad father. Your daughter is so much better off without you.”

“She’s goddamn right about that!”

Damian whips his head just in time to see an arrow whizzed through the air. The arrow landed just centimeters from his feet. Before he knew it, it exploded right in front of him.

The blast blew him off his feet, sending him flying, crashing into the pile of gold on the other side of the room. The gang was protected by the magic shields so no debris of stone and gold hit them.

Rachel lowered the bow before jumping down from the hole and landed on her feet. Ready to finish this once and for all.

"Rachel!" Six of the seven girls cheered. Spike lifted his head up to see her moving towards where her father had ended up.

"Still have a knife in me here!" Lucy called out.

Damian groaned as he pushed himself off of the pile, ears ringing, unable to hear anything. As stood, trying to regain his balance, Rachel charged at him, swinging the bow staves as hard as she could with a shout.

CRACK!

A nasty bone crunch echoed as the stave slammed into his jaw, causing the man to spin around and fall to his knees.

Rachel then jumped onto his back, pressing the bow hard against his throat. Damian choked but couldn't open his mouth as air was being cut off. He struggled to reach around to throw her off.

The intensity of her eyes were startling. Throughout most of her childhood was filled with nothing but pain. Day in and day out nothing but pure hell coming from the man that was supposed to love and protect their family. All the torture Rachel and her mother, her ex-stepmother and half brother, everyone this man has done to and experienced, it was coming back around.

Damian managed to grab Rachel, grabbing her by the back of the head and threw her off. Letting go of the bow and being slammed to the ground.

Rachel instinctively turned her body a split second before Damian began kicking her. Protecting her unborn child so she felt his boot going into her back.

Unable to speak but filled with adrenaline, Damian goes to pick up the bow, he grunted and pulled.

The bow didn't budge. He tried pulling and pulling the weapon, even trying to kick it aside out of her reach but the heavy bow wasn't going anywhere. When he kicked it, it only bent the end of the shoe and stubbed his big toe.

Rachel quickly scrambled up on her feet and tackled him. She climbed on top of him and began a series of punches on his face, neck and chest area. Brief flashes of memory when seeing herself being held down, taking multiple blows herself. Each punch, fire erupted with each contact her fists made on him.

Damian held his arms up, protecting his face from the powerful blows received from his child. His eyes widened when he saw the fire coming from her attacks. Using his body weight and threw her off of him.

He got back up, still unable to speak, he went after her in a blind rage.

As the two fought, there were the familiar sounds of clicks getting closer and closer.

Malik cursed as he rips the knife out of Lucy's hip and began healing her.

"Ouchy!" Lucy yelled and grunted as her wounds were starting to heal.

"Soldier boy, please tell me you have bullets in that gun of yours??" Rainbow Dash asked as the girls forced themselves up.

Malik demonstrated by pulling out his Glock. "Don't ask me why I didn't shoot the- oh crap!" He pointed the gun at the entrance and shot at the first Dweller that came in.

When Malik pulled the trigger, the bullet glowed bright, bright red, streaking in the air, piercing through the bone like scales. Once impacted, the bullet burst, fragments exploded within, shredding vital nerves and muscles, some of it bounced out of their body before becoming prone. Shrapnel flew and hit another Dweller as more began to swarm in.

The other girls and Spike barely had time to pull their injured selves up before they began attacking back. With help of Elizabeth's shields, it was a lot easier to handle them.

As the gang fought, so did Rachel. The only time she wasn't attacking her father was when the Dwellers threw themselves on the two.

Rachel's body then engulfed in blue flames before dragon-upped, using the stave of the heavy bow as a melee weapon and swung at a couple of dwellers before pulling back on the string and shooting the light arrows at more.

She had noticed when she was just rapidly shooting, the light arrows didn't explode then the ones that just charged.

As much as Damian was utterly shocked and appalled that his child became such a hideous beast, he couldn't dwell on that as the Dwellers were on him.

His hand-to-hand combat against these things weren't good. He does his best to throw them off of him as he looks for his knife and guns he lost when he got blasted.

As the treasure room was engulfed in chaos and the fighting resumes, standing from the hole was the Queen herself.

She stood and watched her subjects fight the intruders. Queen Rùna scowls at them, and the Blue Celestial's pupil rapidly scans the area, filled with anger and anguish.

As the fight let on, there was something that caught the Queen's eyes. She noticed that these humans were not like the others her people had fought. She sensed something peculiar about them.

The girls, one of the soldiers and the dog were much different. Rachel's appearance was a familiarity: her and Malik looked familiar, like a time before everything changed horribly.

She eyes at Rachel, seeing her move with the bow before viciously attacking the man before her before being forced to turn back to the others attacking her.

The Queen twisted the staff in her hands and the stone glowed.

The golden dragon statue of their idol shimmered blue before it began tilting.

Once it was going where it was going, the glow disappeared and the statue began falling.

Cassandra, with one injured hand pressed against her chest, used her other hands to fling the Dwellers back, she and the others looked and saw the statue was beginning to fall.

"Scatter!" AJ yelped.

The gang pushed the Dwellers back before moving out of the statue's path. The Dwellers who were in the statue's pathway moved out of the way as well.

Rachel and Damian just barely dived out of the way as the statue fell, colliding with the floor. The sheer weight of the fallen statue was enough to make the floor crumble, a hole. Rachel and her father fell through it.

As Rachel was able to catch herself using her wings, Damian fell below.

Falling into a dangling cage, jostling the prisoner in it before rolling. Falling into a rocky platform surrounded by lava. Rocks and bits of loose treasure fell from above splashed into the pools, lava narrowly hitting him.

When the hole opened to the lava room, the Dwellers quickly retreated, leaving the group suddenly.

Rachel's wings flapped, kept her upright as she stared below. The living prisoners in the dangling cages were shocked to see her but she didn't hear them shout.

She watched her old man pulling himself up with a muffled groan, holding onto his now clearly busted arm he had landed on. Sweating profusely from the intense heat, seeing him getting really worn out.

She began to lower herself down below, landing just ten feet in front of him. The heat from the lava not even remotely effecting her, no trace of sweat on her.

Damian made a painful noise when she approached him, trying to shuffle away but he was blocked by the lava surrounding them. He could feel parts of his exposed skin blistering just being inches from it. The look of fear was in his good eye.

Rachel let out an inhumane chuckle and a serene smile split between her teeth. The look of fear and feeling it radiating off of him was something of a marvel. In many years she knew of her father, being afraid wasn't something she was used to. She never knew the man who ruined countless lives could even be afraid of anything. Let alone his own child.

A child who was pushed to this moment.

Maybe Sombra was onto something. A voice rang in her mind.

A voice that caused her to stop.

She placed a hand on her belly, rubbing it as she hesitated. So much pain this man has caused her, what he had done to her friends, just seeing him battered and frightening was enough to satisfy her. The need to kill him was strong but seeing him like this was plenty for her.

And a part of her thinks he has gotten the message.

The flames consumed her once more before returning to normal. The heat is still not having an effect on her in this form.

"I'm going to give you something that you never gave me or anyone else," she said before stepping aside, showing him the way out of the lava pits. "Go. Leave while you still can."

Mercy. She was giving him mercy. Sparing her monster… as much as he deserves death for what he has done to her, killing her mother, it changes nothing. Even if he had been the one that killed mom, causing her to grab those keys as a desperate attempt to leave and seek help, the accident itself still would have done the deed. Though her father was responsible, Rachel still tampered the truck. She still had a hand in it even though her mother wasn't the intended target.

Killing him won't bring her back, it won't reverse time. Killing him would just make Rachel be more like him. She knows she'll get satisfaction from it, but it would be something like Damian.

"You have no more control over me or of anyone else. Heed my words and leave. I never want to see or hear of you again. I refuse to be like you. I am nothing like you." Her voice held strong, gaze hardened like steel. Taking control finally once in her life. Watching the now shell of the man she hated.

The man stared at her for the longest time. Switching between her and freedom.

Damian began limping towards her, assuming he was just going to keep on going. Rachel watched closely when he came closer and closer.

Once it seems he limped past her, Damian made the ultimate mistake. He quickly turned, grabbed Rachel by her clothes with his good hand, using what strength he had left, he shoved her into the lava.

Rachel managed to grab hold of him and pulled her father in the lava with her.

With lava, the two didn't sink in automatically, the process was slow.

Though her clothes were set on fire, Rachel remained unharmed. Her father however was screaming through his broken lock jaw as the lava was beginning to burn him and tried to reach back to the platform.

Rachel briefly dragon-upped again to grab him by his shoulders and shoved him down, submerging him fully.

A few seconds of struggle and flesh melting, the fight was over.

When feeling what bones was left before the lava made it disappear, Rachel panted as she propelled herself back with her wings.

Lava was a bit harder to swim in than water. She honestly didn't know if she was able to survive at all!

Wow okay I do have a lot more dragon in me than I thought. Thank God but what the fuck!?!

It took her a moment to push herself up to a platform, crawling on her hands and knees. Her clothes were gone due the lava so she was bare.

Her body shook as the most peculiar thing began happening.

Tears. Droplets of tears fell to the ground next to her hands. Her own tears fell from the corner of her eyes and onto the rocks.

"Why am I crying??" Rachel asked as a humongous wave of emotion washes over her. A huge weight lifted off of her shoulders, she was finally freed..

But why was she crying?

Hormones, it has to be the hormones. Rachel thought as she tried to control her tears.

"Yo Dorothy!"

As tears still streaking down her face, she turned her body and looked up at the hole where they came from. Seeing her old friend standing near the edge.

"You're a long way from Emerald City! And nice emeralds!" Malik hollered out with a grin as the girls and Spike joined him.

Blushing red, she wrapped herself using her wings to cover her bits. "Long time no see, Scarecrow! Your skinny ass and I need to have a chat!" She hollered back with a laugh.

"Oh man, I missed her savagery." Malik smirked.

When the prisoners realized there were others, they began calling out to the gang to get them out.

Elizabeth hollers to them. "Give us a moment darlings, we'll get you all out!"

"We will!" Cassandra said.

"Random ass question but does anyone got any clothes I can use??!" Rachel asked, but it got her to laugh.

Author's Note

Hmm now why did Queen Rùna do that and have the cursed Mordi retreated instead of keep fighting the intruders?

Chapter 18

As Rainbow Dash, Serenity and Cassandra worked on getting the last of prisoners down and out of the dangling cells and lowered them to the ground, roughly ten of them, Elizabeth, AJ, Lucy, and Sunset checked the others out for any injuries. Malik stood guard to make sure no one was going to attack them again.

Spike stood next to Rachel. Rachel had a blanket from the girls that one of them packed draped over her to cover her body up. She was sitting on the ground, her bare feet dipped in the lava curiously.

Spike watched with a bewildered look. "Okay, a couple of questions. One: are you okay? And second: how are you not burning alive and losing your feet?" He asked as she moved around her feet as if she was in a pool.

Rachel snorted but kept looking at the lava. "I'm mostly dragon. Dragons are lava proof. I'm guessing the only reason I'm not a dog is because of what little pony I have in me. It's extremely complicated and is giving me a headache." She rubbed her belly.

There was a sense of relief when she felt something fluttering. As if the baby liked the feeling of lava. "I don't know if this kid will be 100% full dragon or will it have fur like me… with hooves?" She lifts her foot up out of the lava to look at her human toes. Wiggling her ten little piggies. "I hate my hooves, I can't believe I'm saying this but I missed having toes, actual toes. I'll miss these once I get back home." She then lowered them back down into the lava.

Spike was panting due to the heat before scooting a bit back from the lava. He licked his lips as he looked at her. "You didn't really answer my question."

Rachel sighed. "That man deserved to die for what he had done." She muttered. "I tried giving him mercy and he just didn't take it. It had to be done…I'm happy that I'm finally freed from him."

"But...? "

She waited a moment before saying, "The notion that in one way or another, both of my parents are dead, I had a hand in it. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to be celebrating once we get out of this temple. I'm glad he's dead, but it doesn't bring my mom back."

" You're at peace with it?" Spike asked.

Rachel nodded. "I am… and I know two other people will want to know the news."

"Back home in Equestria? "

Rachel smiled before shaking her head. "No actually. It's here on this side. I do have a few loose ends I need to tie up. Speaking of which," she turned her head and whistled loudly. "Yo Malik!"

The dark skinned man turned from keeping an eye out and gave her a wide grin.

Spike leaned in and asked Rachel,"is he really an old friend of yours?"

"Eeyup. Malik and I go way back." She said as she stood, making sure the blanket covered everything, grabbing her bow before approaching him. "You are really a sight for sore eyes, Malik."

Malik smirked before responding. "It's good to see you too, Rach. As you and I both see, we kinda changed since we parted ways," he motioned to his red eyes, sharp teeth and pointy ears to her similar features.

"Oh? The fact you look like a red-eyed piranha?" Rachel joked with a wide smile, exposing her teeth.

Malik let out his infamous crow-like laugh. "At least I haven't become a literal vampire with your bloody garlic allergy, you got the teeth to match." He joked back that caused her to giggle.

"Okay, jokes aside, yes, it's clear that both of us have changed since we last saw each other." Rachel said before pointing at herself. "I have a complex story about how I got my abilities and looks, what about you? Are you a Mother Cell too?"

Malik twisted his face. "Ew gross, I hate that damn name. I'll just stick to what we both are."

"The Mordi?"

Malik grinned. "The Mordi." He repeated before he looked over her head to see the other girls were beginning to lead the grateful prisoners out of the lava pits. "Alright you lot, let's go before we all but this lass here gets cooked alive." He playfully shoves Rachel, only to get shoved back.

Still all on high alert for any cursed Mordi to peek their heads around the corner.

They walked out and found themselves walking down an unfamiliar pathway going in an up cline.

"Hope we can finally leave this hell hole." One of the prisoners said as they wanted to find a way out.

The other girls in the group wanted this trip to be over with the fact they were battered and injured, and didn't think they could fight any more.

They did however look over to Rachel and Malik as they talked.

"She's engaged, right?" Lucy asked the group. Seeing how close the two were together.

"Still am." Rachel called out.

"And I'm married." Malik also called out from where the two were. "Happily married for five years now. And Rach you finally got someone to tie you down and got you pregnant??"

"That's a story and parts of that story coexist with how I got my abilities, which is a long one so you go first." Rachel said, rubbing her baby bump.

Malik blew air and hummed. "Well, it started when I was trying to stop smoking," he chuckled before shaking his head. "Nah, during the process of going back to Earth, the white suits did the whole procedure to make sure I was okay, ran some more tests and one of them came back saying that I had the Mordi in me. Naturally they wanted me to hang around so they could do more testing. Since I'm not a big fan of needles and being poked, I jumped ship."

Rachel nodded. "Being a lab rat is not fun, you did the right thing," she half chuckled and half groaned in remembrance of being a lab rat herself.

"Anyway, I left, I hung around the temple before flying back to Cardiff. However, after I left, I was feeling like I was missing something. Something urged me to come back to this death trap and I didn't know what it was. It bothered me for awhile but I didn't know how to find that something so I moved on. I finished and got my quantum physics degree, met and married my wife Garcia. World was falling to Hell and I didn't know what to do." He explained as he shined lights up at the ceiling and the large cracks and holes on the painted walls before the group came to a more leveled out corridor."Well, Garcia hated that I smoked so she nagged me to quit. I tried cold turkey, patches, nothing worked. While we were visiting her family in Mexico, she suggested that I go and see this Gitanos lady."

Rachel blinked at that term. "Okay, I may have only taken one Spanish Class and failed it when I was fourteen, my memory is kinda crap since it's been a long time ago but doesn't Gitanos mean gypsy?"

Malik smirked. "Sí," he said in Spanish but his British accent was still there in the pronunciation. "I knew magic existed in Equestria but I still had doubts about magic here on our side. Plus I don't know if you had noticed, but I don't know many men who would go see a traveling gypsy, or handle anything supernatural. Garcia heavily believes in that crap and since I didn't want to be assaulted by the chanclas, I went to visit the gypsy. So she does her thing, puts me to sleep and the whole hypnosis schtick. While I was under, in my mind I came in front of a rather large door with dragon runes. A voice called to me. I never heard this voice but I strangely recognized it. When I tried to open it, I woke up."

"She gets you to stop smoking?"

"Yes, but it opened something in me. More burning questions, that door right there and I couldn't get to it. So I went back to that gypsy, the old lady had packed her shit and left, no trace of her in sight. I traveled all over the globe, trying to find someone that can get me to that door so I could open it. I found it when I went to Asia, and came to a Shaman in a Tibetan village. He put me in a sort of a trance. Took a vision quest. Had enough push for me to be in front of that door. I finally got it to open, revealing who and what I truly am. In front of me was a man, my ancestor."

"Spiritually or physically?" Rachel asked, since she saw her ancestor.

"Physically." Malik looked at her. "He and the other Mordi who didn't escape, those who had children, implanted a piece of their souls in their descendants that did flee before everyone else was cursed. Physically, a piece of them is lodged in us, yours too apparently. They did it right before the dragons left."

Rachel placed a hand over her heart. Remember feeling Rùna physically touching her.

"So, my ancestor basically told me that since the rest of the old Mordi had failed, it's our turn to do our job. Do what they couldn't: Protect the Dragons. He touched my chest and this rush of energy took my breath away, this fire burned inside of me until I didn't feel any pain. I woke up and was a whole new man and a new look." He held a hand up, red flames sparked before consuming his hand. "I can handle this, lava baths is a no for me."

"It's quite refreshing really, like wallowing in a pit of liquid putty." Rachel shrugged before really taking in what he said. "We? Who we?"

Malik grinned big time. "Dorothy, you think you and I are the only Mordi who's awakened their powers? Naw girl, there's more of us. Which I hope you can meet before you leave or whatever."

" H-how many more of us are there??" Rachel asked with a gawk. "I get there's more Cells back in Equestria but still!"

"Eh around fifty currently. Those who've found a way to awaken their ancestral powers, we were drawn to each other and banded together to stop the United Nations from invading Equestria. It was my plan to dress like the soldiers and mess with their operations from within. Boss lady wasn't thrilled but it was working…"

"So part of your plan was working with my father?" Rachel grunted.

Malik coughed in his hand. "Hindsight, I didn't put two and two together. A lot of bloats have the same names. If I had known earlier, he would've died much earlier."

"Uh huh." She huffed.

"Okay, I told you my story, it's your turn to spill the beans. Quid Pro Quo."

Rachel sighed, thinking how to summarize events. "Long story short, I met my mate on a cruise ship, he's a dragon, a giant purple ass teddy bear that I'm going to knock some sense into when I do find and save him. Months into our relationship I touched an Equestrian artifact, absorbed some pony essence which was causing me to turn into a dragon, a terrorist group raised some hell, I got hurt and the magic in me was becoming unstable so the Guardian of the Dragonlord dumped more dragon essence in me, which in the process making me a partial Frankenstein furry. That dose wasn't enough to fully change me so I was in pain for a while until I changed completely. Got kidnapped by an evil unicorn who Freddy Kruegered me, both of us fell into an abyss in my head to a colosseum where I met my ancestor and she awakened the rest of my abilities."

Malik's eyes widened as Rachel explained. He was silent for a minute before speaking. "You ran with the dragons and got one as a mate and took in magic directly from the Blood Staff???"

Rachel sheepishly smiled. "My mate is actually The Dragon Lord. I'm having his baby."

"Like Queen Rùna?!?" Malik gawked. But when he spoke, it was in Draconic.

Rachel laughs. "Exactly like her…" her eyes widened when realizing she was speaking in Draconic perfectly instead of the small terms she already knew. "How are we speaking perfect Draconic??" She asked in English.

"A combination of our powers awakening, learning about our ancestors' past and being in this temple long enough to understand the dialect." Malik explained with a smirk. "Damn Rachel, you've been busy since we parted ways… assuming you're here for the Blue Celestial?"

Rachel nodded. "Both worlds are in trouble. The Guardian is losing control of the dragons, my mate is missing and a war is going on. I need that staff to close this portal and get the dragons in line to help the ponies face what human squads are left in Equestria and that evil unicorn I mentioned earlier and his army. The ponies are not equipped for war."

"But the dragons are… wow you got a lot on your plate."

"On top of the potential fear and fact I'm going to be a single parent in all of this, yeah." Rachel sighed. "I have to get the staff in order to do anything and close this portal."

"Do you think you can close it before more soldiers come in? We got about an hour before more show up."

"We'll have to work fast."

She paused a moment before realizing something. "Does anyone hear that?"

The whole group stopped and listened.

There was nothing. It was quiet.

"Nope, don't hear anything." RD said.

"Nope, " AJ said.

"Just my thoughts in my head playing the xylophone in a funky beat." Lucy smirked, nodding her head to whatever music she was listening to.

Sunset was hesitant to even touch her and didn't.

"We don't hear anything." One of the freed prisoners said.

"Me neither." Rachel said.

Malik straightened up with his gun locked and ready. "Too quiet… not really a good sign."

"Maybe it's a good thing? The Dwellers retreated after that statue fell." Elizabeth mentioned.

"I don't think I have the strength to fight more." Serenity whispered.

"They retreated… the younglings I understand retreating but the adults..?" Rachel muttered as she saw the prisoners getting scared again.

"W-we can't be put in those cages again!" One of them cried out.

"I-it's going to be okay, everyone," Cassandra said, though she was scared herself.

"Everyone, stay close." Malik said as they slowly moved together.

When they came to a dead end, Rainbow Dash heavily scowled when she saw her green X painted on the wall.

"You had good intentions, Angel." Applejack said, rubbing the small of her girlfriend's back.

"Have I mentioned that I really hate this place?" RD grumbled.

The walls began to tremble once more and the wall in front of them began to move.

"Okay I really, really hate this place." Dash groaned loudly.

Everyone tensed up when the walls shifted around them. The walls around the group moved, opening paths all around them.

However, each time the walls fully opened up to the paths, they were met with a massive group of armed Dwellers facing them. Those with spears held out and pointed at them.

The group pushed into each other, all of them in fear as they were now heavily outmatched. Even with their powers, the girls knew that they wouldn't last with all this much against them.

Elizabeth reacted by raising her shields, covering everyone as they were bunched up together.

Rachel held her bow up and ready to pull on the bow. As she scanned, she realized that the Dwellers weren't full on attacking them. The way the spear welders were doing, they were shepherding the group.

"What do we do??" Spike asked as they were completely surrounded.

The prisoners weeped and sobbed, afraid of their lives.

As they waited for the Dwellers to make the first move, several of them began chanting.

"Varuta Volka, Varuta Volka, La Rúna!" They echoed around them. "Varuta Volka, Varuta Volka, La Rúna!"

"She's coming! Oh God!" One of the prisoners cried out as the chanting was getting louder and louder.

"These guys can talk??" Cassandra's eyes widened.

"Oh they can talk alright. " Elizabeth murmured but held the shield up.

Malik and Rachel scanned the Dwellers, holding their weapons up.

"I got unlimited arrows, you?" Rachel asked him.

"Not enough to head home here… " he grunted for his lack of bullets.

The chanting became louder and louder before the Dwellers began parting ways. Coming through was the Queen herself.

Rachel stiffened when she saw the cursed version of the one great warrior. Her eyes gazed at her looks, the horns before looking at the Blue Celestial. The one object she came all this way for.

The staff's pupil was looking right at her. Causing Rachel to feel tightness in her chest.

The Queen approached the shield and stopped just in front of Rachel. Rachel did stand much taller than her with the Queen herself standing roughly average height.

Queen Rùna grunted softly, her daggered claws raised up and dragged it across Elizabeth's shields. Leaving a white streak and a nails-on-chalkboard sound.

"What's she doing?" Lucy asked the group as they watched the Queen.

Rachel rubbed her chest, the feeling of tightness wasn't going away.

Queen Rùna made a low hissing sound before the staff glowed.

"We're protected, right??" Serenity asked Elizabeth.

"We should," Elizabeth assured them, though beads of sweat were coming off of her forehead. "No one has yet to break throu-"

She was cut off when the ground beneath Rachel's feet began glowing. Before anyone could say anything, Rachel was consumed in flames and disappeared from her spot, and then reappeared out of the shield.

"Oh shit!" Applejack cursed.

Rachel froze when she was now out in the open. Pressing the now holey, scorched blanket close around her.The cursed Mordi all around her, getting harder to breathe, especially now in front of the ancient queen.

She had always planned on getting the Staff, but with how things were going now, she didn't have a plan.

Queen Rùna stared at her as she began circling Rachel. A hand up and touched her blonde hair as she examined her. Leaning close to her and sniffing her scent. Something peculiar about her caused the Queen's hardened gaze to soften as she circled back around in front of her.

With the staff still glowing, something within Rachel forced her to get on her knees, she couldn't resist it.

The gang didn't know what to do but watch.

Rachel stared at the ground before she felt the Queen's hand gently on her face and had her look up at her.

"Ka nata…" the Queen cooed. Causing Rachel's eyes to widen.

"Uh… what did she say?" Cassandra asked, looking at Malik, who also had widened eyes. "What's Ka nata?" She asked him.

"The Queen just called Rachel her daughter." Malik muttered.

Chapter 19

"Uh hello?? Hello!!" Rachel called out, banging on the door. "There has to be a mistake!"

When the Queen called Rachel her daughter, the cursed Mordi took her and separated the others and put Rachel in this room. Bright lit braziers lit up what appears to be a lavish bedroom. A small rectangle window covered with a worn, holey fabric of a curtain to block out the moonlight. Too small for Rachel to crawl out of.

The door was too heavy for her to open, only opened by magic from the Blue Celestial.

When Rachel was put in here, the cursed Mordi placed in trays of fruits, nuts, meats from animals they had hunted from outside and whatever they could scrape up that Rachel has zero trust for. A set of clothes in colors of gold and blue laying on the large dusty bed.

Separated from her friends, she had no idea where the Mordi took them. More soldiers were going to storm in and were going to be slaughtered.

Rachel banged on the door again. "Uh…. Is anyone there? Can you all understand these words that are coming out of my mouth??" Rachel spoke Draconic in hopes to get anyone's attention, though be a bit hesitant.

No words called her back.

"Fuck this shit." Rachel groaned, taking a few steps back from the door. "I could try dragon-up and beat it down?" She thought out loud.

However, she didn't follow through."Best not pissed these guys off." Rachel muttered, scratching the back of her head.

"Now I may be related to Rùna distantly, but I'm not her daughter." She told herself. Rachel knows her mother. She looks very much like her mother, almost a clone to her. Rachel sees similarities to the Queen but not to her own mother's expense.

Rachel sighed heavily before looking around. Judging by this chamber that it was meant for guests of importance. Though the room had dust, dirt and cobwebs in the corners of the room and furniture and drapes. If cleaned up, the colors were of a deep red with trims of black accents. The only things not covered in dust were the food and clothes.

She shook her head, adjusting her burnt blanket before shrugging it off and getting the clothes.

"Better than walking around in my birthday suit and a blanket I suppose." She muttered as she looked at the items before she began putting them on.

It was a shimmery gold scaled top with one black long sleeve with blue design markings, a strip of black cloth that fell around between her legs with tight pants that were similar to leggings. The scales by the touch felt like actual dragon scales.

She hugged herself before looking at the food brought in. Feeling a bit uncomfortable and confused. "Why can't things just go my way for once…?" She muttered before sniffing the food. Yeah the meat she didn't trust though she was a bit hungry for nourishment.

A moment later, the door glowed before it slid down. Rachel turns to see the door opening before Queen Rùna marches in.

Rachel straightened up as the Queen approached, backing herself into the food, nearly knocking it over.

Queen Rùna came to the center of the room as the door to it sealed back up, locking the two inside.

She looked at Rachel now fully clothed, her eyes scanning at the tall girl closely. "Who are you?" The Queen asked her in Draconic. Rachel was able to understand her as if in English. She had a hiss when she spoke. "You have my eyes but you have the appearance of my child. Your scent is close to hers but you are not my Freja."

Rachel shuddered, licking her lips before responding. "My name is Rachel." Rachel introduced herself to her. Rachel stared at the Queen, seeing that unlike the other cursed ones, Rùna retained most of her mind and was not volatile. "I am related to you and your daughter, but I am not her. My apologies, but you aren't like the others I've encountered tonight."

The Queen huffed, the Blue Celestial's pupil was looking at Rachel, rapidly moving, scanning her.

"When my subjects and I were cursed, The Blue Celestial allowed me to keep my mind, having me watch as my fellow brothers and sisters turn feral while I remain sentient." Rùna said as she walked over to a corner of the lavish room before setting the staff down. It shimmered when Rùna let go.

She turns back around, her hands shimmered yellow before raising it up, waving in the air. A spot in Rachel's chest glowed.

She made a noise. "Before the fall, I had ordered a few of my people in a ritual, giving our young a piece of our souls, so one day if there was any that were lucky to not be affected that they may right a wrong… you have a piece of mine and part of the staff….seems time had passed it along to you…" the glowing died as she puts her hand down. "My child… my two loves, they are both gone, are they… ?"

Rachel nodded in response. "I am so sorry, but Freja and Nenog are gone. Freja's blood is through my veins as do yours. I had heard tales of Dragonlord Nenog and his conquests and tribulations through my travels."

Queen Rùna stepped towards Rachel. "Why are you here? What brings you and your companions here to my domain?" the Queen asked.

Rachel licked her lips, rubbed her stomach before speaking. "Frankly speaking, I am here for that." She motioned to the Blue Celestial.

Queen Rùna growled.

Rachel raised her hands up in defense. "I need the Blue Celestial for the dragons. I am the mate of the current Dragonlord, I am with his child. The dragons are safe but right now the world where they ran off to is in danger. The inhabitants that coexisted with the dragons are at war with the humans. I was sent to retrieve the staff to take my place as Queen and help save their new world… to save my world. My home." She lowered her hands down.

The staff glowed with a low hum, Rachel grunted and touched her temple with her fingers as she felt a force not of her own swimming in her mind. Combing through her memories and thoughts. It was discomforting.

The Queen too had the same look, feeling the information shifting in her consciousness to see and feel any deception. Shifting out potential lies and truths Rachel may be withholding her true intentions.

Her intentions were pure. Her mind, though full of uncertainty and partially clouded with the little one in the womb, Rachel's words rang true.

The glow died and the Queen straightened up.

"The dragons are safe… they have made it to the new world." Rùna muttered with exacerbation.

Rachel shook her head now feeling much clearer. "That was weird…." She said before looking at the Queen. "Both worlds are on the verge of collapsing. The portal that is now open needs to close." Rachel explained. "You have seen my memories, my thoughts. If the portal continues to stay open, the dragons escaping to Equestria a millennium ago will all be for naught. What you have done and suffered will all be for nothing." Rachel then looked at the staff. "I do not know nor understand how the dynamic is between staff and its wielder but if I don't go back with it, close the portal and fight in this war, both worlds will fall. I know it's angry at you but I can take it home, to be reunited with the Blood Staff. I could also help cure you and the cursed Mordi if you allow me.``

The Queen closed her eyes, letting out a shudder whisper. "There has…. Always been a cure to our condition. I could not bring it upon myself to do it nor ask my subjects… half hoped the intruders would have done it but so far ...."

"How? What can I do?"

"You know how it has been exchanged. When one dragon challenges the Dragonlord for the title and throne."

"But only the Dragonlord chooses their Queen." Rachel reminded her.

Her next set of words sent chills down Rachel's body.

"I must die to cure my people. Normally it is done by the Dragonlord but as you see… our situation is unique. Trial by Combat is needed. You want the staff to save both worlds and cure my people, I have to fall so you can rise."

The Mane 7, Spike and Malik were put in what looked to be a large chamber room, with pillows, flowy sheer fabric woven in the ceiling. The ten prisoners they had saved were taken elsewhere along with Rachel. The chambers sealed so they were trapped. Their weapons were taken away for safe measures.

Malik looked at the paintings, a symbol of two dragons intertwined with each other. "Harem Room…" he muttered.

Spike whimpered as he paced around. "Where did they take Rachel?" He asked.

"We don't know, but we know she's safe for now." Cassandra said as she fixed the bandage around her hand. "Right Malik?"

Malik looked at the girls, seeing Lucy lounging in the pillows with RD, AJ, and Sunset and Serenity. Elizabeth held herself as she also paced around the open area.

"I-I don't know. The Queen called Rachel her daughter so she's safe." He said.

"Genetically speaking, she's not her daughter, enough time and centuries of genetics changing, in a way she's not really related to the Queen." Cassandra said before reaching over and petted Spike to calm him down.

"Maybe Rachel can use this confusion to get the staff so we can get the fuck out of this dump." RD said as she leaned back in the pillows, her feet on Applejack's lap. Applejack reluctantly gives her girlfriend a foot massage.

"All we know is that the mum-to-be is safe. And I hope she has a plan." Malik chuckled softly. "Plans are not her strongest suit, she just charges all in and makes it up as she goes… gotta admire her pluckiness."

"Just how much do you know Rachel?" Serenity asked.

"I know she's someone you'll regret doing her wrong. Even with our short time, we were connected, we came to Equestria and lived together shortly before she took off to explore the new world." he then let out a laugh. "I used to have a thing for her back in the day and did ask her out, obviously that didn't work."

"What happened?" Spike asked, causing the man to snort in response.

"After I asked her out, she used four magic words, "I'm fifteen years old."."Malik smirked. "I was eighteen at the time. I don't know about the legal age in Equestria but here is a good way to get into a certain group that I have no wish or will to join so I tossed the notion out of the window and we remained friends." He then sighed. "Rachel is the toughest girl I know. More balls than most grown ass men I've seen, she always finds a way out."

The door shimmered before it moved out of the way, several dwellers marched inside. Malik went up to them to talk to them about Rachel, but they only grabbed him and began dragging him out. They also grabbed the others and took them out.

"Where are they taking us???" Serenity asked as they were led away.

"Just stay calm everyone." Malik said as they walked.

Everywhere they went there were echoing sounds of clicks, low growls and hissing, a few of the smaller ones attempted to swipe at them but didn't make contact. As they walked, there was a sound of drums beating in rhythm the closer they got to their destination.

Malik looked around the corridor before speaking with the group. "I recognize this path, I know where we're going."

"Where are we going?" Sunset asked as one of them got shoved by the Dwellers to keep up with the others.

They then came through a large door, a flash of bright light, the drums intensified with the roars and hollers of many Dwellers, the gang came to the underground colosseum.

Though the seats could fill hundreds of thousands of large creatures, a small portion of it was filled with nothing but Dwellers. Young and old, small to large beings who lined up in the stands.

"Oh my gosh," Cassandra gasped as she and the others gazed around before they came to a set of cages. Cassandra, Spike, Sunset and RD were in one, Serenity, Elizabeth, Malik, Aj and Lucy were in another. The prisoners were in cages of their one on the other side of the ring.

"Oh man, we're not fighting anything?" Rainbow groans.

"Something tells me, we're for the opposing team." Malik muttered. The more he looked around, remembering his history, he cursed. "I know what's happening."

"What's happening??" Lucy asked as her hand was banging on the bars of the cage along with the drum beats.

"The only reason we're here is because a Trial by Combat is being initiated. The only way to exchange hands is to have a fight to the death… Rachel is going to be fighting the Queen." Malik explained.

"How do you know that?" Sunset asked from the other cage. The girls looked above the stands to see where the source of the drumming was, seeing a large Dweller dressed in bones in a decorative manner banging on a really large drum that looked like it was made with flesh.

The drummer shifted to a more pulsating rhythm as two figures emerged from different entryways. One is the Queen and the other Rachel. Aside from her new clothes, she wore a ceremonial mask and a curved blade.

The chanting began as soon as the two stepped out.

"Normally it's the Dragonlord that chooses their Queen, their Equal. If a female or whoever wants to be that, they cannot by combat because it's always the Dragonlord's decree." Malik explained as they watched the two get to their place.

The Queen raised the staff up, causing the Dwellers in an uproar before tossing it up in the air. The staff glowed before it raised itself up in the air, hanging above twenty feet by itself. A blade materialized in the staff's place and got in place.

A tether of light materialized, cuffing the Queen and Rachel in about six feet in length.

"Only the Dragonlord can do this." Serenity mentioned.

"Normally yes, but in this case, Rachel and the Queen are doing this exchange. You hear these guys?" Malik asked.

Everyone stopped to listen to what the cursed Mordi were chanting about. After a moment, Rd's foot began tapping to the beat and so did Lucy.

Cadthar, ethythuto cathartic DragoLodins

"The exchange of the Dragonlord is here." Malik translated.

Scorevale horale bura burta DragoLodins jurgo attu kartae

"The spirits of the past Dragonlords, watch us all, let us say their names so we can see our future lord." Malik spoke. "This is the Dragonlord warcry."

The shift of the drums went hard, a lively beat echoed before the fight began with the Dwellers in unison spoke and banging their hands in the railing in harmony.

Fafnir

Esknor

Ascanfir

Norflesh

Tir-fan

Jia-ngif

Belgor

Spornk

Valvic

Nifelheim

Nenog

Echoing that list of names over and over. With each beat, the two girls charged at each other, swinging and clashing their blades together.

"They are chanting the past Dragonlord's names. Those who lived on Earth." Malik said as he watched the fight.

"This is the most metal nonmetal song I've ever heard, it's a party!" Lucy giggled as she bobbed her head to the beat.

"This is not a party," Elizabeth said before looking to see Cassandra holding her cracked phone up and recording everything and everyone. "Twilight Sparkle, this is a life and death situation and you're recording??"

"Seriously, Twilight!" Spike growled.

" I-I am sorry but as gruesome as this is, this is fascinating! For countless centuries these guys lived in this state, as feral as these guys have become, they retained their tribal traditions!" Cassandra said as she panned the phone up to the stands and back at the fight just as the Queen swung sword, nearly missing Rachel's head, the tip of it hit the mask she wore, knocking it off of her.

Rachel snarled, hopping back as far as the tether allowed her before seeing fire erupted from the Queen.

Her hands waved, fire fluidly moved before thrusting her arm out. Like a whip, the fire shot out, wrapped itself around Rachel.

Rachel struggled with the fire, momentarily having her tied before absorbing the flames into her, the scales on her shirt glowed but didn't create holes or burn markings, before it shifted to her signature blue flames and blasted it back to the Queen.

It hit her and pushed Rùna across the dirt floor. But since the women were still tethered, it pulled Rachel forward. After colliding with the Queen, Rachel was pushed off of her before thrusting the sword at the pregnant woman.

Rachel jumped back, swinging her sword, blocking the attack, creating sparks. The two were almost in a dance of sorts. As the chanting was getting faster and faster along with the drums, the faster the women were fighting.

Eventually, the Queen used her magic again and dosed Rachel. When the fire dispersed, she had dragon-upped and began to push harder.

"You got this Rach!" Applejack cheered on.

"Kick her fucking ass!" Dash yelled.

"Get her! Get her!" Lucy cheered too before pulling out a bucket of popcorn and was eating and watching.

Elizabeth watched her pink curly haired friend. "I hope the reason your hair's a bottomless pit is due to your Equestrian magic, darling."

Malik watched the fight, under his breath, he too was chanting along with the other Mordi. As he watched on, his eyes caught something strange: the grooves along Rachel's horns were glowing blue. The same shade of blue as the glow of the staff. It moved along the beat like an audio visualizer.

He gets a strange sensation, something inside of his body shifting. Something beneath his skin was changed.

Something else did change.

"Uh hey, did the list of names just get longer?" Sunset asked.

Malik listened and let out a gasp. The chant added more names to the list.

Onyx

Pryyr

Smaug

Warscorn

Lavabra

Scorch

Fang

Torch

Ember

Spike

"I-I don't know those names." Malik admitted.

"I only recognize two names." Sunset said. "I recognize Torch-"

"And Spike." Both dog Spike and Sunset said in unison.

The cursed Mordi were chanting the past and current Dragonlord in Equestria!

"You lads see Rach's horns? And see how the staff is using her to update the chant?" Malik asked the gang.

"We're seeing it. What does it mean?" Serenity asked.

"Maybe using her to do just that since she's the Dragonlord's mate?" Cassandra suggested as she recorded the fight.

Noticing that the only one doing any damage was Rachel but the two continued to dance around.

"Maybe… Or…" something clicked in Malik's mind. "You cheeky little… "

"What?" The Mane seven and Spike looked at Malik.

"They already did the exchange and are just doing this as a set up." Malik said. He caught a look that was shared between the two females.

The two scooted back as far as the tether allowed them. Both of them nodded before charging at each other.

"This isn't a Trial by Combat, this is a theatrical suicide!"

As soon as Malik shouted, the distance between the women closed. The Queen purposely dropped her weapon as Rachel shoved her blade into Rúna's stomach, the tip of the sword pushed out in the back.

Queen Rùna let out a sharp gasp and froze. A second after the stab, the chanting and the drums came to a startling halt.

The prisoners in the cages cheered in joy, so did the mane 7 and Spike. Malik was silent as a sombered look washed over his face.

Rachel closed her eyes, feeling tears trickling down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry…" she said to the Queen before pulling the sword out, black blood splattered on the ground and Rùna began to fall.

Rachel caught her and gently lay her down on the dirt floor. Rùna gasped and gurgled as blood seeped from her mouth.

A collective sound of moans and shrieks echoed around the colosseum. The Dwellers were consumed in pain as every single one, from child to elder began to bellow smoke from their bodies, the queen as well.

The spikes and horns fell off like ash, the calcium scales fell and their skintones returned to normal. Ranging from mostly pale to some dark skinned humans. Having similar features of the ears and sharp teeth and their dragon eyes like Malik and Rachel when she's normal looking.

"Oh my God, look at them!" Cassandra gasped.

"This curse is lifted, Rachel did it!" Elizabeth exclaimed, jumping in joy.

Rùna's skin was fair, there were tattoos that weren't seen before on her cursed version, runes inked on her hands and feet. A few scars she has over the course of her long life now soaked in her own blood. Now returned to normal, her blood began bleeding red.

Her fading eyes looked at Rachel, who changed back to normal. Holding her hand gently.

"Thank…. You… Child… " her voice weakened. "F-find your. .. love."

She exhaled one more time before she went still. Her hand loosened in Rachel's, her eyes permanently fixated at the dark ceiling.

Rachel gently lowers the hand, placing it over the Queen's chest before reaching up and closing her eyes, leaning over her and planting a small kiss on the body's forehead.

"Long may you reign and be at peace…" Rachel muttered as she stood.

The Blue Celestial shined brightly as it lowered itself down to Rachel.

She could hear a faint whisper. A whisper sounding familiar to her coming out of the staff. Not in her ears but in her mind.

"I hear you, and I know what you want, but first~" Rachel reached out and grabbed the staff.

Once grabbed, her clothes shimmer, shooting from her hands and traveling, this black and blue scaled armor lay over her clothes, covered from the neck down to her feet in this shiny armor. A crown materialized on her head of the black, six pointed obsidian crown with blue dragon jewels embedded in the stone.

"I need to take care of some business."

Reign of Queen Rùna had ended. The era of Queen Rachel has now begun.

Rachel looked up, she saw the remnants of the Old Mordi staring at each other and down at the ring in confusion and fright.

"They don't remember," Rachel muttered, hearing what the staff was saying to her. The old Mordi don't remember the events when they were cursed or prior to. The look on their faces appeared if they had just woken up from a bad dream.

The military radio of Malik's then sounded off.

"Be advised, arrival eta five minutes." A male voice radioed in.

With a tap of her staff, all the cages opened at once.

"Malik, round up everyone, they're coming with us!" Rachel ordered.

"Right away, ma'am." Malik said, giving her a bow and a playful wink before heading out.

"Guys, help Malik, I gotta get to that portal." Rachel said to the gang.

"We got this, hurry!" Sunset shouted.

With a nod, the new Queen ran out of the colosseum.

Rachel maneuvered through the halls and pathways. With the help of the Staff, she shifted the walls of the whole temple once more, helping her migrate more clearly to the destination.

It didn't take long before she came to the Throne Room.

The Portal crackled and hummed as more branches extended out.

The Staff hummed in Rachel's mind, causing her to grunt.

"I figured this will be a temporary fix. Need both the Dragonlord and I to close it permanently but until I find him, this is what we're doing at this time! " she moved past the fallen bodies towards the chairs.

She got to the middle step and held the staff in both of her hands, pointing the large crystal at it.

Roughly the same time, a group of commandos came in, weapons drawn and aiming at Rachel.

"Ma'am, drop the weapon and step away from the portal!" One of the soldiers barked orders at her.

"Sorry boys, but I don't take orders." Rachel said before the staff lit up, every fiber in her body became alive once she shot a bright concentration of light at the Portal.

The soldiers shot at the Queen. However the bullets fell just short from hitting her, losing velocity and dropped around her feet.

The Portal reacted from the magic, the whole temple trembled. A stray branch of the portal shot out, hitting several of the soldiers, incinerating them into dust.

Rachel gritted her teeth, sweat dripped from her pores as she fought with the Portal. After being open for so long, there was a struggle of closing it. Since she was brand new, she doesn't have the stamina and energy of handling this powerful artifact just yet, but she refused to give up.

The soldiers kept trying to get closer, some still shooting but none were hitting her.

When they got close, Rachel raised a hand, an energy shot threw her and out of her palm. Crystals began forming on the men. They tried to fight before they became crystal statues before turning her focus back to the Portal.

The Portal again shot out stray branches, hitting one of the statues and shattered it like glass. Another nearly hitting the Queen.

The tendrils began sealing up. With one last push and a shout from Rachel, a shockwave pushed everyone down.

And everything went black.

Author's Note

Near the finish line, some things need to be dealt with first for our newly minted Queen

Chapter 21

In Equestria…

Assembling the Canterlot guards just fifteen minutes away from the desert town of Dodge City.

Twilight Sparkle and her friends just received word that a band of UN soldiers were on their way towards the town. She and the others were sent to try and talk to this squad that there had been a misunderstanding. That Blueblood/Sombra fed them false information and that the humans who live in Equestria are safe.

The Canterlot guards hid by the road, waiting for the convoy to come to them.

While waiting, Twilight held in her hands the book she uses to communicate with Sunset and other girls on Earth.

"You heard anything?" Twilight looked up to see it was Starlight Glimmer.

Twilight nodded, flipped the book open to reveal a recent writing. "Yeah, Rachel's awake and is currently talking to the Leader of the Resistance. The baby's okay too."

"Oh good. Glad she's okay," Starlight said before looking down from the rock they were on, seeing Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie interacting with the guard, trying to boost morale. "So, the portal, it's really closed?"

"Yeah it is. It's bad because now without a link to the Human Central of Command, soldiers and innocents are virtually stuck with no way of trying to communicate with the Leaders of Earth." Twilight said with a frown.

"I'd suggest the Mirror Portal to help but that would mean the human government shutting down Canterlot High." Starlight sighed, rubbing her face. "But at least it means they won't storm all at once. Could use that to try and talk to the leaders."

"The princesses are thinking about that. I'd help but she sent us out here."

"With so many fallen towns, you think we can talk these guys down?"

"Each squad is different. It's a chance we have."

"Unless the portal now close, some of these guys will turn rogue."

Twilight frowned. "Let's hope that is not the case."

"They're here! They're here!" One of the guards announced as a rumbling sound echoed and coming from the distance was dirt and sand being kicked about.

Armored trucks and tanks that the humans brought in piece by piece and reassembled when they entered Equis.

"Let's move it guys!" Dash shouted as everyone got in positions. Getting in front of the oncoming convoy.

Most of the Guard has not seen humans nor their technology, only holding swords and shields and other forms of weapons not used in the human modern era.

"Unicorns at the ready!" The leader of the Guard, Captain Mace Action, an earth green pony with turquoise short mane and tail. The unicorns, along with Starlight and Twilight had their horns glowing.

The convoy was quickly coming their way.

When they came to a certain spot, Mace shouted. "Shield Wall!"

A combined effort of the magic users erupted shields that spanned across a mile on either side of the road depending on their magic levels. With Starlight and Twilight having the highest level of magic.

The convoy soon came to a halt with the first truck parked thirty feet from the shields.

There was an eerie silence, not knowing what was about to happen.

Appearing out of smoke, King Sombra appeared over a rocky cliff nearby. He watched the scene below with a sinister smile.

Everyone began getting out of the vehicles and approached the wall. One of them, being a male dressed in camo and beige, having a full beard and short curly hair.

The unicorns felt unease that around this guy's neck beside a set of dogtags, were colorful horns that were pierced together that were clearly pieces of broken unicorn horns.

Twilight looked to her friends before she and the others approached the male.

"My name's Twilight Sparkle, The Princesse of Friendship. My friends and I acquire a word from you." Twilight announced. Trying not to look at the broken horns.

The male grunted. "What do you want, your highness? " he asked with sarcasm.

"What you guys are doing is a mistake. You can't continue your mission." Twilight explained.

"You guys were tricked by some rich ass hat." Rainbow Dash spoke. "We're dealing with him but you guys have stop invading us."

There was a sudden uproar of laughter coming from the human soldiers. "Are these horses joking? " one of them laughed.

"It's true. You guys are being manipulated. We can show you," Fluttershy said. "You're doing more damage than good for your kind, let's not fight."

"I'm sorry but we have orders to follow," he said. The Guard and the girls saw that the soldiers were pulling out their weapons.

"You don't have to follow them now, the Portal is closed." Starlight said. "You're only harming Innocents, is that what your leaders want?"

"The Portal isn't closed," one of the soldiers snorted.

"It is, try calling your chain of command. " Twilight suggested.

There was a moment before one of the Soldiers made the call. Talking to the Settlement through their coms. The look on their face when they asked and got their answers.

"Lieutenant Hunt, they're right. The Portal is gone from the Settlement." They said.

It caused a disturbance within the squad of men. Including the one called Hunt.

A few made the same call just to be sure if it was true. It was real.

The Portal to Earth was closed, gone, they were all stuck.

"I know this is tough to hear, but sadly it's true." Pinkie Pie said. "But don't worry, we can help you guys."

"You didn't have to act too excited for that." Fluttershy mumbled.

"What my friend was saying, if you give us a moment, we can explain everything. The Princesses want to help, please." Twilight said, stepping forward.

Sombra feels the fear coming off of the humans was delicious.

He gazed below at them, looking for the weakest minds in the whole group. Both armies are just ripe for the pickings.

He spot ones with larger weapons, a rocket launcher of sorts.

"Perfect," he let out a satisfied hissed before he slipped to his shadow form and began making his way down.

Sombra took form of that one soldier's shadow. Eyes opened before they began to glow, the whites around his eyes became green with purple misting.

The soldier stiffened up, making grunting sounds before their eyes glowed the same as Sombra's.

Whispers echoed in his mind, fear reaching a tipping point. The launcher's hands trembled before aiming from the tank and squeezed the trigger.

The rocket shot out, flying above the girls and crashed into the shield. The object exploded, knocking some of the unicorns and fellow Guards to the ground.

"Charge!" The pony captain shouted before the rest of them charged at the humans.

Twilight and her friends tried to stop them but it was too late.

The humans retaliated and began firing rounds.

Sombra used his fear magic to react to both soldiers on both sides for added measure before sitting back and watching his chaos unfold.

Relishing the look on the once called Elements of Harmony, especially seeing one of them go down by a bullet.

Back in Earth …

Rachel held Dot's hand as Helen led them to the large tent.

"I may know some Draconic, but I haven't remembered enough like you and Malik. Not many of us went to Equestria or spent time in the Temple. " Helen said as they came to the entrance.

"You never went to either? How did you know you were Mordi?" Rachel asked as they stopped.

Helen sighed, "Legit, I was in an accident. The gas line in my old apartment exploded, got caught in the blast and hit my head pretty good. So much so I was in a coma for five months. Devolved into my subconscious mind until I came across the soul of my ancestor. We talked, I changed, scared the crap out of the doctors and woke up. Next following week, I started the Resistance."

"Not enough to learn the whole language? "

"To be honest, she didn't know much either. The woman had just started to learn the dragon language, and had just received her powers. Not many of us have the powers of the Queen herself." Helen then opened the flap of the tent and ushered them in.

They walked down the little hallway before emerging the other side.

Inside of the large tent were hundreds of the once cursed generation. They were one the ground, some looked in a state of shock, kept mostly to themselves.

Nothing like how they were when they were cursed.

"So, your highness, you know how to bring all of them to Equestria?" Helen asked.

The staff hummed as well, however Rachel was dumbfounded.

How was she going to bring all of them to Equestria without jeopardizing the Mirror portal??

One of the crowded Mordi looked up, seeing their new Queen and gasped.

"It's Cursebreaker!" They announced then another called out before they all on their knees and bowed.

"Uh… okay that's now a thing." Rachel gulped.

Dot let go of Rachel's hand and ran to join the others and bowed as well.

Okay Ember here sounds good right about now!

Hours later, Rachel was back in the tent she woke up in. The gurney bed was replaced with a cot and her own desk and paperwork. She leaned against the desk while looking at the documents, seeing faces and what details of the Old Mordi.

"If it's not one thing, it's another." Rachel muttered, holding open one folder and rubbing her stomach with her freed hand. "Can't believe I fucking froze, what's wrong with me… "

"You're just not used to the leadership role yet."

Rachel looked up to find Sunset Shimmer. "Request to enter?" She smirked.

Rachel rolled her eyes before setting the papers down, having Sunset entering.

"Is it that obvious?" Rachel asked before sighing. "I'm not the leadership type. I usually just do my thing."

Sunset nodded. "Some leaders are born, and some leaders are made. I know that you never thought your life would get to this point."

"Dude, I never thought about the future, I go with the flow. It'll take me a bit to readjust but I'll deal with it." Rachel said, patting her stomach. She then began to chuckle softly. "You know, Spike told me he won the Gauntlet. Was acting Dragonlord for five seconds before he gave it to Ember. Not really realizing that he still ruled, but behind the scenes. Ember ruled but Spike was still there. In passing he had called me his Queen… my dumbass didn't even register it because I was too focused on him proposing."

Sunset held a hand up to get her to pause before digging in her pants pockets and pulled out Rachel's engagement ring and chain. "Elizabeth asked me to pass this to you."

Rachel gazed at the ring longly, remembering that moment before taking the ring back and putting it back around her neck. "Thanks. Where's the others and Spike?"

"Cassandra and the others are with Shaun. He showed up with his plane a half an hour ago." Sunset said before leaning against the desk next to her.

Rachel watched her before asking, "Okay, how much of my life have you seen? Seriously?"

Sunset gave her a sheepish grin."Besides you and Spike's universal mating moments, I know you have a half brother."

Rachel closed her eyes, picturing the blonde hair blue eyed little boy. "I don't even know his name."

"Desmond. Desmond Lockhart." Rachel opened to look at Sunset with widened eyes. "I've seen moments of him and his mother Penelope when I touched Damian." Sunset explained. "He never found them after he got hit by Desmond."

Rachel nodded. "That's good… A relief really."

Sunset studied her before sighing. "You want to find them, do you?"

Rachel shrugged. "I would be lying if I said no. They have the right to know that they don't have to hide anymore… however I was told to not come back." She knocked on the surface of the desk. "Besides, I have a shit ton to do before I even return home. Making sure Ember and the other dragons don't freak out that I'm bringing the Mordi with me, having them react to their new physical bodies after crossing the Mirror Portal after just getting out of a curse. I have so many things to take care of, with war and finding my idiot mate on top of housing a living tiny creature inside of my body. I don't have time."

"You need a small break before being thrown into being a ruler and leader." Sunset said, reached out and touched her shoulder. "Rome wasn't built in a day. It might be good, finding those two. Get you in a better mind set."

Rachel pressed her lips together and hummed.

"Maybe you can find a solution to how to get everyone to Canterlot that doesn't require sedation of all those guys crammed inside of Shaun's shitty plane." Sunset chuckled.

"I need to get used to using wings anyway." Rachel giggled. "I'm not going on that plane."

The giggled died before she sighed. "You sure it's okay I go?"

Sunset nodded. "They are your family. Yes you have a family in Equestria, but if you don't do this while you can before you get too caught up and leave for home, it'll eat you alive. The girls and I can brainstorm ideas about how to move the Mordi."

Rachel nodded before making plans. The following day she told Malik and Helen that she was going to be absent for a couple of days, of course there was a blow up with the Resistance Leader but she couldn't stop the Queen from doing this.

She ordered the two to hold down the fort, using her new magic, essentially practice on using it to locate her mate, she locates her ex-stepmother and her half brother and leaves to find them.

Author's Note

So recap - Sombra came in and ruined what was actually a good thing and one of the remaining Elements of Harmony got shot. She's alive mind you and Rachel decides to find her half brother and ex-stepmother before taking the Old Mordi with her to Equestria.

Who is the one who got hurt, Poll time!

:rainbowderp: A
:fluttercry: B
:applejackconfused: C
:pinkiecrazy: D
:twilightoops: E
😖(Starlight) F

Chapter 22

Ireland…

There was a slight misting in their air, in an undisclosed small town, a group of young boys were playing soccer in a field next to the school dressed in their dress-coded uniforms. Nine young boys ages eight to ten years old.

One of the youngest happened to be the second tallest next to the eldest boy. His blonde hair was starting to fade to a light brown and had faded shaved sides while top of his hair fell over his right eye, his long white sleeve shirt had the sleeves rolled up past his elbows having streaks of green and brown from rolling in the dirt, black pants and mud caked sneakers.

Watching from the gated sidelines, Rachel watched the game. Watching her half brother running and kicking the soccer ball out of the opponent's way. She wore a light purple shirt and a dark blue leather jacket, gray pants and hospital shoes since normal shoes were starting to bother her feet, having a beanie covering her head and ears.

The Blue Celestial tucked away in its pocket dimension waiting to be used again.

She watched as little Desmond ran across the field, passing the ball and running after it. Seeing his bright blue eyes filled with joy and excitement.

Seeing him eventually kicking the ball so hard he slid on the grass on his butt. The ball soared in the air. The goalie jumped but he couldn't catch it and the ball went into the net.

The kids cheered after Desmond made the goal. Taking all of them to hoist him up in the air.

Rachel giggled and smiled, seeing his face. Almost not wanting to go up to him, chances were that the kid didn't remember her, it has been four years.

She soon saw a Lincoln convertible pulled up. Getting out of it was a black haired, blue-eyed man wearing plaid, a bit on the skinny side. He approached the other side of the fence.

"Des, let's go, my boy!" The man called out.

Desmond looked up from his friends and looked at the man. "Coming dad!" Enough time has passed that he was starting to adopt an Irish accent like the man he called dad.

"Bye Des!" One boy called out.

"See ya on Monday!" Another one as well.

After saying byes, the eight year old grabbed his bag and ran out of the enclosed fence line and up to the man. He was already 5'3, just six inches shorter than his "dad" the man smiled, giving his kid a side hug and ruffled his hair.

"Had a good day, champ?" The man asked as they turned back to the car.

"It was good, I did the hattrick again with the mates, I might try it at next week's game." Desmond said with opportunism. "You think you can come this time? "

"I already got that day off approved, I'm not missing your game with your mum." The man said.

Rachel stealthy followed the guys down the residential neighborhood. Going past several houses until there was a wide two story home with a few chickens grazing the yard.

A couple of chickens ran wildly as a black haired brown eyed toddler was racing after it. She squealed with her arms out trying to catch them. On the large l shaped porch was her mother.

"Chloe, baby doll, be careful dear." Penelope called out but watched as she continued to burn energy. The girl was having fun, at least she would go to sleep well tonight.

The Lincoln came up to the driveway, a smile on her face to see her two boys getting out.

Penelope walked down the steps to meet up with them.

"Hi mama!" Des greeted, giving her a quick hug, she kissed his head before he ran inside.

"Don't throw your stuff by the stairs again, I nearly tripped over your things the other day." Penelope called out. She got a response from him before sighing softly before looking at her husband.

"And how are you, mister?" She greeted, wrapping her arms around his body and he held her in his arms.

"Very blessed." He smiled back before kissing her.

"Mommy, daddy, who's dat?" The toddler asked.

The couple looked to their child before seeing her pointing down the driveway. They followed her point to find Rachel standing at the end of the driveway, hands in her pockets.

The man whispered something to Penelope before turning his attention to her. "Uh hello, can I help you, ma'am?"

Rachel pulls the beanie off her head before approaching them. "I'm sorry, i-I don't mean to intrude you but… Does Penelope Holiday live here?"

The man turned to look at his wife. "Penny, do you know her?"

Penelope put a hand on her husband's chest as she stepped forward. It took her a moment to recognize who she was. "Rachel…"

The man looked at her alarm. "Rachel, as in your ex-husband's daughter?"

Rachel winced. "Yeah, that's me."

"Holland, why don't you put Chloe inside, I got this one." Penelope gestured to Rachel.

The man's Holland looked between the two women before kissing her cheek. "I'll be inside, love."

Rachel watched as the man approached their daughter and picked her up and brought her into the house.

Penelope sniffled, pulling her cardigan closer before closing the gap.

"I'm sorry, I know you told me to never come back." Rachel started. "And I had. For four years to be exact, I stayed away."

"W-why are you here?" Penelope asked. "How did you find us?"

"It's a bit complicated… That doesn't matter. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important and this is important."

Penelope used her sleeve to wipe her nose. There was a pained expression on her face, being reminded of the old life.

Rachel sighed. "Penelope, he's dead. My… My father, Damian, is dead."

Penelope stared at her, seeing emotion writhing inside of her. A mix of disbelief and relief. She looked at her to see if she was lying, but there were no lies.

Damian was gone.

Trying to hold back tears, she looked back at the house. Just to see Desmond waiting out at the door. Seeing who his mother was talking to.

"I… I'm going to leave now… Thought you should know the good news." Rachel said as she turned to walk away.

"Why don't you come inside… I'll start some tea if you like?" Penelope asked her.

Rachel turned to her. "Sure, okay," then began walking back with her.

When the mother went inside, Rachel stopped in front of Desmond.

"Hey kid." She greeted him. Desmond was starting to look like their father a bit, but let's hope not much when he reaches adulthood. "I don't know if you remember me, it's been awhile."

Desmond looked up at her. "You're Rachel, my sister, I remember." He said.

Rachel rocked on her heels. "Still swinging for the fences?"

Desmond blew his bangs out of his face. "I play golf with my dad on the weekends. He can't believe I have better aim than him and his buddies," he grinned. His dad being his stepdad.

Rachel snorted. "I have good aim too."

The siblings chuckled before the two went in.

Inside of the wide home had a rustic feel to it, light wood flooring and ceiling. Scanning around as Rachel entered, seeing pictures of the family. Pictures of Holland, Penelope and Des of the wedding in front of a barn. Pictures of the couple in various bars and taverns, pictures of the kids playing and happy.

Looking like a happy family.

Des and Rachel walked by the living room to see Holland and Chloe on the floor playing with some toys. Holland caught Rachel's glance before disappearing into the red countertop and cabinets kitchen, an eighties style green fridge with magnets holding drawings and those magnets letters that spelled "Free the Faeries" on it. Looking like some sort of retro diner.

By the gas burning stove, Penelope was making the tea with a teapot. Rachel ducked her head while entering.

She took a seat at the table and waited patiently. Meanwhile, Des looked at her.

"Why do you look different?" Des asked, taking a seat next to her. "You look like a faerie."

"Desmond, that was rude." Penelope scolded.

"No-no it's fine." Rachel smirked before looking at Des. "How am I a faerie?"

"Your ears and eyes are different and the.." he motioned his teeth. "The stories say that faeries have different appearances."

Rachel shrugged. "I don't know about faeries, I know that my time in Equestria caused my body to change. And I'm a-okay with it."

"Cool."

"So cool."

As Rachel said that, Penelope came over with a teacup and some cubes of sugar and placed it down in front of her. "Would you like a biscuit as well?" She asked her.

"If you don't mind, yes." Penelope then set a plate of thin biscuits in front of her. Rachel graciously takes them before sitting down across from her with her own cup of tea.

She pushed her long blonde hair over her ears as she looked at Rachel. "How long have you known about Damian?" Penelope asked her.

"Nearly a week," Rachel said as she added the sugar into the tea, stirred and and took a drink. "I can't believe it either and I was there."

"Wait, he's dead? My father's dead?" Des asked.

There was a long pause before Rachel spoke. "He is."

She watched him bow his head for a moment and nodded. "Good." He said before looking back up.

"Why were you there with him?" Penelope asked. "Trying to reconcile with the bastard?"

"Ma'am I am insulted that you even considered that." Rachel said. "No, wrong place at the wrong time. He nearly killed me and my friends, but he's no longer sharing oxygen as we are."

"How are you certain?" Des asked.

Rachel sipped the tea and took a bite out of the biscuit. "I was there. He's gone, for good."

Penelope sipped her cup, letting this all sink in. "So… Are you planning a funeral for him?"

"Nope. He doesn't even deserve a memorial. No casket or ashes because there's no body. He's simply gone."

Penelope nodded. "He doesn't deserve anything but time in Hell…. Thank you, dear."

Rachel nodded as she drank. "I see you moved on from him, is your husband okay?" She asked out of curiosity. "Is he actually good for you guys and your daughter? "

Penelope smiled fondly, nodded. "Holland has been perfect for us. Took me a moment to even have the courage to start dating and with Holland, it was by chance."

"Dad's the best." Des chirped.

"He better be after all of what you went through." Rachel said. "Thank you for allowing me into your-"

"Mommy, mommy!" Little Chloe scuffled into the kitchen as Holland was after her. Running up to her mother.

Penelope giggled before picking her up and putting her on her lap. "Hi!" She smiled at Rachel, waving her hands.

"Sorry. Little Bug here is a fast one." Holland said. "So what's going on?"

"Nothing, just hearing the best news ever." Des grinned.

"What news?" Chloe cooed.

Penelope giggled, kissing her child's head. "The best news yet."

Rachel looked up at him. "We're good, sir. I do apologize for showing up to your home all of the sudden."

"Hey Chloe, this is Rachel, our big sister." Des said, causing her to giggle.

Chloe gasped loudly. "Really??? I have a Sissy!"

"Oh Bug, that's not exactly how it works. You see, Rachel is Desmond's, you're not related to her." Penelope said, trying to explain it in a way she'll understand.

"I want sissy!" Chloe shouted, trying to reach over to her.

Rachel giggled. "Maybe I can be if your parents allow me."

"Can she stay for dinner??" Des asked.

"Please mama, dada??" Chloe asked, both kids basically vibrating in their seats.

The parents looked at each other before sighing in unison. "I'll make a spot for you, if you like." Penelope asked.

Holland didn't say anything as this was his wife's situation. He heard enough stories of her life before they came to Ireland.

Rachel felt emotional and nodded. "If you have me."

The little kids cheered.

For the next several hours, Rachel spent time with the kids. Both of them gave her a tour of the house, showing her their rooms. Showing off toys and knick knacks they collected over the years. Rewards and recall tales of their grand adventures of their imagination.

Rachel smiled and played with them, getting on the floor with them. And boy did she play. Her heart fluttered hearing them laugh and seeing them smile. So full of innocence both of them.

Des, just seeing him after years of abuse by the same sperm donor, one wouldn't think he had gone through such trauma. He persevered, thriving.

Being with these two made her somewhat forget that Rachel has a million things to do. Being the most peaceful moment she had in awhile.

Truly making her hopeful for her future.

They played in the playroom, played some music and were dancing.

But by the time they had moved to the room, Rachel was exhausted. She sat on a large beanbag chair and let out a blissful moan.

"Ooh I need this," she groaned. Laying on something comfy after nearly a week, over since she learned she was pregnant.

"Dance with us, Rachel!" Chloe said as she jumped around.

"You can get up and dance with us." Des said as he busted out some moves.

Rachel laughed tiredly. "Yeah sorry, I'm currently unable to match the energy of two small kids at this time." She said as she rubbed her belly.

The Portal closing took a lot of energy, she was still not a hundred percent to do something that big with the staff. That and being with child.

She heard the distinct humming from the Staff coming from its little pocket dimension. Yo, I don't need you to remind me. Lemme have this moment. Rachel mentally communicated with it.

"What's with that face?" Des asked as he danced with his sister.

"What face?" Rachel asked with a raised brow.

"The one you're making just now." Des giggled.

"Little dude, this is my face, my normal face!" Rachel mocked snarled before making a silly face that made them laugh.

The staff hummed again, making Rachel screw her face. I'm gonna work on the Mordi, be patient! Don't make me eat your crystal gem…. Fuck around and find out, I'm eating for two and you look mighty delicious. You gonna taste like blue raspberry rock candy?? She grunted at it.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked as she stopped dancing. So tired that she fell on her bum. Des turns the music off.

Rachel sighed, rubbing her face before looking at them. "Oh I'm… just going through something I have to tend to before I go back to Equestria. Ran into a roadblock that I have to figure out and fast." She explained.

"Like what?" Des asked as he sat on the ground in front of her, crossing his legs.

Rachel shook her head. "Grown-up stuff. Two of you are lucky you don't have to deal with it for a while."

"We can help. Tell us, " Des poked her.

"We wanna help, we wanna help, we wanna help." Chloe chanted and soon her brother chanted.

Damnit…

Rachel looked around the playroom. "Got any Legos?"

After a quick search, Rachel was displayed with a container full of Lego pieces.

She slid to the ground before beginning putting pieces together, gathering as many of the Lego people, skeletons and all, making a small diagram of the two portals and using the Lego characters as the Mordi.

"Okay, do you see these items, these are portals, portals I came from," she put together a statue with a pineapple as a decoration, and held a reflective Lego piece. She made a quick box to represent the school and put the statue piece down. She then scooted the reflection piece far away from it but in arms length.

"So you are a faerie!" Des gasped when she talked about portals.

Rachel paused. "Yes." She decides for the best and continues. She then motioned the character pieces. "I'm supposed to take all these guys, my fellow fae, over here, " she points at the statue. "And get them here to my world," she grabs one and puts it with the mirror. "My dilemma is that my faerie friends, there are so many of us that it's hard to move at once, especially since they are scared of things in this world. Can't really alert the bad people if we bring them all to this pineapple." She puts the character that was near the mirror back to the others.

"So. You're stuck here?" Chloe gasped. "Des, we have to help the faeries! Free the Faeries, free the faeries!"

Desmond hummed as he looked at the diagram. "You can't just take your guys to the pineapple and use your magic to fight against the bad people?"

Rachel shook her head. "I'm trying to do this without anyone getting hurt. A lot of kids are near this portal and I can't have them get hurt either. You see my trouble?"

Chloe picked up one of the Lego characters and played with it, picking up the statue and playing with it.

Desmond reached over and gently grabbed them out of her hands and she began to fuss about. "Chloe, this isn't play time." He said before putting the pieces back down.

However he didn't put the statue back in its spot. He had it near the group of characters.

Rachel reached out for a stuffed animal and handed it to her. When she handed it to Chloe, the Lego placement caught her interest. She hummed as she looked at it.

"Statue closer to them… " she muttered before a big light bulb lit up in her mind.

"Children, dinner." Penelope announced as she entered the room.

"Okay." Des said as he and Chloe got up and ran out.

Rachel quickly put the pieces back in the container, putting it up before following them.

She looked at Penelope in passing and smiled. "You have amazing little ones, smart too." She said as the idea continued to brighten in her mind.

After a delicious pot roast dinner and saying goodbyes, making a promise that she'll try and visit, she stepped outside, pulling out her burner phone.

She dialed Sunset Shimmer's number, waited a couple of seconds before she answered.

"Hey Rachel, how was your visit?" Sunset asked from the other line.

"Helpful, amazing," she smiled as she walked down the dim lit driveway, going to the end of it before going to the road. She was still visible to the house. "Desmond is an amazing guy and his sister is a cutiepie."

"I'm glad you had the trip. Now we have to go and figure out how to bring hundreds of misplaced Mordi to the portal." Rachel could hear her sigh."We threw around ideas and nothing came up. You have something?"

Rachel nodded. "I may have something. The kids gave me the idea. But first, can the statue portal be moved?"

"Excuse me? "

"Can the statue portal be moved like a regular statue?" Rachel repeated.

Sunset had to think about that. "I don't know. I do know that it can be broken like a regular statue. I came close to smashing it years ago. So I think it can be moved but carefully. Why? "

Rachel grinned. "We're bringing the portal to the Mordi. Saving us from transporting all of them and getting people caught in the crossfire."

There was a long pause, almost two minutes of silence before she spoke again. "How are we going to move a statue thousands of miles and not damage it? "

"Unicorns aren't the only creatures with teleporting abilities. I'll explain more when I get back. Okay bye." She hung up.

The staff hummed in her mind as well. "Yeah, yeah it'll work. If Rùna used it on me, why not on a magic portal? " she smirked before dragon-upped.

She stretched her body and wings, about to make the flight before looking up at the house.

Standing by the upper story window was the kids, and both of them had their jaws dropped.

With a toothy grin, her wings flapped and with a jump, she was in the air. She motioned her hands as fire began sparking on her hands.

She threw fireballs into the sky. The balls of fire sore before they explode like fireworks.

The look on their faces was pure delight, using her magic to shoot off a show, winking at them before she flew off into the night.

Author's Note

Well that trip went a lot better than what Rachel thought.

Let's hope her idea will work, little kids are great 😍

Chapter 23

Inside of the Resistance Leader's trailer, standing in front of the human Mane 7, Spike, Helen and Malik, Rachel explained her idea to them.

Some looked displeased.

"So, you want to remove a statue of a school, using your magic to bring it here?" Cassandra asked, trying to register it.

Rachel nodded. "It'll be safer than transporting the refugees on vehicles and planes they have no business dealing with."

Malik sighed. "Yeah, it was a bitch getting them all here without them lashing out."

"Do you know how to do that?" Helen asked her Queen. "Have you been trained enough to even know how to teleport or even use the staff? "

The staff hummed in Rachel's mind again, holding it in her hands. The black streak widened and shrunk, looking among the group.

"Uh no, but I have to at least try." Rachel said as she raised the staff. "Not only do I have Queen Rùna's memories, but the Blue Celestial is showing me how. I'm sorry if it seems I'm learning on the spot, making it up as I go. There isn't really an instruction manual for this thing."

Spike rubbed his muzzle with his paw. "We don't have many value ideas at this point. Can't attract too much attention."

"Thank you," Rachel said, raising a hand to the dog. "Good boy." Spike's tail wagged when called good boy.

"Last time you used the staff, it zapped all of your strength." Serenity reminded her. "If you use too much again, you won't be able to go home while awake. It might zap the baby's strength too."

"She's right," Sunset said. "We don't really know how the staff works, what we see takes energy from the wielder. You haven't had it long or developed the endurance to get used to it yet."

Helen sighed, taking into consideration. "Anyone else has a bright idea? Any longer we stay in this camp with the refugees, chances of us getting spotted by the U.N increases."

"How would we know it'll work?" Dash asked.

"One way to find out." Rachel said before leading everyone out. "Sunset, just in case, alert the Princess, tell her for a moment to close the Mirror. Don't want any mishaps."

Sunset nodded before digging the book out of her bag and began writing.

"Want to inform the refugees of this?" Malik asked, walking next to Rachel.

"Not until I get the dang thing here." She responded as they came to a clearing of the camp.

"Just don't overwork yourself." Applejack eased her.

The staff hummed, giving Rachel instructions as she took a stance.

"Alright, everyone stand back." Rachel called out, everyone getting back, having Wendy and her medical team on standby for anything.

"Okay, imagine what I want in front of me, it shouldn't be that hard." Rachel muttered as the staff glowed.

Her nerves and neurons ignited like a spark of a flame.

She aims for a spot on the ground, focusing and concentrating on what she wants. The crystal glowed brighter and brighter before a burst of magic shot out, engulfed that one spot in blue flames.

It lasted a moment before it disappeared and Rachel stiffened up.

A beautiful but spooked white stallion with reddish brown spots and light hair stood in front of them.

"Oh sweetie!" Serenity gasped as she raced over to the nervous quadruped. Serenity hushed, having her hands up when greeting it.

The horse allows Serenity to touch him, feeling her hand on his muzzle. "Ooh I'm sorry, Mr. Horse, this must be frightening for you."

"That is a horse, not a horse statue." Malik pointed.

"No shit, Sherlock." Rachel grunted, glancing at the staff. It hummed again as she raised it up. "One more time, Serenity, move it now."

Serenity yelped before ushering the stallion out of the way.

Rachel shot it again. This time the burst of fire was tall, it swirled around like a firenado before it disappeared. Her jaw dropped to the ground. It was a statue but not the right one. She heard others snickering and laughed.

"Is that~" Cassandra started with a gawk.

"An Eastern Island Statue?!" Helen shouted. Baffled by it and frustrated.

Okay, this is harder than I thought. Rachel thought, already starting to feel the effects of her energy waning.

"Hey Dum Dum, you gimme gum gum." Malik teased before he crow-laughed.

Rachel's face was red from anger, glaring at the staff. "What the actual fuck??" The staff hummed while she snarled. "You can actually laugh, you fucking glow stick?? This is serious shit we're doing!" She snapped as she shook it.

"Rachel, your highness, how about you stop fucking around and send these things back??" Helen growled. Rachel was starting to have her body smoking as she turned and gave the Leader a menacing look.

"It seems I have to do some bonding with the Blue Celestial, because right now it's making me look like an idiot." The staff hummed, confirming her words.

"Hey, just breathe, you got this," Spike assured her.

Rachel stared at the dog before letting out a deep inhale and exhaled slowly. Popping her neck before turning back to the statue and horse. "Let's… return to sender, please?" She quietly asked of the Blue Celestial as she got back into stance.

"Please don't hurt him." Serenity whimpered, petting the beauty.

"He has to go back, he won't get hurt… right?" Rachel eyed the staff. It assured her it wouldn't but didn't give her confidence.

Serenity nodded and guided the horse next to the Eastern Statue. Holding him in place.

Don't take Serenity, don't take Serenity. Rachel begged before blasting the two.

Serenity yelped and let go but wasn't harmed as the other two were engulfed in flames before disappearing.

Rachel looked on before looking at the staff. "Are they back in their place of origin?" It hummed in response. "Are you sure?" It assured her that they were back home.

"Okay everyone," Rachel announced. "Take three, move back." Serenity got as far as she could.

She envisioned the pony statue in front of the school. Mentally describing what the darn thing looked like, painstakingly detailing it so there was zero confusion.

With a count of three, Rachel shot at the space. Flames came and went, what came to them caused Rachel to toss the staff up in the air in defeat and walked off. The staff goes back to the pocket dimension.

Everyone but Spike, Helen, Cassandra, Serenity and Sunset were up in a roar laughing.

There on the spot was a man in a full on horse costume pretending to be a statue. He yelped when he saw he wasn't in the right place, taking the head off. "This isn't Las Vegas!"

Rachel stomped over to Wendy, allowing her to do a quick check up before handing her some water. Rachel took it before going over near a stack of crates and put her back against it, sliding her body down to sitting.

The staff hummed, making Rachel snarl. "You could've said that before I did all of that! Can't move anything magic that wasn't made by dragons, fuck off!"

Rachel felt emotions surfacing, feeling tears streaking her face as she chugged her bottle of water.

Since the pony statue was of Equestrian made, Rachel can't really use the dragon magic to bring it here.

Feeling it hummed again, Rachel rolled her eyes. "What else did you expect from me? I'm literally new to all of this, I never had the training. I barely fucking know how to be a dragon and it's what my mate has taught me."

"Hey," Rachel sniffled, rubbed her eyes with her sleeve as she looked up, seeing Spike walking up to her, tail tucked between his legs and head held low.

"Yo… " Rachel muttered.

Without saying anything, Spike walked up to her before curling up against her, head on her lap. She wrapped her arms around his head and began rubbing his fur and scratching his ears.

She tried to scratch his back and sides but he grunted. "Sorry, that's still a bit tender." The spots of his fur where he was stabbed and healed by fire.

"Sorry… " she said as she moved her hands back around his head and face.

"Rachel, you have the right idea, maybe you can try a different tactic with it." Spike suggested. "You know, instead of bringing the statue to us, you send the Mordi to it."

"There are kids, staff personnel, cameras, so many things could go wrong," Rachel sighed.

"Not if we time and plan it right. You can't give up now."

"Not giving up, just hormonal and frustrated." Rachel continued to pet him.

"You can do this." He said.

Rachel spent a few minutes petting Spike before giving him a kiss on the head. "Alright, let's do this."

"Doggo Therapy strikes again," Spike made happy whine sounds, tail wagging before moving so she could get up.

The two of them ventured back to the gathering, all eyes on the Queen.

"Uh, sorry about that, I'm better now, let's continue." Rachel said as she returned to her spot.

"You got this, Rach." The girls gave her encouragement.

"Let's try not to summon random things." Helen grunted.

"I'm not summoning the statue to us, there has been a slight change in plans." Rachel explained as she plucks the Blue Celestial out of its pocket dimension. "I need a volunteer," she calls out, looking at the girls and the New Mordi.

"What are you doing?" Helen asked.

"I'm going to send the Old Mordi to the statue instead of bringing the statue here." Rachel explained. "Apparently draconic magic and Equestrian magic don't really mix, that should've been apparent while I was changing by both pony and dragon magic. "

The newer ones looked apprehensive about this idea. Malik rolled his eyes at his comrades before approaching her. "I'll be your test rat. As your Second-in-Command, it's my pleasure." He volunteered.

Rachel smiled. "Thank you."

He marched over to the scorched spot and stood attentively. "If I end up in a volcano, I'm haunting you, Dorothy."

Rachel snorted before taking the staff and aimed it at him. "Call us if you see anything."

Malik nodded and got ready.

After a silent prayer, Rachel shot magic at it. The flames engulfed him for a few seconds before he disappeared.

There was a long pause as they waited. Anticipation was strong, not knowingly what and where Malik ended up.

After a moment, someone's phone began ringing.

Helen dug into her pockets and pulled it out, it was her's.

"It's Malik!" Helen announced before answering, putting it on speaker. "Malik, where are you, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Hey Rachel, is the statue you looking for in front of… blimey where is it… ah, Canterlot High? Has a pony on it? "

"Yes!" Rachel cheered. A lot of the Mordi and the girls celebrated at that.

"Right on, now can you bring me back?"

Rachel shot at the spot again, bringing him back to this side of the world. Being a little smoking from the flames but other than that, he was fine, still holding the phone.

"Warn a brother before setting me on fire," Malik coughed up a puff of soot, hanging the phone up.

Rachel walked up to him and hugged him sideways. "Will do."

Good, they have a plan, time to talk to the refugees properly.

"Sunset, scratch what I said about Twilight and close it, we need to get them ready." Rachel said to her.

"Uh yeah about that, Twilight hasn't been responding," Sunset admits. "Starlight has been responding."

"What happened to Twilight?" Rachel asked.

Sunset sighed, coming up to her with the book. "Here." She opens to the page she had written on.

Rachel recognized Twilight's and Starlight's penmanship, the two had shitty handwriting, nearly ineligible.

But when she saw the conversation, her eyes widened. "What??? When did this happen?" Rachel asked Sunset.

"Couple of days ago. We have to get you home fast." Sunset said.

Rachel ran a hand through her hair. "Okay, I have to go, I'll talk to the refugees, go home and plan to get them to Equestria."

"You're leaving again? What kind of leader are you that does that? " Helen asked.

The staff glowed in Rachel's hands, reacting to the Queen's rising anger. "To prepare the other side for the refugees. Something happened that I need to address, so Helen, before I lose it, stop talking." She snarled before walking towards the quarantine tent.

She goes through the flaps, going inside the hallway before venturing inside.

The Mordi turned to see her, again they kneeled in greeting to her.

Don't freeze this time, Rachel thought before turning attention to them. "At ease," she spoke in Draconic.

They relaxed a little but some still sat on their knees.

I apologize for the other day, as you all can see, I am new to this. I am going to work on this." Rachel spoke, looking at them. "For centuries you were cursed. A curse that had you believing all of you had failed the Dragons. Failed to keep them safe as they fled to the new world. The staff was wrong to do so." The staff hummed in response but she ignored it. "The old Queen was wrong, all of you should have gone with them. And now is the chance to do so."

One of the Mordi closest near her, a female, spoke up. "Permission to speak, Cursebreaker?"

Rachel nodded. "Yes you may, but my name is Rachel, what is yours?" She should've ran with the name first but whatever.

"Lorna," Lorna responded. "Milady, the dragons, how do you know they are okay in the new world?"

Rachel smiled. "I had ventured to the new world. I have seen them, I saw how they lived, thrived," she then rubbed her stomach. "I fell in love with the Current Dragonlord and currently with his child. The dragons are safe," there were a lot of murmurs spreading among them.

Another Mordi, a male this time spoke up. "Is the new world safe?"

Rachel looked up to him. "Your name?"

"Gormir." Gormir responded.

Rachel sighed. "Mostly, right now, a dark entity threatens to destroy the peace. The humans once again threaten not only them but the other inhabitants. I know this is not an answer you all want to hear, but it is the truth. War is here. You have a chance of redeeming past wrongs, the dragons, Equis needs all of us to help her. I wished that I did not have to ask you all but the dragons need aid once more. You are all still fierce warriors… but I know you all have families, children, those who are not really fighters. After all you went through, first and foremost, is to be home. Before any war planning and training, I need to take you with me. It'll be an adjustment to us all, for many, many reasons. At the end of the day, this world does not belong to you anymore, where I'm taking you, yes it's in trouble, Equestria is a better world. That has been my home for years, and it'll be yours too."

"Will the dragons accept us?" Someone from the back called out that she couldn't see. "After all this time?"

Rachel nodded. "Like I said, it'll be an adjustment. If the dragons have a problem, they'll have to get over it. None of you will get hurt by them… will you all join me? "

There was an uproar, hooting and cheers coming from them. Hearing that sound sends shivers down her spine and a boost of confidence and control.

They were ready to go.

"Just be patient, but I have to go and see the path is safe. Will you all bear with me just a moment more?" when she heard them say yes, she nodded. "Good, all of you rest, I will send word for when it's time."

The Mordi all approached her. At first Rachel didn't know what was going on. Was alarmed when all of them had their hands out, but they didn't come at her with violence. As many as they could, they placed a hand on her shoulders. This energy she felt coming from them was uplifting. Seeing all of them having full trust in her.

She can do this.

In Equestria

Starlight Glimmer paced around the office in front of the Mirror Portal inside the friendship castle. She looked worried and furious. Mane was in a mess, she had gauze wrapped around her neck and wrist braces on both hands, limping with each movement she made.

Once the Mirror activated, Starlight stood back. A moment later, Rachel stepped out of the portal. Her golden scales and fur returned, taloned hooves made a comeback as well. Her longer legs wobbled as she stumbled in but she caught herself. Her pastel streaks on her hair became deeply saturated.

In her claws was the Blue Celestial staff. Its black pupil moved rapidly, taking in its new surroundings.

"At least the trip home is better," she muttered, rubbing her belly before looking at Starlight and jumped. "Holy shit."

"I feel like it," Starlight said. "You heard?" She asked, rubbing her neck.

"Bits and pieces. Show me to her, fast.' Rachel said, wasting no time.

The staff lit up, something about being in the world was making it lively.

It felt the Blood Staff well in this world. After being separated for so long, it felt it in this world and was excited to be reunited once more.

Rachel mentally searches for Ember using the magic as she and Starlight get ready for teleporting. Ember, I'm back, do you hear me?

Holy fucking hell, you scared the shit out me! Hell yeah I hear ya, the Blood Staff was starting to act up all of the sudden.

Okay good, get your ass to Canterlot, we need to talk to those two cunts on the throne.

Coming, my Queen.

That term is not bothering her anymore. Rachel turned to Starlight. "Take me to see Twilight at once."

Starlight teleported them to Canterlot, taking her inside of Twilight's room.

What she saw made her blood freeze.

"What happened to her?" Rachel asked Starlight as they gazed at Twilight. Her jaw dropped once she saw that the Princess of Friendship was laying in bed, bandages on her arms, her horn wrapped up.

And the most noticeable injury, she was missing a wing. Her right wing. Her left wing was wrapped up and pinned closed. She had her back facing them.

Starlight grunted. "We were sent to intervene in a human convoy. We had just got them to stand down before they attacked. Or at least one of them was made into attacking." She explained. "It was a bloodbath, we all got injured but Twilight got shot. That human had guns with big bullets…. Destroyed her wing mid flight. Rachel, we were cannon fodder. The Sisters didn't want us to stop that convoy, they wanted to see why the peace talks with the human armies kept failing. The way Celestia acted when we brought Twilight in, she said "congratulations on gathering info" and left!"

Rachel tightens her hold around the staff. It hummed in her head, giving her a good idea.

"Twilight has been like this ever since. Her own mentor doesn't even care." Starlight snarled. "It was Sombra's doing. They fed us to Sombra!"

"Stay here, I'll be right back." Rachel said as she turned her hooves and began walking down the hallway.

As she stormed the halls, she walked past Ember talking to her entourage. Seeing the new Queen was on her way to the throne room, Ember and the other dragons followed.

The Blood Staff and The Blue Celestial both shimmered, the Blood Staff becoming a little more saturated and less gray.

"You gonna go toe to toe with Celestia and Luna?" Ember asked.

"Hell yes" Rachel grunted. "As much as Twilight has hurt Spike in her own way, she's my sister-in-law. My Family. And I'm sick and fucking tired of those two's bullshit against my family. Especially Celestia's. "

The Guardian and Queen both storm into the throne room.

Author's Note

I like to thank Theresa Hall for the better idea *tosses 🍪*

Also Rachel out here looking for blood of Sunbutt and... crap I got no insult to the holy lady of the night.

Chapter 24

The Queen and Guardian stormed up to the guarded throne room. The two guards tried to stop them, saying that they weren't allowed in because the two princesses were talking to Princess Cadence.

Needless to say, those two got shoved out of the way before having the doors swung open.

Cadence let out a yelp, being standing in front of the two sisters who were on the throne. Turning to see the dragons entering.

Celestia and Luna looked at each other before the older sister stood. "Rachel, it's good to see you again." The princess greeted.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with the two of you!?" Rachel snapped at them.

Celestia blinked. "Excuse me??"

"Rachel, what's wrong?" Cadence asked.

Rachel didn't respond as she and Ember marched up to them. "First you nearly sent my mate to Tartarus and now you sent Twilight and her friends into a trap without a care?? "

The look on Cadence's face when hearing about this. "Wait a second, Twilight's hurt?" the love princess turned to look at them with wide eyes.

Luna grunted. "It seems someone has loose lips."

"Celestia, Luna, why wasn't Shining and I was informed about Twilight??" Cadence snapped at the two.

"We didn't need you to worry. With you protecting the Heart and all." Celestia said before cutting her gaze at the Dragons.

"Or not telling them that you threw them to Sombra. Did you lose your right mind after spending moons on that throne?? Did your brain cells go down to that fat ass of yours from eating cake, Celestia? And did you lose yours after spending a thousand years on the moon in space, Luna? "

Ember and the other dragons laughed at the Queen's words while Celestia and Luna looked insulted.

"If somethings an obvious trap, it's best not to engage with it. Even my guys and I know that." Ember cackled.

"I don't take your insults lightly. I sent Twilight and her friends out for information and they brought it back." Celestia grunted with a scowl.

"This, this isn't like you." Cadence said before looking at Rachel. "How bad is she??"

"Very bad." Rachel said, her gaze not leaving Celestia and Luna. "Cadence, why aren't you at the Empire?"

"I was called for a war update." Cadence said, stepping away from the two rulers.

Ember and Rachel looked at each other.

The Blue Celestial hummed, causing Rachel to tilt her head curiously. "Huh…"

"The reason Cadence is here is none of your concern," Luna said as she stood and joined her sister. "You were sent out to complete a mission, congratulations, but now you're here, we can get down to business."

"We are at business," Ember said. "The relationship between Dragons and Ponies are already on thin ice. You best be careful on how you speak to us."

"Oh? On the creatures who forced themselves on this world? What makes you any different than the humans we're at war against?" Celestia said.

Ember, something's wrong. This is not normal. Rachel spoke mentally to Ember.

I was getting the same vibe.

The staff continued to hum, causing Rachel to look around the room.

What most ponies probably don't realize, once Sombra slips into their mind and leaves, a small tiny piece of him remains. This residue left behind will try and return to him. Rachel's eyes fell to the dark shadows of the room as the rulers bickered.

She felt eyes staring back at her.

"We're the reason you have the Blue Celestial, the reason you are now ruler of the Dragons, we can take it away if you continue to defile us with your blunder of words."

Those weren't Celestia's words. Her voice, not words, like a puppet.

"Cadence, if you please, we can continue this a more priva~"

Both Rachel and Ember end up laughing at them. And they laughed hard, tears down their faces, deep belly laughing.

Celestia and Luna glared at the two she-dragons laughing at them.

"Ohho do you believe these two??" Ember laughed.

"They think they gave me my Title. Bitch please I earned it!" Rachel laughs before looking at the two. "Unlike you two."

"That is enough. We will resume this conversation after you two take time to-" Celestia was then cut off.

"Yeah, lemme stop you before you get ahead." Rachel said. "It seems that there's a bit of miscommunication. Where I came from, there is a bit of hierarchy. You two are a bunch of low level Princesses," the Blue Celestial began glowing, energy began building up. Rachel's eyes glowed gold. "And I am the Queen!" Her voice boomed.

She slams the end of the staff on the ground. This strong, strong burst of blinding white light and a loud ringing erupted from her.

There were collective stunned shouts and a disembodied, demonic sounding shriek echoing around the throne room. All dark corners and shadows dissipated from the area.

The blast lasted about a full minute before it fades away. As everyone's vision came to normal, they noticed two things.

One: Rachel had her blue and black armor on. The metallic material morphed to fit her furry body, sliding on top of her furred wings, slid over her taloned hooves and her tail, her crown on her head.

Two: King Sombra was on the ground with a groan in front of all of them.

"And I don't take orders from Tyrants." Rachel hissed.

Cadence gasped as Sombra was there, backing farther away from him.

Celestia and Luna moaned as they grabbed their heads. Eyes blinking from the blinding light and waking up.

Sombra grunted as he forced himself up to his knees. Rachel could see that he still had the burns on his arm from the last time they encountered each other.

"Clever little girl. I admit, I underestimated you. Never again." He said.

"Guards! " Cadence barked as Sombra pushed to his hooves.

Rachel and Ember get in fighting positions, the other dragons did as well.

Sombra stared at Rachel and gave her an icky serene smile. "Good luck on finding your mate. I made sure The Brave and Glorious Spike is comfy wherever his lost mind allows him to."

With an angered shout, Rachel charged at him, staff glowing. She goes to slam it down, Sombra turns to shadow and quickly slips away. The slam of the staff caused a deep crater, destroying the tile and parts of the steps to the thrones.

A loud pained roar escaped from the Queen's mouth as a couple of Canterlot Guards came bursting in too late.

Spike ran away, Sombra saw an opportunity and took him while not in the right state of mind…

"What… what just happened?" Celestia asked, feeling uneasy and unwell.

"Possibly prevented a royal kidnapping of the ruler of the Crystal Empire." Ember grunted before looking at Cadence. "You might wanna get back before you lose The Heart."

Luna looked to where Sombra was, staring at the armor cladded Queen. "Oh gods, sister… what have we done?"

"Twilight, no no, I have to see her." Celestia goes to leave and see her student. Mortified that she remembered what happened.

But Rachel caught her arm. "You did enough." Rachel snarled at her, stopping her in her tracks.

Celestia looked at her with wide eyes. "Sombra was controlling us. Twilight believed that whatever I said was true. I need to make things right."

"As of right now, you two are fucking compromised." Rachel said as she let go of her. "We have no idea how long you two were being controlled, as of right now, you two are a damn liability."

"Did you all hear what that son of a bitch said about Spike??" Ember asked them. "If that shadow pony wants a fucking war, then he fucking got one!"

"What you have us do?" Celestia asked. It was clear she was worried and baffled that this had happened to them.

"Gee, for starters, you should've stopped Blueblood when you had the chance." Rachel snarled, the blue of her armor glowing as her emotions threatened to come out. "There were so many signs you blindly missed due to your so-called love. Constantly erasing and manipulating his memories. The reason I'm not getting onto Luna's ass much is because she did try to stop him, she saw the signs but you refused to listen. This war is partially your fault. Partially my fault because I should've straight up killed him before he could become Sombra." she stepped out of the crater she made. "Here is what we're doing, you two are going to push harder on the Humans, with the big portal now closed and the only access to Earth is the Mirror until a year is over, now is the fucking chance to set things right before things turn to an utter shit show if it hasn't already." Rachel gestured to the sisters. "Cadence, you go back to the Empire, alert Shining of what happened, do whatever it is you can to protect that Heart. Bastard can't stand blinding light, do what you will with that."

"What about us?" Ember asked the Queen.

"You said it best, we're going to war against Sombra." Rachel responded before looking at the sisters."I'll send some dragons to help with your armies, probably teach them to be more useful than these two."

"Hey! It's not our fault we have a staff shortage." One of the guards whined.

"And what of Twilight?" Celestia asked.

"She's coming with me. Right now it's for the best because the two of you can't be trusted. For a time being, your heir is mine until I deemed it time." Rachel could feel the more she talked, a part of her was being influenced by the small piece of Queen Rùna's soul, her memories to reference off of while now being in control. "I suggest we get in contact with all the other rulers if you haven't already. Reinforcements, as many as we need. Thorax will want to take arms if it has something to do with Spike. Sombra took my mate, I'm going to scorch Equis to find him."

"Dragons are mostly fearless, so it's going to be hard for him to manipulate them. Especially since our staffs control them." Ember said.

"Which is why we need to assemble them now." Rachel turned to glare at the sisters. "Do not try and fuck this up. And might I just add, when all this war and Sombra is over, the two of you better consider retirement or you'll be forced down."

And with that, the dragons walked out of the room with Cadence.

"Cadence, go home, now." Rachel said to the pink alicorn.

"And I will. Right after I say this," she moves to where she's in front of Rachel, causing her to stop walking.

Rachel motioned her body as if to say what.

"The Empire stands with the Dragons." Cadence said. "Whatever you need of us, we will provide."

"Not with Celestia and Luna?" Rachel asked.

"Their poor judgment is the reason why we're at war in the first place. There was a reason why you were picked as Queen and it shows."

The Queen nodded. "That be the case, I want a part of your guys, who might I add are a thousand times better than Canterlot Guards, to coordinate a more thorough search for Spike. I also got some guys coming from Earth, refugees. I'm going to see after they are settled here to help out."

"Are they good?"

Rachel nodded.

"Looking forward to it. Thank you." And with that, Cadence teleported out.

Ember stared at the smaller dragoness. "You seriously going to bring the Mordi here?"

"They won't look human, but they need our help." Rachel then glared up at her. "Are we going to have a problem with that, Guardian?"

Ember glared back before shaking her head. "No, ma'am."

"Good."

They soon approached Twilight's room. Starlight waited for them by the door.

" What did they say? " she asked.

"Those two are compromised. Sombra was controlling them." Ember said. "Queenie here dealt with that, now they are following her orders."

"Geez, you make it sound like I also mind controlled them." Rachel grunted.

"Nope, but you showed you hold more authority. Not bad for a newbie."

Rachel rolled her eyes before looking at Starlight. "Send the Mirror portal to Dragon's Lair. We're sending the refugees there directly, I also want you girls there too."

"I'll go make some calls." Starlight nodded.

Rachel nodded before entering the bedroom. She saw Twilight still laying on her side, facing away from the door.

She puts a hand on her hip, waited a moment before grunted. "Twilight, it's Rachel, get up."

There was a moment of silence before she heard a soft voice. "Go away… I deserve this."

Rachel shrugged. "Debatable. Now seriously, get up, I'm taking you with me. Celestia and Luna were controlled by Sombra. Sombra has Spike somewhere we don't know. Take whatever anger you have and use it against the tyrant that took your brother."

" But… my wing…"

Rachel rolled her eyes. She heard what the staff said before it glowed. With a wave of her hand, an aura engulfs Twilight.

She twisted and groaned in pain. The intensity of the pain made her roll out of bed. The pain didn't last long as a new wing grew in place.

It was the same colors of her skin and feathers, but instead of a pegasi wing, she grew a dragon wing.

The princess gasped as she looked at her now mish mashed wings. She bent and flapped it to see if it was real.

It was a new wing.

"Princesses are compromised, you're going to come to Dragon's Lair. If you want to be part of my child's life, I suggest you get up off the ground, now."

In a few minutes, the Princess of Friendship left with the Dragons.

9 months later

Sitting in front of a window in the dark palace within Dragon's Lair, gazing up at the night sky. Watching the stars and the moon with a solemn look on her face.

Less than sixteen hours earlier, a new life had just been brought into this world. A small little baby boy resting peacefully in her arms, wrapped around in a blue blanket.

Initially when born, the child had some purple scales but after several hours it was clear he had grown soft yellow fur. The softest his mother ever touched.

Rachel fell in love with him when he was in the womb, fell in love all over again the moment he came to this world.

As blissfully and happy the Queen was for her son to be born, she was also at her saddest.

Spike still remains missing. Fulfilling what fear she had of him being gone.

The following months were the most stressful she ever had endured. Making sure the Dragons knew that Rachel was now ruler, easing them the fact that their True Dragonlord was missing, now held captive by Sombra. Bringing the refugees here was a sight.

Like she thought, they had changed, losing their human bodies and becoming new looking creatures. Like Rachel, they also look more pony-like, but they do carry some dragon features, like horns, the furs around their hooves and their hairs move like fire but do not burn, but none have wings nor horns like unicorns or possess that type of magic. They retain the essences given by the dragons centuries ago. There was tension between the Mordi and the Dragons in the beginning but things soon fell into place.

The Princesses finally got their heads out of their asses to redress the situation with the humans. Having to use the Mirror Portal, though had a bit of confusion with the government, did get it through their thick skulls that it wasn’t their fault and painstakingly explained their situation with the humans about Sombra. They did have a problem that the dragons successfully retake the Settlement and they are in control of the Portal, alongside the new generation of the Mordi taking control of the otherside, talks were still ongoing.

But it was clear that the real threat was Sombra. As long as they play their cards right, Rachel has an army. The Changelings, Hippogriffs, Sea Ponies, Yaks have also joined the fray.

As for Spike, something was wrong. No matter how hard Rachel continues to search for him, she’s unable to reach him. A combination of her energy being drained each time she used the staff to search, each time threatened to harm her child. Something Sombra had done that made it increasingly impossible. Rachel eventually had to stop the magic search when it became apparent that using the staff looking for him was endangering both of them.

Whatever Sombra did to Spike, Rachel grew increasingly angry. If Sombra hadn’t been on top of the kill list, he was on top now.

Now had just given birth, Rachel didn’t have much strength to look or to fight, all she could do was rest and take care of Igneous until she was back to full strength.

As she glanced down and a soft smile moved across her face, seeing her child sleeping. His purple tiny claws rubbed his fuzzy muzzle before settling.

Her heart hurts a lot, her child looking like Spike. Not for the colors but all she could see was him.

As she silently marveled at him, a knock on the door disturbed her train of thought. “Enter.” Rachel answered.

The stone door moved, a tall, dark redded Mordi with brighter red flames on the fur and black hair. Wearing more modern, war tactical clothing enters. “Yo Rach, they’re here.” It was Malik.

“Thanks Malik, bring them in.” Rachel said as Igneous was trying to open his eyes, they were also purple, the same color of light purple Spike’s scales were.

Malik nodded before waving his hands. He was soon shoved aside when the sexling twins, Ruby and Gemcity both ran in.

“Oi mates!” he growled.

“Sorry,” Ruby said, but the turquoise sex bug wasn’t really worried. Both she and her sister Gemcity ran up to Rachel.

“Girly, why the hell didn’t you inform us that you were going into labor??” Gemcity scolded. “Don’t you think we as your sisters want to know when you’re giving birth. We would’ve wanted to be there!”

“Gemmy, calm down, your loud mouth is gonna wake the baby.” Ruby grunted before she and her twin saw the yellow fuzz ball in her arms. Both girls squealed at the cuteness.

“Oh my Mother, he’s sooooo cute!” They cooed in unison.

“I want to hold him!” Gemcity mindlessly reaches out for the baby.

Rachel let out a threatened snarl, holding her son away from her.

“I’m sorry but I don’t want anyone touching him right now.” Rachel grunted.

Igneous began making noises, making soft babbles, feeling his tiny claws grabbing handfuls of Rachel’s fur.

Ruby sighed, shaking her head. “Gemcity, we talked about this. You can’t really hold newborns, or just reach out for him.”

“But I want to hold Iggy!”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Girls for the last time, I’m not going to keep calling him Iggy. Iggy is not a really good nickname, even though it’s too cute. Iggy is….” When she realized that the name Iggy was sticking, she glared at them. “I hate you two, so much.”

The twins giggled.

“Sorry Gemmy, but I trust Ruby holding him more than you. You’re a bit…too much.”

“Plus out of the two of us, I have more experience with handling babies, you drop them way too much.” Ruby said as Rachel began rocking him gently.. “Why do you think we talked about me being the Godmother?”

“We still will be raising him together!”

“Please, I don’t want to have this conversation again,” Rachel sighed. “That’s only if something happens. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon…. It's just precaution.”

“Confounded you two,” Rachel’s ears flickered when she heard the familiar voice and made her chuckle.

Walking in was Brimstone himself. He looked unamused. “When I went to pick you two up, I told you not to just storm in.”

The twins made noises. “Not our fault you’re getting too old to keep up with us.”

He rolled his single good eye. “You two have no clue how much energy I still have. It may come as a surprise.” He grumbled before looking at Rachel, seeing Igneous in Rachel’ s arms.

Rachel giggled. “Instead of blocking the door, come meet your grandson, you old horse.”

Rachel and Brimstone did have a talk after she returned. The two of them had a long talk about her and him being much closer than what they actually were. Brimstone being her father’s variant.Both stated that they had known for years but for reasons, they didn’t reveal it to each other.

The three still had their distaste for Spike for him leaving but made it clear to not bring any of it up while the search continued.

Brimstone entered the room, he walked over to the girls and smiled fondly to see the baby dragon. “My dear, Rachel, he’s beautiful.”

Rachel nodded and smiled. “He’s perfect.” She whispered.

“Iggy’s gorgeous.” Gemcity giggled, trying to sneak her way to hold the baby.

Ruby retaliated by slapping her hands away. “Back. no.”

Rachel glared at Gemcity. “Seriously?”

Brimstone made horse noises before turning back to the mother and son. “How are you feeling, dear?”

Rachel sighed before looking at Brimstone. “Tired. Pushing him out took a lot more out of me, but it’s worth it.” She kissed Igneous’s head. Taking in his scent, he smelt like honey. “I bet Ember is going to let me rest for like two weeks before throwing me back out there.”

“I swear, Ember needs to understand that you need to rest and bond with him.” He said as Igneous suddenly sneezed.

A small tiny burst of purple fire shoots out of his mouth, nearly hitting Rachel in the face. Causing the twins and the stallion to jump a little.

“Oi, firebug, not in the face.” Rachel grunted, however her annoyance quickly died out when Iggy began to cry and fuss. “Hey, I’m sorry to cut this visit short guys, but I’m a little tired. I’m going to feed Iggy and turn in. You guys can stay the night if you want.”

“Aw but I wanna stay with the baby.” Gemcity whimpered.

“No no, you heard the mother, let’s leave.” Brimstone said, having to usher them out. “Shoo shoo, both of you.”

“Okay, okay, sheesh, don’t be so pushy.” Ruby snorted before the twins left.

Once the two left, Brimstone quickly returned to Rachel, placed a kiss on the side of her head. “You did a good job.”

Rachel smiled. “Thanks…dad.” She leaned her head against him. “Now get,”

The old stallion chuckled, patting her shoulders, gazing at the newborn one more time before he left. The stone door slid shut, leaving the two alone.

After giving her son a quick breast feeding, she was rocking him gently, humming a light tune, she would sing a lullaby but her mind had turned into mush to form words.She stared down at him, seeing him with a satisfied smile, nuzzling up against her chest.

“I wish your father was here…I would be fighting with him just to hold you.” Rachel let out a sad chuckle. Knowing full and well Spike would not be letting him out of his hands.

She turned her head towards the window. Seeing the millions of stars in the night sky. Remembering when the idea of rewriting the stars was a possible thought.

We will be together again…Rachel thought as she saw two shooting stars flying across the night sky.

As Rachel went to stand up to put Iggy in his bassinet that was right next to her large bed, she was suddenly startled with a strange vibration coming from her horns, followed by a blue glow.

“Huh??” Rachel looked up and her eyes widened. There was an image above her head, surrounded by the same blue glow. The image was of three blue diamonds, the top diamond had brown horns and wings similar to hers and it was pulsating.

“Uh…what the actual f~”

SLAM!

Twilight Sparkle slams the stone door open wide, her wings expanded and her eyes were widened too, jumping Rachel out of her skin and the baby began wailing and crying.

“YOU GOT SUMMONED BY THE CUTIE MARK MAP!!!” she yelled loudly.

WHAT?!?

Many, many miles from Equestria, inside of a dark hole, where it was getting hard to breathe, not enough space for him to fly out. No idea how long he had been in the dark. This pain on the right side of his neck was excruciating, trying to claw the device out but unable to get its metallic tendrils out, the device embedding deeply in the nerves vitals. Strong chains bound his hands to the ground, connecting to the mixed floor of metal stone and a puddle of his own blood.

It was a mistake, Spike had believed leaving was for the best, he didn’t need his beloved mate to see him like this, all it did was bring him more pain than it’s worth. Not only he wasn’t with Rachel, but he was in a world of trouble, far away from help.

He shouldn’t have ever left home, he shouldn't have ever left her… he should've seen that trap coming but he didn't.

Suddenly a blinding light pierced his eyes, causing him to let out a discomfort grunt. His eyes could barely register the blob of pink and spotted brown wearing a messy suit.

“LET ME OUT!!” Spike roared at it, trying to pull the chains before shooting out a burst of green flames.

Letting out pig squeals out of surprise, jumping out of the fiery blaze. The figure takes out a device and presses a button.

Spike let out a pained scream as the thing on his neck activated with an ear-piercing ring and he was electrocuted. Unable to withstand the pain, he fell to his side, body convoluted as the electricity coursed through his nerves and vitals. The shocks lasted a straight two minutes before they stopped. Spike couldn’t move his body, trying to keep his eyes open but it was a losing battle.

“Looks like we have to stew you in this hole for another few days, boy.” the figure snorted before kicking the lid close, leaving Spike alone in the dark once more.

Author's Note

Twilight come busting in like the Koolaid man.

This will take straightly to next story, The Stars that Binds Us. I'm still working on the first chapter but at least this is done.

Good news, Spike is found, bad news, he's not doing so hot.

stay tune for the new story which will come out shortly.

Edit: I'm going do Rarity in hell on her own one stop story. It will happen.

Chapter 1

Days turned to weeks as the search for Spike continued. The four princesses gathered around a huge table with a map of the world spread out; various red X’s scattered across Equestria.

Equestria, The Empire, Dodge City, The Badlands, Dragon’s Lair, even in that horrid town of Klugetown to find their distraught dragon, but he was yet to be uncovered.

When a full blown war was pouring down outside, having Spike taken off in the middle of the night wasn’t what everyone needed.

However, the reason behind his leaving, it wasn’t hard to see why. Still didn’t lessen the blow that impacted everyone. Being not only poisoned but unable to control one’s own actions and go on a blood thirsty ramage, destroying those who were unfortunate enough to get in his way. There were several casualties as a result. All because of Rarity.

“Manehatten, Ghastly Gorge, and Baltimare sadly added to this.” Twilight sighed as she floated the red x stamp over with her magic and stamped more X’s on the places. She then dropped the magic, having the stamp slumping over and buried her face in one hand while her other was in a sling and cast from the rampage. “Ooh Spike, where are you?”

“We have every resource known to ponykind to find Spike, we’ll get him back.” Cadence said soothingly, rubbing her the small alicorn’s shoulders.

“Five weeks, he’s been gone for five weeks, vanished without a trace!” Twilight said, sitting up, pushing her frazzled mane out of her face.

“We are still waiting on word from Griffonstone and the Hippogriff Kingdom, no one just disappeared without leaving a trace.” Luna said.

“I’m surprised you haven’t found him while combing through the land of dreams, dear sister.” Celestia asked her, sitting regally in her chair.

“I have tried, but he has found a way to block even me. I tried entering his dreams but he managed to deny my entry.” Luna responded with a sigh.

“There are potions that can cause the user to sleep, but are unable to have any dreams. Being by my side long enough, Spike knows a thing or two himself about brewing potions. It doesn’t take actual unicorns to brew them…” Twilight said, trying to keep it together but it was a losing battle.

Spike was a brother to Twilight. Ever since she hatched him as an egg, she raised him as a part of her family. Years of them together, all those times they shared and loved and trusted one another, all of it was severed.

However she knew their relationship was already rocky with how she treated him. What Rarity did to him pushed him over the edge. She wished that she would fix this but she knows it's too late.

"Even if we find him, I don't think we'll be enough to convince him to come back." Twilight's voice cracked.

"What about his mate? Rachel?" Cadence asked.

"Right now, she is in no position to do anything." Luna said. "Mentally, and emotionally wise, she has no strength to do much of anything."

“When was the last time anypony saw her?” Celestia asked the group.

“Last I heard, she's in the new facility somewhere near the Empire." Twilight said. "Spike didn't just leave us, he left her…."

"Suffering from a broken heart is known, adding only more to her plate than she already has. " Cadence said with a sigh.

The girls sat for a moment before Celestia turned to Luna. "How are we with the Human troops?"

Luna nodded before using her magic to change the contents of finding Spike to war plans. Though it was the first time both Cadence and Twilight were experiencing an actual War for the first time, even the two old experienced princesses were unsettling but held a stoic face when it was presented.

They drew a circle where the old settlement facility was with the portal. "The human army has complete control of the Settlement and the facility and we lost all contact." Luna said before drawing arrows and circles near some small towns and other territories spreading out from the portal. "They are covering more territory with each passing moment on their "race to save their kind" their brutality as a result either wiped out or taken over by the humans."

Blueblood did a pretty damn good job of pissing off the human leaders and started an invasion. With Sombra back, they were being attacked on all fronts.

"I say we send some of our own troops to try and liberate the ones they took over." Celestia suggested. She was not going to sit by and let all the creatures of Equestria be slaughtered.

"Their weaponry is much more dangerous than our own weapons, most of our armies have never seen much of a battlefield." Luna said, truly not liking how their armies were looking.

"We don't have a choice. "

"The Crystal Empire has enough forces to help out." Cadence said.

"You need all of yours to protect the Crystal Heart." Twilight said.

"Twilight's right, The Heart must be protected at all cost, Cadence." Luna said. "We're currently asking our other ally leaders to take arms too because this will spread out more. "

As the other three princesses discussed plans, Twilight was in deep thought. She couldn't stop thinking about Spike.

If she were to go and even find him, she felt like she wouldn't be enough at all to bring him back, nor any of their friends. Her heart aches for what he went through and can't even possibly know how horrible he's feeling.

She kept thinking about what would work before she was startled by a hand on her shoulder. Twilight looks to her right and sees Celestia standing over her.

"Twilight, I would like you to go and see how Rachel's doing." The Sun princess said. "We would like an update. "

"O-oh? " She asked hesitantly. "With how she's doing, she may not want visitors. Don't you need me to discuss the plans?" She gestures at the plans, Luna marking where they would send their armies to fight off the Humans.

"I'm afraid at this moment you cannot. With the Elements of Harmony one element short, you don't have enough strength" Celestia said. With Rarity dead, The Elements were weak, useless even."You'll be involved soon enough."

Twilight nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Up at the new facility, Twilight stood in front where Rachel was staying. Holding a put-together, get well soon basket Starlight and the others help make with her magic.

However she was very, very hesitant about knocking.

"Just a knock… It's okay." Twilight muttered. "Maybe she'll be-"

"Princess Twilight?"

Twilight stopped herself before turning to the direction of the voice. Professor Brimstone stood in front of her.

The tired stallion looked more exhausted since the whole thing started. He held a tray of food in his hands.

"Hello Professor," Twilight greeted. She looked at the food tray. "Is that for Rachel? How is she?"

He nodded. "The girl's been unable to keep much of any food down." He grunted. "And to answer the other question, not well. Now if you please. " He goes to the door, having her push to the side.

"Sir please." Twilight sighed. "I understand you're upset-"

"More like furious." Brimstone grunted, stopping his motion to open the door and looked at Twilight with a glare of his single eye. "If you must know, her transformation has taken a great toll on her body."

"Are the test results still not coming up?"

"No." He said. “She had new symptoms developed but refused anyone to try and treat her. Refusing tests, combined with a broken heart your dragon caused.” Brimstone snarled, very angry at the fact he nearly mentioned Spike’s name. “I have suspicions about what they are, and if it is what I think it is, it only makes me despise Spike even more.”

Twilight frowned.

“Twilight please, just go~”

“Come in, Twilight….” Both Brimstone and Twilight froze when they heard Rachel’s voice from the other side of the door.

Twilight looked at Brimstone who only glared at her. “Don’t…do anything to upset her more.” He warned her before taking his keycard out of his pocket and scanned it in the scanner and opened the door for Twilight.

Twilight nodded, using her magic to hold the get-well basket before walking inside.

Inside the room it was dark. No lights were on but Twilight could barely see the massive creature in the corner of the room.

“Rachel?” Twilight called before turning on the light.

Rachel growled, shielding her eyes from the sudden bright light. “Turn that off, it hurts my eyes.” she hissed loudly.

For the split second, Twilight could see Rachel's full new form. Seeing her dark brown horns curved over her head and pointed upwards, she stood roughly the same height as her former assistant, large wings covered in yellow fur that blended seamlessly to the golden scales. Her muzzle wasn't as long nor sharp like a dragon, it was small and a bit rounded like a pony, her hair had colorful streaks and her ears were pinned flat. Her tail has a warm brown brush tip that wrapped around her taloned hooves. Her eyes were stinging from crying that lights hurt her eyes.

Twilight quickly flips the switch down, this time conjuring balls of light that weren't bright enough to hurt her but enough to where she won’t bump into anything. “Sorry.” She responded before walking over to a table next to her vacant bed and set the basket down.

She turned to look at her. “Everyone’s been worried about you. We’re sorry for what Spike did…”

Rachel sharply inhaled and exhaled a small burst of blue flames, her golden eyes were red and puffy from the amount of crying she had been doing all this time, the fur around her cheeks were soaked wet.

“Oh? You mean leaving me with nothing but a note?” She grunted, using the wall to help her stand up, popping her back with a loud groan.

“If Rarity hadn’t forced Spike the potion, he’d still be here with you.” Twilight said as she watched her. "What had happened wouldn't… I'm sorry."

Rachel sniffled as she felt another wave of emotions come, wiping her snout with her hands. “I want to be mad at him, Twi…after everything we’ve been through, the promises we made to each other…” She reaches up and grips onto the ring she currently wears around her neck with a silver chain.

The ring he proposed to her with. “I understand why he left…" She then angrily slams a free fist into the wall next to her. Twilight jumped in response.

She felt abandoned, betrayed. Everything she gave to Spike was shattered, tossed away, their plans lost. He promised to be there for her.

“I want to be mad…but I can’t.” She trembled. “I…I understand why he left. I did it when I left my homeworld…”

“But unlike you, he has a family here who needs him back. Who loves him and wants to help him.” Twilight said, taking a chance and walking towards her.

“He’s not gonna come back…” She whispered as tears rain down her face more. "There's too much carnage shed.."

“Not to us~”

“But he will come back to you.” A familiar voice cuts in all of the sudden.

“Hey, how did you get in here?!” Brimstone snapped from outside, surprised to see the new person.

Rachel and Twilight looked up and saw Ember at the doorway. Instead of dressing in her going out clothes, she wore her golden armor with the blood staff in hand.

“Ember, what are you doing here?” Twilight asked her, alarmed to see her here.

“Getting this bitch here off her ass and on her feet and getting her out of here” Ember grunted, looking over to Rachel.

“Uh…excuse me?” Rachel asked, confused.

“You’re not taking her anywhere in her state.” Brimstone said, grabbing the Dragonlord by the wrist..

Ember looked over her shoulders and snarled. “Unless you wanna lose your other eye, pony, take your fucking hands off of me.” she threatened.

“Taking me where?” Rachel asked.

“Is it that obvious? Getting your ass prepared to go after Spike.” Ember responded, pushing Brimstone off of her.

Rachel grunted. “Ember, if you haven’t noticed, Spike basically dumped me. He doesn’t want me or anyone else going after him.”

“Yeah, that’s not how dragon laws work. You’re still his mate. That means he’ll listen to you to come back.” Ember explained. “He knew if he looks at you, he’d stay, but the fucker let his own mind fuck with him and took off before you could stop him.”

“Ember’s right,” Twilight said, looking between the two girls. “Spike loves you with every fiber in his body, he picked you as his mate for a good reason. If anypony can get him back it’s you.”

“And we definitely need our boy back. With Sombra back and deadlier than ever, we need him. The dragons need him back.” Ember added.

“What are you talking about?” Brimstone asked. Not liking hearing any of this.

“Back as…the Dragonlord?” Rachel asked. Remembering what Spike had told her about the mantle and his powers coming from winning the Gauntlet.

“He’s what??” Twilight blinked. “I thought you were Dragonlord, Ember?”

“Technically I’m not.” Ember sighed, adjusting the staff in her hand. “When Spike won, he tried to give the mantle back to me fully, but laws stated the only way rulers can change hands - except for my father stepping down with the Gauntlet - is trial by combat. Back then he barely knew how to wipe his own ass much less fight. I became guardian until he was able to fight.”

“And taught him how to control his magic.” Rachel muttered.

“Exactly. Taught him how to fight, use magic of the staff while keeping everything underwraps. Can’t have the little guy get jumped left and right by greedy bastards.” Ember entered the room and walked up to Rachel. “We eventually settled with me taking over, however I’m not really considered the Dragonlord. Spike’s the True Dragonlord and he needs to be found. And the only one he’ll listen to is his Queen.” She says that right in Rachel’s face.

Chapter 6

The smell of paint filled her nose as Rachel was adding strokes of brown on a simple, cute looking giraffe on the wall, standing on a step stool at the very top. She was humming to herself in thought. Inside of the soon-to-be finished nursery in the bedroom of the now completed cabin. There was already a crib, a bassinet, changing station, a mountain of diapers stacked up to the ceiling and toys and clothes.

“Almost got it” She muttered to herself as she was painting before hearing claws scraping the floors.

“Whoa whoa what are you doing??” Rachel turned her head to see her hubby standing in the doorway.

A smile came on her face. “I’m just painting. The baby is going to be here pretty soon and we haven’t finished this room yet.” Rachel said.

Spike sighed, walking over to her. “Rach, the docs told you to not be on your hooves this close to the due date.” He said, walking up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. His hands bracing her, making sure she’s stable enough and not falling off, and while he was adding it, holding her really large belly. “We can’t have you fall and injure you and the kid.”

“How can I fall when you’re holding me up?” Rachel teased as she tossed the paint pallet and brush onto the table next to her. “I need a break anyway.”

With a smirk, the purple dragon picked up his dragoness off the stepstool bridal style, hearing her squeal and he spun around while holding her with ease. “You are done for the day, missy.” He declared before giving her a kiss. "I'll finish the paint job."

"You are definitely taking this protection job too seriously." Rachel smiled, having her arms drape over his shoulders.

"Because it's literally my job. I'm the protector of this family." He smiled back before carting her out of the nursery. Walking down the hallway and into their room.

He gracefully placed her on their large bed before climbing up next to her. Rachel giggled when she wrapped her arms around him when he placed his head on her breasts, one hand stroking the baby bump.

"I still can't believe this is happening." Spike whispered.

"I know, neither can I." Rachel said, rubbing his head. "I don't know what I'd do without you~"

Rachel suddenly woke up from that tranquil dream, covering her mouth, feeling a vile taste burning in her mouth, she threw herself off the bed, ran into the bathroom.

She collapsed at the toilet and began throwing up in the bowl. "Fuck Luna… " she groaned as she spewed contents of her stomach as morning sickness hits her. Hating on the Goddess of Dreams.

Rachel wants that dream to be reality, but something told her it won't. She felt a rush of anger consume her, steam began rising from her body. Fogging up the mirrors.

What if that dream doesn't come true? The more her mind thought of that, the more this burning rage crept its way through her body.

With a snarl, she flung her arm, hitting the small plastic trash can. It suddenly burst in blue flames as she hit so hard it flung, smashing into the wall across from her.

"Shit!" Rachel yelped, panicking, grabbing the flaming can and tossed it in the bathtub and turned the water. Steam rose from the tub and covered the bathroom. Dousing the flames.

"Why is there smoke?!" Sunset rushed in with wide eyes. Rachel turned to look at her, tears in her eyes but had a panicked look.

"Uh yeah… that was me…" Rachel muttered.

This was not good. Now she had to deal with this?? I’m in trouble. Rachel thought.

Sunset approached and stopped, seeing the half melted trash can. “Uh…how did you do that?” she blinked.

Rachel wiped her eyes with her hands. “Morning sickness??” She had no clue herself..

Could the magic in her blood be awakened?? There were still many questions of her own she wanted answered, especially since she’s in the human world. Since they are going to the Temple, she could get her answers while there.

Just what exactly was she?

Sunset stared at her. “Okay, we can deal with this later, but are you okay?”

Rachel silently nodded.

The sounds of something scratching the door caught her attention. One sniff and she knew who it was. Great….

“Huh, must be Spike.” Sunset said. She gave Rachel a pat on her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, we’ll get through this.” She then turned and left, walking across the motel room and to the door. She opened it up and it was Spike waiting for them.

Spike had a bag of donuts in his mouth, sitting on his haunches and tail wagged. “Morning, breakfast?” he muffled.

“I said wait for me, Spike.” Cassandra/Sci-Twi called out as she came down the hallway with two drink carriers of coffee. Elizabeth/Rarity followed behind with some shopping bags in her hands. "Morning, Sunset."

"'Sup Twilight." Sunset said as she grabbed the food from Spike. "Morning, Rares."

"Morning, love. How's you and our new comrade last night?" Elizabeth asked as she caught up to everyone.

Sunset glanced behind her, seeing Rachel glaring at the voices and closed the bathroom door shut.

"Last night's good. Rachel's got a bit of morning sickness right now." She explained before looking back at the others.

"Oh poor thing." Elizabeth said before reaching out and handing Sunset one of the bags. "I took the liberty and picked up a few things for the mother-to-be. Some prenatal vitamins, some nausea medicines since we'll be flying out soon, among other little things."

"And hot chocolate." Cassandra hands Sunset one of the drink carriers that had two drinks. "You have your usual, Rachel has the coco." She points at which one's which. "I read that coffee is not really good for pregnant women."

"Think she'll appreciate it. Thanks guys." Sunset Shimmer smiled at them." We'll roll out in thirty minutes."

"Sounds like a plan." Cassandra said as Spike went in the room and climbed on one of the beds. Stretched his body out before laying on his back, legs in the air without a care, since he's a dog.

"Yup, this feels good." He groaned blissfully.

"Silly boy." Sunset giggled, shaking her head before watching the girls go back to their room before closing the door.

By then, Rachel had opened the door and came out, pushing her hair over her pointy ears. She briefly glanced over at Spike.

Spike wagged his tail, as he looked at her upside down. "Hi."

She silently turned her head away from him and sat down at a chair.

Sunset hands Rachel her things. "Eat up, we have a big day today." She says as she drinks her coffee.

"Thanks." Rachel muttered as she put them down on the table and began unpacking everything.

Aside from the donuts and pregnancy meds, there was also a book for first time moms, some headphones and classical music to play for the womb, and a plush white unicorn doll. She grimaced at the sight of it.

"Aw, that's cute." Sunset comments, seeing the doll.

Rachel picks up the doll, glares at it. It even has curly purple sparkling hair and tail.

Disgusting.

She grabs the head and body of the doll, with ease as ripping up a piece of paper, rips the head off of the doll's body and it suddenly bursts in blue flames.

"Whoa!" She throws the doll on the ground and backs up alarmed, Sunset backs up for a second. Spike rolled back on his paws and stood.

Rachel began stomping the fire out. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She called out to the two in the room.

"Wait, you can do magic too??" Spike asked, alarmed.

"I think it's Dragon Magic, not Pony Magic." Sunset gulps, watching her and the ashed doll. "Have you always had magic??"

"Well… I could breathe fire back home." Rachel muttered. "Guess it translated to me being a Firestarter? I'm pretty new to this." She admits.

She attacked something in anger and they were set on fire, twice.

"Okay… let's not hit or do anything out of anger while we're on this mission." Sunset said, slowly ushering the firestarter back on the chair.

She heard dragons have their own magic that's entirely different from ponies. Different ways of doing things. From what Princess Twilight told her about Rachel…

This was going to be a long, hectic mission.

“This anger you have Rachel, find a way to tamper it or otherwise it’s going to hurt someone.” Sunset told her. “Find something to quickly take your anger out and do it fast.” Last thing Sunset needed was any of her friends to get hurt by her.

Rachel’s eyes glowed a little as she glared at her. “I’ll try, but the one I want to take my anger out is already six feet under.” She grimly stated before grabbing her donut and hot chocolate and ate her breakfast.

Thirty minutes went by and the gang piled inside the van and began making the drive out.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat up front, AJ in the driver’s seat while RD was in the passenger seat, her feet on the dashboard relaxed. The first row in the back had Cassandra, Spike and Serenity; the second row had Elizabeth and Lucy. The third and final row had Rachel and Sunset. Sunset stayed in the back to make sure Rachel didn’t feel…sparky.

There were sounds of country music playing on the radio to help the time pass by up front. Rainbow Dash grunted. “Yo, can we like change the tunes? Your choice of music is starting to sound the same.” She asked Applejack.

“You say that about all country music. There ain’t wrong with it, it's better than what other music out there nowadays.” Applejack responded. “You know the rules, driver gets dibs on the music, passengers deal with it.” She then reached over and thumped Dash’s leg. “And get your dang stinky feet off my dash. I just polished this baby, it doesn’t need to stink up with your stench.”

“You like my stench, don’t you lie. Plus I’m wearing shoes.” Dash said but put her legs down.

“It’s really unsanitary to have your feet up where the driver is at.” Elizabeth said, glancing up from her phone, holding the little pen that came with it before going back to it. Dotting something on the screen.

“Whatcha working on?” Serenity/Fluttershy asked her, peeking over the seat to look at her.

Elizabeth smirked. “Oh just doing some edits on one of the photos Kol sent me.” She giggled.

Rachel’s eyes slid over to her from watching the window. She had the window cracked open and it wasn’t for Rainbow’s funk. The smell of one of the girl’s perfume was making her nauseous, she always had problems with strong chemicals in perfumes. Her heightened dragon senses and hormones just made her feel sick.

“There’s nothing to edit over that hunk.” Lucy/Pinkie Pie cooed. “He’s hot.”

“Oh don’t I know it.” She turned the phone and showed it. It was a sexy picture of a light brown slim but sexy looking man. Purposely was in his underwear. His green/blue eyes looked like he was undressing anyone. Elizabeth was drawing a concept set of clothes on him. “There’s an annual event his parents throw at the art museum next month, I’m just designing his tux as a surprise.” she said in a dreamy voice. “It's the first time I’m meeting them, so I’m a little nervous.”

“Wowza.” Cassandra looked over to see the photo. Her face turned red to see all that hotness.

Rachel rolled her eyes, scoffed and turned her attention to focusing outside.

Elizabeth hears this and twists in her seat to look at her. “Is something wrong?” she asked her. “You wanna see him?” she asked, offering her phone to her.

“Unless you want to lose that phone, get that thing away from me.” Rachel warned, not even looking at her.

Elizabeth blinked in surprise, not expecting this level of hostility coming from Rachel. She silently turned around back in her seat. “Oookay she’s in a mood.” she muttered.

“No kidding.” Spike responded from his seat in agreement.

Sunset nudged Rachel’s side. Making sure she didn’t start anything. Rachel simply lifts her hands up to say she wasn’t doing anything.

“So Rachel, how long have you been living in Equestria?” Sunset then asked, trying to exchange some sort of pleasantries and not make this van ride tense.

“Eight and a half years. Will be nine in five months.” Rachel automatically responded, watching the world pass by as the van drove.

“How old were you when you crossed worlds?” Lucy asked curiously.

“Fifteen.” Rachel also responded automatically in a dry tone.

“I was a little younger when I came from Equestria. Bet it was just an adjustment to you as it was to me.” Sunset said.

“That’s an understatement.”

“Were your parents okay with you going that young?” Cassandra asked. The girls and Spike turned to look at her there.

When her parents were mentioned, Rachel gripped the fabric of her pants. “Didn’t need their permission. Mom died when I was thirteen and my dad was an abusive bastard. Equestria was the only way for me to stay as far away from him as possible.” Rachel gritted her teeth. “I’m not going to say anymore of that.”

“Did you always have such pointy features?” Lucy asked.

“Let’s play the quiet game, shall we?” Rachel’s tone raised a little. “I’m a little queasy and I don’t feel like playing twenty questions, so please?”

“Someone peed in her cheerios,” Applejack muttered. Not knowing that Rachel was able to hear her clearly.

Sunset leaned a little bit to Rachel. “We’re just talking, don’t need to be snippy.”

Rachel ignored her.

She just wants to finish this mission as fast as she can and head back home.

As they turned down Highway 79 and onto Eastbound, Dash just happened to look at the side mirrors, noticing a couple of motorcycles and a car was tailing them. She watched closely as they drove and stopped at several traffic stops and the band was following them.

“Hey, I think we’re being tagged.” Dash warns others.

“Is it the Army? Cops? I thought I fixed the tail light.” AJ asked.

“Don’t think so. They’re wearing white suits.”

Alarmed, Rachel rolled down the window all the way and stuck her head out to see. Both motorcycles had two people and the car was filled with people in it. At first glance, they just seemed like normal humans all wearing white and red.

But seeing the stickers and patches of the White Mantle on them, her body started to steam again. Though they look human, she could smell the magic that was used to disguise themselves.

“Uh, is she supposed to be doing that??” Serenity pointed out the steam. Spike let out whimpers, ducking his head down and shook.

“Drive.” Rachel growled dragon-like, her voice deepened. Her claws dig into the seats, tearing into the fabric and cotton. Applejack stepped on the gas and they drove fast.

These motherfuckers are here?!? Her mind screamed.

Rachel was so sick and tired of dealing with these assholes! Just thinking about everything she went through with fighting these guys was increasingly stirring her up even more. If these punks were here, they were here for one thing.

And since she knew these guys were pretty much already dead men walking when they joined Blueblood’s piss patrol, Rachel will have no problem taking them out. Losing the will to give two fucks about anyone that has any association with the group.

As AJ drove, one of the motorcyclists drove. Elizabeth happened to look and let out a shrill gasp.

One of them had a gun and aimed at Applejack!

Elizabeth raised her hands, glowing light blue, necklace shimmered, a diamond pattern shield emerged, consuming the whole van. When the gun wielder pulled the trigger, the bullet ricochet off the shield and flew somewhere else.

"These fools insane!?" Applejack yelped as she punched the gas.

There was more gun fire, scaring the others inside, Rachel still steaming. However with the shield, they were safe but bullets were flying off somewhere else.

"Why are they shooting at us??" Cassandra shouted, holding onto the dog as the van flew, trying to weave through more cars. "While going through busy traffic!!"

"They're here for me." Rachel snarled, holding onto the bar above her. Tempting to throw back the van doors behind her and unleash hell on those fucks.

"Well, we gotta lose them before we hit the airstrip and make sure no one else gets hurt.” AJ said before harshly turning the wheel and the van began going down another intersection. Trying to find a highway where there wasn’t any traffic.

“Yeah, I’ve dealt with these guys before, they don’t fucking care if others get hurt.” Rachel grunted, looking behind her, peering out the shielded doors.

Dash twisted in her seat and looked at Lucy. “Yo Pinkie Pie, wanna do that demonstration now?”

“Would I!” Lucy grinned.

“What if you hurt them??” Serenity asked but yelped as more bullets bounced off the shield.

Rachel snarled. “They are already fucking dead, just do it!”

Applejack turns down to a more dirt road, glancing at the mirror to look at Lucy. “Pinks, do it.”

Elizabeth sighed and flicked her wrist at the window on Lucy’s side, removing that part of the shield but still kept her head down.

"Okie dokie loki!" Lucy giggled, grabbing a thing of sprinkles and a handful of confetti out of her pocket.

Rachel looked with a raised brow, watching the curly pink haired girl stick half of her body out the window.

"Hey guys!" She called out as if she was seeing friends, waving her hands at them. "SPRINKLE BOMB!" She cackled as she threw the sprinkles at the first motorcyclist on her left side.

Sprinkles flew out, a couple hitting the back passenger on the bike.

KA-BOOM!

What sounded like a large party cannon explosion, the first motorcyclist and its passenger were sent flying.

Rachel looked at Lucy with slight fear in her eyes. She didn't know which version of Pinkie Pie was scarier.

The second motorcyclist did pull back once seeing their comrades go flying and crashing.

The ones in the car, suddenly one of their foreheads began glowing purple, opened the trunk of the car and levitated out a long strip of spikes. Sending it ahead of the van and rolled it out on the road.

“Fuck!” Both AJ and Dash cursed as they quickly came upon the strips. AJ swerved hard, trying to miss it but she still ended up running it over.

The spikes popped all the tires and the van began flying, everything went slow as the van began to flip. Causing Elizabeth to drop the shields.

Cassandra’s hands glowed as she gripped on the sides of the van, consuming the whole thing as it went in the air, everything ended up upside down and froze.

The whole van was in the air, the girls that were in seatbelts were held in place while Spike ended up on the ceiling with a yelp.

“Is everyone okay?” Cassandra then asked.

“Hit my head but I’m good.” Spike whimpered, shaking his head.

There was a collective of the girls saying they were good.

At that time however, Rachel wasn’t good. Her heart was kicking into overdrive, head was pounding, there was a ringing in her ears. Felt something clawing its way out. “Put us down, put us down!” She shouted, gripping her chest.

Sunset turned to see if she could try and calm down but noticed something literally was crawling inside her arms. “Twilight, put us down now!” she panicked, seeing something was happening to Rachel.

“Yeah, yeah, okay, okay.” Cassandra nods before slowly turning the van right side up and placing it down on its now flat tires. Spike had to slide his way back to the floorboards.

“Think I wet myself.” Lucy groaned.

Rachel couldn’t get the seatbelt off of her fast enough, by then, the inside of the van was covered in steam and smoke. She reached over to the back doors and popped them open. She falls to the asphalt on her hands and knees.

At that time, the car and the other two on the motorcycle pulled up and got out of the car, by that time, they dropped the disguised spells to reveal their equestrian selves and began approaching the girl.

Her muscles began tensing up, limbs shook as something began taking over. Blue fire began erupting her hands, the pounding of her head worsened to the point where she let a loud roar.

The flames consumed her fully and as quickly as it consumed her, it dissipated, causing everyone to freeze in place.

Rachel had pony-upped - or in her case, dragon-upped. Golden scales covered her forearms, some covered her face, her claws were long as daggers, her ears did return into pony ears and had moved back on top of her head, the sclera of her eyes turned black, making her golden eyes pop more, the brown horns returned, the back of her shirt was ripped, exposing her furred dragon wings.

“The fuck??” one of the White Mantle goons shuffled back.

The mane 7 in the van watched with mixed, frightened expressions.

To them, Rachel looked like she had turned into a demon straight out of Hell itself.

With a feral snarl, Rachel was on the White Mantle. Caught by surprise, these guys didn’t stand a chance when she attacked them. Serenity and Elizabeth screamed in horror, Spike dove underneath the seats while the others looked on.

With each hit and clawed, and bite Rachel made on them, fire erupted in their wounds, maximizing the pain as she just went hardcore on these guys. Everything she had gone through with these guys, she was making sure the remaining White Mantle felt it. Blood splattered on the road, limbs torn to shreds like a feral beast.

After what seemed like hours when it was just five minutes, Rachel stood in the middle of pony bodies all over the area. The girls and Spike in the van stared in horror, skins paled, bodies shook as they looked on.

“Hey Sunset,” Rachel called out in a pant. Her voice slightly deepened while in this form. “I let my anger out.” She let out a breathless laugh before suddenly doubling over and began puking.

Author's Note

:twilightoops:
:fluttercry:
:pinkiegasp:
:applejackconfused:
:raritydespair:
:rainbowderp:

Don't really have emojis for Sunset and doggo Spike remotely scared.

Needless to say, they all now know not to piss off mama dragon.

Chapter 20

Three days later

There was a collection of voices echoing around Rachel as she slowly began to wake up. Her eyes stung as a bright light hit her. Sounds of people speaking and machines beeping.

"I think she would appreciate it. I would be appalled if I were to wake up all of the sudden and my nails and toes are chipped and dirty from fighting." Elizabeth's voice, though a bit echoey and disembodied. Feeling the sensation of her toes were being treated.

"We can try talking to her again. I read that people who are in a comatose state can hear us speaking to them from within their minds." Cassandra suggested. "She is going to wake up, guys."

"That woman Helen told us to give her some rest." Applejack spoke. Soon the voices were getting clearer and clearer.

Rachel saw the blob of curly pink hair hovering over her.

"Wait-wait she's moving, Pinkie don-" Sunset tried to stop her but it was too late.

"WAKE UP RACHEL!! CAN YOU HEAR US? YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!" Lucy screamed loudly.

Rachel winced and snapped. "Ow! That was my ears you fucking bitch!" She groaned now her vision became clear.

"It worked!" Lucy cheered before wrapping her arms around her for a hug.

The gang exclaimed in excitement before joining in the hug.

Spike barked in joy before hopping in circles.

Rachel groaned and laughed as she attempted to hug them all. After a second she taps them. "Squishing the baby." She said, getting them off of her.

When they peeled off, Spike leaped up on the bed next to her and began showering her face in licks, his tail wagging nonstop.

Rachel giggled and wrapped her arms around him. "Aw Spike. I'm okay, boy." She scratched his neck and ears.

"Sorry, we're just happy to see you awake." He whimpered, licking her one more time before putting his head on her belly. "The baby is okay too."

"I figured." She smiled.

Rachel takes a moment to look around. Even though she was hooked up to a heart monitor and was connected to an IV bag full of fluids, she noticed that she wasn't in a hospital room.

She was inside of a tent. The bright light she was seeing was a hole in the tent that had plastic to block the elements, giving off direct sunlight for that sweet natural Vitamin D.

She was on some sort of gurney.

"Where are we? H-how long was I out?" Rachel asked, alarmed, sitting up in a haste. "Did I do it? Is the Portal closed??"

"Whoa there easy, relax. We're safe." AJ said, holding her by the shoulders and trying to ease her back lying down. "You've been out like a light for three days, Sugarcube."

"The Portal is closed," Cassandra smiled. She pulled out her phone and showed her statistics and charts. "You did it. The Portal is closed. The sinkholes had all filled up, you saved us!"

"And as to where we are," Rainbow Dash grinned. "We're still in Denmark. Malik took all of us to his camp where the so-called freedom fighters of Equestria do their business."

"What about the Mordi?" Rachel asked.

"They're getting adjusted but all are safe." Serenity assured. "The language barrier is a stress, a lot of them are frightened and confused. The newer Mordi are handling them."

"The prisoners, the UN soldiers and archaeologists are not too happy that the ones that tortured them are being treated as refugees, some wanted payback, even against the children." Elizabeth sighed as she continued to tend to Rachel's toes. Now seeing that the fashionista had filed down the pointed tips and was painting her nails a royal purple color.

Rachel lay her head back on the pillow. "I need to talk to them, help them understand that Rùna is no more… Has Princess Twilight been informed?" She looked at Sunset for that.

"I just convinced her to not go through the mirror portal with Guardian Ember. So yeah, she's been informed." Sunset smiled.

Rachel snorted the thought of seeing Ember as a dog. Her mind automatically thought the Guardian of the Dragonlord as a Chihuahua and giggled at it. Seeing her barking and yelping, trying to be a badass but was five inches tall.

She then heard sounds of boots coming this way and a new scent.

"Coming in." A woman's voice called out before she entered. She had curly red hair, green dragon eyes, pointed ears, wearing a dark jumpsuit with the top portion tied around her waist, wearing a white tank top with a clipboard at hand. "Hey guys, I'm just going to check on-" When she spoke, she also had sharp teeth, just like Rachel and Malik.

The woman stopped talking when she saw Rachel sitting up.

"Oh good, you're awake." The woman said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Lucy leaned close to Rachel who looked baffled. "She's part of the new generation of Mordi." She whispered loudly.

"Um, uh a little weak but otherwise I'm fine, who are you?" Rachel asked her.

"I'm Wendy Johnson, like your friend said, I'm part of the new generation of Mordi. I've been your nurse since Malik carried out and brought the others."

"Where is Malik?" Rachel asked.

Wendy made a face. "Right now, he's currently getting an earful from the boss. Speaking of who, she wants to speak to you once you're stable enough. Lemme take your vitals and I'll fetch someone to get you clothes, your highness."

"We've also mentioned that you're now Queen of the Dragons." Spike said as he jumped off. Wendy came to the bed and began to run some tests.

"How about some food? I'm so hungry I can eat several grown horses." Rachel half joked but also half serious. She was starving.

Sunset made a face with that statement.

"I bet." Wendy said as she gave Rachel a quick physical.

As she did, she noticed something else. "Where's my staff?" She asked, seeing that the Blue Celestial wasn't with them.

"We didn't see it when we pulled you out of the rubble." Serenity said with a frown.

Rachel frowned too before she began hearing a familiar hum. "Huh?"

Blinking confusedly, Rachel held out her hand, as if she was plucking something out of thin air, the Blue Celestial materialized in her hand. Wendy shuffled back with a gasp.

"Oh my!" She exclaimed before the nurse knelt down when seeing it now in Rachel's possession.

"Whoa! Neat trick!" Lucy oohed.

"Right? Pretty damn cool and convenient." Rachel looked at it. Feeling the energy pulsing through it and into her body. It hummed in response, causing her to huff. "Impatient ass, I just woke up. I meant what I said."

"Who are you talking to?" Cassandra asked.

Rachel motioned to the staff. "It's sentient in a way. It's in a bit of a mood."

"The staff talks?" Lucy asked as she leaned closer to see if it would say anything to her.

"In a way, yes. I can understand what it's saying and… Okay uh Wendy you can get up."

"Oh, yes my Queen." Wendy responded before standing up. Her eyes sparkled when seeing the legendary staff. "I'm sorry, but I only heard of it when I awakened my abilities. I just never really seen it before right now. Malik and your friends were right."

"Ooh I'm going to have to get used to that from both you guys and the Dragons when I head back home… I'm still not used to being called that." Rachel said as she rubbed her stomach.

More newer Mordi, this time a couple of males moved past the tent and caught sight of the staff and entered. They also had the same reaction as Wendy.

"Guys, fetch the Queen some clothes and food, stat!" Wendy barked at them.

Those two bumped and ran into each other, scrambling to go and find the items that were requested.

"Uh…. " Rachel blinked.

"Welcome to Queendom," Elizabeth giggled before moving to Rachel's claws and began giving them treatment.

After eating enormous quantities of food for the mother-to-be and changing into similar dark jumpsuits and tank tops, Rachel and the others left the tent with the staff in tow, following Wendy. The skies weren't red anymore which was a good sign to see.

The camp was sprawled out with various tents, vehicles with draconic runes spray painted on. Looking around she saw a few of the newer Mordi taking laps around the camp, a couple near what looked to be a makeshift mess hall chowing down and chatting with each other, a long with the now freed prisoners. A couple near what looked to be stolen weapons from the human armies that they were taking inventory.

Since Malik said there were currently fifty that they know of that had awakened, word spread fast of the new Queen so Rachel was getting a lot of stares. Something else Rachel would have to get used to.

"Where's the other Mordi? The ones that were brought with me and my friends?" Rachel asked Wendy.

"We had to separate them from the rest of us for a bit. All of them were nervous wrecks. The prisoners that were brought back wanted revenge and we wouldn't let them." Wendy explained.

"Can't hardly blame them." Rainbow Dash said. "Not only were they attacked, but they were stuffed in cages, basically tortured and watched others die. They won't forgive them."

"If it wasn't for Malik and your friends, those guys wouldn't trust us. The newer generation in general." Wendy said.

"How many are the older ones?" Rachel asked Wendy. "I know there's a lot more than the newer but I didn't have the chance to take count."

"Well, minus the ones that had died over the last few weeks when the archaeologists had freed them. The death toll is over three hundred, there's roughly two hundred adults and only thirty children that we had gathered and counted. Some orphaned." Wendy explained as they came to a set of trailers. Nearby was a really large tent. "They are all in there. Most are too nervous and agitated to step out. New technology scared them." Wendy points at it. "They do respond to us cause we speak Draconic and we're doing what we can to ease them." She then motioned to the trailers. "Helen is in there."

There were sounds of a loud sounding woman giving someone a hell of an earful.

"Helen started this group, finding all of us." Wendy winced at the choice words the boss was throwing around.

"We'll be out here when you're done." Cassandra said before her phone rang. Rachel now noticed her hand was more medically wrapped up and in a cast. "That's Shaun, so one moment." She stepped away from the group before answering the call.

The rest of the gang nodded, giving Rachel some encouragement.

With a sigh, Rachel held the staff in hand before climbing up the stairs and knocked on the door.

"For fuck sakes come in." The woman inside called out.

"Poor fool," Rachel muttered about Malik before opening the door of the trailer and went in.

"Seriously, Malik, we have refugees that had no real bearings of the new world. You brought them all here where you know that we don't have room to house or properly train." Rachel walked in to see another dark skinned stocky built woman with short dyed blonde hair. Her eyes were draconic blue and snarling her sharp teeth at Malik who was standing in front of her desk with his arms tucked behind his back.

"Again, would you like it if I had left them back at the Temple, swarming with soldiers that could wipe them out?" Malik asked. "They aren't cursed anymore, this is our people."

"From an old failed time." Helen grunted before looking up, realizing who it was and straightened up. "Uh sorry, I didn't realize you were awake, your highness." She eyes at the staff, seeing the symbol of authority.

Malik turned and smirked, seeing Rachel standing there. "Look who's awake, hey there Dorothy."

Helen reached over and smacked his arm. "How dare you-"

"Hit my Second-in-Command when he's just greeting me?" Rachel grunted.

Both Helen and Malik had a dumbfounded look on their faces.

"I told Malik to round up the refugees after I released them from their curse. He was following my orders." Rachel said as she came closer to them.

Malik tried so hard not to look smug at the look on the other woman's face.

"Besides," Rachel smacked Malik in the chest, causing him to grunt and wipe the look off his face. "Smacking Scarecrow here is my job."

That made the other woman let out a chuckle. "Rachel Lockhart, I've heard a lot about you. Congratulations on both sides," she motioned to the staff and her baby bump. "I'm Helen Von Franklin. Founder and Leader of the new Mordi. But it seems I got knocked down a couple of pegs with you now Queen of us and the Dragons."

"You're going to have a problem with a newcomer taking the leadership role?"Rachel asked.

"Nope. Can use all the help we can." Helen said.

Malik leaned close to Rachel. "Am I really your Second-in-Command?" He asked her.

"Yes," Rachel said. "Gloat in your own time, not when we're talking shop."

The fact he's technically Helen's boss did bring satisfaction to him.

"I like her," Helen said before gathering some paperwork and putting them in the file. "As I was telling your… Second, we don't have resources or manpower to deal with hundreds of the older generation."

"I thought about that. When I learned about how the older generation became cursed, when I asked the old Queen how to cure the rest, I figured that they won't be able to live in this new world. After what they went through and did, they don't belong here in this world anymore." Rachel said.

"What do you mean?" Helen asked.

"I won't be staying on this side for long, I have obligations and responsibilities back in Equestria. The dragons don't really know that I'm now their ruler and it's going to be an adjustment. I'll be taking the old Mordi with me."

Both Helen and Malik looked at her.

" Uh, what? "

Rachel sighed. "This world isn't for the older ones anymore. The technology is way beyond their understanding not to mention what they've done while being cursed. Equestria is their best bet, where they should've been in the first place if it wasn't for Queen Rùna's decisions."

"That's a lot of refugees to uproot. Plus you closed the portal, how do you expect to bring all of them and you to Equestria, unless you open it again." Helen said.

The staff hummed in Rachel's mind."It'll open again on its own. It's not closed indefinitely."

"Uh excuse me? " Malik grunted. "It's closed."

"It is yes, " Rachel said as she looked at him before looking at Helen. "But it'll open once again. Rùna didn't permanently close it as we all saw it opened up eight years ago. However since I'm new to all of this, I don't have the same energy as her. There is another portal but it comes from Equestrian magic that can be controlled on the other side."

"So how long do we have before it opens again and we're back to fighting the human soldiers? " Helen asked.

"A year." Rachel admits. "Exactly one year before it opens once more… however I do plan on both the Settlement and the Temple being in my control. Both sides will be guarded by us while the Ponies clean up their shit and us fighting this war we're all in. It's not perfect but it's what we got. How we transfer all of them to Canterlot High will be a tricky thing but it has to get done."

There was a moment of silence in the trailer.

Before one of them could speak, the three of them began to hear a commotion outside. They looked at each other before they ran out.

A few of the freed prisoners were shouting at a couple of the new Mordi standing guard at a truck.

"After everything these bastards did to us, you're just giving them special treatment?! They're monsters! " One of the prisoners shouted.

"We want payback, they owe us that! " a woman in the group snapped at the officer.

"Now just hold on, you lot aren't authorized at this part of Camp, go back to your side at once. Once we get things squared away, you'll be released to your families." One of the new Mordis said.

"This one's a kid, you're just scaring her." The other one had an Irish accent and had no hair on his head.

"Did you bitches forget that the children of those things are more vicious than the adults?? " a man snapped before pulling the collar of his shirt aside, revealing a gnarly looking scar. "A group of them killed my men and tore me to shreds!"

Rachel snarled and stomped towards them. "EVERYONE, BACK UP NOW!" her voice boomed, startling both them and herself. "Whoa okay that was loud." She groaned, hurting her ears as she came to them.

"Rodney, Saxs, what the hell's going on?" Helen asked the two Mordi in guard.

"One of the refugee children got curious and slipped out of the quarantine tent. These guys chased her underneath the truck." Saxs explained. Glaring at the prisoners.

"Of course you guys take their side." One of the prisoners snapped.

"Okay enough, all of you. I don't expect you all to understand but they are not your problem. Or did you all forget that it was my friends and I who got you out of those cages??" Rachel asked, getting right in front of them. Her being a little taller than some of these guys has its advantages.

The group looked at her, still wanting to get a hand on the kid, decided to be smart about it and stand down. She felt their anger, she felt their need for revenge. Something she would done if in their shoes.

"Just keep that thing locked up." They grunted before they backed off, taking the rest of the group back to wherever they just came from.

The two guards kept their eyes at them to make sure they didn't do something stupid. Which was a relief because Rachel doesn't want to fight anyone anymore while pregnant.

She sighed before turning to the guys and nodded. "Nice work, guys."

They bowed to her in respect.

Rachel looked over to the truck. "You said a kid?" She asked them as Malik went over and got in his stomach, seeing what appeared to be a six year old child. Her ears were bigger than her head, as if she hadn't grown into them yet. A blonde haired child with violet eyes. She wore a sort of a gown made of wolf hide up to her knees. Her nails and toenails were also violet.

She too was on her stomach but jumped when she saw Malik.

"Hello there, love. It's okay." Malik spoke Draconic in a soft voice. "Those guys are gone."

The little girl didn't say anything, looking at him with uncertainty.

Malik points to himself. "Name's Malik. What's yours, sweetheart?"

It took her a moment before pointing at herself. "Dot. I am Dot."

"Dot? That's a cute name." Malik smiled. "Can you tell me why you're out here?"

Dot waited a moment before speaking again. "I lost mama and papa. I am trying to find them."

Rachel frowned when she heard that. "You guys separate the families?" She asked Helen.

Helen snorted. "We're not ICE. We made sure all of them were together. Families and their children. If she lost her parents and they are not in the quarantine tent, chances are that she's one of the orphans and they died while cursed."

Malik tried not to show sadness to the child when he heard the woman talk. He kept a positive look. "Well, finding them underneath this…. Large contraption.~" There wasn't a word for vehicle or truck in the dragon language. "Isn't working now, is it? Here." Malik held his hand out to her. "Let's find them together, shall we?"

Dot stared at him for a hot second before reaching out and grabbed his hand. She began crawling out from underneath the truck and stood.

Malik smiled at her before standing up. "See? You're surrounded by friends."

Dot silently looked to him before at the other adult Mordi. She knows physically they were like her but the clothes they wore were different, that something else set them apart from the people she knows. Her eyes looked to Rachel and the Queen's Staff.

She bowed her head low to her. "I-I am sorry for disrupting those humans… and what our actions did while cursed"

Rachel got down on one knee so she can be at her height. "You remember?"

Dot nodded. "A lot of us do. Those humans have the right to be angry… but we're all sorry, your highness."

Rachel didn't know if that was good that they remembered or not.

"I know I'm not Rùna, and to be honest, I'm new to being a ruler. I do apologize for what happened, but I promise that you and the others are going to be okay."

Dot looks down at her. "I know it will be, Cursebreaker." She smiled, having gaps between her tiny pointy teeth.

"Cursebreaker?"

Helen and Malik chuckled.

"Rach, it's what these guys have been calling you. You did break their curse so that's what they dubbed you." Malik explained.

"¿Qué quieres decir con que no se me permite estar en este lado del campamento? ¡Necesito hablar con Malik, idiota!" A very irritated Spanish speaking woman could be heard echoing on the other side of the camp.

"Malik, don't tell me that's your wife?" Rachel asked as they continued to hear the woman cursing and yelling in Spanish at a fast rate.

"Crap I gotta tend to her, be right back." Malik said as he was backing away before turning on his boots and ran towards his wife.

Helen groaned, shaking her head while the other two males chuckled at Malik's expense.

Dot frowned, watching him leave before looking at Rachel.

"Let's get you back to the others, shall we?" Rachel asked, standing up, adjusting the hold of her staff in one hand, she held the other out for her to grab.

Dot showed no hesitation when grabbing hers.

" I'll lead you there." Helen said as she began to lead the two to where the older Mordi were being held.

Author's Note

I am sorry for the Spanish I know some words but I put the rest of the translation through Google translate.

God I hope I didn't mess it up, if I did, please tell me the correct words used in here?