I barely got the last word out before having to dive sideways, evading a beam of frost that formed a jagged line of ice. Velkhana didn't even give us a moment to organize, whipping her head from left to right, spraying another blast of mist, conjuring an arc of rime that had us scatter, Topaz cut off by the ice wall.

Sweeping my staff in two vertical slashes, I felt them catch Velkhana's spear-like tail before thrusting against her chest only to narrowly fall sideways, avoiding the tail as it speared the ground beside my head, dragging it through to force Ren and Topaz to a standstill, the pair dodging from her gliding slam as the dragon spun around and continued to take stabs at whoever got too close.

With so many to eyeball, Ren closed in from her left flank, longsword gleaming white, whipping her lithe body into two horizontal sweeps into rising verticals, carving a square through Velkhana's side, raising her weapon in time to slide back from a forceful head charge, sparks flew as I and Topaz swept by, sweeping through the Elder Dragon's legs, using her own ice to manoeuvre and slide to safety, using a lingering ice wall as cover from another vertical breath attack, Velkhana taking to the air.

Spraying downwards, three rings of ice formed and shattered, the air growing cold enough to form clusters of ice to descend upon us. Diving forward, I threw my staff high and channelled aura into my paws, firing off multiple blasts to shatter the crystals as they formed. Topaz's shield hovered in front of me, catching the horizontal sweep of Velkhana's tail for me as I caught my staff and sent a staggering blast of air pressure into Velkhana's side with Vacuum Wave whilst retreating.

Velkhana kicked off her claws, tail jutting forwards as it scraped against the floating shield, protecting me as Topaz spun her sword, sweeping across Velkhana's stomach and neck, adjusting her shield as she passed me, bounding over an ice wall to evade another beam of frost. Overhead, Ren dove in a slow arc, drawing down Spirit Helm Breaker, several slashes ripping across her scales.

I slid under the Elder Dragon, hooking my Metal Claws to the underside, dragging them across Velkhana's stomach, leaving her rime armour cracked. Glancing to the cannoneers, I sent forth my voice. "Fire now!"

Heeding my call, they slapped the loading racks shut with their magic, and instead of a singular cannonball, Velkhana was rocked by a pair of five from both cannons, pulverizing her armour across both forelegs and her chest, the great wyvern reeling in pain, howling loudly as the moisture crystalized above the ponies, each erecting a barrier to quickly shield themselves from the descending rime.

Growling, Velkhana galloped toward the cannoneers, so I leapt and ran perpendicular with the barricade, vaulting overhead to send a wave of draconic energy cascading atop her crown, drawing the dragon's ire as her tail nearly skewered me, had I not used Quick Guard, but my back slammed into the gate sharply as a result, ow...

Four thrusts piercing along Velkhana's throat, her head thrust forward, missing Ren by a hair when she doubled back, weapon sheathed only to sweep forward using Iai. Velkhana evaded with her wings, landing beside Ren only to be assaulted by the solid face of Topaz's shield, followed in quick succession by her blade. She guarded with a magic barrier whilst Ren rolled to avoid the sweeping tail as the wyvern flew behind them to reel back and spray a haze in front of Topaz that instantly erupted with a small glacier of dark ice, throwing the girls on their sides. And judging by the frost licking their armour, they were afflicted by that deadly Iceblight, both reaching fast for a Hot Drink to starve off frostbite.

That's when Velkhana took to the sky, the temperature dropping considerably. Oh not again...! "That's her big attack, move!" I warned, sprinting to close the gap, grabbing the girls as I kicked my muscles into high gear, throwing us behind a fallen ice wall in time for the very atmosphere to turn a tinge of blue briefly.

Velkhana spewed frost in every direction, the air dropping in temperature dramatically as dozens of ice crystals formed, several walls erupting from the earth as four massive rings grew at her feet. With a deafening roar, Velkhana slammed the center of the ice rings, the walls erupting outward in a frigid blast, shards of ice spearing the ground and all solid surfaces in range. Her armour remained, wings fanned high triumphantly.

"Hah, t-thanks, Wolfy." Ren's teeth chattered, even after downing the Hot Drink.

"I-I-I could use a-a-a hot bath a-and a d-d-drink after." Topaz was faring no better, but at least they were okay.

Leaving them to recover, I pulled back my right fist, sparks of electric running up my fur before releasing the pressure, charging forward through several rime walls as Velkhana yelped, Thunder Punch twisting against her left shoulder, followed by a flip into the devastating Bulldoze, the sturdy heel of my right leg slamming into her nape, bringing the great dragon down to earth.

I think I just pissed her off.

Turning sharply to charge towards me, I kicked off the small ice ledge to dive past her tail, riddling her with a combination of Aura Spheres and Dragon Pulses, rippling across and through layers of ice and frost accumulating on her body. One pulse managed to splinter her scales along the right foreleg, and in diving in a zig-zag to evade her streams of frosty breath, I swung an uppercut swirling with fiery energy, cracking her jaw and seeing her horn snap in two, sending Velkhana falling backward onto her side, all her subsequent frost armour crumbling to dust.

"Nice hit, Wolfy, dig in!" Ren cheered, weapon gleaming yellow.

"Don't let up now!" Topaz hollered as I closed in fast.

Taking advantage of Velkhana's downed state, bit-by-bit, her scales and armour were chipped and broken, although, a deathly-cold mist soon forced us back, her tail inches from slicing my chest open as it dragged through the earth, whipping sharply as her wings threshed, helping Velkhana to rise again, now, a distinct, crimson contrail followed her eyes, I could feel the moisture on my fur starting to crystalize.

A low growl left her lips, but she studied us critically, reorganizing ourselves between the labyrinth of ice she had created. Suddenly, her wings curled around herself, the cold air was immediately drawn in towards her yet again, turning the sky that distinct, icy-blue. She was going into Blackrime form! And it wasn't going to be as minor as last time... the very air pressure was accumulating, building up to something bigger...

Looking sharply, I threw my arm toward the ramparts, where the cannoneers finished reloading, and to the small corridor that led behind the barricade. "Quick, retreat before she unleashes that attack!"

"Damn, alright, move it!" Ren shared the same look of annoyance as me, but we couldn't run the risk now, ice starting to form overhead, forcing us to watch our pathing and evade the falling clusters, the wind pulled past us.

Leaping onto the ramparts, the cannoneers fired off the last cannonballs they had, the rampant pelting from the explosions throwing Velkhana off only a little, practically reducing the explosions to mere sparks in her growing tempest. I glanced at the unicorns was haste. "Fall back, go, go!"

The sound of her deafening roar reached my ears, turning to see the great wall of wind, snow, and serrated blades of black rime swirling outward, and toward us. Ren ran past me when I saw the ice forming above the doorway, so, without hesitation, I grabbed the last cannoneer and Topaz, and threw them toward Ren, knocking her down and through the archway, just as ice crashed down, cutting off my means to escape the oncoming torrent.

So, I swallowed a lump in my throat, my claws turning a faded, brassy pigment. All or nothing!

[Yui's POV]

Everyone, including myself, had to brace or hide behind crates, barrels, and makeshift barricades to withstand the chilling blast of rigid wind that cut through the air like a razor blade. When the cracking of ice subsided, large spikes of black rime were left in Velkhana's wake, dawning her onyx frost armour, but what's worse, is the state of the barricade.

Thick layers of ice had frozen the towers on one side, including the chains that hoisted the gate upright, so with a single sweep of her tail mid-air, she shattered both the ice and the chains in tandem, causing our one means of defence to slide back beneath the earth with a violent slam that rang up the mountain above, Velkhana roaring sharply as she stepped over the threshold.

"Get on the interior cannons, now! Magic too, use everything!" Skate quickly rallied. "Do not let Velkhana take a step further!"

Looking around, I spotted Ren leaping down onto the ground, drawing her longsword to meet Velkhana alongside Topaz, but... Zen was nowhere to be seen. My gut twisted into a knot, did he get caught outside by that blast? For a second, I honestly felt my body close to shutting down, and feeling helpless to lend a hoof to in the conflict.

"What happened to Zen?" "Is he...?" "How can we beat this monster now?"

Doubts, fear trickling in, crawling through the cracks in their confidence. If one started to doubt our chances, our final stand will fall apart in a matter of seconds. Cannons thundered in my ears, blasting Velkhana whilst her tail slashed in rampant arcs, forcing Topaz back whilst Ren simply shrugged off the biting cuts I could see along her armour and exposed skin. Neither of them had given up... and neither have I.

"He's fine!" I snapped, drawing the stares of those who began to doubt, placing a hoof against my chest and my ring, keeping my eye fixated on the desperate battle below. "Zen... Zen hasn't lost yet, which means, none of us have either!" I know that, with every fibre of my being.

"Agreed," Beside me, Skate was anxious, gritting his teeth against the biting winds blown our way. "I... I have faith too."

I smiled at the sentiment, feeling a warmth swelling in my chest, drawing my gaze away from Velkhana, and to the ground directly under her claws... it was rising?

Then it clicked, a tear catching in my eye as I sighed a laugh of sheer relief. "You jerk, making me worry again..."

From below, cracks of bright gold split through the snow and rising earth, Ren was thrown on her heels by a thrust of Velkhana's tail, narrowly rolling out of range of a large, crescent veil of mist that expanded instantly into a crumbling glacier. In that single frame, a flash of light broke through the rime, drilling a golden fist up her lower jaw, snapping Velkhana's head backward sharply with a wail, tumbling onto all fours again with a snarl.

And through the dissipating ice and mist, I couldn't peel my eyes away from the bipedal wolf of black and blue.

[Zen's POV]

Using Dig to avoid the blast might've just saved my ass from becoming a Pokemon-theme popsicle. But, it also provided me time to plan and adjust accordingly using aura to track Velkhana's movements. Dusting off the snow, I clenched my fists; this put a strain on my bones, feeling them creaking under the pressure, but now wasn't the time to hold anything back.

"I'm going to stop you... using every ability I've got in my arsenal!!" Like a rapidly expanding galaxy, my aura began to change and shift, refracting into a variable of colours and shades over my shivering body.

I released a howl, raising my attack power, followed by my anger rising with Nasty Plot, bolstering special attack, Calm Mind harmonized with that to raise special attack and defence. My coat felt as sturdy as steel with Iron Defence, tempered with Swords Dance's attack values, Bulk Up strengthening me physically, a rush of wind accompanying Agility. Last, Metronome had cleverly picked out a storm of glimmering gems to encircle me, Diamond Storm.

My own storm had finally gathered, of everything I've learned in the last two-plus years in this world. My fists trembled with a fiery light seeping between my fingers, my eyes felt like they were on fire! "This ends now. I have someone in the future I have to meet!!"

She seemed very accepting to that threat.

Throwing a cascade of ice in my direction, so I met it in kind, my fist bulldozing through the rime, crashing against her thin jaw, sending her body stumbling away from the cache with Focus Punch, the air puckering with a sonic boom to follow, splitting apart the dark rime covering her head.

Black snow fell around her form as she barrelled toward me. "Come on!!" I roared, kicking into Extreme Speed, leaving a dust cloud in my wake, riddling the length of her body with a flurry of Metal Claw-tipped strikes, puncturing and lacerating her hide, appearing on her left.

Velkhana flew back to puncture the air only to swivel forward from the strike that was followed by three diagonal slashes down her legs. She sprayed in a line from top to bottom under herself, a large wall of blackish-blue ice forming as it caught my arms. Yet, she wailed in pain when I tore through the chilling ice, demolishing the wall, carving through every obstacle with Cross Chop, feeling my claws ring off her shoulder, sending her sideways through her own rime.

Taking a deep breath, I felt my power fluctuate so I rejuvenated it in tandem using Life Dew, unleashing a coppery-tasting blast of steel, hearing it shred against Velkhana's body. Detect forced me sideways, cutting off the beam's flow when her tail slit my left cheek open, feeling it freeze over and numb the surrounding skin. Performing a handstand, I leapt high and swung my Dragon Pulse into a halo around me, decimating the crystals forming in the air to surround me.

Crystals fell around me, but Velkhana's mist bled into the ground, so I raised Protect, warding off the shattering glacier, coupled with a surprise tail thrust. In turn, I kept my calm, channelling a concentrated ball of blue spiritual energy between my paws, sending it hurdling through, Focus Blast erupting in a nova, dispelling the mist and shards of ice, clearing the way for her to charge toward me.

Rising above the crumbling ice, Velkhana's glowering gaze fell solely to me. Exhaling a cold breath, my eyes burned, seeing her readying another of those devastating explosions, puffing my chest out, sucking in that frigid, cold air. If I used this, coupled with all the effects afflicting me, I should still be able to fight, but I'm definitely going to feel the repercussions for a week.

"Hakai Kōsen!!!" A spark of blue snaked across my muzzle with a highlight of purple, followed by a concentrated beam of dark-violet to collide with Velkhana's onyx ice beam, the volatile reaction set off a double-ringed explosion mid-air, showering us in black and purple snow, the air punctured by a brief silence.

My heartbeat pounded in my ears, feeling the recoil catch up to me from the usage of a handful of Lucario's strongest moves, but Velkhana wasn't fairing any better, no, I had to finish this now! But, it was hard to move my legs...!

A pat ruffled the fur between my ears, peeking up to the smug grin on Ren's cheeks. "We'll buy ya a minute, this is a team effort, bud."

"Honestly, no reason to fall back into old habits," Topaz snorted, raising her weapons.

"Thank... you..." I spoke aloud, even if they didn't speak Pokemon, they both seemed to get the memo.

Taking the vanguard, Ren closed in, weapon pulsing red between her fingers as she swept her weapon to counter and parry every, wild slash from Velkhana's vicious assault, splitting ice from her tail. Ren slashed in two downward strokes, bashing her tail into the earth, leaving her wide open to the devastating, rising vertical that split from Topaz, through a newly erected wall to act as a shield.

Velkhana reeled her head forward to spew a hail of ice only for a bright, gold shield enveloped in amber to catch the brunt of it all, Topaz digging his hooves in as ice formed at the sides of her shield and magic barrier, her horn crackling. "If I wanted a breath mint, I'd have asked, you overgrown turkey!!"

From the sides, Velkhana whipped her tail, digging it through the earth as two verticals, followed by black ice. Sailing over both, Ren drew her longsword high for an overhead cleave, flipping into an Iai a second after landing, carving through her scales, the duo rolled sideways to evade another glacier eruption, leaving a myriad of walls in her wake to shatter under the force of her legs.

Topaz's ducked beneath the wings to rend through the underside of the dragon, tossing herself out of arms way as a bright flash of light stunned and confused the wailing beast, Ren flinging a few, poison-tinged knives between the cracks of Velkhana's hide, drawing her sword for wide, sweeping strokes, running and bouncing off Velkhana's own legs into another Spirit Helm slash-

Only to cut through a thick wall of ice, the tail piercing through to cut across her left shoulder. "Ack... cleaver girl, ngh!" Dousing the area with a Hot Drink, she fell back behind Topaz's magic barrier, the unicorn keeping on her toes to evade the falling ice.

Fist to my chest, I took in a deep breath, my abilities from before persisting still! "Okay, I'm ready, switch out!"

Ramping up all I could muster, I tore across the cache, fist igniting into a brilliant, cerulean flame over my whole body, "Meteor Mash!" The force of my fist struck like its aforementioned name, sending a tremor through Velkhana who flew back to spray the area in waves of ice, rings forming around us, so I brought my hands wide, and slapped them sharply, sweeping wide in two, silver streaks, Cross Chop shaving them down.

Landing, Velkhana tanked another deadly Iai from Ren who rolled immediately after, the tail exposed to a bombardment of cannon fire from the side-lines, the cannoneers awarded by seeing Velkhana roar painfully, her mighty, onyx tail piercing the ground, severed from the limb itself. Enraged, she didn't get the chance to retaliate, my Metal Claws rending across her wings in a spinning flurry of silver flames.

Both wings slammed the earth with a blast of ice as she took flight to evade Ren's thrust. Topaz raised her shield for me to bounce off of, sweeping the air with my foot dripped in venom, Poison Jab applying another coating of poison, using the leverage to spin and deliver a quick Thunder Punch to the wyvern's jaw, cracking her scales into pieces. Swinging myself away from her sweeping breath attack, the ice cascading upon the duo below.

Her attacks had grown more vicious, uncoordinated and sloppy. The once elegance and grace Velkhana displayed had almost withered away, this wasn't just a battle to put an end to the raging storm above ground, this was Velkhana's last desperate attempt to claim this whole mountain range as her domain. Her rage was sickening, a corrupt king that needed to be brought down for good.

"One more time, we're going for a flawless victory!!" I yelled.

"Yeah!!" Ren and Topaz gave as much to my cry, spread wide before the Elder Dragon of ice.

"Hyraaaaah!!" With a wordless cry, Ren charged and drew her longsword high, striking hard and fast with a back-to-back verticals, each strike sending a ripple of electricity through Velkhana's swaying head, the dragon barely able to swing her tail that tore across her left forearm through her armour. Instead of retreating, Ren dug her nodachi into the ground next to her and grappled the tail with her bleeding left, feeling the dragon nearly throw her back as she wrestled it. "Take 'em down, Topaz!"

Like an amber blur, two, fiery-orange eyes burrowed through Velkhana's hateful red, a spark of light as bright as a shooting star filling the blue atmosphere in a light yellow haze. Topaz slammed her shield into Velkhana's throat, using her own body to run and vault off as ice crawled up her hooves from just making contact alone, seeing the same nearly freeze Ren's arm off before she threw herself back.

Clasping her Gold Rathian blade skyward, Topaz poured all her magic into its edge as she screamed and brought the full brunt of it down on Velkhana's head, a cacophony of shattered ice and billowing winds with a hint of roaring flames filled the air, akin to a meteor falling from the sky, dealing a tremendous blow to the beast. Flames licking the mare's armour as she tumbled onto her side, shield raised in preparation for a counter attack that never arrived.

Instead, to all our surprised, shocked expressions, a single bat pony stood in front of Topaz with a firm scowl, the wind billowing through her armour. Even as that deadly cold grazed at her armoured hooves, the glistening fur warded against it, the crackling ice in the air barely earning a flinch from the unwavering mare who gave a small, almost smug look of satisfaction.

"Meditor." In her left hoof, she flung the crushed remnants of a moon opal before her, Velkhana inches from slashing her with its wings.

The pale-blue mist shrouded Velkhana, and even for a mighty Elder Dragon, Yui's magic still sent it sailing away from the girls, directly into my sights.

Extreme Speed closed the gap in a heartbeat, and I concentrated Metronome. As far as I knew, the move it chose was completely random, so I tossed my coin and prayed it'll land in my favour. I could feel the energy changing inside me, coursing through not to my fists, my tail, nor my legs. Instead, a blazing inferno erupted from my forehead, washing down over my sensory appendages, casting them into four, flaming extensions.

And a sharp grin overtook my muzzle. "Man, I love gambling!" Rising above Velkhana, I threw my head forward, feeling it connect and melt through whatever means of defence she had left. "V-CREATE!!!"

In the wake of our contact, a four-pointed star of flames erupted beneath us, letting out a crackling roar. A large blast of snow rose only to quickly evaporate, hearing the blizzard give out a final rumble of defiance.

Landing dizzily, the myriad of colours faded from my fur, my body heavy and lethargic from overexerting all I could muster. Stumbling back, I felt Ren catch me with her good arm, the two of us breathing heavily, staring up at Velkhana who stood back on her hindlegs... was it not enough...?

I almost drew upon a weak Aura Sphere... only for Blackrime Velkhana to finally come crashing down at our feet in a last, dying gasp. Above, the swirling storm steadily began to clear, the air returning to its natural hue as the Elder's influence quickly dispelled in a gentle, befitting, snowfall.

Several seconds passed before any sound was made, starting with cheering from the back of the cache, which set of a chain reaction from one pony to the next, a tentative, trembling sound that grew into a resounding roar. Earth-bound ponies raised their hooves, unicorns let off what little magic they had into the clearing sky, and pegasai flew high, voices joined in a chorus of jubilation. Tears streamed down the faces of the old and the young alike, mingling relief flooding my own aura.

"Well, that went wel- oh, there we go," And I fell onto my backside, Ren simply flopping onto her back, each of us sighing heavily. Topaz just didn't bother to sit upright at all, content to lay in the snow like a dead fish.

"Zen!" And I nearly joined them both as Yui tackled me into a bone-crushing embrace, expertly avoiding the spike on my chest, nuzzling the underside of my jaw with a giggle that vibrated over my neck, forcing my own, tired chuckle to follow, holding my less aching arm around her back. "...you ass." She swiped my right ear.

"Ow, deserved," I winced, pulling back to meet her captivating face with a stupid grin. "How's that for a Guildmaster, huh?"

Snickering a little, Yui brushed some of her mane back, she wasn't crying out of joy or ready to scold me more, instead, I was met with only a strong sensation of affection behind that face of hers, her eye twinkling with love I had know for over two years. And just now, a fearsome resolve that could even leave an Elder Dragon in disbelief.

Leaning in, her lips came to linger on mine for few seconds, sending a delightful buzz down my sore muscles. "Just what I already knew you could do and more." She answered softly, her forehead coming to rest against mine. "I'm glad you're okay..."

"Ditto, should've known you'd risk everything to have my back." I'd scold her for it, but I was both tired and just relieved to be holding her.

"Was there really any doubt?" She giggled, winking... or blinking, always hard to tell with her bangs. "To the ends of the earth, I recall."

My paw lightly slapped my forehead. "How could I forget?"

"Three cheers to the newest Guildleader of the Hunters!" We turned our heads to Ren, who merely raised a fist to the sky, not bothering to move but wore a toothy smile all the same.

"I think the blood stopped flowing to my legs..." Topaz groaned, which got a light laugh out of my lips, all that weight finally releasing my shoulders.

"Everything is just so crazy now,"

Surrounded by the cheers of Snowfall, holding the woman I loved, I leaned my head back toward the clear, blue skies starting to emerge, rays of sunlight pouring down on the snowy mountains. Equestria's changed a lot in two years, and it'll continue to do so into its future.

"And I don't know what my future holds, but..."

Looking to Yui who laughed at something Ren was saying, the human pouring the contents of a mega potion into Topaz's mouth, I couldn't take my eyes off the purplette for a second, or that azure spark blanketed by her lilac aura.

"...I can't wait to find out."

<><><>Quest Complete!<><><>

[Several Years Later...]
[Akira's POV]

"-Carving knife? Check. Aaaand... yeah, should be everything..." Murmuring to myself, I packed up the last of my gear and tightened the straps of each buckle, hoisting the saddlebags on comfortably.

In doing so, my eyes caught the reflective, blue sheen in my left eye, coming from the little bracket clutching a thick scale, its surface like volcanic rock petrified in blue ice. I had a whole bunch of keepsakes and gifts my parents gathered on their travels, my Dad said it came from a powerful Elder Dragon, and a new Variant he's never seen no less!

Moving closer, I adjusted it slightly on my table, causing the rays of light to bounce toward my bedroom ceiling, smiling in satisfaction at the adjustment. Trotting over to my door, I picked up my sword and buckler and headed out, I had a Hunter's trial waiting for me, after all, and I'll have plenty of my own keepsakes to gather once I join the Guild.

I wonder if I'll ever face a Velkhana like that?

With that, I gently shut the door behind me...

The End.

Author's Note

And we once again reach the end, my final addition to the Indomitable world. The beginnings of the Hunter's Guild that would help to reshape Equestria, a land now filled with monsters. I really enjoyed this, especially in making my own Variant on Velkhana, so I, of course, went all-in, bringing almost all of Zen's strongest feats into play.

Also, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, even if you don't celebrate, have a Happy New Year! 🎄🎉

I sincerely hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support now and forevermore; and may the Sapphire Star light your way, Hunters!